Week 1 Top 25

The college football season is just days away.  Preseason practices are wrapping up.  SEC teams have almost finished announcing suspensions.  That means it's time to release the initial top 25 for this season.  Remember, this is a ranking of how I view teams today, and anybody can move up or down.  So, if you aren't pleased with where your team is ranked, just be patient.  It will change.

Week 1
1. SEC	What does it take to be presason number one?  Well, being defending National Champs is a start.  Bringing back an NFL propect QB helps, as does bringing back nearly the entire offensive and defensive lines.  Star potential at RB?  Check.  Loads of experience in the back seven on defense?  Okay, not exactly, but there is loads of talent.  Oh, and how could I forget Nick Saban still sits atop the empire.  Elephants are king of the jungle until proven otherwise.
2. USC	The bowl ban is over, and the Trojans are loaded before the scholarship losses really kick in.  If Lane Kiffin's coaching ability is as big as his mouth, the Pac-12 and the rest of the country is going to need protection this year from USC.  With Heisman favorite Matt Barkley throwing to a long tall receiving corps that knows how to get up and go after balls and now an NFL caliber RB, the Trojans should be able to score at will from any position they choose.  If the defense stiffens up, this is a championship caliber team.
3. Oregon	Oregon's offense is built on speed, and for the past 2 years, that has meant the speed of LaMichael James and Deron Thomas.  James and Thomas are gone now but are only being replaced by more speed.  Kenjon Barner becomes the feature back with his own solid highlight reel, and Marcus Mariota brings a big play threat at quarterback.  Last year, as a freshman, De'Anthony Thomas was pretty much the touchdown button.  Look for him to dominate SportsCenter as a sophomore.
4. SEC	Somebody just couldn't keep his hands out of the honey jar.  America's favorite synthetic weed smoker is no longer welcome in Lester's club (but sex offender Zach Mettenberger is).  The Tigahz lose both their best defender and their best offense from last year in Mathieu.  There is still more than enough talent in Baton Rouge to make another run at a title, but the loss of the country's top playmaker puts them slightly behind the 8-ball.
5. Oklahoma	The Stache is back and may be a top Heisman candidate.  The problem?  All of his receivers are gone (Okay, one of them is back).  When Ryan Broyles went down last year, OU had no answer and limped to the finish line.  They've had an offseason to adjust and get a full stable of RBs back, but losses are mounting on the offensive line.  The defense gave up points sooner than later last year and looks to rebound with Mike Stoops returning from Arizona.  The talent is and has always been there for OU to make a title run.  Let's see what Big Game Bob does with it this year.
6. SEC	Do I really think the Gamecocks are this close to being a national title team?  No.  But do I think the next few teams teams are any closer?  No.  More than anything, this is a vote of confidence in Connor Shaw and a healthy Marcus Lattimore.  Stephen Garcia couldn't stop partying off the field last year, and coincidentally, the party on the field started after his dismissal.  Shaw showed that "it" factor down the stretch last year.  The defense took some big losses, including coordinator, Ellis Johnson.  Those losses also include freshman All-American JaDeveon Clowney, who is being replaced by sophomore normal All-American candidate JaDeveon Clowney.
7. West Virginia	Breaking News: Tavon Austin just scored another touchdown against Clemson.  The Mountaineers no longer have to fight the Big East stigma, and the WVU offense may be the best in the nation.  They have more offensive weapons than you can thank in an Oscar speech (or list here).  The key is defense.  If the defense is just good (not even great), WVU could be playing for the national title.  For the record, "good" would be a big step up from last year."
8. SEC	{Insert arrest joke here}.  Okay, now that that's out of the way, let's talk about football.  The dogs have an unhealthy amount of talent returning on defense as well as one of the most promising QBs in the country.  There are far more positives about this team than negatives.  The negatives, though, could be catastrophic.  Aaron Murray is possibly the best QB in the country when the pressure is off, but the dropoff is startling when it's on.  And the pressure is likely to be on more often this year, as the dogs will rely on an inexperienced o-line and a near worst case scenario at RB.  Murray is going into his 3rd year as a starter, though, so he is expected to continue to improve.  Once the secondary returns from suspension, the defense should be as good as anybody, making St. Mark's team a solid top ten team.
9. Florida State	E.J. Manuel is a budding star…again.  The Noles have possibly the most talented defense in the nation…again.  We've been down this road before, and this year is D-Day for Jimbo Fisher.  All the pieces are in place and are experienced.  Free Shoes U started 5 freshmen on the o-line against Notre Dame in whatever they call that bowl game now.  That means, they all come back with great potential.  But...that's all FSU has been for years now: potential.  This team has the potential to run the table and the potential to lose 3-4 games.
10. Wisconsin	Last year, Russell Wilson transferred to Madison from the ACC, boosting the Badgers to national title aspirations.  Wilson is gone, but now Danny O'Brien comes in from Maryland (also an ACC school for those who forgot).  Both O'Brien and Wilson were ACC freshman of the year.  O'Brien was an All-ACC candidate until the Randy Edsall disaster occurred, so (like Wilson) O'Brien took his diploma early and left for Wisconsin.  Oh, and the Badgers also return Heisman finalist Montee Ball and possibly the best backup RB in the country in James White.  Offense has become consistently strong under Brett Bielema, but the defense has been slipping.  If Wisconsin is to move up in the world, the defense has to catch up to the game.
11. Michigan	Was Brady Hoke's first year in Ann Arbor a fluke?  Maybe.  Denard Robinson, however, is not.  It doesn't matter if you put Robinson in Rich Rodriguez's spread or Al Borges's pro set.  He is one of the top 2-3 playmakers in college football.  The Wolverine defense has to continue its marked improvement from last season, especially with Alabama on the schedule to open the season.  We will find out quickly if Michigan is ready to rejoin the elite and if Denard Robinson will be making a serious run at the Heisman.
12. Michigan State	Losing Kirk Cousins at QB is a huge loss for Michigan State.  His leadership brought the Spartans to the verge of a B1G title each of the last two seasons.  What Michigan State does bring back is a stud RB in LeVeon Bell, a solid offensive line, and one of the best defenses in the country.  William Gohlston may be the best defensive lineman in all of college football.
13. Nebraska	At one point, I had Nebraska as high as 7th.  Then I remembered what a headcase Taylor Martinez is and how disappointing the Husker defense has been the last couple years.  That said, Nebraska does have a lot of talent coming back.  There's a reason the defense has been disappointing: they have talent and a highly touted defensive coach in Bo Pelini.  That leaves reason for optimism.  Taylor Martinez has also shown flashes of brilliance that has even brought him into Heisman discussions.  Maybe this is the year he grows up.  Nebraska could go way up or way down from here this season.
14. Oklahoma State	Now we find out if Mike Gundy has truly built a top program in Stillwater or if the last few years were just a flash in the pan.  It's probably safe to say the Cowboys will still score a lot of points even without Brandon Weeden and Justin Blackmon, but a return to the top ten and even national title contention is unlikely.  More than likely, OSU will return to having to win shootouts and 7-8 win seasons.
15. SEC	The Hogs' journey back to the top of the college football world has run off the road.  In a motorcycle wreck of an offseason, Bobby Petrino didn't have as much success trying to sneak out of town in the middle of the night this time.  Now, the Hogs are left with John L. Smith running the show.  The same John L. Smith that preceeded Petrino at Louisville before tanking at Michigan State.  The good news is that Tyler Wilson returns along with a healthy Knile Davis.  There is enough talent in place to still have a good year, but nobody believes Smith is the long term answer.
16. Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University	Logan Thomas better reach the star potential Turkey fans have envisioned, because the cupboard is empty on offense.  Gone are the program's all-time leading receivers, David Wilson, and basically the entire offensive line.  That's the bad news.  The good news is that almost the entire defense returns, including playmakers like Bruce Taylor and Kyle Fuller.  While the defense may be good enough for another 10 win season and ACC title, that national championship trophy case will continue to sit empty.
17. TCU	TCU became a model for consistency in the Mountain West and never lost a game as a Big East member.  Now, they join the Big 12 to allow to get the conference back up to 10 teams.  The Horned Frogs are still talented and should be greatly improved on defense, but the question is if they are ready to hold up for a full season in a BCS conference.  If Casey Pachall can mature, they have a chance.
18. Texas	Mack Brown is still looking for a replacement for Colt McCoy, and it's looking like David Ashe is currently the frontruner over baby McCoy.  The Texas defense began to return to form last season and should get even better this year.  A return to the running game should ease the pressure on whoever takes over at QB, but until someone proves himself there, the Longhorns won't be all the way back.
19. Clemson	As noted above, West Virginia is still scoring on the Clemson defense.  The Tigers hired Brett Venables from Oklahoma to take over at DC.  Of course, the OU defense was nothing special last year either.  The key, of course, is the offense, which faltered down the stretch.  With a year of experience, Tahj Boyd should be ready to perform for the full season, and Andre Ellington may lead the conference in rushing.  Then there's that Sammy Watkins guy, who, when not failing drug tests, is the best receiver in the nation.
20. Stanford	Stanford has been one of the strongest rushing teams in the nation for the past several years, and Stepfan Taylor returns to lead that attack again.  The Dancing Trees have recruited well, allowing them to build a strong and deep if not flashy roster.  It is yet to be seen how much of an impact losing Andrew Luck will have.  It should be safe to say they won't be returning to the top five this year, and they could fall even further than this.
21. Collin Klein	Collin Klein picks up RG3's torch as the best one man show this year.
22. Notre Dame	This feels very wrong, but the truth is Notre Dame is returning a lot of talent that could finally bring them back into the national picture.  The Irish have playmakers at almost every position except QB.  Mantei T'eo is a future NFL star and leads what should be a very solid (if not better) defense.  Cierre Wood is a solid runningback and will be needed while they navigate the less than stellar QB situation.
23. Utah	Utah ended the year on a hot streak and bring back the potential #1 overall draft pick in DT Star Loutulelei.  How good is Loutulelei?  Just watch the 4th quarter of the Sun Bowl.  The offense will need to develop more consistency, and the return of QB Jordan Wynn from injury should help that.  Even with a mediocre offense, Utah has a chance in the mediocre Pac-12 South (except for USC).
24. Washington	Speaking of mediocre offense and strong defense, that is not the case with Washington (Exhibit A: 2011 Alamo Bowl).  Keith Price comes back in his second year as starter to lead the Huskies' high scoring offense.  With a number of players returning on defense, there is hope it will get better.  But only hope.  Regardless, UW has come a long way in 3 years under Steve Sarkisian.
25. Boise State	Kellen Moore leaves as the all time winningest college QB.  While that is obviously a huge loss, the offense should still be fine (maybe not as good, but fine), especially with D.J. Harper finally getting his chance to star at RB.  What is really alarming is that the Broncos only return one starter on defense.  One.  And that was a pretty good defense last year, just ask Aaron Murray.  Boise is not in anybody's darkhorse national title discussion this year, but as long as Chris Peterson is in town, Boise will stay at the top of the Mountain West.

Conference Predictions

The initial top 25 will be up in the next few days.  In the mean time, here is a shot at predicting how the BCS conference races will play out.  I can pretty much guarantee one pick on here will make me look like a genius and one will make me look like a soccer fan.

ACC

Atlantic:

1.       Florida State

2.       NC State

3.       Clemson

4.       Wake Forest

5.       Boston College

6.       Maryland

Coastal:

1.       Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University

2.       Georgia Tech

3.       North Carolina

4.       Virginia

5.       Miami

6.      Duke

Big 12

1.       West Virginia

2.       Oklahoma

3.       Texas

4.       TCU

5.       Kansas State

6.       Oklahoma State

7.       Iowa State

8.       Baylor

9.       Texas Tech

10.   Kansas

11.   Team to be named later

12.   Team to be named later

Big East

Let’s be honest, the Big East will just end up in an 8-way tie for third.

B1G

Leaders:

1.       Wisconsin

2.       Ohio State

3.       Purdue

4.       Illinois

5.       Penn State

6.       Indiana

Legends:

1.       Michigan State

2.       Michigan

3.       Nebraska

4.       Northwestern

5.       Iowa

6.       Minnesota

Pac-12

North:

1.       Oregon

2.       Stanford

3.       Washington

4.       Washington State

5.       Cal

6.       Oregon State

South:

1.       USC

2.       Utah

3.       Arizona

4.       Arizona State

5.       UCLA

6.       Colorado

S-E-C…S-E-C…S-E-C…S-E-C

West:

1.       SEC Bear Preservation Society

2.       SEC Corn Dog Stand

3.       SEC Harley Davidson Dealership

4.       SEC Fatigues Boutique

5.       SEC Free Cash Exchange

6.       SEC Cowbell Factory

7.       Harvard of the South

East:

1.       SEC DMV

2.       SEC Chicken Coup

3.       SEC Midwest Satellite Campus

4.       Go Gayta

5.       SEC Wine and Cheese Party

6.       SEC Highway Cleanup Crew

7.       John Calipari

...and we're back...

It’s almost that time of year again, which means we are back here at the QB Duck.  I say “we” as if I’m not the only person writing on here.  A lot has happened since we left off in January.  Missouri and Texas A&M have seen record setting 40 times in camp with a new influx of SEC Speed.  West Virginia and TCU bailed on the Big East to join the Big 12 (which still has 10 teams).  Michael Dyer has been kicked off of two different teams this offseason, which is just as many as Isaiah Crowell and Tyrann Mathieu have combined (he’s an overachiever).    

In a piece of bittersweet news, Bob Davie has left the broadcast booth to rejoin the coaching ranks at New Mexico.  The Lobos have won a total of three games in the past three years, and the sad state of their offensive line should give new meaning to the quarterback duck play. Speaking of sad states, the grease fire at Maryland is burning even higher now that their only hope, QB C.J. Brown, is out for the season.  Looks like crab cakes are now the only thing Maryland does. 

The big theme this year outside of failed drug tests and guns is the NCAA disciplinary committee.  UNC (academic integrity) and Ohio State (entrepreneurialism) will not be playing in bowl games this year, and, by the way, neither will Penn State (well, you know).  This makes them ineligible to receive votes in this poll this season.  Speaking of which, USC is back after a two year bowl ban just in time for them to be loaded in Matt Barkley’s senior season.  Just for the record, I would not vote USC number one.  As per my rules, teams who finished last season with a losing record are also ineligible for the preseason poll, so Colorado and Duke will have to wait at least a week to enter the top 25.

There are a number of big names joining Bob Davie in making a return to the college head coaching ranks.  Terry Bowden (Akron), Urban Meyer (*), and Mike Leach (Washington State) come back from their broadcasting gigs.  Charlie Weis gets a promotion (or demotion) to head coach at Kansas after spending a year calling plays in Gainesville.  Jayhawk fans hope Weis can return to the glory days of Mark Mangino, because Turner Gill clearly wasn’t fat enough to win in Lawrence.

As a refresher of my philosophy on rankings, teams will not be ranked based on a projection of where they will finish.  They will be ranked based on how good I think they are at that point in time.  People in the media often rank teams highly in the preseason because “they could go undefeated with their easy schedule.”  This logic makes no sense for a couple reasons: (1) Perceived future schedule strength has nothing to do with how good a team is; and (2) if an easier schedule is seen as a reason to knock a team at the end of the season (see Oklahoma State vs. Alabama 2011) why would it be cause to rank a team higher at the beginning of the season?  Of course, we will soon have a playoff system to counter this effect, and that’s all I have to say about that.

Now that I have hit all the important topics- conference realignment, SEC Speed, Bob Davie, Maryland crab cakes, drug use, NCAA violations, Duke football, Bob Davie, America’s obesity problem, BCS controversy, and playoffs (!?!?)- I think we are ready to start the season. 

Oops, I almost forgot to mention Tim Tebow.

2011 Season Wrap-Up

This will be the final post of the 2011 season.  It's been a fun season and, as always, went by too quickly.  I will give myself credit for being early to the RG3 bandwagon as well as admit to the hurrendous mistake of ever thinking Maryland was a top 25 team this year.  Before we go into the final rankings, here is a list of ten teams (in no particular order) I see as having a shot to make serious noise next season (assuming expected NFL defections):

Alabama
LSU
USC
Michigan
Oklahoma
TCU
West Virginia
South Carolina
Oregon
Georgia

Final
1. SEC	In the aggregate, Nick Saban beat Less Miles 27-9.  That's good enough for what could have been a controversial #1 ranking.  Of course, the SEC is all one team, so does it really matter who actually won?
2. SEC	Leslie Miles saved up a season's worth of bonehead decisions an unloaded all in one night in the BCS title game.  Given their abysmal 92 yards of total offense, it was tempting to drop them below number two, but then again, they do have SEC speed.
3. Oklahoma State	Oklahoma State avoided a letdown after being left out of the title game.  They responded with one of the most entertaining games of the year against Stanford and finished like men.
4. Oregon	When the Rose Bowl was first played in 1902, you could see a player's face because they didn't wear helmets.  When the Rose Bowl was last played in 2012, you could see a player's face in the reflection off of an Oregon helmet.
5. SEC	The Hogs pretty well dominated Kansas State in the Jerry Bowl.  This team achieved more than I thought they would this year, but, with the exception of LSU and Bama, the schedule wasn't exactly a gauntlet.
6. Stanford	Andrew Luck went out with a bang, even though his team lost.  With his departure, Stanford will likely soon go back to being Stanford.  Unfortunately for David Shaw, he is going to have to take the heat for that.
7. Michigan State	Kirk Cousins just wins.
8. Wisconsin	Wisconsin has lost two consecutive Rose Bowls on the final possession.  Brett Bielema wins the 2011 Less Miles Award for clock management.
9. Boise State	Kellen Moore finished his college career with a total of 50 wins.  At greater than 12 wins per year, that record will probably be around for a while.  It's hard, though, to praise Boise much for beating up on an Arizona State team that quit after losing to Oregon.
10. SEC	Steve Spurrier may have finally found his answer in Connor Shaw.  If he had gone to Shaw sooner, the Gamecocks could have done something significan this year.  Instead, they will have to rely on high hopes for 2012.
11. Michigan	It may be a first year fluke, but it looks like Brady Hoke has Michigan back on track to being a top ten program.  Dennard Robinson still has to develop into a more consistent quarterback for them to reach that potential next year.
12. Robert Griffin III	Tim Tebow wears RG3 socks.
13. Kansas State	The magic ran out against Arkansas in the Jerry Bowl.  Next year will be very interesting to see if Kansas State really is back as a program or if 2011 was a fluke.
14. SEC	After a year of exceeding expectations, the old Mark Richt returned in overtime in Tampa.  Taking a knee to kick on second down works…if you are at the goaline.  It is not advised when you are setting up a 42 yard field goal.
15. Oklahoma	Landry Jones and Oklahoma will be under a lot of pressure next year after their late collapse this season.  No matter how talented they are, it's hard to consider them a real national title threat as long as Big Game Bob keeps showing up on the sideline.
16. TCU	If TCU's defense comes back next year, they could make some real noise as a member of the Big ?.  Casey Pachall rebounded from a shaky start to have a great season at QB.
17. West Virginia	Speaking of new members of the Big ?...I think Tavon Austin just scored again.
18. Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University	Beamer Ball won the Sugar Bowl…for Michigan.
19. Houston	Houston's dismantling of Penn State in the Cotton Bowl has to feel a little hollow after blowing their undefeated season in the C-USA title game and then beating up on a team that clearly did not want to be in a bowl.
20. Southern Miss	Southern Miss quietly had a very good year, despite two inexplicable losses to Marshall and UAB.  Their beat down of Houston had to have them asking "What if?"
21. Florida State	FSU can't seem to figure out who they are.  In the same game, they are both a great offense and a great defense, but never at the same time.  The horses are there, but Jimbo Fisher hasn't figured out yet how to put it together, and there's no real reason to think he will in 2012.
22. Nebraska	Taylor Martinez is the FSU of individual players.  He is the only player I've ever seen who can be spectacular and terrible both at the same time.  This was a disapointing year for the Huskers, and Bo may be feeling heat if they don't improve next year.
23. Baylor	No, this is not a typo.
24. BYU	After a terrible start, BYU won 9 of their final 10 games, with the only loss coming in a competitive game against TCU.  Granted, they didn't play anyone with a pulse, but that's always a good way to finish.
25. Northern Illinois	NIU finished on a 9 game winning streak, and Chandler Harnish finished with over 3,000 yards passing and over 1,300 yards rushing.  That is better than sucking.  Clemson would probably beat NIU if they played, but, then again, NIU didn't give up 70 points in their bowl game.

2011 Duckie Awards

The Duckie Award:

The Duckie Award goes to the nation’s best player this season regardless of team or position. 

Nominees:

Andrew Luck

Robert Griffin III
Montee Ball
Tyrann Mathieu
Trent Richardson

Winner: Robert Griffin III

Griffin has been nothing short of spectacular this year and has put Baylor on the college football map.  After four games this season, RG3 had more touchdown passes than incompletions.  Griffin would be the Heisman frontrunner if his team had a defense.

Lou Brown Award:

The Lou Brown Award goes to the national coach of the year based on both pure achievement and exceeding expectations.

Nominees:

Kevin Sumlin

Les Miles
Bill Schneider

Winner: Les Miles

In a way, Miles has delivered a disappointing season by not committing any serious blunders in playcalling or clock management.  The Hatter deserves a lot of credit, despite the overwhelming amount of talent on his team, for keeping the team together in the face of multiple suspensions and off-field distractions over the course of the season. 

Barney Stinson Award:

This award goes to the best game of the regular season.  Importance of the game on a national scale is a factor, so no Tuesday night MAC shootouts are eligible.

Nominees:

Wisconsin vs. Michigan State (regular season)

LSU vs. Alabama
Wisconsin vs. Michigan State (conference championship)

Winner: Wisconsin vs. Michigan State (regular season)

This game featured everything: National Championship implications; Scoring outbursts; A late comeback; And, of course, a controversial Hail Mary touchdown when the clock hit zero.  This game effectively knocked Wisconsin out of the National Championship race, and the two teams did not disappoint when they met again in the conference title game.  In fact, the dramatic ending is the only reason this one wins out over the rematch.

The Devo One Hit Wonder Award:

The Devo Award goes to the most impressive single game performance by a player, though that player may not actually be a one hit wonder.

Nominees:

Robert Griffin III- 21-27, 359 Yards, 5 TDs vs. TCU

Patrick Edwards- 7 Rec., 318 Yards, 5 TDs vs. Rice
Case Keenum- 24-37, 534 Yards, 9 TDs vs. Rice

 Winner: Patrick Edwards

The only thing more impressive than Keenum’s nine touchdowns against Rice was his teammate Edwards’s five touchdowns against Rice.  Edwards scored those five touchdowns on just seven receptions, gaining 318 yards.  That’s 45 yards per catch.

Chet Steadman Award:

The Chet Steadman Award goes to the rookie of the year, or top freshman in America.

Nominees:

Sammy Watkins

Jadeveon Clowney
De’Anthony Thomas

Winner: De’Anthony Thomas

Everybody else will give this to Sammy Watkins, who had an unbelievable freshman year.  Thomas, however, made a bigger impact on a national scale.  With injuries to QB Darron Thomas and LaMichael James, Thomas was the player who seemed to step up and make the game changing plays in the biggest games of the year, while Watkins disappeared late in the year.

Charlie Sheen Award for Winning:

This award goes to the player, team, coach, conference, fan base, etc. that thoroughly embarrassed itself or wasted the most potential over the course of the season.

Nominees:

Stephen Garcia

Bill Stewart
Pac-12 South

Winner: Stephen Garcia

This one was a no-brainer and needs no real explanation.

Desperate Housewives “You’re still on TV?” Award:

The Desperate Housewives Award goes to the player who has seemingly been playing way longer than his eligibility should have allowed.  Just like I was shocked to learn that Desperate Housewives is still on TV, these players should all have been long gone before this season.

Nominees:

Rodgers, Oregon State

Jared Crick, Nebraska
Keith Nichol, Michigan State

Winner: Keith Nichol

How long has Keith Nichol been around?  He competed with Sam Bradford for the starting quarterback job at Oklahoma when they were freshmen.  Obviously, Nichol has since transferred to Michigan State, sat out a year, started at quarterback for the Spartans, and eventually moved to receiver, where he made one of the most memorable plays in Spartan history.

The Tranny Award:

The Tranny Award goes to the player who made the biggest impact as a transfer this season.

Nominees:

Russell Wilson

Jarvis Jones
Arthur Brown

Winner: Russell Wilson

Tom O’Brien chased off one of the best quarterbacks in the country, and Wisconsin reaped the benefits.  There’s not a lot of detail needed here, as it is easy to see the impact Russell Wilson had on the Badgers this year.

The Tony Award:

The Tony Award goes to the best play of the season, be it a spectacular individual effort or a game or season changing play.

Nominees:

Michigan State Hail Mary to beat Wisconsin

Andrew Luck one handed catch
Eric Reid goal line interception against Alabama

Winner: Michigan State

Eric Reid may have saved the SEC title for LSU with his interception against Alabama, but nothing tops the drama of Kirk Cousins’s Hail Mary to Keith Nichol to beat then undefeated Wisconsin. 

Charlie Steiner “Follow me to freedom!” Award

The Charlie Steiner “Follow me to freedom!” Award goes to the player who picked up the lantern, put his tie around his head, and carried his team on his back over the course of the season.  This is the most prestigious of all the Duckie Awards.

Winner: Collin Klein

Regular Season Wrap-Up

I'm going to keep it to just a top ten this week, because, frankly, continuing to 25 would be a waste of time with so few teams playing.  Keep in mind that I am releasing this before BCS rankings and bowl games are announced.  The next rankings will not be released until after the bowl games have been played, but I will be updating with post-season awards and probably some bowl analysis between now and then.  The first annual Duckie Awards should be posted some time this week.

Final Regular Season
1. SEC	The Tigers are the only undefeated team and have done so in dominating fashion.  They should be the a heavy favorite in the national title game, no matter who they play.
2. SEC	Here's where it gets tricky.  The Tide's only loss is by 3 points in overtime to the number 1 team, and they haven't done anything to warrant dropping from the number 2 position.  So, I am leaving them at number 2 to finish the regular season.  More on this below...
3. Oklahoma State	Despite ranking Oklahoma State 3rd, I believe they should play LSU for the national championship.  Similar to Bama, their only loss is in overtime, albeit to a much worse team.  That game, however, obviously had outside influences that had to negatively affect the Cowboys.  In an argument against a rematch, Bama and LSU have gone in different directions since their matchup.  Bama and A.J. McCarron have regressed, while LSU has gotten better.  With OSU's huge win over Oklahoma, they have earned a shot at LSU, as Bama has already had their's and has done nothing since then to prove the outcome would be any better for them.
4. Stanford	Stanford has a great team, but their loss to Oregon puts them out of the national title race.  Andrew Luck is great, but the Cardinal simply don't have the speed at the skill positions or on defense to compete for a national champhionship.
5. Wisconsin	Wisconsin and Michigan State proved their epic mid-season game was no fluke.  In fact, they may have played the two top games of the year.  Anybody who missed the Big 12 title game last night because they were watching Oklahoma State or Clemson has their priorities screwed up.  You would have thought they were playing for a trip to the national championship.  And, if it weren't for two hail mary passes, Wisconsin would be in the championshp game.  It's unfortunate that game had to end on a running into the kicker penalty (the correct call), and Michigan State didn't give themselves the chance to win the game.
6. Michigan State
7. Oregon	Oregon will face Wisconsin in the Rose Bowl in what should be a very interesting game.  The Ducks have lost two straight BCS games.  This should be an extremely high scoring game and a great way to start the new year.  I'm going to refrain from talking about the Pac-12 title game, because, honestly, I didn't care enough to watch it.
8. SEC	Here lies the third best team in the SEC, and, as was further confirmed in the Georgia Dome, it's not even close.  A matchup between Arkansas and either Baylor or Oklahoma in the Jerry Bowl should be fun to watch, though.
9. Boise State	Here is another "if only" team.  For the second year in a row, Boise lost there chance at a title because of a missed field goal.  Now, they will be lucky to end up in a BCS bowl or get stuck in another meaningless bowl game.  Boise's run of dominance may be over, because moving to the Big East certainly isn't going to help any perceptions.
10. Kansas State	Colin Klein led Kansas State to one more close win to finish up the regular season in the top ten.  Klein is probably the most underappreciated player in America and deserves a trip to New York for the Heisman ceremony.