As the Coaching Carousel Turns-Volume 1 2011

It's that time of year again when we get to start speculating on who will be going where when the coaching carousel stops turning. It had been my intention to not start the carousel series up until next week, but there is just so much already going on that we had to start up ahead of schedule this season. Let's take a good look at the latest rumors, rumblings, and goings on around the country, as we receive information from our own sources, sources on the web, and you, the fans and alumni.
As we already know, new coaches have landed at New Mexico (Bob Davie) and Arizona (Rich Rodriguez). In my opinion, both hires were home runs for those programs.
Starting with Davie at New Mexico, the Lobos crushed that hire, as Davie is everything that Mike Locksley was not. He will charm the locals, he will instill discipline, and he will eventually win to a respectable level. Don't pin everything on Notre Dame on Davie, as he was taking over for Lou Holtz, who had (as he always has) left Notre Dame on probation. Davie is a solid, seasoned coach, who after 9 years as an assistant at Texas A&M, has a solid feel for the American Southwest. Davie will recruit well, and given time, take New Mexico to another level.
Rodriguez was a grand slam at Arizona. He never would have succeeded at Michigan, as he was never supported properly from day one. There were Michigan people that hated him right out of the gate, but that won't happen in Tucson, where his high energy spread offense will be a breath of fresh air. His style fits the west coast properly, and Rodriguez will build a fearsome program, much like he had at West Virginia. Arizona could not have made a better move in a million tries. This was a brilliant hire for the Wildcats and Greg Byrne. Announcing the hire on Twitter? Pure forward thinking.

Here are the latest rumors and happenings going on as the Carousel Turns...

Florida Atlantic appears to be the frontrunner for Mike Leach, according to our well placed source. Leach is seeking out his best option to run his defense at FAU so that he can concentrate on running his Air Raid offense without any distractions. Leach has been living in Key West since being fired at Texas Tech, and would have a few offers, but he seems most comfortable with this move. Short of UCLA dumping Neuheisel for him, this appears to be a done deal.

Boston College will likely fire Frank Spaziani and his staff after this weekend's game against Miami, according to our source. We have speculated this move, as Spaziani has been in the Dead Pool most of this season. Our source informs us that we can expect BC to take a look at Temple coach Steve Addaazio, who was a finalist when the Eagles stayed in house and hired Spaziani.

Akron appears to already be in the mood to dump Rob Ianello and his staff after another disaster of a season with the Zips. Sources state that Ianello will be removed, along with his entire staff, on Monday. Our own source claims that the alumni at Akron are pushing for a move at this time, which would confirm all that we have heard.

Purdue may need more than a win this weekend against Indiana to save Danny Hope. While a loss would certainly end his tenure, rumblings out of West Lafayette are stating that Hope may be out either way. No rumors yet on potential replacements, but this may bear some watching.

We have been reporting this for some time, but Joker Phillips may be running out of time at Kentucky. High profile administrators have been backing off of support for Phillips like he has contracted the plague, and finding public support from anyone of power in Lexington is about as easy as finding a living, breathing unicorn. Phillips may not survive to get one more season with the Wildcats.

We reported on Twitter that several sources had stated that Arizona State head coach Dennis Erickson has already told his staff that he will not coach the Sun Devils next fall. He has publicly stated in the last two days that he is not going anywhere, but sources are now telling us that he will only stay through the bowl game, and that he will walk away after that. That is, if the alumni don't push for a move sooner, which they very well might after falling to Arizona last weekend.

Weber State is making a run for Eastern Washington coach Beau Baldwin. Baldwin is coming off of a rather disappointing season at EWU after winning the 2010 national championship, meaning that he may be more available to WSU due to conventional thinking in Ogden. Baldwin has never coached outside the State of Washington, having also been the head guy at Central Washington.

The name we are hearing from our source in regards to the Columbia job is Penn Defensive Coordinator Ray Priore, who is the brother of Stony Brook head man Chuck Priore. Priore has been the DC for some time at Penn, and has solid knowledge of the Ivy League, making him an attractive fit for the Lions.

South Dakota has fired Ed Meierkort and his staff as they prepare to make the move to the Missouri Valley Conference with the folding of the Great West Conference. Now word yet on potential replacements.

Texas Southern and Richmond will not be staying with their respective interim coaches, but will interview them for those openings, meaning that they stand a snowball's chance in hell of retaining their jobs.

Now word yet on potential replacements at UMass for fired coach Kevin Morris, as the Minutemen transition to the FBS and the MAC in 2012. We will report on movement as reports become available, and I fully expect to speak with the UMass athletic department on Monday.

Mike Lucas is out at Southeast Louisiana.

No word yet on the Fordham opening, but I will be speaking to them on Monday as well.

There are four openings on the D2 level, including Incarnate Word, Missouri Southern, Eastern New Mexico, and South Dakota Mines, and there will be more moves coming. I will update as we receive info on those jobs as well.

Powerratedsports.com All-Bilo D2 TE of the Year 2011

Our D2 TE of the Year Award is upon us, and like the WR award, it is based on the highest average score based on six statistical categories for receivers. Here are our ten finalists for the All-Bilo 2011 D2 TE of the Year:

Tore Hurst, Washburn
Brian Leonhardt, Bemidji State
Bryce Davis, Central Oklahoma
Ryan Shelley, Southeastern Oklahoma
David Pawelek, Colorado Mines
Eric Watts, Brevard
Joe Don Duncan, Dixie State
Jaryd Brown, Findlay
David Cannon, Central Missouri
Nick Stutts, Lenoir-Rhyne

And the winner of our Powerratedsports.com All-Bilo D2 TE of the Year Award is...Joe Don Duncan, Dixie State!

Joe Don caught 64 passes for 949 yards and 9 TDs in 2011. He averaged 6.4 receptions per game, while averaging 14.83 catches per game for 94.9 yards per contest. Joe Don was the only TE in the country to score over 3000 points in this years group of finalists.
Congratulations to Joe Don for a fantastic season!

Powerratedsports.com All-Bilo D2 WR of the Year

It is the time of year where we happily crunch all manner of statistical performances from the season that was and name our players of the year at every skill position. We start this season with the top performers of Division 2 College Football, as theirs was the first regular season to come to completion. Our WR of the Year was the player who scored the highest average based on six statistical categories from the WR position. We released a list of overall finalists last week, which we have carved down to the final ten. They are as follows:

Trey McVay, Northeastern State
Trevor Kennedy, Mercyhurst
Isaiah Voegeli, Merrimack
Jon Meadows, West Virginia Wesleyan
Mar'Quone Edmonds, Indianapolis
Troy Burrell, Wayne State (MI)
Thomas Mayo, California (PA)
Jamar Howard, Central Missouri
Ryan Forney, Indianapolis
Charles Gilbert, Concordia-St. Paul
Landon Zerkel, Missouri Southern

Without further delay, it is our pleasure to announce the winner of our Powerratedsports.com All-Bilo D2 WR of the Year. As only one of two players who scored above 5000 points, we are pleased to announce that our winner is...Trey McVay, Northeastern State

Trey completed a stellar season in which he caught 79 passes for 1473 yards and 15 scores. He averaged 7.18 catches per game, while averaging 18.65 yards per catch. He was good for 133.91 yards per game on the season. Congratulations to Trey for an amazing season!

FCS 2011 Playoffs At a Glance

We projected the playoffs on Saturday night, and I am happy to say that we only missed on one projection, which was Illinois State falling out of the group due to their last game loss to Northern Iowa. Eastern Kentucky, who we projected as one of several schools fighting for the final two spots, made it in to the field, taking their place. Let's take a look at how the field shakes out...

First Round, Saturday 11/26


Stony Brook (8-3) vs. Albany (8-3)
Stony Brook won the Big South title with a win over Liberty last weekend. Players to watch include the dual rushing threat of Brock Jackolski and Miguel Maysonet, both All-Bilo Big South 1st teamers. Albany, winners of the Northeast Conference, has won 8 of their last 9 games, and is anchored on offense QB Dan DiLella (24 TD passes), RB Drew Smith (1052 yards rushing, 9 scores), and WR Ryan Kirchner (9 TD receptions). Despite the balance of the Great Danes, if the defense does not find a way to stop the SeaWolves run game, they may be dead in the water.
I pick: Stony Brook...The red hot SeaWolves should slow the tempo and let their defense make up the difference. Stack up to stop Jackolski and Maysonet, get burned by QB Kyle Essington, who is sneaky good.



Tennessee Tech (7-3) vs. Central Arkansas (8-3)
This is the first appearance for both teams in the FCS playoffs. The Eagles of Tech are coached by veteran Watson Brown. Brown stated on today's conference call that pass happy teams present an issue for his defense, as the only pass happy teams that they have played against both resulted in losses (Murray State and Tennessee State). The Eagles are solid in their own right with RB Dontey Gay, who rushed for 1009 yards and 15 TDs during the season. WR Tim Benford (58-826-5) was named the OVC Offensive MVP today. If the Eagles can control the pace, they have a solid shot.
UCA comes out flying with QB Nathan Dick, who has passed for 28 TDs on the season. Jesse Grandy and Dominique Croom are two very athletic receivers for the Bears, and will be hell for the Eagles to defend.
Tech scored 34.1 points per game on the season, but they gave up 24.5. UCA scores an average of 33.7 per game, but gives up 28.9. Look for a high scoring affair.
I pick: Tennessee Tech...When it's this close, the home team gets the edge. Look for the defense to be minimalized, but Tech only wins by slowing things down, making Gay the most important guy on the field.



Old Dominion (9-2) vs. Norfolk State (9-2)
It took the ODU program very little time to evolve into a playoff team, as the program has been around just a few short years. The Monarchs are going to come out strong against their regional neighbors, as Tyler Heinicke will come out slinging the ball around. Heinicke passed for 1770 yards with 15 TDs to just 1 pick on the season. Don't discount the Monarch run game, as Angus Harper rushed for 3 scores against William & Mary and has 9 for the season. Five different receivers caught at least 30 passes this season.
For Norfolk State, it's all about defense. The Spartans gave up only an average of 265.1 yards per game, and gave up only 21 TDs in 11 games this fall. NSU held 8 opponents to 14 points or less on the season. Chris Walley also gets the job done at QB, passing for 209 yards per game with 17 TDs to just 4 picks on the season. Walley also added another 5 rushing scores on the year.
I pick: Old Dominion...The MEAC has not been a power player in the FCS playoffs, and the Colonial is as tough as it gets from top to bottom. A tougher level of competition will probably have seasoned ODU more for this moment, but the Spartans will not let the game go easily.



Eastern Kentucky (7-4) vs. James Madison (7-4)
EKU is one of the most succesful programs in FCS history, but they have struggled in recent years to secure their dominance of the Ohio Valley Conference. TJ Pryor is solid at QB for the Colonels, passing for 18 scores, but he also tossed 7 picks in 11 games this fall. Tyron Goard is the man at WR, as he caught 11 of Pryors scoring strikes this fall. The key will be the run game with RB Matt Denham having rushed for 1445 yards and 9 scores on the season. The other key will be stopping the JMU run, and keying up DB Kevin Hamlin (4 picks) in on the QB.
For the Dukes, they have experience here as well, but they have issues as well. They were one of the last teams to make the bracket, as they finished 5th in the Colonial. They have virtually no passing game to speak of, but they run the ball incredibly well with Dae'Quan Scott (1166 yards rushing, 12 TDs, 5.9 yards per carry, 106 yards per game) and Jordan Anderson(5.3 yards per carry). Freshman Drew Marlowe led the team with 4 picks, and will be ball hawking Pryor. The edge rush of DJ Bryant and Pat Williams on defense, along with the tackling ability of LBs Stephon Robertson and Lamar Middleton could make all of the difference.
I pick: James Madison...I like the road upset here. JMU has the tools on defense to slow EKU down, but the run game must work out for the Dukes to survive this huge test. A passing game would be nice if they could muster one as well.

Round 2
Analysis for the second round will be provided next Monday. Here is the slate for the games on December 3rd:
Sam Houston State vs. Albany/Stony Brook
New Hampshire at Montana State
Wofford at Northern Iowa
Montana vs. Tennessee Tech/Central Arkansas
Georgia Southern vs. Old dominion/Norfolk State
Maine at Appalachian State
Lehigh at Towson
North Dakota State vs. James Madison/Eastern Kentucky

Final 2011 FCS Playoff Projections

With the FCS selection committee meeting in Indianapolis tomorrow, I will now project my playoff slots as to how I think that they should shake out when the bids are announced tomorrow afternoon. I will start with the auto bids by conference, and then I will move on to my at large bids. Here we go...

Auto Bids
Big Sky: Montana
Big South: Stony Brook
Colonial: Towson
MEAC: Norfolk State
Missouri Valley: North Dakota State
Northeast: Albany
Ohio Valley: Tennessee Tech
Patriot League: Lehigh
Southern: Georgia Southern
Southland: Sam Houston State

At-Large Bids
Montana State
The Bobcats fell today in the season finale against archrival Montana. That being said, they have been in our top 10 most of the season. Their two losses came against Utah and Montana. Consider this a lock.

Maine
The Bears are in slid shape to move on to the postseason based on their having won 8 games, with one of their 3 losses coming against FBS Pittsburgh. They also lost to New Hampshire today, and lost earlier to CAA Champ Towson.

Old Dominion
The Monarchs had a fairly weak non-conference slate this season, but faired very well in CAA play, and finished 9-2. ODU should very well get a bid, as anyone that finishes 9-2 in this league has had a fantastic season.

New Hampshire
The Wildcats likely played their way in today with a win over Maine to finish 8-3 on the season. UNH is effectively the kind of team that can make a scary run at this point.

Northern Iowa
The Panthers were a lock regardless of what happened against Illinois State today, and UNI pulled out a sloppy win today to cement the spot. The Panthers are one of the most dangerous teams in the At-Large category.

Wofford
While the Terriers are not finishing the regular season as strongly as one would like, They are still more than deserving of this bid. The Terriers are the kind of team that can be sneaky at this point.

Appalachian State
Not the best season by Mountaineer standards, but not a terrible one by any means. ASU will not sneak up on anyone, and is still the kind of team that can make a quality run.

Central Arkansas
The Bears finshed 8-3, with two losses coming to FCS opponents. UCA definately deserves a shot to play, and I would be shocked if they were turned away for a team with a lesser record.

The Final Two Spots
There is a huge field to choose from for the final two spots, as some schools that needed wins to be locks did not get them today. Furman could have locked in, but blew a 22-7 lead against FBS Florida, thus getting bounced from the field.
The candidates for these two spots are: James Madison, Delaware, South Carolina State, Bethune-Cookman, Illinois State, Duquesne, Eastern Kentucky, Jacksonville State.
If I had choose two from this group, I would likely go with James Madison and Illinois State, with Delaware and Eastern Kentucky being my group B for these spots.
Tomorrow, we'll have a complete bracket, and we'll evaluate the teams on Monday.

Powerratedsports.com All-Bilo D2 RB of the Year Award

Last night, I released the finalist list for our D2 RB of the Year Award. It included 26 RBs and all 160 schools were considered. This morning, we compiled the final ten list for the award. The final ten are as follows:

Jonas Randolph, Mars Hill
Joe Glendening, Hillsdale
Rashaad Slowley, Southern Connectcut State
Daronte McNeil, Elizabeth City State
Travis Daniels, North Carolina-Pembroke
David Carter, Morehouse
Richard Haley, Minnesota-Crookston
Lyndon Rowells, Humboldt State
Jordan Roberts, Charleston
Nicholas Cooper, Winston-Salem State

After all numbers were averaged, we are proud to announce that we have a winner. The winner of our Powerratedsports.com All-Bilo D2 RB of the Year Award is...

Jonas Randolph, Mars Hill

Congratulations to Jonas, and to the Mars Hill program. To read the full report on Jonas, please visit powerratedsports.com today!

Powerratedsports.com All-Bilo D2 QB of the Year Award

It is with great pleasure that we name our first award winner of the 2011 college football season! With the regular season completed, I am pleased to announce first of all, the ten QBs considered for our D2 All-Bilo QB of the Year Award. The original list of finalists contained 24 finalists, and was whittled down to just ten last night. They are as follows:

Clay Garcia, Colorado Mines
Tommy Corwin, Central Missouri
Dane Simoneau, Washburn
Mitch Gale, Abilene Christian
Cody Haffly, Wingate
Chris Mills, Indianapolis
Luke Charles, North Carolina-Pembroke
Dustin Vaughn, West Texas A&M
Peter Lalich, California (PA)
Adam Neugebauer, West Virginia Wesleyan

It is my great pleasure to announce that the winner of the 2011 Powerratedsports.com All Bilo D2 QB of the Year Award winner is...

Adam Neugebauer, West Virginia Wesleyan

For a full report on Adam, please visit powerratedsports.com! Congratulations to Adam, and to West Virginia Wesleyan!

Coming up, our D2 Powerratedsports.com All-Bilo RB of the Year winner!

All Bilo D2 RB of the Year 2011 Finalists

Here is our list of finalists for our All Bilo 2011 RB of  the Year award, which is given to the best RB in D2 based on a compiled average of statitistical production for the season. Congratulations to all of these great players that made this season's list. The award will be announced tomorrow!

Daronte McNeil, Elizabeth City State
Nicholas Cooper, Winston-Salem State
Travis Daniels, North Carolina-Pembroke
Mark Johnson, Southern Arkansas
Joe Glendening, Hillsdale
Monterae Williams, Findlay
Mike Noffsinger, Ohio Dominican
Josh Rener, Wayne State (MI)
Lyndon Rowells, Humboldt State
Matt Willis, West Alabama
Michael Hill, Missouri Western State
Justin Cooper, Washburn
James Franklin, Northwest Missouri State
Rashaad Slowley, Southern Connecticut State
Richard Haley, Minnesota-Crookston
Chris Smith, Upper Iowa
Rayon Simmons, Winona State
Josh Murray, Mary
Bryce Hawthorne, Wayne State (NE)
Franklin Quiteh, Bloomsburg
Eddie Mateo, Bloomsburg
Dan Palmer, Colorado Mines
Jonas Randolph, Mars Hill
Nate Inman, Carson-Newman
David Carter, Morehouse
Jordan Roberts, Charleston

D2 All Bilo QB of the Year Finalists

Here is our list of D2 finalists for our first ever All Bilo QB of the Year Award for the D2 level. This award is given to the QB who finished the season with the best collective passing statistical complelation. It is an individual award, so team records do not sway the award. It is based on statisitical compilation, and we do not individually nominate those on the list. Here is the list of finalists for 2011:

Chris Mills, Indianapolis
Jonathon Jennings, Saginaw Valley State
Heath Parling, Grand Valley State
Kameron Smith, Winston-Salem State
Luke Charles, North Carolina-Pembroke
Johnny Deaton, Northeastern State
Willy Korn, North Greenville
Tyler Vanderzee, East Central
Mike Proulx, Humboldt State
Lee Chapple, North Alabama
Mitch Gale, Abilene Christian
Nick Stephens, Tarleton State
Dustin Vaughn, West Texas A&M
Tommy Corbin, Central Missouri
Dane Simoneau, Washburn
Bryant Johnson, Bentley
Ryan Osieki, New Haven
Peter Lalich, California (PA)
Zach Zulli, Shippensburg
Kevin Morton, Kutztown
Clay Garcia, Colorado Mines
Cody Haffly, Wingate
Stanley Jennings, Albany State
Adam Neugebauer, West Virginia Wesleyan
The award will be announced tomorrow for the All Bilo QB of the Year Award. Good luck to all of the student athletes named on this list and to their schools!

FCS Playoffs...20 That Should Be In

Here we go with yet another look at how the FCS playoffs should shake out. We use our PRS rankings and conference standings to gauge the 20 team field, and we look at which games this weekend should effect the field overall. Let's take a look!

Auto-Bids
Big Sky: Montana or Montana State
Big South: Liberty or Stony Brook
Colonial: Towson
MEAC: Norfolk State
Missouri Valley: North Dakota State
Northeast: Albany
Ohio Valley: Tennessee Tech
Patriot League: Lehigh
Southern: Georgia Southern
Southland: Sam Houston State*
* Regular Season PRS FCS Champion

As you can see, 8 of 10 spots have been locked up, but the Big Sky, traditionally a power spot, and the Big South will be decided this weekend with two wars on top. Montana State has the edge coming into their tilt with Montana, as they are ranked 3rd in the PRS. Montana would be top ten if they had not played an ill advised late season game against D2 Western Oregon, which essentially gets the Grizzlies zero credit in the PRS rankings.
Last season, Liberty seemed to be cruising to the FCS playoffs before a late season stumble sent them into a three way tie for the conference title, which Liberty lost out to Coastal Carolina on the breaker. Liberty has much to prove in this game against streaking Stony Brook, as the Sea Wolves have won 7 straight since a 1 point loss to Brown back in September. Stony Brook looks primed to steal the game and the bid behind one of the best rushing attacks in the country.
Sam Houston State is our regular season PRS FCS Champion, regardless of a win or loss this weekend. They have accumulated 2471 points, and now boast a 452 point lead on the Bison of North Dakota State.
Let's take a look at the hard part now, which is filling the remaining 10 bids in our at-large section!

At-Large Bids
1. Montana State/Montana Loser
This is as automatic and no-brainer as the sun rising and setting in the sky. The Big Sky is a power conference, and that makes this as easy to pick as can be.
2. Old Dominion
The Monarchs have seriously earned this spot. They are 9-2 and rank #6 in our PRS rankings. Their only losses were to Delaware and Towson, both being quality losses. The non-conference schedule could be argued, as they have out of conference wins against Campbell, Georgia State, and a weakened Hampton. Will finish in a tie for 2nd in the Colonial.
3. Northern Iowa
The Panthers will finish 2nd in the Missouri Valley behind North Dakota State, and are currently ranked 10th in our PRS rankings. The Panthers lost only to NDSU in conference play, with their other loss coming by 1 point to FBS Iowa State. No major stand out out of conference wins, as they have defeated Stephen F. Austin (down year) and Southern Utah. That being said, still a lock that I would bet the farm on for receiving the bid.
4. Maine
The Bears are ranked 11th in our PRS rankings, and they deserve a solid shot at an at-large bid as the third member of the powerful CAA to grab a bid. With one game left at New Hampshire, Maine's only two losses were to CAA Champ Towson and FBS Pittsburgh. Maine has a win over FCS playoff potential participant Albany, and beat Bryant as well in non-conference play. A loss to UNH could upset things, but we'll cross that bridge this weekend.
5. Central Arkansas
I figure that we'll hear it on this one, but here we go!. The Bears are a strong football team at 8-3. Their losses came against FBS members Louisiana Tech and Arkansas State, and FCS #1 Sam Houston State, meaning that only two of their losses actualyy really count at the end of the day. The only drawback is that their wins came mostly in SLC play and against D2 Henderson State. If I had to take a flyer on a shocker for an at-large, it would be UCA.
6. New Hampshire
The Wildcats are a solid football team and rank 19th in the PRS FCS Rankings. An upset win over Maine this weekend would likely lock this spot up, with a loss really outting them on the fringe. Their three losses were a mixed bag with great (FBS Toledo), solid (Towson), and kind of bad (William & Mary). Really crushed FCS Playoff auto-bid member Lehigh (48-21), making UNH an intriguing entry. That being said, UNH is only 3-2 in their last 5 games. Still an in for me.
7. Appalachian State
This is not your typical season for Jerry Moore's Mountaineers, but ASU is still having a solid season by the gauge of most everyone else. Losses came against Virginia Tech, Wofford, and Furman, which were all decent losses. Out of conference wins were fairly weak as they came against North Carolina A&T and Savannah State. ASU ranks 21st in the PRS Rankings, and they are 4-1 in their last five games.
8. Illinois State
The Redbirds have been a quiet group this season, but they are a solid program on the rise. ISU is 5-0 in their last 5 games, with all three losses coming early to Eastern Illinois (really bad), Youngsotwn State (respectable), and North Dakota State (quality). ISU has one last hurdle, as they take on Northern Iowa thhis weekend. An upset would cement ISU in the playoff picture.
9. Wofford
The Terriers sneak in as the 3rd SoCon member, as the SoCon always calls for three bids, and should. Wofford has three quality losses to Clemson, Furman, and Georgia Southern, while they defeated App. State. They have one game left at upset minded Chattanooga which if lost, could change this picture a bit.
10. Wide Open
This spot is a bit close to call for me. There are a few teams that all could stake a claim this weekend with big wins. The list includes Bethune-Cookman, Florida A&M, James Madison, Delaware, South Carolina State, Indiana State, Youngstown State, Eastern Kentucky, Jacksonville State, and Furman. There is also some push for some one bid leagues to break the mold in Duquesne and Georgetown, both in our PRS Top 25. Portland State also makes a case, but has two wins against D2 or NAIA opponents.

We will be assessing the bids when they release this Sunday, and will break down the field for you on Monday afternoon. Good luck to your school as we push on for the FCS National Championship!

FBS, FCS, and Final D2 Rankings Now Posted

Our Week 11 FBS, FCS, and D2 rankings are now posted at www.powerratedsports.com for viewing! This top ten Playoffs start next Saturday! We'll have a full breakdown of the D2 brackets later this afternoon available for viewing.
In the meantime, here is a top ten breakdown of all three polls!

FBS
1. Oklahoma State
The Cowboys smashed Texas Tech 66-6, as they coasted to a 41-0 halftime lead over the Red Raiders. OSU appears to be coasting into a final showdown on December 3rd with archrival Oklahoma.

2. Houston
The Cougars are the last non-AQ school to be undefeated this season after Boise State fell to TCU. The Cougars are not ranked in the top ten in most other polls, but the numbers have been accumalting inin our system. UH, like Oklahoma State, topped 300 points last week in a 73-17 thrashing of Tulane.

3. Stanford
The Cardinal got blasted by Oregon, but had such strong numbers, that the loss of points actually did not crush them as much as one would have thought. It shocked us as well when the Cardinal did not fall further, but we only calculate the formula, we don't slot the teams. Stanford still looks very strong for a Fiesta Bowl bid.

4. LSU
This one creates a ton of controversy. The Tigers are still unbeaten, but have only played 9 games this fall. They will still climb if they win out. Don't forget that the SEC title game is still an opportunity to gain more points, so LSU is still very much alive for our title.

5. Alabama
The Tide picked up a solid, but unimpressive win on the road at Mississippi State this week, 24-7. Alabama is still climbing as they win, but they likely will not catch up to LSU.

6. Oregon
Look who's still alive this season! The Ducks positively hammered former #1 Stanford by over three TDs, and they are looking primed to appear and host in the innaugural Pac-12 title game, giving them a strong chance to move into the Rose Bowl bid. With some strange endings, Oregon could still push higher.

7. Boise State
The dream of winning the BCS title is over, and so is a PRS title. Almost 600 points down to Oklahoma State, the Broncos don't stand a chance of catching up now after losing to TCU at home this weekend.

8. Oklahoma
The Sooners could finish top 5 by winning out, and they are the biggest spoilers going right now if they meet and unbeaten Oklahoma State team and beat them. OU is still very much alive for a BCS date, but if not, Cotton is a very nice locale for them.

9. Southern Mississippi
The Golden Eagles are quietly having a monster season, which is what we've been waiting for ever since Larry Fedora took over this club. This is the first time since we started the PRS that two CUSA schools have ever occupied the top 10 at one time. The CUSA title game is looking like a fireworks show!

10. Virginia Tech
The okies can never be counted out, but they still have a troubling contest wth Virginia on the horizon. I still believe that VT hangs on and takes on CLemson in the ACC title game. The Hokies have been hanging around the top ten quietly for most of the season.

FCS
1. Sam Houston State
Hand the regular season title to the Bearcats for 2011! Sam Houston State has one more date left, with a road trip to Texas State looming, but even with a loss in that contest (which I do not see coming), SHSU has such a huge point lead, that nobody can catch them now. Congrats to the Bearcats!

2. North Dakota State
The Bison were the only other real challengers for the crown, but they fumbled away a chance to take this race into the final weekend, falling to Youngsotwn State 27-24 last weekend. They had a huge lead on Lehigh and Montana State, and Lehigh was too far back to catch them, while Montana State could potentially bump NDSU to #3 with a win over Montana this weekend. Still a playoff lock.

3. Lehigh
The Mountain Hawks won the Patriot League with ease by crushing #17 Georgetown 34-12. Lehigh has locked up the auto bid to the FCS playoffs, and their season is complete. They will likely drop to #4 next week, as Montana State still has one game on the books.

4. Montana State
One of the hottest teams in the country the last two seasons, the BobCats could potentially move up to #2 if all the cards fall into place. The Big Sky title is on the line this weekend against archrival Montana, making that game the FCS game of the week. Huge opportunity here for MSU, but a playoff lock ether way.

5. Georgia Southern
Last season, we had to debate GSU's place in the playoffs. This season, no such conversation takes place as the Eagles have been as solid as ever. The season finale is a ridiculous contest at FBS #5 Alabama, so GSU will drop with no points gained in a loss to the Tide. Still a playoff lock as the SoCon Champ.

6. Old Dominion
The Monarchs season is over now, and they await to see where they are headed. A first ever FCS playoff birth seems a lock for this very young program. ODU will slip some as teams under them continue to gain points with one more week on the books.

7. Harvard
The Crimson will continue to climb if they can defeat Yale this week. A top five finish is not out of the question for this red hot football team. Likely clinched the Ivy title with a crushing win over Penn this weekend.

8. Norfolk State
The Spartans are the MEAC Champs, and their season is complete. They now sit and wait to see who they match up with in the FCS playoffs, and they need a break, as thir offense has not been firing on all gears this season. The defense is stellar.

9. Towson
Nobody can claim that they saw this coming. Towson can claim the CAA title with a win at struggling Rhode Island this weekend and earn the CAA's top seed in the FCS playoffs, while also making a push to lunge for the PRS top 5 to close out the season. Shocking.

10. Northern Iowa
The Panthers ran neck and neck with #2 NDSU all season, but fell two weekends ago. While NDSU appears a lock to win their season finale with Western Illinois, UNI faces a major test against MVC #3 Illinois State this weekend to close out. I still see UNI as a playoff lock.

D2 (Final Regular Season Rankings)
1. Midwestern State
Our regular season national champion are the Mustangs of Midwestern State, who powered their way to an 11-0 ranking and #1 seed in the super regional #4 bracket! QB Brandon Kelsey and RB Keidrick Jackson combined to rush for 28 TDs on the season, while Kelsey added another 16 through the air.

2. Winston-Salem State
It appears that the Rams made the right choice to drop back down to D2 from FCS play. Cameron Smith passed for 28 TDs on the season, while Nicholas Cooper rushed for 132.91 yards per game and 17 TDs. His yards per game mark was good for 9th in the nation. The Rams are the #1 seed in super regional #1.

3. New Haven
The Chargers are all the way back now, and they are all charged up after finishing 10-1 on the season. Ryan Osieki passed for 30 TDs on the season and finished with a 3/1 TD to pick ratio. Mike DeCaro rushed for 10 scores on the season, and Jason Thompson grabbed 10 TD receptions. Tom Herd is hell on defense after finishing with 10 total sacks on the year. UNH secured a 1st round bye.

4. Colorado State-Pueblo
One of the teams to watch in the D2 playoffs, and a rising star as a program. Ross Dausin only tossed 4 picks all season, and tossed 16 TDs. Jesse Lewis and JB Matthews combined to rush for 17 scores as a two headed attack at RB. Keep the ball away from DB Mark Sterling, as he defended 11 passes on the season. The ThunderWolves have a 1st round bye and are a #1 seed.

5. Nebraska-Kearney
The Lopers are a #2 seed behind the only team that they lost to all season, CSU-Pueblo. Jake Spitzilberger can make the play, but must avoid the costly pick, as he tossed 13 in 11 games this seasonw ith only 20 TD passes. Where Spitzilberger excels is in the run game, as he led the Lopers with 983 yards rushing and 14 more scores. Tommy Flanagan caught 8 TD passes on the season. Arthur Hobbs defended 21 passes, with 6 picks, 2 going for scores on defense.

6. Kutztown
The Golden Bears are the first team in our top ten to not have secured a first round bye, as they open at home against Concord. KU was the PSAC champion after surviving in a 21-14 win over Slippery Rock last weekend. Kevin Morton passed for 32 scores on the season, Robbie Frey rushed for 10 scores. Erik Frazier caught 52 passes on the season, with 7 of them coming for scores. Josh Smith caught 10 TDs of his own.

7. Northwest Missouri State
The Bearcats survived the retirement of one coach, and the death of his replacement to slam their way forward into the playoffs, where they will take on a road trip to Missouri Western this weekend. James Franklin must be stopped on the ground as he rushed for 1032 yards and 19 TDs on the season. Trevor Adams passed for 17 scores. LB Chad Kilgore averages 9.45 tackles per game on defense, and freshman DB Bryce Enyard picked off 6 passes, returning one for a score. The BEarcats must stop the pressure that Missouri Western applies up front this weekend.

8. Humboldt State
We have our first playoff snub in the Lumberjacks, who finished 9-1 on the season. The Jacks were likey snubbed due to the weakness in the Great Northwest conference more than their overall contribution to football, but nevertheless, they are home for the holidays. Mike Proulx was outstanding at QB, passing for over 2800 yards and 28 Tds to just 8 picks on the season. Lyndon Rowells was incredible, finishing with 1472 yards rushing and 14 scores, good for 9th in the nation. Dirk Dallas caught 7 TDs on the season.

9. North Greenville
The Crusaders are the rare independent who scraped their way into the playoffs on the back of an outsanding season. The Crusaders will host Albany State next Saturday to open their playoff run. UNG boasts former Clemson star recruit Willy Korn (21TDs) at QB, and RBs Teryan Rucker and Idris Anderson combined to rush for 18 TDs on the season. Jamarius Robinson is a dangerous defender in the secondary, having defended 9 passes on the season.

10. Pittsburg State
The Guerillas return to their stomping ground in the playoffs as the 3rd MIAA team in the group. Pitt State earned the first round bye this weekend. QB Zac Dickey is a proficient runner, having rushed for 801 yards and 10 scores on the season. Sophomore LB Nate Dreiling is a beast on defense, having averaged 9.3 tackles per game. Gus Toca finished 2nd in the conference with 9 sacks on the season.

PRS Rankings for FBS, FCS Due Today

Due to our work with the Wounded Warrior Foundation, the PRS rankings for FBS and FCS will be delayed until this afternoon. Final numbers are in for the FBS rankings, and we are finalizing the FCS numbers today. Thanks for bearing with us!

FCS Playoff Projections Who's In and Who's Out Updated 11/13

With one full week of FCS college football left on the slate, lets take a look at who looks to be in the playoff picture, and who appears to be out. This is our updated version, reflecting games played on 11/12/11.

Big Sky
In: Montana State, Montana
Bubble: Portland State
The Bobcats and Grizzlies are both a lock regardless of what happens when they meet next Saturday. MSU was ranked 3rd last week (new rankings for PRS FCS released tonight) and Montana was ranked 11th. Both figure prominantly into the playoff plans. Portland State is on the bubble. They have the overall record, but two of their wins came against lower classification opponents in Willamette and Southern Oregon. That could cost them their bid, as they will not have 7 wins against FCS opponents.

Big South
In: Liberty or Stony Brook
Bubble: None
They play this weekend, and only the winner gets the bid. Stony Brook started out slowly this seson, but the schedule was brutal early on. With road trips to UTEP and Buffalo. Liberty looks strong again, but remember that they collapsed at the end of the season last year to lose the bid. Redemption time is at hand.

Colonial
In: Towson, Maine, Old Dominion, New Hampshire
Bubble: James Madison, Delaware
Towson is the shocking favorite to win the CAA this fall after piling up solid wins along the way. Maine, ODU, and UNH are all basically locks, but ODU had the easiest road of any of them with wins over Campbell and Georgia State in their resume. JMU and Delaware will both need wins to be considered, and at the end of the day, there may only be a spot for one of them, if either one of them at all.

Great West
In: None
North Dakota would finish tied for first with Cal Poly, however, UND lost to Cal Poly 23-19 during the season. Cal Poly is not strong enough to merit an at large bid, and UND has wins against Black Hills State and Montana-Western. Not going to happen in the conference's final season.

Ivy
Does not participate.

MEAC
In: Norfolk State
Bubble: Florida A&M, Bethune-Cookman, South Carolina State
Norfolk State has won the MEAC, and their season is complete. Last season, the MEAC got two bids, and that could potentially happen again. A&M defeated SC State by 3, but plays Bethune-Cookman this weekend for what could be a spot. Bethune-Cookman lost to SC State, so a win would be highly necessary this week, in conjunction with an SC State loss. SC State is only 6-4, but two of their losses came against Indiana and Central Michigan. A second bid is not a gurantee, but it is possible.

Missouri Valley
In: North Dakota State, Northern Iowa, Illinois State
Bubble: Indiana State, Youngstown State
NDSU ran as our #1 ranked team in the PRS for most of the season before ceding that spot to Sam Houston State. They may have mailed it in last Saturday in their loss to Youngstown State, figuring that they had the spot locked up. Northern Iowa is a stable pick as the 2 seed out of the MVC, while Illinois State looks like a strong possibility as a lock as well.
Indiana State started out strong, but now sits at 6-4 and needs help. Remember, one of their losses was to Penn State. Youngstown also needs help, and needs to win this week as well, but they boast that win over NDSU as a solid chip in pitching themselves for an at large spot with 7 wins.

Patriot League
In: Lehigh
Bubble: None
It was win it or lose it when Lehigh battkled Georgetown last Saturday, as the winner got the one bid from the PL. Lehigh dominated, and Gtown is home for the holidays. The Mountain Hawks simply await their opponent.

Pioneer League
In: None
Bubble: Jacksonville
It's really not likely that JU will make it this year if they didn't go last season with a 10-1 record. The Dolphins are the only option if the FCS considers the PFL, being that Drake has wins over two lower classifications, as does San Diego. USD can get over the top by defeating Jacksonville, and has already beaten Drake, but it's not likely. JU has no wins outside of classification, but lost their two toughest games against Western Illinois and Citadel, with neither of those schools posting a winning record this season.

Northeast
In: Albany
Bubble: Duquesne
Duquesne is unrealistic here, but has a solid record for mentioning. Albany has already clinched at least a share of the NEC, and they have already defeated the Dukes this season. The Great Danes are winners of 7 of their last 8 games.

Ohio Valley
In: Tennessee Tech
Bubble: Eastern Kentucky, Jacksonville State
Tech has beaten both EKU and JSU, but only plays ten games this season, and has a win over Maryville College. That being said, they are in control for the OVC auto bid, which may mean that the other two are out, which without wins this weekend, will happen anyway as they both sit at 6-4.

Southern
In: Georgia Southern, Wofford, Appalachian State
Bubble: Furman,  Samford
Samford is a real stretch here to get the at large with just 7 wins, as if Furman has seven, they are just more attractive with wins over Wofford and App. State. GSU is a certain lock as they have closed out SoCon play with one loss. Wofford is solid for an at large, as is ASU. Four bids could totally happen here, but Furman must win next weekend to be considered.

Southland
In: Sam Houston State
Bubble: Central Arkansas
The Bearcats have locked up the SLC title, and they did it with relative ease this season. UCA is on the bubbe, but they have the record to look attractive to the committee, as two of their three losses came to Louisiana Tech and Arkansas State. One win came over D2 Henderson State, but they have compensated with other wins. The Bears have won 7 straight heading into the postseason, as their regular season is complete.

SWAC
Does not participate

Independents
In: None
Bubble: None
Nobody will likely qualify to be considered.

Coming on 11/13 /11

Coming up tomorrow on the Bilo College Football report and powerratedsports.com:
New FCS Playoff Projections
FBS and FCS PRS Rankings

Penn State: How Power and Greed Killed a Legacy

     For decades, Penn State was the program that you looked at as the model of major college football. They were the program that won big most years, and did it the right way. They were a model of how the academic and athletic meld could work with great success.
     Joe Paterno was the model of what a college football coach should be. He was the moral compass of the college game, the man that seemed to be the poster child for ethical standards in college sports and in life in general.
     In many ways, that image was as solid as granite. Nobody ever questioned what Penn State was all about, even if you hated them, which for many years back in the day, I did, for no real reason in general. It was basically explained in the way that you just knew you didn't like lima beans. You just didn't like them. Respect, on the other hand, was unquestioned.
      Last Saturday, November 5th, 2011, everything changed. Whether or not you were a Penn State fan, if you were a college football fan in general, everything that you ever though that you knew fell through the cracks. The world stopped spinning in any way that we could possibly understand when it was announced that former long time defensive assistant, defensive coordinator, and apparent head coach in waiting, Jerry Sandusky had been arrested after a grand jury investigation found enough evidence to charge Sandusky with 40 counts all in conjunction with sexual assaults on minors dating back over 10 years, with 8 known victims.
    Jerry Sandusky had been using a charity that he founded in 1977, The Second Mile, to reel in young at risk boys that he could groom and violate for his own twisted, heinous sexual pleasures. All of those years in which it seemed that Sandusky was as upsatnding as his boss, Joe Paterno, were a lie. And it gets worse every day as new details emerge, and believe me when I say that we have not even scratched the surface of this investigation yet, and the deviant behavior could have been spread around by more parties than just Sandusky, as an ongoing journalistic investigation alleges that boys from The Second Mile charity had been pimped out by Sandusky to high profile, big money Penn State donors. It is also alleged that Penn State offered Sandusky a cover up in exchange for his immediate retirement in 1999 at the age of 55, meaning that the explanation of his being told that he was no longer Paterno's heir to the empire was probably always a lie.
     There are many people to blame for everything that has happened to defenseless children in multiple counts in this case. All of the warning signs were ignored, possibly even blatantly. Once evrything was brought to light as far as what Sandusky's behavior was, they were ignored blantantly in an absolute manner. This is not alleged. This is fact, as it was brought out in the grand jury investigation.
     After a week of careful study and assessment, I have isolated parties of blame, and what could have and should have been done in every case, by each individual. There are many villains in this tale, because as I am about to show you, power and greed were the driving forces in covering these heinous acts up. Let's take a look at who is to blame, and how this unwielding loyalty to Joe Paterno, and Paterno's own ego killed his legacy.

Joe Paterno
    You don't need me to tell you about his record. You don't need me to tell you anything more about his age, and how everyone has felt about his impending departure to either retirement, or quite frankly, death. What you do need to know is that in all likelihood, Paterno knew everything that was going on in and around his program.
      In 2002, it was brought to Paterno's attention by then grad assistant Mike McQueary that McQueary had witnessed Sandusky sodomizing a 10 year old boy in the assistant coaches shower. That was all that Paterno should have ever needed to have heard.
     That being said, Paterno likely lied to investigators when he said that he was informed of what was only "inappropriate behavior, and horse play". What did Paterno need to hear after innapropriate, shower, Sandusky, naked, and ten year old to gauge the seriousness of the issue?
     At that point, Paterno informed his AD, Tim Curley, who as we now know, buried it with he and Gary Schultz, the former head of Finance and Business, who the Penn State University Police Department fell under. We also now know that this was not the first time that Curley and Schultz had been made aware of these kinds of issues with Sandusky, but we'll get to that later.
     Where this applies to Paterno in this particular instance, is that Paterno told Curley, and then he walked away from it. Paterno never brought it up again with anyone to the knowledge of those involved in the case. His persona in this is that he did what he should have done, and that was that. Besides, Sandusky was no longer a member of his staff, so it wasn't his problem. To quote Lee Corso, "not so fast my friend".
     It is fairly apparent now, that when Sandusky was offered his retirement in 1999, he was informed by Paterno that he was no longer the heir apparent to Paterno's job. The reason for that was likely that Paterno had been made aware of Sandusky's behavior likely as early as 1998, when Sandusky was investigated over a six week period by both University and State College Police over his involvement with the individual now known in the Grand Jury Report as Victim 1.
     There is no credible way that Paterno could ever have been completely insulated from a six week investigation into a member of his staff for something as incredulous as sexual assault on a minor. There is no credible way that Paterno could not have been included on this investigation at any time, whether or not he was questioned, as Schultz and Curley both had to have known themselves, as Schultz was running the campus police unit.
     The fact now that Paterno denies any of this is laughable at best. The only way Paterno could credibly state that he had no knowledge of Sandusky's behavior was if he suddenly claimed that he is now suffering from dimentia, and I hardly think that this is the case.
     The answer is simple. At Penn State there are two central rules, and there always have been. The first rule is to protect Paterno at all costs. The second rule is to protect Penn State at all costs. That is correct, I said that first comes Paterno, and then comes Penn State. Many believed, and they were wrong on so many counts, that there was no Penn State without Paterno. So therefore, Paterno himself came before the university. Paterno created an aura around himself over the years, and it was carefully crafted as to create this zone where nobody could question him. He entrenched himself in power so deeply that he even was instrumental in creating school policy. Not just football or athletic policy, but school political and academic policy. This is no a myth, as it is as true as the day is long.
     Paterno had more power at Penn State than anyone, including the school president. There were some in the state that believed that Paterno had just about more power than anyone in the entire state of Pennsylvania, and they probably would not have been very far off. If Joe said it, it went, and that was that. Nobody wields that kind of power without knowing absolutely everything about anything that was going on of any importance.
     In 2004, school administrators had decided that Paterno had reached his past freshness date and went to his house (one that is on University property, mind you), and asked him to resign. He kicked them out of his house, and they left, never to ask for his resignation again.
     Paterno has invested millions of dollars into the university as well, so he made sure to become an investment that kept on paying dividends to the university. He brought in huge money in donations, and Penn State had become the third highest revenue program in college football behind only Texas and Notre Dame. In short, Paterno ensured his power by becoming a cash cow, one that was invaluable to university success. That kind of financial power brings a status of invincibility.
     Paterno had come to believe that he was untouchable, and his program had become all powerful in his wake. Nothing was going to bleimish or slight his empire, and that is exactly what it was. Paterno, and those that answered to him in essence, would even bury sexual assault on children to keep his program from coming to harm.
     Paterno was foolish in believing that he could bury this burden forever. The longer that Paterno tried to bury this, the more it became likely that the bomb was going to go off. Last Saturday, it finally went off right under his ass.
     Paterno could have been the hero that so many always thought of him to be. Paterno could have dragged this case straight to the authorities as soon as he heard about it. He could have been the man that saved so many innocent kids from the depravities of Sandusky, but instead, he became Sandusky's enabler, and became a party to the enslavement of the dignity of children, yet another monster that was responsible in his very own way of their lost innocence. Paterno's greed for more success, more power, and more arrogance became his very own monster, and in the end, it destroyed everything good that Paterno had ever built.
     In the end, Paterno is a pathetic and defeated figure. His ego was so large, his hunger for power so extreme, that he even attempted to craft his own way out of this by announcing his own terms for his departure via retirement at season's end. Once again, the Corsoism "not so fast sweetheart". The Board of Trustees stepped up to the plate, and much too late, became the only heroes on the day and announced that Paterno's greed would no longer be satiated on their watch, his thirst for power forceably quenched and satiated. He was relieved of his duties by phone, because quite frankly, they could no longer take the chances that they wouldn't be kicked out of "his house".
     There was a time in the 1980's that Paterno had been offered the job as head coach of the New England Patriots on three different occasions. He didn't take the job because he "didn't want to leave college football in the hands of the Barry Switzer's and Jackie Sherrill's of the world". It turns out that in his own special way, he was probably just as bad as they were in the end.

Jerry Sandusky
     At the end of the day, Sandusky is the main villain in all of this. It was he who defiled so many children in his day. He is the true face of evil, the beast that tore out the souls of at least 8 young boys over the course of decades. He was the devil encarnate. That being said, there was no Sandusky if there were no enablers, and of those there were plenty.
     The truth is, Sandusky has probably collected way more than eight victims in his life. The average male sexual predator collects 107 victims in his lifetime. I am fairly guessing that Sandusky did not wake up one day and decide to start sexually violating young boys. It is more than likely something that goes far more in depth, and one can only hope that if there are other victims of his abuses, that they now gain the courage to come forward. They have been given the burden of protecting other children now from this undeniable bastard.
     Sandusky's behaviors with all of his victims were consistent. It started with a hand on the leg of his passengers in his cars. It included, universally, wreslting around and sweating followed by "necessary showers" with his prey.
     We all know the depraved acts now, as they are clearly painted in the grand jury report. THere is not much more than I can say than he betrayed anyone and everyone that ever came into his trust. He destroyed the bonds of decades worth of boys and men that had ever placed him on the dias of royalty that anyone associated with Penn State football gained access to.
      As was portayed in the grand jury report, Sandusky was confronted twice by the mother of victim number 1. She was the only known mother that had the guts to go after the man that she knew had violated her son. She brought the police in on the investigation in 1998. The police heard him admit his showering with her son, and he stated that he wished he were dead. Funny...so do I.
      Sandusky is the monster of monsters. He will hopefully rot in prison for the rest of his miserable life. I think most of us would be just fine with that. If you are not, you had better check yourself.

Mike McQueary
     McQueary has spent his entire life in State College. He grew up there, went to high school there, played and started at QB for Penn State, and became a coach on the staff there. Those days are most certainly over.
     In 2002, McQueary walked in on Jerry Sandusky raping a 10 year old child by means of anal sex. It was not mistaken as to what he saw, and that, as well, has been clearly documented in the grand jury report. What happened next perplexes most if not all of us.
     McQueary did nothing. He did not attack Sandusky, as I know I would have done. He did not attempt to save the child from the horrors of anal rape. He simply left the room, even though he had clearly be seen by both. He called not the police, but his father. He went to daddy to tell him what to do. He was an adult. He should have known what to do. He should have taken care of the matter first personally, and then through the authorities. And even worse, after telling Paterno, not that night, but the next day, he never followed up. He never pressed the issue with anyone. He simply took whatever deal was offered to shut his miserable pussified mouth, and he walked away, becoming yet another potential enabler in Sandusky's behavior. Because McQueary did nothing that night, and never did anything from that point forward, he fell as well, and now is a villain in his own home. He bought into the greed and the power that became Penn State football, rather than doing the right thing. The worst part of all, is that from that horrible night in 2002 until just two weeks ago, he witnessed Sandusky continue to come onto the Penn State campus, and he never pressed or asked the important questions.

Graham Spanier
     Spanier was the defacto school president, but we all know that he answered to his cash cow, Joe Paterno. Spanier had no real power, and he acted as the great enabler when he refused to force Sandusky off campus. He grinned and bore the responsibility of knowing that he had a known child molestor on his campus, and he did absolutely nothing to keep Sandusky off of the Penn State campus, and likely orchastrated any deals for the purpose of a cover up by his very title.
     None of the issues that I reference above could have happened without his expressed concsent and signature at the end of the day. There is still protocol, even if Spanier was a defacto Paterno puppet. Spanier sat for 13 years....let that sink in....13 years, knowing that he had a violator in his midst, and he did nothing. Not one fucking thing to deal with this and take the responsibility with being a school president. One could argue that Spanier was insolated along with Paterno from any of this, and therefore had no knowledge. To that I say one word. IMPOSSIBLE!!!
     Nobody rises to the position of school president and doesn't know when a member of his "team" is being investigated for six weeks for something as serious as sexual assault on a minor. The fact is that Spanier was not being responsible for his ship, and it destroyed him in the end. He should be in prison, but for a douche like Spanier, a likely lifetime ban from academia may be his prison, his own personal hell. Oh, how I hope so!

Tim Curley
     Curley, the AD at Penn State, was a central figure in the cover up, and along with Gary Schultz, will likely be going to prison. He certainly looks all Midwest morals and ethics, but in truth, Curly was as evil as anyone in all of this, regardless of what he may think about himself. What he did was inexcusable.
     He had, on at least two seperate occasions, had information that placed Sandusky at the helm of a series of sexual acts of indecency performed on minors using facilities that he, again as a defact Paterno puppet, controlled as Athletic Director.
     I would state that he said that he had no knowledge od the depth as to what was going on, but that is now cemented in fact as a very deep and twisted lie, created to first protect Paterno and his program, and secondly, to protect Penn State, in essence following the PSU rules that we spoke of earlier. He got caught, and then he got popped, and last week turned himself in, along with Gary Schultz, to the state police in Harrisburg.
     Curly is every bit responsble for anything purpetrated upon those children as Sandusky was, because he absolutely buried it. He could have saved countless victims, but allowed there horror to exist. My only hope for Curly is that he gets to find out what it's like to be someone's bitch in prison, so that he knows how those kids felt everytime that his irresponsibilities allowed them to be raped by one of his employees. There is no doubt that he allowed this, and he covered it up, making him a central villain. May he rot in hell.

In The End
     The Paterno legacy is dead. It is buried in the center of campus, and it was killed by the overwhelming desire not to save children, but to save its very self.  Power, greed, and an unhealthy loyalty or fear of Paterno by his underlings led to its very demise.
      At the end of the day, absolute power corrupts absolutely. No coach, on any level or sport, should ever wield the kinds of power that these people were allowed to wield. These are the dangers that things like this can happen, and that "responsible people" lose their way through the fog pf power and greed.
     It happens everywhere, all of the time. In closing, I quote Matt Millen when he said, "if we can't protect our kids, than we are pathetic as a society". This was a massive failure on part of the people that should have been in place to make sure that none of this ever should have happened. You don't plan for it, and it's not in a book somewhere. You just don't let it happen. If it happens, you shut it down violently. Unless, of course, you subscribe to the rules of power and greed.

2011 FCS Playoff Projections...Who's In/Who's Out

Here are our most up to date playoff projections heading into the last two weeks of full play in FCS Football. This is our third look into the projections.

The Big Sky
In: Montana State, Montana, Portland State
Bubble: None
MSU and Montana are hurtling towards a November 19th showdown for the Big Sky title. Montana, after a slow start, has come raging back in conference play. Montana State has been fairly dominant since losing to Utah, and would be the favorite here. Portland State is the surprise team of the season, and has winnable games remaining against putrid Northern Colorado and Weber State, which should be enough to push the Vikings into the playoffs. No other members are close to making a push. Montana State ranks 3rd in the PRS rankings this week, while Montana ranks 11th. Portland State has not cracked the top 35.

The Big South
In: Liberty
Bubble: Stony Brook
Liberty must travel to Stony Brook after a bye week this week to play for what should be the Big South Title. Liberty collapsed late last season to fumble away a title and playoff birth. Stony Brook has been solid in recent weeks, and they must take on Gardner-Webb this week before hosting Liberty in a title tilt the following week to close the regular season. Liberty is ranked 20th in the PRS Rankings this week, while Stony Brook ranks 24th. Only one of thsese schools is likely to see a playoff birth.

Colonial
In: Towson, Maine, New Hampshire, Old Dominion
Bubble: James Madison, Delaware
The top four are knocking eachother around a bit, but they are a solid unit. Towson controls their own destiny for the CAA title after beating Maine last weekend, but UNH visits this weekend and can turn the tables. UNH then plays Maine the following weekend, so there is still some fluctuation highly possible. Old Dominion could looks solid to push in as well, and is the highest ranked team in the CAA in this week's PRS at #6. Towson ranks #10, New Hampshire #12, and Maine #15 in the PRS as well. James Madison and Delaware could steal spots, but both must win out at this point.

Great West
In: None
Bubble: Cal Poly
There is no auto bid for this conference, but Cal Poly, by winning out, may stand a shot at gaining an at-large bid. That is highly unlikely at this point. This is the final season for this conference.

MEAC
In: Norfolk State
Bubble: Florida A&M, Bethune-Cookman, South Carolina State
Norfolk State wraps up their season this weekend against Morgan State on the road, and with a win would lock up the MEAC title. The Spartans rank 9th in this week's PRS rankings, and should be a shoe-in for a playoff bid. The MEAC placed two teams in the FCS playoffs in 2010, so Florida A&M and Bethune-Cookman could use late runs to try and grab a spot, but that looks like an outside chance at this point. South Carolina is also slightly alive, but has four losses. That record is an illusion, as SC State lost to two FBS opponents. SC State ranks 31st, Bethune-Cookman ranks 33rd, and Florida A&M ranks 34th this week, so they are far outside possibilities until Norfolk wraps up the title.

Missouri Valley
In: North Dakota State, Northern Iowa, Illinois State
Bubble: Indiana State, Youngstown State
North Dakota State has been swapping 1 and 2 in the PRS rankings, and the Bison are currently #2, just 104 points behind Sam Houston State. They are automatic at this point. Northern Iowa, ranked 14th, lost to NDSU last week, but is still a solid bet to get in on their own merit. Illinois State has been quietly running a solid season, and they should be solid enough to push their way in for a second at-large bid from the MVC. The Redbirds cracked our PRS rankings at #22 this week. Indiana State has been fading, but a late push could do some good, while Youngstown State is also a loss away from slipping out entirely.

Northeast
In: Albany
Bubble: Duquesne
Albany is in the drivers seat for the auto bid this season. That being said, there are two games remaining for both, and anything can happen. Duquesne needs Albany to lose twice, as Albany has already beaten the Dukes. Monmouth and Sacred Heart remain on the schedule for the Great Danes.

Ohio Valley
In: Eastern Kentucky
Bubble: Tennessee Tech, Jacksonville State, UT-Martin, Murray State
Anything can happen in the topsy turvy OVC. This is the land where everyone beats up on everyone else, and it is creating chaos when trying to break it all down. EKU is now in control, but has games remaining against Tennessee TEch and UT-Martin, both bubble teams. Other than their date with EKU, Tech has a very winnable date with Austin Peay. JSU has two very winnable dates remaining against Tennessee State andSE Missouri State, but both are on the road. UTM has road dates at Tennessee State and EKU, while Murray State, the most unlikely candidate, has Austin Peay and SE Missouri State.EKU is the only PRS ranked team in the country this week at 25.

Patriot League
In: Lehigh
Bubble: Georgetown
In my opinion, both have the right to stake claim to a playoff spot, but only one likely will get in. This all comes down to the final game of the season, as PRS 8th ranked Georgetown travels to 4th ranked Lehigh for a final showdown for all of the marbles. Get ready for a war!

Pioneer Football
In: None
Bubble: Drake, Jacksonville, San Diego
It's highly likely that none of these schools get into the playoffs yet again, as no auto bid exists, and all three have issues. Drake played an exhibition game in Africa, eliminating them from contention, while Jacksonville failed against an upgraded schedule, losing to Citadel and Western Illinois, and falling to Drake last Saturday. San Diego has a very unattractive schedule for the committee having played Azusa Pacific and Western New Mexico. Drake ranks 23rd in the PRS rankings, while Jacksonville fell to 28th, and San Diego sits at #30.

Southern
In: Georgia Southern, Wofford, Appalacahian State, Furman
Bubble: None
It's all or nothing for this group, as I see all four having strong credentials for getting in. They have also all beaten eachother at some point, making things murky at best. GSU can take Wofford out of the race this weekend when the Eagles travel to face the Terriers. They then finish up with a likely meaningless loss to Alabama. Wofford follows their home date with GSU with a potential trap game against Chattanooga, who plays spoiler. Furman has beaten Wofford and Appalachian State, and has Elon and Florida left on the schedule. App. State has the easiest road by far, as they take on Elon and Western Carolina. he drawback to the Mountaineers are that they have lost to Wofford and Furman. Georgia Southern ranks 7th this week in the PRS, while Wofford follows at #17. App. State is #26, while Furman ranks 32nd, placing App. State and Furman closer to the bubble.

Southland
In: Sam Houston State
Bubble: Central Arkansas
In my opinion, both merit a shot at a playoff bid, with SHSU being the automatic, as they rank #1 in the new PRS FCS Rankings. SHSU is starting to open up their lead on the #1 spot, and are seemingly pulling away for our FCS regular season championship. Central Arkansas is one of the rising stars of FCS football, and after just missing out last season, they are pushing for a strong bid this fall. The Bears are ranked #19 in this weeks PRS Rankings, and are a fast climber. The Bears close out their season against Texas State this weekend, and then they wait and see. SHSU has two tough dates remaining against Northwestern State and Texas State.

Note: The Ivy League and SWAC do not participate in the FCS playoffs. The Independents, Pioneer League, and Great West do not have automatic bids to the playoffs.

Complete FBS, FCS, and D2 PRS Rankings Posted!

Our top 35 PRS Rankings for FBS, FCS, and D2 are now posted for the week at powerratedsports.com! Stanford, Sam Houston State, and Midwestern State are your number 1 teams for the week.
Our FBS national championship is still wide open, while Sam Houston State, North Dakota State, and Montana State are all duking it out in the FCS ranks for the regular season title.
IN the D2 ranks, as many as seven schools have a shot at the regular season title heading into the final week of the season, with Midwestern State, Winston-Salem State, Colorado State-Pueblo, New Haven, Kutztown, Washburn, and Nebraska-Kearney all having a shot at the title in the season's final week!

Check out the rankings today!

Conference Realignment...What It Should Look Like

With all of the talk of conference relaignmet going on these days, we lose track of what makes sense and what does not in the course of argument. Nobody questions the sense of it enough, nor do they wonder loudly enough at how expensive it will be for a school like West Virginia to travel in all sports for Big 12 dates when the nearest conference rival is now over 800 miles away at Iowa State.
Here is my take on what conference realignment should look like, with a geographically sound approach to the task at hand. It really does work.

ACC
Wake Forest, NC State, Boston College, Maryland, Virginia Tech, Georgia Tech, Virginia, Miami, North Carolina, Duke, Rutgers, West Virginia, Pittsburgh, UConn, Syracuse, South Florida
The ACC becomes a Big East/ACC merger, while losing Florida State and Clemson to the SEC where they pair off with Florida and South Carolina. Divisions would become split by North and South divisions, losing the stupid Coastal and Atlantic division names. Wake, BC, and Maryland would move to North Division with Big East members.

SEC
Clemson, Florida State, Texas A&M, Missouri, Georgia, South Carolina, Florida, Kentucky, Vanderbilt, Tennessee, Alabama, LSU, Arkansas, Auburn, Ole Miss, Mississippi State
Pretty standard here. FSU and Clemson head to the SEC East, while A&M and Mizzou head to the SEC West as the SEC joins the ACC as a 16 team super conference that makes sense.

Big 12
Cincinnati, Louisville, Oklahoma State, Oklahoma, Kansas State, Texas, Baylor, Iowa State, Texas Tech, Kansas, Houston, SMU, Rice, TCU
Again, we go with a north/south split with divisions. Cincinnati, Louisville, Oklahoma St., Oklahoma, Kansas State, Iowa State, and Kansas take the north, while the Texas schools reside in the south. The league holds at 14 schools.

Big 10
Penn State, Ohio State, Wisconsin, Purdue, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan State, Iowa, Nebraska, Michigan, Northwestern, Minnesota
As you can see here, nothing changes at all with the Big 10, but Notre Dame remains on the table as a possible join. For now, it's all good without them.

Conference USA
Southern Miss, Marshall, East Carolina, UCF, Memphis, UAB, Tulsa, UTEP, Tulane, Louisiana Tech
CUSA loses Houston, Rice, and SMU to the Big 12, but gains Louisiana Tech from the WAC to get back to ten. Divisions are eliminated, as is the conference title game. If you wanted to go to five team divisions, you could.

MAC
Ohio, Miami (Ohio), Temple, Kent State, Bowling Green, Buffalo, Akron, UMass, Northern Illinois, Toledo, Ball State, Eastern Michigan, Western Michigan, Central Michigan
The MAC stays exactly as it will look in 2012 with the addition of UMass from the FCS Colonial Athletic. UMass would be placed in the Eastern Division, with a school of your choice slipping to the west.

Mountain West
Boise State, Wyoming, San Diego State, UNLV, Colorado State, Air Force, New Mexico, Nevada, Hawaii, Fresno State, San Jose State, Utah State, New Mexico State, Idaho
The only thing that makes any sense here is that the MWC takes in the wayward WAC drifters. New WAC members UTSA and Texas State, and existing member Louisiana Tech head elsewhere, with UTSA and Texas State heading to the Sun Belt, and La. Tech heading to CUSA. TCU is off to the Big 12. Divisions are split into Mountain and Pacific, splitting up Idaho and Boise State, as they basically hate each other anyway.

Pac-12
Arizona, Arizona State, USC, UCLA, Utah, Colorado, Cal, Stanford, Oregon, Oregon State, Washington, Washington State
Nothing changes at all, and the school presidents get their wish.  Stability reigns supreme.

Sun Belt
Arkansas State, UL-Lafayette, Western Kentucky, FIU, North Texas, Troy, Middle Tennessee, UL-Monroe, FAU, UT-San Antonio, Texas State, South Alabama
The Sun Belt is a big winner in my realignment model, as they lose nobody, and gain three schools in FCS transfers UTSA, Texas State, and South Alabama. UTSA and Texas State come from the WAC, while South Alabama is moving up from FCS, which was already planned. The divisions split into east/west, and a conference title game is added.

Independents
Notre Dame, BYU, Navy, Army
This group also stays the same, as there is no issue with independence. Navy and Army would not split in any scenario.

New FBS and FCS Rankings Released

Our new PRS Rankings are posted and available for viewing at powerratedsports.com! Here is a look at the top ten from both the FBS and FCS rankings. D2 Rankings will post tomorrow night!

FBS Top 10
1. Stanford
2. Oklahoma State
3. Alabama
4. Houston
5. Boise State
6. LSU
7. Oklahoma
8. Virginia Tech
9. Clemson
10. Michigan

Stanford moves into the top spot by virtue of their triple OT win over USC, while Oklahoma State crushed Baylor to leap into the second spot. Alabama was idle, and therefore gained no points this week (as you know, if you do not play, you do not obtain points that week). Houston continues to hang around, while Boise dropped due to their idle status as well, as did LSU. Oklahoma is still on the radar, while Virginia Tech cracks the top ten. Clemson dropped out of the title hunt, while Michigan continues to hover at the edge of the top ten.

FCS Top 10
1. Sam Houston State
2. North Dakota State
3. Montana State
4. Maine
5. Lehigh
6. Montana
7. Jackson State
8. Georgia Southern
9. Old Dominion
10. Duquesne

SHSU and NDSU swapped spots despite both winning. Only 75 points separate the two, and they are battling it out to the final week. Montana State has been a meteor in recent weeks and are playing their most dominating ball at the right time. Maine is in control in the Colonial, while Lehigh is closing in on another Patriot League title. Montana couls slide this week as they take on a lower classification opponent this week (bad time to do that). Jackson State appears to be the team to beat in the SWAC, while Georgia Southern fell due to a setback at the hands of Appalachian State. Old Dominion cracks the top 10 after knocking off James Madison at home, while Duquesne has won three straight since falling to Albany.

For complete rankings, click on the link above in this story, and visit Power Rated Sports soon! Thanks for Reading!

New FBS and FCS PRS Rankings Released!

For the FBS and , FCS Top 35, please head to the following link:
http://powerratedsports.com/PRS_Week8.html

FBS Top 10
1. Alabama, 2. Stanford, 3. Boise State, 4. Oklahoma State, 5. LSU, 6. Clemson, 7. Houston,           8. Kansas State, 9. Oklahoma, 10. Michigan

FCS Top 10
1. North Dakota State, 2. Sam Houston State, 3. Georgia Southern, 4. Montana State,
5. Northern Iowa, 6. Towson, 7. Alabama State, 8. Maine, 9. Lehigh, 10. Montana

A Finish For the Ages In East Lansing, Michigan State 37, Wisconsin 31

Keith Nichol went to Michigan State to play QB. He ended up moving to WR, and tonight, he was the hero of the night, catching a deflected hail mary known in Michigan State's playbook as "Rocket". Wisconsin defenders tried everything that they had to pull Nichol away from the endzone, but it was purely the will of Nichol, who had transferred to MSU from Oklahoma, to move that ball past the plane, and into the endzone.
The play went to replay, as there was no time left. Spartan Stadium went silent. Tension flowed through the crowd as everyone waited with baited breath to see if the Spartans would be given the gift of gifts in the form of an overturned decision. The refs had spotted the ball just short of the goal line. It seemed the the spirits of all Spartans past convened at that very moment to sway the booth officials, as they had seen on a zoom view that maybe a quarter of the nose of the ball had actually penetrated the line. The call was reversed, and Michigan State had won the game, 37-31. That single call also ruined any realistic chances that Wisconsin had at eventually playing for a national championship.
The gravity of that call was shown on so many faces on this night. It was shown in the jubilance of Mark Dantonio as we prayed that the emotion of the moment would not lead to a repeat of the heart attack he had suffered during a similarly emotional last second win against Notre Dame last fall. The exuberance showed on the face of Nichol, who seemingly had players draped over his back as he ran all over the field in pure joy. It showed in the face of Kirk Cousins, the embattled Spartan QB whom nobody ever seems to fully appreciate, and is always under the national radar.
The brevity of the moment also showed on the face of Wisconsin Head Coach Bret Bielema. His face was frozen in disappointment, the absolute shock that this magical season had just lost its luster. There would be no championship run for the Badgers, and no shot at winning the title for Russell Wilson, who had put all of the eggs of his one season of eligibility in the Badger Basket. It would show on the face of Wilson himself, as he hurriedly left the field to do God knows what, but certainly to shield himself from the self imposed probable shame of defeat.
It showed during the play on the faces of Wisconsin Cheerleaders who practically leaned into the field themselves to push Nichol away from the endzone that spelled probable doom for the Badgers. It probably showed in the face of Offensive Coordinator Dan Roushar, who's face we never got to see. You had to know that Roushar was teleporting his will across the stadium to just push his guy through. The amazing thing is that all of this happened in just a span of four miracle seconds.
The moral of the story is one simple statement. Everything, it seems, just might happen for some bizarre reason. Either that, or it could be that the world works at complete random, but whatever you may believe, tonight, Keith Nichol was meant not to be a QB, as he had transferred to Michigan State to be, but rather, he was supposed to be a receiver. Tonight, it was his destiny to catch the rocket, his destiny to be in the right place at the right time, so that magic could happen in East Lansing. Even if you were not a Michigan State fan (well, maybe this won't apply for Badger fans), this is what you wait for all season as a college football fan. We were meant to have witnessed this play, and Keith Nichol was meant to be there to give all of us that moment in time that creates instant classics in this great sport.
Keith Nichol went to Michigan State to play QB. Tonight, he was a WR, and a hero.

It's Over Neuheisel...It's Just Fucking Over

Usually, when a coach gets fired, their team struggles, but competes for the rest of the season. Not Arizona, not tonight, as Arizona leads UCLA at the end of the 3rd quarter by a score of 45-7. All of this is transpiring less than a week after Arizona fired Mike Stoops after getting off to a 1-5 start to their season.
For that very reason, it has become fairly apparent to me (I've known it all season, actually) that Rick Neuheisel is obviously not the guy that should be running the UCLA program.
We are half way through his 5th season as head coach at UCLA, and he is about to fall 8 games under .500 for his career, which has a high point of winning the Eagle Bank Bowl, in which they actually had to rally to beat Temple.
The reality is, that despite getting rave reviews for his recruiting class, it appears that those classes were overrated. He coaches in a hot bed of high school talent, yet he cannot seem to keep the best talent at home. He recruits Southern California, probably one of the top 5 high school talent areas in the country, only against USC, which has been under sanctions. That being said, he still can't keep the talent at home.
Watching this team, it appears that his kids have tuned him out. Nobody believes anymore. During a blowout loss to Texas, the boosters and money bags in the press box stopped talking about the game and started talking about potential replacements for Neuheisel. They no longer believe that UCLA's golden boy, Slick Rick, can get it done. The Alumni and boosters are so done with Neuheisel, that they sent a contingent to speak with Mike Leach in Los Angeles two weeks ago to gauge his interest for the job. Apparently, he is quite interested indeed.
He brought in Norm Chow. Chow was already done. It was a bad hire that Neuheisel thought would push him past USC. It didn't work. Chow was eventually moved out of the job.
He tried to retain DeWayne Walker as DC. Walker left after one season for the New Mexico State head job, and UCLA has still not found a steady replacement, and hired a UFL guy in Joe Tresey this season, which has been, in short, a fucking disaster.
Neuheisel ditched the West Coast Offense for the Pistol. It's been more like a cap gun, with absolutely no punch whatsoever.
He has had 4 years to develop a QB. He is a former QB, and had brought in Chow, a supposed QB guru, and has still never found a QB worth a luke warm bucket of piss.
When Bob Toledo and Karl Dorrell were both fired, more than wins and losses, it ended up being empty seats that were their undoing. UCLA failed to sell out the Texas game (fucking Texas, people), and the San Jose State game sold about as many tickets as a high school game, making the Rose Bowl look like an empty cavern. By the way, they barely defeated San Jose State.
How much more does Dan Guerrero need to see before pulling the trigger? How much more do we need to see of Neuheisel or Guerrero himself? In my opinion, they should both go out the door with a swift kick in the ass. UCLA needs an AD that understands running a football program, as Guerrero was hired from UC Irvine, a non-football school. The athletic department has slipped significantly under his watch, and this was his second terrible coaching hire, as his first hire, Karl Dorrell, was an abject disaster on the job.
The Move needs to be made, and not at the end of the season, but it needs to be made now. It matters not who comes in on an interim basis. If it were me, I would hire Leach now, and let him ride out the season. It may save part of the season, and it would surely put asses back in the seats for the remainder of the home schedule. Imagine if Leach came on board and could somehow muster a run with maybe a shocking win over USC? You cannot expect that from Neuheisel, because he has already lost most of us.
In closing, I have followed and supported UCLA for over 30 years. I have never been as depressed about this program as I am right now, because you always had hope that they would turn the corner before. Unless something is done immediately, I no longer have that hope. They just fall farther and farther behind, until they are where they are now, one of the most irrelevant teams in America. They are based in Los Angeles, and they are an embarrassment to the city, and that's on Neuheisel.
Just admit it Rick...it's over. It's just fucking over.

New Material

I would like to apologize to our fans who have been coming to this site for the past year. We have added lots of material to our new site, powerratedsports.com and are also working on some new material for this blog as well. Please follow the link to the new site, and continue to follow this blog, as we will be adding a ton of new material throughout the upcoming weekend!
As always, thanks for reading!

Scott Bilo

Coming Up This Week

We are back to full speed starting tomorrow, Monday, October 10th. Tomorrow will bring our new PRS rankings for FBS, FCS, and D2 football. Following that up will be our weekly Pass/Fail Reports. We will also be posting more game reports from all over the Saturday college football slate. Tuesday brings a brand new Seven Points, along with a brand new updated Coaches Swimming in the Dead Pool, Coaches on the Hot Seat, and much more as we are hitting our mid-season point. On Wednesday, we will be making our Game of the Week selections, and will be posting our new picks for all of the games for next week.
Please join us as we hit the ground running tomorrow morning, and thanks to those of you who have been bearing with us during our recent technical issues.
Get ready for a huge week 7 at powerratedsports.com and at the Bilo College Football Report!

Bilo's Bets for Week 6

I have just returned from the Las Vegas Strip, and here are the bets that I have placed at the Flamingo Sports Book. All bets are for saturday's games. For those who do not know, I live in Las Vegas, and will report on what angles are being taken by different sports books from week to week.

Card 1 (Ties Win)
Clemson -21
Arizona -2
TCU -4
Ohio -8
Washington State +3.5

Card 2 (Teaser Card)
Army -1.5
Georgia Tech -13.5
Nebraska -11.5
Ohio -8.5
Arizona -1.5

TCU Moves to Big 12

In a late move, the TCU Horned Frogs have been offered a spot in the Big 12 as of this morning. Read more at powerratedsports.com as we break down the latest move in conference reallignment!

QB of the Year Candidates

Based on stat compilations for the first month of the season, using seven different stats, the following players are the leaders for QB of the Year. These standings are expected to change throughout the remainder of the season. This is a points based system much like our PRS Rankings at Power Rated Sports, and players are rated from lowest number to highest.

1. Case Keenum, Houston 5.29
2. Matt Barkley, USC 10.71
3. Nick Foles, Arizona 10.86
4. Robert Griffin III, Baylor 11.71
5. Brandon Weedon, Oklahoma State 11.86
6. Landry Jones, Oklahoma 12.29
7. Seth Doege, Texas Tech 12.71
8. Tyler Bray, Tennessee 14.29
9. Russell Wilson, Wisconsin 15.43
10. Alex Carder, Western Michigan 18.00

Next Ten

Kellen Moore, Boise State; Geno Smith, West Virginia; Tyler Wilson, Arkansas; Marshall Lobbestael, Washington State; Bryant Moniz, Hawaii; Tahj Boyd, Clemson; Keith Price, Washington; Bryn Renner, North Carolina; Matt Schilz, Bowling Green; Andrew Luck, Stanford