history. Playing outside the Power Five in the American Athletic Conference, Houston still will likely have little margin for error if it wants to force its way into the playoff. But this certainly make

The college football season kicks off later this week (hey, Cal-Hawaii from Australia!). So its time for preseason predictions. Want to know if anyone can challenge Baker Mayfield for Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year? Its here. Can someone take down Alabama in the SEC? Just a click away.ACCSpoiler alert: There wasnt much debate over ACC Offensive Player of Year. (Deshaun Watson, claim your prize.) But Defensive Player of the Year was not unanimous. Here are a couple of the picks:Devante Fields, Louisville:?Fields ended last season on a tear and finished with 22.5 tackles for loss and 11 sacks. Coach Bobby Petrino says Fields is in the best shape he has been in since his freshman year at TCU in 2012. Thats bad news for opposing offenses.?-- Andrea AdelsonDerwin James, Florida State:?As a freshman, James was moved all over the field and excelled in every position the Seminoles put him in. There wasnt a task he could not handle. James has the ability to load up the stat sheet, and coupled with a few highlight-reel hits, hell have a strong case for defensive player of the year.?-- Jared ShankerRead moreBig 12Which team walks away with the Big 12 title? It will be one of the most interesting races out there, and the only one in the Power 5 that wont be decided with a title game. This year, anyway.Oklahoma:?The Sooners have some question marks, notably at linebacker and in the trenches. But they have some incredible strengths as well, including a backfield that might be the envy of college football. That should be enough to catapult Oklahoma to another Big 12 title and, potentially, a return trip to the playoff.?-- Jake TrotterTCU:?Not trying to go contrarian here: I think Oklahoma and TCU both end up having great seasons, and I think TCU wins the head-to-head in Fort Worth. The Horned Frogs should be loaded on defense and are one great quarterback away from having all the pieces for a Big 12 title team.?-- Max OlsonRead moreBig TenOK, so this is what everyone wants to know: Ohio State or Michigan? Harbaugh or Meyer? Not surprisingly, our reporters are split. Heres a look at what theyre saying when it comes to the Big Ten champion:Ohio State:?The Buckeyes will edge out Michigan to win the East in late November, then cruise past Nebraska in Indianapolis. Urban Meyer is too good of a coach to miss the conference championship game in back-to-back seasons with that much talent in Columbus.-- Dan MurphyMichigan:?Believe in the Harbaugh hype. The Wolverines could wind up with the top defense in the country, and its difficult envisioning anyone in the West knocking them off. This is the best team in the Big Ten.?-- Josh MoyerRead morePac-12Could the Offensive Player of the Year really be someone other than Christian McCaffrey? Two of our Pac-12 reporters think so. Heres a sampling:Washington State QB Luke Falk:?The redshirt junior will lead the conference in total offense for the second season in a row and push Washington State to a nine-win season.?-- Chantel JenningsChristian McCaffrey:?Christian McCaffrey posted an unprecedented 2,000-yard rushing, 1,000-yard receiving campaign in 2015. Hes faster and stronger as a 20-year-old entering 2016, so hell once again be the Pac-12s best player.?-- David LombardiRead moreSECIt always seems to come down to Alabama and LSU, right? Can Les Miles and the Tigers finally get over the hump and beat Nick Saban and Co. this year? It should decide the SEC champion. So, who wins the conference?Alabama:?Floridas offense wont be dynamic enough to keep Alabama from extending its streak of conference championship game wins to five.?-- Alex ScarboroughLSU:?Its the Tigers time. Les Miles was on the brink last November, but this year hell pull a rabbit out of his hat and find a way to get them to the playoff.?-- Sam Khan Jr.Read moreZapatillas Nike Baratas Spain . Anthony Calvillo, through 20 CFL seasons, was frequently invincible and largely stoic in the heat of competition. But underneath the professional exterior he was, and is, compellingly human. Zapatillas Nike Baratas Hombre . This should be celebrated because it will not always be this way. With the amount of money given to players by their clubs these days, it is a wonder that so many of those teams allow the sport to continue to take away many of their assets so they can play for a different team in the middle of their season. https://www.zapatillasbaratasspain.es/ . From filmmaker Nanette Burstein (On the Ropes), The Price of Gold revisits the saga that rocked the figure skating world ahead of the 1994 Lillehammer Olympic Winter Games: the assault on Nancy Kerrigan, and the plot that led its way back to her rival Tonya Harding. Jordan Outlet España .com) - The game was all punts and field goals before Kodi Whitfields catch. Air Max Baratas Outlet ., for the next three years with the signings on Monday of Daryl Townsend and Michael Carter.HOUSTON -- Houston coach Tom Herman and the Cougars are past the point of proving they are for real.Shocking the world is for the real underdogs and if a Power Five conference happens to take note of what Houston is doing thats fine.Whatever.We were prepared to win. We expected to win. We train to win, Herman said. It wasnt about making a statement, it was about going 1-0 the first week of the season.Greg Ward Jr., Brandon Wilson and the 15th-ranked Cougars looked every bit ready to compete in the Big 12 -- or any other conference for that matter -- in a 33-23 victory against No. 3 Oklahoma on Saturday.Houston is one of 11 schools that will meet with Big 12 officials starting next week to make a pitch to the Power Five conference that is pondering expansion.Regardless of whether Houston (1-0) ends up in the Big 12, the Cougars latest surprising win could have season-long ramifications on the College Football Playoff.Were not your typical Group of Five program, Houston athletic director Hunter Yurachek said.The elusive quarterback Ward passed for 321 yards and two touchdowns. Wilson, though, provided the key play in the biggest regular-season nonconference game the Cougars have played in 25 years and Houstons third victory in school history against a top-three team.The versatile senior defensive back went end line to end zone to score a touchdown with a short 54-yard field goal attempt to give Houston 26-17 lead with 8:28 left in the third quarter.Wilson reached up to catch the ball, barely keeping his feet in bounds. Reminiscent of Auburns Kick Six against Alabama in 2013, Wilson went flying out of the end zone and hurdled a fallen teammate to score what went into the books as a 100-yard return.I thought I stepped out, but I didnt, Wilson said. I just saw the green grass and I scored.Herman said he was looking for penalty flags.I was thinking this is too good to be true, surely theres a flag somewhere, Herman said.Oklahoma called a timeout before trying the kick, which Herman said allowed Houston to see the Sooners personnnel and set up for the return.ddddddddddddou know you have to cover it, but the personnel on the field isnt the best cover guys because the best cover guys wouldnt be able to protect the field goal. So youre in a little bit of a dilemma, Sooners coach Bob Stoops said. I dont really second-guess. Ive seen Austin (Seibert) make that quite a few times.THE TAKEAWAYOklahoma: The good news for the Sooners is they have plenty of time and opportunities left to make another playoff run. But they need to get things fixed quickly with No. 6 Ohio State in two weeks and No. 13 TCU on Oct 1.Baker Mayfield threw for 323 yards and two scores for the defending Big 12 champions Oklahoma (0-1). He was 9 for 9 for 162 yards in the first half, but ended up being sacked five times and fumbled once.Houston: After finishing last season 13-1 with a Peach Bowl victory against Florida State, the Cougars have consecutive victories against top-10 ranked opponents for the first time in school history. Playing outside the Power Five in the American Athletic Conference, Houston still will likely have little margin for error if it wants to force its way into the playoff. But this certainly makes it look possible.POLL IMPLICATIONSOklahoma: The Sooners can expect to tumble when the new rankings come out Tuesday, but remember: Oklahoma looked done when it was upset by Texas last season and went on to make the playoff.Houston: The last time the Cougars were ranked in the top five was 1990, when they reached No. 3. It wouldnt be shocking see them get there again soon.UP NEXTOklahoma: The Sooners get a break next week with a home game against Louisiana Monroe.Houston: The Cougars face FCS Lamar next Saturday at home, but they might get a little work done for Cincinnati this week, too. The Cougars have a Thursday night road game on short rest against the Bearcats on Sept. 15.---Follow Ralph D. Russo at www.Twitter.com/ralphDrussoAP ' ' '