SUNDAY MORNING COFFEE--Week 8 Review and Week 9 Line Predictions

[RJ Esq]

101 ohio
102 temple

103 auburn
104 west virginia

105 new mexico
106 air force

107 boise state
108 san jose state

109 louisiana tech
110 army

111 north carolina state
112 maryland

113 wake forest
114 miami florida

115 northwestern
116 indiana

117 minnesota
118 purdue

119 boston college
120 north carolina

121 cincinnati u
122 connecticut

123 illinois
124 wisconsin

125 rutgers
126 pittsburgh

127 texas am
128 iowa state

129 kentucky
130 florida

131 mississippi
132 arkansas

133 eastern michigan
134 ball state

135 unlv
136 byu

137 duke
138 vanderbilt

139 rice
140 tulane

141 fresno state
142 utah state

143 smu
144 navy

145 alabama
146 tennessee u

147 oregon
148 arizona state

149 ucla
150 california

151 kent
152 miami ohio

153 virginia
154 georgia tech

155 oklahoma state
156 texas

157 georgia
158 lsu

159 oklahoma
160 kansas state

161 michigan state
162 michigan

163 virginia tech
164 florida state

165 bowling green
166 northern illinois

167 new mexico state
168 idaho

169 wyoming
170 tcu

171 central michigan
172 toledo

173 south florida
174 louisville

175 baylor
176 nebraska

177 texas tech
178 kansas

179 colorado
180 missouri

181 penn state
182 ohio state

183 so mississippi
184 memphis

185 notre dame
186 washington u

187 colorado state
188 san diego state

189 usc
190 arizona u

191 nevada
192 hawaii

193 middle tenn st
194 mississippi state

195 florida atlantic
196 ul - monroe

197 troy
198 north texas

 

[RJ Esq]

Unofficial BCS Standings - Week 8 (Oct 19, 2008)

from Fanblogs.com by Kevin Donahue
With the official BCS standings to be released within hours, Sam at BCS Guru has crunched the numbers and is ready to forecast the top fifteen spots in the unofficial BCS rankings.
Here's the unofficial BCS rankings, as per BCSGuru.com.


Unofficial BCS Rankings


1. Texas
2. Alabama
3. Penn State
4. Oklahoma
5. Oklahoma State*
6. USC*
7. Texas Tech*
8. Utah**
9. Georgia**
10. Florida**
11. Ohio State
12. Boise State
13. LSU
14. South Florida
15. TCU
Note: Sam cautions that the two clusters of teams (those with one asterisk and then those with two) may be so closely ranked that the exact positions may fluctuate. In other words, the any of the one asterisk teams could be number five, six or seven)

As you can see, this is going to be VERY interesting poll, with three non-BCS conference teams in the initial top 15. Of course, TCU plays Utah later this year, so one of those two will drop out of contention for an automatic qualifier spot. But, as it stands today, at least one non-BCS conference team would be an automatic qualifier.
Remember, only one non-BCS conference team can be an "automatic qualifier", by virtue of being ranked in the top twelve in the BCS or being ranked higher than a BCS conference champion - such as the ACC or Big East in this unofficial poll. After the first non-BCS team is in, then the selection process is not required to select another non-BCS team.
Another important note of distinction, it would appear that Texas & Alabama control their own destiny. While SEC & Big XII fans have lamented having to play a championship game in the past, the conference championship games appear as if they will give both the Longhorns and the Crimson Tide one final chance to lock up a BCS berth. In other words, it is very possible that Penn State can win all of it's games and still not make it to the BCS National Championship game.
One fun trivia note - of the twenty #1 & #2 teams in the past ten initial BCS polls, statistically at least one of the two has appeared in every National Championship game (10 appearances).

Note: Ben Prather will be posting the official BCS rankings tonight in its own separate thread. Enjoy!
© fanblogs.comView the original post or comment on Unofficial BCS Standings - Week 8 (Oct 19, 2008)...

 

[RJ Esq]

A Gathering Storm

from Burnt Orange Nation by PB @ BON
In reviewing the Longhorns' non-conference performance I first mentioned something I have since found myself bringing up with increasing frequency:

If the 'Horns were to win in Boulder and then upset Oklahoma in Dallas a week later, it would be time to start talking about Texas as more than an excellent team more likely to make the big splash in '09 than '08. Not that OU isn't the Big One every year, but this is a Texas team that's still got a lot of room to grow and improve and which should be a tougher out each successive week, so clearing the first hurdle would be enormous.
​

As I reflect on tonight's blowout victory over Missouri, it occurs to me that the preceding was in a way an extension of something I wrote in mid-August under the title "The Will Muschamp Factor":

I mentioned this morning that I'm more excited about this team and season than I anticipated being as recently as the beginning of the summer. It was then that I pitched you my narrative for 2008, arguing that Texas' stars seemed to be aligning for a title run next year.
I still think that's true for all the same reasons, and yet as I sit here 11 days from kickoff, I'm more than just feeling good about this year as a building block for the '09 run; I've steadily come around to the idea that Texas is going to be real good, real fast this year, as well.
I've been a guest on a dozen radio shows the past month, which has given me the opportunity to talk through the expectations game with various program hosts, each of whom inevitably asks about Texas' perception as the third or fourth team in the Big 12 this season. Interestingly, whereas I've felt compelled to stick by my argument that the top prize(s) aren't in the cards for Texas this year, I've more and more found myself arguing that it would be a mistake to underestimate this year's squad.
​

Though that post specifically deals with the effect I was projecting Will Muschamp to have on the 2008 squad, the underlying premise was the same: Texas approached and entered this season riding a wave of momentum (catalyzed by the loss to A&M), the strength of which seemed clearly leading towards an exciting and fulfilling end point. The only question, then, was not if Texas would be a great football team... but when?
Early in the summer I guessed it would be 2009... By the end of fall workouts I was saying we'd be a team no one wanted to play in a 2008 bowl... And by the time Texas impressively waxed its four non-con opponents, I found myself articulating a timetable far in advance of anything I had previously imagined possible.
Why lay all this out? Because without this context one cannot possibly appreciate everything we saw on Saturday night at DKR, nor the underlying reason beyond "7-0, duh" that Texas is a True Contender for the national title. Explanations after the jump:

Winning both trench wars. We expected Texas' defensive line to be a dominant force throughout 2008, but entering the season the offensive line looked like a moderate team strength which probably wouldn't gel/peak until much later. But the offensive line's performance against Missouri was absolutely phenomenal, defined by cohesion, crisp execution, and the surgical precision of a skilled practitioner. This line not only didn't exist six weeks ago, it has developed from good (to start the season) to damn impressive (against Missouri)... and best of all (the theme returns) we're just getting going.

Chris Ogbonnaya: problem solver. My uber-love for Chris Ogbonnaya goes way back, but even I conceded after 2007 that C.O. appeared to have reached his ceiling as a pure role player. And though for a while this season he was just that, the slimmer, trimmer, quicker version of Ogbonnaya is not only back, but has opportunistically filled a vacuum--both by showcasing his raw ability and taking advantage of increased reps to improve as a decisive runner and playmaker. Most deliciously, though no one quite planned it out, the emergence of Ogbonnaya is in many ways ideal because he's so strong as a pass-catcher and pass-blocker. Again, Texas is harder to beat since this development than they were when the tailback situation was a lingering "Who knows?"

Collins, Williams? No... Davis. The theme continues with the emergence of Brandon Collins and Malcolm Williams, both of whom were non-factors through Texas' first five games. But against Oklahoma we saw Greg Davis add Collins to Colt's underneath mix and--Hallelujah--we also saw Malcolm Williams deployed... down the field! Though Williams wasn't able to secure the jump ball Colt lofted his way in Dallas, tonight the effort paid off, as the big fella swallowed a 32-yard toss that highlighted his exceptional athleticism. And here, again, is why Texas may be the most dangerous football team in the country: Not only have they won their first seven games in impressive fashion, but they're steadily adding to their ability as they go. So much so that it's hard to imagine this offense getting outgunned by anybody if they can get through the next two weeks. By January, what was once a three-man offense--operating behind a good-not-great line--could be (should be) a well-rounded, multi-dimensional attack force. We're not only starting to see it come together, but it's happened without requiring a loss to Oklahoma to get underway.

Two sides to this coin. If I've seemed overly focused on the offense in this review that's because the offensive side of the ball was my fundamental concern about this team's ceiling--in 2008 and '09. And if offensive developments are in large part serving as the foundation for my heightened expectations, I should note that the defense is--with its week-to-week improvement--following the course I and others expected. With that said, lest I understate the importance of the defense in the big theme at hand, consider the following points:

1. We talked a lot this summer about how Muschamp's ability to successfully contain the spread would depend in large part on how well the defensive line could get pressure without blitz help from LBs and DBs. "So far, so good" would be an understatement: Orakpo has been unblockable, Miller-Houston have been healthy and massively disruptive, Melton has been one of the best turnaround stories I can think of, and...
2. Sergio Kindle has proven himself the perfect tactical missile for Muschamp to deploy in support of the D-Line. Whether he's lining him up on the line in the Buck Package or using him in collateral support, the pressure Texas is putting on opposing quarterbacks is amazing and, best yet, getting better by the week.
3. For the first time in forever, the linebacker unit is a team strength.
4. Chykie Brown, Earl Thomas, and Blake Gideon have not only been increasingly excellent themselves, but they've reinforced to their age-mates what it will/does take to be a player for this defense. You can literally see the various members of the secondary working at doing what they gotta do to stay on the field. Tackling is improving. Cohesion is increasingly apparent. Being physical is a priority. Bottom line: the DB cupboard was obviously well-stocked in talent, but we're just starting to see the set on full display.

Tying it all together... I only went through that long introduction to hammer home the idea that Texas' Title Chances have as much to do with their room to improve as actually finding themselves 7-0. Though I had the strongest of doubts that Texas could get to this point, now that we're here: All the things I have said about this team's growth curve, in conjunction with some key surprise developments on offense, inexorably lead to the conclusion that Texas football has begun approaching a peak in the cycle well ahead of schedule. And most promising of all, its doing so not only allows it to be contenders by virtue of being 7-0, but because the best is still ahead.
That is what is so exciting about Texas football. The. best. is. yet. to. come.

 

[RJ Esq]

<table><tbody><tr><td colspan="3" class="storytitle">Instant Analysis: California-Arizona </td> </tr> <tr> <td class="primaryimage" valign="top">
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</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 19, 2008
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Two years ago, the Arizona Wildcats upset Cal at home, but that conquest didn’t translate into a winning season for Mike Stoops’s program, which has languished in mediocrity ever since Bob’s brother came to Tucson. Saturday evening, however, the U of A did the deed again, and this time, a breakthrough against the Berkeley boys seems to have signaled a new day in the life of Arizona football.
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A lot of hype has surrounded the 2008 edition of the Wildcats, armed with a potent offense and the will to do better. Mere desire, however, doesn’t punch a ticket to a bowl game. Loads of promises don’t make a hoped-for resurgence turn into reality. For Arizona to touch Dick Tomey territory and recall the happier times of the 1990s, the Cats had to score a sizeable scalp in their pursuit of real progress. A team whose best win in 2008 had been the beaten-up Bruins of UCLA needed to climb higher if it expected to produce a winning record in this, a make-or-break campaign for Stoops and the rest of the program. The No. 25 Golden Bears—the last Pac-10 team without a conference loss—offered Arizona its chance to make a significant statement.

Sixty minutes later, it can safely be said that the Wildcats—foiled and frustrated throughout this depressing decade—finally spoke with clarity and conviction on college football’s version of the witness stand. When asked to give a credible presentation under pressure, Mike Stoops and his kids calmly conquered their fears and frailties.

Arizona knocked off Jeff Tedford’s troops for two simple reasons: poise and playmaking. After a wobbly first half marked by two early turnovers and a shaky defense that sagged under the Bears’ sustained assault, the Cats—down 24-14 at halftime—had to regather their focus and strike back in the second half. Denied the sizzling start they hoped for, the boys in red had to avoid an emotional letdown and prove that their dedication to improvement really meant something. Sure enough, the home team—in keeping with its school’s fight song—managed to “Bear Down” after the Bears landed a flurry of first-half punches.

Because the Wildcats remained competitive, their opponent from the Bay Area could never feel entirely comfortable, and when freshman running back Keola Antolin raced 59 yards to the Cal 3 midway through the third quarter, momentum finally and fully found the Arizona sideline. As all good teams manage to do in crucial contests, the Wildcats maximized their mojo and prevented the Bears from reclaiming the slightest shred of hope the rest of the way. Mike Stoops would watch with pride as his pigskin pupils, who poked and probed in the game’s first 35 minutes, suddenly exploded in a short stretch that turned tension to triumph in Tucson.

Antolin’s 59-yard bolt, just past the eight-minute mark of the third quarter, unleashed the full force of Arizona’s arsenal. Two snaps after that run, which generated ample juice in the Wildcat huddle, Antolin finished the job to give Arizona a 28-27 lead. On the very next play from scrimmage, the Wildcats’ Devin Ross outfought a receiver to intercept Cal quarterback Nate Longshore, and take the stolen loot into the end zone for a pick-six and a 35-27 advantage. In the face of freight-train momentum, Cal faltered on the following series of downs, and after a three-and-out gave the ball right back to Arizona, Cat quarterback Willie Tuitama found his trusted tight end, Rob Gronkowski, for a 35-yard touchdown. Less than eight minutes after a Cal field goal had given the Bears a 27-21 edge early in the third quarter, the Wildcats—on the strength of their blindingly fast 21-0 run—had attained a 42-27 advantage they wouldn’t relinquish. Propelled by their 28-point third quarter, the home team didn’t need to tally a single point in the fourth, as the Cats’ cranked up the defensive intensity to keep the Bears off the scoreboard and wind up in the winner’s circle.

And so it is true: Arizona stands at 5-2, with lowly Washington State being one of the Wildcats’ five remaining opponents. A non-losing season is all but assured for a program that has toiled in the Saturday shadows for far too many seasons. With a .500 mark virtually in their pocket, the Wildcats need to claim just one other game—against the two Oregon schools, USC, or Arizona State—in order to register a winning record for the first time in the 21st century.

The last time an Arizona team went bowling was 1998. A decade later, a third-quarter deluge against Cal has the Wildcats in line to put the past behind them and write a happier history in the Desert Southwest.
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[RJ Esq]

These Guys Are on TV — They Must Know Something

from The Wiz of Odds by Jay Christensen
Mark May and Lou Holtz play "Take Your Pick." Thankfully, May and Holtz don't reside in Las Vegas because they'd call this segment "Take Your Money."
Forget pointspreads. These guys can't pick winners straight up. Numbers don't lie. Granny was 0 for 5 this weekend. May picked two winners. Totaled, that's 20%.

 

[RJ Esq]

<table><tbody><tr><td colspan="3" class="storytitle">Instant Analysis: LSU-South Carolina </td> </tr> <tr> <td class="primaryimage" valign="top">
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</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
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Posted Oct 19, 2008
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A September win at Auburn seemed like a big deal at the time, but the value of that win quickly decreased as the season continued. Saturday night in Columbia, S.C., the LSU Tigers registered an October achievement that figures to carry a little more shelf life.
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While Auburn’s season lies in ruins, South Carolina—fresh off four straight wins—brought a solid squad to Williams-Brice Stadium, as Les Miles’s team faced a stiff challenge in its bid to defend the SEC West title, the first step on the road to regaining SEC supremacy. In order for November’s apocalyptic encounter with Alabama to mean as much as possible, the reigning national champions had to stop Steve Spurrier’s boys first. Before the season, this matchup didn’t figure to be terribly competitive, but come game night, the Bayou Bengals had to brace for mortal combat, and a battle is exactly what they got from Cocky’s crew.

The Gamecocks spilled the tank on defense, much as they did in an agonizingly close loss to Georgia over a month ago. Playing with supreme and sustained passion, coordinator Ellis Johnson’s defense stuffed LSU’s ground game while plucking an interception to spur the Cocks to a 17-10 halftime lead. In addition to the defense displayed by the home team, South Carolina had the added advantage of a quarterback—Stephen Garcia—who could make a difference as both a passer and a runner. Scrambling to make improvisational plays whenever the pocket broke down, Garcia nimbly avoided Tiger pass rushers to make plays with his legs. The dual-threat artistry of a poised quarterback—foreign items for South Carolina fans in the Spurrier era—gave the home folks ample reason to believe that their team had finally found the trigger man who could engineer a major upset and carry the Gamecocks to the proverbial next level. LSU had some serious work to do in the second half if a season’s goals were to remain intact.

Sure enough, this tested roster rose to the occasion in an enemy SEC lair.

The turning point, one has to concede, came when Garcia—early in the second half—slightly limped off the field after absorbing a hit that produced a fumble and a Tiger recovery just past midfield. A superb play by LSU’s resilient defense brought about a turn of events that was felt beyond the game’s immediate flow. Far more than causing a change of possession and the flipping of field position, that play took away Stephen Garcia’s legs, and after that moment, a previously effective Carolina attack was reduced to rubble, as the Gamecocks never remotely threatened to score throughout the second half.

Football, though, is a game where prime performers have to play with pain, and while Garcia might still become a special signal caller in future seasons, he wasn’t able to answer the bell once his legs ceased to be a factor. LSU’s performance was so impressive precisely because the Tigers immediately seized upon the weakness they saw, exploiting a hard-working but deficient opponent at its weakest point.

After the Garcia injury, the Gamecocks—lacking a proven offensive line and unable to generate any semblance of a running attack from their setbacks—became vulnerable to the pass rush. With Garcia’s arm having to carry the entire workload for South Carolina, the Tigers wisely brought the house on almost every snap. Constantly dialing up blitzes and aggressive stunts, the Tigers showed pressure to the Gamecocks, tipping their hand and telegraphing their strategy. LSU’s braintrust decided that subtlety and disguise were no longer necessary; a wounded Garcia simply had to beat them with quick throws before the pass rush could arrive. Simply but significantly, the Tigers—putting all their chips on the table—bet big and won big. Carolina couldn’t keep LSU’s front seven away from Garcia, and as a result, the texture of this tussle turned on a dime.

But while LSU’s defense began to dominate, the Tigers still needed a few points from their quarterback tandem of Jarrett Lee and Andrew Hatch. While the record will show that Hatch threw the tying touchdown pass to Richard Dickson late in the third quarter of this conference collision, it was Lee who began to turn this game around when the Tigers needed to tie the score, quiet the Columbia crowd, and parlay their defensive excellence into points.

Lee stood tall in the pocket on multiple third and long situations to deliver strikes to his receivers on the Tigers’ tying drive. Able to avoid the quick punts that would have sapped his team’s newfound momentum, Lee gave LSU the final push it needed to ultimately wear down the inspired but still inadequate Gamecocks.

Because LSU was able to score while controlling the ball, the Tigers’ defense—which produced a steady stream of three-and-outs in their second-half surge—stayed fresh, while the Gamecocks’ valiant defense ran out of gas as the fourth quarter progressed. Having tied the game to establish a considerable amount of confidence, the Bayou Bengals—slowly eating away at their opponent’s reserves—used their fresher, faster legs to score an almost inevitable go-ahead touchdown with just over four minutes remaining.

(One can say "almost inevitable," as opposed to simply "inevitable," because the Gamecocks briefly had a game-changing interception sit on the fingers of defensive end Travian Robertson deep in LSU territory in the fourth quarter. When that pass slipped to the ground, however, South Carolina lost its one golden opportunity to turn the tide down the stretch, and LSU--as though driven by destiny--carried this contest to its predictable conclusion.)

After Jarrett Lee’s poised passing produced a tie in the third quarter, running backs Charles Scott and Keiland Williams did the dirty work in the fourth quarter. Pounding and punishing a sagging South Carolina front, the Tigers toiled in the trenches to run to paydirt and gain a clear competitive advantage that had been nearly 56 minutes in the making. After gaining a late 24-17 lead, the Tigers immediately intercepted a shaken and one-dimensional Garcia on the very next series, and Les Miles managed to survive for another week, on the road to Alabama Armageddon in November.

It took a long time, but with equal parts poise, patience and power, LSU showed its stuff to ultimately turn back a gallant opponent who, even in defeat, might have found an answer under center. The future might belong to South Carolina, but the present moment still belongs to Les Miles and the Bayou Bengals. Once again, a proud program pulled a hard-earned win out of the raging fire known as the Southeastern Conference.
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[RJ Esq]

Alabama wins 24-20

from The Tide Druid by TideDruid

That was ugly, but an SEC win is always big. Stats are available at ESPN.com, but these numbers are all that matter: 7-0 (4-0 SEC), 45-9-2 against Ole Miss, 5 straight over the Rebs, and Saban moves to 6-1 against them fine Hoddy Toddy folks.
Congrats to Ole Miss and Houston Nutt for that comeback. I have to admit, even though we all like to have some fun at HN’s expense, I hate playing any team he fields. You’re always in for a tight game with that man on the other sideline.
I won’t go into great detail about how bad that 2nd half looked, but here are my thoughts expressed in one picture:

 

[RJ Esq]

No. 1 Texas tramples No. 11 Missouri 56-31

McCoy almost perfect as Horns roar out to 35-0 lead.

By Suzanne Halliburton
AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF
Sunday, October 19, 2008
One play epitomized top-ranked Texas' 56-31 mashing of Missouri on Saturday night.
It was late in the second quarter. The top-ranked Longhorns were driving for a fifth straight possession.
Finally, the Tiger defense looked to have made a play. That's when defensive lineman Tommy Chavis swatted the ball away from Longhorn Colt McCoy as the quarterback drifted back in the pocket.
But McCoy calmly waited for the fumbled ball to bounce off the grass at Royal-Memorial Stadium, then threw downfield to Quan Cosby for a 23-yard gain.
"He's unreal," Cosby said of his teammate.
McCoy, like he does every week, shrugged off a near-perfect performance.
"I'll probably have to do up downs," he said, when asked about the fumble that turned into a first down and sucked the remaining life out of the Tigers.
It was an unreal kind of evening, as a prime-time national television audience watched Texas defend its No. 1 ranking with a convincing victory over No. 11 Missouri.
The Tigers, who two Saturdays ago were undefeated and ranked third nationally, scored four touchdowns in the second half to make the game appear closer than it really was. But Missouri (5-2, 1-2) didn't score until Texas had rolled to a 35-0 lead.
The victory was the Longhorns' seventh of the season. The first Bowl Championship Series rankings will be released today, and Texas should be No. 1, thanks to the Longhorns' consecutive wins over ranked opponents.
As he has been all season, McCoy led the way on offense, with the Longhorns amassing 591 yards. The 56 points were the most UT has scored this year.
"Colt McCoy ... his execution was as good to me as I've ever seen," said Missouri coach Gary Pinkel. "It starts there with their great execution. And what a great football team they are."
McCoy, who was featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated last week, finally flashed a smile, throwing up a hook-em horns sign with four minutes remaining in the game as most of the crowd of 98,383 chanted "Heisman Trophy."
The chant was in response to the public-address announcer at Royal-Memorial Stadium ticking off the school records McCoy set in the dismantling of the Tigers.
The records:
McCoy's four touchdowns — two rushing, two passing — allowed him to break the school record for touchdowns responsible for in a career. Vince Young had the previous record of 81. McCoy now has 82 and counting.
He tied the record with a touchdown pass to Jordan Shipley with 41 seconds to play the first half, which upped the score to 35-0. He broke the record with 4:58 to go in the third, with his 2-yard plunge bringing the score to 42-10.
McCoy threw 17 straight completions, breaking his own school standard of 13.
Overall, he was 29 of 32 for 337 yards. His completion percentage of 90.6 also broke the single-game record of 86.0 set by Young in the 2005 Big 12 championship game.
"We need to continue for him to be who he is," coach Mack Brown said of his star quarterback. "I don't know if we need him to be any better.
McCoy's 337 yards were nine shy of his career best, which he set against Oklahoma State in 2006. The eighth-ranked Cowboys, coincidentally, are next up for the Longhorns.
McCoy's play overshadowed that of Missouri's Chase Daniel, a Heisman Trophy finalist in 2007.
Daniel finished with respectable statistics — 31-of-41 passing for 318 yards and two touchdowns. But he did no damage until the second half, struggling against a Texas defense that rarely blitzed, primarily using a three- to four-man rush.
Missouri's final two scores came against the Longhorns' second-team defense.
Texas sacked Daniel twice, and held the Tigers to 30 yards on the ground.
Brown said he prepared his team in pre-game by telling them that the country was questioning whether they could put together another performance similar to the one the Longhorns had against Oklahoma a week ago. By game's end, the college football world had its answer.
"We've got a No. 1 on our backs so everyone hates us now," said Texas defensive tackle Aaron Lewis. "Not just teams in the Big 12, but everybody."

 

[RJ Esq]

Will Muschamp is crazy like a very crazy fox

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

Texas 56, Missouri 31. The last time I was there, the atmosphere in Darrell Royal Stadium could best be summed up in its sometimes-nickname: "The Library." And Texas won that afternoon, in a close, exciting game.Tonight was not close, not for a second, and on TV, there probably wasn't anything exciting about watching Texas run away with the No. 1 ranking for at least another week, dragging the bloody remains of Missouri's national ambitions along for the ride. Inside DKR, though, it was rocking early, and once it became very obvious how the evening was going to go, it got kind of ugly. Imagine Chase Daniel as a desperate man being hunted on a deserted, lawless island where no one will ever find his body, and Will Muschamp as the insane industrialist sniffing out his trail. The stat sheet says this game was about Texas' explosive offense and its perfect first half, but what the crowd really wanted was blood, the blood of Chase Daniel, and Muschamp hit his target time and again.
By the time Chris Ogbannaya ran in Texas' fourth touchdown in as many possessions, Missouri had lost yards on 15 plays, the Tigers had gone three-and-out three times and launched four punts, Daniel had been hit and sacked on multiple occasions and the only suspense in the building was how maniacal Muschamp's next reaction would be when the 'Horns' pass rush overwhelmed Missouri's line on another third down jailbreak. They wanted expletives to ring through the newly-reovated rafters. The Tigers ran up some impressive numbers after going down 28-0 -- five scores on their last seven possessions, and another that ended on what looked like (and was initially ruled) a fourth down touchdown catch live, until it was overturned and Mizzou came up empty on a 14-play, 71-yard march -- but nothing that happened after 28-0 registers. Shut all those statistics out, remember –7 yards and four punts on four drives against one of the most precise, exceptional offenses in the country, and know that Will Muschamp tastes blood at all times.

A few quick observations from surprisingly great seats:
• Muschamp has the reputation of an "aggressive," pressure-happy, blitz chemist, but he didn't send too many extra guys across the line tonight. The 'Horns often walked a couple inside linebackers into blitz position, but it was evident early on that both of them were dropping into coverage or spying Daniel the vast majority of the time. When UT got to Daniel -- which it did most of the first half, the relevant portion of the evening, before the back-and-forth track meet broke out -- it did it with four and often three-man fronts that were just too athletic for Missouri to block. Brian Orakpo and Sergio Kindle are ridiculous bookends in the pass rush, very reminiscent of the Marcus Spears and Quentin Groves types Muschamp coached at LSU and Auburn, and Muschamp seems to have really energized the defense in general. They're sound, scheme-wise, but my dad and I were most impressed that they looked like they were having a lot of fun. Well, yeah, when it looks that easy.
• Texas converted 10 of 12 third down attempts. Colt McCoy was 29 of 32 passing. At one point, he was caught from behind, stripped, kept his feet, snatched the ball off the ground and threw downfield for a first down. A light went on, the brainwashing kicked it, he got away with this throw and young "Colt" continued to fulfill his genetically-engineered destiny as the quintessential scrappy Longhorn quarterback. He is still Not Vince Young, but he runs, improvises, checks into the right plays, and generally renders the VY conversion rate moot. Much to my surprise, McCoy's evolved into a great signal-caller in his own right.
• We knew this, I guess, but I say officially that Missouri tight end Chase Coffman is a specimen and destined for a long, fruitful career at the proverbial next level. Even on a field full of tall, massive athletes, Coffman's size stands out, yet somehow he's still mobile enough to line up as a wide receiver -- "tight end" is a misnomer for his role in the offense, which includes screens, slants and downfield routes out of the slot -- and present a mismatch at almost all times. He caught a dozen passes, including a touchdown in traffic that left the entire crowd shrugging, as in, "Aw, well, what are you supposed to do about that?" and with Jeremy Maclin spending much of the first half watching Texas' offense by himself on the sideline, 20 yards away from his nearest teammates, was the Tigers' only bright spot.

 

[RJ Esq]

ACC Football and the Quest to Avoid Tampa

from The FanHouse - NCAAfootball
Filed under: Boston College, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Maryland, Virginia, Virginia Tech, ACC

The ACC Championship game is being held in Tampa this year. So far by the way the teams have played, no one has exactly declared themselves as the early leader. After this Saturday, the ACC will be lucky to have one team ranked in the top-25.

At least that is my guess at this point. The ACC looks like a random assortment of teams that aren't too good, but not horrible. Rather than see any shake-out today, things became even more muddled as every team has at least one conference loss. That's something since all but two of the teams have played only three ACC games at this point.

The three teams ranked in the top-25 coming into this week all lost. Virginia Tech, North Carolina and Wake Forest all went down in road games. There are no clear favorites right now. Virginia Tech looked like it could be the class of the conference, but then struggled on offense and fell to Boston College. BC lost to Georgia Tech. GT, though, lost to VT. Meanwhile Wake got killed by Maryland. Of course Maryland got killed by Virginia. While Virginia scored the big win over North Carolina, they also got killed by Duke. And when you get beaten by 28 by Duke -- no matter how improved they might be -- there's just no coming back from that with credibility.

Maybe Florida State? Well, they had to struggle and fight to pull out the win on Thursday over an NC State team that has not won a conference game yet. Plus Florida State lost to Wake Forest.

At this point the only sure things are that Duke, Clemson and North Carolina State have no shot.

 

[RJ Esq]

Nebraska vs. Iowa State Post Game Overreaction

from Corn Nation by corn blight
So here’s what happened. Friday eve, a buddy calls, says he has a ticket, and it can be mine. Long story short, I drive to Des Moines and end up at the same hotel as the football team. This morning, I’m up and walking around, sure ‘nuff, there’s all of them.

I walk past Barney Cotton on my way to get coffee (good thing the SOB got out of the way, too) and Carl Pelini gets off the elevator at the same time I’m getting on, and at that moment I realize I can say nothing to these guys.

They’re working, for crying out loud. And I’m not going to disturb them. And I realize that if I say a word and we lose, it’ll be my fault because I probably have bad karma from all the bad things I’ve done that I’ve never been caught for.

Anyway, I’m late to the game because before we go to the game, we have to stop off at the Iowa State Marching Band Contest. I kid you not. I miss the first touchdown, but it’s on the DVR. I hear about the first drive, with eighteen fumbles, but it’s on the DVR.

Ah, gameday in Ames.

• Fumbles. I’m sure everyone will be bitching about fumbles. Here’s the thing. Go back and look and tell me how many of them were created by #23 - true freshman cornerback Leonar Johnson. The guy can hit like a locomotive and is a phenom at tackling.
• What’d they have, one or two first downs in the first half? It wasn’t much, but then we came out flat in the second half and tried to let them back in the game. What is it with the third quarter that we can’t seem to play with intensity, wallowing around like pigs in mud?
• Quentin Castille’s running style is making me crazy. Get lower, dammit!
• Our offensive line run/drive blocks only sporadically. That’s not all bad, because I can live with the offense we have.… or better yet, maybe it’s better that we’ve stopped trying the ‘square peg/round hole’ theory to offense and realized this is the offense that works best. Do you have a problem with that?
• Larry Asante, much better. Much better overall defense I think, but part of that was Austen Arnaud’s accuracy problem in the first half.
• Don’t know how well you could tell on TV, but the wind with kicks was just nasty. It killed them in the air, so, you could complain about the punting and it might be fair. Or you might just chalk it up to the wind. Whatever’s easier.
• Joe Ganz still in the game late? Lee or Witt going to see the field at a all this season?

Great entertainment was provided by two guys behind me, who proved that, yes - with an 11:30 am start you can still get up and get plenty plastered by game time. One slept through the first quarter and well into the second. He was apparently awakened by his buddy late in the second quarter, and he wasn’t happy about it.
Still the first guy continued with hilarity, including cheering for the wrong team about half the time. His best comment of the day was late in the fourth quarter:
"I gotta stop being a Cyclone fan.… and a Cubs fan... and a Bears fan. Man, my life sucks!"

 

[RJ Esq]

From the start, no win in Washington State's sails



[COLOR=#333333 ! important]A bad season gets worse for the Cougars.[/COLOR]
[COLOR=#999999 ! important]Kurt Streeter
October 19, 2008 [/COLOR]
PULLMAN, Wash. -- Could be that this is a bit condescending, but honestly, it was hard not to feel a tinge of sorrow for banged-up little Washington State on Saturday.

Try as they might -- and nobody should question the Cougars' effort -- nothing short of a major miracle would have allowed them to keep their game against USC even relatively close. An upset win? That was never on the table, even against a team that has burped up some unbelievably surprising losses in recent years.

• USC plays it fast in Palouse in 69-0...
  
  
• Photos: USC 69, Washington State 0
  
  

• It's a sweet peak for USC quarterback Mark Sanchez

So, yeah, I had a bad feeling for the kids from eastern Washington as they plowed into the mighty Trojans, and I'm not alone.

"I was a little uncomfortable. . . . I just didn't want the score to go any higher than it had to," admitted Pete Carroll after loping off the cold synthetic turf at pint-size Martin Stadium, a 69-0 victory in hand. "I feel terrible for them. Those guys are busting their tails to try to find something positive and it has just been as hard as it can get."

Carroll added, of course, that he was also "really fired up" about his team (when is he not?), which he said played with more focus and discipline than it had all season, an assertion backed by the fact that the error-prone Trojans went an entire game with no turnovers and just two penalties.

All of this is fine and good, but now a question looms: After this win, can anything about how the Trojans might play down the stretch of this season be gleaned?

Short answer: Nope.

Saturday's opponent, remember, was a team that started the year talent-thin only to be devastated by injuries; a team that has now given up more than 60 points to four opponents; a team that came to play Saturday ranked 116th out of 119 major college teams in scoring offense and 114th in total defense.

"What was tougher," the leaders in the USC locker room were asked, "a Trojans full-tilt scrimmage, or this game?"

Mark Sanchez wouldn't bite. (But he did flash a cagey smile that said more than even his silence.)

Rey Maualuga: "You know, practice is always hard for us as far as going against our own offense." (He wouldn't be more specific.)

Patrick Turner: "Uh, well (long pause, cagey smile similar to that flashed by his quarterback), scrimmages are pretty tough considering our defense . . . but, uh . . . you know (another smile, because he really doesn't want to get in trouble with his coaches for telling it like it is) these guys in the Pac-10, they give us a good challenge too."

Translation: Practicing against fellow Trojans is flat-out tougher than playing against the 2008 Cougars.

You knew that the Trojans, disappointed after last week's win, would come out firing, edging eventually toward 100 points, and that the Cougars would be lucky to score three.

Walking the half-empty stands just minutes before the game began, it was quickly apparent the hometown would not protest this assessment. "It'll be a moral victory if we lose by 40," deadpanned an usher. "I just hope no one gets hurt."

"There's only one thing I can guarantee," said a student. "Washington State will take the field . . . our team is just soweak, that's all we can guarantee."

On the radio, a former Cougars head coach: "I don't think we can win the offense and defense against this team . . . but we can win the kicking."

It only takes a fast review of the first possessions to know how this unfolded. Washington State won the toss at midfield and elected to kick rather than trot out its offense, guided by a quarterback who recently cracked a bone in his spine. USC's first series lasted less than three minutes and went like this: 16-yard pass, 11-yard pass, five-yard run, 22-yard run, 24-yard pass to wide-open Turner.

The first Washington State drive went for six yards or so and finished with a really nice punt that made you feel as if, yes, maybe they could win the kicking game.

By halftime, the score was 41-0. Down on the field, the Trojans were all riled up -- dancing up and down and sideways in the maniacal sort of way they sometimes do. Carroll was going around slapping butts and the fans were streaming away from the stadium and on the radio the old Cougars coach sounded awestruck in his country twang: "I hate to say it, but it is men against boys," he said. "Even their kickers have 3% body fat."

Probably the biggest surprise was that Sanchez was still under center at the start of the third quarter. Maybe he wanted to see if he could throw one more six-pointer after he tied a Trojans record with five touchdowns . . . in the first half.

"I thought things went smoothly and things went well," said Sanchez, who rebounded forcefully from a tough game last weekend.

Yes, things did go smoothly and well and there were many positives. The Trojans came away without injuries and participated in what was something similar to a very good, crisp practice. They beat the oddsmakers' best guesses. (Note: They also got away from the smog for a few days and took in a bit of the rolling hills of eastern Washington, which are calming and artful in a minimalist-Zen-pebble-garden sort of way.)

The Trojans' schedule looks favorable the rest of the way, six games to go before a bowl, only California looming as a real toughie. But after sputtering a bit early this season, do they have their groove back? That's anyone's guess. Though the score Saturday was monumentally one-sided, playing gutsy little Washington State just doesn't give us enough to go on.

 

[RJ Esq]

<table><tbody><tr><td colspan="3" class="storytitle">Instant Analysis: Missouri-Texas </td> </tr> <tr> <td class="primaryimage" valign="top">
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</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 18, 2008
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Some old-fashioned Texas justice is being administered to the rest of the Big 12 Conference. Oklahoma State, Texas Tech, and the other remaining opponents of Mack Brown’s Longhorns will need to produce something special to upend the juggernaut that currently rules the roost in college football.
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Running the table in this sport remains an incredibly difficult feat, and Colt McCoy has a long way to go before he and his teammates can reach the palm-tree-filled promised land known as Miami for a certain title bout in the second week of January. At the present moment, however, the Burnt Orange Bevo Boys are flashing some first-rate football against highly-touted teams, serving notice to the rest of the nation that they’re the undisputed No. 1 team in FBS competition. One week after throwing 45 on Oklahoma, the Longhorns didn’t let down their guard, as they murdered Missouri in front of a happy home crowd. Much like Ohio State earlier in the day against Michigan State, the Longhorns simply dominated every which way one can imagine, sealing the outcome in the game’s first 20 minutes and cruising to the finish line.

There wasn’t much to analyze in this lopsided affair. Texas ran around, over, under, and through the terrified Tigers, whose offense has flopped in spotlight showdowns after fattening up on non-conference opponents in September. The Longhorns hammered Gary Pinkel’s team with every instrument in their fully-equipped toolbox. Whether it was McCoy’s typical accuracy at quarterback, Chris Ogbonnaya’s slashing and dashing as a setback, or the fear-inducing frenzy of a defense that smothered Chase Daniel from the outset, Texas had all the answers needed to put the misery in Missouri.

Speed, offensive balance, physicality in the trenches—you name it, Texas had all of it, and the Tigers never managed the slightest of footholds as a result. Pinkel—after his Tigers won the opening coin toss—elected to receive. The rare move seemed justified, given that the Tigers needed to lead with their offense and do their dance steps first in order to establish confidence on the road. But when the Longhorns stormed the palace gate and rolled to a 35-0 lead before halftime, the only dancing being done in Austin occurred near Missouri’s gravesite. A Tiger team that needed a first strike got struck down in very short order.

Oklahoma? Check. Missouri? Check. Texas is barreling through the Big 12. With sustained focus and maximum mental might, the Longhorns will have a legitimate opportunity to travel to South Beach in the first days of 2009.
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[RJ Esq]

Throw your hands in the air

from Boilermaker football blog by T-Mill
That’s just about all I can do at this point. It seems like we fix one thing with this team and three other things go wrong. I’m not as pissed off as J Money is, but right now I am pretty disappointed. For the second straight week I wanted to take advantage of some nice weather to go hiking in Brown County. I was able to watch most of the first quarter and listen to the rest on the radio while planning tow atch the tape at home. Once again, the tape won't be watched in its entirety. When McConnell and Quinn are upset with the coaching staff you know it is bad.

Today’s game was just a microcosm of the season. One thing would go well, like a couple of opening drives points, then three things would go wrong. The defense got torched again after playing pretty stout last week, but it was hard for them to defend when they were often given very little territory to defend because Northwestern was getting the ball at the 40 or better. Even at the end Northwestern handed us an opportunity with a missed short field goal, and we promptly gave it right back.

At this point I have no idea what to do. My optimistic nature tells me not to give up. I enjoy watching Purdue football too much to give up. We were spoiled by the early years of the Tiller Era, where stunning finishes and a never quit mentality was the norm. Even as recently as 2002, when we were 4-6 facing a fourth and long with the season on the line at Michigan State we somehow found away to save a disappointing season and get to a bowl. Can it happen now? Yes. Will it happen? I doubt it. Even if we do win these final three home games we need a win at Michigan State (unlikely) or win at Iowa (even less likely wince we always play terrible there).

I said before the season that I didn’t know what to expect from this team. If we won 4 games, 10 games, or anything in between I wouldn’t be surprised. Now it looks like we might beat Michigan in a battle of two of the most inept offenses that used to be good, and we might beat Indiana. Maybe I’ll feel better if something happens next week and we shock Minnesota, but I doubt it. It feels empty, and these seniors deserve better.

I came home to watch some of the few highlights on the tape a couple of minutes ago. My frustration only mounted when I saw Kory Sheets’ 76 yard touchdown run. Here is a guy that has played his ass off all season to scratch out a running game from a pass oriented team. He is putting together one of the best seasons ever from a Purdue running back. On his run, normally a huge play, he set the ball down in the end zone and walked to the bench in frustration. He acted like he didn’t even want to be complimented as he got to the bench because he was so frustrated. It’s like he sees that all of his effort is going for nothing, yet he still pushes himself so hard. He’s having an almost Alstott-like career in that he will leave Purdue as one of its most celebrated backs ever, yet will have very few team accomplishments to go with it. It’s not even a petulant “I’m doing my job, why aren’t you?” attitude. He’s giving everything he has to this, even playing hurt, for essentially nothing.

It’s how I feel as a fan writing this blog.

Positives from the Northwestern game:

Kory Sheets – He had another 2 touchdown, 160+ yard game and we lost again. Does anyone remember the days when Purdue having a 100 yard rusher meant an automatic win because it meant we were so dominant to get to that point? We’re still that type of team. We’re still a team that should win every single time we get a 100 yard rusher because of how much we pass and how little people expect from our running game. It is not Kory’s fault we kept giving the Wildcats a short field all game long. One of the jerseys in my closet is a Sheets jersey. It’s starting to get a little worn since I’ve had it for awhile. He may be the rare player that I buy a replacement jersey for because I like him so much.

Greg Orton – Greg is another player that has to be frustrated with this season. He’s a game-changer, but we can’t seem to get him the ball. Today may have been his best game of the season as we actually went deep a few times to him.

Carson Wiggs – No offense whatsoever to Chris Summers, but Wiggs has been very impressive so far. I was thinking of something today though. Two years ago Summers struggled big time with Painter as the holder. Last year Jared Armstrong did the holding and things were fine. This year we went back to Painter and Summers struggled, then today we had another missed extra point. I haven’t seen anything obvious that Painter is doing wrong, nor am I placing blame on him. Still, it is interesting that this has happened again.

Negatives from the Northwestern game:

Field position – Northwestern had 16 possessions today. Of those, 10 began at the Wildcat 40 yard line or closer. Two more began at the NU 35 or closer. 75% of the time hey had to go 65 yards or less in order to get a score. The four possessions that didn’t start that close went punt, field goal, punt, punt. Therefore, when the defense actually had some space to defend they did pretty well. Four possessions began in Purdue territory as the result of a turnover, and those resulted in 24 points. The longest TD drive of the day was only 60 yards and that came when Peterman broke a big gain for the first NU score of the day. As the radio guys said, it’s hard to lay this one at the feet of the defense when they got zero help all day long. Of course, better tackling (again) would have helped.

Turnovers – Northwestern made some, and we made them pay for them. We made more, and boy did Northwestern make us pay for them. It’s not even that fact we had five turnovers. It is the fact that they came in the wrong part of the field and allowed an offense that has had some issues moving the ball all year to have a short field. This was by far our worst game of the year for having these issues.

Dropped passes – These sounded especially bad on the radio broadcast. We were dropping every key third down, and a couple of these turned into interceptions that probably shouldn’t have been laid on Painter. Northwestern didn’t even play a particularly clean game. We were just sloppier than they were.

Playcalling – For the love of God can we please throw downfield in the first half. If I see one more screen pass I am going to scream. Defensively, how on earth can we get a big momentum building score before the half, then allow them to march right down the field and get it back in less than a minute?

Final Thoughts:

I’m not even sure what to think now. The evidence left itself on the football field today. For the first time in the Tiller Era, we are just a bad, bad football team. This is the season that Tiller himself we were building to a few years ago, and the result is a 2-5 teams in which four of the losses weren’t even close. Even in 2005 I felt we had a pretty good offense, but the defense was abysmal and couldn’t get a stop when needed. It’s two best players, Bernard Pollard and Ray Edwards, were in it for themselves and Pollard especially felt like celebrating every tackle after a 15 yard gain like he personally won the Super Bowl. That team had one glaring weakness that prevented it from being a good team. This team has several and it is a crapshoot each game as to what will be good and what will be bad.

I don’t even know what to say anymore. You can't just lay it on one thing. At times,t he coaching has been bad. At times,t eh offense has been bad. At Times, the defense has been bad. All three have been very good for stretches, however small, as well. Today I reached the point of turning the radio off at one point when it got so laughably bad after the fumble and big return by Northwestern in the fourth quarter. The only other time I can think of giving up on a game was the 2005 Notre Dame game, when I was so pissed off I left at halftime.

I want to be hopeful for this time. I keep telling myself, “If they just do this and pull together next week, we’ll come together and get to a bowl.” Well, we have officially run out of next weeks. Even if we win the next two games, which is more than possible, we may have run out of next weeks. It is not even a home vs. road issue anymore. For four straight weeks we simply have been outclassed by our opponent in every phase of the game, save last week’s defensive performance.

I don’t even know what to think anymore.

 

[RJ Esq]

Virginia Beats North Carolina -- Fans Rush the Field Thinking It Was a Basketball Game

from The FanHouse - NCAAfootball
Filed under: UNC, Virginia, ACC, NCAA FB Fans

I'm actually a big proponent of rushing the field or court by students after big wins. I find those sports writers who get all sanctimonious about it -- decrying it as potentially dangerous or stupid -- as killjoys who have long ago lost any sense of joy in sports. Now having said that, Virginia winning 16-13 in overtime over North Carolina hardly constitutes a rushing the field moment.

Yes, North Carolina was ranked in the top-25 before the game, but they were not even in the top-ten. Plus, the Tar Heels losing to the Hoos is not exactly something new. Virginia has now won nine of the last eleven meetings. In Charlottesville, North Carolina has now dropped fourteen straight. The last time UNC won there was 1981.

What exactly about any of that says, "Yes, we must rush the field to celebrate winning -- again -- over a team we have owned."? Well, other than to suggest a fear that the good times are coming to an end.

It was confusing to me when it happened, and apparently even the students felt rather silly about it after the fact. As soon as the PA announcer asked them to clear the field, they quickly complied.

 

[RJ Esq]

Penn State Ends Drought Against Michigan

from The FanHouse - NCAAfootball
Filed under: Michigan, Penn State, BCS, Big 10

Coming into today's game with Michigan, Penn State had lost their last nine games against the Wolverines. Included in those losses, was a heart breaker in 2006 that probably cost Penn State a shot at the national title. But with Michigan going through one of the worst years in memory, Penn State was licking their chops in anticipation of breaking the streak.

Michigan looked to erase the memory of the loss to Toledo last week as they screamed out to an early 10-0 lead in the first quarter. Penn State would score two touchdowns in the first half, but found themselves trailing Michigan 17-14 at the half.

Joe Paterno, forced to watch the game from the press box for the third game in a row, met the team in the locker room at half time. He had a simple pep talk for his team saying, "These guys lost to Toledo last week."** That proved to be all the motivation his team would need as they steamrolled Michigan in the second half for 32 points as the Nittany Lions went on to win 46-17.

This was the most points scored on Michigan by Penn State. Sadly, Joe Paterno couldn't enjoy the victory with his team on the field. Like Alabama, Penn State will be watching the Texas-Missouri game tonight to try to get a better idea of where they will be when the BCS standings come out Monday. With the late surge, Penn State might be looking to move into the top spot if Texas should lose.

 

[RJ Esq]

The preliminary evaluation of nose tackle Terrence Cody's right knee was positive and Saban thinks...

from Roll 'Bama Roll by Todd

The preliminary evaluation of nose tackle Terrence Cody's right knee was positive and Saban thinks Cody will not need surgery.
"I would assume that he'll be out a couple of weeks," Saban said.
Cody will have a MRI to farther evaluate the damage, but Saban compared his injury to the MCL sprain suffered earlier this season by left tackle Andre Smith, who missed the Tulane game as a result.
​

Again, from al.com. This is still bad, if only for a few weeks.

 

[RJ Esq]

Georgia Tech Edges Clemson

from Georgia Tech Sports Blog by Scott
Before we go any further, let's think about something - the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets are 6-1. Let me type that again - 6-1.

6-1

That's a really impressive record for the youngest team in the ACC. That's an impressive record for a team with a brand new offense, defense, etc, etc.......... you know the drill. That's just dang impressive.

The Jackets beat Clemson 21-17 to move their record to 6-1, 3-1 in the ACC.

SURVIVE AND ADVANCE
Today's game was pretty ugly.......... 3 fumbles (2 lost for GT)........... 5 fumbles (2 lost for CU)......... 4 INT's for CU. Key penalties at the wrong time for both teams. It was also a physical game, as numerous Georgia Tech players were dinged up.

It was also an emotional game for Clemson with the events of the week impacting players, coaches and fans. Fans were drinking from a fire hose this week just trying to absorb everything and get ready. Let's be real though - the emotion thing carries you to about 3 minutes into the game. Then it comes down to execution.

I give a lot of credit to Clemson in the 2nd half. They really could have gone down for the count. They could have folded like a cheap tent, but they didn't. They fought back, executed some key plays and took the lead. They got back to what has made them successful - some tough inside running and a vertical passing game.

At the end of the day the Jackets made the plays and won the game. They had just enough.

DEFENSE THE STORY AGAIN
I think it's fair to say that while the offense gets the headlines, we are a defensive team through and through. Georgia Tech has yet to give up more than 20 points to anyone. Clemson was held to 51 yards rushing with a 2.1 avg per carry.

Today was about turnovers.......... Dominique Reese gets the pick-6 the start the scoring.......... Morgan Burnett picked off two passes. Rashaad Reid had another. Derrick Morgan forced one INT by smacking Willy Korn's arm and then he receoved a fumble later. A lot of big plays today by the defense.

They did take a few hits in the third quarter as Clemson scored 14 and moved the ball, but ultimately they did their part to give the offense a chance to win the game.

OFFENSE DID ENOUGH
It is apparent that some defenses have figured out some basic strategies that are effective in this offense - force us to pass. Take the dive away and take the pitch away. Make Nesbitt beat you with the run or the pass. Name me 5 pitches that went for positive yardage. There weren't many. This game obviously required the passing game to come through for the win. It did. At the end of the day, winning is about doing what it takes. The running game enables the pass.

Ultimately you have to continue to be concerned about the offensive line. Once again, they were beat numerous times. I saw a couple of complete whiffs on blocks that resulted in plays getting completely blown-up.

Josh Nesbitt was back, but it appeared that his timing just wan't there today. Of course how much of that was the offensive line? Hard to tell without breaking down the film further. However, Josh missed some reads as far as I could tell, and his passes floated a bit too much. However, when it counted, he threw two beautiful balls, one which BeBe Thomas shortarmed for a sure TD, and the other which Thomas did haul in and take to the house. On the day, Josh rushed 26 times for 77 yards and passed 5-12 for 91 yards and 1 TD (0 INT). He made key plays when he had to.

Having said that, I'm interested to hear the Josh Nesbitt / Jaybo Shaw chatter this week. Without a doubt people will question if Shaw runs this offense more effectively. However, I've said it before and I'll say it again - Josh is our #1 guy.

Jon Dwyer went for 109 yards for the 5th time this year. I think that might get him back up over the century mark as an average on the season.

On a side note, I loved the quick Nesbitt keepers. He ran two of these where the Clemson DL lined up with nobody on the center and the two tackles on the outside of both guards. In both cases, Nesbitt ran a quick keeper where he just shot the gap for about 5-7 yards each time. I was watching both times thinkg - man, there's a lot of room in the middle.

BEBE REDEEMS HIMSELF
Demaryius Thomas did the unthinkable - he dropped an easy long bomb which fell right into his arms. He clearly shortarmed the ball. It would have put the Jackets up. Instead it forced a punt. BeBe was distraught on the sidelines. However, he would get a chance to redeem himself, and he did. First he caught a difficult 3rd down pass which gave us a key first down late in the game. It was a tough catch falling out-of-bounds with a guy draped all over hime.

Then the big hit - a beautiful hitch-and-go which fooled his defender. Nesbitt found him along the sidelines and he took it the rest of the way for the go-ahead TD.

On the day he ended with 4 catches for 56 yards, although he knows it could have been 5 catches for about 90. But hey - he made the game-winning play. Just win baby.......... I mean BeBe.

SCOTT BLAIR - MVP
There is a story developing in special teams. It's not so much Scott Blair - Field Goal kicker. He almost missed an extra point and did miss a field goal (a 50 yarder to be fair). The story is really not even about Scott Blair the punter, although he had a wonderful day, sending 5-of-7 punts inside the 20 yard line.

This story is about Scott Blair- special teams tackler. Blair had the play of the game near the end of the 1st half by tackling Clemson's kick returner (Marcus Gilchrist) on what clearly looked like a touchdown. That tackle saved a TD and ultimately Clemson got no points because Burnett got an INT to end the half.

Wes Durham should have his video guys go back and look at film this year, because Blair has a handful of key special teams tackles. Now, that's not good, because if your kicker is making tackles then you're in trouble. However, Blair has some wheels and he actually looks like a football player out there. Way to go Scott - that play was a game-saving play.

QUESTIONABLE PENALTIES
Well, we lost to Virginia Tech on a drive that was kept alive on a very questionable helmet-to-helmet call on Cooper Taylor. Today there were a couple of key calls that may have made a difference (or not). In this case they were in our favor.

First was a roughing the kicker (punter) call against Scott Blair. Technically it was a penalty. However, if it happened the other way, we would have been screaming bloody murder. It was ticky-tack.

Second was a holding on Clemson's offensive line on a 4th-and12 play that resulted in a Clemson 1st down. It came back and resulted in an unsuccessful 4th-and-22. I looked at the replay and it was not a good call. Daryll Richard absolutely bull-rushed Clemson's center, pushing him back fast. The center then decided to duck and dive under Richard in order to take his legs out from under him. It worked, however the referee who called the flag was directly behind Richard. From his angle he probably saw Richard pushing back the Clemson center and all of the sudden get "pulled" to the ground. From his angle, I bet that's what it looked like. But that's not what happened. It really wasn't holding.............. that was game.

Well, like I said, we had the refs work against us versus VaTech. That's what happens when the game is called by human beings. We'll admit it was a bad call............ but we'll take it.

ROOT FOR BOSTON COLLEGE
Key game tonight between BC and Virginia Tech. We absolutely MUST have the Eagles take out VaTech to have a realistic chance to win the Coastal.

COASTAL > ATLANTIC
There's an interesting dynamic that has reversed from pre-season expectations. Most pundits and really fans as well recognized that the Atlantic division was the better group of teams. Going into the season you had top 10 Clemson, always good Wake Forest, resurgent FSU, tough Boston College, growing Maryland and growing NCST. Really noboby thought there was a terrible team in the Atlantic.

Meanwhile in the Coastal, nobody knew what to expect and generally looked at it as Virginia Tech and the 5 dwarfs. UNC was a popular pick because they lost a bunch of close games last year, but people generally though Duke would continue to stink, Virginia would be average and Georgia Tech would be rebuilding.

Here we are half-way through the season and the perceptions have flipped. VaTech, GaTech and UNC are all 5-1 going into the day. The Jackets move to 6-1 and have beaten Atlantic teams BC and Clemson. North Carolina and Virginia Tech could move to 6-1 today. The Coastal is 3-1 versus the Atlantic this year and the VT / BC match-up tonight is key.

With Wake Forest's loss to Maryland, it looks like there could be 3 ACC teams ranked, and they're all coming from the Coastal. Having said that we need VaTech to lose tonight.

DABO GOES FOR EMOTION
Clemson interim head coach Dabo Swinney did everything he could to fire up fans and players:

• Did a "Tiger walk" prior to the game
• Made his players wear suits / ties to the game
• Sent a letter to students telling them to show up and support the team
• Called for an "orange-out" for all fans
• Called for players and fans to be "all in" this week
• Gave a spirited pre-game talk, which was broadcast by ESPN.
• Walked his team arm-in-arm, spread out across the entire field from goal-line to goal-line.
• Hugged and kissed Howard's Rock
• Ran down the hill so fast he outran every player by about 30 yards (see photo)

At the end of the day, emotion is down on the list of important factors. Talent, scheme's, playcalling and ingame adjustments ultimately matter more. Emotion is a piece of the puzzle but comes in much lower in the priority list.

CLEMSON AD ROAMS SIDELINES
There was another weird sight today - Clemson AD Terry Don Phillips roaming the sidelines in a Jerry Jones-esqe fashion, even getting in Swinney's ear a couple of times (once as a result of that hook-and-ladder play). Why is your AD getting on the field? I don't mean the sideline. The guy was on the field at least once. Strange, just strange.

INJURIES
Jahi-Word Daniels pulled a hamstring
AJ Smith was banged up
David Brown was banged up.

CONCLUSION
Georgia Tech is 6-1, again with the youngest team in the ACC. I have a hard time seeing how we would have done this well with the prior regime. Paul Johnson's mental toughness just seems to make such a difference. He's made enough good calls and the players have executed enough of them to win. We'll take it. This team just has a don't quit attitude. They never give up, and never seem to think they're out of it. They fight and fight, even when they aren't quite making plays. What a great trait.

Josh Nesbitt is a sophomore
Jon Dwyer is a sophomore
Roddy Jones is a sophomore
BeBe Thomas is a sophomore
Morgan Burnett is a sophomore
Derrick Morgan is a sophomore
Kyle Jackson is a sophomore
Correy Earls is a sophomore
Brad Jefferson is a sophomore
Dominique Reese is a sophomore
Jaybo Shaw is a freshman
Cooper Taylor is a freshman

Are you sensing a trend here. These are guys that have proven something on the field this year, and they're all underclassmen. Wow! This doesn't count the guys who've come in and haven't had their chance yet.

The future is bright.

 

[RJ Esq]

Gutty Young Bruins

from Bruins Nation by Nestor
Earlier in the week Achilles called this game out as a "must win." I thought this was one of the more winnable games left on our schedule, but I hesitated to call it out as a "must win" not because I didn't have confidence in our young players but more out of respect for the solid program Harbaugh is methodically putting together up in Palo Alto.
But guess what ... I think we are starting to see clear signs ... that our head coach is not to far off in slowing putting together foundations of his own solid program.
Rick Neuheisel's "relentessly" positive gutty young Bruins pull out another heart stopping win at the Rose Bowl. Bruins go on a clutch drive to pull out a game in which Craft somehow transformed from Ryan Fien/Rob Walker to Cade McNown thanks to young starts like Rosario:

Photo Credit: Harry How/Getty Images (via Yahoo! Sports)
That's right Nelson Rosario had his official coming out party (4 huge receptions for 71 yards) this afternoon at the Rose Bowl. Here is the box score from our 23-20 homecoming thriller. Along with Nelson other heroes include Austin, Embree, Moya, Love, Price, Harwell, and as mentioned above Kevin Craft.
Despite the incredible win and the exhillaration as Craft pointed out himself, there are lot of issues this young team needs to work on heading into rest of the season. They have an incredibly difficult game coming up next weekend up in Berkeley. We will have lot more on the issues our team has to address on all sides of the ball (including our special teams).
The challenge for these gutty Bruins will be to followup this gutty win with another gutty performance next weekend on the road. Just keep fighting, scratching and clawing away.
Oh ... and I pointed this out in the comment threads ... CRN is now 2-0 in that blue sweater vest. With that I will leave up to rest of you to soak in the resiliency of our Gutty young Bruins.
Thread it up in our post game victory thread.
GO BRUINS.

 

[RJ Esq]

<table><tbody><tr><td colspan="3" class="storytitle">Instant Analysis: Kansas-Oklahoma </td> </tr> <tr> <td class="primaryimage" valign="top">
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</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 18, 2008
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The Oklahoma Sooners’ offense isn’t a source of concern for Bob Stoops or anyone within shouting distance of Owen Field, the home of a high-powered aerial attack. Defense is the object of attention for the Crimson and Cream, and on Saturday against Kansas, that side of the ball came through.
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The Sooners washed away the bitter taste of their tough loss to Texas by conquering Kansas in a matchup pitting Stoops, the established OU icon, against KU’s Mark Mangino, a colleague on Oklahoma’s 2000 national title team. After leading Kansas to an Orange Bowl victory last season, Mangino brought a big-time ballclub to Norman for the first time in his head coaching career, but the Sons of Stoops wouldn’t allow their boss to watch a two-game losing streak unfold. Oklahoma mashed Mangino’s men, and the recipe for the afternoon’s satisfying Sooner success was simple enough: Add just a little bit of defense to a big bowl of Bradford.

Yes, this Sam Bradford kid can pitch the pigskin a little bit. After racking up 468 yards and three touchdowns on 53 passing attempts that did not include a single interception, the Oklahoma quarterback showed that he’s not of a mind to have a letdown of any kind. A cool customer in the pocket, Bradford showed why the Sooners will be hard to take down in the second half of this season. As long as No. 14 is healthy, Oklahoma will field a team packed with plentiful portions of firepower. In this jolting of the Jayhawks, Bradford enabled OU to move the ball at will from start to finish; such a scenario is likely to define future games for the Sooners this season.

The question marks and doubts surrounding Oklahoma exist on the other side of the ball, especially now that linebacker Ryan Reynolds is out for the year with an injury. Given the brilliance of Bradford, the Sooners don’t figure to need overwhelming shutdown showcases from their defense in order to win games, but they merely need timely step-up performances that can preserve a little scoreboard padding. That’s exactly what Stoops and defensive coordinator Brent Venables received in this conquest of Kansas.

Whenever the Jayhawks and their superb quarterback, Todd Reesing, threatened to tie the Sooners in this track meet, Oklahoma’s defense had an answer. In the second quarter, a goal-line interception and a goal-line stand caused two lengthy Jayhawk drives to amount to a grand total of three points, preserving both the OU lead and a sense of confidence on the home team’s sideline. In the second half, a rare defensive stop by Kansas enabled the visitors—down 31-24—to climb back into contention, but the Sooner defense answered the bell. A sack of Reesing blunted a Jayhawk drive, and a little over a minute later, Bradford’s fast-break offense tacked on another touchdown to push the OU lead back to 14 points at 38-24. Kansas would never seriously threaten for the rest of the afternoon, as the Sooners pulled away for the win in this matchup of top 20 teams.

OU’s defense could have sagged in the face of Reesing’s resourcefulness. The Kansas quarterback frequently frustrated OU’s defense with his combination of scrambling, pinpoint throws, and field vision that enabled the Jayhawks to keep pace with the Sooners over the game’s first two and a half quarters. But instead of getting demoralized as they did against Texas the week before, OU defenders—particularly the front seven—redoubled their efforts and actually played harder in the game’s latter stages. By continuing to pursue Reesing, Sooner pass rushers shook the will of the entire KU offense. Sacks on three of KU’s first four second-half possessions shut down the Jayhawks and made sure that the final few minutes of regulation would be spent using the victory formation, and not a desperate no-huddle attack characteristic of a team in catch-up mode.

Oklahoma had no time to let down its guard after the loss to the Longhorns in Dallas. Thrown back into the fire against 16th-rated Kansas, the Sooners had to bring another bold effort to the ballpark in order to prevent their dreams from dying. While Sam Bradford propelled the pigskin to perfection, it was the determination of a dogged defense that ran down Todd Reesing in the second half… and racked up a satisfying triumph.
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[HANDICAPPER]

<TABLE style="WIDTH: 188pt; BORDER-COLLAPSE: collapse" cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=251 border=0><COLGROUP><COL style="WIDTH: 140pt; mso-width-source: userset; mso-width-alt: 6838" width=187><COL style="WIDTH: 48pt" width=64><TBODY><TR style="HEIGHT: 15.75pt" height=21><TD class=xl65 style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; WIDTH: 140pt; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; HEIGHT: 15.75pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" width=187 height=21>101 ohio

</TD><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; WIDTH: 48pt; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" width=64></TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 15.75pt" height=21><TD class=xl65 style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; HEIGHT: 15.75pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" height=21>102 temple</TD><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" align=right>-7</TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 15.75pt" height=21><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; HEIGHT: 15.75pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" height=21></TD><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent"></TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 15.75pt" height=21><TD class=xl65 style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; HEIGHT: 15.75pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" height=21>103 auburn</TD><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent"></TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 15.75pt" height=21><TD class=xl65 style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; HEIGHT: 15.75pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" height=21>104 west virginia</TD><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" align=right>-2.62</TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 15.75pt" height=21><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; HEIGHT: 15.75pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" height=21></TD><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent"></TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 15.75pt" height=21><TD class=xl65 style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; HEIGHT: 15.75pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" height=21>105 new mexico</TD><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent"></TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 15.75pt" height=21><TD class=xl65 style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; HEIGHT: 15.75pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" height=21>106 air force</TD><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" align=right>-8.4</TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 15.75pt" height=21><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; HEIGHT: 15.75pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" height=21></TD><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent"></TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 15.75pt" height=21><TD class=xl65 style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; HEIGHT: 15.75pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" height=21>107 boise state</TD><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent"></TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 15.75pt" height=21><TD class=xl65 style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; HEIGHT: 15.75pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" height=21>108 san jose state</TD><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" align=right>10.65</TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 15.75pt" height=21><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; HEIGHT: 15.75pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" height=21></TD><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent"></TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 15.75pt" height=21><TD class=xl65 style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; HEIGHT: 15.75pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" height=21>109 louisiana tech</TD><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent"></TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 15.75pt" height=21><TD class=xl65 style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; HEIGHT: 15.75pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" height=21>110 army</TD><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" align=right>4.64</TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 15.75pt" height=21><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; HEIGHT: 15.75pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" height=21></TD><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent"></TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 15.75pt" height=21><TD class=xl65 style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; HEIGHT: 15.75pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" height=21>111 north carolina state</TD><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent"></TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 15.75pt" height=21><TD class=xl65 style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; HEIGHT: 15.75pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" height=21>112 maryland</TD><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" align=right>-9.1</TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 15.75pt" height=21><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; HEIGHT: 15.75pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" height=21></TD><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent"></TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 15.75pt" height=21><TD class=xl65 style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; HEIGHT: 15.75pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" height=21>113 wake forest</TD><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent"></TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 15.75pt" height=21><TD class=xl65 style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; HEIGHT: 15.75pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" height=21>114 miami florida</TD><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" align=right>-0.75</TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 15.75pt" height=21><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; HEIGHT: 15.75pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" height=21></TD><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent"></TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 15.75pt" height=21><TD class=xl65 style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; HEIGHT: 15.75pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" height=21>115 northwestern</TD><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent"></TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 15.75pt" height=21><TD class=xl65 style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; HEIGHT: 15.75pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" height=21>116 indiana</TD><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" align=right>13.68</TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 15.75pt" height=21><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; HEIGHT: 15.75pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" height=21></TD><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent"></TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 15.75pt" height=21><TD class=xl65 style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; HEIGHT: 15.75pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" height=21>117 minnesota</TD><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent"></TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 15.75pt" height=21><TD class=xl65 style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; HEIGHT: 15.75pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" height=21>118 purdue</TD><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" align=right>7.13</TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 15.75pt" height=21><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; HEIGHT: 15.75pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" height=21></TD><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent"></TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 15.75pt" height=21><TD class=xl65 style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; HEIGHT: 15.75pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" height=21>119 boston college</TD><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent"></TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 15.75pt" height=21><TD class=xl65 style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; HEIGHT: 15.75pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" height=21>120 north carolina</TD><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" align=right>-1.76</TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 15.75pt" height=21><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; HEIGHT: 15.75pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" height=21></TD><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent"></TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 15.75pt" height=21><TD class=xl65 style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; HEIGHT: 15.75pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" height=21>121 cincinnati u</TD><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent"></TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 15.75pt" height=21><TD class=xl65 style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; HEIGHT: 15.75pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" height=21>122 connecticut</TD><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" align=right>-1.59</TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 15.75pt" height=21><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; HEIGHT: 15.75pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" height=21></TD><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent"></TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 15.75pt" height=21><TD class=xl65 style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; HEIGHT: 15.75pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" height=21>123 illinois</TD><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent"></TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 15.75pt" height=21><TD class=xl65 style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; HEIGHT: 15.75pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" height=21>124 wisconsin</TD><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" align=right>1.31</TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 15.75pt" height=21><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; HEIGHT: 15.75pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" height=21></TD><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent"></TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 15.75pt" height=21><TD class=xl65 style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; HEIGHT: 15.75pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" height=21>125 rutgers</TD><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent"></TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 15.75pt" height=21><TD class=xl65 style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; HEIGHT: 15.75pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" height=21>126 pittsburgh</TD><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" align=right>-16.72</TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 15.75pt" height=21><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; HEIGHT: 15.75pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" height=21></TD><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent"></TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 15.75pt" height=21><TD class=xl65 style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; HEIGHT: 15.75pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" height=21>127 texas am</TD><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent"></TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 15.75pt" height=21><TD class=xl65 style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; HEIGHT: 15.75pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" height=21>128 iowa state</TD><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" align=right>-3.83</TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 15.75pt" height=21><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; HEIGHT: 15.75pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" height=21></TD><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent"></TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 15.75pt" height=21><TD class=xl65 style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; HEIGHT: 15.75pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" height=21>129 kentucky</TD><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent"></TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 15.75pt" height=21><TD class=xl65 style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; HEIGHT: 15.75pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" height=21>130 florida</TD><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" align=right>-13.59</TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 15.75pt" height=21><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; HEIGHT: 15.75pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" height=21></TD><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent"></TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 15.75pt" height=21><TD class=xl65 style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; HEIGHT: 15.75pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" height=21>131 mississippi</TD><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent"></TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 15.75pt" height=21><TD class=xl65 style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; HEIGHT: 15.75pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" height=21>132 arkansas</TD><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" align=right>2.72</TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 15.75pt" height=21><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; HEIGHT: 15.75pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" height=21></TD><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent"></TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 15.75pt" height=21><TD class=xl65 style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; HEIGHT: 15.75pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" height=21>133 eastern michigan</TD><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent"></TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 15.75pt" height=21><TD class=xl65 style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; HEIGHT: 15.75pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" height=21>134 ball state</TD><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" align=right>-31.3</TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 15.75pt" height=21><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; HEIGHT: 15.75pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" height=21></TD><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent"></TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 15.75pt" height=21><TD class=xl65 style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; HEIGHT: 15.75pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" height=21>135 unlv</TD><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent"></TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 15.75pt" height=21><TD class=xl65 style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; HEIGHT: 15.75pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" height=21>136 byu</TD><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" align=right>-16.34</TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 15.75pt" height=21><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; HEIGHT: 15.75pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" height=21></TD><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent"></TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 15.75pt" height=21><TD class=xl65 style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; HEIGHT: 15.75pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" height=21>137 duke</TD><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent"></TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 15.75pt" height=21><TD class=xl65 style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; HEIGHT: 15.75pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" height=21>138 vanderbilt</TD><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" align=right>-4.75</TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 15.75pt" height=21><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; HEIGHT: 15.75pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" height=21></TD><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent"></TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 15.75pt" height=21><TD class=xl65 style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; HEIGHT: 15.75pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" height=21>139 rice</TD><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent"></TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 15.75pt" height=21><TD class=xl65 style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; HEIGHT: 15.75pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" height=21>140 tulane</TD><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" align=right>8.43</TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 15.75pt" height=21><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; HEIGHT: 15.75pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" height=21></TD><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent"></TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 15.75pt" height=21><TD class=xl65 style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; HEIGHT: 15.75pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" height=21>141 fresno state</TD><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent"></TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 15.75pt" height=21><TD class=xl65 style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; HEIGHT: 15.75pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" height=21>142 utah state</TD><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" align=right>10.26</TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 15.75pt" height=21><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; HEIGHT: 15.75pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" height=21></TD><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent"></TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 15.75pt" height=21><TD class=xl65 style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; HEIGHT: 15.75pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" height=21>143 smu</TD><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent"></TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 15.75pt" height=21><TD class=xl65 style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; HEIGHT: 15.75pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" height=21>144 navy</TD><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" align=right>-22.43</TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 15.75pt" height=21><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; HEIGHT: 15.75pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" height=21></TD><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent"></TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 15.75pt" height=21><TD class=xl65 style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; HEIGHT: 15.75pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" height=21>145 alabama</TD><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent"></TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 15.75pt" height=21><TD class=xl65 style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; HEIGHT: 15.75pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" height=21>146 tennessee u</TD><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" align=right>15.17</TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 15.75pt" height=21><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; HEIGHT: 15.75pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" height=21></TD><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent"></TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 15.75pt" height=21><TD class=xl65 style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; HEIGHT: 15.75pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" height=21>147 oregon</TD><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent"></TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 15.75pt" height=21><TD class=xl65 style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; HEIGHT: 15.75pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" height=21>148 arizona state</TD><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" align=right>4.95</TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 15.75pt" height=21><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; HEIGHT: 15.75pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" height=21></TD><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent"></TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 15.75pt" height=21><TD class=xl65 style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; HEIGHT: 15.75pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" height=21>149 ucla</TD><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent"></TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 15.75pt" height=21><TD class=xl65 style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; HEIGHT: 15.75pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" height=21>150 california</TD><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" align=right>-13.65</TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 15.75pt" height=21><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; HEIGHT: 15.75pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" height=21></TD><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent"></TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 15.75pt" height=21><TD class=xl65 style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; HEIGHT: 15.75pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" height=21>151 kent</TD><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent"></TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 15.75pt" height=21><TD class=xl65 style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; HEIGHT: 15.75pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" height=21>152 miami ohio</TD><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" align=right>-8.4</TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 15.75pt" height=21><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; HEIGHT: 15.75pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" height=21></TD><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent"></TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 15.75pt" height=21><TD class=xl65 style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; HEIGHT: 15.75pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" height=21>153 virginia</TD><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent"></TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 15.75pt" height=21><TD class=xl65 style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; HEIGHT: 15.75pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" height=21>154 georgia tech</TD><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" align=right>-8.91</TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 15.75pt" height=21><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; HEIGHT: 15.75pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" height=21></TD><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent"></TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 15.75pt" height=21><TD class=xl65 style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; HEIGHT: 15.75pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" height=21>155 oklahoma state</TD><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent"></TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 15.75pt" height=21><TD class=xl65 style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; HEIGHT: 15.75pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" height=21>156 texas</TD><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" align=right>-10.56</TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 15.75pt" height=21><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; HEIGHT: 15.75pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" height=21></TD><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent"></TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 15.75pt" height=21><TD class=xl65 style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; HEIGHT: 15.75pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" height=21>157 georgia</TD><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent"></TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 15.75pt" height=21><TD class=xl65 style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; HEIGHT: 15.75pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" height=21>158 lsu</TD><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" align=right>2.64</TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 15.75pt" height=21><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; HEIGHT: 15.75pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" height=21></TD><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent"></TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 15.75pt" height=21><TD class=xl65 style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; HEIGHT: 15.75pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" height=21>159 oklahoma</TD><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent"></TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 15.75pt" height=21><TD class=xl65 style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; HEIGHT: 15.75pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" height=21>160 kansas state</TD><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" align=right>18.63</TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 15.75pt" height=21><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; HEIGHT: 15.75pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" height=21></TD><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent"></TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 15.75pt" height=21><TD class=xl65 style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; HEIGHT: 15.75pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" height=21>161 michigan state</TD><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent"></TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 15.75pt" height=21><TD class=xl65 style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; HEIGHT: 15.75pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" height=21>162 michigan</TD><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" align=right>12.99</TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 15.75pt" height=21><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; HEIGHT: 15.75pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" height=21></TD><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent"></TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 15.75pt" height=21><TD class=xl65 style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; HEIGHT: 15.75pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" height=21>163 virginia tech</TD><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent"></TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 15.75pt" height=21><TD class=xl65 style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; HEIGHT: 15.75pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" height=21>164 florida state</TD><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" align=right>-0.85</TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 15.75pt" height=21><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; HEIGHT: 15.75pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" height=21></TD><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent"></TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 15.75pt" height=21><TD class=xl65 style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; HEIGHT: 15.75pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" height=21>165 bowling green</TD><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent"></TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 15.75pt" height=21><TD class=xl65 style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; HEIGHT: 15.75pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" height=21>166 northern illinois</TD><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" align=right>-6.86</TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 15.75pt" height=21><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; HEIGHT: 15.75pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" height=21></TD><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent"></TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 15.75pt" height=21><TD class=xl65 style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; HEIGHT: 15.75pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" height=21>167 new mexico state</TD><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent"></TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 15.75pt" height=21><TD class=xl65 style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; HEIGHT: 15.75pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" height=21>168 idaho</TD><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" align=right>16.55</TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 15.75pt" height=21><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; HEIGHT: 15.75pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" height=21></TD><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent"></TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 15.75pt" height=21><TD class=xl65 style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; HEIGHT: 15.75pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" height=21>169 wyoming</TD><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent"></TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 15.75pt" height=21><TD class=xl65 style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; HEIGHT: 15.75pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" height=21>170 tcu</TD><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" align=right>-34.94</TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 15.75pt" height=21><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; HEIGHT: 15.75pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" height=21></TD><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent"></TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 15.75pt" height=21><TD class=xl65 style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; HEIGHT: 15.75pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" height=21>171 central michigan</TD><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent"></TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 15.75pt" height=21><TD class=xl65 style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; HEIGHT: 15.75pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" height=21>172 toledo</TD><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" align=right>7.29</TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 15.75pt" height=21><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; HEIGHT: 15.75pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" height=21></TD><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent"></TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 15.75pt" height=21><TD class=xl65 style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; HEIGHT: 15.75pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" height=21>173 south florida</TD><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent"></TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 15.75pt" height=21><TD class=xl65 style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; HEIGHT: 15.75pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" height=21>174 louisville</TD><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" align=right>10.04</TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 15.75pt" height=21><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; HEIGHT: 15.75pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" height=21></TD><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent"></TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 15.75pt" height=21><TD class=xl65 style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; HEIGHT: 15.75pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" height=21>175 baylor</TD><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent"></TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 15.75pt" height=21><TD class=xl65 style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; HEIGHT: 15.75pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" height=21>176 nebraska</TD><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" align=right>-13.49</TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 15.75pt" height=21><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; HEIGHT: 15.75pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" height=21></TD><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent"></TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 15.75pt" height=21><TD class=xl65 style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; HEIGHT: 15.75pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" height=21>177 texas tech</TD><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent"></TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 15.75pt" height=21><TD class=xl65 style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; HEIGHT: 15.75pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" height=21>178 kansas</TD><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" align=right>1.15</TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 15.75pt" height=21><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; HEIGHT: 15.75pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" height=21></TD><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent"></TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 15.75pt" height=21><TD class=xl65 style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; HEIGHT: 15.75pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" height=21>179 colorado</TD><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent"></TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 15.75pt" height=21><TD class=xl65 style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; HEIGHT: 15.75pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" height=21>180 missouri</TD><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" align=right>-14.85</TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 15.75pt" height=21><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; HEIGHT: 15.75pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" height=21></TD><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent"></TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 15.75pt" height=21><TD class=xl65 style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; HEIGHT: 15.75pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" height=21>181 penn state</TD><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent"></TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 15.75pt" height=21><TD class=xl65 style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; HEIGHT: 15.75pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" height=21>182 ohio state</TD><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" align=right>1.34</TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 15.75pt" height=21><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; HEIGHT: 15.75pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" height=21></TD><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent"></TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 15.75pt" height=21><TD class=xl65 style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; HEIGHT: 15.75pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" height=21>183 so mississippi</TD><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent"></TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 15.75pt" height=21><TD class=xl65 style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; HEIGHT: 15.75pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" height=21>184 memphis</TD><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" align=right>-0.89</TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 15.75pt" height=21><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; HEIGHT: 15.75pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" height=21></TD><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent"></TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 15.75pt" height=21><TD class=xl65 style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; HEIGHT: 15.75pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" height=21>185 notre dame</TD><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent"></TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 15.75pt" height=21><TD class=xl65 style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; HEIGHT: 15.75pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" height=21>186 washington u</TD><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" align=right>12.01</TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 15.75pt" height=21><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; HEIGHT: 15.75pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" height=21></TD><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent"></TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 15.75pt" height=21><TD class=xl65 style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; HEIGHT: 15.75pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" height=21>187 colorado state</TD><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent"></TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 15.75pt" height=21><TD class=xl65 style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; HEIGHT: 15.75pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" height=21>188 san diego state</TD><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" align=right>7.78</TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 15.75pt" height=21><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; HEIGHT: 15.75pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" height=21></TD><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent"></TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 15.75pt" height=21><TD class=xl65 style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; HEIGHT: 15.75pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" height=21>189 usc</TD><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent"></TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 15.75pt" height=21><TD class=xl65 style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; HEIGHT: 15.75pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" height=21>190 arizona u</TD><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" align=right>10.99</TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 15.75pt" height=21><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; HEIGHT: 15.75pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" height=21></TD><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent"></TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 15.75pt" height=21><TD class=xl65 style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; HEIGHT: 15.75pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" height=21>191 nevada</TD><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent"></TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 15.75pt" height=21><TD class=xl65 style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; HEIGHT: 15.75pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" height=21>192 hawaii</TD><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" align=right>-3.85</TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 15.75pt" height=21><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; HEIGHT: 15.75pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" height=21></TD><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent"></TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 15.75pt" height=21><TD class=xl65 style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; HEIGHT: 15.75pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" height=21>193 middle tenn st</TD><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent"></TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 15.75pt" height=21><TD class=xl65 style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; HEIGHT: 15.75pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" height=21>194 mississippi state</TD><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" align=right>-3.96</TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 15.75pt" height=21><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; HEIGHT: 15.75pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" height=21></TD><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent"></TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 15.75pt" height=21><TD class=xl65 style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; HEIGHT: 15.75pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" height=21>195 florida atlantic</TD><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent"></TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 15.75pt" height=21><TD class=xl65 style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; HEIGHT: 15.75pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" height=21>196 ul - monroe</TD><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" align=right>9.77</TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 15.75pt" height=21><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; HEIGHT: 15.75pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" height=21></TD><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent"></TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 15.75pt" height=21><TD class=xl65 style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; HEIGHT: 15.75pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" height=21>197 troy</TD><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent"></TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 15.75pt" height=21><TD class=xl65 style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; HEIGHT: 15.75pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" height=21>198 north texas

</TD><TD id=td_post_1099285 style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" align=right>30.09</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

 

[RJ Esq]

<table><tbody><tr><td colspan="3" class="storytitle">Instant Analysis: Ohio State-Michigan 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 18, 2008
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</td> </tr> </tbody></table>

In light of the frequency and ferocity with which they’ve been criticized this season, a reasonable person would have assumed that the Ohio State Buckeyes would have the 3-4 record of Clemson, or the 4-3 mark belonging to Auburn. Saturday afternoon, the Bucks unleashed a lot of pent-up frustration, and the Michigan State Spartans just happened to be the unlucky recipient of OSU’s onslaught.
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The Buckeyes played with poise, purpose, and even a little joy as they smothered Sparty in a matchup of two teams with perfect conference records. But underneath the feel-good fun lay an unmistakable amount of anger that was not only justified, but effective, in that it didn’t detract from Ohio State’s level of play. Anything but, as a matter of fact.

Instead of seeing their execution suffer, the Bucks played the role of executioner, as they quickly killed any hopes of a Big Ten title for Michigan State. Tressel ensured that his former colleague, Mark Dantonio, wouldn’t steal his thunder, but while that coaching drama lent a little intrigue to the afternoon’s proceedings, the far more relevant result of this game is that it should silence the nattering nabobs of negativism who have hounded the Ohio State program all season long.

This brutally efficient display by the Bucks—who turned out the lights and rolled to a 21-0 lead in the game’s first 13 minutes—enabled Ohio State to enter next week’s prizefight against Penn State with an unblemished Big Ten mark. You never would have known as much, however, from the way the two-time defending national runner-up has been treated… in the press, on the internet, and even—to a certain extent—within its own community.

Memories have been short, both across the nation and in the Buckeyes’ home base of Columbus. The 2002 national championship team, in case anyone needed a reminder, never used style points. Wins such as the previous week’s plodding 16-3 victory over Purdue aren’t artistic, but they’ve been a staple of the Tressel era. While looking poor from an aesthetic standpoint, they sure beat upset losses, the surprising kinds of setbacks that have been few and far between in this decade of dominance for the Scarlet and Gray. Ohio State did get manhandled by a pretty good USC team—lots of other clubs would have suffered the same fate against Pete Carroll’s crew—but other than that bad night in Los Angeles, a team which has endured a number of injuries (Beanie Wells) and positional changes (especially at quarterback) has managed to avoid an upset loss, inside and outside the Big Ten. While the Clemsons and Auburns of the world embody the meaning of the word “disappointment,” the Buckeyes—while lacking those style points—have gotten the job done on a consistent basis.

Because expectations are ridiculously high, however—and because the BCS era culturally and psychologically punishes teams who lose multiple times in the national championship game—this year’s Ohio State outfit has had to absorb a massive amount of superabundant criticism. The ugliness of modern-day college football—a cultural world rapidly approaching the cutthroat world of the NFL in terms of its demands on players and coaches—has produced an environment, in the media and among the Buckeye fan base, that has caused some negativity to seep into the OSU camp. The past week in Columbus involved reports of Buckeye players voicing their frustrations about the struggles of the offense, in the kind of venting that a 6-1 team shouldn’t have to exhibit. The irritation and unsettledness inside Buckeye Nation over the first seven games of the 2008 season painted the perfect portrait of an out-of-control college football subculture, a classic reason why the sport’s emphasis on winning is acquiring unhealthy proportions.

Mindful of these tensions and troubles, the Buckeyes—who have sustained Big Ten supremacy and national excellence on a continuous basis, despite receiving every opponent’s best shot each week of every season—played with the faith and fire of a program that knows how good it really is. Intent on showing America a thing or two about their bona fides, the Bucks slaughtered the Spartans so completely that at the end of the first quarter, the eventual outcome could not be obscured by even the smallest speck of doubt. The Spartans, behind backup quarterback Kirk Cousins, offered a brief flurry late in the third quarter, but as soon as a sack-scoop-score spectacular from OSU’s defense resulted in a touchdown and a 35-7 OSU lead, the game—with 14:41 remaining in the fourth quarter—saw its competitive phase come to an end. In just over three quarters, Ohio State—with hellaciously hard hitting and dominant play from its maligned offensive front—flashed a furious finishing kick that had been missing in previous games. Just the same, though, the Buckeyes—no more or less than other occasions in 2008—notched the win and moved on to their next contest.

Ohio State has sat atop the college football world—alongside USC—over the past six and a half seasons. Perhaps this authoritative annihilation of the No. 20 team in America will remind their overly shrill and obsessive critics that the Buckeyes can still play a little football now and then. This win, after all, ensures that next week’s Penn State game will be the featured contest of the football weekend.

It will be just like “old times” on Oct. 25: A huge game will be played at Ohio Stadium, with the Buckeyes one win away from controlling the Big Ten. Then again, Ohio State’s most ruthless detractors need to remember that the “old times” have never really left the program that just continues to excel under the leadership of Mister Sweater Vest himself.</td></tr></tbody></table>

 

[RJ Esq]

Georgia Should Rethink Its Offense

from The FanHouse - NCAAfootball
Filed under: Georgia, Vanderbilt, SEC

I write this as a USC fan who thinks they should also rethink their offense. Georgia rolled up 425 yards of offense today, including 230 on the ground at nearly six yards a rush. Yet, until under a minute left they led Vanderbilt just 21-14 before a late field goal ended the game at 24-14.

In four conference games Georgia has yet to go above 30 points with one of the most talented offenses in the country. They're winning games (well, except for that Alabama debacle), but seemingly cutting things way too close. There's no reason to go down to the wire with South Carolina (a 14-point outing) and Vanderbilt like they have.

Mark Richt was hired in part because of his offensive prowess, but he's since ceded play-calling duties and maybe should reconsider his offensive philosophy altogether. No. 1 teams don't grow on trees for Georgia, and unless a few miracles happen, this season is already a golden opportunity squandered. With biggies against LSU and Florida remaining, Georgia's defense could use a bit more offensive help. I'm not sure they'll get it.

 

[RJ Esq]

ECU's Pinkney Goes From Early Heisman Hopeful to Pirates' Bench

from The FanHouse - NCAAfootball
Filed under: East Carolina

It didn't take long for East Carolina quarterback Patrick Pinkney to go from early Heisman hopeful to sideline cheerleader.

The Pirates' senior quarterback was the talk of college football after completing better than 78 percent of his passes in leading East Carolina to wins over No. 17 Virginia Tech and No. 8 West Virginia to open the season. But, after three straight losses in which Pinkney completed just 52 percent of his passes, the Pirates' gunslinger has traded in his purple helmet for a clipboard and ball cap.

Pinkney got the start versus Memphis on Saturday, but after two ineffective series was lifted in favor of junior Rob Kass with ECU trailing 7-0.

Although East Carolina coach Skip Holtz said before Saturday's game that the Pirates will likely platoon the two quarterbacks, Pinkney did not see the field again after Kass got the hot hand.

Kass was at the helm of all five Pirates scoring drives and threw for 159 yards and two touchdowns in the second half , as ECU scored 23 unanswered point after intermission to rout Memphis, 30-10.

Afterwards, Holtz said that Pinkney and Kass will continue to split playing time as the season progresses.

"Right now, we'll go back and break down the film and evaluate it," Holtz said. "I suspect we'll give them both looks, then after three or four series, we'll go with whoever has the hot hand."

 

[JumpOnBoard]

Quick effort without the frosting:

101 ohio
102 temple -5.5

103 auburn
104 west virginia -3

105 new mexico
106 air force -5

107 boise state -11.5
108 san jose state

109 louisiana tech
110 army

111 north carolina state
112 maryland -12.5

113 wake forest
114 miami florida -3.5

115 northwestern -6.5
116 indiana

117 minnesota -4
118 purdue

119 boston college
120 north carolina -3.5

121 cincinnati u
122 connecticut -3.5

123 illinois -3.5
124 wisconsin

125 rutgers
126 pittsburgh -11.5

127 texas am
128 iowa state -6

129 kentucky
130 florida -18.5

131 mississippi -4
132 arkansas

133 eastern michigan
134 ball state -21.5

135 unlv
136 byu -18

137 duke
138 vanderbilt -12

139 rice
140 tulane

141 fresno state -16
142 utah state

143 smu
144 navy -18.5

145 alabama -10.5
146 tennessee u

147 oregon -4
148 arizona state

149 ucla
150 california -11

151 kent
152 miami ohio -6

153 virginia
154 georgia tech -12.5

155 oklahoma state
156 texas -8.5

157 georgia -1
158 lsu

159 oklahoma -13.5
160 kansas state

161 michigan state -4.5
162 michigan

163 virginia tech
164 florida state -4

165 bowling green
166 northern illinois PK

167 new mexico state
168 idaho

169 wyoming
170 tcu -23.5

171 central michigan -8.5
172 toledo

173 south florida -6.5
174 louisville

175 baylor
176 nebraska -9.5

177 texas tech
178 kansas -1

179 colorado
180 missouri -14.5

181 penn state -1.5
182 ohio state

183 so mississippi
184 memphis -5.5

185 notre dame -12.5
186 washington u

187 colorado state -5.5
188 san diego state

189 usc -12.5
190 arizona u

191 nevada
192 hawaii -5

193 middle tenn st
194 mississippi state -12.5

195 florida atlantic
196 ul - monroe

197 troy
198 north texas
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[RJ Esq]

<table><tbody><tr><td colspan="3" class="storytitle">Instant Analysis: Wake Forest-Maryland </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 18, 2008
</td> <td nowrap="nowrap">
</td> </tr> </tbody></table>

The Maryland Terrapins have spent all of 2008 trying to figure out their identity. Coach Ralph Friedgen can only hope that Saturday’s smackdown of Wake Forest will be an indicator for the second half of his team’s season.
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Few college football clubs have been more up-and-down unpredictable than Maryland, who has miffed and mesmerized with performances both baffling and brilliant this Autumn. The Terps barely defeated Delaware, lost to lowly Middle Tennessee, and were vanquished by Virginia. On the other hand, the kids from College Park conquered Clemson and crushed Cal. Up against Wake Forest—the leader in the ACC Atlantic Division and one of the more consistent teams in the conference—no one knew which Maryland team would show up. Thankfully for Friedgen, the angel on the right shoulder prevailed over the devil on the left, as the Demon Deacons were terrorized by the tough and tenacious Turtles.

In a weird but real way, Maryland is temporarily grateful that the Terps can be viewed as a less predictable team than Jim Grobe’s Wake Forest squad. After this 26-0 spanking at Byrd Stadium, the wounded Deacons—and not their Jekyll-and-Hyde opponent—represent the ACC outfit that can be pegged with far more certitude.

While Maryland will try to put two solid games together next week, Wake Forest has been quite the consistent club in its past four games. The problem for Grobe, one of the better coaches in all of college football, is that Wake’s consistency has acquired dubious dimensions. Saturday’s shutout loss means that the Deacs—in their last 16 quarters of football—have scored three total touchdowns (two of consequence; a late touchdown in a loss to Navy could have been considered a garbage touchdown), while committing eight turnovers and missing seven field goals. Wake Forest’s offense has become thoroughly impotent, as good drive starts and quality field position—provided by a defense that has done its job throughout this 2008 campaign—have not translated into points. This major meltdown against Maryland represented a perfect case in point.

The first half of this contest—which would prove to be decisive—featured four failures for the Forest in Maryland territory. Twice, Wake’s defense held up its end of the bargain by recovering a Terp fumble inside the Maryland 31. On both of those occasions, however, Wake’s offense went three-and-out, only to then miss a field goal on fourth down. On two other offensive series, Wake punted inside the Maryland 45 on fourth and short (4th and 2 in one instance, 4th and 1 in the other). After a first-drive touchdown, Maryland didn’t find the end zone again until late in the fourth quarter, but by that time, the outcome had already been decided despite the ability of Wake’s defense to frustrate the Terps in red-zone situations. A parade of field goals—while representing missed Maryland opportunities in the short run—increased the total for the Turtles in the long run. With Wake’s impotent attack, three-point clusters only helped the home team in a relatively easy victory.

The ACC Atlantic is going to involve a crowded field in the second half of this season, since Wake Forest has shown that it’s not ready to break away from the pack. Maryland is one of those teams who could snatch the division from the Demon Deacons, but before Ralph Friedgen’s boys get ahead of themselves, they’d just like to develop a positive form of consistency on the road to a winning season. At 5-2, that winning season is now that much more of a possibility.
</td></tr></tbody></table>

 

[RJ Esq]

Dabo Swinney, We Hardly Knew Ye

from The Sporting Blog

This isn't to say interim Clemson coach Dabo Swinney, who took over the Tigers after Tommy Bowden "resigned" this week, has no chance of keeping the job permanently once the season ends. This is to say Swinney has almost no chance of keeping the gig. In a loss to Georgia Tech, Clemson played as bad as they had under Bowden, lacking any sense of cohesion or collective focus.

The Tigers gave up six turnovers, including four turnovers spread between three passers. But Swinney lost his tenuous hold on the job in final minutes, when Clemson A.D. Terry Don Phillips joined the team on the sideline. With 2-1/2 minutes left, down four and facing fourth and 22, Swinney called the ol' hook and ladder. FAIL.

After the shocking fumble, Phillips could be seen talking smack at a flustered Swinney, who looked more embarrassed than anything. Swinney paced, Lane Kiffin looked up South Carolina real estate, and Ga. Tech ran down the clock. Forced to punt with about 10 seconds left, the Jackets watched Swinney send all 11 Tigers in an attempt to block the kick. No one in orange got close, and precious seconds ticked down as Tech watched the ball settle to the turf with nary a Tiger around.

The Hail Mary got picked off. Swinney made various motions to get his team to huddle up and leave the field together. One player responded. Everyone else in orange wandered aimlessly. Something tells me the Clemson players aren't buying Swinney's continued leadership either.

 

[RJ Esq]

Purdue Ending the Joe Tiller Era in Irrelevance

from The FanHouse - NCAAfootball
Filed under: Northwestern, Purdue, Big 10

To be fair to the Boilermakers, they have had a difficult schedule. Their five losses have all come against teams that are already locks for going to a bowl. Still, that doesn't explain how, with the exception of the Oregon game, they have been so outplayed. In three Big Ten games, they have now scored a grand total of 35 points while allowing 84.

This 48-26 humiliation at the hands of Northwestern is just the latest and the worst. More than anything else, Purdue has been unable to finish drives. They can move the ball, but once they cross mid-field it becomes a complete slog towards the endzone. More often than not, with little to show for it. The offense wasn't even that good as the 26 points indicate, as Purdue was down 34-12 going into the 4th quarter.

Purdue's remaining schedule hardly has anything looking like the necessary 4 wins to get to bowl eligibility. They have games at Michigan State and Iowa. Minnesota is next week, and they look too good for the Boilermakers.

You hate to see the Wilford Brimley lookalike go out on such a bad note. For all that he has accomplished at Purdue, his last few years have been marked by brutal disappointment and completely underachieving.

 

[RJ Esq]

UConn's Luck in Close Games Goes in Reverse

from The FanHouse - NCAAfootball
Filed under: Connecticut, Rutgers, Big East

UConn is an offensively challenged team. They don't have particularly good receivers. Their starting quarterback is injured. They have Donald Brown, one of the leading rushers in the country, but little else. Naturally, they aren't going to score a lot of points and will play in a lot of close games.

Over this season and last, the Huskies have gone 6-1 in games decided by seven points or less. They have had questionable calls go their way. Inexplicable screw-ups by the refs. Huge mistakes by the other team. Always, it seemed the ball just bounced their way.

Well, not today. Facing a desperate Rutgers team, UConn struggled to finish drives. They missed opportunities and in the second half, had to deal with a Rutgers defense that was completely stacking to stop Donald Brown. Brown had over 90 yards in the first half, but only finished with 111. Brown was even stopped in the endzone for a safety. They even missed two field goals in the first half

Even as poorly as the Huskies played on offense, they still had a chance with just over a minute left. They just needed to make a field goal from inside 30 yards. And again, the kicker, Tony Ciaravino kicked it off the upright and Rutgers held on for a 12-10 win.

UConn outgained the Scarlet Knights on the ground and passing. The Huskies, though, could not make the most of their opportunities. Now the Huskies fall back in the very muddled Big East pack.

 

[RJ Esq]

Cullen Harper's Benching Lasted Four Series

from The FanHouse - NCAAfootball
Filed under: Clemson, Georgia Tech, ACC

Clemson's former starting quarterback Cullen Harper, benched -- possibly via text message -- preceding the departure of his head coach, remained benched when Dabo Swinney took over as head coach. Today's starter -- redshirt freshman quarterback Willy Korn -- has lasted all of four offensive possessions before giving way back to Harper. Who knew the Tigers had such a quick hook?

There is speculation that Korn was injured on his last possession, but we think the interception and pair of turnovers spelled doom regardless.

"Punt, punt, interception, interception" is no way to go through life, particularly at home before 85,000 frustrated South Carolinians against an option-mad, ball-controlling Georgia Tech team. Harper hasn't been much better, although he probably should be given that he was the preseason ACC Offensive Player of the Year.

And just as I write this, Harper tosses an interception to end the first half. Malaise, thy name is Clemson.

 

[RJ Esq]

Kirk Ferentz Suspends Son for Complete and Utter Stupidity

from The FanHouse - NCAAfootball
Filed under: Iowa, Big 10, NCAA FB Police Blotter

Technically, Iowa Coach Kirk Ferentz suspended his son James Ferentz from all team activities because the 19-year-old received a citation for underage possession of alcohol at about 1:30 am on Thursday night/Friday morning.

"I was extremely disappointed to learn of James' very poor decision making on several levels," Coach Ferentz said in a University of Iowa news release. "This offense will be treated seriously and his punishment will include immediate and total suspension from all team activities."
...
Adding that the punishment is "a severe penalty," Coach Ferentz said it was fitting "given our current circumstances."
​

Those "circumstances" are the perceptions that Iowa football is a complete mess with lots of kids getting in trouble, that James Ferentz was the 20th Hawkeye to be cited for some criminal offense since April 2007, and that Coach Ferentz is sitting firmly on the coaching hotseat for the performance of the team on- and off-the-field.

Factor in that this was the coach's son who has to know the situation with his father, and the suspension and the counseling and community service over the next six weeks is the least of James' punishment. Who really wants to go home every night from classes, knowing your dad and your teammates are out at practices. Having to see your dad in the morning as he leaves for work or when he gets home late from practices.

Yeesh. It is going to be a bit tenser around the Ferentz house for a while.

 

[RJ Esq]

Chill Out Ever'body! USC Didn't Run Up Score in 69-0 Win Over Wazzu

from The FanHouse - NCAAfootball
Filed under: USC, Washington State, Pac 10

Saturday was a painful, agonizing experience for hapless Washington State. The Wazzu Cougars lost 69-0 to mighty USC, prompting analysts on other networks to make unflattering comments about Southern Cal head coach Pete Carroll. The insinuation from Tim Brando and Verne Lundquist, in particular, was that Pete Carroll felt the need to run up the score to earn a few style points for his team's BCS hopes.

It was a total mismatch of teams. Washington State put up a meager 116 yards of offense to USC's 625. It could have been much worse. Had Pete Carroll been in a record-setting mood, I suspect the Trojans could have put up yardage in the four-digit range. Scary thought, huh?

But a very cursory examination reveals that despite the shutout, USC had no intention of embarassing Wazzu any more than they were already embarassing themselves.

But here are a few facts to consider before throwing Carroll under the bus. From the L.A. Times' Adam Rose:

1. Joe McKnight didn't suit up. Sure, he had turf toe, but he said earlier this week that he would have played if this game wasn't against Wazzu. He later took it back, but we all know better.
2. With the ball in the redzone, USC ran out the clock to end the half. The first half.
3. Starting quarterback Mark Sanchez stopped throwing the ball with 32 minutes left in the game (translation: first half). He was left in for the first series of the second half, evidently to practice his handoffs and didn't even throw on 3rd-and-19. His day ended three minutes after the second half kickoff.
4. Mitch Mustain, USC's #2 quarterback, was only allowed to throw the ball once. It was the only passing attempt of the second half.
5. After Mustain, Pete Carroll put in Aaron Corp and later Garrett Green -- apparently with firm instructions that they would have to find their own ride home if they attempted a forward pass.
6. No single running back was featured. Instead, three different tailbacks each had over 100 yards rushing. Four more players carried the ball once.
7. Broderick Green took almost all the reps in the second half. When Allen Bradford was healthy, he was the fifth string tailback. Fifth.
8. On the 4th quarter play where USC "went for it" on 4th down, the alternative was to kick a field goal (thereby "trying to run up the score"). So they ran on 4th and 5. Another alternative might have been to insult Wazzu by taking a knee or kicking a 5-yard punt. Carroll did not look happy about the touchdown.
9. Every single player who made the trip got on the field. Walkons played. It was like Rudy, but only halfway through the season. Gerald Washington got a tackle. Remember that the NCAA limits the number of athletes you can bring on the road, otherwise they might have suited up a tuba player.
10. Most of the play calling in the second half? Zone blocking and running.

Of final note is the play which undoubtedly got the attention of Lundquist and Brando. Facing 4th-and-5 in the fourth quarter, Carroll was faced with a difficult decision. Should he kick the field goal, and thereby "run up the score"? Should he kneel on the ball and possibly insult his opponent that way as well? Or should he just half-heartedly run the ball and hope the other team could stop him on downs? Caroll chose door #3 and was 'rewarded' with a conversion followed by a touchdown. Carroll's expression on the sideline said it all. He wasn't thrilled to score another touchdown.

What we have here is your old-fashioned butt-kicking. And despite every possible effort to keep the game from getting out of hand, at some point the Cougs needed to step up and stop the Trojans's third-string and walkons from scoring. That is their obligation as a FBS team, a group of boys and men who made the conscious decision to play big boy football. They couldn't do it, and voila, 69-0. Pete Carroll should have no difficulty sleeping after this one.

 

[RJ Esq]

Sunday Hangover: Toasting Texas

from The FanHouse - NCAAfootball
Filed under: Texas

Miss any of Saturday's action? Get the storylines and implications every Sunday morning with a shot of humor, two of vermouth and a pot full of what's suspected to be either coffee or the pureed remnants of Missouri's season.

Between Texas' billboard of a win over Oklahoma and their Saturday night mauling of Missouri, Mack Brown found time for a small ceremony.

He buried Oklahoma.

Not the team, although Saturday's loss did everything but toss dirt and pick out a headstone for the Sooners' BCS hopes, but the Longhorns' Red River win over OU. Brown packed a game ball and press clippings beneath the practice field just to ensure the win remained properly entombed in history and not at the forefront of his player's minds.

As it turned out, it was a hangover cure John Daly would've been proud of.

And as it turned out Saturday night, that small ceremony was just practice. The real burial came when the Longhorns scored on five consecutive possessions out of the gate and put the Tigers six-feet under before you could find the beer man.

The cannon thundered every time the Longhorns put the scoreboard operator to work and, by the end, there was enough gun fire to make you think the Russians had snuck past Sarah Palin's house and rumbled into Austin or that you somewhere in Tank Johnson's home. Texas 56, Missouri 31.

Take notes, Bob Stoops. Watch the tape, Pete Carroll. Pay attention, aspiring members of the Cincinnati Bengals-slash-Hamilton-County-legal system. This is how a beating is properly administered.

But the most frightening thing about top-ranked Texas seven games into the season isn't the Missouri manhandling, or Brian Orakpo storming upfield like he's taking an enemy hill -- though the 6-foot-4, 260-pound city block on wheels has probably made more than one quarterback decide to buckle down on their communications major. It's not a Longhorn defense that's more dangerous than a night out with Pacman Jones. It's not even Colt McCoy's Rolex accuracy.

The most frightening part of Texas is something no other national contender can claim.They're getting better.

And not just a little better. Since the Longhorns rolled into Boulder, Colo., they've grown from a team with talent and lots to prove to a tough blue-collar unit you don't want to meet in a back alley or on the football field.

While Texas is climbing, the rest of college football's elite are in the midst of a nose-dive Tommy Bowden would be proud of.

The last time No. 2 Alabama played an impressive game, you could still buy a tank of gas and half a sandwich with the money in your 401(k). Since the Tide's win over Georgia Sept. 27, they've squeaked by Kentucky and barely missed out on a whole heaping of Ole Misery against the Rebels. And to leap from bad to worse, star defensive tackle Terrence Cody is injured. No. 3 Penn State needed a second-half comeback against a struggling Michigan team that last week lost to MAC also-ran Toledo, an embarrassing loss even for a conference that is to embarrassing losses what Britney Spears' underwear shots - as in frequent and high profile. Oklahoma's offense is still a July 4 fireworks show, but the Sooners' defense has melted down since losing star middle linebacker Ryan Reynolds. OU let Texas march all over the field after Reynolds' injury last week and gave up 491 yards against Kansas this week.

And USC might've hammered Washington State 69-0, but, last time we checked, the Cougars were already losign to the bye week, 35-0

But Texas, like a fine wine or Gene Keady's comb-over, is only getting better with time.

"This team has a chance to be special if they continue to work and continue to get better," Brown said after the win. "The thing we are seeing in college football each week is that if you don't bring you're a game, you're going to get beat."

That the Longhorns are getting better is as clear as the nose on Bevo's face.

In the first four games, quarterback Colt McCoy led the team in rushing three times, almost by default as Foswhitt Whittaker went down with injury and Vondrell McGee and Cody Johnson both proved ineffective as featured backs. In the last three games, Chris Ogbonnaya has taken the ground game by the 'Horns. The slimmed-down senior rushed for 263 yards on 37 carries, a 7.1 yard-per-carry average, against Colorado, Texas and Missouri. And Whittaker, the only player other than McCoy to lead the Longhorns in rushing in the first four games, is on the road back after carrying the ball twice for 20 yards late in the fourth quarter.

The Longhorn passing game is diversifying. Last week, Jordan Shipley and Quan Cosby caught 20 of 28 passes as Texas dumped Oklahoma. This week, the duo still caught 15, but another 15 went elsewhere. Freshman Malcolm Williams made the catch of the game when he pulled down a pass from between a pair of Missouri defensive backs for his first collegiate touchdown to give Texas a 21-0 lead. Brandon Collins, who, like Ogbonnaya caught six passes Saturday, has emerged as a viable third threat. After catching no more than two passes in any game this season, Collins brought down three last week then doubled that total this week.

If the dangers of a two-read passing game weren't clear to Texas beforehand, all the Longhorns had to do was look across the field. Missouri's Chase Daniels' reads went about as deep as Lindsay Lohan's political musings, checking Jeremy Maclin then Chase Coffman, then lathering, rinsing and repeating until a Texas lineman escorted him out of bounds or somewhere a few inches deep into the Austin ground.

But McCoy's receiving corp is growing faster than Iowa's arrest tally.

"They are getting better every day, and that's a compliment to [wide receivers coach] Bobby Kennedy," Brown said. "They just seem to be so much better than they were at the first of the year because they are so much more comfortable."

Defensively, the Longhorns are fourth in the nation in sacks despite registering just one sack in the first two games, a huge turnaround from last year's squad that finished 54th in the nation. A series of injuries and the team's focus on stopping the run kept the Longhorns on their side of the ball in 2007. But Saturday, they brought down Missouri's Daniel twice and generally had him running like Shawn Kemp form a paternity test, or possibly to a jelly donut, the rest of the game.

"Chase does a great job of getting rid of the ball when needed," Orakpo said. "We did a great job with just rushing three or four guys. We played relentlessly. .... I thought we did a great job of trying to disrupt him and to get him out of his rhythm."

Orakpo was right. Daniel managed to get the ball away, but he barely had time to recite his social security number before someone tossed him to the ground.

But the Longhorns haven't sacrificed their brick wall defense against the run. Their rush stoppers have steadily improved from 35th in the nation to second. Defensive coordinator Will Muschamp might seemed like the type of guy to put you in the hospital on the field, and then help your grandmother across the street to see you after the game, but the man runs one heck of a fine defense. Watching Muschamp's defense stunt linebackers in the gaps then pull out is like watching a safe cracker work his way through a lock, waiting for each tumbler to fall into place before the Longhorns slam through a wide-open gap. The Longhorns have been able to generate pressure with three and four-man rushes and have all but eliminate rushing yardage on first or second down.

But this is college football and there's always reason to be concerned, not the least of which is the fact that somehow, under the cover of darkness, the Big 12 switched places with the Arena Football League. For all Texas' mind and calculator-boggling offensive statistics, the Longhorns are compiling those numbers against teams riding the defensive short bus. The league's highest-rated defense is Oklahoma at 34, who just came within a lag putt of giving up 500 yards to Kansas. Missouri is 100th, nine spots behind 1-6 Kent State. Half the conference is ranked 66th and below.

And all the yardage the secondary is yielding, 275 yards per game, stands out like a stick figure in a Renoir. Only Ohio State in 2002 has won a national title since 2000 with a similar secondary, though even the Buckeyes surrendered just 243 yards per game. But if the Longhorns outscored the Sooners, who exactly is going to provide more of a challenge?

But say this for the boys in burnt orange, for all the uncertainty in college football, the one thing that's for sure is that the Longhorns are still getting better and another burial service is on the way.

 

[CHSGTMD]

good stuff RJ as always. that was an awesome first half and game last night, hope you had as much fun as we did. can't wait til next weekend and another big day in Austin.

:tiphat:

 

[Dmoney416]

Quick effort without the frosting:

101 ohio
102 temple -5

103 auburn
104 west virginia -3

105 new mexico
106 air force -6.5

107 boise state -8.5
108 san jose state

109 louisiana tech
110 army -3

111 north carolina state
112 maryland -9

113 wake forest
114 miami florida -3 (could be higher based on recent Wake performance)

115 northwestern -7
116 indiana

117 minnesota -3
118 purdue

119 boston college
120 north carolina -3.5

121 cincinnati u
122 connecticut -1

123 illinois -3
124 wisconsin

125 rutgers
126 pittsburgh -12

127 texas am
128 iowa state -4

129 kentucky
130 florida -19.5

131 mississippi -3.5
132 arkansas

133 eastern michigan
134 ball state -17.5

135 unlv
136 byu -18

137 duke
138 vanderbilt -13

139 rice -3
140 tulane

141 fresno state -13.5
142 utah state

143 smu
144 navy -9

145 alabama -11
146 tennessee u

147 oregon -5.5
148 arizona state

149 ucla
150 california -14

151 kent
152 miami ohio -3.5

153 virginia
154 georgia tech -11

155 oklahoma state
156 texas -10

157 georgia -2.5
158 lsu

159 oklahoma -20 (This is going to get ugly)
160 kansas state

161 michigan state
162 michigan PK

163 virginia tech
164 florida state -2.5

165 bowling green
166 northern illinois -2.5

167 new mexico state -13.5
168 idaho

169 wyoming
170 tcu -28

171 central michigan -7
172 toledo

173 south florida -7.5
174 louisville

175 baylor
176 nebraska -10

177 texas tech
178 kansas PK

179 colorado
180 missouri -18.5

181 penn state -2
182 ohio state

183 so mississippi
184 memphis -3

185 notre dame -8.5
186 washington u

187 colorado state -5
188 san diego state

189 usc -11.5
190 arizona u

191 nevada
192 hawaii PK

193 middle tenn st
194 mississippi state -10

195 florida atlantic -1.5
196 ul - monroe

197 troy -20
198 north texas
<!-- / message -->

 

[RJ Esq]

Box Scorin': Sooners and Jayhawks go off, plus your weekly prayer for Washington State

from Dr. Saturday - NCAAF - Yahoo! Sports by Matt Hinton
Weird, wild and prolific statistics from Saturday's action.

• Kansas and Oklahoma broke the bank on offense, combining for 1,165 yards and 76 points. One main reason, other than the quarterbacks and the general lack of defense in the Big 12: the tempo. Most regulation games have between 120-130 plays; the Jayhawks and Sooners got off 169, a whopping 97 by OU.
• Michigan gained 207 yards on its first three drives against Penn State, and 21 yards on its next nine.
• USC scored six touchdowns on its first 36 plays in a 69-0 win over Washington State. The Cougars' first half consisted of 22 plays for 18 yards, five punts, two first downs and one fumble; they finished with four first downs for the game, one more than the Trojans had 100-yard rushers (Broderick Green, Stafon Johnson and C.J. Gable all broke the century mark for the first time this year; good thing Joe McKnight decided to sit this one out in L.A.). Wazzu has now allowed 60-plus points to four of its first five Pac-10 opponents and lost those games by an average of 52 points.
• Oregon State's James Rogers scored touchdowns of 52, 53 and 55 yards in the Beavers' 34-13 win over Washington.
• Give me a break: Tulsa rolled up 791 yards total offense, 470 passing and 321 rushing, in a 77-35 blitz of UTEP. The teams combined for eight touchdowns in the first quarter, and the Hurricane had 70 at the end of the third thanks to nine touchdowns on 11 non-half-ending possessions, plus a kickoff return.
• Pittsburgh gained 499 yards in an easy 42-21 win over Navy, a new high for the Wannstedt era against a I-A defense.

• UConn and Rutgers combined for four missed field goals -- three by the Huskies -- in the Knights' 12-10 upset.
• Western Michigan and Central Michigan combined for 1,022 yards and WMU had three different 100-yard receivers in a 38-28 loss. The Chippewas' Brian Brunner, replacing Dan LeFevour, threw for 346 yards.
• Texas Tech converted 10 of 12 third downs and went over 500 yards total offense for the fifth time in seven games in its win over Texas A&M.
• Purdue finished dead even with Northwestern in first downs and total yards, and lost by 22 points.
• Maryland went over 300 yards passing for only the second time in the last three years against Wake Forest, and Darrius Heyward-Bey's 11 catches nearly doubled his previous career high (six).
http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/football/boxscore?gid=200810180032• Clemson and Georgia Tech had far more punts, penalties, interceptions and fumbles (35) as first downs (24).
• Akron's Dennis Kennedy ran 25 times for 277 yards, more than 11 yards per carry, including the decisive touchdown with four seconds on the clock in a 42-35 win over Eastern Michigan.
• Utah averaged nearly nine yards per carry in a blowout win over Colorado State, and quarterback Corbin Louks averaged more than 20, running five times for 109 to lead the team.
• Trailing Middle Tennessee State 17-14 in the third quarter, Louisville scored four touchdowns in less than 12 minutes for a 42-23 win.
• New Mexico rolled over San Diego State for 416 yards rushing in a 70-7 rout.
• Southern Miss freshman DeAndre Brown caught 12 passes for 220 yards and four touchdowns, but Rice had three different 100-yard receivers in a 45-40 Owl win. Editorial comments withheld.

 

[RJ Esq]

Contra Costa Times: Cal proves it has no reason to dream big

from California Golden Bear Football News by Dave
By Gary Peterson
TO SAY CALIFORNIA's football family was thrilled after its loss to Maryland five weeks ago would be a misrepresentation of the facts worthy of a presidential debate. There were the requisite long faces, and the predictable pledges to fix what had gone wrong. But more than a few players and at least one head coach noted that losing a shot at an undefeated season in Week 3 sure beat the alternative. Last season the alternative was losing an undefeated season in Week 6 as the nation's No. 2 team — seemingly on its way to No. 1. No need to rehash how that nightmare played out, with therapy costing what it does.
Two years ago the alternative was a soul-crushing Week 10 loss at Arizona. The Bears weren't undefeated then, but they were unbeaten in conference play. Then a 17-3 halftime lead went up in smoke and, well, things were never the same. Those are the kinds of heart-breakers that'll make you think twice before dreaming big. Which is why the reaction after the first loss of this season was so interesting. It was as if the Bears were declaring, "At least now we now have nothing to lose." But they did. Saturday night, against Arizona, they proved it.
At 2-0, Cal came into Saturday's game the only undefeated team in what has been, thus far, a nutty season in the Pac-10. Beyond Washington State's breath-taking ineptitude, nothing's been for certain. For their part, the Bears rebounded from the Maryland game with wins over Colorado State and Arizona State; survived a game without starting tailback Jahvid Best; and witnessed a return to form and stature of quarterback Nate Longshore, who reclaimed the starting job from Kevin Riley.
Best returned on Saturday. Cal flew to Arizona on the wings of a bye week. What wasn't to like? For the second straight trip to Arizona: The second half. The final score — Arizona 42, Cal 27 — is a stark enough indictment of the Bears. But it only hints at their post-halftime apocalypse. For starters, they surrendered a 10-point lead to a 28-3 onslaught. They saw Best return with an uneven effort. Outfitted with a Barry Bonds-style elbow brace, he was alternately explosive and tentative. He ran 67 yards for a game-tying touchdown midway through the second half, diving unnecessarily into the end zone without regard for his tender left elbow. He left early in the third quarter, seemingly in discomfort, and was never again a factor.
The Bears saw Longshore put forth an equally uneven performance. At his best, he lofted a gorgeous 18-yard touchdown pass to Cameron Morrah. At his worst, he seemed flustered by Arizona's pass rush, throwing over or behind his receivers.
On his first throw after Cal had fallen behind, 28-27, Longshore was intercepted by Devin Ross, who raced 21 yards for a touchdown. He was replaced by Riley shortly thereafter, finishing his evening 18-of-37 for 218 yards, two touchdowns and an interception. Riley was equally unimpressive. Even good things went bad. Thunder-footed redshirt freshman Bryan Anger launched several impressive punts. But he also had one partially blocked. That, naturally, led to an Arizona touchdown. Defensively, Cal was good enough to hold Arizona to 179 yards in the first half, and pliant enough to allow 213 yards in the third quarter.
So where does that leave the Bears? For starters, in fifth place in the Pac-10. True, they're only one-third of their way through their conference schedule. Also true: fifth place is a long way to fall from first. At issue is Best's elbow, which seems to hold up just fine until he's tackled. Also at issue, now and until further notice, is the quarterback situation. Riley, who won the job coming out of summer camp, looked plenty good in Cal's first two games. Neither he nor Longshore have looked very good for very long since. Cal coach Jeff Tedford sounded defiant five weeks ago, when he observed, "The only thing we can't do now is finish undefeated." They added to their can't-do list again Saturday night. A few more efforts like that and a return to the Armed Services Bowl is going to qualify as dreaming big, 2008 style.

 

[RJ Esq]

Ohio State cruises, the nation twitches ever so slightly

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

If Ohio State is the the Buffalo Bills of college football, Saturday was the day to break out the "We're back! Deal with it, America" banners. Beanie Wells was the sleek, very un-hobbled mack truck everyone expected before the season, Terrelle Pryor was a leisurely 7-of-11 with a touchdown, plus 72 yards and another score on the ground, and the defense held Michigan State to 60 yards, five punts and three turnovers in the first half, by the end of which the score was 28-0. The Spartans came in on a six-game roll and looked like the Buckeyes' equals, at least, with a prime opportunity to prove it at home; after the game, Pryor said "it was like high school."So it will have nothing to do with sympathy or well-wishing for Joe Paterno's swan song next week when an entire nation aligns itself with Penn State in Columbus for what amounts to the de facto Big Ten Championship Game. Lion love will be purely self-interested: please don't make us consider these guys for another championship.
That may seem a little far off, but if you're counting down the remaining schedules, a win over Penn State -- and the Lions haven't even been competitive in Columbus is ages -- will likely put OSU at the cusp of the top five with a clear route to another 11-1 finish. With the inevitable attrition ahead in the Big 12 and SEC and USC on letdown watch through the end of the regular season, the remainder of the track is rigged for the Buckeyes to rise and rise -- unless Penn State finishes them, once and for all.
So no pressure or anything, Lions, but suddenly a Buckeye-weary nation turns its lonely eyes to you.

 

[B.A.R.]

I like handicappers fractional pointspread analysis.

 

[B.A.R.]

Early leans...

Going off Dmoneys projections..

Wake +3
Purdue +3
Fresno -13.5
USC -11.5

Michigan-MSU is going to be interesting. Michigan can't put a full game together. As far as Sparty goes, how down in the dumps are they after yesterday. This will test Dantonio's coaching in all honesty. Is this same ole sparty or the new version. Big revenge game after the 4th qtr last year and Harts comments afterwards.

PSU-OSU is gonna be great. I have been leaning OSU for awhile but at this point I am stuck. I think we'll see a suprise line in all honesty.

 

[RetroVK]

Some tough lines to make this week. will be intersting to see what lvsc releases.

 

[B.A.R.]

Think its gonna be a small card Kyle..

 

[Houghton Chemical]

BCS Standings to be released on Fox after the break.

 

[Houghton Chemical]

BCS

1. Texas
2. Alabama
3. Penn State
4. Oklahoma
5. USC
6. Oklahoma State
7. Georgia
8. Texas Tech
9. Ohio State
10. Florida