Tebow stays for one more year

So former Heisman Winner and current QB of the National Champion Florida Gators has decide that one more year at Florida would be the best thing for his development - I do believe he can become a NFL QB. But it will take time and another year of seasoning would be best for him.

Eben Britton to the NFL - good or bad?

Hey folks

Here's my latest article on NFLDraftbible - Arizona OT Eben Britton declared for the NFL draft on Jan 3rd and this article covers why I think it was the right decision for him. Feel free to discuss in the comments here or on NFLDraftbible.com.

Also, my pick for tonight's game is Oklahoma. If the Sooners contain Tebow - and I feel they will - and if they get ahead.... well, it's going to be hard for Tebow, a great athlete but not a great QB (boy will I get hate mail), to throw them back into a game.

Should be a good game though. Dunno how people are calling for a Gator blowout.

Mark Sanchez - Decision Time

Hey folks

Another edition of NFLDraftbible's Decision Time - this time I was talking about USC quarterback Mark Sanchez.

Check it and many other awesome articles over at NFLDraftbible.com.

For those of you waiting, Draftguys.com will be back up and moving forward soon, so I am told. Am already working on a few things for them.

God I love Draft season.

Taylor Mays - Should he or shouldn't he?

Hey folks. as we move into the non-playing season, we here at the Blurb (which would be me and.... well me - it's a small staff) shift into a college prospect place. I will be doing a ton of draft coverage for Draftguys.com, NFLDraftbible and various other outlets. So you'll be seeing a ton of links over the next months as I tell you where to find what i am doing.

First up is the beginning of a series of articles for NFLDraftbible about Underclassmen who may apply to enter the draft - it's called Decision Time. There will be a bunch of these by various writers over the next week to ten days, so make sure you check the site out often and not just when I link.

Most of my stuff is going to be on Pac-10 juniors - but there are many great writers covering the whole NCAA spectrum so head over there.

Here is my first piece on USC junior Safety Taylor Mays.

Poinsettia Bowl Breakdown and Rankings News

Hey folks - the breakdown on College Football Insiders went up while I was Christmas shopping and dropping the Blurbmobile off at the service center for a severe case of electrical issues.


Here is the breakdown for the Poinsettia Bowl!

Also you may have noticed that there are no top positional rankings for week 16. That's because we will be talking about the season rankings on tomorrow's extended Thundering Blurb News Stampede. Starts at 9am PST/noon EST and goes 60 Minutes!

Stop by, won't you?

And Happy Holidays to those unable to make it - thanks for making us a part of your Fantasy Footbal lSeason!

Bowl Previews at NFLDraftbible.com

Here are a couple of previews I did for the NFLDraftbible and College Football Insiders -

New Mexico Bowl - Colorado State vs Fresno State
Las Vegas Bowl - BYU vs Arizona

All that and much more great content for Bowl games, draft prospects and much more over at NFLDraftbible.com!

Sam Bradford wins Heisman

As I said in my breakdown yesterday, all three finalists were outstanding this season but Sam Bradford stood out above the other two.

Nice speech, over-long ceremony, now we can get onto the field and settle this whole 'National Championship' nonsense.

Bradford is certainly a guy who might end up being a good NFL Pro if he continues to develop the way he has. As I said, he looks like he has all the tools.

The 2008 Heisman Finalist Breakdown

Here are my thoughts on the three finalists for the 2008 Heisman Trophy. I think all three are excellent athletes and was very impressed with them over the course of this season. Texas Tech wide receiver Michael Crabtree and quarterback Graham Harrell were also two guys I thought highly of who did not make it - and there are several more players who were probably in the conversation, but did not make the cut. Here are my thoughts on the three finalists.

Tim Tebow – Florida

Tebow has been here before, a fact that could prevent him from winning as much as help. Voters are just as likely to give someone else a shot since Tebow already became the first sophomore to ever win the award. Only one other player has ever won a pair of Heismans – Archie Griffin, running back for THE Ohio State Buckeyes won back to back in 1974 and 1975. Tebow’s numbers aren’t as gaudy as McCoy or Bradford’s. 2515 yards and 28 TDs almost seem pedestrian next to their numbers. But while he may not throw often, he also rarely makes mistakes and has just a pair of interceptions to his name. Tebow is also dangerous with his feet, running for 564 yards this season and totaling 12 touchdowns on the ground. More than anything, voters have to be impressed with his leadership – after losing to unranked Ole Miss (at home no less), Tebow stepped up and took responsibility for the loss. "You have never seen any player in the entire country play as hard as I will play the rest of this season," Tebow said afterwards. "And you'll never see someone push the rest of the team as hard as I will push everybody the rest of this season, and you'll never see a team play harder than we will the rest of this season." And push he did, playing near flawless football the following nine games and capping the season with three touchdowns and 216 yards in the victory over then #1 Alabama. He did it all season long and did it against some of the top defenses in college football.

Sam Bradford – Oklahoma

His numbers speak for themselves – 4464 yards, 48 TDs and just 6 interceptions are nothing to sneeze at. Bradford only threw for less than 300 yards once, in week 1 and was the signal caller for the highest-scoring offense ever. Bradford has phenomenal arm strength, is smart behind center and is cool under pressure. He waits for his shot, then takes it and makes it count. He’s also a tough competitor, isn’t afraid to take a hit on the very rare occasion he has to, and isn’t afraid to hold the ball long enough for a receiver to get open. Bradford piled up stat after impressive stat with efficiency and poise, all the while leading his team to the top of the BCS rankings and into the National Championship game.

Colt McCoy - Texas

There are a fair amount of people who are still lamenting Texas’ absence in the Big 12 Championship game and that may factor into the voting here. It shouldn’t need to. McCoy’s actions on the field more than support his presence here. His 3445 yards and 32 TDs are impressive enough, as is his durability (holds a school record for games as a starter at 31) and his ability to perform in the clutch (led 9 second half comebacks resulting in wins). He outshot co-finalist Sam Bradford back in October (one of the nine comeback wins) but one of his biggest come-backs in my mind was in a deafeningly loud Jones SBC Stadium in Lubbock, Texas. After a difficult first half, the Longhorns trailed 19-0 and then trailed again in the third, 29-13. But McCoy led drive after drive, chipping away at the Texas Tech lead, capping an 11play, 80 yard drive with a 6 yard scramble to the five yard line, setting up a Vondrell McGee touchdown. While the Longhorns lost that game, Colt McCoy willed that drive and showcased everything he needed to become a Heisman finalist.

My thoughts –

I would not be surprised with any of the three walking away with the award. I think McCoy has the biggest hill to climb. He’s tough and a gamer, but he faced very few top defenses and missing out on that Big 12 Championship game was unfortunate, especially with voters getting an extra look at Bradford and Tebow. He proved himself very tough, running the ball a ton, at what seems like half of Tebow’s size. On the other hand, Tebow has been here before which is good and bad. I think history has shown that the voters like to see some new faces win and that makes it tough to predict the Gator quarterback winning. He’s faced the toughest defenses of the trio and put the team on his back when needed. Bradford seems to fill most of the bills of a Heisman winner – he piles up the stats while his team wins it’s way to the BCS Championship game. Like Tebow, he is a leader and like McCoy, he is cool in the pocket and has nasty stats. In my mind, Bradford is likely the front runner for this award at this time.

As I said, no name called from that podium Saturday night will surprise me (Unless Graham Harrell wins. Which would be kinda odd.) and looking at this season I think all three have made excellent cases for themselves. If I had a vote – I think Bradford would get it. I like both other QBs but I think the Sooner quarterback showed all the tools a well-rounded and successful athlete should have. His athleticism, ability, poise and accuracy all were on display throughout the season and I was very impressed every time I watched him. I never felt like he was out of a game – like I did with McCoy in the first half of that Texas Tech loss – and I always felt like I was watching a quarterback who excelled at his position.

Taking away nothing from the other two, I think Sam Bradford should be the Heisman Trophy winner for this season. I am excited to find out who the actual voters think should be the guy Saturday night.

Heisman Finalists

As I mentioned on the show this morning, the finalists for this years Heisman are Florida's Tim Tebow, Texas Longhorn Colt McCoy and Oklahoma's Sam Bradford. Winner is announced Saturday night (I was kidding when I said 'it's not like they hand the award out this weekend' on the podcasts, but I appreciate the multiple emails correcting me. My sarcasm is weak apparently. :) ).

I will have my thoughts on this Saturday morning for your perusal but I think it's Bradford or Tebow who are the frontrunners. But who knows? Analysis forthcoming on Saturday!

College Football Top 25 review - Week 15

A little late - and the Bowl dance cards are all filled out but here it is nonetheless. We'll have coverage of the majors as we hit the end of the year. But for now, we wrap up the final non-Bowl week of the 2008 NCAA College Football season.

#4 Florida 31, #1 Alabama 20
In a hard fought and see-sawing match, Gator quarterback Tim Tebow threw a trio of touchdown passes and secured a spot for Florida in the National Championship game. It was a slugfest the whole way and both teams earned every yard. But in the end, Tebow showed why he's on the cusp of another Heisman Trophy with a gutsy, poised performance.

#2 Oklahoma 62, #20 Missouri 21
The Sooners romped all over the Tigers as they locked down their spot in the BCS Championship game and won the Big 12 in the process. Oklahoma quarterback Sam Bradford put in another example of why, like Tebow, he is in the thick of the Heisman race, throwing for 384 yards and a pair of touchdowns. The Sooners rolled the opposition, totaling 627 yards.

#5 USC 28, UCLA 7
USC only dropped one game, and an early one at that. But a weak Pac-10 conference prevented them from making up any real ground and a final game against an entirely overmatched UCLA team didn't help matters. USC had little troubl with their crosstown rivals - Mark Sanchez threw for 269 yards, two touchdowns and an INT, while Joe McKnight led the ground attack with 99 yards and a 12 yard touchdown run. They will meet Penn State in the Rose Bowl, the fourth time in a row they have headed to the game. They also won their seventh consecutive BCS bid, completed their seventh straight 11-win season and and won their seventh Pac-10 Championship in a row.

#12 Ball State 24, Buffalo 42
Ball State just couldn't hang onto the ball last Friday, as they fell to unranked Buffalo and losing the MAC Championship. Five turnovers spelled doom for the Cardinals, all of which in some way shape or form came from quarterback Nate Davis. Buffalo scored after each of the fumbles and those turnovers overshadowed Davis' otherwise solid stats (351 yards and a touchdown). The Bulls ended Ball State's perfect season and became Bowl eligible for the first time since they joined the majors in 1999. The school had previously been invited to the Tangerine Bowl in 1958 but turned it down since their African-American players would not have been allowed to play. That team will travel to Toronto for the International Bowl with the current team.

#13 Cincinnati 29, Hawaii 24
The Bearcats had to surge late to overcome an upset in Hawaii, rallying with 19 points in the 4th quarter in a hard-fought battle in Aloha Stadium.

#25 Virginia Tech 30, #17 Boston College 12
Virginia Tech was able to turn turnovers into points and that was all the difference as they beat the Eagles, won the ACC Championship and locked themselves into an Orange Bowl appearence. BC has beaten the Hokies twice in the last two regular seasons but VT has now won it's second ACC title in a row (a first in the ACC) and their third in the five years they have been in the conference.

#23 Pittsburgh 34, UCONN 10
The Pitt Panthers are headed to the Sun Bowl o nthe strength of their first 9 win season since 1982. Running back LeSean McCoy turned in another good performance with 95 yards and a touchdown.

College Football Top 25 review - Week 14

#1 (now #2) Alabama over Auburn 36- 0 - Alabama did everything they needed to do - to hold onto the top spot in the BCS rankings. The Crimson Tide broke a six game losing streak to Auburn and did it in dominating fashion behind Glenn Coffee's 144 yards and TD.

#2 Texas (now #3) over Texas A&M 49-9 - The Longhorns did everything they needed to do but still couldn't hang onto the #2 spot. Oklahoma hopped over them, despite losing to the Longhorns 45-35 earlier this season. There's one ridiculous event every season - you could easily argue that this was this years edition. Once again it was the oft derided computer rankings which invalidated another great performances by Colt McCoy (311/2) and Cody Johnson (102/2). Texas still has a shot to make it into the National Title game but it could be a hard without another game prior to selections.

#3 Oklahoma (now #2) over #12 Oklahoma State 61-41 - Led by Oklahoma QB and Heisman Candidate Sam Bradford's 370 yards and four touchdowns, Oklahoma pounded the Cowboys into dust and did enough to grab the #2 standing from Texas. I don't want to take ANYTHING away from a great season and performance by the Sooners but I cannot figure how it happened anyway. I mean, they LOST to Texas. Great game though and aside from BCS headscratching, will be a solid addition to the SEC championship game.

#4 Florida over #20 Florida State 45-15 - For the 8th straight time, the Gators beat the Seminoles and you have to think Florida State is hoping Tim Tebow (185/3) is going to leave for the NFL next year. Of course it couldn't help that they managed to turn the ball over to the Gators 4 times in this game and compiled just 242 total yards to Florida's 502.

#5 USC over Notre Dame 38-3 - Try as they might, USC just could never recover from their one loss to Oregon State. The declining quality of some yearly opponants isn't a help and Notre Dame sure fits that bill. Marc Sanchez threw for 267 yards and two TDs (though 2 INTs as well) and the USC defense dominated the Irish, holding them to a staggering 91 total yards. USC's lack of focus - at least once a year - has hurt them again and they had best lock it up against UCLA this weekend if they hope to salvage the year with a Rose Bowl visit.

The rest -
#7 Texas Tech beat Baylor 35-28 behind Graham Harrell's 309 yds and 2 TDs..... #9 Boise State scored 48 second half points against Fresno State and won running away 61-10 behind Ian Johnson's 2 TDs and128 yards.... #11 Georgia dropped a heartbreaker to #22 Georgia Tech 45-42 after letting the Yellow Jackets come back fro ma 16 point halftime deficiet and dominate the second half....

#13 Missouri lost to Kansas, 40-37, as Kansas Jayhawk QbTodd Reesing lit the Tigers up for 375 yards and four TDs.... #16 Cincinnati beats Syracuse 30-10, spoiling the aftermath of the Orangemen's defeat of Notre Dame and winning its first outright conference championship since 1964..... #23 Oregon upsets #17 Oregon State 65-38 in this year's edition of the Civil War as Beaver RB Jacquizz Rodgers watched from the sideline and Duck QB Jeremiah Masoli threw for 374 yards and a trio of TDs and Beavers Qb Lyle Moevao threw for 374 yards, 5 TDs but also a pair of INTs.....

#21 Boston College staved off a surging Maryland in the fourth quarter of this 28-21 victory with a late pick six by Robert Francois. The Eagles held Maryland's run game to -6 yards..... #25 was a shared ranking last week and #25a Mississippi blanked Mississippi State 45-0 led by QB Jevan Snead's 4 TDs and 213 yards while #25b Pittsburgh beat West Virginia 19-15 behind a 1yard TD run from LeSean McCoy (183/2) to pick up the win.....

Pac-10 Preview Up at NFLDraftBible.com

Hey folks - busy day here but am hoping to post the ESPN Radio bit later on, maybe tonight. Meanwhile, here is my weekly breakdown of the football games in the Pac-10 conference on NFLDraftbible.com.

Not many games this weekend there, but all rivalries and as they are rivalry games, they can always go any way. I know USC may be cheering on Arizona this week but Bill I think it was Plaschke this week in the LA Times who pointed out that in terms of exposure and level of competition, as well as an outside shot to get a better ranking, USC would be better served not winning the Rose Bowl. As he put it, this year the 'Grandaddy of them all' really won't mean as much as some other bids.

We'll see. The Oregon State loss stings already, having them win the Conference title might be too much for USC to bear.

College Football Top 25 review - Week 11

Top 25 recap

#1 Alabama 27 - #16 LSU 21
It took a little overtime magic, but Alabama coach Nick Saban went home a winner in his return to LSU. The Tigers scored late in the fourth quarter to pull even and send the game into overtime. Charles Scott, who compiled 92 yards and a pair of touchdowns for LSU punched it in to complete the comeback. Alabama drove down the field for a winning field goal, only to have it blocked and the game remain deadlocked. But senior quarterback John Parker Wilson who led Alabama down the field and scored to end the game on a one yard touchdown and allow the Crimson Tide to retain their #1 ranking.

#2 Texas Tech 56 - #9 Oklahoma State 20
Michael Crabtree continues to look like a man amongst boys and drive his draft value up for when he likely decides to go in 2010. Crabtree’s three touchdowns and 89 yards displayed his immense talent once again as the Red Raiders destroyed Oklahoma State. For a time, Oklahoma State looked to be making a game of it, but Texas tech just had too many weapons. Along with Crabtree’s game, quarterback Graham Harrell threw for 456 yards and six touchdowns and receiver Shannon Woods caught two touchdowns. In the end, the Red Raiders pulled away and never looked back, securing their #2 ranking with a colossal win.

#3 Penn State 23 – Iowa 24
The Nittany Lions showed up in the National Championship conversation for a cup of coffee, but were sent packing by the Hawkeyes with a crushing last second field goal. Penn State fans were already complaining about being left out of the National Title game, but they won’t have to worry about that now. The Nittany Lions struggled to move the ball in the air, barely topping 100 yards total. Iowa was led by Shonn Greene’s 117 yards and two touchdowns.

#4 Texas 45 – Baylor 21
The Longhorns rebounded from their disappointing loss to Texas tech in a big way, annihilating overmatched Baylor in ever aspect of the game. Longhorn QB Colt McCoy threw for 300 yards and five touchdowns, two of which went to receiver Quan Cosby. Not only did the Longhorns stamp 494 total yards on Baylor, they stomped on the pass game, limiting the Bears to a woeful 71 yards. Texas slipped up into Penn State’s spot and remains part of the National Title conversation.

#5 Florida 42 – Vanderbilt 14
The Gators locked down a spot in the SEC championship game with a drubbing of Vanderbilt and clinching the SEC East title. Florida quarterback and 2007 Heisman Trophy winner led his team with 171 yards and a trio of touchdowns through the air, adding 88 yards and another pair of touchdowns on the ground. Florida moved up one spot to 4 with the win.

The rest of the 25 –
#6 Oklahoma beat unranked Texas A&M 66-28, as quarterback Sam Bradford compiled 320 yuards and four TDs, jumping to a rank of 5 in the Sunday polls…. #7 USC overmatched #21 California 17-3, but made little ground , moving up just one spot to 6… #8 Utah met #12 TCU and won with a late touchdown pass from QB Brian Johnson…. #10 Boise State hammered Utah State 49-14, piling 563 total yards on the hapless Aggies….

#11 Ohio State took down #24 Northwestern 45-10 with freshman quarterback Terrelle Pryor’s three touchdown passes and Chris ‘Beanie’ Wells’ 140 yards and two touchdowns on the ground…. #13 Georgia continued to struggle in it’s win over unranked Kentucky, though Matt Stafford had another good game, throwing for 376 yards and three touchdowns and running back Knowshon Moreno compiled 123 yards and three touchdowns himself in the 42-38 shootout…. #14 Missouri beat Kansas State 41-24 led by sophomore wide receiver Jeremy Maclin’s 278 all purpose yards and three touchdowns. Though a sophomore, Maclin is three years removed from high school and is expected to enter the NFL draft…. San Diego State found itself outclassed by #15 BYU, which beat them 41-12 behind Max Hall’s 317 passing yards and three touchdowns…..

Senior Javon Ringer scored two touchdowns and ran for 121 yards as #18 Michigan State beat Purdue 21-7… #19 North Carolina scored 21 points in the final quarter as they beat #20 Georgia Tech, 28-7… #22 Florida State beat Clemson 41-27 to celebrate Bobby Bowden’s 79th birthday with his 380th career win… #23 Maryland was stunned by Virginia Tech in a 23-13 loss despite quarterback Chris Turner’s 240 yards and touchdown…. West Virginia and Pittsburgh shared the #25 ranking, but the Mountaineers lost to Cincinnati 26-23 while Pitt wiped the field with Louisville, 41-7 and actually moved up in the polls to #21….

Another exciting college football weekend as the BCS continues to keep us hopping, even if I think it needs a playoff....

College Top 25 Review Week 10

#1 Texas @ #7 Texas Tech
Very few games live up to the hype the way this one did. We had shades of games past (Red Raider collapse like during the Longhorn's last trip to Lubbock), fantastic comebacks (Colt McCoy's second half surge) and a last minute miracle brought about by the power of positive thinking (Crabtree's dream and subsequent game winning TD). Longhorn QB Colt McCoy started out slow, but got his game going, though in the end he was out-dueled by Red Raider QB Graham Harrell, who made Texas the latest #1 team to get clapped out of the top spot, 39-33. Best game of the day, bar none. Texas falls to #4 and the Red Raiders hop to #2.

#2 Alabama vs Arkansas State
The Crimson Tide crawl into the #1 spot with a solid shutout of Arkansas State, 35-0. It wasn't as impressive as it looks like upon first glance. The offense only compiled 357 total yards and and if it wasn't for the exceptional play of Tide RB Mark Ingram, who ran for 113 yards and a pair of touchdowns and a pick six by Rashad Johnson, it would have been much closer. If someone shuts the run game down like Arkansas State frustrated the pass game, they'll be the next to drop.

#4 Oklahoma vs Nebraska
With a potent offense like Oklahoma's, you can't make a single mistake. Nebraska went ahead and made four of them and literally handed Oklahoma a 62-28 victory. Sooner quarterback Sam Bradford continued his fine play, going 19-27 for 311 yards and five touchdowns. Quentin Chaney was his main target (5/128/1) while the Sooner ground game also contributed heavily (193 total yards and three touchdowns). Of the four Cornhusker turnovers, a pair were interceptions and one was returned for a touchdown. Unfortunately for the Sooners, they dropped in the rankings, instead of rising.

#5 USC vs Washington
USC romped all over the Huskies as expected. They did everything pretty much right - ran the ball for 297 yards. Moved the ball through the air well early before shutting it down so things didn't get even uglier. There were some penalties they made that were poor moments, but from whistle to whistle, the Trojans did everything within their power to move up in the BCS rankings. But with the Pac-10 continuing to feast upon itself, their strength of schedule keeps dropping, and so did they, four spots to 7 in the BCS rankings. USC is unlikely to jump up again, as their competition does not get more impressive going forward. All they can do is work towards another BCS Bowl bid. Meanwhile the woeful Washington Huskies continue to find new ways to struggle and are now the only FBS team without a win.

#6 Georgia vs #8 Florida
Gator QB Tim Tebow didn't have a stellar day throwing the ball, but he had a better one than Bulldog signal-caller Matt Stafford who had more yards, but more picks (3) as well. Tebow ran for three touchdowns and threw for a pair more as Florida slapped Georgia 49-10 and hopped over Oklahoma and USC to rank #5 on Sunday.

Best of the rest -
Cowboy wide receiver Dez Bryant caught four TDs in #9 Oklahoma State's 59-17 drubbing of Iowa State..... It took a last minute stop to preserve #10 Utah's 13-10 win over New Mexico..... #11 Boise State extended it's winning streak to eight games as they devastate New Mexico State, 49-0. QB Kellen Moore threw for 246 yards and a trio of TDs in the win..... The Horned Frogs stifled the Running Rebels pass offense and had QB Andy Dalton throw for three touchdowns as #13 TCU beat UNLV, 44-14....

A pick made things more interesting than desired for Missouri and QB Chase Daniels but #14 Missouri held on and beat Baylor, 31-28.... #15 Florida State had more total yards, but unranked Georgia Tech decimated the Seminoles on the ground and sent them home a 31-28 loser..... While the Wildcat formation runs through the NFL, the option was the key to the Northwestern Wildcats' 24-17 upset of #17 Minnesota. Northwestern QB Mike Kafka ran for 217 yards and threw for another 143 in the win and the 'Cats are now ranked #24... #18 Tulsa was leading the nation in scoring and was undefeated but had to come from behind, only to lose anyway to Arkansas, 30-23...

#19 LSU starts to climb out of their 2 loss hole and towards a possible BCS Bowl with a 35-10 win over the Tulane Green Wave, led by junior Charles Scott's 114 yards and touchdown on the ground... Cougar QB Max Hall threw for 389 yards and five touchdowns in a shootout as #20 BYU nudged past Colorado State, 45-42...

#21 Michigan State struggled early but finished with a big field goal, edging Wisconsin 25-24... The BCS giveth and it taketh away as California steals #24Oregon's BCS spot as the second Pac-10 team and beats them soundly, 26-16. Oregon leaves the rankings once again as the Golden Bears jump past them and into the #21 slot... Finally, West Virginia literally stole #25 UCONN's poll spot with a 35-13 win led by quarterback Pat White's three touchdowns (a pair on the ground, one in the air)....

PAc 10 Review Week 9 & Site Note

Hey folks

Catch my Pac 10 Review on College Football Insider today.

Also I have moved the day I post the top Fantasy Players from Monday to Tuesday - I have more time on Tuesdays to do it right and I would rather include Monday's performers as well.

College football Top 25 review - Week 9

#1 Texas vs #6 Oklahoma
Texas quarterback Colt McCoy turned the ball over twice late, but the Longhorn defense stood up and held the Cowboys off, 28-24. McCoy, a Heisman candidate, fumbled late in the 4th and threw a 3rd quarter interception, but will likely lose little momentum as he totaled 391 yards and a pair of touchdowns as well. More of a concern for Texas would be that Oklahoma made them look beatable, with running back Kendall Hunter totaling 161 yards and a TD on the ground and leading a unit that put up 416 total yards on the usually stout Longhorn defense.

#2 Alabama @ Tennessee
The Crimson Tide continued to roll against the overmatched Volunteers, 29-9. Alabama continued to make a case to be in the National Championship game, slapping 366 total yards on the reeling Tennessee squad. Roy Upchurch and Glen Coffee put together 164 yards on the ground and 2 TDs as Alabama played more than well enough to retain their #2 ranking.

#3 Penn State @ #9 Ohio State
Worried about another Buckeye meltdown in a National Championship game? Worry no more as they have stepped out of the competition with a 13-6 loss to the Nittany Lions. Ohio State turned the ball over twice and it was more than enough for a game which had been ruled by sharp defensive play. Freshman quarterback Terrelle Pryor fumbled in the fourth quarter with a three point lead. Penn State recovered, but found themselves without their quarterback as Daryll Clark had been injured. However, backup Pat Devlin came in and led a seven-play, 38-yard drive that took 4:13 and ended with him scoring a touchdown and giving Penn State the win.

#4 Oklahoma @ Kansas State
Sophomore DeMarco Murray had 167 and 4 touchdowns and fellow Sooner running back Chris Brown added 142 yards and a pair of TDs as Oklahoma State overwhelmed a game Wildcats team, 58-35. Sam Bradford’s solid play was overshadowed by the numbers put up by Kansas State quarterback Josh Freeman’s career high 478 yards and 3 touchdowns. Unfortunately those stats came with three of the Wildcats’ five turnovers and the Sooners took off ran out to a big first half lead and then just bled the rest of the game away.

#5 USC @ Arizona
For most of the game, the Trojans’ offense couldn’t get the job done, so it was up to Rey Maualuga and the USC defense to hold the fort in USC’s 17-10 victory in the desert. USC kept normally solid Wildcat quarterback Willie Tuitama to a mere 88 yards with an interception thrown in for good measure. Trojan quarterback Mark Sanchez moved the ball between the 20s and compiled 216 yards, but just one touchdown to go with an interception. But it was USC’s defense which was the story, stopping the Wildcats several times late in the game. Maualuga knew it was big, telling ESPN - "Guys were out there saying, 'This will determine who we are,' " Maualuga said. While the offense didn’t seem sure, the defense made sure people knew who they were loud and clear….

The rest of the active top 25 –

#7 Georgia finished #13 LSU’s hunt for another National Title 52-38, lead by Knowshon Moreno’s standout performance of 163 yards and a touchdown…… Red Raider Quarterback Graham Harrell threw for 386 yards and five touchdowns as #8 Texas Tech trounced #23 Kansas 63-21…… #10 Florida blew Kentucky out 63-5, led by quarterback Tim Tebow’s four touchdowns (2 through the air, two on the ground)…..

Led by a school record 226 receiving yards and three touchdowns by Jimmy Young, #14 TCU thumped visiting Wyoming, 54-7……. Chase Daniel continued his exceptional play at quarterback (302 yds, 5TDs) for the #15 Missouri Tigers as they shut out visiting Colorado out, 58-0…..

Louisville’s solid and stout rush defense throttled #16 South Florida’s run game and the offense did enough for a 24-20 upset …. #17 Pittsburgh did no better as Rutgers quarterback Mike Teel threw for six touchdowns (five in the first half) and led the team through a porous Panther defense for a 54-34 win…. Running back Cedric Peerman rushed for 118 yards and the winning touchdown as Virginia upset #18 Georgia Tech 24-17 and secured the top spot in the ACC Coastal Division…. #20 Ball State avoided being fourth team in this group to lose their game as they beat Eastern Michigan, 38-16. Quarterback Nate Davis not only threw a pair of touchdowns but caught one as well…..

#21 BYU had to rally late against UNLV to squeak out a win, 42-35. Quarterback Max Hall threw for 245 yards and four touchdowns…. Not only did Indiana surprise the #22 Northwestern Wildcats 21-19, but ended a five game losing streak….. #24 Minnesota continued Purdue’s disappointing season, beating them 17-6, forcing 4 turnovers…. #25 Florida State beat Virginia Tech 30-20, led by receiver Greg Carr’s 100 yards on just three catches…..

Who will slip into the top 25 with so many teams at the tail end losing? Will we see some Pac-10 teams slip back in? Can there possibly be more SEC teams? Will be interesting to watch…..

College Football Season - Woo-Hoo!

Although it technically started Thursday, College Football season kicked into high gear today as the bulk of the NCAA locked horns for the first weekend of the season.

Some of the highlights:
#1 Georgia started their season off with a 45-21 drubbing of Georgia Southern. QB Matthew Stafford threw for 275 yards (his highest career total to date) and 2 TDs. Knowshon Moreno didn't carry the ball much (just 8 carries for 59 yards) but totaled 3 TDs and added 2 catches for 53 yards as Georgia put up 24 points in the first half, then took off and never looked back.

#2 Ohio State didn't let up in their opening matchup against Youngstown State either, as they blanked the Pengiuns 43-0. Of course the biggest impact may be the potential loss of Heisman Hopeful RB Beanie Wells as he was carted off the field with an injury to his right foot. According to ESPN, X-rays were negative and Wells was back on the sidelines wearing a protective boot. Seeing the injury it seemed like a freak thing - like he planted his foot oddly and slipped. It is unknown if he will miss time, but early indications are it isn't serious. Lost in this was frosh QB Terrelle Pryor who ran the ball for 52 yds and a TD and threw the ball for 52 yards. Back to Wells, be may miss the next game in order to be fully healed for the week 3 matchup with USC which will have huge impact on the BSC race.

Speaking of #3USC, they were no less impressive in their opening game, shelacking Virginia 52-7. Marc Sanchez looked like he suffered no ill effects returning from his off-season knee injury, throwing for a tremendous 338 yards and 3 TDs, a performance not marred in the least by 1 INT. As is the case often with USC, multiple backs contributed to production at the position: Stafon Johnson ran in a TD from the 2, Joe McKnight carried the ball 6 times for 60 yards (and added 24 more through the air) while CJ Gable rushed for 73 yards and a TD. USC also seems to have found a pair of solid recievers in Ronald Johnson (3-78yds-1TD) and Damian Williams (7-91yds). USC's next game is in 2 weeks against Ohio State.

#4 Oklahoma continued the top team trend of annhilating the opposition, pounding Chattanooga 57-2. Sooner Qb Sam Bradford threw for 183 yds and 2 TDs while the gorund game of Chris Brown and DeMarco Murray combined for 187 yards and 5 TDs. Teh game was delayed for about an hour at halftime due to lightning and while the Sooners didn't match the first half stats, they gave no quarter.

Rounding out the top 5, #5 Florida beat Hawaii with a relatively balanced attack. Heisman Winner (and frontrunner) Tim Tebow did well, though not spectacularly so (9/14, 137 yds, 1TD) and instead the Gators scored everywhere else - defense, special teams, and with great play by their running backs, most notably Jeffrey Demps who ripped off a 62 run for a TD and Chris Rainey who blew off a 33 yd TD run. It's got to be nice when the Heisman Winner from 2007 is merely a tool in a blowout win, not the reason for it. And terribly scary for upcomign foes who know Tebow is capable of breaking out when needed - and now seems to have teammates who can do the same.

The rest of the rest:
#6 Missouri beat #20 Illinois 52-41 and while Illinois made a game of it after the half, it wasn't THAT close. #7 LSU didn't repeat Michigan's blunder against Appalachian State, beating them 41-13. Like much of the nation, our prayers are with them and the whole of the Gulf Coast as Hurricane Gustav bears down on the area. #8 West Virginia doubled up on Villanova 48-21 as Pat White threw for 208 yards and 5TDs. Amazingly, Villanova had more yards (399-354) than Virginia and more 1st downs as well. That has to change of the Mountaineers want to challenge for the BCS title. The UPSET SPECIAL SPECIAL turned out to be #24 Alabama as they beat #9 Clemson 34-10. The Crimson Tide's defense was the story as they shut down Clemson, smothering the run game completely and holding the whole offense to 189 yards total. #10 Auburn took care of business and shut out tomato can Louisiana-Monroe 34-10. #11 Texas beat Florida Atlantic 52-10 on a night when they retired Vince Young's jersey. They didn't miss Young at Qb tonight, though as Colt McCoy went 24/29 for 222 yards and 3 TDs, popping back up after three late hits after which things got choppy. Hey Coach Schnellenberge - think the Longhorns are tough now? Graham Harrell, #12 Texas Tech's QB threw for a staggering 536 yards and 2 TDs as the Red Raiders spanked Eastern Washington 49-24. #13 Wisconsin beat Akron 38-17 as Badger RB PJ Hill went off for 210 yards and a pair of TDs. He is human though - and fumbled on the goal line. #14 Kansas beat Florida International 40-10 with QB Todd Reesing going 37-of-52 for 256 yards and three TDs. #15 Arizona State isn't done beating Northern Arizona yet but after 3 quarters it's 30-3 and QB Rudy Carpenter has already totalled 388 yards through the air, a TD and then another 40 yards on the ground and has now taken a seat. That's what we at the Blurb call 'over'. #16 Brigham Young beat Northern Iowa 41-17 while QB Maz Hall threw for 486 yds and 2 TDs. East Carolina stunned #17 Virginia Tech to the tune of 27-22 as TJ Lee blocked a punt and returned it 27 yards for a TD with 1:52 left the game. #19 South Florida spanked Tennessee-Martin, who they limited to just 96 yards on offense. Like with #15 ASU, #21 Oregon leads their game with authority, ahead of Washington 37-10 in the 4th quarter. Joe Paterno tied Bobby Bowden for most wins by a college coach with a 66-10 win by his #22 Penn State Nittany Lions over Coastal Carolina. And then he tried to tell us he doesn't care. Sure Joe, sure. #23 Wake Forest already pounded Baylor 41-13 on Thursday, lead by a very efficient Riley Skinner (27/36 for 220 yds and 3 TDs). Finally, Bowling Green took down #25 Pitt, 27-17 as the Panthers turned the ball over 4 times and made too many mistakes to get by the Falcons, even though they outgained them in total offensive yards.

#18 Tennessee meets UCLA on Monday.

How's that for a kickoff weekend?

The Blurb's College Top 20

Feel free to disagree - I am sure many will - but here is my take on the top 20 teams in the NCAA this season as it sits now. Angry emails about why Michigan was forgotten or how i could rank Team X at position Y can go in the comments or to thunderingblurb@gmail.com.

1. Florida: Heisman Winner Tebow leads a bevy of very good returning players all of whom are fast and very good. They played tough last year and will challenge the whole way to get to that title game.

2.Ohio State: A very talented group returns. The USC Game is huge – but Ohio State hasn’t fared well in the two biggest games they played in the last few years. A year more experience could make a huge difference this year.

3. USC: Despite losing Sanchez to injury and a ton of defenders to the NFL, they stack talent like cordwood. The game vs Ohio State could well hold the key to who plays in the National Championship game.

4. Georgia: One of the toughest schedules in the nation offsets great talent at the RB and QB positions. If they can hold it together, they will be in the Nat. Champ conversation.

5. Missouri: They don’t play Oklahoma this year, and that’s good since that accounts for both of 2007’s losses. They will be carried by a stellar defense and could flirt with the BCS title, though in the end they won’t have the horses to hang.

6. Clemson: They return a very good offensive group and face a very weak schedule this year. That combination should make them a very difficult challenge for opponents this year.

7. West Virginia: Heisman hopeful Pat White get protected by one of the best O-lines in the nation and if you’ve read the Blurb, you know how important I think that is. Games get won in the trenches and WV should rule the roost on the offensive side of the ball in most games this year.

8. LSU: The Defending National Champs lost more than a few good players to the NFL and graduation and face a daunting schedule. They can play, no doubt, but it will be very hard to repeat even with the talent they do have returning.

9. Texas: Always in the running for the Big 12 title, the Longhorns bring back a great O-line, an even better D-line and veteran leadership. They lack a soft schedule but could play very hard and surprise some people.

10. Auburn: Tough schedule, hard attrition of talent. But Auburn has the talent to hang around and challenge for the SEC title. If they can do that, they have an outside shot at bigger things – but that road will be very hard to walk.

11. Kansas: They have a tougher schedule than 2007, but return some good athletes. While they may have to face Texas, Oklahoma, Texas Tech and FSU this season, they have the talent to persevere.

12. Texas Tech: They return a ton of starters, have a Qb who could have a big year and overall have more talent and veteran leadership than they have had in years. Some tough games this year, especially on the road, may be a problem though.

13. Virginia Tech: A great coach with a great recruiting tradition must offset the loss of their top WRs and defensive players.

14. Wisconsin: The Badgers have a great group of backs playing behind one of the best O-lines in the nation. Problem is their defense won’t match their offense and they have a tough schedule this year.

15. Arizona State: If the offensive line could hold it together this year, Rudy Carpenter could take this team places. Their defense is very good and while they got lucky sometimes last year, they could play well enough to surprise some people.

16. BYU: They lost a lot of starters on defense but have enough in depth to offset that. They tend to dominate their conference and that won’t change this year.

17. Tennesee: The Volunteers have a tough row to hoe in the SEC this year and will be sorely tested. They do have a great offensive line and overall a very solid team.


18. South Florida: They return a bunch of starters, will have a solid veteran team but I think they will not be able to keep up the pace all season and will fade at some point during the year.

19. Oregon: They have a great secondary and will not have problems filling Dixon and Stewart’s shoes, though the drop-off will be considerable. They have a tough Pac-10 schedule but have enough talent to overcome most of their issues, though not enough to repeat last year’s pre-Dixon success.

20. Penn State: The return of the spread offense should help, as will the fact that they have a great D-line. But the Nittany Lions face several very tough games and lost their best player on the defensive side of the ball (Sean Lee, LB) last spring and there isn’t anyone who will fill his shoes this season, which will cause a ton of problems for Joe P and his team.

College Injury Note

For those of you not in Los Angeles, USC starting Qb Mark Sanchez was carted off the field today during practice.

The current diagnosis is a dislocated knee and he is considered Day To Day.

I currently have USC pretty high in my rankings and with Mitch Mustain waiting in the wings, I'm not changing it.

Most telling, the offense continued to practice with determination and efficiency despite losing their leader. That's what you get when you have top athletes at a top program - they deal with adversity and move past it successfully.

That's not to say they won't have some issues. But good schools - USC, LSU, Texas, Ohio State - they get past even something like this.

USC may only be more motivated by it.