 Arkansas AD Jeff Long I do not like to keep harping on one topic, but Arkansas Athletic Director Jeff Long’s recent statement made at the Northwest Arkansas Touchdown Club definitely calls for one more harp on this. "I also want to be clear I remain steadfastly behind this group of young men and this coaching staff," Long said. "Supporting this team is the best course of action for the short term and long term... I will fulfill my commitment to the players and coaches for this season, and I will not abandon them." Apparently, what Long does not understand is that he has abandoned them and Arkansas by refusing to do his job, which is to fire John L. Smith as soon as possible. As I suggested before the Rutgers game, they need to go with an interim coach that will draw less negative attention and begin the search for a real head coach that people and players can respect. Smith is hurting the program in the short term and long term. Seriously, how many recruits do you think want to come to Arkansas after watching him on television? He has made a mockery of Arkansas with his statements and the performance of the team. After the 58-10 thumping by Texas A&M, the Razorbacks are now 94th overall in points per game and allow 40.6 points per game, 116th overall. Standing at 1-4, the Hogs would have to win five of the remaining seven games to even make it to a bowl. To be in this position after winning 21 games the last two seasons is astonishing. There is no doubt that Arkansas football is in shambles. Fans and the community have a right to demand a better result on the field and for the team. It is rather obvious, more than ever, that Smith needs to go. Does it mean that they will win more games this season? No, but I am thinking about the long term which is recruiting and the face of the program... so should Jeff Long.
John L. Smith Wants the Media to Smile John L. Smith Says the University of Arkansas is a State of "Alabama" Program Another Embarrassing John L. Smith Interview
AP Top Five
1. Alabama
2. Oregon
3. Florida State
4. LSU
5. Georgia
USA Today Coaches Top Five
1. Alabama
2. Oregon
3. LSU
4. Florida State
5. Georgia
Other Projections: Northwestern will break the top 25 in both major polls. UCLA will be in the AP Top 25.
On the Bubble: Florida State is on the bubble for number three in both polls (projected to be three in AP) and LSU is on the bubble to fall to four in both polls. Boise State is on the bubble for the top 25 for both polls.
There were seven teams idle this week that were ranked in the USA Today Coaches Poll Top 25. But there will still be some movement with six losses by ranked teams (only three in AP lost): Stanford, Michigan State, Oklahoma State, Wisconsin, Baylor, and Virginia Tech. The bottom half of the Coaches will probably look more similar to the AP after the losses this week.
There looks to be a small shakeup in the top five. Florida State is projected to be number three in the AP Poll, but still projected at four in the Coaches. FSU had some trouble with South Florida, but so did LSU with FCS team Towson. The Seminoles only trailed the Tigers by six points in last week's poll. However, FSU trailed by a larger gap of 55 points in the Coaches, but that lead may not stick for too much longer and I still put the Seminoles on the bubble for three in the Coaches this week.
Boise State is on the bubble for the top 25 for both polls. They were already ranked 24 in the AP and just outside the rankings in the Coaches, but I do not expect them to get much more recognition after an unimpressive win over New Mexico.
Of teams to break the rankings, Northwestern is a sure pick since they were the team with the most votes outside of the top 25 of both major polls last week. UCLA will be ranked in the AP, but will most likely fall just outside the Coaches. Look for a bunch of new teams in the lower half of the Coaches Poll since four of the last five ranked teams lost.
Follow College Football Universe late Saturday nights and early Sunday mornings for projections before the official polls are released.
Here is a list of the 12 most dynamic Heisman Trophy contenders through week four of the 2012 college football season. It is based on the contenders that along with having gaudy numbers also make dynamic and meaningful plays on the field. This is not a predictor, but there is useful information given on the Heisman race. The watch will be updated near season's end and reduced to around four to six contenders. The Dynamic Dozen includes a variety of position players with quarterbacks leading the way at five listed. After just four weeks, there are no definitive front-runners, but Heisman hype is beginning to pick up for some. However, there are a few players from the preseason list that have risen while there are many newcomers in addition. Many of the favorites from my preseason Dynamic Dozen Heisman Trophy contenders have fallen out including all of the top five and eight total. USC quarterback Matt Barkley may be the biggest disappointment of the preseason favorites early on; he has had four interceptions with only two touchdowns in his last two games. Wisconsin running back Montee Ball has been a huge surprise to everyone as well with dismal numbers this season (3.9 yards per carry). Notre Dame linebacker Manti Te'o recently had his name thrown into Heisman consideration. He is a picture perfect tackler that is morphing into a good all around linebacker as exemplified by his two interceptions against Michigan last Saturday. Te'o is possibly the most valuable defensive player in the country along with Georgia linebacker Jarvis Jones which is also in the Dynamic Dozen. Of course as everyone knows, a defensive player winning the Heisman Trophy is a longshot, but if Te'o maintains his current pace, it will be hard to keep him out of New York. I have another player included, offensive lineman Barrett Jones from Alabama, that is an even farther stretch than the linebackers listed. I highly doubt he will win the trophy, but he is one of the best college football players in the nation and is worth mentioning. There has been some rumbling about Jones as a Heisman candidate. As previously stated, the list is quarterback heavy as usual for a Heisman race. Four of the top five are QBs with Kansas State's Collin Klein coming in at number one. "Optimus" Klein is also number two on Heisman Pundit and ranked third on ESPN Heisman Watch. Kansas State's victory over Oklahoma helped the talented athlete garner some national attention. I had Klein on preseason watch despite him going under the radar on many others and he was not even included on the preseason Walter Camp Player of the Year watch list. West Virginia QB Geno Smith has some of the most impressive numbers in the nation early on, but the Mountaineers' schedule gets more difficult so it will be interesting to see if he can maintain his output. Florida State's EJ Manuel jumped into the Heisman conversation after the Seminoles' win over the Tigers in which he had a stellar outing (482 total yards vs Clemson). Smith is number one and Manuel number two in the Heisman race according to ESPN. Heisman Trust Mission Statement |  West Virginia QB Geno Smith is ranked no. 2 in the Dynamic Dozen. HeismanPundit.com Top Five
1. QB Geno Smith, West Virginia
2. QB Collin Klein, Kansas State
3. QB EJ Manuel, Florida State
4t. RB/WR De'Anthony Thomas, Oregon
4t. WR Marqise Lee, USC ESPN.com Heisman Watch Top Five
1. QB Geno Smith, West Virginia
2. QB EJ Manuel, Florida State
3. QB Collin Klein, Kansas State
4. RB/WR De'Anthony Thomas, Oregon
5. QB Braxton Miller, Ohio State Kansas State QB Collin Klein is no. 1 in the Dozen. K-State Coach Bill Snyder on Klein, "The growth has been across the board. It is not just focused in one area. I think he has grown in every aspect of the game..." RB/WR De'Anthony Thomas is no. 4 in the Dozen. | 1. QB Collin Klein 6-5 226 Sr, Kansas State Wildcats Preseason Rank: 10
Key Stats: 1,047 total yards and 10 total touchdowns. 2. QB Geno Smith 6-3 214 Sr, West Virginia Mountaineers Preseason Rank: 12
Key Stats: 81.4% completion, 1,072 passing yards, and 13 total touchdowns. 3. QB EJ Manuel 6-5 245 Sr, Florida State Seminoles Preseason Rank: Not ranked
Key Stats: 7.8 yards per carry, 1,093 total yards, and nine total touchdowns. 4. RB/WR De'Anthony Thomas 5-9 173 So, Oregon Ducks Preseason Rank: 8
Key Stats: 276 rush yards, 165 receiving yards, 131 punt return yards, and seven total touchdowns. 5. QB Braxton Miller 6-2 210 So, Ohio State Buckeyes Preseason Rank: Not ranked
Key Stats: 6.6 yards per carry, 1,195 total yards, and 14 total touchdowns. 6. LB Manti Te'o 6-2 255 Sr, Notre Dame Fighting Irish Preseason Rank: Not ranked
Key Stats: 38 tackles, two tackles for loss, two fumble recoveries, and three interceptions. 7. QB Aaron Murray 6-1 211 Jr, Georgia Bulldogs Preseason Rank: 6
Key Stats: 182.4 QB rating, 1,092 passing yards, and 13 total touchdowns. 8. RB LeVeon Bell 6-2 244 Jr, Michigan State Spartans Preseason Rank: Not ranked
Key Stats: 677 total yards and five touchdowns. 9. RB Jawan Jamison 5-8 200 Jr, Rutgers Scarlet Knights Preseason Rank: Not ranked
Key Stats: 586 total yards and three total touchdowns. 10. WR Marqise Lee 6-0 190 So, USC Trojans Preseason Rank: Not ranked
Key Stats: 457 receiving yards and six touchdowns. 11. LB Jarvis Jones 6-3 241 Jr, Georgia Bulldogs Preseason Rank: Not ranked
Key Stats: 4.5 sacks and 25 total tackles. 12. C Barrett Jones 6-5 302 Sr, Alabama Crimson Tide Preseason Rank: Not ranked
Key Stats: 204 team rushing yards per game, 42 team points per game, and 40 career starts. Just outside the Dozen: RB Stepfan Taylor Stanford, WR Tavon Austin West Virginia, WR Stedman Bailey West Virginia, RB Johnathan Franklin UCLA, and RB Marcus Lattimore South Carolina. Dropped out of the Dozen: (1) QB Matt Barkley USC, (2) RB Montee Ball Wisconsin, (3) QB Tyler Wilson Arkansas, (4) CB Tyrann Mathieu LSU, (5) QB Denard Robinson Michigan, (7) RB Marcus Lattimore South Carolina, (9) WR Robert Woods USC, and (11) RB Knile Davis Arkansas.
Projected Top Five AP & USA Today Coaches
- Alabama
- LSU*
- Oregon
- Florida State
- Georgia
*On the bubble to drop to three or four in both rankings. Other projections: Oklahoma will fall out of the top 10 in both major polls. Notre Dame will be ranked in the top 10 of the AP poll. Michigan and UCLA will fall out of the top 25 in both rankings. Oregon State will be ranked in the AP Top 25. There were four match ups between ranked teams Saturday: 21 Arizona at 3 Oregon, 9 Clemson at 4 Florida State,13 Kansas State at 5 Oklahoma, and 17 Michigan at 15 Notre Dame (according to USA Today Coaches Poll). Oklahoma was the only one unable to defend home turf in the top weekend games and the highest ranked team to lose. The Sooners' loss will open up the five spot for Georgia in the Coaches Poll while Oklahoma will fall out of the top 10 of both polls. LSU is the only team in the top four that could move down after only winning by two points over Auburn, but I still have them projected to be ranked second in both polls. However, the Tigers could fall all the way to three or four. Despite Florida State's big win over Clemson, the Seminoles may not move up any this week with the top four of the rankings at a near stalemate for the moment. However, it depends how voters treat LSU, which is a usual favorite in the polls. The Notre Dame Fighting Irish will easily be ranked in the top 10 of the AP Top 25, but probably just outside the top 10 of the USA Today Coaches Poll. Michigan will fall out of the top 25 in both major polls as a result of the loss to the Irish. Oregon State will break the AP Top 25 after their win over UCLA, but may fall shy in the Coaches Poll. The Bruins will also drop out of the top 25 rankings. Follow College Football Universe late Saturday nights and early Sunday mornings for projections before the official polls are released.
| The Pac-12 is the only conference with a winning record versus current top 25 teams while playing the fifth most ranked teams (not including in-conference games). The SEC and Big Ten are the only other conferences that have wins against a current top 25 team. Independent Notre Dame also defeated AP no. 21 Michigan State last Saturday.
Despite being 0-8 versus the top 25, Sun Belt teams have played a very challenging out of conference schedule and had some success. Louisiana Monroe did beat Arkansas while the Hogs were ranked and nearly beat another SEC team in Auburn. Western Kentucky also beat Kentucky in overtime last Saturday.
The Big 12 has the best out of conference record, but that is a result of bottom feeding to build up their record with games against teams like Savannah State and Grambling State. Big 12 teams have only played one current top 25 team (Oklahoma State at Arizona).
Listed to the right are the out of conference records, win percentages, and records versus the current top 25 (AP or USA) for each conference. Below are the points forced per game and points allowed per game in out of conference games. Independents that played each other are not included in any of the statistics and conference games are also not included in any stats.
| Out of Conference Win %, Record, Vs Current Top 25
Big 12, 91.67% 22-2 (0-1)
SEC, 79.31% 23-6 (1-3)
ACC, 73.08% 19-7 (0-3)
Big Ten, 72.22% 26-10 (1-4)
Big East, 72.22% 13-5 (0-1)
Pac 12, 71.88% 23-9 (3-2)
WAC, 57.89% 11-8 (0-3)
Independents, 50% 4-4 (1-0)
Sun Belt, 44% 11-14 (0-8)
MAC, 43.75% 14-18 (0-8)
Mountain West, 40.74% 11-16 (0-6)
Conference USA, 27.59% 8-21 (0-8)
| | Points Forced Per Game Out of Conference
Big 12, 47.08
SEC, 39.76
Pac 12, 34.66
ACC, 33.62
Big Ten, 29.83
Mountain West, 29.56
Big East, 29.5
WAC, 29.37
Conference USA, 26.97
Sun Belt, 25.96
MAC, 25.91
Independents, 23.75
| Points Allowed Per Game Out of Conference
Big 12, 16.29
Big Ten, 18.31
ACC, 18.38
SEC, 18.41
Big East, 19.11
Pac 12, 22.41
Independents, 22.5
Mountain West, 26.96
WAC, 27.63
Sun Belt, 30.88
MAC, 32.59
Conference USA, 34.52
|
AP Top Six
1. Alabama
2. LSU
3. Oregon
4. Florida State
5. Georgia
6. Oklahoma
Coaches Top Six
1. Alabama
2. LSU
3. Oregon
4. Oklahoma
5. Florida State
6. Georgia
On the Top Five Bubble: Georgia and Oklahoma are on the AP top five bubble.
On the Top 25 Bubble: Virginia Tech is on the top 25 bubble for both major polls and could fall out after the loss to Pitt. Oklahoma State is on the bubble to make the Coaches Top 25. Wisconsin is on the Coaches Top 25 bubble after a close win over Utah State.
Other Poll Projections: Boise State will be ranked in the top 25 of both major polls. Tennessee and BYU will fall out of the AP Top 25. Stanford will move into at least the top 20 in the AP poll and top 15 in the Coaches poll. USC will stay in the top 15 of both major polls.
The major upset of the weekend was Stanford over USC by 21-14. The Trojans are probably out of contention for the BCS championship game unless there are some major losses accumulated by teams in the upper echelon of the rankings. USC will still be ranked in the top 15 of both polls and they may land around the same ranking as the team that just defeated them.
Georgia should continue to gain recognition and momentum in the rankings with a move to five in the AP poll. UGA was only five points behind Oklahoma last week in the AP and the Sooners had a bye this week while the Bulldogs blew out Florida Atlantic. Florida State will be ranked in the top five of both polls.
Tennessee and BYU will fall out of the AP Top 25 basically by default since they both lost and were the lowest ranked coming into the week at 23 and 25 respectively. Virginia Tech is the next most likely to fall out of the rankings after their upset loss to unranked Pitt. With the Hokies ranked 13 by both polls coming in, they will be hovering somewhere around 25.
Boise State will be back in both polls for week four after being the last team out in week three. However, the Broncos could be jumped by Oklahoma State in the Coaches Poll, but BSU is a lock for the AP Top 25.
Follow College Football Universe late Saturday nights and early Sunday mornings for projections before the official polls are released.
 The loss by the Arkansas Razorbacks to the Louisiana Monroe Warhawks was a shocker to almost everyone, but maybe that was because no one listened to ULM head coach Todd Berry. Before Saturday’s game against Arkansas, ESPNU sportscaster Clay Matvick called Louisiana Monroe, “their final tune up before a number one Alabama comes calling next week.” Looks like the Hogs need to put the car back in the shop, but that is another story. Berry spoke strongly of his team during the Sun Belt Media Day this summer. I was there when he did, but honestly did not think much of it. Looking back, he was truly confident about them coming into the season. The Warhawks head coach talked about his quarterback during the media day, “I think we got a really special quarterback in Kolton Browning. Tough guy. You know last year, unbeknownst to y’all, he played with a broken sternum. He broke it in the fourth game of our season. He kept playing.” Browning had 481 total yards and four touchdowns including the game winner against Arkansas. We will find out a lot more about the Warhawks over the next couple weeks with Auburn and Baylor coming up. Auburn may be 0-2 but still has a roster of legit SEC talent and Baylor (1-0) is a solid high scoring Big 12 team. ULM ranked 76 on the CFU preseason strength of schedule. I already heard Todd Berry talk this summer, but now I am actually listening. Check out some of Berry's conversation about his team at the Sun Belt Media Day.
Projected Top 5
1. Alabama
2. USC
3. LSU
4. Oregon
5. Oklahoma
*Projected to be same as last week's top five in the AP and Coaches poll.
Other Projections: Arkansas and Wisconsin will still be ranked in the top 25. Michigan State will be ranked in the top 10 in both polls since the loss by the Razorbacks will open the spot.
On the Bubble for the Top 25: Arkansas, Wisconsin, Nebraska, Boise State, Oklahoma State, Arizona,Tennessee, BYU, and UCLA.
There were no major changes in the top five of the rankings, but there were some interesting losses in the rest. Four top 25 teams lost: Arkansas, Wisconsin, Oklahoma State, and Nebraska. They will all drop significantly, but Nebraska and Oklahoma State are the most likely to drop out of the rankings because they were the lowest ranked coming into the week. Arkansas and Wisconsin will still be in the top 25, but the Razorbacks will drop the most spots and could drop out. Michigan State will also move into the top 10 with the loss by the Hogs.
I would have projected UCLA to break the top 25, but they did not receive any votes in either poll last week. Expect the Bruins to get votes this week after their win over Nebraska. Arizona also has a shot at the top 25 after the romping of Oklahoma State; the Wildcats received votes in the Coaches poll last week, but not in the AP.
Nebraska and Boise State are in competition for the last slot in the AP Poll, but the Broncos had a bye week so the inaction may keep them out; Boise State was already ranked 25 in the Coaches poll for week two. Louisiana Monroe will see some love with votes in both rankings, but I doubt they will get enough points to be in the top 25. It will be interesting to see which or if a new team breaks the top 25 this week since there are a lot of teams on the bubble.
Follow College Football Universe late Saturday nights and early Sunday mornings for projections before the official polls are released.
 Alabama was the only SEC team to defeat a top 25 opponent in week one despite the perception of the conference being the most dominant in college football. However, the SEC did have one of the most challenging schedules slated in the opening week and they scored the second most points per game among FBS conferences. The ACC, Big 12, Big East, and Pac 12 did not play any top 25 out of conference opponents in week one. The ACC had the most games against non-FBS teams. The SEC, Conference USA, MAC, and Mountain West tied for the most matches versus the top 25 at three games. The Big 12 was the only conference to go undefeated in week one, but played rather weak opposition with no BCS opponents and four non-FBS cupcakes. The Oklahoma Sooners also had a close call even though they were a heavy favorite going in versus the UTEP Miners. The Mid-American Conference had a tough week with only 18.64 points per game and 31.73 points allowed per game. Ohio was the lone MAC team to have any real success with the only out of conference FBS win for them (24-14 over Penn State). The Bobcats are one of the only few teams left in contention from the preseason BCS Busters Watch List after week one, but they have a weak schedule ahead so there will have to be a lot of losses racked up by BCS teams and they would have to win out convincingly. FBS teams that lost to FCS or non-FBS teams were Pittsburgh, Memphis, Middle Tennessee, and Idaho. See how each conference ranks after week one from an out of conference perspective:
Out of Conference Records
Big 12 9-0, vs Top 25: 0-0 , vs BCS: 0-0 , vs FBS: 5-0 , vs non-FBS: 4-0
ACC 7-1, vs Top 25: 0-0, vs BCS: 1-1, vs FBS: 2-1, vs non-FBS: 5-0
Big Ten 10-2 vs Top 25: 1-1 , vs BCS: 1-1 , vs FBS: 7-2, vs non-FBS: 3-0
SEC 9-2 vs Top 25: 1-2 , vs BCS: 2-2 , vs FBS: 5-2 , vs non-FBS: 4-0
Pac 12 8-3 vs Top 25: 0-0 , vs BCS: 0-0 , vs FBS: 6-3 , vs non-FBS: 2-0
Big East 5-2, vs Top 25: 0-0 , vs BCS: 1-1 , vs FBS: 3-1 , vs non-FBS: 2-1
WAC 4-2 vs Top 25: 0-1 , vs BCS: 0-1 , vs FBS: 2-1 , vs non-FBS: 2-1
Mountain West 5-5, vs Top 25: 0-3 , vs BCS 2-5: , vs FBS: 2-5 , vs non-FBS: 3-0
Sun Belt 4-5 vs Top 25: 0-2 , vs BCS: 0-3 , vs FBS: 1-4 , vs non-FBS: 3-1
MAC 3-8, vs Top 25: 0-3 , vs BCS: 1-7 , vs FBS: 1-8 , vs non-FBS: 2-0
Conference USA 2-10, vs Top 25: 0-3, vs BCS: 0-7, vs FBS, 1-9, vs non-FBS 1-1
| Points Per Game
Big 12 48.56
SEC 39.82
ACC 36.75
Pac 12 33.73
Big East 32.29
Big Ten 30.17
Sun Belt 29
Mountain West 28.4
WAC 27.67
Conference USA 24.5
MAC 18.64
| Points Allowed Per Game
ACC 15.63
Big 12 17.11
Big East 17.43
WAC 17.67
Pac 12 18.45
SEC 19.45
Big Ten 20.33
MWC 24.7
Sun Belt 27.33
MAC 31.73
Conference USA 35.67
| *Conference games are not included in statistics.
Follow College Football Universe for more stats and articles.
 Lindenwood Stadium (Southern.com) The Lindenwood Belleville Lynx kicked off their inaugural NAIA college football season on Saturday with a 43-37 win against the Avila (Mo.) Eagles. Points and rain poured down on Peppermint Valley with 589 total yards garnered by the Lynx in the game.
LU-Belleville already made national news before they even played a down when they unveiled the red (maroon) and gray EnviroTurf field as part of a $2.3 million stadium renovation. It received mixed reviews with pundits labeling it everything from a candy cane to barbershop pole (now add Peppermint Valley to the list).
Yahoo Sports, Dr. Saturday Local Thoughts on Non-Traditional Field Belleville, Illinois is a city in the St. Louis metro area. Find more on KSDK.com. | | Entertaining Team to Watch LU-Belleville's first game was very entertaining. There were around a couple thousand fans in attendance (no official numbers) despite a miserable day of weather. The game had everything from fake punts to kick offs returned back to back for touchdowns. Lynx freshman quarterback Kerry Gibson (6'2" 185) is a fun player to watch. Gibson is a dual threat that likes to sling the ball down field. He completed 12 of 21 passes for 231 yards and two touchdowns plus 70 rushing yards after being inserted into the game in the second quarter for starter Trey Phipps. Freshman wide receiver Harvey Binford (6'1" 175) had five catches for 126 yards with a touchdown and senior tailback Dominick Sherman (5'11" 195) rushed for 107 yards on 18 carries including a TD. Most of the talent for the Lynx is concentrated at the skill positions as expected in lower level college football, but Belleville does have Ball State transfer Derrick Henry (6'2" 195 ) at defensive back and on special teams. He returned a kick off 85 yards for touchdown in the second quarter. In high school, Henry ran a 4.53 secs 40-yard dash (Rivals.com) and at Ball State, he had 98 tackles with three forced turnovers in three seasons (BallStateSports.com). LU-Belleville had the lead most of the second half after a back and forth first half, but Avila was able to make it closer at the end. For a team to win while scoring 43 points in their first game ever played is impressive even though expectations are not high early on. LU-B coach Jeff Fisher spoke about the team, "What you have is a unique group. You have the kids that we recruited and you have the kids that recruited us. The way that these guys have meshed together has just been tremendous." (BND.com)Back to Back Kick Offs Returned for Touchdowns in High Scoring Game LU-Belleville's Derrick Henry and Avila's Robert Johnson return back to back kick offs for touchdowns. Johnson's was on a reverse. Peppermint Valley I typically do not post about non-FBS teams, but I did this time due to the national attention of the stadium renovation and since I live in the local area of Lindenwood Belleville. I am not as highly critical of "non-traditional" fields as some people so I guess it is okay, but winning does make it look much better. I suggest handing out peppermint candy canes at Lindenwood Stadium in November for the upcoming holidays and to play off the gimmick of the multi-colored field. No reason to shy away from further attention and establishing traditions, embrace the spirit of Peppermint Valley. Source: Belleville.Lindenwood.edu
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