BallHype - Latest Bowl Championship Series News Articles

Deeper look at Saturday's key games

Thu, 4 Sep 2008 18:30:36 +1900

If BYU is going to be a BCS crasher, Saturday's game at Washington is a must-win. We take a deeper look at some key games.

Find more top sports news, videos, and blogs on BallHype: NCAA Football, Bowl Championship Series

The Best BCS Conference As Determined By Science

Thu, 4 Sep 2008 17:27:53 +1900

An interesting article was published on Bleacher Report a little while back regarding the now-constant debate among college football fans regarding the relative strength of the major conferences. In this article , the author ( BabyTate ) asks which league—SEC, Pac-10, Big Ten, or Big 12—has placed a greater percentage of teams in the final top 25 polls from 2000 to 2007. It's a reasonable and simple analysis, and here's what it reveals. "The Pac-10 placed 30 percent of its teams in the Top 25, the Big 12 notched 32 percent, the Big Ten 33 percent, and the SEC led with 41 percent." Interesting stuff—but I think it lacks nuance and can benefit from a more in-depth exploration. I'd argue that the position in the polls is also important, as BabyTate's analysis equates every No. 1 with every No. 25. I propose that a truer measure would be to analyze the relative position as well. Also, the teams of the 2000 season and the teams of last year are ...

Find more top sports news, videos, and blogs on BallHype: NCAA Football, Bowl Championship Series

BYU-Washington: Cougars on BCS Mission Against Huskies

Thu, 4 Sep 2008 17:17:26 +1900

BYU is going to come into Husky Stadium with the full knowledge that a possible national championship is on the line. Washington needs to be mentally prepared because they are playing a team on a mission—no pun intended. BYU is currently ranked 15th in the country, which puts them in a very good position to play in the national championship game if they go undefeated. Beating out of conference opponents Washington and UCLA will vault them into the top 10 early this year. The biggest obstacle in conference will be beating rival Utah, who just finished off Michigan in the Big House last weekend. BYU is going to run and throw the ball at the Huskies using one of the more potent offenses the Dawgs will face this season. Max Hall is a big time QB who has good mobility, touch, and accuracy. He completed over 60 percent of his passes last season. Hall will be surrounded by a lot of age and experience since the majority of BYU players sat out two years to go on a ...

Find more top sports news, videos, and blogs on BallHype: NCAA Football, Connecticut Huskies, Bowl Championship Series, Washington Huskies

BYU enters UW territory on quest for perfection

Thu, 4 Sep 2008 06:31:06 +1900

The Brigham Young University football team is on a "quest for perfection" this season and hopes improving upon consecutive 11-2 seasons will finally get them into a BCS bowl. The Cougars play Saturday at the University of Washington.

Find more top sports news, videos, and blogs on BallHype: NCAA Football, BYU Cougars, Bowl Championship Series, Washington Huskies, Connecticut Huskies

When Does Nebraska Get Top 25 Consideration?

Thu, 4 Sep 2008 03:48:36 +1900

Steve Sipple has posted his Top 25 ballot . OSU No. 1 and USC No. 4? I guess Sipple didn’t see USC trash Virginia on the road while OSU beat an FCS opponent at home. Next question: If the Huskers go 3-0 going into the VT game, will they be ranked in the Top 25? HG guess: No. The next few weeks are the cake part of the schedule. They just had their most impressive win of the first three games. Yes, they can get some impressive margins against NMS and SJS, but I think Husker fans should relax and not worry about the Top 25 unless we are undefeated after the VT game. HG prefers the Huskers to earn their ranking and be under the radar, not get it through non-BCS opponents.

Find more top sports news, videos, and blogs on BallHype: NCAA Football, Nebraska Cornhuskers, Southern California Trojans, Bowl Championship Series

THE SEC IS AFRAID TO TRAVEL!

Thu, 4 Sep 2008 01:17:49 +1900

SEC teams should all apply for an American Express card because they sure are afraid to leave home without it. Or perhaps some wealthy boosters could donate GPS systems so the teams won't be afraid that they will lose their way and never be heard from again. Could it be an intense Nomophobia — fear of being out of mobile phone contact. No, I think not. I believe there's another reason for the SEC's Hodophobia. More than likely they are afraid of getting their butts kicked. It always looks better to pay some 1-AA patsy to come to your house and take their licking. Afterall, that's a good way to pad your stats. Speaking of stats, how do these grab you? The PAC-10 is #1 in miles traveled among BCS conferences while the SEC is dead last, and their win-loss record when they do travel to OOC BCS schools is, shall I dare say, pathetic. But before y'all jump down my throat, the statistics are right here in an SEC country newspaper, The Birmingham News. Now, I don't ...

Find more top sports news, videos, and blogs on BallHype: NCAA Football, Georgia Bulldogs, LSU Fightin' Tigers, Les Miles, Urban Meyer, Bowl Championship Series

Virginia Tech Will Not Win A BCS Championship with Frank Beamer at Helm

Thu, 4 Sep 2008 00:02:09 +1900

I have a secret for my fellow Virginia Tech Football fans, but before I let them in on it, let me first apologize. Sorry, Virginia Tech Football fans, but if you thought this season would be any different than the others, you were not only wrong, but naive. Being simply “good enough” has become the norm for Frank Beamer and the Virginia Tech Hokies and it’s not about to change. I wrote an article in the middle of June which was agreed with by national college football fans, but ripped to shreds in forums by Hokie faithful. In the article, I described how the Hokies have already reached their peak and have gone as far as they can go with Frank Beamer as head coach. Complacency and a long list of questionable decisions have kept a program that has boasted the likes of Michael Vick, Kevin Jones, and DeAngelo Hall from becoming synonymous with the USC’s, LSU’s, and Ohio State’s of the college football ...

Find more top sports news, videos, and blogs on BallHype: NCAA Football, Frank Beamer, Bowl Championship Series

All Playoff Systems Are Just As Flawed As The BCS System

Wed, 3 Sep 2008 23:02:38 +1900

With college football opening up this past week, there's been lots of talk about playoffs. Okay, there are always talks about playoffs. Every college football fan has an opinion. Some have even gone so far as to propose a 32-team playoff. I actually like the idea of a plus one with No. 1 playing No. 4 and No. 2 playing No. 3. You know the quote about excuses being like ***holes, well, it fits for playoff proposals. Every playoff scenario I can think of is flawed. Don't think the BCS stands alone. Let's take a look at a few. NBA Playoffs Last year’s Atlanta Hawks are a perfect showing of why the NBA playoffs are flawed. Going 37 and 45 and making the playoffs is lunacy if you ask me. They shouldn't have been anyone near a basketball court during playoff time. NCAA March Madness Have you ever played Hungry Hungry Hippos? Yep, that's the college basketball version of a playoff. Does ...

Find more top sports news, videos, and blogs on BallHype: NCAA Football, Bowl Championship Series

The Big Beast: How About a Little Respect for Big East Football?

Wed, 3 Sep 2008 15:13:53 +1900

Big East teams went out in the first week of the 2008 season and did a terrible job representing the league, so it does not surprise me that folks have once again started the negative chatter. I mean, why would anyone want to miss an opportunity to step on them when they have a down week? The Big East seems to be the conference that football fans love to hate, but I would like everyone to consider the following information. "West Virginia’s win against Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl gave the BIG EAST’s representative four Bowl Championship Series wins in the last five years. The conference was a combined 32-13 outside the league in 2007, with the .711 winning percentage standing behind only the 2006 (37-8, .822) and 2000 (28-9, .757) seasons as the best in BIG EAST history. ... "Seven of the eight BIG EAST teams were either ranked or received votes in one of the three major national polls. Four of the eight were ranked in the top 10 at some point, while two ...

Find more top sports news, videos, and blogs on BallHype: NCAA Football, Bowl Championship Series

One Week In, BCS Complaints Begin Already

Wed, 3 Sep 2008 13:37:59 +1900

The USC Trojans stomped on Virginia like they were an FCS team. But come on, who didn't expect that? It was somewhat refreshing watching a true powerhouse team come into Charlottesville and show them what a real college football program is about. Over the past few seasons, the ACC has gotten weak. I can remember not too long ago that Virginia Tech was not somebody you wanted to see on your schedule. Clemson does have a good football program, and have produced a pretty good number of NFL caliber players (Brian Dawkins is an example). So how can you deny that USC kicked the crap out of a superior team than East Carolina? Or Clemson? USC does not deserve to be No. 1 yet. I have no doubt that they would have been able to get there at some point later in the season, but Georgia and Ohio State did win big too! Including the shutout by Ohio State. UVA last season lost to Wyoming 23-3. They barely beat UNC, 22-20. The beat Middle Tennesse State 23-21, and then beat UConn 17-16. None of those schools ...

Find more top sports news, videos, and blogs on BallHype: NCAA Football, Bowl Championship Series, Southern California Trojans, Clemson Tigers, Ohio State Buckeyes, North Carolina Tar Heels

Why Notre Dame Is BCS Bound Again in 2008-09

Wed, 3 Sep 2008 13:24:50 +1900

If it's possible to do so, I simultaneously cheered and cringed as I watched six Notre Dame opponents lose on the opening weekend of college football. I'm guessing your reaction upon seeing the title of this article was to do one or the other. After all, Kirk Herbstreit told me that the Michigan game was the key to Notre Dame's season on three consecutive SportsCenters...and the Wolverines flubbed away another home opener to a non-BCS conference team while I sat in an airport bar, wondering what that meant for the Golden Domers. Then I looked down the rest of an uncharacteristically soft Irish schedule, in search of teams that "should" beat ND. Pitt? Not the way Team 'Stache looked in a home loss to Bowling Green. Washington? No matter how badly Tyrone Willingham wants to beat his previous employer, his continued struggles with the Huskies prove that Notre Dame was justified in firing him. So here it is: Without having seen the Irish play a game, Michigan State ...

Find more top sports news, videos, and blogs on BallHype: NCAA Football, Notre Dame Fighting Irish, Bowl Championship Series, Michigan Wolverines

How Rich Rodriguez made the nation hate the Ohio State Buckeyes.

Wed, 3 Sep 2008 06:04:26 +1900

The year was 2007 and the Buckeyes were picked to finish third in the Big Ten. Michigan was once again picked to win the conference and was ranked in the top 5 in many of the preseason polls. Then came the improbable upset loss to Appalachian State and eventually the end of Lloyd Carrs regime at Michigan. In Columbus Jim Tressel continued his domination of the Big Ten. The schedule had been a friendly one. The Buckeyes were not going to meet the second best team in the conference that year, The Wisconsin Badgers. Their only loss came in a tightly contested game with Illinois and their vaunted quarterback Juice Williams. In that game there was a fumble that was made by an Illinois player that had been a non call that was verified by the Big Ten officials earlier this year. Michigan was after Les Miles who would end up winning the BCS Championship Game with a two loss LSU team. After alot of speculation and an errant report by Kirk Herbstreet, Michigan would not get their first choice. ...

Find more top sports news, videos, and blogs on BallHype: NCAA Football, Ohio State Buckeyes, Rich Rodriguez, Michigan Wolverines, Bowl Championship Series

SEC: The Best College Football Conference or the Greatest?

Wed, 3 Sep 2008 02:55:28 +1900

So week one is over in NCAA football and what's the story? The SEC is still the top conference in collegiate football. The entire conference combined went 10-2 on the opening week. You might say, "Well they didn't play anybody that's good" which may be true, but after last year we know that anyone can lose to anyone at any time. They beat the opponents they were supposed to beat and in the majority of cases they beat them pretty bad. The one main exception was the Tenn vs. UCLA game which was all in all a great game which could have gone either way, but ended up going to UCLA. Some people look at this game and say well the SEC must be down, but really Tennessee lost their veteran quarterback and was overrated to begin the year. Just look to the Clemson vs. Alabama game in which Clemson, the supposed ACC Champion and BCS contender, was completely dismantled by what was a mediocre SEC team last year. With high rankings for Alabama, LSU, Florida, and Georgia, it's expected no one in the SEC will go ...

Find more top sports news, videos, and blogs on BallHype: NCAA Football, Clemson Tigers, UCLA Bruins, Tennessee Volunteers, Alabama Crimson Tide, Bowl Championship Series

USC jumps to No. 1 in AP football poll

Tue, 2 Sep 2008 18:59:00 +1900

Dominating victory over Virginia was enough to put the Trojans ahead of Georgia and Ohio State, who played lesser opponents. > USC has jumped two spots to No. 1 in the Associated Press top-25 college football poll, rewarded by voters for opening the season with a dominant performance on the road against a BCS conference opponent.

Find more top sports news, videos, and blogs on BallHype: NCAA Football, Southern California Trojans, Georgia Bulldogs, Ohio State Buckeyes, Bowl Championship Series

USC's reward: Top spot in Top 25

Tue, 2 Sep 2008 18:55:15 +1900

Southern California jumped two spots to No. 1 in The Associated Press Top 25 on Tuesday, rewarded by voters for opening the season with a dominant performance on the road against a BCS conference opponent.

Find more top sports news, videos, and blogs on BallHype: NCAA Football, Southern California Trojans, Bowl Championship Series

USC claims top spot in AP poll; Georgia is No. 2

Tue, 2 Sep 2008 18:33:25 +1900

Find more top sports news, videos, and blogs on BallHype: NCAA Football, Southern California Trojans, Bowl Championship Series, Georgia Bulldogs

USC takes over top spot in AP poll

Tue, 2 Sep 2008 18:25:35 +1900

Southern California has jumped two spots to No. 1 in The Associated Press Top 25 college football poll, rewarded by voters for opening the season with a dominant performance on the road against a BCS conference opponent. Georgia and Ohio State, the preseason Nos. 1 and 2, respectively, started their seasons with glorified scrimmages at home against FCS (formerly I-AA) teams. USC's 52-7 victory Saturday at Virginia helped the Trojans vault past the Bulldogs and Buckeyes from No.

Find more top sports news, videos, and blogs on BallHype: NCAA Football, Southern California Trojans, Georgia Bulldogs, Ohio State Buckeyes, Bowl Championship Series

Rutgers Off to Rough Start with Labor Day Loss

Tue, 2 Sep 2008 16:15:41 +1900

Rutgers opened its 2008 campaign yesterday with a lackluster performance in a losing effort against Fresno State 24-7 in front of the 11th sellout crowd in a row at Rutgers Stadium. The Scarlet Knights could not take advantage of its great field position several times in the first half, which kept the BCS busters from Fresno State in the game. Neither team scored in the first half. The Bulldogs took advantage of Rutgers' missed opportunities with a 31-yard field goal from Kevin Goessling to take the lead and then marched down field on a 77-yard reception by Seyi Ajirotutu on blown coverage by the Knights' secondary. Ryan Matthews then ran for a 4-yard touchdown on the following play, giving Fresno State a 10-0 lead in the third quarter. Rutgers gained some life back after senior QB Mike Teel led his team on a nine-play, 81-yard drive, capped off by a 1-yard run by Kordell Young. Rutgers looked like it had the Bulldogs stopped on third-and-23 when Senior QB Tom Brandstater found Ajirotutu ...

Find more top sports news, videos, and blogs on BallHype: NCAA Football, Fresno State Bulldogs, Bowl Championship Series

Bulldogs go home happy with 24-7 win over Rutgers

Tue, 2 Sep 2008 13:04:12 +1900

PISCATAWAY, N.J. (AP) -- Fresno State headed home with another pelt from a BCS-conference team to ad...

Find more top sports news, videos, and blogs on BallHype: NCAA Football, Fresno State Bulldogs, Bowl Championship Series, Georgia Bulldogs

Juice Williams: Surprise Performance Vs. Mizzou Earns Him Co-MVP

Tue, 2 Sep 2008 10:57:00 +1900

Each week, College Fantasy Coach, a new site covering college fantasy football created by the founders of Fantasy Baseball Dugout , will profile the top players in college fantasy football, both BCS and non-BCS. Three quarterbacks stepped up with major college fantasy football performances in the first week of action. College Fantasy Coach's Week 1 MVPs are: Chase Clement , Quarterback, Senior (Redshirt), Rice Owls Week 1 Points: 54* Stats: 24 completions, 258 pass yards, 87 rush yards, six touchdowns Juice Williams, Junior, Illinois Fightin' Illini Week 1 Points: 45* Stats: 26 completions, 451 passing yards, 10 rushing yards, five touchdowns Kellen Lewis, Junior, Indiana Hoosiers Week 1 Points: 45* Stats: 17 completions, 144 pass yds, 185 rush yds, four total TDs * - weekly fantasy points are based on scoring settings established by CBSSports.com. Quarterback is the most important position in college fantasy football, as these three signal-callers clearly prove. It's also ...

Find more top sports news, videos, and blogs on BallHype: NCAA Football, Missouri Tigers, Rice Owls, Indiana Hoosiers, Illinois Fighting Illini, Bowl Championship Series

Fresno State Might Be The BCS Buster in College Football

Tue, 2 Sep 2008 00:54:47 +1900

After weeks of hearing how good they would be this season, the Fresno State Bulldogs went out and proved to America that they are in fact a legit contender to make a BCS run. The Bulldogs overcame a sluggish start to win 24-7 over Big East stronghold Rutgers. Despite the Scarlet Knights' loss of Ray Rice to the NFL, they still have experienced quarterback Mike Teel. Teel and Co. were shutout by the Bulldogs through three quarters though, en route to being upset. Head coach Pat Hill has already proclaimed the 2008-2009 squad one of the finest in recent memory, and they might just show the rest of the nation what they can do this year. With an experienced senior quarterback in Tom Brandstater running the offense along with running back sensation Mathews, the Bulldogs believe they can put up enough points to compete in all of their games. Despite the fact that defense has never seemed to be the calling of Pat Hill-coached teams at Fresno, the D looked spectacular against Rutgers, and is poised ...

Find more top sports news, videos, and blogs on BallHype: NCAA Football, Fresno State Bulldogs, Bowl Championship Series, Pat Hill, Georgia Bulldogs, Boise State Broncos

East Carolina looks for another upset (AP)

Mon, 1 Sep 2008 20:08:57 +1900

There wasn't much time for Skip Holtz to enjoy his signature victory at East Carolina. Not when the Pirates had to figure out a way to follow it up. Congratulations, East Carolina. By upsetting 17th-ranked Virginia Tech, the Pirates took an impressive first step toward busting into the BCS. Now for the harsh reality: They've got to do it again this week against No.

Find more top sports news, videos, and blogs on BallHype: NCAA Football, Skip Holtz, Bowl Championship Series

A Radical Solution for Everything That Is Wrong With College Football

Mon, 1 Sep 2008 16:15:21 +1900

With the way that all of the conferences looked this weekend, I think that it is appropriate to bring up the issues surrounding the BCS and the structure of conferences. It seems that college football has fallen into a great imbalance: Ohio State, USC, and Oklahoma have no worthy challengers within their conferences, while the ACC and Big East, albeit with a couple of contenders, have fallen to a level that is below mediocrity. Then you have the SEC, which has many teams that can win the conference. When they get a shot at all of the marbles, they have collectively gotten the job done an extremely high percentage of the time. All of this has led to disaster after disaster with the BCS due to the fact that the BCS rankings depend largely on a team's record, which can be greatly affected by the difficulty of the schedule that a team faces that year. That has been the story the past couple of seasons, and the early signs say that it probably won't change. Something needs to be ...

Find more top sports news, videos, and blogs on BallHype: NCAA Football, Bowl Championship Series

Can the MAC Shock the College Football World This Year?

Mon, 1 Sep 2008 16:03:57 +1900

During the first weekend of college football, a couple of teams from the tiny Mid-American Conference had some surprises in store for the BCS power conferences. The Bowling Green Falcons, led by Tyler Sheehan at quarterback, overcame a 14-0 deficit to defeat the No. 25 Pittsburgh Panthers on their home turf. The Falcons' defense came up strong, forcing four turnovers from the Pitt offense, and the team rallied back to take the eventual 27-17 road win. In other MAC news, the Akron Zips hung tough with the No. 13 Wisconsin Badgers for a half before running out of gas. It still showed definite promise that the Zips could trail by only a touchdown at the break. Don't forget that Western Michigan put up 24 points against Nebraska, and Minnesota narrowly defeated Northern Illinois, 31-27. This upcoming weekend, however, will give the MAC several more chances to see if they can become the "Cinderella" story of the college football world this year. Central Michigan, thought to be the ...

Find more top sports news, videos, and blogs on BallHype: NCAA Football, Pittsburgh Panthers, Bowl Championship Series

Busted Beanie Baby: Are The Buckeyes BCS Hopes Broken?

Sun, 31 Aug 2008 20:44:04 +1900

Yesterday the impossible happened. Yesterday, what many college football fans across the country consistently hope for transpired. Buckeye Nation was hushed. But the way it went down, you do not even wish this upon your worst enemy. Unless of course you are the polar opposite of a fan with class. In the third quarter of a game against in-state cupcake Youngstown State, Heisman Hopeful Chris "Beanie" Wells went to the ground clutching his right foot. Sure, he had just fumbled the ball and YSU recovered. Such a play would usually result in moans and groans from the Buckeye faithful. But 105,000 plus went eerily silent, as what would was perceived as the hopes and dreams of the 2008 season lie in obvious pain. Beanie Wells was helped off the field by Buckeye teammates, and carted to the locker room by medical personnel. X-rays came back negative, which is good, but does not say a lot. OSU kicker Ryan Pretorious reported, "I spoke to Beanie and he says it's just his big toe and ...

Find more top sports news, videos, and blogs on BallHype: NCAA Football, Ohio State Buckeyes, Southern California Trojans, Bowl Championship Series, ESPN

College Football Week One: What we've learned

Sun, 31 Aug 2008 05:15:05 +1900

The first Saturday of the 2008 NCAA football season is in the history books. Even though a lot of big teams decide to take on absolute cream puffs in their first game, we were still able to learn quite a bit from the first game of the season. Pittsburgh will not be crashing the BCS party For the past couple of weeks, I've listened to analyst after analyst mention Pittsburgh as a possible BCS dark horse. Those analysts might want to take back their predictions. A 27-17 loss to a team from the MAC is no way to start your season if you hope to make it to a BCS game, especially if you still have to play Iowa, Louisville, Rutgers, South Florida and West Virginia. You absolutely have to win the games that you are supposed to win. So instead of being a potential BCS player, Pitt could potentially be looking at a six-loss season. Dave Wannstedt's seat has to be getting a little uncomfortable. Michigan has some work to do I know that Utah was the trendy upset pick for the week, but ...

Find more top sports news, videos, and blogs on BallHype: NCAA Football, Michigan Wolverines, Michigan State Spartans, Dave Wannstedt, Rich Rodriguez, Bowl Championship Series

Curtis: Big House victory puts Utah in BCS discussion

Sun, 31 Aug 2008 03:50:57 +1900

Utah coach Kyle Whittingham is keeping his focus on winning the Mountain West, but his team can aim higher after an upset of Michigan.

Find more top sports news, videos, and blogs on BallHype: NCAA Football, Kyle Whittingham, Michigan Wolverines, Bowl Championship Series

Missouri takes on Illinois in St. Louis

Sun, 31 Aug 2008 00:35:32 +1900

Chase Daniel's Heisman campaign is under way as BCS hopeful Mizzou takes on rival Illinois. Follow every play LIVE.

Find more top sports news, videos, and blogs on BallHype: NCAA Football, Missouri Tigers, Chase Daniel, Bowl Championship Series

PHOTOS: Week 1 action

Sat, 30 Aug 2008 23:45:12 +1900

Tim Tebow and Florida made a statement on the first weekend and so did the other BCS hopefuls. Catch the best shots here.

Find more top sports news, videos, and blogs on BallHype: NCAA Football, Tim Tebow, Florida Gators, Bowl Championship Series

2008 College Football Preview—Awards and Bowl Predictions

Sat, 30 Aug 2008 23:32:49 +1900

Here's a bit more. Heisman Candidates 1) Tim Tebow, QB—Florida 2) Chase Daniel, QB—Missouri 3) Pat White, QB—West Virginia 4) Knowshon Moreno, RB—Georgia 5) Sam Bradford, QB—Oklahoma 6) Chris Wells, RB—Ohio State 7) Colt McCoy, QB—Texas 8) Todd Boeckman, QB—Ohio State 9) Rudy Carpenter, QB—Arizona State 10) Cullen Harper, QB—Clemson 11) Matthew Stafford, QB—Georgia 12) Graham Harrell, QB—Texas Tech 13) Juice Williams, QB—Illinois BCS Bowl Matchups (in increasing order of importance) FedEx Orange Bowl: Texas over Clemson Citi Rose Bowl Game: Arizona State over Illinois Nokia Sugar Bowl: Florida over Oklahoma Tostitos Fiesta Bowl: Missouri over West Virginia BCS Championship Game: Ohio State over Georgia

Find more top sports news, videos, and blogs on BallHype: NCAA Football, Bowl Championship Series, Tim Tebow, Chase Daniel, Colt McCoy, Todd Boeckman, Rudy Carpenter

Bowling Green defeats No. 25 Pitt 27-17 (AP)

Sat, 30 Aug 2008 20:11:23 +1900

Tyler Sheehan ran 11 yards for a touchdown on a quarterback draw early in the fourth quarter as Bowling Green rallied for a 27-17 upset of No. 25 Pittsburgh on Saturday. The Falcons (1-0), with their second win over a BCS conference school in as many season openers, bounced back from a 14-0 deficit for the first victory by a Mid-American Conference school in Pittsburgh.

Find more top sports news, videos, and blogs on BallHype: NCAA Football, Bowl Championship Series, Pittsburgh Panthers

A Case For The BCS

Sat, 30 Aug 2008 17:21:44 +1900

As the college football season officially kicks off this week, one issue will undoubtedly come up through out the year. Which deserving teams will be left out of the BCS bowl games. As the season progresses the demand for a playoff will be voiced by millions. Like the majority of college football fans I did not like the BCS, and wanted a playoff. A playoff was an obvious solution, a playoff would finally introduce Cinderella to college football. Every year March Madness produces a underdog to the nation, even if they bust our bracket we still root for them. George Mason, Bradley a couple of years ago, or Stephen Curry of Davidson last year. College football doesn’t allow for an underdog to seriously contend for a National Championship. Sure a Boise State, or a Hawaii can play in a Sugar Bowl or Fiesta Bowl. But when they lose, like Hawaii, than it reaffirms the BCS system, and the inferior conferences like C-USA or the WAC. But when they win, like Boise State, and produce an upset in a ...

Find more top sports news, videos, and blogs on BallHype: NCAA Football, Bowl Championship Series, Boise State Broncos

Yes, Virginia, there is an opener

Sat, 30 Aug 2008 01:35:00 +1900

Trojans will have Mark Sanchez at quarterback, but Cavaliers haven't named a starter. > As USC begins its quest for a third appearance in the Bowl Championship Series title game in five seasons, Times staff writer Gary Klein looks at some of the key issues and matchups when the Trojans play the Cavaliers.

Find more top sports news, videos, and blogs on BallHype: NCAA Football, Southern California Trojans, Mark Sanchez, Bowl Championship Series

Don't Be Surprised If LSU Makes The BCS Title Game Again

Fri, 29 Aug 2008 17:01:12 +1900

Don't be surprised college football fans, if the LSU Tigers pull an Ohio State and win the SEC and go back into the National Title Game. Like I compared West Virginia to Louisville of 2007, and South Florida to Rutgers of 2007, you will now see how I came to my decision of the likelihood of LSU in the title game. LSU is fresh off an appearance in the BCS National Championship Game. Ohio State was pre-2007 also. This preseason many have LSU ranked in the top 15. Ohio State was also ranked in the top 15 preseason 2007, only to make the jump up the polls all year, and eventually to get the number one spot. LSU also loses their starting quarterback, Matt Flynn, who was a fifth round draft pick, and doesn't return a quarterback that is older than a sophomore, none of which have starting experience. Ohio State lost Troy Smith to the NFL after 2006, and he was also a fifth round pick in the 2007 draft. Sophomore Todd Boeckman took over ...

Find more top sports news, videos, and blogs on BallHype: NCAA Football, Ohio State Buckeyes, LSU Fightin' Tigers, Bowl Championship Series, Todd Boeckman

College Football: Let the BCS Chase Begin!

Fri, 29 Aug 2008 16:00:19 +1900

Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 <!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:"Cambria Math"; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:roman; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-1610611985 1107304683 0 0 159 0;} @font-face {font-family:Calibri; panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:swiss; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-1610611985 1073750139 0 0 159 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-unhide:no; mso-style-qformat:yes; ...

Find more top sports news, videos, and blogs on BallHype: NCAA Football, Bowl Championship Series, Missouri Tigers, Florida Gators, Tim Tebow, Chase Daniel

BCS Conference Predictions

Fri, 29 Aug 2008 02:59:53 +1900

Big East 1. Rutgers 2. Pitt 3. Cincinatti 4. Uconn 5. USF 6. West Virginia 7. Louisville 8. Syracuse Sec East: 1. Georgia 2. Florida 3. Tennesee 4. South Carolina 5. Kentucky 6. Vanderbilt Sec West: 1. LSU 2. Alabama 3. Auburn 4. Ole Miss 5. Arkansas 6. Mississippi State ACC Coastal 1. Virgina Tech 2. UNC 3. Virginia 4. Georgia Tech 5. Miami 6. Duke ACC Atlantic 1. Wake Forest 2. Clemson 3. BC 4. Maryland 5. Florida State 6.NC State Big 10 1. Ohio State 2. Penn State 3. Wisconsin 4. Michigan State 5. Purdue ...

Find more top sports news, videos, and blogs on BallHype: NCAA Football, Bowl Championship Series, Kansas Jayhawks, LSU Fightin' Tigers, Pittsburgh Panthers, Connecticut Huskies

Common Sense College Football Preview Part VIII: Top 25 and Non-Conference Games

Thu, 28 Aug 2008 20:35:00 +1900

The college football season has kicked off. The 12-game season has opened up BCS schools to challenge themselves in the non-conference. Also, due to more games on the schedule, mid-major schools are raising the bidding price to take blowout losses from BCS powers. Because of these two factors, top-ranked schools have cut back on the cupcakes to bring fans some incredible non-conference matchups. Also, after bringing a conference-by-conference preview, I pick BCS bowl games and present my preseason top 25 poll. KEY NON-CONFERENCE MATCHUPS: USC vs. Ohio State This game will determine a berth in the national title game and is probably the biggest game in all of college football this season. Ohio State can bring credibility back to its program and the Big Ten conference with a win at the Coliseum. Georgia vs. Arizona State This is the first time Georgia has played west of the Mississippi River since 1967 in a rare Pac-10 vs. SEC matchup. This is a ...

Find more top sports news, videos, and blogs on BallHype: NCAA Football, Bowl Championship Series, Missouri Tigers, Ohio State Buckeyes, Southern California Trojans

It always gets crazy with the BCS

Thu, 28 Aug 2008 18:25:01 +1900

You can say what you want about the BCS, but Pete Fiutak says the system has created some Novembers to remember.

Find more top sports news, videos, and blogs on BallHype: NCAA Football, Bowl Championship Series

Ball State has arrived, baby

Thu, 28 Aug 2008 15:50:20 +1900

You can call Jason Whitlock a homer, but after his alma mater runs the table and crashes the BCS party, you'll call him a prophet.

Find more top sports news, videos, and blogs on BallHype: NCAA Football, Jason Whitlock, Bowl Championship Series, Ball State Cardinals

Hayes vs. Hall: Forecasting the BCS bowl games

Thu, 28 Aug 2008 15:36:34 +1900

With college football season upon, Sporting News pigskin prognosticators Matt Hayes and Spenc...

Find more top sports news, videos, and blogs on BallHype: NCAA Football, Bowl Championship Series

How Do Back-to-Back BCS Championship Berths Equal a Declining Big Ten?

Thu, 28 Aug 2008 14:44:49 +1900

Since when did getting to back-to-back BCS National Title games, and three out of the last six, mean that your conference is getting soft? THE Ohio State University Buckeyes have been one of the most dominant teams in college football's recent memory. They have made it to three out of the last six BCS National Title games. Sure, they're 1-2 in those games, but I don't see anyone else making this run. The Buckeyes won it all in the 2003 Fiesta Bowl over Miami. They actually went back to the 2004 Fiesta Bowl and embarrassed Notre Dame and the orb that is Charlie Weis. The 2004 season was a down one by OSU standards, but it began to turn around with the emergence of Troy Smith (even if he did get suspended for the Alamo Bowl). In 2005 they lost early to Vince Young and eventual National Champs Texas. (They would have won that game if Jim Tressel had just let Smith play the whole time and sat Justin Zwick on the bench where he belonged). In 2006 Smith won the ...

Find more top sports news, videos, and blogs on BallHype: NCAA Football, Bowl Championship Series, Ohio State Buckeyes

Common Sense College Football Preview Part VII: Analyzing The Non BCS Contenders

Wed, 27 Aug 2008 18:30:39 +1900

With the opening of a fifth BCS bowl game and the recent trend of non-BCS schools making BCS bowl games in three of the past four seasons (2-1 in those games), which team from outside a BCS conference has the most likely chance to make a BCS bowl game this season? Here is a list of the major contenders. 1) Fresno State Arguably, Fresno State is the most talented team of any school outside the BCS and the best team Pat Hill has ever coached. However, Fresno State's biggest obstacle is as usual, its tough schedule. The Bulldogs bring back seventeen starters to a team that was 9-4 a year ago, including their top skill players. They lose last year's WAC Defensive Player of the Year, but they return a top defense that will shut down WAC opponents. The key to Fresno State's success is getting through their non-conference schedule and whether or not they can win at Boise State for the first time since this series became a regular part of the conference schedule in 2001. Toughest Games: @ ...

Find more top sports news, videos, and blogs on BallHype: NCAA Football, Bowl Championship Series, Fresno State Bulldogs, Pat Hill, Ian Johnson, Boise State Broncos

BCS Conference Predictions

Wed, 27 Aug 2008 18:06:38 +1900

With kickoff just over twenty-four hours away, I offer you a preview, highlighting sleepers, busts, projections and champions. ACC 1. Clemson: 11-1 (7-1) 2. Boston College: 9-3 (5-3) 3. Wake Forest: 9-3 (5-3) 4. Florida St: 7-5 (4-4) 5. Maryland: 7-5 (4-4) 6. NC State: 3-9 (1-7) 1. Miami: 9-3 (6-2) 2. Virginia Tech: 10-2 (6-2) 3. North Carolina: 7-5 (4-4) 4. Georgia Tech: 7-5 (4-4) 5. Virginia: 4-8 (2-6) 6. Duke: 3-9 (0-8) Championship Game: Clemson over Miami, 27-10 Best offense: Clemson Best defense: Clemson Offensive Player of the Year: Aaron Kelly, Clemson Defensive Player of the Year: Alphonso Smith, Wake Forest Leading Passer: Cullen Harper, Clemson Leading Rusher: Josh Adams, Wake Forest Leading Receiver: Hakeem Nicks, North Carolina Most overrated: Myron Rolle, Florida St Most underrated: Chris Chancellor, Clemson Big 10 1. Ohio St: 10-2 (7-1) 2. Wisconsin: 9-3 (6-2) 3. Penn State: 10-2 (6-2) 4. ...

Find more top sports news, videos, and blogs on BallHype: NCAA Football, Bowl Championship Series, Ohio State Buckeyes

Missouri-Illinois: Illini Fans Give Tigers Extra Motivation for Season Opener

Wed, 27 Aug 2008 18:00:00 +1900

Can you feel it? It's coming. Saturday's coming. Not Saturday but SATURDAY. No, scratch that, drop the SATUR and add the GAME. GAMEDAY'S COMIN'. I don't know what to do with myself. I was excited about this season a week ago, but since I got back to Columbia, it's just gone to a whole other level that I can't even begin to describe. I find myself driving the long way home from class just so I can pass by Faurot Field and daydream about what it will be like on Saturdays in late October in the heat of Big 12 play. As GAMEDAY rapidly approaches, I'm finding myself looking for different ways to get fired up, specifically for the Illini. I know both schools are really hyping this Arch Rivalry thing, but let's be honest—most Mizzou fans could care less about Illinois. As Big Head touched on in his Mizzou preview for Deadspin, it's a forced and somewhat made-up rivalry just because the two schools are in neighboring states. However, I'll admit ...

Find more top sports news, videos, and blogs on BallHype: NCAA Football, Missouri Tigers, Illinois Fighting Illini, Bowl Championship Series

Poll Angst: Why SEC Fans Should Be Nervous

Wed, 27 Aug 2008 15:01:00 +1900

With the football season upon us, sphincter muscles of SEC fans everywhere are tightly constricted. There is much to fear. The road to the BCS Championship game is a nearly impossible trek for upper tier teams like Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, Auburn, and LSU. For Ole Miss, Arkansas, South Carolina, Alabama, and Kentucky, it’s a question of forcing an entry to that upper tier. For Vandy and Mississippi State, it’s a question of getting quality wins against the others, a question of respect. A SEC fan looks at the landscape outside the conference, and he or she knows several teams have been given a straight shot at THE game by pollsters who doggedly insist from day one that Ohio State and Oklahoma should be in the championship game, no matter how many times they are “shocked” by the outcome when such teams encounter the true meat eaters of the SEC or USC (a team some consider the SEC, FAR West division). They snicker when they place four SEC teams in ...

Find more top sports news, videos, and blogs on BallHype: NCAA Football, Bowl Championship Series

USC has what it takes to play for BCS title, tailback C.J. Gable says

Wed, 27 Aug 2008 07:40:00 +1900

The Trojan sophomore, coming back this season after abdominal surgery in 2007, says that 'this team is real close -- closer than last year.' Egos held back last year's squad, Gable says. > USC, which opens its season on Saturday at Virginia, is more suited to advance to the Bowl Championship Series title game than it was last season.

Find more top sports news, videos, and blogs on BallHype: NCAA Football, Southern California Trojans, Bowl Championship Series, C.J. Spiller

It Could Happen: 17 Bold College Football Predictions

Wed, 27 Aug 2008 06:51:21 +1900

I know everyone has theirs—some will be right and some (probably most) will be wrong—but they are fun to make anyway. So here you go, my bold predictions for 2008: 1. No team goes undefeated. 2. BYU becomes the first one-loss team to be a BCS buster. 3. USC will not win the Pac-10, mostly due to its own slip-ups. 4. USF wins the Big East and gets its first BCS bowl. And wins it. 5. The Big 12 North wins the conference. 6. The ACC loses yet another BCS bowl. 7. Wisconsin beats Ohio State. Ohio State still wins the Big Ten. 8. The Sun Belt Conference earns two bowl appearances, and wins both. 9. Fresno State beats Rutgers, UCLA, and Wisconsin. Loses in conference. 10. UCLA ends up ninth or 10th in the Pac-10, and questions arise about new coaches Rick Neuheisel and Norm Chow. 11. Mike Stoops or Tyrone Willingham are fired by midseason. 12. Art Briles and David ...

Find more top sports news, videos, and blogs on BallHype: NCAA Football, Bowl Championship Series, Ohio State Buckeyes

Why Georgia won't even win the SEC this year

Wed, 27 Aug 2008 05:27:54 +1900

Florida is the best team in the nation. As hard as this may be to swallow for all you NCAA football fans, the fact remains that Tim Tebow is leading Florida this year, and he still does have options. Quite frankly, even if he didn't he would still probably run for the TD. Anyway, it seems as though in the preseason rankings, for all intents and purposes, Georgia is the top dog (no pun intended). But as the season unfolds, it's easy to see why the Bulldogs will succumb to a tough schedule. Their first tough test comes early in October, and doesn't get any easier with three out of four games all being against serious BCS contenders in Tennessee, LSU, and Florida. I will say that the winner of the match up in Jacksonville that weekend will be the front runner for the BCS Championship game. However, it's tough to see Georgia coming out of that weekend without one or two losses on the season. Please Bulldog fans, don't misunderstand me. This looks like a team that has all the makings to ...

Find more top sports news, videos, and blogs on BallHype: NCAA Football, Georgia Bulldogs, Florida Gators, Bowl Championship Series, Tim Tebow, Southern California Trojans

Ten Bold Non-BCS Conference Predictions for 2008

Wed, 27 Aug 2008 04:14:33 +1900

We’re but a few days away from the opening kickoff of the 2008 season, and with it comes an opportunity to put the “shoulds” and “coulds” of the preseason behind us to find out just how Week One of the season will shake down. Here are some last minute predictions for the non-BCS conferences. 10. Both Wyoming and New Mexico State Will Go Bowling Far from the hype of the BYUs and Fresno States of the world, the Wyoming Cowboys and New Mexico State Aggies both stand at a crossroads. Each program saw relative success early in the tenures of their respective head coaches, but after disappointments and an inability to follow up that success, both Joe Glenn and Hal Mumme find themselves on hot seats. Fortunately for each, I think both these teams make it to a bowl game in 2008, playing each other in the New Mexico Bowl. New Mexico State will take advantage of a power vacuum in the middle of the WAC to get there, while Wyoming will finally get ...

Find more top sports news, videos, and blogs on BallHype: NCAA Football, Bowl Championship Series

It Doesn't Get Any Better Than College Football Saturday's

Wed, 27 Aug 2008 02:16:01 +1900

The long awaited college football season has finally come its way. This Saturday, teams across America will begin their long and hopeful trip to the BCS. There's nothing better than the start of football. It signals a fresh start and a promising season and the atmosphere that the fans create and the excitement that the players generate is truly remarkable. Hopes for each team are sky-high. Injury-riddled USC will work out the kinks against an underachieving Virginia team and a dark-horse Clemson will take on Alabama in what should be the best Week One showdown. But September 13 will be a day to remember. No. 2 Ohio St. will face off against No. 3 USC at The Horseshoe in an epic match-up with serious BCS implications. The stingy defense of USC will be tested by the strong-armed Todd Boeckman and talented freshman Terrelle Pryor, as well as Heisman hopeful Chris "Beanie" Wells. Whoever comes away the winner from this one is fast on track to making the BCS Championship Game. It will ...

Find more top sports news, videos, and blogs on BallHype: NCAA Football, Bowl Championship Series, Southern California Trojans, Ohio State Buckeyes, Todd Boeckman, Terrelle Pryor