Longhorns Gore Sun Devils

Hype machine already churning for Ohio State-USC showdown Sept. 13

(NEWSER) - With the college football season set to kick off Thursday, blogger The Kid outlines the five weekends that will help decide who plays in the national championship game on Jan. 8 in Miami.

• Aug. 30: Illinois and Missouri square off in St. Louis; Clemson and Alabama meet in Atlanta. “Grilled sausages will be distributed according to need,” Kid writes.

Watch title game, skip Little Caesars (except the pizza)

(NEWSER) - With college football bowl season set to begin today, Dennis Dodd tells you which of the 34 are appointment viewing, and which you should avoid at all costs. The top three:

• BCS title game—Alabama vs. Texas (Jan. 7, ABC): Storied traditions, a Heisman winner … and coaches with combined salaries of $9 million.
• Fiesta Bowl—Texas Christian vs. Boise State (Jan. 4, Fox): Hey, if Texas beats Alabama after TCU wins here in a blowout, Horned Frogs could be national champs.
• Las Vegas Bowl—Oregon State vs. Brigham Young (Dec. 22, ESPN): Early matchup of ranked teams promises some serious offense.

Fighting the rising cry for playoffs is one of sport's worst jobs

(NEWSER) - Bill Hancock is one of the best-liked people in the sporting world, but he's been tasked with defending one of its most-hated systems, writes Sean Gregory. Hancock, a former director of the Final Four, has been appointed as the first permanent director of the Bowl Championship Series. That makes him a target for everyone—from President Obama on down—who think there's got to be a better way than the incomprehensible BCS system to find a national champion of college football. More»

Philosophy professor led sports powerhouse after firing Bob Knight at Indiana U.

(NEWSER) - Myles Brand, the first academic in 50 years to head the National Collegiate Athletic Association and perhaps best known as the man who, as president of Indiana University, fired legendary basketball coach Bob Knight, died today of pancreatic cancer; he was 67, the New York Times reports. The former philosophy professor spearheaded academic reform, instituting a system under which universities are penalized if student-athletes don’t meet certain standards. More»

How the three candidates shake out

(NEWSER) - Each was a dominant performer who steered his team into title contention and, for the first time since 2001, each is a quarterback. So how will voters pick between Tim Tebow, Sam Bradford, and Colt McCoy, this year’s Heisman contenders? The winner will be announced tonight, and no clear favorite has emerged. One voter, 2001 winner Eric Crouch, gave the Washington Post a look at his ballot, in which he had Bradford first, McCoy second, and Tebow last. More»