The Pigskin Press

The Week 11 Run down

2005-11-09T20:47:00.000-06:00

Between The Hashes - Week 10

2005-11-07T21:23:00.001-06:00

Between The Hashes - Week 10

2005-11-07T21:23:00.000-06:00

The Week 10 Run Down

2005-11-02T19:24:00.000-06:00

It’s Week Number Ten SportzFanz! The Trojans reclaimed the throne of the BCS, the Longhorns pulled off their perfunctory come from behind victory over Oklahoma State, and the Big Ten race is actually starting to clear up. What a week it was –what a week it will be. The Vols look to earn some self respect this weekend up in South Bend. Meanwhile, Missouri and Colorado look to decide just who will take the Big 12 North Crown. Over in Happy Valley, it’s the Nittany Lions are hemmin and a hawin’ to the tune of “Badge’s, Badge’s, We Don’t Need No Stinkin’ Badgers!”. And of course that’s little pigskin game set down in Blacksburg with the Hurricane’s whipping up a storm against the Marcus Vick led Hokies. Yessiree, it’s shaping up to be one hell of a weekend out on the college gridiron, so let’s just get right down to the games on in your area…

The Week 10 TV Schedule

Nov 3 Thu Pittsburgh @ Louisville 7:30P ESPN

Nov 4 Fri Toledo @ Ohio 8:00P ESPN2

Nov 5 Sat Iowa @ Northwestern Noon ESPN
Nov 5 Sat Minnesota @ Indiana Noon ESPN2
Nov 5 Sat Texas @ Baylor 12:30P FSN

Nov 5 Sat Tennessee @ Notre Dame 2:30P NBC
Nov 5 Sat N.C. State @ Florida State 3:30P ABC*
Nov 5 Sat Wisconsin @ Penn State 3:30P ABC*
Nov 5 Sat California @ Oregon 3:30P ABC*
Nov 5 Sat Missouri @ Colorado 3:30P ABC*
Nov 5 Sat Alabama @ Mississippi State 3:30P CBS
Nov 5 Sat Illinois @ Ohio State 3:30P ESPN
Nov 5 Sat Army @ Air Force 3:30P ESPN Cl.

Nov 5 Sat Houston @ UCF 6:00P iPAX
Nov 5 Sat Oregon State @ Washington 6:30P FSN*
Nov 5 Sat UCLA @ Arizona 6:30P FSN*
Nov 5 Sat Texas A&M @ Texas Tech 7:00P FSN*
Nov 5 Sat Miami, Fla @ VA Tech 7:45P ESPN

Nov 5 Sat Stanford @ USC 10:00P TBS

*Denotes Regional Action
NOTE: All times are CST.

The Week 10 Run Down

Nov 3 Thu Pittsburgh @ Louisville 7:30P ESPN
This Thursday night, Wanny and the Pitts travel to Papa John’s Stadium to try and extend their win streak to four. That’s right folks, Wanny’s finally got these boys playing some ball and one game out of the conference lead. Lining up on the other side of the ball to stop them, stands the league’s #1 and nation’s #8 rated offense. Aside from that South Florida aberration, these Cardinals haven’t scored less than 31 this season. Of course, on Thursday Brian Brohm and Michael Bush will be facing a Panther defense that has quietly crept up the charts to 20th in the nation overall and 5th against the pass. On a wild Thursday night in November, look for Wanny’s boys to let it all hang out while Petrino marshals his troops for a signature victory.
Cardinals.

Nov 4 Fri Toledo @ Ohio 8:00P ESPN2
With a run game firmly entrenched, Frank Solich has this Ohio club alive and kicking. They ride a two game win streak into this one and are looking to close out the season and claim a post season berth –something not even the Bobcat faithful thought possible to begin the year. Riding into Athens this week are the Toledo Rockets, with the MAC’s best defensive unit and led by QB Brad Gradkowski. If the Bobcats can open the run lanes against the talented Toledo line, that should free RB Kalvin McRae up to have another career day (he’s rushed for 489 yards in the past two weekends). Of course, they’ll still have to find a way to neutralize a shockingly quiet Gradkowski. As night games on the Deuce go, you’ve just got to love that Ohio has been there and done that already this season against Pittsburg.
Ohio - Solich is cooking up a storm in Athens

Nov 5 Sat Iowa @ Northwestern Noon ESPN
While the Big Ten title race finally started to clear itself up last week, neither of these two teams is completely out of it –well, at least until they smash helmets out on the grid iron on Saturday. Both teams are coming tough losses to Michigan, but Iowa should have the upper hand as the Wildcat defense has yet to stop anyone with a pulse (I still maintain the Spartans blew themselves). The unknown in this one is how the Hawkeye defense will fare against the Spread Attack. This will be their first exposure to that type of offense this season (they don’t play Michigan State or Penn State). If the Wildcats carry last week’s hangover into this one, it’ll be yet another disappointing day in front of the home crowd; however, if the freshman can put that game behind them, this one ought to be fun indeed.
Hawkeyes – They’ve had a week off to rest and will control their own destiny if the Badgers win this week.

Nov 5 Sat Minnesota @ Indiana Noon ESPN2
After getting past Michigan three weeks ago, the Golden Gophers have been in a bit of a free fall dropping back to back home games to Wisconsin and Ohio State. Fortunately, they get a reeling Hoosier team that has been outscored 46-125 the past three weeks. With a healthy Bryan Cupito under center, even if Indiana can find a way to slowdown the nation’s leading rusher (Laurence Maroney), they aren’t going to be able to keep pace with the Gophers.
Sota – leaving the ThunderDome it just what the doctor ordered.

Nov 5 Sat Texas @ Baylor 12:30P FSN
While this game has been nothing more than a laugher in recent years, this one should be much more interesting. Texas will definitely look to come out fast and make a statement, but the Baylor defense is fast enough and good enough to keep pace with these Longhorns –at least for a while. With Texas likely down to its fourth string running back (a Wide Receiver), if Baylor can keep this one close they might just tug on Superman’s Cape enough to put the Horns within reach of the Hokies. Of course, that fourth stringer is a dude by the name of Ramonce Taylor –if you haven’t heard of him before, that’s shocking: this guy’s a Reggie Bush in sophomore shoes.
Longhorns.

Nov 5 Sat Tennessee @ Notre Dame 2:30P NBC
Will Tennessee make the post season? At 3-4 and with games left to play against the Memphis, Vandy, and Kentucky there should be any reason to sound the alarm bells about that one just yet. Even so, the Volunteer Nation would just love to see the Purina Boys travel up to South Bend and hand the Golden Domers their third home loss of the year. Of course, in order to that they will have to (1) put their helmets on straight for the first time since traveling down to Baton Rouge in September, (2) find another ground threat with Gerald Riggs out, (3) get some real production out of the quarterback, and (4) find someway for their defense to stop Brady Quinn, Darius Walker, Travis Thomas, Maurice Stovall, and Jeff Smardzija.
Irish –yeah, that’s about 5 too many weapons for these Vols to stop.

Nov 5 Sat N.C. State @ Florida State 3:30P ABC
Unbelievably, it’s been the play under center that has led the Seminoles this season and not the thundering hooves out of the backfield. Drew Weatherford has been one of the biggest surprises of the ACC this year, leading the conference in total yardage with 2,142 on 176 of 284 passing. He did struggle a bit against the Terrapins tenacious pass defense last week and could easily have another bad outing against a very underrated Wolfpack defense. For NC State, the key will be how much production they can get out of Sophomore QB Marcus Stone. In relief of Jay Davis, Stone has been less than stellar, throwing for just 358 yards on 16 of 44 passing for 4 touchdowns and 3 interceptions.
Seminoles – they should be able to tee off on the young quarterback with rabid abandon.

Nov 5 Sat Wisconsin @ Penn State 3:30P ABC
This should be the game that decides the Big Ten title –no really, we mean it this time. For the Nittany Lions, they just need to win this game to clinch at least a share of the title (if not the darn thing outright –I can’t keep all the tie break rules straight). For the Badgers, a win here and they’ll be in the driver seat with just Iowa left on their conference docket. While ordinarily I would love Barry’s Boys in a big bad, in-the-trenches Big Ten showdown, this season the Badgers defense just hasn’t been it’s usual self (rated 97th in the nation). Fortunately for them though, the offense has been an absolute god send this season (7th in the nation in scoring and 43rd overall). Of course, when you bounce all of that against Penn State’s offensive prowess (Michael Robinson, Deon Butler, and Tony Hunt) along with their defensive credentials (14th in the nation), it’s hard to find any tangible reason to think the Badgers will be able to pull this one out in Beaver Stadium. Of course, that’s just the type of game Barry Alvarez loves to play.
Nitanny Lions – they’ve just got too much mojo right now.

Nov 5 Sat California @ Oregon 3:30P ABC
What happened to the Golden Bears? After storming their way to 5-0, they stumbled against UCLA and Oregon State, but then eeked out the dubbya against a determined Washington State squad. For the Highlighters, they’ve quietly moved up the rungs into shouting distance of USC. Despite the lack of publicity, QB Kellen Clemens is quietly building one of the best resumes in college football with 2,406 yards, 19 touchdowns, and 4 interceptions. On top of that, he’s proven to be a substantial dual threat quarterback with 228 yards on the ground. Meanwhile, Cal’s Joe Ayoob has regressed as of late, tossing 6 picks in his last 4 games after opening the season with just 1 pick in as many games. This game should come down to whichever quarterback can have a good game, and in the hostile environs of Autzen Stadium, I just don’t see Ayoob doing it.
The Mighty Ducks – Could they be angling for a post season rematch with the Air Raiders?

Nov 5 Sat Missouri @ Colorado 3:30P ABC
Take away games against #2 Texas and #5 Miami and the Buffalos are undefeated and arguably getting the votes necessary to be a Top 10 team. For the Tigers, it’s been more of the same this season as they’ve looked fantastic one week (creaming some Cornhuskers) and totally apathetic the next (losing miserably to the Jayhawks). Which team shows up this week is anyone’s guess, but if you look behind the numbers you’ll find that, in away games, the Tigers are very plain vanilla (They beat Arkansas State handily, but only managed to get past the Cowboys 38-31, and lost to Kansas 13-3). In the friendly confines of the Hilltop at Folsom Field, Buff QB Joel Klatt has thrown for 1,060 yards, nine touchdowns and just one interception while completing a hair under 70% of his passes. Will the Back’n’Gold Tiger D be able to put a dent in Klatt’s hometown success? I think not.
Colorado – they move one step closer to a rematch with the Horns.

Nov 5 Sat Alabama @ Mississippi State 3:30P CBS
Is it possible for the only undefeated team in the SEC to lose to the only winless team in conference play? Well, technically yes. But practically, no. If the Tide defense shows up at all for this one, it’ll take a near miracle for the Bulldogs to put points on the board in the first three quarters. Of course, this one is in Starksville and in front of a nationwide audience so anything can, and quite often does, happen.
Bama – but they won’t look nearly as impressive as they should.

Nov 5 Sat Illinois @ Ohio State 3:30P ESPN
While the Buckeye’s may have to rely on the rest of the Big Ten to get them a 2005 Conference Title, that doesn’t mean the fire has gone out of their belly. Look for the Buckeye’s to continue the offensive fireworks this weekend against one of the conference’s weaker defenses (and in this year’s edition of the Big Ten, that’s saying something).
Buckeyes.

Nov 5 Sat Army @ Air Force 3:30P ESPN Cl.
The command in chief trophy goes to round two this weekend as the Black Knights travel to Colorado Springs for a ground campaign with the Falcons. Air Force brings the nation’s 8th rated run game into this one, while the Cadets will be trying to find a way to get any kind of offense going against one of the nation’s worst defenses. Interesting fact of the week: After this weekend, Air Force just has one game left in its season while Army will still have three more to go.
Falcons.

Nov 5 Sat Houston @ UCF 6:00P iPAX
The Golden Knights host Houston on PAX’s CSTV coverage Saturday evening. After struggling to find any kind of success over the past couple of seasons, the Knights have finally caught a gear and are sitting pretty atop the C-USA East standings. A win this weekend against Houston should all but assure Central Florida the division crown as they just have UAB and winless Rice left to face. For the Cougars, they can turn the East Division upside down by beating the Knights here and Southern Miss next week. In order to do that, Kevin Kolb will have to find WR Vincent Moore and his rhythm.
Golden Knights – this one will make them undefeated at home on the season.

Nov 5 Sat Oregon State @ Washington 6:30P FSN
Last week, the Beavers were bushwacked by the Stoops Brothers at home. This week, they travel to Seattle for a ‘get well’ game against the 1-7 Huskies. While Ty should have his troops better prepared for this one than a lot of people would expect, the simple fact of the matter is, his secondary is going to have an extremely tough go of it containing Mike Hass, the nation’s top receiver. For the Beavers, they will have play much better on defense in order to steal this on out of Husky Stadium (they’re ranked 111th in the nation in defending the pass and 102nd overall).
OSU – This just isn’t Ty’s year is it?

Nov 5 Sat UCLA @ Arizona 6:30P FSN
Behind the play of Freshman QB Willie Tuitama, this Wildcat team has found renewed offensive punch –and they’re going to need it going up against 7th ranked UCLA. One has to wonder just how many times UCLA can continue to pull the rabbit out of the hat at the end of the game, but in this one the surprise might actually be that the Bruins run away with the victory. If this one was being played in Pasadena I would probably believe that, but since its out underneath the lights in the desert I fully expect the Drew Boys will have their hands full.
UCLA – Two Drews are better than two Stoops, at least this year.

Nov 5 Sat Texas A&M @ Texas Tech 7:00P FSN
Poor, poor Aggies. Their pass defense is reeling and their offense is trying to create any kind of continuity, so what happens? They have to travel out to Tumbleweed Central for a tussle with the Texas Air Raid. For the past couple of weeks, the Tech offense has largely been corralled by very good, fast secondaries; this week however, they should have a banner day against a vastly outmanned Wrecking Crew. It’s not that the Aggie defense is really all that bad, but the secondary just doesn’t have the top end speed necessary to make a read and react style defense work –at least, that’s the type of defense the Aggies appear to be playing lately.
The Air Raiders Shock’n’Awe the Aggies after two weeks of pent up frustration.

Nov 5 Sat Miami, Fla @ VA Tech 7:45P ESPN
It’s the ACC showdown game of the season as the Hurricanes travel to Blacksburg to have a knock down, drag out with Marcus Vick and the rest of the Hokies. Sure, VaTech has an awesome team. And sure, they’ve tagged Mighty Miami in the past. But do they have the physicality needed to stand up to a full blown Hurricane defense, swarming and hitting its way to the nation’s top ranking. Of course, the Hokies might not have to put too many points up on the board as they sport the nation’s #2 ranked defense and the Cane O has noticeably less punch than in season’s past. In a game like this, it might just come down to big plays on special teams. While the logical choice on special teams might be VaTech, Miami’s Devin Hester is one of the most dangerous men in the game.
Miami -- The toughest conference in the country loses its BCS bid.

Nov 5 Sat Stanford @ USC 10:00P TBS
In this week’s dessert game, the Trojans defend their 30 game win streak against a Stanford Cardinal squad that is finally hitting on all cylinders –at least offensively. While their pass defense will play their best game (and then some) to keep this one competitive, watch out for the Cardinal attack on offense with QB Trent Edwards, WR Mark Bradford, and RB Anthony Kimble. This game should give us a good indication as to whether the Trojan defense is finally starting to really gel.
Trojans.

Between The Hashes - Week 9

2005-10-31T16:06:00.000-06:00

Between The Hashes

Welcome back SportzFanz to yet another week, Between The Hashes. In each issue we take a look at the College Football landscape and report on the state of all things Grid Iron. On this Halloween Weekend, more than just a few teams got quite a scare: Georgia fighting some demons masquerading as Gators; Texas spotting the Cowboys 30 minutes …again, UCLA uncorking the magic genie …yes, again; Phil Fulmer and the Volunteers getting whacked by The Visor (I’m sure they thought it was just another bad dream), and Northwestern being blown to bits by Michigan –yes, that was a Wolverine that saying ‘Boo’, you can come out now. With so much to talk about and discuss, lets just get right down to the action…

What This Week Will Be Remembered For
The is No Defense Against Da Vince. I’ve been on the fence for a while now, trying to decide who should bring home the Heisman Hardware this year. The top three candidates are obvious, deciding among them who gets the nod is not –at least until this weekend. Reggie Bush, don’t let him get his hands on the ball –he can juke you silly and beat you stupid with his speed. Matt Leinart, you can’t let him sit back in the pocket –he’ll pick you apart with short, crisp throws and then bomb away on your secondary like a battleship shelling the beach. But Vince, ah well, what do you do about Vince Young? No, really: what do you about him, myself and the rest of the defenses in the country would like to know.

You can blitz him and flush him from the pocket, but he’ll evade even your best tacklers, making them look like Pee Wee players stuck in molasses. You can play ‘contain’ and let him sit in the pocket for as long as he likes, but he’ll just pick you apart through the air with his speedy receiver corps and stable of tight ends and running backs. You can even try bringing a mixture of both and to keep him off balance, but if it’s one thing we’ve learned about playing against this young man it’s that the defense is the one kept off balance.

I’ve watched this kid play almost every single game of his young career at Texas. I’ve seen him make silly, stupid mistakes that make you swear and curse, but I’ve also seen him fight with the kind of fire that’s reserved for the rarest of rare athletes –elite’s like Michael Jordon and Tiger Woods. Such was the case on Saturday night against Oklahoma State. Sure, he threw a bad pick –even over threw his receivers repeatedly in the first half, and yes, he fumbled the ball away during the opening fifteen. But do you know what else he did? He reached down into depths of talent, drive, and motivation that everyone stands in awe of: when the chips go down and the rubber hits the road, that’s when #10 picks up his game and goes all in.

Young set career marks on Saturday with 267 yards rushing and 506 yards of total offense. He also set a school mark for longest scramble by a Texas quarterback: 80 yards on the third play of the second half –and he did it by using a pump fake to get a Cowboy DB three feet in the air while he glided past him towards the end zone. Anyone hanging around long enough to watch this one on TBS had to be in awe of the Texas Thoroughbred: Just when you thought ‘maybe Texas really is still, just Texas,’ Vince kicked it into a new gear, a new level. How many levels and how many gears he has is anyone’s guess –I bet he doesn’t even know. But that’s what separates the great from the unbelievable, and Vince Young is truly unbelievable.

Today’s Topic
What’s up with the Big Bad Ten? For a conference that traditionally pride’s itself on power run games and stalwart defenses, this season is certainly a curveball –well, maybe a split finger fastball is more apropos. Penn State, Ohio State, Michigan State and Northwestern have all gone the way of the Spread/West Coast Offense, pulling the Big Ten into levels of offensive excitement and flair that they’ve never seen. Of course the down side to all that excitement is that, seemingly, just about every team in this blue collar conference has forgotten how to play a little thing called DEFENSE.

Aside from Ohio State’s 3rd ranked run defense, there isn’t another top 10 rating out there in the Big Ten –in any of the major statistical defensive categories. But what is more worrisome for the conference isn’t that they no longer have stellar, top notch defenses: it’s that they have porous, shaky and increasingly horrible defenses. For example: which conference owns the nation’s two worst rated defenses? If you said the Sun Belt, WAC, Mountain West, C-USA, or even the PAC-10 you’re wrong. The answer is the Big 10 with Northwestern sitting at the bottom (117th) and Purdue right on top of them (116th). In fact, they also got the nations 97th (Wisconsin) and 111th (Illinois) overall defenses. Against the run, they’ve got numbers 114, 102, 96, 90, and 80; against the pass it’s 114, 106, 100, 90, and 80.

To put it a different way, the Big Ten doesn’t have a single squad ranked in the Top 10 in the nation on defense. Ohio State at 13 and Penn State at 14 are the two top defenses in the nation. The next best is Michigan’s at 51st. That’s right, the Big Ten has only two defenses among the FIFTY best in the nation. Isn’t that insane.

Your Instant Impact Quotes of the Week Are:

1. “When you try and tackle Tyrone Moss, you better bring some of your homies.” Andre Ware, part of the ESPN crew during the Miami, Fla.-UNC game. Apparently, the Tar Heels didn’t bring quite enough homies –they gave up195 yards on the ground to Tyrone Moss on Saturday.

2. "Plan on being behind, plan on getting yourself in trouble." Texas Coach Mack Brown, talking to his team right before their game on Saturday. Talk about spooky. Mack hit it right on the head as Texas once more spotted the Cowboys a half, only to come storming back and retake the game at the intermission.

3. "I'm getting stepped on, people were grabbing me, it was pretty special. It was the best stepped-on feeling ever." Rutgers quarterback Ryan Hart, after becoming bowl eligible by beating Navy Saturday.

4. "If you're listening out there Ted Ginn Sr., I love ya ... send me some of your players,” Minnesota Head Coach Glenn Mason, after the Cleveland Glenville coach, whose son and former quarterback (Troy Smith), accounted for four touchdowns against the Golden Gophers. Just goes to show: if you can’t beat’em, join’em.

5. "They just didn't have enough at the end, and the other team made the plays we didn't make," Nebraska head coach, Bill Callahan. So let me get this straight: it’s the players fault that Nebraska has lost two straight home games for the first time since 1968, and not the Coaches? Boy, that’s one heck of a coach you Nebraska faithful have there. Yep, one heck of a coach. Tell me this: what has he done to deserve that post, aside from caretaking a John Gruden team to the Super Bowl of course?

6. "He'd tell his little corny jokes, we'd tell ours. Fans laugh, no big deal. But you tell one about Tennessee they think it's insulting or something," Steve Spurrier prior to the South Carolina-Tennessee game this week. I wonder if Peyton –or even the whole Manning family –feel the same way?

7. “If you went into the kitchen for an adult beverage or something, we’ve scored 21 points in the first half of the first quarter.” The beginning of the Michigan-Northwestern game. I would’ve caught who said it, but I really was in the kitchen getting an adult beverage.

8. “That was one of those Apollo Creed plays” Craig Sagan covering the Texas-Oklahoma State game and describing how OSU turned a busted play into a big gain for Oklahoma State. For those of you not wisened into the mental thought process of Mr. Sagan, Apollo Creed was known as the Master of Disaster.

9. “And Secretariat gallops for Roses.” Craig Sagan, calling Vince Young’s 80 yard touchdown scramble on the third play in the second half.

10. “I love Halloween, I don’t need a facemask.” Lou Holtz in the ESPN Studio. Ah, an oldie but a goodie Lou. The only thing better was watching you zing Mark May for his picks last week.

11. “Nate Swift could not have been more wide open if he’d been out in a cornfield.” Gary Thorne as the Nebraska wide receiver created his own zip code inside the Red Zone for a touchdown. How does a receiver find himself in the end zone when there isn’t a defensive back even inside the twenty?

12. "It was the greatest show on turf!" linebacker Bobby Carpenter after Ohio State prevailed in the Thunder Dome for the ninth straight time. Ohio State and Minnesota combined for 76 points, 1,027 yards, 45 first downs, and 10 touchdowns, but surprisingly enough only one turnover.

And this week’s Instant IQ award goes to…
“When it’s breezy, swing it easy.” Ed Cunningham.
“Yo, Yo! Write that one down!” Gary Thorne.

This week’s Super-Stud Awards go to…

1. Vince “The Program” Young, QB Texas – Obviously, Vince makes this list. He joins Missouri’s Brad Smith as the only other player to rush and pass for over 230 yards in a game. Vince finished with a NCAA high 267 yards on the ground and 239 through the air, to go with his 4 touchdowns.

2. Kalvin’n’Hobbs McRae, RB Ohio – Frank Solich’s sophomore is quickly closing in on 1,000 yards for the season. This week he netted 224 yards and two touchdowns on 31 carries as Ohio cruised past Buffalo.

3. Steven “Which” Wichman, QB Idaho – Wichman led the Vandals past the New Mexico State Lobo’s this weekend, throwing the little pigskin for 489 yards –ouch!

4. Daniel Smith, WR Idaho – Helping Wichman pick up the victory, Mr. Smith snagged 11 catches for 269 yards and 2 touchdowns.

5. Michael “I’m fast, but I’m not that fast” Johnson, DB Arizona – He was fast enough on Saturday, converting one of his school record three picks into the pig house as Arizona surprised Oregon State.

6. Chub “B.” Small, RB Marshall – With a name like that, Mr. Small deserves this list just for making it out of middle school. On Saturday, the freshman returned 4 kicks for 160 yards and a touchdown, helping the Herd Thunder past the Green Wave, 27-26.

7. Ted “e-Bear” Ginn Jr., WR Ohio State – I think this is the first time Mr. Ginn has made our list all season. Against Minnesota, lucky #7 ran back a 100 yard kick off for a touchdown in less time than it takes most college guys to pound a beer –now, that’s fast.

8. The USC Trojan Offense – In what was widely expected to be a down week for the Trojans, they exploded right out of the gate to pick up their 30th consecutive victory and reclaim the BCS #1 slot. When the dust cleared and the Cougars were picked up off the turf, the Trojans had compiled 745 yards of total offense.

9. Todd “Don’t Be” Blythe, WR Iowa State – In torching the Aggie DBs, he caught eight passes for 214 yards and four touchdowns. To boot, he set the school mark for most receiving touchdowns in a game.

10. Brian “Boom Boom” Calhoun, RB Wisconsin – The Badger’s Back lowered the boom on the Illini for 197 yards and five touchdowns in Wisconsin’s 41-24 win. In so doing, ‘Boom Boom’ tied a school record for most touchdowns in a single game –that’s the second time he’s tied that particular record this season.

Riding the Bench This Week is…
1. Nebraska’s Offensive Line – Minus Two yards rushing last weekend, sixteen yards rushing this weekend –that’s pitiful, ridiculously pitiful for a storied program like Nebraska. To make matters worse, the offensive line gave up a school record 9 sacks against the Sooners on Saturday.

2. Gary Pinkel, Head Coach Missouri – Last week, he had the game plan to make QB Brad Smith the first Division I-A player with better than 230 yards in a single game through the air and on the ground. This week, not only did he forget to bring a game plan, but he forget how to make half time adjustments. The Kansas defense smothered Brad Smith for just 179 yards of total offense, 38 with his feet.

Random Hits and Misses
My moments of clarity and confusion from the weekend are:

1. Notre Dame announced on Saturday that first year head coach Charlie Weis has been rewarded with a 10-year contract extension to ‘ward off’ speculation that the coach may move to the NFL. The contract is believed to be the richest for any coach in the NCAA (somewhere between $30 and $40 million) and runs through the 2015 season. While that all sounds nice and wonderful, I can’t help but have a sense of Déjà vu here: Tyrone Willingham was rewarded in much the same way after starting off his tenure with eight straight victories and, well, we all know how that ended. At 5-2, Charlie is hardly a godsend –yet. True, he’s done magnificent things with this year’s Golden Domer squad, but Ty did the same in his first season so just don’t go counting your chickens before they’re hatched.

2. As happy as the Irish are with their head coach, the Aggies of College Station are increasingly and increasingly less so with theirs. Dennis Franchione was stolen away from Alabama to replace long time Aggie man R. C. Slocum (what is he up to these days, anyway?). Now in his third season, ‘French’ione is just 11-13 overall and 5 -3 this season, and owns the nation’s third worst pass defense and worst overall defense in the Big 12. Was this the kind of success the Aggies expected? The only coach in the Big12 more on the hot seat than Dennis is Husker’s Bill Callahan.

3. This past week saw a new ‘all-divisions’ NCAA scoring mark set: most points scored in the shortest amount of time. The honor goes to the Division II Central Washington Wildcats who put 27 unanswered points up on the board in 70 seconds. How’d they do that, you ask? By scoring putting together a nice offensive scoring drive and then following it up with three quick strike defensive touchdowns, two pick sixes and a fumble return. The previous record was held by Division III Mont Union, who had scored 21 points in 33 seconds in 1996. The Division I record is held, not by Texas Tech, but by Colorado State. In 1997 and against San Jose State, the Rams scored 20 points in 55 seconds.

4. If I hear one more time about how Mack Brown decided to ‘lighten it up’ and download 2,000 songs onto his I-Pod, I’m gonna seriously lose it. How many times can they report the exact same thing? Ok, we get it, enough already: Mack “Daddy” Brown is a player’s coach. Great, now let’s move on…

5. Kudos to Barry Switzer and Tom Osborne. During the OU-Nebraska game, they told it like it is. When asked whether their power run game would be able to compete and win against the Spread Offense, they wasted no time in making one thing very, very clear: Yes, their playbooks will still win national championships, but nobody wants to use them because high scoring, dynamic offenses are all the rage. I would submit, too, that those offenses make it easier to lure in top athletes from around the country, but some places still need to play to their strengths (and I think Mr. Osborne would agree).

6. The Hard Luck Bears continued their odyssey through woe and sorrow on Saturday. This week it was at home against the Red Raiders. Up until the 4th quarter, the Bears largely kept the Air Raid attack in check, trailing just 6-0. In fact, they had several chances to actually take the lead in this one (a touchdown called back and a missed fourth and goal opportunity, proving the most devastating). In the end though, they could only contain these Raiders for so long, finally succumbing to the prick-and-poke Tech attack, 28-0.

7. How in the world have we allowed ourselves to be so fooled? With their 4th loss of the season, the Volunteers have now dropped out of the Top 25. They began the season at #3 in the pre-season, and now join Michigan, Oklahoma, Iowa, Louisville, and Purdue as teams that were ranked in the Top 15 nationally, only to crash and burn once the pigskin started flying.

8. It’s official: Rutgers is the feel good story of the season. It’s been 26 long years since the Scarlet Knights have played in the post season, and now that drought is over. Is this just an aberration for a Big East in flux, or the start of something new? Quirky stat of the week: The last time Rutgers made themselves bowl eligible was in 1982 (although they did not go bowling that year) with a win against, you guessed it, Navy 31-21.

9. Texas Tech’s Taurean Henderson is just 75 yards short of becoming the first player in NCAA history to reach 2,000 yards rushing and 2,000 yards receiving. With the Aggies coming for a visit out on the Tumbleweed Plains, do you think there’s even the slightest chance he won’t grab that record?

10. I think this may be the funniest thing I’ve read in a long, long time, straight from a wire article : Casey Dick, a freshman quarterback who's seen no action in Razorback games this year because he's been redshirted, will start for the Hogs against the Gamecocks on Saturday, coach Houston Nutt said. "He has a strong arm and good instincts. It's hard to explain. He just has 'it.'”

If I Could Be Anyone This Week It’d Be…
A South Carolina Gamecock. Not only did they manage to beat Tennessee on a field goal with under three minutes to go, but they did at Rocky Top –something the South Carolina program has never done before. Equally nice, at 5-3 they are in good shape for a bowl bid with Arkansas, Florida, and Clemson still on the docket. What might even be more delicious (if you’re a Gamecock fan): the last Tennessee coach that lost to the Gamecocks (Johnny Majors in 1992) ‘left the program’ six days later.

Next Week’s Quick Peeks

Pittsburgh @ Louisville –After a two week hiatus, the BEast is finally back on the tube, this time in a Thursday night showdown. Louisville will try to recapture some pre-season magic and climb back up the conference standings. Meanwhile, off-the-radar Pittsburgh has begun playing a little ball: three straight victories over Cincinnati, South Florida, and Syracuse. Can they make it four in a row?

Iowa @ Northwestern – Both teams ride into this one having dropped their last game (and both to the Wolverines, oddly enough). Will the week off for the Hawkeyes prove the difference here, or will Tyrell Sutton and Brett Basanez prove too much for the Iowa defense?

Tennessee @ Notre Dame – The pre-season #3 Tennessee Volunteers travel to South Bend for a tussle with the Fighting Irish. Early on in the year, this one was circled by just about everyone. Now, it’s an after thought, penciled in mainly by those Volunteer faithful hoping that Fulmer can somehow pull a miracle out of his hat and muster back some respect for the downtrodden program. On the other side of the hashes, Charlie Weiss will be looking to jump some more poll slots to finish no lower than 12th in the nation, and so ensure Notre Dame’s return to the BCS.

Wisconsin @ Penn State – It’s THE Big 10 showdown as the Badgers from Camp Randall ship out to Happy Valley to find out who takes control of the race for the conference crown. With Wisconsin’s defense playing worse than I’ve ever seen them, this one may not be the battle that everyone’s predicting –especially with that young, electric offense Joe Pa’s got brewing up in Beaver Stadium. Even so, the Badgers should get a couple of key personnel back on defense and keep this one tight (remember: Barry’s Boys love a good fight).

Army @ Air Force – Over on The Classic, the Commander-In-Chief trophy goes up for grabs: 1-6 Army can still claim the trophy by sweeping Air Force this week and Navy the first week of December. In order to do so, the Army Grunts will have to have their game of the season against the nation’s 8th ranked ground assault and much underrated QB Shaun Carney.

UCLA @ Arizona – Will the Bruins Cinderella comeback run continue this week? ‘Zona and the Stoops Boys says no, but perhaps it’s the Drew Boys who will have the final say on the matter. Maurice Drew and Drew Olson are the one-two punch that drive this Bruin team to heights well beyond what could have been considered normal in the preseason. The Wildcats, meanwhile, have inserted Freshman QB Willie Tuitama into the starting lineup and got an outstanding 13 of 22 for 335 yard passing day out of him against Oregon State last week. Can he do the same against the PAC10’s best pass defense?

Miami, Fla @ VA Tech – The Hokies finally get their headliner game this week. Texas had Ohio State, USC had Notre Dame, the Hokies get the Hurricanes. On Saturday night on ESPN, if you’re even the least bit of a college football fan, you’d better tune in for this one. Marcus Vick and the versatile Hokie offense host Larry Coker’s Hurricanes in Blacksburg. Miami is brining their nation leading defense to the table –one that allowed just 4 yards of offense to NC State during a 29 minute span in the second half. Are the Hokies for ready for that kind of smash mouth?

Stanford @ USC – Despite last week’s loss in double overtime to UCLA, Walt Harris has this Cardinal team on a role. Can they put a stop to the nation’s longest win streak, or will the Trojan offense rip apart another lesser team?

The Wrap Up
Well, that about wraps it up for yet another week Between the Hashes, SportzFanz. As always, it’s been both a privilege and a pleasure. Look for our Weekly Run Down of the games on in your area to hit the shelves in a couple of days. Until then...

The Week 9 Run Down

2005-10-26T22:08:00.000-05:00

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.

Between The Hashes - Week 8

2005-10-23T21:27:00.000-05:00

Between The Hashes

Welcome back SportzFanz to yet another week, Between The Hashes. In each issue we take a look at the College Football landscape and report on the state of all things Grid Iron. With so many quality games unfolding this weekend, I’m afraid it’s gonna take us until Saturday to get through it all, so lets just get right down to the action…

What This Week Will Be Remembered For
The shattering of school records being broken and, quite possibly, the night the lights went out in Georgia. In Saturday’s Georgia-Arkansas battle, Dawgs’ QB D.J. Shockley left the game with a sprained left knee after getting twisted around something fierce on a third down scramble up the middle. While he isn’t believed to knee surgery to repair it, he is listed as doubtful for the World’s Largest Cocktail Party this weekend, and that ain’t a good thing as the Bulldogs lacked a noticeable punch without Shockley in the line up.

But how about all those school records that came tumbling down this weekend: The Penn State offense set a record for most points scored in a half with 56. The previous mark of 55 was set on October 11th, 1947 against Fordham (I believe Joe Pa was coaching that one too). The Irish’ Brady Quinn set a trio of passing marks as the Golden Domers pasted BYU for their first home victory of the season. He set marks for most touchdowns in a single game (6), most passing touchdowns in a season (20), and most 400-yard passing games in a season (3). Brad Smith of Missouri set a school record for most total yardage in a game with 480 yards, including an unbelievable 246 yards on the ground against the much ballyhooed Blackshirts of Nebraska. But the cou’de gra of record setters is Auburn’s John Claude-Vaughn-Damn! He set himself up in the school record books as the only kicker to miss 5 field goals in a single game.

Today’s Topic –
I’m not saying that I’m for the idea of a Division 1-A playoff, but I think it is simply a matter of time before the powers that be force it upon us. Fortunately though, Jon Saraceno of USA Today points out a fabulous silver lining about life with a NCAA playoff: Imagine what Winter Madness would be like. In fact, imagine what Winter Madness would do to the NFL. Nowadays, the playoffs are really the only time the NFL adrenaline gets pumping –and that’s usually only when the game is played outdoors in near freezing weather. Whatsmore, when was the last time the Super Bowl was more about the play on the field than the commercials off it?

So I ask you: Would you rather watch the best 8 or even 16 college teams in the country going head to head, hopefully in their own stadiums, for a playoff, or would you rather watch a mostly tired and staid National Football League playoff where some of the teams even have to compete under the guise of something called a ‘wild card’?

In the college format, you’ve got 18-22 year’s flying all over the field on adrenaline and energy, sucked straight from the raucous home crowd that’s boiling over into the ‘freaking nuts’ zone replete with cannon blasts and the marching band belting out the old fight song. Meanwhile in the pro’s, you’ve got neatly formatted 3 hour games with their picture perfect timing of when to cut to commercial and when not to, their canned audio system celebrations and ‘be loud’ scrolling marquees, and let us not forget their oh so blasé ‘sudden death’ overtime format where the only ones hoping for sudden death are those watching.

So I ask you, which would you rather watch if, or when, the NCAA formally requests a Division I-A playoff system: Winter Madness or the NFL Playoffs?

Your Instant Impact Quotes of the Week Are:

1. "I thought it was a good lesson for my son." Charlie Weiss, explaining to the media why he went over to the USC locker room after the game and congratulated them on their come from behind victory.

2. “Hodges' accuracy is so uncanny he can throw it in a trash can from 50 yards." Kansas State Coach Bill Snyder on the Air Raider’s Cody Hodges. Well, that certainly may be true, but if you could actually put a little pressure on him, he might only be able to throw it into a trash can from five yards out.

3. “He gets kissed a little bit –and I don’t mean that, ya know, favorably.” Dave Lapham, trying to find a reason that he said the word ‘kissed’ on camera and during a football game. To his credit, he was trying to explain how Husker QB Zac Taylor got knocked down by a seething, sweaty, 300 pound defensive lineman… but I digress.

4. “It’s turned into a turnover party” Dave Lapham. Good golly, really? What’s next, Dave, a pajama party? ..sorry folks, I must still be a little wierded out by that whole kissing the quarterback thing.

5. “Troy Smith with the ball. Still on his feet… oh, he puts it on spin cycle!” Mark Jones, doing the play-by-play as Troy Smith puts together an amazing scramble for the endzone in Ohio State’s destruction of Indiana. Meanwhile, Rece Davis pounds his fist in shock and disappointment: now he has to come up with another catch phrase for the ESPN Game Break..

6. “That’s one big dude.” Brent Musburger, sizing up Texas’ ‘Big Henry’ Melton, a 6 foot 3 inch, 276 ‘plus’ pound full back. He’s 7% body fat folks –yep, he’s one big dude.

7. “This is where, as a player, you play your guts out all afternoon and then it just comes down to a kick.” Mike Tirico, right before Iowa sent it into overtime with a field goal on the final play in regulation. You know, you’d be one helluva a motivational speaker Mike.

8. “Here’s a naked… Bomar, going ….in the end zone.” DrewGoodman, calling the play as Oklahoma QB Rhett Bomar takes a bootleg to the end zone for the Sooners. Guys, guys, guys. We went through this last season: never leave something like that just hanging out there. That’s just as bad as talking about one player being ‘kissed’ by another out on the field!

9. “Don’t get behind.” One of Bob Davie’s three keys to the game for Auburn. That brought a big ‘well, duh’ from, oh I don’t know, maybe the 2.4 million people watching the game! …and if you listened very carefully you, you could just make out the laughter of Rece Davis and Lou Holtz in the ESPN studio.

10. “Ass-trick” Bob Davie, trying to pronounce the word ‘asterisk’ during the Auburn-LSU game. Yeah, that one pretty much speaks for itself. The only thing worse is that Bob repeated it about six times over the next five minutes.

11. “Damn it Scotty, I need more power!” Bob Davie. Oh, wait, you mean he didn’t say that? Damn. Well, at least Franklin made sure to correct him each time he improperly said the word “ass-trick”.

12. “You gotta lookout for getting ear-holed and watching for his legs on the punt coverage –I hate that!” Craig James in the studio, watching a replay of Reggie Bush’s marvelous punt return for a touchdown. Yeah, but if I were you, I’d watch out for getting ear-holed by John Saunders or Aaron Taylor.

13. “You’ve heard of the long jump, well how about the … head first, jumping through the air for about five yards or so …jump?” Gary Reasons, trying to, find a new Olympic event?, and explain how Rhett Bomar ‘jumped’ along the sideline for a first down.

And this week’s Instant IQ award goes to…
“Mad” Mike Leach for his insightful interview going into halftime against Texas:
Jack Arute, “Will you make any changes [in the second half]?”
Mad Mike, “Well, ….Aaghhh! We need to figure out how to punt the ball.”

This week’s Super-Stud Awards go to…

1. Brad “Mmm, I like Corn” Smith, QB Missouri – What is it about Nebraska that gets him so pumped up? This time, he set a single game school record with 480 yards of total offense, including an unbelievable 246 yards on 28 carries.

2. Brady “Bunch” Quinn, QB Notre Dame – Would the Irish answer the starting bell after that unspeakable atrocity in Notre Dame Stadium last week? Um, let me see: Brady Quinn threw for a school record 6 touchdowns and 467 yards on 32 of 41 passing.

3. Kalvin “n’Hobbes” McRae, RB Ohio – Frank Solich has found his one man wrecking crew. Kalvin took over the top slot for single game rushing day with his 29 carry, 264 yard performance. With all those yards though, one has to ask: how did he only manage to put the pig in the house one time on Saturday?

4. Kenny ‘Nine’ Irons, RB Auburn – It’s not your fault your place kicker missed 5 field goals. Mr. Irons thrashed the vaunted Tiger D for 218 yards on 27 carries. Wow, maybe the ole’ War Eagle should’ve given it to him a bit more often.

5. Jason “King of the” Hill, WR Washington State – The Cougar’s upset bid of Cal came ever so short, but Jason did his part, making the most of his six grabs: 240 yards and three touchdowns.

6. The Missouri Tiger Defense – While your offense, especially Mr. Smith, lit up the Cornhuskers, your defense pitched a whale of a game: holding Nebraska to -2 rushing yards on the day. When did you ever think you’d see Big Red held to negative rushing yardage?

Riding the Bench This Week is…
1. CanesVision, the company that runs the JumboTron for NC State. During the NC State-Clemson game, they flashed images on the crowd with various captions like “Kissing Cam” and “Fan Cam”. All in all, nobody would’ve said a thing about the crowd shots except that they showed one of their own employees up on the big screen with the caption “Mexi-Cam”. While the employee wasn’t offended, it was enough to get the other 60,000 in attendance to stop booing the home team and boo the JumboTron.

2. Referees and play calls. In the Husker-Tiger game, Nebraska battled back to 21-20 but when the Refs missed a call on a big 2nd and 15 for Missouri, the momentum turned back in favor of Missouri. The referee credited the Tigers with a completion despite the fact that the receiver had stepped out of bounds just prior to making the play. Okay, I can believe the referee might have missed the call (he didn’t have a great angle), but the replay was absolutely in your face (despite the fact that Lapham and Land were going on about something completely un-related). Where was the replay official, in the little boys room?

3. Arian Foster, WR Tennessee – Fumbling the ball in the red zone is bad enough. Fumbling the ball in a tight, 3-3 game is worse. Fumbling the ball into and out of the back of the end zone in such a game earns you a spot on this list. Of course, RB Gerald Riggs Jr. also lost a fumble inside the Tide ten yard line and probably should be on this list too…

4. The LSU Receivers – Two easy drops in the end zone would have made mincemeat out of Auburn on Saturday night. Instead, the Bayou Bengals prevailed simply because of the play on Auburn’s special teams.

5. John “Claude” Vaughn “Damn”, PK Auburn – He missed five field goals as the War Eagle’s title run got snuffed out by the Bayou Bengals in overtime 20-17. Quite a change from last season’s nail biter, where Vaughn initially missed a PAT but was granted a second chance due to a LSU penalty. Vaughn nailed it, spring boarding Auburn to an undefeated season with their 10-9 victory over LSU.

6. Referees and play calls – Part II. In the Baylor-OU game, Sooner Rhett Bomar lunged out of bounds trying to make the sticks for a first down. The referee gave him the choice spot, but replay clearly showed that he was at least a yard short of the marker. Why didn’t the ref up in the booth review this play? In the Big12, the booth can review ball spots on the field –as they did during the Texas Tech-Texas game to give the Red Raiders a first down after the ball was spotted short of the sticks. Why didn’t they intervene here?!?

7. The guy in the stands wearing the shirt that read “LSU Twinkies” during the Tiger vs. Tiger game. Yeah, I know your girlfriend was standing right next to you wearing an exact copy, but that still isn’t any reason to embarrass yourself like that. Whomever the ‘Friends Of Twinkie’ are (and I’m sure you know who you are), had better give him grief to no end.

Random Hits and Misses
My moments of clarity and confusion from the weekend are:

1. In good hands with All State, huh? I hope everyone out there has heard that the State of Texas has had to force All State to pay off claims from policy holders who were under mandatory evacuation from Hurricane Rita and then subsequently not allowed to return home for several days. By state law, when such a condition arises the homes in the affected area are automatically deemed ‘uninhabitable’. When a home is ‘uninhabitable’, according to home owner policies, that means you are entitled to re-imbursement from your insurance company for expenses related to being forced from your home. All State, however, saw it differently and refused to pay out those claims. The State of Texas intervened and TWO state courts have now ordered All State to begin making good on the policies that their customers signed. If you’re considering switching to All State (FYI: I am not a policy holder with them), I strongly encourage you to check out this story. In good hands, indeed...

2. Just when you thought the Big East couldn’t be shafted any further by the ‘Majors’: Each and every Big10 game was on TV this week (either nationally or on ABC’s regional telecast). The Big East: the golden goose egg, and it’s not because the WVa-South Florida game was postponed. Can there be any clearer of a message sent to the conference formerly known as the BEast: you aren’t keeping your automatic big boy punch ticket.

3. Which way gets you shnockered faster: drinking every time Musburger says “Jack’a’root” or “pard’ner”, or drinking every time Bob Davie uses a ‘dramatic’ pause to think about what he’s going to say? Discuss.

4. This just in: Texas to win a share of the national title via the old geezer poll. Well, with the number of polls out there, it’s hardly any surprise that you can find ONE that has the Longhorns leaping in front of the Trojans. The Master’s Coaches Survey (yeah, we’ve talked about them before), ranked UT ahead of USC last week and figures to do so again this week with Texas’ trouncing of the Red Raiders. The question that comes to my mind is: how do votes from 16 former college football coaches tally up to 394 points for Texas, but only 389 for USC?

5. The most over-thrown flag this season: By far, it’s the ‘illegal formation’ flag for not having enough men on the line of scrimmage. The most under-thrown flag: The ‘delay of game’ when the play clock reaches zero. At least half a dozen times in each of the past two weeks, I’ve seen this one either missed or ignored entirely. What’s up with that Zebra’s?

6. Ok, I know the Wildcats dusted Michigan State but do you think those two missed field goals and 3 first half turnovers by the Sparties in the red zone helped? I do –I think it made all the difference in the world.

7. Newsflash: Baylor has just been upgraded from the Bad News Bears to the Hard Luck Bears. Despite pushing the Sooners to double overtime IN Norman, they still came up a sandwich short of a full picnic, losing 37-30.

8. The nation’s longest win streak (and no I’m not talking about the Trojans) came to a halt on Saturday as the Mount Union Purple Raiders fell to the Ohio Northern Polar Bears, 21-14. The loss snapped their miraculous 110-game win streak, dating back all the way to October of 1994 (that’s over a decade!). Word has it the Mount Union faithful are so distraught by this turn of events that they’re thinking of firing the whole coaching staff!?!

9. Calculate this one in your computers, Mr. Sagarin: Virginia cast down Florida State last weekend but then stumbled and fell to lowly North Carolina 7-5 this week. They managed just 199 total yards and not a single play of more than 13 as the Tar Heels smothered the Cavs all game long. Yeah, I’m sure your computer system saw that one coming…

10. Title this one under ‘wierdest setting for a football game’: In New York, Mount Vernon and New Rochelle moved their game to Friday morning from Saturday afternoon and barred fans from being in attendance. The only people allowed to watch? About two dozen police officers and a handful of media types. Now I know what you’re thinking: this must’ve been a prison league game, but it wasn’t. The precautions were taken after a Mount Vernon resident was found murdered in New Rochelle last month. In case you were wondering, New Rochelle won the game in convincing fashion, 40-16, and the police have no leads in the case.

11. Louisville won this year’s Keg of Nails trophy with their 46-22 victory over Cincinnati. While an actual Keg of Nails is supposed to weigh 100 pounds, this one is a wee-bit lighter as it’s empty and a replica of the original Keg which was lost about thirty years ago during restorations at the Louisville campus. The other trophy game of the week, The Brass Boot, goes home with the Colorado State Rams, 39-31 victors over the Wyoming Cowboys. The win evened the Border War series at 19 apiece, setting up one heck of a showdown for next year.

Next Week’s Quick Peeks

Boston College @ VA Tech – Yet again on Thursday we have the prospect for an Instant Classic. While the games haven’t worked out that way the past two weeks, don’t expect that to hold here. The Eagles will be loaded for Hokie this week as Virginia Tech looks to remain among the ranks of the unbeaten and pound its chest for some BCS #2 love. If this one were up in Chestnut Hill, I’d give it to BC but down in Blacksburg this one will easily be the roughest game of the season for the Eagles –are they physical enough to handle a 60 minute pounding?

Ohio State @ Minnesota – With two weeks to get over the blocked punt that cost them Paul Bunyan’s Axe against Wisconsin, the Gophers should be well rested for these Buckeye’s. After stumbling for a second time this season against the Nittany Lions, the Bucks have had two impressive victories in a row over Michigan State and Indiana. If they can get their offense going, it should prove the difference as the nation’s #1 ground attack runs head first into the nation’s #1 run stoppers.

Oklahoma @ Nebraska – Getting routed in Columbia this past week, Huskernation is seeing Red all over again. This week they get a strengthening Oklahoma squad that should boast the return of all-world back Adrian Peterson. It could be a throwback classic up in Lincoln if the Sooner ground game can push around the Blackshirts (they didn’t do so well against the Bears’ stingy defense). What’s even more pressing is whether the OU secondary can handle the onslaught Bill Callahan and his CornCoast Offense will attempt to throw at them.

Clemson @ GA Tech – In a match up of two schools that can’t decide if they’d rather rise to the top or float to the bottom, the Tigers pay a visit to the Rambling Wreck. With two weeks off to prepare, will the Yellow Jacket’s Reggie Ball be ready to finally take over a game or will Tommy Bowden’s boys find a way to contain him and take the sting out of these Jackets?

Maryland @ Florida State – Thanks to Virginia, the Atlantic Division in the ACC is wide open once more. A victory by the visiting Terrapins would almost certainly knock the Seminoles out of the race for the division title. But FSU knows this and, after their tune up match against Duke, will be ready to rip/roar their way through the ACC’s worst rushing defense.

Georgia vs. Florida – The World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party kicks off this Saturday in Jacksonville. For the Gators, it’s all about the rivalry and removing the Bulldogs from a national title shot. For the Dawgs, it’s all about survival. With DJ Shockley likely out of commission, don’t expect Georgia to bully it’s way past Florida on offense –they weren’t exactly lighting the world on fire when Shockley was in the line up and without him, well… On defense, the Dawgs are just as solid as ever, so that means it should come down to the play of Florida QB Chris Leak: can he or can’t he lead this team?

Michigan @ Northwestern – Northwestern roasted the Spartans this week (although I still contend MSU did it to themselves in the first quarter, thereby keeping us from having a good measuring stick for the Wildcats). Michigan went into Kinnick Stadium and stopped the Hawkeyes home game win streak at 22 (don’t underestimate the importance of that victory, which was incidentally Llyod Carr’s 100th with Big Blue). Will the Wolverines defense be overwhelmed against the spread offense or will they dominate them the way they should have dominated Notre Dame.

The Wrap Up
Well, that about wraps it up for yet another week Between the Hashes, SportzFanz. As always, it’s been both a privilege and a pleasure. Look for our Weekly Run Down of the games on in your area to hit the shelves in a couple of days. Until then...

Rex Frazier is a college football staff writer for football.com. You can reach him at: rexfrazier@earthlink.net

The Week 8 Run Down

2005-10-19T22:59:00.000-05:00

Ah, it’s Week 8 SportzFanz and there’s a load of action coming your way, so just sit back, pop open a cold one, and relax as we lead you through the weekly College Pigskin Schedule…

The Week 8 TV Schedule

Oct. 20 Thu VA Tech @ Maryland 6:45P ESPN

Oct. 21 Fri Southern Miss @ UAB 7:00P ESPN

Oct. 22 Sat GA Tech @ Miami, Fla 11:00A ABC*
Oct. 22 Sat Michigan @ Iowa 11:00A ABC*
Oct. 22 Sat Ohio State @ Indiana 11:00A ESPN Oct. 22 Sat Northwestern @ Michigan State 11:00A ESPN2
Oct. 22 Sat Nebraska @ Missouri 11:30A FSN

Oct. 22 Sat BYU @ Notre Dame 1:30P NBC
Oct. 22 Sat Wyoming @ Colorado State 2:00P ESPN Cl
Oct. 22 Sat Purdue @ Wisconsin 2:30P ABC*
Oct. 22 Sat Texas Tech @ Texas 2:30P ABC*
Oct. 22 Sat USC @ Washington 2:30P ABC*
Oct. 22 Sat Tennessee @ Alabama 2:30P CBS

Oct. 22 Sat Utah @ UNLV 6:00P ABC
Oct. 22 Sat Penn State @ Illinois 6:00P ESPN2 Oct. 22 Sat Oregon State @ UCLA 6:00P TBS
Oct. 22 Sat Baylor @ Oklahoma 6:00P FSN
Oct. 22 Sat Auburn @ LSU 6:45P ESPN

Oct. 22 Sat Washington State @ Cal 9:15P FSN

*Denotes Regional Action
NOTE: All times are CST.

The Week 8 Run Down

Thu VA Tech @ Maryland 6:45P ESPN
This Thursday we get a gem of a game with the Hokies dropping by College Park for a little Turtle Soup. While the Terrapins started off the season in rough fashion, they’ve finally caught a gear and ripped off three solid victories against Wake Forest, Virginia, and Temple. On top of that, Maryland has been fuming for 365 days now, just itching to get another shot at these Hokies after last year’s 55-6 pasting. Of course, Va Tech managed to put up that score even without super-QB Marcus Vick. If the home crowd can keep these Terps fired up and in the game and RB Lance Ball can run like he did against Virginia two week ago (163 yards and two touchdowns), then the Hokies should have their hands full all the way down to the final gun. But if the Hokie speed and defense is for real, or their special teams takes the home crowd out of it, this one could turn ugly real fast.
Hokies.

Fri Southern Miss @ UAB 7:00P ESPN
After playing lights out against Tennessee in the opener, UAB went AWOL, dropping their last two games to become 3-3. If they can get their offense figured out, they’ve still got a chance to get back in the hunt for a C-USA title as their defense has been playing great and keeping them in the game. On the other side of the hashes, the Golden Eagles have followed a similar path this season. They played Alabama tough in week one before faltering and struggling through the last four to wind up 3-2. With wins over East Carolina and UCF, however, Southern Miss has the inside track on the East Division crown. The key to this one will be getting a solid outing out of Eagle QB Dustin Almond. Two weeks ago against Tulsa he was terrible, completing just 12 of 29 passes for 132 yards and 4 interceptions. Seven days later, he caught fire against UCF, going 23 of 37 for 277 yards and 5 touchdowns. Which Dustin Almond will show up?
Rebels.

Sat GA Tech @ Miami, Fla 11:00A ABC
As the weekend approaches it becomes less certain that this game will even get played. At last check, Hurricane Wilma exploded into a Category 5 and was eyeing the lower Florida Coast. If things work out right and these two get a chance to play this weekend, expect the Canes to give their best Cat 5 impersonation against the Yellow Jackets. The nation’s top ranked defensive unit should have zero trouble manhandling the Rambling Wreck’s O. Does anyone realize that over the last four weeks, Miami has outscored its opponents 136-20? Okay, okay, so those numbers are a little skewed with them playing Colorado, South Florida, Duke, and Temple over that stretch, but still –Miami’s got that swagger back and that definitely isn’t a good thing for anybody that saddles up on the other side of the ball from them.
Canes.

Sat Michigan @ Iowa 11:00A ABC
After hosting the red hot Nittany Lions and vanquishing them from the ranks of the unbeaten, Big Blue travels to the land of the pink showers to face off against a rejuvenated Hawkeye team. After opening their Big10 slate with a loss to the Buckeyes, Iowa has strung together three impressive victories. The only problem with that is that those victories have come against Illinois, Purdue, and Indiana, begging the question: just how ‘improved’ are the Hawkeyes? With RB Michael Hart ready to sled, the Wolverines offense has had a noticeable punch (boy he really takes the heat off QB Chad Henne, don’t he?). For the Hawkeyes to be successful in this one, they’ll have to make the Wolverines one dimensional by shutting down the ground game. On top of that, Hawkeye QB Drew Tate will have to avoid having a ‘State’ game (as in Iowa State and Ohio State). In those games, he went 27 of 50 for just 203 yards, no touchdowns, and two interceptions. So who out there thinks he’ll be able to avoid that kind of let down against an 18th ranked Michigan defense who has, incidentally, already played against the likes of Brady Quinn, Drew Stanton, and Michael Robinson?
Wolverines.

Sat Ohio State @ Indiana 11:00A ESPN
After enduring that painful loss to Penn State two weeks ago, the Buckeye’s salvaged their Big10 title hopes by tearing down the Spartans, 35-24. This week should be nothing more than a tune up for the Buckeye O -and believe me, they need the work. While the Hoosiers are no pushovers on defense, don’t expect their offense to muster much of a threat as the OSU defense should have absolutely no problem manhandling them for 60 full minutes.
OSU.

Sat Northwestern @ Michigan State 11:00A ESPN2
If stats mean anything, this should be the Big10’s most exciting game of the week (how DID it end up on the Deuce?). Northwestern’s spread attack has come out of nowhere this season to storm the Big10 (their 5 point loss to Penn State is looking too shabby now, isn’t it?). But even more impressive than the Wildcat offense has been the Spartan offense led by QB Drew Stanton –tops in the Big10 and 3rd in the nation. What makes this game super-interesting though, is taking into consideration that we aren’t just talking about two very potent offensive attacks, but we’re also talking about two of the nation’s worst pass defenses: the Spartans at 109th and the Wildcats at 115th. With such high octane attacks lined up against such wiffle-ball defenses, this one has a 1,000 yards and a 100 over-under written all over it.
Spartans, in a dizzying assault on the Big10 record books.

Sat Nebraska @ Missouri 11:30A FSN
With Nebraska, Colorado, and Missouri in a dead heat for the North Division, this one should help separate the pretenders from the contenders. While the Tigers have managed to get to 2-1 in conference play, they’ve done so by squeaking past an emotionally challenged Iowa State Redhawk squad and scraping by suddenly apathetic Oklahoma State. And while the Tiger’s mediocrity doesn’t all rest on the shoulders of QB Brad Smith (or his arms and legs for that matter), the same can’t be said of the Black’n’Gold’s Defense, ranked 11th in the conference in rushing defense and dead last in scoring defense. Standing opposite them is a Big Red squad that snuck out of Waco with a victory after getting bushwhacked by the Red Raiders in the prior week. With a steadily improving passing game and a killer Blackshirt Defense though, don’t expect Mizzou to pull this one out even if they come out fast and furious in the first half.
Cornhuskers.

Sat BYU @ Notre Dame 1:30P NBC
Can the Irish pick their hearts up off the turf of Notre Dame Stadium in time for this one? While the Irish are easily one of the ten best teams in the nation, they are also one of the very, very few to have a goose egg in their own Yard. The good news for Irish fans is that they should finally pick up that elusive dubbya this week. The bad news is that it might be a bit closer than everyone is expecting as BYU’s passing game, behind QB John Beck and WRs Curtis Brown and Jonny Harline, is really clicking and the number one weakness on this Trojan team (by far) is its secondary. The difference here though is that the Cougar receivers will look dirt slow to the Irish defenders in comparison to USC’s thoroughbreds.
Golden Domers.

Sat Wyoming @ Colorado State 2:00P ESPN Cl
At the beginning of the season, the Cowboys were looking to wrestle control of the Mountain West away from Utah. Very early on though, that dream quickly evaporated as Wyoming is now a 4-3 squad and riding a two game losing streak. Meanwhile, the Rams have suddenly found themselves sitting right behind TCU in the conference standings and dreaming of taking that Mountain West crown all for themselves. In this one, watch the play of QB Justin Holland. He’s the best the M-West has to offer, and with a trio of able receivers in David Anderson, Johnny Walker, and Kory Sperry, figures to have a big day. Of course, Colorado State and the Mountain West’s top ranked pass defense might have a little something to say about that. If this one were an away game for CSU, I’d give it to the Cowboys in a heartbeat (CSU is abysmal away from the ole Fort, a perfect goose egg on the season at 0-3). Since the Cowboys are riding all the way into town for this one though, the home crowd ought to be able to juice up the Rams’ 99th ranked defense and help them make that game wining stop to seal the game.
Rams.

Sat Purdue @ Wisconsin 2:30P ABC
How far can one team slide in a single season? Everyone’s favorite Big10 dark horse, the Purdue Boilermakers, is now 2-4 and 0-3 in conference play. You could say that losing all everything QB Kyle Orton to the NFL draft was a serious blow to this team, but you’d only be partially right. His replacement, Brandon Kirsch, hasn’t been all warts this season, completing 60% of his passes for 1,625 yards. Nope, the real problem has been on defense where last year’s entire starting unit returned for this campaign and hasn’t played even close to expectations (115th in the nation overall and 117th in pass defense). While Wisconsin is more of a run first team, they certainly aren’t afraid to put it up in the air when the opportunity presents itself –and it will. Even worse for the Boilers, the Badgers appear to have already put their clunker game of the season out there against Northwestern. If the Purdue D can’t tighten up and lure Stocco into making a BUNCH of mistakes, the Badgers offense ought to pull this one out at home in Camp Randall even if their defense isn’t up to the task.
Badgers.

Sat Texas Tech @ Texas 2:30P ABC
Sure, Tech can hang half a hundred on some Division I-AA schools. And sure, Tech can go into Lincoln after last season’s 70-10 blowout victory and still walk away with the dubbya. And yeah, sure, they can prove it wasn’t a fluke by roasting some Wildcat in Lubbock. But can they shock the nation and tame these Longhorns? Their offense will get its yards, that much is certain, but will they get the points? Will they break free from this speedy secondary and gouge them for the really big gains? In order for it to be a Red Raider day, they’ll have to do just that. But even more than simply putting points on the board, if Tech wants to keep this one competitive, RaiderBack Dwayne Slay had better have a career and wreak havoc on Vince Young and the Longhorn’s running backs –if he can catch them. If Tech can’t do that, then this one could very easily be another lopsided victory –although the safe money says it’s much closer than the Orangebloods would like.
Texas shoots down the Air Raid.

Sat USC @ Washington 2:30P ABC
After playing three come-from-behind games in a row with each one closer than the last, the Trojans finally get a breather this week. While the Huskies have begun to show some signs of life on offense, their defense is still abysmal and will have to match up against the nation’s premier offense. Don’t be surprised though if these Huskies manage to put quite a few points on the board against the boys from Southern Cal as the Trojans will absolutely be looking past this one.
SC.

Sat Tennessee @ Alabama 2:30P CBS
Is the Tide for real or isn’t it? After destroying Florida one week and then eaking past Ole Miss the next, it’s anybody’s guess as to just exactly how good this Red Elephant team is. While one would expect the Tide’s defense (tops in the SEC) to carry the day, I wouldn’t bet on it. The Vols have had two weeks to prepare and will probably end up using both Ainge and Clausen in this one (something which, oddly enough, seems work best for this offense). Plus, Tennessee is incredibly good on the road in big games (remember LSU this season –and Georgia last year?). With Bama losing a playmaker a game, I’m having trouble seeing how they’ll maintain their continuity on offense, especially if they can’t run the ball –which they shouldn’t be able to do against a UT line that has yet to give up the century mark this year.
Vols.

Sat Utah @ UNLV 6:00P ABC
How this game makes it onto ABC is anybody’s guess as both squads are bringing up the rear in the Mountain West. With the departure of Urban Meyer, the Ute’s world has been turned upside down. They’re riding a three game losing streak and can’t seem to find any kind of rhythm on either side of the ball. Fortunately for them, they ‘run’ straight into a Rebels squad that has been even worse. With the Utah offense struggling to get a big game out of RB Quinton Ganther, QB Brian Johnson, and WR John Madsen all season, does anyone else out there think this is the week that the Ute’s finally breakout?
Utah ‘runs’ away in this one.

Sat Penn State @ Illinois 6:00P ESPN2
Penn State’s perfect season came to a grinding halt last week in the Big House when Chad Henne found his freshman receiver in the end zone for the game winning score as time expired. This week, the Nittany Lions travel over to Champaign for a confidence builder against the Fighting Illini. With the Big10’s worst rushing offense, scoring offense, rushing defense, scoring defense, and special teams unit, I think it’s safe to say Joe Pa’s youngsters will think this game is easier than practice. But hey, even though Illinois is also the Big10’s second worst team in total offense, pass efficiency defense, turnover margin, and offensive pass efficiency, don’t underestimate them: they’re tops in the conference with kickoff returns (although that may just be because they get scored on so much …I dunno, it’s just a theory).
PSU.

Sat Oregon State @ UCLA 6:00P TBS
See, I told you the Beavers were the best Jeckyl’n’Hyde team in the country. Last week, they ripped the heart out of the Golden Bears on the road, improving to 2-1 in conference play. Meanwhile, UCLA continued it’s perfect season by squeaking past Washington State in overtime. Front and center in the Bruins rise up the Top 25 charts is QB Drew Olson and RB Maurice Drew. While they haven’t posted eye popping numbers on a weekly basis, they have been electrifying over the past two – combing for 12 touchdowns and 1,213 all purpose yards. This week, that dynamic duo gets to cut its teeth against the nation’s third worst pass defense and 106th ranked unit overall. Of course, the bright side for the Beavers is that they’ve got the nation’s most dangerous receiver, Mike Hass, playing pitch and catch with QB Matt Moore. Will the PAC-10’s best pass defense be able to keep him away from the ball? The answer, just like last week, comes down to which OSU team shows up: the kick-your-ass-on-the-road Beavers or the get-their-ass-kicked-on-the-road Beavers. Last week it was the former, this week it’ll be the latter unless QB Matt Moore can improve his game (he’s tossed 5 picks and only 1 touchdown in the past two contests).
Bruins –they’ll remain undefeated until ASU and then shock the nation the following week.

Sat Baylor @ Oklahoma 6:00P FSN
Despite that tough home loss to Nebraska last week, the Bears are still on the hunt to go bowling. In order to do it though, they’ll need to surprise a Sooner squad that continues to improve on offense by leaps and bounds. While last week’s numbers against the Jayhawks may not have shown it, Sooner QB Rhett Bomar is developing quickly and really beginning to ‘get’ this offense. That said, don’t underestimate the Baylor Defense. After facing Reggie McNeal, Bret Meyer, and Zac Taylor the Bears boast the nation’s 6th rank pass efficiency defense –and 20th overall defense. With RB Adrian Peterson and WR Travis Wilson likely out yet again, it’s looking to be another difficult day offensively for the Boomer Schooner. In this one, it comes down to mistakes and special teams plays. Baylor has one of the nation’s best return men that you’ve never heard of in Terrence Nunn (2nd in the nation at 28 yards/return), but OU’s defense should more than make up for any disadvantage its offense or kicking game can dish out.
Sooners.

Sat Auburn @ LSU 6:45P ESPN
This one earns the honor of Most Intriguing Game of the Week. For this one, 5-1 Auburn make’s the trip to the Land of the Big Red Stick to tame the Bayou Bengals. After that opening week loss to Georgia Tech, the War Eagle was all but left for death on the national scene. Fast forward five weeks and Auburn has found itself a backfield and tuned up its defense. The obvious question that comes to mind then is: are they improved enough to hang with the Big Boys? We’ll find out this week. LSU figures to have there hands full and simply must focus for all four quarters in this one. They’ve coughed up the ball 15 times this season and clearly haven’t played up to the level of their talent. Are, as some are saying, these LSU Tigers primed and over due for an offensive explosion? Me, I’m thinking that Auburn Defense is mighty good and those LSU fans are mighty fickle (at least they have been this season).
The War Eagle circles above Death Valley.

Sat Washington State @ Cal 9:15P FSN
Your desert game this week features the Cougars from Pullman, 44-41 losers in overtime against UCLA, going up against the Golden Bears of Berkeley, 47-40 losers in a down-to-the-wire game against UCLA. With both teams losing tight, high scoring affairs in overtime one would assume that Wash State and Cal would match up quiet well, but that just isn’t the case. In this one, it’s the PAC10’s top defensive unit, Cal, bumping uglies with the nation’s 7th ranked offense. Will the Golden Bear line be able to throw back RB Jerome Harrison, their conference’s top sled dog? If so, then Cal should pull out an easy victory as their tandem of QB Joe Ayoob and RB Justin Forsett are definitely the most underrated tandem in the conference.
Cal begins a new regular season game win streak.

Between the Hashes - Week 7

2005-10-17T22:20:00.000-05:00

Welcome back SportzFanz to yet another week, Between The Hashes. In each issue we take a look at the College Football landscape and report on the state of all things Grid Iron. This weekend was packed with so much cardiac arrest action, I nearly keeled over dead watching the final 92 seconds of the USC-Notre Dame game. Before I break down into fits of rage over the ridiculousness that ensued in South Bend, we better get down to the action…

What This Week Will Be Remembered For
Last second heroics. Of course, this one might only be remembered for that Instant Classic up in South Bend, but in truth it should be remembered for the last minute heroics of USC, Alabama, Boston College, Wisconsin, West Virginia, UCLA and Michigan. Now if the only thing that you can remember is that last second fiasco in Indiana, here’s a run down on each of those miraculous victories:

USC’s Reggie Bush and Matt Leinart stole a victory away from the Irish on Saturday Night. With 92 seconds remaining on the clock, the Trojans embarked on the impossible and did it: scoring on the last play of the game to nab the victory. Of course, it helped that the officials miss-spotted the ball on the final play (it should have been closer to the 2 yard line, not the goal line). Oh, and yeah, it also helped that the officials didn’t throw a flag on the Trojans’ Reggie Bush for illegally pushing a stopped Matt Leinart into the endzone.

On a rain soaked night, Boston College’s WR Kevin Challenger hauled in the game winning catch with 1:18 left on the clock as the Eagles squeaked by the Demon Deacons, 35-30. The victory finally came after BC rallied for a second time: once from 17 down in the first half and then finally, trailing 30-21 with 3:27 left on the clock. The game ball goes to Eagle back up QB Matt Ryan who replaced a largely ineffectual Quinton Porter under center on the game’s final two drives.

Alabama struggled all afternoon against the Rebels, losing yet another wide receiver to injury. This time it was DJ Hall early in the first half. Fortunately for the Tide though, Brodie Croyle was able to calmly lead them down the field on the final drive to set up PK Jamie Christensen’s game winning 31-yard field goal as time expired.

The Badgers rallied from ten down with only 3:27 left on the clock to lay claim to the Axe. Wisconsin QB John Stocco calmly led his team 71 yards down the field to cut the lead to three with two minutes remaining. On Minnesota’s ensuing possession, the Gophers were unable to gain a first down (despite having rushed for 411 yards on the day) and were forced to punt from their own 11 with just 30 ticks. Punter Justin Kucek partially muffed the snap, allowing Jonathon Casillas to race in for the block and fellow Badger Ben Strickland to pounce on the ball in the endzone for the game winning score.

West Virginia overcame a 24-7 3rd quarter deficit by scoring on each of their final 5 drives, including one to tie the game at 24 with a minute left on the clock. With the game in overtime, WVU and Louisville traded punches all the way into a third overtime. On the game’s final play with West Virginia leading 46-44, Mountaineer defensive tackle Eric Wicks sacked QB Brian Brohm during Louisville’s 2-point attempt to seal the victory and light something like fifty thousand mattresses in the state of West Virginia (cause that’s just what they do when they win a big one).

UCLA rallied from 21 down to force overtime against Washington State, snatching their first victory in four tries against these Cougars, and their first one in a dozen years up in Pullman.

Penn State’s Michael Robinson scored from 3 yards out with 53 seconds left in the game to give the Nittany Lions a 25-21 lead, but Wolverine WR Steve Breaston returned the kickoff to midfield and Michigan’s Chad Henne marshaled his team down the field to the Nits ten yard line. With a single second left on the clock, Henne took the snap from under center and found freshman WR Mario Manningham in the end zone to send all 111,249 maniacal fans in the Big House into a frenzy. Side note: Penn State scored 15 points over a 17 second stretch –a rushing touchdown, a fumble recovery for a touchdown, and a 2-point conversion—giving them an 18-10 lead early in the fourth quarter.

Today’s Topic – The Rant
It’s official: I know loathe the Trojans more than any of the other 118 teams in Division 1-A. I can’t explain it really, but when I see them on TV, hear someone talking about them, or even see images of SC in my head I get downright nauseous and have the sudden urge to kick something –and kick it hard. Maybe it’s because I can’t help but think of each one of the SC players as nothing but candy asses. No, mainly, it’s because of their knack for pulling out the win in games they ought to lose (see any of the past three weeks of action). Especially though, it’s how they won that game in South Bend this weekend, but more to the point it’s how they bragged about winning it.

Ok, ok, I know: everyone pushes the running back forward in a goal line situation. But you know what? A), I’ve never seen it be used that blatantly. B), I’ve never seen it done to decide a game like that. And C), I’ve never heard someone so proud of flagrantly breaking the rules to win the game (see the Matt Leinart-Reggie Bush quote down below for more on that one). It’s just sickening, it really is. To make matters worse now there will be no end to the talk of a three-peat when SC hasn’t even won back-to-back BCS titles! Well at least people don’t consider Saragin, Dunkel or Matthews to be mainstream polls, otherwise all those Trojanites out their would be pounding their chest about FOUR straight titles!

Today’s Topic – The Rant, Part Two
Texas did in fact come out as #2 in the BCS this week; however, all the scuttlebutt prior to this weekend put them at #3 with Virginia Tech in the two slot. That was ‘supposed’ to happen despite Texas being the consensus #2 pick in all of the human polls since preseason and despite knocking off Michigan in the Rose, Ohio State in the Horseshoe, and Oklahoma in Dallas over a six game stretch.

So how could Texas have been anything other than #2? Well, because the BCS relies so heavily on computer polls. The 5 computer polls used in the BCS ranking scheme apparently had Virginia Tech in the 6 slot and Texas in the 7 (prior to this week). And if you think that’s crazy, consider this: Penn State was #1 in the computer polls and Florida State #2 –yes, that’s right, both teams that lost this past weekend were the computer poll’s #1 and #2 teams. And what of USC? Well, they were sitting pretty at three. Ludicrous, simply ludicrous.

You see the problem with using computer rankings, right? They don’t take into account the intangibles of college football. The home crowd whipping the defense up into a frenzy, the arch-rivalries, the streakiness of 18 year olds when put under stress and adversity, the turn of a game on one simple play –even if the ref got the call wrong. Heck, they don’t even take into account that Texas scored 42 points in the first three quarters, pulled all of its starters, and then took a knee inside the Colorado 10 to end the game. And what about that USC-ND game? From that game, can a computer accurately record and ‘calculate’ the relative strength of Notre Dame and Southern Cal to the rest of the country? Hell no.

How can you quantify all that makes college football, college football into a set of hashed out statistics and reasonably say that that should be the basis for determining who the best teams in college football are? It’s equal parts insanity and stupidity –just as much, I fear, as the bloated $100 Million BCS itself.

Your Instant Impact Quotes of the Week Are:
This week’s Instant IQs are:

1. "Thanks for tossing that one under the bus there Erin," Kirk Herbstreit in the booth thanking sideline reporter Erin for trying to keep people interested during the Clemson-NC State blowout. She spent three minutes telling a story about how one of the coaches had to, crinch, take time away from preparing for a game to pick his daughter up from school.

2. "Is that the guy that beat your butt at playstation?", the play-by-play man in the booth, talking to Kirk as the Tigers scored another one on the Wolfpack. His reply was a very despondent ‘yeah’. In fact, he was so distressed about the whole thing he proceeded to explain that having triplets at home meant he just doesn’t have enough time to practice and get ‘really good’.

3. “Eric Petermen, who will go down the field in his urban sombrero.” Rece Davis in the studio, showing a Northwestern touchdown highlight. Good one, Rece. Who writes your stuff, Elaine Benice?

4. “Evridge’s wobble but they don’t fall down.” The color man, watching K-State QB Allen Evridge pick himself up off the turf after being knocked down by Tech’s Slay for the umpteenth time: No they sure don’t, but Wildcats do, and I don’t think they’ll figure out until at least Tuesday exactly what it was that hit them in the second half.

5. “Some days you just get your butt handed to you.” Ed Cunningham, covering the Colorado-Texas game. Yep, but if you’re real lucky, you get it handed to you with a side of butt-whip.

6. “That’s a helmet that came off, not a fumble.” Gary Thorne, clarifying the situation out on the field. Thanks Gary, I was getting awfully worried about that for a second there.

7. "That's a dang coaching mistake. The kids are playing their tail off and the coaches are screwing it up." Michigan State head coach John L Smith on losing to Ohio State. Hey, keep your chin up there John and remember: Just admitting that you have a problem is half the battle.

8. "He's like, 'Your welcome man. I pushed your back,’ I was like, 'Thanks dude.'" Matt Leinart, recalling his conversation with Reggie Bush after the final play of the game against the Irish. I was like, so disgusted man, I don’t even have to gag myself with a spoon -my innards are projectiling themselves all over the kitchen wall.

9. These next three are just an interesting look inside the mind of three star head coaches, all of whom ironically lost this weekend. You’ve got the two coaches with the most victories in D1-A all-time, and one of the supposedly hottest commodities in all of football:
Urban Meyer: “You'll never hear me say I'm proud of the team, because I'm not when they lose.” That’s not very PC, but hey that’s not what they pay him for.
Joe Paterno: "It was a great football game. Our kids hung in there, I'm proud of them." Yeah, that’s old school talk for, ‘Nice job, I’m kicking your butt next year.’
Tommy Bowden: "I don't have a lot to say. All I want to say, you can't print." Well, at least he’s honest and polite.

And this week’s Instant IQ award goes to…
The crew covering the Texas Tech-Kansas State game. I jumped right into the middle of this one and let me tell you, it was several minutes before I could bring pen and paper to record it:
“I gotta tell you my marbles are better looking than yours.”
“I can’t argue that.”
“Yeah, I know you can’t.”

This week’s Super-Stud Awards go to…

1. Cody “I’m finally a senior” Hodges, QB Texas Tech – Talk about sick: he takes the cake for single game yardage this season with 643 through the air and 5 touchdowns on 44 of 65 attempts against Kansas State. He now has 2,461 yards passing and 22 piggy scores thru six games. In just one day, he threw for more yardage than North Texas, Duke, and Rice have all season. In fact, if he were a team he’d be the 39th ranked offense all on his lonesome!

2. Colt ‘45’ Brennan, QB Hawaii – He thought he had single game honors all but locked up this week, that is until Mr. Hodges riddled the Wildcat secondary. Colt blew away New Mexico State for 515 yards through the air and SEVEN touchdowns as the Warriors stormed past the Aggies, 49-28.

3. Joel ‘Feeling-a-’ Filani, WR Texas Tech – With 10 catches for 255 yards and a touchdown, he gets the Big12 all-time record for single-game receiving yardage. Tech’s own Donnie Hart had owned that one with 241 yards back in 1996.

4. Taurean ‘Delorean’ Henderson, RB Texas Tech –He nabbed 10 catches for 117 yards and five touchdowns on the day, but what really gets him on this list is that he set the NCAA all-time record for most receptions by a running back (241 and counting…).

5. In-Vince-able Young, QB Texas – In his best game of the season, Young scored 5 times (two of them with his legs) as Texas routed Colorado 42-17. Young did most of his damage the air, throwing for 336 yards on stellar 25 of 29 passing. Side note: You know you’ve got something special when the opposing coach admits that he isn’t even sure if he has the athletes to compete with your team.

6. Laurence ‘My’ Maroney, RB Minnesota – It wasn’t this Heisman worthy sled dog’s fault the Gophers lost the Axe Saturday. He rushed for a career-high 258 yards against the Badgers, including a 93-yarder early in the third quarter. With that effort, Maroney joins Michigan State's Sedrick Irvin and Wisconsin's Ron Dayne as the only backs in Big Ten history to net 1,000-yard rushing seasons in each of their first three years.

7. The Bludgeoning Buckeye Defense – Anybody who didn’t think they were all that and a side of butt-whip, check this stat out: they sacked the Spartans Drew Stanton a school record 12 TIMES. TWELVE TIMES.

8. Steve Slaton, RB West Virginia – Mountaineer Head Coach Rich Rodriguez opted out of his 4 back rotation this week, instead handing the rock to Slaton again, and again, and again. He responded with 188 yards on 31 carries and SIX touchdowns. Gee, ya think he earned that starting spot or what?

9. Dwayne ‘Spay’Em, don’t Slay’Em’, DB Texas Tech – While Slay only recorded ten official tackles (seven solo), he forced two turnovers, knocked down the Wildcat QB about a dozen times, and totally destroyed one of the Wildcat receivers. If he doesn’t deserve the title RaiderBack, I don’t know who does.

10. Conner ‘I’m not a Duck’ Hughes, PK Virginia – He nailed 4 of 4 field goals this weekend, helping the Cavaliers defeat the Seminoles, 26-21, for the first time in a decade. He has now made ten in a row and is 58 of 70 as a Cavalier.

Riding the Bench This Week is…

1. The Bumbling Buckeye Offense. In a week in which you should have lit up one of the worst pass defenses in the land, you didn’t even run a play in their half of the field until the final five minutes of the game. To make matters worse, you fumbled the ball six times and lost four of them. No wonder the home crowd of 105,112 booed you so zealously. Note to Tressle: Nobody cares that your wretched offense leads the Big10 in time of possession.

2. The Florida State front line – Booker and Washington are both more than just ‘able’ backs. Your lack of blocking (or rather, holding the block) resulted in the Cavaliers keeping FSU’s Thunder and Lightning from being any part of a possible come from behind victory. The FSU backfield managed just 20 yards on 28 carries –now that just ain’t right.

Random Hits and Misses
My moments of clarity and confusion this weekend are:

1. How upset do you think Pete Carroll would have been if USC hadn’t converted on that 4th down and ended up losing due to a bad call out on the field that couldn’t be overturned because he refused to allow instant replay in the game? Brady Quinn rushed for the go ahead touchdown with about two minutes remaining, but a closer look on replay showed his knee down prior to him stretching the ball across the stripe. Of course, the fact that SC ended up winning because there was no replay to overturn Reggie Bush blatantly pushing Matt Leinhart into the endzone probably doesn’t bother Carroll as much as it does me.

2. VaTech who? Texas destroyed Colorado over the weekend. Anyone that has the Hokies ahead of the Longhorns is nuts. Maybe they’ll deserve to be there later in the season (like after the ACC title game), but right now you are freaking nuts if you think the Hokies should be ranked ahead of the Longhorns.

3. The most humorous moment of the weekend had nothing at all to do with College Football. While ‘channeling up’ from CBS to ABC, I crossed our local NBC station that was covering some LPGA action down in South Africa, I believe. Grace Park, in her first tour event (she turned 16 like a day ago), was trying to figure out how to chip a lie that was surrounded by rock and scrub brush 20 feet up the side of a desert hill and onto the green at the 8th hole. She practice swung for like EVER, before taking her real stroke ….a swing, and a miss! Oh, it was more than a little embarrassing for Miss Park (of course, I shouldn’t talk, I once missed the whole ball while still on the tee box!). For her next shot, she pulled a few rocks out of the ground around her lie (which I didn’t know was actually allowed) and then swung again. This time she connected, but was only able to advance the ball about five feet into the middle of a thorny bush. Apparently, the rules allow you to move rocks but not bushes as she ended up having to drop her ball 30 yards down the hill and across a small ravine over on the 7th fairway (she had to drop it in a straight line with the current lie and the flag, but not any closer to the flag than the current lie). Her next shot, from the fairway on Seven, was a beauty, landing right in the middle of the green on 8 –nice shot Grace.

4. Is it really legal for linebackers to have clubs instead of hands? In the Alabama-Ole Miss game, Rebel linebacker, #49 Patrick Wilis had a cast on his hand that was wrapped in bubble wrap, then wrapped in another cast, AND THEN wrapped in athletic tape. It was like he was carrying around a 5 foot long q-tip –and I swear I saw him smacking the offensive linemen with it on his way to knocking down Tide QB Brodie Croyle.

5. Reason #437 that nobody should have been watching the Texas-Colorado game in the 4th quarter while that other game over on the Peacock was going on: Gary Thorne and Ed Cunningham held a five minute dissertation on how rap music, while horrible to listen too, is a window into the hearts and minds of the young kids who have had to overcome adversity to make it big in sports. Oh, and lest I forget, they also made quite a comparison between 40’s love songs and today’s rap songs. I guess I just didn’t realize that Gary and Ed are about 80 years old.

6. Reason #765 that nobody should have been watching the end of the Texas-Colorado game: Ed and Gary discussed and, apparently decided, that there is no difference between being a marine and being a football player. The only thing more painful than listening to this conversation was hearing them tick off all of the ‘war terms’ that are used in college football. Oh, and if you were wondering, I TIVO’s the UT game and only watched this painful broadcasting effort after the Trojans kidnapped a leprechaun and rubbed him all over Reggie Bush and Matt Leinart.

7. Is it just me or is this the WORST IDEA EVER: FOX has a new channel called Fox Reality and their tagline is, ”All Reality, All the Time, because you just can’t get enough.” Oh, I’ve sooo had enough.

8. Note to Cal Golden Bears fans: you now have a two game losing streak. If you’d prefer, I can call it a two game regular season losing streak.

9. Must be something in the water: I’ve never seen so many guys have 2 picks in a game on the same weekend: California, La.-Monroe, TCU, Bowling Green, Syracuse, Kansas, and Eastern Michigan all had guys grab two picks. Not to be outdone though, the East Carolina Pirates had two manly men grab a pair of picks each: Delirious Demetrius Hodges and Pierre ‘Don’t call me Peter’ Parker.

10. I’ve heard crews are now starting to plan how to restore the Superdome in New Orleans. Instead of leveling it and starting anew, it looks like they are just going to try to put it back together again as quickly as possible in an effort to keep football in New Orleans. One official was quoted as saying that unless the repairs/restoration was going to cost more than 51 percent of the estimated $270 million cost to replace the dome, they would simply restore it. You know, sometimes saving a few bucks (or even a few million), just isn’t the right thing to do. I mean, who in their right mind would want to step back inside that place after what happened in the aftermath of Katrina? Plus, if they tear it down and re-build it they should be able to put together a world class facility that people will be fighting to get inside –not outside- of.

Next Week’s Quick Peeks

Virginia Tech @ Maryland – In a wonderful little matchup on Thursday night, the Hokies travel to College Park for some Turtle Soup. While Maryland started off the season a little slow, they’ve come on strong in the past few weeks, knocking off Wake Forest, Virginia, and Temple. And while Terp QB Sam Hollenbach isn’t nearly as flashy as Uber-Hokie Marcus Vick, he is the ACC’s leader in total offense. Expect a great defensive battle in this one as the Terrapins own the 5th ranked pass defense and the Hokies field the 2nd best overall defense in the nation. Can Maryland find a way to get penetration on the Hokie offensive line without Vick burning them for a ton of yardage?

Georgia Tech @ Miami – Despite starting off the season with a bang, the Yellow Jackets have wilted under the pressure of their ACC schedule. This week they travel down to the Orange Bowl for a game against the Hurricanes. While the Canes are still a shell of their former selves on offense, they remain as potent as ever on defense with the nation’s top ranked unit, allowing just 227 yards per contest and 10 point a game. Can the Jackets’ Reggie Ball finally put together a masterful performance and carry the Rambling Wreck to victory over the 6th ranked team in the land?

Michigan @ Iowa – With the Big10 race as confusing as I’ve ever seen it, Michigan hits the road for the pink showers of Kinnick Stadium. Last week, the Wolverine’s bowed up and came out on top of Penn State thanks to a little last second heroics on the part of QB Chad Henne. Meanwhile, Iowa seems to have recovered nicely from that CyHawk debacle and subsequent Buckeye Bushwacking. Drew Tate has been on fire the past two weeks, but will he be able to throw against the teeth of this Big Blue D (best in the Big10 versus the pass).

Nebraska @ Missouri -- Despite taking different roads to get here, Nebraska and Missouri sit tied atop the Big12 North standings with Colorado. The Back’n’Gold are the perennial underachievers, looking to take control of the North Division and that subsequent invite to Reliant Center come December. Can the Huskers light up one of the weakest defenses in the conference and perty-up their passing stats, or will the Tigers finally drop the hammer?

Purdue @ Wisconsin – Now that the Badgers have that one loss behind them, the talk of them storming the conference table has subsided (it shouldn’t though as this one’s wide open). While Purdue is riding a 4 game losing streak, don’t think this one is a gimme for Barry’s Boys. The spread attack has given Wisconsin nothing but trouble this season, and don’t expect it to be any different here –even at Camp Randall. Fortunately for the Wisconsin faithful, the Boilermakers field the conference’s worst pass defense and 115th overall defense in the country. In other words: expect a wild shootout in this one, much like in the season opener with Bowling Green.

Texas Tech @ Texas – It’s good to see that the Big12 South won’t have to go the year without a Top 10 showdown. The Red Raiders bring their aerial fireworks into the confines of Royal-Memorial Stadium on Saturday to try and put an end to the Longhorns’ Rosy dreams. With them they bring the nation’s top rated pass attack, averaging 472 yards per game and 53 points per contest. Lining up on the other side of the ball is the Texas D: a fast, hard hitting unit that ranks 3rd in the nation in total defense, but more importantly 6th in the land and best in conference at defending the pass. This one should be a gem as the onus will be all on the speedy Texas DBs to keep pace with the Air Raiders streaking receivers.

Tennessee @ Alabama – In the other key matchup of the week, the Tide play host to a reeling Volunteer squad. After being pummeled by the Bulldogs, Tennessee took the week off to prepare for the SEC’s other undefeated team (I still say the scheduling gods hate Tennessee). Will Bama’s Brodie Croyle be able to get it done without his top two receivers? Fortunately, he may not have to as the SEC’s top ranked defense should be able to keep the Vols attack under wraps.

Auburn @ LSU – This is it, this is the game. The one that decides who wins the SEC-West. Yes, I know Bama is actually sitting atop the conference right now, but I just ain’t believing the Tide has rolled in just yet. The War Eagle has steadily improved their game since that opening week loss to Georgia Tech, and are now quietly back in the center of the SEC championship race. For the Bayou Bengals, a loss here and their dreams of an SEC championship are all but gone. Look for them to leave it all hanging out as it’s do or die time down in the land of the Red Stick.

The Wrap Up
Well, that about wraps it up for yet another week Between the Hashes, SportzFanz. As always, it’s been both a privilege and a pleasure. Look for our Weekly Run Down of the games on in your area to hit the shelves in a couple of days. Until then, do me a favor and send me your best/worst thoughts of the weekend, and we’ll see how the rest of you feel about that photo finish out in South Bend.

The Week 7 Run Down

2005-10-12T20:38:00.000-05:00

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.

Between The Hashes - Week 6

2005-10-10T08:04:00.000-05:00

Between The Hashes

Welcome back SportzFanz to yet another week, Between The Hashes. Each week, we’ll take a look at the College Football landscape and report on the state of all things Grid Iron. This weekend was chock full of so much action, my DVR nearly overheated and chunked its bloated hard drive halfway across the room. Before it gives out entirely, lets get down to the action…

What This Week Will Be Remembered For
The first official NCAA college football doubleheader, Texas finally claiming victory over the arch-rival Sooners, and last but by no means least, the Nittany Lions taking control of the Big10 up in Happy Valley.

A little Division III school named Northwestern College up in St. Paul pulled off the first officially recognized double header game in the NCAA this weekend. After beating Trinity Bible College, 59-0, the Eagles took a two hour break before jumping on the bus for a 6 ½ mile road trip to Macalester College. Against Macalester, they took a 33-0 lead at half time, coasting to an easy 47-14 victory.

Why the double header? Northwestern was having trouble lining up a 10th opponent for the season that wouldn’t bankrupt the small school’s travel budget, and this date was the only one available on Macalester’s schedule. Side note: many of the players uniforms didn’t even have enough time to dry out between games –fortunately, since the second game was an ‘away’ one they were able to shed their black jerseys for white. Double side note: Trinity Bible College only brought 22 players to the game and is the subject of a book entitled “Keeping the Faith: In the Trenches with College Football’s Worst Team”. I haven’t read the book yet, but I plan to…

On a sunny Sunday afternoon and under ice-blue skies, the Texas Longhorns finally overcame their arch-nemesis to claim the Golden Hat. While it was a foregone conclusion on paper, no one would believe these Horns worthy of that #2 ranking until they finally got Bob Stoops’ and his Sooner Staff off their back. Fortunately for the Horns, they were able to overcome three early fumbles (each of which they recovered) to build a 24-6 halftime lead en rout to a 45-12 drubbing of Oklahoma in their 100th meeting. That 33 difference tied the largest victory margin ever for a Longhorn team over the Sooners.

Meanwhile over in Happy Valley, the Penn State Nittany Lions pounded away on the Ohio State Buckeyes, claiming not just the victory but also control of the Big10. At 6-0 overall and 3-0 in conference play, the Nits are the only remaining unbeaten in the conference. While their road to the promised land is anything but clear (teams like USC, Texas, Virginia Tech, Georgia, and Florida State are all unbeaten as well), if they take care of business as the season progresses (Michigan this week, and Purdue, Wisconsin, and Michigan State to end the year), things should work themselves out.

Today’s Topic – The Big East’s BCS Berth
Yes, that’s right. It’s time to talk about the Big Bad BEast and its chances of retaining that automatic punch ticket to the Big Boy Table. The BCS system guarantees a slot to one of its Big Dances for each conference champion from the ACC, Big 10, Big 12, Big East, and PAC10, but how many of you know about the ‘hidden’ BCS rules? You know, the ones that are never talked about or mentioned? The ones like that little clause that allows the Orange to effectively buy the 3rd overall pick once in a four year cycle? Well prepare to be enlightened, SportzFanz, as we shed some light on one of those ‘hidden’ rules.

Some of you may have already heard a bit about this as one announcer this week finally touched on this verboden subject: As a part of the rulebook for the Bowl Coalition System, any one of the ‘major’ conferences can have their automatic berth revoked if their conference champion doesn’t average 12th or better in the final BCS standings over any four year period.

That means the Big East, who had Miami finish #1 in the final BCS rankings in 2001 and 2002, is on the cusp of potentially having its automatic BCS berth revoked. In 2003, the conference champion finished 9th and, last year, Pittsburgh finished 21st. For the four year span coming into this season then, the Big East’s conference champion is averaging an 8th place finish, BUT this year and next those #1 rankings for Miami get dropped off the roll and that is where it starts getting interesting.

In order for the Big East to retain its automatic berth for next season, their conference champion will have to finish no lower than 17th this year (17+21+9+1=48, which over a four year period, comes out to an average ranking of 12th). Right now, Louisville is the only squad in the Big East ranked in the Top 25. They are ranked 22nd and 23rd respectively in the Coaches and Harris Poll (not counting this weekend’s action).

But even if the conference formerly known as the BEast escapes the chopping block this season, next year will get even tougher. If they have a squad finish at 17th this season, they’ll have to have a team finish #1 in the BCS balloting next year in order to average even a #12 ranking. The bottom line: if the Big East doesn’t average 9th in the BCS over this year and next, the rest of the BCS conferences will have the right to boot them out.

Why might this happen? Well, that’s the easy part. Giving the Big East the boot would allow them to open up another precious slot for an at large selection. Despite the fact that the ‘mid-major’ schools might not draw as well as one of the big power schools, this option is very enticing to the BCS guru’s as they seek to desperately retain power within the halls of the NCAA and college football community (remember that little tiff the US Congress began picking with them last year?).

Oh, and lest we mention it, you might wanna think on this one as well: If is a BCS conference champion does not finish within the top 16 and a non-BCS team is ranked in the top 12, then the non-BCS team is given the BCS team’s slot. So while it may still be very doubtful, it is entirely possible that the Big East won’t get to partake in the BCS this season or any season –at least as an automatic qualifier.

Your Instant Impact Quotes of the Week Are:
This week’s most memorable College Football Related quotes are:

Okay, this one isn’t exactly a quote, but I can’t resist mentioning it so we’ll just get it out of the way first: The best TV graphic of the week, hands down, was entitled “Good News for Big Uglies”. It was a list of Texas and OU lineman that had been drafted into the NFL over the pass few seasons, and boy was it quite a list.

“It’s a hat trick of flagatation -I thought he [the referee] was going to have to start throwing sweatbands and whistles.” – Overheard during the NC State-Georgia Tech game when NC State and Georgia Tech combined for 4 different penalties on a single punt. Their were 2 blocks in the back, a hold, and a personal foul prior to the snap.

“It’s inconclusively inconclusive, so they have to over turn it.” The color analyst during the Syracuse-UConn game, trying to explain why a called fumble during a quarterback sack should be overturned. Apparently, the replay official agreed with you, as the call was overturned and Connecticut got to keep the ball. Gee, and I thought play calls were only supposed to be overturned by some kind of ‘conclusive video evidence’!

“What do you do as an offensive lineman? You don’t have hamstrings.” The color analyst during the Syracuse-UConn game, trying to figure out how players kept their hamstrings warmed up during a 6:26 break to review a play call. Ok, but if they just look back at the ball, can they start using all of their appendages as hands?

``I haven't been around for much winning, but it's definitely a highlight of my career,'' Penn State QB Michael Robinson, a fifth-year senior, talking to reporters after the Battle of the States Saturday night. You’re right Michael, you haven’t been around for much winning, but I think you’ll see a good bit more of it before you’re through.

“And they’re rejoicing in Halleluiah land.” Keith Jackson, after Texas’ Big Ugly Rod Wright scooped up a Rhett Bomar fumble and rumbled for 60 yards into the House of the Pigskin. Not only that Keith, they’re dancing in my living room too.

“If you wanna see who’s winning, you look at the big plays and dumb penalties.” Lou Holtz in the studio. I just about had my own witty comeback ready when Rece Davis stepped in with a marvelous one: “I thought you just looked at the score, Lou.” A slightly shaken Holtz simply managed to reply, “I never thought of that” before they cut away to the next highlight.

“Some of the biggest plays were Texas recovering their own fumbles.” Dan Fouts, countering his mentor Keith Jackson on the biggest plays in the Texas-OU game. You know what Dan? I think that may have been the most insightful statement I’ve ever heard you say. Well done, and DO come back next year for the Triple-R. For those of you who don’t know, Texas fumbled the ball three times in the first quarter, twice deep in their own territory, but managed to hang onto all three of them.

“The first thing, Michael Robinson lost 15 pounds so you can see his speed.” Bob Davie, covering the Ohio State-Penn State game. Okay: first thing, how did Bob Davie get such a cherry of a game to call? Second thing, ….well, since Bob didn’t supply you with one, I’m not gonna either –you can make up your own jokes, this one’s too easy..

“I don’t know, maybe it’s the altitude –yeah, could be the altitude cause A&M is lower than dirt.” Rece Davis, showing a highlight of the Aggie-Buffalo game as Colorado went up 31-6 in the 2nd quarter. Ouch Rece! I’m not sure I’ve ever seen you call out a team like that.

“Listen to the quietness.” Overheard during the Texas Tech-Nebraska game, immediately following the Red Raiders go ahead touchdown with 12 seconds left on the clock.

"Moses was in high school the last time these guys lost on homecoming." Texas Tech Head Coach Mike Leach, during his post game interview. I don’t know about Moses, but I know I haven’t ever seen the Bugeaters lose on homecoming day.

"Just run fast. Just run fast. They can't catch you. Just run fast.” Texas QB Vince Young talking to Jamaal Charles in the huddle prior to him ripping off an 80-yard touchdown against OU. What I think he really meant to say was ‘Run fast, then spin, then run fast again.’

"I had three things to do: be physical the whole game, win the game, put on the Hat." Texas’ Big Ugly, Jonathon Scott, who checked off all three items on Saturday up in Dallas.

And this week’s Instant IQ award goes to… Ed Cunningham and Gary Thorne calling the Texas A&M-Colorado game, for their brief but oh-so enlightening exchange on what’s important in a football game:
“It’s not winning, it’s winning with a lot of butt-whip.” – Ed Cunningham
“I’m not touching that!” – Gary Thorne, for some reason suddenly very excitable.
“Available at your local dairy.” – Ed continues, without missing a beat.

This week’s Super-Stud Awards go to…
For those weekend warriors who leave it all out on the turf, we salute you:

1. Tyrell Sutton, RB Northwestern – This freshman phenom took it to the heart of the Badger Defense for 244 yards on 29 carries. That’s good enough to put him atop the freshman rushing list and 2nd in the nation overall behind DeAngelo Williams of Memphis.

2. Brian Brohm, QB Louisville – In carving up the Tar Heels secondary, Brohm went 17-of-22 for 304 yards and 4 touchdowns, vaulting him all the way up to the #2 slot in the nation behind Drew Stanton.

3. Greg Jennings, WR Western Michigan – It isn’t often that a directional school can get up on this list, but with 4 touchdowns and 244 yards receiving on 11 catches, Greg takes the overall top spot for best receiving day this season.

4. Maurice Drew, RB UCLA – In their showdown with the Cal Bears, Drew scored 5 times (3 on the ground, one through the air, and one on a punt return), piling up 299 all purpose yards as UCLA defeated Cal 47-40 in easily the most entertaining shoot out of the year.

5. Steve Breaston, WR Michigan – This kid netted 185 yards and a touchdown on 5 kick offs as Minnesota upended the Wolverines in front of the home crowd, 23-20. Steve, baby, it’s not your fault that every one of those marvelous kick off returns meant Minnesota had just scored on your Maize’n’Blue.

6. Jamaal Charles, RB Texas – That 80 yard rush for the goalposts in the first half of the Texas-OU game set a record in this 100 year old series for longest score from scrimmage. Kudos, Jammin Jamaal, Kudos.

7. The USC Offense – Despite having so much to be thankful for from that desert game a week ago, and so much to look forward to out in South Bend this week, S.C. managed to toast Arizona U for 724 total yards of offense this week. Wow, now that I am impressed with.

8. The Offensive Fireworks in Wisconsin-Northwestern – Not only did these two teams combine for 99 points this weekend, they also combined for 1,403 all-purpose yardage. That outdistances even the Cal-UCLA game in which 87 points were put on the board to go along with 1,124 all-purpose yards.

9. The Baylor Bear Football Club – Congrats Bears on your first ever Big12 road victory (sure, it took 10 years, but at least you got it). PK Ryan Havens was one of the heroes of the day for Baylor, booting 3 field goals to help the Bears defeat Iowa State 23-13. Just for the record, Baylor is now 1-37 in conference road games.

10. Paul Posluszny, LB Penn State – The Nittany Lions’ stud junior linebacker was credited with 14 tackles and one sack in Saturday’s game against Ohio State. Personally, I think the stat monkeys have got to have that one wrong, he was flying around, terrorizing the Buckeyes so much I thought they were gonna call Homeland Security out on him. Heck, I was even seeing Poslusnzy in my nightmares last night, and that was after some heavy rejoicing after my Longhorns finally stuck it to the Sooners.

Riding the Bench This Week is…
Our weekly awards for the worst performances, bone-headed play calls, or anything else that smacks of ridiculousness or stupidity:

1. ABC’s weekend coverage. For five minutes during the Longhorns second drive of the game, ABC lost the video feed from Dallas. For the first couple of minutes, they at least played the audio but then they cut away entirely to another game explaining that they were ‘having technical difficulties’. WTF, ABC? I almost expect this type of thing to occur over on FSN during their coverage, but on your station –and for such a high profile game?

2. ABC’s weekend coverage – part two.To add insult to injury, the ABC geniuses screwed up again when they went away to commercial, only to return on a 2nd down for the Longhorns. It was a quick three and out series for Texas –at which time ABC promptly went back into commercial break. You’re riding the doghouse now –Fox Sports Net are intellectual giants compared to you, even with their ruddy touchdown tote board.

3. The Texas Aggie Defense, formally known as the Wrecking Crew – Continuing along their path of mediocrity, the Aggie D gave up 398 yards through the air to Colorado QB Joel Klatt –that’s the highest total Klatt has amassed since his 2003 game against Kansas. A&M now ranks 113th out of 117 in pass defense.

4. Travis Bell, PK Georgia Tech – He missed two short field goals this week against NC State. The first was a 27-yarder early on in the game, while the second was a 24 yarder in the fourth quarter. Both misses were wide right and both were the shortest misses of his career. On the season, Bell has now missed five straight. Georgia Tech lost to NC State this week, 17-14.

5. The Harris Poll and the BCS. – Okay, so both are idiotic and both are stupid, but what they really do is make the rest of us look the greater the fool for ever putting one iota of belief in a flawed system and a nearly corrupt poll. Barely two weeks into the mighty life of the Harris Poll, those good people at Harris Interactive are looking to ‘re-arrange’ their formula. This time, they are looking at what they term ‘trimming’. Trimming, loosely defined, is adding votes for a team that did not appear in one voter’s poll, based on the overwhelming votes on other ballots (meaning, if Virginia Tech didn’t get a vote on someone’s ballot, they would be ‘given’ an extra vote). They are also looking at removing members from the poll who do not submit votes (as has actually happened). They would also seek to remove people who do not make themselves ‘available’ for what are called “follow-up inquisitions” after casting their ballot. Of course, none of these proposed changes will have any impact on the guy who voted for the same team twice in week one. Come on football fans, lets end this insanity and insult to our intelligence!

Random Hits and Misses
My moments of clarity and confusion this weekend are:

1. In the preseason, if you thought the world would end before Michigan lost three games, what do you think would’ve happened before Michigan failed to make the post season? While unlikely, that scenario is entirely feasible as Michigan sits at 3-3 with games against Penn State, Iowa, Northwestern, Indiana, and Ohio State still to go.

2. I’ve got it, I’ve finally got it: everyone, and I mean everyone, is out to destroy the BCS. Well, I can’t say that I’m unhappy about that, but look: The AP is still polling along and will even declare their own national champ, replete with hardware, this season. ESPN has recused itself from any involvement with the BCS –other than reporting on it and sniping at it. The Harris Poll is being sniped at and picked apart every five minutes in the national media, although I must say they are making it really easy for everyone to do that. And, the new Master Coaches Survey is even getting some pub (it can be found online at www.mcspoll.com). With all this polling coming out of the woodwork, it looks like we’re going to get back to the days when the NCAA had to officially record 4 or 5 different national championship polls –talk about a dagger in the heart of the BCS.

3. Does Joe Pa wear a sweat towel wrapped around his neck because:
a. it’s a fashion statement,
b. he sweats that much, or
c. he doesn’t have the stamina to hold his neck up for 3+ hours?

4. Nothing phases the Red Raider offense or their head coach Mike Leach –and that is a very scary thing. Faced with 4th and 18 early in the second quarter, the Air Raid decided to go for it, but a 5-yard penalty for illegal motion pushed them back to a 4th and 23. So what did they do? They went for it. Now, they didn’t get it but they sure didn’t act like they even knew it was 4th down, much less 4th down against the Huskers, much less 4th down against the Huskers IN Lincoln. Oh and then, at the end of the game, trailing by four with just seconds remaining, Tech and its Coach were a picture of calm serenity amid a rocking, raucous Sea of Red. And once Tech scored the winning touchdown, do you think Coach Leach cracked a smile, pumped the air with his fist, or yelled out in excitement? Heck no, he didn’t even crack enough of a smile to reveal his pearly whites –talk about scary.

5. With Jamaal Charles’ 80 yard touchdown scamper against the Sooners, Texas now has 5 one-play touchdown drives on the season. While they still haven’t earned the rock solid reputation that the Trojans have, they are definitely as explosive and capable, plus they boast a better defense than USC. So what really separates these two teams? Attitude and mental toughness. Texas has improved on both of these by orders of magnitude over the past dozen games, but they still can’t touch USC, their nation’s longest win streak, and their drive for a three-peat.

6. Minnesota defeated Michigan for the first time since 1986 on Saturday, reclaiming the oldest trophy in all of football: the Little Brown Jug. The Jug dates back to 1903 when one of Michigan’s famed “point-a-minute” teams came a calling to Minneapolis. Twenty thousand fans turned out for the game, largely remaining civil until the Gophers tied the game in the second half, 6-6. At that point, fans stormed the field and refused to get off, causing the game to be called with two minutes left on the clock. After all the carnage was cleared and Michigan left town, a Minnesota custodian by the name of Oscar Munson found the jug and brought it to Minnesota’s L. J. Cooke. Still giddy from the game, LJ kept the jug and painted “Michigan jug – Captured by Oscar, October 31, 1903.” Later, Michigan’s Fielding Yost asked Minnesota to return the jug to its rightful owner, but all he ever received in response was, “If you want it, you’ll have to win it.”

7. When you’re good, you’re good. According to Longhorn Jonathon Scott the following exchange took place in the huddle right before a big play: "Somebody in the huddle said, 'They know our play. We looked around, Vince, out of the blue, said, 'So'? All the offensive line was like, 'All right, let's make it happen.’” That next play was the 64-yard touchdown strike Young threw just before the end of the first half. Of course, you know guys, there is such a thing as being too cocky.

8. Okay, today there’s all these headlines talking about how Cal has lost their ’12-game regular season win streak’. What the hell? When did people start keeping track of win streaks like that? If I recall rightly (and I do recall rightly), this Cal Golden Bear squad did a god awful amount of whining, bitching, moaning, and even belittling of Texas’ Coach Mack Brown at the end of last year when they got snubbed in favor of Texas in the Rose Bowl. And what did they do for an encore? They got their butt’s handed to them on a silver platter by the Texas Air Raid during the Holiday Bowl –one of the all time worst wood sheddings in both Cal and Holiday Bowl history. Come on, people, its time to let a little of that West Coast Bias go. Cal lost their five game win streak on Saturday –no more, no less.

9. Could the scheduling gods have been any meaner to Tennessee? First they make them play road games against Top 10 foes, Florida and LSU. Then, just when they think they’re getting a home game against another Top 10 rival in Georgia, the Bulldogs show up chanting “Our House, Our House”. And you know what? It really is their house –the Dawgs have defeated the Vols three straight times now in Neyland Stadium. In the end, I think the Vols players were a little too pre-occupied with ‘protecting the T’ at midfield to focus on this one. Before the final tick had even tocked, several players scrambled out to midfield and stood at attention all around the T, lest some pesky Dawg come up and maul it like they did in 2001.

10. How quickly things change. Last year, the Big12 North couldn’t buy a win against the South (excluding DI-AA wannabe Baylor). This season, Colorado has mercilessly pasted its Southern Brethren, OSU can’t steal a victory much less win one, and Baylor has finally woken up and started playing some ball! Heck, even Texas has managed to take over the big boy reigns from the Sooners. One very intriguing game to me this week features Nebraska taking on Baylor down in Waco. If the Huskers had to go to double overtime to beat ISU by 7 and Baylor was able to beat those same Cyclones in regulation by 10, does that mean Baylor will take down Big Red by 3?

If I could be anyone from this past week, it’d be…
Me – A Texas Longhorn. It’s been five long years since the Horns were able to hoist that gilded Golden Hat high over their shoulders. So long, in fact, that some players thought the Hat was just an urban legend: something spoken of but rarely, if ever, seen. Well now they know it’s for real –just as we now all know this Texas team is for real. The test for Texas now, will be to escape the letdown and boredom that follows the a wicked 6-game run they’ve been on, defeating Michigan in the Rose, Ohio State in the Horseshoe, and finally getting past Oklahoma up in Big D. This week, the Horns return home to face an up and coming Colorado squad (I think Barnett is still upset that he didn’t get the Texas job back in ‘99). Also on their slate, the Horns will host the Texas Air Raid before squaring off against those suddenly downtrodden Aggies over in College Station Thanksgiving Week. It’s not a cruise control schedule, but if they stay focused they should make it back to the Rose come January.

One small bit of trivia: at 56-39-5, Texas is the only school in the Big12 to boast a winning record against Oklahoma.

Next Week’s Quick Peeks
Man, I’m so drained from this weekend I can hardly even begin to think about next week. If I had to focus on just a couple of matchups to get the blood pumping though, it’d be…

Clemson @ NC State – On Thursday, the Tigers travel over to Raleigh for an ACC East showdown. This one is a tale of two programs, each heading in opposite directions. Last week, the Wolfpack surprised the Yellow Jackets to earn their first conference victory of the season, while the Tigers lost to the Demon Deacons, extending their conference losing streak to three. At 2-3, Clemson needs to pick up this victory if they plan on even joining the post season parade –not to mention keeping Bowden from becoming a pariah once again. The trouble is, the Tigers opening victory over A&M is now just about completely debunked, and QB Charlie Whitehurst has thrown just 4 touchdowns on the year –definitely not a good sign. For the Wolfpack, their Defense is playing solid, but QB Jay Davis is playing even better –currently the 2nd best rated quarterback in the ACC behind Marcus Vick. If he can maintain that level of play, look for the Wolfpack to munch on some Tiger meat this week.

Michigan State @ Ohio State – With two weeks to prepare, how will the Spartans respond in the Horseshoe? Heck, how will the Buckeyes respond after dropping their second game of the season in Happy Valley? While nobody will mistake the Spartan defense for the Nittany Lion D, MSU does boast a much more high profile attack –really, much more akin to the Longhorns attack than anything else. They are #1 in conference passing, scoring, and #2 on the ground as QB Drew Stanton inherited the nation’s #1 passer rating this week (despite not even playing). Ohio State will have to find a way to stop this prolific passer who opens things up by moving around outside the pocket and biding time until a receiver gets free. Look for the Buckeye’s D to have renewed vigor this week at home, while the Offense struggles to come to terms with its inability to move the ball (or get it in the hands of Ted Ginn) despite all the talent that it possesses.

Wisconsin @ Minnesota – Will the Badgers spiral out of control after their loss to Northwestern? Can the Golden Gophers win back the Axe after finding that winning groove against the Wolverines this week? If the Badgers are going to answer the bell, then they’ll have to step it up on defense (they were very noticeably absent this week, even with all of the injuries). Of course, with Barry’s Boys you really needn’t ever worry about getting routed –his kids always know how to play hard and hang tough—and what with this one being a Trophy Game and all, expect a gem to unfold up in The Thunderdome.

USC @ Notre Dame – In the show down of the week (perhaps even of the regular season), the Trojans travel out of their friendly Southern Cal confines to South Bend for what looks to be a game of the ages. With Touchdown Jesus looking on, can Weiss and his over achieving Fighting Irish do the unthinkable (at least unthinkable in the pre-season)? The Irish have all the weapons to win in a shoot out –especially with a defense that can stop the Trojans far more reliably than anyone they’ve faced to date this year. If the USC defense doesn’t show up and play their best game of the season, look for the Luck of the Irish to keep them in it all the way down to the bitter end.

Louisville @ West Virginia – With the BEast in shambles, the last thing they need is for their top two teams to square off against one another. Since losing to South Florida, the Cardinals have rediscovered their offense, pasting Florida Atlantic and North Carolina, 130-24. Of course, now they’ll have to go down to Morgantown where the Mountaineers have got their mattresses out and matches ready to go (yes that’s right, the Mountaineer faithful light up their own bedroom furniture when they win a big one). Despite being rather easily handled by Virginia Tech, this Mountaineer D is still 9th in the nation and will provide Louisville with their toughest test of the season. While I definitely believe the USF game was an aberration of overconfidence, Louisville is in for a rude awakening when they take the field this weekend in Morgantown. That is NOT an easy place to play.

Penn State @ Michigan – The odyssey that is Paternoville hits the road this weekend for a date at the Big House. Michigan, who proclaimed themselves most unworthy of a three loss season heading into Minnesota this past week, is staring at the distinct possibility of a four or five lose season. If they want to turn the tide back in their favor, they will have to play a statement game this weekend against the Nits. If the Wolverines want to derail PSU’s 8-game win streak, they’ll have to get better production out of the run game while taking it to the next level on defense. On the other side of the hashes, Penn State simply needs to keep doing what they’ve been doing: play rock solid, smash mouth defense, and let their young talent work the ball downfield, moving the sticks and eating up the clock.

Colorado @ Texas – Fresh off their victory in the Triple-R, the Horns travel back down the I to Austin for a tussle with the Buffaloes. Since losing to the Hurricanes, the Buffs have leveled the Big12 South, defeating Oklahoma State and Texas A&M by a combined 75-20 (with 14 of those 20 coming in junk time for the Aggies). For the Longhorns, they really have the talent to take home the big hardware at the end of the season, but they have to avoid the let down that is the remainder of their conference slate –especially this week. The battle within the battle here is Colorado QB Joel Klatt against the Terrible Texas D. If he can withstand the rush and move around the pocket to find the open receiver, this one will be a nail biter.

Florida @ LSU – LSU finally found the afterburners this week, pulling away from Vandy 34-6 (with 4 minutes to go in the 3rd quarter, the score was just 9-6). If they have that same type of lethargic performance against these Gators, they’ll be in a heap of trouble this weekend. Of course, with the Gators traveling down to the Big Red Stick, don’t expect them to play their best ball (although they’ll need to). In their two away contests this season, Florida has been pasted by Bama, 31-3, and ‘handled’ Kentucky, 49-28. If they expect to net the dubbya here, they’ll have to get brilliant games from Leak and the offensive line to compensate for a ground attack that is definitely the biggest chink in the Gator armor. On defense, the Gators will also have to find a way to keep the Tiger O under wraps. LSU has been slow out of the gate this year on offense, but are due for an ‘awakening’.

Florida State @ Virginia – The Seminoles are a perfect 5-0, finally pushing past Wake Forest in the final period this week. QB Drew Weatherford continues to mature with each and every game, this week throwing for 351 yards and three touchdowns as WRs Chris Davis and De’Cody Fagg continue to emerge as scoring threats on each and every play. The Cavaliers ride a two game losing streak into this one, having dropped two on the road to Maryland and Boston College. While certainly underrated, QB Michael Hagans has been erratic at best this season, posting only one solid outing against Duke back in week two. For the Cavs to be successful, he will have to play mistake free and their defense will have to come through in a big way. The Cav D is currently ranked 11th in the conference.

The Wrap Up
Well, that about wraps it up for yet another week Between the Hashes SportzFanz. As always, it’s been both a privilege and a pleasure. Look for our Weekly Run Down of the games on TV to hit the shelves in a couple of days. Until then, why don’t you go give that water cooler some company.

The Week 6 Schedule

2005-10-05T07:17:00.000-05:00

Congratulations, you’ve made it to Week 6 SportzFanz! Last week was one for the ages as three old school programs reasserted themselves on the national stage: Nebraska, Alabama, and Penn State. This week, we’ll find out if two of them are for real as the Texas Tech Air Raiders travel up to Omaha for a passing clinic with the Huskers and the Ohio State Buckeye’s travel to Happy Valley to find out what all the hub-bub is about. And as if that wasn’t enough, we’ve also got Minnesota-Michigan, Georgia-Tennessee,
Iowa-Purdue, Cal-UCLA and Texas-OU heading our way!

So fire up the pit, throw a couple of dogs out on it, and sit back SportzFanz –this is one weekend of pigskin you don’t want to miss.

The Week 6 TV Schedule

Oct. 6 Thu NC State @ GA Tech 6:30P ESPN

Oct. 7 Fri Syracuse @ UConn 7:00P ESPN2

Oct. 8 Sat Wisconsin @ Northwestern 11:00A ESPN/2
Oct. 8 Sat Marshall @ Virginia Tech 11:00A ESPN/2
Oct. 8 Sat Kansas @ Kansas State 11:00A FSN*
Oct. 8 Sat Oklahoma vs. Texas (Dallas) 12:00P ABC*
Oct. 8 Sat Minnesota @ Michigan 12:00P ABC*
Oct. 8 Sat Virginia @ Boston College 12:00P ABC*
Oct. 8 Sat Central Michigan @ Army 12:00P ESPN Cl

Oct. 8 Sat Georgia @ Tennessee 2:30P CBS
Oct. 8 Sat Arizona @ Southern California 2:30P FSN
Oct. 8 Sat Texas Tech @ Nebraska 3:00P TBS
Oct. 8 Sat Iowa @ Purdue 3:30P ESPN

Oct. 8 Sat LSU @ Vanderbilt 6:00P ESPN2
Oct. 8 Sat Texas A&M @ Colorado 6:00P FSN
Oct. 8 Sat Cal @ UCLA 6:30P TBS
Oct. 8 Sat Ohio State @ Penn State 6:45P ESPN

Oct. 8 Sat Oregon @ Arizona State 9:15P FSN

*Denotes Regional Action

The Week 6 Run Down

Oct. 6 Thu NC State @ GA Tech 6:30P ESPN
Of all the teams on Virginia Tech’s schedule, NC State has come closest to defeating them (20-16 back in Week 1). Was that just a fluke of Vick getting some game time behind center or are the Wolfpack really that capable? In the Yellow Jackets much ballyhooed game with the Hokies, they laid a royal egg, to the tune of 51-7. They’ve had a week off to think that one over and get ready for this game. Will Reggie Ball be able to atone for his 11 of 27 passing day against the nation’s 12th ranked pass defense? If he’s going to do it, expect him to do it with the ACC’s top receiver: Calvin Johnson –even in a losing effort against the Hokies, he snagged 5 catches for 123 yards and a touchdown. For the Wolfpack, it’s all about the performance of QB Jay Davis. If he can have a good day and force the Rambling Wreck to respect the pass, then NC State’s defense should be able to carry the day. If not, then the Yellow Jackets should come out of this one just fine.
GA Tech.

Oct. 7 Fri Syracuse @ UConn 7:00P ESPN2
The Huskies host the Orange in a BEast of a game. While Syracuse sports a 1-3 record on the year, don’t be surprised if they have a breakout game and look really good here (they played WVa tight and nearly knocked off Virginia). However, the Orange boast the nation’s 109th ranked offensive unit and are going into this one against the nation’s #1 overall defense. That’s right UConn has the nation’s stingiest defense right now, giving up just 82 yards on the ground and 135 through the air. On offense, the Huskies are led by RBs Terry Caulley and Cornell Brockington, each capable of ripping off 150 yard days against the Cuse D. If Syracuse can withstand the first quarter against Randy Edsall’s squad they should stand a fighting chance once the 4th quarter rolls around.
Huskies, at home and under the lights.

Oct. 8 Sat Wisconsin @ Northwestern 11:00A ESPN/2
Hot off last week’s victory over Indiana, the Badgers are starting to make some noise about winning the Big10 title. The Wildcats, meanwhile, will be looking to put up their first victory after narrowly missing against Penn State two weeks ago, 29-34. In this one, watch NW QB Brett Basanez, he’s a maverick under center that could give the Badgers defense all kinds of match up problems. For Wisconsin, the name of the game here is to escape out of Evanston without anymore injuries while resting key personnel. Now why should you watch this one? Well, cause the Badgers are always good for a miserable let down game at some point in the season and this one could be it.
Badgers.

Oct. 8 Sat Marshall @ Virginia Tech 11:00A ESPN/2
The Herd thunders into Blacksburg looking to upset the nation’s #3 team this weekend. But the question that has to be on everyone’s mind is: can a team that lost to UCF even keep it competitive against these Hokies?
Hokies, and those magical numbers 45 and 0 keep coming to mind.

Oct. 8 Sat Kansas @ Kansas State 11:00A FSN*
The Wildcats return home after getting whooped up on by an unexpectedly strong Sooner squad last week. Back in front of the home crowd, expect the defense to play a whole lot stingier, the special teams to be a whole lot more special, and QB Allen Webb to be, well more of the same I should think. Webb isn’t the typical KState QB and certainly is more of a stopgap measure into some exciting new, young talent can step in next year to lead the team. For the Jayhawks, they faired much better than everyone expected last week against the Red Raiders (17-30); however, the atmosphere up in Little Manhattan won’t provide them any respite. The key to this one will be how well the Jayhawk front line can penetrate the Wildcats backfield and knock around Mr. Webb. If they can rattle him, they should be able to keep K-State under wraps and get the dubbya.
Kansas.

Oct. 8 Sat Oklahoma vs. Texas (Dallas) 12:00P ABC*
It’s Big Tex time once again as the Sooner and Longhorn Nations converge on the Metroplex for the 100th meeting between these two arch rivals. In one corner, you’ve got an 0-5 Mack Brown bringing his #2 ranked Longhorns into Dallas while OU’s Bob Stoops is 5-1 against these Horns and bringing an unranked, 2-2 Sooner team for a little meet and great. While on paper and considering the emotion of the Longhorns (5 years is a boatload of frustration to vent out), it would appear that Texas should win this one in a route, don’t expect that to happen. One, this is Texas-OU. Two, OU has turned the corner and will be better than Texas expects them to be. Three, Oklahoma knows how to play against these Longhorns. Four, Texas knows how to lose to these Sooners. And, last but not least, Texas rarely uses its young talent at crucial points in the game –points during which a speedy, super talented freshman can break the game wide open (read that as Texas fans had better hope that Jamaal Charles gets the starting nod instead of Selvin Young). Either way you slice it, this would should be a doozy of a a game!
Longhorns in yet another come from behind victory.

Oct. 8 Sat Minnesota @ Michigan 12:00P ABC*
Will the Gophers have flashbacks to last week as they go on the road and play in front of another hostile crowd of 100,000+? The Wolverines are returning home to friendly confines of the Big House after beating Michigan State in overtime (again). It was after the Spartan game last year that Henne and Hart took off on a tear through the Big10 conference. While Hart probably won’t be able to replicate his success last season, look for RBs Martin and Grady to pick up the slack while QB Henne plays a little pitch and catch with WR Jason Avant –who is quickly developing into the Big10’s most feared receiver (sorry Buckeye fans but Ted Ginn just doesn’t get the ball enough to be scary anymore). Look for ‘Sota to bring the lumber this week and get RB Laurence Maroney back on track after last week’s abysmal effort against Penn State. Even so, this Michigan D is solid against the run and hasn’t been getting enough credit the past couple of weeks.
Wolverines.

Oct. 8 Sat Virginia @ Boston College 12:00P ABC*
While it took BC overtime to get past Clemson, I’m okay with that –they were still recovering from that Florida State game AND they were playing in Death Valley, definitely not friendly confines. The Cavaliers, meanwhile, were beginning to think ACC title when the Terps reached up and bit them last week. This week, watch and see how big of a day QB Marques Hagans has –he went 17 of 35 for 270 yards and no picks in a losing effort against Maryland last week (ie, he looks like he’s settled in). BC, though, should be able to keep containment on the Cav offense –especially at home. The Eagles boast the ACC’s best run defense and are 4th in the nation in total defense.
Eagles.

Oct. 8 Sat Central Michigan @ Army 12:00P ESPN Cl
At 0-5 and riding a 9 game losing streak, the Cadets are looking to end the pain this weekend against a directional Michigan school. And while this one may be a home game for Army, I just don’t think they’ll be able to contain the Chippewas’ Ontario Sneed and Damian Linson.
Chippewas.

Oct. 8 Sat Georgia @ Tennessee 2:30P CBS
The Vols finally get a showdown game at home this season (they played both LSU and Florida out on the road). While I’m a big fan of the Bulldogs this season, a perusal of their resume shows them to be a might be more mediocre than their 4-0 record would suggest. Aside from Boise State, they simply haven’t looked dominating playing against South Carolina, La-Monroe, and Mississippi State. The Vols, on the other hand, have gone toe-to-toe with both LSU an Florida (last week’s Florida-Bama game not withstanding). Their 4th ranked rushing defense should be able to keep the Dawgs Thomas Brown and Danny Ware under wraps. The wildcard here is the play of the quarterback position. DJ Shockley has been a little up and down this season while the Vols have yet to really feel settled at that position with Rick Clausen and Erik Ainge each getting nods for the starting slot this season. If Tennessee can figure out their quarterback situation and get descent production out of it, they should be able to pull away with the victory; otherwise, the SEC’s best pass defense will rule the roost and kick Tenn out of SEC title contention.
Bulldogs.

Oct. 8 Sat Arizona @ Southern California 2:30P FSN
If the Zona team from week 1 could show up for this one, we might have the biggest upset of the year on our hands. USC will be basking in the afterglow of their come from behind victory over Arizona State last week while also looking ahead to the Irish in a couple of weeks. With that kind of recipe, the Stoops brothers could do the unthinkable and get an upset if the Trojans would just daydream for a little longer than 3 quarters.
Trojans.

Oct. 8 Sat Texas Tech @ Nebraska 3:00P TBS
This one could be great. The Air Raid travels up to Omaha to show the Huskers just how to run a pass attack, while the Blackshirts are smacking their lips and thinking: If the Jayhawks can drill Tech QB Cody Hodges time and time again, we ought to be able to rip body parts off of him. If Tech can’t protect their QB any better than last week, don’t be surprised if Nebraska pulls off the upset; however, if Tech can ‘be Tech’, they’ll make these Blackshirts look dang foolish –just like they did to California in last year’s Holiday Bowl. Oh, and did I forget to mention that Texas Tech actually boats the nation’s 19th ranked pass defense?
Air Raid.

Oct. 8 Sat Iowa @ Purdue 3:30P ESPN
Can the Boilermakers play Defense? I ask this because over the past two weeks, they really haven’t shown any indication that their defensive unit boasting all returning starters from last year’s squad has grasped the concept. Okay, so maybe that’s being a bit harsh, but seriously: Purdue’s defense is 110th in the nation overall and 116th at defending the pass! Iowa would be well served to take note of this fact and have QB Drew Tate take his game to the air instead of trying to grind this one out on the ground. While the stats say Iowa should be able to pull this one out with relative ease, I’m going with the Train guys.
Biolermakers in a make or break the post season game.

Oct. 8 Sat LSU @ Vanderbilt 6:00P ESPN2
If Vandy had only one their game last weekend to stay undefeated, we might have been able to delude ourselves into thinking that they could win this one.
Bayou Bengals.

Oct. 8 Sat Texas A&M @ Colorado 6:00P FSN
The Gagg’n Aggies take their game up to Boulder to square off against Barnett’s Buffaloes. If last weekend is any indication, the Aggies should expect to get their doors blown off –it took overtime for them to finally put away the Baylor Bears 16-13 while Colorado obliterated Oklahoma State 34-0 in Stillwater. If the Aggies can get off to a quick start they might just be okay, but if not then it will be a long day for them as they’ll be relying on their Big12 Cellar Defense to keep them in it until the offense finally catches a gear. While I’m not terribly impressed with QB Joel Klatt, he has been very workman like this season, completing 79 of 127 passes and keeping defenses honest enough to get Sophomore RB Hugh Charles some running room. If the Aggie’s 101st ranked pass defense can’t shut Klatt down, this one will either be a shoot out or an embarrassment for The 12th Man.
Aggies –they finally prove something.

Oct. 8 Sat Cal @ UCLA 6:30P TBS
This one’s a pecking order game in the PAC10. With USC head and shoulders above the rest, bragging rights right now are for the two slot –and both of these Top 25 ranked squads will be looking to cement their status this weekend. With QB Ayoob and RB Forsett, the Golden Bears should be able to bring more than enough to overwhelm the Bruin defenders. On UCLA’s side of the ball though, they’ve got RB Maurice Drew and QB Drew Olson to offset that Cal prowess. Now while some may point to last week’s Washington game (a 21-17 nail biter) as an indication that UCLA isn’t all that great, consider this: UCLA was still enjoying their destruction of OU from the previous week while looking forward to this week’s game. On national TV and in front of the home crowd, the key to this one will be which defense can make a stand.
Golden Bears.

Oct. 8 Sat Ohio State @ Penn State 6:45P ESPN
New week, new titanic Big10 game –boy is this conference loaded. The Nitanny Lions shocked the pigskin loving world last week by feasting on some Gopher last week (yeah, we knew they were ‘good’ –we had no idea they were that good). Was it all a fluke against Minnesota or are these guys for real? We’ll find out this weekend as the dreaded Ohio State Linebacking Crew comes a calling in Happy Valley. While there hasn’t been much pub about the Buckeyes in recent weeks, everyone out there should remember that Texas-Ohio State game from a few weeks back –and they should know that OSU is already a much better team than the one that played the Longhorns on Sept. 10th.
Buckeyes in either a route or an Instant Classic –remember, these Nits are young.

Oct. 8 Sat Oregon @ Arizona State 9:15P FSN
Can the Sun Devils resurrect themselves after last week’s near miss against USC? Derek Hagans’ has to be itching to get back on the field after that game changing drop (right into the hands of a Trojan DB), while QB Sam Keller is probably still having nightmares about his 5 pick performance. This game is a gut check for ASU to determine if they’ll ride the #2 slot in the conference or begin a slide down the long, slippery slope of the PAC10. The Ducks have a playmaker in RB Terrance Whitehead and QB Kellen Clemens, but once you’ve faced Leinhart in Company, can anybody else in the nation really scare you?
Sun Devils in a struggle against their own demons.

Between the Hashes - Week 5

2005-10-02T21:15:00.000-05:00

Welcome back SportzFanz for yet another edition of Between The Hashes. Each week, we’ll take a look at the College Football landscape and report on the state of all things Grid Iron. I think this one may be headed into overtime, so let’s just jump right on in.

What This Week Will Be Remembered For
Former Powers playing statement games. Nebraska flexed its new found offensive muscle for a school record 431 yards passing as the Corn Coast Offense finally took flight up in Omaha. Penn State crushed a solid Minnesota squad, holding the nation’s number one rock sledder to just 48 yards while the Freshman duo of Hunt and Williams thrashed the Golden Gophers nearly every time they touched the ball. Over in Tuscaloosa, the Tide came rolling in, stampeding all over the Gators to beat a Top 5 ranked team for the first time ever at Bryant-Denny Stadium. While it certainly can’t be said that each of these teams have reclaimed the limelight, they did show flashes of what they are capable of and it was magnificent. Despite the fact that I’d root against each of these teams on any given Saturday, I for one am glad to have these teams heading back to the upper echelons of the pigskin universe (well, actually, I had hoped Callahan would fail miserably and get fired before Nebraska would become ‘Nebraska’ once again –but whatchya going to do?)

Your Instant Impact Quotes of the Week Are:
The major networks really need to publish transcripts of their games as there are just too many juicy coverage teams out there to try and cover the full spread. At any rate, here’s this week’s list of the most memorable sports quotes:

“He's got 8 seconds to throw! He sat back there, he could have made a sandwich, ate it, dropped half of it, picked it up, ate it and then thrown the ball.” Sam I Am talking about QB Matt Leinhart in the huddle, leading up to this weekend’s showdown between ASU and USC.

“Did I just see the University of Florida get out athleted?” The ABC halftime crew, while reviewing highlights from the Florida-Alabama route. Yes, yes you did, and I just heard Webster get out dictionaried.

“Texas gets great formation.” Ed Cunningham, covering the Texas-Missouri game. Um, that’d be field position, Ed, field position.

“It’s only 1st and goal from the 20 –not too bad.” Ed and Gary, covering the Texas-Missouri game. You know what, you’re right, that isn’t too bad. Maybe that’s why Texas committed yet ANTOHER penalty to make it a 1st and goal from the 25.

“I feel like I should tether myself so I don’t fall out of the booth.” –the ABC crew (Ed and Gary), covering the Texas-Missouri game. I know there were a lot of fumbles and penalties going on, but that’s no reason to get weak kneed and woozy, Ed.

“I’m tucking my shirt in so I don’t trip on it!” – once again, Ed and Gary covering the Texas-Missouri game. Okay, I’m not even going to ask why your dress shirt wasn’t tucked in, in this first place.

“It’s never a good time to study –uh, wait, no my fault, my fault. It’s always a good time to study –there, that’s right.” --Ed Cunningham commenting on a Missouri student studying at a park bench. Well, at least they didn’t get into why Ed didn’t make it into Harvard.

“He flew so far, his contact lense fell out.” – Ed Cunningham with yet another fabulous observation after Texas’ Romance Taylor SportsCenter highlight touchdown leap.

“You’re not supposed to have your finger over the barrel on a gun –fun safety man.” One of the announcers, chastising the Mountaineer Man as he looked on during the Wva-VaTech game.

“That’s gonna be incompleted for a first down.” –Overheard during one of the games Saturday. And exactly how does that work?

“Brandon Williams, probably going to have to start paying real estate taxes, as much time as he’s spending in the end zone.” – Rece Davis with the GameDay crew, watching the highlights of the Indiana-Wisconsin game.

"We don't ever lose three games a year. If we lost three, what would that make us look like? We knew it was a must-win." – Michigan’s Michael Hart explaining why the Wolverine’s refused to lose against the Spartans. I wonder if we’ll find out what they makes Michigan after they play Ohio State?

This week’s Super-Stud Awards go to…
For those weekend warriors who leave it all out on the turf, we salute you:

Alex Brink, QB Washington State – This unsung stud put up 531 yards of offense against Oregon State (the highest single game total this season). Too bad he tossed 4 picks and didn’t find the end zone on Saturday –gee, you think maybe that had something to do with why the Cougars lost to OSU?

Brady Quinn, QB Notre Dame – In front of the Boilermaker home crowd, Quinn lit up the airwaves with his best day yet, going a remarkable 29 of 36 for 440 yards and 3 touchdowns. He has now thrown for 14 touches and only 3 picks on the season.

Michael Hart, RB Michigan – It’s about time you made it back on this list Mr. Hart. He sledded with rock 36 times on Saturday, gouging the Spartan defense for 220 yards and a touchdown. Welcome Back.

Brodie Croyle, QB Alabama – Sure, he threw for only had 283 yards, but he did it on 14 of 17 completions. Oh, and did I mention he had 3 touchdowns out of those 14 completions? Talk about efficiency!

Darius Butler, DB Connecticut -- He eye spied the Cadets’ Zac Dahman all day long, snaking 3 picks for 122 yards and a touchdown as the Huskies routed Army.

Romance Taylor, WR Texas -- Leaping Longhorns, this kid is lightning in a bottle. He got a ‘naked’ screen (if you believe the announcers), raced downfield thirty yards and leapt seven yards through the air and out of bounds, snaking the ball just inside the pylon. An absolutely amazing, athletic play.

Steve Slaton, Freshman RB West Virginia -- This Mountaineer shredded the Hokie defense for 90 yards on 11 carries, including one of the best runs of the season, bull rushing for 44 yards on one carry while breaking 4 tackles and dragging three Hokies with them.

The USC Backfield -- Lendale White and Reggie Bush combined for 255 yards on 36 carries to vault the Trojans over the Sun Devils on Saturday. As a team, USC outrushed Arizona State 373 yards to 68.

Last week’s Honorary Winners - Jason Carter, WR Texas A&M for his 8 catches for 219 yards and 1 touchdown, to take the lead nationally for single game high most receiving yards. Cory Rodgers, TCU and Leodis McKelvin, Troy for each taking the opening kick off in Week 4 100 yards to the big house. The Ohio State Defense: they held Iowa to -9 yards rushing and just 137 total yards for the day.

Riding the Bench This Week is…
Our weekly awards for the worst performances, bone-headed play calls, or anything else that smacks of ridiculousness or stupidity:

Dan Kelly, K Hawaii -- Down 42-35 with time running out in the 4th quarter against Boise State, Warriors QB Colt Brennan hit his fourth touchdown pass of the game. All Dan Kelly needed to do was nail the PAT to force overtime; instead, the kick was blocked and Boise State ran it all the way back to the end zone to when the game 44-41.

Mike Shula, Head Coach Alabama – Did you learn nothing from last season? Last year, Shula kept his first stringers in during a 52-0 route of Western Carolina when QB Brodie Croyle went down with a season ending ACL injury. This season, when the game was already out of reach, Shula kept WR Tyrone Protho in the end game only to see this unbelievable young talent go down to a season ending, and possibly career ending, broken leg with nine minutes left in a still young season. To make matters worse, Gator’s Coach Urban Meyer even tweaked Shula this past week before the game about the whole thing, pointing out that he pulled his players early on in last week’s victory over Kentucky because he wanted to avoid a needless season-ending injury to one of his starters. Well Mike, I hope you’ve at least learned your lesson this time.

Wanny and the Pitts – Just when it appeared Pitt was getting back on track, the bottom fell right back out from underneath them. This time it was in New Jersey against the Scarlet Knights. In the first half, Pitt spotted Rutgers a 27-0 lead before battling back and making a game of it. Even so, at 1-4 and with a fan base that was expecting to be right in the thick of things for a BCS berth, don’t be too surprised if the cat calls start a coming for Davy boy as it’ll take a near-miracle for the Panthers to finish above five hundred.

Sam Keller, QB Arizona State -- I’m sorry to do this to you Sam I Am, but your 5 pick performance against the Trojans this week leaves me no choice. Given that ASU was in it and trading punches with USC all the way up until the final few minutes, I don’t think it’s crazy in the least to say that the Sun Devils would’ve done the unthinkable and beaten these Trojans if Derek Hagan hadn’t batted Keller’s fourth pick right into the arms of a Trojan DB late in the 4th quarter.

Tommy Bowden, Head Coach Clemson -- The Tigers finally get off on the right foot to start the season for once, only to have the wheels fall off the cart, losing to both Miami and Boston College in overtime and then to Wake Forest with 33 seconds remaining in the game. While it definitely isn’t all Bowden’s fault, when things go bad around Clemson he’s always public enemy number one.

Kirk Herbstreit, ESPN GameDay -- Kirk, I love ya man. I think you’re usually on the mark and almost always know what you’re talking about (at least in relation to Lee Corso), but that mangling of the old adage “Fool me once shame on you, Fool me twice shame on me” was hideous –although not without humor as I think it was the first time I’ve seen you flub a line that badly.

Random Hits and Misses
My moments of clarity and confusion for the past two weekends are:

1. Wisconsin beat Michigan for just the 2nd time since 1994, but they handed the Wolverines their first conference opener loss since 1981. Yep, you guessed, in 81 another Wisconsin Badger team beat them. After the Michigan game, the Badgers tied a ‘modern day’ record of 9 consecutive home wins –after Indiana they broke it. (The modern day having begun in the 60’s, at least according to Wisconsin Badger aficionados).

2. After Week 4, not a single school in the WAC or Sun Belt had a winning record and only Toledo and Akron in the MAC had a winning record. In the Big10, not a single team had a losing record. After Week 5, not a single Big12 team has a losing record and only Illinois in the Big10 is below .500. Out the 50 teams that make up the WAC, Sun Belt, Mountain West, MAC, and C*USA, only 12 teams have a winning record and another 11 are sitting at break even.

3. Not to be out done by CBS Sportsline, http://www.bcsfootball.org/ has created their own countdown clock to the BCS championship game: 94 days, 7 hours, 44 minutes, and 9 seconds to go until we have yet another split national championship.

4. After Week 4, Nebraska’s defense had more touchdowns (four) than their offense (three). This week against Iowa State, they set a school record for passing yardage with 431 through the air as the Husker O put up 3 touchdowns in the game. Do you think the offense got the wake up call?

5. Despite the final result in the Husker game though, I have a sneaky suspicion that, had Stevie Hicks played, the game would have never made it to overtime and Husker nation would be crestfallen yet again.

6. Wisconsin hasn’t given up a point in the 3rd quarter all season. With that kind of play and a favorable schedule there isn’t a reason in the world to think these Badgers won’t send Barry Alvarez off with a third Big10 Trophy.

7. The Leaping Longhorns scored three touchdowns on one play drives. Has anyone else noticed that this team has as many playmakers on offense as USC?

8. I’m sure going to miss those West Virginia-Virginia Tech matchups. With the Hokies moving to the ACC, these teams don’t have a play date together for at least the next 10 years –so much for the annual Black Diamond Trophy.

9. Penn State QB Michael Robinson’s lick on Gopher strong safety Brandon Owens didn’t just knock Owens out of the game, it sent shock waves all across the College Pigskin Loving Nation: Penn State is for real and they’re hungry.

10. With that amazing game out in the dessert under their belt, what are the odds the Trojans will lay a rotten egg against the Stoops Brothers and hapless Arizona? Yeah, nill. That’s what I thought too, but a man can still dream, can’t he?

11. How bizarre of a week did Howard Schnellenberger have? He was inducted into Louisville’s hall of fame and even got the Louisville Football complex named after him prior to having his Florida Atlantic squad waxed by the Cardinals 61-10. Does that mean we have to start calling it Pappa John’s Field at Schnellenberger Stadium?

12. With an offense that has yet to be smothered and two weeks to prepare for the Trojans, who out there honestly thinks USC-Notre Dame won’t be a bigger game than Texas-Ohio State?

13. Does anyone else out there agree that Iowa should keep its visiting football locker rooms and showers pink? I think its hilarious and an example of classic gridiron grudgery.

If I could be anyone from this past week, it’d be…
Actually, I’d be either a big Red Elephant named Al, a member of the Thin Red Line, a member of the Crimson White, or a member of the Crimson Tide. Yep, this week it’s all about Bama and their route of the Florida Gators. They didn’t just announce their presence at the BCS big boy table, they pounded their chests, trumpeted their horns, and ate a whole heck of a lotta Gator en route to their 31-3 victory. Coach Shula and the Crimson Tide handed Urban Meyer his most lopsided loss ever and harassed Chris Leak to the tune of 16 of 37 passing for just 187 yards, 2 picks and 4 sacks, but before we get all teary eyed for Shula, let’s not forget he’s in our doghouse as well.

Oh, and just in case you were wondering, as I was, about just how an Elephant has anything to do with ‘Tide’, here’s a bit of history on the ole U of A: In early accounts of Alabama football, the team was simply called the "Crimson White" after their school colors. The first nickname to become popular for the Alabama football team is the "Thin Red Line" and can be traced all the way back to newspaper accounts from 1906. The name "Crimson Tide" is believed to have first been used by Hugh Roberts, a sports editor of the Birmingham Age-Herald. He coined the term "Crimson Tide" to describe the Bama football team during a particularly nasty Alabama-Auburn game in 1907 that was played in a sea of red mud in which heavily favored Auburn was stymied into a 6-6 tie. In 1930, Coach Wallace Wade assembled one of the greatest football teams of all time. In October of that year, Everett Strupper of the Atlanta Journal recounted the Alabama-Mississippi game writing “At the end of the quarter, the earth started to tremble, there was a distant rumble that continued to grow. Some excited fan in the stands bellowed, 'Hold your horses, the elephants are coming.'” Strupper and other writers continued to refer to the Alabama linemen as "Red Elephants," the color referring to the crimson jerseys.

Conference Corner

ACC - The big, bad new kid on the block is flexing more and more muscle each and every week. While Virginia Tech and Florida State certainly have the chops to infringe on the BCS national championship, the rest of the conference hasn’t quite cemented itself into the upper echelons of college football. Sure, Miami will rip you a new one on just about every Saturday, but Virginia, Maryland, BC, and Georgia Tech hardly put the fear of god in other BCS conferences.

Big10 - Ok, before anyone starts getting any stupid ideas: this is still the best conference in the nation, bar none. Yes, I know, Michigan was tossed from the Top 25 last week and both Iowa and Purdue already have two losses, but you know what? That’s okay. The top half of this conference could clobber anybody else’s top half –ACC included.

Big12 - The Big12 completed its pre-season DI-AA schedule and started conference play this week. Texas sleep walked through Mizzou in the first half while A&M struggled to put away all mighty Baylor in overtime. Colorado thumped the Cowboys, in their own backyard. Oklahoma came alive, finally, and the Nebraska engine finally clunked into gear against Iowa State. All in all, a great week of football for the conference, and hopefully a look at things to come with Nebraska and Oklahoma finally finding some solid success.

PAC10 - I’ve sensed a seismic shift over the last couple of seasons. There used to be this perceived ‘East Coast Bias’ in the media, but I think that’s a load of bull. In fact, I think it’s such a load of bull that only the media types who reported on believed in it, and acted on it. Why else would Oregon, California, and UCLA be so highly rated? Personally, I think this is the most overrated conference out there –what’s their non-con record against the other big conferences? And when are they going to travel out of their sunny confines to play the bruisers of the Big10, Big12, and SEC?

SEC - It’s another wide open affair in the SEC this season as Bama burned Florida this week, cementing themselves as a team to beat in the West alongside LSU. In that division, don’t count out Auburn who has found their rhythm and will make some serious noise before all is said and done. Over in the East, Week 6’s Georgia-Tenn showdown will go a long way to ironing out the divisional race. Poor Vandy lost this past week and no longer sports that perfect record –but take heart Commodore’s you can still reach the post season.

Big East - The BEast is on life support. Supposed stalwart Louisville can’t seem to find a rhythm anymore while Pittsburgh took a nose dive u-turn in the wrong direction. South Florida and UConn are looking like the saviors of this down trodden conference as West Virgnia is the only team that can seem to hold the banner without completely folding. Does anyone out there realize how precarious the BEast’s guaranteed BCS slot is becoming? I bet not –stay tuned for next week and I’ll provide you some most illuminating commentary to the fact.

Next Week’s Quick Peeks
Next week’s slate of games promises to be even better than this week! Just take a look at some of the hotter action that will be out on that Grid Iron…

Oklahoma vs. Texas - It’s the first full week of October, so it must be time again for the Red River Shootout at the Texas State Fair. The Sooners appear to have bottomed out, throttling K-State last week while Texas sleep walked their way through the first half against Missouri. Can VY and all those talented skill positions finally get the Sooner Schooner off their back or will Stoops, AP, and that Sooner D corral the Horns for yet another season?

Minnesota @ Michigan - Both teams are hanging on for dear life in this wild and wacky Big10. Michigan found it’s Hart last week against the Spartans while the Gophers got pancaked in front of 106,000 in Happy Valley last week. Will the Wolverine’s defensive line hold up against Maroney and his Golden blockers, or will Hart, Henne, and Avante have a field day in front of 110,000 much like Michael Robinson, Tony Hunt, and Deon Butler of Penn State did?

Virginia @ Boston College - The road only gets tougher for the Cavs after losing to Maryland this week. They’ll travel against to face a fired up BC squad this weekend and then return home for a dance with the Seminoles. In a showdown to determine who is runner up in the pecking order of the new ACC, this one should go down to the wire.

Air Force @ Navy - The service academies hook up this weekend over in Annapolis. The Midshipman are coming off a hard fought victory over Duke while the Falcons are looking to end a three game skid. As academy games go, this one should be a classic with two mediocre, but rather evenly matched teams.

Georgia @ Tennessee - In a battle that could well determine the SEC East winner, the Bulldogs travel up to Knoxville for a brawl with the Volunteers. After having to go out on the road to face both Florida and LSU, the Vols are just happy to get this marquee matchup at home. Meanwhile, DJ Shockley and the Bulldog faithful are figuring to capture the SEC East lead this weekend, and kick off a determined run for the SEC to get screwed out of yet another BCS National Championship game.

Texas Tech @ Nebraska - With the Corn Coast Offense finally taking off this weekend, the Texas Air Raid wings into town to show them a thing or two. While Tech’s offense can light up anybody at any given time, don’t expect these Blackshirts to back down. On the other of the hashes, the Raider D will have to show that they know how to stop a pass oriented offense (after all, they face one in practice each and every day). Of course, if Tech couldn’t keep the Jayhawks from knocking QB Cody Hodges around, what chance do they have of doing that against these Blackshirts?

Iowa @ Purdue - In a game that pits yet more Big10 teams on life support, the Hawkeyes travel into East Lafayette to take on a down and out Boilermaker squad. Purdue rides a two game skid into this one, having been blow out by the Irish last week. The Hawkeyes manhandled Illinois this past week, but will find that Purdue is a might bit more challenging. While the Boilermaker Defense finally show up or will Drew Tate steal the show and lead the Hawkeyes back into the Big10 hunt?

Texas A&M @ Colorado - The Aggies have yet to play four full quarters this season, narrowly escaping a determined Baylor Bear team this weekend. Colorado, meantime, annihilated the Oklahoma State Cowboys, in Stillwater. Can Reggie McNeal get his team fired up to start the first quarter or will this be another dismal first half outing for the Aggies? Regardless, Barnett has his Buffalos geeked up and playing some of the best ball I’ve seen come out of the state of Colorado in some time.

Cal @ UCLA - In a dogfight to determine prime runner up to USC in the PAC, the Bruins host the Golden Bears. California is coming off a big victory over Arizona (they didn’t just win, they dominated) while UCLA is licking its wounds after just barely escaping the wrath of Ty and the Washington Huskies. Whichever team wins will be the lightning bearer for throwing off USC’s three-peat dreams.

Ohio State @ Penn State - Don’t look now, but JoPa has got himself a heck of a team. He’s finally given in and is playing a remarkable set of youngsters (read that as freshman) in his starting line up. The result? Penn State hasn’t looked this good since the 80’s. OSU comes to Happy Valley, out to prove people should be talking about them and not PSU, MSU, Michigan, Iowa, Wisconsin, or Purdue –and with that fabulous Buckeye D and Sensational Smith leading the offense, who would argue? The only thing that could make this game better would be snow –lots and lots of snow.

The Wrap Up
Well, that does it for yet another week Between the Hashes SportzFanz. As always, it’s been both a privilege and a pleasure.

The Week 5 Run Down

2005-09-27T15:41:00.000-05:00

Whew! Welcome to Week 5 SportzFanz –I know I’m glad to be back and I hope you are too. Hurricane Rita didn’t pack quite as much wallop as anticipated, so while we may have lost a little time, that won’t stop us from chugging right along. This week, the action gets started off early over on the Duece with the red hot Rockets. Each day for the remainder of the week we’ll get to see some grid iron action with Miami of Ohio on Wednesday, Colorado State on Thursday, Wanny and the Pitts on Friday, and then your ‘normal’ Saturday Slate. On your Saturday, you can look forward to some fantastic games out on the grid iron with Michigan-Michigan State, Minnesota-Penn State, Iowa State-Nebraska, Notre Dame-Purdue, and USC-Arizona State. So sit back SportzFanz and enjoy as we give a quick run down on this week’s TV Schedule.

The Week 5 TV Schedule

Sep. 27 Tue Toledo @ Fresno State 8:00 PM ESPN2

Sep. 28 Wed Cincinnati @ Miami (OH) 6:00 PM ESPN2

Sep. 29 Thu Air Force @ Colorado State 6:30 PM ESPN

Sep. 30 Fri Pittsburgh @ Rutgers 7:00 PM ESPN2

Oct. 1 Sat Texas @ Missouri 11:00 AM ABC*
Oct. 1 Sat Michigan @ Michigan State 11:00 AM ABC*
Oct. 1 Sat Virginia Tech @ West Virginia 11:00 AM ESPN
Oct. 1 Sat Indiana @ Wisconsin 11:00 AM ESPN2
Oct. 1 Sat Baylor @ Texas A&M 11:30 AM FSN
Oct. 1 Sat Syracuse @ Florida State 2:30 PM ABC*
Oct. 1 Sat Minnesota @ Penn State 2:30 PM ABC*
Oct. 1 Sat Iowa State @ Nebraska 2:30 PM ABC*
Oct. 1 Sat USC @ Arizona St 2:30 PM ABC*
Oct. 1 Sat Florida @ Alabama 2:30 PM CBS
Oct. 1 Sat South Carolina @ Auburn 6:00 PM ESPN2
Oct. 1 Sat Kansas State @ Oklahoma 6:00 PM FSN
Oct. 1 Sat Arizona @ Cal 6:00 PM TBS
Oct. 1 Sat Notre Dame @ Purdue 6:45PM ESPN
Oct. 1 Sat BYU @ San Diego State 9:00PM ESPN Cl
Oct. 1 Sat Washington @ UCLA 9:15PM FSN
*Denotes Regional Action

The Week 5 Run Down

Sep. 27 Tue Toledo @ Fresno State 8:00 PM ESPN2
The Rockets are off to a fast 3-0 start this season and, if they can get past the Bulldogs, should have an easy time getting to 8-0 before facing Solich’s Ohio squad. Meanwhile, Fresno State is coming off a tough road loss to Oregon and looking to put things back together again at home against these Rockets. Rocket QB Paul Pinegar may be the best quarterback nobody’s talking about, lighting up the Ducks for 418 yards last week. Rocket QB Bruce Gradkowski has been solid in his performances so far this season, but the real surprise has been the play of the offensive line and tandem RBs Davis and Dawson –they are the MAC’s top rushing team so far this season. Look for the Bulldogs to try and force a ground game against Toledo’s stout d-line before finally taking to the air in an attempt to keep up with Gradkowski and his sled dogs.
Toledo.

Sep. 28 Wed Cincinnati @ Miami (OH) 6:00 PM ESPN2
On the Deuce for Wednesday, the Redhawks take on the Big East’s Cincinnati Bearcats. For BEast fans, it’s going to be a long, hard road to respectability –especially with such young teams like Cinci in the mix. The Bearcats narrowly beat Western Carolina last week, 7-3, as their offense almost completely imploded. Look for Miami QB Josh Betts to open up the offense this week, paving the way for RB Brandon Murphy to sled for 150+ yards, two weeks straight.
Redbirds.

Sep. 29 Thu Air Force @ Colorado State 6:30 PM ESPN
The Falcons began the season in impressive fashion, dismantling Washington and pasting Sand Diego State with a new ‘shotgun’ formation for the wishbone. Now, the Falcons are in the midst of a two game slid, but if you look under the engine –all appears well and oiled for a good run over the next few weeks (they lost to Utah and Wyoming by a combined 4 points). The reason for the confidence? Air Force has found a way to throw the ball reliably with QB Shaun Carney and now has a defense that, while they ain’t good, certainly have a heartbeat. The Rams, meanwhile, have yet to recover from that opening heartbreaker to uber-rival Colorado. Their defense is one of the worst in the country, giving up an average of 453 yards and 36 points per game (which should statistically only get worse after this one). In order for CSU to be successful on their home turf, they will have to find a way to shut down the Air Force ground game and find ways for QB Justin Holland to hook up with the M-West’s most feared receiver, David Anderson.
Air Force.

Sep. 30 Fri Pittsburgh @ Rutgers 7:00 PM ESPN2
Last week, the Panthers finally came alive against Youngstown State, 41-0. Of course, nobody is certain whether that was because they were playing a DI-AA team or because they were sporting Tony Dorsett throwbacks. In any event, they get to travel to New Jersey this week to square off against the Scarlet Knights. This one is a make or break for Wanny, as a victory here should seal some confidence for the Panthers and pave the way for them to put together a four game win streak heading into a showdown with Louisville to kick off November.
Wanny and the Pitts.

Oct. 1 Sat Texas @ Missouri 11:00 AM ABC*
Yes, it’s official: The Big12 has ended its DI-AA pre-season and is ready to begin conference play. In a rematch game from last season, Texas goes on the road to face the Black’n’Gold Hammers of Missouri (last year, this game sparked that magnificent Texas run of come-from-behind victories). Can the Horns do it again? Do the Horns want to do it again? Answer: Yes, and No. The Texas D has been slamming itself during the off week for break downs in defense when the game ‘isn’t on the line’. They’re goal: 3rd or better in total defense. Right now, their 8th. For the Tigers, QB Brad Smith leads the nation’s 6th ranked offense, running for 113 yards/contest and throwing for a further 130. Can the Texas D stop Mizzou’s attack? Can Mizzou shut down a Longhorns offense that figures to de-emphasize Vince Young in favor of getting RB Jamaal Charles and Henry Melton more experience? Ah, we’ll just have to tune in to find out.
Longhorns.

Oct. 1 Sat Michigan @ Michigan State 11:00 AM ABC*
It’s times like these that I wish I had GamePlan. Texas-Missouri and Michigan-Michigan State are playing opposite one another and simply by virtue of geographic location that means I won’t even get a chance to see the Wolverines and Spartans tussle. Two weeks ago, QB Drew Stanton vaulted onto the Heisman lists with an unbelievable day in South Bend. Now, he takes his considerable talents home, hoping to torture visiting Michigan’s secondary and right the wrong that occurred last season when the Spartan’s fell in Tripe Overtime up in the Big House. For the Maize’n’Blue, the world came crashing down as Badger QB John Stucco snuck into the end zone, snuffing out Michigan’s already damaged National Title dreams. Can they get up off the mat for this one? Hell yes. QB Chad Henne and WR Jason Avant should have a field day against the nation’s 104th ranked pass defense. And if the Spartans have to play zone all day against the Wolves, then look for the Michigan ground game to rip-roar it’s way into the end zone as well. Of course, there is still the little matter of that Wolverine D that can’t seem to stuff the opposition when it matters most -but I’m of the opinion that people have been a might bit hard on that Wolverine Defense.
Michigan.

Oct. 1 Sat Virginia Tech @ West Virginia 11:00 AM ESPN
Grab your mattress and get ready to light the matches, the Hokies are traveling to Morgantown for a brawl with the Mountaineers. While this one is always a junkyard dogfight, this year’s game promises to be something truly special. Both teams are undefeated and looking to make a statement about their bowl implications. For the Hokies, they’ve dusted just about everyone they’ve faced, including the Yellow Jackets last week. While its Marcus Vick and the scoring offense that gets all the pub, it’s the defensive unit that’s going to mean championship for this squad. They are third in total defense and give up just 75 yards/game on the ground. The Mountaineers, are riding high into this one at 4-0, although arguably they haven’t played anyone of note. They have a rock solid defense and a ground game that boasts 4 solid tailbacks and an offensive line that can literally move mountains.

In this one, expect a fight to the bitter end with more fights than penalties. When the dust clears, if the Hokies have won then they’ll have had their baptism by fire and be every bit as deserving a trip to Pasadena as anyone else. For my part though, I’m expecting the Hokies offense to get knocked around by that physical WVa D.
Mountaineers.

Oct. 1 Sat Indiana @ Wisconsin 11:00 AM ESPN2
After last week’s Miracle Over Michigan, the Badgers play host to a surprisingly undefeated Indiana club. QB Blake Powers leads the Hoosiers on offense, but figures to have a rough go of it against that Badger Defense which, while not necessarily stuffing the Wolverine offense, bruised and battered away at them for four full quarters. While this year was supposed to be a rebuilding year in Madison, Barry’s Boys have jumped out to a 4-0 start behind unbelievable play from both lines and the running of Badger Savoir Brian Calhoun. If Wisconsin can avoid the let down that so often plagues them, they might just wind up posting another record day at Camp Randall.
Badgers.

Oct. 1 Sat Baylor @ Texas A&M 11:30 AM FSN
This could be a fun one to watch –for about 10 minutes. That should be all Reggie and Boys need to put this one away, especially considering the fire in their belly after last season’s flat out embarrassment at the hands of these Bears. Baylor is riding a perfect 3-0 record for the first time in nine years, but with victories against SMU, Samford, and Army I wouldn’t be pounding my chest too much. The Aggies so far have been a cough-and-sputter kind of team, slow to get started and then all of a sudden –WHAMMO, 14 or more points in the blink of an eye and the game is out of reach. Look for the Aggies to come ready to play right out of the box and avoid having to ‘work’ in the second half.
Ags.

Oct. 1 Sat Syracuse @ Florida State 2:30 PM ABC*
At 1-2, it’s hard to argue that the Orange’s new coach, , hasn’t done a remarkable job already (the defense is now already playing like one of the best in the country). Even so, the Cuse offense has been stuck in a rut from the starting bell, ranked 104th in the nation (109th in passing). On the other side of the ball, FSU sports a newly found offense behind QB Drew Weatherford and the running of Thunder and Lightning (Booker and Washington). The Seminole Defense, already one of the best in the nation, shouldn’t have any trouble keeping the Orange contained –especially at home. The question here is if the Cuse defense can score enough points to keep the game interesting…
Seminoles.

Oct. 1 Sat Minnesota @ Penn State 2:30 PM ABC*
Finally, we get to see if Penn State is for real. True, the Nitnanny Lions ride a 6 game win streak into this one, but with their last four games coming against South Florida, Cinci, a directional Michigan school, and Northwestern that win streak just isn’t all that impressive. The Golden Gophers blew the doors off the vaunted Boilermaker Defense last week –can they do the same against an even stingier group? (Hint: Northwestern gouged them for nearly 200 yards on the ground). While this one will be uncomfortably close for the Minnesota faithful, don’t expect Penn State to pull off the upset –even at home in front of a raucous 106,000 plus.
Gophers.

Oct. 1 Sat Iowa State @ Nebraska 2:30 PM ABC*
The Corn Coast Offense gets a rude awakening this weekend as they kick off their conference slate at home against the Cyclones. Last week, Iowa State barely nudged past Army 28-21, but for those Reggie the Redbird friends out there, don’t fret over that performance –it was a close enough game to scare the Cyclones into realizing that they still have to fight for what they want: a Big 12 North title. For Nebraska, the offense has been a complete disaster thus far on the season, managing a paltry 133 yards per game (OU even manages more than that). Expect another defensive battle like last week, but don’t expect the Huskers to come out of it on top.
Iowa State.

Oct. 1 Sat USC @ Arizona St 2:30 PM ABC*
In the highlight game of the week, the Trojans from sunny Southern California take a trip down to the desert for a devil of a good time. Everyone knows USC will bring the O, but how many of us are convinced that they’ll bring the D? The ASU law firm of Keller (QB), Hagan (WR), and Herring (RB) have had this game circled on the calendar for a whole year. In what should be a doozy of a game (although at least 2/3 of the country won’t be able to see it), keep an eye on the defenses as they will decide this one. Can the Sun Devils get energized enough to shut down Leinart and Co.? Can the Trojans defense stumble out of its doldrums to shut down The Practice? Oh, if I but lived on the west coast…
Sun Devils –in a pick of the heart, and not so much of the brain.

Oct. 1 Sat Florida @ Alabama 2:30 PM CBS
The Tide rolled over Arkansas last week and is now looking to feast on some Gator meat this weekend in Tuscaloosa. And with QB Brodie Croyle and RB Ken Darby leading the way, this Tide squad has their sights set on the SEC West title. Trouble is, Urban Meyer already has his Gator team in mid season form with Chris Leak leading the SEC conference in Passing Efficiency and the Florida Defense yielding just 223 total yards/game (good for best in conference and 5th best in the nation).
Gators.

Oct. 1 Sat South Carolina @ Auburn 6:00 PM ESPN2
Don’t look now, but Auburn is right in the hunt of the SEC West crown. After pining away for their Backfield by GM against the Yellow Jackets, Auburn has finally got their man, Jeremy Irons, in a groove and their defense is playing right where they left off last season. For the Gamecocks, they still haven’t found a run game, averaging just 65 yards a contest and their defense is horribly slow, giving up better than 350 a game. In order for the Ole Ball Coach to stand a chance in this one, he’ll have to get a picture perfect day out of QB Blake Mitchell and find a way to shut down the Auburn ground machine.
Tigers.

Oct. 1 Sat Kansas State @ Oklahoma 6:00 PM FSN
The Sooners took a week off from the great UCLA debacle to try and find a cure for the illness that has afflicted their offense. Rhett Bomar has been permanently handed the reigns, despite his tendency to turn the ball over while Adrian Pederson has had an additional week to heal up from various nagging injuries. For the Wildcats, they’ll face their first serious test of the year (unless you consider their 21-19 squeaker against the Herd a serious test). Despite the fact that OU lacks any real offensive punch at this point in the season, look for OU to find enough ways to get going to put a few touchdowns on the board –and look for Stoops to challenge his defense to put up a gem of a game.
Sooners –they’ve bottomed out.

Oct. 1 Sat Arizona @ Cal 6:00 PM TBS
The Wildcats have had a week off to prepare for this Golden Bear team, and when you’ve got two Stoops’ running the show, that’s more than enough time for them to figure out a way to get the win. Even so, QB Joe Ayoob and RB Justin Forsett should provide enough one-two punch to keep the Wildcats at bay.
Golden Bears.

Oct. 1 Sat Notre Dame @ Purdue 6:45PM ESPN
Fresh off a tense, emotional game with their former coach, the Irish true to West Lafayette to take on a wounded Boilermaker team. Weis and his young protégé should have a field day going up against the Big10’s worst pass defense (and they earned that distinction against Akron, Arizona, and Minnesota –not exactly high velocity passing teams). Meanwhile, watch QB Brandon Kirsch to see if he finally has a solid outing as, without that, the Boilermakers just won’t be able to keep up.
Notre Dame.

Oct. 1 Sat BYU @ San Diego State 9:00PM ESPN Cl
Coming right of the heels of that overtime loss to TCU, the Cougars travel down to San Diego to face the Aztecs. The good news for San Diego is that the strength of their defense is the passing game –that means they’ll be going straight up against QB John Beck and the nation’s 4th ranked pass offense. The bad news is RB Curtis Brown should have a career day against the Dick Tomey’s defense.
BYU.

Oct. 1 Sat Washington @ UCLA 9:15PM FSN*
The dessert game of the week sees Ty and his Huskies traveling down to LA for a tussle with the Bruins. Last week, the Huskies were dominated in every phase of the game against Notre Dame, and with UCLA having two weeks off to prepare for this don’t expect Washington to keep this one tight for four full quarters. QB Drew Olson and RB Maurice Drew should prove more than enough to overwhelm the wilting Washington defense.
Bruins.

The Week 4 Run Down

2005-09-27T15:40:00.000-05:00

It’s Week 4 SportzFanz and time for another Run Down of what you can expect on the tube this weekend.

The Week 4 TV Schedule

Sep. 21 Wed Bowling Green @ Boise State 7:00P ESPN2

Sep. 22 Thu Air Force @ Utah 6:30P ESPN

Sep. 23 Fri Iowa State @ Army 7:00P ESPN2
Sep. 23 Fri Cal @ New Mexico State 9:00P ESPN

Sep. 24 Sat Colorado @ Miami, Fla. 11:00A ABC*
Sep. 24 Sat Iowa @ Ohio State 11:00A ABC*
Sep. 24 Sat Purdue @ Minnesota 11:00A ESPN
Sep. 24 Sat Penn State @ Northwestern 11:00A ESPN2
Sep. 24 Sat ECU @ West Virginia 11:00A ESPN*

Sep. 24 Sat GA Tech @ Virginia Tech 2:30P ABC*
Sep. 24 Sat Notre Dame @ Washington 2:30P ABC*
Sep. 24 Sat Arkansas @ Alabama 2:30P CBS
Sep. 24 Sat Michigan @ Wisconsin 4:00P ESPN2
Sep. 24 Sat Nevada @ Colorado State 5:00P FSN*
Sep. 24 Sat Southern California @ Oregon 6:00P ABC*
Sep. 24 Sat Tennessee @ LSU 6:45P ESPN
Sep. 24 Sat Georgia @ Mississippi State 8:00P ESPN2
Sep. 24 Sat Arizona State @ Oregon State 9:00P TBS
*Denotes Regional Action

The Week 4 Run Down

Sep. 21 Wed Bowling Green @ Boise State 8:00P ESPN2
Omar Jacobs leads the Falcons into Idaho for a show down on the blue turf. While the Broncos may be in the midst of a 3 game losing streak, they still have (and aim to keep) the nation’s longest home win streak going (25 and counting). With the Bronco’s returning to familiar territory (back home, playing at night, on the Deuce), the question is whether or not they can pull themselves together and put up a solid four quarters of football. Boise has one of the nation’s worst pass defenses and will have to show marked improvement over the short week (an insane 4 days) as Omar Jacobs is certainly licking his chops. The Falcons have the nation’s 2nd rated pass attack, but one of the worst overall defenses in the country, especially against the run. While Boise should be able to run the ball with ease against the Falcons, don’t expect that to last for a full four quarters as this one ought to devolve into an old west style shoot out. If that’s the case, then this game is up in the air. The more things change, the more things stay the same: it’s Idaho, at night, and on the Deuce.
Boise State.

Sep. 22 Thu Air Force @ Utah 7:30P ESPN
With Utah losing control of their Mountain West destiny last week, the Air Force is looking to wing into Salt Lake and run away with a victory. Of course, to do that, they’ll have to weather the initial storm as the Ute’s will be rocking at home, at night, and in front of a nationally televised audience. If the Falcons can do that, then they stand a shot in this one as QB Shaun Carney is good enough to beat the Ute’s with his arm when given enough time to stand in the pocket. Even so, Utah’s combination of QB Brian Johnson and RB Quinton Ganther should prove more than a match for the much smaller Falcon defense.
Utes.

Sep. 23 Fri Iowa State @ Army 8:00P ESPN2
What a sweet gig being a Cyclone has been these past few weeks. First they dust their in-state nemesis, then they get an off week, and then they get to play Army. This one should be over before it even gets started as the Cyclone D ought to keep the Cadets bottled up. Consider this one a tune up for the Husker game the following week –unless of course the Cadets can catch these Redbirds looking ahead and feeling a bit too full of themselves (which I doubt as they’ve GOT to be steamed that the Hawkeyes are ranked ahead of them in both polls still).
Cyclones.

Sep. 23 Fri Cal @ New Mexico State 10:00P ESPN
Since going 0-10 in the season opener, QB Joe Ayoob has caught the hang of the Golden Bears passing game, leads his team to two straight victories on 25-of-44 throwing for 392 yards and 5 touchdowns. Of course, it doesn’t hurt any that RBs Forsett and O’Keith are combining for 180+ yards/game to keep the heat off of him. With the Aggies up this week, look for the offensive power surge to continue as New Mexico State is among the worst in the nation.
Golden Bears.

Sep. 24 Sat Colorado @ Miami, Fla. Noon ABC
Gary Barnett takes his beloved Buffaloes on the road to Miami this week, in a Big12 – ACC showdown. While nobody will mistake Buffalo for a Seminole, the Boys from Boulder play a tough, physical defense that has a good shot at keeping the Canes bottled up. On offense, though it’ll be up to QB Joel Klatt to prove he won’t wilt under the pressure in his senior season. For Miami, they are coming off a huge triple overtime win in Death Valley, but let’s not lose perspective here: but for one play the Canes would have started the season 0-2 for the first time in 27 years. Expect this one to be tougher than you’d figure before Miami’s weapons and depth finally start pulling away in the second half.
Canes.

Sep. 24 Sat Iowa @ Ohio State Noon ABC
It’s another Showdown in the ‘Shoe for the Buckeyes as Iowa makes a trip over to Columbus. While many of us won’t get the joy of seeing this one on the tube, the interest and intrigue merit all kinds of talk and discussion. Is Iowa really good enough to be the Buckeyes at home? Are they truly back after being blasted by the Cyclones two weeks ago? For Iowa, the key will be execution on offense and harassment on defense. They will have to throw everything including the kitchen sink at the young Troy Smith to keep him guessing and off-balanced. Do that, and these Hawkeyes should walk out with the victory –of course A.J. Hawk and his buddies have a little something to say about that.
Buckeyes.

Sep. 24 Sat Purdue @ Minnesota Noon ESPN/2
Can the nation’s best run defense shut down the nation’s best run offense? We’ll find out as Laurence Maroney and his Gophers go up against a Boilermaker defense that is yielding just 16 yards per game on the ground. In fact, the Gophers may think twice about winning this one on the ground and instead attack one of the nation’s worst pass defenses with QB Bryan Cupito and WR Jared Ellerson. For Purdue, they’ll have to continue to work the trenches on offense, opening up holes for RBJerod Void to run through and providing enough time for QB Brandon Kirsch to find the open receiver. If Minnesota can’t find a way to camp out in the backfield, this one could be another high scoring shootout.
Boilermakers.

Sep. 24 Sat Penn State @ Northwestern Noon ESPN/2
After getting absolutely scorched out in the desert by the Sun Devils last week, the Wildcats return home for a game with the Nittany Lions. For Penn State, this is a make or break game as they begin their Big10 slate. Why make or break? Because this team is very young and very impressionable. A blow out loss to Northwestern and you can kiss another bowl season goodbye as it’ll be darn difficult to find two wins against Minnesota, Ohio State, Michigan, Purdue, Wisconsin, and Michigan State. For the Wildcats, they’ll have to keep QB Michael Robinson from running amok and buy enough time on offense for Basanez to find the open receiver. Trouble is, this Nitanny D-line is just as good as last year’s, so don’t count on Basanez being able to set up shop back there.
Penn State.

Sep. 24 Sat ECU @ West Virginia Noon ESPN*
After dominating the Terps last weekend, WVa gets a tune up game before hosting the Hokies on October 1st. While the Mountaineers had better not take this Pirates team to lightly, they should have no problem shutting down QB James Pinkney and WR Aundrae Allison. On offense, look for WVa to get a lot of reps in for QB Adam Bednarik as they are going to need some semblance of a passing game to beat the Hokies the following week.
Mountaineers.

Sep. 24 Sat GA Tech @ Virginia Tech 3:30P ABC
After working their way into the Top 25 with a victory over Auburn in Week 1, the Coaches and AP polls have seemingly had no other option but to continue to move the Rambling Wreck up the poll chain as they eeked by North Carolina and outplayed newbie UCONN. As a result, they are now ranked 15th in the polls heading into Blacksburg. And while the Hokie offense hasn’t been all that and a side of Heisman with Marcus Vick under center, it has been good enough to hang 45 on both Duke and Ohio. And at home, facing a Top 20 ranked squad (even if that ranking is a bit overdone), don’t expect the Hokie D to give up anything to these Yellow Jackets easily.
Hokies.

Sep. 24 Sat Notre Dame @ Washington 3:30P ABC
This one’s a powder keg just waiting to explode. Don’t think so? Just ask the Huskies players who feel they’ve been wronged just about everyway imaginable the past two years and have a chance to gain a little bit of their own as well as their coaches respect back. While I don’t expect Ty to be weeping on the sidelines, I do expect him to make this a statement game both for himself and the Washington program –and could the timing have been any better with the Huskies finally getting one in the win column and the Irish grand dream being dashed to pieces in front of the home crowd last week? Look for Weiss and the Irish to open it up on offense and light up the Husky secondary. In order for Washington to stand a chance, they’ll have to get sled dog Louis Rankin mushing while protecting Isaiah Stanback long enough for him to find Screaming Sonny Shackelford on the post route (how’s that for a wide receiver’s name!). Although the heart pulls for Ty, the Irish are just too loaded with talent to let this one slip away.
ND.

Sep. 24 Sat Arkansas @ Alabama 3:30P CBS
Word has it Arkansas Head Coach Houston Nutt’s job could be on the line this season –I guess it just goes to show what flirting with the Huskers and getting embarrassed in successive weeks by Vandy and the Trojans gets you. In order for the hogs to really stand a chance in this one they’re going to have to play ball like they’ve never played before –oh, and they’re gonna have to somehow convince Mr. Brodie Croyle and RB Ken Darby to sit this one out. That said, don’t be surprised if the Hogs are in this one all the way to the end.
Tide.

Sep. 24 Sat Michigan @ Wisconsin 5:00P ESPN2
While Michigan excised the demons last week against Eastern Michigan, don’t buy into the hype that all is well in Wolverine Land. This week, the Maize’n’Blue travel up to Camp Randall to face an undefeated Badger squad that was supposed to be rebuilding –that is until Mr. Brian Calhoun stepped up to the plate. With Michigan’s mediocre by Big10 standards defense, the question here is if they can withstand the pounding that Calhoun and his 300 pound posse are going to dish out for a full sixty minutes. And while fellow Sophomore Max Martin may be able to spell Michael Hart in a pinch, don’t expect the Wovlerines to do too much on the ground against the nation’s 4th ranked run defense.
Badgers.

Sep. 24 Sat Nevada @ Colorado State 6:00P FSN*
After starting the season with a tough rivalry loss to the Buffaloes and then getting blown out by Minnesota two weeks ago, the Rams have had two weeks to prepare for their home opener. The Wolf Pack, meanwhile, will be looking to get the Pistol offense working against a Colorado State defense that gives up an average of 470 yards/game –meaning, they shouldn’t have too many problems moving the ball. Unfortunately for the Wolf Pack, they will have a very difficult time keeping QB Justin Holland and WR David Anderson under wraps.
Rams.

Sep. 24 Sat Southern California @ Oregon 7:00P ABC
The Trojans take a road trip to Eugene and Autzen Stadium this week for a face-to-face with the Highlighters, er Ducks I mean (I still can’t believe those home jerseys are allowed by law). The Trojans have had a doozy of a time in Autzen Stadium over the years, and while the talent gap is probably wider than ever don’t expect the Ducks have any let up against Southern Cal. If there is a weakness in this Trojan team, it’s the pass defense and with QB Kellen Clemens throwing the ball superbly and RB Terrence Whitehead running like he’s never run before, these Ducks stand an honest chance of pulling the season’s greatest upset if they can just get their secondary shored up. They’re the 100th ranked unit in the nation and got shredder by Fresno State for 418 yards.
Southern Cal.

Sep. 24 Sat Tennessee @ LSU 7:45P ESPN
With last week’s loss to the Gators, Tennessee’s dream of a SEC crown are in deep jeopardy –there is no more margin for error. The Tigers, meanwhile, finally got their season under way two weeks ago with an Instant Classic against Arizona State. In that one, they answered the bell, dispelling the notion that these Bayou Bengels would put up for the season after facing such destruction and distraction in their home state. This week, look for the Tigers to take out more of their frustration in front their own home crowd this week. The Vols should play much better than they did last week in the Swamp, but LSU has even more talent than that vaunted team from Knoxville and it’ll take a small miracle to keep JaMarcus Randall, Joseph Addai, Craig Davis, and Skyler Green hemmed in for all four quarters.
Tigers.

Sep. 24 Sat Georgia @ Mississippi State 9:00P ESPN2
After three straight ones between the hedges, the Bulldogs finally make a trip away from home to face the Bulldogs from Starkville. With Mississippi State barely scraping by Tulane, don’t expect them to put much in the way of a defense as Georgia QB DJ Shockley should have a career day running and throwing the ball. And by the way, Miss State should shoot whomever it is that’s doing their scheduling: they get Georgia, LSU, and Florida in a row, without a breather.
Georgia.

Sep. 24 Sat Arizona State @ Oregon State 10:00P TBS
In a battle of the States, the Beavers play host to the red hot Sun Devils –you know, there ought to be a law against having to face such high powered offenses on back to back to back weekends (Boise State, Louisville, and now Arizona State). With QB Matt Moore pitching and catching with WR Mike Hass though, the Beavers should at least keep this one within reason. The problem for the Beavers will be trying to contain the Law Firm (Keller, Hagan, and Herring). QB Sam I Am Keller is the real deal under center (ranked 3rd in the nation), while WR Derek Hagan is every bit the threat that O-State’s Hass is, and RB Keegan Herring is currently the nation’s top freshman running back. With all that firepower out on the field, it’ll be interesting to see how ASU’s defense handles itself, especially as they’re certain to be looking past the Beavers with USC coming to Tempe the following week.
Sun Devils.

The Week 3 Wrap Up

2005-09-18T14:06:00.000-05:00

Welcome back SportzFanz for yet another edition of Between The Hashes. Each week, we’ll take a look at the College Football landscape and report on the state of all things Grid Iron. I think this one may be headed into overtime, so let’s just jump right on in.

What This Week Will Be Remembered For
Going for it on 4th down. No matter where you looked there was somebody going for it on 4th down. Nebraska did it on the Pitt 1 yard line and scored the only touchdown in a 7-6 victory. Virginia did it on the ‘Cuse 3 inch line with a minute left to play in the game instead of kicking the field goal. The Irish did it 4 times in one afternoon Saturday, including a 4th and 15 in the first quarter. OU, Michigan State, Miami, Boston College, Florida State, Rice, and SMU all got into the act when the game was far from being decided. Heck, Oregon State even ran a fake punt to catch Louisville with their pants down on the opening drive of the game. Yes indeed, this was the weekend for fourth downs.

Today’s Topic
The Rose Bowl is accepting reservations for fans who want to see their team in the national championship game. Yes, that’s right, even you can reserve a ticket to see your team play in the national championship game. Of course, you’ll have to be one of the first 1,000 people to reserve a ticket for your team, and you’ll have to pay to get the reservation.

The reservations are called ‘fan-forwards’ and are a relatively recent phenomenon that is catching on all over the sports world. The idea is that you plunk down some payola for the right to buy a ticket in the event that our team makes it to the game. If your team doesn’t make it, then that’s it –there are no refunds. If your team does make it, then that’s all well and good, you get the right to buy a ticket to the game at ‘face value’, of course, the fee you paid for your fan-forward does not count towards the purchase of a ticket.

What’s the price of the fan-forward you ask? Well, that all depends on what the ‘current’ odds are that your team is going to make it to the game. Right now, fan-forwards are going for anywhere between $10 (Baylor) and $405 (USC). For this year’s national championship game, you can get your ‘fan-forward’ at www.TicketReserve.com or www.TournamentOfRoses.com.

Sound straight forward enough? Ah, well there is a nuance to it. If you aren’t in on the first 1,000 fan-forwards sold for your team, fear not –you can still purchase one of a fan-forward.

How’s that you ask? Owners of the fan-forwards can sell their ‘fan-forward’ to another individual at the ‘going rate’ posted on the TicketReserve website. So, if your team puts together a marvelous win streak and the price of the fan-forward goes up, you can sell it for a profit. Of course, if your team chokes then the value fan-forward will plummet and you’ll either have to let it expire as worthless electronic paper or recoup some of your money selling it at a loss.

Near as I can tell, it’s equal parts gambling and stock trading. I’m not sure where you draw the line with the whole gambling thing nowadays, but this does seem a fair bit unseemly for an institution as irreproachable as the ‘Granddaddy Of Them All’ likes to think of itself.

Your Instant Impact Quotes of the Week Are:
"You have to make decisions. I've never pretended that every decision I've made was right. And I've been reminded of that." –Ohio State Coach Jim Tressle on the Tuesday following the Texas game. Right you are Jim. This week Tressle ended the quarterback dispute by naming Troy Smith the started against San Diego State.

“Sometimes you just have to say ‘What the heck’.” Al Groh, Head Coach Virginia. –Yeah, and sometimes you have to roll the hard eight. Problem is, my luck is almost never that good.

“I’m putting that one in my dictionary –trickeration! Ha ha ha!” –overheard during the South Carolina-Alabama game. To be honest, I was only surfing through when this one caught my ear and my head swiveled like the girl in the Exorcist: it’s spreading my friends, it’s spreading and that ain’t a good thing.

“I’m not trying to be a doctor here, but that looks like a problem with the shoulder.” the CBS announcers during the USC-Alabama game, I suppose trying to ensure that they are in no way held liable for the injury out on the field. Hey, and what gave it away anyhow? Maybe the fact that the guy was writhing in pain while the team docs pincered his shoulder yanked on his arm?

“That’s one of our keys to the game for Oklahoma –complete a pass.” Dan Fouts covering Oklahoma-UCLA. It wouldn’t be nearly as funny if it weren’t so true.

“You Honk, We Drink.” – Large tailgater sign at the A&M-SMU game.

“Talk about turnarounds and Dennis Frenchione, one of the biggest that they’ve done last year to this year is the play of their defense. Last year they played exceptionally well, and this year they hope to continue that.” –The FSN crew during the A&M-SMU game. Yeah, gee, I guess I never realized how big of a turnaround/difference that really was.

“You don’t tug on Superman’s Cape.” –Overheard during the Oregon State-Louisville game as one of the Louisville linebackers committed a pass interference penalty against future NFL star WR Mike Haas.

“If you’re not 300 pounds, you need not apply.” –During the introduction of the starting lineup for Michigan State. Well then, if I may point out, why is the starting left tackle only 294 pounds?

“Indelibly, inexorably, incredibly on this drive” – Trying to find the poetry? to describe the running of Oregon State’s Yvenson Brenard in the first quarter of the game.

“An impressive looking chasis on him.” –The ESPN crew, attempting to privde a further description of Brenard. Ok guys, let’s just be clear here: describing a player’s chasis is really something you should keep to yourself.

“In a land of derby winners, he is a thoroughbred.” The ESPN praising Cardindal QB Brian Brohm.

``I think if we play well and we capitalize on every drive, we can score 100 points. If we can do it, we need to do it next week.'' –Texas Tech QB Cody Hodges. Tech scored 80 points on Saturday, compiling 770 yards of total offense (a second best in school history, topped only by 775 yards against Iowa State in 2003). Next week, the Air Raiders take on yet another Division IAA team in Indiana State.

This week’s Super-Stud Awards go to…
For those weekend warriors who leave it all out on the turf, we salute you:

1. The Vanderbilt Commodores – You guys crushed Ole Miss on Saturday to go 3-0 for the first time since 1984 and 2-0 in SEC play for the first time since 1956 (49 years). Congrats guys, you sit atop the SEC East standings with Georgia and Florida. With homes games against Richmond and Middle Tennessee State, Vandy should be 5-0 when they play host to the Bayou Bengals.

2. Cody Hodges, QB Texas Tech – Given that it’s the Texas Air Raid and you played against a Division I-AA school, I’m not sure you deserve the highlight reel here. However, you are the nation’s total yardage leader, averaging 11.2 yards a touch –as a QUARTERBACK. This week, young Cody nailed 441 total yards of offense with 26-of-37 passing for 436 yards and 5 touchdowns –he didn’t even play half of the 3rd quarter.

3. Brady Quinn, QB Notre Dame – Your 487 yards on 33 of 60 passing was good for 5 of the Irish touchdowns as the Golden Domes came from behind to force overtime before finally falling to the Spartans.

4. Chris Barclay, RB Wake Forest – The Demon Deacons Offense finally woke up, broke a sweat, and started humming as Barclay rushed for 217 yards and 4 touchdowns on 25 carries. The Deacons poured on the offense against East Carolina, gaining 407 yards on the ground in route to an easier than it would appear 44-34 victory.

5. Keegen Herring, RB Arizona State – This stud set a new Arizona State single game freshman rushing record with 197 yards on 23 carries. That’s brings him to 367 yards rushing on the year, good enough for 11th best overall in the country and tops among freshman running backs.

6. Jamaal Charles, RB Texas – The other big freshman performance of the week belongs to Jamaal – 189 yards and 3 touchdowns on just 16 carries. And do you think Jammin Jamaal was happy with his performance? Answer: No, his goal is 200 yards/game and he was simply disappointed in himself for not running better to reach that goal, despite being pulled after the 1st series of the second half.

7. Brian Brohm, QB Louisville – For anyone out there that didn’t think this kid deserved all the hype: Brian ‘Boom-Boom’ Brohm attained an unheard of 306.42 passer rating in this weekend’s game against Oregon State. How’d he do it? By completing 18 of 22 passes for 368 yards and 5 touchdowns. Well done.

8. Reggie McNeal, QB Texas A&M – Reggie set an A&M record for total yardage with 448 yards off of 6 rushes for 100 yards and 15-of-24 passing for another 349. He scored six touchdowns in this game as well. So who’s record did he break? Answer: Edd Hargett’s from way back in 1968 against, you guessed it, these same SMU Mustangs -ain’t irony a bitch Pony fans?.

9. Robert Johnson, WR Texas Tech – You only hauled in 8 catches, but you managed to turn them into 209 yards of offense. My only question, how did you manage to not find the end zone?

10. Maurice Stovall, WR Notre Dame – You only nabbed 8 pitches as well, and you only took yours for 176 yards. Ah, but at least you found the end zone my man. Note to Irish fans: your playmaker has finally arrived.

11. Mario Urrutia, WR Lousiville – Okay so I guess the reception bar was set pretty low this week as Urrutia only snagged 7, but he turned those Magnificent Seven into 175 yards and 2 scores. Note to anyone that pays attention to college football: If you haven’t heard of this kid before, you’d better get used to it because he’s only a freshman, he is that dam good, and with Brian Brohm tossing the pigskin to him he is going to be the most dangerous wide receiver in the country next season.

12. AJ Nicholson, LB Florida State – Your opening game interception return for a touchdown against BC set the stage for a magnificent battle between two ACC titans. Take heart BC fans, the season is young and there is a lot of tough football still to be played.

13. Reagen Schneider, PK UTEP –There’s always room for a place kicker, especially one that goes 5 of 6 on field goals, including the game winner in overtime to beat Houston.

14. The Arizona State Offense – You just nudged past the Air Raiders for most ridiculous offensive performance of the week with a 773 yard performance against Northwestern. I’m not sure if the Sun Devils can contain the Trojan offense, but if I were a USC fan I’d be more concerned about how the Trojans are going to contain the ASU Offense.

15. The Purdue Defense – Don’t think these guys are any good? In a game that was much closer than it should have been, the Boilermakers held Arizona to a grand total of 9 yards rushing. Now if they could just figure out what happened to QB Brandon Kirsch and that O-Train.

16. The Boston College Defensive Line – They gave up all of 13 yards rushing to Thunder and Lightning this weekend. Unfortunately, Grandpa figured out your interior linebackers are horrible coverage men, torching the BC-D for 243 yards in mostly dink and dunk passes over the middle.

17. Alright FSN, I’ll give you one – Getting Reggie McNeal, Vince Young, and Matt Leinhart on the tube all in one day is pretty impressive. Now you give me one –stop using that stupid tote board whenever somebody scores a touchdown!

18. The UCLA Bruin Defense – The boys in powder blue held the mighty Adrian Peterson to just 58 yards on 23 carries. You also forced Sooner QB Rhett Bomar to commit 4 of the team’s 6 fumbles and marked the first time in Stoops head coaching career that he has begun a season 1-2.

19. Adam Ickes, Nebraska – This Bugeater ate up Josh Cummings’ 46-yard field goal as time expired to preserve the 7-6 Husker victory. It was one of two blocked field goals for Nebraska on the day.

20. The Alabama Ground Game – The Tide rolled in hard and fast against South Carolina, shredding their line for 338 yards on the ground and paving the way for Coach Shula to pick up just his 3rd road victory since taking over the Bama program back in 2003.

And the ‘Bench Em’ awards go to…
Our weekly awards for the worst performances, bone-headed play calls, or anything else that smacks of ridiculousness or stupidity:

1. The UCF Program – You’ve now extended the nation’s longest losing streak to 17. With the Herd coming to town this weekend, can you please stop the pain?

2. Whoever sold the naming rights to Louisville’s Stadium – Isn’t it bad enough that all of the bowls have been renamed to ridiculous things like the GalleryFurniture.com bowl and the Insight.com bowl? Did we really need to cross that line and be told Louisville is playing at Papa John’s Stadium?

3. John L Smith, Head Coach Michigan State – A wonderful, marvelous game plan –until the 4th quarter. Why did you leash the hounds and play circle the wagons in the fourth quarter? That horrible mistake almost (and probably should have) cost you the game as the Irish rallied to score 21 points in 18 minutes. I’m beginning to wonder if you’d even be the Spartan head coach if Mr. Stanton had never stepped foot on campus.

4. ABC’s camera crew – Actually, call this one the ‘screwed out of my money’ award. I counted no less than three times that the Overstock.com 1st down line wasn’t even visible while the guys in the booth yammered on about it. Ok, so it was because South Carolina was usually in a 3rd and Forever, but still…

5. Jim Knox and FSN’s filler time during the Texas game – Okay, I understand it’s like a bagillion to one and NOBODY but Longhorn fans are watching, but do you still have to stoop down to interviewing the ‘canon loading crew’ and showing 5 straight minutes of the Texas Pom Pom Squad? Hmmm, maybe I should ‘Ask Knox’ that one...

6. All Aggie Fans at Kyle Field on Saturday – I could have heard a pin drop in the 1st quarter of the game. What’s the deal? Too many people honking their horns in the pre-game?

7. Title this under things that are gay: Sportsline.com has turned their countdown to kickoff clock into a countdown to the Heisman clock. What, you don’t have anything better to do with that screen real estate? Side note: we’ve got 82 days, 6 hours, 51 minutes, and 42 seconds until the most overrated trophy in college football is presented.

8. The Corn Coast Offense – It was yet another abysmal outing by the Nebraska O this week. They managed just 267 yards of total offense and are now the nation’s 106th ranked unit, good for worst in the Big12. With their conference slate starting in two weeks against the Cyclones, Huskernation has to be nervous about what Callahan has done to their program.

9. Wanny and the Pitts – Actually, Pitt really didn’t do that poorly this weekend. The Blackshirts up at Nebraska are way better than most people realize and Pitt did try to get more balanced on offense by opening up the passing game a little bit. With their next four against Youngstown, Rutgers, Cincinnati, and South Florida, expect the Panthers to be 4-3 heading into the last leg of the season (Syracuse, Louisville, Connecticut, and West Virginia).

Random Hits and Misses
1. NBC, welcome to the new millennium. You’ve finally figured out what a sane scoreboard display looks like –and it doesn’t involve a peacock that takes up a third of the screen. Congratulations. Now, if you’d just cover more than Notre Dame football…

2. Title this under things you shouldn’t see during a football game – The NIVEA For Men Defense. That isn’t the only thing that should be outlawed though, the Depends Overtime and the Softer Side of Sears Second Quarter are two more ideas that never need to see the light of day.

3. Is there anything better than watching a 250+ pound lineman dance for joy after recovering the game clinching fumble? In the Texas-Ohio State game, it almost brought tears to my eyes watching the bench empty on top of the guy. The only thing that made it sweeter is the fact that assistant coaches were the first ones on the pile.

4. We’ve all heard ad nauseum about how Weiss is the first Notre Dame coach since The Great One to win his first two road games to get an inaugural season started, but how many of you realize that he is only the 3rd Irish coach to ever lose his first home game? Elmer Laydin way back ini 1934 and Lou Holtz in 1986 where the only other Irish coaches to accomplish the same ‘feat’.

5. Overrated – great plays on offense. Underrated – great plays on defense. Is there really anything sweeter than a defensive back who obliterates a receiver after the catch? Or reaches up at the last second and slaps away a sure long bomb? Ok, AP’s 4th down touchdown run against Tulsa was a thing of beauty, but I’ve only seen one offensive play like that this season.

6. I think Wisconsin will win every game this year in which they are within 7 going into the fourth quarter. That defense just keeps hitting and that offensive line just keeps pancaking people. The Badgers D held North Carolina to just 57 yards rushing Saturday, squashing out any hope of a Tar Heel victory with their big 300 pound bodies.

7. Did you know Missouri’s Brad Smith is the only active player in Division IA with over 10,000 yards of offense? At 10,308 yards he towers over the next man, Northwestern’s Brett Basanez with 8,172.

8. Ty got his first victory of the season this weekend, defeating Idaho 34-6. With the Irish coming to town, the timing couldn’t’ve been better. You know, I’m actually wondering how many Notre Dame fans out there feel sorry enough for the guy to actually root for him on Saturday.

9. Shiver. Sorry, I just got a little déjà vu. Virginia Tech mauled its opponent 45-0 for the second straight week. Duke was the previous victim while Frank Solich’s Ohio squad took the bullet this week.

10. Does anybody else realize just how close the Miami Hurricanes came to starting the season 0-2 for the first time since 1978?

11. Don’t look now but Texas has the nation’s second longest win streak at 10. With Utah getting drop kicked by TCU, the Horns moved up into the second slot behind USC’s 24 and one game up on Louisville’s nine.

12. There were 4 overtime games this weekend. TCU-Utah went to overtime with the Toadies claiming the victory 23-20, Michigan State-Notre Dame went to a single overtime with the Spartans coming out on top 44-41 in an Instant Classic, Houston-UTEP went to double overtime as the Miners also prevailed 44-41, and Clemson-Miami went to triple overtime with the Canes winning on the back of RB Kyle Wright, 36-30.

13. What’s up with all the sympathy votes in the Coaches Poll? Vanderbilt received 8, Oklahoma 4, Air Force 1, and Utah 9 while TCU got the goose egg and a team like Iowa State STILL isn’t ranked in the Cockroaches Top 25 (yes, that’s my new name for it, and until it starts making better sense, that’s what I’m calling it).

13. Is it blasphemy to say this: I really admire Mike Price. Sure, he may be a slime ball in his personal life (I really wouldn’t know and don’t personally care to know), but the guy can flat out coach, and you have to admire the way he’s turned UTEP into a rising destination for college football players. Oh yeah, and slamming that pick axe into the turf at the start of each game is pretty cool too.

If I could be anyone from this past week, it’d be…
Anyone on the Michigan State Spartan football team. You guys all but handed the Irish their hat before going AWOL in the 4th quarter and letting them back into the game. THEN, you turned it on again and won the game in overtime. Amazing, simply amazing. Michigan State now holds the distinction of having beaten the Irish a dozen times –no other school can claim so many victories over the Golden Domers. Oh, and no one but Purdue (1954-62) has ever claimed five straight victories in South Bend. Spartans, you’re my new heroes.

Conference Corner
Big10 - The Fallen Three in the Big10 worked out some frustration, pasting their opponents by a combined 128-27. The Spartans upended Charlie Weis in his home opener with the Irish, while Wisconsin knocked off ACC foe North Carolina and Purdue fended off a second straight desert loss, beating Arizona 31-24. The Big10 is still the class of the country, but as the season wears on the title for best all round conference is still up for grabs.

Big12 - The Big12 would have ran the table, but for the lack of a Sooner passing game on Saturday. Don’t look now but the Big12 has eclipsed the Big10 in win percentage (87% to 84%). This week’s head-to-head between Colorado and the Canes should go a long ways to proving or disproving the power of this conference as Iowa State plays Army, Texas Tech plays D-IAA Indiana State, and Texas A&M plays D-IAA Texas State.

PAC10 - I’m really disappointed in the Beavers play against Louisville, especially when the Cardinals looked so apathetic against Kentucky in the opener. USC’s offense is a thing to behold, but the jury is still out on the defense. Why is that UCLA gets ranked by beating a dog of a Sooner team when Oregon, who upset a similarly top 25 ranked team, barely merits an invitation?

SEC - Despite Florida’s win over Tennessee this weekend, the SEC East race remains wide open when you consider Georgia is still in the mix. In the West, don’t forget about Auburn. They seem to have found some synergy and are really kicking now. LSU may think it’s got that division all sown up but the Tide are rolling as well.
About the only thing I do know for sure here is: fan-forwards for Vandy in the Rose Bowl are only $10 a piece right now –just imagine the profit you could make if they actually knocked off LSU in three weeks.

The BEast - Louisville, the conference savior, pasted Oregon State and cracks the Top 10 this week. Meanwhile, the Orange showed dramatic improvement over last year, losing to Virginia on a game ending field goal and West Virginia crushed rival Maryland in College Park. The Yellow Jackets are also a surprise bright spot for the former BEast conference, but at #16 in the nation I think they’re a tad bit over rated.

The Independents - Has anyone else taken the time to notice that Notre Dame is the only independent that has one a game this season? Navy, Army, and Temple are a combined 0-7 and have been outscored 108-299.

Next Week’s Quick Peeks
Next week’s slate of games promises to be even better than this week! Just take a look at some of the hotter action that will be out on that Grid Iron…

Colorado @ Miami, Fla. - Miami has gotten off to a struggle this year, narrowing losing to Florida State and being pushed to triple overtime to finally put away Clemson in Death Valley. This week they return home to face a Colorado Buffalo team that can brilliant one day and sloppy horrid the next. Which Buff team shows will determine how interesting this game is.

Iowa @ Ohio State - The first of mammoth Big10 games gets underway with the Hawkeyes traveling to the Horseshoe. Can OSU do the same thing to Iowa that the Cyclones did a week ago, or will Iowa take a page out of Texas’ book and use their versatile quarterback to run yet another Buckeye day in Columbus?

Purdue @ Minnesota - The Boilermakers get their first conference test this week against Glen Mason and the Golden Gophers. Last week, Purdue’s offense got stuck in neutral and had to rely on its defense to carry the day. Will that same philosophy get it done here against the Gopher’s ground game?

Boston College @ Clemson - How will these teams bounce back? Clemson lost a heartbreaker to Miami while BC did the same to the Seminoles. Tiger fans can at least take heart in that Charlie Whitehurst showed no signs of falling back into last season’s form even with the mighty Hurricane defense swarming in his face.

GA Tech @ Virignia Tech - The Rambling Wreck gets it’s shot at the Hokies #4 ranking this weekend. Will Marcus Vick and the rest of the Hokie O be able to post yet another 45 point scoring day? Will the Hokie-Pokie D be able to take the sting out of the Yellow Jackets –one of the most underrated offenses in the country?

Notre Dame @ Washington - This one’s a powder keg just waiting to explode. The Irish take a trip to visit their old boss in Tyrone Willingham’s Huskies. At the same time, the Irish come into this one on a one game skid while the Huskies actually hunker down to try and put together a two game win streak for their new coach.

Michigan @ Wisconsin - The final Big10 battle of the week is Michigan-Wisconsin. Can the Maize’n’Blue move the ball up and down the field against this Badger defense? Will the Badgers be able to blow out the Wolverines in the trenches and post another near record victory at Camp Randall this season?

Southern California @ Oregon - Oregon always plays SC tough –especially at home. The Ducks are undefeated so far this season and have offense that just might be powerful enough to keep up with the boys from sunny southern Cal.

Tennessee @ LSU - Hot off the big loss to Florida, the Volunteers travel down to Baton Rouge for an emotional home opener for the Bayou Bengals. While the Vols may be good and seething mad after losing their much hyped conference opener in the Swamp, the Tigers will be ready and waiting to vent a state’s worth of frustration on them.

Arizona State @ Oregon State - In a battle of the States, the Beavers get no quarter from the unbelievable offenses that they’ve faced (Boise State, Louisville, and now ASU). Can the Beaver defense hold up –have they learned enough from playing Boise State and the Cardinals to shutdown the Sun Devils? Will the law offices of Keller, Hagan, and Herring tear off another whale of a game, en route to establishing themselves as the nation’s best shot at keeping the Trojans out of the Rose Bowl?

The Week 3 Run Down

2005-09-14T22:54:00.000-05:00

It’s Week 3 SportzFanz and time for another Run Down of what you can expect on the tube this weekend. Now, while many of you may think you deserve a breather after Notre Dame-Michigan, Arizona State-LSU, Iowa-Iowa State, and Texas-Ohio State last week, you’d be dead wrong.

This week we get it all kicked off nice and early Thursday with a probable Mountain West title showdown between Utah and TCU. On Friday, the grid iron follows up with Mike Price and his Miners taking on an under-rated Cougar squad before the full court Saturday press kicks into high gear. On Saturday, we get started with Oregon State-Louisville and then a monster of a mid afternoon schedule with Wanny and the Pitts taking on the Corn Coast Offense, the Sooners ground game taking on the Bruins, and the Tide rolling into SC’s staunch secondary. For dinner, we’ve got the Badgers stealing into North Carolina, the Seminole’s squaring off against Boston College in what should be the pivotal conference game on their schedule, and the SEC-East title being all but laid out on the line when the Volunteers travel down to the Swamp for a meet and greet with Urban Meyer. And finally, in the dessert game this week we’ve got two time defending national champ USC trying to match wits with the team that lost to Vandy last week. With all that action lined up for the week, what more could you possibly ask for from the world of pigskin?

The Week 3 TV Schedule

Sep. 15 Thu. Utah @ TCU 6:30P ESPN/2

Sep. 16 Fri. Houston @ UTEP 7:00P ESPN2

Sep. 17 Sat. Oregon State @ Louisville 11:00A ESPN
Sep. 17 Sat. Eastern Michigan @ Michigan 11:00A ESPN*
Sep. 17 Sat. Virginia @ Syracuse 11:00A ESPN2
Sep. 17 Sat. SMU @ Texas A&M 11:30A FSN
Sep. 17 Sat. Baylor @ Army 2:00P ESPN Cl
Sep. 17 Sat. Miami, Fla. @ Clemson 2:30P ABC*
Sep. 17 Sat. San Diego State @ Ohio State 2:30P ABC*
Sep. 17 Sat. Pittsburgh @ Nebraska 2:30P ABC*
Sep. 17 Sat. Oklahoma @ UCLA 2:30P ABC*
Sep. 17 Sat. Alabama @ South Carolina 2:30P CBS
Sep. 17 Sat. Michigan State @ Notre Dame 2:30P NBC
Sep. 17 Sat. Kentucky @ Indiana 5:45P ESPN Cl
Sep. 17 Sat. Wisconsin @ North Carolina 6:00P ESPN2
Sep. 17 Sat. Fresno State @ Oregon 6:00P TBS
Sep. 17 Sat. Rice @ Texas 6:00P FSN*
Sep. 17 Sat. UCF @ USF 6:00P FSN*
Sep. 17 Sat. Florida State @ Boston College 6:45P ESPN
Sep. 17 Sat. Tennessee @ Florida 7:00P CBS
Sep. 17 Sat. Arkansas @ Southern California 9:15P FSN

*Denotes Regional Action

The Week 3 Run Down

Sep. 15 Thu. Utah @ TCU 6:30P ESPN/2
The Ute’s and Horned Frogs kick off Week 3 on Thursday night. TCU gets this year’s early season Roller Coaster Award, having knocked off the Sooners in week one and then promptly getting tagged by the SMU Mustangs last week. Which TCU team will show up? The one that announced itself as the Mountain West team to beat, or the roadkill that let the Mighty Mustangs steamroll it? While Utah lacks a lot of the star power from last year, they are still the most talented team in the M-West and all indications are that they are beginning to get the hang of life after Urban. Look for TCU to try to atone for last week’s outing with QB Tye Gunn going up against the strength of the Utah defense (It’s secondary). For the Ute’s, RB Quinton Ganther and QB Brian Johnson should have a field day as this offense is too balanced for the Horned Frogs to keep on lock down.
Utah.

Sep. 16 Fri. Houston @ UTEP 7:00P ESPN2
After beating New Mexico State in the opener, UTEP has had two weeks of to prepare for Houston. The Cougars, meanwhile, had a tune up game against Sam Houston State to recover from that Ducky Hangover in week one. While the Cougars definitely have enough weapons in their arsenal (QB Kevin Kolb, WR Marshall and Avery), they will be going up against a Miner squad that registered 8 sacks and -17 yards rushing in week one. Indeed, Mike Price’s squad is already the class of C-USA –and he’s only beginning year two! QB Jordan Palmer headlines a mediocre offense that should be dramatically improved over last year’s squad. Don’t expect the Cougars to be able to contain these Miners.
UTEP.

Sep. 17 Sat. Oregon State @ Louisville 11:00A ESPN
Oregon State rides into Kentucky on a 5 game win streak, including last week’s come-from-behind victory over Boise State. This week they find themselves facing a bigger, faster, meaner, more physically gifted version of the Bronco’s –and they’re away from home. All is not lost however as the Beavers WR Mike Hass is big enough, fast enough, and strong enough (yes, they have the technology) to haul in anything thrown even remotely his way (and QB Matt Moore is more than capable of getting the ball close enough to him). Add to that, Louisville struggling to put away Kentucky in week one and the Beavers have a definite shot at the upset. However, as the Cardinals had a week off to prepare for this one and work on problems in the offense, and seeing as how their run defense is good enough to keep the Ducks one dimensional, I doubt even Mike Hass will be able to save the day.
Cards.

Sep. 17 Sat. Eastern Michigan @ Michigan 11:00A ESPN*
After last week’s debacle in the Big House, Michigan needs to get healthy in a hurry –what better time than to have a directional school come to town? Look for Michigan to be dominant in all phases of the game as they work out their demons from last week’s Irish hangover.
Wolverines.

Sep. 17 Sat. Virginia @ Syracuse 11:00A ESPN2
Syracuse will be ending their home stand against the Cavaliers after blowing out Buffalo last week. So far for the Orange, this season has gone pretty much as everyone expected –solid defense, decent run game, poor passing game. Now it’s time to see if they can kick it up a notch. Virginia opened the season against a directional Michigan school and then promptly took a week off to prepare for the Orange –and they needed it. With the new West Coast Offense, the Orange will look to use a short passing game to set up the run –exactly what the Cavs had problems with in the opener. In order for Virginia to succeed, they’ll have to shut down the passing game and show that they can move the ball against a vastly improved Syracuse defense. This one should be closer than most people think with that Cuse D holding the Cavs in check until the very end.
Virginia.

Sep. 17 Sat. SMU @ Texas A&M 11:30A FSN
Hot off their upset victory over TCU, the Mustang’s travel down to College Station to see if they can come up with another milestone victory. The Aggies, having stewed over that loss to Clemson, will of course have a little something to say about that –and expect them to speak loud and clear with QB Reggie McNeal, RB Courtney Lewis, and that Wrecking Crew defense. In this one, I kind of feel sorry for the Mustangs –going up against a pissed off Aggie team that’s been having to stew and seethe for two weeks is not the kind of play date I’d like to have.
Ags.

Sep. 17 Sat. Baylor @ Army 2:00P ESPN Cl
Yes, it’s true: ESPN Classic does carry live games. Don’t believe me? Well just tune in to the Classic at 2PM and you’ll find Baylor gracing your screen (tell me: when has Baylor ever played in an Instant Classic?). The Bad News Bears have started off their season with some good news for once: two solid victories over SMU and Samford (okay, Samford isn’t too solid, but hey this is Baylor). They’ll look to run that streak up to three with Army this week before dipping into that dreaded bear shredder of a conference slate. Meanwhile, Army rides the nation’s longest home losing streak, but looks to finally put an end to that injustice against the hapless Bears. Unfortunately, Army just always seems to find new and creative ways to lose games at home.
Bears.

Sep. 17 Sat. Miami, Fla. @ Clemson 2:30P ABC*
In what should be the second best game of the weekend in the ACC, Miami travels up 95 for a face off with the Tigers. Clemson has led a charmed life so far this year, scraping past the Aggies with a bagillion field goals and then coming from behind to steal the dubbya against Maryland last week. Charlie Whitehurst has been playing light years better than last year, but the real question for him is if he can keep it up week in/week out. RB James Davis has been taking a lot of the heat off of Whitehurst, but that should all change against the Hurricanes. Miami’s offense may have looked like it was stuck in neutral in week one, but that was against a fantastic Seminole defense –Clemson does not have that good of a D. Look for the Canes to lay the groundwork with RB Tyrone Moss in the early going. After that, expect QB Kyle Wright to start zinging it and going yard.
Canes.

Sep. 17 Sat. San Diego State @ Ohio State 2:30P ABC*
In week one of life after Texas, the Buckeyes host a tune up match against Dick Tomey’s Aztecs. This one should be one of the least competitive games of the weekend and consequently one of the least interesting –unless you’re a Buckeye. Look for Troy Smith to have a coming out party, catching fire and torching San Diego State through the air as well as on the ground.
Buckeyes.

Sep. 17 Sat. Pittsburgh @ Nebraska 2:30P ABC*
This should be one of the best match-ups of the weekend as Wanny and the Pitts take a road trip to Omaha for a showdown against the Happless Huskers’ Corn Coast Offense. The Panthers are just reeling from last week’s stinger at Ohio and have to be wondering if they made the right move bringing in Wannstadt. Look for Pitt to finally buy a clue and open up the offense with QB Tyler Palko –it’s just too much of a travesty if they don’t. Now too would be a great time for the defense to show up as the Bugeaters have done nothing but struggle on offense. This one hinges around the Blackshirts –can they keep it together and manhandle Pitt for 60 minutes while the offense coughs and spits, or will Palko find the seams and make the throws that earned him the attention of NFL scouts everywhere. I’m voting for Wanny –his day has to be coming, right?
Pitt.

Sep. 17 Sat. Oklahoma @ UCLA 2:30P ABC*
Which game we’ll end up getting for the 2:30 time slot is anybody’s guess at this point. I’m certainly hoping it’ll be the Pitt-Husker game, but knowing my luck it’ll be this one. Bomar is again the Sooner QB of choice this week (maybe he’ll throw a pass, maybe he won’t – OU is dead last in the nation in passing by the way) and Adrian Peterson will play but not start for skipping classes during the week (while I agree that doesn’t merit much of a punishment unless he’s skipping the entire semester, I just don’t see how that’s a punishment). Last week, UCLA scorched Rice with 325 yards through the air (to be honest, it would have been a lot more, but UCLA was trying to run the clock in the second half). QB Drew Olson is a kid that is somehow managing to get no love right now in the press –as is also the case for RB Maurice Drew. That will all change after UCLA dismantles OU in a “bottoming out” game for the Sooners.
Bruins.

Sep. 17 Sat. Alabama @ South Carolina 2:30P CBS
The Gamecocks host a rising Tide this week. How easily can they put ‘what might have been’ out of their minds after that near miss Between the Hedges? With Brodie Croyle under center, this Bama team stands a good chance at challenging for the SEC West title. Last week, very few people would have given SC a chance in this one, but the Ole Ball Coach proved these Cocks have a lot of fight in them. If Alabama is going to roll to victory, they’re going to have to do it on the back of RB Ken Darby as the SC secondary is playing more and more like one of the best in the country. The key to this one will be South Carolina’s mood and spirit –oh, and don’t count on them running the ball well in this one either, Bama has a staunch run D. Will the Gamecocks be up for the game or emotionally flat after last week? With them performing far, far better than anyone expected last week, I’m betting on the home crowd to come out in force and get this team fired up –I just hope it’s enough to get them through the 4th quarter.
Gamecocks.

Sep. 17 Sat. Michigan State @ Notre Dame 2:30P NBC
First it was shell shocking Pitt to pieces, then it was breaking up the Maize’n’Blue in the Big House. Now the Irish Wonderland Whirlwind heads home to South Bend and for a slugfest with the Spartans. While ND proved that the Pitt game was no fluke, they also exposed just how suspect the Michigan defense really is (and thus, that they still may not be all that and a side of Pasadena). If they can post a convincing win here, all questions about the Irish return to prominence will be immediately silenced. Drew Stanton and Company are one of the most dangerous offenses in the country (#2 in total offense). If the Golden Domers keep him under wraps, then this one should be an easy game. If not, Brady Quinn should still be able to notch the dubbya in a shoot out as the Spartans field one of the weakest secondaries in the country. Of course if history is any indicator, the Irish will play the exact opposite of what I say…
Fighting Irish.

Sep. 17 Sat. Wisconsin @ North Carolina 6:00P ESPN2
The Badgers O gets their first test of the season against the Tar Heels (Bowling Green and Temple do not a test make). Can they keep the good times rolling away from home and against a defense with a heart beat? My answer is yes –just don’t expect them to be as explosive. RB Brian Calhoun is the real deal as are all those hogs on the offensive line. They should own the field as the game wears on, taking the pressure off John Stocco and freeing Wisconsin to be two dimensional (Note: if the game comes down to Stocco making plays, the Badgers will not win). While the Tar Heels offense is none too shabby either, the key here will be the play of the offensive line –they have to keep the Badgers out of the backfield. This one will be decided in the second half when North Carolina’s big boys start sucking wind –can they dig deep enough to keep the Badgers offense off the field?
Badgers.

Sep. 17 Sat. Fresno State @ Oregon 6:00P TBS
QB Kellen Clemens is quietly making a name for himself after leading his Ducks to victories in the opening two weeks of the season. The Ducks installed a spread offense in the off season and with Clemens at the helm, it is really starting to take off. Of concern however, is the run game –it just hasn’t found a steady back to sled with the rock. Speaking of ground games, for Fresno State to stand any chance in this one they will have to get their sled dogs mushing. And while they may have an experienced line up front doing the blocking, the strength of this Oregon team is it’s defensive line, and that Ducky-D should prove more than a match for the Bulldogs down the stretch, especially at home in Autzen Stadium.
Ducks.

Sep. 17 Sat. Rice @ Texas 6:00P FSN*
Texas gets a breather in Rice before starting their conference slate. If this were an ‘old’ Texas team, I’d say this one would be closer than everyone thinks; however, this isn’t the same ole’ Longhorn team that we’ve all gotten used to –and it’s a night game at Memorial Stadium (a wonderful homecoming of sorts for the Boys who Beat the Buckeyes).
Longhorns.

Sep. 17 Sat. Florida State @ Boston College 6:45P ESPN
The Seminoles dusted Citadel last week, putting their offensive house in order; meanwhile, the Golden Eagles cake walked through their game against Army. BC has started off 2-0 this season and is looking to challenge Virginia Tech for the conference title on October 27th if they can get past these Seminoles. FSU, after nudging past Miami in week one, is in the driver’s seat in the ACC and doesn’t face Virginia Tech at all. If they can get the dubbya up in Chestnut Hill this weekend, the Seminoles should be on near cruise control until the season finale with the Gators. Running backs Lorenzo Booker and Leon Washington (Thunder and Lightning) lead the FSU attack against one of the stingiest defenses in the country (they’ve only given up one touchdown thus far in the season). Can they make their way into the endzone against the Eagles? On the other side of the ball, the Seminoles defense, so masterful against Miami, will have to contend with a fantastic young quarterback in Quinton Porter as well as a host of offense weaponry led by RB Brian Toal and WR Will Blackmon. Will they be as dominating? Yes, but this one’s at home for the Eagles and magic just seems to happen to BC up there.
Boston College.

Sep. 17 Sat. Tennessee @ Florida 7:00P CBS
While the Volunteer’s no longer froth at the mouth so rabidly when they think of Florida, I can’t help but wonder if their hatred for all things Visor will soon be replaced with all things Meyer. Urban Meyer gets his first taste of the truly big time in this one (he has never faced a team ranked higher than 19th), and will get to see if Chris Leak and his spread offense can really match-up against the NFL speed of the Volunteer defense. While the depth chart is heavily tilted in favor of the Vols, I just can’t get two things out of my head: that 17-10 4th quarter victory over UAB and the quarterback derby going on up in Knoxville. For those reasons, I’ve got to take the home team down in the Swamp.
Gators.

Sep. 17 Sat. Arkansas @ Southern California 9:15P FSN
USC lives a charmed life. They scheduled a non-patsy this year in Arkansas, but as luck would have it this year’s non-patsy turns out to be nothing but a big ole patsy in disguise! Last week, at home no less, the Razorbacks were tripped up by Vanderbilt –yes Vanderbilt. Now they travel out to sunny Southern California for a paycheck game against the Trojans. Okay, so maybe it isn’t that bad –and maybe we will find out something useful from this game like, can the Trojans Defense handle the nation’s number one ranked rushing attack? Yeah, yeah, rankings like that are kinda meaningless at this point in the season but the key here is that Arkansas CAN run the ball and run it very well. If the Trojans have trouble shutting it down, then the chinks in the armor that is their three-peat season will have officially begun.
Trojans.

The Week 2 Wrap Up

2005-09-11T13:20:00.000-05:00

Welcome back SportzFanz to our Week 2 Wrap Up of all thing Collge Pigskin.

What This Week Will Be Remembered For
The week the Big10 was found out. All three of the Big10’s Top 10 were upended this weekend: #3 Michigan to Notre Dame, #4 Ohio State to Texas, and #8 Iowa to Iowa State. Which was the most impressive upset? Which was the most damaging? Irregardless of those answers, the bright side for the Big10 is that with all three teams losing this weekend, the race for the conference crown is as wide open as ever. And with ASU formally announcing its presence at the college football big boy table, an undefeated USC is no longer a foregone conclusion (meaning: pigskin fans should feel free to pine away for a Texas-OSU re-match in the Coliseum come January).

While Michigan hung tough and squandered more than its fair share of chances to win on Saturday, there can be no doubt that they were indeed most undeserving of the #3-team-in-the-land label. Notre Dame largely moved the ball at will and provided more than enough stops to prove just how underrated the Irish were in the preseason (Pitt’s loss to Ohio not withstanding). For Ohio State, if any of a dozen plays had gone down differently, they would have walked away with the victory (although I’d argue the same is true for Texas on the other side of the ball –and isn’t that what makes an Instant Classic anyway?). The Buckeye’s are to be congratulated for their play Saturday night and despite the loss now have to be considered front runners for the Big10 title. Over in Ames, Iowa is the Big10 with the most egg on their face as they got pummeled, prodded, pushed, and pulled by an Iowa State squad that nobody thought could that for a full 60 minutes. And yes, maybe things would have been a little different if Tate hadn’t gone down to injury, but the outcome would have been the same my Hawkeye friends: those Cyclones mauled you much as the final score indicates. Maybe, just maybe, I was right in withholding my congratulations for that Ball State game last week.

Today’s Topic
New coaches and their offense. ND head coach Charlie Weiss takes over the reigns, installs a new offense, and works with his players one on one –even calling the plays during the game. Result: The Irish have an explosive offense from day one. Pitt’s new head coach Dave Wanndstedt takes over and installs a power run game, ignoring the fact that Walt Harris had carefully put together a team designed to run the West Coast Offense. To make matters worse he hires in an offensive coordinator and then promptly leaves the OC to figure it out. Result: Pitt struggles mightily to produce anything on offense and Tyler Palko suddenly looks like someone never destined to play a down in the NFL instead of first day draft pick. New Oklahoma State head coach Mike Van Gundy takes over the team and installs a Spread Offensive. He was the offensive coordinator last year, but hires in a new guy to run it. He doesn’t get involved with the offense and leaves them to ‘make it work’. Result: the Cowboy offense struggles mightily out of the gate against teams they ought to be hanging 500 yards of offense on. Ohio University head coach Frank Solich installs a balanced power run game. He works one on one with the offense and is involved in making the play calls. Result: Ohio is having more success on offense than at any time in the past 10 years –heck, they even beat Wanny and the Pitts this weekend.

So what’s the theme here? Head coaches may have a ton of things to do and keep track, and yes their job more CEO like than in your face coaching, but when you’re new to the program or your team is struggling (especially when your team is struggling) it’s up to you to get in there and get your hands dirty. If you don’t, you’re team is only going to suffer and you’re going to soon be out of a job, just wait and see.

Today’s Topic Part II
The Texas-Ohio State game could be talked about, discussed, and dissected into an encyclopedia probably even larger than ESPN’s vaunted College Football Encyclopedia, but there is one topic in particular that I would like to address with respect to this game: play calling. I think the Texas game calling was atrocious. I think the Ohio State play calling was suspect as well, but I’m not as familiar with the Buckeye’s so I can’t be that critical. Don’t get me wrong though, this was one of the toughest, hardest fought games I’ve ever seen played. It was a masterpiece. Despite that, I still think there was a glaring how in both coaches play book.

Texas: Where were the running backs? Where was the power run game? Was this a game for the Texas Longhorns as a team, or a personal vendetta to elevate Vince Young and prove that the coaches could win a big game? Texas’ bread and butter has always been the ground game, and no offense to Mr. Young but you’re bread and butter is your ground game as well. Did you line up directly under center even once after the first quarter?

Ohio State: Where was Ted Ginn Jr? Okay, you got Santonio Holmes in the game, but where was the ludicrous speed? Is Texas really just as fast? Well, maybe on a whole, but there’s no mistaking Ted Ginn speed –or so I’ve heard. Unfortunately, he didn’t get anywhere near enough touches for me to find out. And okay, so maybe Texas bracketed him and kept him tied up all night long, but you know what? When the chips are down, you’ve got to find a way to get the ball to your best player (remember the Rose Bowl? The Texas Defense knew Braylon Edwards was going to get the ball, they tried to stop them, but Michigan still found a way to get it to him). If Tressle had managed to get Ginn more involved, maybe the game would have been different, maybe it wouldn’t have. Who knows, but at least we would have been able to see what Ted ‘I’m gonna Ginn Ya’ Jr. could’ve brought to the table.

Now back to Texas: Once Texas’ Selvin Young fumbled the ball, that was it for the Texas ground game (to be honest, that has always been the knock on Selvin –why should it be a surprise to happen here?). Jamaal Charles and Big Henry Melton could have had a huge impact on this game. Don’t think so? Consider this: Texas has probably the best offensive line in the country. If they ran the ball effectively (which they largely did when they tried to), AJ and the Bucks would have had to spend more time bird dogging the worm burners and that one would’ve let Young get free more. And what is the best way to stop an almighty linebacking crew anyhow? Answer: smashmouth. You run right at them with your 300 pounders, which is exactly what Wisconsin has done so successfully against Ohio State in the past.

Now yes, it was a marvelous game. Yes, it was an Instant Classic. Yes, it lived up to the hype. And, yes the play out on the field rivals very few games in the last decade, but I can’t help but feel just the slight bit cheated because neither of these team’s really tried to, as one old sage once put it, dance with the one who brung ya.

The MXC Instant Impact Quotes of the Week Are:
Okay, this column is just going to be almost entirely devoted to Dave Pasch, Rod Gilmore, and Trever Match –you guys kept’em rolling so fast and furious I really couldn’t even keep up:

“When you’re coming down as a gunner, just relax.” --Yeah, and you know what else? I’m sure that poor hapless return man is probably thinking the same thing!

“Dave Wannestedt is one of those tough Western PA guys. Tough football players. High school football tough in that area. Tough in Western PA. Tough in Ohio. Tough in the area.” Mmm, yeah, but there’s still something I’m a little fuzzy on –who’s tough?

“Look at that crowd –they’re having a great time.” --this statement was necessary because, what, we’re all extremely shocked by that?

“Well, I’m looking out at this crowd right now with all their thunder sticks.” –yeah, but wouldn’t it be a whole lot more interesting if they all had their Boomsticks instead?

“And a trick handoff on that one.” Ohio catching Pitt offsides. –yeah, its called ‘the nose guard just flattened me so I hiked it'.

“Solich doesn’t just stand there like a lot of coaches.” Discussing Frank Solich’s coaching style on the sidelines. –Yeah, I have to agree with you, it’s the ones that get out that Lazy Boy that you have to watch out for.

“The head coach dove on the ball in the middle of practice –I mean, the head coach. The Head Coach just dove on the ball and the players just cheered.” Discussing, again, Frank Solich’s coaching style, but this time in practice.

“What a big weekend for Ohio football. You’ve got this game tonight, big high school fooball tonight, and oh, by the way, Ohio State tomorrow night.” –Yeah, I know what you mean, I wish they played high school football everywhere. Oh wait…

Whew, see, I told ya that ESPN crew was on fire that night. Well, here’s some action from the rest of the sports casting universe:

"I don't like you guys anymore. I don't know how else to say it.” Joe Paterno, informing the media that he no longer likes them. That’s okay Joe, I’m sure they feel the same way about you.

"The Michigan State coaches asked the Kent State coaches not to send it to us because we wouldn't send them ours. I have no idea why they would lie to them. It's kind of a bad deal.” Hawaii head coach June Jones on why Michigan State and Hawaii were withholding videotape of each others team. Kent State officials did not immediately return phone calls seeking comment.

“Well, 9 possessions: 7 punts and 2 kicks by Tyler Palko” –okay, I don’t even know where to begin making fun of this statement.

“Player, Player, Playa!” on Tulsa WR Mills’ sliding catch in the second half against OU. This was quickly followed up with, “p-l-a-y-a or p-l-a-y-e-r whichever you are –playa!”

“Quiet Frank-ly, Solich is all you need.” Reece Davis in the studio to begin the half time show. –I can only imagine how many years you’ve been waiting to say that.

“How do you get a job on the chain gain? That’s what I wanna know.” Tirico and Brant at the tail end of the Iowa-Iowa State game. – You know, that’s not a bad idea there fellas.

“It’s the toughest schedule in the nation –tough wise.” Bob Griese, trying to convince everyone how tough Notre Dame’s schedule is.

”I’ve never seen anything like that.” Brent Musberger, deadpanned about Romance Taylor’s near safety during a kick off return to the Texas 40. Me neither Brent, and I hope to god never to see anything like it again.

"Our goal is when Vince Young leaves here, he won't be a candidate for the Heisman." OSU LB Bobby Carpenter. That’s a good goal, and I admire you for being blunt about it. Unfortunately for you, that didn’t happen as Young won the game using the one asset nobody has seemingly liked: his arm.

"It's a good thing Elvis was in the house," Louisville Head Coach Bobby Petrino, last week when talking about DE Elvis Dumervil’s SEC record 6 sacks in one game. Yeah, I know, this one’s a week late, but hey the Cards had the off week and I missed it, okay?

This week’s Super-Stud Awards go to…
For those weekend warriors who leave it all out on the turf, we salute you:
1. The Fiesta Bowl, Arizona State, and everyone who attended the game at Sun Devil Stadium. Congrats on a job well done. All of the proceeds from the game go straight to helping with relief efforts and the Fiesta Bowl picked up the tab for LSU’s hotel, bus, meals, etc. while they were away from Baton Rouge.
2. Sam Keller, QB Arizona State – 35 of 56 passing for 461 yards and 4 touchdowns for Sam I Am out in the desert dessert game against the Bayou Bengals.
3. Cody Hodges, QB Texas Tech – 29 of 37 passing for 454 yards and 4 touchdowns. Ah, yes, it’s good to know the Texas Air Raid is in dangerous hands once again. Oh, and Cody added 44 yards rushing to his total to bring him dangerously close to half a THOUSAND total yards in just one game!
4. Omar Jacobs, QB Bowling Green – How do you follow up a 458 yard career passing day at Camp Randall? Why, with another 400+ yard career passing day of course! This time Ohmygosh Jacobs threw for 428 yards and 5 touchdowns, giving him a grand total of 886 yards and 10 touchdowns on 57 of 94 attempts.
5. Adrian Peterson, RB Oklahoma – Well Hellllllooooooooo Mr. Peterson. I’m so glad that you could join us this season. AP was bottled up for the first half against stalwart Tulsa, but exploded out of the box in the second half, ripping, gouging, and running over Golden Hurricanes to the tune of 220 yards on 32 carries and the most memorable touchdown run of this young season.
6. Garrett Wolfe, RB NIU – The main sled dog in the Huskies stable bulldozed the Northwestern Wildcats for 248 yards on 34 carries in a losing effort. It’s not your fault they give the rock to you on every play in the second half.
7. Hank Baskett, WR New Mexico – 209 yards receiving and 3 touchdowns on just 10 catches as the Lobo’s upset Missouri.
8. Dion Byrum, DB Ohio University – You just about single handedly nailed the coffin closed on Wanny and the Pitts. 2 picks for 123 yards and 2 touchdowns, including that 85 yarder at the end of the game to ice it –well done my friend, well done indeed.
9. Vince Young, QB Texas – Why don’t you play like that last drive all game long? Without using his feet, Young beat Ohio State going 18 of 29 through the air for 270 yards, 2 touchs, and 2 picks. The game breaker: that touchdown strike to Limas Sweed with just over two minutes left in the game.
10. The Ohio State Linebackers -- A marvelous job guys, really just marvelous. It took you only 2 drives to figure out the Texas ground gameplan and hold it in check for the remainder of the game. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a more solid linebacking crew in all of football.
11. Charlie Whitehurst, QB Clemson – What a difference a year makes. Charlie throws 18 of 22 for 2 touchdowns, leading his team to a late come from behind victory over the Terps.
12. The Tulsa lineman who de-cleated Adrian Peterson and promptly tossed his shoe twenty yards behind the line of scrimmage so he’d have to sit out a play. Yeah, that doesn’t take skill per sey, but I still like’d it.
13. The Iowa State Cyclones -- Nice job school the bigger, badder school in the state. The Cyclones took home the CyHawk trophy for the first time in two years. Congrats guys, but I guarantee Iowa is already making plans for next year’s game.

And the ‘Bench Em’ awards go to…
Our weekly awards for the worst performances, bone-headed play calls, or anything else that smacks of ridiculousness or stupidity:

1. The South Carolina ground game – 43 yards on 23 carries against the Bulldogs. That puts you 111th in the nation on the ground at 37.5 yards/game. The Cock-N-Fire offense will never reach its potential without a viable ground attack.
2. Dave Wannstedt, Pittsburgh - Do you realize that Wanny is 1-10 in his last 11 games? And do you also realize that the common thread throughout all of those games was an anemic offense that Wanny refused to get himself personally involved with?
3. Tyler Palko, QB Pittsburgh - Palko gets just 1 completion and 2 picks in the first half. They finally turned him loose at the end of the game, but by then it was too little, too late. How pissed do you think he is that Walt Harris left?
4. Carlos Allsop, RB Kansas State – You dropped the most wide open pass I have EVER seen –and it was right to you! Ah, maybe he just wasn’t awake yet –it was before 10AM and lord knows I didn’t feel ‘awake’ yet.

Random Hits and Misses
Somewhere between Thursday night and Sunday morning, my mind went all fuzzy and the eagerness that I once had for the start of the football season gave way to the sincere concern that I will gain 50 pounds simply because some braniac decided to put college football on nationally televised TV at least 4 days out of the week. Even the dogs abandoned me somewhere around Saturday afternoon. Oh well, at least I’ll have my own thoughts and voices to keep me company ….that’s a bad sign, isn’t it?

1. Is there any real purpose to the ‘Friday Night Debate’ on ESPN other than to try and kill dead air time? This week’s topic: Does marketing the head coach interfere with the football team or academics? This has to be one of the stupidest things commentators have argued about since the Great Brat Incident between Trev Alberts and Mark Mayes at Camp Randall last season. Student athlete exploitation, arms races, academic missions!?!? What in the hell are you talking about! What does any of that have to do with putting your coaches mug on the back of a Pepsi truck to raise a few bucks to fund some athletics program initiative instead of raiding the university’s coffer?

2. Once upon a time, I used to pine away for the days that I would be able to answer the Aflac trivia question. Now, it really only saddens me when I know the answer because I’ve come to realize that knowing the answer simply means you’re getting to damn old.

3. Note to sports announcers everywhere –the word ‘trickeration’ never need to be used again, especially by ESPN2 announcers.

4. What, does she have warts on her face or something? They haven’t shown Stacy Daley–Schuman on the sidelines at all –you just get to hear her voice. Hmmm.

5. Okay, enough already. We get it. Frank Solich was fired from Nebraska despite going 9-3. Frank is stilled pissed about it and, yes, Nebraska was wrong to do it, but you know what? I’m starting to get a little pissed myself with it coming up every five minutes whenever someone mentions Frank Solich’s name.

6. On Friday I thought, maybe Pitt isn’t that good and maybe, just maybe Notre Dame isn’t that good either. On Saturday I realized: Pitt isn’t that good but Notre Dame is.

7. I think Wannestadt made a huge mistake in tinkering with this offense and trying to install a power running game. His personnel are west coast offense –and they’re damn good at it. Just look at poor Palko: a 1 completion and 2 interceptions in the first half kind of Q he is not!

8. Why did the Duece waste 5 minutes of my life talking about Solich’s mug on the back of a Pepsi truck, then show the Pepsi truck driving down the street, stopping at a stop sign, turning left and driving past them, bungling the camera shot so badly that you couldn’t even see his picture while the truck literally ‘creeped’ away from the cameraman?

9. Breakfast games –bad idea. If I wasn’t awake enough to watch the 9:30 AM kickoff of Kansas State-Marshall, how could the players have been awake enough to play it? Maybe that explains the extremely sloppy first half. Bottom Line: football anytime is not correct. Football anytime after 11 is. I mean, really, a guy has to rest some time.

10. Why do sports casters such as the Game Day crew feel the need to where suits? There ought to be a rule about this kind of thing –if you’re in the studio, wear a suit. If you’re in the booth, a shirt and tie are good –sports jacket optional. If you’re on Game Day, sitting in front of 10,000 screaming, rabid fans you don’t need to wear a suit, much less a pimp daddy suit. Can’t someone out there come up with a clothing scheme for this type of event? …I can already see the commercials already: “Don’t get left behind, be the envy of your friends and family, buy your official ESPN College Game Day Gear now”.

11. Okay, I hate Nick and Jessica. They’re so whiny and annoying I honestly don’t understand why anyone gives a hoot about them. The least ESPN could’ve done is recognize their audience and put Jessica on there in a bikini trying to take part in the huddle –at least then I could just hit the mute button instead of the on/off one.

12. Add this to the list of things that scares me: Bob Davie knowing that South Carolina QB Brian Mitchell took a class entitled ‘Public Speaking.’ You wanna know what scares me more? Davie knew he got a B+ in it.

13. ESPN Classic carries ‘live’ games. Who knew? Certainly not me. Yeah, yeah sure they carried that ‘live’ statement at the top of the picture and the TV Guide said the game they were showing was live, but I still didn’t buy it until someone in the studio showed a clip from the game. Of course, my first clue should have been that it’s ESPN Classic and they were showing a Boston College-Army game.

14. Can someone explain to me why dumbasses in the stands at Oklahoma are dressed up in superhero costumes? Yes I know, Sooner Nation thinks Adrian Peterson is Superman, but does that mean people have to go buy superhero costumes and wear them to the game? Ok, statement withdrawn, I remember being in college too.

15. This just in, Oklahoma has decided to replace their quarterback with a new position, officially entitled ‘ball hander-offer’. Hey, I got an idea: why not just snap the ball directly to AP and use the extra body as a down blocker?

16. Ok, the whole instant replay thing is starting to wear a little on me. Yeah, sure, it made the difference in getting the call right and helped to preserve the Irish win (cring) but there were also a couple of times when they took away almost 10 minutes of my life for no good reason –and don’t think I didn’t notice how both the last Texas touchdown and Buckeye turnover got copious amounts of review but Big Henry’s Dash for the Big House didn’t merit so much as a batted eye.

17. I think more games like Ohio State-Texas should occur in September, I just shouldn’t watch them. Why? The games are masterpieces, but I don’t think my family life could survive the constant ups and downs of a game like that on a weekly basis.

If I could be anyone from this past week, it’d be…
Vince Young. How could you have wanted to be anyone other than him this week? You go into the ‘Shoe, at night, against the fourth ranked team in the land, fight tooth and nail for 60 solid minutes, make the game winning drive, and party all night long because you’ve just dealt one of the nation’s best programs their first ever home loss at night! Yeah, dancing sugar plums got nothing on VY’s sweet dreams that night.

Conference Corner
Big10
Last week it looked like the national title race was between USC and the Big10. This week, all three of the Big’uns (Iowa, Ohio State, and Michigan) lose. This is very disappointing indeed for the league, but take heart: Wisconsin hung 65 points on Temple at home (now, that was not a miss print, the Badgers actually scored 65 points), Purdue was much more impressive in their opening 49-24 victory than the score indicates, and Minnesota is now looking every bit a conference contender. Still the class of the country this conference is, even if it has two black eyes (Michigan and Ohio State) and a bloody nose (Iowa).

Big12
And the south shall rise again! After last week’s troubling start for the South Division, Texas came through with the headliner came while Oklahoma’s AP finally got ticked off and started sledding like a mad possessed, and the Texas Air Raid took to the skies with an impressive near 500 yard day performance. The North Division came through as well with a solid squashing of the Hawkeyes up in Ames. Trouble remains for the North however as Nebraska wasn’t able to get a thing going offensively for the second straight week, Mizzou lost to New Mexico, and K-State struggled mightily against a downed Herd.

PAC10
The PAC10 only got stronger this week as the Sun Devils torched LSU all day long despite losing the game (these boys are only going to get better as the season progresses) and Oregon State survived Boise State. The real surprise of the week though belongs to California. Joe Ayoob shook off a first pass pick on Saturday and led the Golden Bears to the promised land, putting up the most points ever (56) against the Huskies in their own home. USC, be forewarned, your conference slate isn’t the cupcake that it’s been the last couple of years.

SEC
What in the world has happened in the SEC East? Ok, it’s only week two but when was he last time Vandy sat atop the standings in the East? Well, I’ll not get too excited as 3 top 10 teams sit right there with them. After last week’s shaky start, the SEC poured it on in Week 2 with Georgia defending the Hedges against the Cocks, Florida pasting another team, Auburn dominating a game like they should be, and LSU getting out of the starting blocks.

Of Trophy Games
This week we had Iowa-Iowa State with the CyHawk.
We also had Notre Dame-Michigan with the

Next Week’s Quick Peeks
Next week’s slate of games promises to be even better than this week! Just take a look at some of the hotter action that will be out on that Grid Iron…

Utah @ TCU – It’s a Mountain West show down as incumbent Utah travels down to the Cotton Bowl to say hello to the newcomers. This one revolves around with Toads show up: the TCU squad that manhandled OU in Norman or the TCU squad that got manhandled by SMU.

Oregon State @ Louisville – This one could be delicious. The Beavers battled back to defeat Boise State last week and now get a crack and a bigger, faster, more athletic version of the same thing. The key in this one will if the Beavers can keep up with the Cardinals on offense.

Florida State @ Boston College – Are the Eagles for real? Can the FSU offense move the ball against a defense with a pulse? This one should be a helluva fight as BC is most definitely for real, but so is that fantastic Seminole Defense.

Miami @ Clemson – Is Clemson for real? Can Miami exorcize the demons from the Seminole game and take the fight straight to these Tigers?

Pittsburgh @ Nebraska – Wanny and the Pitts travel to Omaho for a tussle with the Hapless Husker O. Nebraska absolutely has to get that O figured out as they’ll begin their conference slate the following week. For Wanny, a win here is a must as another loss and the cat calls for his dismissal won’t be easily ignored.

Oklahoma @ UCLA - With UCLA pasting Rice over the weekend, the question becomes what can OU do against the Bruins? Yes, to be certain, Rice is no juggernaut, but neither are TCU or Tulsa and we know how well OU did with those teams. The Sooners have to get production out of the quarterback, otherwise this one could get ugly.

Alabama @ South Carolina - How will the Gamecocks respond after that close loss to the Dawgs in Athens? Will the Visor have a special reception waiting for Brodie Croyle and the Tide who struggled to get past Southern Miss? We’ll have to wait until Saturday to see, but remember this: the Cocks have a Rockin’ secondary.

Michigan State @ Notre Dame - Will the luck of the Irish hold true for their home opener or will Drew Stanton and the Spartans steal one in South Bend? ND played masterfully against Michigan and Pitt two weeks –definitely light years ahead of where everyone thought they’d be at this point. However, MSU presents a difficult match up for the Irish with such a mobile quarterback threat in Stanton and a versatile defense that is arguably better than the Wolverines.

UConn @ GA Tech - The Huskies have outscored their opponents 97-0 so far this year (okay so that was against Buffalo and D2A Liberty). The Yellow Jackets survived their home opener against the Tar Heels. Will the Jackets’ Calvin Johnson finally have a huge day against the Husky D or will Terry Caulley and the nation’s #2 ground attack keep the Jacket offense off the field long enough to preserve the win?

Wisconsin @ North Carolina - The Badgers new found offense gets its first serious test of the year against the Tar Heels. Can North Carolina contain an offense that piled up 51 first half points last year? Can North Carolina move the ball against a defense that gave up just 7 yards in 56 minutes of play last week? The answer is yes, but will it be enough to get that elusive dubbya?

Tennessee @ Florida - In theSEC matchup of the week, #6 Tennessee squares shoulders with #10 Florida. This game will revolve around one position and one position only: the quarterback. Is Chris Leak truly ready? Can Tennessee find the consistency and talent at quarterback that they’ve been searching for these past two seasons?

The Week 1 Wrap Up

2005-09-05T15:46:00.000-05:00

Whew, what a week it was in college football! OU falling, A&M faltering, Boise State's Zebranksy self destructing in the worst individual performance I've seen in many a year, and much, much more. Yes indeed, it's good to have grid iron back.

Now, one more note before we get to it: This column has been picked up by football.com! It's a small step, but here's hoping it's just the first of many. The first column should be posted by Wednesday Evening --look for it under the 'ncaa'->'columns' section. It will be entitled Between the Hashes (at least initially). And so, without any further ado, here's your Week 1 Run Down:

What This Week Will Be Remembered For
Hurricane Katrina and those horrific images on all the news channels. As much as we’d like to remember something different from this, the first weekend of college grid iron action, it would be completely irresponsible for us to do anything but. And as such, here is a repeat of the message you’ve been seeing all week: If you haven’t already, pick up the phone and call 1-800-HELP-NOW to donate to the American Red Cross. Heck, pick up the phone and donate to an organization of your own choosing, it doesn’t really matter –the point is just get off the sidelines, make a difference, and get in the game.

And please, don’t just make this a one time donation –make it a monthly habit, at least for the foreseeable future. This disaster is going to be with us for the long haul, so don’t make the mistake of thinking in terms of just a single donation. These people’s lives are in ruins and will be in ruins for many, many months to come, and they need our help to get them back on track. If we, as a country and a people, can’t each come together to help out our own at a time like this, then what is the point of all that we have and all that we hold dear?

Today’s Topic – A Tale of Two Studs
Ok, so this is ‘old’ news, but I still find it irresistible to mention here as I’ve been stewing over this for a long while: Mo, otherwise known as Maurice Clarett (you know, the super-stud freshman at Ohio State that had a chance to win national titles, Heismann trophies, and untold millions as a professional) washed out at Bronco training camp. Early on in camp, Mo sustained a groin injury and subsequently spent more time riding the bench than the team bus. And so it came as literally no surprise last week when Head Coach Mike Shananon finally lowered the boom on Clarett. The main reason for his dismissal? His inability to get out on the field, show up for rehab, and his lack of interest in learning the Bronco playbook and talking to the staff about how to maximize his chances with the club. In short: a total lack of interest in being a team player. It’s a shame, really, that Mo has done nothing more than throw away his golden talent since stalking off the ‘Shoe. Whether its whining about illegal gifts during his ‘playing days,’ refusing to workout for teams or running slug slow at the combine, Mo hasn’t been able to cut it after dealing with a little bit of adversity. So I ask, can anyone truly say they’re sorry to see Mo go?

Now opposite him but not without his own adversity, you’ve got Bears’ Rookie QB Kyle Orton. In the first half of his senior season at Purdue, he lit the college football world on fire going 119 of 172 for 1,642 yards, and 18 touchdowns. It was at that point that his body started breaking down as the first of two hip pointers began bothering him (the first pointer was sustained during that grueling Badger-Boilermaker classic). From that point on in the season, he simply wasn’t the same. His injuries seriously hurt not just the success of his team, but his draft status as well (sending him all the way down to the 4th round where the Bears stole a playmaker). Now, in his first season playing with the big boys, Orton has shaken off the adversity and disappointment of his senior season, rehabbed his body, honed his skills and held open practices with any team willing to look his direction. In the end, he was rewarded for his efforts with a selection by the Bears and has now worked his way into the starting slot for the Bears. True, he didn’t have much competition to deal with at Chicago, but the point is this: he’s a hard worker that won’t quit, knows what it takes to succeed, and has now been rewarded for it. Much the antithesis of Mr. Clarett, who sadly is unlikely to ever play a down in the NFL.

The MXC Instant Impact Quotes of the Week Are:
Has it ever bothered you that sports commentators are paid a lot of good money to sit up in an air conditioned booth and blabber on about seemingly unrelated events to the game or banter back and forth about something obviously only important to them? Well, me to, and so each week we’ll bring you a catalogue of Quotes from the weekend’s games, just to highlight a problem that is systemic across the nation:

1. Craig James, always looking for Sean to keep him in line:
“You’ve got that family member that went to Harvard so I can always use you to check in with that grammar.”

2. Craig James and Sean McDonough for their stunning repartee about why they didn’t go to Harvard University:
“They had that little sticking point called academic standards.”
“You mean S-A-T qualifications?”
“Yeah, those.”
“We could have combined yours and mine to get in.”
“We still wouldn’t’ve gotten in.” ---Ah, right you are, Sean!

Oh, and by the way, thank you Sean for not stooping down to James’ level with the whole P-E-C-A-N pronunciation conversation –you literally saved me from turning off the tube and forgetting about football for the day.

3. The referee during the Oregon-Houston game
“Block in the back, #48 on the white team.” –Okay, so you can take the time to notice the jersey number but not the team name?

4. Mark Jones, covering the Bowling Green-Wisconsin game, after a nifty touchdown run by Badger stud Booker Stanley:
“You better talk to the hand, because my feet aren't listening.”

5. Charles Davis, talking about the Rams’ Josh Day:
“This may be the best offensive lineman that gets overlooked in terms of recognition.” ---Yeah, and you may be the best commentator that gets overlooked in terms of being um, well, good.

6. Mark Jones, reaching out to all of humanity for just a little bit of kindness:
“No matter the state, no matter the color, we’re all members of the human race.” –I think you’re right, but sometimes you say things that make me wonder about that. Things like… “As long as you look back, you can use your body parts as hands all you want.”

7. Mark Jones, again!, discussing the Badger Offense:
“That offensive line is working with glacial like deliverance.” --- so that would be good right? Like glacial good?

8. Mark Jones, again! -he’s a one man wonder this week:
“I’m still trying to figure out what arduous means –that was a slobber-knocker, just a real slobber-knocker …a SLOBBER-KNOCKER!”

9. Joel Lapham, discussing (I suppose) who Texas RB Jamal Charles reminds him of:
“He saw the backside collapse and he just cut it back and he was Ghandi!”

10. Joel Lapham, explaining why Texas Kicker Richmond McGee missed 3 of his 4 career PATs:
“He’s got First-tee-itis” ---Okay, that one’s an oldie, but so is Joel.

As for the commercials this week, I’d have to say the best one is a toss up between Mike’s Hard Lemonade at the Salt Lick Steak House in Austin and Hummer’s Mamma, Pappa, and Baby Bears. The Hummer ‘mercial saturated the market and was superbly done, the Mike’s one really isn’t all that impressive if you haven’t spent time up at the ole’ Salt Lick before.

This week’s Super-Stud Awards go to:
For those weekend warriors who leave it all out on the turf, we salute you:

1. The TCU Defense –They held Adrian Peterson to just 63 yards on 22 carries –if you take out his 6 carries for 43 yards on their first drive in the second half, that leaves him with just 20 yards on 16 carries! Sure, it’s cause they stacked 8 in the box since the Sooner Pass Attack couldn’t hurt a fly, but this is still a remarkable accomplishment by the Horny Toads.

2. Oh heck, the entire TCU Horned Frog Team – The Toadies not only came ready to play, but they took it to the Sooners for 60 full minutes, coming away with THE upset of the weekend. And the tagline for the game: The last time OU lost their home opener was the ‘96 season when these same Horny Toads came to town and knocked them off.

3. Brian Calhoun, RB Wisconsin – 43 carries for 258 yards and 5, count’em 5, touchdowns. This super stud is a transfer from Colorado and had to sit all of last season. Is it just me or have the Badgers automatically been upgraded to dark horse status?

4. Omar Jacobs, QB Bowling Green – 30 of 51 for 458 yards and 5 touchdowns. It’s not your fault two dropped balls on easy touchdown plays stopped your 4th quarter comeback.

5. DJ Shockley, QB Georgia – 16 of 24 for 289 yards, 5 touchdowns, and 5 rushes for 85 yards and another touch.

6. Chris Leak, QB Florida – 26 of 34 for 320 yards and 3 touchdowns. In Week 1, you’ve gone a long way to prove me wrong.

7. Steve Smith, WR USC – 7 catches for 185 yards and one touch as the Trojans road a big one down on the Big Isle.

8. Jad Dean, PK Clemson – You nailed all 6 of your field goals –and you needed them to as Clemson upset the Aggies on the last play of the game. Incidentally, this was the most upsetting moment of the weekend for me: my TIVO recording stopped right at the 0:02 mark as the kick sailed over the line –did he make it or didn’t it?!?! I had to wait until a score came across the ticker to find out.

9. The UCF Defense – Against South Carolina you might have lost, but you held them to only 32 yards rushing on 28 carries. Gamecocks: you’re going to have to do better than that to compete in the SEC.

10. Keegan Herring, TB ASU – 12 rushes for 134 yards. Ok, I know what you’re thinking –not that impressive stat-wise, and you’re right, but that’s the most rushing yards in Sun Devil history for a debut game. Hey, and who knew ASU was going to have a run game this year with such hosses at Q and WR? Call this an honorary selection.

11. Notre Dame’s RUSHING attack – While much will be made of the Irish passing game, opponents are served notice: the key here is to shut down the ground game, they covered 275 yards on 50 plays.

…and the ‘Bench Em’ awards go to:
Our weekly awards for the worst performances, bone-headed play calls, or anything else that smacks of ridiculousness or stupidity:

1. Mountain West Replay –The first major mistake of the season occurred just two minutes into the Utah game when the booth INCORRECTLY overturned the call on the field, giving Utah the ball back inside their own thirty. Sure, MAYBE it was a forward pass instead of a fumble (and that is a BIG maybe from the replays that I saw) but there was NOT a shred of conclusive evidence to support it.

2. Art Bryles, Houston Head Coach – Going for it on 4th down at the Oregon 10 with 10:24 left in the 3rd quarter and up by only one. That doesn’t take cajones, that takes stupidity my friend –and I know you’re smart enough to have figured that out by now.

3. Todd Turner, Washington’s Athletic Director – After suffering their first losing season in 28 years and their first ‘double-digit loss’ season in their history (115 years), he rewarded the university and everyone involved by jacking ticket prices up 33%. I’d say he’s pretty much got this year’s Scrooge Award all locked up.

4. Mike Stoops, Arizona Head Coach –What in the world were you thinking, punting the ball late in the fourth, in Utah’s territory, and only down by 3? That was a horrible decision –yeah, yeah, hindsight is 20-20, whatever: that was a bad call that virtually assured them of losing the game. I’d love to be a fly on the wall when your Big Brother calls and berates you for it and you just toss back that ‘Hey, how did your game go this week?’ hand grenade.

5. ABC’s new game graphic in the upper left corner. It’s not that the graphic itself is bad, but why on Earth are you trying to show what penalty has been called? …Maybe I’m just poor and they don’t care about me, but I just can’t read “pass interference” or “illegal formation” in mirconized letters on my 35” CRT.

6. Speaking of poor graphics: the FSN ‘tote board’ whenever a team scores. Okay, at first it just looked really stupid and amateurish, but after the 7th Texas touchdown it was just plain annoying. Dump it, or face our wrath (yeah, I’m curious to see what that might be myself...).

7. The Sooner QBs – Thompson and Bomar went 13 of 31 for 127 yards, 1 pick, no touches, and 3 sacks. Talk about ineffective –they were playing against 2004’s worst ranked pass defense. I am still utterly in shock by this game. Has Stoopsie lost his Mojo? Is Pete Carol Dr. Evil? Is so, then who, by the grace of God, who is fat bastard?

8. Fox Sports Net, Take 2 – You have by far the suckiest college football coverage of the nationally televised networks. Last year it was absolutely atrocious, and this year you’ve already started off in my dog house. First there’s the ‘tote board’. Then, there were the THREE times during the LONE game you broadcast for the Big12 that the audio cut out. On top of that, your camera work looks like its done by middle schoolers. And as if that weren’t enough, you’ve still got the stadium mic’d up way too much.

9. Dennis Frenchione, Coach Texas A&M – What in the world were you thinking, just going for one deep into the 4th quarter, clinging to a 1 point lead? If you’d gone for it and made it, you’d have at least gone to overtime with a better than average chance of pulling it out.

10. Richmond McGee, Texas K – You missed 3 of your first 4 career PATs. You are a kick off punter. You put it in the end zone, more than VY does. Just line up and smash the hell out of the little inflated piggy.

11. Jared ‘Subway’ Zabranksy, QB Boise State – 6 turnovers in the first half? SIX? I’m disgusted –almost as disgusted as Jared. 8 of 17 for 60 yards, 4 picks, and 2 fumbles –in just 25 minutes of play! This is so troubling that I demand somebody check his bank account for an ominously large cash deposit.

Random Hits and Misses
Isn’t it great to have the college pigskin back? With the pro’s not starting the regular season until September 8th, there are 25 days out of a possible 30 which feature a nationally televised college football game. And whereas Week One is supposed to be a bit of a laugher for interest and intrigue, we got served 4 upsets in the Top 25, a pasting of Boise State, the second most points ever scored at Camp Randall (the most was a 106-0 blanking back in 1890), Chris Leak and DJ Shockley announcing their arrival, and so much more. Boy, I can’t wait to see what the other 25 days in the month have to offer.

1. I think some statistician out there owes it to the football loving world to figure out if the odds have shifted substantially in favor of the PAC10 and Big10 winning national championships simply because the Big12, SEC, and ACC now play conference championship games.

2. I was not seeing things and no I’m not going crazy –Jerry Glanville is indeed the defensive coordinator of the Hawaii Warriors. Now, if only I could figure out if the Hawaii mascot is included in that inane NCAA crackdown on mascots.

3. Speaking of mascots –New Mexico State’s Pistol Pete has lost his pistol. The university, looking for a kinder and gentler mascot I suppose, made Pete turn in his six shooter for a Lasso. Now the only thing missing is a name change to Louie or Larry or something. Of course, if they did that then they’d be running the risk of incurring the NCAA’s wrath for taking advantage of people’s first names.

4. If Capt. James T Kirk were a Color Analyst, I think he’d sound eerily similar to Bob Davie.

5. Sign #456 that USC will not 3-peat as national champions: In preparation for the Trojans' game at Hawaii, Carroll took his team to a beach to watch the women's finals at the Manhattan Beach Open volleyball tournament -- Carroll wanted them to get used to ‘the view’ for the Hawaii game.

6. Sign #537 that USC will 3-peat as national champions: was it just me or was the entire Trojan offensive on speed during that Hawaii game?

7. The Stoopsie Twins are going to have a helluva club in Arizona a couple of years from now. Sure, the Wildcats tired rather easily against Utah but did see how they were jackin and smackin those Ute’s?

8. The Big House in Ann Arbor is beautiful. Memorial Stadium in Norman is not.

9. I love Camp Randall –how cool of a name is that for your football stadium? This week was a re-dedication of the stadium after a massive 100 million dollar renovation. To add to the atmosphere, the Badgers sported throwback helmets –ultra cool Badgers (although, those throw backs did look like a blind man simply slapped a hand scrawled dubbya on’em with barn red paint).

10. Sorry TIVO, but the Scientific Atlanta Series 8000 DVR from Time Warner is the nuts. It’s got a monster HD and dual tuners so you can literally watch 2 games at one time without missing a snap (and you don’t even have to use picture-in-picture to do it).

11. Do you think Auburn misses their backfield by GM? They managed just 50 yards rushing in their 23-14 loss to Georgia Tech this week.

12. I’d congratulate Iowa for their smashing success on Saturday, but they were playing Ball State after 13 of their players were suspended the night before the game so, well, it just wasn’t that impressive. Sorry Hawkeye fans –not to fear though, you’ve got plenty of opportunities to prove your worth this season.

13. You know, it’s really just sad when a middle aged sideline reporter like Jim Knox (of FSN fame) tries to plug his own online column (Ask Knox –yeah, that’s original), but becomes tongue tied and forgets his line as he turns to the cheerleading squad standing right beside him.

14. If you didn’t watch the final seconds tick off the clock at Camp Randall, you missed one of the most impressive goal line stands of the season. With first and goal to go INSIDE the Badger 1, the Badger D bristled and flat out refused to yield even 6 inches to the Falcons.

If I could be anyone from this past week, it’d be…
Brian Calhoun, the Junior Sled Dog in the Wisconsin Badger stable. Yeah, there were better performances out there, but honestly where would you rather be than at a gorgeous home opener at Camp Randall where the Badgers actually score more than 50?

Conference Corner
ACC - I’m not sure what’s more impressive: The NC State defense for keeping Virginia Tech in their sites, or NC State QB Jay Davis for his 27 of 43 for 311 passing day. Sure, he threw two picks but you still gotta like this newer, improved Davis Quarterback.

BEast - Pittsburgh has to be the third most disappointing team from week one (Oklahoma and Boise State being numbers one and two). They couldn’t do anything to stop the Irish, which is extremely surprising as Wanny is such a talented defensive mind and Defense is just about always quicker to pick up than Offense. Yes, indeed Syracuse has a defense, but their offense will keep them from winning many games. Louisville was also a bit of a disappointment, 31-24 over Kentucky? The Cards shoulda been more stacked than that.

Big10 - Without a doubt, the strongest and deepest conference in the country. Wisconsin’s power surge was completely unexpected and bad news for the non-elite defenses in the conference. Michigan and Ohio State did what they needed to maintain their respect, but it didn’t look as easy as it should have been. All told, the Big10 outscored their opponents a combined 383-165 en route to a perfect 10-0 record.

Big12 - Talk about your power outages. Last season the South Division was the class of the country, now both OU and A&M have been upset. It may be the year of the Longhorn, but a lot of Big12 Pride rests on that trip to the ‘Shoe. And what of the North? K-State struggled with Florida International, Iowa State struggled with Illinois State, Colorado barely escaped from Colorado State, Kansas was less than impressive against Florida Atlantic, and Nebraska coughed and wheezed its way to a win over perennial powerhouse Maine.

CUSA - I don’t know about you, but I’m really looking forward to the Nov 19th showdown between UAB and UTEP. UAB came within 19 yards of pushing the #3 team in the country to probable overtime, and Mike Price’s UTEP Miners are poised to run the table this season.

MAC - How long has it been since this Giant Killer Conference knocked off a Giant? On opening weekend, the conference went 1-10 with Toledo’s trashing of Western Illinois being the lone bright spot (well that and Bowling Green’s 42 point outing against Wisconsin).

M-West - Who’s head of this class? Well, it ain’t Utah. They barely survived a vastly improved Arizona squad, but more than that TCU served notice that they are expecting a BCS Bustin’ Berth this season. Outside of that, a much hyped Wyoming squad got thumped by Florida 32-14.

PAC10 - This conference is looking deeper and deeper all the time. Obviously, you’ve got USC but you’ve also got a herd of hyenas raring to go in UCLA, Oregon, Oregon State, Arizona State, and now a quickly improving Arizona. The loss of Longshore at quarterback definitely sets Cal back a ways, but they’ve got several weeks before they hit the meat of their schedule. If the O’s and A’s can keep the tempo going as the season wears on, this conference edges the Big12 in overall quality –and might even challenge the SEC if they don’t kick it up a notch from opening week.

SEC - The SEC race may just be a two horse affair, as the Vols certainly didn’t impress in their first outing, barely escaping UAB at home. UAB actually had the ball on the Vol 12 with 4 minutes left –that’s how close this 17-10 game was. Mark this as a definite gut check for Tennessee, who get a week off before traveling to the Swamp. In the West, Auburn stumbled and we have yet to see how big that Red Stick of LSU’s really is –Bama as a dark horse doesn’t look so far fetched now.

WAC - Boise State just isn’t that bad. Sure, I can concede they’re no Georgia, but I just don’t believe they are that bad. Take away the worst performance for a quarterback in the past five years and this would’ve at least been a competitive game.

Rivalry Round Up
Okay, everyone knows FSU-Miami, Louisville-Kentucky, and Colorado-Colorado State are a big time rivalry games, but how many of you know that the Auburn-Georgia Tech rivalry produced one of the greatest college pranks of all time?

In 1896, Auburn students greased the railroad tracks the night before the Georgia Tech team train was due in town. When the train arrived and attempted to stop, it slid all the way through Auburn and halfway to Loachapoka, 10 miles away. The Jackets had to get off the train and hump it all the way to the stadium. Needless to say, the Tigers won that one (45-nil). That single event is now celebrated each year as the great Wreck Tech Pajama Parade where, you guessed it, the student body attends pep rallies in their PJs.

Next Week’s Quick Peeks
Next week’s slate of games promises to be even better than this week! Just take a look at some of the hotter action that will be out on that Grid Iron…

Notre Dame @ Michigan – What was once thought to be a blow out with the Wolverine’s looking for a little pay back, now looks like a bone-a-fide Battle in the Big House with 100,000+ of your closest friends and relatives.

Iowa @ Iowa State – The CyHawk trophy goes on the line once again as the Cyclone’s host the Hawkeyes. While this one may not seem like it should be all that competitive, this could very easily be a trap game for Iowa before they kick into their conference slate.

South Carolina @ Georgia – The Visor gets a pass in week one, but this time around he’ll need more than simply a little ‘Cock-n-Fire’ O to stamp out the Bulldogs.

Boise State @ Oregon State – How will the Blue Turf fare after being obliterated by the Dawgs? This OSU team isn’t exactly what I’d like to face after such a huge loss, but if they can pull it off they’ll have their season back on track.

Wake Forest @ Nebraska – The Corn Coast Offense looked decidedly unimpressive in a 25-7 win against D2A Maine. Will they be vastly improved against a Demon Deacon squad that lost to Vandy?

Arizona State @ LSU – I’m not sure if this one will get played yet, but if it is it promises to be a doozy. ASU looks like it might just have a ground game to go along with Sam Keller and Derrick Hagan’s pitch-and-catch combo. LSU is all the talk even with the coaching change this year, will they put up or shut up?

Texas @ Ohio State – The headline game of the weekend. It’s the Longhorns traveling up to the ‘Shoe for a Tussle with Tressle. Will Vince Young and the new Horns backfield get it down against the nation’s premier linebacking crew? Will Ted Ginn get it a’Ginn and a’Ginn? Will the Terrible Texas D be Terrible or just plain terrible when matched up against so much talent?

The Week 1 Run Down

2005-08-25T09:00:00.000-05:00

Yes, it is finally here! The MMV Season kicks off into high gear with 5 straight days of college grid iron action. The season kicks off in the sweltering heat of Houston at 6PM Central on the Duece, followed quickly by the Visor's re-debut down in Carolina. From there, the action only gets better as Utah tries to pick up where it left off with a home opener against Zona on Friday, then Saturday you get MAC front runner Bowling Green taking on the Badgers, followed by the blue turf Broncos traveling down to Georgia for a doozy of a tussle, and then a night cap of Notre Dame and Pittsburg on ABC. The action picks up again on Sunday with the Hokies taking on the Wolfpack in part 1 of an eventful ACC opening weekend --part 2 being the crowning game of pigskin weekend uno: Miami-Florida State on Monday Nite.

The Week 1 Schedule

Sep. 1 Thu UCF @ South Carolina (-18.5) 6:30 P ESPN
Sep. 1 Thu Oregon @ Houston (+8.5) 6:00 P ESPN2
Sep. 1 Thu Minnesota @ Tulsa (+15) 9:15 P ESPN2

Sep. 2 Fri Arizona @ Utah (-8) 7:00 P ESPN

Sep. 3 Sat TCU @ Oklahoma (-27) 11:00 A ABC
Sep. 3 Sat Miami (OH) @ Ohio State (-15.5) 11:00 A ABC*
Sep. 3 Sat Bowling Green @ Wisconsin (-4) 11:00 A ESPN
Sep. 3 Sat Rutgers @ Illinois (-1.5) 11:00 A ESPN2
Sep. 3 Sat Boston College @ BYU (+4) 2:30 p ABC*
Sep. 3 Sat Northern Illinois @ Michigan (-18) 2:30 p ABC*
Sep. 3 Sat Air Force vs. Washington (-2.5) 2:30 p ABC*
Sep. 3 Sat Colorado State @ Colorado (-8) 2:30 p TBS
Sep. 3 Sat Boise State @ Georgia (-7) 4:30 P ESPN
Sep. 3 Sat Southern California @ Hawaii 6:00 P ESPN2
Sep. 3 Sat UL-Lafayette @ Texas (-39.5) 6:00 P FSN
Sep. 3 Sat Texas A&M @ Clemson (+1) 7:00 P ABC
Sep. 3 Sat Notre Dame @ Pittsburgh (-3.5) 7:00 P ABC*
Sep. 3 Sat GA Tech @ Auburn (-7) 7:45 P ESPN
Sep. 3 Sat UCLA @ San Diego State (+7.5) 9:15 P ESPN2

Sep. 4 Sun West Virginia @ Syracuse (-1) 12:30 P ABC
Sep. 4 Sun Louisville @ Kentucky (+22) 2:30 P ESPN
Sep. 4 Sun Tulane @ Southern Miss (-10.5) 3:00 P ESPN2
Sep. 4 Sun VA Tech @ NC State (+5.5) 6:15 P ESPN2

Sep. 5 Mon UNLV @ New Mexico (-14) 12:00 P ESPN2
Sep. 5 Mon Ole Miss @ Memphis (-2.5) 3:30 P ESPN
Sep. 5 Mon Miami @ Florida State (-3) 7:00 P ABC

The Week 1 Run Down

Sep. 1 Thu UCF @ South Carolina (-18.5) 6:30 P ESPN
Steve Spurrier makes his NCAA comeback debut in Columbia against the Golden Knights (who are still led by one-time Irish Coach George O’Leary). In his first season back in the SEC, don’t expect much out of these Cocks; however, with the Knights coming into this one riding an oh-fer streak out of Oh-Fo’, DO expect the Visor to notch a dubbya in his first game. Given the offseason the Gamecocks have had (no less than a half dozen players either left or were dismissed from the team), you just know these guys are ready to get out on that gridiron and vent a little frustration. Oh, and don’t think for a minute that Spurrier learned any real humility in his disastrous coaching stint in the NFL.
Gamecocks peck the spread to bits.

Sep. 1 Thu Oregon @ Houston (+8.5) 6:00 P ESPN2
The second game of the season is actually the first, but The Visor’s return is getting all the pub these days so who am I to buck the trend? In this one, Belotti’s underachieving Ducks travel down to Houston to tussle with the Cougars. Art Briles’ crew, while regressing a bit last season, sport a potent pass attack with returning gunslinger Kevin Kolb who should have no problem airing it out against what looks to be yet another average Ducky-D. On the other side of the ball, the Ducks new offense coordinator (Gary Crowton from BYU) has installed a spread offense to make better use of QB Kellen Clemens. His arm and the feet of WR Demetrius Williams should keep the Cougar defense on its heels –and open up all kinds of running room for Terrance Whitehead. Yep, that’s right: Whitehead. In this one, not only will the Pigskin Year get kicked off, but we’ll also get to see if the Deuce Crew can hit the season running with their usual level of commentary excellence –ie, just how many “Oh, Whitehead just got popped!” comments do you think they can dish out?
Ducks, straight up.

Sep. 2 Fri Arizona @ Utah (-8) 7:00 P ESPN
As of right now, this is the lone fare on the Friday menu (unless you count Division II –which I don’t), but what it may lack in quantity it ought to make up for in quality and intrigue. The Ute’s are one year removed from that BCS Bustin’ showing of yester-year, but have an almost entirely rebuilt coaching staff along with a new man under center. Gone is uber-guru Urban Meyer, the Ute Offensive Coordinator, and first overall draft pick Alex Smith –not to mention their leading rusher (Marty Johnson), and their top two receivers. With that many loses, how can they possibly keep from having a big let down year? Enter Oregon’s Andy Ludwig at O-coordinator, Brain Johnson under center, and rock sledder Quinton Ganther (widely considered one of the top backs in the Mountain West). On defense, the Ute’s should be fine with starters coming back at all positions except linebacker. For ‘Zona, this marks year number two under the Stoops Brothers (Mike is head coach and Mark is defensive coordinator). Now while the Wildcats may have turned a serious corner on defense, they are a long ways from good on offense (ranked 116th in the nation last year). With only 5 returning starters from last year’s unit look for speed and youth to markedly improve these Desert Cats O. But even at that, it will still be this offense that keeps AU from having an above sea level record and reaching Bowl Nirvana. In this one, the diamond in the rough is the Cat D lining up against the Ute O: how this battle goes will be a harbinger for both teams this season. MHO: The Cats D will be a lot faster and nastier than Utah is expecting and inserting new guys at all major skill positions on offense will prove trickier than Utah thinks. Despite that, Utah should be able to pull away in the second half as their roster is just too deep for ‘Zona to keep up with. Sorry Stoopsie Twins.
Utah plus the spread.

Sep. 3 Sat TCU @ Oklahoma (-27) 11:00 A ABC
Will the Sooners make a statement in week one that last season’s Trojan hangover is but a distant memory, or will the inexperienced D get exposed against a strong Horny Frog? The Sooners lost 24 lettermen (including 7 starters on defense), but have all world back Adrian Peterson ready to sled with the rock. But this just in, Senior Paul Thompson has been named the Sooner starting QB over Super Prep Freshman Rhett Bomar –this has got to worry Sooner fans a little bit as Bomar was expected to run away with the job at the start of the spring drills. Regardless of who is under center though, expect the Sooners to go yard all day long against an overwhelmed Horned Frog secondary. The Frogs should be able to provide a good early season test for the inexperienced Sooner D as QB Tye Gunn’slinger’ is a legitimate threat against any defense, especially with the Mountain West’s best 1-2 punch in RBs Robert Merrill and Lonta Hobbs to keep the heat off him. Despite that, the Froggers just don’t have the meat up front or the team speed keep AP bottled up and in the backfield for four quarters.
Oklahoma by a mile –that’s more than 27, right?

Sep. 3 Sat Miami (OH) @ Ohio State (-15.5) 11:00A ABC*
The Redbirds field one of the most experienced MAC teams this season behind Josh Betts, a monster receiving crew and a solid and stable O-line. On defense, the secondary will be the weak link as the front seven are all returning starters that could provide headaches for OSU if they aren’t settled into their schemes right from the starting gun. The Buckeye’s feature a talent laden team that returns 9 starters on both sides of the ball including perhaps the nation’s best linebacking crew. Ted Ginn Jr will figure to be included in nearly every way imaginable (go ahead and count the number of times the commentators say “Give it to him ‘Ginn, and ‘Ginn, and ‘Ginn” –I dare you), but with Justin Zwick under center for Week 1 (Troy Smith is serving a one game suspension for taking illicit ‘donations’ while ‘working’ …hmmm) expect the Buckeye O to stop, start, cough and sputter throughout the game. This one is full of upset potential: (1) it’s in the ‘Shoe where OSU loves to play Tressel Ball (meaning: let me beat you in the 4th quarter with a field goal); (2) Mike Nugent the Savior has graduated and left the building, (3) OSU may just be looking ahead to next week’s showdown with Texas; and (4) the MAC will knock off a Big10 team this season –and this could be it? …but only if the Redbirds can add the spread to their final score.
Buckeye’s straight up.

Sep. 3 Sat Bowling Green @ Wisconsin (-4) 11:00 A ESPN
Last season, the Mean Green Falceen lost out to Toledo in an aerial shootout, ‘yet again’ missing out on the MAC Championship (talk about always the bridesmaid…). After their usual letdown, they responded by routing Memphis in the GMAC Bowl and have since declared this season a success if and only if they can capture that elusive conference crown (um, isn’t that on everyone’s goal list?). For the Badgers, last season started off well enough but turned ugly early with their main hoss Anthony Davis going down and their offense subsequently stuck in neutral for, well, the entire season. In ‘05, they’ve brought in Paul Chryst from Oregon State to spiffy up the pass attack and mold a real passing QB out of John Stucco. On the defensive side of the ball the Badgers will have to replace every single one beef eater on the defensive line (each found a hefty meal ticket with the NFL on draft day). Even so, don’t expect Wisconsin to call it a ‘rebuilding year’ or stop doing the almighty 4th Quarter Jump Around. While Bowling Green is more than ‘just’ capable of making the upset here (in fact, I’m surprised the line isn’t a pick’em), this IS Camp Randall and this IS a Barry Alvarez team (have you ever noticed that his guys just don’t ever rollover –or win pretty for that matter?).
Badgers by a …well, nose although I’m not sure exactly how big a Badger’s nose is.

Sep. 3 Sat Colorado State @ Colorado (-8) 2:30 p TBS
Last season the Rams top 4 tacklers on defense were their four starting DBs –that just ain’t good. This year, the front seven will have to step up if the Rams are to climb above 500 and get into Bowl Season. The Buffs, meanwhile, are looking to replace 12 year veteran RB Bobby Purify with senior Lawrence Vickers –the only trouble is that was the plan in each of the previous 3 seasons when Bobby went down with an injury. On defense, the Buffs are run stuffers but haven’t been able to put up much flak to stop anyone’s passing game. For C-State to capitalize, Justin Hollard will have to play error free while finding speedster David Anderson with the long ball. If the Buffs can feast on the Rams’ defense with their tight ends (Klopfenstein and Sypniewski –yeah, try saying those names 5 times fast) this should be a shoe-in for Barnett. Eh, and even it’s not, you can still take heart in knowing you’ll be watching two tight ends that will be making the big bucks in the Pro’s next year (barring injury).
Buffaloes and I’ll even give you the points.

Sep. 3 Sat Boise State @ Georgia (-7) 4:30 P ESPN
After years of hemming and hawing about not being taken seriously, the Blue Turf Bronco’s from Boise finally get their shot at some BCS Big Boys. Last season was supposed to be a ‘rebuilding year’ if you believe the Idaho Hype –and all they did was go a measly 11-1, losing to Louisville 44-40 in a wild Liberty Bowl of the ages (who can forget that game!?!). This year, 8 starters return on O and D highlighted by QB Jared Zebransky (yeah, you know his name). While everyone may think the Dawgs in Athens are a shoe-in against a mere WAC team, don’t take these Broncos so lightly. Personally, I think 7 is too many points to give this powerhouse team. True, Georgia’s D should be every bit as good as last year’s (even without Mr. Universe, David Pollack) but it’s the Georgia O that has me concerned. They didn’t exactly light up the conference last season with David Greene under center (despite the fact that he now owns the record for most wins by ANYONE in Division 1A). This season they get DJ Shockley –a stud hoss of a run/pass quarterback—but it could also take a while to get him comfortable and relaxed. Plus, they’ve lost their starting WR tandem of Reggie Brown and Fred Gibson to the NFL and they’d better look out cause these Buckin’ Bronco’s are run stuffers (an especially dangerous thing for Georgia in week number one). In what should be the MOST EXCITING MATCHUP of the week, I just can’t get this image out of my head: 50 dancing Bronco’s on the green grass in Athens with the clock ticking down to all balls.
Blue Turf by an incredible, unbelievable 4th quarter slug fest they didn’t know they had in them.

Sep. 3 Sat UL-Lafayette @ Texas (-39.5) 6:00 P FSN
The Longhorns kick off the season facing a downright dangerous Ragin’ Cajun squad –well, okay, maybe this is one of the most lopsided looking matchups in week 1 (well, at least one of the most lopsided televised matchups –Tech’s pasting of Florida International really should take the cake). To wit: the Cajun QB Jerry Barr was not only their leading passer but also their leading rusher. For Texas, look for Vince Young to sit in the pocket more than he’d like and try to fool the Buckeye’s into thinking he’s a major threat with his arm (hint to Mack: they ain’t buying it). Also look for Texas to really work the ground game in this one, tuning up for that trip to Columbus the following week. On Defense, if you’re an Orangeblood, the thing to watch will be the linebacking crew –who will step up in the OLB slot? This game certainly won’t be pretty and definitely won’t be interesting, unless you’re a Texas fan.
Texas and the points, but golly gee that’s a lot of points.

Sep. 3 Sat Texas A&M @ Clemson (+1) 7:00 P ABC
With Charlie Whitehurst still sitting under center, don’t expect the Tigers to muster much against the Aggie D. The Wrecking Crew –and I’m gonna have to use that term somewhat loosely still— have yet to return to their glory days of old; however, they are a tenacious, hard hitting unit that should prove more than capable of shutting down Clemson (really, the only things this unit lacks are quality corners and top notch speed). The Aggie offense is largely a question mark going into this season: Who will step up in the receiving corps, can Courtney Lewis stay healthy and be a feature back all season, and does Reggie McNeal still have the mental toughness to carry his entire offense for one more season? My guesses: Taylor and Mobley have been drooling for about 8 months; No but Freshman Samson Taylor should be able to carry more than just some of that load; Yes –Mr. McNeal is ready to do whatever it takes to win ball games.
Aggies by more than a measly point.

Sep. 3 Sat Notre Dame @ Pittsburgh (-3.5) 7:00 P ABC*
Will Weis have Brady Quinn prepped and primed? Will Wannstedt have his Panther D riled up and ready to rip apart the Irish O? Will both squads be ready? Heck, I sure hope so. This one is my pick for MOST INTRIGUING GAME OF THE WEEK –so of course it figures that we won’t be able to watch it down in Houston (I’m about 95% certain we’ll get the Aggie game instead). How’s this for offensive fireworks: QB Tyler Palko and WR Greg Lee for the Panthers and QB Brady Quinn and WRs McKnight and Stovall for the Golden Domers staging prison break offenses. Yeah, Pitt was a bit soft last season and ND wasn’t exactly what you’d call effective defending the pass, but this year isn’t ‘04. Pitt’s now got Dave Wannstedt’n all over their butts and the Irish have a lot more experience after the shelling they received all season long last year. Ya know, the more I read the pub on this Panther team, the more excited I get. Yeah, yeah I’m thinking the Irish are going to be loads better than their record this year (cheesh, they’ve got a helluva tough schedule), but I just can’t wait to see what Wani does with those young hosses on the Panther D, especially with an offense potent enough to allow him to gamble and not regret it. Choosing a winner is ridiculously difficult in this one, it really should be no line, but when it’s a) the first game of the season, b) a tremendously huge game, and 3) a game where both teams are breaking in new head coaches, the house cheat sheet says the game goes to he who wins the special teams battle and that, Sportzfanz, ought to be Pittsburgh.
Pitt –and it’s only with the points if they snag a touch in the waning moments to come from 2 or 3 down for the dubbya.

Sep. 3 Sat GA Tech @ Auburn (-7) 7:45 P ESPN
So how will the War Eagle hold up after the entire Auburn backfield was drafted with the first 5 picks? A: Pretty darn well with Brandon Cox under center and a trio of studs to pick up the slack left by Williams and Brown. On defense, the Tigers should play lights out as the front seven should keep even the mighty Tennessee O from cracking much beyond the century mark on the ground. Chan Gailey leads the Jackets in his fourth tour as head coach (has it really been that long already?). In those four years, the Chan Man has established what could very easily be he scariest defense this side of NC State in the ACC. The front four are the anchor of this unit with each man having a back up ready to be the starter on 95% of the other NCAA teams. With all that defense, it’ll be fun to see if Auburn can really get the O chugging. If not, expect it to be a long day as the Yellow Jackets boast one of the best receiver’s you’ve never heard of in Calvin Johnson should be able to wrangle free from an inexperienced Auburn backfield.
War Eagle by at least a touch.

Sep. 4 Sun West Virginia @ Syracuse (-1) 12:30 P ABC
The Mountaineers should field their ever impressive array of worm burners this season –especially with the entire offensive line returning, but the remainder of their offensive unit will be manned by young and inexperienced players. On D, WVa has to find a way to replace Pac Man in the secondary and get solid play out of their young linebackers. If they can do that then the Mountaineers should be challenging for the BEast Crown once again. For Syracuse, it’s Greg Robinson’s first game as a head coach and he’ll have his work cut out for him. First there’s the O which was nothing short of abysmal last season. With a new West Coast Offense, expect more production out of the unit but don’t expect that to necessarily mean more points on the board. The Defense was ranked 101st last season, but all 11 starters are returning and Robi is a defensive guru. Expect this unit to be vastly improved and challenge WVa for four full quarters. In the end though, I’m betting the lack of speed and talent on offense will keep Cuse from getting enough points on the board.
Mountaineers plus a few.

Sep. 4 Sun Louisville @ Kentucky (+22) 2:30 P ESPN
Despite the fact that Stefan Lefors did indeed leave for the NFL, Brian Brohm will be taking over his starting spot –and he’s even better than Stefan. While the Defense was busy being overshadowed by the offense last season, if did manage to finish the year 15th in the nation overall and 18th against the rush. While these years D probably won’t be quite as good as last, it should prove more than a match for a woeful Kentucky program. For those of you who can’t sit down and watch Pigskin all day, this would be one you’d be well advised to pass up.
Cardinals plus the spread.

Sep. 4 Sun VA Tech @ NC State (+5.5) 6:15 P ESPN2
The Wolfpack boasted the #1 ranked unit the nation last season, often holding opponents to fewer yards than points (thanks mostly to a horribly turnover prone offense). This season, the front four return and the back seven while not all returning should be just as good as last season –come October. It will take a little time for the newbie’s to get a little air time under their belt, but what better way to get ready than to face the Hokies and Marcus Vick? The Hokies are the darling of the off season this year (even more so than Ohio State, Texas, or dare I say USC). The nagging thing to me is that all this hype is dependant on one thing: Marcus Vick. If he lives up to the hype then they say Va Tech is a shoe-in for the conference crown. Me, I don’t believe it –one man does not a team make (maybe for one game, but not for an entire season). I expect to see Vick a little rusty and unsettled in the backfield while the Wolfpack front four marauder their way through the Hokie line. On Defense, the Hokies are no slouches, but should have more trouble than NC State replacing the departed seniors.
Wolfpack even without the spread.

Sep. 5 Mon Miami @ Florida State (-3) 7:00 P ABC
And so it comes down to this: the last game of Week 1 for the MMV Season is the Monday Nite Showdown in the Swamp. I can’t for the life of me figure out how FSU is picked by 3 for the odds makers –surely the site I got that info from was wrong! The Seminoles will be without Wyatt Sexton under center (Lyme Disease), play a hodge-podge O-line, and start two freshman receivers. Their only saving grace is their backfield combo of Booker and Washington –whom the Canes should be able to flood the holes for as the passing game isn’t going to be very good in Week 1. It won’t help matters any that Miami, on defense, will look a pro team –super fast, flying around, and hard hitting. Devon Hester will in all likelihood break a big one in the kicking game to keep his ‘Most Dangerous Return Man In Football’ crown going into this season. The Cane O is cause for a bit of concern –but only a bit. They are young in the skill positions, but anchored by vets on the line and once they start to gel, that should be about it for most defenses. Canes, and throw out that spread –it’s wrong I tell ya.

2004's Most Memorable Quotes

2005-08-24T20:45:00.000-05:00

Ah, as we look forward to some expert commentation in the coming season, let us take a moment to reflect on some of the more memorable quotes from yester-year…

Just A Few To Get Us Started...
Nebraska is used to artificial turf –this is real grass, it’s going to take more of an adjustment for them than Pittsburgh.” –ABC, during the 1st quarter of the Nebraska-Pitt game AT Pitt.

“That’s right, he’s from the greater, southern New England vicinity.” --brought to you by those geniuses on the Deuce during the West Virginia game will expounding upon what a great recruiting team West Virginia is.

“Well, he was going to spike it, but instead he snuck it for the 1st down –oh wait, no, he did spike it. I guess they already had the 1st down.” --another gem by the Deuce crew. Seriously, can we just petition them to give me the mic and end the insanity.

“Oh, Whitehead just got popped! It’s like shooting Ducks out there, you gotta have your head on a swivel!” --um, yeah, whatever man. I’m still trying to get that mental picture of a Whitehead getting popped of out my head. ABC’s OU-Oregon coverage.

"Math’s not your strong suit there.” Terry 'Nope, still not his brother' Gannon on Brian Griese's in ability to add up yardage.

“After the game I apologized for underestimating them.” – Mack Brown on winning 52-35 after trailing 35-7 and predicting that they would win 42-35.

The Incalculable Brian Griese
"Here’s a naked Smith.” – It’s naked bootleg man, bootleg -big difference.

"A&M scored on its first 4 possessions. On their last 4, they’ve had 3 punts, one ended at half time, and an interception.” -Yep, it certianly is a tall mountain to climb to re-ejimacate analysts after they meet Jamal Anderson.

“There’s something not right with him.” -after Sooner Darrin Cody passed out on the side line and was forced off the field by his all 10 of his teammates that he was trying to line up with. Apparently, the young Cody was simply low on fluids and was able to return after a quick IV load.

The Incorrigible Bob Davie
“From what I understand, he has three older brothers, so that makes him the younger brother.” --From what I understand, you’re an idiot, so that makes you an idiot.

“The ball is loose. …still loose. …oh, nope. That’s a shoe.”

"Every now and then you short circuit with information processing overload” -Explaining why a WR dropped the pass despite having both mitts on it. Gee, I didn’t realize that catching balls was such a computationally draining exercise.

"Purdue is the empty backfield capital of the world” –that may be, but you’re the empty thought capitol of the world.

“He ran for three touchdown passes”. –ah, but how many rushing touchdowns did he throw for?

"No, I disagree. You don’t change a thing –you don’t make any adjustments. Orton got to see what the defense was going to do in that first half, he’ll be able to do what is needed in this second half. No adjustments: you don’t need to put another hat on [Erasmus] James or try to run the ball more.” –reason #356 Bob Davie doesn’t have a head coaching job. At least I was vindicated 12 seconds later when they interviewed Purdue Coach Joe Tiller and he said, “I told’em we’ve got to get another man over to block #90 [Erasmus James], even if it’s just to slow him up for a second. And we’ve got to run the ball more in this half, we didn’t run it nearly enough in the first half.”

“They’ve increased their pass offense production each year.” –oh, really? You must have graduated from that Jamal Anderson School of Math. The graphic read 282, 260, 507, 384 for yards passing by Tech against Texas in each of the previous four years.

The Immortal Jamal Anderson
“I think the Big12 is the toughest conference in this nation.” What other nation would we be comparing conferences with?

“Throw the football field down the football –oh, excuse me, throw the field down the football.” -And he gets paid to do this ladies and gentlemen, that’s the most painful part.

“He’s [Derrick Johnson] the best linebacker in the college football.” –I’d like to believe that you believe that, but just 10 minutes earlier you said, “He’s probably one of the best middle linebackers in the country.”

Now who could forget the great Fog Bowl Of Oh-Fo?
"It’s the only game in my career I wish I was a bat.” – yeah, mmmkay. At the beginning of the USC-OSU Fog Bowl on FSN.
“And the kick is away. Headed to the upman –I guess. I dunno, your guess is as good as mine.”
“And they’re moving backwards right now –looks like a penalty. I didn’t see a flag, but who would.”
“The pass is incomplete –at least I think it is. I dunno, but it looks like they’re lining up at the same spot.”

The most painful 30 seconds at halftime goes to...

Actually this was a toughie between Bob Davie's spread rushing attack explanation while also comparing leading with the helmet to attempted murder vs. the Game Day crew's wonderful Dissertation on a Brat. And with all the votes in, the winner goes to .....ESPN!

“Do you know what goes in a Brat?”
“Yes, of course I know what goes in a Brat –I’m still gonna eat it though.”
“Then you don’t know what goes in a Brat –if you knew, you wouldn’t eat it.”
“Alright gentlemen, I think everyone knows what goes in a brat.”
“Apparently not, cause if people knew –they wouldn’t eat them.”
“Do YOU know what goes in a brat?”

The enjoyment went on for several more seconds as nothing but dead air and blank stares emanated from the television set. Guys, this isn’t the cooking channel, so this year let’s just keep the discussion centered on sports, ok?

And The Overall Most Memorable Quote Of The Season goes to....
I must have added up the votes wrong, I can't believe this isn't going to the Deuce Crew: it's FSN during that excruciatingly painful 2 hour break while the Moron's Without Degrees in the studio try to read a weather radar and explain why the Wildcat-Badger game is being delayed (ironically, at the same time you start to give serious consideration to suicide by blunt force trauma).

“Well, as you can see…. Uh, the weather is pretty bad out there.”
“Yeah, that’s right …so they’ve decided to call a delay of game until it gets better.”
Several seconds of dead air pass before the infinite knowledge of the universe is channeled through them and into us:
“By the way, the yellow is worse than the green.”
“Is it?”
“I think so.”
“I did not know that.”

The Big 12 Preview

2005-08-14T17:06:00.000-05:00

For the past several seasons, the Big 12 has been the sensational six and "that other division north of Normon". This year SportsFanz --expect more of the same.

The South Division
While perhaps not being quite as primed as in past seasons, the South is still loaded for Bear with each and every team (with the obvious exception of Baylor) more than capable of running away with the north division's crown. As for the Southern Crown, you have got to like the Longhorns chances of running the table. They've got their best returning 'team' yet; OU will be busy reloading; Tech, while incredibly dangerous is still just Tech; and Frenchy and the Ags have a couple more strides to take before shaking that second fiddle mold.

Texas
The Longhorns enter this season as the B12's favorite for the postseason hardware as they should finally get that Sooner monkey off their back. But if the Horns want to make a return visit to the Rose this year, there's a little something called a Buckeye that they will have to find there way around in Week 2. Oh, and if they do get past both the Buckeyes and Sooners there is always that Turkey Game agianst the Ags to worry about --and this year its in College Station where they'd just love to dash the Horns championship aspirations.

VY is absolutely the most electrifying player in the Big Dozen, but he still has to prove the Rose wasn't an accident --and that he doesn't commit at least 2 boneheaded plays in every game. Incedentally, I don't by the bad press about his passing skills --he's iffy with the long ball, but Tech efficient with the short routes (59% completion rate last year). Texas will have to find a reliable AND durable back to sled the rock, but that shouldn't be much of a problem behind the big hogs on the line (all returning starters). The defense should be even better than last season --all except for the linebacking crew that lost Derrick Johnson. That being said, they've got a dude by the name of Aaron Harris anchoring that crew --newsflash: he was the man blowing up Michigan in the Rose, not Johnson.

Special teams is always a near-disaster for Texas and should be even more so this year as they lose Wolverine-killer PK Dusty Magnum, but make no mistake about it: program-wise, this has to be the year the Longhorns push through. At the end of the season, VY will leave early and both lines will be decimated by the draft.

Texas Tech
The Red Raiders will be taking the field for the sixth time under coach Mike Leach and for the first time with some national recognition that the Raiders are more than just a gimicky O. In the Holiday last season, they silenced all the naysayers and Coaches Poll critics with a woodshedding of the Cal Bears. It was their third consecutive bowl romp in as many years, and served notice to the nation that the Red Raiders can 'hang' with just about anybody.

Unfortunately for the Texas Air Raid, they still play in the B12S division and will have to duke it out with OU, Texas, and A&M to play in a BCS game (maybe that's why their non-con schedule is about the most ridiculous thing I've ever seen). This year's edition will certainly be just as potent on offense with QB Cody Hodges, RB Taurean Henderson, and WR Jarrett Hicks. More than that though, the D will be their best unit in years with nearly all starters from the previous squad returning.

If Tech can keep from dropping a game they shouldn't (read that as a game against the B12N), they should be able to pull off the upset against at least one of the big three (UT, OU, A&M) and finish 9-2 en route to another blow out win in Bowl Season.

Texas A&M
In Franchione's third season, the Aggies will be looking to keep from regressing. Regressing, you ask?!? Yep, regressing. The defense, while full of hard hitters and sure tackles, still lacks that 'Wrecking Crew' mentality of old (save for that game against OU when they banged up all-word back Adrian Peterson). Their special teams play has been nothing special and they lost their primary return weapon last season. They have no proven go-to receiver, a secondary that was 93rd in the nation and is pushing young, unproven players into the starting slots, and an offensive line which, if it can't stay healthy, figures to be a patch work all season long.

That being said, A&M definitely has a few things going for them: Reggie McNeal is perhaps the most underrated QB in the nation, Courtney Lewis --while not being particularly flashy-- is the type of workman like back you can build a team around (if he stays healthy), and the defense is loaded with more talent (albeit very young talent) than at anytime in the past several years. If they can get past Clemson in the opener, they should go 8-0 prior to their roadtrip out to Lubbock. If they can beat Tech, the Big 12 Title will be deciding during a 10 day stretch as that's the number of days between their season ending games against OU and Texas --ouch!

Oklahoma
This should be the roughest year for OU since Stoops first took over --of course that isn't saying much is it? After getting whooped up on in the national championship game for the second time in as many years, ole'Stoopsie will have his work cut out for him getting this year's edition into championship form.

With the loss of QB White, several big time names on the defense (they have no returning starters in their secondary!), and their 3rd 'co-defensive coordinator' in as many seasons, the Sooners will definitely be looking to reload and get the season off on the right foot. With their opening three games at home against TCU and Tusla and then at UCLA, these Sooners are more than capable of doing just that and being ready to smoke some beef come Texas Fair time.

Adrian Peterson is going to be the key to this offense, that much is clear. What isn't clear is how well he can hold up. The offensive line is pretty much intact from last season, but opposing defenses will be hunting and hurting Peterson all game long. Last year, he looked unstoppable until the Wrecking Crew knocked him around and injured his shoulder. He had surgery on it in the off season and we'll just have to see how well he responds to the big target on his jersey (word has it Stoopsie is mighty upset with him for slacking off on his off-season workouts).

If they can get the Boomer Schooner whipped into shape early, then this year's tussle in Dallas could be of epic proportions. If they lose that one, look out for an end of season slide like we haven't seen in a long, long time: these guys have to close with @Nebraska, A&M, @Tech, and Beldam in Stillwater.

Oklahoma State
Mike Gundy takes over for the dearly departed Les Miles. While Miles had 'waiting for big time program to come talk to me' practically tatooed on his forehead, Gundy is a Cowboy thru-and-thru. If he can keep OSU competitive (read that as, in the mix for 3rd in the South), he should be coaching there for a long, long time.

This season, though, he'll have to deal with a secondary that has been ravaged by graduation, players breaking rules (and getting kicked off the team), and the death of their starting corner (Vernon Grant was killed in a car accident); an offense that has a wealth of talent but still only managed to rank 111th in the passing last year (LSU fans, you might want to take note of that); and a coaching staff that is in a lot of upheavel with the departure of Miles to LSU. On the bright side, they are installing a spread offense which should help take advantage of all that talent on O.

Consider this season a success if the Cowpokes can finish with 7 wins. Their opening three games are all laughers, as should be their season ender at Waco, so they'll just need to steal a game from another B12S opponent or sweep their north division games (Colorado, Missouri, and Iowa State).

The Badnews Bears
Guy Morriss returns for his 'three times a charm' season at Baylor. They are 6-17 during his tenure (only 2 conference victories in that whole bunch --one was the revenge game agsint the Aggies, anyone remember the other?). This season, they will be doing good if they can sneak a in single conference win to go along with supposed victories over SMU and Samford; otherwise, it'll be another long year in Waco were they end the season with a double digit skid.

The North Division
In the north, you've got a Cornhusker team that can't possibly be as bad as it was last year, a Colorado team that should be much improved over last season's adversity plagued squad, a Mizzou squad that very seriously could get over the hump and earn some serious Top 10 respectability, and a Cyclone squad that should have bottomed out.

Nebraska
Bill Callahan returns for another season at the helm of Big Red. Last season, the Bugeaters went 5-6 playing a schedule that was, well, not exactly difficult --and this season's schedule doesn't get any tougher. They kick it all off at home against D1AA Maine, then rip off home games against Wake Forest, Pitt, Iowa State, and Texas Tech. Their first road trip of the season is down to Waco, and of the remaining South opponents, they miss Texas while playing OU at home.

With a schedule that runs dangerously close to K-State standards, expect the Huskers to return to the post season, quite possibly by taking the North Crown. Their two games against Missouri (10/22) and Colorado (11/25) --both away games-- should tell the tale for the division. Expect their Corn Coast Offense to put up big numbers for at least the first half of the season as JUCO star Zac Taylor takes over the reigns under center. The infamous blackshirts should also be back --and then some.

With all of that in place, if the Huskers don't have a break out season (record wise), expect to hear a steady call for Callahan's head when December rolls around.

Colorado
Once again, Colorado is poised as the dark horse in the North. Last year, I was able to correctly peg them as such (probably my only successful dark horse pick!) and they eeked away with the division title. This year though, the rest of the north is wee-bit better and Colorado is definitely a wee-bit worse.

First, they'll have to find somebody to replace departed 10 year player Bobby Purify in the backfield, then they'll have to find someway to breath life into the worst secondary in the Big 12. Oh, and then of course there's the quarterback, Klatt. He's a senior this year and will have to make dramatic improvements over last season to keep the Buffs above .500. If Barnett can squeeze enough O out of his buffalos to get to midfield though, they should be able to get 3 points on the board 9 times out of ten. Why? A super-stud named Mason Crosby is poised to be the next best thing to come out of the Big12. Seriously folks, watch out for this guy, word has it that he 'warms up' by nailing 60 yarders up in Boulder.

It's a tough slate for Colorado this year, with a possible landmine in every single conference game and a non-conference schedule that features rival Colorado State, Miami, and New Mexico State. Out of the south, they face Texas, A&M and OSU --although only the A&M game is away-- so don't expect more than a single win there (if any). Consider it a success if Colorado can win 7 and a dream season if they take the north division.

Kansas State
Bill Synder returns for his 18th season at K-State. Last year, his Wildcats stumbled terribly down the stretch as the defense basically packed it in with that Fresno State game and never returned (KSU finished 4-7, last in the division). This season, they'll start over with a lot of young talent and probably a couple of true freshman getting a crack at the starting line up.

With their typical non-con schedule of Florida International, Marshall, and North Texas. The Wildcats have to be hoping that they can get gelling early --especially on offense with RB Thomas Clayton taking over the reigns for departed senior Darren Sproles. Once the non-con slate is over though, reality should set in quickly as they kick off the conference card at Norman. If K-State can get its act together, they should be able to make a run at the north division with a closing schedule that looks like Colorado, at Iowa State, at Nebraska, and Missouri.

Kansas
Of the dozen teams in the Big 12, Kansas gets this year's Screwed Schedule award. They get the pleasure of starting off their conference schedule with 3 out of 4 on the road and have the distinction of playing Texas, OU, and Tech in the south (Texas and Tech being away games). In Magnino's 4th season, he has fielded a solid unit that should be able to compete with all of the teams in their division. However, faced with that brutal schedule, don't expect the Jayhawks to remain competive in the north as the season unfolds.

Their defense is solid and largely intact from last season. The get an infusion of talent from a pair of JUCO transfers that should help them along the defensive line. On offense, JUCO WR Brian Murph is a speedster that should help stretch the defense if QB Barmann can effectively get the ball to him. Expect to hear the name Charles Gordon a lot if you catch any KU football --he's an ironman that led the nation in picks last season and figures to make a name for himself on offense and a punt returner.

If Mangino can't find a way to compete for the north title, don't be surpised if he's given the boot at the end of the year. His 12-24 record isn't exactly what the Jayhawks had in mind when they hired him, and the 8 rules violations in the football program that the NCAA found last season sure aren't the image Kansas wants to project to the rest of the country.

Missouri
The Tigers enter the 05 season with more weight on their shoulders than perhaps any other Big Dozen team. In 04, they were favorites to run away with the North title, but floundered in mediocrity, frittering away the crown. In the off season, players openly spoke about the 'unimaginative' play calling during the season, and then redshirt freshman Aaron O'Neal collapsed and died during a volunteer team workout. While that may all be a recipe for disaster, if the Black Hammers can pull together and rally around one another, it could also galvanize them into playing like a team possessed.

If the latter is the case, they will have to get more production of QB Brad Smith and speedster William Franklin. The two of them possess a world of talent that Coach Pinkel has to find a way to take advantage of. On Defense, the Mizzou should be just fine. They were a solid unit last season and didn't lose a single playmaker. With the addition of Va Alexander at LB and JUCO FS Darnell Terrell, this defense could be the best in the North.

With all that being said, we should find out October 1st, exactly where this Missouri team is going to fall. That's the date, they open their conference schedule: at home, against Texas. If they can win that one, or hang in it to the end, they should be in the driver's seat for the division title. They get Nebraska and Iowa State at home and miss Tech, A&M, and OU in the South.

Iowa State
If the Cyclones can stay healthy, they should be able to improve upon their 7-5 season last year and again challenge for the North title. If not, the season could turn against them dangerously fast as they are a very young team behind the 20 returning starters. The season will likely be thrust on the shoulder of QB Bret Meyer, last season's Independence Bowl MVP. He has the feet to give defenses nightmares on the ground, but unlike the other mobile quarterbacks in the B12, he doesn't have the accuracy with the arm to do quite as much damage. Last season, he completed just 40% of his passes --a number that he will have to really bump up if they want to keep defenses honest and win the north title.

In the backfield, helping take the pressure off Meyer, is probably the Big12's most unheralded back: Stevie Hicks. With a conference that graduated both Sproles and Benson, look for Hicks to start getting some good pub.

While beating Iowa in week number 2 isn't very realistic, winning at Nebraska to start October is --and would send shock waves across the division. If they win that one, it'll be a steady test for these redbirds as they face off against Missouri, OSU, A&M, K-state, Colorado, and Kansas. If they stumble down the stretch like last season though, they'll end up right back at that Independence Bowl.

The Mott's Preason Top 25

2005-08-05T17:39:00.000-05:00

Well, the Coaches Poll just came out, so I guess that means I need to get my run down out there as well. Before we get to it, the truly diehard fan should know that CBS Sportsline has a clock on their webpage countdowning the days, hours, minutes, and seconds until the start of the college pigskin season: http://www.sportsline.com/collegefootball

Note: The Coaches Top 10 are as follows: USC, Texas, Tenn, Mich, OU, LSU, Va Tech, Miami, Ohio State, and Iowa.

My 'throw some milk out on the door step and see if the cat licks it up' Top 25 are as follows:

1 USC - Until somebody knocks them off, they sit on the throne.
2 Michigan - Look who nobody's talking about all of a sudden!
3 Texas - Last year's Rose pumps this ranking up --is it credible?
4 Tenn - Off season issues - Check. QB Controversy - Check. SEC title run - check.
5 Ohio State - Ted Ginn is just the tip of the iceberg, but how many weeks until the QB situation is worked out?
6 Iowa - They were unbelievable last year with walk on backs, can't wait to see what they do with healthy ones.
7 LSU - All the talent in the world, but now you've got a new coach --can he find that big, shiny red stick early?
8 Miami - Falling from grace? Is the new power blowing through the ACC a Hokie?
9 Oklahoma - Two steps back for Sooner Nation after dropping two straight bowls in blow outs.
10 Virginia Tech - If Vick is the real deal, this ranking is too low. If he isn't, the ACC race is full of contenders.
11 Georgia - Can they reload? Yes, but can they win the SEC?
12 Auburn - Can they reload? Yes, but how long will it take?
13 Arizona State - These guys are the ultimate wildcard. No trip to the desert is safe if they're involved.
14 Purdue - Offense should be fine, Defense should be monster. Also misses both Ohio State and Michigan
15 Texas A&M - Frenchy's got a shot at ruining a Miracle Longhorn Season.
16 Louisville - Better than last year, but then again who exactly did they play last year?
17 Florida - Urban gets swamped in his first year --can Leak really lead this team?
18 W Virginia - Lost all world KJ, but D should be great with all linemen (O and D) are returning.
19 Florida State - In a world of hurt this off season, plus they have to kick it off against Miami. Can grandpa hold them together?
20 Texas Tech - If they continue the momentum from last year's Holiday, they could easily compete for the conference crown.
21 Cal - If they continue the momentum from last year's Holiday, they could easily miss the post season.
22 Boise State - The Blue Turf reigns supreme --too bad they start off the season AT Georgia.
23 Bowling Green - With Omar Jacobs lining up under center, who else in the MAC are you gonna pick?
24 UTEP - Has any team reversed its fortunes more in the last 10 years? Price is indeed an arse, but the man can coach.
25 Navy - Sure, they won't end the season here, but you gotta give'em their props sometime.

Those Noteably Left Out In The Cold:
Utah - Lost a wealth of talent and their coach. Should win the M-West, but that isn't saying much.
Notre Dame - Enough talent and possibility to be a Top 10 team, but that schedule is sooo brutal.
S Carolina - The Visor returns --too bad his team has such little talent. .500 would be a great job here.
The Big 12 North - Nebraska, Colorado, Missouri. Take your pick. Any is a legite Top 25, but which one?
NC State - Monster D. Offense should be in better shape this year, but playing in the ACC won't make'em look pretty.

40 Days and 40 Nights

2005-07-22T18:30:00.000-05:00

It’s been well more than that since the Of-fO campaign wrapped up with that Trojan thumping of the Sooners, but now is the time to focus on the upcoming fall campaign. The official kick off is Thursday, Sept 1st and that leaves us just 40 days and 40 nights (from the inception of this diatribe) to contemplate the what ifs, might bes, and who knows for the 2005 pigskin year.

But before we talk too much about specific match ups that we’ll get to whet our whistle with on the opening salvo of another glorious grid-iron season, let’s take a moment to pontificate on what might just happen –or not happen—in the upcoming year.

The Coaching Carousel
What better place to start than the head of the snake, the top of the mountain, the leader of the pack? This off season dealt the college football luvin world a veritable monsoon of coaching changes with no less than six top flight coaches changing addresses.

Notre Dame and Charlie Weiss – Is he the savior the Irish have been looking for? I seriously doubt it. Urban Meyer may have fit the bill, but it was the Gators that were able to lay enough bills out on the table to hire him. Notre Dame saved a lot of face with this hire, but Weiss isn’t going to be bringing back the Four Horseman anytime soon. That said, he will undoubtedly be a better fit for the job than Tyrone Willingham who never, ever looked comfortable mixed in with all those golden domes. Since he has no heading coaching experience under his belt, its entirely guesswork as to what he can do with the Fighting Irish, but if I were a betting man I’d say there days of fighting for the national title are still a long, long ways off. While they will certainly be able to field a top 25 team –and maybe even a top 10 team—that’s a far cry from a title shot, especially with the killer schedule that they line up year in and year out. Now it’s no secret that I’m not a ND fan –heck, I love it when they lose, but I can say this: it’s no fun watching them lose when they do it as often as they have been. So here’s to the Irish –may you deliver that Instant Classic upset blow this year and propel yourself back into perennial contention so that I can root lustily against you.

Ty and the Huskies – Speaking of Notre Dame, I never much liked the fact that Tyrone left Stanford to coach them. Yeah, sure it’s a dream job, but there’s the whole thing of how well suited are you to that job? A: Obviously not well. Willingham as always seemed like a perfect small school fit. He has the philosophy, formations, and schemes that can quietly build up a program to compete with any team in the nation every 3 or 4 years and develop incredible top rated NFL talent, but he just doesn’t strike me as someone who can headline a major program year in/year out. Maybe Washington will be a great fit for him, but I have this nagging suspicion that he won’t be able to do much more than right the ship and staunch the bleeding in that program. All that aside, there isn’t a coach out there that exudes class and integrity more than Ty –and that, above all else, is what the Huskies need now.

Greg Robinson, Orangeman – This could be an awesome fit for both schools. The only other assistant to deserve a head coaching job more was Norm Chow. Robinson is an unstoppable motivator and energizer –those of us down here in Texas ought to know, he took an overrated Texas D and turned it into a downright nasty, kick-you-in-your-teeth kind of squad (but, ya know, one that plays fair!). This year, the entire Cuse D is returning and under Robi’s tutelage should play lights out –and have a very realistic chance of being the class of the Big East (but only on D). They are very young and not extremely talented on offense, which will make for a very painful year under the big dome. And Robi fans, don’t expect too much next year either –that’s when they’ll lose pretty much their entire starting defensive unit. Despite that, look for the Orange to soon become one of the juggernauts in a weakened BEast.

Urban ‘Legend’ Meyer, Florida – This just doesn’t make a lot of sense to me. Meyer is gifted, without doubt. He is a great motivator too, without doubt. But there is this little voice in the back of my mind telling me that this hire is doomed to failure and that Florida will never, ever return to the Visor Days of Old. In fact, I don’t think the Florida schools in general will ever be as dominant as they were in the 80s and 90s (of course, maybe that’s just because I don’t really like ANY of the Florida schools). Meyer is a special talent, yes, but in the big bad SEC and recruiting against a now power house ACC, I just don’t see Florida landing the dominant players that they’ll need to gain supremacy in the polls. Tennessee, Georgia, and Auburn will always give them a run. Bama and Arkansas are snipers and sandtraps just waiting to explode, LSU is as loaded as any team in the nation, and the Gamecocks (with the Visor) will stick it to the Gators each and every time they play.

Les ‘is more’ Miles, LSU – No high profile hire makes less sense to me than this one (unless you count ND missing out on the Urban Legend). Miles is gifted, but he’s a scrapper –not a leader of the football elite (I’m sorry, I love the guy, but that’s just my opinion). This hire is like taking Mike Leach out of Lubbock and planting him at Miami. Sure, he’ll put up big numbers –huge numbers– but he ain’t gonna build a program that will be ‘complete’ and compete for a title for years on end (like Tenn, Georgia, Auburn, Florida, and Miami do).

Frank Solich, Ohio – The MAC picked up a superstar in Solich. Don’t think so? Just look what he did at Nebraska, despite all the failings of the athletic program and its facilities –and what Nebraska has done without him. He’s a perfect fit for Ohio and the MAC –he doesn’t want anything more than to coach in one place for the next 15-20 years and Ohio wants exactly the same thing. Now while the MAC should make the most non-BCS noise this year, but don’t expect talent poor Ohio to be a part of it –this is a serious building project that will take a few years to bear fruit.

Ron Zook, Illinois – Hmmm, this is an interesting pick. Zook really wasn’t a bad coach, he just couldn’t keep the Visor Days going down in the Swamp, but who could have? I think Zook is a very solid coach, but just wasn’t able to handle the expectations in the swamp –something he definitely won’t have to deal with at Illinois. Even so, with his pedigree people will probably expect them to compete for 2nd tier status right out of the box. In a loaded Big10 where Illinois has been an after thought more times than anyone save Northwestern, I just don’t see that ever happening.

Now, I could go on and on about other coaching changes like South Carolina hiring Steve Spurrier, Ed Orgeron taking the reigns at Mississippi, Dave Wannstedt in a home coming of sorts at Pittsburgh, Walt Harris flying the coup to Stanford, or Dick Tomey taking over at San Diego State but where would one draw the line –or find the time?

The Front Runners and the Dark Horses
Now this could be a wee bit lengthy, so I’ll try to keep it down to the pick and a quick note –remember, we’ve still got 40 days and 40 nights to water cooler these things to death…

ACC
Front Runner – Miami. Of course, the Seminoles could change all that with a huge upset win in the season opener –which may be quite a bit easier now that Wyatt Sexton is out for the season with Lyme Disease (seriously, I wish the guy well and a speedy and full recovery, but Wyatt is NOT the quarterback to helm a program like Florida State).
Dark Horse – You could say Virginia Tech here, but many consider them a front runner. While you can never count a Hokie out, they just have too many big time games with NC State, West Virginia, Virginia, and Miami to run the table. My pick in the space is BC. Yep, Boston College. They don’t have Miami on their schedule and they get Florida State and NC State at home. The make or break game for them should be a trip to Hokietown on 10/27. Here’s hoping Vick isn’t all that and a side of Heisman.

Big East
Front Runner – Obviously, with the addition of Louisville to the big bad BEast, they are the front runner. In fact, their toughest game of the season could very well be Pittsburgh and that’s at home.
Dark Horse – For a dark horse, Pitt is too easy of a pick to make, especially with a kid by the name of Tyler Palko sitting over center. They kick off the season with Notre Dame and end it at West Virginia –not the kind of schedule you want if you’re trying to sneak up on the conference crown. For me, the team is West Virginia. They just need to find a new ‘Pac Man’ for their secondary and a steady quarterback that won’t turn the ball over. The Mountaineers should have a monster of a ground game to prop up incoming youngsters in both the receiving corp and quarterback position, oh and a killer d-line to keep that score within reach of the worm burners.

Big Ten
Front Runner – Take your pick in this year’s conference edition: Michigan, Ohio State, or Iowa. For me, it’s the Wolverines. Building off of last year, they’ve got the best one-two punch in the conference in QB Henne and RB Hart. The question will be if the Wolves D can find a way to stop mobile quarterbacks –like the kind they will face in Michigan State’s Drew Stanton and Ohio State’s Troy Smith.
Dark Horse – Without a doubt, the Dark Horse of the Big 10 is Purdue. Sure, they lost all everything golden boy Kyle Orton, but in return they get Brandon Kirsch, a loaded receiving corps and offensive line, and a defense that returns all 11 starters. With a schedule that manages to evade games with both Michigan and Ohio State –not to mention getting Notre Dame and Iowa at home—this could finally be the year of the Biolermaker.

Big 12
Front Runner – This year it has to be Texas. The north division is, well, still in shambles. The South Division, while being every bit as competitive as last year lacks a superpower OU club and contains an Aggie squad that is still a year or two away from playing for grid iron glory in January. As such, Texas with VY, a very experienced offensive line, and as solid a defense heading into the season as I’ve seen a long, long time is the definite pick to run the table in the Dirty Dozen.
Dark Horse –This one’s a toughy. You could legitimately say any North Division team –after all, one of them has to make it to the title game, and on any given Saturday… But I’m not going to wuss out like that. Nope, the tough pick here is between The Texas Air Raid and the Wrecking Crew. Frenchie is primed for a great season, but this IS the Big 12 South –it takes a lot to get through the B12S. Texas Tech on the other hand is buoyed by that pasting of Cal in the Holiday Bowl and should actually sport a defense that will make the other team earn their points. For that reason, the Air Raiders are my choice for Dark Horse.

C*USA
Front Runner – You would think adding Marshall to the mix would make them front runners, but the Herd just isn’t what it used to be (they were horrible on offense last season AND they are returning only 3 starters). My front runner pick here is going to sound like a Dark Horse: UTEP. Under Mike Price, UTEP exploded onto the scene last season, finishing an astonishing 9-2 and 7-1 in conference play. Expect more of the same this season as transfers from the West Coast back fill slots lost to departing seniors and QB Jordan Palmer opens it up with speedsters Jason Boyd and Johnnie Lee Higgins.
Dark Horse – UAB. Ordinarily, I’d say Southern Miss but most other people will have them as front runners in C*USA and that just wouldn’t be very dark horsey now would it? UAB will have to find a way to replace both their starting deep threat receivers, and they’ll have to shore up the mushy run defense, but they’ve got solid talent in the ground game and under center, plus a lot of returning starters on D so hopefully they won’t be that mushy.

MAC
Front Runner – Okay, in this conference picking a Front Runner and a Dark Horse makes no sense. There are four teams that are legitimate contenders for the crown with all the other teams standing virtually no chance at post season play if the NCAA would adopt a sane stick to measure with (6 wins should not a post season make). You’ve got Toledo, Northern Illinois, Miami of Ohio, and Bowling Green. It’s a tough choice, but when you consider the pub that’s being generating in the preseason, you have to go with Omar Jacobs and Bowling Green. Right now, he is being projected as one of the top 3 QBs in the nation, next to USC’s Lienart and that Sun Devil Sam Keller (seriously folks, make a point to catch one of them dessert desert games Saturday night with this guy –you won’t be disappointed).
Dark Horse – So what’s left? NIU, Toledo, and Miami. Toledo’s offense got rolling at the end of 04 with Gradkowski under center, but will their dismal defense be able to improve? NIU once again has a stable of tailbacks to terrorize the pass happy MAC, their defense should be much improved, but their linebackers are still the soft spot on the team. Miami has Josh Betts returning along with his entire starting offensive line, and a defense that should be the class of the MAC. With all that being said, it’s hard to call it a Dark Horse, but I’m going with the RedHawks.
But lets keep the MAC in perspective: the fun thing about these guys isn’t the chase for the conference title, it’s the very realistic shot that each of these four teams has at knocking off a Big 10 team in the first 2 weeks of the season.

M-West
Front Runner – Utah. It has to be. Sure they lost quite a few guys from last year as well as Urban Meyer, but look around the MAC and what do you see? A whole bunch of also-rans.
Dark Horse –TCU. They’re new to the MWEST, and have serious issues with the ground game, but I think they’ll find the Mountain West and C*USA are quiet comparable when it comes to talent.

PAC10
Front Runner – The undisputed king of the castle is USC. Until somebody, anybody, can knock them off they’ve earned this distinction. That being said, I’ll eat my hat if the Trojans go undefeated once again this season (the odds are just sooooo stacked against them).
Dark Horse – You could say Cal, you could say Oregon. You could even say UCLA, but you’d be wrong. The Dark Horse here is A-State. The Sun Devils have a date with destiny on October 1st in Death Valley. That’s when the Trojans come a calling, and that’s when Sam Keller, Derek Hagan, and Zach Miller should become household names.

SEC
Front Runner – Geez, take your pick. Do you go with the Urban Gators, the Vols, Georgia and their new hoss DJ Shockley, or how about LSU or even Auburn? Well, Florida –sorry, I’m just not buying that Chris Leak is all that and then some. Georgia –you lost the all time winningest QB in NCAA history as well as all-universe DE David Pollack –you’ll be good, very good, but not the front runner. LSU? Maybe. They’ve got more talent than anyone –probably more than Miami, Texas, Michigan, Ohio State, and USC. But they also have a new coach, and I’m not so sure they are going to be able to run the table here. What about Auburn? After being screwed last year will they find a way to the promised land? Maybe, but that then isn’t the status of a front runner. And so that leaves Tennessee. Eric Ainge and Rick Clausen return as heady QBs that play beyond their years, Gerald Riggs returns as the TB who didn’t know how to stop running, and their defense figures to be one of the best in the nation with NFL talent at every position.
Dark Horse – Who then is the dark horse? If you want an insane long shot, go with Bama. Brodie Croyle will be healthly and should roll the Tide to victory –and an upset or two. But for me, the Dark Horse is going to be Auburn. They lost their entire starting backfield to the NFL in the first FIVE PICKS. They have a solid team and great coaching, but the trick will be finding the right guy at QB and gelling early enough in the season to stay in the hunt for a SEC title.

Sun Belt
Front Runner – North Texas. Okay, I don’t know a lot about the Sun Belt Conference, but North Texas is the only school in the conference that doesn’t make me chuckle and smile when I think about Bowl Teams.
Dark Horse – It could be Troy –they were certainly looking good last year until the wheels came off the cart against …Boise State I believe? But in this space, I’m going for UL-Monroe –one of the perennial worst teams in America. Why the sudden faith in the Indians? Well, how can you turn down a team who’s #1 rated player is the Punter?!? Seriously though, QB Steven Jyles is a Marcus Vick type player, throwing the ball just as well as he runs it –that should put Sun Belt Defenses in a tizzy trying to defend him –especially with his entire offensive line returning. On Defense, the Indians boast a line that is laden with all seniors. It might not be pretty, but this looks like the best UL-Monroe team that is going to be fielded for quite some time.

WAC
Front Runner – Boise State and the home of the Blue Turf. If they can survive –not win, just survive, a tortuous opening slate of AT Georgia and AT Oregon State, they should run away with the conference.
Dark Horse – Fresno State isn’t much of a Dark Horse pick as they stand a very real chance of opening up 7-1 before playing anyone with a heart beat (except Oregon, whom I except them to get that ‘L’ from). They also get Boise State at home, so the more I think about it, the more I’m leaning to swapping these picks.

Independents
Why is this even carried as a category? You’ve got Army, Navy, Temple, and Notre Dame. Who do you think is going to have the best season?

The Weekly Story Lines
In 2003 it was Championship Saturday, Showdown Saturday, Survival Saturday, Silly Saturday, and just about any name you could come up with. In 2004, it was unbelievable bone headed plays (missed PATs, missed Field Goals, and mangled clock management); ridiculous lock-down defenses (Wisconsin’s D-Line –yes they ALL got drafted in the first 2 days, NC State’s rabid Wolfpack D that set ACC records, and Penn State’s scrappy D that kept them in the game when they had no business being there); Quarterback Clinics from Kyle Orton (well, at least in the first half of the season), Matt Leinart, Jason Campbell, Timmy Chang, David Greene, and the incredible footwork of Mr. Vince Young in the Rose Bowl; some punter named Payne who played football like he was The Running Man; the now almost routine Sooner Meltdown at the end of the season; and a feeble Joe Pa and PSU offense that springs nothing else to mind but P-U.

What will it be this season? The fun answer: I have no idea, but I can’t wait to see. JoPa is certain to claim his share of the stage, alongside at least one of the Bowden Boys. Which commercials will stand out, forever imprinted in your brain like Under Armour, Lincoln’s new mug on the five dollar bill, or those amazingly annoying Fanta girls? Oh, and of course, there is bound to be drama over the new coaches and non-BCS schools, not to mention the NEW BCS Formula including something called a Harris Poll –oh, and don’t forget the AP Poll will still be handing out National Championship hardware at the end of the season –on their own terms!

Of course, there will probably be no less than 10 games botched by instant replay. Yep, that’s my guess: no less than 10. Now I’m a fan of replay, and I think it will eventually work out very well for everyone concerned, but the speed with which everyone has jumped on the bandwagon this season is very troubling. In fact there has been such a rush to judgment that I think the only plausible outcome is that horrible mistakes will be made. The only thing that will make it worse is the fact that each conference has its own little nuances to replay: nuances that aren’t gonna make a whole heck of a lot of sense to the fans, the players, the coaches, the refs, or anyone else for that matter –especially in those non-conference games.

Ah well, there it is, the end of my tome. The best thing that can be said is this: It’s 40 days and 40 nights from now until the Visor tips off the season for us. It’s a long wait from now, but it’s also such a short, short time to spend around the water cooler before the facemasks are donned and the chalk hits the turf. So enjoy the tome, and let me know your thoughts/opinions all things pigskin before the season starts. I’ll be sending out the first week’s slate of games shortly –it’ll be a doozy of a 5-game stretch staring off with the Visor on one channel and the Bulldogs on another and running all the way through until the Canes and Seminoles knock heads for a Monday Nite Showdown.

Cheers.