John Walters

Even Arena Football League baron Jon Bon Jovi would admit that the 2008 college football season is living up to expectations. And now that ("Whoa, oh"), we're halfway there ...

Who’s No. 1? Penn State
Who else is 7-0? Only two other teams (Utah and Ball State). Who else is ranked in the top 10 in both scoring offense and scoring defense? Nobody! Who else has the all-time wins leader in FBS history as its coach? Nobody!

It may be true that the Nittany Lions lack an attention-grabbing rivalry a la Michigan-Ohio State or Oklahoma-Texas (psst, JoePa: there’s a school in Pittsburgh — I can’t quite recall the name — that may be interested in renewing one), but they routed Wisconsin in Madison, 48-7, and pistol-whipped Oregon State, who would later upset USC, by 31. This decal-deficient team has offensive playmakers galore in quarterback Daryll Clark, tailback Evan Royster, and wideouts Deon Butler and Derrick Williams. The defense has been stifling despite the season-long absence of its heart and soul, linebacker Sean Lee, due to injury.

Picture this: The Nittany Lions win the national championship. Coach Paterno, 82, and 59 seasons in at Penn State as an assistant or head coach, enters the office of the athletic director. “So about that contract extension …”

Heisman Favorite? Colt McCoy
In the Big 12, a conference overflowing with quarterback talent, only the Longhorn junior leads his team in both passing and rushing. Only the Tuscola, Texas, native has led his school to a victory over the nation’s No. 1 team. And if that is not enough, McCoy has that signature play that embeds itself in voters’ minds: bull-dozing over Rice defensive back Andrew Sendejo for six.

Colt McCoy, our midseason Heisman pick. Oh, and breathing down his neck? Oklahoma quarterback Sam Bradford, who looked none too shabby in their showdown, throwing five touchdown passes in a losing effort in the Red River Shootout.

Top Coach? Could it be…Saban?
In a region of the country that is more than casually familiar with the term “carpetbagger”, second-year Crimson Tide coach Nick Saban fits the mold. Alabama is his fourth job in the past decade.

Then again, upward mobility has a lot to do with Saban’s itinerant nature. The No. 2 Tide have twice walloped Top 10 teams, Clemson and Georgia, on the road. Their 31-0 halftime lead at then No. 3 Georgia in Athens was as declarative a statement that college football has witnessed since, “I’m a man! I’m 40!”

Best Game? Oklahoma-Texas
The Red River Rivalry was a midseason national championship, as both sides were heroic in the Longhorns' 45-35 win. You can rightfully gush over both quarterbacks’ efforts, or the 96-yard kickoff return by Texas wideout Jordan Shipley. My favorite play? The de-cleater block that Longhorn wideout Quan Cosby made on the Sooners’ Lendy Holmes as Shipley scampered into the end zone on a touchdown reception.

Worst Game? Ohio State-USC
Letdown? Did you see the Seinfeld series finale? ‘nuff said. And yet still more watchable than Auburn 3, Missisippi State 2.

Most Memorable Play? Locker gets flagged
No single play elicited more debate than the 15-yard excessive celebration penalty that Washington quarterback Jake Locker garnered after scoring in the closing seconds against BYU to pull the Huskies within one. Locker tossed the ball skyward and the resulting flag helped the Cougars block what would have been a game-tying PAT.

The call catalyzed a verbal skirmish between spirit-of-the-law enthusiasts and letter-of-the-law advocates (what, for instance, would you call the fireworks that follow each Tar Heel score in Kenan Stadium?).

U-Dub has even less reason to celebrate now, as the Huskies have lost Locker to a broken thumb until late November and own the nation’s longest losing streak at seven games.

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