Odds to win 2009 BCS Championship Game

Courtesy of .com, here are the favorite for the college football national title for the 2008-2009 season. Missouri and Kansas seem like strong early values, plus my love for Texas Tech in 2008 should be no surprise and they are 100-1!

BCS Plus One, see you in 2010

USA today reports on the upcoming college football conference commissioner meeting in Miami this week. It highlights the once-fractured landscape of the game evolving into a BCS coalition that is marketing the game on a national level.

Has the playoff noise settled down yet, or will it crescendo as summer turns to fall ad Buckeye fans await a third straight loss in the championship game (Jim Kelly and Daryl Talley are very proud of Ohio State’s accomplishments)?

2008 Running Back NFL Draft Class Best ever?

With a flurry of stars declaring early for the NFL Draft only four of the Top 20 rushers return for the 2008 college football season. This could be the deepest RB crop in a decade.

The top returning rusher for the 2008 season will be junior Kent State RB Eugene Jarvis (5th, 1669 yards, 10 TD), followed by junior Chris ‘Beanie’ Wells (11-1609-15) (right, Icon SMI),  junior Southern Mississipi RB Damion Fletcher (13th-1586-15) and senior Javon Ringer of Michigan State (20th-1447-6). Of course this assumes that none of these declare by the tomorrow’s Tuesday January 15 deadline.

A quick roll call of the junior RB dashing for cash making the 2008 NFL Draft one of the strongest RB classes ever, and the heir apparents:

Darren McFadden and Felix Jones, Arkansas - Many have Run DMc as their top prospect, and Felix Jones is probably a first-day pick also. Razorbacks gutted by their departure plus the FB/HB hybrid senior Peyton Hillis. New head coach Bobby Petrino will be building from the ground up with WR Marcus Monk and two offensive linemen graduating. Drew pointed to there being a rebuilding year in his Cotton Bowl wrapup, but I have a gut feeling that RB Michael Smith and maybe even QB Casey Dick wll do fine under the Petrino system - at least for the two years Petrino will stay at Arkansas.

Kevin Smith, UCF - our National Player of the Year is a tough inside runner with just enough of a top gear to break off long runs. Sounds like Emmitt Smith but I have a hard time making that comparison despite Kevin breaking Emmitt’s career college rushing yards record. Given UCF personnel expect some JUCO work to be done by head coach George O’Leary.

Ray Rice, Rutgers - Rutgers force fed carries to Rice since the middle of his freshman year, so this is the right move for him since he is a run-up-the-middle type despite his size. When Rice got a breather we did see some flashes from junior to be Kordell Young behind a line with three seniors and wunder-freshman Anthony Davis.

Jonathan Stewart, Oregon - we have said it from Day One around here - Stewart will be a better pro than a college player similar to Brandon Jacobs now of the New York Giants. 6-foot and 235 pounds, Calista Flockhart like body fat and sub-4.5 forty times should propel him to early second-round material at worst. Jeremiah Johnson spelled Stewart well between nicks and breathers, and his

Rashard Mendenhall, Illinois - Mendenhall owns the multi-talented skill set that the NFL likes, but he may need to add ten to twenty pounds. Mendenhall leaves his brother Walter as the new starter if it is possible to project a Ron Zook lineup before spring practive - I am sure he has put extra effort into texting the top running recruits for the last week.

James Davis, Clemson - I have linked to the article that outlines his meager beginnings - coupled with the crowded backfield this is absolutely the right decision for him, especially if he is a first-day pick. That whooshing sound is CJ Spiller moving up our 2008 Draft Kit.

Steve Slaton, West Virginia - he had to go pro, I will not deny him that. We at FCB have consistently marveled at Slaton’s speed as well as his penchant to disappear in big games. We revelled in his 200-yard and three-TD performances, but moreso were disappointed by his ten carrie and fifty yard yawners. I am not sure whether to blame his fire, his injury-prone nature or simply the offensive QB-read option that allowed Pat White to often look like the better runner. Slaton will have tremendous measurables but I fear will fall short in the NFL.

Oh, did I mention that this mass exodus may make Noel Devine worthy of the #1 RB slot in 2008?

LSU wins second BCS Title, beats Ohio State

Jim Tressel deserves credit for creating a college football dynasty at Ohio State, appearing in their third National Championship game this decade with his Buckeyes. Just like 2006 the Buckeyes took an early lead on a huge play, this time a 65-yard run by RB Chris “Beanie” Wells, and again like last year that about summed up the Buckeye offensive excitement.

For the second year in a row the Buckeyes journeyed to the final only to come up short, this time to the LSU Tigers in a 38-24 final in the BCS Championship Game.

theSpread.com BCS Championship Preview

My friends at theSpread.com just published their preview of the Ohio State Buckeyes (+4 and +155 if you are curious) versus the LSU Tigers. Please enjoy and check out their site.

Last year, there was little doubt Ohio State belonged in the BCS title game - even after the Buckeyes were stunningly routed by Florida, the team whose selection was hotly debated leading up to the contest. Ohio State is back in the championship game this season, and the Buckeyes hardly care that some feel they’re only making the repeat trip due to luck.

OSU

Hungry to avenge last season’s lopsided loss, No. 1 Ohio State (11-1) takes on second-ranked LSU (11-2) on Jan. 7 at the Louisiana Superdome, a championship matchup fitting in a season of stunning upsets and the lack of a clearly dominant team.

Oddsmakers from Bodog have made LSU -4 point spread favorites (View College Football odds) for the BCS Championship Game (Game Matchup).

BCS Championship Preview

#2 Louisiana State Tigers (11-2) versus #1 Ohio State Buckeyes (11-1)

Monday, January 7, 8pm on FOX

Random Stats
Avg. Margin of Victory - LSU 19.2 (7th), OSU 21.3 (6th)
Turnover Margin - LSU +18 (5th), OSU -1(64th)
Team Passing Efficiency - LSU 43rd, Ohio State 14th

When LSU has the ball: EDGE OSU

LSU is our 11th ranked offense facing off against the top-rated defense of the Buckeyes (see Bowl Index below). Tigers are deep at all positions, including QB where you can expect to see Coach Les Miles alternate between Matt Flynn and Ryan Perriloux.

Offensive coordinator Gary Crowton runs a multiple-spread built upon the running of Senior RB Jacob Hester (right, Lynn Bass/Icon SMI) while mixing in passes to some amazing athletes like Early Doucet and Trindon Holliday. Over/under on trick plays to expect is three.
more…

Tebow wins Heisman

Many historical Heisman precedents crumbled when sophomore Tim Tebow won the Heisman Trophy Saturday Night. T2 gathered over half the first place votes, and has that lovely trophy to add to his unanimous First Team All-American QB spot over at Fantasy College Blitz.

Likewise, Tebow’s new trophy only adds to the list of firsts accomplished this season the two largest being:

• First underclassmen to win (I think Herschel Walker was runner-up as a freshman in 1981).
• First Major College player to throw for 20 TDs and run for 20 TDs in the same season.
• Superman wore Tim Tebow pajamas

Here is how the voting ended (thanks, USA Today):

Player First Second Third Total Tim Tebow, Florida 462 229 113 1957 Darren McFadden, Arkansas 291 355 120 1703 Colt Brennan, Hawaii 54 114 242 632 Chase Daniel, Missouri 25 84 182 425 Dennis Dixon, Oregon 17 31 65 178 Pat White, West Virginia 16 28 46 150 Matt Ryan, Boston College 9 7 22 63 Kevin Smith, Central Florida 3 11 24 55 Glenn Dorsey, LSU 3 6 9 30 Chris Long, Virginia 1 2 10 17

Heisman Rankings

Sorry Dennis Dixon, but the injury knocks you off my list…

1. Tim Tebow, QB Florida

Only player in history to eclipse 20 TD both passing and rushing. Tied SEC record for rushing TD in a season. Without Tebow (left, ICON SMI) the Gators are barely .500 due to the rebuilding defense. Tebow has not had a bad game yet statistically or leadership wise. Regardless of Sophomore standing, he is the best player in college football.

2. Chase Daniel, QB Missouri

Daniel is #2 because Dixon gets hurt and the team quits about 15 minutes later - maybe that shows his worth, but a leader needs to inspire even when not capable of playing (see Brennan, Colt). Chase does deserve the accolades based on the 30-9 ratio and the strong 10-1 record - heck, he has to make up for the worst punting unit in the country! and that only loss was to a pretty good Illinois in Week One. If he comes up big in the Kansas game this weekend he might earn some #1 votes unless…

3. Todd Reesing, QB Kansas

The leader of the Cinderella story of 2007. When teams many deemed better can’t close the important games, the Jayhawks continue to win. Reesing is 8th in QB efficiency and has a better 30-4 ratio than Daniel, but in this race you kinda have to count off for strength of schedule. Again, this all could change if the Jayhawks take out Mizzou and then take on the Big 12 Championship.

4. Kevin Smith, RB UCF

Carrying a team on your back is what the Heisman is all about, so 24K is perfect candidate - except he plays in Conference USA. Leads nation in TDs and been extremely consistent with only one sub-par game at USF.

5. Graham Harrell, Texas Tech - huge ten games over 400 yards this year, an NCAA record. four losses is a killer to his chances (PS - how good will he be next year when the receivers are more comfy?)

Also, sorry to Matt Ryan - great comeback win over Clemson, but those last two games knocked you so far back that it will be hard to get you back on it.