John L., Mallett together at Arkansas

Posted by ESPN.com's Adam Rittenberg
It sounds like the start to a Big Ten joke.
What do you get when you cross a former Michigan State coach, a former Michigan quarterback and an SEC team without a punter?
They're finding out right now in Fayetteville, Ark.
Former Michigan quarterback Ryan Mallett, who transferred to Arkansas shortly after Rich Rodriguez was hired as Wolverines head…
Continue reading at ESPN.com – Big Ten – Blog

Florida, Oklahoma odds on favorites for 2009

The Wiz spotted BodogLife’s updated odds for the college football season. Long story short… it looks like the Gators and Sooners are the early picks, followed by USC, Texas, and Ohio State.

Here’s the complete rundown:

Alabama 22/1
Arizona 100/1
Arizona State 150/1
Arkansas 150/1
Auburn 150/1
Boise State 100/1
Boston College 100/1
California 60/1
Cincinnati 90/1
Clemson 60/1
Colorado 100/1
Florida 7/4
Florida State 30/1
Georgia 50/1
Georgia Tech 50/1
Illinois 80/1
Iowa 75/1
Kansas 75/1
Kansas State 175/1
Kentucky 125/1
Louisville 150/1
LSU 20/1
Maryland 200/1
Miami 35/1
Michigan 120/1
Michigan State 100/1
Missouri 90/1
Nebraska 55/1
North Carolina 45/1
North Carolina State 100/1
Notre Dame 30/1
Ohio State 17/2
Oklahoma 5/1
Oklahoma State 50/1
Oregon 20/1
Oregon State 100/1
Penn State 35/1
Pittsburgh 60/1
Rutgers 125/1
South Carolina 100/1
South Florida 80/1
Tennessee 100/1
Texas 8/1
Texas A&M 150/1
Texas Tech 60/1
UCLA 150/1
Utah 125/1
USC 5/1
Virginia 100/1
Virginia Tech 20/1
Wake Forest 80/1
Washington 200/1
West Virginia 75/1
Wisconsin 100/1
Field (Any Other Team) 20/1

And remember… entertainment purposes only… of course.

© www.fanblogs.com

Comment on Florida, Oklahoma odds on favorites for 2009…

Continue reading at Ohio State Football – Fanblogs.com

Early schedule snapshot: Iowa

Posted by ESPN.com's Adam Rittenberg

The Big Ten schedule is nearly complete after Indiana added its final nonconference game today. The Iowa Hawkeyes are up next on the rundown. 

NONCONFERENCE SCHEDULE

Sept. 5 Northern Iowa

Sept. 12 at Iowa State

Sept. 19 Arizona

Oct. 3 Arkansas State

My take: This is a solid nonconference slate that should prepare Iowa for a Big Ten opener — Sept. 26 at Penn State — that could go a long way in deciding the league championship. Northern Iowa reached the FCS playoff semifinals last year before losing to eventual national champion Richmond in the final minute. Iowa State is a transitioning program with a new head coach (Paul Rhoads), but the Cyclones always play Iowa tough in the Cy-Hawk series. Arizona also might be rebuilding in 2009 but comes off a solid 2008 season capped by a Las Vegas Bowl victory over BYU. Iowa will be favored in all four games but should be tested at times. 

BIG TEN SCHEDULE

Sept. 26 at Penn State

Oct. 10 Michigan

Oct. 17 at Wisconsin

Oct. 24 at Michigan State

Oct. 31 Indiana

Nov. 7 Northwestern

Nov. 14 at Ohio State

Nov. 21 Minnesota 

Byes: Purdue, Illinois

My take: Iowa's trip to Penn State will be one of the Big Ten's marquee games this fall, but the Hawkeyes must avoid a hangover or a letdown, depending on the result at Beaver Stadium. The stretch following Penn State is crucial, as Iowa hosts a transitioning Michigan team before visiting Wisconsin, a team it embarrassed last year, and making a second consecutive trip to Michigan State. If the Hawkeyes survive the first four games, they'll be in good shape for another road showdown against Ohio State on Nov. 14. The home schedule is manageable, but Iowa gets no breaks away from Kinnick Stadium. 

Go to Source

Illini lose out on Wingo

Posted by ESPN.com's Adam Rittenberg

Running back Ronnie Wingo announced today that he will play his college ball at Arkansas. 

Wingo selected the Razorbacks over Missouri and Illinois, which finished third in the running. He would have been a solid pickup for the Illini, who plucked another running back, Jason Ford, from the St. Louis area last season. Ford became a key contributor as a true freshman. 

Illinois has two other running backs committed — Bud Golden and Greg Fuller — for its 2009 class. 

Wingo was ranked as the nation's 34th-best running back by ESPN's Scouts Inc. 

Go to Source

What are the most prestigious college football programs?

ESPN has taken the lead in trying to rank the most prestigious college football programs since the inception of the AP poll in a psuedo-scientific fashion. It’s really more of a “which current FBS programs have lived in the spotlight” list, because it doesn’t take into account teams that aren’t currently in FBS and doesn’t attempt to match them one versus the other, per se.

First, the method to their madness:

ESPN’s Prestige Rankings are a numerical method of ranking the best FBS college football programs since the 1936 season. Point values were assigned for certain successes (win a national title, earn 25 points) and failures (get your program banned from the postseason, lose two points). The research department ran all the numbers through the computer to come up with the No. 1 program (and Nos. 2 to 119) of the past 73 seasons.

The full breakdown of how points were accumulated (and deducted) is online as well, with the “biggies” being National Championships, major bowl berths, major bowl wins, Heisman winners, and points for various finishes in the AP top twenty five poll.

The results are… pretty interesting. In fact, it’s really hard for me to quibble over all but a few positions – and even that might be subjective.

ESPN COLLEGE FOOTBALL PRESTIGE RANKINGS

1. Oklahoma
2. USC
3. Ohio State
4. Notre Dame
5. Nebraska
6. Alabama
7. Texas
8. Michigan
9. Florida State
10. Miami
11. Penn State
12. Tennessee
13. LSU
14, Georgia
15. Florida
16. UCLA
17. Washington
18. Georgia Tech
19. Arkansas
20. Texas A&M
21. Auburn
22t. Clemson
22t. Colorado
24. Ole Miss
25. BYU

Click here for positions 26 – 119

Again, this is more of a prestige spotlight list than a comparison of team A versus team B. That’s obvious when you look at the criteria, and then also compare the rankings above with head-to-head records, for example. Case(s) in point… Oklahoma has a losing record all-time against Texas, but is ranked ahead in prestige. Florida State has a losing record all-time against both Miami and Florida, but gets the presige nod. The Noles have a winning record over both top five Notre Dame and Ohio State, but I digress.

Even still, it’s hard for me to look back at the history of college football and not put the Sooners at or near the top of the list. Certainly Ohio State, USC, Notre Dame, and Nebraska all deserve to be near the top as well. You can debate where everyone falls (ie should “x” be #6,#7, or #8) but it’s hard to see someone in the top 25 that doesn’t belong.

© www.fanblogs.com

Comment on What are the most prestigious college football programs?…

Story By Ohio State Football – Fanblogs.com

Jumping Ship: Who’s leaving early for the NFL?

The good folks at ESPN’s data center have the updates on which college football underclassmen are leaving school in search of huge bags of money a career in the NFL. Here’s the updated list, with a few notable talents highlighted.

Asher Allen CB 5-1 198 Georgia
Chris Baker DT 6-2 298 Hampton
Kenny Britt WR 6-4 215 Rutgers
Eben Britton OT 6-5½ 310 Arizona
Donald Brown RB 5-10 210 Connecticut
Everette Brown DE 6-4 252 Florida State
James Casey TE 6-4 245 Rice
Jeremy Childs WR 6-0 196 Boise State
Glen Coffee RB 6-1 198 Alabama
Austin Collie WR 6-2 206 BYU
Emanuel Cook S 5-10 203 South Carolina
Jared Cook TE 6-5 243 South Carolina
Michael Crabtree WR 6-3 214 Texas Tech
Andrew Davie TE 6-5 266 Arkansas
Nate Davis QB 6-1¾ 217 Ball State
Vontae Davis CB 5-11⅞ 203 Illinois
Josh Freeman QB 6-5½ 238 Kansas State
Shonn Green RB 5-10¾ 233 Iowa
Percy Harvin WR 5-10¾ 187 Florida
Darrius Heyward-Bey WR 6-1⅞ 203 Maryland
P.J. Hill RB 5-11 236 Wisconsin
Greg Isdaner OG 6-4 322 West Virginia
Ricky Jean-Francois DL 6-3 289 LSU
Paul Kruger DE 6-5 265 Utah
Jeremy Maclin WR 6-0 198 Missouri
Sen’Derrick Marks DT 6-0⅞ 289 Auburn
Aaron Maybin DE 6-3½ 250 Penn State
LeSean McCoy RB 5-11 205 Pittsburgh
Gerald McRath LB 6-3 220 Southern Miss
D.J. Moore CB 5-10 184 Vanderbilt
Knowshon Moreno RB 5-10¾ 207 Georgia
Captain Munnerlyn CB 5-9 185 South Carolina
Hakeem Nicks WR 6-1 215 North Carolina
Kevin Ogletree WR 6-2 189 Virginia
Jerraud Powers CB 5-9 191 Auburn
Mark Sanchez QB 6-2½ 225 USC
Andre Smith DT 6-4⅞ 341 Alabama
Sean Smith CB 6-2½ 212 Utah
Matthew Stafford QB 6-2½ 235 Georgia
Brandon Williams DE 6-5 246 Texas Tech
Chris “Beanie” Wells RB 6-1 235 Ohio State

Of course, it’s worth mentioning a few standout players who are not going pro this year:

Tim Tebow, QB, Florida
Sam Bradford, QB, Oklahoma
Colt McCoy, QB, Texas
Jermaine Gresham, TE, Oklahoma
Brandon Spikes, LB, Florida
C.J. Spiller, RB, Clemson
Greg Hardy, DE, Mississippi

Equally notable, FSU S Myron Rolle will leave the Noles, but isn’t going to the NFL… yet. Rolle accepted a Rhodes Scholarship and will study medical anthropology at Oxford. Rolle was expected to be a top 50 or better pick, but will instead look to enter the 2010 NFL draft.

The NFL Draft is scheduled for April 26th and 27th in New York City.

© www.fanblogs.com

Comment on Jumping Ship: Who’s leaving early for the NFL?…

Story By Ohio State Football – Fanblogs.com

Bet your house on Florida, and other things to discuss;

Lots to discuss, wasting no time here…..

Let’s start off with the big event in sports.  Tomorrow night’s BCS National Championship Game, Florida vs. Oklahoma.

There’s only one way to put this.  Bet everything you have on Florida right now.  It’s going to be a massive blowout.  I have about thirty reasons why this will happen, but here’s just the best reasons;

1) The Big 12 has been exposed as EXTREMELY overrated this year

Say what you will about the Big Ten and the ACC and the Big East all sucking, but the Big 12 should be VERY embarrassed with their overexposure and underwhelming bowl performances.

At one point, there were multiple teams from the Big 12 ranked in the Top 10.  It was getting ridiculous, and the AP voters and TV announcers ate it up like Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Ice Cream.  “Every week is like a bowl game in the Big 12″ they would say.  Bullshit, I say.  They were all pretty average.  Here’s how their bowl games turned out;

Texas 24, Ohio State 21 – In a game that EVERYBODY said would be a 20-point blowout, it took a miracle drive, bad tackling, and some questionable officiating to put Texas in the end zone to win the game.  Somehow along the way, hitting a Longhorn QB in the shoulder pads became a 15-yard penalty.  In the end, the team that cried their eyes out claiming they were robbed out of the title game proved that they did not deserve any titles at all.  Texas went in thinking they would run up the score and pick up some first-place votes found themselves without a TD (and only 3 total points) for the entire first half.

Overrated?  Texas was ranked #1 in the nation at one point this year, Ohio State was given a 9% chance to win the game.  Yes, Texas was overrated.

Ole Miss 47, Texas Tech 34 – Ole Miss is an average SEC team, always finishing in the middle of the pack.  Texas Tech was another team looking to destroy their bowl opponent, this time to prove that they should have gotten in a BCS game.  Mission failed.  Badly.  After getting off to a fast start, the Red Raiders proved that they deserved absolutely nothing when they allowed Ole Miss to go on a 38-7 run and blow out their Big 12 foe.

Overrated?  Texas Tech was ranked #2 in the nation earlier this year.  Ole Miss lost to Vanderbilt and South Carolina…both at home.  Yes, Tech was overrated.

Missouri 30, Northwestern 23 (OT) – Despite the wishes of the Big 12’s most popular brother-sister team (otherwise known as Chase Daniel’s parents), Missouri looked like crap against the Big Ten’s 8th-best pass defense.  Northwestern should have won this game, but some late miscues handed the game to Mizzou.

Overrated?  Missouri was once ranked #3 in the NCAA.  Northwestern lost a game by 35 points this year.  Yes, Missouri was overrated.

Oregon 42, Oklahoma State 31 - Okie State started off fast, but couldn’t maintain themselves against a rushing attack from the Ducks.  Two Oregon players would break the 100-yard mark on their way to 307 yards team rushing.  Oregon also racked up a total of 565 yards aginst Okie State.

Overrated?  Oklahoma State was once ranked #7 in the nation.  Yes, Okie State was overrated.

Nebraska 26, Clemson 21 – In the Gator Bowl, Nebraska was trying to recapture some of their historic greatness, and their prospects were large, playing against a team that only won 7 games in the pathetic ACC….a team so bad, they fired their coach mid-season.  And they barely escaped with the win, when a Tigers TD was overturned by instant review.

Overrated?  Well, Nebraska was never rated.  But they barely beat a bad, bad team.

Kansas 42, Minnesota 21 – The lone bright spot for the conference so far, Kansas doubled up on Minnesota, who were bowling to the shock of everyone not in a Gopher uniform at the start of the season.  As the season wore on, Minnesota’s weak schedule was exposed by the Big Ten, and the regular season ended mercifully with a 55-0 Minny loss.

Overrated?  Kansas was actually ranked as high as #13 this year.  Minny lost a game 55-0.  Yes, Kansas was overrated.

The point of all this is simple – the Big 12 was NOT the meat-grinder that the media told us it was over and over and over again.  Oklahoma’s not ready for this game.

#2) Florida IS ready for this game

A bad performance by Tim Tebow once this year nearly cost Florida a shot, but they came back in a dominating way.  Since their loss in Week 4, they have been unstoppable.  Take a look at this;

• Week 5 – 31-point win against Arkansas
• Week 6 – 30-point win over then-#4 LSU
• Week 7 – 58-point win over bowl-bound Kentucky
• Week 8 – 39-point win over then-#6 Georgia
• Week 9 – 28-point win over bowl-bound Vanderbilt
• Week 10 – 50-point win over bowl-bound and then-#25 South Carolina
• Week 11 – 51-point win over The Citadel
• Week 12 – 30-point win over bowl-bound Florida State
• Week 13 – 11-point win over then-#1 and BCS-Bowl bound Alabama

Yeah, they’re ready.

3) The Heisman Curse

Sam Bradford won the Heisman this year.  Heisman winners usually suck in bowl games, especially National Championships (we know, we know).  Only twice in the past 30 years has the Heisman winner gone on to win a National Championship.  No, Tebow didn’t win it the year Florida took the title (Troy Smith won it).

4) Oklahoma pretty much sucks at BCS bowl games

For all the whining and crying you hear about Ohio State’s recent bowl losses, you just don’t hear those kind of attacks leveled at the Sooners.  And believe me, they’re much worse.  In their last 4 BCS bowls, they are 0-4 and have been blown out more than once.

• 2008 – Lost to West Virginia 48-28
• 2007 – Lost to Boise State 43-42
• 2005 – Lost to USC 55-19
• 2004 – Lost to LSU 21-14

If they make it 0-5, we’d better NEVER hear about our own shortcomings again.  Especially since they’ll have lost two national championships in that time frame.

Convinced?  Call Vegas ASAP.

——————————–

Last night, the Cavaliers overtook the #1 seed in the Eastern Conference when Boston lost.  The Cavs now have the best record in the NBA.

Tonight, the Cavaliers beat the living daylights out of Charlotte, 111-81.  Boston’s loss last night?  It was to that same Charlotte team.

The Celtics come to The Q Friday night.  It should be insaaaaaane!

——————–

Speaking of the Cavaliers game, there were many highlights to go over.  But the best was watching former Michigan Fab-Fiver Juwan Howard get tossed from the game while sitting on the bench.

By the way, did you know that the Fab Five never won a single title in college?  No national titles, no Big Ten titles, nothing.  Just thought I’d mention that.

———————

In the “what the hell” category, Boobie Gibson also got a technical foul tonight.  For having an untucked shirt.  No, I’m not kidding.

———————-

The Cleveland Browns hired their new coach tonight.  Eric Mangini, former Jets coach, and former ball boy for the Browns, will call the plays next year.

Makes sense to me.  Hell, there were CURRENT ball boys that could have done better with the Browns this season.

———————–

Last week, it was announced that Michigan’s only offensive threat, Sam McGuffie, has left Ann Arbor and will enroll at Rice next year.  McGuffie was rumored to have been struggling with depression and on medication.  Being closer to home will be better for the kid.

Also better for him will be not having to deal with decapitation at the hands of Ohio State special teams players.

——————–

Finally, in the most laughable news you’ll ever hear, Michigan Head Coach Rich Rodriquez recently said he has “always taken the approach that you should look at each job as your last.”

Yeah, he actually said that.  With a straight face, no less.

Story By The Buckeye Battle Cry

Fitzgerald, Cooper to be honored at Fiesta Bowl

Posted by ESPN.com’s Adam Rittenberg

Northwestern head coach Pat Fitzgerald and former Ohio State head coach John Cooper are among the 14 new College Football Hall of Fame inductees to be honored before tonight’s Tostitos Fiesta Bowl. 

The Hall of Famers will be introduced just prior to kickoff between No. 3 Texas and No. 10 Ohio State (Fox, 8 p.m. ET). Fitzgerald was inducted as a player, having led Northwestern to consecutive Big Ten titles as an All-American linebacker in 1995 and 1996.

The class actually has three members with Big Ten roots. Head coach Lou Holtz coached at Minnesota from 1984-85. 

Here’s the full list of Hall of Famers:

2008 COLLEGE FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME CLASS

• TROY AIKMAN — UCLA, QB (1987-88)
• BILLY CANNON — LSU, RB (1957-59)
• COACH JOHN COOPER — Tulsa (1977- 84), Arizona State (1985-87), Ohio State (1988-2000)
• JIM DOMBROWSKI — Virginia, OT (1982- 85)
• PAT FITZGERALD — Northwestern, LB (1993-96)
• COACH LOU HOLTZ — William & Mary (1969-71), NC State (1972-75), Arkansas (1977-83), Minnesota (1984-85), Notre Dame (1986-96), South Carolina (1999-2004)
• WILBER MARSHALL — Florida, LB (1980- 83)
• RUEBEN MAYES — Washington St., RB (1982-85)
• RANDALL McDANIEL — Arizona St., OG (1984-87)
• DON McPHERSON — Syracuse, QB (1984- 87)
• JAY NOVACEK — Wyoming, TE (1982-84)
• DAVE PARKS — Texas Tech, SE (1961-63)
• RON SIMMONS — Florida State, NG (1977- 80)
• THURMAN THOMAS — Oklahoma St., RB (1984-87)
• ARNOLD TUCKER — Army, QB (1944-46) 

Go to Source

Northwestern’s Fitzgerald in elite company

Posted by ESPN.com’s Adam Rittenberg

Not too many 34-year-old’s can call themselves Hall of Famers, so Pat Fitzgerald is already unique in that way.

But the Northwestern head coach joined extremely select company Tuesday when he was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.

	Albert Dickson/TSN/Icon SMI
	Pat Fitzgerald was National Defensive Player of the Year in 1995 and 1996.

Fitzgerald and South Carolina’s Steve Spurrier are the only two active FBS coaches inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame. Both obviously entered the Hall as players, Spurrier having won the Heisman Trophy at Florida in 1966 and Fitzgerald earning back-to-back National Defensive Player of the Year awards as a linebacker at Northwestern in 1995 and 1996.

Fitzgerald’s new title should come in handy on the recruiting trail. 

Former Iowa quarterback Chuck Long, a 1999 Hall of Fame inductee, held the same distinction as Fitzgerald and Spurrier before being fired as San Diego State’s head coach on Nov. 22. 

Only three people have been inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame as both players and coaches. 

• Bobby Dodd, who went in as a Tennessee quarterback in 1959 and as Georgia Tech head coach in 1993.
• Bowden Wyatt, who went in as a Tennessee end in 1972 and as coach at Wyoming, Arkansas and Tennessee in 1997.
• Amos Alonzo Stagg, who went in as a Yale end and as coach at Springfield, University of Chicago and Pacific in 1951.

There are two current NFL head coaches — the 49ers’ Mike Singletary and the Rams’ Jim Haslett — who were inducted into the College Hall of Fame as players. 

Go to Source

Ten Top 10s After Week 15 in College Football

Top Ten Teams

1) Utah: Undefeated, undisputed.

2) Boise: Proves it doesn’t matter what happens on the field—only matters how much your fanbase spends on road trips.

3) Texas: May be the best team in the country right now.

4) Oklahoma: When they win, they do it with style.

5) Penn State: Another fine job on and off the field by Joe Paterno.

6) USC: A defense that’s just fun to watch

7) Texas Tech: The odd man out.

Florida: A nice year, with one of the worst losses.

9) Alabama: Overachieved all year—just a great effort to get this far.

10) Cincinnati: It really came together for the Bearcats this year.

 

Worst Ten Teams

1) Washington: Pathetic.

2) Western Kentucky: Thanks for playing—we have some great parting gifts.

3) Notre Dame: How embarrassing does it really have to get?

4) North Texas: The Mean Green weren’t too mean.

5) Washington State: Horrible.

6) SMU: Wasn’t an instant turnaround for June Jones.

7) San Diego State: No, we didn’t forget the loss to Cal Poly.

Michigan: The worst season I can remember for this proud program.

9) Miami (OH): Preseason conference favorites finish dead last.

10) Tulane: Holy (Bob) Toledo, this team stinks.

 

Top Ten Most Improved This Season

1) Alabama: The pride is back in the Tide.

2) Cincinnati: Nice job all the way around.

3) Buffalo: Two words: Turner Gil.

4) Rice: Understated but overperformed.

5) Oklahoma State: If anyone wants to argue that they should be No. 1 on this list, I have no comeback.

6) Nebraska: Not over the hump, but at least to the hump—a big step forward.

7) Florida State: Respectable again.

NC State: Tom O’Brien’s finest job ever.

9) Miami: Showed signs of youth but a bright future as well.

10) Temple: 5-7 is a great season for these guys, and it could have been 7-5 or better with some luck.

 

Top Ten Underachievers

1) Notre Dame: “Soft” schedule just showed how soft they are.

2) Clemson: Talk about drinking the Kool-Aid.

3) Miami (OH): Not ready to let these guys off the hook.

4) Illinois: From Rose Bowl to no bowl.

5) West Virginia: They were thinking title game.

6) Michigan: The long bowl streak ends.

7) Wisconsin: Many had them winning the Big Ten.

Arizona State: Ouch.

9) Georgia: Not what they had in mind.

10) Auburn: Nothing short of a disaster.

 

Ten Who Are “In”

1) Manny Pacquiao: The pound for pound king is still the king.

2) Tim Tebow: Heisman hunt and National Title game—not a bad year.

3) Turner Gill: Who doesn’t want to be his agent?

4) Julio Jones: It’s official—Bama fans are the only ones not waiting for this guy to go pro. Awesome.

5) Oklahoma: Not sure how the math works, but either way they are in.

6) Brian Kelly: In style.

7) Virginia Tech: In another BCS Bowl game.

Utah: In the BCS against the big boys this time.

9) Gator Assistant Coaches: In the running for Head Coach jobs.

10) Skip Holtz: Syracuse?

 

Ten Who Are “Out”

1) O.J. Simpson: Out of favor but “in” prison.

2) Plaxico Burress: Out of the Giants and not in Mensa either.

3) Texas: Out of the title game.

4) Boise State: Out of the BCS.

5) Michigan: Out of a bowl game.

6) Charlie Weis: In a job but out of style.

7) Percy Harvin, DeMarco Murray, and Dominic Goodman: We’ll be hearing this names a lot in the next few weeks.

Tommy Tuberville: Say what?

9) Jimbo Fisher: Maybe not the next Head Coach of the Noles?

10) Chop Blocking: This needs to be even more out than it already is.

 

Top Ten Things I’ll Do Between Now and the Bowls

1) Holiday Parties: After a while they all blend together.

2) Work on improving my websites: Hopefully The College Football Place has some bothers and sisters shortly.

3) Home Improvement: My prized Orchids aren’t looking too good these days.

4) Work on my Book: You all will see this first as a series of articles.

5) Chat it up in the Forums:  How fun has this been?

6) Holiday Shopping: Anyone surprised I’m not done yet?

7) Improve my videos: Long overdue.

Start my NFL Draft preview: No rest for the weary.

9) Preview the games: Most on the site, others in the free newsletter.

10) Relax: Time to catch my breath—it’s been a fun but exhausting season.

 

Ten Things We All Can Do This Holiday Season

1) Give: Better than receiving.

2) Help someone: Same as giving.

3) Be thankful: Give thanks.

4) Get in touch with someone you haven’t talked to in a while: Tell them thanks for being part of your life.

5) Smile: It can be infectious.

6) Laugh: One of my personal favorites.

7) Don’t take life so seriously: See No. 6.

Pick a charity: There is always someone less fortunate than you.

9) Enjoy them: If the holidays stress you out, you aren’t doing them right.

10) Tell someone you care: They might have started to think you didn’t.

 

Ten Best Teams to Not Make a Bowl Game

1) Auburn: Better than some that are going.

2) Duke: Maybe next year?

3) Illinois: If someone can figure this team out, give Zook a call.

4) Virginia: Had their chances.

5) Stanford: I thought they had a chance.

6) Tennessee: Too much talent to not make it.

7) UCLA: My guess is we don’t see them on this list for a very long time.

Arizona State: This season was a bust—we’ll see if they recover.

9) Arkansas: Having Texas, Alabama, Florida, and others on the schedule isn’t always a great thing.

10) Baylor: Going to be fun to watch next year.

 

Top Ten Bowl Matchups

1) Oklahoma Vs. Florida: Not sure they got the teams right, but love the matchup.

2) Boise Vs. TCU: If you don’t think this is a great game, you didn’t watch enough College Football this year.

3) Alabama Vs. Utah: Going to be a better game than people think.

4) Penn State Vs. USC: Joe Paterno started the game plan two weeks ago.

5) Georgia Vs. Michigan State: Two teams you wouldn’t think of as playing one another.

6) Texas Tech Vs. Ole Miss: Both of these teams beat top three teams this year.

7) Georgia Tech Vs. LSU: The ACC has done a nice job against the SEC so far this season. Does it continue?

Western Michigan Vs. Rice: Under the radar choice as most exciting game.

9) Oregon Vs. Oklahoma State: The Holiday Bowl is usually a pretty good one.

10) West Virginia Vs. North Carolina: Toss a coin as to who will win.

Visit Mitch anytime at his site: The College Football Place

Go to Source

Next Page »