Admit it. You know you love preseason polls -- and preseason magazines -- and preseason All-Whatever teams -- and preseason award watch lists -- and preseason college football columns. (OK, heres hoping you actually do love that last one.)As one who is involved in pretty much all of the above, I can tell you there is a lot of thought and number-crunching that goes into that material. The intent is always, well, well-intended. But no matter how much work we put in, we also know deep down that its mostly just a series of educated guesses. A big chunk of what all we said would happen will end up missing the target worse than your overserved college roommate who decided he wanted to play darts at 2 a.m.With that in mind and with Kickoff Week -- the week that officially declares all of the preseason chatter null and void -- rapidly approaching, what will we have gotten wrong this time?Here are the five November/December headlines we didnt see coming in August:November 13: MILES OUT AT LSUAfter a promising 7-0 start and another seemingly unstoppable Heisman campaign for Leonard Fournette, the bad vibes and bitter tones of late 2015 returned to Death Valley, and this time there was no last-second rally to save the job of Les Miles. A streak of three consecutive losses -- home setbacks at the hands of Ole Miss and Alabama, followed by a rout on the road at Arkansas -- ended the once-beloved coachs tenure two games shy of a complete dozen seasons at LSU. In the end, a fifth consecutive season without an SEC West crown and a sixth consecutive loss to Alabama was his undoing.?November 26:?TOM HERMAN LEAVES HOUSTON...AND THE ENTIRE STATE OF TEXASAfter a dizzying two seasons at the helm of the Houston Cougars program, a program slated to join the Big 12 in 2017, head coach Tom Herman and his 23-3 record will leave after the schools appearance in next weekends American Athletic Conference title game against Cincinnati. Many believed that he would remain in the Lone Star State, but those same people also expected the states two biggest jobs -- Texas and/or Texas A&M -- would be available. However, when UTs Charlie Strong and A&Ms Kevin Sumlin were both retained, Herman elected to move next door to the recently-vacated position at... LSU.December 4: BIG TEN SHUT OUT OF COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFFPreseason projections had overwhelmingly surmised that for the second consecutive season the Pac-12 would be the Power 5 conference left standing outside the circle when the playoff music stopped. However, Stanford once again proved more resilient than expected, running over summer darlings USC, Washington and UCLA during a brutal September and capturing its fourth conference title in six years. Their lone loss, to Notre Dame, failed to hurt the Cardinal in the eyes of the College Football Playoff selection committee as much the losses scattered throughout the teams of the Big Ten. As predicted by ESPNs Stats & Information number crunchers, Michigan State and Iowa took big steps backward (in August the FPI formula said the Spartans would drop as much as 4.5 losses, the Hawkeyes 3.8 -- but also predicted Stanford would fall to 3.6 losses). That same formula also said there was an 82 percent chance that the Pac-12 champ would have two losses vs. the Big Tens 68 percent chance of a multiple-loss champion. However, the Big Ten champ ended up being Ohio State, who defeated Michigan at home to end the regular season and knocked off two-loss Nebraska in the conference championship game, but werent able to overcome being throttled at Oklahoma on Sept. 17 and a puzzling loss at Wisconsin on Oct. 15.December 4: CONFERENCE WITH BEST SHOT AT 2 PLAYOFF TEAMS? THE CONFERENCE WITH THE FEWEST TEAMS!Remember that time the Big 12 thought it might lock up half of the four-team playoff field but botched it so badly it was shut out entirely? This time, it didnt make those same mistakes. With help from the Big Ten (see above) and the Pac-12 (see above) an undefeated Oklahoma team cruised into the postseason and was closely followed by one of the seasons surprises, TCU. A Horned Frogs squad that spent 2015 fighting through an insane obstacle course of injuries to finish 11-2 found this years slate to be surprisingly manageable, defeating Arkansas at home in Week 2 and suffering only one loss, a close defeat to Oklahoma in Fort Worth.December 10: McCAFFREY AVENGES 2015 HEISMAN SNUB OVER UNLIKELY FIELDOK, the first half of this headline wouldnt be a surprise. But some of the guys sitting with Stanford RB Christian McCaffrey in New York will be. Chief among them, North Carolinas Elijah Hood, who posted huge rushing numbers against the likes of Georgia, Florida State and Clemson (in the ACC Championship) made a late push, unseating Leonard Fournette as his LSU team languished down the stretch. And a defensive player returns to the mix, sort of, via Michigans Jabrill Peppers, who matched his nutso 2015 stat of playing 10 different positions, scoring crucial touchdowns in a slump-busting win over Michigan State.OK, Doc Brown tells me that the flux capacitor is out of juice, so we have to return to the present day. And what do we do while we wait on him to find more garbage to pour into the Mr. Fusion? We get on with the business of Flipping The Field.Were going streaking! On Saturday night, the stars of FCS had their annual night on the big stage, an overtime thriller that saw top-ranked North Dakota State outlast No. 6 Charleston Southern in overtime. The win might well end up being the first step toward the Bison continuing the most dominant streak in FCS/1-AA history as they seek their sixth straight national championship. Also, both schools have upcoming chances to keep another streak alive. Since 1978, when the two divisions were established, at least one FCS team has defeated an FBS school. It might be too much to ask for a year like 2013, when 16 little brothers knocked off their big bros, or last year when it happened nine times. But on Sept. 10, Charleston Southern will travel to Tallahassee to play Florida State, who will be only five days removed from their opener with Ole Miss. The next weekend NDSU travels to Iowa after an off weekend to recover from their opening nail-biter.Danny Ford Scientific Rocket Quote of the Week When Tennessee offensive lineman Jashon Robertson was asked about Thursday night opponent Appalachian State (7:30 PM ET, SEC Network), he said of the Mountaineers: We see guys who strain their butts off. I get what hes saying. Its a compliment. They work hard. But it still makes me uncomfortable reading it.Speaking of Tennessee:? Great move by the Vols equipment staff, commemorating the life of Pat Summitt with helmet stickers throughout the 2016 season.Speaking of Tennessee again:? One week ago, the Bristol Motor Speedway wasnt merely a racetrack, it was a racetrack that had been soaked with two days of rain, host of a delayed NASCAR Sprint Cup race and a solid 24 hours behind schedule. Now its already nearly a football stadium, with the field more than halfway installed and the media center and Goodyear tire buildings already deep into their transitions into locker rooms. Much more on this next week as we march toward the Sept. 10 Battle at Bristol between the Vols and Virginia Tech (8 p.m. ET, ABC).?Speaking of NASCAR:The Sprint Cup Series raced at the Michigan International Speedway on Sunday. Officially the track is in Jackson, but a lot of teams stay in the hotels of Ann Arbor. Dale Earnhardt Jr. is out of action recovering from concussion-like symptoms, but his Hendrick Motorsports Chevy was still on the track with substitute driver Alex Bowman and sporting a paint job very familiar to the locals. Former IndyCar team owner Jim Harbaugh was not in the pits. These days, hes a little busy. Nationwide, Earnhardts primary sponsor, is based in Columbus, Ohio. Wonder if there was a fistfight in the boardroom when this idea came up?Frank Reich Comeback of the Week Award: James Conner, RB, Pitt In 2014, Conner was the ACC Player of the Year after rushing for 1,765 yards and 26 TDs. In the 2015 season opener, he tore his right medial collateral ligament and was told he would miss the season. Then in the middle of that lost season he was diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma. Now, after both rehab and cancer treatment, Conner was declared cancer-free in May and has rejoined the Panthers to work alongside last years ACC offensive freshman of the year, Qadree Ollison, who ran for 1,121 yards in 2015. Last week, he was named one of the teams three captains. This week, hell lead Pitt in its opener against Villanova, with the Penn State rivalry renewal set for Week 2.?The Guy You Should Know About, But Probably Dont: Easton Stick, QB, North Dakota State Sure, his numbers were great (17 of 27, 194 yards, 2 TDs passing and 69 yards rushing), but dudes name is Easton Stick. Has there ever been a better name for someone being asked to distribute beatdowns? At the very least he should have a baseball bat endorsement deal in his future.The Guy You Used to Know About But Forgot About But You Should Know About Again: Taysom Hill, QB, BYU You might remember Hill as the guy who threw for 2,938 yards and ran for another 1,344 in 2013. Or you might remember him as the guy who played four games before a broken leg in 2014. Or you might remember him as the guy who came back from that leg break only to suffer a season-ending foot injury in the 2015 season opener, setting the stage for Tanner Mangum to lead the Cougars through one of the most heart-stopping seasons in recent BYU history. Well, now Hill has beaten out Mangum to reclaim the starting job for the Kickoff Week matchup at Arizona. If you find yourself holding your breath every time he takes a snap, dont be ashamed. So will his entire family.Speaking of BYU QBs:? Have you see the videos of great college football plays that the guy creates using Legos? Heres last years Hail Mary from Mangum that defeated Nebraska.The Team You Should Know About, But Probably Dont: California If you didnt stay up late on Friday night to watch Sonny Dykes squad rout Hawaii, thats cool. I get it. You have to rest up for the real opening weekend. But if you did take a look, then you saw the Bear Raid offense take a little while to get rolling behind transfer starting QB Davis Webb before he finally piled up 441 yards and four TDs through the air. Is that a big deal against Hawaii? No. (Reminder: the Bottom 10 returns next week!) But the Bears also didnt turn the ball over once and Webb spread it around to multiple receivers. Is that a big deal against Hawaii? Yes. Any flawless performance in an opening game is a big deal. While no one is ready to say Cal is now a legit Pac-12 title contender, anyone who watched them Friday night realizes it might not be a conference title winner, but on any given Saturday -- especially playing at home -- it is certainly good enough to ruin the conference title hopes of someone else.(https://twitter.com/CalFootball/status/7...42888603650)The Game You Should Be Psyched For But Probably Arent: North Carolina vs. Georgia?In the midst of the much (and deservedly) ballyhooed Greatest Opening Weekend Ever, it was inevitable that one matchup would get lost in the ridiculously rich Kickoff Week schedule, and this appears to be the one. Last month, I chatted with Chick-Fil-A Bowl officials and they were downright giddy about the teams and the placement of their annual SEC-ACC showdown (5:30 p.m. ET, ESPN). They should be. The changes at Georgia with head coach Kirby Smart have been well-documented, as are the talents of the Dawgs backfield of Sony Michel and Nick Chubb as they work through injuries. But weve already told you about Elijah Hood, the dilithium crystal in Carolinas warp drive offense. Another key Tar Heel is wide receiver/kick returner Ryan Switzer. The senior would have fit very nicely into our Guy You Should Know About category. His next punt return for a touchdown will be his eighth, tying the NCAA career record, currently shared by Antonio Perkins (Oklahoma) and Wes Welker (Texas Tech).Extra Point It has truly been puzzling this year how the nations news attention turned a bit of a blind eye to flooding in both West Virginia and Baton Rouge. However, those natural disasters have not been ignored by those throughout the college sport community. Anyone who makes a habit of following the Twitter and Instagram feeds of SEC schools knows that their athletes and staffs spent August rallying to the cause of those suffering in LSUs back yard.?Same for Jimbo Fisher and Nick Saban, who might be the head coaches at FSU and Alabama, but are West Virginia natives first. They have both continued to try to keep the plight in spotlight, an effort that goes back to their joint effort to help the states high school sports programs recover via equipment donations. Nike Air Max 90 Black . Giroud, who wasnt in the starting lineup for two matches after allegations about his private life and a decline in form, scored twice in the first half. Tomas Rosickys chip made it 3-0 before half time at Emirates Stadium, while defender Laurent Koscielny scored an unmarked header in the second half. Nike Air Max 90 Blue . -- Arizona raced out to a big lead and did not back off, hitting the accelerator instead. http://www.airmax90outletonline.com/ . The team says the Spain international has a muscle pull in his right leg. Barcelona hosts third-division side Cartagena in the return leg of their round-of-32 tie after winning their first meeting 4-1. Cheap Nike Air Max 90 Mens . Each of Houstons starters scored in double figures as the Rockets improved to 2-0 against the Spurs this season, with both victories coming on the road. They also moved within 3 1/2 games of San Antonio (22-7) for the lead the Southwest Division. Nike Air Max 90 Grey . The injury bothered Bledsoe in the Suns victory over the Clippers on Monday and he sat out the teams home loss to Memphis on Thursday night. OAKLAND, Calif. -- Its been 40 days since Pittsburgh Pirates left-hander Francisco Liriano won a game. Hell try to end that drought Sunday afternoon against the Oakland As and impressive rookie pitcher Daniel Mengden.Liriano had ERAs of 3.38 or lower in each of his past three seasons with Pittsburg and went a combined 35-25. This year, hes 4-8 with a 5.33 ERA, more than a full run higher than his career mark of 4.05.A mysterious lack of command has been a key to Liarianos struggles. In his previous start, he walked five and lasted only 4 1/3 innings in a 5-4 loss to the Dodgers on Monday. He gave up four hits and five runs (four earned).Over his past six starts, Liriano is 0-5 with a 7.12 ERA with 24 walks in 30 1/3 innings. Hes allowed five home runs and 36 hits during that stretch. He hasnt won a game since May 24 against Arizona.Ive been here before, Liriano said after his loss to the Dodgers. Ive just got to stay positive and keep working.Liriano went 6-12 with a 5.34 ERA in 2012, pitching for the Twins and White Sox, before signing with the Pirates as a free agent on Feb. 8, 2013. In his first season with Pittsburgh, he went 16-8 with a 3.02 ERA. He walked 63 and struck out 163 in 161 innings.I would never have called him a pinpoint pitcher his whole career, Pirates catcher Chris Stewart said Saturday before the Pirates 4-2, 10-inning victory. I think this year is a little more out of the zone with certain things, falling behind a lot of hitters and putting guys on base, and it seems like guys are getting big hits against him when theyre on base.Its just a mattter of him going out, trusting his stuff, attacking the strike zone, establishing the fastball command early, and that way hell get the chases on the other stuff.ddddddddddddMengden is 1/3 in four starts, but he has a 2.81 ERA and is coming off his first career major league victory. He allowed two hits and four runs over a career-high 7 2/3 innings in an 8-3 victory Monday against the San Francisco Giants at AT&T Park.Mengden started the season with Double-A Midland, was promoted to Triple-A Nashville then was called up to the As on June 11. He has 26 strikeouts and nine walks over 25 2/3 innings. With each major league start, his confidence has grown.Every time you step on the rubber and get out there you gain experience and confidence and trust in yourself, as well, said Mengden, who will try to prevent the Pirates from sweeping the three-game series. Getting used to the atmosphere, the type of hitters youre facing. The more and more you do it, the easier it gets, and I guess the more confidence youll get. And Ive been throwing well, so that always helps with the confidence and trusting my stuff. Its a lot of fun.Mengden scouted the Pirates hitters on Monday in the series opener and again on Tuesday. He knows what to expect when he takes the mound in the series finale.They have a lot of balance to their whole lineup, Mengden said. Speed, power. Theyre a good team. ... Its always nice seeing a few guys face a team before you face them. 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