Bleacher Report - Articles by James Crytzer

I Have A Dream TCU Beats Florida. I Only Hope Its in The BCS Title Game

James Crytzer — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 13:43:44 -0500

Last year the Bowl Championship Series tried their best to put down the perceived underdog. Utah was given the task of playing Alabama, a team one win away from the BCS title game, practically on the road in New Orleans.

So what did Utah do? They embarrassed the Crimson Tide. They beat them from start to finish.

That doesn't make the BCS happy.

The BCS has had two strategies to their automatic qualifying teams, strategy one: put them in a bowl that a victory won't make an impact.

In the 2004-2005 season Utah, led by Alex Smith and coach Urban Meyer, ranked No. 6, played the Big East Champion Pittsburgh Panthers. Utah turned the game into a laugher, but to most fans victory was expected.

What did Utah get for their win? They ended the season ranked No. 4. Why wasn't Utah given the opportunity to play another undefeated team, Auburn?

The answer is simple, why allow the team to earn any respect? If Utah were to win against Auburn what would that do to the system?

In the 2006-2007 season, Boise State went undefeated and played Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl. This game is remembered for the display both teams put on in a 43-42 game which saw the Broncos win.

My problem is that Boise St. was denied the chance to play any team ranked higher than they were. LSU, Louisville, USC, and Michigan were all ranked higher and a victory would have made another impact for the 'mid-majors.'

Instead the BCS put these teams against competition that never allowed them to show their true ability as a team. Nobody remembers Utah's victory over Pitt because they were supposed to win. Boise State's win over Oklahoma proved nothing to critics of smaller conference schools.

Critics will tell you that if Boise was that good, ranked No. 8, they should have taken care of business against a team ranked No. 10.

After two straight non-BCS wins, the Bowl Championship Series changed their plan for their non-automatic qualifying teams. Now they were going to put them in situations to fail.

A year after Boise State's win, Hawaii was Western Athletic Conference champions and on their way to a BCS bowl game. The Warriors were looking for a chance to prove themselves and their conference.

The BCS was looking for a chance to prove their system. Georgia was the pick to take down Hawaii. The hottest team in the country at the time, Georgia took care of Hawaii 49-10, a black eye for the mid-majors.

The BCS had made their stand: We'll put them in games where they can't succeed.

Last year Utah was the recipient of the BCS gift in the form of an away game with Alabama. 31-17 later, the little guys hit the BCS back, and put the entire system on notice.

This season it looks like two teams should be invited to the BCS party outside the six 'major' conferences. Boise State and TCU have earned their chance to make an impact, and I believe they will.

Last night after TCU's big win over Utah, I went to sleep satisfied that the Horned Frogs had a legitimate chance at the BCS title game. I dreamt of a TCU victory over Florida, I can only hope it's in the BCS title game.

Perception has ruined college football, with the use of preseason rankings and perceived conference strength, teams are continually being penalized for situations they can not control.

Why does Boise State and TCU not deserve the same chances that Texas, Alabama, Florida, and Cincinnati have at competing for the BCS title? Can they help their conference? Can they help that teams don't want to play in their house?

All I want to see is a series of BCS bowl games that put great matchups on the field where teams can prove themselves. If these teams don't have their shot at a BCS title, I hope they can play a team where they can "finally prove themselves."

Personally the best teams in college football are as follows: Texas, Alabama, Florida, TCU, Boise, and Georgia Tech/Cincinnati.

With that in mind I hope TCU gets the loser of the Alabama and Florida SEC Championship game. I also hope that Boise State gets the next best team, whether or not that team is the Yellow Jackets or Bearcats.

If the BCS wants to play fair, they'll give the non-BCS teams their chance to show their mettle against the big boys. If not, they'll give teams like TCU and Boise State a team like Iowa, where a victory does nothing for perception.

Like all college football fans, I'd love a playoff, but until then let's get the best teams into these bowls playing other great teams.

I have a dream, a dream of Horned Frog success against the big boys of college football.

Rise of the Sun Belt Conference: Middle Tennessee and Troy

James Crytzer — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 19:59:12 -0500

When many college football fans rank conference prestige, one league always lands on the bottom: the Sun Belt.

With its pitiful television deal and poor bowl tie-ins, the league is looked at as a transition league for former members of the Football Championship Series (Division 1-AA).

But the play on the field has become something to note, making this league competitive with teams in the BCS as well as other more "prestigious" conferences. Last year saw MAC member Central Michigan defeated by Florida Atlantic, a third-place team in the Sun Belt.

Troy was one bonehead play away from beating Southern Miss in the New Orleans Bowl. Had a wide receiver simply ran forward as opposed to backward, we'd be talking a perfect 2-0 record in bowl last season.

This year has seen Louisiana-Lafayette beat Big 12 North leaders Kansas State, as well as Middle Tennessee beat Conference USA member Memphis and ACC member Maryland on the road.

This year, the Sun Belt went 2-1 against Conference USA, with Troy beating UAB. The only loss was FAU's to UAB, with the Owls starting their backup quarterback.

Could the Sun Belt hang with the MAC? Sure. Here are the matchups we'd see.

Troy v. Central Michigan

Temple v. Middle Tennessee

Ohio v. Louisiana Monroe

Northern Illinois v. Louisiana-Lafayette

In all honesty, these teams could all have excellent games against each other.

The difference between the Sun Belt and other leagues is one thing: vision.

Teams in the MAC, CUSA, MWC, WAC are all looking to build their programs or their leagues. The Sun Belt is looking to simply exist in the world of college football.

The only way the league will continue grow is new leadership. The talent is on the field, but lacking in the front office.

Can the Sun Belt compete? On the field, yes. Off the field, no.

The future and ability of this league to grow comes down to its ability to want to get bigger. The area is full of talent, it just needs a leader to build showcase the league.

Let's be honest football fans, some smaller leagues have better teams, and some have worse, but just because we don't hear from these teams doesn't mean they can't play.

Remember: five years ago, nobody followed the Mountain West.

Who's In, Who's Out: Projecting the College Football Bowl Season

James Crytzer — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 22:13:47 -0500

With most teams having played eight or nine games already, the talk of bowl games has come to the surface of college football. Who's going? Who's staying home? Let's make some bowl projections on which teams look to be playing in the college football postseason.

Atlantic Coast Conference: Nine Automatic Bowl Tie-ins

Who's In: Boston College (6-3), Georgia Tech (8-1), Miami (6-2),

Teams with work to do:

Clemson (5-3): The Tigers must win one of their remaining games. They play Florida State, NC State, Virginia, and South Carolina. Projection: Clemson In

Florida State (4-4): Seminoles must win two games. They Play Clemson, Wake Forest, Maryland, and Florida. Projection: FSU beats Maryland and Wake to become bowl eligible.

Wake Forest (4-5): The Deacons are going to need to win two games. They play Georgia Tech, Florida State and Duke. Projection: Demon Deacons aren't bowling.

Maryland (2-6): Maryland needs to win out to be a bowl team. They play NC State, Virginia Tech, Florida State, and Boston College. Projection: Don't hold your breath, the Terps are staying home for Christmas.

North Carolina State (3-5): NC State has played two 1-AA teams, so the must win out to make a bowl game. They play Maryland, Clemson, Virginia Tech, and North Carolina. Projection: NC State not bowling this year.

Duke (5-3) : Because the Blue Devils played two 1-AA teams, they're going to need seven wins this year to be bowl eligible. Duke needs to win two games against the following squads: North Carolina, Georgia Tech, Miami, and Wake Forest. Projection: Duke misses out on bowl season again.

Virginia Tech (5-3): All the Hokies need to do is win one game and they'll be bowling. They play East Carolina, Maryland, NC State, and Virginia. Projection: Hokies would need to face plant to miss a bowl. They won't.

Virginia (3-5): Cavaliers need to win three of the final four games. They play Miami, Boston College, Clemson, and Virginia Tech. Projection: Virginia stays home.

North Carolina (5-3): UNC played two 1-AA teams, so they'll need seven wins to be bowling. They play Miami, Boston College, and NC State. Projection: North Carolina is bowling, they beat Boston College and NC State.

Final ACC Bowl Projections: Seven Bowl Teams. Eagle Bank Bowl and GMAC Bowl are Looking For New Participants.

Big 12 Conference: Eight Automatic Bowl Tie-ins

Who's In: Texas (8-0), Oklahoma State (6-2), Texas Tech (6-3)

Teams with work to do:

Kansas State (5-4): The Wildcats played two 1-AA teams, meaning they must win seven games. They need to beat two of the following teams: Kansas, Missouri, and Nebraska. Projection: Wildcats miss out on bowl season.

Nebraska (5-3): Cornhuskers need to win one game to be bowl eligible. They play Kansas, Kansas St, and Colorado. Projection: Black Shirts into bowl season.

Iowa State (5-4): The cyclones must win one game to be bowl eligible. They play Oklahoma St, Colorado, and Missouri. Projection: Cyclones beat Colorado and become bowl eligible.

Kansas (5-3): The Jayhawks need one win to be bowl eligible. They play Kansas State, Nebraska, Texas and Missouri. Projection: Kansas returns to the bowl season.

Missouri (5-3): Tigers are one win away from bowling. They play Baylor, Kansas St, Iowas St, and Kansas. Projection: win over Baylor gets Missouri bowling.

Colorado (2-6): Buffs must win out to be bowl eligible. Projection: Not Happening, Colorado Stays home.

Oklahoma (5-3): Any win gets the Sooners into the postseason. Projection: Oklahoma is in with a victory over Nebraska.

Texas A&M (5-3): Any win gets the Aggies into a bowl. Projection: A&M beats Colorado to be bowl eligible.

Baylor (3-5): Bears need to win three of four. Projection: Not happening, Bears staying home.

Final Big 12 Bowl Projections: Nine Bowl Eligible Teams. Must have a 7-5 Team for At-Large Considerations.

Big East Conference: Six Automatic Bowl Tie-ins Plus Notre Dame.

Who's In: Cincinnati (8-0), Pittsburgh (7-1), West Virginia (6-2), Notre Dame (6-2)

Teams with work to do:

South Florida (6-2): One win gets the Bulls bowling, they've played two 1-AA teams. Projection: They'll beat Louisville for their spot.

Rutgers (6-2): One win gets the Knights bowling. Projection: They'll beat South Florida to get bowling, if not they play Louisville and Syracuse.

Connecticut (4-4): Huskies need to win two of four. They play Cincinnati, Notre Dame, South Florida, and Syracuse. Projection: Loses to USF, ND, and Cincinnati leaves UCONN at home.

Louisville (3-5): The 'Ville needs to win three of their final four. Projection: Not Happening.

Syracuse (3-5): Syracuse needs to win three of four. Projection: No way Jose.

Final Big East Bowl Projections: Six Bowl Eligible Teams including Notre Dame. All Spots are filled.

Big Ten Conference: Seven Automatic Bowl Tie-ins.

Who's In: Iowa (9-0), Penn State (8-1), Ohio State (7-2), Wisconsin (6-2)

Teams with work to do:

Minnesota (5-4): Gophers need one win to be bowling. Projection: They beat Illinois for a bowl berth.

Michigan State (4-5): Spartans need two wins to be bowling. Projection: MSU beats Western Michigan and Purdue to go bowling.

Northwestern (5-4): Wildcats need one win to be bowling. Projection: It comes down to a game against Illinois. A N'Western win gets 'em in.

Purdue (3-6): Purdue needs to win all of their games to be bowling. Projection: Not happening.

Michigan (5-4): If Michigan doesn't beat Purdue, they may not be bowling. Projection: Michigan beats Purdue, to bowl.

Indiana (4-5): The Hoosiers need to upset either Wisconsin or Penn State. Projection: No Bowl for Indiana.

Illinois (2-6): Illini need to win out to be bowling. Projection: Illinois must play spoiler for the remainder of the season.

Final Big Ten Bowl Projections: Eight Bowl Eligible Teams. If Penn State get an at-large BCS the Big Ten is Set, if not, they'll have a 6-6 team looking for an at-large spot.

Conference USA: Five Automatic Bowl Tie-ins. Two Conditional (Eagle Bank & Texas Bowls)

Who's In: Houston (7-1)

Who's Out: Rice (0-8)

Teams with Work To Do:

East Carolina (5-3): Pirates need to win one to be bowling. Projection: Beating UAB gets East Carolina in the bowls.

UCF (5-3): Knights need one win to be back in the postseason. Projection: Victory over Tulane puts UCF over the top.

Marshall (5-4): Win and in. Projection: Thundering Herd end 6-6, bowl eligible.

Southern Miss (5-4): One win and they're in. Projection: Should beat Marshall next week.

UAB (3-5): Must win 3 out of 4. Projection: Blazers staying home.

Memphis (2-6): Must win them all. Projection: Not happening.

SMU (4-4): Must win 2 of final 4. Projection: Wins over Tulane and Rice get em to 6-6.

UTEP (3-5): Must win 3 of 4. Projection: Tulane and Rice victories aren't enough, Miners end up short.

Tulsa (4-4): Just two wins away. Projection: Can't beat Houston, ECU, or Southern Miss. Miss out on a bowl game.

Tulane (2-6): Gotta win out. Projection: Not happening this year.

Final Conference USA Bowl Projections: Six Bowl Eligible Teams. CUSA takes the Eagle Bank Bowl (ARMY's if they're bowl eligible) to have six bowls and six bowl eligible teams.

Mid-American Conference: Three Automatic Bowl Tie-ins. One Conditional (Eagle Bank Bowl)

Who's In: Temple (6-2), Central Michigan (7-2), Ohio (6-3)

Who's Out: Miami (OH) (1-8), Akron (1-7), Ball State (1-8), Eastern Michigan (0-8)

Teams with Work To Do:

Kent State (5-4): One win and they're in, the conversation. Projection: Victory over Akron get em bowl eligible.

Bowling Green (4-5): Need to beat Miami (OH), and Akron. Projection: Easy two wins gets em to bowl talks.

Buffalo (3-6): Gotta win em all. Projection: Not happening...OUT!

Northern Illinois (5-3): Beat Eastern Michigan and they're in, win another and they're our first at-large from a small conference. Projection: Beating EMU, Ball State gets em to 7 wins.

Western Michigan (4-5): Beat EMU and Ball State to be 6-6. Projection: Broncos are bowl eligible.

Toledo (4-5): Gotta upset either CMU or Bowling Green. Projection: Not this year. Rockets are out.

Final MAC Bowl Projections: Six Bowl Eligible Teams. MAC takes the Eagle Bank Bowl (ACC no. 8 not projected) to have 4 bowls and six bowl eligible teams. Northern Illinois is viable at-large with 7 wins.

Mountain West Conference: Five Automatic Bowl Tie-ins.

Who's In: TCU (8-0), Utah (7-1), BYU (6-2)

Who's Out: New Mexico (0-8)

Teams with Work To Do:

Air Force (5-4): Go Air Force, Beat Army, Make a Bowl Game. Projection: Mission Accomplished.

San Diego State (4-4): Must beat two of the following: TCU, Wyoming, Utah, UNLV. Projection: Just short with a loss to Wyoming.

Wyoming (4-4): Must beat two of the following: BYU, SDSU, TCU and CSU. Projection: Wins over CSU and SDSU get em to 6-6.

UNLV (3-6): Gotta win out. Projection: Won't beat Air Force, no bowls.

Colorado State (3-6) : Gotta win out. Projection. Not Happening.

Final MWC Bowl Projections: Five Bowl Eligible Teams. TCU makes the BCS leaving one bowl open for the MWC (Humanitarian Bowl)

Pacific-10 Conference: Six Automatic Bowl Tie-ins.

Who's In: Oregon (7-1), USC (6-2), Cal (6-2)

Who's Out: Washington State (1-7)

Teams with Work To Do:

Arizona (5-2): Win one and they're in. Projection: Wildcats beat Arizona State for a bowl bid.

Stanford (5-3): Win one. Projection: Stanford can't beat Oregon, USC, Cal or Notre Dame. They're out.

Oregon State (5-3): Win one. Projection: Game against Washington State get 'em to six.

Arizona State (4-4): Win two. Projection: Sun Devils can't do it. No Bowls.

Washington (3-5): Win 3 of 4. Projection: Oregon State and Cal beat the Huskies. No Bowl

UCLA (3-5): Win 3 of 4. Projection: Can't beat USC and Washington. No Bowl .

Final PAC-10 Bowl Projections: Five Bowl Eligible Teams. PAC-10 leaves one out of the Poinsettia Bowl. If USC gets BCS bid, they leave opening for Emerald or Las Vegas Bowl.

Southeastern Conference: Nine Automatic Bowl Tie-ins.

Who's In: Florida (8-0), South Carolina (6-3), Alabama (8-0), LSU (7-1), Auburn (6-3)

Who's Out: Vanderbilt (2-7)

Teams with Work To Do:

Georgia (4-4): If the Bulldogs beat Kentucky and Tennessee Tech, they're in. Projection: Georgia does it, goes bowling.

Tennessee (4-4): Memphis, Ole Miss, Vandy, and Kentucky, only two more wins needed. Projection: UT wins 3 of 4 to be 7-5.

Kentucky (4-4): Beat Eastern Kentucky and Vanderbilt and you're bowling. Projection: BOWLING!

Ole Miss (5-3): Gotta win seven because of the two 1-AA teams. They play Northern Arizona, Tennessee, LSU, and Miss St. Projection: Mississippi State gets 'em win no. 7.

Mississippi State (4-5): Have to win two of three. Projection: Loses to Alabama, and Arkansas means no bowls for the Bulldogs.

Arkansas (4-4): Win two and you're in. Projection: Wins over Troy and Miss St gets em six wins.

Final SEC Bowl Projections: Ten Bowl Eligible Teams. SEC gets another at-large for the BCS meaning all ten teams make bowls through their tie-ins.

Sun Belt Conference: One Automatic Bowl Tie-in. Three Conditional (St. Petersburg, PapaJohns.com, Independence Bowl)

Who's In: Troy (6-2)

Who's Out: Western Kentucky (0-8)

Teams with Work To Do:

Middle Tennessee (5-3): Win One, and you're eligible, two and you're an at-large. Projection: Blue Raiders become at-large with 7+ wins.

Louisiana-Monroe (4-4): Win three for at-large. Projection: ULM ends at 7-5

Florida Atlantic (2-5): Gotta win four of five. Projection: Loss of Rusty Smith means end of the Owls' season.

Louisiana-Lafayette (4-4): Win 2 and you're talking about a possible bowl game. Projection: only getting one 'W' from this part of the schedule.

Florida International (2-6): can't lose. Projection: Losing this week.

Arkansas State (2-5): Needing to win out. Projection: Not happening.

North Texas (2-6): can't lose. Projection: No chance.

Final SBC Bowl Projections: Three Bowl Eligible Teams. SBC has champion Troy in New Orleans. Middle Tennessee and ULM look for at-large spot with 7-5 record. (GMAC BOWL should be Open) Other bowl tie-ins should be filled.

Western Athletic Conference: Three Automatic Bowl Tie-in. One Conditional (Poinsettia Bowl)

Who's In: Boise State (8-0), Idaho (7-2)

Teams with Work To Do:

Nevada (5-3): One win away. Projection: They're in.

Fresno State (5-3): Beat Louisiana Tech. Projection: Got it, and bowling.

Louisiana Tech (3-5): Miracle Needed. Projection. Stayin' home.

New Mexico State (3-6): Miracle No. 2. Projection: Home X 2

Utah State (2-6): Miracle No. 3. Projection: Home X3

San Jose State (1-6): Miracle No. 4. Projection: Home X4

Hawaii (2-6): Miracle No. 5. Projection: Home X5

Final WAC Bowl Projections: Four Bowl Eligible Teams. If Boise gets at-large for BCS the WAC misses out on Poinsettia Bowl. If not, they'll take the spot with four bowl eligible teams. (PAC-10 doesn't have seven bowl teams)

Enjoy and please feel free to comment.

Leaving Boise State Or TCU Out of The BCS Would Be A Shame

James Crytzer — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 16:48:02 -0500

When projecting the BCS Bowl games, one team continues to be left off.

Boise State.

This is the same team who beat Oregon. The top team in the Pac-10.

Yes, the Pac-10 is still a BCS conference.

The question I have is why can't two teams from outside of the BCS earn spots in the BCS bowls?

Let's look at the candidates for BCS Bowls

ACC: Georgia Tech
Big 12: Texas
Big East: Cincinnati
Pac-10: Oregon
SEC: Alabama and Florida
Big 10: Iowa

This gives us seven teams—6 automatic qualifiers and Florida/Alabama as an at-large. With three spots left, the following teams look to earn the last at-large spots.

Boise State
TCU
Penn State
Southern Cal
LSU
Pittsburgh

Boise State: Boise State is currently undefeated and ranked No. 5 in both polls. They're the only team to beat Oregon, the leader of the Pac-10.

TCU: TCU has gone on the road and beaten Virginia, Clemson, and BYU. They have one more game against a ranked team—Utah—in two weeks.

Penn State: Penn State has one loss to Iowa, where they were completely out-played. There best win was at Michigan. Penn State will play Ohio Sate this week.

Southern Cal: USC was boat raced by Oregon as well as being beat by Washington. They've defeated Notre Dame and Ohio Sate on the road.

LSU: LSU has only lost to Florida and plays Alabama on the road. If the Tigers win, they'll be on the fast track to an SEC Championship appearance against Florida. The Tigers would take the Alabama/Florida spot.

Pittsburgh: The Panthers are 7-1 with wins over Rutgers and Navy. They'll have to beat Cincinnati to take the Big East guaranteed spot, a chance at an at-large spot looks bleak.

After looking at the candidates it's truly a race between Southern California and Penn State for the last piece in the BCS puzzle. Boise State and TCU's resumes, as well as their records, have out-performed all comers.

If Penn State beats Ohio State, they should be the last BCS pick, if not, expect it to go to Southern California.

Here's my BCS Predictions:

Sugar Bowl: TCU v. Florida

Fiesta Bowl: Boise State v. Southern California

Orange Bowl: Georgia Tech v. Cincinnati

Rose Bowl: Iowas v. Oregon

BCS Title Game: Alabama v. Texas

Sun Belt Battle: Florida Atlantic vs. Middle Tennessee State

James Crytzer — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 20:22:53 -0400

After both teams combined for over 110 points last week, the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders and Florida Atlantic Owls are set to do battle in Boca Raton for a chance to grab second place in the Sun Belt Conference.

Middle Tennessee, fresh of their 62-24 homecoming victory over Western Kentucky, looks to be finding their offensive groove after having consecutive games of scoring under ten points.

MTSU coach Rick Stockstill praised quarterback Dwight Dasher's practice the week before Western Kentucky, and the results on the field showed.

Dasher threw for 355 yards while running for another 66. Dasher's five total touchdowns were signs of a quarterback returning to form.

Not to be outdone, Florida Atlantic went on the road and hung 51 on Louisiana-Lafayette. Quarterback Rusty Smith had four passing touchdowns to go along with his 359 yards passing.

Where they once looked like a team lost, the Owls may have found their stride.

This week's game will help determine where each team's future lies.

The Blue Raiders have the look of a team bouncing back from a disappointing stretch against Troy and Mississippi St. An offense that seemed lost, was seemingly found in only 60 minutes of action against an inferior opponent.

Are the Blue Raiders returning to their early-season form, when they beat Memphis and Maryland in back-to-back weeks?

Or are they simply playing lesser competition?

The Florida Atlantic Owls are riding a two-game winning streak while returning home to play their toughest test in the Sun Belt so far. Florida Atlantic was once again expected to compete for a league title after a Motor City Bowl victory over Central Michigan.

Are the Owls rounding into a contender?

Or are they simply setting themselves up for a disappointment?

On paper, Florida Atlantic is the much more balanced football team. Running back Alfred Morris, only a sophomore, has already compiled over 700 yards on the ground. This is impressive considering FAU has played South Carolina and Nebraska this season.

Middle Tennessee has officially lost their opening-week running back, Phillip Tanner, for the season. Tanner will apply for a medical redshirt, hoping for a fifth-year of eligibility.

With the loss of Tanner, quarterback Dwight Dasher is leading the team in rushing with 417 yards.

Defense is the difference between the two teams. Florida Atlantic has given up nearly 36 points per game this season, including 40 to North Texas. Middle Tennessee played that same North Texas squad and gave up 21.

The Blue Raiders have given up an average of 27 points per game.

If Dwight Dasher plays the way he has against the likes of Maryland, Memphis, North Texas, or Western Kentucky, they will win this game by two scores.

If Dasher gives a Mississippi State of Troy performance, the Owls will win, and more questions will arise in Murfreesboro.

My Prediction:

Middle Tennessee 37

Florida Atlantic 24

My College Football Top 25 Week Nine: Texas On Top

James Crytzer — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 19:39:56 -0400

Here is my ballot for the weekly Bleacher Report college football poll. As always, discussion is enjoyed, but keep it topic-related.

1. Texas : Plain and simple, these guys looked the best out of the normal Top 3. They took care of business offensively and defensively against Missouri. Longhorns are No. 1 for now...

2. Alabama : Really a toss-up with the Tide and Gators for No. 2. I'm giving it to them for the fact that nothing was working and they still pulled out a victory.

3. Florida : Tim Tebow's performance put Florida in this spot. If Mississippi State could move the ball they would have won the game. Tebow can thank the defense for his Heisman hopes.

4. Boise : Boise leaves the mainland and crushes Hawaii. This is what everybody wanted from the Broncos and they got it.

5. TCU: TCU takes on a solid BYU team and makes it a laugher. If the BCS feels the need to pick from Boise and TCU for a BCS game, they've lost their minds. Both teams deserve a BCS opportunity.

6. Southern Cal : They win this game when the defense couldn't stop anybody. Matt Barkley had to make some plays and he did it. He also made some mistakes.

7. Cincinnati : The Bearcats win without Heisman front-runner Tony Pike. They'll need him to keep the winning streak alive.

8. Georgia Tech : Had them near the Top Ten before they beat Virginia Tech. They stayed solid last week.

9. Oregon : Easy victory over Washington. USC versus Oregon will be a big game for BCS notoriety, the Pac-10 and, the WAC.

10. Virginia Tech : They've lost to Alabama and Georgia Tech. Hardly a reason to say the Hokies are not legitimate. They can play with any team ranked below them.

11. LSU : Auburn is a paper tiger. LSU proved it. Now they need to prove their ranking with a legitimate win.

12. Houston : Houston can play, just ask the teams they've beaten.

13. Iowa: Northern Iowa and now Michigan State. Iowa is not good, just good enough. I wouldn't bet on them to beat Miami.

14. Miami : A loss to Clemson and they're still better than all the teams below them.

15. Ohio State: Good win over Minnesota. They've got to beat somebody (Penn State, Iowa) to make it up any higher up the Top 25 ladder.

16. Penn State: They beat Michigan, now they need to win the Big 10. Still waiting for a road map to beating Iowa though.

17. Oklahoma St: Beating Baylor isn't worth bragging about. The Cowboys will have their shots against real Big 12 teams soon.

18. Utah: The Utes beat Air Force in overtime. Keeping their spot solid at 18. TCU is waiting.

19. Oklahoma: Without Sam Bradford, Oklahoma continues to win. Their losses are by a combined five points without their Heisman winner.

20. BYU: They were crushed by TCU, and TCU is a strong squad. BYU is solid and in a solid position at No. 20

21. South Carolina: A 14-10 win over Vanderbilt? Sorry, don't expect more respect in the polls.

22. Central Michigan: Love for the Chippewas. They'll play Boston College for another shot at a BCS victory.

23. Pittsburgh: I don't believe in the Panthers yet. When they play Cincinnati, we'll pass our judgement.

24. Notre Dame: The cardiac-Irish. Another close game, but another win.

25. West Virginia: The Mountaineers haven't beaten anybody yet. They get in at No. 25 until they play the Bearcats.

Middle Tennessee State Report Card: Blue Raiders Building Bowl Resume

James Crytzer — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 21:22:19 -0400

The Blue Raiders have been an enigma throughout the 2009 college football season.

A 3-1 start had Middle Tennessee State fans seeing bowl games, but a recent 0-2 stretch has created worries in Murfreesboro.

Victories over Conference USA member Memphis along with ACC member Maryland on the road had given hope to the Blue Raider faithful as to the success of the newly installed Tony Franklin offense.

But recent outings against Troy, seven points, and Mississippi State, six points, have brought the Raiders back to earth.

The question being asked within Blue Raider nation is: What can be done to fix the slide, and get the Raider back on Bowl game track?

Let’s take a look at the Blue Raiders up to their game this Saturday against Western Kentucky.

The good news for the Raiders is the fact that the tough part of the season is over. They’ve gotten past their non-conference schedule with a 2-2 record.

While it doesn’t sound impressive, consider the fact that no Sun Belt team has ever won three non-conference games against 1-A opponents.

The Blue Raiders will finish the season in Sun Belt play with four home games. Their toughest opponent remaining, Louisiana-Monroe, will be their last game of the season on the road.

Hopefully by then, the Raiders will be bowl eligible.

Another piece of good news is that the Blue Raiders next opponent is the worst team in 1-A football, Western Kentucky.

With such poor performance on the offensive side of the ball, the Blue Raiders will have a practical cupcake to get ready for the remainder of conference play.

Currently the Blue Raiders sit in fourth place in the Sun Belt Conference, but they only have one conference loss.

No team has ever won the Sun Belt with an undefeated conference record, meaning that if the Blue Raiders win out, they could easily be conference champions.

Quarterback play has been a bright spot, or complete black hole depending on the game. Dwight Dasher had looked as if he’d grasped the new offense, but recent play has people questioning.

Dasher was recently suspended for the first quarter against Mississippi State for missing team meetings. Hopefully, that will be a wake-up call for him. If Dasher can get back to his Memphis and Maryland form, the Blue Raiders will be fine.

If Middle Tennessee wants to compete for a Sun Belt title, they’re going to have to establish some sort of running game.

Starting running back Phillip Tanner was lost for the season following the Memphis game, and backup D.D. Kyles is currently injured. If the Blue Raiders can’t threaten to run the ball and get the defense some rest, it might become a long season.

The way I see it, the Blue Raiders are battle tested. If you were to tell fans that the team would be 3-3 coming into Homecoming with Western Kentucky, they’d be all smiles.

If Tony Franklin and Rick Stockstill can get Dwight Dasher back on track, the season looks promising and a 7-5 record looks easily attainable.

With that record, the Blue Raiders will have many opportunities to be an at-large bowl team.

And when you’re in the Sun Belt you’re looking to build your program. A Bowl game is a great stepping stone to continue to grow.

Middle Tennessee and Mississippi State: Blue Raiders Look for Historic Upset

James Crytzer — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 00:42:58 -0400

A Blue Raider victory on Saturday will be history making for the Sun Belt Conference. For the first time ever, a Sun Belt team would have three non-conference wins against 1-A opponents.

The Blue Raiders have defeated Memphis, Maryland, and possibly Mississippi State.

If the Blue Raiders are to win, however, it will be on the arms and legs of quarterback Dwight Dasher. Recently news has come out of Dasher practicing with the second string. Whether or not this is simply to make Mississippi State prepare for more, nobody will know until Saturday.

Personally, I expect Dasher for the entire game.

A recent arrest has come across the wires regarding the Blue Raiders as well. Wide receiver Patrick Honeycut along with linebacker Gorby Loreus and backup quarterback Nick Coleman were all arrested at a house party.

Honeycut and Coleman were cited with furnishing alcohol to minors. Loreus was cited with underage consumption of alcohol.

The good news for the Blue Raiders is that a punishment was decided to be dealt with 'in house' meaning these players will play Saturday.

I personally don't see how these men can play Saturday, but that's another subject.

If the Blue Raiders can get the offense back on track following the Troy game, they will win the game.

I'm not calling this an upset. I fully expect the Blue Raiders to be the better team. If the offense doesn't get better, though, they will lose. It won't be pretty.

ESPNU will be airing the game, so tune in for your second chance for Blue Raider football on national television.

Score Prediction:

Middle Tennessee 30

Mississippi State 27

Middle Tennessee State and Mississippi State: Previewing The ESPN Battle

James Crytzer — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 16:22:23 -0400

After what has be viewed as a disappointing loss to Troy on Tuesday night, the Blue Raiders return home to take on the SEC's Mississippi State Bull Dogs.

The ESPN network chose to pick up this game and air it on ESPNU at noon eastern time. This decision was made one day before the MTSU and Troy debacle.

The Blue Raiders are looking to make their second chance on national TV a success with a victory over another BCS team.

Fans of the Blue Raiders are not unfamiliar with the Bull Dogs. Just last season Middle Tennessee went down to Starkville losing 31-22 en route to a 5-7 season.

This year's game looks to be different as Mississippi State's defense has only shut down Vanderbilt this season. The Blue Raiders will be looking to get their Tony Franklin offense back into gear after Dwight Dasher forgot to show up against Troy.

Beating a low tier SEC squad is not new to the Blue Raiders. They have a 3-0 record against Vanderbilt, but most people do not acknowledge these victories as significant.

What would it mean to Middle Tennessee if they were to beat Mississippi State?

The first thing to look it is the team's overall record. If the Blue Raiders were to win they'd improve to 4-2 with a 'should win' upcoming against Western Kentucky.

Coach Rick Stockstill continuously says, "Don't put the cart in front of the horse."

But with a win against Mississippi State and Western Kentucky the Blue Raiders will be looking for a Bowl bid standing at 5-2 overall with three out of conference victories.

A Blue Raider victory would also legitimize a team that missed out on an opportunity last Tuesday. Middle Tennessee has continually been looked at as a team who just can't win the big one.

Whether that's true, or simply too high of fan's expectations, another SEC win would help their cause in becoming a "legitimate football team."

The Sun Belt, has only one automatic Bowl bid, meaning that Middle Tennessee needs to jump Louisiana-Monroe and Troy to guarantee a spot in New Orleans in the New Orleans Bowl.

Any at-large bid to a Bowl game will help further the expectations of Middle Tennessee football. Its 2006 appearance in the Motor City Bowl was the team's first Bowl game as a Division-I squad.

I believe this non-conference game is the biggest on the Blue Raider's schedule. These are the games that can define a team. A win will give the team the confidence it lost Tuesday at Troy.

A loss to Mississippi State will prove to the pundits that every Sun Belt member is simply the whipping boys to major college football.

I'll have my predictions upcoming for Saturday's game.

My Top 25 Poll For Week 7 In College Football

James Crytzer — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 15:35:11 -0400

Another week of college football is in the books, and it's time to post my Top 25 for Week Six. I will also give my reasoning for each team's spot. No you don't have to agree, but let's be civil. If you believe in the system, it will all work itself out in the end.

1. Alabama: If I had to pick a team that I think has truly played great from start to finish it would be the Crimson Tide. They look the best, and their style of play is punishing. Alabama should be undefeated playing Florida in the SEC title game.

2. Texas: Texas looked asleep against Colorado for a half. They woke up later and showed how good they are. The Long Horns have already beaten Texas Tech and UTEP, as well as Wyoming on the road. They will get to prove themselves against Sam Bradford and Oklahoma next week.

3. Virginia Tech: The season looked lost with a Virginia Tech loss to Alabama in the opening week. Now it looks like Alabama may be the only team that can beat Tech. The Hokies have beaten Miami and Nebraska, both in my top 15. They'll challenge the triple option next week to prove their ranking.

4. Florida: Without the full use of Tim Tebow, Florida took care of LSU. LSU still doesn't impress me with their play, but I can't see Florida being any further down unless they lose a game. I don't think their schedule will allow that.

5. Boise State: When Boise State has been challenged they've won. They shut down Oregon, Bowling Green, and Fresno State. The Broncos are undefeated and have earned their top-five spot.

6. Southern Cal: Southern Cal has earned this spot because their loss was without their starting quarterback and their beating of Ohio State. We'll judge the Trojans further after a Notre Dame, Oregon State, and Oregon three game stretch. Notre Dame and Oregon will be on the road.

7. Miami: The Hurricanes finally got a break and showed how sweet it was. Miami got blasted by Virginia Tech, but they have still beaten three ranked teams. Very impressive and worthy of this spot.

8. TCU: Beating Virginia and Clemson on the road is not an easy task. Throw in another trip to Colorado for the Air Force Academy and the Horned Frogs have earned their spot. Utah and BYU are looking to show they still have a claim to the MWC title though.

9. Ohio State: Ohio State has lost close to USC, and won close with Navy. I'm not sure what Buckeye squad we'll see when they play Iowa and Penn State, but those two games will be how we judge this year's team.

10. Cincinnati: Believing in Cincinnati is tough. Their biggest road win is over Oregon State, hardly impressiveve. A trip to South Florida will show which ranked Big East team is legitimate. I do trust that Brian Kelly is a great coach and will be moving to a bigger school soon.

11. Iowa: Iowa is undefeated, but certainly not overpowering. A close game with Northern Iowa still has me concerned. Beating Penn State has become an annual tradition for Iowa. We'll have to see them play Ohio State before a true judgement can be made.

12. Georgia Tech: The Triple Option is not a gimmick, it's a weapon in Atlanta. Georgia Tech put up 42 points in three quarters to prove it. If Josh Nesbitt can threaten the passing game, GT is hard to beat.

13. Nebraska: Talk about a team you can't predict. Nebraska was so close to beating Virginia Tech, but they forget to score against Missouri until the fourth quarter. The Cornhusker defense is strong, I just don't know about the offense yet.

14. BYU: One loss and you're forgotten about in the polls. Not so fast my friend. BYU still beat Oklahoma with Sam Bradford playing. They neutralized the Heisman Trophy winner. They're a threat to any team they play.

15. Oregon: The season seemed lost after Boise. A win against Southern Cal has this team primed for a Rose Bowl berth. They didn't win pretty last week, but with a starting QB out, you just want to leave with the "W."

16. LSU: Preseason rankings aside, what has LSU done to impress you. Almost losing to Mississippi State? Scoring three points at home last week? Or is it that referee's call against Georgia? Nothing that LSU has done says "top 10" much less SEC contender.

17. Oklahoma: They lost to BYU and Miami. Sam Bradford is back and ready to take on Texas. The winner of that game is looking to be the Big 12 South champ, and probably Big 12 Champion.

18. Oklahoma St: The Cowboys are down Dez Bryant for an unknown time. That certainly hurts them offensively. This team can still score, it'll come down to the defense to help this team back into contention.

19. Penn State: Super-soft schedule bit them in the butt against Iowa. So Eastern Illinois proves nothing to me. Darryl Clark gets rattled and when that happens, he's worthless.

20. Houston: Case Keenum keeps Houston moving. A solid win against Mississippi State on the road. Houston is not a team you can simply pencil a win against.

21. Utah: I never understood why a seven-point loss in Eugene cost Utah so much. Utah took out a solid Colorado State squad. No, it's not last year's team, but these guys are still pretty solid.

22. South Florida: South Florida's offense looks even better with new quarterback B.J. Daniels. The Bulls have always been a solid squad, and they're undefeated. A win against Cincinnati would prove the Bulls BCS worthy.

23. Kansas: Todd Reesing has the Jayhawks undefeated. The game against Iowa State wasn't pretty, but you gotta keep winning. Oklahoma on Oct. 24 will show us how good Kansas is.

24. Notre Dame: Jimmy Clausen and Notre Dame only have one loss. I know they're playing close games, but they're winning. This gets them into the polls. Beating USC will keep them there.

25. South Carolina: The only thing that makes South Carolina poll worthy is their win over Ole Miss. Now that's not even impressing me. The Gamecocks will show their true colors against Alabama next week.

Other Teams to Watch: Central Michigan, Tulsa, Troy, and Idaho. These teams are hitting their stride with big games upcoming.

The Week That Was: SEC Served Their Own Slice Of Humble Pie

James Crytzer — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 10:34:59 -0400

The cyclical nature of college football just reared its ugly head in week six. The victim was not one that many fans would expect.

Week six just took a bite out of the once dominant SEC.

The fans of the SEC will tell you that nobody plays better football. Week six would tell you what everybody else has already been saying.

It's Florida and Alabama, after that you've got nothing.

LSU had the perfect opportunity to prove this theory wrong last night. The Tigers had Florida in Baton Rouge with the Gators running a vanilla offense.

The result? A 13-3 loss with questions coming on how strong LSU truly is.

After weeks of thumping their chests, the Tigers of Auburn finally entered the Top 25. We were told to continue to "disrespect" them, that they "like it that way."

We learned where Auburn stands in the scheme of college football. Overrated. Hope you enjoyed your moment in the Top 25, Auburn!

Vanderbilt, fresh off their bowl game appearance and win last season, lost to ARMY! Yeah, a service academy, the worst service academy in Division I.

Mississippi State, after nearly beating LSU in Starkville, had Houston. Houston had just lost their BCS dreams last week to UTEP. It was a setup for a classic letdown for the Cougars.

So what does Houston do? They beat Mississippi State on the road.

Georgia came to Knoxville to play one of the worst offensive teams in Division I. Naturally, the Bull Dogs get embarrassed by Jonathan Crompton!

That's not a typo, Jonathan Crompton looked great against Georgia. Georgia gives UT their first SEC win.

The List of Vols Wins: Western Kentucky, Ohio, and Georgia. Hurts to be the BCS team on this list.

Ole Miss proved what hype will get you in college football. A "big win" over Vanderbilt. The Rebels and "NFL prospect" Jevan Snead laid another egg against Alabama.

So much for those national title hopes in the preseason.

Finally, we have South Carolina: the No. 25 team in the nation made Kentucky look formidable with a backup quarterback in. The Wildcats were a two-point conversion away from tying the Gamecocks.

Remember, this game was in South Carolina. The sad thing about this is South Carolina will probably climb in this week's polls.

Let's get serious for a minute. Anyone who believes any team other than Florida and Alabama are decent is crazy. The only team that has "earned" its ranking is South Carolina, and only because of a victory over Ole Miss.

Every other team aside from the big two has truly underperformed compared to their preseason projections.

I'll say what others should soon notice. The SEC is hardly challenging from top to bottom. They've got two good teams, and I'm not even sure Florida is that good—they might just be beating other nobodies.

LSU included.

Looking Back at Troy and Middle Tennessee: MTSU Lacking Execution

James Crytzer — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 23:05:54 -0400

An appearance for both on ESPN is akin to an appearance on America's Got Talent. You've got two options: make an impact that the judges won't forget, or watch three red X's light up marking the end of your day.

Middle Tennessee got the X's.

Last night's game against Troy was set up for a Blue Raider victory, hopefully one that could propel the program.

Neither of that happened.

Instead viewers were given a three hour commercial for Troy football. Whether it was the long interview with former Troy DE DeMarcus Ware or the constant attention shown on Troy's recruiting strategy, Middle wasn't recognized.

It was even worse on the field.

The word execution is one that can not be stressed enough in the Tony Franklin offense. Middle Tennessee's Dwight Dasher had a horrendous first-half, completing less than 30% of his passes.

If a team that already can't run, can't throw, the thoughts of victory becomes bleak.

Even for as bad as the Blue Raiders played, they were still only down 7-0 with two minutes left to go in the second quarter. Troy had possession and seemed content on playing for the field goal. It seemed that the worst half of Blue Raider football could be salvaged in the second-half.

Troy didn't give the Blue Raiders the chance.

The Trojans hit a 50 yard pass to end the first half, putting them up 14-0 going into the locker room, at home.

The game never got any better as Troy backup QB, Dontavious Parker, got involved in the scoring party with two TDs from the Wildcat formation. Parker had six snaps, all runs, for 83 yards.

The Blue Raiders fell for the wildcat, six times, hardly defensive execution.

The fact is that Middle Tennessee had numerous chances to score on Troy to either tie the game at 7-7 or take a lead. For a team to beat Troy, especially on the road, you have to get up on them, make them play assignment football.

When you allow Troy to play in a wild-man style of defense, their speed becomes too much for many teams to handle.

Troy is not simply a scrappy Sun Belt team, they'd be a legitimate threat in any conference.

For a team like Middle to contend with Troy or the other big boys, consistent QB play must occur. Tuesday's game was a perfect example of what happens when your strongest point becomes your weakest. The team can not compete.

The good news for Blue Raider fans is that the season is hardly finished. With 7-5 and even 8-4 a possibility Bowl opportunities may open up.

No team has ever won the Sun Belt with an undefeated record, so Blue Raider fans can start rooting against Troy from here on out.

The Blue Raiders will face a tough SEC opponent in Mississippi State on October 17 at Johnny Red Floyd Stadium in Murfreesboro. The game will be on ESPNU, another shot for the Blue Raiders to make an impact.

MTSU And Troy Reaction Song: Jumper by Third Eye Blind

James Crytzer — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 22:11:38 -0400

After a tough loss to Troy, the message boards have exploded with questions and fears. Almost every team loses, so with that in mind, I've parodied a song.

Here is Blue Raider Jump: A parody of Jumper by Third Eye Blind.

I wish you would step back from that ledge my friend
You can’t cut ties with all those guys that we’ve been bringin’ in
And if you do not want to “GO BLUE” again, I don’t understand
I don’t understand
The “end of season” a bit too insane
Seven and Five aint too far away
You know we’ll go far...
You’re the first to cry
You’re way too loud
Message Boardin’ just to make some sound
Nothing’s “Going Wrong”
Well everyone I know has got a reason
To say, forget yesterday
I wish you would step back from that ledge my friend
You can’t cut ties with all those guys that we’ve been bringin’ in
And if you do not want to “GO BLUE” again I don’t understand
I don’t understand

Well we’re three and two with seven to go.
And I do not think anyone knows
What we have to fear...
We’ve played tough teams

Yet been dismissed
I never thought it would come to this
And I, I want you to know
Everyone's got to face down the season
Maybe today
You could put the past away

I wish you would step back from that ledge my friend
You can’t cut ties with all those guys that we’ve been bringin’ in
And if you do not want to “GO BLUE” again I don’t understand
I don’t understand
I don’t understand
I don’t understand
I don’t understand
I don’t understand
I don’t understand
Understand

Yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah
Will you quit on this team today?
I wish you would step back from that ledge my friend
I don’t understand
I wish you would step back from that ledge my friend
I don’t understand
I wish you would step back from that ledge my friend
And I don’t understand
I wish you would step back from that ledge my friend
I don’t understand
I wish you would step back from that ledge my friend
I don’t understand

MTSU Blue Raiders and Troy Trojans: Predicting The ESPN2 Battle

James Crytzer — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 21:08:28 -0400

The biggest game of the Sun Belt season is less than 24 hours away as Troy and Middle Tennessee set to do battle Tuesday night on ESPN2.

The annual Battle for the Palladium pits the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders (3-1) against the Troy Trojans (2-2) at Movie Gallery Stadium in Troy, Alabama. This game will help determine if the Blue Raiders can stay on track toward a conference championship, after a great start with wins over Memphis and Maryland.

The Trojans have won the last three games in the series including a heart-breaker in 2006, which saw Troy come back from down 13 with two minutes to play.

This game still stings, as a Blue Raider victory at home would have given coach Rick Stockstill his first outright conference championship as a rookie head coach.

These two teams look to be the class acts of the Sun Belt this season, and a victory by either side will immediately make them the favorites for a New Orleans Bowl bid.

The Blue Raiders will be looking to continue their impressive air and ground attack led by junior Quarterback Dwight Dasher. Dasher has become the state's best quarterback, amassing over 1,000 passing yards and 250 rushing yards in four games. He has accounted for 10 Blue Raider touchdowns this season.

The Trojans counter with an in-state product at quarterback in Levi Brown. The Mt. Juliet (TN) native has a completion percentage nearing 65 percent as well as close to 1,000 yards passing this season.

Both teams employ a spread installed by Tony Franklin, Franklin is the current offensive coordinator at Middle Tennessee.

The key to this game will come down to the defense of the Blue Raiders and the attitude of the Troy Trojans.

The Blue Raider defense has shut down the running attack of Memphis along with forcing four turnovers in a road victory against Maryland.

Defensive ends Chris McCoy and Jamari Lattimore will be looking for another big day against a pass happy team. These two ends have combined for five sacks in this young season.

To combat Troy's affinity for the pass, the Blue Raiders will be relying on an experienced secondary to not allow the big play. Big plays nearly cost the Blue Raiders in Maryland as they gave up 37 and 64 yard passes to Maryland.

Troy will bring the Sun Belt's best defense to take on Middle's spread. The team known for their NFL caliber defenders, (DeMarcus Ware, Osi Umenyiora, Leodis McKelvin) will once again bring talented players to the contest.

Defensive end Brandon Lang led the Sun Belt in sacks last season. Defensive tackle Kevin Dixon is a transfer from Nebraska. Troy's other Defensive end, Cameron Sheffield was sixth in the league in sacks last year.

That's just the defensive line.

At linebackers, the Trojans have two of the best names in college football: Boris and Bear. Seniors Boris Lee and Bear Woods combined for over 220 tackles last season, they roam all over the field.

Troy's defense was good enough to give Florida fits for a quarter, it will be imperative that the Blue Raiders come out of the gates quickly and put some points on the board.

For all of Troy's statistical success, the team tends to have periods of almost playing on "auto pilot." Games where Troy is ahead, they tend to let teams back in. If the Trojans do happen to fall behind, they tend to lose their swagger.

Troy could easily be compared to the Sun Belt's version of Southern California. They tend to lose at least one game they shouldn't in conference.

With that in mind, the experts in Las Vegas have put Troy at a 4.5-point favorite for Tuesday's game.

Predicting a winner will come down to whether or not the Blue Raiders can establish an offensive rhythm and put touchdowns on the board as opposed to field goals. If Troy can hold Middle Tennessee to threes, momentum will certainly favor Troy.

If Middle falls behind quickly, they have the offense to get back in the game, but it certainly will be to their advantage to try to take out the home crowd with a quick score.

With that in mind, I expect the Blue Raiders to be able to score around 30 points, as Dwight Dasher is only getting better in the Tony Franklin spread, as both a running and throwing threat. Troy will be hard pressed to keep up the scoring with the Blue Raiders.

Prediction: Middle Tennessee 34 Troy 30.

Boise State, Virginia Tech, and USC. Questioning the AP Top 25

James Crytzer — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 14:32:19 -0400

With the new Associated Press polls being released, you'll notice that the Boise State Broncos have fallen behind the Virginia Tech Hokies this week.

BCS fans would tell you that it's because Boise had a "close" game with FCS squad California Davis. I'd tell you that it's because people are looking for a reason to drop Boise from the rankings.

The team that jumped Boise, Virginia Tech, certainly didn't have a quality win to speak of. The Hokies beat Duke, a team who have already lost to a FCS team, Richmond.

Duke has beaten Army and North Carolina Central this season, hardly impressive.

In a college football atmosphere, where hardly any teams go undefeated, Boise State is being penalized for winning!

Let's compare the games:

Boise State 34-16

Virginia Tech 34-26.

That's right Boise won by more, and still is penalized.

The BCS has created an atmosphere where to get respect you have to beat the stuffing out of inferior opponents.

Last season before Utah beat Alabama, people repeatedly pointed to close games against Michigan and Oregon State for proof that Utah couldn't hang with the SEC.

They were wrong.

Going undefeated is very difficult. As good as Florida is with Tim Tebow, he has never gone undefeated. That's right, never.

If you want a team to jump a "mid-major," make that team beat someone of note. I was actually more surprised that the USC v. Cal beating kept the Trojans at No. 7 as opposed to jumping Boise and Virginia Tech.

USC did beat a ranked team, and Virginia Tech beat Duke. Yet here we are with USC standing still and Virginia Tech rising up.

Maybe it's time to make these ballots public every week as opposed to simply at the end of the season.

MTSU and Troy: Blue Raiders and Trojans Enter Prime Time on ESPN

James Crytzer — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 14:06:49 -0400

A Houston Cougar loss this weekend has lessened the media attention on the success of "mid-major" programs in college football. All of that can turn around, tough, when ESPN airs Tuesday night's Middle Tennessee and Troy contest on prime time, 8 PM ET.

The Blue Raiders have made the biggest impact for the Sun Belt, a conference with minimal coverage on a national scale. Coming into this game the team is 3-1 with non-conference wins over Memphis, and Maryland.

The Terrapin victory looks even better, 32-31 on the road, with Maryland's victory over Clemson this weekend.

The Troy Trojans have been the most successful member of the Sun Belt, beating teams such as Missouri, and Oklahoma State, while also putting scares into the likes of LSU, Florida State, and Georgia.

The Trojans have won or shared the conference championship for three straight years.

The Blue Raiders come to Troy's Movie Gallery Stadium preparing for their fourth road game in five contests. The good news for the Blue Raiders is that they will have ten days to prepare for their biggest game of the season.

With the Sun Belt only having one guaranteed bowl tie-in, every conference game is crucial, an 8-4 Troy team was left out of Bowl season in 2007.

The Blue Raiders non-conference victories have started to gather the interest from ESPN, who is rumored to be planning to air their next home game against the SEC's Mississippi State Bulldogs.

A decision will be made official Monday, one day before the ESPN2 airing of Troy and Middle Tennessee.

With a win against Troy the Blue Raiders will be 4-1 with another impressive victory to add to their 2009 resume. A prime time game, one where no other football games are available, would ensure Middle Tennessee's first opportunity to show if they are truly worthy of national attention.

Currently, the Blue Raiders poses one of the nation's most potent game breakers in quarterback Dwight Dasher. Dasher is on pace to throw for 3,000 yards and run for another 1,000.

The game Tuesday night will give a national audience their first look at Sun Belt football since the "Murfreesboro Miracle" game, when Middle Tennessee beat Florida Atlantic on a hail marry with no time on the clock.

If the Blue Raiders are able to leave Troy with a victory, expect even more coverage coming to the Sun Belt conference. Currently, only one Blue Raider game is unavailable through media outlets, whether through the ESPN family of networks or on-line such as ESPN360.

Will the Sun Belt have their day in the sun? I'll have my pick for this game tomorrow.

Tony V. Troy: MTSU Blue Raiders Take on the Troy Trojans

James Crytzer — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 21:26:10 -0400

Everybody loves a good homecoming story, the return of the local hero to where it all started.

Tony Franklin has no such story.

The current Offensive Coordinator of the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders career can be summed up in one word: tumultuous.

Tony Frankin's college career began at the University of Kentucky in 1997 where he was hired as the running backs coach. Three years later Franklin would be promoted to offensive coordinator transforming Kentucky into the second best passing team in 1-A.

In 2001, Franklin wrote a book, First Down and Life to Go. This look at the insides of Kentucky Wildcat football put Franklin on the fast track to forgotten in all levels of college football. Strike One.

Six years after Franklin was thought to be done with college football forever, Larry Blakeney took a shot on him. Tony Franklin had fallen from SEC to SBC, the Sun Belt Conference.

All Franklin did for Troy was pull their offense from 109th overall to 16th. He also helped Troy win their first bowl game, a victory 41-17 over Rice. Tony Franklin had turned around his image, he was now a hot commodity in major college football.

Franklin returned to major college football as an offensive coordinator for the Auburn Tigers. Having been hired during the Bowl season, Frankiln's offense was rushed onto the field against Virginia Tech.

The Tigers posted 423 yards of offense. The Tony Franklin system looked to have finally returned to the SEC.

It wouldn't last long.

The 2008 season saw Auburn rank 104th in total offense following a 4-2 start. Tony Franklin was immediately fired on October 8th 2008. Strike Two.

With the Tony Franklin experience seemingly dead, another Sun Belt school reached out to the offensive guru. Middle Tennessee had just lost their offensive coordinator G.A. Mangus.

Tony Franklin was a free agent, and the Blue Raiders were looking to create the basketball on grass attitude. Franklin promised that, and he has delivered.

Currently Middle Tennessee State is ranked 19th overall in passing, ranking 39th overall in total offense.

Tony Franklin has not struck out.

Now Franklin returns to Troy to take on his former squad for Sun Belt supremacy. Troy continues to throw the ball, after the tweaking of the Franklin system, averaging nearly 279 yards a game.

Can Tony Franklin and co. come home and get a win for the Blue Raiders and return the Palladium to Middle Tennessee?

We'll see LIVE on ESPN2, Tuesday, October 6th.

What Could Be? Boise State Broncos in The BCS Title Game

James Crytzer — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 20:43:46 -0400

For the first time in the history of the Bowl Championship Series, a ''mid-major'' school is lining up for their shot at a National Championship appearance.

With a top-five ranking in hand, the Boise State Broncos have a legitimate shot to come to Pasadena in search of a title, not only for their university, but for all of the outsiders in the BCS hypocrisy.

Is it possible? Oh yes. Not only possible, but hinging on more and more probable every week.

Currently Boise State is behind the following teams: Florida, Texas, Alabama, and LSU.

Alabama and LSU play each other this season, so put a loss on one of those teams.

Alabama and Florida will likely play in the SEC Championship. Hang a loss on one of those teams.

Texas and Oklahoma will play each other, and Sam Bradford will be back. The Sooners have a shot to play spoiler to their rival.

That's all it should take, the only upset Boise will be looking for is Texas to lose to somebody in the Big 12.

The rest is inevitable.

But what could the impact of a Boise State National Championship appearance create? We'll have to go back in time to figure this out.

In 1984, the undefeated BYU Cougars coached by LaVell Edwards were crowned National Champions by numerous publications, including the Associated Press. As you can imagine, this still doesn't sit well with College Football historians.

It only got crazier in 1990.

In 1990, two teams claimed stake to the National Championship, Colorado and Georgia Tech. Each squad had their own argument to why they deserved the title and it led to a myriad of National Champions in major college football.

People didn't like small schools as championship contenders.

From 1991-1997, the last years before the BCS there were 16 National Championship football teams, that's an average of over two teams a season!

So, to solve all of these problems a system was put in that we love like our red-headed stepchild, the BCS. The BCS has done an excellent job at removing the little guys from the title games, instead we get Ohio State thrashings and USC versus Big Ten games annually.

Truly revolutionary.

Now with Boise State knocking on the door to a title appearance we are wondering what effect the Broncos will have on our history...

If the Broncos win

Let's just say that Boise State follows in the footsteps of every BCS buster except Hawaii and wins their game. Will we have college football historians cleverly forgetting 2009, a la BYU in the early 1990s?

Will we have the fans of major conferences call ''shenanigans'' based upon strength of schedule?

Or will the dream of college football fans be a reality? A playoff for the National Championship coming as a result?

But wait. Who says Boise can win? What if they lose?

If the Broncos lose

Let's say Boise pulls a Hawaii and gets beaten—even blown out—nothing bad will happen to college football.

How, you ask?

The first issue of college football that will be resolved is the strength of schedule issue. Teams from smaller conferences will be forced to schedule BCS squads to gain respect. In turn, this will create a fair platform for BCS teams to avoid the cupcake games that do nothing more than pad their statistics.

Teams who play games against TCU, BYU, Boise, Houston, Utah, etc. will receive more credit for their willingness to take on challenges out of conference. With this system in place, college football will not have as many laughable Temple versus Penn State types of games.

Teams who chose not to challenge themselves, such as Penn State this year, will receive even less respect following a loss.

You can look at Oklahoma for an example of what happens when you challenge yourself out of conference.

The next issue that will be resolved will be a system that can keep the mid-majors out of the National Championship. This could mean simply a tweak to the BCS system, but I believe an overhaul is in the works.

The truth is that even major bowl games are not easy to see. Last year's Orange Bowl had tickets for sale for $5.00 on StubHub.com.

A playoff system will quickly sell out venues the size of the new Texas Stadium. These games will finally have a value, they would become the stepping stones to finding a true National Champion.

So what should College Football fans hope for? I say hope for Boise State, TCU, and Houston to keep their winning ways going. Root for the Broncos to appear in the BCS title game.

No matter the results of the game, change will come from this landmark event. Let's hope the change will be better than the last time a ''mid-major'' won a National Championship.

Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders and The Sun Belt: Hardly A Loss

James Crytzer — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 20:32:05 -0400

A common occurrence among college football fans is the discussion regarding the best conferences in football. Whether you're an SEC guy, Big 12 man, or Pac-10 fan, you, the fan, know who's best.

But what happens if you're a fan of a smaller conference? Say the Sun Belt?

You know you're not close to being the best, but are you truly the worst?

Many people emphatically will choose yes, but perception is not reality.

Perception: I've never heard of these schools, and my favorite teams beat these guys up all the time.

Reality: The conference started playing 1-A, FBS football in 2001. It's impossible to expect to catch up to 100 years of tradition in only 10 years. Furthermore, some of these schools are even less experienced in their FBS history.

Perception: These guys can't beat anyone.

Reality: Some notable wins for the Sun Belt include: Alabama, Maryland, Vanderbilt, Missouri, Kansas State, Central Michigan, Memphis, Rice, Akron, Minnesota, and Texas A&M. So, they've beaten BCS qualifiers and non-BCS teams as well.

Perception: Who comes from the Sun Belt?

Reality: DeMarcus Ware, Osi Umenyiora, Jake Dellhome, Leodis McKelvin, Kelley Holcomb, Brandon Stokley, Ike Taylor, Charles Tillman, and Mean Joe Green...just to name a few.

So let's look at each Sun Belt Squad and see if this conference has truly proven its perception as the worst around.

Middle Tennessee:

The Blue Raiders were underdogs the first three weeks of the college football season. What did they do? They won two of the three, thrashing Memphis and beating Maryland on the road. Clemson is the only team to beat the Blue Raiders this season. Two impressive wins for the conference already.

Louisiana-Monroe:

The Warhawks, formerly known as the Indians, are 2-2 with loses to Arizona State and Texas. Their wins came against Texas Southern (FCS) and Florida Atlantic, a Sun Belt squad, on the road. A neutral judgement for the Warhawks.

Troy:

Troy has been the banner squad for the Sun Belt. They've beaten ranked squads as well as played tough with teams such as Ohio State and LSU just last season. This year, Troy has defeated UAB and Alcorn State. An opening season loss to Bowling Green was shocking because the Trojans were favored to win the game. Troy's other loss came at Florida.

Troy's decision to play bigger squads have either been feast or famine for the conference.

Louisiana-Lafayette:

The Ragin' Cajuns have beaten Kansas State and Southern University this year. Their two loses have come to LSU and Nebraska, certainly acceptable when considering their opponents.

Florida International:

The Golden Panthers were once the laughing stock of the league, but times have changed. The team is 0-3, but they've played tough with all of their opponents. Losses to Alabama, Rutgers, and Toledo have been close but losses nonetheless.

Western Kentucky:

The worst thing about the Hilltoppers, is that this is their first full season in Division 1-A. WKU has yet to win a game, but they played tough against Navy following a disappointing Central Arkansas (FCS) defeat. It's not going to be as easy as Hilltopper fans had expected to make the leap to major college football.

Arkansas State:

The Red Wolves, formerly Indians as well, have beaten Mississippi Valley State while losing to Troy and Nebraska. Nebraska has feasted on Sun Belt squads, including the Red Wolves.

North Texas:

The Mean Green (Eagles) defeated Ball State as an underdog, and they put Ohio into double overtime before falling as the result of a personal foul call. North Texas has certainly improved from a one-win team from 2008.

Florida Atlantic:

The Owls are currently on a two-game bowl winning streak. They defeated Memphis in 2007's New Orleans Bowl and upset Central Michigan in the 2008 Motor City Bowl. This year's squad has lost to South Carolina, Nebraska, and Louisiana-Monroe. FAU is another team that can increase the conference's reputation with a less demanding schedule.

Overall, the Sun Belt has done more for their reputation than in previous years. The league has two BCS wins as well as an undefeated record against the CUSA. The league has also created secondary bowl tie-ins for the St. Petersburg, Independence, Papajohns.com, and Motor City Bowl.

The Sun Belt conference has moved from body bag game to trap game. It's not where you'd want your conference to stay, but it is does show much improvement in such a young league.

Middle Tennessee State: A New Era for Blue Raider Football Begins

James Crytzer — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 21:10:24 -0400

The year was 2005. The Andy McCollum era was on the way out and the Middle Tennessee State Blue Raiders were looking for a new head coach. The team had under-achieved for another season, this time with a 4-7 record.

Two men came to Murfreesboro promising change. Enter Chris Massaro and Rick Stockstill.

Chris Massaro brought Middle Tennessee athletics out of the dark ages. With his leadership the astroturf was finally replaced, along with a new video board, the "blue tube."

Middle Tennessee was looking to be a higher profile football team, and it was time for the impact to show on the field.

Rick Stockstill inherited a team in scholarship hot water. The previous regime had higher-risk athletes, creating a loss of future scholarships for the Blue Raiders. Stockstill took over in 2006, and in his first year MTSU went to its first-ever bowl game as a Division I school.

The Blue Raiders' only sour note in 2006 was their last conference game against Troy. Leading 20-7, the Raiders gave up 14 points in the final 2:19 of the game to lose and eventually receive an at-large bid to the Motor City Bowl.

In 2007 the Blue Raiders played tough against No. 8 Louisville in a 58-42 shootout, and later beat Memphis 21-7 in the Liberty Bowl. They also hosted their first BCS opponent, the Virginia Cavaliers, that year. Virginia won by a last-second field goal, but the Blue Raiders knew that if they could start getting their young players ready, a special season was on the horizon

But with those successes, MTSU still finished a disappointing 5-7.

In 2008 MTSU earned its first non-Vanderbilt BCS win in a 24-14 victory over Maryland. The Blue Raiders were also within one yard of upsetting Kentucky the following week.

MTSU played a memorable game against the Florida Atlantic Owls that season, also, which aired on ESPN. In what has become known as the "Murfreesboro Miracle," quarterback Joe Craddock hit Malcolm Beyah with no time left on the clock to tie the game. Alan Gendreau kicked the PAT for the Blue Raider comeback.

Despite those two noteworthy victories, the Blue Raiders underperformed, finishing 5-7 and missing out on a bowl berth.

This year the Raiders have finally gotten it together. After losing to Clemson, a game that was closer than the score shows, the Raiders beat Memphis and Maryland in back-to-back games. Going in to this weekend's big game against North Texas the Raiders are 2-1.

MTSU is still in its infancy when it comes to major college football. This is only the team's 10th year and already the Raiders have an impressive resume:

5-1 against Division I programs in Tennessee
five BCS wins
one bowl game appearance

The team has gotten enough publicity around the nation that ESPN has considered picking up its next home game against Mississippi State.

Is MTSU the best team in Tennessee? Maybe not, but it certainly is not the fourth best, as many would assume.

Chris Massaro and Rick Stockstill have given the Blue Raiders the opportunity to win every football game on their schedule.

The creation of the 12-game schedule has allowed teams the ability to get BCS opponents to leave the comfort zone of home games against cupcakes. If you want to play these "lower tier" teams, you'll have to come to their place.

Next year Minnesota will play at Johnny "Red" Floyd stadium, and the Raiders will play on the road against Ball State, Memphis, and Georgia Tech. This schedule will give the Raiders the chance to win three OOC games.

In 2011 the Blue Raiders will return to Knoxville for the first time since 2002. The team will be different two years from now, but it will certainly allow the Blue Raiders a chance to measure up against Tennessee's "best."

Tennessee-Florida: Vols Played A Shameful Game

James Crytzer — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 12:48:20 -0400

Dear Tennessee Fans:

"You Play To Win The Game!" Herman Edwards taught us this lesson a few years back, and it will always remain the No. 1 commandment in football. Apparently your coach, Lane Kiffin, is of a different sect.

Lane Kiffin believes you play to keep it close. That's unacceptable.

Every year, college football fans are subjected to the talk about how tough the SEC is, and with the new ESPN contract, it's gone too far.

I'll say what everybody was thinking watching the UT v. Florida game: THE SEC IS SOFT!

Why do I say this? Simple, Lane Kiffin and his Vols would rather keep a game "close" than go for a win. How funny in that a league known for their toughness and speed the only speed shown was Lane Kiffin running out the clock.

The University of Tennessee should be ashamed of their actions on Saturday. Every offensive drive put together for the Volunteers was built around milking the clock and leaving town.

I understand that Jonathan Crompton is not a premier player, but If any school outside of the SEC did this, every SEC homer would be calling them cowards. Worse off, they'd be insulting the entire conference.

With that in mind, Lane Kiffin, you played 60 minutes of coward ball. I'd rather lose the way the Troy Trojans lost in the swamp than the Vols.

"We covered the spread!"

Pathetic.

Is Florida beatable? Yes. Will it be easy, No.

But to come out with so much talk about singing Rocky Top, and Urban Meyer being a cheater, Lane Kiffin only proved that he is all talk.

For the savior of Tennessee football, he is already behind the USC curve.

Look at Steve Sarkisian at Washington, he took over a team with ZERO wins last season, and he's already got two, including one against No. 3 USC.

Lane Kiffin and Tennessee, do me a favor, keep your mouth shut. Talk when you've beaten a top five squad.

You want to make an impact? Play somebody, and beat them. Schedule a team out of conference and make a stand. Stop trying to make impact in the media, and start making them on the field.

P.S. Losing to UCLA two years in a row isn't a stand.

Tim Tebow? There's a New Heisman Candidate In Florida.

James Crytzer — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 22:31:13 -0400

He's not the most recognized player in the state of Florida, and he might not even be known outside his own university. His name is Jacory Harris, and he's now on the track toward a Heisman Trophy.

Yes, THAT Miami team that could have started the season 0-4, is now 2-0. Two ranked teams, two victories.

After the transfer of Robert Marve and Cannon Smith, the Hurricanes were 'stuck' with Harris. Now they can't complain.

The 'U' is back, the swagger has returned, and the team is young and hungry.

The reason Harris can win the Heisman, and more importantly that Miami can return to a BCS title game is their schedule. They play Virginia Tech and Oklahoma the next two games.

If they win these, they should be in the top five. No team has such a difficult schedule to start the season. 4-0, four ranked teams, four victories.

If Miami wins out, expect Jacory Harris to be the reason. His decision making was questioned as a freshman, but it looks like he's grasped the Hurricane offense.

Harris is threat with his arm first and his legs second, a complete player on a very good football team.

I would have said before the Georgia Tech game that Miami was not disciplined enough to win it all. I was wrong.

If Miami starts the season 4-0, I expect them to go undefeated the rest of the way. It's a lot to ask from any team, especially a group mostly comprised of underclassmen.

Jacory Harris has arrived on the college football scene, its not a mirage, its the return of the 'U.'

If Miami can win out, I expect them to play in the BCS title game, and just maybe, to take that Heisman Trophy away from that Other Florida Quarterback.

New Polls, New Questions: College Football Recap Week 2

James Crytzer — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 20:42:16 -0400

Week two in college football taught us a few things, and has posed some new questions as well. Plenty of upsets across the board, as well as numerous close calls for the big boys in college football. With week two wrapped up, let's take a look at the week's winners and losers for week two:

ACC Winners:

Georgia Tech: The Yellow Jackets were rolling Clemson, then it all fell apart. The inability for Josh Nesbitt to hit water from a boat was apparent all night. Tech got it together in the fourth quarter to seal up a much needed win for the Yellow Jackets against Clemson.

Clemson: Sure they lost, but the old Tigers would have rolled over and died. Dabo Sweeney is an excellent motivator for his players. A tough loss no doubt, but Clemson has shown the rest of the ACC how to defend Paul Johnson's spread.

North Carolina: A game that the ACC could not afford to lose. UCONN seemed to have it all the way, but the fourth quarter did the Huskies in. Butch Davis should be proud of his defense, but the Offense was nowhere to be found.

Wake Forest: Another must win for credibility for the ACC. Wake and Riley Skinner got it done against the Cardinal. Good OOC win.

ACC Losers:

Maryland: The Terrapins went to overtime, at home, against James Madison! They didn't lose, but it's been a tough two weeks for Ralph Friedgen and his Terps, after a blowout against Cal, and a nail biter from JMU.

Florida State: Close call against Jacksonville State? They better get it together when the travel to Provo for a clash with BYU. BYU will not fear the Seminoles.

Big Ten Winners:

Michigan: Tate Forcier and Rich Rodriguez look like a match made in Maize and Blue. Beating Notre Dame puts them in the Top 25. Maybe Rodriguez will infuse speed into this slacking conference.

Big Ten Losers:

Northwestern: A cupcake turns into a close game with Eastern Michigan, it seems like directional Michigan's gave the Big Ten trouble all week. N'western kicks two field goals in the fourth quarter to win the game by 3!

Michigan State: MSU loses to Central Michigan, after jumping offsides on a CMU field goal attempt, allowing the Chippewas another shot to beat the Spartans. CMU hits the field goal for the big "W."

Indiana: This time it's Western Michigan. Only a five point win, come on guys, they're called body bag games, not comedy routines.

Wisconsin: Fresno State comes to Madison, and should have left a winner. QB Ryan Colburn throws 3 interceptions, allowing Wisconsin to let out a sigh of relief.

Ohio State: The Buckeyes needed to beat USC, and should have won the game. Problem is that they didn't. No they allowed USC to drive down for the leading Touchdown and two-point conversion. The Ohio State broken record.

Purdue: Remember conference recognition and Big Ten football? Yeah, Purdue couldn't beat Oregon, just another loss against real competition.

Big 12 Winners:

None: Only cupcake wins this week.

Big 12 Losers:

Oklahoma State: Houston? On your home stadium? After you beat Georgia? Ladies and Gentleman: The College Football Conundrum.

Colorado: Blown out by Toledo. Dan Hawkins needs to go back to his Boise roots. Urban Meyer trusted his offense when he moved to a bigger conference. Hawkins hasn't trusted his.

Missouri: Bowling Green is on the road, and you need 14 fourth quarter points to win? After destroying Illinois? Maybe that's just proof of how bad the Illini are. At least you won the game.

Kansas State: A BCS win for the Sunbelt as Louisiana Lafayette wins with a field goal by a kicker who had never, I repeat never, attempted a field goal in college. Bad timing for that Bill Snyder five year extension.

Big East Winners:

Cupcakes again Big East? No real winners for this week, but we'll give 'em some credit.

Cincinnati: After destroying Rutgers, the Bearcats do the same to South East Missouri State. It's not impressive, but it got the 'Cats to jump Utah in the polls. No BCS bias, I'm sure..... NOT!

West Virginia: East Carolina isn't very good, they should be 0-2 but they can thank the lawn mower gods for thier first win. The Mountaineers showed, that they are mediocre at best this season.

Big East Losers:

UCONN: The only team to play a real BCS team, sorry Penn State v. Syracuse. Huskies choke away a shot at conference rep. At least there's basketball, well North Carolina has that too... Hmm.....

Conference USA Winners:

Houston: What to say? Houston took Oklahoma State out in their place, they're ranked and rightfully so. A GREAT win for the C-USA.

SMU: June Jones and Co. beat the Blazers of UAB. Any win for the program is a positive, especially a conference win.

Conference USA Losers:

East Carolina: Last year looks like a fluke after losing to a mediocre West Virginia squad.

Rice: Texas Tech without Graham Harrell and Michael Crabtree, and the Owls lose 55-10.

Memphis: Owned with a capital "O" against Middle Tennessee. The vaunted running game was shut down, as was all of the Tiger offense. Not a statement game for C-USA

Independent Winners:

Navy: Only team to win this week, beating Louisiana Tech.

Independent Losers:

Notre Dame: The Irish make Lou Holtz look crazier than we once thought. From undefeated and BCS title game to a Charlie Weis disappointment.

Army: Can't beat Duke, gave up 14 points on 2 plays, 2 interceptions returned for TDs.

MAC Winners:

Central Michigan: They went toe-to-toe with Michigan State. Dan Lefevour's first BCS win, he deserves it after his storied career.

Ohio: Goes for two against North Texas for the win in double over time. Ohio needed this game, as a North Texas loss would only hurt the league.

Bowling Green: My pick for the MAC Champions. Already beat Troy, and had Missouri on the ropes. Not a win, but still a great showing.

Toledo: Beating Colorado lost some of its luster after the Colorado State loss, but still a BCS win for the MAC.

MAC Losers:

Ball State: New Hampshire, if you didn't know they dont' play 1-A football. That means a North Texas and New Hampshire loss out of conference. Not good.

Buffalo: Playing at home and blown away by Pitt, the Bulls wouldn't be here if they put up a respectable showing.

Mountain West Winners:

TCU: Horned Frogs say no warm ups and put a stomping on Virginia on the road. The Horned Frogs were up 30-0 before bringing in the second team, that's where Virginia's 14 points came from.

BYU: Gotta win 'em all, and beat the teams you're supposed to convincingly. Done and Done as BYU storms the Green Wave of Tulane.

Utah: The Utes haven't lost since 2007. The streak continues as they beat San Jose state. This win of course, dropped Utah 2 spots in the polls.

UNLV: The Rebels were up on Oregon State until :07 seconds left as the Beavers escaped with a 23-21 win. Good showing for a team with not much to hope for in-conference.

Mountain West Losers:

Air Force: The Falcons would have loved a win against the Gophers on the road. Up 10-3 in the fourth quarter, Minnesota scored 17 points in a row. Leaving the Falcons with a sour taste in their mouths on the trip home.

Colorado State: The rams sneak by Webber State, with a fourth quarter touchdown. A win, but not one to brag about.

Pac-10 Winners:

UCLA: The Bruins show that last year wasn't a fluke and that the Vols aren't back. Winning a big game in Knoxville for Pac-10 pride.

USC: Southern Cal shows why they win championships and why Ohio State simply attends the games.

Oregon: The Ducks get a big win for the Pac-10 over the Big Ten. They also show some offense.

Pac-10 Losers:

Stanford: Up 17-3 at the half and losing 24-17 at the end. Not what Jim Harbaugh had in mind for his Cardinal.

Washington: First win in 15 games, sure it's Idaho, but a win is a win with a 15 game losing streak on your back.

Washington State: Blown away by the Warriors of Hawaii. Hawaii looks like a whole new club after week two.

Oregon State: Late drive gets the Beavers out of Paradise, Nevada with a 'W' not too impressive a road exhibition.

SEC Winners:

None: Cupcake games out of conference.

SEC Losers:

Tennessee: Jonathan Crompton throws for 96 yards and three interceptions. Looks like Western Kentucky makes everybody look like an All Star.

Georgia: After Losing to Oklahoma State, and now playing South Carolina tight, ranking this team in the top 25 is strictly based upon name recognition, not on the field play.

LSU: Vanderbilt comes to Death Valley and LSU makes them look competitive. LSU needs to figure it out, one week its the defense, next week it's the offense.

Sun Belt Winners:

Middle Tennessee: A Convincing win over Memphis. Tony Franklin's spread cuts through the Memphis defense. MT shuts down every facet of the Memphis ground game.

Louisiana Lafayette: The Ragin Cajuns get the Sun Belt's first BCS win of the season. Bill Snyder learns a valuable lesson regarding the changes in College Football.

Sun Belt Losers:

North Texas: If the Mean Green stop the two point conversion, they're 2-0 both winning as underdogs. Todd Dodge looks like he's getting the hang of the College Game.

The rest of the Sun Belt played BCS Squads: Alabama, Florida, South Florida, and Nebraska. Only South Florida traveled away from home, but they played Western Kentucky.

WAC Winners:

Boise State: See BYU. The Broncos took care of business the way you're forced to; to gain respect in the polls.

Hawaii: The Warriors win one against the Pac-10. It helps the perception of the conference not matter who it was.

Fresno State: Pat Hill takes on another BCS squad and gives them all they can handle. Mistakes cause the Bulldogs the agony of defeat, not the Badgers.

WAC Losers:

Louisiana Tech: La-Tech joined this conference for notoriety, they showed they haven't earned much as the fall to Navy.

My Top Ten Rankings:

As always, ratings are subject to change week to week. I take the teams based on their showings on the field, as opposed to where they play. Notoriety means nothing, all that matters is whose playing the best football.

Florida
USC
Texas
BYU
Alabama
Boise State
Cal
Penn State
Ohio State
Mississippi

This is after week two. I'll gladly answer any of your questions regarding opinions and rankings from this article. Remember, this is just one man's opinions, so let's keep the discussion civil.

Until next week college football fans.

Ten Free NCAA Picks For Week Two: Make Money In Vegas

James Crytzer — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 21:52:47 -0400

Ok Bleacher Creatures, it's nearing that magical day. Some call Saturday, but others simply refer to it as Football, it has no day or night.

With college football back, its time we realize why we have so many teams in Division 1. It's certainly not for the equal competition, it's for the numerous bets we can make in Las Vegas.

Let's take a moment for a DISCLAIMER: Bleacher Report, and it's affiliates do not condone gambling illegally, and probably legally as well. So as they say in Vegas: Play Smart, and know your limits.

With that out of the way, let's take a look at ten games I like for the week. Comment freely.

1. East Carolina v. West Virginia: If you don't remember last year, ECU beat West Virginia for their second top ten win of the season. It's revenge time for West Virginia without Pat White.Take the Over at 44 as I see both teams breaking the 25 point barrier.

2. Duke v. Army: Duke just lost to Richmond of the Football Championship Series, FCS, A.K.A Division 1-AA. Army just beat Eastern Michigan. I have to assume that Duke will wake up and take down Army. So take Duke +1.

3. Texas v. Wyoming: The Big 12 looks for their first win against the Mountain West this season, it's not a typo. Wyoming gets the Long Horns at home, but it won't matter. Take the Over at 56. I see Texas breaking 56 on their own in this one.

4. SMU v. UAB: SMU and June Jones bring the Run and Shoot to Birmingham to take on UAB. UAB already scored 40+ last week, and SMU is not a defensive squad. Take the Blazers -12.5 over SMU.

5. Air Force v. Minnesota: Minnesota made Greg Paulus look like he had not missed much since high school. Air Force amassed 72 points against a FCS squad. I'll take Air Force to cover at +3.5, Minnesota will have trouble with the triple option.

6. Houston v. Oklahoma State: This is the PICK OF THE WEEK. Houston takes their offense to Still Water to take on Oklahoma State, fresh off their beating of Georgia. Houston can't hang in this game, and the spread is perfect for the big bet: Take Oklahoma State - 15 at home.

7. USC v. Ohio State: Matt Barkley and USC come to Columbus to take on Terrelle Pryor and Ohio State. Ohio State looks to rebound from last year's laugher. Play it safe here and take the over at 45. I think Ohio St. will be putting up some points at home.

8. Troy v. Florida: Troy comes into The Swamp looking to get out alive. Florida comes is looking to keep scoring to cement their claim as one of the best teams ever. Troy will put up some points, so take the over at 59. Florida might be able to hit this number on their own.

9. Kansas State v. Louisiana Lafayette: Sun Belt teams tend to be forgotten in Vegas, and this is where you can make the real money. Kansas State didn't look too good last week, but they are certainly better than ULL. Take the Wild Cats over the Ragin' Cajuns at -7. They should be too much even playing on the road.

10. Middle Tennessee v. Memphis: Memphis comes off a loss to Ole Miss, which saw them play close for 3 quarters. Watching the game, Middle Tennessee must shut down their shifty running backs. With Memphis quarterback play so weak, the Blue Raiders will stack the box and make the Tigers win through the air. I don't see that happening. Take the Blue Raiders -2 at home.

Final Wrap Up:

ECU & WVU OVER 44
DUKE & Army: Duke +1
Texas & Wyoming: Over 56
SMU & UAB: UAB -12.5
Air Force & Minnesota: Air Force +3.5
Houston & Oklahoma State: Oklahoma State - 15
USC & Ohio State: Over 45
Troy & Florida: Over 59
Kansas State & Louisiana Lafayette: Kansas State -7
Middle Tennessee & Memphis: Middle Tennessee -2

The Truth Is On The Field: Boise State And MWC Welcome To The BCS

James Crytzer — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 20:43:47 -0400

I said it numerous times last year, if you're the only team to go undefeated, you're the National Champion. The rule certainly should hold true if there are nearly 120 other teams in your league. Sadly, this is not the truth for the non BCS conferences in college football.

It's time for a change.

After week one, there can be no doubts about the strength of the little guys. Boise State took care of business easily, almost as if Oregon was a WAC team. Utah has already gone undefeated twice and appeared in BCS games, winning both handily.

And now we have BYU, beating Oklahoma at a "neutral site," as if Provo and Norman are equidistant from Dallas.

But let's not forget about TCU, another squad that continually takes on and beats the best in college football.

As much as BCS fans, and Big 6 conferences (Big East, Big 10, Big 12, SEC, ACC, Pac-10) would like to admit, these boys can play, and it's time to invite them to the party.

Conference strength is something that many people harp on, demanding that the MWC add Boise State and others to strengthen it. I would love Boise in the league, but I want the promise of a BCS game.

There is no reason to have four solid teams if the best they can hope for is to go undefeated for a shot at a BCS game.

Recruiting was a buzz word before Utah defeated Alabama. Nobody believed that players who were not five-star recruits could compete. Give the MWC a BCS bowl, and imagine the players they could get.

Recruiting is driven by success, especially the success of the league. Blue Chips want to play against the big boys, and when I say play, I don't mean sitting the bench for three years and transfer out.

Boise, TCU, BYU, and Utah all offer that ability for players to play—and play against good competition weekly. They also have the coaches that won't jump ship for the next big contract. It makes a difference to families and players, I assure you.

So how about it, BCS? I know the contracts are not up yet, but what else could you want from a conference? They beat the big boys, (Oklahoma, Alabama, Oregon, UCLA, Michigan, Louisville) and their little boys beat the big boys (Wyoming over Tennessee, Colorado St over Colorado). So give them a chance every year.

In the BCS, these teams are 3-0, 3-1 if you count Hawaii. This is proof enough that they can play against the big boys.

P.S. Maybe it's time that all these big boys start playing these guys at their place. I mean, how long has Boise been winning and Oregon was the FIRST top 25 team to come to Boise...Unacceptable.

Let's get moving NCAA and BCS, I'm getting tired of seeing Ohio State losing in BCS games. Let's see the new blood of college football.

Monday Evening Quarterback: NCAA Week One

James Crytzer — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 16:57:53 -0400

The first week of college football is nearly over, as we are awaiting the results of only two football games. The news of the first week has to be that anything is possible. We lost the Heisman Trophy winner and had numerous upsets from all across the football scene.

With so much going on, let's take a look at the winners and losers of week one. We'll break it down conference by conference:

ACC:

Virginia Tech were beaten by Alabama. The game was much closer than last year's Clemson debacle, but still disappointing. Virginia Tech learned that Tyrod Taylor isn't going to win a game with his arm, and this weakness was clearly exploited by Alabama.

North Carolina State lost to South Carolina, in what can be called a prime-time snooze. Both teams offensive efforts were pathetic, but especially North Carolina State. Besides the screen pass, nothing else was working. Tom O'Brien's conservative playcalling hurt North Carolina State and truly hurt the conference.

Wake Forest loses to Baylor. Wake was hardly a favourite, (two points) but they did end up losing.

Cal returns the favor against Maryland from last year's game.

RICHMOND AND WILLIAM AND MARY! beat Duke and Virginia respectively, Al Groh's spread for UVA gets picked apart, literally, and Duke's hype is already gone. Just another David Cutcliffe head coaching season!

The rest of the season went as planned: Georgia Tech Rolls, North Carolina Rolls, Clemson Rolls, and Boston College Rolls. Only Clemson played a 1-A team though.

Not looking good for the ACC so far.

Big Ten:

Not a great day for the Big 10 either.

Syracuse gives Minnesota a game with a Quarterback who hasn't played since High School! Good News, is that the Gophers got the 'W' in overtime over Big East cellar dweller Syracuse and Greg Paulus.

Iowa survives Northern Iowa, to escape the curse of the Big Ten network. Michigan and Appalachian State was the first game on the Big 10 Network. Northern Iowa have two field goal attempts blocked in a row to lose, that's why they're FCS.

Ohio State make Navy look like National Title contenders, but they pull it out when Navy decides to throw the ball on a 2-pt conversion for the tie. The pass attempt is picked off and the game is all but over.

Missouri without Jeremy Maclin and Chase Daniel ROLL Illinois as Juice Williams looks like a one season wonder. Not a good start for the Zooker and his Illini.

Wisconsin looks MAC ready as they only beat Northern Illinois 28-20.

The rest of the season went as planned as the favorites rolled: Michigan, Penn State, Michigan St., Purdue, and North Western all start 1-0. Michigan and Purdue beat MAC squads Western Michigan and Akron respectively.

BIG 12:

Truly an up and down opener for the Big 12.

Oklahoma State started slow in the first quarter against Georgia, but got hot to blow out the Dawgs 24-10. Big win for the Big 12 against the SEC.

Missouri won a statement match for the Big 12 as already mentioned.

Oklahoma lost to BYU, as well as losing Sam Bradford.

Colorado also lost to another Mountain West School at home against Colorado State.

Baylor beats Wake on the road.

Certainly not the best news for the conference with the Oklahoma loss, but certainly nothing to cry about, unless you're an OU fan.

Big East:

Nothing to truly report here as the Conference won their cupcake games. The only game of note was UCONN v. Ohio, with the Huskies winning 23-16.

We already mentioned the Syracuse close loss to Minnesota.

Conference USA:

Memphis looked tough against Ole Miss until the fourth quarter. That's when the ship sank.

ECU survived Appalachian State even without Armanti Edwards. Good to see that the future of Appy St. football is still bright.

Marshall survives Southern Illinois, Central Florida survive Samford and SMU survive Stephen F. Austin. Not overly impressive.

UTEP lose to Buffalo... Not too impressive

No positive statements were made as of yet, but the conference will have its shot.

Independents:

2-1 was certainly not expected for this conference.

Navy loses a close one to Ohio State, Notre Dame THUMPS Nevada, and Army handles Eastern Michigan. A great start.

MAC:

Mediocre Week for the MAC.

Central Michigan kept it close against Arizona, but as always, lose against a BCS squad.

Buffalo beat UTEP, a good win for the conference.

Bowling Green beat Troy, another good win for the conference.

Ball State lose to North Texas: BAD NEWS

Temple lose to Villanova: BAD NEWS

Close call for Northern Illinois and Ohio, but no W's.

Blowouts across the board, as expected for week one.

Mountain West Conference:

Statement week for the MWC.

BYU and Colorado St. beat Big 12's Oklahoma and Colorado respectively. TCU was off as they will get Virginia in Charlottesville.

San Diego State play UCLA close in the first Quarter, and that's about it.

Utah Rolls Utah St, the 'O' look good, the 'D' need work.

New Mexico rolled by Texas A&M.

The conference can't ask for a better week. Sure you want to win them all, but come on: New Mexico, and SDSU aren't getting any better with the big three at the top.

PAC-10:

Weak week for the Pac-10.

Oregon get handled by Boise State, Oregon also hand Lagerrette Blount his walking papers.

USC rolls... surprised?

Cal play well at home, as usual.

Washington, looking 100 times better than the 0-12 team from last year, lose to LSU close.

1-AA across the board for the rest on week 1.

SEC:

Questions to be answered, but looks like another great season.

Ole Miss look mediocre at best for 3 quarters. What happened here?

Georgia get bounced on the road.

Alabama look great against Va. Tech.

Maybe Washington is the real deal, maybe LSU is overrated? Time will tell.

Conference rolls the cupcakes the rest of the way.

SUN BELT:

Only big win was North Texas over Ball State.

The Belt received their weekly million-dollar beatings from BCS teams as Texas,Clemson, Nebraska, and Tennessee easily roll.

Troy dissapoint in a loss to Bowling Green.

Louisiana Lafayette and Arkansas State roll their FCS opponents.

WESTERN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE:

Boise State keep the conference relative with a big win over Oregon.

The only statement made by the conference is that Hawaii have a tough game against Central Arkansas.

Nevada dissapoint, as well as Louisiana Tech.

It's Boise State or bust for the WAC.

Ranking the Conferences:

After week one here's my ranking of the Division One Conferences:

SEC
Big 12
Mountain West
Pac-10
ACC
Big Ten
Independents
Big East
WAC
CUSA
Sun Belt
MAC

Obviously things here are not set in stone. After week one we really dont know the strength of the Big Ten, Big East or even the Big 12. This is how I see it personally, and as all opinions, they are subject to change.

Here's to week one!

The Future Of College Football and The Death Of Conference USA 1995-2011

James Crytzer — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 16:13:26 -0400

The buzz around the college football preseason centers around the Heisman Trophy and BCS, but since 2005 a new word has entered the college football vocabulary: expansion.

Every program outside of the six BCS conferences is looking to be the next South Florida or Louisville; to go from forgotten to the big money of a BCS conference.

With teams such as Utah, Boise St., and Hawaii busting the BCS, a line has been drawn for the mid-major conferences. You are either striving toward the BCS: Mountain West and WAC, or falling further behind: C-USA and MAC.

With news of the Memphis basketball 'scandal,' Conference USA is officially on notice: Expansion will lead to the contraction of Conference USA.

The current members of the Conference USA are divided into two divisions: East and West.

East

East Carolina
Marshall
Memphis
Southern Miss
UAB
Central Florida

West

Houston
Rice
Southern Methodist
Tulane
Tulsa
UTEP

The geographic footprint of this conference reaches over 1,500 miles between El Paso, Texas (UTEP) and Orlando, Fla. (UCF). With teams so spread out, C-USA has already implemented video conferencing for media days.

The mandatory 12-game schedule has increased the travel demands as well. Teams must play each member in their respective division as well as three games in the opposing division.

Teams such as East Carolina, last year's darling of C-USA, will have to travel to SMU and Tulsa this season for conference games! Mid-major squads normally travel these distances for payout games such as the $1 million dollars Arkansas St. will get from Auburn in 2010.

These teams cannot afford to spend so much, and get so little out of a conference win.

Another problem C-USA is running into is their bowl tie-ins. The conference just re-signed with the Hawaii Bowl, once again increasing the travel needs 4,500 miles.

Besides the Liberty Bowl, all of C-USA's bowl games are forgettable at best.

The Texas Bowl, Armed Forces Bowl, New Orleans Bowl, St. Petersburg Bowl and Eagle Bank Bowl are simply siphoning money from the conference.

They're not helping the conference reputation either.

Even these bowl games are a mirage regarding the conference's reputation. Last year C-USA teams participated in six bowl games. Their one notable win: Houston over Air Force in the Armed Forces Bowl.

Every other game saw them beaten by superior teams: Memphis v. South Florida, and East Carolina v. Kentucky.

Or beating a team from a lesser conference: Southern Miss v. Troy, Rice v. Western Michigan, and Tulsa v. Ball State.

The truth regarding college football and specifically the Conference USA is that these bowl games are being paid for by C-USA basketball money.

Every appearance in the NCAA tournament nets C-USA a 'unit,' a specific amount of money that is split between all members.

These units are paid out over a six-year period, meaning the success and money of C-USA in 2003, 04, and 05 are about to run out. Right around 2011.

Between 2003 and 2005 C-USA made 29 units, let's just say around $1.5 million per unit. (The money fluctuates yearly)

From 2006 t0 2009 C-USA made 17 units, with Memphis making 16 of these. Now that Memphis will be returning their money from 2008, C-USA will be looking for additional funding.

This additional funding has come from CBS College Sports and ESPN, namely a $67.8 million dollar TV deal running until 2011. Many people within C-USA are expecting the deal to shrink, noting the success of the Mountain West, as well as BCS conferences looking for more money following the $3 billion dollars SEC deal.

The fear among many Athletic Directors and fans of these schools is that defection could be viable for travel, television deals, or even better competition.

The Mountain West and WAC are continuing to look for BCS respect by adding prominent programs.

Conference USA's D-Day is 2011, they must start winning games and making a splash in the college football world. John Calipari leaving Memphis will leave a void in basketball funding, one that I don't see being filled.

Without this money, the NCAA basketball money will soon run dry, and the bowl games will soon follow. Around this same time, the television deal will come up without a marquee team to advertise behind.

Once the TV money lessens, teams such as Houston, Rice, Southern Mississippi, and East Carolina will be looking to take advantage of their conference success with a defection to a different conference.

The loss of these teams leaves C-USA with nothing to offer on the football field, and only Memphis to offer on the hard-court. It's the end of Conference USA, unless something changes quickly.

Hate To Say I Told You So: 2007-08 Memphis Forfeit Calipari and Rose

James Crytzer — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 13:15:31 -0400

The 2007-2008 College Basketball season is officially over, the Kansas Jayhawks have won the National Championship by forfeit. Memphis was unable to attend the event.

At three o'clock eastern, it is expected that the entire Memphis basketball season of 2007-2008 will be vacated. Numerous allegations are being made, mostly involving former No. 1 overall pick in the NBA Draft: Derrick Rose.

The first allegation is that Rose had a stand-in to take his SAT test. Without this stand-in, it can be concluded that Rose would not have been eligible according to NCAA rules. The use of the stand-in is clearly a violation of NCAA rules.

John Calipari also allowed Derrick Rose’s brother Reggie to use the university’s jet for nearly $2,000 of free travel.

For the record, this makes two Final Four teams that John Calipari has had striped of their Final Four appearance. His 1996 Umass Minutemen were stripped for rules violations as well. Calipari is the only coach to have this happen.

Luckily for Calipari, somehow his name is not implicated in the report against the Memphis program. The truth, however, is that John Calipari is responsible for the Memphis basketball team. He was the coach, and he was on the flights that Reggie Rose was getting comped from the university.

Calipari has now taken his act to Kentucky. The coach has already brought blue chip recruits with him, and Kentucky is thinking Fab-Five part II.

Be careful Wildcat fans, once is an accident and twice is a trend. Calipari may promise you the world, but will it truly count after the last ticks of the clock?

John Calipari continues to try to win by any means necessary, while this objective pays off in the short-run, the true record books have continually brought John Calipari back to earth as a mediocre coach.

Kentucky needs to realize that they have a proven commodity on their hands, one that has proven his ability to build programs to National Title contention and leave them with more problems than they started with. Good luck.

Plaxico Burress: Pleads Guilty, Jail Time Unjustified

James Crytzer — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 12:38:38 -0400

The Plaxico Burress saga is officially over. The former New York Giants receiver and Super Bowl champion will follow in the footsteps of Michael Vick and Donte Stallworth on his way to prison.

Burress accepted a plea bargain, and pled guilt to two counts for criminal possession of a firearm and one count of reckless endangerment. The former first-round pick will be incarcerated for two years.

The state of New York was quite stern on their assessment of the Burress case, including Mayor Michael Bloomberg urging that Burress be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law, saying that any punishment short of the minimum three-and-a-half years for unlawful carrying of a handgun would be "a mockery of the law."

The facts of the case have been noted numerous times.

On Friday, Nov. 28, 2008, Burress suffered an accidental self-inflicted gunshot wound to the right thigh in the New York City nightclub LQ when his Glock pistol tucked in the waistband of his sweatpants, began sliding down his leg. Apparently in reaching for the gun, he inadvertently depressed the trigger, causing the gun to fire.

Burress had an expired concealed carry license from Florida, but not one for the state of New York.

The state of New York was looking to make an example out of Plaxico Burress. For many years, celebrity status would allow others to avoid the trouble that they had caused.

Players such as Ray Lewis and Leonard Little had previously received lesser sentences for crimes against society. New York decided to take a page from the state of Virginia for punishing athletes.

Plaxico Burress should not have brought a gun into a nightclub. Yes, I agree to that, but does that mean he should be in jail for two years?

Burress only hurt himself, the "crime" was not even reported to the police of New York. It was an accident, something that has ruined his future career as a football player.

I want Burress to be punished. I don't, however, want a self-inflicted gunshot wound to end his career.

New York went after Burress in hopes of using him as an example that no man is above the law. The problem with this idea is that Plaxico Burress, a celebrity, will be punished more because of his social status.

Plaxico made an honest mistake, one that will surely hinder his ability to continue his career. New York needs to realize that all men are created equal, let's not put celebrity on a pedestal, positively or negatively.

The Tyranny Of The Top 25: Remove The Rankings

James Crytzer — Sat, 15 Aug 2009 18:16:07 -0400

The Tyranny of the college football world has officially been released upon all 120 Division 1-A football teams. The Preseason Top 25 Polls are out, its already time to decide if you're in, or you're out.

As bleak as this assessment may seem, the fact remains that these polls, are the basis of all rankings for the entire season, including our favorite pal, Ole' BCS.

Every week these numbers will be shuffled, teams may drop, and teams may rise, but rest assured that No. 1 and No. 2 will have started in somewhere in the top 25.

This fact leads me to my biggest gripe with college football, specifically directed at the Divison-1 level. Why do you automatically throw out nearly 100 teams before the season starts?

Every other sports has a playoff, where if you win, you keep playing. Not college football, Division-1 to be exact. I did some research to try to cheer up fans of the nearly 100 teams outside the top 25.

Maybe I'd just missed someone, maybe.... If only.

Examples 2002:

1. Boise State: Boise State went 12-1 in 2002 with a loss in week two at Arkansas. Their reward for the season? A No. 12 ranking. Why, you may ask? Boise St. started the season ranked number 53! They received a total of 7 points in the preseason poll. It's a long climb to the top when you have to jump 51 teams.

Compare that to teams who were supposed to succeed in 2002: Florida State and Colorado. The Noles were ranked No. 4 to start the season, but after losing 5 games, they only fell to No. 23. The Buffs were ranked No. 6, but after 5 losses only fell to No. 21.

Amazing how teams that are supposed to succeed still find their place in the sun?

Let's check out 2003:

Miami (OH) started the season ranked 58th, after losing a game 21-3 in week 1 at Iowa, they were forgotten about by the voters. The Redhawks didn't forget winning out the entire season to end at No. 12. To top off the season Iowa was actually better than predicted finishing the season at No. 8

Boise State started the season No. 38 with only 22 points. After suffering a 26-24 loss at Oregon State in week 3, they ended the season ranked No. 15.

The two National Title representatives each had one loss. LSU, Preseason No. 15 lost in week 6 to Florida 19-7, and Oklahoma Preseason No. 1, who lost in the Conference Championship Game. It certainly pays to be No. 1 to start the season.

2004 saw Auburn, Preseason No. 18 go undefeated and not get a shot in the BCS title game. The ended No. 2.

Utah also went Undefeated, Preseason No. 21 and ended No. 5

Oklahoma Preseason No. 2 was selected above both of these teams to be blown out by the USC Trojans. History Repeats itself!

2006 was a battle for who was going to Play an Undefeated Ohio State in the BCS Title game.

Florida was picked to go, a Preseason No. 8 who lost in week 7 27-17 at Auburn.

Wisconsin, who had started the season No. 31, and had lost in week 4 to Michigan 27-13 was left out at No. 5

Louisville, a preseason No. 13 lost at Rutgers 28-25, leaving them at No. 7 to end the season, out of the title game.

Poor Boise State, all they did was win every game on their schedule, but a preseason ranking of No. 30 could only allow the Broncos to climb to No. 6, no title game in Boise.

2007 will not be soon forgotten:

LSU, preseason No. 2, is picked to Play Ohio State in the BCS Title Game. LSU, Oklahoma, USC, Georgia, West Virginia, Virginia Tech, and Missouri all had two losses.

LSU's Second Loss Comes in Game: 12

USC's Second Loss Comes in Game: 8

West Virginia's Second Loss comes in Game: 12

Virginia Tech's Second Loss Comes in Game: 8

Missouri's Second Loss Comes in Game: 13

Oklahoma's Second Loss Comes in Game: 11

Poor Kansas Preseason Unranked Loses in Game 12 36-28 in Kansas City and they are shut out. They end the season No. 7.

Hawaii, Preseason No. 24, goes undefeated throughout the regular season, and they only get an invite to the Sugar Bowl. Every Team Lost, at least one game. Hawaii ends the season No. 17 after getting crushed by Georgia.

Sorry Kansas and Hawaii, your climb is too steep unless you start at the top.

2008 saw another Undefeated Utah team get blocked from a BCS title game by the Preseason. Utah started Preseason No. 28 and ended No. 5. Sadly teams who were expected to be better such as Oklahoma, Preseason No. 4 and Florida No. 5 were allowed to go to the title game both with losses on their resume.

The facts are clear, if you are not in the Top 25, your chance at a championship are gone, before you even play your first game. That is a problem that must be fixed.

I want to suggest a ranking system that comes out half way through the year. With this in place, you can truly gauge a team's performance on the field, rather than on paper. Teams that are succeeding will truly be rewarded, and teams that are faltering will be punished.

Let's not forget that the BCS is what decides our champion. It doesn't come out until after week 8 of the regular season. Fans are willing to wait for these polls, so let's have them wait for their AP and Coach's rankings as well.

I believe these polls are not necessary for the college football fan—do you not know who you are rooting for, with or without a number by your team's name? Do advertisers still not know what games are going to bring the big bucks? I believe you and do, and I know advertisers do as well.

The preseason rankings of college football only tell us one thing, who a few individuals think will be a solid team this year. Let's allow the viewers to enjoy football the way it is played in the professional ranks: no rankings, just the game. When did the game not become enough?

Do you really get any enjoyment on who should be ranked higher? Does anybody follow NFL Power Rankings? No! We know a champion will be crowned on the field.

If college football won't give us a champion on the field, let's at least give every team out there a shot at being a champion. Let's not cut the field down to 25 to start every season.

Wait to rank until we actually can see some hard evidence. I've had my fair share of paper champions, thank you very much!