College Colors Day is TOMORROW!

Don't forget College Colors Day is tomorrow! Wear your team's gear to school, work, or play! If you're split in your loyalties (husband vs wife; dad vs son; Peyton vs Eli), you can also wear one team on the top and one team on the bottom. Peyton will be bleeding orange tomorrow so don't miss his exclusive interview: Orange Through and Through.

Spurrier Is Mr. College Football

If ever there was a man meant for college football it’s Steve Spurrier.

Spurrier starts his second season as South Carolina head coach tonight against Mississippi State, and he’s really got a stake in the game now. He just dropped $250,000 in donations to upgrade the school’s football facility. The ol’ ball coach hopes his actions will show how serious he is about South Carolina football and encourage others to join in.

I like it, a coach putting his money where his mouth (and the school’s outstretched hand) is. You have to keep up with the Joneses, and the Bowdens. That’s just the way it is in today’s game. What’s new today is ancient five years from now and you have to keep up. And they deserve to keep up at South Carolina.

They’re an interesting bunch. You tell me, selling out games when you’re 0-11, is that the sign of a true fan or a glutton for punishment? How else can fans really voice their concern other than to stop giving money and stop attending games (neither of which is good for NCAA Football)? Of course there are more and more message boards.

But to me, you can’t fault them for doing that, because that’s what fans do. Fans show up to the game no matter what, and the Gamecock faithful have certainly done that

And they've definitely paid their dues.

The Clemson rivalry was already fantastic, but when you throw in a little Spurrier vs. Bowden, you get a rivalry on par with any in the nation.

There are great college football equations all over the country, but they don’t get any better than the set up the ‘Cocks have going. And it’s a great way to usher in the new season.

DUELING BLOGGERS: MIAMI vs. FSU

Today marks the first Wednesday that you'll get to taste the input from our guest "dueling bloggers." We'll feature stand-out bloggers who won't mince words about their favorite NCAA Football team. Make sure you checkout both opinions below before you make up your own mind.

Under the Orange Bowl Lights: Don't Underestimate the Canes

By: GUEST BLOGGER Chris Bello FROM ALLCANES.COM

How can Miami/Florida State be next week? It feels like just a few months ago, The U was on the wrong end of a bowl game beat down thanks to LSU.

The 40-3 pasting was actually the best thing that could've happened to the Canes, sitting at 9-2 in a second-tier bowl game. Anything less, and Miami wouldn't have cleaned house regarding its assistant coaches. Former offensive coordinator Dan Werner was in over his head these past two seasons and he's been replaced by Rich Olson. Olson had a stint with Miami in the early 90s and has been in the NFL since. He's going to revamp what's been a vanilla Miami offense. Bank on it.

Kyle Wright is at the helm for Miami and Drew Weatherford returns for Florida State. Both are gamers, yet Weatherford is stealing all the headlines and Wright is flying under the radar... which is actually the way we prefer things at The U. Please doubt and underestimate us. Give the glory to the other guy. Then come game day, we'll embarrass U. Just ask Marcus Vick and Virginia Tech about last year's 27-7 beat down.

Miami was proactive this off-season, upgrading the program by bringing on Olson while Florida State is sticking with Jeff Bowden for a sixth straight season. Miami also upgraded regarding offensive line coach. Art Kehoe is out and Mario Cristobal is in to retool an o-line which gave up a school record nine sacks to the Noles last September.

The Canes upgraded several other coaching vacancies - defensive line, linebackers and wide receivers. All problem areas since Miami's mind-boggling streak of 34-straight wins, four straight BCS games and a National Championship between 2000-2003.

Meanwhile, the Noles have lost 3 to 5 games each of the past five seasons. The last time Florida State lost more than two games in one year was 1986.

The program has struggled to developing players and has slipped a bit since Mark Richt left for Georgia (2001) and Chuck Amato took over at N.C. State (2000). All the recent love from ESPN and Bobby Bowden hype isn't enough to turn things around in Tallahassee. The media wants 2006 to be Bowden's fairy tale - a Joe Paterno-like (2005) one-loss season, but it ain't gonna happen.

Florida State still gets some of the nation's best athletes and they'll take it to most of their opponents this year. But I also believe the 'let down' games will continue like last year. Virginia, N.C. State and Clemson all got the better of them. Even in-state rival Florida whooped Florida State, 34-7 in The Swamp last season. And last year's Gators weren't exactly anything to write home about.

Why are the Noles destined for greatness this year, yet the Canes are a team surrounded by question marks? No matter. Come Labor Day, this thing will get sorted out under the Orange Bowl lights.

Miami is ready. The Canes blew a golden opportunity at Doak last season. Down 10-7 in the waning moments, Miami failed to get the ball in from the 2-yard line. Minutes later, a game-tying field goal opportunity was muffed and the Canes lost to the Noles for the first time in seven tries.

Miami then blew their shot at a rematch in the first annual ACC Championship game, losing to Georgia Tech late in the season. The Canes threw in the towel after that loss, limping through their win over Virginia and then getting throttled by LSU. A big flaw in the Miami program is a quitter's mindset when not playing for the ultimate prize. 40-3 drives that point home.

The best quality about the Canes is their ability to play with a chip on their shoulder. If you disrespect Miami, count them out or hype the opponent - the Canes pin their ears back and come out swinging.

That's how Miami will enter Labor Day. Stinging from the Peach Bowl beating and still bitter over 10-7 last September.

The Canes will be without WR Ryan Moore and TB Tyrone Moss. Don't even sweat it. Veterans like Darnell Jenkins, Lance Leggett and Charlie Jones are ready to step in and Miami sports one of the best in TE Greg Olsen, who shredded the Noles for 137 yards in 2005. Also, don't overlook fab freshman like Sam Shields, Ryan Hill and Javarris James, cousin of Edgerrin. These kids came to The U for games like this. They'll be ready.

This rivalry is better when played in October, with both teams on a roll. No matter, though. It's still Miami and Florida State. Once those butterflies are worked out and both teams find their groove, there will be a lot of top level, prime time action that even the casual college football will appreciate.

As for us diehards, this is as good as it gets.

Chris Bello resides in San Diego, CA but was born and raised in Miami, FL and is a lifelong fan who has covered Hurricanes Football since 1996. He handles marketing & online sales for allCanes.com and provides all content for the allCanes.com Blog, writing in a conversational manner and providing that 'fan on the street' perspective. Feel free to send your comments or to contact him at chris@allCanes.com.

Top 10 Reasons Why You Should Watch the Miami-FSU Classic on Labor Day

By: GUEST BLOGGER nafelson FROM TOMAHAWK NATION

10) You Love Defense: In the last four years Miami is averaging a pristine 15.3 points per game in their matchup against FSU. As for the Seminoles they are averaging an even less impressive 12 points.

9) You Hate Quarterbacks: Or more specifically Kyle Wright. The Miami signal caller was sacked nine times and hit another three dozen times in last year's game, a 10-7 victory for the Seminoles.

8) You Have Aspirations of Becoming a Divison 1-A Receiver: If so, Miami needs you now. I don't think they have enough receivers to run a four-wide in Monday's game. As a matter of fact the Hurricanes' punter Brian Monroe has lined up in the slot several imes since March.

7) It's a 3-Hour NFL Draft Preview: Last year four Seminoles went in the first round of the NFL draft, the year before FSU had two and Miami had one drafted in the first round. In 2004 Miami had six players drafted in the first round.

6) You're Still Buzzing After Montana-Iowa Tilt from Saturday.

5) Your NFL team needs a safety: Miami has two of the best in the game (Brandon Meriweather and Kenny Phillips) while FSU sports one of the nation's most highly sought after recruits in freshman safety Myron Rolle.

4) You Always Look Forward to ESPN's once-a-year "Full Circle" broadcast: The FSU-Miami game will be on ESPN in regular viewing and ESPN2 in a special "production, behind the scenes" viewing.

3) Eager to See the Next Generation: FSU freshmen running back Marcus Sims is the brother of former 'Nole and first-round pick Ernie Sims while Miami's Javarris James is the cousin of perennial NFL All-Pro Edgerrin James.

2) Big-Breasted Women in Cowboy Hats: You know you love the Cowgirl (a.k.a Jenn Sterger), just admit it.

And the number one reason why you should watch the FSU-Miami game on Labor Day:
1) Because there's a slim, but very real, possibility that a kicker might actually make a field goal when it counts.

Catch FSU daily updates and general insight at Tomahawk Nation www.tomahawknation.com. Go NOLES!!

Where's the Best Tailgating?

By: Stephen Linn “Where’s the best tailgating?” That’s really a trick question. Ultimate tailgating isn’t about having the biggest rig or the largest crowd. It’s about having fun with your friends and making new ones. Thus, “best” is pretty subjective. Austin rocks on game day and is a sea of orange infused with the aroma of ribs and brisket. It’s one of America’s great tailgate parties. Unless you’re an A&M fan. Then it sucks.

But that never seems to get me off the hook. The follow-up question is always there. And the answer always finds me on blogs the next day as either a hero or a jerk. Usually a jerk. After all, there are a lot of great tailgating schools and one of the things that make them great is the passion of the fans. Out of more than 100-some-odd Division I-A schools, I’m mentioning just four or five. You can see where that gets me.

So get ready to click on the “Comments” link at the bottom of this post and join in the discussion… here are some of my top college tailgate parties, in addition to the University of Texas and in alphabetical order (I’m not a complete idiot).

Georgia vs. Florida – Jacksonville, FL: It’s not called The World’s Largest Cocktail Party for nothing. About 100,000 fans show up for the festivities – even though only 73,000 of them can fit in the stadium. But that’s not the point. Like any good cocktail party, there’s plenty of food as fans set-up several days before game time to fire up their grills and their spirits.

LSU: There are a couple of elements that make this one of the best tailgate parties anywhere. One is the food. The caldrons of gumbo, crawfish etouffee, jambalaya and other Cajun specialties make tailgate menus here one-of-a-kind. The other is the fans. They are passionate and they are loud. Heck, in 1988 they cheered so loudly for a fourth quarter touchdown against Auburn that it registered as an earthquake on the seismograph.

Penn State: If there was a Tailgating Hall of Fame, Penn State would be in it. Heck, it just might be in State College. A huge crowd of friendly fans fills Happy Valley on game day and makes this one of the best pre-game parties in America. I’m not the only one who thinks so. Sports Illustrated readers said the same thing picking it as the number one tailgate venue in America last year.

University of Michigan: This is the Big House. It’s the biggest stadium in college football. Perhaps the biggest crowd, too. Regardless of weather, it’s a sunny 74º for a game in September, or a snowy 35º for the final game of the season, fans are there early firing up their grills and celebrating Wolverines football.

University of Tennessee: Volunteer football is just this side of religion in Tennessee and Neyland Stadium is the mother church. And on game day more than 100,000 faithful show up for “services.” An armada of them arrive by boat, too, tossing anchor in the river alongside the stadium. They call themselves the Vol Navy. I’m not sure if’s there’s a Secretary of Defense.

University of Washington: It’s the “sterngating” that makes pre-game unique here. Husky Stadium sits alongside Lake Washington and thousands of fans arrive by boat, tie up to the moorings, and start their parties. Members of the school’s crew team shuttle fans back-and-forth to shore to meet-up with landlocked tailgaters for the game.

So there you go… some of the best places to tailgate in the NCAA. Are there others? You bet. Click on “Comments” and tell us what you think.

And if you think your tailgate party is the best in America go to www.theultimatetailgater.com, click on “Contests,” and enter The Search for America’s Ultimate Tailgater. If you’re right, you’ll win The Ultimate Tailgater Party. You can also visit my blog at www.theultimatetailgaterblog.com for more tailgating tips and discussion. My new book The Ultimate Tailgater’s Travel Guide: More Than 20 Great Road Trips just hit stores, so check it out.

Don't Mess With Texas

More people bought merchandise from the University of Texas in the last year than any other school. As a matter of fact, more was spent on that merchandise than ever before as Longhorn t-shirts, hats, bumper stickers, aprons, whatever flew off the shelves in record-setting numbers.

The previous record was set in the heyday of the Fab Five at the University of Michigan. Texas also knocked North Carolina from the top spot for the first time in five years.

The Longhorn logo is certainly cool and I suppose burnt orange goes well with a lot of colors (although white is the only one that springs to mind). But you know the national championship by the football team was the reason for the rise to the top spot.

Texas baseball won a national title in 2005 and Rick Barnes has his hoopsters in the national hunt regularly, but I still have to believe more paraphernalia had an oblong ball than a round one.

And just to prove that everything really is bigger in Texas, I guess they used some of the merchandise money to buy the ginormous new Jumbotron. It is the world’s largest HD TV. Now fans can get crystal clear images on TV! While they’re at the game! It’s the next best thing to actually watching the game in front of you.

Let the Tailgating Begin!

Well, the final whistle has blown. The grill is dying down. Empties are bobbing in the cooler. Unfortunately, Saturday is almost over. What is the college football fan supposed to do now? Where is he or she supposed to go?

That’s easy, if you’ve got a computer and access to the internet (and if you’re reading this you probably do), here! EveryGameCounts!

Consider this your virtual stadium parking lot, for your virtual tailgate. Come here after the game to celebrate or agonize. Come here before the game to prognosticate and talk tough. And come here on the days in between, those agonizing days in between, to get your fix for everything college football.

We will be here for you. I will be here for you. We will be here for each other. Each week we’ll recap the action from the previous weekend and look forward to the big match-ups for the next.

We’ll also have stuff to keep you occupied while your favorite team website updates the latest recruiting news. Coaches and college football insiders will stop by to give their opinions and viewpoints as well. And sound off! Let us know what’s going on at your tailgate, band, and student section and more each weekend.

So stop by whenever you want, we’ll be here. That is, until kickoff.

McConaughey’s Wisdom

You know, Matthew McConaughey is connected to college football in a lot of ways. (I know bare with me on this one.)

We all saw him on the sidelines last year as he watched his Texas Longhorns (read: Vince Young) shred the Trojans defense in last season’s Rose Bowl. His love for his team cannot be denied.

He is also set to star in a movie about the tragic Marshall football team plane crash.

But it’s a line he said early on in his career in “Dazed and Confused” about his affinity for high school girls that really stuck with me:

I get older, they stay the same age.

Creepy? Slightly. But the same applies to a lot of what we love about college football. (Stay with me now.)

Last year we had two of the most unbelievable athletes on display in the same game when Vince Young and Reggie Bush squared off. Well, those two are gone now. But there will be two to take their place. When they’re gone, some more will fill their shoes, and so on and so on.

We fans age (definitely), mature (sometimes) and grow up (usually). But kids are always going to be there playing their butts off for their school. Yes, the same applies to the pros; there will always be someone to take the place of the superstar. But college is where it’s pure, where kids and teams make their names.

Franchises may change cities. It’s almost impossible for a star to stay on the same team his entire career. But the schools aren’t moving, the college teams aren’t going anywhere. You know where to find them on Saturday and you know the name on the front of the jersey is the one that matters. (Even though most teams don’t have the name on the front of their jersey, but you know what I’m saying!)

And this is not to bash professional football. Let’s face it, we love just about all kinds of football not played in a hockey rink or with a round ball. But we have enough headaches and complications in our worlds that sometimes we don’t want them in our football.

College football is just that, football. Pure and simple. I’ll take it any day of the week no matter how old I am.

And guess what? It will be there.

It's Good To Be In the Game

College football fans, I know you’ve done it. You’ve rushed to the store the day EA Sports puts out its latest version of NCAA Football and before even playing a game, you check the roster. You edit player numbers and names. You create that sought after freshman that isn’t in the game. And maybe, some of you put yourself in the game.

It’s ok, it’s fine. That is perfectly normal no matter what your better half has to say.

Because we, the true fans of fall Saturdays, know that getting your fix in between Saturdays…I mean from Saturday to Thursday night or Friday night (it’s getting easier to survive between Saturdays isn’t it? That’s another topic for another time) is vital to our survival. We want everyday to be football Saturday.

That’s why we love to create our own coaches, build our sleeping-giant ACC team into a national title contender every season with unheard of three and four-time Heisman winning players. Make Chapel Hill what it was truly meant to be, the mecca of college football!!

Sorry, I got a little distracted by my own legacy built last season which will continue this year.

You get the idea, and those of you that know what I’m talking about have the same feeling. For us, the passion doesn’t turn off with the last batch of highlights (local and national) early Sunday morning. We wake up wanting to replay the games.

That’s why this game, nay…this saving grace, let’s us escape to college stadiums and campuses whenever we want. It helps us through the week. We know how important it is in the off season when you can right the wrongs of the year gone by and make the Tar Heels the BCS winners they should be!

Sorry, got caught up again.

You’ve done it. You’ve put yourself on the sideline, on the field and in the game. The feeling of Saturday is why we play, and it’s why we watch. It’s why we love those precious days so much.

It will never replace the real thing. But it gives us a fix. So what’s wrong with having a football Saturday on a Tuesday afternoon? Not a thing my friends. Who wants a game?

College Colors Day

College Colors Day is September 1st!