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Bryant Suspended Indefinitely for Lying to NCAA

Photo - Dez Bryant - Oklahoma St

One of the top prospects at the receiver position for the NFL 2010 Draft, Oklahoma St junior wideout Dez Bryant has been ruled ineligible for violating an NCAA bylaw. The powerful 6’2” 215 lb. receiver was ruled ineligible by the school after he reportedly lied to the NCAA officials about a visit and workout at the home of former NFL star defender Deion Sanders earlier this fall. Bryant is a blue chip prospect for the NFL and is coming off a huge sophomore performance last season when he had 87 receptions with 19 TDs for over 1,500 yards while averaging over 17 yards per catch. We ranked him in the Top 20 Prospects for the NFL Draft 2010 with Top 10 potential if he declares for the pro game this January.
The NCAA interviewed Bryant twice earlier this year about allegations at which time he denied that he had visited Sanders. That was proven false, but the fact that he lied to the NCAA is a violation that led to the suspension. Oklahoma St University has already begun the process of applying to the NCAA on his behalf for reinstatement. This incident does not involve anyone associated with the OSU football or athletic department staffs, any employee of the university, alumni, donors, or any third-party affiliated with OSU.
OSU is taking this step because Bryant failed to openly disclose to the NCAA the full details of his interaction with a former NFL player Sanders who is not affiliated with OSU. Bryant will definitely sit out Saturday at Texas A&M; though he was already listed as doubtful because of a hamstring problem.

I will have exclusive interviews with key people on this matter that will be part of the October Newsletter this month.

The University issued the following statement from Bryant: “I made a mistake by not being entirely truthful when meeting with the NCAA. I sincerely regret my mistake and apologize to my teammates, coaches, OSU fans and the NCAA.”
OSU coach Mike Gundy said: “We are certainly disappointed, but we are moving forward as we would with any challenge during the season.” Due to the ongoing investigation of this matter, OSU has no additional comment at this time.

NCAA Bylaw 10.1 -- Unethical Conduct
Unethical conduct by a prospective or enrolled student-athlete or a current or former institutional staff member (e.g., coach, professor, tutor, teaching assistant, student manager, student trainer) may include, but is not limited to, the following: (Revised: 1/10/90, 1/9/96, 2/22/01)
(d) Knowingly furnishing the NCAA or the individual's institution false or misleading information concerning the individual's involvement in or knowledge of matters relevant to a possible violation of an NCAA regulation;

Heisman Trophy 2010 Hopefuls

Frank Coyle has been a Heisman Trophy voter for the past 15 years

Photo - Mark Ingram - Alabama

The upcoming college season presents an interesting group of premier players rated as the top Heisman Trophy candidates. There is a former Heisman Trophy winner in Mark Ingram who is hoping to become only the 2nd player in college history to win two of the games’ most coveted awards. Only Archie Griffin of Ohio St. has won two Heisman Trophy Awards during the glory days of Woody Hayes power teams of the 1970s.
This year the top getter Ingram returns with emerging QBs Terrelle Pryor, Jake Locker, Ryan Mallett, Case Keenum and Kellen Moore, all primed for strong campaigns..Each are back at the helm with highly ranked teams that should make the both the Heisman Trophy award and highly competitive clubs for their conference titles. Runners Dion Lewis and Jacquizz Rodgers had huge 2009 performances that ranks them the highest rated running backs from the East and West regions. .

Heisman Trophy Preseason Candidates

QB Terrelle Pryor - 6’5” 230 lbs. - Ohio St,
Athletic junior QB looks to lead the Buckeyes spread offense to another Big Ten title. He is an incredible runner with tailback type talent including natural running skills and breakaway speed. He came on strong over his first two seasons gaining valuable experience vs top competition. He is exceptionally quick in the pocket and capable of making big plays with his feet and pressures a defense in a unique way. He has made further development in his throwing mechanics to be ready for the NFL game along with further work on reading defenses. He faces Miami in September which could propel him to the top of the Heisman race early. His fine athleticism makes him one of the premier athletes at the position and capable of carrying the Buckeyes to the national title.

RB Mark Ingram - 5’9" 220 lbs. - Alabama
Talented powerful running back was the premier runner in the nation last season when he won the Heisman and Player of the Year honors. He is primed for another big season and is set to be the workhorse runner in this run oriented offense. He has flashed great power and tackle breaking talent that has allowed him to be an unstoppable force in his short playing career. He has fine overall athleticism and shows good natural running especially between the tackles and in short yardage situations. He has shown he can be the man on a game to game basis vs top competition. He has a powerful compact frame with very good body lean and quickness to punish a defense and be his own blocker. He will couple with Trent Richardson to form one of the most potent tandem of runners in recent college history. He will miss the season opener with a minor knee injury.

QB Jake Locker - 6’4” 235 lbs - Washington
Athletic senior QB has had an incredible early career with the Huskies that includes leading the Pac 10 in total offense last season. He is a big tough passer who has a quick compact delivery with good touch and fine accuracy. He has progressed quickly in all aspects of play and has gained valuable experience after starting the past three seasons in this improving program. He is also an excellent runner with over 1500 yards scrambling, In addition to being a very good passer with the ability to throw very effectively on the move as well as move quickly within the pocket. He needs to refine his game in key areas like reading coverage and going through his progressions faster, though he is a highly developed passer with the talent and intangibles to carry a club to a higher level.

QB Ryan Mallett - 6’6” 245 lbs. - Arkansas
Strong armed junior passer has developed quickly in the big play pro style Razorback offense. He has a very good arm with a nice touch and the quick release to get the ball down the field. He has shown excellent arm strength with nice development especially in his overall accuracy. He looks to impress early with a September home game vs national champion Alabama that could propel him to the top of the rankings with a strong performance. Last season, he struggled vs the Crimson Tide and he has this rematch circled for a year to redeem himself. He shows the ability to make the difficult throw and enough quickness in the pocket to avoid a rush. His decision making needs some improvement to minimize his mistakes, many of which were due to attempting to do too much to carry his club.

QB Case Keenum - 6’2” 210 lbs. - Houston
Savvy senior QB is coming off back to back 5000 yard+ passing seasons, directing this incredibly potent offense. He leads a veteran group that includes three receivers who each totaled 1000 yards receiving. He directs this offense flawlessly, displaying a good arm with a very quick release and accuracy. He makes big plays consistently and puts up exceptional numbers weekly that will demand much publicity. He faces a critical late September schedule that puts him facing Pac 10 and SEC clubs that could command even further national publicity. He is coming off a strong performance as a junior and is capable of another huge effort after throwing for an amazing 44 TDs and 5671 yards.

QB Kellen Moore - 6’4” 215 lbs. - Boise St
Slick throwing lefty senior QB looks to continue his impressive play in this wide open passing attack. He hopes to make a strong impression in head to head battles with Virginia Tech and Oregon St. in September that could propel him near the top of this list. He came on strong over his sophomore and junior campaigns when he threw for 64 TD passes and only 13 interceptions, just three coming last fall. He has the talent to lead this explosive offense to national prominence again working with talented veteran weapons on offense.

RB Dion Lewis - 5’9” 190 lbs. - Pittsburgh
Fast compact playmaker looks to return to his ‘09 season form after an impressive 1800 yard rushing and 17 TD performance last fall. He is a strong compact runner who carried an incredible 325 times last fall and has the ability to hit the home run consistently. He has top speed and natural running skills that also allow him to make big plays despite lacking great size and power to run inside. He will be a marked man after last fall and has shown the talent and toughness to answer the call to every challenge over his short career.

RB Jacquizz Rodgers - 5’10” 185 lbs. - Oregon St.
Quick senior tailback has developed into one of the nation’s best backs. He is coming off an impressive ’09 performance when he totaled over 1400 yards and 78 receptions while scoring 22 total TDs. He has very good speed and quickness to get the corner consistently and break a play in the openfield. He slips through the hole quickly with the ability to change directions easily and maintain top speed. He is a good pass catcher who gets into his routes easily and can make things happen after the catch. He will probably get special attention this season and must prove he can be a consistent big game feature back with key early games vs Texas Christian and Boise St.

Frank Coyle’s Heisman vote 2009
1. QB Colt McCoy - Texas
2. RB Mark Ingram - Alabama
3. QB Tim Tebow - Florida

'College Football Monday'
Frank Coyle's New Column

Photo - QB Cam Newton - Auburn
Cam Newton Wins Weekly Honors

Auburn Heads BCS Poll
The BCS ranks Auburn #1 this week in their second poll that began in mid month. Auburn was our most underrated team in the nation in August and one that I ranked in the Top 15 teams during the preseason. Auburn was not ranked in the Top 25 teams by any other poll or by any of the major network preseason shows. In fact, the SEC national shows did not even begin to mention Auburn until October despite a perfect record. The emergence of young Auburn QB Cam Newton is the hottest topic in college football. He is the clear leader in the Heisman Trophy race as we enter the final six weeks of regular season play. Newton is a unique athlete at 6’6” 250 lbs with natural running skills that poses major problems for a defense. He can outrun any linebacker and run over any defensive back. He has already set a new SEC rushing record for QBs, breaking long standing SEC records in the process. This past weekend, he led the Tigers to a major victory over rival LSU who also entered the game undefeated. Newton has rushed for over 100 yards in just 8 games, surpassing all SEC QB performers including legends Jimmy Sidle, Pat Sullivan and Tim Tebow. Newton rushed for 217 yards on 28 carries and 2 TDs vs LSU while Auburn pounded the Tigers for 440 total yards on the ground. It was the 4th straight game that Auburn rushed for over 300 yards with Newton the key catalyst and performer. He set these new rushing yardage (1006) and TD (26) records in only eight games. His 49 yard TD run is a highlight film that may be the signature play of the year that earns him the Heisman Trophy in December.

The college football season hits the midseason mark with an unusually broad range of opinions on the #1 team in the nation. Draft Insiders.com ranks Texas Christian #1 off their perfect record into late October. They are not rated higher than #4 on any of the four other major team polls. Those major polls have changed dramatically weekly as their #1 teams, Alabama, Ohio St. and Oklahoma have all lost recently on consecutive weeks. DraftInsiders.com ranked Ohio St. #1 in August and retained that status until losing to Wisconsin two weeks ago. TCU has not received the credit due for building a fine program and every poll has them behind Boise St., mainly off the Broncos win over them in the January 2009, Fiesta Bowl. That game should have no bearing on rankings in October 2010, but unfortunately polls continually rated teams off last season when many of those players are no longer with their clubs. College football changes dramatically from year to year with many clubs moving up quickly in the standings with new surprise players changing their team overall makeup. It works both ways with highly regarded teams falling quickly with major losses like Florida, Penn St. and Texas this season, all out of the Top 25 teams.

With 7 teams currently undefeated, the rankings will probably continue to undergo weekly changes. Michigan St. faces Iowa this week and could fall easily after the Spartans overcame a scare at Northwestern last Saturday. Oregon has run over every Pac 10 opponent this fall with one of the most explosive wild offenses in the game. They are 7-0 for the first time in 70 years and are ranked #1 in three major polls, the AP, Coaches and Harris. They face a major test this week at Southern Cal who is disqualified from bowl participation this year. The Trojans are 5-2 entering the Oregon game that they look at as their Rose Bowl game this season. They have two weeks to prepare while coming off their bye week and should be pumped up to knock off the exciting Ducks. I see at least three clubs, Oregon, Michigan St and Missouri all falling from the unbeaten ranks this week. It should be an exciting final week of October football that sets up a wild November on the quest for the national title.

College Football Week Eight Notes
Baylor is one of the major surprises this fall that has them ranked in the Top 25 off their 6-2 record. Young QB Robert Griffin is one of the most exciting players in the nation with the ability to beat defenses with his passing or running. They play at Texas this Saturday, facing one of the most erratic and inconsistent clubs thus far this season. The Longhorns have played up and down to the competition with a disappointing 4-3 record that includes a horrible home loss to Iowa St last Saturday. That makes them only a marginal bowl participant currently. The Baylor game is shockingly a must win situation for Texas to impress bowl committees for the postseason. Look for the Longhorns to come out fired up and play at the level that earned them a victory over Nebraska earlier in the month.

Missouri continued their undefeated season with a huge win over Oklahoma. They matched the Sooners through the early action and pulled away with a fine 36-27 win. QB Blaine Gabbert directs this offense very well getting the most out of his skill position players. The Tigers go to Nebraska this week and face a major test that could cost them this perfect record. Nebraska is the class of the Big 12 and this week is their last major test. At 6-1 entering the Missouri game, they could coast in November with four mediocre Big 12 opponents on the schedule. Look for the Cornhuskers to bust the Missou bubble in a national TV game.

West Virginia lost a horrible game to Syracuse. It cost them a Top 25 ranking that currently shows no Big East teams. Syracuse is one of the great stories of the season with HC Doug Marrone a strong Coach of the Year candidate. Syracuse was 4-8 last season and are already 5-2 this fall with five winnable games on the remaining schedule.

Iowa HC Kirk Ferentz of Iowa made a major mistake at the end of the game, calling his final timeout at 12 seconds left in the game when spiking the ball was the proper decision. Ferentz is a fine coach who has built an excellent program at Iowa, but his decision is baffling considering how obvious the decision was at the time. The clock expired when on the next play, the Iowa ballcarrier was tackled inbounds short of the sidelines.

Frank Coyle writes College Football Mondays weekly during the season. He is a longtime scouting consultant for the Senior Bowl, the nation’s premier postseason All-star game. He is also a member of the FWAA and voter in College team and player awards - Heisman, Outland, Nagurski, Thorpe, etc. He is a voter for weekly Team and Player Awards

'College Football Monday'
Frank Coyle's Weekly Column

Photo - Jerrel Jernigan - Troy

Legendary Penn St. coach Joe Paterno won career #400 with a record comeback victory vs Northwestern. The Nittany Lions rallied from a three TD deficit to win a key Big Ten contest. The milestone win for Paterno came in Happy Valley at Beaver Stadium, the scene of so many critical Nittany Lion victories. With the victory, JoePa became the first major college coach to total 400 win. Only two other football coaches have more wins, Eddie Robinson had 408 with FCS school Grambling State, while John Gagliardi had 477 including this weekend with Division III St. John's, Minn. Robinson was a pioneer for Black College football and established Grambling State as a small college power over his long legendary career. Paterno won two AP national titles with a career record that stands at 400 win 132 losses and 3 losses for an amazing .750 winning percentage. His complete postseason bowl record is 24 victories with 11 losses and 1 tie. With teams changing coaches so frequently, this record may stand forever. Paterno ranks with basketball great coach, John Wooden of UCLA as institutions at the collegiate level for their sports and men that changed the landscape of sports during their legendary careers.

The first week of November brought the usual array of outstanding performances by individuals and teams especially in key games. There were an unusual number of wild high scoring games including the triple overtime contest that Michigan won 67-65 over Illinois. Other games saw Navy win 76-35 over East Carolina, Oklahoma St beat Baylor 55-28, Auburn 62 24 vs Tenn-Chattanooga, Kansas over Colorado 52-45 and Nevada win 63-17 vs Idaho.

TCU certainly showed they justified their high ranking by blasting unbeaten Utah in a key battle of top ten clubs. TCU pounded Utah 47-7 that gives them total command of the MWC and possible BCS title game aspirations. LSU revenged a hard fought loss to Alabama last season with a 24-21 victory in a great game between two SEC powers. The Tigers’ HC Les Miles, the ‘Mad Hatter’ did it again with a gutsy 4th down call on a reverse that made the first down on the game winning drive. Miles is worth the price of admission with his gambling style that at times has included gutsy calls, poor clock management and bizarre plays. His 4th down fake field goal vs Florida, may be the most bizarre play I have ever seen. With the game on the line late in the 4th quarter, he calls for a fake field goal trailing Florida on 4th and 6 yards to go. He calls a pitch to the placekicker of all people and the holder actually bounces the ball to the kicker and incredibly, he makes the first down. The Tigers went on to beat the Gators in a key SEC contest. Those type of situations have been Miles signature plays over his six seasons in the SEC. He has a terrific 59-16 record at LSU with a deep talented roster that can do real damage this season. The Tigers are a young club that will play for SEC and national title consideration annually with this coaching staff and roster. The Alabama loss was their 2nd of the year and eliminates them from repeating as national champions. No excuses and crazy scenarios can make it right - two losses and they do not get into top four bowl games. They are probably the only obstacle left in an undefeated season for Auburn whom they face in Iron bowl in late November.

TCU senior QB Andy Dalton threw for a career-high 355 yards and 3 TDs as the Horner Frogs pounded 6th-ranked Utah, 47-7, in Mountain West Conference action. Dalton completed 21-of-26 passes and threw scoring passes of 26, 93 and 11 yards as the Horned Frogs won their 10th game and remained unbeaten. Despite the impressive win over a top ten club, TCU has received only marginal national support. Whether TCU makes the BCS title game remains to be seen and is probably a long shot without one of the higher rated teams losing over the final month. They have beaten Oregon St., Baylor and Air Force, in addition to Utah. They have all been Top 25 teams at some point this season. That is a tougher schedule than Oregon and Boise St at this point of the year. More importantly, TCU plays defense with a sound system and smart defenders who tackle, a rare skill in many college games this season.

With all the dramatics of the top game matchups and the high scoring contests, the North Carolina win over Florida St. has not drawn much attention. Wide right once again haunted Florida St. on a key field goal as placekicker Dustin Hopkins missed his second late FG from 40 yards out. It was with 7 seconds to go by pushing the kick wide right. That cost them a last second win, as the Tar Heels held on for a 37-35 win in a key ACC battle. The Tar Heels have held up remarkably well despite the broad number of game and season suspensions from a talented club. HC Butch Davis has gotten this club to respond to a tough situation and the Tar Heels have put themselves in position to win the ACC Coastal division. They face Virginia Tech this Saturday that could have a strong bearing on the ACC title game. Miami’s late win over Maryland keeps them ahead of NC and all ties go to the Hurricanes off their 33-10 win over the Tar Heels last month.

College Football Week Ten Notes
Troy's Jerrel Jernigan became the Sun Belt Conference career leader in all-purpose yards in the Trojan's 41-35 win at North Texas. Jernigan had six carries for 89 yards, including a 55 yard run in addition to his four receptions for 57 yards. He accounted for 258 yards totally and was also 2-of-2 passing for 18 yards and 1 TD. He had three punt returns for 28 yards and two kickoff returns for 66 yards. He finished his evening with 240 all-purpose yards, giving him 5,293 yards in his career, a new Troy record. He ranks in our Top 100 Pro Prospects and brings a lot to the table as a pro receiver/returner. He is both fast and quick with natural running skills to become a fine pro playmaker. He is a difference maker at both return duties with a TD as a punt and kickoff returner. He should be in Mobile, Alabama for the Senior Bowl in late January, in addition to being one of the speedsters at the NFL Combine in February.

QB Ricky Stanzi of Iowa continues to improve his draft stock significantly after another impressive effort that included throwing the winning TD pass vs Indiana. He has shown a hot hand in big games including the win over Michigan St this past week. He was instrumental in the 37-6 victory over MSU, throwing 3 TD passes in the process. He has improved his arm strength and accuracy that has elevated him to the top of the 2nd tier of pro prospects for the position. His ability to manage an offense has impressed many NFL scouts and has improved his stock overall as a pro prospect. His intangibles and decision-making have been critical in the Iowa success over the past two seasons.

On the defensive side of the ball, a hot prospect is LSU’s DT Drake Nevis. He has been a difference maker this fall and again came up big vs Alabama in the Tigers critical victory. Nevis had seven tackles (2 solo), one sack, 1 FF and broke up one pass as the Tigers improved to 8-1, 5-1 in the SEC West. He is very quick and shoots the gap to disrupt blocking and make big plays behind the line of scrimmage. He continues to improve his draft stock and has moved into the early rounds. He was on our Senior Bowl invitation list in October and continues to rise up the tackle charts.

I think Stanford is for real and will continue to impress at Arizona St. this week. QB Andrew Luck has shined this fall and some scouts feel he could be the best QB in this class if he declares in January. I still feel he returns to Stanford for the 2011 season unless HC Jim Harbaugh moves on to another coaching job. Stanford wideout Chris Owusu faces the same questions this postseason. He led the ranked Cardinal with nine catches for 165 yards and 1 TD to a 42-17 win over No. 13 Arizona. Owusu rushed once for 12 yards and had four kickoff returns for 84 yards totaling 261 total all-purpose yards. He is a big play performer and very developed as both a receiver and returner to become an impact player in the pro game. QB Jake Locker of Washington sat out with several minor injuries. He is still a blue chip prospect, but a player who pushed the envelope too much by running over the first half of the schedule.

Looking for great games this week – North Carolina vs Virginia Tech, Baylor vs Texas A&M. Schedule includes outstanding matchups with Alabama vs Mississippi St and Oklahoma St vs Texas that should have a huge effect on the Top 25 rankings and bowl matchups.

I think Stanford is for real and continues their hot streak vs a weak Arizona St team. Oklahoma St. better not underrate a disappointing Texas squad. The Longhorns are a huge disappointment this season, but could crash the Cowboys party this an improved defensive performance. They have lost 5 of their last 6 games with only a stunning upset over Nebraska in the win column.

Frank Coyle writes ‘College Football Monday’ weekly during the season. He is a longtime scouting consultant for the Senior Bowl, the nation’s premier postseason All-star game. He is also a member of the FWAA and voter in College team and player awards - Heisman, Outland, Nagurski, Thorpe, etc. He is a voter for weekly Team and Player Awards

'College Football Monday'
Frank Coyle's New Weekly Column

Mikel LeShoure Wins Player of the Week

Photo - RB Kendall Hunter – Oklahoma St

The top four clubs remained unbeaten with three clubs idle and only Boise St. playing this week. The Broncos pounded Fresno St 51-0 as they march through the WAC undefeated. They face their biggest test this week at Nevada in what should be a high scoring affair. Boise St’s QB Kellen Moore put on another excellent performance directing the potent offense that has them in the title chase.

Auburn rested last week up along with Alabama waiting for their much anticipated ‘Iron Bowl’ contest this Friday. Auburn hopes to secure a BCS berth for #1 here vs a tough two loss Bama club. The Tide is the defending champion and are capable of pulling an upset here. The Tigers’ QB Cam Newton will be the focus of attention on his march to the Heisman Trophy and possible national championship. TCU and Oregon were also idle. Oregon faces a tough matchup vs Arizona this Friday on a game that has national title implications.

LSU has quietly moved into national title contention but they need a lot of help to move up as a one loss team. They have faced the toughest schedule among top ten teams, but with four undefeated clubs ahead of them they need an upset weekend over Thanksgiving to move up the rankings.

Maybe the biggest win last week was Texas A&M beating Nebraska 9-6. There is no better place for college football than College Station, the scene of many great Aggie victories. The huge win put the Aggies at 8-3 and eligible for a good bowl invitation. Virginia Tech continues their recovery from a 0-2 start with a nice win over Miami. The Hokies are now 9-2 and knocking on the door for the top ten.

The Oklahoma St Cowboys are one of the great stories of the year. HC Mike Gundy has done a remarkable job leading them to their first 10 win season with a 10-1 record. They rank in the top ten and face rival Oklahoma (9-2) in a huge Bedlam matchup this Saturday. The Cowboys (10-1 overall and 6-1 Big 12) are looking to lock up the Big 12 South championship with a win over the Sooners (9-2 overall; 5-2 Big 12). Running back Kendall Hunter rushed for 105 yards on 22 carries and is headed for another Big 12 rushing title at the conclusion of the season. HC Gundy ranks right at the top of the Coach of the Year honors in what should be a very difficult vote.

In one of the most bizarre college football games in history, Illinois blasted Northwestern 48-27 at Wrigley Field. What made the game so bizarre is that both offenses had to play in the same direction due to the bleachers being to close to the playing field at one end. This was the first college game at Wrigley in 40 years and will fit into Chicago lore along with Billy goats and black cats plus the infamous Cubs losing streaks. Illinii running back Mikel LeShoure rushed for a school record 330 yards and 2 TDs.

In the first football game at the new Yankee Stadium, Notre Dame beat Army 27-3. In the home of champions in the Bronx, the Irish became bowl eligible with the victory with another strong defensive performance. They complete their season at Southern Cal before entertaining bowl invitations.

College Football Week Ten Notes
Oklahoma St receiver Justin Blackmon extended his Cowboy receiving records with his 10th straight 100 yard receiving and TD game. Blackmon had 10 catches for 130 yards and 1 TD. It brings his 2010 season totals to 85 receptions for 1415 yards and 16 TDs, working with emerging passer Brandon Weeden. As a third year sophomore, he could declare for the NFL Draft 2011 in January if he wants to leave Stillwater.

Nevada running back Vai Taua is an integral part of the Wolf Pack’s high-powered attack. He has set a new NCAA record with 24 games of over 100 yards on the ground. He is a highly developed back with the power to run inside and the quickness to get to the outside. He shows fine hands as an outlet receiver and is one of the more well-rounded and developed backs in the nation. He has moved up the charts as a pro prospect and with a strong showing in the postseason, he could be selected right after the top tier of running back prospects.

Frank Coyle writes ‘College Football Monday’ weekly during the season. He is a longtime scouting consultant for the Senior Bowl, the nation’s premier postseason All-star game. He is also a member of the FWAA and voter in College team and player awards - Heisman, Outland, Nagurski, Thorpe, etc. He is a voter for weekly Team and Player Awards

'College Football Monday'
Frank Coyle's Weekly Column

Auburn Battles Oregon for #1 in BCS Title Game

Tigers' QB Cam Newton Wins Player of Week

Photo - Cam Newton - Auburn

The final weekend of college football brought about the BCS matchup most fans have talked about since midseason – Auburn vs Oregon. They both won on Saturday that earned them the BCS title game as the #1 and #2 teams in the nation. It should be one of the most exciting title games after a series of wild games over the bizarre 2010 season. Three teams finish the season undefeated with only Texas Christian omitted from the title game. Despite going undefeated for the second regular season in a row, the Horned Frogs could not gather national support to overcome the powers from the SEC and Pac 10 Conferences. After beating an unbeaten Utah team in November, TCU struggled to gain ground especially in the final week facing a 1-10 New Mexico they bombed 66-17.

Auburn and Oregon both won impressively late in the season and are a terrific matchup featuring two explosive offenses. Auburn was once again led by QB Cam Newton as they buried South Carolina in the SEC title that put an explanation mark on the season and most likely the Heisman Trophy award race. He deserves the Heisman Trophy vote off a tremendous season that could be the biggest landslide in the prestigious awards long history. The BCS title game has all the makings of an exciting high scoring game that would be a fitting conclusion to a wild season.

Oregon won a wild game vs Arizona that was close over the first half until the Ducks wacky spread offense took over to win a 48-29 affair. The Ducks ranked #1 in every poll, but Draft Insiders poll, but fell out of the top spot in the BCS this week to Auburn

The BCS title game may still be debated if TCU beats a tough Wisconsin in the Rose Bowl that creates an imaginary game vs the Auburn-Oregon winner. The BCS snub of the Horned Frogs was the main reason TCU joined the Big East last week. As a Big East member the conference receives an automatic BCS bid that gives teams a chance at the national title annually.

BCS Concludes Selection Day With Bowl Pairings

The BCS group announced the teams that have been selected for play in the BCS bowl games, which are the Rose Bowl, the Fiesta Bowl, the Orange Bowl, the Sugar Bowl, and the BCS National Championship Game.

"This is one of the best days in college football, and I want to congratulate all the teams who will play in a BCS game, and all the teams who will play in other bowl games this season. For nearly every student-athlete, playing in a BCS bowl game is the number one goal, because it is often the highlight of their careers. This may be why 93 percent of coaches and 70 percent of student-athletes favor the traditional bowl system over a playoff.

"Once again, the BCS has delivered. It has matched the number one and number two teams in the championship game, while delivering outstanding matchups featuring eight other top teams from around the country. It's also preserved the most exciting and dynamic regular season in all of sports," said Bill Hancock, Executive Director of the BCS.

The BCS Pairings are as follows
all times EDT and all games will be televised on ESPN

Rose Bowl - January 1st, Pasadena, Ca, 5:00 pm:
TCU vs Wisconsin

Fiesta Bowl - January 1st, Glendale, Az, 8:30 pm:
Oklahoma vs Connecticut

Orange Bowl - January 3rd, Miami, Fl, 8:30 pm:
Stanford vs Virginia Tech

Sugar Bowl - January 4th, New Orleans, La, 8:30 pm:
Ohio State vs Arkansas

BCS National Championship Game - January 10th, Glendale, Az, 8:30 pm:
Auburn vs Oregon

We will post Complete Bowl Schedule Today on the College Dates Links page

Frank Coyle writes ‘College Football Monday’ weekly during the season. He is a longtime scouting consultant for the Senior Bowl, the nation’s premier postseason All-star game. He is also a member of the FWAA and voter in College team and player awards - Heisman, Outland, Nagurski, Thorpe, etc. He is a voter for weekly Team and Player Awards

Auburn Meets Oregon in BCS National Title Game

Cam Newton Wins Player of the Year

Photo - The Oregon 'Duck'

The much anticipated BCS title matchup tonight between Auburn vs Oregon highlights the close of the college football season. Most fans have talked about this matchup since midseason with both teams undefeated in strong conferences that earned them the BCS title game as the nation’s #1 and #2 teams. Draft Insiders’ ranked Auburn in the Top 15 in August and rated them as the most underrated team in the nation. Neither Auburn or Oregon was ranked in the top ten of any poll in the preseason.

It should be one of the most exciting title games after a series of wild games over the bizarre 2010 season. Three teams finished the season undefeated with only Texas Christian omitted from the title game. Despite going undefeated for the second regular season in a row, the Horned Frogs could not gather national support to overcome the powers from the SEC and Pac 10 Conferences. The SEC has won five consecutive national titles, an unprecedented run over the past 75 years. The SEC is seeking its 9th national tile over the past 19 years, an impressive run. NFL front offices and scouts are the less surprised of the SEC’s success that annually plays out in the early rounds of the NFL Draft.

Auburn and Oregon were both impressive this season especially late in the 2010 campaign. Overall, this is a terrific matchup that features two explosive offenses but each team fields only average defensive units.

Auburn is led by Heisman Trophy QB Cam Newton after they buried South Carolina in the SEC title that put an explanation mark on the season. The BCS title game has all the makings of an exciting high scoring game that would be a fitting conclusion to a wild season.

Oregon finished with a dominant 2010 performance behind a wacky spread offense that was virtually unstoppable over the regular season. They scored 37 points or more in 11 of their 12 games, an incredible display of offense. The offense is led by running back LaMichael James who had over 1600 yards on the ground and a main weapon in the Ducks explosive attack

With both Auburn’s Newton and Oregon’s James getting most of the limelight after great 2010 performances, this outcome could be decided by other offensive weapons. The Tigers’ dynamic freshman tailback Michael Dyer is primed for a huge game after rushing for 950 yards in 2010. While operating behind a massive Auburn offensive line, Dyer and Newton can keep the high powered Oregon offense on the sidelines. Dyer combines speed and power and should benefit behind the line that has a huge size advantage over the small Oregon front seven. The Ducks rely on fine speed on defense, though the Auburn offense can match that at every position. Dyer is well rested and could be the key catalyst for another SEC national title.

The Ducks ranked #1 in most polls until late in the year when Auburn overtook them for the top ranking. The Draft Insiders’ poll had TCU in the top spot in the BCS at the end of the regular season. The BCS title will still be debated after TCU beat a tough Wisconsin in the Rose Bowl that creates an imaginary game with the Auburn-Oregon winner. The BCS snub of the Horned Frogs was the main reason TCU joined the Big East last week. As a Big East member the conference receives an automatic BCS bid that gives teams a chance at the national title annually.

Prediction: Auburn 37 Oregon 17

The Numbers
Oregon is #1 in the nation in scoring and in total offense. Auburn is #4 in scoring and #7 in total offense. Auburn has already shattered school records with 555 points scored and 6,470 yards of offense gained. The Tigers are ranked fourth nationally in scoring (42.7 points per game), fifth in rushing (287.2 yards per game) and seventh in total offense (497.7 yards). Oregon is a dominant running team with a 304 yards per game average, in addition to 29 TD passes that ranks #16 in the nation in passing efficiency.

Newton produced 29 runs of 15-plus yards this season, tops in the nation. He averaged 10.3 yards on 30 quarterback draws this season and 9.5 yards on 39 scrambles. Over the 2nd half of the season, receiver Darvin Adams had 5 TDs receptions averaging over 30 yards per catch.

For the season, LaMichael James had 281 rushing attempts for 1682 yards and 21 TDs. Over the past two seasons, he had 36 runs of more than 20 yards. That's the most in the nation. Nine Ducks who've caught TD passes. Furthermore, the Ducks rushing attack isn't only about James. Four other Ducks rushed for more than 200 yards. Thomas and backup running back Kenjon Barner combined for more than 1,000 yards and 11 TDs with seven different Ducks scored rushing TDs.

Count on plenty of big plays. Auburn produced 58 plays of 25-plus yards, including 25 TDs. Oregon produced 53 plays of 25-plus yards, including 27 TDs. The TD counts rank first and second in the nation.

Oklahoma Heads Major Polls for Top 25 Preseason Rankings

Photo – LB Travis Lewis - Oklahoma

Sooners’ Head Draft Insiders.com, AP and Coaches Preseason Top 25 Teams

This is DraftInsiders.com first 2011 Preseason College Poll. We will have weekly polls thru the season & postseason in our College Football Mondays blog column. We named Oklahoma our #1 team in our first Top 25 poll. The Sooners were also named #1 in the AP and Coaches preseason Top 25 poll earlier this month.

Oklahoma returns 29 players with starting experience this fall from a team that went 12-2 last season. They beat UConn in last year's Fiesta Bowl 48-20. Head coach Bob Stoops enters his 13th season with an outstanding career record of 129 wins and 31 losses.

The Sooners open the 2011 campaign Sept. 3 at home against Tulsa. Their 2nd game is Sept 17th in a critical intersectional matchup with Florida St. in Tallahassee.

Draft Insiders.com Preseason Top 25 Poll
(Last year’s record in parentheses)

1. Oklahoma (12-2)
Sooners are loaded to end SEC dominance.
2. Oregon (12-1)
Street ball offense is exciting to watch.
3. Alabama (10-3)
New starting QB will determine final fate. Great defense
4. Stanford (12-1)
The Cardinal has Andrew Luck. Enough said.
5. Boise St (12-1)
Many returning starters gives them a good chance at BCS title game.
6. Nebraska (10-4)
Looks to win Big Ten title in their first season in conference.
7. LSU (11-2)
Very talented team that has created big problems before the opening kickoff.
8. Oklahoma St (11-2)
Great team to watch with explosive big play ability.
9 Florida St (10-4)
Seminoles return 15 starters and should head the ACC again.
10. Texas A&M (9-4)
Aggies return 18 starters on a club that won their late 8 games last season.
11. Wisconsin (11-2)
Badgers face very tough schedule. Look to new QB Russell Wilson to provide impact.
12. South Carolina (9-5)
Key skilled position players return and another win at SEC East title.
13. West Virginia (9-4)
Class of the Big East. Face huge early test at home with LSU.
14. Notre Dame (8-5)
Irish finished strong last season and a healthy QB Dayne Crist gives them chance at 10 win season.
15 Michigan St (11-2)
Spartans offense will light it up behind QB Kirk Cousins and RB Edwin Baker.
16 Virginia Tech (11-3)
Young starters QB Logan Thomas and RB David Wilson hope to provide playmaking ability for tough defensive club.
17 TCU (13-0)
Horned frogs hope to win MWC in final season. Great defense hopes to help first year starting
QB.
18 Penn St. (7-6)
Nittany Lions are hoping to sneak up on teams this year.
19 Arkansas (10-3)
Razorbacks look to young QB Tyler Wilson to step out of Ryan Mallett’s shadow and lead offense.
20. Georgia (6-7)
Bulldogs face two major early tests in Boise St and South Carolina that could springboard them to former heights or have them fall into the abyss.
21. Ohio St (12-1)
Head coach Jim Tressel is gone and so is QB Terrelle Pryor that leaves Buckeyes suspect for a double digit win season for the first time in years.
22. Mississippi St (9-4)
Bulldogs have 15 returning starters including QB Chris Reif. Their fate may rest on their suspect defense facing potent SEC clubs.
23. Florida (8-5)
October stretch of games will determine their fate.
24. Texas (5-7)
QB Garrett Gilbert faces acid test in bringing Longhorns back to Big 12 contention.
25. Utah (10-3)
Utes play hard and are primed for good showing in their first season in the Pac 12.

The Next Best 25 Teams
Auburn (14-0); Missouri (10-3); Arizona St (6-6) Miami (Fla.) (7-6) Iowa (8-5) 41; Northwestern (7-6); Arizona (7-6); Central Florida (11-3); Michigan (7-6); Air Force (9-4); North Carolina (8-5) ; Houston (5-7); South Florida (8-5); Hawaii (10-4); Clemson (6-7); Tennessee (6-7); Southern Miss (8-5); Brigham Young (7-6); North Carolina St (9-4); Northern Illinois (11-3); Oregon St (5-7); Pittsburgh (8-5); Washington (7-6); Georgia Tech (6-7); Nevada (13-1)

Frank Coyle is a long time member of the FWAA and voter in College player awards - Heisman, Outland, Nagurski, Thorpe and All-American teams.

Frank Coyle writes College Football Mondays weekly during the season. He is a longtime scouting consultant for the Senior Bowl, the nation’s premier postseason All-star game. He is also a member of the FWAA and voter in College team and player awards.

Alabama, South Carolina, Michigan and Oklahoma St. Win Key Games

'College Football Monday'
Frank Coyle's Blog Column

Marcus Lattimore Wins Offensive Player of the Week
Teammate DE Melvin Ingram Wins Defender of the Week

Photo – RB Marcus Lattimore - South Carolina

The first full schedule of the early weekend college football season is in the books as the top 25 teams begin to take shape. Early season key games saw Alabama pound Penn St. South Carolina beat Georgia and Oklahoma St blasted Arizona in pivotal matchups that will influence this week’s polls.

South Carolina won a wild 45-42 contest vs Georgia that gives the Gamecocks an early advantage in the SEC’s East Division. The loss put additional pressure on Georgia coach Mark Richt to win as the Bulldogs are off to their first 0-2 start since the 1996 season.

While top clubs Oklahoma and Boise St. sit out last weekend, highly rated clubs like LSU, Florida St, Arkansas, Florida, Stanford and Michigan St moved to 2-0 off easy blowout victories. The upcoming weekend will see more conference matchups.

In a great matchup, South Carolina beat Georgia in Athens, Ga. in a seesaw victory that gives them a 2-0 overall and a 1-0 mark in the SEC. It will move South Carolina up in the national rankings this week.

South Carolina's defense was gashed for over 400 yards and senior QB Stephen Garcia had one of the worst performances of his career. Nevertheless, the Gamecocks survived by scoring in several unconventional ways, with DE Melvin Ingram leading the way. The athletic defender scored on a 68-yard run on a fake punt in the 1st half and then returned a fumble caused when by freshman Jadeveon Clowney of Georgia QB Aaron Murray and recovered the ball for a five yard TD.

While the SC offense was inconsistent, sophomore running back Marcus Lattimore rushed 27 times for a 176 yards and a TD. Lattimore was are sleeper pick for the Heisman Trophy and has put back to back 100 rushing games. He was his best down the stretch vs Georgia when he gained 113 of those yards in the second half. The Gamecocks finished with 395 yards of total offense.

Melvin Ingram was selected as our Defensive Player of the Week and the SEC’s Special Teams Player of the Week. Ingram is an athletic 6’2” 275 lbs. defender who took a direct snap on a fake punt and rambled 68 yards for a TD that gave the Gamecocks a 14-13 lead over Georgia heading into halftime. He also caught the onside kick at the end of the game to seal the victory. On defense, Ingram recovered a fumble and ran it five yards for a TD late in the fourth quarter that put the Gamecocks up by 10 points, 45-35.

The win was big for Carolina with Georgia considered its biggest competitor in the pursuit for the SEC East Division title. The Gamecocks won the East title for the first time in 2010.

In another crazy matchup Michigan won a dramatic contest vs Notre Dame with a last second comeback. QB Denard Robinson threw a 16-yard pass to Roy Roundtree with two seconds left, lifting the Wolverines to a 35-31 win over the Irish in front of over 100,00 fans in the first night game ever played at Michigan Stadium. Robinson also threw a 21 yard TD to Vincent Smith with 1:12 left, giving Michigan its first lead.

Robinson completed 11-of-24 passes during the exciting game and threw for 338 passing yards and 4 TDs against the porous ND secondary. He was very productive on the ground, running 16 times for 108 yards and 1 TD in a terrific overall performance.

LSU has a short week to prepare for its SEC opener against Mississippi St this Thursday night in Starkville. The third-ranked Tigers turned their attention to the Bulldogs right after dispatching of Northwestern St, 49-3. The Tigers beat then-No. 3 Oregon, 40-27, in the opener and now have outscored their first two opponents by an average of 44.5 to 15.

LSU has allowed only 91 rushing yards in two games and an average of 1.7 yards per rush. In their opener vs Oregon, LSU blasted the Pac 10 power with an impressive 40-27 overall performance at Oregon. The Tigers improved their non-conference regular season winning streak to a national best 35 straight games with the win over NW St.

Alabama coach Nick Saban settled on QB AJ McCarron who went 19-for-31 for 163 yards, 1 TD and no interceptions in his first career start on the road, a 27-11 win over Penn St. The Bama defense looks dominant and sets the stage for a few great SEC matchups in the ensuing weeks.

Tennessee QB Tyler Bray threw for a career-high 405 yards, passed for 4 TDs and ran for a fifth score in the Vols 45-23 win over Cincinnati. Bray completed 34 of 41 passes as the Volunteers got their first win over a non conference BCS opponent in six tries. This is their first 2-0 start since the 2006 season.

Houston QB Case Keenum has lost anything after last year's knee injury, you wouldn't know it. He continued his assault on the NCAA record book with five TD passes as the Cougars rolled past North Texas. .

Florida International picked up a signature win and solidified its position as the Sun Belt favorite. The Panthers beat a Big East member for the first time in its short history with Friday's 24-17 victory at Louisville, and the national TV audience got a good look at what T.Y. Hilton can do with just a little room. The speedy senior had a school-record 201 receiving yards, taking a pair of first-half passes from Wes Carroll 74 and 83 yards to the house.

New Weekly Top 25 Polls Posted every Tuesday

This Saturday night's matchup of Oklahoma vs Florida St. has national implications that begins a key stretch in late September top 25 matchup games.

Frank Coyle writes ‘College Football Monday’ weekly during the season. He is a longtime scouting consultant for the Senior Bowl, the nation’s premier postseason All-star game. He is also a member of the FWAA and voter in College team and player awards - Heisman, Outland, Nagurski, Thorpe, etc. He is a voter for weekly Team and Player Awards

LSU, Alabama, Oklahoma and Clemson Win Key Games

'College Football Monday'
Frank Coyle's Weekly Blog Column

Players of the Week

Offense
WR Mohamed Sanu of Rutgers

Defense
CB Tyrann Mathieu of LSU

Photo – WR Mohamed Sanu

Everything is right in the world after this weekend – Notre Dame wins, the GMen exorcise the Eagles’ demon and the Yankees ass whip the Red Sox again. Staying with college football, the top clubs solidified their position with Oklahoma beating Missouri, LSU wearing down West Virginia and Alabama drilling Arkansas. All were key matchups vs top 25 caliber clubs and contests that earn top five status in this week’s top 25 rankings.

A number of teams hold a 4-0 record that demands national attention. Teams like Nebraska, Oklahoma St., Wisconsin, Georgia Tech, Michigan, South Florida, Clemson, Virginia Tech, Florida and South Carolina have all pushed themselves into the top 25 team picture.

Key games this week saw Clemson defeat Florida St in another wild ACC game. Clemson had beaten Auburn the previous week that ended the nation’s longest winning streak. In another crazy ACC matchup, Georgia Tech edge North Carolina 35-28 in a game that has become annually a must watch for college fans. Oklahoma St. made a dramatic comeback vs Texas A&M that

The #1 top ranked team changes with the AP anointing LSU the leader after another dominant type performance at West Virginia. The polls split this week with the Sooners holding the top spot in the Coaches poll after their solid win vs Missouri.

This week Florida faces the acid test with Alabama traveling to Gainesville in a SEC contest of unbeatens. Clemson faces another tough matchup vs Virginia Tech in an ACC battle of perfect clubs. Both games will have a huge impact on the top ten after Saturday.

One of the best performances of the young season was turned in by Rutgers wideout Mohamed Sanu this week who set a school- and Big East Conference-record with 16 catches for 176 yards and 2 TDs. Rutgers (2-1) knocked error-prone Ohio from the unbeaten ranks with a 38-26 victory on Saturday. Sanu defied double coverage to set new Big East and school records for receptions.

His total catches broke the Rutgers record of 13 that he tied two weeks ago vs North Carolina. It also broke the single-game mark of 13 for a Big East receiver. Sanu has 36 catches for 363 yards and four TDs this season. This was his first game with two receiving touchdowns.

"Mohamed is a freak," one NFL scout oper said. "He is an athlete, a freak athlete. Just covering him gets you better. You always have to have your A game when covering him.

Oklahoma St. made a thrilling comeback to beat Texas A& M for their first loss on Saturday. The Cowboys won a wild 30-29 games over then-No. 8 Texas A&M. Oklahoma St's Brandon Weeden has been named the Davey O'Brien Quarterback of the Week. The senior threw for a school-record 438 yards in the win.

The Cowboys faced a 20-3 deficit at halftime and Weeden helped the Cowboys to 27-straight points, including a pair of TD passes in the 3rd quarter to give Oklahoma St the lead. He connected on 47-of-60 passes to finish the day, setting school marks for both completions and pass attempts in a game.

South Carolina senior DE Melvin Ingram was selected as the SEC Defensive Player of the Week for his performance in Saturday’s 21-3 win over previously undefeated Vanderbilt.

Ingram, a 6-2, 276-pounder scored his third TD of the season, this time falling on a fumble in the end zone in the second quarter for the Gamecocks’ first points in the victory. He was also credited with four tackles on the night, three for losses that accounted for 24 yards, and a pair of sacks. He also broke up one pass.

Ingram led a stellar SC defense that limited the Commodores to just five first downs and 77 total yards on 48 plays, an average of 1.6 yards per play. Only two of Vandy’s 14 drives lasted longer than four plays and only one gained more than 10 yards.

New Weekly Top 25 Polls Posted every Tuesday

Frank Coyle writes ‘College Football Monday’ weekly during the season. He is a longtime scouting consultant for the Senior Bowl, the nation’s premier postseason All-star game. He is also a member of the FWAA and voter in College team and player awards - Heisman, Outland, Nagurski, Thorpe, etc. He is a voter for weekly Team and Player Awards

Oklahoma, LSU and Alabama Hold Top Three Spots

'College Football Monday'
Frank Coyle's Blog Column

Offensive Player of the Week –
QB Landry Jones – Oklahoma

Defensive Player of the Week
CB Tyrann Mathieu – LSU

Photo - QB Robert Griffin - Baylor

The run for the national championship is starting to take shape with teams like Oklahoma, LSU and Alabama dominating the top three spots in the ranking. The top three clubs continue to impress and dominant opponents. Oklahoma crushed a Texas club that was ranked in the top ten, LSU thrashed a Florida team that was ranked in the top 15 teams and Alabama shutout an out manned Vanderbilt team.

LSU and Alabama are on a collision course for their Nov. 5th matchup in Tuscaloosa. It has national and SEC title implications especially with the conference West division most likely on the line. Both clubs scheduled their bye week prior to this matchup. If you like defensive football in this present climate of high scoring passing games, the Bama Tide vs the LSU Tigers has the makings of a classic late season game. More on that over the next few weeks.

The top three are not alone among the unbeatens with Wisconsin, Stanford, Oklahoma St, Boise St and Stanford all perfect approaching the halfway point of the regular season. Other undefeated teams like Michigan, Georgia Tech, Illinois, Kansas St. and Houston must prove they are top ten contenders and not pretenders benefiting from soft early schedules. Most of these clubs will be tested with tough road games this week.

The “Red River Rivalry” game between two highly rated clubs, featured undefeated Oklahoma and Texas last weekend. The only thing Red from the classic annual game was Texas blood after Oklahoma took them to school in every facet of the game. The Sooners defense pounded Texas with 8 sacks and a school record 3 defensive TDs. The two arch rivals have been the flagship schools in the Big 12 over the past decades and each face key decisions about their future that will have a huge impact on the Big 12 landscape. TCU joined the Big 12 after their win over San Diego St. They had joined the Big East in June and are currently in their final season in the MWC.

Baylor behind star QB Robert Griffin remains the top team in Texas. Griffin led the Bears to a 49 to 26 victory over Iowa St t obring their record to 4-1 this season. Griffin ran for over 100 yards and directed a strong ground attack that includes over 200 yards and 3 TDs by tailback Terrance Ganaway. Auburn met Arkansas in another battle of top 20 clubs with SEC Western title implications. Arkansas continued to show a potent big play offense behind QB Tyler Wilson.

This week
After the “Red River Rivalry” blowout, Texas hosts Oklahoma St this week. The Cowboys may be the most explosive offense in the nation behind QB Brandon Weeden and wideout Justin Blackmon. Oklahoma St. has two undefeated teams remaining on their schedule in Kansas St and Oklahoma. The Big 12 might have their own classic late season top ten matchup in Oklahoma if the Sooners and Cowboys run the table as expected to their season finale matchup in Stillwater.

Texas and Oklahoma have been the flagship schools in the Big 12 over the past decades. Both face key decisions about their future in the Big 12 and in particular if they intend to stay or enter a new conference together.

In another interesting matchup this week, Arizona St (5-1) goes to Eugene to face the Oregon (4-1)Ducks. Both teams are vying for the Pac 12 title. Arizona St. has been a tease over recent seasons, showing talent to beat average clubs, but always coming up short vs top 20 teams. Going into Eugene is a major test for the Sun Devils. The Ducks better not have their eyes on their upcoming contest at Stanford on November 12.

New Weekly Top 25 Polls Posted every Tuesday

Frank Coyle writes ‘College Football Monday’ weekly during the season. He is a longtime scouting consultant for the Senior Bowl, the nation’s premier postseason All-star game. He is also a member of the FWAA and voter in College team and player awards - Heisman, Outland, Nagurski, Thorpe, etc. He is a voter for weekly Team and Player Awards

'College Football Monday'
Frank Coyle's Blog Column

Offensive Player of the Week
WR QB Case Keenum - Houston

Defensive Player of the Week
LB Bobby Wagner - Utah St.

Photo – QB Case Keenum - Houston

The march toward a major late season matchup continues with both LSU and Alabama set for a classic on November 5th after another winning weekend. Both clubs scheduled bye weeks before this SEC showdown with two weeks to get ready for the contest that will have huge national and conference replications. We will have a game matchup and more to say about this potential classic next week.

The ranks of the unbeatens fell to just 8 clubs after last weekend with two top five clubs, Oklahoma and Wisconsin both falling in tough conference matchups.

Oklahoma was ambushed by a tough Texas Tech team that quietly has moved into the Big 12 contention picture. They are one of the sleeper clubs through the early season with their only two losses by close margins vs Texas A&M and Kansas St, both top 25 teams.

Wisconsin made a strong comeback vs Michigan St on Saturday night only to lose on a miracle Hail Mary pass on the final play of the game. The Badgers struggled stopping the Spartan passing attack and got behind that took them out of their normal offensive game plan.

Both Oklahoma and Wisconsin ranked in the top 5 clubs in every poll with both currently marginal top ten clubs. The top two LSU and Alabama hold a huge point advantage in the weekly polls over the remaining six undefeated teams.

Stanford, Oklahoma St, Boise St and Clemson all follow the top two ranked teams in different order according the poll. Houston ranks in just the top 20 clubs while Kansas St. finally joined the top 10 standings after another strong performance. The Wildcats play Oklahoma in Manhattan, Kansas in a major test for the K-State run at the Big 12 title.

Houston All-American QB Case Keenum set a new NCAA career passing record. Keenum moved past former Hawaiii QB Timmy Chang when he passed 376 yards and 6 TDs this week that eclipsed the career record of 16,910 yards passing. He set the new record with a 30 yard pass early in the Houston 63-28 romp over Marshall. Keenum continues his recovery from an early 2010 knee injury that cost him that season. He has the Cougars positioned to cause a major BCS uproar if they run their soft CUSA schedule as expected.

QB Tajh Boyd of Clemson had another huge performance in the Tigers 59 to 38 victory over ACC rival North Carolina. Boyd tied a school record with 5 TD passes as Clemson went to 8-0 for the first time in 11 years. He lead a Tiger offense that totaled 450 yards with their defense causing 6 Tar Heel turnovers. Boyd has entered the Heisman Trophy award talks over his performance with big games at Georgia Tech, NC Stat and South Carolina huge tests for his qualifications.

Texas A&M quarterback Ryan Tannehill passed for 263 yards and 2 TDs while the Aggie tandem of tailbacks, Cyrus Gray and Christine Michael each went over the 100 yard rushing mark in their win over Iowa St.

Texas A&M improved to (5-2, 3-1 in Big 12) with their third straight conference victory. Tannehill gives them an accurate mobile passer and the combination of Gray and Michael gives them the most potent running combo in the nation. After this week’s game vs Missouri, the Aggies face Oklahoma and Kansas St on the road in games that will have major Big 12 title implications.

In a very quiet way, Penn St HC Joe Paterno tied legendary Grambling HC Eddie Robinson with his 408th career victory. Paterno lead Penn St to a win over Northwestern that sets up a possible new career record with a win over Illinois this Saturday at home. Penn St is currently 7-1 and 4-0 in the Big Ten in a somewhat surprising performance. They face a killer final stretch after Illinois this week with Nebraska, Ohio St and Wisconsin left on the schedule that could be the acid test for their final ranking and postseason.

Wisconsin had given up just 58 points prior to the lost to Michigan St. 37-31. The Badgers had allowed just seven TDs the entire season entering the MSU game before allowing 4 TDs in their first loss of the 2011 season.

This Week
#9 Oklahoma at #8 Kansas St and #11 Michigan St at #14 Nebraska are two of the top marquee matchups for the upcoming weekend.

New Weekly Top 25 Polls Posted every Tuesday

Frank Coyle writes ‘College Football Monday’ weekly during the season. He is a longtime scouting consultant for the Senior Bowl, the nation’s premier postseason All-star game. He is also a member of the FWAA and voter in College team and player awards - Heisman, Outland, Nagurski, Thorpe, etc. He is a voter for weekly Team and Player Awards

'College Football Monday'
Frank Coyle's Blog Column

LSU and Oklahoma St. Win Huge Thrillers for SEC and Big 12 Leadership

Offensive Player of the Week – QB Brandon Weeden – Oklahoma St

Defensive Player of the Week - LB Danny Trevathan - Kentucky

Photo – QB Brandon Weeden - Oklahoma St

The matchup between #1 LSU and #2 Alabama became everything advertised if you like defensive football. Both clubs displayed physical dominant defenses that controlled the line of scrimmage that turned the classic into a field goal contrest that went into overtime. LSU prevailed 9-6 on the road that earns them a huge lead for the #1 ranking entering the final month of the regular season. They have the lead in the SEC West division to win the conference title that has dominated the national title five consecutive seasons.

The ranks of the unbeatens fell to just 5 clubs with the Alabama loss. Oklahoma St. remained perfect winning a Big 12 thriller vs once beaten Kansas St. 52-45. QB Brandon Weeden threw for a school record 502 yards vs the soft KSU secondary. What a contrast the two highly anticipated SEC and Big 12 clashes were with 15 total points scored by LSU/Alabama vs 97 points in the OSU/ KSU explosion.

Stanford, Oklahoma St and Boise St rank in the top 5 clubs in every poll with perfect records. Each face a major test this week. The Cardinal meets Oregon in a huge Pac 12 matchup while OSU meets upset minded Texas Tech and Boise St faces TCU.

All-American QB Case Keenum set another new NCAA career passing record. He moved past former Hawaiii QB Timmy Chang when he passed for 407 yards that eclipsed the record of 17,072 yards passing. Keenum continues his recovery from an early 2010 knee injury that cost him the season. He has the Cougars positioned to cause a major BCS uproar if they run their soft CUSA schedule. They are currently 9-0 while averaging 62 points per game over the last four games under the direction of Keenum.

LB Danny Trevathan of Kentucky had yet another monster game in Saturday's 30-13 win over Ole Miss. Trevathan collected 17 tackles, tying his career high, including an assisted tackle
for loss. He also had his fourth pass interception of the season, including his third-consecutive game with a pickoff. He wins our Defensive Player of the Week award.

Texas improved to (6-2, 3-2 in Big 12) with an impressive victory over Texas Tech. The Longhorns pounded the TT defense with 439 yards on the ground behind runners Joe Bergeron and Fozzy Whittaker. The victory makes Texas bowl eligible this postseason after missing out last year for the first time since the 1997 season. The Longhorns completed just two passes while building a 31-6 halftime lead.

Frank Coye’s Lombardi Award Semifinalists Vote – November 7th
1 Matt Kalil - Offensive Tackle, USC, 6-7, 295, Jr.
2 Melvin Ingram - Defensive End, South Carolina, 6-2, 276, Sr.
3 Jonathan Martin - Offensive Tackle, Stanford, 6-6, 304, Sr.
4 Vinny Curry - Defensive End, Marshall, 6-4, 263, Sr.

This week
#2 Stanford vs #6 Oregon and #5 Boise St vs #24 Texas Christian are two of the top marquee matchups the upcoming weekend.

New Weekly Top 25 Polls Posted every Tuesday

Frank Coyle writes ‘College Football Monday’ weekly during the season. He is a longtime scouting consultant for the Senior Bowl, the nation’s premier postseason All-star game. He is also a member of the FWAA and voter in College team and player awards - Heisman, Outland, Nagurski, Thorpe, etc. He is a voter for weekly Team and Player Awards

LSU Pounds Arkansas To Stand At #1

'College Football Monday'
Frank Coyle's Blog Column

LSU and Houston Finish Regular Season As the Only Two Unbeatens

Offensive Player of the Week –
RB Trent Richardson - Alabama

Defensive Player of the Week
CB Tyrann Mathieu - LSU

Photo - RB Trent Richardson - Alabama

The final full week of the regular 2011 season is complete with conference championship games on the agenda this week. LSU continues to establish themselves as the #1 club with an impressive 41-17 win over Arkansas after trailing 14-0 in the second quarter. The Tigers are a powerhouse who meets a hot Georgia team this week in the SEC title game. The Bulldogs have won 10 consecutive games since opening the season with two losses. LSU gained their composure vs Arkansas and drilled them with another display of power and speed that has dominated their competition against probably the toughest schedule in the nation. LSU appears headed for a rematch with Alabama who lost their only game to the Tigers 9-6 in early November. Alabama dominated Auburn in their finale to complete an excellent 11-1 season, though only good for second place in the SEC West that is occupied by LSU and Arkansas. Those three clubs ranked 1-3 entering last weekend with LSU and Alabama holding the top two spots while Arkansas fell back in the top ten.

LSU relied on a power ground game and some big plays from QB Jordan Jefferson and corner Tyrann Mathieu to blitz the Hogs. Jefferson had his best game of the season and gets the starting nod from here on thru the BCS bowl games. Mathieu may be the best defensive player in the nation after another outstanding performance. ‘Honey Badger’ has a great nose for the ball and packs a wallop when he gets there to force turnovers. In the key win over Arkansas, he had a team-best eight solo tackles, forced two fumbles and recovered one as the top-ranked Tigers completed their regular season undefeated. Mathieu added a 92-yard punt return for a TD as LSU remained undefeated (12-0, 8-0 in SEC West) and earned a spot in next week’s SEC Championship Game.

Alabama running back Trent Richardson rushed for a career-high 203 yards (on 27 carries) as the second-ranked Crimson Tide defeated Auburn, 42-14, in the Iron Bowl. Richardson added a five-yard touchdown reception as Alabama improved to 11-1, 7-1 in the SEC West. Richardson is one of the top Heisman Trophy candidates entering the final weekend where he will sit out waiting for the Tides feat in the postseason.

Michigan finally beat Ohio St. 40-34 that snapped a 7 game losing streak to their archrival. Michigan QB Denard Robinson accounted for 5 TDs as the Wolverines finished 10-2. Robinson ran for 170 yards on 26 carries, in addition to going 14 of 17 for 167 yards in a terrific overall performance. The Michigan win was huge for first year coach Brady Hoke who will lead the Wolverines in a top tier bowl matchup. Ohio St. named Urban Meyers their new head coach on Monday. The former Florida head coach sat out this year due to minor medical issues. He lead the Gators to two national championships and returns to Ohio St. where he was an assistant coach prior to starting his head coaching career at Bowling Green.

UCLA ran into the Trojans in their cross town rivalry. QB Matt Barkley has been in a zone for weeks and torched the Bruins 50-0. Barkley went 35 of 42 for 423 yards and 6 TDs that ended the Trojans season at 10-2. The Trojans are under NCAA suspension for any postseason activity, though they would rank in the top ten easily if eligible. Barkley had an outstanding season and closed with as impressive a run as any player in the nation, though any Heisman talk was most likely too little too late. UCLA finished 6-6 and earned a berth in the Pac 12’s first championship game vs Oregon. Figure that out.

Houston finished undefeated that ranks them in the top ten. QB Case Keenum broke school, conference and NCAA records weekly over the final months that might earn an invite to the Heisman Trophy presentation. Where Houston falls in the bowl season will be interesting with their perfect record intact entering the CUSA title game vs Southern Miss. They hope to possibly challenging for the BCS title if LSU loses over their final two games.

Cincinnati's Isaiah Pead had two punt returns for 54 yards, nine receptions for 112 yards and a TD, and 17 carries for 80 yards and a TD in a 30-13 win over Syracuse on Nov. 26. He finished with 246 all-purpose yards in the game. Pead's performance helped keep the Bearcats alive for a Big East Championship and a BCS bowl berth.

Georgia's Brandon Boykin had an impressive showing against Georgia Tech over the weekend. Boykin will face off with LSU this weekend in the Southeastern Conference Championship game in Atlanta, Georgia. Boykin caught one pass for 28 yards, returned two punts for 4 yards and returned one kick for 60 yards in a 31-17 win over Georgia Tech. On defense Boykin recorded two total tackles, including assisting on a tackle for loss.

The BCS matchup for #1 appears headed for a rematch of LSU and Alabama after last weekend. LSU prevailed 9-6 earlier this season on the road that earned them a huge lead for the #1 ranking entering the final months. They win the SEC West division in the conference that has dominated the national title for five consecutive seasons.

This Week’s Top Games
#1 LSU vs #12 Georgia
#11 Michigan St vs #15 Wisconsin
#7 Houston vs #24 Southern Miss
#5 Virginia Tech vs #21 Clemson

New Weekly Top 25 Polls Posted every Tuesday

Frank Coyle writes ‘College Football Monday’ weekly during the season. He is a longtime scouting consultant for the Senior Bowl, the nation’s premier postseason All-star game. He is also a member of the FWAA and voter in College team and player awards - Heisman, Outland, Nagurski, Thorpe, etc. He is a voter for weekly Team and Player Awards

College Football Mondays
2011-12 College Football Bowl Schedule

Bowl / Location / Date / Time / Network

BCS National Championship Game
No. 1 LSU vs. No. 2 Alabama
New Orleans - Louisiana Superdome
Jan. 9, 8:30 p.m. - ESPN

2011-12 College Football Bowl Schedule

Photo – WR Rueben Randle – LSU

Gildan New Mexico
Temple vs. Wyoming - Albuquerque, N.M.
Dec. 17, 2 p.m. ESPN

Famous Idaho Potato Bowl
Ohio vs. Utah State - Boise, Idaho
Dec. 17, 5:30 p.m. ESPN

R+L Carriers New Orleans
San Diego State vs. Louisiana-Lafayette
New Orleans- Superdome
Dec. 17, 9 p.m. ESPN

Beef 'O' Brady's St. Petersburg
Florida International vs. Marshall - St. Petersburg, Fla.
Tropicana Field
Dec. 20, 8 p.m. ESPN

S.D. County Credit Union
TCU vs. Louisiana Tech - San Diego
Qualcomm Stadium
Dec. 21, 8 p.m. ESPN

MAACO Las Vegas
Arizona State vs. Boise State - Las Vegas
Dec. 22, 8 p.m. ESPN

Sheraton Hawaii
Nevada vs. Southern Miss - Honolulu
Dec. 24, 8 p.m. ESPN

Independence
Missouri vs. North Carolina - Shreveport, La.
Dec. 26, 5 p.m. ESPN2

Little Caesars
Western Michigan vs. Purdue - Detroit
Ford Field Dec. 27, 4:30 p.m. ESPN

Belk
Louisville vs. NC State - Charlotte, N.C.
Bank of America Stadium
Dec. 27, 8 p.m. ESPN

Military Bowl
Toledo vs. Air Force - Washington, D.C.
RFK Stadium
Dec. 28, 4:30 p.m. ESPN

Holiday
California vs. Texas - San Diego
Qualcomm Stadium
Dec. 28, 8 p.m. ESPN

Champs Sports
Florida State vs. Notre Dame - Orlando, Fla.
Florida Citrus Bowl
Dec. 29, 5:30 p.m. ESPN

Alamo
Washington vs. Baylor - San Antonio
Alamodome
Dec. 29, 9 p.m. ESPN

Bell Helicopter Armed Forces
BYU vs. Tulsa - Dallas
Gerald J. Ford Stadium
Dec. 30, Noon ESPN

New Era Pinstripe
Rutgers vs. Iowa State - Bronx, N.Y.
Yankee Stadium
Dec. 30, 3:20 p.m. ESPN

Music City
Mississippi State vs. Wake Forest - Nashville, Tenn.
Dec. 30, 6:40 p.m. ESPN

Insight
Iowa vs. Oklahoma - Tempe, Ariz.
Sun Devil Stadium
Dec. 30, 10 p.m. ESPN

Meineke Car Care
Texas A&M vs. Northwestern - Houston
Reliant Stadium
Dec. 31, Noon ESPN

Sun
Georgia Tech vs. Utah - El Paso, Texas
Sun Bowl
Dec. 31, 2 p.m. CBS

Liberty
Cincinnati vs. Vanderbilt - Memphis, Tenn.
Liberty Bowl
Dec. 31, 3:30 p.m. ABC

Kraft Fight Hunger
Illinois vs. UCLA - San Francisco
AT&T Park
Dec. 31, 3:30 p.m. ESPN

Chick-fil-A
Virginia vs. Auburn - Atlanta
Georgia Dome
Dec. 31, 7:30 p.m. ESPN

TicketCity
Houston vs. Penn State - Dallas
Cotton Bowl
Jan. 2, Noon ESPNU

Outback
Michigan State vs. Georgia - Tampa, Fla.
Raymond James Stadium
Jan. 2, 1 p.m. ABC

Capital One
Nebraska vs. South Carolina - Orlando, Fla.
Florida Citrus Bowl
Jan. 2, 1 p.m. ESPN

Gator Bowl
Ohio State vs. Florida - Jacksonville, Fla.
EverBank Field
Jan. 2, 1 p.m. ESPN2

Rose Bowl Game
Wisconsin vs. Oregon - Pasadena, Calif.
Rose Bowl
Jan. 2, 5 p.m. ESPN

Tostitos Fiesta
Stanford vs. Oklahoma State - Glendale, Ariz.
U. of Phoenix Stadium
Jan. 2, 8:30 p.m. ESPN

Sugar
Michigan vs. Virginia Tech - New Orleans
Louisiana Superdome
Jan. 3, 8:30 p.m. ESPN

Discover Orange
West Virginia vs. Clemson - Miami
Sun Life Stadium
Jan. 4, 8:30 p.m. ESPN

AT&T Cotton
Kansas State vs. Arkansas - Arlington, Texas
Cowboys Stadium
Jan. 6, 8 p.m. FOX

BBVA Compass Bowl
SMU vs. Pittsburgh - Birmingham, Ala.
Legion Field
Jan. 7, 1 p.m. ESPN

GoDaddy.com
Arkansas State vs. Northern Illinois - Mobile, Ala.
Ladd-Peebles Stadium
Jan. 8, 9 p.m. ESPN

BCS National Championship Game
No. 1 LSU vs. No. 2 Alabama New Orleans
Louisiana Superdome
Jan. 9, 8:30 p.m. ESPN

Frank Coyle is a long time member of the FWAA and voter in College player awards - Heisman, Outland, Nagurski, Lombardi, Thorpe etc for the past 18 years. He writes College Football Mondays weekly during the season. He is a longtime scouting consultant for the Senior Bowl, the nation’s premier postseason All-star game.