Dan Shanoff writes a weekly college football column for Deadspin. Email him to let him know what you think.
Nothing says "end-of-the-year" (or "MSG hangover") like a batch of fairly obvious, entirely shallow superlatives, representing the best and worst of 2007, with a baseless look-ahead to 2008. Feel free to add your own in the comments.
Biggest moment: App State beats Michigan
Biggest upset: Stanford beats USC
Biggest game, individual: Darren McFadden vs. LSU
Biggest "YouTube" clip: Trinity's "15 Laterals" to beat Millsaps
Biggest Cinderella: South Florida Kansas, Illinois (tie)
Biggest dud: Cal, Louisville (tie)
Biggest choke:: West Virginia at home vs. Pitt
Biggest symbolism, on-field: Navy beats Notre Dame
Biggest symbolism, off-field: I-AA teams in I-A Top 25 poll
Biggest trend: Deploying a QB who can run
Biggest scandal: FSU's mass bowl ineligibility
Biggest news-maker: Nick Saban
Biggest back-in: Ohio State
Biggest bandwagon: Tim Tebow
Plus 5 Predictions for 2008:
Biggest game: Ohio State at USC, Sept. 13
Biggest headline: "Plus-One" "playoff" "approved"
Biggest coaching opening: Notre Dame
Heisman Winner: Percy Harvin
BCS Championship Game: USC vs. Florida
Coming next week: Bowl hangover.
As usual, send any questions or comments to danshanoff-[at]-gmail-[dot]-com.













Comments
How is LSU less of a "back-in" than OSU?
Isn't Shanoff's entire shtick "a batch of fairly obvious, entirely shallow superlatives"? Why would the end of the year column be any different?
Wow, someone mailed it in this week.
@Lamppost: just this week? where have you been the past three or four months?
@Tobias Funke: Best batch of fairly obvious, entirely shallow superlatives EVER!
No way Notre Dame fires Weis with so much money left on that deal.
Shanoff, there is no 1-AA anymore, only Zuul!!!
Is that Yostal in the photo?
Somehow, I feel better that The Unpleasantness is not the biggest upset of the year. It is important, I can't ignore that, but yeah, I think it's very important people recognize that Appalachian State is that good and Michigan was not that good this year, well, at least, not top 5 good.
@UkraineNotWeak: Nope, Silent Bob became a Michigan superfan.
Interesting, another Gator for Heisman. Couldn't have seen that coming.
@Yinka Double Dare:
Looks more like Dom Delouise as Captain Chaos in the Cannonball Run movies.
@Tebow2007: Div. 1-AA has been knocked out with 100 MG of Thorazine, it'll be taking a little nap now...
@TomahawkFlop: More shocking he didnt just give it Tebow again, I think thats in his contract or something.
@HugsFromHarold:
Cannonball Run. Nothing beats Jamie Farr as an Arab sheik.
@UkraineNotWeak: Couldn't be me, my attempt at facial hair in 2006 was a blotchy mess.
@HugsFromHarold:
So next to him must be his faithful companion "Kato"??
"Say hello, Kato!"
@crazyjoedavola:
At least he's right in that Harvin will be/was/is the best player on that team.
Most Devastating Injury: Dennis Dixon.
@UkraineNotWeak: Davis and Martin as the priests. Or in the 2nd one Tony Danza getting out acted by a monkey!
If Mangino gets hired away, Kansas may have an argument for biggest coaching opening.
@HugsFromHarold: One of those great awful movies. Jackie Chan as the porn watching driver!
So, that Ohio State-Southern Cal tilt: does that count as OSU playing a legitimate game, or since its the two biggest pretenders from the two biggest pretender conferences, does it just not exist?
Oh, yeah, & #### the Rose Bowl & it's WASP overseers.
(Saying what the post couldn't.)
@HugsFromHarold:
Frank Sinatra basically phoning in his performance. I swear he was not acting in the same room at the same time as the other actors in his scenes. The shots of him reading dialogue alone seem to have been inserted into the film.
Is this post a contender for "Most Blatant Post-Christmas Phone-In?"
Biggest: Mangino
/mailing it in as well.
"Shit."
Florida Heisman winner? Check
An SEC team being in the MNC? Check
USC being in the MNC? Check
USC having the biggest game of the year? Check
This looks an awful lot like the 2007 CFB preseason predictions.
Shanoff, you're becoming as boring and predictable as the SSW.
@Turd Ferguson: That's because Shanoff got beaten, tied up, and left to die in a wood shed somewhere, and Weintraub has been posing as him ever since.
"Biggest Cinderella"... kansas?
Doesn't Cinderella usually BEAT an opponent of note?
I'm still trying to figure out who kansas BEAT that is noteworthy...
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