Another week, another round of games. This week was disappointingly normal, at least relative to the last few weeks. So let's take a deeply sarcastic look at the old ball games.
#3 Alabama-38, Kentucky-20
'Bama is 35-2-1 against Kentucky all time. While I imagine the numbers in basketball look similar (minus the tie, of course) in favor of Kentucky, it makes one wonder why people think the SEC is a conference that has no compare.
Look, I agree that the SEC is the best conference in the country. With LSU, Florida, Georgia, Alabama, and Auburn they have a high number of very good football teams. Still, the Kentuckys and Vanderbilts of the conference ensure that there are still bad games. Plus, since at least one of the "good" teams has a down year every year (oh, how quickly we forget how bad Florida was in 2003...) it is a bit of an overstatement to claim that the SEC has 5 national championship contenders every year. This year they have Florida and Alabama. LSU might upset Florida in Death Valley this coming Saturday, but mark my words they will not go undefeated and they will not go to a title game, since their loss will either come this week or at Alabama in November.
Oh, well. Time for further analysis of other games, since I didn't watch this one, nor do I care.
#4 LSU-20, #18 UGA-13
6 points in the first 45 minutes, then a touchdown, then 20 points in the final 3 minutes. It was like a brief history of the game of football.
LSU won in a game that they frankly shouldn't have, but the real highlight of this game was the unnecessary celebration penalties handed out to both squads. While I am inclined to agree that celebrations in the NFL are over the top and silly, I disagree with the "put down the ball and look at the ground while you walk not-too-fast-but-not-too-slow back to the sidelines" stance that the NCAA takes with its players. Georgia and LSU's celebration penalties are prime examples. The NCAA's rule states that celebrations shouldn't call attention to the individual, but to the team. OK, I get that, and I get the purpose behind it, but does that mean that all 11 players have to run up to the man who scored the touchdown and give a group hug? Is chest slapping illegal, since one does it to oneself? If so, how come D-linemen and linebackers get to do it whenever they hit a QB? Let the college kids celebrate a little. If they make it to the NFL then they'll get to anyway. Might as well give the less-talented some opportunities as well...
Also, can someone please explain how LSU and Georgia scored so much in the last 3 minutes while slowly going nowhere for the first 57? Since this happens fairly regularly (See the Virginia Tech/Nebraska game from 2 weeks ago) one must wonder why teams don't just stay in the no-huddle 2-minute drill the whole game.
UC Davis-16, #5 Boise State-34
Jeez, man. Boise State, who will probably not make the national title game unless lightning strikes each individual BCS-eligible school twice (in a literal sense), decides to schedule a cupcake instead of an actual opponent. I have a suggestion. Let's pretend that the Cincinnati/Miami (OH) game never happened and that Boise and Cincy faced off. I think we can all agree that would be A) more interesting and B) make it so the Broncos could get into the National Title game without divine intervention.
#6 Virginia Tech-34, Duke-28
How on Earth did Tech beat Miami in just about every facet of the game last week, then narrowly escape Duke this week? Sure, I know the theory that you "play to the level of your competition," but how do you explain Virginia Tech's crushing of Marshall with that theory?
Methinks that the Devils watched some game film and did their homework against Virginia Tech. Otherwise it's a bit difficult to explain the 327 passing yards that Tyrod Taylor had, compared to the small number of rush yards that the Hokies got.. As for Duke, they had one of the most unbalanced offenses ever and they still managed to keep the game very close. Parity, I believe, has created situations that once would have seemed bizarre. Aside from truly and utterly awful football programs (read: Florida International) Division 1-A (or FBS if you're one of the 3 people in the country who actually calls it that) is incredibly close-run. Yes, the Southern Cal's of the world will beat the UAB's of the world more often than not, but upsets are happening with much more regularity thanks to the addition of gimmick offenses and the long-standing tradition of overlooking teams.
As for analysis, it would seem that talk of the Hokies returning to the National Title picture is a bit premature, since Duke came uncomfortably close to winning on Saturday. The Devils, meanwhile, have had a rough go of things this year after some improvement the last 2 years. This good performance may be a sign indicating a return to improvement. Or, it could have been a fluke. We'll see.
#7 USC-30, #24 Cal-3
So does anyone remember when Cal was the 6th ranked team in the country? Yeah, that was a great joke on the part of the AP voters. Seriously, hilarious stuff.
Southern Cal, it would seem, is still atop the PAC-10 for now. They performed well on the road in a performance that really cemented them as the favorites in the conference, and they seem to only have Oregon left as a real obstacle. (No, I don't include Notre Dame on that list. When Charlie Weiss shows up at my house with a crowbar and beats the crap out of me, then I will begin thinking of Notre Dame (and their coach) as a threat)
#8 Oklahoma-20, #17 Miami-21
Miami emerges victorious from its 4th straight matchup against a ranked team, and 3-1 overall during that span (admittedly, the first one was Florida State). The Hurricanes are on a downhill run from here with only one ranked opponent left on the schedule and a 1-AA cupcake game next week. If the right teams win/lose, they're very much in the hunt for an ACC Championship
As for the Sooners, they can still hope for the Big 12 championship, but they are out of the National Title picture (Yeah, who thought that sentence would be typed after 4 games). OU has beaten basically no one (Best win: Tulsa) and they still have some seriously tough games on the schedule (Texas, Kansas, Nebraska, and Oklahoma State are all ranked, and Texas Tech is a threat at home.) The Sooners might soon turn into spoilers instead of contenders, though chaos in the Big 12 is always fun to watch. I'm sure we all remember last year's 3-way tie for the South Division.
#9 Ohio State-33, Indiana-14
The Buckeyes continue to benefit from being one of the few good-to-OK teams in the Big 10 + 1. Indiana isn't very good, and they haven't been for a while, so we can't really chalk this up as a Buckeye victory so much as business as usual for the Hoosiers.
The Buckeyes have put up impressive numbers and still have the potential to go to the Rose Bowl or (if the chips fall right) into the National Title. Indiana has potential to go, frankly, nowhere.
#10 Cincinnati-31, Miami (The bad one. I mean, Ohio)-13
Cincinnati continues it's rise to the top of the Big East. In fairness, that's like rising to the top in a bucket of filth. Sure, you're on top, but look at what else is in the bucket.
It doesn't help that the rest of the Big East is fairly mediocre. I venture to say that the best team in the Big East would struggle against the 4th best team in the SEC. I'd also venture that the Big East will get up to 6 teams (probably more like 5) into the bowls. Finally, I'd venture to say that Boise State could beat all of those teams combined...
SMU-14, #11 TCU-39
TCU continues to move up in rankings and standings. They basically have to crush all their foes for the remainder of the season. SMU, meanwhile, was once a relevant team on the college football landscape. It's remarkable, however, that the death penalty that they received 22 years ago is still crushing the football program in University Park, Texas.
TCU, for their part, is working well to be a BCS buster. They still have tough games against Utah and BYU, but they stand the best chance of representing the Mountain West during this coming Bowl Season.
#12 Houston-41, UTEP-58
Mark my words, it is a good thing that this happened. Why? I will explain in simple terms below:
Logic tells us that an undefeated Houston would make either a BCS bowl (unlikely) or a semi-major bowl. They "proved" themselves against an overrated Oklahoma State squad and a Texas Tech team that is in repair. As a result, they became media darlings and grabbed headlines as a potential BCS buster. Reality came into play this week on the road at UTEP. The same UTEP who, just last week, lost to Texas by 57 points. The relevance, you ask? Well, if lightning had struck just right (and in college football it often does) then you have Houston playing Texas or Virginia Tech or Miami or USC or Penn State in a big-time bowl, losing by 43, then 100 stories about how the BCS busters are irrelevant to an actual college football discussion. Best that this happened now, rather than in January.
Arkansas State-21, #13 Iowa-24
Remember my lampooning of the "play to your competition" theory that I did up above? Yeah, I take that back. Iowa's the only team I can think of that will beat the #5 team in the country by 11 on the road then nearly lose to a Sun Belt opponent at home. Throw in the near-loss to Northern Iowa during week 1, and you have a team that would probably take a pro team to overtime one week, then lose to the Stevie Wonder Institute for the Blind the next. Iowa seems to be a good school, and the Big 11 Championship game may just come down to the Iowa/Ohio State showdown at the Horseshoe in November.
#15 Penn State-35, Illinois-17
You know, sometimes I wonder how Ron Zook does it. He recruited the team that won Florida's national title in 2006-07, he's had some danged awesome talent come through Illinois, and his team has been fairly awful with the exception of 2007's Rose Bowl effort. Zook has to do some serious work in order to keep his job, especially since everyone is aware of his recruiting prowess and his lack of coaching prowess.
Penn State, meanwhile, recovered from their loss to Iowa, but thanks to the lack of a conference championship game, the Nittany Lions will need Iowa and Ohio State to screw up. Look for JoePa to wind up in, like, the Alamo Bowl.
Washington State-6, #16 Oregon-52
Oregon is looking good ever since their loss to Boise to kick off the year. They'll be tested on Halloween when USC comes to town.
As for Washington State, they've been fairly bad these last few years. They're not too good this year either. There, there's your analysis.
Utah State-17, #20 BYU-35
Utah is a boring state.
#21 Mississippi-23, Vanderbilt-7
Mississippi's bounce-back game came at an opportune time, especially when one considers the game they have next week against Alabama. 'Bama is a good football team, and it doesn't look like Ole Miss has much of a chance. Their lone prayer is that the home crowd shuts down Bama's offense, since Mississippi's QB Jevan Snead is the most overhyped player who's won nothing this side of Matt Ryan (yeah, it was unnecessary. Who cares?). Personally, look for Mississippi to play in the Gator Bowl or something similar. They're not going to factor into the BCS.
Vandy is...Vandy. That's the best way I can put it.
#22 Michigan-20, Michigan State-26 (OT)
Dear Michigan,
We all knew this was coming. I told you so during my last 2 letters. You're not a bad football team, you're just not a title contender. Now, take note that you've still not beaten anyone who is legitimately good. You've beaten Notre Dame, who is still overrated, and you've beaten no one else of any consequence whatsoever. Heck, you've only played 2 schools outside the state of Michigan.
I'll continue. Your weasel coach has proved his "worth" by making 2 programs go downhill quickly. Your lust for quick wins led to a schedule that any decent 1-A team could turn into a BCS berth. Sure, you play some tough teams, but I venture to guess that middle-of-the-road Mississippi could have made it this far without going to overtime or losing to Michigan State. I hate to see you go from the Top 25, however, as writing these letters allows me to vent my spleen. It also allows me to use phrases like "vent my spleen," something that people don't get to do enough in this modern college football environment. Oh well, I'll see you again next week since you play Iowa, who happens to be ranked because they actually beat some decent schools.
Sincerely,
Bones
#25 Georgia Tech-42, Mississippi State-31
Apparently Mississippi State has mastered the art of sticking with teams at home. Now all they have to do is A) learn to actually win at home or B) stick with teams at home and on the road. Either way, they'll eventually upset someone, allowing me to vindicate the waste of space and time that these three sentences have become.
Georgia Tech, meanwhile, marks their return to the Top 25 with a victory over an SEC foe. That looks good for the ACC, even if they're only beating Mississippi State. It's better than losing to William and Mary...
Tales from the Bottom 95
So UVa notches their first win. Against UNC. So...what happened to Carolina? They go from "real competitor" to "We lost to who?!" in the span of 2 weeks. I'm curious to hear how Butch Davis can vindicate his salary when he can't even beat UVa. (NOTE: I will never eat those words, even if Carolina can beat Virginia Tech. Know why? Because even if you do beat Tech, you still lost to FRIGGIN' UVA! They lost to William and Mary!)...Louisiana Tech thumped Hawaii Wednesday night. Relevance? Well, does anyone remember when Hawaii was the new Boise State?...Boy, Colorado is bad...Clemson started last year in the Top 10. This season they have lost to Georgia Tech and TCU (not bad losses) and Maryland (apocalyptically bad loss). Maryland has been a punching bag this year. What changed? My theory: Ralph Friedgen promised to eat a player for every loss this season. They didn't believe him at first, but has anyone seen the backup kicker for Maryland recently? Didn't think so...Only 19 of the Top 25 played this week, and yet I still post on Wednesday. Sad, eh?...Auburn beat Tennessee in an ugly game, but it looks like the Tigers' offense is infinitely better than last year's version...
Showing posts with label Matt Ryan. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Matt Ryan. Show all posts
Monday, October 5, 2009
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Saturday in Review 9/26/09
Ah, another glorious day in college football. An overview of the highlights shall commence.
#1 Florida-41, Kentucky-7
Look, I appreciate a good football story as much as the next guy, but the Tim Tebow overload is approaching ridiculous proportions. Yes, he's one of the best ever at the college level. It goes without saying that he's important to his team. But having to hear about how he took a separate flight to the game because the flu is spreading around Florida is not that interesting.
Also, while I pity him for getting knocked out of the game, one must wonder why he was still in the game! I mean, seriously, the score was 31-7 when Timmy got hurt. Since he was feeling bad (at least according to the media) he should have been taken out when they jumped out to that ridiculous 1st quarter lead. Instead, Urban "I have no soul" Meyer opted to leave him in and show Kentucky a thing or 2 about football. I feel little sympathy for Florida, and none at all for Meyer. You're crushing an inferior team, so there's no point in having your theoretically ailing starter out there.
In conclusion, aside from 1 player playing sick and then getting hurt, this game was about as dull as dirt. Let's move on.
UTEP-7, #2 Texas-64
Food for thought: Texas' nonconference schedule features the following teams: UL Monroe, Wyoming, UTEP, and Central Florida. They play in a conference that is beginning to look more and more overrated as the weeks go on.
Conclusion: If, for some reason, the Longhorns lose to any of their conference foes, their national title shot may be totally done. Simple reason: 4 of their wins (assuming they beat UCF, which they should) will come against the cupcake-iest of cupcakes. So, beware, Longhorn fans. The eyes of the BCS computers are upon you.
Arkansas-7, #3 Alabama-35
A good SEC team crushes a not-so-good SEC team. In this battle of the evil coaches, the truly evil Nick Saban beats the lesser of 2 evils Bobby Petrino. Other than their 1st game against Virginia Tech (which they won by 10), Alabama really doesn't have much of a challenge game until they play LSU later this year. They might run into some trouble against Mississippi, who'll be trying to prove that the loss to South Carolina was a fluke, but my money's on Alabama to make it back to the SEC Championship, and maybe contend with Florida for a slot in the national title game.
Iowa-21, #5 Penn State-10
Well, dang. Looks like no JoePa national title this year. Which is sad, because he seems like a nice old fellow who harmlessly wanders the sidelines, wondering where his pizza is. Still, I think we might have safely eliminated the Big 10 + 1 from contention for the national title with this loss. It's sort of a pity and sort of a good thing, as sending a Big 10 team to the title game would inevitably lead to 700,000 stories about how Ohio State and Penn State had done poorly and so on...
As for Iowa, after barely escaping from a 1-AA team in their opener, they've proven that they're a real contender in the Big 10. Time to see if they can hold up under that scrutiny, or if they're destined for another season of mediocrity. Those Michigan and Ohio State games should help prove whether they're real or not.
#6 Cal-3, Oregon-42
I don't know that I've ever seen a Top 10 team beaten in such a complete manner by an unranked school. Cal's "supercharged run offense" looked beyond pathetic in a fairly mediocre performance against Oregon, the same team that was pretty well handled by the Boise State Broncos.
Jahvid Best, pimped by ESPN last week as the greatest RB in college football, was held to 55 yards. I could feed you more statistics, but that one explains the most. Oregon didn't show any mercy, and unlike that Boise State game, they managed not to punch anyone.
Also: Next week Southern Cal plays California in the battle of the disappointing PAC-10 teams!
#7 LSU-30, Mississippi State-26
LSU barely escaped with their #7 (and now higher) ranking intact. MSU should have won this game, but they decided to get too cute down on the goal line. I appreciate the idea of a play-action pass on 3rd and goal, but LSU did a good job of sniffing out the trick play. Hats off to LSU for playing tight defense, but one wonders what the Mississippi State coordinator was thinking. MSU ran for 151 yards, and you really have to ask why they didn't just run it 4 straight times down on the goal line...
In other news, life will get interesting for LSU when they go to Georgia next week followed by a visit from Florida into Death Valley. If they can get out of that exchange 1-1, consider it a major victory for the Tigers. If they somehow get out 2-0...they might turn into national title favorites.
#8 Boise State-49, Bowling Green-14
I'm fairly sure I don't have to review this game. Boise's itching to prove that they're national title contenders, and this demolition of Bowling Green is a byproduct. Since Boise's in a non-qualifying conference AND they have already played the real big threat on their schedule (Oregon), you're going to see blowouts like this for the remainder of the year. Know why? Because they need to show voters and computers that they can beat up on cupcake teams just like the big boys always do.
It's sad, but I hope the Broncos do weasel their way into a title game. Even if they lose, the outcry from the auto-qualifiers could create the case for...well, you know.
#9 Miami-7, #11 Virginia Tech-31
The Hokie defense showed up, and Jacory Harris went from Heisman candidate to middle-of-the-road ACC QB. Mr. Harris isn't a bad quarterback, he just isn't the second incarnation of Matt Ryan (meaning he might win an ACC Championship, unlike Mr. Ryan). Miami was touted and Tech was ignored by ESPN and the rest of the sports media, but the tables turned on that miserably rainy day in Blacksburg, much to this blogger's delight.
What really got me was that the Miami defense which was so good at shutting down Georgia Tech's running attack last week looked pretty crummy against the Virginia Tech run attack. Tech's not a mystery team, Tyrod Taylor only threw for 4 completions and 98 yards, while the running back stable ran for 272. I'm curious how that happened, since Miami held Georgia Tech to 95 yards last week.
To conclude (since I could go on all day about this), Virginia Tech is on top of the ACC this week. They still have some trap games approaching, and in the crazy conference on the coast, it seems that anyone can lose on any given week. Miami, meanwhile, should shoot whoever made their schedule, since they face Oklahoma next week. If the Hurricanes can win that one, they'll be looking at a downhill run toward the end of the season. Where things will get interesting is if Georgia Tech beats Virginia Tech who beat Miami who beat Georgia Tech. In that case, I vote for a coin flip...
Washington State-6, #12 Southern Cal-27
A nifty, if unconvincing, return to the Trojans' winning ways. Matt Barkley came back (and Pete can use that as an excuse for why they lost last week) and the Trojans beat a lesser team. I didn't see this game, and frankly I don't think I missed anything.
In a serious note, let's all send well-wishes and prayers toward Southern Cal running back Stafon Johnson who was badly hurt in a weightlifting accident. It's a reminder of how dangerous even the training that these kids go through can be. Plus, it's a reminder that no matter how important football may seem, or how much we may hate certain schools, football is still just a game.
Get well soon, Stafon.
Illinois-0, #13 Ohio State-30
Well, looks like FireRonZook.com might get started back up. Illinois has been fairly mediocre this year, and while Illini fans aren't anywhere near as crazy as Gator fans, they will only take so much abuse. And a 30-0 loss is pretty bad.
As for Ohio State, it looks like they're still top dogs in the Big 10 + 1 for now. If they can beat Penn State in Happy Valley on November 7, we'll be looking at another Rose Bowl trip for Columbus' favorite nuts. Ohio State is a strong football team, and they can stick with the competition in big games. The key, however, is beating the competition, something they have not done recently...
Fresno State-20, #14 Cincinnati-28
A close game that was never really thrilling, this was an example of how Fresno State is this close to being a powerful threat to the BCS. At present, they're Boise State Lite: Not strong enough to actually beat big schools, but not weak enough to be considered a cupcake game. Fresno has arguably the craziest schedule in D-1 football, and they deserve to be commended for it. Their conference is admittedly weak, but they have a nonconference schedule that is quite a threat. Mind you, their lone cupcake is also their lone win, so we mustn't laud the Bulldogs too heavily just yet.
As for the Bearcats (What the heck is a Bearcat? Seriously, a Virginia Tech Hokie fan is asking what your mascot is. This should tell you something. Friggin' Ohioans...) they looked pretty good against a good team, and as far as this season is concerned, they look like the top of the Big East. That's not that major of a statement.
#15 TCU-14, Clemson-10
A few years ago this would have come as a major shock. Now, it's more of a common occurrence: a school from a mid-major beating a BCS conference school. In this case, last year's uber-disappointing Clemson squad follows up a fairly handy win over Boston College with a loss against a small conference foe. Clemson is performing better since unceremoniously deposing Tommy Bowden, but it still isn't a return to greatness. They're 2-2 with the wins coming against BC and Middle Tennessee State. BC was picked to fall and fall hard by most pundits, and Middle Tennessee State isn't exactly a superteam. It remains to be seen if Clemson can beat anyone who is a real threat. They'll get their chance on October 24 when they go to Miami.
As for TCU, they can crash the BCS party only if they go undefeated. Other than 2 (bad) ACC foes, they do not play any BCS schools, and their conference is fairly weak. The "prove it" games will come at BYU and when Utah comes to town. If this conference wants to send someone to the BCS bowls, they will have the other teams throw their games against TCU and let the Horned Frogs go undefeated.
Grambling-6, #16 Oklahoma State-56
Oklahoma State continues to "bounce back" from the loss against Houston by playing these little nobody schools. It's a little sick that they get to move up in the polls by beating up on crummy schools while Miami will surely fall below them after playing its 3rd (and soon to be 4th) ranked team in a row. Sorry, Cowboys, I'm less than impressed.
Texas Tech-28, #17 Houston-29
Speaking of Houston, they played Texas Tech this week. Texas Tech has had a rough go of things recently, playing Texas and then Houston on the road back-to-back. Mind you, last year with Graham Harrell and Michael Crabtree, this would have been an upset. This year, methinks that we're looking at a down team. Look for Texas Tech to make one of those obscure little bowls that get played in early December and that have sponsors like Big Al's House of Staplers.
As for Houston, they're in the buster discussion, and this close win at home really helps. Beating a team that lost to Texas by 10 looks really good on the schedule. The Cougars perform well against their foes, and their schedule is getting easier. Houston could, potentially get themselves into a very big bowl if the chips fall right. Otherwise, look for them to make it into a semi-major bowl. Like the Cotton Bowl...
South Florida-17, #18 Florida State-7
Will the real Florida State please stand up? I think that this team right here was the real Florida State, personally. Their ranking was based entirely on good preseason position and a single win over a top-10 ranked team. Lest we forget, this is a Seminole team that needed a 4th Quarter comeback to beat Jacksonville State.
South Florida hasn't played anyone that good yet, and they really won't this season. Their only 2 ranked opponents left are Cincinnati and Miami. A win against Cincinnati on the 15th of October would virtually cinch the Big East for the Bulls, so that's one to circle for those of you who look forward to undeserving teams in BCS bowls!
Colorado State-23, #19 BYU-42
Utah is a boring state.
Southern Miss-28, #20 Kansas-35
This was a great one if you like defense-free football. In a statistical touch, both of the second-longest winning streaks in the country got snapped this week. Southern Miss and Ole Miss both had 8 game streaks leading into this week, and neither made it out of the week with a win.
Kansas, meanwhile, looks to cruise to 6-0 until a showdown on the 24th with Oklahoma. A win there would certainly shut the Sooners out of the National Championship discussion, and potentially put the Jayhawks into it. But Kansas' schedule doesn't get any easier after that with Texas and a resurgent Nebraska team on the board.
Arizona State-17, #21 Georgia-20
Georgia is an alright SEC school and Arizona State is an alright PAC-10 school. Therefore, I am not going to discuss this game any further.
#22 North Carolina-7, Georgia Tech-24
Well, the Yellow Jackets did really well in their bounce back game. UNC looked fairly hapless against the same Georgia Tech defense that Jacory Harris ripped apart last week. This was a strange game, frankly, in that UNC apparently ignored the film on Georgia Tech and let the Yellow Jackets run all over them. Georgia Tech ran for 317 yards, exactly 300 more than UNC ran for. That's pathetic on Carolina's part. I mean, it's OK to run for almost nothing if you're throwing the ball well, but Carolina didn't pass well either. In short, the Sticky Feet got fairly well smacked around by the same bugs that got squashed last week.
Indiana-33, #23 Michigan-36
Dear Michigan,
Hi, it's me again, I wrote you last week. You're still playing mediocre foes and barely beating them. Your current signature win is against perpetually overrated Notre Dame, you have not left home yet, and your team is still climbing in the rankings. I am not sure how you pulled this off, but I applaud this uncanny ability to pull wool over voters' eyes. I look forward to seeing you in a BCS or semi-major bowl while teams with actual tough schedules get shafted and sent to the Big Al's House of Staplers' Wagon Bowl in Paducah, Kentucky.
Sincerely,
Bones
#24 Washington-14, Stanford-34
So...Washington...your ranking was based on wins against Idaho and Southern Cal. You play Stanford the next week and what happens? You lose. To Stanford. Take note, the Cardinal aren't an awful team by any stretch of anyone's imagination. But the Huskies aren't the 24th best team in the country, they just beat a good school and got rewarded for it with 1 week back in the Top 25. Back to mediocrity!
UL Lafayette-0, #25 Nebraska-35
I guess Nebraska felt like they had to crush the Ragin Cajuns. I'm not sure why, but they ripped up the smaller school on offense and defense, leading to a rather uninteresting conclusion to the Top 25. And now...
Tales from the Bottom 95:
Pity about Wake Forest dropping a late one to BC, though Riley Skinner went from hero to zero in a very short amount of time...Rutgers beat mediocre Maryland...Auburn's offense which was so bad that it got last year's coordinator AND coach fired has scored at least 37 points in every game thus far. They haven't played anyone who's really GOOD yet, but it's a start. This week at Tennessee should actually tell us more...Notre Dame went from being "back" to barely edging out Purdue this weekend. Sure it was a good comeback, but against a team that lost to Northern Illinois, it's not that major of an accomplishment...Tennessee beat Ohio. That would have been impressive if it was a different school with Ohio in the name. As is, it's just a win over a lesser school as UT begins their run of 4 straight games against SEC foes this week against Auburn...
That's all for now, see you Thursday/Friday!
#1 Florida-41, Kentucky-7
Look, I appreciate a good football story as much as the next guy, but the Tim Tebow overload is approaching ridiculous proportions. Yes, he's one of the best ever at the college level. It goes without saying that he's important to his team. But having to hear about how he took a separate flight to the game because the flu is spreading around Florida is not that interesting.
Also, while I pity him for getting knocked out of the game, one must wonder why he was still in the game! I mean, seriously, the score was 31-7 when Timmy got hurt. Since he was feeling bad (at least according to the media) he should have been taken out when they jumped out to that ridiculous 1st quarter lead. Instead, Urban "I have no soul" Meyer opted to leave him in and show Kentucky a thing or 2 about football. I feel little sympathy for Florida, and none at all for Meyer. You're crushing an inferior team, so there's no point in having your theoretically ailing starter out there.
In conclusion, aside from 1 player playing sick and then getting hurt, this game was about as dull as dirt. Let's move on.
UTEP-7, #2 Texas-64
Food for thought: Texas' nonconference schedule features the following teams: UL Monroe, Wyoming, UTEP, and Central Florida. They play in a conference that is beginning to look more and more overrated as the weeks go on.
Conclusion: If, for some reason, the Longhorns lose to any of their conference foes, their national title shot may be totally done. Simple reason: 4 of their wins (assuming they beat UCF, which they should) will come against the cupcake-iest of cupcakes. So, beware, Longhorn fans. The eyes of the BCS computers are upon you.
Arkansas-7, #3 Alabama-35
A good SEC team crushes a not-so-good SEC team. In this battle of the evil coaches, the truly evil Nick Saban beats the lesser of 2 evils Bobby Petrino. Other than their 1st game against Virginia Tech (which they won by 10), Alabama really doesn't have much of a challenge game until they play LSU later this year. They might run into some trouble against Mississippi, who'll be trying to prove that the loss to South Carolina was a fluke, but my money's on Alabama to make it back to the SEC Championship, and maybe contend with Florida for a slot in the national title game.
Iowa-21, #5 Penn State-10
Well, dang. Looks like no JoePa national title this year. Which is sad, because he seems like a nice old fellow who harmlessly wanders the sidelines, wondering where his pizza is. Still, I think we might have safely eliminated the Big 10 + 1 from contention for the national title with this loss. It's sort of a pity and sort of a good thing, as sending a Big 10 team to the title game would inevitably lead to 700,000 stories about how Ohio State and Penn State had done poorly and so on...
As for Iowa, after barely escaping from a 1-AA team in their opener, they've proven that they're a real contender in the Big 10. Time to see if they can hold up under that scrutiny, or if they're destined for another season of mediocrity. Those Michigan and Ohio State games should help prove whether they're real or not.
#6 Cal-3, Oregon-42
I don't know that I've ever seen a Top 10 team beaten in such a complete manner by an unranked school. Cal's "supercharged run offense" looked beyond pathetic in a fairly mediocre performance against Oregon, the same team that was pretty well handled by the Boise State Broncos.
Jahvid Best, pimped by ESPN last week as the greatest RB in college football, was held to 55 yards. I could feed you more statistics, but that one explains the most. Oregon didn't show any mercy, and unlike that Boise State game, they managed not to punch anyone.
Also: Next week Southern Cal plays California in the battle of the disappointing PAC-10 teams!
#7 LSU-30, Mississippi State-26
LSU barely escaped with their #7 (and now higher) ranking intact. MSU should have won this game, but they decided to get too cute down on the goal line. I appreciate the idea of a play-action pass on 3rd and goal, but LSU did a good job of sniffing out the trick play. Hats off to LSU for playing tight defense, but one wonders what the Mississippi State coordinator was thinking. MSU ran for 151 yards, and you really have to ask why they didn't just run it 4 straight times down on the goal line...
In other news, life will get interesting for LSU when they go to Georgia next week followed by a visit from Florida into Death Valley. If they can get out of that exchange 1-1, consider it a major victory for the Tigers. If they somehow get out 2-0...they might turn into national title favorites.
#8 Boise State-49, Bowling Green-14
I'm fairly sure I don't have to review this game. Boise's itching to prove that they're national title contenders, and this demolition of Bowling Green is a byproduct. Since Boise's in a non-qualifying conference AND they have already played the real big threat on their schedule (Oregon), you're going to see blowouts like this for the remainder of the year. Know why? Because they need to show voters and computers that they can beat up on cupcake teams just like the big boys always do.
It's sad, but I hope the Broncos do weasel their way into a title game. Even if they lose, the outcry from the auto-qualifiers could create the case for...well, you know.
#9 Miami-7, #11 Virginia Tech-31
The Hokie defense showed up, and Jacory Harris went from Heisman candidate to middle-of-the-road ACC QB. Mr. Harris isn't a bad quarterback, he just isn't the second incarnation of Matt Ryan (meaning he might win an ACC Championship, unlike Mr. Ryan). Miami was touted and Tech was ignored by ESPN and the rest of the sports media, but the tables turned on that miserably rainy day in Blacksburg, much to this blogger's delight.
What really got me was that the Miami defense which was so good at shutting down Georgia Tech's running attack last week looked pretty crummy against the Virginia Tech run attack. Tech's not a mystery team, Tyrod Taylor only threw for 4 completions and 98 yards, while the running back stable ran for 272. I'm curious how that happened, since Miami held Georgia Tech to 95 yards last week.
To conclude (since I could go on all day about this), Virginia Tech is on top of the ACC this week. They still have some trap games approaching, and in the crazy conference on the coast, it seems that anyone can lose on any given week. Miami, meanwhile, should shoot whoever made their schedule, since they face Oklahoma next week. If the Hurricanes can win that one, they'll be looking at a downhill run toward the end of the season. Where things will get interesting is if Georgia Tech beats Virginia Tech who beat Miami who beat Georgia Tech. In that case, I vote for a coin flip...
Washington State-6, #12 Southern Cal-27
A nifty, if unconvincing, return to the Trojans' winning ways. Matt Barkley came back (and Pete can use that as an excuse for why they lost last week) and the Trojans beat a lesser team. I didn't see this game, and frankly I don't think I missed anything.
In a serious note, let's all send well-wishes and prayers toward Southern Cal running back Stafon Johnson who was badly hurt in a weightlifting accident. It's a reminder of how dangerous even the training that these kids go through can be. Plus, it's a reminder that no matter how important football may seem, or how much we may hate certain schools, football is still just a game.
Get well soon, Stafon.
Illinois-0, #13 Ohio State-30
Well, looks like FireRonZook.com might get started back up. Illinois has been fairly mediocre this year, and while Illini fans aren't anywhere near as crazy as Gator fans, they will only take so much abuse. And a 30-0 loss is pretty bad.
As for Ohio State, it looks like they're still top dogs in the Big 10 + 1 for now. If they can beat Penn State in Happy Valley on November 7, we'll be looking at another Rose Bowl trip for Columbus' favorite nuts. Ohio State is a strong football team, and they can stick with the competition in big games. The key, however, is beating the competition, something they have not done recently...
Fresno State-20, #14 Cincinnati-28
A close game that was never really thrilling, this was an example of how Fresno State is this close to being a powerful threat to the BCS. At present, they're Boise State Lite: Not strong enough to actually beat big schools, but not weak enough to be considered a cupcake game. Fresno has arguably the craziest schedule in D-1 football, and they deserve to be commended for it. Their conference is admittedly weak, but they have a nonconference schedule that is quite a threat. Mind you, their lone cupcake is also their lone win, so we mustn't laud the Bulldogs too heavily just yet.
As for the Bearcats (What the heck is a Bearcat? Seriously, a Virginia Tech Hokie fan is asking what your mascot is. This should tell you something. Friggin' Ohioans...) they looked pretty good against a good team, and as far as this season is concerned, they look like the top of the Big East. That's not that major of a statement.
#15 TCU-14, Clemson-10
A few years ago this would have come as a major shock. Now, it's more of a common occurrence: a school from a mid-major beating a BCS conference school. In this case, last year's uber-disappointing Clemson squad follows up a fairly handy win over Boston College with a loss against a small conference foe. Clemson is performing better since unceremoniously deposing Tommy Bowden, but it still isn't a return to greatness. They're 2-2 with the wins coming against BC and Middle Tennessee State. BC was picked to fall and fall hard by most pundits, and Middle Tennessee State isn't exactly a superteam. It remains to be seen if Clemson can beat anyone who is a real threat. They'll get their chance on October 24 when they go to Miami.
As for TCU, they can crash the BCS party only if they go undefeated. Other than 2 (bad) ACC foes, they do not play any BCS schools, and their conference is fairly weak. The "prove it" games will come at BYU and when Utah comes to town. If this conference wants to send someone to the BCS bowls, they will have the other teams throw their games against TCU and let the Horned Frogs go undefeated.
Grambling-6, #16 Oklahoma State-56
Oklahoma State continues to "bounce back" from the loss against Houston by playing these little nobody schools. It's a little sick that they get to move up in the polls by beating up on crummy schools while Miami will surely fall below them after playing its 3rd (and soon to be 4th) ranked team in a row. Sorry, Cowboys, I'm less than impressed.
Texas Tech-28, #17 Houston-29
Speaking of Houston, they played Texas Tech this week. Texas Tech has had a rough go of things recently, playing Texas and then Houston on the road back-to-back. Mind you, last year with Graham Harrell and Michael Crabtree, this would have been an upset. This year, methinks that we're looking at a down team. Look for Texas Tech to make one of those obscure little bowls that get played in early December and that have sponsors like Big Al's House of Staplers.
As for Houston, they're in the buster discussion, and this close win at home really helps. Beating a team that lost to Texas by 10 looks really good on the schedule. The Cougars perform well against their foes, and their schedule is getting easier. Houston could, potentially get themselves into a very big bowl if the chips fall right. Otherwise, look for them to make it into a semi-major bowl. Like the Cotton Bowl...
South Florida-17, #18 Florida State-7
Will the real Florida State please stand up? I think that this team right here was the real Florida State, personally. Their ranking was based entirely on good preseason position and a single win over a top-10 ranked team. Lest we forget, this is a Seminole team that needed a 4th Quarter comeback to beat Jacksonville State.
South Florida hasn't played anyone that good yet, and they really won't this season. Their only 2 ranked opponents left are Cincinnati and Miami. A win against Cincinnati on the 15th of October would virtually cinch the Big East for the Bulls, so that's one to circle for those of you who look forward to undeserving teams in BCS bowls!
Colorado State-23, #19 BYU-42
Utah is a boring state.
Southern Miss-28, #20 Kansas-35
This was a great one if you like defense-free football. In a statistical touch, both of the second-longest winning streaks in the country got snapped this week. Southern Miss and Ole Miss both had 8 game streaks leading into this week, and neither made it out of the week with a win.
Kansas, meanwhile, looks to cruise to 6-0 until a showdown on the 24th with Oklahoma. A win there would certainly shut the Sooners out of the National Championship discussion, and potentially put the Jayhawks into it. But Kansas' schedule doesn't get any easier after that with Texas and a resurgent Nebraska team on the board.
Arizona State-17, #21 Georgia-20
Georgia is an alright SEC school and Arizona State is an alright PAC-10 school. Therefore, I am not going to discuss this game any further.
#22 North Carolina-7, Georgia Tech-24
Well, the Yellow Jackets did really well in their bounce back game. UNC looked fairly hapless against the same Georgia Tech defense that Jacory Harris ripped apart last week. This was a strange game, frankly, in that UNC apparently ignored the film on Georgia Tech and let the Yellow Jackets run all over them. Georgia Tech ran for 317 yards, exactly 300 more than UNC ran for. That's pathetic on Carolina's part. I mean, it's OK to run for almost nothing if you're throwing the ball well, but Carolina didn't pass well either. In short, the Sticky Feet got fairly well smacked around by the same bugs that got squashed last week.
Indiana-33, #23 Michigan-36
Dear Michigan,
Hi, it's me again, I wrote you last week. You're still playing mediocre foes and barely beating them. Your current signature win is against perpetually overrated Notre Dame, you have not left home yet, and your team is still climbing in the rankings. I am not sure how you pulled this off, but I applaud this uncanny ability to pull wool over voters' eyes. I look forward to seeing you in a BCS or semi-major bowl while teams with actual tough schedules get shafted and sent to the Big Al's House of Staplers' Wagon Bowl in Paducah, Kentucky.
Sincerely,
Bones
#24 Washington-14, Stanford-34
So...Washington...your ranking was based on wins against Idaho and Southern Cal. You play Stanford the next week and what happens? You lose. To Stanford. Take note, the Cardinal aren't an awful team by any stretch of anyone's imagination. But the Huskies aren't the 24th best team in the country, they just beat a good school and got rewarded for it with 1 week back in the Top 25. Back to mediocrity!
UL Lafayette-0, #25 Nebraska-35
I guess Nebraska felt like they had to crush the Ragin Cajuns. I'm not sure why, but they ripped up the smaller school on offense and defense, leading to a rather uninteresting conclusion to the Top 25. And now...
Tales from the Bottom 95:
Pity about Wake Forest dropping a late one to BC, though Riley Skinner went from hero to zero in a very short amount of time...Rutgers beat mediocre Maryland...Auburn's offense which was so bad that it got last year's coordinator AND coach fired has scored at least 37 points in every game thus far. They haven't played anyone who's really GOOD yet, but it's a start. This week at Tennessee should actually tell us more...Notre Dame went from being "back" to barely edging out Purdue this weekend. Sure it was a good comeback, but against a team that lost to Northern Illinois, it's not that major of an accomplishment...Tennessee beat Ohio. That would have been impressive if it was a different school with Ohio in the name. As is, it's just a win over a lesser school as UT begins their run of 4 straight games against SEC foes this week against Auburn...
That's all for now, see you Thursday/Friday!
Friday, January 9, 2009
National Championship blowout!
Well, the national championship came and went. Florida won the game, and in-depth analysis is for losers who get paid to write. So let's review the practically unreviewable (because everyone else beat me to it...)
The most enigmatic play of the whole game, for me at least, was early in the 4th Quarter, when Tim Tebow ran back to pass, and stopped because he heard a whistle. While this has happened before, it's interesting to note to whom it happened. You see, normally when there's a fake whistle, there's confusion amongst, oh, half the players on the field. In this episode, there was one player who was confused, and that was Tebow! The saddest part of this little affair: the commentators took his side, and not that of the other 21 guys on the field!
Since we're talking Tebow, what was up with that taunting penalty at the end of the game? I mean, he's intense and all, and that's great, but there's a HUGE problem with making the Gator chomp at someone. Especially since Timmy's the golden child of college football. Does this action make him a bad guy? No. But we must avoid talking about how wonderful anyone is, lest we turn him into some sort of mini-god. Think I'm overreacting? The following is an actual quote from the Fox announcer: "I think that might be the first think Tim Tebow's ever done wrong!" Watch it, now. That's Matt Ryan's turf.
Networks that handle college football should be the ones broadcasting it. Now, since ESPN is still not in every house in America (dang Amish...), this leaves us with ABC, CBS, NBC, and Fox as our networks of choice. Problem is, NBC has an agreement with Notre Dame and no one else, so they're out. Fox doesn't broadcast college football, so they should be out. That leaves CBS and ABC, both networks with experienced college football analysts. Sure, they have their problems, but they at least know what the heck is going on (exception made for Lee Corso...). So who broadcasts four of the five most important games in college football? You guessed it: Fox! Thank you, amateur and (theoretically) unpaid college athletes! Your hard work has earned you massive ratings, which will be auctioned to the highest bidder!
As for the name of the game....why did we have to hear that it was the FedEx National Championship Game presented in High Definition by DirecTV a subsidiary of Pepsi-Cola Corporation, property of Wal-Mart? Seriously, corporate sponsorship kills the fun of things.
And while we're on the subject of corporate sponsorship, what the heck is up with those ads for the "Angry Whopper?" I'm not sure if I should be frightened by this sandwich, or simply freaked out by the bizarre ad campaign/name of the food. Who wants to eat something called an "Angry Whopper"? What's next, black-dyed, ketchup filled, emo fries? Slogan: "Emo fries: They cut themselves and bleed ketchup because no one understands them. Now available at Burger King. Free if you go cry in the corner."
Props to Percy Harvin, Florida's defense, OU's defense (The top 2 teams in the country in scoring finished 24-14. Both sides did well), and Bob Stoops. Stoops, boys and girls, is an excellent coach who doesn't deserve the "big game choker" reputation. That is a stupid label to put on a coach. A player might get nervous and fumble a ball. A coach will not get nervous and punt on 2nd down, and I don't recall seeing anything else particularly egregious from Oklahoma. Other than that stupid wagon, and that's not Stoops' fault.
Finally, a hearty congrats to Urban Meyer and the Florida Gators for being the National Champions. Before the whining begins, know this: Texas and USC are both excellent football programs. Both of their conferences agreed to the current arrangement, and USC profited from this system during the 2004 season when they had to play undefeated Oklahoma instead of undefeated Auburn. Utah has a legitimate gripe as the little man being shut out. They're not in the title picture because when this system was put in place, Utah was not a top-tier team, and thus has no shot at playing in the title unless every other team loses at least 2 games while they go undefeated! Which (cue music) is why we need a playoff!
Side note: As the purpose of this blog (see title of blog) has ended until, like, September, we'll be dabbling in basketball, baseball, pro football, hockey, and potentially poking in on the filthiest part of college football: recruiting.
So keep in touch! All 2 of you!
The most enigmatic play of the whole game, for me at least, was early in the 4th Quarter, when Tim Tebow ran back to pass, and stopped because he heard a whistle. While this has happened before, it's interesting to note to whom it happened. You see, normally when there's a fake whistle, there's confusion amongst, oh, half the players on the field. In this episode, there was one player who was confused, and that was Tebow! The saddest part of this little affair: the commentators took his side, and not that of the other 21 guys on the field!
Since we're talking Tebow, what was up with that taunting penalty at the end of the game? I mean, he's intense and all, and that's great, but there's a HUGE problem with making the Gator chomp at someone. Especially since Timmy's the golden child of college football. Does this action make him a bad guy? No. But we must avoid talking about how wonderful anyone is, lest we turn him into some sort of mini-god. Think I'm overreacting? The following is an actual quote from the Fox announcer: "I think that might be the first think Tim Tebow's ever done wrong!" Watch it, now. That's Matt Ryan's turf.
Networks that handle college football should be the ones broadcasting it. Now, since ESPN is still not in every house in America (dang Amish...), this leaves us with ABC, CBS, NBC, and Fox as our networks of choice. Problem is, NBC has an agreement with Notre Dame and no one else, so they're out. Fox doesn't broadcast college football, so they should be out. That leaves CBS and ABC, both networks with experienced college football analysts. Sure, they have their problems, but they at least know what the heck is going on (exception made for Lee Corso...). So who broadcasts four of the five most important games in college football? You guessed it: Fox! Thank you, amateur and (theoretically) unpaid college athletes! Your hard work has earned you massive ratings, which will be auctioned to the highest bidder!
As for the name of the game....why did we have to hear that it was the FedEx National Championship Game presented in High Definition by DirecTV a subsidiary of Pepsi-Cola Corporation, property of Wal-Mart? Seriously, corporate sponsorship kills the fun of things.
And while we're on the subject of corporate sponsorship, what the heck is up with those ads for the "Angry Whopper?" I'm not sure if I should be frightened by this sandwich, or simply freaked out by the bizarre ad campaign/name of the food. Who wants to eat something called an "Angry Whopper"? What's next, black-dyed, ketchup filled, emo fries? Slogan: "Emo fries: They cut themselves and bleed ketchup because no one understands them. Now available at Burger King. Free if you go cry in the corner."
Props to Percy Harvin, Florida's defense, OU's defense (The top 2 teams in the country in scoring finished 24-14. Both sides did well), and Bob Stoops. Stoops, boys and girls, is an excellent coach who doesn't deserve the "big game choker" reputation. That is a stupid label to put on a coach. A player might get nervous and fumble a ball. A coach will not get nervous and punt on 2nd down, and I don't recall seeing anything else particularly egregious from Oklahoma. Other than that stupid wagon, and that's not Stoops' fault.
Finally, a hearty congrats to Urban Meyer and the Florida Gators for being the National Champions. Before the whining begins, know this: Texas and USC are both excellent football programs. Both of their conferences agreed to the current arrangement, and USC profited from this system during the 2004 season when they had to play undefeated Oklahoma instead of undefeated Auburn. Utah has a legitimate gripe as the little man being shut out. They're not in the title picture because when this system was put in place, Utah was not a top-tier team, and thus has no shot at playing in the title unless every other team loses at least 2 games while they go undefeated! Which (cue music) is why we need a playoff!
Side note: As the purpose of this blog (see title of blog) has ended until, like, September, we'll be dabbling in basketball, baseball, pro football, hockey, and potentially poking in on the filthiest part of college football: recruiting.
So keep in touch! All 2 of you!
Thursday, January 8, 2009
News: BC Defensive Coordinator fired for saying "hi" to man in Detroit Lions Shirt
Not really. Just pointing out, however, that the firing of Jeff Jagodzinski is a simply idiotic maneuver by the Boston College Eagles. Had he gotten the Jets job, yes, he would be axed. Duh. But to throw him out for interviewing?! That's insane!
Look, the ultimate goal of any good football coach should be to succeed at the highest level. There's probably thousands of high school coaches out there right now who would LOVE to win a Super Bowl. If Jagodzinski winds up in New York, he'll have that chance! Of course he's going to interview! If you're a fry cook at McDonald's, and the local Burger King has an interview for a manager position, you'll interview! It's a better job!
He had time left on his contract and is, I quote ESPN here, "a long shot" for the Jets job. He took the team to 2 ACC Championship Games (albeit with players he didn't recruit...) and had a pair of good seasons. With all that knowledge, how are you going to fire the guy?
So, in conclusion, good luck to Jagodzinski, since he might need it. If he can't get the Jets job, maybe he can get a position somewhere else. I mean, he did get near Matt Ryan, which automatically qualifies him for CEO positions in most businesses.
Look, the ultimate goal of any good football coach should be to succeed at the highest level. There's probably thousands of high school coaches out there right now who would LOVE to win a Super Bowl. If Jagodzinski winds up in New York, he'll have that chance! Of course he's going to interview! If you're a fry cook at McDonald's, and the local Burger King has an interview for a manager position, you'll interview! It's a better job!
He had time left on his contract and is, I quote ESPN here, "a long shot" for the Jets job. He took the team to 2 ACC Championship Games (albeit with players he didn't recruit...) and had a pair of good seasons. With all that knowledge, how are you going to fire the guy?
So, in conclusion, good luck to Jagodzinski, since he might need it. If he can't get the Jets job, maybe he can get a position somewhere else. I mean, he did get near Matt Ryan, which automatically qualifies him for CEO positions in most businesses.
Monday, December 8, 2008
Saturday in Review: Conference Championship Edition
Nothing on the non-championship games this week. Do you really want another article on how much I hate Pete Carroll? Or how the PAC-10 is right down there with the Big East and ACC but you never hear how much they suck because (Omigosh!) that would require belittling the might of the USC Trojans?
No, you don't want to read that, and I don't want to write it. So let's move on, shall we?
#12 Ball State-21, Buffalo-42
This is like one of those new-wave sports movies where the lovable team loses in the championship game. I hate those sports movies. Imagine Remember the Titans with the Titans losing! Sorry, angry tangent there.
This one here, though, does suck. I really wish the Cardinals had pulled it off, but I think they'll still settle for the best season in school history. Aaaaaand that's about all I got. I didn't watch this game, can you tell?
#25 Virginia Tech-30, #17 Boston College-12
While winning a conference two straight years is certainly something to celebrate, I still don't think Virginia Tech needs to be in a BCS bowl (though they're playing Cincinnati, so cheers for that: 2 undeserving teams in the same bowl!). Still, hard to argue with results, and the Hokie defense looked very good against the Eagles. Then again, BC was working with a redshirt freshman QB, not Chris Crane.
The Eagles will be going to the Gator Bowl to play against Vanderbilt. A reminder to the Eagles: Despite the ACC beating itself up badly this year, the conference has a winning record against the SEC. Duke beat Vandy! So....we expect something good out of you! Call Matt Ryan, he can help. He can do anything...
#20 Missouri-21, #2 Oklahoma 62
Want my review of this game? Look at the dang score! There! There's your review!
Seriously, though, Oklahoma played its way into the national title game, and it'll be good to see them play against the winner of...(drum roll)
#1 Alabama-20, #4 Florida-31
A pretty darn good game by anyone's standards. For 3 straight years now an SEC team has gone to the national title game. It'll be interesting to see if they can win it 3 straight years. This blurb is short because, frankly, I failed you dear readers. I did not watch this game because (don't tell the other bloggers) I have a social life.
But enough about me...College Football Review's BOWL (P)REVIEW™ will be coming up soon! That's right, a sardonic, somewhat poorly written review of all 976 bowl games!
(NOTE: No, there's not that many, it just seems like it. I think my 4-7 high school team is bowl eligible this year)
No, you don't want to read that, and I don't want to write it. So let's move on, shall we?
#12 Ball State-21, Buffalo-42
This is like one of those new-wave sports movies where the lovable team loses in the championship game. I hate those sports movies. Imagine Remember the Titans with the Titans losing! Sorry, angry tangent there.
This one here, though, does suck. I really wish the Cardinals had pulled it off, but I think they'll still settle for the best season in school history. Aaaaaand that's about all I got. I didn't watch this game, can you tell?
#25 Virginia Tech-30, #17 Boston College-12
While winning a conference two straight years is certainly something to celebrate, I still don't think Virginia Tech needs to be in a BCS bowl (though they're playing Cincinnati, so cheers for that: 2 undeserving teams in the same bowl!). Still, hard to argue with results, and the Hokie defense looked very good against the Eagles. Then again, BC was working with a redshirt freshman QB, not Chris Crane.
The Eagles will be going to the Gator Bowl to play against Vanderbilt. A reminder to the Eagles: Despite the ACC beating itself up badly this year, the conference has a winning record against the SEC. Duke beat Vandy! So....we expect something good out of you! Call Matt Ryan, he can help. He can do anything...
#20 Missouri-21, #2 Oklahoma 62
Want my review of this game? Look at the dang score! There! There's your review!
Seriously, though, Oklahoma played its way into the national title game, and it'll be good to see them play against the winner of...(drum roll)
#1 Alabama-20, #4 Florida-31
A pretty darn good game by anyone's standards. For 3 straight years now an SEC team has gone to the national title game. It'll be interesting to see if they can win it 3 straight years. This blurb is short because, frankly, I failed you dear readers. I did not watch this game because (don't tell the other bloggers) I have a social life.
But enough about me...College Football Review's BOWL (P)REVIEW™ will be coming up soon! That's right, a sardonic, somewhat poorly written review of all 976 bowl games!
(NOTE: No, there's not that many, it just seems like it. I think my 4-7 high school team is bowl eligible this year)
Friday, October 24, 2008
Multiple birds, singular stone.
As a Virginia Tech fan, let me give you the Saturday in Review for last week: Worst Saturday ever! Tech lost, UVa won, and USC scored 69 points. What was worse was having to see Matt Ryan every 2 seconds on my TV. The man was the main attraction in a game that he WASN'T EVEN PLAYING IN!
The thing is, it isn't his fault. Matt Ryan isn't the one who did this to himself. He's not responsible for the media worship of him. I'm sure he's probably a nice guy! (Mind you, I thought that about the last Falcons QB to come from the ACC, too...) But this is absurd. I don't need to see him beat Tech again. I sure as heck didn't WANT to see it.
Carrying on, in this brief and somewhat boring Saturday in Review, Chase Daniel isn't who I thought he was. I had him winning the Heisman, etc, etc. He's looked fatally flawed this year, and I'll admit that I was wrong. I'm sure Nolen enjoys that. Colt McCoy's looked simply amazing (and now I've probably cursed him, too.)
As for the rankings: I sincerely hope that the dang USC Trojans aren't in the national title game. Barring a major upset, though, they're going to be undefeated for the rest of the year because they play in the PA(theti)C-10. So...I'm now a Texas, Alabama, Penn State, Oklahoma State, and Texas Tech fan. Just so you know.
Finally, the battle of the underachievers:
Auburn-17, West Virginia-34
This is insane. Auburn has gone from "new look" to "just plain bad" in a matter of weeks. They're in a tailspin, and I'm not sure how they're gonna get pulled out. As I said last week, Tommy Tuberville is going to be fired. He has no chance of NOT being fired. Thus, he should start having fun. Run the option on 3rd and 27. Bring in an O-lineman to play wideout. Threaten to kill a puppy for every 3 and out. Actually, scratch that last one. One dead puppy is bad. Auburn would kill, like, 30 a game.
As a note to West Virginia fans: Your team may get back into the Top 25 this week. Don't read anything into it, please. You haven't beaten anyone. The ONLY 2 ranked teams on the schedule are South Florida and Pitt, neither of whom have beaten a good school (sorry, Kansas). So please don't get cocky WVU fans. Or I'll call the ECU Pirates on you again.
See y'all on Saturday!
The thing is, it isn't his fault. Matt Ryan isn't the one who did this to himself. He's not responsible for the media worship of him. I'm sure he's probably a nice guy! (Mind you, I thought that about the last Falcons QB to come from the ACC, too...) But this is absurd. I don't need to see him beat Tech again. I sure as heck didn't WANT to see it.
Carrying on, in this brief and somewhat boring Saturday in Review, Chase Daniel isn't who I thought he was. I had him winning the Heisman, etc, etc. He's looked fatally flawed this year, and I'll admit that I was wrong. I'm sure Nolen enjoys that. Colt McCoy's looked simply amazing (and now I've probably cursed him, too.)
As for the rankings: I sincerely hope that the dang USC Trojans aren't in the national title game. Barring a major upset, though, they're going to be undefeated for the rest of the year because they play in the PA(theti)C-10. So...I'm now a Texas, Alabama, Penn State, Oklahoma State, and Texas Tech fan. Just so you know.
Finally, the battle of the underachievers:
Auburn-17, West Virginia-34
This is insane. Auburn has gone from "new look" to "just plain bad" in a matter of weeks. They're in a tailspin, and I'm not sure how they're gonna get pulled out. As I said last week, Tommy Tuberville is going to be fired. He has no chance of NOT being fired. Thus, he should start having fun. Run the option on 3rd and 27. Bring in an O-lineman to play wideout. Threaten to kill a puppy for every 3 and out. Actually, scratch that last one. One dead puppy is bad. Auburn would kill, like, 30 a game.
As a note to West Virginia fans: Your team may get back into the Top 25 this week. Don't read anything into it, please. You haven't beaten anyone. The ONLY 2 ranked teams on the schedule are South Florida and Pitt, neither of whom have beaten a good school (sorry, Kansas). So please don't get cocky WVU fans. Or I'll call the ECU Pirates on you again.
See y'all on Saturday!
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