College Football Playoffs Are Finally Here

Much is the same this year in college football. From a team and individual player perspective, a club that was overlooked in the pre-season and was not even ranked until the 5th week of the year in #1 Mississippi St. is suddenly in a position to make a run to the National Championship, following in the footsteps of Auburn in 2010, Notre Dame in 2012, and Auburn in 2013. The SEC is once again the most dominant conference in the land, regardless of any perceived SEC bias from the nation, as any team in the SEC West outside of Arkansas could practically give the Jets a fight at this point (with the quarterback play of Geno Smith, Roger Goodell and his entire NFL staff of people "that never saw any Ray Rice video" could give the Jets a game). The Big 12 has continued to play about as much defense as the Tampa Bay Bucs with Baylor and TCU being able to score at will against anybody in conference play (top-10 games in the Big 12 that end up 61-58 with 1,267 total yards and 38 fourth quarter points don't even surprise people anymore). A surprise candidate has come out of mere obscurity to take hold of the Heisman Trophy race in Mississippi St. quarterback/pseudo-Tim Tebow playmaker Dak Prescott, mimicking the path of Cam Newton and Johnny Manziel. One of college football's most noticeable and dynamic players has been suspended because of violating NCAA rules in signing autographs for payments in Georgia tailback Todd Gurley (as much as it is ridiculous that players cannot make any money off their own likeness, Gurley was just as foolish to risk the Bulldogs season and ruin his Heisman chances knowing perfectly well the rules currently in place). We will likely have our 5th straight quarterback Heisman winner and our 13th in the last 15 years - including Reggie Bush's vacated Heisman from 2005 - with Gurley falling out the Heisman lead and Prescott and Marcus Mariota asserting themselves at the top of the list. #18 Oklahoma has maintained its place as college football's annual title favorite that will certainly let you down before season's end. And finally, Jameis "humble pie" Winston has remained the most polarizing figure in college football, and possibly all of sports, with some of his farcical off-field antics, but his ability to muster through it all for the Seminoles and keep on winning when it matters most.

In terms of coaching, Lane Kiffin has retained his spot as college football's most hated coach, and he isn't even a head coach anymore. Nick Saban, Bobby Petrino, and Bret Bielema also have to be on the most hated short-list (A quick tangent on Arkansas that shows just how difficult it is to play in the SEC. The Razorbacks finish up the season against Mississippi St., LSU, Ole Miss, and Missouri, and assuming they lose all four games, as they should, Arkansas would be 0-19 in conference game dating back to 2012 with an incredible 13 of those losses coming against teams in the AP top 15. I'd rather play in the NBA Eastern Conference). Will Muschamp is still losing games to teams that rack up less than 120 yards (in the last 10 years, Muschamp's Gators have twice lost games without giving up 120 yards, which no other FBS team has done once over that span). Will Muschamp is still struggling to realize that Jeff Driskel is incapable of playing the quarterback position. Brady Hoke continues to suggest that Will Muschamp just needs more time and patience to turn his program around (there will likely be major head coach openings at Michigan and Florida this off-season, so let the coaching carousel begin). Last but not least, Bill Synder has had so much sustained success at Kansas St. that I'm convinced he is a one-half wizard-Dumbledore figure and one-half head football coach.

For as much as college football is the same once again this year, the landscape of the sport could not be any different because of one reason, which is that a college football playoff has finally, and I do mean finally, arrived. It has taken a few decades, but college football now has a system in place that is no longer controlled by computers and the ever so mysterious BCS poll calculations, and is now reliant upon actual human beings, who are typically more trustworthy than machines (apart from Roger Goodell of course). Now, I am not somebody that comes down on the BCS as if it was the worst thing since Aliens versus Predator 2. More often then not, after all the commotion and controversy over the system settled down amongst fans, the two most deserving teams would end up squaring off in the National Championship Game. Although USC in 2004, Auburn in 2005, Michigan in 2007, Texas in 2009, and TCU in 2011 may have had legitimate claims to being in the title game, the system was certainly not so egregious that it needed congress to step in as some claimed over the years (although congress probably doesn't have much else to do with their time anyway). However, the BCS was a really reactive system - kinda like the NFL's policies on domestic abuse. For example, it put into place the "Kansas St. Rule" making sure that any team in the top 4 of the rankings would receive a BCS bid only after the 1998 K-State team wasn't invited to a BCS bowl despite finishing 11-1 with their only defeat being a double overtime loss in their final game of the regular season to Texas A&M. The BCS also excluded undefeated teams from playing in the title game on many occasions (see Utah in 2004), and also arbitrarily eliminated teams beside upon the recency of their loss in relation to the end of the season. For example, to this day I will never understand how Florida St. was given the opportunity to play an undefeated Oklahoma in the National Championship in 2000 just because their loss to Miami came earlier in the season than Virginia Tech's same one loss to Miami.

It is much nicer knowing that things will be decided on the field, or so we hope, in years to come with the four team playoff (debate won't end, though, with teams fighting over that final playoff spot). Many people thought that the college football playoff would diminish the regular season, as the BCS made every week a do-or-die scenario since one loss could effectively eliminate most teams from championship game contention (10 of the 16 BCS National Champions went undefeated). However, the college football regular season has been even better under the new playoff format with each week still greatly magnified for its importance to the title picture. In fact, it keeps more teams in the playoff hunt for longer into the season so that more games have championship implications each week. Take a very solid Michigan St. team from last year for example. The Spartans lost in the 4th week of the season to a sub-par Notre Dame team without Everett Golson and were pretty much out of the National Championship picture from earlier on in the season playing in the relatively weak Big Ten. If you take Michigan St. this year, though, despite their early loss on the road to Oregon in Eugene, they still have a chance to make the playoff because of an additional two teams being awarded a title game opportunity, which gives more importance to the entirety of their season and more interest to their games on a weekly basis. The regular season is still so important in college football, but it keeps teams around for just a little bit longer to add another layer of drama to the sport. Anybody who watched the Florida St.-Notre Dame game can tell you that the regular season in college football is still the most intense and important regular season in all of sports, and that is undeniable, especially when you watch the regular season in the NBA on some random night in February.

Each week the newly installed college football playoff committee, which is composed of 6 current or former athletic directors and 6 former school administrators, head coaches, reporters, NCAA executives, or Secretary of States (not including Archie Manning, who is taking a leave from the committee to deal with health issues), will release a top 25 rankings to give the public an insight into their thinking and let teams know where they stand in the playoff picture. The committee will have to come together and form some sort of consensus on the four most deserving college football teams to go into the playoff by season's end, a group's whose power can only be matched by the Bilderberg Group (too far I'm sure). Luckily, for the constant detractors and critics out there (and there are a lot of them), it looks as if the committee is going to have an exceedingly difficult decision this year because the one word to describe college football through nine weeks of the season is muddled (other words that could have been applied would have been crab legs and Mississippi). Clearly, an undefeated #1 Mississippi St. and the defending National Champion/survival masters #2 Florida St. are at the top of the rankings, but there are then 16 teams from the power 5 conferences that have just one loss and are aiming for the 3rd and 4th playoff spots as of now (there were only 8 teams that were undefeated or had one loss through 9 weeks in 2009 from the power 5 conferences and just 11 such clubs in 2011).

Despite their propensity to get into some very close and testy contests and rely on some late game magic and help from the opposition (or from a Notre Dame perspective, the refs), as they did against Oklahoma St. to an extent and certainly against #21 Clemson (would have lost if Clemson didn't Clemson), #10 Notre Dame (it was offensive pass interference on the Irish, so stop arguing about it), and #25 Louisville (just go down after a big interception), Florida St. looks as if it they have the best chance of making the playoffs. The Seminoles are currently at 8-0 with their only regular season games remaining against unranked Virginia, Miami (FL), Boston College, and Florida (Will Muschamp will get a friendly goodbye from the Noles) before an ACC title game against #24 Duke or somebody else from the abyss that is the ACC Coastal Division. The Seminoles do have to find a more consistent running game from Karlos Williams and Dalvin Cook and sure some things up in the secondary, but Jameis Winston has been able to cover up for a lot of the club's deficiencies so far and should be able to lead the Noles to the inaugural playoff. #1 Mississippi St. has a much tougher road to go in the treacherous SEC West with big games left against #6 Alabama in Tuscollosa and #4 Ole Miss in Oxford in the biggest Egg Bowl since FDR was still President in 1940. The Bulldogs running game is so difficult to stop because of the power of Dak Prescott running from the quarterback position, and their defensive line, highlighted by Preston Smith, is the best front four in the country. The Bulldogs could likely afford one loss as long as they go on to play in the SEC Championship game and win it in Atlanta, which is certainty not a guarantee in the west. The Seminoles, on the other hand, will probably have to go the rest of the season undefeated if they want to be in the final four because their win against Notre Dame is their only high quality opponent all season long.

In the SEC, #3 Auburn, #4 Ole Miss, #6 Alabama, and #11 Georgia each have only one loss on the season. The entire Bama fan base was sent into such a crazed panic after being ranked behind #3 Auburn, #4 Ole Miss, and #5 Oregon in the first college football playoff rankings that they thought about succeeding from the system (way too far civil war joke). Alabama has looked really good the last two weeks with their demolition of Texas A&M 59-0 and their slapping of Tennessee in Knockville 34-20, which should teach them that they should just throw the ball anywhere near Amari Cooper and he will catch it. Nonetheless, they lost to #3 Ole Miss in their head-to-head game on October 4th, so I don't understand the argument that Bama should be ranked ahead of the Rebels. In fact, Alabama's best win this season is against #20 West Virginia while Auburn has a win over #9 Kansas St. on the road in Manhattan and #5 Oregon beat Big Ten favorite #8 Michigan St., so #6 Alabama is in the rankings right where they should be based on their resume. However, like every other team in the deadly SEC, the Tide have a chance to get into the playoff picture because of the games they have remaining on their schedule against other top teams in the country, which could produce some SEC cannibalism. Alabama still has to play at #19 LSU in Death Valley, and then host #1 Mississippi St. and #3 Auburn, #3 Auburn has #4 Ole Miss, #11 Georgia, and #6 Alabama on the road, #4 Ole Miss has #3 Auburn and #1 Mississippi St. both at home, and #11 Georgia still has to play #3 Auburn, a game Todd Gurley will be eligible to play in. After all those games are played, we will then have one of Alabama, Auburn, Mississippi St., or Ole Miss likely playing Georgia in the SEC Championship Game. In other words, it is very possible that the SEC teams could beat up on each other so much that they all end up with one or two losses. However, considering the grave difficulty of the SEC West, whichever team wins the conference championship should be in the playoffs barring some unforeseen circumstance. Just looking at the schedules, Auburn has the toughest slate with three really difficult road trips remaining. The Tigers, which rely so much on their read option running game with Nick Marshall and Cameron Artis-Payne, could face some difficulties going up against Alabama, who allow the least rushing yards per game in the nation, Georgia, who are 10th in the category, and Ole Miss, who are 25th in the statistic. The game that I would circle in the SEC would be #1 Mississippi St. at #6 Alabama on November 15th, which will have huge playoff implications.

The Big Ten is the simplest conference to figure out at this point. On November 8th, #8 Michigan St. plays #16 Ohio St. in a massive Big Ten game in East Lansing with the winner having the inside track  on playing #15 Nebraska in the conference championship game in Indianapolis. If I were Big Ten Commissioner Jim Delany, I would be rooting for the Spartans to win that game against the Buckeyes because it gives the conference the best chance at a team in the final four. Ohio State's only loss to the Hokies is a really poor one at this point because Virginia Tech is just not a very good team. Meanwhile, Michigan State's only loss is to a playoff quality Oregon team on the road, which the team could easily recuperate from and make the playoffs with just a little bit of help in front of them, much less than the Buckeyes need to overcome their terrible loss early in the season. The Spartans are really balanced with Connor Cook at quarterback and Jeremy Langford in the backfield, and certainly have a good enough defense to play with any team in the country. While the Buckeyes have started to improve on offense with J.T. Barrett becoming more comfortable behind center and Urban Meyer putting more emphasis on the running game (if that is even possible), the Spartans are a much better team on both sides of the ball and should win that game next weekend. However, no matter what happens, the Big Ten will likely need some help around them to get a team into the playoffs.

The Pac-12 has been impossible to predict so far, which should continue right on through the end of the season. #5 Oregon, #12 Arizona, #14 Arizona St., and #17 Utah each have one loss with games to play against each other while UCLA, Stanford, and USC are all pretty good teams that could easily spoil the party for one of the clubs ahead of them. If Oregon can finally overcome the physicality of Stanford, which they have not been able to do since 2011 and has ruined their BCS title game chances each of the last two seasons, they will have the best chance of taking over one of the final four playoff spots from the SEC cannibalism that is going to occur. The Ducks offensive line has been very shaky this season in front of Heisman candidate and future Jets quarterback Marcus Mariota. Oregon has allowed 2.6 sacks per game, which ranks 91st in the nation, and could be much worse if Mariota didn't have the pocket awareness or the mobility of a top flight college quarterback. Stanford is 13th in the country in sacks per game at 3.3 per contest, so Oregon will have to do a better job of protecting Mariota and giving him more time in the pocket than they have been able to over the past several weeks. Since Mariota will be throwing into some real tight windows against a solid Cardinals defense, he will need more time to survey the field. If Oregon can get past Stanford and a tough road test at #17 Utah, they should be looking at a Pac-12 Championship game for a shot at a playoff birth. Meanwhile, Utah, Arizona, and Arizona St. all still have to play one another in Pac-12  South games, and Arizona still has an additional game against Washington, Utah still has to play Oregon, and Arizona St. still has to play Notre Dame aside from their divisional games. Freshman quarterback Anu Solomon has been racking up huge numbers against Pac-12 defenses, and unlike Connor Halliday, has actually been winning games in the process. Arizona is going to spread teams out and constantly attack them horizontally along the edge and also vertically down the field, which should give them a very good chance at winning the South and possibly meeting Oregon again in a Pac-12 Championship Game with major playoff implications.

Finally, in the Big 12, #7 TCU, #9 Kansas St., and #13 Baylor each have one loss on the season, and could make a run towards a final four spot with some SEC and Pac-12 losses ahead of them. TCU has to play #20 West Virginia in Morgantown before playing host to Kansas St. in a game that will likely decide the Big 12 race. Kansas St. also has difficult tests against Oklahoma St. and then really tough road games at West Virginia, and then Baylor to finish off the season in Waco. The Bears still have to go to Norman to play #18 Oklahoma on November 8th as well. Trevone Boykin has been terrific for the Horned Frogs this season in leading the nation's highest scoring offense at more than 50 points per game. Boykin can make a lot of plays with his feet, but his accuracy has greatly improved from last season, which has allowed TCU to put up some record breaking offensive numbers, including a 82 point mashing of Texas Tech last weekend. If TCU want to win the Big 12, however, and have a chance at a playoff spot, they will have to sure up their secondary, particularly when they play West Virginia's Kevin White and Kansas State's dynamic wide out Tyler Lockett, two of the best receivers in the country.

With only five weeks left in the season before Championship Weekend, or as the Big 12 calls it "just another weekend," a lot still has to be decided before the selection committee officially announces the four teams that will be going off to the Rose Bowl and Sugar Bowl on January 1st with the winners playing in Jerry's World on January 12th for the National Championship. From a two-loss team becoming the first club to win a title since LSU in 2007 to the SEC being left out of the playoff completely to Oregon actually beating Stanford for once and making the playoffs to Roger Goodell suddenly becoming a competent commissioner (I can have a dream can't I) we could see anything happen from now until January 12th. In the words of Kevin Garnett, "anything is possible" when it comes to college football.

Marshall Henderson Is Good For The NCAA Tournament

Sports are notorious for creating immortal legends, exalted superstars, and sublime leaders. Names like Montana, Jordan, Mays, Robinson, Orr, and Nicklaus have become glorified for their immeasurable impact in the world of sports. While these renowned and celebrated figures have become the model for legendary status, much like a movie or a book, sports are also synonymous with villains. Every fan has an envisage in their head of an athlete that just gets under their skin with their antics, attitude, and behavior. Whether it is Bill Laimbeer, Christian Laettner, Michael Vick, Barry Bonds, Alex Rodriguez, or Art Modell in Cleveland, sports certainly have their fair share of vilified characters. In fact, look no further than Marshall Henderson at Ole Miss to find college basketball's new antihero.

College basketball has provided an unprecedented amount of excitement this season due to the myriad of upsets amongst the top teams. TCU had a 2-16 record in the Big 12, but the Horn Frogs miraculous beat the Big 12 regular season and tournament champion Kansas Jayhawks. South Florida began their Big East campaign with a conference record of 1-14, but their sole win came over Big East regular season champion Georgetown. Penn St. lost their first 14 Big Ten conference games until they knocked off Michigan and put a dent in the Wolverines chances at a regular season Big Ten title. However, while the shocking results have certainly been thrilling, fans have become petulant with the lack of quality players and teams in the college game. Due to the one and done rule, teams are constantly having to recycle their squads because so many underclassmen are leaving for the NBA after just one season. In last year's draft, 5 of the top 10 picks were freshman, leaving a huge talent void at several schools. With so many young players still maturing and developing (see Perry Ellis at Kansas), the parity in college basketball is readily apparent, as many of the top teams lack real star power. Without high end superstars like in years past, college basketball is lucky to have an vivacious and sprightly player like Marshall Henderson in the big dance.

The adjectives often used to delineate Henderson may not seem to have the most positive connotations. The junior guard is often described as arrogant, audacious, insolent, and impetuous, and his on-the-court behavior is subject to much attention, as experts often vituperate the fact that he plays with such much emotion and flare. However, Henderson's in-your-face attitude and fiery playing style makes him one of the most exciting players to watch in the country. His unpredictability turns every Ole Miss game into a unique and riveting experience.

Mississippi's slim victory over Auburn at the end of January began the country's fascination with Henderson. With Ole Miss in the top 25 for the first time in nearly 3 years, their battle with the Tigers was a heated affair, which undoubtedly meant that Henderson would be at the center of the tight contest. With 6.4 seconds left and the game tied at 61, Henderson, an 88 percent free throw shooter, drained both of his foul shots and the Rebels went on to survive 63-61. Following the game, the always spontaneous Henderson ran over to the Auburn fans and began to taunt the student section. Holding his Rebels jersey out and mocking the fans, Henderson began to show his passionate, yet impulsive nature. The polarizing guard had a simple response when asked about the incident, "That was me. That was my heart just going out. Just going over there. We are Ole Miss, take that. You just came here for two-and-a-half hours just to yell and scream for no reason because you just lost the game." And thus, college basketball found a player that was so appealing, and yet so provocative at the same time.

The excitement that comes along with Henderson continued throughout SEC play. The flamboyant and theatrical guard had a game against Kentucky in which he had a heated confrontation with his head coach, and threw ice at his own student section all in the first half. There was the SEC tournament final against Florida where Henderson did the gator chomp all the way up the floor after nailing a fade away three pointer to cap off a 33-15 Ole Miss run to begin the second half. While Henderson's antics are certainly extravagant, it would not be prudent to doubt his passion for the game or his intensity.

Often times in sports, the in-your-face and over ebullient player on a team is not the star, but rather a role player that provides a spark and added intensity. However, the fact that Henderson is Mississippi's best player and is one of the most prolific shooters in the country makes his entire act that much more fascinating. The Utah transfer led the SEC in scoring at more than 20 points per game and was also second in the nation in three point makes at nearly 4 per game. With his quick release and ability to find openings on the floor off screens, Henderson shot nearly 40 percent from behind the arc in Mississippi's 5-game win streak at the end of the season. While at times Henderson's shot selection is not always the best, as evidenced by his poor game against Mississippi St., where he made just 3 of 18 threes, the sharp shooter has the ability to catch fire at any time.

Ole Miss head coach Andy Kennedy also deserves a lot of credit for allowing Henderson the freedom he needs on the court. Kennedy, who led the Rebels to their first SEC tournament title since 1981 and the program's first NCAA tournament appearance since 2002, has allowed Henderson to play with his unique passion and fervor, which makes the guard flourish and gives the team their identity. Kennedy said, "I think he's [Henderson] been readily open with the fact that if he didn't play with that edge, he wouldn't be a guy that could lead the SEC in scoring... His passion comes from a good place, it really does."

#12 Ole Miss opens up the NCAA tournament in Kansas City against the #5 Wisconsin Badgers in the west region with the winner taking on #4 Kansas St. or #13 Boise St/#13 La Salle. The stifling Wisconsin defense, which ranked 9th in the country in points allowed at just under 56 per game, will be geared to slow down Henderson and will be focused around chasing him off the three point line. However, the entertaining and compelling Henderson will certainly provide some magical tournament moments, and his radiant and resplendent personality are a must watch for college basketball fans.

The Most Surprising Teams In College Football

We are just past the mid-way point of the college football season and several teams have performed just as well as people thought they would at the beginning of the season, most notably Alabama and Oregon. While a handful of teams have been really disappointing such as Arkansas, Michigan St., and Virginia Tech, there have also been a couple of surprise teams, specifically undefeated Oregon St. and Mississippi St. and Big 12 darling Texas Tech.

#7 Oregon St. - 6-0 (4-0 in the Pac-12):

Before the college football season began, most people assumed that a team from Oregon would be heading into the last week of October unbeaten. While Oregon have cruised through their first 7 games without a blemish on their record, their rivals just up north in Corvallis have also shocked the college football world with a 6-0 start. Although the Beavers still have to get by Washington, Arizona St. #17 Stanford, and California, there is a definite possibility that the winner of the Civil War game in Eugene will move on to play in the Pac-12 Championship Game and possibly even the BCS title game.

The impressive play of Oregon St. has been such a surprise to the country because of how poorly the team played last season. Mike Riley's club finished the 2011 season with a woeful 3-9 record, which included an embarrassing loss at home to FCS school Sacramento Sate in non-conference play. However, Sean Mannion looks greatly improved behind center in his second year as the teams starting quarterback and the Beavers defensive unit has not let up more than 7 points at home this season.

The Beavers have had really good quarterback play from both their starter Sean Mannion and their backup Cody Vaz. Mannion began the season by throwing a touchdown in each of the team's first 4 games and had a 379 yard performance in a win on the road against UCLA and a 433 yard game against Arizona in Tucson. When Mannion was sidelined for two games due to a knee injury, Cody Vaz stepped in and the offense didn't miss a beat. Vaz threw for 323 yards and added 3 touchdowns in a 42-24 rout over BYU, a team that has held four of its eight opponents to seven points or less.

#11 Mississippi State Bulldogs - 7-0 (3-0 in the SEC):

Mississippi St. Athletic Director Scott Stricklin better be ready for a nerve-wracking off-season, as the Bulldogs head coach, Dan Mullen, is going to be one of the most desirable names in all of college football. Mullen, who was the offensive coordinator at Florida from 2005 to 2008, has led Mississippi St. to a very surprising 7-0 start, especially considering the team was 2-6 in conference play last season and lost their starting quarterback Chris Relf and star running back Vick Ballard.

Although the Dwags offense has been better than expected, the team's calling card is their stout defense. The Bulldogs may have the best defensive backfield in the country, as Johnthan Banks and Darius Slay are two of the nations best cornerbacks. Banks and Slay, who are tied for the 4th in the FBS with 4 interceptions, are apart of a Bulldogs secondary that has held five of their seven opponents to less than 175 yards passing.

Despite starting out the season 7-0 for just the second time in school history, and playing in the vaunted Southeastern Conference, the Mississippi St. Bulldogs are ranked outside the top 10 and many people consider them the 4th best team in their own 7 team SEC division. Aside from college football phonetics, not many people even know that the Bulldogs are one of the few remaining unbeaten teams. A large reason for their lack of national attention has been the Bulldogs lack of a major win, as the club's 4 non-conference victories (Jackson St., South Alabama, Troy, Middle Tennessee) are obviously nothing to brag about, and their 3 SEC wins are against teams who have yet to win a conference game (Auburn, Kentucky, Tennessee). Although they have had a fairly easy schedule through mid-October, the Bulldogs have still only allowed more than 14 points in two of their seven contests and they have won by double-digits in every one of their 7 victories. Dan Mullen's squad will have a chance to prove themselves in their next 3 games, as they travel to Tuscaloosa to take on #1 Alabama this weekend, then return to Starkville to play #20 Texas A&M, and then finally travel to Death Valley to play #6 LSU in early November.

#14 Texas Tech Red Raiders - 6-1 (3-1 in the Big 12):

In Tommy Tuberville's second season in Lubbock, Texas Tech had its worse year since it became a member of the Big 12. The Red Raiders didn't appear in a bowl game for the first time since Spike Dykes's last year as the school's head coach in 1999 and the team lost 7 games for the first team in over two decades since 1990. TTU also finished with just 2 conference wins, their fewest league wins since they joined the Big 12 in 1996. However, Tuberville's ball club has drastically turned things around this year, as the team's offense is one of the most explosive attacks in the country and has propelled the Red Raiders to an impressive start including two Big 12 wins against ranked opponents (West Virginia and TCU).

Texas Tech quarterback Seth Doege leads one of the most high powered offenses in all of college football. The Red Raiders have scored more than 40 points in five of their seven games and Seth Doege leads the nation with a whopping 28 touchdown passes, which is about 4 per game. The gun slinging quarterback is averaging over 360 yards passing per game as well, which is the 4th most in the FBS. Doege, who threw for 499 yards and 6 touchdowns against West Virginia and 318 yards and 7 touchdowns against TCU, is very well suited to run the Raiders fast paced spread attack. The senior QB completes a high percentage of his passes (70.8 percent, which is 5th best in the nation) and isn't overly turnover prone, as he is averaging just 1 pick for every 40 passing attempts.

Although the Texas Tech offense will get most of the praise and accolades for the program's strong start, the improvement of the team's defense has been the biggest change from last year's disappointment. The Tech defense shut down Geno Smith and the dangerous West Virginia passing game in their 49-14 victory over the Mountaineers two weeks ago and are allowing just over 21 points per game, which is very solid considering their offense can put up so many points.

Mississippi St. Is a Very Dangerous Bubble Team

Every year in March after Selection Sunday rolls around, there is a ridiculous and almost absurd amount of attention paid on discussing the last few teams who just get into the tournament and the teams who find themselves on the outside looking in (just as Virginia Tech coach Seth Greenberg how that feels). All the hoopla surrounding the last four at-large selections is often irrelevant, as these teams will have to win a playoff game just to receive a double-digit seed and have a tumultuous path to just win a few games in the tournament. Only three double-digits seeds have ever made it to the Final Four (LSU in 1986, George Mason in 2006, and VCU in 2011).

However, recent history has shown that any team can make a run in the tournament, as every team is 0-0 in the field of 68. Just last year, VCU was one of the last four teams to make it into the tourney as an at-large after many people vehemently opposed the Rams making the Big Dance at all. The Rams got hot after their opening round victory over USC and won 4 straight game en route to the Final Four as an 11 seed.

Mississippi St. is a bubble team that could cause a lot of trouble for higher seeds and make a run deep in the dance. However, the Bulldogs have to focus on turning their season around and getting an invite to the tournament first and foremost.

Mississippi St. is a team that is currently not playing good basketball and the Bulldogs, who were once firmly in the tournament, are now treading on thin air. After starting off SEC play with a 6-3 record including an incredible overtime victory on the road over Vanderbilt, the Bulldogs have been having some real issues. They have dropped 5 of their last 6 conference games including losses to Auburn, who is 4-10 in conference, Georgia, who is also 4-10 in conference, and LSU, who isn't above .500 as well.

The Bulldogs seem to be having some major chemistry issues and problems playing together, which is always difficult to reconcile when you have a guy like Renardo Sidney, who was suspended last year for behavioral issues including a fight he got into with a teammate.

However, the Bulldogs have enough talent and size in the post to cause a lot of teams trouble in the tournament. Arnett Moultrie is averaging a double-double with 16 points and just under 11 rebounds per game. The 6-11 UTEP transfer forms a formidable duo with Renardo Sidney, when his head is straight and he is able to stay on the floor, down in the paint.

The Bulldogs even have a versatile guard with Dee Bost to complement the post play. Bost is averaging just under 16 points and over 5 assists per game and is able to stretch the floor with his ability to hit the three.

The Bulldogs showed their potential in their tight loss to Kentucky at home, as they lead convincingly at half 41-28 before faltering down the stretch. If Mississippi St. can pick up some momentum with some victories in the SEC tournament, they have enough talent to cause a scare to some higher seeded teams in the Big Dance.

There is no doubt that the Bulldogs will be motivated to make the tourney. Mississippi St. has made just 10 tournament appearances in program history. To put that in perspective with other SEC teams, only Ole Miss with 6 tournament appearances and Auburn and Georgia with 8 tournament appearances have made less tourney appearances than Mississippi St. The Bulldogs haven't made the Big Dance since back in 2009. In fact, Mississippi St. hasn't made it past the second round since 1996 when they made it all the way to the Final Four as a 5 seed behind the play of Darryl Wilson, Marcus Bullard, and Erick Dampier.

Top 5 College Football Games In Weeks 1 and 2

#3 Oregon vs #4 LSU in Week 1: Only once last season did two teams that were ranked in the top 5 play each other, and that was in week 10 when number 3 TCU beat number 5 Utah 47 to 7. Therefore, when you have a non-conference game between two top 5 teams in the first week of the season, there is obviously going to be a ton of hype. Oregon was a field goal miss away from winning the National Championship last season and starting quarterback Darron Thomas and Heisman Trophy runner-up LaMichael James have returned to school to win that title. Their quest will begin right away when the Ducks play LSU at Cowboys Stadium in week 1. James will have to carry the Oregon offense once again this season, as he did last year when he led the FBS in rushing yards with 1,731. He will have to come up big against the Tigers defense, which held great running teams like Alabama to just 102 years last season. Darron Thomas will have to find a new target on the outside as star wide receiver Jeff Maehl graduated. LSU head coach Les Miles said about containing the Ducks offense, "We're going to do the things that we've done, and done well on defense. I don't know that we'll have a lot of changes." If the LSU defense has difficulty stopping the Duck's attack, it will be imperative that Jordan Jefferson leads the LSU offense to some scores. The dual threat quarterback will have to improve upon last season when the Tigers averaged just 155 passing yards per game.

#5 Boise St. vs #19 Georgia in Week 1: The last four years Boise St. has had to go out and play a difficult non-conference schedule to try and validate their case that they are good enough to make a BCS Bowl, and even a National Championship game. In 2008, Boise St. beat number 12 Oregon in week 3 in a high scoring game 37-32. The next year the Broncos beat number 14 Oregon once again 19-8 and went on to finish with an undefeated record of 14-0, concluding with a Fiesta Bowl victory over TCU. Last year the Broncos beat number 6 Virginia Tech at FedEx Field 33-30 in week 1. Boise St. is hoping that Georgia can be their next non-conference victim when the two preseason top 20 teams square off in Atlanta in week 1. The Broncos have their Heisman Trophy candidate Kellen Moore back at quarterback, but he will have to adjust without his great wide receivers Titus Young and Austin Pettis. The Georgia defensive will still have a lot to handle with the Broncos offense that scored the second most points in the FBS last season. Georgia will be expecting their sophomore quarterback Aaron Murray to build upon his performance from last year when he set a Georgia freshman passing record by throwing for 3,049 yards. If the Bulldogs lose to the Broncos, they could be in grave danger of falling to 0-2 as they play number 12 South Carolina the following week in a big SEC East game.

#20 Mississippi St. at #23 Auburn in Week 2: Auburn is just the second defending National Champion to be ranked outside the top 15 in the preseason rankings. In 1961, Minnesota was unranked in the preseason poll after winning the National Championship in 1960. Auburn is missing a whole lot from their National Championship team last season. The Tigers can no longer rely on Heisman winning quarterback Cam Newton, or wide out Darvin Adam, or Vince Lombardi award winning defensive tackle Nick Fairley, all of whom have left for the NFL. The Tigers will look a lot different this season and they won't have a long time to adjust to each other because right out of the gates in week two they play their first top 25 opponent, Mississippi St., at home. A lot of pressure will be on sophomore running back Michael Dyer to run well against the Bulldogs because Cam Newton's successor, Barrett Trotter, threw just 9 passes last season and is very inexperienced. That might be a tough ask though because Mississippi St. held Auburn to their second fewest yards rushing last season. The Bulldogs were one of the biggest surprises in the country last season. After going 5-7 in 2009, the Bulldogs improved their record to 9-4 last year and had one of the best running games in college football. Their running combination of quarterback Chris Relf and running back Vick Ballard is going to cause an Auburn defense that lost 9 starters from last year's team havoc.

#16 Notre Dame at Michigan in Week 2: The Big House will be packed to its capacity in week 2 when the beloved Michigan Wolverines take on Notre Dame in the first ever night game at Michigan Stadium. Michigan athletic director David Brandon said, "This also adds a new chapter to the storied rivalry between our two great programs." The rivalry, which Michigan leads 22-15-1, has been won by Michigan the last two years, but Notre Dame will be motivated to get a statement win on the road. With Brady Hoke replacing Rich Rodriguez as the new head coach at Michigan, there will be changes on both sides of the ball for the Wolverines. Quarterback Denard Robinson was worked a lot last year, as he was in the top 20 in the FBS with 256 rushes. Although he was second in the FBS with 1,702 rushing yards, Michigan offensive coordinator Al Borges has said he will not run as much this season because he wants to keep him healthy for the entire year. He said, "[We'll] try not to [get him] beat up...Because we’re trying to get to more of a power-offense style, we’re trying to take some of the burden off him as a runner and more than anything, try to keep him in one piece.” However, we will see if Borges isn't tempted to let Denard run wild if Michigan begins to struggle offensively, especially after last season when Robinson ran for 258 yards in a 28-24 victory over the Fighting Irish. After a solid 8-5 season in Brian Kelly's first year at the helm in South Bend, the Irish will be looking for even more success this year. The biggest question mark for the Irish is at the quarterback position. Brian Kelly has still not named a starter, although the season is right around the corner. How it all works out for Kelly remains to be seen. If Kelly chooses Dayne Crist for example, Crist could feel pressure to perform knowing that Tommy Rees is right behind him ready to play. Either way, the Michigan defense that allowed an average of 35 points per game last season will be ready. Brady Hoke said about the new look defense, "They’re getting more comfortable. We've made really good strides from practice 7 to 14."

Utah at #25 USC in Week 2: When Utah officially joined the Pac 12 on July 1st, Utah athletic director Chris Hill said, "We're not afraid of the high expectations. It's not easy, but at the same time our fans expect us to do well... We didn't win a game today, but I feel like we won our future at the University of Utah." Utah's dream move to the Pac 12 will begin with a splash when they travel to the Coliseum to take on the 11-time National Champion USC Trojans. Utah has 7 returning starters on the offensive side of the ball, including quarterback Jordan Wynn and his two top receivers DeVonte Christopher and Jereme Brooks. The Utah secondary will be a key to watch against USC because of the Trojans ability to throw the ball around the field with quarterback Matt Barkley. Utah coach Kyle Whittingham said, "Defensively we are on track. We've done a lot of good things, particularly the secondary. That has been a pleasant surprise, the way the secondary has performed through the first half of camp. We felt all along the line was strong and it has been." If you look ahead at Utah's schedule, they don't play another ranked team all season because they don't play number 3 Oregon or number 7 Stanford this year. If Utah can come away from the Coliseum with a victory, who knows what could happen. This is the final season of USC's two-year postseason ban, so they will be looking to finish with a great record, despite not being able to play in the Pac 12 championship game or a bowl game.

The SEC Is Making A Smart Move By Scrapping Its Two Divisions

Beginning in the 2011-2012 season, SEC basketball will no longer have an Eastern and Western division. Instead, the league will become one 12-team basketball league and the move makes perfect sense. SEC commissioner Mike Slive said about the league eliminating divisions, "I'm pleased that we came to this conclusion. I think it's better for SEC basketball." Florida coach Billy Donovan added, "...collectively, as a group, it's the best thing for our league." 

The SEC East has been a lot better than the SEC West since the SEC began its two-division structure 19 years ago. Since then, the SEC East has gotten 58 teams into the tourney, while the SEC West has gotten just 43 teams into the Big Dance. Last year, 5 out of the 6 teams in the SEC East got into the NCAA tournament, while not one of the teams in the SEC West got into the tournament. In the SEC West, Alabama played Mississippi State, Ole Miss, Arkansas, Auburn, and LSU twice. Those five opponents were a combined 77-82 including Auburn and LSU who were a combine 22-41. Compare Alabama's schedule with South Carolina, who had to play Florida, Kentucky, Vanderbilt, Georgia, and Tennessee twice. Those five teams had a combined record of 121-55. Many problems have arisen over the years with the unbalanced scheduling of the conference. For example, the SEC West teams complain that their RPI and SOS don't benefit like the teams in the SEC East who play each other twice. Florida athletic director Jeremy Foley said, "The perception of the league has been that if one division was playing well, the other was getting criticized. That can't be pointed out anymore. We're hoping this will have traction for us going forward.'' John Calipari added that a big reason behind getting rid of the two divisions was to try and get more teams into the tourney. He said, "...how do we get six, seven or eight teams into the NCAA Tournament? What’s the best way for us to do that? I don’t know the answer. I’ve been through this a few times now. I’ve lived what Alabama just went through... The bottom line is I would like to think everyone [in the SEC] wants to play us twice and get us in their building. Well, the only way that happens is if there is something rotating [in the schedule]."

The SEC tournament will also be tweaked as a result of the abolition of the two divisions. Instead of the two top teams from each division being given a bye, now the top four teams overall will get a bye in the first round. Last year, Mississippi St. received a bye because it finished second in the SEC West although it finished 6th overall behind the 3rd and 4th place teams in the SEC East. Georgia coach Mark Fox said about the change in the SEC tournament, “...we want to go 1 through 12. We have to come up with tiebreakers and everything else, but the seeing will be based on conference record. It wasn’t unanimous but I think everybody is confident that this was the best thing for the league.” Kentucky coach John Calipari added, "You always have to look at it and says, How do we make our league better? How do we get more teams in the tournament? How do we make sure our best teams have high seeds? You look at league’s across the country and that’s what people are doing. How do we get our best four teams to get the highest seeds they can possibly get to the win the national title? It’s not about bringing those teams back to the pack, it’s about the SEC winning national titles."