Week 9 College Football Newsletter

College Football just gets more and more fun by the week, doesn't it? There were surprises, close calls, and one colossal upset along the way. Impressive comebacks were made, streaks were snapped, and we're one week closer to finding out what the bowl matchups will be.

The Bonehead Call of the Week
This goes to the Tennessee Volunteers' offensive coordinator. Fairly late in their game with South Carolina and up at the time, they called a quarterback draw for Erik Ainge at around the Gamecock 10-yard line. Erik Ainge is more similar in running speed and elusiveness to Kurt Warner than Donovan McNabb. He went nowhere (as expected) and injured his ankle in the process. He had to be replaced on the Vols' next drive. How long will this injury keep Ainge out of the lineup? I haven't heard the latest, so I don't know. But who in their rightened mind calls a quarterback draw with a QB slower than their own place kicker when they're already up late in the ball game? As Jim Carrey might say, "Stoooo-pa-hid."

The Bonehead Play of the Week
This was also involved in the SEC matchup between Tennessee and South Carolina. South Carolina started with the ball around their own 10-yard line, down 31-24, with slightly under a minute to play and no timeouts. After a short out route that gained 8 yards and kept the clock ticking, Gamecocks' quarterback Newton threw a ball that was tipped. No Volunteer could've caught the football. The ball hit the ground, the clock stopped, and SC had a 3rd and 2 from the 18 with just under half a minute left, right? Wrong. An offensive lineman caught the tipped pass and tried to make like Reggie Bush down the sideline. Only, he never got that far. He was stopped for a loss on the play and the clock ticked down to under 10 seconds before the Gamecocks could call another play. Newton threw the ball just past midfield and it was picked off to seal the 31-24 victory for Tennessee. The O-Lineman cost SC at least twenty seconds. It may not have mattered, but that was one of the worst one-minute drill showcases I've witnessed in quite some time.

The Conference Yo of the Week
The Pac 10's two week streak has now been broken. I'm dishing this out to the SEC. If one likes hard hits, great athletes, and competitive games, then one would have loved the SEC this past weekend. Florida and Georgia more than lived up to the hype, with the Gators holding off the late-surging 'Dawgs 21-14. I have already mentioned Auburn's tough 23-17 victory over Mississippi. Tennessee also received a scare in their 31-24 win over South Carolina. Heck, even Kentucky and Mississippi State had a battle with one another, with the Wildcats triumphant in the end 34-31. There were also three non-conference games, in which the SEC went 3-0. Arkansas, Alabama, and Vanderbilt outscored their opponents 127-41.

The Conference Yo No of the Week
I might as well just designate this award for the Big Ten every week. Even though I think the ACC has been worse as a whole than the Big Ten, I also believe that the ACC has provided more entertaining and competitive ball games. Let's see here. Ohio State shutout Minnesota 44-0. Penn State shutout Purdue 12-0. Indiana annihilated Michigan State 46-21 (it wasn't even that close). Michigan played half asleep against Northwestern in their 17-3 win. Wisconsin almost gave one away to Illinois before they woke up and got their act together. Finally, Iowa had a four quarter battle against Northern Illinois. There was only one great game in-conference and that was between 8-1 Wisconsin and 2-7 Illinois. Many other teams disappointed.

Game(s) of the Week
I picked five games out of the lot last weekend, because like Pringles, I couldn't pick just one. There even more great games this weekend, so I'm counting down the top ten.

10. Virginia 14 NC State 7- Yeah, I know, not a lot of scoring. Not very exciting right? Well, if you enjoy Hawaii vs. Boise State games, then no, probably not. There were plenty of hard hits, plenty of suspense, and a great deal of action down the stretch. It was a must win for both clubs and even though both teams have some work to do just to go bowling, UVA now has some momentum going and has the better shot of the two to finish with six wins.

9. Oklahoma State 41 Nebraska 29- It had all the makings of a great game. It was fantastic for three quarters. Nebraska led at that point 23-20. But, Okie State put on their jet packs and flew in the fourth quarter to dominate the final fifteen minutes. If it hadn't of been for a late score by Nebraska, Okie State would've scored 41 of the final 48 points and shutout the Huskers in the second half. It was still a fairly entertaining game, though, for the most part.

8. Georgia Tech 30 Miami (Florida) 23- Tech had to focus after getting demolished by Clemson 31-7 two weeks ago. Miami, meanwhile, had to just keep their heads in the game following the on-field fiasco against FIU two weeks ago and the near loss to winless Duke last weekend. Miami came out ready to play early and led 10-0. GT quarterback Reggie Ball looked to be in yet another inconsistent funk, but he finally found a way to get the ball to the Johnsons (Calvin, especially) and Tech's defense was up to the challenge in the second half for the seven point victory.

7. Florida 21 Georgia 14- Many were calling for a Gator blowout, but not me. While I have labeled UGA as overrated since week 1 of the season, I will admit that they have a quick and athletic defense that can keep them in games. Even though I didn't see how UGA's offense would score enough to win, I felt that the 'Dawgs' defense would play well enough to keep them in the game. Florida looked good early and led 21-0. But, Georgia clawed their way back into the game. It was a tough game for Georgia fans to watch for three quarters, but it was a nail-biting fourth quarter for Florida fans. I'm sure they're quite content that the game didn't last another 15 minutes.

6. Tennessee 31 South Carolina 24- Even though I awarded both the Bonehead Call and the Bonehead Plays of the Week to coaches and players in this game, it was still an entertaining sixty minutes of football, full of runs. Early on, Tennessee appeared to be the better of the two clubs and looked to be in full control. But as the Coach Lee Corso would say, "Not so fast my friend." Carolina came right and even took the lead, if even only briefly. The 'Vols then dominated again to take a 31-17 lead and again appeared to be in total control. Spurrier had other things in mind, though. His Gamecocks had a quick strike score to close the gap to 31-24 and had an opportunity with under a minute left to tie the game, but fell victim to very poor execution in that final minute.

5. Auburn 23 Mississippi 17- While I thought Ole Miss' defense would keep the final score somewhat respectable, I did not expect a seesaw battle like this. Auburn quarterback Brandon Cox got pressured all game. Tailback Kenny Irons was bottled up for the most part. This had all the makings of an upset. But, just like in the South Carolina game, Auburn received just enough breaks and made just enough plays to pull out the tough road victory.

4. Wisconsin 30 Illinois 24- Even when Illinois led 21-3 early on, I had a feeling the game was far from over. Illinois has had a big problem this year in closing out games. They led against Penn State just a week prior but fell apart in the 4th quarter. Head coach Ron Zook plays so many freshmen, it's probably just a matter of time before they finally learn how to play for sixty minutes, so that they can better close out games. Wisconsin just played sloppy early on. Every time I flipped to this game, the Illini had either just scored or were about to score due to sloppy execution by the Wisconsin offense or special teams. The BAH-gers should be counting their lucky stars after this game.

3. Maryland 27 Florida State 24- This was definitely the less hyped of the two primetime ESPN games. But, in terms of entertainment and alterations in momentum, this had the Tennessee/South Carolina game beat. Florida State even had an opportunity to tie the game on the last play, the Cimersia's field goal was blocked to seal the Terps' victory.

2. Oregon State 33 USC 31- The first three quarters was entertaining for the simple fact that unbeaten and third ranked USC was getting spanked. I don't care how big of a blowout it is, if an Ohio State, Michigan, USC, Texas, or Florida is getting handled on television, I'm going to be there eating popcorn and enjoying the slaughter. But, as usual, the Trojans wouldn't go away without a fight. Quarterback John David Booty led the charge as USC rattled off 21 consecutive points to bring them to with two at 33-31. If not for their failed two-point conversion, the game would've most certainly headed to overtime with a shocked Beaver squad and a jacked up USC team. The Beaver victory snapped the Trojans' 27-game Pac 10 winning streak. Teams typically play, what, eight conference games in a season? So, that's three consecutive seasons worth right there along with the first three in season #4. Quite amazing!

1. Texas 35 Texas Tech 31- Yeah, just like in the previous game, I had quite the grin on my face when Texas Tech went up 21-0 in the first quarter. But, Texas chipped away. They cut the lead to 24-14 at halftime, 31-28 in the 4th before Texas took the lead for good at 35-31. Tech had their opportunities down the stretch. They had a couple 4th and shorts in Longhorn territory, but failed to convert. Even though Texas doesn't appear to be an excellent football team, they are finding ways to win as they've illustrated the past two weekends.

Biggest Disappointment of the Week
Oklahoma 26 Missouri 10. Missouri is scary when they're in a groove on offense, but they're quite self-destructive when they're not. Against A&M, they were careless with the football and it came back to bite them. The same held true against OU. Turnovers killed Mizzou. Were they looking ahead to the potential Big XII North title game next week with Nebraska? But why would anyone look past Oklahoma? Did they take the Sooners a tad lightly because of the injured Adrian Peterson? Perhaps this question better sums it up, are the Tigers as good as they looked early in the season? Probably not. OU's defense, meanwhile, has picked up the slack in Peterson's absence and will be a force to be reckoned with down the stretch.

Kudos
Comebacks. There were several of them over the weekend. It started on Friday night between Tulsa and UTEP. Mike Price's Miners lead 20-6 in the 2nd half, but Tulsa went on to score the final 24 points en route to a 30-20 victory. Texas Tech lead Texas 21-0 in the first quarter before the Longhorns outscored the Red Raiders 35-10 the rest of the way through the contest to win 35-31. Oklahoma State trailed Nebraska 16-0 early before scoring 41 of the next 48 points in their 41-29 victory over the Cornhuskers. Wisconsin trailed Illinois 21-3 early in that ball game before outscoring the Illini 27-3 the rest of the way through to beat Illy 30-24. Even USC must be commended in their loss on Saturday. The Trojans trailed Oregon State 33-10 late in the third quarter before scoring 21 straight points to fall 33-31.

No Kudos
Ugly Wins. Some teams on Saturday appeared to either be off, hung over, or not very motivated and the results showed. Unbeaten Michigan beat lowly Northworstern (whose lost to Division I-AA New Hampshire 34-17) by the score of 17-3. Iowa lead Northern Illinois 17-14 before scoring a touchdown late to seal the deal 24-14. Auburn got lucky again, this time by beating 2-7 Mississippi 23-17. If not for a late run by Wisconsin at home, they would've fallen to the Fightless Illini. Wisconsin wound up winning the game 30-24. Finally, the worst one loss team in all of football, Wake Forest, almost fell to the 1-7 North Carolina Tar Heels. It was back and forth throughout, but Wake scored last to win 24-17.

Player of the Week
Following Thursday's game between Virginia Tech and Clemson, an immediate candidate emerged for this award. Even though I looked, I didn't find anyone else more deserving than he throughout all the weekend's games. Virginia Tech tailback Branden Ore wins it this week. He took it right to the then 7-1 Clemson Tiger defense. Not only did the guy rush for 203 yards and two scores, he was a workhorse. The guy carried the ball 37 times.

Surprise of the Week
Virginia Tech 24 Clemson 7. What? Me surprised that Va Tech won a Thursday night game at home? Yes, actually. Clemson was 7-1 and had just laid the smack down on Georgia Tech 31-7 a few days prior where their tandem in the backfield rushed for well over 200 yards on the stingy Jackets' front seven. Tech was recently beaten by those same Yellow Jackets as well as the BC Eagles by a combined score of 60-30. Their offense has looked out of sync all year. The quarterback has appeared about as aware as a dodo bird. The playcalling on offense has been about as complex as a Frank Solich quarterback draw offense. So, yeah, I was very surprised by the result. Clemson may have been riding in too high from their dominating victory over Georgia Tech. Virginia Tech probably felt they had more to prove and wanted redemption for their poor showings earlier in the year. VT had more to gain last Thursday night and Clemson had more to lose. That showed on the field. It'll be interesting to see how both teams respond, especially Virginia Tech. Will they do what Clemson did following their big win over Georgia Tech next Saturday at Miami? Or will they build off this big victory and win three straight over solid competition?

The runner-up for this award must receive notice. The then 0-8 Temple Owls beat 4-4 Bowling Green by the final score of 28-14. Temple came into the game losers of 20 straight, the longest such streak in Division I-A. Congrats to the Owls!

Nebraska Game (from an unbiased person's viewpoint)
Ehh, where do I start? How about just that, the start? Nebraska started the game very well, in large part due to tailback Brandon Jackson. On his first nine carries, Jackson tallied 99 yards. He rushed for 182 in the game. Nebraska led the game 16-0 at one point, but it all went downhill from there.

Oklahoma State held the ball for only 25 minutes, running off 62 plays in those 25 minutes. Even though Nebraska ran off more plays and held the ball for ten more minutes than the Cowboys, OSU made the most of their opportunities. OSU accounted for 267 yards on the ground and 229 through the air which totaled 496 yards. The real scary part is when one busts out the calculator and does some math. OSU averaged eight yards per play, 6.5 per run, and eleven per pass. Three OSU players averaged seven yards per rush or better (all had eight or more rushes). The Cowboys' two leading receivers averaged approximately 22 and 28 yards per reception. OSU had their sloppy moments, but when their heads were in the game, they couldn't be stopped. Quarterback Bobby Reid was sharp. His only interception was due to wideout Adarius Bowman not making the catch.

Many like to point the finger at the quarterback when the offense doesn't run smoothly. While Zak Taylor struggled in his "efficiency" in the second half and completed 21 of 39 passes in the game, it was not all Taylor's fault. The blame has to go around. First off, does anyone know how many drops there were? Was Taylor erratic sometimes? Yeah. But when he did fire the ball in an area where the receiver could make the catch, the receiver would many times not follow through and make the grab. Taylor was pressured a great deal as well. He was sacked five times and hit a load of others. I don't care how "accurate" a quarterback is, he's not going to be too accurate throwing from his backside. Also, what about the playcalling? I was critical of Callahan against USC for the simple fact that he stuck to the run even though it wasn't effective. The Huskers ran the ball more than 30 times in the game and didn't even account for 70 yards. Good luck winning a game with that formula. But, NU was very effective running the football in this game. Brandon Jackson ran the ball 21 times for 182 yards and two scores. Most of these carries were in the first half when, by golly, NU led. Go with what works. LaDanian Tomlinson broke the all-time rushing record for a game while at TCU. Do you think the coaching staff suddenly decided to throw the deep ball three consecutive times after LT broke the 300-yard mark in the third quarter? I don't think so.

Before the game, I said that if I was Okie State and won the coin toss, I'd receive, because if OSU got out to a lead, it may force Callahan to abandon the run game. For whatever reason, it appears as if Billy Boy panics when down in the game and regardless of how effective the running game may have been previously, he all but neglects it for the rest of the game.

But Taylor and the offense are receiving too much criticism. They did score 29 points, didn't they? What about the defense? Who allowed 41 on Saturday? If the defense even played average on Saturday, Nebraska would've probably won the ball game. But, NU's defense seems to live and die by the amount of pressure they exert on the opposing team's quarterback. Adam Carriker had a solid game on Saturday, but where was everyone else? Bobby Reid is dangerous enough as it is when he feels pressure. When the guy isn't pressured? Look out! The linebackers' heads weren't in the game and need I even say it? Neither was Andre Jones'. That guy gets burned more frequently than a nude Scandinavian nomad in Death Valley, California.

Defense wasn't the only problem on Saturday. Special Teams were "special" allright, so special, that it may be pronounced "spehshal." OSU had solid kickoff returns in the first half and NU made some bonehead decisions on returns. Frantz Hardy. Between his drops and mental errors on special teams, it's a wonder why he gets so much playing time. The kicking game didn't impress many, outside of blind deaf individuals in the crowd. Congdon shanked an extra point following NU's final score and had another blocked. He also missed a field goal. Perhaps that's why Callahan has been a bit coy on attempting field goals this year.

Through all this, Nebraska still has a shot to win the Big XII North. With Missouri falling (hard) to Oklahoma on Saturday and Nebraska doing likewise, the two teams will meet up in Lincoln next Saturday at 3-2 in conference. The winner will thereby control their own destiny to the Big XII title game to get smoked by the Big XII South team. I shouldn't rush to judgment, but based on what I've seen thus far, comparing the Big XII South to the Big XII North is like comparing the SEC to the MAC.

So, what can Nebraska do to improve? First off and most importantly, Nebraska must control the line-of-scrimmage on both sides of the ball. Zak Taylor is not a Vince Young where the line can be soft and Vince can make something out of nothing. Taylor needs time in the pocket to read the defense, step up, and make the throw. The O-Line has to do a better job of giving him that necessary time. On defense, the same is true. The front four have to penetrate the line with more consistency, break up the running game, and get pressure on the quarterback. The secondary has been the weak spot of the defense. If no pressure is exerted on the quarterback, then that QB will have all day to burn the before-mentioned Andre Jones and company. Mental mistakes have to be trimmed. I have seen far too many dropped balls (ahem: Hardy!) this season. While Maurice Purify has appeared to be the most consistent at catching balls thrown his way this season, even he has had his problems the past couple games. Matt Herian needs to get more involved in the offense. I heard his name ONCE on Saturday and that was when he almost made a tremendous one-handed catch in the 4th quarter. Also, no more running back by committee. Brandon Jackson has earned the right to be the full-time starter. It's allright to give him some rest here and there, but as far as I'm concerned, Jackson is the #1 guy and should receive the bulk of the carries on a weekly basis. When it comes to playcalling, go with what works and don't panic. If the opposition scores a quick touchdown to go up by 7, then that's not a big deal. Panicking and playing up-tempo would only be to the opponent's liking. It's very important to attempt to get the opposition to alter their play style to yours as opposed to the other way around. This is how and why the Colts beat the Broncos yesterday. Denver had relied on their defense all year up to this point and the Colts have done anything but. The game resulted in a shootout which favored the Colts and they won because of it. If Denver had held Indy's potent offense in check and kept the scoring to a minimum, Denver would've most likely won the football game.

Solich Update
How 'bout them Bobcats? Frank Solich's Ohio Bobcats defeated 5-2 Kent State 17-7 on Saturday to improve to 4-1 in the MAC conference and a bowl eligible 6-3 overall.

Gill Update
Turner Gill's Buffalo Bulls, as could be expected, got throttled by the Boston College Eagles on Saturday 41-0. It was an out-of-conference game, so the Bulls remain 0-5 in the MAC and are now 1-7 overall.

Rant of the Week: Rematch
Following USC's loss, I'm already hearing of an insane potential scenario at the end of the year. Unless Ohio State or Michigan collapse in a game leading up to their showdown, they'll meet up with one another undefeated and ranked #1 and #2 in the polls. If that happens, the winner of that game will play in the National Championship. With there being no Big Ten Championship Game like in some other conferences, that will be, in essence, the Big Ten Title Game. Some are claiming that the LOSER of that game may have a shot to play in the National Championship for a rematch. If that happens, I will not watch the National Championship. I'm sorry, but that's ridiculous. A couple years ago, the BS committee paired Florida State and Miami (Florida) in a rematch. As a fan, I do not want to see any rematches. Sorry. That takes away from some of the mystery involved in the run-up to the title game and gives an edge to the team who lost the first time. Whether Ohio State or Michigan wins in that Big Ten finale, they should not have to win two times against one another to prove that they're the champion. How many potential problems could this lead to? What if they split? Who do you award the title to? What, If Ohio State won game 1 decisively by the score of 38-21 but lost in what was coined the National Championship 24-21, Michigan is then awarded the trophy? Give me a break. The winner of the Ohio State/Michigan game (assuming they're unbeaten at the time) should be awarded a birth in the National Championship game and the other an at-large birth in another BS game. Whoever wins the OSU/UM game proved their point. They beat their opponent and now deserve another in the title game. If a Big East team goes undefeated, then they should be given a shot at the title game. If that doesn't occur, then a one-loss SEC team deserves a shot. I will be EXTREMELY disappointed if two teams square off with one another in their final two games of the season. I truly hope that the analysts who've said that it's a definite possibility are wrong in their predictions.

My Top 119 Poll
1. Ohio State (9-0): 185.4
2. Michigan (9-0): 173.8
3. Louisville (7-0): 172.8
4. Florida (7-1): 166.0
5. Boise State (8-0): 164.8
6. West Virginia (7-0): 163.7
7. Rutgers (8-0): 161.9
8. Texas (8-1): 160.8
9. USC (6-1): 159.3
10. Tennessee (7-1): 159.1
11. California (7-1): 157.4
12. Auburn (8-1): 154.9
13. Clemson (7-2): 153.8
14. Notre Dame (7-1): 153.3
15. LSU (6-2): 151.8
16. Boston College (7-1): 148.5
17. Wisconsin (8-1): 147.5
18. Texas A&M (8-1): 147.2
19. Arkansas (7-1): 144.8
20. Oklahoma (6-2): 144.4
21. BYU (6-2): 141.0
22. Tulsa (7-1): 140.6
23. Missouri (7-2): 140.0
24. Georgia Tech (6-2): 139.9
25. Hawaii (6-2): 136.4
25. Pittsburgh (6-2): 136.4
27. Virginia Tech (6-2): 136.3
28. Washington State (6-3): 133.3
29. Oregon (6-2): 132.4
30. Nebraska (6-3): 131.5
31. Oklahoma State (5-3): 130.2
32. Iowa (6-3): 125.1
33. Penn State (6-3): 124.2
34. TCU (5-2): 123.8
35. Wake Forest (7-1): 123.5
36. Oregon State (5-3): 123.3
37. Maryland (6-2): 121.7
38. Alabama (6-3): 121.5
39. Western Michigan (6-2): 121.3
40. Ohio (6-3): 120.4
41. Houston (6-3): 119.2
42. South Carolina (5-3): 118.6
43. Central Michigan (5-3): 115.0
44. Georgia (6-3): 114.8
45. Texas Tech (5-4): 114.5
46. Navy (5-3): 113.3
47. Florida State (4-4): 111.4
48. Arizona State (5-3): 110.3
48. Nevada (5-3): 110.3
50. Cincinnati (5-4): 110.2
51. Miami (Florida) (5-3): 107.9
52. Kansas State (5-4): 107.5
53. UCLA (4-4): 105.3
54. Middle Tennessee State (5-3): 104.8
55. East Carolina (4-4): 104.3
56. Utah (5-4): 104.1
57. Washington (4-5): 103.6
58. Indiana (5-4): 103.1
59. Southern Mississippi (4-4): 103.0
60. South Florida (5-3): 102.4
61. Northern Illinois (5-4): 102.1
62. Louisiana-Lafayette (4-3): 101.9
63. San Jose State (5-2): 101.5
64. Kent State (5-3): 101.2
65. Michigan State (4-5): 99.9
66. Purdue (5-4): 99.7
67. Wyoming (4-5): 99.2
68. UTEP (4-4): 98.4
69. Air Force (3-4): 98.0
70. Kentucky (4-4): 96.1
71. Connecticut (3-5): 94.6
72. Minnesota (3-6): 94.5
72. Virginia (4-5): 94.5
74. Baylor (4-5): 94.3
75. New Mexico (5-4): 93.8
76. Vanderbilt (4-5): 93.6
77. SMU (4-4): 92.2
78. Kansas (4-5): 88.6
79. Syracuse (3-6): 88.4
80. North Carolina State (3-5): 88.1
81. Arkansas State (5-3): 86.2
82. Colorado State (4-4): 82.2
83. Bowling Green (4-5): 82.1
84. Army (3-6): 79.3
85. Tulane (3-5): 78.8
86. Akron (3-5): 77.8
86. Rice (3-5): 77.8
88. Arizona (3-5): 77.3
88. UAB (3-5): 77.3
90. Marshall (3-5): 77.0
91. Idaho (4-5): 75.6
92. Mississippi (2-7): 75.2
93. Troy (3-4): 74.4
94. Illinois (2-7): 73.4
95. Iowa State (3-6): 72.8
96. Ball State (3-6): 70.8
97. Florida Atlantic (3-5): 70.7
98. Toledo (3-6): 70.4
99. Mississippi State (2-7): 70.2
100. New Mexico State (2-6): 68.5
101. North Texas (2-6): 62.8
102. Central Florida (2-6): 62.7
103. Northwestern (2-7): 60.8
104. Fresno State (1-6): 59.7
105. Louisiana Tech (2-6): 59.5
106. Colorado (1-8): 57.9
107. North Carolina (1-7): 57.8
108. San Diego State (1-6): 54.7
109. Louisiana-Monroe (1-7): 52.9
110. Memphis (1-7): 49.9
111. UNLV (1-7): 48.7
112. Eastern Michigan (1-7): 47.3
113. Miami (Ohio) (1-8): 44.2
114. Florida International (0-8): 44.0
115. Utah State (1-7): 42.8
116. Buffalo (1-7): 41.3
117. Stanford (0-8): 40.0
118. Temple (1-8): 36.8
119. Duke (0-8): 33.9