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TotalProSports.com looks at 9 people you'll find at college football games...

The Frat Boy
He’s young, he’s dumb… and he is absolutely shit faced. He is mumbling Greek letters non-sequentially as he spills draft beer all over the row in front of him. He has opted to remove his shirt and write “Kappa Alpha” in his chest with catsup. He has what looks to be someone else’s vomit on his pants and also appears to have pissed himself. He loudly declares that he’d rather be watching a game of beer pong, and then, with almost no warning, passes out cold on the concrete steps. Then the game kicks off and one of his “boys” repeats the above sequence until they run out of dudes or the game ends, whichever comes first.

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The inital AP College Football Poll came out over the weekend. Here are the updated rankings:

COMPLETE RANKINGS (CBSSports.com)

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Winning NFL picks, odds and power rankings all from our friends at Doc's Sports Service...

I'm not a believer in preseason polls at all. How can you rank any team before they actually play a game? I'm a firm believer that the polls shouldn't come out until around the beginning of October. By then every team has played four or five games, and are about to enter conference play. Preseason polls can really hurt teams that have stellar seasons but started out the season ranked too low to make a move to the top of the rankings. At the same time it can both help and hurt those teams that get top rankings. It can help them in the way that as long as the teams don't lose, they don't drop, even if teams below them are undefeated and beating better teams. But it can also hurt them. If a top ranked team loses, especially early in the season, they could slide pretty far down the rankings and have to fight their way back to the top, hoping to get a lot of help along the way.

With all that said, today the USA Today Coaches' Poll was released. It counts for 1/3 of the overall BCS rankings at the end of the season. Its no surprise that last year's BCS champ, Alabama, sits atop the rankings with 55 of the 59 first place votes. They are returning 10 of 11 starters on offense from last year and are definitely considered to be the favorites to take the title again this year. Behind them sits the the Ohio State Buckeyes, who received four place votes. With Heisman hopeful, Terrelle Pryor leading the charge, the Buckeyes could see themselves back in a national title game come January. Rounding out the top five is Florida, Texas, and the surprise to the party, Boise State. This is the highest the Broncos of the "Smurf Turf" have ever been ranked in preseason polls. While Boise State isn't in a BCS conference, its a very good possibility that they could crash the party this year. Their fate could very well be decided after their first game this year when they take on No. 6 Virginia Tech.

A complete listing of the USA Today Coaches' Poll is listed below:

1. Alabama
2. Ohio State
3. Florida
4. Texas
5. Boise State
6. Virginia Tech
7. TCU
8. Oklahoma
9. Nebraska
10. Iowa
11. Oregon
12. Wisconsin
13. Miami (FL)
14. Penn State
15. Pittsburgh
16. LSU
17. Georgia Tech
18. North Carolina
19. Arkansas
20. Florida State
21. Georgia
22. Oregon State
23. Auburn
24. Utah
25. West Virginia

*For those of us here in Cincy, the Bearcats are on the outside looking in at No. 26. Odds are they will be in the top 25 at some point this season, most likely after the first week if they beat Fresno State and one of the lower rank teams get upset and fall out.

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***

Pittsburgh was chosen as the overwhelming favorite to win the Big East football championship in the conference's preseason media poll that was released Tuesday. Rutgers was picked to finish fifth.

The Panthers received 22 of 24 first-place votes in the poll of media representatives from each of the eight Big East markets.

Cincinnati and West Virginia tied for second in the preseason poll, and Connecticut placed fourth

VOTING RESULTS
1. Pitt (22): 190

T2. Cincinnati: 142

T2. West Virginia (1): 142

4. Connecticut (1): 131

5. Rutgers: 99

6. South Florida: 79

7. Syracuse: 41

8. Louisville: 40

*first place votes in parentheses

College Football big east, 2010 big east predicitions, pittsburgh panthers, cincinnati bearcats, west virginia mountaineers

What started as a major overhaul to college sports now appears just to be another money-motivated burp of a few power schools.

Texas, who seemingly was the central piece in the realignment puzzle, opted to stay in the Big 12 rather than joining the PAC-10.

The move came down to the TV rights. The PAC-10 is planning to create a model similar to the Big Ten’s, but under that plan Texas would not be able to secure its own local TV rights. With a new deal with FOX looming and the ability to create the Longhorn Network of whatever they decide to call it, Texas was best off staying put.

The decision by Texas and the other Big 12 South schools to stay should stave off any further radical realignment.

If the PAC-10 doesn't expand to 16 and Notre Dame sticks to its stated goal of remaining independent in football, the Big Ten may opt to remain at 12 teams. That would keep the Big East safe.

With Texas A&M still in the Big 12 and no obvious reason to get bigger, the SEC likely will remain at 12 schools. That would keep the ACC safe.

Now if they could only figure out a way to implement a playoff format in college football everything would be alright.

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It now appears imminent that Nebraska will leave the Big 12 for the Big Ten, according to ESPN.com.

The move is likely the first of several changes ahead in the college sports landscape as the larger conferences begin to reposition to become “power conferences”.

A Big 12 source told the website officials from Texas, Texas A&M and Texas Tech, in a move sensing Nebraska's determination to join the Big Ten, have already met to pledge their solidarity. The first choice is to save the Big 12, but if that's not possible, officials from those schools are prepared to merge with the Pac-10.

The source said the meetings included the chancellors, presidents and athletic directors from the three schools. Not present was a Baylor contingent. Baylor is locked in a battle with Colorado for what is presumed to be the sixth spot along with Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State that would create a 16-team super-conference with the Pac-10 schools.

RUMOR TRACKER (CollegeSportsInfo.com)

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Check out my recent talk with new UC football coach Butch Jones...

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official release from the school:

Eight former University of Cincinnati football players will continue their football careers this weekend as the first round of NFL rookie/free agent camps open up.

Adding in draftees Mardy Gilyard (St. Louis Rams), Tony Pike (Carolina Panthers), and Ricardo Mathews (Indianapolis Colts), 11 of UC's 16 seniors from 2009 will have a shot at making an NFL squad.

Defensive lineman Alex Daniels signed a free agent deal with the Oakland Raiders.

Offensive lineman Jeff Linkenbach will be the second former Bearcat in Colts camp after signing with Indianapolis this week. He joins 2010 draftee Mathews in camp.

Safety Aaron Webster signed a free agent deal with the Houston Texans and will join former UC standout Connor Barwin on the defensive side of the ball.

Long snapper Mike Windt signed a contract with the Cincinnati Bengals, reuniting him with former UC all-America punter Kevin Huber, who enters his second year with the hometown Bengals. Windt snapped for Huber at UC for two years.

Several unsigned players earned invites to try out with NFL teams.

Running back Jacob Ramsey and defensive lineman Curtis Young both earned tryouts with the Cincinnati Bengals.

Linebacker Craig Carey earned an invite to the Chicago Bears' rookie free agent camp and defensive back Brad Jones was invited to the Cleveland Browns rookie camp.

Former UC defensive back DeAngelo Smith was picked up off waivers by the Cleveland Browns this week after being cut by the Detroit Lions.

College Football, NFL cincinnati bearcats, 2010 nfl draft, mardy gilyard, tony pike, ricardo mathews, alex daniels, jeff linkenbach

The NFL Draft wrapped up on Saturday with the final three rounds unfolding. In addition to teams filling out their rosters with draft picks there were also plenty of trades that went down.

RAIDERS GET A QUARTERBACK
Oakland capped a surprisingly decent draft weekend by trading for quarterback Jason Campbell. The former Redskin immediately becomes the Raiders’ starting quarterback and returns the team to relevance. His arrival all but signifies the end of the JaMarcus Russell era for the Silver and Black.

SEAHAWKS ADD WHITE, WASHINGTON
Pete Carroll made a big splash in his first draft upon returning to the league, including trading for a pair of veteran running backs on Saturday. The Seahawks acquired LenDale White and Leon Washington in trades from Tennessee and the New York Jets respectively. White reunites with his former coach and gets a clean slate while Washington should have an immediate chance to earn playing time.

REUNION IN PITTSBURGH
The Steelers acquired cornerback Bryant McFadden, returning the veteran to his former team on a draft day deal. Reuniting with former players has become a theme this off-season in the Iron City. McFadden joins former Steelers Larry Foote, Antwaan Randle El, and Byron Leftwich as players set to return in 2010.

GILYARD FIRST CHOICE
After not getting selected in Rounds 2 or 3, Cincinnati Bearcats’ wideout Mardy Gilyard was the first player taken off the board on Day 3 as St. Louis grabbed the speedster with the first overall pick in Round 4. Expect Gilyard to get a chance to play right out of the gate with the rebuilding Rams. Teammate, quarterback  Tony Pike, slipped all the way to the sixth round where he was taken by Carolina, who also drafted quarterback Jimmy Claussen earlier in the draft.

BENGALS BUILD DEPTH
The Bengals fill out their draft with five picks on the final day. They grabbed DT Geno Atkins (Georgia) and LB Roddrick Muckelroy (Texas) in Round 4. OG Otis Hudson (Eastern Illinois) got the call in the fifth round. The sixth round pick was another wide reciver, Dezmon Briscoe (Kansas). The team's final pick was OL Reggie Stephens (Iowa State) in the seventh round. Overall, the team added great depth on the final day and that should lead to some good battles in camp this summer.

MR. IRREVELANT 2010
Wide receiver Tim Toone out Weber State was the 255th and final pick of the 2010 NFL Draft going to the Detroit Lions. The 5-foot-10, 175-pound wideout joins a not-so-elite list of players as being tagged “Mr. Irrevelant”.

MORE LINKS
--Draft Tracker
--Trade Tracker
--Wrap Up: Round 1
--Wrap up: Rounds 2-3

College Football, Fantasy Football, NFL 2010 nfl draft, 2010 nfl draft round 4, round 5, round 6, round 7, fantasy advice, cincinnati bengals

The second and third of the NFL Draft came and went on Friday night as teams look to build depth and find the hidden gems. With so many talented players still on the board there was plenty of drama. 

CLAUSSEN, MCCOY FINALLY GO
All eyes were on quarterbacks Jimmy Claussen and Colt McCoy as they went undrafted on the first night of the draft. Claussen, who many projected as a first-round, wound end going to Carolina with the 48th overall pick. McCoy slid to Round 3 where the Browns nabbed him with the 85th overall selection. It is quite a steal for the Panthers and despite Claussen slipping, the former Notre Dame signal caller should be grateful to have landed in a such a good situation. McCoy is a low-risk, high-reward grab for the Browns and new team president Mike Holmgren.

BENGALS ADD THREE
The Cincinnati Bengals had three picks on Day Two. They went defense in Round 2, grabbing Florida defensive end Carlos Dunlap. Similar to last year’s draft pick Michael Johnson, Dunlap is a freak that possesses great upside, but needs to show up more often. Defensive coordinator is chomping at the bit to impact him. In the third round the team added depth at receiver with Texas wide receiver Jordan Shipley (84th overall) and picked up some help in the secondary as they selected Wake Forest corner Brandon Ghee (96th) with a compensatory selection.

RAVENS ADD LB DESPITE INJURY
Late word that Texas linebacker Sergio Kindle could need microfracture surgery on his knee early in his career scared many teams away from the Longhorn playmaker in the opening round, but the Baltimore Ravens didn’t blink to grab him in Round 2. After trading out of the first round with the Broncos (leading to Tim Tebow being drafted by Denver), Kindle was the Ravens’ first pick at No. 43 overall. At this spot of the draft Kindle is a flat out steal and could be the next great Baltimore linebacker if he proves healthy.

BEARCATS GO UNDRAFTED
Former Cincinnati Bearcats Mardy Gilyard and Tony Pike both had high aspirations entering the NFL draft, but neither of them came off the board on Day 2 as the third round came to an end. Pike was iffy to go at this point, but the fact that Gilyard has lasted this long is a bit shocking. Some team is going to steal the explosive playmaker in Round 4 rest assured. Pike is a nice, mid-round find for some team and could have one of the strongest arms in the entire draft class.

FANTASY FODDER
Once you get past the first round of the draft, it gets a bit harder to figure out where the fantasy value may be. Claussen has some appeal in dynasty formats, but there will not be a rush for him to play right away. Some players that could make impacts right away are the two Tates. Auburn running back Ben Tate (5-11, 220) is the every down runner Gary Kubiak has long coveted in Houston. Notre Dame wide receiver Golden Tate is a nice fit in Seattle where Pete Carroll is going to open things up in the offense. Stanford running back and Heisman Trophy candidate Toby Gerhardt is the new Adrian Peterson-handcuff after the Vikings took him in Round 2.

MORE LINKS
--Complete Draft Summary
--NFL Draft: Round 1 Wrap
--Video: Jordan Shipley (Bengals)
--Video: Ben Tate (Texans)

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The first round of the NFL draft came and went in a little over 3.5 hours on Thursday night. There weren’t many surprises early on, but by the end of the night there was plenty left to debate. Here are some quick takes.

BENGALS FINALLY HAVE A TE
Nearly every mock draft out there had the Cincinnati Bengals grabbing Oklahoma tight end Jermaine Gresham. The 6-foot-5, 261-pounder has a great combination of speed, size and strength. He has Pro Bowl potential, but durability is a concern. He missed all of 2009 with a knee injury. Gresham will need to shake off some rust and offensive coordinator Bob Bratkowski will need to figure out to use him, but overall I like the pick.

BRADFORD HANDED KEYS TO FRANCHISE
The St. Louis Rams surprised no one as they took Oklahoma quarterback Sam Bradford with the No. 1 overall pick. While Bradford is a solid choice, I don’t see him ever being a star player. St. Louis has so many holes the cards will be stacked against Bradford being successful right off the bat.

LIONS ON THE MOVE
Don’t look now, but the Detroit Lions are a team on the rise. After a surprising splash in free agency, the Motown Kitties walked away a huge winner from the draft’s first day. They landed the draft’s biggest impact player with DT Ndamukong Suh going to them with the second overall pick. Then they traded back into the end of Round 1 and grabbed Cal running back Jahvid Best, who fits the team’s system perfectly.

TRADES GALORE
Speaking of trades there were a quite a few on Thursday night. In total, seven deals were consummated with the Denver Broncos being involved in four of those trades. With a whole day in between rounds, expect plenty more dealing ahead.

MCDANIELS CONTINUES TO BAFFLE
After running both Jay Cutler and Brandon Marshall out of town, Broncos’ head coach Josh McDaniels is certainly leaving his stamp. The defining move of his career though could very well be trading back in to the first round to grab Florida quarterback Tim Tebow with the 25th overall pick.

SOONERS, BIG 12 MAKE HISTORY
Oklahoma becomes the first school in history to have three of the first four picks in the NFL’s modern era. The Big 12 also became the first conference since the SEC in 1945 to have the top four draft picks come from the same conference.

FANTASY FODDER
Fantasy owners should take a note of three first-round picks that could make an immediate impact. Running backs C.J. Spiller (Bills – No. 9) and Ryan Matthews (Chargers – No. 12) along with wide receiver Dez Bryant (Cowboys – No. 24) should all be hot names in upcoming fantasy drafts this August.

MORE LINKS
--Complete Draft Summary
--Trade Tracker
--Clayton: First Round Winners & Losers
--Hobson: Bengals Get TE
--Prisco: Tebow Career Suicide
--New Format A Hit

College Football, Fantasy Football, NFL 2010 nfl draft, 2010 nfl draft round 1, cincinnati bengals

SI.com answers some of the biggest questions surrounding conference realignment in college sports:

Q: And that (biggest reason for Big Ten expansion) would be?

A: Television revenue. In the quarter-century since the U.S. Supreme Court freed schools from the shackles of the NCAA's contracts, nearly every major realignment move -- from Penn State joining the Big Ten to Miami joining the ACC -- has been driven by conferences' quests to secure the most desirable possible product for TV networks. More teams = more households = more money in rights fees. The same holds true in this current movement -- but with a modern twist.

In addition to the traditional TV deal where a network pays a league a flat fee to televise its marquee games (like the Big Ten's 10-year, $1 billion deal with ABC/ESPN), the Big Ten is an equity holder (along with Fox) in the Big Ten Network, which became profitable within two years of its inception. The more the network's annual profits increase, the more its members' portfolios grow. Multi-team expansion helps in two ways: A) It provides for more live programming, which elicits more advertising dollars; and B) It can gain substantially more subscribers by adding teams with large national appeal (like, say, Notre Dame) or those in major media markets (like, say, Rutgers).

COMPLETE ARTILCE

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Here's a look at the top NFL-producing colleges in the history of the draft:

Notre Dame - 462
USC - 461
Ohio State - 390
Oklahoma - 339
Michigan - 332
Nebraska - 331
Tennessee - 321
Penn State - 317
Texas - 316
Miami (FL) - 295
Florida - 289
Michigan State - 286
UCLA - 285
Alabama - 280
Georgia - 278
Louisiana State - 276
Washington - 272
Purdue - 269
Pittsburgh - 261
Colorado - 257
Texas A&M - 255

COMPLETE LIST (DraftHistory.com)

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Easily one of the worse stories I've had to report...

Tragedy struck St. Xavier high school and the local football community on Friday as news broke that senior Matt James, a Notre Dame-bound recruit, died after falling from a third story balcony of his Days Inn Motel on Front Beach Road at Panama City Beach, Fl during his first day of spring break.

The incident occurred 6:26 p.m. on Friday night, according to WJHG-TV. Police said the initial indications are that he died instantly. They are still investigating and said a full report should be available later.

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