College Football Insider

QB - Brady Quinn, Notre Dame
- The "Golden Boy" looks to lead the Golden Domers back to college football prominence.

RB - Adrian Peterson, Oklahoma
- Simply put, Peterson is the best player in the nation.

RB - Marshawn Lynch, California
- The top back on the west coast headlines an explosive Cal offense.

WR - Dwayne Jarrett, USC
- With the exodus of Leinart, Bush, and White, Dwayne Jarrett is now the main weapon in the Trojan offense.

WR - Calvin Johnson, Georgia Tech
- Can dominant a game from the receiver position like no one else.

TE- Zach Miller, Arizona St.
- A real threat in the Sun Devils passing game.

C- Dan Mozes, West Virginia
- Mozes will continue to open up holes for Pate White and Steve Slaton.

T- Sam Baker, USC
- The top lineman on possibly the nation’s best line.

T- Justin Blalock, Texas
- The Longhorn tackle has started 38 straight games.

G- Will Arnold, LSU
- Arnold will be the leader of the Tigers retooled offensive line.

G- Mike Jones, Iowa
- Will be the key to the Hawkeyes promising offensive line.

K- Mason Crosby, Colorado
- Made five kicks from 50 yards or beyond last year.

KR- Ted Ginn Jr., Ohio St.
- Inherits the throne of "most electrifying player in the nation" from Reggie Bush.

Northwestern head football coach Randy Walker died Thursday night of an apparent heart attack, the school announced early Friday. Walker was 52.

Walker came to Northwestern in 1999, after 9 years at Miami(Ohio). At Northwestern, Walker compiled a record of 37-46, and guided the Wildcats to a share of the 2000 Big Ten title. Walker was the first Northwestern coach to lead the team to four seasons with at least six wins since C.M. Hollister in 1899-1902.

Our deepest sympathies go out to his wife, Tammy, and his two children, Abbey and Jamie," Northwestern athletic director Mark Murphy said in a statement released by the school. "This is a devastating loss, not only for our athletic program, but for the entire Northwestern community. Randy truly embraced Northwestern and its mission, and cared deeply for his student-athletes, both on and off the field."

Northwestern will hold a news conference Friday at 10 a.m. ET.

Saint Bonaventure HS(CA) tight end Blaine Irby has commited to play football for Texas. Irby, one of the top players in California chose Texas over Arizona St. Irby is the 22nd committment for the Longhorns.

1. Notre Dame at USC, Nov.25th
- After last year's game for the ages, The Trojans and Irish and will meet in Los Angeles for an encore with possible national championship aspirations on the line.

2. Ohio St. at Texas, Sept. 9th
- Last year's national champs face off against this year's favorite in Austin. Just like last year's game the winner will be thrust to the head of the BCS race.

3. LSU at Auburn, Sept. 16th
- The two top teams in the SEC west, and quite possibly the two best teams in the entire SEC square off at Jordan-Hare. The winner will be in the driver's seat for the SEC west crown.

4. Texas at Oklahoma(in Dallas),Oct. 7th
- Don't forget Mack Brown has only beat Bob Stoops twice. But after watching Texas win last year's national championship the pressure will be on Oklahoma to regain supremacy in this bitter rivalry.

5. Michigan at Ohio State, Nov. 18th
- After last year's disappointing season, and losses to Ohio St. 4 out of the last 5 year's Lloyd Carr will need a win against the rival Buckeyes to keep the Michigan faithful happy.

6. LSU at Florida, Oct. 7th
- Battle of two of the most talented teams in the SEC. Could be a preview of the SEC championship game.

7. Nebraska at USC, Sept. 9th
- This is one of the first statement games of the college football season. If the Trojans win the rest of the nation will be put on alert. If the Cornhuskers can pull off the upset they will re-emerge as a contender on the national scene.

8. Florida St. at Miami, Sept. 4th
- The ACC's top 2 teams face off in front of a national television audience on Monday night. Should be interesting to see how Miami adapts to six new assistant coaches.

9. Oklahoma at Oregon, Sept. 16th
- The Ducks will look for revenge when the Sooners come to Autzen. If the Ducks can pull off the upset they will be a legitimate title contender.

10. West Virginia at Louisville, Nov. 2nd
- West Virginia's only tough game of the year. If the Mountaineers can get past Louisville on the road they should go undefeated.

11. Florida at Florida State, Nov. 26th
- After getting embarassed by the new kid on the block(Meyer) 34-7, Bobby Bowden and the Seminoles will be looking to make a statement this year against the Gators. Both teams could enter the game with national championship in their sights.

12. Virginia Tech at Miami, Nov.4th
- Virginia Tech comes into the year with some questions, especially at quarterback. And Miami has brought in six new assistant coaches, but the winner of this game should still win the Coastal Division of the ACC.

13. Texas at Nebraska, Oct. 21st
- Nebraska appears to be a team on the rise. And Texas will once again compete for the national championship. This game could be a preview of the Big 12 championship.

14. Ohio St. at Iowa, Sept. 30th
- Iowa returns 16 starters from last year's 7-5 team and should give the Buckeyes a real run for the Big 10 title.

15. Georgia at Auburn, Nov. 11th
-In one of last year's most memorable games, Auburn pulled off a 31-30 win over the Bulldogs in Athens. This year's game should be just as exciting.

16. Michigan at Notre Dame, Sept. 16th
- A week after facing Penn State, the Irish play host to another tough Big 10 opponent in South Bend. An early win against the Irish will take some pressure off of Michigan coach Lloyd Carr.

17. CAL at USC, Nov. 18th
- The top matchup in the Pac-10 in the last few year's has been Cal against USC. This year's game at the Coliseum should be no different.

18. Alabama at Auburn, Nov. 18th
- This classic SEC rivalry has created some of the best moments in college football history. This year's game will live up to the hype.

19. Penn St. at Ohio State, Sept. 23rd
- A classic Big 10 matchup. The Nittany Lions will provide one of the toughest challenges in the Buckeye's quest for a national championship.

20. South Carolina at Florida, Nov. 11th
- When the "Ol' Ball Coach" returns to Gainesville the "Swamp" will be rockin'. This game has all the ingredients to become an instant classic.

21. Cal at Tennessee, Sept. 2nd
- In one of the most intriguing games of the year Cal travels to Neyland Stadium to take on the Vols. The contrasting styles of play should make for a great game.

22. Arizona St. at USC, Oct. 14th
- If anyone in the Pac 10 is going to dethrone SC, which we don't see happening, Arizona State with its potent offense may have the best chance.

23. Tennessee at Georgia, Oct. 7th
- After last year's disappointing year, a win on the road against SEC rival Georgia would re-establish Tennessee as an SEC East power.

24. Penn St at Notre Dame, Sept. 9th
- Both teams returned to glory last year, and after great recruiting classes both will look to sustain their success in the future. The Nittany Lions will have to play a great game to upset the Irish.

25. Clemson at Florida State, Sept. 16th
- Tommy Bowden may have his best team since arriving at Clemson. This year's Bowden bowl will determine the top team in the Atlantic Division of the ACC.

Next Best
Miami at Louisville, Florida at Georgia, Oregon at Cal,

*Do you agree with our rankings, or did we miss the mark? Let us know what you think. Post a comment or email us at cfbinsider@gmail.com Voice your opinion.

Schedule Update

- Oklahoma and Miami have agreed to play a home-and-home series in '07 and '09. The Sooners will host Miami in Norman, Oklahoma on Sept. 8th, 2007. The Sooners will travel to Miami to play the Hurricanes Sept. 12th, 2009.

- Nebraska and UCLA have finalized a home-and-home series for 2012-13. The Bruins will host the Corhuskers at the Rose Bowl on Sept. 8th, 2012, and the Bruins will travel to Lincoln to face the Cornhuskers on Sept. 14th, 2013.


News and Notes
UCLA and Nebraska have agreed to a two-year, home-and-home series. UCLA will host the Cornhuskers at the Rose Bowl on Sept. 8th, 2012. The Bruins will travel to Lincoln to play the Cornhuskers on Sept. 14th, 2013...Notre Dame WR Jeff Samardzija agreed to a 5 year contract with the Chicago Cubs worth up to $7.25 million. Samardzija went 8-2 with a 4.33 ERA this year as a starting pitcher for the Irish...Thomas Clayton, Kansas State's leading rusher has been suspended for the season opener against Illinois St..Clayton was convicted on a misdemeanor battery charge...USC WR Dwayne Jarrett violated NCAA rules by not paying enough rent for an apartment that he shared with teammate Matt Leinart. Jarrett has been declared ineligible and must apply for reinstatement with the NCAA before he can play this season...Arkansas will install new field turf at Memorial Stadium for the upcoming season. The new turf will replace the AstroPlay turf that was installed just four years ago...Former Iowa St. quarterback Chris Love died of cancer Wednesday in Houston. Love lettered for Iowa St. in 2003 and 2004 and had 5 career touchdown passes. Love was 24.

Recruiting Watch
Saint Bonaventure HS (CA) tight end Blaine Irby is one of the top TE in the west and has received offers from Texas, Michigan, UCLA, CAL and Arizona St. among others. Irby will make his choice this week and is expected to chose between Arizona St. and Texas.

Oaks Christian HS (CA) safety Marshall Jones committed to USC. Jones, the top rated safety in the west follows teammate Marc Tyler, who committed to the Trojans last week.

Oaks Christian HS (CA) Tailback Marc Tyler has committed to USC. Tyler, regarded as the top back in California chose USC over Notre Dame. Tyler will make his choice official tomorrow on ESPNU at 4:05et. USC also received a commitment from DE Michael Reardon of Orange Lutheran HS (CA)

1. Michigan
- No uniform is as recognizable as the maize and blue of Michigan



2. Notre Dame
- Notre Dame's helmets, painted by students symbolize the tradition and history of college football.



3. Penn St.
- The Nittany Lions uniforms are as classic and old school as Joe Paterno.



4. Ohio St.
- The scarlet and gray uniforms of Ohio St. and helmets filled with leaf decals are some of the best ever. Buckeye fans have been rightfully angered at the unveiling of new uni's for the 2006-07 season



5. USC
- Since changing back to their retro uniforms the Trojans have been nearly unbeatable.



6. Texas
- The Texas white uniforms may be the best looking in college football.



7. Alabama
- Nothing represents southern football like Bear Bryant and the Bama helmets.



8. LSU
- The purple and gold colors, first worn by LSU in 1893, gives the Tigers a very distinctive look.



9. Nebraska
- The Cornhuskers scarlet jersey's and white helmet with the "N" are simple and stylish.



10. UCLA
- The Bruins powder blue and gold is the perfect contrast to the Trojans cardinal and gold.



Honorable Mention: Oklahoma, Florida St., Air Force, Auburn, Ole Miss, Arkansas, North Carolina, Wisconsin, Cal

Bottom 10: Oregon, Arizona St., San Diego St., Hawaii, Iowa St., Indiana, Marshall, East Carolina, Illinois, Minnesota

*Do you agree with our rankings, or did we miss the mark? Let us know what you think. Post a comment or email us at cfbinsider@gmail.com Voice your opinion.