Week 7 College Football Newsletter

Due to their video game-like numbers, I've added a category this week, entitled "Harrell and Crabtree Watch," in reference to Texas Tech quarterback and receiver, Graham Harrell and Michael Crabtree. If you haven't seen their numbers yet, you won't believe what you see later in this newsletter!

The Bonehead Call of the Week
This goes to the Pittsburgh Panther coaching staff for their calls in the second overtime against Navy this past week. Navy kicked the go-ahead field goal in overtime numero dos to go up 48-45 on Pitt this past Thursday and then with seemingly no effort at all, the Panthers took the ball inside the Navy 2-yard line for a third and goal. The Pitt offensive line outweighed Navy's d-line by about double and the Panthers' had no problem running on the Midshipmen defense throughout the duration of the game. So, what do the Panthers decide to do? On third down, they run a play action and on fourth, they run a fade route in the corner of the end zone, not utilizing their size up front and doing what they had been successful doing all night until that point. Both passes were incomplete and Navy (deservingly) won the football game, 48-45 in double overtime. There are certain calls (or lack there of) in most weeks where I just have to shake my head and wonder what in Hercules' hippocampus these coaches were thinking when they made these calls. This was definitely one of those occasions.

The Bonehead Play of the Week
This goes to Cal's back-up quarterback, Kevin Riley. With just fourteen seconds remaining on the game clock, Cal down three, with no timeouts left, and on the Oregon State 15-yard line, Riley scrambled with the ball and was stopped in-play, short of a first down. The field goal unit was unable to rush onto the field in time to attempt a potential game-tying field goal and that about did it for Cal's stake to the 1 spot in the country.

The Bonehead Remark of the Week
I wish I had his name, but this goes to a sideline reporter at the Nevada/Boise State game this past Sunday evening. This guy actually had it in him (stupidity, I guess) to ask the Wolfpack head coach, "So, after falling behind a couple scores early, why didn't you guys just give up?" The head coach actually paused and had a smirk on his face, which stated loud and clear, "Gosh, you're an idiot." But, to his credit, he responded as kindly as he could. It reminds me of meteorologists asking families if they're frightened of a level 5 hurricane approaching. No, they're thrilled! It's like a vacation! Bust out the speedos! Let's all go swimming! Whew.

Conference Breakdown
*indicates Division I-AA opponent

ACC
Virginia 17 Connecticut 16 (1-0)
Virginia Tech 43 Duke 14 (2-1)
Georgia Tech 17 Miami (Florida) 14 (3-2)
Wake Forest 24 Florida State 21 (4-3)
South Carolina 21 North Carolina 15 (4-4)
Boston College 27 Notre Dame 14 (5-4)

Big East
South Florida 64 Central Florida 12 (1-0)
Louisville 28 Cincinnati 24 (2-1)
Navy 48 Pittsburgh 45 2OT (2-2)
Virginia 17 Connecticut 16 (2-3)
Rutgers 38 Syracuse 14 (3-4)

Big Ten
Ohio State 48 Kent State 3 (1-0)
Michigan State 52 Indiana 27 (2-1)
Iowa 10 Illinois 6 (3-2)
Northwestern 49 Minnesota 48 2OT (4-3)
Michigan 48 Purdue 21 (5-4)
Penn State 38 Wisconsin 7 (6-5)

Big XII
Oklahoma 41 Missouri 31 (1-1)
Texas Tech 35 Texas A&M 7 (2-2)
Oklahoma State 45 Nebraska 14 (3-3)
Texas 56 Iowa State 3 (4-4)
Kansas 58 Baylor 10 (5-5)
Kansas State 47 Colorado 20 (6-6)

Pac-10
Oregon State 31 California 28 (1-1)
USC 20 Arizona 13 (2-2)
Oregon 53 Washington State 7 (3-3)
Arizona State 44 Washington 20 (4-4)
TCU 38 Stanford 36 (4-5)

SEC
Alabama 27 Mississippi 24 (1-1)
Tennessee 33 Mississippi State 21 (2-2)
Kentucky 43 LSU 37 3OT (3-3)
Georgia 20 Vanderbilt 17 (4-4)
Auburn 9 Arkansas 7 (5-5)
South Carolina 21 North Carolina 15 (6-5)

A Tale of Two Weeks
Week 6: Louisiana-Monroe 30 Arkansas State 13
Week 7: Arkansas State 52 Louisiana-Lafayette 21
Margin Difference: 48 points (-17 to + 31)

Week 6: Missouri 41 Nebraska 6
Week 7: Oklahoma 41 Missouri 31
Margin Difference: 45 points (+35 to -10)

Week 6: Indiana 40 Minnesota 20
Week 7: Michigan State 52 Indiana 27
Margin Difference: 45 points (+20 to -25)

Week 6: Central Michigan 58 Ball State 38
Week 7: Ball State 35 Western Kentucky 12
Margin Difference: 43 points (-20 to +23)

Week 6: Mississippi State 30 UAB 13
Week 7: Tennessee 33 Mississippi State 21
Margin Difference: 29 points (+17 to -12)

The Conference Yo of the Week
SEC. To say that the games in the SEC were competitive this week would be like saying Peyton Manning can throw a football. Even the non-conference game between South and North Carolina was tightly contested. But, out of four conference duels and the one non-conference game, the largest gap in the final score was a 12-point win by Tennessee over Mississippi State and they put that game away late, so the final score is not truly indicative of how tight the game actually was. Alabama snuck past Mississippi 27-24, where Ole Miss had the football with under a minute to go and driving. Auburn kicked a game-winning field goal with no time left on the clock to defeat Arkansas 9-7. Georgia had to come from behind to kick a game-winning field goal toward the very end of regulation, in their 20-17 win over Vanderbilt. South Carolina looked good early against the Tar Heels, but had to hold on late in their 21-15 win, where UNC, on the final play from scrimmage, actually had a shot to win the game in miraculous fashion with a 50-yard hail mary. Finally, Kentucky bounced back from their disappointing loss to South Carolina a couple Thursday nights ago to upend undefeated and 1 ranked LSU 43-37 in three, count them, three overtimes. In the five conference games, the average margin of victory was 5.2 points. Love or loathe SEC football, this past weekend was the time to enjoy the conference. I only hope this weekend's games are half as competitive as last week's, with Florida/Kentucky, Auburn/LSU, Tennessee/Alabama, Vanderbilt/South Carolina, and Arkansas/Mississippi all doing battle.

The Conference Yo No of the Week
Big XII. The polar opposite of the SEC this past weekend was the Big XII. The largest margin of victory by a SEC team was 12 points. The closest game in the Big XII was 10 points and that includes a late score by the losing team. Missouri/Oklahoma is the game I'm referring to and it was close through three quarters, as Mizzou led the Sooners 24-23 going into the 4th, but OU stormed back by scoring 18 consecutive points in the quarter to lead 41-24 before the Tigers scored a late touchdown to make the score a bit more respectable. Texas Tech blew-out in-state rival Texas A&M 35-7 and it wasn't even that close. Texas had no problems squashing the life out of Iowa State, beating the Suckclones 56-3. Kansas demolished Baylor 58-10. Oklahoma State ruined homecoming for Nebraska, handing the Cornhuskers their worst home loss since 1958, beating NU 45-14. Colorado hung tight for about a half before Kansas State dominated the Buffaloes in front of a home crowd in Manhattan, winning 47-20. Let's not even take the Baylor and Iowa State games into consideration. The other four games consisted of teams with the following records: 5-0 vs. 5-1, 5-1 vs. 5-1, 3-3 vs. 4-2, and 4-2 vs. 3-2. The average margin of victory/defeat in those games? Twenty-four points! Include the other two games and the average margin of victory/defeat was 32.8 points per game. Unreal. Like I mentioned in regard to the SEC, if you liked competitive games, you would've loved SEC football, but if you like blow-outs, the Big XII Conference had plenty of those this past weekend to tickle your fancy.

Game(s) of the Week
Honorable Mention
10. Georgia Tech 17 Miami (Florida) 14: A hard-nosed defensive battle which was very tightly contested for sixty minutes.

9. Iowa 10 Illinois 6: Illinois fell victim to the trap game, facing Iowa in between games against Wisconsin and Michigan. Add that to crummy field conditions and a very determined Iowa team, and it made for a very competitive ball game.

8. Auburn 9 Arkansas 7: Not for the offensive juggernaut's eyes, but for lovers of defensive-oriented SEC football games and suspense lovers. It showcased freshman kicker, Wes Byrum, doing what he does so well (right Florida?), kicking the game-winning field goal with no time remaining.

7. Georgia 20 Vanderbilt 17: Vandy led throughout most the contest, but Georgia was able to tie it up late and kick the game-winner with a couple seconds left on the clock.

6. Hawaii 42 San Jose State 35 OT: Hawaii had to come back from a couple scores down in the fourth to rally for their seventh victory of the season and second which came in an extra session.

Top Five
5. Wake Forest 24 Florida State 21: Outside of the unnecessary lengthy delay by the referees early in the contest on a review, the game was back-and-forth throughout and very entertaining, to say the least.

4. Navy 48 Pittsburgh 45 2OT: This was the polar opposite of the Auburn/Arkansas game, as hardly any defense was played in this one. Pittsburgh's offensive linemen outweighed their counterparts by quite a bit and their running game reflected that size advantage. Navy fought equally as hard throughout, if not harder to attain a three-point double overtime victory.

3. Boise State 69 Nevada 67 4OT: No, that's not a typo. Three touchdowns were scored on the first four plays of the first couple overtimes. Field goals were kicked up and good by both sides in the third. Finally, in the fourth, Boise scored a touchdown and converted on the two-point conversion, while Nevada's quarterback, Colin Kaepernick, appeared to have a running lane, but got started a bit too late from the pocket and was tackled in the backfield for a loss on the play and a loss that dropped the Wolfpack to 2-4 on the season.

2. Alabama 27 Mississippi 24: It's unfortunate this wasn't nationally televised, for it was (excluding 1 this week) the best all-around football game of the weekend. There were times when the offenses showcased their skills, other times when the special teams did likewise, and yet others when the defenses stood tall. It was a shame to see either team lose, especially for how it ended. While it appeared to be the right call (as seen from my vantage point, anyway), the refs reversed what would have been a 30-yard pass and catch on 4th down by the Rebels, which would've put them into field goal range with an opportunity to win with a touchdown pass or tie with a field goal. The call was reversed, Alabama took over, and with Ole Miss already having used all of their timeouts, the game was essentially over.

1. Kentucky 43 LSU 37 3OT: For how many great games there were over the weekend, I don't think there's much debating that the best game was LSU and Kentucky. Not many (including myself) gave the Wildcats much of a chance in this one, especially for how poorly they played against South Carolina not long ago. But they fought hard throughout and managed to tie the Tigers, whom had led throughout much of the game, in the 4th quarter to send it to an extra session. The teams matched blows through the first couple overtimes, but following a Kentucky touchdown and failed two-point conversion, LSU faced a 4th and 2 from the Kentucky 17-yard line. Les Miles decided to hand the ball to his big, bruising tailback, Hester, and he was met at the line of scrimmage by the Wildcat defense to ensure Rich Brooks and his Wildcats a huge home upset victory over then unbeaten and 1 LSU.

Disappointment(s) of the Week
5. Arizona State 44 Washington 20: The Huskies played the Sundevils close until halftime (much like they did with Ohio State), but ASU stormed back in the second half en route to a 24-point victory.

4. Oklahoma State 45 Nebraska 14: This wasn't even televised and it was still hard to watch via gamecast online. The 3-3 Cowboys were underdogs going in, hadn't won a game at Memorial Stadium for 47 years, and brought in a defense ranked 92nd in the nation. To say I was shocked to see them up 38-0 at the half is the understatement of the week.

3. Kansas State 47 Colorado 20: As is the case some years, Colorado seems to hold separate identities in Boulder and away from their home town. They brought in a 4-2 record to Manhattan, having won three straight, including a huge upset win over Oklahoma a couple weeks prior, but for whatever reason, the Buffaloes laid an egg in the second half and K-State made the very most of it.

2. Penn State 38 Wisconsin 7: Amazing. Wisconsin. The Badgers. The team who couldn't seem to lose, no matter how hard they tried until two weekends ago against Illinois, has now lost two straight games, two Big Ten games at that. No matter how ugly they played, the Badgers seemed to be in the thick of things at the end and regardless of how they did it, found a way to come out victorious. I saw Wisconsin losing eventually, but not like this.

1. Texas Tech 35 Texas A&M 7: This is a rivalry game, between two Big XII Texas schools, neither one being named Baylor, so I expected an exciting, competitive game. That was anything but the case. Tech made A&M look a bit like Baylor during these sixty minutes.

Kudos
Graham Harrell. Through seven games, Texas Tech quarterback, Graham Harrell, has thrown 31 touchdown passes while only being picked off three times. Those are video game like numbers on junior varsity level (or, so I've heard)! I don't care what "system" Harrell is a part of, those are incredible numbers, even under Mike Leach! Of all the quarterbacks Leach has coached, Harrell is the most likely to succeed at the next level.

No Kudos
Colt Brennan. I don't care what his numbers are or what records he attains this year, Colt Brennan is not a deserving Heisman Trophy finalist, let alone winner. The guy has thrown 9 interceptions in his previous two games, against Idaho and San Jose State, who have a combined 4-10 record.

Player of the Week
I'm giving this to Texas Tech quarterback, Graham Harrell, for his work against the rival Texas A&M Aggies this past Saturday. Harrell was 30-37 (81.1%) for 425 yards (14.2 ypc and 11.5 ypa), 3 TD and 0 INT and also had 3 carries for -6 yards and 1 TD. It's difficult to pick against a guy who completed over 80% of his passes on 37 attempts and averaged more than a first down on every pass attempt against an in-state rival who came into the game at 5-1.

Surprise(s) of the Week
5. Oklahoma State 45 Nebraska 14: Nebraska's worst home loss since 1958. OSU's first win in Lincoln since 1960. Yeah, I'd say it came as a bit of a surprise.

4. Iowa 10 Illinois 6: I saw the potential let-down in this game for the Illini, but for how inept Iowa's offense had been all season (except against Syracuse), I was still quite surprised by the end result.

3. Penn State 38 Wisconsin 7: Wisconsin had made a habit of winning ugly, but it came as quite a shock to see just how they lost ugly on Saturday in Happy Valley.

2. Oregon State 31 California 28: It was a golden opportunity for then 2 Cal, since 1 LSU had already lost earlier in the day. With a win, they'd most likely vault to 1 in the country. But, with three turnovers, over 60 yards in penalties, and mismanagement of the clock toward the very tail-end of the game, Oregon State again found a way to beat a Pac-10 giant (last year, they beat USC).

1. Kentucky 43 LSU 37 3OT: After their come-from-behind victory over Florida a couple weekends ago, I made mention that while it was an impressive win, LSU had proven that they are definitely beatable, mainly due to the inconsistency they've displayed throwing the football. But, I didn't expect that loss to come at the hands of Kentucky, whose defense has been anything but Pelini-like, especially against the run, which is where the Tigers excel offensively. It's no surprise to see Kentucky beat a 1 or even be a 1 in college basketball, but to see that in football? I'm still rubbing my eyes.

Nebraska Game (from an unbiased perspective)
After the slaughter Nebraska suffered at home against USC in Week 3 of the season, where they found themselves down 49-17 in the 4th quarter before the Trojans put in a few blind sumo wrestlers on defense, I thought to myself, "It can't get any worse than this. But, then again, it's against USC, so maybe it isn't totally indicative of Nebraska's football team." Well, I was wrong. In Week 6, Nebraska traveled to Columbia, Missouri to take on the then unbeaten Tigers and Mizzou dominated from start to finish en route to a 41-6 clobbering of the Huskers. Again, at that time, I muttered, "Well, it can't get any worse." Yet again, I was mistaken, for this past Saturday's 45-14 homecoming loss to then 3-3 Oklahoma State surpasses the losses of both USC and Missouri in terms of the embarrassment suffered by the football team, their coaches, and their fans.

Let me give a brief (as brief as possible, probably as brief as the Guinness Book of World Records) synopsis on just how embarrassing this loss was. It was Nebraska's worst home loss since 1958, when they fell to Missouri 31-0. If not for a late touchdown by the Huskers, which closed the gap to 45-14, it would've even outdone that 1958 score. It was also the first time Oklahoma State had won at Memorial Stadium since 1960. Oklahoma State scored on their opening six possessions and at halftime, when NU found themselves down 38-0, they had been outscored the previous six quarters by the score of 79-6. Just a week after Missouri quarterback Chase Daniel threw for a career high in passing yards with 401, Okie State tailback Dantrell Savage ran for a career high 212 yards. OSU averaged 8.5 yards per play in the first half and amassed 551 for the game, which is their largest output against Nebraska in history. The 38 points scored by OSU at the half were the most given up by Nebraska at home in their school's history. On Saturday, the 2007-2008 Nebraska Cornhuskers became the first team in their storied 118-year history to allow 40 or more points four times in the same season (four times in the previous five games at that). Since 1958, Nebraska has lost only four home games by 15 or more points and half of those occasions have transpired this season. I tried to make it as brief as possible, but now, onto a synopsis of the actual game.

Going into the game on Saturday, Oklahoma State was an even 3-3 and had yet to record a road victory. They were ranked 39th in scoring offense and 61st in scoring defense, 101st in turnover margin, 116th in pass defense, 94th in pass efficiency defense, 92nd in total defense, and 96th in sacks. How'd they perform on both sides of the ball against the Huskers? Let's allow the numbers to illustrate that picture. The Cowboys converted 26 first downs, recorded 551 total yards of offense - 234 through the air and 317 on the ground. OSU averaged 19.5 yards per completed pass and 12.3 yards per pass attempt, along with 6.1 yards per carry. The Cowboys were 6-10 (60.0%) on third down and held the ball for 29:10.

Against the 92nd ranked defense in the country, Nebraska converted 17 first downs, racked up 335 total yards of offense - 129 through the air and 206 on the ground. They averaged 12.9 yards per completion, 7.2 yards per attempt, and 4.1 yards per carry for the game. NU was 7-16 (43.8%) on third down, 1-3 (33.3%) on 4th down, turned the ball over three times (1 fumble and 2 picks), and held onto the football for 30:50.

Need I even run by the individual stats? Sam Keller threw two interceptions and for just 129 yards. Marlon Lucky was held to 68 total yards of offense. Freshman running back Quentin Castille saw some more playing time and made the most of the situation, running the ball 20 times for 102 yards (5.1 per).

How does NU rank now? According to the Sagarin Rankings, they're at 58, just about smack dab in the middle of the 120 team pool. They're 38th in total offense (7th in the Big XII), 43rd in kick returns (6th in conference), 52nd in scoring offense (9th), 57th in pass efficiency defense (6th), 64th in rushing offense (7th), 82nd in tackles for a loss (9th), 83rd in pass defense (8th), 87th in scoring defense (10th), 96th in turnover margin (9th), 98th in punt returns (11th), 104th in total defense (12th, AKA last), 106th in rushing defense (12th), and 113th in sacks (12th).

Defensively, they rank: 57th, 82nd, 83rd, 87th, 96th, 104th, 106th, and 113th. Offensively, they rank: 38th, 64th, and 96th. Special teams wise, they rank: 43rd and 98th. No matter which way you slice this pie, it's going to look rather ugly and inedible, to say the least. I could rant and insult the coaches and players, but I'll allow some well known members of the media do that for me. Following the dismantling Nebraska suffered this past Saturday, these remarks were stated by the press:

CSTV: "Nebraska is officially a disaster. They can't tackle anyone, can't make a stop, and were absolutely embarrassed by Oklahoma State in the worst home loss for the Cornhuskers since 1958. What's even more embarrassing is that contract extension Bill Callahan got before the USC game."

North Platte Bulletin: "Callahan's staff and much of his team seem to be in a state of catatonic shock. This looks like a squad that has already checked in its gear."

Steven Sipple of the Lincoln Journal-Star: "The Huskers are just flat-out bad right now -- astonishingly bad. They've torpedoed past mediocrity to whatever dismal state of being you find at rock bottom."

Los Angeles Times: "Now, fans and supporters, who began leaving Saturday's game after Oklahoma State took a 31-0 (sic) lead early in the third quarter (it actually happened in the second quarter, hence the "sic"), are not sure they want to see him around even one more game."

Stewart Mandel of SI: "The majority of Nebraska fans' discontent this season has been directed at defensive coordinator Kevin Cosgrove. At this point, all but the most blindly optimistic surely realize the problem runs much deeper, and that it won't be fixable until either the stubborn Pederson finally gives up on his grand Callahan experiment or, if he doesn't, for someone higher up to pull the plug on Pederson."

Brian Christopherson of the Lincoln Journal-Star: "Mediocrity would look pretty good right about now."

Numbers don't even illustrate what Nebraska's true downfall has been. Head coach (for now) Bill Callahan constantly harps about the Huskers not converting on third down. They were 7-16 this past weekend. That's close to 50%, which is terrific, especially when taking into consideration the final outcome. NU's third down conversions have to be the least of their worries. Callahan wants to just make believe the fault fully lies on the players' shoulders, but Nebraska's biggest problem this year can't be seen in the box scores and is truly reflectant upon the coaching staff. That's a lack of heart, passion, and determination. Outside of the Nevada game, when has Nebraska illustrated passion, heart, and determination this year? They were handed a game at Wake Forest. They showed up in the fourth quarter against USC's before-mentioned blind sumo wrestlers. NU suffered a serious hang over the week following against Ball State and should've lost that game. If it weren't for a couple of critical drops by BSU receivers, NU would've fallen to the Cardinals. They fell behind Iowa State 10-0 early the week following, when ISU ran 102 plays from scrimmage and held control of the football for 66.7% of the game time at 40 minutes, compared to just 20 for the Huskers. I needn't even mention these past two games, where Nebraska has been outscored by the 93rd and 92nd ranked defenses 86-20. This lack of heart, passion, and determination is largely due to the players giving up on the coaches. While there may have been excitement at first for Coach Callahan, his West Coast offense, and Steve Pederson's supposed enthusiasm for moving the team in the right direction, in year four of Callahan's contract, the players have illustrated that they no longer have faith in the coaches and their philosophies. This is eerily reminiscent to what occurred with Callahan in Oakland. Just a year after his Raiders went to the Super Bowl, Callahan lost control of his team en route to a 4-12 departing campaign. Many respected players, including wide receiver Tim Brown and corner Charles Woodson, spoke out against Callahan, claiming that he lacked leadership skills and the players lost faith in him. Many in the Oakland media were out celebrating Callahan's departure when he signed with Nebraska. With Athletic Director Steve Pederson being fired at Nebraska and ex-Nebraska coach Tom Osborne becoming the interim A.D., Callahan better find a magic wand in order to take control of this team, amidst all the distractions, and win 5 out of 5 down the stretch against the likes of: Texas A&M (5-2), Texas in Austin (5-2), Kansas in Lawrence (6-0), Kansas State (4-2), and Colorado in Boulder (4-3). If Callahan wins four or less, prompting NU to a 7-5 record at best and potentially being left out of a bowl game, folks in Nebraska may be celebrating before too long, just like those in Oakland did, because Callahan will be in search of a new job.

Solich Update
The Ohio Bobcats finally ended their four-game slide this past Saturday with a 48-42 win against Eastern Michigan. This also handed Frank Solich's kids their first MAC win of the season to improve them to 1-2 in conference and 3-4 overall. Up next is a road game against 2-5 Toledo. If Frankie can nab another win here, his Bobcats would be even in both conference and overall play at 2-2 and 4-4.

Gill Update
Don't look now Turner Gill fans, but his Buffalo Bulls, as of last Saturday, are winners of two consecutive ball games. Feel free to look it up, but I don't believe that's happened before at Buffalo since they've become a I-A team. The Bulls beat Toledo 43-33 to improve to 3-1 in the MAC and 3-4 overall. This upcoming Saturday, they square off with 1-6 Syracuse in a very winnable game at the Carrier Dome. While the game won't affect their conference record any, with a victory, Buffalo will have won three straight and will have improved to an even 4-4 on the year. Four wins in a year for Buffalo? Might as well induct Gill into the Buffalo Hall of Fame!

Harrell and Crabtree Watch
This sounds like some kind of virus going around. No, don't worry, it's nothing like that. This is a new category, which will keep track of Texas Tech quarterback, Graham Harrell, and his freshman receiver, Michael Crabtree. The two are putting up extraordinary numbers this year and deserve some notice.I already made note of Harrell's Heisman-like numbers from this past weekend. Michael Crabtree didn't have too shabby a weekend either, as he made 8 catches for 170 yards (21.3 ypr) and 0 TD, in what was the first game this season Crabtree hasn't caught at least 2 touchdown passes. For the year, the freshman wideout, Crabtree, has 78 catches to his name for 1,244 yards (15.9 ypr), and 17 TD's. That puts him on pace for 134 catches, 2,133 yards, and 29 scores.

Through seven games, Graham Harrell has completed 258 of 347 passes (74.4%) for 3,151 yards (12.2 ypc and 9.1 ypa), 31 TD's, and 3 INT. He's on pace to complete 442 of 595 pass attempts for 5,402 yards, 53 TD's, and 5 INT's.

After looking at those gaudy numbers, I'm sure most now know why I'll be tracking their weekly stats.

Random Note of the WeekSunday, October 14th marked the debut BCS standings of the '07-'08 season. The top five reads like this: 1. Ohio State, 2. South Florida, 3. Boston College, 4. LSU, and 5. Oklahoma. While Ohio State is first in the AP, Coaches, and Harris Polls, they are 2nd to South Florida in four of the five computer polls, taking first place in the only other. South Florida is 2nd in the AP, but 3rd in the Coaches and Harris. Boston College is 3rd in the AP and 2nd in the Coaches and Harris.

Predictions
Thursday
South Florida at Rutgers: A dangerous game for the upstart and 2 ranked South Florida Bulls. But, from what I've seen this year and for how USF responded to their poor showing two weeks ago against Florida Atlantic by racking up 64 points against Central Florida this past weekend, I have to believe Jim Leavitt will have his team more than ready for a victory that would vault them to a 7-0 record.
South Florida 35 Rutgers 24

Utah at TCU: Two of the most inconsistent teams in college football go head-to-head on Thursday night in this one. Both teams are coming off victories this past weekend, with Utah defeating San Diego State and TCU getting the best of Stanford on the Cardinal's let-down week. With the game at home and their offense finally showing signs of life, I'm giving the slight edge to the Horned Frogs.
TCU 24 Utah 17

Friday
Northwestern at Eastern Michigan: How about them Wildcats? I should watch what I say with the 4-3 club, because after looking decent in their first couple contests, they fell to a Division I-AA team. Now, following a close loss to Michigan and victories against Big Ten foes, Michigan State and Minnesota, Northwestern goes out-of-conference to face those pesky Eagles of the MAC, who only lost by 11 earlier this year to Michigan. This is no gimme (come on, it's Northwestern!), but I'm going to show a little bit of faith in Pat Fitzgerald's club. Victory 5 with one more necessary for bowl eligibility.
Northwestern 38 Eastern Michigan 24

Louisville at Connecticut: This is a very intriguing match-up, for me anyway. UConn was 5-0 going into their game last weekend and received no love from the media or fans because of their weak schedule until that point. While they fell to Virginia in Charlottesville on Saturday, they battled for 60 minutes, only to lose 17-16 in the end. Louisville, meanwhile, showed some signs of life, especially on the defensive side of the ball, as they snapped Cincinnati's unbeaten streak, beating the Bearcats 28-24. I'm always tempted to go with the home club in these types of match-ups, especially with the history of Louisville's defense being what it is, but I have a feeling the club is finally turning the corner and will win their second huge Big East game in a row.
Louisville 31 Connecticut 24

Saturday
Army at Georgia Tech: Unless Chan Gailey's club plays drunk and/or hung over, they should beat Army. No disrespect to the Black Knights, but as has been typical in recent years, they should finish third in the Commander-in-Chief Trophy sweepstakes.
Georgia Tech 31 Army 7

Oklahoma at Iowa State: As I said last week when having to choose between Texas and Iowa State...need I even pick? Oklahoma wins and in an embarrassing fashion!
Oklahoma 52 Iowa State 0

Penn State at Indiana: Indiana was 5-1 going into last week's game against Michigan State. We're now starting to see the Hoosiers for what/who they really are. They fell to the struggling Spartans by 25 points and things shouldn't go much better in Bloomington against JoPa's Nittany Lions. PSU played terrific last week against Wisconsin and should ride that momentum for another conference win. A let-down is possible, but not likely.
Penn State 31 Indiana 17

Texas A&M at Nebraska: After witnessing NU these past couple weekends, it's going to be extremely difficult for me to pick them again this season. There's a slim chance I could have a change of heart/mind for the home game against Kansas State and an outside chance I could see them upend Colorado in Boulder, but after being outscored 86-20 these past two weekends against Missouri and 3-3 (at the time) Oklahoma State at home, I just can't see Nebraska putting together all the pieces by this weekend to upstage A&M. On a positive note, though, if there was a Big XII team (outside Baylor and Iowa State) that NU had a chance against at this point in the season, it's definitely Texas A&M. The two clubs are mirror reflections of one another in terms of disappointing performances, coaches on the hot seat, and team distractions.
Texas A&M 31 Nebraska 21

Miami (Ohio) at Temple: Temple is riding a two-game winning streak going into this one! That's their longest streak since John Cheney was the head coach! But seriously, congratulations to the hapless Owls. Perhaps a move to the MAC was just what they needed. But, unfortunately for them, I see that streak coming to a close with a loss to the hot Red Hawks of Miami, who just put up 47 points on Bowling Green last Saturday. Miami (Ohio) 34 Temple 20

Cincinnati at Pittsburgh: The outcome of this game largely depends on the focus of Cincinnati. The Bearcats were 6-0 until last week's loss to Louisville and if they play hung-over in this game at all, Pittsburgh has the weapons necessary to upset the 'Cats. But, I don't see that happening. Pittsburgh has some very young talents in place, which could make them dangerous in the next couple years, but will Dave Wanstedt have the opportunity to see his recruits perform in the years ahead? That is the question. Bearcats win this one to send Pitt to 2-5 on the season.
Cincinnati 38 Pittsburgh 24

Central Michigan at Clemson: Tommy Bowden's Tigers had a week off to recover from Beamer Ball. They mustn't take the Chippewas lightly, however, as CMU has finally found the flow and rhythm to their offense that made them MAC Champions a year ago. Even taking that into consideration, however, it won't be enough to stop the dynamic duo of the Tigers' backfield, Spiller, in particular.
Clemson 45 Central Michigan 24

Texas at Baylor: Back-to-back weeks against the two worst teams in the Big XII for the Longhorns. It started with a 56-3 slaughter of the Suckclones last week and will end with a beatdown of the Bears this week. Texas 45 Baylor 10

Northern Illinois at Wisconsin: Just what the Badgers needed, a club as bad as 1-6 Northern Illinois. Of course, I shouldn't be so certain of that, as Wisconsin pulled away from 2-5 UNLV in the 4th quarter of their 20-13 win over the Rebels earlier this year and allowed 31 points to I-AA The Citadel. But, after two consecutive losses to Big Ten teams (Illinois and Penn State), Wisconsin should be relieved to see a club like NIU in Madison this weekend.
Wisconsin 31 Northern Illinois 3

Iowa at Purdue: Like completely contrasting styles of football and strength on weakness? Then this game is for you. Saying Iowa's offense has been sub-par would like saying that Bill O'Reilly is a tad outspoken and to say that Purdue's defense has been awful would be like saying 2 + 2 = 4. With the game in West Lafayette, I'm very tempted to go with the Boilers, but believe that the two clubs have two different sets of heads on their shoulders right now. Iowa comes into the game with a renowned set of confidence following their big 10-6 win over then 5-1 Illinois, while Purdue has been correctly labeled Purdon't, especially on the defensive side of the ball, the past couple weekends in their losses to Ohio State and Michigan by a combined score of 71-28. As usual, I'm picking the solid defense to defeat the usually solid offense.
Iowa 24 Purdue 17

Tennessee at Alabama: Similar as in the previous game, these two clubs are seemingly going in different directions. After the Vols 1-2 start, they've won three straight, including a dominant performance against Georgia two weekends ago and a solid effort this past weekend against Mississippi State. Alabama, meanwhile, since starting the year 3-0, has gone 2-2 and those two wins have come by a combined 9 points against teams with a 5-8 record. I look for the trends to continue and for Tennessee to get the best of 'Bama in Tuscaloosa.
Tennessee 31 Alabama 21

Vanderbilt at South Carolina: This is no game to take lightly for Steve Spurrier, but given the fact he's coached in the SEC before, he knows this. If the game were in Tennessee, I would probably take the Commies in an upset, but with it being played in Columbia, I'm taking the Gamecocks to improve to 7-1 on the season.
South Carolina 27 Vanderbilt 13

Wake Forest at Navy: Like lots of motion and gadget plays? This one is for you! Navy comes in running the all, but dead option offense and Wake is the king of major conference teams of using motion. Due to their advantage in size up front and with wide out and utility stud, Kenneth Moore, I give the edge to Wake in this one, to win their 5th consecutive game after starting the year at 0-2.
Wake Forest 31 Navy 21

Arkansas at Mississippi: Both teams are in desperate need for a win. But, while 2-5 Mississippi wasn't expected to do much this year, 3-3 Arkansas had higher aspirations and expectations from the press and their fans. Everything is telling me to pick the pesky Rebels in this one, who lost to Florida 30-24 earlier this year and fell to Alabama by a 27-24 tally last weekend, but I have to go with Darren McFadden. Ole Miss had problems stopping the Tide's rush game last week and if that was the case with the inconsistent Tide run game, I have to believe McFadden and Felix Jones will run wild for the Hogs in this one.
Arkansas 28 Mississippi 20

Wyoming at Air Force: Believe it or not, this is a big MWC game. Wyoming comes in at 4-2 and Air Force at 5-2. With the game at home and with the tough to defend option offense being the staple of the team, I'm going with the Falcons in Colorado Springs.
Air Force 24 Wyoming 21

Ball State at Western Michigan: The MAC has been anything but steady this year and until recent with Central Michigan playing well, no team in the conference has stood out from any other. But, Ball State may be attempting to prove they're the second best team in the conference. At 4-3 and coming off a win over independent Western Kentucky, the Cardinals should be able to defeat struggling Western Michigan, who defeated 1-6 Northern Illinois by four this past weekend.
Ball State 27 Western Michigan 20

Memphis at Rice: Both teams have looked horrendous at times this year, but Rice has shown some signs of improvement in their previous two games, whereas Memphis has not. I look for Rice and their option attack to give Memphis fits at home and for the Owls to improve to 2-5.
Rice 31 Memphis 24

Nevada at Utah State: Utah State is one of only a handful of winless teams left. With Colin Kaepernick now leading the Wolfpack offense, look for that streak to continue. Nevada wins big.
Nevada 38 Utah State 13

California at UCLA: Uncertain of quarterback Nate Longshore's health, with UCLA coming off a bye, and Cal's heart being broken by Oregon State this past weekend, I'm giving the edge to the Bruins. While they seem to struggle with the teams they should have no problem defeating (i.e., Utah, Notre Dame), they appear to have less problem with the teams whom they may be underdogs against (i.e., USC, Cal).
UCLA 27 California 24

Miami (Florida) at Florida State: With the game in Tallahassee, I'm going with Bobby's 'Noles, who, dare I say it, have played much more consistently over the course of this season than Randy Shannon's 'Canes. Florida State 20 Miami (Florida) 17

USC at Notre Dame: This could be another dangerous game for USC. Notre Dame has shown improvement in their previous three games and USC has appeared to be more like Wisconsin. They may be winning, but they're doing it in a very ugly fashion. Wait, what am I talking about? Notre Dame isn't a Pac-10 school. USC should thereby breeze by them, right?
USC 31 Notre Dame 10

Florida at Kentucky: South Carolina in Columbia on a Thursday night, followed by LSU at home, and now Florida at home. Kentucky's past three games (including this one) have come against opponents with a 16-4 record. Unfortunately for them, as I've seen it so many other times, I have a hard time believing they'll be good and ready for this big showdown following the huge upset win of then 1 LSU last Saturday night. Add that with this past week's bye for Urban Meyer's Gators, and I have to believe Florida will improve to 5-2, sending Kentucky to 6-2. Florida 31 Kentucky 24

Texas Tech at Missouri: Graham Harrell and Michael Crabtree. That's it. Forget Chase Daniel. It's all about Harrell and Crabtree.
Texas Tech 49 Missouri 42

Michigan State at Ohio State: As much as I'd like to pick against 1 Ohio State, I just don't see their first loss occurring against the Spartans at the Shoe.
Ohio State 31 Michigan State 17

Mississippi State at West Virginia: With an extra week to heal from wounds and prepare, the Mountaineers should avoid the potential upset at home. MSU should keep things close for about a half, but West Virginia's speed on offense will pull away in the third and fourth quarters.
West Virginia 31 Mississippi State 17

Arkansas State at Middle Tennessee: MTSU has shown steady improvements over the course of the season and Arkansas State has been inconsistent as of late, but I believe them to be the better team, so...so long as they don't beat themselves on the road in this one, they should come out victorious.
Arkansas State 24 Middle Tennessee 17

North Texas at Troy: The best team in the Sun Belt at home against the worst team from the conference (possibly...either they or Louisiana-Monroe or Louisiana-Lafayette). Take a wild guess who wins this one. Troy 45 North Texas 14

Buffalo at Syracuse: That win at Louisville was a fluke if I ever saw one. Outside of that one victory, the Orange are 0-6 on the year, including their blow-out loss to Rutgers this past weekend. Call me crazy (please don't), but I'm calling for the Bulls to win their third consecutive game and improve to 4-4 with a win at the Carrier Dome.
Buffalo 27 Syracuse 21

Tulsa at Central Florida: Central Florida appears to be a completely different team at home than they do on the road (No, Rece and John Saunders, they're not "schizophrenic," but they may suffer from dissociative identity disorder). With that in mind, I'm taking O'Leary's club at home over the Golden Hurricane.
Central Florida 38 Tulsa 31

Bowling Green at Kent State: Both teams have been so inconsistent, it seems almost fitting to just flip a coin on this one. Heads - Bowling Green and Tails - Kent State. It's tails. Okay, I'm going with the home team, the Golden Flashes.
Kent State 31 Bowling Green 27

North Carolina State at East Carolina: NC State is 1-5 (that one win against I-AA Wofford) and coming off a bye week. Skip Holtz's ECU Pirates are now 4-3, coming off their third straight win this past Saturday. Tom O'Brien has a winnable game this Saturday, but can I see them actually winning on the road against a decent opponent? No.
East Carolina 24 North Carolina State 13

San Jose State at Fresno State: Fresno is young and improving on a weekly basis. That isn't good news for Dick Tomey's Spartans, who are coming off a heart-breaking 42-35 overtime loss to undefeated Hawaii. Fresno continues to show improvement at home in this one to improve to 5-2 on the season.
Fresno State 31 San Jose State 20

Florida Atlantic at Louisiana-Lafayette: Howard Schnellenberger's Owls had a well deserved week off this past weekend to get over their hard fought loss to South Florida. With that week off to recover, they should have no problems defeating the 1-6 Rajun' Cajuns.
Florida Atlantic 27 Louisiana-Lafayette 17

Kansas at Colorado: Here it is, my upset of the week. In Kansas' only tough road test thus far, they played well enough to beat Kansas State, but looked far less dominant than in their other five contests, who came against five single-man teams. Colorado appears to be a completely different team in Boulder than when away from their home field. They'll play solid defensively, will run a balanced offense, and a last second field goal will again win it for the Buffaloes, as it did in two other home games this year (Colorado State and Oklahoma).
Colorado 31 Kansas 28

Houston at UAB: There's a simple formula to the madness in Houston, Texas. Will they have the ball last? If so, then they'll come out on top, but if not, they're in trouble, as could be displayed in their 56-48 win over Rice this past weekend. Well, lucky for them, they should have the ball last this Saturday and with that, the victory.
Houston 45 UAB 38

Stanford at Arizona: With the game in Tucson and Arizona (Mike Stoops) needing the win a bit more than their counterpart (Jim Harbaugh), I look for U of A to be the more focused and determined of the two, as the Wildcats improve to 3-5 on the year.
Arizona 27 Stanford 24

Boise State at Louisiana Tech: Boise State is 5-1 and beginning to show that Hawaii may not be the best team in the WAC. Make that 6-1 with a win this Saturday.
Boise State 45 Louisiana Tech 24

Florida International at Louisiana-Monroe: Wait, I take back what I said before in regard to the worst team in the Sun Belt Conference. That's Florida International. There are so many awful teams in that conference, it's difficult to pick a worst team some weeks. Unlike some major conferences, the Sun Belt is bottom heavy. Anyway, on to the game, look for the War Hawks to win one at home to improve to 2-5 on the year, while FIU falls to 0-19 over the past two years.
Louisiana-Monroe 24 Florida International 14

Ohio at Toledo: Frankie's boys are back, offensively anyway, as Ohio defeated Eastern Michigan 48-42 this past weekend to end their four game slide. With how porous Toledo's defense is, look for the Bobcats to even their record in conference play and overall with a win over the Rockets.
Ohio 42 Toledo 35

Kansas State at Oklahoma State: Both clubs are coming off very impressive victories. Kansas State beat up on then 4-2 Colorado 47-20 last Saturday night and Oklahoma State dominated Nebraska in Lincoln, winning by the final score of 45-14. Far more impressed by their defense than that of the Cowboys this year, I'm going with the Wildcats.
Kansas State 31 Oklahoma State 27

Oregon at Washington: Dennis Dixon is the man. That's all you need to know. Due to that and that alone, Oregon wins in Seattle.
Oregon 38 Washington 24

Virginia at Maryland: Virginia, to my surprise, is 6-1, reeling off six consecutive victories following their twenty-point opening week loss to the Wyoming Cowboys. But, they haven't looked very impressive in some of those wins, defeating Middle Tennessee by two points just two weeks ago and upending UConn by a single point this past weekend. At home and coming off a bye week, Ralph Friedgen should have his boys geared up and ready to improve to 5-2 on the season with a big conference win over Al Groh's Cavaliers.
Maryland 24 Virginia 17

Idaho at New Mexico State: With or without Chase Holbrook at quarterback, the Aggies should have enough offensive potency to get past the mighty Vandals at home.
New Mexico State 28 Idaho 21

Michigan at Illinois: With Mike Hart attempting to play with a sore ankle and Illinois falling victim to the trap game against Iowa this past weekend, I look for Illinois to be more than amped up for this one. The Illini beat their third ranked conference opponent in four weeks and with that, attain bowl eligibility with a win this weekend against the Wolverines.
Illinois 27 Michigan 24

Tulane at SMU: Whew. Here's another coin-flipper. Both teams come into the game at 1-5, so what's a guy to do? Go with the home team! Mustangs win a thriller...
SMU 28 Tulane 24

New Mexico at San Diego State: The Lobos continue to look good in MWC play and that should not alter any this weekend against the Aztecs. New Mexico improves to 5-2 on the year, while SDSU falls to 2-5.
New Mexico 24 San Diego State 10

Auburn at LSU: Like defense? Like blood? Like deaths on the field? This one is for you! While Auburn has been playing better of late, their defense in particular, LSU has far more speed and depth on the offensive side of the ball (at running back, in particular) than Auburn. With it being a night game in Baton Rouge, that furthers my belief LSU won't drop two straight games. It'll be hard fought for 60 minutes, but LSU should be triumphant in the end.
LSU 17 Auburn 10

Colorado State at UNLV: I'm done picking Colorado State to attain their first victory of the season. UNLV has already done that twice this year and with the game at home, I'm going with the Rebels. BUT, if Sonny Lubick wants to win a MWC game this year, this may be the one.
UNLV 24 Colorado State 17

Sunday
Southern Mississippi at Marshall: I shouldn't be so certain on this game, as Southern Miss lost to then winless Rice a couple weeks ago, but am fairly confident, so long as the Golden Eagles don't turn the ball over seven times like they did in the Owls' game. Marshall comes into this game at 0-6 and should walk out 0-7, barring seven turnovers by Southern Miss.
Southern Mississippi 27 Marshall 13

Inelligible Games
North Dakota State at Minnesota (psst... Don't be surprised to see Minnesota lose this one.)
Western Kentucky at Indiana State
Eastern Washington at BYU

Week 7 Record: 41-14 (.745)
Overall Record: 222-90 (.712)

Fact or Fiction
"Fact or Fiction: One team stands out as the 1 team in the country right now."

Fiction. Many people are riding the Ohio State bandwagon now and while I agree they probably have the best opportunity to finish the year undefeated, I by no means am going to say they're a standout 1 team right now. Let's peruse the six remaining unbeaten teams, shall we? We have: Arizona State, Boston College, Hawaii, Kansas, Ohio State, and South Florida. Amazing, we had eleven unbeatens just a week ago and in a single week, that's been about cut in half.

Now, why are these six teams still undefeated? One main reason is their weak schedule. The six remaining unbeatens have thus far faced teams who currently hold a 92-174 (.346) record. Out of 120 I-A teams, the six unbeatens rank: tied for 65th, 98th, 110th, 113th, 117th, and 120th in schedule strength.

Let's start with Arizona State. The Sundevils are 7-0 after beating the following teams: San Jose State (3-4) 45-3, Colorado (4-3) 33-14, San Diego State (2-4) 34-13, Oregon State (4-3) 44-32, Stanford (2-4) 41-3, Washington State (2-5) 23-20, and Washington (2-4) 44-20. They've outscored these seven opponents by the score of 264-105 (average of 37.7 - 15.0). Their opponents are a combined 19-27 (.413), which ranks ASU with the 98th toughest schedule in the country. They rank 10th in average margin of victory, as they have averaged to win each game by 22.7 points.

Up next is Boston College. Like ASU, BC has played seven games and won all of them. They've defeated: Wake Forest (4-2) 38-28, North Carolina State (1-5) 37-17, Georgia Tech (4-3) 24-10, Army (3-4) 37-17, Massachusetts (0-7) 24-14, Bowling Green (3-3) 55-24, and Notre Dame (1-6) 27-14. They've outscored these seven opponents 242-124 (average of 34.6 - 17.7). BC's opponents are a combined 16-30 (.348), which ranks them at 113th in schedule strength. They have averaged to win each game by 16.9 points and that ranks them 18th in that category. Keep in mind that as I believe I-AA to be inferior to I-A and for the fact there are still winless I-A teams, all I-AA opponents I mark down as winless, regardless of their actual record.

The undefeated Hawaii Warriors are 7-0 after defeating the following clubs: Northern Colorado (0-7) 63-6, Louisiana Tech (2-4) 45-44 OT, UNLV (2-5) 49-14, Charleston Southern (0-7) 66-10, Idaho (1-6) 48-20, Utah State (0-6) 52-37, and San Jose State (3-4) 42-35 OT. Hawaii has gone to overtime twice, but overall, have outscored their opponents by a very wide margin at 365-166 (average of 52.1 - 23.7). Their average margin of victory is at 28.4 points a game, which ranks them 5th in the country there. But, their schedule strength is the very worst in the country, ranked 120th. Hawaii's opponents have gone 8-39 (.170) thus far. Hawaii has faced two I-AA teams, a winless I-A squad, and has yet to face a team with a winning record.

That brings us to Kansas, who is 6-0, due to a bye week. Thus far, they've played and defeated: Central Michigan (4-3) 52-7, Southeast Louisiana (0-7) 62-0, Toledo (2-5) 45-13, Florida International (0-6) 55-3, Kansas State (4-2) 30-24, and Baylor (3-4) 58-10. Thus far, KU has outscored their opponents 302-57 (average of 50.3 - 9.5). Kansas ranks 1st in all the country in average margin of victory, averaging to win each game by 40.8 points. Their schedule has been anything but pesky, however, as KU's opponents have gone a combined 13-27 (.325), ranking them at 117th in the country in schedule toughness.

Like the first three teams I listed, Ohio State is also 7-0. They've beaten the following: Youngstown State (0-7) 38-6, Akron (3-4) 20-2, Washington (2-4) 33-14, Northwestern (4-3) 58-7, Minnesota (1-6) 30-7, Purdue (5-2) 23-7, and Kent State (3-4) 48-3. They've outscored the opposition through seven games 250-46 (average of 35.7 - 6.6). With that, OSU has averaged to win their seven games by 29.1 points, which ranks them 4th in the country. Their opposition's combined record to this point is 18-30 (.375) and that ranks them 110th in strength of schedule.

Finally, we have the 6-0 South Florida Bulls, who have defeated: Elon (0-7) 28-13, Auburn (5-2) 26-23 OT, North Carolina (2-5) 37-10, West Virginia (5-1) 21-13, Florida Atlantic (3-3) 35-23, and Central Florida (3-3) 64-12. Overall, USF has outscored their opponents 211-94 (average of 35.2 - 15.7). USF has averaged to defeat their six opponents by 19.5 points a game, ranking them 15th in the country. Meanwhile, their opponents have a 18-21 (.462) record, ranking the Bulls 65th (tied) in the nation.

Is there a true 1 team at this current juncture? No, of course not. But, at this point in the season, who has the best argument? Probably South Florida. The Bulls have beaten two 5-win teams in Auburn and West Virginia, one being away from home (at Auburn). They also beat Butch Davis' North Carolina squad by 27 points, the same Carolina team who fell to South Carolina (6-1) by 6 points this past week, to Virginia Tech (6-1) by 7 points three weeks ago, Virginia (6-1) by 2 early in the season, and they defeated Miami (Florida) by six a couple weeks ago. USF also clobbered Central Florida this past weekend, the same Golden Knights' team who took Texas the full sixty minutes, falling just short in the end by a 35-32 score. Take away the one I-AA opponent USF faced and their opponents are 18-14 (.563) with the only sub-.500 team being the before-mentioned Tar Heels of North Carolina. Ohio State has faced two .500 teams in Northwestern (4-3) and Purdue (5-2). Eliminate their I-AA opponent and their remaining opponents are 18-23 (.439). Kansas has also faced two .500 teams in Central Michigan (4-3) and Kansas State (4-2). Eliminate their I-AA opponent and their schedule is compiled of teams going a combined 13-20 (.394). Boston College has faced three teams at .500 or greater in Bowling Green (3-3), Georgia Tech (4-3), and Wake Forest (4-2). Eliminate their one I-AA opponent and the remaining opponents are a combined 16-23 (.410). Arizona State has squared off against just two teams that are at .500 or better, in Colorado (4-3) and Oregon State (4-3). ASU is the only remaining unbeaten who has not played against a I-AA opponent. Need I even go into Hawaii's grueling schedule? The Warriors have yet to play a team with a .500 record and they have faced two I-AA teams. Even without including those 14 losses by the two I-AA teams, Hawaii's opponents are 8-25 (.242).

Fact or fiction, there is one standout 1 team. That's entirely fiction, but of the six unbeatens, here's a list of the most to the least deserving of the 1 ranking currently:

1. South Florida
2. Arizona State
3. Ohio State
4. Boston College
5. Kansas
6. Hawaii

Inside the Numbers
-Iowa's 10-6 win over Illinois snapped an 8-game conference losing streak for the Hawkeyes.

-Boise State's 69-67 4OT win over Nevada Sunday night set a Division I-A game record for most points in a game since 1937, when official record keeping began.

-In the game, there were a total of 1,266 yards and 17 touchdowns.

-Nevada's back-up (not for long) quarterback, Colin Kaepernick, finished the game with this line: 11-26 (42.3%) for 243 yards (22.1 ypc and 9.3 ypa), 3 TD and 0 INT, also 14 rushes for 177 yards (12.6 ypc) and 2 TD to generate a total of 420 yards of offense and 5 touchdowns.

-The better known Boise State tailback, Ian Johnson, finished the game with this line: 28 carries for 205 yards (7.3 ypc) and 2 TD, also 4 catches for 51 yards (12.8 ypr) and 1 TD. Total, Johnson generated 256 yards of offense and 3 touchdowns.

Rant of the Week: Playoffs
Need I even rant about this? Let's put it this way. In the debut BCS Poll, the 4 and 5 teams both have a loss, with the 4 ranked team's loss coming this past Saturday! In all likelihood, we're going to have at least one team in the national championship game with a loss.

The past three to four weekends have been insane and that's an understatement. Oklahoma lost to Colorado, USC to Stanford, LSU to Kentucky, California to Oregon State, Rutgers to Maryland, Louisville to Syracuse, Illinois to Iowa, Wisconsin to Illinois, Cincinnati to Louisville, Auburn to Mississippi State, Michigan to Appalachian State, Florida to Auburn, Texas to Kansas State, UCLA to Utah and Notre Dame, and the list continues of big upsets that have transpired this year, many occurring in recent weeks. Every pre-season top ten team has lost at least one game. Whether one wants to admit it or not, parity does exist in college football and is becoming exceedingly prevalent with each progressing year.

The BCS, for the most part, has gotten lucky in past years with the chips magically falling into place for them at the last second, so that a 1 and 2 team could square off in the title game. There was some heated debate last year, though. While Ohio State was a sure-fire bet to be an invite at 12-0, the second team was anything but a certainty. Florida had one loss, that to Auburn. Michigan lost their final game of the regular season, to the Buckeyes. Before their regular season finale loss to UCLA, USC's only loss was to Oregon State. Boise State went undefeated in the WAC (capped by a win over Oklahoma). It may be even worse this year. It's still early, but as I mentioned last week, I can't see a team going undefeated this year. If there's any team that has a chance, it's Ohio State and not because they're the best team, but due to a very weak non-conference schedule and the fact they're playing in the Big Ten, which does not appear as strong as the SEC, Pac-10, Big East, or even Big XII this year. Let's look at all the teams with 0 or 1 loss right now: USC, California, Oregon, Arizona State, South Florida, Cincinnati, West Virginia, Connecticut, Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas Tech, Boston College, Virginia Tech, Virginia, Ohio State, LSU, South Carolina, Kentucky, Hawaii, Boise State, etc. There are 21 teams right there. There could even be an outside scenario where a two-loss team has a shot at making the national championship game. If Florida, for example, runs the table, then it's hypothetically possible, not likely, but possible, especially if we wind up with zero unbeatens at season's end.

With all of this on the table, how can we truly keep telling ourselves that the best way to locate and reward a champion is through a national championship game as opposed to a playoff system? Some analysts complain that if we went to a playoff system, it'd take something away from the regular season games, that each and every game would lose that "must win" luster. I disagree. I'm not talking about a 64 team tournament like in college basketball. What about an 8 or 16 team playoff? With all the parity involved, it'd still be very difficult to lose more than two games and get invited. If the playoff involved just eight teams, much like the current situation, there would be several one-loss teams comprising the brackets. Only in the rarest of circumstances would a two-loss team be invited. But, given the escalating parity, there could be some years when 2 to 3 two-loss teams were invited.

Some also like to make the argument that "the regular season is basically like a playoff and teams are weeded out week by week." What? So, the Ohio State's should ultimately be rewarded for having played: Youngstown State, Akron, and Kent State out of conference, while Virginia Tech gets penalized for having lost an out-of-conference game in Baton Rouge against LSU? They don't do this in any other sport. It's not like the two teams with the best records at the end of the regular season match-up with one another in the Super Bowl, the World Series, or the NBA Finals. Their superior records give them a well-earned home-field/court advantage in the playoffs, but the title isn't just handed to them and we don't decide who the best is through biased polls. It's not like the New York Giants are currently ranked ahead of the New England Patriots in football or even vice versa. There are flaws to the rankings' system in the first place, so to reward just two teams in this flawed system is ridiculous. I'm sorry, but a team facing a I-AA team, two sub-par mid-major opponents, and then a conference schedule which is not as stout as in year's past does not qualify as a playoff. That qualifies as a regular season and if they perform well enough, they will have earned an opportunity to face teams who had similar success throughout the season to find out which team reigns superior in the end.

In the past, I was on the fence about this, because extreme parity had not set in yet and for some reason or another, the BCS had a way of waving their magical wand at the college football landscape and being rewarded with the two best teams at season's end. I have a feeling that's not going to happen anymore and due to that, it's about time we finally alter the post-season landscape in college football.

Top 120 Poll
1. Kansas (6-0): 289.6
2. South Florida (6-0): 288.7
3. LSU (6-1): 287.6
4. Ohio State (7-0): 285.4
5. Arizona State (7-0): 284.7
6. Oklahoma (6-1): 278.5
7. Oregon (5-1): 274.1
8. Boston College (7-0): 269.0
9. Kentucky (6-1): 268.7
10. West Virginia (5-1): 261.6
11. South Carolina (6-1): 256.2
12. Cincinnati (6-1): 255.8
13. Hawaii (7-0): 254.0
14. Missouri (5-1): 253.6
15. Texas Tech (6-1): 251.9
16. Virginia Tech (6-1): 246.1
17. California (5-1): 245.8
18. Auburn (5-2): 244.9
19. Florida (4-2): 244.3
20. Boise State (5-1): 243.1
21. Virginia (6-1): 241.1
22. Connecticut (5-1): 239.1
23. Kansas State (4-2): 234.5
24. Penn State (5-2): 231.6
24. Tennessee (4-2): 231.6
26. Texas (5-2): 230.8
27. USC (5-1): 230.1
28. Georgia (5-2): 227.9
29. Michigan State (5-2): 226.6
30. Illinois (5-2): 226.0
31. Wake Forest (4-2): 221.8
32. Rutgers (4-2): 220.8
33. Texas A&M (5-2): 220.6
34. BYU (4-2): 220.3
35. Michigan (5-2): 220.0
36. Wyoming (4-2): 219.8
37. Alabama (5-2): 218.4
38. Florida State (4-2): 218.1
39. Purdue (5-2): 215.8
40. Indiana (5-2): 214.8
41. Wisconsin (5-2): 212.1
42. Oklahoma State (4-3): 210.0
43. New Mexico (4-2): 209.8
44. Air Force (5-2): 208.3
44. Georgia Tech (4-3): 208.3
46. Colorado (4-3): 207.3
47. Oregon State (4-3): 206.1
48. Maryland (4-2): 203.9
49. Clemson (4-2): 203.4
50. UCLA (4-2): 202.9
51. Navy (4-2): 202.2
52. Tulsa (4-2): 200.3
53. Ball State (4-3): 199.6
54. Nebraska (4-3): 196.2
55. East Carolina (4-3): 195.8
56. Fresno State (4-2): 194.4
57. Arkansas (3-3): 192.1
58. Mississippi State (4-3): 190.4
59. UTEP (4-3): 189.7
60. Louisville (4-3): 188.8
61. Troy (4-2): 188.3
62. Utah (4-3): 186.6
63. TCU (4-3): 185.0
64. Central Michigan (4-3): 178.8
65. Miami (Ohio) (4-3): 177.2
66. Northwestern (4-3): 175.8
67. Washington (2-4): 175.7
68. Miami (Florida) (4-3): 174.9
69. Bowling Green (3-3): 173.7
70. Vanderbilt (3-3): 170.5
71. Central Florida (3-3): 167.1
72. Florida Atlantic (3-3): 166.7
73. Houston (3-3): 165.5
74. Stanford (2-4): 165.4
75. Akron (3-4): 165.1
76. Southern Mississippi (3-3): 157.8
77. Arkansas State (3-3): 156.3
78. Iowa (3-4): 155.9
79. North Carolina (2-5): 154.9
80. Kent State (3-4): 152.5
81. Western Kentucky (3-3): 152.3
82. Buffalo (3-4): 152.2
83. Western Michigan (3-4): 149.6
84. Baylor (3-4): 148.5
85. Pittsburgh (2-4): 147.7
86. Army (3-4): 147.4
87. San Jose State (3-4): 143.5
88. Ohio (3-4): 142.9
89. Mississippi (2-5): 140.4
90. New Mexico State (3-4): 140.2
91. UNLV (2-5): 139.2
92. Louisiana Tech (2-4): 138.1
93. Arizona (2-5): 136.3
94. Nevada (2-4): 135.4
95. Middle Tennessee State (2-5): 133.9
96. Washington State (2-5): 132.9
97. UAB (2-4): 128.4
98. San Diego State (2-4): 127.0
99. Duke (1-6): 124.3
100. Notre Dame (1-6): 120.9
101. Minnesota (1-6): 119.5
102. Temple (2-5): 118.2
103. Toledo (2-5): 111.2
104. North Carolina State (1-5): 108.1
105. Eastern Michigan (2-5): 105.9
106. Louisiana-Monroe (1-5): 103.3
107. SMU (1-5): 100.6
108. Memphis (2-4): 99.8
109. Syracuse (1-6): 95.0
110. Rice (1-5): 89.7
111. Tulane (1-5): 89.2
112. Idaho (1-6): 85.4
113. Iowa State (1-6): 82.6
114. Louisiana-Lafayette (1-6): 81.0
115. Colorado State (0-6): 78.5
117. Northern Illinois (1-6): 68.6
118. North Texas (1-5): 67.9
119. Marshall (0-6): 63.8
120. Florida International (0-6): 62.8

Conference Strength

Mean Power Number
1. SEC: 222.8
2. Big XII: 217.0
3. Big East: 212.2
4. Big Ten: 207.6
5. Pac-10: 205.4
6. ACC: 197.8
7. MWC: 174.9
8. WAC: 156.8
9. Independents: 155.7
10. MAC: 145.8
11. C-USA: 137.3
12. Sun Belt: 120.0

Mean Ranking
1. SEC: 35.3
2. Big XII: 38.1
3. Big East: 41.5
4. Big Ten: 44.3
5. Pac-10: 48.3
6. ACC: 50.4
7. MWC: 65.1
8. WAC: 75.6
9. Independents: 79.5
10. MAC: 83.5
11. C-USA: 86.5
12. Sun Belt: 95.4

Median Power Number
1. Big East: 230.0
2. SEC: 229.8
3. Big XII: 225.7
4. Big Ten: 215.8
5. ACC: 206.1
6. Pac-10: 204.5
7. MWC: 186.6
8. MAC: 152.2
9. Independents: 149.9
10. C-USA: 148.1
11. WAC: 140.2
12. Sun Belt: 118.6

Median Ranking
1. SEC: 26.0
2. Big East: 27.0
3. Big XII: 29.5
4. Big Ten: 39.0
5. ACC: 46.0
6. Pac-10: 48.5
7. MWC: 62.0
8. MAC: 82.0
9. Independents: 83.5
10. C-USA: 86.5
11. WAC: 90.0
12. Sun Belt: 100.5

ACC (12)
8. Boston College (7-0): 269.0
16. Virginia Tech (6-1): 246.1
21. Virginia (6-1): 241.1
31. Wake Forest (4-2): 221.8
38. Florida State (4-2): 218.1
44. Georgia Tech (4-3): 208.3
48. Maryland (4-2): 203.9
49. Clemson (4-2): 203.4
68. Miami (Florida) (4-3): 174.9
79. North Carolina (2-5): 154.9
99. Duke (1-6): 124.3
104. North Carolina State (1-5): 108.1

Mean Power Number: 197.8
Mean Ranking: 50.4
Median Power Number: 206.1
Median Ranking: 46.0

Big East (8)
2. South Florida (6-0): 288.7
10. West Virginia (5-1): 261.6
12. Cincinnati (6-1): 255.8
22. Connecticut (5-1): 239.1
32. Rutgers (4-2): 220.8
60. Louisville (4-3): 188.8
85. Pittsburgh (2-4): 147.7
109. Syracuse (1-6): 95.0

Mean Power Number: 212.2
Mean Ranking: 41.5
Median Power Number: 230.0
Median Ranking: 27.0

Big Ten (11)
4. Ohio State (7-0): 285.4
24. Penn State (5-2): 231.6
29. Michigan State (5-2): 226.6
30. Illinois (5-2): 226.0
35. Michigan (5-2): 220.0
39. Purdue (5-2): 215.8
40. Indiana (5-2): 214.8
41. Wisconsin (5-2): 212.1
66. Northwestern (4-3): 175.8
78. Iowa (3-4): 155.9
101. Minnesota (1-6): 119.5

Mean Power Number: 207.6
Mean Ranking: 44.3
Median Power Number: 215.8
Median Ranking: 39.0

Big XII (12)
1. Kansas (6-0): 289.6
6. Oklahoma (6-1): 278.5
14. Missouri (5-1): 253.6
15. Texas Tech (6-1): 251.9
23. Kansas State (4-2): 234.5
26. Texas (5-2): 230.8
33. Texas A&M (5-2): 220.6
42. Oklahoma State (4-3): 210.0
46. Colorado (4-3): 207.3
54. Nebraska (4-3): 196.2
84. Baylor (3-4): 148.5
113. Iowa State (1-6): 82.6

Mean Power Number: 217.0
Mean Ranking: 38.1
Median Power Number: 225.7
Median Ranking: 29.5

C-USA (12)
52. Tulsa (4-2): 200.3
55. East Carolina (4-3): 195.8
59. UTEP (4-3): 189.7
71. Central Florida (3-3): 167.1
73. Houston (3-3): 165.5
76. Southern Mississippi (3-3): 157.8
97. UAB (2-4): 128.4
107. SMU (1-5): 100.6
108. Memphis (2-4): 99.8
110. Rice (1-5): 89.7
111. Tulane (1-5): 89.2
119. Marshall (0-6): 63.8

Mean Power Number: 137.3
Mean Ranking: 86.5
Median Power Number: 148.1
Median Ranking: 86.5

Independents (4)
51. Navy (4-2): 202.2
81. Western Kentucky (3-3): 152.3
86. Army (3-4): 147.4
100. Notre Dame (1-6): 120.9

Mean Power Number: 155.7
Mean Ranking: 79.5
Median Power Number: 149.9
Median Ranking: 83.5

MAC (13)
53. Ball State (4-3): 199.6
64. Central Michigan (4-3): 178.8
65. Miami (Ohio) (4-3): 177.2
69. Bowling Green (3-3): 173.7
75. Akron (3-4): 165.1
80. Kent State (3-4): 152.5
82. Buffalo (3-4): 152.2
83. Western Michigan (3-4): 149.6
88. Ohio (3-4): 142.9
102. Temple (2-5): 118.2
103. Toledo (2-5): 111.2
105. Eastern Michigan (2-5): 105.9
117. Northern Illinois (1-6): 68.6

Mean Power Number: 145.8
Mean Ranking: 83.5
Median Power Number: 152.2
Median Ranking: 82.0

MWC (9)
34. BYU (4-2): 220.3
36. Wyoming (4-2): 219.8
43. New Mexico (4-2): 209.8
44. Air Force (5-2): 208.3
62. Utah (4-3): 186.6
63. TCU (4-3): 185.0
91. UNLV (2-5): 139.2
98. San Diego State (2-4): 127.0
115. Colorado State (0-6): 78.5

Mean Power Number: 174.9
Mean Ranking 65.1
Median Power Number: 186.6
Median Ranking: 62.0

Pac-10 (10)
5. Arizona State (7-0): 284.7
7. Oregon (5-1): 274.1
17. California (5-1): 245.8
27. USC (5-1): 230.1
47. Oregon State (4-3): 206.1
50. UCLA (4-2): 202.9
67. Washington (2-4): 175.7
74. Stanford (2-4): 165.4
93. Arizona (2-5): 136.3
96. Washington State (2-5): 132.9

Mean Power Number: 205.4
Mean Ranking: 48.3
Median Power Number: 204.5
Median Ranking: 48.5

SEC (12)
3. LSU (6-1): 287.6
9. Kentucky (6-1): 268.7
11. South Carolina (6-1): 256.2
18. Auburn (5-2): 244.9
19. Florida (4-2): 244.3
24. Tennessee (4-2): 231.6
28. Georgia (5-2): 227.9
37. Alabama (5-2): 218.4
57. Arkansas (3-3): 192.1
58. Mississippi State (4-3): 190.4
70. Vanderbilt (3-3): 170.5
89. Mississippi (2-5): 140.4

Mean Power Number: 222.8
Mean Ranking: 35.3
Median Power Number: 229.8
Median Ranking: 26.0

Sun Belt (8)
61. Troy (4-2): 188.3
72. Florida Atlantic (3-3): 166.7
77. Arkansas State (3-3): 156.3
95. Middle Tennessee State (2-5): 133.9
106. Louisiana-Monroe (1-5): 103.3
114. Louisiana-Lafayette (1-6): 81.0
118. North Texas (1-5): 67.9
120. Florida International (0-6): 62.8

Mean Power Number: 120.0
Mean Ranking: 95.4
Median Power Number: 118.6
Median Ranking: 100.5

WAC (9)
13. Hawaii (7-0): 254.0
20. Boise State (5-1): 243.1
56. Fresno State (4-2): 194.4
87. San Jose State (3-4): 143.5
90. New Mexico State (3-4): 140.2
92. Louisiana Tech (2-4): 138.1
94. Nevada (2-4): 135.4
112. Idaho (1-6): 85.4
116. Utah State (0-6): 77.5

Mean Power Number: 156.8
Mean Ranking: 75.6
Median Power Number: 140.2
Median Ranking: 90.0