1. Pittsburgh Panthers: They have the talent and balance to run the table. Jonathan Baldwin has the skills to win the conference player of the year award. He’d be the first wide receiver to do so since former Panther Larry Fitzgerald in 2003.

Up Next: at Utah A difficult west coast test for a new quarterback, who will be facing an elite pass rush. Dion Lewis puts the team on his back early and settles things down for quarterback Tino Sunseri, who is making his first career start. This is a rematch of the 2005 Fiesta Bowl, but don’t expect the same result.

Prediction: Pittsburgh 29, Utah 21

2. Connecticut Huskies: UConn is a true lunch-pail football team that runs the football and plays intelligent, hard-nosed defense. Expectations are higher than ever in Storrs, and for the first time those

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1. Pittsburgh Panthers: They have the talent and balance to run the table. Jonathan Baldwin has the skills to win the conference player of the year award. He’d be the first wide receiver to do so since former Panther Larry Fitzgerald in 2003.

Up Next: at Utah A difficult west coast test for a new quarterback, who will be facing an elite pass rush. Dion Lewis puts the team on his back early and settles things down for quarterback Tino Sunseri, who is making his first career start. This is a rematch of the 2005 Fiesta Bowl, but don’t expect the same result.

Prediction: Pittsburgh 29, Utah 21

2. Connecticut Huskies: UConn is a true lunch-pail football team that runs the football and plays intelligent, hard-nosed defense. Expectations are higher than ever in Storrs, and for the first time those

Read more…

P-I-T-T has B-C-S in mind

1. Pittsburgh Panthers: The last time a school from the Big East played in a BCS National Championship Game it was Miami for the 2002 crown. With the likes of Dion Lewis, Jonathan Baldwin and Greg Romeus returning and an out-of-conference schedule that includes games at Utah, Notre Dame and a week three match-up with those same Hurricanes, the Panthers are a preseason dark horse for a national title.  It’s quarterback where they have the biggest question mark. Red-shirt sophomore Tino Sunseri has been named the starter over Pat Bostick. With only 17 collegiate passes under his belt there’s no telling how Sunseri will react to a very difficult September stretch. Luckily, he shares a backfield with the defending Big East Offensive Player of Year and has an all-world wide out in Baldwin that he can rely on to catch

Read more…

P-I-T-T has B-C-S in mind

1. Pittsburgh Panthers: The last time a school from the Big East played in a BCS National Championship Game it was Miami for the 2002 crown. With the likes of Dion Lewis, Jonathan Baldwin and Greg Romeus returning and an out-of-conference schedule that includes games at Utah, Notre Dame and a week three match-up with those same Hurricanes, the Panthers are a preseason dark horse for a national title.  It’s quarterback where they have the biggest question mark. Red-shirt sophomore Tino Sunseri has been named the starter over Pat Bostick. With only 17 collegiate passes under his belt there’s no telling how Sunseri will react to a very difficult September stretch. Luckily, he shares a backfield with the defending Big East Offensive Player of Year and has an all-world wide out in Baldwin that he can rely on to catch

Read more…

The college football season is underway, which means the College Football Insiders Newsletter has arrived.

Featured In This Edition:

* Game of the Week: #15 Virginia Tech vs #7 Boise State<br Q&A With UCF Head Coach George O’Leary<br Player Spotlight: Houston QB Case Keenum<br CFI Top 25 & Conference Picks
* BCS Busters & FCS Rankings
* Fan’s Weekend Guide

To get this issue & a full season of College Football Insiders click here to become an All-Access Football member.

Coming next week: College Football Insiders will be on location for Purdue at Notre Dame, UConn at Michigan and Arizona at Toldeo games. Stay tuned…

Enjoy the season kickoff!

If you have any questions, please contact dan@collegefootballinsiders.

Read more…

The college football season is underway, which means the College Football Insiders Newsletter has arrived.

Featured In This Edition:

* Game of the Week: #15 Virginia Tech vs #7 Boise State<br Q&A With UCF Head Coach George O’Leary<br Player Spotlight: Houston QB Case Keenum<br CFI Top 25 & Conference Picks
* BCS Busters & FCS Rankings
* Fan’s Weekend Guide

To get this issue & a full season of College Football Insiders click here to become an All-Access Football member.

Coming next week: College Football Insiders will be on location for Purdue at Notre Dame, UConn at Michigan and Arizona at Toldeo games. Stay tuned…

Enjoy the season kickoff!

If you have any questions, please contact dan@collegefootballinsiders.

Read more…

College Football Insiders “Pac-10 offensive players to watch for 2010” series continues with USC center Kristofer O’Dowd.

Heading into last season, the perception was that it didn’t matter that USC would have a true freshman starting at quarterback. After all, the Trojans had five future NFL players starting on the offensive line; they’d simply steamroll and play-action their opponents into submission. It didn’t quite work out that way as the 2009 Men of Troy turned in the program’s worst record since 2001. With Charles Brown (Saints), Jeff Byers (Seahawks), and Alex Parsons (Raiders) gone, many have significantly lowered their expectations of the Trojan O-line and the program in general. There is, however, one thing this year’s team will have that last year’s did not—a healthy Kristofer O’Dowd. The underachievement of last year’s front line can most easily be explained by the absence of their anchor at center,

Read more…

College Football Insiders “Pac-10 offensive players to watch for 2010” series continues with USC center Kristofer O’Dowd.

Heading into last season, the perception was that it didn’t matter that USC would have a true freshman starting at quarterback. After all, the Trojans had five future NFL players starting on the offensive line; they’d simply steamroll and play-action their opponents into submission. It didn’t quite work out that way as the 2009 Men of Troy turned in the program’s worst record since 2001. With Charles Brown (Saints), Jeff Byers (Seahawks), and Alex Parsons (Raiders) gone, many have significantly lowered their expectations of the Trojan O-line and the program in general. There is, however, one thing this year’s team will have that last year’s did not—a healthy Kristofer O’Dowd. The underachievement of last year’s front line can most easily be explained by the absence of their anchor at center,

Read more…

Quotes from Penn State Athletic Director Tim Curley:

“We are pleased with the final divisional alignments and look forward to playing our divisional opponents starting next season. Divisional play will add a new dimension to Big Ten football and this new era will add to the tremendous interest and excitement for all Penn State, Big Ten and college football fans.”
<br “We are pleased to have Nebraska as Penn State’s annual crossover game. We have had outstanding contests with Nebraska in the past and look forward to hosting the Cornhuskers in Beaver Stadium in 2011. The addition of Nebraska further strengthens the Big Ten brand and opens new, exciting opportunities for the conference.”
<br “We are excited to continue playing Ohio State annually as we have since joining the Big Ten. The Penn State-Ohio State game has become one of the most

Read more…

Quotes from Penn State Athletic Director Tim Curley:

“We are pleased with the final divisional alignments and look forward to playing our divisional opponents starting next season. Divisional play will add a new dimension to Big Ten football and this new era will add to the tremendous interest and excitement for all Penn State, Big Ten and college football fans.”
<br “We are pleased to have Nebraska as Penn State’s annual crossover game. We have had outstanding contests with Nebraska in the past and look forward to hosting the Cornhuskers in Beaver Stadium in 2011. The addition of Nebraska further strengthens the Big Ten brand and opens new, exciting opportunities for the conference.”
<br “We are excited to continue playing Ohio State annually as we have since joining the Big Ten. The Penn State-Ohio State game has become one of the most

Read more…