Top 25; Heisman favorites; Big Twelve rankings; Week One Predictions; Red Grange remembered…..

My personal Top 25 to begin the 2019 college football season.

1.  Alabama

2.  Clemson

3.  Georgia

4.  LSU

5.  Oklahoma

6.  Michigan

7.  Ohio State

8.  Florida

9.  Texas A&M

10.  Utah

11.  Univ. of Central Florida

12.  Texas

13.  Auburn

14.  Oregon

15.  Michigan State

16.  Penn State

17.  Notre Dame

18.  Syracuse

19.  Wisconsin

20.  Washington

21.  Iowa State

22.  Miami (Fla)

23   Iowa

24.  Nebraska

25.  Baylor

My Final Four:  Alabama, Clemson, Michigan, Oklahoma

Big Twelve Rankings

1.  Oklahoma

2.  Texas

3.  Baylor

4.  Iowa State

5.  TCU

6.  Oklahoma State

7.  Texas Tech

8.  West Virginia

9.  Kansas State

10.  Kansas

My Heisman rankings

1.  Trevor Lawrence-Quarterback, Clemson

2.  Tua Tagovalloa-Quarterback, Alabama

3.  Rondale Moore-Reciever/return specialist, Purdue

4.  Jake Fromm-Quarterback, Georgia

5.  Jalen Hurts-Quarterback, Oklahoma

Big Twelve predictions-Week One

Oklahoma State 39 at Oregon State 28 (Friday, August 30)

Iowa State 38 and Northern Iowa 10

West Virginia 49 and James Madison 13

Texas Tech 61 and Montana State 20

Baylor 50 and Stephen F. Austin 10

Kansas State 24 and Nichols 7

Texas 49 and La.Tech 9

TCU 70 and Arkansas Pine Bluff 0

Kansas 30 and Indiana State 18

Oklahoma 56 and Houston 41 (Sunday, Sept. 1)

National Predictions:

Thursday, August 29

UCLA 27 at Cincinnati 30| 7 p.m. | ESPN
Wagner 21at UConn 31 | 7 p.m. | ESPN3
Albany 13 at Central Michigan 32 | 7 p.m. | ESPN3
Morgan State 17 at Bowling Green 35 | 7 p.m. | ESPN3
Robert Morris 17 at Buffalo 38 | 7 p.m. | ESPN+
Central Arkansas 24 at Western Kentucky 31 | 7:30 p.m. | ESPN+
Gardner-Webb 27 at Charlotte 29 | 7:30 p.m. | ESPN+
Florida A&M 16 at No. 17 UCF58 | 7:30 p.m. | CBSSN
Florida International 21 at Tulane 24 | 8 p.m. | ESPN3
Alabama State 21 at UAB 27 | 8 p.m. | ESPN+
Georgia Tech 13  at No. 1 Clemson 37 | 8 p.m. | ACC Network
Texas State 12 at No. 12 Texas A&M 61 | 8:30 p.m. | SEC Network
South Dakota State 17 at Minnesota 24 | 9 p.m. | FS1
Kent State 17 at Arizona State 35| 10 p.m. | Pac-12 Network
Northern Colorado 18 at San Jose State 21 | 10 p.m.
No. 14 Utah 35 at BYU 17 | 10:15 p.m. | ESPN

Friday, August 30

Rice 12 at Army 21 | 6 p.m. | CBSSN
Tulsa 17 at No. 18 Michigan State 54 | 7 p.m. | FS1
No. 18 Wisconsin 34 at South Florida 21 | 7 p.m. | ESPN
UMass 17 at Rutgers 24  | 7:15 p.m. | Big Ten Network
Utah State 28 at Wake Forest 23 | 8 p.m. | ACC Network
Purdue 34at Nevada 14 | 9:30 p.m. | CBSSN
Colorado State 20 vs. Colorado 27 (Denver, CO) | 10 p.m. | ESPN

Saturday, August 31

Florida Atlantic 17 at No. 5 Ohio State  34 | 12 p.m. | FOX
South Alabama 19  at No. 24 Nebraska  47 | 12 p.m. | ESPN
Howard 7 at Maryland  42 | 12 p.m. | Big Ten Network
Toledo 21 at Kentucky  28| 12 p.m. | SEC Network
Ole Miss 31 at Memphis 30 | 12 p.m. | ABC
Mississippi State 55 vs. Louisiana 9 (New Orleans, LA) | 12 p.m. | ESPNU
East Carolina 26 at NC State 34 | 12 p.m. | ACC Network
Akron 21 at Illinois 22 | 12 p.m. | Big Ten Network
Indiana 45 vs. Ball State  24(Indianapolis, IN) | 12 p.m. | CBSSN
Rhode Island 10 at Ohio 31| 2 p.m. | ESPN+
Eastern Washington 21 at No. 13 Washington  59| 3 p.m. | Pac-12 Network
Bucknell 11 at Temple  26| 3 p.m. | ESPN3
Colgate 13 at Air Force 27 | 3:30 p.m. | CBSSN
No. 2 Alabama 38 vs. Duke 14 (Atlanta, GA) | 3:30 p.m. | ABC
Holy Cross 7 at Navy 35| 3:30 p.m. | CBSSN
Idaho 0 at No. 15 Penn State 68 | 3:30 p.m. | Big Ten Network
South Carolina 23 vs. North Carolina 14 (Charlotte, NC) | 3:30 p.m. | ESPN
Georgia State 7 at Tennessee 31 | 3:30 p.m. | ESPNU
Eastern Michigan 21 at Coastal Carolina 23 | 3:30 p.m. | ESPN+
East Tennessee State  13 at Appalachian State 29 | 3:30 p.m. | ESPN+
Northwestern 17 at No. 25 Stanford 21 | 4 p.m. | FOX
Portland State 15 at Arkansas 34 | 4 p.m. | SEC Network
Virginia Tech 31 at Boston College 10| 4 p.m. | ACC Network
Incarnate Word 21 at UTSA  34 | 6 p.m. | ESPN3
No. 22 Syracuse 45 at Liberty 28 | 6 p.m. | ESPN+
Campbell 7 at Troy 35 | 6 p.m. | ESPN+
Sam Houston State 19 at New Mexico 17 | 6 p.m.
UC Davis 21 at California 43 | 6:30 p.m, | Pac-12 Networks
VMI 0 at Marshall 45 | 6:30 p.m. | Stadium
Florida State 21 vs. Boise State 25(Jacksonville, FL) | 7 p.m. | ESPN
Norfolk State 22 at Old Dominion 24 | 7 p.m. | ESPN3
Alcorn State 12 at Southern Miss 35 | 7 p.m. | ESPN+
SMU 21at Arkansas State 17 | 7 p.m. | ESPN+
Illinois State 21 at Northern Illinois 35 | 7 p.m. | ESPN+
Monmouth 6  at Western Michigan 31 | 7 p.m. | ESPN3

Virginia 24 at Pitt 31 | 7:30 p.m. | ACC Network
No. 16 Auburn 27  vs. No. 11 Oregon 23 (Arlington, TX) | 7:30 p.m. | ABC
Missouri 46  at Wyoming 24 | 7:30 p.m. | CBSSN
Abilene Christian 24 at North Texas 48 | 7:30 p.m. | ESPN+
Miami (OH 10) at No. 20 Iowa 42 | 7:30 p.m. | FS1
Middle Tennessee 13 at No. 7 Michigan 48 | 7:30 p.m. | Big Ten Network
No. 3 Georgia 41 at Vanderbilt  7 | 7:30 p.m. | SEC Network
Georgia Southern 7 at No. 6 LSU 37 | 7:30 p.m. | ESPNU
Houston Baptist 21 at UTEP 20 | 8 p.m. | ESPN+
Grambling 18 at UL Monroe 46 | 8 p.m. | ESPN3
Weber State 13 at San Diego State 32 | 9 p.m. | Facebook
New Mexico State 14 at No. 23 Washington State 56 | 10 p.m. | Pac-12 Network
Southern Utah 7 at UNLV  31 | 10 p.m. | MW Network (stream)
Fresno State 27 at Southern California  37| 10:30 p.m. | ESPN

Monday, Sept. 2

No. 9 Notre Dame 48 at Louisville 16 | 8 p.m  ESPN

College football’s 150th anniversary in 2019 and I honor a great of the past. Today, Red Grange,  All-American from Illinois.

Harold Edward “Red” Grange (June 13, 1903 – January 28, 1991) was a professional and college American football player. He is a charter member of both the College Football Hall of Fame (1951) and Pro Football Hall of Fame (1963). In College he was known as the Wheaton Ice Man and in the pros he was known as the Galloping Ghost.
Grange was a three-time all-American in college with 31 touchdowns and 3,362 yards in only 20 games. Less than a week after he completed his college eligibility in 1925, at a time when pro football was unpopular, he signed with the Chicago Bears under George Halas. Making over $100,0000 his first year he became football’s first superstar and a national hero. His popularity as a professional gave the pro game its launch into legitimacy.http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Red_Grange

Halloween is a couple of months away, but Illinois will be looking like ghosts this weekend when the Illini take on Minnesota in Big Ten action. To be more specific, Illinois will look like Galloping Ghosts in honor of an Illini legend who also happens to be one of the most significant figures in the sport’s history.
Illinois will wear what it is calling a “Gray Ghost” alternate uniform for its homecoming game against Minnesota on October 25. The uniform is a tribute to one of the great players in the history of the program, Harold “Red” Grange.
Grange was nicknamed The Galloping Ghost and was a charter member of both the College Football Hall of Fame and the Pro Football Hall of Fame. In 1924, Grange was named the Chicago Tribune Silver Football award winner, honoring him as the best player in the Big Ten. Grange became a national star on October 18, 1924, when he returned the opening kickoff 95 yards for a touchdown against a heavily favored Michigan team that was aiming for a national championship. He soon rushed for three more touchdowns from distances of 67, 56 and 44 yards in the first quarter, and another from 56 yards later in the game. As if that was not enough, Grange later added a touchdown pass to the box score as Illinois smashed the Wolverines, 39-14. The game also served as the grand opening for Memorial Stadium at Illinois.
After the game, legendary sportswriter Grantland Rice authored the following iconic reflection on Grange’s performance:
A streak of fire, a breath of flame
Eluding all who reach and clutch;
A gray ghost thrown into the game
That rival hands may never touch;
A rubber bounding, blasting soul
Whose destination is the goal — Red Grange of Illinois!

http://thecomeback.com/thestudentsection/2014/uniform-of-the-week-illinois-pays-tribute-to-red-grange-the-galloping-ghost.html