Gästebereich » Funding Holiday Bowl, Northern Illinois would be

College football national championships arent won in the first half of the season.Ask Baylor, Utah?and TCU, all of which were ranked in the top four after seven weeks of the 2015 season. Of course, none of them made the College Football Playoff, and eventual national champion Alabama was ranked No. 8 after seven games, before climbing to the top at seasons end.But the midpoint of the season at least gives us a chance to look back at what transpired during the first half. And there were plenty of thrilling finishes, compelling storylines and memorable plays and performances.Heres your chance to vote for the best in college football from the first half of the 2016 season:Offensive player of the yearSchlabach says?...?Lamar Jackson, LouisvilleThe sophomore has accounted for 30 touchdowns, which is more than 98 FBS teams have scored at this point. Enough said.Defensive player of the yearSchlabach says?...?Jabrill Peppers, MichiganPeppers has played so many positions for the Wolverines so far this season its getting hard to keep track. On defense, he has 38 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, 2? sacks, six quarterback hurries and one forced fumble. Plus, hes averaging nearly 20 yards per carry on offense and is as dynamic as any kick returner in the country.Coach of the yearSchlabach says?...?Mike MacIntyre, ColoradoAfter winning a total of two Pac-12 games in MacIntyres first three seasons, the Buffaloes are 5-2 overall, 3-1 in the league, and in the thick of the Pac-12 South race.Best first-year coachSchlabach says?...?Justin Fuente, Virginia TechSure, the Hokies 34-17 loss at Syracuse last week took some luster off the first half of Fuentes first season at Virginia Tech. But the Hokies are 4-2 and upset then-No. 17 North Carolina 34-3 on the road and remain very much in the thick of a crowded ACC Coastal title race. Not bad for a guy who had the unenviable task of replacing legendary coach Frank Beamer.Biggest surprise teamSchlabach says?...West VirginiaWho else had the Mountaineers unbeaten through five games? Theyve yet to face the meat of the Big 12 schedule, but their 48-17 rout of Texas Tech on the road last week was an eye-opener. Theyre in the mix for a Big 12 title, and play No. 16 Oklahoma and No. 9 Baylor at home.Most disappointing teamSchlabach says?... Notre DameThe Fighting Irish are 2-5, their worst start since beginning 1-6 during a 3-9 campaign in 2007, and they just lost to Stanford, which didnt have star tailback Christian McCaffrey. Defensive coordinator Brian VanGorder was fired after four games, and quarterback DeShone Kizer now looks lost.Coach on the hot seatSchlabach says?... Charlie Strong, TexasBarring a complete turnaround down the stretch, the Longhorns will probably be looking for a new coach after the season. Strong has a 14-17 record in two-plus seasons in Austin, and he demoted defensive coordinator Vance Bedford earlier this month. It was the second time in as many years that he changed coordinators during the season.Coach on the riseSchlabach says?... Tom Herman, HoustonHerman is the hottest name in the coaching carousel right now, and he might have his pick among LSU, Texas (if it opens) and other openings at seasons end. The Big 12s decision to table expansion for now only increases the odds of him leaving Houston.Comeback playerSchlabach says?... James Conner, PittsburghConner battled Hodgkins lymphoma during the offseason, while he worked his way back from the torn ACL that sidelined him for the 2015 season. He was declared cancer-free on May 23 and leads the Panthers with 531 rushing yards and seven touchdowns.Top freshman (offense)Schlabach says?... Jalen Hurts, AlabamaHurts, the first freshman to start at quarterback for Nick Saban, has led the No. 1 Crimson Tide to a 7-0 record. He has completed 63.5 percent of his passes for 1,385 yards with nine touchdowns and three interceptions, while rushing for 428 yards with eight scores.Top freshman (defense)Schlabach says?... Dexter Lawrence, ClemsonLawrence, a 6-foot-5, 340-pound defensive tackle, has helped defending ACC champion Clemson replace its top two pass-rushers from last season. He has 44 tackles, 4? tackles for loss, 2 sacks and 17 quarterback pressures in seven games.Heisman front-runnerSchlabach says?... Lamar JacksonJackson was a one-man highlight show in the first half of the season. He has already rushed for 15 touchdowns and thrown for 15 scores, and hes on pace to become only the fourth player in FBS history to finish a season with 20 touchdowns rushing and passing. Hes completing 58.2 percent of his passes for 1,806 yards and leads the No. 7 Cardinals with 832 rushing yards.Best finishSchlabach says?...?Tennessee 34, Georgia 31After the Volunteers rallied from a 17-point deficit to take a 28-24 lead with less than three minutes to play, Georgias Jacob Eason fired a 47-yard touchdown to Riley Ridley to put the Bulldogs in front 31-28 with 10 seconds left. But then Joshua Dobbs threw a 43-yard touchdown to Jauan Jennings on a Hail Mary pass on the final play, giving the Volunteers an improbable 34-31 victory on Oct. 1.Biggest upsetSchlabach says?...?Navy 46, Houston 40The Midshipmens stunning upset of the then-No. 6 Cougars on Oct. 8 might have cost Houston an AAC title and possibly a spot in the College Football Playoff. It was Navys first win over a top-10 opponent since upsetting then-No. 2 South Carolina in 1984, and ended its 0-18 drought against AP top-10 foes.Best playsSchlabach says?...?Lamar Jacksons touchdown run against Florida StateJackson had more than a few Heisman-esque moments in the first half of the season (like his leap over Syracuse cornerback Cordell Hudson), but his 47-yard touchdown run in a 63-20 rout of then-No. 2 Florida State was most memorable. It featured a nasty cut and electrifying spin move into the end zone. It even prompted Michael Vick to proclaim on Twitter that Jackson was five times better than he was at Virginia Tech.Worst playsSchlabach says?...?South Carolina State kick returner forgets to take a kneeDuring a season in which weve seen far too many players drop the ball before the goal line, South Carolina States Ahmaad Harris might have taken the prize in the Bulldogs 59-0 loss at Clemson. 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The head of USA Boxing came out swinging Tuesday with an open letter to Tyson -- a former Olympic hopeful himself -- that accuses the former heavyweight champion of trying to poach fighters who might be candidates for the U. Nike Air Max 720 Baratas . Oyama had six birdies and two bogeys at Kintetsu Kashikojima in the event also sanctioned by the Japan LPGA Tour. "I have been having this neck ache thats been affecting my golf recently," Oyama said. If Minnesota boycotts the National Funding Holiday Bowl, Northern Illinois would be the replacement team based on the Huskies APR (Academic Progress Rate) ranking, sources tell ESPN.NIU had the next highest APR of the 5-7 teams, but the NCAAs Football Oversight Committee would have to officially approve the Huskies replacing Minnesota, if the Gophers decided not to play, sources said.The Gophers are slated to play Washington State on Dec. 27 in San Diego.The Huskies would likely play in the game if a decision could be reached in the next 48 hours, a source told ESPN. Among the challenges for NIU, a source said, would be gettting its student-athletes to the San Diego bowl since NIUs commencement was last weekend and some student-athletes have already left campus.dddddddddddd Other challenges would be having enough practices and preparation time to prepare for Washington State.Sources said moving the Holiday Bowl back a few days to allow NIU more preparation time is not an option for several reasons, including existing travel plans by Washington State, local accommodation and television commitments, and other factors. ' ' '