We are simulating the entire 2013 season using NCAA Football 14 from EA Sports. While we may bicker about the role computers play in determining a college football champion, we could not resist using this year's version of the game to see how the season might play out. Using an updated community roster from Operation Sports, […]

That's deep. (Photo courtesy: USA Today Sports) “Depth.” I imagine when Big 12 commissioner Bob Bowlsby circulated his conference-mandated talking points e-mail to the league’s coaches before this week’s media days, he put the word in boldface font. He probably underlined it a few times. I bet exclamation points were involved. One by one, as […]

Ok, this is a hockey trophy but if we aren't careful, this is what college football's trophy could look like. For years, the Bowl Championship Trophy has been presented to that year's college football national champion. The trophy has been a Waterford crystal football, mounted on a black marble base. Some of the greats have […]

Remember when we all jumped to conclusions about the running back situation at Ohio State because it was reported Carlos Hyde had assaulted a woman outside a Columbus bar? Well it turns out that was all silly perhaps. Video evidence has surfaced from the bar showing that Hyde never struck any woman, according to a […]

Nevermind the math, Nick. (Photo courtesy: USA Today Sports) It started last season when college football overlord Nick Saban lamented the impact of uptempo offenses on his beautiful game. The pace-of-play debate took on greater gravity this offseason as Old Man Football advocates like Saban and Arkansas head coach Bret Bielema began making the argument […]

For the past few weeks, we at Crystal Ball Run have written about the major college football award watch lists. I was astounded by how many players actually get onto each list. Does every player on the watch lists have an actual chance of winning the award, or are these award presenters just hedging their […]

Re-branding, it's all the rage these days in collegiate athletics. It's hard not to with all the realignment that's taken place. However, for the Big 12 it's about changing the logo and not the name of a conference that houses just ten teams.  The logo is a definite upgrade over what it used to be […]

Carlos Hyde has been cut from the Buckeyes at a most unfortunate time. Photo: USA Today Sports Nothing good happens after midnite. Perhaps nobody knows this better this morning than Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer. Ohio State was our runaway favorite in the Big Ten this upcoming season when we did our Big Ten […]