Week 13 Power Rankings

Here is how I rank the Top 10 teams in the country as of this weekend.

Rank	Team	Comment
1	Auburn	Auburn has earned this spot with it's solid play throughout the season!
2	Boise	This same Broncos team defeated Oregon and TCU last season.
3	Oregon	Beware of the landmine in Corvallis!!
4	TCU	The Frogs appear headed to Las Vegas, as the BCS will pick cupcake eaters Stanford and Ohio State over them. And don't get me started about the Big (L)East champ.
5	Wisconsin	The Badgers have played the toughest schedule among the 1-loss teams. Bret Bielema continues his "Humanitarian of Year" campaign.
6	LSU	The Tigers appear headed for a BCS at-large bid - unless Auburn loses.
7	Michigan State	Despite being the best Big Ten team, the Spartans will end up in the Capital One Bowl.
8	Oklahoma State	The Cowboys are the only Big 12 team that wins games that they are supposed to win!
9	Alabama	For all of you who think Stanford or Ohio State should be here, ask yourself whether or not you think your team would be the Crimson Tide.
10	Stanford	At least they play real opponents... Ohio State can't really say that.

Mountain West Week 13 Power Rankings

Heading into Week 11, I rank the Mountain West teams in the following order:

Rank	Team	Comment
1	TCU	The Frogs appear relegated to the Las Vegas Bowl.
2	Utah	The Utes earned this spot by virtue of their comeback win over SDSU
3	San Diego State	SDSU is clearly the third best team behind TCU and Utah.
4	Air Force	With a little luck, the Falcons could be in 2nd place.
5	BYU	The Cougars can finish second with a win in the Holy War.
6	Wyoming	The Cowboys finally put it all together and pounded CSU.
7	Colorado State	The Rams should contend for the title next season.
8	UNLV	There's always next season.
9	New Mexico	Which Lobo team will show up for TCU?

Utah - San Diego State Lessons Learned

After losing by large margins in back-to-back games, many wondered how Utah would respond playing a tough conference game on the road. San Diego State jumped on the Utes, quickly and led 27-10 with 5 minutes to go in the half.

Unlike the previous weeks, the Utes answered the call.

Utah scored twice in the last five minutes of the half to cut the San Diego State lead to 3 points. After falling behind by ten points, Utah marched 79 yards for a TD. On the next series, they blocked a punt to take a 38-34. While the defense struggled at times, they picked off QB Ryan Lindley twice in the last 5 minutes to preserve the victory.

A game like this demonstrates the toughness of the Utah players and coaching staff. Lesser people would have quit when they fell behind early. Rather than moping, the Utes kept clawing, scrapping, and fighting until the end. Instead of dwelling on their mistakes, the team moved forward, and made big plays when it counted the most.

College Football Power Rankings - Week 12

Here is how I rank the Top 10 teams in the country, based on what they have done so far:

Rank	Team	Comment
1	Auburn	Auburn has earned this spot with it's solid play throughout the season!
2	Boise	This same Broncos team defeated Oregon and TCU last season.
3	Oregon	Beware of the landmine in Corvallis!!
4	TCU	Their win over SDSU was much better than they will get credit for.
5	Wisconsin	The Badgers have played the toughest schedule among the 1-loss teams. Bret Bielema continues his "Humanitarian of Year" campaign.
6	LSU	The Tigers appear headed for a BCS at-large bid.
7	Michigan State	The Spartans have the inside track for the Rose Bowl.
8	Nebraska	Great teams win games when the breaks go against them. The Huskers are a great team for persevering against Iowa State!
9	Oklahoma State	The Cowboys demolished Texas.
10	Alabama	For all of you who think Stanford or Ohio State should be here, ask yourself whether or not you think your team would be the Crimson Tide!

Mountain West Week 12 Power Rankings

Heading into Week 11, I rank the Mountain West teams in the following order:

Rank	Team	Comment
1	TCU	The Frogs won the conference with a win over SDSU.
2	Utah	Which is the real Utah team? The team that went 8-0, or the team that lost to a VERY SORRY Notre Dame team.
3	San Diego State	A win over Utah would put the Aztecs in the second place.
4	Air Force	With a little luck, the Falcons could be in 2nd place.
5	BYU	With it's second half surge, the Cougars might end up 7-5.
6	Colorado State	The Rams should contend for the title next season.
7	UNLV	The Rebels pounded Wyoming this weekend.
8	New Mexico	At least they're not Wyoming!
9	Wyoming	Come on, 'Pokes. Did you really lose to UNLV?

Utah - Notre Dame lessons learned

After watching the Notre Dame game, Utah players and fans ought to be embarrassed. Utah lost to a very bad Notre Dame team.

For the second week in a row, the Utah offense cost the team the game. Their inability to sustain a drive kept the defense on the field too long. Furthermore, the Utes refuse to stretch the field, relying exclusively on runs up the middle and short crossing routes.

Utah has continued last week's mental lapses and sloppy play. In the first half, the Utes committed ten penalties. Notre Dame blocked a punt for its first TD, and intercepted a pass to set up the second score. A fumble on the second half kickoff set up another TD, putting the Utes down 28-3.

If Utah does not make some drastic changes, they will not win another game this season. You cannot contend for the Pac Ten title if you lose to Notre Dame starting a true freshman QB.

College Football Power Rankings - Week 11

Here is how I rank the Top 10 teams in the country, based on what they have done so far:

Rank	Team	Comment
1	Auburn	Auburn has earned this spot with it's solid play throughout the season
2	Boise	This same Broncos team defeated Oregon and TCU last season.
3	Oregon	The Ducks continue to score points are a rapid clip. Beware of the landmine in Corvallis.
4	TCU	Huge win over Utah. If Oregon or Auburn lose, they will likely play for the national title.
5	Wisconsin	The Badgers have played the toughest schedule among the 1-loss teams.
6	LSU	The Tigers defeated a very talented Alabama team this week. They will likely get an at-large bid to the Sugar Bowl.
7	Michigan State	The Spartans have the inside track for the Rose Bowl.
8	Nebraska	Back-to-back wins over ranked teams has the Huskers back in the Top 10.
9	Oklahoma State	The 'pokes annhilated Baylor.
10	Utah	The Utes get this spot by default. With Ohio State and Stanford playing creampuffs, I refuse to put them in the Top 10.

Mountain West Week 11 Power Rankings

Heading into Week 11, I rank the Mountain West teams in the following order:

Rank	Team	Comment
1	TCU	After beating Utah 47-7, The Horned Frogs earned this spot.
2	Utah	While the Utes lost to TCU, they're still the second best team in the conference.
3	San Diego State	SDSU controls its own destiny, and can earn the title with wins over TCU and Utah.
4	Air Force	The Falcons won the Commander-in-Chief Trophy by defeating Army.
5	BYU	A solid second half, has the Cougars moving up in the standings.
6	Colorado State	The Rams should contend for the title next season.
7	UNLV	At least they beat New Mexico!
8	New Mexico	The Lobos won their first game of the season, by defeating Wyoming.
9	Wyoming	Come on, 'Pokes. Did you really lose to New Mexico?

Mountain West Week 10 Preview

Week 10 of the college football season brings the most excitement yet. The Mountain West features several crucial contests this weekend. What will happen?

TCU at Utah
#3 TCU (9-0, 5-0) squares off against #5 Utah (8-0, 5-0) in the Mountain West Conference game of the week. The winner of this game ends up with a BCS berth. The loser will end up in the Las Vegas Bowl.

This matchup might be the best game in conference history. Both teams enter the game ranked in the Top 10 in both scoring offense and scoring defense. Utah's underrated defense will make the difference in this game. After turning in its worst performance of the season last week, the Utes will stuff the run, and force TCU QB Andy Dalton to beat them. While Dalton is the best QB in the Mountain West, he will not make enough plays, to defeat Utah's wide-open offense. The Utes win at home, and earn a much- deserved apology from ESPN Radio!

Air Force at Army
While the TCU - Utah will get the most publicity, the Air Force - Army game means even more to these academies. Air Force (5-4, 3-3) can break Navy's eight-year stranglehold on the Commander-in-Chief trophy with a win. Army (5-3) needs to defeat the Falcons, and then defeat Navy on December 11th.

This matchup features two triple-option attacks. While both teams rank in the Top 10 nationally in rushing, the team that passes the ball with the greatest success will win the game. While Air Force has the better secondary, Army has a much better pass rush, recording 20 sacks in 8 games. The Falcons win a tight game on the road, with QB Tim Jefferson making the difference.

UNLV at BYU
The UNLV - BYU contest features two teams going in opposite directions. UNLV (1-7. 1-3) has struggled all season, with its only win coming against winless New Mexico. After starting out 1-4, BYU (3-5, 2-2) has won 2 of its last 3, and can qualify for a bowl with a strong finish to the season.

Both offenses have scored points when they ran the ball successfully. BYU will establish the ground game early, controlling the clock, and keep the Rebel defense off the field. The Rebel offense will not fare well against an improving Cougar defense. BYU wins this game, and keeps its bowl hopes alive.

Colorado State at San Diego State
Colorado State plays at San Diego State this week in an important game for both teams. With a win, CSU (3-6, 2-3) will remain bowl eligible. The Aztecs (6-2, 3-1) still control their own destiny in conference play, and need to win out to take the conference crown.

This game will be a shootout. QB's Pete Bell and Ryan Lindley will have big games against suspect secondaries. The Aztecs will make more plays on defense, and keep pace with the Utah - TCU winner in the Mountain West race.

Wyoming at New Mexico
Wyoming travels to New Mexico to round out the conference schedule. A Wyoming (2-7, 0-5) win offers a chance to escape the Mountain West cellar. New Mexico (0-8, 0-4) comes into the game still seeking its first win of the season.

While New Mexico continues to improve each week, they do not have the talent to beat Wyoming. Cowboy QB Austyn Carta-Samuels has a big day, as Wyoming records its 3rd win of the season.

Utah - Air Force Lessons Learned

For those that missed it, Utah defeated Air Force 28-23 in Colorado Springs on Saturday. With this win, the Utes set up a battle of unbeatens, as they face 9-0 TCU in Salt Lake City this weekend. ESPN and the College Gameday crew will be on location for this showdown.

Saturday’s game demonstrated the following things about this year’s Utah team:

• The Utes can force turnovers - All season long, Utah has been on the negative side in turnover margin. This weekend, the Utes forced 3 fumbles, and 2 interceptions. The first two fumbles occurred deep in Utah territory where the Falcons would have certainly scored.


• Utah can run the football when they need to - Saturday's offensive game plan resembled Vince Dooley's "three yards and a cloud of dust" offense. The Utes ran the ball a season-high 51 times, taking advantage of the smaller Falcon defenders. In addition, by running the ball so frequently, the Utes ran a very "vanilla" offense, giving TCU very little to glean from this weekend's game.


• The Utah D comes up huge in the clutch - While the defense did not have outstanding numbers, they played very well when it counted. The Utah defense stopped the Falcons on 4th down twice in the 4th quarter when the game was still in doubt. In addition, they forced turnovers in the 1st quarter, which prevented Air Force from taking an early lead.


• Utah has yet to open the full playbook. - While the Utes played conservatively on offense, they did sneak in an additional wrinkle this weekend. Utah ran a fake field goal in the third quarter with kicker Joe Phillips picking up the first down. After picking up the first down, the Utes scored their final TD, which ended up as the deciding score.

Utah - Air Force Preview

The Utes face their toughest challenge of the season, traveling to Colorado Springs to play the Air Force Falcons. How will Utah fare against a team in the top half of the conference? Here are four things to look for in this week's game:

Utah stops the option
Air Force runs the triple option to perfection, ranking first in the nation in rushing offense. Despite these gaudy numbers, the Falcons have struggled offensively ever since they lost FB Jared Tew. With Tew out of the lineup, Utah will focus on containing QB Tim Jefferson and HB Asher Allen, and rely on the defensive tackles to take away the FB dive.

Big day on the ground
The Falcons have struggled with the run in conference play, allowing a minimum of 175 yards per contest. The Ute offensive line will take advantage of the smaller Air Force defense, and open huge holes for RB's Matt Asiata and Eddie Wide.

Minimal turnovers
The Utes fumbled the ball 8 times in last season's overtime win against the Falcons. These turnovers killed several drives, and almost cost the Utes the game. Coach Kyle Whittingham has not forgotten about this, and has coached the Utes to secure the football.

Offense opens up the playbook
Given the magnitude of this game, the Utah offense will open things up to prevent the Falcons from putting eight on nine defenders in the box to stop the run. Look for offensive coordinator Aaron Roderick to involve many different receivers in the game plan, and use some "trickeration".

Mountain West Week 9 Preview

Week 9 will answer many questions that remain about the Mountain West Conference. How will Utah play against the top half of the conference? Can San Diego State win a tough conference game on the road? Which teams toward the bottom of the conference will step forward, and claim a bowl? Here is what to expect this week:

Utah at Air Force - The top game of the week pits Utah (7-0, 4-0) against Air Force (5-3, 3-2). The Utes want to win this game to dispel the notion that they can only beat weak teams. For Air Force, this game presents a chance to snap a two game losing streak, and earn a better bowl game.

Utah averages 47.7 points per game, ranking third in the nation. The Utes will start out running the ball, looking to capitalize on the size differential between the offensive line, and the smaller Falcon defenders. Air Force has struggled against the run all season, and will move more defenders into the box. The Falcons will slow down the run with the extra defenders, and limit the Ute passing game with stellar play from CB's Reggie Rembert and Anthony Wright.

Air Force ranks first in the nation in rushing, and will continue to use its vaunted triple-option attack. Despite the outstanding numbers, the Falcon offense has struggled since losing FB Jared Tew to injury. Without Tew, teams do not respect FB dive, and concentrate on shutting down the outside threat posed QB Tim Jefferson, and HB Asher Allen. Utah's front seven will stop the option, and force the Falcons to the air. QB Tim Jefferson will struggle against the aggressive play of the Ute secondary.

While the Falcons will play well, they do not have enough talent to play with the Utes. Utah will pull away late in the game, adding an impressive road win to an otherwise weak BCS resume.

TCU at UNLV - TCU (8-0, 4-0) travels to Las Vegas to face the UNLV Rebels (1-6, 1-2). The Horned Frogs enter the game ranked #4 in the BCS, and need an impressive victory to remain in that slot. A win over TCU would provide the Rebels with some much-needed confidence, and could turnaround a miserable season.

TCU has one of the most explosive offenses in the country, averaging almost 40 points per game. RB's Ed Wesley and Matthew Tucker will lead the ground attack against a UNLV defense that allows 5.3 yards per carry. QB Andy Dalton will also take a few shots down the field, looking to get the ball to one of his big-play wide receivers. While UNLV will make adjustments, they do not have the talent to stop the powerful Horned Frog attack.

UNLV scores points when they run the ball effectively. They will run the ball from the outset, and look to take the pressure off QB Omar Clayton. TCU will dominate the line of scrimmage, forcing the Rebels to the air. The Rebels will move the pocket to avoid the speedy TCU pass rush.

TCU wins this game big, and heads into next week's showdown with Utah undefeated.

San Diego State at Wyoming - San Diego State (5-2, 2-1) plays Wyoming (2-6, 0-4) in a critical conference game for each team. The Aztecs still control their own destiny in conference play, and must win this game to keep their title hopes alive. If the Cowboys want to return to a bowl for the second consecutive season, they need to win out for the rest of the season.

San Diego State relies on a balanced offense, with a 50-50 run/pass ratio. The Aztecs may turn to the passing game early with standout RB Ronnie Hillman slowed by a hip pointer. QB Ryan Lindley will throw deep to DeMarco Sampson and Vincent Brown. Wyoming will play "bend but don't break defense", giving up yards, but not surrendering points.

The Wyoming offense has struggled to find its rhythm all season long, averaging just over 200 yards per game. The Cowboys will mix it on up on offense, trying to score some points. Much like the Wyoming defense, SDSU does not play flashy defense, but gets the job done. The Aztec D will take away the run, and force Wyoming to beat them deep.

San Diego State has struggled on the road this season, with its only victories coming over New Mexico (0-7), and New Mexico State (1-7). On the other hand, Wyoming has played well at home, despite the brutal schedule that they have played. The Cowboys pull off the upset at home, and remain in contention for a bowl game.

New Mexico at Colorado State - New Mexico plays Colorado State to round out the Mountain West schedule for Week 9. The Lobos (0-7, 0-3) have played better in recent weeks, and have their best chance for a win this season. Colorado State (2-6, 1-3) looks to avenge last season's loss to the Lobos, and remain in the hunt for a bowl bid.

New Mexico played much better on offense last week with QB BR Holbrook returning from injury. The Lobos will play without leading rusher Demond Dennis, dismissed from the team on Tuesday. Despite the loss of Dennis, New Mexico will attempt to remain balanced against an attacking CSU defense. The Rams have 16 QB sacks this season, and will blitz Holbrook frequently.

Colorado State will run the ball to set up the passing game. While head coach Steve Fairchild has yet to announce this week's starter, the Rams have three tailbacks capable of gaining yards against the Lobo defense. New Mexico will contain Colorado State's ground game, but they will not have an answer for QB Pete Bell, who will toast the Lobo secondary.

Colorado State wins big, keeping its bowl hopes alive.

College Football Power Rankings

Here is how I rank the Top 10 teams in the country, based on what they have done so far:

Rank	Team	Comment
1	Auburn	After beating LSU, Auburn has justified the #1 ranking this week.
2	Michigan State	The Spartans have beaten Wisconsin, Michigan, and a better-than-advertised Illinois team.
3	Oregon	The Ducks are at #3 this week, but a win over USC could move them up.
4	Boise	Strength of schedule hurts the Broncos.
5	TCU	The Horned Frogs have dominated their Mountain West Conference brethren.
6	Missouri	Which is the real Missouri; The team that defeated Oklahoma this weekend, or the team that nearly lost to San Diego State?
7	Utah	The Utes continue to dominate lesser competition, but defeated Iowa State 68-27.
8	LSU	The Tigers get the nod by playing a tougher schedule than Alabama to date.
9	Alabama	The Tide might be the best one-loss team in the country.
10	Wisconsin	The Badgers have beaten back-to-back ranked teams, and should end up in a BCS bowl.

Mountain West Power Rankings

Heading into Week 9, I rank the Mountain West teams in the following order:

Rank	Team	Comment
1	TCU	TCU dominated Air Force this weekend, remaining the conference favorite.
2	Utah	The Utes continue to roll against lesser competition.
3	San Diego State	Despite a lackluster performance against New Mexico, SDSU controls its own destiny.
4	Air Force	The Falcons look to rebound against Utah this weekend.
5	BYU	The Cougars remain in the hunt for a bowl by edging Wyoming.
6	Wyoming	Has anyone played a more brutal schedule than the Cowboys?
7	Colorado State	The Rams should contend for the title next season.
8	UNLV	At least they beat New Mexico!
9	New Mexico	The Lobos showed signs of life against San Diego State, but will finish the season winless.

CFN Update

A number of you have asked why you have not seen my Mountain West posts on College Football News. Honestly, I do not know why not. I know that the people at CFN doing a great job covering the games, so I can only assume that they are super busy.

I will continue to write articles for submission, and post them out here. Thank you for reading - without all of you, there would be no reason to write.

Utah Utes Week 8 Preview

Latest News
The Utes debuted in the initial BCS standings at number 9. With a Top 12 ranking, the Utes would qualify for an at-large bid to a BCS game.

The Utes have outscored their opponents 117-7 in the second quarter this season.

LB JJ Williams (foot) and TE Brad Clifford (hand) will likely sit out against CSU.

Utah will wear special uniforms for the TCU game, in support of the Wounded Warrior Project. To see photos of these uniforms, click here.

Week 8 Preview
Utah continued its winning ways last week by defeating Wyoming 30-6. Colorado State enters this game with a lot of confidence after demolishing UNLV 43-10. Here are 5 things to look for in this week’s game:

Turnover margin
After the Wyoming game, Coach Whittingham was very angry about Utah’s turnover margin. The Utes turned the ball over three times against the Cowboys, without producing any turnovers of their own. If the Utes continue to turn the ball at such an alarming rate, it will definitely come back to haunt them against stronger competition.

The Utes worked all week in practice with an emphasis on forcing turnovers. Expect Utah’s defense to force a couple of turnovers in this game.

Big day on the ground
The Utes will run the ball effectively against the Rams. CSU has struggled against the run this season, allowing almost 5 yards per carry. RB Matt Asiata will rush for 100 yards again this week.

Stuff the run
In both of its wins this season, Colorado State has run the ball effectively to set up the passing game. Utah’s defense has limited teams to 2.6 yards per carry. That trend will continue this week as the Ute defensive linemen will control the line of scrimmage, freeing up the linebackers to make tackles.

Wynn bounces back
QB Jordan Wynn went 16 for 25 last week, but threw a career-high three interceptions. Throughout his career, Wynn has always followed a rough outing with a solid performance in the next game. He will do the same thing this week, turning in a solid performance, and playing error-free football.

Full 60 Minutes
While the Utes have played very well in spurts this season, they have yet to play a complete 60 minutes of football. Utah usually starts out slow, and then wins the game in the second quarter. Last week, the Utes got out to a quick start, but played poorly in the second half. This week will be the week where they finally break through and play a solid game for the entire 60 minutes.

Please follow me on Twitter @TPJCollFootball

Mountain West Week 8 Preview

Week 7 of the season clarified things in the Mountain West Conference. TCU established itself as the favorite in conference title race, while Utah took a step back after a sub-par showing against Wyoming. San Diego State upset Air Force, re-emerging as a title contender. Colorado State also won, keeping its bowl hopes alive. What lessons will we learn in Week 8?

Air Force at TCU
The conference’s top game pits Air Force (5-2, 3-1) against TCU (7-0, 3-0). This contest presents a different opportunity for each team. Air Force wants to win this game to remain in the Mountain West title race. A decisive TCU win would boost the Horned Frogs in the computer polls, and perhaps raise their BCS ranking.

When Air Force has the ball, two nationally ranked units will face off. Air Force has the top rushing offense in the country, while TCU ranks second nationally in total defense. While the Falcons have run the ball well all season, they have not played a defense with the speed and athleticism that the Horned Frog defense has. TCU will contain Air Force’s ground game, placing the Falcons in third and long situations. QB Tim Jefferson will struggle against the Horned Frog secondary.

On the other side of the ball, TCU’s offense will look to get the ball in the hands of its skill players. The Horned Frog offensive lineman will overpower the undersized Falcon defenders. Air Force ranks in the Top 20 in passing defense, so TCU will likely keep the ball on the ground with RB’s Ed Wesley and Matthew Tucker.

This game will remain close, with TCU pulling away in the second half. By defeating the Falcons by double digits, the Horned Frogs will gain ground on Oklahoma, who only beat Air Force by three points.

Wyoming at BYU
Longtime rivals Wyoming (2-5, 0-3) and BYU (2-5, 1-2) square off this weekend in an important Mountain West contest. The winner of this game has an excellent chance to go to a bowl. In addition, with BYU’s departure from the conference ending this rivalry, each team would like to send the other team packing with a loss.

Wyoming has struggled on offense this season, largely due to a brutal schedule. The Cowboy offense has had its greatest success when they can run the ball effectively. They will attempt to run ball with Alvester Alexander against a BYU defense that has allowed 4.9 yards per carry. The Cougars defense has turned it up a notch the past few weeks, limiting San Diego State to 53 yards rushing, and holding TCU to 3.4 yards per carry. After stopping those two potent attacks, the Cougars will have no trouble stopping Wyoming’s ground game.

BYU will use a conservative offensive game plan against the Wyoming D. They will run the ball with RB’s JJ DiLuigi and Bryan Kariya, and have QB Jake Heaps throw safe passes. The Cowboys will play “bend, but don’t break” defense, and try to create some turnovers.

The Cougars will win this defensive struggle, taking a step closer to a bowl bid.

San Diego State at New Mexico
Former New Mexico Head Coach Rocky Long returns to New Mexico (0-6, 0-2) as defensive coordinator of the surging San Diego State Aztecs (4-2, 1-1). San Diego State needs to win this game to control its own destiny in the conference race, while New Mexico needs a win to turn around a dismal season.

San Diego State features one of the top offenses in the conference, while New Mexico has one of the worst defenses. The Aztecs will turn to big-play running back Ronnie Hillman to gain some yards on the ground, and set up the passing game. New Mexico will take a page out of the BYU playbook, and attempt to take the running game away. Even if the Lobos succeed in stopping the run, they will not stop Aztec WR’s Demarco Sampson and Vincent Brown from making big plays in the passing game.

New Mexico has struggled offensively this season. Injuries have forced the Lobos to use four different QB’s this season. Regardless of who is under center, the Lobos will attempt to establish a ground game with RB Demond Dennis, looking to exploit an Aztec defense that has allowed over 4 yards per carry in Mountain West play. San Diego State will show a number of different looks from its 3-3-5 defense. The changing fronts will confuse the inexperienced Lobo QB’s and generate turnovers.

San Diego State wins this game by three touchdowns. New Mexico simply does not have the talent to match the title-contending Aztecs.

Colorado State at Utah
Colorado State (2-5, 1-2) travels to Utah (6-0, 3-0) to round out the Mountain West schedule this week. The Rams look to build momentum after last week’s 43-10 win over UNLV. The Utes want to put last week's poor second half behind them, and remain undefeated.

The Rams will use a balanced offense against the Ute D. RB’s Leonard Mason and Raymond Carter (if healthy) will get plenty of carries. CSU will also take a few shots down the field looking to hit a big play or two to get on the scoreboard. Utah will play aggressively on defense using stunts, blitzes, and press coverage to shut down the Ram offense.

Utah’s offense averages 45.8 points per game, ranking 4th in the nation in scoring offense. The Utes will establish the run with RB’s Eddie Wide and Matt Asiata. To prevent the Rams from crowding the box to stop the run, QB Jordan Wynn will use a number of different receivers and throw downfield. Like Utah, Colorado State will bring plenty of pressure to force Wynn to rush his throws.

While CSU will keep the game close, they are a year away from contending for the Mountain West title. Utah will win this game by two touchdowns and head into the toughest stretch of its schedule with a perfect 7-0 record.

Please follow me on Twitter @TPJCollFootball

Mountain West Week 7 Lessons Learned

Week 7 of the college football season featured four Mountain West Conference games. These contests separated the contenders from the pretenders. What did we learn this week?

San Diego State can contend for the title
A week after losing to BYU, the Aztecs jumped back into the race by defeating Air Force 27-25. San Diego State played much better in front of the home crowd with RB Ronnie Hillman ripping two long TD runs. QB Ryan Lindley and the Aztec receivers torched the Falcon secondary for 247 yards on only 14 completions.

Despite the loss to BYU, San Diego State controls its own destiny. The Aztecs play TCU the week after the Horned Frogs play Utah. They host Utah the following week, as the Utes conclude a brutal three game stretch of Air Force, TCU, and Notre Dame. With both top contenders coming off tough contests, San Diego State could very easily find itself playing the Las Vegas Bowl as the Mountain West Champions.

TCU remains the top contender to win the MWC title
By thrashing BYU 31-3, the Horned Frogs have established themselves as the clear-cut front-runner in the Mountain West title race. While BYU has a 2-5 record, they did defeat San Diego State last weekend, making this victory more impressive than it might otherwise appear.

The TCU has dominated its conference schedule so far. The Horned Frogs have yet to allow a TD in conference play, and have outscored their opponents 103-3. If TCU continues to dominate like this, they will likely end up in a BCS game.

Utah has work left to do
While TCU solidified its position as the favorite, Utah took a step back against Wyoming. While the Utes defeated the Cowboys 30-6, they played very sloppy football in the second half. Utah continues to turn the ball over at an alarming rate, finishing the game with a -3 turnover ratio. If the Utes want to win the Mountain West, and play in a BCS game, they must stop turning the ball over.

Colorado State escapes the bottom of the conference
Colorado State remained in bowl contention after defeating UNLV this weekend. While the Rams will need to pull an upset or two to get to 6-6, they showed that they were heads and shoulders better than the teams at the bottom of the conference by defeating the Rebels.

Please follow me on Twitter @TPJCollFootball

Minnesota Fires Tim Brewster

After opening the season 1-6, Minnesota fired Head Coach Tim Brewster. He finished with a record of 15-30, leading the Gophers to bowl games in 2008 and 2009.

This firing comes as no surprise. The Gophers only win came in week 1 over a Middle Tennessee team that played without its starting QB. The following week, Minnesota lost to FCS opponent South Dakota. Two weeks later, the Gophers lost to Northern Illinois of the MAC. Last week, Coach Brewster brought additional negative attention to the school by complaining about Wisconsin Coach Brett Bielema running up the score. After losing at Purdue, the Gophers had absolutely no choice but to dismiss Brewster.

Offensive Jeff Horton takes over as interim head coach. Horton has head coaching experience, leading Nevada in 1993, and UNLV from 1994-98.

Tony Dungy has already turned down the head coach position, but has offered to help the university in finding a new coach. Given the number of successful head coaches that Dungy has developed, the Gophers will hire an exceptional coach who will have them contending for Big Ten titles more regularly.

Please follow me on Twitter @TPJCollFootball

Utah Utes Blog - Week 6 Lessons learned

After Week 4's 56-3 demolition of San Jose State, many wondered what to expect from Utah in Week 6. With two weeks to prepare, would they dominate a Big 12 opponent? Would the defense stop an offense led by a veteran QB, who makes plays with his arm and his feet?

The Utes answered with an emphatic “yes” to both questions. They showed no signs of rust offensively, gaining 593 yards, and averaging 7.5 yards per play. Utah finally opened up the playbook, completing passes to eight different receivers. Most impressively, the Utes dominated the line of scrimmage, averaging 5.6 yards per carry, and not allowing a sack.

The defense played even better than the offense. While Utah only produced one sack, they pressured QB Austen Arnaud all night long, limiting him to only 13 for 31 passing and forcing two interceptions. Iowa State was unable to sustain long drives against the regulars, only giving up two short touchdown drives off Ute turnovers.

After this performance, the Utes have shown that they can beat anyone. Since the Pittsburgh game, no one has even come close stopping the Utah offense, even when top offensive weapons missed time with injury. The Utah defense continues to dominate week after week, ranking in the Top 10 in total defense.

While the Utes have played well thus far, they must continue to improve, and reduce the number of turnovers. Starting at the end of October, Utah faces #23 Air Force, #4 TCU, and Notre Dame in consecutive weeks. The Utes need to win all three games to return to the BCS.

Please follow me on Twitter @TPJCollFootball

Utah Utes Week 6 Preview

With Florida and Stanford losing, the Utes moved up two spots to #10. Assuming that the Harris Poll follows suit, Utah would be eligible for at-large bid.

LB JJ Williams will not play this week, and could possibly miss the season.

TE Brad Clifford is questionable for this week’s game with an arm injury.

What to expect against Iowa State
The Utes face their toughest challenge of the season, traveling to Iowa State. The Cyclones have a 3-2 record losing only to ranked opponents. In addition, Iowa State has played very well at home, beating their opponents by an average score of 35-16. What will happen in this game

The Utes win the turnover battle
After Week 4’s 56-3 domination of San Jose State, Coach Kyle Whittingham never stopped coaching. After praising the team’s play, he quickly pointed out that his team needed to force turnovers, in order to win big games. This season, Utah has a turnover ratio of -3, which would be the lowest total of during Coach Whittingham’s tenure.

The team that commits the fewest turnovers wins this game. In Iowa State’s wins this season, they were +8 in turnover margin, but -3 in games that they lost. With Utes spending the last two weeks emphasizing turnover creation, expect to the defense create a few, and win this battle.

Offense opens up the playbook
The Utes have kept their offense relatively simple over the past few weeks, because they had huge leads. However, the Iowa State defense is much better than any opponent that the Utes have played so far. Against a stronger, faster opponent, the Utes will need to open up the playbook and get more players involved. The receivers, particularly Reggie Dunn, will get more touches against the Cyclones.

Stop the run
After watching the Cyclones run for 250 yards against Texas Tech, the Utes will continue to make stopping the run their first priority. The front seven has played very well this season, limiting opponents to 2.4 yards per carry. That trend will continue this week.

Bring more pressure
In order to stop the run, and force more turnovers, the Utes will blitz more often this week. Iowa State has allowed 6 sacks in the past two weeks, something Utah will capitalize on.

Please follow me on Twitter @TPJCollFootball

Week 6 Mountain West Preview

Week 5 had plenty of highs and lows, as TCU and Air Force continued their winning ways, while BYU and New Mexico suffered devastating losses. Week 6 features three conference games, a rivalry game, and some games against BCS opponents. What will happen in each game this week?

Utah at Iowa State – Utah puts its top 10 ranking and BCS hopes on the line travelling to Ames, Iowa, to play Iowa State. The Cyclones enter the game at 3-2, with both losses coming to ranked teams.

With the offense back at full-strength, and an extra week to prepare for Iowa State, the Utes will put points on the board. While QB Austen Arnaud might pose the stiffest test that Utah has faced this season, the front seven will keep him contained. Iowa State keeps the game close, but Utah gets a signature win over a Big 12 Team.

Wyoming at TCU – This matchup features two of the top teams in the Mountain West. Wyoming enters the game trying to even its record at 3-3, while TCU seeks to win its sixth game in a row.
TCU’s defense dominates this game. The defensive line will shut down the run, and harass Cowboy QB Austyn Carta-Samuels. While the Wyoming defense should slow down the TCU offense, they will not be able to keep the Horned Frogs explosive playmakers out of the end zone. QB Andy Dalton will vault himself back into the Heisman Trophy discussion, leading TCU to a lopsided victory.

San Diego State at BYU – One of top conference games of the week, the SDSU – BYU game will shape the season for each team. For San Diego State, the game presents an opportunity to prove that it belongs among the elite teams in the conference. On the other hand, BYU needs to win the game to avoid dropping to 1-5.

San Diego State typically uses a balanced offense, but the Aztecs will run RB Ronnie Hillman to exploit a BYU defense that allows 5.1 yards per carry. While the Aztec offense gets most of the credit for the team’s 3-1 start, the defense will make the difference in this game. They will constantly pressure QB Jake Heaps, and prevent the Cougars from scoring. San Diego State wins big, and establishes itself as a viable contender for the conference crown.

Colorado State at Air Force - One of the more underrated rivalries in the conference, the CSU – Air Force game always produces plenty of excitement. The Rams want to derail the Falcons title hopes, and earn a much-needed conference victory, while Air Force needs a win to remain in first place.

Air Force will come out running the triple option, exploiting the Ram defense. Colorado State will throw the ball, because they will be playing without leading rusher Raymond Carter for the next few weeks. CSU QB Pete Thomas continues to improve, but will struggle against an experienced Falcon secondary. Air Force will win by two touchdowns.

UNLV at West Virginia - The Mountain West can make a huge statement in this game. West Virginia comes into the game with a 3-1 record, and perennially contends for the Big East title. A UNLV upset would give the Mountain West another marquee win over the Big East, as well as keep the Rebels bowl hopes alive.

The Mountaineers will use a balanced attack to keep UNLV off-balance. The Rebels need to contain RB Noel Devine, and make West Virginia one-dimensional. If they can take away the run, UNLV can at least slow down the Mountaineer offense. Regardless of what the defense does, the UNLV offense will have no answer for the stingy West Virginia D, which ranks in the top 10 nationally in total defense. The Mountaineers win by 17, denying the Mountain West another win against a BCS opponent.

New Mexico at New Mexico State – This matchup pits two of the worst teams in FBS, as New Mexico enters this game 0-5, and New Mexico State comes into the game 0-4. However, for an in-state rivalry game, records become irrelevant – both teams want to beat the other badly.

While neither defense has stopped anyone all season, this game will not be a shootout. Both teams might play without their starting QB’s. The team that runs the ball the most effectively will win this game. The Aggies have run the ball more successfully than the Lobos, so New Mexico State will win a tight one.

Please follow me on Twitter @TPJCollFootball

Week 5 Lessons Learned

Week 5 produced plenty of excitement, with a couple of close games and an upset. What did we learn from this weekend's action?

1 - TCU defense continues to impress
The Horned Frogs might have the best defense in the Mountain West. Playing on the road against a Colorado State team that recorded almost 500 yards the week before, TCU's defense took control of the game. The Frogs limited Colorado State to 161 yards offense, and allowed only 45 yards rushing on 26 carries. In addition, they forced two fumbles, and sacked QB Pete Thomas 4 times.

2 - Air Force can win the conference title
While many consider the Mountain West race a two-horse race between TCU and Utah, Air Force continues to win games.

The Falcons defeated archrival Navy 14-6, to take the inside track on winning the Commander-in-Chief Trophy. Air Force has quietly compiled a 4-1 record, with the loss coming at Oklahoma by a field goal. With QB Tim Jefferson, FB Jared Tew, and HB Asher Clark leading the nation's leading rushing offense, the Falcons could add the Mountain West title to its collection as well.

3 - BYU will miss the postseason
BYU started the season with a convincing win over Washington. Despite losing their next three games, the Cougars had an excellent chance to play in a bowl game with a solid finish to the season.

Utah State essentially ended these postseason hopes, beating BYU 31-16. The Cougars still have to play at conference heavyweights TCU and Utah. Assuming they do not upset either of those teams on the road, BYU will need to beat both San Diego State and Wyoming just to finish 6-6.

4 - New Mexico will go winless
After losing 38-20 to UTEP, New Mexico will likely finish the season winless. The Lobo defense simply cannot stop anyone, yielding an average of 52.6 points per game. If New Mexico continues to surrender points, it will not only finish last in the conference, but also perhaps earn the moniker "worst team in FBS".

Please follow me on Twitter @TPJCollFootball.

Week 5 Preview

Week 4 brought plenty of excitement, highlighted by Colorado State and UNLV each winning its first game of the year. With a couple of rivalry games on the schedule, what will week 5 bring?

Game of the Week
Air Force hosts Navy in a battle of triple-option attacks. The winner of this game has the inside track to win the coveted Commander-In-Chief Trophy.

Navy enters this game with a 2-1 record. The defense has played well this season, limiting opponents to just 262 yards per game. QB Ricky Dobbs leads a powerful triple-option offense that averages 273 yards per contest. The Midshipmen can also throw the ball when teams put eight or nine men in the box, throwing for 219 yards against Louisiana Tech last week.

Air Force moved into a first place tie with Utah after defeating Wyoming last week. The Falcons lead the nation in rushing with HB Asher Clark, FB Jared Tew, and QB Tim Jefferson leading the charge. CB�s Reggie Rembert and Anthony Wright lead a unit that ranks in the Top 25 nationally against the pass.

Both teams will do what they do best, and run the triple option. With each offense operating efficiently, the team that makes the most plays on defense will win the game. Air Force has the better defense, so they will win this game, and move within one game of regaining the Commander-in-Chief Trophy.

Conference game of the Week
TCU visits Colorado State in the only conference game this week.

Colorado State earned its first victory of the season last week, winning 36-34 over Idaho. The offense finally clicked, with Raymond Carter rushing for over 100 yards, and QB Pete Thomas throwing for 386 yards and 3 TD�s. Defensively, the Rams continue to show improvement, producing 3 sacks, and making timely stops in the 4th quarter.

TCU closed out its non-conference schedule by defeating Conference USA favorite SMU 41-24. The Horned Frog defense held SMU QB Kyle Padron to 14 of 35 passing, and returned an interception for a touchdown. Heisman Trophy Candidate Andy Dalton rallied the offense for three straight touchdowns after TCU fell behind in the third quarter.

Colorado State does not have the athletes to play with TCU. While they can try to contain Dalton, the Horned Frogs have a plethora of playmakers with TB�s Ed Wesley and Matthew Tucker, and WR Jeremy Kerley. TCU wins big, handing CSU its first conference loss.

Non-conference games
BYU travels to in-state rival Utah State on Friday, seeking to stop a three-game losing streak. Despite the Cougars well-documented struggles on offense, the defense has been their Achilles heel, allowing 433 yards per game. To counter this weakness, BYU will move to a ball-control offense, running the clock and keeping the defense off the field. The Cougars win convincingly.

New Mexico hosts UTEP this weekend, hoping to earn its first victory of the season. Not much has gone right this year for the Lobos, losing by an average score of 56-10. New Mexico did strike first last week on a TD pass from Tarean Austin to Bryant Williams, but everything went downhill from there. Things will not improve this week, as electric Miner QB Trevor Vittatoe will light up the Lobo secondary. UTEP wins by two touchdowns.

Wyoming heads to the Midwest to play an improved Toledo team. The Cowboys dropped to 1-3 with a 20-14 loss to Air Force, despite turning in their best rushing performance of the season. Wyoming must continue to run the ball effectively, but must mix in some pass plays to take advantage of the Rockets� frequent blitzes. The Cowboys will win a tight game, as QB Austyn Carta-Samuels outplays Toledo�s Austin Dantin.

UNLV welcomes in-state rival Nevada. The Rebels earned their first victory of the season last week, crushing New Mexico 45-10. QB Omar Clayton led a balanced attack with 194 yards passing, and the defense chipped in by producing three turnovers. In order to beat the Wolfpack, the Rebels will need to stick to this same game plan. Nevada QB Colin Kaepernick will make the difference in this game, making plays with his arm and his feet. Nevada wins this game by three touchdowns.

Please follow me on Twitter @TPJCollFootball.

Week 4 Lessons Learned

The Mountain West conference had a great week, finishing 4-1 in non-conference play, and producing some exciting conference games. Here are the top 5 lessons learned from Week 4:

1 - TCU and Utah will not play for the BCS Title
An undefeated Mountain West champion has no chance at the BCS Title game.

TCU defeated SMU 41-24 on Friday night to capture a win over a team that many project to win Conference USA. While the Horned Frogs fell behind in the third quarter 17-14, they quickly recovered scoring three consecutive touchdowns to grab a 35-17 lead.

Utah thoroughly dominated San Jose State from the opening kickoff, winning 56-3. With the exception of a long kickoff return, the Utes played a flawless game, holding the Spartans to 171 yards total offense. That performance was 4 yards better than Alabama did against San Jose State during week 1.

Despite these stellar performances, both teams fell in the standings. TCU dropped one spot to #5 in the USA Today Coaches Poll. Utah was poised to move into the Top Ten with South Carolina, Arkansas, and Texas losing, but only moved to #12. In addition, Auburn and LSU leaped over the Utes in the poll.

Why did this happen, strength of schedule! While TCU and Utah did their best to put together a strong non-conference slate, the teams they have beaten (Oregon State and Pittsburgh, respectively) each have two losses already. With the bottom half of the conference struggling, the Horned Frogs and Utes cannot rely on a strong conference schedule to keep them in contention. With this weak strength of schedule, whether real or perceived, the polls and computers will continue to rank a one or two-loss team from a BCS conference in front of an undefeated Mountain West team.

2 - San Diego State will contend for the Mountain West Title
The Aztecs non-conference performance shows that they can contend for the Mountain West title this year. Rather than let last week�s last second loss to Missouri derail their season, San Diego State took a 28-0 lead on Utah State and never looked back, winning 41-7. The defense held the Aggies to a season-low 7 points.

With three blowout non-conference wins, and an even more impressive last-minute defeat, the Aztecs have shown that they compete with Air Force, Utah, and TCU for the conference�s top spot.

3 - Colorado State can contend for a bowl game
After starting out the season with three consecutive road losses, many dismissed CSU saying that they were a year away from bowl contention. However, the Rams ended that discussion by defeating a physical Idaho team 36-34. QB Pete Thomas played his best collegiate game, throwing for 389 yards and 3 TD�s. The Rams finally established a running game as Raymond Carter ran for 104 yards.

More impressive than the offense, was the way that CSU won this game. With just over 7 minutes to play, the Rams missed the potential game-tying extra point. Rather than hang their heads, as losing teams do, the CSU defense forced an Idaho punt, which set up the game winning field goal.

With a full slate of eight conference games remaining, the Rams need to win 5 games to become bowl eligible. While this is a tall task, teams in the Mountain West should take CSU seriously because they play much better at home, than they do on the road.

4 - BYU and Wyoming may miss bowl games
While Colorado State staked its claim to become a bowl contender, Wyoming and BYU each face the possibility of staying home during bowl season.

BYU started the season with a convincing win over Washington. Ever since then, the Cougars have sputtered, losing three straight. The Cougars still have to play at conference heavyweights TCU and Utah. Assuming they do not upset either of those teams on the road, BYU will need to earn a split against San Diego State or Wyoming to finish 6-6.

Wyoming finds itself in a similar predicament. After losing a heartbreaker to Air Force this weekend, the Cowboys dropped to 1-3. Wyoming gets Utah at home, but must travel to conference favorites San Diego State and TCU. The Cowboys also play at BYU, and at suddenly resurgent Toledo (3-1), who upset Purdue this weekend. Should Wyoming lose either of these games, they will stay home in December.

5 - New Mexico will finish last
After losing 45-10 to UNLV, New Mexico will finish in the Mountain West cellar. The Lobo defense simply cannot stop anyone, yielding an average of 56 points per game. If New Mexico continues to surrender points, it will not only finish last in the conference, but also perhaps earn the moniker "worst team in FBS".

Follow me on Twitter @TPJCollFootball

Week 4 Preview

In Week 3, the Mountain West Conference followed its pattern for the season. The top teams played great football, while the bottom half of the league suffered humiliating losses. Week 4 features a pair of league games, and a couple of exciting non-conference matchups. What will happen this week?

Game of the Week
TCU hosts SMU on Friday night, reviving an old Southwestern Conference rivalry. With a win, the Horned Frogs can take another step toward capturing a BCS berth.

SMU is no ordinary Conference USA opponent, having blown out Nevada in the Hawaii Bowl last season. They enter this game with a 2-1 record, losing their opener to Texas Tech. Unlike June Jones-coached teams of the past, the Mustangs have a balanced offense. RB Zach Line anchors the ground game with an astonishing 7.6 yards per carry. QB Kyle Padron poses a dual threat, completing 55% of his passes, and rushing for over 100 yards (4.3 yards per carry). The defense has limited opposing offenses to a pedestrian 2.7 yards per carry.

Texas Christian continues to carry the banner for the Mountain West. The defending conference champions own impressive victories over Oregon State and Baylor. The Horned Frog defense has dominated its opponents, producing 10 sacks, and yielding only 223 yards per game. Heisman Trophy Candidate Andy Dalton leads a potent TCU offense that averages almost 46 points per game.

The team with the best defense wins this game. TCU�s front seven will take over this game, making SMU one-dimensional. When SMU goes exclusively to the air, the Horned Frogs will start generating turnovers. Even if the Mustangs avoid turnovers, they have no answer defensively for the explosive TCU offense. The Horned Frogs win this one by a couple of scores, and add another quality win to their BCS resume.

Conference Games
Air Force travels to Wyoming this week. Both teams need this win to remain in the running for the conference title.

Wyoming enters the game reeling from a 51-6 loss to Boise State. QB Austyn Carta-Samuels leads a powerful Cowboy passing attack, completing over 70% of his passes. While Wyoming does not have any outstanding defensive statistics, they hung tough against Texas, and made timely plays against Southern Utah.

Despite losing by three against #7 Oklahoma, Air Force proved that they could play with any team in the country. The Falcon defense boasts the top secondary in the conference, led by CB�s Reggie Rembert and Anthony Wright. QB Tim Jefferson, HB Asher Clark, and FB Jared Tew combine to lead the nation�s #1 rushing attack, averaging 399 yards per game.

This game features a contrast in styles. Wyoming spreads the field, and tries to create mismatches in the passing game, while Air Force relies almost exclusively on the triple option. The Cowboys have struggled against the run this season, and will not stop the Falcon ground game. Air Force wins this game by two touchdowns.

New Mexico plays at UNLV to round out the conference schedule. Both teams enter this game at 0-3. This matchup presents an opportunity for the winner to turn things around, and remain in contention for a bowl game.

UNLV limps into this game after losing to Idaho 30-7. Offensively, UNLV has moved the ball with Omar Clayton at QB, but has failed to score points. On the bright side, the Rebel defense has improved each week against the run, limiting Idaho to just 3.1 yards per carry last week.

New Mexico has played the toughest schedule in the country playing Oregon, Texas Tech, and Utah. With the brutality of the schedule, the defense may not be as bad as it appears on paper. Head Coach Mike Locksley has not named a starting QB this week, which will force the Rebels to prepare for both Brad Gruner and Tarean Austin. Austin came off the bench and led the Lobos to their only touchdown last week.

Since neither team runs the ball well, the team with the better passing game will win. Expect for Lobo QB Tarean Austin to provide a spark for the offense, leading New Mexico to a close victory in a defensive struggle.

Non-Conference Games
BYU welcomes Nevada to LaVell Edwards Stadium. The Cougars lost QB Riley Nelson for the season, which leaves the starting job to Jake Heaps. With Heaps as the full-time starter, the Cougars will finally establish a rhythm on offense, something that they could not do while rotating QB�s. Even with the question at QB settled, BYU must stop QB Colin Kaepernick and the Nevada offense, which averages 560 yards per contest. The Cougars have not stopped the run all season long, and will not do so on Saturday. Nevada wins big.

San Diego State visits Utah State this weekend, after suffering a last-minute loss to Missouri. The Aztecs used a balanced offense against Missouri using RB Ronnie Hillman to compliment QB Ryan Lindley. The defense held Missouri to 3.3 season-low yards per carry, and forced three turnovers. The Aztecs will use the same game plan to defeat Utah State. San Diego State wins by two scores.

Utah hosts San Jose State, looking to start the season 4-0. The Ute defense continues to dominate its opponents, particularly in the running game. The offense welcomes back QB Jordan Wynn and C Zane Taylor from injury. With Utah having its full complement of weapons on offense, the Utes will score early and often. Utah wins convincingly, remaining in contention for a BCS berth.

Colorado State plays its home opener against Idaho trying to get its season back on track. The Rams suffered a humiliating loss to MAC opponent Miami (Ohio) last weekend. On the bright side, CSU finally got the passing game working, and scored its first touchdown of the season. Unfortunately, the Rams play a very physical Idaho team that dominated UNLV on both lines of scrimmage last weekend. Idaho rolls over CSU.

Please follow me on Twitter @TPJCollFootball

BYU's Nelson out for the season

The two QB system at BYU ended abruptly this week, but not because one QB outplayed the other.

QB Riley Nelson will miss the rest of the season with a shoulder injury. He injured his non-throwing shoulder in the first half against Florida State.

One of the few bright spots on offense, Nelson engineered all four of the Cougar scoring drives in the first two games. As a dual threat QB, Nelson kept drives alive with both his arm and his feet, which allowed more flexibility with play calling.

The Cougars will turn to freshman Jake Heaps as the sole starter. With Heaps taking over full-time, the BYU offense needs to do things differently. Rather than stick to the conservative play calling they have used with Heaps under center, the Cougars will need to open up the offense to take advantage of his strong arm. By making this change, BYU can improve its offense, and remain in the Mountain West race.

Please follow me on Twitter @TPJCollFootball

Rapid Fire Friday - Week 4 Edition

Welcome to Rapid Fire Friday. In this blog, I preview each big game in a sentence or two, and then predict the winner.

This week's top games

• Alabama at Arkansas - For some reason, Arkansas comes into the game with a Top Ten ranking. The Crimson Tide quickly exploits the Razorbacks, and wins in convincing fashion.
  
  Prediction: Alabama 35, Arkansas 13
  
  
• Oregon State at Boise State - Boise needs to win this game to justify their #3 ranking. The Broncos win in a shootout.
  
  Prediction: Boise 45, Oregon State 41
  
  
• South Carolina at Auburn - Are these teams contenders or pretenders? We'll find out this weekend. The Gamecocks win in a squeaker.
  
  Prediction: South Carolina 17, Auburn 14
  
  
• Northern Colorado at Michigan State - Since MSU fans frequently read this blog, I added this game. There's not much to say other than "The Spartans hang half of a hundred on them, and then enjoy the second half".
  
  Michigan State 56, Northern Colorado 0
  
  

Mountain West Games

• SMU at TCU
- This contest renews an old Southwest Conference rivlary. TCU's defense stops SMU's powerful offense, and wins big! Prediction: TCU 42, SMU 14
• Air Force at Wyoming - Contrasting styles collide as the Cowboys use the spread to pass the ball, and the Falcons run the triple option. Air Force has the top two corners in the conference with Reggie Rembert and Anthony Wright, and they will shutdown the Wyoming passing game. Air Force rolls over Wyoming.
  
  Prediction: Air Force 35, Wyoming 17
  
  
• Idaho at Colorado State - Colorado State's offense has struggled all season long. This week, they play a physical Idaho team that manhandled UNLV on both lines of scrimmage. The Vandals route CSU.
  
  Prediction: Idaho 28, Colorado State 6
  
  
• Nevada at BYU - Nevada has one of the top offenses in the country, averaging 560 yards per game. BYU won't be able to slow down QB Colin Kaepernick, who's becoming one of the top dual threat QB's in the country.
  
  Prediction: Nevada 42, BYU 17
  
  
• San Jose State at Utah - The Utes face a San Jose State team that's been decimated by injuries. Utah scores early and often to move to 4-0.
  
  Prediction: Utah 49, San Jose State 10
  
  
• Utah State at San Diego State - Both of these teams have demonstrated that they can play with big boys in the first three weeks of the season. SDSU wins a tight one.
  
  Prediction: San Diego State 28, Utah State 24
  
  
• New Mexico at UNLV - The winner of this game collects its first win of the season. New Mexico freshman Tarean Austin will provide a spark for New Mexico offense, leading the Lobos to victory
  
  Prediction: New Mexico 21, UNLV 17
  
  
  

Mountain West - Week 3 Lessons Learned

Week 3 of the 2010 Football season featured some big non-conference matchups. What did we learn this week?

The Conference has a Heisman Trophy Candidate
Andy Dalton continues to keep himself in the Heisman Trophy discussion. Dalton hit his first 11 passes in a 45-10 annihilation of Baylor. For the season, he has completed 74% of his passes with 4 TD’s against 2 INT’s. However, what the stats do not measure is Dalton’s leadership. With the team’s Week 2 win, Dalton became the school’s all–time winningest QB, passing the legendary Sammy Baugh. With his stats, his leadership, and TCU’s possible BCS title game run, Dalton will be heading to New York in December.

Mountain West vs. the Big Twelve
This weekend, the Mountain West squared off against the Big Twelve in three games, with the Big 12 winning two of the three. While TCU’s 45-10 drubbing of Baylor might have garnered the most attention, the other two games made an even stronger statement. San Diego State took the lead against #24 Missouri in the 4th quarter before losing the game in the last minute 27-24. Air Force almost erased a 27-10 4th quarter deficit before losing by three against the #7 Oklahoma Sooners. These close losses demonstrate that the top of the conference can play with anyone, especially the Big 12.

Worst Team
Colorado State has earned the title “Worst Team in the Mountain West”.

The Rams entered the week 0-2, but had a solid chance to collect their first win against MAC opponent Miami (Ohio). Unfortunately, Colorado State lost 31-10. After taking a 3-0 lead, the Rams surrendered 31 points before scoring a touchdown late in the 4th quarter. While the passing game finally clicked, the running game was limited to 1 yard on 22 carries.

The touchdown that CSU scored was the first touchdown that the offense has scored all year. To make matters worse, the Rams have a turnover ratio of -7. With a game against Idaho this weekend, and a full conference schedule remaining, Colorado State must improve in these areas, or they will finish in last place.

QB of the Future
After starting out 0-3, New Mexico fans finally got some good news in Saturday’s 56-14 loss to Utah. With BR Holbrook sitting out with an injury, and Brad Gruner taking a hard shot at the end of the first half, QB Tarean Austin saw his first extensive action of the season.

Austin did not disappoint. After throwing an interception to end his first drive, he settled in and started moving the Lobo offense. In the 4th quarter, he went 6 for 6 leading the Lobos to their only offensive touchdown. For the night, Austin led the team in rushing with 38 yards, and went 15 of 27 for 128 yards passing.

While Coach Locksley said that Holbrook would start at QB when he’s healthy, Austin’s play serves as a bright spot in an otherwise terrible season.

BCS Automatic Bid
After watching some non-conference games, the Mountain West will definitely earn an automatic bid to the BCS in the near future, despite losing traditional heavyweights Utah and BYU.

Next season, the conference welcomes new members Boise State, Nevada, and Fresno State. These three teams have played great football this season, combining for an 8-0 record. Fresno State defeated Cincinnati of the Big East during week 1, while Nevada crushed California this weekend. Boise State carries a #3 ranking after beating Virginia Tech, and blowing out Wyoming.

With Boise poised for possible third BCS bowl, and Fresno State’s “we’ll play anyone, anytime, anywhere” attitude, the future Mountain West will continue to make noise on the national scene. Should the conference or Boise win a BCS game this year, the Mountain West will have more victories than the ACC with far fewer opportunities. With more victories than the ACC, how could the BCS not award the Mountain West an automatic bid?

What we learned about Utah - Week 3

Usually a blowout victory does not tell much about the winning team, other than they were much better than the team they just beat. However, with a 56-14 win over New Mexico, Utah learned a very important lesson – when a star player is injured, another player will step up and perform in his place.

Starting QB Jordan Wynn missed Saturday’s game with an injured thumb. For the second straight week, QB Terrance Cain stepped in for Wynn, and the offense did not miss a beat. Cain completed a school-record 20 of 23 passes for 248 yards. He also ran for a touchdown. Coach Whittingham says that Wynn will remain the starter, but with performances like Cain’s, the Utes know that they will score points if Wynn cannot play.

Wynn was not the only high-profile player to miss Saturday's game, as the team also played without star C Zane Taylor. Again, the Utes had someone step up and keep producing. Tevita Stevens moved to center from guard, and Walter Watts took over the starting role at guard. The line played well all night long, protecting Cain and opening big holes for the backs to run through. The Utes posted a season-high 428 yards of offense, in large part because of the stellar performance of the offensive line.

On defense, the Utes have seen players step up all season long. Starting LB JJ Williams, projected to be the team’s top playmaker on defense, has missed the entire season with a foot injury. Despite Williams’ absence in the lineup, Utah’s defense has turned in three solid performances. The defense has allowed only 85 yards per game rushing for a paltry 2.2 yards per carry. When a team limits an opponent to 2.2 yards per carry, then the linebackers are making plays.

If the entire team continues to play this well, Utah may be headed back to the BCS.

Week 3 Predictions

Here are my predictions for the top games outside of the Mtn West.

Notre Dame at Michigan State - After watching Denard Robinson shred the Irish defense, there's little doubt that Edwin Baker, and Le'Voen Bell will do the same thing.

Prediction - Michigan State 24, Notre Dame 17

Clemson at Auburn - This battle features two of the top QB's in Clemson's Kyle Parker, and Auburn's Cameron Newton. Auburn will win the game as their defense makes a few more plays than Clemson.

Prediction - Auburn 31, Clemson 28

Iowa at Arizona - These teams each have solid defenses, but no one knows exactly how good because both teams have played cupcakes so far. Iowa wins this game as they win the turnover battle.

Predicition - Iowa 17, Arizona 10

Arkansas at Georgia - While the Dawg D struggled against the run, they've played very well against the pass. Look for Georgia to come with heavy pressure in an attempt to rattle QB Ryan Mallet.

Prediction - Georgia 21, Arkansas 10

Florida at Tennessee - The Gators showed tremendous improvement in all facets of the game, as they beat USF 38-14. The Volunteers played a great first half against Oregon, before losing 48-13. With Florida now clicking on all cylinders, they will beat the Vols big.

Prediction - Florida 31, Tennessee 7

Week 3 Mountain West Preview

Week three features a number of exciting games. What will we see this week?

Mountain West games

• Air Force at #7 Oklahoma - Something has to give in this game. Oklahoma has stopped the run all season, allowing only 2.9 yards per carry. On the other hand, Air Force leads the nation in rushing with 423 yards per game, and 6.7 yards per carry. Whichever team wins the battle should also win the game. The Sooners defense should prevail, leading them to victory.
  
  Prediction: Oklahoma 24, Air Force 14
  
  
• Utah at New Mexico - Utah will play conservatively on offense, especially if backup QB Terrance Cain starts the game. The Ute defense will shut down the Lobo rushing attack, forcing them to move the ball through the air. New Mexico traditionally plays very tough at home, so this game should be much closer than people would expect. Utah wins a close game, moving to 2-0 in conference play.
  
  Prediction: Utah 31, New Mexico 14


• Baylor at TCU - The Horned Frogs will get another chance to prove that they belong in the BCS title discussion. Bears QB Robert Griffin should provide the stiffest test yet for the TCU defense. Even if Griffin should make some big plays, the Baylor defense will not have answer for QB Andy Dalton and RB Ed Wesley. The balanced TCU offense wears out the Bear defense and pulls away late.
  
  Prediction: TCU 27, Baylor 10
  


• BYU at Florida State - For the Cougars, this game presents a chance for redemption. In addition to atoning for last week’s 35-14 loss to Air Force, BYU has a chance to avenge last year's defeat in Provo. The Cougars catch FSU coming off a big loss from Oklahoma. If the offense can get some production in the passing game, it will open up the running game for RB JJ DiLuigi. Expect BYU to get their revenge, and gain some much-needed confidence.
  
  Prediction: BYU 34, Florida State 28
  


• Boise at Wyoming - The Cowboys played Texas very tough in the first half before the Longhorns pulled away in the second half. The same thing should happen this week. Wyoming simply does not have enough firepower on offense to outscore Boise. The Broncos prevail in a WAC-style shootout.
  
  Prediction: Boise 45, Wyoming 24
  


• San Diego State at Missouri - The Aztecs will face a tough Missouri defense that has dominated the first two weeks. QB Ryan Lindley should have success throwing the ball as the Aztec receiver corps can beat the Tiger secondary. The defense must find a way to contain Missouri QB Blaine Gabbert, who has completed 75% of his passes this season. Since most Big 12 defenses have not found a way to stop Gabbert, San Diego State will not stop him either. Missouri wins a close game.
  
  Prediction: Missouri 31, San Diego State 21
  


• UNLV at Idaho - The Rebel offense moved the ball well last week with Omar Clayton playing QB, but was unable to score points. The defense will apply pressure against the Idaho offense, which has allowed 11 sacks in just two games. By taking advantage of field position, and producing turnovers, UNLV should win its first game under Coach Bobby Hauk.
  
  Prediction: UNLV 35, Idaho 31
  


• Colorado State at Miami(OH) - Colorado State seeks its first win of the 2010 season. After playing against Colorado and Nevada, the Rams should fare much better against a lower-tier MAC team. CSU wins a close game, as the defense steps up big.
  
  Prediction: Colorado State 28, Miami 14
  

What to expect from Michigan this season?

With back-to-back victories over Connecticut and Notre Dame, Michigan proved that they are going to finish somewhere in the top four of the Big Ten conference.

Michigan cannot win the Big Ten title this year based on what they have done so far. Other than QB Denard Robinson, the Wolverines do not have anyone that can run the ball effectively, as the other running backs have combined for only 129 yards rushing on 42 attempts. The defense has not played well, giving up over 500 yards to Notre Dame on Saturday.

Perhaps the biggest concern will be the health of Robinson. As we saw with Tim Tebow’s first season as a starter, when a QB takes too many hits, his effectiveness ultimately suffers. How will Robinson hold up throughout the rigors of a Big Ten schedule?

Despite these concerns, the schedule sets up nicely for the Wolverines to contend for the title. They host top contenders Iowa and Wisconsin, and travel to Ohio State. Outside of those three games, Michigan should steamroll its competition, as none of the other teams has the firepower on offense to keep up with the Wolverines.

The Michigan should expect to finish no worse than 10-2.

Please follow me on Twitter @TPJCollFootball

Website update & Week 2 Predictions

Thank you for reading!
Before I get into my Week 2 predictions, I would like to thank everyone for reading my College Football News blog. Due to website difficulties, only one of my articles resides on the site. I will post a link on Facebook and Twitter to each story as they start to show up on the new site.

Week 2 Preview
While week 1 offered very few marquee matchups, Week 2 highlights several games featuring BCS title contenders. I will summarize each game in a sentence or two and pick the winner.

Games pairing two teams from the top 25

• #18 Penn State at #1 Alabama – The Crimson Tide comes into this matchup clicking on all cylinders, while the Nittany Lions struggled at times with 1-AA Youngstown State. Even without Heisman Trophy Winner Mark Ingram, Alabama wins this game huge!
  
  Prediction Alabama 35, Penn State 10


• #12 Miami at #2 Ohio State – The winner of this game remains in contention for the BCS title game, as neither team will face stiff challenges from within their own conference. The speed of the defenses will disrupt the offenses all afternoon long. Since Buckeyes have the home field, they should win a squeaker
  
  Prediction Ohio State 12, Miami 7



• #17 Florida State @ #10 Oklahoma - New Seminole Coach Jimbo Fisher will get his first true test as the FSU head coach. While Oklahoma's offense sputtered last week at times, the defense stepped up big in key situations. Look for the Sooners defense to be the difference.
  
  Prediction Oklahoma 28, Florida State 17


• #22 Georgia @ # 24 South Carolina - Many people call this series a rivalry, I disagree. In order for a series to qualify as a rivalry, both teams have to win games. In recent history, the Dawgs have dominated the Gamecocks. That won't change this season.
  
  Prediction Georgia 28, South Carolina 10


• Michigan at Notre Dame - Why aren't these teams in the Top 25? Both teams won big games last week, erasing some of the misery from last season. QB Dennard Robinson adds a different dimension to Rich Rodriguez offense. The Irish defense played a great game against an underrated Purdue team. The Irish defense will make on more play than the Michigan defense.
  
  Prediction Notre Dame 28, Michigan 24

Mountain West Conference Games
Since I cover this conference, here's my picks for conference games this weekend

• BYU at Air Force - Tough call to make here. Air Force might have to play without their top 2 CB's against a very talented passing attack. Still, the Falcons catch BYU looking ahead to Florida State game. In an upset special, Air Force wins.
  
  Prediction Air Force 35, BYU 31


• UNLV at Utah - Utah should have no trouble beating UNLV. Look for Matt Asiata to have a huge day on the ground.
  
  Prediction Utah 35, UNLV 17


• Tennessee Tech at TCU - TCU wins big against their Ohio Valley Conference opponent, as QB Andy Dalton states his case for the Heisman Trophy
  
  Prediction TCU 45, Tennessee Tech 0


• Wyoming at #5 Texas - Wyoming enters the game with a heavy heart, suffering from the death of LB Rube Narcisse. QB Austyn Carta-Samuels keeps the Cowboys in the game, but the Longhorns pull away late in the game.
  
  Prediction Texas 42, Wyoming 20


• San Diego State at New Mexico State - QB Ryan Lindley torched Nicholls State through the air last weekend en route to a 47-0 victory. Things should not be any different this weekend against an Aggie defense that struggled against the pass last season.
  
  Prediction San Diego State 35, New Mexico State 14


• Texas Tech at New Mexico - The Lobos want nothing more than to erase last week’s painful 72-0 loss at Oregon. While they won’t beat the Red Raiders, they will turn in a much better performance this week.
  
  Prediction Texas Tech 28, New Mexico 17


• Nevada at Colorado State - The Rams have a chance at beating the Wolfpack if they can contain the run as well as they did in week 1. QB play will be the difference with Nevada's Colin Kaepernick outplaying Pete Thomas.
  
  Prediction Nevada 24, Colorado State 10

Other games of interest
Since Michigan State has several avid readers of this blog, they will always appear on this list.

• Florida Atlantic at Michigan State - Another "neutral" site game. Spartan RB's Edwin Baker and Le'Veon Bell can take it to the house, every time they touch the ball. They should have no trouble against a porous FAU defense. Owl QB Jeff Van Camp should hit a big play or two, but the Michigan State D should hold him in check.
  
  Prediction Michigan State 42, Florida Atlantic 14

If there's a game that you'd like to see that's not listed, email me and let me know.

Please follow me on Twitter @TPJCollFootball

Boise won't play for the title - unless they EARN it!

Boise State opened its season by defeating Virginia Tech 33-30. After this victory, many experts project that the Broncos could end up in the BCS title game with an undefeated season. This series of events deeply offends many football fans, particularly those in the Southeast.

Why would fans object to an undefeated team playing for the national title? The argument goes like this:

We play in the _______ conference. We play a tough _______ conference schedule, and we won the conference with only one loss. We don’t play minor league teams; we have to come to play every week.

To those of you who feel that way, relax - Boise State will *NOT* play for the BCS title game this season, unless they truly deserve it. The coaches will never let it happen.

Consider the 2007 season. Going into the last week of the regular season, the rankings looked like this:

1. West Virginia (10-1)
2. Missouri (11-1)
3. Ohio State (11-1)
4. Georgia (10-2)
5. Kansas (11-1)
5t. Virginia Tech (10-2)
7. LSU (10-2)
8. Oklahoma (10-2)

That weekend, Oklahoma blew out Missouri in the Big 12 Championship, Pittsburgh upset West Virginia, and LSU defeated Tennessee in the SEC Title game. With that happening, Georgia (ranked #4) or Kansas with the best record (11-1) would more thank likely move to the #2 spot.

This never happened, because in the minds of the coaches, these teams did not earn that privilege. In the USA Today poll, the coaches moved LSU to #2 by virtue of their SEC title, and moved Oklahoma to #3. They did the right thing by moving two conference champions in front of two teams that didn’t even win their division.

Instead of blasting the system, and arguing whether it’s right or wrong, let’s remember that the coaches will do the right thing.

An interesting scenario... what happens if all of the following occur?

1 BCS team goes undefeated
Utah or TCU goes undefeated
Boise State does undefeated
The Big 12 or SEC champ finishes with a loss

Follow me on Twitter @TPJCollFootball

Wyoming Football Player killed, three others injured

Tragically, Wyoming LB Ruben Narcisse died today in a car crash. To read the story, click here

My condolences go out to the Narcisse family, as well as to the entire Wyoming football team. Ruben will be missed!!

Week 1 Recap

Wow - what week to start the season!!

Attack of the "Cupcake"
Congratulations to Jacksonville State and North Dakota State for upsetting two teams from power conferences.

Jacksonville State for their 49-48 upset over Ole Miss. Few people gave the Gamecocks a chance to win this game, but they kept on fighting. Jacksonville State erased and 31-10 deficit, and then went for two to win the game. More importantly, the Gamecocks won this game because they simply wanted it more than Ole Miss.

North Dakota State thoroughly dominated Kansas in the second half to win 6-3. The Jayhawks offense made mistakes all night committing three turnovers, and eventually switching to backup QB Jordan Webb.

Game of the Day
TCU defeated Oregon State 30-21 in the game of the day. Andy Dalton played a solid game (despite throwing two picks), and became TCU's all-time winningest QB. More impressively, the Horned Frogs defense held Jacquizz Rodgers to just 75 yards. While the D allowed 21 points, all of these points came off of turnovers or miscues (Oregon State getting a big play off of the fake punt).

Teams that impressed today
Alabama - No Mark Ingram no problem. The Tide showcased three different backs today en route to a 49-3 victory over San Jose State. And what about Julio Jones one-handed catch?

TCU - The Horned Frogs beat my projected Pac Ten champion in grand fashion.

Michigan - Denard Robinson answered any questions about QB in emphatic fashion, accounting for 383 total yards.

Oregon - The Ducks thoroughly dominated New Mexico winning 72-0.

Georgia - Unlike some of their SEC brethren they took an inferior team to the woodshed!!

North Carolina - Despite all of the suspensions and off-season issues, the Tar Heels hung tough against LSU, coming up just a few yards short

Teams that did *not* impress
New Mexico - The Lobos got their butts kicked by Oregon 72-0. They got dominated in every facet of the game.

Florida - 26 yards of offense going into the 4th quarter? All the botched C/QB exchanges? Were the Gators simply playing vanilla to get ready for USF?

Oklahoma - The Sooners defeated Utah State 31-24. The #7 team in the country should beat a mid-tier WAC team by much more than that.

Kansas - The Jayhawks failed to score a touchdown against an FCS team.

Mountain West Blogger!!

The Captain got selected as an official "Inglourious Blogger" for College Football News. I write articles about the Utah Utes, as well as the entire Mountain West Conference.

I would place a link here, but the website is experiencing technical difficulties! When the official link is up, I will post them here as well as Facebook and Twitter.

With Utah beating Pittsburgh on Thursday night, eight teams will see action on Saturday. Wyoming, San Diego State, and Air Force scheduled cupcakes, while the rest of the teams will play top quality competition. If the conference wants to solidify their position as a BCS conference, UNLV and New Mexico need to step up this weekend.

Here are my picks for week 1:

TCU beats Oregon State in a thriller
Colorado State defeats Colorado
AIr Force massacres Northwestern State
Oregon routs New Mexico
Washington beats BYU
San Diego State blows out Nicholls State
Wyoming annihilates Southern Utah
Wisconsin beats UNLV

Bobby Bowden was actually *FIRED*

Bobby Bowden did not resign at Florida State; the Seminoles forced him out.

Coach Bowden won 389 games as a Division I head coach. He took a mediocre program, and molded it into a consistent winner. Most impressively, Bowden led the Seminoles to 14 consecutive Top 5 finishes between 1987 and 2000. This record will not get broken anytime soon.

This unprecedented level of success apparently meant nothing to Florida State faculty and boosters. In 2001, FSU went 8-4, and would only win 10 games one more time between 2001 and 2009. The Seminole faithful grew impatient, and demanded change. According to his new book, Coach Bowden had two choices at the end of 2009: he could return in 2010 as an "ambassador coach", or his contract would expire.

If this does not demonstrate what is wrong with college football today, what does? What does it say when one of the most successful coaches in history is fired for winning back-to-back bowl games?

Even if you agree with the decision to change head coaches, Florida State clearly dropped the ball by hiring Jimbo Fisher. Instead of hiring a proven head coach, they went with someone who has never been a head coach. Why would you force out someone who won 300 games to hire someone with no experience? How will that make the program better?

2010 Utah Preview

The University of Utah enters the 2010 season seeking a third consecutive 10-win season. Here is a list of things to look for:

1 - Solid play on both lines
The Utah defensive line did a decent job stopping the run last season, only allowing 3.7 yards per carry. This number should improve as the Utes boast considerable depth in the front four. Exactly how deep are they? They have as many as five players that could see time at defensive end, and a number of linemen will play both end and at tackle. This depth and versatility will keep fresh bodies on the field.

The O-Line should be equally strong. Zane Taylor, who made 2nd team all conference last season, leads a veteran group that returns 4 starters. John Cullen impressed the coaches during preseason practices, and should do an outstanding job at left tackle. As long as this unit stays healthy, it should improve on the 4.3 yards per carry they averaged last season.

2 - More balance on offense
QB Jordan Wynn returns after leading the Utes to 34 points per game as a starter. Despite Wynn’s stellar passing performances, the offense may run the ball more with Eddie Wide and Matt Asiata. They have also installed some packages for Sean Asiata, who’s more of a fullback/tight end hybrid.

The offensive coordinators will continue to utilize the tight ends more this season. They did this against California in the Poinsettia Bowl, and it paid off with Kendrick Moeai catching a touchdown pass. The Utes have as many as four players that could see extensive playing time.

3 - Big plays in the secondary
Despite losing both starting safeties, Utah will have a solid secondary. Brandon Burton, Lamar Chapman, and Justin Tarplin-Ross all have experience as starters, and shouldn’t miss a beat. True freshman Brian Belchen, recruited as a quarterback, impressed the coaches during fall camp, and will likely start at safety. The speed and athleticism of this group will lead to some big plays on defense.

4 - Better turnover margin
Utah had a respectable turnover ratio of +5 last season. While this number wasn't bad, it was the second lowest margin in the Whittingham era. Expect the number to improve this season with a veteran QB and a more explosive secondary.

5 - “Old School” Football
Coach Whittingham uses an “old school” philosophy. His teams play tough, physical football, and never quit until the whistle blows. In addition, the team plays with great discipline, committing very few penalties, and limiting big plays to a minimum.

BYU to go independent in football?

Multiple sources have reported that BYU will become an independent for football and participate in the WAC in all other sports.

From a financial standpoint, the move makes sense for the Cougars. Without a conference schedule, BYU can make money in a number of ways. They can schedule big name opponents at home, and sell out their stadium. Expensive road trips to San Diego and New Mexico can be replaced, with instate traditional rivals like Utah (who will leave the Mtn West next year)
and Utah State. Most importantly, the Cougars can go on the road and gain some money (and respect) by playing against some BCS opponents.

Is this a good idea competitively? Probably not. Since 2000, BYU has gone 13-16 against BCS opponents. Unless BYU were to run the table, they go from a conference with 4-5 bowl tie-ins to hoping that some conferences don't qualify with enough bids. Even if a conference does have a down year, a bowl is going to take a 6-6 SEC or Big Ten team before they'll take a 9-3 BYU team. I'm not saying that this is *right*, but when it comes to bowl games, the almighty dollar wins out.

As I drafted this article, I'm reading reports that Nevada and Fresno State are headed to the Mountain West? Would this be enough to keep BYU, or do more dominoes need to fall?

Utes defense - relax and enjoy!

Many experts predict that Utah's defense will take a step back this season. These naysayers argue that with the return of only four starters on defense (no linebackers), and the loss of several standouts (Joe Dale Phillips, Mike Wright, and Stevenson Sylvester), the Utes defense will take a step back this season.

My fellow Ute fans, have no fear! A talented defensive mind, Coach Whit, realizes that defense wins championships. He will always have talented athletes on the defensive side of the ball. While they might not be prototypical defenders, you can count on a Whittingham coached team to fly to the ball with reckless abandon.

A close examination of the Utah defense suggests that linebacker and safety are the biggest areas of concern. While these weaknesses loom large on paper, the playing field will tell another story. The projected starting line for the Utes averages almost 275 pounds. With a line that size, the Ute linemen should command a lot of double teams which will allow the linebackers and safeties to make plays in the running game. This size should also generate a solid pass rush, which will allow Defensive Coordinator Kalani Sitake to mix his coverages up to better match the strengths of the secondary.

Need more comfort? Look at what happened with Cincinnati last season. The Bearcats had a grand total of one returning starter on last year's defense. But Coach Brian Kelly put talented, speedy players on the field, and the results paid off with a Sugar Bowl bid.

So while I don't know who's going to play linebacker for Utah this fall, I do that whoever it is will be placed in a position to make plays!!

Biggest Omission from the College Football Hall of Fame

I'm always amazed at how many self-professed "students of the game", really don't know very much about the game.

Quick, name the only quarterback to never lose a game in his high school or college career. I'm sure that many of you will chime in with "Greg McElroy of Alabama because that's how CBS leads off every telecast". While he is currently undefeated as a starter, I expect that to change with all of the depth in the SEC this season.

So, this begs the original question - who was the only quarterback to go undefeated?

The correct answer is Toledo Rocket standout Chuck Ealey. After going 18-0 in high school, Ealey led the Rockets to 35 straight wins, and three consecutive Tangerine Bowls. One of those victories was a 40-12 victory over a William and Mary team that was coached by Lou Holtz.

Despite all this outstanding record, Chuck Ealey is *NOT* in the Hall of Fame.

Why is Mr. Ealey not in the Hall of Fame? I will let the National Football Foundation explain that to you, as there's not a satisfactory explanation for that!!

To learn more about one of college football's most outstanding players, visit http://www.inductchuck.com/

NBA Free Agency - what a joke.

Many of you asked me to comment on the LeBron James free agency situation. There's a quote from Monty Python that will summarize it:

Supreme executive power derives from a mandate from the masses, not from some farcical aquatic ceremony.

The whole scenario demonstrates what's wrong with NBA players today; they focus on themselves first and everything else is secondary. In other words, they believe that you can't spell "team" with out "me". Does anyone ever remember this happening with Michael Jordan? Or with Kobe Bryant? No, they didn't, because those two great champions signed their deals early, and put the game first.

If the NBA is going to return to it's pinnacle of the 1980's, it needs to be more about the name on the front of the shirt, not on the back of the shirt!!