Iowa rolling, Wisconsin imploding

(11) Iowa 20 - Wisconsin 10 : The Hawkeyes continue their road romp through the Big 10 Saturday beating the Badgers in Madison. After defeating Penn St. earlier in the season on the road, the Iowa picked up their effort in the second half at Camp Randall to beat Wisconsin. Same old Hawks football. QB Ricky Stanzi played efficiently while RB Adam Robinson rushed for 91 yards and a TD on the ground. The defense was its stingy self giving up just 230 total yards to the Badgers.

Wisconsin in the past couple of weeks has seen their season fall apart. After starting the season 5-0 Wisconsin has lost 2 straight to Ohio State and now Iowa. QB Steve Tolzien seems to have lost his touch from the first 5 weeks throwing 3 picks and 0 TDs against the Hawkeyes. This further clears up the Big 10 picture as Wisconsin keeps fading and Iowa holds strong, undefeated on the season. Iowa could easily be undefeated going into the Horseshoe against Ohio State later this season with their next three at Michigan State, and at home for Indiana and Northwestern. But don't put the cart before the horse just yet, Michigan St. is playing better ball these days.

Reloading or Rebuilding at the OSU?

Purdue 26 - (7) Ohio State 18 : Things are not all good in Columbus. The Buckeyes dropped their second loss of the season to a team that has lost 5 straight. Purdue upset the Ohio State for their first conference win and OSU's first conference loss. I feel like I'm saying this every week but it's been true every week. QB Terrelle Pryor isn't there yet and we all need to realize that. QB is a tough position to come in and make an impact immediately. This kid is a true sophomore and is in his first full season as a full-time starter. I'm not saying he won't be good, I'm just saying it's going to take more time than everyone thought. What player does he remind us of: Vince Young. Vince's breakout year was his REDSHIRT sophomore year. I truly do believe that extra year is important. Pryor looks eerily similar to Vince his RS freshman year. Showing flares of unmatched talent, but not a dominant player. We need to back off and give this kid some time. And when I say we, that means you too Tressel. Because currently the Sweater-vest is putting his young QB in the position to do too much (see: 31 pass attempts and 21 carries for Pryor Saturday).

The tale of an ugly game

(3) Texas 16 - (20) Oklahoma 13 : This was not a pretty football game. Neither team looked especially good while no offensive stars shined. The defenses did though. Each defense played pretty stout throughout the game, with Texas' coming up big in the end. A jarring hit from Texas CB Aaron Williams knocked QB Sam Bradford out of the game early. He re-injured his throwing shoulder and did not return to the game. Redshirt freshman Landry Jones filled in nicely throwing for 250 yards and a TD. But 2 ill-advised passes ended up INT's for the 'Horns and killed OU drives.

The question coming into this season for each team was OU's offensive line and Texas' defensive line. Could each team reload at those spots? With OU's O-line banged up that was answered quickly and often. Although the Sooner D tallied more sacks than the Longhorns, Texas' line was just as effective. He didn't record a sack but DE Sergio Kindle was disruptive the entire game. On many running plays he forced the play to be bounced outside or cut back inside to LB's and D-linemen. He got the opportunity to shine against solid competition an he did finally. The factor Kindle also brings to the table is the attention he gets on his end. Defensive Coordinator Will Muschamp said the blitz by CB Aaron Williams that knocked Bradford out of the game was put together with Kindle in mind. Muschamp figured OU would be rolling their pass protection towards Kindle and that left the backside open. Oh, and this Aaron Williams kid is good. Texas' defensive secondary is going to be scary good for a year or two with he and S Earl Thomas back there. Much like the Florida Gators were a year ago and this season, most of those guys are sophomores and juniors.

Texas' run defense was also as advertised holding the Sooners to -16 net rushing yards. RBs Demarco Murray and Chris Brown never got going and OU was relegated almost exclusively to the pass. Texas on the other hand struggled throwing it. The OU D-line got a consistent pass rush and never let QB Colt McCoy get in a groove. McCoy looked out of sync all day and may very well have lost the Heisman. But Texas got much needed rushing yards out of RBs Fozzy Whittaker and Cody Johnson, in addition to some key runs by McCoy. Whittaker and Johnson combined for over 100 yards on the ground which helped Texas control the clock late, especially with the absence of their passing game. Oklahoma did a great job neutralizing WR Jordan Shipley holding him to 4 catches for 22 yards and 2 punt returns for -3 yards.

21 penalties, 6 fumbles, and 3 interceptions are what Texas and Oklahoma gave us Saturday. But the Red River Shootout is always a fun one and even though it wasn't pretty, it was enjoyable. Texas now takes the wheel in the Big 12, but if they don't improve in the coming weeks, I wouldn't put it past someone else knocking them out of the driver seat.

Cincy gets win, but sustains a loss

(8) Cincinnati 34 - (21) South Florida 17 : Cincinnati did exactly what they needed to down in Tampa on Thursday night. The Bearkats handed the Bulls not only their first conference loss but their first loss of the season. The only drawback of this big victory was that it came at a price. Starting QB Tony Pike took a hit at the very beginning of the second half and left the game with an injury to the same forearm he injured last season. Pike leaves one of the hottest teams in the nation without their senior leader and his return is uncertain. His backup, QB Zach Collaros, immediately made an impact by running for a 75 yard TD after entering the game for Pike. Collaros finished the game 4-7 for 72 yards and a pick while running for 132 yards and 2 TDs. Cincy debuted on the BCS polls today at number 5.

Does Boise St. have a tough game left?

(5) Boise State 28 - Tulsa 21 : This may have been Boise St.'s last true road test of the season. Boise was in control of this one after trailing 14-8 in the first quarter. QB Kellen Moore played his same solid role of mistake-free leader. His stats weren't stellar (22-32 187 yards & 3 TDs) but he didn't make many mistakes. Tulsa added a long TD late but it wasn't enough as the Broncos held on. Boise's run game was steady all evening long as RBs Doug Martin and Jeremy Avery combined for 185 yards on the ground. It should be smooth sailing for the Broncos from here on out. And that's good news for them as they debuted today at number 4 in the BCS rankings.

Red River Shootout

(20) Oklahoma vs. (3) Texas - Well here we go again. Another game that will probably decide who will win the Big 12. The experts have UT as the favorite but you've got to throw all of that out the window for this one. Should UT win? Probably. They boast the best rush D in the nation and have the highest scoring offense in the nation. But no one can ever tell. QB Colt McCoy needs to play better overall and eliminate the early pick he's been throwing in almost every game to this point. I'd be beating a dead horse if I mentioned Texas' porous running game too much. And to make things worse, RB's Vondrell McGee and Tre Newton are questionable with injuries. That means oft-injured RB Fozzy Whittaker will have to step in and give UT some solid carries. Texas has shown they can win with only about 100 yards or so on the ground. But OU isn't like the other defenses they've played. WR Jordan Shipley just needs to keep playing his game. If you haven't been paying attention the 'Horns have a big advantage with their return men. Shipley has taken 2 punts to the house this year and freshman RB D.J. Monroe has taken 2 kickoffs to the house. OU will have to play good, sound coverage.

As for Boomer Sooner they will have to do one thing better than they have all year and that is protect QB Sam Bradford. If he has time he can show his accuracy and downfield vision. But if you pressure him you've got a shot. A good way for OU to get Bradford time would be to get that running game going with Murray and Brown. If those 2 have a big day Texas' defense will struggle. The running game always takes pressure off of the QB and Offensive line. But say Bradford is getting time in the pocket. Who's he going to throw it to? With TE Gresham out for the year and leading WR Ryan Broyles questionable who will step up? Junior WR Brandon Caleb has shown he can make plays but no with Broyles consistency. Will senior WR Adron Tennell finally live up to expectations? We'll see. Because Texas' secondary is good and Bradford is going to need some targets. I might look for OU to use RB DeMarco Murray in many different roles to maximize his touches with their current lack of playmakers (screens, splitting him out wide, etc.)

All I know is this one has been exciting the past few seasons and with the way the BCS worked out last year it will add some intrigue. Two good defenses and two great QB's. Let's do it.

Texas spotted a TD for tomorrow after this was relaeased to youtube

Check this out. This and post-game fights are the downside to rivalry games...Actually, keep the fights. Just make sure no one does this again.

Florida passes biggest road test with 3/4 of a Tebow

(1) Florida 13 - (4) LSU 3 : I just freaking glad Tebow-gate is over. I also love how the World Wide Leader dispatched reporter Tom Rinaldi down to Baton Rouge. F 'in A. I almost am just glad this thing is over.

But anyway, to the actual game. Because all the other players joined his holyness on the field to determine a winner. All I can say is that Florida's defense is suffocating. They exposed the sh*t out of a sputtering LSU offense. As we've seen this year, if LSU can't run the ball, LSU can't do anything. QB Jordan Jefferson never got in a rythm and was under constant pressure (sacked 5 times). LSU on the other hand couldn't get to Tebow all night as his O-line kept his jersey clean. Speaking of the Gators' offense RB Jeffery Demps gave the Gators some tough yards on the ground. With Tebow visibly limited in what Florida would call, Demps put together 16 carries for 86 yards. RB Emmanuel Moody also added some solid inside runs to take the pressure off of #15. In the passing game, there weren't a lot of fireworks, but TE Aaron Hernandez was a constant. He was the go to man when they needed a play through the air grabbing 6 balls for 70 yards. WR Riley Cooper had the big catch of the night with a 24 yard TD catch before the half ended.

In conclusion, Urban Meyer and his players did what they had to do with what they had. And what they have is a resilient QB, a solid running game, and a DAMN good defense. Make no question about it SuperTim, this Florida team is a DEFENSIVE football team. (I'm getting chills thinking about Florida's defense and Alabama's defense in the same game.)

Iowa continues to barely win

(12) Iowa 30 - Michigan 28 : Iowa keeps getting by on scrappy defense and prayers. Don't get me wrong, the Hawkeyes deserve each win. They grind it out, frustrate your offense, and have above average special teams. Nice recipe for non-exciting football. But hey, we're not here for stats. We're here for championships. And they could pull off the shocker in the Big 10. And you know what, good for them. After losing their best player to the draft in RB Shonn Green and losing the person who was going to take his place in RB Jewel Hampton, they aren't even supposed to be here. Even with Hampton they were supposed to be a slightly above average team. Once again Kirk Ferentz turns it on when the seat gets hot.

Duke won a conference game

Duke 49 - North Carolina State 28 : They won this conference game on the road no less.

Tide goooood, Rebels baaaaaad

(3) Alabama 22 - (21) Ole Miss 3 : Let me rectify the Heisman conversation that was generated in the preseason: Snead out, Ingram in. 'Bama RB Mark Ingram has been a force this season and combined with that defense puts up a stingy game plan that eats up minutes and teams.

I'll start with the bad news first. Ole Miss is not even close yet. Yes they have talent, but that is all it is at the moment. Raw talent. Especially on offense. The defense was scrappy and had to be on the field far longer than their offense should have allowed. But that offense? Holy crap. QB Jevan Snead shouldn't even have the word NFL Draft in his vocabulary this season. He's got some tools, but he's just not ready yet. I'm also not too sure this coaching staff knows what they want to do yet. Some series seemed dedicated to the pass, while others seemed exclusively to the run. Take a lesson from across the field, choose a path and adjust accordingly. Alabama knew they wanted to run the ball and did so. They tried to sprinkle in the pass as a compliment (with little success). But as a whole they stuck to their plan. And the media needs to take some of the responsibility for this Ole Miss stuff. They blew up Ole Miss at the end of last season and the beginning of this year to the point that those kids had to almost be perfect this season. Sometimes we forget that perspective because as quickly as the media will build you up in this sport, they will tear you down even quicker.

The good news that came out of this one for you SEC fans is that Alabama is good. I know, I know they only scored one offensive TD (and they are going to have to get that vertical passing game in shape). But they realized what they had to do to win the game and did it. Much like Florida vs. LSU later that evening. Solid kicking game from K Leigh Tiffin, and that defense, jeez. I'm not sure there is a better one in the nation. In fact, as of right now there isn't. The Sabanator has that defense looking scary. Reeeeally scary.

Wisconsin still Wisconsin, Buckeyes roll

(9) Ohio State 31 - Wisconsin 13 : The Ohio State only scored 1 offensive TD but still rolled to a 18 point victory. Wisconsin QB Scott Tolzien's magic touch wore off quickly for the undefeated Badgers as he was pick 6-ed twice. Buckeye WR Ray Small also added a kickoff return for a TD in the third swiftly after the Badgers got it down to a one possession game. Both teams' running games were pedestrian as OSU played their regular solid run D and shut down RB John Clay. Wisconsin held RB Brandon Saine and QB Terrelle Pryor in check as the duo rushed for less than 100 yards. Ohio State needs RB Boom Herron back ASAP, but he was limited in this one due to injury. Neither team looked good. But then again who has in the Big 11?

The Great Escapes

(10) TCU 20 - Air Force 17 : TCU got out of Colorado Springs by the skin of their teeth due to a late Frogs fumble. A late TD by the Falcons brought them within 3 points. But the Horned Frogs were able to hold strong and keep their BCS hopes alive. The conditions were less than advantageous for TCU. But as a whole, this game was held in control by TCU for almost the entire game. The final score indicates a close one though it should probably have been 20-10. But all in all, I think this is something that might get TCU in trouble as it has in the past (see Utah loss last season.) In the Gary Patterson era TCU has always played tremendous defense that keeps them ahead/in games. But when they get a chance to take a commanding lead and shut the door, they rarely do it. They need to learn how close games, especially to help their tough defense out. Because their D always comes to play.

Pittsburgh 24 - Connecticut 21 : This is exactly the game Pitt would have lost a year ago. Winning the grind-it-out close one's wasn't the Panthers' forte the past few seasons under Dave Wannstedt. Midway through the 3rd Pitt trailed Randy Edsall's Huskies 21-6 when QB Bill Stull hit WR Jonathan Baldwin down the seam for a 26 yard TD pass making it 21-13. This connection between Stull and Baldwin almost seems like a right of passage in this teams growth from a year ago. Stull's having a career year in which he has become a more polished passer and reduced mistakes. Baldwin, a highly touted recruit coming in last season, has followed up a quiet freshman year with a strong sophomore campaign that has included him becoming the go-to target in the passing game. But back to the action. Now in the 4th Stull hit TE/WR/RB Dorin Dickerson for the score 27 yards out. Pitt proceeded to get the 2 point conversion to tie the game. They later scored on a game winning field goal as time expired and celebrated their Big East triumph. The thing I didn't mention in that summary was the defense which really picked up its game in the second half. But with a lack of offense in recent seasons I had to give the Pitt O some love. Congrats to Pitt. Wannstedt is one of the good guys you want to see succeed.

If this ends up being the ACC Championship again then screw that Conference

(5) Virginia Tech 48 - Boston College 14 : This one was never a game. The Hokies came out and established dominance on both sides of the ball. BC looked like they always have on offense since the graduation of Matty Ice, sputtering. It was actually worse than sputtering early. Former minor league baseball pitcher QB David Shinskie was 1-12 for 4 yards and threw 2 picks. Let that resonate for a second...holy sh*t. When you average 1 foot per pass attempt then you know it's not good.

By the way, Virginia Tech has regrouped nicely since that poor showing in week 1 vs. Alabama. This quite possibly may be one of the hottest teams in the nation. QB Tyrod Taylor is passing much more efficiently and the Hokie running game hasn't missed a beat with redshirt freshman RB Ryan Williams filling in for injured RB Darren Evans. And don't count them out of the National Championship equation yet. Some of those big boys start losing and Beamer-ball could jump right back in it.

Not so fast War Eagle...

Arkansas 44 - (17) Auburn 23 : Tigers fans, THAT is exactly why everyone was reluctant to rank you. Gene Chizik came in and was supposed to play tough defense and grind out SEC games. Instead, his D seems like the weak link. Arkansas went bananas on Auburn's sorry defense in the first half going into the locker room with a 27-3 lead. Auburn showed up in the 3rd scoring 20 to make it 33-23, but the damage was done as the Arkansas D shut the Tigers out in the 4th. Little Michael Smith ran for 145 yards and a TD on 18 carries while the youngins cleaned up some extra yardage and short TDs. QB Ryan Mallett was once again rather efficient throwing for 274 yards and 2 TDs and only 1 pick. Auburn did have a bright spot as RB Ben Tate rushed for 184 and 2 TDs. But the passing game was anemic and damn, did I mention their defense sucked?

Rain, rain go away

(21) Nebraska 27 - (24) Missouri 12 : Nebraska takes hold of the Big 12 North with this victory. The 3 big players in the North are the Huskers, Mizzou, and Kansas. With Missouri out of the way, Nebraska can focus on making through Texas Tech, OU, and KU. They have an easier road than KU who has to go through OU, UT, Nebraska, and Missouri in a big rivalry game.

But back to the game. This is a weakness of spread offenses dedicated highly to the pass: you can't adjust when the weather get nasty. There was a constant downpour in Columbia for this one, yet Gary Pinkel's team still threw it 43 times! With a first-year starter no less. Now i can't say Nebraska's Zac Lee was grounded throwing it 33 times, but they did get over 100 rushing total in this one. Even if you only use it sparsely, the I-formation and Pro set can be good tools to keep a defense honest with a head on run. Running backs enjoy running downhill when they can't cut, and Thursday night no one could cut. It was a monumental comeback by NU/collapse by Mizzou, but sometimes you've got to put your players in a better position to win, no matter the conditions.

Hot Tickets: Let's gear it up for some conference play

Let's take a look at some big ones going down this weekend. Booya. (games chronologically)

(21) Nebraska @ (24) Missouri (Thursday): Well, well, well. the Big 12 getting in on a little Thursday night delight. This should be a solid contest for pecking order in the Big 12 North. While Kansas and Nebraska were heavily favored in the North before the season started, Missouri has had a fast start to show that QB Blaine Gabbert can pick up right where Chase Daniel left off. This one also could be bitter sweet for either Gabbert or Nebraska. The highly touted Missouri QB spurned an early commitment to the Cornhuskers at the last minute to go and be Chase Daniel's successor at Mizzou. This could be an early elimination game in the Big 12 North.

(17) Auburn @ Arkansas : All the Chizik-haters are beginning to come around. He's got this team playing good football. Especially on offense. Maybe Offensive Coordinator Gus Malzahn deserves most of the credit. He has QB Chris Todd playing at a high level and has the running game hitting on all cylinders. Chizik's specialty is defense and the defense could use some work. But then again, so could Arkansas'. This one will involve some points being scored. To stay in the hunt in the SEC West Auburn has to take care of business here. Because a tougher schedule looms. Look for Todd & Hogs QB Ryan Mallett to be throwing it around the yard a little bit.

Boston College @ (5) Virginia Tech : This is a repeat of the past 2 ACC championship games, in which Virginia Tech was the victor in both. There's going to be defense, running the ball, and more defense. Virginia Tech needs a win here to keep rolling in the ACC. The way QB Tyrod Taylor has been throwing it the past 2 weeks is encouraging. BC doesn't need a win here, but they do want one. The ACC title game can easily be reached with 2 conference losses. But the Eagles would love to give the Hokies their first conference loss. And that minor league pitcher they've got tossing it around hasn't been a half-bad game manager thus far.

(15) Oklahoma St. @ Texas A&M : I see this as a big game because the question in Stillwater is how will this team react to losing their best player. WR Dez Bryant's recent suspension has cast yet another shadow on a season that was supposed to have some BCS promise. A problem in this offense coming into this game was if QB Zac Robinson had another target he could get the ball to when Bryant was doubled. Well, now someone REALLY has to step up. This team is just not as threatening not only on offense, but on special teams too. Bryant was one of the best punt returners in the nation. Can A&M rebound from the Arkansas loss to take advantage of a reeling team?

(13) Oregon @ UCLA : Oregon will try to stay hot on the road in Pasadena this weekend against a UCLA team that doesn't yet have an identity. The Ducks might have to do it without starting QB Jeremiah Masoli as he is still questionable to play this week with a bad knee. Backup Nate Costa seems like a viable solution if Masoli can't go, but UCLA's defense will be stingier than Washington St., who Costa saw last week. Oregon remains one of the top contenders in the PAC 10 and this one is a must if they want to think about a conference championship.

Wisconsin @ (9) Ohio St. : Wisconsin is in a similar boat as Auburn. No one saw them as a contender at the beginning of the year, yet they still have not sustained a loss. Well, this isn't Minnesota or Purdue, this is Ohio St. in the Horseshoe. This will be a huge test to see if the Badgers are a serious contender in the Big 11 or just another 9-3 Wisconsin team. The Buckeyes on the other hand have a reputation to uphold. The early loss to USC might have dashed their title hopes (for now anyway), but they are still intent on winning the conference and getting another BCS birth. They have rebounded nicely and QB Terrelle Pryor has looked better each week.

(3) Alabama @ (20) Ole Miss : The Tide have been rolling. I mean honestly, they have probably been the most impressive team thus far in the season. QB Greg McElroy has settled in nicely, the running backs have looked great (especially Mark Ingram), and this is a vintage Nick Saban defense. Ole Miss has been one of the bigger frauds this season. QB Jevan Snead is no where near a Heisman contender. Hell, right now he's struggling to be a competent quarterback. What was supposed to be an explosive offense with the likes of Snead, WR/RB Dexter McCluster, and WR Shay Hodge has been nothing short of a disappointment. That said, this is their chance to put a fly in the ointment. A home game with the Crimson Tide might be just what this team needs as a shot in the arm and a wake-up call...Who am I kidding, no it isn't. Good luck Ole Miss.

(10) TCU @ Air Force : This one might mean more than meets the eye. Obviously TCU is trying to keeps their BCS hopes alive with a victory, but Air Force has a 2 game head start on TCU in the Mountain West race at 2-0 in conference. Air Force still being in the hunt gives them plenty of motivation against the favored Horned Frogs. This one is also going to be a scrappy fight in the trenches. It pits the number 1 rushing offense in the nation (AF) against the number 1 rushing defense in the country (TCU). Add in a temperature high of 33 degrees and snow and you got yourself a football game.

Michigan @ (12) Iowa : Michigan's hot start came to a crashing halt last weekend in East Lansing to the rival Spartans. But their conference hopes aren't dead yet as they travel to another hostile environment in Iowa City. The Hawkeyes have gotten by thus far by the skin of their teeth one would think that this weekend won't be much different. The Iowa defense has been tremendous but the offense will have to pick it up. Michigan has shown they can score points in bunches this season and if Iowa wants to be taken seriously as a contender they are going to need to be strong in all facets of the game. Every victory can't be a close one because one of these games late will come up and bite you. Ask USC. The truth is neither of these teams was supposed to be that good and here they are. Kudos to RichRod and Kirk Ferentz.

(1) Florida @ (4) LSU (at NIGHT oooooOOOOooooo) : And now for the big tamale. Will he? Won't he? The suspense is killing me. My personal opinion is Urban and Tim are playing a little game of Belichick and Brady. You can't count Tebow out of this NIGHT game. And I'm sure the people writing this Oscar winning script of Tebow Christ: Football Star are just licking their chops to add this to the final act. But being serious, if QB/FB/LB/Circumcisor Tim Tebow really is still fuzzy from that hit in Kentucky then he shouldn't play. There is way too much out there for him in the future to take a life/career threatening hit on Saturday NIGHT. The more we find out about concussions the scarier things get. On the other hand, I'd hate for this to be Florida's lone loss because their star couldn't go Saturday NIGHT. Even though the BCS won't let me 1/2 the time, I want to see the best play the best in the Championship game this year.

As for LSU, they have been playing a lot like Iowa this season. I'm not sure anyone really knows how good they are because they have been inconsistent in their wins. But the thing that matters is they have all been wins thus far. If Tebow can't go Saturday NIGHT LSU's chances jump astronomically. Though he's a polished passer, Florida backup QB John Brantley just doesn't bring the same game to the table. The gameplan changes for both teams and I think that change would definitely benefit the Tigers. Both teams are going to have to run well Saturday NIGHT to win and taking Tebow out of the equation will make life hard for the Gators. LSU got some Gators' players phone numbers again too so we all know how that goes. SEC fan is still taking it disturbingly close to European soccer fan levels. And did I mention that this game is in Baton Rouge......at NIGHT!

OSU WR Dez Bryant ruled ineligible

Speaking of Oklahoma schools who haven't had things go their way this season, Oklahoma St. WR Dez Bryant has been ruled ineligible by the school according to a release by Oklahoma State University. There is no word yet on what the infraction entailed but it does seem, by Bryant's personal statement released, that some information was withheld from the NCAA. For more information on the situation and rule violated check it out here.

(picture courtesy AP.)

This is not what Oklahoma had planned...

(17) Miami 21 - (8) Oklahoma 20 : Bob Stoops probably isn't the happiest of campers these days. Oklahoma went down to south Florida and sustained their second loss of the season to a rebounding Miami team. If I were the Sooners I would not at all be ashamed. They went down to play a much improved team on the road with a freshman QB and almost came out on top. What I think this game proves is 2 things. First, Miami is not as bad as they looked at Virginia Tech in their last game. They played solid ball on the ground and on defense and came out with a victory that can be a feather in their cap. Even without Sam Bradford at the reigns that is a solid Oklahoma squad. Miami got a huge game out of veteran RB Javarris James, which they needed as Jacory Harris struggled at times throughout the night, throwing 2 picks. Miami's defense truly looks like a Miami defense of old shutting down a running game that was supposed to be one of the best in the country. The 'Canes are back, love it or hate it.

The second thing I think this game proved is that Oklahoma IS going to make some noise in the Big 12 this season when QB Sam Bradford comes back. If Bradford comes back strong the Sooners will be right in the thick of things. Remember people, both of OU's losses are out of conference. That means another Big 12 Title and a BCS bid are still very much a possibility. OU would love nothing more than to ruin either Texas', Oklahoma State's, or whomever is on track to come out on top. A combination of bad luck and players lost to the next level have gotten OU where they are now. And things don't get any easier now that their best deep threat WR Ryan Broyles is out for 2-4 weeks with an injury. But I won't count out OU until they're out.

I guess we can stop talking about UH now

UTEP 58 - (12) Houston 41 : Okay. This has to be some kind of record. On many different levels. Say your QB goes 51-76 for 536 yards and 5 TDs with NO picks. Would you like your chances with a line like that? I would. Unless I was out in El Paso on Saturday night. It was No Country for Young Cougars.

Some kid named Donald Buckram went all Javier Bardem on UH by blowing up the Cougar D for 262 yards on 32 carries with 4 TDs. Throw in a solid game by QB Trevor Vittatoe and NO turnovers by the Miners and you somehow trump Case Keenum putting up more yards than some have in a career. As you can probably tell by the article thus far neither defense decided to play, although UTEP forced 2 fumbles that they recovered for turnovers. The Coogs put up 664 yards on offense while UTEP wasn't far behind with 581. Maybe this will cool off Mike Price's seat that has grown progressively hotter over the past few weeks. It will probably also back some teams off of hot coaching commodity Kevin Sumlin. The offense looks great, but that defensive performance was really bad against a team that could only muster 58 yards of offense the week prior against Texas. And speaking of the Big 12, UH finishes the season 2-0 in the Big 12 South. They just can't handle that damn Conference USA schedule.

National Title hopes (jk) dashed for Michigan

Michigan State 26 - (22) Michigan 20 (OT) : The Tate Forcier honeymoon is over as Michigan fell to struggling rival Michigan St. over the weekend. Forcier didn't play bad as he was the only spark of offense the Wolverines had all day throwing for 223, 2 TDs and 1 pick and rushing for 27 yards. But the down side to that was his 27 yards led the team. Michigan didn't do much on the ground against Sparty and it almost seemed as if the running game was all together abandoned by RichRod. With solid veteran backs like Brandon Minor and Carlos Brown you can't have just 10 carries between the 2 of them and 13 by your undersized true freshman QB. Not the gameplan I would choose.

The Spartans definitely displayed some resilience in this game after dropping 3 straight. After letting the Wolverines back into the game late, an overtime loss at home after that effort would have been a devastating blow to this team's psyche. This victory was a big step for a team seeking any kind of positivity. Now the question is who's the QB of this team, Cousins or Nichol? Some say having 2 quarterbacks means you don't have 1.

Aggies brought back down to Earth by power of the Emperor

Arkansas 47 - Texas A&M 19 : Yes, I know that in the grand scheme of things this may not have been that big of a game. But I attended it so y'all can shut up and hear about it and the stadium in particular.

After the teams' historical intros (A&M's about 5 minutes, Jerry Jones' alma mater, Arkansas, about 20) the athletic departments swiftly gave the Sith Lord a medal for hosting the 'Southwest Classic' in his new WMD. That in itself was great (really, a f*ckin medal? What did Jerry do, win the 100 meters?)

Then the actual football teams finally came out. Arkansas was in their traditional home uniforms while the Aggies sported some nifty White on White uniforms with White helmets. All in all, I thought it was a nice choice for the visiting Aggies.

But really, now to the action. A&M came out strong and looked to take control early in this one. They got out to an early lead on the heels of a 60 yard TD pass to WR Brandal Jackson. This made it 10-0 Aggies early, but Ryan Mallett eventually got into a rhythm towards the end of the 1st quarter and didn't look back after that. The Razorbacks' running game wasn't great, but they did receive a great run late from Ronnie Wingo that boosted the stats. There were a couple of turning points in this one. The first of which was when Ryan Tannehill dropped a sure TD pass from Johnson in the first half. That would have put the Aggies right back in the game. The other was when the game was very much still in reach for the Aggies at 14-10 in the second quarter. But a Jerrod Johnson fumble in the backfield at the Arkansas 15 yard line was returned by Razorback Jerry Franklin for an 85 yard TD. Those two plays demoralized the Aggies and distributed momentum to the Hogs.

A&M also struggled on the ground and that can't happen for A&M to beat solid teams. Jarrod Johnson threw for over 300 yards and 2 TDs, but for the Aggies to be effective Johnson can't have 58 passing attempts. Getting into a 30-10 hole at the half forced A&M to abandon their stable of talented backs in the second half and work exclusively through the air, which did not go well.

Some kudos in this one can go to a few different units. I thought Ryan Mallett looked poised all night, even with DE Von Miller harassing him throughout the night. Arkansas' future looks bright if they can better protect Mallett with a running game and better pass blocking. Bu back to A&M's Von Miller. This kid showed he can get it done against stiffer competition by keeping Mallett under constant pressure. He was active up and down the line of scrimmage playing better against the run than I expected. He's a great fit for that hybrid D-end position A&M has added this season.

Jerrod Johnson showed good escapability throughout this one, but that might be more of an indictment of Texas A&M's offensive line. The Aggie O-line had Johnson on the run much of the time in this one and as the game went on you could tell it hurt Johnson's pocket presence. He began to get happy feet and feel all plays he had to make on the move or outside of the pocket, even if he didn't.

But take nothing away from the Arkansas defense. They played tough in this one shutting down what had been one of the best offenses in the nation to this point. Both defenses came in as each team's weakness, but Arkansas took a major stride in this one. They truly lived up to the SEC defensive hype for the first time this season bending for A&M, but rarely breaking. Good pressure on Johnson was the key for the Hogs' front 7. Forcing turnovers was a key for each team, but Arkansas was just much better at capitalizing on them.

And finally for the record the new Cowboys Stadium is as advertised. It's ridiculous. It's very open on the inside once you walk in so you don't feel crowded. And the freakin' screens. Jeez. 60 yards of hi-def has you watching as much of the screen as the actual game on the field. It truly has never been done before in the sporting arena. I definitely recommend going if you can. And bonus: no punts hit the screen. If only the team that plays there every other Sunday could win. Odds Jerry drafts Ryan Mallett in a year?

College football fans, this could be you

Check out this University of Georgia fan and his rant. He should have tailgated a little bit longer to take the edge off...

USC, Oregon, Stanford still in Pac 10 race, Cal probably out

(7) USC 30 - (24) California 3 : USC emphatically ended California's hopes of un-throning the Pac 10 champs. Nothing worked for the Golden Bears as Jahvid Best was contained for the second straight week and the game was put into Kevin Riley's hands. He fumbled it again. Riley cannot get over the hump as a playmaking quarterback. He completed just 15 of 40 passes (holy sh*t) for under 200 yards. He also sprinkled in an interception for good measure. Jeff Tedford has got to be thinking what we're all thinking: maybe Riley just doesn't have it. And Jeff Tedford better be on the lookout too, because Cal's AD might be wondering the same thing about him...

(16) Oregon 52 - Washington State 6 : Oregon kept the ball rolling against the conference's worst. QB Jeremiah Masoli really didn't even need to pass as the Ducks rumbled to 318 yards on the ground. Since the suspension of RB/heavyweight contender LeGarrette Blount the Ducks' "running back by committee" approach has been vastly successful. The defense has been solid also even after losing top CB Walter Thurmond III to injury.

Recent Development*: Oregon QB Jeremiah Masoli will have his knee examined this week to determine the severity of an injury sustained this weekend. Also, RB LeGarrette Blount could return to the Oregon lineup later this season after seemingly being suspended for the entire year. As we all remember after the season-opening loss at Boise St. Blount jacked a Bronco player in the jaw for jawing at him. All in all it was funny, but definitely made a badly played game even worse for the Ducks.

Stanford 24 - UCLA 16 : Stanford anyone? The Cardinal haven't played a team that's a contender yet but they are playing sound football. Ground control and tough defense. Jim Harbaugh has got these kids believing they can win and they're doing it. I'm not sure there is a more rugged runner in the nation than RB Toby Gerhart. This dude is old school. He not only gets it 25 to 30 times a game but he wants it that many times. He's helping to take the pressure off of redshirt freshman QB Andrew Luck for whom the sky seems to be the limit. He hasn't wowed with his stats quite yet, but he has managed a run-based offense with a solid completion percentage and 6 to 10 yards when they need it. He's not putting the defense in bad situations which is all you can ask at this point. The biggest test since their loss at Wake Forest looms next week at Oregon State, who does their best work at home. I'm not ready to hand the Cardinal the Pac 10 title by any means. I'm just saying it's fully conceivable for them to be 7-1 heading into the Oregon game Nov. 7th. We'll keep an eye on 'em.

LSU Stays Perfect

(4) LSU 20 - (20) Georgia 13 : Now we're talking. This little SEC dust-up ended nicely for the Bayou Bengals. LSU overcame shaky offensive line work in the passing game to sneak by UGA in Athens. LSU's defense was looked stout as Joe Cox and the Bulldogs couldn't get much going for the first 3 quarters. But a late push by Georgia gave the Bulldogs the lead late. 13 - 12, kill the clock right? Not so. UGA proceeded to throw a pick to give LSU the ball back with good field position late. RB Charles Scott then scampered for a 33 yard TD to give the Tigers the lead with virtually no time left.

What we learned? LSU hasn't won a pretty game yet, but they have won them all. That's definitely worth something (a number 4 ranking). But the offensive line giving up 6 sacks to Georgia almost seems like that would equate to about 10 for Florida. They better shore up that O-line because Jordan Jefferson is going to get all the pressure he can handle, and then some.

This sets up a wild night in Baton Rouge on Saturday with the Gators. I'll be watching this one. I wish I could go to this one.

*Side note: The unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on Georgia WR A.J. Green after his late touchdown was B.S. Much like Jake Locker's penalty last year it was one that had an impact on the outcome of the game and it shouldn't have. Let's not turn this into the NBA or MLB where the refs are a sideshow who think that they are part of the game.

Hot Tickets

Games you want to see this weekend (chronologically):

Southern Miss @ (20) Kansas - UH got off to a hot start by upsetting one Big 12 ranked team. Can the Golden Eagles jump into the BCS buster discussion? For KU, can they pass their 1st real test? I'm thinking yes, as long as the Jayhawks basketball team doesn't show up.

(22) North Carolina @ Georgia Tech - It may not be pretty, but Butch Davis' Tar Heels are out to a 3-0 start. But now they have to prepare for Paul Johnson's triple-option attack. Can the Heels produce some offense early in this one? I'm thinking Georgia Tech will after being embarrassed against Miami.

South Florida @ (18) Florida St. - It's been 4 years since USF has had to play without Matt Grothe. Now that his career there is over (torn ACL) how will the Bulls respond? Who the hell knows which Florida St. team will show up. BYU-game Seminoles, or Miami/Jacksonville St.-games Seminoles?

(15) TCU @ Clemson - The Horned Frogs have hit a snag in every BCS run they have tried to make. Can this year be "the year" under Coach Gary Patterson? This will be their toughest non-conference test and in the most hostile environment they will see all year. They have to respond the way they can: tough D and mistake-free offense. Clemson is good. Clemson is the most talented team TCU will see this season. Don't let that Georgia Tech game early this season fool you, Clemson is still a contender in the ACC. C.J. Spiller is one of the most explosive players in the country.

Like I said, this is a game you want to see. But no one's televising it. Solid work.

(9) Miami @ (11) Virginia Tech - I like this matchup. Miami has looked great up to this point and looks to be the class of the ACC. Virginia Tech has looked so-so. But never underestimate the environment or Blacksburg, Virginia with Bud Foster at the reigns of the defense. Beamer-ball, baby.

(6) California @ Oregon - The Golden Bears have been anointed the front-runner in the Pac-10 now that USC has lost. But the Ducks have seemed to really shake off that loss in week 1 to Boise St. Both are coming off solid wins last week (Cal @ Minnesota & Oregon vs. Utah). Who will keep their Rose Bowl hopes alive?

Arkansas @ (3) Alabama - The 'Bama D will have to come ready to play in this one. Bobby Petrino has his QB in Ryan Mallett and the offense is clicking. Just ask Georgia who narrowly escaped Fayetteville last week. But the Crimson Tide offense should have a field day on the Razorback defense. Once again, just ask Georgia.

Arizona St. @ (21) Georgia - As I said above, UGA's defense barely got out alive against Arkansas last week. But Joe Cox really came into his own against a poor defense. Dennis Erickson's Sun Devil defense should pose more of a threat to Georgia's overhauled offense. But I'm curious to see if Arizona St.'s offense has made any strides.

Vanderbilt @ Rice - There should be a decent amount of smart kids on the field.

Iowa @ (5) Penn St. - Last year Iowa kept the Nittany Lions out of the National Championship game. This time it's at State College. Daryll Clark and Evan Royster have revenge on the mind. One thing to point out though: star LB Sean Lee may not be able to go for Penn St. Consequences?

(24) Washington @ Stanford - I really just want to see how the Huskies respond to being the talk of the town. Stanford doesn't lie down anymore. Harbaugh has them playing ball.

Texas Tech @ (17) Houston - You kind of wish they were playing this one at Reliant Stadium under these circumstances. Houston has had an off week to revel in the road victory over Okie St. Now back to the BCS march. Case Keenum will try to keep his magic touch against what looked to be a much improved Texas Tech defense last week against Texas. Leach's pirates are probably good and pissed off after a tough road loss and are looking to shut these non-BCSers up. Let's be honest: if you're attending this one get ready. It might last 5 hours. The ball will be in the air all night long. They might have to open room for a third digit on the scoreboards at Robertson Stadium.

Washington St. @ (12) USC - This one is going to get nasty. Like unforgivable nasty.

Ole Miss Sneads improvement

South Carolina 16 - (4) Ole Miss 10 : Well, that ranking was warranted, right? Jeez. These love-fests of teams that are a sexy off-season picks have got to stop. "But did you see how hot Ole Miss/Jevan Snead played at the end of last season?" Yes. I also saw a team that dropped some games they shouldn't have early. I also saw them beat an uninspired Texas Tech team (that didn't want to be there) in a bowl game. And finally, I also saw them buy into their own hype by not playing crisp football last night. Oklahoma St. did the same thing against Houston a couple of weeks ago, but at least the Cowboys looked somewhat competent. Ole Miss looked lost all game long. defensively I can give them a little credit, but the offense was vomit inducing. Pre-season Heisman candidate Jevan Snead had trouble just making completions. Other than an early drive and some Dexter McCluster speed runs, the running game was non-existent. I think we figured out how dependent this team is on running the football. This may have been the best thing to happen to this team. Because when they had success at the end of last season it was because they wanted it more.

As for the Gamecocks this is a huge win. The offense still has a lot of work to do but Garcia made plays when they needed them. A huge scramble down to the 2 yard line in the 3rd put South Carolina in better position to get one across the endzone. Steve Spurrier just has to find some kind of offense between the 15 and 5 yard line. It seems they can get things done when in the open field, between the 20's. But until they get inside the 5, it doesn't look good. But that D was nasty enough for their redzone offense not to matter. Ellis Johnson had Ole Miss stymied all night long. A TD pass and catch early in the fourth put the effort in doubt, but the defense rallied to hold the lead. And how good was Eric Norwood. This kid looks like a terror that could definitely climb up draft boards. He can play the run, cover the pass in zone, and his ability to rush the passer is amongst the best of any LBs in the country. His versatility is going to make him a commodity at the next level.

Two teams that are getting fun to watch; Do so for next 2 weeks

(6) California: The Golden Bears are on the rise and they hope this is the year. With USC going down last week Jeff Tedford has to almost be more worried than excited. How will his team respond to being the new conference favorite and ranked number 6 in the country? Jahvid Best and Kevin Riley have looked good early and the defense is tough. But they will get a quick test this weekend in hostile Eugene against the Ducks.

Oregon seems to have righted the ship since the debacle in Boise in week 1. The running game is once again deadly, even without LeGarrette Blount. Oregon's victory last week over Utah put the Ducks back in contention as a noise maker in the Pac-10. Now will the pass game come around?

This has the makings of being a good one. A victory for Cal would set up a showdown next week at home against who? Ah yes, USC.

(9) Miami: Randy Shannon's bunch has easily the toughest early season schedule. But they've passed the first 2 tests up to this point. Now for quite possibly the toughest task: Virginia Tech in Blacksburg. Although Tyrod Taylor still hasn't figured out how to throw, Va Tech is still explosive on the ground. And we all know a Bud Foster defense is a good defense. Jacory Harris and company will have to execute as well if not better than they have up to this point. Honestly, I think they can. And the Hokies not being able to pass works out perfectly for Miami. The last team the 'Canes played that tried to run exclusively, Georgia Tech, was run out of the building. I expect the Hurricane defense to stay stout. And if they do, (like California) what does Miami get for winning? Oh yeah, a visit from the Oklahoma Sooners the following week. Yippee!

Barkley's coming back! The Washington game didn't count, right?

Pete Carroll said after Wednesday's practice that freshman QB Matt Barkley will be returning for USC's game Saturday at home vs. Washington St. Whoopie! Now cut that Aaron Corp kid before SC's lazy-ass/celebrity fan base stops showing up on the sidelines at the Coliseum for photo ops. Oh, and poor Washington St. They are terrible and have to take on the Trojans post-yearly upset to unranked team. I mean think about this statement: USC could really probably beat the Cougars by having any of their 20 5-star RBs take direct snaps in the Wildcat all game long and never throw. For serious.

'Cocks vs. Nutt

Lets get it going down in Columbia! Two teams that hope to be mentioned in the same breath as the Florida's, LSU's, Georgia's, and Alabama's of the SEC will meet in what should be a solid matchup.

Starting with Ole Miss, the Rebels have some high aspirations this season. After faltering early in the season last year, they turned it on in the second half by beating Florida and capping off their season with a trouncing of Texas Tech in the Cotton Bowl. Many feel the talent level is there for Houston Nutt's group and by their current ranking of number 4 in the country, the expectations are also. This could be their biggest road test of the season (though the Auburn Tigers would disagree) as they get SEC West foes Alabama and LSU both in Oxford. Many also feel that this could be their toughest task from the SEC East as they avoid the pitfalls of the (1) Florida Gators and the (21) Georgia Bulldogs. Their SEC East schedule includes the likes of road games tonight at South Carolina and next weekend at Vanderbilt, with a home game later against the re-tooling Tennessee Volenteers. They have also caught flack for their (extremely) weak non-conference schedule that includes Memphis, UAB, and two 1-AA schools (c'mon Ole Miss, really?) So, that said, they still have to go through the SEC West and then get through the SEC Championship game that will most likely involve the The Promise Keeper. So, if they get there, they'll eventually have to earn it.

South Carolina on the other hand has been sputtering somewhat in their rise to glory. Steve Spurrier was brought in to revitalize a traditionally 2nd fiddle program and to elevate it to the rest of its SEC brethren. Well, that hasn't happened yet. But, with the early play of Stephen Garcia this season many think that the Ole Ball Coach has found his QB. A week ago SC got into a shootout with UGA and almost came out the victor. So will the Gamecocks turn the corner? Or will they still just be the team that's good for an upset or two each year while still dropping a couple games they shouldn't.

This is a defining game for 2 teams looking to be mentioned in the elite in the near future. Who will step up and who will be looking forward to the Music City Bowl?

Ohio St, OU pick on little people from their home state

(11) Ohio St. 38 - Toledo 0 : Terrelle Pryor played better with his legs but that arm keeps giving him turnover trouble. The shifty Buckeye QB came away with 110 yards and a touchdown on the ground. To go with that he added 262 yards and 3 TDs through the air. But he still threw 2 INTs against a mediocre defense. Even so, I believe he comes out of this one with a little more confidence in himself and his receivers.

(12) Oklahoma 45 - Tulsa 0 : Landry Jones was the big story in Norman getting all "Sam Bradford" to the tune of 336 yards and 6 TDs. Ryan Broyles is also beginning to step up as the number 1 target which is a welcome sign with the conference schedule looming. I am definitely not writing off the Sooners in the Big 12 race.

Smooth Sailing for Boise St.

(10) Boise St. 51 - Fresno St. 34 : Boise St. went into Fresno on Friday night and did exactly what they had to. Though both teams' rushing defenses were non-existent, Boise was able to capitalize on early mistakes that Fresno St. could never recover from. An early Winston Venable pick-6 set the tone for the Broncos and, though the Bulldogs stormed back on the legs of Ryan Mathews, they couldn't over come the WAC's best team. Pat Hill's Bulldogs kept cutting the lead (much to the credit of Mathew's 234 yards &3 TDs) but the defense could not hold the backfield duo of Avery and Harper in check. The two combined for 383 yards and 2 TDs (rushing and receiving).

The only downside for Chris Petersen's squad is RB D.J. Harper is lost for the year with a torn ACL sustained late in this one. That definitely hurts, but I think the Broncos will be okay.

This now leaves Boise with road games at Bowling Green and Tulsa as their toughest remaining contests. In other words, book that flight to Arizona.

LSU out to 3-0 start

(9) LSU 31 - Louisiana-LaFayette 3 : LSU beat one of the red-headed stepchild schools in their home state on Saturday taking care of the Ragin' Cajuns at home. LSU's offense still very much looks like a work in progress. They didn't necessarily look bad, just didn't look good. Kind of like games Trent Dilfer played in.

Jahvid Best is the Heisman front-runner

(8)California 35 - Minnesota 21 : California continues its string of solid victories by notching their most impressive one yet. In their first true test of the season the Golden Bears passed with flying colors. On the legs of Jahvid Best and the new found consistency of Kevin Riley, Cal has really got thing moving in the right direction at the right time.

I've got Jahvid Best as my Heisman front-runner thus far after rushing for 131 yards and 5 TDs (yes, all 5) Saturday. Cal did a good job of moving the ball and Kevin Riley has minimized the mistakes that plagued him last season. If they can keep this up, they can capitalize on USC, Oregon, and Oregon St.'s early season misfortune. Could this be the year Jeff Tedford gets past USC for a Pac 10 Championship? They have to get by Oregon first this weekend at The Zoo. But all in all, this team bears watching.

As for the Gophers, I like the direction this team is heading. They're just not there yet. They stayed in this one giving Cal everything they had for 3+ quarters. Cal was just better. But Minnesota has to be a bit worried that the running game is still this bad. The days of Lawrence Maroney and Marion Barber seem like such a long time ago.

BYU, we hardly knew ya

Florida St. 54 - (7) BYU 28 : The dream ended as quickly as it started for BYU as Bobby Bowden's old ass gets a big victory in Provo. BYU sky-rocketed up in the polls after beating Oklahoma in Dallas in week 1 and devastating Tulane on the road a week ago. But then one of the most underachieving teams of this decade came into town and looked rather old school. Christian Ponder looked like freaking Charlie Ward running around and making plays all day long. He was 21-26 for 195 yards and 2 TDs through the air. He also racked up 77 yards and a TD on the ground. He was one of the three Seminoles with at least 5o yards rushing as they netted 313 yards rushing on the day. Ty Jones led the way with 108 yards rushing and 1 TD. Lonnie Pryor added 50 yards and 2 TDs also.

In addition to BYU's defense not showing up, the offense turned it over way too much. Max Hall was picked 3 times and BYU lost 2 fumbles on the day. So much for their slight National Championship hopes. BYU might (big might) still have an outside shot at a BCS bid if they can win out, but that would definitely take some help from a lot of other teams.

On the other hand, FSU has played 3 totally different games this season. A tough home loss in week 1 vs. Miami. Then they had to scrape together 2 late touchdowns to get by Jacksonville St. at home a week ago. Now this one? I'm just excited to see which Florida St. shows up next week against South Florida. Who knows? Because Bobby Bowden and Jimbo Fisher don't!

Penn St. & Ole Miss battle it out for no. 5 spot by playing inferior opponents

(5)Penn St. 31 - Temple 6: Penn St. takes down in state rival/cupcake Temple. The Nittany Lion run defense continues to look solid (as usual) while holding the Owls to just 46 yards rushing. Evan Royster led the way for Penn St. with 134 yards and a TD. Daryll Clark seemed a bit off throwing for just 167 yards, 2 TDs, and a pick. But none of that mattered as the defense was stingy and the running game was strong. And playing Temple never hurts. Upset alert though: Iowa (who was their lone loss last season) comes calling this weekend.

(5)Ole Miss 52 - SE Louisiana 6: Ole Miss could have slept their way through this one. Jevan Snead and Brandon Bolden did the heavy lifting in this one as they gear up for their first real test at South Carolina Thursday night. The game Thursday should be a good measuring stick of where they are as a squad.

Tide roll over some high school team from Denton, TX

(4) Alabama 53 - North Texas 7 - Alabama put it on North Texas Saturday to the surprise of no one. Greg McElroy threw a couple of TDs and ran for another against his old high school coach Todd Dodge. Dodge coached McElroy at Texas high school power Southlake Carroll before making the worst decision in his life and taking the coaching position at UNT. 'Bama ran the ball well and the QB play was solid. That Tide D is also still looking about as scary as It the Clown to a eight year-old.

Washington takes care of what the Ohio St. couldn't

Washington 16 - (3)USC 13- How about these Washington apples. Coach Steve Sarkisian and his stolen former USC defensive coordinator Nick Holt ruin Pete Carroll's reload season. It has to be extra sweet being that both he and Holt were on Carroll's staff a year ago. Though USC's RBs were the only ones who could stop USC on the ground (4 fumbles), the Huskies took down the 3rd (over)ranked Trojans in Seattle. At least Pete Carroll's vastly talented squads are consistent. They consistently drop a game they should easily win every season.

Sarkisian is actually turning Jake Locker into a QB. Even though Locker just played game manager on Saturday, he did a good job of it. He didn't throw any picks and kept his team in the game long enough to capitalize on USC slip ups. After being an inaccurate, INT-throwing machine the past two seasons, Locker finally looks like he may turn the corner as a passing QB. I'd currently take him over the two options at SC.

This game also almost definitely ensures the return of Matt Barkley. Aaron Corp looked less than impressive throwing for just over 100 yards with an interception while the Golden Child sat out with a shoulder injury. Even though, realistically, his line isn't that different than Barkley's a week ago against Ohio St. But lets be real, Barkley is sexier. And hey, it's L.A.

Weekend Wrap: 1 & 2 win, but had to work for it

1. Florida 23 - Tennessee 13- That 30 point spread that even I will admit looked like a definite possibility wasn't even close. Instead the Vols looked to play good old SEC/Jonathan Crompton-less football and manage the game with a ground game and defense. I'll give it to Kiffin, he did only what he thought his offense could do which was nothing. Tennessee played not-to lose badly by keeping Tebow & Co. on the sidelines. But I can't blame the guy. If I talked that much sh*t in the offseason I would do everything I could to not get my kids embarrassed.

The bigger deal may have been the first sign of vulnerability by the Florida Gators. For the first time this season no Percy Harvin was quite evident. Demps, Rainey, and James are good playmakers but don't have the combination of threatening tools that Havin brought to the table. The running game was good, but against a better team some kind of passing game has to be present. I personally wouldn't want Tebow having more total rushing attempts than all 4 of my other RB's COMBINED. But that defense is still nasty. They did exactly what they needed to against an offensively challenged team, making Jonathan Crompton look like Jonathan Crompton. Florida was never in trouble in this one. But I guarantee future opponents are going to have a look at this film.

2. Texas 34 - Texas Tech 24- At least UT finally played a competent team. If had to watch them play a Wyoming-ish team again I was going to puke. First things first: Colt hasn't looked that good yet. There are reports that he was slowed last week by the flu but who the hell isn't these days. He's just not all the way in sync and kudos to Ruffin McNeill for limiting the Horns offensively, especially in the first half. I know NO ONE would have thought this one would have been 10-3 at halftime. Texas made better adjustments at the end and won the game. Simple as that. Muschamp got his guys to play tremendous bend-but-don't-break defense and though they gave up over 400 yards through the air, Tech couldn't figure it out close to the goal line. Once again Jordan Shipley comes up big with a big return. This guy changes the pace of games on special teams. It's not even as if he runs a 4.2 40, I just think some guys have great vision and a knack for returning. And he's got it.

Possibly the biggest plus coming out of this one was the emergence of Tre Newton at RB. He ran it 20 times (mostly in the second half) for 88 yards and helped Texas to shorten the game towards the end. He got tough yards and even broke a nice little 20 yarder in the 3rd. It's been awhile since Mack Brown has been confident enough to hand the ball off 20 times to a single RB in a high profile game. We'll see if he carries over this success or if it was a one night hype.

On Tech's end, they just got beat. Texas is better athletically and they were at home to boot. If this one is in Lubbock I think it could have been a bit dicier. Potts showed that the Red Raiders haven't really missed a beat without Harrell. Potts actually might have more upside than his predecessor because he showed a strong arm. He just might have to work a little more on accuracy, as that was Harrell's specialty. I think Tech needed a little bit more out of their running game as the passing attack was having trouble close to the goal line. Texas was more physical at the line of scrimmage which forced Tech (who normally does anyway) to go exclusively to the air. But like I said last season, the underrated thing about Tech last year was their ability to run the ball better than they ever had before. They needed it Saturday night in the redzone but didn't get it. But overall, good effort. And much like Tennessee did to Florida, Tech showed some Longhorn vulnerability in this one.

Showdown in the Valley

A little Friday night delight this evening as 10th ranked Boise St. visits Pat Hill's Fresno St. Bulldogs. And we can all rejoice that we don't have to stare at that God-awful blue turf for 3 hours. Especially in HD. Jesus.

Kellen Moore and company romp into Fresno riding a 2-0 start to the season after avoiding everything Oregon could throw at them in week 1 (except LeGarrette Blount's fist) and doing what most do to the other Miami (of Ohio).

Now they have to take on what most believe might be the biggest test in the WAC this season in Fresno St. In other words, win this one and skip down the yellow brick road to another BCS birth, and showcase some new cute plays.

Fresno comes off a devastating loss last week in overtime at Wisconsin and hopes to gain back some street cred by beating the Broncos.

This brings me to start thinking about Fresno St. head coach Pat Hill. This guy seems like the hardest working non-Big Six coach to get no credit/no big six offers. Under Hill's tenure Fresno has been much like the results last week in Madison. Everytime Fresno gets on the cusp they crap it away like the Chicago Cubs. But one would figure that some major conference program would have scooped him up by now, even with his team's recent falters. Pat Hill just seems like the 25 year guy at your company that keeps getting passed on by the boss for premotion because they keep hiring young recent grad school hotshots who have more "potential". You know that guy. Like Dennis Quaid in "In Good Company". Bastards like Peterson and Whittingham of Utah win a BCS game, Dan Hawkins gets the Colorado job (and is currently trying his damndest to lose it), and so on and so forth. But I was loyal to this company!!!

But back to the X's and O's. Boise just needs to play Boise football and I think they've got this one, even if it's not in Idaho on a natural surface that doesn't give you a headache. Fresno has to play their best game to win and the running game has to get going early. They have good RB's and they need them to contol the game/clock. Keeping Moore on the sideline is their best bet.

I just hope Fresno at least gives them a fight. BCS births like Boise's are annoying with schedule like that.

Jacory Harris doing his best Ken Dorsey impression

Well okay, we get it. You're for real.

Number 20 ranked Miami built on their momentum coming out of the Florida St. game by blowing up Georgia Tech's triple option threat at Land Shark Stadium (really Buffett?) Thursday night. After getting torched for 472 yards on the ground last year in Atlanta, Coach Randy Shannon and Miami's defense put the clamps down on Paul Johnson's attack posting a 33-17 victory over the 14th ranked Yellow Jackets. Tech's best RB Jonathan Dwyer was knocked out of the game and they were held to just 95 yards rushing. TOTAL. When a triple option team (particularly one QB'd by Josh Nesbitt) throws for more yards than they rush for...oh sh*tburgers.

Miami's Jacory Harris continues to look more and more like he belongs in the lineage of greats at Quarterback U as he threw for 270 yards and 3 TD's. And yes, I get as tired as you do of hearing the World Wide Leader blow up Jacory as a "cool and collected leader" but I will fully agree with Espen. Harris leads not with talk but many times with a silent presence on the sideline that boosts the overall confidence of the entire team. He lets his play do the talking and it was yapping its ass off last night. He went 20-25 with no picks against what many think could be one of the best defenses in the ACC. Though he may not have a rocket arm and only weigh 150 lbs. soaking wet, he stands tall in the pocket and throws a catchable ball.
That's why he reminds me of Dorsey. A confident winner who makes the throws and thus far, wins games. I also like the fact that he has scrambling ability but he uses it for escapability rather than prematurely vacating the pocket. That's sometimes tough for an athlete of his ability to grasp this early in his career. He's a passer first and evades defenders only if he has to.

Which brings me to my next point. That offensive line for Miami is looking like a solid unit. Georgia Tech's pass rush is legit and they had a tough time even sniffing Harris last night. Some of Harris' early success can be attributed to his pass protection as he could have made a BLT last night before tossing a deep post.

And do not discount the tandem of Graig Cooper and Javarris James. The duo combined for 165 yards and 1 TD. That helped open up some serious play-action.

Only thing Miami fans might want to worry about is K Matt Bosher, especially in closer games down the road where field goals might be more necessary. Because he sucked.

ACC moves to Thursday to seem more intriguing

Tonight Miami hosts the Rambling Wreck of Georgia Tech in a Thursday night early season match-up. They sure are getting the good ones in early in the ACC. Miami took down Florida St. on Labor day and Ga. Tech took out Clemson a week ago. If Beamer-ball didn't have a say in this I would just go ahead and call this thing the ACC championship game.

This will be interesting because Miami gave up the equivalent of the entire Florida coast in rushing yardage a year ago to Paul Johnson's 'Jackets and that pesky triple option. But Miami looked like they had taken a step (even be it slight) in the win at Florida St. The question will be can Jacory Harris keep his cool against a better pass rush? He had the magic in week 1 but we've learned that Florida St. (losing 9-7 to Jacksonville St. midway through 4th) may not be the same test that the Yellow Jackets will be. Miami has to get Javarris James and Graig Cooper going to ease the pressure off the passing game. Once they've done that then Jacory can let it fly to the likes of WR Travis Benjamin and TE Dedrick Epps.

As for Randy Shannon's defense, ASSIGNMENT FOOTBALL. You've got to play disciplined against the option or it will be a repeat of last year.

I like what Paul Johnson is doing down in Hotlanta. Georgia Tech reviving the wing-option game in the era of the spread is like the comeback of skinny ties but not nearly as annoying. Nesbitt seems taylor-made for the option (just don't let him throw), while Dwyer is a bruiser coming downhill out of the fullback spot. Sprinkle in Roddy White's speed and Anthony Allen who escaped from the black hole that now is Louisville, and you've got 4 legitimate running threats on every given down. That's not even mentioning WR Demaryius Thomas on the perimeter, but we'll mention him more when Nesbitt learns how to throw a spiral.

If the game sucks though, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia premieres tonight. WILDCARD!

Mike Vick woulda won that one...

So the post 2002 Ohio St. football program and Terrelle Pryor could have taken large steps for their respective legacies last Saturday. The Buckeyes could have gotten into the "Who gets to play Florida" talk, while Terrelle Pryor could have began to be mentioned as one of the top offensive threats in the nation. The OSU led late in the game midway through the 4th quarter then BAM! they got Carroll-ed.

This Ohio St. loss wasn't your standard ass-kicking that they generally get from any team south of the Mason-Dixon. The 18-15 heartbreaker was a new style for a team desperately seeking innovative ways to lose big games. I will hand it to the defense which showed up in a big way for 3 and 1/2 quarters. They held USC's passing game in check most of the evening and forced Petey Carroll's new main squeeze, Barkley-san, into 1 pick and 0 TD's. They also did a good job much of the night stifling the USC rushing attack which has more talent than some NFL backfields. Even though the D relinquished the lead in the 4th, you came away feeling the Bucks offense should have done more.

That's where TP comes in. I was waiting for Pryor to come up big within these circumstances: at home in arguably one of the best environments in the country, year 2 under Tressel's offense, and a rebuilt USC defense that lost more talent than most teams had last season. It was all falling into place nicely for the former #1 recruit out of Jeanette, PA. But just because he looks up to the dog assassin doesn't mean he shows up like him.

Pryor started the game off with an INT that almost seemed staged and was just as appropriate for Ohio St. in big games. A near pick-6 to the 1 yard line is not the game of field position that you want to play with an opposing young QB like Barkley. Not because he's dangerous, but because you don't want to spot a true freshman QB 7 points when your fans and D are trying to rattle him.

Pryor came back from the early pick to settle a bit but not completely. He never looked completely comfortable and just never totally settled in. It also didn't help that once they took the lead Sweater-vest ball began and that means 3 Boom Herrons and punt. Which set the Trojans up perfectly at the end of the game to rip out numerous still beating Buckeye hearts throughout the midwest. TP did get one more chance but the OSU offense looked like a home-made abortion trying to put something together without the lead/through the air.

Now props to Pryor for taking some of the blame on this one as he did in the post-game: "It just came down to me, and I take the whole blame for it." But TP did hit us with some knowledge after that though: "I mean, we should have beat them, point blank. We should have beat them by two or three touchdowns, easy. The ball was falling the wrong way." Well, that's one way of putting it, had you actually scored the 2 or 3 TD's needed to win a game by 2 or 3 TD's. And Terrelle, I know that "everyone kills people" and "everyone murders people" but you and the Tressel-vest hacked this one up. Because a rookie QB and new D for USC in your own backyard might have been the best opportunity to gain back some respect lost since the '02 Championship.

Barkley fest

Is anybody else a bit miffed at how much credit true freshman QB Matt Barkley is getting for the game winning drive against the Ohio St?
First, don't get me wrong. A 19-year old (or whatever he is) comes in and takes over one of the better programs of the last decade. Wins/snatches the job when Corp goes down in camp. Watches the stable of coutnless 4-5-star running backs that USC has accumulated over the past few years run wild in the opener. Then, throws a couple solid passes clearly set up by the threat of Joe McKnight on the game-winning drive. McKnight(and the defense) was the hero in that game but the media (I'm looking at you ESPN) can't get over the same old story of a cool, young kid from southern California who can toss it around the yard.
Let's back off a second and call it what it was. He did a hell of a job managing a game for a strong defense and a solid running game. And I was impressed by Joe McKnight. They tabbed him as Reggie Bush's replacement and finessed him into the offense in his first 2 seasons. But I liked the tough yards he got on the game winning drive while still doing the things he's known for like catching the ball out of the backfield, etc. He was getting yards after contact and eluding/dragging tacklers. He looked like a running back that can be a home run threat rather than a home run threat that runs the ball some too. Trust me Joe (and Reggie can atest), become a running back first, or else you're just a fast guy.

I started a Blog. ha

Well friends, I decided to start a blog about college football and whatever else may or may not be on my mind in the world of sports. I just needed an outlet, much like this man will need midway through the second quarter Saturday.