The Week 9 Run Down

And Welcome to Week Number Nine SportzFanz! Last week saw Texas do the unthinkable and overtake the Trojans in the BCS poll while the Hurricanes of Miami, without even suiting up, leapfrogged the Tigers of LSU. There was also Michigan’s undoing of the Hawkeye’s 22-game home streak (due, in large part I’m sure, to those pink lockers in Kinnick Stadium), the Northwestern Wildcats throttling the Spartans in front of millions, Auburn failing to find the uprights (or the win) against the Bayou Bengals, and the Golden Bears running down the Washington State Cougars in a come from behind victory.

With so much wackiness and intrigue each and every week, what in the world will happen in the slate of games on this weekend? Will BC make Thursday Night a monumental one for the 2005 season? Will the Wolverines defense relapse and wilt in the face of the mighty Wildcat’s spread offense? Or, maybe it’ll be a Tar Trap down in Miami for the Hurricanes? Who knows, but one thing is for certain: something wicked, this way will come in Week Number Nine (and it won’t be just the World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party). To help pick out which pigskin you plan on kicking back with, we’ve got another edition of the College Pigskin Schedule. Now, let’s get down to business…


The Week 9 TV Schedule


Oct. 27 Thu Boston College @ VA Tech 6:30P ESPN

Oct. 28 Fri Colorado State @ New Mexico 7:00P ESPN2

Oct. 29 Sat Ohio State @ Minnesota 11:00A ABC*
Oct. 29 Sat Oklahoma @ Nebraska 11:00A ABC*
Oct. 29 Sat Wisconsin @ Illinois 11:00A ESPN
Oct. 29 Sat Clemson @ GA Tech 11:00A ESPN2
Oct. 29 Sat Texas Tech @ Baylor 11:30A FSN

Oct. 29 Sat Purdue @ Penn State 2:30P ABC*
Oct. 29 Sat Wash St @ USC 2:30P ABC*
Oct. 29 Sat Maryland @ Florida State 2:30P ABC*
Oct. 29 Sat Iowa State @ Texas A&M 2:30P ABC*
Oct. 29 Sat North Carolina @ Miami 2:30P ESPN
Oct. 29 Sat Georgia vs. Florida (Jax, Fla) 2:30P CBS

Oct. 29 Sat UTEP @ Rice 5:00P PAX
Oct. 29 Sat UCLA @ Stanford 5:30P FSN
Oct. 29 Sat Fresno State @ Hawaii 6:00P ABC*
Oct. 29 Sat Michigan @ Northwestern 6:00P ESPN
Oct. 29 Sat Texas @ Oklahoma State 6:00P TBS
Oct. 29 Sat South Carolina @ Tennessee 6:45P ESPN2


*Denotes Regional Action
NOTE: All times are CST.


The Week 9 Run Down


Thu Boston College @ VA Tech 6:30P ESPN
On paper, we’ve got another gem of a match up on Thursday night. In practice though, the past couple of Thursday night games haven’t turned out that way –will the mold to be broken this week? Marcus Vick leads the charge for the Hokies as they look to make a statement about the latest batch of BCS rankings (where did all that silicon love go?). BC, while 6-1 and looking dang good in their games this season, has been lackluster on offense and forced to rely on their #4 ranked run and #34 ranked pass defenses. Will that be enough to slow down these Hopping Mad Hokies in Blacksburg?
Va Tech –and the ‘puters shall love thee once more.


Fri Colorado State @ New Mexico 7:00P ESPN2
Hey, what’s that Ram wearing, a Brass Boot? Yep, it sure is. Fresh off their see-saw victory over Wyoming last week, the Rams travel down to Albuquerque for a meet and greet with the Lobo’s. With a new found ground game to control the clock and tempo, CSU should have no trouble dictating the game on Friday night. Even so, be on the look out for Lobo RB DonTrell Moore, he’s the Mountain West’s most explosive back with 968 yards on 203 carries.
CSU, Rams its way past the Lobos.


Sat Ohio State @ Minnesota 11:00A ABC
Now that the Bucks have jump started their offense against Indiana, they get to try it out against the Gophers in the Thunder Dome. The marquee match up in this game is the Golden Gopher’s Galloping Ground Game (best in the country) against that Beautiful, Bludgeoning Buckeye Beast of a Defense (also best in the country). If Minnesota’s lineman can’t account for A.J. Hawk & Co., the Gophers are in deep trouble as they won’t be able to win in a high scoring affair. However, if Tressle pulls another Houdini act with Tedd Ginn’s touches, this one won’t be a high scoring affair –and that means the possibility of an upset special. Here’s one thought though: what happens if Antonio Pittman’s big rushing day last week was just the tip of the ice berg?
Buckeyes – they find out their O-line really does knows how to run block.


Sat Oklahoma @ Nebraska 11:00A ABC
After last week’s debacle in Columbia, the Cornhuskers return home to face a struggling Oklahoma squad. I say struggling because up until this season it simply would have been sacrilege to think the Baylor Bears could hang with the Sooners, much less push them to double overtime. Of course, it would have also been sacrilege to think that Big Red could be held to negative rushing yardage –against Missouri. While this certainly won’t have the magnitude of a 1971 showdown classic, it will feature teams that are evenly matched –and therefore it should be a whale of a game. Look for the Sooners to pound the ball with Adrian Peterson (if he’s back) while the Huskers continue to forego history and relegate the run game to about as much importance in their attack as in the Air Raiders.
Sooners –Why? Baylor’s Defense is better than Nebraska’s (ah, the sacrilege).


Sat Wisconsin @ Illinois 11:00A ESPN
Now comes the tough part for the Badgers –closing out a marvelous season by playing 3 of 4 on the road. Fortunately, they start this stint with lowly Illinois before having to travel down to Happy Valley. Unfortunately, their defense probably won’t be able to keep even the Illini off the board. What is it with Big10 Defenses this season anyway? Purdue’s sucks. Northwestern’s is even worse (at least statistically, although I think that’s probably more because their offense forces teams to play catch up from the opening bell), Illinois’ ain’t much better, Michigan State’s is ranked 94th in the nation, and even the Badgers typically stodgy D is ranked 90th. In fact, the Big10 only has 2 teams ranked in the top 40 in total defense (Ohio State’s at #3 and Penn State‘s at #16). But I digress, with Wisconsin tallying the 7th ranked scoring offense, this one shouldn’t be much more than a tune up against Illinois’ 115th ranked rush defense –unless of course the Badger Boogie man shows up on Saturday.
Badgers.


Sat Clemson @ GA Tech 11:00A ESPN2
I’m calling this one The Most Painful Game You’ll Want To Watch On Saturday. Why? How else can you describe watching two ACC teams that can’t seem to decide how good they want to be? More to the point, how else can you describe sitting down to watch three and a half hours of Reggie Ball and Charlie Whitehurst? If you’re a logic chain believer, then this one should be easy: Clemson beat NC State 31-10 two weeks ago and NC State beat Georgia Tech 17-14 three weeks ago; therefore, Clemson should win this one in a 24 point cake walk. Me, I’m not big on logic when it comes to College Football.
Yellow Jackets.


Sat Texas Tech @ Baylor 11:00A FSN
To be certain, the Baylor Bears are to be commended for getting off to a 4-3 start (and losing those three games by a combined 19 points –one in overtime and another in double overtime). Even so, it’s way too early to say if this change is the beginning of something new down in Waco, or an aberration that will quickly evaporate come next season. Personally, I’d like to think that Baylor has turned the corner, but I have my doubts. In any event, we should find out a bit more about this Bear team on Saturday when they draw the unenviable task of taking on the Texas Air Raid. Last week, Tech managed to compile 468 yards of total offense, but where held to their lowest point total of the season (17). Can Baylor muster the same type of fast, hard smacking defense that Texas used to harass Cody Hodges and keep the Air Raid from bombing away? If not, then this one will be a long day and result in the most lopsided loss of the season for Da’Bears.
Red Raiders – their back, their bad, and they wanna be Nation Wide.


Sat Purdue @ Penn State 2:30P ABC
This one shouldn’t be good –not even close. The way the Nittany Lion offense has been playing, they ought to light up the Boilermakers like a Christmas tree –especially given that Purdue’s defense is ranked 115th in the nation overall (117th at defending the pass). On top of that, the PSU-D should more than manhandle this Purdue offense of Kirsch, Void, and Bryant. So why both watching? Because if history tells us anything, it’s that this type of game is never, ever that simple. Penn State’s pass defense is their weak link –the Wildcats almost exploited it for the win back in September, and the Boilermakers might be able to do the same here.
The Nittany Lions roar their way back to the top of the Big Ten.


Sat Wash St @ USC 2:30P ABC
While there has been much talk of late about the Cougar’s QB Alex Brink, RB Jerome Harrison, and WR Jason Hill, the fact of the matter is that Washington State hasn’t been able to buy a win in conference play, much less run away with one. Call it underachieving. Call it bad timing. Heck, just call it bad luck, I don’t care. The bottom line is that these Cougars aren’t going to stand a chance against USC if they don’t (A) play perfect and (B) catch the mighty Trojans napping for about 59 and a half minutes.
Southern Cal.


Sat Maryland @ Florida State 2:30P ABC
The Terrapins where steamrolled by Virginia Tech at home last Thursday. Now, they travel out to Tallahassee for a fight with Bobby Bowden and his Seminoles. While its true that the Terps boast the ACC’s worst run defense, it is also true that the Noles own the ACC’s worst run game –and I wouldn’t expect FSU to suddenly find a powerful run game here if they couldn’t do it against the likes of Duke. No, the key in this one will be how well the nation’s 6th ranked pass defense can keep Drew Weatherford and his boys under wraps. The margin for error by Maryland will be small –very, very small.
Seminoles – and they might even get a 100 yard rusher!


Sat Iowa State @ Texas A&M 2:30P ABC
I love that everyone’s talking about how the Texas Longhorns have nobody left on their schedule but patsies –it’s just the kind of talk that gets the dander up on these Aggies and pushes them that little bit extra into the ‘seriously insane’ zone. While much has been made about the backwards steps A&M has taken this year, people are overlooking just how well this Aggie team has been playing at home. Of course, speaking of taking a step backwards, this was again supposed to be the year that the Cyclones took control of the Big12 North (be honest: how many of you non-Red Bird fans thought that too after the Iowa State game?). Instead, the Tornadic Birds struggled against Army, got beaten by Nebraska –and Baylor, and then struggled for the first 30 minutes against the worst team in the conference: Oklahoma State. If there’s one thing the Cyclones have to do to win this game, it’s play suffocating defense. When Reggie gets knocked around, but more importantly frustrated, the Aggie offense goes in the tank and the whole team suffers. If ISU can’t do that, then it won’t matter how well QB Bret Meyer throws the ball.
The Aggies – righteous indignation at being a patsy, especially Texas’s patsy, always brings out the best in them.


Sat North Carolina @ Miami 2:30P ESPN
Who can figure out the Tar Heels? They lose to Georgia Tech and Wisconsin, bounce back against a solid NC State team (when they were playing fantastic defense), get blown out by Louisville, and then beat Virginia in a wacky 7-5 game. Meanwhile, since losing the opener against the Seminoles and getting pushed to triple overtime against Clemson, the Canes have torn through their slate, outscoring opponents 136-20. Ah, but now the intriguing part: those blowouts where against Colorado, South Florida, Duke, and Temple. Hmmm. Against defenses with a pulse, Miami’s QB Kyle Wright has tossed just as many picks as touchdowns: three. If the North Carolina secondary shows up, this one could get real interesting.
Canes – they’ve just got too many weapons for the Tar Heels to keep bottled up forever.


Sat Georgia vs. Florida (Jax, Fla) 2:30P CBS
It’s the World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party and you’re invited (and I dare you to find me a larger Indoor Cocktail Party as well). Bulldogs and Gators from all walks of life will descend upon Jacksonville this weekend for their annual grudge match. To make things a wee bit more interesting this season, the Bulldogs are struggling to keep their undefeated season and national championship dreams alive while Florida is, well just plain struggling. Without QB D.J. Shockley, the Dawgs attack figures to be a whole lot more plain vanilla than in previous weeks, but that may be just what the doctor ordered as Georgia’s offensive line will get to focus on run blocking and not covering the dynamic Shockley on one of his scrambles. For the Gators, its all about plugging the Leak, as in Chris Leak. Over the past four weekends, Leak has thrown for just 538 yards, 1 touchdown, and 4 interceptions on 45 of 100 passing –great numbers for a wishbone offense, but horrid numbers for Myer’s spread. If Leak can’t catch fire in this one, expect the Dawgie D to feast on a whole heck of a lot of gator meat.
Dawgs.


Sat UTEP @ Rice 5:00P PAX
Over on PAX, they pick up the CSTV feed on Saturday evening to bring us the Miner-Owl game. On the season, the Rice Owls have looked simply abysmal and now find themselves in the midst of the nation’s longest losing streak (an even dozen). The Miners from El Paso, on the other hand, are just biding their time until next weekend’s showdown with Tulsa –that game should decide bragging rights within C-USA. If the Miners look to far past this Owls team though, they could find themselves struggling to pick up the pieces of a shattered season.
Dem Axe Wieldin’ Miners.


Sat UCLA @ Stanford 5:30P FSN
UCLA is undefeated and the 8th ranked team in the nation. Stanford lost to UC-Davis back in week two, begging the question: should this one even be close –or broadcast? Well, in a word: yes. The Cardinal are still atrocious on defense (which should mean a field day for the Drew boys, Maurice and Olsen); however, Walt Harris finally appears to have this team figured out and playing like they should have been all season long. In consecutive weeks, they’ve edged out the pesky Cougars in Pullman, survived a trip to the desert with Arizona, and blown up a devilish Arizona State team at home. While the Bruins should be able to do just about anything they want on offense, don’t be surprised if the Cardinal can do likewise.
UCLA – but everyone begins to take note of their porous D.


Sat Fresno State @ Hawaii 6:00P ABC
Life after Timmy Chang isn’t so bad for the Warriors as it turns out. That’s because they’ve got another gunslinger by the name of Colt Brennen sitting under center. With him leading this offense, the Warriors have climbed the rungs all the way to #2 in passing offense in the nation (but that comes at the expense of their run game: 115th in the nation). Colt himself is quickly rising to the cream of the crop on the quarterback charts (11th in the nation by last count). He has thrown for 2,450 yards and 21 touchdowns off of an amazing 204-of-292 pass attempts. With Hawaii about as one dimensional as it gets, it’ll come down to Colt and his gun of an arm –and he’ll have to do it against the WAC’s top rated pass defense. Now ordinarily, when a team travels to the Big Island, it’s the offense that rules the day. This time though, I just can’t get that 46-14 Warrior blow out at the hands of Louisiana Tech out of my head.
Bulldogs.


Sat Michigan @ Northwestern 6:00P ESPN
This one ought to be the most entertaining game of the weekend. Michigan already has three losses on the season and travels into Evanston to face a Wildcat team that’s been running wild all over Big10 defenses. In order for Michigan to get the win, they’ll have to prove that their defense has indeed come of age and can stop a spread attack. In order for Northwestern to claim the dubbya, they’ll have to depend on their 117th ranked defense to get a stop on the Wolverines in the 4th quarter. Either way, this should be one heck of a football game. Be on the lookout for Northwestern’s Brett Basanez and Tyrell Sutton –they will be the top two guys the Wolverine Defense tries to tag on every down.
Go Blue – but only because I think their defense is more capable than NW’s of making the crucial stop necessary to win in this one.


Sat Texas @ Oklahoma State 6:00P TBS
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: boredom is the Longhorns fiercest enemy until Thanksgiving. After dusting the mighty Red Raiders last weekend in Austin and managing to claim the top spot in the BCS poll, the Horns travel up to Stillwater for a quickie with the Cowboys. If Texas has its headgear screwed on straight, this one shouldn’t even be interesting (in fact, one would have to even wonder why this game would even get any airtime). Oklahoma State has earned the Big12’s ‘Most Disappointing Team’ award for the first half of the season, getting dusted by their conference brethren 171-64 over a four game stretch (and they haven’t even played Texas or Texas Tech yet). The fact that they are 4-3 is ONLY because of the weakest non-conference schedule in the nation (outside of Lubbock, that is): Montana State, Florida Atlantic, and Arkansas State. As the Cowboys rank either last or next to last in 10 out of the 14 major statistical categories, the most interesting thing happening in this one is seeing how the announcers keep people from turning the channel.
Longhorns.


Sat South Carolina @ Tennessee 6:45P ESPN2
It’s official: Tennessee’s season is dead. When you’re at the tail end of October and you’re behind Vanderbilt in the standings, what more is there to say? Will the Volunteers be able to dust themselves off the matt and show the grit and resolve Michigan did when staring at 3-3? The Gamecocks will be bringing The Visor and his pass attack right at these Volunteers on Saturday. With Tennessee’s offense stuck in quick sand and the weakness of their defense matched up against the strength of S-C, anything could (and probably will) happen in Neyland stadium.
Volunteers – simply because they hate that Visor Guy so much.