In The Bleachers - Home of the Best College Football Blog & Podcast

We Have Moved!!

2006-05-17T19:08:00.000-04:00

We are moving on up to a new layout. This site will no longer be updated. Please come visit us at http://www.inthebleachers.net or at http://inthebleachers.net. For the most part the RSS feeds will stay the same but come to the site forementioned to double check and you will continue to get your dose of college football from the ITB Staff. The feedburner for the podcast will be the same so you do not have to do anything concerning that. See you at the other site and thanks for reading and listening!

2006 College Football Hall of Fame Announced

2006-05-17T10:09:00.007-04:00

The 2006 inductees to the College Football Hall of Fame have been announced. This class is lead by coaches Bobby Bowden and Joe Paterno who are #1 and #2 respectively in Division I wins. Unlike Bowden, Paterno has spent his entire career at Penn State (1966-present). Bowden started at Samford, continued to West Virginia, and in 1976 became the coach of Florida State.

Other inductees include Heisman Trophy Winners Charlie Ward (Fla. St) and Mike Rozier (Neb.). They will be accompanied by Bobby Anderson (Col), Bennie Blades (Miami), Carl Eller (Minn), Thomas Everett (Baylor), Chad Hennings (Air Force), Chip Kell (Tenn), Mike Phipps (Purdue), Jeff Siemon (Stanford), and Bruce Smith (Va Tech). The 49th class will be inducted at an Awards Dinner on December 5, 2006 and officially enshrined at the Hall of Fame in South Bend during the summer ceremonies in 2007.

The BCS Eight

2006-05-16T13:37:00.000-04:00

It is never too early to speculate which teams will get the eight magic tickets to college football's ultimate party, the Bowl Championship Series. As you recall, the six big conferences get one automatic berth and there are two at-large ones. Really, only one if Notre Dame qualifies.
So, without further ado, here are my eight picks in order of ease of getting the slot, not on winning the title.

1. NOTRE DAME- The Irish must win nine and be highly ranked in order to qualify, but they will. They only have three games on their pre-season slate that may spell trouble, Penn State and Michigan at home, along with Southern Cal in Los Angeles. The Penn State game is big for both teams, if Notre Dame rolls, watch out, they are headed for a huge season.

I think USC trips them up and Michigan gives them a hard time, but that's it unless they struggle against a pass happy team that is more complete then Air Force.

2. TEXAS- The defending National Champions are poised to romp through the Big 12 again. While the Big 12 looks stronger on paper, Texas is still head and shoulders above anyone else. They also have the luxury of having their biggest game be out of conference, hosting Ohio Statre on September 9th. Remember, they only have to win their division to get to the Big 12 title game. Yes, Oklahoma and Nebraska are better, but not in Texas country yet. They travel to Lubbock for Texas Tech and host bitter rival Texas A&M.

Even if they lose the title game, that would be the only loss and a BCS wild card would be theirs.

3. USC- The Trojans road to the Rose Bowl is easier because of their conference. The adjustment from Carson Palmer to Matt Leinart seemed to work okay, and as long as the offensive line holds strong, the new USC backfield will shine. Nebraska, Cal, Notre Dame come calling to Los Angeles this fall, and UCLA seems to be a bit intimidated by the Trojan mystique now. Arkansas is their toughest road date and of course that is non-conference. Even if the Bruins upset 'SC, that should be their only loss and gets hem a trip to Pasadena and potentially a rematch with the Longhorns in Glendale.

4. WEST VIRGINIA- They showed last January what happens when you take a Big East team for granted in a major bowl game by upsetting the Georgia Bulldogs in the Sugar Bowl in Atlanta. The road to BCS glory sems to favor the Mountaineers again as they play no eye catching teams in non-conference leading to the potentially undrperforming in conference schedule. Louisville and Pitt are road games in November and a split here is essential. However, the jury is still out on this conference as a whole and while Louisville, UConn and Southern Florida are on the rise, they should not be at WVU's level yet. A good team in an emerging conference.

5. FLORIDA STATE- Picking an ACC champion is never an easy task, but for all the wrong reasons. In order to strengthen them selves as a national football pwerhouse, they have weakened it instead. They have two trouble games, Miami to open and Florida to close. Florida is out of conference, so a loss to Miami and a run of the table assures them a spot in the ACC title game at the Gator Bowl, and while there are some pests in the ACC, no one else can sting on a consistant basis. FSU controls their own fate.

6. OHIO STATE- Picking a Big Ten champ is never easy, but OSU is the only realistic choice here. The conference now has a major disadvantage because it is a tough conference and it does not host a playoff game. As usual, Michigan plays the role of lead spoiler and Penn State is going upward with a yet to be determined 4th team to complete the package.

A loss to Texas does not matter, but they must beat Penn State and Michigan at home to win. Someone will beat the Buckeyes in conference and a two loss conference record with a loss to either the Nittnay Lions or thw Wolverines gets them a trip to Orlando, not Pasadena.

7. FLORIDA- If you thought the Big 10 was hard, then the SEC is a nightmare. If anyone comes out of that pressure cooker unbeaten, then they have won the national title. It's not happening this year. The Gators, along with Auburn, LSU, Georgia, Alabama, and Tennesee are capable of winning the whole enchilada. Florida and Auburn were perhaps the two most underrated programs in the country last year, and in year two of Florida's Urban Renewal plan, they looked
much better to close then they opened.

All bets are off if they lose to Tennessee in Knoxville.

8. LSU- If Florida should falter in either Tennesee or in Atlanta to close the year, the LSU tigers are poused to grab the automatic SEC spot. No Katrina worries this year, just a road schedule from hell. SEC road dates with Auburn, Tennesee, and Florida. Auburn is a must win. The conference is just too good.

With a playoff in three conferences, getting to the BCS will be easir for Nebraska, Oklahoma, Georgia, Auburn, Boston College, and Miami. They are, however, less then locks.
In my opinion, two teams have the best shot of getting to the bowls undefeated, Texas and West Virginia. While I would not take WVU as the second best team in the country, a Sugar/Orange Bowl win would clearly justify their BCS +1 berth and set them up for a title shot.

Nittany Lions and Wolverines to Clash on Primetime

2006-05-16T10:37:00.000-04:00

ABC announced today that the matchup between Michigan and Penn State at Beaver Stadium will be an 8pm EST kickoff on October 14,2006. The Nittany Lions have faired well in their last two home night games defeating Ohio State last year 17-10 and in 2002 defeated Nebraska 40-7. This will be Michigan's first trip to Happy Valley in fives years and they boast a winning margin in the last seven contests against the Nittany Lions. The Wolverines were the only thing that stood between Penn State and an undefeated season as they scored a last second victory in Ann Arbor in 2005.

In addtion to that game ABC has released the rest of its primetime schedule. Notre Dame appears on Primetime 3 times while Ohio State and USC only have two set apperences. The primetime finale is the Dr. Pepper Big 12 Championship game on December 2nd.

Fighting Irish Add a WR to Compliment Clausen

2006-05-16T09:26:00.000-04:00

In addition to landing what many think is the best prep Quarterback in Jimmy Clausen, the Fighting Irish received a verbal commitment from a 6 foot 5 inch WR from Hoboken, NJ named Duval Kamara. Kamara stated that Clausen’s decision to go to Notre Dame was a key influence in him choosing the Irish. As a junior Kamara had 12 touchdowns on 46 receptions for 983 yards and chose Notre Dame over Southern California, Penn State, Miami, and Florida.

Keeping in the east, the Pittsburgh Panthers received a verbal commitment from standout QB Pat Bostick from Manheim Township High School in Lancaster, PA. Bostick is considered by many to be the best prospect to come out of Pennsylvania in the next coming year. Bostick had offers from Louisville, Georgia, North Carolina State, Mississippi and Connecticut but picked the Panthers because he felt he could see early playing time. Current Panthers’ QB Tyler Palko will complete his eligibility after the 2006-07 season, and Bostick feels that with him enrolling early in January ’07, he’ll have a chance to compete for the starting position as a true freshman. In his junior season Pat threw for 2800 yards and 34 touchdowns, and received second team all state honors.

Who to Watch for in '06

2006-05-15T19:24:00.000-04:00

First and foremost welcome to the In The Bleachers blog. If you are visiting us for the first time welcome, but if you are a loyal listener to the In The Bleachers podcast, welcome back! Along with keeping the podcast up to date (starting again in June) this blog will be updated frequently will college football news ranging from recruiting, coaching changes, starting line up projections, and rumors throughout the college football landscape. We all hope that this blog will be a regular stop for all college football fans. So kick back, relax and enjoy what fans just like you have to say about the world of college football.

Unlike last year where we heard all year about USC and Texas, the 2006 college football season is as wide open as ever. You can make an argument for up to 10 teams that could be playing in the “National Title Game” come January. It would really surprise me that when the first preseason polls are released the Texas Longhorns would not be ranked #1. Even without the great Vince Young, the Longhorns are stacked on both sides of the ball from years of top rated recruiting classes. Their toughest game of the year will once again be the Oklahoma Sooners, who are contenders themselves. The Sooners will go as far as Adrian Peterson will take them. Rhett Bomar came on as the season went on last year but he is not enough alone to carry the Sooners to the title.

Who can forget one of the big stories from last season, the reemergence of Notre Dame. The Fighting Irish are lead by Heisman Trophy Candidate Brady Quinn and a defense that hopes to improve from last season but a loss in early games against Georgia Tech, Penn State, and Michigan might have their title hopes over early. Two teams that got better at the end of the season Florida and Florida State should be contenders. Drew Weatherford got better by leaps and bound and had a great Orange Bowl even though they lost to Penn State. Florida’s Chris Leak began to grasp Urban Myers’ offense and has a lot to prove if he wants to live up to his high expectations. Both teams are serious contenders.

In probably the most impressive victory of the bowl season, the LSU Tigers completely embarrassed the Miami Hurricanes in the Peach Bowl. They were one win away from playing in a BCS Bowl but they will have to figure out their QB situation in the first few games to give the team some stability at that position. My final few teams that could make a National Title run are West Virginia, Ohio State, and USC. Yeah let’s not forget about those Trojans. They might have lost Bush and Leinart, but Pete Carroll has the players to reload and make another run. This is all for today. Keep posted for more predictions.

Spring Football Edition #1

2006-03-25T20:22:00.000-05:00

It is that time of the year for Spring Football and keep up to date with the latest information on your favorite teams with first spring edition of In The Bleachers. This week the ITB crew looks at what each team in the Big East and Big Ten must improve on during this spring. Key position competitions are highlighted as well as holes that teams must fill due to graduation. Also discussed are key recruits that will or have joined those teams from the 2006 recruiting class. For any questions please email us at inthebleachers@gmail.com. To download this In The Bleachers click here.

Post Bowl Games Show

2006-01-17T21:32:00.000-05:00

In The Bleachers returns to discuss the BCS bowl games and a few other Jan 2nd bowl games. The other topics discussed in this episodes are the juniors leaving for the NFL Draft and where they might be drafted and a the topic of recruiting is discussed. If you have any recruiting or any other tips or questions email us at inthebleachers@gmail.com. You can download the post bowl game file here.

Bowl Time!

2005-12-30T19:49:00.000-05:00

After a few weeks off, In The Bleachers returns for a show that wraps up the college football awards and looks ahead to the bowl matchups. Brian and Ron host the show since Charlie and Chris are feeling a little under the weather. This edition covers the Peach, Outback, Capital One, Cotton, Gator, Sugar, Fiesta, Orange, and the Rose Bowl. See who has the edge in these matchups. ITB will return after the Rose Bowl to wrap up the season, you can't get rid of us that easy. You can download this week's ITB by clicking here.

Week 14 - Championship Week

2005-11-30T20:16:00.000-05:00

The Championship Week edition of In The Bleachers is ready for your listening pleasure.

This week, we take a hard look at the BCS wild card selection process. We quickly review the holiday weekend action. Charlie asks the critical question on how conference championships help and hurt those teams that play in them.

We also have seven Games of this very important week. We discuss:

MAC Championship- Akron/Northern Illinois
C-USA Championship- Tulsa/Central Florida
Army/Navy
BIG 12 Championship- Texas/Colorado
UCLA/USC
SEC Championship- LSU/Georgia
ACC Championship- Florida State/Virginia Tech

This week on In The Bleachers! Click here to listen.

Also, this season, Smart Guys Sports and In The Bleachers would like some help from our fans to assist the ITB "experts" in naming our award winners. Your vote will be used with ours to determine who the SGS/ITB College Football Award Winners will be for the 2005-06 season.
Review the candidates below and then email us with your picks, from 1-3, at: inthebleachers@gmail.com
Bednarik Award -- Outstanding Defensive Player
(won by David Pollack of Georgia in 2004)
A.J. Hawk, Ohio State
D'Qwell Jackson, Maryland
Paul Posluszny, Penn State
Biletnikoff Award -- Outstanding Wide Receiver
(won by Braylon Edwards of Michigan in 2004)
Mike Hass, Oregon State
Dwayne Jarrett, USC
Jeff Samardzija, Notre Dame
Davey O'Brien Award -- Outstanding Quarterback
(won by Jason White of Oklahoma in 2004)
Matt Leinart, USC
Brady Quinn, Notre Dame
Vince Young, Texas

Jim Thorpe Award -- Outstanding Defensive Back
(won by Carlos Rogers of Auburn in 2004)
Michael Huff, Texas
Tye Hill, Clemson
Jimmy Williams Virginia Tech
Doak Walker Award -- Outstanding Running Back
(won by Cedric Benson of Texas in 2004)
Reggie Bush, USC
Jerome Harrison, Washington State
DeAngelo Williams, Memphis
Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year Award
(won by Urban Meyer of Utah in 2004)
Open Voting - Submit Your Nominee
Heisman Trophy -- Outstanding Player
(won by Matt Leinart of USC in 2004)
Open Voting - Submit Your Nominee

So please take a few minutes and email us your vote at inthebleachers@gmail.com.

Week 13

2005-11-23T19:33:00.000-05:00

In the Bleachers Week 13 is ready for your listening pleasure. The college football season is winding down and see who the ITB crew picks for the key games of this week. The games of the week for this show are Pittsburgh vs West Virginia, Texas vs Texas A&M, Georgia vs Georgia Tech, Notre Dame vs Stanford, Virginia vs Miami, and Florida State vs Florida. The breakdown of the time for each segment is shown below so you can listen to the segments that you enjoy the most. Next week the ITB crew will get into more BCS talk and look at how we did with our preseason picks.

:00-1:00 Intro
1:00-17:00 Conference Round-ups
17:00-24:30 Gameballs/Thumbs
24:30-26:00 Commercail, Technical glitch apology, Interlude at Baton Rouge
26:05-42:00 Games of the Week

Click here to listen.

Week 12

2005-11-17T19:15:00.000-05:00

Yet another edition of the smash podcast In the Bleachers for your listening pleasure:

00:00-1:49 Intro
1:49-20:00 Conference review/preview
20:00-32:00 Gameballs/Thumbs Down/Up
32:00-32:30 Marching Interlude
32:30-40:00 Email from Goatsy, OH/BCS Roundtable
40:00-47:00 Heisman Top 5
47:00-67:25 GOTW

*times approximate

Click here to listen.

Chris Mason's Bowl Predictions.

In The Bleachers Week 11

2005-11-10T21:57:00.000-05:00

The 11th edition of In the Bleachers is ready for your listening pleasure. In this episode the cast looks at last week's action as there were quite a few upsets that shook the college football landscape. The BCS bowls are a hot topic in the second half of the show as are the new In The Bleachers Power Poll Rankings. Brian and Chris look at the teams that have been surprises and teams that have not lived up to their preseason hype. The games of the week for this week are USC vs California, Colorado vs Iowa State, Northwestern vs Ohio State, Auburn vs Georgia, and LSU vs Alabama. If you would like to email us send us a message at inthebleachers@gmail.com. Enjoy the 11th edition of In The Bleachers.

In The Bleachers Week 11

Also check out Chris Mason's Bowl projections here!

Week 10

2005-11-02T16:18:00.000-05:00

In The Bleachers returns for its 10th episode this week to discuss the world of college football for the weekend of November 5, 2005. SGS Editor in Chief Ron returns from his stint covering the World Series to join Brian, Charlie, and Chris and they breakdown the Mid-Majors along with all the BCS Conferences. Also in that segment you will find out which teams are still alive to win their conference and what needs to happen.

The ITB staff hands out the gameballs and throw their thumbs down to the poor performances of the week. They also extend an offer to the ITB audience to email (inthebleachers@gmail.com) their nominations for a gameball. In this episode you will also hear:

- A discussion on how to change the bowl system.
- Email answer session
- This week's brand new ITB Power Poll
- The games of the weeks and predictions from the staff.
- The ITB games of the week for Nov 5th are Pitt vs Louisville, Texas A&M vs Texas Tech, Tennessee vs Notre Dame, California vs Oregon, Wisconsin vs Penn State, and Miami vs Virginia Tech.

So don't miss our 10th episode of In The Bleachers presented by Smart Guys Sports.

Week 9- Take 2

2005-10-27T10:03:00.000-04:00

We have a temporary home for ITB.

Click Here to grab this weeks show.

Smart Guys Sports' own college football podcast, In The Bleachers returns for its ninth edition to analyze the action for the weekend of October 29, 2005. In this edition Brian, Charlie, and Chris breakdown last week's action, give an update of each BCS conference standings, give out game balls to the outstanding performers the previous week, and throw our thumbs down to the poor performances.

The trio debates the latest BCS standings and releases the initial In The Bleachers power poll along with answering an email from a loyal listener. The games of the week for the weekend of October 29th are Texas Tech vs Baylor, Boston College vs Virginia Tech, Oklahoma vs Nebraska, Michigan vs Northwestern, Ohio State vs Minnesota, and the World's Biggest Cocktail party as Georgia plays Florida in the Swamp. So don't miss this jammed packed episode and if you have any questions for the show please email them to inthebleachers@gmail.com.

Site Glitch

2005-10-27T00:44:00.000-04:00

We are having problems with our server. ITB will be available again tomorrow.

Week 9

2005-10-26T18:04:00.000-04:00

Smart Guys Sports' own college football podcast, In The Bleachers returns for its ninth edition to analyze the action for the weekend of October 29, 2005. In this edition Brian, Charlie, and Chris breakdown last week's action, give an update of each BCS conference standings, give out game balls to the outstanding performers the previous week, and throw our thumbs down to the poor performances.

The trio debates the latest BCS standings and releases the initial In The Bleachers power poll along with answering an email from a loyal listener. The games of the week for the weekend of October 29th are Texas Tech vs Baylor, Boston College vs Virginia Tech, Oklahoma vs Nebraska, Michigan vs Northwestern, Ohio State vs Minnesota, and the World's Biggest Cocktail party as Georgia plays Florida in the Swamp. So don't miss this jammed packed episode and if you have any questions for the show please email them to inthebleachers@gmail.com.

In The Bleachers Week 9

Week 8-Fixed

2005-10-20T14:43:00.000-04:00

Fixed version

OOPS! Week 8 Again

2005-10-20T11:43:00.000-04:00

There was an error in the editing of this week's show that made the preview section sound like we were in dire need of caffeine.

That has been restored to our originial sounding selves.

The correct In the Bleachers is now posted. If you downloaded it last night, please do so again.

Sorry for the inconvience.

Week 8

2005-10-19T15:42:00.000-04:00

Smart Guys Sports' own college football podcast returns for its 8th week. In this episode Brian, Charlie, Chris, and Ron take a quick look at the action of last week. Four games in particular, ND/USC, PSU/Michigan, WVU/Louisville, and Florida/LSU are dissected by the crew. Conference play is heating up as we are getting past the half way point of the college football season so check out who has the best chance to win their conference so far this season. The ITB gang also hands out the game balls and thumbs down for the play last week followed by a quick discussion on the initial BCS Standings. The SGS games of the week for this week are: Michigan State vs Northwestern, Oregon State vs UCLA, Tennessee vs Alabama, Maryland vs Virginia Tech, Texas Tech vs Texas,and Auburn vs LSU. So don't miss this episode of In The Bleachers. A note to all of our loyal listeners, if you have a question, comment, or want to join us on the show you can email us at inthebleachers@gmail.com.

In The Bleachers Week 8

Week 7

2005-10-13T20:36:00.000-04:00

Smart Guys Sports' weekly college football podcast In The Bleachers returns for this week's installment. Don't miss this jammed packed episode as the crew of ITB discuss the games of last week, hand out game balls to the big performers, and give the thumbs down to the bad performers of the week. The college football season is almost half way done so dont miss who ITB think is the Heisman front runner at the half way point.

---The crew breaks down six games this week; Penn State vs Michigan, Louisville vs West Virginia, Michigan State vs Ohio State, Florida vs LSU, Texas vs Colorado, and USC vs Notre Dame.

---The analysis is on the spot and the experts give their picks for the game. So tune into this week's episode of In The Bleachers.

In The Bleachers

Claiming My Odeo Channel (odeo/01ff730412ba8216)

Week 6

2005-10-05T15:10:00.000-04:00

SGS's own In The Bleachers returns for its 6th installment this week. In this podcast host Brian Sakowski is joined by his regular crew Charlie Swager, Chris Mason, and SGS' Editor In Chief Ron Juckett as they discuss and debate the happenings in college football.

- Top 25 Scores from last week and key game breakdowns.

- Analysis of every conference in Division I-A.

- Preview of next week's action and the introduction of The Swager Sure thing of the week.

- SGS' games of the week: UCLA vs California, Oklahoma vs Texas, Georgia vs Tennessee, Texas Tech vs Nebraska, and Ohio State vs Penn State. Don't miss the analysis of these games and who the experts think will win.

ITB - Week6

Week 5

2005-09-30T10:35:00.000-04:00

SGS's College Football show In The Bleachers returns for its fifth installment this week. Please join the Doctor Brian Sakowski, Charlie Swager, and SGS's Editor in Chief Ron Juckett in their attempt to bring you a synopsis of the action occurring during this wild season. The college football season is in full swing so check out what the SGS experts have to say. This week's show talks about

- Top 25 scores from last week
- Each BCS and Mid-Major Conference is broken down
- A segment taking a look at all the undefeated teams and debating if they are a contender or pretender
- A look at the games for the weekend of Oct 1st.
- The release of the SGS Top 25 College Football Poll.

In The Bleachers

Week 4

2005-09-22T10:19:00.000-04:00

In The Bleachers (presented by Smart Guys Sports) returns for its 4th installment this week. Brian Sakowski once again hosts and joining him are SGS's College Football Analysts Charlie Swager and Chris Mason. In this installment the crew discusses the following:

- Last week's scores and notable stats.
- Breakdown of ND/Michigan State along with a discussion on the late game antics of the Michigan State players. The crew also breaks down BC/FSU and Florida/Tennessee.
- Does USC have the best offense in College Football history?
- Conference play starts this week for many schools, ITB runs down each conference.
- The release of the SGS Top 25 College Football Poll.
- Predictions for the SGS Games of the Week

Don't miss this jammed packed episode.

Week 4

09/15/05 - Week 3

2005-09-15T11:52:00.000-04:00

09/15/05 - Week 3
In the Bleachers returns for another jam packed edition:

Dr. Sak hosts:

-Scores from last week
-Detailed review of Notre Dame/Michigan and Texas/Ohio State
-Conference Breakdowns
-Games of note for this week
-Detailed breakdowns of Northwestern vs. Arizona State, Florida State vs. Boston College, Michigan State vs. Notre Dame, Miami vs Clemson, and Tennessee vs. Florida.
-SGS panel picks those games

09/08/05 - Week 2

2005-09-08T10:27:00.000-04:00

09/08/05 - Week 2

Dr. Sak returns to review week 1 and preview week 2 in this week's In The Bleachers. He is joined by the Professor Swaggs, and Ron Juckett (vtbub) from Smart Guys Sports.

# Top 25 review from last week.

# Big East preview by Swaggs

# This weeks preview by the panel

# Heismann Watch

# Panel picks this weeks best games

08/31/05: The Premiere

2005-09-01T17:54:00.000-04:00

08/31/05 - The Premiere

Welcome to the premiere episode of the smartest sports podcast around. This blog isn't mean as the main site for it, but merely as an easy way to get it out to the masses. Our base of operation is at Smart Guys Sports. Visit there for all your latest sporting news. This is just an easy way to get the podcast. As always, the link above will be a direct link to the podcast.

Shownotes:

Bsak on the Big Ten and Big East
Easy Mac on the ACC and SEC
A look around the conferences
Preseason predictions
A look at the upcoming games
Our Heisman and Rose Bowl picks

Check back each week for a new podcast.