This is Part II of our nominations for the CFBAs. For an explanation and Part I, click here. Or just scroll down, whatever.
Funniest blog
One of our commenters once called us "like EDSBS, but funnier." We had him executed immediately.
The winner of this award, of course, must be EDSBS. Not a single weekday passes without Orson writing a post that would easily pass for the best on any other site. Hey Jenny Slater's also great, as is mgoblog. And we'd be remiss without mentioning RUTS and his clever, eclectic brand of commentary. But Orson is, as Mos Def once said, the shot clock, way above the game.
Best analysis
SMQ's dive into recruiting rankings was itself a thing of beauty, but I'm pretty sure it's not eligible for this year's award. So suck it, SMQ. As far as winners go, this BON post ripping the Billingsley poll is jaw-dropping in its depth, breadth, and focus.
Meanwhile, on that day, we were posting Steve Alford's head on Richard Nixon's body. Fuck analysis.
Best MSM blog
It's dark now that we're in the offseason, and there's not a snowball's chance in Branson that he'll so much as receive an official nomination, but damn it, we really liked what Eric Page did this season at HawkMania.com, an arm of the unstoppable QC Times media empire. For example, here's his final report card on the year. He was, hands-down, the best writer covering Iowa football this season, and he merits some recognition for that.
Best-looking blog
As devastatingly handsome as this site's authors may be, I think this has more to do with page layout. To that end, there's a certain professionalism to Lake The Posts that we can't help but admire; there's no blinding contrasts of white text on a black background (cough), and the garish purple that paints the Northwestern uniforms is reduced to small, sparse highlights and trim. It looks like he knew what he was doing, which frankly makes the rest of us look bad. Congrats, you bastard.
The Job Award
Again, there's no shortage of BXI blogs that could easily fit the bill this season. Every--every program short of aOSU suffered multiple debilitating setbacks and disappointments through the course of the year. Brian went legitimately insane and posted cats, so that's not really doing one's job. He's out. PSU fans had to deal with a completely predictable end to the Anthony Morelli era (though, we all know, this is how it truly ends). Northwestern was garbage, and LTP stuck it out admirably.
But good heavens, this award absolutely must go to a blog that unflinchingly left "We're going to take Gopher Nation to Pasadena!" at the title banner in the midst of one of the worst seasons in Big Ten history. Gopher Nation, you impenetrable wall of optimism, our hats are off.
(Jesus, two awards for Gopher sites? People have been waterboarded for less.)
Best audio
I don't think people give nearly enough credit to Peter Bean and Orson for their work on EDSBS Live. It's incredibly fucking hard to put together a decent radio show. If you need proof, try going back to NowLive and listening to, oh, any other show. They're shit. They're horrible. Orson and Peter do an excellent job of getting their guests talking, engaging the chat board, and avoiding all of the banality that inevitably infects sports talk radio. Plus they've hosted Uncle Verne and Phil Steele. And it was awesome.
Best regular feature
"But Holly doesn't talk about football very often!" Fuck off. Eat a bowl full of hemorrhoids. When she does talk football, it's better than our blog. And it's better than yours. There are no more than four people who ever brought quality like this, much less on a regular basis, and they all just so happen to be on the selection committee. If you missed Holly's Weekly Top 10, shame, shame upon you, and do not repeat the mistake next season.
Best Photoshop
I... uh... go. Go here. And try not to watch it 10 times in a row (you will fail).
The credit here goes to both Orson for the profoundly disturbing narrative and LSUFreek for a sight that can never, ever be unseen.
Best YouTube
Look on the bottom of your seat. We've left some psychotropic drugs there for you. Take them now.
The video is the work of Catlab, and your brain will never be the same.
Part III (the Blog Championship Series) is available here. Again, if you guys have seen anything that blows your skirt up, please do share it via the comments or email. Let's celebrate as much good writing as possible.