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CFTT Top Ten Update Number 5

December 9, 2008 By Leave a Comment

Note:  Remember my reasons for updating every three weeks, even if some of you think I am really an idiot.

1.  Florida, 12-1
Alabama was number one in my poll, and Florida beat them in the SEC Championship Game and looked good doing it.  Florida has been on a tear after the loss to Ole Miss.  Tim Tebow has become a great leader, and he has lead this team to where it is now.

2.  Oklahoma, 12-1
There is no easy way to do this.  Oklahoma beat the number two team in my poll, Texas Tech, therefore, I will put them at number 2.  That being said, arguments can be made for both Texas and Oklahoma.  Texas, we know, beat Oklahoma on a neutral field the first weekend of October and only loss to Tech on the road on a TD pass with one second left on the clock.  Oklahoma destroyed Texas Tech, and, I might add, is not the same team it was in October.   They are running the ball better, and they have fixed some of their defensive holes.

3.  Texas, 11-1
See Above

4.  Alabama, 12-1
The Tide is a bruising team.  They will absolutely knock you silly on both sides of the ball.  They only had one slip this year.  Unfortunately, it was in their last game against Florida.  I really would love to see them play one of those great Big 12 South games.  Oh well, they play Utah in the Sugar Bowl.

5.  USC, 11-1
No one will know for sure how good USC is.  It was a bad Thursday night in Corvallis earlier this year, and if Oregon State had not have been so beat up by the end of the season, USC would have had somewhere other than the Rose Bowl to go play.

6.  Utah, 12-0

BYU v Utah

The Utes are not a flashy team.  They play good defense, and they are led on offense by a senior QB.  They make just enough plays on offense to win their games.  They run a spread offense, but it is a grind-it-out kind of blue collar offense.  They took care everyone, and then they rallied to knock off TCU before pulling away from BYU to get to that undefeated season.  They deserve what they get.

7.  Texas Tech, 11-1
This is, undoubtedly, the best season in Red Raider history.  Mike Leach showed me something as he worked to improve his running game and his defense to get his team to this special place.  In most years, 11-1 would be good enough for a BCS Bowl.  A blowout loss to Oklahoma did not help their case.

8.  Penn State, 11-1
Joe Pa may have turned his best performance this year.  He just keeps winning games.  His offense was off- the-chart good this year, and his defense was its usual good self.  One loss to an improving Iowa team in Iowa City took them out of the national title hunt.

9.  TCU, 10-2
I just wasn’t sure if the Frogs were a top ten team.  However, after the season was over, I realized they were just a better offense away from being BCS buster material.  The Frog offense was good against most teams, but when they played teams with good defenses (Oklahoma, Utah), they just couldn’t generate enough points.  TCU finished number 2 in the country in total defense, and if you don’t think they were good, give Bob Stoops a call.  The Sooners scored over 700 points this year, but they only scored 35 on the Frogs with 21 of those coming in the first quarter.  That is 19 points below the Sooners’ average.  TCU is good.

10.  Boise State, 12-0
Unfortunately, the Broncos only played one team who was ranked this year making it hard to know how good they really are.  It’s not their fault, but it hurts their credibility.  They get a chance to prove it in the Poinsettia Bowl against TCU.  Many are calling it one of the best match-ups in the bowl season.  Nevetheless, it is really hard to go undefeated in 12 games in spit of who is on your schedule.

Filed Under: 2008 Archives, 2008 CFTT Top Ten Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

Sunday Night Rewind: The BCS Has Saved the Day!

November 30, 2008 By Leave a Comment

Whew!!!!  I really just did not not know what we were going to do.  I mean, Texas, Texas Tech and Oklahoma were all tied at the top of the Big 12 South with a legitimate shot at a BCS title game, but only one could go to the Big 12 Championship Game.

Of course, we look to our wise sages for answers, and they helped us make a decision.  Coaches from as far away as California and New England decided that Oklahoma’s throttling of two top twelve teams two weeks in a row was worthy to put them in front of Texas and Texas Tech.  Longhorn fans are fuming.  What happened to 45 to 35 (Texas’ score over Oklahoma if you didn’t know)?  What happened to to 39 to 33 (Tech over UT)?  It’s madness I tell you!  Madness!  Only it is November not March.

Oh well, what’s done is done.  It will be Oklahoma vs. Missouri (again) for the Big 12 title.  Of course, if Chase Daniel has some magic left and Mizzou upsets Oklahoma, well, I guess Texas gets to go to the BCS title game.  Who needs a playoff (tongue in cheek!), this is just fine!

BCS Standings

  1. Alabama 12-0
  2. Oklahoma 11-1
  3. Texas 11-1
  4. Florida 11-1
  5. USC 10-1
  6. Utah 12-0
  7. Texas Tech 11-1
  8. Penn State 11-1
  9. Boise State 12-0
  10. Ohio State 10-2

AP Standings

  1. Alabama (62) 12-0
  2. Florida (3) 11-1
  3. Texas 11-1
  4. Oklahoma 11-1
  5. USC 10-1
  6. Penn State 11-1
  7. Utah 12-0
  8. Texas Tech 11-1
  9. Boise State 12-0
  10. Ohio State 10-2

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CFTT Top Ten Update Number 4

November 17, 2008 By 2 Comments

Note:  Remember my reasons for updating every three weeks, even if some of you think I am really an idiot.

1.  Alabama, 11-0
The Crimson Tide keep winning, but they are starting to look a little less intimidating.  They have some business to take care of in the “Iron Bowl.”  Then, they have to beat Florida, the hottest team in the country, in the SEC Championship Game.  Defeat Arkansas State 35-0, at LSU 27-21 OT, Mississippi State 32-7.

2.  Texas Tech, 10-0
The Red Raiders have played some of the most exciting football in the past three weeks beating routing Kansas and Oklahoma State slipping past Texas 39-33.  The Raiders go to Norman to play the Sooners and then get Baylor at home to finish the season.

3.  Florida, 9-1
Fans can argue that Texas looks better on paper when considering the results, but no one is hotter than Florida is now.  The Gators survived the early part of their schedule, and then they were promptly upset by Houston Nutt’s Ole Miss Rebels.  Then, the Gators regrouped and have not looked back since.  The Gators won at Georgia (49-10) and Vandy (42-14) and annihilated South Carolina 56-6.

4.  Texas, 10-1
The Longhorns may be the victim of circumstances when it is all over.  The Horns beat Oklahoma on a neutral field and their only loss is on the road in a very close game to Texas Tech.  But, when the dust settles, will Oklahoma get the nod to play in the Big 12 Championship Game?  It could happen.  What do you do with three teams with one loss, to each other, tied for first?  The Horns lost at Texas Tech 39-33, won over Baylor 45-21 and at Kansas 35-7.

5.  Oklahoma, 9-1
The Sooners have rebounded from the October loss to the Longhorns, and they are looking to exact a little revenge on Texas Tech who beat them last year and further completecate the Big 12 South.  However, even if they beat the Raiders, they have to beat a very salty Oklahoma State team in Stillwater.  The Sooners won at Kansas State (58-35), beat Nebraska 62-28, and at Texas A & M 66-28.

6.  USC, 9-1
The Trojans got their revenge on Stanford last week in Palo Alto pulling away for the 45-23 win.  The Trojans beat Washington 56-0, Cal 17-3 and at Stanford (45-23).  Up next is Notre Dame and UCLA.  Unfortunately, USC may go 11-1 and not make the Rose Bowl.  Oregon State controls its own destiny there.

7.  Utah, 11-0
I don’t know what to say about the Running Utes.  They just keep winning.  They aren’t flashy, their defense leads the way and they are able to win the game when trailing.  The Utes beat New Mexico and TCU 13-10 and ripped San Diego State 63-14.  The next game is what locals call the “Holy War.”  It’s the yearly rival with BYU, and it is a home game for Utah.  These kind of games transcend records, so Utah will be in for a tough, close game.  If they win this game, they will go to a BCS Bowl.

8.  Penn State, 10-1
The Nittany Lions is a feel good story, but they saved everyone a lot of Big Ten heartache when they lost at Iowa a couple of weeks ago.  They are still a go for the Rose Bowl.  How do you like that match up, Penn State versus Oregon State, a rematch?  The Lions won at Ohio State  (13-6), lost at Iowa (24-23) and beat Indiana (34-7).  Up next, Michigan State.

9.  Oklahoma State, 9-2
What can you say about the Cowboys?  They have been impressive all year.  Yes they loss two games, but those games were on the road against teams that were ranked number 1 and number 2 when they played them.  OSU had its own gauntlet to run, and they managed beat Missouri on the road.  What’s more, every top 5 team they have played has been on the road.  The next on will be in Stillwater.  After a week off, they get cross state rival Oklahoma.  The Cowboys beat Iowa State (59-17), loss to Texas Tech (56-20) and beat Colorado (30-17).

10.  Missouri
The Tigers had dropped out in my last poll because they had dropped two straight games.  But give them credit, they are pretty good.  One of those losses was at Texas in Austin.  The Tigers take care of business, and their offense is just so explosive.  They get the unfortunate task of facing whoever survives the Big 12 South in the Big 12 Championship Game.  Good luck.  The Tiges won at Baylor (31-28), beat Kansas State (41-24) and won at Iowas State (52-20).  Next up, the “Border War” against Kansas on November 29th.

Falling

Penn State (but not out)
Georgia

Rising

Utah
Oklahoma State

Filed Under: 2008 Archives, 2008 CFTT Top Ten Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , ,

Sunday Night Rewind: Gator Bait

November 16, 2008 By Leave a Comment

The Networks billed Saturday as “Revenge Saturday” because several teams had a chance to evenge losses from last year.  But no one seems to be shining briter than Florida right now.  It seems like everyone that plays them is turning out to be Gaitor Bait.  Since losing to Ole Miss at home in September, Florida has won 38-7 (Arkansas), 51-21 (LSU), 63-5 (Kentucky), 49-10 (Georgia), 42-14 (Vanderbilt), and 56-6 (South Carolina).  Is there anyone in the country hotter than the Gators right now.  The defense is only giving up an average of 10.5 points a game during that stretch while the offense is scoring 49.8333 per game.

Alabama continues to roll setting up a show down in the SEC Title game for the right to play the Big 12 South winner.  Alabama took care of business against Mississppi State.  The Tide isn’t flash.  The just control the clock running the ball, play great defense led by a mamoth Defensive Tackle in the middle and do a great job with special teams.

Next week is a big showdown in Norman, OK between Oklahoma and Texas Tech.  The Red Raiders beat Oklahoma last year, so OU will be shooting for revenge.  If OU gets Texas Tech, that puts the Big 12 South in to a three way tie.  The Sooners will be tied with Texas Tech and Texas.  How will this mess get straigthened out?  Oklahoma State will beat Oklahoma in Stillwater the following week, sending Texas Tech to the Big 12 Title game.  If Tech knocks off Mizzou there, they will play the winner of Alabama and Florida in the BCS Championship Game.  It should be fun to watch.

Utah rolled over San Diego State setting up a showdown with BYU this week in the traditional “Holy War.”  If Utah wins that game in Salt Lake City (Utah plays both TCU and BYU at home this year), then the Utes should be a lock to make a BCS Bowl.  It would be a nice prize for the Mountain West Conference as they were spectacular in out of conference play, especially against the Pac 10.

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Sunday Night Rewind: Week Ten

November 2, 2008 By Leave a Comment

Kudos. . . .  . Congratulations to the Texas Tech Red Raiders for their thrilling victory over the Texas Longhorns.  Most are saying that this win is the biggest win in Tech’s history.  Texas, of course, was ranked number one and Tech number five, six or seven depending on your poll of choice.  The Double T Nation was euphoric with the Raider win and stormed the field.  I even got a “guns up” symbol from a friend at church.  Ironically, this week, I was reading about another upset of Texas in Lubbock (2002) in the new book Rose Bowl Dreams by Adam Jones.  I hope Adam doesn’t think that I caused his Longhorns to lose.  Great win for Mike Leach and Texas Tech.  They did by stopping the run and running the ball, among other things.

BCS Busted. . . . . Another potential BCS Buster went down on Saturday.  I like to point this out because it was my Arkansas Razorbacks that knocked off the Tulsa Golden Hurricane in Fayetteville, AR.  That was probably another win that fans didn’t expect to get, but I know it was a tough blow to the Tulsa fans.  Maybe next year, huh?

Thursday night thunder. . . . . . . All year, upsets have happened on Thursday night.  TCU has been a part one of them.  This Thursday night, TCU fans hopes it will happen again as the Horned Frogs travel to Salt Lake City, UT to take on the Utah Utes.  As it stands, Utah has the best chance of being a BCS buster.  The Utes are undefeated, and if they win out, will have beaten three top 25 ranked teams.  But, TCU and its fans are doing some dreaming of their own.  The Frogs have only played one bad quarter in a loss at Oklahoma while upsetting BYU a couple of weeks ago and routing Wyoming and UNLV in consecutive games.  Beat Utah on the road, and beat Air Force a couple of weeks later, TCU will be 11-1 with its only loss at Oklahoma and wins over two ranked teams.

Gator High. . . . . . The Florida Gators may be the hottest team in Football.  The Gators have made LSU, Kentucky and Georgia look silly in consecutive weeks.  The Gator offense has averaged 55 points against those three teams.  The defense has only given up 15 total points in the past two weeks.  When I did my most recent top ten update, I ranked Florida ahead of the other one-loss teams.  Now you know why.

Rankings

AP Top 10

  1. Alabama (46)
  2. Texas Tech (12)
  3. Penn State (6)
  4. Florida (1)
  5. Texas
  6. Oklahoma
  7. USC
  8. Oklahoma State
  9. Boise State
  10. Utah

Coaches Top 25

  1. Alabama (40)
  2. Penn State (14)
  3. Texas Tech (6)
  4. Oklahoma (1)
  5. Florida
  6. USC
  7. Texas
  8. Oklahoma State
  9. Utah
  10. Boise State

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CFTT Top Ten Update Number 2

October 8, 2008 By Leave a Comment

Note: I just want to reiterate my reasoning for updating every 3 weeks.  I read on a message board this week about my doing so as being kind of strange.  That’s fine, maybe I am strange.  Look back at the original post which I will link to on every CFTT Top Ten hereafter.  I think parity, for the most part, has arrived in college football, therefore, I want to see teams play out a few weeks before updating.  Again, at the least, I’ll be kown as “the guy who updates his poll every three weeks.”

1.  Oklahoma, 5-0
The Sooners continue to prove their worth unlike anyone else in the country.  They have not had a close game including road blow outs against Washington (before Locker was injured) and now Baylor.  The even handled TCU at home by 25 points.  Sam Bradford rises in the Heisman Trophy race each week.  This week, they get their toughest test by far, Texas in the Red River Shootout (I mean Rivalry).

2.  Alabama, 6-0
Thus far, the most impressive team because they have knocked off two teams ranked in the top ten, and they won fairly handily.  If you throw out the Georgia game where they gave up 30 points to Matthew Stafford and Co., the defense has only given up 9 points per game.  Their offensive and defensive lines may be the best in the country.  Sure, they struggled with Kentucky, but good teams will struggle in at least one game (usually more), especially after an emotional win against Georgia.  Oh yeah, Kentucky is pretty good.

3.  Missouri, 5-0
The Tigers dominated Nebraska, on the road.  Now, I know the Cornhuskers aren’t quite a top 25 team, but it was still impressive.  Missouri’s schedule hasn’t been the toughest just yet, but their offense is humming.  They have only played one game outside of Missouri, and Texas awaits them in Austin on October 18th.  Take out the Illinois game, and the Mizzou defense has only allowed 14.5 points per game.

4.  LSU, 4-0
The Bengal Tigers should be 5-0, but Hurricane Ike forced the Troy game to be moved to November.  So far, the Tigers have had to revamp their offense with their defense leading the charge.  The last couple of games, it seems that the LSU offense has found an identity.  It seems as if Jarrett Lee is the QB of choice.  After a disasterous start against Auburn, Lee found his poise and threw some nice passes down field giving LSU a deep threat to complement their run attack.  Their defense, however, has uncharacteristically given up 20 plus points the last two games against Auburn and Mississippi State, two teams not known to be great offenses.

5.  Texas, 5-0
The Horns are giving up just 11.4 points per game, and they have played some offenses who have exploded for big scores this year (Rice, UTEP).  Many wondered how they would do on the road against Colorado, but their was appraently nothing to worry about.  They buried Buff in their own stadium setting up a huge game against number one ranked Oklahoma.  Their offense is really playing well, and their defense has been surprising excellent under first year coordinator Will Muschamp.

6.  Penn State, 6-0
The Nitany Lions have been almost as impressive as Alabama.  They beaten everyone handily with their only struggle on the road against Purdue.  The Lions have already played tow road games which gives them early season tests that should be good for the stretch run against Wisconsin (this week) and Ohio State (10/25).  They are the team to beat in the Big Ten.

7.  USC, 3-1
The Trojans have dominated everyone except Oregon State who should prove to be pretty good when the years done.  They don’t have a single ranked team left on their schedule as it is now.  How good are the Trojans, we probably won’t know until the bowl season.  They need a game against a Big 12 or SEC team.

8.  Texas Tech, 5-0
For the first time this year I have the Red Raiders in my top ten.  There are some stats that are standing out that lets me believe this a legitimate top ten team.  First, defense.  They are giving up just 18.4 points per game which is tough considering the type of offense they run.  Second, they are averaging 144.4 yards rushing per game.  That is something that was missing last year, and it looks like Mike Leach has found himself some backs.  Unfortunately for Tech, they are in the same conference with Oklahoma, Texas and Missouri.

9.  Georgia, 4-1
I would make too much out of Georgia getting beat by Alabama at home.  The Tide is very good, and so is Georgia.  Georgia was not ready in the first half against Alabama, but once they woke up, they made a very good rally and looked like they would keep their national championship aspirations alive.  Unfortuantely, Knowshon Moreno was hurt, and the score took him out of the game as they were coming from behind.  They still have a tough schedule.

10.  BYU, 5-0
BYU has only had one close game and that was at Washington before Jake Locker was injured.  Their offense is averaging 41.2 points per game and their defense is giving up just 11.6 points per game.  At Utah State Saturday, BYU put it in cruise control during the second half winning 34-14.  After hosting New Mexico Saturday, they have to come to Fort Worth on Thursday to play the Horned Frogs.  TCU made it close in Provo last year, and their defense has been dominant.

Rising

BYU
Alabama
Texas Tech
Penn State

Falling

South Florida
Oregon
Auburn

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Metroplex Monday

September 8, 2008 By Leave a Comment

On Metroplex Monday, we will break down the past games from the DFW college football teams and look forward to the following week games and opponents.  You can check out my wrap up report at Pegasus News here.

UNT

The Mean Green dropped its game to Tulsa.  I didn’t really see that as a suprise.  I expected Tulsa to put up big numbers against UNT, and they did.

A few observations.  Freshmen Lance Dunbar and Riley Dodge gave the offense a bit of a spark.  Dunbar was quick and agile and led all UNT rushers with 72 yards on 10 carries.  He did muff an kick return, but those are things that he will get better at.

Dodge had 8 yards per touch playing as a slot receiver.  Look for these two to get more playing time.  On an end around play called for Dodge, QB Giovanni Vizza got out in front and made a decent block.  It didn’t look like he was threatened that Dodge was playing.  That is a good sign.   The presence of Dodge and Dunbar should make things easier for Vizza.

Finally, the defense held Tulsa to 135 yards rushing.  That may not seem very good, but put in context, it is a very hopeful sign.  Tulsa got that 135 yards on 35 rushing attempts.  That is an average of below 4 yards per rush.  The first thing a defense needs to do to get better is stop the run.  UNT seems to be getting better.  Next up for the Mean Green, LSU.  We have to keep up with Hurricane Ike to see if and where the game will be played.

SMU

SMU got its first win for June Jones.  They beat Texas State.  The Mustangs’ offense seem to be rolling, but the defense still has issues.  That’s bad news because the Ponies play at Texas Tech next week.  They will have to win a shootout to have a chance.  And, I would take Graham Harrell over Bo Levi Mitchell at this point.

Nevertheless, the Tech defense should provide a good test for Jones’ Run and Shoot.  I think the match-up is intriguing between Jones and Leach who has all but perfected the Air Raid offense.  These two teams may run a total of 200 plays.  There is a possibility that they mght combine for 1000 yards total offense.   I think it will be raining footballs in Lubbock.

TCU

The Frogs did what they were supposed to do.  They routed an out-manned team in Stephen F. Austin.  Any chance that TCU would be witout focus was erased when the Lumberjack coach gave them locker room material.  Ryan Christian had the most rushing yards, and Joseph Turner had three touchdowns in the first half.  Turner is looking like he might be almost back to full strength which is good news in the absence of Aaron Brown.

A whole lot of guys got to play.  The Frogs host Stanford on Saturday who will be looking for a little revenge after they lost to TCU last year–one week after they beat USC.  Stanford better play better than they did against Arizona State Saturday.  I am sure that Amon G. Carter Stadium will be sold out for this game.

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Texas Tour Coming

August 1, 2008 By Leave a Comment

Collegefootballtopten.com will be hosting a Texas Tour.  The Tour will begin at some point in the next couple of weeks as details are still being worked out.  The idea of the Texas Tour is have guest bloggers to preview one of the Division I Football Bowl Championship teams in Texas.  We have already previewed TCU, SMU, and UNT, so we are looking to have Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, Baylor, Rice, Houston and UTEP previewed.  If you would like to preview one of these teams, drop me an email.  Just a note, I already have bloggers for Baylor and Texas Tech.

inbox@collegefootballtopten.com

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Top Ten Heisman Trophy Contenders

July 19, 2008 By 1 Comment

Here is my Top Ten Heisman Trophy Contenders.  Most of these guys are already on the radar.  This list is in no particular order.

  1. Tim Tebow, Florida–He’s the defending Heisman Trophy winner, and the fist Heisman Trophy winner as a Sophomore.  And, he may have more websites dedicated to him than any other college football player.
  2. Chase Daniel, Missouri–He is important to the Missouri offense, so if he stays healthy, he is a part of the, um, chase.
  3. Michael Crabtree, Texas Tech–The Air Raid offense at Texas Tech has never had this much talent.  He is big, strong, and fast.
  4. Pat White, West Virginia–WVU will depend even more on White to lead its offense with the departure of Steve Slaton.  The Mountaineers already have a website for White.
  5. James Laurinaitis, Ohio State–There is always one defensive player everyone wants in the conversation, well this him.  Destined for stardom in the NFL, not the WWE.
  6. Chris Wells, Ohio State–Wells opened the BCS National Title Game against LSU with a 65 yard TD run ending the game with 146 yards rushing.
  7. Knowshon Moreno, Georgia–Moreno had a stellar Freshman season, and he only started half the games.  He really is a superstar.
  8. Graham Harrell, Texas Tech–Last year’s CFTT Offensive Player of the year.  His stats were astounding, but his efficiency may be even more so.
  9. Percy Harvin, Florida–Electrifying.  Fast.  If Harvin can stay healthy, his stats will be big.
  10. James Davis, Clemson–O.K.  I am listening to everybody else here.  I don’t know much about Clemson, but everyone seems to think that Davis will have a big year.

Possible Surprises

Mike Goodson, Texas A & M
Todd Boeckman, Ohio State
Joe McKnight, USC
LeSean McCoy, Pitt
Ian Johnson, Boise State
C. J. Spiller, Clemson

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Running the Spread: SMU’s Schedule

July 18, 2008 By Leave a Comment

According to Phil Steele, SMU’s schedule ranks #82, ahead of neighbors UNT (#92) and TCU (#84).  If you consider their opponents’ winning percentage, then SMU is ranked #53.  SMU plays 8 teams in 2008 who went to a bowl game in 2007.  That’s not an easy start for the June Jones era in Dallas.  Also on tap for SMU is a trip to Lubbock to face a team some are giving preseason buzz to for a run at the Big Twelve Title and maybe greater.  Without further ado, here is SMU’s schedule.

@ Rice, August 29, 2008, 7 PM
Only once did Rice hold a team to less than 29 points, and that was FCS Nicholls State.  Rice will be looking to get better on defense, but the offense returns 9 starters.

Texas State, September 6, 2008, 7 PM
The Bobcats are a member of the Division I Football Championship Subdivision (you know, IAA), and this should be a good game for the Mustangs to work out some kinks before they go to Lubbock.

@ Texas Tech, September 13, 2008 6 PM
Texas Tech returns their top offensive play-makers, QB Graham Harrell and WR Michael Crabtree who is from Dallas.  Crabtree and Harrell both should be on most people’s Heisman list.  Most people refer to Coach Mike Leach’s Air Raid offense as a spread, but it contains elements of the Run and Shoot.  In the Air Raid, one can see where the Spread meets the Run and Shoot.

TCU, September 20, 2008, 7 PM
With 14 starters back, the Frogs appear headed for another bowl game.  The offense should be much better as it improved under the guidance of Andy Dalton.  Dalton became TCU’s primary weapon at times last year with the injuries to RB’s Joseph Turner and Aaron Brown.  Both backs seem to be back and ready to go.  Defense is led by Jason Phillips and Stephen Hodge and should be another stellar TCU defense.

@ Tulane, September 25, 2008, 7 PM
The Green Wave return 15 starters from a team that was 4-8.  Gone is Tulane’s number two Career Rushing Leader, Matt Forte, who ran for 2127 yards and 23 TD’s in 2008 including 342 against SMU.  The Green Wave return 4 of their 5 top tacklers from a year ago.

@ UCF, October 4, 2008, 2:30 PM
After rushing for 2567 yards and 29 TD’s, UCF’s Kevin Smith entered the draft, and the feature back duties will be in someone else’s hands.  The Knights won last year’s C-USA title beating Tulsa in the Championship Game 44-25.  UCF returns their top 7 tacklers from 2007 and a total of 9 starters on defense.  The offense will spend its time trying to find an identity with the departure of Smith and QB Kyle Israel.

Tulsa, October 11, 2008, 7 PM
Tulsa had basically the best offense in the country last year with about 543 yards of total offense per game. It should be a battle against one of the best hurry up, no huddle, Spread Offense gurus, Offensive Coordinator Gus Malzahn at Tulsa, versus the premier Run and Shoot Offense guru, June Jones from SMU.  First team 60 wins.

Houston, October 18, 2008, 7 PM
The Cougars had another good year in 2007 going 8-5 earning Coach Art Briles a shot at being the head coach at a BCS program, Baylor.  Replacing him is Kevin Sumlin who was Co Offensive Coordinator at Oklahoma.  Summlin brought with him Dana Holgorsen from Texas Tech to create a high octane attack of his own.  Holgorsen and Sumlin inherit QB Case Keenum who is a natural play-maker for the Cougars.  Houston returns 7 on a defense that gave up just 366 total yards per game.

@ Navy, October 25, 2008, 2:30 PM
In Paul Johnson’s final year as head coach, Navy was the best among the service academies (5 straight) defeating Air Force (31-20) and Army (38-3) along with the long awaited victory over Notre Dame (46-44, 3 OT).  Johnson moved on to Georgia Tech, and now Navy will turn to Ken Niumatalolo.  His defense should be solid returning 8 starters, but they need to improve after giving up 36.4 points per game and 439 total yards per game.  Niumatalolo doesn’t have to replace QB Kaipo-Noa Naheaku-Enhada who accounted for 1786 total yards and 20 TD’s.

Memphis, November 8, 2008, 2 PM
The Tigers have big holes to fill at QB and RB.  If they can find someone to get the ball to their WR’s, Memphis could be a surprise contender.  The WR’s are deep and talented, but the Tigers have to find a help as they lose Martin Hankins (3220 yards, 25 TD’s) and RB Joseph Doss (806 yards, 5 TD’s).  On defense, Memphis returns 8 starters including 4 of their top 6 tacklers from a year ago.

@ UTEP, November 15, 2008, 8:05 PM
Last year the Miners were 4-8, and in 2008 they return 5 starters on offense and 7 starters on defense.  Returning QB Trevor Vittatoe passed for 3101 yards with 25 TD’s and only 7 INT’s.  Vittatoe will need all the help he can get as the top two RB’s from last year are gone leaving UTEP with with a battle between Sr. Terrell Jackson and So. Donald Buckram.  While the defense returns 7 starters, the Miners hope to leave the numbers behind.  UTEP gave up 302 yards passing per game along with 203 yards rushing per game.

Southern Miss, November 29, 2008, 2 PM
The Golden Eagles just return 10 starters for new head coach Larry Fedora but one of them is RB Damion Fletcher (1586 yards, 15 TD’s).  Southern Miss will have to replace its QB and 8 starters on defense and should consider this a rebuilding year using a lot of young, inexperienced players.

Conference USA Championship Game, December 6, 2008

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