ITS's BlogPoll Ballot: Week 5

The last college football weekend in September was a one that left some strong impressions as to who are the dark horses in the national title race. Some big winners were LSU, Alabama, Oklahoma State, Clemson and more. Teams continue to make statements, and we're nearing the point of no return for teams that are undefeated. Some new teams enter this week, as well as previous teams that dropped out. Week 4 is over, and it's time for our BlogPoll ballot for Week 5. See you after the jump!

National CFB Games This Weekend

After a pretty exciting and surprising Week 1, Week 2 is more of a settling in type of week. Not as many headline games, but certainly some more opportunities to get things down before some of the bigger games start. These games will determine who is serious about making it all the way, and who's trying to build up to that point. So, with that let's get onto the predictions. 

Last Week: 2-1

Season Record: 2-1

#17 Mississippi State Bulldogs at Auburn Tigers, SEC Network, 12:21 PM EST

The Bulldogs started the season off with a bang, and can really impress some people if they give last year's national champions their first loss of the season. Auburn, of course, avoided what would have been an embarrassing loss to Utah State. After seeing that performance, I can say with confidence that Miss. St can win this game. 

Prediction: Miss St wins 27-16

#3 Alabama Crimson Tide at #24 Penn State Nittany Lions, ABC, 3:30 PM EST

Last year's Bama-PSU game was a nightmare for Joe Pa and his crew, but this year might tell a different story as Penn State has a team that might show some resiliency against a pretty tough Alabama team. Whoever wins will certainly be rewarded with BCS bowl aspirations, and maybe even get themselves into the national championship competition. 

Prediction: #3 Alabama Wins 17-14

ITS's Preseason Blogpoll Ballot

Happy Monday to you, and welcome to the first week of the 2011 College Football season. How awesome does that sound? As we told you yesterday, Inside The Shoe has been given the honor of being on the staff of the prestigious Blogpoll, presented by SB Nation. Look at us all grown up, using big words. The way the ITS Blogpoll Top 25 works, is that our 5 writers all send in their own personal Top 25, and I average them out into the "final" ballot that gets turned into SB Nation. So while I might have put Western Kentucky at #1, the rest of the writers might have them at #2 or #3, ultimately pulling them down to #2 or #3. We are very excited about this opportunity, and we hope you give us your thoughts on how the poll turned out, so we can adjust it in the future polls.

This is as much as our poll as it is yours. We will take all comments into consideration, and nothing gets overlooked. With that, our rankings are after the jump, so we'll see you there!

Taking A Look At The Preseason AP Top 25

It's back again 

We are back in business, and college football is about to become the #1 story each week. Every week we all will look at the rankings and check to see who is #1 in the AP poll. Where are the Buckeyes? Will we be complaining about media or coach bias? How often will we say that there is too much SEC love in the rankings? Well let’s take a look at the first set of AP rankings that have come out. 

These are preseason rankings, so they really are not based on a lot. They are based on more what could happen that what has happened. It is almost guaranteed that by the 3^rd or 4^th week of the season these current rankings will be turned on their heads and new teams will be climbing and some of the blue bloods will have fallen. 

Eddie George Elected Into The College Football Hall Of Fame

And gone

Yesterday, During the telecast of College Football Live on ESPN, The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame (NFF) announced today that Eddie George, the star running back at Ohio State from 1992-95, will be a member of the 2011 College Football Hall of Fame Class. 


Some info on Eddie George, (as if you don't know already):


"Winner of the 1995 Heisman Trophy, Ohio State's Eddie George is the latest in the storied lineage of Buckeye ball carriers to enter the College Football Hall of Fame.

George enjoyed many successes under College Football Hall of Fame coach John Cooper at Ohio State. He helped the Buckeyes to an overall 38-9-2 record, and a 24-6-2 mark in Big Ten play, where Ohio State never finished lower than second during George's tenure. He ranks among the top three in school history in rushing yards (3,768), rushing touchdowns (44), 100-yard games (20) and holds school records with five 200-yard outings and 12 consecutive 100-yard games. As a senior, George set a single-season school record with 1,927 rushing yards en route to winning the Heisman Trophy, Maxwell Award, Walter Camp Player of the Year Award, Doak Walker Award and Jim Brown Award while leading the nation in scoring, placing fourth in all-purpose yards and fifth in rushing yards per game and yards per carry. 

The Mark Cuban Situation

Ed. Note: This post was written by Brady.

Hold on, one second BCS.

After stating his desire to create a college football playoff system, Mark Cuban (current owner of the Dallas Mavericks) has started a company called Radical Football in an effort to expedite the process.  According to a story first published in the San Diego Union-Tribune, Cuban said that the company’s goal is “to impact college football so that the last two teams playing are the best two teams”.  Cuban referred to the BCS as “an inefficient business where there’s obviously a better way of doing it and added that Radical Football intends to “advance towards that goal”.

Cuban is unsure what the structure of the company will be or how many it may take to staff it although he already has one employee in Brett Morris.  “he is real engaged in this” said Morris who has experience at a national marketing agency along with holding the promotions coordinator title at Notre Dame.