Mountain West-All Conference

It may not be the marquee QB Brian Johnson leading the team to a undeafeated record, but Mad Max had a monster year.


QB Max Hall, BYU QB JR
RB Gartrell Johnson III, Colorado St. RB SR
RB Devin Moore, Wyoming RB SR
WR Austin Collie, BYU WR JR
WR Ryan Wolfe, UNLV WR JR
TE Dennis Pitta, BYU TE JR
OL Blake Schlueter TCU OL SR
OL Travis Bright BYU OL SR
OL Ray Feinga BYU OL SR
OL Nic Richmond TCU OL JR
OL Kyle Howard Wyoming OL SR

DL Jerry Hughes, TCU DL JR
DL Jake Paulson, Air Force DL SR
DL Paul Kruger, Utah DL SO
DL Cody Moore, TCU DL SR
LB Ward Dobbs, Wyoming LB SR
LB Herbert Felder, New Mexico LB SR
LB Jason Beauchamp, UNLV LB JR
DB Glover Quin, New Mexico DB SR
DB Sean Smith, Utah DB JR
DB Clint McPeek, New Mexico DB JR
DB Chris Prosinski, Wyoming DB SO

K Louie Sakoda, Utah K SR
P Anthony Hartz, Colorado St. P JR
KR Aaron Brown, TCU RB SR
PR Ian Clark, New Mexico DB JR

MAC All Conference

Nate Davis is the logical choice but if you are looking for pure production, look at Hiller's numbers. He bests Davis in every category. What a good year for the MAC with Ball State trying for the undefeated, Turner Gill arriving on the scene, W Michigan and C Michigan still garnering attention.

QB Tim Hiller, Western Mich. QB JR
RB James Starks, Buffalo RB JR
RB MiQuale Lewis, Ball St. RB JR
WR Naaman Roosevelt, Buffalo WR JR
WR Jamarko Simmons, Western Mich. WR SR
WR Antonio Brown, Central Mich. WR SO
OL Eddie Adamski Northern Illi OL JR
OL Zack Anderson, Akron OL JR
OL Jason Onyebuagu Northern Illi OL JR
OL Robert Brewster Ball St OL SR
OL Jon Brost Northern Illi OL SR

DL Larry English, Northern Ill. DL SR
DL Diyral Briggs, Bowling Green DL SR
DL Junior Galette, Temple DL JR
DL Frank Zombo, Central Mich. DL JR
LB Justin Winters, Buffalo LB SO
LB Nick Bellore, Central Mich. LB SO
LB Derek Burrell, Kent St. LB SR
DB Brian Lainhart, Kent St. DB SO
DB Sean Baker, Ball St. DB FR
DB P.J. Mahone, Bowling Green DB JR
DB Louis Delmas, Western Mich. DB SR

K Igor Iveljic, Akron K SO
P Jacob Richardson, Miami (Ohio) P SR
KR Travis Shelton, Temple WR SR
PR B.J. Hill, Ball St. DB SR

ZOMBIES in AUSTIN!!!

Conference USA-All Conference

Rice really didn't get enough credit this year, but Clement was for real. Watch out for Houston next year with Case Keenum and Bryce Beall.


QB Chase Clement, Rice QB SR
RB Tarrion Adams, Tulsa RB SR
RB Bryce Beall, Houston RB FR
WR Jarett Dillard, Rice WR SR
WR Aldrick Robinson, SMU WR SO
TE James Casey, Rice TE SO
OL Robby Felix UTEP OL SR
OL Michael Parenton Tulane OL SR
OL Malcom Rawls Memphis OL JR
OL Patrick Brown UCF OL SR
OL Brandon Pearce Memphis OL SR

DL Phillip Hunt, Houston DL SR
DL C.J. Wilson, East Carolina DL JR
DL Logan Kelley, Tulane DL JR
DL Bruce Miller, UCF DL SO
LB Maurice Kitchens, Marshall LB SR
LB Youri Yenga, SMU LB SO
LB Gerald McRath, Southern Miss. LB JR
DB Joe Burnett, UCF DB SR
DB James Lockett, Tulsa DB JR
DB Sha'reff Rashad, UCF DB SR
DB Brandon Brinkley, Houston DB JR

K Jose Martinez, UTEP K SR
P Ross Thevenot, Tulane K JR
SP Darius Marshall, Marshall RB SO
SP Tyron Carrier, Houston WR FR

Big Twelve-All Conference

What a year for the QB's and WR's in the Big 12 with several options to choose from for the honors but had to go with the Sophomores Bradford, Crabtree, Bryant. Only one lone Husker on the All Conference hopefully Pelini will do something here!!

QB Sam Bradford, Oklahoma QB SO
RB DeMarco Murray, Oklahoma RB SO
RB Kendall Hunter, Oklahoma St. RB SO
WR Michael Crabtree, Texas Tech WR SO
WR Dez Bryant, Oklahoma St. WR SO
TE Chase Coffman, Missouri TE SR
OL David Washington Oklahoma St OL SR
OL George Robinson Oklahoma OL SR
OL Louis Vasquez Texas Tech OL SR
OL Phil Loadholt Oklahoma OL SR
OL Colin Brown Missouri OL SR

DL Brandon Williams, Texas Tech DL JR
DL Brian Orakpo, Texas DL SR
DL Stryker Sulak, Missouri DL SR
DL Jeremy Beal, Oklahoma DL SO
LB James Holt, Kansas LB SR
LB Sean Weatherspoon, Missouri LB JR
LB Joe Pawelek, Baylor LB JR
DB Darcel McBath, Texas Tech DB SR
DB Earl Thomas, Texas DB FR
DB Dominque Franks, Oklahoma DB SO
DB Jordan Lake, Baylor DB JR

K Jeff Wolfert, Missouri K SR
P Justin Brantly, Texas A&M P SR
KR Jeremy Maclin, Missouri WR SO
PR Nate Swift, Nebraska WR SR

Big Ten-All Conference

If you are looking for James Laurinaitis you will find him on the pro prospect list, but two sophomores really impressed me this year more then the accomplished Buckeye. Also despite the tough season Juice will be ready next year. Also what a great world we live in that we won't have to see Curtis Painter this next year!

QB Juice Williams, Illinois QB JR
RB Javon Ringer, Michigan St. RB SR
RB Shonn Greene, Iowa RB JR
WR Arrelious Benn, Illinois WR SO
WR Desmond Tardy, Purdue WR SR
WR Eric Decker, Minnesota WR JR
OL A.Q. Shipley, Penn St OL SR
OL Andy Kemp, Wisconsin OL SR
OL Kraig Urbik, Wisconsin OL SR
OL Alex Boone, Ohio St OL SR
OL Eric VandenHeuvel, Wisconsin OL SR

DL Aaron Maybin, Penn St. DL SO
DL Brandon Graham, Michigan DL JR
DL Jammie Kirlew, Indiana DL JR
DL Willie VanDeSteeg, Minnesota DL SR
LB Brit Miller, Illinois LB SR
LB Greg Jones, Michigan St. LB SO
LB Navorro Bowman, Penn St. LB SO
DB Otis Wiley, Michigan St. DB
DB Traye Simmons, Minnesota DB JR
DB Vontae Davis, Illinois DB JR
DB Malcolm Jenkins, Ohio St. DB SR

K Kevin Kelly, Penn St. K SR
P Zoltan Mesko, Michigan P JR
KR Derrick Williams, Penn St. WR SR
PR David Gilreath, Wisconsin WR SO

Big East All-Conference

Give me Mike Teel and him leading his team to a bowl over the very athletic but very soft Pat White, and for Noel Devine, see you next year.


QB Mike Teel, Rutgers QB SR
RB Donald Brown, Connecticut RB JR
RB LeSean McCoy, Pittsburgh RB SO
WR Mardy Gilyard, Cincinnati WR SR
WR Kenny Britt, Rutgers WR JR
WR Dominick Goodman, Cincinnati WR SR
OL Eric Wood, Louisville OL SR
OL Anthony Davis, Rutgers OL SO
OL Ryan Durand, Syracuse OL SR
OL Ryan Stanchek, West Virginia OL SR
OL Jeffrey Linkenbach, Cincinnati OL JR

DL Cody Brown, Connecticut DL SR
DL Connor Barwin, Cincinnati DE SR
DL Greg Romeus, Pittsburgh DL SO
DL George Selvie, South Fla. DL JR
LB Scott McKillop, Pittsburgh LB SR
LB Tyrone McKenzie, South Fla. LB SR
LB Ryan D'Imperio, Rutgers LB JR
DB Jasper Howard, Connecticut DB SO
DB Mike Mickens, Cincinnati DB SR
DB Dom DeCicco, Pittsburgh DB SO
DB Woodny Turenne, Louisville CB SR

K Pat McAfee, West Virginia K SR
P Kevin Huber, Cincinnati P SR
KR Dontavia Bogan, South Fla. WR SO
PR DeAngelo Smith, Cincinnati DB SR

ACC All-Conference

My All-Conference teams are based on who played the best throughout the year not on their pro football evaluations(which will be coming later) So here is the first installment of the All Conference Teams:

The Pro Prospects Aaron Curry and Clint Simtim and the very mobile Tyrod Taylor just missed this list. But I try to take into account the complete year for each player and though the first two are good pro prospects(very hyped), they were beat out by the hard working Michael Tauiliili of Duke and Mark Herzlich of BC and the watch out for Nate Irving which gave the Wolfpack defense a heartbeat this year. As for Tyrod I really think you are deserving but how can you deny the freshman who took over at QB and led the Pack to a Bowl. Nuff said.

QB Russell Wilson, North Carolina St. QB
RB Jonathan Dwyer, Georgia Tech RB
RB Da'Rel Scott, Maryland RB
WR Hakeem Nicks, North Carolina WR
WR Demir Boldin, Wake Forest WR
WR Kevin Ogletree, Virginia WR
OL Edwin Williams, Maryland OL
OL Sergio Render, Virginia Tech OL
OL Nick Marshman, Virginia Tech OL
OL Eugene Monroe, Virginia OL
OL Reggie Youngblood, Miami OL

DL Everette Brown, Florida St. DL
DL Michael Johnson, Georgia Tech DL
DL Neefy Moffett, Florida St. DL
DL Jason Worilds, Virginia Tech DL
LB Michael Tauiliili, Duke LB
LB Nate Irving, North Carolina St. LB
LB Mark Herzlich, Boston College LB
DB Alphonso Smith, Wake Forest DB
DB Victor Harris, Virginia Tech DB
DB Morgan Burnett, Georgia Tech DB
DB Michael Hamlin, Clemson DB

K Graham Gano, Florida St. PK SR K
P Travis Baltz, Maryland P SO P
KR C.J. Spiller, Clemson RB JR RB
PR Travis Benjamin, Miami (Fla.) WR FR WR

The Final 120 for 2009 from the BP

I forgot to post this a while ago but for the record here is my final rankings for 2009. Still to come my all american teams and my award finalists, they will coming from now throughout February so stay tuned.


1 SEC Florida 7-1 12-1
2 B12 Texas 7-1 12-1
3 B12 Oklahoma 7-1 12-2
4 MTN Utah 8-0 13-0
5 PAC Southern Cal. 7-1 12-1
6 SEC Alabama 8-0 12-2
7 SEC Georgia 6-2 10-3
8 B10 Ohio St. 7-1 10-3
9 B12 Texas Tech 7-1 11-2
10 WAC Boise St. 8-0 12-1
11 MTN TCU 7-1 11-2
12 B10 Penn St. 7-1 11-2
13 ACC Virginia Tech 5-3 10-4
14 B12 Missouri 5-3 10-4
15 BEA Cincinnati 6-1 11-3
16 ACC Florida St. 5-3 9-4
17 BEA Pittsburgh 4-2 9-4
18 PAC Oregon 7-2 10-3
19 B12 Nebraska 5-3 9-4
20 PAC Oregon St. 7-2 9-4
21 B10 Michigan St. 6-2 9-4
22 SEC Mississippi 5-3 9-4
23 PAC California 5-3 9-4
24 B12 Oklahoma St. 5-3 9-4
25 ACC Georgia Tech 5-3 9-4
26 MAC Ball St. 8-0 12-2
27 B10 Iowa 5-3 9-4
28 CON Rice 7-1 10-3
29 ACC Boston College 5-3 9-5
30 ACC Wake Forest 4-4 8-5
31 BEA West Virginia 4-2 9-4
32 B12 Kansas 4-4 8-5
33 SEC LSU 3-5 8-5
34 ACC North Carolina 4-4 8-5
35 MTN BYU 6-2 10-3
36 BEA Rutgers 4-2 8-5
37 ACC Maryland 4-4 8-5
38 B10 Northwestern 5-3 9-4
39 CON Tulsa 7-1 11-3
40 SEC Vanderbilt 4-4 7-6
41 SEC South Carolina 4-4 7-6
42 BEA Connecticut 3-3 8-5
43 BEA South Florida 2-4 8-5
44 CON East Carolina 6-2 9-5
45 MAC W. Michigan 6-2 9-4
46 ACC Clemson 4-4 7-6
47 CON Houston 6-2 8-5
48 MTN Air Force 5-3 8-5
49 ACC Miami (Fla.) 4-4 7-6
50 IND Navy 0-0 8-5
51 PAC Arizona 4-4 8-5
52 ACC N. Carolina St. 4-4 6-7
53 SEC Kentucky 2-6 7-6
54 B10 Wisconsin 3-5 7-6
55 MTN Colorado St. 4-4 7-6
56 MAC Buffalo 5-3 8-6
57 IND Notre Dame 0-0 7-6
58 SEC Arkansas 2-6 5-7
59 ACC Virginia 3-5 5-7
60 B10 Minnesota 3-5 7-6
61 WAC Nevada 5-3 7-6
62 MAC C. Michigan 6-2 8-5
63 B10 Illinois 3-5 5-7
64 SUN Troy 5-1 8-5
65 CON Southern Miss 4-4 7-6
66 WAC Louisiana Tech 5-3 8-5
67 SUN Fla. Atlantic 4-3 7-6
68 B12 Colorado 2-6 5-7
69 WAC Hawaii 5-3 7-6
70 WAC Fresno St. 4-4 7-6
71 SEC Auburn 2-6 5-7
72 PAC Stanford 4-5 5-7
73 SEC Tennessee 3-5 5-7
74 B10 Purdue 2-6 4-8
75 ACC Duke 1-7 4-8
76 BEA Louisville 1-5 5-7
77 B12 Baylor 2-6 4-8
78 PAC Arizona St. 4-4 5-7
79 CON UTEP 4-4 5-7
80 B12 Kansas St. 2-6 5-7
81 MTN UNLV 2-6 5-7
82 WAC San Jose St. 4-4 6-6
83 CON Marshall 3-5 4-8
84 MAC Northern Illinois 5-3 6-7
85 MAC Bowling Green 4-4 6-6
86 SUN Arkansas St. 4-2 6-6
87 SEC Mississippi St. 2-6 4-8
88 B12 Texas A&M 2-6 4-8
89 PAC UCLA 3-5 4-8
90 MTN New Mexico 2-6 4-8
91 B10 Indiana 1-7 3-9
92 B10 Michigan 2-6 3-9
93 BEA Syracuse 1-6 3-9
94 MAC Temple 4-4 5-7
95 SUN La.-Lafayette 4-2 6-6
96 CON Memphis 4-4 6-7
97 WAC Utah St. 3-5 3-9
98 MTN Wyoming 1-7 4-8
99 SUN FIU 3-4 5-7
100 MAC Akron 3-5 5-7
101 CON UCF 3-5 4-8
102 SUN M. Tenn. St. 3-3 5-7
103 MAC Ohio 3-5 4-8
104 CON UAB 3-5 4-8
105 MAC Kent St. 3-5 4-8
106 MAC E. Michigan 2-6 3-9
107 MAC Toledo 2-6 3-9
108 SUN La.-Monroe 3-4 4-8
109 WAC New Mexico St. 1-7 3-9
110 CON Tulane 1-7 2-10
111 B12 Iowa St. 0-8 2-10
112 PAC Washington St. 1-8 2-11
113 MTN San Diego St. 1-7 2-10
114 IND Army 0-0 3-9
115 CON SMU 0-8 1-11
116 WAC Idaho 1-7 2-10
117 IND W. Kentucky 0-0 2-10
118 PAC Washington 0-8 0-12
119 MAC Miami (Ohio) 1-7 2-10
120 SUN North Texas 0-7 1-11

Who is the Greatest Living American: Tim Tebow or Jack Bauer?

Tim Tebow and Jack Bauer have both been important figures in America over the past several years. I decided to line their accomplishments up side by side so that we can decide once and for all which one is the greatest living American.

TIM TEBOW

*Spent his summers in high school working with orphans in the Philippines.
*Has won two national championships as a quarterback for the University of Florida.
*On October 20, 2007, made a handoff to Kestahn Moore that resulted in Moore scoring a touchdown. That handoff is now considered the finest handoff in the history of football, and popular opinion is that if Tebow had not handed the ball off to Moore with such perfect technique, Moore would not have scored a touchdown.
*Won the 2007 Heisman Trophy for being the best college football player in America.
*Loves Jesus - Tebow paid tribute to J.C. by wearing John 3:16 (a well known bible verse) on his eyeblack during the 2009 BCS National Championship Game.
*Won the 2007 Heisman Trophy for being the best college football player in America.
*Circumcised some Filipino babies.
*CBS color commentator Gary Danielson makes it a point to tell his own son, "Why can't you be more like Tim Tebow?" every single day.
*Spent 20 minutes with Fox announcer Charles Davis, thus enriching his life to the point where Davis told an audience of 20 million about the experience live on national television.
*New "WWTTD" wristbands being sold in Gainesville, FL indicate Tebow is a moral compass to many.

JACK BAUER

*Protected President David Palmer from an assassination attempt by terrorists (season 1).
*Prevented terrorists from detonating a nuclear bomb in Los Angeles, CA (season 2).
*Shot and killed his boss, a reputable U.S. Government employee of 18 years, to uphold his end of a deal he made with a terrorist - in order to save America from another terrorist attack.
*Prevented the release of a deadly virus by taking down a Mexican drug cartel despite being addicted to heroin (season 3).
*Prevented another attempt by terrorists to steal and launch a nuclear weapon (season 4).
*Cut off a terrorist's head and kept it in his bag to use in the future interrogation of another terrorist.
*Has tortured several dirty, dirty terrorists in order to get information that led to the prevention of a terrorist attack.
*Prevented terrorists from stealing nerve gas (season 5).
*Has discovered and snuffed out several government conspiracies, including the nerve gas plot involving President Charles Logan, who had a crazy wife.
*Prevented a war between the United States and Russia by keeping Chinese terrorists from setting off suitcase nukes (season 6).
*Spent a lot of time between season 6 and season 7 in Africa where he undoubtedly helped feed hungry children.
*Is poised to defeat terrorists again by apparently rebuilding the firewall responsible for protecting America's government computer infrastructure (season 7).

CONCLUSION

With such similarly impressive resumes, it's a tough call to make. To me, though, it comes down to one important question:

I know Tim Tebow would have no problem thwarting a terrorist attack should he happen across a terrorist cell in Gainesville, but could Jack Bauer pump his fists and run the quarterback draw as effectively as Tebow?

WINNER:

Tim Tebow

Greatest Living American

J.Pike's Ballot: Bo Jackson Trophy

The final award for the 2008 season is the Bo Jackson Trophy. Consider this Pikes Picks' answer to the Heisman Trophy. We don't try to fool you into thinking we consider defensive players for the award though (that's what we created the Arrington Trophy for), and we'll even consider linemen if they are worthy.

The inaugural Bo Jackson Trophy was a difficult one to hand out, as there were a large number of worthy candidates. But Colt McCoy is my choice because he stood out for the entire season, from start to finish.

Sam Bradford and Andre Smith were my other top choices heading into the bowls. However, Smith didn't even play thanks to an issue with an agent, so I replaced him with Knowshon Moreno - one of my all time favorite running backs to watch. As for Bradford, if his own coaches don't think enough of him to turn him loose in the national championship game, then I can't justify giving him this award.

McCoy routinely surprised me with not only his accuracy and decision making, but his athleticism and leadership skills. The final drive in the Fiesta Bowl was the perfect capper to a brilliant season any quarterback would be lucky to duplicate.

J.Pike's Ballot: Arrington Trophy

This was a very tough call. I went through bowl season trying to decide who to give my vote to for the top defensive player of the year. I ended up on Boston College linebacker Mark Herzlich because at the end of the day he was more consistently harassing to opposing offenses than the beast-man Brian Orakpo.

Orakpo's 11.5 sacks and imposing physical presence made him a strong candidate, but Herzlich was in on seemingly every BC tackle made in 2008. If you watched one Boston College game this year, you heard his name at least ten times, and you probably saw him make a game changing play.

The most impressive aspect of Herzlich is his versatility. He made 110 tackles, 13 coming behind the line of scrimmage; he also happens to be one of the best cover-LBs in the nation, tallying a team leading 6 interceptions, two of which he returned for touchdowns. He was even a menace on special teams.

J.Pike's Ballot: Gold Wrenches

I chose to hand out five Gold Wrenches this season. Pikes Picks awards Gold Wrenches for outstanding play in the trenches, and all five of these groups played huge roles in determining the outcomes of their teams' games.

Alabama Offensive Line
starters: Antoine Caldwell, Drew Davis, Marlon Davis, Mike Johnson, Andre Smith
reserves: John Michael Boswell, Brian Motley, David Ross

Texas Defensive Line
starters: Lamarr Houston, Henry Melton, Roy Miller, Brian Orakpo
reserves: Ben Alexander, Sam Acho, Eddie Jones, Aaron Lewis

USC Defensive Line
starters: Clay Mathews, Fili Moala, Kyle Moore, Christian Tupou
reserves: Armond Armstead, Jurrell Casey, Everson Griffen, Averell Spicer

Oklahoma Offensive Line
starters: Jon Cooper, Phil Loadholt, Duke Robinson, Brandon Walker, Trent Williams
reserves: Cory Brandon, Branndon Braxton, Brian Simmons

Penn State Defensive Line
starters: Josh Gaines, Aaron Maybin, Jared Odrick, Ollie Ogbu
reserves: Maurice Evans, Abe Koroma

Poindexter Plays of the Year

I just haven't had enough awards this year, so I went and created another one. This one is called the Poindexter Plays of the Year. It is named after Anthony Poindexter's goal line hit on Warrick Dunn of Florida State on the last play of a 1995 game, securing a Virginia win and handing Florida State their first ever loss in ACC play.

The award is obviously going to be handed out in honor of the best, most memorable plays of the season. For the record, if we were around last year, Pikes Picks would have obviously given a Poindexter Play of the Year to the referee who called the "giving him the business" penalty [LINK].

Here are the top three plays from the 2008 season:

#3 - REFEREE TACKLE
October 18, 2008
LSU @ South Carolina

Referee Wilbur Hacket makes an open field tackle that would make Lawrence Taylor proud.

#2 - BUFFALO HAIL MARY
September 13, 2008
Temple @ Buffalo

Buffalo quarterback Drew Willy completes a game winning hail mary to Naaman Roosevelt to beat Temple on the last play of the game.

#1 - CRABTREE CATCH
November 1, 2008
Texas @ Texas Tech

Texas Tech wide receiver Michael Crabtree makes a catch for the ages with one second left to beat #1 Texas.

JP25 - Final 2008 Top 25

This was one of the most difficult set of rankings I've ever had the pleasure of filling out. It is the final poll of the 2008 season, but more importantly, I'll have a hand in crowning the first official Pikes Picks National Champion.

In my mind, the top four teams (Florida, Texas, Utah, USC) could all beat each other on any given day. So I tried to look at each of their seasons as a whole and give the top spot to the most deserving candidate.

I considered Texas to be the best team throughout most of the latter part of the season, and I voted them number one in my final regular season poll. The Longhorns beat Ohio State in the Fiesta Bowl, but weren't National Championship-sharp throughout most of the game. However, they showed the heart and the ability to answer in the clutch that led me to believe they could beat any other team in the country prior to bowl season.

Florida won the BCS National Title game, but we all know (now) their opponent was a sham. Worse still, their opponent abandoned the game plan that got them to the game in the first place and then quit in the fourth quarter, robbing all of us from truly judging just how good Florida is. I still think the Gators have flaws in terms of the Xs and Os (especially on offense), but I really admire the passion with which they play in all three phases of the game.

USC obviously has the hype on their side. The Trojans blasted a Penn State team I held in high regard in the Rose Bowl, which gives them high marks in the "what have you done for me lately" category. They are also a fantastically talented team with the ability to shut down any offense they face. However, I don't feel like USC played at as high a level from week to week during the season as Texas and Florida did, and for that I discarded them from the #1 discussion.

Utah is the wild card. Thanks to the Mountain West Conference's terrible television contract it was difficult to see much of Utah this season. However, the Utes finished as the only undefeated team, and, in my opinion, played a strong enough schedule that they should be considered for the top spot. They played Michigan in the Big House to open the season (who knew how bad a season the Wolverines would be?), beat Oregon State the week after the Beavers knocked off mighty USC, and finished the season by beating three top 25 teams (TCU, BYU, Alabama) in their final four games. That's a tougher schedule than at least half the teams in BCS conferences had to play this season. Above all though, from what I DID see from the Utes, I like the way they play football.

After considering all the facts, here are my final rankings for 2008:

1. Florida	3	13-1
2. Texas	1	12-1
3. Utah	7	13-0
4. USC	5	12-1
5. Oklahoma	2	12-2
6. Alabama	4	12-2
7. Penn State	6	11-2
8. TCU	11	11-2
9. Ohio State	9	10-3
10. Georgia	15	10-3
11. Texas Tech	8	11-2
12. Boise State	12	12-1
13. Oregon	19	10-3
14. Virginia Tech	13	10-4
15. Oklahoma State	10	9-4
16. Oregon State	24	9-4
17. Cincinnati	16	11-3
18. California	17	9-4
19. Michigan State	20	9-4
20. Ole Miss	23	9-4
21. Pittsburgh	21	9-4
22. Missouri	22	10-4
23. West Virginia	--	9-4
24. Nebraska	25	9-4
25. Georgia Tech	14	9-4

Others Receiving Consideration:
Boston College (9-5), Florida State (9-4), LSU (8-5), Maryland (8-5), North Carolina (8-5), BYU (10-3), Northwestern (9-4), Iowa (9-4), Kansas (8-5), Rice (10-3)

Dropped Out:
Boston College (18)

Bowl Results

For the record, here's how the conferences fared in bowl games this season. Selections in red indicate the conference's signature win. Selections in blue indicate the conference's worst loss.

J.Pike's Bowl Picks Record: 17-17 (50%)
BCS Bowl Picks Record: 3-2 (60%)

1. PAC-10
Record: 5-0 (100%)
Results
Las Vegas Bowl: Arizona 31, BYU 21
Emerald Bowl: California 24, Miami 17
Holiday Bowl: Oregon 42, Oklahoma State 31
Sun Bowl: Oregon State 3, Pittsburgh 0
Rose Bowl: USC 38, Penn State 24

2. SEC
Record: 6-2 (75%)
Results
Music City Bowl: Vanderbilt 16, Boston College 14
Peach Bowl: LSU 38, Georgia Tech 3
Outback Bowl: Iowa 31, South Carolina 10
Citrus Bowl: Georgia 24, Michigan State 12
Cotton Bowl: Ole Miss 47, Texas Tech 34
Liberty Bowl: Kentucky 25, East Carolina 19
Sugar Bowl: Utah 31, Alabama 17
National Title Game: Florida 24, Oklahoma 14

3t. BIG EAST
Record: 4-2 (66.7%)
Results
St. Petersburg Bowl: South Florida 41, Memphis 14
Meineke Car Care Bowl: West Virginia 31, North Carolina 30
Pizza Bowl: Rutgers 29, N.C. State 23
Sun Bowl: Oregon State 3, Pittsburgh 0
Orange Bowl: Virginia Tech 20, Cincinnati 7
International Bowl: Connecticut 38, Buffalo 20

3t. CONFERENCE USA
Record: 4-2 (66.7%)
Results
St. Petersburg Bowl: South Florida 41, Memphis 14
New Orleans Bowl: Southern Miss 30, Troy 27 (OT)
Texas Bowl: Rice 38, Western Michigan 14
Armed Forces Bowl: Houston 34, Air Force 28
Liberty Bowl: Kentucky 25, East Carolina 19
GMAC Bowl: Tulsa 45, Ball State 13

5. MOUNTAIN WEST
Record: 3-2 (60%)
Results
New Mexico Bowl: Colorado State 40, Fresno State 35
Las Vegas Bowl: Arizona 31, BYU 21
Poinsettia Bowl: TCU 17, Boise State 16
Armed Forces Bowl: Houston 34, Air Force 28
Sugar Bowl: Utah 31, Alabama 17

6. BIG XII
Record: 4-3 (57.1%)
Results
Alamo Bowl: Missouri 30, Northwestern 23 (OT)
Holiday Bowl: Oregon 42, Oklahoma State 31
Insight Bowl: Kansas 42, Minnesota 21
Gator Bowl: Nebraska 26, Clemson 21
Cotton Bowl: Ole Miss 47, Texas Tech 34
Fiesta Bowl: Texas 24, Ohio State 21
National Title Game: Florida 24, Oklahoma 14

7. ACC
Record: 4-6 (40%)
Results
Eagle Bank Bowl: Wake Forest 29, Navy 19
Meineke Car Care Bowl: West Virginia 31, North Carolina 30
Champs Sports Bowl: Florida State 42, Wisconsin 13
Emerald Bowl: California 24, Miami 17
Pizza Bowl: Rutgers 29, N.C. State 23
Humanitarian Bowl: Maryland 42, Nevada 35
Music City Bowl: Vanderbilt 16, Boston College 14
Peach Bowl: LSU 38, Georgia Tech 3
Gator Bowl: Nebraska 26, Clemson 21
Orange Bowl: Virginia Tech 20, Cincinnati 7

8. WAC
Record: 1-4 (20%)
Results
New Mexico Bowl: Colorado State 40, Fresno State 35
Poinsettia Bowl: TCU 17, Boise State 16
Hawaii Bowl: Notre Dame 49, Hawaii 21
Independence Bowl: Louisiana Tech 17, Northern Illinois 10
Humanitarian Bowl: Maryland 42, Nevada 35

9. BIG TEN
Record: 1-6 (14.3%)
Results
Champs Sports Bowl: Florida State 42, Wisconsin 13
Alamo Bowl: Missouri 30, Northwestern 23 (OT)
Insight Bowl: Kansas 42, Minnesota 21
Outback Bowl: Iowa 31, South Carolina 10
Citrus Bowl: Georgia 24, Michigan State 12
Rose Bowl: USC 38, Penn State 24
Fiesta Bowl: Texas 24, Ohio State 21

10. MAC
Record: 0-5 (0%)
Results
Motor City Bowl: Florida Atlantic 24, Central Michigan 21
Independence Bowl: Louisiana Tech 17, Northern Illinois 10
Texas Bowl: Rice 38, Western Michigan 14
International Bowl: Connecticut 38, Buffalo 20
GMAC Bowl: Tulsa 45, Ball State 13

J.Pike's National Title Game Rant

Nice one Sooners.

Can everyone in the media (including you, Mr. B.Pike) please come out and admit that you were all wrong about Oklahoma? You got caught up in offensive numbers, inflated by the likes of Texas Tech, Oklahoma State, and Missouri - were any of those teams impressive in their bowl games? - and rewarded an undeserving team a spot in the Big XII Championship game and then the BCS National Title game.

As wrong as it was to send OU to those games, it was nothing compared to the egg the Sooners laid tonight against Florida. When a team is literally HANDED a golden opportunity, and they not only squander it with one of the worst offensive game plans in championship game history, but then QUIT with five minutes left in the game, it says a lot about the character of that team.

Say what you want about Tim Tebow (and believe me - I did tonight), at least he acted like he wanted to win the game.

The most desire I saw out of Oklahoma all night was when safety Nic Harris tried to rip Percy Harvin's leg off after making a tackle late in the game. I'm not sure why there wasn't a flag on that play, but it was the only sign of a pulse I saw from any OU player.

If you can't beat 'em - injure 'em. Is that what Stoopsie is teaching his team nowadays? Because he sure didn't put any thought into the offensive gameplan. Oklahoma made their living all season by being aggressive and dictating tempo to defenses. I saw one drive like that tonight, and it resulted in an easy OU touchdown. Sam Bradford spent the rest of the game looking over at the sideline waiting for an indecisive coaching staff to call in the same vanilla plays over and over again.

For instance, when Oklahoma was down on the Florida goal line, why did they not once attempt to find Jermaine Gresham? Nobody has been able to cover that guy all season - and you've got the freaking Heisman Trophy winner at quarterback! Instead, the Sooners lined up in the I-Formation with two tight ends for seemingly the first time all season and ran the same off tackle play three times in a row. It's no surprise they came up empty.

It's completely ridiculous to me that the Oklahoma coaching staff changed their entire offensive philosophy for this one game. Sam Bradford really is one of the best quarterbacks in the nation, but the coaching staff didn't give him the tools to make anything happen tonight.

Which brings me to my final question: Why is Oklahoma treated like a god by the media while Ohio State is a national punch line? Seriously, think about it. Over the last few years, which team has been worse in Big Games? The Vest or Big Game Bob?

Sure, Ohio State has the three black eyes from their performances against LSU and Florida in the past two national championship games, and USC earlier this season. But Oklahoma has lost five consecutive bowl games, including getting blown out by USC and West Virginia, losing to Boise State, and of course the heartless performance against Florida tonight. Oh yeah, and Stoops is 1-3 the last four years against Texas too.

So what's the difference? Ohio State got dumped on all season, yet Oklahoma received more praise than anybody this side of Tim Tebow. How does that make any sense? Is anybody (including all of you who voted Oklahoma ahead of Texas in their final regular season polls) beginning to see the error of their ways?

All I'm asking is this - can we please not let this happen again?

BCS National Championship Game

J.Pike's Pick: Oklahoma 43, Florida 35

Florida will score a non-offensive touchdown, but I don't think they have enough offense to hang with Oklahoma.

Dominique Franks was only speaking the truth when he said Tim Tebow would be the fourth best quarterback if he played in the Big XII...

For the record, my bowl picks up to this point have been a disaster - I'm 17-16.