CFB Week 10 (10/28-11/2) Picks and News

[RJ Esq]

Headlinin': How dare you betray the Buckeyes, Congressman?

from Dr. Saturday - NCAAF - Yahoo! Sports by Matt Hinton

• Ticket-scalping Republican takes a fine. You love the team. On Saturdays, you live for them. But sometimes, you know, you're just not that into it. A MAC team is in town, or you have a wedding to go to. So you unload the tickets. No big deal. Thousands of people haggle, scalp and swap every week outside every stadium in the country, in broad daylight. Of course, most of those people didn't buy the tickets with campaign funds:

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP)—A former state lawmaker who admitted he bought Ohio State football tickets with campaign money and sold them for a personal profit won’t serve any jail time but was ordered to pay a $2,000 fine.A Franklin County judge on Tuesday ordered former state Rep. John Widowfield to pay the fine after Widowfield pleaded guilty to two first degree misdemeanor charges—filing a false financial disclosure statement and converting campaign funds into personal use.
​

Widowfield (who resigned in May, when this story originally broke) earned at least $13,000 from the resale between 2003 and 2006, based on the amount he paid back to his campaign, and reported more than $4,300 for one transaction. That's just not politically tenable in northern Ohio: fiscal impropriety is one thing, but passing up a chance to watch the Buckeyes? For shame, Congressman.
• Godspeed, Patrick Edwards. Marshall moved a half-game ahead of East Carolina for first place in C-USA's East Division Thursday with a dominant first half and three short-field touchdowns in a row in the second half of a 37-23 win over Houston. Unless you're emerging Herd quarterback Mark McCann, though, if you remember this game at all, it's almost certainly going to be for the horrible leg injury to Cougar receiver Patrick Edwards, who ran into an unfortunately-parked cart as he ran out of the end zone on a long incompletion. I'm not the squeamish sort, but let's just say this video goes below the jump for a reason. You have been warned:
... seriously, if the awful fates of the lower limbs of Joe Theissmann, Napoleon McCallum and Tyrone Prothro still make you shiver, just don't click:

<embed class="content-block-fix" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/LHIqls5Fiec&hl=en&fs=1" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="never" wmode="transparent" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="344">Popout​

Houston didn't make any specific accusations or come out with spit flying or anything over the odd position of the cart, but they're not going to let it go, either:

"It was duly noted and I think we’ll save the conversation for another day," [UH athletic director Dave] Maggard said. "I don’t think there is any question that it is a problem. We all noticed it, and we want to find out why something like that would occur. It was a serious injury, no question about it."​

Very serious: a compound fracture that by all appearances will end Edwards' career. That's an amateur opinion, obviously, informed by zero medical training, but with a very acute sense of pain and the appropriate ways for legs and bones to bend. The kid may have a lawsuit on his hands.
• Oh Vidal. It's probably not going to cost him any game time or anything, but even at home, USC's Vidal Hazelton can't avoid the injury bug:

Vidal Hazelton cannot catch a break. He did catch a jam, however. The junior receiver missed practice Tuesday after he said he jammed his toe while chasing down his bulldog Tuesday morning."It's kind of a weird story," said Hazelton, who tore a toenail and struggled to put a shoe on his left foot. "My dog ran into the street and I jammed my toe running to get him. I should be fine to practice tomorrow."
​

It would be funnier for Hazelton if he hadn't gone through a series of nagging injuries -- all properly treated and cared for, of course -- that led Pete Carroll to say, "it's hard to get any continuity with him." Maybe he should invest in a leash.
Quickly ... Of course Georgia's end zone celebration still matters to Florida. . . . Tulane's Andre Anderson, one of the top five statistical runners in the country, will miss the rest of the season with a broken shoulder from Saturday's loss to Rice. . . . LSU quarterback Andrew Hatch may miss the Tigers' date with Tulane as he struggles to recover from a leg injury. . . . Saturday's game-winning field goal by Fresno State's Kevin Goesling might be the best kick of the last three years. . . . Regular starter and obscure Hawaiian fish Kaipo-Noa Kaheaku-Enhada could back in the lineup Saturday for Navy. . . . C.J. Gable would like a few more carries, but that's life as a USC tailback. . . . The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette gets a little dramatic after the Panthers' first Big East loss. . . . And even those of noble blood have to win games sometimes.

 

[RJ Esq]

Morning Coffee Talks Texas Tech Strategery

from Burnt Orange Nation by PB @ BON
If this post usually can be read quickly before launching into the work day, today's might be one your print and save for reading on that long walk over to the coffee shop down the street. What can I say? I'm excited for this game...

Get out your roster cards and pay attention. Big Roy got into the issue of game length (both time and plays run) in yesterday's outstanding Morning Coffee notes, an issue defensive ends coach Oscar Giles spoke to during a Tuesday afternoon presser:

On the importance of depth against Texas Tech: [Sam] Acho, Eddie Jones, Henry Melton, Sergio, Russell Carter - as many guys as we can get in. At the tackle position, we've got Aaron Lewis, Lamarr Houston, Roy Miller, Kheeston Randall - the more the merrier, because it's going to be a long game. It could be a 90-play, 100-play game. We really feel good about our depth there.
On the difficulty of substituting against high-tempo offenses: It's that way week to week. The guys on the field have to do a great job. We've done a great job of conditioning. Our guys are in great shape. We'll get them in. We just have to make sure that the guys in there are doing the job.
​

It's a factor to watch closely--especially late in the game--and Longhorns fans need only look back three weeks for an example of how it can be a decisive one. Crucial to seizing control of the Red River Shootout was the pressure Texas put on Sam Bradford throughout the 4th quarter, when Texas' impressive depth wore down the Sooners' massive offensive line. Though the Red Raiders are well-conditioned, a constant barrage of fresh legs bringing heat from the edges inevitably takes its toll. Healthy, strong contributions from all of the guys Giles named would go a long way towards giving Texas an edge in the home stretch.

Aw, crap. It works both ways. If a swarm of fresh bodies could in theory help Texas' defensive line be a difference-maker down the stretch, we can't ostrich away the Longhorns' own potential fatigue issues. On offense, Greg Davis mentioned banged up players during this week's Film Review, while Big Roy noticed and wrote about apparent Ship-Cosby-OG fatigue. Now, after watching Texas-OSU game tape, Red Raiders blogger Dedfischer includes among his viewing notes:

The Texas defense looks like they’re suffering from "tired" legs in this game.
​

Texas DT Roy Miller and others expressed after Saturday's game that the battle with OSU had been a brutally physical affair, which means that if Dedfischer perceived correctly, Texas' fatigue could well be amplified this coming week against Tech. And even if Texas didn't particularly suffer from tired legs last week, the showdown with the Red Raiders will be the Longhorns' fourth straight tussle with a Top 10 opponent.
The upshot is that Texas may be too worn down itself to accomplish what it did against OU three weeks ago. To be perfectly honest, I feel exhausted as a freaking fan from the last three weeks. How must the team feel? More distressing yet, if Texas' insane stretch of games could be a significant liability come Saturday, consider as a vinegar on the wound, icing on the cake, mixed metaphor cherry on top that Texas Tech enters the game on the heels of a comfortable blowout win over Kansas which allowed them to ease up in the second half. They're as fresh as we are tired.
At least the game is in Austin.

This pass blocking thing turns out to be important. On a more upbeat note, Dedfischer in the same report hit on the Catch-22 of defending Texas this year:

That being said, if we can’t get to McCoy without blitzing, we’re screwed, and I don’t think blitzing is a good idea whatsoever.
​

Though Texas' relative lack of rushing prowess has been the more prevalent topic of discussion (understandable, among a fan base and punditry probing for weaknesses in the nation's top ranked team), the Longhorns' offensive line has developed into one of the nation's finest pass-protecting units.And thus the yet-to-be-solved conundrum for opposing defensive coordinators:

1. Blitzing Colt McCoy and his band of telepathic receivers is a fool's errand.
2. Not getting pressure on Colt McCoy is inviting another Heisman-worthy stat line.
3. Getting through Texas' offensive line and to McCoy without a blitz has proven exceptionally difficult.

Which leaves... what, exactly? Texas' toughest challenger, Oklahoma State, buried the Longhorns' running game and threw everything but the kitchen sink at trying to get to McCoy, but Texas' line held and the Cowboys were shredded by robo-passer. Neither Oklahoma nor Missouri came close to disrupting this hard-to-believe Texas pass attack. Frankly, the Texas passing game to date has been as impossible to stop as the Indianapolis Colts under Peak Peyton Manning or 2007 New England Patriots under Tom Brady. Scoff all you like--I make the comparison firmly pinching my own nose--but the passing game to date truly has been similarly devastating as those two units at their best.
So again: that leaves... what, exactly? Disrupting Peyton-In-His-Prime's Colts most frequently has involved the use of revoltingly athletic NFL athletes in the 3-4 to zone blitz and create maddening dual reads for blockers. Helpful to Tech this week? For many reasons: No. Not only is this way outside what Tech has done or could do, but I don't think Texas would mind one bit sinking into max protect while Colt took turns gobbling up enormous chunks of yards passing just to Jordan Shipley and Quan Cosby.
However, the Patriots' lone loss last year was--at its core--a matter of a good offensive line getting beat by a great defensive line: Because the New York Giants were able to disrupt so frequently Tom Brady with just four down linemen (supplemented only by strategically timed, pick-your-spots blitzing), they had seven defenders free to deal with the pass spread attack. No time to throw deep to Moss + enough defenders to deal with the Patriots' 10-yards-and-under passing game = Success. (This seems the appropriate time to direct you to Chris's outstanding essay "Pass Protection, The Super Bowl, Tom Brady, and The Blind Side" over at Smart Football.)
And there you have it--all those words to confirm Dedfischer's single sentence. Texas Tech features their best defensive end tandem in school history, and it's probable that their success or failure beating Adam Ulatoski and Kyle Hix will be determinative in Texas Tech's defensive success, period. It's that, or blind hope that robo-passer isn't so... robotic.
Of course, though I'd normally try to label such a hope as foolish wishcasting, I'm of the habit of telling people night games in Lubbock are like trips through the Bermuda Triangle. So who the hell knows? Colt could go Rick Ankiel on us Saturday evening and I probably wouldn't blink. I'm prepared for anything.

Aw, crap. It works both ways, Pt 2. If Texas Tech's defensive ends are the key soldiers against Texas' offensive line if the Red Raiders are to slow down the ridiculously efficient passing offense under Colt McCoy, the flip side is that Mike Leach's "Air Raid" offense can and will be equally automatic if Texas' defensive line is insufficiently disruptive.
Today, in 2008, Texas fans' (and players', for that matter) familiarity with the shotgun pass spread attacks which dominate this conference is sufficient to ensure the Red Raiders' offense is no longer some kind of standalone oddity. Even so, Mike Leach's offense is not the pass spread attack that, say, Sam Bradford runs so well. Or what we saw last week from Zac Robinson and OSU. The closest offense to Tech's that the Longhorns have seen in 2008 is that which Gary Pinkel has installed at Missouri, but even that's not the Mike Leach Air Raid that Texas will try to defend on Saturday. For those unfamiliar, let's review some of the basics of the system:

• Wide splits along the offensive line. If you've never watched Tech's offense before, one of the first things you're sure to notice is how much space exists between the offensive linemen. Why do they do it? The Air Raid is predicated on spreading the field and creating exploitable space, which the wide splits serve in several ways.
  
  First, the wide splits push outward the opposing defensive ends. One way to make life harder for Brian Orakpo, for example, is to lengthen the ground he must cover to reach the quarterback. By extending horizontally the offensive line, defensive counterparts must slide out and away from the quarterback, as well.
  
  Second, in making less dense the center of the field, Tech's wide splits on the offensive line allow for less-clustered, simple-to-execute running plays--and in particular the draw. A primarily man blocking scheme, if everyone hits their blocks, the running back will have luscious space in the middle of the field to make yardage.
  
  Third, for the same reasons, the widening of the offensive line also is useful in creating clear passing lanes for the quarterback to throw. Decreasing density = good for finding open windows to pass.
• It only looks hectic. Though the four- and five-receiver sets Tech deploys can make what the offense is doing appear hectic and helter-skelter, in truth the engine of the Air Raid is simplicity. The passing attack relies on the quarterback and his receivers developing exceptional rapport and rhythm by mastering with one another the execution of a handful of core plays. Though within those plays receivers have flexibility--for example, in selecting which route to run based on defensive formation--the entire Mike Leach offensive "play book" could be comfortably diagrammed on one 8x11 sheet of paper. Despite how the offense can appear to the unitiated, the Red Raiders aren't breaking down confused defenses with an impossibly deep exhibition of complex plays. Quite the contrary, they're just absolute masters of a few core concepts.
• Liberal use of screen passes. Hand in hand with the preceding is Tech's robust screen pass game, manifested in numerous ways. Again taking advantage of an extreme spacing and precise timing, Leach's Air Raid attack gets the ball quickly from quarterback to receiver (RB or WRs), who in a typical well-executed screen (1) will already be running at full speed and (2) is either isolated one-on-one with a defender or exploiting a gap in the defense's coverage.

Though a full expose of the Air Raid would entail describing in much greater detail the numerous reads and variations that go into making it a robust offensive attack, it truly is as conceptually simplistic as I've laid it out. At its best, its lethality is derived from the perfect timing and execution its practitioners develop through near-endless repetition in practice. For defenses not accustomed to covering the entire field quite in that way, it's a nightmare to defend, which in part explains why Tech has racked up monstrous point totals in winning 5 of their last 6 bowl games under Leach.
For most of Texas' coaches and upperclassmen, of course, the system will not be novel, and no player on the Longhorns roster was around for the Longhorns' last loss to the Red Raiders back in 2002 (also in Lubbock). Still, it's impossible to ignore how many young players Will Muschamp's secondary depends upon; for guys like Earl Thomas, Blake Gideon, Curtis & Chykie Brown, and Aaron Williams, this year will be their first to defend Leach's Air Raid. Mistakes are inevitable.
I'd argue Texas' defensive success on Saturday most depends on the following:

1. The ability of Texas' defensive backs to keep the criss-crossing, zig-zagging Texas Tech receivers in front of them. That is: Where conceding yardage and first downs is both inevitable and acceptable, letting a 10-yard screen break free to become a 60-yard touchdown is not.
2. The degree of disruption Texas' defensive linemen + Sergio Kindle, Tactical Missile can manage. The truth is: As a senior, Graham Harrell has nearly perfected this offense; he can and often does run the Air Raid at its high-end real world capacity. A sack party isn't in the cards, nor is any kind of statistically impressive smothering of Tech's passing yardage. Success will be a matter of managing the Air Raid, disrupting it enough to prevent its establishing the rhythm which makes it most lethal, and opportunistically making big plays that force a couple-few punts or result in turnover.

Can you tell I'm ready for a football game on Saturday? Yeah.

 

[RJ Esq]

Morning Coffee Talks Texas Tech Strategery

from Burnt Orange Nation by PB @ BON
If this post usually can be read quickly before launching into the work day, today's might be one your print and save for reading on that long walk over to the coffee shop down the street. What can I say? I'm excited for this game...

Get out your roster cards and pay attention. Big Roy got into the issue of game length (both time and plays run) in yesterday's outstanding Morning Coffee notes, an issue defensive ends coach Oscar Giles spoke to during a Tuesday afternoon presser:

On the importance of depth against Texas Tech: [Sam] Acho, Eddie Jones, Henry Melton, Sergio, Russell Carter - as many guys as we can get in. At the tackle position, we've got Aaron Lewis, Lamarr Houston, Roy Miller, Kheeston Randall - the more the merrier, because it's going to be a long game. It could be a 90-play, 100-play game. We really feel good about our depth there.
On the difficulty of substituting against high-tempo offenses: It's that way week to week. The guys on the field have to do a great job. We've done a great job of conditioning. Our guys are in great shape. We'll get them in. We just have to make sure that the guys in there are doing the job.
​

It's a factor to watch closely--especially late in the game--and Longhorns fans need only look back three weeks for an example of how it can be a decisive one. Crucial to seizing control of the Red River Shootout was the pressure Texas put on Sam Bradford throughout the 4th quarter, when Texas' impressive depth wore down the Sooners' massive offensive line. Though the Red Raiders are well-conditioned, a constant barrage of fresh legs bringing heat from the edges inevitably takes its toll. Healthy, strong contributions from all of the guys Giles named would go a long way towards giving Texas an edge in the home stretch.

Aw, crap. It works both ways. If a swarm of fresh bodies could in theory help Texas' defensive line be a difference-maker down the stretch, we can't ostrich away the Longhorns' own potential fatigue issues. On offense, Greg Davis mentioned banged up players during this week's Film Review, while Big Roy noticed and wrote about apparent Ship-Cosby-OG fatigue. Now, after watching Texas-OSU game tape, Red Raiders blogger Dedfischer includes among his viewing notes:

The Texas defense looks like they’re suffering from "tired" legs in this game.
​

Texas DT Roy Miller and others expressed after Saturday's game that the battle with OSU had been a brutally physical affair, which means that if Dedfischer perceived correctly, Texas' fatigue could well be amplified this coming week against Tech. And even if Texas didn't particularly suffer from tired legs last week, the showdown with the Red Raiders will be the Longhorns' fourth straight tussle with a Top 10 opponent.
The upshot is that Texas may be too worn down itself to accomplish what it did against OU three weeks ago. To be perfectly honest, I feel exhausted as a freaking fan from the last three weeks. How must the team feel? More distressing yet, if Texas' insane stretch of games could be a significant liability come Saturday, consider as a vinegar on the wound, icing on the cake, mixed metaphor cherry on top that Texas Tech enters the game on the heels of a comfortable blowout win over Kansas which allowed them to ease up in the second half. They're as fresh as we are tired.
At least the game is in Austin.

This pass blocking thing turns out to be important. On a more upbeat note, Dedfischer in the same report hit on the Catch-22 of defending Texas this year:

That being said, if we can’t get to McCoy without blitzing, we’re screwed, and I don’t think blitzing is a good idea whatsoever.
​

Though Texas' relative lack of rushing prowess has been the more prevalent topic of discussion (understandable, among a fan base and punditry probing for weaknesses in the nation's top ranked team), the Longhorns' offensive line has developed into one of the nation's finest pass-protecting units.And thus the yet-to-be-solved conundrum for opposing defensive coordinators:

1. Blitzing Colt McCoy and his band of telepathic receivers is a fool's errand.
2. Not getting pressure on Colt McCoy is inviting another Heisman-worthy stat line.
3. Getting through Texas' offensive line and to McCoy without a blitz has proven exceptionally difficult.

Which leaves... what, exactly? Texas' toughest challenger, Oklahoma State, buried the Longhorns' running game and threw everything but the kitchen sink at trying to get to McCoy, but Texas' line held and the Cowboys were shredded by robo-passer. Neither Oklahoma nor Missouri came close to disrupting this hard-to-believe Texas pass attack. Frankly, the Texas passing game to date has been as impossible to stop as the Indianapolis Colts under Peak Peyton Manning or 2007 New England Patriots under Tom Brady. Scoff all you like--I make the comparison firmly pinching my own nose--but the passing game to date truly has been similarly devastating as those two units at their best.
So again: that leaves... what, exactly? Disrupting Peyton-In-His-Prime's Colts most frequently has involved the use of revoltingly athletic NFL athletes in the 3-4 to zone blitz and create maddening dual reads for blockers. Helpful to Tech this week? For many reasons: No. Not only is this way outside what Tech has done or could do, but I don't think Texas would mind one bit sinking into max protect while Colt took turns gobbling up enormous chunks of yards passing just to Jordan Shipley and Quan Cosby.
However, the Patriots' lone loss last year was--at its core--a matter of a good offensive line getting beat by a great defensive line: Because the New York Giants were able to disrupt so frequently Tom Brady with just four down linemen (supplemented only by strategically timed, pick-your-spots blitzing), they had seven defenders free to deal with the pass spread attack. No time to throw deep to Moss + enough defenders to deal with the Patriots' 10-yards-and-under passing game = Success. (This seems the appropriate time to direct you to Chris's outstanding essay "Pass Protection, The Super Bowl, Tom Brady, and The Blind Side" over at Smart Football.)
And there you have it--all those words to confirm Dedfischer's single sentence. Texas Tech features their best defensive end tandem in school history, and it's probable that their success or failure beating Adam Ulatoski and Kyle Hix will be determinative in Texas Tech's defensive success, period. It's that, or blind hope that robo-passer isn't so... robotic.
Of course, though I'd normally try to label such a hope as foolish wishcasting, I'm of the habit of telling people night games in Lubbock are like trips through the Bermuda Triangle. So who the hell knows? Colt could go Rick Ankiel on us Saturday evening and I probably wouldn't blink. I'm prepared for anything.

Aw, crap. It works both ways, Pt 2. If Texas Tech's defensive ends are the key soldiers against Texas' offensive line if the Red Raiders are to slow down the ridiculously efficient passing offense under Colt McCoy, the flip side is that Mike Leach's "Air Raid" offense can and will be equally automatic if Texas' defensive line is insufficiently disruptive.
Today, in 2008, Texas fans' (and players', for that matter) familiarity with the shotgun pass spread attacks which dominate this conference is sufficient to ensure the Red Raiders' offense is no longer some kind of standalone oddity. Even so, Mike Leach's offense is not the pass spread attack that, say, Sam Bradford runs so well. Or what we saw last week from Zac Robinson and OSU. The closest offense to Tech's that the Longhorns have seen in 2008 is that which Gary Pinkel has installed at Missouri, but even that's not the Mike Leach Air Raid that Texas will try to defend on Saturday. For those unfamiliar, let's review some of the basics of the system:

• Wide splits along the offensive line. If you've never watched Tech's offense before, one of the first things you're sure to notice is how much space exists between the offensive linemen. Why do they do it? The Air Raid is predicated on spreading the field and creating exploitable space, which the wide splits serve in several ways.
  
  First, the wide splits push outward the opposing defensive ends. One way to make life harder for Brian Orakpo, for example, is to lengthen the ground he must cover to reach the quarterback. By extending horizontally the offensive line, defensive counterparts must slide out and away from the quarterback, as well.
  
  Second, in making less dense the center of the field, Tech's wide splits on the offensive line allow for less-clustered, simple-to-execute running plays--and in particular the draw. A primarily man blocking scheme, if everyone hits their blocks, the running back will have luscious space in the middle of the field to make yardage.
  
  Third, for the same reasons, the widening of the offensive line also is useful in creating clear passing lanes for the quarterback to throw. Decreasing density = good for finding open windows to pass.
• It only looks hectic. Though the four- and five-receiver sets Tech deploys can make what the offense is doing appear hectic and helter-skelter, in truth the engine of the Air Raid is simplicity. The passing attack relies on the quarterback and his receivers developing exceptional rapport and rhythm by mastering with one another the execution of a handful of core plays. Though within those plays receivers have flexibility--for example, in selecting which route to run based on defensive formation--the entire Mike Leach offensive "play book" could be comfortably diagrammed on one 8x11 sheet of paper. Despite how the offense can appear to the unitiated, the Red Raiders aren't breaking down confused defenses with an impossibly deep exhibition of complex plays. Quite the contrary, they're just absolute masters of a few core concepts.
• Liberal use of screen passes. Hand in hand with the preceding is Tech's robust screen pass game, manifested in numerous ways. Again taking advantage of an extreme spacing and precise timing, Leach's Air Raid attack gets the ball quickly from quarterback to receiver (RB or WRs), who in a typical well-executed screen (1) will already be running at full speed and (2) is either isolated one-on-one with a defender or exploiting a gap in the defense's coverage.

Though a full expose of the Air Raid would entail describing in much greater detail the numerous reads and variations that go into making it a robust offensive attack, it truly is as conceptually simplistic as I've laid it out. At its best, its lethality is derived from the perfect timing and execution its practitioners develop through near-endless repetition in practice. For defenses not accustomed to covering the entire field quite in that way, it's a nightmare to defend, which in part explains why Tech has racked up monstrous point totals in winning 5 of their last 6 bowl games under Leach.
For most of Texas' coaches and upperclassmen, of course, the system will not be novel, and no player on the Longhorns roster was around for the Longhorns' last loss to the Red Raiders back in 2002 (also in Lubbock). Still, it's impossible to ignore how many young players Will Muschamp's secondary depends upon; for guys like Earl Thomas, Blake Gideon, Curtis & Chykie Brown, and Aaron Williams, this year will be their first to defend Leach's Air Raid. Mistakes are inevitable.
I'd argue Texas' defensive success on Saturday most depends on the following:

1. The ability of Texas' defensive backs to keep the criss-crossing, zig-zagging Texas Tech receivers in front of them. That is: Where conceding yardage and first downs is both inevitable and acceptable, letting a 10-yard screen break free to become a 60-yard touchdown is not.
2. The degree of disruption Texas' defensive linemen + Sergio Kindle, Tactical Missile can manage. The truth is: As a senior, Graham Harrell has nearly perfected this offense; he can and often does run the Air Raid at its high-end real world capacity. A sack party isn't in the cards, nor is any kind of statistically impressive smothering of Tech's passing yardage. Success will be a matter of managing the Air Raid, disrupting it enough to prevent its establishing the rhythm which makes it most lethal, and opportunistically making big plays that force a couple-few punts or result in turnover.

Can you tell I'm ready for a football game on Saturday? Yeah.

 

[Aztec4Life]

I couldn't resist anymore bro...I just grabbed Texas -3 (-120).

 

[RJ Esq]

Getting off the Texas/TT over. Exposed at 76 with u75' but we'll see.

 

[RJ Esq]

Mark Dantonio shows Mike Gundy how to release press conference rage like a man

from Dr. Saturday - NCAAF - Yahoo! Sports by Matt Hinton

A little background: last week, Michigan State coach Mark Dantonio and East Lansing police confirmed rumors that at least one MSU football player was under investigation for putting a Spartan hockey player in the hospital during a brawl following MSU's home loss to Ohio State (not to be confused with the football-on-hockey violence in Ann Arbor the previous week). No reports of arrests or suspensions have followed, though a couple Spartan players mysteriously weren't in uniform against the Wolverines Saturday. Among them were three players the nearby Oakland Press speculated "may have had something to do with an off-campus incident last weekend." Not to be outdone, the Detroit News' Rob Parker went on local television Sunday night and told thousands of listeners, "A lot of names being mentioned, but the one name being thrown out there big time is backup QB Kirk Cousins ... and uh ... he was a part of the big thing that happened," or something very, very close to that.
There's just one tiny issue: Cousins' parents were in East Lansing , and said Kirk was with his family Saturday night. He went to church with them on Sunday morning. The chief investigator said Cousins wasn't involved in the fight, as far as he was aware. And, by the way, one of the players mentioned by the Oakland Press was out recovering from surgery.
Dantonio, understandably, was not too thrilled at his Tuesday press conference -- but he also refrained (barely, from the looks of it, but successfully) from making an instant YouTube joke out of himself, like certain other coaches upset at the press. This, Mike Gundy, is how you shame the local media like a man:
Lo and behold, the stern but controlled appeal to responsibility worked like a charm:

"I was wrong. I apologize," Parker said of the report. Parker is a sports columnist for The News, but his appearance on WDIV Channel 4 is independent of the newspaper. The information never was published by The Detroit News."I have reached out to the student-athlete's family and apologized. They have accepted. I also apologize to the Michigan State community."
​

Again, the Detroit News would like you to realize that the report was never published in the Detroit News. Just to be clear, the Detroit News did not publish any potentially libelous statements in the print or online editions of the Detroit News. Please do not sue the Detroit News. The true culprits remain at large, and Rob Parker is doggedly pursuing them as we speak.

 

[RJ Esq]

5 Reasons Texas Tech Will Win: Texas Edition

from Double-T Nation by Seth C

<center>

</center>
Reason #1: Dixon And Williams Will Harass McCoy

Okay, I really shouldn't just include McKinner Dixon and Brandon Williams as this is truly going to be a collective effort, but there's no question that both Dixon and Williams are incredibly integral to beating the Longhorns. I don't think it's any secret that the overall depth at defensive end and defensive tackle is as good as it's been at Texas Tech, at least as far as I can remember. Again, I'm not talking about all 4 and 5 star recruits, but there's quality and quantity. In year's past there was a decent drop-off in talent between those guys on the first team and the second unit. Now, I'm not so sure that there's a huge difference. In the top 4 you have B. Williams and Jake Ratliff at DE and Rajon Henley and Colby Whitlock at DT. That's not bad. The only suspect of the group is Ratliff, but he's a decent soldier. Of the second group, there's Dixon and Daniel Howard at DE with Brandon Sesay and Richard Jones at DT. Again, we're not talking about superstars on the second unit but they are more than servicable. With quality depth, with a Texas team that is capable of hanging onto the ball for long sustained drives having guys who are fresh and able to get pressure on McCoy is vital.
Reason #2: It Is No Longer Just Mr. Crabtree's Show

I know I've probably said this for the past two weeks, but it bears repeating, especially after we continue to see different receivers other than Mr. Crabtree make an impact on each game. Last week it was Edward Britton who just ran past the KU defenders for long gains. Britton has been a guy who's largely been forgotten on offense, at least by me. The week before that against the Aggies it was Tramain Swindall (7 catches 101 yards) and Detron Lewis (9 catches 92 yards) who exploited the soft Aggie defense. Against Nebraska it was Crabtree who had 5 catches for 89 yards and 2 TD's. The key of course is that perhaps last year teams were able to key on Crabtree because he was the only true playmaker on offense. It makes the offense much one dimensional when all you have to do is stop one receiver who can break your back. But this year . . . you've got a mix of receivers who are more than capable of beating you with catches over the middle or down the sideline. Teams can't sit on Crabtree because Lewis, Swindall, Britton and Morris can all make plays. Of course the running backs haven't even been mentioned, but of the receivers, Leach made a decision sometime over the summer that he was not going to be completely reliant on just one receiver and thus far, it's paid off nicely.
Reason #3: McBath And Wall Are Ready For The Challenge

I've doubted Jamar Wall since his struggles earlier in the season and I think I may be done doubting him. Although it was tough to tell because of camera angles last week, I think that Jamar Wall is living up to his preseason expectations. It's taken some time, but I think he's turned the corner and he's done an absolutely outstanding job at shutting down opposing receivers. Granted, the Aggie receivers weren't the absolute best, but Kerry Meier and Dezmon Briscoe have had outstanding seasons thus far, were limited to 55 and 70 yards for the day. And Darcel McBath displayed the athleticism that we've seen glimpses of but haven't seen consistently. Last week, after two awful mistakes that resulted in the 2 KU touchdowns, he stepped up and made some huge plays. And they weren't lucky interceptions, they were the type of interceptions where he stepped in front offensive player and made the play.
Reason #4: Harrell Loves His Offensive Line

Harrell loves his offensive line and so do I. The combination of Rylan Reed, Brandon Carter, Stephen Hamby, Louis Vasquez and Marlon Winn have allowed 3 sacks for the entire year and have allowed only 15 (which includes those sacks) tackles for a loss the entire year. As much as we gripe about the offensive line not getting a push on the goal line, and that's true to an extent, this unit is incredibly effective. I think it should also be pointed out that one of the reasons why the run offense struggles to score on running plays along the goal line is because the defending linebackers are filling those large gaps left by the offensive line. In situations where there's more than 10 yards to have to defend the linebackers don't have an easy decision, but when you've got 1 yard, it makes it much easier to commit early to the run. In any event, although the Texas defensive line is the best Texas Tech has seen, I don't think that Muschamp will throw anything out there they haven't already seen before. I'm probably royally jinxing the whole thing, but this unit has been together too long not to be able to make plays and make adjustments throughout the game.
Reason #5: This Team Is Completely Unaffected

I've been thinking about this for quite a while, but just never put keyboard to computer screen. Is it just me, or does this team seem completely unaffected by everthing that should affect a team. And perhaps this is the mark of a good team, but it just seems to me that the Red Raiders just don't get down. If Harrell throws an interception the offense doesn't seem to pout or Harrell hasn't gone into his typical funk. He just goes out there and does it right the next series. If Leach fails at a 4th down call the defense seemingly could care less, they just go out and do whatever it is they have to do. And as much as the defense doesn't want the opposing offense to score, if they do, there's no panic. Leach has put the offense and defense in precarious situations quite often this year and they've responded. Bottom line, this team is as cool as the other side of the pillow and despite the fact that Texas is the best team in the nation, I'm not real sure Texas Tech cares.
Check back tomorrow for "5 Reasons Why Texas Tech Will Lose: Texas Edition".

 

[RJ Esq]

Duke RB Boyette out for year with knee injury

from SI.com - NCAA Football
Read full story for latest details.

 

[RJ Esq]

ACC Championship Roulette: The inscrutable rise of Virginia

from Dr. Saturday - NCAAF - Yahoo! Sports by Matt Hinton
Round and round she goes, where the ball stops, nobody knows ...

This Week's Bet: Virginia. We're so far into the twilight zone here, when I first debuted this feature, the notion of the Cavs ever appearing was so ludicrous I didn't even think to include them on the board. UVA's incredible appearance in sole possession of first place in the Coastal Division after Saturday's win over North Carolina is the equivalent of the roulette ball skipping off the table, rolling off the edge of the balcony and onto a pool table below at the perfect instant to be shot across the room into a woman's drink, which splashes all over her, causing her to storm upstairs to confront the rogues at the roulette table, one of whom notes that the woman's dress is red, and he called red, whereby they go moon-eyed over the symbolism, fall madly in love and live happily ever after on the inheritance from her billionaire father. Virginia in first place is like that, only slightly less likely.

Let 'em Ride. A four-game winning streak is a four-game winning streak, but the last month is like a miracle streak: outside of the losses to the Cavs, Maryland, East Carolina, North Carolina and Georgia Tech are 22-5. That holds up to almost any run this side of Texas' ongoing gauntlet through the top-10. The most obvious difference from the flailing 1-3 start is the full-time deployment of Cedric Peerman, who had 20 mostly nondescript carries in the first three games and missed the 31-3 disaster at Duke, but since has at least 20 touches in each of the four wins and well over 100 yards in three of them.
Bet the Field. This is still the team that lost by five touchdowns at UConn and four touchdowns at Duke. Never forget. And while sophomore quarterback Marc Verica has been a surprising step up from booted Peter Lalich since a disastrous, four-interception afternoon against the Blue Devils, he's still in a role most of the time designed to keep him from doing something horrible. Again: a four-touchdown loss to Duke. The return of the Evil Cavs can never be more than a fumble or two away.
Payout. 30-to-1. I'm betting against the lack of playmaking talent on offense, uneasily. This team looks now about like last year's version, which was mathematically alive for the Coastal title all year but never seemed like a serious contender to actually win it as long as Virginia Tech was waiting at the end of the schedule. The Hokies aren't looking as formidable, but I don't see anything these bland Cavs have that those bland Cavs didn't. Except that quintessential blandness, of course, that makes continuing the streak through Miami, Wake Forest and Clemson seem impossible, and all predictions to the contrary worthless.
Previously on ACC Championship Roulette: North Carolina, Virginia Tech, Maryland, Wake Forest, Virginia Tech again and Georgia Tech. They're 2-4 the week after appearing here.

 

[RJ Esq]

Adding:

Minny -6' (-110)

 

[Administrator]

on tamu as well, bro.

interesting about that hova. on TT, but might take another look at that.

 

[RJ Esq]

Staying away from that total. I have a feeling it actually stays under. Total is high as shit.

I actually like Texas a little bit at 4 but want to get 3. Texas wins this game. Only question is if TT stays in the number.

 

[horses]

I actually like Texas a little bit at 4 but want to get 3. Texas wins this game. Only question is if TT stays in the number.

RJ,

If you think UT will win the game, at this short of a number, you have to like Texas with all the points that are sure to be scored. Very unlikely Texas Tech loses and gets inside the number in my opinion. Understand you waiting for 3 though if that's the way you think it's headed.

Good luck.

 

[RJ Esq]

I actually like Texas a little bit at 4 but want to get 3. Texas wins this game. Only question is if TT stays in the number.

RJ,

If you think UT will win the game, at this short of a number, you have to like Texas with all the points that are sure to be scored. Very unlikely Texas Tech loses and gets inside the number in my opinion. Understand you waiting for 3 though if that's the way you think it's headed.

Good luck.

I'll play 4 but I want 3 if it's headed that way.

 

[OrangeLover]

I'm with you. I think that it really won't be that close, but if the line keeps trending our way, why hurry?!

Unless Texas has a horrible night and everything goes wrong, this really shouldn't be that close. I see a double digit UT win.

 

[Timh]

Good grab on Minny at 6.5. I was waiting on Bacher info and now it looks like he has been downgraded to doubtful but I couldn't get it before it went to 7. Question for you on your Horns. It would seem to be me that they way they would want to play TT would be press coverage and bumping them off their routes to try and disrupt the timing on the slant routes and quick outs that Harrell throws off the 3 step drops. Does Texas have enough healthy secondary guys that can play this type of coverage effectively? Also, do you think they may consider trying to blitz a little bit off the edge to try and get a little disruption in the passing lane of Harrell on some of those slants. Kind of a guessing game there, but I think that may be more effective than conventional pass rush from their down lineman who may not have time to make much of an impact given Harrell's quick release.

 

[RJ Esq]

Tim:

I'm not sure how Texas is going to play this. If I were Muschamp I'd leave Blake Gideon in at safety and drop Earl Thomas into dime coverage the whole time. I'd also leave Muck and Norton as the LBs and line up 3 DEs along the line (Houston, Orakpo, and Kindle) with Roy Miller playing DT.

 

[RJ Esq]

Something's got to give on sack stats

from Bevo Beat

Something’s got to give when the Texas pass rush takes on the Texas Tech offensive line.
Tech is No. 2 in the nation in protecting the quarterback, giving up just three sacks. Texas is No. 2 in the nation at getting to the quarterback, with 29 sacks.
The Longhorns registered five sacks a week ago against an Oklahoma State team that had allowed just five in its first seven games. Texas defenders pressured Zac Robinson four other times and totaled 12 hits on the OSU quarterback.
“We did put more pressure on the passer than anybody’s been able to do all year,” Texas coach Mack Brown said.
Texas defensive coordinator Will Muschamp was asked whether he would need to concede the fact that his line won’t be able to get to Graham Harrell this week and just drop more defenders back into pass coverage.
“We don’t concede a whole lot,” Muschamp replied.

 

[RJ Esq]

Palmer hailed as the glue of the Texas secondary

from Bevo Beat

Texas’ young secondary has passed the big tests so far in this crash course of a football season they signed up for. On Saturday comes the biggest test for any secondary — Graham Harrell and his Texas Tech receivers.
Of the 10 players on Texas’ two-deep chart in the secondary, eight are freshmen are sophomores. Junior Deon Beasley and senior Ryan Palmer are the old men of the group, and Texas defensive coordinator Will Muschamp was quick to praise Palmer for being the glue of that secondary.
“I don’t think there’s any question he’s been a great leader for us this year, for that group. He really has given those kids some good insight heading into games,” Muschamp said. “His play has spoken volumes more off the field as far as how he’s helped those kids. I’m really proud of how he’s handled himself this year.
“He provides a little bit of a calming effect on the rest of the secondary. Generally, seniors will tell you what we can handle and what we can’t. Young players will tell you they can handle everything just because they don’t want to disappoint. Ryan is a real honest kid. When we talk about doing some different things or making a change coverage-wise, Duane and I tend to ask him about it to make sure that’s something we can handle.”
Young or old, Texas will go deep at defensive back this week, nickel and diming Tech at every opportunity.
“We’ll play some six DBs this week. We’ll play some five,” Muschamp said. “(We’ll) get … the most speed on the field and make sure we’re still able to play the runs well.”

 

[RJ Esq]

Headlinin': Wolverine D achieves history, in its own way

from Dr. Saturday - NCAAF - Yahoo! Sports by Matt Hinton

• Getting worse -- way, way worse -- before it gets better. Not to put too fine a point on it, but the Ann Arbor News was just wondering: is this the worst Michigan defense of all time?

Despite returning eight starters from last year, the Wolverines are allowing more points per game than any other team in 129 seasons of Michigan football.Notre Dame and Michigan State each scored 35 while beating the Wolverines. Illinois poured on 45 and Penn State did the Fighting Illini one better, scoring 46.
On average, opponents are putting up 28.8 points against the Wolverines this season, a number five points higher than the existing record, set during 1962's 2-7 campaign.
​

If you exclude MAC patsies -- even the one that beat Michigan, Toledo, which scored its only touchdown on an interception return -- the Wolverines are giving up just over 35 points per game. This is probably more depressing to Blue partisans than the offense, currently toiling at dead last in the Big Ten in yards and scoring, because the offense was supposed to be bad -- it had one returning starter and relied primarily on freshmen at literally every skill position. The defense, though, can hardly claim "growing pains" with that much experience on hand. MGoBlog reviews every play and blames it on the linebackers. And the safeties. And, increasingly, the coordinator. So if Scott Shafer completely changes his approach and find solutions at every position, they'll be ... fine?
• Every week's a challenge. Speaking of statistics: Washington is without its only star player, Jake Locker, and coming off possibly the single worst performance of the Ty Willingham era, in which the Husies were shut out and failed to gain more than nine yards on any play until well into fourth quarter garbage time. So how does the nation's top-ranked scoring and total defense go about preparing for the 117-ranked total offense, at home? Focusing on the numbers, of course:

Coach Pete Carroll and his defensive staff have latched onto the Huskies' 47.6% third-down success rate. It's one of the few informational tidbits available to challenge a Trojans team that enters Saturday's game at the Coliseum favored by more than 40 points."They let us know they're No. 1 in the Pac-10," defensive end Kyle Moore said after practice on Wednesday. "You've got to go out and put some pressure on and tear that stat up."
​

Of course, USC is No. 1 in the Pac-10 in third down defense, like it's No. 1 in the conference (and top-10 nationally) in every conceivable defensive stat after giving up 20 total points with two shutouts in four games in the month of October. Are these guys ever going to catch a break on this schedule?

• Felony roundup. You might remember ... okay, wait, there is no way you remember a campus break-in at Virginia last winter. There's a chance even UVA fullback RaShawn Jackson doesn't remember it, either, although he was charged with breaking and entering and grand larceny this week for breaking into dormitory last November. Jackson turned himself in Tuesday, but there's no word on his status on the team, or why it took nearly a year to bring charges.
In other arrest news, Southern Miss receiver Torris Magee wasn't technically a member of the team when he was arrested for burglary last weekend -- he quit the day before. I have personal interest here not only because Magee's freshman season in '07 put him on pace to become the best receiver at my alma mater in a decade, but I'm pretty sure I know the 38th Street house he's accused of breaking into in Hattiesburg. There is no chance there was anything therein worth throwing away part of your future on, but if I'm right, good to see the old girl still standing after the epic "Eviction Party" of my second senior year. May disoriented young men light their arms on fire in its front yard forever.
Quickly ... Tommy Bowden makes an appearance at Clemson's facilities, briefly. . . . Georgia Tech may move national interception leader Morgan Burnett from safety to cornerback to replace injured Jahi Word-Daniels. . . . Texas Tech's unlikely kicker was 9-of-9 on PATs again Kansas and kicks in Lubbock for the first time Saturday. The first time in pads, anyway. . . . Kentucky quarterback Mike Hartline apologized to his teammates for saying some of them "weren't performing the way they should" before his demotion. . . . Louisville receiver Scott Long, a few days after starring in the Cards' upset of South Florida, is out for the season with a knee injury suffered in practice. . . . Pitt's concerned about Notre Dame's no-huddle success. . . . The South Carolina press is not very appreciative of contract extensions to the Gamecocks' coordinators. . . . And South Florida has finished in the top-10 in penalties every year since 2000. Good thing penalties don't matter.

 

[RJ Esq]

5 Reasons Texas Tech Will Lose: Texas Edition

from Double-T Nation by Seth C

<center>

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Reason #1: Another Outstanding Big 12 QB, Colt McCoy

I'm really tired of talking about how great each team in the Big 12 have it in terms of quarterbacking (excluding Colorado of course . . . sorry Dan). It's getting a little ridiculous, but in this case, we may be talking about the best player in the country. Thus far, no team has found an answer to stop McCoy. I've only watched McCoy on a limited basis, but the thing that jumps out at me is what we've been saying at Texas Tech for a long time. McCoy is winning without the best talent at running back or receiver (Shipley and Cosby are no slouches, but I think Texas has had much more talented receivers), and perhaps McCoy's greatest attribute is his patience and his ability to strike if opportunity knocks. If you haven't looked, McCoy is averaging 9.4 yards for every passing attempt, and as better than Harrell's 8.5 yards per passing attempt. That's just outstanding and one of the indicators that McCoy is having a great season. I haven't even mentioned the fact that McCoy is a quarterback who doesn't mind tucking the ball and running, although he's been less successful as of late, that doesn't mean that he can't have a big night on Saturday.
Reason #2: Can Pressure the QB

Nothing would make me happier on Saturday than to go an entire game with Harrell Texas not laying a finger on Harrell, but that ain't going to happen. Texas is ranked 2nd in the nation in sacks per game with 3.63 and Brian Okakpo already has with 8.5 sacks and 12 TFL's. And I haven't forgotten about Roy Miller (27 tackles; 4 TFL), Henry Melton (15 tackles; 3.5 sacks; 4 TFL) and Lamarr Houston (18 tackles; 1 sack; 5.5 TFL) who have done an outstanding job at stuffing the run and making plays. The thing that bothers me the most about Orakpu is his speed and I think Rylan Reed is recovered from his ankle injury last year, I'm not sold that he's 100%, or he has the full flexability to block rushers like Orakpo, who have a good combination of size and speed.
Reason #3: Shipley and Cosby Are To Be Respected

I really didn't think that Jordan Shipley and Quan Cosby (who coincidentally I met right after he signed his baseball contract -- good guy) had this in them. I never thought they they were 1A and 1B receivers, but they sure as hell are. Shipley and Cosby have combined for 54% of UT's passes thus far and are far and away the two most dangerous receiving threats for Texas. Both are averaging over 12 yards a reception, which means that they aren't just catching short passes, they are getting vertical, which has been one of Texas Tech's problems, allowing receivers to split the safeties and get behind them. We saw this last week against Kansas, and since I think Shipley and Cosby are more talented that Briscoe and Meier, this could be a dangerous combination for the Longhorns.
Reason #4: If It's Close

Rather than talk about the struggles that Texas Tech has had in the kicking game (we've done that quite a bit here at DTN) I thought that if this game gets close, then Texas has the decided edge in field goal kickers. Hunter Lawrence has made 43 of 43 of his extra points and connected on all 7 of his field goals. Of course Lawrence hasn't been needed against Missouri and Oklahoma State, but was 3 for 3 against Oklahoma. The only slight caveat is that this is Lawrences first year kicking field goals and perhaps a hostile crowd intimidates him a bit. If this game gets down to a field goal, I'd feel much better (no, I'd feel much, much, much better) with Lawrence kicking field goals over anything Texas Tech has had to run out to date.
Reason #5: Linebackers That Can Fill Gaps

Last week against Kansas on one of the goal line dives by Shannon Woods, he was absolutely blasted by a linebacker coming in and filling the gap left by a couple of Texas Tech offensive linemen. This is one of Texas Tech's biggest problem on offense which is the ability of the Texas linebackers to fill those gaps quickly and snuff out the vaunted Texas Tech running game. Not to mention, Sergio Kindle (30 tackles; 6 sacks; 7 TFL) is a playmaker and that bothers me to no end.

 

[RJ Esq]

Tulsa's dreams on the BCS fringe hinge on Malzahn's Revenge

from Dr. Saturday - NCAAF - Yahoo! Sports by Matt Hinton

Saturdays' game at Arkansas is the biggest of Tulsa's season for a lot of tangible reasons, not least of which is preserving the Hurricane's perfect season and giving it an SEC hide to present to the impressionable gatekeepers of the BCS. But the personal stuff, of course, is vastly more interesting, and whatever he says about it, it doesn't get much more personal than offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn's return trip to Fayetteville. Malzahn, you might recall, is the ex-Razorback and Arkansas high school coaching legend who literally wrote the book on relentlessly up-tempo, prolific spread offense. He followed golden child quarterback Mitch Mustain to a plum coordinator job on Houston Nutt's staff in 2006, where Malzahn's dizzying passing philosophy was promptly shelved in favor of a showcasing the barely human talents of Darren McFadden and Felix Jones. The chaotic, endlessly entertaining rift that formed as the Hogs forsook the promise of the spread was at the core of the reaction that led to Nutt's eventual ouster -- parents of Malzahn's Springdale High clan chided the boss for leaning on the run, protegés Mustain and Damien Williams bailed on their backyard for USC, and Malzahn wound up taking his mad scientist routine across the state line, where defensive-minded Tulsa boss Todd Graham would never ask him to take his foot off the gas.
Aside from Oklahoma last September, no defense has slowed Tulsa's point-a-minute assault since: TU hasn't been held under 37 points this year and leads the nation in total yards for the second year in a row. It's exactly what Malzahn delivered in the high school ranks, and (in Conference USA, anyway) everything the pro-Gus faction of Hog Heads dreamed it could be, and more:
Score 49 points in a half!

<embed class="content-block-fix" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/ElTVY_N5r5w&hl=en&fs=1" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="never" wmode="transparent" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="344">Popout​

4th-and-21? No problem!

<embed class="content-block-fix" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/1jW1eln5ZYo&hl=en&fs=1" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="never" wmode="transparent" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="344">Popout​

Rain touchdown after touchdown on some of the worst defenses in America!

<embed class="content-block-fix" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/pRbsxOuEvkU&hl=en&fs=1" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="never" wmode="transparent" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="344">Popout​

True, Tulsa's schedule is a sick joke, one of the weakest ever conceived, as you probably guessed by the fact that very meh Arkansas is by far the highlight of the season. Only one of the Hurricanes' first eight victims, Rice, is currently over .500, and the Owls are one of five defenses Tulsa has faced ranked 100th or worse in total and scoring defense, not including Central Arkansas, which is "reclassifying" this year into the FCS/I-AA and doesn't even have official stats as far as the NCAA is concerned.
Given the ignominy of a slate like that, at least the Hurricane are dominating their rock-bottom opposition by the wide, wide margins you'd expect, even compared to other offenses that spend their time exploiting the weak and stupid:

Tulsa offense vs. opponents' defensive averages

Those percentages are a little low, actually, because the averages they're competing against include the damage done by Tulsa. If they hold up, based on Arkansas' averages to date, Malzahn and Co. will put up around 500 yards and 54 points Saturday, and that's exactly what the Hurricane need. If Tulsa has any chance whatsoever to worm its way into the BCS consciousness, it needs the same kind of effort against one of the weaker outfits the SEC has to offer, not just to beat the Hogs, but convincingly hang their usual glut on the board, the same way Texas (52 points), Alabama (49) and Florida (38) did in the three-week span that confirmed the Razorbacks' hopelessness against the kind of competition Tulsa would like to join. Even Auburn scored 22 against Arkansas a few days after the Tigers canned their ineffectual offensive coordinator. If Tulsa can't do substantially better than that against the country's 102nd-ranked scoring defense, forever a niche freak show the Hurricane will remain.

 

[RJ Esq]

ViAggieRa

from The Wiz of Odds by Jay Christensen
<embed class="content-block-fix" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="never" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/zYjysMpALyk&hl=en&fs=1&color1=0x5d1719&color2=0xcd311b" wmode="transparent" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="479" height="389">Popout
The latest video offering from Aggie Report.com.

 

[RJ Esq]

Morning Coffee Wonders What The National Punditry Is Smoking

from Burnt Orange Nation by GhostofBigRoy

Gary Danielson goes Schlabach on Colt McCoy. Apparently, being no. 1 means the national punditry makes ill-considered statements about that football team. In a word, goes all Schlabach on you, while slobbering all over Georgia's Matthew Stafford. Take it away Gary Danielson (and remember, as a CBS analyst, he knows good offenses):

I'll take Stafford [over Colt McCoy]. He's a 235-pound player; more of a pro. If Stafford played in one of those junk offenses, he'd be putting up numbers just like McCoy. I think he's more the pro body-type, he's more Matt Ryan. I think he's just a brilliant football player, I really do. He's gonna be an NFL franchise quarterback.
​

It's certainly true that Stafford has the type of arm that scouts drool over and McCoy doesn't. But beyond that debate, Texas runs a junk offense? What makes it a junk offense, Danielson? Because McCoy is on pace to shatter completion percentage records in the NCAA? If it's such a junk offense, why has no one figured out how to stop it yet? Wanna see a junk offense? Go watch Auburn play. I don't think Matthew Stafford could complete 80% of his passes against air. Gary Danielson, you, sir, are a moron. Go start a club with Schlabach.

Do good teams squeak by the Huskers at home? Tip of the hat to texascfo for bringing attention to this, as Nebraska controlled the clock in their game against Tech in a manner reminiscent of the Texas/Texas Tech game last year. Nebraska held the ball for more than 40 minutes, while holding Tech to 16 first downs and under 300 yards passing. Tech won the game with an interception in overtime, but the blueprint Nebraska used is similar to the blueprint for Texas success mentioned in Morning Coffee on Tuesday. Most relevant to the Longhorns, Nebraska controlled the clock passing the ball (357 yards), rather than running 60+ times (35 for 114) as the Longhorns did last season against Tech. It's no secret the Longhorns will try to control the clock, and if Nebraska can take Tech down to the wire in Lubbock with maybe one player (Marlon Lucky) who would compete for a starting job at Texas, there's no reason to think the Longhorns can't do the same and better on Saturday.

Respect Rak. Tech bloggers are remarkably unconcerned about slowing down Brian Orakpo, quite possibly the best defense end in the country and currently ranked 7th on SI's draft board (h/t jc25). Unlike the second ranked defensive end, Michael Johnson, playing the run is not a liability for Orakpo, who has 12 tackles for loss on the season. Dedfischer concedes that point, but calls Orakpo "primarily a bull rusher" and believes that the immensely strong Rylan Reed will neutralize the strength of Orakpo. Perhaps he is forgetting that Orakpo runs a 4.6 40 and has run by nearly every left tackle he's faced this season. For some reason, Orakpo's destruction of Phil Loadholt is dismissed as irrelevant, even though Reed and Loadholt are of similar size and strength. As way of anecdotal argument, I recall a shot from the Missouri broadcast from behind their offensive line showing Orakpo shifting quickly to left in a four-point stance before blasting through the Missouri split. That would be a display of quickness, not bullrushing. I don't care if you can bench press a Buick, it won't help you stop Orakpo charging through a split in the offensive line.

Blitz at your own peril. Despite an overwhelming lack of success, teams continue to blitz the Texas offense. Seems suicidal doens't it? PB has you covered on the problem opposing defensive coordinators face:

• Blitzing Colt McCoy and his band of telepathic receivers is a fool's errand.
• Not getting pressure on Colt McCoy is inviting another Heisman-worthy stat line.
• Getting through Texas' offensive line and to McCoy without a blitz has proven exceptionally difficult.

​

With the Texas offensive line and running backs picking up blitzes in pass protection, Colt McCoy is often finding the middle of the field wide open. Think the long Brandon Collins catch-and-run against Missouri. Pressuring Quan Cosby in man coverage has often resulted in Cosby shedding defenders with quick moves. Zone defenses aren't working. Amazingly enough, Texas Tech actually has some talented defensive ends this year who may be able to get pressure on Colt McCoy without having to resort to blitzes, but I wonder if there isn't another solution.
Bill Belichick has long given opposing offenses fits by only rushing three defenders, while dropping eight into coverage. The Longhorns haven't seen that look yet this year, but McCoy has been picking apart blitzes and conventional coverages with equal efficiency, so it makes sense to try to further squeeze the already small windows into which McCoy often fits passes. Dropping eight into coverage could force the Longhorns to become more vertical in the passing game, which they have been reticent to explore since McCoy doesn't have the arm or release point to consistently make those throws. Not to mention the fact they don't have to make those throws with shorter passes open consistently. The issue with dropping so many defenders? Quan Cosby and Jordan Shipley use their bodies so well to shield defenders while elevating in traffic that nearly perfect coverage often results in completions for the Longhorns. Amazing how hard it is to defend the "junk offense" Texas runs, isn't it?

It's good to be king. For the third week, the Longhorns sit on top of the college football world. But are Texas fans enjoying it? With another huge game looming against Texas Tech, the Longhorn faithful are holding their collective breath for the third week in a row, waiting for the football team to substantiate their belief or for their dream of another national championship to come crashing down. But isn't that attitude way too pessimistic, too fatalistic? What's the point of being on top if you can't enjoy it? Penn State fans are writing "Texas Hate Manuals" and hoping the Longhorns fall, because hoping for other teams to lose is the only chance they have to sneak into the national championship game. Instead of controlling their own destiny, they have to rely on other teams for help. Fellow Longhorn fans, let's take the next two days to enjoy the view from the pinnacle of college football and revel in this football team, that was never supposed to be in this position. My friends, while we all love putting two fingers in the air, glory in being the only fanbase that can put a solitary index finger in the air with any truthfulness.

 

[Aztec4Life]

ViAggieRa

from The Wiz of Odds by Jay Christensen
<EMBED class=content-block-fix src=http://www.youtube.com/v/zYjysMpALyk&hl=en&fs=1&color1=0x5d1719&color2=0xcd311b width=479 height=389 type=application/x-shockwave-flash wmode="transparent" allowscriptaccess="never" allowfullscreen="true">Popout
The latest video offering from Aggie Report.com.

:seeya:

 

[RJ Esq]

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[RJ Esq]

The 40/25 Clock's Impact on Scoring

from The Wiz of Odds by Jay Christensen

What's the scoop on scoring? With the number of plays reduced in 2008 by 6.22% — likely from the 40/25 second clock rules — scoring has decreased by 5.97%, according to Marty Couvillion of cfbstats.com.
The Football Rules Committee's tinkering with clock rules has had a yo-yo effect on scoring the past four seasons. In 2005, the average number of points in a game was 52.61. In 2006, the 3-2-5e rule drastically reduced plays and times of games. It also cut scoring to 47.53.
In 2007, 3-2-5e was abolished and scoring skyrocketed to 55.37. So did the number of plays and length of games.
That brings us to 2008, with scoring standing at 52.06, nearly matching the 2005 levels. An interesting note: The number of plays are down 6.21 from 2005, meaning teams are doing more with less in 2008.
Marty's weekly look at the average number of plays and time of a game for the past four seasons, plus the Week 9 numbers. Another note: Oklahoma was involved in the longest game of the week, which is the third time the Sooners have garnered such honors (weeks 1, 8 and 9):
G Plays/G Time/G
2005 717 140.71 3:21
2006 792 127.53 3:07
2007 792 143.43 3:23
2008 509 134.50 3:10
Wk 9 49 133.32 3:08
The longest games of Week 9:
Oklahoma-Kansas State: 3:43
Cincinnati-Connecticut: 3:37
Boise State-San Jose State: 3:35
Georgia-Louisiana State: 3:35
UCLA-California: 3:33
Baylor-Nebraska: 3:30
Rutgers-Pittsburgh: 3:27
Nevada-Hawaii: 3:23
The shortest games of Week 9:
New Mexico-Air Force: 2:39
Bowling Green-Northern Illinois: 2:42
Wyoming-Texas Christian: 2:43
Southern Methodist-Navy: 2:43
Rice-Tulane: 2:51
Auburn-West Virginia: 2:52
New Mexico State-Idaho: 2:53

 

[RJ Esq]

The Wannabe Wagerer: How do you follow perfection? Just keep betting against Tennessee.

from Dr. Saturday - NCAAF - Yahoo! Sports by Doug Gillett
Hey Jenny Slater's Doug Gillett offers betting advice without bias, malice, or credibility. Or, you know, money.I try to be a pretty humble guy in most things, and there was a time in my life when, had I gone 4-0 in a picks column on a prominent blog one week, I would’ve simply kept quiet, allowed people to notice it on their own, and sat back to bask in the “Hey, nice picks last week” accolades. Well, I’m not that kind of guy anymore:

This week, though, I’m reacting to that success by going a little conservative on the wagers, like most coaches would do in my situation -- well, except Les Miles, but he’s now had 50 points hung on him twice this season, so I’m not exactly using him as my model for success. Onward:
The Pick: SOUTH CAROLINA (-6) vs. Tennessee
I'm Willing to Bet: Ten dozen Krispy Kreme donuts
Approximate Value: $73.58
I've heard a few different takes on the “relationship,” such as it is, between Steve Spurrier and Phil Fulmer. A couple of people have told me the two are fairly cordial; others say Spurrier really does hate Fulmer every bit as much as his classic “can't spell 'Citrus' without 'UT'” jabs would seem to indicate. Whatever the case, Spurrier’s still a hypercompetitive ol’ bastard who'd love nothing more than to shovel the final bit of dirt on the Fulmer era in Knoxville.
Of course, any effort Spurrier could contribute would pale in comparison to the damage already done by the Volunteer offense, which has been held to two touchdowns or less in five of eight games this season and held to single digits twice. If you figure that the Gamecock defense is solid enough to clear that bar -- and, at fourth in the nation in total yards allowed, it has been so far -- then Carolina only needs to get to 20 points to cover a six-point spread at Williams-Brice. Despite Spurrier’s obligatory grousing over his quarterbacks, they'll get there. Hopefully a bracing dose of Fulmer’s favorite comfort food will soothe Vol Nation as their season takes one more circle around the drain.
The Pick: AIR FORCE (-10) at Army
I'm Willing to Bet: Air Force HGU-33/P single visor flight helmet and MBU/12P oxygen mask.
Approximate Value: $500 on eBay.
Over the past decade, watching the three D-I service academies has been sort of like listening to the old “One of These Things Is Not Like the Other” song from Sesame Street. From 1998 to 2007, the fightin' men combined for 11 winning seasons and nine bowl bids, and Army didn't contribute any of them. In that span, the Black Knights have only three wins against their fellow academies, and only one against Air Force (in 2005); their losses in the other nine games have come by an average of three touchdowns.
Football is no less cyclical than anything else in life, and the law of averages (or maybe the law of an infinite number of monkeys with an infinite number of typewriters) decrees that someday Army will be good again. It just ain't gonna be this year. Last month, the Falcons beat Houston without completing a single pass; maybe this weekend they won't even bother attempting one, which certainly worked like gangbusters for Navy last week against SMU. Either way, the Falcons have more than enough firepower to win by double digits up in West Point, though the Black Knights will still come out of it in better shape than, say, the Iraqi Air Force.

The Pick: MINNESOTA(-5.5) vs. Northwestern
I'm Willing to Bet: Four tickets to a live performance of A Prairie Home Companion at The Town Hall in New York City
Approximate Value: $266
The resurgences of egghead schools like Vandy and Northwestern made for some nice copy for a while, but the most amazing turnaround story in the country is happening at Minnesota, where second-year coach Tim Brewster has the Gophers at 7-1 after a horrendous, 1-11 rookie season. Not only that, but the cover-your-eyes defense that finished dead last in the country in ’07 is actually stopping people: They’re allowing just 17 points on average and have held three opponents to single digits.
Northwestern will be a tougher out than, say, Florida Atlantic or Montana State, but not nearly as tough as it would’ve been before the Wildcats lost game-breaking tailback Tyrell Sutton for the rest of the year with a wrist injury. The Minnesota D, currently 19th in Division I-A with 22 sacks on the year, will key in on C.J. Bacher and lead the team to another victory in the Metrodome, with the Gophers covering five and a half in the process. It’ll be the kind of performance that makes Garrison Keillor’s heart swell with pride in his alma mater, where the coeds are strong, the coaches are good-looking, and all the turnover margin is way above average.
The Pick: ARKANSAS (+7) vs. Tulsa
I'm Willing to Bet: Unabridged audio CD of Dr. Phil's Real Life: Preparing for the 7 Most Challenging Days of Your Life.
Approximate Value: $26.39 at Amazon.com
People pretty much stopped paying attention to Arkansas around about the end of September, and not without reason -- they looked like one of the worst programs in any of the BCS conferences. Over the past few weeks, though, they've actually shown signs that Bobby Petrino might be on to something, after all. His squad upset Auburn on the road and nearly spoiled Houston Nutt's revenge bid last week, and the Hogs have averaged more than 370 yards over their last three games against a trio of not-exactly-powder-puff defenses. This game would actually be a lot more interesting if Nutt were still coaching the Razorbacks, as he'd be going up against the former offensive coordinator, Gus Malzahn, whose January departure added further intrigue to the mother of all college-football soap operas in Fayetteville.
It'll still be plenty interesting if you're a fan of wide-open offense, though, as Petrino and Malzahn will both be scheming against defenses made from balsa wood and wet toilet paper. Look for a potential game-breaker in Arkansas running back Michael Smith, who's rolled up 630 yards and four TDs in his last four games. It's hard to pick the Hogs to hand Tulsa their first loss of the season, but I think they'll play the Golden Hurricane close enough to beat a seven-point cushion at home, and maybe the sage advice of distinguished Tulsa grad Phil McGraw will help them get over the hump next time.

 

[RJ Esq]

Adding:

Texas -3 (-110)

Thanks to Bob for moving the line so far back. Like Texas to win by at least a TD in this one.

 

[Aztec4Life]

Adding:

Texas -3 (-110)

Thanks to Bob for moving the line so far back. Like Texas to win by at least a TD in this one.

:smiley_acbe:

Indeed, thank you Dr. Bob! I added even more to Texas myself...

:cheers:

 

[RJ Esq]

Vinson suspended for South Carolina

from Rocky Top Talk by hooper
Vinson suspended for South Carolina

Wow. And we thought that Brandon Warren was the magician with the magic disappearing act...

 

[RJ Esq]

Florida St. suspends WR Surrency for Saturday

from SI.com - NCAA Football
Read full story for latest details.

 

[RJ Esq]

Croom suspends Mississippi State K Richards

from SI.com - NCAA Football
Read full story for latest details.

 

[RJ Esq]

Adding:

Mizzou -21 (-110)

Hate not getting in at under 3 TDs but Mizzou wins either very big or by at least 3 TDs. I'll take the push if I'm wrong.

No big games left for Mizzou except Kansas at the end of the year. Style points needed as they finish and hope for another at-large bid into the BCS over a 2nd South team. Also, Pinkell has gotten after his team's lack of focus this week. I expect them to come out fast and furious.

 

[RJ Esq]

Texas vs. Texas Tech Preview

from Bevo Sports by Mike
Will Colt McCoy have room to operate against Tech?

Texas faces another top ten team in what has to be the game of the week (sorry Florida and Georgia). This will be the third nationally televised game in the last four weeks for these Horns. Texas Tech is building this game as the “biggest” game ever to take place in Lubbock. The Tech fans are going to “black out” the stadium and the Longhorns are trying to do to Tech what Alabama did to Georgia when the Bulldogs held a “black out” on ABC primetime. Let’s look at what we’re in for.
When Texas has the ball:
In this year’s Big 12 conference I feel like I could write the same thing each week. The Longhorn offense faces a team that gives up and puts up points and yards in bunches. Colt McCoy and his offense should have no problem putting up points; the question will be the strategy offensive coordinator Greg Davis uses to achieve those points.
UT went over a quarter and a half without scoring a point to end last week’s Oklahoma State game. Texas had their chances though, as McCoy committed two turnovers deep in OK State territory that allowed the Cowboys to stay in the game. The running game was lacking for the first time since conference started and I think the coaching staff would like to get that part of the offense back on track. When this team can run the ball the middle of the field becomes wide open for McCoy and Jordan Shipley to work their overhyped roommate magic (they’re not over hyped, but their story has been). Most have been looking for Fozzy Whittaker to get his chance, and it might be this week.
Tech has a new defensive coordinator but remains the same defense it always is. They give up points on big plays and can be overmatched physically if a team stays within striking distance. The Red Raider defense thrives when an opposing team gets so far behind that they become one dimensional out of necessity. The Longhorns keeping the game close in the first quarter will go a long way in determining the outcome. It will be up to the offensive to control the ball and come away with points on virtually every possession because Texas Tech will score points.
The Longhorns will use short passes to set up the run as the game goes on. At this point in the season teams know who they are. The Longhorns are a possession passing team with the ability to run at times. Colt McCoy is the leader of the offense and this unit goes as he goes. If McCoy can eliminate turnovers it is very doubtful Tech will be able to slow Texas down.
When Texas Tech has the ball:
This is where it gets tricky. Everybody knows what the offense does, but I’m not sure even the coaches or the players know much about this defense. On one hand the talent is not in question. When the outside guys get to rush the quarterback there is not another team in the nation that is more dangerous. The linebackers have been playing as well as a unit as any group under Mack Brown. And the young secondary is getting better and better.
On the other hand, this same group just gave up over 200 yards of rushing offense in a game, Texas as a defense, including leading tackler Roddrick Muckelroy, struggled with open field tackling, the two safeties are still freshmen, and injuries are plaguing the best two cornerbacks on the team. All this the week the number one ranked Horns take on the most explosive offense, when clicking, in all of college football.
The good news is unlike the previous three weeks, the Tech offense won’t have a NFL caliber tight end. The bad news is Michael Crabtree still is in college. People talk about Jeremy Maclin and Dez Bryant, but neither of them compare to Crabtree. The guy is unbelievable and no one man is going to guard him. Defensive coordinator Will Muschamp has shown he likes to leave a safety over the top against elite receivers, as he did with Maclin and Bryant. Tech’s offense makes it hard to do that to a particular receiver because every wide out can line up at all the receiver positions in the Mike Leach offense. This is the first year Muschamp has gone up against Leach, so it will be interesting to see what the first year coordinator does. Odds are Duane Akina will be giving out advice this week because Texas has done relatively well against the Tech offense.
This is another game where it seems the running game will be an after thought. Tech uses short passes, much like Texas coincidentally, to supplement the run game. This will force UT’s linebackers and safeties to tackle well in space. Open field tackling by the Texas defense will be the difference in the game. If Texas can stop plays immediately after a reception they have a good chance of making some stops and getting off the field. But if Tech’s skill position players are able to make big plays after the catch the Longhorn offense will be forced into a shootout.

 

[RJ Esq]

Big 12 Game of the Week
Texas (8-0) at Texas Tech (8-0), 8:00 EST ABC
Why to watch: Yes, Texas Tech is supposed to be here. This isn’t an out-of-left-field stunner like Oklahoma State was over the first half of the season; Tech has the team to be ready to be in the hunt for really, really big things. This is the point head coach Mike Leach has been building to get to ever since he took over, and now the program has a great combination of talent, experience, and schedule to be in control of its national title destiny as late as the first week of November. The offense is starting to hum at just the right time with 106 points over the last two weeks and coming off a 63-21 blasting of Kansas at Kansas. The defense is fine, but nothing special; however, it has come turned into a brick wall in the second halves lately. As good as the team has been, the college football world is still a bit skeptical, evidenced by the No. 7 ranking in the BCS. That will all quickly change with an upset this week, but it’s not like the work will be done with Oklahoma State and a trip to Oklahoma coming up next.

Texas Tech is on a ten game winning streak, while Texas has won nine in a row on the way to the unquestioned No. 1 ranking thanks to a hot Colt McCoy, good special teams, a killer pass rush, and wins over a murderer’s row great teams beating Oklahoma, Missouri, and Oklahoma State over the last three weeks. This week offers a different kind of test as the Longhorns have to face only their second true road game of the year. Yeah, there was a date at UTEP in early September, along with the trip to Colorado, but that was a pro-Longhorn crowd. This is a battle-tested team that has been able to come back in a high-octane shootout (Oklahoma), came out roaring against a top team (Missouri), and held up late when things didn’t go all that well (Oklahoma State). This might not be the toughest of the four games in the current streak, at least on paper, but a win would only solidify the number one spot further in yet another game that’ll own the national spotlight.
Why Texas might win: Texas Tech is second in the nation in pass protection, allowing a mere three sacks so far, but it hasn’t faced anyone with a pass rush anywhere near as scary as UT’s. Kansas, Nebraska, and Kansas State have all been able to get into the backfield, but Texas has been at another level thanks to Brian Orakpo, the Big 12’s sack leader, and an aggressive bunch that has gotten to everyone. Texas has the type of offense that can keep up with the Red Raiders in a back-and-forth shootout, and it has the running game to control the clock and the game, too.
Why Texas Tech might win: The Texas secondary has held up well against great passing teams, but it’s not like it has held any of the great quarterbacks in check. Sam Bradford chucked for 387 yards and five scores, Chase Daniel threw for 318 yards and two touchdowns, and Zac Robinson threw for an efficient 199 yards and a touchdown, but his yardage total was down because the running game was so effective. Graham Harrell is playing at the same Heisman-like level that McCoy is. He’s in total command of the offense, and he has a great history against the Longhorns throwing for 519 yards and three touchdowns in the 2006 loss, and he chucked for 466 yards and five scores in last year’s 59-43 shootout. Texas Tech might not be able to stop the Longhorn offense, but Harrell will get his yards and his touchdown throws.
Who to watch: The Heisman debate can all but end right here, right now. If Harrell goes ballistic and Texas Tech wins, he’s the leader in the clubhouse before dealing with Bradford and Oklahoma. If McCoy has yet another big game and Texas wins, it’ll take something extraordinary to keep him from winning the award. While Harrell has been great against Texas over the last two years, McCoy has been better completing 21-of-30 passes for 268 yards and four touchdowns with an interception and two rushing scores last year, and he threw for 256 yards and fourth touchdowns with 68 rushing yards two years ago. He got the wins; Harrell didn’t. McCoy has only thrown four interceptions this year, but three came in the two road games (two against Colorado and one against UTEP).
What will happen: In a defensive slugfest, points and yards will be hard to come by … yeah, right. Get ready for over 800 passing yards, over 70 points, and one of the most fun games of the year. Each team will have its moments, but the Texas pass rush will make just enough of a difference to keep Harrell down late. McCoy will be able to strike the Heisman pose after one of his two rushing scores in a comeback after hot Red Raider start.
CFN Prediction: Texas 48 … Texas Tech 38 ... Line: Texas -3.5
Must See Rating: (5 RocknRolla – 1 High School Musical 3: Senior Year) … 5

 

[ljc_267]

those be some big boobies.

 

[RJ Esq]

Headlinin': OMG! Taylor Mays crushes for his crush

from Dr. Saturday - NCAAF - Yahoo! Sports by Matt Hinton

• I hurt because I love. Though I have some vague idea of the existence of a quasi-famous person named Lauren Conrad, I have no tools for distinguishing her from any of the other bronzed, airbrushed checkout counter candy. Hulking USC safety Taylor Mays, on the other hand, can pick Lauren out of a crowd of feather-haired chanteuses angling for a Maxim shoot, and when not knocking people unconscious or advancing the human gene pool towards its next step in the evolutionary process, he'd like to show The Hills "star" a good time:

USC safety Taylor Mays had two impressive hits on Arizona tailback Keola Antolin and knocked Antolin out of the game in the second quarter, probably one of the biggest moments in the contest.
But there appeared to be a source for his motivation.
"I like to hit guys hard so if Lauren Conrad and I ever go on a date, she will feel protected,'' Mays said.
​

I dunno, Taylor, only if she's impressed by fairly ordinary shoulder tackles after the runner's already gained a first down:

<embed class="content-block-fix" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Wsex0ceiDtk&hl=en&fs=1" allowscriptaccess="never" allowfullscreen="true" wmode="transparent" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="344">Popout​

Wrap up, young man! Ha ha. Seriously, good luck with Lauren and don't hurt me.
• Remember when we thought South Florida was good? If you want to really throw the USF campus into a panic, says the Tampa Tribune, dress up as the Big East standings after the Bulls' loss at Cincinnati Thursday:

With No. 24 USF's 24-10 loss at Cincinnati on Thursday, the most-anticipated season in school history has officially turned into a nightmare.
Since climbing to No. 10 last month, the Bulls (6-3, 1-3) have lost three of their last four.
Since last year's 6-0 start, the Bulls are 8-7 against Division I-A opponents.
USF sits alone in seventh place in the Big East ahead of only woeful Syracuse (1-6, 0-3).
​

You might say equally good things about Cincinnati, where Brian Kelly just keeps on rolling: the Bearcats made their first ever appearance in the final top-25 last year, his first, and have emerged from the Bermuda Triangle of mediocre quarterbacks with a kicking shot at winning the Big East.
• A hyperextended knee is serious, for a mortal. Intrepid reporter Gary Danielson breaks the "Thursday Surprise" in the Florida-Georgia tilt: The Tebow Child played the last two games on a hyperextended knee suffered against Arkansas, but is feeling 100 percent going into the Cocktail Party:

“Tim Tebow was a little bit nicked early on and no one talked about it,’’ Danielson said in his weekly press release for CBS. “Urban Meyer didn’t even tell us (for previous CBS broadcasts). They kept it well-hidden that he had a little bit of a hyper-extended knee that he hurt early in the season. I wondered why he wasn’t running like last year. He didn’t seem the same. He was more of a finesse runner than a power runner. Urban Meyer had told us that he is finally 100 percent. We will see the real Tebow (Saturday).’’​

The Fake Tebow merely led 50-plus-point blowouts against then-undefeated LSU and 5-2 Kentucky, which is a frightening thought until you consider the junior slinger's adamantium skeleton and accelerated healing time. A hyperextended knee is like a mosquito bite on a normal quarterback.
Quickly ... Joe Paterno was vague about his knee/hip injury on his Thursday radio show, but expects it will need surgery. . . . USC's Joe McKnight and safety Kevin Ellison both left practice by aggrevating old injuries Thursday. . . . Pitt's shocking loss to Rutgers? Just an anomaly. Nothing to, uh, to worry about. . . . Florida State has suspended receiver Corey Surrency for Saturday's game with Georgia Tech. . . . Clemson's looking to curb the celebrations after blown fourth quarter leads in three straight games. . . . And even Longhorn reporters kind of like Mike Leach.

 

[RJ Esq]

Trojans' Ellison out 2-4 weeks with injured knee

from SI.com - NCAA Football
Read full story for latest details.

 

[RJ Esq]

Horns at full strength

from Bevo Beat
No players were listed on Texas’ injury report for Saturday’s game at Texas Tech, which means the Horns will be at full strength.

 

[RJ Esq]

Mike Leach to Washington: Sounds 'crazy' because it is crazy

from Dr. Saturday - NCAAF - Yahoo! Sports by Matt Hinton

I've never read or even heard of Bud Withers before a couple minutes ago, but I like the Seattle Times' reporter's style. Where's the buzz in college football? Texas Tech. Who's coaching Texas Tech? Mike Leach. Where is there an opening for a new coach? Washington. Bud can see the headline now ...

Texas Tech coach Mike Leach would be out-of-box pick for Huskies​

Indeed he would be, as tends to be the case when you just throw out names. "What about bringing Rick Neuheisel back? That would be craaaaazy!" Re: out-of-box, Leach has no Seattle ties and is the exalted Godfather of a top-10 team about to kick off probably the biggest game in the history of the program, where Washington is mired in six consecutive years of hopelessness. For the most part, this seems like just another good opportunity for a columnist to get in on the "Boy, Mike Leach sure is eccentric" buffet in his market while the gettin's good, but Withers has someone whispering in his ear that Lubbock may not quite be wetting the good Cap'n's whistle:

As for Leach and the Huskies, don't laugh. Word on the street is Leach is ready to get out of Texas Tech and would be highly interested in the UW.
​

No word on the specific origin of that word, or the street it's reportedly on, unless Seattle finally broke down and sprung for actual talking streets. If you want a solidly-sourced Washington coaching rumor, look no further than Jim "Don't Call Me Junior" Mora, heretofore the top candidate to take over Ty Willingham's seat:

"I am not a candidate for the University of Washington coaching vacancy," Mora said in a statement released by the Seahawks. "I wish the university well with their search and the program nothing but sustained success in the future."
There was no formal approach or proposal from Washington, but according to a source with knowledge of the situation, there was an informal inquiry about Mora's availability through intermediaries and the message was conveyed to UW that Mora would not be a candidate.
​

Of course, Nick Saban wasn't a candidate for the Alabama job when he was finishing the '06 season with the Dolphins, either, and here we are two years later. So if you're crossing Mora's name off your mental list of Husky bosses, make sure you do it in imaginary pencil. But go ahead and do it.

 

[RJ Esq]

The Latest Prank From USC

from The Wiz of Odds by Jay Christensen
<embed class="content-block-fix" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="never" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/bO9daN5fH8M&hl=en&fs=1&color1=0x5d1719&color2=0xcd311b" wmode="transparent" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="470" height="389">PopoutIn the latest in a series of pranks involving Will Ferrell and Pete Carroll, the actor and coach teamed up for Halloween doozy at the end of USC's practice on Thursday.
Ferrell played Captain Compete, who arrived on the scene after saving a man who "fell" from a video platform.
Then while Ferrell was addressing the team afterward, a man who was on fire started running across the field. Ferrell sprinted to the rescue, but arrived after trained personel had safely doused the flames. Nonetheless, Ferrell runs to the Gatorade table and pours a bucket of water on the man.
"Just a little Halloween spirit," Carroll said. "We’re just having some fun."

 

[RJ Esq]

[FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif]Who's Hot & Not - Week 9[/FONT][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif]

[/FONT][SIZE=-1]Past Hot and Not: 2007 Hot & Not[/SIZE] | Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4
- Week 5 | Week 6 | Week 8
Who’s Hot …
Big 12 Offenses
Is it a case of great offenses or bad defenses? It's probably a little bit of both, but it's mostly the great talent on the Big 12 attacks. Tulsa leads the nation in scoring offense, but No. 2 through 6 (Oklahoma, Texas Tech, Missouri and Texas) are all Big 12ers. The league boasts eight of the nation's top 27 offenses in total yards.

Western Michigan QB Tim HillerThe junior has stepped up his play over the last few weeks, but will it be enough to get through the nasty MAC West? Hiller's WMU team lost to Central Michigan last week, but there will still be chances to get back in the race with Ball State coming up. Hiller, over his last three games, has thrown for 347 yards and four touchdowns against Ohio, 345 yards and four scores against Buffalo, and 471 yards and two touchdowns against Central Michigan. The Broncos face Eastern Michigan this week.

North Carolina Secondary
The Butch Davis defense has been fantastic at going after the ball led by a secondary that leads the nation with 17 interceptions. Cal is No. 2 with 15 picks. The Tar Heels have picks off a pass in every game but one, the loss to Virginia, and is coming off a three interception day against Boston College. Next up is Georgia Tech, who doesn't throw, attempting just 98 passes on the year, with three interceptions.

David Cutcliffe vs. Vanderbilt
Just about everyone has gotten fat on Vanderbilt over the last several decades, but Duke head coach David Cutcliffe, appears to have a little more luck. As the head coach of Ole Miss, an assistant at Tennessee, and now at Duke, he is 24-2 over the Commodores after last week's 10-7 win. The Blue Devils play Wake Forest next.

Arkansas State DE Alex Carrington
Houston's Phillip Hunt leads the nation in sacks. Carrington is No. 2, and has been one of the nation's most consistent playmakers throughout this season. A big factor who can play inside or out, the junior has come up with a sack in each of the last six games and has been solid against the run with 33 tackles. He's a playmaker to watch out for against Alabama this week. Who’s Not …

Southern Miss DefenseWhat happened to the program that always brought the type of defense that scared the heck out of all the big names? New head coach Larry Fedora has struggled in a disastrous first year with a five-game losing streak, a 2-6 record, an 0-4 Conference USA record, and a defense that has been abysmal. The aggressiveness isn't there, ranking last in the league in sacks, it's 102nd against the run, 100th against the pass, and has allowed 34 points ore more four of the last five games.

Navy Passing Game
Injuries and the effectiveness of the running game has made Navy even more one dimensional than ever. Air Force is 117th in the nation in passing, Army is dead last, and Navy is second-to-last. However, Navy has taken things to another level. Army has thrown the ball 67 times this year, the second fewest attempts, and Navy has attempted just 48 throws. Last week against SMU, Navy ran the ball 77 times for 404 yards and five touchdowns in the 34-7 win. The Midshipmen didn't attempt a pass. Next up is Temple, who allows 209 yards per game.

Texas A&M Defense
The Wrecking Crew this is not. Texas A&M's offense has started to explode with the emergence of QB Jerrod Johnson, but the defense has gone in the tank. Currently last in the Big 12, allowing 34.5 points per game, the Aggies have allowed 188 points over the last four games. Next up is Colorado, the league's worst offense. If A&M struggles, then watch out for the Oklahoma game to follow.

LSU Scoring Defense
LSU was third in the nation, and first in the SEC in total defense last year and allowed just 19.9 points per game. Over the last three weeks, the Tigers have allowed 120 points and is battling near the bottom of the league in total defense. After giving up 51 to Florida and 52 to Georgia (with two of the Dawg touchdowns coming from the defense), the Tigers get a week off against Tulane before dealing with Alabama.

Smart Teams
Just when it seemed like the really smart teams were going to make a big statement, they all started to struggle at the same time. From Northwestern losing to Indiana, and losing RB Tyrell Sutton and QB C.J. Bacher to injury, to Vanderbilt losing to Duke, and with a bowl game far from secure, to Stanford and Baylor not capitalizing on early success, the small, smart schools are all of a sudden having problems down the home stretch.

 

[RJ Esq]

Adding:

BYU -14 (-120)

Haven't been all that impressed with the BYU offense lately but think they bounce back against a very poor CSU defense. Weather looks good, so no factor there.

 

[RJ Esq]

FIVE REASONS: South Carolina vs. Tennessee

from Garnet And Black Attack by cocknfire
As always, Gamecock Man is more prompt than I am -- or ever have been -- so remember to go here for the Open Thread, where you can speculate about how high Phil Fulmer's sideline pacing registers on the Richter Scale. Or actually talk about the game.


1. Offense. No, you didn't read that wrong. Sure, the South Carolina offense is nothing to brag about -- but the Vols offense is abysmal. Or awful. Or terrible. Or all of the above. Their offense averages 280.6 ypg -- total! -- "good" for 112th in the nation. There are 119 teams in the FBS. There are going to be very few times this year that the Gamecocks are going to clearly have the better offense on the field; they have to take advantage of it when it happens.
2. Stephen Garcia. Yes, he's had his problems. But there's a reason Garcia will start Saturday: He's by far the best quarterback we have.

<hr> <table> <thead> <tr> <th>
</th><th>
</th><th colspan="9">Passing</th><th colspan="5">Rushing</th><th colspan="2">Sacks</th> </tr> </thead><thead> <tr> <th>
</th><th>G</th><th>Rating</th><th>Comp</th><th>Att</th><th>Pct</th><th>Yds</th><th>Y/G</th><th>Y/A</th><th>TD</th><th>INT</th><th>Rush</th><th>Yds</th><th>Y/G</th><th>Avg</th><th>TD</th><th>Sack</th><th>YdsL</th> </tr> </thead> <tbody> <tr> <td>2008 - Stephen Garcia</td> <td>4</td> <td>141.2</td> <td>37</td> <td>61</td> <td>60.7</td> <td>515</td> <td>128.8</td> <td>13.9</td> <td>3</td> <td>2</td> <td>45</td> <td>124</td> <td>31.0</td> <td>2.8</td> <td>1</td> <td>-</td> <td>-</td> </tr> </tbody> </table>
<hr>
With the exception of the TD-to-INT ratio and ypg (inflated by games he played in but didn't start), those are pretty solid numbers. So solid, in fact, that the officials sometimes feel the need to give the defense a hand. I'll spare you most of my soapbox -- accuracy! -- in support of Garcia -- accuracy! -- considering you've heard it -- accuracy! -- all before. 3. Reversion to the mean. The lucky breaks Tennessee has gotten over the last two years, including the one discussed by Gamecock Man, have been absolutely ridiculous. Footballs bouncing in ways no one thought possible, a false start penalty that gave the Vols -- the team flagged for the penalty -- another shot at a crucial FG ... and on and on and on. All these sabermetricians tell us luck has to even out. We can hope that will happen this year.
4. Defense. Giving the offense its credit isn't meant to exclude the team's better half. South Carolina still has the edge in every major defensive statistic save rushing yardage allowed (and even there the difference is less than 10 ypg). The Gamecocks' defense isn't overwhelmingly better than the Vols' -- but when their offense is almost unquestionably worse, it should be good enough.
5. Disarray. There's a reason I've started the Phil Fulmer Death Watch over at TSK; the Great Pumpkin is likely on his way out. And there might be a few jack-o-lanterns that will be on porches longer than Fulmer will remain Tennessee's head coach. The danger here is that the players will rally to try to save the Donut King, but they haven't done it so far and now would be a funny time to start.


1. Keeping it close. Since 2000, this game has been decided by more than seven points twice, and more than eight points once. The Gamecocks and the Vols have settled things in overtime twice. If Tennessee is actually the inferior team here -- and all indications are that it is -- then the easiest path to victory is to keep things close going into the fourth quarter and then pull it out late. Which has recently been the recipe for success in this game more years than not.
2. Eric Berry. It's not often that you think of a defensive back as one of the team's most explosive players with the ball in his hands. Then again, Eric Berry isn't your average DB; his five picks for 175 yards and a touchdown this year moved him to first all-time in the SEC in interception return yardage. It's not unreasonable to worry more about Berry making his way to the end zone than anyone on the Vols' offense.
3. Terrorists. That's right -- Tennessee hates America. How else do you account for their association with unrepentant terrorist Robert Ayers. What? Oh, sorry, wrong Ayers. Then again, Robert Ayers does a pretty good job of terrorizing opposing offenses. Nine tackles for loss, including a sack, and six quarterback hurries. The defensive end is disruptive and, yep, yet another South Carolina high school player who got away.
4. Giving away the ball. The Gamecocks rank dead last in turnover margin in the SEC, giving the other team the ball 23 times and forcing a turnover 14 times this season. The Vols might be offensively inept, but they're not that offensively inept; give them the ball in great field position, and they'll win the game.
5. Motivation. The possibility of Fulmer's dismissal could just as easily fire up his players and make this a very dangerous game for South Carolina. If the Gamecocks don't realize that they're playing for legitimacy, they won't have any when the game is over.
PREDICTION: Yet another tight, hard-fought game in what could easily blossom into a rivalry with a few more South Carolina wins. This has the potential to be the first of those. South Carolina 24, Tennessee 21

 

[ljc_267]

gl today RJ

 

[RJ Esq]

Rice's Dynamic Duo Continues to Re-Write the Record Books

from The FanHouse - NCAAfootball
Filed under: Rice

Rice quarterback Chase Clement and wide receiver Jarrett Dillard were recruited by former coach Ken Hatfield to be pieces of the puzzle in Hatfield's run-first option offense.

So much for that theory.

A month ago, the Clement-to-Dillard connection became the most prolific quarterback-wide receiver combination in NCAA history, when the tandem hooked up three times in a 77-20 pounding of North Texas. The three scores left the duo with 41 touchdown connections in their careers, surpassing the mark of 39 shared by Louisiana Tech's Tim Rattay and Troy Edwards, and Hawaii's Colt Brennan and Devane Bess.

"It's definitely an honor," Clement said. "We were recruited to play in an option offense, so no, I never expected to break an NCAA record for passing. Jarrett is a great receiver and he knows how to get open and we were able to develop a great chemistry a few years ago. We worked hard, and it's great to share an amazing record like this with a great friend like Jarrett."

The Owls' duo got off to a flying start this season and they haven't showed any signs of slowing, as they continue to shatter school, conference, and NCAA records.

In the season opener against Southern Methodist University, Clement tied his own school record - as well as the Conference USA record - with six touchdown passes, and Dillard tied his school record with three touchdown receptions.

One week later, against Memphis, Clement surpassed Tommy Kramer as the Owls' all-time passing leader by throwing for 318 yards in a 42-35 win to give him 6,242 career passing yards. Against North Texas, on the night the duo set the NCAA record for touchdowns by a passing tandem, Dillard set a new school record and tied a Conference USA record by catching four touchdown passes - catching three from Clement and one from Jeramy Goodson.

A week later, Dillard's record-setting run continued, as he became the most dynamic pass-catcher in NCAA history, when he caught his 50th and 51st career touchdown passes to break Edwards' record of 50 which had stood since 1999.

"I really haven't had time to sit down and think about it," said Dillard of his record-setting catch. "I mean, it means a lot to me, but right now, my focus is on helping my team get to a bowl game. I am sure when I sit down at the end of the year, I am going to be like 'Wow, did I really do that,' but for now, it really hasn't hit me how special it is."

On Oct. 18, Clement threw for 444 yards and tied his school and C-USA record with six more touchdown passes in a 45-40 shootout win over Southern Miss. Three of the touchdown tosses went to Dillard, who now has 54 career touchdown receptions.

"Obviously they are the top [duo] in the country over their careers and probably one of the top duos regardless," said North Texas coach Todd Dodge after watching Clement and Dillard set the NCAA record. "They do a tremendous job."

Both are on pace for record-setting years.

Clement ranks fifth in the Bowl Subdivision with 24 touchdown passes (just six interceptions) and is 10th in the nation in passing yards with 2,360. Dillard is tied with Texas Tech's Michael Crabtree for the most touchdown receptions this season with 14 scores. His 856 receiving yards are fourth most in the nation, and his 57 receptions rank 12th.

"It's all about hard work," Dillard said. "If you want to be the best, you've got to practice and work like the best. Chase and I spent a lot of time outside of practice studying film and running routes and getting our timing down. I think that's why we've been so successful."

Clement needs to throw for 1,028 yards and six touchdowns in the Owls' next four ball games to break the school records for passing yards and passing touchdowns he set last season. Dillard is on pace to match his record-setting season in 2006, when he established Rice records of 91 receptions for 1,247 yards and 21 touchdowns, as the Owls (5-3) look to become bowl eligible for only the second time since 1961 (they lost to Troy 41-17 in the 2006 New Orleans Bowl).

"The records are nice, but the ultimate goal is to get to a bowl game," Clement said. "The individual records are nice to have, but in the end, football is a team game, and you want team success. The records don't mean as much if you're not winning, so hopefully we can end our careers with a bowl game. Then, we can sit back and say, "wow, we accomplished something special."

 

[RJ Esq]

gl today RJ

Thanks, dude.

 

[RJ Esq]

A pirate's life is full of screens: Deconstructing Texas Tech's short passing game vs. Texas

from Dr. Saturday - NCAAF - Yahoo! Sports by Matt Hinton

The story of the season for Texas and Texas Tech has been the respective offenses, and Colt McCoy and Graham Harrell, specifically, who are playing like quarterbacks possessed (by the same ghost that took over Chase Daniel's body for most of 2007, I think, appropriately enough for Halloween). The best on-field matchup Saturday won't be the dueling quarterbacks, though: it will be Texas' defensive front, second in the nation at 3.6 sacks per game, against Texas Tech's huge, colorful offensive line, second in the nation at .38 sacks allowed per game. Graham Harrell has been kept suspiciously clean for a kid who throws 45 times an afternoon, but he hasn't faced a defense or coordinator as hungry for opposing quarterbacks' blood as Will Muschamp's unit for the Longhorns. Let's Talk Game Plan
See here and here for the gamut of Texas Tech's regular offense, built around three-step drops and quick slants, bubble screens and middle screens to keep the pass rush off the quarterback without sacrificing potential receivers to block. Or, if you're in a hurry, see this quick compilation of Michael Crabtree highlights from last week's obliteration at Kansas, a pretty good summary of what Tech does in general, and count how long it takes Harrell to get his best receiver the ball:

<embed class="content-block-fix" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/e0EyUpBnyYE&hl=en&fs=1" allowscriptaccess="never" allowfullscreen="true" wmode="transparent" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="344">Popout​

I didn't quite make it to three seconds on any of those plays, because the ball is out of Harrell's hands in a hurry. This is how to lead the nation in sacks allowed even while throwing more than anybody else: the quarterback has at least four (and usually five, because the running back only stays in to block if there's a blitz check) options on every play, and the ball usually leaves his hands too quickly for a blitz to get home. If the ball's gone before your blitzers get there, there's not much point in sending them in the first place -- especially if you can't cover Crabtree one-on-one (and nobody can). If the defense sits back, though, and allows Tech's huge, outstanding line to block five on four and release five receivers into the pattern, Harrell has enough extra time to find the inevitably open man.
In other words, whether the defense is aggressive in the pass rush or conservative in coverage, Harrell is outstanding at finding the open space or the individual matchup he wants based on what the D shows. The key for Texas, then, might be to look aggressive while actually maintaining an "umbrella" in coverage. Texas defensive coordinator Will Muschamp attacked Missouri's spread two weeks ago with only three or four rushers the vast majority of the time, but consistently showed blitzes that never came, to tremendous effect: by the time Missouri got on the scoreboard just before halftime, Texas' offense had already rung up 35 points and put the game into cruise control. With two offenses that fly up and down the field so quickly, two stops might win the game. If Harrell's not at little confused, though, the Horns might not get even that.
Let's Go to the Game Film: The Red Raider Screen.
As frustrating as dropping seven or eight men against Tech can be, blitzing at the wrong time can mean instant death, especially if the defense is showing blitz. Nebraska, for example, led by another "aggressive" ex-LSU defensive coordinator, Bo Pelini, looks like it's coming after Harrell full bore before the snap:

... and do they ever:

There's a reason you don't see a lot of seven-man blitzes against five or six-man protections (especially combined with a soft zone from the back four in the secondary), and this is it: it's not a great idea to leave the best receiver in the country with a small valley to run through before he reaches the first defender. Tech reads the blitz, keeps the back in for protection and quickly gets three linemen downfield in front of Crabtree:

... who is quickly all by his lonesome. All three linemen get blocks to create an alley, for No. 5 (the right guard, out of the shot here, has done enough to take Nebraska's No. 6 out of the play, as has the left guard on the Huskers' No. 23):

And all Crabtree has to do outrun a safety to his own SportsCenter moment.

This play might look somewhat similar to Texas fans, when Muschamp sent five Horns across the line on a third-and-long against Oklahoma:

<embed class="content-block-fix" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/UXrr_4Kudjo&hl=en&fs=1" allowscriptaccess="never" allowfullscreen="true" wmode="transparent" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="344">Popout​

The difference between Oklahoma and Texas Tech -- much like the difference between the Sooners and Missouri -- is that OU commanded respect from its running game, and controlling the line of scrimmage had to be Texas' top priority; except on obvious passing downs, no one can afford to drop seven or eight into coverage against Oklahoma on a regular basis. Facing a more spread-oriented, pass-first attack against Missouri, though, Muschamp regularly dropped eight, including a pair of linebackers who hovered around the line of scrimmage, showing blitz until the snap, at which point they almost always dropped into coverage. Texas A&M took the same approach at times against the Raiders, including once on the same screen Tech had scored on a week earlier against Nebraska (Crabtree is lined up at the top of the screen, outside of the shot:

A&M is showing six men coming after Harrell here before the snap, but the 'backers are quickly back into coverage, giving the Aggies seven against the apparent pass.

Although the Raiders still get blockers in front of him, Crabtree is running his route right into the linebackers, who are evasive enough in the open field to avoid blocks and force Crabtree to run sideline-to-sideline, looking for an opening in the screen:

Crabtree is a good enough athlete to juke his way to about eight yards here before the second linebacker ("Drop 2") makes the tackle, but if they're in the vicinity, Texas' better linebackers -- or far more athletic defensive linemen, trailing the play -- may not allow the receiver to turn upfield on the many, many quick throws they're destined to see. The key is making sure they're in the vicinity, rather than cheering on the safeties from Graham Harrell's feet.

 

[RJ Esq]

Rev Picks Em: Week 10

from Hugging Harold Reynolds by noreply@blogger.com (Hugging Harold Reynolds)
WEST VIRGINIA (-3 1/2) at Connecticut: What gives with these two? West Virginia started the year ranked highly, then lost to ECU and Colorado, and now seem to be rolling again after trouncing a faltering Auburn team last week in Morgantown. UConn is much the same way – after climbing into the top 25, they dropped some clunkers against Rutgers and UNC. I think WV QB Pat White is the best player on both teams and he has proven time and again to be a game breaker - I’ll be a front-runner here and stick by the Mountaineers.

MIAMI (+2) at Virginia: Both teams are 5-3 and angling for position in a suddenly crowded ACC Coastal Division. Virginia is scoring just 17.8 points per game and they’re giving up 22.3 points to their opponents, yet somehow they have won 4 in a row. As Dubya would say, that’s fuzzy math that can’t possibly hold up. I like Miami’s ability to score (39 ppg) and I like the fact their getting points here. I’m going with the ‘Canes.

AIRFORCE (-8) at Army: Army football hasn’t been good in a long, long time. Go with Air Force and lay the points.

Pittsburgh at NOTRE DAME (-4 1/2): This game is tailor made for the ‘Stache to lose. Outside of playing spoiler against West Virginia last year, Pittsburgh has a tendency to lose big games like this. It’s not that I’m so impressed with Notre Dame, it’s just that I would be scared to death to actually wager that Dave Wannstedt could win a game that matters.


#23 OREGON (+3) at California: Cal has had their share of problems with high-powered offenses (see their 42-27 loss at Arizona). That’s not so great for the Bears considering the Ducks are scoring 41.5 points per game. Give me the Ducks and the points.

Iowa at ILLINOIS (-2 1/2): The Big Ten season ended last week with Penn State winning at Ohio State. If you’re betting this game you either a) attended one of these schools, b) have been a lifelong fan for one team or the other, or c) you are a hard-core gambling addict that needs help.

Tennessee at SOUTH CAROLINA (-5 1/2): The orange apocalypse is soon to come for UT coach Phil Fulmer. Things are real bad right now in Knoxville – they played competitively in spurts last week against Alabama, but overall the Vols just looked to be outclassed and outcoached. It doesn’t get any better for the Vols considering that South Carolina still boasts a great D. UT only scored 9 points last week; I can’t see them exceeding that total by much, if at all, this week. I’m going with So. Carolina.

#16 FLORIDA STATE (+2 ½) at Georgia Tech: If you haven’t been paying much attention to the ACC this year (and let’s be honest, who outside the mid-Atlantic really has been watching?), Florida State has played well enough to this point to sit tied with Maryland atop the Atlantic division. Although Florida State isn’t blowing teams out and running up the score like they once did, the ‘Noles are winning close games that in recent years they always seemed to lose. Plus, I read that Bobby Bowden has never lost to Georgia Tech. Considering he’s been coaching for 200 years, that’s not very good for the Yellow Jackets. I’m taking Grandpa Bobby and the ‘Noles.

#1 TEXAS (-3 1/2) at #6 Texas Tech: Texas Tech has played very impressively to this point, and their 63-21 beatdown of Kansas last week was an exclamation point heading into their matchup with the Longhorns. Texas is certainly a little more battle tested that the Red Raiders, having knocked off Oklahoma, Mizzou, and Oklahoma State (all top 10 teams) in consecutive weeks. The common denominator in all of those Longhorn wins was their defensive performance, and they will be – by far – the best defense Tech faces all year. These two could very well trade scores all day long, but I really think the Texas D will force a couple of costly turnovers that decide this game.

#5 Florida vs. #8 GEORGIA (+6 1/2) (at Jacksonville, FL): What was more embarrassing for Florida last year: watching the ‘Dawgs jump around like crazy in the endzone or watching the scoreboard at the end of the game? Georgia ultimately won this game in a walk, cruising past the Gators 42-30. Emotions obviously always run high in this rivalry game, but last year’s pasting really seems to have gotten under the Gators’ skin. Georgia has been on notice since the SEC football media days this summer that Florida was gunning for them, so I highly doubt they’ll be caught off guard or fail to match the Gators’ intensity. Florida may well win the game, and I expect that they will. However, I think this game will be much closer than last year, and 6 ½ points is just a tad too much to give away. Take the ‘Dawgs and the points.

Last week: 4-6