Copyright 2008 The New York Sun Sun, 28 Sep 2008 23:20:06 -0400 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Russell Levine :: Stories from The New York Sun http://www.nysun.com/authors/Russell+Levine istoll@nysun.com (Ira Stoll) webmaster@nysun.com en-us RUSSELL LEVINE http://www.nysun.com/sports/sec-pecking-order-to-be-determined-this-weekend/86218/ Fri, 19 Sep 2008 00:00:00 EST College football remains a sport that relies on beauty pageant-style judging to rank its teams and decide which ones get to contest its championship. Though the Bowl Championship Series has injected a measure of objectivity into the process through the use of computer polls, it is the human votes that still carry the most weight. It can be hard to take the polls seriously when they continue to churn out results such as Ohio State (who struggled with Ohio and were destroyed by USC) ahead of Penn... RUSSELL LEVINE http://www.nysun.com/sports/big-12-outshines-sec-in-chaotic-weekend/86773/ Mon, 29 Sep 2008 00:00:00 EST If this weekend's carnage at the top of the college football polls bore a familiar look, it should: It was vintage 2007. Last year's was a season marked by uncertainty, when no poll position was safe. Upsets became so common that Ohio State lost its final home contest — and still made the Bowl Championship Series title game. LSU lost its final regular-season game, its second loss of the season, and still won the national championship. This season appears headed for more chaos after a weekend in... RUSSELL LEVINE http://www.nysun.com/sports/penn-state-faces-first-real-test-this-weekend/86708/ Fri, 26 Sep 2008 00:12:37 EST The Southeastern Conference, with three teams in the Associated Press top five and five in the top 15, has been the talk of the early college football season. Once again, the nation's biggest game this weekend will be an SEC contest, as Alabama visits Georgia. But other leagues are prepared to grab a share of the spotlight, starting with the Big Ten. The misnamed conference begins league play tomorrow with a pair of important games, including the first real test for its 11th team, Penn State... RUSSELL LEVINE http://www.nysun.com/sports/in-the-sec-drama-comes-courtesy-of-lsu/86333/ Mon, 22 Sep 2008 00:00:00 EST Whatever one thinks of the SEC's place atop the college football landscape, there is little doubt the league — and particularly LSU — has the market cornered on drama. Such was the case Saturday night as LSU and Auburn engaged in the kind of back-and-forth struggle that will be remembered for many years. It's also the kind of game LSU has made a habit of playing, and winning, the last few years. This game had everything a fan could want: great defense, huge hits, spectacular plays, risky calls... RUSSELL LEVINE http://www.nysun.com/sports/buckeyes-cant-put-it-together-when-on-big-stage/85832/ Mon, 15 Sep 2008 00:00:00 EST If Ohio State can find any solace in a 35-3 humiliation at the hands of USC Saturday night, it is this: Jim Tressel's club won't have to worry about being a national punch line in a third-straight Bowl Championship Series title game. That's because there will be no third-straight BCS title-game appearance, not after being thoroughly dominated in every phase of the game against Southern Cal. For those keeping score, this is the tally of Ohio State's shame: 114-41, that being the combined score... RUSSELL LEVINE http://www.nysun.com/sports/other-games-to-watch-this-weekend/85731/ Fri, 12 Sep 2008 00:00:00 EST Ohio State-USC gets top billing Saturday, but there's are plenty of other matchups worth keeping an eye on, including these three: No. 13 Kansas (2-0) at No. 19 South Florida (2-0) Friday, 8 p.m., ESPN2 Kansas faces its most challenging nonconference game in a visit to South Florida, where the Bulls could stamp themselves as the class of the Big East with a win. That opportunity is there for South Florida because West Virginia has already suffered an upset loss, Rutgers and Pitt do not look... RUSSELL LEVINE http://www.nysun.com/sports/wells-injury-makes-osus-task-even-more-daunting/85735/ Fri, 12 Sep 2008 00:00:00 EST College football's early story line has been dominated by the sport's have-nots, including East Carolina of Conference USA, which has notched a pair of upsets over ranked Bowl Championship Series conference teams. This will change Saturday night, though, when no. 5 Ohio State — most likely without its best offensive player, tailback Chris "Beanie" Wells — visits top-ranked USC in the season's first battle between mega-programs. No. 5 Ohio State (2-0) at No. 1 USC (1-0) Saturday, 8 p.m., ABC... RUSSELL LEVINE http://www.nysun.com/sports/pirates-early-favorites-to-crash-bcs-party/85341/ Mon, 8 Sep 2008 00:00:00 EST Tropical Storm Hanna was supposed to turn Saturday's West Virginia-East Carolina game into a quagmire. Instead, clear skies appeared over Greenville, N.C., but the Mountaineers got hit by Hurricane Holtz — as in Skip Holtz, suddenly the coach of the hottest program in college football. Holtz, the son of former Notre Dame coach Lou Holtz, is in his fourth season at East Carolina. With 16 starters back, the Pirates were expected to contend for the Conference USA title, but few expected them to... RUSSELL LEVINE http://www.nysun.com/sports/acc-big-east-need-some-redemption-in-week-2/85265/ Fri, 5 Sep 2008 00:00:00 EST College football began last week, but it seems nobody told the ACC, Big East, or Big Ten. Those three leagues, which represent half of the automatic bids to the Bowl Championship Series, got off to what could charitably be described as a rough start. The ACC is taking the brunt of the criticism in the wake of presumptive favorite Clemson's destruction by Alabama on national TV. But the Big East might have suffered a worse opening weekend. Its teams were 0-4 against fellow opponents from college... RUSSELL LEVINE http://www.nysun.com/sports/opening-day-will-prove-worth-later/84982/ Tue, 2 Sep 2008 00:00:00 EST With so little known about the teams, the events of college football's opening weekend tend to garner a greater importance than they might actually merit. Sprinkled among Saturday's expected routs were a handful of upsets that may look more or less surprising in another few weeks, when we'll know if the preseason hype accorded certain programs was warranted. Such was the case with Pittsburgh's home loss to Bowling Green, one of the better mid-major conference clubs. Pitt was rated in the... RUSSELL LEVINE http://www.nysun.com/sports/bcs-hopes-can-be-derailed-early-for-these-programs/84809/ Thu, 28 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EST One aspect where college football has its professional cousin beat is the lack of a preseason. College teams can, and do, schedule games against cupcakes to ease into the campaign. But others open with make-or-break games that can dash Bowl Championship Series aspirations before the season is three hours old. Even schools that are opening against overmatched opponents need to be wary — just ask Michigan about Appalachian State last season. The 2008 season officially kicks off tonight with 14... RUSSELL LEVINE http://www.nysun.com/sports/other-conferences-and-independents/84617/ Tue, 26 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EST In the annual race to get to the BCS from the non auto-bid conferences, BYU appears to have the best shot to go undefeated and claim a big-money bowl berth. The Cougars must survive a pair of tests against the Pac-10, a road trip to TCU, and a season-ending visit to Utah, which could also factor into the BCS if the Utes can escape Ann Arbor with a win over rebuilding Michigan in their opener. Fresno State has one of its better teams under Pat Hill, but a murderous schedule probably precludes an... RUSSELL LEVINE http://www.nysun.com/sports/acc/84622/ Tue, 26 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EST A lack of luster surely isn't what the ACC had in mind when it added Miami, Virginia Tech, and Boston College from the Big East. Instead of a 12-team super-conference that rivals the SEC, the ACC has watched as its marquee programs — Miami and Florida State — have sunk into a period of sustained mediocrity. At the same time, none of the conference's other members have emerged to become regular title contenders. There is no better symbol of the league's struggles than the yawning sections of... RUSSELL LEVINE http://www.nysun.com/sports/sec/84625/ Tue, 26 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EST Georgia is getting all the preseason hype, and sits atop both major polls after crushing Hawaii in the Sugar Bowl to cap a strong 2007 finish. But the Bulldogs have a brutal schedule — even by SEC standards. The conference slate sends them on the road to South Carolina, LSU, and Auburn, making the decision to schedule a non-conference road game against Arizona State a head-scratcher. Georgia certainly has the talent, particularly on offense with quarterback Matthew Stafford and tailback... RUSSELL LEVINE http://www.nysun.com/sports/pac-10/84626/ Tue, 26 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EST It is a measure of Pete Carroll's success at USC that the Trojans were seen as a disappointment in going 11-2 and winning the Rose Bowl last year. Such are the expectations surrounding a program that went 37-2 from 2003-05, with a pair of national titles. But as dominant as USC has been, the Trojans could not overcome a banged-up starting quarterback (Mark Sanchez) and a schedule that saw them face Oregon, Cal, and Arizona State, all on the road. Fall camp has been trying for Carroll, as... RUSSELL LEVINE http://www.nysun.com/sports/2008-college-football-preview/84627/ Tue, 26 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EST Last season began with a stunner, as Appalachian State won at Michigan — and the upsets just kept coming. Stanford beat USC in possibly the largest point-spread upset in history. South Florida was no. 2 in the first Bowl Championship Series rankings of the season. Missouri and Kansas played a game with major national-title implications. West Virginia blew a berth in the national title game by losing at home to a four-touchdown underdog. LSU lost its 12th game — its second loss of the year — and... RUSSELL LEVINE http://www.nysun.com/sports/big-12/84628/ Tue, 26 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EST In a season of surprises, no league provided more shockers in 2007 than the Big 12. From surprising teams (Missouri and Kansas) to surprising results (Colorado over Oklahoma, Kansas State over Texas), the conference opened plenty of eyes last season. The big question this season: Can the upstarts prove they have staying power while the traditional powers (Texas, Oklahoma) try to retain their places? Missouri would appear to have a better chance than Kansas to be a 2008 contender thanks to its... RUSSELL LEVINE http://www.nysun.com/sports/big-east/84630/ Tue, 26 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EST The Big East remains the anti-ACC. Four years after seemingly being robbed of its best teams, the conference is arguably more competitive than it was when Boston College, Miami, and Virginia Tech were still members. That is because their replacements — Cincinnati, Louisville, and South Florida — have all shown the potential to challenge for the conference crown, while West Virginia remains a national power. All eyes will be on Morgantown this season to see if the Mountaineers can maintain the... RUSSELL LEVINE http://www.nysun.com/sports/big-ten/84631/ Tue, 26 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EST A league once known as the "big two, little eight" became much deeper in the 1990s. But at the tail end of the current decade, Ohio State stands head and shoulders above its conference brethren. The Buckeyes have appeared in the last two BCS title games and have the pedigree to do so again this season. Of course, there's a big difference between "appeared in" and "won" (as all SEC fans know). A third-straight BCS title loss — possibly to another SEC squad — would stamp the Buckeyes as the... RUSSELL LEVINE http://www.nysun.com/sports/ncaa-finds-a-sensible-way-to-speed-up-games/71688/ Fri, 22 Feb 2008 00:00:00 EST College football fans may be seeing a little less of their favorite sport this fall. For the second time in three years, the NCAA has targeted the length of its games, which in recent seasons has dragged on well past the three-hour mark that is typical of an NFL contest. Before the 2006 season, the NCAA enacted a series of changes to its timing rules that proved remarkably effective, chopping nearly 14 minutes off the average game. Yet Rule 3-2-5-e was met mostly with derision by coaches and... RUSSELL LEVINE http://www.nysun.com/sports/bowl-season-winners-losers/69183/ Wed, 9 Jan 2008 00:00:00 EST With the 32-game bowl season now complete, and LSU having vanquished Ohio State to wear the champion's crown, it's time to add up the postseason's winners and losers, WINNER: SEC Not only did the SEC capture its second straight BCS title, the league had a 7–2 overall bowl record, the best winning percentage among the six BCS conferences. SEC backers have always felt the BCS system was unfair to their conference, punishing it for playing a tough conference schedule. This year, with LSU becoming... RUSSELL LEVINE http://www.nysun.com/sports/buckeyes-have-eyes-on-lsus-defense-in-championship/69024/ Mon, 7 Jan 2008 00:00:00 EST It is perhaps fitting, in light of this irrational college football season, that it is the no. 1-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes that feel the need to justify their invitation to the Bowl Championship Series title game tonight in New Orleans. Their worthiness has been questioned despite three national championship game appearances (and five BCS bowls) the past six seasons, and a 66–10 mark during that span. NO. 1 OHIO STATE (11–1) VS . NO. 2 LSU (11–2) TONIGHT, 8 P.M., FOX LSU has not had to defend... RUSSELL LEVINE http://www.nysun.com/sports/in-second-straight-bowl-trip-rutgers-biggest/68963/ Fri, 4 Jan 2008 00:00:00 EST Following an 11-win season, and with 13 starters returning, bigger things were expected of Rutgers this year than seven wins and a bid to the little-regarded International Bowl in Toronto. At the same time, it is a measure of the success of the Greg Schiano era that a bowl bid of any kind is considered disappointing. This is, after all, a program that has managed exactly one bowl win in nearly 140 years of competition — and that coming just last year, against Kansas State in the Texas Bowl... RUSSELL LEVINE http://www.nysun.com/sports/kansas-looks-to-avoid-fate-of-fellow-underdogs/68868/ Thu, 3 Jan 2008 00:00:00 EST Kansas, you're officially on notice. After two BCS games in which teams with shaky credentials were blown off the field, the Jayhawks and their flimsy resume will be under the microscope against Virginia Tech in the Orange Bowl tonight at Dolphins Stadium. No. 8 KANSAS (11–1) vs. No. 3 VIRGINIA TECH (11–2) Tonight, 8 p.m., FOX Yes, Kansas went 11–1 and briefly rose as high as no. 2 in the polls. But the Jayhawks also played a flyweight schedule, facing nothing but patsies on the non-conference... RUSSELL LEVINE http://www.nysun.com/sports/big-ten-proves-itself-against-sec-on-new-years/68808/ Wed, 2 Jan 2008 00:00:00 EST With the Big Ten and SEC champions set to face off in the national championship game for a second straight year, college football observers looked to yesterday's pair of games between the conferences for some clue as to what will happen between LSU and Ohio State on January 7. Though the conferences split the pair, with Tennessee holding off Wisconsin in the Outback and Michigan topping Florida in the Capital One, the results suggested the idea that the Big Ten's top teams can compete with... RUSSELL LEVINE http://www.nysun.com/sports/two-unlikely-teams-find-themselves-on-center-stage/68693/ Fri, 28 Dec 2007 00:00:00 EST After a 25-game undercard, the Bowl Championship Series games finally kick off Tuesday afternoon in Pasadena, Calif. The Rose Bowl preserved its traditional Pac-10/ Big Ten pairing by inviting Illinois, but do the Illini really deserve the bid? Then it's on to the Sugar Bowl, where the ultimate BCS party-crasher, Hawaii, faces Georgia of the SEC. Hawaii and traditional bowl games go together about as well as former Warriors defensive coordinator Jerry Glanville's Aloha shirt and his belt buckle... RUSSELL LEVINE http://www.nysun.com/sports/non-bcs-bowls-present-intriguing-matchups/68616/ Thu, 27 Dec 2007 00:00:00 EST The bowl season picks up steam tonight with the Texas–Arizona State Holiday Bowl (ESPN, 8 p.m. ET), but the real treats await during the long New Year's holiday weekend. The January 1st Bowl Championship Series games will be previewed in this space tomorrow, but the focus here is on the best of the non-BCS games, of which there are several appealing matchups. CHICK-FIL-A BOWL (AT ATLANTA) No. 15 Clemson (9-3) vs. No. 23 Auburn (8-4) Monday, Dec. 31, 7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN A pair of mercurial teams... RUSSELL LEVINE http://www.nysun.com/sports/michigan-nabs-rodriguez-ending-arduous-search/68182/ Mon, 17 Dec 2007 00:00:00 EST The University of Michigan ended this year's best coaching soap opera yesterday by announcing West Virginia's Rich Rodriguez as its new head coach. He will be officially introduced at a press conference in Ann Arbor this morning. Lloyd Carr's retirement a month ago after 13 seasons seemed to provide a natural break for Michigan's tradition-rich but stale program, yet few could have predicted such a radical departure from the era birthed by Bo Schembechler nearly 40 years ago. Carr, like Gary... RUSSELL LEVINE http://www.nysun.com/sports/bowl-games-to-watch-before-new-years/67908/ Wed, 12 Dec 2007 00:00:00 EST With 32 games over 19 days, bowl season has something for everyone. Casual observers won't pay much attention until the long New Year's weekend, but there are gems among the surfeit of December games. Much like the boxing adage "styles make fights," matchups make bowl games, whether it's teams of varying ability — and motivation — or just an appealing Xs and Os battle between contrasting styles. The following games should be among the best of the early bowl season (all rankings BCS): POINSETTIA... RUSSELL LEVINE http://www.nysun.com/sports/heisman-tenets-should-bend-for-brennan/67550/ Wed, 5 Dec 2007 00:00:00 EST There are certain unwritten rules in regards to the awarding of the Heisman Trophy, perhaps the most prestigious individual award in American sports. It almost always: • Goes to a quarterback or running back (23 of the past winners have played either position) • Goes to a player from a major conference (again, 23 of the past 25 recipients came from teams that are presently in the BCS conferences) • Goes to a player on a team having a great year (the past seven winners have all been from schools... RUSSELL LEVINE http://www.nysun.com/sports/lsu-takes-a-precarious-route-to-title-matchup/67389/ Mon, 3 Dec 2007 00:00:00 EST Even by the standards of this, the most unpredictable college football season in memory, the 36-hour stretch endured by LSU this weekend went beyond the realm of the bizarre. Just hours before his team faced Tennessee in the SEC championship game, LSU coach Les Miles was forced to call an impromptu news conference to deny an ESPN report that we was about to accept the vacant Michigan job. By yesterday evening, Miles and his team were headed to the national championship game — a result that was... RUSSELL LEVINE http://www.nysun.com/sports/will-this-season-have-one-final-plot-twist/67282/ Fri, 30 Nov 2007 00:00:00 EST One of the most unpredictable regular seasons on record ends Saturday, with eight of 10 Bowl Championship Series invites still up for grabs — including the two golden tickets to the BCS National Championship in New Orleans January 7. One scenario for that game is simple and would allow the BCS to put on a rare relatively controversy-free title match. If top-ranked Missouri and no. 2 West Virginia win, they will meet for the championship. If one loses, it will be replaced by no. 3 Ohio State... RUSSELL LEVINE http://www.nysun.com/sports/hawaiis-one-win-from-crashing-bcs-party/66963/ Mon, 26 Nov 2007 00:00:00 EST Of all the upsets this season has produced, from Appalachian State over Michigan on September 1 to Arkansas over LSU on Friday, the greatest surprise of all may be that we are just two games away from a relatively controversy-free Bowl Championship Series. Should the newly minted nos. 1 and 2 teams — Missouri and West Virginia, respectively — win their final games, they will meet for the national title in New Orleans on January 7. The only real dissent would come from Ohio State, as the... RUSSELL LEVINE http://www.nysun.com/sports/bcs-bidding-wars-come-to-a-head-this-weekend/66927/ Fri, 23 Nov 2007 00:00:00 EST Rarely has there been so much to be decided so late in the season. Only the Big Ten, which wrapped up regular-season play last week, has determined its representative to the Bowl Championship Series. The ACC and SEC each have one open spot in their conference title games, while both spots in the Big 12 championship remain up for grabs. From Charlottesville to Honolulu, and all points in between, there are enormous stakes in games that will play out Friday and Saturday and serve as a perfect... RUSSELL LEVINE http://www.nysun.com/sports/winds-of-change-blow-in-ann-arbor/66668/ Mon, 19 Nov 2007 00:00:00 EST Lloyd Carr's retirement after 13 years as head coach — and 28 overall — at the University of Michigan marks the end of an era at college football's all-time winningest program. Since 1969, Michigan has been coached by Bo Schembechler or one of his former assistants. Even if athletic director Bill Martin opts for someone with school ties like LSU coach Les Miles, the presumed frontrunner, the winds of change are blowing in Ann Arbor. Despite playing on TV more than any other school not named... RUSSELL LEVINE http://www.nysun.com/sports/buckeyes-can-now-sit-back-and-root-for-upsets/66682/ Mon, 19 Nov 2007 00:00:00 EST A year ago, the Big Ten's practice of refusing to play after Thanksgiving contributed to Michigan getting passed over for a spot in the Bowl Championship Series title game. The Wolverines had just lost a nail-biter at Ohio State in the first-ever battle between the traditional rivals as the nos. 1–2 teams in the nation. Michigan held on to the critical second spot in the BCS standings after the loss. Yet the rest of the major conferences had two more weeks of play, during which first USC, and... RUSSELL LEVINE http://www.nysun.com/sports/buckeyes-and-wolverines-battle-for-the-big-ten/66623/ Fri, 16 Nov 2007 00:00:00 EST With three weekends of play remaining, places in the Bowl Championship Series title game have yet to be determined. The top five teams in the BCS — LSU, Oregon, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Missouri — can all play themselves out of contention this week, but none will clinch a berth. Still, there are BCS and conference-championship bids on the line Saturday. Here's a look at the key games (all rankings BCS). No. 7 OHIO STATE (10–1, 6–1 Big Ten) at No. 21 MICHIGAN (8–3, 6–1) Noon, ABC Storied rivals... RUSSELL LEVINE http://www.nysun.com/sports/beleaguered-coaches-finally-get-their-due/66305/ Mon, 12 Nov 2007 00:00:00 EST Patience, a principle too seldom exercised in the cut throat world of college football, is proving its worth in this enigmatic season. A quick glance at the Bowl Championship Series rankings — which now feature LSU and Oregon in the top positions after Illinois stunned previous no. 1 Ohio State Saturday — lists several programs that might not be enjoying their current success had they listened to the whims of fans and alumni, and cut the cords on previously struggling coaches. Sitting at no. 3... RUSSELL LEVINE http://www.nysun.com/sports/even-undefeated-kansas-hawaii-fight-for-respect/66228/ Fri, 9 Nov 2007 00:00:00 EST The upper reaches of the college football polls are sprinkled with teams that were nowhere to be found in the preseason rankings, the repercussion of a season-long run of upsets. As a result, some games that once looked like marquee affairs, such as last night's Louisville–West Virginia tilt and USC at Cal tomorrow, have slipped in importance. Still, this remains an important weekend for teams with Bowl Championship Series aspirations. ESPN's College Gameday may have opted to set up shop at the... RUSSELL LEVINE http://www.nysun.com/sports/lsu-grabs-no-2-spot-but-others-are-stalking/65861/ Mon, 5 Nov 2007 00:00:00 EST Yesterday's Bowl Championship Standings release saw LSU move into the coveted second position behind no. 1 Ohio State, but this topsy-turvy college football season is far from decided. For the moment, LSU's win at Alabama in the Nick Saban Bowl has propelled the Tigers into the second spot vacated by Boston College, which was beaten at home by Florida State Saturday night. Oregon, which offered one of the weekend's most impressive victories by handling previously unbeaten Arizona State at home... RUSSELL LEVINE http://www.nysun.com/sports/road-to-bcs-wide-open-as-teams-enter-home-stretch/65791/ Fri, 2 Nov 2007 00:00:00 EST The most unpredictable college football season in recent memory approaches the stretch run this weekend with another batch of make-or-break games for the teams with aspirations of appearing in the Bowl Championship Series. Saturday's slate for the contenders includes critical conference showdowns in the Big Ten, the SEC, and the Pac-10. Here's a look at the key games (all rankings BCS): No. 21 WISCONSIN (7–2, 3–2 Big Ten) At No. 1 OHIO STATE (9–0, 5–0) Noon, Big Ten Network No. 12 MICHIGAN... RUSSELL LEVINE http://www.nysun.com/sports/surprise-bcs-teams-show-their-mettle/65419/ Mon, 29 Oct 2007 00:00:00 EST This was finally the week to learn something relevant about the handful of surprising teams atop the Bowl Championship Series standings, as all faced their most significant tests of the season. With the results now in, it can be said that all passed with flying colors. Well, perhaps Boston College scraped by on the curve in its miraculous, 14–10 win at Virginia Tech Thursday night, but chances are the voters were captivated enough by quarterback Matt Ryan's Heisman-worthy finish to forget that... RUSSELL LEVINE http://www.nysun.com/sports/foggy-bcs-picture-will-be-clearer-after-saturday/65336/ Fri, 26 Oct 2007 00:00:00 EST With four of the top 10 teams in the current Bowl Championship Series standings largely untested until this week, this could end up being the pivotal weekend of the entire college football season. Saturday, top-ranked Ohio State (at Penn State), no. 4 Arizona State (vs. Cal), and no. 9 Kansas (at Texas A&M) all face their toughest competition yet. Here's a look at the key games (all rankings BCS), including a pair of once-beaten teams still in contention for the BCS title game: No. 7 WEST... RUSSELL LEVINE http://www.nysun.com/sports/one-play-may-dictate-lsus-fate/65005/ Mon, 22 Oct 2007 00:00:00 EST College football national titles are rarely won without the benefit of at least one upset-avoiding play that is forever etched in the memories of the championship team's fans. The list of such plays is long and storied. Just last season, Florida needed a last-second blocked field goal to survive against South Carolina. In 1990, Colorado won a game at Missouri on a fifth-down play. In 1997, Nebraska won a game — also against Missouri — on a touchdown kicked off a receiver's foot. Ohio State's... RUSSELL LEVINE http://www.nysun.com/sports/all-tiger-rivalry-highlights-week-8/64896/ Fri, 19 Oct 2007 00:00:00 EST Given the nature of this college football season, it should surprise no one that last night's South Florida-Rutgers contest would have more to do with the national-title picture than historic rivalries such as USC-Notre Dame and Miami-Florida State. But with Notre Dame suffering through a miserable 1–6 campaign, USC looking more vulnerable than it has in years, and the traditional Florida powers struggling, the focus of the college football world will be elsewhere this weekend. Here's a look at... RUSSELL LEVINE http://www.nysun.com/sports/rutgers-looks-to-end-bulls-charge-toward-title/64796/ Thu, 18 Oct 2007 00:00:00 EST In just its 11th season of football, South Florida sits in position to play for the national title, having achieved the coveted second spot in the initial Bowl Championship Series rankings behind Ohio State. That statement alone tells you what kind of year it has been in college football, with the unexpected suddenly the norm. No. 2 SOUTH FLORIDA (6–0, 1–0 Big East) At RUTGERS (4–2, 1–1) Tonight, 7:30 p.m., ESPN But if the Bulls have taken the college football world by storm, there's one man... RUSSELL LEVINE http://www.nysun.com/sports/bcs-tries-to-make-sense-of-a-wayward-season/64550/ Mon, 15 Oct 2007 00:00:00 EST This is quickly turning into a college football season like no other in recent memory. Three straight weeks of stunning upsets have left the preseason polls in wreckage. Each of the top 10 teams in the AP preseason rankings has at least one loss and together the group has been defeated 16 times in seven weeks. Thus the preseason no. 11 team, Ohio State, is now atop both the polls and the first BCS standings, which were released Sunday afternoon. Behind the Buckeyes sits a pair of Cinderella... RUSSELL LEVINE http://www.nysun.com/sports/upstarts-mizzou-kentucky-get-their-chance-saturday/64464/ Fri, 12 Oct 2007 00:00:00 EST Sunday brings the release of the first Bowl Championship Series standings, and with it, the unofficial beginning of the run-up to the January 7 national title game in New Orleans. There remains much to be decided this college football season, and though this week's schedule is thin on matchups between highly rated schools, the current top-ranked team still faces a key road test. Elsewhere, some of the surprise contenders in the BCS conferences have a chance to prove their legitimacy. No. 1 LSU... RUSSELL LEVINE http://www.nysun.com/sports/cardinal-proves-anything-is-possible-this-year/64102/ Mon, 8 Oct 2007 00:00:00 EST Nothing that happens in this college football season should shock us. Not after Appalachian State won at Michigan. Not after Syracuse and its Pop Warner offense lit up Louisville. Not South Florida in the top 5. Not a weekend with five of the top-10 teams in the AP poll losing — four of them to unranked opponents. Yet Saturday offered up a jaw-dropper big enough to make all those moments take a distant back seat. Stanford 24, USC 23. Stanford was 1–11 in 2006. It had lost three previous... RUSSELL LEVINE http://www.nysun.com/sports/last-weeks-upset-victims-must-regroup-quickly/64068/ Fri, 5 Oct 2007 00:00:00 EST A Saturday that was supposed to feature two of the biggest games of the college football season lost considerable luster after three of the four participants lost last week — each to unranked teams. Still, the Florida-LSU and Oklahoma-Texas games will have a major impact on the national-championship race and BCS berths. Rutgers was also bitten by the upset bug last week, taking a major hit in the polls after falling at home to Maryland. The Scarlet Knights need to get well in a hurry as they...