No folks we don't have eight football games to chat about this week we have just one, Army-Navy. So in its essence the Slate of Eight is taking a break until the bowls get kicked off, however, the Slate has now become a brand and that means we can just toss that name around all willynilly. Army-Navy is a big enough deal to carry us through the week and along with the Heisman Ceremony and bowl designations we have plenty of stuff to chat about.

Patrick Stevensfrom the mid-atlantic region website D1scourse joins us to chat about Army-Navy as well as a little Maryland season recap. Stevens gives us some insight into the Navy season and how, while a solid 8, could be 10, win season is still not looked upon as favorably as it would have been in years past. Dobbs injury troubles and the way their Labor Day loss to Maryland truly took the early wind out of their sails and while they got some big wins this season their ship never truly was righted.

In talking Army-Navy it has to be noted that for the first time in a long time the Commanders Cup is not even a possibility for the Midshipmen as Army sewed that up by beating both Navy and Army this season. Army brings a team that's already bowl eligible into the contest and they've got a quarterback every bit as efficient as Dobbs in their own Trent Steelman. Should be one of the best Army-Navy contest in quite some time as the Midshipmen look to push their win streak to 9 over the Black Knights.

Talk then turns to Maryland, who is about to put the bowl trip cap on a surprising 8-4 season in College Park. If you haven't followed along your's truly has been a huge fan of Kenny Tate and Antwine Perez the Terps safety tandem that was among the best in college football and Stevens gives us some insight into their development. We also discuss the Franklin-Friedgen-Coach in Waiting dynamic and how that will play out going forward.



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We've got Chip Patterson from the CBS Sports College Football Blog on to give us a quick rehashing of the ACC Championship as well as some talk about some of the bowl games he is looking forward to and of course we get into the Music City Bowl featuring our Heels. To go along with his commentary on the atmosphere and the game itself Chip penned an excellent piece about the triumphant cap to Tyrod Taylor's career in the ACC as the senior quarterback heads to yet another Orange Bowl.

ACC Championship week here in Charlotte was mighty eventful as the town put on a show in an effort to keep the game in the Queen City for the years to come. Chip talks to us about his impression of the game and the crowd and he also sheds some light on Frank Beamer's comments with respect to the game sticking in Charlotte. The Hokies' head honcho is already sold on the city and from the game's atmosphere despite the weather it looks like ACC fans agree. Chip also got to sit in the presser where he came away very impressed with the Noles' EJ Manuel who gives FSU fans plenty to look forward to in not just the bowl but the 2011 season as well.

Talk turns to some bowl discussion as we hit on the Sun Bowl, the Chick-fil-A Bowl and the Fiesta Bowl. Miami, without a head coach, will be squaring off against an Irish squad coming off an extremely tumultuous season in need of some goodwill. In the CFA Bowl the SEC and ACC runner-ups will suit up to face each other in a solid non-BCS bowl match ups. In the Fiesta Bowl Chip rolls out the Huskies and puts the Sooners on possible upset alert while I maintain the idea that Big Game Bob will get this much needed win in a BCS game.

We talk a little Miami Hurricanes head coaching job before wrapping it up with the Music City Bowl as the Heels take on the Vols. Two teams in different positions but both looking to get a win to close out the season. Dooley needs it to build good momentum heading into the recruiting season while Butch needs to get his first win in Chapel Hill in a bad way. Either way this will be a great send off for both schools' senior classes.



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We're taking a step back from the Cam Newton drama, the Miami Hurricanes coaching search and we are starting to kickoff our offseason program as the beauty of the college football season slowly comes to a close. Joining us today is Brian McLaughlin from Sporting News Today and more importantly from the brand new Sporting News Recruiting Guide that recently debuted. So we start our jaunt into the minds of the high school senior deciding between colleges and we also take some time to look at the fans who help fuel the industry.

To kick off the talk Brian gives us some background on himself and the new venture from Sporting News that looks to fill the gap between those diehard recruiting folks and the casual fans who have yet to dip their toe in the deep pool of recruiting. Kicking off with the 2011 crop of players this guide is jampacked with information including the top 100 as rated by McLaughlin, top JUCO players as well as a chat with Bobby Bowden on the evolving art of landing the recruit. Great read and make sure you go get your copy folks, it is a must have for anyone involved in our sport.

Brian starts off explaining one of the most intriguing topics in recruiting, ranking players from different areas and different competition levels. Unlike a lot of services he does take some intangible qualities into effect. We hit on some of the nations more interesting players including Cyrus Kouandjio, Jadeveon Clowney, USC commit De'Anthony Thomas and UGA commit Christian LeMay.

McLaughlin and I wax philosophically on the Miami Hurricanes situation wondering allowed how good of a job that is and how different the landscape is for the Canes from the 80's and 90's as compared to now. The stadium situation and their lack of a head coach are truly hamstringing the Canes and how they handle this situation will sink or salvage the program for the next few years.

The chat wraps up with thoughts on the fan element and how recruits, fans, coaches and the NCAA all exist in this odd space thanks to social media and the 24 hour news cycle. While it is tough for the NCAA to eliminate prospect contact ultimately there are moments where fans cross the lines and common sense and decency must apply to check interaction. Ultimately recruiting is about the kids and while some players are mature enough to handle the situation there are so many variables in each high schoolers life that it is impossible to lay a blanket policy down.

Make sure you check out the Sporting News Recruiting Guide its a must have. Also folks, be sure to check out PSGive.org for their college football bowl contest. Enter the code "BLEACHERS" to get your free $5. 



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Got a special Thursday edition of the In The Bleachers podcast here for you guys with special guest Tim Hyland on to chat about not just one but TWO  major topics that took the college football world by storm midweek. Hyland, the college football writer over at About.com joins us to first talk about his most recent article where he sees Mike Leach as the perfect fit to be the next Miami Hurricanes coach. We kick off the podcast with that topic before we get into the Miami Hurricanes overall coaching picture.

In talking about the Hurricanes coaching prospects we start out with discussing this idea of the 'Canes and Shalala needing to "make a splash" such as Gruden in this hire as opposed to truly seeking out the right candidate for the program long term. Hyland and your's truly get into what the restrictions are at The U and we ask "how good is this job" to prospective coaches.

Aside from the stadium issues we also delve a little bit into financials and wonder if Miami would be better served taking the "Auburn approach" to hiring instead of attempting to wow folks by winning a presser. Go with a lower budget coach so that a more powerful staff can be assembled and they can create the excitement through energy and recruiting the way Auburn was able to with the Tiger Prowl.

Talk then turns to Cam Newton as the news was released yesterday that Auburn's star quarterback and Heisman frontrunner was ruled eligible to play. I lay out my thoughts as to why I'm ultimately ok with the ruling then Tim and I discuss why this case is not "like the Reggie Bush case" as so many people have rushed to say. We also talk "precedent" a word that's been tossed around so much I'm tired of hearing it.

I hope you enjoy the show it was a fun one and a great way to kick off the morning.


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This week we have Aaron Torresfrom fellow Bloguin site Aaron Torres Sports on to talk about our final regular season full Slate of Eight. That's right not only is it Championship Week where we'll see conference crown their kings in grand form but we've also got five other games on the docket to put the cap on our first season of the Slate of Eight.

2010 has been a great season both on the field and for the site so for this being our last Slate of Eight we thought we'd make sure to wrap it up with a full list. Of course we have no Big Ten games to speak of as the conference has decided, again, to wrap up their season a week before everyone else. At least next year we'll have bonus ball from the Midwest.

So here's the Slate:

Arizona - Arizona State
Rutgers - West Virginia
UConn - South Florida
Southern Cal - UCLA
Oregon - Oregon State
ACC Championship Game
Big XII Championship Game
SEC Championship Game

The Wildcats make the list as we discuss how far a team that had Oregon down at the half and was 7-1 just three weeks ago has fallen in such a short time. For West Virginia the Mountaineers are looking to stay afloat for the BCS bid but they don't control their own destiny, they need a little help from USF in beating UConn. Heading back out west we have the LA showdown as Lane Kiffin has quietly made a play for an 8-5 season. As for Oregon-Oregon State Aaron and I wonder if this game will even be close as the Ducks have been on the warpath and the Beavers have limped through the year.

Which brings us to our Big Three games, the conference championship affairs. The ACC has the first game in Charlotte and while on the field Florida State-Virginia Tech should be a solid contest the real story for this Charlotte native is going to be the atmosphere and crowd attendance. On the field Tyrod Taylor vs the FSU pass rush will be a crucial element to watch. In the Big XII we get the Big 8 match up we've been hoping for all season in Nebraska-Oklahoma as the Huskers prepare to exit the conference. Taylor Martinez needs to get healthy for Pelini's squad to have a real chance since the Sooners pass rush has really come on strong as of late.

In the SEC we've got the Auburn-Sakerlina match up to watch and so many angles to discuss. Two schools that are starved for an SEC title; Sakerlina starved for eternity and Auburn on a drought since 2004 will make for a wild atmosphere. The game sold out as soon as these two clinched and after their first meeting, a Stephen Garcia-Steve Spurrier disaster in September we should expect fireworks. The names are there; Cam Newton, Nick Fairley, Marcus Lattimore and Alshon Jeffrey and this game has got a ton of cache. Win and Auburn is in the national title game, lose and they're headed to the Orange Bowl while the Gamecocks take their first trip to a BCS Bowl.

Both teams have improved tremendously and we'll see if Auburn plays this as they have most games, absorbing a teams best shot then pulling themselves up off the mat to battle back and take the win.



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So folks, that's right we've got a second edition of the Slate of Eight up for you football junkies on this holiday week. That's twice as much football to go with the turkey, the greens, the cranberry sauce and everything else that comes with Thanksgiving. On this edition we go to our Bloguin family from The Collision Course we've got Mark Ennis on to talk some ball. Although TCC is a Louisville blog we figured we'd grab Mark because he is always dropping Big East and general college football knowledge over the twitter machine.

If you've been in a hole then perhaps you've missed our Rivalry Week Edition of the Slate of Eight with Bomani Jones that dropped earlier this morning, listen to that too folks. As for this session with Mark we've still got plenty of action to talk about so let's set up the second Slate:

Notre Dame - Southern Cal
Mississippi State - Ole Miss
BYU - Utah
South Florida - Miami
West Virginia - Pitt
Michigan State - Penn State
Boise State - Nevada
Arizona - Oregon

We kick of the second slate with the Trojans and the Irish in a game that will help Lane Kiffin quietly continue his solid season that no one is giving him credit for and could make things get increasingly worse for Brian Kelly. In the Egg Bowl we see the tables turned as Ole Miss assumes the "spoiler" role and in Oxford this improved Rebels offense will test the Bulldogs. The Holy War now features a BYU team on the uptick while Utah hopes to get their feet back underneath them fully after appearing to still be reeling from the TCU lost. We debate whether or not South Florida can score enough to beat Miami, short answer? They can't.

In the Backyard Brawl we see a sort of Big East statement game where Pitt can tighten their "stranglehold" or West Virginia can muddy the picture and give UConn a shot at a BCS bid. In the Big Ten we'll likely see Michigan State clinch a Rose Bowl birth while Penn State hopes this isn't the swan song for Joe-Pa.

The Boise State and Nevada discussion takes us into some though provoking territory as we examine not only the match up but how this game provides a view into the national landscape. Folks who aren't "Pro Boise State" are viewed as Haters and of course we'll wonder how many mainstream media guys will stay up for this late Friday night kickoff. Finally we wrap up by talking about this Oregon-Arizona match up that has the Ducks as heavy favorites but neither Mark or myself are going to be surprised if Arizona's defense is able to keep the Ducks in front of them.



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On this week's show we've got Bomani Jones, host of The Morning Jones from 7-10et on Sirius Channel 98, on the podcast to talk about our eight favorite rivalry games as we sit here on the holiday week. You may also recognize Jones from ESPN's First Take, perhaps you've seen him on ESPN's Outside the Lines or more recently on ESPN's Around The Horn. He's our guy in the morning folks and you oughta do yourself a favor and check out The Morning Jones.

We take on the rivalry week with a vengeance and since we're rolling through my eight favorite rivalries we get to run the gammut from teams clawing and scratching for bowl eligibility to a several folks making a stand to get to a BCS bowl. Here's the Slate:

Texas - Texas A&M
Florida - Florida State
Georgia Tech - Georgia
Sakerlina - Clemson
Ohio State - Michigan
LSU - Arkansas
Oklahoma - Oklahoma State
Alabama - Auburn

As a long time Longhorn fan Bomani gives us his thoughts on Greg Davis, Texas' struggling to get to bowl eligibility and what this win would mean for an Aggies team that hasn't had this sort of opportunity often. Florida State has to win this game against the Gators, not just to finish on a solid note but because if the 'Noles can't win right now against a Gators squad that's not very good then when should they expect to over take the Blue and Orange.

Georgia, like Texas, is pushing to get to bowl eligibility and with a "meh" Georgia Tech team coming to Athens I expect AJ Green to have a big day. Sakerlina-Clemson wraps up the ACC-SEC rivalries that are, oddly enough, 3 of the 4 best ACC rivalries. The Palmetto state teams need this win for bragging rights and Clemson needs it to erase the debacle that was last season's affair. In the Big Ten Ohio State-Michigan takes the stage as Rich Rod basically tries to keep it close while Ohio State looks to stay in BCS bowl contention.

In our big three games we give some quick thoughts on LSU-Arkansas and Bomani talks the issues that come up when trying to understand Les Miles. In the Bedlam Game the Sooners have to figure out their offensive and defensive woes if they hope to stop the machine that is Oklahoma State's offense. The Pokes are going to run the ball and use Blackmon to stretch the defense, this should be a fun one.

Lastly we wrap the show on Cam Newton, Auburn and the Iron Bowl. Kenny Rogers gets his due. Newton's Heisman chances get their due. Then we get to the game and talk about Greg McElroy's short comings this season, what Bama is really playing for and how the Tigers are going to respond with the pressure turned up around them. Oregon, TCU and Boise State are likely rooting for the Crimson Tide as Auburn and Newton are not the beast anyone wants to take on in the BCS Title game. Meanwhile the Orange Bowl has got to be thinking Tide as well because with Auburn in the Sugar Bowl LSU and Alabama will be available in the at-large pool to pick from.



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We're at Week Twelve on the Slate of Eight folks and we decided to go back to the College Football News well to get a writer that's always dropping interesting talking points and observations; Matt Zemek. Zemek's been covering college football for some time now and you should know him from his Weekly Affirmations and the Monday Morning Quarterback over at CFN. Buckle up folks because Matt waxes philosophically on the Slate of Eight and this is another edition that we're proud to drop this morning just for you all.

This is an interesting week as the Slate takes an entire week off from the SEC folks, that's right, not a single SEC game on the Slate and another first occurs as the ACC somehow finds a way to cap off the action this week. The storylines are solid, the games are going to be fun to watch and yes, we even give Boise State some shine y'all. Here's the Slate for Week Twelve:

Fresno State - Boise State
Army - Notre Dame
Ohio State - Iowa
Nebraska - Texas A&M
Stanford - Cal
Oklahoma - Baylor
Wisconsin - Michigan
Virginia Tech - Miami

The Broncos are taking on the Fresno State Bulldogs who are fresh off a disappointing loss to Nevada in a game that Pat Hill's squad controlled for the bulk of the action. This is one of two games Boise State has left that has any cache and for them to leap frog the Horned Frogs an impressive win here would be nice. Army and Notre Dame enter this game with eleven combined wins but this game holds a lot of weight because of the long time rivalry and the new location; Yankees Stadium. Matt fills us in on some of the history behind this match up as well as talks about these current teams and why he believes Notre Dame will FINALLY find success in stopping the option. With Iowa's loss to Northwestern this Buckeyes-Hawkeyes match up has lost a bit of its luster but Ohio State is still clinging to a sliver of hope for winning the Big Ten and that BCS at-large bid is clearly within reach.

Early in the season the Pelini-Sherman match up was red flagged as one to watch, however, as the Aggies floundered behind underachieving quarterback Jerrod Johnson they fell off our radar. With Ryan Tannehill piloting the ship this game has bounced back into the spotlight as the last true barrier the Cornhuskers have to a one-loss season. Stanford looks to avenge their loss to Cal from a season ago, a Cal team that played Oregon tight and for all their road woes has been quite stellar at home.

Baylor has a shot at pulling off the Texas-Oklahoma sweep for the first time in like a bagillion years but with Robert Griffin battling a leg injury it will be an up hill battle. The Sooners must win to keep their Big XII South aspirations alive. Up in Big Ten country the Badgers face their last legitimate test of the season in a Michigan offense that doesn't mind playing games above that 40 point watermark. I expect to see a lot of scoring here and if the Wolverines are close late they may knock off the one-loss Bielema Bullies.

In the ACC we highlight an old Big East match up as the Canes try to knock of the Hokies, a team that's now won eight games in the row after stumbling out of the gate. After the UNC win Beamer's squad has largely wrapped up the Coastal barring a disaster against the Wahoos over Thanksgiving so this game is to help them get to Charlotte at 10-2 instead of a less impressive 9-3. For Miami this is more about pride and Randy Shannon than their ACC Title hopes. Lose this game and Shannon could be gone. Matt Zemek points out that the 3:30et kickoff doesn't bode well as Canes fans are notorious "no-shows" and without an ACC Title in reach they may skip this show down.

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As always we're here to drop the Slate of Eight for you folks and that means a guest to the podcast to help us break down the week's biggest games. This week we have Barrett Sallee the SEC Columnist from College Football News joining us to talk not just about the Slate of Eight but also shed a little light on the Cam Newton situation. We've got a nice little break down for the Slate as the Big Ten, Big XII, ACC and the SEC all work their way into the spot light.

So we give Barrett and chance to show some range and get out of the south with the Slate, check the line up out folks:

Penn State - Ohio State
Oklahoma State - Texas
Mississippi State - Alabama
Iowa - Northwestern
Kansas State - Mizzou
Georgia - Auburn
Clemson - Florida State
Sakerlina - Florida

Joe Pa got his 400th win but now the Nittany Lions take on a Buckeye team that is fighting for their BCS at-large life and hoping Wisconsin trips up to give them a shot at the Big Ten title. Texas, now firmly dead last in the Big XII South, has another game that they've won on a regular basis but this time they're just hoping to avoid a blow out. Mack Brown's boys are truly in trouble and Gundy has the Cowboys in the lead for the Big XII South, this could be the season T. Boone has been waiting for. The Tide welcomes the Bulldogs and they've got the same number of losses, Bama's been humbled.

Iowa looks to get revenge on the fluke game they lost at home to Northwestern a season ago, as Barrett and I agree upon, the difference here is no James Vandenberg full Stanzi-Power. Mizzou is coming off a loss and if either of these squads wants to keep their Big XII North title pipe dreams alive they'll need a win here and a lot of prayer that Nebraska stumbles a couple times along the way.

The Dawgs and the Tigers play on a year by year basis in the Deep South's Oldest Rivalry, a game the Dawgs have won four straight times. This year Richt could use that trend continuing while Auburn must win this game to truly seal up their SEC West title. With all the Newton allegations swirling and people jumping all over the place Barrett Sallee and I take some time to get our thoughts on this situation out to the masses. We like Auburn to win the game but the Cam Newton discussion is what this talk really boils down to folks.

After the Newton aside we get to what is no longer "The Bowden Bowl" thanks to both guys being out of work. Now Swinney vs Fisher is up for grabs as the Tigers have somehow managed to claw their way back into the ACC Atlantic race and can grab some serious ground with a win over the Noles, in Tallahassee this weekend.

Sakerlina heading down to the Swamp and their psyche is their biggest enemy here. These Gamecocks are the seniors from the 2007 team that lost five in a row to finish 6-6 after climbing to #6 in the nation and not go to a bowl game. This group is the same squad that lost 56-6 in the Swamp in 2008 and the same team that dropped four of their final five in 2009 including a 20-7 Papajohns.com Bowl to UConn. They understand the swoon. They live the swoon. It will take a legitimate effort for the gang from Columbia to overcome this mental block and the fact that the Gators are hitting their stride offensively does not make this an easy task.

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On the program this week folks we've got Taylor Zarzour on the program to talk a lot of football; almost an hour's worth of ball gets discussed as we rap back and forth. Our pal TZ has been described as "good Mobile, Alabama stock" so even though he's working out of NC now he was my go to guy to hit on this Alabama and LSU showdown that caps off the Slate. Taylor hosts the Sportsdrive show from 9 to 12 eastern every morning on 620 The Buzz in Raleigh, the show is also available on the Triad Sports Network during the same time AND Zarzour does major work over at NC Sports Talk your home for North Carolina's sportstalk.

We've got a dandy of a show folks as we get into all of the week's biggest action. A lot of ranked teams getting into action and for the first time in Slate of Eight history we have at least one BCS Top 25 team in each of the contests we're featuring. Here's this week's slate folks:

Washington - Oregon
NC State - Clemson
Baylor - Oklahoma State
Arizona - Stanford
Georgia Tech - Virginia Tech
Arkansas - Sakerlina
TCU - Utah
Alabama - LSU

Washington game got interesting Monday as Jake Locker was officially taken off the table so we go from a Huskies' long shot against Oregon to a U-Dub no shot. Clemson laying a bad egg against BC has essentially taken them out of ACC Atlantic contention but with the Wolfpack's win against Florida State, Tom O'Brien and Co. have a shot at keeping the division on their racket. Baylor and Oklahoma State are both ranked and have just 3 combined losses entering the first game of November, this is truly bizarro time in the Big Twelve South.

Arizona and Stanford are running in the Top 15 now and both have a legitimate shot at getting a BCS bid if they can stay in that vicinity. This will be quite interesting as Stanford looks to build on their success while Arizona is beginning a stretch with back-to-back-to-back-to-back tough contests. In the ACC the Hokies appear to be hitting their stride as the Yellow Jackets come to town for the patented Hokie Thursday night treatment.

In our big three contests we first take a look at the Hogs and the Gamecocks squaring off in Columbia in a game Spurrier's squad definitely needs to maintain their leg up on the rest of the SEC East. You will notice the Bobby Petrino rant as your host gets a little worked up regarding the utter lack of defense played by the Razorbacks. To counter the Petrino anger we get to talk TCU and how Dick Bumpas and Gary Patterson DO PLAY GOOD DEFENSE. Utah and TCU gets the star treatment this week as the Horned Frogs and Utes do battle on a game we should all be able to watch this Saturday! I like Utah even though I speak so glowingly of the boys from Ft. Worth.

Then we reach the culmination folks. The Bama and LSU game in Red Stick should be another in a long line of epic showdowns. Taylor Zarzour is a Bama Boy and we spend plenty of time talking about the positives and negatives of the Tide to this point. Kudos to the Bayou Bengals as we praise their roster while avoiding the whole "Les Miles is dumb" meme so many have resorted to when discussing LSU. Should be a great week, enjoy the slate folks it is a good one!

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