(--) Jerry Green at the Detroit News proposes an annual Pac-10/Big Ten football challenge.  I like it, although I'd do it on a much smaller scale, with at most 2-3 games between the conferences.  Additionally, I'd love a similar hyped "series" between all the other conferences as well.  A natural fit would be an SEC/ACC challenge, for example.

Those would be a smart fixed starting point, and then everything else could rotate, so we could see a Pac-10/Big 12 series one year, and then a Pac-10/SEC series the next.  This is dream world stuff, I know, but it's fun to think about.  Obviously teams independently schedule out-of-conference opponents to where organically you might see several SEC/ACC games early in the year, but it might be nice to have the schools, conferences and television networks get together and coordinate such games and make them more of an event.

Bringing back the "Kickoff Classic" type games would be tremendous as well.  There's still plenty of room for regular season growth in college football, and these types of ideas should be at the top of the list of those responsible for the stewardship of the sport.

(--) Lou Holtz has obviously learned the dangers of mixing sports and politics.  The South Bend Tribune links him to controversial and recently deceased North Carolina Senator Jesse Helms.

(--) More from the Deseret News about the always-interesting Pac-10 expansion talks.  Ain't happening, for philosophical as well as cash reasons as spelled out by Dick Harmon.

(--) USC continues to clean up in recruiting.  It's still unclear what the NCAA will do about the Reggie Bush situation, but if recruiting is a barometer for anything it appears USC isn't in much danger.

(--) This bums me out: Most college football coaches favor an early signing period.  For fairly obvious reasons, I think it's unwise to lock players into commitments before college football's hiring/firing season is over.  This works well for lazy coaches and extremely committed players, but I think the longer recruiting stretches out the more information all parties can gather which leads to better decisionmaking.

(--) Cool new SMU uniforms.  They're a throwback to the Pony Express days.  I like the look, but they're tempting fate in looking back to an era that ended up with the "Death Penalty".

(--) Georgia quarterback Matt Stafford is getting some love.  I hyped him as a recruit and he's turned into a solid player, but in that Georgia offense he may never quite become all that he can be as a passer.  Heisman talk seems outrageous unless Georgia greatly opens up their offense, which is debatable given just how good their running game will likely be this year.

(--) An Anaheim man will attempt to set a world record by sitting in every seat in the Rose Bowl.  A good chunk of the "seats" are actually barely-marked benches, so we doubt just how accurate that final seat count will be.  Whatever, good luck to him as it is for a good cause.