It's that time again, football fans!  Kickoff to the 2010 season is upon us at last! 

As per usual, there is a heaping helping of cupcakes to start off the season, but don't let that fool you into thinking there isn't ample reason to watch.  There are a lot of questions heading into this season and an epic battle for the conference crown is brewing. 

This week will answer some of those questions and give us a nice little peak at who might really challenge for the conference title and who has a long way to go.

Without further ado, let's look at the first match-ups of the season:

Since December, when Big Ten Commissioner Jim Delany announced that his conference would be exploring the posibility of expansion, the internet has been abuzz with speculation, opinion, and predictions.  How many teams would the conference add?  Who would be getting an invite? 

To clear the muddy picture just a little, you have to investigate what it is that the conference really wants to achieve.

With the recent talk of possible expansion by both the Big Ten and Pac-10, the playoff debate has simmered down considerably.  Add to that the fact that few people were really upset by the choice of Alabama and Texas for the National Title game, and the issue has all but disappeared.  That doesn't mean that all is right in college football.  One good season does not erase the idea that there needs to be change.  What irrates me the most though, is that so many fans and Talking Heads alike just don't get it.  They miss the point entirely.

I'm going to finally throw my two-cents into the ring and tell you why the arguments that are out there now are missing the mark.

IF THE CAMPUS BCS CHAMPIONSHIP TOURNAMENT HAD BEEN PLAYED

Senior Analyst Mark Noe has done a masterful job of putting together a ten team playoff to settle any and all National Title debates.  I like his proposal; I really do.  But now that the bowl games have all been played and the BCS is patting itself on the back for “getting it right”, I still can’t help from wondering: did they?  Better yet, could there have been an even more interesting match-up for the crystal football?

The more I looked at Mark’s pairings, the more I started to think that there really could have been a very different outlook to the championship game.

The season may be over with, but we can still have a little fun.  Here’s a look at what might’ve been.

PLAY IN (aka “Wild Card” round)

#8 Florida vs. #9 Boise State

The Broncos looked pretty good against TCU (and Oregon in the first week), but there were some other games that were a little closer than they should have been.  Tulsa, Louisiana Tech, and Nevada were within striking distance of upsetting the best team in the WAC.

Florida was the top team in the nation right up until they dropped the SEC championship game to ‘Bama.  They had their own close calls along the road.  Tennessee was within ten points (as was South Carolina), and Arkansas came within three points of upsetting the defending National Champs.

The way I see it…

So here we are; the final weekend of the regular season. It’s hard to believe the season’s done already. After this weekend we’ll know who’s playing for the National Title, who’s going to what bowl games, and who got the shaft. There are two teams in the Big Ten playing well after the rest have packed it up and gone home. I’ll take a look at those games as well as a quick run down of who should be going where when the bowl season starts.

Fresno State at Illinois Saturday, December 5th, 12:30 ET (BTN)

Why would you want to watch this game?

Well, Fresno State may not be Cincinnati, but at 7-4, they’re going bowling and really want a clear idea of which bowl they’ll be gracing this month. An 8-4 record sure looks better than a 7-5 one when you’re trying to impress bowl reps.

Illinois couldn’t play the spoiler last week against Cincy, but can they do it this week against a much weaker team from Fresno? The Illini need something positive to carry into next year. A win here could do wonders for this program.

So, what’s the skinny?