...defeated South Carolina 24-14. Oct 24, 2009; Tuscaloosa, AL, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban looks back toward the sideline against the Tennessee Volunteers during the first half at Bryant-Denny...

...Gamecocks at Williams-Brice Stadium. Nov 14, 2009; Starkville, MS, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban leads his team onto the field prior to the game against the Mississippi State Bulldogs at...

It's all about the bottom line for top three

Forget Style So you're still not impressed with No. 1 Florida's sputtering offense? Or No. 2 Alabama's passing game? Or No. 3 Texas' slow starts? Al ...

...in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) OXFORD, MS - OCTOBER 10: Coach Nick Saban of the Alabama Crimson Tide watches from the sidelines during their game against the Mississippi Rebels...

The results didn't change much, but the journey was interesting

All About The Journey By Ivan Maisel, ESPN.com The college football played Saturday embodied the wisdom found in self-help books and coaching manuals...

What does second half offer?

No player or team has made the first half of the season sparkle, leaving fans waiting to be dazzled in the second half.

Top teams still have work to do

...ballyhooed member of Alabama's celebrated freshman class a year ago. But early on, Alabama's Nick Saban knew what he had in Mark Ingram. Marvin Gentry/US PresswireMark Ingram was a one-man...

Trojans, Fighting Irish ready to see if either is champion material

Great Theater By Rece Davis, ESPN.com How close was USC-Notre Dame to being a mammoth/blockbuster/Armageddon-type of showdown? One more Trojans defens...

Big D -- Dallas, Domers and defense

From Dallas, Domers and defense to midweek madness and the Moscow miracle, The Dash runs through it all.

Confidence key to Miles' aggressiveness

Les Miles has shown a willingness to be agressive. But "The Hat" isn't mad -- he's just confident his team can get it done.

BCS is ultimate prize, but conference play is where it's at

Soul Of College Football By Rece Davis, ESPN.com As much griping as you hear about the BCS system, my only real beef with it is that it takes our foc...

10 best coach/program fits

...coach. Some guys I think just would excel no matter where they ended up -- Urban Meyer, Nick Saban and Bob Stoops immediately come to mind. Other guys, though, just seem to be ideally suited...

Blog Entry | Conversation | September 16, 2009

Time to make some picks

I had a shaky opening week going against the line; I went one under .500, 8-9 in games on the board. The good: picking Oklahoma State to handle Georgi...

Blog Entry | Conversation | September 10, 2009

Evolution threatening storied positions

Changes in the game are putting some storied positions on the endangered list. Could some of them become extinct?

SEC divisional analysis

Football Outsiders projects out 2009 in the SEC, with two surprising finds: Ole Miss might not crack the Top 20 at the end of this season despite hype and Auburn may be way better than pundits assume.

Story | Conversation | August 20, 2009