Ivan Maisel is a senior writer for ESPN.com and can be seen on everything from ESPN College Game Day to ESPNews. He is an expert on college football and he is one of the most entertaining and well-connected people in the business.
I called him Wednesday to talk college football and the first thing I asked him was about his travel schedule. He laughed, “I get on a plane in the morning and I don’t get off until the first week of January.”
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Maisel on the ACC » “Right now I like Virginia Tech but they will be pushed by North Carolina, Florida State and don’t sleep on North Carolina State. There are plenty of good teams in the conference but not a great team — yet. Tech is the ACC’s best bet for a BCS bowl. There are a lot of teams rebuilding and I really see the ACC with a bright future.”
Maisel on Maryland » “I like what Ralph Friedgen is doing in College Park. They should have a good year but their problem is depth. If they can stay healthy they can be a force in the ACC — the schedule is favorable for them at home. To win the ACC title might be out of their reach this year but the Terps will always be competitive because of talented skill position players and a tough defense. Both [are] trademarks of a Friedgen-coached team.”
Maisel on the top four teams » “Can someone sneak past Florida, Texas, Oklahoma and USC to win the BCS National Title? Yes, it is possible but very unlikely. The Gators have a tough schedule and could get tripped up along the way. However, I just don’t see a scenario where one of those teams is not in Pasadena playing for the title. There is a reason why these schools are ranked so high and these guys are good.”
Maisel on the inclusion of all teams in the BCS like NCAA does in college basketball » “I remember talking to Roy Kramer, the former commissioner of the SEC, and I asked him if the BCS opened things up to all college football teams that wanted to be part of it like in basketball. He said sure we can do that but Texas, Oklahoma, USC, Alabama, Ohio State and Michigan will be there. The big conferences will always be there, so sure let everyone in but it is likely not going to matter.”
Maisel can be found at ESPN.com and his columns are must reads for college football fans.
The 2009 season should be great for college football. The advent of digital cable, satellite TV and broadband makes following the games better than ever.
Jim Williams is a seven-time Emmy Award-winning TV producer, director and writer. Check out his blog, Watch this! on washingtonexaminer.com.
