It’s hard to believe that the college football season is nearing its midway point – kind of like it’s hard to believe that South Carolina managed to knock off Alabama last weekend, or the fact that for the first time in a long time, an SEC team isn’t firmly entrenched in the top five.

Whether it’s difficult to grasp or not, the midseason point is indeed upon us – and here is a Midseason All-American Team to help celebrate that fact, featuring – in some cases – players and player stats that are, well… equally as hard to believe.

College Football’s 2010 Midseason All-American Team

OFFENSE

QB – Kellen Moore (Boise State)

Many may have an urge to push for Taylor Martinez or Denard Robinson, but no one is more valuable to his team than Moore, who continues to post high completion percentage numbers, while only throwing 1 INT on the season and having the country’s best QB rating to date

RB – LaMichael James (Oregon)

LaMichael James isn't just a Midseason All-American, but should be considered the Heisman frontrunner

James should be considered a Heisman frontrunner at this point – and his gaudy statistics (nearly 170 yards/game, best in the nation) are the main spark for a potent Oregon offense.

RB – John Clay (Wisconsin)

In a tight race for this slot, Clay has been steady, posting multiple 100-yard games, leading a solid Badgers rushing attack and scoring 9 TD’s on the season.

WR – Justin Blackmon (Oklahoma State)

With Blackmon, it’s hard to argue the numbers, as through five games, he leads the nation in yards/game (149.6), is first among receivers in touchdowns (11) and second in total yards (748).

WR – Alshon Jeffery (South Carolina)

A.J. Green was expected to be the SEC representative on this list, but has missed part of the season due to ineligibility. That leaves Jeffery, who has been the SEC’s most consistent – and potent – receiver, with 34 catches and 600+ yards in just five games.

WR – Ryan Broyles (Oklahoma)

Broyles has been one of the most consistent receivers in all of college football this season, and easily Landry Jones’ favorite target – as he averages over 9 receptions/game (second only to OSU’s Blackmon).

TE – Lance Kendricks (Wisconsin)

Only 3 tight ends crack the Top 100 in total receiving yards/game – and Kendricks leads the trio averaging over 15 yards per catch.

C – Kris O’Dowd (USC)

O’Dowd has been a steady force for a Trojans team that has likely been fighting a rollercoaster of emotions knowing that the postseason is not obtainable.

OT – Anthony Castonzo (Boston College)

Even during a long year for the Eagles, the 6’7” Castonzo is still considered by many to be one of the best (if not the best) tackles in college football.

OT – Gabe Carimi (Wisconsin)

If not for talented big men in the trenches such as Carimi, John Clay and the rest of the Wisconsin running game would not see nearly as much success.

OG – Steve Schilling (Michigan)

There’s a reason that Denard Robinson is getting so many yards – and that’s the assistance from (and improvement of) the Wolverines O-line, which is headlined by Schilling.

OG – Nate Potter (Boise State)

Hey, there’s also a reason that Kellen Moore completes such a high percentage of his passes, because he has quality linemen like Potter that can consistently protect him in the pocket.

DEFENSE

DE – Adrian Clayborn (Iowa)

He forces opponents to double up on him consistently and changes the entire way a game is played, wreaking havoc in the trenches.  Clayborn is a sure fire top 10 pick in the draft.

DT – Nick Fairley (Auburn)

He leads the SEC in tackles for a loss (12 ½) – and is ranked second overall in the nation.  Fairley has been giving headaches to opposing offenses all season.

DT – Drake Nevis (LSU)

The Tigers remain undefeated, and the play of Nevis on defense (5 sacks and 10 ½ tackles for a loss) has been a big reason for LSU’s early season run.

DE – Ryan Kerrigan (Purdue)

Purdue's Ryan Kerrigan has been a beast in the Big Ten this season

Kerrigan has been healthy this year and the numbers show, cracking the nation’s top ten in sacks (5 ½), while also leading the country in tackles for a loss, with 13.

LB – Luke Keuchly (Boston College)

Many likely haven’t heard of him, but Kuechly has been all over the field so far this season – and is second in the nation in solo tackles (40) and fourth in total tackles.

LB – Manti Te’o (Notre Dame)

With a lot of big future NFL Draft names not making this list, Te’o is one of the younger up-and-comers, a sophomore, who is among the country’s top 10 in tackles per game to date.

LB – A.J. Klein (Iowa State)

Another sophomore linebacker on the list, Klein is among the top ten in total tackles, plus he has 3 interceptions on the season – two of which were “pick sixes”.

LB – Greg Jones (Michigan State)

Jones continues to put up steady numbers year after year, and is the leader of the Spartans defense, who handled Denard Robinson and Michigan last week.

CB – Patrick Peterson (LSU)

Peterson already has a couple of picks this season and is considered by many critics to be the best corner in the country – and a future high NFL draft pick.

CB – Mark Barron (Alabama)

Barron has been all over the field this season, recording 42 tackles, 2 sacks and an interception – including 28 tackles and 2 sacks over the last 3 games against solid SEC opponents.

FS – Rahim Moore (UCLA)

Considered by many to be the best safety in college football, Moore has recently stepped it up against quality road opponents, totaling 17 combined tackles against Texas and Cal.

SS – DeAndre McDaniel (Clemson)

Named a first-team All-American by the FWAA last season, McDaniel is well on his way to earning that honor again.

SPECIAL TEAMS

K – Collin Wagner (Penn State)

As painful as it is for Nittany Lions fans to hear, Wagner (13 FG’s through 6 games) has been the team’s offensive MVP.  For as bad as Penn State has been in the red zone, Wagner has been exactly the opposite.

P – Kyle Martens (Rice)

He’s had to punt more than five times a game this season, but Martens still averages nearly 48 yards per punt, which is third in all of college football.

KR – William Powell (Kansas State)

Powell has been the most consistent this season, returning 14 kicks with a 31.50 yard average.  Anyone else in the nation’s top 20 has a touchdown to bump their average, and not nearly as many returns.

PR – Cliff Harris (Oregon)

Only Maryland’s Tony Logan has a better average per punt return, but Harris has already returned three punts for touchdowns.

* Also posted to my Bleacher Report page

The latest edition of Tomatoes climbs the vine of sports topics and touches upon many recent stories including football legends and their sons, golf legends faltering at another major, former NBA stars dreaming of a comeback and much, much more.

So as the headlines continue to get generated, more stories of sports frustration emerge.  Don’t sweat it, The Wife Hates Sports has them covered – in lycopene, that is.

Throwing Tomatoes: July 18, 2010

Nate Montana

…for being an apple that falls far from the tree.

Will Nate Montana be like his Dad, or just a "regular Joe"?

Nate Montana – a backup QB for Notre Dame and the son of Hall of Fame QB Joe Montana – was arrested for underage drinking over the weekend.

Fine, most college kids drink underage, I get that – but when you carry that name and family reputation for the Irish, one has to be smarter.

It’s not just making some critics think that the apple falls far from the tree, but instead of fruitful beginnings in South Bend, Irish fans are left thinking sour grapes.

Tiger Woods and the Media’s Crush

…for challenging my gag reflex.

A few years ago, I understood the media’s crush on Tiger Woods, even though I still felt it was a little much to show his every shot – even when out of contention during a major tournament.

Any chance we can tone down the Tiger coverage?

But now that he’s had his name dragged through the mud for months and months – and he’s failed to take a major or win a tournament all year, it’s about time that we take a step back in the Tiger coverage – just a hair.

Either that, or replace it with some more press conferences featuring Tiger and the British media – that would be the ‘bees knees’.

Pacquiao-Mayweather

… for being a sports topic with little punch.

It certainly feels like an eternity that this dream match between Pacquiao and Mayweather has been discussed.

In the end, it’s all bark and no bite.

As the deadline passes, it’s “blah blah blah”, trash talk stacked on top of trash talk – and in all likelihood, no match was decided upon because there wasn’t enough millions to go around for the two of them.

If you ask me, this story needs a permanent TKO.

Wendi Nix

…for botching a well-known sports movie line.

So I’m minding my own business watching coverage of the British Open championship, when Wendi Nix comes on to interview Rory McIlroy during coverage of the third round.

In the middle of the interview, Nix drops the line, “There’s no crying in football, so we’ll say there’s no crying in golf either…”

Hello, Wendi?

Talk about being in a “league of your own” – a female sportscaster that botches arguably one of the more famous lines in a sports movie featuring mostly females.

Maybe, I’m being a little overcritical – who knows.  I don’t know, what do you think, Tom?

Penny Hardaway

…for wanting to ride the coat tails of LeBron, D-Wade and Bosh.

I’ve already pitched in my two cents on this story, but it simply deserves a tomato, too – as Penny Hardaway has made it known that he’d like to come out of retirement and play for the Miami Heat this upcoming season.

Sure, if I had a penny for every person like Penny that said this, then… well… nevermind.

Joe Girardi

…for giving away an opportunity at home-field advantage in the World Series.

Joe Girardi could have handled the AL All-Star lineup better.

It’s no doubt a challenge when dealing with an All-Star lineup – and both Charlie Manuel and Joe Girardi were faced with a number of challenges in Anaheim a few short days ago.

But it’s Girardi that made the biggest blunders late in the game, leaving no speed on the bench and not pinch-running for Big Papi during a crucial time in the 9^th inning – one that could have made all the difference between earning home-field advantage and not.

Baseball and Mark Cuban

…for being a match made in hell.

Listen, I understand that Mark Cuban can be a strong personality, but he’s a passionate person and a great owner that puts a lot into his sports franchises.

The first part of that statement is why I understand why Major League Baseball continues to ignore him – first when he expressed interest in buying the Chicago Cubs, and recently when he “offered to help” with the Texas Rangers – a team that has had recent financial troubles and will be up for auction on August 4^th.

But wanting to win very badly and put blood, sweat and tears into his franchise… what’s wrong with that?

So, c’mon MLB – give “Cubes” a chance – this really could be a match made in heaven.

This has been Throwing Tomatoes, where no tears were shed in the writing of this post.

Beer, sports and football are three of the main staples in the daily lives of many men.

Tie in TV – the way most of us catch a big game – and more than likely, we’ll see a number of comical, amusing and creative commercials on beer.

For example, there’s Dos Equis – featuring the “most interesting man in the world”.

Just in case you live in a bubble, here’s a montage:

Now that you have your Dos Equis in hand (and the concept in mind), you’ll need a little sports to wash it down – so why not do so by gorging on a little college football?

If you had to discuss some of the bigger names in college football with a Dos Equis “most interesting man” spin – how would you handle it?

Here are 12 ways that I would:

The Dos Equis Spin: The Most (Insert Word) Men in the College Football World

Lane Kiffin

He’s managed a pro job in Oakland, a high-profile college gig (while sporting neon orange) and then skipped town to nab his dream job – all while really posting what many would simply (and generously) call mediocre career numbers.

He has more connections than US Airways.

He’s Lane Kiffin…. and he’s the most unaccomplished-accomplished man in the football world.

Randy Edsall

He’s had to fit a pigskin-shaped peg into a round basketball hole for years – and done it with class and passion.

Last year, he stared tragedy right in the face and said, “Bring it on”.

His talents are just a phone call away and it won’t be long before he’s the big man on campus

He’s Randy Edsall… and he’s the most underrated man in the college football world.

Pete Carroll

For years, the NFL kept calling and flirting with this king of southern California – but he was having too much fun in the sun.

Perhaps he brought new meaning to the phrase, “A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush” – Reggie Bush, that is.

Only he truly knows the real truth – but speculation takes a backseat to no one, especially when traveling north on the roads of the Pacific up to Seattle.

He’s Pete Carroll… and he’s the biggest escape artist in the football world.

Urban Meyer

If his passion were bottled and sold, you couldn’t keep him on the shelf.

But passion can come with a hefty price – in the form of health issues, then juggling between an ongoing coaching career and retirement.

One can’t help but notice one moment of sincerity with a talented QB that’s tears can save lives, countered with another moment of ferocity and anger directed at an innocent reporter.

Conclusion: He’s less Superman and more like a Batman character instead.

He’s Urban Meyer… and he’s the most two-faced man in the college football world.

Jake Locker

In a world where everyone tries to prove that money can indeed buy happiness, he puts that theory on hold.

Even with all the number one overall draft pick hype, he refuses to pick up call waiting when the pros come callin’.

Even when a star like Sam Bradford falls victim to a major injury, he stays put.

Money and fame are instead replaced by college, graduation and learning.

He’s Jake Locker… and he’s the most refreshing man in the college football world.

Brian Kelly

(AP Photo/Joe Raymond)

He took a non-existent football program and not only made them relevant, but put them in the BCS spotlight.

He’s not afraid to speak his mind – as his opinion on conference expansion is well documented.

He’s also not afraid to take on a big role and a huge responsibility – one where expectations are attacking him from all possible angles.

He’s Brian Kelly… and he’s the most pressured man in the college football world.

Joe Paterno

While the majority of football schools have a revolving door entrance into the coach’s office, his has a name plate written in permanent ink.

He’s charismatic, passionate, knowledgeable and experienced.

He’s also witty, feisty, stubborn and demanding.

No matter what he is, one thing’s for sure: he keeps on going and going.

He’s Joe Paterno… and he’s the Energizer Bunny of the college football world.

Nick Saban

If you ask him to “say cheese”, he’ll respond by saying “Limburger”.

If you gave him a dollar every time he smiled, he’d be more broke than MC Hammer.

Call it focus… call it determination… call it intensity.

Call it whatever you want – because no matter what, it’s working.

He’s Nick Saban… and he’s the least photogenic man in the college football world.

Adrian Clayborn

He has a tank-sized frame coupled with cartoon-like Road Runner legs.

He has the ability to change a game with one play and change a conference standing in one quarter.

He’s only begun to tap into his potential.

He’s Adrian Clayborn… and he’s the most talented defensive man in the college football world.

Terrelle Pryor

His choice as a freshman was LeBron-like in nature – and his talents are in that ballpark, too.

But to this point, he’s yet to be the best quarterback in his conference, let alone all of college football.

His potential has been growing and his game has been becoming more fine-tuned – so much that in the end, he may just match the hype he entered with.

He’s Terrelle Pryor… and he’s the most vigorous man in the college football world.

Rick Neuheisel

He stares adversity in the face and laughs at its appearance.

He’s reached settlements and gambled in the past – literally.

He renewed the passion and fire in an old Los Angeles area rivalry – all the while being the whipping boy to his next door neighbor.

Now, the doorway is open for him to walk through and own his new home – making it a one-horse town sporting powder blue.

He’s Rick Neuheisel… and he continues to be the most vindicated man in the college football world.

Rich Rodriguez

He left his former state of West Virginia feeling hot under the collar, only to plant himself in his current chair, which is hotter than Hades.

He went from six straight bowl games at WVU to the toilet bowl in Ann Arbor – taking over a legendary program and littering it with question marks, from losing records, to departing players, to rule violations.

Calling this season a “make-or-break year” is the understatement of the century.

He’s Rich Rodriguez… and he’s the most scrutinized man in the college football world.

Stay thirsty for football, my friends…

Drink Dos Equis - and maybe if you listen, the folks there will advertise with TWHS

* Also posted to my Bleacher Report page

Sure, the NCAA preaches sportsmanship and quality competition, but that doesn’t mean that it shows up on the field 100 percent of the time.

Who doesn’t enjoy a little bit of carnage every now and again, spicing things up?  Well, just as long as no one is seriously hurt, of course.

College football has seen its share of unleashed fury over the years – some in the form of quick outbreaks and others… nasty, violent brawls.

So, which were the nastiest?

Well, the forthcoming “dirty dozen” may not all be the worst of all-time, but they are the most recent to be caught on video (and displayed via You Tube).

Without further ado… here they are in no particular order – though the worst are saved for last:

“The Dirty Dozen”: 12 of College Football’s Nastiest, Filthiest Brawls

Notre Dame and Miami (1988)

The game – a 31-30 victory by Notre Dame – was considered one of the best games in the 1980’s.  Also referred to as “The Catholics vs. The Convicts”, the teams started up quite the frenzy before opening kickoff, igniting a pre-game fight in the tunnel.

Notre Dame and USC (1971)

The result of this game was a 28-14 upset victory by unranked USC over the Irish, who headed into the game ranked 6^th in the country.

However, this game wound up being more famous for the approximately 20-minute delay due to an on-the-field brawl.

Miami and South Carolina (1987)

This brawl started on a routine pass play where the pass protection broke down, South Carolina’s quarterback scrambled back, and instead of being sacked – he was slung to the turf like a rag dolll.

The result of that play was some pushing and shoving, a few bodies flailing for the ball and the next thing you know, the benches had cleared.

LeGarrette Blount (Oregon) vs. Byron Hout (Boise State) – 2009

OK, so this wasn’t much of a brawl – but it was last season and fresh in everyone’s mind.

Blount – who talked a lot of trash pre-game – couldn’t hold up his end of the bargain as Boise State manhandled the Ducks.

In the end, Hout couldn’t resist opening his mouth during the post-game, and the result was Blount delivering a cheap shot and losing his cool later – eventually leading to a team suspension.

Ole Miss and Mississippi State (1997)

Don’t let the soft-boiled Egg Bowl name fool you – these two teams hate each other, especially during the 1997 game, which started out as a pre-game brawl and ended with a 15-14 victory by Ole Miss.

It isn’t the highest quality video, but you get the idea – that a few shells were definitely cracked during this rivalry grudge match.

UCLA and USC (2009)

Rick Neuheisel and Pete Carroll brought fire back to this rivalry, especially in last year’s match – when a late-game timeout by UCLA turned into a long bomb for a TD by USC.

After all was said it done, the teams were on the field ready to fight – and while this didn’t turn into much of anything, it certainly could have.

Western and Eastern Arizona (2009)

Sure, they’re smaller football schools – but judging by the video, “you throw out the records when these two face each other”, as the popular phrase goes.

It all appeared to be a routine scrub, until a few cheap shots by players on each team resulted in a much more aggressive dogpile of players that seemed to migrate across the field toward the end zone.

Maritime and Kings Point College (2007)

Here’s yet another scrum between smaller schools, though it’s almost “Oregon Blount-like” in nature – except when the one player landed the punch, his opponent was borderline laid out.

I mean, that guy didn’t have a chance – he fell like a load of bricks.  If that kid didn’t make it in football, then he should’ve also considered boxing for a second career.  Here’s the video:

Georgia and Georgia Tech (2008 and then some)

This video features more of a montage instead of a single melee, which just goes to show that the hatred runs pretty deep in this in-state rivalry between the Bulldogs and Yellow Jackets.

If you don’t buy it, then take a look for yourself.

Houston and Hawaii (2003)

Hawaii also had a major brawl with Cincinnati during the 2002 season, so it’s safe to say that the Warriors were a bit of a feisty bunch over recent years – not what you would expect from a place where so many travel to for laid-back vacations.

The 2003 Sheraton Hawai’i Bowl wasn’t just a wild one for the brawl that occurred once the game was over, but also for the game itself – a 54-48 win by Hawaii.

Clemson and South Carolina (2004)

Lou Holtz – South Carolina’s coach at the time – did the best he could to keep this brawl from happening, but there just was too much boiling over from a rivalry like this that has been going on for as long as it has.

The incident happened with less than six minutes to go in the game, and has often been referred to as one of the worst moments in the rivalry’s history.

In fact, each of the schools reacted to the incident as such – with both administrations swiping away postseason berths, while also each suspending six players apiece.

Florida International and Miami (2006)

This was arguably one of the worst brawls in college football history – featuring kicks to the head with cleats and players using helmets as a weapon.  Certainly, a number of charges and suspensions were added after the dust settled – 31 to be exact.

FIU also dismissed a few players from the team entirely.

The video shows just how bad it was – and quite honestly, this was the most fight each of these teams showed that during particular season.  It’s just a shame that it had to be in this negative of a manner.

* Also posted to my B/R page

For those of you familiar with Twitter, you will know how a topic can so easily spread like wildfire – especially one that causes any kind of controversy or humor.

Today, it was the latter – and in a big way, as the “sports twitterverse” latched on to a video posted by the University of Notre Dame – yes the university itself, promoting the “We are ND” concept in… well, we’ll call it a funky rap.

And wow, did it ever bring a few laughs – albeit quite unlikely the intention.

LOVE the Irish or HATE the Irish, we should all bond and get a good chuckle at this video.

Check it out for yourself below, but if you ask me – this is the REAL reason that Jimmy Clausen and Golden Tate bolted from the Irish a year early.