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In what may be the last absolute fluff piece of the off-season (hey... I said of the OFF-season!), the Seattle Times completed a survey of 29 FBS coaches to find out what they *really* think.

A few highlights:

Most Admired Coach:
Mack Brown of Texas, followed by Ohio State's Jim Tressel, and Oklahoma's Bob Stoops and Penn State's Joe Paterno. (What?! No Urban Meyer!)

Least Admired Coach:
Although most politely deferred on this question, USC's Lane Kiffin got the most mentions, followed by Brian Kelly of Notre Dame, Nick Saban of Alabama and Mike Locksley of New Mexico. (What?! No Urban Meyer!)

What does the NCAA need to change?
Playoffs got a few mentions, but I was more than a little surprised to see some others, like adding a fifth year of eligibility, adding more spring practice times, allowing early signing day, and permitting pre-season games.

And finally, the most important question: Where's a good place to eat?

Metropolitan Grill, Seattle
City Hall Steakhouse, Scottsdale, Ariz. (two votes)
Del Frisco's in Dallas (two votes)
Dreamland Barbecue in Tuscaloosa, Ala
The Crab Trap in Fernandina Beach, Fla.
Joe's Stone Crab in Miami
Handsome Harry's in Naples, Fla.
Chicken and More in Spokane
The Precinct in Cincinnati
Pascal's Manale in New Orleans.

Wow. Two of my favorites and even a hometown spot make the list!

OK... now it's your turn... most admired coach, least admired coach, NCAA change, and out-of-town restaurant. GO!

Comment on You ask, college football coaches answer!...

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Date/Time/TV Bowl Site Matchup Saturday Dec. 18 2:00 pm ET ESPN New Mexico Bowl Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks Albuquerque, NM University Stadium MWC #4 vs. WAC Saturday Dec. 18 5:30 pm ET ESPN Roady's Humanitarian Bowl Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks Boise, ID Bronco Stadium MAC #3 vs. WAC Saturday Dec. 18 9:00 pm ET ESPN R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks New Orleans, LA Louisiana Superdome Sun Belt #1 vs. C-USA Tuesday Dec. 21 8:00 pm ET ESPN St. Petersburg Bowl Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks St. Petersburg, FL Tropicana Field Big East #5/6 vs. C-USA Wednesday Dec. 22 8:00 pm ET ESPN MAACO Bowl Las Vegas Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks Las Vegas, NV Sam Boyd Stadium MWC #1 vs. Pac10 #5 Thursday Dec. 23 8:00 pm ET ESPN San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks San Diego, CA Qualcomm Stadium MWC #2 vs. Navy Friday Dec. 24 8:00 pm ET ESPN Sheraton Hawai'i Bowl Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks Honolulu, HI Aloha Stadium WAC vs. C-USA Sunday Dec. 26 8:30 pm ET ESPN Little Caesars Pizza Bowl Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks Detroit, MI Ford Field MAC #1/2 vs. Big 10 #8 Monday Dec. 27 5:00 pm ET ESPN AdvoCare V100 Independence Bowl Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks Shreveport, LA Independence Stadium MWC #3 vs. ACC #7 Tuesday Dec. 28 6:30 pm ET ESPN Champs Sports Bowl Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks Orlando, FL Florida Citrus Bowl Stadium ACC #3 vs. Big East #2 Tuesday Dec. 28 10:00 pm ET ESPN Insight Bowl Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks Tempe, AZ Sun Devil Stadium Big 10 #4/5 vs. Big 12 #4 Wednesday Dec. 29 2:30 pm ET ESPN EagleBank Bowl Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks Washington, DC RFK Stadium ACC #8 vs. C-USA Wednesday Dec. 29 6:00 pm ET ESPN Texas Bowl Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks Houston, TX Reliant Stadium Big 12 #6 vs. Big 10 #6 Wednesday Dec. 29 9:15 pm ET ESPN Valero Alamo Bowl Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks San Antonio, TX Alamodome Pac 10 #2 vs. Big 12 #3 Thursday Dec. 30 12:00pm ET ESPN Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks Fort Worth, TX Amon G. 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The 2010 college football season will be capped by exciting college football bowl games, including the 2010 Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, the 2010 Fiesta Bowl in Phoenix, Arizona, the 2010 Sugar Bowl in New Orleans, Louisiana, the 2010 Orange Bowl in Miami, Florida and the 2010 BCS National Championship Game in Glendale, AZ.

The best college football teams from the major conferences, including the Big10 conference, Big 12 conference, Pac 10 conference, ACC conference, Big East conference, SEC conference, and Mountain West conference will face off in college football bowl games throughout December and into January. If you're looking for updated matchups, odds, insights, betting lines and online wagering for the college football bowl games, please be sure to try BangTheBook.com.

Comment on 2010-2011 College Football Bowl Game Television Schedule...

2010 2010 USA Today Coaches Preseason Poll

Rank Team (first-place votes) 2009 record Points Final 2009 rank

1. Alabama (55) 14-0 1,469 1
2. Ohio State (4) 11-2 1,392 5
3. Florida 13-1 1,245 3
4. Texas 13-1 1,240 2
5. Boise State 14-0 1,215 4
6. Virginia Tech 10-3 1,052 10
7. TCU 12-1 1,051 6
8. Oklahoma 8-5 1,035 NR
9. Nebraska 10-4 1,001 14
10. Iowa 11-2 952 7
11. Oregon 10-3 940 11
12. Wisconsin 10-3 778 16
13. Miami (Fla.) 9-4 728 19
14. Penn State 11-2 508 8
15. Pittsburgh 10-3 492 15
16. LSU 9-4 476 17
17. Georgia Tech 11-3 455 13
18. North Carolina 8-5 445 NR
19. Arkansas 8-5 438 NR
20. Florida State 7-6 374 NR
21. Georgia 8-5 312 NR
22. Oregon State 8-5 263 NR
23. Auburn 8-5 260 NR
24t. Utah 10-3 169 18
24t. West Virginia 9-4 169 22

Others receiving votes

Cincinnati (12-1) 135; Houston (10-4) 76; Brigham Young (11-2) 66; Arizona (8-5) 65; Mississippi (9-4) 48; Clemson (9-5) 44; Stanford (8-5) 41; Connecticut (8-5) 40; Notre Dame (6-6) 38; South Carolina (7-6) 38; Washington (5-7) 26; Missouri (8-5) 23; Navy (10-4) 12; Oklahoma State (9-4) 11; Boston College (8-5) 10; Michigan State (6-7) 10; Arizona State (4-8) 6; California (8-5) 6; Texas Tech (9-4) 5; South Florida (8-5) 4; Texas A&M (6-7) 3; Northwestern (8-5) 2; Temple (9-4) 2; Central Michigan (12-2) 1; Mississippi State (5-7) 1; Nevada (8-5) 1; Northern Illinois (7-6) 1; Southern Methodist (8-5) 1.

Alabama defends their national championship from last year by starting #1 this year, exactly like Florida did last year. The SEC has six teams in the preseason poll, the ACC has five, the Big 10 has four (not counting Nebraska yet) , the Big 12 has three, the Pac 10 two, and the Big East two.

Comment on 2010 USA Today Coaches Preseason Poll...

Muahahahaha! My evil plan to rule the college football world is coming together!

Utah becomes the fourth team to change conferneces this summer, joining Colorado in the PAC 10. Colorado is set to join in 2012 and the date for Utah has not yet been announced. The PAC 10 originally planned to set the expansion field by the end of the year to be implemented change for the 2012 season. They might move up the date to 2011 now that they are way ahead of scheule and Nebraska is already leaving the Big 12 in 2011.

If the move is in 2012 Utah and Bosie State will count for the MWC in the next BCS automatic qualification determination for 2012 and 2013, and the MWC will be very close. If the move is in 2011 Utah will count for the PAC 10 and the MWC will be not as close.

All I am saying is its about darn time! I have been shouting out for the need for this for, well since I found Fanblogs.com in 2003. Actually before that too, I just can't document that as well. Boise State should fill our shoes well in the MWC. Maybe we can meet in the Rose Bowl, if the ducks alight just right.

(Say in 2012 Utah winning the PAC 10, Boise State earning an automatic qualification as the highest ranked non-AQ winner and the Big 10 going to the NCG. By contract the next time the PAC 10 or Big 10 champion goes to the NCG and a team from outside the BCS earns an AQ that team is going to the Rose Bowl.)

This should just about wind down this years expansion hoopla but more changes appear to be on the horizon for next year. For now I think we all have enough expansion fatigue to let the dust settle a bit.

Except maybe the WAC inviting a few FCS teams. They can do that whenever they want and no one would really notice. Except maybe the fine people of Montana.

Now I go back to celebrating, until the realization that Utah's performance the next few years will be a referendum on the claim "undefeated team like Utah and Boise State in the MWC or WAC would have three or four additional losses if they were in a BCS conference" sets in.

For the record, now that Utah is in a BCS league my disdain for the BCS is not tempured. I still hate the BCS as passionately as ever. The logic just lines up more with Kansas State fan's reasoning. But that is a topic for another day.

Comment on Utah to the PAC 10...

It's been a whirlwind day for Texas fans. This morning the Horns were headed to the Pac10, but by late this afternoon, UT declined an offer to join the Pac10 and will instead stay in the Big12.

According to The Dallas Morning News, Pac-10 Commissioner Larry Scott confirmed that the University of Texas has declined an invitation to join the conference.

In a brief phone conversation, Scott said: "We've been informed by University of Texas president Bill Powers that Texas will stay with the Big 12. We have not received definitive details about this decision."

While a few details still need to be worked out, Big 12 commissioner Dan Beebe has a deal in place to keep the 10 remaining teams in the conference.

Under the new structure, the ten teams will play in a round-robin format, ensuring that each team plays one another in the regular season. The annual championship game that was a hallmark of the founding of the Big 12 will not be played under the new structure.

To boost revenues, the Big 12 will sign a new television agreement (rumored to be with Fox Sports) in 2011 estimated to be worth $14-$17 million per year to most conference teams; however, the conference will continue to split revenues based on appearances, making the deal worth as much as $20 million per year for teams like Texas, Oklahoma and Texas A&M who's games are broadcast more often.

Schools will also have the discretion to launch their own television networks, an arrangement which could be worth an addition $3-$5 million per year to Texas.

The new league agreement will also include a very, very substantial penalty for any school that splits from the conference.

UPDATE

Texas A&M and Oklahoma have confirmed that they will stay in the Big 12.

The Pac10 has also released an official statement:

“University of Texas President Bill Powers has informed us that the 10 remaining schools in the Big 12 Conference intend to stay together. We are excited about the future of the Pac-10 Conference and we will continue to evaluate future expansion opportunities under the guidelines previously set forth by our Presidents and Chancellors.”

Details on this breaking story will be updated as more information becomes available.

Comment on Texas staying in Big 12, conference to survive as 10-team league...

If you've been following the Fanblogs Twitter Account (@fanblogs) this morning, you already be aware that negotiations are ongoing at this moment to salvage the Big 12 Conference.

According to multiple sources, Big 12 commissioner Dan Beebe has been working behind the scenes to line prospective television deals, if the remaining Big 12 schools (sans Colorado and Nebraska) would remain in the conference.

As first reported on Rivals sister-site Orangebloods.com, Beebe has proposed the following for the ten remaining Big 12 teams:

- A new television contract in 2011 comparable to the SEC's deal, bumping revenues from the $7-$10 million per year to $14-$17 million per year. The numbers would be higher - perhaps as much as $20 million per year - for teams that appear on television more frequently, such as Oklahoma, Texas, and Texas A&M.

- Each of the ten remaining schools would receive $2 million from the buyout fees being paid to the Big12 by Colorado and Nebraska, with the conference keeping nothing

- The Big 12 would allow individual schools to launch their own television networks, such as the Longhorn Network that Texas has been considering, without sharing revenues with the member schools or the conference

- The Big 12 would introduce a round-robin format, with each school playing one another every year.

- The remaining schools could elect to petition the NCAA to permit a conference championship game with only 10 teams; however, it's widely speculated that - since the Big 12 coaches have never been in favor of a championship game - the conference may forgo the game.

And it appears that "The Beebe Plan" is gaining momentum. While Texas A&M was said to be looking to secure a spot in the SEC, all ten of the remaining Big 12 schools sat down for a conference call this afternoon to review the arrangement. According to Orangebloods, the Texas Longhorns are leading the charge to keep the conference intact.

As they say... stay tuned!

UPDATE

IT'S OFFICIAL: Texas staying in Big12. Press conference @ 11a tomorrow. Pac10 reports UT has declined invite. Longhorns reps have confirmed that Big12 will stay together as 10 teams. © www.fanblogs.com

Comment on Deal in works to save Big 12...

Quite the day in CFB this Thursday.Not only all the conference defections, but USC's long awaited penalties from the Pete Carroll era are finally in: A 2-year ban on post season games, the loss of 30 scholarships and the vacation of all victories in which an ineligible player (Reggie Bush) participated. Bush has been ruled to have been ineligible at least as of December 2004, which would vacate the BCS title game victory in the Orange Bowl over Oklahoma in January 2005. That could possibly trigger vacating his Heisman Trophy for the 2005 season. The Heisman Trophy Trust has stated that it will have no comment until the appropriate time.

Further rumors are indicating that the NCAA may allow any USC player with two or more years' eligibility remaining to immediately transfer to another school, which could lead to a mass exodus of talent for the Trojans. Again, this has not been confirmed. The last time the NCAA made such an exception was during the 1987 SMU death penalty case where they allowed all players to transfer out, creating a situation where SMU had no choice but to take another year off in an attempt to recruit new players.

Reggie Bush was reached and offered this for comment:

"I have a great love for the University of Southern California and I very much regret the turn that this matter has taken, not only for USC, but for the fans and players.I am disappointed by (Thursday's) decision and disagree with the NCAA's findings. If the University decides to appeal, I will continue to cooperate with the NCAA and USC, as I did during the investigation. In the meantime, I will continue to focus on making a positive impact for the University and for the community where I live."

USC will certainly appeal the punishment, but one can't say that HC Lane Kiffin didn't know what he was getting into by taking the job. Kiffin was an assistant coach during the time that these infractions occurred, as was assistant Ed Orgeron.

The post-season ban marks the first time since 2003 that a team has received such punishment, with Alabama being the last offender. The NCAA had gotten away from that particular brand of punishment under former NCAA head Miles Brand (pun intended), but have shown an interest in it again with the severity of this case.

Comment on Hammer Dropped! USC Sanctions Finally In...

With today's official announcement of Colorado to the Pac10 conference and the expected announcement of Nebraska to the Big10 conference (which officially makes it a Big12, don't you think?)... it would seem that the summer realignment-ageddon has officially begun.

Here's a quick what we know, what we can surmise....

- Colorado is officially joining the Pac10. It's unclear as to whether the Pac10 intends to hold at 11 teams, but we should expect the Pac10 to seek to add at least one additional member. For years the argument against expansion centered around the round-robin schedule format and - with 11 schools - that format is officially out the window for college football. Adding one more school would give the conference the option to conduct a CFB championship game in some of the largest television markets in the country. Does the Pac10 stop at 12 (Texas??) or expand further with Big12/MWC/WAC teams???

- The Big10 will have 12 teams with the addition of Nebraska. Will they stand pat at 12 teams or expand to 16 as had been rumored?

- The SEC has said that they will not sit idly by if the Big10 expands. Sports Illustrated has confirmed that the SEC has held discussions with Texas A&M. Is that prelude to further SEC expansion? Who, in addition to the Aggies, are on the SEC radar?

- The ACC & Big East seem to be awfully quiet. Are they targets or could a merger be on the table for the two conferences?

- The MWC will not offer membership to Boise State at this time, setting themselves up to be the home of any Big12 refugees. Is the MWC destined to become a BCS conference by default?

DISCUSS!!!

Comment on Fanblogs Open Thread: Realignment-ageddon Edition...

In the ongoing saga of "As the Big 12 Turns", Rivals.com site Orangebloods is reporting that the conference has given Nebraska less than two weeks to decide if it will remain in the Big 12.

According to sources, Nebraska is on the fence as to its future with the conference. The nine schools that are actively working to maintain the current conference, including powerhouses Texas and Oklahoma, are convinced that the league can survive the hypothetical departure of Missouri or Colorado; however, the Huskers are seen as key to the viability of the conference, given the Huskers' stature and marketability.

If these reports are accurate, then kudos to the Big 12 for not standing idly by and being held hostage by a growing list of conference suitors. I'm not exactly sure how you enforce the ultimatum without requiring members to sign a revised agreement with a substantial buyout provision, but perhaps that's what the Big 12 has in mind.

Meanwhile, with rumors of a possible Pac10 offer coming for six of the Big 12's teams, a group of at least 15 Texas legislators are working behind the scenes to ensure that Baylor is among the teams offered membership by the Pac10. Astute fans will recall that a similar move by legislators in the mid-90s that secured a place in the Big 12 for the Bears over TCU, among others.

"If you're going to have an exported commodity involved in this, do you think we're going to allow a school from outside the state of Texas to replace one of our schools in the Big 12 South? I don't think so. We're already at work on this," said a high-ranking member of the Texas Legislature who asked not to be identified.

The Texas legislators point out that Baylor is financial viable and already fields a full compliment of sports, including baseball and softball, something that cannot be said of Colorado.

Perhaps the most interesting aspect to the Pac10 rumors is the revelation that Texas AD DeLoss Dodds is the leading voice for keeping the Big 12 intact.

According to Orangebloods, Texas would have to walk away from considerable revenues resulting from its planned UT television network if the Horns joined the Pac10, given the Pac10's current television plans. And while membership in the SEC would allow UT to launch its network, Dodds does not feel the SEC fits Texas' vision academically or otherwise.

If it's true that Texas is the driving force behind maintaining the Big 12 conference, then it would seem most likely that the Big 12 will be able to survive efforts by the Pac10 and Big 10 to pilfer the league's best teams. As has been discussed before, Texas is the crown jewel in the league financially. While the members may feel that Nebraska is the key to sustainability, it's clear to me that, as Texas goes, so goes the Big 12.

Comment on Nebraska given ultimatum; Texas legislators pushing Baylor to Pac10...

While college football waits seemingly forever for the Big Ten to announce their expansion plans, The Pac-10 might be prepared to steal their thunder and send invitations out to six teams from the Big 12. Chip Brown, a former Texas beat writer for the Dallas Morning News says today on his pay site Orangeblood.com, which is sponsored by Rivals, that the Pac-10 is ready to extend invitations out to Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, and Colorado as early as this weekend. Yup, that's what's known as rolling thunder.

Brown cites multiple sources on his site, which we can't see currently because of it's subscription status. This new PAC-16 will then split into two divisions, with the new kids on the block joining the Arizona teams to form one division with the remaining PAC squads forming the rest. Such a move would leave both Kansas teams, Iowa State and Baylor out in the cold, assuming you believe that Mizzo and Nebraska have already made up their minds on those alledged invitations to the Big Ten.

With both the Big 12 and SEC schools in spring meetings this week, what else could we expect to see before Sunday? Could we get a quicker confirmation from the Big 12 schools, unlike the secrecy and denials we saw from the Big Ten over their expansion? Will this event be enough for the SEC to impose the Bush Doctrine of CFB and go ahead and announce their expansion plans based on the fear of being up-ended? For you history buffs, this kind of maneuvering and posturing is what led to World War I.

Updates coming early and often!

Comment on More Expansion Rumors: Pac-10 to Add Six Big 12 Teams?...

Yahoo Sports reporter Dan Wetzel tweeted that the NCAA is expected to release its findings this week on a four-year investigation of improper benefits to USC players.

For those of you who may have forgotten, the allegations center largely on payouts given to the family of Heisman Trophy winner Reggie Bush. According to Yahoo Sports investigations in 2006 and 2007, the Bush family received more than $280,000 in cash, gifts, and free rent while Bush was a student at USC from agents hoping to represent Bush. Bush himself is also alleged to have received cash during his playing days with the Trojans.

For more background on the investigations, click here to search the Fanblogs archives.

While the NCAA has full discretion in any penalties, speculation has already begun on potential sanctions.

Hometown reporter Chis Dufresne of the Los Angeles Times predicts USC will receive a five-year bowl probation, a bowl ban, and loss of 21 scholarships, a penalty reminiscent of those levied on Alabama resulting from the Albert Means investigation.

Of course, there real question may be in how the investigation impacts Bush's eligibility at USC. If Bush is ruled to have been ineligible under NCAA by-law 12.3.1.2, USC could be required to forfiet games in which Bush played, including the Trojans 2004 National Championship season.

Whatever the outcome, we should hear the initial findings by Friday.

Comment on NCAA to release findings in USC case this week?...

In yet another offseason move to control the recruiting arms-race, the NCAA has banned the "Tiger Prowl", as utilized very effectively by Auburn.

Under the new rules, teams are only allowed to have two coaches visit a prospect's school on a recruiting day.

Auburn gained national recruiting buzz when the "Tiger Prowl" first rolled onto the scene. Instead of sending just a couple of coaches to schools, seven members of the Tigers coaching staff all jumped into a stretch limo and made the rounds from school-to-school.

The high-roller approach didn't go over with other coaches or the NCAA, who specifically mentioned the visits in the statement accompanying the rule.

Although during an evaluation period no in-person, off-campus recruiting contact may occur with a prospective student-athlete, it has become commonplace for institutions to send numerous coaches to a prospective student-athlete’s educational institution. Oftentimes arriving in limousines and extravagant buses, these multiple coaches are appearing at the high schools of the prospective student-athletes just as much to be seen as to actually conduct an evaluation. Many institutions are unnecessarily expending resources in order to have multiple assistant coaches attend these evaluations as a result of the perceived recruiting benefit. By permitting only two football coaches per institution to visit a prospective student-athlete’s school on any given evaluation day, it would preclude institutions from sending a large number of assistant coaches to a school just for perception purposes.

(emphasis added)

Knowing the rule has been coming, at least two schools - Auburn and Georgia - have been using the Prowl in the last few weeks to maximize attention before the NCAA could put a stop to it.

I think this should be taking as a compliment to the Auburn Tigers. They did it and it worked. Auburn finished with the Rivals #4 recruiting class, besting SEC rivals Alabama, LSU, Tennessee, Georgia and 10 other conference foes.

And since no good deed goes unpunished, the Tiger Prowl concept is banned, just as Urban Meyer's texting thumbs were summarily silenced by the NCAA.

It's hard to predict what the next big thing will be in the recruiting arms race, but you can pretty much count on the SEC to dream it up. Les Miles in a jetpack? The Kentucky coaches in a YouTube lipdub? The Vandy "V" being shown like Batman's bat-signal high over Atlanta?

Don't laugh - it could happen.

Comment on NCAA kills the "Tiger Prowl", but recruiting arms-race not over...

The NCAA committee that oversees rules changes has approved a measure brought forward by Big 12 Commissioner Dan Beebe allowing bowl committees to give equal consideration to teams with 6-6 records when evaluating at-large bids.

At first glance, it would seem to reward teams that played a tougher schedule rather than padding their record with cupcakes. The change would also give bowls more flexibility to create the most interesting matchup, potentially boosting revenues for struggling bowl committees.

Matt Sanderson, co-founder of Playoff PAC, told the San Diego Union Times that the rule could allow bowls with open slots for at-large teams to select power-conference teams with 6-6 records over smaller-conference teams with winning records.

Sanderson points to this season's GMAC Bowl, which took 9-3 Troy as an at-large team. Under the revised rules, the GMAC Bowl could have offered the at-large slot to 6-6 Notre Dame.

While the new provision still needs an OK by the greater NCAA, most rule revisions that make it out of committee are approved.

Suffice to say... no one wants to see a bad 6-6 team stink it up in a marquee bowl game. The reality is that - with new bowls coming on in Yankee Stadium and the Cotton Bowl - there are going to be 70 teams in bowl games this year. If a bowl needs to dig deep and get an at-large team, I would prefer them to create the most interesting game they can.

No disrespect intended, but I would *much* rather see a hypothetical 6-6 Southern Cal as an at-large against Alabama, for example, over a 7-5 Louisiana Monroe.

Just sayin.

Comment on New bowl rules to open more doors to 6-6 teams...

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Date/Time/TV Bowl Site Matchup Saturday Dec. 19 2 :30 pm ET ESPN New Mexico Bowl Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks Albuquerque, NM University Stadium Wyoming vs. Fresno State Saturday Dec. 19 8:00 pm ET ESPN St. Petersburg Bowl Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks St. Petersburg, FL Tropicana Field Rutgers vs. Central Florida Sunday Dec. 20 8:00 pm ET ESPN R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks New Orleans, LA Louisiana Superdome Southern Miss vs. Middle Tenn St Tuesday Dec. 22 8:00 pm ET ESPN MAACO Bowl Las Vegas Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks Las Vegas, NV Sam Boyd Stadium BYU vs. Oregon State Wednesday Dec. 23 8:00 pm ET ESPN San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks San Diego, CA Qualcomm Stadium Utah vs. Cal Thursday Dec. 24 8:00 pm ET ESPN Sheraton Hawai'i Bowl Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks Honolulu, HI Aloha Stadium SMU vs. Nevada Saturday Dec. 26 4:30 pm ET ESPN Meineke Car Care Bowl Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks Charlotte, NC Bank of America Stadium North Carolina vs. Pitt Saturday Dec. 26 5 :00 pm ET ESPN Little Caesars Pizza Bowl Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks Detroit, MI Ford Field Ohio U vs. Marshall Saturday Dec. 26 8:00 pm ET ESPN Emerald Bowl Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks San Francisco, CA AT&T Park Boston College vs. USC Sunday Dec. 27 8:15 pm ET ESPN Gaylord Hotels Music City Bowl Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks Nashville, TN LP Field Clemson vs. Kentucky Monday Dec. 28 5:00 pm ET ESPN AdvoCare V100 Independence Bowl Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks Shreveport, LA Independence Stadium Texas A&M vs. Georgia Tuesday Dec. 29 4:30 pm ET ESPN EagleBank Bowl Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks Washington, DC RFK Stadium Temple vs. UCLA Tuesday Dec. 29 8:00 pm ET ESPN Champs Sports Bowl Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks Orlando, FL Florida Citrus Bowl Stadium Miami vs. Wisconsin Wednesday Dec. 30 4:30 pm ET ESPN Roady's Humanitarian Bowl Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks Boise, ID Bronco Stadium Bowling Green vs. Idaho Wednesday Dec. 30 8:00 pm ET ESPN Pacific Life Holiday Bowl Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks San Diego, CA Qualcomm Stadium Nebraska vs. Arizona Thursday Dec. 31 2:00 pm ET NFL Network Texas Bowl Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks Houston, TX Reliant Stadium Missouri vs. Navy Thursday Dec. 31 Time TBA ESPN Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks Fort Worth, TX Amon G. Carter Stadium Air Force vs. Houston Thursday Dec. 31 12:00 pm ET CBS Brut Sun Bowl Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks El Paso, TX Sun Bowl Stadium Stanford vs. Oklahoma Thursday Dec. 31 5:30 pm ET NFL Network Insight Bowl Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks Tempe, AZ Sun Devil Stadium Minnesota vs. Iowa State Thursday Dec. 31 7:30 pm ET ESPN Chick-fil-A Bowl Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks Atlanta, GA Georgia Dome Virginia Tech vs. Tennessee Friday Jan. 1 11:00 am ET ESPN Outback Bowl Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks Tampa, FL Raymond James Stadium Auburn vs. Northwestern Friday Jan. 1 1:00 pm ET CBS Konica Minolta Gator Bowl Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks Jacksonville, FL Jacksonville Municipal Stadium FSU vs. West Virginia Friday Jan. 1 1:00 pm ET ABC Capital One Bowl Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks Orlando, FL Florida Citrus Bowl Stadium Penn State vs. LSU Friday Jan. 1 5:00 pm ET ABC Rose Bowl presented by Citi Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks Pasadena, CA Rose Bowl Ohio State vs. Oregon Friday Jan. 1 8:30 pm ET FOX Allstate Sugar Bowl Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks New Orleans, LA Superdome Florida vs. Cincinnati Saturday Jan. 2 12:00 pm ET ESPN2 International Bowl Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks Toronto, Canada Rogers Centre South Florida vs. Northern Illinois Saturday Jan. 2 2 :00 pm ET ESPN PapaJohns.com Bowl Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks Birmingham, AL Legion Field Connecticut vs. South Carolina Saturday Jan. 2 2:00 pm ET FOX AT&T Cotton Bowl Classic Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks Arlington, TX Cowboys Stadium Oklahoma State vs. Ole Miss Saturday Jan. 2 5:30 pm ET ESPN AutoZone Liberty Bowl Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks Memphis, TN Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium East Carolina vs. Arkansas Saturday Jan. 2 9 :00 pm ET ESPN Valero Alamo Bowl Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks San Antonio, TX Alamodome Michigan State vs. Texas Tech Monday Jan. 4 8:00 pm ET FOX Tostitos Fiesta Bowl Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks Glendale, AZ University of Phoenix Stadium TCU vs. Boise State Tuesday Jan. 5 8:00 pm ET FOX FedEx Orange Bowl Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks Miami, FL Dolphin Stadium Georgia Tech vs. Iowa Wednesday Jan. 6 7 :00 pm ET ESPN GMAC Bowl Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks Mobile, AL Ladd Peebles Stadium Troy vs. Central Michigan Thursday Jan. 7 8:00 pm ET ABC BCS National Championship Game Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks Pasadena, CA Rose Bowl Alabama vs. Texas

The 2009 college football season will be capped by exciting college football bowl games, including the 2009 Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, the 2009 Fiesta Bowl in Phoenix, Arizona, the 2009 Sugar Bowl in New Orleans, Louisiana, the 2009 Orange Bowl in Miami, Florida and the 2009 BCS National Championship Game in Pasadena, CA.

The best college football teams from the major conferences, including the Big10 conference, Big 12 conference, Pac 10 conference, ACC conference, Big East conference, SEC conference, and Mountain West conference will face off in college football bowl games throughout December and into January.

If you're looking for updated matchups, odds, insights, betting lines and online wagering for the college football bowl games, please be sure to try BangTheBook.com.

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The initial BCS Standings for games played through October 17, 2009.

Rank	Team	Harris Poll		USA TODAY		Computer Rank		BCS average
1	Florida	1	0.9832	1	0.9925	1	0.990	0.988566756
2	Alabama	2	0.9600	2	0.9478	2	0.950	0.952598870
3	Texas	3	0.9337	3	0.9397	6	0.800	0.891115076
4	Boise State	5	0.8032	5	0.7817	5	0.840	0.808284270
5	Cincinnati	6	0.7625	6	0.7485	4	0.850	0.786976906
6	Iowa	7	0.7175	8	0.7031	3	0.940	0.786864902
7	USC	4	0.8400	4	0.8386	11	0.630	0.769548023
8	TCU	8	0.7070	7	0.7247	8	0.710	0.713921102
9	LSU	9	0.7004	10	0.6746	7	0.750	0.708309049
10	Miami, Fla.	10	0.6653	9	0.6766	13	0.540	0.627291109
11	Oregon	12	0.5533	14	0.5214	9	0.680	0.584896422
12	Georgia Tech	13	0.5225	13	0.5281	10	0.660	0.570197245
13	Penn State	11	0.5684	11	0.6061	17	0.320	0.498174249
14	Virginia Tech	15	0.4484	15	0.4556	12	0.580	0.494671424
15	Oklahoma State	14	0.5039	12	0.5390	21	0.170	0.404280900
16	BYU	16	0.4246	16	0.3912	25	0.080	0.298582615
17	Houston	18	0.2926	18	0.2854	18	0.220	0.266018436
18	Utah	19	0.2200	20	0.2034	14	0.330	0.251129944
19	Ohio State	17	0.3288	17	0.3261	32	0.010	0.221624542
20	Pittsburgh	20	0.1912	19	0.2224	20	0.190	0.201200317
21	Wisconsin	38	0.0063	31	0.0176	14	0.330	0.117980969
22	Arizona	37	0.0067	40	0.0047	14	0.330	0.113804143
23	West Virginia	23	0.0965	22	0.1275	24	0.110	0.111316285
24	South Carolina	26	0.0758	23	0.0963	22	0.140	0.104020220
25	Kansas	21	0.1414	21	0.1505	33	0.000	0.097303994

As my good friend Ben would say, there's a significant gap between Alabama at #2 and Texas at #3. The Horns are not helped at all by their computer standing; however, significant opportunities exist for UT to improve their standing by the weight of the remaining schedule (including a game with BCS #15 Okie State). If the Longhorns can hold serve for the balance of the year, an unbeaten Texas team could punch their ticket for the National Championship Game against the winner of the SEC title game.

Further down, it's difficult to see any substantial lift to Boise State (in other words, the Broncos will *not* be playing for the title). On the other hand, Iowa still has a nice slate that could help boost the Hawkeyes, but there's no question that they need some help above them, including losses by all but one of the teams ranked ahead of them (plus some significant wins by Ohio State to bring up the Big 10's status with the computers).

ALL THAT SAID... it's BCS week one and that means a lot can (and will) change.

Comment on BCS Standings - Week 8 - Oct. 18, 2009...