College Football Week 9 Awards November 2, 2015
Posted by intellectualgridiron in Sports.Tags: 1982, Al Golden, Alabama, Arizona, Arizona State, Arkansas, Auburn, Bears, Bobby Petrino, Bulldogs, BYU, California, Central Florida, Charlie Strong, Cincinnati, Clemson, Duke, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Gus Malzahn, Hawaii, Houston, Iowa State, Jeff Brohm, Jim McElwain, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisville, Mark Helfrich, Mark Richt, Memphis, Miami, Mike Leach, Mike Riley, Navy, Nebraska, North Carolina, Northwestern, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Oregon, Penn State, Pittsburgh, Purdue, San Jose State, South Carolina, Stanford, Syracuse, TCU, Temple, Tennessee, Texas, Texas A&M, Todd Graham, UCF, UNLV, Utah, Vanderbilt, Wake Forest, Washington, Washington State, Western Kentucky
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One of a few missed calls during the hap-hazard, yet incredible, 8-lateral kickoff return finish my Miami in yesterday’s game. Paging Cal-Stanford 1982: you now have competition.
(Note: All rankings are current AP [week 9] unless otherwise noted.)
COACHES
Wish I were him: Jim McElwain, Florida
Glad I’m not him: Gus Malzahn, Auburn
Lucky guy: Mark Helfrich, Oregon
Poor guy: Mark Richt, Georgia
Desperately seeking a wake-up call: Bobby Petrino, Louisville
Desperately seeking a P.R. man: Jeff Brohm, Western Kentucky
Desperately seeking sunglasses and a fake beard: Charlie Strong, Texas
Desperately seeking … anything: Mike Riley, Nebraska
TEAMS
Thought you’d kick butt, you did: Oklahoma (defeated Kansas 62-7)
Thought you’d kick butt, you didn’t: Texas A&M (defeated South Carolina 35-28)
Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you did: Vanderbilt (lost to No. 18 Houston 34-0)
Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you didn’t: Purdue (see below)
Thought you wouldn’t kick butt, you did: Tennessee (defeated Kentucky 52-21)
Dang, they’re good: Florida
Dang, they’re bad: UMass
Can’t Stand Prosperity: Pitt
Did the season start? Arizona
Can the season end? UCF
Can the season never end? Houston
GAMES
Play this again: No. 9 Notre Dame 24, No. 21 Temple 20
Play this again, too: Oregon 61, Arizona State 55 (3OT)
Never play this again: Arkansas 63, UT-Martin 28
What? North Carolina 26, No. 23 Pittsburgh 19
Huh? Miami 30, No. 22 Duke 27
Are you kidding me? Purdue 55, Nebraska 45
Oh – my – God: Iowa State 24, Texas 0
NEXT WEEK
(rankings are current AP (post-week 9, pre-week 10)
Ticket to die for: No. 4 LSU @ No. 7 Alabama
Also: No. 5 TCU @ No. 12 Oklahoma State
Make it a Trifecta: No. 17 Florida State @ No. 3 Clemson
Best non-Power Five vs. Power Five matchup: (none)
Best non-Power Five matchup: Navy @ No. 16 Memphis
Upset alert: No. 13 Utah @ Washington
Must win: Duke @ No. 21 North Carolina
Offensive explosion: Cincinnati @ No. 18 Houston (also TCU @ OKST)
Defensive struggle: Syracuse @ Louisville
Great game no one is talking about: Penn State @ Northwestern
Intriguing coaching matchup: Todd Graham of ASU vs. Mike Leach of WSU
Who’s bringing the body bags? Vanderbilt @ No. 11 Florida
Why are they playing? BYU @ San Jose State (Friday)
Plenty of good seats remaining: Hawaii @ UNLV
They shoot horses, don’t they? Kansas @ Texas
Week 9 Take-aways:
First it was Michigan State’s blocked punt that they recovered and ran back for a score with 0:00 left on the clock to beat rival Michigan in the Big House (they were behind prior to said score). Last week was followed up by Georgia Tech’s fantastic finish, whereby they blocked a Florida State field goal attempt at home, ran it back for a score and thus broke the tie as time expired. This week, the Miami Hurricanes – fresh from both a devastating home loss to Clemson and the subsequent firing of head coach Al Golden – made an eight-lateral play on a kickoff return that harkens directly back to Cal-Stanford 1982, for the game-winning touchdown, over then-ranked Duke, on the road. Three weeks in a row, three fantastic, historic finishes.
Well, sort of. There were tons of blown calls on that play, including an illegal block in the back (or two), and at one point, one of the lateralling players for Miami had his knee already down before he tossed the ball sideways. The overlooked calls were so blatant that the ACC suspended the officiating crew the following day. Could it be that the game result itself be overturned? We shall all have to stay tuned.
Bobby Petrino must be beside himself. Despite his able coaching, his players made mistake after mistake on the road against Wake Forest. Yet somehow they managed to barely win. Despite consecutive wins, this performance is not a sustainable path. Something must be done for the team to improve so as to win sustainably. An infusion of discipline would be both a quick and effective remedy.
Poor Mark Richt. Despite all the success he has had at Georgia, he just cannot get over the hump. A statistic during the debacle of a game against Florida (the Gators thumped the rival Bulldogs 27-3 at this year’s World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party in Jacksonville) showed that Richt is 5-15 against ranked opponents during his tenure at UGA. Moreover, he is 5-9 against Florida, despite being 141-51 overall. The first stat alone indicates that he has peaked during his tenure at Georgia, that he has gone as far as he can with that program. Some new, dynamic blood in Athens, Ga., would perhaps finally help get the Bulldogs to consistent dominance of the SEC East, while Miami, Richt’s alma mater, has a head coach opening just waiting for a rock-solid fellow such as he. If such a scenario were to play out, it could benefit both parties concerned, the latter particularly, with a fresh start.
What on Earth has happened to Arizona? Early in the season, we anticipated they would be a factor in the Pac-12. Last night, they embarrassed themselves on the road at Washington, after coughing up the game to Wazzu the previous week. The Wildcats will not have much time to lick their wounds, either, as next week they take on USC, followed by Utah the week after, and the week after that they close the regular season against rival Arizona State, possibly with a 5-7 at this rate (they are current 5-4, and 2-4 in the conference).
College Football Week 7 Awards October 20, 2015
Posted by intellectualgridiron in Sports.Tags: Akron, Alabama, Auburn, Bob Stoops, Boise State, Boston College, Bowling Green, BYU, Cal, Duke, East Carolina, Eastern Michigan, Florida, George O'Leary, Houston, Hugh Freeze, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa State, Jim Harbaugh, Jim Mora, Kansas State, Kliff Kingsbury, Les Miles, Louisiana-Monroe, LSU, Mark Dantonio, Mark Richt, Memphis, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Texas, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Ole Miss, Penn State, Rutgers, TCU, Tennessee, Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, Toledo, Tom Herman, UCF, UCLA, USC, Vanderbilt, Virginia Tech, Western Kentucky, Wyoming
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Just when we all had left Michigan State for dead, the most consequential blocked punt in recent memory happened. The Wolverine’s punter never had a chance, but bully for the Spartan returner! Photo by Dale G. Young, AP
(Note: All rankings are current AP [week 7] unless otherwise noted.)
COACHES Wish I were him: Les Miles, LSU
Glad I’m not him: Jim Mora, UCLA
Lucky guy: Mark Dantonio, Michigan State
Poor guy: Jim Harbaugh, Michigan
Desperately seeking a wake-up call: Mark Richt, Georgia
Desperately seeking a P.R. man: Tom Herman, Houston
Desperately seeking sunglasses and a fake beard: Hugh Freeze, Ole Miss
Desperately seeking … anything: George O’Leary, UCF
TEAMS Thought you’d kick butt, you did: Western Kentucky (defeated North Texas 55-28)
Thought you’d kick butt, you didn’t: TCU (defeated Iowa State 45-21)
Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you did: Eastern Michigan (lost to No. 22 Toledo 63-20)
Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you didn’t: Iowa State (lost to No. 3 TCU 45-21)
Thought you wouldn’t kick butt, you did: Bowling Green (defeated Akron 59-10)
Dang, they’re good: Alabama
Dang, they’re bad: Vanderbilt
Can’t Stand Prosperity: Ole Miss
Did the season start? Auburn
Can the season end? UCF
Can the season never end? Memphis
GAMES Play this again: No. 7 Michigan State 27, No. 12 Michigan 23
Play this again, too: No. 6 LSU 35, No. 8 Florida 28
Never play this again: No. 19 Oklahoma 55, Kansas State 0
What? Nebraska 48, Minnesota 25
Huh? Rutgers 55, Indiana 52, OT
Are you kidding me? No. 10 Alabama 41, No. 9 Texas A&M 23
Oh – my – God: Memphis 37, No. 13 Ole Miss 24
NEXT WEEK
(rankings are current AP (post-week 6, pre-week 7)
Ticket to die for: Tennessee @ No. 8 Alabama
Also: No. 15 Texas A&M @ No. 23 Ole Miss
Best non-Power Five vs. Power Five matchup: Western Kentucky @ No. 5 LSU
Best non-Power Five matchup: No. 22 Temple @ East Carolina
Upset alert: No. 23 Duke @ Virginia Tech
Must win: Kansas State @ Texas
Offensive explosion: No. 20 Cal @ UCLA
Defensive struggle: Missouri @ Vanderbilt
Great game no one is talking about: Boston College @ Louisville
Intriguing coaching matchup: Kliff Kingsbury of Texas Tech vs. Bob Stoops of Oklahoma
Who’s bringing the body bags? Kansas @ No. 14 Oklahoma State
Why are they playing? Wagner @ BYU
Plenty of good seats remaining: Troy @ New Mexico State
They shoot horses, don’t they? Troy @ Mississippi State
Week 7 Take-aways:
Here are some quick, bottom-line thoughts. Ohio State wore the weirdest, most out-of-the-ordinary uniforms in the history of their storied program when they took down Penn State. Check it out. USC put up a great fight at Notre Dame, but sadly came up short. LSU and Florida slugged it out for a great game Saturday evening in Death Valley. Ironically, the go-ahead touchdown was scored by LSU’s kicker, a positive that he shall no doubt take to his grave, and deservedly so. Meanwhile, Michigan State’s last-second win over Michigan – in the Big House, no less – will be one for the ages as well. Auburn has their “Kick-Six,” so it will be interesting to see what sort of moniker will soon be attached to the Spartans’ blocking of Michigan’s punt attempt, then running it back for the go-ahead score as time expired. Classic.
College Football Week 2 Awards September 15, 2015
Posted by intellectualgridiron in Sports.Tags: Air Force, Akron, Alabama, Arkansas, Army, Auburn, Bobby Petrino, Boise State, Bowling Green, Bret Bielema, Brian Kelly, Bronco Mendenhall, Buffalo, BYU, Clint Bowen, Colorado, Colorado State, Duke, FIU, Florida, Florida Atlantic, Gamecocks, Georgia Southern, Georgia Tech, Hawaii, Houston, Idaho, Iowa, Jim McElwain, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisville, LSU, Malik Zaire, Mark Dantonio, Memphis, Michigan State, Minnesota, Missouri, NC Central, Nevada, Nick Saban, Northwestern, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, Oregon, Pittsburgh, Pyrrhic, South Carolina, Steve Spurrier, TCU, Tennessee, Toledo, UCLA, UConn, Urban Meyer, USC, Western Michigan
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The color coordination in the stands at Neyland Stadium, with 102,000+ fans on hand, was amazing to behold. Photo by Jackson Lalzure of Getty Images.
(Note: All rankings are current AP [week 2] unless otherwise noted.)
COACHES
Wish I were him: Mark Dantonio, Michigan State
Glad I’m not him: Steve Spurrier, South Carolina
Lucky guy: Brian Kelly, Notre Dame
Poor guy: Brian Kelly, Notre Dame
Desperately seeking a wake-up call: Bobby Petrino, Louisville
Desperately seeking a P.R. man: Bronco Mendenhall, BYU
Desperately seeking sunglasses and a fake beard: Bret Bielema, Arkansas
Desperately seeking … anything: Clint Bowen, Kansas
TEAMS
Thought you’d kick butt, you did: No. 2 TCU (defeated Stephen F. Austin 70-7)
Thought you’d kick butt, you didn’t: No. 6 Auburn (defeated Jacksonville State 27-20 in OT)
Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you did: Idaho (lost to No. 8 USC 59-9)
Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you didn’t: Akron (see: Oh – my – God)
Thought you wouldn’t kick butt, you did: Memphis (defeated Kansas 55-23)
Dang, they’re good: Michigan State
Dang, they’re bad: Kansas
Can’t Stand Prosperity: South Carolina
Did the season start? Louisville
Can the season end? Army
Can the season never end? Michigan State
GAMES
Play this again: No. 19 Oklahoma 31, No. 24 Tennessee 24, 2 OT
Play this again, too: No. 5 Michigan State 31, No. 7 Oregon 28
Never play this again: No. 2 TCU 70, SFA 7
What? Georgia Southern 43, Western Michigan 17
Huh? BYU 35, No. 20 Boise State 24
Are you kidding me? Houston 34, Louisville 31
Oh – my – God: Toledo 16, #18 Arkansas 12
Told you so: Minnesota 23, Colorado State 20 (OT)
NEXT WEEK
(rankings are current AP (post-week 2, pre-week 3)
Ticket to die for: No. 14 Georgia Tech @ No. 8 Notre Dame (no, really!)
Also: No. 18 Auburn @ No. 13 LSU
Best non-Power Five vs. Power Five matchup: Colorado @ Colorado State
Best non-Power Five matchup: Memphis @ Bowling Green
Upset alert: No. 19 BYU @ No. 10 UCLA
Must win: No. 15 Ole Miss @ No. 2 Alabama
Offensive explosion: Nevada @ No. 17 Texas A&M
Defensive struggle: Florida @ Kentucky
Great game no one is talking about: Pittsburgh @ Iowa
Also: No. 23 Northwestern @ Duke
Who’s bringing the body bags? Air Force @ No. 4 Michigan State
Why are they playing? UConn @ No. 22 Missouri
Plenty of good seats remaining: Buffalo @ Florida Atlantic
They shoot horses, don’t they? NC Central @ FIU
Week 2 Take-aways:
The best example of a Pyrrhic victory took place when Notre Dame barely pulled it out over Virginia. In the process of the game, Coach Brian Kelly likely lost his QB Malik Zaire to a broken ankle and shall likely be out for the rest of the year (he went down late in the 3rd quarter). ESPN is currently replaying the incident online. It is not for the faint of heart.
Honestly, even though Ohio State shut out Hawaii 38-0, I thought that they Rainbow Warriors would have lost by at least two more touchdowns. Perhaps Urban Meyer called off the dogs early in the 3rd quarter in order to save his players from unnecessary wear, tear, and risk. If so, smart move. Perhaps Hawaii beat the spread?
Steve Spurrier lost to Kentucky for two consecutive seasons for the first time ever, this time at home. Last year, we established by November that the Gamecocks were a team that blew 4th Quarter leads. The Wildcats were one of the teams to whom South Carolina blew one of those leads. But what about this year? Perhaps Spurrier is not getting the players anymore. If so, perhaps at age 70, the Ol’ Ball Coach might want to start planning is exit strategy. After all, Hatin’-Ass Spurrier only works if he is winning games. If he loses games, then the trash talking becomes a worthless, annoying schtick.
On the other hand, can Kentucky be THAT good? They shall have a solid test to show how good they are against a rebuilding Florida under new HC Jim McElwain, a former assistant under Nick Saban at Alabama who got things rolling at Colorado State.
The Volunteers gave a valiant effort at home but in the end could not overcome the defensive halftime adjustments the Sooners made. But it was a good, exciting, competitive game. The new uniform designs thanks to Nike was a nice, fitting touch. But was even more visually stunning was the color-coordinated alternating orange and white checker pattern among the fans throughout the stands – very impressive, despite the loss.
The Oregon @ Michigan State game is certainly a game that lived up to its hype. The Spartans are stronger than at any year I have watched them in my lifetime (for reference, I am 35). Not even Nick Saban’s strong MSU squad from the 1999 season seems to be as rough and tough as this bunch. What Mark Dantonio has built in East Lansing in an era that has favored the warm-weather programs is nothing short of amazing. Better yet, it is not a fluke, but rather the product of steady building and improvement. Last season, the Spartans upset Baylor in the Cotton Bowl, and the season before that, they upset a heavily-favored Stanford Cardinal in the Rose Bowl. Again, given the incredibly competitive nature of the game, where most marquee recruits hail from the Sun Belt and prefer to stay in warm-weather environs, the success that Mark Dantonio has reaped at Michigan State is astounding.
College Football 2015 Quick Preview September 3, 2015
Posted by intellectualgridiron in Sports.Tags: Akron, Alabama, Arizona, Arizona State, Arkansas State, Auburn, Baylor, Bethune-Cookman, Bobby Petrino, Boise State, BYU, Central Michigan, Clemson, Colorado State, Eastern Michigan, Elon, Florida State, Georgia, Georgia Southern, Gus Malzahn, Houston, Idaho, Kevin Sumlin, LA Monroe, Louisville, Marshall, Miami (Fla.), Miami (Ohio), Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Mississippi State, Nebraska, Nick Saban, Norfolk State, North Carolina, Northern Illinois, Northwestern, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Ohio U, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Old Dominion, Paul Chryst, Presbyterian, Purdue, Rutgers, SavannahState, SMU, South Carolina, Southern Miss, Stanford, state, TCU, Tennessee Tech, Texas, Texas State, Todd Graham, UConn, UNLV, USC, Utah, UTSA, Vanderbilt, Villanova, Virginia Tech, Wake Forest, Washington, West Virginia, Western Kentucky, Western Michigan, Wisconsin, Wofford
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Atlanta bolsters its stature as one of the epicenters of college football by being the host city for arguably the best game of Week 1. Photo by Paul Abell, USA Today Sports.
Another glorious season of college football is about to commence. Come the evening of Thurs., Sept. 3, teams will have kicked off the most exciting three months in all of sports (four if you count the bowl game postseason), and come late Monday evening, the fans, analysts and pundits alike shall have had a look at whether or not the preseason rankings are worth any count.
What is particularly attractive about this particular opening weekend is that, unlike in some years past, there is a critical mass of high-stakes games from the beginning. Sure, the body-bag games abound as they usually do during Week One. However, there are many high-ranked teams that are about to butt heads with other ranked teams, or teams that are near-ranked and hungry for respect from the voters.
From the Chick-Fil-A Kickoff Classic in Atlanta, to an incredibly delectable home opener for Notre Dame in South Bend, Ind., to a Carolina border war Thursday evening, to a revenge game for Urban Meyer & Co. in Blacksburg, Va., on Labor Day evening, this weekend has it all. Below is thus faithfully submitted a list highlight and lowlight games on which to keep a fan’s eye. Enjoy, and God Bless America!
Ticket to die for: Auburn vs. Louisville in the Chick-Fil-A Kickoff in Atlanta; possible Texas @ Notre Dame, too.
Best non-Power Five vs. Power Five matchup: Western Kentucky @ Vanderbilt; BYU @ Nebraska
Best non-Power Five matchup: UNL @ Northern Illinois; Ohio U @ Idaho
Upset alert: Texas @ Notre Dame; TCU @ Minnesota (don’t laugh);
Must win: Ohio State @ Virginia Tech; Purdue @ Marshall
Offensive explosion: Arizona State @ Texas A&M
Defensive struggle: BYU @ Nebraska
Great game no one is talking about: South Carolina vs. North Carolina in Charlotte; Michigan @ Utah; Washington @ Boise State; Stanford @ Northwestern
Intriguing coaching matchup: Gus Malzahn of Auburn vs. Bobby Petrino of Louisville and Paul Chryst of Wisconsin vs. Nick Saban of Alabama; Todd Graham of Arizona State vs. Kevin Sumlin of Texas A&M
Who’s bringing the body bags? Baylor @ SMU; Akron @ Oklahoma; Mississippi State @ Southern Miss; UTSA @ Arizona; Michigan State @ Western Michigan; Texas State @ Florida State; Wofford @ Clemson; LA Monroe @ Georgia – and that’s the short list!
Why are they playing? Savannah State @ Colorado State; Oklahoma State @ Central Michigan; Norfolk State @ Rutgers; Arkansas State @ USC
Plenty of good seats remaining: Villanova @ UConn; also, Presbyterian @ Miami (Ohio); also Old Dominion @ Eastern Michigan;
They shoot horses, don’t they? Bethune-Cookman @ Miami (Fla.); Georgia Southern @ West Virginia; Tennessee Tech @ Houston; Elon @ Wake Forest
College Football Week 14 Awards November 30, 2014
Posted by intellectualgridiron in Sports.Tags: Alabama, Arizona, Arizona State, Art Briles, Baylor, Bill Snyder, Bobby Petrino, Boise State, Brian Kelly, Cincinnati, Clemson, Colin Cowherd, Colorado, Dave Doeren, East Carolina, Florida, Florida State, Fresno State, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Houston, Iowa State, Jim Mora, Kansas, Kansas State, Kentucky, Louisiana Tech, Louisville, Mark Richt, Marshall, Mississippi State, Missouri, N.C. State, North Carolina, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Ole Miss, Oregon, Paul Johnson, Rebels, Rice, Rich Rodriguez, SMU, South Carolina, South Florida, Stanford, Steve Spurrier, TCU, Temple, Tulane, UCF, UCLA, UConn, USC, Utah, Western Kentucky, Wisconsin
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(Note: All rankings are current AP [week 14] unless otherwise noted.)
COACHES
Wish I were him: Rich Rodriquez, Arizona
Glad I’m not him: Steve Spurrier, South Carolina
Lucky guy: Paul Johnson, Georgia Tech
Poor guy: Mark Richt, Georgia
Desperately seeking a wake-up call: Bobby Petrino, Louisville
Desperately seeking a P.R. man: Dave Doeren, N.C. State
Desperately seeking sunglasses and a fake beard: Jim Mora, UCLA
Desperately seeking … anything: Brian Kelly, Notre Dame
TEAMS
Thought you’d kick butt, you did: Kansas State (defeated Kansas 51–13)
Thought you’d kick butt, you didn’t: Utah (defeated Colorado 38–34)
Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you did: Notre Dame (lost to USC 49–14)
Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you didn’t: Kentucky (lost to Louisville 44–40)
Thought you wouldn’t kick butt, you did: N.C. State (defeated North Carolina 35–7)
Dang, they’re good: Alabama
Dang, they’re bad: South Florida
You know, they’re not so bad: Georgia Tech
Can’t Stand Prosperity: Mississippi State
Did the season start? South Carolina
Can the season end? Notre Dame
Can the season never end? Arizona
GAMES
Play this again: No. 11 Arizona 42, No. 13 Arizona State 35
Play this again, too: No. 22 Louisville 44, Kentucky 40
Never play this again: Louisiana Tech 76, Rice 31
What? Western Kentucky 67, No. 24 Marshall 66,OT
Huh? No. 16 Georgia Tech 30, No. 9 Georgia 24
Are you kidding me? Stanford 31, No. 9 UCLA 10
Oh – my – God: No. 19 Ole Miss 31, No. 4 Mississippi State 17
NEXT WEEK
(rankings are current AP (post-week 14, pre-week 15)
Ticket to die for: No. 1 Alabama vs. No. 17 Missouri
Best non-Power Five vs. Power Five matchup: None
Best non-Power Five matchup: UCF @ East Carolina
Upset alert: No. 12 Kansas State @ No. 7 Baylor
Must win: No. 14 Wisconsin vs. No. 6 Ohio State
Offensive explosion: No. 11 Arizona vs. No. 2 Oregon
Defensive struggle: Temple @ Tulane
Great game no one is talking about: Oklahoma State @ No. 20 Oklahoma
Intriguing coaching matchup: Bill Snyder of Kansas State vs. Art Briles of Baylor
Who’s bringing the body bags? Iowa State @ No. 5 TCU
Why are they playing? Fresno State @ No. 23 Boise State
Plenty of good seats remaining: SMU @ UConn
They shoot horses, don’t they? Houston @ Cincinnati
Week 14 Random Thoughts:
As Colin Cowherd so wisely predicted, the landscape of college football has been seriously altered after this, the rivalry week. Start with Ohio State losing their second quarterback to injury. Already on the outside looking in to the playoff picture, at No. 6 and with a third–string QB, it is unlikely they will have the credibility to be let into the top four of the playoff, even if they beat a coming–on–strong Wisconsin.
South Carolina was already a team that we know what they were this month: a team that blows 4th-quarter leads (notwithstanding beating Florida at game’s end a couple of weeks ago). Such a tendency has already ruined their season. Such ruination was given an exclamation point when they laid down and died to in–state rival Clemson. “I the guys, 6–6 might be what we are,” he sighed in the post–game press conference. Let us hope this is not the last we have seen of the Ol’ Ball Coach, and that he has an opportunity to go out on a high note (along with a better record) next season.
Of course, nothing has altered the current college football picture like Mississippi State losing ignominiously to their arch–rival Ole Miss. All they had to do was beat the Rebels –– a tall order, to be sure –– and they would likely have secured a coveted spot into the top four playoff picture. Not anymore, in all likelihood, and more the pity.
Meanwhile, chippy UCLA had a golden opportunity –– wink –– to play for the Pac–12 title as the south division representative against Oregon. All that was before they dropped the ball to an apparently resurgent Stanford, thus giving the south division championship berth to Arizona instead. Hello, offensive explosion!
My prognostication for the final four playoffs? Alabama, Oregon, Florida State, and TCU –– if these shadows remain unchanged, which, at this rate, they will not.
College Football Awards Week 11 November 11, 2014
Posted by intellectualgridiron in Sports, Uncategorized.Tags: Alabama, Arizona State, Arkansas, Auburn, BC, Bill Snyder, Boston College, Brian Kelly, Buffalo, Butch Jones, Cards, Cincinnati, Clemson, college, Crimson Tide, Doc Holliday, Duke, East Carolina, Florida, football, Gary Patterson, Georgia, Georgia Southern, Gus Malzahn, Horned Frogs, Houston, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Iowa State, Irish, Kansas, Kansas State, Kentucky, Kevin Sumlin, Kirk Ferentz, KSU, Louisville, LSU, Mark Dantonio, Mark Stoops, Marshall, Maryland, Michigan State, Minnesota, Mississippi State, Missouri, Navy, NCAA, Northwestern, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Ole Miss, Pat Fitzgerald, Penn State, Pittsburgh, Presbyterian, SEC, South Carolina, Southern Miss, Sun Devils, TCU, Temple, Tennessee, Texas, Texas A&M, Tigers, Todd Graham, Tony Levine, Troy, Urban Meyer, Virginia Tech, Wake Forest, West Virginia, Wildcats
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(Note: All rankings are current AP [week 11] unless otherwise noted.)
COACHES
Wish I were him: Todd Graham, Arizona State
Glad I’m not him: Mark Dantonio, Michigan State (hon. mention: Brian Kelly, Notre Dame)
Lucky guy: Kevin Sumlin, Texas A&M
Poor guy: Gus Malzahn, Auburn
Desperately seeking a wake-up call: Tony Levine, Houston
Desperately seeking a P.R. man: Doc Holliday, Marshall
Desperately seeking sunglasses and a fake beard: Kirk Ferentz, Iowa
Desperately seeking … anything: Pat Fitzgerald, Northwestern
TEAMS
Thought you’d kick butt, you did: No. 11 Ole Miss (defeated Presbyterian 48-0)
Thought you’d kick butt, you didn’t: Penn State (defeated Indiana 13-7)
Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you did: Kentucky (lost to No. 20 Georgia 63-31)
Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you didn’t: Wake Forest (lost to No. 21 Clemson 34-20)
Thought you wouldn’t kick butt, you did: Marshall (defeated Southern Miss 63-17)
Dang, they’re good: TCU
Dang, they’re bad: Iowa State
You know, they’re not so bad: Louisville
Can’t Stand Prosperity: Michigan State
Did the season start? West Virginia
Can the season end? Buffalo
Can the season never end? Ohio State
GAMES
Play this again: No. 3 Auburn 35, No. 3 Ole Miss 31
Play this again, too: No. 24 Duke 51, Pittsburgh 48
Never play this again: Marshall 63, Southern Miss 17
What? Texas 33, No. 23 West Virginia 16
Huh? No. 9 Arizona State 55, No. 10 Notre Dame 31
Are you kidding me? No. 14 Ohio State 49, No. 8 Michigan State 37
Oh – my – God: Texas A&M 41, No. 3 Auburn 38
NEXT WEEK
(rankings are current AP (post-week 11, pre-week 12)
Ticket to die for: No. 1 Mississippi State @ No. 5 Alabama
Best non-Power Five vs. Power Five matchup: Temple @ Penn State
Best non-Power Five matchup: East Carolina @ Cincinnati
Upset alert: No. 16 LSU @ Arkansas
Must win: South Carolina @ Florida
Offensive explosion: Missouri @ Texas A&M
Defensive struggle: Virginia Tech @ No. 22 Duke
Great game no one is talking about: No. 14 Ohio State @ Minnesota
Intriguing coaching matchup: Mark Stoops of Kentucky vs. Butch Jones of Tennessee
Who’s bringing the body bags? No. 6 TCU @ Kansas
Why are they playing? Georgia Southern @ Navy
Plenty of good seats remaining: Troy @ Idaho
They shoot horses, don’t they? No. 12 Michigan State @ Maryland
Week 11 Random Thoughts:
- So many good games took place from 19:00 or later on the 8th of November. Start with Louisville at Boston College, which should not have been interesting on paper, but was, unfortunately, due to the Cardinals’ inability to get it together for the first half (they did in the second). Then again, the Cards have always had their troubles with BC! But then came TCU vs. Kansas State. Bill Snyder has put together an excellent team for this year, and the Wildcats being well-coached shows on the field (especially against Auburn early on in the season). But even a good time like KSU was no match for Gary Patterson’s Horned Frogs, who are making every statement they can in order to vie for the playoffs.
Or, look at Ohio State vs. Michigan State. After the Buckeyes laid an egg at home to a mediocre Virginia Tech squad, everybody was skeptical as to how good a team they truly were. Leave it to Urban Meyer to coach his talented bunch up to be more than a match for Mark Dantonio’s Spartans.
But it turned out the most important game, and the one with the biggest national title implications was the Alabama-LSU game. In typical fashion, it was a defensive struggle, and just to make things even more exciting / to heighten the already high degree of urgency even further, the game went into overtime. The Crimson Tide still have a brutal slate of games ahead, but their win is certain a step in the right direction for them
- As I have noted before, Notre Dame is overrated. To be sure, I also noted (in other article) that they are enigmatic. But the overrated question mark remained; lurking, hidden, just waiting for the right opportunity to emerge. Thanks be to Todd Graham and the Arizona State Sun Devils to confirm that which us skeptics felt all along. After all, to have the Irish be among the final four, thus displacing a far-more deserving second SEC team in the process, would have been a travesty beyond words: a travesty, thankfully, that will be pre-empted before it even began.
The 2013-2014 NCAA Bowl Games: The Good, The Bad, and the Intriguing December 21, 2013
Posted by intellectualgridiron in Sports.Tags: Alabama, Alamo, Arizona State, Armed Forces, Auburn, Baylor, BBVA Compass, Boise State, Bowl, bowl game, Buffalo, BYU, Central Florida, Clemson, college, Cotton, Fiesta, Florida State, football, Fresno State, Hawaii, Heart of Dallas, Holiday, Houston, Idaho Potato Bowl, Kraft Fight Hunger, Las Vegas, Louisiana-Lafayette, Michigan State, Middle Tennessee, Missouri, national championship, Navy, NCAA, New Orleans, North Texas, Northern Illinois, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Orange, Oregon, Oregon State, Poinsettia, Rose, San Diego State, Southern California, Stanford, Sugar, Texas, Texas Tech, Tulane, UNLV, USC, Utah State, Vanderbilt, Washington
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Oklahoma State and Missouri used to play each other routinely as conference foes, even as recently as 2009. Since Mizzou skipped the Big XII for the SEC, however, that routine came to an abrupt end. Now, they are to meet each other again in the Cotton Bowl.
Ticket to die for: Could it be any more obvious? No. 1 Florida State vs. No. 2 Auburn in the BCS National Championship Game (Jan. 6)
Best non-Big Six vs. Big Six matchup: (two good ones) No. 20 Fresno State vs. No. 25 USC in the Las Vegas Bowl (Dec. 21), and Boise State vs. Oregon State in the Hawaii Bowl (Dec. 24)
Best non-Big Six matchup: Utah State vs. No. 23 Northern Illinois in the Poinsettia Bowl (Dec. 26)
Upset alert: No. 5 Stanford vs. No. 4 Michigan State in the Rose Bowl (Jan. 1)
Must win: No. 12 Clemson vs. No. 7 Ohio State in the Orange Bowl (Jan. 3)
Think there’s enough Crimson? No. 11 Oklahoma vs. No. 3 Alabama in the Sugar Bowl (Jan. 2)
Old Rivals Reunite: No. 13 Oklahoma State vs. No. 8 Missouri in the Cotton Bowl (Jan. 3)
Offensive explosion: No. 14 Arizona State vs. Texas Tech in the Holiday Bowl (Dec. 30)
Defensive struggle: Middle Tennessee vs. Navy in the Armed Forces Bowl (Dec. 30)
Great game no one is talking about: BYU vs. Washington in the Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl (Dec. 27)
Home Field Advantage: Louisiana-Lafayette @ Tulane in the New Orleans Bowl (Dec. 21)
Could be bad for the home team: No. 10 Oregon vs. Texas in the Alamo Bowl (Dec. 30)
Intriguing coaching matchup: Brady Hoke of Michigan vs. Bill Snyder of Kansas State in the Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl (Dec. 28)
Who’s bringing the body bags? No. 6 Baylor vs. No. 15 Central Florida in the Fiesta Bowl (Jan. 1)
Why are they playing? UNLV vs. North Texas in the Heart of Dallas Bowl (Jan. 1)
Plenty of good seats remaining: Buffalo vs. San Diego State in the Idaho Potato Bowl (Dec. 21)
They shoot horses, don’t they? Vanderbilt vs. Houston in the BBVA Compass Bowl (Jan. 4)
College Football Week 12 Awards November 17, 2013
Posted by intellectualgridiron in Sports.Tags: Al Golden, Alabama, Auburn, Baylor, Bowling Green, BYU, Cal, California, Central Florida, Chattanooga, Cincinnati, Coastal Carolina, college, David Bailiff, Duke, Ed Orgeron, FBS, Florida State, football, Frank Solich, Gators, Georgia, Gus Malzahn, Houston, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Iowa State, J.J. Worton, Kansas, Kansas State, Kevin Sumlin, Les Miles, LSU, Mack Brown, Mark Richt, Maryland, Miami (Florida), Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Mizzou, NCAA, Notre Dame, Ohio U, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Ole Miss, Purdue, Ricardo Louis, Rice, Rutgers, Sonny Dykes, South Carolina, Southern Cal, Stanford, Syracuse, TCU, Temple, Texas, Texas A&M, Texas State, Texas Tech, UCF, UConn, USC, Virginia Tech, West Virginia, Western Kentucky, Will Muschamp
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(Note: All rankings are current AP [week 12] unless otherwise noted.)
COACHES
Wish I were him: Ed Orgeron, USC
Glad I’m not him: Mack Brown, Texas
Lucky guy: Gus Malzahn, Auburn
Poor guy: Mark Richt, Georgia
Desperately seeking a clue: Frank Solich, Ohio U
Desperately seeking a P.R. man: David Bailiff, Rice
Desperately seeking sunglasses and a fake beard: Al Golden, Miami (Fla.)
Desperately seeking … anything: Sonny Dykes, Cal
TEAMS
Thought you’d kick butt, you did: Oklahoma (defeated Iowa State 48-10)
Thought you’d kick butt, you didn’t: Central Florida (defeated Temple 39-36)
Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you did: Syracuse (lost to Florida State 59-3)
Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you didn’t: Temple (lost to UCF 39-36)
Thought you wouldn’t kick butt, you did: Bowling Green (defeated Ohio U 49-0)
Dang, they’re good: Baylor
Dang, they’re bad: Ohio U
Can’t Stand Prosperity: Stanford
Did the season start? Rutgers
Can the season end? Cal
Can the season never end? USC
GAMES
Play this again: No. 7 Auburn 43, No. 25 Georgia 38
Play this again, too: Kansas State 33, TCU 31
Never play this again: No. 2 Florida State 59, Syracuse 3
What? Maryland 27, Virginia Tech 24, OT
Huh? Kansas 31, West Virginia 19
Are you kidding me? Duke 48, No. 23 Miami 30
Oh – my – God: USC 20, No. 4 Stanford 17
Told you so: No. 4 Baylor 63, Texas Tech 34
NEXT WEEK
(rankings are current AP (post-week 12, pre-week 13)
Ticket to die for: No. 4 Baylor @ No. 14 Oklahoma State
Ticket to die for, SEC edition: No. 15 Texas A&M @ No. 12 LSU
Best non-Big Six vs. Big Six matchup: BYU @ Notre Dame
Best non-Big Six matchup: Texas State @ Western Kentucky
Upset alert: No. 18 Oklahoma @ Kansas State
Must win: No. 8 Missouri @ Ole Miss
Offensive explosion: Baylor @ Oklahoma State
Defensive struggle: Michigan @ Iowa
Great game no one is talking about: Cincinnati @ Houston
Intriguing coaching matchup: Kevin Sumlin of Texas A&M vs. Les Miles of LSU
Who’s bringing the body bags? Idaho @ No. 2 Florida State
Why are they playing? Chattanooga @ No. 1 Alabama
Plenty of good seats remaining: UConn @ Temple
Plenty of good seats remaining, Big Ten edition: Illinois @ Purdue
They shoot horses, don’t they? Coastal Carolina @ No. 11 South Carolina
Week 12 Random Thoughts
Okay, so this week was not big on upsets; some of the lower-tiered ones listed here were borderline reaches. But there were some eye-popping, jaw-to-the-floor-dropping catches. For instance, there was one flying, one-handed touchdown catch by a UCF receiver that put the Golden Knights even with Temple, and thus put them on the path to preserve their undefeated season.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u9z_-zoD63U
A different sort of catch, but one that solidified victory was a tipped pass on 4-and-forever that just so happened to fall within reach of an Auburn receiver going deep. Ricardo Louis managed to reach for the ball in stride and cruise to the end zone for a touchdown that caused Jordan-Hare Stadium to erupt in ecstasy.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gf5jnajTKJI
USC, meanwhile, seems to have been rejuvenated under the leadership of Ed Orgeron. Few experts were predicting a win over No. 4-ranked Stanford, what with the Cardinal’s hard-charging power running game. But the Trojans’ defense help firm enough to nullify the Cardinal’s advantage, and in the end, helped produce the biggest win for USC yet this season. In case someone might think that last statement is an exaggeration, when, might I ask in return, was the last time you saw the students rush the field at LA Coliseum this year?
Meanwhile, we all knew this week would come. This time around, it just so happens to be Week 13 where most SEC teams have the unenviable task of being pitiless executioner to FCS fare, glorified or otherwise. The irony is that this time around, these teams are not chump D-1AA teams. Alabama is playing Chattanooga, who is currently 8-3. South Carolina is to play Coastal Carolina, who is currently 10-1 (at least they’re not playing Wofford this time!). Florida will play Georgia Southern, who might only be 6-4 in FCS play, but they’re still a traditional power at that level. But that aside, why schedule these glorified body bag games so late in year? Did we not get enough of these sub-par matchups in September?
Speaking of Georgia Southern, though, maybe Florida will finally be able to win a game again. No, that is not a type-o. The Florida Gators (yes, THE Florida Gators) are on a five-game losing streak. Why, you might ask? Perhaps these stats might explain a few things: they rank 101st in the FBS in passing yardage, 82nd in rushing yards, and 112th in “points for,” meaning the total number of points their offense has scored. Yet they rank 14th in points against. The latter is a more-than-respectable stat; the rest of positively abysmal, especially by Florida standards. Clearly, they have a good defense; they are just atrocious on offense. Who is to blame? One possibility is Will Muschamp, who is a defensive coordinator by trade before becoming the head coach in Gainesville. Could he invest some capital in a better offensive coordinator? That might help. But at this point, it leaves fans and observers alike to wonder if he is the man for this sort of job.
At this point, it’s a fairly safe bet that that Florida could snap their five-game losing streak on Nov. 23; but the following week they face No. 2 Florida State. What is the “over-under” for the Gators going 5-7 this year, Vegas?
College Football Week 11 Awards November 11, 2013
Posted by intellectualgridiron in Sports.Tags: Alabama, Arizona State, Army, Auburn, Ball State, Baylor, Bob Stoops, Bobby Petrino, Brady Hoke, BYU, college, Colorado, David Shaw, FIU, Florida, Florida International, Florida State, football, Gus Malzahn, Hawaii, Houston, Idaho State, Iowa State, Les Miles, Louisville, LSU, Mark Helfrich, Miami (Fla.), Miami (Ohio), Michigan, NCAA, Norm Chow, Northern Illinois, Notre Dame, Ohio U, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Ole Miss, Oregon, Oregon State, Pac-12, Penn State, Pittsburgh, Purdue, Sooners, South Carolina, Stanford, Steve Spurrier, Texas, Texas Tech, Troy, UConn, Utah, UTEP, Vanderbilt, Virginia Tech, Wake Forest, Washington, West Virginia, Western Kentucky, Will Muschamp
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(Note: All rankings are current AP [week 11] unless otherwise noted.)
COACHES
Wish I were him: David Shaw, Stanford
Glad I’m not him: Mark Helfrich, Oregon
Lucky guy: Bobby Petrino, Western Kentucky
Poor guy: Les Miles, LSU
Desperately seeking a clue: Brady Hoke, Michigan
Desperately seeking a P.R. man: Gus Malzahn, Auburn
Desperately seeking sunglasses and a fake beard: Bob Stoops, Oklahoma
Desperately seeking … anything: Norm Chow, Hawaii
TEAMS
Thought you’d kick butt, you did: Florida State (defeated Wake Forest 59-3)
Thought you’d kick butt, you didn’t: Louisville (defeated UConn only 31-10)
Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you did: Colorado (lost to Washington 59-7)
Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you didn’t: Army (lost to Western Kentucky 21-17)
Thought you wouldn’t kick butt, you did: Baylor (defeated Oklahoma 41-12)
Dang, they’re good: Stanford
Dang, they’re bad: Miami (Ohio)
Can’t Stand Prosperity: Oregon
Did the season start? Ohio U
Can the season end? Purdue
Can the season never end? Baylor
GAMES
Play this again: Texas 47, West Virginia 40, OT
Play this again, too: Pittsburgh 28, No. 23 Notre Dame 21
Never play this again: No. 2 Florida State 59, Wake Forest 3
What? Pittsburgh 28, No. 23 Notre Dame 21
Huh? No. 5 Stanford 26, No. 2 Oregon 20
Are you kidding me? Vanderbilt 31, Florida 17
Oh – my – God: Virginia Tech 42, No. 11 Miami 24
Told you so: No. 22 Arizona State 20, Utah 19
NEXT WEEK
(rankings are current AP (post-week 11, pre-week 12)
Ticket to die for: Texas Tech @ No. 4 Baylor (or, No. 12 Oklahoma State @ No. 23 Texas)
Best non-Big Six vs. Big Six matchup: Troy @ Ole Miss (yes, I know, we had to scrape at the bottom of the barrel even for that one!)
Best non-Big Six matchup: Ball State @ No. 20 Northern Illinois (Wed.)
Upset alert: Oregon State @ No. 22 Arizona State
Must win: Houston @ No. 19 Louisville
Offensive explosion: Texas Tech @ No. 4 Baylor
Defensive struggle: Florida @ No. 11 South Carolina
Great game no one is talking about: Ball State @ No. 20 Northern Illinois (Wed.)
Intriguing coaching matchup: Will Muschamp of Florida vs. Steve Spurrier of South Carolina
Who’s bringing the body bags? Iowa State @ No. 22 Oklahoma (or, No. 3 Ohio State @ Illinois)
Why are they playing? Idaho State @ BYU
Plenty of good seats remaining: FIU @ UTEP
They shoot horses, don’t they? Penn State @ Purdue
Week 11 Random Thoughts:
Okay, so it might not have been the biggest week in the college football season. But it was good. Not one, but two rock-‘em, sock-‘em match-ups on Thursday night? Yes, please! True, one of the outcomes was a bit less than exciting. But is it always not fun – outside of Sooner Nation, at least – to see the arrogant Bob Stoops take a shellacking? On the west coast was a “ticket to die for” that solidified the standings for the Pac-12. Oregon looked like a hurry-up offensive juggernaut. Green tee-shirts saying how the team, and indeed, the entire community, wanting a shot at Alabama, practically littered the campus. In Palo Alto, Calif., meanwhile, was Stanford. Sure, they were tough, but they already had one loss, and it was to Utah. Let that sink in for a moment. A team that could field an entire offense of tight ends if it wanted to – okay, so they look like they could! – all of a sudden gets beat by [now] 4-5 Utah.
So it was going to be a titanic clash; that much we knew. But let us be honest; we all thought that the advantage would be Oregon’s, given their previous performances, and given that no other team’s defense could keep up with their offense. What Stanford did was turn their offense into their defense. A tough running game between the tackles exposed Oregon for being undersized on that side of the ball. At one point, the Cardinal kept the ball for a full half of the third quarter in one series according to some reports. Oregon may have a great system, but Stanford had better NFL-caliber talent, and it showed. The only reason that the Cardinal beat the Ducks by only six points is that Stanford took their foot off the gas half-way through the fourth quarter. They got more conservative, and took fewer risks, and that gave Oregon the opportunity for their type of offense to make up points quickly. Otherwise, the margin of victory would have been three touchdowns.
Meanwhile, Baylor has yet again proven their mettle by beating a ranked, marquee program, and in convincing fashion. The irony in all of this is that even though the Sooners have been ranked well over the course of the season, it still cannot be considered a good year, since they have lost badly to Texas and now to Baylor. Heaven help them if they lose to the Cowboys in the Bedlam Series!
College Football Week 10 Awards November 3, 2013
Posted by intellectualgridiron in Sports.Tags: Air Force, Al Golden, Alabama, Appalachian State, Auburn, Baylor, Bo Pelini, Boilermakers, Boston College, Braxton Miller, Buckeyes, Buffalo, Butch Jones, BYU, Central Florida, Chattanooga, college, Colorado State, Darrell Hazell, Florida, Florida State, football, Georgia, Georgia State, Gus Malzahn, Houston, Idaho, Indiana, Jimbo Fisher, Kevin Wilson, Kyle Flood, Louisville, LSU, Marshall, Memphis, Miami, Michigan, Michigan State, Missouri, NCAA, Nebraska, New Mexico, Nick Saban, Northern Illinois, Ohio State, Ohio U, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Old Dominion, Oregon, Oregon State, Purdue, Rod Carey, Rutgers, Southern Miss, Stanford, Temple, Tennessee, Texas Tech, UCF, UConn, Urban Meyer, USC, Vanderbilt, Virginia Tech, Wisconsin
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(Note: All rankings are current AP [week 10] unless otherwise noted.)
COACHES
Wish I were him: Jimbo Fisher, Florida State
Glad I’m not him: Mike Riley, Oregon State
Lucky guy: Bo Pelini, Nebraska
Poor guy: Kevin Wilson, Indiana
Desperately seeking a clue: Kyle Flood, Rutgers
Desperately seeking a P.R. man: Rod Carey, Northern Illinois
Desperately seeking sunglasses and a fake beard: Butch Jones, Tennessee
Desperately seeking … anything: Darrell Hazell, Purdue
TEAMS
Thought you’d kick butt, you did: Ohio State (defeated Purdue 56-0)
Thought you’d kick butt, you didn’t: Rutgers (defeated Temple 23-20)
Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you did: Purdue (lost to Ohio State 56-0)
Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you didn’t: Boston College (defeated Virginia Tech 34-27)
Thought you wouldn’t kick butt, you did: Marshall (defeated Southern Miss 61-13)
Dang, they’re good: Ohio State
Dang, they’re bad: Purdue
Good Bounce-Back: Missouri
Did the season start? Mississippi State
Can the season end? Memphis
Can the season never end? Florida State
GAMES
Play this again: West Virginia 30, TCU 27, OT
Play this again, too: Georgia 23, Florida 20
Never play this again: No. 4 Ohio State 56, Purdue 0
What? USC 31, Oregon State 14
Huh? Boston College 34, Virginia Tech 27
Are you kidding me? No. 22 Michigan State 29, No. 21 Michigan 6
Oh – my – God: No. 18 Oklahoma State 52, No. 15 Texas Tech 34
NEXT WEEK
(rankings are current AP (post-week 10, pre-week 11)
Ticket to die for: (tie) No. 2 Oregon @ No. 6 Stanford (Thurs.), and No. 12 LSU @ No. 1 Alabama
Best non-Big Six vs. Big Six matchup: BYU @ No. 22 Wisconsin
Best non-Big Six matchup: Ohio U @ Buffalo
Upset alert: Tennessee @ No. 10 Auburn
Must win: Houston @ No. 21 Central Florida
Offensive explosion: No. 15 Oklahoma @ No. 8 Baylor (Thurs.)
Defensive struggle: Vanderbilt @ Florida
Great game no one is talking about: No. 24 Arizona State @ Utah
Intriguing coaching matchup: Butch Jones of Tennessee vs. Gus Malzahn of Auburn
Who’s bringing the body bags? No. 16 Louisville @ UConn
Why are they playing? Appalachian State @ Georgia
Plenty of good seats remaining: Air Force @ New Mexico
They shoot horses, don’t they? Old Dominion @ Idaho
Week 10 Random Thoughts:
I have come to the conclusion that these “body bag” games, such as the Purdue-Ohio State debacle I personally witnessed yesterday, are really glorified scrimmages. Case in point: the Buckeyes were already up 42-0 on the Boilermakers at halftime, and no sooner did the third quarter begin that they took out starting QB Braxton Miller and put in the back-up (#13). A prudent move, for who in the their right mind would subject the beating heart of their offense to further risk of injury when the game is already comfortably in hand? One would think at one point that Urban Meyer would send an emissary in the form of a ball boy (or somebody) to Darrell Hazell, asking him to run an “X-dig” pass play or a run play off tackle so his defense could better hone their craft in reacting to such maneuvers from the offense.
At least it was a conference game. Most of these “body bag” games have been essentially dial-up “W’s”. Check out half of the home games for the SEC teams, if you don’t believe me. The next time Nick Saban grouses about the fans leaving the game early, maybe he ought to schedule better home games than Colorado State, Georgia State, and Chattanooga.
intellectualgridiron 