	2007 NCAA
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NCAA Football: Some Early Observations

LSU: With all the talk about Urban Meyer going to Florida and the "ballcoach" at South Carolina, not many folks are talking about Les Miles coming over from Oklahoma State replacing Nick Saban at LSU. Throw in the fact that unheralded Bo Pelini is running the defense there now, this team could sneak up on some people even though they are the best in the SEC West.

LSU did lose a few talented players on defense, but they still have great depth. Assuming JeMarcus Russell wins the QB battle, he should be alot better this seaon and the team returns most of their weapons from last season. Add to the fact that Tennessee and Florida both have to come to Baton Rouge this year, an undefeated season isn't a far-fetched goal.

USC: They're still head and shoulders above the rest of the Pac-10, but they do have to travel to Oregon early in the season, and to California in Novenmber. Add to the fact that everyone gets up for USC, it could be a bumpier road than many expect for the Trojans in 2005.

Penn State: Still not buying in to the talk of Penn State and Paterno's "rebirth" this season. They have some nice young players who can play major roles this year, but the Big 10 is just too tough and no way are they at the level to compete with the Michigan's, Iowa's and Ohio State's of the conference. I wish Paterno would have retired a few years ago. They could be 5-0 going into the Ohio State game, but the 2nd half of the schedule is brutal. They'll lose 4 of their last 6.

Pittsburgh has one of the top QB's in the nation with Tyler Palko. I'm not sure how new coach Dave Wannstedt will react to having a top signal-caller, he never got to coach one in Chicago or Miami. We'll find out in the first game of the season, when they welcome Notre Dame and new coach Charlie Weiss to town. I'll be interested to see how ND QB Brady Quinn has progressed under the tuteledge of Weiss. Could be a shootout.

John Onan (aka ego74) is sports writer/moderator at the online players union http://www.theopu.com and football contributor at http://www.realfootball365.com

He can be reached by email at nay7201@mail.com



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The top 5 college basketball programs of All-Time are celebrating 500 years of combined play during the 2006-07 season. Kansas and UNC win Conference Tournaments and both are selected as #1 seeds. "The Phat 5" will make it 20 straight Final Four appearances. National Association of Basketball Coaches Launches Talk Radio Show with Debut of 'The College Basketball Experience' on the VoiceAmerica Ne Jim Haney, the Executive Director of the National Association of Basketball Coaches launches a new internet talk radio show which allows listeners to participate in active, open discussions on current topics in college basketball. Haney brings to the VoiceAmerica Network insight from today's top college basketball coaches as well as stories and opinions from the Legends of College Basketball. "The College Basketball Experience" debuts on the VoiceAmerica™ Network on Wednesday, March 14, 2007. NABC Executive Director Jim Haney is Joined by Jim Larranaga and John Wooden for Premier Show. NFL Wager -- Wager on College Football -- Sport Book Betting Online NFL wagers and college football wagers are now being accepted at one of the oldest and most trusted sports book betting online. Top25FanPoll.com Launched for College Football Fans -- Features Include Facebook Application and Widgets for Social Networks A new polling website called Top 25 Fan Poll allows college football fans to rank teams and display their picks through widgets on Facebook and other social networks and blogs. College Football Betting - Totals Betting totals in college football is very different than betting totals in the NFL. I'll give you one example. Food World Magic City Classic is the Most Attended Black College Football Game in the Country The Food World Magic City Classic presented by Pepsi is pleased to announce that last year?s game between in-state state rivals Alabama A&M University and Alabama State University topped the list of most attended black college football games in the country during 2007. Kentucky, N. Carolina, UCLA, Kansas, and Duke "The Phat 5" of College Basketball at 500 Report Volume #6 (Mid-Season) Kentucky- 104 years, UNC- 97 years, UCLA- 88 years, Kansas- 109 years, and Duke- 102 years. Top 5 College Basketball programs of All-Time are celebrating 500 years of combined play during the 2006-07 season. P-H-A-T is an acronym meaning "Producing History At the Tournament." UCLA, UNC, and Kansas are # 3-4-5 in new AP polls. Should There Be A Play-Off In NCAA Football? There are many differences in the NCAA football and NFL football. For one, the rules are totally different in college football than the NFL. In the NFL, when a player catches a ball, he must have both feet in bounds, yet in college football, it?s only necessary for them to have one foot in bounds. That is certainly a big difference, especially when players from the NCAA have to adjust how they play after being drafted into the NFL. Another major different in the two types of football is when there is a pass interference. In the NCAA, it would be considered a fifteen-yard penalty, but in the NFL, the players are penalized from the spot of the foul. Women's College Basketball We've come a long way since the inception of women's college basketball. Smartphones Launches College Basketball Mobile Site Smartphones Technologies announced a new college basketball mobile site to allow college basketball fans to download their favorite ringtones and wallpapers. Fans can text the keyword "Hoops" to 32852 to access a wide array of college content downloads, or visit www.CollegePixandTones.com. 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