Is Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany really the most powerful man in college sports? He has one of the most impressive resumes and has catapulted the Big Ten into the envy of every other conference. The SEC may win football championships, but no conference comes even close to the financial and academic success of Delany’s […]

For the first time in Charlie Weis’ coaching career the expectations surrounding him are relatively low. He has already shown us when they were sky high at Notre Dame and Florida … well, he couldn’t deliver. But now he’s at Kansas, which went 5-19 the past two seasons. The Jayhawks are happy to have their […]

Jeff Tedford is near the top of many coaching hot seat lists entering 2013, but it’s utterly insane. Since Tedford enjoyed so much success early on in Berkeley that the expectations became too big and to unrealistic. It’s freaking Cal football, not Alabama. Tedford is only 12-13 these past two years. A little history lesson […]

So where do you play the Super Bowl of college football? Does it have to be a warm weather site? In SEC country? How important is it to have a domed stadium. Those questions and many more will be answered between now and Jan. 12, 2015, when the new playoff system starts. So where do […]

Here at Crystal Ball Run we’ve provided an early look at our preseason Top 10 for the 2012 season. And the writers here gave you an outstanding look at: 10. West Virginia 9. Ohio State 8. Arkansas 7. Florida State 6. Oklahoma 5. Georgia 4. Oregon 3. LSU 2. Alabama 1. USC But we know […]

The camaraderie and fellowship remain in full effect in the halls of the Crystal Ball Run, and the fun we have never ceases to amaze me. With our magical crystal ball lost in transit one of our fearless leaders, Aaron Torres, stepped up big. Actually, he just used FedEx and overnighted the beauty my way […]

You always hear about the coaches who need a huge season to remain employed for another year. We all know who they are. Names like Frank Spaziani, Jeff Tedford, Robb Akey and Mike Riley have been floated out there since the 2011 season ended. Oregon’s Chip Kelly is an interesting case. He would seem like […]

In all reality, not a single one of these players has a legitimate shot at winning the 2012 Heisman Trophy. But that doesn’t mean these guys don’t deserve some consideration. How tough is it for the small-school stud to win the Heisman? Consider no one has won it from a non-BCS school since BYU’s Ty […]

With guys like Mike Leach, Rich Rodriguez and Jim Mora getting back on the sidelines this fall, it’s easy to see why so many fan bases are excited to get things started again in the fall. But how do you evaluate their success since most of them are taking over programs that have hit rock […]

Rich Rodriguez has never been afraid to meddle with tradition. Just take his offense, which at one time flew in the face of conventional football wisdom. Now it’s not so crazy, but the man is always tweaking it. The changes he made at West Virginia after taking over for legendary coach Don Nehlen received a […]

About this time every year I start to contemplate what my perfect fall would look like. It involves an endless supply of cash, one of those John Madden-type buses and two or three of my closest friends. What will ensue? Well, I hope the greatest four months ever. See, we’re going to be on the […]

Going head-to-head with Ohio State is never an easy task on the football field. It’s even tougher trying to pry fans away to watch a game that doesn’t involve the Buckeyes, who have a waiting list of people just wanting the honor of paying around $750 for one season ticket. So I’m going to give […]