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Alabama rolls, Hawkeyes Stumble and the jury's still out on the Ducks

Four downs and little OT about week three.

First Down

The groan everyone heard coming out SEC territory Saturday afternoon was the collective realization that Alabama is probably better this season than last.  After sitting out the first two weeks with an injury, reigning Heisman Trophy winner Mark Ingram busted loose for 151 yards and two touchdowns.  In case you were wondering, he did it on nine carries.  Duke is not a defensive powerhouse, but averaging 15 yards per carry is remarkable.

Making matters more difficult for SEC foes is Alabama is not just a running team either.  McElroy was efficient once again passing for 258 yards and three TD’s.  The Tide can beat you running and passing.  Of course, Alabama will face much stiffer competition at Arkansas this week, but if any team has aspirations of beating the Tide, they better come ready to stop a locomotive train running downhill.

Second Down

Unlike last weekend, fans were treated to plenty of memorable games with exciting finishes on Saturday.  Here are the top three.

Michigan State vs. Notre Dame.  Quick, name a coach more conservative than Jim Tressel?  Someone must have secretly replaced Mark Dantonio with Chris Petersen at the end of the Spartans’ dramatic 34-31 OT win against the Irish.  Calling for a fake field goal was a gutsy decision that paid off, and the Spartans are 3-0 for the first time since 2007.   Let’s hope Dantonio gets well soon after suffering a heart attack after the game. It will be nice to see him navigate this team through the Big Ten. 

Auburn vs. Clemson.  After being manhandled in every way possible in the first half, Auburn storms back in the third quarter scoring 21 unanswered points.  Clemson eventually found the end zone scoring a TD in the fourth to force OT.  Both teams were exhausted at the end of regulation from the brutal hitting and the heat, and had little in the tank to close out the game.

Auburn nailed a field goal to take the lead, and their defense forced a Clemson field goal attempt after QB Parket missed a wide open Jarron Brown in the end zone on third down.  Chandler Catanzaro hit a perfect kick to tie the game for Clemson, but center Dalton Freeman was called for an illegal procedure penalty for double pumping the ball.  Catanzaro’s second attempt was wide left, and Jordan Hare erupted as Auburn wins the hard fought game.

Arkansas vs. Georgia.  With their backs against the wall, Georgia came out lethargic, and showed little enthusiasm for winning this game.  The Razorbacks were pushing around the Bulldogs through the first three quarters, and then Mark Richt gives a fiery speech to his players before the start of the fourth quarter.   It worked – unfortunately just for 14 minutes.   

Georgia scored two touchdowns to tie the score. The Bulldogs stole the momentum, and it looked as though they would get the much needed victory to stay alive in the SEC race.  Instead, they gave the ball back to Ryan Mallett who had a little under a minute to orchestrate a game winning drive.  Mallett carved up the Bulldog defense like it was not even on the field.  He finished the drive by hooking up with WR Chris Childs for a 40-yard touchdown to seal win, and set up a huge showdown next week against Alabama in Fayetteville. 

Third Down

The bad losses are starting to mount.

Iowa’s 34-27 loss to Arizona.  Someone must have forgotten to tell the Hawkeyes that the game started at 10:30pm, and they needed to be ready to play.  Early turnovers and special teams’ miscues led to a 27-7 halftime deficit, and Iowa’s dream season came to a screeching halt in the desert Saturday night.  Give the Hawkeyes credit for coming back in the second half, but this loss smashes any hope of playing for a national title. 

Washington’s 56-21 loss to Nebraska in Huskey Stadium.  The stage was set for Heisman hopeful Jake Locker to finally lead his team to a major victory, and prove that he is a top level quarterback. Not only did Locker fail, he was significantly outplayed by Nebraska redshirt freshman QB Taylor Martinez who tore apart the Huskies defense for 287 total yards and four touchdowns.  Year two under HC Steve Sarkisian is not looking good right now. 

Fourth Down

Is Oregon legitimate?  The Ducks are averaging 611 yards and 63 points per game which is amazing.  The problem is their competition has not been very good.  Tennessee is rebuilding, and not likely to make a bowl game this year.  New Mexico has the worst defense in the FBS, and Portland State has the third worst defense in the FCS.  By comparison, Texas Tech put up 52 points against New Mexico, and Arizona State scored 54 against Portland State.  

The answer will come over the next two weeks when Oregon plays at Arizona State and at home against Stanford. After watching the Sun Devils play well against the Badgers and Stanford throttle Wake Forest, the Ducks are unlikely to put up the same kind of numbers.  If they do, the Ducks are legit, and might just play for the national title. 

OT

Memo to all FBS schools…FCS schools have talent too. South Dakota, Jacksonville State and JMU proved it again this year beating Minnesota, Ol Miss and Va Tech respectively.  Furman and UMass gave South Carolina and Michigan all they could handle.  Teams that take the lower division schools lightly are paying the price.  It is time to pay some respect to little brother. 

Dr. Tressel and Mr. Pryor Deliver

Earlier this season, I was in the camp of critical observers of Tressel's offensive strategy and Pryor's inability to read defenses.  After the Purdue game, I was highly critical of OSU's offense - not just this season, but every season under Tressel.  My primary criticism was based on the Tressel's outward resistance/apathy toward having a top 10 offense to go along with the top ten defense each year.  How many championships have been lost because the offense could not deliver in big games?  Several.

As expected the win against Oregon in the Rose Bowl has temporarily silenced the critics.  Tressel's pass first approach was not expected by anyone, especially Oregon.  The Senator gave the pupil a good lesson in football...balance wins games.  OSU had offense and defense.  Oregon had little of either.  If not for special teams play, Oregon may have not scored. 

Maybe the Rose Bowl game reflects Tressel's ability to bend his offensive philosophy.  The defensive side of the ball made the change three years ago, and has been paying dividends for two seasons.  Compared to 2007, OSU's co-defensive coordinator's Heacock and Fickel, have shown a fantastic ability to adjust to the current spread/no huddle offenses.  The spread offense is no longer a thorn in OSU's side.  The coaching staff has recruited faster players who close the gaps much quicker.  If Tressel has made a change on the offensive side of the ball, 2010 will be a special season.

Urban Meyer

Urban Meyer shocked the college football world yesterday by announcing that he will step down as head coach of the Florida Gators after the Sugar Bowl on January 1^st.  What is not so shocking is the reason why.  The stress of being a head coach is causing him health problems that he can no longer ignore. 

 

Napoleon Hill said, “Great achievement is usually born of great sacrifice, and is never the result of selfishness.”  Meyer’s commitment to this principle has earned him the highest honor in the college coaching profession – two national championships.  Unfortunately, this sacrifice brought a health issues penalty that was beyond his control.

 

Give Meyer some credit for recognizing that his health is a higher priority than coaching football.  Anyone who is a competitor knows the difficulty of saying I can no longer give elite level effort.  Looking in that mirror and admitting vulnerability is painful.  Meyer’s acceptance took some time to occur, but he finally realized could not coach his way out of the problem. 

 

College football needs more Meyer’s in the profession.  He’s innovative, a teacher and a motivator.  The game will move on, but his style will be missed beyond the Florida Gators.  Hopefully he will recover and return to the sidelines one day. 

College Bowl Top Five

Seems fitting that college football bowl season is beginning today with DC getting about a foot of snow right now.  A lot of stories have been written, but here are my top five games.

Alabama vs Texas.  Hard to not love the match up against two of the most storied programs in college football history.  Texas slept walked through the regular season, barely cracking a sweat except against Texas in the Big 12 Championship game.  Bama had a few close calls, but pretty much dominated the SEC.  Tide running back Mark Ingram became the first Alabama Heisman Trophy winner last week.  Recent history suggests this favors Texas though. 

The key to the game will be Texas' offense against Bama's phenomenal defense.  Can McCoy and Co. deliver?  I think they do.  The stage is set for a great game.  Texas wins 24-21.

Oregon vs. Ohio State.  Oregon has a high powered offense led by QB Jeremiah Masoli.  Ohio State is led by a quick, opportunistic defense.  PAC 10 has dominated the Big 10 in the Rose Bowl this decade.  Ohio State has not won a big non-conference/bowl game since 2005.  Can the Buckeyes get back on track?  Can Pryor deliver on the big stage, and set up the high expectations for 2010?  The winner will likely be a top 3 preseason pick next year.  Defense wins championships, right?  Go with the Buckeyes, 27-23.

TCU vs. Boise State.  Forget the talk about this being a charity bowl game to appease the non-automatic qualifier conferences.  Forget the conspiracy talk about the BCS not matching TCU or Boise against an automatic qualifier.  The Fiesta Bowl almost always delivers fireworks, and this game will be phenomenal.  TCU wins a high scoring game, 45-37.

Arizona vs. Nebraska.  I love the Holiday Bowl.  The scoring is generally high, but not this year.  Nebraska has a great defense which will keep the scoring in the teens.  Give Mike Stoops some credit.  His first few seasons in the desert were abysmal.  He is starting to deliver.  Similar to the Rose Bowl, the winner of this game will be a high preseason pick in 2010.  The game will go down to wire.  Nebraska wins 18-17.  

FSU vs. WVU.  Bobby Bowden's last game and he's playing against the school he coached before Florida State.  Florida State lack speed and WVU has speed.  That should be the difference.  A remarkable career will end in a loss.  WVU wins 35-28.

In today's games, in the New Mexico Bowl, Fresno will soundly beat Wyoming, 42-21.  Ryan Matthews will run wild against the Cowboys.  In the St. Petersburg Bowl, Rutgers will be Central Florida 35-14. 

Title Weekend, Bama Should Roll

Championship weekend got off to a hot start Thursday night as the Oregon Ducks beat the Oregon State Beavers 37-33 in the Civil War sending the Ducks to the Rose Bowl.  Oregon versus Ohio State should be a great game.

 

Today’s slate brings us the CUSA, SEC, Big 12 and ACC Championship games, and technically the Big East championship game since the winner of the Pittsburgh/Cincinnati game wins the Big East.  Central Michigan beat Ohio University to win the MAC last night. 

 

SEC

 

A rematch of last year’s SEC championship game.  Undefeated #1 Florida against undefeated #2 Alabama.  Tim Tebow is seeking his second SEC championship (as a starter) and his third BCS Title trip.  The Heisman Trophy is also on the line.  Bama is trying to get to their first SEC Championship since 1999.  Running back Mark Ingram is also a legitimate Heisman candidate.  A strong performance against the Gators might propel him to the top.

 

Both defenses are elite. There are few, if any, weaknesses on this side of the ball for both the Tide and Gators.  Bama’s defense might have the edge now that Florida defensive end Carlos Dunlop was suspended for the game following a DUI earlier this week. 

 

The key for Bama, stop Tebow from being Tebow.  If Bama can get to Tebow and put pressure on him, the Tide will win this game.  This is a huge if considering no team has really been able to get to Tebow this year, but no other team has had Bama’s defense either.  Saban will have his team ready to attack.

 

The keys for Florida is stop Ingram and disrupt Tide QB Greg McElroy.  Again, no other team has yet to do this for an entire game this year, but Florida has the defensive talent to stop Bama’s offense.  The loss of Dunlop will hurt though.

 

The money says to go with Urban Meyer and Tim Tebow.  I am going to side with Bama though.  The loss of Dunlop is going to impact the Gators ability to stop the run.  Bama wins 21-17. 

 

Big 12

 

Texas vs. Nebraska.  Two great programs collide once again.  Texas is led by Heisman Trophy candidate Colt McCoy.  His offense is clicking at the right time of the season, and is clearly the favorite in this game.  Under second year head coach Bo Pelini, Nebraska is back playing for the championship.  As expected, the Cornhuskers’ defense is ranked in the top 20 in the FBS.  The defense is led by Ndamukong Suh who is a beast in the middle of the Dline. 

 

This game will be close until Texas opens up a comfortable lead in the third quarter.  This will force Nebraska to press on offense and make mistakes.  Nebraska is still a season or two away from being in elite again.  Texas wins 42-21 and goes to the BCS title game again.

 

ACC

 

Talk about a downer.  Georgia Tech and Clemson were riding high before last weekend when an average Georgia team beat the Yellow Jackets and an average South Carolina team throttled the Tigers.  These two defeats did not help the image of the ACC.  That being said, Clemson is playing for their first ACC title since 1991 and Georgia Tech is looking for their first title since 1998. 

 

These teams collided in the second game of the 2009 season.  Georgia Tech won 30-27 in a back and forth game.  Look for more of the same tomorrow.  Clemson will exact revenge this time.  Tigers win 34-27.

 

Big East

 

Cincinnati vs. Pitt.  Amid the Notre Dame coaching controversy is Cincinnati’s quest for a Big East title and an undefeated regular season.  Head Coach Brian Kelly is the obvious leader for the open position at ND, but has this impacted his Bearcats’ preparations for Pitt?  Probably a little. 

 

Amazingly, Pitt head coach Dave Wannstedt has turned his team into a winner.  They slipped a little last week against rival West Virginia, but the Panthers are solid and should give the Bearcats a tough game.   Cinci will win the game, but they’ll have to come from behind to do it.  Bearcats win 28-24. 

 

Conference USA

 

Houston vs. East Carolina.  Houston is explosive.  With wins over Oklahoma State, Texas Tech and Mississippi State, the Cougars have proven they can run with the big boys.  East Carolina has played well down the stretch, but the Pirates lack some of the power they has last season.  This will be a close game with a lot of offense which favors Houston.  Cougars win 45-42, and get their first league title since 2006. 

 

All the games should be good this weekend.  The upset will be Bama over Florida, but don’t be surprised if Pitt beats Cinci.

Will Halloween Bring a Few Upsets in College Football?

Thoughts on Week Nine

 

Beer of the Week:  Yuengling Black and Tan. 

 

Food of the Week:  Tortellini with roasted peppers and marinara.

 

Sports Movie of the Week:  Hoosiers. 

 

Games of the Week

 

I went 9-3 in my predictions last week. However, I was a tad off on my analysis of how certain games would be played.

 

Week nine does not bring a lot of significant games, but there are just enough to make it interesting.

 

ACC

 

This is perhaps the least exciting week for ACC games.  I’ll pick the Miami vs. Wake game.  Miami is coming off a hard OT home loss to Clemson.  Wake is struggling after two straight losses.  Both teams are desperately seeking a win to stay in the conference race.  Wake will keep it close, but Miami is better and will win this game.  The U wins 35-21.

 

Big East

 

West Virginia vs. South Florida.  Memo to the Bulls… college football is played in October too.  Every season the Bulls rise up in September only to crash hard in October.  WVU is one of those teams quietly flying under the radar right now.  I like the Mountaineers to stay on pace with Pitt and Cincinnati atop the conference standings.  WVU wins 34-24.

 

Big Ten

 

Another unexciting week in the Big Ten, but it is likely a bowl positioning week.  The top game is Iowa vs. Indiana.  Don’t laugh.  Iowa is a strong team, but the Hawkeyes have tended to play at the level of their opponents all season.  Indiana generally plays well against Iowa.  I also think Iowa has played much better on the road than at home this season.  Iowa wins 27-17.

 

Big 12

 

Finally a game worth mentioning.  Texas at Oklahoma State.  Alright Cowboys, we continue to hear about your steady rise in the Big 12 South.  Are you ready to be relevant, or will you drop like a lead balloon again?  Every time you seem to get Texas in the right position, you snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.  This year will be no different.  Texas wins 42-28.  Cowboys go back to the back to the middle of the pack.

 

PAC 10

 

The PAC 10 champion will likely be crowned this weekend as USC travels to Eugene to take on Oregon.  The Ducks looked lost in the season opener against Boise State, but they have quietly won six straight.  Can the Ducks dethrone the Trojans from PAC 10 supremacy?  This is the toughest game to call this week.  I want to like the Ducks at home.  USC has struggled a little on the road and Autzen is always a tough stadium.  I just think in the end, USC pulls out the win, 27-24.

 

SEC

 

The annual Cocktail party has arrived.  Florida vs. Georgia.  Two years ago, Georgia throttled Florida.  Florida retuned the favor last year.  Georgia is not a good team this season, but Florida has been struggling due to injuries and an unproductive offense. This is usually the type of game where Tebow shines.  He’ll need to protect the ball better though.  Florida wins 28-17. 

3.5 Questions

 

Will the BCS fail the FBS community once again?

 

October usually kills the hopes and dreams of many teams, but not this year.  Of course this can change on Halloween, but the Bowl Championship Series system is looking vulnerable once again.

 

Seven teams remain unbeaten after eight weeks.  Alabama, Boise State, Cincinnati, Florida, Iowa, TCU and Texas.  Only six can finish the season unbeaten since Bama and Florida would have to play each other in the SEC Championship game if they finish the regular season undefeated.  What will happen if six teams did go undefeated?

 

The truth is not much would happen.   Of course four teams would technically get cheated out of chance to play for a championship, but the college presidents and the NCAA don’t really care about these teams. They’ll continue arguing the BCS works well by getting the top two teams in the title game, and all is else is just an unfortunate consequence.  If integrity is a value that universities teach, give them a big, fat F on this assignment.

 

The likely scenario is three teams, maybe four end up undefeated.  Being left out would definitely be an injustice for the teams and the communities that support these teams. 

 

Is Iowa really good, or just opportunistic? 

 

Iowa’s a fundamentally sound team which makes them a strong team.  Statistically, the Hawkeyes are 18^th in total defense in the FBS, 6^th in turnover margin, 3^rd in yards penalized and 46^th in 3^rd down conversion percentage.  Offensively, the Hawkeyes are 87^th which is not good, but their road schedule thus far -  Pa St, Wisky and Mich St might have had an impact on this stat.  OSU will present a huge challenge at the Shoe on Nov 14^th, but don’t be surprised to see the Hawkeyes run the table.

 

Is the SEC official conspiracy real?

 

In the radio and TV world, there has been a lot of chatter around the SEC’s officiating, especially for Florida and Alabama games.  Accusations are flying around the airwaves about the SEC rigging conference play to make sure Bama and Florida make the SEC title game, and subsequently secure a national championship bid and a second BCS bowl bid. 

 

These accusations are nonsense.  First of all, referees make mistakes in big games.  It happens.  You cannot just isolate Florida and Bama games.  Second, the SEC would likely get a team in the title game and another BCS bowl slot without fixing the system.  The top two teams in the SEC are usually two of the top five teams in the country anyway.  Finally, Bama and Florida can likely survive a loss and still make the title game. 

 

I just don’t buy into the officiating conspiracy garbage being thrown around the media.  Unless theses two teams completely collapse, they’ll play for the conference championship and the winner gets a ticket to Pasadena to play for the championship.  End of discussion.

The Dude Abides

A few important questions and the conference/non-conference games of the week.

 

Should they make a sequel to the Big Lebowski?  The Dude needs a second act.  I might just write it.  This is the most under rated film of all time. 

 

Who was the best rock n roll drummer of all time?  No debate here.  Keith Moon. 

 

Should Obama get the trifecta this year – Nobel, Heisman and Oscar?  I’m thinking yes. 

 

Are the Bearcats the best college football team in Ohio?  All I can say is I am glad they are not on OSU’s schedule this season. 

 

Is anyone else tired of Tim Tebow?  Enough already.  There are a dozen better quarterbacks in the FBS with inferior supporting casts that get a lot more done.  Unless he changes positions, his football career ends at Florida.

 

Now on to the games of the week.

 

ACC

 

Virginia Tech vs. Georgia Tech.  Maybe the engineering geeks can figure out a way to predict the outcome.  I’m not sold on Ga Tech’s offensive system or their defense.  The Jackets keep it close, but Va Tech wins by 14.  31-17.

 

Big East

 

Game was last night.  Cinci throttled South Florida.  This win was good, but not stellar.  S. Fla always plays great in September and falters in October.  Bearcats are a legitimate threat to run the table though.

 

Big Ten

 

Iowa at Wisconsin.  Iowa takes their 6-0 record on the road to Camp Randall. Wisky is coming off a hard loss to the Buckeyes where they pretty much owned every statistic but the score.  Can they recover and deliver a win for the home crowd?  Yes.  Very close game.  Badgers by 4.  35-31.

 

Big 12

 

Red River Shootout.  Texas vs. Oklahoma.  While the luster might be off this game just a tad since the Sooners have two losses already, the pressure is on Texas to keep their BCS championship hopes alive.  Texas wins an ugly game 28-24.

 

PAC 10

 

UCLA vs Cal.  The loser of this game will tank the rest of the season.  UCLA was broken at Oregon last week and Cal is trying to recover from two humiliating defeats.  The Bruins are at home so I’ll take them.  24-17.

 

SEC

 

Alabama vs South Carolina.  The Tide is rolling. The Gamecocks look good, but this is their first legitimate test.  It is homecoming at Bama, and I think they roll.  35-7.

 

Non-Conference

 

USC vs. Notre Dame.  The Trojans own the Irish right now and thoroughly pummeled them last year 38-3 in the Coliseum.  I think the Irish are over rated.  USC wins by 17. 

 

Let’s hear it for the Dude. 

Am I Obsessed?

I was approached the other day by a colleague who asked, ‘Why are you so obsessed with college football?” 

 

Of course I laughed.  I did not know this person well.  I thought I’ll never be able to convince someone who does not like football that college football actually makes society better or that my obsession is actually good for humanity. 

 

My initial thought was to tell her that it is the competition or OSU beating Michigan, but all of those reasons seemed insufficient – though they are important.  My obsession is not really an obsession at all.  Instead, my love is more of an identity.  Each experience from childhood to present has contributed to my identity. 

 

At the core is certainly my love of the Buckeyes, but each year I become more of a student of the game itself.  Knowing the history behind the traditions, the rivalries, the communities that support the schools and the politics involved in the game has given me the freedom to enjoy the sport absent of my affinity for OSU – which is borderline crazy.

 

About midway through my rambling, she had a weird look on her face.  I asked what was so peculiar?  She said she grew up in Michigan and liked football too.  She just wanted to make sure I wasn’t a bandwagon fan. 

 

Being the smart ass that I am, I asked her, “Why in the world would you love college football when you support such an awful team?”  Good luck Nov 21^st.  Maybe my obsession is rooted in winning. 

Division III, Top Ten and Heisman Leaders

In light of the upcoming game between Mt. Union Purple Raiders and the Capital Crusaders this Saturday, I think the time is right to give some recognition to Division III programs.  The players at these schools do not get scholarships, and quite often work just as hard as the athletes in FBS, FCS, Division II and NAIA.  I should note that I am partial to the Div III level because I went to Capital.

 

I have heard too frequently that the Division III skill level is not good.  In comparison, the overall skill level is not as deep as the other divisions; this hardly means the cupboard is bare.  Current NFL players London Fletcher and Pierre Garcon both played at Division III programs (John Carroll and Mt. Union ). There about ten other players on NFL rosters in 2009.

 

I’ve also heard that the games are less enjoyable to watch.  I wonder if any of the critics have actually watched a game.   Anyone catch the Trinity lateral play over Milsaps a couple of seasons ago?  This might be a top five play in college football history.  Furthermore, Mt. Union, Wisconsin Whitewater, Linfield, Mary Hardin Baylor, Wartburg, St. Johns are all consistently good and fun to watch.  If you get a chance, go watch a game.

 

Weekly Top Ten

 

Florida.  Until the defending champs lose, they get the top spot.

Texas.  Colt McCoy and Co. lead a balanced attack and the defense is pretty good. 

Alabama.  Strong defense, serviceable offense.  This should be enough to reach the Iron Bowl undefeated.

USC.  Despite the loss at Washington, USC is a top five team.  Tiger fans might be upset, but USC is more balances right now.

LSU.  No losses earns the Tigers a #5 ranking, but I have a feeling the wheels are going to fall off this weekend. 

Boise State.  This team is legitimate.  The Broncos will likely go undefeated and earn another BCS bowl bid.

Cincinnati.  The game at South Fla will prove a lot, but the Bearcats have a few quality wins that give them a nod right now.

Auburn.  Chizik and Malzahn are getting the last laugh.  Arkansas is a nemesis so a win there on Saturday will be huge.

Ohio State.  Defense makes this team legitimate.  I want to see how the offense performs against a legitimate defense before I endorse the team for a top five ranking.

Virginia Tech.  Defense and special teams will carry the Hokies to their third straight ACC title.

 

Heisman Hopefuls

 

Tim Tebow.  If Tebow plays in the LSU game and wins, Archie Griffin’s status as the only two time Heisman winner is in serious jeopardy. 

Colt McCoy.  I think McCoy will heat up in October and finish the season as the favorite. 

Tony Pike.  Darkhorse candidate is looking good right now.  However, the Bearcats always seem to drop a weird game.  A loss would kill Pike’s chances.