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
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
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
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