Duke? A Top 25 recruiting class? Surely you jest...

We jest not. The Blue Devils, led by new coach David Cutcliffe, is working on a possible top class for 2009. The school already has landed 22 recruits, according to Rivals.com, including two four-star guys and seven three-star players. Great, just what the ACC needs: Another 7-5-ish team.

Oh, Playboy... What games are you watching?

So Playboy's new Top 25 college football poll is out. They pick Oklahoma No. 1, followed by Ohio State and Florida. Fair enough. Those teams aside, the magazine has got some real, um, winning predictions. Among them: Georgia Tech at No. 25 (Picked by ACC beat writers to battle Duke for title of conference doormat this year); Utah at No. 16 (um, hello? Are we talking about the Utes or the Jazz?); and, of course, Missouri at No. 4 (ahead of USC, Georgia and LSU. Which team would you pick in those matchups?) Look, I love Playboy as an institution as much as the next guy, but that's one crack-baby of a poll if you ask me.

"Michael Phelps" Illustrated.

Non Football Thought:

For the third time in four weeks, Michael Phelps graces the cover of Sports Illustrated. "I'm at a loss for words," Mr. Phelps said. Just wait until he goes for 29 golds in London.

ESPN's College Gameday kicks off in Atlanta.

We're getting real close now. The World's favorite college pregame show will kick off the new season on Sat., Aug. 30 in Atlanta in a nod to Clemson v. Alabama.

A good game on paper, although wouldn't it be great if we all found out how overrated the Clemson Tigers are... in August?

Scaling the Mountain...

Consider Appalachian State the reverse Kansas. Perhaps in a bid to capitalize on their upset of Michigan last year, the Mountaineers have scheduled some sick non-conference away games in the coming years. It begins this season with a date at LSU. In 2010, App State plays at Florida; at Virginia Tech in 2011; then at Georgia in 2013. Now that's pain in a bottle. Kudos.

Jayhawks love creamy puffs...

The Kansas Jayhawks, supposedly a pillar of strength in the Big 12 following a breakthrough season, have a really tough non-conference schedule this year. Hurdles include home dates with, ahem, perennial powers Florida International, Louisiana Tech and Sam Houston State (that would be the SHS Bearkats, in case you're wondering). It hearkens back to the Bill Snyder days at Kansas State when Coach filled up on creampuffs only to lose to Nebraska 50-3 every November. Prediction: KU goes 5-1 in its first six, then 2-4 in its next six.

The "Three Fans" themselves...

In honor of the start of the season, we look back at the last game we all saw together: the Cotton Bowl.

Come to think of it, it's a little scary just how warm it was that day in January.