2008 Woodie Awards
NCAA Football Midseason RoundUP!
Jimmy Colston
Issue date: 10/8/07 Section: Sports
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From the beginning of the season to the current day, the college football rankings and expectations have shifted dramatically. Conference outlooks have moved previously unmentioned teams into their respective championships' limelight in five short weeks.
Teams such as Michigan, Penn State and UCLA have seen their brief top ten appearances end in disappointing upsets that have left them outside of the top 25 looking in. Here is a conference by conference rundown of what
has happened so far this year.
Reiterating their return to BCS level competition from last year, The Big East has proven that the ACC missed quite a few powerhouses a few years back. Although Louisville and QB Graham have had better starts to their season, emerging teams South Florida and Cincinnati could not beg to differ more.
The Bulls made two decidedly explosive statements with their wins at Auburn and at home against the then-ranked #5 Mountaineers. Although Cincinnati's schedule has proven to less tough than that of USF, they have established themselves as the conference's sleeper team and are looking to move into the spotlight that nearby Ohio State has been hogging.
Biggest Disappointment:
Louisville
Predicted Winner(s): South Florida
The Big Ten: With Ohio
State's sudden return to power only due to Michigan and Penn State's respective demises, the league's legitimacy as a premier football conference has been thrown into question with incredibly easy non-conference schedules. Michigan's loss to Appalachian State, Ohio State allowing a safety against Akron, and Wisconsin's scare at UNLV have undermined the Big Ten's professed superiority, but sleeper teams Indiana, Illinois, and Purdue have attempted to cover up these blemishes.
Biggest Disappointment:
Michigan's drop from the rankings the first week
Predicted Winner(s): Ohio State
Atlantic Coast Conference:
After a largely disappointing 2006 season that saw 11-2 Wake Forest earn the conference's BCS bid, the ACC have returned this year with the hopes to prove that they are a top football conference. Although this plan has only been met with mixed results, the ACC are certainly having a better season than they did last year, with perennial powerhouse Miami (FL)'s new coach reestablishing that program, Boston College returning to the top ten for the first time since 1992, and Clemson and Georgia Tech also battling for the league title.
Teams such as Michigan, Penn State and UCLA have seen their brief top ten appearances end in disappointing upsets that have left them outside of the top 25 looking in. Here is a conference by conference rundown of what
has happened so far this year.
Reiterating their return to BCS level competition from last year, The Big East has proven that the ACC missed quite a few powerhouses a few years back. Although Louisville and QB Graham have had better starts to their season, emerging teams South Florida and Cincinnati could not beg to differ more.
The Bulls made two decidedly explosive statements with their wins at Auburn and at home against the then-ranked #5 Mountaineers. Although Cincinnati's schedule has proven to less tough than that of USF, they have established themselves as the conference's sleeper team and are looking to move into the spotlight that nearby Ohio State has been hogging.
Biggest Disappointment:
Louisville
Predicted Winner(s): South Florida
The Big Ten: With Ohio
State's sudden return to power only due to Michigan and Penn State's respective demises, the league's legitimacy as a premier football conference has been thrown into question with incredibly easy non-conference schedules. Michigan's loss to Appalachian State, Ohio State allowing a safety against Akron, and Wisconsin's scare at UNLV have undermined the Big Ten's professed superiority, but sleeper teams Indiana, Illinois, and Purdue have attempted to cover up these blemishes.
Biggest Disappointment:
Michigan's drop from the rankings the first week
Predicted Winner(s): Ohio State
Atlantic Coast Conference:
After a largely disappointing 2006 season that saw 11-2 Wake Forest earn the conference's BCS bid, the ACC have returned this year with the hopes to prove that they are a top football conference. Although this plan has only been met with mixed results, the ACC are certainly having a better season than they did last year, with perennial powerhouse Miami (FL)'s new coach reestablishing that program, Boston College returning to the top ten for the first time since 1992, and Clemson and Georgia Tech also battling for the league title.
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