It’s May, which means it’s time for what has become an annual tradition: naming the USC Trojans the favorites to win college football’s national championship. They’re 3-1 on the futures market, clear of four powerful teams tied with 6-1 odds. The Florida Gators may be the best of the foursome with returning Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow at quarterback. Georgia, Ohio State and Oklahoma will all agree to disagree about playing second fiddle to Florida or USC.

The Trojans get the nod after finishing in the top four in the polls every year since 2002, as Pete Carroll’s program continually cranks out NFL-quality talent. But 3-1 might be overdoing the expectations a bit. The Buckeyes are at least as qualified as USC to be national champions at twice the payout. These two teams will meet on Sept. 13 at the L.A. Coliseum with the winner en route to an undefeated 2008 campaign.

So much for introducing a playoff system into the college football Bowl Championship Series.

The B.C.S. held its annual meetings this week and lots of folks were hoping to see a major overhaul to the system (like maybe a playoff system that would inevitably produce a clear champion at the end of the season?).

No such luck.

That idea wasn’t even on the table, as it happens, but another idea was: The “Plus-One” system. Introduced by the Southeastern Conference Commissioner Mike Slive, under this system the four top teams are chosen and then they would square off in a playoff system of sorts, with two semifinals, one title game, and in the end producing one champion.

No matter, that idea was squashed. It was rejected by he Big Ten and Pac-10 representatives, as they thought it would only lead to an even bigger playoff system down the road, which they are adamantly opposed to.

So, it’s business as usual. Bowls, bowls and more bowls.

What would college sports be without college cheerleaders? This nation was built on young, beautiful women in tight clothing. They’re goddesses. We should name the days of the week after them.

Painstaking research has led me to the conclusion that the USC Song Girls are the hottest cheerleaders in college football. But I’m partial to the dance teams that hit the hardwood. There’s better lighting in the gym, and you can bounce around a lot more on the court than you can on the turf. Bounce figures heavily into the Cheerleader Efficiency Ratings (CER).

Thanks to the magic of drunk teenage girls on MySpace, we’ve gotten more than our fair share of “bonus” cheerleader pics. The fine folks at Busted Coverage are all on a mission to publish as many of them as possible.

But my personal favorite? Award-winning actor and Kentucky Wildcats fan Ashley Judd, of course. The letter Y has never looked so good.

Football fans eager to see their favorite teams pick up some much-needed help this weekend will be glued to their TV sets as the 2008 NFL Draft gets underway in New York at 3 p.m. EST. But university football fans in particular will be anxious to see where there star players will be headed for the start of the NFL regular season. So one of the big questions on bettors’ minds will be, “Which university will have more players drafted?”

LSU and Ohio State both have strong contenders predicted to go early (Glenn Dorsey and Vernon Gholston), but other colleges like Virginia, Michigan and Southern Cal also have a few guys ready to take the big leap from college to pro football. Here are the top 10 draft picks, according to the Rocky Mountain News:

1. Glenn Dorsey, DT, LSU
Height: 6-1 1/2; Weight: 297

2. Vernon Gholston, DE, Ohio State
Height: 6-3; Weight: 266

3. Chris Long, DE, Virginia
Height: 6-3; Weight: 272

4. Jake Long, T, Michigan
Height: 6-7; Weight: 313

5. Darren McFadden, RB, Arkansas
Height: 6-1 1/4; Weight: 211

6. Sedrick Ellis, DT, Southern Cal
Height: 6-0 1/2; Weight: 309

7. Keith Rivers, LB, Southern Cal
Height: 6-2 1/4; Weight: 241

8. Jonathan Stewart, RB, Oregon
Height: 5-10 1/4; Weight: 235

9. Rashard Mendenhall, RB, Illinois
Height: 5-10 1/8; Weight: 225

10. Brian Brohm, QB, Louisville
Height: 6-2 7/8; Weight: 230

Sportsbooks like Bodoglife.com have all kinds of NFL Draft betting props up right now!

More college athletes die each year playing basketball than any other college sport.

19-year-old Alabama State basketball player Deshean Porchea died Wednesday afternoon following a game of pickup on campus. According to the report issued by the university, the sophomore passed out Wednesday afternoon after walking off the court and never regained consciousness. An autopsy on the sophomore is being performed today to determine the cause of death.

“He was just a good all-around kid,” said ASU coach Lewis Jackson, who heard the news while on a recruiting trip in Florida. “He played with a contagious fire that carried over to his teammates. He was a good person. It is a great loss to our team and our university.”

According to the Center for Disease Control in Atlanta, 100,000 young athletes die each year from all cardio-vascular disorders, including cardiomyopathy, as a result of participation in sports. This is twice as many as die in auto accidents. Of the 100,000 who die annually, 45,000 of them play basketball, not boxing or football.

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish had a fantastic year. Sure, the football team went 3-9 and the men’s basketball team was embarrassed in the second round of March Madness. But the unexpected success of the hockey team makes it all worthwhile, right?

Notre Dame’s hockey history isn’t the stuff of movies – the Irish didn’t even bother to ice a team between 1928 and 1968. But under the watchful eye of coach Jeff Jackson, the Irish reached their first-ever Frozen Four last month. Then on Apr. 10, Notre Dame beat the Michigan Wolverines 5-4 in overtime to advance to the Finals.

The party ended two days later when the Boston College Eagles won the championship 4-1. The Irish may have lost in the end, but this is not a one-and-done story. Jackson has coached and advised at every level of the sport, including the U.S. Olympic team. He’s already won two NCAA titles coaching Lake Superior State University; more will come.

College basketball’s Year of the Freshman almost had its perfect ending. But Derrick Rose leaves school without quite getting the career bump that Syracuse gave Carmelo Anthony five years ago. The Memphis Tigers, meanwhile, need a new point guard to get them back into Final Four contention.

How many other freshmen will follow Rose to the NBA? The outcome of the 2008-09 college hoops season depends on the answer. UCLA will probably lose Kevin Love as well as junior guard Darren Collison. That’s only their two most important players.

It’s not just the superfrosh who have to make up their minds. Wooden Award winner Tyler Hansbrough may or may not return to North Carolina for his senior year. If he does, the Tar Heels go to the head of the class as a preseason No. 1 favorite. Texas supporters also like their chances if D.J. Augustin remains with the Longhorns. If he doesn’t? Bupkis.

So the best team won after all. The Kansas Jayhawks, No. 1 on the efficiency charts, are also the NCAA men’s basketball champions.

Full credit to the Memphis Tigers (No. 2 in efficiency) for their amazing season, but it came up about 2.1 seconds short. That’s when Mario Chalmers hit the game-tying 3-pointer that ruined the evening for Memphis supporters. Instead of winning the championship and covering the 2-point spread, the Tigers lost 75-68 in overtime.

You’ll hear Billy Packer’s voice echoing in your head for the next few days, reminding you over and over again about how Memphis needed to hit free throws down the stretch. The Tigers were 12-for-19 on the night, missing four of their last five to give the Jayhawks a chance to tie. Memphis also could have used the services of Joey Dorsey in overtime, but he fouled out with 1:23 to go and the Tigers up by five. Right where Kansas wanted them.

Although there’s nothing but chalk left in the Final Four, this year’s March Madness wasn’t lacking in significant upsets. Those poolies who picked the right upset victims will be rewarded next week when the new champions are crowned.

But which Cinderellas did you pick? Again, I don’t have the numbers right in front of me, but I’m sure I wasn’t the only one who was throwing heavy objects around the room after No. 12 Villanova beat No. 5 Clemson in the opening round. I also can’t say I saw No. 10 Davidson upsetting both No. 2 Georgetown and No. 3 Wisconsin to get into the Elite Eight.

No, I had No. 10 South Alabama going to the Sweet 16. And they didn’t even put a dent in No. 7 Butler in the first round, losing 81-61. That’s the problem with filling out brackets – you don’t get to enjoy other people’s Cinderella stories when yours turns into a pumpkin.

Stanford vs. Texas: Oddsmakers currently have the Longhorns listed as 3-point favorites versus the Cardinal, while the game’s total is sitting at 134. My prediction: Texas to win and cover the spread.

The total has gone OVER in 6 of Stanford’s last 7 games
Stanford is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
Stanford is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games
Texas is 14-2 SU in its last 16 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Texas’s last 6 games
Texas is 2-5-1 ATS in its last 8 games

Davidson vs. Wisconsin: Oddsmakers currently have the Badgers listed as 5½-point favorites versus the Wildcats, while the game’s total is sitting at 127. My prediction: Wisconsin to win and cover.

Davidson is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
Davidson is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Davidson’s last 10 games
Wisconsin is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
Wisconsin is 9-1 ATS in its last 10 games
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Wisconsin’s last 9 games

Villanova vs. Kansas: Oddsmakers currently have the Jayhawks listed as 12½-point favorites versus the Wildcats, while the game’s total is sitting at 145. My prediction: Villanova to win.

Villanova is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games
Villanova is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 11 of Villanova’s last 14 games
Kansas is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
Kansas is 6-2 ATS in its last 8 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Kansas’s last 6 games

Michigan vs. Memphis: Oddsmakers currently have the Tigers listed as 5-point favorites versus the Spartans, while the game’s total is sitting at 136. My prediction: Memphis to win, but not to cover.

Michigan State is 6-1 ATS in its last 7 games
Michigan State is 18-7 SU in its last 25 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Michigan State’s last 6 games
Memphis is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
Memphis is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games

Bet on tonight’s Sweet 16 games before it’s too late! The sportsbooks have all your NCAA Tournament odds up.