College Bowl Wrap-up (12-27-08)

Two of the day's three big bowl games have played out with thrilling results. West Virginia University's senior QB, Pat White, became the first-ever to win four bowl games as the starting QB after lifting his Mountaineers to an exciting 31-30 victory over the North Carolina Tar Heels in the Meineke Car Care Bowl. White threw for 332 yards and 3 TD's, ending his college career on a high note. The Moutaineers finished the season with a 9-4 record while dropping the 'Heels to an overall record of 8-5.

Sophomore RB Noel Devine added 61 yards on the ground and an 18-yard first quarter TD run. West Virginia--and College Football, as well--will indeed miss Pat White, dearly, but will get the chance of watching the elusive Devine for at least one more season.

Like the Moutaineers, the Florida State Seminoles finished their 2008 campaign on a high-note. Florida State, 9-4, defeated the struggling Wisconsin Badgers (7-6) 42-13, earlier today as well. Badger RB, senior P.J. Hill, ran for 140 yards, but Wisconsin's three lost fumbles came back to haunt them as FSU rolled on to a 28-0 run in the third and fourth quarter.

Florida State's sophomore QB Christian Ponder's 2 TD passes and mistake-free play made up for Wisconsin's 201 yards on the ground, giving FSU the Florida Citrus Bowl game trophy and the thrill of victory.

Looking for more Bowl action?? May want to check out the Emerald Bowl (Miami FL. v.s. California) on ESPN. Currently, the Golden Bears from California are ahead of the 'Canes, 17-14, with the fourth quarter begining. California's two TD's are credited to sophomore RB Jahvid Best. Best has accumulated 167 yards and two TD's on the ground through the first 3 QTR's of play.

Still want more football?? There's always week 17 NFL action tomorrow from 1 PM ET until around 11 PM ET tomorrow.

Walker-Sports Top 25 Poll: The Calm Before The Storm

The College football landscape remained mostly quiet over the weekend, with only one top twenty five matchup on the schedule. This means that many of your top teams saw little to no movement in their rankings. However, that should be considered the calm before the storm. The next three weeks will prove to be a mad dash to the finish, and it is anyone’s guest who will end up being the leader entering the clubhouse. But before we get ahead of ourselves, let’s take a look at how the top 25 shapes up for this week.

1) Alabama: Alabama must remained focused coming down the stretch of the season. They have a big rivalry game with Auburn coming up. And while Tommy Tuberville may be on his way out and Auburn is horrible, it is a rivalry game, and if Bama gets caught up in looking ahead to the SEC Championship game and Florida, it could all be thrown away in a heartbeat with a lost to Auburn.

2) Texas Tech: The Red Raiders are almost through the fire, but they have another major test on Saturday night when they take on the Oklahoma Sooners. If Texas Tech can hold off the Sooners, they will be a lock for the Big 12 South title, and a spot in the Big 12 Championship against Missouri.

3) Florida Gators: The Gators once again proved they are the hottest team in college football by dismantling the South Carolina Gamecocks. Once again Florida found itself dominating on defense and proving to be simply too fast for anyone to keep up with. Florida finds itself in a similar position that Alabama is in. They cannot look ahead, with the Florida State Seminoles coming to town. They must remain focused on that instate rival. Once they take care of business there, they can focus on the SEC Championship and Bama.

4) Oklahoma Sooners: The Sooners will be forced to lay it all on the table in the upcoming weeks. Saturday Oklahoma host Texas Tech and if the Sooners can pull off the upset, they will slingshot themselves right into the thick of the National Title hunt, and probably cause the BCS computers to explode at the same time. All of which I would consider good things.

5) USC: Like several other teams in this poll, USC presents a number of interesting variables to consider when picking the BCS games. USC does not control their own fate in the Pac-10. Oregon State holds a tie breaker over them. However, at the same time, if the BCS turns into a jumble because Missouri knocks off any of the Big 12 South teams then you can bet USC will start clamoring for the right to play in the national title game. Make any else? Good I didn’t think so either.

6) Utah: the Utes have the best chance of being the team from a non BCS conference to make a BCS game. As it stands a team ranked inside the BCS top12 is automatically qualified to make the big show. Currently the Utes are seventh in the poll, and they are preparing for a big game against BYU. You can also bet that if Utah goes undefeated, and they can get some of the Missouri love they will want to at least throw their hat in the ring for a claim to play for a national title.

7) Texas Longhorns: The Longhorns have played some great football this season, but sadly there is a good chance they may not be rewarded for their effort. If there is a three way tie in the Big 12 South, the tie breaker goes to the team with the highest BCS ranking. The BCS computers tend to slam the team with the most recent lost. That means that despite beating Oklahoma in the Red River Shootout, the Longhorns could miss out on the Big 12 Championship and a national title because they lost to Texas Tech more recently thus allowing Oklahoma to leapfrog them in the standings. I told you this could get real screwy.

8) Boise State: Boise State presents another interest BCS scenario much like their buddies Utah. Boise State is most likely to run the table and win another WAC title. And currently they are ranked ninth in the BCS poll this means they would also likely qualify for a BCS bid. In a perfect world Utah would lose to BYU which would put Boise in the BCS game without a doubt, but the world and the BSC especially are far from perfect. Boise State will need to win out, and get a little luck if they want to make it to the big show.

9) Penn State: Penn State is back on track after their misstep against Iowa a couple weeks ago. Now they are preparing to take on Michigan State in what will be a must win game. If Penn State loses the game, they are out of the Big 10 title hunt and likely out of the BCS. If they can knock off Michigan State, then PSU can punch their tickets to the Rose Bowl.

10) Ball State: The BCS gives this team no love. They dropped from 14-17 despite beating Miami of Oh. A shame really. Ball State did everything they were asked to do, and will get no love. I am sure Jason Whitlock will be complaining about this for years to come. Anyways, at least it has been a great story to watch this season.

11) Missouri Tigers: The Tigers have the chance to play the biggest spoiler roll in BCS history. It does not matter which one of the Big 12 South teams they play for the conference championship, all they need to do is win. If they do, the entire BCS will automatically go into overdrive in an effort to figure out who is the second ranked team in the country.

12) Ohio State: It’s Michigan vs. Ohio State week, and there is barely a buzz circulating around. That just goes to who you how far Michigan has fallen. OSU is out of the Big 10 title hunt, but there is an outside chance they can steal a spot in a BCS game. Especially if it can boil down between them and say a Boise State. The one thing hurting the Buckeyes will be their horrible performances in the last two BCS games and well any game out of conference as of late.

13) Georgia Bulldogs: Georgia had a good season, and a spot in the Capital One Bowl is nothing to be ashamed of. Just not exactly were they wanted to end up at when, they originally had hopes of winning a national title. The Georgia front office may want to start looking at their head coach as well, as his name is becoming a hot topic for many NFL GM’s.

14) BYU: The hopes for BYU’s perfect season are long gone, but they can still play a big roll on the national scene when they face off against instate rival Utah. A win against the Utes will knock them out of the BCS and allow Boise and probably OSU or another BCS Conference team to sneak into a game. BYU is on the clock as a spoiler team.

15) Michigan State: Despite being ranked this low, Michigan State has had a great year. Not many would have thought that coming down the stretch of the season, the Spartans would have the opportunity to win the Big 10 Championship. Their game against Penn State is as big as it gets. A win there and they are Rose Bowl bound.

16) Oklahoma State: Oklahoma State has had a great season. In many ways they are where Texas Tech has been for the past several years, a very good team but not ready to compete with the big boys in the Big 12 South. However, they will get one last crack at it, when they take on the Oklahoma Sooners. The outcome of the Texas Tech vs. Oklahoma game will determine how important the Oklahoma vs. Oklahoma State game is. No matter what, it looks like the Cowboys will be in the Gator Bowl and that’s not a bad place to finish things up.

17) TCU: TCU has had a great season with their only two losses to teams within the top 10. They are not in the running for any competition for any national or even conference glory, but they can be proud of the season they have had.

18) LSU: It just was not the year for the Bayou Tigers. The SEC just proved to be too tough for them. Now LSU needs to focus on finishing strong and letting things end on a high note.

19) Cincinnati Bearcats: The best in the Big East. The Bearcats are not a bad team, but it will be hard to swallow seeing them in a BCS game especially if they get stuck playing one of the Big 12 cast offs.

20) Pittsburgh: Pitt is in the exact same position as Cincinnati. The showdown between the two schools will determine who wins the Big East. It will also determine who will be the sacrificial lamb of the BCS.

21) Oregon State: Hanging out near the bottom of the top 25, the Beavers control their own destiny and that is important. With games against Arizona and instate rival Oregon the Beavers are primed to take home a Pac-10 title and in doing so, claim a trip to the Rose Bowl.

22) Maryland: The Terps have had an up and down season, but somehow they have clung around and fought themselves back into the top 25. The ACC is an absolute mess, and it is difficult to tell who will win, or who will do what. But out of a bunch of mediocre teams, Maryland appears to have the edge for the last twenty minutes.

23) Oregon: The Ducks are playing solid football. While they do not factor into the Pac-10 title hunt, they can play the roll of spoiler. They will travel to Oregon State to play in the Civil War. A win there and the Ducks can consider it a good season.

24) Miami: After a two year hiatus, the Canes are back. Miami is in the midst of a six game winning streak, and this team is beginning to look like your fathers Miami Hurricanes. They are tough on defense and have speed on the edges on the offense. The Canes may be young, but you better get used to seeing them in the top 25.

25) UNC: The Tar Heels lost to Maryland in a close one on Saturday, but they didn’t fall too far in the rankings. And considering that the next three teams I would rank are also all average ACC teams, I saw no harm in giving the Heels the spot.

Walker-Sports Top 25 Poll:Bama Survives

It seems like this college football season just gets better and better every week. This past weekend was no exception. Alabama was taken to the limit down in the Bayou, Utah had to fight to keep their BCS hopes alive and Texas Tech is still proven critics wrong by blowing out a top 10 team. Now let’s take a look and see how the top 25 shakes out as teams are feeling the pressure with crunch time getting closer.

1) Alabama: Nick Saban took his boys into very hostile territory but they stayed focus fought hard and came away with the win. This may have been the most impressive win of the season for Alabama. They locked up the SEC West, but they got a Gator buzz saw waiting for them in the SEC championship game.

2) Texas Tech: The Red Raiders flexed their muscles Saturday night against Oklahoma State. The Cowboys never had a chance. Graham Harrell was simply amazing as was Michael Crabtree. I have a sneaking suspicion that Texas Tech is going to screw something up in the BCS this year.

3) Florida Gators: The best team in football right now. The Ole Miss game is long forgotten and Urban Myers has his team on a mission. If they win out it would be hard to deny this one lost team that is for sure.

4) Oklahoma Sooners: The Sooners were underrated all season and that seems to work for them. Remember they began the season ranked 19^th in 2000 when they won a national title. Oklahoma gets a week off, and then they will be thrust into the national spotlight when they take on Texas Tech. A win there and the Sooners will have a major claim to get back into the title hunt.

5) USC: The Trojans fell into this spot simply because they have stuck around long enough. And hopefully that will not be the reason the sneak into the BCS Championship game. Although USC vs. Penn State in the Rose Bowl is not appealing either. This is not Pete Carrols best team and they proved that with another lackluster performance again Cal on Saturday.

6) Utah: They may just be legit this season. Utah survived a tight scare against an upset minded TCU on Thursday night. As a result they live to fight another day, and their BCS hope are a live and well, which actually could spell trouble for fellow BCS buster Boise State.

7) Texas Longhorns: The Texas Longhorns have gotten a lot of love in the BCS Poll and in all honesty it is difficult to dispute that love either. Texas is a very good team and if given a chance they could ruin some ones trip to a bowl game.

8) Boise State: They have done everything right, except they do not have a marquee win. And in the end that could be what cost this team even when they complete the year undefeated. When it’s all said and done Utah will have wins over TCU and BYU both ranked teams. Boise will just have another successful run in the WAC. You cannot live off the success of 2007 for so long.

9) Penn State: I was given the hint to bet Iowa in this game and I should have taken them up on it. Joe Pa’s crew finally found reality on a cold windy Saturday afternoon. So the National Title is out of the question, but Penn State still has the inside track to make the Rose Bowl and they better remain focus if they want to keep that effort up.

10) Ball State: Much like Boise State, Ball State will do everything right this season but still be left sitting on the sidelines. When your marquee wins are against Indiana and Navy there’s just not much to hang your hat on there. Maybe they should create a special “Best of the Rest” Bowl game where Boise State and Ball State can match up.

11) Missouri Tigers: The more I watch this team just hanging out in the Big 12 North the more dangerous I think they are. Missouri got beat up when they had to travel through the Big 12 South, but now they have had easily sailing and they will continue to as they go through the end of the season. The Tigers will be on upset alert when they walk into the Big 12 Championship in a few weeks.

12) Ohio State: The Buckeyes have not had a bad season, their only loses have come against Penn State and USC, plenty of other teams can claim losing to either one of those schools. However, OSU has not done anything exceptional this season either. Even if they manage to blow out Michigan, I doubt anyone will be surprised or impressed.

13) Florida State: I can honestly say I did not expect to see the Florida State Seminoles sitting this high in the rankings this year. Granted they have not done a whole lot to deserve this spot, but they have handled their business. Much like OSU and several other teams this season FSU have not had any impressive victories, but they keep plugging along and racking up the wins. I like this team to make the Orange Bowl.

14) Georgia Bulldogs: When the dust settles, this will be considered a disappointing season for the Bulldogs. They will not play for a national title or an SEC title. However, the rumors and the possibility of losing head coach Mark Richt could prove to be more devastating than any lost on the field.

15) BYU: Just hanging around and waiting to play spoiler to Utah’s BCS party, that is what the Cougars can hang their hat on this season.

16) Michigan State: Michigan State could have a massive year if they can keep their heads on straight. A win against Penn State in a few weeks and MSU can pack their bags for the Rose Bowl. I’m not sure they want to square off against USC, but just making the Rose Bowl would be a massive accomplishment for this team.

17) Oklahoma State: Saturday night was ugly. There’s really no other way to put it. The Cowboys had no answer for Texas Tech. Their defensive line could not get any penetration and the secondary acted like they had never heard of Michael Crabtree. Well, I am sure after three touchdowns, they know who he is now.

18) North Carolina Tar Heels: Butch Davis is doing his best to leave his mark on this program. They racked up another impressive win over a conference foe. Now they have to win out and make it to the ACC Championship to make this season a success.

19) TCU: They tried to play spoiler twice this season, and unfortunately they just did not have enough in the tank.

20) Tulsa: Not a whole lot to this Tulsa squad, because of the conference they play in they don’t have many options to reach a big bowl game, and that is a shame. This is a fun team to watch, and everyone should catch them at least once just so they can see what the spread offense looks like when it is run to perfection.

21) Wake Forest: Wake Forest pounded the Virginia Cavaliers early in the first half then held on in the second half to get the win. The important part of this victory is it gave WFU a little bit of life to look forward to going ahead into the season.

22) LSU: It is not LSU’s year. There is really no other way to put it. A young quarterback means a lot of growing pains, especially in a conference like the SEC where teams like to apply pressure and get after you.

23) Cincinnati Bearcats: Two big wins in consecutive weeks and the Bearcats have broken into the Top 25. Not only that, but with the jumble that is the Big East, it is not out of the question for the Bearcats to sneak into a BCS game.

24) Pittsburgh: This Pittsburgh team is playing their ass off right now. Perhaps they are trying to save their coaches job. No matter what it is, they are in the thick of things and have a chance to reach a BCS game as well.

25) Oregon State: How about the Beavers just hanging around out west and with that win over USC they have earned the right to make this list. It would take a bit of luck, but Oregon State could luck up and make the Rose Bowl, now that would be something.

Capping College Football: Week Nine Lines

I just finished my college football line creation system and for the most part it’s pretty good. It still definitely needs some tinkering, but I think for the most part it’s offered some nice looks into some possible value bets.

Since there is still such a variance with how much the lines differ by (ranging from .5 – 16.5) most of the games settled in between 1 - 6 so I’m marking the ones larger than 6 as a mistake/in need of fine tuning for something and the one’s less than 4 as games that don’t offer too much value (I did 3 but… there was like a thousand games and I just don’t have that much money, I’m afraid). I’m not necessarily saying the odds makers fudged up these particular games either, I’m just saying that perhaps the games line is skewed a bit to get equal betting on either side (obviously).

All of the games that are in between 4 – 6 points from the overall line I’ve starred as possible value bets. We’ll see how it does – again, this is going to need some fine tuning just like my NFL system, but for the most part it should provide a great little tidbit of extra research for everyone… at least that’s what I’m hoping for. I’m very nice like that! I’m either going to hit the sweet spot with this differential, or I’m going to need to pick games with bigger or smaller differences in the two lines for the coming weeks. We’ll see how it does this week, though.

Before we get into some further discussion, let’s take a look at every single game. That’s right, each and every one. Even the circled ones! Woo-hoo! (The games with three stars are this weeks games with the best potential (hopefully) of offering some value. And by value, I mean helping me/us benefit monetarily.

Auburn @ West Virginia ***

My line: -9.5 / -10

Actual line: -3.5

New Mexico @ Air Force

My line: -3 / -3.5

Actual line: -5.5

Boise State @ San Jose State

My line: +15 / +15.5

Actual line: +7

Texas Tech @ Kansas

My line: -2

Actual line: +1.5

Eastern Michigan @ Ball State

My line: -22

Actual line: -23.5

Northwestern @ Indiana

My line: -3.5 / -4

Actual line: +9.5

Minnesota @ Purdue

My line: EV

Actual line: -1

Cincinnati @ Connecticut

My line: +4

Actual line: -2.5

Boston College @ North Carolina ***

My line: -7 / -7.5

Actual line: -2

Illinois @ Wisconsin ***

My line: -2.5

Actual line: +2.5

Wake Forest @ Miami (FL)

My line: +5.5 / +6

Actual line: -3

Central Michigan @ Toledo ***

My line: +9 / +9.5

Actual line: +3.5

Oklahoma @ Kansas State

My line: +7 / +7.5

Actual line: +19

Kentucky @ Florida ***

My line: -27 / -27.5

Actual line: -23

Baylor @ Nebraska

My line: -13

Actual line: -9.5

Louisiana Tech @ Army

My line: +1.5

Actual line: -2

UNLV @ BYU ***

My line: -16.5 / -17

Actual line: -23

Duke @ Vanderbilt

My line: EV

Actual line: -10

Fresno State @ Utah State ***

My line: +13 / +13.5

Actual line: +18.5

Rice @ Tulane

My line: +5

Actual line: -2.5

Oklahoma State @ Texas ***

My line: -7 / -7.5

Actual line: -12

Georgia @ LSU

My line: +7

Actual line: -1.5

South Florida @ Louisville ***

My line: EV

Actual line: +4

Rutgers @ Pittsburgh

My line: -8

Actual line: -9.5

Virginia @ Georgia Tech

My line: -11 / -11.5

Actual line: -12

Virginia Tech @ Florida State ***

My line: EV

Actual line: -5

UCLA @ California ***

My line: -12 / -12.5

Actual line: -17

North Carolina State @ Maryland ***

My line: -15.5

Actual line: -10.5

Michigan State @ Michigan ***

My line: EV

Actual line: +5.5

Kent State @ Miami (OH)

My line: -9.5 / 10

Actual line: -8

Southern Methodist @ Navy

My line: -14 /-14.5

Actual line: -12

Bowling Green @ Northern Illinois ***

My line: -3 / -3.5

Actual line: -7

New Mexico State @ Idaho

My line: EV

Actual line: +15

Wyoming @ TCU

My line: -17.5

Actual line: -31

Colorado @ Missouri

My line: -12.5

Actual line: -21

Mississippi @ Arkansas ***

My line: EV

Actual line: +4

Texas A&M @ Iowa State

My line: +6 / +6.5

Actual line: -3

Troy @ North Texas

My line: +7.5

Actual line: +24

Middle Tennessee State @ Mississippi State

My line: -12.5

Actual line: -13.5

Florida Atlantic @ Louisiana Monroe

My line: +4

Actual line: +1

Alabama @ Tennessee

My line: +4

Actual line: +6.5

Penn State @ Ohio State

My line: -14.5

Actual line: +1

Southern Mississippi @ Memphis

My line: +4.5

Actual line: +4

Notre Dame @ Washington ***

My line: +7 / +7.5

Actual line: +11

Colorado State @ San Diego State

My line: +4.5

Actual line: +7.5

Oregon @ Arizona State

My line: EV

Actual line: +3.5

USC @ Arizona

My line: +14

Actual line: +14

Nevada @ Hawaii ***

My line: +6

Actual line: EV

UCF @ Tulsa

My line: -8 / -8.5

Actual line: -21

Zee plays:

West Virginia (-3.5) North Carolina (-2) Wisconsin (+2.5) Central Michigan (-3.5) Florida (-23) UNLV (+23) Utah State (+18.5) Oklahoma State (+12) Louisville (+4) Virginia Tech (+5) UCLA (+17) Maryland (-10.5) Michigan (+5.5) Bowling Green (+7) Arkansas (+4) Washington (+11) Nevada (EV)

Note: Yes, I plan on playing all of those games. Probably for about $5 a game, but still – hopefully I can narrow it down after this test week so I’ll be able to bet more on the games. But that’s going to assume that this whole system works so… that actually brings us to our next point:

IMPORTANT NOTE: In the highly off-chance someone read this and was going, “Wow, this kid did a lot of work – I’m going to put a **** load of money on those picks!” please don’t. While I would recommend doing that with my NFL selections, I still don’t know how this college thing is going to shake out… so here, at least, is a warning for you not to try and bet the house on these – which I don’t know why someone would EVER do, but still… there are some strange, strange, people in this world that we live in.

Any remarks, comments, suggestions, disses ect are welcome as always!

Walker-Sports Top 25 Poll:Don't Mess With Texas

Week 8 is in the books, and the Texas Longhorns put their stamp on the college football polls with their beat down of the Missouri Tigers. Elsewhere in the country the ACC proved why it is an average conference at best, Penn State is ready to put their name in the ring for a BCS Championship run. Basically what it comes down to is this is a great season for college football so keep up with your top 25 polls and make sure your favorite team doesn’t get dropped.



1) Texas Longhorns: The Longhorns had a big home game on Saturday night and they did not disappoint. Texas came out swinging against the Missouri Tigers and the Longhorns put on a show for the ages. Colt McCoy is the best playing in college football today, and completing 81% of his passes proves that. The Texas Longhorns may be around for a while.


2) Alabama: Ole Miss just finds a way to mess with peoples heads. They gave Alabama all they could handle on Saturday afternoon. However Nick Saban’s defense showed up and they were strong to hold the fort down. Next week they get to square off against lowly Tennessee.


3) Penn State: Talk about halftime adjustments. I’m not sure who made the speech but it sure worked. Penn State was in a slow tough game with Michigan on Saturday even. Then I ordered a beer, looked up and they were crushing the Wolverines. This is an explosive Penn State offense, when they face Ohio State it will be a game for the ages.


4) Florida Gators: Tim Tebow has willed this team all season and there is no more important time for him to put his mark on the Florida Gators than right now. He may not have the numbers that he put up last season, but you can believe he is every bit as important. The race for the SEC East will be a tight one, but in Tebow we trust.


5) Texas Tech: Just win baby. The Red Raiders keep winning games, and they keep avoiding Big 12 opponents. I feel like they are a boxed who knows they are not a real champion. Despite great talent, I still think this is the fifth best team in the Big 12 and they will exposed shortly.


6) Georgia Bulldogs: This is a team that I just like. They are horrible to gamble with, as we have see in the College Football Pick’em game, but they are a solid squad nonetheless. The Bulldogs are just hanging around and taking care of business. The Worlds Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party in Jacksonville this year will be huge and you can believe that Walker-Sports will be there.


7) Oklahoma Sooners: Sam Bradford is playing his ass off. He set Oklahoma records for passing yards on Saturday against Kansas. If the Sooners want to get back into the BCS Title hunt, he will need to continue to perform at a high level on the football field. The Sooners have an uphill battle to fight especially with the way Texas is playing. Bob Stoops will need to work extra hard to keep his team focused and sharp going through the rest of the season.


8) Oklahoma State: Mike Gundy has put together a good team. There really is no other way to put it. Add in the fact that Gundy is one of my favorite coaches in college football, and I like OSU. I don’t think they are a BCS team but they are damn good and they are fun to watch.


9) Ohio State: The Buckeyes put an end to all that Michigan State talk last weekend. Now it’s time for them to step back up to the big leagues. OSU has a history of blowing big college football games. The last time the whole nation watch them they were being run out of L.A. by the Trojans. Saturday they have a grudge match against Penn State. The winner will likely get the Big 10, the Rose Bowl and maybe a chance at the BCS Championship. Let’s hope Jim Tressel has learned to coach under pressure.


10) USC: The Trojans proved that Washington State is the worst team in BCS Conference football. 62-0 is beyond embarrassing. The Trojans are a good team and it’s hard to ignore the rumors of them slipping into the backdoor of the BCS Championship. Personally I think that is B.S. If the Trojans make it the BCS Championship and leapfrog a one lost SEC or Big 12 team, then the BCS has failed us once again.


11) Utah: Well BYU is out of the way, and Utah is getting votes in the Harris Poll. This could be their year to make a second run to a BCS game. However, BYU taught us, that staying focused the entire season may not be that easy.


12) Boise State: With Hawaii out of the way, Boise has reclaimed their rightful position atop the WAC. However, this team has grown too big for their own good. Winning the WAC is no long the big accomplishment it used to be, not when you have won a Fiesta Bowl. Boise has their eyes on another BCS trip and they will stop at nothing to get it.


13) LSU: The Tigers seem to follow this formula every year. Lose against good SEC teams, hang around till someone else in conference knocks that team off, and then slip away with an SEC Title and chance at the BCS. Right now it looks like the LSU Tigers are right on schedule.


14) South Florida: The Bulls are a good team in a horrible conference. The Big East should trade in their BCS Spot with a WAC or Mountain West team.


15) Pittsburgh: It’s just strange seeing this team in the top 25. However, good ole Dave may have finally put together a team he can be proud of. Now they just need to make sure they don’t stumble coming down the stretch.


16) BYU: Well they had a good run.


17) Kansas: Sometimes life just isn’t fair. Playing Oklahoma a week after they lost a potential national title. Now that’s just not fair. On the bright side of things, Kansas gave Oklahoma all they could handle and made it a very interesting game.


18) Ball State: Undefeated, no chance at the BCS, but still fun to watch. Chances are you have never seen this team or any team they play on the field but that doesn’t mean they don’t belong on this poll.



19) Missouri Tigers: Chase Daniels is still a very good quarterback, but you won’t be seeing this Missouri Tigers team anytime soon. A trip to the Cotton Bowl is nothing to be ashamed of, really it isn’t.


19) Tulsa: Much like Ball State, this is a college football team most of you have never seen, but do yourself a favor and try to check them out. If nothing else, just watch how they execute their spread offense, one of the best in the country.


20) Georgia Tech: The triple option is alive and well in the south. More importantly quietly the Rambling Wreck has compiled a 6-1 record and has a chance at an ACC title. Saturday they are facing the hottest team in the ACC, Virginia in a game that could have a huge affect on the outcome of the conference.


21) Florida State: The job Bobby Bowden and have done with the Seminoles this season is largely overlooked due to the success Joe Pa is having up at Penn State. What that tells me is no matter where FSU end this football season at, Bowden will be another year just so he cans one up Joe Paterno.


22) TCU: Back in the top 25 for the second time this season. Sounding beating BCS crasher BYU will do that to a team. TCU is solid on defense and they can shut down just about any offense in football.


23) Boston College: Like most of the ACC, Boston College has flown under the radar all year, but they have compiled an impressive 5-1 record. The crowning moment of which was a win at home against Virginia Tech. Boston College now has a chance to control its fate and reach the ACC Title game once again.


24) Minnesota: Talk about one of the great turnarounds in college football. 1-11 last season 6-1 to this point of this season. Some of that is due to cupcake scheduling in the first half of the season. It will be interesting to see how Minnesota holds up against the Big 10 going down the stretch of the season.


25) Northwestern: Two weeks ago, nerdy schools wee all the rage in the top 25, now Northwestern is the lone one remaining. Not surprising considering they are one of the only smart schools to have at least some success on the football field at one time or another.

Walker-Sports Top 25 Poll: Hook'em Horns

What a week in college football and it just seems to keep on giving. Now Tommy Bowden is fired and there was such a shake up in the Top 25, that Walker-Sports just had to share their new poll with all the readers out there.

1) Texas Longhorns: No we are not trying to be like the AP and ESPN. Texas jumped to the top spot in this week’s poll because we had Missouri and LSU ranked behind OU. Despite all that, Texas is the number 1 team in the land and there is a huge target on their back now as they attempt to navigate the Big 12:

2) Alabama: Being idol can kill you. That’s what happened to the Tide. They had the weekend off, and because of that, they were unable to best the performance Texas put on in the Cotton Bowl. Don’t worry Bama fans, I don’t think the Longhorns will be riding on top very long.

3) Penn State: The destroyed Wisconsin on Saturday. I’m not sure if Wisconsin has just fallen apart that bad or what their deal is. What I do know is this is by far the best Penn State team I’ve seen since the 1990’s. They will be representing the Big 10 in the BCS.

4) Florida: Talk trash, come to the swamp and you will become Gator bait. That’s what the Florida Gators showed the world Saturday night. Urben Myers crew put on a clinic Saturday against LSU (a team I had ranked at #2). The Gators are right back in the hunt, and you better believe Saturday’s game was a statement game.

5) Texas Tech: The Nebraska Cornhuskers gave the Red Raiders all they could handle on Saturday, but somehow Texas Tech pulled through. This team is a fraud, but till someone can prove that Texas Tech is fraudulent they will remain a top ranked program.

6) BYU: Just win baby. Stay focused and don’t let a 3-5 team upset what could be a very special season.

7) Georgia: Don’t look now but the Bulldogs are back. UGA and company handled their business against a Tennessee program that is counting the days till Fulmer is fired. All Georgia has to do is make it to the SEC Title game. It’s in their backyard and they can make good things happen.

8) Oklahoma: Tough lost on Saturday. Not only did the Sooners lose the Red River Shootout for the third time in four years. The lost to Texas just added fuel to the fire that Bob Stoops cannot coach in the big games.

9) Oklahoma State: He’s a man! He’s 41 and he has one damn good football team. The Oklahoma State Cowboys are the real deal and they showed everyone just how good they are by knocking off Missouri on Saturday.

10) Ohio State: Why is it not surprising that as the season rolls into it’s second half Ohio State have weaseled its way back into the Top 10? This team is as good as Beanie Wells will allow them to be. As long as he provides protection and takes the pressure off Pryor the Buckeyes will be just fine.

11) USC: A solid dominating win over Arizona State Saturday night. They didn’t blow them out, they didn’t put up the gaudy numbers, but they showed the rest of the Pac 10 that all roads still run through USC.

12) Utah: Just like their cross state rivals, just keep plugging away and don’t become so obsessed with BYU that you over look someone else on the schedule.

13) Missouri: Tough break against a good Oklahoma State team. Now, the Tigers must put Saturday’s lost behind them because they have a chance to fix everything next Saturday when they take on the top ranked Texas Longhorns.

14) Kansas: The Jayhawks are a solid team with a great QB. As I’ve said multiple times this year, they aren’t as good as last year. Nor are they amongst the elite in the Big 12, but that won’t stop them from making noise all year.

15) Boise State: The kings of the WAC just do what they do best and that’s win games on the blue turf and just wait for someone to give them a shot at the big boys.

16) LSU: I doubt that the LSU Tigers will be talking trash and making bulletin board material for anyone in the upcoming weeks. All it did last week was set themselves up for failure and knock them out the top 10.

17) Virginia Tech: After an average performance against Western Kentucky the Hokies had the week off. Now they have to face the rest of the ACC. Virginia Tech is just a solid team that will more than likely play for an ACC Championship.

18) North Carolina: UNC got their first national exposure of the season and they made the best of their 10 minutes of fame by knocking off Notre Dame. The Tar Heels are quickly becoming the team to beat in the ACC. Next week they will be put to the test against a suddenly resurgent Virginia team.

19) South Florida: This is the highest ranked team in the Big East. Now what does that tell you about that conference? The Bulls are hoping they can make keep afloat and make an appearance in a BCS game in January.

20) Wake Forest: Wake got the win over Clemson on Thursday night, and they can go down as the straw that broke Tommy Bowden’s back and cost him his job.

21) Vanderbilt: The bubble seems to be bursting on Vandy. However, this marks the fourth week Vanderbilt has been ranked and that is a first for the school.

22) Michigan State: plunking and lumbering away, with a running game like theirs, the Spartans can remain a factor in any game they play.

23) Ball State: All this team has done is go out and win and win. They are doing all they can to remain viable and just make a showing.

24) Pittsburgh: Who would have thought that Pitt. Would find their way into the Top 25. Dave is coaching for his job and right now he is doing a good job with it.

25) Cal: Cal has climbed their way back into the top 25 after their embarrassing lost earlier this season that left the Bears losing their lunch.

Walker-Sports Top 25 Poll:Who Doesnt Love UGA?

The week is done, and for once Georgia actually did something to deserve their rank (congrats to them). Elsewhere, with SEC action kicking off, that almost guarantees there will be some movement in the Top 25. Let’s see how things shook out.


1)Georgia Bulldogs: They went on the road across the country and beat a good ASU team. And why the score was 27-10, the win was much more impressive than that. The Georgia Bulldogs made a statement and their defense dominated the opposition.


2) USC: The Trojans enjoyed a week off, and for all intents and purposes they can put it into cruise control till January when they play in the BCS Championship game. The key will be maintaining focus and not allowing a mishap like they had against Stanford last season.


3) Oklahoma: The Sooners rested this weekend, and are gearing up for another tough Big 12 schedule. Although Stoops won’t admit it, it is my belief that he has a very special team on his hands this season. Let’s just hope they can avoid their annual pitfall to Oklahoma State.


4) Florida Gators: What a show the Gators put on at Neyland Stadium in Tennessee. I knew they Gators could beat the Vols, but they way they dismantled that team was very impressive. That is why they managed to jump the Mizzu Tigers in this week’s poll. Impressive wins are always rewarded.


5) Missouri Tigers: The Tigers got the big win last weekend against Buffalo, but it looks like some of their players may be reading too many of their own press clippings. The Tigers had a very sloppy game that saw three fumbles by their wide outs. This is a talented team, but they will need to tighten up if they want to survive the Big 12.


6) LSU: Gutsy Gusty Gutsy performance this weekend against Auburn. Hell, scoring 26 points against that team was impressive in its own right. LSU may be the quietest big name player in the title hunt today. They are playing very good football, and largely have been overlooked by most. The win over Auburn gives them the leg up on a trip to ATL to play for the SEC Championship.


7) Wisconsin: The Badgers are about to go one a one month stretch that will determine their entire season. If they win all their games, they will factor into the national title race. If they lose even two of them, then it’s back to the Capital One Bowl. At Michigan, followed by home games against Ohio State and Penn State. All three games are anything but a give men (yes I realize Michigan is on that list). October could be a big month in Badger country.


8) Texas: Okay they destroyed another mediocre school from the state of Texas. I’m beginning to think that Mack Brown is taking all his scheduling hints from the king of the Ohio Cup Jim Tressel and OSU. Texas rolled Rice, next week they take on a horrible looking Arkansas team. The test for the Longhorns begins in two weeks when they face the Sooners, and turn around and have to play Missouri the following week. That could make or break the Longhorns season.


9) Alabama: I cannot believe Nick Saban made this turnaround this quickly. I don’t like the guy but he is a helluva coach. A balanced attack that is explosive on offense and special teams, and a defense that knows how to go out and find the ball. Saban is making me a believer that his Alabama team could factor into the SEC Championship race.


10) Texas Tech: The Red Raiders are here because I cannot demote them for having the most cupcake schedule in the world. In all honesty this is a team that still barely cracks the top half of the Big 12. Another big win over UMass (I didn’t know they played football) and now the Red Raiders are ready for a reality check in the Big 12 season.


11) South Florida: There is a disturbing trend with this team they give up way too many points late in games. Last week they gave up 9 points in about 3 minutes in the fourth and all of a sudden a lock game becomes a close one. Lucky for the Bulls, they play in the Big East and WVU has proven they can’t beat anyone.


12) BYU: Another week and another shutout victory. The most impressive part of this BYU team may be their defense which now has back to back shutouts. They are just waiting to play cross state rival Utah and then punch their ticket to crash the BCS. The Rose Bowl committee should be looking at this team.


13) Penn State: Much like Alabama, this years Penn State team is a squad I am gaining confidence in. Granted beating Temple is something that any Div IA school should be able to do. PSU opens its Big 10 schedule next week, against Illinois. From then on it will be full throttle for the Lions who will need to win each week to keep pace with the Badgers.


14) Auburn: They may have lost to LSU at home, but one thing Auburn can take away from Saturday’s football game is they have settled on a QB. Chris Todd actually had a good day at QB. Now Auburn will have to build on that and put last week’s game behind them. There is still a lot of football left to play on the season.


15) Ohio State: Terrelle Pryor is looking to make his impact be felt immediately at Ohio State. He got the first start of his career only four games into his freshmen season, and more importantly he got the win. With Beanie Wells’ health still in question Pryor gives the Buckeyes more options on offense due to his athleticism. Granted a 28-10 win over Troy is not what you expect from OSU, it is a building block.


16) Wake Forest: The Demon Deacons placed their mark on the 2008 ACC season by knocking off FSU in Tallahassee. What’s even more impressive is how the Deacons did it, they were held to just 59 yards on the ground, and their normally reliable kicker was horrible missing 4 attempts. Yet somehow they came away with the win.


17) Utah: It took a late TD run with 58 ticks left on the clock to keep Utah’s magical season alive. They have not been able to blow out teams the way BYU has, but somehow the Utes are finding away. Maybe they can recapture the glory of their 2004 run to a BCS game.


18) Clemson: Finally we saw the Clemson team that was ranked inside the top 10 in all the preseason polls. Too bad the Tigers had to step down and play a Div IAA team, to get the blow out victory. The Tigers travel to Wake Forest next weekend; this could be an interesting game and will have a long term affect on the ACC standings.


19) Kansas: QB Todd Reesing is the hero of this Jayhawks team, and they will go as far as his arm can take them. That being said, they probably will not finish higher than fourth overall in the Big 12. Just not enough firepower out in Kansas this season.


20) Illinois: Lying dormant this past weekend, Illinois could be facing a rude wakeup call next week when they take on a hot PSU team. Illinois may not be the cream of the crop this year, but they can play spoiler to plenty of Big 10 teams. Do that enough and they could luck up and be in a BCS game again like they were last year.


21) Fresno State: 55-54, last one out turn off the lights. That was the story last weekend when Fresno St. took on Toledo, in one of the highest scoring football games you will find anywhere. I like the Fresno team, they just have toughness about them, and I love that they will go anywhere to play anyone.


22) TCU: Every couple years TCU pops up with a surprising season, and this year could be one of those. Next week they have the chance to play spoiler against the Oklahoma Sooners. The result of that game could vault TCU into the top 15 or drop them from the poll, it could be very interesting.


23) Vanderbilt: Undefeated… Ranked in the Top 25? This is not your typical Vandy team. After a 24 year drought Vandy is here, and they are ready to stay, well at least for one more week. A game against Miss St. next week should allow Vandy to remain ranked till the hit the meat of their SEC schedule.


24) Boise St.: They got their first road win against a BCS team this weekend and now they are back in the top 25. Once again Boise seems ready to make their typical run. While it is doubtful this one will have the magical ending they experienced a couple years ago, it is always fun to watch them play on that blue turf.


25) Oregon: The Ducks are accepting all applications for QB’s who have any experience at the D-I level. Oregon dropped a home game to Boise St. last weekend and now they are trying to find their way. Injuries appear to be ready to decimate this team once again.

Al Groh Gets What He Deserves

Walker-Sports Top 25 Poll:Beware of Pirates

Well I didn’t think it was possible, but college football was actually better this weekend than it was last week. From what I can tell this is going to be an amazing season. Just wait till OSU and USC square off next weekend. However, before they take the field, let’s see where they stand on the Walker-Sports College Football poll.

1) Georgia Bulldogs: Yes I know every other poll in the country has USC sitting here, but Georgia has done nothing to deserve losing their #1 spot. If you don’t like them in this spot, just wait a few weeks, I can’t imagine them running the table.

2) USC: The Trojans had the week off, and got to scout a shaky looking OSU. One has to think Pete Carol has something special up his sleeve for an OSU offense that is still looking to find its rhythm.

3) Oklahoma Sooners: The Sooners have climbed in this week’s poll and they deserve it. The Sooners beat a scrappy UC squad on Saturday and can now look ahead to the Big 12 schedule.

4) Florida Gators: This team is only as good as Tim Tebow. Lucky for them, Tebow is pretty damn good. The Miami game was uglier than the score indicated but they still showed better than OSU.

5) OSU: Buckeye fans have to pray that their team was just overlooking Ohio U. Combine that with Beanie Wells being hurt and maybe they aren’t as bad as they looked. Buckeye faithful better hope that is the case.

6) LSU: The hurricane saved Troy from being killed by the Tigers. Nonetheless an idol LSU means they can hold onto their spot.

7) Missouri Tigers: Chase Daniels had one of the most impressive outings I have ever seen. He was 16-17 and resting on the bench before halftime. Look out Tim Tebow you have some serious competition for that Heisman this year.

8) Auburn: The Tigers make the jump in the standings due to another outstanding performance on defense. Combine that with the fact that they have found a solid starting QB and the Tigers are ready to do battle in the SEC West.

9) Kansas: The Jayhawks fell, but not too far. They played well this past weekend, but would have liked to see a bigger blowout.

10) Wisconsin: The Badgers got off to a slow start against Marshall, but somehow they scored about 30 points in 10 minutes on the fourth QT. The Big 10 could actually be very interesting this season.

11) Texas Longhorns: Great game to travel across state and take on a semi-hostel UTEP crowd. Colt seems to be over his sophomore slump and that is very good for the Longhorns.

12) Texas Tech: The Red Raiders crushed Nevada and the pistol offense. However, the team still failed to live up to the hype on defense. I have a nasty feeling the Red Raiders are in for a big fall when they hit the Big 12.

13) Arizona State: Stanford had nothing against the Sun Devils. ASU showed off a dynamic passing attack and yet again their aggressive defense flexed their muscle.

14) South Florida: In a primetime game against UCF, South Florida made a solid showing. Despite a slow start in the first half, South Florida got the ball running and showed why they may be the team to beat in the Big East.

15) East Carolina: The Pirates are crashing the party, and with two more games against ACC opponents they will make a solid case to crash the BCS party as well.

16) BYU: Possibly the luckiest team in the country today. It took a horrible call and a blocked XP to keep this teams BCS hopes alive. BYU better not overlook UCLA next weekend.

17) Penn State: Despite the off the field distractions, Penn State destroyed Oregon State. Maybe the Beavers were jetlagged, because they definitely did not show up to play.

18) Oregon: The Ducks played the worse team in Division I football and they did exactly what they were supposed to do. They destroyed Utah State 66-24.

19) Wake Forest: Wake Forest is saving the ACC right now. They stood toe to toe with Ole Miss and won a teeth clincher.

20) Clemson: The seat is getting hotter and hotter under Tommy Bowden. His Tigers looked better on Saturday, but they are far from where they were though to be.

21) Utah: The Utes had a bit of a Michigan hangover as they got off to a slow start on Saturday. However, they were able to put that behind them and went on to roll UNLV.

22) Fresno State: The Bulldogs had the week off and they will need the rest. Next week they have a chance to put their stamp on the BCS when they take on the Wisconsin Badgers.

23) UCLA: Now that they week 1 heroics are behind them, the Bruins need to focus on BYU if they want to actually make a run at breaking the USC monopoly on the city.

24) WVU: A horrible outing against ECU. WVU is very lucky they were able to remain in the top 25. Hopefully they can regain their focus and figure out what went wrong this past weekend.

25) Illinois: Eastern Ill. probably wished they had Tony Romo at their disposal for this game. Juice seems to be advancing as a passing QB, and that means Illinois could be a dangerous opponent for a lot of teams this season.