Chaos finally ensued, as it always does this time of year. In the last two weeks, there have been upsets galore, especially at the top. LSU and Alabama are headed for a rematch in the BCS title game, as they are clearly the two best teams. Everyone is playing for second fiddle. Unless Armageddon somehow happens, we're going to have a sixth straight BCS champion from the SEC.
On a somber note, once again I start with bad news. Two weeks ago it was the Penn State fiasco, last week it is an untimely death that hits home. Arkansas redshirt freshman tight end Garrett Uekman died Sunday, at this point the cause of death was a bad heart condition. What is known is that this is tragic. A 19 year old student athlete from Little Rock, who was living his dream of playing for the Razorbacks. Reports from other players and coaches is that he was a good kid, someone whom everyone liked. He was just a freshman, but played in almost every game, and seemed to be in line for the starting tight end spot next year. Thoughts and prayers go out to his family and friends, as well as the Razorback nation.
On to the football field.
Same story as before.
Remember what I said when Arkansas and Alabama played? About how Arkansas wasn't ready, was less talented, and the defense was extremely overrated? Well it happened again against LSU. Why I thought we had a chance I don't know. Arkansas started off great, driving down and scoring a touchdown, guess who caught it? Yep, Jarius Wright. And even made a great defensive play when Tramain Thomas put a big hit on Spencer Ware causing a fumble that was picked up mid air by Alonzo Highsmith, who took it back for a td. And then it all went to crap. LSU proceeded to get pissed, and run all over the Hogs for the rest of the game. Tyrann Matheiu ran a punt back 92 yards for a td, their offense scored at will, and their defense completely shut down the "explosive" Hog offense holding them to just 254 yards total. After that 14-0 deficit, LSU outscored Arkansas 41-3 the rest of the game. LSU and Alabama are far and away the best teams in the SEC, the country, and maybe, the world. Arkansas was the third best team in the conference, but didn't come close to competing with the other two. Maybe in ten years. Final score 41-17, LSU.
What a way to end it.
What seems to be the last time Texas and Texas A&M play for the foreseeable future, ended in a great game. In yet ANOTHER game where had the halftime lead, you knew Texas wasn't going to go away quietly. It was only a 16-7 lead, but it didn't even take until halfway through the third quarter for Texas to take the lead with a 58 yard pick six, and a field goal a few minutes later. A&M has had an extremely disappointing season(a dallasnews.com sports guy picked the Aggies to go 11-1, haha), and this was just end of a bitter rivalry gone bad. A&M took the lead back in the fourth quarter on a td pass with just 1:48 remaining. Texas then gave the Aggies the ultimate screw you for going to the SEC where you're going to get dominated anyway, by driving down and kicking a field goal as time ran out. A walk off field goal to say, good riddance. Because let's be honest, Texas owns A&M, and now they won't be able to ever take it back. Final score 27-25, Texas.
Didn't exactly live up.
As much as the media tried to hype up the Iron Bowl this year as some classic revenge showdown for Alabama and Auburn, everyone knew it wasn't. Yes the last two years were epic games, especially last year when Auburn came back from a 24-7 halftime deficit in Tuscaloosa to win. But this year was different. Auburn was sitting at 7-4, exactly where EVERYONE thought they would be, while Alabama's only loss was to #1 LSU. I mean come on, did anyone really thing this was going to be a good game? Arkansas got hammered by Alabama, while the Hogs dominated Auburn. So it just wasn't going to be an instant classic. Alabama completely controlled the entire game. Auburn's only scores were a fumble recovery in the end zone, and an 83 yard kickoff return for a td. It's pretty clear now Bama has special teams problems don't you think? Trent Richardson rushed for 203 yards right into the Heisman Trophy ceremony. Final score 42-14, Alabama.
Speaking of the Heisman.
Andrew Luck had a ho hummer of a day with 233 yards and 4 td's hosting Notre Dame. Stanford is 11-1 to finish the regular season for the second year in a row, and primed for a second straight BCS appearance as well. This was a team that went 1-11 five years ago, nice turnaround. They are a nationally relevant program now, and look to be in good shape. But of course we'll see how much of that was Luck(pun intended). Andrew is off to the NFL next year, so it's up to Stanford to reload like all the other good teams do. Granted they won't be 11-1 again, but if they want to be taken seriously as a program, they need to sustain it without Luck. Just as Notre Dame does, who seems to be in good hands as well with head coach Brian Kelly. Final score 28-14, Stanford.
Speaking of ho-hum.
A not so impressive day for the Sooners going into Bedlam week. I know Iowa State was fresh off the upset of a century for them after beating Oklahoma State, but they're still Iowa State. The effects of no Ryan Broyles is starting to set in, as OU cannot score in the red zone at all anymore. I don't see how a team with this much skill on offense has to resort to the Bell-dozer to score on goal to go situations. In case you don't know what the Bell-dozer is, it's when they send backup QB Blake Bell in to run the read option while he keeps it himself every time and gains one yard. Luckily when they put him in they only need one yard for a first down or touchdown. When that doesn't work, they resort to Landry Jones throwing a fade pass to the corner of the end zone for an incompletion, then try to run it normally with a running back, only to get stuffed. Good strategy. Case in point, 509 total yards on offense, two touchdowns, four field goals. If they want to continue Mike Gundy's OU-fer at Okie State, they can't do that. At least they took care of business against the Cyclones, however lackluster it was. Final score 26-6, Oklahoma.
Funnier every week.
Texas Tech STILL has not won a game since beating OU over a month ago. I swear they thought the season ended that day. Not only have they lost, they have been dismantled in all but one game. They lost 41-7 to Iowa State, 52-20 to Texas, 66-6 to Okie State, 31-27 to Missouri, and last week got run out of the stadium 66-42 to Baylor. I mean, what in the world happened? They couldn't even win one? Come on.
Breaking news.
I'm a genius. If anyone wants to refer back a few weeks ago where I said first year head coach Luke Fickell at Ohio State wouldn't last more than one year, go ahead and confirm it for me. Oh what's that, he didn't even last the whole year before they hired Urban Meyer to take over for next season? Oh yeah, they did. It wasn't Fickell's fault, he walked into a bad situation after Jim Tressell left the program in complete shambles. They're best players didn't play most of the year, and they had to turn to a true freshman QB who wasn't ready. All of that was before they had to play their biggest rival in Michigan last week. The Wolverines were looking for big things for the first time in a while. A 10 win season, a big time bowl bid, and a return to glory. they just had to get past the Buckeyes who they had lost to every year since '03. And while that freshman QB for Ohio State Braxton Miller played his head off, throwing for 235 yards and two scores, and also rushed for 100 and a td, it wasn't quite enough. Michigan QB Denard Robinson had 337 total yards of his own with five touchdowns. A great game that Michigan almost found a way to lose. They had to intercept Miller's last ditch effort with just seconds remaining to pull it out. Michigan better enjoy this one, because the Meyer train is coming in Columbus. Final score 40-34, Michigan.
It was Rivalry Week, but unfortunately, there wasn't much to talk about other than the ones already mentioned.
Here is what happened in some of the biggest "rivalries."
Mississippi State over Ole Miss, 31-3.
Florida State over Florida, 21-7.
USC over UCLA, 50-0.
Oregon over Oregon State, 49-21.
Georgia over Georgia Tech, 31-17.
South Carolina over Clemson, 34-13.
At least Kentucky beat Tennessee for the first time in 27 years! Yes, 27 years.
Until next time. As I leave you this week, it is with sadness that I say this will be my last college football post. It is time for me to end this endeavor at this time. I feel it is a good time to move on and see what else is out there. As Tiger Woods said when he fired his long time caddie Steve Williams, "it just feels like it's time for a change." I feel I have done my duty on this blog network, and hope I have given those of you who may not enjoy the game as much as I do, a little better understanding. Ultimately I hope you have enjoyed reading these posts, as much as I have enjoyed writing them. If I have been able to inject a little passion and knowledge into your college football life, then I have done my job. I thank you all for the kind words you have given me these last three years, and most of all I thank you for taking the time to read. I love you all, and GO HOGS!
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
2011 - week 11
It was an unprecedented week in college football. Huge matchups, big time upsets, and a scandal that will haunt a program forever.
I will say this about Penn State, and we will move on. It is sad that the legend(no more) Joe Paterno helped cover up Jerry Sandusky's sick, twisted acts of sexual child abuse. It is sad that he wasn't the only one covering it up. I'm sure there will be more facts come out about this ordeal, but for now we know what we know. As much as we all love college football, there has to come a time where just winning doesn't take priority over what is the right thing to do. Was Paterno and whoever else so caught up in maintaining a winning program that keeping a criminal under wraps seemed like a good idea? The answer is yes they did. And as much as people think, including the moronic Penn State fans who think Paterno did nothing wrong, he did. He literally kept quiet about a man who he knew committed these acts, and was continuing to do these horrible things. Paterno knew about it! As did the athletic director, and assistant coach Mike McQueary, who at this point is the only one who has come out and said he tried to stop one incident. But someone made him keep quiet. Sandusky was allowed to hang around the Penn State facilities this entire time, up until two weeks ago. Paterno, sadly, did a lot of things wrong. And now, the all time winningest coach in college football history will go down as a man who knowingly let another man commit sex acts to little boys time and time again, just so they would keep winning. Penn State and Paterno will not recover from this, ever.
Let's talk about the stuff that isn't so depressing.
Puzzling. This happens in football, some teams match up better with other teams, resulting in different outcomes. For instance, Texas Tech beats OU in Norman, OU the next weeks kills Kansas State on the road, the following week Oklahoma State barely survives a K State comeback that they probably should have lost in Stillwater. So logical thinking says Texas Tech-Oklahoma State should be a good game right? Nope! This one was over before it started. Okie State scored on every offensive possession in the first half, and took a 49-0 lead into halftime. Good lord! Brandon Weedon threw it around about as good as you can for an afternoon, going 31-37 for 423 yards and 5 touchdowns. The Pokes sit at number 2 in the BCS, and are in good shape with the OU game looming large. Tech on the other hand hasn't won since beating OU. In fact they have all been by large margins, 41-7 to powerhouse Iowa State, 52-20 at Texas, and this Okie State game, which was in Lubbock. What happened? Did they forget they still had to play some games before the season was over? Final score 66-6, Oklahoma State.
Speaking of blowouts.
I only bring them up because they are now relevant in the national picture. Houston is putting up insane offensive numbers. Their last four games they have scored 63, 73, 56, and 73 again. Granted it is against weak competition, but still impressive. They put up 735 total yards of offense, and Case Keenum is shattering the record books, and Houston is still undefeated. Their latest victim was little Tulane. Like I said, this is all against pretty weak teams, they do not belong in the BCS conversation, although we will hear about it incessantly for the next few weeks. Final score 73-17, Houston.
The reason Houston is being talked about.
Because Boise State is out of it! Woohoo! They were rolling along once again, and being talked about for sure getting to another BCS bowl if they went undefeated, as they were ranked 5th last week. There was even talk they could get into the national championship game if things fell their way. But thanks to the TCU Horned Frogs, that will not be the case. An extremely back and forth game that saw a ton of big plays and 952 yards of offense total, it all came down to the final minute, and the kicking game. As was the case last year when they lost to Nevada after Kyle Brotzman missed three field goals, Boise State had a chance to win the game in the final seconds with a field goal. But this time, it was Dan Goodale who was not able to convert on a 39 yard kick as time expired. HAHAHAHAHA! The more important play was the touchdown TCU scored before that. Head coach Gary Patterson went for two to take the lead instead of kicking the extra point to tie it. Massive cahoneys. Final score 36-35, TCU.
Alright this is getting old.
Tell me if you've heard this before? Texas A&M gives up a double digit lead in the second half, only to lose. Yes, you have heard it before. For the fourth time this year, it happened again. This time it was a 31-21 lead over Kansas State with 6:38 to go in the fourth quarter. K State was able to rally with a 53 yard td pass, and a filed goal on their next possession to tie it and send it to overtime. And it took four overtimes to decide this one. K State quarterback Colin Klein was able to punch it in form one yard out to seal the victory, and send the Aggies home with another blown lead. I mean really, as first this was funny, now its stupidity. What is A&M going to do next year in the SEC? Final score 53-50, Kansas State.
Don't look now.
But Oregon's only loss of the season was to number one LSU. After a demolishing at Stanford, the Ducks are looking good. After forcing John Elway #2, Andrew Luck to throw two picks, running one back for a touchdown, Oregon's offense went off. Stanford's physical play couldn't match the speed of the Ducks. LaMichael James ran for 146 yards and three scores, and showed why we shouldn't forget about him either after his horrific elbow injury earlier this season. Stanford is still a very good team, Oregon just looked better. Final score 53-30, Oregon.
Remember when?
I've said this already earlier in the season, but remember when Georgia was left for dead after starting 0-2 but then winning five straight? Well I can say it again, because they still haven't lost. They just look like a comletely different team. They completely dismantled Auburn this week 45-7, and if not for Arkansas, would have the best offense in the SEC. QB Aaron Murray is playing lights out, throwing 9 td's in his last two games. Frehsman running back Isiah Crowell is looking like a stud workhorse(even after he was suspended one game for hitting up the ganja). The Bulldogs are now 8-2, and if they beat Kentucky, will clinch the SEC East and head to Atlanta in three weeks. Who would have thought?
Still haven't turned it around.
Although they are better than last year, and are playing a lot of young guys, Texas isn't quite back yet. The quarterback carousel still isn't working, and never will, ever for anyone. And the running game, even with injuries to their top two rushers, is very inconsistent. They were only able to muster 247 yards of offense, and couldn't find the endzone against Missouri's defense. That isn't saying much. Why Texas was still even ranked is beyond me. Missouri beats them after losing six straight to Texas, and in the final meeting of the two conference schools. Final score 17-5, Missouri.
Best game no one watched - Toledo over Western Michigan 66-63, in regulation! Defensive coordinators for both schools should be kicked to the curb.
Another quiet, good team.
Virginia Tech's only loss of their season was to current ninth ranked Clemson. After beating a good Georgia Tech team this past Saturday, the Hokies are sitting at 9-1, and looking to win their fifth ACC title in only 7 years.
Somewhat satisfied, for now.
Arkansas took care of business against a struggling Tennessee team riddled with injuries. The Hogs turned in big play after big play, none more exciting than Joe Adams' 60 yard punt return. Adams broke 6 tackles, ran around in circles for about ten seconds, then found a seam and followed his blockers the rest of the way. Probably the best punt return of the year. Tyler Wilson was efficient, throwing for 224 yards and three scores. But again, the Hog defense was troubling. Tennessee moved the ball pretty consistently up and down the field with a true freshman QB making his first start, they just couldn't convert in the red zone. But if you keep them from scoring touchdowns, you'll take it. The better team did win out. Final score 49-7, Arkansas.
Until next week.
I will say this about Penn State, and we will move on. It is sad that the legend(no more) Joe Paterno helped cover up Jerry Sandusky's sick, twisted acts of sexual child abuse. It is sad that he wasn't the only one covering it up. I'm sure there will be more facts come out about this ordeal, but for now we know what we know. As much as we all love college football, there has to come a time where just winning doesn't take priority over what is the right thing to do. Was Paterno and whoever else so caught up in maintaining a winning program that keeping a criminal under wraps seemed like a good idea? The answer is yes they did. And as much as people think, including the moronic Penn State fans who think Paterno did nothing wrong, he did. He literally kept quiet about a man who he knew committed these acts, and was continuing to do these horrible things. Paterno knew about it! As did the athletic director, and assistant coach Mike McQueary, who at this point is the only one who has come out and said he tried to stop one incident. But someone made him keep quiet. Sandusky was allowed to hang around the Penn State facilities this entire time, up until two weeks ago. Paterno, sadly, did a lot of things wrong. And now, the all time winningest coach in college football history will go down as a man who knowingly let another man commit sex acts to little boys time and time again, just so they would keep winning. Penn State and Paterno will not recover from this, ever.
Let's talk about the stuff that isn't so depressing.
Puzzling. This happens in football, some teams match up better with other teams, resulting in different outcomes. For instance, Texas Tech beats OU in Norman, OU the next weeks kills Kansas State on the road, the following week Oklahoma State barely survives a K State comeback that they probably should have lost in Stillwater. So logical thinking says Texas Tech-Oklahoma State should be a good game right? Nope! This one was over before it started. Okie State scored on every offensive possession in the first half, and took a 49-0 lead into halftime. Good lord! Brandon Weedon threw it around about as good as you can for an afternoon, going 31-37 for 423 yards and 5 touchdowns. The Pokes sit at number 2 in the BCS, and are in good shape with the OU game looming large. Tech on the other hand hasn't won since beating OU. In fact they have all been by large margins, 41-7 to powerhouse Iowa State, 52-20 at Texas, and this Okie State game, which was in Lubbock. What happened? Did they forget they still had to play some games before the season was over? Final score 66-6, Oklahoma State.
Speaking of blowouts.
I only bring them up because they are now relevant in the national picture. Houston is putting up insane offensive numbers. Their last four games they have scored 63, 73, 56, and 73 again. Granted it is against weak competition, but still impressive. They put up 735 total yards of offense, and Case Keenum is shattering the record books, and Houston is still undefeated. Their latest victim was little Tulane. Like I said, this is all against pretty weak teams, they do not belong in the BCS conversation, although we will hear about it incessantly for the next few weeks. Final score 73-17, Houston.
The reason Houston is being talked about.
Because Boise State is out of it! Woohoo! They were rolling along once again, and being talked about for sure getting to another BCS bowl if they went undefeated, as they were ranked 5th last week. There was even talk they could get into the national championship game if things fell their way. But thanks to the TCU Horned Frogs, that will not be the case. An extremely back and forth game that saw a ton of big plays and 952 yards of offense total, it all came down to the final minute, and the kicking game. As was the case last year when they lost to Nevada after Kyle Brotzman missed three field goals, Boise State had a chance to win the game in the final seconds with a field goal. But this time, it was Dan Goodale who was not able to convert on a 39 yard kick as time expired. HAHAHAHAHA! The more important play was the touchdown TCU scored before that. Head coach Gary Patterson went for two to take the lead instead of kicking the extra point to tie it. Massive cahoneys. Final score 36-35, TCU.
Alright this is getting old.
Tell me if you've heard this before? Texas A&M gives up a double digit lead in the second half, only to lose. Yes, you have heard it before. For the fourth time this year, it happened again. This time it was a 31-21 lead over Kansas State with 6:38 to go in the fourth quarter. K State was able to rally with a 53 yard td pass, and a filed goal on their next possession to tie it and send it to overtime. And it took four overtimes to decide this one. K State quarterback Colin Klein was able to punch it in form one yard out to seal the victory, and send the Aggies home with another blown lead. I mean really, as first this was funny, now its stupidity. What is A&M going to do next year in the SEC? Final score 53-50, Kansas State.
Don't look now.
But Oregon's only loss of the season was to number one LSU. After a demolishing at Stanford, the Ducks are looking good. After forcing John Elway #2, Andrew Luck to throw two picks, running one back for a touchdown, Oregon's offense went off. Stanford's physical play couldn't match the speed of the Ducks. LaMichael James ran for 146 yards and three scores, and showed why we shouldn't forget about him either after his horrific elbow injury earlier this season. Stanford is still a very good team, Oregon just looked better. Final score 53-30, Oregon.
Remember when?
I've said this already earlier in the season, but remember when Georgia was left for dead after starting 0-2 but then winning five straight? Well I can say it again, because they still haven't lost. They just look like a comletely different team. They completely dismantled Auburn this week 45-7, and if not for Arkansas, would have the best offense in the SEC. QB Aaron Murray is playing lights out, throwing 9 td's in his last two games. Frehsman running back Isiah Crowell is looking like a stud workhorse(even after he was suspended one game for hitting up the ganja). The Bulldogs are now 8-2, and if they beat Kentucky, will clinch the SEC East and head to Atlanta in three weeks. Who would have thought?
Still haven't turned it around.
Although they are better than last year, and are playing a lot of young guys, Texas isn't quite back yet. The quarterback carousel still isn't working, and never will, ever for anyone. And the running game, even with injuries to their top two rushers, is very inconsistent. They were only able to muster 247 yards of offense, and couldn't find the endzone against Missouri's defense. That isn't saying much. Why Texas was still even ranked is beyond me. Missouri beats them after losing six straight to Texas, and in the final meeting of the two conference schools. Final score 17-5, Missouri.
Best game no one watched - Toledo over Western Michigan 66-63, in regulation! Defensive coordinators for both schools should be kicked to the curb.
Another quiet, good team.
Virginia Tech's only loss of their season was to current ninth ranked Clemson. After beating a good Georgia Tech team this past Saturday, the Hokies are sitting at 9-1, and looking to win their fifth ACC title in only 7 years.
Somewhat satisfied, for now.
Arkansas took care of business against a struggling Tennessee team riddled with injuries. The Hogs turned in big play after big play, none more exciting than Joe Adams' 60 yard punt return. Adams broke 6 tackles, ran around in circles for about ten seconds, then found a seam and followed his blockers the rest of the way. Probably the best punt return of the year. Tyler Wilson was efficient, throwing for 224 yards and three scores. But again, the Hog defense was troubling. Tennessee moved the ball pretty consistently up and down the field with a true freshman QB making his first start, they just couldn't convert in the red zone. But if you keep them from scoring touchdowns, you'll take it. The better team did win out. Final score 49-7, Arkansas.
Until next week.
Thursday, November 3, 2011
2011 - week 9
Times are getting tough, and no one is safe. There are only a few unbeaten left, and there are about to be less. The national title race is about to get interesting. But first, we'll take a look at how we got here.
Get it out of the way.
I'll start with the Hogs this week, because frankly, it makes me sick. I know everyone says a win is a win, and I get that. But Arkansas has to scratch and claw their way back into games in the second half against teams like Texas A&M(5-3), Ole Miss(2-6), and Vanderbilt(4-4) because they let them jump out to big leads early. It's super annoying. What is it about this team that they can't get it going unless they get hit in the mouth first, which happens every game now. If I have to hear Bobby Petrino say one more time about how he's happy the way the team responded after being down, I'm going to puke. I have an idea, stop having to respond! Again, these have been to teams that aren't exactly lighting it up against everyone else either. None are ranked, A&M is having a disappointing year, Ole Miss hasn't won a conference game in 14 tries, literally, and Vanderbilt is still Vanderbilt. And I still don't understand why Jarius Wright is the only receiver who can get open. I'm happy he is having a great season, but all the talk of this being the best receiving corps in the country is out the window. Greg Childs fell off the planet and gave up, I don't hear Joe Adams' name ever anymore, and Cobi Hamilton plays in slow motion. And don't even get me started on the defense, or lack there of. Not to mention, thanks to Marquel Wade, we've added a thugalicious aspect to the team. Arkansas is the luckiest, most overrated 7-1 team in the history of college football. And I can't wait to go to Fayetteville this weekend to cheer them on against South Carolina!
Wait, what?
So just one week after Texas Tech completely controls the entire game and beats OU IN Norman, they follow that up with getting run out of the stadium to....wait for it....Iowa State. Talk about getting up for one game and forgetting you still had to play the rest of the season. Tech amassed almost 600 yards of offense at OU, and then 290 against Iowa State. Tech QB Seth Doege was my player of the week last week, throwing for over 400 yards and 4 td's, this week, 290, no touchdowns. Way to go dude. This game was in Lubbock too. Typical Tech I guess, they're about as roller coaster of a program as there is. Final score 41-7, Iowa State.
Speaking of roller coasters.
Remember about three weeks ago when I said Wisconsin may be the fourth best team in the country, and has a very good shot to play for the national title? Well, I was an idiot. They have now lost two games in a row, and are out of it, nationally at least. They somehow gave up a game ending hail mary touchdown pass at Michigan State(which was awesome), and let the completely discombobulated Ohio State come back more than once to beat you. Not only that, it was another long touchdown pass that cost them, this time with just 20 seconds left. After everyone thought Russell Wilson was the final piece in the Wisconsin arsenal to go all the way, it seems as though he wasn't. Although he did play well, throwing for 259 yards and three scores with no picks. The most surprising thing is Ohio State. They haven't been able to do anything on offense for a while, until freshman Braxton Miller got it going. He threw for only 82 yards, but rushed for 99 and two td's. Or maybe it was the uniforms, those were sick. See for yourself. http://www.nikeblog.com/2011/09/12/2011-ohio-state-pro-combat-uniform/ Final score 33-29, Ohio State.
Speaking of wild finishes.
And who just cemented himself the Heisman. Andrew Luck and Stanford got out of the Los Angeles Coliseum after three overtimes with a win. There hasn't been many good things to say about USC recently, but they were 6-1 and playing good football. Stanford, as mentioned before, won 15 games in a row going into last week. And again, Luck came through. He passed for 330 yards, 3 touchdowns, and even overcame an interception return for a touchdown to still win. The guy is unbelievable. USC QB Matt Barkley is also pretty good, who threw for 284 yards and three scores himself. He is the least talked about good quarterback in the country. It wasn't enough however. Stanford's win streak is at 16. Final score 56-48, Stanford.
Still rolling along.
And still somehow a little quiet. I don't know if its the fact people don't think they will finish this high or what, but Oklahoma State is 8-0, third in the BCS, and steamrolling their opponents. This week it was a high powered Baylor squad, who got so much love to start the season, but has now fizzled. Okie State's offense is probably the most balanced out of the top teams. Not only can Brandon Weedon sling it around, but they rushed for 327 yards last week, with 5 touchdowns. The defense still needs work, giving up 622 total yards to Baylor. But they seem to be able to make plays when they need it, sort of the bend, don't break mentality. Mike Gundy has taken this team to new levels. The Big 12 title will come down to Bedlam at the end of the season. Final score 59-24, Oklahoma State.
Finally.
I've said in recent weeks, I'm just waiting for Clemson to not live up to their hype, and fall. And thanks to Georgia Tech, they did. Ga Tech is one of those teams that if the triple offense is clicking, they are tough to beat. They got it going for 383 yards rushing. Clemson freshman Sammy Watkins still played well, catching 10 balls for 159 yards and a score. There is no better freshman in the country this year, period. Clemson is still a really good team, they're just not top five good. Final score 31-17, Georgia Tech.
Speaking of top five good.
After playing uninspired against an inferior opponent and getting beat like they do once a year, OU got back on track. Going to Kansas State where no one in their right mind thought the Wildcats would be undefeated and ranked ninth, was going to be a challenge. But OU stormed out of the gate, playing inspired. Hey see what happens when you get ready?! K State even put up a good fight for a while, having a 17-14 lead in the second quarter. But it was a mismatch after that. OU finished with 690 total yards, to K State's 240. And after being behind 17-14, the Sooners scored 44 unanswered points the rest of the way. Sorry K State, not as good as you thought you were. Final score 58-17, Oklahoma.
Speaking of up and down.
One week after Michigan State threw a hail mary pass as time ran out to beat Wisconsin, they scored three points and lost. Notice a theme this week? Play huge one week, come out flat the next. The Spartans could never get it going at Nebraska, who themselves are a little hard to figure out. Although the Huskers are 7-1, I don't feel completely comfortable that every week they are going to play up to their potential. They did this week however, holding Michigan State to just 187 total yards. Final score 24-3, Nebraska.
Blowout of the week - Sam Houston State over Lamar, 66-0.
Thanks and see ya later.
Remember all the talk about Texas A&M to begin the season? About how great they were and how they were going to a BCS bowl? Well, they lost to Missouri 38-31 in overtime, at home, and are now 5-3. Their third double digit halftime lead given up this year. Bye bye.
Until next week.
Get it out of the way.
I'll start with the Hogs this week, because frankly, it makes me sick. I know everyone says a win is a win, and I get that. But Arkansas has to scratch and claw their way back into games in the second half against teams like Texas A&M(5-3), Ole Miss(2-6), and Vanderbilt(4-4) because they let them jump out to big leads early. It's super annoying. What is it about this team that they can't get it going unless they get hit in the mouth first, which happens every game now. If I have to hear Bobby Petrino say one more time about how he's happy the way the team responded after being down, I'm going to puke. I have an idea, stop having to respond! Again, these have been to teams that aren't exactly lighting it up against everyone else either. None are ranked, A&M is having a disappointing year, Ole Miss hasn't won a conference game in 14 tries, literally, and Vanderbilt is still Vanderbilt. And I still don't understand why Jarius Wright is the only receiver who can get open. I'm happy he is having a great season, but all the talk of this being the best receiving corps in the country is out the window. Greg Childs fell off the planet and gave up, I don't hear Joe Adams' name ever anymore, and Cobi Hamilton plays in slow motion. And don't even get me started on the defense, or lack there of. Not to mention, thanks to Marquel Wade, we've added a thugalicious aspect to the team. Arkansas is the luckiest, most overrated 7-1 team in the history of college football. And I can't wait to go to Fayetteville this weekend to cheer them on against South Carolina!
Wait, what?
So just one week after Texas Tech completely controls the entire game and beats OU IN Norman, they follow that up with getting run out of the stadium to....wait for it....Iowa State. Talk about getting up for one game and forgetting you still had to play the rest of the season. Tech amassed almost 600 yards of offense at OU, and then 290 against Iowa State. Tech QB Seth Doege was my player of the week last week, throwing for over 400 yards and 4 td's, this week, 290, no touchdowns. Way to go dude. This game was in Lubbock too. Typical Tech I guess, they're about as roller coaster of a program as there is. Final score 41-7, Iowa State.
Speaking of roller coasters.
Remember about three weeks ago when I said Wisconsin may be the fourth best team in the country, and has a very good shot to play for the national title? Well, I was an idiot. They have now lost two games in a row, and are out of it, nationally at least. They somehow gave up a game ending hail mary touchdown pass at Michigan State(which was awesome), and let the completely discombobulated Ohio State come back more than once to beat you. Not only that, it was another long touchdown pass that cost them, this time with just 20 seconds left. After everyone thought Russell Wilson was the final piece in the Wisconsin arsenal to go all the way, it seems as though he wasn't. Although he did play well, throwing for 259 yards and three scores with no picks. The most surprising thing is Ohio State. They haven't been able to do anything on offense for a while, until freshman Braxton Miller got it going. He threw for only 82 yards, but rushed for 99 and two td's. Or maybe it was the uniforms, those were sick. See for yourself. http://www.nikeblog.com/2011/09/12/2011-ohio-state-pro-combat-uniform/ Final score 33-29, Ohio State.
Speaking of wild finishes.
And who just cemented himself the Heisman. Andrew Luck and Stanford got out of the Los Angeles Coliseum after three overtimes with a win. There hasn't been many good things to say about USC recently, but they were 6-1 and playing good football. Stanford, as mentioned before, won 15 games in a row going into last week. And again, Luck came through. He passed for 330 yards, 3 touchdowns, and even overcame an interception return for a touchdown to still win. The guy is unbelievable. USC QB Matt Barkley is also pretty good, who threw for 284 yards and three scores himself. He is the least talked about good quarterback in the country. It wasn't enough however. Stanford's win streak is at 16. Final score 56-48, Stanford.
Still rolling along.
And still somehow a little quiet. I don't know if its the fact people don't think they will finish this high or what, but Oklahoma State is 8-0, third in the BCS, and steamrolling their opponents. This week it was a high powered Baylor squad, who got so much love to start the season, but has now fizzled. Okie State's offense is probably the most balanced out of the top teams. Not only can Brandon Weedon sling it around, but they rushed for 327 yards last week, with 5 touchdowns. The defense still needs work, giving up 622 total yards to Baylor. But they seem to be able to make plays when they need it, sort of the bend, don't break mentality. Mike Gundy has taken this team to new levels. The Big 12 title will come down to Bedlam at the end of the season. Final score 59-24, Oklahoma State.
Finally.
I've said in recent weeks, I'm just waiting for Clemson to not live up to their hype, and fall. And thanks to Georgia Tech, they did. Ga Tech is one of those teams that if the triple offense is clicking, they are tough to beat. They got it going for 383 yards rushing. Clemson freshman Sammy Watkins still played well, catching 10 balls for 159 yards and a score. There is no better freshman in the country this year, period. Clemson is still a really good team, they're just not top five good. Final score 31-17, Georgia Tech.
Speaking of top five good.
After playing uninspired against an inferior opponent and getting beat like they do once a year, OU got back on track. Going to Kansas State where no one in their right mind thought the Wildcats would be undefeated and ranked ninth, was going to be a challenge. But OU stormed out of the gate, playing inspired. Hey see what happens when you get ready?! K State even put up a good fight for a while, having a 17-14 lead in the second quarter. But it was a mismatch after that. OU finished with 690 total yards, to K State's 240. And after being behind 17-14, the Sooners scored 44 unanswered points the rest of the way. Sorry K State, not as good as you thought you were. Final score 58-17, Oklahoma.
Speaking of up and down.
One week after Michigan State threw a hail mary pass as time ran out to beat Wisconsin, they scored three points and lost. Notice a theme this week? Play huge one week, come out flat the next. The Spartans could never get it going at Nebraska, who themselves are a little hard to figure out. Although the Huskers are 7-1, I don't feel completely comfortable that every week they are going to play up to their potential. They did this week however, holding Michigan State to just 187 total yards. Final score 24-3, Nebraska.
Blowout of the week - Sam Houston State over Lamar, 66-0.
Thanks and see ya later.
Remember all the talk about Texas A&M to begin the season? About how great they were and how they were going to a BCS bowl? Well, they lost to Missouri 38-31 in overtime, at home, and are now 5-3. Their third double digit halftime lead given up this year. Bye bye.
Until next week.
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