Despite whether or not you have ever thought about what it would be like to be a college football cheerleader, I’m sure you can still appreciate the following video, which was taken from the point-of-view of an LSU cheerleader during their Thanksgiving weekend game against Arkansas.

Enjoy!

Hat Tip reader Craig

First on deck, this touching and tasty little clip of David Nelson scoring a touchdown and then giving the ball to his girlfriend, a member of the Dallas Cowboys cheerleader squad. Face it, you’ve never given your girlfriend anything as good as this, ever. That’s good teevee, folks, the likes of which you probably won’t see again for some time.

Next up, on the subject of epic touchdowns, check this punt return from the Arkansas / Tennessee game. Not only did Arkansas score a record 49-7 victory over Tennessee, Joe Adams also ran this incredible punt return for a touchdown.

See you tomorrow, kids.

While the playoff system may not be in effect, we do have the BCS to determine the kings of college football, for whatever that’s worth. And where there are kings, there are queens. so from the ten teams remaining after New Year’s Eve, we drew the 15 best examples of their student bodies. Fortunately, the best football schools often have the best cheerleaders, so it’s a deep well from which we draw. You can read more writing, or we can get to the girls. Cool? Cool.

15. Auburn

The rankings really don’t matter much when you have the top two teams playing in the championship, so Auburn and Oregon are on equal footing from a practical standpoint. For football. As far as cheerleaders go, you always want to go with an SEC team if you get the chance. Let’s see how this plays out…

14. Oregon

Hmmm…this might not be the blowout that everyone expects. Let’s take a moment to regroup. While we do, let’s take a look at the ladies from the also-rans. This isn’t YMCA. Not everyone’s gonna be a winner.

13. Connecticut

When people think of college football excellence, they think of the University of Connecticut. Just kidding. They don’t. But this pic might cause people to reevaluate their perception of cheerleaders in northeastern schools.

12. Oklahoma

Oklahoma – boring state, good football team. Lots of prairie in Oklahoma, fortunately, the cheerleaders more than make up for the flatness.

11. Stanford

Stanford may have knocked off USC (temporarily) as the Cali football powerhouse, but no matter how hot their cheerleaders may be, USC will always have the edge in their uniforms.

10. TCU

Their name says “Christian.” Their outfits say anything but. (Ok, the outfits look a little Christian, but I didn’t want to let go of that little gem.)

9. Wisconsin

Last time I got tossed by two badgers, I had to get a rabies shot. But after viewing this picture, I’d do it again.

8. Virginia Tech

Normally, I’m not a huge “purple and orange” fan, but I have a feeling this one could convert me. Sorry, Steve Nash.

7. Arkansas

“Hogs” is not the first word that comes to mind…

6. Ohio State

WHO DO WE APPRECIATE? This girl.

5. Auburn

I’m seeing double! Four cheerleaders!

4. Auburn

I just love the SEC…and I didn’t even go to school there. Anyone who doesn’t is a communist. It’s all whiskey and women. And, of course, a wonderful, wonderful education.

3. Oregon

The Mightiest Duck.

2. Oregon

In case you didn’t know who you were rooting for…

1. Oregon

Ducks win.

Even as a devout sports fan, sometimes you just gotta say, “Screw it. Let’s look at some cute animals.” Fortunately, in the Venn diagram of “sports” and “cute animals,” there is a significant amount of overlap thanks to overzealous pet owners and the plethora of animal mascots in both pro and college sports. So turn off your thinking cap, enjoy the puppies, and don’t forget to talk shit about how ugly your rival school’s mascot is.

25. Bevo

It’s pretty unfortunate that UT’s mascot is an animal that is so widely regarded as delicious. Though this season, it’s pretty apt.

24. Red Sox Dog

“I am not opening my eyes until this curse is broken!”

23. UGA

The Georgia mascot is nothing but awesome, but it’s unfortunate that their dog has the shortest life expectancy of any breed. I think they’re on the 523rd UGA this season.

22. Smokey

Has an animal ever better encapsulated the ethos of an entire state?

21. Ralphie

My second favorite candidate for “mascot that will go wild and make headlines in a catastrophe.” Who’s number one? Keep readin’, pal.

20. Traveler

I like this mascot because it’s WAY less homoerotic than USC’s other mascot (on its back).

19. Tusk

“Tusk” has no tusks. Sweet irony. I was going to criticize the school for not dressing this guy up, but I wouldn’t volunteer to do it.

18. Peruna

This mascot was very apt for a long time. A Shetland pony for a Shetland football program.

17. Raiders Dog and Owner

Who is walking who here?

16. Ohio State Dog

Ohio State should be proud to have this bad-ass dog wearing its colors.

15. USC Dog

Not the most intimidating of animal fans, but representative of many of the pets of USC alums.

14. Prince Redoubt

The strangest name for a mascot on this list. Someone prove to me this name wasn’t lifted by UW from “Best in Show.”

13. Handsome Dan

Best name for a mascot or bulldog EVER. Moving on…

12. LSU Tiger

My number one candidate for horrible mascot-related tragedy. Granted that animal is in a cage, but it’s only one ill-advised Tiger fan away from sweet, sweet freedom.

11. Butler Blue II

Bulldogs are the new black for mascots.

10. Jack the Bulldog

Oh snap! This dog just got iced!

9. Miles

It’s kind of uncanny how much this image resembles the Broncos’ helmet logo.

8. Mach 1

Sweet name for the Air Force falcon. I would be sorely disappointed if this guy can’t do barrel rolls or at least buzz the flight deck.

7. Politically Active Dog

May their song never die…

6. Mets Dog

A rare baseball-related animal costume. And why should these animals be relegated to football costumes? God bless you, unknown Mets dog owner.

5. English Soccer Dog

The fact that this dog isn’t a bulldog is kind of killing me right now.

4. Saints Dog

If you can’t imagine this dog leading a parade, playing trumpet on “When the Saints Come Marching In,” then you’re just not trying hard enough.

3. Bears Dog

I know that look from dogs. That dog is pooping on the couch. We just can’t see it.

2. Miami Dog

Never has an animal’s expression encapsulated the emotions of so many fans.

1. Buckeye Dog

This guy looks really upset cause his mom and dad went to Michigan, but he doesn’t know how to convey that to his Buckeye owners.

Dylan Galloway of Manila High School was born with cerebral palsy, but regardless of his condition, it has always been his dream to score a touchdown during a high school football game.  It is difficult for people in Galloway’s situation to get such an opportunity but during the dying moments of a game between Manila and Rivercrest High on Friday, coach Toby Doke called Dylan’s name and instructed him to “get his butt in there and go score a touchdown.”

That is exactly what he did.

Dylan wheeled himself out onto the field, and in a true show of sportsmanship, players from both teams paved the way for the senior to cruise into the end zone and fulfill his greatest wish.  He had been persistent in his effort to get onto the field and score a touchdown, and when Doke finally found the chance to present Dylan with this opportunity, he couldn’t let it slip away.

“He had been after me all year in the hall, at lunchtime and during the school day, and kept telling me he wanted to score a touchdown,” Doke told the Sun. “I saw Rivercrest kids jumping up and down, and when Dylan went into the end zone our entire sideline cleared and all of his teammates went to celebrate with him. I had to fight back the tears, and in fact it kind of tears me up thinking about it now. It was pretty special.”

Manila High School would go on to lose the game by a score of 47-7, but sometimes the scoreboard of a game takes a backseat to the scoreboard of life.  As for Dylan’s scoreboard of life, you can add another seven points to his lead over cerebral palsy.  Congratulations Dylan on your outstanding accomplishment!

Hat Tip – [PrepRally]

Whenever an argument breaks out over the virtues of pro football vs. the college game, one of the first cards to be played is the presence of college bands. Well, the bands wouldn’t amount to much if it wasn’t for the most proud of college traditions, the fight song. A fight song should inspire fear in the opponent, excitement in the fans, and a sense of history to everyone involved. The fight song, unlike any logo or mascot, is something that isn’t just owned by the team, but by the fans and alumni as well. While virtually every school has a fight song or an anthem, the following nine are in a class by themselves, giving goosebumps to college football fans the nation over.

9. Michigan State

It’s hard to extol the virtues of a singular fight song when so many of them sound similar, but this song stands out among the pack as one that SOUNDS like a marching song. Although it’s upbeat, it still sounds like a song that you would march into battle with, which is probably one of the best characteristics a fight song could have. The song’s unofficial title, “Falcone Fight” named after director Leonard Falcone, also helps the song’s cause. Any song title that features the name “Falcone” is instantly three times cooler than the same song without the word “Falcone”.

8. Harvard

Begrudgingly, I’m including Harvard’s fight song on this list, strictly for the sake of decorum and tradition. Though it’s not much older than other school’s fight songs (1918), it’s gotten more airplay than almost any other anthem out there. While no one outside of Cambridge actually cares about Harvard football, Harvard’s world-class reputation has made this ditty about as ubiquitous as a fight song can get. So while it might not perk up ears on Saturday afternoons the way Notre Dame’s song does, if you busted this number out at the Nobel Prize committee meeting, you would probably get a pretty rousing sing-a-long. Which doesn’t make it as cool as they others, but it still merits recognition.

7. Alabama

One of two SEC entries on this list, “Yea, Alabama”, stands apart from the rest in that it is somehow peppier than any other entry on this list. While the lyrics to the song are a bit of an oddity, referencing the Rose Bowl on one occasion, despite the fact that the SEC never saw the inside of the Rose Bowl until the BCS started, you can’t listen to this song and keep yourself from clapping. Go ahead. Hit “play” above and give it your best shot.

6. Arkansas

The similarity of all these songs leads me to wonder if there was some master class held in fight song composition in the 1920’s from which every composer took notes. The Arkansas fight song, cleverly titled, “The Arkansas Fight Song,” seems to have all the hallmarks of a many other songs from this era. Peppy beat, boisterous swing, and of course, the rousing horn section. While the SEC is steeped in tradition when it comes to college football, their fight songs haven’t entered the national lexicon the way those from schools in the Midwest and Northeast have. Well, it may not be as well known, but Arkansas’ theme is right there with the best of them.

5. Hawaii

While Hawaii is not the first school that comes to mind when you think of rich football traditions, its fight song is classic enough to fool you into thinking this team could have been in the Big Ten. The song was composed in 1914 and has a pretty sick name: “The Co-ed Fight Song.” If that isn’t enough, the subtitle reads “Respectfully dedicated to the college girls.” Respectfully, indeed, Hawaii.

4. Army

Strangely, the Army song doesn’t sound as militaristic as some of the entries on this list, but it does sound plenty patriotic. It’s got a pretty cool structure as well, breaking down softly in the middle with a little flute action, only to crescendo back up and build the momentum as it ends and the team takes the field. Plus, because it’s the U.S. Army’s fight song, no one could knock it even if they wanted to, so it’s sitting pretty on this list.

3. Michigan

When John Philips Sousa, the father of the American marching band, declares a song to be the “the greatest college fight song ever written”, you might want to listen to what the man has to say. Though it’s not as catchy as the final two entries on this list. This song still hearkens back to a time when guys were wearing suits and hats to football games and players played with leather helmets. At the same time, it never sounds dated and sounds as appropriate today as I’m sure it did back then. A true classic.

2. Notre Dame

No surprise here. The first few bars of this song will get any college football fan drooling like Pavlov’s dog. The most prominent football team with (arguably) the richest history has a fight song that does the entire program justice. It’s been memorialized in Rudy, Knute Rockne All American, and every Saturday on national TV for decades. While it’s only the second best in this author’s opinion, it certainly carries more familiarity with it than any other song on the list.

1. USC

Make way for the champs. Of this list anyway, despite the NCAA’s findings, I have not ruled USC ineligible for this list. And it’s a good thing, because their epic fight song easily gets the top spot. Its opening lacks the upbeat tempo of many of the more traditional songs, but what it lacks in pep, it more than makes up for in ominous tone. Halfway into the song, we get the more conventional upbeat tempo, but we are treated to something that sounds more like the Storm Troopers marching song in the beginning, which allows this song to score high on both the familiarity and intimidation factors.

(Editors Note: Screw that, ND and Michigan both have better songs than USC.)

While most every state school has its share of talent due to enrollment alone, what we are looking for in this list is concentration of talent. I’m sure Amherst has some hot girls, but if you go to one of their football games, are you going to feel awash in a sea of hotties? Probably not. If you go to a Clemson home game, will you? Yeah, probably.

While Southern schools enjoy a well-deserved reputation for ruling the roost when it comes to girls, in an effort to keep this from turning into an SEC and ACC breakdown, I’ve decided to cast a slightly wider geographical net. So just because Utah made the list, there’s probably an SEC school out there with a stronger showing. Consider it affirmative action for schools not in the deep south.

If you have a problem with my picks, let me just say that I’m sure your alma mater had millions of crazy-hot girls and you, like, totally banged them all. So chill out.

9. BYU

It’s the whole “forbidden fruit” thing. We covet what we can’t have. But even these girls would get down with us, they would still be among the hottest fans in our fair nation. Mormons enjoy a disproportionately high percentage of hot girls. I don’t know the science behind it, but it is what it is. Maybe all those years of clean living and kindness wear themselves well on the BYU student body.

In addition to looks, the women of BYU also are among the most die hard college fans there are. BYU is a unique school and the students there take a tremendous amount of pride in it. And yeah, I think that girl’s hair is pretty weird too. But she’s still hot.

8. USC

The rumors are true. Despite being located plum in the ghetto, USC draws both preppy debs and beach girls, in addition to boasting ethnic diversity that guarantees that there will be something for men of all tastes.

And while loyalty may not be known to the pro teams of LA, the girls of Troy are die hard and can be found at LA Memorial Coliseum or a sports bar cheering on the cardinal and gold any Saturday USC plays.

7. Arizona

Now that we’re done celebrating the Confederacy, let’s go west. But not too far. About 500 miles east of the Pacific. Where sun-kissed blondes sprout like so many desert cacti. Again, we climate directly play into the aesthetics of the student body. Since the temperature can get up to 231 degrees Celsius in the summer, all the girls will be tan and all the girls will be dressed for heat. Both great things.

Probably the weakest fan base of all the universities on this list, but still relatively strong, provided they have football and basketball teams that are worth a damn. But, oh those tans….

6. Georgia

Georgia has a leg up on other schools in that their school colors make every girl wearing them look like a Arena Football League cheerleader. Well, the colors and their kickin’ bodies, but it’s been proven scientifically that girls look 31% sexier in black jerseys than in a jersey of any other color. Well, it hasn’t been proven, but it hasn’t been disproven either.

Apologies to the SEC and ACC schools that didn’t make the cut. You know how good you have it. You shouldn’t need my validation.

5. Arkansas

Never has the word “Hog” looked so majestic as it has when it’s stretched across a hot Razorback co-ed’s t-shirt. The Razorbacks are among the only four interesting things in Arkansas, so the entire student body (in addition to some talented townies) throw their weight behind their university every chance they get.

(In case you were wondering, the other three things interesting in Arkansas are: 1)Hot Springs; 2)….shit. There are only two interesting things in Arkansas. Three if you count Bill Clinton.)

4. Tennessee

Tennessee’s breed of hottie sports fan is most likely to wear a cowboy hat unironically, drinks slightly more whiskey than your typical SEC co-ed, and has a slight inferiority complex since Peyton left. An insane trifecta.

3. Ole Miss

I did my best to celebrate geographically disparate schools, but you just can’t rate the SEC highly enough when it comes to their female sports fans. First off, the Southeast US cranks out collegiate hotties the same way they crank out cotton, citrus, and peanuts. They’re beautiful. And beauty gets you halfway to this list.

To get all the way, you have to also be a FAN. Not someone who attends games, but someone who can’t tell you the scores of the last three rivalry matchups. Girls that treat the special teams coach like Justin Timberlake when he shows up in the cafeteria. It doesn’t hurt that weather and culture in the Southeast US dictates that Daisy Dukes, tank tops, and cowboy hats are not only tolerated but encouraged.

While these schools are certainly unique in many ways, their similarities seem to exceed their differences. They’re all state schools, which means they draw a fairly large sample size, the aforementioned weather is pretty homogenous, and football culture is instilled in the students while they’re still in the womb.

Ole Miss historically has been one of the lower-profile SEC schools, but just cause you don’t see it doesn’t mean it’s not there. And these women are there. While the Southern tradition has bred tolerance when it comes to paying respect the “Colonel Reb”, it appears that even Southern traditions are progressing, as the student body recently voted to replace him with a more politically correct mascot. Although there are 18,000 schools, only 3,400 students voted.

Hot AND politically apathetic? Count me in.

2. Iowa

Breeding grounds for hot sports fans are determined by a few geographic factors. Is your school located South of the Mason-Dixon line? If so, you probably have smokin’ hot girls flying the school colors on fall Saturdays.

If you’re not located South of the Mason-Dixon line, your best bet is to be rural. The whole farmer’s daughter thing is a legitimate turn-on, and the more remote the school, the more students get behind their sports due to a lack of options. Both the state and campus of Iowa are nothing if not rural, so if you find yourself in Iowa City, take a look around and appreciate the free-range, corn-fed girls and be glad you’re not dealing with cooped-up coeds at a place like NYU or Temple.

1. Florida State

The Florida panhandle breeds hot women. That’s why strippers are Florida’s #2 export behind cocaine. The combination of Seminole football loyalty, stripper genes, and the warm Florida climate guarantees that every home game will look more like a PG-13 rated spring break more than it will a collegiate event. Which is a good thing.

For such a tumultuous off-season in college football, it doesn’t seem like much has changed. Realignment was supposed to decimate the Big 12 and concentrate the power even more. That didn’t happen. Rockstar quarterbacks from Oklahoma, Texas, and Florida all went pro, but they still all sit pretty in the preseason polls. USC is playing for fun this year, so they slipped a bit but still reside at #14.

Are we going to see many surprises in what is shaping up to be a routine season dominated by Ohio State, some SEC teams, Texas, and two wild cards that are now starting to get the benefit of the doubt (Boise St. and TCU)? Who knows? But if we do, you can bet the shake ups will be sparked by one of the following nine teams. Some are ranked high, some aren’t, but all have the ability to shake up what would otherwise be a painfully surprise-free season.

1. TCU
It’s fairly redundant to say that a team ranked in the Top 5 is “one to look out for”, but TCU has a luxury in this starting spot that many teams ranked similarly don’t have. With a weak schedule (only ranked opponent is #24 Oregon State), they have the ability to simply lie low for most of the season and hope that the powerhouses eat each other over the course of the season.

One of the biggest flaws of the BCS is that it tends to value an undefeated weak schedule over a tough-as-nails SEC schedule where teams might have a loss or two. The fact that TCU is starting off so high means that if they keep a low profile, they can rise to the top pretty quickly, which is probably their best chance at a championship, as these guys are still not capable of taking on the Floridas and Alabamas of the world just yet.

While they aren’t going to upset anyone on the field, the Horned Frogs could raise hell in the rankings later on in the season, creating a win-or-go-home scenario for teams with much harder schedules.

2. SMU
In June Jones’ second season he was able to take a team that was the unequivocal laughing stock of Division I football for the past twenty years and turn them into a bowl team. That took two years.What’s in store for year three?

Well, someone had enough faith in the Mustangs to “donate” a top-25 vote to them in the polls. While that might be a bit overzealous, it’s a strong indication that Jones’ 4 or 5-year plan to turn the team around is moving ahead of schedule. They are returning 18(!) of 22 starters from an 8-5 team. If you blink, you’ll miss it, but SMU is quickly jumping from the laughing stock of college football to a serious contender. Last year they turned a corner, this is the first year they get to prove they deserve to reclaim their throne in college football pantheon.

3. Washington Huskies
When the sportswriters are already saying that pro football teams will be tossing in the towel late in the season for the “Jake Locker Sweepstakes,” you can bet that his impact on the Huskies (and the rest of the Pac-10) this year will be profound. After dashing USC’s hopes in last year’s mid-season upset, it’s clear that Locker possesses the whole package. Couple that with the return of All-American receiver Jermaine Kearse, and the concerns about their spotty defense are mitigated. With a Pac-10 Rose Bowl birth up in the air due to USC’s timeout in the corner, expect these guys to make a serious run for the conference title.

Their offensive leadership and big game experience means that this team, hich went winless two years ago, could spell disaster for its myriad ranked opponents, including #14 USC, #8 Nebraska, #24 Oregon State, and #11 Oregon. With that strength of schedule, even a mediocre record achieved by the Huskies could cause fits for its competition in the Pac-10.

4. USC
Calling their end to the 2009 season a “whimper” is far too generous. The 2009 Trojans fell over hard. Their coach is gone, the program has lost scholarships and recruits, and their new coach seems to have all the integrity of a used-car salesman. Needless to say, 2010 expectations for this former(?) dynasty have been lowered. But have they been lowered too far?

Last years tug-of-war at quarterback between Matt Barkley and Aaron Corps is settled, with Corps packing his bags and going to Richmond. While Barkley didn’t have a banner year last year, he showed the poise and talent one would hope for in a freshman starter. He knows his team, and much of USC’s perennially star-studded recruiting class is left in place.

And the pressure is off. Which might be the biggest factor in USC’s success this season. They have nowhere to go this season. A bowl ban means that these guys exist solely to spoil it for the rest of the teams they play. A strangely enviable position, some might say. Toss in a weaker-than-usual schedule for the Trojans, and this team is in a very unique position to prove how dominant they still are, sanctions be damned. Though they will never get to contend with the best in January, they can still make some noise and let the college football world know that just because they aren’t bowl-eligible, that doesn’t mean they don’t exist.

5. Florida State
While FSU is clearly in rebuilding mode after a lackluster season last year and the departure of Seminole fixture and head coach Bobby Bowden, they have the capacity to do some real damage just based on their strength of schedule alone. They’ve got four powerful teams on the docket with UNC, Oklahoma, Florida, and Miami.

Their performance against these teams can obviously upset the natural order of the rankings, but beyond that, it will demonstrate exactly how this regime change will deal with the constant murderer’s row of opponents that the team seems to schedule year after year.

Ok, that’s the schedule aspect. Beyond that, the team is pimping out QB Christian Ponder for the Heisman and all five O-lineman are returning for the third straight year. New head coach Jimbo Fisher has overhauled the Seminole’s strength and conditioning program, radically improving both the physiques and performances garnered from returning letterman and new recruits. Following a mediocre season and the biggest coaching change of the off season, this team can’t afford to do anything but look ahead and make the most of what they have before it goes away.

6. Houston
Seemingly every year, we see a team that has no business doing so putting up downright gaudy passing numbers and beating the hell out of their weak schedule. A while back, it was Fresno St. and Utah, more recently, Hawaii and Texas Tech have been the troublemakers. All signs point to Houston being the heir to that title this season.

Case Keenum resuscitates the position of QB at U of H (they had back-to-back Heisman’s with David Klingler and Andre Ware in the early 90′s) by making a run at a half-dozen major college football passing records. They have no ranked opponents, but could still grab a decent spot in the rankings by essentially playing backyard football with the team they do have.

7. Arkansas
Tenth in the NCAA in passing yards. Eighth in points scored. In the SEC. It’s little wonder that, with 6’ 7” QB Ryan Mallett and a crew of four receivers that all average over 16 yards per catch, these guys are being bandied about as the most formidable offense in the nation.

Coming into the season at #17, Arkansas will be forced by its SEC opponents to prove that its defense will be able to do justice to its offense. Nobody knows that better than first-year D-coordinator Todd Granthem, who has worked on developing both depth and a seamless rotation that allows the front three (Arkansas switched to a 3-4 this year) to keep their stamina late in the game against the gauntlet of SEC opponents.

If the plan comes together, look for Arkansas to make a showing on both sides of the ball that has them settling out a lot higher than #17 come December.

8. Auburn
With so many questions about Alabama’s defense and the hype around Ryan Mallett at Arkansas, Auburn has been flying under the radar in the SEC West. Which is probably a mistake.

Auburn landed a Top-5 national recruiting class this year and holds perhaps one of the biggest wild cards in the nation in QB Cam Newton. Newton was backup to Tim Tebow at Florida before getting kicked off the team for stealing laptops. After his penance at junior college, he’s back and is the crown jewel of Auburn’s offense. He’s been compared to JaMarcus Russell (don’t laugh, he used to be good at LSU) but with more speed and a better head for the game.

If this guy pans out to be as athletic and reformed as Auburn makes him out to be, both Arkansas and Alabama will be sweating as this #22 team rises up the charts.

9. Navy
In the weeks leading up to the season opener, college football analysts have been abuzz with praise for Ricky Dobbs, the Midshipmen’s Senior option quarterback who apparently has been blessed with the work ethic and character of a young Tim Tebow.

While the Navy and Air Force hang on to the option offense like grim death (Is it an armed forces thing?), even the skeptics think that Dobbs can make a splash in the much-maligned construct of an option offense.

While these guys don’t have the schedule to make much of an impact on the standings, last year’s nailbiter against Notre Dame is just a preview of the kind of drama and excitement that Navy is capable of with both their unconventional offense and their unconventional program. Teams like this are a testament to why the diversity of styles in college football can captivate in a manner that the homogeneity of the NFL can’t.

I think that because the Jags have played good football, prior to last season, they have been exempt from draft related ridicule.  Not anymore.

This off season, the Jags have parted ways with some players who were once high draft picks and now they have some big holes in their roster to fill.

lets take a look at some of the Jacksonville Jaguars biggest first round busts:

Byron Leftwich, 2003, #7,

Coming out of Marshall, Leftwich looked to have all the tools to be a successful NFL QB, that all changed a couple of years later when the Jags released him.   Leftwich recently signed on with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and has a chance to be the starter.  I think that Byron is a serviceable quarterback, but he will never be a star.

Reggie Williams, 2004, #9

Williams looked the second coming of Terrell Owens when he was drafted into the NFL. He was big, fast, and had great hands.  After a couple of years in the league, he has fallen out of favor with the Jags and remains an unsigned free agent.

Matt Jones, 2005, #21

Poor Matt Jones, the former college star has fallen on hard times recently, since his days at Arkansas.  Jones’ performance at the combine boosted his draft status as a can’t miss pro-prospect, but he never really panned out.  The final straw for Jones’ career were his two drug-related arrests.

Marcedes Lewis, 2006, #28

Marcedes Lewis has done very little since being drafted out of UCLA.  He has only totaled 5 touchdowns in his career.  However, during the second half of last year he started to pick up his play, so there might be some hope for this guy.  At least he is still on the team.