BEDLAM THE PERFECT NAME FOR OU-OKIE STATE
After three solid days of watching football, it all culminated with the "Bedlam" game, Oklahoma at Oklahoma State & if ever a game was more aptly named, show it to me. The 4th quarter was ridiculous, 40-points, 37 of them in just 7 minutes & 2 seconds, 355-total yards, 3 touchdown passes & a kickoff returned for a score. It was exhausting. The game also featured the single best defensive play I've seen this season. I guarantee you'll see it on ESPN's Top Plays of the day/weekend/week/month/year. It was just that spectacular.
The 47-41 win by Oklahoma set up an old-fashion rivalry for the Big-12 Championship game next Saturday night, Sooners-Cornhuskers. It will be especially huge given this will be Nebraska's final game as a member of the the Big-12 Conference. It will be a revival of those classic knockdown, drag out OU-NU slugfests of the 60's, 70's & 80's. I'm really looking forward to it.
OU converted an unreal 16 0f 27 third down plays, anyone recall a team with 27 3rd down plays? For a game with 967-yards of total offense, it's difficult to believe the two teams combined for 12 punts. OU QB Landry Jones threw for 468-yards & 4 TD's, but was intercepted 3 times. The second pick was the defensive play of the year, so far. Flushed from the pocket, Jones attempted to throw the ball out of bounds, 5' 8" Sooner cornerback Brodrick Brown used an unreal vertical leap as he crossed the sideline out of bounds & with one hand tapped the ball back in bounds to teammate Shaun Lewis to complete the play. I've watched football for some 50-years & had never seen anything like that play, it was amazing.
The 37-points in 7:02 was amazing as well, in that time frame, OU kicked 2 field goals & threw touchdown passes of 86 & 76-yards. The Cowboys kicked a field goal, had a 15-yard touchdown pass & an 89-yard kickoff return for a score.
Mike Gundy still hasn't beaten Bob Stoops & OU holds a ridiculous 87-16 edge in the series but that hasn't stopped it from being one of the most entertaining maychups every season.
Arkansas knocked off #5 LSU 31-23 in another very entertaining game. Razorback QB Ryan Mallett made all the noise with 3 very long touchdown passes but it was running back Knile Davis rushing for 152-yards & a score that kept the Bayou Bengals at bay. In an inexcusable moment, LSU let WR Cobi Hamilton score from 80-yards out with no time left on the clock before halftime. It was a back breaker. The Hogs ran their record to 10-2, losing only to Alabama & Auburn. They look to be the front runner for a birth in the Cotton Bowl.
In all the hoopla of the "I told you so" crowd crowing over Boise State's overtime loss, I heard nary a word about Alabama's collapse. The defending national champs with the defending Heisman Trophy winner, playing at home, went ahead 24-0 in the second quarter. They lost 28-27. Boise "choked" playing on the road, while not a word anywhere about Alabama folding against their most bitter rival. Think there isn't a bias in favor of the big conference teams? I'm just sayin'.
Also along those lines, I have already seen several BCS forecasts of Ohio State jumping over Wisconsin & right into the Rose Bowl. Huh? Ohio played two ranked teams, Wisconsin, who beat the Buckeyes 31-18 & Iowa, who has lost 5 games, including yesterday to Minnesota. Wisconsin scored over 70-points three different times this season in addition to besting Ohio State & an Iowa team on the road. You think this crap isn't rigged? I don't mean there's a conspiracy to jump Ohio State over Wisconsin, what I'm saying is it's biased.
Wisconsin hung 70-points on Northwestern in only 3 quarters, shutting it down after that. TCU pounded over matched New Mexico 66-17 & Stanford skunked Oregon State 38-0. Florida got a dose of their own medicine as Florida State pounded the Gators 31-7. Georgia, Tennessee & Louisville all managed to get to 6-6, making them bowl eligible. Notre Dame halted their lsing streak versus USC, whipping the Trojans 20-16 in a rain-soaked L.A. Coliseum.Miami's overtime loss to South Florida cost coach Randy Shannon his job.The BCS standing aren't released until this evening but here's how I see it unfolding.
1. Oregon
2. Auburn
3. TCU
4. Stanford
5. Wisconsin
6. Ohio State
7. Michigan State
8. Arkansas
9. Boise State
10.Oklahoma
11.LSU
12.Missouri
13.Nebraska
14.Texas A&M
15.Nevada
In pro news, the blacked out Raiders will start Bruce Gradkowski at QB. Jake Delhomme will start in place of Colt McCoy for the Browns. It looks as tho Brandon Flowers will miss today's Chiefs-Seahawks game. Seattle wideout Mike Williams might also miss the game with a foot injury. Tony Moeaki & Dexter McCluster will be back in uniform, but Brandon Albert & Ryan Lilja, tho scheduled to start, are hobbled by leg & foot injuries & did not practice all week.
My 96-64 record in the Office Pool Picks still leads ESPN's Merrill Hoge, Mike Ditka, Keyshawn Johnson, Adam Schefter & Eric Allen. I'm tied with Ron Jaworski & Cris Carter. I went 2-1 on Thanksgiving Day, losing with Dallas.
The 47-41 win by Oklahoma set up an old-fashion rivalry for the Big-12 Championship game next Saturday night, Sooners-Cornhuskers. It will be especially huge given this will be Nebraska's final game as a member of the the Big-12 Conference. It will be a revival of those classic knockdown, drag out OU-NU slugfests of the 60's, 70's & 80's. I'm really looking forward to it.
OU converted an unreal 16 0f 27 third down plays, anyone recall a team with 27 3rd down plays? For a game with 967-yards of total offense, it's difficult to believe the two teams combined for 12 punts. OU QB Landry Jones threw for 468-yards & 4 TD's, but was intercepted 3 times. The second pick was the defensive play of the year, so far. Flushed from the pocket, Jones attempted to throw the ball out of bounds, 5' 8" Sooner cornerback Brodrick Brown used an unreal vertical leap as he crossed the sideline out of bounds & with one hand tapped the ball back in bounds to teammate Shaun Lewis to complete the play. I've watched football for some 50-years & had never seen anything like that play, it was amazing.
The 37-points in 7:02 was amazing as well, in that time frame, OU kicked 2 field goals & threw touchdown passes of 86 & 76-yards. The Cowboys kicked a field goal, had a 15-yard touchdown pass & an 89-yard kickoff return for a score.
Mike Gundy still hasn't beaten Bob Stoops & OU holds a ridiculous 87-16 edge in the series but that hasn't stopped it from being one of the most entertaining maychups every season.
Arkansas knocked off #5 LSU 31-23 in another very entertaining game. Razorback QB Ryan Mallett made all the noise with 3 very long touchdown passes but it was running back Knile Davis rushing for 152-yards & a score that kept the Bayou Bengals at bay. In an inexcusable moment, LSU let WR Cobi Hamilton score from 80-yards out with no time left on the clock before halftime. It was a back breaker. The Hogs ran their record to 10-2, losing only to Alabama & Auburn. They look to be the front runner for a birth in the Cotton Bowl.
In all the hoopla of the "I told you so" crowd crowing over Boise State's overtime loss, I heard nary a word about Alabama's collapse. The defending national champs with the defending Heisman Trophy winner, playing at home, went ahead 24-0 in the second quarter. They lost 28-27. Boise "choked" playing on the road, while not a word anywhere about Alabama folding against their most bitter rival. Think there isn't a bias in favor of the big conference teams? I'm just sayin'.
Also along those lines, I have already seen several BCS forecasts of Ohio State jumping over Wisconsin & right into the Rose Bowl. Huh? Ohio played two ranked teams, Wisconsin, who beat the Buckeyes 31-18 & Iowa, who has lost 5 games, including yesterday to Minnesota. Wisconsin scored over 70-points three different times this season in addition to besting Ohio State & an Iowa team on the road. You think this crap isn't rigged? I don't mean there's a conspiracy to jump Ohio State over Wisconsin, what I'm saying is it's biased.
Wisconsin hung 70-points on Northwestern in only 3 quarters, shutting it down after that. TCU pounded over matched New Mexico 66-17 & Stanford skunked Oregon State 38-0. Florida got a dose of their own medicine as Florida State pounded the Gators 31-7. Georgia, Tennessee & Louisville all managed to get to 6-6, making them bowl eligible. Notre Dame halted their lsing streak versus USC, whipping the Trojans 20-16 in a rain-soaked L.A. Coliseum.Miami's overtime loss to South Florida cost coach Randy Shannon his job.The BCS standing aren't released until this evening but here's how I see it unfolding.
1. Oregon
2. Auburn
3. TCU
4. Stanford
5. Wisconsin
6. Ohio State
7. Michigan State
8. Arkansas
9. Boise State
10.Oklahoma
11.LSU
12.Missouri
13.Nebraska
14.Texas A&M
15.Nevada
In pro news, the blacked out Raiders will start Bruce Gradkowski at QB. Jake Delhomme will start in place of Colt McCoy for the Browns. It looks as tho Brandon Flowers will miss today's Chiefs-Seahawks game. Seattle wideout Mike Williams might also miss the game with a foot injury. Tony Moeaki & Dexter McCluster will be back in uniform, but Brandon Albert & Ryan Lilja, tho scheduled to start, are hobbled by leg & foot injuries & did not practice all week.
My 96-64 record in the Office Pool Picks still leads ESPN's Merrill Hoge, Mike Ditka, Keyshawn Johnson, Adam Schefter & Eric Allen. I'm tied with Ron Jaworski & Cris Carter. I went 2-1 on Thanksgiving Day, losing with Dallas.
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