BIG TEN - NEW CONFERENCE DIVISIONS

We discussed possibilities about the new look Pac-12 on Friday. How the teams could get split up for divisional play is a big decision, and the decision will have long standing ramifications. It is up to Big Ten Commissioner, Jim Delany, and the news about how it will all officially pan out is imminent

Let's review a possible scenario.

PAC-12 CONFERENCE DIVISIONAL BREAKOUTS

Nothing official has come out yet about the Divisional Breakout of the upcoming Pac-12. I have been reviewing possible scenarios, and the new Pac-12 conference alignments are going to be very interesting. Expected to start in 2011, the Pac-12 welcomes the Colorado Buffaloes and the Utah Utes, so things are changing fast under Conference Commissioner Larry Scott. Preserving historical match-ups and long standing rivalries are a must.

The divisional breakouts for the Pac-12 could go a number of ways. Check out CF Daily's Pac-12 divisional breakouts.

SO CLOSE YOU CAN ALMOST TASTE IT - PART II

There are only 2 College Football games on Friday, September 3rd. Let's jump in and break those games down.



(All times are listed in EST)



Villanova @ Temple
5:00 ESPN3.com
Led by Al Golden, Temple has been on the rise since the Head Coach took over back in 2006. During his first year the Temple Owls went 1-11, then followed up in his second year with 4-8 in 2007, then 5-7, and proceeded to have a really good year with a 9-4 record last year. So the win/loss ratio is on the rise. Others are noticing, and if Temple wins the MAC this year, Coach Golden could be on the short list for Head Coaches moving up the food chain. For Temple Football to finish 9-4 last year and post a 5-2 Conference record in the MAC, showcases how Coach Golden is continuing to make Temple Football relevant in Mid-American Conference. Villanova on the other hand in the Colonial went 14-1 last year with a 7-1 record in conference play, so their level of play is running pretty high. Albeit in a different conferece. Hopefully the Owls do not get caught looking ahead to the following week, as they have a monster game on Sept 11th against Central Michigan (The 2009 MAC Champions). Looking at last year's game Villanova won the opening season match up against Temple with the final being 27-24. So look for this one to be tight as well. I like Temple to return the favor this year. The game is in Philly this year, and Temple will be ready. Nova should be able to move the ball some and put up some points. But this one comes down to Temple winning 21-14.


Arizona @ Toledo
8:00 ESPN
Arizona Football in my opinion on the rise. They finished last year 8-5 (6-3 in the PAC-10). They did get slapped around in the Holiday Bowl in a 33-0 loss, but nobody wanted any part of Nebraska last year. Arizona did have some really good wins last year. Highlights that standout to me are W's at Oregon State, Southern Cal, and solid home victories over Stanford and UCLA. They had a heartbreak loss to Oregon which was a Double Overtime thriller, where Oregon was ranked #11 at the time. With that being said, the schedule shapes up nicely for them this year for some victories, and that starts with the season opener. Players for Zona to keep an eye should include Jr. cornerback, Trevin Wade, and rising star wide receiver Juron Criner. Wade should have a pick or 2, and Criner should have a touchdown or 2. Toledo, on the other hand was a bit of a mystery last year. They were 5-7 overall (finishing 3-5 in conference play). The did beat Colorado last year, but who didn't. They got shellacked by Ohio State, and that's understandable. But overall they were sporadic and should have won some more games last year. Keep an eye on Toledo's WR Eric Page and LB Archie Donald. Look for Arizona to win by 17.