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.
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
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.
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