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Pop quiz hot shot.  The College football season is almost over and it is time to see if you have been paying attention.  For this week's 7 in '07, AccuScore analyst Wailele Sallas asks some questions to see if you realize what's at stake, what has occured, and what is on the horizon.

Thanksgiving brings a host of expectations.  There’s always the Turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, and a host of other incredible delectable delights to soothe your appetite.  You can always count on someone getting too hopped up on wine or other adult beverages, and if you’re like my family, you can expect a board game to get pretty heated at the end of the night.

Coming into this college football season, there were many expectations as well.  USC was expected to run the table, and LSU would meet the Trojans in New Orleans for the national championship game.  But this season has proven the only thing you can expect is the unexpected.

This week’s 7 in ’07, we focus on the expectations, the here and now, and whether or not the world has been paying attention to this crazy football season.

7) If I’ve been paying attention, I’ve realized the Conference-USA has the best core of running backs out there.  The league has six 1,000-yard rushers and is currently tied with the Big Ten for the most by one conference. That could change this weekend if Tulsa’s Tarrion Adams can gain 74 yards this week against Rice (I think that’s doable). Tulane's Matt Forte (2,007) and UCF's Kevin Smith (1,945) are 1-2 in the nation in rushing, with Forte becoming I-A's first 2,000-yard rusher since 2004.  If Smith breaks 2,000 this year it will be just the second time two running backs have broken the barrier in the Bowl Sub-Division in the same year, and the first time it has happened within the same conference.  Three of the nation's top five scorers are C-USA tailbacks – Smith (25 touchdowns), Forte (22) and UTEP's Marcus Thomas (18). And that list doesn't include other league tailbacks having career years, such as Houston's Anthony Alridge (1,411), East Carolina's Chris Johnson (1,167) and Southern Mississippi’s Damion Fletcher (1,298).

6) If you’ve been paying attention, you have realized that West Virginia, Kansas and Missouri, all have a chance to play for a national championship.  Kansas and Missouri control their own destiny, if either team wins out, they will be playing LSU.  If both happen to lose, the Mountaineers will be in Louisiana and partying. 

At the beginning of the year I incessantly argued for the little guy, and although all these teams come from BCS conferences, you will be hard pressed to mention these three teams in the same sentence as the Oklahomas and Ohio States of the world. 

West Virginia has been good since Pat White and Steve Slaton joined the fray, but before that were middle-of-the-pack contenders.  As for Kansas and Missouri, do I really need to argue for them being a little guy?

5) If we’ve been paying attention, we have come to the conclusion that number two is the dumps. Oregon, Boston College, South Florida, Cal and USC have all shared the dubious place, and all have spiraled to lower depths after vacating the spot. 

Oregon lost Dennis Dixon and will probably lose one more game or both against UCLA and Oregon State.  Boston College lost two straight after starting the year 8-0, and almost lost its third straight if it hadn’t been for Matt Ryan pulling another comeback out of his hat.  South Florida lost three straight before righting the ship against Syracuse and Louisville.  Cal doesn’t even look like a ranked team right now, let alone a team that was once ranked second in the nation.  USC has done the best out of the former deuces.  After losing to Stanford, the Trojans looked suspect against Arizona, lost to Oregon, but are on track for a possible BCS berth if they get some help.

All in all, as much as everyone has talked about the parity of college football, no one has received the punishment the number twos have faced.

4) If they’ve been paying attention, pollsters will start to realize the era of the power conferences ruling is over.  Top programs are no longer guaranteed to have a successful season.  The elevation of elite high school programs, or more strenuous weight and skill training may be the reason for a level playing field.  More than that however, is the NCAA restricting scholarship athletes to just 85 players.  As athletes continue to get smarter and better on the field of play, more and more colleges are getting opportunities to recruit the top prep athletes.  Blue-chippers are now taking visits to BYU, TCU, UCF and other mid-major schools with ideas of taking these schools to the next level and becoming the next Ladanian Tomlinson or Brian Westbrook, players from small schools that blow up big at the pro level.

I think it’s time the pollster pay attention and vote teams not based on past history but rather current performance.  The pre-season polls compared to this week are as far off-base as ever, a clear sign that there needs to be a retooling of how poll-personnel pick where teams belong.

3) If he’s been paying attention, June Jones realizes that even an undefeated season may not get Hawaii into a BCS game.  To make things more certain, win against Boise State and Washington and cross those fingers.

Hope Arizona State beats USC, pray LSU wins out, Texas falls to Texas A&M, Virginia Tech edges Virginia, then takes down Boston College, clamor for Florida State to upset Florida, and the winner of Missouri-Kansas to win the Big 12.

Then Hawaii can rest easy with a Sugar Bowl berth.  If none of these scenarios happen then the Warriors’ fate will be left in the hands of the BCS, who have shown they don’t care much for the mid-majors.

2) If she’s been paying attention, your sister, daughter, mother, girlfriend, significant other is starting to get livelier.  That’s because she realizes the football season is almost over.  You guys can start to do Sunday Brunch again, Saturday shopping will be a weekend-couples event just like it was in the summer. 

If she’s being extra nice right now, it’s because she knows your football freedom is coming to a close, and once that last whistle blows in New Orleans or Glendale, you are hers.  She has had to put up with your constant mood swings, drunken, almost-house-broken friends, blurred Saturday nights, for almost 13 weeks now and she can’t wait to have her Saturday and Sundays back.

Then again, there’s always ESPN Classic and TiVo.

1) If God’s been paying attention, he will not allow Ohio State to make another mockery of the national championship game.  All you Scarlet and Gray fans rest easy as next year the Buckeyes will probably go undefeated.  This year, however, you’re just not ready.

But God, if you are paying attention, let’s finish off the year right.  The people want to start the new year off with some great college football games, the way you meant it to be.  Why not have Hawaii and Georgia meet in the Sugar Bowl.  Arizona State vs. Ohio State in the “granddaddy” sounds good to me.  I’ll take Virginia Tech and Oklahoma in the Orange Bowl, and Kansas rock chalk jayhawking in the Fiesta Bowl against Florida. 

A week later, you can be the best God ever.  An LSU-West Virginia will be an amazing game.  Les Miles will be on Nick Saban alert, with the media hounding and waiting for Miles to bolt for Michigan.  The matchup between West Virginia’s offense and LSU’s defense will be worth the price of admission.  Ultimately, this game has the potential to be a great game, both on paper and on the field.

Also God, anyway you could possibly reverse some of the deals made between BCS conferences and the devil, because a playoff sounds pretty heavenly.

Also, check out AccuScore's College Football Top Ten 

Questions and Comments.  Email Wai at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it