College Football Mid-Season Report

The Pleasant Suprises

Boston College (5-2)

Few thought Boston College would have the success it has experience early in 2009. With the unexpected firing of head coach Jeff Jagodzinski, the loss of B.J. Raji to the NFL, Mark Herzlich's battle with cancer and no quarterback on the roster who had previously thrown a pass, 2009 seemed to be inevitably a rebuilding year. However the Eagles are off to a 5-2 start and a 3-2 record in the ACC. The Eagles appear to be the front runner in the ACC's weak Atlantic division. Pulling out home victories late against both Florida State and Wake Forest, BC is in prime position to reach the conference championship game for the third straight year. Frank Spaziani has to be the clear cut ACC Coach of the Year midway through 2009.

Cincinnati (6-0)

The Bearcats are ranked in the top 5 in the Bowl Championship Series and are legitimate contenders to play in the National Championship game in January. While Cincy has not played the toughest of schedules, but road wins at Oregon State and South Florida are impressive. The Bearcats however are not a one-year wonder; Cincinnati won the conference in 2008 and represented the Big East in the Orange Bowl. Brian Kelly is the best coach that no one knows about. The same could arguably be said for quarterback Tony Pike and receiver Mardy Gilyard at their respective positions. Cincinnati is far from in the clear however. Pike is banged up and is questionable for Saturday's game against Louisville. The schedule still has its challenges; Cincinnati has a Friday night showdown with West Virginia and closes at Pittsburgh in a ballgame that could decide the Big East's champion and a BCS birth.

Iowa (7-0)

Who would have guessed Iowa would be in the driver's seat in the Big Ten after having to block a field goal (twice) to beat FCS upstart Northern Iowa on the opening Saturday? Since then however, Iowa has been solid. Quarterback Ricky Stanzi has taken care of the ball while the Hawkeye defense has been solid. Iowa has played up or down with its competition however. Although Iowa has solid wins over Arizona, Penn State and Wisconsin each by two scores, they struggled to beat Northern Iowa and Arkansas State. Three of it five remaining games are at Kinnick Stadium, but a November date at "The Horseshoe" against Ohio State should be Iowa's toughest test in determining whether the Hawkeyes play in the BCS or the Capital One Bowl.

Miami(FL) (5-1)

It wasn't insane prior to the start of the year that Miami could start 1-3 or even 0-4, but the Hurricanes have persevered. The transfer of Robert Marve has been a blessing in disguise for the Canes'. Sophomore Jacory Harris is the real deal and has Miami primed to return to its glory days. Miami has been inconsistent on defense, but seem to have play-makers at every position on offense. Graig Cooper and wideout Travis Benjamin are threats to go the distance every time they touch the football. The Canes still have road challenges against North Carolina and South Florida, but Miami should be favored in every game they play from here on out. A three-way tie with Virginia Tech and Georgia Tech in the ACC Coastal division could work out to Miami's advantage at season's end.

Washington (3-4)

3-4 for a team that is less than 10 years removed from a Rose Bowl victory is rarely referred to a great start, but in this case it is. Washington carried a 13 game losing streak into 2009. First year head coach Steve Sarkisian has the Huskies headed in the right direction. On opening night, Washington gave LSU all it wanted losing 31-23. Two weeks later, "Sark" beat his mentor Pete Carroll in Seattle. The remaining Huskie schedule is tough, but getting to a bowl game would be a major accomplishment for this Washington team.

The Biggest Disappointments

Florida State (2-4)

Florida State has had its share of problems on and off the field. With the saga surrounding legendary coach Bobby Bowden off the field, the Seminoles are off to its worst start in the Bowden era on the field. The Seminoles are among the bottom teams in the country against the pass and needed a late drive in September to stave off FCS opponent Jacksonville State. Despite the emergence of quarterback Christian Ponder, the Seminoles have been anemic in the red zone. Prior to the 2009 season, Florida State had lost once in 33 years under Bobby Bowden when scoring 30 points; this year, the Seminoles have lost twice when reaching the 30 point plateau. The Seminoles seemed to be the overwhelming favorite to win the ACC Atlantic and cruise to Tampa. With four of its six remaining games on the road, the nation's longest bowl streak may be in serious jeopardy.

Georgia (4-3)

The Bulldogs 4-3 start has left many disappointed in Athens. While senior Joe Cox has settled in nicely replacing the NFL's first overall pick Matthew Stafford, the Georgia defense doesn't seem to be able to stop many people. The Dawgs' have given up 35 points on three occasions this year, but wound up winning twice. Georgia suffered a heartbreaking loss early this month at the hands of LSU, but have been walloped in Knoxville and Stillwater. The Bulldogs aren't in real danger of missing a bowl game, but if its defense isn't sured up, opponents like Florida and Georgia Tech will be putting up plenty of points.

Illinois (1-5)

With fourth year starter Juice Williams coming back and an explosive Arrelious Benn returning in 2009, Ron Zook's team looked to get back on track after finishing 5-7 in 2008 coming off a Rose Bowl appearance in 2007. Instead, Illinois has gotten considerably worse; through six games, Illinois does not have a win against a FBS team and hasn't been closer than 10 points. Williams has lost his starting job to senior Eddie McGee, but the offense has continued to sputter. With the exception of Purdue, every team left on the Illini schedule has a winning record.

Mississippi (4-2)

4-2 doesn't seem like the worst start in the world, but the Rebels were ranked fourth in the preseason. Aside from a 16 point win against Vanderbilt, Ole Miss has not been competitive in SEC play. Jevan Snead was touted a pre-season All-American. Many felt Snead could be the number one pick in April's NFL Draft. South Carolina head coach Steve Spurrier briefly had Snead as the first team all-conference quarterback over Florida's Tim Tebow. Snead has been perhaps the country's biggest disappointment. Through six games, Snead has thrown nine interceptions and has completed just fewer than 50 percent of his passes. Many hoped the Rebels would start where they left off in 2009. Thus far, that hasn't been the case. The good news however is Ole Miss plays only one ranked team the rest of the way.

Oklahoma (3-3)

The Sooners have been competitive by losing three games by a combined five points all to ranked teams mostly without the incumbent Heisman Trophy winner Sam Bradford. Still 3-3 midway through the year is a disapointment in Norman. The Sooners began the year ranked third and last year were college football's runner-up losing a tight ballgame to Florida in the fourth quarter. The Sooners since 2000 have played in four national championships (winning one) and have been Big 12 champions in seven of the previous nine years. The Sooners still have road games with Kansas and Nebraska remaining before closing the season in Stillwater against in-state rival Oklahoma State. The 3-3 start and loss to arch-rival Texas likely leaves Oklahoma heading to the Cotton Bowl as the best case scenario.

Doing Just What They're Supposed To

Alabama (7-0)

At this year's midway point, the Alabama Crimson Tide have been the best team in the country. The Crimson Tide have wins over Virginia Tech, Ole Miss and South Carolina all by double digits. In Nick Saban's third year, he has Alabama with its eyes on a national title. Many believe that sophomore running back Mark Ingram is the front-runner for the Heisman Trophy. Rolando McClain and Javier Arenas lead an Alabama defense that tends to give up few yards and few points. Alabama still has rivalry games with Tennessee, LSU and the Iron Bowl with Auburn on the schedule. If the Tide are successful, they will likely get a rematch with Florida at the SEC Championship in Atlanta. If the Tide are to run the table, they will need more consistent play from quarterback Greg McElroy.

Boise State (6-0)

After the opening night win against Oregon on the blue field, the Broncos have done what everyone expected them to do; keep winning. The road hasn't been as easy as many would have anticipated however. Midweek games at Fresno State and Tulsa saw the Broncos hold on late to preserve its BCS hopes. This may be Boise's best shot at reaching the BCS Championship game, but BCS conference teams or TCU running the table could hinder the Broncos' dreams of winning it all. With a weak WAC, it is unlikely Boise State will stumble. The best chance may be a long flight to Hawaii or a game at Louisiana Tech for Boise State to stumble.

Florida (6-0)

The Gators survived disaster last Saturday in front of 90,000 at Ben Hill Griffin to keep the dream of a first undefeated season alive. Florida has not been impressive, but has been effective. Believe it or not, Florida has looked better away from "The Swamp". Although he hasn't put up the ungodly numbers, Tim Tebow has become a better game manager and Florida's defense is finally good enough to keep the Gators in games if the offense is struggling. The SEC East is weak this year and it seems that Florida will cruise into Atlanta. Florida still has potential bumps in the road however. The Gators play their annual rival game with Georgia in Jacksonville on Halloween and the Bulldogs have shown that they can score. The other test left on the regular season schedule looks to be November 14 in Columbia against former coach Steve Spurrier and South Carolina.

Texas (6-0)

Like Florida, Texas has been unimpressive thus far in 2009. Despite a traditionally high completion percentage, quarterback Colt McCoy has been prone to turn the ball over in 2009. Texas has trailed at halftime each of the last two weeks, but were able to rally against dismal Colorado and rival Oklahoma. The good news for the Longhorns is that they seem to be even better on defense than it was a year ago. Defensive coordinator and coach-in-waiting Will Muschamp has Texas on pace to allow fewer points than it did a year ago and without a true workhorse at tailback, that could be a huge relief to Colt McCoy and the Longhorn offense. Texas plays back-to-back road games against Missouri and Oklahoma State. A stumble in Stillwater could cost the Horns' not only a national title shot, but could kill any chance of Texas winning the Big 12.

TCU (6-0)

The Horned Frogs are 6-0 and have better non-conference wins than most, but still nothing spectacular. This TCU team may not be as good as the team that finished 12-1 a year ago, but the opportunity is still there for the Frogs to wind up in the BCS. If Texas Christian runs the table, it will reach a BCS game due to its overall body of work compared to Boise State. The Horned Frogs have two challenges remaining. Saturday at Brigham Young and in November at home against BCS buster from a year ago Utah. Andy Dalton is a solid game manager from TCU at quarterback, but the biggest question will be whether TCU can score enough points to beat both Utah schools.