Well, except for the Army-Navy game this weekend, the regular season is over(insert tear). By the way, you all need to watch that Army-Navy game, it means so much more than just a rivalry game. But up next are the bowls, and I love it. This week will be short and sweet, because, well, there weren't many games.
Here is who took care of business.
Punching their ticket.
In a most convincing way. Auburn took it to the Old Ball Coach(Steve Spurrier, South Carolina) in dominating fashion in the SEC Championship Game. I loved how the media built this game up to be some sort of upset alert, when we knew that wasn't the case. "You can't give Spurrier that much time to game plan," said some "analyst" from ESPN. Game plan for what, a royal beat down? Auburn rolled up 589 yards of offense like it was nothing, and the game was over by halftime. Cam Newton accounted for six touchdowns, and locked up the Heisman for himself. Auburn goes to the national championship game. Final score 56-17, Auburn.
Against these guys.
Oregon also had a ho hum sort of a game against their "arch" rival Oregon State. The 2010 Civil War was a little interesting at first when it was 16-7 Oregon at half. But just like the Ducks seem to do every game, they pulled away in the third quarter. LaMichael James ran for 100 yards in every game except for one this year, including this one. He should finish second in the Heisman behind Newton, who he'll play against in the national title game. Final score 37-20, Oregon.
Hilarious.
This time of year usually calls for these types of games, like a 5-6 Arizona State team taking on their in-state rival Arizona in the Thursday night game. Arizona was having a decent season sitting at 7-4, and still ranked 23rd somehow, but a win would put them in a nice bowl. A 20-14 Arizona State lead in the fourth quarter was tied up with a touchdown pass with just 27 seconds left! Awesome! All Arizona had to do was kick the extra point, and game over they win. But nope, the PAT is blocked! Yes, overtime! A couple of field goals in the first OT lead to a second OT, where Arizona State scored a TD to go up seven. Arizona is able to score a touchdown of their own, to be down by one. Again, all Arizona has to do is kick the PAT this time to tie it and force a third overtime. But the kick is blocked AGAIN!!!! HAHAHAHA Arizona State wins! Final score 30-29.
ACC Champs.
The hottest, and most under the radar team in the country is Virginia Tech. I have talked about them in previous weeks, and so has the media. But only to the extent of, "a nice way to bounce back after a horrendous start to the season." And that was when they were on their seven or eight game winning streak. They fought their way back to an undefeated conference season, and extended that winning streak to 11. They had to go up against a good Florida State team, who have done well in their first season under new head coach Jimbo Fisher(no he is not from the backwoods with that name). Va Tech built a 35-17 lead in the third quarter and didn't look back, on their way to the Orange Bowl. Final score 44-33, Virginia Tech.
Yes I was there.
As most of you should know, because all of you follow me on twitter and Facebook religiously, I got to see Oklahoma send Nebraska out of the Big 12 with a nice parting gift. Several weeks ago I wrote how I LOVED seeing Nebraska lose to Texas, after Husker fans waited a year to avenge their loss in last year's Big 12 title game, and to leave the conference with a win over the Longhorns. All the buildup was about how fitting it was that long time, old rivals OU and Nebraska got to play one last time. It didn't look good when Nebraska took a 17-0 lead in the blink of an eye, mainly due to OU mistakes. But OU fought back to make it 20-17 at half. OU's offense looked good, piling up 454 yards, while Nebraska's did not, only coming out with 293. QB Taylor Martinez was obviously hobbled by his ankle, and the lack of a passing game really hurt them. As I sat in Cowboys Stadium watching OU linebacker Travis Lewis come up with his third turnover of the game on a recovered fumble, I thought, "Oklahoma is going to win, and I love it. Bye bye Nebraska." OU wins it's seventh conference title under Bob Stoops, on to the Fiesta Bowl. Final score 23-20, Oklahoma.
Yes it is significant.
One of my very few mentions of a Big East game, is only because UConn beat South Florida to win the conference, and will play OU in the Fiesta Bowl. UConn? Aren't they a women's basketball school? Yes, but they do play football, and apparently only have to go 8-4 to win your conference. That is why I don't talk about the Big East very often. It's weak, plain and simple. I know nothing about UConn, except that they have a running back named Jordan Toddman who is good. Another reason this is worth noting, is we all know what has happened a couple of times now in Fiesta Bowls involving the Sooners and "lesser" opponents. So watch out. Final score 19-16, UConn.
Back to back.
Winning seasons that is for the SMU Mustangs. Although they lost the Conference USA championship game(who cares), June Jones is putting together a winning program. That says A LOT considering the performances of the past 20 or so SMU teams, they even won their bowl game last year. If nothing else, its nice to see the Dallas University winning.
As good as it will get.
The USC Trojans just finished up an 8-5 2010 with a 28-14 win over UCLA this past weekend. And I'm afraid that is about as many wins as we'll see for a while. The Men of Troy needed to win big this year, because starting next year, the punishments will start to kick in from the Reggie Bush scandal. It will be the first of three years of 10 less scholarships per year. And what big time high school athlete would want to go to a school where you will not be allowed to play in a bowl game next year, no matter how well your season goes? I wouldn't. So I feel it will only get worse from here for the next few seasons in Los Angeles, and I think it's well deserved.
Blowout of the week - earlier mentioned Auburn over South Carolina, 56-17.
6th grade basketball score of the week - Idaho over San Jose State, 26-23.
Until the bowls.
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Thursday, December 2, 2010
2010 - week 13
Show of hands, did anyone else think last week's action was intense and amazing? I sure did! Other than the occasional mid season monster slate of games that can happen on one Saturday, Thanksgiving week is usually the most exciting week of games. For one thing, not all the games are on Saturday. There were big games on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. And the actual games played did not disappoint.
I have to start with it.
TBSATCUBS is gone, and you want to know why? Because Boise State lost! Hahahaha! Finally, the most annoying team in all the land was kicked to the curb, pun intended. No more possible national title scenarios involving them, no more do they belong conversations. I love it. I know most people root for the underdog, but that doesn't mean I have to. I have wanted them to lose for so long, and didn't think they would. But the Nevada Wolfpack came running all over them. They erased a 24-7 lead to force overtime. Which is where things got bad for Boise. Kicker Kyle Brotzman, if he hasn't already, is looking for a hole in the middle of nowhere to crawl into and hide. He missed two field goals, one that would have won the game, and one that would have sent the game into another overtime. I do feel bad for him, but not for the team. They didn't belong after all, and they never will. Final score 34-31. Nevada.
Well TCU did take care of business against maybe the worst team in college football, 66-17 over New Mexico.
Post Thanksgiving game.
It was weird watching the Texas vs. Texas A&M game in the sense that the Longhorns needed to win to become bowl eligible, and the Aggies were trying to add to one of the best seasons in a while. I think it's safe to say that EVERYONE overestimated Texas this year. Most preseason magazines and writers had them in their top ten. Well guess what, they are 5-7 and needing to reevaluate a lot of things in the offseason. They did play pretty well in this game however, but you could tell A&M was the better team. Texas put everything on the line, and still came up short. Texas' defense also held the Aggie offense to just 366 yards of offense, one of their lowest totals of the season. But QB Garret Gilbert had a horrendous year passing, and could never really get the offense going. He had 17 interceptions, to only 10 touchdowns. I still think he'll be good, he just needs more work. A&M on the other hand is headed to the Cotton Bowl to hopefully get destroyed by Alabama or LSU. Final score 24-17, Texas A&M.
Unbelievable.
When Alabama came flying out of the tunnel to steamroll Auburn to a 24-0 lead in the second quarter, one would think that game was over. Nope, that's why you play the game. But with Alabama's defense, and the game being played in Tuscaloosa, surely Bama could hold on. Bama QB Greg McElroy even threw for 335 yards in the first half! But Cam Newton showed why he is going to win the Heisman, and why Auburn is still undefeated. They have come back in eight of their 12 games this season to pull out victories. This one was the most impressive, considering the Auburn defense had to step up as well. They held Bama to only three points the rest of the game, as the offense slowly chipped away at the lead. Eventually, a seven yard touchdown pass by Newton to his tight end in the fourth quarter was the difference. Cam Newton now seems he will be eligible for the rest of the season. And one of the funnier moments of the year goes to the Alabama public address announcer. Before the game while Auburn was warming up, he played over the loud speakers Steve Miller Band's "Take the Money and Run," and "Son of a Preacher Man." Hilarious! Final score 28-27, Auburn.
Too much hype.
Even though it was lost in the shuffle of what happened above, the media always likes to think a team like a 7-3 Arizona can pull the upset over Oregon. I didn't think so. And even when Arizona took a 19-14 lead into halftime, I wasn't worried. Because it was a matter of time before Oregon ran off a 34-10 second half to an easy victory, and put themselves also one win away from the national title game. Another 537 yard performance on offense against a "good defense." Too bad running back LaMichael James had to play the same year Cam Newton did, because he might be your Heisman winner if not for that. He has 1,548 yards and 19 touchdowns on the year, and did not play in the first game. Final score 48-29, Oregon.
Nice "rivalry."
The only thing that constitutes Nebraska-Colorado as a rivalry is because it is the last game of the regular season. But there was no way Colorado was going to pull the upset and knock the Huskers out of the Big 12 Championship. Even with Nebraska's offense somewhat struggling coming in, they were still able to rush for 265 yards as a team. And thanks to running back Rex Burkhead's two touchdowns passes and one rushing, that was all they needed. No problems there. Final score 45-17, Nebraska.
Thank you very much.
I couldn't have asked for a better end to the football weekend than a Hog victory over LSU. It was a great game all around. Arkansas' defense has really stepped up this year, improving dramatically from a year ago. They held the LSU offense to just 294 total yards and even held them to a field goal when LSU got the ball for a first down on the Ark nine yard line on one occasion. It also helps though that LSU has never really been able to stay consistent on offense from game to game, where Arkansas does. Ryan Mallet again threw for over 300 yards and three touchdowns. Two of them to Cobi Hamilton, and were a couple of the most exciting plays of the season. The first came on a bullet from Mallet down the sideline that Hamilton snagged, then ran the rest of the 85 yards to the end zone. The second, was with six seconds left before halftime. I, along with half the world thought Mallet would take a knee and go to half. But instead threw another strike to Hamilton at about the 45, and when two LSU players collided it set him free to take it in for the 80 yard score. I don't think LSU recovered from that, and it gave the Hogs just the confidence they needed to take the rest of the game. It may have propelled them into their first BCS bowl ever. Final score 31-23, Arkansas.
Speaking of big plays.
I don't think I have enough time to go through all of the monster touchdowns that were scored in the Bedlam game in Stillwater. It was a true rivalry game that neither team wanted to lose. For the first time I think ever, Oklahoma State wasn't playing spoiler against OU. If OSU could win, they would be outright Big 12 South champions, and the world would end, well maybe not. Same goes for OU, with a win, they would move on to the conference title game. Here is a run down of the last five minutes of the game, to illustrate how both teams didn't give up. OU kicked a field goal to go up 33-24, then OSU drove down and scored on a 15 yard pass to Justin Blackmon, OSU down 33-31. Next OU possession, an 86 yard TD pass to Cameron Kenney, OU up 40-31. Ensuing kickoff returned all the freaking way by Justin Gilbert, OSU down 40-38. Next OU possession, 76 yard TD pass to James Hanna, OU up 47-38. Still following? OSU gets the ball back and the drive stalls, kicks a field goal. OSU goes for the onside kick and is recovered by OU. That is a rivalry game. OU to the Big 12 title game. Final score 47-41, Oklahoma.
Is this still a rivalry?
Ohio State-Michigan has always been a huge game, the two schools hate each other. But over the last three or four years, it has been a scarlet and gray lopsided look. My main man Terrelle Pryor outplayed his counterpart Denard Robinson, accounting for 220 yards passing with two touchdowns, and another 49 rushing. Robinson could only muster 87 yards passing, did have 105 rushing, but no touchdowns. That is of course thanks in part to Ohio State just being a better team overall. That has resulted in an unanticipated game that used to be the most anticipated game of the year. Michigan fans can't be happy that the Buckeyes are starting to think of it just as a regular game, and not the gargantuan rivalry it used to be. Coaches on both sides have been fired just because they couldn't beat the other one in the past, its that bad. Ohio State has now won seven in a row in the series. Michigan coach Rich Rodriguez' hot seat is becoming en fuego. Final score 37-7, Ohio State.
Speaking of the Big 10.
The winner, even though it was a three way tie, is Wisconsin. The best rushing team in college football that doesn't run a triple option. They have three running backs that can start any game and be very productive. This week, Montee Ball, who was considered the third string running back to start the year, went for 178 yards and 4 touchdowns! They just seem to plug someone in each week and they produce. Wisconsin may be the best one loss team in the nation, and could beat just about anyone right now. They are a lock for a BCS bowl, and I wouldn't want to play them. Their latest victim was a good Northwestern squad, although they were without starting QB Dan Persa. They were no match. Final score 70-23, Wisconsin.
At least this one turned around.
Another rivalry that has lost serious luster over the years is Florida vs Florida State.Thanks again in part to Florida dominating the last six years in a row. But with Florida having an incredibly down year, and Florida State playing well, the tables turned. To be honest, Florida's offense just sucks. The heir apparent to Football Jesus John Brantley was extremely overrated and over hyped, and the offensive line has been atrocious. 276 total yards of offense against a streaking Fla State team isn't going to get it done. Good to see the Noles back though, they played themselves right into the ACC championship game against Virginia Tech. First year head coach Jimbo Fisher has earned some credit from me. Final score 31-7, Florida State.
Blowout of the week - Northern Illinois over Eastern Michigan, 71-3.
JV basketball score of the week - Tulsa over Southern Miss, 56-50.
Until next week.
I have to start with it.
TBSATCUBS is gone, and you want to know why? Because Boise State lost! Hahahaha! Finally, the most annoying team in all the land was kicked to the curb, pun intended. No more possible national title scenarios involving them, no more do they belong conversations. I love it. I know most people root for the underdog, but that doesn't mean I have to. I have wanted them to lose for so long, and didn't think they would. But the Nevada Wolfpack came running all over them. They erased a 24-7 lead to force overtime. Which is where things got bad for Boise. Kicker Kyle Brotzman, if he hasn't already, is looking for a hole in the middle of nowhere to crawl into and hide. He missed two field goals, one that would have won the game, and one that would have sent the game into another overtime. I do feel bad for him, but not for the team. They didn't belong after all, and they never will. Final score 34-31. Nevada.
Well TCU did take care of business against maybe the worst team in college football, 66-17 over New Mexico.
Post Thanksgiving game.
It was weird watching the Texas vs. Texas A&M game in the sense that the Longhorns needed to win to become bowl eligible, and the Aggies were trying to add to one of the best seasons in a while. I think it's safe to say that EVERYONE overestimated Texas this year. Most preseason magazines and writers had them in their top ten. Well guess what, they are 5-7 and needing to reevaluate a lot of things in the offseason. They did play pretty well in this game however, but you could tell A&M was the better team. Texas put everything on the line, and still came up short. Texas' defense also held the Aggie offense to just 366 yards of offense, one of their lowest totals of the season. But QB Garret Gilbert had a horrendous year passing, and could never really get the offense going. He had 17 interceptions, to only 10 touchdowns. I still think he'll be good, he just needs more work. A&M on the other hand is headed to the Cotton Bowl to hopefully get destroyed by Alabama or LSU. Final score 24-17, Texas A&M.
Unbelievable.
When Alabama came flying out of the tunnel to steamroll Auburn to a 24-0 lead in the second quarter, one would think that game was over. Nope, that's why you play the game. But with Alabama's defense, and the game being played in Tuscaloosa, surely Bama could hold on. Bama QB Greg McElroy even threw for 335 yards in the first half! But Cam Newton showed why he is going to win the Heisman, and why Auburn is still undefeated. They have come back in eight of their 12 games this season to pull out victories. This one was the most impressive, considering the Auburn defense had to step up as well. They held Bama to only three points the rest of the game, as the offense slowly chipped away at the lead. Eventually, a seven yard touchdown pass by Newton to his tight end in the fourth quarter was the difference. Cam Newton now seems he will be eligible for the rest of the season. And one of the funnier moments of the year goes to the Alabama public address announcer. Before the game while Auburn was warming up, he played over the loud speakers Steve Miller Band's "Take the Money and Run," and "Son of a Preacher Man." Hilarious! Final score 28-27, Auburn.
Too much hype.
Even though it was lost in the shuffle of what happened above, the media always likes to think a team like a 7-3 Arizona can pull the upset over Oregon. I didn't think so. And even when Arizona took a 19-14 lead into halftime, I wasn't worried. Because it was a matter of time before Oregon ran off a 34-10 second half to an easy victory, and put themselves also one win away from the national title game. Another 537 yard performance on offense against a "good defense." Too bad running back LaMichael James had to play the same year Cam Newton did, because he might be your Heisman winner if not for that. He has 1,548 yards and 19 touchdowns on the year, and did not play in the first game. Final score 48-29, Oregon.
Nice "rivalry."
The only thing that constitutes Nebraska-Colorado as a rivalry is because it is the last game of the regular season. But there was no way Colorado was going to pull the upset and knock the Huskers out of the Big 12 Championship. Even with Nebraska's offense somewhat struggling coming in, they were still able to rush for 265 yards as a team. And thanks to running back Rex Burkhead's two touchdowns passes and one rushing, that was all they needed. No problems there. Final score 45-17, Nebraska.
Thank you very much.
I couldn't have asked for a better end to the football weekend than a Hog victory over LSU. It was a great game all around. Arkansas' defense has really stepped up this year, improving dramatically from a year ago. They held the LSU offense to just 294 total yards and even held them to a field goal when LSU got the ball for a first down on the Ark nine yard line on one occasion. It also helps though that LSU has never really been able to stay consistent on offense from game to game, where Arkansas does. Ryan Mallet again threw for over 300 yards and three touchdowns. Two of them to Cobi Hamilton, and were a couple of the most exciting plays of the season. The first came on a bullet from Mallet down the sideline that Hamilton snagged, then ran the rest of the 85 yards to the end zone. The second, was with six seconds left before halftime. I, along with half the world thought Mallet would take a knee and go to half. But instead threw another strike to Hamilton at about the 45, and when two LSU players collided it set him free to take it in for the 80 yard score. I don't think LSU recovered from that, and it gave the Hogs just the confidence they needed to take the rest of the game. It may have propelled them into their first BCS bowl ever. Final score 31-23, Arkansas.
Speaking of big plays.
I don't think I have enough time to go through all of the monster touchdowns that were scored in the Bedlam game in Stillwater. It was a true rivalry game that neither team wanted to lose. For the first time I think ever, Oklahoma State wasn't playing spoiler against OU. If OSU could win, they would be outright Big 12 South champions, and the world would end, well maybe not. Same goes for OU, with a win, they would move on to the conference title game. Here is a run down of the last five minutes of the game, to illustrate how both teams didn't give up. OU kicked a field goal to go up 33-24, then OSU drove down and scored on a 15 yard pass to Justin Blackmon, OSU down 33-31. Next OU possession, an 86 yard TD pass to Cameron Kenney, OU up 40-31. Ensuing kickoff returned all the freaking way by Justin Gilbert, OSU down 40-38. Next OU possession, 76 yard TD pass to James Hanna, OU up 47-38. Still following? OSU gets the ball back and the drive stalls, kicks a field goal. OSU goes for the onside kick and is recovered by OU. That is a rivalry game. OU to the Big 12 title game. Final score 47-41, Oklahoma.
Is this still a rivalry?
Ohio State-Michigan has always been a huge game, the two schools hate each other. But over the last three or four years, it has been a scarlet and gray lopsided look. My main man Terrelle Pryor outplayed his counterpart Denard Robinson, accounting for 220 yards passing with two touchdowns, and another 49 rushing. Robinson could only muster 87 yards passing, did have 105 rushing, but no touchdowns. That is of course thanks in part to Ohio State just being a better team overall. That has resulted in an unanticipated game that used to be the most anticipated game of the year. Michigan fans can't be happy that the Buckeyes are starting to think of it just as a regular game, and not the gargantuan rivalry it used to be. Coaches on both sides have been fired just because they couldn't beat the other one in the past, its that bad. Ohio State has now won seven in a row in the series. Michigan coach Rich Rodriguez' hot seat is becoming en fuego. Final score 37-7, Ohio State.
Speaking of the Big 10.
The winner, even though it was a three way tie, is Wisconsin. The best rushing team in college football that doesn't run a triple option. They have three running backs that can start any game and be very productive. This week, Montee Ball, who was considered the third string running back to start the year, went for 178 yards and 4 touchdowns! They just seem to plug someone in each week and they produce. Wisconsin may be the best one loss team in the nation, and could beat just about anyone right now. They are a lock for a BCS bowl, and I wouldn't want to play them. Their latest victim was a good Northwestern squad, although they were without starting QB Dan Persa. They were no match. Final score 70-23, Wisconsin.
At least this one turned around.
Another rivalry that has lost serious luster over the years is Florida vs Florida State.Thanks again in part to Florida dominating the last six years in a row. But with Florida having an incredibly down year, and Florida State playing well, the tables turned. To be honest, Florida's offense just sucks. The heir apparent to Football Jesus John Brantley was extremely overrated and over hyped, and the offensive line has been atrocious. 276 total yards of offense against a streaking Fla State team isn't going to get it done. Good to see the Noles back though, they played themselves right into the ACC championship game against Virginia Tech. First year head coach Jimbo Fisher has earned some credit from me. Final score 31-7, Florida State.
Blowout of the week - Northern Illinois over Eastern Michigan, 71-3.
JV basketball score of the week - Tulsa over Southern Miss, 56-50.
Until next week.
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
2010 - week 12
Although this past Saturday was sort of a teaser for the monstrosity of a week that starts tomorrow, there were some nice games, and I enjoyed it! Oregon, Auburn, and TCU had off weeks, so there was no chance of a BCS scramble at the top.
Wanna know how big?
So big Alabama moved their game against Georgia State(yes, Georgia State) to Thursday to have extra time to prepare for Auburn this week. Why they were playing them this late in the season I don't know, but they really got in a nice scrimmage, or extra practice. So if you think about it, Alabama will have had two weeks off to prepare for Auburn. You don't need to know any stats from this game, Bama won the game before it started. Final score 63-7, Alabama.
TBSATCUBS.
Boise State dominated Fresno State 51-0, TCU had a bye week. Add to the list of things I don't like about Boise State, they have now played games on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday this season. Don't force your opponents to have a weird schedule just because you're bored from playing these peons, just play on Saturdays like everyone else.
Typical.
LSU plays games close, always, that's just what they do. Ole Miss head coach Houston Nutt plays LSU close, always. So with those two facts in place, what do you think happened in Baton Rouge Saturday? Yep you guessed it, a nail biter, down to the wire finish as usual. But this time, there was no fake punt, field goal, 'what is Les Miles thinking?' type plays that also usually creep into LSU games that are close. It was just an old fashion back and forth, neither team giving up type of game. LSU QB Jordan Jefferson had his best game of the year, throwing for 254 yards and accounting for two touchdowns. Ole Miss rolled up 470 yards of offense on the best defense in the SEC, and hung in till the very last second. 32 points were scored in the fourth quarter alone by both teams. A desperation pass by Jeremiah "The Thief" Masoli that was intercepted took everything LSU had to win the game. And it didn't surprise me one bit. Final score 43-36, LSU.
Finally.
I know it was against Baylor, who at least is going to a bowl this year, but it was about time OU got a conference road victory. I mentioned last week that I still don't understand why OU QB Landry Jones gets the willies on the road, but he does. So it was good to see him shake it off and have a fantastic game, passing for 325 yards and three td's. OU receiver Ryan Broyles has put up monster number this year, he has caught 106 passes for 1,309 yards and 12 touchdowns. And as long as Demarco Murray stays healthy, hope I didn't just jinx him, OU cannot be stopped on offense. Final score 53-24. Oklahoma.
Speaking of offense.
There was no shortage of it in Starkville, MS as Arkansas and Mississippi State went at it. Both teams have decent defenses, but from the get go those were out the window. Arkansas could not stop Miss State's run game, and Miss State couldn't stop anything the Hogs were doing. It resulted in 488 yards for Arkansas, and 486 for Miss State. But that wasn't the real story of the game. That went to how the game ended. As Arkansas was trying to run out the clock with a three point lead with just a minute or so remaining, Knile Davis(who again had a huge game, 187 yards, three touchdowns) fumbled the ball in their own territory. Yes I kicked a chair. Miss State drove down and kicked a field goal to send it into overtime. After a great play by Ark linebacker Jericho Nelson to force a fumble at the goal line that resulted in touchback, Ark then missed a field goal that would have won it. On to the second overtime. The Hogs got aggressive again and scored in three plays to go up by 7. And finally, the defense showed up. The Hog defense forced Miss State into 4th and 7, and sacked Chris Relf to end the game. I immediately turned it off because I was neither happy or mad anymore, I just wanted it to be over, and thankfully it was. Final score 38-31.
Speaking of when will it end.
The most boring game of the day was Nebraska at Texas A&M. Again it seems to be a trend for A&M games to be either boring or frustrating. Maybe its those ugly uniforms, or the annoying chants and songs they do. But what makes it even more annoying, as if it is being rubbed in my face, is that they keep winning. Since switching to QB Ryan Tannehill, they haven't lost, including wins over two top ten teams. Credit the Aggie defense for holding Nebraska's offense to just 306 yards of offense. What also seems apparent however, is A&M must have some deal with the referees to call penalties on their opponents. I don't know about most of their games, but in their four biggest games of the year, their opponents have averaged 11.4 penalties per game. Hmmmm. Final score 9-6, Texas A&M.
Just gets it done.
My man Terrelle Pryor did just enough to beat Iowa. He hasn't been flashy of late, but still has Ohio State in the running for another Big Ten title. He accounted for 195 yards passing, and 78 rushing, and one TD. But most importantly, made big plays when it counted, and drove the Buckeyes down for the score with just 1:47 remaining. He is not going to win the Heisman like I predicted, but he is still awesome. Once again, Iowa starts the season in the top 10, only to finish in the middle of the Big Ten. Why people get so caught up with them I'll never understand. Final score 20-17, Ohio State.
The "what in the bleep was that?" game of the week.
Another team that gets a lot of hype and never lives up to it is Oregon State. Started out ranked in the top 25, but were 4-5 going into last weekend. USC came rolling into Corvallis looking good. I know the last time USC played Oregon State on the road, the Trojans were ranked number one, and the Beavers pulled the upset. But that wasn't going to happen again, right? WRONG! Oregon State came out with a vengeance, as if USC had cheated on them personally, not just the NCAA. They even took out USC QB Matt Barkley just before halftime by hurting his ankle(it was on purpose, I swear). Anyway, a "disappointing" Oregon State team shellacked them hard. Final score 36-7, WHAT?! Oregon State.
I didn't know it was 1935 again.
If you thought you were time warped back to when your milk was delivered to your front door, it was because two college football games were played at baseball stadiums. Illinois and Northwestern played a game at Wrigley Field in Chicago, and Notre Dame and Army renewed their rivalry at Yankee Stadium. Both games used to be done that way all the time, back BEFORE World War II. I actually thought it was pretty cool, so did Illinois running back Mikel Leshoure, check his stats in the player of the week section.
Blowout of the week - earlier mentioned Alabama over Georgia State, 63-7.
8th grade basketball score of the week - Colorado over Kansas, 44-36.
Until next week.
Wanna know how big?
So big Alabama moved their game against Georgia State(yes, Georgia State) to Thursday to have extra time to prepare for Auburn this week. Why they were playing them this late in the season I don't know, but they really got in a nice scrimmage, or extra practice. So if you think about it, Alabama will have had two weeks off to prepare for Auburn. You don't need to know any stats from this game, Bama won the game before it started. Final score 63-7, Alabama.
TBSATCUBS.
Boise State dominated Fresno State 51-0, TCU had a bye week. Add to the list of things I don't like about Boise State, they have now played games on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday this season. Don't force your opponents to have a weird schedule just because you're bored from playing these peons, just play on Saturdays like everyone else.
Typical.
LSU plays games close, always, that's just what they do. Ole Miss head coach Houston Nutt plays LSU close, always. So with those two facts in place, what do you think happened in Baton Rouge Saturday? Yep you guessed it, a nail biter, down to the wire finish as usual. But this time, there was no fake punt, field goal, 'what is Les Miles thinking?' type plays that also usually creep into LSU games that are close. It was just an old fashion back and forth, neither team giving up type of game. LSU QB Jordan Jefferson had his best game of the year, throwing for 254 yards and accounting for two touchdowns. Ole Miss rolled up 470 yards of offense on the best defense in the SEC, and hung in till the very last second. 32 points were scored in the fourth quarter alone by both teams. A desperation pass by Jeremiah "The Thief" Masoli that was intercepted took everything LSU had to win the game. And it didn't surprise me one bit. Final score 43-36, LSU.
Finally.
I know it was against Baylor, who at least is going to a bowl this year, but it was about time OU got a conference road victory. I mentioned last week that I still don't understand why OU QB Landry Jones gets the willies on the road, but he does. So it was good to see him shake it off and have a fantastic game, passing for 325 yards and three td's. OU receiver Ryan Broyles has put up monster number this year, he has caught 106 passes for 1,309 yards and 12 touchdowns. And as long as Demarco Murray stays healthy, hope I didn't just jinx him, OU cannot be stopped on offense. Final score 53-24. Oklahoma.
Speaking of offense.
There was no shortage of it in Starkville, MS as Arkansas and Mississippi State went at it. Both teams have decent defenses, but from the get go those were out the window. Arkansas could not stop Miss State's run game, and Miss State couldn't stop anything the Hogs were doing. It resulted in 488 yards for Arkansas, and 486 for Miss State. But that wasn't the real story of the game. That went to how the game ended. As Arkansas was trying to run out the clock with a three point lead with just a minute or so remaining, Knile Davis(who again had a huge game, 187 yards, three touchdowns) fumbled the ball in their own territory. Yes I kicked a chair. Miss State drove down and kicked a field goal to send it into overtime. After a great play by Ark linebacker Jericho Nelson to force a fumble at the goal line that resulted in touchback, Ark then missed a field goal that would have won it. On to the second overtime. The Hogs got aggressive again and scored in three plays to go up by 7. And finally, the defense showed up. The Hog defense forced Miss State into 4th and 7, and sacked Chris Relf to end the game. I immediately turned it off because I was neither happy or mad anymore, I just wanted it to be over, and thankfully it was. Final score 38-31.
Speaking of when will it end.
The most boring game of the day was Nebraska at Texas A&M. Again it seems to be a trend for A&M games to be either boring or frustrating. Maybe its those ugly uniforms, or the annoying chants and songs they do. But what makes it even more annoying, as if it is being rubbed in my face, is that they keep winning. Since switching to QB Ryan Tannehill, they haven't lost, including wins over two top ten teams. Credit the Aggie defense for holding Nebraska's offense to just 306 yards of offense. What also seems apparent however, is A&M must have some deal with the referees to call penalties on their opponents. I don't know about most of their games, but in their four biggest games of the year, their opponents have averaged 11.4 penalties per game. Hmmmm. Final score 9-6, Texas A&M.
Just gets it done.
My man Terrelle Pryor did just enough to beat Iowa. He hasn't been flashy of late, but still has Ohio State in the running for another Big Ten title. He accounted for 195 yards passing, and 78 rushing, and one TD. But most importantly, made big plays when it counted, and drove the Buckeyes down for the score with just 1:47 remaining. He is not going to win the Heisman like I predicted, but he is still awesome. Once again, Iowa starts the season in the top 10, only to finish in the middle of the Big Ten. Why people get so caught up with them I'll never understand. Final score 20-17, Ohio State.
The "what in the bleep was that?" game of the week.
Another team that gets a lot of hype and never lives up to it is Oregon State. Started out ranked in the top 25, but were 4-5 going into last weekend. USC came rolling into Corvallis looking good. I know the last time USC played Oregon State on the road, the Trojans were ranked number one, and the Beavers pulled the upset. But that wasn't going to happen again, right? WRONG! Oregon State came out with a vengeance, as if USC had cheated on them personally, not just the NCAA. They even took out USC QB Matt Barkley just before halftime by hurting his ankle(it was on purpose, I swear). Anyway, a "disappointing" Oregon State team shellacked them hard. Final score 36-7, WHAT?! Oregon State.
I didn't know it was 1935 again.
If you thought you were time warped back to when your milk was delivered to your front door, it was because two college football games were played at baseball stadiums. Illinois and Northwestern played a game at Wrigley Field in Chicago, and Notre Dame and Army renewed their rivalry at Yankee Stadium. Both games used to be done that way all the time, back BEFORE World War II. I actually thought it was pretty cool, so did Illinois running back Mikel Leshoure, check his stats in the player of the week section.
Blowout of the week - earlier mentioned Alabama over Georgia State, 63-7.
8th grade basketball score of the week - Colorado over Kansas, 44-36.
Until next week.
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
2010 - week 11
I apologize for the lateness this week, but I am a busy man. I can only do so much!
It was almost the most hectic weekend of the season. If a couple of things would have gone a different way in a couple of games, the BCS would have gone into meltdown mode.
Here is what I mean.
Might as well start with the number one team.
A middle of the road Cal team filled with guys who just came over from Starbucks after writing poetry, would be no problem for Oregon right? WRONG?! It goes to show that a team with a good defense (Cal has the number one ranked defense in the PAC-10) always has a MUCH better chance of winning. Have I ever said that before? Anyway, Oregon could never get their adrenaline filled offense going. They were held to just 317 yards of total offense, which is 250.2 less than their average per game.It took a punt return for a touchdown in the second quarter to give the Ducks their first points. And a turnover on the Cal 29 in the third quarter resulted in their next, and only remaining TD of the game. This is how close it came to the number one team going down. Oregon had a 15-7 lead in the fourth quarter, had the ball, but a forced fumble that Cal recovered in end zone cut it to 15-13! Cal went for two and failed. And Cal even had a chance a few minutes later to kick a filed goal that would have given them the lead with not a lot of time remaining, but missed the try. Yes, it was that close. Final score 15-13, Oregon.
A valiant effort.
Sitting at number two in the BCS, only needing one more win to clinch the SEC west was Auburn. A visit from Georgia could throw a monster wrench into that with a win however. And when Georgia took a 21-7 lead at the end of the first quarter, it got very interesting. But as it turns out, it was just a matter of time before Cam Newton and maybe the next best offense in the country got going. Auburn ran off 21 unanswered points, on their way to simply outscoring Georgia. The Bulldogs hung tough though, it was 35-31 Auburn at the end of the third quarter. Auburn's defense is not great however, but with that offense, and still not seeing anyone who will be able to stop Newton, I don't see how they won't have a good chance to win it all. I know I always say a good defense will almost always beat a good offense, but no one has been able to do it in the SEC, where the best defenses reside. Final score 49-31, Auburn.
TBSATCUBS.
Although TCU almost blew it! All of the talk about if TCU and Boise State belong, might sound better as long as they keep winning. While I don't want either team, ESPECIALLY Boise State, to make it in the national title game, we very well can't debate it if they can't beat the weaklings they already play. Moving on, TCU escaped over San Diego State(yes, barely) 40-35, and Boise rolled again over Idaho 52-14.
Too quiet.
All the talk and attention has gone to the other tall, athletic QB, but Terrelle Pryor(yes, he is still the man to me) leads the quietest 9-1, top ten ranked team in the country. After a dominating win over Penn State last weekend, the Buckeyes are sitting pretty for their sixth straight Big Ten title. A showdown with Iowa this week proves large. In terms of raw talent, I would say Pryor and Newton are equal, but Pryor has shown this year he has progressed as a passer. If Pryor ran it as much as Newton, who knows what kind of Heisman talk there would be. T.P. still runs a 4.4 40, and has a cannon arm. If it were up to me, I would take Pryor, if nothing else, he doesn't steal laptops and demand payment to play somewhere. But that's just speculation.
A little overrated.
Mississippi State had won six in a row, and were ranked in the top 25 for the first time in forever. But how good were they really? I'll tell you. In that six game winning streak, the combined record of their opponents was 30-32, and three of those wins were against non BCS schools, including an FCS school. And even though Alabama had now lost two games and was out of the running for a repeat conference title, you wondered the state of each team. And just as I suspected, Miss State isn't nearly as good. Or maybe Bama was pissed, I don't know. What I do know is that Bama got it going early and often with big plays for touchdowns. They scored on plays of 45, 78, and 56. It was never really a game. Final score 30-10, Alabama.
Speaking of unsure.
What in the world is going on with Texas? It was kind of funny when they lost to Kansas State and Baylor, even after beating Nebraska. But when Oklahoma State came to Austin and took it straight to them from the get go, it's not really funny anymore, its just sad. OSU receiver Justin Blackmon had another stellar game, catching nine balls for 145 yards and a score. But this was Texas' fourth loss at home this year. Sure, every big time program has it's off years, look at Florida this year too. But an off year for an elite program such as Texas usually means eight or nine wins still. But the Longhorns are in danger of not making a bowl this year. QB Garrett Gilbert has not progressed after he played so well in the national championship game last year. They have no run game, a below average passing game, and seem to be playing uninspired. It's just another way OU fans can stick it to Texas, because even on OU's down years, they still went to a bowl game. Final score 33-16, Oklahoma State.
Speaking of OU.
A nice way to rebound against Texas Tech after its dismal performance last week. Of course it was in Norman, where the Sooners can't lose. I would challenge the '92 Dallas Cowboys to come to Norman and see how they come out. But Tech never had a chance, it was 38-7 at half. OU's defense even showed up, holding Tech's vaunted passing attack to just 144 yards. And again, Landry Jones played excellent at home, throwing for 317 yards and five td's. Wide receiver Ryan Broyles broke the OU record for receptions and touchdowns after his third td of the game. That's impressive considering the playmakers OU has had at receiver the last several years. Final score 45-7, Oklahoma.
Remember when?
It seems like ten years ago that Virginia Tech was 0-2 after losses to Boise State and James Madison. Well, they are now 8-2 and primed for another ACC championship. Of course, the ACC is the most unpredictable, wackiest of all conferences in the land. So you never know what might happen. But you have to give them credit, we knew they were a good team, just didn't know it would take this long to find out. Their latest victim to add to their win streak was equally disappointing North Carolina. Said to have the greatest defense the nation had ever seen, they are now just 6-4, and out of the ACC race. I guess it doesn't help when half of your team decided to party where they shouldn't have been partying. Oh well. Final score 26-10.
OK fine.
It took a win over the most dysfunctional Florida team in The Swamp I've ever seen, but South Carolina pulled it off (I just threw up in my mouth a little). I guess if South Carolina was going to win the SEC East for the first time since joining in '92, I'm glad that it gets downplayed considering Florida and Georgia are both having very disappointing seasons. If not for those two choking it up, SC would be where they always are, in the middle of the division. So the SEC championship is set, Auburn vs. South Carolina. They played a good game once already this year, with Auburn winning 35-27 in the final minutes. I will say that Gamecock running back Marcus Lattimore is the freshman of the year, he rushed 40 times for 212 yards and three td's. Final score 36-14, South Carolina.
A Hog blip.
Because I can. Not much to say about a shellacking of a lesser opponent. UTEP came to Fayetteville on senior night when Arkansas felt like sending the seniors out the right way. Tight end DJ Williams, the greatest senior of them all, caught two touchdown passes. He will also be receiving the Disney Spirit Award at the College Football awards next month, he is a great guy. Final score 58-21, Arkansas.
The "what in the bleep was that?" game of the week.
The match up on paper seemed like a good game, both teams had similar records. But the Tennessee Volunteers decided to act like a good team and give it to Ole Miss in an inappropriate way. Ole Miss has a good offense, and have been in some close games against the top teams in the SEC. Tennessee has as well, and should have beaten the currently fifth ranked LSU Tigers earlier in the year. So as the game went on and Tenn was rolling up yards and points I thought to myself, "where did this come from? Is Peyton Manning back for Tennessee today?" No, it was just Tyler Bray, who since he has been inserted into the starting role, Tenn is playing much better. He threw for 323 yards and three touchdowns. While former thief, I mean Oregon Duck but instead current Ole Miss QB Jeremiah Masoli, is probably wishing he was back in Eugene playing for the number one team in the country. Final score 52-14, WHAT?! Tennessee.
Blowout of the week - Wisconsin over Indiana, 83-20.
JV basketball score of the week - Tulane over Rice, 54-49.
Until next week.
It was almost the most hectic weekend of the season. If a couple of things would have gone a different way in a couple of games, the BCS would have gone into meltdown mode.
Here is what I mean.
Might as well start with the number one team.
A middle of the road Cal team filled with guys who just came over from Starbucks after writing poetry, would be no problem for Oregon right? WRONG?! It goes to show that a team with a good defense (Cal has the number one ranked defense in the PAC-10) always has a MUCH better chance of winning. Have I ever said that before? Anyway, Oregon could never get their adrenaline filled offense going. They were held to just 317 yards of total offense, which is 250.2 less than their average per game.It took a punt return for a touchdown in the second quarter to give the Ducks their first points. And a turnover on the Cal 29 in the third quarter resulted in their next, and only remaining TD of the game. This is how close it came to the number one team going down. Oregon had a 15-7 lead in the fourth quarter, had the ball, but a forced fumble that Cal recovered in end zone cut it to 15-13! Cal went for two and failed. And Cal even had a chance a few minutes later to kick a filed goal that would have given them the lead with not a lot of time remaining, but missed the try. Yes, it was that close. Final score 15-13, Oregon.
A valiant effort.
Sitting at number two in the BCS, only needing one more win to clinch the SEC west was Auburn. A visit from Georgia could throw a monster wrench into that with a win however. And when Georgia took a 21-7 lead at the end of the first quarter, it got very interesting. But as it turns out, it was just a matter of time before Cam Newton and maybe the next best offense in the country got going. Auburn ran off 21 unanswered points, on their way to simply outscoring Georgia. The Bulldogs hung tough though, it was 35-31 Auburn at the end of the third quarter. Auburn's defense is not great however, but with that offense, and still not seeing anyone who will be able to stop Newton, I don't see how they won't have a good chance to win it all. I know I always say a good defense will almost always beat a good offense, but no one has been able to do it in the SEC, where the best defenses reside. Final score 49-31, Auburn.
TBSATCUBS.
Although TCU almost blew it! All of the talk about if TCU and Boise State belong, might sound better as long as they keep winning. While I don't want either team, ESPECIALLY Boise State, to make it in the national title game, we very well can't debate it if they can't beat the weaklings they already play. Moving on, TCU escaped over San Diego State(yes, barely) 40-35, and Boise rolled again over Idaho 52-14.
Too quiet.
All the talk and attention has gone to the other tall, athletic QB, but Terrelle Pryor(yes, he is still the man to me) leads the quietest 9-1, top ten ranked team in the country. After a dominating win over Penn State last weekend, the Buckeyes are sitting pretty for their sixth straight Big Ten title. A showdown with Iowa this week proves large. In terms of raw talent, I would say Pryor and Newton are equal, but Pryor has shown this year he has progressed as a passer. If Pryor ran it as much as Newton, who knows what kind of Heisman talk there would be. T.P. still runs a 4.4 40, and has a cannon arm. If it were up to me, I would take Pryor, if nothing else, he doesn't steal laptops and demand payment to play somewhere. But that's just speculation.
A little overrated.
Mississippi State had won six in a row, and were ranked in the top 25 for the first time in forever. But how good were they really? I'll tell you. In that six game winning streak, the combined record of their opponents was 30-32, and three of those wins were against non BCS schools, including an FCS school. And even though Alabama had now lost two games and was out of the running for a repeat conference title, you wondered the state of each team. And just as I suspected, Miss State isn't nearly as good. Or maybe Bama was pissed, I don't know. What I do know is that Bama got it going early and often with big plays for touchdowns. They scored on plays of 45, 78, and 56. It was never really a game. Final score 30-10, Alabama.
Speaking of unsure.
What in the world is going on with Texas? It was kind of funny when they lost to Kansas State and Baylor, even after beating Nebraska. But when Oklahoma State came to Austin and took it straight to them from the get go, it's not really funny anymore, its just sad. OSU receiver Justin Blackmon had another stellar game, catching nine balls for 145 yards and a score. But this was Texas' fourth loss at home this year. Sure, every big time program has it's off years, look at Florida this year too. But an off year for an elite program such as Texas usually means eight or nine wins still. But the Longhorns are in danger of not making a bowl this year. QB Garrett Gilbert has not progressed after he played so well in the national championship game last year. They have no run game, a below average passing game, and seem to be playing uninspired. It's just another way OU fans can stick it to Texas, because even on OU's down years, they still went to a bowl game. Final score 33-16, Oklahoma State.
Speaking of OU.
A nice way to rebound against Texas Tech after its dismal performance last week. Of course it was in Norman, where the Sooners can't lose. I would challenge the '92 Dallas Cowboys to come to Norman and see how they come out. But Tech never had a chance, it was 38-7 at half. OU's defense even showed up, holding Tech's vaunted passing attack to just 144 yards. And again, Landry Jones played excellent at home, throwing for 317 yards and five td's. Wide receiver Ryan Broyles broke the OU record for receptions and touchdowns after his third td of the game. That's impressive considering the playmakers OU has had at receiver the last several years. Final score 45-7, Oklahoma.
Remember when?
It seems like ten years ago that Virginia Tech was 0-2 after losses to Boise State and James Madison. Well, they are now 8-2 and primed for another ACC championship. Of course, the ACC is the most unpredictable, wackiest of all conferences in the land. So you never know what might happen. But you have to give them credit, we knew they were a good team, just didn't know it would take this long to find out. Their latest victim to add to their win streak was equally disappointing North Carolina. Said to have the greatest defense the nation had ever seen, they are now just 6-4, and out of the ACC race. I guess it doesn't help when half of your team decided to party where they shouldn't have been partying. Oh well. Final score 26-10.
OK fine.
It took a win over the most dysfunctional Florida team in The Swamp I've ever seen, but South Carolina pulled it off (I just threw up in my mouth a little). I guess if South Carolina was going to win the SEC East for the first time since joining in '92, I'm glad that it gets downplayed considering Florida and Georgia are both having very disappointing seasons. If not for those two choking it up, SC would be where they always are, in the middle of the division. So the SEC championship is set, Auburn vs. South Carolina. They played a good game once already this year, with Auburn winning 35-27 in the final minutes. I will say that Gamecock running back Marcus Lattimore is the freshman of the year, he rushed 40 times for 212 yards and three td's. Final score 36-14, South Carolina.
A Hog blip.
Because I can. Not much to say about a shellacking of a lesser opponent. UTEP came to Fayetteville on senior night when Arkansas felt like sending the seniors out the right way. Tight end DJ Williams, the greatest senior of them all, caught two touchdown passes. He will also be receiving the Disney Spirit Award at the College Football awards next month, he is a great guy. Final score 58-21, Arkansas.
The "what in the bleep was that?" game of the week.
The match up on paper seemed like a good game, both teams had similar records. But the Tennessee Volunteers decided to act like a good team and give it to Ole Miss in an inappropriate way. Ole Miss has a good offense, and have been in some close games against the top teams in the SEC. Tennessee has as well, and should have beaten the currently fifth ranked LSU Tigers earlier in the year. So as the game went on and Tenn was rolling up yards and points I thought to myself, "where did this come from? Is Peyton Manning back for Tennessee today?" No, it was just Tyler Bray, who since he has been inserted into the starting role, Tenn is playing much better. He threw for 323 yards and three touchdowns. While former thief, I mean Oregon Duck but instead current Ole Miss QB Jeremiah Masoli, is probably wishing he was back in Eugene playing for the number one team in the country. Final score 52-14, WHAT?! Tennessee.
Blowout of the week - Wisconsin over Indiana, 83-20.
JV basketball score of the week - Tulane over Rice, 54-49.
Until next week.
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
2010 - week 10
A most excellent weekend in the college football world. Many thanks to my buddies John Blackington and Ryan Snyder for throwing an awesome college football watch party extravaganza on Saturday.
Things are really starting to shape up heading into the final stretch of the season. Hard to believe we have less than a month left in the regular season. Here is what it looks like.
I have to start with it.
I gave him a shout out, but Joe Paterno deserves more. I've never really been a huge fan of the Penn State head coach and his football team. I don't dislike them necessarily, I just have never been overly impressed with them, ever. But there is no denying the success of Paterno's run there. He has been the head coach of the Nittany Lions since 1966! And just about every single year has been a winning season. Now I know I have made fun of him quite a bit over the last few years, questioning if he really is doing any coaching, or if he is just out there as a figurehead. But reports are that he does in fact still coach 'em up, and is heavily involved. And for that, I give my respect. For those of you that don't know the significance of number 400, I'll tell you. He is the first to do it in Division I-A, what is now called the FBS, and is the highest level of college football. Eddie Robinson of Grambling won 408 games at the Division I-AA level, or the FCS. And John Gagliardi of Division III St. John's in Minnesota owns 471 wins. So just think about that. The game against Northwestern that got him number 400 was pretty impressive too. Penn State was down 21-0 late in the second quarter, only to reel off 35 straight points to win. Nice. Final score 35-21, Penn State.
Still dominating.
Just another Oregon crushing of their opponent. This time it was Washington, who didn't stand much of a chance to begin with when starting QB Jake Locker was out for the game. There went ANY shot in hell of an upset. Even after not scoring in the first quarter for the first time all season(neither did Washington though), they were able to rack up over 500 yards of offense and score half a hundred for the sixth time this year. Ho hum. Final score 53-16.
Speaking of just keep winning.
Cam Newton and Auburn got what I like to call a "practice week of an opponent" in Chattanooga on Saturday. I have to mention it because Newton is the leading Heisman contender(for now, we'll see how the allegations turn out), and Auburn is the SEC's last chance for a five-peat national champion. Newton scored five touchdowns, four passing, to pad his stats for the week. Final score 62-24, Auburn.
Easiest way to win a game.
The ESPN Thursday night game seems to always be hit or miss, either very exciting, or a blowout. The Virginia Tech-Georgia Tech game turned out to be a good one. Georgia Tech took a 14-7 lead into halftime, followed by a scoreless third quarter on both sides. But the fourth quarter was a different story. Va Tech scored two touchdowns to take the lead 21-14 with about six minutes left. Then Georgia Tech drove it down and scored with just 2:34 remaining to tie it up. So it was shaping up to be a wild finish. But with a "that was so much easier than putting" move, David Wilson of Va Tech decided he would just return the ensuing kickoff 90 yards for the touchdown! That's how you win a game! Final score 28-21, Virginia Tech.
TBSATCUBS.
Boise State won 42-7 over Hawaii, while TCU steamrolled the fifth ranked Utes(worst nickname ever) of Utah 47-7. I don't know if Utah was EXTREMELY overrated, or TCU is that good. I'm going to go with a little bit of both.
The "what in the bleep was that?" game of the week.
Goes to Nebraska having to hold on for dear life against Iowa State in overtime. I know Nebraska was down to their third string quarterback, but when you have a running game that rushed for 235 in the game, it should be over. Plus, it's Iowa State! Nebraska had a 24-10 lead going into the fourth quarter. With the Huskers' impressive defense, one would think that game was in the bag. Well it wasn't. Iowa State puts on a rally and scores two td's in less than a minute apart. So they go to overtime. A Rex Burkhead td run in the first OT for Nebraska, and a td pass for Iowa State put the game at 31-30 Nebraska. All Iowa State had to do was kick the extra point and force a second overtime. But no! What's this?! Iowa State is faking the extra point! And Nebraska intercepts! Game over! WHAT?! I like the call on Iowa State's part, they had nothing to lose. But it never should have been that close in the first place. Nebraska goes down a notch in my book. Final score 31-30, Nebraska.
Speaking of going down a notch, or maybe a couple.
As annoying as it was, and that seems to be a trend with Texas A&M games, the Aggies were better than Oklahoma on Saturday. It also seems to be the trend that OU quarterback Landry Jones gets the shivers when not playing in Norman. Shown by his 10-0 record at home, versus a 2-5 record on the road as the starter. 290 yards passing with a td and one interception is actually a pretty decent game. But there were missed opportunities that don't show up in the stats. One that does show up on the scoreboard is not catching a very catchable snap that went through Jones' hands and out of the end zone for a safety, on OU's first play of the game. OU's defense is not very good this year either. They let A&M put on a balanced offensive attack on their way to 33 points. Since benching QB Jerrod "turnovers/worst throwing motion ever" Johnson and going with Ryan Tannehill, they have won three in a row. OU can still win the Big 12 south and the conference title, but the road woes have to stop. They still have to travel to 10th ranked Oklahoma State at the end of the season. Final score 33-19, Texas A&M.
It happened AGAIN.
I may have to go back and count the number of times LSU has gone for it on fourth down in crucial situations, and pulls it off. It seriously works every single time! The latest was a fourth and one reverse that worked to perfection with about eight minutes left in the game against Alabama to take the lead. Most coaches that are only trailing by one with that much time left would kick it, and rely on the best defense in the SEC to get the ball back, which is what Miles' has at LSU. But I also realize that while there are flashes of good offense, like Reuben Randle's 75 yard catch and run for a touchdown, LSU is too inconsistent on that side of the ball. This was easily the Tigers' most complete game. They piled up 433 yards of offense, and made big plays at the right times. Alabama lost their chance at a repeat SEC and national title, and put LSU right in the thick of a BCS at large birth. The Patrick Peterson/Julio Jones shutdown corner versus wide receiver match up was won by Jones this year, catching ten balls for 89 yards and a score. Final score 24-21, LSU.
Thanks again.
To Texas Tech for hammering my thoughts home that Missouri was overrated, and only beat OU because of sheer luck. Missouri has lost two in a row since then, and looked nothing like a top ten team. They didn't belong there anyway. Mizzou had a 17-3 lead nearing halftime, and apparently thought they were too good to keep applying the pressure. But Tech came roaring back when QB Taylor Potts came off the bench and threw three touchdowns to take the game over. Mizzou QB Blaine Gabbert was completely shutdown, throwing for only 95 yards and no touchdowns. Tech has been quiet in Tommy Tuberville's first year, compiling a record of only 5-4 to this point. But you never know about them, a solid match up in Norman this weekend has brewed thanks to them. Final score 24-17, Texas Tech.
Well too bad.
Just as I though Baylor was going to make a run at it, they hit an impenetrable wall in the form of Oklahoma State. The fact that a ranked Baylor and a ranked Okie State team were playing for position atop the Big 12 South still bothered me. Baylor has already qualified for a bowl, and were looking to somehow get to bigger and better things. Well the Pokes stopped that in a hurry. By scoring at will, and stopping Baylor QB Robert Griffin, OSU took a 24-0 lead into halftime. It didn't stop there though. My player of the week went to receiver Justin Blackmon, who simply was the best player on the field and made it look easy. He helped OSU rack up 725 yards of offense! They are now sitting at 8-1 with their only loss to Nebraska, and a Bedlam showdown in a few weeks against OU that may decide the Big 12 South champion. Final score 55-28, Oklahoma State.
Watch out.
For Stanford. Aside from LSU, The Cardinal (no it's not Cardinals, I have it right) may be the best one loss team right now. Thanks in part to a complete thrashing of 15th ranked Arizona on Saturday. I have been saying that QB Andrew Luck is one of the elite quarterbacks in the country, but they seem to have a good team all around as well. 25 point victories don't come at the hands of just one player, although Luck's 293 yards passing and two td's will help. Stanford's only loss this year is to the current number one ranked Oregon Ducks. A possible BCS at large bid could be waiting for the tree huggers. Final score 42-17, Stanford.
Absolutely love it.
For more than one reason. An Arkansas win over anyone is always nice, but when it is in dominating fashion on the road over South Carolina, it is pure bliss. I'm sure all of you know about my hatred for South Carolina. They just annoy the crap out of me. All the Thursday night games, Steve Spurrier, the hideous uniforms, and the mascot that is a glorified chicken all just gets under my skin. So when they beat Alabama a few weeks ago when the Tide were ranked number one, the irritation level was at an all time high. But then a loss a week later to Kentucky, and then a crushing by the Hogs, has brought it back down. I was nervous for this game, despite the anger, SC is pretty good. But Arkansas came out firing, and scored on the first possession on their way to a 24-10 lead at half. Mallet was on target for 303 yards passing and a td. But the real story the last few games and including this one, has been the emergence of running back Knile Davis. If only the coaches would have listened to me earlier, they would have known that getting the ball to Davis more was a good thing. He rushed for 110 yards and three touchdowns, giving him eight rushing td's in just the last three games. Final score 41-20, Arkansas.
High school basketball score of the week - Michigan over Illinois 67-65 in 3 overtimes.
Blowout of the week - Nevada over Idaho, 63-17.
Until next week.
Things are really starting to shape up heading into the final stretch of the season. Hard to believe we have less than a month left in the regular season. Here is what it looks like.
I have to start with it.
I gave him a shout out, but Joe Paterno deserves more. I've never really been a huge fan of the Penn State head coach and his football team. I don't dislike them necessarily, I just have never been overly impressed with them, ever. But there is no denying the success of Paterno's run there. He has been the head coach of the Nittany Lions since 1966! And just about every single year has been a winning season. Now I know I have made fun of him quite a bit over the last few years, questioning if he really is doing any coaching, or if he is just out there as a figurehead. But reports are that he does in fact still coach 'em up, and is heavily involved. And for that, I give my respect. For those of you that don't know the significance of number 400, I'll tell you. He is the first to do it in Division I-A, what is now called the FBS, and is the highest level of college football. Eddie Robinson of Grambling won 408 games at the Division I-AA level, or the FCS. And John Gagliardi of Division III St. John's in Minnesota owns 471 wins. So just think about that. The game against Northwestern that got him number 400 was pretty impressive too. Penn State was down 21-0 late in the second quarter, only to reel off 35 straight points to win. Nice. Final score 35-21, Penn State.
Still dominating.
Just another Oregon crushing of their opponent. This time it was Washington, who didn't stand much of a chance to begin with when starting QB Jake Locker was out for the game. There went ANY shot in hell of an upset. Even after not scoring in the first quarter for the first time all season(neither did Washington though), they were able to rack up over 500 yards of offense and score half a hundred for the sixth time this year. Ho hum. Final score 53-16.
Speaking of just keep winning.
Cam Newton and Auburn got what I like to call a "practice week of an opponent" in Chattanooga on Saturday. I have to mention it because Newton is the leading Heisman contender(for now, we'll see how the allegations turn out), and Auburn is the SEC's last chance for a five-peat national champion. Newton scored five touchdowns, four passing, to pad his stats for the week. Final score 62-24, Auburn.
Easiest way to win a game.
The ESPN Thursday night game seems to always be hit or miss, either very exciting, or a blowout. The Virginia Tech-Georgia Tech game turned out to be a good one. Georgia Tech took a 14-7 lead into halftime, followed by a scoreless third quarter on both sides. But the fourth quarter was a different story. Va Tech scored two touchdowns to take the lead 21-14 with about six minutes left. Then Georgia Tech drove it down and scored with just 2:34 remaining to tie it up. So it was shaping up to be a wild finish. But with a "that was so much easier than putting" move, David Wilson of Va Tech decided he would just return the ensuing kickoff 90 yards for the touchdown! That's how you win a game! Final score 28-21, Virginia Tech.
TBSATCUBS.
Boise State won 42-7 over Hawaii, while TCU steamrolled the fifth ranked Utes(worst nickname ever) of Utah 47-7. I don't know if Utah was EXTREMELY overrated, or TCU is that good. I'm going to go with a little bit of both.
The "what in the bleep was that?" game of the week.
Goes to Nebraska having to hold on for dear life against Iowa State in overtime. I know Nebraska was down to their third string quarterback, but when you have a running game that rushed for 235 in the game, it should be over. Plus, it's Iowa State! Nebraska had a 24-10 lead going into the fourth quarter. With the Huskers' impressive defense, one would think that game was in the bag. Well it wasn't. Iowa State puts on a rally and scores two td's in less than a minute apart. So they go to overtime. A Rex Burkhead td run in the first OT for Nebraska, and a td pass for Iowa State put the game at 31-30 Nebraska. All Iowa State had to do was kick the extra point and force a second overtime. But no! What's this?! Iowa State is faking the extra point! And Nebraska intercepts! Game over! WHAT?! I like the call on Iowa State's part, they had nothing to lose. But it never should have been that close in the first place. Nebraska goes down a notch in my book. Final score 31-30, Nebraska.
Speaking of going down a notch, or maybe a couple.
As annoying as it was, and that seems to be a trend with Texas A&M games, the Aggies were better than Oklahoma on Saturday. It also seems to be the trend that OU quarterback Landry Jones gets the shivers when not playing in Norman. Shown by his 10-0 record at home, versus a 2-5 record on the road as the starter. 290 yards passing with a td and one interception is actually a pretty decent game. But there were missed opportunities that don't show up in the stats. One that does show up on the scoreboard is not catching a very catchable snap that went through Jones' hands and out of the end zone for a safety, on OU's first play of the game. OU's defense is not very good this year either. They let A&M put on a balanced offensive attack on their way to 33 points. Since benching QB Jerrod "turnovers/worst throwing motion ever" Johnson and going with Ryan Tannehill, they have won three in a row. OU can still win the Big 12 south and the conference title, but the road woes have to stop. They still have to travel to 10th ranked Oklahoma State at the end of the season. Final score 33-19, Texas A&M.
It happened AGAIN.
I may have to go back and count the number of times LSU has gone for it on fourth down in crucial situations, and pulls it off. It seriously works every single time! The latest was a fourth and one reverse that worked to perfection with about eight minutes left in the game against Alabama to take the lead. Most coaches that are only trailing by one with that much time left would kick it, and rely on the best defense in the SEC to get the ball back, which is what Miles' has at LSU. But I also realize that while there are flashes of good offense, like Reuben Randle's 75 yard catch and run for a touchdown, LSU is too inconsistent on that side of the ball. This was easily the Tigers' most complete game. They piled up 433 yards of offense, and made big plays at the right times. Alabama lost their chance at a repeat SEC and national title, and put LSU right in the thick of a BCS at large birth. The Patrick Peterson/Julio Jones shutdown corner versus wide receiver match up was won by Jones this year, catching ten balls for 89 yards and a score. Final score 24-21, LSU.
Thanks again.
To Texas Tech for hammering my thoughts home that Missouri was overrated, and only beat OU because of sheer luck. Missouri has lost two in a row since then, and looked nothing like a top ten team. They didn't belong there anyway. Mizzou had a 17-3 lead nearing halftime, and apparently thought they were too good to keep applying the pressure. But Tech came roaring back when QB Taylor Potts came off the bench and threw three touchdowns to take the game over. Mizzou QB Blaine Gabbert was completely shutdown, throwing for only 95 yards and no touchdowns. Tech has been quiet in Tommy Tuberville's first year, compiling a record of only 5-4 to this point. But you never know about them, a solid match up in Norman this weekend has brewed thanks to them. Final score 24-17, Texas Tech.
Well too bad.
Just as I though Baylor was going to make a run at it, they hit an impenetrable wall in the form of Oklahoma State. The fact that a ranked Baylor and a ranked Okie State team were playing for position atop the Big 12 South still bothered me. Baylor has already qualified for a bowl, and were looking to somehow get to bigger and better things. Well the Pokes stopped that in a hurry. By scoring at will, and stopping Baylor QB Robert Griffin, OSU took a 24-0 lead into halftime. It didn't stop there though. My player of the week went to receiver Justin Blackmon, who simply was the best player on the field and made it look easy. He helped OSU rack up 725 yards of offense! They are now sitting at 8-1 with their only loss to Nebraska, and a Bedlam showdown in a few weeks against OU that may decide the Big 12 South champion. Final score 55-28, Oklahoma State.
Watch out.
For Stanford. Aside from LSU, The Cardinal (no it's not Cardinals, I have it right) may be the best one loss team right now. Thanks in part to a complete thrashing of 15th ranked Arizona on Saturday. I have been saying that QB Andrew Luck is one of the elite quarterbacks in the country, but they seem to have a good team all around as well. 25 point victories don't come at the hands of just one player, although Luck's 293 yards passing and two td's will help. Stanford's only loss this year is to the current number one ranked Oregon Ducks. A possible BCS at large bid could be waiting for the tree huggers. Final score 42-17, Stanford.
Absolutely love it.
For more than one reason. An Arkansas win over anyone is always nice, but when it is in dominating fashion on the road over South Carolina, it is pure bliss. I'm sure all of you know about my hatred for South Carolina. They just annoy the crap out of me. All the Thursday night games, Steve Spurrier, the hideous uniforms, and the mascot that is a glorified chicken all just gets under my skin. So when they beat Alabama a few weeks ago when the Tide were ranked number one, the irritation level was at an all time high. But then a loss a week later to Kentucky, and then a crushing by the Hogs, has brought it back down. I was nervous for this game, despite the anger, SC is pretty good. But Arkansas came out firing, and scored on the first possession on their way to a 24-10 lead at half. Mallet was on target for 303 yards passing and a td. But the real story the last few games and including this one, has been the emergence of running back Knile Davis. If only the coaches would have listened to me earlier, they would have known that getting the ball to Davis more was a good thing. He rushed for 110 yards and three touchdowns, giving him eight rushing td's in just the last three games. Final score 41-20, Arkansas.
High school basketball score of the week - Michigan over Illinois 67-65 in 3 overtimes.
Blowout of the week - Nevada over Idaho, 63-17.
Until next week.
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
2010 - week 9
If any of you noticed the absence of a write up last week, it was on purpose. I took a much needed week off after an excellent trip to Fayetteville to watch the Hogs beat up on some Ole Miss Rebels, or Black Bears, or whatever they are now. But I'm back and ready to write. And no this will not be a two week wrap up, so if you want to hear my thoughts on week 8, you'll just have to ask.
Speaking of the Hogs.
With Ryan Mallett's health still somewhat in question, and backup QB Tyler Wilson playing well, Arkansas got to have practice that really counts as a game. By that of course I mean Vanderbilt. Two years ago Vandy made it to a bowl game, and won it, for the first time in almost thirty years. But now they are right back to being the SEC punching bag they have always been. Mallet did play, and racked up 409 yards passing(an Arkansas record) and three touchdowns. The Hog defense that looked like they were reverting back to their atrocious ways after the Ole Miss game, held Vandy to a mere 153 total yards of offense. I hope they are playing better, they go to South Carolina this week. Final score 49-14, Arkansas.
Speaking of former punching bags.
I've been saying it for weeks now, Baylor is pretty good. Sitting at 6-2 going into last weekend, they were already bowl eligible. But with games against Texas, OU, and Oklahoma State remaining on their schedule, I figured three more losses were in order. But no, they take down the Longhorns in Austin to start it off. Baylor QB Robert Griffin is a dynamic player who is taking the Bears to new heights. He threw two touchdown passes and ran for another. So now, Baylor is 7-2 and ATOP the Big 12 south standings! Yes, you are reading that correctly. I still think OU and Okie State will beat them, but good for Baylor. And how many of you thought Texas QB Garrett Gilbert would have only 6 touchdown passes to go with nine interceptions through 8 games? I sure didn't. He is starting to show that he is a better athlete of late though. When he gets it together, he will be good. Final score 30-22, Baylor.
I'll go ahead with the TBSATCUBS.
In case you forgot, it's "The Boise State and TCU Blip Section". Boise State beat Louisiana Tech 49-20, and TCU won 48-6 over UNLV. Finally one of these teams gets a worthy opponent, when TCU goes to 5th ranked Utah this weekend.
Also finally.
Even though Michigan State was still undefeated, with wins over Notre Dame, Wisconsin, and Michigan so far, I just didn't feel like they were as good as their record showed. And I was right. Not only did I call for the "upset" loss to Iowa, but I called for a blowout. And that's exactly what happened. It seemed as though Michigan State was riding a wave of inspiration after their head coach suffered a heart attack over a month ago. They are good enough to beat the teams they are supposed to, but still never felt as if they were a top 10 team. Thanks Iowa for exposing that for me. Michigan State could only muster 258 yards of offense, and didn't score a point until the fourth quarter, and the game was in hand. Iowa QB Ricki Stanzi is now 24-6 as a starter, not bad for not quite three years of work. Final score 37-6, Iowa.
Continuing with the Big 10.
After the loss to Wisconsin two weeks ago, Terrelle Pryor and Ohio State have responded. A 49-0 demolishing of Purdue two weeks ago, where Pryor passed for 270 yards and three scores. This week a terrible Minnesota team was the victim, as Pryor went for 220 yards passing and two td's, and another 55 rushing with a td. I still think he is one of the most gifted players in the nation. Lots of jealousy over here. Final score 52-10, Ohio State.
Another thank you.
Goes out to Nebraska, for ending Missouri's high. If there's a team that bugs me just as much as Texas or Nebraska does, it's Missouri. Just like Texas Tech for the past several years, Missouri gets a lot of hype just for having a "unique" offense. The media hypes them up as if they just win year after year and never lose. Well, what have they won? Zero Big 12 championships. Yes, Mizzou is a nice program, and they have cranked out 8, 9, and 10 wins the last few years. But it feels like they get all this attention just for having a super spread offense that any decent defense can handle. Even after they beat OU two weeks ago, where they had to pull out a couple of trick plays, and return a kickoff for a td just to barely win, I was never convinced they were that good. And I have the Huskers to thank. I called a Nebraska victory, and loved seeing it. Like I said, a decent defense can handle that gimmicky offense. Nebraska held Mizzou QB Blaine Gabbert to just 199 yards passing with a completion percentage of 42%. And as you see in my player of the week section, Husker running back Roy Helu is still gaining yards as we speak. So thanks again Nebraska for getting Missouri out of any sort of BCS race. Final score 31-17.
Back to reality.
Auburn QB Cam Newton had himself just a decent day in a win over Ole Miss. 209 yards passing and two td's, and only 45 yards rushing. He also caught a touchdown pass. But Auburn for once didn't need him, as they still accounted for 572 total yards of offense. Newton is still the Heisman front runner, and as long as Auburn keeps winning, he could lead them straight into the national championship game. I still hate him. Final score 51-31.
Speaking of just keep winning.
Oregon continues to roll over people, with heir latest triumph over the "24th" ranked USC Trojans. The Oklahoma Sooners offense of '08 was the best I had ever seen, and this Oregon team is putting up numbers very similar. They racked up 599 yards of total offense, and scored more than 50 points for the fifth time this season. And this was on the road too. Oregon running back LaMichael James rushed for more than 200 yards for the third time this year, going for 239 and three touchdowns. The PAC 10 is the Ducks to lose, as well as now holding the number one ranking in the BCS. Final score 53-32, Oregon.
The "what in the bleep was that?" game of the week.
The Duke Blue Devils football team is nothing like their basketball team, I mean nothing. A 1-6 record so far this year, which is no surprise, up against a 5-2 Navy team that has played some nice football over the last several years. They run that option attack that controls the clock, it's annoying as all get out, but it works. But wouldn't you know, Duke pulls out the upset. They haven't beaten a team with a winning record since Spurrier left in '89. The Blue Devils even had a 24-0 lead at half. WHAT?! And held on to a 34-15 lead in the fourth quarter. Navy did put on a furious comeback, cutting the lead to 34-31 with just a couple minutes remaining. But Duke stopped the rally as Coach K and Grant Hill got another victory...oh wait, crap, I mean head coach David Cutcliffe got his second win of the season over a good Navy team. Sorry, I thought we were talking about the Duke basketball team again. Final score 34-31, Duke.
I had a feeling.
That Denard Robinson and Michigan couldn't keep it up. For the first half of the season, Robinson was the most electrifying player in the country, and Michigan was 5-0. But a few weeks ago when the Wolverines were about to start playing the better teams in the Big 10, I wondered if they could sustain their success. Nope. Since that undefeated start, they have now lost three straight, the latest coming from an average Penn State team. A Penn State team with their backup quarterback playing nonetheless. Robinson is still playing well however, accounting for 381 total yards and four td's. But he is clearly the only thing going for them, and teams have figured out ways to beat Michigan even with him running wild. Rich Rodriguez was a hot seat candidate coming into this year, and if they finish the same way they did last year, which was lose 7 of their last 8 games, then he is gone. Someone who will NEVER leave was the guy on the other sideline, Joe Paterno. This win gave him number 399 for his career, good lord. Final score 41-31, Penn State.
Tale of two QB's.
In the match up of what many believe to be the top two quarterbacks taken in next year's NFL draft, Andrew Luck of Stanford and Jake Locker of Washington. Turned out to be the Andrew Luck show, and the Jake Locker no show. It was sort of a coin flip to start the season as to which player NFL teams would take first, but as the season has gone along, it has CLEARLY become Luck. Locker has been extremely inconsistent, and has failed to really show up in big games. For instance, Luck threw for 192 yards and a td, with an interception, and also rushed for 92 and a score. Locker on the other hand, was 7 for 14 for 64 yards, with two int's, and one yard rushing. You do the math. Final score 41-0, Stanford.
JV basketball score of the week - UAB over Southern Miss 50-49.
Blowout of the week - Bethune-Cookman over North Carolina A&T 67-17.
Until next week.
Speaking of the Hogs.
With Ryan Mallett's health still somewhat in question, and backup QB Tyler Wilson playing well, Arkansas got to have practice that really counts as a game. By that of course I mean Vanderbilt. Two years ago Vandy made it to a bowl game, and won it, for the first time in almost thirty years. But now they are right back to being the SEC punching bag they have always been. Mallet did play, and racked up 409 yards passing(an Arkansas record) and three touchdowns. The Hog defense that looked like they were reverting back to their atrocious ways after the Ole Miss game, held Vandy to a mere 153 total yards of offense. I hope they are playing better, they go to South Carolina this week. Final score 49-14, Arkansas.
Speaking of former punching bags.
I've been saying it for weeks now, Baylor is pretty good. Sitting at 6-2 going into last weekend, they were already bowl eligible. But with games against Texas, OU, and Oklahoma State remaining on their schedule, I figured three more losses were in order. But no, they take down the Longhorns in Austin to start it off. Baylor QB Robert Griffin is a dynamic player who is taking the Bears to new heights. He threw two touchdown passes and ran for another. So now, Baylor is 7-2 and ATOP the Big 12 south standings! Yes, you are reading that correctly. I still think OU and Okie State will beat them, but good for Baylor. And how many of you thought Texas QB Garrett Gilbert would have only 6 touchdown passes to go with nine interceptions through 8 games? I sure didn't. He is starting to show that he is a better athlete of late though. When he gets it together, he will be good. Final score 30-22, Baylor.
I'll go ahead with the TBSATCUBS.
In case you forgot, it's "The Boise State and TCU Blip Section". Boise State beat Louisiana Tech 49-20, and TCU won 48-6 over UNLV. Finally one of these teams gets a worthy opponent, when TCU goes to 5th ranked Utah this weekend.
Also finally.
Even though Michigan State was still undefeated, with wins over Notre Dame, Wisconsin, and Michigan so far, I just didn't feel like they were as good as their record showed. And I was right. Not only did I call for the "upset" loss to Iowa, but I called for a blowout. And that's exactly what happened. It seemed as though Michigan State was riding a wave of inspiration after their head coach suffered a heart attack over a month ago. They are good enough to beat the teams they are supposed to, but still never felt as if they were a top 10 team. Thanks Iowa for exposing that for me. Michigan State could only muster 258 yards of offense, and didn't score a point until the fourth quarter, and the game was in hand. Iowa QB Ricki Stanzi is now 24-6 as a starter, not bad for not quite three years of work. Final score 37-6, Iowa.
Continuing with the Big 10.
After the loss to Wisconsin two weeks ago, Terrelle Pryor and Ohio State have responded. A 49-0 demolishing of Purdue two weeks ago, where Pryor passed for 270 yards and three scores. This week a terrible Minnesota team was the victim, as Pryor went for 220 yards passing and two td's, and another 55 rushing with a td. I still think he is one of the most gifted players in the nation. Lots of jealousy over here. Final score 52-10, Ohio State.
Another thank you.
Goes out to Nebraska, for ending Missouri's high. If there's a team that bugs me just as much as Texas or Nebraska does, it's Missouri. Just like Texas Tech for the past several years, Missouri gets a lot of hype just for having a "unique" offense. The media hypes them up as if they just win year after year and never lose. Well, what have they won? Zero Big 12 championships. Yes, Mizzou is a nice program, and they have cranked out 8, 9, and 10 wins the last few years. But it feels like they get all this attention just for having a super spread offense that any decent defense can handle. Even after they beat OU two weeks ago, where they had to pull out a couple of trick plays, and return a kickoff for a td just to barely win, I was never convinced they were that good. And I have the Huskers to thank. I called a Nebraska victory, and loved seeing it. Like I said, a decent defense can handle that gimmicky offense. Nebraska held Mizzou QB Blaine Gabbert to just 199 yards passing with a completion percentage of 42%. And as you see in my player of the week section, Husker running back Roy Helu is still gaining yards as we speak. So thanks again Nebraska for getting Missouri out of any sort of BCS race. Final score 31-17.
Back to reality.
Auburn QB Cam Newton had himself just a decent day in a win over Ole Miss. 209 yards passing and two td's, and only 45 yards rushing. He also caught a touchdown pass. But Auburn for once didn't need him, as they still accounted for 572 total yards of offense. Newton is still the Heisman front runner, and as long as Auburn keeps winning, he could lead them straight into the national championship game. I still hate him. Final score 51-31.
Speaking of just keep winning.
Oregon continues to roll over people, with heir latest triumph over the "24th" ranked USC Trojans. The Oklahoma Sooners offense of '08 was the best I had ever seen, and this Oregon team is putting up numbers very similar. They racked up 599 yards of total offense, and scored more than 50 points for the fifth time this season. And this was on the road too. Oregon running back LaMichael James rushed for more than 200 yards for the third time this year, going for 239 and three touchdowns. The PAC 10 is the Ducks to lose, as well as now holding the number one ranking in the BCS. Final score 53-32, Oregon.
The "what in the bleep was that?" game of the week.
The Duke Blue Devils football team is nothing like their basketball team, I mean nothing. A 1-6 record so far this year, which is no surprise, up against a 5-2 Navy team that has played some nice football over the last several years. They run that option attack that controls the clock, it's annoying as all get out, but it works. But wouldn't you know, Duke pulls out the upset. They haven't beaten a team with a winning record since Spurrier left in '89. The Blue Devils even had a 24-0 lead at half. WHAT?! And held on to a 34-15 lead in the fourth quarter. Navy did put on a furious comeback, cutting the lead to 34-31 with just a couple minutes remaining. But Duke stopped the rally as Coach K and Grant Hill got another victory...oh wait, crap, I mean head coach David Cutcliffe got his second win of the season over a good Navy team. Sorry, I thought we were talking about the Duke basketball team again. Final score 34-31, Duke.
I had a feeling.
That Denard Robinson and Michigan couldn't keep it up. For the first half of the season, Robinson was the most electrifying player in the country, and Michigan was 5-0. But a few weeks ago when the Wolverines were about to start playing the better teams in the Big 10, I wondered if they could sustain their success. Nope. Since that undefeated start, they have now lost three straight, the latest coming from an average Penn State team. A Penn State team with their backup quarterback playing nonetheless. Robinson is still playing well however, accounting for 381 total yards and four td's. But he is clearly the only thing going for them, and teams have figured out ways to beat Michigan even with him running wild. Rich Rodriguez was a hot seat candidate coming into this year, and if they finish the same way they did last year, which was lose 7 of their last 8 games, then he is gone. Someone who will NEVER leave was the guy on the other sideline, Joe Paterno. This win gave him number 399 for his career, good lord. Final score 41-31, Penn State.
Tale of two QB's.
In the match up of what many believe to be the top two quarterbacks taken in next year's NFL draft, Andrew Luck of Stanford and Jake Locker of Washington. Turned out to be the Andrew Luck show, and the Jake Locker no show. It was sort of a coin flip to start the season as to which player NFL teams would take first, but as the season has gone along, it has CLEARLY become Luck. Locker has been extremely inconsistent, and has failed to really show up in big games. For instance, Luck threw for 192 yards and a td, with an interception, and also rushed for 92 and a score. Locker on the other hand, was 7 for 14 for 64 yards, with two int's, and one yard rushing. You do the math. Final score 41-0, Stanford.
JV basketball score of the week - UAB over Southern Miss 50-49.
Blowout of the week - Bethune-Cookman over North Carolina A&T 67-17.
Until next week.
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
2010 - week 7
If I didn't know any better, I would say this year is doing it's best impression of the wild and wacky '07 season. This past Saturday saw six teams ranked in the top 25 lose to unranked opponents. And for the second week in a row, the number 1 team went down. So hold on to your britches, it's going to get crazy.
And guess who's back?
That's right, SEC referees are back. Last year the SEC officiating got so bad, one crew was suspended, and the SEC commissioner had to threaten fines to anyone who spoke their mind about said officiating. Now I'm not saying this was the reason Arkansas lost to Auburn, but it definitely had a big impact. The first "incident" was a forced fumble on the goal line that was recovered by Arkansas(and was called a fumble on the field), but then reversed to a touchdown for Auburn. Why the call on the field was reversed I'll never know. But after review, there was no evidence to overturn it, right, touchdown Auburn. Next, the game turned into an old fashioned shootout thanks to backup QB Tyler Wilson filling in for an injured Ryan Mallet. Mallet went out in the second quarter due to a mild concussion, he is day to day. Wilson threw for 332 yards and 4 touchdowns! When as soon as it looked like Wilson was going to be the savior of the game and pull out a huge road victory, the game turned. Arkansas was down 44-43 with nine or so minutes left in the game, and the Hogs were driving. Running back Broderick Green took a hand off, and was being tackled, almost his entire body was on the ground, and the ball popped out. An Auburn player picked it up and ran 47 yards to the end zone. Touchdown Auburn. Another review that clearly showed Green was down, but the call went Auburn's way again, call stands. After that, Auburn had the momentum, and the game in hand. Now like I said, I don't know if Arkansas would have won the game, but those two calls resulted in 14 Auburn points. What is not a controversy, is Cam Newton. He was unstoppable, and the Hogs had absolutely no answer for him. He will run it all over every single opponent they face, and can throw it just well enough to make some plays. He is now the front runner for the Heisman. I hate him. Final score 65-43, Auburn.
One and done.
As number one is Ohio State. They are the second team in as many weeks, the other being Alabama two weeks ago, to lose when ranked number one. The reason being they ran into what may be a better one-two combo of running backs than said Alabama. Mark Ingram and Trent Richardson get all the hype(of course) around the country, but John Clay and James White of Wisconsin may be better. Against a stout Ohio State defense, they went a combined 179 yards rushing and 3 td's. Ohio State had not allowed ONE 100 yard rusher in the last 29 consecutive games. My man Terrelle Pryor did not play well, showing he's human after all. He only passed for 156 yards, with no touchdowns and an interception, and only ran for 56. Final score 31-18, Wisconsin.
I love this.
I mentioned it in my shout outs section, but I just love how Texas beat Nebraska. It may not seem that significant, other than Nebraska was ranked fifth, and Texas was coming off two straight losses. The main reason I was happy to see it, was the fact that in the off season, Nebraska decided to bolt for the Big 10 following this season. After the Huskers lost to Texas in the Big 12 championship last year on a last second field goal, Nebraska and their fans have been very anxiously awaiting when Texas came to Lincoln this year. It was going to be a sweet ending to a bitter rivalry while Nebraska rode off into the Big 10 sunset after a redemption victory. WRONG!!!!! Texas took it to them in their own house, and sent the Husker nation off into slow-ville conference country with a loss. HAHAHAHA!!!! Awesome. Texas QB Garrett Gilbert completely outplayed Taylor Martinez, one week after I praised Martinez to the high heavens. Since I don't care anymore this season what Texas does, I can enjoy this one because frankly, I don't like either of these teams. But when one team cries and whines, then gets beat, I like it. Sorry Nebraska, you have to actually play the game after you circle it on your calendar. Final score 20-13, Texas.
Speaking of the Big 12.
The most under the radar undefeated team in the nation is Oklahoma State. Sure they haven't beaten anyone that is ranked, but that's not their fault, they have won every game they have played. Does that make them overrated? We'll see. But for now I do know this, Justin Blackmon is one of the top three receivers in the nation. This guy is piling up video game numbers. Just this week he had 10 catches for 207 yards and a score in a victory over Texas Tech. For the season (7 games) he has 57 catches for 955 yards and 12 td's, that's impressive. The Pokes seem to have a wide receiver factory in the basement somewhere. Oh and in case you didn't hear, Okie State won in Lubbock for the first time since 1944, a fact that was stated 614 times on Saturday. OSU gets its first real test this week against Nebraska. Final score 34-17, Oklahoma State.
Speaking of not winning in forever.
The Baylor Bears are currently sitting at 5-2 after a 31-25 win over Colorado, needing only one more win to become bowl eligible for the first time since the Civil War. I stated a few weeks ago that they would be lucky to win six games this year, but it looks like they may do it. Although their remaining schedule of games goes like this, a 5-1 Kansas State team, then have to go to Texas in Austin, then Stillwater versus Oklahoma State, then A&M at home, then finish with OU at home in Waco. I foresee a 1-4 ending to the season, if they're lucky.
Maybe the best.
Game of the week. An unbelievable rally put on by Kentucky in the second half stunned South Carolina. A week after beating the number one team, South Carolina was looking good taking a 28-10 lead into halftime. But the start of the second half was the Randall Cobb show. Kentucky's do it all star accounted for 27 yards rushing, and caught eight passes for 63 yards, including the game winning touchdown with just 1:15 remaining. And also ran in the two point conversion following his td. Somehow Kentucky completely shut down South Carolina, in part due to running back Marcus Lattimore going down with an injury early in the second half. SC had its chance though. After the Kentucky go ahead score, the Gamecocks drove the ball into Kentucky territory with about a minute or so remaining. Called timeout, and tried to go for the win in regulation. But the pass to the end zone was intercepted, and instead of trying to drive the ball down for a filed goal, the game was over. Final score 31-28, Kentucky.
What I suspected.
Now that Denard Robinson and Michigan have played a couple of games into the conference schedule, it isn't looking as good. Robinson started the season just torching teams for huge yards, touchdowns, and wins, but not anymore. Although he re aggravated an ankle injury, he was ineffective against Iowa, and had to leave the game in the third quarter. He still had 105 yards rushing, but no touchdowns, and only 96 yards passing with one td and an interception. The talk sure gets quiet fast when you don't play as well for just a couple of weeks. Final score 38-28, Iowa.
TBSATCUBS.
That's my acronym for "The Boise State And TCU Blip Section." Boise State won 48-0 over San Jose State, and TCU beat BYU 31-3.
Still improving.
Florida State is now 6-1 after its 24-19 victory over Boston College, and the blowout loss to OU seems like it was years ago. How many of you thought Fla State was going to be in a transition year after that game? I sure did. But it looks like now they have a legitimate shot to win the ACC. I don't see anyone else stepping up. Of course, it is the ACC, maybe Rece Davis will bring back the ACC wheel of destiny to the show.
Speaking of OU.
The BCS standings were released Sunday, and who was number one? Oklahoma, I'm sure enraging regions of the country. But thanks to earlier talked about wins by Texas and Florida State, OU looks better and better. They played arguably the toughest non conference schedule out of ANYONE in the country, and came out of it undefeated. And thanks to its style points victory over Iowa State this past weekend, shot themselves into number one. I certainly did not see it coming, and don't act like you did either. OU is now the team that has been ranked number one the most amount of weeks since the BCS inception, over everyone. I know they can't win BCS bowls anymore, but that's for another day. You can't argue with their offensive star power however. QB Landry Jones, receiver Ryan Broyles, and running back Demarco Murray may be the best trio in the country. If all three are healthy, they cannot be stopped. It showed against Iowa State. Final score, which is also the blowout of the week, 52-0.
Bye bye.
To Florida. They have now lost three in a row, the latest coming to Mississippi State. Yes, that Mississippi State. The offensive problems look to be improving, the Gators out gained Miss State 361 to 245 in total yards. But two Florida turnovers, and a missed field goal with four seconds left gave them their third consecutive loss this season. A little different considering they were 26-2 the two seasons prior to this year. I still think John Brantley will be pretty good down the road, but Florida is out of the top 25 and scrambling to pull it together. It was rumored Urban Meyer flew to Tebow's house following the game searching for wisdom and advise . Final score 10-7, Mississippi State.
JV basketball score of the week - Eastern Michigan over Ball State 41-38.
Until next week,
Nance
And guess who's back?
That's right, SEC referees are back. Last year the SEC officiating got so bad, one crew was suspended, and the SEC commissioner had to threaten fines to anyone who spoke their mind about said officiating. Now I'm not saying this was the reason Arkansas lost to Auburn, but it definitely had a big impact. The first "incident" was a forced fumble on the goal line that was recovered by Arkansas(and was called a fumble on the field), but then reversed to a touchdown for Auburn. Why the call on the field was reversed I'll never know. But after review, there was no evidence to overturn it, right, touchdown Auburn. Next, the game turned into an old fashioned shootout thanks to backup QB Tyler Wilson filling in for an injured Ryan Mallet. Mallet went out in the second quarter due to a mild concussion, he is day to day. Wilson threw for 332 yards and 4 touchdowns! When as soon as it looked like Wilson was going to be the savior of the game and pull out a huge road victory, the game turned. Arkansas was down 44-43 with nine or so minutes left in the game, and the Hogs were driving. Running back Broderick Green took a hand off, and was being tackled, almost his entire body was on the ground, and the ball popped out. An Auburn player picked it up and ran 47 yards to the end zone. Touchdown Auburn. Another review that clearly showed Green was down, but the call went Auburn's way again, call stands. After that, Auburn had the momentum, and the game in hand. Now like I said, I don't know if Arkansas would have won the game, but those two calls resulted in 14 Auburn points. What is not a controversy, is Cam Newton. He was unstoppable, and the Hogs had absolutely no answer for him. He will run it all over every single opponent they face, and can throw it just well enough to make some plays. He is now the front runner for the Heisman. I hate him. Final score 65-43, Auburn.
One and done.
As number one is Ohio State. They are the second team in as many weeks, the other being Alabama two weeks ago, to lose when ranked number one. The reason being they ran into what may be a better one-two combo of running backs than said Alabama. Mark Ingram and Trent Richardson get all the hype(of course) around the country, but John Clay and James White of Wisconsin may be better. Against a stout Ohio State defense, they went a combined 179 yards rushing and 3 td's. Ohio State had not allowed ONE 100 yard rusher in the last 29 consecutive games. My man Terrelle Pryor did not play well, showing he's human after all. He only passed for 156 yards, with no touchdowns and an interception, and only ran for 56. Final score 31-18, Wisconsin.
I love this.
I mentioned it in my shout outs section, but I just love how Texas beat Nebraska. It may not seem that significant, other than Nebraska was ranked fifth, and Texas was coming off two straight losses. The main reason I was happy to see it, was the fact that in the off season, Nebraska decided to bolt for the Big 10 following this season. After the Huskers lost to Texas in the Big 12 championship last year on a last second field goal, Nebraska and their fans have been very anxiously awaiting when Texas came to Lincoln this year. It was going to be a sweet ending to a bitter rivalry while Nebraska rode off into the Big 10 sunset after a redemption victory. WRONG!!!!! Texas took it to them in their own house, and sent the Husker nation off into slow-ville conference country with a loss. HAHAHAHA!!!! Awesome. Texas QB Garrett Gilbert completely outplayed Taylor Martinez, one week after I praised Martinez to the high heavens. Since I don't care anymore this season what Texas does, I can enjoy this one because frankly, I don't like either of these teams. But when one team cries and whines, then gets beat, I like it. Sorry Nebraska, you have to actually play the game after you circle it on your calendar. Final score 20-13, Texas.
Speaking of the Big 12.
The most under the radar undefeated team in the nation is Oklahoma State. Sure they haven't beaten anyone that is ranked, but that's not their fault, they have won every game they have played. Does that make them overrated? We'll see. But for now I do know this, Justin Blackmon is one of the top three receivers in the nation. This guy is piling up video game numbers. Just this week he had 10 catches for 207 yards and a score in a victory over Texas Tech. For the season (7 games) he has 57 catches for 955 yards and 12 td's, that's impressive. The Pokes seem to have a wide receiver factory in the basement somewhere. Oh and in case you didn't hear, Okie State won in Lubbock for the first time since 1944, a fact that was stated 614 times on Saturday. OSU gets its first real test this week against Nebraska. Final score 34-17, Oklahoma State.
Speaking of not winning in forever.
The Baylor Bears are currently sitting at 5-2 after a 31-25 win over Colorado, needing only one more win to become bowl eligible for the first time since the Civil War. I stated a few weeks ago that they would be lucky to win six games this year, but it looks like they may do it. Although their remaining schedule of games goes like this, a 5-1 Kansas State team, then have to go to Texas in Austin, then Stillwater versus Oklahoma State, then A&M at home, then finish with OU at home in Waco. I foresee a 1-4 ending to the season, if they're lucky.
Maybe the best.
Game of the week. An unbelievable rally put on by Kentucky in the second half stunned South Carolina. A week after beating the number one team, South Carolina was looking good taking a 28-10 lead into halftime. But the start of the second half was the Randall Cobb show. Kentucky's do it all star accounted for 27 yards rushing, and caught eight passes for 63 yards, including the game winning touchdown with just 1:15 remaining. And also ran in the two point conversion following his td. Somehow Kentucky completely shut down South Carolina, in part due to running back Marcus Lattimore going down with an injury early in the second half. SC had its chance though. After the Kentucky go ahead score, the Gamecocks drove the ball into Kentucky territory with about a minute or so remaining. Called timeout, and tried to go for the win in regulation. But the pass to the end zone was intercepted, and instead of trying to drive the ball down for a filed goal, the game was over. Final score 31-28, Kentucky.
What I suspected.
Now that Denard Robinson and Michigan have played a couple of games into the conference schedule, it isn't looking as good. Robinson started the season just torching teams for huge yards, touchdowns, and wins, but not anymore. Although he re aggravated an ankle injury, he was ineffective against Iowa, and had to leave the game in the third quarter. He still had 105 yards rushing, but no touchdowns, and only 96 yards passing with one td and an interception. The talk sure gets quiet fast when you don't play as well for just a couple of weeks. Final score 38-28, Iowa.
TBSATCUBS.
That's my acronym for "The Boise State And TCU Blip Section." Boise State won 48-0 over San Jose State, and TCU beat BYU 31-3.
Still improving.
Florida State is now 6-1 after its 24-19 victory over Boston College, and the blowout loss to OU seems like it was years ago. How many of you thought Fla State was going to be in a transition year after that game? I sure did. But it looks like now they have a legitimate shot to win the ACC. I don't see anyone else stepping up. Of course, it is the ACC, maybe Rece Davis will bring back the ACC wheel of destiny to the show.
Speaking of OU.
The BCS standings were released Sunday, and who was number one? Oklahoma, I'm sure enraging regions of the country. But thanks to earlier talked about wins by Texas and Florida State, OU looks better and better. They played arguably the toughest non conference schedule out of ANYONE in the country, and came out of it undefeated. And thanks to its style points victory over Iowa State this past weekend, shot themselves into number one. I certainly did not see it coming, and don't act like you did either. OU is now the team that has been ranked number one the most amount of weeks since the BCS inception, over everyone. I know they can't win BCS bowls anymore, but that's for another day. You can't argue with their offensive star power however. QB Landry Jones, receiver Ryan Broyles, and running back Demarco Murray may be the best trio in the country. If all three are healthy, they cannot be stopped. It showed against Iowa State. Final score, which is also the blowout of the week, 52-0.
Bye bye.
To Florida. They have now lost three in a row, the latest coming to Mississippi State. Yes, that Mississippi State. The offensive problems look to be improving, the Gators out gained Miss State 361 to 245 in total yards. But two Florida turnovers, and a missed field goal with four seconds left gave them their third consecutive loss this season. A little different considering they were 26-2 the two seasons prior to this year. I still think John Brantley will be pretty good down the road, but Florida is out of the top 25 and scrambling to pull it together. It was rumored Urban Meyer flew to Tebow's house following the game searching for wisdom and advise . Final score 10-7, Mississippi State.
JV basketball score of the week - Eastern Michigan over Ball State 41-38.
Until next week,
Nance
Thursday, October 14, 2010
2010 - week 6
We're halfway through the season, and it's been a good one so far. Don't worry, I'm not going to give you my half-season awards like every other person. After all, this is a weekly blog, not a cumulative one.
Before I get started, be sure to catch me on the College Football Extreme podcast next week, where I'll be a guest analyst, or commentator, or whatever I am. You can listen to them each week, even if I'm not on it! It's good stuff, four guys(my Dad being one of them) who know way more than I do. Link is at the top of the page.
Ok now let's get to it.
Dang.
Nebraska QB Taylor Martinez is really fast. Thanks to the Thursday night game, it was my first time to see this kid play that I had been hearing a lot about. I am impressed. He is just a redshirt freshman, and he runs the Huskers' offense very well. He is not a polished passer by any means, but he is effective. But he really hurts you with his feet. He is the white man's Denard Robinson. I know it was against Kansas State, who isn't terrible, but not great. His stats are to the right in the player of the week section. But overall he is a great athlete and will run circles around the Big 10 for a couple more years. Nebraska's defense isn't hurting much either after they lost a couple of key players from last year's dominating defense. They are clearly the best team in the Big 12 North. Final score 48-13, Nebraska.
Hard to watch.
Some people may think that A&M played a good game against Arkansas at Cowboys Stadium, but I will COMPLETELY disagree! It was one of the most frustrating games I've ever watched. Arkansas' offense committed so many penalties on first downs that the refs should have just gone ahead and made them start at first and 15 every time. Overall the Hogs committed 13 penalties, and all seemed to be at the worst time. The Arkansas defense held A&M to way under their season averages on offense, harassed QB Jerrod Johnson all day, and forced four turnovers. Johnson was 15-40 for 212 yards, with a lot of those yards coming at the end when Arkansas played conservative keeping everything in front of them. I will give a little credit to A&M's defense, they got pressure on Mallett more than anyone else has this season. But I still think a good amount of points were left out on the field due to Arkansas' mistakes. I'm sorry, but A&M fans probably think they played a great game and almost pulled the upset, but if not for all the Arkansas' miscues, it would have been a blowout. The fact that the Aggies were even in the game and throwing a last second hail mary that was intercepted, was a joke. Final score 24-17, Arkansas.
Didn't see that one.
For the first time in what seems like 5 years, Alabama lost. South Carolina looked improved this year, but their only conference win was over a 1-4 Georgia team, so I still was not impressed. But the Gamecocks came out on fire from the start, and never let up. They took a 21-9 lead into halftime, and Bama was looking to make some serious adjustments. SC completely took away the best one-two running back punch in the nation, holding them to just 64 yards on 15 carries combined. That is clearly the way to beat the Tide, because even QB Greg McElroy threw for 315 yards and two td's, and it wasn't enough. SC QB Stephen Garcia played the game of his career, going 17-20 with three touchdowns. But the man of the game, and I really mean man because he was a beast, was SC receiver Alshon Jeffrey. He is 6'4 and about 230 lbs, and runs well. He had 7 catches for 127 yards and two td's. One of them a one handed, over the shoulder, staying in bounds, spinning, break a tackle, and race down the sideline for the td catch. Yes, it happened. It was South Carolina's first win EVER over a #1 ranked opponent, and it gave them the clear edge right now in the SEC East. Final score 35-21, South Carolina.
Speaking of where did they come from.
After a complete no show against Oklahoma, Florida State is now 5-1 and looking good. A rivalry game "renewed" at Miami (I don't know why the media kept saying renewed, it never went away) could solidify Jimbo Fisher as taking over the reigns. Miami was coming off a couple of nice wins on the road over Pitt and Clemson, so this should have been a good game. But it wasn't, not even close. Fla State came out blazing and never gave the Canes a chance, there was no wide right this time. The Noles had 298 yards rushing on what was supposed to be a good defense. And QB Christian Ponder looked good throwing a couple of touchdowns. Miami QB Jacory Harris is doing his best Jerrod Johnson impression, throwing nine interceptions in just his last four games. The Florida State-Miami game used to be a HUGE rivalry, but it has lost some luster, and that's too bad. But if it means Florida State wins, I'll take that. Final score 45-17, Florida State.
A slight step back.
After being the clear early favorite for the Heisman, Denard Robinson didn't exactly drive it home this week. Michigan and Michigan State were both undefeated going into a nice rivalry game. Michigan State has been playing good football, inspired by their head coach who had a heart attack three weeks ago. And I said last week that I was anxious to see Robinson go up against better defenses in conference play. As usual, the defense prevailed. Michigan State held Robinson to just 86 yards rushing, and intercepted him three times. Spartan linebacker Greg Jones may the best in the country, he is a sure fire first round NFL draft pick. Michigan State is now 6-0, and they don't play Ohio State. Their toughest game on paper will be a road trip to Iowa. Keep an eye out for the Spartans. Final score 34-17. Michigan State.
Just keep plugging away.
Once again Oregon put up over 500 yards of offense, even with their starting QB Darron Thomas going down with an injury in the second quarter. Backup Nate Costa did just fine, although it wasn't the offensive onslaught many were expecting over a horrific Washington State team. Ducks running back LaMichael James continues to be possibly the most explosive player in the country. He rushed for 136 yards and two scores, and caught an 84 yard touchdown pass. Oregon is a team we all need to pay attention to. Final score 43-23, Oregon.
Speaking of just keeping it up.
LSU coach Les Miles has been criticized, ridiculed, and questioned more than any other coach of an undefeated SEC squad should be. But it is somewhat understandable when the LSU offense has been downright horrible the first few games, and the clock management issue CONTINUOUSLY is a problem. That is inexcusable, and he seems to do it on purpose just to make it more interesting. Surely against Florida it wouldn't come down to that again, would it? Yep, it sure did. A good back and forth contest for most of the game, with both teams making good plays. An Andre Debose 88 yard kickoff return got Florida right back in the game in third quarter, down 26-21. Then went down the field and scored again, with a two point conversion to make it 29-26 Florida. So with just over three minutes left, LSU gets the ball back with a chance to tie or win the game. And of course, almost every second was used on the final drive. LSU switched between quarterbacks all game long, and both did their part. But here it came on fourth down with 35 seconds left on Florida's 35 yard line. LSU seemed to be lining up for a filed goal to try to tie it up. But no! A fake! The LSU holder threw a no look toss over his shoulder to kicker Josh Jasper, who either misplayed it or it was a bad toss, because the ball hit the ground and was picked up by Jasper for the first down! WHAT?! Again?! How does this guy always pull it off?! The play was reviewed to see if it was a forward pass, which it wasn't. Two plays later QB Jarret Lee found Terrence Toliver in the end zone with six seconds left. Good Lord Les Miles, it is never boring. Florida looking for answers sitting at 4-2. Final score 33-29, LSU.
Terrelle Pryor was 24-30 for 334 yards and three touchdowns, no interceptions in a blowout win over Indiana. I think I predicted a Heisman win for him before he left Ohio State, it may be this year.
This will now be the Boise State and TCU blip section. Because frankly they just belong together. They SHOULD both win every game for the rest of the season, and both will always be blowouts every week. This week it was Boise State over Toledo 57-14, and TCU over Wyoming 45-0.
Again.
For the second week in a row, USC gets ousted on the final play of the game. This week it was another field goal at Stanford. It's amazing how under the radar USC QB Matt Barkley is. He is only a sophomore, and passed for 390 yards and three touchdowns, no picks. What more can the guy do? Where is the USC defense? They gave up 478 yards of offense, and 37 points. Stanford QB Andrew Luck continues to play very well also, passing for 285 and three scores. It still seems weird not hearing much about USC these days. After almost ten years of constant media bias and coverage. But hey, maybe the Trojans shouldn't have been paying their players and they wouldn't have lost so many scholarships, and would be allowed to play in a bowl game. I'm just saying. Final score 37-35, Stanford.
Speaking of offense.
I haven't seen a lot of defense this year with anyone quite frankly. But if not for QB Cam Newton, Auburn would be a different story. Newton again went for crazy offensive numbers, passing for 210 and rushing for 198 with 4 td's. It seems Auburn needs every bit of those yards and scores to win. In all but two of their games, they have needed Newton to score, or drive them down to score in the final minutes to win, or in one case send it to overtime, then win. But they are still 6-0, and that's all that matters. And the latest last minute victim was Kentucky. Wide receiver Randall Cobb and the Wildcats played as well as they could, and almost pulled the upset. Cobb is one of the most underrated players in the country. He scored three touchdowns, two rushing, and one receiving. The SEC West is shaping up to be the most interesting and exciting divisional race in the country. Alabama, Auburn, Arkansas, and LSU all still have to play each other down the stretch. This week starts with the Hogs going to Auburn. Final score 37-34, Auburn.
Good to see Georgia receiver AJ Green back. He is the best receiver in the country, and is already putting up huge numbers in only two games back. He has 13 catches for 215 yards and three touchdowns. Also good to see Georgia back on the winning track, beating Tennessee, who are looking for a lot of answers, 41-14.
Not sure.
Either Texas Tech is not not nearly as good as they would like to be, or Baylor is much improved. Tech had to put up 635 yards of offense, and 45 points, just to win by 7. Normally in recent years, if you put up that many yards and points, you beat Baylor by at least 35. But maybe Baylor is better. QB Robert Griffin is a stud, and will probably keep Baylor in a few games. They are already 4-2, and could possibly get to a bowl for the first time in 80 years. OK its not that long, but its a pretty long time since they've been to a bowl game. Tech QB Taylor Potts had his best game this year, throwing for 462 yards and 4 td's. Although I still think new head coach Tommy Tuberville should get rid of the Air Raid offense and go to his style of coaching, which is defense and an effective passing game to complement the run game. You don't keep a style of offense just to please the fans. But I'm not the head coach am I? And to be honest, I don't really care what Tech does. Final score 45-38.
Blowout of the week - Louisville over Memphis, 56-0.
Until next week.
Nance
Before I get started, be sure to catch me on the College Football Extreme podcast next week, where I'll be a guest analyst, or commentator, or whatever I am. You can listen to them each week, even if I'm not on it! It's good stuff, four guys(my Dad being one of them) who know way more than I do. Link is at the top of the page.
Ok now let's get to it.
Dang.
Nebraska QB Taylor Martinez is really fast. Thanks to the Thursday night game, it was my first time to see this kid play that I had been hearing a lot about. I am impressed. He is just a redshirt freshman, and he runs the Huskers' offense very well. He is not a polished passer by any means, but he is effective. But he really hurts you with his feet. He is the white man's Denard Robinson. I know it was against Kansas State, who isn't terrible, but not great. His stats are to the right in the player of the week section. But overall he is a great athlete and will run circles around the Big 10 for a couple more years. Nebraska's defense isn't hurting much either after they lost a couple of key players from last year's dominating defense. They are clearly the best team in the Big 12 North. Final score 48-13, Nebraska.
Hard to watch.
Some people may think that A&M played a good game against Arkansas at Cowboys Stadium, but I will COMPLETELY disagree! It was one of the most frustrating games I've ever watched. Arkansas' offense committed so many penalties on first downs that the refs should have just gone ahead and made them start at first and 15 every time. Overall the Hogs committed 13 penalties, and all seemed to be at the worst time. The Arkansas defense held A&M to way under their season averages on offense, harassed QB Jerrod Johnson all day, and forced four turnovers. Johnson was 15-40 for 212 yards, with a lot of those yards coming at the end when Arkansas played conservative keeping everything in front of them. I will give a little credit to A&M's defense, they got pressure on Mallett more than anyone else has this season. But I still think a good amount of points were left out on the field due to Arkansas' mistakes. I'm sorry, but A&M fans probably think they played a great game and almost pulled the upset, but if not for all the Arkansas' miscues, it would have been a blowout. The fact that the Aggies were even in the game and throwing a last second hail mary that was intercepted, was a joke. Final score 24-17, Arkansas.
Didn't see that one.
For the first time in what seems like 5 years, Alabama lost. South Carolina looked improved this year, but their only conference win was over a 1-4 Georgia team, so I still was not impressed. But the Gamecocks came out on fire from the start, and never let up. They took a 21-9 lead into halftime, and Bama was looking to make some serious adjustments. SC completely took away the best one-two running back punch in the nation, holding them to just 64 yards on 15 carries combined. That is clearly the way to beat the Tide, because even QB Greg McElroy threw for 315 yards and two td's, and it wasn't enough. SC QB Stephen Garcia played the game of his career, going 17-20 with three touchdowns. But the man of the game, and I really mean man because he was a beast, was SC receiver Alshon Jeffrey. He is 6'4 and about 230 lbs, and runs well. He had 7 catches for 127 yards and two td's. One of them a one handed, over the shoulder, staying in bounds, spinning, break a tackle, and race down the sideline for the td catch. Yes, it happened. It was South Carolina's first win EVER over a #1 ranked opponent, and it gave them the clear edge right now in the SEC East. Final score 35-21, South Carolina.
Speaking of where did they come from.
After a complete no show against Oklahoma, Florida State is now 5-1 and looking good. A rivalry game "renewed" at Miami (I don't know why the media kept saying renewed, it never went away) could solidify Jimbo Fisher as taking over the reigns. Miami was coming off a couple of nice wins on the road over Pitt and Clemson, so this should have been a good game. But it wasn't, not even close. Fla State came out blazing and never gave the Canes a chance, there was no wide right this time. The Noles had 298 yards rushing on what was supposed to be a good defense. And QB Christian Ponder looked good throwing a couple of touchdowns. Miami QB Jacory Harris is doing his best Jerrod Johnson impression, throwing nine interceptions in just his last four games. The Florida State-Miami game used to be a HUGE rivalry, but it has lost some luster, and that's too bad. But if it means Florida State wins, I'll take that. Final score 45-17, Florida State.
A slight step back.
After being the clear early favorite for the Heisman, Denard Robinson didn't exactly drive it home this week. Michigan and Michigan State were both undefeated going into a nice rivalry game. Michigan State has been playing good football, inspired by their head coach who had a heart attack three weeks ago. And I said last week that I was anxious to see Robinson go up against better defenses in conference play. As usual, the defense prevailed. Michigan State held Robinson to just 86 yards rushing, and intercepted him three times. Spartan linebacker Greg Jones may the best in the country, he is a sure fire first round NFL draft pick. Michigan State is now 6-0, and they don't play Ohio State. Their toughest game on paper will be a road trip to Iowa. Keep an eye out for the Spartans. Final score 34-17. Michigan State.
Just keep plugging away.
Once again Oregon put up over 500 yards of offense, even with their starting QB Darron Thomas going down with an injury in the second quarter. Backup Nate Costa did just fine, although it wasn't the offensive onslaught many were expecting over a horrific Washington State team. Ducks running back LaMichael James continues to be possibly the most explosive player in the country. He rushed for 136 yards and two scores, and caught an 84 yard touchdown pass. Oregon is a team we all need to pay attention to. Final score 43-23, Oregon.
Speaking of just keeping it up.
LSU coach Les Miles has been criticized, ridiculed, and questioned more than any other coach of an undefeated SEC squad should be. But it is somewhat understandable when the LSU offense has been downright horrible the first few games, and the clock management issue CONTINUOUSLY is a problem. That is inexcusable, and he seems to do it on purpose just to make it more interesting. Surely against Florida it wouldn't come down to that again, would it? Yep, it sure did. A good back and forth contest for most of the game, with both teams making good plays. An Andre Debose 88 yard kickoff return got Florida right back in the game in third quarter, down 26-21. Then went down the field and scored again, with a two point conversion to make it 29-26 Florida. So with just over three minutes left, LSU gets the ball back with a chance to tie or win the game. And of course, almost every second was used on the final drive. LSU switched between quarterbacks all game long, and both did their part. But here it came on fourth down with 35 seconds left on Florida's 35 yard line. LSU seemed to be lining up for a filed goal to try to tie it up. But no! A fake! The LSU holder threw a no look toss over his shoulder to kicker Josh Jasper, who either misplayed it or it was a bad toss, because the ball hit the ground and was picked up by Jasper for the first down! WHAT?! Again?! How does this guy always pull it off?! The play was reviewed to see if it was a forward pass, which it wasn't. Two plays later QB Jarret Lee found Terrence Toliver in the end zone with six seconds left. Good Lord Les Miles, it is never boring. Florida looking for answers sitting at 4-2. Final score 33-29, LSU.
Terrelle Pryor was 24-30 for 334 yards and three touchdowns, no interceptions in a blowout win over Indiana. I think I predicted a Heisman win for him before he left Ohio State, it may be this year.
This will now be the Boise State and TCU blip section. Because frankly they just belong together. They SHOULD both win every game for the rest of the season, and both will always be blowouts every week. This week it was Boise State over Toledo 57-14, and TCU over Wyoming 45-0.
Again.
For the second week in a row, USC gets ousted on the final play of the game. This week it was another field goal at Stanford. It's amazing how under the radar USC QB Matt Barkley is. He is only a sophomore, and passed for 390 yards and three touchdowns, no picks. What more can the guy do? Where is the USC defense? They gave up 478 yards of offense, and 37 points. Stanford QB Andrew Luck continues to play very well also, passing for 285 and three scores. It still seems weird not hearing much about USC these days. After almost ten years of constant media bias and coverage. But hey, maybe the Trojans shouldn't have been paying their players and they wouldn't have lost so many scholarships, and would be allowed to play in a bowl game. I'm just saying. Final score 37-35, Stanford.
Speaking of offense.
I haven't seen a lot of defense this year with anyone quite frankly. But if not for QB Cam Newton, Auburn would be a different story. Newton again went for crazy offensive numbers, passing for 210 and rushing for 198 with 4 td's. It seems Auburn needs every bit of those yards and scores to win. In all but two of their games, they have needed Newton to score, or drive them down to score in the final minutes to win, or in one case send it to overtime, then win. But they are still 6-0, and that's all that matters. And the latest last minute victim was Kentucky. Wide receiver Randall Cobb and the Wildcats played as well as they could, and almost pulled the upset. Cobb is one of the most underrated players in the country. He scored three touchdowns, two rushing, and one receiving. The SEC West is shaping up to be the most interesting and exciting divisional race in the country. Alabama, Auburn, Arkansas, and LSU all still have to play each other down the stretch. This week starts with the Hogs going to Auburn. Final score 37-34, Auburn.
Good to see Georgia receiver AJ Green back. He is the best receiver in the country, and is already putting up huge numbers in only two games back. He has 13 catches for 215 yards and three touchdowns. Also good to see Georgia back on the winning track, beating Tennessee, who are looking for a lot of answers, 41-14.
Not sure.
Either Texas Tech is not not nearly as good as they would like to be, or Baylor is much improved. Tech had to put up 635 yards of offense, and 45 points, just to win by 7. Normally in recent years, if you put up that many yards and points, you beat Baylor by at least 35. But maybe Baylor is better. QB Robert Griffin is a stud, and will probably keep Baylor in a few games. They are already 4-2, and could possibly get to a bowl for the first time in 80 years. OK its not that long, but its a pretty long time since they've been to a bowl game. Tech QB Taylor Potts had his best game this year, throwing for 462 yards and 4 td's. Although I still think new head coach Tommy Tuberville should get rid of the Air Raid offense and go to his style of coaching, which is defense and an effective passing game to complement the run game. You don't keep a style of offense just to please the fans. But I'm not the head coach am I? And to be honest, I don't really care what Tech does. Final score 45-38.
Blowout of the week - Louisville over Memphis, 56-0.
Until next week.
Nance
Thursday, October 7, 2010
2010 - week 5
Actually had a pretty nice little Saturday. College Gameday at 9 am, friend's apt for pre-OU/Texas, then Patio Grill for the game, I didn't know if I was going to have enough time! Sorry for the Old School reference, I couldn't help it. But really, it was a nice Saturday.
Here's why.
Living here in Dallas and having family ties to Oklahoma, I love OU/Texas weekend. It seems people here go crazy when it comes around, and that's a good thing. "I have a thousand friends coming in town, where are we watching the game? What time does it start? AHHHHH!!!" That's usually how a few conversations go when it's the week of. But most importantly, I love the actual game. For the past ten years or so, both teams have been ranked almost every single year, and a lot of times both in the top 10. There are star players galore, and the fans seem to take it up another level every year. This year was no exception. While both offenses played well, it was OU's who capitalized on their opportunities. Case in point is Texas had more total yards than OU, 373-360, but the Sooners had 26 first downs to Texas' 15. Landry Jones threw 2 td's with no interceptions, while Garrett Gilbert threw for more yards than Jones, but had 0 td's and one interception. And AGAIN OU had a comfortable lead late in the game, but let Texas hang around, and almost pull of a miraculous comeback. But thanks to Aaron Williams muffing a punt that OU recovered with just over a minute left, OU survived. If any of you thought the Sooners would come out of this early part of their schedule undefeated, than you are smarter than I am. I thought they might lose one, but they have made it through the fire, and on paper don't face anyone that they should lose to the rest of the season. Final score 28-20, Oklahoma.
Uh oh.
Alabama took care of business way too easily against Florida, in what was supposed to be the best game of the day. But it wasn't, not even close. Bama exposed what I have been saying all year, that Florida isn't NEARLY as good as people thought. Sometimes you can't just fill in new players, however talented, and expect to win every game every year. Gator QB John Brantley just isn't ready this year, but Florida will still probably win the SEC East, only because it flat out sucks over there. Too many people forget that Football Jesus was 9-4 his first year as the starter, after Florida had just won the national title the year before. Everyone thinks Tebow won every game he ever played in college. Brantley will be a good QB, just not right now. So now that the debate is clearly over as to who the best team in the SEC, and the nation is, we can move on. Alabama still may lose a game this year, don't know to who though. But I still believe they can win it all. Their offensive output against Florida wasn't even very productive, only mustering 273 yards total. But it didn't matter, they made every opportunity count, and turned one of the most boring, dominating performances of a high profile team this year. Mark Ingram and Trent Richardson barely broke a sweat. Final score 31-6, Alabama.
Thank God.
My man Terrelle Pryor doesn't need to be faking injuries to scare me into thinking I won't be able to watch him play. Luckily he ended up being okay, and only missed a quarter or so in Ohio State's lackluster performance at Illinois. What that did show me, is that backup QB Joe Bauserman will not be able to step right in and take over if Pryor did get seriously hurt. They went absolutely nowhere until Pryor came back in. It makes me think of how good Vince Young really was for Texas in '05. Without Pryor, the Buckeyes aren't going as far as they think they can. Final score 24-13, Ohio State.
Good Lord.
Oregon is really good. After stumbling out of the gate to an excellent Stanford team in the first half, the Ducks flipped the switch and went on a rampage! I faintly mentioned their offensive outputs in their first few games against nobodies, but this was against a top 10 team. LaMichael James is arguably the best running back in the country, and QB Darron Thomas showed he can run the show. I don't think there is ANYONE in the country that can stop them on offense. They went for 626 total yards, 238 passing, 388 rushing. Stanford QB Andrew Luck passed for 341 yards and two td's, and is still one of the best signal callers in the country, but it wasn't enough this time. Final score 52-31, Oregon.
Boise State and TCU started their conference schedules, which means blowouts from here on out. Boise State beat New Mexico State 59-0,(the absolute worst team in the nation) and TCU shut out Colorado State 27-0. Wow, impressive.
And now for the "what the bleep was that?" game of the week.
It goes to Tennessee at LSU. For the first time all season, LSU's offense showed up, and produced 434 total yards. But for some reason, the points weren't there, putting the Tigers down 14-10 early in the fourth quarter. Not much happened until the final minutes of the game, when all hell broke loose. LSU drives down inside the Tennessee five, clock winding down. Keep in mind, LSU has to score a touchdown to win. LSU QB Jordan Jefferson scrambles to the Tenn 1 with about 25 seconds left. LSU is out of time outs, so naturally they are spiking the ball. Wait, they're not spiking it! WHAT ARE THEY DOING?! LSU starts sending in different personnel, all while the clock is still counting down, 9..8..7, they're not getting set!! This prompts Tennessee to change their personnel, but chaos and confusion set in for the Vols, 5..4..3, clock still winding!! LSU gets lined up, 2...1, and center T-Bob Hebert hikes the ball that rolls past Jefferson because he wasn't ready for it. LSU falls on it, game over. WHAT?! Did LSU really just let the clock run out without getting a play off to lose the game?! What morons, Les Miles is being assassinated right now! But wait, after a minute or two celebration from Tennessee players and coaches, the refs signal everyone that the game is NOT over. When LSU snapped the ball, Tennessee had too many men on the field, substitution penalty, half the distance to goal. LSU lines up with no time on the clock, and runs it in for a score. Now the game is over, LSU wins. Did you get all of that. If not, here: http://rivals.yahoo.com/video/college-football/LSU-wins-with-wild-finish-798611
Nope sorry.
Denard Robinson did not hurt his leg bad enough last week to not play this week. I'm sure Indiana fans were hoping for that, but instead got the wrath of Robinson. This guy continues to pile up yards and touchdowns. I know it was against Indiana, a bottom feeder in the Big 10, but still. Robinson is making all the Rich Rod haters in Ann Arbor realize they guy can coach some offense. Against the Hoosiers, Denard went for 494 yards total and 5 td's! And Michigan needed every bit of it, considering Robinson scored the last one with 17 seconds left in the game to take the lead. I still don't really know how good the Wolverines are as a whole, but with Robinson, they will be in every game. I'm anxious to see how he does down the stretch in the Big 10 schedule, because they still have to play Michigan State, Iowa, and Ohio State. Final score 42-35. Michigan.
Speaking of sorry.
That's what A&M QB Jerrod Johnson should be telling his teammates after the game was over in Stillwater, OK. Johnson turned the ball over five times, and his team only lost by three. Has anyone ever heard me say it's not good to turn the ball over. I don't care how good your offense is playing, if you turn the ball over, your chances of losing just increased dramatically. Case in point, in the fourth quarter alone. A&M completely controlled the game, holding the ball for over 12 minutes in time of possession. Okie State only had it for a little over 2 minutes, but scored 10 points off two turnovers, and won the game. Not to discredit the Pokes offense, because it is good. It was the first time I actually got to see it. Kendall Hunter is an excellent running back, and receiver Justin Blackmon is the real deal. Final score 38-35, Oklahoma State.
Comical
The award for the most up and down, hilarious team no one would be able to figure out, would be Kansas. After losing in week one to North Dakota State 6-3, they go out the next week and beat 15th ranked Georgia Tech. Lose the next week to Southern Miss, beat New Mexico State the next week. And this past weekend get absolutely wiped off the field by Baylor of all people, 55-7. I mean, what is that? Head coach Turner Gill got props from me for beating a ranked team after you only scored three points against a horrific team and lost. But now I have no idea what he is doing. Sure Baylor is improved than the normal Baylor we're used to in past years, and QB Robert Griffin is the best player they've had in forever, but they're still Baylor! They will be lucky to win six games, and that will be their best season in twenty years! So Kansas, please continue to be so erratic week to week, so I can try to guess what the outcome of your game will be this week. Thank you. Final score 55-7, Baylor.
Speaking of horrific.
The Georgia Bulldogs have completely fallen off the face of the earth. I've said before that I didn't believe the preseason hype, but this? They are now 1-4 coming off a loss to Colorado. Not even the best receiver in the nation AJ Green returning could help them. I like Georgia, and head coach Mark Richt, but this is bad. He was on somewhat of a hot seat coming into this year, and if he doesn't get the ship righted IMMEDIATELY, he is gone. Hard to believe for a team that has consistently won a lot of games the past several years. QB Aaron Murray will be a stud, but he's young. And like all young quarterbacks there are struggles early, but I didn't expect a 1-4 start at all. The SEC East is a two team race already, and we're only in the third week of the conference schedule.
Again.
Washington head coach Steve Sarkisian has his old employer's number. In his first two seasons at Washington, after being the offensive coordinator at USC for four years, has beaten the Trojans on last second field goals. You don't hear a lot about USC these days do you? I still think Matt Barkley will be a first rate QB by the time he's done at USC, but the day finally belonged to Jake Locker. Talk about disappointing play the first few games, from a guy who many believe is a top five NFL draft pick. He played himself right out of that thinking, and out of the Heisman race before the first half of the season was over. But he came through against a big time opponent on the road, throwing for 310 yards and a score, and no picks. Frankly, there wasn't much defense to be spoken of at all, Washington had 536 total yards to USC's 484. Final score 32-31.
7th grade basketball score of the week - Ole Miss over Kentucky, 42-35.
Blowout of the week - Boise State's earlier mentioned win over New Mexico State. 59-0.
Arkansas had the week off.
Until next week,
Nance
Here's why.
Living here in Dallas and having family ties to Oklahoma, I love OU/Texas weekend. It seems people here go crazy when it comes around, and that's a good thing. "I have a thousand friends coming in town, where are we watching the game? What time does it start? AHHHHH!!!" That's usually how a few conversations go when it's the week of. But most importantly, I love the actual game. For the past ten years or so, both teams have been ranked almost every single year, and a lot of times both in the top 10. There are star players galore, and the fans seem to take it up another level every year. This year was no exception. While both offenses played well, it was OU's who capitalized on their opportunities. Case in point is Texas had more total yards than OU, 373-360, but the Sooners had 26 first downs to Texas' 15. Landry Jones threw 2 td's with no interceptions, while Garrett Gilbert threw for more yards than Jones, but had 0 td's and one interception. And AGAIN OU had a comfortable lead late in the game, but let Texas hang around, and almost pull of a miraculous comeback. But thanks to Aaron Williams muffing a punt that OU recovered with just over a minute left, OU survived. If any of you thought the Sooners would come out of this early part of their schedule undefeated, than you are smarter than I am. I thought they might lose one, but they have made it through the fire, and on paper don't face anyone that they should lose to the rest of the season. Final score 28-20, Oklahoma.
Uh oh.
Alabama took care of business way too easily against Florida, in what was supposed to be the best game of the day. But it wasn't, not even close. Bama exposed what I have been saying all year, that Florida isn't NEARLY as good as people thought. Sometimes you can't just fill in new players, however talented, and expect to win every game every year. Gator QB John Brantley just isn't ready this year, but Florida will still probably win the SEC East, only because it flat out sucks over there. Too many people forget that Football Jesus was 9-4 his first year as the starter, after Florida had just won the national title the year before. Everyone thinks Tebow won every game he ever played in college. Brantley will be a good QB, just not right now. So now that the debate is clearly over as to who the best team in the SEC, and the nation is, we can move on. Alabama still may lose a game this year, don't know to who though. But I still believe they can win it all. Their offensive output against Florida wasn't even very productive, only mustering 273 yards total. But it didn't matter, they made every opportunity count, and turned one of the most boring, dominating performances of a high profile team this year. Mark Ingram and Trent Richardson barely broke a sweat. Final score 31-6, Alabama.
Thank God.
My man Terrelle Pryor doesn't need to be faking injuries to scare me into thinking I won't be able to watch him play. Luckily he ended up being okay, and only missed a quarter or so in Ohio State's lackluster performance at Illinois. What that did show me, is that backup QB Joe Bauserman will not be able to step right in and take over if Pryor did get seriously hurt. They went absolutely nowhere until Pryor came back in. It makes me think of how good Vince Young really was for Texas in '05. Without Pryor, the Buckeyes aren't going as far as they think they can. Final score 24-13, Ohio State.
Good Lord.
Oregon is really good. After stumbling out of the gate to an excellent Stanford team in the first half, the Ducks flipped the switch and went on a rampage! I faintly mentioned their offensive outputs in their first few games against nobodies, but this was against a top 10 team. LaMichael James is arguably the best running back in the country, and QB Darron Thomas showed he can run the show. I don't think there is ANYONE in the country that can stop them on offense. They went for 626 total yards, 238 passing, 388 rushing. Stanford QB Andrew Luck passed for 341 yards and two td's, and is still one of the best signal callers in the country, but it wasn't enough this time. Final score 52-31, Oregon.
Boise State and TCU started their conference schedules, which means blowouts from here on out. Boise State beat New Mexico State 59-0,(the absolute worst team in the nation) and TCU shut out Colorado State 27-0. Wow, impressive.
And now for the "what the bleep was that?" game of the week.
It goes to Tennessee at LSU. For the first time all season, LSU's offense showed up, and produced 434 total yards. But for some reason, the points weren't there, putting the Tigers down 14-10 early in the fourth quarter. Not much happened until the final minutes of the game, when all hell broke loose. LSU drives down inside the Tennessee five, clock winding down. Keep in mind, LSU has to score a touchdown to win. LSU QB Jordan Jefferson scrambles to the Tenn 1 with about 25 seconds left. LSU is out of time outs, so naturally they are spiking the ball. Wait, they're not spiking it! WHAT ARE THEY DOING?! LSU starts sending in different personnel, all while the clock is still counting down, 9..8..7, they're not getting set!! This prompts Tennessee to change their personnel, but chaos and confusion set in for the Vols, 5..4..3, clock still winding!! LSU gets lined up, 2...1, and center T-Bob Hebert hikes the ball that rolls past Jefferson because he wasn't ready for it. LSU falls on it, game over. WHAT?! Did LSU really just let the clock run out without getting a play off to lose the game?! What morons, Les Miles is being assassinated right now! But wait, after a minute or two celebration from Tennessee players and coaches, the refs signal everyone that the game is NOT over. When LSU snapped the ball, Tennessee had too many men on the field, substitution penalty, half the distance to goal. LSU lines up with no time on the clock, and runs it in for a score. Now the game is over, LSU wins. Did you get all of that. If not, here: http://rivals.yahoo.com/video/college-football/LSU-wins-with-wild-finish-798611
Nope sorry.
Denard Robinson did not hurt his leg bad enough last week to not play this week. I'm sure Indiana fans were hoping for that, but instead got the wrath of Robinson. This guy continues to pile up yards and touchdowns. I know it was against Indiana, a bottom feeder in the Big 10, but still. Robinson is making all the Rich Rod haters in Ann Arbor realize they guy can coach some offense. Against the Hoosiers, Denard went for 494 yards total and 5 td's! And Michigan needed every bit of it, considering Robinson scored the last one with 17 seconds left in the game to take the lead. I still don't really know how good the Wolverines are as a whole, but with Robinson, they will be in every game. I'm anxious to see how he does down the stretch in the Big 10 schedule, because they still have to play Michigan State, Iowa, and Ohio State. Final score 42-35. Michigan.
Speaking of sorry.
That's what A&M QB Jerrod Johnson should be telling his teammates after the game was over in Stillwater, OK. Johnson turned the ball over five times, and his team only lost by three. Has anyone ever heard me say it's not good to turn the ball over. I don't care how good your offense is playing, if you turn the ball over, your chances of losing just increased dramatically. Case in point, in the fourth quarter alone. A&M completely controlled the game, holding the ball for over 12 minutes in time of possession. Okie State only had it for a little over 2 minutes, but scored 10 points off two turnovers, and won the game. Not to discredit the Pokes offense, because it is good. It was the first time I actually got to see it. Kendall Hunter is an excellent running back, and receiver Justin Blackmon is the real deal. Final score 38-35, Oklahoma State.
Comical
The award for the most up and down, hilarious team no one would be able to figure out, would be Kansas. After losing in week one to North Dakota State 6-3, they go out the next week and beat 15th ranked Georgia Tech. Lose the next week to Southern Miss, beat New Mexico State the next week. And this past weekend get absolutely wiped off the field by Baylor of all people, 55-7. I mean, what is that? Head coach Turner Gill got props from me for beating a ranked team after you only scored three points against a horrific team and lost. But now I have no idea what he is doing. Sure Baylor is improved than the normal Baylor we're used to in past years, and QB Robert Griffin is the best player they've had in forever, but they're still Baylor! They will be lucky to win six games, and that will be their best season in twenty years! So Kansas, please continue to be so erratic week to week, so I can try to guess what the outcome of your game will be this week. Thank you. Final score 55-7, Baylor.
Speaking of horrific.
The Georgia Bulldogs have completely fallen off the face of the earth. I've said before that I didn't believe the preseason hype, but this? They are now 1-4 coming off a loss to Colorado. Not even the best receiver in the nation AJ Green returning could help them. I like Georgia, and head coach Mark Richt, but this is bad. He was on somewhat of a hot seat coming into this year, and if he doesn't get the ship righted IMMEDIATELY, he is gone. Hard to believe for a team that has consistently won a lot of games the past several years. QB Aaron Murray will be a stud, but he's young. And like all young quarterbacks there are struggles early, but I didn't expect a 1-4 start at all. The SEC East is a two team race already, and we're only in the third week of the conference schedule.
Again.
Washington head coach Steve Sarkisian has his old employer's number. In his first two seasons at Washington, after being the offensive coordinator at USC for four years, has beaten the Trojans on last second field goals. You don't hear a lot about USC these days do you? I still think Matt Barkley will be a first rate QB by the time he's done at USC, but the day finally belonged to Jake Locker. Talk about disappointing play the first few games, from a guy who many believe is a top five NFL draft pick. He played himself right out of that thinking, and out of the Heisman race before the first half of the season was over. But he came through against a big time opponent on the road, throwing for 310 yards and a score, and no picks. Frankly, there wasn't much defense to be spoken of at all, Washington had 536 total yards to USC's 484. Final score 32-31.
7th grade basketball score of the week - Ole Miss over Kentucky, 42-35.
Blowout of the week - Boise State's earlier mentioned win over New Mexico State. 59-0.
Arkansas had the week off.
Until next week,
Nance
Thursday, September 30, 2010
2010 - week 4
Once again, an excellent Saturday. Conference play for most teams started, and it didn't disappoint. There were also some decent non conference match ups, but left some teams with questions still to answer.
Here is what I mean.
Many of you may think the Texas-UCLA game would be my "what in the bleep was that?!" game of the week. Sorry, you are incorrect. Now I will not say I expected UCLA to bring the hammer down on the Longhorns, especially in Austin, but I can't say I'm all that surprised. If you read past posts, you will see that I have not been overly impressed with Texas' offense, and mainly Garrett Gilbert's progression. I know he's young, and its only the fourth game of the year, but this is Texas we're talking about. A program with an elite coaching staff, paired with elite players, should be further along. But Texas was just exposed badly on offense by a team that looked even worse in their first two games. Where was the commitment to the run game I've been hearing so much about from Mack Brown? Way to commit to 85 yards for the game. That, paired with 5 turnovers on offense, will not win any games. When you are the team causing those turnovers, in this case UCLA, and only muster 291 yards of offense yourself but still put up 34 points, you can win. Texas will either respond, or falter this week against OU. Final score 34-12, UCLA.
Speaking of OU.
I guess the Sooners like to keep it close. After pretty much controlling the game, with a 24-9 lead early in the third quarter, the OU defense did what they do best. Let teams sneak back in the game, and hang around till the end. Just like Texas' run game, where is this stout OU defense I heard was going to be just fine this year. Cincinnati rolled up 461 yards of total offense, and moved the ball at will in the fourth quarter. If not for an OU recovery of a muffed punt in Cincinnati territory, that resulted in an OU score, this would have been a much different game. The Sooner offense is doing their part though. QB Landry Jones is playing excellent football, throwing for 370 yards and 2 touchdowns. Demarco Murray is playing well too, he hasn't gotten the chunks of yards like they had hoped, but he is productive and scores td's. They are going to need him next week. Final score 31-29, Oklahoma.
Some things never change.
As much as Florida hasn't wowed anyone so far this year, and Kentucky has surprisingly started 3-0, it didn't change anything. Florida had beaten Kentucky 23 straight times going into last week, and many thought this week might be just the time Kentucky could sneak one out. WRONG AGAIN! Complete domination, which is obviously never going to stop by Florida. Backup QB, running back, tight end, and jack of all trades Trey Burton scored 6 touchdowns! And yes when he scored out of the wildcat formation, they said that sure looked like Tebow. That is also never going to stop. Starting QB John Brantley is looking better, throwing for 248 yards and a score. And Florida is not short on play makers, so as much as I thought the Gators might fall this year, they just may not. Urban Meyer is finding ways to win. But I do know one thing that will change, and you'll see it in Tuscaloosa this week. Final score 48-14, Florida.
I don't know.
Why the College Gameday crew was in Boise for the game of the week. Because the game went EXACTLY as I thought it would. Oregon State shouldn't be ranked in the first place, but the #3 and #24 ranked teams should never qualify when the #1 and #10 teams are playing each other in a conference game! But everyone is on the Boise bandwagon these days, so I'm not really surprised. I really don't have much to say about the game, because I didn't want to watch it, and I didn't watch one second of it. I found out the final score and thought, "eh." When I did see highlights later, I figured out why Boise State never loses at home. That stupid blue turf, paired with their all blue uniforms, makes them invisible! Final score 37-24, Boise State.
Where did this come from?
Many of us thought the PAC-10 this year would be Oregon's to lose. But all of a sudden, Stanford has come roaring out of the gates, and are fresh off a trouncing of Notre Dame 37-14 in South Bend. They are currently ranked ninth in the country, and Andrew Luck is arguably playing better than any other quarterback in the nation. In case you don't remember, Stanford was 1-11 just four years ago. They are now sitting at 4-0 for the first time in 16 years, and visit earlier mentioned Oregon this weekend. If they win that game, Stanford could be sitting very nicely.
And when is it going to show up?
LSU's Jordan Jefferson has now thrown for less than 100 yards and no touchdowns for the third straight week, yet the Tigers are 4-0. It's the old cliche of a win is a win. With two receivers that were top 10 players overall coming out of high school, it should be producing more. If not for cornerback Patrick Peterson, LSU might have a little different record. He is almost single handily winning games for them. He shuts down the opponents best receiver every week, but that's not all. He has 2 interceptions, and returned a punt and blocked a field goal against West Virginia last week. If not for that, LSU probably loses. He even had 257 return yards in their opener against North Carolina, another game they squeaked out a win. So with the Tiger offense not doing really anything, you have to give a lot of credit to their defense and special teams. That can win you a lot of games anyway, but if they could get it going on offense, watch out. Still don't know how Jordan Jefferson hasn't progressed as a QB. Final score 20-14, LSU.
Speaking of winning.
Auburn, and especially QB Cam Newton, keep finding ways to win. After a grudge match, overtime win against Clemson two weeks ago, they welcomed in South Carolina. SC was also undefeated and playing their best ball so far under Steve Spurrier. After SC took a 20-7 lead in the second quarter, Auburn came storming back on the shoulders of Newton. This guy either runs or throws for key plays when they seem to need it most. He is still young, but is willing Auburn to victories. His stats are to the right in the player of the week section. South Carolina still played well, and they are still a team to keep an eye on. QB Stephen Garcia threw for 305 yards and three scores, not much more you can do there. The only knock on Newton is he may run too much. If a defense figures out a way to keep him contained, they have a good chance to win. But no one has been able to contain him yet. Final score 35-27, Auburn.
Wonder.
What would have happened if Denard Robinson played the entire game. In only nine minutes of action against Bowling Green, Robinson had 5 carries for 129 yards and two touchdowns. He went out late in the first quarter with an injury, but said after the game he will be fine for this week. He is maybe the most exciting player in the country. We want to see him play.
He did play the whole game.
And continues to roll along. My man Terrelle Pryor is flat getting it done. Against Eastern Michigan, he accounted for 348 yards and SIX touchdowns! Four passing, one rushing, and one receiving. He is making it look easy, which is never a good thing for opposing teams. If he continues to play this way, especially in big games, chalk up the Heisman, and maybe the national title.
Speaking of rolling along.
And who people still forget about, TCU. They sort of quietly put down a much improved SMU squad on the road in Dallas. I don't want to see it in another bowl game, but I do want to see Boise State and TCU play again, they are clearly the two best non AQ schools in the country, no one else is even close. QB Andy Dalton continues to play well, and people also forget the Horned Frogs(they didn't get the mascot part right) put out a good defense. They are the least talked about top five ranked team in the history of college football. SMU QB Kyle Padron gets the award for holding onto the ball way too long almost every play, then deserving to get his head ripped off. Get rid of it! Final score 41-24, TCU.
8th Grade basketball score of the week - Oregon over Arizona State, 42-31.
And a new edition.
The blowout of the week - Wisconsin over Austin Peay, 70-3.
The "what in the bleep was that?" game of the week.
Georgia came into this season as a dark horse pick to win the SEC East. Well, that wasn't very smart. Not to blow my own horn, but I didn't believe that for a second. The Bulldogs are now sitting at 1-3, and 0-3 in the conference. I have always respected Mark Richt as a coach, and thought he could rally the troops after a last minute loss to Arkansas last week. Uh, guess I was wrong on that one. They traveled To Mississippi State who has been a bottom feeder in the SEC for quite some time. Sure, second year head coach Dan Mullen will improve them, but they still are not very good. But not only did Miss State win, they had a 24-6 lead late in the fourth quarter. Huh? Georgia QB Aaron Murray is going through some growing pains right now, but is playing pretty well. He threw for 274 yards and a td, and no picks. But is not getting a lot of help around him it seems. They need AJ Green to return asap, although he is not the only answer to their problems. Final score 24-12, Mississippi State.
The no defense game of the week.
Ole Miss over Fresno State was not a defensive struggle by any means. And the Rebels were supposed to be strong on that side of the ball. Ole Miss went for 578 yards, while Fresno State totalled 420. Final score 55-38, Ole Miss.
Ok I'll talk about it.
The Hogs had their chance against Alabama. A 20-7 lead in the third quarter was not enough though. ESPECIALLY WHEN HOG RECEIVERS START DROPPING BALLS AND MALLET THROWS TWO SECOND HALF INTERCEPTIONS!!!! Ok sorry for yelling. But really, Arkansas could have won, but Alabama as usual, showed why they are number one. Mark Ingram is back in the Heisman talk already after his second week back. Arkansas could not slow him down at all, to the tune of 157 yards and two td's. Mallet had his moments, throwing for 357 yards and a touchdown. He could only muster 160 last year against the Tide. And the defense held Alabama to 20 points under their season average. So there are positives moving forward for the Hogs, but the game was there to be had. Final score 24-20, Alabama.
Until next week,
Nance
Here is what I mean.
Many of you may think the Texas-UCLA game would be my "what in the bleep was that?!" game of the week. Sorry, you are incorrect. Now I will not say I expected UCLA to bring the hammer down on the Longhorns, especially in Austin, but I can't say I'm all that surprised. If you read past posts, you will see that I have not been overly impressed with Texas' offense, and mainly Garrett Gilbert's progression. I know he's young, and its only the fourth game of the year, but this is Texas we're talking about. A program with an elite coaching staff, paired with elite players, should be further along. But Texas was just exposed badly on offense by a team that looked even worse in their first two games. Where was the commitment to the run game I've been hearing so much about from Mack Brown? Way to commit to 85 yards for the game. That, paired with 5 turnovers on offense, will not win any games. When you are the team causing those turnovers, in this case UCLA, and only muster 291 yards of offense yourself but still put up 34 points, you can win. Texas will either respond, or falter this week against OU. Final score 34-12, UCLA.
Speaking of OU.
I guess the Sooners like to keep it close. After pretty much controlling the game, with a 24-9 lead early in the third quarter, the OU defense did what they do best. Let teams sneak back in the game, and hang around till the end. Just like Texas' run game, where is this stout OU defense I heard was going to be just fine this year. Cincinnati rolled up 461 yards of total offense, and moved the ball at will in the fourth quarter. If not for an OU recovery of a muffed punt in Cincinnati territory, that resulted in an OU score, this would have been a much different game. The Sooner offense is doing their part though. QB Landry Jones is playing excellent football, throwing for 370 yards and 2 touchdowns. Demarco Murray is playing well too, he hasn't gotten the chunks of yards like they had hoped, but he is productive and scores td's. They are going to need him next week. Final score 31-29, Oklahoma.
Some things never change.
As much as Florida hasn't wowed anyone so far this year, and Kentucky has surprisingly started 3-0, it didn't change anything. Florida had beaten Kentucky 23 straight times going into last week, and many thought this week might be just the time Kentucky could sneak one out. WRONG AGAIN! Complete domination, which is obviously never going to stop by Florida. Backup QB, running back, tight end, and jack of all trades Trey Burton scored 6 touchdowns! And yes when he scored out of the wildcat formation, they said that sure looked like Tebow. That is also never going to stop. Starting QB John Brantley is looking better, throwing for 248 yards and a score. And Florida is not short on play makers, so as much as I thought the Gators might fall this year, they just may not. Urban Meyer is finding ways to win. But I do know one thing that will change, and you'll see it in Tuscaloosa this week. Final score 48-14, Florida.
I don't know.
Why the College Gameday crew was in Boise for the game of the week. Because the game went EXACTLY as I thought it would. Oregon State shouldn't be ranked in the first place, but the #3 and #24 ranked teams should never qualify when the #1 and #10 teams are playing each other in a conference game! But everyone is on the Boise bandwagon these days, so I'm not really surprised. I really don't have much to say about the game, because I didn't want to watch it, and I didn't watch one second of it. I found out the final score and thought, "eh." When I did see highlights later, I figured out why Boise State never loses at home. That stupid blue turf, paired with their all blue uniforms, makes them invisible! Final score 37-24, Boise State.
Where did this come from?
Many of us thought the PAC-10 this year would be Oregon's to lose. But all of a sudden, Stanford has come roaring out of the gates, and are fresh off a trouncing of Notre Dame 37-14 in South Bend. They are currently ranked ninth in the country, and Andrew Luck is arguably playing better than any other quarterback in the nation. In case you don't remember, Stanford was 1-11 just four years ago. They are now sitting at 4-0 for the first time in 16 years, and visit earlier mentioned Oregon this weekend. If they win that game, Stanford could be sitting very nicely.
And when is it going to show up?
LSU's Jordan Jefferson has now thrown for less than 100 yards and no touchdowns for the third straight week, yet the Tigers are 4-0. It's the old cliche of a win is a win. With two receivers that were top 10 players overall coming out of high school, it should be producing more. If not for cornerback Patrick Peterson, LSU might have a little different record. He is almost single handily winning games for them. He shuts down the opponents best receiver every week, but that's not all. He has 2 interceptions, and returned a punt and blocked a field goal against West Virginia last week. If not for that, LSU probably loses. He even had 257 return yards in their opener against North Carolina, another game they squeaked out a win. So with the Tiger offense not doing really anything, you have to give a lot of credit to their defense and special teams. That can win you a lot of games anyway, but if they could get it going on offense, watch out. Still don't know how Jordan Jefferson hasn't progressed as a QB. Final score 20-14, LSU.
Speaking of winning.
Auburn, and especially QB Cam Newton, keep finding ways to win. After a grudge match, overtime win against Clemson two weeks ago, they welcomed in South Carolina. SC was also undefeated and playing their best ball so far under Steve Spurrier. After SC took a 20-7 lead in the second quarter, Auburn came storming back on the shoulders of Newton. This guy either runs or throws for key plays when they seem to need it most. He is still young, but is willing Auburn to victories. His stats are to the right in the player of the week section. South Carolina still played well, and they are still a team to keep an eye on. QB Stephen Garcia threw for 305 yards and three scores, not much more you can do there. The only knock on Newton is he may run too much. If a defense figures out a way to keep him contained, they have a good chance to win. But no one has been able to contain him yet. Final score 35-27, Auburn.
Wonder.
What would have happened if Denard Robinson played the entire game. In only nine minutes of action against Bowling Green, Robinson had 5 carries for 129 yards and two touchdowns. He went out late in the first quarter with an injury, but said after the game he will be fine for this week. He is maybe the most exciting player in the country. We want to see him play.
He did play the whole game.
And continues to roll along. My man Terrelle Pryor is flat getting it done. Against Eastern Michigan, he accounted for 348 yards and SIX touchdowns! Four passing, one rushing, and one receiving. He is making it look easy, which is never a good thing for opposing teams. If he continues to play this way, especially in big games, chalk up the Heisman, and maybe the national title.
Speaking of rolling along.
And who people still forget about, TCU. They sort of quietly put down a much improved SMU squad on the road in Dallas. I don't want to see it in another bowl game, but I do want to see Boise State and TCU play again, they are clearly the two best non AQ schools in the country, no one else is even close. QB Andy Dalton continues to play well, and people also forget the Horned Frogs(they didn't get the mascot part right) put out a good defense. They are the least talked about top five ranked team in the history of college football. SMU QB Kyle Padron gets the award for holding onto the ball way too long almost every play, then deserving to get his head ripped off. Get rid of it! Final score 41-24, TCU.
8th Grade basketball score of the week - Oregon over Arizona State, 42-31.
And a new edition.
The blowout of the week - Wisconsin over Austin Peay, 70-3.
The "what in the bleep was that?" game of the week.
Georgia came into this season as a dark horse pick to win the SEC East. Well, that wasn't very smart. Not to blow my own horn, but I didn't believe that for a second. The Bulldogs are now sitting at 1-3, and 0-3 in the conference. I have always respected Mark Richt as a coach, and thought he could rally the troops after a last minute loss to Arkansas last week. Uh, guess I was wrong on that one. They traveled To Mississippi State who has been a bottom feeder in the SEC for quite some time. Sure, second year head coach Dan Mullen will improve them, but they still are not very good. But not only did Miss State win, they had a 24-6 lead late in the fourth quarter. Huh? Georgia QB Aaron Murray is going through some growing pains right now, but is playing pretty well. He threw for 274 yards and a td, and no picks. But is not getting a lot of help around him it seems. They need AJ Green to return asap, although he is not the only answer to their problems. Final score 24-12, Mississippi State.
The no defense game of the week.
Ole Miss over Fresno State was not a defensive struggle by any means. And the Rebels were supposed to be strong on that side of the ball. Ole Miss went for 578 yards, while Fresno State totalled 420. Final score 55-38, Ole Miss.
Ok I'll talk about it.
The Hogs had their chance against Alabama. A 20-7 lead in the third quarter was not enough though. ESPECIALLY WHEN HOG RECEIVERS START DROPPING BALLS AND MALLET THROWS TWO SECOND HALF INTERCEPTIONS!!!! Ok sorry for yelling. But really, Arkansas could have won, but Alabama as usual, showed why they are number one. Mark Ingram is back in the Heisman talk already after his second week back. Arkansas could not slow him down at all, to the tune of 157 yards and two td's. Mallet had his moments, throwing for 357 yards and a touchdown. He could only muster 160 last year against the Tide. And the defense held Alabama to 20 points under their season average. So there are positives moving forward for the Hogs, but the game was there to be had. Final score 24-20, Alabama.
Until next week,
Nance
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
2010 - week 3
Even though on paper it wasn't the monster Saturday of match ups like last week, it turned out to be a nice day of football. There were some excellent games, and great individual performances. Let's get to it.
First game of the day.
Went to my Hogs. In Athens against Georgia, this was a must win for Arkansas if they want people to take them seriously. The preseason hype, accolades, and predictions are all for nothing if they don't win that game. After going up 24-10 late in the third quarter, the Hogs were in control of the game. Not easy to do in Athens. But just as soon as I wanted to start celebrating, that familiar defense from last year came rearing its head. All of a sudden, Georgia was playing with urgency, and moving the ball down the field at will, and grabbing momentum. The Bulldogs tied the game like that, WHAT?! With random objects in my hand ready to launch, I decided to keep my composure. So did Arkansas. With just under a minute to play, Ryan Mallet completed two passes to D.J. Williams for two first downs, then a third to Greg Childs, who broke a tackle and sprinted to the end zone for a touchdown! Goal one of the season accomplished, and critics silenced temporarily. Look at Mallet's stats in the player of the week section, he's putting it together. Georgia's high expectations this year are quickly going away, looking for answers. Final score 31-24, Arkansas.
Guess who's back.
The reigning Heisman Trophy winner Mark Ingram returned to the playing field after a leg injury sidelined him for the first two games. I, and a lot of other people thought he would be slowly brought back, with limited carries, uh no. He technically had limited carries, but only because those 9 carries went for 151 yards and two touchdowns. Any thought of him being hampered at this point is out the window. See ya next week in Fayetteville. Oh yeah, Bama did play a game, against Duke, if you can call it a game. Greg McElroy still hasn't lost as a starting quarterback. Final score 62-13, Alabama.
Speaking of offensive production.
Oklahoma State is rolling up the yards and points. Their first three total yards game totals are 544, 522, and 722! Sure it isn't against conference opponents or anything, but it is still impressive. Other teams are not doing that against lesser foes. Wide receiver Justin Blackmon has 24 catches for 431 yards, and 8 touchdowns, through just three games! Are you kidding me?! By the way, has anyone else noticed that Okie State has a big time, play making receiver every year? QB Brandon Weeden, who did the baseball thing and is now 26 years old, threw for 409 yards and 6 td's just last week.Offensive coordinator Dana Holgorson, who came over from Houston where they also lit it up, is doing a fantastic job. Even when they get into the tougher part of their schedule, I don't see anyone slowing them down very much. The question for the Pokes is always can they hold up on defense.
Speaking of defense.
I don't know if you've ever heard me say defense usually wins. If a match up pits a good offense versus a good defense, I'm taking the defense every time. Well whaddaya know, Texas held Texas Tech to just 144 yards of total offense. Yes, the same Texas Tech who always puts up giant passing yards, usually in the 400 range just about every game, EXCEPT for when they play a good defense. Now before you say, "but Leach isn't there anymore," I'll still say that typically when Tech went up against OU, Texas, and anyone with a half decent defense, they usually lost. If I was a Tech fan, I would let Tuberville get rid of the offense that is so beloved in Lubbock(that offense that brought zero Big 12 championships), and change to his style of winning. He's a new head coach, let him do it his way. I'm still not sold on Texas' offense either though. Garret Gilbert right now to me only looks like a game manager, nothing more. I know he's young and inexperienced, but I'm not seeing much to convince me he can win a game on his own. He passed for 227 yards, which is nice, but with 3 interceptions. Ouch. To be honest, this game did very little for me in terms of what I can expect from either team. Final score 24-14, Texas.
Game of the week.
Goes to Clemson at Auburn. This was a slug fest, multiple players got hurt, and Clemson QB Kyle Parker looked like he wanted to curl up and die the entire second half after he took a shot to the back. After Clemson took a 17-0 lead in the first half, this game looked to be a bore. But credit Auburn for fighting back and scoring 24 unanswered points to take the lead in the third quarter. You could tell both teams wanted this game, and I like watching that. Auburn QB Cam Newton threw two picks but never gave up, eventually running and throwing his team back into the game. As I've already said about Newton, he's not the most polished player yet, but he is winning games. Both teams went over 400 yards of offense, but neither was enough for regulation. They needed to go to overtime to decide the outcome. After Auburn kicked a field goal to go up three, Clemson couldn't score and had a chance to tie it. But the Clemson kicker missed! Idiot! A bad ending to a great game. Final score 27-24.
It must be every other week.
With the Sooners. In week one they narrowly escaped Utah State 31-24. Then it was a complete domination station over Florida State 44-17, then another squeaker at home against Air Force last week. At least Air Force isn't a bad team. They seem to be able to run the ball on just about anybody. They came in to this game AVERAGING 423 yards a game rushing! Wow. But Demarco Murray can run the ball too, because if not for him, this would have been a different game. Murray scored all three of OU's touchdowns, two rushing and one receiving to go along with his 110 yards. He is having the season so far everyone expected him to. OU's defense is not however. They have now let two "lesser" teams crawl their way back into games. Air Force was 11-18 on third down conversions! Are you serious?! And you know what's coming, a run! At least Landry Jones is slowly losing his nickname. For the second straight week he has not thrown an interception, that will win close ball games like this one. Final score 27-24, Oklahoma.
Speaking of playing to expectations.
My man Terrelle Pryor is finally living up to the hype. He went 22-29 for 235 yards and two scores, and added another 35 rushing with a td. Sure it was against Ohio University, but he wasn't putting up these numbers last year against the same type teams. He seems to have fully progressed into a passer at this level. He makes all the throws, and hits his receivers on deep balls right in stride.Ohio State is rolling along, and if Pryor keeps playing this way, they will be in the national title, and he may win the Heisman.
Where is the love?
Boise State gets all the hype after their win over Virginia Tech, but TCU is somehow quietly ranked fourth in the country. The have two wins over big six schools Oregon State and Baylor, and play in a slightly tougher conference than Boise. I know Baylor is well, Baylor, but they put the beat down on them 45-10. QB Andy Dalton was 21-23, yes that's only two incompletions, for 267 yards and two td's. TCU's defense held Baylor QB Robert Griffin,one of the better quarterbacks in the country, to just 164 yards passing. Yes TCU also has a defense. So while most of you are riding the Boise State bandwagon, don't forget about the Horned Frogs. Final score 45-10, TCU.
STILL unimpressed.
Florida QB John Brantley got outplayed by Tennessee QB Matt Simms. If Simms had Brantley's supporting cast, this would have been a monstrosity blowout the other way. But, Florida does have the players that Tennessee does not have, so it was all for not. If not for Florida's defense and Jeff Demps, the Gators would be looking for answers. I'm anxious to see this team against a real opponent. They will not get blown out this year because of said defense and Jeff Demps, but they will not win those close ones like they used to. Who knows, maybe Brantley will get it going and I'll look like a moron, but he doesn't look that good to me now. Maybe the media shouldn't have hyped him up so much, oh wait, they always do that. And yes, I heard Tebow's name after the first five minutes of turning to the game! Final score 31-17 Florida.
What was that?!
The media has already given the Heisman to Michigan QB Denard Robinson after two games. Even though he played well again accounting for 345 yards and three td's, you wonder how people would feel if they lost to the University of Massachusetts! Another FCS, or I-AA school whatever you want to call them, almost pulled of another shocker. Shades of 2007 and Appalachian State came roaring back to the Big House. But thanks to Mr. Robinson, they survived. UMass rolled up 439 yards of offense and scored 37 points! Not good. Rich Rod started out this way last year going 4-0, but then crumbled mightily the rest of the way finishing the season 1-7. Are we going to have a repeat? 9th grade basketball score of the week. Final score 42-37, Michigan.
Who knows.
Kansas gets the award this year for the "I have no idea what kind of team they are." They lose to North Dakota State in week one, beat 15th ranked Georgia Tech in week 2, then lose to Southern Miss in week 3. Um, okay? If you're a big name team, watch out, if you're not, don't worry, they won't show up. I just don't see how you go up and down so much as a team. I mean, what are they doing? I gave way too much respect for Turner Gill last week for turning his team around so quickly. Only he must have kept it turning right back to where they started. Final score 31-16, Southern Miss.
Probably not feeling so hot.
Is Jeremiah Masoli. After stealing his way out of Oregon, he found himself at a 1-2 Ole Miss team that just lost to Vanderbilt. No, Vanderbilt is not good at all. All the while, Masoli's former team is 3-0 and looking like the best offensive team in the nation. Oregon AGAIN put up 69 points and 668 yards of offense, without Masoli. The Rebels could only muster 385 yards and 14 points. They have now lost two embarrassing games at home. I knew Masoli would not fit at Ole Miss, he is robbing the fans by losing to Vandy. Final score 28-14, Vanderbilt.
That just happened.
I mentioned it in my shout out, but I always have to go into more detail. A great back and forth game between Notre Dame and Michigan State ended in a way I've always wanted to see. With the score tied at 28, and both teams playing well, the game was headed for overtime. Notre Dame got the ball first, couldn't punch it in, and kicked a field goal to go up by three. Now it's Michigan State's turn, but they also couldn't get it in the end zone, and had to try for the field goal also. I don't know how many times I've said, "why not fake it here? The other team will never expect it!" Well guess what? The Spartans did it! On fourth down and lining up for an apparent 47 yard field goal, the Michigan State holder catches the snap, stands up and fires to a wide open receiver for a touchdown! AWESOME! Game over. What a call! I don't know why more coaches don't make that call. Final score 34-31. Michigan State.
Until next week,
Nance
First game of the day.
Went to my Hogs. In Athens against Georgia, this was a must win for Arkansas if they want people to take them seriously. The preseason hype, accolades, and predictions are all for nothing if they don't win that game. After going up 24-10 late in the third quarter, the Hogs were in control of the game. Not easy to do in Athens. But just as soon as I wanted to start celebrating, that familiar defense from last year came rearing its head. All of a sudden, Georgia was playing with urgency, and moving the ball down the field at will, and grabbing momentum. The Bulldogs tied the game like that, WHAT?! With random objects in my hand ready to launch, I decided to keep my composure. So did Arkansas. With just under a minute to play, Ryan Mallet completed two passes to D.J. Williams for two first downs, then a third to Greg Childs, who broke a tackle and sprinted to the end zone for a touchdown! Goal one of the season accomplished, and critics silenced temporarily. Look at Mallet's stats in the player of the week section, he's putting it together. Georgia's high expectations this year are quickly going away, looking for answers. Final score 31-24, Arkansas.
Guess who's back.
The reigning Heisman Trophy winner Mark Ingram returned to the playing field after a leg injury sidelined him for the first two games. I, and a lot of other people thought he would be slowly brought back, with limited carries, uh no. He technically had limited carries, but only because those 9 carries went for 151 yards and two touchdowns. Any thought of him being hampered at this point is out the window. See ya next week in Fayetteville. Oh yeah, Bama did play a game, against Duke, if you can call it a game. Greg McElroy still hasn't lost as a starting quarterback. Final score 62-13, Alabama.
Speaking of offensive production.
Oklahoma State is rolling up the yards and points. Their first three total yards game totals are 544, 522, and 722! Sure it isn't against conference opponents or anything, but it is still impressive. Other teams are not doing that against lesser foes. Wide receiver Justin Blackmon has 24 catches for 431 yards, and 8 touchdowns, through just three games! Are you kidding me?! By the way, has anyone else noticed that Okie State has a big time, play making receiver every year? QB Brandon Weeden, who did the baseball thing and is now 26 years old, threw for 409 yards and 6 td's just last week.Offensive coordinator Dana Holgorson, who came over from Houston where they also lit it up, is doing a fantastic job. Even when they get into the tougher part of their schedule, I don't see anyone slowing them down very much. The question for the Pokes is always can they hold up on defense.
Speaking of defense.
I don't know if you've ever heard me say defense usually wins. If a match up pits a good offense versus a good defense, I'm taking the defense every time. Well whaddaya know, Texas held Texas Tech to just 144 yards of total offense. Yes, the same Texas Tech who always puts up giant passing yards, usually in the 400 range just about every game, EXCEPT for when they play a good defense. Now before you say, "but Leach isn't there anymore," I'll still say that typically when Tech went up against OU, Texas, and anyone with a half decent defense, they usually lost. If I was a Tech fan, I would let Tuberville get rid of the offense that is so beloved in Lubbock(that offense that brought zero Big 12 championships), and change to his style of winning. He's a new head coach, let him do it his way. I'm still not sold on Texas' offense either though. Garret Gilbert right now to me only looks like a game manager, nothing more. I know he's young and inexperienced, but I'm not seeing much to convince me he can win a game on his own. He passed for 227 yards, which is nice, but with 3 interceptions. Ouch. To be honest, this game did very little for me in terms of what I can expect from either team. Final score 24-14, Texas.
Game of the week.
Goes to Clemson at Auburn. This was a slug fest, multiple players got hurt, and Clemson QB Kyle Parker looked like he wanted to curl up and die the entire second half after he took a shot to the back. After Clemson took a 17-0 lead in the first half, this game looked to be a bore. But credit Auburn for fighting back and scoring 24 unanswered points to take the lead in the third quarter. You could tell both teams wanted this game, and I like watching that. Auburn QB Cam Newton threw two picks but never gave up, eventually running and throwing his team back into the game. As I've already said about Newton, he's not the most polished player yet, but he is winning games. Both teams went over 400 yards of offense, but neither was enough for regulation. They needed to go to overtime to decide the outcome. After Auburn kicked a field goal to go up three, Clemson couldn't score and had a chance to tie it. But the Clemson kicker missed! Idiot! A bad ending to a great game. Final score 27-24.
It must be every other week.
With the Sooners. In week one they narrowly escaped Utah State 31-24. Then it was a complete domination station over Florida State 44-17, then another squeaker at home against Air Force last week. At least Air Force isn't a bad team. They seem to be able to run the ball on just about anybody. They came in to this game AVERAGING 423 yards a game rushing! Wow. But Demarco Murray can run the ball too, because if not for him, this would have been a different game. Murray scored all three of OU's touchdowns, two rushing and one receiving to go along with his 110 yards. He is having the season so far everyone expected him to. OU's defense is not however. They have now let two "lesser" teams crawl their way back into games. Air Force was 11-18 on third down conversions! Are you serious?! And you know what's coming, a run! At least Landry Jones is slowly losing his nickname. For the second straight week he has not thrown an interception, that will win close ball games like this one. Final score 27-24, Oklahoma.
Speaking of playing to expectations.
My man Terrelle Pryor is finally living up to the hype. He went 22-29 for 235 yards and two scores, and added another 35 rushing with a td. Sure it was against Ohio University, but he wasn't putting up these numbers last year against the same type teams. He seems to have fully progressed into a passer at this level. He makes all the throws, and hits his receivers on deep balls right in stride.Ohio State is rolling along, and if Pryor keeps playing this way, they will be in the national title, and he may win the Heisman.
Where is the love?
Boise State gets all the hype after their win over Virginia Tech, but TCU is somehow quietly ranked fourth in the country. The have two wins over big six schools Oregon State and Baylor, and play in a slightly tougher conference than Boise. I know Baylor is well, Baylor, but they put the beat down on them 45-10. QB Andy Dalton was 21-23, yes that's only two incompletions, for 267 yards and two td's. TCU's defense held Baylor QB Robert Griffin,one of the better quarterbacks in the country, to just 164 yards passing. Yes TCU also has a defense. So while most of you are riding the Boise State bandwagon, don't forget about the Horned Frogs. Final score 45-10, TCU.
STILL unimpressed.
Florida QB John Brantley got outplayed by Tennessee QB Matt Simms. If Simms had Brantley's supporting cast, this would have been a monstrosity blowout the other way. But, Florida does have the players that Tennessee does not have, so it was all for not. If not for Florida's defense and Jeff Demps, the Gators would be looking for answers. I'm anxious to see this team against a real opponent. They will not get blown out this year because of said defense and Jeff Demps, but they will not win those close ones like they used to. Who knows, maybe Brantley will get it going and I'll look like a moron, but he doesn't look that good to me now. Maybe the media shouldn't have hyped him up so much, oh wait, they always do that. And yes, I heard Tebow's name after the first five minutes of turning to the game! Final score 31-17 Florida.
What was that?!
The media has already given the Heisman to Michigan QB Denard Robinson after two games. Even though he played well again accounting for 345 yards and three td's, you wonder how people would feel if they lost to the University of Massachusetts! Another FCS, or I-AA school whatever you want to call them, almost pulled of another shocker. Shades of 2007 and Appalachian State came roaring back to the Big House. But thanks to Mr. Robinson, they survived. UMass rolled up 439 yards of offense and scored 37 points! Not good. Rich Rod started out this way last year going 4-0, but then crumbled mightily the rest of the way finishing the season 1-7. Are we going to have a repeat? 9th grade basketball score of the week. Final score 42-37, Michigan.
Who knows.
Kansas gets the award this year for the "I have no idea what kind of team they are." They lose to North Dakota State in week one, beat 15th ranked Georgia Tech in week 2, then lose to Southern Miss in week 3. Um, okay? If you're a big name team, watch out, if you're not, don't worry, they won't show up. I just don't see how you go up and down so much as a team. I mean, what are they doing? I gave way too much respect for Turner Gill last week for turning his team around so quickly. Only he must have kept it turning right back to where they started. Final score 31-16, Southern Miss.
Probably not feeling so hot.
Is Jeremiah Masoli. After stealing his way out of Oregon, he found himself at a 1-2 Ole Miss team that just lost to Vanderbilt. No, Vanderbilt is not good at all. All the while, Masoli's former team is 3-0 and looking like the best offensive team in the nation. Oregon AGAIN put up 69 points and 668 yards of offense, without Masoli. The Rebels could only muster 385 yards and 14 points. They have now lost two embarrassing games at home. I knew Masoli would not fit at Ole Miss, he is robbing the fans by losing to Vandy. Final score 28-14, Vanderbilt.
That just happened.
I mentioned it in my shout out, but I always have to go into more detail. A great back and forth game between Notre Dame and Michigan State ended in a way I've always wanted to see. With the score tied at 28, and both teams playing well, the game was headed for overtime. Notre Dame got the ball first, couldn't punch it in, and kicked a field goal to go up by three. Now it's Michigan State's turn, but they also couldn't get it in the end zone, and had to try for the field goal also. I don't know how many times I've said, "why not fake it here? The other team will never expect it!" Well guess what? The Spartans did it! On fourth down and lining up for an apparent 47 yard field goal, the Michigan State holder catches the snap, stands up and fires to a wide open receiver for a touchdown! AWESOME! Game over. What a call! I don't know why more coaches don't make that call. Final score 34-31. Michigan State.
Until next week,
Nance
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