It wasn’t supposed to be easy for Jim Harbaugh stepping in as the head coach of the disappointing San Francisco 49ers, especially not with the lockout-shortened offseason stunting his transitionary period coming over from nearby Stanford. How, then (at 3-1 and atop the NFC West), have they made it look so simple?

The tides of NCAA conferences are changing, to nobody is that a surprise. Most recently Texas A&M has relocated for a better position on the college football landscape. As the Aggies play out their final year in the Big-12, speculation abounds over the impact of the decision on the program, the conference and even the sport. Andrew Bucholtz explains.

It’s hard to truly describe the college football experience to an individual who has never witnessed, first-hand, a football campus on gameday. TheGP Football’s Josh Koebert took to the masses at Camp Randall to describe the Nebraska/Wisconsin clash from the fervid confines of the student section.

The Lions: One of two undefeated teams remaining in the NFL, just years after finishing 0-16.
The Switch: The 2009 decision to bring in rookie head coach Jim Schwartz to champion the turnaround.
The Wardrobe: Redesigned uniforms symbolizing new culture and serve as visual disconnect from anything pre-2009.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are on the rise and young quarterback Josh Freeman is just one of the many reasons why. Though they’ll have their work cut out for them improving on last year’s 10-6 campaign, they’re part of an exciting trend of youth and promise in the NFC South. Is a power shift brewing in the NFL?

The Cleveland Browns have started the 2011 campaign with a record that matches those of the Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers. Is the early season success indicative of a power shift in the AFC North? Regardless, Colt McCoy and Peyton Hillis have this team on the right track.

This summer, ESPN unveiled an innovative rendition of football’s quarterback rating, taking situational context into consideration when putting a statistical value on the contributions of the game’s QBs. The measurement has come under fire since its release, but does it deserve all the criticism?

As quickly as it burst onto the scene, it appears as though the Wildcat offense (made famous by the 2008 Miami Dolphins) has been classified a playbook novelty. The innovative formation, however, hasn’t completely disappeared. Thanks to teams like the Buffalo Bills and Cleveland Browns, the Wildcat lives on.

The Denver Broncos have two quarterbacks that were drafted in the first round of the NFL Draft, two quarterbacks who played for a pair of the most storied college football teams in the nation. One of those players has a Heisman trophy and two national championships, the other won the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award. […]

The Auburn Tigers’ 17-game winning streak was snapped Saturday by the other band of Tigers from Clemson, and it may be a while before they’re able to get anywhere close to another one. It’s not unusual for title-winning teams to take a step back in the next season, particularly in college football where success often […]