New National Champion

I'd like to congratulate the LSU Tigers on winning the 2011 National Championship in college football. The Bayou Bengals have completed one of the most dominant regular seasons in the history of college football and deserve a place in the discussion of all-time best teams. LSU's undefeated record combined with a dominant scoring margin is impressive and it's virtually unbelievable when you consider the competition they played against.

LSU's destruction of Georgia yesterday was their 7th victory against a ranked team this season. It was their 4th time beating a team ranked in the Top 15. Even more ridiculous - they've defeated three teams that were ranked in the Top 3 at the time of the game! Along with the scheduling, to rub it in to the rest of the country, the only game LSU hasn't won by at least 13 points was their 9-6 victory over Alabama. The Tigers haven't just won big games, they've crushed the opposition. Slight side note - God bless LSU for not being afraid to go on the road and play big non-conference games. It says a lot about your program and the mindset of your football team when you are willing to play great teams from other conferences and I admire the Tigers for taking everyone's best shot. Actually, I'd probably take LSU to win the AFC West in the NFL.

Honey Badger don't care...

In my mind, LSU has already done enough to deserve the title of National Champions. Yet, they still have to play (and likely win) one more game. As of now, it's uncertain who the Tigers will face in the BCS Championship game in New Orleans on January 9, but I'd make the argument that it shouldn't matter. If LSU plays Alabama and loses, I think they still have a more impressive resume than the Crimson Tide. LSU already won on the road in Tuscaloosa - how could a neutral site victory by Alabama be more impressive? (Ironically, I think Alabama is a better team than LSU but missed too many opportunities in their game against the Tigers.) If LSU loses to Oklahoma State, they'd have one loss to the 2nd ranked team in the country - still sounds a lot better than Oklahoma State's one loss to an unranked Iowa State team. Fortunately, even though I'm making the case for not even playing the game, the boys from Baton Rouge don't care who they play on January 9 because they'll take on anybody. They're not concerned about who the opponent is - their primary goal is to leave no doubt about who the best is.

Funny thing about this whole post for me - I don't like LSU! I admire and respect their program but I don't like the players or the fans. Still, I can't deny how dominant they've been this season. They've answered the bell time and again, which is why think the crystal ball should already be on display in Baton Rouge. I don't think any outcome on January 9 is going to change my opinion on that. LSU has earned the title of champion and deserves to be talked about as one of the best ever. 2011 was another great season for college football, but the discussion about who the champion is should be over.

Just Do It

10 straight calls for celebration.

In all likelihood, LSU will comfortably beat Georgia for the SEC Championship next weekend. LSU has more talent, big game experience, plays with better discipline, and has plenty of confidence coming into this game. Aside from Alabama, the Bayou Bengals haven't been challenged since the opening week of the season against Oregon. If Georgia ends up losing by three touchdowns, no one should be too surprised.

On the other hand, I think the Dawgs have a chance to pull the upset. After reeling off 10 straight wins, it's obvious this is a different team than the one that opened the season with a terrible performance in the Georgia Dome against Boise State. Aaron Murray is playing his best ball of the season and has multiple weapons at receiver as well as the ability to make plays with his legs. And the Georgia defense is playing with an aggressiveness reminiscent of the days when Brian Van Gorder was the defensive coordinator.

Initially, I thought Georgia would have an advantage by not having to deal with any additional pressure. It looked like LSU would be playing with a spot in the National Championship on the line while the Dawgs would be playing with house money. I was hoping this would give the Georgia a chance to play loose and aggressive while LSU might struggle with the pressure and play tight. Unfortunately, it looks like LSU has already wrapped up a spot in the title game, regardless of what happens in the SEC Championship. Still, if Georgia can keep the game close until the 4th quarter and force Les Miles to make some tough decisions, you have to wonder if the Tigers will begin to feel the pressure of an undefeated season.

For Mark Richt and Georgia, I think they are in a great situation (or as good as it can be having to face LSU). The Georgia fan base is ecstatic with the current 10 game winning streak and the goal was to win the SEC East and see what could happen after that. A season where the Dawgs are playing for a championship and record victories against Tennessee, Auburn, Florida, & Georgia Tech will provide Mark Richt with some much-needed job security. Now, unlike the pressure filled game to open the season, UGA can head to the Georgia Dome and have some fun. Let it all hang out and see what happens - it's not like anyone actually expects them to win anyway. It reminds me of when VCU made the Final Four this past season and Shaka Smart told his team, "Now that we've shocked the world and made it here. Let's go try and win the * thing!"

Go Dawgs!

Week Five Football

There are some great games featuring Top 15 teams this weekend. As the college football season moves deeper into conference play, we'll begin to see the contenders who will compete for a spot in the BCS Championship game. I could have easily picked 3 intriguing games from the SEC this weekend, but there are a couple other match ups that could turn into instant classics.

#13 Clemson vs. #11 Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA. - It's time for the Virginia Tech football season to begin. After four games to start the season against cupcakes, the Hokies will face a different kind of test with Clemson. Finally a game Virginia Tech fans can be excited about. For Clemson, this is their opportunity to really prove something. Beating an overrated Auburn team and a beat up Florida State team on your home field  doesn't say a whole lot. The play of Tajh Boyd and the emergence of Sammy Watkins has been huge for Clemson and the play of these two will be critical to Clemson's success. If Boyd can run the offense and deal with the Virginia Tech crowd and Watkins can find some holes in the Virginia Tech secondary, Clemson could pull the upset. And if David Wilson can have a big performance for Virginia Tech, it could be a long night for Dabo Swinney.

#3 Alabama vs. #12 Florida, Gainesville, FL. - Alabama takes it's freight train of a team to a showdown in the Swamp against the Gators. Similar to Virginia Tech, Florida has been able to test drive its new offense against some weak opponents. Now, they get to see how it works against the Alabama house of horrors. I can't wait to see the head games that take place between Nick Saban and Charlie Weiss. Saban seemed to solve Bobby Petrino and the Arkansas offense with relative ease last weekend, so we'll see if the speed of Florida can make a difference. This will also be the first major test for Alabama's quarterback, A.J. McCarron. If McCarron can manage the game and avoid turnovers, Alabama can rely on Trent Richardson and the powerful Crimson Tide offensive line. And if Richardson gets going again, the Tide will continue to roll.

#8 Nebraska vs. #7 Wisconsin, Madison, WI. - This is quite a welcome party for Nebraska to the Big 10. Playing against Wisconsin for a night game in Madison is never easy and the Badgers have been playing at an extremely high level. To me, the key for both of these teams will be the play of the quarterbacks. Taylor Martinez has the ability to carry the Nebraska offense or run it into the ground. He needs to be able to make big plays without making big mistakes. On the other end, Russell Wilson just needs to keep doing what he's been doing for Wisconsin. If Wilson is accurate and effective with the play action pass, Wisconsin should be in very good shape.

Conference Play is Underway: Week Four

Before I get to the three games I am looking forward to this weekend, what the heck has happened to N.C. State? Has it really been that long since Philip Rivers and T.A. McLendon had the Wolfpack competing at the top of the ACC? Last night, N.C. State was DOMINATED by Cincinnati and the 30 point margin doesn't indicated how bad it really was. I'm guessing there will be a new head coach in Raleigh next year. Now, onto the weekend's games.

Trent Richardson shedding defenders.

#14 Arkansas vs. #3 Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL. - The offensive wizard against the defensive mastermind. Bobby Petrino and his high powered offenses have never defeated Nick Saban. It will be interesting to see how Arkansas quarterback, Tyler Wilson, handles starting in his first SEC road game and the Crimson Tide secondary. It would help Wilson a great deal if Arkansas can manage to establish some sort of running game with Ronnie Wingo Jr. On the other side of the ball, Arkansas must figure out a way to stop the two-headed monster rushing attack of Trent Richardson and Eddie Lacy. In three years of watching Alabama, I still don't know if I've seen Trent Richardson tackled by one defender. Arkansas must stop the run and force A.J. McCarron to throw the ball for the Alabama offense. In their first three games, Alabama has yet to really be tested. We'll see if Arkansas can put up a fight.

Justin Blackmon is scary good.

#7 Oklahoma State vs. #8 Texas A&M, College Station, TX. - Defense could be optional in this one. Oklahoma State comes into this game averaging 52 points per game. Texas A&M is averaging 41.5. Last year, Oklahoma State won 38-35. On paper, you would think this will be an absolute shootout. With all the hype about the offenses, we'll probably get a turnover filled battle full of field possession and field goals. I hope not. There will be a tremendous amount of offensive talent on the field. Oklahoma State wide receiver, Justin Blackmon, is a legitimate Heisman Trophy candidate and Texas A&M has great offensive balance with Ryan Tannehill and Cyrus Gray. As is the case when good teams play each other, limiting mistakes and capitalizing on turnovers will be huge. The crowd at Kyle Field could also be a major factor. 

Ga. Tech is annoyed with defense.

North Carolina vs. #25 Georgia Tech, Atlanta, GA. - In their first three games, Georgia Tech has put up video game statistics. They lead the nation in points per game (59!) and total offense per game (675 yards!). Actually, that's even hard to do in a video game unless you play quarters that are longer than 5 minutes, which means you're lame anyway. I heard that Roddy Jones was tweeting about how amazing this offense is and couldn't believe he gets to see it, which prompted an angry Joe Hamilton to call in to a sports radio show in Atlanta and chastise Jones for not being more involved in the offense. We're still awaiting word on Reggie Ball's opinion because he forgot which day he was supposed to call in to the show. This weekend, Georgia Tech will finally face a true opponent. I look forward to seeing if North Carolina's speed can present a challenge to the Georgia Tech triple option.

Week Three in College Football

Regarding the three games I said would be worth watching last weekend, I ask, "WERE YOU NOT ENTERTAINED?!" Georgia and South Carolina put on quite a show. Texas came up big in the 4th quarter against BYU. And USC made a key special teams play to put the game away against Utah. I really don't think this weekend will be as exciting, but here are three more I'm looking forward to.

Can Maryland top these?

No. 18 West Virginia vs. Maryland - College Park, MD. - If nothing else, everyone is excited to see what uniforms the Terrapins will break out for this game. After surprising everyone with their uniforms for the opener against Miami, the wardrobe choices for the Terps have been quite the buzz. Regardless of the outfits, I think this game will reveal a lot about these two teams. How will the West Virginia offense fare against a legitimate opponent? Can West Virginia avoid the slow starts that have plagued them in their previous two games? Will Maryland quarterback, Danny O'Brien, be able to build on his strong performance against Miami in the season opener? If Maryland is able to knock off the Mountaineers and go to 2-0, fans in College Park should feel very good about the direction of the program under Randy Edsall.

No. 21 Auburn vs. Clemson - Clemson, SC. - Clemson fans are probably still upset about the outcome of last year's game against Auburn. Like nearly every other opponent the Auburn faced, Clemson had the Tigers on the ropes before giving up a lead and watching Cam Newton lead his team to an improbable comeback victory. This season, it has been the same song with a different cast of characters for Auburn. In their first two games, Gene Chizik's team has narrowly escaped defeat by making clutch plays down the stretch. On one hand, you feel like Auburn has played with fire for the past 15 games and their luck is bound to run out at some point. On the other hand, you think Auburn has now been in so many close games that the pressure doesn't affect them anymore. The first two victories came in the friendly confines of Jordan-Hare Stadium. We'll see how much of their mojo travels with them for a road game at Clemson.

Even the mascot was intimidating in the 1990s.

No. 1 Oklahoma vs. No. 5 Florida State - Tallahassee, FL. - It must be nice to pull for a team that isn't afraid to play a strong non-conference schedule. Georgia's Athletic Director, Greg McGarity, has basically said the Dawgs are finished playing tough non-conference opponents while he has a role in the scheduling. Way to expect greatness! Saturday night, Oklahoma heads to Tallahassee for a game that will capture most of the attention of the college football audience. The game is in primetime on ABC and I'm sure people at Florida State are talking about this game as an opportunity to show that the 'Noles are back. If you ask some, this could be the match up of the best offense in the country (Oklahoma) against the best defense in the country (FSU). I don't know if that's the case, but I do know there will be a LOT of talent on the field Saturday night. In my opinion, I don't know if Florida State will ever get back to the level the program was at in the 1990's. The talent and intimidation level of those teams was incredible. They beat teams before the games even started with the way they could intimidate an opponent in warm ups. You never expected them to lose a game. Ever. Actually, it's the same feeling I get when I watch Alabama play.

Week 2 - Let's Go!

There are some very interesting match-ups this week in college football. I like that some teams are taking the challenge and playing some good non-conference opponents. Here are three games I'm most intrigued by this weekend:


Brigham Young vs. No. 24 Texas - Austin, TX - Brigham Young won an ugly game last week at Ole' Miss to get their first win as an independent. Now, they face a legitimate college football team. Playing on the road against Ole' Miss means a lot of beautiful women get to see you play. Playing on the road against a Texas team that is looking to bounce back after a down year will be a new challenge for Bronco Mendenhall. It'll be interesting to see if BYU can match the athleticism of Texas and if the Longhorns can limit their own mistakes.

It's put up or shut up for the O-line.

No. 12 South Carolina vs. Georgia - Athens, GA - For Mark Richt, this is it. There's really no other way to view this than a must-win game for Richt and the Georgia program. After all the talk of major offseason changes and a new attitude and commitment, the Bulldogs took a hard face-plant against Boise State. The offense showed glimpses of life in the second half against Boise State, but the offensive line needs to be much more physical to hold up against the South Carolina defensive line. As is the case with most SEC games, this one will be decided in the trenches. Can the Georgia defensive line put pressure on Stephen Garcia and neutralize Marcus Lattimore? And can the Georgia offensive line protect Aaron Murray from the great pass rushers of South Carolina. One thing is for certain - the winner of this game gets the inside track to the SEC Championship.

Utah vs. USC - Los Angeles, CA - I love this match-up. Could there be more of a contrast between the culture of two programs? USC is one of the most high-profile, flashy programs in the country. Utah goes about their business with very little national attention. USC has a young, arrogant coach who is disliked by most of the country. Most college football fans around the country can't even name Utah's coach. Both teams picked up wins against mediocre opponents last week, but this is a great way to kick off the new Pac-12.

Kick it Off!

It's time for another season of college football! One of the things I missed about not being in the U.S. last fall was the ability to watch football on Saturday afternoons. Because we were in Switzerland, I would stay up and try to follow games during the middle of the night and see if I could find any websites that were streaming games. I know this is hard to believe, but it wasn't quite the same. After losing last year, I'm definitely excited about getting this season started. Here are 3 games I'm looking forward to this weekend.

Will LaMichael James run wild?

#3 Oregon vs. #4 LSU - Cowboys Stadium - 8:00pm ET.
This is the game that is receiving all the hype. And with two preseason top 5 teams, it should be the one receiving the hype. ESPN's College Gameday will be set up in Dallas, and all the story lines surrounding LSU over the past few weeks have made this game even bigger. I'm looking forward to seeing the match up of Oregon's blazing offense against LSU's ferocious defense. And I'm interested to see which uniforms the Ducks break out. However, if this game ends up being lopsided and doesn't live up to expectations, I don't think the media should blame the losing team. Blame the media for screwing up with the USELESS preseason rankings.

#5 Boise St. vs. #19 Georgia - Georgia Dome - 8:00pm ET.
As a Georgia fan, this game brings some nervous excitement. I'm excited because I hope this is the beginning of a turnaround season for Mark Richt and the Bulldogs. I'm nervous because I'm worried Georgia might continue to struggle and be the first team from the SEC to lose to Boise State. It's a definite possibility. Boise State jumped all over Virginia Tech to start their opening game last season and the Hokies were unable to recover. I'm hoping Georgia will be the more physical team from the opening kick and be able to impose their will against the Broncos. I also hope Georgia's defense will be able to constantly put pressure on Kellen Moore. And please, NO STUPID PENALTIES!

#14 TCU vs. Baylor - Waco, TX - Friday, 8:00pm ET.

Can TCU stop Robert Griffin III?

If this game is anything like last season, it won't be exciting at all - TCU won 45-10. This year, they are playing at Baylor and the Horned Frogs no longer have Andy Dalton leading the team at quarterback. Instead, Baylor will be the team with the best quarterback and might have a dark horse Heisman candidate in Robert Griffin III. You know Gary Patterson will do a great job with the TCU defense so it'll be a fun match up to see how they handle Griffin and the duel-threat ability he provides. One amazing stat about TCU - they haven't lost a regular season game since 2008! Unbelievable.