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Today marks the last day of July. To be truthful, there is nothing on the College Football docket for today, but it is one day closer to fall camps opening up. To mark the beginning of August, an ode to the wonder of College Football…with all of its sights and sounds. Imagine the following, just as if it were happening on the television screen:

"And here come the LSU Tigers!!!"

There is not much like a Saturday night in Baton Rouge, and hearing the TV announcer mention that phrase, even for a non LSU fan, is pretty cool.

So what will be some of the headlines that will hit the College Football airwaves over the course of the month of August? Three things to consider:

Joe Paterno and Penn State, what in the world of "Happy Valley" is going on with all of the thuggery? Dismissing the "thuggery" as coach Paterno did when interviewed by ESPN, over the past half dozen years, the Penn State program has still acted like the late 1980s-to-mid-1990s-like Miami Hurricanes with its off the field issues. No way to hide it, Penn State has serious problems to deal with, and it's only going to be a distraction – all season long – despite the fact that Penn State could make a run at the Big 10 championship, or at least a New Year's Day Bowl Game.

Can Georgia, with a schedule that includes road contests at South Carolina and Arizona State on consecutive Saturdays, plus home dates with Alabama and Tennessee, then at Louisiana State, the anticipated neutral site game against Florida in Jacksonville, at Kentucky and Auburn, and finish up with Georgia Tech, finish the regular season unblemished? That's a gauntlet if there ever was one. The Bulldogs are loaded; now they must clear their own path to the BCS National Championship Game.

How will West Virginia play without its former head coach Rich Rodriguez and the assistant coaches he took to Ann Arbor? Do not sleep on the Mountaineers. They still have several offensive weapons. Pat White still leads the show, with Noel Devine the next media darling with all of his jaw-dropping open-field moves.

Lights, camera, action. College Football is one week closer to coming to fruition. And I, for one, cannot wait.

Each season begins with virtual unknowns at tailback that burst onto the College Football scene. This season will be no exception, with the five tailbacks mentioned below being amongst the most likely to leave a lasting impression on their teammates, coaches, fans, and opponents alike.

This list includes only tailbacks that were two years removed from high school. Therefore, redshirt sophomores or sophomores that also attended a prep school for one year after leaving high school were not eligible to make the list. In alphabetical order:

If one enjoys the proverbial home run hitter at tailback, then Jahvid Best will certainly entertain. The California tailback rushed for 221 yards (7.6 average) last season while backing up then senior tailback Justin Forsett, who led the Bears with 1,546 yards rushing. The 2008 season will offer Best the opportunity to be the feature tailback for California head coach Jeff Tedford and his potent offense.

The legend of Noel Devine began as a prep phenom at North Fort Meyers High School, and continued last season at West Virginia. Devine's game-breaking speed and electric moves make him one of College Football's most exciting players. With Steve Slaton moving to the NFL, Devine will be the feature running back for the Mountaineers. He gained 627 yards (8.6 average) rushing last season.

Unlike Best and Devine, Robert Hughes of Notre Dame brings the thunder the to the gridiron. At 5-11, 240-pounds, Hughes gains yardage by striking the blow and hitting the cut back lanes. Although Hughes saw limited action for the most of the 2007 season, he was the feature Irish tailback for the last two games of the season and ran for 110 and 136 yards respectively against Duke and Stanford. Hughes gained 294 yards (5.5 average) for the season.

There is little to say about Joe McKnight that has not already been written, at least in terms of his potential. After rushing for 540 yards (5.7 average) in a crowded Southern California backfield last season, McKnight will once again battle for carries amidst the deepest group of tailbacks in College Football. McKnight can run over or around a defender, and is adept at catching the football as well.

The most unknown tailback to make the list is Foswhitt Whittaker, the spring game star for the Texas Longhorns. Whittaker redshirted last season due to a crowded Longhorns' backfield, but seized the opportunity to make his mark in front of the Texas coaches and players this spring and is the likely starter come the beginning of the 2008 season. Coming out of Pearland High School in Texas, Whittaker demonstrated excellent quickness and moves.

Trying to keep up with the major College Football programs can be an arduous task. What's happening at Southern California, Texas, Louisiana State, Georgia, Florida, Ohio State and Michigan during off-season workouts alone, can keep one busy. And sure, checking in on the likes of the traditional inflated expectations at schools such as Purdue, Michigan State, South Carolina, Texas A&M, and UCLA, does take place, but it simply is not worth discussing here. Those programs are almost always a day late and dollar short with regards to raw talent to win a National Title. Just the way it is.

Two schools seem to have some unusual expectations for the upcoming season, most likely due to each school's tradition. Michigan and Texas fans, simmer down. Take a deep breath. Relax. Your time may yet come, but certainly not this year. The coaching trees at each institution may not be that far away from being in left field either.

With Michigan, here it is short and sweet. Michigan head coach Rich Rodriguez does not plan to alter his system despite the fact that he does not have the proper personnel to run his spread offense this season. Bad move. There is something called a happy medium that coach Rodriguez apparently does not grasp. A spread offense with a pocket passer running the show? Not a good idea (This article explains in more detail). And the Wolverines' win-loss record will prove that notion worthy. At absolute best, Michigan goes 7-5. More likely, Michigan goes 5-7 and stays home for the holidays (Utah will win in Ann Arbor).

The funny thing is many Michigan fans still expect eight, nine, even ten or more victories this season. No, that was not a joke. Scanning numerous Michigan message boards, many Wolverine fans seem to have bought into Rodriguez's shtick. The biggest fallacy of them all, Michigan is going to Columbus, Ohio and defeating the Buckeyes this season. Oooooooooh please. Several Michigan fans truly believe that. What could possibly be in the water in Ann Arbor? In a few years, Michigan will be a good team again. This year, they are going to struggle. Period.

And then there is Texas. Common knowledge around The Forty Acres notes that last season the Longhorns had little chemistry. No kidding? Texas head coach Mack Brown has yet to mentally win a big football game using Xs and Os. He's an average head coach for the upper echelon of College Football. Yes, he can recruit like few others, and he's at Texas, an easy sell for recruiting purposes, but last season the Longhorns displayed a roller coaster attitude during several games – a common theme during coach Brown's coaching career – making it easy to predict that the trend will continue. In short, the Longhorns were not mentally tough enough on offense, defense, or special teams to even come close to living up to their potential during the 2007 season. Coach Brown, as the program's CEO, must be held responsible, and he did take some heat for the team's lack of focus. Until proven otherwise, each Texas team should be considered an underachiever while under coach Brown's direction.

When discussing Texas fans, or at least many of the die-hards, they believe a 2008 National Title is within their grasp. Really? Call when Mack and Co. wins a big game using Xs and Os and without a former quarterback that wore the no. 10. Again, Texas possesses the talent to win big this year and every other year under coach Brown's direction due to talent alone. Talent alone will not conquer the likes of Oklahoma and Bob Stoops during the regular season, nor the likes of Southern California and Pete Carroll or Louisiana State and Les Miles in a BCS Bowl Game without no. 10 taking the snaps. Teams need excellent coaching, excellent talent, and … luck with injuries to reach the capstone of College Football. Until coach Brown captures the signature of another no. 10 (good luck with that), there is little doubt that Texas will continue to underachieve. Texas fans can continue to dream though.

By Radio Man

Ever find yourself bored stiff right after the middle of July? For College Football fans, this not so captivating time of year drags on for just over three weeks each year. Right now would be the beginning stages of the "dead zone," a.k.a. the second half of July and the first week of August before College Football two-a-days start.

Oh joy.

The option of Arena Football does not exist. No NFL preseason games. Not even high school football – at least not actually games – kicks off until August. Woe as me.

Thanks to the wisdom of some Cable TV networks, however, there is a ray of sun shine. That's right, great games from the past on various Fox Sports stations and Sunshine Sports. Several of the Florida schools have games, and there have been other games with teams like Tennessee as well. Hey, it's better than nothing; so do not knock it. It's the middle of July, take what is available and run with it.

After the next couple of weeks are complete, that's when the various conference media days begin. The Big XII, Pac 10, etc. will hold their annual media conferences and where head coaches propel their usual drivel about how excited they are for this season to get started because they feel the team can be really good if it works hard enough. Yes, one needs knee-high boots to wade through all the manure that the head coaches spew, but it's better than watching Days of Our Lives for crying out loud. Not that I watch that show, but anyway…

Just think, three weeks from now some College Football Programs will be lining'em up and knocking'em down in the midst of two-a-day practices … awwww the sounds of August. If the aforementioned thought does not bring a smile to one's face, that individual is not a true College Football fan.

These porous days will soon be over. Players such as Knowshon Moreno (pictured above), Chris Wells, and Pat White will once again dance across the TV screen come August. ESPN Sportscenter will have segments covering College Football two-a-days, with all the comedy from Lee Corso and the gang working with College Game Day included.

Hold on College Football fans, just a little bit longer before the fun begins.

Welcome to Ann Arbor, Mich., Mr. Rodriguez. Now, despite the fact that you are implementing a radically different offensive scheme, you will be expected to win at least eight games this fall. Good luck, coach!

Now back to reality.

There is a reason that the Michigan brass hired former West Virginia head football coach Rich Rodriguez: he is a darn good football coach. With that said, coach Rodriguez's task for this fall, and really through the 2009 season, will be daunting. Michigan's pro-style offense hit the junk pile as soon as coach Rodriguez accepted the opportunity to be the head coach at Michigan. With that responsibility, however, came the inevitable: a complete makeover in offensive personnel, beginning with finding a way to make traditional drop-back quarterbacks productive within the spread offense.

Coach Rodriguez's offensive system depends on a mobile and heady quarterback to run the show. Michigan currently does not possess that player on its roster, sans incoming freshman Justin Feagin, who went under the recruiting radar for much of last year. Feagin's skills do fit the spread offense, but a true freshman running the spread will lead to miscues more often than not. No offense to redshirt freshman Steven Threet, but he is not a spread offense quarterback. Threet will likely be the quarterback when the Wolverines take on Utah to start the 2008 season. Good luck with that.

Without a spread offense quarterback who has experience playing in the spread returning to the Michigan roster, coach Rodriguez's spread offense looses the threat of a true option threat and a quarterback that can improvise when a play breaks down, enabling teams to blitz more, place more defenders in the box, and key on other skill position players. The long and short of this years Michigan offense is that it will be terrible. A few good bets about Michigan's offense this season are as follows: likely to lead the league in turnovers committed (note the quarterback issues above coupled with coach Rodriguez's prior public comments that he will not alter his scheme this year despite the fact there is no true spread quarterback returning to the roster), bottom five in the Big 10 in yards per game, points per game, yards per carry, and third down conversion rate. All of the aforementioned predictions are attributed to the quarterback situation. That's just how important the quarterback position is to coach Rodriguez's system. And then there is the issue with the offensive line…

The former Michigan staff preferred the huge, bulky, powerful offensive lineman. The current coaching staff prefers quickness over size and the ability to make blocks in space, i.e. screen passes and swing passes, and hold the edge for sweeps and option plays. Michigan's offensive line will be in flux during this season and next. In time, the situation will correct itself. This season Michigan will be solid up front, but expect the offensive line to dramatically improve between this season and next. A year in the spread, and a year within the new strength and training system, will enhance Michigan's offensive linemen considerably.

Yes, Mario Manningham and Adrian Arrington bolted to the NFL. That will be a big pill to swallow for coach Rodriguez and his staff. Having that type of wide receiver talent would have made the transition at quarterback much easier. Oh well. Threet will have to grow up quick. Michigan will certainly have ample talent at wide receiver, but it will be largely inexperienced beyond junior Greg Mathews.

The good news begins and ends for the Michigan offense at the running back position. With juniors Brandon Minor and Carlos Brown returning, coach Rodriguez will be able to utilize two talents that know what it is like to play in the Big 10. Both players will be relied on heavily from the outset of the season. The Wolverines also boast some talented incoming freshman tailbacks/slot receivers that could see early playing time. The question will be how much time do they need to learn the system so that they help more than they hurt the offense?

For now, Michigan will have to make do with many parts that do not fit the car. That's just the way it is. Coach Rodriguez will have Michigan back on track by the end of the 2009 season, but it will be a long 2008 season.

Prediction: Michigan will be 5-7, largely due to its offense imploding this fall.

Remember the name Michael Floyd. Soon it will not matter. He is going to be making big plays for the Irish from the outset of his Notre Dame career; sorry San Diego State defense.

After a truly exhausting recruiting process, Floyd decided to attend Notre Dame despite overtures from the likes of Ohio State, Michigan, Miami, Wisconsin, Florida, and the home state Gophers. That's just the beginning of the story, and it will continue to progress if all that has been said about Floyd, albeit privately, based on the early returns from his summer workouts at Notre Dame are legitimate. When asking about the current team and who looked good, without hesitation the voice on the phone said, "Michael Floyd. He looks really good." Think about it. The kid is only a freshman, and he was the first player mentioned. Now that my friends is a good sign for Floyds' football future, and Notre Dame's.

Another receiving target to watch for will be Kyle Rudolph. The tight end from Cincinnati, Ohio was the nation's no. 1 prep tight end last year, and chose Notre Dame over Ohio State and many others. Rudolph was a very good high school basketball player as well, a good sign of his athletic prowess. Look for Rudolph to be a weapon in the Notre Dame offense this upcoming season, especially on passing downs and in the red zone. At roughly 6-7, Rudolph will have a decided advantage against any defender when quarterback Jimmy Clausen decides to throw a "jump ball" towards Rudolph. Just because Rudolph is listed as a tight end does not mean he will take snaps from a three-point stance at all times. No, Rudolph's size, athleticism, and excellent hands will allow him to lineup out wide and be another option in three, four, and five wide receiver formations.

Moving to the defense, Ethan Johnson spurned Southern California and Michigan to come to Notre Dame. The 6-5, 275-pound defensive end brings a skill set that quite frankly does not usually inhibit Notre Dame straight out of high school, as the Irish traditionally struggle to find talented defensive linemen with the academic profile to match Notre Dame as well. Johnson fit the bill, and Irish fans are going to enjoy his style of play. Do not assume Johnson's 275 pound frame makes him just another big run stuffer. Johnson can get after the quarterback quite well. His size will in fact help against the run, and that's the rarity for a true freshman defensive lineman: a talent that is good enough to play a considerable amount of snaps against the pass and the run. Usually a freshman defensive lineman is geared more towards one skill set or the other. Not Johnson. He will contribute early and often to the Irish defense.

Notre Dame needed an influx of front seven talent, and it succeeded by adding two excellent prospects from Chicago: Darius Fleming and Steve Filer, both physically capable of lining up at linebacker or placing one hand on the ground and playing defensive end. At least for now, Filer will be playing the JACK position, which is the inside weak side linebacker position in the 3-4, but could also move around in the 4-3 defensive alignment. Fleming will likely play outside linebacker during the plays in which Notre Dame lines up in a 3-4 alignment, and move to defensive end during plays in which Notre Dame lines up in a 4-3 alignment. His versatility will be welcomed. Do not be surprised to see Filer play outside linebacker (with the intent to rush the passer) or defensive end during passing downs either. Both players possess outstanding quickness.

Several other freshman could make an impact at Notre Dame as well, including Robert Blanton, Deion Walker, John Goodman, and Sean Cwynar, just to name a few.

Short and sweet, take a minute to think about the QB situation currently in flux at Auburn, due to changes with the starters and the coaching staff. Good bye pro-style offense, hello spread.

Can it be? Auburn not lining up in a one-back or I-formation and playing power football? Get used to it, as the Tigers shifted to the spread and entrusted the reigns of the offense to sophomore Kodi Burns. Burns carried 54 times for 203 yards rushing last season for a 3.8 avg. Considering College Football counts sacks against teams and players rushing averages, Burns probably did better than his rushing average indicated. In essence, Auburn faithful need not worry about Burns toting the pigskin. The bigger issues lie with Burns ability to quickly master the spread offense and become a leader, along with the obvious: making accurate throws. That will not be an easy task for a mere sophomore in the rugged SEC West.

Auburn welcomes back Ben Tate and Brad Lester, giving the Tigers, and more importantly, Burns, two excellent options to handoff, pitch, or throw to from the running back or slot position (watch for Lester to lineup in the slot to provide more speed). Additionally, Mario Fannin moved to wide receiver from tailback, and he possesses excellent foot work and the ability to make defenders miss in space, a big plus for the spread offense. Still, Burns has a big role to fill. Forget any commentary that Auburn coaches spew to the SEC or National media this summer or during fall camp. All they are going to state is that they have the utmost confidence in Burns. What else are they going to say? "Hey, we know Burns is going to struggle this year…" Yeah, right.

The biggest help for Burns, however, begins with senior wide receiver Rod Smith, who caught 52 passes for 706 yards last season for an average of 13.4 yards per reception. Smith will be counted on even more with a new offense and new quarterback.

The big-play and literally biggest wide receiver for the Tigers will be Tim Hawthorne, a high profile recruit from Homewood, Ala. entering his sophomore season. At a listed 6-3, 208-pounds, Hawthorne provides an inviting target for Burns, especially during third downs and a jump ball target close to the end zone. Hawthorne secured just four passes last season, but is projected as a starter this fall. It will be important for him to play up to his hype, and size, for the Tigers spread offense to gain momentum during the 2008 season.

The other wide receiver that is listed as a starter headed into fall camp is James Swinton, a senior who only caught one pass last season. Watch out for Montez Billings, currently listed behind Smith on the depth chart, but a player that corralled 28 receptions for 321 yards for an average of 11.5 per reception during the 2008 campaign, with Billings' 28 receptions being second to Smith for the 2007 season.

During the 2007 season, a young Tigers offensive line proved to be inconsistent at times, but that inexperience has a year of growth behind it heading into the upcoming season. Sophomore Lee Ziemba started to provide flashes of his high recruiting profile by the end of the SEC portion of the 2007 schedule, and will anchor the line from his offensive tackle position.

All of the aforementioned players give Burns a chance to be "one of" the key components to the 2008 Auburn offense, and not the "sole" component of the 2008 Auburn offense. Burns must still learn the nuances of the Tigers new system and adapt to the players being lined up around him in unfamiliar territory, but he will not take on the burden of jump starting the Auburn offense alone, at least not in theory.

Now if the Tigers lay an egg during an early SEC game, of course the media will jump all over Burns because he is the quarterback. Welcome to the SEC West, young Mr. Burns. Your time has come, ready or not.

Talk about it on the Message Boards.

There are several College Football programs that many coaches covet, albeit many of the coaches covet these special jobs privately, probably through an agent, to protect their current job status from falling apart. Oh, surely the athletic directors, school presidents, students, players, fans and alumni wouldn't mind if "Johnny wants a better job head coach" looks around, right? Uh, no. And that is why coaches have to constantly lie to the media about changing jobs (i.e. "I have no interest in any job…") even though it is fairly obvious what is going on behind the scenes. Need proof? Nick Saban, how's the Miami Dolphins job treating you? Rich Rodriguez still loves his alma mater over the money, no doubt. And then there is the one-year NFL wonder that is now at Arkansas, whose name shall not be muttered because he is the worst of the lot. Welcome to big-time College Football, where coaches and the people who root for them and the programs they represent share equal blame for not being honest or realistic.

With all of the uncertainty that goes on with College Football's best coaching positions, how does one accurately depict who will take over at a top program? One does not, at least not without providence. With that said, here are three programs that will or could have coaching changes during the next three to five years:

The Florida State program without head coach Bobby Bowden is like a southern family reunion without fried chicken and potato salad. All things must come to an end, as the saying goes, and Bowden will indeed be stepping down, although the exact date is to be determined. Of course the choice of the next Florida State skipper became known to everyone when Jimbo Fisher, the current Seminoles offensive coordinator, was selected to succeed coach Bowden last Dec. 10. Whether Fisher will be a good choice is hard to say. Fisher's coaching stops include Samford (OC, 1991-92), Auburn (QBs, 1993-98), Cincinnati (OC, 1999), Louisiana State (OC/QBs, 2000-06), and Florida State OC/QBs, 2007-present).

The obvious question arises with Fisher: will a career assistant be able to make the adjustment to being a top-notch head coach at a perennial power? The Florida State powers that be believe Fisher is an excellent choice, and Fisher will have his opportunity when coach Bowden finally walks away from the Florida State program. One positive would be Fisher's age. He will turn forty-three years old on Oct. 10. If Fisher does do well, he could stay in Tallahassee for a long time, much like coach Bowden.

Penn State must decide on its next head coach, but the current head coach does not appear to be too happy about the way the next head coach will be selected in Happy Valley. Yes, Penn State head coach Joe Paterno is an icon; yes, coach Paterno has stalked the Nittany Lions sidelines for over fifty years as an assistant or head coach. Coach Paterno, however, at least allegedly, wants a large say with regards to who the next head coach in Happy Valley will be, like oh, say, the majority of the say. And that is just not going over well with various Penn State administrators and powerful alumni. Oh, this one could get ugly. Quite frankly, it already has.

Hey coach Paterno, nepotism rarely works in the institution's favor. Despite that business belief, coach Paterno has kept his son, Jay Paterno, on the Penn State coaching staff since 1995. That's one thing, but Paterno is also the quarterbacks coach, which just so happens to be the most important position on the gridiron. Ugh. Penn State signal callers have been heckled so often in the last decade that it's old news. Again, coach Paterno's son, Jay, coaches the Nittany Lions signal callers. The point of bringing up Jay is that Paterno was, is, and likely continue to be stubborn beyond a fault. So who takes over for him when he steps down?

Two names are most often bandied about with the Penn State job: Tom Bradley, the current Penn State defensive coordinator and secondary coach, and Rutgers head coach Greg Schiano.

Take a wild guess who Paterno would like to see be named the next head coach in Happy Valley? Coach Schiano spent six seasons at Penn State (1990-95), while coach Bradley has been at Penn State since 1980 as a coach, not to mention he played at Penn State before going into the coaching profession. Apparently the Penn State powers that be beyond Paterno think differently about Bradley as the next head coach of the Nittany Lions, or else like Florida State, a succession plan would have been put in place by now.

Schiano's name constantly comes up when a college job opens, such as Michigan last year and Miami before that. Penn State would reportedly be Schiano's dream job (This is just rumor; it's not like he's going to admit that while still coaching at Rutgers anyway.) Penn State, however, commands more coach Schiano attention than any other job that is open or will be open. It should be interesting to see who wins this battle. Maybe the Penn State administration is flat out going to have to tell coach Paterno to step down and he will not be having a formal say in who is the next head coach. Wouldn't that be a hoot? In today's College Football world, it could happen. Do not doubt it. Coach Paterno has overstayed his welcome in Happy Valley, and his time as an elite head coach past long ago, giving Paterno less power. Look at this way, if Penn State was a constant top 10 team, would there be any doubt about who the next Penn State head coach would be? Coach Paterno's power would be unrivaled in that scenario. Obviously, that is not the case, however, and the Penn State administration's (and alumni) dilemma grows by the day.

The last job up for discussion may surprise a few people: Southern California. Trojans head coach Pete Carroll certainly has a great gig in Los Angeles. His NFL career did not go as well as his current stint as the leader of Troy, however, and that is why his name constantly comes up with NFL franchises each and every year. In short, it's only a matter of time before he bolts. The ego must be fed, and coach Carroll has a huge ego, just like other College Football coaches. Who takes over for coach Carroll when he leaves? Hard to say for sure, but the job will not be short on candidates when it opens due to the plethora of talent that coach Carroll has lassoed into inner-city Los Angeles to play at the Los Angeles Coliseum. Coach Carroll made it clear long ago that if he goes to the NFL he must possess complete control of personnel decisions before he would entertain a NFL coaching overture. Sooner or later an NFL offer will come coach Carroll's way that he cannot refuse.

In the northern suburbs of Los Angeles, Norm Chow made his reappearance in Los Angeles this spring as the new UCLA offensive coordinator. Of course he left Southern California under bad terms with coach Carroll. That would be an interesting choice. Another possibility could be Steve Sarkisian, currently an assistant head coach, offensive coordinator, and quarterbacks coach for the Trojans. He is well liked by Carroll and the Trojans quarterbacks have done well since coach Chow departed. He is very young, turning thirty-four this year. That could hold him back a while. There are other coaches with ties to Southern California, such as the head coaches of the Tennessee Titans and Jacksonville Jaguars…Pete Carroll is the head coach of the Southern California Trojans, for now, but not for long.

Just something to think about. Talk about it on the Message Boards.