Red Sox Collapse

Yesterday was probably the best night in baseball history. Entering the final game of the season, the Red Sox were tied with the Rays for the AL Wild Card spot. It was shocking the Rays were even in it as the Red Sox were 9.5 games up entering September. So the scenario entering Wednesday was, if one team wins and the others loses, the winner goes to the playoffs. If both teams have the same result, the two would play in a one game series the following day.

The Red Sox had their ace John Lester pitching versus the Orioles last night. They seemed to have the game under control leading 3-2 entering the 9th inning. The Red Sox all star closer Jonathan Paplebon had struck out the first two Orioles batters in the 9th. He just needed one more out but after a single and a ground rule double, all of a sudden the game was tied at 3-3. Next up for the Orioles stepped in Robert Andino. This guy had been known all season as the "Red Sox Killer" as he already had two walk off hits against them earlier this year. Paplebon delivered a pitch right down the middle and Andino slapped the ball to left field winning the game for the Orioles. A stunned Red Sox team looked up at the scoreboard and saw that the Rays and Yankees were tied in the bottom of the 12th inning in Tampa Bay. All they could do now was wait. After the Yankees had gotten off to a 7-0 lead, the Rays fans believed their teams season was over. The players obviously had different plans as they scored 6 runs in the 8th and a 2 out home run in the 9th sent the game to extra innings. As the game reached the bottom of the 12th, Evan Longoria stepped up to the plate and heard screaming and shouting throughout the stands. He soon realized the Orioles had just beaten the Red Sox leaving the door wide open for his team to make the playoffs. On a 2-2 pitch, Longoria hit a line drive home run down the left field line and that was that. Just 3 minutes after the Red Sox had lost, the Rays had won sending them to the ALDS!

This truly was a shock to Red Sox nation as they are left with questions after this epic collapse. I think they need better pitching as they had one of the worst team ERA's in the month of September. Meanwhile for the Rays, they are going to have to regroup because their series versus the slugging Texas Rangers starts this weekend.

This was Longoria's second home run of the game. He also hit a 3 run homer in the 8th closing the Yankees lead to one run.

Week 3 NFL Recap

Week three brought more exciting, wire to wire finishes, devastating injuries, and young teams stepping up in the spotlight. Here is a quick recap of all the games.

Bills 34
Patriots 31
MVP: Fred Jackson is turning out to be a stud for the Bills as he ran for 74 yards and TD. He also had 5 receptions for 89 yards. The Bills were finally able to snap their 15 game losing streak vs the Patriots, putting them atop the AFC with a 3-0 record.

49ers 13
Bengals 8
MVP: This game was so awful that no one deserves the MVP.

Browns 17
Dolphins 16
MVP: M. Massaquoi had only 2 receptions for 26 yards, but he had a great catch with only a minute remaining to help the Browns triumph over the Dolphins.

Titans 17
Broncos 14
MVP: Matt Hasselbeck turned back the clock Sunday as he passed for 311 yards and 2 TD's. His top wide receiver Kenny Britt suffered a torn ACL, so lets see who Hasselbeck will turn to next as his main target.

Lions 26
Vikings 23
MVP: Calvin "Megatron Johnson" led a huge comeback for the Lions with 7 receptions for 108 yards and 2 TD's. The Lions came back to win after they were losing 20-0 at half. They are just one of the remaining few undefeated teams.

Saints 40
Texans 33
MVP: In a classic southern shootout, Drew Brees led the way with 370 passing yards and 3 TD's.

Giants 29
Eagles 16
MVP: Victor Cruz had two amazing receptions as finished with 110 yards and 2 TD's. The main story was Michael Vick leaving the field again. This time with a broken right hand. His status is day to day.

Panthers 16
Jaguars 10
MVP: Cam Newton got his first NFL victory as he threw for 156 yards and a TD. Those stats aren't bad because a monsoon struck North Caronlina in the middle of the game creating flooding on the field.

Raiders 34
Jets 24
MVP: Darren Mcfadden is looking more and more like the best running back in the league as he rushed for 171 yards and 2 TD's.

Ravens 37
Rams 7
MVP: Backup wide out Torrey Smith had a career game catching 5 ball for 152 yards and 3 TD's.

Chargers 20
Chiefs 17
MVP: Ryan Matthews is finally becoming familiar to the Chargers offense as he rushed for 98 yards and 2 TD's.

Packers 27
Bears 17
MVP: Aaron Rodgers again led a well balanced offense passing for 297 yards and 3 TD's.

Seahawks 13
Cardinals 10
MVP: It was a great first game for wide out Sidney Rice as he caught 8 passes for 109 yards.

Bucs 16
Falcons 13
MVP: In a losing effort, wide receiver Roddy White caught 9 catches for 140 yards.

Steelers 23
Colts 20
MVP: Deep ball threat Mike Wallace had another great game catching 5 passes for 144 yards and a TD.

Cowboys 18
Redskins 16
MVP: Rookie kicker Dan Bailey went off make 6/6 fields goals. That is the best game a kicker can have therefore this will probably be the only MVP awarded to a kicker this year.

The Panther and Jaguars were playing in some of the worst weather conditions I have every seen. During the highlight, you couldn't even see the players it was so rainy and foggy.

Deangelo Hall is Eying Romo

Earlier this week, news came out that Tony Romo had suffered fractured ribs and a punctured lung in Dallas's overtime victory last weekend. This was music to Washington Redskins corner back Deangelo Hall's ears, as he came out to the media stating he would be targeting Romo's lung and ribs this upcoming Monday. It may seem harsh or cruel, but it really is the Cowboys fault in the first place for declaring where and what the injury was for Tony Romo. Hall went onto further say that he would be hitting high on running back Felix Jones because of his hurt shoulder. Retired players such as Teddy Bruschi and Rodney Harrison said that they did the same as defenders, just never came and told the public what they were going to do it. Bruschi also added that Hall was going to get a fine as well,  but so far that is not the case.

Tony Romo will be wearing a vest Monday night to protect those injured ribs and lung. This rivalry between the Washington Redskins and Dallas Cowboys has dated back for years. This will just be another twist to an always exciting game. All I can say for Tony Romo is, I sure hope he has someone blocking Hall when he comes around on those corner back blitzes, or I predict a couple more ribs will be fractured for Mr. Romo.

 Tony Romo fractured two ribs and punctured a lung in last weeks thrilling overtime victory of the 49ers.

Tight AL Wild Card

AL Wild Card:         Games Back:     Last 10 Games:
Boston Red Sox               -                        3-7
Tampa Bay Rays              2                        4-6
Los Angeles Angels          3                        5-5

As you can see, all three of these teams are limping towards the playoffs, especially the Red Sox. Plagued by injuries, the Red Sox have been awful in the month of September losing 16 games. That happens to be a  record for the team. After having a 9 game lead on the Rays just a month ago, the Red Sox have let  them back into it especially after losing 3 of 4  at home to them last week. The Red Sox were suppose to have it easy the rest of the season playing the last place Orioles 7 out of the remaining 10 games. Well, their first series just ended and the Orioles won 3 out of 4 as well so the Red Sox are really searching for answers. Maybe they should try to fix their pitching as the teams ERA in the month of September has been 6.38. With football kicking into main gear, baseball has been pushed aside the last few weeks. I would suggest following the these three teams the remainder of the season as every game will be extremely crucial. Hold on tight ladies and gentlemen!

Red Sox Remaining Schedule: (3 at NYY), (3 at BAL)
Rays Remaining Schedule: (3 vs TOR), (3 vs NYY)
Angels Remaining Schedule: (3 vs OAK), (3 vs TEX) 

 Red Sox slugger David Ortiz has been one of many Red Sox players battling injuries at the end of this season.

Week 2 NFL Recap

Don't we all just love watching football on Sunday afternoons! Here are the scores and stars of Week 2.

Redskins 22

Cardinals 21

MVP: Tim Hightower is really becoming the horse of the Redskins offense as he had 20 carries for 96 yards.

Bills 38
Raiders 35
MVP: In the most exciting game of the week, Fred Jackson continued his strong start to the season rushing for 117 yards and 2 TD's on only 15 carries.

Lions 48

Chiefs 3

MVP: The Lions ran away with this one early thanks to Matthew Stafford passing for 296 yards and 4 TD's.

Titans 26

Ravens 13

MVP: After a dominating defensive performance by the secondary last week, the Ravens just could not stop wide receiver Kenny Britt, as he had 9 catches for 135 yards and a TD.

Browns 27

Colts 19

MVP: Peyton Hillis exploited the Colts poor rush defense as he ran for 94 yards and 2 TDs.

Bucs 24

Vikings 20

MVP: Lagarrette Blount scored with 30 seconds left to help lift the Bucs over the Vikings in Minnesota. He finished the day with 71 yards and 2 TD's.

Saints 30

Bears 13

MVP: Drew Brees helped lead a very balanced offense Sunday against the Bears as he passed for 270 yards and 3 TDs.

Jets 32

Jaguars 3

MVP: This game was never close as Antonio Cromartie had 2 of the Jets 4 interceptions off Jaguars QB Luke McCown.

Steelers 24

Seahawks 0

MVP: Mike Wallace helped the Steelers rebound after a dismal first game catching 8 passes for 126 yards and a TD.

Packers 30

Panthers 23

MVP: The Panthers lost again, but I have to give the MVP to Cam Newton as he passed for over 400 yards for the 2nd straight game. He is only the 2nd player ever to have two 400 yard passing games in the first two games of their careers.

Cowboys 27

49ers 24

MVP: A fractured rib and a punctured lung didn't prevent Tony Romo from passing for 345 yards, 2 TDs, and a overtime drive that set up the game winning field goal.

Broncos 24

Bengals 22

MVP: The rookie wide receiver Eric Decker sparked the Broncos offense as he caught 5 catches for 113 yards and 2 TDs.

Texans 23

Dolphins 13

MVP: Ben Tate has done a fantastic job replacing Pro Bowler Arian Foster as he rushed for 106 yards on 23 carries. Tate has rushed for over 100 yards in each of the first two games.

Patriots 35

Chargers 21

MVP: Tom Brady once again picked apart a helpless defense as he passed for 423 yards and 3 TDs.

Falcons 35

Eagles 31

MVP: Michael Turner had 113 yards and a TD to lead a 4th quarter comeback for the Falcons who lucked out when Eagles pro bowler Michael Vick had to leave the game in the 3rd with a concussion.

Giants 28
Rams 16
MVP:Manning kept his mistakes minimal has he passed for 200 yards and 2 TDs.

Vick's Return to Atlanta ended short after he hit his head on one of the Eagles offensive lineman. He is questionable for next week due to a concussion.

College Football Week 3 Power Rankings: Top 5

1. Oklahoma Sooners (2-0)- The Sooners proved this Saturday that they deserve to remain at #1. They traveled to Florida State to play the then #5 Seminoles. This game was the most anticipated game of the season and it lived up to its name. It was back and forth throughout the first half but the Sooners pulled away in the second half and ended up winning 23-13. Kenny Stills (LCC grad) was the MVP pulling in 7 catches for 125 yards and a TD. Look for Oct. 8th at Texas to be there next toughest match up.

2. LSU Tigers (3-0)- The Tigers have clearly had the hardest schedule among the top 25 teams in college football so far. Week one they pulled off the upset vs the Oregon Ducks. Saturday they had another tough test on the road vs #25 Mississippi State. Known for their their rowdy fans, Mississpippi State could never get their offense rolling as LSU won 19-6. The Tigers defense has really been key this season only allowing 9 pts in their last two games. The schedule doesn't get any easier as they face off at #16 West Virginia next week in a SEC vs ACC showdown.

3. Alabama Crimson Tide (3-0)- Their only challenge came last week vs the Penn State Nittney Lions. An all white Happy Valley stadium didn't seam to phase the Tide as they won convincingly 27-11. Of course they are going to have an amazing defense with Nick Saban as coach. This past Saturday, they shut out North Texas 41-0. I am interested in seeing how they do next week when they host #14 Arkansas. The following week they play at #15 Florida so these next two weeks are very crucial for the Tide if they have any aspirations of making it to the National Championship.

4. Boise State Broncos (2-0)- The mid major college is starting off their season great like usual, as they have dominated their first two opponents. Their big victory came week 1 at #19 Georgia. What was intended to be a close game, the Broncos were always in control as the final score ended up being 35-21. They had another tough road game this past Friday at Toledo but again they won easily 40-15. There schedule is very soft like always as the only ranked team they play is #20 TCU on Nov. 12th. All the Broncos can do is win every  game by a wide margin and hope the BCS committee puts them in the Championship game.

5. Wisconsin Badgers (3-0)- I'd say transfer quarter back, Russel Wilson, has adjusted to the Badgers offense quite well. He has put up 791 yards in their first 3 games, throwing 8 TD's to only 1 INT, and also completing 76% of his passes. The Badgers have man handled their first three opponents beating UNLV 51-17, Oregon State 35-0, and Northern Illinois 49-7. The Badgers definitely look like a championship team with a great passing game as well as the two headed monsters (Ball and White) switching off carries. Mark on your calender October 1st as the Badgers will take on the new Big 10 rival #7 Nebraska.

Russell Wilson transferred from NC State earlier this year. His goal is to lead Wisconsin to the National Championship game.

Should Tim Tebow start?

Throughout Denver's Monday Night Football game, there were many chants to put Tim Tebow in the game. Denver's starting quarterback, Kyle Orton, didn't even have that bad of a game himself as he threw for 306 yards. For some reason, Tebow is loved in Denver as his jersey is one of the highest selling jerseys in the league. He is a third string quarterback!

All the fans that think he should start should have seen him in training camp. Tebow got to the point where he could barely hit a wide receiver doing a crossing route. He got demoted to 3rd string quarterback after Brady Quinn outplayed him. Tebow is a very inaccurate thrower who has a lot to work on before he can become a starter in the league. It baffles me that the Denver fans are so frustrated with Orton when he had one of the better passer ratings in the league last season.

Overall, it is a very awkward situation in Denver and the fans really need to support their starting quarterback for now. John Fox is an experienced coach and he knows what he is doing. It will be interesting to see how the Broncos end up this year. They have some talent on the team, but after losing Week 1 to the Raiders, they have a big hill to climb to get where they want to be.

Tim Tebow (left) and Kyle Orton (right).

Week 1 Recap

It was finally nice to turn on our TV's Sunday, and be able to see a real NFL game. There were many surprising scores and performers week 1. Here is the score and star performer of every game.

Redskins 28
Giants 14
MVP: Rex Grossman started off the season well passing for 305 yards, 2 TD's and throwing no picks.

Packers 42
Saints 34
MVP: Aaron Rodgers started off right where he finished last year throwing for 312 yards, 3 TD's and no picks.

Bears 30
Falcons 12
MVP: Brian Urlacher is still one of the best MLB in the game as he had a fumble recovery for a TD as well as an interception.

Bengals 27
Browns 17
MVP: Cedric Benson put his criminal issues behind him Sunday when he rushed for 121 yards and scored a TD.

Bills 41
Chiefs 7
MVP: In the most shocking score of the weekend, Ryan Fitzpatrick passed 208 yards, 4 TDs, and no picks.

Eagles 31
Rams 13
MVP: Lesean McCoy started off his season well rushing for 122 yards and a TD.

Lions 27
Bucs 20
MVP: Calvin Johnson (Megatron) proved he is one of the best WR in the league as he caught 6 passes for 88 yards. Two of those catches were TDs.

Jaguars 16
Titans 14
MVP: In a low scoring game, MJD stood above the rest as he rushed for 97 yards and a TD.

Ravens 35
Steelers 7
MVP: In a surprisingly lopsided game, Ray Rice rushed for 107 yards and a TD, as well as a receiving TD.

Texans 34
Colts 7
MVP: The Texans ran away with this one early as Ben Tate (replacing the injured Foster) rushed for 116 yards and a TD.

Cardinals 28
Panthers 21
MVP: Even though his team lost, Cam Newton had an outstanding first career game as he passed 422 yards and 2 TD. He had 1 INT but made that up with a rushing TD.

Chargers 24
Vikings 17
MVP: Mike Tolbert was all over the field Sunday rushing for 96 yards and scoring all 3 TDs (1 recieving).

49ers 33
Seahawks 17
MVP: Ted Ginn Jr. was the star of Sunday returning a punt and kickoff for TDs.

Jets 27
Cowboys 24
MVP: Nick Folk made a 50 yard field goal with just over a minute left to give the Jets the victory.

Patriots 38
Dolphins 24
MVP: Tom Brady went wild Monday night passing for a whopping 517 yards and 4 TDs. One of those TDs was a 99 yards pass to Wes Welker.

Raiders 23
Broncos 20
MVP: Raiders kicker Stephen Janikowski made history Monday night kicking a 63 yard field goal at the end of the first half. That tied for the longest field goal in the history of the NFL.

Janikowski's 63 yard field goal.

Women's US Open Final

In a shocking result, Serena Williams got destroyed today 6-2, 6-3 in the US Open women's singles final. Samantha Stosur, who had never won a grand slam before today, just simply outplayed Serena. Going into the match, Serena hadn't lost a set the entire tournament. This is quite amazing due to the fact of how much of roller coaster year this has been for Serena Williams. She stepped on glass earlier in the year and had to sit out for a long time. Also she was dealing with some other health problems so she wasn't able to play her first match until a few weeks ago in the pre US Open tournament. She ended up winning that tourny so she was definitely the favorite coming into the US Open. She was obviously ranked very low, #28, due to her not playing the whole year, but all the announcers joked that she was the most dangerous #28 in the history of the US Open. Serena has typically done well in the Open with a overall 56-8 record and a champion in 99, 02, and 08.

We have to give credit to the Aussie, Samantha Stosur, for keeping her composure and not becoming overwhelmed by the large crowds rooting against her in favor of the American, Serena. She was the #9 seed so she isn't a complete no name to women's tennis. This was a huge win for her and a huge confidence booster for her going into next season.

It was a disappointing day for Serena, but it was an excellent run in the tournament, and she will be back next season fully healthy.

Women's tennis star, Serena Williams.

Cinderella Team

The MLB this year has been pretty predictable. The Red Sox, Yankees, and Phillies are on top like usual. The Rangers are winning the AL West. The Brewers and Cardinals are fighting for a playoff spot in the NL Central. The Braves are playoff bound. Then, all of a sudden you look at the standings in the NL West, and the Arizona sit atop the NL West with a 85-61 record (4th best in the majors). The Giants won the World Series last year, yet they can't seem to catch up to the Diamondbacks. As of September 10th, the Diamondbacks are riding a four game win streak and with the Giants on a three game losing streak, the lead has been pushed to 9.5 games! The Diamondbacks appear to be heading into the playoffs after being predicted by everyone to finish last in the NL West at the beginning of the year.

I know most of you guys don't know to many players on the team, so here is some help. The stud on the team is Justin Upton. He was the one Prince Fielder didn't pick for the home run derby this past July. What a mistake that was as Upton leads the team in every hitting category (AVG,HRS,RBI, OBP, Hits). He is really the only standout hitter on the team. Most of the players are .250 hitters but they have timely hitting which is all that matters sometimes. To make up for their mediocre hitting, the Diamondbacks have strong pitching. The starting rotation is led by ace Ian Kennedy. He was let go by the Yankees last year because he couldn't find his groove in the Bronx. He seems to be doing just fine in Phoenix as he is in contention for the NL Cy Young and rightfully so with a 19-4 record and a 2.90 ERA. JJ Putz has been lights out as a closer this year with 38 saves.

If they reach the playoffs, the Diamondbacks will have to play the Phillies. That will be a very tough series for them but if they pitch and hit well, who knows, maybe their Cinderella season could continue farther into October.

All Star right fielder Justin Upton.

NFL's First Game

The NFL season finally kicked off Thursday night in a battle between the two previous Super Bowl winners; the Green Bay Packers and the New Orleans Saints. The headlines coming in were, could Mark Ingram be the number one running back for the Saints and if the Packers would be able to come back to reality after the amazing super bowl victory last season.

As the game progressed, there didn't seem to be a lot of defense. At half, it was 28-17 in favor of the Packers. Randall Cobb was the spark in the first half as the rookie had a 32 yard touchdown catch. Cobb didn't slow down in the 2nd half as he had a 108 yard kickoff return for a touchdown. That is tied as the 2nd longest touchdown in NFL history. As the time ticked down in the fourth quarter, the Saints scored with 2:18 left in the game to make it a 8 pt game. On the ensuing drive for the Packers, they had a quick three and out and with 1 minute left, the Saints needed to go 80 yards for a touchdown. Drew Brees methodically worked his team down the field hitting receiver after receiver. With 10 seconds left, all of a sudden the Saints had the ball on the Packers 12 yard line. Brees snapped the ball and saw his running back, Darren Sproles, open in the end zone. As time expired, AJ Hawk tackled Sproles before the ball even got there and the ref flew the flag for a pass interference. This gave the Saints one last chance as the ball was placed on the 1 yard line for the last play of the game. Brees handed it off to Mark Ingram and he plunged forward, but Packer defenders came sprawling over the offensive line to prevent Ingram from crossing the goal line. The final score: Packers 42 Saints 34.

If this is what every game is like this season, NFL fans are in for a delight. The two teams offenses were explosive and Rodgers looked like a Super Bowl MVP. The Packers (1-0) continue their season next week versus the young Panthers and the Saints (0-1) are scheduled to play the Bears.

*Note: Sorry to Southern California, Arizona, Nevada and other parts of the Southwest for not being able to watch the game due to the blackout. 

Steven Strasburg Finally on the Mound

After having Tommy John surgery just 12 months ago, no one expected Steven Strasburg (SDSU grad) to be on the mound this early. On a rainy Tuesday night in DC, Strasburg finally took the mound versus the LA Dodgers in the leagues the most anticipated start of the season. Last year, in the first start of his career, he pitched 7 innings with 14 strikeouts. Today was a similar start as he went 5 shutout innings striking out 4. He was very effective throwing only 56 pitches.

Much of this seems very positive for Strasburg, but many sports analyzers have their concerns. They think that it is idiotic to rush Strasburg so quickly. With the Nationals out of playoff contention, it would seem to make logical sense to keep him out until he is fully healthy next year. Doctors say he is indeed healthy, but their is still that risk of him re injuring his shoulder having tearing it only a year ago.

My belief is that I understand why the Nationals are doing this. Their attendance is low and Strasburg draws a huge crowd every appearance he makes and we all know crowds mean money. I think they should let Strasburg pitch, but keep his outings very short and not risk anything. I think he would get rusty if he missed a whole year of pitching in the MLB. At least these short stints will get him back into the swing of things, and get him use to facing professional hitters again. Either way, he is a phenomenal pitcher and has a very bright future ahead of him.

Shorthanded Miami loses First Game

Last month, news came out that the University of Miami had broken numerous collegiate violations. Since then, it has been chaos for the football team due to discussions of very serious punishments. For those that do not already know, Miami was found guilty for accepting benefits from a fan named Nevin Shapiro. He supposedly provided the football players with money,prostitutes, nice cars, and even his mansion for parties. Names such as Andre Johnson and Willis Mcgahee were brought up as players that received these benefits. For now, eight players on the team are suspended, notably star quarterback, Jacory Harris.

Monday marked the beginning of a new start for the Hurricanes. They opened up their 2011 campaign against their ACC rivals, the Maryland Terripans. The shorthanded Hurricanes were in the game the whole time, but ended up losing by eight. It was a rough start for Miami and no one knows when they will have their players back from suspension, but they are still going to go out on the field every week and fight for a victory.

 Suspended quarterback Jacory Harris

Mark Herzlich Makes the Cut

Saturday was the final day for NFL teams to cut their rosters to 53 players. Linebacker Mark Herzlich got the news of his life today when he heard the New York Giants had kept him on the team. It just seems like days ago when Herzlich was in the hospital with the chance to never play football again. In 2009, Herzlich was diagnosed with a rare form of bone cancer in his left leg. He had been the captain for Boston College the previous two years and BC was shocked to hear that their leader was going to sit out his entire junior season. Herzlich went through extreme chemotherapy as he lost all of his hair. He got to play his senior year, but he went into the 2011 draft with a slim chance of getting drafted. As the final round completed, Herzlich was still on the board as he ended up not getting drafted. Instead of moping around, he kept training and working hard and finally, he got a call from the New York Giants to report to training camp. Coaches were impressed by his hard work and perseverance as he got to play in the preseason games. In the final preseason game, he had a red zone interception, a sack, and numerous other tackles as he helped the Giants beat their cross town rivals, the Jets. No one was sure if he would make the team, but Herzlich was determined to hear positive news Saturday. Well today, his dream came true as he will try to help lead the Giants to the playoffs after the teams disappointing season last year. 

College Football Preseason Power Rankings Top 5

1. Oklahoma- Led by quarterback Landry Jones, Oklahoma is a very balanced team both offensively and defensively. Look for Jones to find his main target, wide receiver Kenny Stills (LCC grad), when they are in need of a big offensive play

2. Alabama- With Mark Ingram  gone at running back, the carrying load is left to Tony Richardson who has had to hide in Ingram's shadows the past few years. With a young quarterback, Richardson will need to stay healthy and have a breakout season if Alabama has any aspiration to play in the national championship come January.

3. Oregon- With Thomas still at quarterback and James returning as running back, the Ducks are hoping to make another championship appearance. James was a Heisman candidate last year after rushing for over 1700 yards. He will have a big challenge this weekend as Oregon faces one of the best defenses in the country, #4 LSU.

4. LSU- All summer, coaches worked on quarterback Jordan Jefferson's strength, stamina, and accuracy in hope of it paying off this season. It was shocking news to the school when they found out Jefferson and a couple of teammates had gotten into a bar fight. Now, he will have to sit out the first few games due to suspension as all the pressure is put onto senior quarterback, Jared Lee, as LSU will try to start their season strong without their star quarterback.

5. Boise State- This team every year is one of the best in college football. Sadly last year, their championship run was crushed as they ruined their 27 game winning streak at Nevada. Star quarterback Kellen Moore is still on the team, as Boise State will try to prove that a mid major college belongs in the national championship. Their first game is at #19 Georgia so right off the bat, Boise State could make a loud opening statement.