Thursday, January 7, 7PM
National Championship Game: #2 Texas vs. #1 Alabama
The real grandaddy of 'em all!
Prediction: Gotta go with Alabama here. They've looked a lot more balanced on offense and Nebraska gave the Tide's supremely more talented defense a blueprint for how to stop the Longhorns.
Result: Alabama def. Texas 37-21
Just about every year, the national championship game reminds me of why I like the NFL better. This one was certainly no different. Really just a big fat disappointment on so many levels. McCoy was out in about 30 seconds (I found it quite amusing when he said after the game that he'd never been hurt before - I think he's been injured in about 50% of the games I've seen him play. Watch for this issue in his NFL career too), which was doubly unfortunate because it looked like he was actually going to generate some offense. Texas' defense, and especially Sergio Kindle, gave it a pretty good effort, but couldn't overcome the lack of production on the other side of the ball. Alabama sure looked good against Florida, but things were different here, as they made embarassing special teams errors, gave up two long touchdowns to a backup QB who stared down Jordan Shipley on every play, and didn't get their first 3rd down conversion until the 4th quarter. McElroy's definitely trended down towards his average and gave a conservative performance that most of the high school quarterbacks in the country could have equaled. Mark Ingram played okay when he wasn't drinking pickle juice on the sidelines to stop cramping (seriously? cramps are keeping you out of a good chunk of the national championship game?), but I only saw him really break three or four tackles and I'd have to give most of the credit to the offensive line. His little freshman backup outplayed him. Speaking of Alabama's vaunted offensive line, where were they on the five sacks of the apparently broken-ribbed McElroy? When the most compelling story is that a freshman backup quarterback transformed from the least accurate passer in Longhorns history to sort of okay, I'd say you have a lemon.
Yell at the TV Moment: Another moronic 4th down interception. Alabama calls for that fake punt (a whole new level of moronic), the punter throws the ball a few yards short of the first down and Blake Gideon intercepts it. Okay, but why not knock it down and take possession 20 yards closer to the end zone? Maybe you could have had a TD instead of a field goal. Why does no one ever notice this?
Announcing Commentary: Brent was okay, I guess, but is Herbstreit losing it? He had volume modulation issues all night, didn't speak for the first three minutes, and referred to the QBs as Gilbert Brown and Brett McElroy.
Wednesday, January 6, 6PM
GMAC Bowl: Central Michigan vs. Troy
Last chance to see Dan LeFevour and the scrappy little Chippewas!
Prediction: I know absolutely nothing about Troy, and looking at their schedule, the only teams they've played that I've even heard of are Arkansas and Florida...and they got killed. Look for Lefevour to lead his team to victory in his last game.
Result: Central Michigan def. Troy 44-41
A heck of a lot better than the national championship game. I wouldn't mind watching these two teams, and especially these two quarterbacks, play more often. I was a little surprised that the defenses didn't fare better, since it looked for all the world like the two teams were running the same offense. It was a fantastic cap to Dan LeFevour's prolific career, but Troy QB Levi Brown also looked good, very accurate (if a really awkward runner!). You'd think that all of those field goals early would have hurt the Chippewas, but they came back with just enough at the end. Kudos to LeFevour for dealing with all those dropped passes! Hope to see both quarterbacks in the NFL.
Yell at the TV Moment: I know that CMU had an interim coach, but I still have to quibble with some of the decision making. First, down 24-19 in the third quarter, the Chippewas faced a 4th and 2 near midfield and punted. Their defense hadn't really stopped Troy all night and they didn't here either. Only a subsequent kickoff return TD by the shifty Antonio Brown kept it from slipping away. Later the Chips were down 34-27 when a terrific LeFevour pass brought the ball inside the 5-yard line with 1:26 to go. Troy called its final timeout. CMU then called two pass plays in a row, the second of which scored a touchdown with 1:17 to go. Why not run down the clock at least a little? Instead, they left enough time for Levi Brown to drive for the tying field goal.
Tuesday, January 5, 7PM
Orange Bowl: #10 Iowa vs. #9 Georgia Tech
This is a pretty good matchup and I'll be anxious to see how Iowa does. Georgia Tech's rushing offense is powerful, but the Hawkeyes defense is built to stop just such an attack. They will, however, have to account for WR Jonathan Baldwin and his ridiculous stat lines (i.e. Thrown to: 3, REC: 2, YDS: 137, TD: 2). Georgia Tech's defense has been very inconsistent and I'm not sure the ACC has the kind of giant linemen rushing attack that the Hawkeyes are going to bring.
Prediction: One of the main reasons the triple option works is that it requires extra prep time that opponents generally don't have. Iowa has it now and I think they'll be ready. Iowa in a low scoring one.
Result: Iowa def. Georgia Tech 24-14
I really thought Iowa's Big Ten-ness was going to come back and bite them here. They dominated the game early, but failed to put it away when they had the chance, and GT climbed right back in on Ricky Stanzi's standard early pick-six. Luckily for the Iowa, their defense was fantastic all night and Jonathan Dwyer gave them a present by inexplicably running backwards into his own end zone on a stuffed run on the Yellow Jackets' second to last possession. Sometimes, you can't make all the plays yourself. Hats off to the Hawkeyes for their first big bowl win since 1959. They've got a lot of this team coming back, so look for them to make some noise next year.
Chuckle at the TV Moment: I loved Iowa's fake FG call up 17-14 in the 4th quarter, but K Daniel Murray probably shouldn't be running sweeps!
Monday, January 4, 7PM
Fiesta Bowl: #6 Boise State vs. #4 TCU
They should probably rename this one the 'This Proves Nothing' bowl. These two teams are obviously pretty talented, but we were wondering how talented they were next to the big powers, not next to each other. Still, two accomplished offenses and one good defense should be at least entertaining to watch.
Prediction: Good defense trumps good offense. As long as it stays disciplined on the trick plays and wacky (WAC-y?) formations, TCU should be golden.
Result: Boise State def. TCU 17-10
Definitely not what anyone expected out of this one. TCU started the game by spotting the Broncos to a defensive touchdown (an especially bad idea when you're playing a team that's known to have weak defense), and while they didn't make any more mistakes like that, they never really seemed to be the aggressor in this one. I thought the most telling moment came in the third quarter. TCU was down 10-7 and just plodding along when Boise State turned it over near midfield. The Frogs drove into the red zone and it seemed like they finally might wake up a little. But then: QB keeper, QB keeper, hopeless screen pass, FG to tie. No life, then or ever. Most surprisingly, the story of the night was the Broncos' defense, which held TCU to 36 rushing yards and intercepted Andy Dalton three times. Might be time to stop doubting Boise State.
Saturday, January 2, 8PM
Alamo Bowl: Michigan State vs. Texas Tech
Lots of drama to go around here. Texas Tech has no coach and a very suspicious electrical closet that may or may not be surrounded by police tape, and Michigan State has had about half of its team suspended. It's hard to tell who's going to show up and what kind of mood they'll be in.
Prediction: Michigan State is occasionally good and has a decent quarterback in Kirk Cousins, but they've shown a real inability to get the job done when it counts. Despite the circus in Lubbock, I think the Red Raiders will take this one.
Result: Texas Tech def. Michigan State 41-31
Well, the Texas Tech did take this one, but it was a very good showing by Michigan State. The Spartans mixed it up nicely and may have set the record for most trick plays in one game by a Big Ten team. Things were progressing quite nicely until QB Kirk Cousins threw what is fast becoming his patented late game interception with five minutes to go. This one was particularly egregious, as he threw from one hash all the way over to the other sideline. Hey kid, your arm's not *that* good. Meanwhile, the Red Raiders don't have Mike Leach, but they still has his potent offense, and they used their speed to great advantage, particularly at the end of the game. Both teams did a pretty good job on defense, but the Spartans couldn't stop 'em when it counted.
Yell at the TV Moment: The Mike Leach controversy is a tough situation. We don't know the facts now and we may never know them. So it's pretty sad to see an adult Raider fan in the stands with a sign that has 'Leach' in a heart and 'Adam' in a circle with line through it. Unless you're Leach, Adam James, or the trainer (who seems to have taken Adam's side by the way), you have no idea what happened and it's pretty low to pick on a 20-year-old kid. I guess ethics isn't exactly the specialty in Texas football, but it's pretty sad to be a 40-year-old bully.
Saturday, January 2 1PM
Papajohns.com Bowl: South Carolina vs. Connecticut
Another interesting matchup here. Connecticut has quietly had a pretty good season, especially if you consider the fact that their five losses were by a combined 15 points. And South Carolina has been inconsistent, which is becoming par for the course for them, but they've also got some big wins, most notably a convincing 34-17 thrashing of Clemson in the regular season finale. And South Carolina QB Stephen Garcia has been getting better with every game this season.
Prediction: Spurrier is well on the way to having the weapons he's been waiting for in this one and he'll have the Gamecocks ready to go.
Result: UConn def. South Carolina 20-7
South Carolina must be the most inconsistent team in the history of college football. In this game alone, they dropped 12 passes (9 on offense and 2 INTs on defense), committed three stupid personal fouls (and one dubious roughing the passer penalty), fumbled more than once including a snap that ruined a FG attempt, overthrew about 10 open receiveres, and made some of the worst decisions of all time. The Huskies' two-headed rushing attack looked good, but they got a gift here. Spurrier said after the game that it was a "sad, sad effort" and he was correct.
Yell at the TV Moment: South Carolina went for a 4th and 19 in that no man's land where it's just a little too far to kick a field goal. QB Stephen Garcia threw a jump ball inside the 10 which was intercepted by UConn's Robert Vaughn. The interception gave the ball to UConn inside the 10, while simply knocking the pass down would have give the ball to UConn 25 yards upfield. This happens a lot and the announcers never say anything!
Friday, January 1, 7:30PM
Sugar Bowl: #3 Cincinnati vs. #5 Florida
This game was somewhat interesting to begin with, but has been made much more interesting by the coach drama on both sides. The questions here are on defense for both teams. Does Cincinnati have the size and speed to hold Florida? Can Florida recover from the Alabama debacle quickly enough to stop the Bearcats' short passing game?
Prediction: I've been tempted to pick Cincinnati since the matchup announcement, but the Brian Kelly debacle happened. Florida rolls over a flat Cincinnati defense. (Go Bearcats)
Result: Florida def. Cincinnati 100-24
Okay, well, I think it was more like 50-24, but it felt like about 1,000,000-24. Nightmarish couple hours for the Bearcats and their fans. Really though, they ought to keep their heads up - being utterly overmatched and playing poorly are two different things. Really makes you wonder exactly how good Alabama is, doesn't it?
Yell at the TV Moment: I know you Gators aren't exactly premed, but was it really a good idea to gatorade ice bath a man with heart problems?
Friday, January 1, 3:30
Rose Bowl: #8 Ohio State vs. #7 Oregon
The Pac 10 has done very poorly up to this point in the bowl season. That said, Ohio State has done poorly against all decent teams for the last three years.
Prediction: Despite my love for the Big Ten, I am officially done being embarassed by the Buckeyes. And, if there's anything Oregon should be able to stop, it's a running quarterback. Ducks run away with it.
Result: Ohio State def. Oregon 26-17
I am very disappointed with this game. After years, YEARS, of Ohio State embarrassing the Big Ten in national games, they convincingly win this one, just so they can remain teetering on the edge of respectability. I assume this is a ploy to get to next year's championship game so they can get blown out there. I will say that this was the best game plan I've ever seen Tressel come up with and by far the best game that Terrelle Pryor has ever played and it leaves lots of questions. Was this a one-time fluke or the sign of things to come in 2010 for the Buckeyes? How much did the Pac-10's incredible terribleness factor into this? This is the marquee game for a surprising run by the Big Ten conference in the Bowl games - is it for real?
Friday, January 1, 12PM
Capital One Bowl: #13 Penn State vs. #12 LSU
This may be the most intriguing bowl matchup of all. In general, LSU is pretty good at the Big Ten beatdown, but it's definitely an off year for them. From Penn State's perspective (and that of the average college football fan), a win against the SEC is a win against the SEC.
Prediction: Really tough call here. Penn State usually doesn't do too well against teams that have a game plan that deviates wildly from 'run up the middle'. LSU's game plan won't be that, but the question is, will it be a game plan they can execute with the talent they have? Breaking news: a recent search of my friend the internet tells me that resident Tiger battering ram Charles Scott will not play. I'm really afraid that I'm just picking this because I want it so bad (ironic because I barely even consider Penn State part of the Big Ten), but I think the Nittany Lions can take this one.
Result: Penn State def. LSU 19-17
I'm delighted to see the Big Ten get a win over the SEC, but I do have to admit that the terrible field conditions were a big help. LSU is iffy this year for sure, but we might have had a different outcome had they been able to use their speed advantage. I'm a big advocate of the go for the throat and put the game away when you have the chance, and I really thought Penn State's conservative play calling (FOUR FG from inside the 10? Is that a new record?!?) was going to kill them, but they held the ball when they had to. Another notch in JoePa's cap.
Friday, January 1, 10AM
Outback Bowl: Northwestern vs. Auburn
Yep, it's the Big Ten thing again. I grew up about a mile from Northwestern's home stadium, so though I'm not a huge fan, I sometimes can't resist. QB Mike Kafka is a great athlete and fun to watch and this is one the Cats might be able to win.
Prediction: I'm going to go with my Chris Todd jinx (despite Northwestern's leaky defense) and pick the 'Cats in a sloppy squeaker.
Result: Auburn def. Northwestern 38-35 (OT)
Wow, was I close to calling this one perfectly! It was a sloppy squeaker all the way (eight turnovers? eight?) and if Northwestern had a halfway competent kicker, they would have won! It would also have helped if Mike Kafka hadn't been on a mission to equal his season interception total. Auburn looked dominant in the first half, but didn't quite put it away and, despite giving up completely on their running game, the 'Cats took advantage later on.
Hilarious Moment: Didn't it look like Northwestern hadn't informed their substitute kicker (who may or may not have been 12 years old) that they were going to fake the field goal? When they all shifted and snapped the ball, he was still standing in his kicking stance looking confused.
Thursday, December 31, 2:30PM
Texas Bowl: Navy vs. Missouri
Probably the least interesting of the ones I'm watching, but I do like to watch that triple option. Mizzou QB Blaine Gabbert was bothered by an ankle injury for the latter part of the regular season, so it will be nice to see him healthy again.
Prediction: Mizzou should show a little better here than they did in their regular season, but I still think Navy's discipline wins the day.
Result: Navy def. Missouri 35-13
Second straight 'fantastic execution by a service academy' game today! Navy was relentless on both sides of the ball, and prolific enough on offense to ovecome three turnovers in the red zone. Mizzou, for its part, had the same problem it has had all year: hard to win if you can't get anything at all going on offense.
Yell at the TV Moment: What in the world was with those QB draws that Missouri kept calling? Every single one ended in a four yard loss. I can look at Blaine Gabbert and tell you that a draw is not a good idea.
Thursday, December 31, 1PM
Sun Bowl: Oklahoma vs. #21 Stanford
If someone had told you at the beginning of the season that this would be a good matchup, could you ever have believed it? Oklahoma's had a pretty terrible season, but Stanford has quite a bit less talent. A chance to see how the Cardinal perform on a national stage once again and also to see what's happened to Oklahoma since they fell off the radar after their loss to Texas.
Prediction: I can't believe I'm going to say this, but I have to go with Stanford. Despite what the media would have you believe, they're not all Gerhart. Sophomore QB Andrew Luck is very efficient, especially considering his limited experience, and I expect the extra practice time will help him a lot.
Result: Oklahoma def. Stanford 31-27
I'd like to say in my defense that I didn't realize that Andrew Luck was not going to play for Stanford. If he had played, I'm pretty certain they would have won. Instead, their game plan was indeed Gerhart Gerhart Gerhart and though they managed to do that out of about 27 different formations, eventually the Sooners caught on. Still Stanford did a good job to hang on. Every time it seemed like it was about to get out of reach, they caught a break or blocked a punt or got an interception. They just didn't have quite enough (quarterback) in the end.
Yell at the TV Moment: I hate when the announcers aren't even paying attention. After one Stanford drive, Craig Bolerjack raved about how Harbaugh trusted backup QB Tavita Pritchard in the red zone. They had called four running plays, one out of the wildcat, for which Pritchard wasn't even on the field. Now that's trust...
Thursday, December 31, 11AM
Armed Forces Bowl: Houston vs. Air Force
This isn't one I'd typically be too excited about, but I wouldn't mind one more chance to see onetime Heisman candidate Case Keenum play for the Cougars. Air Force has also had a nice little season and purportedly has a pretty solid defense. It will be tested by Houston's air attack.
Prediction: I want to go with my gut and take the scorers, but Air Force played tight with TCU and with Utah, which is more impressive than any wins Houston has. Falcons over the Cougars (get it?)
Result: Air Force def. Houston 47-20
Say what you want about service academy football, but you can't argue with the execution. Air Force was this game on solid blocking, accurate throws, disciplined coverage, and just enough creativity to keep the Houston defense guessing. It obviously wasn't Houston's best game, but they would have been outclassed either way.
Best Moment of the College Football Season, Hands Down: Air Force calls its final timeout with just under 20 seconds to go in the first half and the ball inside the Houston 10-yard line. They attempt to run a play, but the quarterback is sacked with :12 on the clock. Air Force, knowing it can't stop the clock, has their field goal team ready to go. They sprint on to the field from the 30-yard line in formation, line up and snap the ball with :03 to go. The kicker drills the field goal, and they jog into the locker room without even a celebration. Beautiful.
Wednesday, December 30, 7PM
Holiday Bowl: #20 Arizona vs. #22 Nebraska
Well, I'm not all that interested in this as a matchup, but I'd like to take advantages of all my chances to see Ndomukong Suh. He'll be matched up against a very calm quarterback in Arizona's Nick Foles.
Prediction: Well, I don't know that Arizona's O-line is so solid, so Suh really should cause some problems for them. That said, I doubt Bo Pelini managed to pull an offense (or a rabbit) out of his hat in the last couple of weeks. I'll be rooting for Nebraska, but I think Arizona scores just enough and stops 'Husker RB Roy Helu Jr. just enough to take this one.
Result: Nebraska def. Arizona 33-0
Wow. I thought the SMU win was a surprise, but THIS was a surprise. Nebraska's first touchdown was completely set up by its defense and I thought, well, okay, par for the course. But then the 'Huskers rushing attack exploded! Which set up the short passing game very nicely. Nebraska had some new looks and clearly used their extra practice time to good advantage (I think they may have equaled their point total for the whole rest of the season), but you gotta wonder what Arizona has to say for itself. Your defense has to be pretty terrible to make Zac Lee look like an efficient passer. All joking aside though, kudos to Bo Pelini - the Huskers are back and I bet they can't wait until next year.
Cry at the TV Moment: Nick Foles' stat line: 9/30, 48 yards, INT
Tuesday, December 29, 7PM
Champs Sports Bowl: #15 Miami vs. #25 Wisconsin
Oh, you know me, I try to keep up with the Big Ten. Miami's success has been well documented this year, but Wisconsin has pretty quietly had a decent little season as well with defeats at the hands of top Big Ten teams Iowa and Ohio State and a 'we shall never again speak of this' loss to Northwestern. Wisconsin relies heavily on John Clay in the run game, but Miami should have that handled and it will be up to QB Scott Tolzien to pick up the slack. Meanwhile, the Badgers will have their hands full with 'Canes QB Jacory Harris and his corps of speedy receivers.
Prediction: Gotta like Miami in this one. I can't imagine the Badgers can keep up with this kind of team speed.
Result: Wisconsin def. Miami 20-14
Oh, Wisconsin, I apologize one million times for doubting you. I guess I have to point out that even Northwestern could have taken down this flat and beat up Miami team, but it's still a great, great, great win for you and for the Big Ten! Miami was quite a bit speedier, but they really only showed it in the first 20 and last 175 seconds of the game. Otherwise, Wisconsin's fantastic D-line pressure, bruising running game and, most surprisingly, laser accuracy from QB Scott Tolzien (product of Fremd High School in Palatine, IL!) rendered speed a moot point. It was old school versus sandlot and old school won tonight - love it!
Yell at the TV Moment: Man, broadcasting is for idiots these days. Wisconsin's 1st TD drive was as follows: a lovely pass down inside the five, one run up the middle, and a sweep into the end zone. After the extra point, ESPN went to commercial, came back, and recapped the drive. Who needs a recap of a three play drive?
Random Note: If you had watched only the action *between* snaps, you would definitely have concluded that Miami won in a blowout. Man can those guys celebrate! Meanwhile, good old Wisconsin kept it close to the vest.
Monday, December 28, 4PM
Independence Bowl: Texas A&M vs. Georgia
Nice of these guys not to conflict with the Bears on Monday Night Football. If you haven't gotten a chance to see Aggies QB Jerrod Johnson, you'd be wise to take advantage of this chance. Johnson has completed 60% of his passes for 28 TDs and only 6 INTs and has rushed for 455 yards with 93 of them coming in his spectacular game against the Longhorns. Sophomore WR Ryan Tannehill is also a backup QB and you can expect a trick play or two from him. On the other side, an off year for Georgia (despite incredible talent A.J. Green at the WR spot) presents a chance for the Big 12 to make a statement.
Prediction: This should be a pretty high scoring game. As high as I am on the young Aggies, Georgia has a better record against a much stronger schedule. If Mark Richt can keep his players disciplined, Georgia should have the talent to win this one.
Result: Georgia def. Texas A&M 44-20
So I saw the final score of this one before I watched the game and was pretty darn confused when I watched the teams feel each other out for almost the entire first half. How in the world was Georgia going to get to 44 points when it hadn't scored with 2:35 to go in the 1st half? But then, the Aggies special teams entered the fray and what a disaster! Jerrod Johnson and the hurry-up offense were actually fairly successful (471 total yards) and would have had A&M right in the game, but it's pretty darn hard to overcome four huge special teams gaffes (blocked FG, kick off return TD, blocked punt recovered on the Aggies 2, and a snap over the punters head, also in A&M territory). Georgia, for its part, gained 366 yards, but I think about 150 of them came on bull rushes in the 4th quarter when the Aggies defense was exhausted.
Yell at the TV Moment: None really, other than the announcers mispronouncing Washaun Ealey's name as Washaun Early (that's right, the easy one). I was way too involved in the Bears' overtime win to get that excited about this one!
Saturday, December 26, 7PM
Emerald Bowl: Boston College vs. #24 USC
It's kind of amazing that USC is still ranked after a string of terrible conference losses, but maybe its their consolation for failing to qualify for the BCS for the first time in eight years. Prediction: Haven't gotten a chance to check out BC this year, but a quick glance at their schedule reveals that they haven't beaten a decent team all year. And even with a shaky QB and without half of their skill players, USC still qualifies as a decent team. Trojans should take this one easily.
Result: USC def. Boston College 24-13
Usually I leave the conspiracy theories to my mother, but I'm pretty certain this game was fixed. USC got an awful lot of help from the refs, both in booth reviews and dubious 3rd down penalties. Hilariously, it probably didn't need to be fixed, since BC has a 25-year-old freshman pitcher for a QB. Football players throw to players while baseball players throw to spots and judging by the number of passes Shinskie threw behind his guys, he hasn't quite learned the difference. USC should have taken this one easily, but didn't for two reasons: 1) The combination of RB Montel Harris and the BC offensive line was terrific and 2) Barkley still isn't quite ready to go. Despite all of the praise earlier this year, Pete Carroll knows it too. Nothing says 'I don't trust my quarterback' like a receiver screen behind the line of scrimmage on 3rd and 5.
Yell at the TV Moment: Eh, not a yell really - this was a reasonably calm one to watch...but this announcing team is rapidly becoming hard to deal with. Rod Gilmore occasionally says interesting things, but then Joe Tessitore immediately repeats it, which is pretty annoying.
Random note: I certainly won't argue that Taylor Mays is a once in a lifetime physical specimen, but if he's so good, why does every big play go right through where he was standing at the snap?
Saturday, December 26, 3:30PM
Meinecke Car Care Bowl: #17 Pitt vs. North Carolina
Tough consolation prize for a team that nearly got the Big East Conference's BCS bid. UNC has been very Jekyll and Hyde this year, so it'll be interesting to see not only how they match up with the Panthers, but which UNC team shows up.
Prediction: Dion Lewis will run wild and Pitt's defense should be able to put a damper on the Tar Heels anemic offense.
Result: Pitt def. UNC 19-17
This kind of game was really par for the course for the Panthers this season. Dion Lewis runs wild, Bill Stull is uneven at best while the announcers praise his every move, Dave Wannstedt is seriously outcoached, and Pitt leaves it up to chance in the end. Butch Davis and UNC had a terrific game plan - the play mix on offense was fantastic and took advantage of the skills of T.J. Yates (it's tempting to think he's terrible, but he's really just inconsistent), Greg Little, and especially Ryan Houston (where did this guy come from?) - but didn't quite have the talent to carry it out. They probably also should have rethought leaving the middle of the field wide open on every 3rd down.
Yell at the TV Moment: Greg Little, what a maroon! He's got some serious talent, but punting the ball into the stands after UNC's first TD was one of the dumber things I've seen all year. If I were a pro scout, this kind of boner would make me think twice about drafting a guy. Later in the game, he bowled over the sound guy on the sideline and walked past him onto the field without so much as a glance to see if he'd killed him. Nice kid.
Thursday, December 24, 7PM
Hawaii Bowl: Nevada vs. SMU
I always like to watch Nevada's pistol offense and when Wolfpack QB Colin Kaepernick gets going, he seems to cover five yards with each step. I also wouldn't mind a chance to check out former Hawaii coach June Jones' new charges at SMU.
Prediction: Nevada RB Vai Taua has been ruled academically ineligible and I don't know who his backup will be, which makes this hard to pick. I haven't seen SMU play this year, but looking at their schedule, their best moment is a 28-21 win over East Carolina, which isn't spectacularly impressive. When in doubt, I usually go with the scorers, so I'll say the Wolfpack.
Result: SMU def. Nevada 45-10
Another coming out party for a true freshman quarterback. In this case it was SMU starter Kyle Padron, who torched Nevada's secondary all day (though it is worth pointing out that he had enough time to salt, cut, and eat a steak dinner before throwing on most plays). Had I realized that both Taua *and* Luke Lippincott were out, I might have picked SMU, but the Nevada offense was the least of its problems on a very sour ending note to its season. I said I hadn't seen SMU play this year - judging by their complete unpreparedness, apparently neither had the Wolfpack defense.
Yell at the TV Moment: Why was SMU throwing deep up 38-3 with 8 minutes left? I guess we didn't need much more proof that June Jones was a jerk, but this was low even for him.
Wednesday, December 23, 7PM
Poinsettia Bowl: #23 Utah vs. California
I'm not particularly interested in either of these teams, but this is a good match up between two teams who should be playing each other more often. Cal RB Jahvid Best will not play after that gruesome concussion, but his replacement, Shane Vereen, is pretty good in his own right and will be the center of the Bears' offense. Utah is a pretty well-balanced team and will be looking to prove itself against a major conference team.
Prediction: I haven't seen Utah this year, but their three losses came at the hands of Oregon, TCU, and BYU and they were close against Oregon and BYU. Meanwhile, Cal had an up and down season and was blown out by Oregon, USC, Oregon State and, improbably, Washington. The Utes have a good blueprint and I think they'll win in a close one.
Result: Utah def. California 37-27
This was one of those games that felt like a blowout but never quite was. What it was, however, was a real coming out party for Utah freshman QB Jordan Wynn, who was almost unfailingly calm and accurate. Cal did go up 14-0 early, but then returned to being embarrassingly outcoached as usual. It's really, really hard to believe that Kevin Riley is the best QB on Cal's roster. In the second quarter, Utah realized that RB Shane Vereen was Cal's only weapon and then it was all over for the Bears. A not-so-great cap to a really disappointing season for Cal - seriously overrated early, blown out a couple of times in conference, beaten by a Mountain West team in a bowl game.
Yell at the TV Moment: Two specific coaching complaints for Jeff Tedford. Down 30-21 with 9 minutes remaining and facing a 4th and 3 near midfield, why punt? You need two scores and your defense needs a stop either way. And a minor complaint: Cal's first play from scrimmage was a fake reverse and then the expected Vereen run up the middle. Come on, you're the favorite and Vereen is your workhorse. Forget the trickeration and just block.
Tuesday, December 22, 7PM
Las Vegas Bowl: #18 Oregon State vs. #14 Brigham Young
Here's a chance to see two quarterbacks who should have their names called in April. Oregon State's Sean Canfield and BYU's Max Hall will both be playing in their last collegiate games. Canfield looks more like a prototypical NFL passer and has come charging out of the gates this year after an inconsistent career. Meanwhile, what Max Hall lacks in size and arm strength, he makes up in accuracy and leadership.
Prediction: The Beavers have more weapons (particularly the Rodgers brothers) and should be able to take this one, though they'll have to be sure and account for Cougars LB Coleby Clawson (he of injuring Sam Bradford fame).
Result: BYU def. Oregon State 44-20
Well, the wind certainly didn't help here (it's not often that you see two punts under ten yards and a goalpost net fiasco so severe that a costumed mascot tries to help), but as I mentioned above, this really was the story of two quarterbacks. Correct analysis, incorrect prediction. Max Hall went out in style with some help from twin backfield beasts Harvey Unga and Manase Tonga, while Sean Canfield can't be excited about what he did to his draft prospects. Not only was he inaccurate, the Beavers looked like a team without a leader, which shouldn't happen with a senior quarterback. BYU stacked the box and decided to hold the Rodgers brothers in check and make Canfield beat them. Successful game plan, especially when Mike Riley isn't in an 'adapt the Beavers game plan' mood. OSU was thoroughly outcoached and outplayed.
Yell at the TV Moment: What in the world was Mike Riley thinking with that fake punt on their first drive of the 4th quarter? Yes, it was 4th and relatively short, but you're in your own territory and your offense has been terrible. Even if you pick up the first down, what are the odds that you then drive the rest of the field? Punt the ball and hope for better field position next time.
January 8, 2010
December 6, 2009
College Football: Week 14 Wrap-Up
#7 Oregon def. #16 Oregon State 37-33
I learned all I needed to know about this game in the first half of the first quarter. Oregon's first possession lasted only about 30 seconds and 5 yards before Jeremiah Masoli was intercepted. Oregon State promptly drove 22 yards to the end zone and Oregon was down 7-0 just over three minutes in. I think the way a team reacts to adversity says everything, and what did Oregon do? Marched 77 yards in 8 plays to tie the game. All in all, it was a good showing for Beavers QB Sean Canfield and the magnificent Rodgers brothers, but the trio of Masoli, LaMichael James and returned bruiser LeGarrette Blount was too much to handle. On to Pasadena.
Central Michigan def. Ohio 20-10
Man, I love small time football. Big time record set here though, as Central Michigan quarterback Dan LeFevour became the all time FBS leader in touchdowns. Congrats Dan, hope to see you in the NFL. Oh yeah, the game. Kind of slow, I guess, but Lefevour was good, as was Chippewa RB/WR Antonio Brown. Ohio's QB Theo Scott had some good moments, but was for some unclear reason unable to throw a screen pass, which made it very hard for him to run his offense. He also pretty much gave up any chance to win when he was sacked out of field goal range with the Bobcats down 20-10 in the 4th quarter. Live and learn...
#5 Cincinnati def. #15 Pittsburgh 45-44
Some teams just love to lose. Michigan State, the Buffalo Bills, and now we can add Pitt to the list. This is the second week in a row they blew a game in which they were obviously the better team. Cincinnati didn't look too good either, seemingly hampered by the snow and also by a massive team wide choke in the first half. Looked a little like Brian Kelly didn't have his team ready to play, which of course makes me wonder what the Fighting Irish brass thought. So can Cincinnati stop Dion Lewis? No. Lewis was good, but Pitt's offensive line dominated and Lewis often wasn't touched until he already had a three yard gain. Can Pitt keep the Bearcats from scoring 50? Technically yes, but not really. Did I jinx Bill Stull? Complicated. He wasn't particularly good, but then again, when your running back has 50 touches, how involved can you be? Generally, a shootout doesn't come down to one play, but then the Pitt holder dropped the extra point snap. D'oh.
Arizona def. #18 USC 21-17
How the mighty have fallen! USC somehow forgot AGAIN that McKnight is their best weapon and instead put Mr. Barkley in some tough situations he wasn't experienced enough to handle. The Trojans also used all of their second half timeouts before the closing minutes of the game, which hurt 'em a bit in the end. Maybe this is just because I'm used to them being so good, but it looks like they aren't really trying. And what do you get for that? 6th in the Pac-10 and a bowl date with the Jesuits of the Northeast.
#2 Alabama def. #1 Florida 32-13
I feel kind of stupid for blowing this call. I knew Alabama had a more complete team and I also knew that Florida basically hadn't played a decent team all year (someone called it a 12 game preseason). I just overestimated the Tebow factor. As did Tebow, obviously. And Urban Meyer. And for a lone Florida drive before the half, it looked like Tebow might lead them back into the game. But while Florida's offense was by no means good, the game was lost by the defense, which was on its heels from the very beginning of the game. Alabama put together several incredibly long drives and I actually think what you saw was a 49-13 blowout hampered by Alabama's plodding (although steady) offense. Good news for Texas (and excuse me for being vulgar): McElroy probably shot his wad on this one. It's hard to imagine him playing so far above himself twice in a row.
#3 Texas def. #22 Nebraska 13-12
Blech. If you take this game and the Oregon/Boise State travesty at the beginning of the season, you have disaster bookends to the regular season. Texas looked really really really tight. I kept thinking they would get over it and just throw short passes to Shipley all night, but they never did. The Cornhuskers had a fantastic defensive game plan (kudos to Bo Pelini for providing Alabama with a blueprint) and possibly the best punter/kicker I've ever seen, but on the other side of the ball...well, an ESPN column referred to them as "the team that offense forgot". No matter how many sacks Ndamukong Suh has, 32 yards in an entire half of football just isn't going to get it done. And so, despite the fact that Texas was completely unable to protect Colt McCoy, despite the fact that Texas had significant trouble with a very mediocre team, they're going to the national championship.
This Week's 'Yell at the TV' Moment: After Nebraska intercepted Colt McCoy on Texas' first drive, they faced a 4th and 1 in field goal range and Bo Pelini decided to go for it, which I thought was incredibly dumb. Pelini has to know how god-awful his offense is. Even if you make the first down, what are the odds that you make two more and score the touchdown (they didn't, by the way, and kicked the field goal anyway)? And if you don't make it, wow, momentum right back to Texas. I'm usually in favor of making an early game statement, but this was an early game bluff.
In other news: During the Civil War, ESPN displayed a stats comparison between Colt McCoy and Nebraska QB Zac Lee. That's just mean.....Have you ever seen slower crawling than that Oregon lineman's attempt to pick up that Ducks fumble in the backfield? It looked like a slow motion replay.....Sad play of the week: Oregon State is lucky to have a really crappy punt called back because of a false start. On the second iteration, the punter does even worse.....After USC fullback Stanley Havili was called for a personal foul for spiking the ball in frustration after a play, the announcers said they didn't think that should be a penalty. I disagree wholeheartedly. Havili spiked the ball five yards out of bounds forcing the ball boys to crawl under the bench to get it. Despite our incredible ability to tolerate them from athletes, temper tantrums are definitely unsportsmanlike conduct.....Tim Tebow really needs to work on his poker face. I understand that it was disappointing, but who cries during a blowout? You have so much time to get used to the idea!.....Did anyone notice Blake Gideon dropping an INT in much the same manner as he did last year against Texas Tech? Almost cost his team a national championship two years in a row.....Great Musburger quote: Ndamukong is dominating! (He was though. Great to see a defensive player invited to the Heisman ceremony)
I learned all I needed to know about this game in the first half of the first quarter. Oregon's first possession lasted only about 30 seconds and 5 yards before Jeremiah Masoli was intercepted. Oregon State promptly drove 22 yards to the end zone and Oregon was down 7-0 just over three minutes in. I think the way a team reacts to adversity says everything, and what did Oregon do? Marched 77 yards in 8 plays to tie the game. All in all, it was a good showing for Beavers QB Sean Canfield and the magnificent Rodgers brothers, but the trio of Masoli, LaMichael James and returned bruiser LeGarrette Blount was too much to handle. On to Pasadena.
Central Michigan def. Ohio 20-10
Man, I love small time football. Big time record set here though, as Central Michigan quarterback Dan LeFevour became the all time FBS leader in touchdowns. Congrats Dan, hope to see you in the NFL. Oh yeah, the game. Kind of slow, I guess, but Lefevour was good, as was Chippewa RB/WR Antonio Brown. Ohio's QB Theo Scott had some good moments, but was for some unclear reason unable to throw a screen pass, which made it very hard for him to run his offense. He also pretty much gave up any chance to win when he was sacked out of field goal range with the Bobcats down 20-10 in the 4th quarter. Live and learn...
#5 Cincinnati def. #15 Pittsburgh 45-44
Some teams just love to lose. Michigan State, the Buffalo Bills, and now we can add Pitt to the list. This is the second week in a row they blew a game in which they were obviously the better team. Cincinnati didn't look too good either, seemingly hampered by the snow and also by a massive team wide choke in the first half. Looked a little like Brian Kelly didn't have his team ready to play, which of course makes me wonder what the Fighting Irish brass thought. So can Cincinnati stop Dion Lewis? No. Lewis was good, but Pitt's offensive line dominated and Lewis often wasn't touched until he already had a three yard gain. Can Pitt keep the Bearcats from scoring 50? Technically yes, but not really. Did I jinx Bill Stull? Complicated. He wasn't particularly good, but then again, when your running back has 50 touches, how involved can you be? Generally, a shootout doesn't come down to one play, but then the Pitt holder dropped the extra point snap. D'oh.
Arizona def. #18 USC 21-17
How the mighty have fallen! USC somehow forgot AGAIN that McKnight is their best weapon and instead put Mr. Barkley in some tough situations he wasn't experienced enough to handle. The Trojans also used all of their second half timeouts before the closing minutes of the game, which hurt 'em a bit in the end. Maybe this is just because I'm used to them being so good, but it looks like they aren't really trying. And what do you get for that? 6th in the Pac-10 and a bowl date with the Jesuits of the Northeast.
#2 Alabama def. #1 Florida 32-13
I feel kind of stupid for blowing this call. I knew Alabama had a more complete team and I also knew that Florida basically hadn't played a decent team all year (someone called it a 12 game preseason). I just overestimated the Tebow factor. As did Tebow, obviously. And Urban Meyer. And for a lone Florida drive before the half, it looked like Tebow might lead them back into the game. But while Florida's offense was by no means good, the game was lost by the defense, which was on its heels from the very beginning of the game. Alabama put together several incredibly long drives and I actually think what you saw was a 49-13 blowout hampered by Alabama's plodding (although steady) offense. Good news for Texas (and excuse me for being vulgar): McElroy probably shot his wad on this one. It's hard to imagine him playing so far above himself twice in a row.
#3 Texas def. #22 Nebraska 13-12
Blech. If you take this game and the Oregon/Boise State travesty at the beginning of the season, you have disaster bookends to the regular season. Texas looked really really really tight. I kept thinking they would get over it and just throw short passes to Shipley all night, but they never did. The Cornhuskers had a fantastic defensive game plan (kudos to Bo Pelini for providing Alabama with a blueprint) and possibly the best punter/kicker I've ever seen, but on the other side of the ball...well, an ESPN column referred to them as "the team that offense forgot". No matter how many sacks Ndamukong Suh has, 32 yards in an entire half of football just isn't going to get it done. And so, despite the fact that Texas was completely unable to protect Colt McCoy, despite the fact that Texas had significant trouble with a very mediocre team, they're going to the national championship.
This Week's 'Yell at the TV' Moment: After Nebraska intercepted Colt McCoy on Texas' first drive, they faced a 4th and 1 in field goal range and Bo Pelini decided to go for it, which I thought was incredibly dumb. Pelini has to know how god-awful his offense is. Even if you make the first down, what are the odds that you make two more and score the touchdown (they didn't, by the way, and kicked the field goal anyway)? And if you don't make it, wow, momentum right back to Texas. I'm usually in favor of making an early game statement, but this was an early game bluff.
In other news: During the Civil War, ESPN displayed a stats comparison between Colt McCoy and Nebraska QB Zac Lee. That's just mean.....Have you ever seen slower crawling than that Oregon lineman's attempt to pick up that Ducks fumble in the backfield? It looked like a slow motion replay.....Sad play of the week: Oregon State is lucky to have a really crappy punt called back because of a false start. On the second iteration, the punter does even worse.....After USC fullback Stanley Havili was called for a personal foul for spiking the ball in frustration after a play, the announcers said they didn't think that should be a penalty. I disagree wholeheartedly. Havili spiked the ball five yards out of bounds forcing the ball boys to crawl under the bench to get it. Despite our incredible ability to tolerate them from athletes, temper tantrums are definitely unsportsmanlike conduct.....Tim Tebow really needs to work on his poker face. I understand that it was disappointing, but who cries during a blowout? You have so much time to get used to the idea!.....Did anyone notice Blake Gideon dropping an INT in much the same manner as he did last year against Texas Tech? Almost cost his team a national championship two years in a row.....Great Musburger quote: Ndamukong is dominating! (He was though. Great to see a defensive player invited to the Heisman ceremony)
December 2, 2009
College Football: Week 14 Preview
Thursday, 8PM: #16 Oregon State at #7 Oregon
The Civil War (you gotta love matchups that have special names), Beavers and Ducks, and the battle for who beats Ohio State in the Rose Bowl (I was apparently incorrect about Oregon clinching the Pac-10 with the win over Arizona, but I got that from ESPN, so you can blame them!).
Prediction: Well, I watched a couple of Oregon State games last year, but I haven't seen them this year which means I haven't had a look at former and now again starting quarterback Sean Canfield. But put the fact that the Beavers were routed at home last year with the fact that they have to go into Autzen tomorrow night and you've got yourself a Ducks win. Quack quack.
Friday, 7PM: Ohio vs. Central Michigan
This will be Central Michigan QB Dan Lefevour’s third MAC Championship game in four years. I can’t really say I know how good of a matchup it will be, but Lefevour is always fun to watch and it will be a good nationally televised chance for him to show his stuff to the NFL so he should be ready to go. Remember, this is a guy whose numbers have been better than Tebow’s!
Prediction: Gotta go with the Chippewas here. They've had a great season, including beating Michigan State in September, and they won't drop the ball here.
Saturday, 11AM: #5 Cincinnati at #15 Pittsburgh
Pitt made this one quite a bit less exciting by letting West Virginia beat 'em last weekend. Still, it's for the Big East championship and the automatic BCS bid, which could have big implications for TCU and Boise State.
Prediction: Tough one here. Can Cincy's weak defense stop Dion Lewis at all? Can Pitt hold the ball long enough to keep the Bearcats from scoring 50? Will I contine to jinx Bill Stull? In the end, I think a quick scorer beats a plodder (spoken like a true disappointed Big Ten fan) and I have to pick Cincinnati.
Saturday, 2:30PM: Arizona at #18 USC
This year is the entire Pac-10's chance to knock of USC, so it's fun seeing who takes advatage of it. I was impressed with Arizona QB Nick Foles' performance against Oregon and I'd like to see if he can duplicate it here. Meanwhile, it will be nice to check in on the Trojans, who I haven't seen since they were steamrolled by Oregon.
Prediction: Arizona's on a nice little high after beating rival Arizona State and I think they'll ride it out here. Plus, I learned my lesson about picking USC in the Oregon game...
Saturday, 3PM: #1 Florida at #2 Alabama
The Granddaddy of 'em All. No wait, that's something different. But this one's exciting nonetheless, since it functions like a national semifinal for the second straight year. I just hope Florida will be showing off those white helmets again - those were nice.
Prediction: I do think Florida's defense will have some trouble with Ingram, but you just can't bet against Tebow in these situations. Alabama does have a good defense, but all it takes is a couple of touchdowns. And frankly, I'd rather see a Florida-Texas championship game. Go Gators.
Saturday, 7PM: #3 Texas vs. #22 Nebraska
Big 12 Championship and the last chance for Texas to crumble and give us a little more BCS intrigue. Bo Pelini's team can always be counted on for some decent defense even if the offense and QB Zac Lee are a little...lacking.
Prediction: Texas. Not even close.
For anyone who isn't so into the above games, it might be worth it to watch #21 Houston at East Carolina or South Florida at Connecticut. I'd watch the latter myself if I were going to be home. But alas, people's birthdays take precedence :)
The Civil War (you gotta love matchups that have special names), Beavers and Ducks, and the battle for who beats Ohio State in the Rose Bowl (I was apparently incorrect about Oregon clinching the Pac-10 with the win over Arizona, but I got that from ESPN, so you can blame them!).
Prediction: Well, I watched a couple of Oregon State games last year, but I haven't seen them this year which means I haven't had a look at former and now again starting quarterback Sean Canfield. But put the fact that the Beavers were routed at home last year with the fact that they have to go into Autzen tomorrow night and you've got yourself a Ducks win. Quack quack.
Friday, 7PM: Ohio vs. Central Michigan
This will be Central Michigan QB Dan Lefevour’s third MAC Championship game in four years. I can’t really say I know how good of a matchup it will be, but Lefevour is always fun to watch and it will be a good nationally televised chance for him to show his stuff to the NFL so he should be ready to go. Remember, this is a guy whose numbers have been better than Tebow’s!
Prediction: Gotta go with the Chippewas here. They've had a great season, including beating Michigan State in September, and they won't drop the ball here.
Saturday, 11AM: #5 Cincinnati at #15 Pittsburgh
Pitt made this one quite a bit less exciting by letting West Virginia beat 'em last weekend. Still, it's for the Big East championship and the automatic BCS bid, which could have big implications for TCU and Boise State.
Prediction: Tough one here. Can Cincy's weak defense stop Dion Lewis at all? Can Pitt hold the ball long enough to keep the Bearcats from scoring 50? Will I contine to jinx Bill Stull? In the end, I think a quick scorer beats a plodder (spoken like a true disappointed Big Ten fan) and I have to pick Cincinnati.
Saturday, 2:30PM: Arizona at #18 USC
This year is the entire Pac-10's chance to knock of USC, so it's fun seeing who takes advatage of it. I was impressed with Arizona QB Nick Foles' performance against Oregon and I'd like to see if he can duplicate it here. Meanwhile, it will be nice to check in on the Trojans, who I haven't seen since they were steamrolled by Oregon.
Prediction: Arizona's on a nice little high after beating rival Arizona State and I think they'll ride it out here. Plus, I learned my lesson about picking USC in the Oregon game...
Saturday, 3PM: #1 Florida at #2 Alabama
The Granddaddy of 'em All. No wait, that's something different. But this one's exciting nonetheless, since it functions like a national semifinal for the second straight year. I just hope Florida will be showing off those white helmets again - those were nice.
Prediction: I do think Florida's defense will have some trouble with Ingram, but you just can't bet against Tebow in these situations. Alabama does have a good defense, but all it takes is a couple of touchdowns. And frankly, I'd rather see a Florida-Texas championship game. Go Gators.
Saturday, 7PM: #3 Texas vs. #22 Nebraska
Big 12 Championship and the last chance for Texas to crumble and give us a little more BCS intrigue. Bo Pelini's team can always be counted on for some decent defense even if the offense and QB Zac Lee are a little...lacking.
Prediction: Texas. Not even close.
For anyone who isn't so into the above games, it might be worth it to watch #21 Houston at East Carolina or South Florida at Connecticut. I'd watch the latter myself if I were going to be home. But alas, people's birthdays take precedence :)
November 30, 2009
College Football: Week 13 Wrap-Up
#5 Cincinnati def. Illinois 49-36
Can't say I learned too much here. As expected, Cincinnati has a fantastic offense (that misdirection shovel pass was sweet!), but unfortunately has the kind of defense that allows a team like Illinois to drop 36 points. Illinois has a great talent in Arrelious Benn (how in the world did Ron Zook get him to Champaign?!?), but Juice, despite some improvement, is basically still the same inaccurate quarterback we kept having to watch three years ago. The Illini made a decent show of it, but just couldn't keep up with Pike and the Bearcats in the end.
West Virginia def. #9 Pittsburgh 19-16
Wow, terrible (and pretty boring) showing for Dave Wannstedt and the Panthers. My mom thinks that I might be the jinx for Pitt QB Bill Stull (didn't I do this to Auburn's Chris Todd as well?) and whatever the cause, he looked only marginally better than his bowl performance last year (i.e. the worst performance ever by a quarterback) and did essentially nothing of note until he finally managed to hit Baldwin for the game tying touchdown. Unfortunately, Pitt's defense hadn't gotten it done all night against a relatively one note (Noel Devine) Mountaineer offense and they didn't fare any better at the end. Nice little season saver for West Virginia, but Pitt really should have rethought letting this one get away.
#6 Boise State def. Nevada 44-33
I have to give credit to Nevada for showing some life after being down 20-0 in what seemed like about 30 seconds. Unfortunately, it was all they could do to keep it respectable. Boise State actually didn't pass particularly well (and might have tossed Kellen Moore's invite to the Heisman ceremony down the drain), but their running game more than made up for it.
South Carolina def. #18 Clemson 34-17
I thought this game was a very interesting lesson in momentum. We already know that South Carolina is capable of some good things, but has serious trouble with inconsistency, especially on offense. I hadn't seen Clemson play before this game, but most accounts seem to suggest that they're a pretty good team. Knowing all of this, you have to look at Clemson's two fumbles, one at the outset of each half. Both killed successful drives, one with Clemson already up 7-0 and the other with Clemson down 17-7. What changes if the score becomes 14-0 in the first quarter or 17-14 in the third? Clemson had a few nice pass plays to TE Michael Palmer and redshirt freshman QB Kyle Parker looks like he might be the real deal, but overall, the day belonged to the Gamecocks. Nice win for Mr. Spurrier at home.
#17 Miami def. South Florida 31-10
Wow. I did say Miami would win because of its speed, but I didn't expect this. The Hurricanes dominated the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball and quickly flattened both the crowd and the Bulls. Kudos to the Bulls for waking up a little in the second half (hopefully, that's the preview of leadership to come from B.J. Daniels in the future), but this was steamroller just about all the way.
#15 LSU def. Arkansas 33-30 (OT)
Though I really want to hate the SEC, I have to admit that you can almost always count on these games for some entertainment. My goodness does Trindon Holliday have an impact on games. Whether he's speeding by on kick returns, slashing from the running back position, or yes, muffing punts to keep Arkansas in the game, you never forget he's on the field. Impressive for a guy of that size, though it's hard to tell if we're looking at the next Darren Sproles or just a nice cog in LSU's gimmicky offense. Arkansas had some serious problems, most notably lack of pass protection and Ryan Mallett's throws sailing, but found some success in the running game in the second half. That killer Jordan Jefferson interception (LSU leading 17-6 and in Arkansas territory) helped too. The fall: Arkansas' terrible prevent defense on LSU's tying drive and of course, the missed field goal in OT. Just when you thought SEC kickers were getting it together!
Stanford def. Notre Dame
I was actually pretty disappointed by this game. Neither team showed any defense whatsoever and I thought the coaching was suspect for both sides. Notre Dame called a quarterback sneak on 3rd and 2 in the second quarter (your QB already has a black eye!) and had to give the ball back to Stanford for the winning drive because it chose a running play on 3rd and 2 at midfield when its passing game hadn't been stopped at all. On the other side, well, I admit I've watched quite a bit of Notre Dame "film", but Harbaugh and his staff presumably did too, which is why I'm baffled as to how they possibly could have been fooled by Jimmy Clausen lining up at wideout for the Wild Leprechaun then jogging into the backfield and throwing a touchdown pass to a wide open Michael Floyd. Mr. Harbaugh, the Irish have run that exact play before and your safeties should have been prepared or at least watching the second of the two people who is playing out of position in the formation. Anyhow though, the game went pretty much as predicted - Toby Gerhart was next to unstoppable on the ground, Jimmy Clausen was next to unstoppable through the air and Stanford had the ball last. I will say that Stanford QB Andrew Luck looked polished. I wonder if there's any chance that Gerhart will stick around for another year in Palo Alto.
This Week's 'Yell at the TV' Moment: On Stanford's final drive, a fantastic Gerhart run brought the ball down to the Notre Dame 3 yard line, where the Irish called their second timeout with 1:03 to go. If I'm Mr. Harbaugh, I'm thinking "hmm, we've been ripped apart on defense all night and I'd rather not give Clausen the chance to tie it. Wait, I don't have to! I can kneel three times and let my Notre Dame-transfer kicker boot the game winning field goal. Or, if I don't want to leave it to one snap, I can kneel once or twice to be sure Notre Dame calls its final timeout and maybe eat a little time and then let Gerhart bash his way in." Charlie Weis realized it and the Irish did not try to stop Gerhart from scoring on first down. So the Irish got the ball back with 59 seconds and one timeout. Only the monumental collapse of the Notre Dame offensive line (bad time for the only two sacks given up!) saved the Cardinal from this blowing up in their faces. And even so, the Irish had a last second shot at the end zone. Is there some kind of etiquette I don't know about here?
In other news: Boise State, if you want to know why you're not being taken seriously, it might be things like a failed two point conversion in the first quarter that injures your #1 receiver.....Friday's ESPN coverage was generally hilarious - did you catch the Now/Ahead/Later teasers for topics the commentators would ignore the game to discuss? How about the 'Jared the Galleria of Jewelry Score Alert'?.....It seems to me that defensive offsides and intentional grounding should not be offsetting penalties. If the defender wasn't offsides, the quarterback probably wouldn't have had to ground the ball.....Arkansas QB Ryan Mallett looks much more polished than at the beginning of the year, but still moves really awkwardly, like his feet are too big - wonder if this is a puppy thing that will go away as he matures or if he's always going to move poorly.....Um, why is Toby Gerhart so incredibly exhausted all the time? I realize he has a bruising style, but he's not the only one. Does he need to be in better shape? Is it just because he's a big guy? I can't imagine NFL teams love to see that.....Stanford fullback Owen Marecic is also their backup middle linebacker. A couple weeks ago, starter Clinton Snyder was unable to go, and Marecic started both ways!
Can't say I learned too much here. As expected, Cincinnati has a fantastic offense (that misdirection shovel pass was sweet!), but unfortunately has the kind of defense that allows a team like Illinois to drop 36 points. Illinois has a great talent in Arrelious Benn (how in the world did Ron Zook get him to Champaign?!?), but Juice, despite some improvement, is basically still the same inaccurate quarterback we kept having to watch three years ago. The Illini made a decent show of it, but just couldn't keep up with Pike and the Bearcats in the end.
West Virginia def. #9 Pittsburgh 19-16
Wow, terrible (and pretty boring) showing for Dave Wannstedt and the Panthers. My mom thinks that I might be the jinx for Pitt QB Bill Stull (didn't I do this to Auburn's Chris Todd as well?) and whatever the cause, he looked only marginally better than his bowl performance last year (i.e. the worst performance ever by a quarterback) and did essentially nothing of note until he finally managed to hit Baldwin for the game tying touchdown. Unfortunately, Pitt's defense hadn't gotten it done all night against a relatively one note (Noel Devine) Mountaineer offense and they didn't fare any better at the end. Nice little season saver for West Virginia, but Pitt really should have rethought letting this one get away.
#6 Boise State def. Nevada 44-33
I have to give credit to Nevada for showing some life after being down 20-0 in what seemed like about 30 seconds. Unfortunately, it was all they could do to keep it respectable. Boise State actually didn't pass particularly well (and might have tossed Kellen Moore's invite to the Heisman ceremony down the drain), but their running game more than made up for it.
South Carolina def. #18 Clemson 34-17
I thought this game was a very interesting lesson in momentum. We already know that South Carolina is capable of some good things, but has serious trouble with inconsistency, especially on offense. I hadn't seen Clemson play before this game, but most accounts seem to suggest that they're a pretty good team. Knowing all of this, you have to look at Clemson's two fumbles, one at the outset of each half. Both killed successful drives, one with Clemson already up 7-0 and the other with Clemson down 17-7. What changes if the score becomes 14-0 in the first quarter or 17-14 in the third? Clemson had a few nice pass plays to TE Michael Palmer and redshirt freshman QB Kyle Parker looks like he might be the real deal, but overall, the day belonged to the Gamecocks. Nice win for Mr. Spurrier at home.
#17 Miami def. South Florida 31-10
Wow. I did say Miami would win because of its speed, but I didn't expect this. The Hurricanes dominated the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball and quickly flattened both the crowd and the Bulls. Kudos to the Bulls for waking up a little in the second half (hopefully, that's the preview of leadership to come from B.J. Daniels in the future), but this was steamroller just about all the way.
#15 LSU def. Arkansas 33-30 (OT)
Though I really want to hate the SEC, I have to admit that you can almost always count on these games for some entertainment. My goodness does Trindon Holliday have an impact on games. Whether he's speeding by on kick returns, slashing from the running back position, or yes, muffing punts to keep Arkansas in the game, you never forget he's on the field. Impressive for a guy of that size, though it's hard to tell if we're looking at the next Darren Sproles or just a nice cog in LSU's gimmicky offense. Arkansas had some serious problems, most notably lack of pass protection and Ryan Mallett's throws sailing, but found some success in the running game in the second half. That killer Jordan Jefferson interception (LSU leading 17-6 and in Arkansas territory) helped too. The fall: Arkansas' terrible prevent defense on LSU's tying drive and of course, the missed field goal in OT. Just when you thought SEC kickers were getting it together!
Stanford def. Notre Dame
I was actually pretty disappointed by this game. Neither team showed any defense whatsoever and I thought the coaching was suspect for both sides. Notre Dame called a quarterback sneak on 3rd and 2 in the second quarter (your QB already has a black eye!) and had to give the ball back to Stanford for the winning drive because it chose a running play on 3rd and 2 at midfield when its passing game hadn't been stopped at all. On the other side, well, I admit I've watched quite a bit of Notre Dame "film", but Harbaugh and his staff presumably did too, which is why I'm baffled as to how they possibly could have been fooled by Jimmy Clausen lining up at wideout for the Wild Leprechaun then jogging into the backfield and throwing a touchdown pass to a wide open Michael Floyd. Mr. Harbaugh, the Irish have run that exact play before and your safeties should have been prepared or at least watching the second of the two people who is playing out of position in the formation. Anyhow though, the game went pretty much as predicted - Toby Gerhart was next to unstoppable on the ground, Jimmy Clausen was next to unstoppable through the air and Stanford had the ball last. I will say that Stanford QB Andrew Luck looked polished. I wonder if there's any chance that Gerhart will stick around for another year in Palo Alto.
This Week's 'Yell at the TV' Moment: On Stanford's final drive, a fantastic Gerhart run brought the ball down to the Notre Dame 3 yard line, where the Irish called their second timeout with 1:03 to go. If I'm Mr. Harbaugh, I'm thinking "hmm, we've been ripped apart on defense all night and I'd rather not give Clausen the chance to tie it. Wait, I don't have to! I can kneel three times and let my Notre Dame-transfer kicker boot the game winning field goal. Or, if I don't want to leave it to one snap, I can kneel once or twice to be sure Notre Dame calls its final timeout and maybe eat a little time and then let Gerhart bash his way in." Charlie Weis realized it and the Irish did not try to stop Gerhart from scoring on first down. So the Irish got the ball back with 59 seconds and one timeout. Only the monumental collapse of the Notre Dame offensive line (bad time for the only two sacks given up!) saved the Cardinal from this blowing up in their faces. And even so, the Irish had a last second shot at the end zone. Is there some kind of etiquette I don't know about here?
In other news: Boise State, if you want to know why you're not being taken seriously, it might be things like a failed two point conversion in the first quarter that injures your #1 receiver.....Friday's ESPN coverage was generally hilarious - did you catch the Now/Ahead/Later teasers for topics the commentators would ignore the game to discuss? How about the 'Jared the Galleria of Jewelry Score Alert'?.....It seems to me that defensive offsides and intentional grounding should not be offsetting penalties. If the defender wasn't offsides, the quarterback probably wouldn't have had to ground the ball.....Arkansas QB Ryan Mallett looks much more polished than at the beginning of the year, but still moves really awkwardly, like his feet are too big - wonder if this is a puppy thing that will go away as he matures or if he's always going to move poorly.....Um, why is Toby Gerhart so incredibly exhausted all the time? I realize he has a bruising style, but he's not the only one. Does he need to be in better shape? Is it just because he's a big guy? I can't imagine NFL teams love to see that.....Stanford fullback Owen Marecic is also their backup middle linebacker. A couple weeks ago, starter Clinton Snyder was unable to go, and Marecic started both ways!
November 26, 2009
College Football: Week 13 Preview
Friday, 11AM: Illinois at #5 Cincinnati
A much better matchup since Illinois woke up long enough to save Ron Zook's job. Also, Tony Pike returns as the Bearcats starter, which should settle down their offense a little. The key is the defense, which will need to stop the run to give the offense as many possessions as possible.
Prediction: Cincy by 2 scores - bring on the Panthers!
Friday, 6PM: #9 Pittsburgh at West Virginia
The Backyard Brawl! One more tuneup for Pitt before the matchup with Cincinnati. The Mountaineers aren't great, but Noel Devine always gives them a chance. Pitt's defense will be tested in the run game.
Prediction: Pitt! Their LeSean McCoy replacement should be able to keep up.
Friday, 9PM: Nevada at #6 Boise State
Hard to see Boise State tripping here, but it's always fun to watch Wolfpack QB Colin Kaepernick. Blue turf is a minus though.
Prediction: Boise State passing attack will be way too much for Nevada to handle.
Saturday, 11AM: #18 Clemson at South Carolina
I actually haven't seen Clemson this year, so I'd like to see if they deserve their ranking and get a look at Heisman candidate C.J. Spiller. South Carolina can be good but is fantastically inconsistent - it's always interesting to see which Gamecocks team shows up.
Prediction: Clemson, I suppose.
Saturday, 2:30PM: #17 Miami at South Florida
Haven't checked in on Miami since I jumped off the bandwagon several weeks ago. A game at the always dangerous Bulls is a good chance.
Prediction: This is a hard one, since I'm not certain how good Miami has turned out to be. That sad, Florida teams always have a speedy defense, so I'm counting on the Hurricanes to contain B.J. Daniels. Miami in a closer game than it should be.
Saturday, 6PM: Arkansas at #15 LSU
Back to my old buddy Ryan Mallett, who's having a pretty fantastic year. Meanwhile, LSU is coming off a terrible loss at Ole Miss and probably needs this one to stay ranked.
Prediction: Even though I once swore I would never pick against LSU in a night game at Tiger Stadium, I'm going to pick the upset. Arkansas has gotten better with every game while LSU seems to be on its way down.
Saturday, 7PM: Notre Dame at Stanford
Charlie Weis' job is probably a foregone conclusion at this point, but it's still a big game for Jim Harbaugh and the Cardinal. A lot of eyes will be on this one, which means that Toby Gerhart has a good chance to add to his Heisman resume.
Prediction: Stanford. Notre Dame will put up a good fight on offense, but there's no way they have an answer for Gerhart.
A much better matchup since Illinois woke up long enough to save Ron Zook's job. Also, Tony Pike returns as the Bearcats starter, which should settle down their offense a little. The key is the defense, which will need to stop the run to give the offense as many possessions as possible.
Prediction: Cincy by 2 scores - bring on the Panthers!
Friday, 6PM: #9 Pittsburgh at West Virginia
The Backyard Brawl! One more tuneup for Pitt before the matchup with Cincinnati. The Mountaineers aren't great, but Noel Devine always gives them a chance. Pitt's defense will be tested in the run game.
Prediction: Pitt! Their LeSean McCoy replacement should be able to keep up.
Friday, 9PM: Nevada at #6 Boise State
Hard to see Boise State tripping here, but it's always fun to watch Wolfpack QB Colin Kaepernick. Blue turf is a minus though.
Prediction: Boise State passing attack will be way too much for Nevada to handle.
Saturday, 11AM: #18 Clemson at South Carolina
I actually haven't seen Clemson this year, so I'd like to see if they deserve their ranking and get a look at Heisman candidate C.J. Spiller. South Carolina can be good but is fantastically inconsistent - it's always interesting to see which Gamecocks team shows up.
Prediction: Clemson, I suppose.
Saturday, 2:30PM: #17 Miami at South Florida
Haven't checked in on Miami since I jumped off the bandwagon several weeks ago. A game at the always dangerous Bulls is a good chance.
Prediction: This is a hard one, since I'm not certain how good Miami has turned out to be. That sad, Florida teams always have a speedy defense, so I'm counting on the Hurricanes to contain B.J. Daniels. Miami in a closer game than it should be.
Saturday, 6PM: Arkansas at #15 LSU
Back to my old buddy Ryan Mallett, who's having a pretty fantastic year. Meanwhile, LSU is coming off a terrible loss at Ole Miss and probably needs this one to stay ranked.
Prediction: Even though I once swore I would never pick against LSU in a night game at Tiger Stadium, I'm going to pick the upset. Arkansas has gotten better with every game while LSU seems to be on its way down.
Saturday, 7PM: Notre Dame at Stanford
Charlie Weis' job is probably a foregone conclusion at this point, but it's still a big game for Jim Harbaugh and the Cardinal. A lot of eyes will be on this one, which means that Toby Gerhart has a good chance to add to his Heisman resume.
Prediction: Stanford. Notre Dame will put up a good fight on offense, but there's no way they have an answer for Gerhart.
November 25, 2009
College Football: Week 12 Wrap-Up
#10 Ohio State def. Michigan 21-10
Not too much mystery here - you can't turn the ball over six times and expect to win, particularly against a team as conservative as Ohio State (1 turnover). That said, Michigan had every opportunity to win. The Buckeyes were run run run as expected (Pryor was 9/17 for only 67 yards!) and Michigan contained it somewhat even if they couldn't stop it and the stats were strikingly even (well, evenly depressing). Here's to a better Michigan, and thus a better Big Ten, next year.
Connecticut def. Notre Dame 33-30 (2OT)
This is really Notre Dame's MO now - offense keeps it close, Golden Tate runs wild, defense is unable to stop the run despite the announcers telling us several times how fantastic Kyle McCarthy is. So I suppose the Irish will get rid of Charlie Weis and I have to say, I think that's a good idea for more than just the wins and losses. I've been a Notre Dame hater my entire life, but even I can admit that they were always classy and I think that's changed under Weis. In this game alone, the Irish had two late hits, LB Brian Smith yelling "what's my mother fucking name" after intercepting a pass, and countless strutting after routine plays. At one point, Tate took a line drive punt back about 15 yards and then was tackled by the first player to touch him and then taunted the UConn sideline. Really? If Notre Dame can't win or be counted on to behave, who are they?
Mississippi def. LSU 25-23
Only caught the second half of this one, but it was plenty. It was a pretty even game and definitely the Runnin' Rebels best of the year. Snead was serviceable and McCluster was fantastic as usual - sweet halfback pass! - but Mississippi wasn't prolific enough to put the game away the way they should have (particularly up 22-17 and inside the 10-yard-line in the 4th quarter). Add in a blocked FG return for LSU and you have a close enough game to produce that bizarre ending - see below.
#11 Oregon def. Arizona
Very entertaining game! Oregon started off great, but then appeared to be possibly trying to throw the game. The one plus of this was that I could kind of see the team that lost to Boise State, which made my 'alien abduction' theory less plausible. Anyhow, AZ QB Nick Foles took good care of the ball and even made some nice plays, but his defense couldn't contain Masoli and LaMichael James and you know the rule: if you can't stop the run, you can't win. Oh, and Ducks WR Jeff Maehl had a terrific Johnny-on-the-spot-type game, which definitely helped set up the run.
This Week's 'Yell at the TV' Moment: Definitely the end of the LSU-Ole Miss game. LSU has the ball at the edge of field goal range, about 30 seconds left. QB Jordan Jefferson moronically takes a sack closer to midfield with 26 seconds left and LSU strangely waits until there are just nine seconds left to take the timeout. Jefferson throws a Hail Mary that's caught just inside the 20, but there's not enough time to get another play, either a spike or the game winning field goal off. Obviously, Miles handled the clock poorly and even worse, sold out his quarterback and didn't own up to his mistake after the game. But his real failing, in my opinion, is not considering the possibility that the ball could end up outside the end zone. He has to know that his quarterback can only throw the ball 40 yards!
In other news: The Ohio State-Michigan rivalry has really fallen - the ABC cameras caught a lot of Wolverine fans yawning in the stands.....In UConn's first set of downs in OT#1, the ball was spotted near the 15 and the refs brought out the chains to measure. You gave them the ball at the 25, right? So is it at the 15 or not?.....Oh no, UGA died!.....Arizona and Oregon appeared to be trying to out-do each other in terms of ugly uniforms. Oregon had white names on white jerseys while the Wildcats appeared to be wearing some sort of red unitards.
Not too much mystery here - you can't turn the ball over six times and expect to win, particularly against a team as conservative as Ohio State (1 turnover). That said, Michigan had every opportunity to win. The Buckeyes were run run run as expected (Pryor was 9/17 for only 67 yards!) and Michigan contained it somewhat even if they couldn't stop it and the stats were strikingly even (well, evenly depressing). Here's to a better Michigan, and thus a better Big Ten, next year.
Connecticut def. Notre Dame 33-30 (2OT)
This is really Notre Dame's MO now - offense keeps it close, Golden Tate runs wild, defense is unable to stop the run despite the announcers telling us several times how fantastic Kyle McCarthy is. So I suppose the Irish will get rid of Charlie Weis and I have to say, I think that's a good idea for more than just the wins and losses. I've been a Notre Dame hater my entire life, but even I can admit that they were always classy and I think that's changed under Weis. In this game alone, the Irish had two late hits, LB Brian Smith yelling "what's my mother fucking name" after intercepting a pass, and countless strutting after routine plays. At one point, Tate took a line drive punt back about 15 yards and then was tackled by the first player to touch him and then taunted the UConn sideline. Really? If Notre Dame can't win or be counted on to behave, who are they?
Mississippi def. LSU 25-23
Only caught the second half of this one, but it was plenty. It was a pretty even game and definitely the Runnin' Rebels best of the year. Snead was serviceable and McCluster was fantastic as usual - sweet halfback pass! - but Mississippi wasn't prolific enough to put the game away the way they should have (particularly up 22-17 and inside the 10-yard-line in the 4th quarter). Add in a blocked FG return for LSU and you have a close enough game to produce that bizarre ending - see below.
#11 Oregon def. Arizona
Very entertaining game! Oregon started off great, but then appeared to be possibly trying to throw the game. The one plus of this was that I could kind of see the team that lost to Boise State, which made my 'alien abduction' theory less plausible. Anyhow, AZ QB Nick Foles took good care of the ball and even made some nice plays, but his defense couldn't contain Masoli and LaMichael James and you know the rule: if you can't stop the run, you can't win. Oh, and Ducks WR Jeff Maehl had a terrific Johnny-on-the-spot-type game, which definitely helped set up the run.
This Week's 'Yell at the TV' Moment: Definitely the end of the LSU-Ole Miss game. LSU has the ball at the edge of field goal range, about 30 seconds left. QB Jordan Jefferson moronically takes a sack closer to midfield with 26 seconds left and LSU strangely waits until there are just nine seconds left to take the timeout. Jefferson throws a Hail Mary that's caught just inside the 20, but there's not enough time to get another play, either a spike or the game winning field goal off. Obviously, Miles handled the clock poorly and even worse, sold out his quarterback and didn't own up to his mistake after the game. But his real failing, in my opinion, is not considering the possibility that the ball could end up outside the end zone. He has to know that his quarterback can only throw the ball 40 yards!
In other news: The Ohio State-Michigan rivalry has really fallen - the ABC cameras caught a lot of Wolverine fans yawning in the stands.....In UConn's first set of downs in OT#1, the ball was spotted near the 15 and the refs brought out the chains to measure. You gave them the ball at the 25, right? So is it at the 15 or not?.....Oh no, UGA died!.....Arizona and Oregon appeared to be trying to out-do each other in terms of ugly uniforms. Oregon had white names on white jerseys while the Wildcats appeared to be wearing some sort of red unitards.
November 19, 2009
College Football: Week 12 Preview
Saturday, 11AM: #10 Ohio State at Michigan
Because I have to. I'm considering watching in the fetal position. Here’s the thing though – Michigan, for all its troubles this season, can score, and the Buckeyes’ scheme completely prevents them from putting games away. So if Michigan focuses on run defense, they could keep the game pretty close. That’s what I’ll hope for. If it doesn’t work out, I can always look forward to the Buckeyes getting stomped by Stanford/Oregon in Pasadena!
Prediction: Ohio State. Michigan doesn’t have the defense to keep even this sad-sack offense in check.
Saturday, 1:30PM: Connecticut at Notre Dame
ND returns to the friendly lepre-confines (bah dump bah!) for a must-win. Connecticut’s offense is up to the task, but the defense is weak. As just about the entire college football world knows by now, this description also applies to Notre Dame. I do think it will be evenly matched, but here’s the thing: ND needs needs needs this game. They may not have ever needed a game like they need this one. They're 2-3 in their last 5 games, fighting like hell not to finish 6-6, and facing a very good Stanford team next weekend.
Prediction: Close as always for the Irish, but they'll make sure to get this one.
Saturday, 2:30PM: #8 LSU at Mississippi
This one's really only a maybe, but if I'm home on Saturday afternoon I'll probably at least check it out. Under normal circumstances, this would be an easy LSU win. But Ole Miss RB Dexter McCluster is on a tear, the Tigers are missing Charles Scott, and the game is in Runnin’ Rebel-land, all of which serve to even the playing field (haha).
Prediction: If Jarret 'Pick Six' Lee was starting again, I'd pick Ole Miss, but Jordan Jefferson returns from a sprained ankle this week. So Geaux Tigers, but I expect this to be Mississippi's best game to date.
Saturday, 7:00PM: #11 Oregon at Arizona
Probably the game of the week in a very weak week (I'm just full of puns tonight). I have to say I don’t really know much about Arizona. The last time I saw them was against Iowa back in September and they’re apparently a decent team now, which means they must look pretty darn different. QB Matt Scott (whom I last referred to as "supremely ineffective" has been benched in favor of Nick Foles and the Wildcats have (sort of...) turned things around. Meanwhile, Oregon can take the Pac-10 with a win here.
Prediction: Oregon’s had some ups and downs this year, but the Pac-10 title would go a long way towards making this an 'up' season. The Ducks (and their uniforms) should be too much for the Wildcats to handle.
Extra game for the mountain dwellers: see if you can get Air Force-BYU in the afternoon game. Air Force came within 3 points of TCU back in October and BYU QB Max Hall is one win away from passing Ty Detmer for the school record.
Because I have to. I'm considering watching in the fetal position. Here’s the thing though – Michigan, for all its troubles this season, can score, and the Buckeyes’ scheme completely prevents them from putting games away. So if Michigan focuses on run defense, they could keep the game pretty close. That’s what I’ll hope for. If it doesn’t work out, I can always look forward to the Buckeyes getting stomped by Stanford/Oregon in Pasadena!
Prediction: Ohio State. Michigan doesn’t have the defense to keep even this sad-sack offense in check.
Saturday, 1:30PM: Connecticut at Notre Dame
ND returns to the friendly lepre-confines (bah dump bah!) for a must-win. Connecticut’s offense is up to the task, but the defense is weak. As just about the entire college football world knows by now, this description also applies to Notre Dame. I do think it will be evenly matched, but here’s the thing: ND needs needs needs this game. They may not have ever needed a game like they need this one. They're 2-3 in their last 5 games, fighting like hell not to finish 6-6, and facing a very good Stanford team next weekend.
Prediction: Close as always for the Irish, but they'll make sure to get this one.
Saturday, 2:30PM: #8 LSU at Mississippi
This one's really only a maybe, but if I'm home on Saturday afternoon I'll probably at least check it out. Under normal circumstances, this would be an easy LSU win. But Ole Miss RB Dexter McCluster is on a tear, the Tigers are missing Charles Scott, and the game is in Runnin’ Rebel-land, all of which serve to even the playing field (haha).
Prediction: If Jarret 'Pick Six' Lee was starting again, I'd pick Ole Miss, but Jordan Jefferson returns from a sprained ankle this week. So Geaux Tigers, but I expect this to be Mississippi's best game to date.
Saturday, 7:00PM: #11 Oregon at Arizona
Probably the game of the week in a very weak week (I'm just full of puns tonight). I have to say I don’t really know much about Arizona. The last time I saw them was against Iowa back in September and they’re apparently a decent team now, which means they must look pretty darn different. QB Matt Scott (whom I last referred to as "supremely ineffective" has been benched in favor of Nick Foles and the Wildcats have (sort of...) turned things around. Meanwhile, Oregon can take the Pac-10 with a win here.
Prediction: Oregon’s had some ups and downs this year, but the Pac-10 title would go a long way towards making this an 'up' season. The Ducks (and their uniforms) should be too much for the Wildcats to handle.
Extra game for the mountain dwellers: see if you can get Air Force-BYU in the afternoon game. Air Force came within 3 points of TCU back in October and BYU QB Max Hall is one win away from passing Ty Detmer for the school record.
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