Your College Football Weekend Primer: Week 7

Jim Harbaugh may be the king of the sideline tirade, but the man knows how to build a defense.

By Joe Parello (@HerewegoJoe)

Here at SuiteSports, we've really been lacking on the college football coverage, instead choosing to focus on the NFL and, of course, Massachusetts high school football.

But that (sorta) ends today with our first NCAA football weekend primer of the year, and what a week to start.

A pair of huge matchups loom in the SEC, playoff contenders are emerging across the country, and several teams will play what amounts to CFP elimination games this weekend. Let's not waste any more time and get to all of the action.

College Football Playoff Elimination Games

18. UCLA at 15. Stanford- Thursday at 10:30 pm

We don't have to wait long, as tonight's late game between these California rivals presents not only a massive midseason game in the Pac 12, but also a knockout game for the College Football Playoff.

NCAA Football Week 11 Primer (With Picks)

LSU's Les Miles has his young team playing excellent football right now, but Nick Saban and Alabama come to Baton Rouge this week for what could be a College Football Playoff elimination game.

By Andy Dougherty (@AndyDougherty10) with a cameo by Joe Parello (@HerewegoJoe)

Ed. Note- This week we are adding a "picks against the spread" feature to our college football preview. New correspondent Andy Dougherty will still handle the previews, but will now pick games against editor Joe Parello. We'll see how they do.

The slate of games in Week 11 of the college football season offers a number of savory matchups. Six games contested between top-20 teams will carry significant playoff implications. But before previewing those matchups, here is a snapshot of last week’s most notable events.

Week 10 Recap

Week 10 of the college football season had no shortage of excitement. No. 11 Georgia, No. 12 Arizona, and No. 23 East Carolina all suffered upset losses.

No. 20 West Virginia almost pulled off an upset over No. 7 TCU, but the Mountaineers fell by a point in the end. No. 25 Louisville had No. 2 Florida State on the ropes before the Seminoles stormed back from 21 points down to claim an 11-point victory. No. 17 Utah suffered a heartbreak overtime loss to No. 14 Arizona State.

But the biggest story of the week unfolded in Oxford, Mississippi. Late in the fourth quarter, Ole Miss receiver Laquon Treadwell burst through a hole in the Auburn defense and appeared to score the go-ahead touchdown. Unfortunately, an awkward tackle at the goal line left Treadwell with a broken leg and dislocated ankle, ending his season. Adding insult to injury, officials determined upon review that Treadwell let go of the ball prior to crossing the plane, and Auburn recovered the ball in the end zone for a touchback.

Long and Suite Preview: The SEC

Thanks to great recruiting by coach Hugh Freeze, Ole Miss suddenly boasts stars like receiver Laquon Treadwell. Can the Rebels contend in the loaded SEC West?

By Joe Parello (@HerewegoJoe)

There are rumblings that the era of the SEC may be ending, but I wouldn't bet against the conference that has dominated college football for the past decade plus quite yet.

The SEC West still boasts four teams that can play with anybody in the country, and the top of the East looks to be as talented as ever, though there are some definite wild cards.

With the two Alabama powers and South Carolina chasing a national title, and the potential emergence of, gulp, Ole Miss, the SEC should have an exciting, if not traditionally dominant season. Replacing a boat load of quarterback talent will be the top priority conference wide, but the defense, and most importantly, speed are still there for some good ole fashioned SEC footbaw!

Hangovers and Football: Your New Year's Day Bowl Watching Guide

UCF comes in as a decided underdog, but star QB Blake Bortles will try to give the program its first BCS bowl win.

By Joe Parello  @HerewegoJoe

New Year's Day and I have an odd relationship.

In my younger days, I would spend the morning fighting the urge to sleep until the following year, and eventually end up gorging on a greasy breakfast at Denny's.

I don't think anyone can argue that was the best way to spend New Year's morning, but football and a comfy couch are most certainly the best way to spend the rest of your day.

Well, if you like Big Ten football that is, because these days that's what you're getting New Year's Day. Thanks to some fancy negotiating by Big Ten commissioner Jim Delaney, the conference has gone from three long-time bowl tie-ins (The Rose, Capital One and Outback) to five the last two years, adding the Gator Bowl and relatively new Heart of Dallas Bowl.

Last year, we had to watch Purdue lose by a bajillion in the Dallas Bowl, so thankfully the Big Ten didn't have enough bowl eligible teams to fill that slot (Since it sent two teams to the BCS). Un-thankfully (Not a word), their spot and the Big 12's spot in that game went to somewhat crappy mid-majors.

Oh hell, who cares, it's New Year's Day. Here's what to watch during the games.

NCAA Weekend Primer: Can a Simple Secretary of State Grasp Football?

After holding the menial position of Secretary of State, can Condoleezza Rice handle the complexities of watching football?

 By Joe Parello  @HerewegoJoe

In case you hadn't heard, ESPN college football analyst and former Georgia Bulldog David Pollack began a statement on College Gamdeday Saturday with "now I'm gonna stick my foot in my mouth, probably."

Yeah, when you start a sentence like that, the next thing out of your mouth should probably be, "you know what, never mind."

Pollack was beginning to voice his displeasure with former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice being appointed to the College Football Playoff Committee, and getting a vote to determine which four teams will play for a national championship each year.

He continued to say that he wanted members of the committee to have played football, be able to break down game tape and know more about the teams than just what's on paper. Host Chris Fowler, sensing what Pollack was trying to say, asked him bluntly, "so, no woman belongs on the committee?"

Pollack's response: "You said that."

Your College Football Kickoff Primer

Jadeveon Clowney (leaping) and Aaron Murray (holding ball nervously) will each represent the SEC against stiff non-conference competition this weekend.

By Joe Parello  @HerewegoJoe

You know, people love to hate on ESPN.

Fans and bloggers just love to beat up on the worldwide leader for its programming (TIM TEBOW HOUR) and its ability to control the sports landscape by acquiring the television rights to pretty much everything.

Well, ESPN is proving to be a benevolent dictator for college football (At least for fans watching at home), as the network is delivering one heck of an opening weekend. While there are certainly a lot of things wrong with college football, ESPN setting up marquee matchups to kick the season off isn't one of them. The network's pairing of Alabama and Virginia Tech in the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Classic is just one example of an ESPN ratings move that is beneficial to everyone involved.

Oh, and that night's late game between LSU and TCU in Dallas… Also an ESPN creation.

Anyways, here is what else you should be watching for on college football's opening weekend which, like every good college weekend, begins Thursday night.

Long and Suite Preview: The SEC

A Vanderbilt player is the pic on our SEC preview??? Believe the hype with Jordan Matthews.

By Joe Parello  @HerewegoJoe

The SEC has long been one of college football's best conferences, but the BCS era will forever be remembered as the time it became THE dominant conference.

Behind a mini-Florida dynasty and a full-blown Alabama dynasty, the SEC has won the last seven BCS National Championships, and nine out of the 15 BCS titles all time (That doesn't even count how the 2005 Auburn Tigers went undefeated and weren't given a chance to play for a title).

With the end of the BCS upon us, there are plenty of SEC teams with a chance to bring the conference its 10th BCS crown. But, with Nick Saban returning a ton of talent at Alabama, we could see the first back-to-back-to-back national champions in the poll era.

9-Game Conference Schedules: Potentially the Best (Or Worst) Thing for College Football

Could 9-game conference schedules lead to more games like LSU vs Oregon?

By Joe Parello  @HerewegoJoe

As I continue my long journey through sports purgatory into football season, news came down today that the Big Ten officially plans to switch to a 9-game football schedule, beginning in 2016.

As a fan of one of the Big Ten's lesser programs, Purdue, my first thought was "well, here come a bunch of 4 or 5 win seasons for us."

After all, programs like Purdue, Minnesota, Iowa State, Virginia, Vanderbilt and Washington State pretty much need to schedule themselves three or four wins every year to have a shot at a decent bowl game. It's gotten so bad at Purdue, that I pretty much consider Central Michigan and Northern Illinois to be our rivals. Damn you Chippewas!

But for the betterment of college football, this development could be a necessary step toward getting the whole national playoff thing right. Or, conversely, it could lead to another SEC circle jerk. Really, it depends on how teams and the eventual playoff committee value challenging non-conference schedules.

The 100 Best Coaching Jobs in Football: 11-25

Jim Harbaugh has won big at two of our Top-25 jobs.

By Joe Parello

The jobs become truly elite today.

Every college program on the list today can win a national title with the right coach, and each of the pro franchises listed here have storied histories and excellent management.

If you haven't read Part 1, Part 2, Part 3 or Part 4, here is a refresher on our terms.

The "best" coaching jobs are ranked by:

1. General Prestige- The guy who coaches this team is a big deal.

2. Chances of Being Successful- In college this amounts to how well a coach can expect to recruit and level of competition. In the pros, it is determined by the competency of the ownership group and front office. Pro teams are generally lower in this category because a. the NFL is a league of parity (sorta) and b. you have to rely on other people to pick your players (most of the time). Not to mention, there is a draft.

3. Length of Leash- Can one bad season get you canned at this job? Or, is the administration/ownership group understanding of the team building process? A job where you can actually work through that process is obviously more desirable.

Two factors not used in coming up with these rankings were a team's current roster and compensation. Personnel and pay-wise, this is an "all things being equal" kind of thing. Think of it as the best places to build a team from scratch.

The rankings take college conference realignment into consideration, and include 111 possible teams from the NFL, ACC, Big East (though it will not be a BCS conference much longer), Big Ten, Big 12, Pac 12, SEC and Div. I independents.

So, without further ado, here are the jobs that just missed the Top-10.

25. Auburn: SEC

With fertile recruiting ground, a winning history, and an administration that will give you all you need to win, only two factors keep Auburn from being a super-elite job.

1. They share a state with Alabama and 2. The administration doesn't tolerate losing. This is the same group that fired Gene Chizik just two years after he won the program's second national championship.

24. New York Jets: NFL

The New York media is both a blessing and a burden at this job, but it really depends on how good of a coach you are. A smart coach can win in New York with a decent front office and ownership group that is not afraid to spend big money. Win big here, and you're a coaching legend.

23. Texas A&M: SEC

This has always been a great job, but it became even more attractive when the Aggies made the move to the SEC. With great in-state talent and SEC affiliation to sell it to, the only reason this job isn't higher is because Texas still grabs most of the state's Blue Chips.

22. Nebraska: Big Ten

The Huskers get billing ahead of the Aggies due to a championship history and ability to recruit more nationally. Not to mention the fact that the Big Ten will be less competitive with the Penn St. sanctions kicking in, making Nebraska is a hair more appealing than A&M right now.

21. University of Miami: ACC

The prestige and swagger of "The U" has dissipated in recent years, but the Hurricanes are the definition of a sleeping giant. No college in the country will find more recruits within an hour's drive of campus, and the football program is a unique, urban brand all its own. Still, the lack of an on-campus stadium makes it hard for the student body to get behind the team (Sun Life Stadium, where the Cane play their home games, is a 30-minute drive), and every big-time program in the country poaches recruits out of UM's back yard. Oh, and those two other in-state schools are pretty darn good too.


Still, when "The U" get's going, no program in the country is more fun to watch... And easier to hate.

20. Chicago Bears: NFL

One of the oldest and most storied franchises in the NFL, coaching the Bears comes with a great deal of prestige. Still, the front office has struggled to build offenses in recent years, and the franchise did just fire Lovie Smith-the man who led them to the Super Bowl in 2006- in favor of a coach from the CFL.

19. Georgia: SEC

Playing "Between the Hedges" offers one of the best home field advantage in college football, and the state of Georgia produces tons of Division I talent every year. Add in recruiting pipe-lines to north and central Florida, and you will always have the talent to win at UGA.

18. Stanford: Pac 12

Speaking of sleeping giants, I have a feeling Jim Harbaugh woke this one up in 2007. True, Stanford was terrible before he got there, but why? Academic standards? Yeah, I'll buy that to a certain extent, but it had a lot more to do with terrible coaching and complacent recruiting by Buddy Teevens and Walt Harris. Now, with world-class facilities, the money to easily recruit nationally and outstanding academics, I have to believe a good coach can find enough talented players that can make it academically in Palo Alto.

I mean, Ty Willingham did it.

17. Oklahoma: Big 12

Oklahoma has one of the richest histories in college football and with natural recruiting inroads in Texas and Nebraska, the Sooners are used to raking in talent from across state lines. But it isn't just nearby states, Oklahoma is a national brand that has been able to lure top talent from Florida to California.

16. New York Giants: NFL

This job comes with all the perks of the Jets gig, but the Giants have an even better championship history. Add in the fact that the Mara's are one of the league's best ownership groups, and this job is worth dealing with New York media.

15. San Francisco 49ers: NFL

This job may become even more prestigious in the next few weeks as the Niners have a chance to tie Pittsburgh with six Super Bowl championships. Even without another title, San Francisco is one of the best jobs in the NFL with a great fan-base and a history of shrewd personnel decisions.

14. LSU: SEC

The Bayou Bengals recruit their home state as well as any program this side of Ohio State. On top of that, LSU's status as an SEC heavyweight make it an easy sell to Blue Chip players across the Southeast. While it may not be the biggest stadium in the SEC, there are few more intimidating venues than Tiger Stadium during a night game.

13. Oregon: Pac 12

Oregon is the one non-traditional power that makes the top-25, and it has everything to do with one very successful alum. Phil Knight, co-founder of Nike, has become the ultimate sugar daddy for the Ducks, and it doesn't stop at money. No, Knight hooks his alma mater up with the newest and sweetest gear in color combinations that make most sober fans temporarily blind.

But man, the kids love 'em.

12. Florida St.: ACC

The Seminoles recruit one of the best high school football states in America and became a national brand under Bobby Bowden in the 1990s. They haven't returned to those historic highs since, but the right coach can assemble a championship team in Tallahassee.

11. Michigan: Big Ten

Big Blue just misses the top-10 mainly due to demographics. While Michigan is still a traditional power and national brand, the Midwest just isn't producing as much talent as it once did, and certainly the talent level in Michigan has dropped off in the past decade. Plus, the Wolverines still have to fight Ohio St. and Notre Dame (two schools that recruit better nationally) tooth and nail for those prospects.