The Week 7 Run Down
Hot off the press is another edition of the Weekly Run Down. It’s Week 7 and the action couldn’t get any better as Clemson and NC State square on Thursday Nite over on ESPN, Ohio State looks to salvage its Big10 season against the Spartans, Texas tries to keep perfect against a herd of wild Buffalo, Michigan tries to avoid the unthinkable against the picture perfect Nittany Lions, and Florida seeks atonement against the Bayou Bengals down in Death Valley. Oh, and there’s also that little tussle over in South Bend that might catch your eye as well. So without any further ado, let’s get right on down to the games on in your area for this, the seventh weekend of College Pigskin Action.
The Week 7 TV Schedule
Oct. 13 Thu. Clemson @ NC State 6:30 P ESPN
Oct. 14 Fri. UTEP @ Tulane 7:00 P ESPN
Oct. 15 Sat. Michigan State @ Ohio State 11:00 A ABC*
Oct. 15 Sat. Kansas State @ Texas Tech 11:00 A ABC*
Oct. 15 Sat. Alabama @ Ole Miss 11:00 A CBS
Oct. 15 Sat. Wisconsin @ Minnesota 11:00 A ESPN
Oct. 15 Sat. Northwestern @ Purdue 11:00 A ESPN2
Oct. 15 Sat. Miami, Fla @ Temple 12:00 P FSN
Oct. 15 Sat. USC @ Notre Dame 2:30 P NBC
Oct. 15 Sat. Louisville @ West Virginia 2:30 P ABC*
Oct. 15 Sat. Penn State @ Michigan 2:30 P ABC*
Oct. 15 Sat. Colorado @ Texas 2:30 P ABC*
Oct. 15 Sat. Oregon State @ Cal 2:30 P ABC*
Oct. 15 Sat. Florida @ LSU 2:30 P CBS
Oct. 15 Sat. UCLA @ Washington State 5:00 P FSN
Oct. 15 Sat. San Diego State @ Utah 6:00 P ABC*
Oct. 15 Sat. Oklahoma @ Kansas (Arrowhead) 6:00 P TBS
Oct. 15 Sat. Georgia @ Vanderbilt 6:15 P ESPN2
Oct. 15 Sat. Florida State @ Virginia 6:45 P ESPN
*Denotes Regional Action
The Week 7 Run Down
Oct. 13 Thu. Clemson @ NC State 6:30 P ESPN
Last week, Chuck Amato’s Wolfpack surprised the Yellow Jackets to earn their first conference victory of the season. While the victory was a godsend for NC State, the truth is they are two very easy missed field goals and one heck of an interception in the end zone at the end of the game away from having lost that one (meaning: they won, but were outplayed yet again). For Clemson, they’ve been in a downward spiral ever since that Miami game. Last week’s loss to the Demon Deacons extended the skid to three straight and this week doesn’t look to be any different if they can’t get better production out of QB Charlie Whitehurst and an underachieving defense. While he has cut down on the number of interceptions, Whitehurst has connected for just 4 touchdowns on the season –not nearly good enough to keep this team afloat. For the Wolfpack, their defense is playing solid, but even though they were the #1 unit in the nation last year they still missed the post season (a similar theme could very easy unravel this year). QB Jay Davis is the key to N.C. State’s post season and this game. He’s playing better than last year and has shown improvement each and every week (he’s currently the #2 rated quarterback in the ACC behind Marcus Vick). If Davis can maintain his level of play, look for the Wolfpack to munch on some Tiger meat this week.
NC State.
Oct. 14 Fri. UTEP @ Tulane 7:00 P ESPN
The Miners’ season got dealt a severe blow last week, losing to Memphis 27-20 (side note: The Tiger’s DeAngelo Williams definitely deserves Heisman consideration at this point in the season). But despite that setback, don’t expect this Mike Price coached team to pack it in and fold up the tent –especially against a Green Wave club which ranks 98th in total offense.
Dem Axe Throwing Miners.
Oct. 15 Sat. Michigan State @ Ohio State 11:00 A ABC*
The very strange odyssey that is the Buckeye’s 2005 campaign continues this week as they play host to the traveling Spartans. At 3-2, Ohio State has found itself outside the realm of possible National Championship competition and even outside looking in at the Big10 title race. Despite their current ranking though (#15 in the AP), this is still one of the best teams in America. Their defense is rock solid and should hold up well against the Spartans while their highly touted offense should open it up and have a field day with the nation’s 106th ranked pass defense.
The Buckeyes earn back some Big10 respect.
Oct. 15 Sat. Kansas State @ Texas Tech 11:00 A ABC*
Last week’s victory over the Cornhuskers is just the type of win a team like Tech needs –a nail biter in hostile country where character building takes on more importance than simply running crisp routes and flinging the ball a hundred times. Returning back to their friendly confines in Lubbock, the Air Raid welcomes the K-State Wildcats. The Wildcats, after starting off their season quickly, stumbled against Oklahoma and struggled to get past Kansas. If the Bugeaters gave up 21 quick points to Tech at the start of their game (and they were damn ready to make up for that 70-10 loss last season), what do you think will happen during the first 15 minutes out in tumbleweed territory?
Air Raid.
Oct. 15 Sat. Alabama @ Ole Miss 11:00 A CBS
Since they had the week off to cool their jets after that Gatorfest to kick off October, the Tide shouldn’t be looking past these Rebels –and that’s a very bad thing for Ole Miss fans. Tide QB Brodie Croyle has been nothing short of sensational so far this season. Expect him to quickly develop an outstanding repore with WRs Keith Brown and DJ Hall to deflect some of that lost production from Tyrone Prothro’s season ending injury.
Tide.
Oct. 15 Sat. Wisconsin @ Minnesota 11:00 A ESPN
Other than that clunker to Penn State, the Golden Gophers have played stellar football this season. RB Laurence Maroney leads the Big10’s most potent attack while their defense has done just enough to net them the victory in games against Purdue and Michigan. If Wisconsin can keep their offensive machinery humming, then they should be able to keep pace and notch a victory even if this one becomes a shoot out. The main problem for the Badger’s will be finding a way to shut down another high powered offensive attack. The good news is that while ‘Sota definitely can put up yards and points, they don’t sport the same spread offense attack that has given the Badgers trouble this season (Bowling Green and Northwestern). For the Gophers to win, they’re going to have to get a fabulous game out of Cupito and about 200 yards on the ground from Maroney. If Wisconsin can just take one of those guys out of their game, then even with the ThunderDome rocking, look for Barry’s Boys to bring that Axe back home to Camp Randall.
Badgers.
Oct. 15 Sat. Northwestern @ Purdue 11:00 A ESPN2
Hot off their upset victory over Wisconsin, the Wildcats aim to make it two in a row this week. The Boilermakers, as seems to have been their way the past few years, are riding a three game losing streak (why is it that they always seem poised for bigger and brighter things only to have the rug pulled out for under them?). In order to stand a chance at a post season berth, the Boilermaker Defense will have to come up big. For a unit that returned all of its starters from last season, Purdue is ranked 114th in the nation in total defense. NW Freshman RB Tyrell Sutton is #2 in the rushing title race with 772 yards on the season. If last week was any indication, expect one or both of these teams to hang half a hundred before the final bell.
Purdue –it’s got to be their turn, right?
Oct. 15 Sat. Miami, Fla @ Temple 12:00 P FSN
Miami takes the week off, going up against one time Big East foe, Temple on Saturday. Out of the four independents in the nation (Notre Dame, Navy, Army, and Temple), the Owls rank dead last in 11 out of the 14 major NCAA statistical categories. Miami, meanwhile, ranks 3rd nationally in defense and should get in a few reps for its erstwhile mediocre offense (ranked 54th in the country).
Canes.
Oct. 15 Sat. USC @ Notre Dame 2:30 P NBC
In the showdown event of the season, the surprising Fighting Irish host the Trojans of Southern Cal. While the Irish are the fashionable choice in this one, a look at the numbers behind the game yields a troubling prospective. Everyone knows about USC’s high octane offense, and (at least now) everyone knows that the SC Defense is the weak point of this outfit –so much so that it certainly isn’t a foregone conclusion that SC can stop these Golden Domers from lighting up the score board. However, the other piece to the puzzle that bears mentioning here is the Irish pass defense: 114th in the nation. If they don’t play their best game of the season, then don’t expect the upset of the century to occur underneath the gaze of Touchdown Jesus. Of course, with a week off to prepare, Charlie Weiss and his defensive coordinator should be able to come up with a few good wrinkles to throw Southern Cal off kilter –at least for a while. Stat of the Week: Over the past three seasons, the Irish have been outscored 130-37 by the Trojans –is this team really that much improved this season or is it just the coaching?
Irish –although I’m more hoping this than believing it.
Oct. 15 Sat. Louisville @ West Virginia 2:30 P ABC*
You know, if you take that USF clunker out, the Cardinals have been very impressive this year, thrice putting better than 60 on the board. QB Brian Brohm is the nation’s 2nd rated passer and has fellow Big East rushing leader Michael Bush by his side to keep the defenses from cracking down on him. Defensively though, the Mountaineers could give them some trouble as their rushing triumvirate of Pat White, Pernell Williams, and Jason Gwaltney sled behind a rock solid offensive wall. When the ball isn’t in the hands of the Mountaineers, it’ll be equally as interesting to see how WVa’s physical defense matches up against the Louisville spread offense. In a battle of the Big East titans, it typically comes down to defense and emotion. If this one was a night game, the Mountaineers would all but be guaranteed a victory as Morgantown is a wicked place to play when the home crowd gets whipped into a frenzy. As it stands, expect a physical battle that goes all they way down to the final drive.
Louisville.
Oct. 15 Sat. Penn State @ Michigan 2:30 P ABC*
Penn State sits alone atop the Big10 for the first time in a very, very long time. In order for them to stay there though, they’re going to have to go into the Big House and hand the Maize-n-Blue their fourth loss of the season. While the Michigan D has had its share of problems this season, they are still a very capable unit –especially with their pride on the line. The question mark in this one is the Wolverine ground game. Will they have Michael Hart back? If not, can the offensive line open up big enough holes in this nasty Nittany D for Kevin Grady and Max Martin to truck through? If the answer is no to both those questions, I don’t think even the great Chad Henne-Jason Avant connection will save them.
Wolverines in a nasty, physical game Big Blue didn’t know it had in it.
Oct. 15 Sat. Colorado @ Texas 2:30 P ABC*
Fresh off a big day up in Big D, the Longhorns return home for a battle with the Buffalos. Colorado has been tearing up the Big12 this year, picking on Oklahoma State and A&M in successive weeks for a combined 75-20. QB Joel Klatt hasn’t been spectacular under center, but he has been reliable –throwing for 1,246 yards on 107 of 163 passing. If the Buffs have any intention of upsetting the 2nd seeded Horns, they are going to have to play lights out on defense, taking away the ground game with their 6th ranked rush defense and relying on their 55th rank secondary to keep Texas from cashing in on any one play touchdown drives. For Texas, it’s all about taking the game seriously. After last week’s showdown victory, they must focus here and do the things that have earned them the nation’s second longest win streak: tough, tenacious defense and a patient but attacking offense.
Longhorns.
Oct. 15 Sat. Oregon State @ Cal 2:30 P ABC*
The Golden Bears return home after having their 5 game win streak stopped cold by the Bruins last week. They’ll play host to a dangerous Beaver squad that knows how to play Jekyll and Hyde better than anyone in the country. OSU QB Matt Moore leads the nation’s 5th best pass attack while Head Coach Mike Riley hopes to find something positive in his run game (they’re ranked 105th in the nation, averaging less than a 100 yards on the ground per contest). To make matters worse, the Beavers boast the nation’s worst pass defense and will be facing a ticked off Jeff Tedford club after last week’s shoot out loss. If the great-road-team-Beavers show up, this one could be one of the best games of the week.
Golden Bears.
Oct. 15 Sat. Florida @ LSU 2:30 P CBS
The Tigers return home on Saturday after finally discarding tenacious Vanderbilt in the 4th quarter. The last time LSU was in front of the home crowd, Tennessee stole their big red stick and ruined their national title dreams, 30-27 in overtime. For this game, don’t expect the Bayou Bengals to make the same mistake –they will be playing very physical football in this one. Two weeks ago, the Gators were exposed on national TV against Alabama. Now, they hit the road again to play in Death Valley and in front of a hostile, jacked up crowd. If Florida loses this one, the SEC East is all but gift wrapped for the Bulldogs. I’m betting Urban Meyer has his team well aware of this fact, so sit back and enjoy this one because it should be a helluva fight.
Tigers.
Oct. 15 Sat. UCLA @ Washington State 5:00 P FSN
Hot off their exciting victory last week over Cal, the Bruins travel up the road to Pullman. The Cougars haven’t been playing necessarily bad this season, it’s just that they’ve been shooting themselves in the foot with turnovers every chance they get. Against this opportunistic UCLA squad, the fewer chances the Cougs give them, the better off they’ll be. But even if they are able to hold onto the football, RB Maurice Drew and QB Drew Olson should still get enough minutes with the rock to outscore Washington State in front of the home crowd.
Bruins.
Oct. 15 Sat. San Diego State @ Utah 6:00 P ABC*
Oh how the mighty have fallen. Last year’s BCS darling, Utah, is now riding a two game skid and stands at just 3-3 overall (1-2 in Mountain West play). This week, they get to stay home in Rice-Eccles Stadium to host the Dick Tomey led Aztecs. While this one could go either way (remember, San Diego State only lost to the Buckeyes 27-6), Utah hasn’t yet lost its home team mojo. They are still undefeated in Rice-Eccles, having beaten Arizona, Utah State, and Air Force. Look for Ute RB Quinton Ganther to have a big day with the rock, rushing as well as receiving.
Utes.
Oct. 15 Sat. Oklahoma @ Kansas (Arrowhead) 6:00 P TBS
With Adrian Peterson ready to go again, the Sooners offense should have a noticeable kick to it this week –and that’s exactly the thing that they need in order to get Rhett Bomar into a rhythm with the passing game. For Kansas, they’ve dropped two straight and now have their backs against the wall in the Big12 North race. If they can pull off the upset in the great outdoors of Arrowhead Stadium, they’ll be right back in the thick of things. To do so, they’ll need much better play out of Senior QB Brian Luke who is currently completely only 50% of his passes and has 5 touchdowns and picks on the season. If there is any good news for this Jayhawk team, it’s that their defense is ranked 3rd nationally against the run –if they can keep a gimpy Peterson from being much of a factor, they’ve got a seriously good shot at notching the upset.
Sooners.
Oct. 15 Sat. Georgia @ Vanderbilt 6:15 P ESPN2
The Bulldogs muscled their way past Tennessee last week and are now looking to put an iron clad grip on the SEC East. Meanwhile, the Commodore’s had a very impressive outing against LSU (at least through 3 quarters), but will need to play even better and more determined for a full 4 quarters if they want to notch the wicked upset dubbya here. Why doesn’t Vandy stand a chance? They have rushed for just 127 total yards in their past two contests against Middle Tenn State and LSU. Why might they stand a chance? QB Jay Cutler – he is one of the SEC’s best kept secrets. If Vanderbilt can get some semblance of a run game established and keep Cutler from getting mauled by the Dawgs, this one could be very interesting indeed.
Georgia.
Oct. 15 Sat. Florida State @ Virginia 6:45 P ESPN
The Cavaliers chances of winning the Coastal Division and playing in the ACC title game are now on life support after back-to-back loses to Maryland and Boston College. This week, they host the hard charging Seminoles who are looking to not only win the Atlantic Division and ACC title game, but are also looking to party crash the BCS and lay claim to that coveted two slot in the Rose. In order for them to do that, they’ll have to increase the production that they are getting out of RBs Lorenzo Booker and Leon Washington –together, they are responsible for just the 89th ranked ground attack in the country (10th in the ACC). On the bright side, Sophomore QB Drew Weatherford has really come on since that ragged opener against Miami. He is 87 of 132 for 1,168 yards, 10 touchdowns and 3 interceptions since that season opener. For the Cavs, QB Margues Hagans will need to have his best game yet while the ACC’s next-to-worst defense plays like a team possessed.
Seminoles – but it’ll be closer than the FSU faithful would like.
The Week 7 TV Schedule
Oct. 13 Thu. Clemson @ NC State 6:30 P ESPN
Oct. 14 Fri. UTEP @ Tulane 7:00 P ESPN
Oct. 15 Sat. Michigan State @ Ohio State 11:00 A ABC*
Oct. 15 Sat. Kansas State @ Texas Tech 11:00 A ABC*
Oct. 15 Sat. Alabama @ Ole Miss 11:00 A CBS
Oct. 15 Sat. Wisconsin @ Minnesota 11:00 A ESPN
Oct. 15 Sat. Northwestern @ Purdue 11:00 A ESPN2
Oct. 15 Sat. Miami, Fla @ Temple 12:00 P FSN
Oct. 15 Sat. USC @ Notre Dame 2:30 P NBC
Oct. 15 Sat. Louisville @ West Virginia 2:30 P ABC*
Oct. 15 Sat. Penn State @ Michigan 2:30 P ABC*
Oct. 15 Sat. Colorado @ Texas 2:30 P ABC*
Oct. 15 Sat. Oregon State @ Cal 2:30 P ABC*
Oct. 15 Sat. Florida @ LSU 2:30 P CBS
Oct. 15 Sat. UCLA @ Washington State 5:00 P FSN
Oct. 15 Sat. San Diego State @ Utah 6:00 P ABC*
Oct. 15 Sat. Oklahoma @ Kansas (Arrowhead) 6:00 P TBS
Oct. 15 Sat. Georgia @ Vanderbilt 6:15 P ESPN2
Oct. 15 Sat. Florida State @ Virginia 6:45 P ESPN
*Denotes Regional Action
The Week 7 Run Down
Oct. 13 Thu. Clemson @ NC State 6:30 P ESPN
Last week, Chuck Amato’s Wolfpack surprised the Yellow Jackets to earn their first conference victory of the season. While the victory was a godsend for NC State, the truth is they are two very easy missed field goals and one heck of an interception in the end zone at the end of the game away from having lost that one (meaning: they won, but were outplayed yet again). For Clemson, they’ve been in a downward spiral ever since that Miami game. Last week’s loss to the Demon Deacons extended the skid to three straight and this week doesn’t look to be any different if they can’t get better production out of QB Charlie Whitehurst and an underachieving defense. While he has cut down on the number of interceptions, Whitehurst has connected for just 4 touchdowns on the season –not nearly good enough to keep this team afloat. For the Wolfpack, their defense is playing solid, but even though they were the #1 unit in the nation last year they still missed the post season (a similar theme could very easy unravel this year). QB Jay Davis is the key to N.C. State’s post season and this game. He’s playing better than last year and has shown improvement each and every week (he’s currently the #2 rated quarterback in the ACC behind Marcus Vick). If Davis can maintain his level of play, look for the Wolfpack to munch on some Tiger meat this week.
NC State.
Oct. 14 Fri. UTEP @ Tulane 7:00 P ESPN
The Miners’ season got dealt a severe blow last week, losing to Memphis 27-20 (side note: The Tiger’s DeAngelo Williams definitely deserves Heisman consideration at this point in the season). But despite that setback, don’t expect this Mike Price coached team to pack it in and fold up the tent –especially against a Green Wave club which ranks 98th in total offense.
Dem Axe Throwing Miners.
Oct. 15 Sat. Michigan State @ Ohio State 11:00 A ABC*
The very strange odyssey that is the Buckeye’s 2005 campaign continues this week as they play host to the traveling Spartans. At 3-2, Ohio State has found itself outside the realm of possible National Championship competition and even outside looking in at the Big10 title race. Despite their current ranking though (#15 in the AP), this is still one of the best teams in America. Their defense is rock solid and should hold up well against the Spartans while their highly touted offense should open it up and have a field day with the nation’s 106th ranked pass defense.
The Buckeyes earn back some Big10 respect.
Oct. 15 Sat. Kansas State @ Texas Tech 11:00 A ABC*
Last week’s victory over the Cornhuskers is just the type of win a team like Tech needs –a nail biter in hostile country where character building takes on more importance than simply running crisp routes and flinging the ball a hundred times. Returning back to their friendly confines in Lubbock, the Air Raid welcomes the K-State Wildcats. The Wildcats, after starting off their season quickly, stumbled against Oklahoma and struggled to get past Kansas. If the Bugeaters gave up 21 quick points to Tech at the start of their game (and they were damn ready to make up for that 70-10 loss last season), what do you think will happen during the first 15 minutes out in tumbleweed territory?
Air Raid.
Oct. 15 Sat. Alabama @ Ole Miss 11:00 A CBS
Since they had the week off to cool their jets after that Gatorfest to kick off October, the Tide shouldn’t be looking past these Rebels –and that’s a very bad thing for Ole Miss fans. Tide QB Brodie Croyle has been nothing short of sensational so far this season. Expect him to quickly develop an outstanding repore with WRs Keith Brown and DJ Hall to deflect some of that lost production from Tyrone Prothro’s season ending injury.
Tide.
Oct. 15 Sat. Wisconsin @ Minnesota 11:00 A ESPN
Other than that clunker to Penn State, the Golden Gophers have played stellar football this season. RB Laurence Maroney leads the Big10’s most potent attack while their defense has done just enough to net them the victory in games against Purdue and Michigan. If Wisconsin can keep their offensive machinery humming, then they should be able to keep pace and notch a victory even if this one becomes a shoot out. The main problem for the Badger’s will be finding a way to shut down another high powered offensive attack. The good news is that while ‘Sota definitely can put up yards and points, they don’t sport the same spread offense attack that has given the Badgers trouble this season (Bowling Green and Northwestern). For the Gophers to win, they’re going to have to get a fabulous game out of Cupito and about 200 yards on the ground from Maroney. If Wisconsin can just take one of those guys out of their game, then even with the ThunderDome rocking, look for Barry’s Boys to bring that Axe back home to Camp Randall.
Badgers.
Oct. 15 Sat. Northwestern @ Purdue 11:00 A ESPN2
Hot off their upset victory over Wisconsin, the Wildcats aim to make it two in a row this week. The Boilermakers, as seems to have been their way the past few years, are riding a three game losing streak (why is it that they always seem poised for bigger and brighter things only to have the rug pulled out for under them?). In order to stand a chance at a post season berth, the Boilermaker Defense will have to come up big. For a unit that returned all of its starters from last season, Purdue is ranked 114th in the nation in total defense. NW Freshman RB Tyrell Sutton is #2 in the rushing title race with 772 yards on the season. If last week was any indication, expect one or both of these teams to hang half a hundred before the final bell.
Purdue –it’s got to be their turn, right?
Oct. 15 Sat. Miami, Fla @ Temple 12:00 P FSN
Miami takes the week off, going up against one time Big East foe, Temple on Saturday. Out of the four independents in the nation (Notre Dame, Navy, Army, and Temple), the Owls rank dead last in 11 out of the 14 major NCAA statistical categories. Miami, meanwhile, ranks 3rd nationally in defense and should get in a few reps for its erstwhile mediocre offense (ranked 54th in the country).
Canes.
Oct. 15 Sat. USC @ Notre Dame 2:30 P NBC
In the showdown event of the season, the surprising Fighting Irish host the Trojans of Southern Cal. While the Irish are the fashionable choice in this one, a look at the numbers behind the game yields a troubling prospective. Everyone knows about USC’s high octane offense, and (at least now) everyone knows that the SC Defense is the weak point of this outfit –so much so that it certainly isn’t a foregone conclusion that SC can stop these Golden Domers from lighting up the score board. However, the other piece to the puzzle that bears mentioning here is the Irish pass defense: 114th in the nation. If they don’t play their best game of the season, then don’t expect the upset of the century to occur underneath the gaze of Touchdown Jesus. Of course, with a week off to prepare, Charlie Weiss and his defensive coordinator should be able to come up with a few good wrinkles to throw Southern Cal off kilter –at least for a while. Stat of the Week: Over the past three seasons, the Irish have been outscored 130-37 by the Trojans –is this team really that much improved this season or is it just the coaching?
Irish –although I’m more hoping this than believing it.
Oct. 15 Sat. Louisville @ West Virginia 2:30 P ABC*
You know, if you take that USF clunker out, the Cardinals have been very impressive this year, thrice putting better than 60 on the board. QB Brian Brohm is the nation’s 2nd rated passer and has fellow Big East rushing leader Michael Bush by his side to keep the defenses from cracking down on him. Defensively though, the Mountaineers could give them some trouble as their rushing triumvirate of Pat White, Pernell Williams, and Jason Gwaltney sled behind a rock solid offensive wall. When the ball isn’t in the hands of the Mountaineers, it’ll be equally as interesting to see how WVa’s physical defense matches up against the Louisville spread offense. In a battle of the Big East titans, it typically comes down to defense and emotion. If this one was a night game, the Mountaineers would all but be guaranteed a victory as Morgantown is a wicked place to play when the home crowd gets whipped into a frenzy. As it stands, expect a physical battle that goes all they way down to the final drive.
Louisville.
Oct. 15 Sat. Penn State @ Michigan 2:30 P ABC*
Penn State sits alone atop the Big10 for the first time in a very, very long time. In order for them to stay there though, they’re going to have to go into the Big House and hand the Maize-n-Blue their fourth loss of the season. While the Michigan D has had its share of problems this season, they are still a very capable unit –especially with their pride on the line. The question mark in this one is the Wolverine ground game. Will they have Michael Hart back? If not, can the offensive line open up big enough holes in this nasty Nittany D for Kevin Grady and Max Martin to truck through? If the answer is no to both those questions, I don’t think even the great Chad Henne-Jason Avant connection will save them.
Wolverines in a nasty, physical game Big Blue didn’t know it had in it.
Oct. 15 Sat. Colorado @ Texas 2:30 P ABC*
Fresh off a big day up in Big D, the Longhorns return home for a battle with the Buffalos. Colorado has been tearing up the Big12 this year, picking on Oklahoma State and A&M in successive weeks for a combined 75-20. QB Joel Klatt hasn’t been spectacular under center, but he has been reliable –throwing for 1,246 yards on 107 of 163 passing. If the Buffs have any intention of upsetting the 2nd seeded Horns, they are going to have to play lights out on defense, taking away the ground game with their 6th ranked rush defense and relying on their 55th rank secondary to keep Texas from cashing in on any one play touchdown drives. For Texas, it’s all about taking the game seriously. After last week’s showdown victory, they must focus here and do the things that have earned them the nation’s second longest win streak: tough, tenacious defense and a patient but attacking offense.
Longhorns.
Oct. 15 Sat. Oregon State @ Cal 2:30 P ABC*
The Golden Bears return home after having their 5 game win streak stopped cold by the Bruins last week. They’ll play host to a dangerous Beaver squad that knows how to play Jekyll and Hyde better than anyone in the country. OSU QB Matt Moore leads the nation’s 5th best pass attack while Head Coach Mike Riley hopes to find something positive in his run game (they’re ranked 105th in the nation, averaging less than a 100 yards on the ground per contest). To make matters worse, the Beavers boast the nation’s worst pass defense and will be facing a ticked off Jeff Tedford club after last week’s shoot out loss. If the great-road-team-Beavers show up, this one could be one of the best games of the week.
Golden Bears.
Oct. 15 Sat. Florida @ LSU 2:30 P CBS
The Tigers return home on Saturday after finally discarding tenacious Vanderbilt in the 4th quarter. The last time LSU was in front of the home crowd, Tennessee stole their big red stick and ruined their national title dreams, 30-27 in overtime. For this game, don’t expect the Bayou Bengals to make the same mistake –they will be playing very physical football in this one. Two weeks ago, the Gators were exposed on national TV against Alabama. Now, they hit the road again to play in Death Valley and in front of a hostile, jacked up crowd. If Florida loses this one, the SEC East is all but gift wrapped for the Bulldogs. I’m betting Urban Meyer has his team well aware of this fact, so sit back and enjoy this one because it should be a helluva fight.
Tigers.
Oct. 15 Sat. UCLA @ Washington State 5:00 P FSN
Hot off their exciting victory last week over Cal, the Bruins travel up the road to Pullman. The Cougars haven’t been playing necessarily bad this season, it’s just that they’ve been shooting themselves in the foot with turnovers every chance they get. Against this opportunistic UCLA squad, the fewer chances the Cougs give them, the better off they’ll be. But even if they are able to hold onto the football, RB Maurice Drew and QB Drew Olson should still get enough minutes with the rock to outscore Washington State in front of the home crowd.
Bruins.
Oct. 15 Sat. San Diego State @ Utah 6:00 P ABC*
Oh how the mighty have fallen. Last year’s BCS darling, Utah, is now riding a two game skid and stands at just 3-3 overall (1-2 in Mountain West play). This week, they get to stay home in Rice-Eccles Stadium to host the Dick Tomey led Aztecs. While this one could go either way (remember, San Diego State only lost to the Buckeyes 27-6), Utah hasn’t yet lost its home team mojo. They are still undefeated in Rice-Eccles, having beaten Arizona, Utah State, and Air Force. Look for Ute RB Quinton Ganther to have a big day with the rock, rushing as well as receiving.
Utes.
Oct. 15 Sat. Oklahoma @ Kansas (Arrowhead) 6:00 P TBS
With Adrian Peterson ready to go again, the Sooners offense should have a noticeable kick to it this week –and that’s exactly the thing that they need in order to get Rhett Bomar into a rhythm with the passing game. For Kansas, they’ve dropped two straight and now have their backs against the wall in the Big12 North race. If they can pull off the upset in the great outdoors of Arrowhead Stadium, they’ll be right back in the thick of things. To do so, they’ll need much better play out of Senior QB Brian Luke who is currently completely only 50% of his passes and has 5 touchdowns and picks on the season. If there is any good news for this Jayhawk team, it’s that their defense is ranked 3rd nationally against the run –if they can keep a gimpy Peterson from being much of a factor, they’ve got a seriously good shot at notching the upset.
Sooners.
Oct. 15 Sat. Georgia @ Vanderbilt 6:15 P ESPN2
The Bulldogs muscled their way past Tennessee last week and are now looking to put an iron clad grip on the SEC East. Meanwhile, the Commodore’s had a very impressive outing against LSU (at least through 3 quarters), but will need to play even better and more determined for a full 4 quarters if they want to notch the wicked upset dubbya here. Why doesn’t Vandy stand a chance? They have rushed for just 127 total yards in their past two contests against Middle Tenn State and LSU. Why might they stand a chance? QB Jay Cutler – he is one of the SEC’s best kept secrets. If Vanderbilt can get some semblance of a run game established and keep Cutler from getting mauled by the Dawgs, this one could be very interesting indeed.
Georgia.
Oct. 15 Sat. Florida State @ Virginia 6:45 P ESPN
The Cavaliers chances of winning the Coastal Division and playing in the ACC title game are now on life support after back-to-back loses to Maryland and Boston College. This week, they host the hard charging Seminoles who are looking to not only win the Atlantic Division and ACC title game, but are also looking to party crash the BCS and lay claim to that coveted two slot in the Rose. In order for them to do that, they’ll have to increase the production that they are getting out of RBs Lorenzo Booker and Leon Washington –together, they are responsible for just the 89th ranked ground attack in the country (10th in the ACC). On the bright side, Sophomore QB Drew Weatherford has really come on since that ragged opener against Miami. He is 87 of 132 for 1,168 yards, 10 touchdowns and 3 interceptions since that season opener. For the Cavs, QB Margues Hagans will need to have his best game yet while the ACC’s next-to-worst defense plays like a team possessed.
Seminoles – but it’ll be closer than the FSU faithful would like.
posted by TheMOTT at 8:38 PM
1 Comments:
I am totally nude come see me. Take a bit for all pics and movies to load.
Why do I do this I like to make men blow their jiz in their pants.
Visit me.性爱
Post a Comment
<< Home