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Top 10 potential BCS party crashers Will another non-BCS school crash the big party in 2008? Here are the 10 teams who have the best shot to follow in Hawaii's footsteps.
WhatIfSports Week 9 preview LSU's march toward a second straight national title could hit a snag against Georgia. WhatIfSports previews this game and all of Week 9.
Locker back on field for Washington Much to his relief, Jake Locker no longer has to be a spectator.
Washington's star sophomore quarterback returned to practice this week after missing 11 days with a hamstring strain that had many fans concerned about his availability for the Huskies opener on Aug. 30 at Oregon.
"I don't expect to be anything less" than 100 percent, Locker told reporters on Tuesday.
Simms suspended 4 games for breaking team rules Louisville quarterback Matt Simms was suspended for the team's first four games of the season by coach Steve Kragthorpe on Tuesday for breaking team rules.
Simms, a redshirt freshman, was competing with Tyler Wolfe for the backup spot behind starter Hunter Cantwell.
Simms is the son of former New York Giants quarterback Phil Simms and the brother of Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Chris Simms.
Matt Simms will be eligible to return to the team when the Cardinals play at Memphis on Oct. 10.
Purdue RB Taylor to miss '08 season Purdue running back Jaycen Taylor will miss the 2008 season because of a torn knee ligament.
Taylor had an MRI on Tuesday to determine the extent of damage to his injured right knee, Purdue spokesman Tom Schott said. He will have surgery and miss the season but will return for his fifth year of eligibility in 2009.
Taylor, who missed four games last season due to a broken arm, injured his knee during practice on Sunday.
USC QB Sanchez hopes to play in opener USC quarterback Mark Sanchez, who dislocated his left kneecap and was carted off the practice field earlier this month, is feeling much better and hopes to be ready when the No. 3 Trojans open the season at Virginia on Aug. 30.
"I'm optimistic about it, we're ahead of schedule," Sanchez said after taking some drops, throwing some passes and doing a bit of light jogging Monday. "Everything today felt good. That's a good sign. If it were up to me, I'm playing.
NCAA clears Warren to play for Vols in '08 Tight end Brandon Warren made his first appearance as an official member of Tennessee's football team on Tuesday looking relaxed and sporting a big grin on his face.
Earlier in the day, the NCAA informed the Volunteers that Warren, who caught 27 passes for 301 yards as a freshman at Florida State in 2006, would be cleared to play for No. 18 Tennessee this season.
"It's been a long process, a long, stressful process for me and my family," Warren said. "I finally get to get a good night's sleep.
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Goodman: Mitchell back for LSU LSU had a horrible season and saw its star freshman leave for the NBA, but Jeff Goodman says there's good news for the Tigers.
Crean signs $23.6M Indiana deal New Indiana basketball coach Tom Crean has signed a 10-year deal worth $23.6 million.
School officials said Tuesday that the deal includes a base salary of $600,000 a year, with additional payments for promotional work. He will receive $1.4 million this season from outside income, a total that will increase slightly each year of the contract.
Lawson pleads guilty to underage drinking charge North Carolina basketball player Ty Lawson has pleaded guilty to underage drinking and driving.
The 20-year-old Lawson appeared in court Tuesday after completing community service and other terms of his plea agreement. Prosecutors agreed to drop charges of violating a noise ordinance and driving with a suspended or revoked license.
Lawson said he had learned his lesson and promised it wouldn't happen again.
Mikalauskas out, Soroye back at Virginia Laurynas Mikalauskas, one of the more popular players at the University of Virginia, was dismissed from the team by coach Dave Leitao on Monday, while he announced that Tunji Soroye will return next season.
Leitao said that Mikalauskas, a 6-foot-8 native of Lithuania, is no longer a member of the team because he has not lived up to the standards set by the program. Leitao said he will not elaborate.
Mikalauskas played in just 20 games last season because of injuries, but averaged 7.
Davidson leads NIT Season Tip-Off field Stephen Curry will lead Davidson against James Madison in the opening round of the NIT Season Tip-Off.
The Wildcats are one of seven teams from last season's NCAA tournament in the field of 16, which was announced Tuesday by the NIT Selection Committee.
Purdue and Oklahoma both reached the second round of the NCAA last season while Cornell, Arizona, Mississippi Valley State and Georgia all lost first-round games.
Curry, a junior who averaged 25.
Cyclones' Anderson dies at age 79 Former Iowa State basketball coach Glen Anderson, the third-winningest coach in school history, has died. He was 79.
Iowa State officials said Anderson died Friday at his home in Hot Springs, Ark.
Anderson coached the Cyclones from 1959 to 1971, finishing 142-161 in those 12 seasons. He led the Cyclones to six upper-division finishes in the Big 8.
Anderson also recruited Zaid Abdul-Aziz, one of the top players in school history.
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C-USA: New era at Southern Miss promises more victories General George S. Patton said attack constantly, vigorously, and viciously. That's the offensive strategy for new Southern Miss coach Larry Fedora. With RB Damion Fletcher returning, the Golden Eagles are tops in Conference USA, Brian De Los Santos says.
MAC: Temple, Buffalo look to rise out of cellar There are teams -- Miami of Ohio -- and players -- Central Michigan quarterback Dan LeFevour -- to watch this season in the Mid-American Conference. But, as Eric Kay says, the improvement of Temple and Buffalo is a more interesting storyline.
From cupcakes to big dogs, ranking non-conference skeds Have you caught college football fever yet? If not, Eric Sorenson provides grades for the non-conference schedules of the preseason top 25 teams. Fresno State scores the only 'A' while defending champs LSU get sent home with an 'F'.
Miami defensive tackle released from hospital Miami defensive tackle Antonio Dixon was released from the hospital Thursday, a day after apparently suffering effects from the strong heat and humidity during practice and leaving by ambulance.
NCAA's settlement with ex-athletes approved A federal court has approved the settlement between the NCAA and 12,000 former student-athletes seeking reimbursements for educational expenses, resume preparation and career counseling.
High-scoring Tulsa eyeing perfect season, BCS run Tulsa coach Todd Graham is keeping no secrets when it comes to his lofty goals for this season. Anything less than perfection will be a disappointment.
College Football News: CBSSports.com The latest college football news from CBSSports.com
Obama tie a happy talking point for OSU's Robinson While visiting Craig Robinson, the latest coach hoping to resurrect Oregon State basketball, Gary Parrish tried to not dwell on the subject. But Robinson is happy to talk about being Barack Obama's brother-in-law -- and says it's opening recruiting doors previously closed.
Indiana's Crean signs 10-year, $23.6 million deal New Indiana basketball coach Tom Crean has signed a 10-year deal worth $23.6 million.
School officials said Tuesday that the deal includes a base salary of $600,000 a year, with
additional payments for promotional work.
Parrish Reports: Ex-UNC F Stepheson off to USC Alex Stepheson announced in May that he was transferring from North Carolina. Now it's official: He's enrolling at Southern California, Gary Parrish reports.
Virginia's Mikalauskas dismissed; Soroye to return Laurynas Mikalauskas, one of the more popular players at the Virginia,
was dismissed from the team by coach Dave Leitao, who also announced
that Tunji Soroye will return next season.
Fall is here and the rapidly approaching start of the CFB season also brings the excitement of the second favorite part of the CFB season behind the actual game.
Tailgating. Pre-game. Post-game. And if you don't have a ticket, even during the game.
From lawn chairs with a cooler and a bag of chips to oversized RVs and air conditioned tents with satellite fed big screen plasmas and gourmet noshing; these fall rituals are limited only by imagination and budget. The parties on some campuses can spread for miles in all directions from the stadium. Many serious tailgaters will arrive days before to begin their set up for the Saturday game and not leave until the Sunday after.
With this all rapidly approaching, lets have a little tailgating open talk.
We're starting a new one this year. Matching the "main course" with a traditional dish related to the opponent for the week. For example, for Week One versus Hawaii we'll be munching on fried Spam sammiches. Just kidding, it's actually Pineapple Baked Ham.
Favorite tailgating games?
Well, while Cornhole and tossing the football are always popular around our tent; my personal favorite is the three rounds of Flip-Cup that starts an hour prior to kickoff.
What say you? Leave your tailgating stories, tips, traditions and ideas below.
With the 2008 Preseason Coaches Football Poll and 2008 Preseason AP Football poll in the books for the upcoming football season, it's time to drill down a little deeper into the polls and determine where the nation's top ranked college football teams stand in the eyes of the poll voters.
To get a better feel for where teams really stand in the eyes of the poll voters, we'll look at the actual poll ranking, and then the highest and lowest ballot positions for each of the top teams.
- Despite their lower initial rankings, both USC and Oklahoma do not seem to face the inital doubts that poll voters have with Ohio State, as represented by the Buckeyes broader standard deviation. While the USC/tOSU game should answer a lot of questions, a loss could put the Bucks well into the lower top ten or high teens.
What measure is the best indicator of the strength of a team or conference?
Please feel free to use examples to emphasis the merits of your benchmark. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO APPLY IT TO CURRENT TEAMS AT THIS TIME!! The place for that is here
The benchmarks that can be applied at anytime will be re-examined after the first BCS standings come out. They will all be covered again after the season.
Conference:
BCS computer's Z-score average
OOC BCS Record
OOC BCS Average Score
OOC BCS Opponent's Record
OOC record vs teams with winning records
OOC opponent's record
OOC top 25 wins to OOC FCS losses
Frankly I have not been to creative here. I want new ideas, but I want to establish the criterion before a single play has begun.
It is apparent that there is an elephant in the blog and we need to address the issue before the season starts. Maybe I just like swinging baseball bats at hornets nets.
For this thread the h policy will be temporarily suspended. This immunity shall be revoked for anyone questioning the h policy in any manner what-so-ever.
Once the season starts, for all comments related to this thread and subject to the h policy, the h policy shall be modified to include a link to this page. Indeed, all comments related to this thread with no disclaimer in the tread being commented on will generally be subject to the h policy.
Which conferences should/should not be BCS conferences and why?
Which teams deserve a promotion to a BCS conference and why?
Shortly a thread will be created to determine which benchmarks best measure the performance of a conference. A thread will be created after the BCS polls are first released and after the season to examine the results of this season relative to the established benchmarks. These threads will be the only ones to reopen this discussion. If you have anything to say on this topic now is the time to say it.
All statements should be backed up with metrics and numbers based on the metrics used. Be ready to have your methodology shot down. Everyone remain calm. Very different views from our own will be expressed. At the end of the day we will all agree to disagree.
To start the conversation I will express two measures of conference strength.
BCS Computers:
Using the 4 BCS computers that provide a conference comparison it is possible to generate a composite ranking of the conferences. A poll like ranking loses much of the information available. Here the raw data is converted to a z-sore for each computer ranking using only the conferences listed. For each conference the values below represent the average z-score of the four programs.
SEC: 1.08
PAC 10: 0.98
BIG 12: 0.87
Big East: 0.70
ACC: 0.58
BIG 10: 0.54
MWC: -0.11
C-USA: -0.93
WAC: -1.04
MAC: -1.29
Sun Belt: -1.38
I have been running similar results in the past. Historically the Big 10 is usually closer to 0.90. The ACC is the most variable, ranging from 0.3 to 0.90. The Big East ranges from 0.3 to 0.7. Non BCS conferences occasionally break 0.3. C-USA, WAC and MAC usually end up higher than this. The gap between BCS and non BCS was unusually large last year.
This result strongly supports the statement that the BCS conferences are properly identified.
This afternoon I revisited a methodology I first thought of at the end of last year using only the BCS standings. If two teams differ by 1 spot across the board this equates to a difference in the BCS standings of 0.04. Teams closer than this are close in the BCS standings. Replacing each team with the conference they represent and using a baseball like games behind to measure the difference in schedule allows one to determine.
Hawaii and Florida had a difference of 0.0335 making them close in the standings. 12-0 is three games ahead of 9-3. The SEC is three games ahead of the WAC based on these teams.
For each conference, taking the average games behind of all its close rankings gives a measure of the strength of each conference compared to those it is close to. Like baseball all results are given in terms of games behind the leader.
I fudged this by hand last spring, using the final polls and computer rankings to estimate what a final BCS standing would look like after the Bowls. Here I broke out Excel to actually solve the equations using iteration on the pre bowl standings. The results surprised me.
PAC 10: --
SEC: 0.08
Big 10: 0.62
Big 12: 0.83
Big East: 0.86
ACC: 0.93
C-USA: 0.98
MWC: 1.67
WAC: 2.56
MAC: N/A
Sun Belt: N/A
These are determined pre-bowl and don't reflect Ohio States loss to LSU or the ASU loss to Texas, among other significant Bowl Games. The post bowl approximation moved the PAC 10 to .5 behind the SEC, the Big 10 with the ACC, and C-USA with the MAC and Sun Belt.
Also the Big East, C-USA and the MWC are determined by only two close spots, making them less precise. For C-USA I would argue they are a bit inflated. This data does support the idea that C-USA is closer to making the jump than the MWC.
C-USA playes higher caliber BCS teams OOC than the MWC or WAC and this shows up here, as well as the loss column.
Indeed an expanded MWC, with Boise State and Fresno State, may narrow this gap. When these teams play each other they will accumulate more losses. The likelihood of these going undefeated, or even having a 10 win season, would be traded for a higher result if it happens. The final expected ranking would remain the same unless play on the field is improved. Expansion increases the variability of these teams allowing them to attain a better maximum.
As a final note: I am not fair. I am biased towards the non BCS conferences and teams.
This thread considers he benefit for the MWC should it choose to expand. The expansion considered involves three teams, Boise State, Fresno State and Houston. This would give the MWC TV markets in Houston and a larger fan base in California.
While San Diego is significantly larger than Fresno, the Bulldogs carry a greater percent of their market and have a greater name nationally than SDSU. The argument is stronger with regards to San Jose State.
This would give six teams in the western division, Boise State, BYU, Fresno State, SDSU, UNLV and Utah. To be geographically aligned they would need another team for the eastern division. Tulsa and Houston both are good options but Houston brings more TV dollars. The eastern division would be Air Force, CSU, Houston, New Mexico, TCU and Wyoming.
While the scale may be tipped towards the western division at this time these things tend to balance out with time. Also remember the PAC 10 could expand and weaken the western division. Replacing BYU and Utah with Nevada and San Jose State balances these divisions nicely.
Why it makes sense:
12 teams for a championship game while expanding the California and Texas markets definitely show the money is there. A contract with CBS for the championship game would benefit the conference more than holding it on the mtn., like they do with the Holy War. The conference could easily pick up 2 bowl slots that followed the teams to their new conference.
The best reason to expand is that it could break the BCS glass ceiling. The MWC and to a lesser degree the WAC have recently challenged the BCS conferences while the ACC and to a lesser degree the Big East have recently struggled in the BCS. Adding these three teams could tip the scales for the MWC. By expanding preemptively the MWC could increase its chances of becoming a BCS conference before it is forced to respond to an expansion by the PAC 10.
Three benchmarks will be used here to measure the strength of these conferences. The first is the number of ten win teams in these conferences for the last three years. The second is the record of each conference against 10 win teams from other conferences for the last three years. The third is performance in BCS bowls of the teams each conference would have in this scenario. I use three years to avoid charges of homer bias by excluding Utah’s 2004 season.
10 win teams in the last three years:
ACC: 6 (BC, VT; WF, BC, VT; VT)
Big East: 6 (WV, Cincinnati; Louisville, Rutgers, WV; WV)
Expanded MWC: 7 (Boise State, BYU; Boise State, BYU, Houston, TCU; TCU )
Expanding this to 9 wins would give the ACC a slight lead. In this benchmark the expanded MWC is comparable to both the ACC and Big East.
Record against 10 win teams from other conferences:
ACC: 4-18
2006: BC vs Central Michigan, BC vs BYU, Miami (FL) vs Houston
2007: Virginia Tech vs West Virginia
Big East: 4-8
2007: USF vs UCF, WV vs Oklahoma
2006: Louisville vs Wake Forest
2005: WV vs Georgia
Expanded MWC: 3-20
2006: Boise State vs Oregon State, Boise State vs Hawaii, Boise State vs Oklahoma
When looking at games against top teams over the last three years the Big East is clearly the best of these three conferences. The ACC has a slight lead on the expanded MWC. It was an eye opener for me to see how the MWC has not played as well against top teams as I had thought. They need to play top BCS teams, not the middle of the pack to improve this benchmark. Boise State and Fresno State are already doing this.
To catch up with the current ACC the expanded MWC would need to win 2 of its next 12 BCS games. At least one of the ACC’s BCS games featured a game with two of its current members. FSU beat VT in the championship game. Removing this game one could argue the expanded MWC would need to win one out of four National Championship games to be as impressive as the ACC and win one of its next 10 BCS games.
The expanded MWC would need to win one of the next four to equal the Big East’s performance. Any appearance in the championship game would be a level the Big East has not reached since the ACC expanded. Of note is Louisville’s BCS win their first year in the Big East.
Bases on results of teams that actually have made it to the BCS the expanded MWC results are likely to be significantly better than both the ACC and Big East if the Expanded MWC were given an equal number of games.
Conclusion:
The benchmarks used demonstrate that expanding the MWC by adding Boise State, Fresno State and Houston would produce a conference very close in performance to the current level of both the ACC and Big East. Added TV markets, a championship game and increased bowl presence make such an expansion a lucrative proposition to the conference.
A natural conference division, using the Rocky Mountains, exists that maintains the best rivalry games. A back up plan exist for an eventual PAC 10 expansion, replacing the defectors with San Jose State and Nevada.
Indeed, if the expanded MWC became a BCS conference, would a spot as low man on the totem poll in the PAC 10 be as appealing to teams that are already the cream of the crop in a BCS member MWC?
Fresh of the presses from the Associated Press - the 2008 Preseason College Football Top 25.
RANK TEAM RECORD PTS LAST
1 Georgia (22) 11-2 1528 2
2 Ohio St. (21) 11-2 1506 5
3 Southern Cal (12) 11-2 1490 3
4 Oklahoma (4) 11-3 1444 8
5 Florida (6) 9-4 1415 13
6 Missouri 12-2 1266 4
7 LSU 12-2 1135 1
8 West Virginia 11-2 1116 21
9 Clemson 9-4 1105 6
10 Auburn 9-4 968 10
11 Texas 10-3 966 15
12 Texas Tech 9-4 786 22
13 Wisconsin 9-4 771 24
14 Kansas 12-1 707 7
15 Arizona St. 10-3 631 16
16 BYU 11-2 590 14
17 Virginia Tech 11-3 578 9
18 Tennessee 10-4 509 12
19 South Florida 9-4 496 NR
20 Illinois 9-4 483 20
21 Oregon 9-4 366 23
22 Penn St. 9-4 293 NR
23 Wake Forest 9-4 227 NR
24 Alabama 7-6 89 NR
25 Pittsburgh 5-7 85 NR
Others receiving votes:
South Carolina 84, Fresno St. 83, California 59, Utah 53, Cincinnati 44, Florida St. 41, Michigan 36, Boston College 32, Rutgers 32, Michigan St. 21, Boise St. 17, Arkansas 14, North Carolina 14, Connecticut 10, Tulsa 7, UCLA 6, Oregon St. 5, Mississippi St. 4, Virginia 4, Arizona 3, Nebraska 2, Notre Dame 2, Hawaii 1, Washington 1.
Senator Blutarsky says that they have articles in Playboy (who knew?) and that the latest issue outlines the Playboy College Football Top 50 pre-season poll. (Link -- not recommended for workplace)
Playboy 2008 College Football Preseason Poll Predicted finish in parenthesis
1. Oklahoma (12-0)
2. Ohio State (11-1)
3. Florida (11-1)
4. Missouri (11-1)
5. USC (11-1)
6. Georgia (10-2)
7. West Virginia (10-2)
8. LSU (9-3)
9. Auburn (9-3)
10. Kansas (9-3)
11. Texas Tech (9-3)
12. Arizona State (9-3)
13. Texas (9-3)
14. Wisconsin (9-3)
15. Clemson (9-3)
16. Utah (9-3)
17. Cincinnati (9-4)
18. Virginia Tech (8-4)
19. Arkansas (8-4)
20. Boise State (9-3)
21. Illinois (8-4)
22. Kansas State (8-4)
23. Tennessee (8-4)
24. Oregon State (8-4)
25. Georgia Tech (8-4)
26. BYU (10-2)
27. Arizona (8-4)
28. California (8-4)
29. Rutgers (8-5)
30. Central Florida (8-4)
31. Michigan (7-5)
32. Penn State (7-5)
33. Nebraska (7-5)
34. Oklahoma State (7-5)
35. Colorado (7-5)
36. Purdue (7-5)
37. Connecticut (7-5)
38. Louisville (7-5)
39. Oregon (7-5)
40. Alabama (7-5)
41. Mississippi State (7-5)
42. South Carolina (7-5)
43. Florida State (7-5)
44. UCLA (7-5)
45. Boston College (7-5)
46. Texas A&M (7-5)
47. Miami (7-5)
48. Virginia (7-5)
49. Notre Dame (7-5)
50. New Mexico (7-5)
When was the last time an ACC team won a significant out-of-conference game? That's a really tough question to answer, even for the most dedicated ACC football fans.
The most recent "significant" OOC win turned out not to be all that significant, as Maryland defeated a Rutgers team that -- although ranked in the top ten at the time -- went on to finish the season in fifth place in the Big East.
Suffice to say, it's been a while.
The ACC, which boasts a 1-9 BCS bowl game record in the last ten years, needs to step it up in 2008.
Here are 10 games that will determine if the ACC has returned to the national stage:
1) Florida State vs Florida
For better or for worse, the Seminoles have been the gold standard for the conference. When the Noles are good, the ACC seems to get a fair shake on the national stage. When the Noles are bad, well... the last few years of "ACC in decline" talk should prove my point. This is FSU's best team in four years and -- despite the preseason hype -- the Gators may be ripe for the picking in 2008.
2) USC @ Virginia
No one in the country expects UVa to win, so let's not even go down that road, but it's important for the ACC that the Cavs don't get blown out at home. The ACC matched up pretty well against USC when represented by VaTech, so the Cavs need to do their part and make a game of it.
3) Cal @ Maryland
Cal may very well be a top three team in the Pac10 this season, while the Terps are likely middle of the pack in the ACC, but Maryland gets the Bears at home and needs to show up. The Terps looked bad against Oregon State in their bowl game... so a strong showing this season would help raise the ACC.
4) Va Tech @ Nebraska
A young Hokie team ventures into the sea of red... and ought to be able to pull off a win. Virginia Tech may be favored on the road against an improved Husker team. This would be a solid win for the ACC.
5) Clemson vs Alabama
There's a lot of hype around the 2008 Tigers and the opener on a national stage will be a significant opportunity for the ACC to man up against a middle of the pack SEC opponent. There's no way that the ACC can be taken seriously if the consensus pre-season pick can't knock off Bama.
6) UNC @ Rutgers
North Carolina needs to show it can win on the road, and this OOC matchup should be ripe for Butch Davis and the Tarheels. UNC has been tabbed as a sleeper pick in the ACC and absolutely needs to show up for the Scarlet Knights. This is the type of middle vs middle game that helps define the how the conference stack up at the end of the year.
7) South Carolina @ Clemson
Again, the pre-season pick can't go down to a middle of the pack SEC team, even if it is a rivalry game. Some people think the Tigers could be 11-0 at this point. Regardless, Clemson needs to seal the deal and knock off the Cocks before the ACC can even look for respect.
8) NC State @ South Carolina
Speaking of knocking off the Cocks, NC State will get their shot on the road. Another example of a middle versus middle game. The Pack need to swing this one into the ACC's favor.
9) UConn @ UNC
The defending Big East co-champ gave Wake Forest all it could handle in the bowl game, so UNC will have to be very careful not to look past UConn's lesser reputation. Every game against the Big East is a must win for the ACC to return to credibility and this is no exception.
10) James Madison @ Duke
Let's be honest, I don't expect a whole lot out of Duke this year and neither do you. But the Blue Devils might be able to take new coach David Cutcliffe's system and score a season-opening win. Then again, the Dukes aren't just any FCS team - they're the pick to win the FCS championship. This is going to be a challenging game for the Blue Devils, but its a game that the ACC really needs to win. This is Duke's chance to do its part for the conference.
So there are 10 OOC games that can shape the season and the perception for the ACC. Of course, the conference could rattle off all ten and still manage to blow it in the postseason bowls, but....
What do you think? Where is the ACC going to rank this season? Can the ACC get back into the upper crust or is it another year of being the sixth best football conference?
I have no idea how this sort of thing makes it in the newspaper, let alone the LA Times....
Each day, it seems, another player shows up at USC football practice with a pained expression and an uncomfortable gait, feet spread wide, stepping gingerly across the turf.
They are victims of an ailment that has swept through the team during training camp, something that coaches refer to as "a skin irritation."
The players call it "jock itch."
While dislocated kneecaps and high ankle sprains draw more attention, Coach Pete Carroll said he has never seen anything like the minor outbreak that caused key players to miss practice Wednesday.
As much as 25% of the team has been affected by the apparent run of tinea cruris, kicker David Buehler estimated. The condition seems to have spread by way of new compression shorts, or tights, worn under their football pants.
The Great Jock Itch Outbreak of 08 has gotten so bad that RB Joe McKnight and WR Travon Patterson actually had to sit out of practice.
"It burns," Patterson said.
I suspect there is no limit to the number of jokes going on in Westwood.
I'm not knocking these guys. There's nothing funny about a bad case of crotch rot, but... doesn't anyone at USC have some Gold Bond and Lotrimin, for crying out loud?!?
Calling the SEC “the gold standard of college athletics,” CBS announced Thursday that it had signed an unprecedented 15-year extension to show the league’s football and men’s basketball game through the year 2023. Financial terms of the deal were not released.
According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the new deal does not preclude the SEC from starting its own broadcast network. So -- theoretically -- its still feasible for the SEC to launch its own channel in the future if it chooses to move games away from traditional partners Raycom and ESPN.
Under the terms of the new agreement, CBS will get the first pick of which football games to broadcast. In the past, the SEC had given the first choice to ESPN. CBS will also broadcast one prime time game during the season.
The AJC notes that CBS will have some digital and wireless rights, which may prompt the network to stream games on the internet.
My thought is... fifteen years is a long, long, long time. Are we even going to have TV's in 15 years?! (I'm only half serious about that).
Husker Hall of Famer and college football pundit Trev Alberts checks in his "What the Blog?" feature, this time highlighting the Best College Football blogs.
So... who topped the charts? Well, you'll just have to watch and see.
Definitely five great blogs. (OK, four great blogs and then us, stinking up the list yet again.)
In the segment, ESPN analyst Lee Corso predicts the winning team by donning the mascot head or gear of one of the competing teams. It's the culmination of the show, drawing cheers or jeers from the crowd depending on Corso's pick.
Aptly enough, "GameDay's" first show this season will be in Atlanta for the Chick-fil-A College Kickoff, an Aug. 30 matchup between the University of Alabama and Clemson University.
The move is significant for the chain of about 1,400 restaurants because it does little national advertising, choosing instead to focus on local and regional efforts.
College students, alumni and fans make a great audience for Chick-fil-A, said Steve Robinson, the company's senior vice president of marketing. "GameDay" and football tailgating create a lively atmosphere for marketing products, he said.
The agreement includes Chick-fil-A TV commercials during the show and a live shot of a Chick-fil-A fan interaction area. Event staff in "College GameDay" and Chick-fil-A co-branded uniforms will escort a crate carrying the mascot head for Corso's announcement.
OK, so maybe Corso won't wear the bovine burqua, but... it certainly sounds like someone is getting all dolled up in "co-branded uniforms" this season.
The boys at Rivals.com have a great conference preview for the SEC, including a look both at the most and least difficult schedules within the conference.
For it's part, Georgia was ranked as having the toughest SEC schedule this year, particularly given the Bulldogs games at LSU, at Florida, at Kentucky and at Auburn... back to back to back to back. No rest for the Dawgs in 2008, for sure.
The least difficult SEC schedule belongs to Urban Meyer and the Florida Gators. Team Tebow miss two of the SEC Wests best teams (Auburn and Alabama) completely and get LSU at home this season.
EASIEST SCHEDULE: Florida. "Easiest" is a relative term in the SEC. The Gators miss Alabama and Auburn, two of the three best teams in the SEC West. The toughest non-conference road game is against Florida State – which has scored 46 points in its past four games against Florida, all losses. Hawaii and Miami are on the schedule, but Hawaii will be way down from last season and UM has a ways to go to get back to elite status. The toughest conference road game is against Tennessee, a team UF beat by 39 last season. The Gators do play LSU and Georgia, but the Tigers have to play in the Swamp and the game against the Bulldogs is in Jacksonville. Mississippi State has the easiest schedule in the West. The Bulldogs don't play Florida or Georgia.
Of course, it's worth noting... there are no easy schedules in the SEC. I don't care who you play where, there are no easy games in the SEC. Not even against Vandy.
Dallas Cowboys Tickets - Things Looking Up For Adam Jones Cowboys owner Jerry Jones knows how to sell Dallas Cowboys tickets. Jones has always been interested in troubled, talented players because you can get them on the cheap and, if they get their act together, can yield high dividends for his franchise. Look at Terrell Owens; he's done pretty well for that franchise and he came with his fair share of baggage.
Brett Favre Saga - Help the Packers Maybe the ultimate end to this would be if Brett Favre did accept the second position. He would be back to playing professional football for the only team that he should appropriately be a part of (honor), and he would be helping the Packers by offering them his services as one of the great quarterbacks of all time.
NCAA College Preview - Atlantic Coast Conference The Atlantic Coast Conference is one of the best conferences in the south east just behind the strongest conference in the Southeastern Conference. The Atlantic division of the ACC is generally the stronger of the two divisions and usually puts forth some of the best ranked teams in NCAA Football. This year things look like it will get better Wake Forest, Clemson, and few others on the outside looking in. The hardest part in playing in the ACC is getting through the season with a conference as strong and as talented as the ACC has.
2008 Minnesota Vikings Draft Report Find out what the Minnesota Vikings have done to reestablish their foothold as a playoff team. As restructuring is a part of every team in some point in time, it all comes down to who they bring into their camp each spring.
2008 Green Bay Packers Draft Report Did the Green Bay Packers pick up another QB in the wake of Bret Favre's retirement (or purposed retirement - who knows). You bet they did. Find out who it was and what round we picked up the young prodigy.
2008 Arizona Cardinals Draft Report Recap the new additions on the Arizona Cardinals roster for the 2008 season. Learn where management see some weak spots and how they plan to address the situation.
2008 Carolina Panthers Draft Report What is 6'6" AND WEIGHS IN AT OVER 300 pounds? Jeff Otah, the new offensive tackle for the Carolina Panthers, thats what. He is just one of the big surprises the Carolina Panthers gave their fans this year.
2008 Atlanta Falcons Draft Report Recap the off season acquisitions made by the Atlanta Falcons and how they plan to solidify their rebuilding efforts. The 2008 draft brought in some highly talented players in key positions.
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New York Jets Tickets Available Based in the New York metropolitan area -- the Jets are a professional football team which was established in 1960, he started out as part of the American football league Eastern division, a venture which lasted about nine years (1969), from 1970 until today they have played under the American football conference East division where they have had a great deal of accomplishments and successes. Their home stadiums are and have been: the Polo Grounds, Shea Stadium and the Giants Stadium which is also know as the Meadowlands.
New England Patriots Tickets Available Based in the greater Boston area and playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts -- the New England Patriots are a professional football team which was established in 1959 but it wasn't until 1960 when they became part of the American football league Eastern division, a venture which lasted for about nine years, from 1970 until today they played under the American football conference East division where they have been quite successful. Their home fields are and have been: the Nickerson Field, Fenway Park, the Harvard stadium (1970), the Foxboro Stadium and the Gillette Stadium.
Miami Dolphins Tickets Available Based in the Miami, Florida metropolitan area -- the Dolphins are a professional football team which was established back in 1966 when they were part of the American football league Eastern division, a venture which lasted three years (1969). For over 30 years (1970 until today) the Miami Dolphins have been part of the American football conference East division.
Buffalo Bills Tickets Available Based in the Buffalo, New York metropolitan area -- the Bills are a professional football team which was established back in 1959. The officially started playing a 1960 when they joined the American football league, this venture lasted for about nine years (
