Powerratedsports.com All-Bilo FBS KR of the Year 2011

We continue now with our All-Bilo FBS Kick Returner of the Year for 2011. This individual was purely electric when given half a chance to bust through a seam in 2011. He was a strong beacon on a team that is trying to build from the ground up, and was a spark for this team throughout the season. The winner of the 2011 Powerratedsports.com All-Bilo FBS Kick Return Man of the Year Award is...


Taveon Rogers, New Mexico State
Rogers averaged 26.16 yards per return on the 2011 season, and returned 3 of his 50 touches for touchdowns for the Aggies. Rogewrs was probably the most electric player to wear the uniform in Las Crucas in years, and racked up 1308 yards in total return yards alone. He averaged 100.6 kick return yards per game on 3.8 returns. Rogers' best game came against Fresno State, when he returned 8 kicks for 246 yards and a TD, averaging 30.7 yards per return on the day.

Powerratedsports.com All-Bilo FBS Punter of the Year 2011

The winner of the All-Bilo punter of the Year for 2011 did not come from a winning team, but his team's struggles certainly aided his personal portfolio, which is a silver lining being a punter on a team that otherwise cannot get out of their own way. In that regard, this individual more than earned his scholarship this season. And the winner of the Powerratedsports.com All-Bilo FBS Punter of the YEar for 2011 is...


Bobby Cowan, Idaho
Cowan was forced to punt for the struggling Vandals a whopping 88 times in 2011, which averaged out to 7.3 punts per game. He never faltered, as one would fear that his leg would at some point fall off. He nailed his punts for an average of 46.41 yards per punt on the season. Cowan ounted a season high 11 times against Louisiana Tech, and also hit double figures with 10 punts against Texas A&M. He averaged 50 yards per punt in the Louisiana Tech game, and 42.5 yards per punt against A&M. In all, Cowan punted for an extraordinary 4084 yards on the season for the 2-10 Vandals.

Powerratedsports.com All-Bilo FBS PK of the Year 2011

We now continue our awards season with our All-Bilo FBS Placekicker of the Year for 2011. After a fantastic season, we are pleased to announce that the winner of this year's award is...


Randy Bullock, Texas A&M
Bullock was the most active kicker in the nation this season. Bullock hit a fantastic 29 of 33 field goal attempts on the season, which was good for a 87.9% success rate. That was a national best for any kicker attempting 30 or more FGs on the season. Bullock was also good for 2.2 FGs per game, which often times saved a struggling Aggies team from certain doom. Bullock was also good on 55 of 57 PATs in 2011.

Powerratedsports.com All-Bilo FBS DB of the Year 2011

We begin to wrap up our FBS All-Bilo Players of the Year today, as we continue with our award for the FBS Defensive Back of the Year for 2011.
There were several very solid performances turned in during the 2011 season, but one player in particular turned heads with a ball hawking style all his own. Without further delay, we are proud to annnounce oour selection for the Powerratedsports.com All-Bilo FBS DB of the Year Award winner for 2011. And the winner is...


David Amerson, North Carolina State
Amerson was a clear choice for his production as a ball hawk, having picked off 13 passes during the 2011 season, and breaking up 5 others on the season. Amerson had 2 picks in a game 4 different times this season, and his 5 pass breakups led the Wolfpack. Amerson also added 59 tackles on the season, keeping him right in the middle of the action.

Why the BCS Fails

     The final day of the 2011 college football season is upon us, and it is coming about a week late in my book. The BCS National Championship game has about as much sway for me as killing my nightly plans out to sit back and take in a poker match on ESPN 32. Essentially, this game has about as much meaning as another Lindsay Lohan  public service announcement about sobriety. It has nothing behind it. There is literally no more punch behind this game as there ever was in the old bowl system, that quite frankly, was never as damaged as the system that we now have, which is a system, that despite public rage to the highest degree, is rejected almost universally.
      The universal statement is one that I share when it comes to the hatred of the system this season. How can a team that did not even win its own division in its own conference compete for a national title without making it there by virtue of an at-large bid in a spanning playoff system? If Alabama and LSU were matching up because they fell together by winning 4 games to meet up once more, no problem here. That they were pitted together because of human interference in a ranking system that is as arcane as a stretching rack? Not good for the public and fan base. The fact that nobody can really sit you down and explain exactly how this thing works? A disgrace.
      There have been years past where schools have griped about not making the "title game" because of one loss. The argument that was used against these schools? You lost a game...you had your chance. OK. What about Bama? Did they not lose a game to the very team that they are playing tonight? Did they not have their chance already? Did they not blow it in a blaze of absolute glory? Hell yes they did. It was one of the worst games EVER played back in November. That statement, too, is universally accepted. So the argument that is used is that Oklahoma State lost to Iowa State. At least Alabama lost to LSU. Last time I checked, isn't a loss still a loss, regardless of how it happened? Had Alabama lost to, say, Ole Miss...what then?
      Let's not forget that the media has a huge bias towards the SEC. This is a truth that cannot be explained away. Everyone in the country outside of SEC country acknowledges this statement. There are those, inside and outside of SEC country that just cannot stand anyone outside of the class of original powers getting to play for anything. To them I say this. GROW UP! Embrace change and the present. This is no longer 1972. The game has changed, and new powers have emerged. There are powers that now exist outside of your bubble. For the majority of us, we are tired of having the same damn schools shoved down our throats because that's the way that it's always been. You want to hold onto a decaying system of doing things just because of a fear of change, here is a news flash...the world has passed you by in a blinding flash.
     The BCS has also spawned a series of other meaningless bowls that have done nothing but clouded the landscape, while knocking down the meaning of the very bowls that they support. There are now 35 bowls in play. I will be the first to admit that new bowls started and failed constantly under the old system, but we now have 35 bowls. We never had anything like it before, and it's not a good thing. There are other bowls that were solid products back in the day that have been neutralized. The Rose Bowl, the Cotton Bowl, the Fiesta Bowl, and the Orange Bowl are all Bowls that were the icon of post season college football, but all receive second tier status because they no longer host anyone that could be capable of actually being named as champion. If you end up in any of these bowls, you failed in the BCS system. And why call these bowls members of the "Bowl Championship Series". The winners don't have any claim to play for a stake of an actual championship. They have scammed us with the very title of it. There is virtually no difference to winning the Rose Bowl as there is to winning the Idaho Potato Bowl. It means exactly the same thing. You won a bowl game, but that's it. There's nothing else to see here folks, so see you next fall!
     America is noticing the disaster. More and more people are clammoring for changem but the powers that be that run the BCS and the Bowls keep on telling you to never mind the man behind the curtain. They want you to believe that nothing is wrong, and everything is fine. They want you to believe it to the tune of billions of dollars. Don't buy in people, because the likelihood that your school will win this thing is beyond a shadow of a doubt unless you live in certain conference zones. If you are non-AQ, don't even worry about it. Bowl ratings overall in 2011/12 are in the tank. The Orange bowl had about a 5th of the ratings of any night of American Idol, with just over a 7 share. That's not good. There are sitcoms that scored better. Ratings for the secondary bowls...yeah, you guessed it. In the tank.
     I have always been a traditionalist when it comes to the bowls. I fought the BCS since day one. I realized this in 1998, when as a UCLA fan, I was depressed that we were going to the Rose Bowl. DEPRESSED ABOUT A ROSE BOWL BID!!!! INSANITY!!!! That being said, that until a playoff system is installed, any national champion that is crowned in FBS football is a fraud. There is no basis to it, and it was hardly earned.
     In closing, think about this. Every major aport in America is decided by a playoff, with exception to major college football. And every division or conference in every sport is represented in these sports, with exception of major college football. Think about it.

2011 Powerratedsports.com All-Bilo FBS LB of the Year

One player was so far out in front of the competition at linebacker in 2011, that I won't even bother to list my finalists, because there was truly only one. That being said, the winner of the 2011 Powerratedsports.com All-Bilo FBS Linebacker of the Year Award is...


Luke Kuelchy, Boston College
When you here the phrase "tackle machine", Kuelchy's picture is right next to it in the books. Kuelchy is one of only two players who have as yet been named as All-Bilo Players of the Year at any position (Idaho State Punter David Harrington is the other) twice, as Kuelchy won this award last season as well. Kuelchy recorded 191 total tackles on the season in 2011, which was a severely down year for the Eagles. That being said, Kuelchy never played down, and continued on with his dominance at linebacker. Kuelchy averaged 15.92 tackles per game this season, and has recorded 374 tackles over the last two seasons. Kuelchy also added 12 TFLs on the season.

2011 Powerratedsports.com All-Bilo FBS DL of the Year

Three key components were brought into play when it came time to consider our Defensivel Lineman of the Year Award winner. We considered sacks, tackles for loss, and total tackles on the season. A blend of those three numbers brought us to our winner of the award for this season. Here are the finalists:

Andre Branch, Clemson
Damonte Moore, Texas A&M
Sean Parker, Texas A&M
Derek Wolfe, Cincinnati
Whitney Mercilus, Illinois
Vinny Curry, Marshall
John Simon, Ohio State
Cordarro Law, Southern Mississippi
Drew Nowak, Western Michigan
Brett Roy, Nevada
Logan Harrell, Fresno State
Travis Johnson, San Jose State

And the winner is...


Drew Nowak, Western Michigan
Nowak was a seriously disruptive force for the Broncos this season, and on defense, was one of the primary reasons for the Broncos return to the bowl season in 2011. Nowak finished the season with 91 tackles on the season, a number most impressive for any defensive lineman. He added 8.5 sacks on the season, and was also good for an outstanding 20.5 tackles for loss on the season. Nowak's best game for tackles was against Illinois, when he collected 11 tackles on the night, and he positively dominated Akron by collecting 5 TFLs in that one game.

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

We move on with our positional players of the year with our FBS Tight End of the Year for 2011. There were a solid group of TEs in the country this season, so here is a list of our finalists for this award.

Dwayne Allen, Clemson
Michael Egnew, Missouri
Nick Provo, Syracuse
Tyler Eifort, Notre Dame
Gavin Escobar, San Diego State
Austin Sefarian-Jenkins, Washington
Coby Fleener, Stanford
Orson Charles, Georgia
Jack Doyle, Western Kentucky
Ladarius Green, Louisiana-Lafayette
Ryan Otten, San Jose State

The winner of this award is named based on an average score taken from six receiving categories. The player with the highest score amongst those categories is then named our All-Bilo TE of the Year. And the winner of the Powerratedsports.com All-Bilo FBS TE of the Year for 2011 is...


Tyler Eifort, Notre Dame
Eifort was a major factor in the Irish passing game in 2011. With young, developing QBs on the roster, Eifort was a stabalizing force on offense, having caught 63 passes for 803 yards and 5 TDs. Eifort averaged 12.75 yards per catch on the season, and averaged 4.8 catches per game. Eifort was good for 61.8 yards per game on the season, as Notre Dame finished the year with an 18-14 loss to Florida State in the Champs Sports Bowl.

2011 Powerratedsports.com All-Bilo FBS WR of the Year

As we continue with our postseason honors, we continue with our WR of the Year for FBS football for 2011. Here is our list of finalists for the season:

Kendall Wright, Baylor
Justin Blackmon, Oklahoma State
Muhammed Sanu, Rutgers
Patrick Edwards, Houston
Jordan White, Western Michigan
Nick Harwell, Miami (Ohio)
Eric Page, Toledo
Robert Woods, USC

This award is given to the individual receiver that scored the highest average score based on six different receiving only categories. At this time, we are proud to announce the winner of the 2011 Powerratedsports.com All-Bilo FBS WR of the Year Award. And the winner is...


Jordan White, Western Michigan
Jordan White was nothing short of amazing in 2011, as he led the nation in receptions (140), yards (1911), receptions per game (10.8), and yards per game (147). He also finished 2nd in the nation in TD receptions with 17. White also averaged 13.65 yards per reception on the season, making him a major threat whenevr he touched the football. In the Pizza Bowl loss to Purdue, White caught 13 passes for 265 yards with one score.  White had double digit receptions 8 times in 2011, including a season high 16 in a 66-63 loss to Toledo. He also scored multiple TDs in 7 games on the season, including 3 scores in that Toledo loss.
Congratulations to Jordan and the Bronco program!

2012 Capital One Bowl Final

 
South Carolina 30, Nebraska 13
The Gamecocks scored 21 unanswered points and rolled past the Cornhuskers in Orlando. Kenny Miles scored on a TD reception and a TD run in the 4th quarter to put the game away for the Gamecocks. Connor Shaw passed for 229 yards and two scores on the day, while Alshon Jeffery caught a 51 yard TD strike from Shaw.
Miles and Shaw both accounted for TD runs on the day, and the SC defense crushed the Husker offense for most of the game. South Carolina also scored two points on a blocked PAT that they returned all the way.
Rex Burkhead was held to just 3.5 yards per carry on the game foe Nebraska, while Taylor Martinez was completely shut down, passing for just 103 yards on the game.

2012 Gator Bowl Final

Florida 24, Ohio State 17
Florida scored on a blocked punt and a kickoff return to give the Gators a 24-17 win over the Buckeyes. The Gators survived a terrible offensive performance to hold off Ohio State, recovering a late onside kick to kill the clock and hold on for the win.
John Brantley completed 12 of 16 passes for just 129 yards an had Florida's other TD on the day, a 16 yard toss to Deonte Thompson in the 1st quarter.
Ohio State turned the football over 3 times, with Dan Herron and DeVier Posey both losing fumbles. The Buckeyes lost their 7th game, the first time that this has happened since 1897. Florida finishes the season at 7-6.

2012 Ticketcity Bowl Final

Houston 30, Penn State 14
Houston came into the game today needing to attack the 5th ranked Penn State pass defense head on, and that is exactly what they did as All-Bilo QB of the Year Case Keenum completed 44 of 68 passes for 533 yards and 3 scores on the day as the Cougars went into cruise mode in the win over the Nittany Lions, who were playing in a bowl game without Joe Paterno in for the first time in decades.
The Cougars jumped out to a 17-0 lead in the 1st quarter, and they coasted from that point on. Patrick Edwards caught 9 passes for 229 yards and 2 scores on the day, while Justin Johnson added 12 receptions for 147 yards and a score. Tyron Carrier was lost in the first half with a knee injury after catching 8 passes. Seven different receivers caught passes for Houston in the win.
For Penn State, it was a different story, as the Nittany Lions came into this game in a huge state of uncertainty, as they don't know who will coach this football team going forward after Tom Bradley was named interim coach back in November. This could have been the end of an era for the entire staff, or it could have been an audition for 2012. If it were that, then this staff should probably pack it in. Rob Bolden looked ill prepared at QB, completing just 7 of 26 passes on the day in the loss.
The Nittany Lions had only 15 1st downs to 25 for Houston, while also losing the turnover war. Penn State turned the ball over 3 times, while Houston never turned the ball over at all. Houston completely neutralized Penn State's best defender in Devon Still, who was being depended upon to disrupt Case Keenum up the middle. That never happened.
Houston finishes the season at 13-1, which is both a school and a Conference USA record. Penn State finishes 9-4, while losing 3 of 4 to close the season.

Bowl Update 2012

Ticketcity Bowl
The tempo has slowed down considerably, but Houston heads into the 4th quarter with a 27-14 lead on Penn State. The Cougars are setting up with a 3 and goal as we start the 4th.

Gator Bowl
Florida has taken a 14-10 lead into the half. John Brantley has completed 10 of his 12 passes for 90 yards and a TD. Braxton Miller of Ohio State is 4 of 6 at the half, and Dan Herron has rushed for 55 yards on 8 carries.

Capital One Bowl
South Carolina leads Nebraska 16-13 on a pair of Connor Shaw TD runs. Shaw has completed 5 of 9 passes for 161 yards, 148 of those going to Alshon Jeffery.
Rex Burkead has rushed for 84 yards for the Huskers.

Outback Bowl
Georgia is physically dominating Michigan State and holds a 16-0 lead. The Bulldogs have scored on a long pass play from Aaron Murray to Tavarres King (80 yards), and Mike Sadler returned a punt 92 yards for a score.

More later, and follow for live updates on Twitter @BiloFootball

Halftime at Ticketcity Bowl

Case Keenum has passed for 380 yards and 3 TDs, and Patrick Edwards has over 200 yards receiving at the half, as Houston is up 24-7 on Penn State in the Ticketcity Bowl.
The Cougars have lost starting WR Tyron Carrier to a knee injury, and he is out for the game.
Penn State got moving in the second quarter for a short time, as they moved down for a score on a long punt return. They parlayed that return into an 8 yard direct snap TD run, but they offense fizzled out after that.

Other Updates:

In the Outback Bowl, A Georgia Safety is holding up in the second half, as the Bulldogs lead Michigan State 2-0. Both defenses are having huge games, while the offense seems to struggle.

In the Capital One Bowl, Nebraska has scored two TDs, but had a blocked PAT returned for 2 points in the 1st quarter. The Huskers are hanging in as defenses are taking over in the 2nd quarter, and Nebraska is leading South Carolina 13-9.
The Gamecocks scored to take a 9-6 lead on a Connor Shaw QB sneak, but the Huskers took back the lead, and we're in the early 2nd quarter.

In the Gator Bowl, Florida scored early to grab a 7-0 lead, but Ohio State drove down for a 2nd quarter score, and The Buckeyes and Gators are tied at 7 in the battle of teams that never should have seen a bowl game, with both teams playing with 6-6 records.

TicketCity Bowl Update 2012

Houston has laid out the perfect gameplan. They have attacked the highly ranked Penn State pass defense head on, and Case Keenum is winning that battle easily. We talked earlier about Penn State needing to put pressure on Keenum, and that has been largely absent. Keenum has been picking apart the Lions secondary, and has made it look easy. Cougars are averaging around 8 yards per play on the day.
Houston 17, Penn State 0 after 1 quarter.

Bowl Game Dispatch #1 2012

The first game that we're working on today will be the Ticketcity Bowl. Keys to the game for Houston will be keeping pressure off of Case Keenum. Allow Keenum to get into a rythm, and hit quick passes, attacking the Penn State secondary. This will likely be the most wide open offense that Penn State has seen all season, so the Cougars have got to start quick today.
For Penn State, they need Devin Still to get after it early and attack the middle of the line. If he pressures Keenum enough, he can disrupt the flow for Houston. The secondary has to have a huge game today. Remember, Air Force terrorized Keenum 2 years ago.
I Pick: Houston
Too much speed for Penn State to handle.

Powerratedsports.com All-Bilo FBS RB of the Year Award 2011

We now continue our FBS awards season with our All-Bilo RB of the Year Award for 2011. There are 12 finalists for the award this year, with the lowest considered average score of 6000 points. Averages were taken from five rushing categories this season. Here is a list of the 12 finalists for 2011:

David Wilson, Virginia Tech
Montee Ball, Wisconsin
Marcus Coker, Iowa
Bernard Pierce, Temple
Branden Oliver, Buffalo
Ronnie Hillman, San Diego State
LaMichael James, Oregon
John White, Utah
Trent Richardson, Alabama
Bobby Rainey, Western Kentucky
Robbie Rouse, Fresno State
Robert Turbin, Utah State

Congratulations to all of our finalists for this season, as all had incredible seasons. We are now proud to announce our Powerratedsports.com All-Bilo FBS Running Back of the Year for 2011. And the winner is...


Montee Ball, Wisconsin
Ball was absolutely stellar for the Badgers this season. He rushed for 1759 yards on the season and scored 32 TDs on the ground. What makes his numbers even more amazing is that he caught 20 passes for 255 yards and 6 more scores, giving him 38 TDs on the season for a non-QB. Ball had 275 carries on the season, and averaged 6.4 yards per carry, while averaging 135.31 yards per game rushing, which was good for 3rd nationally.
Congratulations to Montee Ball, and to the Wisconsin Badgers!

Powerratedsports.com All-Bilo FBS QB of the Year 2011

Welcome back to our Awards Season, as we begin the process of naming our All-Bilo FBS individual players of the year for 2011. We begin the FBS process with our All-Bilo QB of the Year award. There is no doubt that 2011 saw amazing QB performances across the landscape, but we also saw many performances either go unnoticed or underappreciated. This award takes all QBs from all leagues into account, as we average off a score based on 8 different passing categories. There are no votes, and conference affiliation has no bearing. Based on the information just given, here is a list of our 2011 finalists for the All-Bilo QB of the Year Award for 2011. There were 19 semi-finalist, and the list was scaled down to the following finalists:
Seth Doege, Texas Tech
Brandon Weeden, Oklahoma State
Landry Jones, Oklahoma
Robert Griffin, Baylor
Case Keenum, Houston
Geno Smith, West Virginia
Kellen Moore, Boise State
Matt Barkley, USC

In order to qulaify for being a finalist, the QB named to the list had to score at least 6500 points amongst the 8 categories mentioned once scores were averaged out. If you were wondering, as he was evidently left off of the list, Andrew Luck, a Heisman finalist, scored 6018.38 points.

At this time, we are proud to announce the winner of the Powerratedsports.com All-Bilo QB of the Year Award winner for 2011! And the winner is...


Case Keenum, Houston
The Heisman voters chose to largely ignore the feats of Keenum all season long, but at the end of the day, nobody coud argue the accomplishments that he had on the field. Keenum missed all of 2010 after having major knee surgery, and came back with a vengeance in 2011 by passing for 5099 yards, 45 TDs to just 5 picks, and completed 71.72% of his passes on the season. With an average score of 8903 points, nobody came within 1200 points of Keenum amongst the 19 semifinalists on our list.
Keenum completed 29.46 passes per game on the season, and had a total of 383 pass completions in 13 games during the regular season, as the Cougars narrowly missed a BCS birth by falling to Southern Mississippi in the CUSA title game. Both Southern Miss and Houston are in our PRS FBS top ten heading into bowl games.
Congratulations to Case Keenum, and to the Houston Cougars program!

Powerratedsports.com All-Bilo FCS Coach of the Year 2011

It is with great pleasure that we now wrap up our FCS Individual awards by naming our All-Bilo FCS Coach of the Year for 2011. And the winner is...


Willie Fritz, Sam Houston State
In just two seasons, Willie Fritz has taken the Bearkats from 6-5 to 13-0 and knocking on the door for an FCS National Title. The Bearkatz take on Montana this weekend in the FCS semifinals, but whatever happens, nobody has transformed a program like Fritz has in 2011. Fritz is one of our rising stars to watch in the coaching game, and we can expect more from him in the coming years!
Congratulations to Coach Fritz and to the BearKats Program!

Powerratedsports.com All-Bilo FCS Kick Returner of the Year 2011

We conclude our individual player of the year awards for FCS College Football with the All-Bilo Kick Returner of the Year for 2011. The finalists are as follows:

Kevin Fogg, Liberty
Brock Jackolski, Stony Brook
Austin Minefee, Southern Utah
AJ Cruz, Brown
Seitu Smith, Harvard
Laron Scott, Georgia Southern
Fabian Truss, Samford

It is with great pleasure that we now name our Powerratedsports.com All-Bilo FCS Kick returner of the Year for 2011. And the winner is...


Kevin Fogg, Liberty
One phrase that probably became redundant in 2011 was "Kick away from Fogg." Many kickers missed that memo and kicked to him anyway, much to their own demise. Fogg led the nation with a 33.52 yard average per return, and took 3 kicks all the way back for scores this season. When it was all said and done, Fogg rolled up 771 yards in kick returns on the season while averaging just 2.09 returns per game. Fogg rolled up over 100 yards in returns 4 different times in 2011.
Congratulations to Kevin and to the Liberty Program!

Powerratedsports.com All-Bilo FCS Punt Returner of the Year 2011

Continuing on with our special teams awards, here are the finalists for All-Bilo FCS Punt Returner of the Year for 2011:

Brady Measam, Southern Utah
Albert Wilson, Georgia State
Shawn Abuhoff, Dartmouth
Darius Drummond, South Carolina State
Marcus Cooperwood, Norfolk State
Ryan Smith, North Dakota State
CJ Estelle, Tennessee-Martin
Toms Bernhard-Calla, Davidson
Sam Hoekstra, San Diego
Darius Cary, McNeese State
Gralyn Crawford, Stephen F. Austin
Brandon Collins, Southeastern Louisiana
Moses Ellis, Prairie View A&M

And the winner of the 2011 Powerratedsports.com All-Bilo FCS Punt Returner of the Year is...


CJ Estelle, Tennessee-Martin
Estelle led the nation this season by averaging 17.69 yards per return on the season, and brought one return back for a score in 2011. Estelle racked up 283 return yards on just 16 returns on the season, and was the most dangerous man in the country when having the ball punted directly to him. Estelle returned a season high 4 punts against Union College, and busted loose for 137 yards in that one contest, while rolling up 92 yards on just 2 returns against Austin Peay.
Congratulations to CJ, and to the Skyhawk program!

Powerratedsports.com All-Bilo FCS Punter of the Year 2011

Moving along with our special teams individual awards, we move to our All-Bilo FCS Punter of the Year for 2011. The finalists are as follows:

David Harrington, Idaho State
Jonathon Plisco, Old Dominion
Patrick Murray, Fordham
Billy Janson, Drake

The winner of the Powerratedsports.com All-Bilo FCS Punter of the Year for 2011 is...


David Harrington, Idaho State
David is our first two time recipient of an All-Bilo individual award. Possessing a rocket launcher for a leg, Harrington averaged 48.7 yards per punt this season on 5.6 punts oper game, good for 1st  nationally. Harrington punted 56 times in 2011, and racked up 2727 yards on punts. He carried a 50 yard average in 5 different games this season.
Congratulations to David, and to the Idaho State program!

Powerratedsports.com All-Bilo FCS PK of the Year 2011

We now move on to special teams for our FCS Awards for 2011. Here are the finalists for our All-Bilo FCS Placekicker of the Year Award for 2011:

Zach Brown, Portland State
Jason Cunningham, Montana State
Brody McKnight, Montana
Ryan Estep, Norfolk State
Tyler Sievertsen, Northern Iowa
Cameron Yaw, Samford

We are proud to announce that the winner of the 2011 Powerratedsports.com All-Bilo FCS Placekicker of the Year for 2010! The winner is...


Ryan Estep, Norfolk State
Ryan was almost automatic for the playoff bound Spartans in 2011, hitting 20 of his 22 FGs on the season. His 1.67 FGS per game ranked 5th in the nation in 2011, and with NSU winning with a struggling offense at times, his kicks kept NSU in games in which the Spartans won enroute to the MEAC title. Estep was good for double digit points in 4 different games this season, capped by a 17 point performance in a 47-14 win over Morgan State.
Congratulations to Ryan and to the Norfolk State program!

Powerratedsports.com All-Bilo FCS DB of the Year 2011

We now wrap up our individual defensive FCS players of the year awards with our All-Bilo FCS Defensive Back of the Year for 2011. Here are our finalists for this award:
Donald Porter, Stony Brook
Trevor Coston, Maine
Marcus Williams, North Dakota State
Bryce Robertson, Bucknell
Daxton Swanson, Sam Houston State
Kejuan Riley, Alabama State
Saeed Lee, Alabama State

Congrats to all of our finalists, as they all had tremendous seasons. That being said, one player on that list was outstanding beyond all for the season. We are proud to announce the winner of the Powerratedsports.com All-Bilo FCS Defensive Back of the Year for 2011. And the winner is...


Bryce Robertson, Bucknell
Bryce was an a vacuum in the secondary for the Bison in 2011, and if you threw the ball anywhere near him, you were a fool to do so. Bryce led the nation with a tremendous 13 interceptions, and finished with a grand total of 19 passes defended on the season, meaning that your percentage of success in getting the ball by him was extremely limited on any given play. Bryce averaged 1.18 interceptions per game, while also averaging 1.73 passes defended per game, both incredible numbers. In fact, Bryce picked off 2 passes in a game an amazing 4 times during the 2011 season.
Congratulations to Bryce, and to the Bucknell program!

Powerratedsports.com All-Bilo FCS LB of the Year 2011

Here are the finalists for our All-Bilo FCS Linebacker of the Year Award for 2011:

Clarence Bumpas, Northern Colorado
Matt Evans, New Hampshire
Chris Beranger, New Hampshire
Tyler Holmes, UMass
Keith Pugh, Howard
LJ Fort, Northern Iowa
Anthony Bowman, St. Francis
Blake Peiffer, Southeast Missouri State
Robert McCabe, Georgetown
Jordan Ridley, Butler
Cliff Exama, Grambling

At this time, we are once again proud to announce the winner of the Powerratedsports.com All-Bilo FCS Linebacker of the Year for 2011. And the winner is...


Matt Evans, New Hampshire
Matt Evans won in very close fashion, beating out Northern Iowa LB LJ Fort by a half point in our system. Matt had a fantastic year, collecting 92 solo tackles, while assisting on 73 others during the year. Matt collected 17 solo tackles in a win over Lehigh, and added 13 more in a win over UMass. Matt added 7 assists in the Lehigh win. Matt added an interception, 7.5 TFLs, 3 pass breakups, 3 forced fumbles, and 2 QB hurries for a fantastic resume on the year.
Congratulations to Matt and to the New Hampshire program!

Powerratedsports.com All-Bilo FCS DL of the Year 2011

We now switch our focus for the 2011 Awards Season to the defensive side of the ball for our individual FCS PLayer of the Year awards. Here are the finalists for our All-Bilo FCS Defensive Lineman of the Year for 2011...

Andrew Schaetzke, Georgetown
Blake Oliaro, San Diego
Devon Langhorst, Dayton
Willie Jefferson, Stephen F. Austin
Adrian Hamilton, Prairie View A&M
Joseph LeBeau, Jackson State
Donavon Robinson, Jackson State
Corey Hart, Alabama A&M

We are proud to announce the winner of the Powerratedsports.com All-Bio FCS Defensive Lineman of the Year Award for 2011. And the winner is...


Adrian Hamilton, Prairie View A&M
Adrian was an absolute beast coming off of the edge for the Panthers in 2011. He led the nation with a total of 20.5 sacks on the year, 17 of which were solo jobs. He finished with a toal of 22 tackes for loss, and assisted on 9 others on the season. At 2.41 TFLs per gamme, Hamilton finished 2nd in the nation in that category. He finished with 59 solo tackles and 22 assists for the year, broke up 2 passes, forced 6 fumbles, and collected 5 QB hurries.
Congratulations to Adrian for a fantastic season, and congrats to the Panther program!

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

Here are the finalists for our All-Bilo FCS Tight End of the Year Award for 2011:

Kyle Juszczyk, Harvard
MyCole Pruitt, Southern Illinois
Alex Jones, Indiana State
Shadrae King, Robert Morris
Colin Anderson, Furman

We are proud to announce our winner at this time for the Powerratedsports.com All-Bilo FCS TE of the Year for 2011. And the winner is...


Colin Anderson, Furman
Anderson had an amazing season as a primary target in the Paladin passing game in 2011. He caught 40 passes on the season for 696 yards and 7 TDs, averaging 3.64 receptions per game. Colin averaged 17.4 yards per reception, and ranked 4th amongst all receivers in the SoCon with 63.27 yards receiving per game.
Congrats to Colin, and to the Furman program!

Powerratedsports.com All-Bilo FCS WR of the Year 2011

As we continue to hand out our postseason honors, we move on to our All-Bilo FCS WR of the Year for 2011. Here are the finalists for this season:

Rodrick Rumble, Idaho State
Nicholas Edwards, Eastern Washington
Ryan Spadola, Lehigh
Aaron Mellette, Elon

At this time, we are proud to announce that the winner of the Powerratedsports.com All-Bilo FCS WR of the Year for 2011 is...


Aaron Mellette, Elon
Mellette is nothing if not absolutely consistent in his skills and production. An All-Bilo SoCon selection last season, he elevated himself once again in 2011. Aaron caught 113 passes for 1639 yards and 12 TDs on the season, averaging 10.27 receptions per game, while averaging 14.5 yards per catch on the season, making him almost automatic for big gains every time he touched the football.
Congratulations to Aaron, and to the Elon program!

Powerratedsports.com All-Bilo FCS RB of the Year 2011

We continue with our individual position awards in FCS football with our All-Bilo FCS Running Back of the Year Award for 2011. The finalists for the award this season are as follows:

Zach Bauman, Northern Arizona
Migue Maysonet, Stony Brook
Shakir Bell, Indiana State
Matt Denham, Eastern Kentucky
Eric Breitenstein, Wofford
Tim Flanders, Sam Houston State

And the winner of the All-Bilo 2011 FCS Running Back of the Year Award is...


Shakir Bell, Indiana State
The Sycamores made further improvements to their program this season, and nobody personified that more than Shakir Bell. Bell rushed for 1670 yards on the season with 14 TDs, and led the nation with a 151.82 yard per game rushing average. Bell carried the footbal 230 times for the Sycamores, and averaged 7.26 yards per carry on the season. ISU finished 6-5 and fell short of the playoffs, but because of players like Bell, Indiana State is no longer the laughing stock that they were just a coupld of short seasons ago.
Congratulations to Shakir Bell, and to the Indiana State Program!

Powerratedsports.com All-Bilo FCS QB of the Year 2011

We continue on now with our 2011 Awards Season as we move on to the FCS Individual awards for the season. We begin at the top with naming our All-Bilo 2011 FCS QB of the Year Award. The finalists for the award this season are as follows:

Bo Levi Mitchell, Eastern Washington
Jeff Mathews, Cornell
Kurt Hess, Youngstown State
Casey Brockman, Murray State
Chris Lum, Lehigh
Zach Lewis, Morehead State
Nathan Dick, Central Arkansas
Casey Therriault, Jackson State

At this time, we are proud to announce the winner of our 2011 QB of the Year Award for FCS Football. The winner is...

Chris Lum, Lehigh
Chris Lum has been a constant success over the last two seasons that we have covered FCS football. Lum lit up his opponents for a total of 4378 yards on the season and passed for 32 TDs in 13 games. Lum averaged 336.8 yards per game on the season, and drove the Mountain Hawks to the FCS Quarterfinals before falling to North Dakota State last weekend. Lum completed just under 65% of his passes on the season, and averaged 27.54 pass attempts per game, as Lehigh finished with an 11-2 record on the season.
Congratulations to Chris, and the Mountain Hawks program!

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

Our final individual award for D2 College Football is upon us now, as we name our All-Bilo D2 Coach of the Year for 2011. This award is given to the coach who shows excellence in improving his team from one season to the next, and who can go the farthest while dealing with adversity and issues that often transcend the game. We are very proud to give this award to a coach who we feel really started out behind the 8 bal this season, and who worked miracles to carry out one fantastic season given the cards that were dealt to start the year. The winner of the Powerratedsports.com All-Bilo D2 Coach of the Year for 2011 is...


Adam Dorrel, Northwest Missouri State
Nobody could wish the circumstances in which Dorrel took over this football team with this fall on anyone. When legendary head coach Mel Tjeerdsam retired from the job after amazing successes last season, the job was handed to former Defensive Coordinator Scott Bostwick. Before Bostwick could ever coach a game, he suddenly passed away, leaving a void at the head job, and a team in absolute mourning. Dorrel, the highly succesful former Offensive Coordinator, stepped up and into the job, and while having to figure out how to console his team, figured out a way to win after a slow start had everyone concerned. By the end of the season, the Bearcats had once again cracked the postseason, and made a daring and deep run into the playoffs before falling in the Super Region 4 final to Pittsburg State. Nobody could have expected a Bearcat run behind what this team was facing after such a turbulent off-season, but Dorrel's leadership got them through, and it was like old times again.
Congratulations to Coach Dorrel, and to the Bearcat program!

Powerratedsports.com All-Bilo D2 Kick Returner of the Year 2011

We complete our positional D2 players of the year for 2011 with the final piece of the special teams game, Kick Returner. Once again, after special consideration, our winner has been found. The winner for the All-Bilo D2 Kick Return Man of the Year for 2011 is...


James Langford, Shaw
Langford blew the doors off of the stadium whenever he touched the ball on kickoff returns in 2011, as he led the nation with an average of 37.07 yards per return, while taking three to the house for TDs on the year. Langford rolled uop 556 yards on just 15 returns on the season for the Bears, while averaging 1.88 returns per game in 8 games on the season.
Congratulations to James and to the Shaw program!

Powerrartedsports.com All-Bilo D2 Punt Returner of the Year 2011

The next award given out for our All-Bilo Series is for Division 2 Punt Return Man of the Year. There were many solid candidates for this award in 2011, but we only choose one. The winner of the award for 2011 is...


Janoris Jenkins, North Alabama
Jenkins finished second in the nation in return average for the season with 21.67 yards per return, but what really put him over the top was that he returned three punts for TDs on the season. Jenkins, an explosive transfer from Florida, was a key piece in yet another Lion playoff run in 2011. Janoris collected 390 yards on the season on just 18 returns in 12 games, averaging 1.5 returns per game on the season.
Congratulations to Janoris, and to the North Alabama program!

Powerrartedsports.com All-Bilo D2 Punter of the Year 2011

We continue with our positional player of the year awards for Division 2, as we wrap up with our special teams players for 2011. At this time we are proud to announce our All-Bilo D2 Punter of the Year for the 2011 season in Division 2 Football. The winner of this year's award is...


Taylor Accardi, Colorado Mines
Nobody in D2 college football was even close to Accardi in punting ability in 2011, as he led the nation with an amazing 48.55 yards per punt on the season. Accardi punted 51 times over 9 games this season, which was good for 5.67 punts per game on the year. Accardi was by far the top ranked punter in D2 football on the season, and more than deserves this award.
Congratulations to Taylor and to the Colorado Mines program!

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

As our award season continues, we begin to wrap up the positional players of the year for the D2 level. We are on to special teams now, as we are proud to announce our All-Bilo D2 Kicker of the Year! After much consideration, we are proud to announce that the winner for 2011 is...


Greg Zuerlein, Missouri Western State
Zuerein's season was nothing short of amazing for the Griffons in 2011, as he nailed 23 of his 24 field goals on the year, helping Missouri Western State make a playoff bid, where they fell short to MIAA rival Northwest Missouri State in the 1st round in a 6 point loss. Overall, Zuerlein's field goal percentage was a whopping 95.8% on the season, and he averaged 2.3 field goals per game, good for the top ranking in D2 football for 2011.
Congratulations to Greg, and to the Griffons program!

The Best of the Best

It's finally over.

College football's regular season has already come and gone, and now we're just stuck waiting for the playoff to start. Oh, wait, about that. No, we're not, because Division I doesn't have a playoff. You know, kids would have to miss too much class and all of that. Regardless, it was an action-packed regular season completed with a ton of upsets, some Cinderella teams, some teams that ended up being fool's gold and a Heisman race that's as competitive as any in quite some time. With that said, it's time to unveil my 2011 NCAA Division I All-America team. If you make it all the way to the end, there will even be a Heisman ballot (if people actually asked me to vote on this, which, well, that's for another day).

    Honey Badger doesn't give a shit about this team, but he's on it. 

                                   Photo courtesy of Bleacher Report.

QB- Robert Griffin III, Baylor

RB- Trent Richardson, Alabama

RB- Montee Ball, Wisconsin

WR- Justin Blackmon, Oklahoma State

WR- Robert Woods, USC

WR- Jordan White, Western Michigan

OL- David DeCastro, Stanford

OL- Barrett Jones, Alabama

C- David Molk, Michigan

OL- Kevin Zeitler, Wisconsin

OL- Matt Kalil, USC

DE- Whitney Mercilus, Illinois

DT- Devon Still, Penn State

DE- Melvin Ingram, South Carolina

OLB- Jarvis Jones, Georgia

ILB- Lavonte David, Nebraska

ILB- Luke Kuechly, Boston College

OLB- Courtney Upshaw, Alabama

CB- David Amerson, North Carolina State

CB- Morris Claiborne, LSU

CB/S- Tyrann Mathieu, LSU

S- Bacarri Rambo, Georgia

K- Randy Bullock, Texas A&M

P- Brad Wing, LSU

KR- Taveon Rogers, New Mexico State

PR- Joe Adams, Arkansas

Heisman Ballot

                                    Baylor's first Heisman winner?

                                    Photo courtesy of SB Nation.

1. Robert Griffin III, QB, Baylor

2. Trent Richardson, RB, Alabama

3. Matt Barkley, QB, USC

4. Tyrann Mathieu, CB/S, LSU

5. Montee Ball, RB, Wisconsin

Matt Chandik can be reached by email at matt.chandik@gmail.com or on Twitter @MattChandik. 

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

Our awards season continues with the naming of our All-Bilo D2 Defensive Back of the Year Award. The finalists for this season are as follows:

Derek Lohmann, Emporia State
Alex Dinolfi, Kutztown
Clarence Lassiter, Southwest Oklahoma State
Bryce Peila, Western Oregon
Brandon Waters, Slippery Rock
Jeremy Jones, Wayne State (MI)

We are proud to now announce the winner of this year's award. The winner of the Powerratedsports.com All-Bilo Defensive Back of the Year 2011 is...


Alex Dinolfi, Kutztown
Alex had an outstanding season in 2011 for the PSAC Champion Bears. Dinolfi intercepted 11 passes on the year, which was a national best, and added an outsatnding 16 passes defended to the list. Dinolfi added 58 total tackles on the season to an outstanding stat sheet. Congratulations to Alex, and to the Kutztown Bears for an outstanding season!

As the Carousel Turns-Volume 4 2011

There was still more movement over the weekend, as more coaches were fired (some officially), and more candidates came on the scene for various jobs. Let's get caught up with our Monday edition of As the Carousel Turns!

North Carolina
James Franklin had been the top choice for team officials, but that was before Vandy locked him up to a long term contract extension that promises to completely upgrade the Commodore program, which was a long time coming. North Carolina would like to now speak with Houston Coach Kevin Sumlin, but they are a long shot at best to land him. Troy Calhoun is also playing heavily here.
Candidates: Troy Calhoun, Air Force; George Edwards, Bills DC; Skip Holtz; USF; Butch Jones, Cincinnati; Gus Malzahn, Auburn OC; Chuck Pagano, Ravens DC; Paul Rhoades, Iowa State; Everett Withers, UNC Interim HC
Our Choice: Break the bank for Malzahn at this point, as he gives UNC instant credibility on the recruiting front, and gives the fan base something to buzz about.

Pittsburgh
The Panthers are losing three key assistants to Arizona this week. Calvin Magee leaves to become the OC for Rich Rodriguez at Arizona, while Tony Dews and Tony Gibson are both likely to join the UA staff as well. No word yet as to whom Todd Graham intends to replace them with.

Penn State
All is quiet on this front as of now, but the front runner would still have to be Dan Mullen at this point. Penn State is being patient with this hire as they literally cannot afford to get this wrong.
Candidates: Dan Mullen, Mississippi State; Pat Fitzgerald, Northwestern; Tim Murphy, Harvard; Gary Patterson, TCU; Darren Perry, Packers; Chris Petersen, Boise State; Paul Rhoades, Iowa State; Mark Richt, Georgia; David Shaw, Stanford
Our Choice: If you want a guy with no baggage and has a track record of getting it right, and you have a realistic shot at getting him, you go with Murphy at Harvard. Murphy is not a household name, but he should be. He runs a class organization and wins constantly, while always doing it the right way. You cannot go wrong with hom if you are Penn State.

Illinois
Paul Chryst and Pat Narduzzi both played out their on-filed auditions in the Big 10 title game Saturday night. Chryst's Wisconsin Badgers won the game, and he appears to be a serious front runner for this job.
Candidates: Paul Chryst, Wisconsin; Tim Beckman, Toledo; Larry Fedora, Southern Miss; Butch Jones; Cincinnati; Todd Monken; Oklahoma State; Pat Narduzzi, Michigan State; Kevin sumlin, Houston; Willie Taggert, Western Kentucky; Kirby Wilson, Steelers
Our Choice: Chryst seems to be the guy to go to here. Narduzzi would make a solid plan B. Both know the conference, and would have the ability to succesfully recruit.

Texas
Rumors were flying all over the place yesterday that Texas intended to force Mack Brown out. There is no truth to this rumor, and MAck Brown is still entrenched at UT.

Kansas
There is not much new to report on this front this morning, as the rumor mills have been quite quiet. The guy that appears to be at the center of the storm would be Florida State assitant Mark Stoops, but there has been no movement over the last 72 hours in any direction. The Jayhawks also appear to be very interested in Larry Fedora, who has a truck load of Big 12 experience while working at Oklahoma State.
Candidates: Troy Calhoun, Air Force; Dave Christensen, Wyoming; Nolan Cromwell, Rams WR Coach; Dave Doeren, Northern Illinois; Sonny Dykes, Louisiana Tech; Larry Fedora, Southern Miss; Skip Holtz, USF; June Jones, SMU; Dirk Koetter, Jaguars OC; Houston Nutt; Mark Stoops, Florida State DC; Kevin Sumlin, Houston
Our Choice: Go outside of the box and make a play for Dave Christensen. Christensen has worked wonders at Wyoming with a talent lacking roster, and was the OC at Missouri during the Tigers peak years. He knows the league, and he is not likely to get snagged out from under them. This would be a steal hire.

UAB
The Blazers made a move by hiring Arkansas OC Garrick McGee yesterday as their new head coach. This move is not likely to ensure a ton of buzz around the campus, as McGee was largely the OC in name only, running Petrino's offense with the Hogs. That being said, the Blazers were in dire need of someone who actually wanted the job, and McGee came in at the last minute. We're taking a wait and see appraoch to this hire.

Memphis
Again, very quiet at Memphis this weekend. The Tigers jumped at an intriguing prospect in Larry Porter two years ago and it was a disaster. The Tigers need someone who has a want to eb there, and has a track record of winning at previous stops, and the Tigers also need someone who is experienced in running a football organization from the top down. No more assistants with no track records of running a team. This is too important now.
Candidates: Tommy Bowden; Clint Conque, Central Arkansas; Randy Fitchner, Steelers QB Coach; Mark Hudspeth, Louisiana-Lafayette; Ross Huesman, Chattanooga; Houston Nutt; John L. Smith, Arkansas ST Coach
Our Pick: Bowden and Nutt bring instant name credit to the school, but Conque is a guy who's star appears to be rising. Bring in any of those three names, and you go down as a winner.

Akron
You can kill those Jim Tressel dreams (or nightmares). He has said no to Akron. The weekend turned up no new news on this front, but that could bear to the fact that the front running candidate is still playing football in Paul Winters. Stay tuned.
Candidates: Matt Campbell, Toledo OC; Trent Miles, Indiana State; Joe Moorhead, UConn OC; Paul Winters, Wayne State (MI)
Our Choice: Winters is a winner at D2 Wayne State, and the Warriors are still running deep in the D2 Playoffs. He appears to be the man, as Akron appears not to be discussing the job with any other candidates at this time. He would also be the right pick here.

UMass
UMass is stuck in neutral in their search, but there are intriguing candidates lined up for the Minutemen. Two former Minutemen head coaches appear interested in coming back in Don Brown and Mark Whipple, both of whom had big success at Amherst.
Candidates: Mark Bajakian, Cincinnati OC; Don Brown, UConn DC; Neal Brown, Texas Tech OC; Ben Albert, Temple LB Coach; Bill McGovern, Boston College DC; Mark Whipple, Browns QB Coach
Our Pick: Brown or Whipple both had success here, and in this case, UMass could do some good by going back to their succesful roots.

Colorado State
The Rams officially fired Steve Fairchild this weekend, although we knew that this would be coming down for quite a while. The 22-19 loss to Wyoming sealed the deal. This job could be a tough sell.
Candidates: None listed at this time
Our Pick: Go to the Big Sky to get some help with instant Northwest/Rocky Mountain credibility and make a play for Rob Ashe at Montana State, or Robin Pflugrad at Montana.

UCLA
This search is officially becoming a clusterfuck of epic proportions. There are two seperate camps it appears in "Chianti" Dan Guerrero, the lame duck AD, and LA Billionaire Casey Wasserman and several UCLA power Alumni including Troy Aikman, Jonathon Ogden, and Cade McNown. Guerrero spent the weekend in Houston trying to lure Houston's Kevin Sumlin, while the Wasserman group flew to Miami to meet with Hurricane Coach Al Golden. Here's the thing. The fan base is not buzzing about either of those selections. This could go badly and lead to an internal UCLA civil war.
Candidates: Mike Bellotti; Tom Cable, Seahwaks OL Coach; Herman Edwards; Steve Mariucci; Vic Fangio, 49ers DC; June Jones, SMU; Mike McIntyre, San Jose State; DeWayne Walker, New Mexico State
Our Pick: Go outside of the family, and outside of the box. Mariucci would be a huge name move, and has the ability to recruit the right kids. I like the small school route in names like Willie Taggert, Jim Svoboda at Central Missouri, Plugrad at Montana, and Ashe at Montana State.

Arizona State
The Sun Devils waived the big white flag on Kevin Sumlin this weekend, preferring instead to turn their attention to June Jones. It appears that the  job belongs to Jones if he indeed wants it. ASU is having money problems, and they need a solid hire that is also affordable.
Candidates: Mike Bellotti; Ron English, Eastern Michigan; Larry Fedora, Southern Miss; Mark Helfrich, Oregon OC; June Jones, SMU
Our Pick: Get some bang for your buck and avoid retreads that will suck up big money. Look small school and succesful in Sam Houston State's Willie Fritz, Central Arkansas Coach Clint Conque, Pflugrad at Montana, or Ashe at Montana State.

Mississippi
The Rebels went with a solid move by hiring Arkansas State Coach Hugh Freeze. Freeze has been succesful every place that the has coached, and is coming off a Sun Belt Championship Season at Arkansas State. He is well thought of throughout the Southeast, and will up the Rebel profile immediately with offensive players.

Arkansas State
With Freeze leaving after just one season, ASU has been left in the lurch. The talent base is there, and a (fragile) foundation has been built. A careful hire here is a must.
Candidates: None at this time.
Our Pick: Have to be careful here. Conque at Central Arkansas, Fritz at Sam Houston State; Jeff Monken at Georgia Southern; Joey Jones at South Alabama. These are all names that you need to look at, but don't be afraid to reach out to someone like Houston Nutt.

Florida Atlantic
FAU moved quickly in hiring Nebraska DC Carl Pelini this weekend. Pelini could be a huge hit here, and brings some serious clout to South Florida. Moves on staff announcements coming up.

Fresno State
The Bulldogs felt as if they were stuck in neutral, and so fired Pat Hill after 15 seasons. I don't necessarily agree with this move, but what's done is done. The Bulldogs now must move forward with a vengeance if they want to be a player in the Mountain West next fall.
Candidates: Jim McElwain, Alabama OC
Our Pick: McElwain is a name with a history here, but go another direction. Rick Neuheisel could actually fit here, as could any of the Big Sky names listed, including Eastern Washington Coach Beau Baldwin.

FCS Moves

Weber State
A new name that popped up is Arkansas ST Coach John L. Smith. No hire has been made yet.
Our Pick: Paul Wulff was fired at Washington State last week, but has a track record of success in the Big Sky at Eastern Washington. Wulff brings instant credibility to the Wildcats.

Columbia
The school has a policy of not discussing their coaching searches, so I struck out there. Jim Hofher and Pete Mangurian are names mentioned in reports. The schol intends to wrap things up by December 15th.
Our Pick: Ray Friore, Penn DC...He knows the league, and is a solid defensive coach. With the right OC hire, he could turn this ship around quickly.

Eastern Illinois
The Panthers are down to their final four candidates, and they are currently interviewing. All of them have FBS experience as assistants, but head coaching experience does not appear to be a worry.
Our Pick: Dino Babers, Baylor WR Coach

Fordham
No real news out of Fordham this weekend. All is quiet, with no stirring or buzz around this job.
Our Pick: Peter Rossomondo, New Haven...Undertsands the Northeast scene, and drove the Chargers to the NCAA D2 quarterfinals. His season is complete, and he has the ability to build, and do it quickly.

Richmond
The Spiders have all sorts of candidates lined up according to various reports, but most of those are smoke creens. Richmond is vehemently closed mouthed about this search process.
Our Pick: Chuck Friore, Stony Brook...Runs a system similar to what the SPiders are good at, which is power run and hard core defense. Stony Brook is coing off of a Big South title, and just wrapped up a playoff appearance.

Southeast Louisiana
Ron Roberts, Delta State Head Coach has apparently jumped to the top of the list here. Hal Mumme prooved that you could win here, but the Lions need someone who can do it the right way. Roberst would be an ideal fit, and is solid in Southeast circles.
Our Pick: Roberts...major winner at DSU, and brings some championship stock to a struggling program.

South Dakota
The Coyotes hit a major home run bby hiring former Montana and Wyoming Coach Joe Glenn this weekend. Glenn was a big time winner at Montana, and ran into apathy at Wyoming before being fired there. Still a solid coach, and he can turn USD into a winner in the MVC immediately.

Western Carolina
The Catamounts are way deep in the hole right now, and they need a complete rebuilding project to be put in place, including image. OUr source has informed us that former WCU OC Kurt Bethard is in play here. Bethard wants the job, and has a history here, so it all plays well with the local fan base.
Our Pick: Bethard is solid, and we also like North Greenville coach Jamey Chadwell, who has built up a power on the D2 level.

As the Carousel Turns-Update 2

Texas A&M
Mike Sherman has been bought out and fired by the Aggies today. It will cost between $5 million and $6 million to buy out his contract. As of this evening, the primary candidate for the job seems to be Kevin Sumlin, Houston Head Coach, who appears to have suddenly gotten very popular in the last few days. Other candidates appear to be Charlie Strong of Louisville and Chris Petersen of Boise State.
More news on this as we progress.

Florida Atlantic
A report is circulating at this late hour that Nebraska DC Carl Pelini has been offered the job and has accepted it. More on this as details become available.

UMass
Texas Tech OC Neal Brown is now in the mix according to reports. He has officially interviewed for the job.

Central Oklahoma
Tracy Holland has been fired by the Bronchs today. No candidates have been announced.

I Missed You So Much, Old Friend

                                         And so the nightmare ended. 

                                       Photo courtesy of AnnArbor.com. 

By Matt Chandik

WARNING: This is rather lengthy. 

It seemed like it would never come.

For the past seven years, Michigan fans have been subjected to pure hell, or at least what pure hell feels like to the winningest college football program. For seven years, no matter the circumstances of the regular seasons, what players donned the Maize and Blue, what coach stood on the sidelines or what players were on the other side, Michigan always fell flat against Ohio State.

There were close games. There were blowouts. There were games where Michigan led late and there were games where a Michigan lead was never even a possibility. Anthony Gonzalez broke the Wolverines' hearts. Troy Smith reached deep into Michigan's collective body and ripped out its heart, shredded it to little pieces while laughing at the Wolverines' collective pain. Chris “Beanie” Wells always picked The Game to play his best of the year, always finding room for at least one back-breaking and soul-crushing run. Ted Ginn streaked down the middle of the field and caught a touchdown pass from Troy Smith against All-America cornerback Leon Hall in the 42-39 “Game of the Century” in 2006, the same one where it was decided that Shawn Crable was at fault for Troy Smith being a midget.

Every year, the pain got worse. Every year, that stupid fucking counter of “Days since Michigan beat Ohio State” added 365 (or 366 in some cases) more agonizing days since the Wolverines had downed the Buckeyes. In 2004, it was Ginn who broke UM's back with a dazzling punt return to set up a 37-21 upset of the Wolverines. 2005 was Gonzalez's turn. 2006 was the Troy Smith Show yet again. In 2007, Chad Henne gamely tried to throw despite a banged-up shoulder, only to see his offensive efforts laughed at by a Buckeye defense that showed no fear of the pass. The 2008-10 games were all a Rich Rodriguez-induced blur, one that saw a whole lot of points for the Scarlet and Gray and not so many for the Maize and Blue. Grown men on Internet forums berated, mocked and took glee in tallying up that counter, using such creative monikers for their rival such as “scUM” and “TSUN” and assuring themselves that Ohio State would never lose another game to Michigan...ever. On the other side, Maize and Blue fans wondered when the next win would come. What would it be like? Who would get it done? Would it the rocket-propelled Floridian at quarterback who would get UM over the hump? How many classes would end up going 0-4 against the folks from Columbus? Could the defense ever return to the Michigan defenses of old, those same defenses that considered 20 points allowed in a game inexcusable? Fear, despair, anger and frustration seeped from the Wolverines' fans into the mindset of the team. It was a team that expected to and was expected to lose. It was a team that couldn't feel safe with a three-touchdown lead. It was, in short, something that Michigan had never expected. Michigan didn't lose seven-straight to Ohio State. Michigan didn't go 3-9 or 5-7. Michigan didn't allow teams to dominate the Wolverines physically, mentally and emotionally. This shit just did not fucking happen.

Then a head coach with a previous losing record stepped in. He loved Michigan. No, scratch that. He fucking adored Michigan. He said he would have walked from San Diego to Ann Arbor to take the job. While Dave Brandon was cordial enough to give Brady Hoke a plane ride halfway across the country, Hoke's point was made. Long gone were the days of The Game being “just another game”. Long gone were the days of Michigan being a mockery. He promised a return to I-formation handoffs for four yards, defenses that would make a quarterback quiver, but most importantly, he promised a return to the way things used to be. A complete restoration of the Michigan brand, if you will. Most fans expected this to take a few years. Sure, there was the $750,000 investment in former Baltimore Ravens defensive coordinator Greg Mattison, but Rodriguez had said the year before that, “Even Vince Lombardi couldn't fix some of the problems on this defense,” so why would Wolverines expect a 62-year-old defensive coordinator who hadn't been in the college game since he helped the Florida Gators run all over the – wait for it – Ohio State Buckeyes in the 2006 BCS title game like the Buckeyes were a JV team with a 2-8 record? There was the luring of offensive coordinator Al Borges, but what could Borges really do with a kid that couldn't hit throws that weren't wide-open? Denard Robinson could run, but to say the passing needed work is like saying that Ohio State's compliance department is a bit lacking.

All year long, no one was sure whether or not to believe in Michigan. Sure, there were exciting games. The first night game in Michigan Stadium history, a thrilling win over rival Notre Dame, gave hope to some. A defense that finished tied for 107^th in scoring defense would end up improving all the way to No. 9 overall with mostly the same players as the year before. Still, in rough-and-tumble games against Michigan State and Iowa, the Wolverines looked flat. They looked easy to push around. They looked, for lack of a better word, soft. If there's one thing Brady Hoke doesn't do, it's soft. The man wears short sleeves regardless of weather. He calls out players that need to be called out. He preaches the virtues of a team that can hit people in the mouth. So calling his team soft is an insult to Hoke, but it was true.

Then something happened. I don't know if a light switch came on, someone ripped the team a new one behind closed doors or whatever it may be, but the Wolverines stopped playing soft. They tore apart a talented Illinois team that many predicted would beat Michigan like a lion snacking on a gazelle. They shredded Nebraska, another team expected to beat UM, like a woodchipper does to a tree that's seen better days. All of that to set up a showdown with Columbus' finest. And something changed yet again. With Michigan leading 37-34 late in the Ohio State game, breakout tailback Fitzgerald Toussaint looked like he had scored a game-icing touchdown. In a move that reeked of Hoke, Robinson took the handoff under center and handed off to Toussaint, who powered his way down and over the goal line. Or so it seemed. Somehow, some way, despite no indisputable evidence to overturn the call, it was overturned. On the next play, Michigan picked up a pair of penalties and had to settle for a field goal, giving the ball back to Big 10 Freshman Of The Year Braxton Miller and the Buckeyes with a chance of winning what could have been the worst game of cat-and-mouse ever. It would have killed Michigan.

Things change, people change and circumstances change. When Miller picked up a late first down by vaulting over UM cornerback J.T. Floyd, I resigned myself to the fact that Michigan was done. Miller would inevitably find someone wide-open for a touchdown, most likely DeVier Posey or Jake Stoneburner, and that would be it. Urban Meyer would be announced as Buckeye coach a few days later and Michigan might never win another Game. Like I said, though, things change. Miller inexplicably spiked the ball on 3rd-and-6 to set up a huge fourth down. He dropped back, danced around in the pocket and fired a wobbler to fellow true freshman Devin Smith. Michigan sophomore cornerback Courtney Avery reached behind Smith, tipped the ball up and landed with it for the interception to set off bedlam in the Big House. Finally, it's time to exhale. Finally, it's time to enjoy the next 360 and some-odd days left until the 2012 version of the Game.

                                          Those who stay....

                                    Photo courtesy of AnnArbor.com through MGoBlog

                                          It's beautiful.

No, I don't care that UM's win came against the worst Buckeye team in a while. First of all, Ohio State put itself in that position. The Tat Five brought this on themselves. Jim Tressel brought this on himself. I know that it's the NCAA's fault because it's just such a mean organization that only acted because it was Ohio State and not because some players decided to act like idiots. I simply don't care. Ohio State didn't give a shit when it was beating some of the worst Michigan teams ever put on the field. Ohio State didn't care when its fans were saying, “Well, you know, since this completely arbitrary year, UM and OSU are even in the series,” or, “OSU leads the series since this arbitrary year,” or, “Football was not created before Jim Tressel, therefore Ohio State is 1,381-1 against UM since football was created.” So pardon me if I don't give a shit. For the next 360 some-odd days, kindly shut the fuck up. I know that's never going to happen, especially with Meyer now at the helm for the next few years, but you don't have shit until that scumbag wins something.

58-44-6, fuckers.

Other notes...

• Braxton Miller is a good player. I expected him to be a good player. I expected him to have a career game against Michigan. But until he learns to complete more than 50 percent of his passes and until he learns to throw a spiral instead of a duck, let's hold off on anointing him as the greatest thing since sliced bread. (For the record, I fully believe that sliced bread is cooler than Braxton Miller, but that's just me.)
• Zach Boren, you're a clown. Listening to you whine about how “disrespectful” and how it's a “lack of class” that Michigan had the audacity, the GALL, to celebrate a major win over you and your team is laughable. This is the same asshat who started an O-H-I-O chant (congratulations to Ohio State fans are in order on that one. No one expected them to properly spell a four-letter word.) in Michigan Stadium two years ago with the game well in hand. This is the same douchebag whose brother transferred from Michigan to Ohio State, thrashed the coaching staff on his way out and dressed as Rich Rodriguez for Halloween to mock him. This is the same moron who cried because Rodriguez didn't offer him a scholarship because Rodriguez never offers fullbacks. Yeah, I'm going to take lessons on “class” from you. Right. Same goes for you, Jeff Heuerman and Brad Roby.
• Ryan Shazier is Ohio State's next All-American linebacker.
• Enough of that shit now. More Michigan stuff. Blake Countess will be Michigan's best cornerback since Leon Hall.
• Taylor Lewan is a stud. Teams should just stop pretending like their pass-rusher will make it by Lewan. It's not happening.

Non-UM/OSU stuff...

• Trent Richardson is my Heisman winner. He does it all for Alabama. He could have put up more yards against LSU, despite not having his best night, but apparently Nick Saban was saving him for something else. Only 23 carries that night? Laughable.
• Luckily for Trent, he should get a second crack at LSU. I want the two best teams in the title game. Sorry, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State, it's not you. Put your hand down, Stanford and Oregon. Who the hell let Houston in the room? Get out of here and come back when your schedule doesn't look like what the computer gives you in NCAA 12 on “easy”. Virginia Tech? Seriously?
• I badly underestimated Michigan State. I said before the year that Sparty could go 6-6 with a daunting road schedule, but the Spartans proved me wrong. Excellent defense, opportunistic offense, a seasoned quarterback, a douchebag of a coach who allows thugs and felons on his team and a sprinke of luck made for a good year.
• Unfortunately for MSU, that good year meets a roadblock in the Big 10 title game. Take Wisconsin and the points, thank me later.
• Glad to see Mike Leach back in coaching. Those Washington State vs. Arizona games should be basketball-esque.
• My top five for the Heisman? Glad you asked.
  1. Trent Richardson, RB, Alabama
  2. Robert Griffin III, QB, Baylor
  3. Andrew Luck, QB, Stanford
  4. Montee Ball, RB, Wisconsin
  5. Matt Barkley, QB, USC

• Picks for this weekend? Glad you asked. Y'know, if gambling were legal and all.
  Five College Games
  Oregon -31 over UCLA (Pac-12 title game)
  Baylor -3 over Texas
  LSU -13.5 over Georgia (SEC title game)
  Wisconsin -9.5 over Michigan State (Big 10 title game)
  Oklahoma +3.5 over Oklahoma State.
  Five Pro Games
  Philadelphia -3.5 over Seattle
  Atlanta -3 over Houston
  Denver +1 over Minnesota
  New England -20.5 over Indianapolis
  Oakland +3 over Miami

To reach Matt Chandik, email him at matt.chandik@gmail.com or on Twitter @MattChandik.