You know by now that Super Bowl XLVI is a rematch of Super Bowl XLII featuring the Patriots and Giants, but when you break down the teams, both sides have lost several key members of their 2008 squads. Andrew Bucholtz breaks down the old and new faces.

The Boise State Broncos have just two losses in two years, but that equals a slump for the elite FBS program. However, this offseason will see a turning point as many of Boise State’s key starters, including quarterback Kellen Moore, are out, and it’s up to head coach Chris Petersen to maintain the Broncos’ integrity and get them back to a BCS Bowl game.

Joe Paterno, the famous – or infamous – former head coach of the Penn State football program, passed away last Saturday. Affectionately known as “JoePa” to many, his legacy reaches over five decades, yet may be defined by a single moment in time. Is this fair?

Tim Tebow is beyond quarterback. He’s beyond football. He’s a phenomenon. And he’s polarized fans, Christians and pretty much everybody else through his blatant show of religion. Is his following justified, or is this just a flash in the pan that’s destined to pass as quickly as it began?

Monday night’s BCS Championship game between LSU and Alabama is a rematch of a Nov. 5 match between the two rivals. But are these truly the best two teams? Oklahoma State doesn’t think so, and Andrew Bucholtz examines why the Crimson Tide were selected over the Cowboys for the big game.

The San Francisco 49ers have emerged from a near-decade of miserable mediocrity to become one of the top teams int he NFL. Without the likes of legendary names like Montana, Rice and Young, this new group of 49ers has come together to rebuild the quality and legacy of football in the Bay Area that will hopefully peak with another Super Bowl championship.

The Houston Texans and Indianapolis Colts both lost key members to their offenses this season. However, how each responded to adversity has differed dramatically. Houston found solace in backup QB Matt Leinart while Indianapolis has fallen to last place in the NFL.

The brothers Ryan – Rex and Rob – are two of the most boisterous coaches in the NFL. Their similar personalities and “us versus them” philosophies have taken their careers in very different directions, and it’s those differences that ultimately define each Ryan as his own man.

The Canadian Football League is Canada’s answer to the NFL, and its championship game – the Grey Cup – plays out this Sunday between the B.C. Lions and Winnipeg Blue Bombers. Sure, there’s many differences between the CFL and NFL style of play, but does that make the Canadian version any worse?

The Penn State scandal has rocked the sporting world to its core, causing many to question – more than usual – just how impactful and influential sporting programs at these universities are. Should school administrations be more accountable, or does the power that these programs yield justify their actions?

Though we like to think that our favorite NFL franchises fight vehemently for each and every yard on the football field, it’s easy to question such motivation when a prospect like Andrew Luck rolls around. With little-to-no incentive for non-playoff teams to compete late in the season, is it better for mediocre teams to lose on purpose?

The Boise State Broncos have the makings of a fairy tale, but minus the key component of a Disney-fied version; the happy ending. Instead, their story reads more like something that might have been put together by the Brothers Grimm. The Broncos are always searching for an invitation to the ball of the BCS championship, but despite the attractiveness of their undefeated records, a flawed system keeps on passing over them in favor of stepsisters who come from wealthier conferences. TheGP Football tells the tale.

Is the most important game of the college football season about to take place in early November? Under the current BCS format, that’s very likely the case. How could the NCAA approach the season differently? Would a playoff format keep early matchups like this one from upstaging the season finale in January?

It wasn’t long ago when Turner Gill was one of the most talked about coaching names in college football. Coming off a series of impressive years with the University at Buffalo, Gill had seemingly established himself as one of the game’s hottest commodities. Just three years later, however, the coach’s stock is anything but hot.

Virtually every single aspect of the world has changed since the 1960s, but throughout Vietnam, Watergate, the Iranian revolution, the fall of the Soviet Union, the first and second Gulf Wars, and the death of Osama bin Laden, there has been one immutable constant in sports: Joe Paterno and the Penn State Nittany Lions.

The Oklahoma State Cowboys haven’t always been top-level contenders in college football, but there’s no denying their emergence as a BCS threat in recent years. Much of OSU’s new-found success can be credited to the generous contributions of megabooster T. Boone Pickens. TheGP Football explores Pickens’ role with the program and how such relationships may impact the NCAA.

The Buffalo Bills have been here before; as recently as 2008 they managed to start an NFL campaign with a 4-1 record, backed by the solid play of overachieving running backs and a quarterback who wasn’t exactly internationally known. We all know how that ended. This time around, with Ryan Fitzpatrick leading the charge, can we expect something different?

The quarterback situation with the Denver Broncos this season has been discussed ad nauseum, and it will continue to dominate the headlines for as long as there remains a debate over who should fill the starter’s role. The most recent shift – away from Kyle Orton and towards Tim Tebow – has one of football’s most anticipated projects at the center of it.

Andrew Luck has seen no shortage of attention – what with being the projected top pick in the 2012 NFL Draft and all – but that doesn’t mean he hasn’t been faced with the same questions and challenges the rest of his Stanford Cardinal team faces with regards to their success on the field. Is it possible for a college to balance both academic and athletic achievement for any legitimate period of time?

Robert Griffin III is one of the most dominant players in college football, yet his chances of legitimately contending for one of the NCAA’s top honors – the Heisman Trophy – are next to none. What is it that appears to have thrown Griffin off track? We’ll give you one hint, it’s through no fault of his own.