DECEMBER 16, 2007

West Virginia’s Rodriguez Will Replace Carr at Michigan

Michigan’s search for a coach to replace the retiring Lloyd Carr ended on Sunday with the hiring of West Virginia coach Rich Rodriguez. Rodriguez, an offensive innovator who helped develop the same shotgun-spread offense that gave Michigan fits in losses to Oregon and Appalachian State this season, played defensive back at West Virginia from 1981 to 1984 and, as coach, led the team to B.C.S. bowl berths in two of the last three seasons. The Mountaineers, with assistant coaches Bill Stewart and Calvin Magee assuming the head coaching duties, will play Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl on Jan. 2. Les Miles, the coach who led Louisiana State to a berth in the National Championship Game against Ohio State on Jan. 7, had been regarded by many observers as the top candidate for the Michigan job. Hours before the Tigers defeated Tennessee in the Southeastern Conference Championship game on Dec. 1, Miles, a Michigan graduate, denied an ESPN report that a deal with Michigan was imminent. He went on to sign a one-year extension with L.S.U. Rodriguez will be introduced Monday at a news conference in Ann Arbor. Carr will conclude his 12-year Michigan on Jan. 1, when he coaches the Wolverines against Florida in the Capital One Bowl.

DECEMBER 8, 2007: HEISMAN TROPHY

Florida QB Tebow First Sophomore to Win Heisman

Tim Tebow, the versatile quarterback from Florida, won the Heisman Trophy tonight, becoming the first sophomore to win the award. Tebow, who passed for 3,132 yards and 29 touchdowns and rushed for 838 yards and 22 touchdowns, edged Arkansas junior running back Darren McFadden by 254 points. CollegeBLITZ.com’s own Heisman expert, The Voter, offers his analysis of the voting. (Full Story)

» Watcher: Hindsight Isn’t 20/20 After a Wild 2007

DECEMBER 2, 2007: BOWL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES

Clarity For a Season of Confusion

A college football season filled with uncertainty finally has clarity, sort of. Ohio State, back at No. 1 after three weeks out of the top spot, will play No. 2 LSU in the National Championship Game. (Full Story)

NOVEMBER 22, 2007

Buckeyes Back in Title Hunt After Winning ‘The Game’

There are reasons why people of high means out east insist that Harvard-Yale is "the game". There are reasons, a whole lot more valid than the battle of law firm chieftains/Wall Street moguls/CEOs why Army-Navy, Texas-Oklahoma, U.C.L.A.-U.S.C. or Auburn-Alabama often try to grab onto that label. But for most knowledgeable football fans, there is The Game. Ohio State-Michigan. (Full Story)

NOVEMBER 17, 2007

Illinois Knocks Out No. 1 Ohio State

The could be told with the looks on the stunned players' and Ohio Stadium crowd's faces after upstart Illinois, always a troublesome opponent for the Buckeyes, knocked Ohio State from the unbeaten and probably blew up the Bucks' national title chances, 28-21, as three killer B's ruled the day. (Full Story)

NOVEMBER 10, 2007

No. 1 Buckeyes Power Past Badgers After a Scary Sight

This was in the middle of the third quarter last Saturday and the Ohio State congregation was quieter than virtually any pregame moment of silence. The scoreboards wore mournful looks as they declared: OHIO STATE 10 WISCONSIN 17. Sheesh, not again! (Full Story)

NOVEMBER 1, 2007

Ohio State Shows It’s Light Years Ahead of Penn State

Paul Smith — The driving distance between Columbus and State College, Pa. is 317 miles. Through the air, it's about 255. Right about now, though, even the bluest and whitest Penn State diehard will tell you, the distance between No. 1 Ohio State's football program and Penn State's cannot be measured continentally. (Full Story)

After Drubbing, Paterno Is Trying to Play Catch Up

National Report — Maybe Joe Paterno is finally starting to get it. Maybe he is finally leaving the Stone Age. Or at least 1972, when he had his first and only Heisman Trophy winner. Maybe, after the 37-17 rout by No. 1 Ohio State (9-0). he is finally taking denial out of his game plan. (Full Story)

» Buckeyes Fans Attacked While Walking Past Penn State Frat

OCTOBER 27, 2007

No. 1 Buckeyes Encounter a White Night in Happy Valley

Paul Smith — The rancor is there, all right. It comes in somewhat subdued form, which indicates this isn't going to ever match the sheer venom of the Ohio State-Michigan rivalry. But when the top-ranked Buckeyes (8-0) take the Beaver Stadium field against the No. 24 Nittany Lions (6-2), at 8 p.m. Eastern/7 Central (ABC-TV), there'll be no mistaking the intensity the 110,000-plus resident maniacs will direct their way(save 5,000 Scarlet-clad, ahem, gentlemen and ladies from across the boarder). (Full Story)

Underdog Trojans (What!?) Travel to No. 5 Oregon

Coast Watcher — Southern Cal, which is trying to get back in the chase for the BCS title game, find themselves in a position that they haven't been in since the early days of Pete Carroll's reign. They're underdogs going into Saturday's conference clash against the Oregon Ducks. By 3 points. (Full Story)

OCTOBER 19, 2007

Boston College 7-0 For the First Time Since 1942

Paul Smith — In Saturday's 27-14 Boston College victory over Notre Dame, the final result produced at least a few answers to a nagging season-long shopping list of questions. For a change. For the Fighting Irish, one major plus was they showed they can be somewhat competitive with top teams. (Full Story)

OCTOBER 9, 2007

Purdue’s Mid-Season Test Fails to Challenge Ohio State

Paul Smith — How good are the Buckeyes? Or at least their defense? Pretty friggin' good, it turns out. A 23-7 rout of the 5-1 Boilermakers provided convincing evidence that while the Buckeyes no doubt are still working out some offensive kinks, the defense is one of the nation's true elite. (Full Story)

Southern California Feels Aftershocks From Stanford

Coast Watcher — The fallout from USC’s loss to 41-point underdog Stanford last weekend is still being absorbed by the Trojans, the pollsters, TV analysts and newspaper columnists, coaches from rival Pacific 10 teams and, of course, fans and detractors. (Full Story)

OCTOBER 4, 2007

The Top 25 is a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World

Paul Smith — By the time the members current and former of college football’s exclusive Top 25 club emerged from their weekend post mortem sessions, it looked like a 9.0 earthquake had knocked down half the landscape. (Full Story)

U.S.C. Escapes On Upset Saturday

Coast Watcher — Upset Saturday left its mark on the college football landscape, with nine top 25 teams trying to keep their balances without slipping out of sight. Florida, West Virgina, Texas and Oklahoma were the big losers, California, Kentucky and Boston College took giant steps forward and although USC won, the Trojans dropped out of the No. 1 spot which they had occupied since the preseason. (Full Story)

SEPTEMBER 28, 2007

A New Game Plan, at Least for Paterno

National Report — All you need to know about the stubbornness of Penn State's offensive planners appeared Sept. 26 in David Jones's column in The Harrisburg Patriot-News. (Full Story)

Buckeyes Open Big Ten With a Blast of Northwestern

Paul Smith — Ohio State lost three prime time offensive producers from last season’s National Championship runner-up team. Among the many questions, and so few preseason answers... "Where are you going, Brian Robiskie?" the mantra went, "Buckeye Nation turns its lonely eyes to you." To the end zone, it turns out. Often. (Full Story)

Monday Morning Signal Calling

Coast Watcher — The AP Top 25 poll which came out Sunday shows four Pacific 10 teams listed—USC at No. 1, California No. 6, Oregon at No. 11 and surprise, Arizona State at No. 23. Cal and Oregon meet Saturday in an early season showdown that could have a big effect on the Rose Bowl race. (Full Story)

After a 38-0 win over hapless Notre Dame, Lloyd Carr and Michigan (1-2) host Joe Paterno and Penn State (3-0) in the Big Ten opener on Saturday in Ann Arbor. (Michael R. Sisak/BLITZ '06)

VIEW FROM THE MIDWEST: SEPTEMBER 20, 2007

Michigan Puts Notre Dame to Shame (and 0-3)

Paul Smith — Give Michigan its full props. This effort — 187 yards by the talkative tailback Mike Hart, good for two touchdowns and a dominant offense that produced 289 rushing yards — was a nice first step back from the edge of a precipitous drop for the Wolverines, who face a much sterner test in Penn State on Saturday (3:30 P.M. Eastern/2:30 P.M. Central, ABC). (Full Story)

VIEW FROM THE MIDWEST: SEPTEMBER 13, 2007

Michigan: The Land of Maize and Misery

Paul Smith — In a season where some of Michigan's oft-pampered fans are tempted to say, "Mommy, make it stop!" last Saturday was a killer sequel to the opening day upset by a I-AA team. (Full Story)

Photo Gallery: Penn State 31, Notre Dame 10

Notre Dame: Irish Backup Jones Could Be Done After Skipping Michigan Trip

Ohio State Rallies From a Frightening 2-0 Deficit

Paul Smith — So far this season, more than a few Big Ten victories against less-than-spectacular nonleague opposition have scrawled some serious graffiti on the league's prestigious image. Take 10th ranked Ohio State's 20-2 victory over in-state gimme Akron. (Full Story)

Newsroom: Paterno Plans to Be Enjoying Retirement by 90

COAST WATCHER: SEPTEMBER 13, 2007

Dorrell Wary of Overconfidence as UCLA Tackles Utah

USC faces a familiar quarterback in Nebraska; Washington hosts Ohio State

John Scheibe — After racking up Brigham Young at the Rose Bowl, UCLA heads for the Great Salt Lake for a date with the Cougars’ Cousins, the Utes of Utah. Top-ranked Southern Cal will put on their overalls and heavy boots for a visit to the real “Farm” when it takes on 2-0 Nebraska. (Full Story)

VIEW FROM THE MIDWEST: SEPTEMBER 8, 2007

Preview: Welcome to Happy Valley, Irish Fans

Paul Smith — Penn State-Notre Dame, under any microscope, is a fascinating intersectional matchup which has been a too-infrequent 18-game scrum between what usually are two of the nation's pre-eminent teams. This time, it would appear, the No. 14 Lions may have to resist the temptation to be overconfident against a vulnerable Irish team that was schooled by Georgia Tech 33-3 in the most one-sided season-opening home loss in N.D. history. (Full Story)

VIEW FROM THE MIDWEST: SEPTEMBER 1, 2007

Appalachian State Shocks the World in Ann Arbor

Paul Smith — The mournful lights on the Big House's end zone scoreboards proclaiming "MICHIGAN 32 ... APP. STATE 34" and the words of stadium public address announcer Carl Grapentine — "The final score, Appalachian State 34, Michigan 32"...and the funereal departure will last forever in Wolverines everywhere — be they Chinese chemists, British botanists or Livonia lawyers. (Full Story)

COAST WATCHER

Pac-10 Makes Early Case As Nation’s Elite Conference

John Scheibe — It wasn’t the blowout that everyone expected, still USC managed to dispose of Idaho Saturday night at the Coliseum. Playing a humpty the first game of the season can be disastrous, just ask Michigan, but the 46-point favored Trojans scripted a 28-point win against the Vandals, who at least got a nice trip to Southern California. (Full Story)

Nittany Lions Punish Florida International in Opener

The defense forced six fumbles and allowed 114 yards of total offense, and quarterback Anthony Morelli had a career day (23-for-30, 295 yards, 3 TDs) as No. 17 Penn State beat Florida International 59-0 in the season opener at Beaver Stadium on Saturday. (Photo Gallery: 20 Images)

AUGUST 31, 2007

Football Eve in Happy Valley

No. 17 Penn State warmed up the fans in Happy Valley at the annual Football Eve pep rally, held in Beaver Stadium, less than 16 hours before kickoff against Florida International (Noon EDT, Big Ten Network). Coach Joe Paterno, who is entering his 42nd season as head coach, introduced his senior captains — QB Anthony Morelli, WR Terrell Golden and LB Dan Connor — and serenaded the crowd with a few lines of Frank Sinatra’s hit "My Way." Here, he and the players watch a video of highlights that will be shown before games to motivate the home fans. (Michael R. Sisak/collegeBLITZ.com)

VIEW FROM THE MIDWEST: AUGUST 31, 2007

Spurrier Critical of South Carolina’s Academic Standards

Paul Smith — Steve Spurrier is upset that two of his prime bluechip recruits were turned down by South Carolina’s admissions office. “Hopefully I truly believe this is the last year this is going to happen, because I can’t operate like that,” he said. (Full Story)

Notre Dame: Irish Schedule an End to Rivalries With Purdue, Michigan State

2007 SEASON PREVIEW: AUGUST 25, 2007

Talented Ohio State Starts Anew After Title Meltdown

Paul Smith — There is talent nearly everywhere you look at Ohio State, which is still recovering from a massive meltdown in the National Championship game, and the loss of stars at quarterback, tailback, wide receiver and on both lines. (Full Story)

In Irish Dictionary, Rebuilding Means Reloading

Paul Smith — Is Notre Dame rebuilding? Don’t tell Charlie Weis. While the Irish have graduated quarterback Brady Quinn, big time downfield playmakers Jeff Samardzija and Rhema McKnight, and feature back Darius Walker, the coach says, “May God strike me dead if I use that word.” (Full Story)

Related News: At Home, Notre Dame Will Use Mid-American Officials

EXCLUSIVE: JULY 31, 2007

Big Ten Interested In Missouri Compromise

Paul Smith — The new Big Ten Network may occasion a conference look at expanding to 12 teams. "I think we need to look at it in the next year," Big Ten Commissioner Jim Delany told Peterson, who cited possible contacts with Rutgers and Syracuse of the Big East. But the REAL school the Big Ten is after, collegeBLITZ.com learns, is Missouri, a likely addition in some 3-5 years. (Full Story)