Algeria = The University of Toledo Rockets (Football)

Valencia Midfielder Sofiane Feghouli is Algeria's top talent.

Bruce Gradkowski starred at QB for the Rockets while having the most Toledo-ish name ever.

I feel like I've seen Algeria somewhere before...

You'd be forgiven for thinking that Algeria's national team should be renamed "France B;" 17 of the 23 players in this year's squad were born in France. As a former colony, there's obviously a rather complicated history there. The best Algerian players choose to play for Les Bleus, leaving the "Fennec Foxes" with mostly overlooked and unheralded leftovers. Algeria has never advanced out of the group stage at a World Cup, and they've just one major title to their name (the 1990 African Cup of Nations).

Similarly, Northwest Ohio's close relationship to Michigan leads many of its best high school football players to play for the Wolverines. The rest typically play for the Buckeyes, leaving only the less regarded local products for the Rockets. Despite that, they've been one of the better programs in the Mid-American Conference over the years, and their accomplishments include 4 undefeated seasons (most recently in 1995 under Gary Pinkel's leadership) and a smattering of bowl game victories.

In 2010, Algeria set up in an extremely defensive posture. They did not score a goal in the tournament, but they frustrated England into a 0-0 draw and would have done the same to the U.S. but for Landon Donovan's stoppage time goal. In their first match of 2014, the Foxes were a better side than favored Belgium for large stretches. They carried a 1-0 lead into the 70th minute before Belgium rallied for the win. With neither Russia nor South Korea setting the world on fire thus far, the Algerians could have a path through to the next round if they can duplicate their effort from the Belgium game against the group's lesser lights.