College football returneth!

We'll begin with the imminent start of a new college football season by discussing one of the biggest ramifications coming out of the Big Ten realignment right now - the very likely loss of the Michigan-Ohio State game to end the season. Let's not fool ourselves: the rivalry between the Wolverines and Buckeyes is one of the oldest and most revered in the country - not just in college football, but among all sports. It will now be subjugated and victimized by the Big Ten braintrust that now seems to believe that splitting Michigan and Ohio State will result in a larger bottom line. And don't fool yourself; the motivating factor for anything in college football now is the bottom line - whether it's in stadium revenues, television revenues or whatever else, the BCS has taught us that college football is about maximum profit just as much as the NFL is. In fact, the frenzy for more revenue is what's perpetuating these realignments and in-conference maneuvers. The college conference powers are becoming willing to trade tradition for projected money - and that's the key to me, something illustrated by the coming Michigan-Ohio State split. Anyone in the Big Ten knows that Michigan-Ohio State, as well as being tradition, is extremely lucrative as it is. It's the biggest game of the conference every year. What the Big Ten aims to do, in the split, is push that profit margin by hoping - hoping - the teams might meet for a Conference Championship game some year. Given the state of Wolverine football, that's a somewhat far-fetched notion at present. Sure, the Wolverines might play the Buckeyes during the season nonetheless, but it won't be that iconic last game. It won't be a game that the season has built up to. No, sadly, it will just be another game on the schedule. And that is a loss to college football as a whole.

In other college football news, there's already lots of Heisman predictions going around. This is, to me, the most ludicrous thing imaginable. Of all sports, college football can be one of the most unpredictable, particularly when it comes to projecting individual players. There's no exact science to it and it's common that, by the halfway point of the season, most of the projected Heisman winners have fallen off the concept entirely. For example, Mark Ingram was a subject of consideration, but now that he's going to miss time, he's written off a week later. Therein lies the absurdity of predicting Heisman winners so early - too much can change during the season to start beforehand, and things can even change before the season. Now, I'm all for a lively debate. I'm fine with predicting how teams will do, as that's a somewhat more precise science. But charting how an individual will do, before he even sets cleat on the field for the season... well, let's face it, it's ridiculous.