ESPN College Football Nation Blog

ESPN.com's Ivan Maisel sits down will all seven of our college football bloggers to discuss the top rivalry games of 2009 in each conference.

Posted by ESPN.com's Graham Watson

Since Utah upset Alabama and hoisted the Sugar Bowl trophy, the college football world has been ablaze with discussion, complaints, teleconferences and hearings about the fairness of the Bowl Championship Series.

It has dominated the bulk of the offseason's college football news, and on Tuesday the Senate will hear an anti-trust case regarding the BCS.

With so much chatter about Utah's 2008 season, one might think it would be tough for Utah coach Kyle Whittingham to keep the pressures of being the BCS equality poster child away from his team. But so far he's continued to emphasize that his current team is not the 2008 team and won't be held to the same standard that the undefeated squad set.

"Most coaches I know put more pressure on themselves than any external force could. Media, whatever, it doesn't faze us," Whittingham said. "The pressure is so intense intrinsically that that's all we really deal with. I don't want to say we're oblivious to what going on because we're not, but you've got to stay focused and you've got to just do your thing and not let anything concern you except what you've got going on in your own program.

"Our focus is on '09 and moving forward and understanding that there are big challenges that lie ahead. Oh-eight is in the books and it's time to look toward the next season."

Still, it's going to be tough to get the spotlight off Utah, regardless of how many players it lost or how many key positions need to be replaced. The Utes and the rest of the Mountain West will be under scrutiny this season and will be expected to live up to all of the facts and figures they presented this offseason.

With teams such as TCU and BYU coming back with a wealth of talent, it shouldn't be too difficult. And the non-BCS conferences as a whole should see an upswing this year with strong teams from Boise State, Nevada, East Carolina, Tulsa, Houston, Central Michigan and Troy, among others.

Whittingham maintains that the focus isn't on the BCS, it never is. It's about winning the conference, which is the same for any team regardless of automatic qualifying status.

"I think our fans are very knowledgeable," Whittingham said. "Expectations, I think, are very realistic. When you look at, the BCS has been around since '98 and we're the only team that's been able to go undefeated twice in that span. Only team in the country. So, that tells you right there how difficult it is to accomplish that. We've got great fans and they understand the big picture.

"What we want to do is compete for the Mountain West title each and every year, keep our focus there and take care of that. You can't get to a BCS game without taking care of business in your own conference. That's another point I'm making about not getting ahead of things and just taking things one week at a time."

Posted by ESPN.com's Chris Low

Referring to it as the reinventing of Tim Tebow would probably be a bit strong.

Refining, maybe. But certainly not reinventing.

The Gators' senior quarterback -- the same guy with two national championships and one Heisman Trophy under his belt -- has spent much of this offseason tweaking his sidearm throwing motion, working more from under center and generally doing the things that will make him a hotter commodity as a quarterback at the NFL level.

It's made for good fodder and some lively conversation while we await the kickoff of the 2009 college football season.

But this just in: Tebow is still going to be Tebow.

He's still going to run when there's an opportunity. He's not going to be afraid to take on linebackers near the goal line. He's not going to have a textbook release when he cuts one loose down the field and he's not going to be conventional.

That's not Tebow.

His game is doing whatever it takes to win and bringing his teammates along with him.

So what if he has an awkward windup when he throws. He completed 64.4 percent of his passes last season and threw 30 touchdowns to go along with four interceptions.

South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier told me at the SEC spring meetings back in May that he's not sure he's ever seen a more effective college quarterback on third down than Tebow.

When the Gators need a conversion, Tebow finds a way to move the chains.

But as his senior season nears, all we've heard about is how we might see a little different version of him.

Two things are at work here.

First, Florida coach Urban Meyer genuinely wants to see Tebow have the best chance he can at a long and prosperous NFL career as a quarterback. Meyer and Tebow share a close bond. And why not? Look at what they've done for each other.

Secondly, Meyer knows as well as anybody that it doesn't help him at all if one of the best college quarterbacks of this era doesn't get a serious look as a quarterback in the NFL. Imagine how difficult it would be then to recruit a quarterback to the Gators' spread offense.

Of course, the talk coming out of Gainesville is that Florida will incorporate more of an NFL-style passing game into its offense once John Brantley takes over at quarterback in 2010.

For the time being, the Gators will have to make do with Tebow and all his quirks as a passer.

Somehow, I think it's all going to work out.

Posted by ESPN.com's Brian Bennett

New York City (sort of) and Los Angeles will clash on the college football field.

Rutgers announced today that it will play UCLA in a home-and-home series beginning in 2016. The Bruins will travel across the country to Piscataway on Sept. 1, 2016, in the season-opener for both schools.
 
Rutgers will return the trip to open the 2017 season on Sept. 2.
 
"We are excited for our football program and especially for our fans to be playing UCLA," Rutgers athletic director Tim Pernetti said. "This series will have tremendous national appeal anchored in the two largest media markets in the country.”

This will be the first meeting between Rutgers and UCLA. The Scarlet Knights have only played one previous game in California in their long history, taking on Cal to open the 1999 season.
 
This latest announcement serves to bolster Rutgers' future schedules, which recently picked up Penn State and Miami. The Scarlet Knights have been criticized for their recent soft nonconference slates, especially this year's lineup.

ESPN.com's Ivan Maisel and Graham Watson discuss the Independent's and non-BCS's red-hot rivalries for '09.

Posted by ESPN.com's Graham Watson

Lindy's preseason football magazine named TCU defensive end Jerry Hughes a preseason first-team All-American and declared him the nation's best defensive end.

Hughes was a consensus All-American last year after leading the nation with 15 sacks and six forced fumbles. He also ranked in the top 10 in tackles for loss (19.5) and fumble recoveries (three). He also had two interceptions, including one he returned for a touchdown.

Lindy's also ranks TCU's secondary as the seventh-best in the nation. The Horned Frogs return three starters from last year -- corners Rafael Priest and Nick Sanders and safety Tejay Johnson. The Frogs' pass defense ranked No. 11 last year, allowing just 170.69 yards per game.

Posted by ESPN.com's Graham Watson

Air Force coach Troy Calhoun didn't hesitate when asked if he'd make a return trip to the Middle East if ever given the opportunity. He enjoyed this summer's trip more than he could express.

"They asked if I was interested and I couldn't say 'yes' quickly enough," Calhoun said. "I'd do it again every month if they asked. It's something that I hope to get to do again. As humbling as it is and just to be able to tell the men and women that are over there, 'Thanks.'"

Calhoun, along with Mack Brown of Texas, Jim Tressel of Ohio State, UCLA's Rick Neuheisel, Wake Forest's Jim Grobe, Houston Nutt of Mississippi and former Auburn coach Tommy Tuberville, recently returned from the second annual coaches tour to the Middle East, a trip that allows football coaches to visit and interact American soldiers while serving their country overseas.

For Calhoun, who graduated from the Air Force Academy, the experience was emotional, exhilarating and exhausting. In a week, Calhoun and his fellow coaches visited six countries and 10 Air Force Bases, including two in the United States.

Calhoun and the other coaches flew overnight from Illinois into Ramstein Air Force Base in Germany. From there they traveled to Landstuhl, Germany, where they visited wounded troops at a U.S. medical station. Then the group traveled back to Ramstein where they flew to Ansermet, Turkey, and on to Balad air base in Iraq and then into Baghdad.

The group also visited Kuwait, Djibouti in Africa to Arriondas, Spain, before flying back to Andrews Air Force base outside of Washington D.C.

Calhoun admitted that being in a war zone among armed soldiers wasn't a daunting experience, and said the environment, with so many young people serving, reminded him of the Air Force Academy.

"It wasn't shocking to me, but it makes you more cognizant of some of the dangers and just the courage and how well trained and how well prepared all of our troops are," Calhoun said. "It's a real credit to the leadership of our armed services ... you'll really be inspired by the youth of America."

Calhoun said one of the most rewarding parts of the trip was visiting wounded soldiers and hearing their stories of both bravery and tragedy. Calhoun said the wounded soldiers he spoke with were eager to get back with their units. He said the talk was the epitome of teamwork. That teamwork was further displayed when the coaches and soldiers got together for a pick-up football game in Balad.

"These guys were so excited to play and didn't care anything at all about field conditions; they just wanted to play," Calhoun said.

When Calhoun starts meeting with his team at the end of the summer, he's not sure how he'll use his trip to help him on the football field, but his trip did reinforce his commitment to making the Air Force Academy players into some of the best leaders in the military.

"We covered a ton of miles and got a chance to see wonderful, wonderful people that make it where we're able to have the freedoms so our daughters can participate in activities, get good schooling and Americans are able to do all the various things that are available to Americans," Calhoun said. "It was splendid."

Posted by ESPN.com's Graham Watson

Marshall has named David Steele, associate athletic director for finance at Marshall University, the university's interim athletic director, the school announced Tuesday.

Steele replaces Bob Marcum, who retired, but a nationwide search for a permanent athletic director is still underway.

Steele has been at Marshall since fall 1995. He currently oversees business operations, budgeting, video and concessions, and assisted Marcum with football scheduling. He also is treasurer and a member of the Big Green Executive Committee.

There is no timetable on finding a permanent replacement.

Posted by ESPN.com's Ted Miller

Some weight room warriors are born. Others are made.

Oregon State defensive tackle Stephen Paea is 298-pound freak of nature. He has only been lifting weights for three or four years -- about as long as the native of Tonga has been playing football. He estimated his max bench press this week was "525 or 530 pounds." He also squats 720 pounds.

Paea might be the nation's strongest college football player.

Beavers offensive guard Gregg Peat observed what most folks around the Pac-10 already know: Paea is about ready for his national close-up.

"He's pretty incredible," Peat said.

As for Peat, he arrived at Oregon State in 2005 as an unheralded recruit, the Beavers the only Pac-10 team to offer him a scholarship. He bench pressed about 225 pounds. According to Peat, "I was a soft 285 pounds."

Peat is now a solid 295 pounds, a team co-captain and is slated to start at guard for the second consecutive season.

Paea was born to lift weights. "He's a freak," Peat said.

Peat used weights to reinvent himself physically. "He's a guy I see working hard," Paea said. "He sets a great example for other players."

Peat now bench presses 350 pounds, squats 450 and -- most impressive -- power cleans 330. He has also dramatically increased his speed, quickness, agility and flexibility.

Oregon State almost never signs a highly rated recruiting class. Nonetheless, it has finished ranked in the top-25 three consecutive seasons.

I wonder if what happens inside the $16 million Sports Performance Center has anything to do with the unheralded Point A transforming into the nationally ranked Point B?

Posted by ESPN.com's Graham Watson

• Hawaii stands to profit $3.1 million this year from its football team.

• Nevada is expected to earn $1.1 million from WAC profits this season, down from the $1.4 million a year ago.

• Doubts are surfacing as to whether Alphonso Bigelow, a former Fresno State football player who pledged $10 million to the school last month, will be able to follow through on his contribution.

• Nebraska StatePaper.com talks with Nebraska chancellor Harvey Perlman was recently appointed as chairman of the BCS Presidential Oversight Committee.

• Colorado State has snagged a commitment from Crockett Gillmore, a 6-foot-6, 226-pound tight end from Bushland, Texas.

• A look back at the 2001 playing career of former Hawaii quarterback Nick Rolovich.

Posted by ESPN.com's Graham Watson

If you didn't see the story on ESPN.com's college football front page, the Senate plans to hold a hearing next week looking into antitrust issues surrounding the Bowl Championship Series -- again.

This is the second time Capitol Hill has looked at the BCS after complaints that it didn't promote fair competition in collegiate athletics.

This hearing, which is scheduled for next Tuesday, stems from an argument by Sen. Orrin Hatch of Utah and others, that the BCS violates anti-trust laws. It will be heard by the Judiciary Committee's subcommittee on antitrust, competition policy and consumer rights.

Last week, the BCS Presidential Oversight Committee said there was no "overall support" for a playoff, which the Mountain West proposed earlier this summer in a document that was sent to the heads of all the conferences, the BCS and made public.

Mountain West Commissioner Craig Thompson also spent time on Capitol Hill earlier this summer, along with Boise State athletic director Gene Bleymaier, testifying on the fairness practices of the BCS (or lack thereof) to the Committee on Energy and Commerce.

Could Tuesday's hearing be the last effort for BCS equality?

According to Hatch, who wrote an essay on this subject for this week's Sports Illustrated: "One thing is clear: No changes will take place if Congress does nothing,"

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin

Being in the middle of Oklahoma's biggest question mark isn't something that Ben Habern shies away from.

In fact, the Sooners' freshman center is excited about the opportunity to prove something to the doubters who are wondering about Oklahoma's young offensive line heading into the upcoming season with four new starters.

	J.P. Wilson/Icon SMI
	Oklahoma's Ben Habern has some big shoes to fill as he replaces Jon Cooper at center.

It's made Habern wish his team's Sept. 5 opener against BYU was only a couple of weeks away.

"There are a lot of people who don't think we have enough talent to make it through the Big 12 or to a big bowl game," Habern said. "But a lot of people aren't here during our practices. We've seen how athletic we are."

Some of the doubt started earlier when Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops called out the unit before spring practice even began. Stoops was disappointed in the group's lack of dedication during preseason conditioning drills and didn't hesitate to make his comments known.

The words stung, particularly for a group that was looking to build some confidence before heading into practice. But Stoops' point got across and helped the group coalesce.

"We lost a lot of senior leadership and have a lot of guys to replace," Habern said. "It was a big step and a challenge to get everything settled. But I feel like we handled it pretty well."

One of the biggest reasons for the group's fast growth has been the development of Habern, who has claimed the starting job after strong work during the spring to replace Jon Cooper.

Jason Hannan, who was once considered the nation's No. 1 center prospect and Cooper's eventual replacement, couldn't beat out Habern for the job, leading Hannan to transfer earlier this spring.

"Habern has been doing a wonderful job," Oklahoma offensive line coach James Patton told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. "He's got a chance to be a really good one. Jon was a great leader and Ben" is from "that same kind of mold."

(Read full post)

Posted by ESPN.com's Graham Watson

The annual Learfield Sports Directors' Cup all-Sports standings were announced this week and TCU was the highest-ranked school among the non-automatic qualifying schools, ranking 42nd out of the 271 schools that participated.

BYU (47th) and Boise State (49th) also cracked the top 50 and Utah, the only BCS bowl participant among the five non-automatic qualifying conferences, finished 51st.

The Director's Cup -- presented annually by the National Association of Collegiate Athletic Directors -- is "a program that honors institutions maintaining a broad-based program, achieving success in many sports, both men's and women's."

TCU, BYU and Utah are the highest-ranked teams to come from one conference, which isn't surprising considering those three, along with Boise State, are among the best in college football. All four schools finished in the Top 25 of the final polls.

Overall, the non-AQs had 18 schools finish in the top 100 of the Directors' Cup standings, including five from the Mountain West, four from Conference USA, three from the WAC, two from the Sun Belt, two from the Mid-American Conference, and Navy and Army.

Posted by ESPN.com's Graham Watson

• Sen. Orrin Hatch has taken his fight to the pages of Sports Illustrated where he wrote an essay about the inequality of the BCS.

• Ball State might be in some Title IX trouble and is being investigated this month by the Office for Civil Rights.

• Athlon College Football profiles the top non-AQ running backs according to their fantasy value.

• Boise State picked up a commitment from Central High School quarterback Grant Hedrick.

• An interestingly placed article in the Nebraska StatePaper.com says that teams, especially Nebraska, shouldn't sleep on teams from the Sun Belt Conference.

• The Daily News Journal contends that Middle Tennessee could be in the Big East because of its Directors Cup finish.

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin

Who needs a quiet summer? Alex Henery is doing his best to stay busy by trying to win another job with Nebraska.

It's why Henery is trying to build on his record-breaking start as a kicker by becoming the Cornhuskers' regular punter.

But whether booming high spiraling punts or drilling balls through the uprights, Henery has confidence he can help the Cornhuskers at both positions.

	Josh Wolfe/Icon SMI
	Nebraska kicker Alex Henery is looking to add the punting duties to his plate in 2009.

"It's something that I can do," Henery said. "Some kids are strictly kickers and others are punters. I feel like I can do both. It's a challenge I feel like I can accomplish."

Henery actually came to Nebraska as a punter after averaging more than 41 yards per kick at Burke High School in Omaha in his junior and senior seasons. Those numbers earned him all-state honors as a punter from the Omaha World-Herald and the Lincoln Journal-Star in both seasons.

But when he arrived at Nebraska, his chances at the position were stifled with Dan Titchener and Jake Wesch in front of him on the depth chart. After sitting out a redshirt season, Henery moved to kicker where he has blossomed into one of the nation's most consistent performers once he got his chance.

And he earned Bo Pelini's ultimate compliment when he was described as "a stud" after his record-breaking 57-yard kick that helped beat Colorado last year.

During his college career, Henery has missed only one extra point and one field goal attempt inside of 50 yards. He is the most consistent kicker in Nebraska history to this point.

"I couldn't imagine things turning out much better for me than how they've worked out," Henery said. "I'm happy with how things have gone so far. My career has worked out pretty well."

Even with that early success, Henery hopes to build on that by punting this season after the graduation of Wesch and Titchener.

Few college players have been successful at both jobs. But recent success by Wake Forest standout Sam Swank and West Virginia's Pat McAfee have convinced Henery to give it a shot.

(Read full post)