CFB Week 9 (10/21-10/26) News and Picks

Is the SEC that good, that bad, or that deep?

from Track Em Tigers by WDE
I know it is nothing more than life in the SEC, another season of upsets, blowouts, and hard-fought games in the trenches. But this season seems to have a different tone to it. Take a quick look:

The West:
-We beat Miss St 3-2, lose to LSU 26-21, beat UT 14-12, lose to Vandy and Arkansas in close games.
-Ole Miss plays close all year, loses to Vandy, beats UF, loses to S Car, and loses a close one to Bama.
-Miss St loses to us 3-2, is able to score 24 on LSU in its loss at Tiger Stadium, beats Vandy then gets routed by UT 34-3.
-Bama blows out Arkansas and UGA but narrowly beats UK and Ole Miss.
-LSU beats us, handles Miss St, gets blown out by Florida and narrowly beats S Car.
-Arkansas gets man handled by Bama and plays UF close until the 4th quarter, beats us then loses to UK after UK comes back by scoring 14 unanswered in the 4th.

The East:
-Florida routs UT, loses a close game to Ole Miss, and was in a close game with Arkansas until the 4th quarter then blows out LSU.
-UGA narrowly beats S Car, gets blown out by Bama, man handles UT and beats Vandy.
-S Car narrowly loses to Vandy and Georgia, beats Ole Miss and UK then narrowly loses to LSU.
-Vandy wins in close games to S Car, Ole Miss & us and leads the SEC east then loses to Miss St and Georgia.
-UK nearly upsets Bama, loses to S Car, then has to come from behind to beat Arkansas.
-UT is blown out by Florida, narrowly loses to us, loses to UGA, then routs Miss St.
And those are only conference games, those don't include (to name a few) UT getting beat by lowly UCLA, La Tech and GA Tech beating Miss St, Arkansas' near losses to Western Illinois and La Monroe or Bama's quarrels with Tulane before beating them a week after man handling Clemson.
After seeing who has beat who and in what fashion it made me start thinking this weekend, is the SEC down this year or that good? And the conclusion I came to is neither and both; huh?. But rather the SEC is now that deep where no one is safe week to week. I know that is college football and reason 12546895632458 (to add to a commentor's list earlier this year) that this sport is arguably the best.
But the fact remains that when the power houses of the last decade are narrowly beating and losing to second tier SEC teams while blowing out fellow powerhouses all while the second tier programs are easily beating each other but are also silent giant killers and easily capable of pulling the upset, that your conference is deep in talent and thus with out argument the toughest in the nation. Regardless of who your team is (for our visitors) we should all be proud to be apart of this great conference because this is the only conference that gives you a full slate of good games every week, where every team had better bring their A game every week. You don't get USC - Wazzu, Illinois - Indiana, or an Iowa St - Baylor (no offense, Mr Chizik) game.
So while in the end it is the SEC and some of the results are year to year always close (LSU-AU, UGA-USC, UF-Ole Miss) there have been others. But again it is the SEC and therefore nothing should come as a surprse. But this year just has a different tone to it.....at least to me.
 
The ACC at midseason, brought to you by Salvador Dali

from Dr. Saturday - NCAAF - Yahoo! Sports by Matt Hinton
Boston College and Virginia Tech played Saturday, and featured perhaps the most sane incident in any ACC game of the weekend:
<embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/WoF-cYwDTvM&hl=en&fs=1" allowscriptaccess="never" wmode="transparent" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="344">Popout​
You know what -- Why not let ACC fans throw flags onto the field at random? In a world of chaos and chance, will the flag from the stands affect the chain of nonsensical events leading to the ACC Championship Game, assuming it's not called off by the disproportionate influence of the absurd on all human interaction? How can you tell? Certainly not from this weekend: Wake Forest shut out Maryland. Virginia beat North Carolina for its third win in a row. Boston College beat Virginia Tech. The ACC is dead. Long live the ACC!
These fans deserve it, anyway. Consider the following facts since the start of the season, and attempt to arrange them into a coherent whole:
• Unanimous preseason favorite Clemson is currently in fifth place in the Atlantic Division with a losing record overall and in conference play. Preseason Coastal favorite Virginia Tech opens the season by losing to East Carolina, largely as a result of a decisive blocked punt.
• Duke, off a 25-game conference losing streak, beats Virginia 31-3.
• Maryland, off a double-digit loss to Middle Tennessee, subsequently beats California at home and comes from two touchdowns back to beat Clemson on the road.
• Virginia, outscored 128-20 in its first three games against I-A competition, subsequently beats the shell off Maryland, 31-0.
• Wake Forest beats Florida State for the third year in a row and holds FSU and Clemson to a combined 10 points in consecutive conference games. These games sandwich a loss to Navy.
• A week after Wake Forest beats Clemson, Maryland, off its inexplicable pounding at Virginia, pounds Wake into submission, 26-0.
• Four teams are tied for the Atlantic Division lead at 2-1. Who's in the driver's seat? Well, Wake Forest beat Florida State, which beat Miami, which beat Duke, which beat Virginia, which beat Maryland, which beat ... Wake Forest. Boston College beat Virginia Tech, which beat Georgia Tech, which beat ... Boston College. Maryland beat Wake Forest, which beat Florida State, which beat North Carolina, which beat Miami, which beat Duke, which beat Virginia, which beat ... Maryland. Florida State beat Miami, which beat Duke, which beat Virginia, which beat Maryland, which beat Wake Forest, which beat ... Florida State.
ept_sports_ncaaf_experts-881769679-1224537687.jpg
At least they're all beating Clemson. You know, the sure thing. Which now technically has no head coach. Long live the ACC!
 
Time for some picks and here's where we start getting into an interesting time of the season with some teams racing for the finish line, some teams throwing the towel in, others trying to get to a bowl, and still others playing for next year.

Upping my wagers by 50% to 1.5 units as the standard bet and hope to bring it hope through early December before playing it careful in the bowls.

Picks
Nebraska -10 (-120)
 
<table class="card"><tbody class="card-tbody"><tr></tr><tr><td class="ct c">
</td><td class="ctr c">
</td></tr><tr><td class="cl c">
</td><td class="cc c">4:40 AM (2 minutes ago)
Kragthorpe calls all remaining games big, makes no distinction about past ones

from Card Chronicle by Mike Rutherford
Make sure you're buckled up.
"It's a big game no doubt because it's a Big East game," Kragthorpe said this afternoon at his weekly media conference. "That's one of our goals, to try to get to the point where we're playing for the Big East championship."

Kragthorpe and the Cards feel the race is still wide open with USF having suffered a home loss to Pittsburgh.

The Cards lost to USF 55-17 last season in Tampa, where they remain winless in three tries. But the Bulls have not won in Louisville in two previous tries. Kragthorpe is hopeful the home crowd will make it difficult for USF as it did against Middle Tennessee State.

"I thought it was a big factor, particularly with no-huddle offense Middle Tennessee liked to run and South Florida does the same thing," Kragthorpe said. "I think it's great for our crowd and our crowd can be a huge factor this week."​
My dream is that one of these days Kragthorpe will come to a press conference and act completely out of character. Maybe he uses "Mo' Money, Mo' Problems" as an intro, maybe he shows up wearing one of those Cat in the Hat hats, I don't know, I'm still ironing out the details.
People say I don't dream big enough.






</td></tr></tbody></table>
 
<table class="card"><tbody class="card-tbody"><tr></tr><tr><td class="ct c">
</td><td class="ctr c">
</td></tr><tr><td class="cl c">
</td><td class="cc c">4:26 AM (16 minutes ago)
San Diego State's Coach Is Delusional or Insane

from The FanHouse - NCAAfootball
Filed under: San Diego State, Mountain West, NCAA FB Coaching
clong.jpg
Well, he could be both. It''s just hard to say. Fresh off a humiliating 70-7 loss to New Mexico, Chuck Long finds the silver lining.
"I know they're angry and I deserve it. We've hit bottom, so at least we know what that looks like. But inch-by-inch, we're going to fight and scratch and claw to get out of this (hole) we're in right now."
​
See. They finally found the bottom. It took more than two years, but now the coaching staff knows they have reached the nirvana of suckitude. Really, this is the absolute lowest point. It's all going to be looking up from here on out.

After all, what are the odds they will have a worse loss? Just because they have BYU and Utah remaining on the schedule. There is no reason to expect worse. A 1-6 start to the season, 8-23 to record with the Aztecs to date. Really, how could it get worse?
How should the fans feel?
"But I'm the face of the program, and if people are angry, I deserve it. And they can direct that anger towards me."
​
So Coach Long, if the anger and blame is on you do you deserve to lose your job over the performance to date?
"I don't think that would be fair, especially considering what we've had to do here," said Long, whose team endured the third-worst loss in school history Saturday in being annihilated 70-7 at New Mexico. "Our program is not healthy yet, but we do see light at the end of the tunnel with the issues we're dealing with inside (the program). So, no, I don't think (being fired) would be fair or right."
​
Really? The NCAA tracks 17 statistical categories. Out of the 119 1-A programs, the Aztecs are 101st or worse in 11 of them. Attendance has been sliding -- the only reason there will be a bounce this year comes from hosting Air Force. The City of San Diego wants a new lease with San Diego State at Qualcomm. One where the City doesn't lose money.

Probably the only thing that can keep Long in San Diego will be an issue of the school eating the last two years of his contract and the $1.4 million or so owed.





</td></tr></tbody></table>
 
<table><tbody><tr><td colspan="3" class="storytitle">Tues. Question - The Sleeper In The BCS Race </td> </tr> <tr> <td class="primaryimage" valign="top">
606391.jpg

Georgia Tech RB Jonathan Dwyer
</td> <td width="3" nowrap="nowrap">
</td> <td valign="top"> <table bgcolor="#f5f5f5" border="0" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="1" width="60%"> <tbody><tr valign="top"> <td valign="middle" nowrap="nowrap">By Staff
CollegeFootballNews.com
Posted Oct 21, 2008
</td> <td nowrap="nowrap">
</td> </tr> </tbody></table>

Tuesday Question - The sleeper in the BCS race is ...
</td></tr> <tr> <td colspan="3">
<table id="table2" align="right" border="0" cellspacing="4" width="200"> <tbody><tr> <td bgcolor="#ffffcc"> Past TQs
- Midseason Stuff
- OU - Texas, LSU - Fl, PSU - Wisc.
 - Where should BYU, Bama, USC & Penn State be ranked?
 - Is the MWest better than the Pac 10?
 - If USC is No. 1, who's No. 2?
 - The best unknown storyline
 - Will the week 1 duds rebound?
 - Top Week 1 Games
 - Predict the 2008 Season
 - Does Sean Lee's injury change your view of spring ball?
 - Is a CF Final 4 a good idea?
- How good will Terrelle Pryor be?
- 2008 March Madness Picks
 - What can college football learn from March Madness?
 - Three Big Spring Storylines
- The Combines are missing ...
- Best & Curious Coaching Hires
- 2008 Wish List
- The 3 Big Bowl Questions
 - What are you most looking forward to from the bowls?
 - Did the BCS get it right?
- Who deserves a spot more, OSU or WVU?
 - What BCS matchups do you want?
- 10 Greatest Quarterbacks of All-Time
- 10 Greatest Defensive Players of All-Time
- 10 Greatest Regular Season Games of All-Time
- 10 Greatest Playmakers of All-Time
- 10 Worst Heisman Winners
- 10 Greatest Bowl Games
- All-Time Offensive Team
- All-Time Defensive Team </td> </tr> </tbody></table> [FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-2] Pete Fiutak [/SIZE][/FONT]
Q: The sleeper team to watch out for in the BCS race is …
A:Florida at 10.

There's a lot of traffic ahead of the Gators, but it doesn't matter. The one loss came to Ole Miss from the West, so Florida controls its own destiny as long as it gets one big break with either Penn State or the Big 12 champion needing to finish with one loss. A one-loss SEC champion will get into the national title game if everything else is equal, and if the Gators up beating Georgia, Kentucky, Vanderbilt, South Carolina, Florida, and then either LSU or Alabama in the SEC title game, they'll be playing for a whole ball of wax.

Also watch out for Ohio State at nine. If it beats Penn State convincingly this week, and if there's a groundswell of support for a team who's two best players, QB Terrelle Pryor and RB Beanie Wells, far different now than they were for the USC game, this could be interesting. The voters will likely do everything possible to keep the Buckeyes out, but it'll be close if they beat the Nittany Lions.

 Richard Cirminiello [FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-2] [/FONT] <o:p> </o:p><o:p> </o:p> [FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-2] [/SIZE][/FONT] <o:p> </o:p>[/SIZE]
Q: The sleeper team to watch out for in the BCS race is …

A: Georgia Tech. The Yellow Jackets have gelled under first-year coach Paul Johnson much faster than anyone could have guessed. And since the team is still adjusting to a new offense and an entirely new staff, it’s safe to assume that its best football will be played in the second half. Josh Nesbitt has been a nice fit at quarterback in the option, and the defensive front is dominating opponents, making life easier on the back seven. In a wide-open ACC, 6-1 Tech has as good a chance as anyone to win the league and represent it in a BCS bowl game. Doesn’t it feel like a decade ago that Chan Gailey was perennially underachieving with this program?

Also, don’t lose sight of Minnesota. Yup, as crazy as it sounds, the Golden Gophers are 6-1 and just might be favored in each of their final five games. If they can somehow win out and either Ohio State or Penn State has two losses, you know that league commissioner Jim Delany will do whatever is necessary to get two Big Ten teams into BCS bowl games. Hey, Kansas and Wake Forest have played in January games in each of the last two years, so anything is possible in this era of college football.

 <o:p> Matthew Zemek</o:p>
Q: The sleeper team to watch out for in the BCS race is …
A: LSU (for the national title game).

Sitting at No. 13, it might seem that the Bayou Bengals have no shot. However, it's only October. More losses are sure to come for the big dogs.

Then realize that LSU gets Georgia and Alabama at home. If the Tigers can prevail in each of those contests, their resume will become immensely attractive.

The SEC has four teams that could legitimately make the national title game. LSU might be sitting fourth in the pecking order, but Les Miles's team is definitely in the mix.


<o:p>Steve Silverman</o:p>
Q: The sleeper team to watch out for in the BCS race is …
A: Let's give a little love to Boise State.

Stop if you have heard this one before. The Broncos are undefeated and are likely to stay that way if they can get past San Jose State on Friday night. They have a big game with Fresno State at the end of the season but it's on the beloved blue turf meaning Pat Hill's team will struggle from start to finish.

This is a well-rounded team starting with the defense (allowing 10.5 ppg) and do enough with freshman quarterback Kellen Moore to give any of the big boys reason to be concerned. I'm not saying the Broncos should be lining up against Texas for the national title, but the Broncos are a big-time power who should get national respect and a spot in one of the BCS Bowls.





</td></tr></tbody></table>
 
MWC Expansion - Wild Speculation upgraded to Rumors.

from Fanblogs.com by Ben Prather
While I have expounded on MWC Expansion, more than once, these were simply my thoughts, with little bearing on actual changes. I even recently shot another report of the idea down thinking it was silliness. It did come from the Idaho Statesman, which is ready to explode once the news of Boise State's upgrade to the MWC is complete. (Notice also the change of perspective I have had since merely a year ago.) That report was quickly squashed by the Deseret News, a Salt Lake news paper partially owned by the LDS church, which fully owns BYU.
What would it take for the MWC to consider expanding? I can't find the link but I remember a statement that, regarding adding Boise State and Fresno State, they would need to add two bowl games or BCS automatic qualifications. Boise has already brought one, and strong BCS credentials.
Interestingly, this C-USA message board is indicating reports that:

The MWC Commissioner gave a radio interview in Boise while finalizing the Humanitarian Bowl agreement and indicated that the MWC Presidents are open to revisiting the expansion questions. For a commissioner to go public on something like this, there has to be something to it. This is, without question, a new development.
​
And this perspective:
So, if expansion stops at BSU, then this is a positive development for CUSA. Like PAC, I don't see MWC going beyond 10 teams because everyone wants to play BYU (and probably Utah) just like northern PAC schools want to play USC and UCLA each year so they can boost their season ticket sales and for recruiting purposes.​
This radio address is echoed by that same Idaho paper mentioned above.
Meanwhile, Thompson told "Idaho Sports Talk" that Mountain West presidents have discussed expansion for the first time since selecting TCU over Boise State in January 2004 to create a nine-team league. However, a Mountain West spokesman told the Idaho Statesman that expansion is "not an agenda item at this time."
​
Now that same Deseret News posts this article.
That's right, the MWC needs to snatch up the University of Tulsa as fast as it can. You thought I was talking about Boise State?
I actually like Boise State and have been a proponent of the MWC adding the school in the past, despite that ghastly blue turf and an arena named after Taco Bell.
​
The MWC schedules have been fouled up ever since TCU came in the league, and schools could save a lot of money if they started playing two games the same weekend on the same trip, rather than making a bunch of single-game trips as they do now. Basketball could go back to a Thursday-Saturday schedule, rather than have all those Tuesday and Wednesday games.​
Tulsa was ranked a Tier 1 school, 83rd in the country, ahead of every MWC school. BYU and TCU were the highest-ranked MWC schools, in a tie for 113th, just ahead of Colorado State and Utah. Boise State didn't even make the list of Tier 3 and Tier 4 schools (UNLV and San Diego State were in the latter category).
​
Not exactly a flat rebuttal to expansion talks, nor a Texas team as feared by the C-USA boards. It could be much worse for C-USA than losing a Texas School. A bigger question is whether Tulsa would leave C-USA for the MWC. The MWC edge in football is less when other sports are considered.
Nothing is official, but rumors are in the wind. Everywhere Craig Thompson turns this question arises., even when the topic is the MWC's success in its short 10 year lifespan, equal to the lifespan of the BCS.
Is a MWC expansion on the horizon? Are Boise State, Fresno State and Tulsa lined up to fill a 12 team conference?
I can only hope.
© fanblogs.comView the original post or comment on MWC Expansion - Wild Speculation upgraded to Rumors....


427086578
 
<table><tbody><tr><td colspan="3" class="storytitle">Who's Hot & Not - Shonn, Boise & Indiana </td> </tr> <tr> <td class="primaryimage" valign="top">
606323.jpg

Boise State CB Kyle Wilson
</td> <td width="3" nowrap="nowrap">
</td> <td valign="top"> <table bgcolor="#f5f5f5" border="0" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="1" width="60%"> <tbody><tr valign="top"> <td valign="middle" nowrap="nowrap">By Pete Fiutak
CollegeFootballNews.com
Posted Oct 20, 2008
</td> <td nowrap="nowrap">
</td> </tr> </tbody></table>

Shonn Greene, Boise State, Virginia Tech and all things Washington and most things Indiana in the latest Who's Hot & Not.
</td></tr> <tr> <td colspan="3">
[FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif]Who's Hot & Not - Week 8[/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
Who’s Hot …
Rice QB Chase Clement and WR Jarett Dillard
These two keep on pumping out record-setting numbers. Clement has been unstoppable throwing for 2,192 yards and 22 touchdowns with just five interceptions, to go along with five rushing scores. He tore up Southern Miss last week for 444 yards and six touchdown passes, and Dillard was on the other end of three scoring passes. With 54 career touchdown catches, Dillard has been a scoring machine who has gotten better and better. Maddeningly consistent, he has caught 7, 8, 7, 9, 8, 7 and 7 passes per game with at least one touchdown grab in each. Up next is Tulane and the top pass defense in the league.

Iowa RB Shonne Greene
Iowa has been a bit up-and-down this year, but it came up with its biggest statement of the season with a 38-16 blasting of Wisconsin. The star of the show was Greene, the junior back who ripped off 217 yards and four touchdowns to get over the 1,000-yard mark in eight games with eight straight 100-yard games and 10 scores. Up next is Illinois who has been allowing 151 rushing yards per game.
Boise State defense
Boise State is known for being an innovative offensive juggernaut, but this year the run for a second BCS spot in three years is being made with the defense. The Broncos allowed 32 points to Oregon in Autzen stadium, but they haven't allowed more than seven points to anyone else. Boise beat Idaho State 49-7, Bowling Green 20-7, Louisiana Tech 38-3, Southern Miss 24-7, and last week, Hawaii 27-7. San Jose State is up next with an offense that has cranked out 61 points over the last two weeks.

Army RB Collin Mooney
All of a sudden, the Army offense actually works. It took a few games to figure out how to run the option attack, and now it's rolling on the ground led by Mooney, a good runner who was one of the few bright spots early on. Over the last three games, Mooney his run for 187 yards and four touchdowns against Tulane, 229 yards against Eastern Michigan, and 172 yards and two scores in the overtime loss to Buffalo. Up next is a date against Louisiana Tech and the nation's 18th best run defense.

Arkansas RB Michael Smith
Who needs Darren McFadden and Felix Jones? Both of them are hurt anyway. Michael Smith has been waiting his turn, and had to wait a game after being suspended against Western Illinois, and he has been tremendous ever since with 791 yards and five touchdown in six games. The only team that has kept him in check is Texas, holding him to 42 yards. Since then, Smith has rushed for 133 yards against Florida, 176 against Auburn, and 192 against Kentucky. Next up is Ole Miss and a run defense that has only allowed 112 yards per game. Who’s Not …

All things WashingtonWashington is on an eight game losing streak with no signs of pulling up out of the nosedive thanks to the loss of star QB Jake Locker. The defense is the worst in the Pac 10 mostly due to the nation's worst pass rush that's generated just three sacks this year. Notre Dame is up next, followed up by a trip to USC. As bad as the Huskies might be, Washington State might be worse. Talked about as the worst team in Pac 10 history, and in the running to be the nation's worst BCS team, battling with Syracuse for the spot, the Cougars have allowed 63 points or more in three of the last four games. Against FBS teams, Wazzu hasn't come closer than 25 points of a win and has been blasted over the last two weeks by Oregon State and USC by a total of 135 to 13. A trip to Stanford is up next.

Virginia Tech special teams
For a program that prides itself on special teams, they're struggling way too much this season. The Hokies are last in the ACC and 117th in the nation in punting, 112th in the country in kickoff returns, and next-to-last in America in punt returns allowed, giving up a nation-worst three touchdowns.

Indiana & Purdue
With the loss to Illinois last week, Indiana has dropped five straight and has yet to beat a FBS team this season. The Hoosiers have lost to the Illini and Iowa over the last two weeks by a total of 100 to 22. Not to be outdone lately has been in-state rival, Purdue, who has dropped four straight. On the year, the Boilermakers only have one win over a FBS team, Central Michigan, and are 0-3 in Big Ten play. The run defense is the worst in the Big Ten and so is the Purdue ground game, averaging just 116 yards per game. Up next for Purdue is Minnesota, and up next for Indiana is Northwestern.

North Texas defense
The defense did a decent job last week of keeping UL Monroe in check in the second half. Unfortunately, it allowed touchdowns from 69, 54 and 49 yards in the first quarter. The Mean Green is allowing 51 points and 479 yards per game and has the second-least efficient pass defense. Making matters worse is an offense that's struggling to put points on the board, averaging just 17 per game. Next up is Troy.

UCF offense
Last year, UCF averaged 235 rushing yards per game led by 183 yards per game from Kevin Smith, the nation's leading rusher. Overall, the offense averaged 412 yards per game on the way to the Conference USA title. UCF was also second in the high-octane league in scoring averaging 36 points per game. This year, without Smith and with a struggling passing game, the Knights are dead last in the nation in total offense averaging 248 yards per game, just 13 more than than they averaged on the ground alone last year. The scoring attack is also dead least in the league averaging just 17.7 points per game. </td></tr></tbody></table>
 
Iowa State's Season Going Up in Smoke

from The Wiz of Odds by Jay Christensen
<embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/wd-RvQbf220&hl=en&fs=1&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999" allowscriptaccess="never" wmode="transparent" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="470" height="389">Popout Iowa State would appear to be overdoing it with the smoke for the team's entrance at Jack Trice Stadium. Note the player running into the goalpost while entering the field for Saturday's game against Nebraska. Thanks to Tony.
 
<table><tbody><tr><td colspan="3" class="storytitle">Perspective Piece: Penn State-Ohio State </td> </tr> <tr> <td class="primaryimage" valign="top">
</td> <td width="3" nowrap="nowrap">
</td> <td valign="top"> <table bgcolor="#f5f5f5" border="0" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="1" width="60%"> <tbody><tr valign="top"> <td valign="middle" nowrap="nowrap">By Matt Zemek
Staff Columnist
Posted Oct 21, 2008
</td> <td nowrap="nowrap">
</td> </tr> </tbody></table>

Saturday night in Columbus, the Big Ten title will be decided, but Penn State and Ohio State will take to the field knowing that they’ve already won enormous victories in 2008. When two coaches meet before kickoff in the Horseshoe, they’ll be able to enjoy a mutually-shared laugh and savor the ways in which they’ve silenced their critics.
</td></tr> <tr> <td colspan="3">

Joseph Vincent Paterno has represented Penn State University with honor, integrity, and on-field excellence for 59 years. Now in his forty-third season as the Nittany Lions’ head coach, Paterno has passed Amos Alonzo Stagg—one of the great early figures in college football’s storied history—as the leader in longevity at a single school. (Stagg coached at the University of Chicago for 41 seasons, from 1892 until his forced retirement in 1932.) Still coaching at an age when most men have long since retired, Paterno has fielded teams that--while not contending on an annual basis they way they once did--make a big splash every few seasons. In 2005, Paterno won the Big Ten title before claiming an Orange Bowl victory at age 79. Surely, another tremendous accomplishment should have given JoePa the right to call his own exit from the grand stage of the gridiron.

However, in this day of “what have you done for me lately,” two so-so seasons in 2006 and 2007 brought a sense of fatigue back to the Nittany Nation. Not a single soul should have felt the need to demand the end of Paterno’s tenure, but that’s exactly what has happened on multiple occasions over the past few years. The constant chatter belonging to the Internet age has hounded the hallowed head coach into his eighties. The era of short attention spans and nonexistent patience did not allow Paterno to escape the ravaging effects of its misguided moods and infantile intentions.

Despite the cacophony of criticisms and complaints, the ever-persistent Paterno has managed to push back Father Time, not to mention the vultures and vipers who’ve been after his hide. Once again, JoePa has calmly coaxed quality from another Penn State squad. In a manner eerily similar to 2005, the pieces of a formidable offense have seamlessly blended together after the puzzlement of previous seasons. Darryl Clark has become the new Michael Robinson at quarterback, while Evan Royster has emerged as a running back in a manner similar to Tony Hunt. Alongside the fresh faces of Clark and Royster, a steady trio of senior receivers that contributed mightily to the 2005 team has stuck around to engineer a 2008 turnaround. Derrick Williams, Jordan Norwood, and Deon Butler have offered dependable targets for Clark, in his first full season under center in Happy Valley, while giving the Nittany Lions the passing prowess that has enabled Royster’s running attack to become that much more effective.

With faces both new and old, the Nittany Lions—always solid on defense in seasons good and bad—have regained the formula for offensive firepower. Penn State’s point-producing potency has enabled its old-school leader to remain a bearer of wisdom, not a man past his prime. That’s the difference between an elder, and someone who is elderly. Paterno—in this year of rediscovered offensive excellence at Penn State—has made sure that the “-LY” ending will not soon be added to “E-L-D-E-R.” This latest renewal of fortune, just two months shy of his 82nd birthday, has Paterno poised to paint the latest and greatest portrait of a masterful coaching career. With a win against the Buckeyes, Paterno will unofficially claim a conference crown that will be formally sewn up in the following weeks. If his Lions can prevail in prime time, JoePa will head to a BCS bowl, and find himself three wins away from a likely date in the BCS Championship Game. Not bad for a man who’s been viewed as a washed-up has-been far too many times this decade.

As much as Paterno has been pounded and pounced on, the leader of the Lions will have company Saturday night. The coach who will oppose him, and the team standing in the way of his latest shot at gridiron glory, knows a fair bit about being prematurely and appallingly attacked and assaulted.

Jim Tressel and the Ohio State Buckeyes have wrongly become America’s newest victim of Second Place Syndrome, that nasty national habit in this country of ripping into runners-up. Much like the Buffalo Bills and Atlanta Braves—and, within college football, the 2003 and ’04 Oklahoma Sooners—Ohio State football has turned into a cultural punching bag, a team hated not for winning too much, but for losing too many championship contests. Whereas the New York Yankees and New England Patriots have been hated in the past for winning everything in sight, the Buckeyes—like their brethren in Buffalo, Atlanta, and Oklahoma—have been vilified for being good enough to get to big games, but unable to claim the ultimate crown.

Forget the fact that being a runner-up for two straight seasons is an unreal accomplishment in the cutthroat climate of college football. Forget the fact that the Buckeyes have won the last two Big Ten titles, and have reached a BCS bowl in five of the past six seasons, another incredible football feat. Forget the fact that the Buckeyes, unlike many FBS schools, have had the guts to schedule home-and-home series with the likes of Texas and now USC, risking everything while other schools hide behind cushy cupcakes and cream puffs. Yes, the Big Ten hasn’t been America’s best conference in recent years, but the consistent quality of the Tressel era has been something to behold in Columbus. The Buckeyes have displayed levels of daring and determination that have kept them atop the sport despite receiving every opponent’s best shot on a weekly basis, year after year. Ohio State’s awesome track record has merited the heartiest of hosannahs, the fullest forms of pigskin praise.

Yet, the aftermath of almost every OSU game in this trying 2008 trail of tension has been met with an avalanche of criticism. The Buckeyes received the verbal equivalent of a barrage of rotten tomatoes after their lopsided loss at USC in September. Tressel’s big-game chops and coaching quality weren’t just questioned, but assaulted with outraged acidity and off-the-charts anger. A flood of columns and commentaries poured in from all corners of the country, cutting a proud pack of proven performers to pieces. The depth of the venom and vitriol heaped on the Bucks was overwhelming. The degree to which pundits and talking heads drowned the Big Ten’s best team with derision, and even a diabolical dose of disturbing delight, proved to be breathtaking in its boldness and scope. The program that, in this decade, has maximized its potential more than any other school not named USC, confronted the cruelest critique of all: namely, that it had consistently underachieved.

Before last Saturday’s slaughter of the Michigan State Spartans, Ohio State had been winning without flair, in the Jim Tressel way. Surviving sluggish Saturdays against the likes of Ohio, Troy, Wisconsin, and Purdue, these Buckeyes have recalled the 2002 title team that mastered the elusive art of winning without its best fastball. Prevailing even when inefficient, and conquering the crucible of the four-quarter fistfight that remains close to the very end, the 2002 Buckeyes bucked the odds by pulling every pulse-pounding, dead-heat duel out of the fire in the final minutes. Without exception, the crew captained by crunch-time king Craig Krenzel always excelled in the midst of the man-making motivational moment that magnifies the winner and diminishes the loser. Aside of this year’s terrible tumble in Los Angeles, the 2008 Buckeyes are showing signs of replicating the resourcefulness of the last national title team in Columbus.

The important thing to remember, though, about this latest Ohio State outfit—much like Joe Paterno himself—is that, win or lose on Saturday in the ‘Shoe, a validating and vindicating victory has already been attained. Similar to the way in which Paterno was pelted and pummeled with plentiful putdowns at a time when he deserved to ride into the sunset on his own terms, Jim Tressel and his team had to walk in the valley of the vanquished, against their own wishes. Viewed as a loser despite a consistent track record of winning at the highest level, the Buckeyes—painted falsely and unfairly by outside observers—have already claimed a conquest of their critics by arranging this meeting of maximum magnitude on Saturday night. It’s remarkable that this Buckeye bunch—written off after the USC loss with glee and gusto by countless drive-by assailants—is merely in position to claim a third consecutive outright Big Ten title, a feat that has never been accomplished in the 139-year history of college football.

That’s not too shabby for the team and coach who have been dumped on and derided by dozens of detractors at the end of the past two seasons, and in the first half of this 2008 campaign.

Penn State and Ohio State. JoePa and Mister Sweater Vest. Two teams and two coaches will compete with the comfort of realizing that by setting up this battle for Big Ten bragging rights and BCS bling, they’ve already achieved far more than their fiercest foes ever expected. One more triumph will propel the winner to even loftier heights, but the loser of this game will still be in the running for an at-large invite to a January extravaganza.

Whether it’s Paterno marching to one more national title tilt, or the Buckeyes racking up an historic accomplishment, a special storyline will emerge from this crowning collision in Columbus. When the postgame handshakes take place, however, the gridiron gladiators at these two successful schools will know that they’ve both overcome ample amounts of adversity. A highly significant football game is waiting to be won this Saturday night, but the delicious subtext of Lions-Buckeyes, the battle of the best in the Big Ten, is found in the fact that these two terrific teams and their supremely successful sideline sages, are all—to a man and without exception—champions of the highest order.
</td></tr></tbody></table>
 
<table class="card"><tbody class="card-tbody"><tr></tr><tr><td class="ct c">
</td><td class="ctr c">
</td></tr><tr><td class="cl c">
</td><td class="cc c">7:43 PM (2 hours ago)
How Does Tech Beat KU

from Double-T Nation by Tech92
Well, here we are. The true meat of the 2008 schedule starts Saturday with a trip to Lawrence. This, as everyone knows, is the start of a brutal four week stretch of games that will define our season. But we can only take it one week at a time.
So how does Tech start this gauntet off right vs. KU? I think a huge key is Kerry Meier. The converted QB is one of the most athletic players on the KU team and is probably the heart of the team. Several TV announcers have stated that he's not only the most popular player on the team, but probably the most popular student at KU. they just love the kid up there.
Meir ranks 8th nationally in receptions per game (and is the Big XII leader in that category) with just over eight catches per week. But more importantly, he's a drive extender. His catches tend to keep drives alive on third down and though he's not a TD machine (three all year), he is the quiet cog that keeps KU rolling. Dezmon Briscoe is the flash guy and he's the deep threat for KU, so we can't let him run free all day, but I think Meier is much more important to the success of KU.
What makes keeping Meier in check even more difficult is the escapability of Todd Reesing. Just as Meier keeps drives alive, Reesing keeps plays alive with his active feet and escapability. Just when the D-line thinks they have him corralled, he can escape and keep the play going, often finding Meier in the flat all alone. This puts a huge amount of pressure on our underneath coverage to stay with Meier for extended periods on some plays. A tough task for any LB or CB.
Tech can do one of two things: Assign a spy on Meier to shadow him all over the field, which is a poor strategy. Taking a player out of the mix to follow a guy is never something I've been a fan of, though. A better strategy is ensuring the D-linemen maintain their lanes and don't allow the hope of a sack to create an avenue of escape. In other words, work to the QB, but keep contain. Easier said than done, I know. But with the ability our D-line has shown to get decent QB pressure so far this year, I think it's doable.
If Tech can cover Meier closely enough to prevent the critical third down completions, while pressuring Reesing enough so that his only option is a run up the middle, a sack or a dangerous pass, I think Tech has a great chance of taking this one. If Reesing can flush to either sideline and create defensive coverage breakdowns, this could spell trouble and make ball control a dirty phrase for Red Raider faithful.
The one great thing about Tech is we usually don't have to worry about how many points we'll score. We'll score. Usually a lot. It's keeping the other guy down long enough for us to build a big lead, thus taking their offense out of its gameplan that is the key. Face it, in a shootout, Tech wins 9 out of 10. Kansas doesn't want that. We do.
Thanks goes to Seth for letting me have a spare key on this thing.






</td></tr></tbody></table>
 
<table class="card"><tbody class="card-tbody"><tr></tr><tr><td class="ct c">
</td><td class="ctr c">
</td></tr><tr><td class="cl c">
</td><td class="cc c">7:11 PM (2 hours ago)
Desperate Michigan Guarentees a Win

from CollegeGameBalls: College Football at its Finest by cgb
Michigan State is a 5½ point favorite to win in Ann Arbor (who is a whore) this Saturday. However, the Wolverines don’t seem too worried about little brother.
“We are not going to lose to State,” Michigan defensive end Brandon Graham told reporters Saturday following a 46-17 loss at Penn State.
Two days later, Graham’s teammates didn’t fault him for firing up Michigan State more.
“He wanted to guarantee a win. We’re going to back him up on it,” defensive tackle Terrance Taylor said Monday.
​
You would think after a year and a half of humbling losses and dissapointment Michigan players would just keep their mouths shut and play their games. Hopefully Sparty has a special post game celebration planned.
​
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/football/ncaa/10/21/michigan.michiganst.ap/index.html






</td></tr></tbody></table>
 
<table class="card"><tbody class="card-tbody"><tr></tr><tr><td class="ct c">
</td><td class="ctr c">
</td></tr><tr><td class="cl c">
</td><td class="cc c">3:54 PM (6 hours ago)
Finally, the making of Mike Stoops

from Dr. Saturday - NCAAF - Yahoo! Sports by Matt Hinton
ept_sports_ncaaf_experts-266277309-1224627117.jpg
With the never-ending focus on the proverbial hot seat (good to see Ty Willingham is still smiling), how about the rare coach who's apparently coached his way off the burner: with Arizona's surprisingly convincing upset over Cal Saturday, Mike Stoops has the Wildcats sitting at 3-1 in the Pac-10, hosting USC in biggest game of Stoops' tenure. See: patience, people. Given five years, even the Mutiny on the Mackovic can become a distant memory. This is just the kind of game Arizona would win, too -- it's beaten six top 25 teams under Stoops without ever reaching the polls itself, like when it beat the shine off unbeaten UCLA in 2005, top ten Cal in 2006 and apparently national title-bound Oregon last year, all in Tucson. On the road, of course, the Wildcats are equally adept at playing down to the likes of New Mexico (two straight losses at the hands of the Lobos now) and Stanford (ditto). But that concern is for another week; USC is an obvious chance to play up, and technically move into the Pac-10 lead.
For their part, the Trojans are due for another iffy effort against an inferior team on the road. Maybe by writing that, I perform some kind of anti-jinx, since the bi-annual Southern Cal surprise seems to track closely with the level of wild hyperbole about how awesome SC is. With Oregon and Arizona State already vanquished, though, the Wildcats are the best shot of the "Little Nine" to knock the Trojans down a notch; otherwise, USC seems destined to lock up another conference crown at home in two weeks, against Cal. Unless, of course, Oregon State were to run the table ... nah. La revolucion is up to Arizona.






</td></tr></tbody></table>
 
<table class="card"><tbody class="card-tbody"><tr></tr><tr><td class="ct c">
</td><td class="ctr c">
</td></tr><tr><td class="cl c">
</td><td class="cc c">1:00 PM (9 hours ago)
Life on the Margins: UConn lives on the edge, dies by the foot

from Dr. Saturday - NCAAF - Yahoo! Sports by Matt Hinton
Obsessing weekly over the statistical anomalies and minutiae of close and closer-than-they-looked games that could have gone the other way. Be careful before you judge these games by the final score alone ...
ept_sports_ncaaf_experts-772825443-1224616545.jpg
If I really wanted to stretch it, really stretch it, I could include Virginia's upset of North Carolina in this week's "Margins" lineup, wherein the Heels outgained UVA, had more first downs and achieved rare "perfect balance" -- 166 yards rushing, 166 yards passing -- in an overtime loss. But the numbers are close enough (the total yardage difference was less than 60 yards) that overtime is plausible even if you subtract UNC's three turnovers.
Really, the only game Saturday that fell into "Margins" territory was Rutgers' stunning 12-10 win over LOTM regular UConn. It was the Knights' first win of the year over a I-A team, which in this case also happened to be one of the frontrunners to win the Big East. I don't know if he's a regular reader, but even UConn defensive tackle and blog favorite Rob Lunn thought the Huskies should have won:
So that brings us to Rutgers. I normally don't like taking anything away from teams, but (I'm not sayin', I'm just sayin...) we are a much better team than we showed Saturday afternoon. We left a lot of points on the field (driving and only coming away with 3 when we should have had 21). That is the heart of the matter. Doing things like that, we beat ourselves. Statistically speaking, we were more than sound in the running game ... and the passing game was on point (well done, Zach Frazer). In fact we out gained Rutgers in both, and won the time of possession.
​
ept_sports_ncaaf_experts-895070677-1224616384.jpg
At least he didn't blame the kicker, which might be the natural reaction after missing three field goals in a two-point game, at the end of 50, 72 and 64-yard drives, no less, the last a potential game-winner with a little over a minute on the clock. That's what Randy Edsall's doing, in fact, yanking starting kicker Tony Ciarvino for David Teggart. But the key stat here, rather than the usual culprit (turnovers), was field position: tall nine of Rutgers' points were a direct result of UConn starting three of its four third quarter drives at its own 1, 2 and 3-yard line, respectively. The Knights' only touchdown came on a short field (37 yards) following a UConn punt from its own end zone on the first of those possessions, and the safety that provided the winning margin came one play after Teddy Dellaganna dropped a punt at the Husky two.
And so: Pittsburgh is your official Big East favorite. Are you happy, Schiano?






</td></tr></tbody></table>
 
<table><tbody><tr><td colspan="3" class="storytitle">Cavalcade of Whimsy - 10 Cool Unknowns </td> </tr> <tr> <td class="primaryimage" valign="top">
606390.jpg

Georgia RB Knowshon Moreno
</td> <td width="3" nowrap="nowrap">
</td> <td valign="top"> <table bgcolor="#f5f5f5" border="0" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="1" width="60%"> <tbody><tr valign="top"> <td valign="middle" nowrap="nowrap">By Pete Fiutak
CollegeFootballNews.com
Posted Oct 21, 2008
</td> <td nowrap="nowrap">
</td> </tr> </tbody></table>

What are 10 under-the-radar teams and players you probably haven't noticed? Who'll end up winning each conference title? This and Georgia's schedule, Texas cheerleader outfits, and more in the latest Cavalcade of Whimsy.
</td></tr> <tr> <td colspan="3">
[FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif]Fiu's Cavalcade of Whimsy[/FONT][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif]
[/FONT][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif]
a.k.a. Frank Costanza's Festivus Airing of the Grievances [/FONT][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-2]

By Pete Fiutak
What's your beef? ... Fire off your thoughts
Past Whimsies [/SIZE][/FONT] 2006 Season | 2007 Season
- Preseason Cavalcade | Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4
- Week 5 | Week 6 | Week 7
If this column sucks, it’s not my fault … my brother, Terry Bowden, believes I deserve to be fired because I, of all people, knew what to expect when I started writing it. There is an expectation of success that must be met. I knew exactly what those expectations were and I knew they had not been met.

No, this isn't the college football version of socialism … In my world, nothing would be better than if everyone finished with one loss. There would be a million storylines, tons of debating, and lots of fun beefing going on. However, the fan side of me really likes the big games, so, for example, I was sort of glad that Oklahoma State beat Baylor to set up this week’s showdown with Texas, and I wasn’t upset that Penn State got by Michigan to make its battle at Ohio State that much bigger. With that said, I don’t think for a single solitary second that any BCS team is finishing unbeaten this year.

Forget the obvious ideas for a potential upset, like the Buckeyes over the Nittany Lions, LSU over Alabama, Oklahoma over both Oklahoma State and Texas Tech, and either Oklahoma State or Texas Tech over Texas, the upsets are going to come out of the blue when we least expect them. We know they’re coming, we can even be looking and aware, and we’ll still miss them. Who really saw Arkansas beating LSU last year or Pitt getting by West Virginia?

Here are the five remaining unbeaten BCS teams and where they’re going to lose, and the stunner they might lose.

- Texas - Might Lose: Oklahoma State, Possible Upset: Texas A&M, Will Lose: at Texas Tech
- Alabama - Might Lose: at Tennessee, Possible Upset: Mississippi State, Will Lose: at LSU
- Penn State - Might Lose: at Iowa, Possible Upset: Michigan State, Will Lose: at Ohio State
- Oklahoma State - Might Lose: at Texas Tech, Possible Upset: at Colorado, Will Lose: at Texas
- Texas Tech - Might Lose: at Kansas, Possible Upset: Baylor, Will Lose: at Oklahoma
So with that in mind, I’ll take ‘em out and put them on the chopping block. Your conference champions will be …
ACC – Georgia Tech, Big East – Pitt, Big 12 – Oklahoma, Big Ten – Ohio State, C-USA – Tulsa, MAC – Ball State, Mountain West – TCU, Pac 10 – USC, SEC – Florida, Sun Belt – Troy, WAC – Boise State.

Now go on and do something productive with your day.

“Hit squad, def squad, yeah we both get ill, so believe me when I tell you boy, you gots to chill” … The Rich Rodriguez era is seven games old and the guy is on the hot seat? He needs a vote of confidence? Seven games, people. Everyone knew the Wolverines weren’t going to win the national title right away, and everyone knew the program needed to be completely torn down to be built back up again. Outback Bowl, Schmoutback Bowl; Michigan needed to take a big step back to potentially take a giant leap forward. Fine, so the offense stinks and there’s no excuse to lose to Toledo, but the last thing Michigan needs to do is panic in a win-now-or-else mode. Give Rodriguez a full recruiting cycle or two, and then it’ll be time to call for his head.

However, the thought of Khrushchev in chaps might have just killed the buzz … During the Cuban missile crisis, with John and Robert Kennedy fearing there might have been a coup in the Russian government and unable to know exactly who they were dealing with, they had to resort to back channel communications to bargain with Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev. As the debatable legend/myth goes, ABC’s John Scali went through his K.G.B. contact, Aleksandr Feklisov, to convey the Kennedy plan to Moscow to covertly set the wheels in motion for what would ultimately be the deal that would calm the tension. It was the only way the message could be delivered without both sides looking weak, while the ploy allowed everyone to get what they wanted. On a completely unrelated topic, those Texas pom squad outfits, chaps and all, are, uh, intriguing. Oh yeah, and the holidays are coming up.

But you’d be ill-advised to do this if your significant other really does come in wearing the pom outfit … In a five minute span, you could be told you don’t have cancer, you passed all your finals, and your stocks all rebounded, and you still wouldn’t experience the pure and unadulterated joy and relief a major college football coach feels the split-second after his team scores a big touchdown that’ll likely win a game. In our daily lives, we should all incorporate the “go for one” sign, like Rick Neuheisel was able to flash after UCLA QB Kevin Craft scrambled to throw the late touchdown pass to beat Stanford.

You know what I’m talking about. You thrust your index figure in the air, quickly start pacing around, and yell confidently and coolly to no one in particular, “go for one,” like going for two was even an option.

Alright, bacon day. “One … one … go for one.”
Grandma’s taking the kids for the day? “One …”
Desperate Housewives is a repeat and you don’t need to watch it? “Kicking team … one.”

Try it. You’ll feel better.

Otherwise known as the Matthew/Moreno Farewell Tour … at LSU, the neutral site date against Florida, a trip to an improved Kentucky, a date at Auburn, Georgia Tech, and then, possibly, the SEC title game in a rematch against Alabama. If Georgia gets through its finishing kick unscathed, how do you keep it out of the national title game no matter what the rest of the world does? That includes a one-loss USC, and maybe, an unbeaten Penn State.

Beatnik: “You’re in advertising?!… How do you sleep at night?”
Don Draper: “On a bed made of money.” … If you hooked up Oklahoma State uber-booster/oil man T. Boone Pickens up to a lie detector and asked him if he’d rather have a win over Texas this week or see America rid of its dependence on foreign oil by next year at this time, he’d say the latter, of course, but it would be even money on what the needle would show.

There are about 15 other teams out there that would like to make the trade, too … This might be the golden age of Big 12 quarterbacks with Chase Daniel, Todd Reesing, Zac Robinson, Graham Harrell, Josh Freeman, Joe Ganz, Robert Griffin, and all of a sudden, Jerrod Johnson at Texas A&M all giving the league a ridiculous array of talented playmakers to deal with on a weekly basis. Of course, there’s also Colt McCoy, who has the Heisman for the taking. And then there’s Sam Bradford, the Oklahoma star who could be the No. 1 pick in the draft if he chooses to leave early after this season (he’s a third-year sophomore). At the very least, he’s neck-and-neck with Georgia’s Matthew Stafford as the best pro quarterback prospect in college football.

How amazing is this year for Big 12 quarterbacks and how mediocre has the quarterback play been in the past? An argument could be made that Bradford is the best pro quarterback from a Big 12 school right now, including all NFL teams, and McCoy might be close behind. Freeman, Harrell, and Daniel, if he grows another two inches, might also be in the discussion.

Would the Tennessee Titans trade Vince Young for Bradford? Thanks, V.Y., but here’s a bus ticket and a peanut butter sandwich. Behind Young, the second best Big 12 quarterback currently playing in the NFL right now is, uhhhh, ummmm, Sage Rosenfels? Seneca Wallace? None of the top 34 NFL quarterbacks, at least statistically, are from the Big 12.

Although playing in the WAC might be the equivalent of playing intramurals, brother … Dan Hawkins has gone 12-20 in his two-and-a-half years at Colorado, but he has his team in the hunt for a bowl game. Just getting by isn’t exactly what Buff fans had in mind after the weird but successful Gary Barnett era … what happened? Hawkins seems to be the perfect fit for Boulder, he’s sort of an out-of-the-box coach at an out-of-the-box school, and he has earned his stripes after years of success at Boise State. But his offense is dead last in the Big 12 by a long shot, the team has scored 14 points in each of the last three games, and the defense is fine, but nothing special. That means either Boise State really was pretty good and had better talent than everyone assumed, or Hawkins is about a year away from being on a Dennis Franchione-like hot seat.

But if the same thing happened to Mitch Albom or Mike Lupica, feel free to run a non-stop 24-hour loop ... I’d like to thank ESPN, ABC, and the family of networks for taking every possible opportunity early last Saturday to time and again show Oklahoma star receiver Manuel Johnson’s arm bending the wrong, twisted way without warning anyone of the gruesome, icky nature of the replay. Try to unring the bell of that image after watching the “highlight.”

And now, the punchline … Across the scroll at the bottom of the screen said “Oklahoma WR Manuel Johnson out (apparent arm injury).” That’s like Kellen Winslow Jr. being listed as out this week with an “undisclosed injury.”

Yes, the Kansas defense really did make a tackle … Not only am I pro-replay, I demand more with wider, sweeping powers given to the replay official. If the point is to get the call right, then the replay official should be able to buzz the tower when there’s a missed call that’ll potentially change the game. In the Kansas – Oklahoma game, the Sooners were driving when KU safety Patrick Resby made a great tackle. After being knocked down, he got up and grabbed the runner by the front of his jersey with one hand, and the back of the jersey, by the name, with the other hand, and spun him around to the ground. At live speed, it looked like there had to be a facemask of some sort, and it almost seemed like the official threw the flag because it seemed like something that violent deserved a flag. Then after convening, it was a 15-yard horse-collar penalty making it first and goal, Resby begged and pleaded his case, to no avail, and OU took advantage of the break with a DeMarco Murray touchdown run. Had the replay official been looking, and if it had been within his jurisdiction, he would’ve been able to see that the tackle really was fine and could've gotten the call right.

“Oh, we got both kinds. We got Country, and Western.” … Who is this Kenny Chesney and why is he becoming a constant presence in my college football world? Between him and the ongoing Big 'n' Rich fiasco that casts a weekly pall over the otherwise terrific GameDay broadcast, I’m begging for an extended hand to my side of the musical aisle. I’m not asking for Radiohead or Rage or anything, but this is college football, so I’ll accept anything played on XMU. Yes, that includes vegan chicks pining for their lost boyfriends or ambiguously confused gal pals. Unfortunately, when the network types try to appeal to the non-country fan, on comes the heaping helping of Bon Jovi.

The C.O.W. spectacle of warm fuzzies, balloon bouquets and hearty handshakes
Just after the halfway point, these are the 10 best things about the season so far that you probably haven’t noticed.

10. UL Lafayette’s running game
There’s a serious challenger to the yearly grip Navy has on the rushing title. When the Ragin’ Cajun ground game is working, it’s a thing of beauty with a perfect spread mix of power, speed and precision. The ringleader, QB Michael Desormeaux, is out with a knee injury at the moment, but veteran RB Tyrell Fenroy continues to produce. ULL ripped up Kent State for 414 yards and five touchdowns, blew past UL Monroe for 556 yards and five scores, and gave Kansas State a push with 335 yards and four touchdowns. Fenroy has rushed for 4,241 career yards with 41 touchdowns and has run for 970 yards and 14 scores this year.

9. Minnesota & head coach Tim Brewster
Minnesota was so bad last year. In Brewster’s first season, the Gophers went 1-11 thanks to a defense that couldn’t tackle, setting new records in futility, and an offense that couldn’t give the ball away fast enough. This year, it looked like it might be more of the same as Northern Illinois came up with big play after big play in the season opener. Down by three with 38 seconds to go, and facing a 4<sup>th</sup> and one on the NIU three, Brewster set the tone for the rest of the season by choosing to go for it rather than settle for the field goal and overtime. Duane Bennett pounded the ball for two yards, ran it in for a touchdown on the following play, and Minnesota went on to win the game to spark a 6-1 start. The defense is forcing big plays and mistakes, while QB Adam Weber doesn’t turn it over. There’s still a long way to go, but Brewster has a reputation as a master recruiter. With a new stadium on the way, he could be on the verge of doing for Minnesota what Ron Zook did at Illinois.

8. Houston QB Case Keenum
David Johnson and Tulsa are starting to get more and more attention, and rightly so, with the nation’s leading offense, but it’s the Houston sophomore who leads the country in total offense. He had the unenviable task of taking over for Kevin Kolb last year and came up with a nice season, and now, with Art Briles off coaching at Baylor and star skill players Donnie Avery and Anthony Alridge off to the big league, Keenum got even better under first-year head man Kevin Sumlin. Keenum has yet to throw for fewer than 360 yards, and while he threw three picks in the loss to Colorado State, he has only thrown three interceptions in his 330 other pass attempts to go along with 23 touchdown passes. He’s also a decent runner with 164 yards and two touchdowns. Mark on your calendar the November 15<sup>th</sup> game against Tulsa, and expect 1,200 yards of total offense.

7. Oregon State and Mr. Rodgers (both of them)
If you haven’t noticed, the Pac 10 is having a bit of a down year, to be nice. While that might turn out to be a problem for USC when it comes time to the overall BCS formula, it could be a great thing for an Oregon State team that was left for dead after losing to Stanford to start the season, followed up by a 45-14 blasting from Penn State. The shocking 27-21 win over USC didn’t just turn the college football world on its ear, it put the Beavers in the drivers’ seat for the Rose Bowl. The toughest remaining road game is at Arizona, while Arizona State, Cal and Oregon have to come to Corvallis. All are winnable. The offense is led by freshman Jacquizz Rodgers, the Pac 10’s leading rusher, who showed his slippery talents in the win over the Trojans, while his brother, James, has been a tremendous all-around playmaker.
6. Iowa RB Shonn Greene
 Michigan State’s Javon Ringer might lead the Big Ten in rushing, and Ohio State’s Beanie Wells, when healthy, is the nation’s best running back (or he’s at least neck-and-neck with Georgia’s Knowshon Moreno), but it’s the Iowa star who’s been the most consistent back this year. Third in the nation averaging 144 yards per game, the junior has rushed for 109 yards, 130, 120, 147, 159, 157, 115 and 217 with 10 touchdowns. He outdueled Ringer 157 yards to 91 in the Hawkeye loss, and he outran Pitt star LeSean McCoy 147 yards to 78 in another defeat. A secret over the first half of the year, he might be a college football household name after ripping up Wisconsin for 217 yards and four touchdowns highlighted by a breathtaking 52-yard dash.

5. Rice and QB Chase Clement and WR Jarett Dillard
Dillard holds the NCAA career record for touchdown catches with 54, while Clement is quietly having one of the statistically-best careers in college football history. Dillard has caught gone over the 100-yard mark in each of the last five games and has caught seven or more passes, and scored a touchdown, in every game this year. Meanwhile, Clement is third in the nation in total offense and has cranked up his career totals to 7,858 passing yards with 77 touchdowns and 32 interceptions, and he has rushed for 1,393 yards and 18 scores.

4. Florida State’s defense
It shows how far Florida State has fallen on the national scale when it’s having a solid 5-1 season and barely gets a mention anywhere while being unable to sell out the stadium in Jacksonville for the Colorado game. For the first time in years the Noles have a living, breathing running game with Antone Smith leading the way for the nation’s 17<sup>th</sup> ranked attack, but it’s the defense that’s the star allowing 248 yards per game. The nation’s third best defense isn’t giving up anything through the air, while the pass rush has been steady and effective. Granted, the Noles haven’t exactly had to deal with Texas Tech and Tulsa, but the positive steps are being taken to make Florida State the ACC superpower it was before dipping over the last few seasons.

3. TCU’s defensive front
America would’ve gotten a glimpse of Jerry Hughes and the tremendous TCU defensive line against BYU, but no one seems to know what Versus is. TCU’s defense gave up 411 yards and four touchdowns to Oklahoma’s Sam Bradford, but it held the Sooner running game to 25 yards helped by three sacks and five tackles for loss. Along with the OU debacle, TCU beat Stanford 31-14 and hasn’t allowed more than seven points against anyone else. The defense is allowing 218.6 yards per game. USC is No. 2 allowing 220 yards per game, and Florida State is a distant third. The line has paved the way for 4.13 sacks per game, by far the best in the nation, and is making 8.6 tackles per game behind the line. Hughes has 11 sacks, showing off too much quickness even against NFL-caliber tackles, while Cody Moore and Matt Panfil have played as well as any linemen in America.

2. Ball State and RB MiQuale Lewis
Ball State is 7-0, and while the loss of unstoppable WR Dante Love to a neck/back injury was a major down point, everything else has been nearly perfect. The special teams have been excellent, the defense has gotten the job done, allowing seven points over the last two games, and Nate Davis has been every bit the steady, star quarterback the team was counting on. Even with all that, the real catalyst for the big year has been a 5-6, 184-pound junior who hasn’t had much luck staying healthy over the course of his career. Lewis leads the MAC in rushing with 914 yards and 13 touchdowns, with his low game a 94-yard effort in a blowout win over Northeastern. He can be a workhorse, a receiver, and a goal line runner when needed.

1. Boise State
If winning in the WAC was so easy, why doesn’t everyone do it? All Boise State has done is win 10 or more games in seven of the last nine years, and after starting out 6-0, has hit the 100 win mark since 1999 with just 19 losses over that span. This year, the Broncos went into Autzen Stadium, arguably one of college football’s toughest places to play, and came up with a win. In the other five games, Boise hasn’t allowed more than seven points and hasn’t been threatened. The offense is averaging a solid 421 yards per game led by the nation’s seventh most efficient passing game, the defense is second in the nation in points allowed, and the return game has been special. Even with the résumé, the proven success, and the Fiesta Bowl win over Oklahoma less than two years ago, the program still isn’t getting much in the way of respect. It’s time to celebrate the continued success and not do much questioning about whether or not this team actually belongs in the BCS when it goes unbeaten.

Random Acts of Nutty … Provocative musings and tidbits to make every woman want you and every man want to be you (or vice versa) a.k.a. things I didn’t feel like writing bigger blurbs for.

- Unanswered points are points scored by one team that go unanswered. If it’s 17-17, and Team X wins 37-17, Team X scored 20 unanswered points. It it’s 17-17 and Team X scores 30 points, and if Team Y kicks a field goal in the final minutes, Team X went on a 30-point run.
- Penn State QB Daryll Clark needs to graduate. I have a brain cramp and I have to look up his name every time I write it. Is it two Rs or two Ls? Rice WR Jarett Dillard (on R, two Ts), needs to go, too.
- After a quick look, I’ve never been able to find a greater disparity in divisions than the MAC is experiencing this season. Considering Toledo beat Michigan and Eastern Michigan beat Bowling Green, from the East, a case could be made that the worst teams in the MAC West are better than the top teams from the East. Central Michigan, Ball State, Western Michigan, and Northern Illinois would all win the East in a walk.
- Watch out for Pitt. On a five-game winning streak after the season opening gaffe against Bowling Green, the Panthers have a decent, but manageable schedule down the stretch. A good, sound team gets through Rutgers, at Notre Dame, Louisville, at Cincinnati, West Virginia and at Connecticut with one loss and gets to the BCS.

C.O.W. shameless gimmick item … The weekly five Overrated/Underrated aspects of the world
1) Overrated: SEC defenses ... Underrated: Big 12 offenses
2) Overrated: Howard Dean’s “yehhhaaaa” moment … Underrated: Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney jumping up in the air and chest bumping his players
3) Overrated: James Davis’ reaction to the Tommy Bowden firing ... Underrated: My reaction four minutes ago when I realized the cupcake I was saving had been eaten
4) Overrated: Colt McCoy’s lock on the Heisman ... Underrated: Dennis Dixon’s lock on the Heisman last year at this time
5) Overrated: USC lurking at 5 and Ohio State checking in at 9 when it comes to the BCS title game ... Underrated: A USC – Ohio State rematch in the Rose Bowl

“I hearby designate Colt McCoy, Texas as my First Choice to receive the Heisman Memorial Trophy awarded to the most outstanding college football player in the United States for 2008. To the best of my knowledge he conforms to the rules governing this vote.”

My Second Choice Is: Sam Bradford, Oklahoma
My Third Choice Is: Graham Harrell, Texas Tech

“You know I'm born to lose, and gambling's for fools/But that's the way I like it baby, I don't wanna live forever” … The three lines this week that appear to be a tad off.

(Heavy sigh)

I will win, I must win, I will win.

1-2 last week (again), 7-16-1 overall.

(Bigger, heavier sigh)

I press on by taking the three games I’m sure of … 1) Alabama -6 over Tennessee, 2) Central Michigan -3.5 over Toledo, 3) Tulsa -21.5 over UCF

Last Week: 1) Wisconsin +3.5 over Iowa (LOSS), 2) Akron -3 over Eastern Michigan (WIN), 3) Cal over Arizona PICK (LOSS)

Sorry this column sucked, but it wasn’t my fault … I thought I was doing a good job and was in the clear, but I got blasted by SEC official Wilbur Hackett Jr.
</td></tr></tbody></table>
 
<table class="card"><tbody class="card-tbody"><tr></tr><tr><td class="ct c">
</td><td class="ctr c">
</td></tr><tr><td class="cl c">
</td><td class="cc c">11:27 AM (10 hours ago)
This Week In Schadenfreude: Bronco Is a Funny Name for a Communist

from The FanHouse - NCAAfootball
Filed under: Arkansas, Brigham Young, California, Virginia Tech, Washington, Wisconsin
sad-pug.jpg
scha·den·freu·de

-noun <table> <tbody> <tr> <td valign="top">satisfaction or pleasure felt at someone else's misfortune. </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> [Origin: 1890-95; < G, equiv. to Schaden harm + Freude joy]
On This Week In Schadenfreude we explore the sputtering rage, gibbering condemnation, and resigned ennui of the college football fan who has recently undergone humiliating defeat. Because even in your darkest hour, someone else is suffering too, and probably worse than you. Unless you are a Michigan fan who has just finished watching the Appalachian State game.

Expectations got a little out of hand for BYU when they throttled a UCLA team that had just beaten Tennessee with its eighth string quarterback. It would soon turn out that both UCLA and Tennessee were pretty awful, but by that point BYU was floating in the top ten. No more. The Cougars got stomped by TCU, prompting one Mormon on a mission (HA!) to ask a simple question:

POLL: Do you hate Bronco Mendenhall?
​
Okay, that might have been tongue in cheek. This, however, is... um:

Subject: Bronco is a communist!
... If a player is gifted at something you should be tailoring plays that allow him to use those gifts. Hiding talents in a system is not the way to go, just ask the communists.
​
...it's definitely something, anyway. BYU, you are the Tears of Unfathomable Sadness award recipient.

The rest of the week in spleen after the jump.




<table border="0" cellpadding="8" cellspacing="0" width="440"> <tbody> <tr> <td align="center" bgcolor="#00ccff">BIG TEN</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="vertical-align: top;" bgcolor="#ffffcc">
Is Michigan even the most disappointing team in the Big Ten anymore? Wisconsin 1) lost to Michigan, 2) is now 0-4 in conference, and 3) has been humiliated by Penn State and Iowa in back-to-back weeks.

Yikes. If the Badgers hadn't replaced Virginia Tech with Cal Poly a few months ago, they would be looking at a major uphill battle to achieve bowl eligibility.

The troops are displeased, obviously, and some of them are even calling for the most sacrilegious thing of all:
Perfect time to change from the 19th century football of run, run, run and punt. 2008 is upon us and it's time to catch up with the rest of college football. Look at all the top teams in the country, they use the spread for a reason.
​
That's right: some Wisconsin fans want to kill the Beef Machine.

Speaking of Unnecessary Capitalization:
Swiss Cheese and Kool Aid, came to mind when I watched todays game.
Swiss Cheese to name this defense.
Kool Aid for the drink of choice for the people that continued to come on this board and tell us that everyhting is going to be ok. They also were claiming that the Badgers were going to win out and go to a Bowl-- even a Major Bowl. They would shoot down the real people and tell them they didn't know any thing about Football and such.
And then an Eye exam would be needed for these people to help them in what they think they are watching.
​
Most Badger fans are fairly patient at this point-Wisconsin is coming off back-to-back NYD appearances, after all-but some have gone Off the Reservation.
</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="center" bgcolor="#00ccff">PAC 10</td> </tr> <tr> <td valign="top"> Cal lost to... uh... Arizona, spurring California Golden Blogs to go with Coping Strategy #543, "pretend you are one of those spectacle-wearing aristocrats who enjoys theater and soccer":
Well, let me tell you, ladies and gents, what a Saturday night I had. After watching the Kansas City Wizards defeat the San Jose soccer team on a very exciting last second goal, I went out for a night on the town.
My wife and I went to go see a delightful bit of modern American theatre, "Souvenir." This post-feminist romp is a can't miss show of non-stop hilarity! Dame Judy Kaye reprises her ever so daring Broadway role that earned her a Tony Award in 2006. She plays Florence Foster Jenkins, a New York socialite and tone-deaf diva who thought she was a great soprano. A New York socialite and tone-deaf diva who thought she was a great soprano?!?! Well, now I've seen *everything*
​
...including a 28 point third quarter from Arizona, which I remind you is Arizona.
</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="vertical-align: top;" bgcolor="#ffffcc"> And Washington is back on the docket, losing 34-13 to Oregon State. Dawgman, what gallows humor do you have for us?
willingaham-is-nothing.jpg

Does anyone remember when Willingham holding that finger aloft was kind of ominous? No, just Michigan fans? Okay.
</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="center" bgcolor="#00ccff">SEC</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="vertical-align: top;"> There were no major upsets in the SEC this week, but Arkansas did contrive to lose a game in which they had the ball at midfield up 13 with five minutes remaining.
Razorback Expats goes with a classic:
crying-indian.jpg

Just so we're sure - did the Hogs really lose that game? You know, the one in which they intercepted Mike Hartline at midfield with just over five minutes to go, when they led the Wildcats by 13.
We're going to plow through a few bottles of Prozac.
​
With our traditional Syracuse Crying Child coming up, this brings our "crying noun" count to two in this TWIS-a new record!
</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="center" bgcolor="#00ccff">BIG EAST</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="vertical-align: top;" bgcolor="#ffffcc">
Syracuse 13, South Florida 45. Cue the crying child:

crying-child-zoink.jpg


Later, rinse, repeat.

BONUS: The proprietor of Troy Nunes is an Absolute Magician comments!
So help me God if Robinson says he saw some good things today, I will cut out his heart with a spoon.
​
Since the headlines today aren't filled with headlines like "HIDEOUS SPOON ATTACK IN UPSTATE NEW YORK", Mr. Robinson must have avoided that particular construction.
</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="center" bgcolor="#00ccff">BIG TWELVE</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="vertical-align: top;"> Missouri got bludgeoned into oblivion by Texas, propelling the Longhorns to a unanimous #1 ranking and Tiger blog Mizzourah to... Canada:
I've been thinking about following hockey. It's a sport I always thought was kind of cool but never put in the necessary effort to learn all its intricacies. I'm sure I'd enjoy it. I've heard it's by far the coolest sport to see in person.
​
I can vouch for hockey, especially the college variety, but the closest program to you, good sir, is probably Nebraska-Omaha, and that is a hell of a drive.
</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="center" bgcolor="#00ccff">ACC</td> </tr> <tr> <td bgcolor="#ffffcc" valign="top"> Yeah, yeah, Clemson lost again but they're busy figuring out who the new coach is and have pretty much moved on from this year. So we must get a new team in the box. How about Virginia Tech? Gobbler Country is starting up a new Word of the Day feature:
Today's word to describe Virginia Tech's offense is:

Putrid.

Try using it in a sentence!
​
"If you think Virginia Tech's offense is putrid you haven't been watching Auburn or Michigan." Do I get a gold star?
[checking]
Dude... no, I do not: Auburn (#107) and Michigan (#108) are smoking Virginia Tech (#110). No gold stars for me.
</td></tr></tbody></table>





</td></tr></tbody></table>
 
<table class="card"><tbody class="card-tbody"><tr></tr><tr><td class="ct c">
</td><td class="ctr c">
</td></tr><tr><td class="cl c">
</td><td class="cc c">11:16 AM (11 hours ago)
40/25 Rules Will Result in Loss of 73.6% of One Game

from The Wiz of Odds by Jay Christensen

Back in the day, nobody complained about the length of games. Everybody showed up, had a good time and left. Those were the days.
But since 2006, the Football Rules Committee has been toying with the clock rules in an attempt to reduce the length of games. It's called "speeding up the game." That's code for "we've become so greedy that we need even more time for commercials."
The latest attempt to get things moving has been the institution of a 40/25 clock for the 2008 season. The average length of a game is 3:11, down from 3:23 in 2007, according to statistics compiled by Marty Couvillon of cfbstats.com.
The downside has been a dramatic reduction in plays. The average game has lost 8.8 plays, and of the 119 teams in Division I-A, 100 have lost plays.
Southern Methodist averaged 75.08 plays in 2007. In 2008, the Mustangs are averaging only 59.5, a loss of 20.75%. Clemson is down 18.62%. Vanderbilt 18.18%. Twenty-five teams have losses exceeding 10%.
It's almost as bad as the reeling economy.

On the other end of spectrum, only two teams have experienced gains greater than 10%. Oklahoma's plays are up 15.49%, Duke is up 15.15%. They are exceptions to the 40/25 rules.
To put the losses into perspective, consider this: Each team has lost an average of 4.4 plays. Over 12 games, that's 52.8 plays. In 2007, each team averaged 71.71 plays. Factor that into 52.8. By season's end, each team will have lost about 73.6% of one game.
If you're fine with that, go on your merry way. But considering the skyrocketing price of tickets, fans should be outraged they are getting less for more.
Next time, the Football Rules Committee should look into cutting the number of commercials instead of plays to reduce the length of games. We all know that's not going to happen.
There's another side to this issue. Andy Staples of SI.com says it's time to stop whining about the clock and snap the ball.
Marty's weekly look at the average number of plays and time of a game for the past four seasons, plus the Week 7 numbers:
G Plays/G Time/G
2005 717 140.71 3:21
2006 792 127.53 3:07
2007 792 143.43 3:23
2008 460 134.62 3:11
Wk 8 52 136.67 3:12
The longest games of Week 8:
Kansas-Oklahoma: 4:00
Southern Mississippi-Rice: 3:44
Miami-Duke: 3:40
Arkansas-Kentucky: 3:32
Florida International-Troy: 3:30
Miami (Ohio)-Bowling Green: 3:29
Utah State-Nevada: 3:28
Idaho-Louisiana Tech: 3:28
The shortest games of Week 8:
USC-Washington State: 2:41
Toledo-Northern Illinois: 2:46
Florida Atlantic-Western Kentucky: 2:48
San Jose State-New Mexico State: 2:55
Marshall-Alabama Birmingham: 2:55
Baylor-Oklahoma State: 2:56
Mississippi State-Tennessee: 2:57
Oregon State-Washington: 2:58






</td></tr></tbody></table>
 
<table class="card"><tbody class="card-tbody"><tr></tr><tr><td class="ct c">
</td><td class="ctr c">
</td></tr><tr><td class="cl c">
</td><td class="cc c">10:59 AM (11 hours ago)
Now Texas Tech justifies its top-10 existence

from Dr. Saturday - NCAAF - Yahoo! Sports by Matt Hinton
There were a few top teams with wide gaps in human opinion and computer opinion in the first BCS standings, including, prominently, Texas Tech: the Raiders were sixth and seventh, respectively, in the human polls (and eighth in the AP), ahead of Georgia, Ohio State, LSU and, depending on the poll, Florida and fellow Big 12 South unbeaten Oklahoma State, but only 11th according to the computers. What are the algorithms picking up that we aren't?
ept_sports_ncaaf_experts-287959346-1224607146.jpg
ept_sports_ncaaf_experts-882763645-1224606635.jpg
There was a story after the Raiders had finished thoroughly eviscerating SMU in which Mike Leach said something along the lines of, "it's going to be a long year," and it seemed like one of Leach's "hey, check out the crazy coach" moments. Who complains about dropped passes after winning 43-7?
The answer: a coach who's honest about how truly awful his opponent was, and who knows what lies ahead: at Kansas, back home against Texas and Oklahoma State and at Oklahoma. Four straight games against teams in the top 20; combined record: 25-3, where two of the three losses (Kansas' to Oklahoma and Oklahoma's to Texas) are to teams in the same group. All four have offenses that are passing and scoring nearly in step with Tech's pinball machine, against tougher schedules. The Raiders haven't played Kansas much -- certainly not the current, rankable edition of the Jayhawks -- but against the three South Division rivals under their current head coaches, Leach's teams are 4-15, and 0-10 on the road, with those trips to Lawrence and Norman looming.
No team has a schedule built for success like the Raiders, but no team in the top ten has proven less almost two-thirds of the way through the season. They're opening up as two-point underdogs at Kansas for a reason: the only numbers that are going to matter a month from now are the ones Tech puts up between now and then.






</td></tr></tbody></table>
 
<table class="card"><tbody class="card-tbody"><tr></tr><tr><td class="ct c">
</td><td class="ctr c">
</td></tr><tr><td class="cl c">
</td><td class="cc c">9:40 AM (12 hours ago)
Morning Coffee Drinks the Burnt Orange Kool-Aid

from Burnt Orange Nation by GhostofBigRoy
Mythical Fozzy creature returns. Overshadowed by the emergence of Chris Ogbonnaya, who has secured the starting tailback role, was the return on Saturday of the mythical Fozzy creature, oft-rumored but rarely seen. To the chagrin of many, he did not sprout wings and fly over the Missouri defenders, but did pick up 20 yards on his first carry. When the running game struggled early in the season, Whittaker's return was of paramount importance to jump start the ground game. Now, with Ogbonnaya firmly entrenched, running behind his pads with power, making quick, decisive cuts, and with the offense clicking, a healthy Whittaker deepens the running back corps to provide a change of pace back.
With the precision passing game wearing down opponents with its efficiency and an increasingly effective offensive line, Whittaker can provide the depth to take advantage of worn-out defenders. And that makes this team beyond scary. Add in an increasingly healthy Vondrell McGee breaking long runs against Missouri and the Longhorns have clearly established their identity as a team that passes to soften up the defense enough to run the ball.
Vindication about Daniel, et al. In the dark days after losing Vince Young early to the NFL, many fans and media members questioned Mack Brown's decision to pursue Ryan Perrilloux and Colt McCoy. I think it's apparent how lucky Texas is that Perrilloux never set foot on campus. Any lingering remnants of those questions were buried at DKR on Saturday like the Longhorns buried the OU game ball last week. Mack Brown was right in pursuing Perrilloux and McCoy instead of the pint-sized Daniel, who has never led a second half comeback in his career. Being Texas means you only have to offer the prototypes, and Daniel wasn't. Neither were Stryker Sulak and Sean Witherspoon, who were simply blown off the field by the immensely superior Texas offense. Brown made the right decisions in each case and came away with the real Heisman contender.
I love this football team. It was a perfect, cool October night for Texas football on Saturday. And the Longhorns responded by playing the perfect half, leaving stunned Texas and Missouri fans alike. Walking around the concourses during halftime, Texas fans moved around in a stunned euphoria, attempting to contemplate the destruction they had just witnessed, unlike anything they could have hoped for or imagined. It was a raucous crowd, more than answering calls for a true home field advantage in the new stadium.
More than anything else, though, it was a day to believe. A day to accept that this football team has not only the talent to win, but the intangibles to win. The chemistry, the desire. Many mocked the team's motto for the season: "Consistently good to be great." Understandable, certainly, but it might be the best way to summarize the season so far and where it will lead. If the team continues their consistently good play, they will be a great football team. I'm ready to live the dream again. And I believe in this football team. Deeply. The best news in all this? According to Roy Miller, the Longhorns are still looking to play their best game. You can find me next to the cooler of Burnt Orange Kool-Aid drinking my fill. Then maybe a little more.
Stats are for losers. I don't help myself and neither can BRAGGonUT. We just can't quit those stats. Even if we are losers. He has some interesting ones up over at Barking Carnival. Of note are the measly 10 turnovers forced, for an average of 1.43, good for 10th in the Big 12 conference. Last year's team averaged 2.07 a game, but the numbers this season don't account for the 12 turnovers on downs forced. Several of which have come deep in Longhorn territory. Add in the inexperienced secondary and some dropped interceptions and it's easy to understand why the raw numbers don't support a ballhawking defense. Earl Thomas has been close on some balls (did you see Chase Coffman rip that ball away from him in the second half?) and I think as he gains more experience he will find himself in a better position by the half step that he needs to start picking off more balls.
Dez sez, "Gimme the rock!" A significant amount of ink will be spilled this week talking about the strength of the OSU running game, which is legitimate considering it poses the biggest threat yet to the Texas front seven, which may or may not have injured Jared Norton available (please, please, no kamikaze Bobino). But HenryJames breaks down why Dez Bryant is so scary. How about representing a significant majority of Zac Robinson's completions (48%), yards (54%), and touchdown passes (78%)? Guy's a stud. The million dollar question is whether Muschamp can devise a scheme to slow down Bryant without allowing the OSU running backs and tight end Brandon Pettigrew to run free. My thoughts? In Muschamp I Trust.






</td></tr></tbody></table>
 
<table class="card"><tbody class="card-tbody"><tr></tr><tr><td class="ct c">
</td><td class="ctr c">
</td></tr><tr><td class="cl c">
</td><td class="cc c">6:59 AM (15 hours ago)
Tuesday Headlinin': Three guesses where Pete Carroll's name is popping up

from Dr. Saturday - NCAAF - Yahoo! Sports by Matt Hinton
• Cyclones of the mist. Gene Chizik doesn't do anything halfway. So when he said he wanted his Iowa State charges to run onto the field through smoke prior to the Nebraska game, he means he wants some smoke, dang it:
<embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/wd-RvQbf220&hl=en&fs=1" allowscriptaccess="never" wmode="transparent" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="344">Popout​
The guy who ran into the goalpost is OK, it seems, although ISU played like they'd spent the entire week of practice in a fog: Nebraska won easily, 35-7. I'm sure they were intimidated on that first series, though.
• It's 'Pete Carroll to the pros?' time again, a little early this year. The San Francisco 49ers fired head coach Mike Nolan Monday, officially kicking off the annual "Will he won't he?" routine between Pete Carroll and the NFL. Carroll was a former assistant with the Niners in the Walsh era and said he turned the franchise down when it went after him in 2003, but Monday the USC boss wasn't saying jack:
"There's no reason to respond," Carroll said. "I'm [not] even going to respond to anything."
​
He didn't deny he might be interested in the 49ers, although anyone who'd relinquish the five-star pipeline Carroll's built in L.A. would have to be a little unhinged in a way Carroll is not. But the L.A. Daily News notes the 49ers allowed Nolan control over personnel decisions for his first three seasons, allegedly one of Carroll's longstanding demands to get back in the pro game, and Pete did interview with Atlanta and Washington after last season. So the temptation, it is strong.
• Bluegrass Infirmary. Just a week after losing leading receiver Dicky Lyons, Kentucky finds out leading rusher Derrick Locke is done for the season with a pair of torn ligaments. The Wildcats may also be without their top defensive starters at every level Saturday against Florida: defensive tackle Myron Pryor, linebacker Micah Johnson and safety Marcus McClinton are all questionable. And Rich Brooks wonders why UK fans can't be more positive?
ept_sports_ncaaf_experts-289793747-1224595298.jpg

"I just find Kentucky football an interesting phenomenon," Brooks said. "What our team has been trying to do is change the culture of Kentucky football. I think we've done that but some people don't get it. I'm thrilled that we're sitting here picking away at every little thing on our team and we're 5-2. Four years ago people would have been shooting off fireworks at 5-2 but not now. I don't have a problem with that but there is a difference between having a problem with that and just being negative to be negative."
​
Win in Gainesville with literally all of your notable players on the bench, coach, and they'll change their tune.
Quickly ... Alabama behemoth Terrence Cody will miss at least two games, which could put him back in time for LSU. In the meantime, the middle of Tide D-line belongs to Josh Chapman. . . . Dustin Sherer will start at quarterback for Wisconsin against Illinois, though there are no guarantees after the start. . . . Urban Meyer, Devil Rays fan. . . . LSU is preparing for Georgia two-by-two. Plus more details on the separate weekend arrests of Georgia linemen Brandon Wood and Vince Vance. . . . West Virginia prepares to face the man who ruined its life last December. . . . Joe McKnight is 'about 90 percent' and will probably play against Arizona. . . . After blowing out Iowa State, Nebraska players see losing to Missouri as a turning point. What about, you know, playing Iowa State?






</td></tr></tbody></table>
 
Wednesday Headlinin': Cal players could be more constructive in their response to racism

from Dr. Saturday - NCAAF - Yahoo! Sports by Matt Hinton
ept_sports_ncaaf_experts-995964883-1224681590.jpg
• When confronted by Bears, just give up your wallet and hope they'll go away. Two Cal players, receiver R.J. Garrett and recently dismissed safety Gary Doxy, were arrested on suspicion of armed robbery committed in late September with BB guns, presumably one of the serious-looking variety. The two allegedly took a laptop computer and a wallet, but it wasn't about the merchandise: police said the robbery was retaliation for racist comments made at a party by members of the men's crew team, though the eventual victims weren't at the party and were targeted by mistake. Even in criminal vengeance, the Bears are off the mark. Doxy was booted for unspecified reasons by Jeff Tedford (right, looking much as he must have when he received news of the arrests) well before the robbery, but this is at least the second serious incident he's been a party to on campus: he wasn't charged but was present at a fatal shooting as a freshman in 2005. Check him out on Facebook.
• Never sleep on Hurricanes. They're just li'l tropical depressions at this point, but if you needed a reminder of how good Miami might be in a year or two, the Miami Herald provides a couple nuggets: a ridiculous seven first-year players have scored touchdowns this year for the 'Canes, including five different true freshmen in Saturday's 49-31 comeback win over Duke, which the Herald speculates could be a record for young 'uns in one game. Randy Shannon is just giddy about the next four-five years, assuming he's still around to enjoy the fruits of his recruiting labors.
• Dabo digs double duty. Both Willy Korn and Cullen Harper are banged up in an unfriendly place for a quarterback (the shoulder; what did you think I meant?), but very excited interim coach Dabo Swinney isn't averse to playing both quarterbacks if it means staving off a losing season at Clemson. Harper just got out of surgery on his non-throwing surgery on Sunday but is already back at practice (!) less than three days later; Korn won't practice this week due to a bruise on his throwing shoulder, but will be available Saturday against Boston College, and it seems Swinney would prefer the Quarterback of the Future to stake his claim to the job over the final month. So that's one thing Tiger fans can look forward to, other than hiring Will Muschamp, of course.
At least they get C.J. Spiller back after a one-game absence, as well as defensive tackle Rashaad Jackson, who missed the entire first half of the season with a knee injury.
Quickly ... Emmanuel Moody might play against Kentucky, or might continue to be a complete nonfactor in Florida's backfield, as the USC transfer's been so far. . . . More downplaying the Pete Carroll-to-49ers rumors, and Joe McKnight was held out of Tuesday's practice. Plus, USC center Kris O'Dowd might have some split loyalties this weekend at Arizona . . . A favorable review of Georgia's hyped '06 recruiting class. . . . Paul Johnson wants a full house for Georgia Tech's game against Virginia, with (improbably) the Coastal Division lead on the line. . . . Colt McCoy is trashing magazine covers and Mack Brown is pulling out all the stops to keep Texas looking ahead. . . . And I have no idea what it has to do with Tennessee safety Eric Berry taking snaps on offense, but the idea of Vol defensive coordinator John Chavis as a cross-dresser is simultaneously hilarious and disturbing.
 
Brown up to his old (motivational) tricks for No. 1 Horns

Themes for the week include cheese, clouds, a backside and a surge.

By Suzanne Halliburton
AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
The Oklahoma game ball, complete with a funeral theme, was buried at the Texas practice field early last week. Two days later, Sports Illustrated cover boy Colt McCoy took the magazine from his locker and tossed it in the trash to the delight of his teammates.
It helped get top-ranked Texas focused for an eventual 56-31 victory over Missouri.
So what can Mack Brown do, motivationally speaking, to keep his Longhorns centered on the Cowboys of Oklahoma State?
"He's being real cheesy," McCoy said Monday, as No. 1 Texas prepares for Saturday's home date against the No. 7-ranked Cowboys.
Brown literally is using cheese as a metaphor for the polls, the gaudy national headlines and comments from adoring fans. As in, it's all poison. Don't be the mindless mouse who bites the cheese and gets his head snapped in a trap.
Other motivational ploys include imagery of backsides.
On Sunday, Brown conducted the post-Tiger team meeting by putting up a large photo of a player climbing a ladder. He did the same after Oklahoma — hours after the Longhorns achieved their first No. 1 regular-season ranking since 1984.
But after Missouri, that player climbed higher, into the clouds, symbolic of Texas' No. 1 rating in the initial Bowl Championship rankings.
Brown's message: the higher you climb, the more your backside is exposed.
He then drew huge squares and inked in big mounds of cheese.
"I'm trying to constantly keep pressure off this team," Brown said.
Brown has used motivational gimmicks for as long as he's been a coach. He got the idea of burying a game ball 20 years ago from former North Carolina athletic director John Swofford. Following a Tar Heels win over Duke, Swofford invited the staff for a dinner at his home. He then buried the Duke game ball in his back yard.
Brown also was known to put a leash on a fake turtle to commemorate his team's victories over the Maryland Terrapins.
With help from Texas assistant athletic director George Wynn, Brown puts up motivational signs around the locker room. Each August, he comes up with a theme for the season and prints it on silicon bracelets to give to the players.
He's also borrowed some motivational tactics from former coaches for past games against Oklahoma State.
The Cowboys, who have been underdogs in every one of Texas' current 10-game winning streak against them, have built big leads only to blow them in the second half.
That was the case in 2004, when Oklahoma State owned a 35-7 lead in the second quarter in Austin.
Brown, borrowing a ploy from Darrell Royal in his halftime speech, predicted the eventual score would be 42-35. Royal did the same in 1965 during halftime of a game against Texas A&M. Down 17-0 at intermission, Royal predicted 21-17. He pegged the final score.
Brown's 2004 prognostication wasn't quite as accurate. The Longhorns pulled off the biggest comeback in school history, winning 56-35.
A year ago in Stillwater, Oklahoma State built a 35-14 lead through three quarters.Cameras caught the normally reserved Brown screaming at his defensive players.
"I've never seen coach Brown like that," recalled defensive end Brian Orakpo. "We needed that. We woke up."
The Longhorns woke up in time to reel off 24 unanswered points, culminating with Ryan Bailey's 40-yard field goal on the last play of the game.
It was the biggest fourth-quarter comeback in school history.
So what can Brown do to keep his team on the national championship track this week against a group of Cowboys tired of blowing leads?
Maybe a military theme will work.
Center Chris Hall imagined the pep talk Brown will give sometime this week.
"He's going to tell us to match their surge," Hall said. "We need to have the surge coming out, then stick with the game plan."
 
Oklahoma State Preview, Part 1: Rush Offense

from Burnt Orange Nation by PB @ BON
While most of the Big 12 preseason pub this year went to Texas Tech, Oklahoma, and Missouri, the Cowboys lingered well behind even Texas-In-A-Projected-Down-Year in terms of attention and/or projected strength; even among Blog Poll voters, only five of us included the Pokes on our preseason Top 25 ballots. Oklahoma State's 7-0 start has completely surprised the college football world. So who are these Cowboys and what should Texas fans expect on Saturday night?
Unsurprisingly, the best place to start might be Matt Hinton's former home at Sunday Morning QB, where in previewing Oklahoma State during June he concluded the Cowboys could be the surprise team from the Big 12 South:
Non-Binding Forecast: A Six-Shooter Between Your Eyes or Bust. I’m a little surprised this team has received no top 25 love whatsoever – iffy record notwithstanding, it was a couple points away from nine wins last year and looks like the perfect "sleeper" bet with the likely stars on offense and promises of a revamped, readymade infusion bringing the perpetually lame D up to par. I’m not sure you’d have to be a sucker to take it, either. The defense may be too far away to put the Oklahoma-Texas hold on the South in question, but if they can take one of the four tough Big 12 road games – at Missouri, at Texas, at Texas Tech, at Colorado – I think the Cowboys are throttling their way to an eight-win regular season. At the very least, I’d be careful before I swallowed the unanimous nodding toward Texas Tech as the presumed upstart in the division.
​
Time will tell how Oklahoma State's story ends, but this is the week for Texas fans to take a close look as we prepare for our third straight terrifying opponent on the schedule. Starting tonight and concluding Friday, we'll spend a day on each component of the 2008 Cowboys', beginning after the jump with Part 1: OSU's Rush Offense.
OKLAHOMA STATE RUSH OFFENSE

I get the sense that the national perception of Oklahoma State is like that of a one-hit wonder band: Ask the average fan what they know about the Cowboys and the answer's likely to be, "Aren't they real good at running the ball?"
They are.
OSU 2008 SEASON RUSHING STATS​
<table align="center" border="2" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="2"> <tbody> <tr> <td></td> <td>Att/Gm</td> <td>Yards/Gm</td> <td>Yards/Att</td> <td>TDs</td> </tr> <tr> <td>2008 Stats</td> <td>51.3</td> <td>283.1</td> <td>5.52</td> <td>24</td> </tr> <tr> <td>B12 Rank</td> <td>1</td> <td>1</td> <td>2</td> <td>1</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Natl Rank</td> <td>4</td> <td>5</td> <td>10</td> <td>5</td> </tr> </tbody> </table> Oklahoma State's offense is far from one-dimensional, but it's appropriate we start our breakdown with their rushing attack--the million man army of their frighteningly explosive offensive capabilities. In truth, we're concerned with just four, but it's important to emphasize this isn't a Barry Sanders Show kind of attack; the Cowboys get meaningful contributions from three tailbacks as well as quarterback Zac Robinson:
OSU'S FOUR HORSEMEN: SEASON TOTALS ​
<table align="center" border="2" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="2"> <tbody> <tr> <td>Player</td> <td>Class</td> <td>Recruited</td> <td>Rivals </td> <td>Attempts</td> <td>Yards</td> <td>Average</td> <td>TDs</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Kendall Hunter</td> <td>SO</td> <td>2007</td> <td>
stargold.gif
stargold.gif
stargold.gif
</td> <td>151</td> <td>955</td> <td>6.3</td> <td>9</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Keith Toston</td> <td>JR</td> <td>2006</td> <td>
stargold.gif
stargold.gif
stargold.gif
</td> <td>65</td> <td>487</td> <td>7.5</td> <td>7</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Beau Johnson</td> <td>JR</td> <td>2008</td> <td>
stargold.gif
stargold.gif
stargold.gif
stargold.gif
</td> <td>42</td> <td>276</td> <td>6.3</td> <td>2</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Zac Robinson</td> <td>JR</td> <td>2005</td> <td>
stargold.gif
stargold.gif
stargold.gif
</td> <td>68</td> <td>317</td> <td>4.7</td> <td>5</td> </tr> </tbody> </table> That's three tailbacks with rushing rates that would garner all-conference recognition if sustained for 300 carries. However, not only is it hard to conceive of this (or any) group sustaining that kind of production over a full season, but a close look at the Cowpokes' rushing splits in non-con vs Big 12 play shows a significant drop in production. After OSU ran roughshod over Washington State, Houston, SW Missouri State, and Troy to start the year, their first three conference games have seen the rush production slow considerably.
OSU'S FOUR HORSEMEN: BIG XII PLAY​
<table align="center" border="2" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="2"> <caption>
</caption> <tbody> <tr> <td>Player</td> <td>Attempts</td> <td>Yards</td> <td>Average</td> <td>TDs</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Hunter</td> <td>71</td> <td>337</td> <td>4.8</td> <td>1</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Toston</td> <td>24</td> <td>119</td> <td>5.0</td> <td>2</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Johnson</td> <td>5</td> <td>14</td> <td>2.8</td> <td>2</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Robinson</td> <td>38</td> <td>184</td> <td>4.8</td> <td>3</td> </tr> </tbody> </table>
Human after all.​
What changed? First, the distribution has shifted: Highly touted JuCo transfer Beau Johnson has faded from the regular mix as "Spud" Hunter has become the tailback Mike Gundy trusts most with the football. Second, the overall production has slowed considerably. Despite what you've heard about Big 12 defenses this season, they're not quite as bad as many of their poor performance numbers suggest; at the least, A&M, Missouri, and Baylor have had athletes strong enough to deny Oklahoma State record-setting rushing numbers. (Tuesday moment of schadenfreude: If the preceding isn't much of an endorsement, it's as close to a compliment as Mike Sherman has received this season.)

We're not far from this day. Really.
​
Though video game rushing numbers may be a relic of OSU's cupcakey non-conference season, the Cowboys haven't exactly struggled to run the ball in Big 12 play, and it's only fair to note that they pulled on the reins after building big leads against both A&M and Baylor. Moreover, through three conference games, the Cowboys lead the Big 12 in rushing attempts (148) and yards (621); their 4.19 yards per carry ranks third. Even at a significantly retarded pace they're still pounding the ball on the ground effectively.
This Saturday, however, they'll face their first truly ferocious defense as Brian Orakpo, Roy Miller, Lamarr Houston, and Henry Melton replace four man fronts comprised of two- and three-star players Mack Brown declined to offer. And that might be a problem for OSU's five starting offensive linemen... who Mack Brown similarly declined to offer.
<table align="center" border="2" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="2"> <tbody> <tr> <td>Position</td> <td>Player</td> <td>Class </td> <td>Rivals </td> <td>Height</td> <td>Weight</td> </tr> <tr> <td>LT</td> <td>Russell Okung
</td> <td>JR</td> <td>
stargold.gif
stargold.gif
stargold.gif
</td> <td>6-5</td> <td>305</td> </tr> <tr> <td>LG</td> <td>Andrew Lewis
</td> <td>JR</td> <td>
stargold.gif
stargold.gif
</td> <td>6-5</td> <td>285</td> </tr> <tr> <td>C</td> <td>David Washington
</td> <td>SR</td> <td>
stargold.gif
stargold.gif
</td> <td>6-3</td> <td>302</td> </tr> <tr> <td>RG</td> <td>Steve Denning
</td> <td>SR</td> <td>
stargold.gif
</td> <td>6-4</td> <td>296</td> </tr> <tr> <td>RT</td> <td>Brady Bond
</td> <td>JR</td> <td>
stargold.gif
stargold.gif
stargold.gif
</td> <td>6-7</td> <td>290</td> </tr> </tbody> </table> The group has been unquestionably effective in 2008, but rushing against Texas on Saturday may prove to be as or more challenging as it has the past two seasons (80 yards on 21 carries in 2006; 164 yards on 45 attempts a year ago). Not that Zac Robinson is terribly concerned: Where two years ago in Austin Bobby Reid crumbled without substantial rush support, last year Robinson waxed the Longhorns in Stillwater by completing 30 of 42 passes for 430 yards and 2 scores.
Whatever the popular perception, this Oklahoma State offense is no one-hit wonder. They can run the football against the weak but have the balance to attack through the air, whether or not the run game is picking up yards. In Part 2 we discuss Zac Robinson, Dez Bryant and that OSU passing game.
Wednesday: OSU Pass Offense
Thursday: OSU Rush Defense
Friday: OSU Pass Defense
 
Of course Mike Leach pulled his new kicker out of the stands

from Dr. Saturday - NCAAF - Yahoo! Sports by Matt Hinton
ept_sports_ncaaf_experts-718742707-1224686901.jpg
Not that it's needed one or three points to win a game, yet, but Texas Tech's kicking situation has been rough, to say the least: the Raiders have gone through two kickers, Donnie Carona and Cory Fowler, who have missed four missed field goals and six extra points in seven games. That's not acceptable -- even Tech has to win on field goals occasionally, as now-departed Alex Trlica (right) proved in back-to-back bowl wins on the final play -- and as only appropriate for a Mike Leach outfit, there's a better-than-even chance the competition will get a little weirder this week in the form of one Matt Williams:
Williams, you may recall, is the Tarleton State transfer student who won a month's worth of rent at the Tech/UMass game several weeks ago by kicking a 30-yard field goal. After his successful try, Williams was walking back to his seat when he was flagged down.
"They relayed a message to me saying that Coach [Mike] Leach wanted to talk to me," explained Williams to RedRaiderSports.com the next day. "He told me to come into his office on Tuesday and talk to him, and then Coach [Clay] McGuire told me to come and speak with him on Monday."
Initially, it was thought that Williams was ineligible this season due to transfer rules but according to McGuire, who heads up the Red Raiders' special teams unit, he has been cleared to play.
[...]
"I've seen that guy [Williams] try one kick," added Leach. "But the difference between his and the others is that they barely got off the ground. His got up right away."
​
If you're going to pull a kid out of the stands to play any position, it's kicker -- Boston College pulled its briefly famous Sid Vicious from the student section in 2006, with pretty good results -- and Williams has "got a real good shot," according to McGuire. And why not? Like any good captain whose crew isn't performing, Leach boots the scalawags overboard and picks up new men at the next port. Or the next kick-for-tuition contest. Same thing.
 
Oklahoma State's brave new world, or something like that

from Dr. Saturday - NCAAF - Yahoo! Sports by Matt Hinton
ept_sports_ncaaf_experts-281803945-1224702685.jpg
It's a good thing T. Boone Pickens feels like he's getting his money's worth from Oklahoma State, what with the billion-dollar losses and all. He should enjoy it all the way to Saturday, which as far as I can tell may be the biggest date in Cowboy football since World War II. Check the record: OSU hasn't finished in the top-10 since a 9-0 finish in 1945, and since it didn't crack the top-10 in its two best seasons since -- back-to-back 10-2 efforts with Thurman Thomas in 1987 and Barry Sanders in 1988 -- the chance to move into the mythical championship picture against unanimous No. 1 Texas is very foreign ground. If I was really smart, I'd be pointing proudly to my floating the Cowboys as a Big 12 sleeper in June and including OSU in my top 25 in July, which virtually no one else did. In fact, I specifically said I'd bet on a 6-1 start heading into Austin, and it's that prediction that makes me very slow to completely revamp preseason expectations. For the ranking and all the offense, at 7-0, Oklahoma State isn't far from exactly where it was supposed to be, plus a close win over a Missouri team that, in retrospect, may have been massively overvalued. Between Texas, Texas Tech, Oklahoma, maybe even Colorado, there's plenty of chance for Okie State to fall within the familiar range of Okie State.
If nothing else, the Mizzou win validated some of the buzz about defensive improvement. It better have, anyway, for their sake: since 2000, OSU's average yield to the Texas offense is 42 points on 525 yards. Vince Young ran circles around the Cowboy defense (literally) in the ugly beatdowns of 2004 and 2005; Colt McCoy had by far the best game of his freshman season in a 36-10 rout in 2006; and Jamaal Charles shredded OSU in the Horns' 24-point fourth quarter comeback last year in Stillwater. Neither Mike Gundy nor Les Miles before him has come close to stopping a Mack Brown/Greg Davis offense, and only the Young-led 2005 version matches the one the Cowboys will face Saturday. If the defense we saw against Missouri holds up against a smoldering meteor of an offense everyone expects to incinerate it, maybe we can start to talk about Oklahoma State in a very different way. If not, well, there always the Gundy rant.
 
Morning Coffee Smells A New Narrative

from Burnt Orange Nation by PB @ BON
hornbullet.gif
Note the additional link roundup. We can't cover everything in Morning Coffee, so I'm glad to direct everyone to the Fan Posts where dimecoverage has begun what is intended to be a daily link dump for Texas and Big 12 sports. Just look for Bevo's Daily Roundup.
hornbullet.gif
If blitzing isn't the answer... Greg Davis and Colt McCoy note that teams have been blitzing the Longhorns like madmen this year--obviously with little success, as McCoy has been sacked just 10 times and leads the Heisman race. The defensive strategy isn't without merit given what worked well defending McCoy and the Longhorns in 2007, but entering the home stretch of the '08 season teams are likely to look elsewhere for a silver bullet.
Which begs the question: Um, where? I'm honestly not sure. Though I truly loathe myself for making the comparison, the Texas offense under McCoy this year is very much like the Patriots under the direction of Tom Brady, insofar as the Texas quarterback has no trouble whatsoever neutralizing blitzes via his telepathic connections with Jordan Shipley and Quan Cosby. Jordan Shipley-Wes Welker comparisons may commence.
Rather than blitz, the key to disrupting a spread offensive system like that which McCoy has mastered is to get pressure with down linemen while smothering passing lanes with the remaining 7 or 8 defenders. In that sense, Mark Schlabach is right: If no one stops Colt and the Longhorns between now and January, the first big test will come from a USC/Florida/Alabama-type team which can raise hell with its defensive line alone.
hornbullet.gif
And in that sense he's wrong... If a valid point is lurking deep in the muddied waters of the much-discussed Mark Schlabach column, one of his primary operating premises--that SEC offenses are merely struggling because SEC defense is teh awesome--has been deserving of the collective eyeroll from Burnt Orange Nation. And Coach Boom agrees:
"Where is (the writer) from?" Muschamp asked. "There are two offenses in the SEC that are playing at high level and both have their quarterbacks back, and that's Georgia and Florida. If you have a quarterback, you afford yourself the opportunity to have success."
Then he added this gem: "I'd like to play against some SEC offenses."
​
Though I've traditionally kept conference chest thumping wars at arm's length because of their rapid, inevitable decline into cavemannery, it's hard to ignore the emerging Big 12 vs SEC narrative driving the 2008 storyline. Which... damn, LD picked the wrong year to cease with his Gameday Recaps: I'd be curious to see how much, if at all, ESPN has, is, or will start steering the narrative towards a super-hyped showdown between the Big 12 and SEC champs. Hell, maybe I'll start paying attention myself, looking for downplay of the Big 10 champ, sidelining of USC (who play no more ranked teams), and trumpeting as self-evident that the Big 12 and SEC are the nation's two best conferences bar none.
hornbullet.gif
Balanced Cowboys. Mack Brown told reporters Oklahoma State is the most offensively balanced team the Longhorns will face this season and he's right. Later today in Part 2 of my OSU preview, I'll look at the Cowboys' underrated passing attack led by Zac Robinson and Dez Bryant.
 
"Where is (the writer) from?" Muschamp asked. "There are two offenses in the SEC that are playing at high level and both have their quarterbacks back, and that's Georgia and Florida. If you have a quarterback, you afford yourself the opportunity to have success."

Then he added this gem: "I'd like to play against some SEC offenses."
Click to expand...

From a man who knows.
 
Big 12 Football Report, v. 1.8

from Burnt Orange Nation by PB @ BON
The week in Big XII football.
THE RUNDOWN


  • Texas 56 Missouri 31 [Box / Recap / Blog Coverage]

    Outside a few cavalier "52-10!!" forecasts, no one came close to predicting the whipping Texas put on Missouri in the first half on Saturday. Though the Tigers fought to the end to keep the score respectable, the game was far out of reach after only five drives:

    <table border="2" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="2"> <tbody> <tr> <td>
    </td> <td>TEXAS</td> <td>MISSOURI</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Drive 1</td> <td>12 plays, 94 yards, TD</td> <td>3 plays, 1 yard, Punt</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Drive 2</td> <td>9 plays, 82 yards, TD</td> <td>6 plays, 13 yards, Punt</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Drive 3</td> <td>6 plays, 43 yards, TD</td> <td>3 plays, 12 yards, Punt</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Drive 4</td> <td>3 plays, 41 yards, TD</td> <td>3 plays, 8 yards, Punt</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Drive 5</td> <td>9 plays, 92 yards, TD</td> <td>14 plays, 72 yards, Downs</td> </tr> <tr> <td>TOTALS</td> <td>39 plays, 352 yards, 35 points</td> <td>29 plays, 106 yards, 0 points</td> </tr> </tbody> </table>
    Most exciting of all for Texas, the Longhorns have been progressively better through each of their first three Big 12 games and if they enjoy a fourth straight week of improvement on Saturday... the visiting Cowboys needn't get off the bus.

    Looking beyond that kind of sustained dominant run, Texas fans might want to think about the scenario with the most potential to derail the Longhorns' Big 12 and/or national title dreams--an off game from Colt McCoy against one of the three remaining explosive offensive teams on the schedule (OSU, Tech, or Kansas). Winning without the Heisman version of McCoy would require a big step up from the rushing game and/or a tremendous performance from Will Muschamp's defense.
  • Oklahoma State 34 Baylor 6 [Box / Recap / Blog Coverage]

    The creator of Unix famously advised that software should "do one thing and do it well." Oklahoma State's offense came damn close to doing just that against Baylor, romping the Bears by doing just two things and doing them well--57 rushes (235 yards, 2 TDs) and 11 passes to Dez Bryant (212 yards, 2 TDs).

    Impressive as was the Cowboys' methodical deconstruction of the Bears' defense, their defense against Robert Griffin was equally eye-opening; Baylor's freshman QB sensation completed just 15 of 27 passes for 162 yards (0 TDs) and only 12 yards rushing on 12 attempts. Taken together, Oklahoma State's performance was a well-executed manifestation of a simple, coherent, both-sides-of-the-ball plan of attack for defeating Baylor--Saturday's performance being merely the latest iteration of Mike Gundy, Good Football Coach. If the Pokes upset Texas on Saturday afternoon, it's safe to assume Mike Gundy's name will start appearing on various short lists to fill high profile coaching vacancies.
Texas Tech 43 Texas A&M 25 [Box / Recap / Blog Coverage]

The Farmers fought, yes--whoop!--but at the final gun it was yet another Texas Tech victory over the Aggies, their fourth straight in the series. With the win, Red Raiders head coach Mike Leach improved his Big 12 record to 38-29 in the Big 12, 23-18 in the South Division (including 7-2 over the Agros). Satisfying as Texas Tech's establishment as the South Division's third muskateer must be, Red Raider denizens aspire for more this season and at 7-0 (#8 in the first BCS Standings), Mike Leach's squad finds itself where it hoped to be heading into the brutal stretch run.

If the tight first half and relatively meager 18-point final spread against A&M might be reason for pause, the contest only remained close as long as it did because Tech turned the ball over on 3 of its first 7 full possessions; after Graham Harrell's interception with 10 minutes remaining in the 3rd quarter, the Red Raiders outscored A&M 16-2 to close the game, A&M's only points the result of a Tech botched extra point attempt the Aggies returned for 2 points of their own. For the game, Tech outgained A&M 561 (7.1 per play) to 306 (4.9), finishing with 14 more first downs and a 23-2 scoring advantage in the second half.

Next up for Texas Tech is a road tilt against Kansas, and if Harrell and Co. can avoid ceding turnovers to the opportunistic Jayhawks (their +21 TO margin last year was tops in the nation), they might just find themselves hosting the Longhorns next Saturday night with the inside track to the BCS Title Game on the line.

Nebraska 35 Iowa State 7 [Box / Recap / Blog Coverage]

Joe Ganz was exceptionally efficient, the Huskers rushed for 220 yards, and the Blackshirts completely smothered Iowa State in Ames to give Bo Pelini his first Big 12 victory as head coach at Nebraska. Though their head-to-head loss to Missouri means the Huskers likely need a victory over the Sooners in Norman (or another Tigers loss) to have a realistic shot at winning the North, Bo Pelini's squad has on the whole been an improvement over the messy seasons that defined Bill Callahan's tenure in Lincoln.

Oklahoma 45 Kansas 31 [Box / Recap / Blog Coverage]

With Colt McCoy having led the rival Longhorns to a Red River Shootout victory, Zac Robinson leading the upstart Cowboys to a 7-0 start, and Tulsa's David Johnson on pace to obliterate the NCAA QB Rating record, Sooners QB Sam Bradford may have had himself the quietest 468-yard passing day in NCAA history last Saturday. Just a sophomore, Bradford is having another stupendous season passing the ball and finds himself near the top of the leaderboards in virtually every conceivable category.

But he may yet continue to fly a bit under the radar as Oklahoma takes a three-week back seat (at Kansas State, vs Nebraska, at A&M) while the rest of the Big 12 focuses on OSU at Texas, Texas at Texas Tech, and OSU at Texas Tech in successive weeks. If those three teams can canibalize one another, however, the Sooners--already #4 in the first BCS Standings--will be very much back on center stage when they close the season against the Red Raiders in Norman and Cowboys in Stillwater. Oklahoma is far from done.

Colorado 14 Kansas State 13 [Box / Recap / Blog Coverage]

Just peruse the box score of this one for 10 minutes to get an idea of how ugly this football game really was. If Colorado can be excused a bit for trying to rebuild amidst a sea of injuries, were I a Kansas State on the fence about Ron Prince's future in Manhattan, Saturday's sorry excuse for a "game plan" in this contest would tip me permanently over the edge into the "fire him" camp.


THE RACE FOR THE SOUTH


Unless you're turned on by the thought of trying to untangle the mess of 2-1 mediocrity atop the ACC Atlantic Division, the most exciting divisional race to follow down the stretch will be the four-team scrum for the Big 12 South title. With each of the four contenders winning last Saturday, Texas, Oklahoma State, and Texas Tech sit atop the division at 3-0, while Oklahoma lurks behind (but far from out) at 2-1. A quick look at each team's remaining schedule:
<table style="text-align: center;" border="2" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="2"> <tbody> <tr> <td>OSU</td> <td>TX</td> <td>TECH</td> <td>OU</td> </tr> <tr> <td>@ TX</td> <td>OSU</td> <td>@ KU</td> <td>@ KSU</td> </tr> <tr> <td>ISU</td> <td>@ Tech</td> <td>TX</td> <td>NU</td> </tr> <tr> <td>@ Tech</td> <td>BU</td> <td>OSU</td> <td>@ A&M</td> </tr> <tr> <td>@ CU</td> <td>@ KU</td> <td>@ OU</td> <td>Tech</td> </tr> <tr> <td>OU</td> <td>A&M</td> <td>BU</td> <td>@ OSU</td> </tr> </tbody> </table>


WEEK 8 AWARDS

BEST WIN: TEXAS, OVER MISSOURI Though most Longhorns fans felt hopeful the team could manage a 2-2 mark during this brutal stretch, few--if any--thought the team would take down Oklahoma and Missouri in successive weeks. They have and enjoy a deserved #1 ranking for their work.
WORST LOSS: KANSAS STATE, TO COLORADO If outsiders wondered why the highly successful Mack Brown had some redeeming to do with his fan base, look no further than his 0-4 mark against Ron Prince and Dennis Franchione in 2006-07.
TOP PERFORMER, OFFENSE (TEAM): TEXAS Had the Longhorns pressed for the full 40 minutes, they might have accumulated 800 yards of total offense.
BUM STEER, OFFENSE (TEAM): KANSAS STATE The Wildcats are a mess. Fire Ron Prince.
TOP PERFORMER, OFFENSE (INDIVIDUAL): DEZ BRYANT, OKLAHOMA STATE Colt McCoy once again has a strong case here, but he's receiving plenty of attention as it is. The nod, then, to Dez Bryant--the Cowboys' imposing sophomore receiver who after his 11 catch, 212-yard performance on Saturday (including 2 TDs) finds himself second in the nation in receiving yards per game.
BUM STEER, OFFENSE (INDIVIDUAL): RON PRINCE, KANSAS STATE Accuse me of piling on, but I can't get over this one. The lack of a coherent strategy in this game was simply sad.
PB'S POWER RANKINGS

Last ranking in parentheses.
1. Texas (1) - They've summited the mountain, but staying their is going to be a challenge.
2. Oklahoma State (3) - Good team, good coach. The Cowboys are 2-20 all-time against Texas but bring their best-ever squad to Austin on Saturday.
3. Oklahoma (2) - Though this team's weaknesses have been on bright display the last two weeks, the Sooners are far from out of the Big 12 and national title races.
4. Texas Tech (4) - It's Prove It time.
5. Kansas (6) - If the running game continues to progress, the Jayhawks can win the North.
6. Missouri (5) - All those big guys in the middle of the Missouri defense? Are also slow guys.
7. Nebraska (7) - Nice win for NU in Ames last week.
8. Baylor (9) - The Bears got Gundied.
9. Colorado (10) - It wasn't pretty, but the Buffs got off the matt with the win over...
10. Kansas State (9) - Ronald: You're a bad football coach.
11. Texas A&M (11) - Still better than SMU and North Texas!
12. Iowa State (12) - The tunnel is dark.
 
The Numbers Game: Schlabach Hate Week Continues!

from Burnt Orange Nation by billyzane
I've got nothing personally against Mark Schlabach. He's not my favorite college football writer, and he's not my least favorite either. I've generally had no opinion on him. Until this week. This week he wrote one of the most asinine columns I've ever read. I understand columnists often feel the need to stake out a contrarian viewpoint to the conventional wisdom in order to gain notoriety. I suppose there's nothing wrong with this in theory, but that's only the case if the argument has some merit whatsoever.

For those who don't want to read through the entire thing because they prefer to not pull out all of their hair, here's a synopsis: Texas might not actually be good because no one in the Big 12 plays defense and thus SEC defenses are better and whichever team Texas plays in the national championship game will be better than the 7 teams Texas has played so far. First of all, I'm not sure how you convince yourself it's a good idea to write an entire column in which the ultimate conclusion is that the team you play in the national championship game will probably be better than the teams you played in the regular season.
But leaving aside that ridiculously obvious point, are we really going down this "SEC defenses are obviously better than Big 12 defenses because OMG just look at the SEC's awesome defensive stats!" line of argument again? Schlabach does deign to briefly mention the fact that Big 12 offenses are, you know, sorta good:
Entering this weekend, half the SEC's 12 teams were ranked in the top 20 nationally in total defense. Only three Big 12 defenses ranked in the top 40, and half the league's teams ranked 70th or worse. Conversely, seven Big 12 teams were ranked in the top 30 nationally in total offense, including five of the top 11. Georgia was the only SEC team ranked in the top 35, and half the league's teams were ranked 74th or worse.
​
Let's recap:

  • Number of Big 12 teams in the top 40 defensively: 3
  • Number of SEC teams in the top 35 offensively: 1
  • Number of Big 12 teams below top 70 defensively: 6
  • Number of SEC teams below top 70 offensively: 6
  • Conclusion: SEC defenses are good and Big 12 defenses aren't.
The problem with coming to that conclusion based on that data is that there's a chicken/egg conundrum in terms of good offense/bad defense and vice versa. It's hard to tell the extent to which the Big 12's good offenses make its defenses look bad and the extent to which the SEC's bad offenses make its defenses look good. And what does Schlabach do to get himself out of this conundrum? Well, he ignores it. Doesn't mention it at all. He just takes a conventionally-held belief (SEC defenses good! Big 12 defenses bad!) and notices that the raw numbers support that notion and that's that. Deadline: met! Luckily, you all have me around to do for free all the work that Schlabach doesn't want to do for his salary.
After the jump, we look at some stats that might actually tell us something interesting about these offenses and defenses that can maybe work us out of this chicken/egg conundrum.
The first step is to stop talking about Total Defense and start talking about Scoring Defense. The point of a defense isn't to allow fewer yards per game, it's to allow fewer points per game. Yards allowed per game are a pretty good indicator of how good a defense is at preventing the other team from scoring, they are a means to an end, not an end in themselves. There's so much more to it.
So let's take a look at the scoring defenses of the following 2008 teams, along with the 2005 Texas team, because it gives a us a championship comparison and also because I just want to prove Year2 wrong. You're a smart guy, Year2, and a good commenter. But I think you're wrong to say that the 2005 Texas defense was a lot better than this defense. To the charts:
<table style="border: 1px solid rgb(206, 206, 212);" align="left" border="1" cellspacing="1"> <tbody> <tr style="background-color: rgb(206, 206, 212);"> <td>Team</td> <td>Points Allowed per Game</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Texas</td> <td style="text-align: center;">17.57</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Oklahoma</td> <td style="text-align: center;">20.71</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Okie State</td> <td style="text-align: center;">20.57</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Alabama</td> <td style="text-align: center;">14.43</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Florida</td> <td style="text-align: center;">13.00</td> </tr> <tr> <td>LSU</td> <td style="text-align: center;">21.50</td> </tr> <tr> <td>2005 UT</td> <td style="text-align: center;">16.38</td> </tr> </tbody> </table>







Well, that's a start. But this chart tells us one thng and one thing only: this is how many points each team has allowed per game against the particular opponents that they have faced this year (or 2005 in the case of the Fightin' VYs). This doesn't come any closer to solving the chicken/egg conundrum. To do that we'll need to see how well each of these teams is performing relative to other teams who have faced the same opposition. Essentially, we need to see how many points Texas' opponents (for instance) are scoring per game against teams other than Texas and then compare that to how many they scored against Texas. So let's add a column to that chart:
<table style="border-color: rgb(206, 206, 212); border-width: 1px;" align="left" border="1" cellspacing="1"> <tbody> <tr style="background-color: rgb(206, 206, 212);"> <td>Team</td> <td>Team's Points Allowed Per Game</td> <td>Opponents' Points Scored per Game
Not Including Game against this Team</td> <td>Difference</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Texas</td> <td style="text-align: center;">17.57</td> <td style="text-align: center;">33.86</td> <td style="text-align: center;">16.29</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Oklahoma</td> <td style="text-align: center;">20.71</td> <td style="text-align: center;">30.51</td> <td style="text-align: center;">9.80</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Okie State</td> <td style="text-align: center;">20.57</td> <td style="text-align: center;">32.35</td> <td style="text-align: center;">11.78</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Alabama</td> <td style="text-align: center;">14.43</td> <td style="text-align: center;">25.66</td> <td style="text-align: center;">11.23</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Florida</td> <td style="text-align: center;">13.00</td> <td style="text-align: center;">26.89</td> <td style="text-align: center;">13.89</td> </tr> <tr> <td>LSU</td> <td style="text-align: center;">21.50</td> <td style="text-align: center;">25.41</td> <td style="text-align: center;">3.91</td> </tr> <tr> <td>2005 UT</td> <td style="text-align: center;">16.38</td> <td style="text-align: center;">29.75</td> <td style="text-align: center;">13.37</td> </tr> </tbody> </table>








​
So this chart tells us a little bit more about these defenses, namely, how well they do at keeping opposing offenses from scoring relative to the other teams these opponents play. You'll notice that Texas' seven 2008 opponents have scored an average of 33.86 points per game against teams other than Texas and only 17.57 points against Texas, for a 16.29 point difference. That's the largest of this group, even larger than the 2005 Texas defense. So, while the 2008 Longhorns are only ranked #4 among this group of 7 in terms of points allowed per game, they are playing such dominating offenses that the 17.57 points they're allowing per game is actually quite remarkable.​
Now, if I were someone like Mark Schlabach, I might take these stats, which at face value seem to prove my point, and say, "See, Texas' defense is actually better than all of these defenses, including the SEC ones! And Oklahoma State's defense is actually better than Alabama's and LSU's!" But I'm not Mark Schlabach, so I'm going to point out the flaws in this statistic.​
Let's take a hypothetical in which Defense A has faced opponents who have a 14.0 scoring average in games other than those against Team A. Even if Defense A has shut out each and every opponent it has faced, the greatest "Difference" number they could put up in that chart is 14.0, making it look like Texas' 16.29 number is better. But we all know that it's not necessarily better. Now, would Defense A be shutting teams out if they were facing offenses scoring 33.86 points per game, as Texas is? Probably not. But that's not the point. The point is that this example underscores the problem with this statistic, which is that it tends to favor defenses that go up against high scoring offenses. If Defense A faces offenses averaging 50 points per game and holds them to 25 ppg, that's a difference of 25. And if Defense B faces offenses averaging 30 points per game and holds them to 15, that's a difference of 15. Defense A looks better than Defense B because 25>15, but they're both holding opposing offenses to half their total scoring on the season. So let's add some columns onto the chart look at that percentage of total points allowed statistic:​
<table style="border-color: rgb(206, 206, 212); border-width: 1px;" align="left" border="1" cellspacing="1"> <tbody> <tr style="background-color: rgb(206, 206, 212);"> <td style="text-align: center;">Team</td> <td style="text-align: center;">Team's Points Allowed Per Game</td> <td style="text-align: center;">Opponents' Points Scored per Game Not Including Game against this Team</td> <td style="text-align: center;">Difference</td> <td style="text-align: center;">Ratio (season totals)</td> <td style="text-align: center;">Ratio (per game)</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="margin: 8px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">Texas</td> <td style="margin: 8px; text-align: center; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">17.57</td> <td style="margin: 8px; text-align: center; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">33.86</td> <td style="margin: 8px; text-align: center; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">16.29</td> <td style="margin: 8px; text-align: center; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">.52</td> <td style="margin: 8px; text-align: center; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">.52</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="margin: 8px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">Oklahoma</td> <td style="margin: 8px; text-align: center; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">20.71</td> <td style="margin: 8px; text-align: center; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">30.51</td> <td style="margin: 8px; text-align: center; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">9.80</td> <td style="margin: 8px; text-align: center; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">.68</td> <td style="margin: 8px; text-align: center; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">.63</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="margin: 8px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">Okie State</td> <td style="margin: 8px; text-align: center; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">20.57</td> <td style="margin: 8px; text-align: center; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">32.35</td> <td style="margin: 8px; text-align: center; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">11.78</td> <td style="margin: 8px; text-align: center; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">.64</td> <td style="margin: 8px; text-align: center; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">.69</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="margin: 8px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">Alabama</td> <td style="margin: 8px; text-align: center; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">14.43</td> <td style="margin: 8px; text-align: center; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">25.66</td> <td style="margin: 8px; text-align: center; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">11.23</td> <td style="margin: 8px; text-align: center; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">.56</td> <td style="margin: 8px; text-align: center; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">.54</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="margin: 8px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">Florida</td> <td style="margin: 8px; text-align: center; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">13.00</td> <td style="margin: 8px; text-align: center; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">26.89</td> <td style="margin: 8px; text-align: center; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">13.89</td> <td style="margin: 8px; text-align: center; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">.48</td> <td style="margin: 8px; text-align: center; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">.49</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="margin: 8px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">LSU</td> <td style="margin: 8px; text-align: center; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">21.50</td> <td style="margin: 8px; text-align: center; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">25.41</td> <td style="margin: 8px; text-align: center; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">3.91</td> <td style="margin: 8px; text-align: center; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">.85</td> <td style="margin: 8px; text-align: center; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">.93</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="margin: 8px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">2005 UT</td> <td style="margin: 8px; text-align: center; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">16.38</td> <td style="margin: 8px; text-align: center; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">29.75</td> <td style="margin: 8px; text-align: center; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">13.37</td> <td style="margin: 8px; text-align: center; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">.55</td> <td style="margin: 8px; text-align: center; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">.55</td> </tr> </tbody> </table>
The Season Totals ratio is the cumulative ratio of the average points allowed by a team versus average points scored by opponents against other teams (i.e. for Texas, it's 17.57 divided by 33.86). Cumulatively on the season, Texas is allowing its opponents to score only 52% of the points their opponents score per game against all teams other than Texas. The Per Game ratio is an average of the ratios for each individual game instead of the points over an entire season, which number can be and usually is different that the Season Totals ratio.
The Season Totals ratio has the advantage of not weighing outliers as much as the per game ratio because it's a cumulative statistic. Having one really good game affects the per game ratio more than the season totals ratio. The Per Game ratio has the advantage of perhaps being more true to life. Wins and losses aren't determined by performance over the course of seasons; they're determined by games. An average of how a team has done in each game is instructive. Determining which is better isn't really important, but noting the differences are because they tell you what kind of team you're dealing with. A team whose two ratios are very similar is a steady team. You're likely to get something close to that percentage in an actual game. A team with ratios that are significantly different (my guess is anything more than 2-3% is significantly different) is an erratic team that sometimes has good games and sometimes has bad games.
You'll notice that the 2008 Texas defense has better ratios than both the 2005 Texas defense and this year's Alabama defense and is barely off the pace set by this year's Florida defense. You'll also notice that LSU's vaunted SEC defense kind of sucks. Additionally, Texas has an incredibly stable defense. You know what you're going to get from it week-in and week-out. Texas' lowest game ratio is .22 (against Rice) and its highest is .72 (against OU). That is, Texas hasn't held any team below 22% of their scoring average and hasn't allowed anyone to score more than 72% of their scoring average. LSU, on the other hand, has a low of 16% and a high of 187%! I think this might have a lot to do with why SEC teams lose to each other all the time: erratically performing defenses. They look great one week and terrible the next. They call it parity and strength 1-12 in the conference, but it's not. Florida, for instance, held Miami to 8% of its scoring average 1 week, held Tennessee to 27% of its scoring average the next week, and then the following week allowed Ole Miss to score 113% of its scoring average, or 13% more than they scored against every other team they've played. Florida's average ratio is phenomenal despite the Ole Miss game, the best in this sample. But that doesn't make Ole Miss good. It means that Florida totally crapped the bed that week.
star-divide.jpg.v5547

Before we go on, I need to point out a slight flaw in this ratio statistic too. Whereas the "Difference" statistic favors teams that face excellent opposing offenses, the "Ratio" statistic favors teams that face bad opposing offenses. The effect isn't as great in the Ratio statistic as in the Difference statistic but it's still there. For instance, if Defense A faces an offensive juggernaut that averages 49 ppg and gives up only 21, isn't that a better indicator of a good defensive performance than if Defense B faces an anemic offense averaging 7 points per game and only gives up 3? I think so, but the ratios are exactly the same: .42857. This is a minor flaw, but it exists.
So what to make of this then? You have to look at both the Difference and Ratio statistics in the above chart because both are somewhat flawed in different directions. Put more stock in the Ratio than the Difference statistic though. In looking at both, it seems like Texas' defense can hang with any other team on that list. The only team they could reasonably be considered to be behind would be Florida (not even 2005 Texas, Year2!). And yes, Schlabach, OU and OSU aren't showing championship caliber defenses, even considering the stellar offenses they are going against. But LSU is a lot worse than either and they're one of the teams you list as being better than Texas has ever faced.
Regardless, so we know that Texas' defense is national championship elite, statistically. And we also know that a few SEC teams have better defenses than the Big 12 teams Texas has faced/will face. But what about offenses? Say Alabama and Texas meet in the national championship game. Their defenses are roughly equal, with Texas' probably being a little bit better, statistically speaking. So how do their offenses stack up? Let's look at the same chart, but modified to show the opponent's points allowed per game and the team's points scored per game:
<table style="border-color: rgb(206, 206, 212); border-width: 1px;" align="left" border="1" cellspacing="1"> <tbody> <tr style="background-color: rgb(206, 206, 212);"> <td style="text-align: center;">Team</td> <td style="text-align: center;">Team's Points Scored Per Game</td> <td style="text-align: center;">Opponents' Points Allowed per Game Not Including Game against this Team</td> <td style="text-align: center;">Difference</td> <td style="text-align: center;">Ratio (season totals)</td> <td style="text-align: center;">Ratio (per game)</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="margin: 8px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">Texas</td> <td style="margin: 8px; text-align: center; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">48.14</td> <td style="margin: 8px; text-align: center; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">27.26</td> <td style="margin: 8px; text-align: center; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">20.88</td> <td style="margin: 8px; text-align: center; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">1.77</td> <td style="margin: 8px; text-align: center; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">1.90</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="margin: 8px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">Oklahoma</td> <td style="margin: 8px; text-align: center; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">46.86</td> <td style="margin: 8px; text-align: center; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">21.68</td> <td style="margin: 8px; text-align: center; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">25.18</td> <td style="margin: 8px; text-align: center; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">2.16</td> <td style="margin: 8px; text-align: center; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">2.69</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="margin: 8px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">Okie State</td> <td style="margin: 8px; text-align: center; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">46.43</td> <td style="margin: 8px; text-align: center; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">29.05</td> <td style="margin: 8px; text-align: center; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">17.38</td> <td style="margin: 8px; text-align: center; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">1.60</td> <td style="margin: 8px; text-align: center; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">1.78</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="margin: 8px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">Alabama</td> <td style="margin: 8px; text-align: center; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">32.29</td> <td style="margin: 8px; text-align: center; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">20.58</td> <td style="margin: 8px; text-align: center; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">11.70</td> <td style="margin: 8px; text-align: center; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">1.57</td> <td style="margin: 8px; text-align: center; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">1.73</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="margin: 8px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">Florida</td> <td style="margin: 8px; text-align: center; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">38.50</td> <td style="margin: 8px; text-align: center; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">22.46</td> <td style="margin: 8px; text-align: center; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">16.04</td> <td style="margin: 8px; text-align: center; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">1.71</td> <td style="margin: 8px; text-align: center; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">1.87</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="margin: 8px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">LSU</td> <td style="margin: 8px; text-align: center; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">31.17</td> <td style="margin: 8px; text-align: center; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">22.12</td> <td style="margin: 8px; text-align: center; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">9.04</td> <td style="margin: 8px; text-align: center; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">1.41</td> <td style="margin: 8px; text-align: center; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">1.68</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="margin: 8px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">2005 UT</td> <td style="margin: 8px; text-align: center; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">50.15</td> <td style="margin: 8px; text-align: center; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">23.09</td> <td style="margin: 8px; text-align: center; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">27.07</td> <td style="margin: 8px; text-align: center; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">2.17</td> <td style="margin: 8px; text-align: center; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">2.33</td> </tr> </tbody> </table>
First of all, note that in the offensive statistics, the Per Game ratio is much more subject to outliers than it is in the deffensive statistics (basically because there's an infinite number of points you can score more than your opponent allows per game on average, but there's a finite number of points you can give up below what your opponent is scoring per game). Thus, the per game ratios are all a lot larger than the season total ratios and you get much bigger differences comparing the offensive ratios than comparing the defensive ratios. But again, the closer the ratios are together, the more consistent that team is.
So first look at the Oklahoma per game ratio number. OU is scoring 2.69 times more points per game against its opponenets than its opponents are giving up to other teams. That's a lot better than even Texas' 2005 national championship team, which had one of the great offenses of all time. But this is super-inflated by the fact that in two games (against Cincinnati and TCU), OU scored more than FOUR TIMES what those defenses give up per game to other teams. That's why their season ratio is so much lower, almost identical to the 2005 Texas ratio. That 2005 Texas team was much more consistently good.
The 2008 Longhorns have better ratios than every team on this list other than Oklahoma and the 2005 National Championship team. Additionally, Texas has the smallest differential between the two ratios of any team on this list, meaning that they are very steady offensively, just as they are defensively. What you get one game is very likely to be what you get the next. Considering what Texas has done so far in its first seven games, I'd say that's a very good thing. Also note that on both offense and defense, Oklahoma State is actually surprisingly mediocre in terms of the elite of these conferences.
But what about those SEC offenses? Well, LSU isn't very good. They're the worst of this group on both offense and defense, and it's not really very close in either category. Alabama's a little below Oklahoma State--that is, mediocre for an elite team. Florida is actually pretty good, just a little off of Texas' pace.
star-divide.jpg.v5547

So what does it all mean? Well, it seems to me that Texas' defensive stats are perhaps slightly behind Florida's but ahead of Alabama's, and Texas' offensive stats are slightly ahead of Florida's and well ahead of Alabama's. Neither Florida nor Alabama is particularly erratic (the UF/Ole Miss debacle notwithstanding), but Texas is a pillar of consistency. At least given the games that have been played so far, Texas has shown that they perform at pretty much the same relative level in every game, when you take into account their opponents. That bodes well for the future, considering how well Texas has played so far this year.​
As for Year2's assertion that this Texas team doesn't have an elite defense, well, I respectfully disagree my friend, and I hope the above has shown you that there is more than one way to skin a statistical cat, and some of those methods are better than others. Perhaps you should have said that the 2008 Longhorns don't have as much offensive firepower as the 2005 team. That would have been a lot closer to correct.​
And as for you, Mr. Mark Schlabach, how about you go back to the drawing board writing table(?) and instead of writing an article about how we're not sure if Texas is good because they haven't played anyone with a defense, you write about how we're not sure Alabama's good yet because if they play Texas in the national championship game, they'll be going up against a defense that's seen the kitchen sink that Big 12 offenses throw out there and is still just as good as those SEC defenses, and they'll also be going up against an offense better than any they've seen this year.​
That is, if you're into writing such prospective and meaningless articles. Me? I'd just like to beat Oklahoma State, Texas Tech, Baylor, Kansas, Texas A&M, and the Big 12 North champ first before we start thinking about things like that. But I guess that's why I don't get paid to write about this stuff. It's that vision thing...​
 
ACC Championship Roulette: Georgia Tech's week in the sun

from Dr. Saturday - NCAAF - Yahoo! Sports by Matt Hinton
Round and round she goes, where the ball stops, nobody knows ...
ept_sports_ncaaf_experts-970070495-1224714696.jpg
This week's bet. Georgia Tech. I effectively declared this feature dead last week, so certain was I that Virginia Tech had the Coastal Division in a firm sleeper hold it could tighten right on out to the end. I actually wrote, "I'm not sure I can keep up the 'chaos' meme," days before the Hokies lose to Boston College, similarly reliable Wake Forest bites it hard against Maryland and I'm casting the conference as a surrealist spider web. Georgia Tech now owns the league's longest winning streak and assumes a half-game lead in the race to a half-empty stadium in Charlotte.
ept_sports_ncaaf_experts-305149838-1224714662.jpg
Let 'em Ride.Statistically, the Jackets are the most complete team in the conference, not only leading the ACC in rushing -- which you'd expect behind Paul Johnson's flexbone, still producing about 50 runs per game to a dozen passes -- but also in pass efficiency, which you would not expect, especially with two extremely young, run-oriented quarterbacks pulling the trigger on most of those throws. The defense is in the top 20 nationally in every defensive category, and in the top six in pass efficiency, total and scoring D; it's also the best in the country in tackles for loss and the top pass-rushing defense in the ACC. The pressure was always attributed to ex-coordinator Jon Tenuta's aggressive, heavy-blitzing style, but it certainly hasn't followed him to Notre Dame, while the Jackets still thrive in opposing backfields.
Tech wiped out potential upstarts Mississippi State and Duke, came from behind to win tight, tough road games against equals Boston College and Clemson, and Paul Johnson is right on track for all that coach of the year stuff. This has probably been the ACC's best team through the first two months, gimmicky offense, injured quarterbacks and all.
Bet the Field. By virtue of their loss in Blacksburg, the Jackets still need another Virginia Tech loss to offset the tiebreaker, even they were to run to the table. And by virtue of appearing here, Tech is doomed to defeat Saturday against Virginia, the suddenly hot outfit jockeying with Maryland for title of "Most Bizarro Team" in the nation's most bizarro conference -- every other team featured in "Championship Roulette" to date has lost within two weeks of looking like the surest bet. Tech's offense has gone through a revolving door of banged-up quarterbacks already, bogged down the last two weeks, and barely squeaking by Gardner-Webb, especially, was a baffling disappointment. What kind of team plays two I-AA cupcakes in the same year, anyway?
Payout. 10-to-1. Based on my actual respect for the way Tech has played to date, it would be a better number, but any team that needs help and still has to beat Florida State, North Carolina and Miami is wishing. Coincidentally, this is also the ratio on campus. Shame, dude.
 
<table class="card"><tbody class="card-tbody"><tr></tr><tr><td class="ct c">
</td><td class="ctr c">
</td></tr><tr><td class="cl c">
</td><td class="cc c">5:44 PM (9 minutes ago)
Texas vs. Oklahoma State Preview

from Bevo Sports by Mike
Can Rod Muckelroy hold back the OSU offense?

The number one ranked Texas Longhorns face another tough test this weekend when the undefeated and seventh ranked Oklahoma State Cowboys come to town. Texas has met every challenge so far, and must show OSU the same respect they showed Oklahoma and Missouri in order to stay at the top of the BCS. Three out of the last four times the Cowboys and Longhorns have met Oklahoma State took a lead into halftime. Texas was able to make the comeback with superior talent, but this OSU team is far better than in past years and may not give up the lead if they are able to get it.
When Texas has the ball

The Texas offense, led by super efficient quarterback Colt McCoy, has been clicking on all cylinders this season. It has been hard for the offense to top the previous week’s performance for much of the year, but this week will be especially tough considering UT played its best game of the year last week in the destruction of a good Missouri team.
As with most Big 12 teams, the defense is behind the offense, and for this reason Texas expects to put up big numbers again. The emergence of a third receiver (and a fourth and a fifth) last week was almost as big as anything that has happened for this offense this year. Sophomore Brandon Collins had a huge day, and has set himself up to be the outlet on blitzes and when a defense takes away Jordan Shipley and Quan Cosby. Teams have been unable to take away Shipley or Cosby for a whole game, but it will free up even more room to work if opposing coordinators have to game plan for the young studs at receiver. For most of the year Texas has lacked a deep ball threat in the passing game. That could have changed with the acrobatic catch by Malcolm Williams which showed the freshman’s unique skill set. Fellow freshman Dan Buckner also made a big play late in the game.
The running game is improving each week to the point where this offense no longer relies on McCoy to be their leading rusher. Texas has gone from having no running backs to having four. Senior Chris Ogbonnaya is playing at a level not even the coaching staff predicted, sophomore Vondrell McGee had his best game of the season last week, freshman Cody Johnson has been unstoppable on the goal line and in short yardage situations and fellow freshman Fozzy Whittaker finally got back in action, wasting no time showing off his ability on a 20 yard plus explosion through the middle of the Missouri defense.
The success of the offense depends on the play of the offensive line. So far, they have been dominant. Opposing defenses have chosen to blitz the Longhorn offense at a high frequently. McCoy says every team they have faced has blitzed more than they usually do in their games against UT. Oklahoma State already blitzes half the time and if that rate goes up this line will be key in providing time for McCoy and holes for the backs. Texas should have a physical advantage in this game and will look to exploit it more and more as the game wears on.
When Oklahoma State has the ball

This Oklahoma State offense could be the most balanced offense Texas will play all year. It will most definitely be the best running team, maybe the only running team that Texas has faced thus far. The Cowboys rely on a running back by committee but have relied heavily on Kendall Hunter as their main running threat.
Texas’ defense has been outstanding against the run, but it may be due to the teams they have faced. We will learn an awful lot about this defense after this game. We know they can get to the quarterback, but can they stop the run and get to the quarterback when a team throws a combination of the two at them for a whole game.
Last week the defense was dominant in the first half before taking their foot off the pedal in the second. It could have been the best thing that happened to Texas this week because it gave plenty for coaches Will Muschamp and Mack Brown to complain about in film study. Some have said that the points Missouri put up in the second half (28 of them) was on the second team, but if you look back at the game only the last touchdown came with all second team guys on the field. Texas lost its passion, which is to be understood in a blow out win, but they must get it back this week and not start believing all the hype. This team looks to be great at forgetting last week and refocusing, but it only takes one flat game for all of the big wins to become obsolete.
Oklahoma State is not just a running team. In fact they may have the best receiver in the league in Dez Bryant. Bryant, a Texan by birth like everyone else it seems in the Big 12, has been tearing apart opposing defenses. Like Jeremy Maclin last week, the Longhorn defense will have to identify where Bryant is on every single play. Bryant has the ability to take it the distance every time he touches the ball, and he touches the ball in special teams, in the passing game, and on reverses and screens. Bryant is by far quarterback’s Zac Robinson’s favorite target.
Speaking of Robinson, the Longhorn defense will face a quarterback with a skill set they haven’t seen this year (if you don’t count the practice field). Robinson is efficient with the ball and has the ability to pull it down and take off if the defense breaks down. OSU uses him on different types of options to press the edge of a defense. The Cowboy offense does a great job of forcing a defense to move up before burning them deep. UT’s defense must stay at home and prevent big plays in order to come out with this win.
This is the type of game that scares a team. But Muschamp and this defense face a similar offense everyday and practice, so I expect no problems in terms of scheme for this defense.






</td></tr></tbody></table>
 
The defense has a big task ahead

from Conquest Chronicles by Paragon SC
After the Oregon State game a lot of us were frustrated at the defense's lack of not being able to contain Jaquizz Rodgers but the more concerning thing I saw was how the defensive line was manhandled which meant they really couldn't presure the QB.
For this Mike Stoops team it all starts with Willie Tuitama who is much improved this season with 15 TD's and only 3 INT's. He has clearly come on in Arizona Offensive Coordinator's Sonny Dykes new spread attack. You could see that things were improving with Tuitama last year, he wasn't as erratic and he was making fewer mistakes
At his media luncheon Tuesday, Pete Carroll praised the Wildcats’ all-time leader in passing yards (7,814), attempts (1,092), completions (574) and total offense (574).
“Willie has been a big, strong thrower since early in his high school days,” Carroll said. “He’s a really good all-around athlete. He can make all the throws.”
Arizona head coach Mike Stoops said Tuitama has thrived as he’s become a more reliable quarterback.
“Willie’s playing well within himself,” Stoops said. “He’s taking what the defense is giving him. He’s got good command of the offense and playing with poise and confidence, which hasn’t always been the case.
Tuitama’s play this season is a big reason Arizona (5-2, 3-1 Pac-10) is challenging for the Pac-10 title and on track to play in its first Bowl Game since 1998.
“The biggest thing is we’re playing so much more consistently. We continue to mature, and this team has done everything we’ve asked them to do,” Stoops said. “We know that this would be our best group of players, and it’s one of the best teams we’ve had since we’ve been here.”
Tuitama has 1,691 yards on 140 completions in 215 attempts with 15 touchdowns and three interceptions. His 151.4 pass efficiency rating is 19th best in the country and second best in the Pac-10 — behind USC’s Mark Sanchez.
​
There were times early in Tuitama's career that he was just horrible under center but he has really settled in.
I am not expecting USC's defense to hold Arizona scoreless like they have Arizona St. and Washington State. Arizona has too many weapons on offense for that to happen. The most obvious weapon is TE Rob Gronkowski, who can go deep downfield to make plays. The other weapon at receiver is Mike Thomas, who is also a threat downfield he is equal with Oregon State's James Rodgers as one of the best run-after-catch wideouts in the conference.

The new face on the offense is Keola Antolin who had 149 yards vs. CAL and is very similar to Oregon State's Jaquizz Rodgers. Antolin came in the game after Nic Grigsby fumbled eventually letting Cal score on the drive.
But lets not get ahead of ourselves. As good as UA looks on paper they are averaging 40 points a game but four of their five wins came against teams with losing records but that doesn't mean USC should discount them either. Arizona will have the advantage of playing at home (it's also their homecoming week) and the Pac-10 as a whole has been terrible on the road.
The one thing that SC does have going for it is that just about everyone is healthy on the defense so I would hope that evreyone will step up to the challenge. Tuitama is not the same type of mobile QB that they faced against Oregon St. or Oregon. Tuitama being more of a pocket passer allows SC to try an put presure on him to make mistakes. They have done it before so lets hope they can do it again.
SC had the added benefit getting a lot of players in the game against WSU they won't have that luxury this week but its nice to know that there are some adequate, though not polished, replacements on defense. The attitude on defense needs to be as intense as it can be without the players trying to play outside of themselves. They have made that mstake in the past and there have been time where they have recovered but there were also time that it burned them, that will be the most importantballe of all...
 
Creating The 6-Tool Sideline Reporter: Brains, Sports Knowledge, Looks, Interviewing Skills, Intangibles, Etc.

Published by J Koot at 4:18 am under Celeb-Gasm

Visited 138 times, 138 so far today
​
Once again there seems to be more debate over a fresh face on the television sports reporter circuit.
On Tuesday we introduced you to Melanie Collins, a fresh faced recent Penn State graduate who is now making coaches stutter during interviews and mesmerizing college football players.
The Big Ten Network seems to have cornered the hot chick market when it comes to reporters while ESPN leans towards the experienced, dare we say older, ladies.
But it takes a little bit of everything to form “Busted Coverage’s Ultimate Female Television Sports Reporter.”
To create the perfect sideline reporter we are breaking down the best in each of these categories: brains, sports knowledge, looks, interviewing skills and intangibles and etc.

Brains: Suzy Kolber
This chick can break down film with the best males in the world of football. You don’t get prime spots on ESPN talking sports such as the NFL without knowing your Xs and Os. If we could create the brain of our ultimate sideline reporter, she would be cloned with Suzy.
​
Sports Knowledge: Rachel Nichols
A woman doesn’t get a slot on E 60 without a huge database of sports knowledge. She is Jeremy Schaap in a woman’s body. This category is different from the Brains because this woman has to be well rounded. Rachel can rap about NBA basketball and be jetted into Foxboro to talk NFL in just hours. At this point when ESPN needs to send a woman into battle they turn to Rachel. That says something.
​
Looks: Melanie Collins
No contest. Hands down, Ms. Collins. She’s in her early 20s, hasn’t been corrupted by road pops (i.e. late night 23 oz. drafts at BW3), and looks really friggin’ good in a bikini. Take our word for it, we’ve researched this subject over many late-night sessions. Take this body and put Suzy’s brains together and you have a two-tool threat.
​
Middle, black and white stripes.​
Interviewing Skills: Kristen Aldridge (ESPN)
If you’ve never seen this video of Kristen interviewing Vince Dooley, it’s worth your time. She gets boned by the legendary coach and the sexual innuendo flies. This chick interviews celebrities for a living and dabbles with campus videos for the World Wide Leader. With all this experience working with huge stars, just imagine the quality questions she could ask Lou Pinella.
​
Intangibles: Erin Andrews
She was the pioneer of this profession and knows the ropes. When building the ultimate sideline reporter, we want her connections. At 30, Ms. Andrews has been to war. Her experience combined with Suzy’s film breakdown and the young, hot body of Melanie, plus Kristen’s mic skills and we are really close to our 5-Tool Sideline Reporter.
​
Etc.: Carrie Milbank
This is a bastard child category. This tool is dedicated to a chick who wasn’t born with the golden spoon of reporting. She had to work for it. Start at the basement. Carrie Milbank is that woman. She had the looks, but little experience when she was discovered in 2003. 5 years later she is a household name on the hot sideline reporter circuit.
​
Taking Carrie’s determination and combining it with the rest of these skills would give the American male the greatest woman ever created.
She would know a Cover 2 defense, look hot in a bikini on a beach, want to watch ESPN Classic, be able to hold a conversation with Bob Feller, garner press passes for you and be determined to make a great post-game meal.
In our dreams…
 
<table class="card"><tbody class="card-tbody"><tr></tr><tr><td class="ct c">
</td><td class="ctr c">
</td></tr><tr><td class="cl c">
</td><td class="cc c">10:30 PM (7 hours ago)
McCoy to Return for Senior Season

from The FanHouse - NCAAfootball
Filed under: Texas, Big 12
mccoy.jpg
Taking a page out of the Tim Tebow playbook, Texas quarterback Colt McCoy told The Sporting News he will be returning to Austin after what could be a Heisman season.

McCoy, who already holds seven quarterback records at Texas, said he will be back at Texas next season, making him the starter for the Longhorns all four years.
"I'm going to play here for four years," McCoy said. "I've been blessed to be able to play here. Not very many people get to [start] here for four years, so what an opportunity."
​
The news comes off the junior's best performance as a college quarterback, completing 91 percent of his passes last Saturday against Missouri with 337 yards and two touchdowns. McCoy is leading the nation in completion percentage with an impressive 81.2 percent, a number that, if it holds steady, will break the NCAA record set last season.

This news has to make Mack Brown and the Texas faithful smile. McCoy has his top-ranked Longhorns on a warpath to their first national championship game since the Vince Young Show in 2006. A lot like Young, McCoy isn't exactly NFL-ready, but says he thinks he models himself after fellow Texas resident Tony Romo.
"I play a lot like Romo," McCoy said. "Maybe not as risky now, but he's a playmaker. He can make some yards with his feet, but he's also right on the money, he's accurate and he's smart with the ball."
​
McCoy and company don't have much time off, as Texas faces off against No. 7 Oklahoma State Saturday afternoon at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium.





</td></tr></tbody></table>
 
Adding:

Oklahoma -18 (-110)

KSU is playing better and is at home but is not that improved. Their big game so far was against Aggie which doesn't show much. OU rolls by 3 TDs+.
 
Adding:

CMU -3 (-120)

Have a feeling Bob will drive this up as I made the line CMU -9 and CMU is just the far superior team. Still no official word about Lefevour but he is listed as probable. Even if he does not go, his backup beat WMU last week and WMU is far superior to Toledo.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

PappyOSU
Pappy's Picks CFB Week 8
Replies
1
Views
76
jpfeck
jpfeck
PappyOSU
Pappy's Picks CFB Week 4
Replies
0
Views
59
PappyOSU
PappyOSU
PappyOSU
Pappy's Picks Week 10 (48-38 ATS 56% +26 units)
Replies
9
Views
608
jpfeck
jpfeck
bookieassassin
WEEK 5
Replies
43
Views
2K
PRIMETIMEE21
P
VirginiaCavs
Week 10 Discussion Thread
Replies
30
Views
1K
Frank Costanza
Frank Costanza
Back
Top