Now it’s your turn to pick against the BlogHawgs.  We have set up a group on ESPN.com’s College Bowl Mania page.  Simply follow this link and create your entry.  Once you’ve done that, join our group.  You can find us by searching “BlogHawgs”.  It should be pretty easy. 

Email me if you have problems signing up:  brettkincaid@yahoo.com

The Bobby Bowden Era is over.  The legendary coach will lead the Seminoles for the final time in his team’s bowl game.  According to the ESPN story, school and bowl officials are trying to work a deal to keep the Noles in Florida for that game in either the Gator Bowl or Champs Sports Bowl.  If all goes well, the opponent will be West Virginia — the only other institution where Bowden served as head coach.

Like many of you, I grew up watching Bowden and his teams at FSU.  While never a Seminole fan, I always enjoyed watching his teams play.  They were fast, strong defensively, and innovative offensively.  Charlie Ward was Tim Tebow before it was cool.  As with any succesful team, the critics of Bowden were fierce.  He was called a choker, unable to win the big game.  But he ultimately did, winning 2 National Championships.  Although I suspect he will be remembered as much for his stinging losses to Miami as anything else.

The Florida State run from 1987 thru 2000 will eventually be viewed like Dimagio’s hit streak — a staggering accomplishment that will never be matched.  Fourteen consecutive seasons in the final AP Top 5 is hard to imagine.  Given all of USC’s success over this decade, they aren’t even close to matching what Papa Bowden did in Tallahassee. 

It’s a sad day for college football.  While this is probably the best thing for the FSU program it is a blow to the game itself.  Bowden’s brand of good ol’ boyisms and country smarts kept many of us connected to college football’s glorious past.  In today’s world of corporate football and CEO coaches, Bowden was refreshing — if a bit old fashioned.  And we’ll never see one like him ever again.

First, I apologize for the delay.  Things have been a little busy at the Kincaid Mansion lately, and I’m just now catching up. 

Alabama and Florida go into this weekend’s matchup as the #1 and #2 teams in our poll — along with just about everyone else’s.  I wish the Big XII could deputize TCU for the weekend and have them replace Nebraska in their title game.  I do not think their is a clear argument as to why TCU should be shut out of the championship game.  Cincinnati has a pretty strong argument, too, assuming they TCOB against Pittsburgh.  Regardless, this will be a very fun weekend of college football — unless you’re a Boise St. fan.  They are not guaranteed a BCS game and will certainly be knocked out of contention with a Nebraska upset of Texas. 

Others receiving votes:  Miami 11, California 3, Stanford 2, USC 1