Alright I’m finally back and I’m ready to give put in my two cents about this upcoming year in college football. First of all lets congratulate Alabama on a stellar season and for ending the season as number one. Tebow’s gone, McCoy’s gone, Bradford’s gone, Clausen’s gone, should we just cancel this upcoming season? Is there even anyone else worth watching? Two Words, Crimson Tide.

Alabama took down Texas in the National Championship last January to end their revenge season on top of the world. That is exactly where they will be to start off the 2010 season. Alabama is losing a very small amount of starters to the NFL Draft this year and will be returning nearly everyone, this would include Heisman Winner Mark Ingram. The Crimson Tide is going to come out firing on all cylinders this season, considering there only real competition in the SEC was Florida last year, this shouldn’t be tough. But they still have a few teams that may give them a run for their money including the Auburn Tigers, with new Head Coach Gene Chizick. The SEC definitely won’t be the tough bully conference they have been in the last couple years, but they will sure be a dominant conference.

The Big 12 lost two of their most dominating quarterbacks of all time in Oklahoma’s Sam Bradford and Texas’s Colt McCoy to the NFL Draft, but they have plenty of up and rising stars to take a second look at. Oklahoma’s Quarterback Landry Jones was quarterback for most of the season, due to Sam Bradford’s injury, and he did nothing but shine. Landry Jones broke every record set by any Oklahoma quarterback  in history and he was only a Freshman. Texas, on the other hand, will be starting a Sophomore in Garrett Gilbert who everyone got to get a sneak peek of during the National Championship Game after Colt McCoy was injured in the first quarter. Longhorns Coach Mack Brown said, “He’s going to be great, I just know it.” So this years Red River Rivalry will be a even more impressive one then past years with two kids under twenty running the show.

The PAC-10 will need to impress a little after a few awful seasons. Powerhouse USC has been taken over by Oregon and this year the Ducks are bringing almost everyone back as well including running back sensation LaMichael James. Jerimiah Masoli and the Ducks are preparing to have a faster and even more up tempo team then last year, should we be in-store for another PAC-10 quack attack?  The Trojans are looking to rebuild and rebuild fast and leading the squad is new Head Coach Lane Kiffin. Know one quite knows how the Trojans will fare this season, but to maintain their celebrity shine they will need to turn their game around quick.

Many other conferences and teams will be looking to make a statement this season including the all impressive Boise State Broncos, who are tired of playing in Glendale every year in the same game. Maybe this year they will get to play in Glendale again, but on January 10 in the National Championship. We will have a year like we haven’t seen in a while with having many brand new starting quarterbacks and  head coaches. This year will be a brand new year with tough predictions and brand new young stars.

2010 Preseason Top 25

1. Alabama Crimson Tide
2. Ohio State Buckeyes
3. Oregon Ducks
4. Boise State Broncos
5. TCU Horned Frogs
6. USC Trojans
7. Nebraska Cornhuskers
8. Texas Longhorns
9. Oklahoma Sooners
10. Florida Gators
11. Wisconsin Badgers
12. Miami Hurricanes
13. Pittsburgh Panthers
14. Virgina Tech
15. Iowa Hawkeyes
16. UCONN Huskies
17. LSU Tigers
18. Penn State
19. Houston Cougars
20. Arkansas Razorbacks
21. Oregon State Beavers
22. Cincinnati Bearcats
23. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
24. Tennessee Volunteers
25. Auburn Tigers

With the 2009 college football season now officially in the books, College FootBlog will tackle the ongoing debate of which conference is the best in the FBS.  In this three-part breakdown, we will rank the six major conferences from the BCS in 2009, and we will also provide an outlook for each conference for the 2010 season.

In our first of three articles, we will take a look at teams five and six in the power rankings of the major BCS conferences, although it should be noted that Boise State and TCU could make us rank eight conferences at the conclusion of next season.

Oregon State's Quizz Rodgers will make a run at a Pac 10 Title (google images)

6.  Pac 10

2009 Recap: For the last several years, USC has brought respect to the conference, but last year’s fall from grace left put the pressure on the other teams in the conference to step up.  No one else did–at least not consistently.  The Pac 10 was a dismal 2-5 in bowls last season and one of those wins was USC’s victory over a very mediocre Boston College team in the Emerald Bowl.  Losing three linebackers and quarterback Mark Sanchez in the first day of the NFL Draft last season proved to be too much for Pete Carroll to overcome.

After a promising start, Cal fell far below expectations, and Oregon started and finished with huge losses on national television.  Toby Gerhart led the Stanford Cardinal onto the college football map, but overall, the Pac 10′s 2-5 bowl record was very underwhelming.

2010 Outlook: All signs point to the Pac 10 having a big turnaround next season.   Conference Champ Oregon returns quarterback Jeremiah Masoli and running back LaMichael James.   Oregon State will have the Rodgers brothers returning key running backs coming back next year, Arizona is emerging after an 8-5 record, and Jim Harbaugh and Steve Sarkisian have Stanford and Washington out of the cellar of college football.

5.  ACC

VT's Ryan Williams exploded onto the scene in '09, rushing for over 1,500 yards and 19 TD's (google images)

The ACC barely made the cut for the fifth worst conference in college football last season.  For the second year in a row, the Atlantic Coast Conference was consistently inconsistent.  Paul Johnson once again proved to critics that the triple option can (and does) work in major college football, but they could not get things going against Iowa’s defense in the Orange Bowl.

Virginia Tech racked up ten wins, but once again, Frank Beamer was unable to get his team over the hump as one of college football’s elite teams.  For what seems like the fifth straight year, Clemson failed to live up to all of the hype as well, losing five games, including one against a very average South Carolina team.  Overall, ACC teams finished with a 3-4 bowl record in ’09.

2010 Outlook: Like the Pac 10, the ACC should make significant strides in 2010.  Georgia Tech may take a step back with Jonathan Dwyer departing to the NFL, but several teams should be much improved.  Virginia Tech returns running back Ryan Williams and QB Tyrod Taylor, and we may actually see Miami and Florida State get back on the map.  Each of the traditional power houses from Florida showed signs that they may be on the cusp of regaining greatness, but they were up and down for much of the season.  Look for Miami and FSU to make a serious run at Va Tech next season.

Note:  Look for Parts 2 & 3 of College FootBlog’s 2009 BCS Conference Power Rankings later this week.

Peter Marhoefer- Mr. Touchdown USA

There was nothing small time or mid-major about Monday Nights Fiesta Bowl. The presence of collegesportsfeed.com as a sponsor of pre-game festivities should have let everyone entering the Fiesta Bowl know this was a huge event.

The atmosphere was big time, the crowds were the bet I have witnessed so far and the play on the field was top level. This was a big time event, in a big time venue, with a National Championship feel. The only exception was maybe one of Tebow or McCoy’s receivers would have held on to the game tying touchdown that TCU wideout Antoine Hicks dropped for the 17 all tie.

There were not sections of empty seats like the Sugar Bowl. There was purple or orange everywhere, and I like how the Fiesta Bowl sets it up. He two schools are seated right next to each other, with some end-zone sections filled with half of each. There are no corporate and local buffing zones between the two like at other Bowls I have attended. T-C-UUUUUU chanted against Boise STAAAATE all night long.

There looked to be tremendous respect between the two schools. I heard few put downs and saw lots of hand shakes and “good luck next year” being exchanged as I walked out of the University of Phoenix stadium. TCU fans proud of there teams year could not have been prouder. Both sides realized this was a very well played football game.

The questions still lingers where do we go from here. As I have mentioned before it is time for the Mountain West to add the Broncos as a tenth member. If that does not give the BCS what it is looking for, add in Nevada and Fresno State with a playoff game in Las Vegas, San Diego, or Salt Lake City. The Bowl system works too well. The communities and games hosting them make too much money they are not going to risk losing these great events. They are not going to risk losing this to fans who like me after the event will be worried about getting to the next place.

Before the plus one this game would not have happened. It would have taken place in the Poinsettia or New Mexico Bowl. This was a proper stage for two accomplished teams.

With the big win last night against TCU, Boise State completed the perfect season. The only other perfect season will come from the winner of the National Championship. The question now becomes, who should be #2, Boise State, Florida or the looser of the National Championship? Florida Showed a dominating performance against an undefeated Cincinnati team in the Sugar bowl. Also either Texas or Alabama will have had strong seasons with one loss coming in a National Championship game. So the question becomes, who should be #2 in the end of season rankings? Let me know what you think!

For all the accolades the Boise State offense had received prior to Monday’s Fiesta Bowl against TCU, it was the defense that actually saved the game in their 17-10 victory.

Following Boise State’s go-ahead touchdown midway through the fourth quarter, the Broncos defense held TCU scoreless on their final three drives.  After forcing a three-and-out on the Horned Frogs’ first comeback attempt, BSU’s pass rush finally came to life on TCU’s next drive.

The Broncos sacked quarterback Andy Dalton only twice the entire game, but made up for it on their timing. Linebacker Aaron Tevis sacked Dalton inside of Boise State territory to set up a third-and-long.  After a short gain to set up a fourth down play, the defense stepped up once again.  The Broncos pressured Dalton outside the pocket and into an out of bounds throw.

“We put as much speed on the field as we could get,” Boise State head coach Chris Petersen said.  “They just played their hearts out.”

Never was that more apparent than on the last drive of the game.  After the Horned Frogs forced another punt, it was up to the Bronco defense to make one last play.  TCU drove all the way to the Broncos’ 30 yard line before safety Winston Venable picked off a tipped pass from Dalton.

“I think you have to give Boise all the credit,” TCU head coach Gary Patterson said.  “They made the plays and we didn’t.”

The defense actually started the game as well as they ended it.  Using a variety of packages, the Broncos held the heralded TCU offense scoreless on their six possessions, including a three-and-out on the first three drives of the game. Perhaps more importantly, the Broncos held the Horned Frogs to 1-12 on third downs.

“Early on they were doing stuff we hadn’t seen,” Dalton said.  “We didn’t even know exactly what they were doing.”

Part of TCU’s struggles can be blamed on their phone system going out, but Boise State’s success was well earned.  They switched Venable over from cornerback to safety, a move which paid big dividends as TCU was driving.

The defense also played well inside the trenches, holding Joseph Turner and Matthew Tucker to 31 combined yards. Heading into the Fiesta Bowl, the Horned Frogs had been averaging an astounding 317 rushing yards per game over their last five contests.  The domination by BSU’s front line may have been extra special, as they gave up 17-yard touchdown run to Turner in the fourth quarter to lose last year’s Poinsettia Bowl.

Perhaps the biggest star of the game played on neither side of the ball.  Facing a fourth-and-nine from his own 33 yard line, punter Kyle Brotzman executed a fake punt to perfection, delivering a strike under pressure to tight end Kyle Efaw.  Not only did the play gain 29 yards, but the Broncos made the most of their second chance, completing three straight passes for the game winning score.  Despite being backed up in their own zone, Petersen had no quandaries about his decision.

“They don’t seem like they take guts to me,” Petersen said of the risky play calls.  “We have tremendous confidence in our players to execute.”

Brotzman also executed in his real duties, pinning the Horned Frogs to their own one yard line for the decisive drive of the game.  Had his kick sailed any less, or had it been blocked, this game might be remembered for Dalton’s miracle final drive.  Fortunately for the Broncos, that is the last thing on their minds as they celebrate their most recent Fiesta Bowl victory.

“To go out like this is really just incredible,” senior Kyle Wilson said.  “We definitely deserved it, it couldn’t go to a better group.”

We’re here in Phoenix at the stadium, waiting for the big game to start. It’s been a good time so far, and really nice weather. My wife says we are going to move here soon. Lots of fans, everyone seems to be having fun. This is our first bowl game, and our first visit to the new Cardinal stadium. I highly recommend it to everyone-GO BOISE STATE!!!!!!