A couple things jump out right away to me

Teams like USC, Oklahoma, Notre Dame, Florida State, and California got preseason help to start with the voters, and had a much longer stay in the Top 25 than they should have (Oklahoma had a .500 record by Week Six and was still in the Top 25).On the other side of that, TCU started at 18, Boise State at 14, and Cincinnati unranked,and they all had a very tall mountain to climb to the BCS in the preseason. By Week Four, all three were in the Top 11, with Virginia Tech, USC, Oklahoma, and Ohio State ahead of TCU and Cincinnati.By holding off these polls until the BCS poll comes out, voters can get a great idea of how talented these teams are and not base ANYTHING on the year before. The Top 25 poll rates THIS years team, not the fact that USC, Oklahoma, and others won a national title this many years ago.If you have any other comments besides those written below, feel free to email me at or check out my site at PHILADELPHIA Danny Carcillo has been suspended four games by the National Hockey League for a first period sucker punch of Washington Capitals’ Matt Bradley in Saturday night’s 8-2 loss, which resulted in 19 penalty minutes.On the ensuing nine-minute power play, Washington went onto score three goals. The punch ultimately doomed the Flyers as we will never know how the game would have played out if it hadn’t have happened.At the time of the fight, it was a tie game.

The momentum was just shifting Philadelphia’s way in Peter Laviolette’s debut as head coach, one day after replacing John Stevens behind the bench.Since the league took action against Carcillo for another classless act by a player with a bad reputation, you gotta wonder whether Laviolette should implement a suspension of his own to send a message to the team.The 24-year-old Carcillo was looking like he was turning a corner in his career as it seemed like he was learning how to keep his emotions under control; however this cheapshot proves that he’s still the same old guy.Philadelphia acquired him from the Coyotes at the trade deadline last season for Scottie Upshall in a salary dump move, but they described Carcillo as a guy who has good hands and a player they liked.But everyone knew that he was a goon and nothing more. He led the entire league in penalty minutes, and he was coming to the team who led the league in PIM. Great fit, ehIf Carcillo is going to continue to stunts like this, he doesn’t deserve to play for the Flyers. These kinds of things cost games, and that can’t be had. He needs to be taught a lesson, and Stevens wasn’t willing to do it.Laviolette is a difficult coach to play for, and will not shy away from benching a player to make a point.

Carcillo’s latest incident cost the Flyers two points, and that’s simply unacceptable.While the likelihood of the Flyers taking action of their own against Carcillo is highly unlikely as it sounded like Holmgren didn’t agree with the suspension Regardless, No. 13 will be sitting out the next four games.For more Flyers' coverage, please go to my blog: Operation Orange Crush. 2010 VALERO ALAMO BOWL MICHIGAN STATE VS. TEXAS TECH Saturday, Jan 2 - 9 p.m. ET San Antonio, Texas - Alamodome TV: ESPNSpartans Bowl fate has been decided, they are headed to the Alamo Bowl....A couple things jump out right away to me.. Ill have more later on Keys to a Spartan Victory. But for today..

here are thoughts and stats.1) I Believe Coach Mark Dantonio is doing the RIGHT thing with the suspension of the players.2) The Red Raiders pass like crazy And the Spartans havent had a real good pass D this year. very stingy and good protection6) Once again, Red Raiders air out the ball.. this might be /could be a problem..7) Spartans will be ready to play, and are headed to Texas to win.. Make no mistake about it..8) MSU is headed to a Bowl.. unlike other local teams....9) Spartan QB Cousins has a much higher QB Effec. this will be a good game...Sparty On !!! This article is also featured on SpartyMSU. Garner resigned on the spot.Now, obviously, coach Garner has not resigned. At least not yet.However, if he is indeed miffed about Richt's overlooking him, then how far from the truth is the storyFans from both the University of Memphis and the University of Tennessee seem to think that coach Garner is joining their school's staff in 2010.Tiger fans are interested in the recruiting possibilities that teeming him up up with newly minted head coach, Larry Porter , could bring.Porter, recently of LSU, was one of the primary reasons behind LSU's No. 1 recruiting class last year and if Garner were to join his staff as defensive coordinator, the two could make quite a 1-2 punch at Memphis as Garner really knows how to recruit the State of Tennessee. The sticking point for Memphis, however, could be money. It is not known how much the Tigers are able or willing to offer Garner for his services, nor is it thought that he would be willing to leave the SEC to go to Conference USA just to have a shot at being a defensive coordinator. Honestly, though, it doesn't seem like the job that would give him the level of competition needed to boost his chances at an SEC level coaching job but that's just my opinion.A more interesting scenario is Garner making a return to the Vols. Lane Kiffin has seen some defections this season with the loss of both Frank Wilson , their wide receivers coach and recruiter extraordinaire, as well as Eddie Gran , the running backs coach. That leaves a bit of a void in Kiffin's staff and he may be tempted to offer Garner another nugget or two to bring him back to the University of Tennessee, againalthough his position would be no better than what he is at Georgia right now. Monte Kiffin is the defensive coordinator and stands to be so for at least another year or two, if not longer. Ed Orgeron is their current defensive line coach and, unless the rumors of him going back to California are true, he stands to continue being so next season as well. The likely spot that Rodney would find would be on the offensive side of the ball as either a tight ends coach or a line coach, neither of which would be in keeping with his goal of being a defensive coordinator.The move would have to be bolstered by the promise of better pay and the possibility of tutoring under one of the great defensive minds in Monte Kiffin.That said, is that enough for Garner to leave More money wasn't good enough last year Would it be enough this yearEven more, if Orgeron, the current defensive line coach at Tennessee, were to leave for the University of Southern California, would the possibility of more money and a possible future promotion to defensive coordinator be more temptingassuming that both Lane Kiffin and Monte Kiffin remainThey would certainly seem to add a wrinkle that wasn't there in Tennessee's offer last year.So, how does the Independence Bowl tie-in to all of thisWell, Garner could see the opportunity to coach as either a resume builder or a tryout. If he does well, he will have some ground to stand on with coach Richt and any other interested school. Honestly, it seems a bit too convenient that it has come to this point.