FOOTBALL

• Card Chronicle says having a new coach is fun, especially when Charlie Strong picks up a commitment on his first day -- from the outstanding QB prospect DeMarcus Smith.
• More Charlie Strong: Card Chronicle loved that their new head coach is genuine and shows emotion, something Krag1N1... did not.
• Burnt Orange Nation says that everyone writing off Texas may well be a good thing.
• Tomahawk Nation, on Florida State's December to remember.
• Hail to the Orange reacts to a story that Illinois boosters are unhappy with the decision to give Ron Zook another year to right the ship.
• The Rivalry, Esq. takes an early look at the Rose Bowl by interviewing the enemy of the Big Ten's enemy, Oregon State blog Building the Dam.
• BCS Evolution asks if we could have a split national title, a la 2003.

BASKETBALL

• Crimson Quarry previews the upcoming Kentucky-Indiana basketball game.
• Blogger So Dear takes a stab at an early season All-ACC team.
• Coug Center with two interesting and thoughtful posts on the Washington State hoops team: (1) a look at why a team that wants to run up-tempo can't run the "Pack Hybrid" defense, and (2) a post on the importance of taking care of the basketball to limit turnovers.
• Slipper Still Fits takes a look at departed-from-UCLA Drew Gordon and wonders whether he'll be allowed to transfer in-state, given the UC Chancellor's proclamation that, due to the budget crisis, no students would be allowed to transfer at all this year in the UC System.