• Auburn: Outback Bowl
• Central Florida: St. Petersburg Bowl
• Kentucky: Music City Bowl
• Mississippi: Cotton Bowl (against Oklahoma State)
• Navy: Texas Bowl
• Ohio State: Rose Bowl
• Oklahoma State: Cotton Bowl (against Ole Miss)
• Southern Methodist: Hawaii Bowl
• Tennessee: Chick-fil-A Bowl
• Troy: New Orleans Bowl

These bowl announcements are up-to-date as of today (12/2/09), but new bowl teams are being announced every day, and like I said, after Saturday’s games, we’ll know a lot more. Right now, there are still a number of teams who haven’t finished their seasons, and until they do, we won’t know for sure who is eligible and who is ranked where within their conferences. Check back this weekend for a much more comprehensive list of bowls and the teams that will be playing in them!

Post from: EveryJoe

Bowl Season Matchups 2010, An Early Look

Comment #1:

Dan Mullen, Image: Newscom

“I don’t even know why we have replay right now in the Southeastern Conference if they’re not going to utilize it…I hope he’s severely punished if he ever works another SEC game again, because I think it’s completely unacceptable.”

- Mississippi State coach Dan Mullen, in regards to a play he thought should have been reviewed and overturned

Comment #2:

“You run another play and you throw an interception or they throw another flag on us — I wasn’t going to let the refs lose the game for us there and some magical flag appear.”

- Tennessee coach Lane Kiffin, about letting the clock run down and after criticizing refs for missing an important unsportsmanlike conduct call

Coaches in the SEC have never been shy, but it seems like they’re talking out more and more, especially against officials. As most conferences do, the SEC has policies censoring what a coach can and cannot say in regards to the games’ officiating teams…but I’m not sure that’s exactly fair.

I’m not saying that coaches should just spout off every time they’re upset about a bad call. I’d like to think that most college football coaches have more class than that. However, criticism can be really healthy and good for the sport in general. It makes people ask questions, look at footage, etc. It makes officials do a better job. As long as it doesn’t turn into a witch hunt to find officials who are “rigging” games, some negative comments can be good.

Do you think coaches should be censored?

Post from: EveryJoe

Should Coach Comments be Censored?

I digress. Let’s check out the AP Top 10 this week:

1. Florida
2. Texas
3. USC
4. Alabama
5. Mississippi
6. Penn State (actually, they’re also #5, it was a tie)
7. BYU
8. California
9. LSU
10. Boise State

All of the top ten teams are still undefeated, but that’s not surprising since many of them had super easy games the past two weeks – or no game at all (Mississippi already had their week off).

I have to start at the bottom with Boise State at #10. I predict a win against Fresno State, with a score of roughly 51 – 34. Ok, that game was tonight. So, they remain undefeated – more on that when we review Week Three. Also significant: #20 Miami beat #14 Georgia Tech 33 – 17 on Thursday night. Again, we’ll talk about that more in a few days when I review the entire weekend, but damn. Where did this team come from?

So let’s see. #5 Penn State has a gimme, and #8 California should have too hard of a time at Minnesota. #4 Alabama plays North Texas at home. *shrug* And poor Washington is about to feel the wrath of #3 USC. Even #5 Mississippi is just playing Southeastern Louisiana (who?), and #9 LSU is playing Louisiana-Lafayette. Errr….scratch what I said about people playing real teams.

We aren’t totally without decent match-ups. #1 Florida finally plays someone we’ve heard of at least when they host Tennessee tomorrow afternoon. Can Kiffen and his boys pull off the upset? Highly unlikely, but you never know. Stranger things have happened. I think that it is more likely that Florida will run all over them. We’ll see I guess.

#7 BYU hosts Florida State later that evening. Now, if you would have asked me at the start of the season, I would have said that this would be an interesting game. Florida State has proven, however, that they were highly overrated coming into 2009. I mean, at least they won last week. There for awhile, it looked like they were going to lose to Jacksonville State.

Then there’s #2 Texas, who hosts Texas Tech this week. Texas Tech is 2 – 0, but they’ve played North Dakota and Rice…so they might as well be 0 – 0. What makes this game interesting is that last year, Texas Tech stop the Longhorns at the last second with a Michael Crabtree touchdown. This year, though, they have a brand new quarterback after losing Graham Harrell, and of course, Michael Crabtree is making NFL headlines instead of NCAA headlines. Texas? They still have Colt McCoy. Either Texas Tech is going to prove themselves in this game, or they’ll prove that their first two games really were just against horrible opponents. Texas is out for blood, having been denied the National Championship because of this game last year, so my prediction is that Texas will put them in their place.

McCoy and the Longhorns want a little revenge after last year. Image: Newscom

That covers the top ten, but there are a few other games worth mentioning. #19 Nebraska travels to #13 Virgina Tech, with kick off at 3:30. I think Nebraska has really been a sleeper team so far. Granted, like most programs, their first two weeks were basically not even games, but their offense is pretty strong. I’m looking forward to both teams showing what they got.

I’m also interested to see if Notre Dame bounces back from their loss last week to Michigan. They play one of their rivals, Michigan State, this week. Now, Michigan State isn’t the bottom of the barrel, but they aren’t good by any stretch of the imagination. Ya’ll know as well as I do, though, that college football is all about momentum. Notre Dame was thrown for a real loop last week, so we’ll see if they can spring back.

To be honest, not many games interest me this week. Penn State will be lucky if I roll out of bed in time to watch the kick off, and most of the top ten have easy weeks, once again. I know the major debate in college football is whether or not to have a playoff system, but maybe more important that this is the debate of changing scheduling rules. I mean, when a horrendous team plays a top-ranked team, it just looks bad for both schools.

Post from: EveryJoe

College Football Week Three 2009 Preview

First and foremost, what the crap, Oklahoma State. I think like, the entire state of Oklahoma is bummed out. First, Sam Bradford gets injured. Now this. In case you didn’t watch the game…Oklahoma State, who was ranked #5, got their asses handed to them by Houston. Most people don’t even realize that Houston has a football team. At first, it was just a good game, but Oklahoma State didn’t look like they were really in jeopardy. Whatever adjustments the Cougars made during halftime worked, though. They scored 21 points in the fourth quarter alone! Final score? 45 – 35. Ouch, Cowboys. There goes your bowl game bid.

Everyone’s still talking about the Ohio State – USC game, too. I actually watched every minute of this game on a 72 – inch HDTV. Be jealous. I was cheering Ohio State (Big Ten love), but I knew it would be a close game, and I’m not upset that USC won. Every year, people say that Big Ten teams can’t compete with Pac-10 teams, but I think this game proves that they can.

USC's #4 Joe McKnight was key in the win against Ohio State. Image: Newscom

The final score was 18 -15, and it was not an easy game for either team by any means. It came down to a final amazing drive across the field by USC’s Matt Barkley and Joe McKnight, which led to a score and two-point conversion. There just wasn’t enough time left on the clock for the Buckeyes to make anything happen to take back the lead. Ohio State dropped to #11, from being #8 last week, and I personally think it is a good place for them to be. Although some are calling for them to drop farther, if you saw the game, you know that USC just barely outplayed Ohio State, and the win had a lot to do with timing rather than talent.

Florida, Texas, and Alabama all won. *shrug* No big new there. The games sucked, for the most part. It was interesting that Texas was so sloppy against Wyoming in the first half, but other than that, there really wasn’t anything to see.

Other interesting scores:

• On Thursday, #15 Georgia Tech was almost upended by Clemson. Final score, 30 – 27. Read about it more at The Palmetto Scoop and Football Zone TV.
• Connecticut kept up with #19 North Carolina, but ultimately fell 12 – 10. Read about it more at Tar Heel Blue.
• Ouch. Michigan State lost to Central Michigan 29 – 27, who is a better team than people give them credit for. Read about it more at The Niles Star and The Scores Report.
• Wisconsin held on against Fresno State in double overtime. Final score was 34 – 31 – it was a great game. Read about it more at Bleacher Report.
• UCLA beat Tennesse 19 – 15. Another great game. Read about it more at the UCLA website and Ledger-Enquirer.

Post from: EveryJoe

College Football Week Two 2009 in Review

Before we get into the games, let’s look at the Top 10 list for this week:

1. Florida
2. Texas
3. USC
4. Alabama
5. Oklahoma State
6. Mississippi
7. Penn State
8. Ohio State
9. BYU
10. California

The top five in particular intrigue me. #1 Florida play Troy this week, and try as I might, I can’t even imagine this as a good game. It should be as easy of a game as last week’s game against Charleston Southern. #2 Texas arguably has an even easier game, playing at Wyoming. #4 Alabama also has a gimme game, hosting Florida International this week, and #5 Oklahoma State might has well just have a 4-0 record now, since they play Houston this week and Rice and Grambling State the two weeks after that. Well, ok, Houston may be a little resistance. As long as OK State doesn’t lose their head, though, it should be a win for the Cowboys.

So does that mean Week Two is a complete waste of time? No way – because this week, #3 USC travels across the country to Buckeyes territory to take on #8 Ohio State at home.

This week is USC's Matt Barkley's real test. Image: Newscom

Now, last week, Ohio State was anything but impressive. You might not know it from the final score, but they were perilously close to letting Navy run away with the game before rallying to come out on top. They’ll have to do better than that to beat the Trojans. On the other hand, though USC stomped San Jose State last week, they have a brand-new quarterback and they’ll be playing at one of the hardest places in major college football. Terrell Pryor might be young too, but he’s an old pro next to true freshman Matt Barkley. So, my friends, I believe we have game.

There are other potentially good games during Week Two as well.

On Saturday afternoon, #18 Notre Dame plays at Michigan. One team has a fairly experienced quarterback. The other team has allegedly been working to the bone to prepare for the season. Both teams have coaches that have a lot to lose. If Notre Dame doesn’t have a BCS bowl season, head coach Charlie Weis should be worried about his job. If Michigan doesn’t at least have a winning season with some exciting wins, head coach Rich Rodriguez may get run out of town. Hell, even if they do have a great season, Coach Rod may be fleeing the state when the season is over, the way things are going for him. On both teams, you’ve got players who are just sick and tired of being laughed at. With so much on the line, it should be an interesting game.

Personally, I want to watch the UCLA – Tennessee as well. Neither team is ranked, but they both want to be. Last week, UCLA won over San Diego State – no surprise. Tennessee also had a fairly easy week, winning over Western Kentucky. Against one another? I think the game will be pretty even. The Tennessee defense might tip the scales in their favor, but we’ll see.

Also significant? #18 Miami doesn’t play this week after surprisingly beating Florida State last week to knock them out of the Top 25. Will their week off slow them down enough to make the game on September 17 against Georgia Tech a lost cause for the Hurricanes?

Your thoughts on Week Two?

Post from: EveryJoe

College Football Week Two 2009 Preview

“I have a great picture in mind. Somebody that’s committed to winning championships and being the best that they can be, with a chance to compete in a conference that’s nationally recognized. I’m not going to go walk into a door somewhere that you have no chance to be successful. I want to be on the big stage and recruit against the best that’s out there.”

But will any school give Fulmer the chance?

Personally, I think it would be a smart move. Although his final season at Tennessee was a losing one (5-7), I believe that the school gave him the boot way to early. Every school has rebuilding years, and prior to that, Fulmer led the Vols to a record of 152-52 in 17 seasons, including a national championship in 1998.

Phillip Fulmer at Tennessee, Image: Newscom

Fulmer’s only 59, and says that he feels young and full of energy. After leaving Tennessee, he joined with a former player to work in recruiting in the investing industry. This year, he plans to enjoy some Saturdays as a fan – but he’s not resting on his laurels. He’s also be busy visiting NFL teams and college campus to learn more about coaching. Ohio State and Duke have already welcomed him with open arms, and he’ll be visiting Texas in late August.

And if he doesn’t get any decent offers?

“I’ve gone through all my organizational stuff and redone it and worked on it and added to it and taken out. I’m either going to be ready to go coach again or write one hell of a book.”

Post from: EveryJoe

Fulmer to Return to College Football?

Lane Kiffin, Image: Newscom

Recently, Kiffin spoke with WGFX in Tennessee about his job, and he attributes his antics to the fact that the SEC is very, very passionate about football. I wouldn’t totally disagree with him.

The best example I can give you is that in our first year at Southern Cal, there were 45,000 people in the stands and that’s a pretty powerful school. At Tennessee, even when it’s down at times, we’re still selling out the stadium. So I think that speaks volumes about the issue.

You can read more about the interview and listen to the whole thing at Sports Radio Interviews.

Post from: EveryJoe

Lane Kiffin Talks about SEC Passion

Recently, Even Berry, brother of safety Eric Berry, has verbally committed to play for Tennessee under Lane Kiffin. That’s great – but Berry is only 13 and hasn’t even played a single high school game yet. However, his coach has said that the quarterback/running back/free safety plays on another level and has natural instinct handling the ball.

Tennessee's new head coach, Lane Kiffin. Image: Newscom

Of course, his coach is also his father, James Berry, who also attended Tennessee.

Even has a twin brother named Elliot who is also, apparently, a football start at 13, but hasn’t announced anything about college choices yet, though he has said that prefers LSU as of now. Papa Berry says that both boys are more talented and at a higher skill level than older brother Eric was at their age.

Committing at such a young age seems really limiting and, frankly, stupid. I remember how I saw the world when I was 13, and even if the kid is super mature, your college choice is HUGE. He’s admitted that he doesn’t really know anything but Tennessee. Personally, I wisih his parents would push him to explore tons of options over the next four years – even non-football options.

Post from: EveryJoe

Tennessee is Robbing the Recruiting Cradle

“I really didn’t talk about it that much,” he said. “You don’t say ‘Poor me.’ “

He also admitted that he’d been confronted face-to-face a number of times, and someone wrote negative comments about him on his parent’s mail.He reportedly never told UT staff that he’d been threatened or was otherwise being disturbed by unhappy fans.

Jonathan Crompton, Image: Newscom

Being a part of a losing team couldn’t have felt good, but at the same time, this makes me question whether we don’t put too much pressure on students.

“It would get tough going to class,” said Crompton. “You wouldn’t hear what people were saying but you would hear people whispering…It was tough, I’m not going to lie. When you’re faced with adversity, your true character comes out – as a person, as a student, as a Christian. It tested me.”

Remember, these are real people we’re talking about when we criticize players. We all get a bit riled up from time to time, and as fans, we shouldn’t have to sugar-coat things. But death threats? Come on, people.

Post from: EveryJoe

Death Threats and College Football

“I have found him to be different from the media persona that was painted of him, stemming from those original February comments,” Hamilton said. “He’s not as cavalier as the media painted him to be.”

The comments in February that are in question were about Florida’s recruiting practices. Kiffin said that coach Urban Meyer had broken NCAA rules when recruiting star player Nu’Keese Richardson, who eventually went on to sign at Tennessee. Kiffin maintains that he was joking with the comments, and while I do think that it’s probable he was, the SEC still reprimanded him for the quotes.

Lane Kiffin, Image: Newscom

This isn’t the only incident Kiffin’s been “misunderstood.” He may be bringing a bit of fame to the school, but this also bears the question: Is he going to cross the line? Kiffin’s no stranger to the limelight, but at the same time, SEC and general NCAA press is much different than NFL press, and at USC, he never really had to talk to the press.

So do you agree with Hamilton? Is Kiffin misunderstood, or is he really a jerk that’s milking the press? Does he have teh speaking skills for an SEC team or is it just a matter of tme before he crosses the line?

Post from: EveryJoe

Lane Kiffin: Misunderstood?