Alabama's newest offensive coordinator, Doug Nussmeier, has his work cut out for him, as he is taking over one of the three biggest positions in the best coaching staff in the nation. Keeping the Alabama Crimson Tide on top is a big job, but Nussmeier will have a lot of tools to work with.Believe it or not, Nussmeier's predecessor, Jim McElwain, was quite good at what he did. He was sorely underrated by many critics ...

The Alabama Crimson Tide defense garnered much of the praise for Alabama’s national championship triumph over LSU in January, but its greatness aside, it was the offense that quietly went out and executed flawlessly against a team known for destroying several high-powered offenses in 2011.   While they must deal with the loss of their offensive coordinator (Jim McElwain, who left to take the head coaching job at Colorado State) and All-American running back Trent Richardson, ...

The Florida Gators football team is known for many things. Three national championships over the past 15 seasons, several SEC championships, the annual World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party in Jacksonville, FL against the Georgia Bulldogs, the annual showdown against cross-state rival Florida State Seminoles and several now-great NFL players.Unfortunately, the Gators are also known for scheduling some serious patsies to start off their football seasons. Some argue that the SEC is too tough of a ...

First it was Tyron Smith, and then it was Matt Kalil. For the second straight year, the USC Trojans have the unwanted task of replacing a top offensive lineman.Last season, the offensive line was one of the bright spots as the season progressed, and Matt Barkley was sacked just eight times throughout the entire year. Now, Kalil is in the NFL with the Minnesota Vikings, and the Trojans are without their star left tackle who ...

When the 2012 schedule was formalized for Auburn football, it was apparent that the Tigers had a lineup that was manageable. The one month that does have the chance to make or break the Tigers' season is October. Auburn will play only five road games this fall, with one being a neutral site game to start the season in the Georgia Dome. The Tigers face two of the five road games in October, with the contests ...

Ohio State's new inside zone-read game will depend heavily not just on Braxton Miller, but also on the running backs the Buckeyes have to offer. This group is a diverse mix of smaller, quicker backs and bigger power backs that can help out in a large array of offensive situations.OSU returns only three backs with experience: Jordan Hall, Carlos Hyde and Rod Smith. But those three do have the ability to make plays in the ...

The Texas A&M football fans are going to have to be patient with Kevin Sumlin in 2012. The team has a completely new coaching staff and is entering a new league. A&M has played LSU and Arkansas during the past two years, but the fans should expect some growing pains as the team adjusts to the new conference.Sumlin is an excellent coach, and he will build a consistent winner at A&M that should compete for ...

While some may prefer that old-fashioned, grind-it-out football, gimmick plays are what really make college football fun.Some may deride these trick plays as being fit only for the backyard; who doesn't love to see their team completely fool the opposing team with a clever play? After all, football's not just about who's bigger, stronger and faster.It's also about who's smarter.So, what are the best gimmick plays in college football history? Read on.Begin Slideshow

Predicting the eventual champions of college football's major conferences always provides for some much-needed entertainment, but choosing the dark-horse candidates is even better.The Big Ten Conference has three dark-horse championship candidates this season, a year after Wisconsin defeated Michigan State 42-39 in the first annual Big Ten Championship game.For a peek at these dark-horse candidates, take a look at the following slides.Enjoy.Begin Slideshow

The post-Michael Floyd era has officially begun at Notre Dame. His absence may seem crippling to the Fighting Irish offense, but don't be so quick to assume.Yes, Michael Floyd was, perhaps, the best receiver in college football last season. Yes, he will be remembered as one of the best players to ever don the blue and gold. However, the downside of Floyd's tremendous ability was making the Irish passing game a one-trick pony.Opposing defensive coordinators ...