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Ryan Williams and Virginia Tech are hoping to steal the spotlight against Boise State.

Monday night in Landover, Maryland the first college football weekend of the year will wind down with one of the season’s biggest games. Just sixty minutes into the year Boise State’s dream of becoming the first non BCS team to win a national title during the BCS era will either be destroyed or more real than ever.

The game will likely come down to which quarterback can make more plays. While Austin Pettis, Ryan Williams, Darren Evans, and Titus Young will make a lot of plays, the winner will likely be decided under center. Tyrod Taylor should be a better passer than last year (13 TDs, 5 INTs) but he still has a long way to go before he reaches Kellen Moore type level (39 TDs, 3 INTs). Moore will probably be the Heisman Trophy front runner if he has a productive game against Frank Beamer’s defense, but that’s no easy task.

So, who wins?

Expect Virginia Tech to get the lead early and use Williams and Evans to run the football more effectively as the game continues. Even a defense returning all of its starters can get worn down. Taylor will provide a spark with his legs when needed for the Hokies offense. Boise State needs to force Taylor to throw because he ran for five touchdowns last year on the ground, meaning his legs could be the x-factor in this game.  I expect Virginia Tech to make at least one big play on special teams, Beamer’s specialty in close games. Boise State will hang around and be in it for the long haul, but the Broncos title dreams will die Labor Day night.

Pick: Virginia Tech 31, Boise State 20 (SP: Boise State -2)

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OTHER TOP GAMES OF THE WEEKEND:

Minnesota at Middle Tennessee State: With no Dwight Dasher, this game loses a little bit of its luster. How big of a loss is Dasher? Well, Middle Tennessee State was actually favored until he was ruled out.  Expect Minnesota and QB Adam Weber to take advantage of Dasher’s absence by pressuring Logan Kilgore all night. Kilgore is making his first start in front of a national TV audience on ESPNU. Nerves, anyone?

Pick: Minnesota 23, Middle Tennessee 14 (SP: Minnesota -3)

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#15 Pittsburgh at Utah: Expectations are high in Pittsburgh with the Panthers expecting to compete for the Big East title, but this game is at Utah. Dion Lewis could make the first Heisman statement of the year on Thursday night, especially with Alabama RB Mark Ingram out against San Jose State.

Pick: Utah 34, Pittsburgh 33 (SP: Utah -3)

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Purdue at Notre Dame: This will be one of the better games of the weekend with Brian Kelly coaching his first game for the Irish. Robert Marve will also be making his debut, after transferring from Miami (FL) two seasons ago. Notre Dame’s offense should be good enough with new starting QB Dayne Crist getting acquainted Michael Floyd, especially at home, to pull it out.

Pick: Notre Dame 37, Purdue 23 (SP: Notre Dame -11)

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Colorado at Colorado State: It seems like every year I pick this game, I get it wrong. This year something tells me that Dan Hawkins and the Buffaloes will play well on the road with QB Tyler Hansen leading the way. That means more than likely you should pick Colorado State.

Pick: Colorado 24, Colorado State 21 (SP: Colorado State +12)

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Connecticut at Michigan: Rich Rodriguez really needs this win at home against a scary Connecticut squad looking to beat another top football school at its place (remember the Huskies win over Notre Dame?).  Expect Tate Forcier and Denard Robinson to score as the Wolverines survive at the Big House.  Uconn RB Jordan Todman is a guy you may not have heard of yet, but he will probably be a household name soon.

Pick: Michigan 31, Connecticut 21 (SP: Michigan -3)

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UCLA at Kansas State: This is one of the best games nobody is talking about this weekend. Daniel Thomas is the Big 12’s best running back, but many casual fans do not know that. UCLA head coach Rick Neuheisel really needs a win to jumpstart the season for a Bruins team trying to rebuild its football program. It may not mean much in the grand scheme of things, but this one figures to be fun to watch.

Pick: Kansas State 31, UCLA 27 (SP: Kansas State -1.5)

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Washington at BYU: Jake Locker needs Washington to win games to be a series Heisman Trophy contender. Going into Provo and knocking off soon-to-be independent BYU (starting next season) would be a great start. I like BYU, despite the fact that the Cougars will play two QBs: Riley Nelson and Jake Heaps.

Pick: BYU 31, Washington 27 (SP: BYU -3)

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#6 TCU vs. #24 Oregon State: TCU, like Boise State, is risking its season by taking on a BCS big boy in Oregon State first. This game is in Arlington, Texas, in primetime, meaning the Horned Frogs have a rare chance to show the world that they are indeed a national title contender with their first impression this season. One of the best matchups of the weekend will be TCU’s defense against Jacquizz and James Rodgers.

Pick: #6 TCU 32, #24 Oregon State 16 (SP: TCU -13)

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#21 LSU vs. #18 North Carolina: With DT Marvin Austin suspended, North Carolina’s run defense will be weaker than expected against a LSU team that will try to pound the football. In its first two seasons, the SEC has won the opening battle between the SEC and ACC in Atlanta. Will this year be any different? Probably not. Jordan Jefferson has dependable weapons in Terrence Toliver and Russell Shepard that he can rely on and Les Miles team is a little under the radar. Usually, that’s when LSU is at its scariest. Besides, despite all the talk about the Tar Heels defense, the best defensive player in the game is on LSU in CB Patrick Peterson.

Pick: #21 LSU 34, #18 North Carolina 24 (SP: LSU -5)

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Cincinnati at Fresno State: Head coach Brian Kelly is gone but QB Zach Collaros is back on offense for Cincinnati, meaning the Bearcats are still going to be pretty explosive.  With explosive RB Ryan Matthews gone to the NFL, Pat Hill will have to rely on Robbie Rouse to move the football and Ryan Coulborn to be careful with the football this season.

Pick: Fresno State 26, Cincinnati 20 (SP: Fresno State -2.5)

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OTHER TOP 25 GAMES (listed in order by rank):
#1 Alabama 45, San Jose State 13 (SP: San Jose State +37)
#2 Ohio State 38, Marshall 10 (SP: Marshall +28.5)
#4 Florida 38, Miami OH 7 (SP: Miami OH +35)
#5 Texas 41, Rice 7 (SP: Texas -30.5)
#7 Oklahoma 59, Utah State 9 (SP: Oklahoma -34)
#8 Nebraska 48, Western Kentucky 13 (SP: Western Kentucky +37.5)
#9 Iowa 45, Eastern Illinois 7
#11 Oregon 45, New Mexico 10 (SP: Oregon -35)
#12 Wisconsin 34, UNLV 16 (SP: UNLV +20)
#13 Miami FL, 42, Florida A&M 6
#14 USC 38, Hawaii 21 (SP: Hawaii +21.5)
#16 Georgia Tech 31, South Carolina State 0
#17 Arkansas 52, Tennessee Tech 13
#19 Penn State 51, Youngstown State 0
#20 Florida State 34, Samford 6
#23 Georgia 41, Louisiana Lafayette 17 (SP: Louisiana Lafayette +28)
#25 West Virginia 38, Coastal Carolina 7

OTHER GAMES (listed in ABC order by winner):
Air Force 31, Northwestern State 3
Arizona 30, Toledo 23 (SP: Toledo +15)
Arizona State 44, Portland State 13
Army 16, Eastern Michigan 13 (SP: Eastern Michigan +10)
Auburn 48, Arkansas State 14 (SP: Auburn -31)
Ball State 27, SE Missouri State 16
Baylor 33, Sam Houston State 13
Boston College 24, Weber State 3
Buffalo 31, Rhode Island 13
California 52, UC Davis 7
Central Michigan 33, Hampton 7
Clemson 41, North Texas 13 (SP: Clemson -24)
Duke 16, Elon 6
East Carolina 34, Tulsa 27 (SP: Tulsa +7.5)
Houston 59, Texas State 0
Idaho 34, North Dakota 21
Indiana 41, Towson 20
Iowa State 28, Northern Illinois 23 (SP: Iowa State -4.5)
Kansas 37, North Dakota State 0
Kent State 24, Missouri State 0
Louisiana Tech 42, Grambling State 16
Louisville 27, Kentucky 21 (SP: Louisville +3)
Michigan State 31, Western Michigan 12 (SP: Western Michigan +23)
Mississippi 34, Jacksonville State 14
Mississippi State 28, Memphis 20 (SP: Memphis +8.5)
Missouri 44, Illinois 17 (SP: Missouri -11.5)
Navy 28, Maryland 21 (SP: Navy -7)
Nevada 48, Eastern Washington 3
N. C. State 44, Western Carolina 6
Northwestern 27, Vanderbilt 23 (SP: Vanderbilt +4.5)
Ohio 38, Wofford 17
Oklahoma State 41, Washington State 19 (SP: Oklahoma State -15.5)
Rutgers 34, Norfolk State 3
San Diego State 27, Nicholls State 12
South Carolina 30, Southern Miss 17 (SP: Southern Miss -14)
South Florida 34, Stony Brook 3
Stanford 37, Sacramento State 12
Syracuse 30, Akron 16 (SP: Syracuse -8.5)
Temple 37, Villanova 19
Tennessee 38, Tennessee Martin 9
Texas A&M 52, Sam Houston State 21
Texas Tech 45, SMU 28 (SP: Texas Tech -13.5)
Troy 34, Bowling Green 23 (SP: Bowling Green -14)
Tulane 34, SE Louisiana 14
UAB 26, Florida Atlantic 17 (SP: Florida Atlantic +15)
UCF 35, Sacramento State 3
UTEP 33, Sacramento State 10
Virginia 23, Richmond 21
Wake Forest 38, Presbyterian 9
Wyoming 31, Southern Utah 7

Steven Threet is still battling for the startig QB spot at Arizona State. (Pic: Scout.com)

Arizona State head coach Dennis Erickson has still not named a starting quarterback. The race is between Michigan transfer Steven Threet and Brock Osweiler, but signs are pointing towards Threet being the starting QB.

Threet and Osweiler both played well in a scrimmage this weekend, but no starter has been named.  The Sun Devils kick off their season against Portland State on August 4th. Northern Arizona is Arizona State’s second opponent, with a three game stretch of Wisconsin, Oregon, and Oregon State up afterwards.

We will have an update when a starting quarterback is officially named.

Mark Ingram and Alabama are hoping to repeat as national champs. (Pic: KissDetroit.com)

That’s scary.

The bad news for Alabama fans is that might be all of the good news. The Crimson Tide’s defense carried them to top last year, but this season only two starters return on that side of the ball. Star linebacker Rolando McClain and Javier Arenas, a key corner and game changer on special teams, are gone along with nine other starters. Teams with only two players back on defense usually aren’t considered preseason number one, especially a nearly unanimous preseason number one, but that’s the case for Nick Saban’s team.

The point of this article isn’t to bash a team that clearly has the right to be ranked number one based on what it accomplished last season, its talent, and what it returns on offense. The point is to show that a team with an undefeated quarterback, unbelievable backfield, and mastermind coach is not unbeatable.

Alabama will have to play well just to make it out of the SEC West. Trips to Fayetteville, Baton Rouge, Knoxville, and Columbia will not be easy to handle. Home games against Florida, Penn State, and in-state rival Auburn also won’t be easy to evade unblemished.  Teams ranked number one have a target on their back and Alabama may not be able to handle it. Maybe Saban will be able to motivate his team and turn the pressure into a positive influence, but that’s a challenge even the greatest coaches have had trouble with in recent years.

Last season Florida head coach Urban Meyer was one game away from getting his Gators to their third national title game in four years before Saban and Alabama ruined it. Jim Tressel, Les Miles, and Mack Brown have all been unable to lead their teams to back to back national championships in recent years. Saban, who won his first national title at LSU in 2003, also came up short the following season. LSU went 9-3 in 2004 with losses at Georgia and Auburn.

Since 2005, the five teams attempting to win repeat as national champions are a combined 51-14. That’s an average of  2.8 losses per season.  Those teams had some pretty good players too: Reggie Bush, Colt McCoy, and Tim Tebow included among them.

Alabama has all the talent needed to win another national championship, but nobody is going to hand it to the Crimson Tide.  Maybe Mark Ingram becomes the second player ever to win back to back Heisman Trophys and Nick Saban wins his third national championship as a head coach this season, but just as likely is an unproven defense finding itself on the wrong side of a few box scores.

Crimson Tide fans will tell you that going undefeated in back to back regular seasons shows that Alabama has what it takes to do it again. Opposing fans will tell you that all that means is that Alabama is due a loss, especially after great escapes against Tennessee, Auburn, and LSU last season.

All the preseason hype is irrelevant now. If Alabama does lose this season, it will be one of the biggest moments in sports all year long.  The spotlight that follows champions is shining brightly on Tuscaloosa, but that’s probably not a good thing.

The point of my “quick looks” articles to do just as the title suggests because that is all I’m doing–taking a quick look. Ohio State is easily the favorite to win the Big Ten with Terrelle Pryor back under the helm. Iowa has been picked second by most publications, but for this exercise I’m taking Wisconsin due to what the Badgers have returning on both sides of the football. The Hawkeyes have a very favorable schedule that could lead them to the Rose Bowl though.

Penn State’s inexperience at quarterback leaves them slotted at #4, with Michigan at #5. The Wolverines have struggled to find their footing under Rich Rodriguez but I think this is the year Michigan makes some noise in the Big Ten.

I will have more on the Big Ten and every other conference in the upcoming weeks, so stay tuned.

Here’s my rankings for the Big Ten, as of today (still almost two full months before the season):

1. Ohio State Buckeyes
2. Wisconsin Badgers
3. Iowa Hawkeyes
4. Penn State Nittany Lions
5. Michigan Wolverines
6. Michigan State Spartans
7. Purdue Boilermakers
8. Northwestern Wildcats
9. Minnesota Golden Gophers
10. Illinois Fighting Illini
11. Indiana Hoosiers

Defensive end Malik Jackson and linebacker Jordan Campbell have also announced they are transferring earlier in the offseason. Jackson is transferring to Tennessee and Campbell is transferring to Louisville.

The NCAA initiated a rule when its sanctions of the USC program were announced that allows USC juniors and seniors to transfer without having to sit out a year. Lane Kiffin believes that rule means that many more Trojan players will consider transferring before the fall.

Henderson appears to be the first major domino to fall.

Three years ago I started ranking the upcoming season’s best games during the offseason. At this point, it has become a tradition.

Great games usually feature teams with national championship or conference championship aspirations.  That means that a lot of the same teams will show up over and over on my list because their games will hold more weight (for example: Alabama). Miami-Ohio State headlines the list because it is a rare out of conference matchup that features two teams that hope to play for the national title this year. It is easy to argue that ten or twenty different games could be #1 on this list, but I wanted to choose one that wasn’t a game we see every year (like TX-OU).

A lot of good games were left off this list, but I had to cut it off somewhere. I don’t think anyone wants to read a list with every game from the upcoming season ranked and I felt 50 was a good number.

When I made my first list a few years ago, many people emailed me to tell me they were bookmarking it so that they could review it as the year progressed. Many tried to see how many games on the list they could catch during the year. I use this list to see how many of the games I thought would be fantastic in the offseason pan out. Use it however you want, but I suggest seeing how many of these games you can catch.

Here’s my top 50 games for 2010:

Jacory Harris and Miami travel to Ohio State in one of this year's biggest games.

1. Miami (FL) at Ohio State (September 11): As a  rematch of the 2003 national championship game, it doesn’t get any better than this. It is very likely that just a few days into the season, one of these two teams will already be out of series national championship consideration. Two of the nation’s most criticized quarterbacks will square off in the Hurricanes Jacory Harris and Ohio State’s Terrelle Pryor.

2. Boise State vs. Virginia Tech (in Landover, MD; September 6):The Broncos are on a mission to  become the first non BCS team to reach the BCS Championship game but those hopes could be gone as early as their first game of the season. Ryan Williams and the Hokies are determined to show the country that they are national title contenders with a win over a Boise State team returning 21 of 22 starters.

3. Texas vs. Oklahoma (in Dallas, TX; October 2): Every year this could be ranked as the biggest regular season game of the season, but it loses a touch of its luster this year without Colt McCoy and Sam Bradford in the mix. As always, expect the winner to win the Big 12 South division.

4. Florida at Alabama (October 2): The worst loss of Urban Meyer’s coaching career game in 2005 when Alabama crushed the Gators 31-3 in Tuscaloosa during his first season. Last year, Alabama was the only reason Florida didn’t play for its third national title in four years. With John Brantley now at the helm for Florida, this is a game Alabama expects to win at home. This is one of the Crimson Tide’s toughest challenges on their mission to repeat.

5. LSU vs. North Carolina (September 4): I’m a sucker for big time non-conference showdowns, especially early in the season. LSU expects to return to the SEC Championship game for the first time in three years since it hosts Alabama and Arkansas, but the Tigers first task will be against Butch Davis’ Tar Heels. North Carolina’s defense should be among the best in the country with Robert Quinn and Marvin Austin leading the way from the defensive line.

6. Texas at Nebraska (October 16): Everyone keeps talking about how good the Cornhuskers can be this season and the talk is definitely merited.  This game is a huge chance for Nebraska to make a statement to the rest of the country that the football program in Lincoln is back to playing at the highest level. This could also be a Big 12 Championship game preview.

7. Virginia Tech at Miami (FL) (November 20): More than likely this game will decide which team wins the ACC’s Coastal Division. Although not given the credit for it, the Hokies have lost only nine ACC games over the last five seasons.  In comparison, Miami is 20-20 over that time in the conference. The Hurricanes will try to avenge last season’s embarrassing 31-7 loss to the Hokies.

8. Oregon at USC (October 30): Although this game won’t be for a Rose Bowl berth (at least not for USC because of the NCAA’s sanctions), it could still be for the actual Pac 10 title. USC hopes to rebound from last season’s disappointment with Lane Kiffin at the helm. Oregon, who dismissed Trojan torching QB Jeremiah Masoli this offseason, would love to beat the Trojans for the second straight season.

9. Florida State at Oklahoma (September 11): The Seminoles are expecting to compete for the ACC Championship this season with Christian Ponder back and healthy at quarterback, but this game could show the world just how good they are. Oklahoma underachieved last season, but the Sooners are expecting to bounce back now that Landry Jones has more experience under his belt.

10. Ohio State at Wisconsin (October 16): The Big Ten title could be on the line when the Buckeyes battle to Madison to take on John Clay and the Badgers. Wisconsin has 16 starters back and expects to compete with Ohio State after holding them to just 184 yards last season in Columbus (allowed three non-offensive TDs though).

11. Alabama at LSU (November 6): If Alabama expects to win a second straight national championship, it will have to go into Death Valley and win. The Tigers get a bye before taking on the Crimson Tide, but LSU is only 7-3 coming off a bye in the Les Miles era. Then again, LSU has only lost eight games at home over the last eight seasons. Alabama is 10-2 on the road under Nick Saban and is 1-0 in Death Valley under Saban.

12. Miami (FL) at Pittsburgh (September 23): This is the first meeting between the Hurricanes and Panthers since Miami left the Big East. Miami has won six straight against Pittsburgh but will likely be playing a nationally ranked opponent on the road in front of a national TV audience. This is a stretch of three straight road games for Miami where they squeeze this game in inbetween games at Ohio State and Clemson.

13. Ohio State at Iowa (November 20): If Wisconsin-Ohio State isn’t for the Big Ten title, this game more than likely will be. Iowa has a great chance to win the conference title this year with home games against Penn State, Wisconsin, and Ohio State. The Hawkeyes have won 16 of their last 20 home finales, but Ohio State is 11-1 over their last 12 against Iowa. Something has to give.

14. Auburn at Alabama (November 26): Like last year, the two rivals will play the day after Thanksgiving. Alabama has won the last two after ending its six game Iron Bowl losing streak in 2008. Auburn is expecting to be in contention for the SEC West title, especially since the Tigers host LSU and Georgia this year. This game could decide who goes to the SEC Championship game.

15. Virginia Tech at North Carolina (November 13): If North Carolina is going to compete for the ACC title, the Tar Heels will need to win this game at home. The Hokies will be looking to avenge last season’s 20-17 upset loss in Blacksburg.

Can John Clay and Wisconsin win at Iowa?

16. Wisconsin at Iowa (October 23): This game will likely decide which team will challenge Ohio State for the Big Ten title. The Hawkeyes have won six of the last eight meetings and are 12-0 at home the last two years against every team except Northwestern (Iowa has lost both home games against NW over the last two seasons).

17. Penn State at Alabama (September 11): These two traditional powerhouses have not met since 1990, but Nick Saban and Joe Paterno have met fives times. Paterno is 3-2 against Saban but the two haven’t coached against each other since Saban was coaching at Michigan State (1995-1999). Alabama will likely be heavy favorites, but this will be the Crimson Tide’s first test of the season.

18. Florida at Florida State (November 27): The Gators have owned the rivalry over the last six years (6-0) but for the first time in a while many believe Florida State might have the edge at quarterback. Christian Ponder is being mentioned in Heisman Trophy conversations, but John Brantley doesn’t project to be too shabby either. Road games against Tennessee and Alabama will likely have young Florida ready for the trip to Tallahassee.

19. Michigan at Ohio State (November 27): This game is always one of the nation’s best, but unless Michigan improves greatly it may not be much more than a rivalry game. Jim Tressel is 8-1 against the Wolverines. Over the last three years (with two of the three games in Ann Arbor) Ohio State has outscored Michigan 77-20.

20. Notre Dame at USC (November 27): Pete Carroll and Charlie Weis are gone, meaning this could be a changing period in this rivalry. USC has dominated Notre Dame recently, but now Lane Kiffin and Brian Kelly will enter the mix. If the Irish go into The Coliseum and win, the pressure will be on Kiffin.

21. TCU at Utah (November 6): Although many will point to the game with Oregon State, this looks like the toughest game for TCU. The Horned Frogs play a relatively easy schedule, but have to travel to Utah to take on a Utes team that plans to compete for the Mountain West title. This is likely the last conference meeting between the schools with Utah on its way to the Pac 10 (or Pac 12).

22. Penn State at Ohio State (November 13): Terrelle Pryor and the Buckeyes knocked Penn State off last season in Beaver Stadium 24-7. Minus an experienced quarterback, the Nittany Lions will attempt to go into Ohio State and get a huge win.

23. Florida State at Miami (FL) (October 9): This rivalry has a history of tight games and things should not change this year. Both teams expect to be in contention for the ACC Championship and this could wind up being an ACC Champion preview.

24. Florida vs. Georgia (Jacksonville, FL; October 30): Florida has won 17 of the last 20 meetings in this series. This year both teams bring new starting quarterbacks into this rivalry in John Brantley and Aaron Murray. Things have really heated up in the rivalry since the “Gator Stomp” two years ago.

25. Oklahoma vs. Cincinnati (Paul Brown Stadium; September 25); : If the Bearcats found a way to win this game, it would show the rest of the college football world that the Cincinnati football program wasn’t going anywhere under new head coach Butch Jones.  The game is at the home of the Cincinnati Bengals, but will still be like a home game for Cincinnati. This is only the second meeting ever between the schools (first was in 08, 52-26 OU win).

26. Pittsburgh at Notre Dame (October 9): The Panthers have beaten the Irish the last two seasons but have to travel to South Bend this season. Pittsburgh is just 9-7 on the road over the last three seasons. Notre Dame has won 12 of the last 16 meetings against Pittsburgh but has lost three of the last four against the Panthers. Dion Lewis could strengthen his Heisman chances with a big game on national TV against the Irish.

Jacquizz Rodgers and Oregon State play USC in Corvallis this year.

27. USC at Oregon State (November 20): There’s something about Corvallis that sends chills down the spines of USC players. The Trojans fell to the Beavers two years ago when ranked #1 in the country. USC has lost four straight games in the state of Oregon and hasn’t beaten Oregon State since in Corvallis since 2004.

28. Alabama at Arkansas (September 25): I believe this game has the chance to be the upset of the year. Ryan Mallett, one of the nation’s best quarterbacks, gets a chance to play an Alabama defense that would still be gathering its footing early in the season. Many believe Arkansas can win the SEC West.

29. West Virginia at LSU (September 25): Noel Devine and all his speed gets a chance to take on LSU and its speedy defense in Baton Rouge. This is a classic out of conference battle that we don’t get to see very often.

30. LSU at Florida (October 9): Last year Tim Tebow overcame his concussion against Kentucky in time to play in this game at LSU and led Florida to a 13-3 win. This season the game moves to Gainesville, where LSU is 2-9 overall against the Gators.

31. Arkansas at Auburn (October 16): Last year this game featured 67 points, with Arkansas blowing out the Tigers in Fayetteville 44-23. Both teams have SEC West aspirations this season.

32. LSU at Auburn (October 23): There’s nothing like LSU-Auburn, where the games are always close (aside from last year’s LSU win).  I paired this one with the two above because one of the three SEC West teams listed here–LSU, Auburn, or Arkansas–is going to challenge Alabama this year.

33. North Carolina at Florida State (November 6): This game features one of the best quarterbacks in the country against one of the nation’s top defenses. The Tar Heels have never won in Tallahassee (0-7).

34. Oregon State vs. TCU (Arlington, TX; September 4): The Beavers really control the non-BCS landscape because they play Boise State and TCU. The Horned Frogs have a very manageable schedule if they can survive this game and the game at Utah.

35. Oregon at Tennessee (September 11): This is the first big home game of the Derek Dooley era at Tennessee. Oregon has hopes of playing for a national championship and this is the Ducks first major test of the season.

36. Florida at Tennessee (September 18): Lane Kiffin never got to sing Rocky Top all night along after defeating Florida, but he did sing his way to the west coast. This season Derek Dooley and the Vols will try to knock off Florida in the Gators first huge game without Tim Tebow in five years.

37. Penn State at Iowa (October 2): The Nittany Lions have not won at Iowa since 1999. Both teams are expecting to compete for the Big Ten title this season. As I said earlier, Iowa has a very favorable schedule.

38. Texas A&M at Texas (November 25): This game on Thanksgiving has had major national title implications over the last five seasons for Texas. In 2005 and 2009 the Longhorns survived the Aggies, but Texas A&M pulled the upset in 2006 and 2007. Expect this to be another terrific battle with Jerrod Johnson attempting to go wild against the Longhorns in Austin.

39. Georgia Tech at Virginia Tech (November 4): Here’s another terrific ACC Coastal Division battle, and it could really show the world how good the Yellow Jackets are. With Josh Nesbitt back, many expect Georgia Tech to be right in the mix for a ACC Championship game berth.

40. Wisconsin at Michigan (November 20): Tate Forcier and the Wolverines are hoping to climb back into the top half of the Big Ten this season. The Badgers are 1-17 in Ann Arbor all-time but must win this one if they hope to be true Big Ten contenders.

Can Mark Ingram and Alabama go into Knoxville and win?

41. Alabama at Tennessee (October 23): Last year Alabama had to survive the Vols in Tuscaloosa with two blocked kicks. This year Lane Kiffin is gone and Tennessee isn’t expected to be as good, but Knoxville is never an easy place to play. This rivalry game will make this one of Alabama’s biggest hurdles on its run for a second consecutive national title.

42. Oregon State at Boise State (September 25): Boise State hosts the Beavers in a game that will likely be one of their two biggest tests this year. Kellen Moore and Jacquizz Rodgers will star in a game that could be big in the Heisman Trophy race.

43. Pittsburgh at Utah (September 2): Utah is the forgotten team in the Mountain West because of how good TCU is, but the Utes host TCU, BYU, and Pittsburgh this year. The Utes do have to travel to Notre Dame, but if they happen to run the table they’d likely be given a BCS bid based on strength of schedule.

44. West Virginia at Pittsburgh (November 26): The Backyard Brawl is always one of the year’s best games. Noel Devine and Dion Lewis will show off in a game that could have Big East title implications.

45. Oregon at Oregon State (Dec 4): The Civil War has been fantastic the last two seasons because the game had Rose Bowl implications. Oregon has won both of those meetings. This game will feature two of the nation’s top running backs in LaMichael James and Jacquizz Rodgers.

46. California at USC (October 16): USC-California has been one of the best rivalries in the Pac 10 for a while, but now both teams have taken a small step back.

47. USC at Stanford (October 9): Remember last season when Jim Harbaugh ran up the score against the Trojans? Well, Pete Carroll isn’t at USC this year to extract revenge.  Stanford has won two of the last three against the Trojans, with the two wins coming at USC.

48. Pittsburgh at Cincinnati (December 4): Last season this game decided the Big East championship with Cincinnati eventually pulling it out with a 45-44 win.  Expect this game to have Big East title aspirations for at least one of the two teams.

49. Nebraska at Washington (September 18): Jake Locker and Washington are expecting a huge rise in wins this season. This early season game against Nebraska is a big chance for Locker to get himself into the Heisman race against what should be one of the nation’s best defenses.

50. Miami (FL) at North Carolina (October 23): This mid-season ACC game should give one of these teams control of the ACC Coastal division, with Virginia Tech-Miami and North Carolina-Virginia Tech coming later in the season.

“I really didn’t know I would be committing, but everything up there was just perfect,” Shazier said Monday. “Me and my mom and dad and little brother all went to visit the school (Monday) and we just felt it would be the best decision for me and my family and for the academics, as well as athletics. We looked at facilities and talked to administration and all of that.”

Shazier committed to Florida head coach Urban Meyer before leaving the campus.

“To me UF was just that much better,” said Shazier. “All those schools have a lot to offer, but none of them can get me the things that Florida already has … and also compete for a national championship.”

The Arizona Daily Star is reporting that Dean was arrested last weekend and charged with one misconduct involving weapons.  Mike Stoops has said the issue is a violation of team policy and won’t expand on the issue.

Gaines and Jackson are young receivers that the Ducks were hoping would have big years, but both have been ruled academically ineligible. Oregon’s receiving core now looks very thin.

It will be interesting to see if Oregon can stay healthy enough so it will not be affected by Gaines and Jackson’s absense. The same goes for Arizona, although Dean is likely to be back unless Mike Stoops decides to make a resounding statement to the rest of his team.

There hasn't been an update on Bryce Brown in a while.

For months now, there has been no news on Tennessee running back Bryce Brown. Brown, dubbed by me to be a superstar running back last season, has been set to transfer for months but nothing has officially happened yet. There are no announcements, no stories, and no updates on his status.

Rumors are that the Volunteers would still openly accept a return from Brown.

Last season as a freshman he ran for 460 yards on 101 carries and three touchdowns as Montario Hardesty’s backup. This year he was expected to be the unquestioned starter before announcing that he would transfer from Knoxville.

The Seminoles now have twelve commits. Last season, Greene caught 31 passes for 510 yards and 10 touchdowns as a junior at Thomas Aquinas High School.

Source: ESPN On the Trail