COLLEGE FOOTBALL WEEK 9, WHAT I SAW
After sitting thru the thrilling triple overtime Stanford-USC game, I've had enough. Watching Wisconsin get beat in the closing seconds for the second week in a row was tough as well. Two more unbeatens fell by the wayside, now we've only got six left. Thankfully, I'm a Mizzou man, thru & thru, so my emotions today went from disappointed to elated. All six of my picks went the right way, upsets & all. Here some of what I saw.
Bob Stoops' OU Sooners have NEVER LOST 2 CONSECUTIVE CONFERENCE GAMES. They still haven't.
Man, the word "never" is pretty powerful, just ask the unbeaten Kansas State Wildcats who were crushed 58-17. Once the Sooners figured a way to stop KSU QB Collin Klein, the rout was on. K-State just couldn't do anything in the 2nd half & OU quickly became unstoppable. QB Landry Jones threw for a school record 505-yards & 5 touchdowns. All-American WR Ryan Broyles caught 14 for 171-yards & a score, but it was Jaz Reynolds two 1-handed grabs that caught my eye. The Sooners out-gained KSU 690 to 240 total yards. Bill Snyder has worked miracles with his Wildcats, but as they move into the toughest portion of their schedule, their pretty significant flaws have become apparent & it's going to be tough for them from here on out. One sad note to OU's overwhelming victory, leading rusher Dominique Whaley suffered a broken ankle on the games' opening kickoff.
Right now it has to really suck to be a Wisconsin fan.
Losing on the final play last week, a 44-yard Hail Mary pass by Michigan State's Kirk Cousins was still fresh in the minds of everyone connected to the Wisconsin program. Playing punchless Ohio State appeared to be a good way to get their swagger back. It wasn't because the Buckeyes came to play & even tho the game was exceptionally sloppy, it was competitive right to the end. But it was the way Ohio State won that has to be especially painful for Badger Nation. With 00:27 left in the game & trailing 29-26, it looked like Wisconsin was going to escape Columbus with a get-well win. After all, OSU QB Braxton Miller was 6 of 12 for only 49-total passing yards. Miller scrambled out of the pocket & a split second before he crossed the line of scrimmage, he flung one toward the endzone & the Buckeye prayer was answered when Devin Smith snagged it for the winning touchdown. It's gotta suck being a Wisconsin fan tonight.
From the penthouse to the outhouse, that's Texas Tech football.
The Red Raiders went to Norman & beat #3 Oklahoma on their home field where they hadn't lost in 29-games. They roughed up the Sooners, they played their best game in two seasons. Tech was returning to Lubbock to play 3-4 Iowa State, beat them & then move onto to play the Texas Longhorns & move up in the national rankings. Unfortunately, no one told the Cyclones how things were supposed to work & they absolutely hammered Tech 41-7. The game really wasn't as close as the bloated margin might suggest. Tech was never, ever in this game after the opening kickoff & by the end of the 1st quarter, ISU led 21-0. They out-gained the Red Raiders 512 to 290 total yards. Here's one more note about this blowout, they were led by redshirt freshman Jared Barnett, not Steele Jantz, who had started every game this season. ISU coach Paul Rhoads beat Tommy Tuberville for the 2nd year in a row. Rhoads was Tuberville's defensive coordinator at Auburn.
Who said Baylor doesn't commit turnovers? Oh yeah, it was me.
Three fumbles & a pair of redzone interceptions later, Oklahoma State buried Baylor 59-24. This game was 35-0 at half & 49-3 at the end of three & coach Mike Gundy called off the dogs. Baylor had four redzone opportunities in the first half & couldn't cash a single point. The Bears had 622-yards of total offense but couldn't cross the goal line until the 4th quarter when the Cowboys starters were basking in their victory on the sideline. Robert Griffin III played himself out of Heisman consideration with a fumble & two redzone picks. Gundy's Cowboys are firmly entrenched as the #3 team in the land, with a convincing win next week vs. Kansas State & the LSU-Bama tilt, they'll be ranked second.
Who is the worst second half team in college football? It has to be A&M.
For the third time this season, the 16th ranked Aggies blew a double digit halftime lead. Even worse, they collapsed in all three playing two at home & one on a "neutral field" in Dallas. I watched every play of all three games & they had a similarity, A&M turned the ball over, had way too many "three & outs" & coach Mike Sherman looked clueless as how to stop it.Three times in one season is totally inexcusable. Mizzou hardly played their best game, but they hung in, waiting for A&M to implode, which they did. The Tigers scored two 4th quarter touchdowns & even had a chance on a 46-yard field goal attempt to win it in regulation only to see it go wide. I was seeing Arizona State again. But QB James Franklin threw his second TD pass of the day, a beautiful fade route to Marcus Lucas & you could stick a fork in the Aggies, they were done. A&M turned it over on downs after DT Dominique Hamilton deflected a Ryan Tannehill pass. So now the Tigers will face a wounded Baylor Bears team in Waco next Saturday night as they try to claw their way to bowl eligibility.
From the penthouse to the outhouse Part II.
Sparty was flying high after their Hail Mary win over Wisconsin last Saturday night. They were quickly grounded by Nebraska this afternoon in a game that was even more boring than I predicted. The two teams had 457 total yards between them & just 27 points. First half composite passing stats were 4 of 19 for 36-yards. Nebraska prevailed & now top their division with a 3-1 record, tied with Michigan State, who they beat today & Michigan, who they'll play on the 19th. This is not a complete team, but then neither are almost everyone else in the BIG TEN. If you watched the Illinois-Penn State game today, you must have had a relative playing or you needed incentive to nap. The Nittany Lions now have an 8-1 record, they'll be ranked in the top-15 even tho they have absolutely no business being there. Illinois is a joke, Iowa was beaten by 1-6 Minne-freakin'-sota this afternoon while Northwestern punished helpless Inidiana. Michigan hammered Purdue, but I don't know what that means, the Boilermakers are terrible. The BIG TEN is having a very down year, yet they'll have 4 or 5 ranked teams this week, just you wait & see.
I told you Georgia Tech would knock off #5 Clemson.
I even told you how, they'd run the Tigers right out of the stadium. Tech rolled up 383-yards on the ground, got a big lead & then played keep-away, knocking off previously unbeaten Clemson 31-17.
Think having a dependable kicker isn't a big deal?
Ask Illinois, Vanderbilt, Duke & Missouri how important it is. The first three lost because their kickers didn't come thru for them when it counted. Mizzou's kicker didn't make a 46-yard field goal at the end of regulation but the game was already tied & they won in overtime.
Really?? You got 46-yards of total offense, that's it?
Wow, the Jayhawks hit a new low tonight in Austin, losing to Texas 43-0 & in the process, Kansas hammered out 3 first downs for the game, 46-yards of total offense. Are you kidding? KU coach Turner Gill will most likely be shown the door.
This game showed what Luck & the Cardinal are made of.
It was a thrilling triple overtime game won by Stanford 56-48. Andrew Luck threw a pick-6 with 3:08 remaining in the 4th quarter & then led his team on a game-tying touchdown drive to send it to overtime. Every time I see Luck perform, I'm impressed with his superior skills, but tonight it was his ability to forget a mistake & lead his team down the stretch to tie the game. He doesn't have superior skill position players, but he does have a good line & a team that will play for him all night if need be. I really think this kid is something special, if you haven't seen him play, look for Stanford vs. Oregon on November 12th.
Let the hype begin for the "Game of the year" next Saturday night.
#1 LSU at #2 Alabama in Tuscaloosa Saturday night under the lights. CBS will feature this game in a special primetime telecast that should prove to be enormous in the ratings. The winner of this game should be SEC Western Division champs & have the inside track for a spot in the BCS title game. On December 3rd, Oklahoma State will host instate rival OU in the "Bedlam" game. If OSU stays clean until then & can beat OU, they'll be the other team to battle for the BCS title. Stanford is still in the running but can only get there with wins over Oregon & Notre Dame while needing 1-loss Oklahoma to beat Okie State. Boise State remains unbeaten, but no way they'll fend off Stanford if the Cardinal can remain undefeated too. Boise is on the outside looking in again, their schedule works against them. Things would have to really & truly crumble for OU, OSU, LSU, Bama & Stanford for Boise to make it.
Setting sarcasm aside, the Scarlet Knights led onto the field by Eric Legrand in his wheelchair.
One year ago LeGrand was paralyzed from the chest down after suffering a severe neck injury covering a kickoff versus Army. Today, in his motorized wheelchair, Legrand led his Rutgers team out of the tunnel. Man it was difficult to watch without your eyes filling up with tears. LeGrand works as an additional color man on Rutgers radio broadcasts & toils everyday in an effort to walk again.
Bob Stoops' OU Sooners have NEVER LOST 2 CONSECUTIVE CONFERENCE GAMES. They still haven't.
Man, the word "never" is pretty powerful, just ask the unbeaten Kansas State Wildcats who were crushed 58-17. Once the Sooners figured a way to stop KSU QB Collin Klein, the rout was on. K-State just couldn't do anything in the 2nd half & OU quickly became unstoppable. QB Landry Jones threw for a school record 505-yards & 5 touchdowns. All-American WR Ryan Broyles caught 14 for 171-yards & a score, but it was Jaz Reynolds two 1-handed grabs that caught my eye. The Sooners out-gained KSU 690 to 240 total yards. Bill Snyder has worked miracles with his Wildcats, but as they move into the toughest portion of their schedule, their pretty significant flaws have become apparent & it's going to be tough for them from here on out. One sad note to OU's overwhelming victory, leading rusher Dominique Whaley suffered a broken ankle on the games' opening kickoff.
Right now it has to really suck to be a Wisconsin fan.
Losing on the final play last week, a 44-yard Hail Mary pass by Michigan State's Kirk Cousins was still fresh in the minds of everyone connected to the Wisconsin program. Playing punchless Ohio State appeared to be a good way to get their swagger back. It wasn't because the Buckeyes came to play & even tho the game was exceptionally sloppy, it was competitive right to the end. But it was the way Ohio State won that has to be especially painful for Badger Nation. With 00:27 left in the game & trailing 29-26, it looked like Wisconsin was going to escape Columbus with a get-well win. After all, OSU QB Braxton Miller was 6 of 12 for only 49-total passing yards. Miller scrambled out of the pocket & a split second before he crossed the line of scrimmage, he flung one toward the endzone & the Buckeye prayer was answered when Devin Smith snagged it for the winning touchdown. It's gotta suck being a Wisconsin fan tonight.
From the penthouse to the outhouse, that's Texas Tech football.
The Red Raiders went to Norman & beat #3 Oklahoma on their home field where they hadn't lost in 29-games. They roughed up the Sooners, they played their best game in two seasons. Tech was returning to Lubbock to play 3-4 Iowa State, beat them & then move onto to play the Texas Longhorns & move up in the national rankings. Unfortunately, no one told the Cyclones how things were supposed to work & they absolutely hammered Tech 41-7. The game really wasn't as close as the bloated margin might suggest. Tech was never, ever in this game after the opening kickoff & by the end of the 1st quarter, ISU led 21-0. They out-gained the Red Raiders 512 to 290 total yards. Here's one more note about this blowout, they were led by redshirt freshman Jared Barnett, not Steele Jantz, who had started every game this season. ISU coach Paul Rhoads beat Tommy Tuberville for the 2nd year in a row. Rhoads was Tuberville's defensive coordinator at Auburn.
Who said Baylor doesn't commit turnovers? Oh yeah, it was me.
Three fumbles & a pair of redzone interceptions later, Oklahoma State buried Baylor 59-24. This game was 35-0 at half & 49-3 at the end of three & coach Mike Gundy called off the dogs. Baylor had four redzone opportunities in the first half & couldn't cash a single point. The Bears had 622-yards of total offense but couldn't cross the goal line until the 4th quarter when the Cowboys starters were basking in their victory on the sideline. Robert Griffin III played himself out of Heisman consideration with a fumble & two redzone picks. Gundy's Cowboys are firmly entrenched as the #3 team in the land, with a convincing win next week vs. Kansas State & the LSU-Bama tilt, they'll be ranked second.
Who is the worst second half team in college football? It has to be A&M.
For the third time this season, the 16th ranked Aggies blew a double digit halftime lead. Even worse, they collapsed in all three playing two at home & one on a "neutral field" in Dallas. I watched every play of all three games & they had a similarity, A&M turned the ball over, had way too many "three & outs" & coach Mike Sherman looked clueless as how to stop it.Three times in one season is totally inexcusable. Mizzou hardly played their best game, but they hung in, waiting for A&M to implode, which they did. The Tigers scored two 4th quarter touchdowns & even had a chance on a 46-yard field goal attempt to win it in regulation only to see it go wide. I was seeing Arizona State again. But QB James Franklin threw his second TD pass of the day, a beautiful fade route to Marcus Lucas & you could stick a fork in the Aggies, they were done. A&M turned it over on downs after DT Dominique Hamilton deflected a Ryan Tannehill pass. So now the Tigers will face a wounded Baylor Bears team in Waco next Saturday night as they try to claw their way to bowl eligibility.
From the penthouse to the outhouse Part II.
Sparty was flying high after their Hail Mary win over Wisconsin last Saturday night. They were quickly grounded by Nebraska this afternoon in a game that was even more boring than I predicted. The two teams had 457 total yards between them & just 27 points. First half composite passing stats were 4 of 19 for 36-yards. Nebraska prevailed & now top their division with a 3-1 record, tied with Michigan State, who they beat today & Michigan, who they'll play on the 19th. This is not a complete team, but then neither are almost everyone else in the BIG TEN. If you watched the Illinois-Penn State game today, you must have had a relative playing or you needed incentive to nap. The Nittany Lions now have an 8-1 record, they'll be ranked in the top-15 even tho they have absolutely no business being there. Illinois is a joke, Iowa was beaten by 1-6 Minne-freakin'-sota this afternoon while Northwestern punished helpless Inidiana. Michigan hammered Purdue, but I don't know what that means, the Boilermakers are terrible. The BIG TEN is having a very down year, yet they'll have 4 or 5 ranked teams this week, just you wait & see.
I told you Georgia Tech would knock off #5 Clemson.
I even told you how, they'd run the Tigers right out of the stadium. Tech rolled up 383-yards on the ground, got a big lead & then played keep-away, knocking off previously unbeaten Clemson 31-17.
Think having a dependable kicker isn't a big deal?
Ask Illinois, Vanderbilt, Duke & Missouri how important it is. The first three lost because their kickers didn't come thru for them when it counted. Mizzou's kicker didn't make a 46-yard field goal at the end of regulation but the game was already tied & they won in overtime.
Really?? You got 46-yards of total offense, that's it?
Wow, the Jayhawks hit a new low tonight in Austin, losing to Texas 43-0 & in the process, Kansas hammered out 3 first downs for the game, 46-yards of total offense. Are you kidding? KU coach Turner Gill will most likely be shown the door.
This game showed what Luck & the Cardinal are made of.
It was a thrilling triple overtime game won by Stanford 56-48. Andrew Luck threw a pick-6 with 3:08 remaining in the 4th quarter & then led his team on a game-tying touchdown drive to send it to overtime. Every time I see Luck perform, I'm impressed with his superior skills, but tonight it was his ability to forget a mistake & lead his team down the stretch to tie the game. He doesn't have superior skill position players, but he does have a good line & a team that will play for him all night if need be. I really think this kid is something special, if you haven't seen him play, look for Stanford vs. Oregon on November 12th.
Let the hype begin for the "Game of the year" next Saturday night.
#1 LSU at #2 Alabama in Tuscaloosa Saturday night under the lights. CBS will feature this game in a special primetime telecast that should prove to be enormous in the ratings. The winner of this game should be SEC Western Division champs & have the inside track for a spot in the BCS title game. On December 3rd, Oklahoma State will host instate rival OU in the "Bedlam" game. If OSU stays clean until then & can beat OU, they'll be the other team to battle for the BCS title. Stanford is still in the running but can only get there with wins over Oregon & Notre Dame while needing 1-loss Oklahoma to beat Okie State. Boise State remains unbeaten, but no way they'll fend off Stanford if the Cardinal can remain undefeated too. Boise is on the outside looking in again, their schedule works against them. Things would have to really & truly crumble for OU, OSU, LSU, Bama & Stanford for Boise to make it.
Setting sarcasm aside, the Scarlet Knights led onto the field by Eric Legrand in his wheelchair.
One year ago LeGrand was paralyzed from the chest down after suffering a severe neck injury covering a kickoff versus Army. Today, in his motorized wheelchair, Legrand led his Rutgers team out of the tunnel. Man it was difficult to watch without your eyes filling up with tears. LeGrand works as an additional color man on Rutgers radio broadcasts & toils everyday in an effort to walk again.
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