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CFTT Top Ten Update Number 5

December 9, 2008 By Leave a Comment

Note:  Remember my reasons for updating every three weeks, even if some of you think I am really an idiot.

1.  Florida, 12-1
Alabama was number one in my poll, and Florida beat them in the SEC Championship Game and looked good doing it.  Florida has been on a tear after the loss to Ole Miss.  Tim Tebow has become a great leader, and he has lead this team to where it is now.

2.  Oklahoma, 12-1
There is no easy way to do this.  Oklahoma beat the number two team in my poll, Texas Tech, therefore, I will put them at number 2.  That being said, arguments can be made for both Texas and Oklahoma.  Texas, we know, beat Oklahoma on a neutral field the first weekend of October and only loss to Tech on the road on a TD pass with one second left on the clock.  Oklahoma destroyed Texas Tech, and, I might add, is not the same team it was in October.   They are running the ball better, and they have fixed some of their defensive holes.

3.  Texas, 11-1
See Above

4.  Alabama, 12-1
The Tide is a bruising team.  They will absolutely knock you silly on both sides of the ball.  They only had one slip this year.  Unfortunately, it was in their last game against Florida.  I really would love to see them play one of those great Big 12 South games.  Oh well, they play Utah in the Sugar Bowl.

5.  USC, 11-1
No one will know for sure how good USC is.  It was a bad Thursday night in Corvallis earlier this year, and if Oregon State had not have been so beat up by the end of the season, USC would have had somewhere other than the Rose Bowl to go play.

6.  Utah, 12-0

BYU v Utah

The Utes are not a flashy team.  They play good defense, and they are led on offense by a senior QB.  They make just enough plays on offense to win their games.  They run a spread offense, but it is a grind-it-out kind of blue collar offense.  They took care everyone, and then they rallied to knock off TCU before pulling away from BYU to get to that undefeated season.  They deserve what they get.

7.  Texas Tech, 11-1
This is, undoubtedly, the best season in Red Raider history.  Mike Leach showed me something as he worked to improve his running game and his defense to get his team to this special place.  In most years, 11-1 would be good enough for a BCS Bowl.  A blowout loss to Oklahoma did not help their case.

8.  Penn State, 11-1
Joe Pa may have turned his best performance this year.  He just keeps winning games.  His offense was off- the-chart good this year, and his defense was its usual good self.  One loss to an improving Iowa team in Iowa City took them out of the national title hunt.

9.  TCU, 10-2
I just wasn’t sure if the Frogs were a top ten team.  However, after the season was over, I realized they were just a better offense away from being BCS buster material.  The Frog offense was good against most teams, but when they played teams with good defenses (Oklahoma, Utah), they just couldn’t generate enough points.  TCU finished number 2 in the country in total defense, and if you don’t think they were good, give Bob Stoops a call.  The Sooners scored over 700 points this year, but they only scored 35 on the Frogs with 21 of those coming in the first quarter.  That is 19 points below the Sooners’ average.  TCU is good.

10.  Boise State, 12-0
Unfortunately, the Broncos only played one team who was ranked this year making it hard to know how good they really are.  It’s not their fault, but it hurts their credibility.  They get a chance to prove it in the Poinsettia Bowl against TCU.  Many are calling it one of the best match-ups in the bowl season.  Nevetheless, it is really hard to go undefeated in 12 games in spit of who is on your schedule.

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Sunday Night Rewind: The BCS Has Saved the Day!

November 30, 2008 By Leave a Comment

Whew!!!!  I really just did not not know what we were going to do.  I mean, Texas, Texas Tech and Oklahoma were all tied at the top of the Big 12 South with a legitimate shot at a BCS title game, but only one could go to the Big 12 Championship Game.

Of course, we look to our wise sages for answers, and they helped us make a decision.  Coaches from as far away as California and New England decided that Oklahoma’s throttling of two top twelve teams two weeks in a row was worthy to put them in front of Texas and Texas Tech.  Longhorn fans are fuming.  What happened to 45 to 35 (Texas’ score over Oklahoma if you didn’t know)?  What happened to to 39 to 33 (Tech over UT)?  It’s madness I tell you!  Madness!  Only it is November not March.

Oh well, what’s done is done.  It will be Oklahoma vs. Missouri (again) for the Big 12 title.  Of course, if Chase Daniel has some magic left and Mizzou upsets Oklahoma, well, I guess Texas gets to go to the BCS title game.  Who needs a playoff (tongue in cheek!), this is just fine!

BCS Standings

  1. Alabama 12-0
  2. Oklahoma 11-1
  3. Texas 11-1
  4. Florida 11-1
  5. USC 10-1
  6. Utah 12-0
  7. Texas Tech 11-1
  8. Penn State 11-1
  9. Boise State 12-0
  10. Ohio State 10-2

AP Standings

  1. Alabama (62) 12-0
  2. Florida (3) 11-1
  3. Texas 11-1
  4. Oklahoma 11-1
  5. USC 10-1
  6. Penn State 11-1
  7. Utah 12-0
  8. Texas Tech 11-1
  9. Boise State 12-0
  10. Ohio State 10-2

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CFTT Top Ten Update Number 4

November 17, 2008 By 2 Comments

Note:  Remember my reasons for updating every three weeks, even if some of you think I am really an idiot.

1.  Alabama, 11-0
The Crimson Tide keep winning, but they are starting to look a little less intimidating.  They have some business to take care of in the “Iron Bowl.”  Then, they have to beat Florida, the hottest team in the country, in the SEC Championship Game.  Defeat Arkansas State 35-0, at LSU 27-21 OT, Mississippi State 32-7.

2.  Texas Tech, 10-0
The Red Raiders have played some of the most exciting football in the past three weeks beating routing Kansas and Oklahoma State slipping past Texas 39-33.  The Raiders go to Norman to play the Sooners and then get Baylor at home to finish the season.

3.  Florida, 9-1
Fans can argue that Texas looks better on paper when considering the results, but no one is hotter than Florida is now.  The Gators survived the early part of their schedule, and then they were promptly upset by Houston Nutt’s Ole Miss Rebels.  Then, the Gators regrouped and have not looked back since.  The Gators won at Georgia (49-10) and Vandy (42-14) and annihilated South Carolina 56-6.

4.  Texas, 10-1
The Longhorns may be the victim of circumstances when it is all over.  The Horns beat Oklahoma on a neutral field and their only loss is on the road in a very close game to Texas Tech.  But, when the dust settles, will Oklahoma get the nod to play in the Big 12 Championship Game?  It could happen.  What do you do with three teams with one loss, to each other, tied for first?  The Horns lost at Texas Tech 39-33, won over Baylor 45-21 and at Kansas 35-7.

5.  Oklahoma, 9-1
The Sooners have rebounded from the October loss to the Longhorns, and they are looking to exact a little revenge on Texas Tech who beat them last year and further completecate the Big 12 South.  However, even if they beat the Raiders, they have to beat a very salty Oklahoma State team in Stillwater.  The Sooners won at Kansas State (58-35), beat Nebraska 62-28, and at Texas A & M 66-28.

6.  USC, 9-1
The Trojans got their revenge on Stanford last week in Palo Alto pulling away for the 45-23 win.  The Trojans beat Washington 56-0, Cal 17-3 and at Stanford (45-23).  Up next is Notre Dame and UCLA.  Unfortunately, USC may go 11-1 and not make the Rose Bowl.  Oregon State controls its own destiny there.

7.  Utah, 11-0
I don’t know what to say about the Running Utes.  They just keep winning.  They aren’t flashy, their defense leads the way and they are able to win the game when trailing.  The Utes beat New Mexico and TCU 13-10 and ripped San Diego State 63-14.  The next game is what locals call the “Holy War.”  It’s the yearly rival with BYU, and it is a home game for Utah.  These kind of games transcend records, so Utah will be in for a tough, close game.  If they win this game, they will go to a BCS Bowl.

8.  Penn State, 10-1
The Nittany Lions is a feel good story, but they saved everyone a lot of Big Ten heartache when they lost at Iowa a couple of weeks ago.  They are still a go for the Rose Bowl.  How do you like that match up, Penn State versus Oregon State, a rematch?  The Lions won at Ohio State  (13-6), lost at Iowa (24-23) and beat Indiana (34-7).  Up next, Michigan State.

9.  Oklahoma State, 9-2
What can you say about the Cowboys?  They have been impressive all year.  Yes they loss two games, but those games were on the road against teams that were ranked number 1 and number 2 when they played them.  OSU had its own gauntlet to run, and they managed beat Missouri on the road.  What’s more, every top 5 team they have played has been on the road.  The next on will be in Stillwater.  After a week off, they get cross state rival Oklahoma.  The Cowboys beat Iowa State (59-17), loss to Texas Tech (56-20) and beat Colorado (30-17).

10.  Missouri
The Tigers had dropped out in my last poll because they had dropped two straight games.  But give them credit, they are pretty good.  One of those losses was at Texas in Austin.  The Tigers take care of business, and their offense is just so explosive.  They get the unfortunate task of facing whoever survives the Big 12 South in the Big 12 Championship Game.  Good luck.  The Tiges won at Baylor (31-28), beat Kansas State (41-24) and won at Iowas State (52-20).  Next up, the “Border War” against Kansas on November 29th.

Falling

Penn State (but not out)
Georgia

Rising

Utah
Oklahoma State

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Sunday Night Rewind: Gator Bait

November 16, 2008 By Leave a Comment

The Networks billed Saturday as “Revenge Saturday” because several teams had a chance to evenge losses from last year.  But no one seems to be shining briter than Florida right now.  It seems like everyone that plays them is turning out to be Gaitor Bait.  Since losing to Ole Miss at home in September, Florida has won 38-7 (Arkansas), 51-21 (LSU), 63-5 (Kentucky), 49-10 (Georgia), 42-14 (Vanderbilt), and 56-6 (South Carolina).  Is there anyone in the country hotter than the Gators right now.  The defense is only giving up an average of 10.5 points a game during that stretch while the offense is scoring 49.8333 per game.

Alabama continues to roll setting up a show down in the SEC Title game for the right to play the Big 12 South winner.  Alabama took care of business against Mississppi State.  The Tide isn’t flash.  The just control the clock running the ball, play great defense led by a mamoth Defensive Tackle in the middle and do a great job with special teams.

Next week is a big showdown in Norman, OK between Oklahoma and Texas Tech.  The Red Raiders beat Oklahoma last year, so OU will be shooting for revenge.  If OU gets Texas Tech, that puts the Big 12 South in to a three way tie.  The Sooners will be tied with Texas Tech and Texas.  How will this mess get straigthened out?  Oklahoma State will beat Oklahoma in Stillwater the following week, sending Texas Tech to the Big 12 Title game.  If Tech knocks off Mizzou there, they will play the winner of Alabama and Florida in the BCS Championship Game.  It should be fun to watch.

Utah rolled over San Diego State setting up a showdown with BYU this week in the traditional “Holy War.”  If Utah wins that game in Salt Lake City (Utah plays both TCU and BYU at home this year), then the Utes should be a lock to make a BCS Bowl.  It would be a nice prize for the Mountain West Conference as they were spectacular in out of conference play, especially against the Pac 10.

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Sunday Night Rewind: Upsets Again

October 12, 2008 By Leave a Comment

I would like to thank LSU and Wisconsin for failing to show up for their games this weekend which allowed me to focus my time Saturday night on the Oklahoma State vs. Missouri game and a real exciting game from Conway, AR featuring the Bears of the University of Central Arkansas (UCA) vs. the Sam Houston State Bearkats and Rhett Bomar.  I don’t usually talk about teams from the Football Championship Subdivision, but it was fun to watch UCA and Sam Houston go at it until the end.  Most people know about Rhett Bomar, but UCA’s QB is Nathan Brown and he is setting records in Arkansas.

Whoo Pig Sooie. . . . I don’t really get to talk about Arkansas unless their relevant, and this year, they’re not.  However, they put an exclamation mark on the end of the Auburn week.  The Hogs upset the Tigers, and fired offensive coordinator Tony Franklin was probably sitting at home laughing.  The Hogs out-did everything statistically and survived their turnovers to pull out the win for the second time in a row on “The Plains.”  Coach Bobby Petrino’s team looks like they might be improving.

BCS Busted. . . . . Just a few weeks ago, we were talking about East Carolina as a possible BCS Buster team.  They had won two in a row over ranked teams including Virginia Tech.  After a 3-0 start, the Pirates have now lost 3 in a row including Saturday’s loss to Virginia.  Yes, the same Virginia who loss at home to USC 52-7, but now has won back-to-back games.

Lions and Gators and Horns, Oh MY! . . . . . . By far the most impressive teams this weekend were the Texas Longhorns, who are now ranked number 1, the Florida Gators, and the Penn State Nittany Lions.  Texas beat Oklahoma, who looked unbeatable thus far, 45-35 in Dallas.  The Gators found their offense and ripped LSU in “the Swamp” 51-21, and Penn State made it look easy at Camp Randall beating Wisconsin 48-7.

Sic’em Bears. . . . . . . Congrats to Baylor for winning their first conference game in two years.  Coach Art Briles has his team playing well, and they may win more than one game this year.  If you haven’t had a chance, take a chance to watch Freshman QB Robert Griffin play.  Griffin has 9 TD passes on the year with 0 INT’s.   Next up for Baylor, the best team in Oklahoma (?).

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CFTT Top Ten Update Number 2

October 8, 2008 By Leave a Comment

Note: I just want to reiterate my reasoning for updating every 3 weeks.  I read on a message board this week about my doing so as being kind of strange.  That’s fine, maybe I am strange.  Look back at the original post which I will link to on every CFTT Top Ten hereafter.  I think parity, for the most part, has arrived in college football, therefore, I want to see teams play out a few weeks before updating.  Again, at the least, I’ll be kown as “the guy who updates his poll every three weeks.”

1.  Oklahoma, 5-0
The Sooners continue to prove their worth unlike anyone else in the country.  They have not had a close game including road blow outs against Washington (before Locker was injured) and now Baylor.  The even handled TCU at home by 25 points.  Sam Bradford rises in the Heisman Trophy race each week.  This week, they get their toughest test by far, Texas in the Red River Shootout (I mean Rivalry).

2.  Alabama, 6-0
Thus far, the most impressive team because they have knocked off two teams ranked in the top ten, and they won fairly handily.  If you throw out the Georgia game where they gave up 30 points to Matthew Stafford and Co., the defense has only given up 9 points per game.  Their offensive and defensive lines may be the best in the country.  Sure, they struggled with Kentucky, but good teams will struggle in at least one game (usually more), especially after an emotional win against Georgia.  Oh yeah, Kentucky is pretty good.

3.  Missouri, 5-0
The Tigers dominated Nebraska, on the road.  Now, I know the Cornhuskers aren’t quite a top 25 team, but it was still impressive.  Missouri’s schedule hasn’t been the toughest just yet, but their offense is humming.  They have only played one game outside of Missouri, and Texas awaits them in Austin on October 18th.  Take out the Illinois game, and the Mizzou defense has only allowed 14.5 points per game.

4.  LSU, 4-0
The Bengal Tigers should be 5-0, but Hurricane Ike forced the Troy game to be moved to November.  So far, the Tigers have had to revamp their offense with their defense leading the charge.  The last couple of games, it seems that the LSU offense has found an identity.  It seems as if Jarrett Lee is the QB of choice.  After a disasterous start against Auburn, Lee found his poise and threw some nice passes down field giving LSU a deep threat to complement their run attack.  Their defense, however, has uncharacteristically given up 20 plus points the last two games against Auburn and Mississippi State, two teams not known to be great offenses.

5.  Texas, 5-0
The Horns are giving up just 11.4 points per game, and they have played some offenses who have exploded for big scores this year (Rice, UTEP).  Many wondered how they would do on the road against Colorado, but their was appraently nothing to worry about.  They buried Buff in their own stadium setting up a huge game against number one ranked Oklahoma.  Their offense is really playing well, and their defense has been surprising excellent under first year coordinator Will Muschamp.

6.  Penn State, 6-0
The Nitany Lions have been almost as impressive as Alabama.  They beaten everyone handily with their only struggle on the road against Purdue.  The Lions have already played tow road games which gives them early season tests that should be good for the stretch run against Wisconsin (this week) and Ohio State (10/25).  They are the team to beat in the Big Ten.

7.  USC, 3-1
The Trojans have dominated everyone except Oregon State who should prove to be pretty good when the years done.  They don’t have a single ranked team left on their schedule as it is now.  How good are the Trojans, we probably won’t know until the bowl season.  They need a game against a Big 12 or SEC team.

8.  Texas Tech, 5-0
For the first time this year I have the Red Raiders in my top ten.  There are some stats that are standing out that lets me believe this a legitimate top ten team.  First, defense.  They are giving up just 18.4 points per game which is tough considering the type of offense they run.  Second, they are averaging 144.4 yards rushing per game.  That is something that was missing last year, and it looks like Mike Leach has found himself some backs.  Unfortunately for Tech, they are in the same conference with Oklahoma, Texas and Missouri.

9.  Georgia, 4-1
I would make too much out of Georgia getting beat by Alabama at home.  The Tide is very good, and so is Georgia.  Georgia was not ready in the first half against Alabama, but once they woke up, they made a very good rally and looked like they would keep their national championship aspirations alive.  Unfortuantely, Knowshon Moreno was hurt, and the score took him out of the game as they were coming from behind.  They still have a tough schedule.

10.  BYU, 5-0
BYU has only had one close game and that was at Washington before Jake Locker was injured.  Their offense is averaging 41.2 points per game and their defense is giving up just 11.6 points per game.  At Utah State Saturday, BYU put it in cruise control during the second half winning 34-14.  After hosting New Mexico Saturday, they have to come to Fort Worth on Thursday to play the Horned Frogs.  TCU made it close in Provo last year, and their defense has been dominant.

Rising

BYU
Alabama
Texas Tech
Penn State

Falling

South Florida
Oregon
Auburn

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Sunday Night Rewind

October 5, 2008 By Leave a Comment

To be honest, I didn’t see a whole lot of games yesterday as I spent several hours at Amon G. Carter Stadium in Fort Worth, TX to watch the TCU Horned Frogs play the San Diego State Aztecs from the press box.  I did a write up on the game for Pegasus News which you can see here.  I did catch some games and scores before and after the game.  I will forgo my Looking Ahead segment to be included in the Wednesday Preview as my Games to Watch.

Terrelle Pryor
As Ohio State was giving Wisconsin all they could handle in Camp Randall, it looked as if Senior QB Allan Evridge had saved the day for the Badgers.  The sideline reporter for ABC was even remarking about the difference of leadership on the sidelines between the two QB’s.  It seems that Evridge was being a vocal leader and getting his team pumped up while Pryor sat on the sideline quietly isolated from his team because he was too young to command respect from his team.  After a late TD by Wisconsin to put the Badgers up 17-13, Pryor calmly stepped on the field with 6:31 left in the game and marched his team down the field on 12 plays for 80 yards completing throw after throw to keep the drive alive until the Buckeyes got in the endzone on a Vince Young like TD by Pryor.  Next, with 1:08 to go, Evridge began the drive for Wisconsin before throwing an interception with 53 seconds left.  If his team didn’t respect him before, the Buckeys have no excuse not to respect him now.  Pryor looked like the Senior.

Dandy Vandy
The Commodores are 5-0 and in charge in the SEC East.  Can they win their division and plan a trip to Atlanta for the SEC Championship Game?  That remains to be seen, but Vandy is getting turnovers and playing great defense.  Some have made a lot out of Vandy’s lack of productivity, but the only stats that count are the offensive and defensive scoring.

Yellow Jacket Balance
All people could talk about when Paul Johnson took over at Georgia Tech was the triple option and a stellar ground game.  Could the Jackets compete in a BCS Conference running an “ancient” offense?  The box score shows that Georgia Tech was balanced this week against Duke.  They ran the ball for 224 yards and they passed the ball for 230 yards.  That’s right, Georgia Tech passed the ball for 230 yards on 9 passes.  To the same guy!  That’s balance.

Offensive Oklahoma
No, I am not offended by Oklahoma, necessarily.  But you just might find the best offenses in the country in the Sooner state.  Oklahoma, the Sooners that is, average 49.6 points per game, Oklahoma State averages 52.6 points per game and Tulsa averages 56.4 points per game.  That is an average of 52.866 points per game for the three teams.  There are more points scored in Oklahoma games than in a Presidential Debate.

Top Ten
This is the completion of week 6 which means my top ten will be updated within a couple days.  There should be some significant changes, but I guess Oklahoma will become number one though there is a real good argument for Alabama to be number one.

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CFTT Top Ten

October 1, 2008 By Leave a Comment

Note:  Remember, poll is updated every 3 weeks.  The poll will be updated next week.

1. USC
The Trojans were ambushed by the Beavers in Corvallis.  They play Oregon in LA.

2. Oklahoma
The new number 1 team in the polls defeated a good TCU team in Norman on Saturday.  The Sooners play a Baylor team coming in with a bit of a swagger in Waco.

3. Florida
The Gators were caught off guard Saturday against Ole Miss in Gainesville.  The will most likely be very “upset” when they play at Arkansas on Saturday.

4.  Georgia
The ‘Dawgs got knocked around against Alabama in Athens, but the rallied only to fall short. They get Tennessee at home and will be looking to take out their frustrations on one of the most disappointing teams so far this season.

5.  LSU
The Tigers beat Mississippi State on Saturday and get the week off before traveling to Gainesville to take on Floriday on October 11.  The Tigers running game continues to roll, and they may have found the perfect complement in the passing game with Jarret Lee who passed for 261 yards against Mississippi State.

6.  Missouri
Mizzou sat at home last week watching Tyrod Taylor and the Virginia Tech offense tear up their next opponent, the Nebraska Cornhuskers.  Chase Daniel will be ready.  The game is in Lincoln.

7.  South Florida
The Bulls haven’t been particularly impressive, but all they have done is win.  The may have put it all together last week when they routed NC State.  This week they host Pitt on national TV.

8.  Oregon
I thought that the Ducks would struggle with Boise State, and they did losing close.  This week the Duck travel to USC.  Oregon is playing with a back up QB, and we all know how that worked out last year.

9.  Auburn
The Tigers have a highly anticipated game against a ranked and undefeated SEC East team who is also in first of the SEC East standings.  No, it’s not Florida, or Georgia.  Auburn travels to Nashville to play the SEC East leading Vanderbilt Commodores.  Vandy is ranked at 19th too.  What’s next, Ball State will be undefeated too?

10.  Texas
The Razorbacks were no match for the Longhorns Saturday, and the Buffaloes better bring some defense if they want to beat the Horns.  Will Muschamp has the Texas defense playing better, and Colt McCoy looks like a career passing leader for Texas.

AP Top Ten

AP Top 25
1. Oklahoma (43) 4-0 1,599
2. Alabama (21) 5-0 1,565
3. LSU 4-0 1,466
4. Missouri (1) 4-0 1,453
5. Texas 4-0 1,362
6. Penn State 5-0 1,252
7. Texas Tech 4-0 1,105
8. Brigham Young 4-0 1,098
9. USC 2-1 1,087
10. South Florida 5-0 1,035

USA Today Poll

USA Today Poll
1. Oklahoma (57) 4-0 1,520
2. LSU (1) 4-0 1,399
3. Missouri 4-0 1,398
4. Alabama (2) 5-0 1,350
5. Texas (1) 4-0 1,310
6. Penn State 5-0 1,146
7. Brigham Young 4-0 1,054
8. Texas Tech 4-0 1,047
9. USC 2-1 990
10. Georgia 4-1 888

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Sunday Night Rewind: Upsets Abound

September 28, 2008 By 1 Comment

It’s all about upsets in week five of college football.  It all started on Thursday night in Corvallis, OR where the unranked Beavers of Oregon State shocked the world again as they beat the number one ranked USC Trojans.  Not to be outdone, unranked Ole Miss upset 4th ranked Florida in Gainesville at the Swamp.  And on it goes.  The Houston Cougars upset 23rd ranked East Carolina.  The Michigan Wolverines made a valiant come-back to upset 9th ranked Wisconsin.  Navy beat 16th ranked Wake Forest, Maryland got 20th ranked Clemson, and the Alabama Crimson Tide (9th ranked) upended the 3rd ranked Georgia Bulldogs.  Is that enough for us?  There will probably be more to come this year.  Few teams look unbeatable.  Most have stumbled and played sloppy.  Teams can’t do that anymore as the parody is prominent.

I did watch the Oklahoma-TCU game and I was very impressed with the Sooners.  The Horned Frogs held OU to 25 yard rushing, therefore, Sam Bradford dropped back and threw the ball over the coverage for a total of 411 yards passing.  Broken plays cost TCU along with penalties.  TCU was able to do what no other team has been able to do against OU this year and that was slow down the attack.  They held Oklahoma to almost 20 points below their average, but TCU’s offense just wasn’t explosive enough to stay with OU.  As they Sooners get into Big 12 Conference play, they will face far more explosive offenses.  They will need that ground game to keep offenses of teams like Texas, Texas Tech and Oklahoma State’s off the field.  Otherwise, they might be in for several shootouts.  Nevertheless, I now put Sam Bradford at the top of my Heisman Trophy list.  He was just plain impressive.  He was knocked down, sacked and hurried all day, but he delivered.

Looking Ahead

Oregon State vs. Utah
Fresh off their upset victory over USC, the Beavers travel to Salt Lake City to face the Utes.  Utah is undefeated, but less impressive than I expected at this point.  Can the Beavers parlay their win over USC into a successful season?

Oregon vs. USC
Oregon is is 4-1 with its only loss coming to Boise State.  USC is coming off of their upset loss to Oregon State.  Oregon State showed that a shifty, small back can help keep the chains and the clock moving against USC.  Can the Ducks follow that recipe to a win in LA?  Or does upset simply refer to what the Trojans will be when they step on the field?

Auburn vs. Vanderbilt
The Commodores, yes Vanderbilt, is on top of the SEC East standings.  They play an Auburn team that has shown very little on offense in their transition to a spread by new Offensive Coordinator Tony Franklin.  Well, Vanderbilt does it pretty well, and maybe they can give the Tigers a few tips, after the game.  Vandy averages a full touchdown more a game than Auburn, and they are gunning for an historic year.  Oh, and the game is in Nashville, and both teams are ranked.

Missouri vs. Nebraska
The Cornhuskers had a chance to be ranked this week.  All they had to do was beat an improving Virginia Tech at home on national TV, run their record to 4-0, and await their showdown with Mizzou.  Well, it didn’t work out as planned.  Tyrod Taylor gave Nebraska fits, and Tech got the quality win on the road.  Now Mizzou comes to town, and I am sure Chase Daniel was watching that game.

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Wednesday Preview Week 5

September 24, 2008 By Leave a Comment

Here are the games to watch in Week 5.

Illinois vs. Penn State
If either team is for real, this game will show it.  Illinois is fresh off their Rose Bowl season has only one loss this season, to Missouri who seems to be pretty good.  Penn State has revolutionized their offense with their patented HD Spread Offense.  They are scoring points all over the place against lower tier teams.

Georgia vs. Alabama
The ‘Dawgs are scrapping to get back in to that top 2 after slipping from number 1.  A win against a team who, up until now, has looked really impressive, would go a long way toward getting back into that top 2.  A win at Georgia would serve notice that the Tide is back.

TCU vs. Oklahoma
With TCU’s debut into the top 25, this game has just become a battle between two ranked teams.  Oklahoma, of course, is ranked number 2.  When TCU went into Norman and upset Oklahoma in 1996 and 2005, those Sooner teams were not anywhere near the level of this Sooner team.  Sam Bradford is not a first year starter, and they just have so many weapons.  Not to be outdone, however, TCU counters with one of the nation’s stingiest defenses.  They also control the clock to the tune of 37 minutes and some change per game.  Sooner fans haven’t forgotten 2005, and neither have the coaches.

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