NCAA Football is in full swing, in fact we're only a few weeks away from conference championships. And while the SEC may have a stranglehold on top conference honors, their respective blogs give way to the Big 10 on our yearly blog index.
Ordinarily we try to post the index near the beginning of the season, but we don't apologize for our tardiness. Waiting until mid-season enabled our team to get a better feel for the range of content these blogs provide their readers.
A few things to keep in mind:
- We’ve updated the language and criteria on how we select this index, and you can check that out here: Index Criteria
- We do not include blogs that are subscription based or backed by traditional media outlets. This is especially true of blogs that do not have full editorial control over their content. We realize this excludes some very good blogs. With each list we continue to evaluate and try to improve on our criteria so feel free to discuss this in the comments section of this post
- We create this list not just to highlight great NCAA blogs, but also to cultivate relationships with bloggers, and have genuine conversation about NCAAF relevant blogs. Chances are most are on our radar, but feel free to share other good NCCAF blogs for future consideration.
- In the interest of disclosure, Sports Media Challenge's clients have no bearing on unrelated and unofficial blogs based on coverage of those teams.
-------------------
Top NCAA Football Blogs
1.)
MGO Blog - This year's #1 blog had consistently high scores in virtually every category used to compile the list. With consistent posts, in-depth breakdowns, a mix of content delivery including podcasts, and more, this blog has everything a Michigan fan could want. Perhaps that's why it's one of the most highly trafficked and features one of the more engaged communities of the blogs making the list.
2.)
Tomahawk Nation - Potentially the most vibrant and engaged community of any college football blog. With solid use of video and cool features like intense film reviews and breakdowns of games maybe the owners of this blog would have the Seminoles atop the ACC Atlantic.
3.)
Everyday Should be Saturday - One of the most popular NCAA football blogs year in and year out. #1 on last year's list Orson and Stranko's hilarious approach and compelling regular features find them in the top 3 again this year.
4.)
Rocky Top Talk - Maybe it's just because Coach Lane Kiffin gives the authors plenty to write about and the readers plenty to talk about, but Rocky Top Talk's large fan community coupled with well executed content such as their post game awards and recruiting map land them a solid debut on this year's list.
5.)
The Wiz of Odds - Though less community engagement than many of the other blogs on this list, the Wiz of Odds is a mainstay among top NCAAF blogs. The Wiz does a great job of filtering intriguing video footage and news stories/columns of hot topics around college football.
6.)
Roll Bama Roll - More than enough coverage to keep you busy following this national title contender, but also a fun and at times irreverent approach helps this blog stand out against other SB Nation team-specific blogs. We also dig their
"Around the SEC" post that touches on other teams in the conference.
7.)
Black Heart, Gold Pants - Is Iowa's undefeated run propelling them up the blog index? That remains to be seen, but what we do know is that a solid repertoire of content and Iowa fans seem to enjoy talking about something besides wrestling.
8.)
Burnt Orange Nation - This Longhorn crew puts out as much content as any blog and while they don't deviate as much as some other SB Nation blogs, their "five things to watch," very thorough post-game reactions, and calculated injection of humor are three things that stood out in our analysis.
9.)
Black Shoe Diaries - This Penn State focused blog has been a model of consistency for quite some time and this year is no different. "Grading the team" and "Preview by the Numbers," are just two features that entice PSU fans to make BSD one of the top 5-7 most engaged college football blogging communities.
10.)
Eleven Warriors - OSU fans probably don't like seeing all their rivals ahead of them on this list, but this isn't the BCS (It's WAY cooler!) and we won't pretend that we're not scared of all the Buckeyes that make Eleven Warriors one of the most commented NCAAF blogs around.
-------------------What blogs made the list that shouldn’t have? Why? What blogs deserved to be included and weren’t? Why? We would love to hear your opinion and continue this discussion in the comments section of this blog.
Thanks to all the bloggers who provide great content to follow during baseball season!
