Chaos finally ensued, as it always does this time of year. In the last two weeks, there have been upsets galore, especially at the top. LSU and Alabama are headed for a rematch in the BCS title game, as they are clearly the two best teams. Everyone is playing for second fiddle. Unless Armageddon somehow happens, we're going to have a sixth straight BCS champion from the SEC.
On a somber note, once again I start with bad news. Two weeks ago it was the Penn State fiasco, last week it is an untimely death that hits home. Arkansas redshirt freshman tight end Garrett Uekman died Sunday, at this point the cause of death was a bad heart condition. What is known is that this is tragic. A 19 year old student athlete from Little Rock, who was living his dream of playing for the Razorbacks. Reports from other players and coaches is that he was a good kid, someone whom everyone liked. He was just a freshman, but played in almost every game, and seemed to be in line for the starting tight end spot next year. Thoughts and prayers go out to his family and friends, as well as the Razorback nation.
On to the football field.
Same story as before.
Remember what I said when Arkansas and Alabama played? About how Arkansas wasn't ready, was less talented, and the defense was extremely overrated? Well it happened again against LSU. Why I thought we had a chance I don't know. Arkansas started off great, driving down and scoring a touchdown, guess who caught it? Yep, Jarius Wright. And even made a great defensive play when Tramain Thomas put a big hit on Spencer Ware causing a fumble that was picked up mid air by Alonzo Highsmith, who took it back for a td. And then it all went to crap. LSU proceeded to get pissed, and run all over the Hogs for the rest of the game. Tyrann Matheiu ran a punt back 92 yards for a td, their offense scored at will, and their defense completely shut down the "explosive" Hog offense holding them to just 254 yards total. After that 14-0 deficit, LSU outscored Arkansas 41-3 the rest of the game. LSU and Alabama are far and away the best teams in the SEC, the country, and maybe, the world. Arkansas was the third best team in the conference, but didn't come close to competing with the other two. Maybe in ten years. Final score 41-17, LSU.
What a way to end it.
What seems to be the last time Texas and Texas A&M play for the foreseeable future, ended in a great game. In yet ANOTHER game where had the halftime lead, you knew Texas wasn't going to go away quietly. It was only a 16-7 lead, but it didn't even take until halfway through the third quarter for Texas to take the lead with a 58 yard pick six, and a field goal a few minutes later. A&M has had an extremely disappointing season(a dallasnews.com sports guy picked the Aggies to go 11-1, haha), and this was just end of a bitter rivalry gone bad. A&M took the lead back in the fourth quarter on a td pass with just 1:48 remaining. Texas then gave the Aggies the ultimate screw you for going to the SEC where you're going to get dominated anyway, by driving down and kicking a field goal as time ran out. A walk off field goal to say, good riddance. Because let's be honest, Texas owns A&M, and now they won't be able to ever take it back. Final score 27-25, Texas.
Didn't exactly live up.
As much as the media tried to hype up the Iron Bowl this year as some classic revenge showdown for Alabama and Auburn, everyone knew it wasn't. Yes the last two years were epic games, especially last year when Auburn came back from a 24-7 halftime deficit in Tuscaloosa to win. But this year was different. Auburn was sitting at 7-4, exactly where EVERYONE thought they would be, while Alabama's only loss was to #1 LSU. I mean come on, did anyone really thing this was going to be a good game? Arkansas got hammered by Alabama, while the Hogs dominated Auburn. So it just wasn't going to be an instant classic. Alabama completely controlled the entire game. Auburn's only scores were a fumble recovery in the end zone, and an 83 yard kickoff return for a td. It's pretty clear now Bama has special teams problems don't you think? Trent Richardson rushed for 203 yards right into the Heisman Trophy ceremony. Final score 42-14, Alabama.
Speaking of the Heisman.
Andrew Luck had a ho hummer of a day with 233 yards and 4 td's hosting Notre Dame. Stanford is 11-1 to finish the regular season for the second year in a row, and primed for a second straight BCS appearance as well. This was a team that went 1-11 five years ago, nice turnaround. They are a nationally relevant program now, and look to be in good shape. But of course we'll see how much of that was Luck(pun intended). Andrew is off to the NFL next year, so it's up to Stanford to reload like all the other good teams do. Granted they won't be 11-1 again, but if they want to be taken seriously as a program, they need to sustain it without Luck. Just as Notre Dame does, who seems to be in good hands as well with head coach Brian Kelly. Final score 28-14, Stanford.
Speaking of ho-hum.
A not so impressive day for the Sooners going into Bedlam week. I know Iowa State was fresh off the upset of a century for them after beating Oklahoma State, but they're still Iowa State. The effects of no Ryan Broyles is starting to set in, as OU cannot score in the red zone at all anymore. I don't see how a team with this much skill on offense has to resort to the Bell-dozer to score on goal to go situations. In case you don't know what the Bell-dozer is, it's when they send backup QB Blake Bell in to run the read option while he keeps it himself every time and gains one yard. Luckily when they put him in they only need one yard for a first down or touchdown. When that doesn't work, they resort to Landry Jones throwing a fade pass to the corner of the end zone for an incompletion, then try to run it normally with a running back, only to get stuffed. Good strategy. Case in point, 509 total yards on offense, two touchdowns, four field goals. If they want to continue Mike Gundy's OU-fer at Okie State, they can't do that. At least they took care of business against the Cyclones, however lackluster it was. Final score 26-6, Oklahoma.
Funnier every week.
Texas Tech STILL has not won a game since beating OU over a month ago. I swear they thought the season ended that day. Not only have they lost, they have been dismantled in all but one game. They lost 41-7 to Iowa State, 52-20 to Texas, 66-6 to Okie State, 31-27 to Missouri, and last week got run out of the stadium 66-42 to Baylor. I mean, what in the world happened? They couldn't even win one? Come on.
Breaking news.
I'm a genius. If anyone wants to refer back a few weeks ago where I said first year head coach Luke Fickell at Ohio State wouldn't last more than one year, go ahead and confirm it for me. Oh what's that, he didn't even last the whole year before they hired Urban Meyer to take over for next season? Oh yeah, they did. It wasn't Fickell's fault, he walked into a bad situation after Jim Tressell left the program in complete shambles. They're best players didn't play most of the year, and they had to turn to a true freshman QB who wasn't ready. All of that was before they had to play their biggest rival in Michigan last week. The Wolverines were looking for big things for the first time in a while. A 10 win season, a big time bowl bid, and a return to glory. they just had to get past the Buckeyes who they had lost to every year since '03. And while that freshman QB for Ohio State Braxton Miller played his head off, throwing for 235 yards and two scores, and also rushed for 100 and a td, it wasn't quite enough. Michigan QB Denard Robinson had 337 total yards of his own with five touchdowns. A great game that Michigan almost found a way to lose. They had to intercept Miller's last ditch effort with just seconds remaining to pull it out. Michigan better enjoy this one, because the Meyer train is coming in Columbus. Final score 40-34, Michigan.
It was Rivalry Week, but unfortunately, there wasn't much to talk about other than the ones already mentioned.
Here is what happened in some of the biggest "rivalries."
Mississippi State over Ole Miss, 31-3.
Florida State over Florida, 21-7.
USC over UCLA, 50-0.
Oregon over Oregon State, 49-21.
Georgia over Georgia Tech, 31-17.
South Carolina over Clemson, 34-13.
At least Kentucky beat Tennessee for the first time in 27 years! Yes, 27 years.
Until next time. As I leave you this week, it is with sadness that I say this will be my last college football post. It is time for me to end this endeavor at this time. I feel it is a good time to move on and see what else is out there. As Tiger Woods said when he fired his long time caddie Steve Williams, "it just feels like it's time for a change." I feel I have done my duty on this blog network, and hope I have given those of you who may not enjoy the game as much as I do, a little better understanding. Ultimately I hope you have enjoyed reading these posts, as much as I have enjoyed writing them. If I have been able to inject a little passion and knowledge into your college football life, then I have done my job. I thank you all for the kind words you have given me these last three years, and most of all I thank you for taking the time to read. I love you all, and GO HOGS!
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
2011 - week 11
It was an unprecedented week in college football. Huge matchups, big time upsets, and a scandal that will haunt a program forever.
I will say this about Penn State, and we will move on. It is sad that the legend(no more) Joe Paterno helped cover up Jerry Sandusky's sick, twisted acts of sexual child abuse. It is sad that he wasn't the only one covering it up. I'm sure there will be more facts come out about this ordeal, but for now we know what we know. As much as we all love college football, there has to come a time where just winning doesn't take priority over what is the right thing to do. Was Paterno and whoever else so caught up in maintaining a winning program that keeping a criminal under wraps seemed like a good idea? The answer is yes they did. And as much as people think, including the moronic Penn State fans who think Paterno did nothing wrong, he did. He literally kept quiet about a man who he knew committed these acts, and was continuing to do these horrible things. Paterno knew about it! As did the athletic director, and assistant coach Mike McQueary, who at this point is the only one who has come out and said he tried to stop one incident. But someone made him keep quiet. Sandusky was allowed to hang around the Penn State facilities this entire time, up until two weeks ago. Paterno, sadly, did a lot of things wrong. And now, the all time winningest coach in college football history will go down as a man who knowingly let another man commit sex acts to little boys time and time again, just so they would keep winning. Penn State and Paterno will not recover from this, ever.
Let's talk about the stuff that isn't so depressing.
Puzzling. This happens in football, some teams match up better with other teams, resulting in different outcomes. For instance, Texas Tech beats OU in Norman, OU the next weeks kills Kansas State on the road, the following week Oklahoma State barely survives a K State comeback that they probably should have lost in Stillwater. So logical thinking says Texas Tech-Oklahoma State should be a good game right? Nope! This one was over before it started. Okie State scored on every offensive possession in the first half, and took a 49-0 lead into halftime. Good lord! Brandon Weedon threw it around about as good as you can for an afternoon, going 31-37 for 423 yards and 5 touchdowns. The Pokes sit at number 2 in the BCS, and are in good shape with the OU game looming large. Tech on the other hand hasn't won since beating OU. In fact they have all been by large margins, 41-7 to powerhouse Iowa State, 52-20 at Texas, and this Okie State game, which was in Lubbock. What happened? Did they forget they still had to play some games before the season was over? Final score 66-6, Oklahoma State.
Speaking of blowouts.
I only bring them up because they are now relevant in the national picture. Houston is putting up insane offensive numbers. Their last four games they have scored 63, 73, 56, and 73 again. Granted it is against weak competition, but still impressive. They put up 735 total yards of offense, and Case Keenum is shattering the record books, and Houston is still undefeated. Their latest victim was little Tulane. Like I said, this is all against pretty weak teams, they do not belong in the BCS conversation, although we will hear about it incessantly for the next few weeks. Final score 73-17, Houston.
The reason Houston is being talked about.
Because Boise State is out of it! Woohoo! They were rolling along once again, and being talked about for sure getting to another BCS bowl if they went undefeated, as they were ranked 5th last week. There was even talk they could get into the national championship game if things fell their way. But thanks to the TCU Horned Frogs, that will not be the case. An extremely back and forth game that saw a ton of big plays and 952 yards of offense total, it all came down to the final minute, and the kicking game. As was the case last year when they lost to Nevada after Kyle Brotzman missed three field goals, Boise State had a chance to win the game in the final seconds with a field goal. But this time, it was Dan Goodale who was not able to convert on a 39 yard kick as time expired. HAHAHAHAHA! The more important play was the touchdown TCU scored before that. Head coach Gary Patterson went for two to take the lead instead of kicking the extra point to tie it. Massive cahoneys. Final score 36-35, TCU.
Alright this is getting old.
Tell me if you've heard this before? Texas A&M gives up a double digit lead in the second half, only to lose. Yes, you have heard it before. For the fourth time this year, it happened again. This time it was a 31-21 lead over Kansas State with 6:38 to go in the fourth quarter. K State was able to rally with a 53 yard td pass, and a filed goal on their next possession to tie it and send it to overtime. And it took four overtimes to decide this one. K State quarterback Colin Klein was able to punch it in form one yard out to seal the victory, and send the Aggies home with another blown lead. I mean really, as first this was funny, now its stupidity. What is A&M going to do next year in the SEC? Final score 53-50, Kansas State.
Don't look now.
But Oregon's only loss of the season was to number one LSU. After a demolishing at Stanford, the Ducks are looking good. After forcing John Elway #2, Andrew Luck to throw two picks, running one back for a touchdown, Oregon's offense went off. Stanford's physical play couldn't match the speed of the Ducks. LaMichael James ran for 146 yards and three scores, and showed why we shouldn't forget about him either after his horrific elbow injury earlier this season. Stanford is still a very good team, Oregon just looked better. Final score 53-30, Oregon.
Remember when?
I've said this already earlier in the season, but remember when Georgia was left for dead after starting 0-2 but then winning five straight? Well I can say it again, because they still haven't lost. They just look like a comletely different team. They completely dismantled Auburn this week 45-7, and if not for Arkansas, would have the best offense in the SEC. QB Aaron Murray is playing lights out, throwing 9 td's in his last two games. Frehsman running back Isiah Crowell is looking like a stud workhorse(even after he was suspended one game for hitting up the ganja). The Bulldogs are now 8-2, and if they beat Kentucky, will clinch the SEC East and head to Atlanta in three weeks. Who would have thought?
Still haven't turned it around.
Although they are better than last year, and are playing a lot of young guys, Texas isn't quite back yet. The quarterback carousel still isn't working, and never will, ever for anyone. And the running game, even with injuries to their top two rushers, is very inconsistent. They were only able to muster 247 yards of offense, and couldn't find the endzone against Missouri's defense. That isn't saying much. Why Texas was still even ranked is beyond me. Missouri beats them after losing six straight to Texas, and in the final meeting of the two conference schools. Final score 17-5, Missouri.
Best game no one watched - Toledo over Western Michigan 66-63, in regulation! Defensive coordinators for both schools should be kicked to the curb.
Another quiet, good team.
Virginia Tech's only loss of their season was to current ninth ranked Clemson. After beating a good Georgia Tech team this past Saturday, the Hokies are sitting at 9-1, and looking to win their fifth ACC title in only 7 years.
Somewhat satisfied, for now.
Arkansas took care of business against a struggling Tennessee team riddled with injuries. The Hogs turned in big play after big play, none more exciting than Joe Adams' 60 yard punt return. Adams broke 6 tackles, ran around in circles for about ten seconds, then found a seam and followed his blockers the rest of the way. Probably the best punt return of the year. Tyler Wilson was efficient, throwing for 224 yards and three scores. But again, the Hog defense was troubling. Tennessee moved the ball pretty consistently up and down the field with a true freshman QB making his first start, they just couldn't convert in the red zone. But if you keep them from scoring touchdowns, you'll take it. The better team did win out. Final score 49-7, Arkansas.
Until next week.
I will say this about Penn State, and we will move on. It is sad that the legend(no more) Joe Paterno helped cover up Jerry Sandusky's sick, twisted acts of sexual child abuse. It is sad that he wasn't the only one covering it up. I'm sure there will be more facts come out about this ordeal, but for now we know what we know. As much as we all love college football, there has to come a time where just winning doesn't take priority over what is the right thing to do. Was Paterno and whoever else so caught up in maintaining a winning program that keeping a criminal under wraps seemed like a good idea? The answer is yes they did. And as much as people think, including the moronic Penn State fans who think Paterno did nothing wrong, he did. He literally kept quiet about a man who he knew committed these acts, and was continuing to do these horrible things. Paterno knew about it! As did the athletic director, and assistant coach Mike McQueary, who at this point is the only one who has come out and said he tried to stop one incident. But someone made him keep quiet. Sandusky was allowed to hang around the Penn State facilities this entire time, up until two weeks ago. Paterno, sadly, did a lot of things wrong. And now, the all time winningest coach in college football history will go down as a man who knowingly let another man commit sex acts to little boys time and time again, just so they would keep winning. Penn State and Paterno will not recover from this, ever.
Let's talk about the stuff that isn't so depressing.
Puzzling. This happens in football, some teams match up better with other teams, resulting in different outcomes. For instance, Texas Tech beats OU in Norman, OU the next weeks kills Kansas State on the road, the following week Oklahoma State barely survives a K State comeback that they probably should have lost in Stillwater. So logical thinking says Texas Tech-Oklahoma State should be a good game right? Nope! This one was over before it started. Okie State scored on every offensive possession in the first half, and took a 49-0 lead into halftime. Good lord! Brandon Weedon threw it around about as good as you can for an afternoon, going 31-37 for 423 yards and 5 touchdowns. The Pokes sit at number 2 in the BCS, and are in good shape with the OU game looming large. Tech on the other hand hasn't won since beating OU. In fact they have all been by large margins, 41-7 to powerhouse Iowa State, 52-20 at Texas, and this Okie State game, which was in Lubbock. What happened? Did they forget they still had to play some games before the season was over? Final score 66-6, Oklahoma State.
Speaking of blowouts.
I only bring them up because they are now relevant in the national picture. Houston is putting up insane offensive numbers. Their last four games they have scored 63, 73, 56, and 73 again. Granted it is against weak competition, but still impressive. They put up 735 total yards of offense, and Case Keenum is shattering the record books, and Houston is still undefeated. Their latest victim was little Tulane. Like I said, this is all against pretty weak teams, they do not belong in the BCS conversation, although we will hear about it incessantly for the next few weeks. Final score 73-17, Houston.
The reason Houston is being talked about.
Because Boise State is out of it! Woohoo! They were rolling along once again, and being talked about for sure getting to another BCS bowl if they went undefeated, as they were ranked 5th last week. There was even talk they could get into the national championship game if things fell their way. But thanks to the TCU Horned Frogs, that will not be the case. An extremely back and forth game that saw a ton of big plays and 952 yards of offense total, it all came down to the final minute, and the kicking game. As was the case last year when they lost to Nevada after Kyle Brotzman missed three field goals, Boise State had a chance to win the game in the final seconds with a field goal. But this time, it was Dan Goodale who was not able to convert on a 39 yard kick as time expired. HAHAHAHAHA! The more important play was the touchdown TCU scored before that. Head coach Gary Patterson went for two to take the lead instead of kicking the extra point to tie it. Massive cahoneys. Final score 36-35, TCU.
Alright this is getting old.
Tell me if you've heard this before? Texas A&M gives up a double digit lead in the second half, only to lose. Yes, you have heard it before. For the fourth time this year, it happened again. This time it was a 31-21 lead over Kansas State with 6:38 to go in the fourth quarter. K State was able to rally with a 53 yard td pass, and a filed goal on their next possession to tie it and send it to overtime. And it took four overtimes to decide this one. K State quarterback Colin Klein was able to punch it in form one yard out to seal the victory, and send the Aggies home with another blown lead. I mean really, as first this was funny, now its stupidity. What is A&M going to do next year in the SEC? Final score 53-50, Kansas State.
Don't look now.
But Oregon's only loss of the season was to number one LSU. After a demolishing at Stanford, the Ducks are looking good. After forcing John Elway #2, Andrew Luck to throw two picks, running one back for a touchdown, Oregon's offense went off. Stanford's physical play couldn't match the speed of the Ducks. LaMichael James ran for 146 yards and three scores, and showed why we shouldn't forget about him either after his horrific elbow injury earlier this season. Stanford is still a very good team, Oregon just looked better. Final score 53-30, Oregon.
Remember when?
I've said this already earlier in the season, but remember when Georgia was left for dead after starting 0-2 but then winning five straight? Well I can say it again, because they still haven't lost. They just look like a comletely different team. They completely dismantled Auburn this week 45-7, and if not for Arkansas, would have the best offense in the SEC. QB Aaron Murray is playing lights out, throwing 9 td's in his last two games. Frehsman running back Isiah Crowell is looking like a stud workhorse(even after he was suspended one game for hitting up the ganja). The Bulldogs are now 8-2, and if they beat Kentucky, will clinch the SEC East and head to Atlanta in three weeks. Who would have thought?
Still haven't turned it around.
Although they are better than last year, and are playing a lot of young guys, Texas isn't quite back yet. The quarterback carousel still isn't working, and never will, ever for anyone. And the running game, even with injuries to their top two rushers, is very inconsistent. They were only able to muster 247 yards of offense, and couldn't find the endzone against Missouri's defense. That isn't saying much. Why Texas was still even ranked is beyond me. Missouri beats them after losing six straight to Texas, and in the final meeting of the two conference schools. Final score 17-5, Missouri.
Best game no one watched - Toledo over Western Michigan 66-63, in regulation! Defensive coordinators for both schools should be kicked to the curb.
Another quiet, good team.
Virginia Tech's only loss of their season was to current ninth ranked Clemson. After beating a good Georgia Tech team this past Saturday, the Hokies are sitting at 9-1, and looking to win their fifth ACC title in only 7 years.
Somewhat satisfied, for now.
Arkansas took care of business against a struggling Tennessee team riddled with injuries. The Hogs turned in big play after big play, none more exciting than Joe Adams' 60 yard punt return. Adams broke 6 tackles, ran around in circles for about ten seconds, then found a seam and followed his blockers the rest of the way. Probably the best punt return of the year. Tyler Wilson was efficient, throwing for 224 yards and three scores. But again, the Hog defense was troubling. Tennessee moved the ball pretty consistently up and down the field with a true freshman QB making his first start, they just couldn't convert in the red zone. But if you keep them from scoring touchdowns, you'll take it. The better team did win out. Final score 49-7, Arkansas.
Until next week.
Thursday, November 3, 2011
2011 - week 9
Times are getting tough, and no one is safe. There are only a few unbeaten left, and there are about to be less. The national title race is about to get interesting. But first, we'll take a look at how we got here.
Get it out of the way.
I'll start with the Hogs this week, because frankly, it makes me sick. I know everyone says a win is a win, and I get that. But Arkansas has to scratch and claw their way back into games in the second half against teams like Texas A&M(5-3), Ole Miss(2-6), and Vanderbilt(4-4) because they let them jump out to big leads early. It's super annoying. What is it about this team that they can't get it going unless they get hit in the mouth first, which happens every game now. If I have to hear Bobby Petrino say one more time about how he's happy the way the team responded after being down, I'm going to puke. I have an idea, stop having to respond! Again, these have been to teams that aren't exactly lighting it up against everyone else either. None are ranked, A&M is having a disappointing year, Ole Miss hasn't won a conference game in 14 tries, literally, and Vanderbilt is still Vanderbilt. And I still don't understand why Jarius Wright is the only receiver who can get open. I'm happy he is having a great season, but all the talk of this being the best receiving corps in the country is out the window. Greg Childs fell off the planet and gave up, I don't hear Joe Adams' name ever anymore, and Cobi Hamilton plays in slow motion. And don't even get me started on the defense, or lack there of. Not to mention, thanks to Marquel Wade, we've added a thugalicious aspect to the team. Arkansas is the luckiest, most overrated 7-1 team in the history of college football. And I can't wait to go to Fayetteville this weekend to cheer them on against South Carolina!
Wait, what?
So just one week after Texas Tech completely controls the entire game and beats OU IN Norman, they follow that up with getting run out of the stadium to....wait for it....Iowa State. Talk about getting up for one game and forgetting you still had to play the rest of the season. Tech amassed almost 600 yards of offense at OU, and then 290 against Iowa State. Tech QB Seth Doege was my player of the week last week, throwing for over 400 yards and 4 td's, this week, 290, no touchdowns. Way to go dude. This game was in Lubbock too. Typical Tech I guess, they're about as roller coaster of a program as there is. Final score 41-7, Iowa State.
Speaking of roller coasters.
Remember about three weeks ago when I said Wisconsin may be the fourth best team in the country, and has a very good shot to play for the national title? Well, I was an idiot. They have now lost two games in a row, and are out of it, nationally at least. They somehow gave up a game ending hail mary touchdown pass at Michigan State(which was awesome), and let the completely discombobulated Ohio State come back more than once to beat you. Not only that, it was another long touchdown pass that cost them, this time with just 20 seconds left. After everyone thought Russell Wilson was the final piece in the Wisconsin arsenal to go all the way, it seems as though he wasn't. Although he did play well, throwing for 259 yards and three scores with no picks. The most surprising thing is Ohio State. They haven't been able to do anything on offense for a while, until freshman Braxton Miller got it going. He threw for only 82 yards, but rushed for 99 and two td's. Or maybe it was the uniforms, those were sick. See for yourself. http://www.nikeblog.com/2011/09/12/2011-ohio-state-pro-combat-uniform/ Final score 33-29, Ohio State.
Speaking of wild finishes.
And who just cemented himself the Heisman. Andrew Luck and Stanford got out of the Los Angeles Coliseum after three overtimes with a win. There hasn't been many good things to say about USC recently, but they were 6-1 and playing good football. Stanford, as mentioned before, won 15 games in a row going into last week. And again, Luck came through. He passed for 330 yards, 3 touchdowns, and even overcame an interception return for a touchdown to still win. The guy is unbelievable. USC QB Matt Barkley is also pretty good, who threw for 284 yards and three scores himself. He is the least talked about good quarterback in the country. It wasn't enough however. Stanford's win streak is at 16. Final score 56-48, Stanford.
Still rolling along.
And still somehow a little quiet. I don't know if its the fact people don't think they will finish this high or what, but Oklahoma State is 8-0, third in the BCS, and steamrolling their opponents. This week it was a high powered Baylor squad, who got so much love to start the season, but has now fizzled. Okie State's offense is probably the most balanced out of the top teams. Not only can Brandon Weedon sling it around, but they rushed for 327 yards last week, with 5 touchdowns. The defense still needs work, giving up 622 total yards to Baylor. But they seem to be able to make plays when they need it, sort of the bend, don't break mentality. Mike Gundy has taken this team to new levels. The Big 12 title will come down to Bedlam at the end of the season. Final score 59-24, Oklahoma State.
Finally.
I've said in recent weeks, I'm just waiting for Clemson to not live up to their hype, and fall. And thanks to Georgia Tech, they did. Ga Tech is one of those teams that if the triple offense is clicking, they are tough to beat. They got it going for 383 yards rushing. Clemson freshman Sammy Watkins still played well, catching 10 balls for 159 yards and a score. There is no better freshman in the country this year, period. Clemson is still a really good team, they're just not top five good. Final score 31-17, Georgia Tech.
Speaking of top five good.
After playing uninspired against an inferior opponent and getting beat like they do once a year, OU got back on track. Going to Kansas State where no one in their right mind thought the Wildcats would be undefeated and ranked ninth, was going to be a challenge. But OU stormed out of the gate, playing inspired. Hey see what happens when you get ready?! K State even put up a good fight for a while, having a 17-14 lead in the second quarter. But it was a mismatch after that. OU finished with 690 total yards, to K State's 240. And after being behind 17-14, the Sooners scored 44 unanswered points the rest of the way. Sorry K State, not as good as you thought you were. Final score 58-17, Oklahoma.
Speaking of up and down.
One week after Michigan State threw a hail mary pass as time ran out to beat Wisconsin, they scored three points and lost. Notice a theme this week? Play huge one week, come out flat the next. The Spartans could never get it going at Nebraska, who themselves are a little hard to figure out. Although the Huskers are 7-1, I don't feel completely comfortable that every week they are going to play up to their potential. They did this week however, holding Michigan State to just 187 total yards. Final score 24-3, Nebraska.
Blowout of the week - Sam Houston State over Lamar, 66-0.
Thanks and see ya later.
Remember all the talk about Texas A&M to begin the season? About how great they were and how they were going to a BCS bowl? Well, they lost to Missouri 38-31 in overtime, at home, and are now 5-3. Their third double digit halftime lead given up this year. Bye bye.
Until next week.
Get it out of the way.
I'll start with the Hogs this week, because frankly, it makes me sick. I know everyone says a win is a win, and I get that. But Arkansas has to scratch and claw their way back into games in the second half against teams like Texas A&M(5-3), Ole Miss(2-6), and Vanderbilt(4-4) because they let them jump out to big leads early. It's super annoying. What is it about this team that they can't get it going unless they get hit in the mouth first, which happens every game now. If I have to hear Bobby Petrino say one more time about how he's happy the way the team responded after being down, I'm going to puke. I have an idea, stop having to respond! Again, these have been to teams that aren't exactly lighting it up against everyone else either. None are ranked, A&M is having a disappointing year, Ole Miss hasn't won a conference game in 14 tries, literally, and Vanderbilt is still Vanderbilt. And I still don't understand why Jarius Wright is the only receiver who can get open. I'm happy he is having a great season, but all the talk of this being the best receiving corps in the country is out the window. Greg Childs fell off the planet and gave up, I don't hear Joe Adams' name ever anymore, and Cobi Hamilton plays in slow motion. And don't even get me started on the defense, or lack there of. Not to mention, thanks to Marquel Wade, we've added a thugalicious aspect to the team. Arkansas is the luckiest, most overrated 7-1 team in the history of college football. And I can't wait to go to Fayetteville this weekend to cheer them on against South Carolina!
Wait, what?
So just one week after Texas Tech completely controls the entire game and beats OU IN Norman, they follow that up with getting run out of the stadium to....wait for it....Iowa State. Talk about getting up for one game and forgetting you still had to play the rest of the season. Tech amassed almost 600 yards of offense at OU, and then 290 against Iowa State. Tech QB Seth Doege was my player of the week last week, throwing for over 400 yards and 4 td's, this week, 290, no touchdowns. Way to go dude. This game was in Lubbock too. Typical Tech I guess, they're about as roller coaster of a program as there is. Final score 41-7, Iowa State.
Speaking of roller coasters.
Remember about three weeks ago when I said Wisconsin may be the fourth best team in the country, and has a very good shot to play for the national title? Well, I was an idiot. They have now lost two games in a row, and are out of it, nationally at least. They somehow gave up a game ending hail mary touchdown pass at Michigan State(which was awesome), and let the completely discombobulated Ohio State come back more than once to beat you. Not only that, it was another long touchdown pass that cost them, this time with just 20 seconds left. After everyone thought Russell Wilson was the final piece in the Wisconsin arsenal to go all the way, it seems as though he wasn't. Although he did play well, throwing for 259 yards and three scores with no picks. The most surprising thing is Ohio State. They haven't been able to do anything on offense for a while, until freshman Braxton Miller got it going. He threw for only 82 yards, but rushed for 99 and two td's. Or maybe it was the uniforms, those were sick. See for yourself. http://www.nikeblog.com/2011/09/12/2011-ohio-state-pro-combat-uniform/ Final score 33-29, Ohio State.
Speaking of wild finishes.
And who just cemented himself the Heisman. Andrew Luck and Stanford got out of the Los Angeles Coliseum after three overtimes with a win. There hasn't been many good things to say about USC recently, but they were 6-1 and playing good football. Stanford, as mentioned before, won 15 games in a row going into last week. And again, Luck came through. He passed for 330 yards, 3 touchdowns, and even overcame an interception return for a touchdown to still win. The guy is unbelievable. USC QB Matt Barkley is also pretty good, who threw for 284 yards and three scores himself. He is the least talked about good quarterback in the country. It wasn't enough however. Stanford's win streak is at 16. Final score 56-48, Stanford.
Still rolling along.
And still somehow a little quiet. I don't know if its the fact people don't think they will finish this high or what, but Oklahoma State is 8-0, third in the BCS, and steamrolling their opponents. This week it was a high powered Baylor squad, who got so much love to start the season, but has now fizzled. Okie State's offense is probably the most balanced out of the top teams. Not only can Brandon Weedon sling it around, but they rushed for 327 yards last week, with 5 touchdowns. The defense still needs work, giving up 622 total yards to Baylor. But they seem to be able to make plays when they need it, sort of the bend, don't break mentality. Mike Gundy has taken this team to new levels. The Big 12 title will come down to Bedlam at the end of the season. Final score 59-24, Oklahoma State.
Finally.
I've said in recent weeks, I'm just waiting for Clemson to not live up to their hype, and fall. And thanks to Georgia Tech, they did. Ga Tech is one of those teams that if the triple offense is clicking, they are tough to beat. They got it going for 383 yards rushing. Clemson freshman Sammy Watkins still played well, catching 10 balls for 159 yards and a score. There is no better freshman in the country this year, period. Clemson is still a really good team, they're just not top five good. Final score 31-17, Georgia Tech.
Speaking of top five good.
After playing uninspired against an inferior opponent and getting beat like they do once a year, OU got back on track. Going to Kansas State where no one in their right mind thought the Wildcats would be undefeated and ranked ninth, was going to be a challenge. But OU stormed out of the gate, playing inspired. Hey see what happens when you get ready?! K State even put up a good fight for a while, having a 17-14 lead in the second quarter. But it was a mismatch after that. OU finished with 690 total yards, to K State's 240. And after being behind 17-14, the Sooners scored 44 unanswered points the rest of the way. Sorry K State, not as good as you thought you were. Final score 58-17, Oklahoma.
Speaking of up and down.
One week after Michigan State threw a hail mary pass as time ran out to beat Wisconsin, they scored three points and lost. Notice a theme this week? Play huge one week, come out flat the next. The Spartans could never get it going at Nebraska, who themselves are a little hard to figure out. Although the Huskers are 7-1, I don't feel completely comfortable that every week they are going to play up to their potential. They did this week however, holding Michigan State to just 187 total yards. Final score 24-3, Nebraska.
Blowout of the week - Sam Houston State over Lamar, 66-0.
Thanks and see ya later.
Remember all the talk about Texas A&M to begin the season? About how great they were and how they were going to a BCS bowl? Well, they lost to Missouri 38-31 in overtime, at home, and are now 5-3. Their third double digit halftime lead given up this year. Bye bye.
Until next week.
Thursday, October 20, 2011
2011 - week 7
The BCS standings were released, with no surprises at the top. The season is shaping up to have a wild, intense finish. The top 4 teams in the BCS all have to still play each other. But, we have a long way to go.
Speaking of the top two teams.
Who reside in the same conference, in the same division. Both LSU and Alabama took care of overmatched opponents. LSU turned in another wear you down performance over Tennessee. The Vols had no chance. Even if Tennessee starting QB Tyler Bray would have played, it wouldn't have mattered. Final score 38-7. Alabama started somewhat slow at Ole Miss, holding onto a 14-7 lead at half. But then blew the doors off in the second half. Trent Richardson continues to make his Heisman campaign bigger, rushing for 181 yards and 4 touchdowns. Bama had 615 total yards of offense, to Ole Miss' 141. Ouch. That's about as mismatched a game as you will see. Ole Miss is a conference opponent too, not an early season FCS school. Final score 52-7. These two teams play in two weeks. Armageddon ensues.
Two in a row.
The theme for the matchup between Oklahoma State and Texas was two in a row. Texas had not lost a game after losing the Red River Shootout in 10 plus years, and OSU had not beaten Texas two years in a row in, forever. Well, both happened. The Pokes were able to get big plays, and make just enough plays on defense to hold on, in Austin. That is still the question for Okie State. Are they going to make enough plays on defense in key situations to go to the next level. Their offense will certainly keep them in games, but, wait for it, defense wins championships. Texas' Fozzy Whitaker returned his second 100 yard kickoff return(in a row) for a touchdown, but Texas' offense sputtered at the end. It looks as though David Ash is taking over at QB full time for the Longhorns. Sorry, no more McCoy to Shipley references, I'll miss those. Final score 38-26, Oklahoma State.
Boise State beat Colorado State 63-13. Did their schedule get even easier when they moved to the Mountain West?
Rolling along.
In case you didn't know, Stanford has won 14 games in a row. Yes, the same Stanford that went 1-11 back in '06. The loss that came before that win streak was to Oregon, who only made it to the national championship game last year. Of course they didn't have Andrew Luck back then, who this week passed for 336 yards and 4 td's against poor old Washington State. The guy is a machine. He may or may not win the Heisman, but he is the most complete quarterback we've seen in college in quite some time. Final score 44-14, Stanford.
Still?
I keep waiting for Clemson to pull a, well, Clemson. A team that always seems to find a way to lose games they shouldn't when they are highly ranked. It almost happened last weekend, but thanks to Sammy Watkins, it didn't. With Maryland leading 35-17 early in the third quarter, Watkins took over. He caught td passes of 13 and 15 yards in the third quarter, then ran a kickoff back 89 yards in the fourth! He accounted for 375 total yards, and 3 touchdowns, all in the second half. Clemson somehow stays undefeated. Final score 56-45, Clemson.
Not anymore.
Speaking of somehow undefeated, until last week. Michigan took care of business in the first half of the season, something I didn't think they could do. But their first real test, a road trip to Michigan State was failed miserably. First of all, the uniforms they busted out were horrendous, some throwback looking things. Michigan's uniform is maybe my favorite looking uniform, and they've worn this get-up twice now this season. Michigan State also brought out some new unis, which were not bad. But let's get to the actual football. The Spartans were able to contain Mr. Explosive Denard Robinson, and only allowed 250 total yards of offense. MSU also returned an interception back for a td, which always helps. Look for Michigan to do what they always do, start the season fast, and end slow. Final score 28-14, Michigan State.
Speaking of taking care of business.
And also start slow. Oklahoma looked to have a bit of a Red River hangover to start against the worst team in the Big12, Kansas. Tied 10-10 early in the second quarter, OU turned it on. After a td run by Roy Finch, it was also time to get Ryan Broyles the record for most receptions in college football history. So they sent him deep and connected on a 57 yard td pass to break it. Good for him. In what feels like his 15th season in Norman, Broyles has been the ultimate receiver at OU. He catches double digit passes just about every week, and seems to score when you need him to. OU continues to be in cruise control. Final score 47-17, Oklahoma.
Reason I never talk about them.
West Virginia is the only good thing that has come out of the Big East in a good while. On the national scale, they are easily the worst conference. Utah was 2-3, and 0-3 in the PAC 12 going into their mid-season matchup with Pittsburgh. Pitt was of course heavily favored, and playing at home. And to no one's surprise, they stunk it up, and got run out of their own stadium. Utah's three losses were a combined 89-42 margin of loss, yet were able to run all over the Panthers. Pitt amassed 120 total yards of offense, and their two touchdowns came on a kickoff return and a blocked punt. Pitiful. If I don't mention the Big East the rest of the season, you know why. Final score 26-14, Utah.
Just keep winning.
I mentioned a couple weeks ago that Bill Snyder's second tour of rebuilding at Kansas State was going well this year. Even after giving up 580 yards of offense to Texas Tech, and being down 28-20 at half, K State found a way to win. I only know one player's name on that team, Collin Klein, the QB of course. They haven't had the toughest schedule in the world, but they are another team that no one thought would be in this position. I mean they won their first game 10-7 over Eastern Kentucky! Come on. The road gets much tougher starting two weeks, with games against OU, Okie State, A&M, and Texas all in a row. We'll see what they are made of after that stretch. Speaking of Texas Tech, I'm wondering when Tommy Tuberville is going to give up the "Air Raid" offense. I give it one more year to please the fans, then he'll switch to what made him successful at Auburn, a power running game and good defense. Final score 41-34, Kansas State.
Where's the offense?
A few weeks ago, the Auburn versus Florida game sounded like a good one. Well, with Florida having to go through LSU and Alabama in consecutive weeks and getting dismantled, and Auburn being run out of Arkansas, it lost it sizzle. And when the game started, it wasn't much better. Both offenses got a whole lot of nothing going throughout the game. Barret Trotter for Auburn was benched in favor of Clint Moseley, who looks to get the nod the rest of the way. And Florida used everyone but the waterboy in the game at QB. It resulted in less than 500 yards of offense total from both squads for the game. Miserable. Thanks to two muffed punts by Florida, Auburn was able to capitalize on short fields. If not for that, the score might have been 7-3. Florida already looking to next year. Final score 17-6, Auburn.
Until next week.
Speaking of the top two teams.
Who reside in the same conference, in the same division. Both LSU and Alabama took care of overmatched opponents. LSU turned in another wear you down performance over Tennessee. The Vols had no chance. Even if Tennessee starting QB Tyler Bray would have played, it wouldn't have mattered. Final score 38-7. Alabama started somewhat slow at Ole Miss, holding onto a 14-7 lead at half. But then blew the doors off in the second half. Trent Richardson continues to make his Heisman campaign bigger, rushing for 181 yards and 4 touchdowns. Bama had 615 total yards of offense, to Ole Miss' 141. Ouch. That's about as mismatched a game as you will see. Ole Miss is a conference opponent too, not an early season FCS school. Final score 52-7. These two teams play in two weeks. Armageddon ensues.
Two in a row.
The theme for the matchup between Oklahoma State and Texas was two in a row. Texas had not lost a game after losing the Red River Shootout in 10 plus years, and OSU had not beaten Texas two years in a row in, forever. Well, both happened. The Pokes were able to get big plays, and make just enough plays on defense to hold on, in Austin. That is still the question for Okie State. Are they going to make enough plays on defense in key situations to go to the next level. Their offense will certainly keep them in games, but, wait for it, defense wins championships. Texas' Fozzy Whitaker returned his second 100 yard kickoff return(in a row) for a touchdown, but Texas' offense sputtered at the end. It looks as though David Ash is taking over at QB full time for the Longhorns. Sorry, no more McCoy to Shipley references, I'll miss those. Final score 38-26, Oklahoma State.
Boise State beat Colorado State 63-13. Did their schedule get even easier when they moved to the Mountain West?
Rolling along.
In case you didn't know, Stanford has won 14 games in a row. Yes, the same Stanford that went 1-11 back in '06. The loss that came before that win streak was to Oregon, who only made it to the national championship game last year. Of course they didn't have Andrew Luck back then, who this week passed for 336 yards and 4 td's against poor old Washington State. The guy is a machine. He may or may not win the Heisman, but he is the most complete quarterback we've seen in college in quite some time. Final score 44-14, Stanford.
Still?
I keep waiting for Clemson to pull a, well, Clemson. A team that always seems to find a way to lose games they shouldn't when they are highly ranked. It almost happened last weekend, but thanks to Sammy Watkins, it didn't. With Maryland leading 35-17 early in the third quarter, Watkins took over. He caught td passes of 13 and 15 yards in the third quarter, then ran a kickoff back 89 yards in the fourth! He accounted for 375 total yards, and 3 touchdowns, all in the second half. Clemson somehow stays undefeated. Final score 56-45, Clemson.
Not anymore.
Speaking of somehow undefeated, until last week. Michigan took care of business in the first half of the season, something I didn't think they could do. But their first real test, a road trip to Michigan State was failed miserably. First of all, the uniforms they busted out were horrendous, some throwback looking things. Michigan's uniform is maybe my favorite looking uniform, and they've worn this get-up twice now this season. Michigan State also brought out some new unis, which were not bad. But let's get to the actual football. The Spartans were able to contain Mr. Explosive Denard Robinson, and only allowed 250 total yards of offense. MSU also returned an interception back for a td, which always helps. Look for Michigan to do what they always do, start the season fast, and end slow. Final score 28-14, Michigan State.
Speaking of taking care of business.
And also start slow. Oklahoma looked to have a bit of a Red River hangover to start against the worst team in the Big12, Kansas. Tied 10-10 early in the second quarter, OU turned it on. After a td run by Roy Finch, it was also time to get Ryan Broyles the record for most receptions in college football history. So they sent him deep and connected on a 57 yard td pass to break it. Good for him. In what feels like his 15th season in Norman, Broyles has been the ultimate receiver at OU. He catches double digit passes just about every week, and seems to score when you need him to. OU continues to be in cruise control. Final score 47-17, Oklahoma.
Reason I never talk about them.
West Virginia is the only good thing that has come out of the Big East in a good while. On the national scale, they are easily the worst conference. Utah was 2-3, and 0-3 in the PAC 12 going into their mid-season matchup with Pittsburgh. Pitt was of course heavily favored, and playing at home. And to no one's surprise, they stunk it up, and got run out of their own stadium. Utah's three losses were a combined 89-42 margin of loss, yet were able to run all over the Panthers. Pitt amassed 120 total yards of offense, and their two touchdowns came on a kickoff return and a blocked punt. Pitiful. If I don't mention the Big East the rest of the season, you know why. Final score 26-14, Utah.
Just keep winning.
I mentioned a couple weeks ago that Bill Snyder's second tour of rebuilding at Kansas State was going well this year. Even after giving up 580 yards of offense to Texas Tech, and being down 28-20 at half, K State found a way to win. I only know one player's name on that team, Collin Klein, the QB of course. They haven't had the toughest schedule in the world, but they are another team that no one thought would be in this position. I mean they won their first game 10-7 over Eastern Kentucky! Come on. The road gets much tougher starting two weeks, with games against OU, Okie State, A&M, and Texas all in a row. We'll see what they are made of after that stretch. Speaking of Texas Tech, I'm wondering when Tommy Tuberville is going to give up the "Air Raid" offense. I give it one more year to please the fans, then he'll switch to what made him successful at Auburn, a power running game and good defense. Final score 41-34, Kansas State.
Where's the offense?
A few weeks ago, the Auburn versus Florida game sounded like a good one. Well, with Florida having to go through LSU and Alabama in consecutive weeks and getting dismantled, and Auburn being run out of Arkansas, it lost it sizzle. And when the game started, it wasn't much better. Both offenses got a whole lot of nothing going throughout the game. Barret Trotter for Auburn was benched in favor of Clint Moseley, who looks to get the nod the rest of the way. And Florida used everyone but the waterboy in the game at QB. It resulted in less than 500 yards of offense total from both squads for the game. Miserable. Thanks to two muffed punts by Florida, Auburn was able to capitalize on short fields. If not for that, the score might have been 7-3. Florida already looking to next year. Final score 17-6, Auburn.
Until next week.
Thursday, October 13, 2011
2011 - week 6
We're already halfway through the season, man this stuff goes by fast! Things are starting to take shape, as big time matchups failed to live up. Teams at the top are starting to separate.
Case in point.
The Red River Shootout(I refuse to call it the Red River Rivalry)
Both teams came in undefeated, but no one expected Texas to be. How good were they really? OU on the other hand was supposed to be unbeaten still. And it showed why one team was expected to be, and why the other was not. This wasn't even a game. Texas' two quarterback circus finally backfired horribly. Texas only managed 259 total yards of offense, and coughed up five turnovers, three of which were returned for touchdowns. If not for a kickoff return for a score, and a garbage-time touchdown when OU had the cheerleaders in the game, Texas would have put up just three points. Landry Jones threw for 367 yards and three td's, and OU's receivers made it look easy against the Longhorn secondary. It was just an old fashioned butt whoopin'. Final score 55-17, Oklahoma.
Speaking of murders.
For the second week in a row, the SEC West showed who is running things right now in the conference. The gap between the East and West's best teams is astounding. Florida, who is supposed to be the second best team in the East, lost 38-10 to Alabama last week, and 41-11 this week to LSU. Not to mention, Auburn beat South Carolina on the road two weeks ago, and SC is the favorite in the East. Granted Florida is without starting QB John Brantley, but they weren't doing much better when he did play against Bama. LSU took it to Florida from the start, and it also was never a game. LSU corner Tyrann Mathieu had ANOTHER interception, making his case for maybe the best overall player in the country. LSU and Bama are on a collision course meeting on Nov. 5th that may stop time.
Speaking of Florida schools.
After the big three Florida programs all lost this past Saturday, for the first time in what seems like 80 years, no Florida team is ranked in the top 25. With the success in the last twenty years of Florida State, Miami, and Florida, to not have one of them ranked is weird. I'm surprised someone didn't rank one of them 25th just to keep the streak alive. But the fact is, Miami is 2-3 after blowing a lead late to Virginia Tech. Florida State is 2-3 after losing to Wake Forest. Florida is at least 4-2, but those two losses were beatdowns they had no chance in. The end of an era, at least for now.
Still haven't lost?
Michigan is somehow quietly still unbeaten and ranked 11th in the nation. Huh? Now their only quality win was a comeback victory over Notre Dame, but I didn't think they would be able to even do that. First year head coach Brady Hoke came into a horrible situation after Rich Rodriguez left the program in disarray. Michigan had the worst defense in the history of college football, and possible NCAA infractions looming. But he does have one of the most explosive players in the country at quarterback in Denard Robinson, who continues to put up great numbers. The truest dual threat QB in the country, with 1130 passing yards and 10 td's, to go with 720 yards rushing and 8 scores. Nice. Big test this week against rival Michigan State.
Just keeps getting worse.
I've said a few times already that Ohio State is cooked, gonners, whatever you want to call it. And just when you thought they were going to pull off a big win on the road at Nebraska, they show you why those players that aren't on the team anymore got paid so much. Because they won games! The Buckeyes were in complete control, and somehow found their offense. They were enjoying a 27-6 lead in the third quarter, when it came off the hinges. Taylor Martinez and Rex Burkhead lead the charge, and Nebraska stormed back to score 28 unanswered points in the second half. Ohio State coach Luke Fickell may not even get another year, he may be ousted at the end of this season they suck so bad. Final score 34-27, Nebraska.
Speaking of sucking.
Not just on the field, but in life also. We all know the story by now about South Carolina QB Stephen Garcia, who was going for the record number of times suspended from a team, only to always be reinstated. I've said all along that Spurrier knew he needed Garcia to win the SEC East, well not anymore. Garcia reportedly was caught with, and or using marijuana and alcohol, which violated his stipulations that allowed him to come back in the first place. I guess he gave up after losing his starting job to Connor Shaw, again. And watching Shaw use that opportunity to run a train on Kentucky this past weekend to a 54-3 demolishing. As soon as Spurrier knew he didn't need Garcia to win anymore, he booted him. So long sucka.
Boise State beats Fresno State 57-7.
Quietest good team.
Who also happens to have the best player in the country, Stanford. They are 5-0, and blow out everyone. Andrew Luck continues to play great football, this week throwing for 370 yards and three touchdowns. H even caught a throw back pass one handed while diving out of bounds! WHAT?! Dude is that good. After head coach Jim Harbaugh bolted to the NFL, I thought they would regress considerably. But they haven't. They play good defense, and the offense seems just as potent as ever. They haven't played a super tough schedule to date, so they will get their chance to show how good they really are. But when you easily handle everyone you have gone up against, that says something. This week it was Colorado, who hasn't exactly taken to their new conference very well. But like we didn't expect that anyway. Final score 48-7, Stanford.
Satisfied this time.
After giving up another long play for a score, and being down 14-7 after the first quarter, I was not happy with the Hogs. Auburn seemed to be able to run the ball at will, whether it was Michael Dyer or Kiehl Frazier, Arkansas couldn't stop them. But the defense finally showed up. Why they can't do it to start the game I'll never know. The Arkansas defense apparently has to be woken up by the other team scoring first to play well. Two weeks ago against A&M, it took giving up 35 points and over 300 yards rushing in the first half to start playing. This week, the 14-7 deficit was enough. The Hogs shut them out the rest of the way, and the offensive onslaught began. Tyler Wilson continues to improve and become the QB we thought he would be. For now, it looks as though the team is getting it together. This could still be a 10-2 team. Final score 38-14, Arkansas.
Until next week.
Case in point.
The Red River Shootout(I refuse to call it the Red River Rivalry)
Both teams came in undefeated, but no one expected Texas to be. How good were they really? OU on the other hand was supposed to be unbeaten still. And it showed why one team was expected to be, and why the other was not. This wasn't even a game. Texas' two quarterback circus finally backfired horribly. Texas only managed 259 total yards of offense, and coughed up five turnovers, three of which were returned for touchdowns. If not for a kickoff return for a score, and a garbage-time touchdown when OU had the cheerleaders in the game, Texas would have put up just three points. Landry Jones threw for 367 yards and three td's, and OU's receivers made it look easy against the Longhorn secondary. It was just an old fashioned butt whoopin'. Final score 55-17, Oklahoma.
Speaking of murders.
For the second week in a row, the SEC West showed who is running things right now in the conference. The gap between the East and West's best teams is astounding. Florida, who is supposed to be the second best team in the East, lost 38-10 to Alabama last week, and 41-11 this week to LSU. Not to mention, Auburn beat South Carolina on the road two weeks ago, and SC is the favorite in the East. Granted Florida is without starting QB John Brantley, but they weren't doing much better when he did play against Bama. LSU took it to Florida from the start, and it also was never a game. LSU corner Tyrann Mathieu had ANOTHER interception, making his case for maybe the best overall player in the country. LSU and Bama are on a collision course meeting on Nov. 5th that may stop time.
Speaking of Florida schools.
After the big three Florida programs all lost this past Saturday, for the first time in what seems like 80 years, no Florida team is ranked in the top 25. With the success in the last twenty years of Florida State, Miami, and Florida, to not have one of them ranked is weird. I'm surprised someone didn't rank one of them 25th just to keep the streak alive. But the fact is, Miami is 2-3 after blowing a lead late to Virginia Tech. Florida State is 2-3 after losing to Wake Forest. Florida is at least 4-2, but those two losses were beatdowns they had no chance in. The end of an era, at least for now.
Still haven't lost?
Michigan is somehow quietly still unbeaten and ranked 11th in the nation. Huh? Now their only quality win was a comeback victory over Notre Dame, but I didn't think they would be able to even do that. First year head coach Brady Hoke came into a horrible situation after Rich Rodriguez left the program in disarray. Michigan had the worst defense in the history of college football, and possible NCAA infractions looming. But he does have one of the most explosive players in the country at quarterback in Denard Robinson, who continues to put up great numbers. The truest dual threat QB in the country, with 1130 passing yards and 10 td's, to go with 720 yards rushing and 8 scores. Nice. Big test this week against rival Michigan State.
Just keeps getting worse.
I've said a few times already that Ohio State is cooked, gonners, whatever you want to call it. And just when you thought they were going to pull off a big win on the road at Nebraska, they show you why those players that aren't on the team anymore got paid so much. Because they won games! The Buckeyes were in complete control, and somehow found their offense. They were enjoying a 27-6 lead in the third quarter, when it came off the hinges. Taylor Martinez and Rex Burkhead lead the charge, and Nebraska stormed back to score 28 unanswered points in the second half. Ohio State coach Luke Fickell may not even get another year, he may be ousted at the end of this season they suck so bad. Final score 34-27, Nebraska.
Speaking of sucking.
Not just on the field, but in life also. We all know the story by now about South Carolina QB Stephen Garcia, who was going for the record number of times suspended from a team, only to always be reinstated. I've said all along that Spurrier knew he needed Garcia to win the SEC East, well not anymore. Garcia reportedly was caught with, and or using marijuana and alcohol, which violated his stipulations that allowed him to come back in the first place. I guess he gave up after losing his starting job to Connor Shaw, again. And watching Shaw use that opportunity to run a train on Kentucky this past weekend to a 54-3 demolishing. As soon as Spurrier knew he didn't need Garcia to win anymore, he booted him. So long sucka.
Boise State beats Fresno State 57-7.
Quietest good team.
Who also happens to have the best player in the country, Stanford. They are 5-0, and blow out everyone. Andrew Luck continues to play great football, this week throwing for 370 yards and three touchdowns. H even caught a throw back pass one handed while diving out of bounds! WHAT?! Dude is that good. After head coach Jim Harbaugh bolted to the NFL, I thought they would regress considerably. But they haven't. They play good defense, and the offense seems just as potent as ever. They haven't played a super tough schedule to date, so they will get their chance to show how good they really are. But when you easily handle everyone you have gone up against, that says something. This week it was Colorado, who hasn't exactly taken to their new conference very well. But like we didn't expect that anyway. Final score 48-7, Stanford.
Satisfied this time.
After giving up another long play for a score, and being down 14-7 after the first quarter, I was not happy with the Hogs. Auburn seemed to be able to run the ball at will, whether it was Michael Dyer or Kiehl Frazier, Arkansas couldn't stop them. But the defense finally showed up. Why they can't do it to start the game I'll never know. The Arkansas defense apparently has to be woken up by the other team scoring first to play well. Two weeks ago against A&M, it took giving up 35 points and over 300 yards rushing in the first half to start playing. This week, the 14-7 deficit was enough. The Hogs shut them out the rest of the way, and the offensive onslaught began. Tyler Wilson continues to improve and become the QB we thought he would be. For now, it looks as though the team is getting it together. This could still be a 10-2 team. Final score 38-14, Arkansas.
Until next week.
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
2011 - week 5
We're getting into the meat of the season now. Most everyone is in the full conference schedule now, and should be finding out about themselves. This is when it really starts to get interesting.
Still sound like a good idea?
Last week I verbally unloaded on the Hogs, and frankly, I want to again. But I won't. A win is a win, and if not for the heroics of Tyler Wilson and Jarius Wright, it would have been a massacre of words by me. The defense in the first half was atrocious, letting Texas A&M run for around 250 yards and score five touchdowns. But thankfully I was probably not the only one screaming at the players at halftime(they could hear me through the TV, I swear). The coaching staff did something right, because the second half was a different story. The defense clamped down and only allowed three points, even though they still continued to give up a lot of yards(628 total for the game, ouch). Jarius Wright continues to be the only receiver that can get open, and Greg Childs apparently doesn't feel like playing anymore. The running game is still non existent, but showed signs of life late in the game when they needed it. Broderick Green is back from an off-season knee injury, and looks to be ready to go. Tyler Wilson passed for 510 yards, breaking the school record by 101 for a game. I'm still not sure about this team, but again, it was a victory. And if there weren't enough Aggie jokes to begin with, more are bound to start surfacing. I've been saying for while now, A&M to the SEC isn't a good idea for them. I just don't get when they decided they actually belonged. Was it the 0-7 record against SEC teams since joining the Big 12, spanning 16 years? Or was it the fact that they just didn't realize what they were getting into before jumping ship out of jealousy to Texas? Even the Associated Press recap article had a line in it after the game that went something like, "get used to it A&M, it may be like this for a while." Noting how Arkansas fans were cheering after the game and yelling at Aggie fans, welcome to the SEC!! I mean, did the A&M higher-ups convos go like this, "hey, I'm really jealous of Texas' money and power in this conference, I have a great idea. Let's go to the best conference in the country, in fact, the best division in the land, to try to make them jealous. It's no big deal we can't compete with them, and haven't beaten a team from that conference in almost 20 years. We'll just say we're going for the recruiting and the money." I still say good luck. Final score 42-38, Arkansas.
Back to reality.
For now at least. Baylor's magical start to the season, and Robert Griffin's ridiculous stat sheet has taken a blow. After starting the season with only 12 incompletions to 13 touchdowns, and no interceptions, Griffin went 23-31(8 incompletions) and threw a pick. It was bound to happen, nobody can sustain that kind of success, especially at Baylor. It was a nice story, and Griffin is a good kid. But Kansas State came to play, and are sitting at 4-0 themselves. Bill Snyder for the second time has revived a lingering program, that guy can coach. And while Baylor can score on anyone, history shows that even with Griffin there, they can't handle success. Griffin may still make it to New York if he plays even close to what he has been doing. Final score 36-35, Kansas State.
Speaking of still undefeated.
Clemson? That team that always folds under high expectations? The one with the deuschy head coach? Yes, that Clemson. When looking at the schedule the last three weeks against Auburn, Florida State, and Virginia Tech, all ranked at the time, I would guess 1-2 if they were lucky. Nope. 3-0. 4-0 for the season after a convincing win over Va Tech, who I thought would kill them. Shows how much I know. I've mentioned before the true freshman Sammy Watkins, who continues to impress. And QB Tahj Boyd seems to be headed for a stellar season. The jury is still out on them though to see if they can keep it going. They have not been able to in the past. Final score 23-3, Clemson.
Rolling along.
It's been noted that Russell Wilson was a great fit at Wisconsin when he transferred in from NC State. But I didn't know it would be this good. Wisconsin was already a really good team. They have a great running game, and a solid defense. But with the addition of Wilson, they are just about as complete a team there is. He went 14-20 for 255 yards and 2 td's, no picks. With their running game, I don't think they can be stopped if he keeps putting up those numbers. On the flip side, the opponent was Nebraska, who on their own revenge tour from last year, and new beginnings chapter hasn't gone too well. They wanted so badly to avenge their Big 12 title game loss in '09 to Texas, but lost the rematch in '10. Then would have loved to beat an old rival in OU in their last Big 12 title game last year before bolting to the Big 10, but were unsuccessful there. And in said Big 10 debut, were crushed by this Wisconsin team. Not a good start. Good for me, I hate Nebraska. Final score, 48-17, Wisconsin.
Speaking of disappointment.
But is it really though? Super high expectations this year for South Carolina, and already they haven't lived up to it. For whatever reason, Steve Spurrier hasn't been able to get over the hump since taking over. Some people say they did last year by making it to the SEC title game last year, but they were run out of town by Auburn. And still managed to lose 5 games last season. Nice job. And we all know the "controversy" over starting QB Stephen Garcia, who after taking back his starting job three weeks ago, has been benched again, this time just for sucking. I though Garcia was the Gamecock's best option at quarterback, but it appears not to be. I don't think new starter Conner Shaw will be any better. But Spurrier has no choice. Point being that Auburn and their struggling defense was able to shut down Garcia and media darling running back Marcus Lattimore to just 289 total yards. While Auburn RB Michael Dyer ran 41 times for 141 yards and a score. Handing an SEC East team ANOTHER loss by an SEC West foe. Spurrier is now throwing in the towel and going with Shaw, who may provide a spark, but let's be honest, it won't matter. South Carolina under achieves again. Final score 16-13, Auburn.
Blowout of the week - Michigan over Minnesota, 58-0.
Dallas bests Ft. Worth.
SMU has enjoyed consecutive bowl trips and a program turnaround since the cheating days of the 80's. But the team just an hour away in TCU has had much more success, including a Rose Bowl victory over Wisconsin a year ago. But a season opening loss to Baylor, showed TCU was not the same team from the last couple of years. And this time, SMU was there to take it. Holding onto a 27-10 lead in the fourth quarter, on the road, SMU was riding high. But wait, TCU wasn't done. They came storming back to tie the game and send it to overtime! Surely the Mustangs weren't going to let this opportunity slip away. And they didn't. A 19 yard td pass in the first overtime by J.J. McDermott gave SMU the lead. They were then able to stop TCU on fourth down for the win! Yes! Final score 40-33, SMU.
Stat of the week - The guy who consistently gets awarded the most underrated coach in America, Mike Riley at Oregon State(never understood why), is now 0-4 on the season after this week's loss to Arizona. Underrated for what, not being mediocre enough?
What in the world happened?
Remember when Ohio State was probably going to be preseason ranked in the top five? Had a quarterback who was on the short list of real Heisman contenders? and who would have been going for what seemed to be their 48th straight Big 10 championship? Well less than a year later, they are 3-2, unranked, and scored a touchdown with 10 seconds left in the game to avoid being shutout. Four of the suspended 'tattoo five' are coming back this week, the one not is of course former main man Terrelle Pryor, who bolted out of town. It may make a difference, it may not. It couldn't hurt. The defense seems to be okay, holding Michigan State to just 10 points. But when your quarterback situation is about as well off as if I was the starter, there's not much hope. True freshman Braxton Miller looks to get the start this week. He has the potential, but is nowhere near ready. It may take a couple more years to get the Buckeyes going again, and that's only to say they don't massive NCAA infractions from what happened last year. I also still don't think head coach Luke Fickell is the answer. It was a sentimental hire for a guy who had played there, and been a long time assistant. He gets two seasons max, and he's outta there. Final score 10-7, Michigan State.
New segment: The bonehead play of the week.
Goes to Navy quarterback Kriss Proctor. Not only does he not know how to spell Chris, but for acting like a big shot after he scored Navy's go ahead touchdown in the first overtime of a wild comeback. Navy roared back from being down 28-10 early in the fourth quarter to tie it and send it to overtime. That I'm awesome move to an Air Force defender after the score resulted in an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty. Which then lead to the extra point being pushed back 15 yards, which was then blocked by Air Force. All Air Force had to do was score and kick the extra point, and they win. So they did just that. Hey Kriss, next time, learn how to spell, and don't get in the face of an opposing player and cost your team the game against a rival. Nice going.
Sort of like the Boise State and TCU sections of years past.
But this time it's for LSU and Alabama. They are clearly the best two teams in the country, with almost identical styles. Both have suffocating defenses, and efficient offenses, and are loaded across the board with NFL talent. LSU handled Kentucky easily 35-7, with corner Tyrann Matheiu scoring ANOTHER touchdown on a fumble recovery. And Bama went into the Swamp at Florida and dismantled the Gators, 38-10.
Until next week.
Still sound like a good idea?
Last week I verbally unloaded on the Hogs, and frankly, I want to again. But I won't. A win is a win, and if not for the heroics of Tyler Wilson and Jarius Wright, it would have been a massacre of words by me. The defense in the first half was atrocious, letting Texas A&M run for around 250 yards and score five touchdowns. But thankfully I was probably not the only one screaming at the players at halftime(they could hear me through the TV, I swear). The coaching staff did something right, because the second half was a different story. The defense clamped down and only allowed three points, even though they still continued to give up a lot of yards(628 total for the game, ouch). Jarius Wright continues to be the only receiver that can get open, and Greg Childs apparently doesn't feel like playing anymore. The running game is still non existent, but showed signs of life late in the game when they needed it. Broderick Green is back from an off-season knee injury, and looks to be ready to go. Tyler Wilson passed for 510 yards, breaking the school record by 101 for a game. I'm still not sure about this team, but again, it was a victory. And if there weren't enough Aggie jokes to begin with, more are bound to start surfacing. I've been saying for while now, A&M to the SEC isn't a good idea for them. I just don't get when they decided they actually belonged. Was it the 0-7 record against SEC teams since joining the Big 12, spanning 16 years? Or was it the fact that they just didn't realize what they were getting into before jumping ship out of jealousy to Texas? Even the Associated Press recap article had a line in it after the game that went something like, "get used to it A&M, it may be like this for a while." Noting how Arkansas fans were cheering after the game and yelling at Aggie fans, welcome to the SEC!! I mean, did the A&M higher-ups convos go like this, "hey, I'm really jealous of Texas' money and power in this conference, I have a great idea. Let's go to the best conference in the country, in fact, the best division in the land, to try to make them jealous. It's no big deal we can't compete with them, and haven't beaten a team from that conference in almost 20 years. We'll just say we're going for the recruiting and the money." I still say good luck. Final score 42-38, Arkansas.
Back to reality.
For now at least. Baylor's magical start to the season, and Robert Griffin's ridiculous stat sheet has taken a blow. After starting the season with only 12 incompletions to 13 touchdowns, and no interceptions, Griffin went 23-31(8 incompletions) and threw a pick. It was bound to happen, nobody can sustain that kind of success, especially at Baylor. It was a nice story, and Griffin is a good kid. But Kansas State came to play, and are sitting at 4-0 themselves. Bill Snyder for the second time has revived a lingering program, that guy can coach. And while Baylor can score on anyone, history shows that even with Griffin there, they can't handle success. Griffin may still make it to New York if he plays even close to what he has been doing. Final score 36-35, Kansas State.
Speaking of still undefeated.
Clemson? That team that always folds under high expectations? The one with the deuschy head coach? Yes, that Clemson. When looking at the schedule the last three weeks against Auburn, Florida State, and Virginia Tech, all ranked at the time, I would guess 1-2 if they were lucky. Nope. 3-0. 4-0 for the season after a convincing win over Va Tech, who I thought would kill them. Shows how much I know. I've mentioned before the true freshman Sammy Watkins, who continues to impress. And QB Tahj Boyd seems to be headed for a stellar season. The jury is still out on them though to see if they can keep it going. They have not been able to in the past. Final score 23-3, Clemson.
Rolling along.
It's been noted that Russell Wilson was a great fit at Wisconsin when he transferred in from NC State. But I didn't know it would be this good. Wisconsin was already a really good team. They have a great running game, and a solid defense. But with the addition of Wilson, they are just about as complete a team there is. He went 14-20 for 255 yards and 2 td's, no picks. With their running game, I don't think they can be stopped if he keeps putting up those numbers. On the flip side, the opponent was Nebraska, who on their own revenge tour from last year, and new beginnings chapter hasn't gone too well. They wanted so badly to avenge their Big 12 title game loss in '09 to Texas, but lost the rematch in '10. Then would have loved to beat an old rival in OU in their last Big 12 title game last year before bolting to the Big 10, but were unsuccessful there. And in said Big 10 debut, were crushed by this Wisconsin team. Not a good start. Good for me, I hate Nebraska. Final score, 48-17, Wisconsin.
Speaking of disappointment.
But is it really though? Super high expectations this year for South Carolina, and already they haven't lived up to it. For whatever reason, Steve Spurrier hasn't been able to get over the hump since taking over. Some people say they did last year by making it to the SEC title game last year, but they were run out of town by Auburn. And still managed to lose 5 games last season. Nice job. And we all know the "controversy" over starting QB Stephen Garcia, who after taking back his starting job three weeks ago, has been benched again, this time just for sucking. I though Garcia was the Gamecock's best option at quarterback, but it appears not to be. I don't think new starter Conner Shaw will be any better. But Spurrier has no choice. Point being that Auburn and their struggling defense was able to shut down Garcia and media darling running back Marcus Lattimore to just 289 total yards. While Auburn RB Michael Dyer ran 41 times for 141 yards and a score. Handing an SEC East team ANOTHER loss by an SEC West foe. Spurrier is now throwing in the towel and going with Shaw, who may provide a spark, but let's be honest, it won't matter. South Carolina under achieves again. Final score 16-13, Auburn.
Blowout of the week - Michigan over Minnesota, 58-0.
Dallas bests Ft. Worth.
SMU has enjoyed consecutive bowl trips and a program turnaround since the cheating days of the 80's. But the team just an hour away in TCU has had much more success, including a Rose Bowl victory over Wisconsin a year ago. But a season opening loss to Baylor, showed TCU was not the same team from the last couple of years. And this time, SMU was there to take it. Holding onto a 27-10 lead in the fourth quarter, on the road, SMU was riding high. But wait, TCU wasn't done. They came storming back to tie the game and send it to overtime! Surely the Mustangs weren't going to let this opportunity slip away. And they didn't. A 19 yard td pass in the first overtime by J.J. McDermott gave SMU the lead. They were then able to stop TCU on fourth down for the win! Yes! Final score 40-33, SMU.
Stat of the week - The guy who consistently gets awarded the most underrated coach in America, Mike Riley at Oregon State(never understood why), is now 0-4 on the season after this week's loss to Arizona. Underrated for what, not being mediocre enough?
What in the world happened?
Remember when Ohio State was probably going to be preseason ranked in the top five? Had a quarterback who was on the short list of real Heisman contenders? and who would have been going for what seemed to be their 48th straight Big 10 championship? Well less than a year later, they are 3-2, unranked, and scored a touchdown with 10 seconds left in the game to avoid being shutout. Four of the suspended 'tattoo five' are coming back this week, the one not is of course former main man Terrelle Pryor, who bolted out of town. It may make a difference, it may not. It couldn't hurt. The defense seems to be okay, holding Michigan State to just 10 points. But when your quarterback situation is about as well off as if I was the starter, there's not much hope. True freshman Braxton Miller looks to get the start this week. He has the potential, but is nowhere near ready. It may take a couple more years to get the Buckeyes going again, and that's only to say they don't massive NCAA infractions from what happened last year. I also still don't think head coach Luke Fickell is the answer. It was a sentimental hire for a guy who had played there, and been a long time assistant. He gets two seasons max, and he's outta there. Final score 10-7, Michigan State.
New segment: The bonehead play of the week.
Goes to Navy quarterback Kriss Proctor. Not only does he not know how to spell Chris, but for acting like a big shot after he scored Navy's go ahead touchdown in the first overtime of a wild comeback. Navy roared back from being down 28-10 early in the fourth quarter to tie it and send it to overtime. That I'm awesome move to an Air Force defender after the score resulted in an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty. Which then lead to the extra point being pushed back 15 yards, which was then blocked by Air Force. All Air Force had to do was score and kick the extra point, and they win. So they did just that. Hey Kriss, next time, learn how to spell, and don't get in the face of an opposing player and cost your team the game against a rival. Nice going.
Sort of like the Boise State and TCU sections of years past.
But this time it's for LSU and Alabama. They are clearly the best two teams in the country, with almost identical styles. Both have suffocating defenses, and efficient offenses, and are loaded across the board with NFL talent. LSU handled Kentucky easily 35-7, with corner Tyrann Matheiu scoring ANOTHER touchdown on a fumble recovery. And Bama went into the Swamp at Florida and dismantled the Gators, 38-10.
Until next week.
Thursday, September 29, 2011
2011 - week 4
Another solid weekend of football. A new number one emerged, and teams at the top flexed their muscle.
I'll get right to it.
Nowhere close to being ready/pardon my rant.
Arkansas came into this season with talk of being a better all around team than last year, even with the departure of stud Ryan Mallett. Through the first three games, everything looked great. The offense was humming along, and the defense was solid. But what seems to always happen is the programs that have had more success and more tradition over a longer period of time, will always be better than you. The Hogs went into Tuscaloosa, AL and looked like they never should have gotten off the bus. All week we heard it was the Arkansas offense versus the Alabama defense. And guess what, the Alabama defense dominated. As defenses always do!!! I know the media has to have something to talk about leading up to a big game, but I am sick and tired of hearing people try to guess which side of the ball is going to win out. I'll tell you, it's the defense. ALWAYS. Not only did the Bama defense completely shut down the Arkansas offense, it hit them in the mouth. Tyler Wilson was hit so many times he had to be taken out of the game in the second half. Every time Jarius Wright caught the ball, he was leveled by Bama corners, literally knocked off his feet. Greg Childs is still nowhere to be found, and the running game racked up a huge total of 17 yards. I don't even have time to go into the lies from the Arkansas coaches about how good the defense was supposed to be. Bama turned in their best offensive performance of the season BY FAR against the Hog "defense." Bama QB AJ McCarron was supposed to be the inexperienced one in this game, but he looked like the veteran who was more ready. Running back Trent Richardson single handily was almost better than the ENTIRE Arkansas offense. He accounted for 211 total yards, while Arkansas as a team had 226. It was just a weak showing by an Arkansas team who thought they were ready to compete with the big boys, and they were shut up. The elite programs in the country will always be better than you. You may win some games against them here and there, but it won't be many. And if they have a down year or two, don't worry, they'll make the necessary changes and get back to beating the programs who thought they could pass them up. Programs like Alabama, Oklahoma, Texas, Ohio State, LSU, Florida, and USC will always come back around and show you why they have won more games and championships than you have. They have the tradition, so they get the better players, and the better coaches. It will always be this way. Arkansas is not one of those programs. Final score 38-14, Alabama.
Another test passed with ease.
LSU decided to have the hardest possible 4 game stretch to start the season you could imagine. They have played three ranked teams, one at a neutral site, and the other two on the road. Most teams would be happy with a 2-2 record after, but the Tigers went 4-0 convincingly. Their latest victim came at 16th ranked West Virginia. A solid program with a good offense and speedy play makers. No problem for maybe the best defense in the country, who forced four turnovers in this contest. Cornerback Tyrann Mathieu makes more plays by himself than most defenses as a whole. Every time I look up, he's catching an interception, or recovering a fumble, or making a good tackle, or blocking a punt, or something. They guy is ridiculous. The big question mark this season was of course the LSU offense, not anymore. It is still not a spectacular offense, but it is getting better. More importantly, it is getting the job done now. 180 yards passing for Jarret Lee, and 186 yards rushing as a team. How much more balanced do you want to be? Final score 47-21, LSU.
Blowout of the week - Wisconsin over South Dakota, 59-10.
Best game no one talked about/tale of two halves.
Oklahoma State and Texas A&M were both ranked in the top 10, but you wouldn't have even known it. A&M looked like the better team in the first half, jumping out to 20-3 halftime lead, and completely in control. But as they always say, you have to play all four quarters, because Okie State came out of the second half firing. Mike Gundy, now 44, must have "MANned" up on the team in the locker room. They scored 27 unanswered points, and took control of the game back. Receiver Justin Blackmon continues his case for the best receiver in the game, catching 11 passes for 121 yards and a td. A&M finally decided to play the second half and scored to be down by three with just over two minutes to go. But the Pokes held on and in one of the most bizarre decisions ever, thought it was a good idea to have Justin Blackmon take a direct snap and run it out of their own end zone for a safety to run out the clock. Did Gundy not know you can just take a knee? Weirdo. Final score 30-29, Oklahoma State.
Another quiet team.
Remember that team that could run all over everyone, started the season ranked third, and played in the national championship game last year? Oh yeah, Oregon. They are still ranked in the top 10, but after their loss to LSU, you haven't heard a word about them. As long as they're not playing an SEC team, they can run on anyone. Against a "formidable" opponent in Arizona, the Ducks racked up 415 yards rushing, with LaMichael James having 288 by himself. When your quarterback only has to pass for 101 yards and you still put up 56 on a conference foe, your doing something right. Oregon will still win the PAC 12 and get to a BCS bowl. Final score 56-31, Oregon.
Speaking of "formidable."
I guess we read too much into Vanderbilt's 3-0 start. I took too much into account wins over reigning Big East champ UConn, and Ole Miss, who still can't figure out what's going on. They got their test against South Carolina, the favorite in the SEC East. It wasn't pretty, but SC shut them down. Total yards for the game for Vandy, 77. Yes, 77. SC running back Marcus Lattimore got 77 all alone, and that is a really low output for him. Start looking out for Gamecock true freshman defensive end Jadeveon Clowney. The number one player overall coming out of high school, forced two fumbles, and seems to already be making a big impact. This game told me that South Carolina still isn't as good as people think, and neither was Vandy. Don't be so quick to jump on the bandwagon, geez Final score 21-3, South Carolina.
Closer than the experts think.
Oklahoma was a 21 point favorite over Missouri, but I just thought it would be a better game than that. And it was. Missouri has one of those offenses that will annoy the crap out of you, and win a lot of games, but won't ever get them to the next level. I'm sorry, that offense just won't do it. Anyway, with James Franklin running the show at Mizzou now, it looks to be in good hands. But not good enough when you play in Norman. OU is something like 438-2 at home since Stoops took over. Offensively it was another solid performance by the Sooners, who tallied 592 total yards. Ryan Broyles showed up with three touchdown grabs, and running back Dominique "The Walk On" Whaley solidified the running game. The defense gave up some big plays, and raised more questions than before. If OU is to run the table, the defense needs to get better. With games remaining against A&M and Okie State down the road, it could be tough going. Thankfully the offense is potent. But, defense wins championships. Final score 38-28, Oklahoma.
Boise State beat Tulsa 41-21. I only mention them every week because they should go undefeated, and we'll have to talk about them possibly playing for the national title in some warped universe.
A fast fall.
Just two short weeks ago, Florida State was the fifth ranked team in the country, and was preparing for a home showdown against number one Oklahoma. But a hard fought loss, and an injury to starting quarterback EJ Manuel didn't help with their next game. Clemson was coming off an "impressive" victory over Auburn at home, and riding high. Surely Fla State could pull it together and not start the season 2-2? Nope. Backup QB Clint Trickett, cousin of Junior Samples, played very well, throwing for 336 yards and three scores. But Clemson seemed to have more play makers, especially freshman Sammy Watkins. I mentioned him last week when he exploded against Auburn, and he did it again. This time catching 7 passes for 141 yards and two td's. Did I mention he was a true freshman? Clemson starts 4-0 for the first time in a decade, but don't worry, they won't be a factor in the ACC race. Florida State needs to find answers quickly. Final score 35-30, Clemson.
Stat of the week.
And stat of the year so far. Baylor QB Robert Griffin, has more touchdown passes, 13, than incompletions, 12. WHAT?! That's insane! He tacked on five more td passes this last weekend in an easy win over Rice. Baylor, like Vanderbilt was, is 3-0, and gets their first "test" of the season having to go to Kansas State. K State is coming off a nice win over Miami. Even if Baylor doesn't finish the season the way they have started, Griffin deserves all the accolades. A good kid.
Hometown metroplex update - North Texas gets a win over a Big 10 school, granted it was Indiana. But hey, they are still North Texas.
Until next week.
I'll get right to it.
Nowhere close to being ready/pardon my rant.
Arkansas came into this season with talk of being a better all around team than last year, even with the departure of stud Ryan Mallett. Through the first three games, everything looked great. The offense was humming along, and the defense was solid. But what seems to always happen is the programs that have had more success and more tradition over a longer period of time, will always be better than you. The Hogs went into Tuscaloosa, AL and looked like they never should have gotten off the bus. All week we heard it was the Arkansas offense versus the Alabama defense. And guess what, the Alabama defense dominated. As defenses always do!!! I know the media has to have something to talk about leading up to a big game, but I am sick and tired of hearing people try to guess which side of the ball is going to win out. I'll tell you, it's the defense. ALWAYS. Not only did the Bama defense completely shut down the Arkansas offense, it hit them in the mouth. Tyler Wilson was hit so many times he had to be taken out of the game in the second half. Every time Jarius Wright caught the ball, he was leveled by Bama corners, literally knocked off his feet. Greg Childs is still nowhere to be found, and the running game racked up a huge total of 17 yards. I don't even have time to go into the lies from the Arkansas coaches about how good the defense was supposed to be. Bama turned in their best offensive performance of the season BY FAR against the Hog "defense." Bama QB AJ McCarron was supposed to be the inexperienced one in this game, but he looked like the veteran who was more ready. Running back Trent Richardson single handily was almost better than the ENTIRE Arkansas offense. He accounted for 211 total yards, while Arkansas as a team had 226. It was just a weak showing by an Arkansas team who thought they were ready to compete with the big boys, and they were shut up. The elite programs in the country will always be better than you. You may win some games against them here and there, but it won't be many. And if they have a down year or two, don't worry, they'll make the necessary changes and get back to beating the programs who thought they could pass them up. Programs like Alabama, Oklahoma, Texas, Ohio State, LSU, Florida, and USC will always come back around and show you why they have won more games and championships than you have. They have the tradition, so they get the better players, and the better coaches. It will always be this way. Arkansas is not one of those programs. Final score 38-14, Alabama.
Another test passed with ease.
LSU decided to have the hardest possible 4 game stretch to start the season you could imagine. They have played three ranked teams, one at a neutral site, and the other two on the road. Most teams would be happy with a 2-2 record after, but the Tigers went 4-0 convincingly. Their latest victim came at 16th ranked West Virginia. A solid program with a good offense and speedy play makers. No problem for maybe the best defense in the country, who forced four turnovers in this contest. Cornerback Tyrann Mathieu makes more plays by himself than most defenses as a whole. Every time I look up, he's catching an interception, or recovering a fumble, or making a good tackle, or blocking a punt, or something. They guy is ridiculous. The big question mark this season was of course the LSU offense, not anymore. It is still not a spectacular offense, but it is getting better. More importantly, it is getting the job done now. 180 yards passing for Jarret Lee, and 186 yards rushing as a team. How much more balanced do you want to be? Final score 47-21, LSU.
Blowout of the week - Wisconsin over South Dakota, 59-10.
Best game no one talked about/tale of two halves.
Oklahoma State and Texas A&M were both ranked in the top 10, but you wouldn't have even known it. A&M looked like the better team in the first half, jumping out to 20-3 halftime lead, and completely in control. But as they always say, you have to play all four quarters, because Okie State came out of the second half firing. Mike Gundy, now 44, must have "MANned" up on the team in the locker room. They scored 27 unanswered points, and took control of the game back. Receiver Justin Blackmon continues his case for the best receiver in the game, catching 11 passes for 121 yards and a td. A&M finally decided to play the second half and scored to be down by three with just over two minutes to go. But the Pokes held on and in one of the most bizarre decisions ever, thought it was a good idea to have Justin Blackmon take a direct snap and run it out of their own end zone for a safety to run out the clock. Did Gundy not know you can just take a knee? Weirdo. Final score 30-29, Oklahoma State.
Another quiet team.
Remember that team that could run all over everyone, started the season ranked third, and played in the national championship game last year? Oh yeah, Oregon. They are still ranked in the top 10, but after their loss to LSU, you haven't heard a word about them. As long as they're not playing an SEC team, they can run on anyone. Against a "formidable" opponent in Arizona, the Ducks racked up 415 yards rushing, with LaMichael James having 288 by himself. When your quarterback only has to pass for 101 yards and you still put up 56 on a conference foe, your doing something right. Oregon will still win the PAC 12 and get to a BCS bowl. Final score 56-31, Oregon.
Speaking of "formidable."
I guess we read too much into Vanderbilt's 3-0 start. I took too much into account wins over reigning Big East champ UConn, and Ole Miss, who still can't figure out what's going on. They got their test against South Carolina, the favorite in the SEC East. It wasn't pretty, but SC shut them down. Total yards for the game for Vandy, 77. Yes, 77. SC running back Marcus Lattimore got 77 all alone, and that is a really low output for him. Start looking out for Gamecock true freshman defensive end Jadeveon Clowney. The number one player overall coming out of high school, forced two fumbles, and seems to already be making a big impact. This game told me that South Carolina still isn't as good as people think, and neither was Vandy. Don't be so quick to jump on the bandwagon, geez Final score 21-3, South Carolina.
Closer than the experts think.
Oklahoma was a 21 point favorite over Missouri, but I just thought it would be a better game than that. And it was. Missouri has one of those offenses that will annoy the crap out of you, and win a lot of games, but won't ever get them to the next level. I'm sorry, that offense just won't do it. Anyway, with James Franklin running the show at Mizzou now, it looks to be in good hands. But not good enough when you play in Norman. OU is something like 438-2 at home since Stoops took over. Offensively it was another solid performance by the Sooners, who tallied 592 total yards. Ryan Broyles showed up with three touchdown grabs, and running back Dominique "The Walk On" Whaley solidified the running game. The defense gave up some big plays, and raised more questions than before. If OU is to run the table, the defense needs to get better. With games remaining against A&M and Okie State down the road, it could be tough going. Thankfully the offense is potent. But, defense wins championships. Final score 38-28, Oklahoma.
Boise State beat Tulsa 41-21. I only mention them every week because they should go undefeated, and we'll have to talk about them possibly playing for the national title in some warped universe.
A fast fall.
Just two short weeks ago, Florida State was the fifth ranked team in the country, and was preparing for a home showdown against number one Oklahoma. But a hard fought loss, and an injury to starting quarterback EJ Manuel didn't help with their next game. Clemson was coming off an "impressive" victory over Auburn at home, and riding high. Surely Fla State could pull it together and not start the season 2-2? Nope. Backup QB Clint Trickett, cousin of Junior Samples, played very well, throwing for 336 yards and three scores. But Clemson seemed to have more play makers, especially freshman Sammy Watkins. I mentioned him last week when he exploded against Auburn, and he did it again. This time catching 7 passes for 141 yards and two td's. Did I mention he was a true freshman? Clemson starts 4-0 for the first time in a decade, but don't worry, they won't be a factor in the ACC race. Florida State needs to find answers quickly. Final score 35-30, Clemson.
Stat of the week.
And stat of the year so far. Baylor QB Robert Griffin, has more touchdown passes, 13, than incompletions, 12. WHAT?! That's insane! He tacked on five more td passes this last weekend in an easy win over Rice. Baylor, like Vanderbilt was, is 3-0, and gets their first "test" of the season having to go to Kansas State. K State is coming off a nice win over Miami. Even if Baylor doesn't finish the season the way they have started, Griffin deserves all the accolades. A good kid.
Hometown metroplex update - North Texas gets a win over a Big 10 school, granted it was Indiana. But hey, they are still North Texas.
Until next week.
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