Posted by Chip Patterson

Every week the CBSSports.com college football staff offers our picks straight up and against the spread in the Expert Picks. But we aren't the only ones who get to offer our opinions on the outcome of the weekend's best games. In our weekly "Who Do You Like" Picks, we give you - the readers - a chance to weigh in on how you think the upcoming slate of games will play out.

You can see the results of the voting every Tuesday night at 8 p.m. on Inside College Football, airing on the CBS Sports Network.



Come debate your picks for the week with other college football fans at the new Eye On College Football Facebook page. 

Keep up with the latest college football news from around the country. From the regular season all the way through the bowl games, CBSSports.com has you covered with this daily newsletter. | Preview

Posted by Chip Patterson

On October 16, 2010 Rutgers defensive lineman Eric LeGrand suffered a spinal cord injury after making a play during a kickoff against Army that paralyzed him from the neck down. Since then, his road to recovery has been well documented as LeGrand and the entire Scarlet Knights community have embraced his BELIEVE campaign and the plan to walk on his own again one day.

The experience has also brought LeGrand close to the entire Army football program, as the Black Knights have joined college football fans everywhere in support of LeGrand's miraculous recovery.

In Episode 8 of Game of Honor you can see how the experience has effected the Army players, and the unique bond they now share with LeGrand. Watching this episode will also be an opportunity to give back, as CBSSports.com will make a contribution to the Wounded Warrior Project for every view of the video.



You can check out the rest of the Game of Honor Webisodes here, and don't forget the annual Army-Navy showdown will be aired Saturday, Dec. 10 on CBS and streamed LIVE on CBSSports.com.

Follow more college football coverage and chime in with your opinions at the new Eye On College Football Facebook page.

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Posted by Tom Fornelli

Hawaii announced on Monday that head football coach Greg McMackin has retired and stepped down from his position with the football program.

"Hawaii has meant a lot to my family and me," said McMackin in a release. "I appreciate Chancellor Hinshaw giving me the opportunity to be the head football coach at the University of Hawai'i. I have decided to retire from my position at this time. I believe in my players and their potential for success. In their honor, I am foregoing $500,000 in the final year of my contract which I hope will help strengthen the UH football program. I want to thank my players, coaches, staff and the good people of Hawai'i."

McMackin had served as Hawaii's head coach since 2008 after having spent the previous years as an assistant coach on a multitude of teams in both college and the NFL. His teams went 29-25 over those four seasons, with two bowl berths. Hawaii was 6-7 this season.

Hawaii announced two weeks ago that its football team was part of a point-shaving investigation, though Honolulu police said that there wasn't an active investigation into the allegations because there just wasn't enough evidence to proceed with one.

Posted by Chip Patterson

One of the most wide-open Heisman races in recent memory has entered the final stage, with the finalists for this year's Heisman Trophy being named on Monday evening.

The following players will be in attendance for the presentation of the award in New York City, in alphabetical order:

Montee Ball, Wisconsin
Robert Griffin III, Baylor
Andrew Luck, Stanford
Tyrann Mathieu, LSU
Trent Richardson, Alabama

The iconic stiff-arm trophy will be presented to "the most outstanding player in collegiate football" on Saturday evening in the official ceremony hosted by the Heisman Trophy Trust.  The last time five players were finalists for the Heisman Trophy was 2009 when Mark Ingram, Toby Gerhart, Colt McCoy, Tim Tebow, and Ndamukong Suh all made the trip to New York.   

Of the finalists, who do you think deserves to win the Heisman Trophy? Let us know by chiming in at the new Eye On College Football Facebook page.

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Posted by Tom Fornelli

With the BCS bowl selections coming out on Sunday, despite the fact that Boise State finished the regular season ranked seventh in the BCS, Chris Petersen's Broncos are headed to the Las Vegas Bowl to face Arizona State. Meanwhile, two teams who finished below Boise State in the rankings, Michigan and Virginia Tech, will meet in the Sugar Bowl.

Well, as you can imagine, though Peterson is looking forward to his team's game against Arizona State and appreciates that his team gets to play an opponent from a BCS conference this season, he's not exactly a huge fan of the BCS system. He didn't hide his feelings about the subject while talking to reporters on Monday, either.

"I got to tell you, I'm even tired of the BCS, even [the] name," said Petersen.

"I think everybody is just very tired of the BCS, that's the bottom line. Everybody's frustrated, nobody really knows what to do anymore. It doesn't make sense. I don't think any one is happy, anywhere. They say it's the one and two best teams, there's even controversy on that. The whole thing needs to be changed there's no question about it."

Petersen then went on to talk about some ways to change the current system, including the implementation of a "plus-one" system and changing the way rankings are done.

"I think the best model is something like the basketball guys do," he said. "Where you get a committee who is ranking these teams all throughout the year, and every week you see where they are. Maybe it's halfway through the season you start ranking them and things just fall out. Like we said, ranking them early makes no sense. Then you pare the bowls down, there's too many bowls, and then you play a "plus-one." You get the top four teams, and it's still subjective, but at least it's closer. Right now nothing makes any sense."

While I'm not sure about the committee -- who is on it and where do their loyalties lie? -- I completely agree with Petersen on the aspect of preseason rankings. I've always felt those were some of the stupidest things we do in the world of college football. How in the world we're supposed to rank teams we haven't even seen play yet is just baffling, and they have a huge impact on how the rankings look the rest of the season.

I mean, what would the voters of the coaches poll have thought of Oklahoma State if the Cowboys hadn't began the season ranked 8th while Alabama was 2nd? You've already declared Alabama better than Oklahoma State without seeing a single play, and that perception sticks all season.

As for the "plus-one," I've generally been in support of that idea as well, though that's not entirely fair either. Particularly in a season like the one we've just had. LSU has already proven that it is the best team in the country, and deserves its berth in the title game. Why should it now have to beat Stanford or somebody else to get there?

Though at the same time you could ask why LSU needs to beat Alabama twice to prove the same thing. 

You can hear the audio of Petersen's entire interview here. 

Posted by Chip Patterson

Highly touted sophomore quarterback Jake Heaps has decided to transfer from BYU, head coach Bronco Mendenhall announced on Monday.

“Jake has decided to leave the program in pursuit of a fresh start for he and his young family,” Mendenhall said in an official release. “Jake is a great young man with tremendous potential and someone I deeply care about. I am sorry to see him leave this wonderful institution yet anxious to follow his future development and success.”

Heaps started ten games as a freshman in 2010, setting school freshman passing records for yards, touchdowns, and wins. After starting the first five games in 2011, Heaps was replaced at the starting position by junior Riley Nelson. Early last month Heaps deflected questions regarding possible transfer or redshirt, committing to "give my 100 percent and commit to this team and this program throughout the rest of the season."

With the season complete, Heaps is now committed to looking for a new home. Mason Kelly, of the Seattle Times, listed Washington, Washington State, Cal and USC as possible destinations for the sophomore quarterback. Heaps leaves BYU having completed 363 of 635 passes for 3,768 yards, 24 touchdowns 17 interceptions in his brief stint with the Cougars.

BYU will face Tulsa in the Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl on Dec. 30. BYU announced junior quarterback James Lark as the new backup behind Nelson. You can check out the entire bowl schedule here.

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Posted by Eye On College Football

On Sunday night the final BCS standings were released. Despite Oklahoma State's impressive victory against Oklahoma to capture their first Big 12 Championship in program history, the Cowboys were left on the outside looking in of the BCS National Championship Game.  Now it's Game of the Century II in New Orleans to decide the top team in college football.  Love it or hate it, that is the way the numbers added up.

You can check out a rundown of the Top 10 below, with some thoughts from our College Football Bloggers. For a full breakdown of the Top 25 teams in the BCS formula, you can check out the comprehensive standings.

1. LSU:How dominant was the season just put together by Les Miles's Tigers? This might be the first time in the BCS era that a team has clinched a share of the national title before they even play the national title game. Considering that the best BCS championship opponent Alabama can do vs. the Tigers head-to-head is a 1-1 record (with a home loss, no less), and that LSU has a wider collection of quality wins and the SEC title in their back pocket, we'd suggest that AP voters consider awarding their No. 1 ranking to LSU regardless of what happens Jan. 9. Of course, the way they've played thus far this season -- and how well they're likely to play in home-away-from-home New Orleans -- the Tigers may not need the charity. - Jerry Hinnen

2. Alabama: Lost in the controversy over whether the Crimson Tide should have slotted into the national title game over Oklahoma State is that now that they have, their selection caps an incredible four-year run for Nick Saban's program: three BCS bowls, two perfect regular seasons, two SEC West titles, a 47-4 overall record, and now a pair of BCS championship appearances. Of course, that also heightens the stakes even further for the Tide as they head to New Orleans; a second loss to LSU will only drive home the point that for all of those accomplishments, Saban would still be sitting on a single SEC title and lone national title to Miles's two. - JH


3. Oklahoma State: .009 points. That's all that separated Oklahoma State from a trip to New Orleans to face LSU for the national title. Or, in football terms, about 12 inches on a Quinn Sharp field goal attempt in Ames, Iowa. Still, as disappointing as it may be for Oklahoma State to miss out on a title chance, there's still plenty to be thrilled about this season. The Cowboys not only won their first Big 12 title, but they also did it by throttling Oklahoma to finish the season. Plus, the Fiesta Bowl against Stanford isn't exactly a terrible consolation prize, so while the sting will last a bit, it's going to wear off eventually. Tom Fornelli 

4. Stanford:The Cardinal have back-to-back trips to a BCS bowl game thanks to finishing in the top four and snagging a trip to the Fiesta Bowl against Oklahoma State. It gives Andrew Luck a marquee chance to end his college career on a high note against a defense that has been a turnover-forcing machine. They lost out on a Pac-12 title game but the consolation prize of a trip to the desert and a shot at ending up in the top three would be part of a historic run for a school known more for their alumni off the field than on it. - Bryan Fischer

5. Oregon:The Pac-12 champions are making their way to Pasadena after winning the league's first ever championship game against an overmatched UCLA team. The Ducks come in on a mission: win their first BCS bowl under Chip Kelly and the Rose Bowl for the first time since 1917. Should be an interesting clash of styles as the fast-paced offense takes on a Wisconsin team known for efficiently moving down the field. - BF

6. Arkansas:On the one hand, who knows how high the Hogs could have flown this season if they hadn't been in the SEC West? Swap them out with Oklahoma State and maybe it's the Razorbacks who are bucking for second and the Cowboys licking their wounds from a pair of blowout losses and a third-place divisional finish. Then again, there's the little fact that the Hogs never beat a team better than South Carolina, defeated just two teams with winning records, and struggled more badly with Ole Miss than any other team in the conference. Maybe the Razorbacks were unfortunate they didn't do better than 10 wins and the Cotton Bowl. Maybe they're lucky they've gotten that far. - BF

7. Boise State: Another one-loss season for the Broncos ends in a series of "What If's" as the missed field goal against TCU has cost Boise State a spot in a BCS bowl. Unfortunately, the trends are beginning to mount for Chris Petersen's squad. While Boise State is proud to celebrate their sixth Top 10 finish in the last eight final BCS standings, this is fourth time the Broncos have finished in the Top 10 and NOT been invited to a BCS game. Instead it will be another trip to Las Vegas for the Maaco Bowl against Arizona State, their first showdown with the Sun Devils since 1996. - Chip Patterson

8. Kansas State:There's plenty to be happy about here, and also reason for Kansas State fans to be upset. You can easily argue that Kansas State deserves to be playing in a BCS game this season more than either Michigan or Virginia Tech due to the Wildcats finishing ahead of both schools in the BCS rankings. Unfortunately that's just not the way the BCS works. Either way, I think it's safe to say that if you had told Kansas State fans before the season began that the team would go 10-2 in the regular season and finish the year in the Cotton Bowl against Arkansas they'd have all jumped at the chance. - TF

9. South Carolina: One of these things is not like the other. Of the top 10 teams in the BCS standings, the other nine all earned either a conference title or serious consideration for a BCS at-large bid. And then there's the Gamecocks, well shut out thanks to ranking a distant fourth in the SEC pecking order. No one will claim this was a vintage year for the SEC, with claims the league was "top heavy" entirely accurate. But with four of the top nine teams in the final BCS standings, it's fair to say that top was heavy indeed. - JH


10. Wisconsin:The Badgers are the only team from the Big Ten to finish the regular season ranked in the top ten, though they aren't the only Big Ten team that will be playing in a BCS bowl game this year. Wisconsin is headed to the Rose Bowl after a thrilling victory against Michigan State in the inaugural Big Ten Championship Game, and going to the Rose Bowl in consecutive seasons is nothing to be ashamed of. Still, it's got to be hard to get past the fact that the Badgers are basically two last second prayers away from being 13-0 and headed to New Orleans. - TF

Finally, the luckiest teams in all of the land: Virginia Tech and Michigan.  The Hokies and Wolverines fall at 11 and 12 in the final BCS standings, and will face each other in the Sugar Bowl on Jan. 3.

11. Virginia Tech: Not that the Hokies themselves have done anything to deserve it, but the haters of the BCS's current selection process just got a new poster program. Plenty of teams with questionable credentials have been granted BCS admission before (heck, the Hokies will be playing one of them in the Sugar), but it's been a while since a team without a single win over a top-25 team and so clearly second-best in a back-of-the-BCS-pack conference got this kind of preferential treatment. That's not to say the Hokies haven't had an outstanding season--those 11 wins didn't fall into their lap. But when compared to Kansas State or Boise State, it's just another signal that however much the BCS likes to blather that "every game counts", some things still count far more than the games. - JH

12. Michigan: It's crazy how things can change, isn't it? Michigan went from being a program that was routinely letting its fan base down back to the BCS in one season under Brady Hoke. If you had told Michigan fans they'd end the season in the Sugar Bowl back in August, would they have believed you? Of course, the argument can also be made that there were other teams more deserving than the Wolverines, but this is the way things ended up. You can't chastise the Michigan fan base for being so enticing to BCS bowl games who are just as interested in selling seats as they are compelling matchups. (Though you should probably send a thank you card to Jim Delany.) - TF

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Posted by Bryan Fischer

Long time head coach Pat Hill has been fired by Fresno State after 15 seasons, the school announced Sunday afternoon.

The Bulldogs lost to San Diego State 35-28 on Saturday to finish the season at 4-9. Athletic director Thomas Boeh made the decision to let Hill, 59, go the next day.

The head coach known in part by his trademark mustache wraps his time in the San Joaquin Valley, which began in 1997, with a 112-80 record. The team went to a bowl game 11 times under Hill's tenure, winning four. He never shied away from a challenge and frequently played larger BCS schools thanks to an "anytime, anywhere" scheduling philosophy.

The highlight of his tenure might have been a narrow 50-42 loss to top-ranked USC in 2005. Hill couldn't maintain momentum however and went just 40-41 since the game. With the school struggling with finances, Hill agreed to take a more than $300,000 pay cut in this year.

Fresno State is moving from the WAC to the Mountain West in 2012.