Wes Glinsmann

Player safety has been a major point of emphasis at all levels of football in recent years. That trend will be noticeable with several changes coming to college football games this fall.

Second-ranked Alabama avenged its only loss of the season in a big way, shutting out #1 LSU, 21-0, in the Allstate BCS Championship Game Monday night. Alabama’s defense, which came into the game ranked first nationally in virtually every major category, showed just why it deserves to be national champions, holding the Tigers to just 92 total yards and five first downs while pitching the first shut

Clemson led West Virginia 17-14 after the first quarter of the Orange Bowl. But from that point on, it was all Mountaineers as West Virginia shattered record after record on their way to a 70-26 victory.

For the second time in as many nights, a missed field goal in overtime proved to be the deciding factor in a BCS bowl game. Michigan edged Virginia Tech, 23-20, after Hokies kicker Justin Myer missed a 37-yard field goal in the first overtime, allowing Michigan to kick a field goal of its own for the win moments later.

The Rose Bowl between #5 Oregon and #10 Wisconsin was expected to be a shootout, and the two teams lived up to the hype in the highest scoring Rose Bowl in history. Oregon running back De’Anthony Thomas had just two carries, but made them count on touchdown runs of 91 and 64 yards and the Ducks scored 10 unanswered points in the fourth quarter to secure a 45-38 victory.

The college bowl season kicks off Saturday night and, while the next week of action doesn’t feature the biggest or most well-known bowl games, it does highlight some up and coming teams. Florida International and Temple are among them, as well as more prominent football powers TCU and Boise State. Here is what to look for this week as the bowl games get underway.

After leading Baylor to a nine-win season and its highest ranking in over two decades, Bears quarterback Robert Griffin III became the school’s first Heisman Trophy winner Saturday night. Griffin edged out preseason favorite Andrew Luck of Stanford for football’s most prestigious award.

The Southeastern Conference will take home its sixth consecutive national championship next month, as Louisiana State and Alabama will play a rematch in the BCS National Championship game. Despite a last-minute push by Oklahoma State in a 44-10 drubbing of then-#10 Oklahoma, Alabama edged out the