I don’t like it when colleges are fired or step down in the middle of a season, barring health problems or scandals that are really distracting the team. Even with the most horrible season, I think it’s jolting to a team for a school to fire someone, and if a coach steps down mid-season, it says to me “I’m not committed and don’t believe in this team.”
Early this season, Western Illinois’ Don Patterson stepped down. I can’t fault him for the decision, as he’s battled tonsillar cancer in the past and is still feeling the effects, despite being cancer-free as …read more

We’re about at the mid-season point for college football. I always think it’s interesting to see which teams have gone undefeated so far and which teams have yet to win a game. By this time, most teams have had at least ONE tough opponent and at least ONE game where they had a chance to win. Here’s how the lists look this year:
Undefeated:

Alabama
Boise State
Cincinnati
Florida
Iowa
Kansas
South Florida
TCU
Texas

Winless

Ball State
Eastern Michigan
Florida Atlantic
Miami (OH)
New Mexico
Rice
Western Kentucky

Really, I think the big surprises here are that there are no major surprises. Few people would have put Iowa on the undefeated list when predicting records at this point …read more

I’ve never been a fan of pre-season rankings. It just seems unfair to judge teams before they’ve played a single game. After all, unless you have ALL returning starters, it is impossible to know where the holes will be and if a team can overcome those gaps.
Today, Rivals.com started their 2009 countdown, looking at all 120 teams. We won’t get to see number 1 (cough Florida cough) until mid-August, but today they announced numbers 116 – 120. In other words, the worst five teams in college football. Who’s on that list?

North Texas
Idaho
Western Kentucky
Eastern Michigan
Tulane

Personally, getting a horrible ranking like that …read more

All 1’s, 2’s, and 3’s are still breathing, though some easier than others. Gus Johnson is God, still. And Lazar Hayward is probably still sick from his booboo, his spectacle, his stumble.

Most Exciting Game
Slim pickings. Gonzaga v. Western Kentucky was dynamite though. Mendez-Valdez and Slaughter hit some tough shots but at the finish the defense was just scattered as all hell, allowing Demetri Goodson to essentially take a h-o-r-s-e shot for the win. Jeremy Pargo, the cat I thought was running the ball up the court there at the end, causing me to wrongly shout ‘freakin Pargo’, was feeling it …read more