The so-called Game of the Century (hey, it's a young century) was actually a little bit of a yawner, even by supreme SEC over-defensively-schemed standards. Not much of the end zone did we see, unless it was an errant Tide kick landing short or astray like a winged AFLAC duck falling in the marsh. This game was more or less a Mexican standoff involving field goals, crazy-looking punts and uncharacteristic turnovers. Neither coach attempted a grasp for the other's jugular. It was like a chess match played entirely with pawns. If it were a poker match, Alabama had one of a kind--Trent Richardson. LSU had two of a kind--ineffectual quarterbacks. The only saving grace for either was the full house--Bryant-Denny Stadium--showcasing the best of the SEC to a national audience.

Admittingly, I kept peeking over at USCe-Arky to get some oxygen because at least that game featured touchdowns. I really wanted either LSU or Alabama to score a safety to really liven things up with that one point differential but I guess the football gods (or CBS management) destined it for overtime. A 9-6 victory on penalty kicks is the football equivalent of paper covers rock--you're not really quite sure how that wins but it's accepted that it does. In a monumental defensive showdown like we saw, it really makes you feel homesick for the TIE game.

We knew one of the two would be left as a one-time loser. If you thought that Oklahoma was a media darling ( I do) and was the top pick for a one-loss team in the country to be elevated into the BCS CG, you hadn't seen anything until Alabama plummeted one whole spot in the BCS standings Sunday night from second to third. Now before you nod or shake your head on that last statement, know that #4 Stanford, currently the most aggrieved party, fully controls it's ranking against a one-loss team with a victory over Oregon this weekend and presumably one in the PAC12 CG. Same with #2 Oklahoma State. They play Oklahoma in three weeks and winning out should be enough to stave off a one-loss team in the standings.

The problem with Stanford and Okie State running the table is which team would then take the #2 spot in the BCS assuming LSU remains undefeated? If Stanford plays 13 games and survives their conference title game, then I think you have to give them the edge over the Pokes who no longer have that luxury enjoyed now by the rest of the BCS conferences (save the Big East). As we in the SEC have known for quite a while, the title game trial by fire is the extra oomph you need to vault over the pretenders and the anachronistic non-divisional players.

Where the problem in the BCS scenario will come is if we have a large contingent of one-loss teams left at the end of the year. Then, when you lose is as important as who you lost to. I'm old school. I think losses later in the season should be death knells, but as we've seen in the BCS era as people have put more validity into the hands of both the polls and the computers, that's no longer the case. In 2003, Oklahoma lost the Big 12 CG to Kansas State but then went on to play LSU for the BCS crown (which resulted in a split champion that year with USC winning the AP title). In 2007, LSU lost their last regular game of the season to Arkansas, their second loss, but still advanced to and won the BCS title.

I think it's entirely possible that LSU could lose to Arkansas this year. Petrino and Tyler Wilson will challenge the vaunted Tiger secondary and I think it'll be a close contest. But forget that for a second. Let's assume for simplicity that LSU wins out and is the #1 team in the BCS. The looming problem I have was revealed in all the talk this weekend about somehow elevating Alabama back to #2 and having the conference provide both national title game participants in a rematch from this past Saturday. I think it's a horrible idea but it's entirely possible with the right teams losing the right games.

Although fans of SEC teams might seriously question why it's a bad idea to have two teams from the conference play for all the marbles, I have fundamental problems with it. Allow me to present my case. First, the practical. Rematches are rarely the barn-burners they're made out to be. Harken back to the Alabama-Florida SEC title games of the 1990s. Many of those were rematches, and they seemed anti-climatic because the teams weren't natural rivals. Was there any doubt that Auburn would stomp South Carolina in the rematch last year? It was more or less a formality since the game had to be played and Auburn needed it's ticket to Glendale punched. The Gamecocks, as if on cue, simply mailed it in.

Jealousy from the rest of the nation is a real hazard to avoid. It's universally known that the SEC fields the toughest football conference in the land. It's virtually guaranteed now that our champion gets a slot in the national title game. Our second best team still gets a BCS bowl bid. They wrote the rule capping conferences from fielding more than two BCS bowl teams primarily because of us. We send six to seven teams to bowls anyway. Let's not rub it in and try to lobby to get a rerun of a regular season game to decide the national crown. Leave that to 2006 Michigan. That's being stingy and it will breed resentment. Don't think there's resentment in college football? Look at what Texas accomplished in less than one year. They BLEW UP college football, from greed and the ensuing resentment. We the SEC don't want to pull a Texas.

For the fundamental side, most readers in the blogosphere are pro-playoff for our sport. While the details of an eventual one are melded out, the de facto first rounds of a playoff are the conference championship games. For 20 years our very conference has led the nation in advancing that protocol. We believe that the SEC champ is capable of beating anyone in the country. So now does the rest of the nation. Therefore it is not unreasonable to expect that any team that isn't capable of winning it's own conference is not worthy of playing for the national crown. It just doesn't make sense to fair-minded folks.

Yes, I know the purpose of the BCS is to marry the one and two teams in a bowl game regardless of where the chips fall, but we need to change the dialogue in the game to get away from that notion. Specifically outlaw it if you must. If you want a playoff, having the current BCS placing two teams from the same conference reaks of cronyism and will poison not only future playoff plans, but the very validity of the BCS as it stands today.

And most importantly, for the SEC, it would toxically dilute the very product and brand that it works so hard to field every year and make the strongest in the land. It took many years and a whole bunch of blood, sweat and Bourbon, but the SEC got the whole country convinced that their champ is a lock for the national title game. Don't allow the BCS to damage that image by alllowing you to hog the whole trough. Yea, I know--it would be hard to turn it down. Maybe it'll play out in the end and we won't be faced with this scenario. But if we are, know that it's a road we don't want to go down.

Comment on SEC Product at Risk of Dilution...

I'm sure that most of you in addition to being college football fans are also major NFL followers. I'm bandwagon at best and I admit to more than a passing fancy to have seen the lockout continue until next year. Yes, I know--no hate mail, please, and whatever you do, don't leave this thread with almost four minutes paragraphs left on the clock. With NFL preseason contestswinding down, that left the rare weekend of having college games played ad naseum Thursday through Sunday. And if that ain't a triumphant return, I don't know what is.

With all the hype of the Chick Fil A Kickoff Game and the Cowboys Classic showcasing nationally ranked SEC teams, I'm not so sure that the two games actually leading off the season Thursday night, Wisconsin-UNLV and Miss State-Memphis, weren't the ones that didn't grab the largest audience share. Yes, they were top-20 ranked teams playing nobodies, but both put on quite the show. I tuned into the State game for some scouting for Auburn this week and they looked like a finely-oiled machine, drumming the Tigers thoroughly. State did what they could to earn points for SEC-west TV game of the week for this Saturday, but the Tigers did not, hence the 11:20 AM kickoff this weekend down on the Plains.

And memo to Memphis: I know you play in C-USA, but if you open the season on a Thursday night with a national audience against a ranked team from the strongest conference in the nation agreeing to open on the road and you can't fill but two-thirds of your stadium, maybe it's time to focus on basketball. Either that or import other fans from the conference to give you all the asses in seats you can get. That was embarrassing.

And what about that game Friday night with Baylor and TCU? Already a BCS-buster has been busted. Thank you Bears, since Georgia didn't take care of business with the perennial other one. Do they play no defense in Texas or the Big 12 10-9? That was a pretty exciting game, I must admit. Maybe I need to take in Arena Football next?

All and all the SEC did well this weekend with their cupcakes (not you, LSU or Auburn) with only Georgia and Ole Miss losing to teams that play or played in conferences with the word west in them. Auburn's last minute miracle placed the spotlight firmly on the Dogs and Rebel-Bears--the former with a beat-down at the hands of Boise and the latter with a late 4th quarter face-plant against BYU.

And memo to Georgia: time to bury the gimmick uniforms once and for all. I know the Blackout worked for you once against Auburn, but by my reckoning, you're 1-3 in fashion statement contests and the last time I looked, this wasn't Paris or Milan. That was awful--Georgia with their futurama outfits and Boise with their throw-backs. You can't go to the future and back in time simultaneously--it could cause a college football black hole--one outside Miami, that is. Stick to the silver britches and leave the CFB haberdashery to Oregon. You see how well it works for them.

Oh, and Oregon. How close you are to disproving the whole notion of west-coast football superiority. You're the best from there of late but you're 0-2 against SEC teams your last two games, so the streak remains alive. I thought for sure you had revenge on your minds from January, but you were clobbered at the hands of another SEC defense. While I'm pretty sure you'll run through the PAC this year and still challenge for the BCS, you have to think that RB Lamichael James, the Heisman runner-up from last season, is out already this year. Forty-nine yards against Auburn in the BCS title game and fifty-four Saturday night against LSU? Meh, just as well. I think they've already crowned Andrew Luck of Stanford anyway.

Comment on Big Holiday Weekend for College Football...

With college football on the verge of blowing up and the start of the big conference land grab once again upon us, I think it important to establish some base guidelines before virtually the entire football nation may make application to join the SEC now that the borders could be thrown open. Thinking quickly...

1) It's called the Southeastern Conference. We were the original sports conference, albeit a few name changes ago, but we've had this one for the last 78 years. And considering the brand image we've so carefully built, we ain't changing it. I don't care if we draft Oregon State and Syracuse, the name stays put. No hyphenated Bologna either.

2) We're sticking with divisional play. We pioneered it and everyone else followed.We may have so many teams in a division that each doesn't get a chance to play the other--it doesn't matter. We may have to use all twelve games as conference matches but we're going to get our champion.

3) Okay, maybe we might have to split into four divisions and lobby the NCAA for two extra conference playoff games. At that point we have so much clout we make our own rules, or just secede from the NCAA. Your choice.

4) Our conference championship games(s) are played in Atlanta. That's our hub and we're sticking to it. We're not rotating it or passing it around. Jerry-world can host a kickoff game, but that's it. Atlanta is a great town and besides, it's real easy to fly into.

5) Our conference is headquartered in Birmingham, which doesn't really have college football played in it anymore, so actually, we might be flexible on where to locate conference headquarters--just as long as it's within 100 miles and due east.

6) We decide what division to place you into. So don't fret. You still won't get hosed as bad as Auburn once did. If we break into quarters, we may have to form an AAA division of the SEC for teams to earn their way into the main conference events.

7) We divide our loot pretty evenly, but if we're considering diluting our product somewhat , we may have to consider a graduated revenue disbursement plan. Don't worry, a rising tide lifts all boats, battleships and dingies alike. Man, I hate using Alabama references in times like these!

8) We prefer natural grass fields, cheerleading squads that have girls and stadiums that sell out regularly. We'd also like you to have a fight song that doesn't borrow in large part from the Battle Hymn of the Republic.

9) BCS Bowl Gameswill be expanded to at least five and there will be at least one at-large slot available for any SEC divisional champ to participate. If Notre Dame wants to join the SEC, we get their slot, too.

10) Obviously, the SEC champ is courteously extended an automatic invitation to the BCS national championship game. No exceptions. Don't feel so bad, it's virtually automatic now anyway.

Okay, what did I leave out?

Comment on 10 Rules New SEC Applicants and CFB Need to Know Before Joining Our Conference...

I'm an Auburn homer. I think they'll win every game. I refuse to think otherwise, so if that colors me slightly biased, I'm open about admitting it. I'll also admit that I'm probably not the most reliable go-to guy for betting information involving an Auburn team for the same reason. I picked Auburn to win every game last year. As it was, I just happened to be right, which really bolsters my confidence going into this year.  I did miss five games in 2009 however, but I'm still right most of the time.

That being so, I'm still not usually one to make predictions involving Auburn until the very last minute when I'm forced to do it. However, with the other teams in the conference, I have no such reservations, and with the preseason Coaches Poll out last week soon to be followed by the AP poll, I figure why not cast out my predictions for the out-of-conference (OOC) games of interest that are not standing rivalry games?

Usually crucified for their OOC scheduling, the SEC in recent years has made a consistent effort to take on more BCS teams that we don't play that often--many from outside the south. Bolstered by the addition of one-and-done contests like the Chick Fil A Kickoff Game and the Cowboys Classic, college football itself is making it easier to lure together more attractive non-traditional opponents due to the high national exposure and payouts. Just this year, the SEC showcases three strong opening weekend games: LSU-Oregon in Dallas, Georgia-Boise State in Atlanta, and Ole Miss-BYU in Oxford.

While I said last year that Vanderbilt had the toughest OOC schedule, there's little doubt that LSU wears that crown this year with the opener against Oregon in Dallas and at West Virginia on September 24th. Vandy still has a tough slate with UConn, Army and Wake Forest. And while I generally almost always root for SEC teams in OOC games, I don't think we're going to win them all this year. Here's the Top 10 contests:

Sept 3rd: LSU and Oregon: How does it get better than this? The 3rd and 4th ranked teams in the pre-season, Oregon coming off the narrow national championship game loss and LSU from an 11-2 season and Cotton Bowl beat-down of Texas A&M. It's so hard to start the season without any tune-up contest and immediately play national-caliber competition. A win can propel a team on to great things like Alabama did in 2008 after clobbering Clemson in the Chick Fil A Kickoff Game, or for the reverse, see Clemson's fortunes that very same year. Oregon returns many of their starters as does LSU, but with the loss to Auburn still fresh on their minds and the Tiger's QB fortunes still unproven in my mind, I think Oregon edges this one out in yet another slow motion fashion for the Ducks, 17-14.

Sept 3rd: Georgia and Boise State: After playing with a major chip on their shoulders the last two seasons, going undefeated in 2009 and losing late to Nevada last year to see any hopes of BCS and national championship glory go down the drain, the Broncos come into the Georgia Dome once again looking for national respect--this time in an early season game against a BCS opponent rather than in a bowl game. None on this team were around the last time Boise played in the state of Georgia, a 48-13 drubbing by the very same Dogs in Athens in 2005, but we're sure it'll still be on their minds. Mark Richt and Georgia come into the season hungry to reestablish themselves as contenders in the SEC east and a solid victory over Boise will put them on the right path. Dogs win in a surprisingly hard-fought match, 28-24.

Sept 3rd: BYU at Ole Miss: The newly independent Cougars can have all the SEC scheduling they can handle now that they're leaving the Mountain West after arch-rival Utah got the invite to the PAC 12. BYU has only played SEC teams four previous times, winning only one game--in Provo against Mississippi State. While the Rebels are predicted to compete for last place in the SEC west along with Auburn by all the pundits, conference pride will be on the line. But BYU has much to prove in their new play em anywhere, anytime roll and comes away with a close win 31-27.

Sept 10th: Alabama at Penn State: Predicted to challenge for the national championship this year, The Tide probably circled this game first on their calendar as the necessary hurdle in the early season to clear for a run at the top. With JoPa suffering yet another major physical injury during practice this weekend, and being an empty suit on the sidelines for much of the past few years, you wonder how much fight the Nittany Lions will have in them when the Tide rolls in. There is a lot of respect in this rivalry going back to the great Sugar Bowl games of the 1970s but Alabama rolls big on the road 34-17.

Sept 10th: UConn at Vandy: Coming off their second Big East title in four seasons and subsequent punishing at the hands of Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl, the Huskies had many people questioning whether the Big East was truly a BCS conference at all anymore. But that was last year and we are talking Vandy. The Dores make a valiant effort but the basketball-traditional Huskies rebound and beat a SEC team at their house 38-13.

Sept 17th: Auburn at Clemson: If there ever was a team that wanted the Auburn monkey off their backs it's Clemson, who haven't beaten their ancient Tiger rivals in sixty years. While taking Auburn to the wire in overtime in 2010 in a game they should have won, many think the Tiger Paws will have their day in Death Valley this year. Not to be so, as Auburn extends their misery for yet another year, 34-28, as the two will meet for the third consecutive year in 2012 in the Chick Fil A Kickoff Game in Atlanta. See you in Hartwell.

Sept 17th: Navy at South Carolina: The Palmetto state will see two fine contests involving their two native sons on this weekend as Navy plays in Columbia. While nobody doubts that Navy will run the ball and have some success against the Gamecocks, there will probably be little the Midshipmen can do to stop the hungry chickens from crowing atop the yard-arm. SC rolls 42-17.

Sept 24th: LSU at West Virginia: After the off-season firing of HC Bill Stewart and the subsequent turmoil within the program that it produced, coupled with the fact that the Mountaineers only really field a high-caliber team about every twenty years or so, further coupled with a possible opening season loss by the Tigers to Oregon, I think the Purple Tigers roll through Morgantown in a fury, 38-13. Chance of couch burning: HIGH. Keep scheduling SEC teams, West Virginia. We might eye you one day in a future mega-conference power expansion grab. You've got too much pluck to be in the damn ACC.

Oct 1st: Texas A&M at Arkansas: You would think that the Aggies will be fired up for another shot at an SEC team after losing to both the Hawgs last year in College Station and to LSU in the Cotton Bowl, but Arky will be waiting as well for a shot at their old rivals and wins this big, 45-24. A&M should keep hedging their bets and scheduling SEC teams to keep their name fresh in our minds should you finally bolt from the remnants of the Big 12 to be drafted by us.

Oct 22: Army at Vanderbilt: The Gold Dome Bowl. Don't squint while watching this one or you might not be able to figure out which team is which. I think Vandy should schedule at least one of the service academies each year just for the uniform confusion alone. The Commodores pull rank on the Cadets 24-16, making 2/3rds of the academies 0-2 against our conference this year.

Comment on 2011 SEC Non-Traditional Out of Conference Game Predictions...

Man, nothing takes your mind off BCS-bitching like having your team work within the system (without shooting the bastards) and winning it all. Okay, except for maybe having to then defend your national championship winning team from every out of left field attack that comes down the road. That really takes your mind off of the BCS and, more importantly, the playoffs. Remember those? Hey, don't take your eye off the ball or I'll have you running stadium stairs by the end of this post.

As is custom here, we discuss the fate of a FBS playoff right after the season ends, with the results of the latest BCS equation having just recently been played out for all to see and analyze. It's bad manners to discuss the subject during the season, as those who might be superstitious may believe, and no one really cares right before the season, as most fans think it's their team's year and no playoff will be necessary for them. No, immediately following the season is the perfect time for moaning about how unfair the whole system is, but admittedly, we have heard nary a peep out of the east side of the state of Alabama this go around.

Naturally, with me being an SEC fan, playoff talk sometimes falls on deaf ears, as we believe our conference schedule to be one de facto triple-elimination playoff onto itself. (drop more than two regular season conference games or the CCG and you are virtually guaranteed not to win the conference) Playoffs are what's needed for all those other conferences to sort their posers from the players. In other words, SEC fans may have their desire for a CFB playoff diminished because we believe the SEC champ to be a truly credible and deserving champion in their own right and everyone else is just playing for the right to meet us to play for all the marbles. And with our conference winner playing in the last five national championship games, apparently SEC fans aren't the only ones who think that. But playoff, schmayoff, southeasterners? No, not quite.

I truly believe that a playoff will be most beneficial to our sport when we finally get one, and to the SEC in particular. As we've discussed before, there are a few basic tenets that must exist in FBS college football for a playoff to have any chance of taking root. That's not to say that even those aren't subject to modification, revision or outright reversal. Some of my own thinking has done a 180 recently and we must always realize that CFB is constantly evolving--something so very epitomized in the Great Conference Land Grab of 2010.

Conference Championships Will Be the First Round of any Future Playoff: This is what I've been preaching for years now, and the light was finally seen by two of the old-guard BCS conferences in the biggest move to hit our sport in decades with the aforementioned Great Conference Land Grab of 2010, as the Big 10 and PAC 10 expanded--to the detriment of the Big 12 and possibly the rest of us. Expansion for those two wasn't as big a story as the defection of Nebraska and Colorado from the Big 12 (and the subsequent whoring out of itself by Texas, but that's another story).

Simply enveloping mid-majors like Utah wouldn't have ruffled any feathers, but with BCS conferences being redistricted, a panic almost ensued as the rest of the great powers looked to protect their turf in an attempt to form mega-conferences should the expansion have gone supernova. Wasn't that how World War I erupted? We may never know how close we came to essentially halving the number of BCS conferences into geographically-incorrect Pangea-esque blobs, but I think it's safe to say that expansion for the sake of having the conference championship game and it's requisite share of the limelight was finally realized in one great-big pigskin epiphany.

Perhaps we should consider ourselves lucky that the Big 12 was the only big casualty, and console ourselves that the net gain of only one CCG in FBS was probably worth it. With Texas flirting with any and all suitors in order to preserve itself the lion's share of revenue from the reborn remnants of the conference it more than anyone tore apart, those who believe in karma might see justice in their 5-7 season. Regardless, the Big 12 didn't have time to draft additional teams and it might behoove the big two teams in the Lone Star state to drop their snobbishness and consider allowing some of the old Southwestern conference stragglers and other proven state programs to form the reconstituted Big 12. A playoff might depend on that very scenario. However, the defection of TCU to the Big East says more about the perilous politics of Texas football than just about anything else and we might not want to hold our breath waiting for our Lone Star brethren.

Will our first playoff be a round-robin of strictly conference champions? It's hard to say because there's still such a lack of parity between the BCS conferences in any given year. One conference could have 2-3 teams that are capable of playing for and winning a national title, like the Big 10 last year. Maybe a playoff might grant at-large teams when a conference pares it's participants down to two schools--like the current BCS bowl rules allow. Otherwise, it might not be beyond the realm of possibility to have a conference like the SEC to have three schools in a 8-team playoff.

Polls Ain't Going Anywhere:  Face it. Most of the complaints about the BCS are actually complaints about the polls, as the BCS just uses the data the polls provide. We're never going to have a true playoff, won on the field--like in the NFL. With 120 teams and counting,  the polls will be around with us forever, to sift through and seed the teams properly, so get used to them. As a matter of fact, every time you complain about a poll, another one is born, to give us more choices and consistency in the results. Learn them, live them, love them. I'd be happy with a dozen polls in the BCS formula, but not stand-alone ones that crown their own champion. It could be like 1973 again.

The BCS is here to stay, too:  In a strict interpretation, the BCS has been wildly successful in what it was designed to do--pair the two top-ranked teams in the nation in a bowl game that is essentially a 1-game playoff. Although a future playoff will be a little bit more complicated than the binary BCS code we're currently stuck with, the power of the BCS cannot be ignored and I do not believe it will be scrapped to be replaced by a different governing body. The name-recognition it currently enjoys, for better or for worse, makes it the ideal mechanism to remake itself into a rudimentary playoff when it is time. 

The First Playoff We Get Will Be 4-6 Teams:More than likely four, as sufficient time must pass for CFB to grow at a desired pace and not diminish the product by over-doing it. Hey, March-Madness didn't start out at 64 teams, and those who think that the sport of football is ideally suited for a playoff where the national champion has to play and win six games--half the current regular season--are delusional. We'll start with one that has two or three games, possibly with two byes, and we may stick with that for years before expanding to a field of eight. Then we'll be there for decades or forever, whichever comes first. It took over 100 years to get to the forerunner of the BCS. Before that, it was just pot-luck.

The Playoff Must Follow the Money: Money is the lifeblood of any sport, and an eventual FBS playoff system of sufficient size will financially make the basketball tourney look like a booger in comparison. TV revenue will obviously guide the hand of the formation of the playoff and will begin in 2014 when the BCS broadcasting rights will be up for renewal. By then, everything will be on the negotiating table and I think we will finally see college presidents start to open up to the idea of a playoff.

Could we possibly see a move by a bigger player, such as ESPN/ABC, to wrap up the TV contract for a very long time? Raise your hand if you were thankful that the BCS had been moved from Fox and their predominately NFL, clueless-about -college-football crew over to ESPN who makes CFB feel more at home. Naturally, consolidating power in just one network could foster the implementation of an agenda, one that some fans feel is already there with some of the networks, and we'd all have to wonder about what was best for the sport and our conferences, with some whose contracts might rival a new BCS deal. Regardless of which of the major players wind up with the contracts, you can bet that the desire to possibly double-down by adding a playoff will be discussed in earnest.

The Bowls Don't Have to be Part of a Playoff:Except for the last round(s). Initially, it sounds nifty to try and work every no-name bowl to be the sponsor of one round of a mega-tournament, but the logistics of having teams travelling constantly to unfamiliar areas of the country to advance in the playoff just doesn't work for football. It would be like playing 2-4 bowls back-to-back, and would wreck havoc on fans' and schools' wallets, not to mention the players, whom the college presidents would protect from such a fool's errand.

Besides, we have two many loser bowls as it is. This past bowl season, with games swollen with TV revenue and palty attendance, it would be embarrassing for the sport to have the first round of 16 games played in the San Diego County Credit Union or Boise Humanitarian bowls or whatever the name de jeur was. Besides, all the bowls we need are already in place. The Sugar, Orange, Fiesta, and Rose could serve as venues for the semi-finals, with the rotating plus one for the championship game. The other bowls could operate as usual, with the earlier rounds of the bowls having been provided by conference title games and home football games for higher-seeded teams. Only a possible break-out by a bowl such as the Cotton or maybe the Chick Fil A bowl to ante up enough to qualify as a BCS venue could alter such a proposal.

So there are my continuing thoughts about the present situation and conventional wisdom of our eventual playoff. What are some of yours? How close will any of us be by the time the first one rolls out? I'm pretty sure we'll all still be here when the time comes. 

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The 2010 college football season will be capped by exciting college football bowl games, including the 2010 Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, the 2010 Fiesta Bowl in Phoenix, Arizona, the 2010 Sugar Bowl in New Orleans, Louisiana, the 2010 Orange Bowl in Miami, Florida and the 2010 BCS National Championship Game in Glendale, AZ.

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

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TCU has scheduled a press conference for this afternoon to announce that it has accepted an offer to join the Big East Conference.

As first reported on AOL Fanhouse, the Horned Frogs will leave the Mountain West to join the Big East in all sports, beginning July 1, 2012. The Frogs first season of Big East football would be the 2012-2013 season.

By some estimates, TCU will be located an average of 1,140 miles from the other Big East football league members.

The move comes amid estimates that the Mountain West will not gain automatic-qualification status in the BCS during the next evaluation window, due in large part to the departures of both BYU and Utah. According to BCS spokesman Bill Hancock, teams that leave a conference take their performance during the evaluation period with them to their new conferences.

In this decade, TCU has been a member of the WAC, Conference USA and MWC.

Additional reports indicate that the Big East has also extended an offer to Villanova to become the conference's tenth football member. The Dallas News reports that Villanova"seems to be dragging its feet about a decision", a move that would bring the school up from the FCS division to FBS. Villanovais currently a member of the Big East in nearly all other conference sports.

If Villanovadoes not join the Big East for football, then the University of Central Florida is expected to receive a formal invitation to join for the 2012-2013 season.

Comment on TCU accepts offer to join Big East...

And the conference shuffle begins anew.

The sixteen Big East conference presidents agreeing unanimously to expand from eight football members to ten football members.

Yahoo's Matt Hinton breaks down the potential candidates, including TCU, Houston, Memphis, and Central Florida.

Invitations to new members could be extended before this year's season concludes.

My two cents? Expansion is a bold, yet necessary move for the viability of the conference. Is dipping into MWC territory (TCU) the best idea? Probably not, but the Frogs are one of the more attractive schools on the conference's radar, given the school's football legacy, recent success, and potential recruiting exposure. There's no question that TCU would be a positive addition, but I still question whether the geography makes the Frogs a viable option long-term.

It will be interesting to watch this round of musical chairs, particularly with the Big 12 currently with ten members for the 2011 season. Will the Big 12 move to block the Big East, taking TCU or Houston before the Big East can? Will the two conferences petition to permit a championship game for leagues with only ten members? Will there be any Big East casualties among the current membership in order to create a more reasonable geographic split? And what is the trickle down? Will the Big 10 or SEC move again to expand to 16 teams? What will further changes in the WAC/MWC/CUSA mean to bowl contracts/other conferences/FCS teams?

Grab a seat... the music is about to stop again.

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LSU & Auburn square off at 2:30pm on CBS Sports. More often than not over the last decade, the winner of this game has gone on to represent the SEC Western Division in the SEC Championship Game (2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2007). This year seems no different. The two Tiger representatives from the SEC West are both undefeated, Top 10 teams, & the winner has far-reaching aspirations on their horizon.

The loser returns to pack, & has to prepare for a stretch run full of land-mines, regrets, & the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa. One prediction I can confidently make is that the loser of this game is probably not done losing this year.

The storyline of the game pivots around the age-old cliche of the irresistible force that is Cameron Newton versus the immovable objects that pose as the LSU Defense.

The best player in college football through the 1st 7 games versus the #3 defense in America through the 1st 7 games. Gus Malzahn vs. John "Chief" Chavis Gene Chizik vs...well, nevermind.

LSU's offense is quarterbacked by two kids who have had their fair share of ups & downs, but, ironically enough, have had their brightest moments in the Purple & Gold occur against Auburn University.

Jarrett Lee threw a clutch TD pass against a heavy rush at the apex of his 2008 season. From there, it was Pick-6 Purgatory for the young Texan, which landed him on the bench for the final four games of that year, & almost the entire way in 2009.

His replacement, Jordan Jefferson, won 9 games last year, including LSU's most complete performance of the season against Auburn in Tiger Stadium, leading the Purple & Gold to a 31-3 dismantling of the Plainsmen.

Yet this year, the roles have been reversed. Jefferson has regressed significantly since the high of that victory, & Lee has been inserted in each of the last 3 games to provide a desperately needed spark that has been the difference in wins versus Tennessee, Florida, and...McNeese State?

(Sigh)

While Miles doggedly sticks to the quarterback rotation that seemingly wastes possessions when Jefferson's in (averaging a startlingly pathetic 1.88 yards per play on his drives against McNeese State Cowboys this past weekend) & puts even more pressure on a kid whose already been through a ton of it during his tenure in Tiger Town, LSU Fans can at least rest easy that Auburn's secondary has yielded yards & points in vast amounts, no matter if its to your starter, or your backup (I think Arkansas' ballboy just threw for a 1st down, by the way).

It's the other side of the ball that presents the real intrigue of Saturday's clash of the Tigers.

Cameron Newton, Auburn's Junior Quarterback, has lifted the fortunes of Gene Chizik's squad, & at the same time, has proved to make Urban Meyer feel like Captain Ahab, & see Cam as the one that got away. To stray off the subject, does anyone think there'd be any questions, or any heat whatsoever, on either Meyer on Addazio if Cam Newton was still suiting up for the Gators, & not Auburn? Perhaps Joe Paterno was on to something when he recently said, "It's not about the X's & O's, but more the Jimmy's & the Joe's."

Newton is a 6-6, 250+ pound battering ram whose been featured in a rush-oriented attack fueled by Gus Malzahn's fast-paced, up-tempo offense. By judiciously utilizing the pass-game only when necessary or appropriate, Auburn's used Newton's arm & their passing offense with great effect.

Perfect Example: Against Arkansas this past Saturday, Auburn ran 64 plays on offense. Newton threw 14 passes (Auburn threw 15 altogether). That's right at 80/20 run/pass ratio.

(By the way, Auburn Fans, before you guys start hooting too much, remember, in just over 17:00 on the field, Arkansas' backup quarterback threw for 300+ yards & 3 TD's. Yes, you ran 64 plays. But, the Hogs ran 77 on your defense. You may wanna quiet down. Just a tad.)

So, how do you stop a guy that is the league's leading rusher, & far & away its most efficient passer?

Hmm...Well, let's dig in to the stats.

First, we know that Auburn's going to run, run & run the ball some more. Even when they do pass, and you do have their admittedly sub-par receiving corp covered, Newton has averaged over 11 yards per carry on Quarterback Draws. You have to think at least some of those weren't Malzahn calling Newton's number.

So, if Newton doesn't throw it all that much, on the surface, you'd think that sending the extra man-or men-after him on those surprisingly few-and-far-between passing downs would put pressure on the Auburn signal-caller & perhaps force some mistakes with his right arm.

You'd be wrong, too.

According to some great statistical research from ESPN's SEC Blogger Chris Low, when teams send the dog after Newton, he's completing an eye-popping 70% of his passes.

Which means if your heat doesn't get there, & you're covering everyone downfield, he almost relishes being flushed from the pocket & can move the chains, anyway. It also means that if you don't cover, & the heat doesn't get there, he's got the accuracy needed to make you pay there, as well.

The other factor that has to be taken into consideration is the type of player you send after him. Is a nickel or cornerback honestly going to bring a 6-6, 250+ pound quarterback down?

No, in my book, the way to stop Auburn is to stop the run on 1st & 2nd downs, & then playing coverage. The same Chris Low article linked above goes on to talk about the equally interesting statistic that all of Newton's interceptions have come when teams have dropped at least 7 men into coverage.

Which means when teams play contain, & leave Clark Kent in his phone-booth, & play solid coverage outside, the Man Of Steel's typically not going to be able to change into his tights & throw on that cape with the S-on-his-chest.

John Chavis & the LSU stop troops are ideally suited for just such a task. Anchored by lighter-than-normal, yet extremely productive Defensive Tackles in Lezarius "Pep" Levingston & Drake "Cookiemonster" Nevis, LSU has the ability to control the interior of the line of scrimmage, & beat both single & double teams to pressure the pocket up the middle. On the edge, JUCO transfer Ken Adams & Chancey Aghayere have filled in nicely for budding Freshman Superstar Sam Montgomery, who was felled by a season ending knee injury on a low-but-legal block in the Tennessee contest. On the side opposite of those two, RS Freshman Barkevious "KeKe" Mingo (who might have the single best first & last names in the SEC over the next four years) has shown off sprinter speed off the edge, & a surprising tenacity against the run for a 6-5, 240 pound former track-star out of West Monroe, Louisiana.

The Fearsome Front Foursome of LSU has the talent & depth to play disciplined football at the point of attack, & not only control the line of scrimmage, but to pressure the pocket, as well.

Behind it, the Linebackers are ideally suited to spy on a player presenting Newton's unique skill-set. Senior 3 year-starter & 1st Team Pre-Season All-American Mike Linebacker Kelvin Shepperd is turning in a regular season matching his post-season Junior & pre-season Senior accolades. A quick, cerebral player with tenacity, Shepperd is a tackling machine that's absolutely flourished in Chavis' system. In the 2nd year playing the most important position for John Chavis' Defense, Shepperd is quite simply the best linebacker on the best defense in the Conference.

Flanking him are Junior Ryan Baker, who starred for two years as a gunner for LSU's Special Teams before contributing as a backup linebacker last year. Stefan Francois is the other Linebacker, who is a converted Safety & whose main attribute is as a speed merchant who covers a ton of ground & arrives to the ball with a decidedly unpleasant disposition.

Their secondary is much talked about. Brandon Taylor has been outstanding in checking the coverages for the Tiger defensive backfield. He's also shown both great coverage skills in the open field, & a penchant for making outstanding open-field tackles. Karnel Hatcher finally stepped forward out of a mix of players vying for the other Safety spot, & has shown some playmaking ability when challenged, as well.

Both are freed up to roam the secondary by the best cornerback tandem in the conference. Millionaire-in-waiting & early-season Heisman candidate Patrick Peterson gets the Deion treatment on most Saturdays, & allows LSU to play defense with 10 players defending only half the field. With two picks & at least two drops, teams were testing, but have given up hope of completing passes towards Peterson's side of the field.

Opposite of him, true Sophomore Morris Claiborne has been challenged. With 9 passes defended, 5 pass breakups, & 4 interceptions on the season, he's proven up to it, & then some.

In the humble scribe's honest opinion, looking at the stats & tendencies of both Malzahn & Newton, the LSU Defense is the best the Tigers have faced, & the worst matchup they could ask for: A tough, fast unit with playmakers at every position, who don't need to substitute based on down-and-distance in order to find advantages on the field. Pace & up-tempo won't require LSU to change much of their personnel, if at all. Because LSU simply doesn't really need to. Their Top 11, with an occasional insertion of super-freshman nickelback Tyrann Mathieu in obvious passing situations, are the bread-and-butter on defense.

They log a ton of snaps, & are routinely leaned on by LSU's offense, already, so 60 play games aren't anything new for this, defense, either.

Which means LSU has a Front 4 who can play contain & generate pressure. They have Linebackers who can get to the quarterback through the gaps quickly, or spy & cover a ton of territory laterally, very easily. Worst of all, they have corners & safeties who can play tight man or zone behind their outstanding Front 7, & look like a blanket in the process.

Look for LSU to run-blitz more than it blitzes with the pass. When we do send the dog through the gaps, look for the Purple & Gold Tigers to mix up their pressure packages, & utilize the zone blitz with their athletic Defensive Ends. I think you also might see LSU run some zone coverage like Cover 1 with a Robber in the hot lanes, looking for a gotcha to get Cam Newton thinking.

The book here is to stop the run, & then do what-LSU-does on 3rd down. Do that, & Auburn will be brought back down to Earth. A little.

On offense, LSU has to play keep-away, & with the league's leading tailback in Steven Ridley, & a bevy of talented tailbacks to back him up, LSU's ground game will be enough that Auburn has to sell out to stop it. Which puts an already weak War Eagle Secondary (whose hurting even more now that Iron-man-feel-good-story-of-the-year Aairon Savage went down with an injury that requires surgery late against Arkansas on Saturday) in a big hole.

Will it be one that even Jordan Jefferson can lead his version of the dysfunctional LSU Offense through?

Saturday will tell the tale...

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A few thoughts and observations from this weekend's first few days. What are yours?

Is LSU a serious contender in the SEC this year? Based on last night's performance alone, I say no. LSU rolled in the 1st Quarter, but that was against a UNC defense that sat almost their entire starting lineup due to NCAA investigations. And -- once again -- LSU showed their paper tiger hallmarks by allowing the Tarheels to storm back at the end, despite missing their top two WRs and top RB. UNC's TJ Yates is a serviceable college QB, but it's hard to forget that he led the 108th rated offense last year. If this depleted UNC squad can rack up 400+ yards against LSU's best defense, then I shudder to think what Alabama is going to do to the Tigers. My early prediction? LSU has a new head coach in 2011.

Michigan has served notice to the Big 10 Conference - they have a new QB and the boy can play! Oh, wait... that was last year, before 4-0 UM crashed back to reality. I don't know what to make of QB Denard Robinson's game yesterday other than to the kid can definitely ball. Season openers in The Big House have been a little dicey lately for Big Blue, but the Wolverines looked salty much of the day against a well-regarded UConn squad. I'm not on the Michigan bandwagon (yet), but RichRod's triple-threat offense looks to be well on its way in Ann Arbor.

For much of the off-season, the Gator Haters have been pounding new Florida QB John Brantley with the nickname "Cantley", as in "can't measure up to Tebow". Brantley's first start as the UF quarterback was... well... memorable. Brantley single-handily made Miami (OH), who won just one game last year, look like Miami (The U). The QB led Urban Meyer's team to just 25 yards of offense through the first three quarters. The final scoreboard would show an unexpectedly close win, but the box score would include eight UF fumbles (almost all of which were snaps or QB exchanges with Brantley) and just 212 yards of total offense. Game balls have to go to the Florida defense and Redhawks mistakes. The Redhawks committed four turnovers of their own or may have knocked off the Gators. I don't know what Meyer is taking for his heart problems, but he better double up on it for what is bound to be a very intese week of practice before South Florida rolls into Gainesville next week.

TCU may not be the #6 team in the country, but I wouldn't want to have to play them. The Frogs played fast in their 30-24 win over #24 Oregon State. Despite losing their #1 rusher last season, TCU rolled up 278 rushing yards against the Beavers, showcasing surprising depth in the backfield. The Frogs ran from nearly every set and doubled up OSU's time-of-possession. QB Andy Dalton had two ridiculous throws that were picked by the Beavers on strong TCU drives, otherwise this game might have been a blowout. The Frogs ran the option with precision and threw the ball deep with effectiveness. Dalton isn't Terrell Pryor, but he is the leader in wins among active college QBs. With their toughest test now behind them, perhaps the biggest challenge for Gary Patterson is keeping the Frogs focused on their second straight BCS appearance.

Note to Oklahoma: Perhaps this trend of playing Utah teams in the season opener is a bad idea. The Utah State Aggies nearly BYU'd the Sooners. But for some gutsy calls by Bob Stoops and some Sooner Magic, this one would have been another opening-day loss. Stoops promised that QB Landry Jones was "night and day" better than last year. I guess I didn't realize how bad Jones was *last year* because the improved Jones still keyed in on his primary receiver every play and went to him - whether he was open, covered, or headed to the mens' room. The defense gave up over 341 yards passing (421 total yards) to Utah State and surrendered eight plays of 20+ yards. OU faces a bigger challenge next week with Heisman-hopeful Christian Ponder and Florida State on the docket. This just in: FSU's offense is better than Utah's State's. Ponder played just two quarters in FSU's win, but had 4 touchdown passes and missed only two completions. FSU must be licking their tomahawk chops, right OU-Ron?

Show of hands: Who thought the days of Ole Miss losing to a FCS opponent were over when Houston Nutt rolled into town? Yeah? Me neither. J-State played with guts and deserved that OT thriller.

I know it was a win over Western Kentucky, but I think Nebraska might have a little something going with new freshman QB Taylor Martinez, a.k.a "T-Magic". T-Magic went 9-of-15 passing for 136 yards and no INTS and showed big speed on seven carries for 127 yards and three touchdowns, including a 46-yard run on the opening drive. It's early in the season, but watch out for the Huskers in the Big 12. If Texas and OU aren't going to play big this year, Nebraska is going to leave the league as defending champs.

Finally, what's going on at Notre Dame? I know it's the first game of the Brian Kelly experience, but the team seemed to be playing all-out for one another. Given Kelly's track record, it shouldn't be surprising, but if BK can harness the talent at UND, watch out. This team won't make the BCS in 2010, but look for the Irish to make a return in 2011 under Kelly.

That's it for me, boys. Whatchya got?

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