GAMES OF THE WEEK:
#1 Alabama goes to #10 Arkansas and wins it 24-20
I don’t want to think that Alabama was shocked during the first half of this game being where as it was their first real road test against a quality opponent, but Arkansas jumped on them early and took a 17-7 lead into the half and was up 20-7 through most of the 3rd. The game was the story of Alabama’s Heisman Trophy winner Ingram and Arkansas QB Mallett though as both determined the outcome for their teams. I don’t want to go too stat heavy here but: Ryan Mallett vs. Alabama 1st Half / 2nd Half Comp pct 68.2 (15-22) / 62.5 (10-16) Yards 250 / 107 TD-Int 1-1 / 0-2 Score Led 17-7 / Lost 24-20. Whereas Mark Ingram gained 80 of his 157 rushing yards (on 24 carries for 2TDs) against Arkansas after a defender made contact with him. Two competitors went out and played. One wanted it more than the other and his team won the game. That simple. Alabama has Florida visiting next week for another top 10 matchup. Can’t call this a soft spot in the schedule.#3 Boise State over #24 Oregon State 37-24
Boise needed a bigger win than this to justify that #3 ranking. Sorry to say, but they don’t play anybody else the rest of the year and Oregon State to me was their last ‘quality’ opponent this year. But, they did win the game and that has to count for something. And Kellen Moore is one of the better QBs in the nation so they have that going for them. He threw for 288 yards and 3 TDs in this one and made Oregon State’s defense just look bad. And, Oregon State was playing on the road and seemed to be playing catch up for the whole game. But, I still don’t believe in this Boise State team.
#17 Auburn over #12 South Carolina 35-27
When the number one SEC rushing offense (AUB) meets the SEC’s number one rushing defense (USC) what happens? Auburn rushes for 334 yards. South Carolina just looked way overrated in this game. I know they deserve to be in the top 25, but top 15? Not so much. They proved it with 4 turnovers ALL IN THE 4th QUARTER!!! Auburn QB Cameron Newton rushed for 176 yards and 3TDs and passed for 158 yards and 2 more touchdowns. Looks like Auburn had better protect him this year. By the way anyone else notice that Auburn may be a year early on their projection to make a run at the SEC West? They are 4-0 now with 2 of those coming in the conference already. I think this year’s Iron Bowl should be a good one.
#14 Arizona escapes unranked California 10-9
Down 9-3 with 1:15 left to play, your offense hasn’t scored all night, you’re at home for your conference opener and you’re ranked in the top 15 about to lose to an unranked Cal team. What do you do? Throw a TD pass and win it 10-9. Arizona has got to feel like they truly escaped from this one. Not only did they overcome 3 turnovers and a late push from Cal but Arizona more importantly stayed undefeated and alive in the PAC-10 race. Not the prettiest game of the week, but one of the better ones.
Honorable mention this week to #16 LSU taking out #22 West Virginia 20-14.
UPSET OF THE WEEK:
#7 Texas loses badly AT HOME to UNRANKED UCLA 34-12
Wow. Not since the 1997 game against this same UCLA program (UCLA 66 Texas 3) has Texas pulled such a crapper at home. The score should speak for itself, but the Bruins forced four first-half turnovers and chewed up the nation's #2 rushing defense with 264 yards on the ground. UCLA isn’t even that good. And, 7 of Texas’s points came in garbage time. What you wanna’ bet Texas stops scheduling UCLA as a non-conference opponent? I have no words for this one. Only; wow!BEAT DOWN OF THE WEEK:
#11 Wisconsin over Austin Peay 70-3
What the hell? Really. You needed to score 70? You scheduled the Austin Peay Governors from
Clarksville, Tennessee? (Yes, even I had to look that one up, and here is what downtown Clarksville looks like; pictured left) I know teams schedule crappy opponents to get easy wins, but Austin Peay? At least Wisconsin stopped passing once they racked up 3 touchdowns on 272 yards. Too bad they also rushed for 346yds for SEVEN! more touchdowns.PLAYER OF THE WEEK:
Whatever. This week should go to Terrelle Pryor of Ohio State who accounted for 348 total yards and six touchdowns in a 73-20 rout of Eastern Michigan (0-4 from the MAC) but that would be like giving a game ball to Mike Vick if he played the West Virginia School for the Blind. So, I’m not giving it to Pryor. Like Reggie Bush’s Heisman Trophy, this week’s award shall be vacated. Ouch.
PILLOWFIGHT OF THE WEEK:
Last week I went with UNLV to beat New Mexico in their MWC slap-fest. And boy did I pick a winner. UNLV won it 45-10. Way to go Rebels from a state that wasn’t in the CSA; but whatever. New Mexico is now 0-4.
This week we’re taking a trip back to the SunBelt Conference for (1-2) LA Lafayette’s visit to conference opponent (1-3) North Texas. I’m going to go out on a limb and pick the road team this week and say the Ragin’ Cajuns take out the Mean Green. Yes, those are their actual mascot names.
Have a great week college fans and I’ll try to be back next week with more sarcasm and fewer stats.
2 comments:
70 to 3 beatdowns are fairly classless. The Ohio State University also ran a halfback pass up by 44 or something. I'd like to show more disdain, but it would have been nice to anything close to that from the shrinking 12. I mean, the two best showings were from Missouri and Kansas. K-State got drug up and down the field all day by UCF. That was embarassing. Somehow, they managed to pull off every misdirection and trickish play they had in the book on one stunningly patient drive with the game on the line. I cannot believe they can't get someone to play quarterback. They literally don't have one. He can't throw the ball, he can't run the ball, he confuses the offense by audibling into plays that cannot be run out of the formation they are in. He adds no value to the team whatsoever. In fact, he is probably a hindrance. The Wildcats would be better off just replacing the entire position of quarterback with another runningback and running the wildcat. At least the player could do something positive instead of actively trying to lose the game for you. And how can a team not have a quarterback. You look around the NCAA, you are hardpressed to find a team where you say, "Man, that QB sucks." There is usually something positive about him. When we used to pick teams to play football at recess, you didn't let the last player picked play quarterback did you? Hell no, you just tried to hide him without hurting his feelings.
I am so happy that Texas lost. That is all.
Sorry about your Dawgs.
Oh, and my Huskies put the hammer down on Minnesota. Granted, anyone could beat Minnesota right now, but a win against any out of conference foe is good for the MAC, even better if is against someone from the Big 10.
Post a Comment