A Transition Weekend: July 31 to August 1

Well, Summer has hit the "dog days" for sure!

It has been a busy seven months in 2010. We haven't been able to post as often as one would like on our two blogs.

NFL camps are opening up and NCAA football camps will be opening soon with plenty of talk going on! Ohio State doesn't want to talk 2011! Even prep football will begin in August!

By Labor Day weekend, the 2010 college football season will kick off. Followed by the NFL in the following week.

The Iowa Hawkeyes will kick off the 2010 season vs. Eastern Illinois. Back to back seasons opening with a FCS opponent nicknamed the Panthers, after the exciting finish in 2009 opener vs. UNI.

peace

Minnesota-Texas Football Series Canceled

The University of Minnesota official web site has reported that the Minnesota-Texas football series for '15 and '16 has been canceled.

"We are extremely disappointed that the series with Texas will not take
place. Our institution, student-athletes and fans were very excited about
having a nationally respected program like Texas on our schedule. However there
are complex rights issues in play that are beyond our control. It's unfortunate
that a mutually acceptable resolution could not be found that would have allowed
the games to be played." - Minnesota AD Joel Maturi

Minnesota-Texas football series canceled ‎ - Dallas Morning News
AP Two football games between Minnesota and Texas have been canceled due to a contract impasse over video rights. The announcement was made Wednesday by the ...

The loss of Nebraska to the Big Ten in 2011 likely had very little to do with this decision. But, the University of Texas developing their own television network likely did. Why would the University of Minnesota desire to have this game limited to the State of Texas network for at least one game in the series?

peace

Final look back at the Top 25 teams of 2009 and What's ahead in 2010...

During the 2009 season, Alabama Crimson Tide won their first BCS Title.
Heck, they even have the reigning Heisman Trophy winner on their roster heading into 2010. The 2009 season was an interesting year in College Football ...

2009 Final Top 25 Teams (taking from the final AP and USA Today Coaches polls):

1. Alabama (14-0) - Unanimous #1 to close out the 2009 season, after a strong win over Texas, who was playing without the AT&T player of the year, QB Colt McCoy in the title game! BCS Title Game - Beat Texas 37-21.
2. Texas (13-1) - Life without QB Colt McCoy was on display during the BCS Title Game and everything wasn't alright, but there was still a fight in the Longhorns none the less ... BCS Title Game - Lost to Alabama 21-37.
3. Florida (13-1) - The Tim Tebow era ends one game away from the BCS Title Game, which is better than the Outback Bowl folks ... was it coach Urban Meyer's last game coaching the Gators? BCS Sugar Bowl - Beat Cincinnati 51-24.
4. Boise State (14-0) - A great finish for the Broncos with a payback win over TCU in the Fiesta Bowl; this is a young Broncos team and Boise should carry the #1 top non-BCS team banner into the next decade of college football ... BCS Fiesta Bowl - Beat TCU 17-10.
5. Ohio State (12-2) - Sophomore QB Terrelle Pryor certainly had his best game so far with the 2010 Rose Bowl win; the next two years should get interesting in Columbus with experience at QB for coach Jim Tressel heading into 2010! BCS Rose Bowl - Beat Oregon 26-17.
6. TCU (12-1) - The Horned Frogs fall in their first BCS bowl ever, but they played well in 2009 as the top MWC team; the MWC is playing solid football again this past bowl season, with the Fiesta Bowl loss the only bowl loss the conference had in two bowl seasons! BCS Fiesta Bowl - Lost 10-17 to Boise State.
7. Iowa (11-2) - The Hawkeyes closed out the 2009 season with another win in a bowl game for coach Kirk Ferentz, OC Ken O'Keefe and DC Norm Parker, who have all been together for the past 11 seasons ... BCS Orange Bowl - Beat Georgia Tech 24-14.
8. Penn State (11-2) - The Nittany Lions are the right team for #8 and become the top rated team not to play in a BCS bowl in '09. How many more bowl wins does the all-time head coach Joe Paterno have left in Happy Valley? Capital One Bowl - Beat LSU 19-17.
9. Cincinnati (12-1) - The Brian Kelly era ended after a 12-0 regular season, then the Bearcats coach bolted for Notre Dame to replace Charlie Wies and much of the staff is either headed for Notre Dame or Buffalo now, a new era of Bearcats football begins in 2010 ... BCS Sugar Bowl - Lost to Florida 24-51.
10. Virginia Tech (10-3) - The Hokies didn't win the ACC title, but they closed out the 2009 season as the Top ACC team in the final polls ... Chick-Fil- A Bowl - Beat Tennessee 37-14.
11. Oregon (10-3) - The Ducks enter 2010 with the opportunity to be top dog in the Pac 10, after ending USC's eight year ride at the tip of the conference pecking order in '09, but 2009 will be remembered most for book end losses to open and close season ... BCS Rose Bowl - Lost to Ohio State 17-26.
12. Brigham Young (11-2) - The Cougars will enter the next decade looking to battle everyone in the up and coming MWC looking for BCS status in the next decade ... Las Vegas Bowl - Beat Oregon State 44-20.
13. Georgia Tech (11-3) - The Yellow Jackets are headed in the right direction after finishing the second year under coach Paul Johnson with the ACC Title, but work is to be done in finishing strong in bowl games ... BCS Orange Bowl - Lost to Iowa 14-24.
14. Nebraska (10-4) - The Cornhuskers ended the decade with an impressive bowl win in coach Bo Pelini's second season, raising him to 3-0 in bowl games for Nebraska, but are the Cornhuskers ready for prime time in 2010 and competing with the nation's best? This is a team that lost in Lincoln to Iowa State 7-9 ... Holiday Bowl - Beat Arizona 33-0.
15. Pittsburgh (10-3) - The Panthers pick up their first bowl win, since the 2002 season and the Dave Wannstedt program in his fifth season completes back to back bowl trips ... Meineke Car Care Bowl - Beat North Carolina 19-17.
16. Wisconsin (10-3) - The Badgers finish the 2009 season with a bowl win and their first win of the season vs. a Top 25 team. Can coach Bret Bielema in his fifth season in 2010? Champs Sports Bowl - Beat Miami-FL 20-14.
17. LSU (9-4) - Phil Steele was right picking the Tigers #17 in '09, LSU was young at QB in '09 and had the look of a team not ready for prime time in the #1 SEC this season ... Capitial One Bowl - Lost to Penn State 17-19.
18. Utah (10-3) - The Utes finished third in the ever improving MWC behind TCU and Brigham Young in '09 ... Poinsettia Bowl - Beat Cal 37-27.
19. Miami - FL (9-4) - The Hurricanes closed out the third season under coach Randy Shannon with too many ups and downs lead by youth at QB ... Champs Bowl - Lost to Wisconsin 14-20.
20. USC (9-4) - The Trojans finish the season with another bowl win in the Pete Carroll era, but like the previous decade, could the USC program be entering a new era with a new coach? Emerald Bowl - Beat Boston College 24-13.
21. Mississippi (9-4) - The Rebels were a team, like Oklahoma State, that was supposed to make noise in the Top 10 in '09, not quite ready for prime time behind senior QB Jevon Smeed ... Cotton Bowl - Beat Oklahoma State 21-7.
22. West Virginia (9-4) - The Bill Stewart era wraps up his second full season with a loss, unlike the Fiesta and Mieneke Car Care bowl wins the previous two seasons ... will success become more difficult as Rich Rodriquez players exit Morgantown? Gator Bowl - Lost to Florida State 21-33.
23. Texas Tech (9-4) - Despite the dismissal of coach Mike Leach near the eve of the Red Raiders bowl game, Tech takes care of business with remaining staff, but 2010 will be a new era for Red Raiders ... Alamo Bowl - beat Michigan State 41-31.
24. Central Michigan (12-2) - The Chippewas' close out their senior season on top in the MAC as the coach Butch Jones era closes and a new era remains an unknown ... GMAC Bowl - beat Troy 44-41.
25. Navy (9-4) - The Midshipmen deserve recognition at #25 over the final candidates and were clearly the top independent program in the FBS in 2009 ... Texas Bowl - beat Missouri 35-13.

Some final notes for the 2009 College Football Season ...

1. Florida State (7-6, 4-4 ACC) - Head coach Bobby Bowden and defensive coordinator Mickey Andrews closed out their respective careers on top defeating West Virginia, as both retire to allow the Jimbo Fisher era to begin in 2010 at Florida State ... Gator Bowl - Beat West Virginia 33-21.
2. Oklahoma (8-5, 5-3 Big 12) - Sooners coach Bobby Stoops saw his season slide right out of the gate, when their 2008 Heisman Trophy QB was injured early in the opening season loss to BYU. A solid offensive line is always important for success in the BCS ... Sun Bowl - Beat Stanford 31-27.
3. Oklahoma State (9-4, 6-2 Big 12) - The Cowboys were supposed make a run as a Top 10 program in 2009, but they didn't get out of the gate well, after a nice win over Georgia to open the season and closed the season on the decline ... Cotton Bowl - Lost to Ole Miss 7-21.
4. California (8-5, 5-4 Pac 10) - The Cal Golden Bears never got on track in Pac 10 play, after opening 3-0 with a wins vs. Maryland, Eastern Washington and @ Minnesota ... Poinsettia Bowl - Lost to Utah 27-37.
5. Georgia (8-5, 4-4) - The Bulldogs didn't compete for any titles in the SEC in '09, but they did beat in-state rival Georgia Tech to close out the regular season and finish better in ... Independence Bowl - Beat Texas A&M 44-20.
6. Oregon State (8-5, 6-3 Pac 10) - The Beavers didn't close out the 2009 season very well missing a Rose Bowl bid vs. Oregon and now talk begins that with Carroll looking to a move to the NFL, will coach Mike Riley be headed to Southern California in the new decade? Las Vegas Bowl - Lost to BYU 20-44.
7. Clemson (9-5, 6-2 ACC) - The Tigers finished #24 in the final AP poll, but they slip, losing to in-state rival South Carolina in the final regular season game in coach Dabo Swinney's first full season at the helm... Music City Bowl - Beat Kentucky 21-13.
8. Notre Dame (6-6) - The Fighting Irish coach Charlie Weis couldn't get it done in '09 and the administration said enough, after five seasons, making the decisions to dismiss and declining a bowl game in '09. Season ended after regular season, no bowl for the Irish.
9. Arizona (8-5, 6-3) - The Wildcats were in the mix, surprisingly, for the Pac 10 title in '09, but the close of the 2009 season was eye opening, but not in a kind way with a blowout loss and goose egg ... Holiday Bowl - Lost to Nebraska 0-33.
10. C-USA - While Houston and East Carolina have had some outstanding highlights in '09 and '08, respectively, again the conference was shut out of the final Top 25, with both division winners losing in the '09 bowl season.
11. Sun Belt - Troy wins the Sun Belt title, but the Trojans lose in the top bowl for conference bragging rights with a 41-44 loss to Central Michigan, from the MAC, in the GMAC Bowl.

peace

The 2010 College Football Season will kickoff on Thursday, September 2Nd. Alabama should be considered the nation's #1 team, until someone knocks them off.

1. Alabama - with roster returning, the Crimson Tide offer a compelling case as a #1 team!
2. Boise State - with the roster returning, the Broncos appear to be the nation's top non-BCS program heading into 2010. The position they were in, at the end of the '09 season.

Beyond those two programs, that finished '09 undefeated, there is plenty of work ahead for most FBS programs entering 2010!

Big Ten Media Day is just around the Corner; SEC and Pac 10 hold events

The Big Ten Conference will hold annual Kickoff Luncheon and Football Media Day, August 2-3, 2010 in Chicago. Thirty-three student athletes will be on hand. The University of Iowa will spotlight...

• Senior Quarterback Ricky Stanzi


• Senior Defensive End Adrian Clayborn


• Senior Defensive Tackle Karl Klug


• with head coach Kirk Ferentz, who will be entering his 12Th season as head Hawkeye

Big Ten Conference Official Athletic Site
Big Ten Announces 33 Football Standouts to Appear at 2010 Kickoff Luncheon ... BTN: Men's Golf - Big Ten Match Play Championship (2010), 1:00 a.m. ET ...
2010 Football Media Day - Big Ten Network
The TV network will offer four hours of live televised coverage that day, including the full press conferences for all 11 head coaches and Big Ten ...


At the recent SEC Media Day, the talk of the town was not the conference's continued dominance in the world of college football, but rather it's prevalence ...
2010 SEC Media Days: UF meets Pouncey controversy head-on‎ - Alligator Army (blog)
SEC Media Days: Saban, Alabama Do Best To Downplay Expectations ...‎ - ArkansasSports360.com
SEC Media Days: Nick Saban tells Alabama football team to forget ...‎ - NOLA.com

Back To Football At SEC Media Days‎ - ESPN - Chris Low
Robbie Caldwell took over for Bobby Johnson just a week before SEC media days. "Ah'm from New York originally," Caldwell purred. ...
2010 SEC MEDIA DAYS: ROBBIE CALDWELL, COMMODORE OF OUR HEARTS‎ - EDSBS
2010 SEC Media Days: Vanderbilt Interim Coach Robbie Caldwell ...‎ - SB Nation
Vandy's Caldwell gets a first: SEC media days‎ - WSFA

Top storylines for 2010 college football conference media days‎ - ESPN - Mark Schlabach -
Nebraska, and possibly Colorado, will be making a last appearance at Big 12 media days. The Buffaloes are leaving for the Pac-10, and the Cornhuskers are ...
Rounding up Wednesday in Hoover‎ - Jackson Clarion Ledger (blog)
SEC Media Days Notebook‎ - Dothan Eagle

Pac-10 Football Media Day Scheduled For July 29 at Rose Bowl‎ - UCLA Athletics Official Site
The 2010 Pac-10 Football Media Day will be held next Thursday, July 29. For the first time, it will be held at the Rose Bowl, home of the Bruins. ...
Fans Can Take Part in Pac-10 Football Media Day‎ - Pac 10
Defensive Back Rahim Moore Talks UCLA Football and Pac-10 Competition‎ - FS West

Catch the 2010 College Football Season on television, as games kick-off on Thursday, September 2Nd.

peace

The 2010 All-Iowa Opponent Team

The University of Iowa will face some outstanding players during the 2010 season. Iowa faces eight Big Ten opponents, including Ohio State, Penn State, Wisconsin, @ Northwestern, Michigan State, @ Michigan, @ Minnesota and @ Indiana. Iowa also will travel to Arizona in the OOC, along with hosting OOC opponents Iowa State, Ball State and Eastern Illinois at Kinnick Stadium for the 2010 season.

Top opponent players by position in 2010, likely to face Iowa:

While the Iowa defense is on the field, watch for:

• QB - Ohio State junior Terrelle Pryor and Arizona junior Nick Foles
• RB - Penn State senior Evan Royster (pictured), Wisconsin junior John Clay, Arizona senior Nic Grisgby, Iowa State senior Alexander Robinson and Ball State senior MiQuale Lewis
  
• FB - Penn State junior Joe Suhey
• WR - Ohio State junior DeVier Polsey, Wisconsin junior Nick Toon and Arizona junior Juron Criner
  
• WR - Penn State junior Derek Moye, Indiana juniors Tandon Doss and Damerio Belcher (note Iowa fans, Belcher is a 6-5 IU receiver)
  
• TE - Wisconsin senior Lance Kendricks, Michigan State senior Charlie Gantt, Northwestern junior Drake Dunsmore and Arizona junior A.J. Simmons
  
• LT- Wisconsin senior Gabe Carimi, Ohio State junior Mike Adams, Northwestern junior Al Netter, Arizona senior Adam Grant and Iowa State junior Kelechi Osemele
  
• LG- Ohio State senior Justin Boren, and Ball State senior Michael Switzer
  
• C- Arizona senior Colin Baxter, Iowa State senior Ben Lamaak, Ohio State junior Mike Brewster, Wisconsin senior John Moffitt and Michigan junior David Molk are the top names
  
• RG- Penn State senior Stefen Wisniewski and Ohio State senior Bryant Browning
  
• RT - Wisconsin junior Josh Ogelsby and Ohio State junior J.B. Schugarts
  

While the Iowa offense is on the field, watch for:

• DE - Ohio State senior Cameron Hayward, Penn State junior Jack Crawford and Michigan junior Ryan Van Bergen
  
• DT - Michigan State sophomore Jerel Worthy, Michigan junior Mike Martin and Arizona sophomore Willie Mobley
  
• DT- Penn State senior Ollie Ogbu, Ohio State senior Dexter Larimore and Indiana sophomore Larry Black
  
• DE- Arizona senior Ricky Elmore, Wisconson junior J.J. Watt, Northwestern junior Vince Browne, Oho State junior Nathan Williams and Ball State Robert Eddins
  
• OLB - Ohio State senior Ross Homan, Northwestern senior Quentin Davie, Michigan State senior Eric Gordon and Penn State senior Bani Gbadyu
  
• ILB - Michigan State senior Greg Jones, Ohio State junior Elienne Sabino and Northwestern Nate Williams
  
• ILB - Ohio State senior Brian Rolle, Michigan senior Obi Ezeh and Wisconsin senior Culmer St. Jean
  
• CB - Arizona junior Trevin Wade, Northwestern junior Jordon Mabin, Iowa State junior Leonard Johnson and Penn State junior D'Anton Lynn
  
• SS - Arizona junior Robert Golden, Iowa State senior David Sims, Wisconsin senior Jay Valai and Penn State junior Nick Sukay
  
• FS - Ohio State senior Jermale Hines, Wisconsin junior Aaron Henry and Minnesota senior Kim Royston
  
• CB - Ohio State senior Chimdi Cheskwa, Michigan State senior Chris Rucker and Wisconsin junior Devin Smith
  

One can't forget the importance of special teams:

• PK - Northwestern senior Stefan Demos, Wisconsin junior Philip Welsch and Ball State senior Ian McGarvey. Iowa returns senior Daniel Murray and sophomore Trent Mossbrucker, who redshirted in '09, but kicked as a true freshman in '08.
  
• PT - Michigan State senior Aaron Bates, Wisconsin junior Brad Nortman, Indiana junior Chris Hagerup and Arizona senior Keenyn Crier. Iowa returns senior Ryan Donahue, who may be the nation's top punter in 2010.
  
• KR - Michigan State junior Keshawn Martin, Michigan junior Darryl Stonum, Minnesota junior Troy Stoudermire and Ball State's Eric Williams. Iowa returns senior Derrell Johnson-Koulianos, who had a 99 yard KOR at Ohio State in '09.
  
• PR - Arizona junior William Wright, Michigan State junior Keshawn Martin and Wisconsin senior David Gilreath. Iowa returns senior Colin Sandeman for 2010.

Looking forward to the seven games at Kinnick Stadium this season. It should be an outstanding 2010 college football season around the country. Penn State's Joe Paterno is entering his 45Th season as head football coach in Happy Valley. Penn State opens the 2010 Big Ten season on October 2Nd in Iowa City vs. the Iowa Hawkeyes.

peace

How good will the 2010 College Football Season be?

The Big Twelve Conference should be very interesting, especially with all eyes on the Nebraska Cornhuskers (10-4) and the Huskers swan song in the conference. Three important games to watch for the Huskers:

• @ Washington (5-7) in Week 3 - Second year coach Steve Sarkisian had the Huskies ready in Week 3 last season, when Washington pulled out a 16-13 upset win over #3 USC.
• @ Kansas State (6-6) on Thursday, October 7Th - the Huskers will likely be a target for eight straight weeks in the Big 12, since they are moving to the Big Ten in 2010. The home team has won 10 of 13. K-State has only won five games over the Huskers, since 1969, but all five wins have come with Bill Snyder at the helm for the Wildcats.
• vs. Texas (13-1) on October 16Th - Husker Bo Pelini is entering his third season at the helm of the Cornhuskers program, but he has yet to win a home conference opener as head coach. Texas has won 8 of 9 over the Cornhuskers, including five straight, with the last four games by a FG or less.

All eyes are not on Nebraska in the Big Twelve this season. Respected preseason magazine, Phil Steele's College Football 2010 Preview, ranks the Oklahoma Sooners (8-5) the #1 team for this year's BCS championship. The Sooners last five loss season was in 1999, they followed it up with a 13-0 season in 2000 and BCS Title for Bob Stoops, who was in his second season as head coach at Oklahoma. Not sure Phil Steele's logic is right on the mark here, but it should be interesting to find out.

Remember, Alabama (14-0) is the defending national champs and they return a boat load of talent for coach Nick Saban. Alabama beat Texas 37-21 in the BCS Title Game last season. Texas has defeated Oklahoma four out of the past five Red River Rivalry games and won the BCS title during the 2005 season. So, there is no guarantee that the Sooners will get out of the Big 12 South, let alone a date in the BCS title game this season.

The Iowa Hawkeyes (11-2) will attempt to win their first Big Ten title, since 2004, when Michigan and Iowa finished 7-1 in the Big Ten. Ohio State (11-2) is going for their sixth straight Big Ten title or share in the Big Ten. Penn State (11-2) tied with Ohio State in '05 and '08, but was knocked out of the race last season with home loses to Iowa and Ohio State. Both Iowa and Ohio State are coming off BCS wins, with Iowa's win over Georgia Tech (11-3) 24-14 in the Orange Bowl, while Ohio State beat Oregon (10-3) 26-17 in the Rose Bowl last year.

The Big Ten has witnessed a drop in Ann Arbor, where Michigan (5-7) has had back to back losing seasons for the first time, since '62 and '63. Coach Rich Rodriguez enters his third campaign in Ann Arbor with a lot of eyes on the program. Senior Day will be November 20Th vs. Wisconsin (10-3). We should know by then, if Rodriguez is getting the shipped turned in the right direction in Ann Arbor.

By the way, it's been over a decade, 1999 to be exact, since the Wisconsin Badgers were on top in the Big Ten. Every Big Ten program, but Wisconsin, Michigan State, Minnesota and Indiana has won a share of the Big Ten, since 2000. The Big Ten will add the Nebraska Cornhuskers in 2011 and a conference title game will be on the horizon. But, the 2010 season comes first.

The SEC continues to be the top NCAA conference among the FBS division. However, it is a top heavy conference with Alabama, Florida and LSU. Auburn (8-5) had a perfect season in 2004, but didn't make the BCS title game. The Tigers are only 10-14 the past three seasons in the SEC. Georgia (10-3) wins games in the conference, they are 55-25 over the past ten seasons, but not enough to get into the SEC title game, since Florida (13-1) has normally stood in their way, with the occasional time Tennessee sneaks ahead. The Tennessee Volunteers (7-6) welcome a new coach, Derek Dooley, who will be the third head coach in three seasons for the Volunteers. LSU (9-4) fans are getting a little restless, since coach Les Miles hasn't won a SEC title or a trip to the BCS game, since the 2007 season.

The ACC has a lot of eyes on it. North Carolina (8-5) and only 4-4 in their division is getting hype this pre-season. They return nine starters on defense for coach Butch Davis, but the NFL draft gurus for the 2011 draft love the Tar Heels, which makes the Tar Heels popular heading into the 2010 season. The Tar Heels last bowl win was in 2001 over Auburn in the Peach.

There was a lot of love for 2009 ACC champion Georgia Tech last season. But, don't ask those who saw the games at Miami-FL, vs. Georgia and vs. Iowa in the Orange Bowl. The ACC has a lot of good programs that can beat up on each other, but do they have a Top 10 program that can stand out? Of course, Miami-FL (9-4) and Florida State (7-6) are looking to get back to the party. Clemson (9-5) and Boston College (8-5) would like to sneak in there.

The top ACC program could be Virginia Tech (10-3). The Hokies have an important OOC opener in Landover, MD on Labor Day vs. Boise State (14-0), who intends to carry again the top banner for the non-BCS programs. This is the last season for the Broncos in the WAC, before they move over to Mountain West for the 2011 season.

Last season, the Pac Ten saw USC (9-4), fall out of the conference perch for the first time, since the 2002 season. Further, coach Pete Carroll has moved back into the NFL and a controversial hire was made in Lane Kiffin. Now, the best USC can do is become a spoiler in the Pac Ten, since the NCAA has placed the Trojans on probation and they will not be allowed to participate in a bowl game, face scholarship cuts and they will not be eligible for the ESPN/Coaches Poll. The conference will likely be in a vacuum for awhile, until another program can jump into the national spotlight.

The Big East will most likely have a changing of the guard, since Cincinnati (13-1) lost coach Brian Kelly to Notre Dame (6-6), after Kelly lead the Bearcats to back to back Big East titles. Pittsburgh (10-3) has not won the Big East, since 2004, under a former coach. Coach Dave Wannstedt enters his sixth season and maybe this will be the season finally. Of course, West Virginia (9-4) would like to win for third year coach Bill Stewart, who replaced Rich Rodriguez, when he headed to Ann Arbor.

The MWC will again argue that if the Big East is worthy for the BCS, so should the MWC. TCU (12-1), Utah (10-3) and Brigham Young (11-2) are all programs doing well. Air Force (8-5) will hope to play spoiler in 2010 in the MWC. TCU played Boise State in the Fiesta Bowl, but lost 10-17, after beating Boise in the 2008 Poinsettia Bowl 17-16. The Horned Frogs won the top non-BCS program banner back, after winning it in 2008.

Conference USA has not found a way into the BCS mix, despite fielding 12 football programs. The C-USA West looks to overtake the C-USA East, after East Carolina (9-5) took back to back titles in the C-USA Championship game. Houston (10-4), SMU (8-5) and Tulsa (5-7) are the top three programs to likely make that move in the West. UCF (8-5) and Southern Miss (7-6) will be the likely top candidates to contend for the top spot in the East.

The WAC will take a hit after 2010, when Boise State moves to the MWC. Right now, Boise State is looking to make history in 2010. Can the Broncos sneak into the BCS title game, coming from a non-BCS conference? The big games that stand in the Broncos way:

• Labor Day game in Landover, MD vs. Virginia Tech, from the ACC
• September 25Th, vs. Oregon State (8-5) from the Pac Ten
• @ Wyoming, Toledo and eight conference cupcakes in the eyes of the rest of the nation

Could we see another Boise State-TCU match up at season's end for the third staight season?

The FBS has three Independents in 2010...

• Notre Dame - on the wish list for the Big Ten, but still not interested?
• Navy (10-4) - The Midshipmen have won 2 of the last 3 games vs. the Fight Irish!
  
• Army (5-7) - The Black Knights have lost eight straight to the Midshipmen!

Is this the year that coach Al Gordon leads the Temple Owls (9-4) to a MAC championship?

Heck, maybe a MAC title or two could help hoist him into the position, held the past 45 years by Penn State coach Joe Paterno? At Ohio U (9-5), former Nebraska coach Frank Solich will fight Temple and five other schools for the MAC East spot. In the MAC West, five other schools will look to knock out 2009 and 2007 champ Central Michigan (12-2), who have to find a new QB, along with welcoming a new head coach.

The Sun Belt Conference has seen Troy (9-4) win back to back conference titles. But, Middle Tennessee (10-3) is the top program to sneak past Troy in 2010. The Blue Raiders host the Minnesota Golden Gophers (6-7) in the season opener.

The 2010 season looks to be a very interesting one...

Who do you like in college football in 2010?

peace

We are less than two months out to the kickoff of the 2010 College Football season!

Regrets on not wishing everyone a Happy Independence Day on my blog sooner. It's been a busy 2010 and time hasn't offered as much opportunity to post. The blog has been idle for awhile, but the love and passion for College Football still lives on!

We hope you will keep an eye on our blog as we head into the 2010 College Football season, which is less than two months away! The first game kicks off on Thursday, September 2Nd with Presbyterian at Wake Forest on espn3.com. Plenty of other games kickoff the big Labor Day weekend! The regular season will close out on Saturday, December 4Th with conference title games and final regular season games.

It was a great 2009 college football season and 2010 should be great as well. The news out of the Big 12 Conference and MWC has been very interesting of late. It started with the news that Boise State will leave the WAC after 2010 season to join the MWC. Then, we learned the Big Ten and Pac Ten are both expanding, with Nebraska joining the Big Ten for 2011, while Colorado in 2012 and Utah joining in 2011 the Pac 10 Conference.

We want to welcome Nebraska for accepting an invitation to the Big Ten Conference. For years, we have enjoyed Cornhusker football growing up here in Eastern Iowa watching and following Dr. Tom Osborne. It will be enjoyable seeing Iowa-Nebraska on the gridiron more regularly. The late Bob Devaney would be proud for his Nebraska Cornhuskers.

From our nation's founding fathers to the major conferences in College Football, the landscape continues to evolve in 2010.

peace