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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.