My "Game of the Week" this week is Michigan State at Iowa. Iowa was my pick to win the Big Ten this year. Michigan State has needed fake kicks to win two of their eight games this year, but what matters most is that you win. A win today and not only is the Big Ten championship essentially in the bag, but an undefeated season as well. Iowa will present the biggest test to date for the Spartans. Many aren't giving them a chance. Then again, no one gave them a chance against Wisconsin--the team that just beat Iowa.
Kickoff: 3:30 ET
TV: abc and ESPN
Now for my predictions. I might be settling in on my “happy medium.” For the secon week in a row, I had seven predictions wrong. My overall record was 16-7. That puts me at 131-53 for the year. As always, you are free to chime in with your picks, or at least where you agree or disagree, and we can discuss. If I left off a game that really interests you, throw it out and we can discuss it also.
ACC
Wake Forest at Maryland, 28-10 Maryland
Miami at Virginia, 31-3 Miami
Big XII
Baylor at Texas, 28-14 Texas
Texas Tech at Texas A&M, 31-21 Texas Tech
Big East
Louisville at Pittsburgh, 35-21 Pitt
Syracuse at Cincinnati, 24-20 Syracuse
Big Ten
Michigan State at Iowa, 27-24 Michigan State
Purdue at Illinois, 28-27 Illinois
Conference USA
Houston at Memphis, 38-7 Houston
SMU at Tulane, 28-10 SMU
MAC
Ball State at Kent State, 35-13 Kent State
Toledo at Eastern Michigan, 34-14 Toledo
MWC
San Diego State at Wyoming, 27-10 San Diego State
New Mexico at Colorado State, 35-3 Colorado State
Pac-10
Cal at Oregon State, 35-21 Oregon State
Washington State at Arizona State, 45-24 Arizona State
SEC
Tennessee at South Carolina, 38-21 South Carolina
Florida vs. Georgia, 42-28 Georgia
Sun Belt
Florida International at Florida Atlantic, 21-17 FAU
North Texas at Western Kentucky, 21-17 Western Kentucky
WAC
Idaho at Hawaii, 49-24 Hawaii
Utah State at Nevada, 31-17 Nevada
Independents
Tulsa at Notre Dame, 35-14 Notre Dame
Other recent posts on COLLEGE FOOTBALL HAVEN:
Weekly Trivia: 1,000 Yard Rushers
Heisman Hopefuls: Auburn's Cam Newton Now Number One
Monday Musings: BCS = Broken Championship System
Poll Results: Will either #1 Oklahoma or #2 Oregon play in the BCS National Championship Game?
College Football Haven Top 25, Week 8, 2010
Game of the Week: LSU Tigers at Auburn Tigers
Saturday, October 30, 2010
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
The Michigan Wolverines Should Retain Rich Rodriguez In 2011
Michigan Wolverines Head Coach Rich Rodriguez has one of the hottest seats in college football this year. He posted an 8-16 record his first two years in Ann Arbor. Michigan hadn’t seen such futility since the 1962-1963 seasons. Throw in the first ever NCAA investigation for rule infractions at Michigan, and the consensus was that this was Rodriguez’s make of break year at Michigan.
Seven games into the season, and Rich Rodriguez’s job should be secure, in my opinion. While Michigan has yet to show any improvement in the wins and loss column from 2009 to 2010, and it is a fact that Michigan is not even bowl eligible yet, one thing is clear. Rich Rod isn’t the problem. The defense is.
Michigan saw the writing on the wall at the end of the 2007 season. Ohio State had just lost a second straight BCS national championship game to a faster team. The spread and speed had become essential parts of college football offenses. When Lloyd Carr retired at the end of the season, Michigan knew they needed to hire a coach that could change the traditional smash mouth identity of Michigan if the Wolverines were to do more than win a Big Ten championship. Rich Rodriguez was the natural choice.
Fast forward to year 3. The Michigan offense is on fire. The Wolverines are second in the nation in total offense averaging 532 yards per game. With Denard Robinson at the helm the offense can strike from anywhere on the field at anytime. Michigan averages over 35 points per game. You don’t want to disrupt such a potent attack.
If changes are going to be made, they need to be made on the defensive side of the ball. Calvin Magee and Greg Robinson have some explaining to do. UMass scored 37, Indiana reached the end zone five times, and Michigan has given up 34 and 38 points in their two losses. While Michigan should be favored to win their next three games, wins won’t be enough to justify keeping these two coaches. Three more shootouts and these two should be out the door before the bowl game.
Other recent posts on COLLEGE FOOTBALL HAVEN:
Weekly Trivia: 1,000 Yard Rushers
Heisman Hopefuls: Auburn's Cam Newton Now Number One
Monday Musings: BCS = Broken Championship System
Poll Results: Will either #1 Oklahoma or #2 Oregon play in the BCS National Championship Game?
College Football Haven Top 25, Week 8, 2010
Game of the Week: LSU Tigers at Auburn Tigers
Game Predictions, Week 8, 2010
Seven games into the season, and Rich Rodriguez’s job should be secure, in my opinion. While Michigan has yet to show any improvement in the wins and loss column from 2009 to 2010, and it is a fact that Michigan is not even bowl eligible yet, one thing is clear. Rich Rod isn’t the problem. The defense is.
Michigan saw the writing on the wall at the end of the 2007 season. Ohio State had just lost a second straight BCS national championship game to a faster team. The spread and speed had become essential parts of college football offenses. When Lloyd Carr retired at the end of the season, Michigan knew they needed to hire a coach that could change the traditional smash mouth identity of Michigan if the Wolverines were to do more than win a Big Ten championship. Rich Rodriguez was the natural choice.
Fast forward to year 3. The Michigan offense is on fire. The Wolverines are second in the nation in total offense averaging 532 yards per game. With Denard Robinson at the helm the offense can strike from anywhere on the field at anytime. Michigan averages over 35 points per game. You don’t want to disrupt such a potent attack.
If changes are going to be made, they need to be made on the defensive side of the ball. Calvin Magee and Greg Robinson have some explaining to do. UMass scored 37, Indiana reached the end zone five times, and Michigan has given up 34 and 38 points in their two losses. While Michigan should be favored to win their next three games, wins won’t be enough to justify keeping these two coaches. Three more shootouts and these two should be out the door before the bowl game.
Other recent posts on COLLEGE FOOTBALL HAVEN:
Weekly Trivia: 1,000 Yard Rushers
Heisman Hopefuls: Auburn's Cam Newton Now Number One
Monday Musings: BCS = Broken Championship System
Poll Results: Will either #1 Oklahoma or #2 Oregon play in the BCS National Championship Game?
College Football Haven Top 25, Week 8, 2010
Game of the Week: LSU Tigers at Auburn Tigers
Game Predictions, Week 8, 2010
Weekly Trivia: 1,000 Yard Rushers
The answer to last week's trivia question, "When was the last time LSU won their first seven games?" is 1973. LSU got off to a 9-0 start before losing their last three games to finish 9-3. Interestingly, in both 1982 and 1987, the Tigers started 7-0-1, with a tie in the fourth game each year.
Four players have already rushed for 1,000 yards this year, with 36 others projected to reach 1,000 yards by the end of the season. This week's question is:
For more trivia questions, visit the Trivia page.
Other recent posts on COLLEGE FOOTBALL HAVEN:
Heisman Hopefuls: Auburn's Cam Newton Now Number One
Monday Musings: BCS = Broken Championship System
Poll Results: Will either #1 Oklahoma or #2 Oregon play in the BCS National Championship Game?
College Football Haven Top 25, Week 8, 2010
Game of the Week: LSU Tigers at Auburn Tigers
Game Predictions, Week 8, 2010
Four players have already rushed for 1,000 yards this year, with 36 others projected to reach 1,000 yards by the end of the season. This week's question is:
How many players reached the 1,000 yards rushing plateau in 2009?Leave your answer in the comments section. The answer will be revealed next Wednesday when a new question is asked.
For more trivia questions, visit the Trivia page.
Other recent posts on COLLEGE FOOTBALL HAVEN:
Heisman Hopefuls: Auburn's Cam Newton Now Number One
Monday Musings: BCS = Broken Championship System
Poll Results: Will either #1 Oklahoma or #2 Oregon play in the BCS National Championship Game?
College Football Haven Top 25, Week 8, 2010
Game of the Week: LSU Tigers at Auburn Tigers
Game Predictions, Week 8, 2010
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Heisman Hopefuls: Auburn's Cam Newton Now Number One
Cameron Newton took advantage of the spotlight this week to make a push for the top of the leader board. It didn’t hurt that Denard Robinson had the week off, and that LaMichael James played on Thursday night. There is still a lot of football to play. I have to put Newton number one right now, but I would like to see a little more balanced effort. The rushing yards are impressive, but let’s see at least triple digits on the passing yards as well.
The Oregon defense isn’t doing LaMichael James any favors. He is still the top running back, but he needs to stay in the game long enough to get more than 20 touches per game to keep pace in this race.
The Michigan defense is also hurting Robinson, but for a different reason. Even if Robinson reaches the 2,000/2,000 plateau, it will be hard to vote for a player on a 0.500 team.
This week we have four of the nation’s top five rushers, and four of the eight most efficient passers in the country.
PLAYERS WHO STOOD OUT: Cameron Newton has a bulls-eye on his chest, but defenses still can’t slow him down. He is now the second leading rusher in the nation and the third most efficient passer. He set the SEC record for most rushing yards by a quarterback.
Taylor Martinez, the passer, led Nebraska to a big win over previously undefeated Oklahoma State. Someone must be using this column as bulletin board material. Whenever a player appears under the “Toeing the Line” section, they explode the next week. I attacked Martinez for his passing abilities, so what does he do? He throws for over 300 yards and 5 touchdowns, while adding 112 yards on the ground. He is back in the thick of it.
Kendall Hunter was not to be outdone by Martinez. Hunter rolled up 201 yards on just 26 carries in the shootout with Nebraska.
PLAYERS DROPPED: No players were dropped this week.
PLAYERS TOEING THE LINE: Andrew Luck wasn’t very impressive against the woeful Washington State Cougars. Luck doesn’t have the rushing ability to complement his passing numbers, so he needs to have monster games to stay in this race. Luck looked outstanding earlier, but is starting to be more ordinary.
PLAYERS ADDED: No players were added this week.
LaMichael James, Oregon
2009: 230 rushes, 1546 yards, 14 TD
2010: 134 rushes, 971 yards, 11 TD
Last: 20 rushes, 123 yards, 2 TD
Kendall Hunter, Oklahoma State
2009: 89 rushes, 382 yards, 1 TD
2010: 161 rushes, 1,031 yards, 12 TD
Last: 26 rushes, 201 yards, 2 TD
Terrell Pryor, Ohio State
2009: 167-295 (56.6%), 2094 yards, 18 TD, 11 Int / 162 rushes, 779 yards, 7 TD
2010: 134-203 (66.0%), 1,775 yards, 18 TD, 6 INT / 79 rushes, 408 yards, 3 TD
Last: 16-22 (72.7%), 270 yards, 3 TD, 2 INT / 4 rushes, -2 yards
Denard Robinson, Michigan
2009: 14-31 (45.4%), 188 yards, 2 TD, 4 Int
2010: 97-143 (67.8%), 1319 yards, 9 TD, 5 Int / 137 rushes, 1096 yards, 9 TD
Last: Bye
Taylor Martinez, Nebraska
2009: N/A
2010: 66-111 (59.5%), 1,046 yards, 8 TD, 3 Int / 100 rushes, 870 yards, 12 TD
Last: 23-35 (65.7%), 323 yards, 5 TD, 0 Int / 19 rushes, 112 yards, 0 TD
Matt Barkley, USC
2009: 211-352 (59.9%), 2,735 yards, 15 TD, 14 INT
2010: 138-211 (65.4%), 1869 yards, 20 TD, 4 Int
Last: Bye
Andrew Luck, Stanford
2009: 162-288 (56.3%), 2575 yards, 13 TD, 4 Int
2010: 133-200 (66.5%), 1728 yards, 19 TD, 5 Int
Last: 20-28 (71.4%), 190 yards, 3 TD, 1 Int
Kellen Moore, Boise State
2009: 277-431 (64.3%), 3,536 yards, 39 TD, 3 INT
2010: 105-151 (69.5%), 1567 yards, 16 TD, 1 Int
Last: Bye
Cameron Newton, Auburn
2009: Junior College
2010: 90-138 (65.2%), 1,364 yards, 13 TD, 5 Int / 157 rushes, 1,077 yards, 14 TD
Last: 10-16 (62.5%), 86 yards, 0 TD, 0 Int / 28 rush, 217 yards, 2 TD
ON THE RADAR: Ricky Stanzi, Iowa; Brandon Weeden, Oklahoma State; Vai Taua, Nevada, Robert Griffen III, Baylor, Justin Blackmon, Oklahoma State.
Other recent posts on COLLEGE FOOTBALL HAVEN:
Monday Musings: BCS = Broken Championship System
Poll Results: Will either #1 Oklahoma or #2 Oregon play in the BCS National Championship Game?
College Football Haven Top 25, Week 8, 2010
Game of the Week: LSU Tigers at Auburn Tigers
Game Predictions, Week 8, 2010
Weekly Trivia: LSU starting 7-0
The Oregon defense isn’t doing LaMichael James any favors. He is still the top running back, but he needs to stay in the game long enough to get more than 20 touches per game to keep pace in this race.
The Michigan defense is also hurting Robinson, but for a different reason. Even if Robinson reaches the 2,000/2,000 plateau, it will be hard to vote for a player on a 0.500 team.
This week we have four of the nation’s top five rushers, and four of the eight most efficient passers in the country.
PLAYERS WHO STOOD OUT: Cameron Newton has a bulls-eye on his chest, but defenses still can’t slow him down. He is now the second leading rusher in the nation and the third most efficient passer. He set the SEC record for most rushing yards by a quarterback.
Taylor Martinez, the passer, led Nebraska to a big win over previously undefeated Oklahoma State. Someone must be using this column as bulletin board material. Whenever a player appears under the “Toeing the Line” section, they explode the next week. I attacked Martinez for his passing abilities, so what does he do? He throws for over 300 yards and 5 touchdowns, while adding 112 yards on the ground. He is back in the thick of it.
Kendall Hunter was not to be outdone by Martinez. Hunter rolled up 201 yards on just 26 carries in the shootout with Nebraska.
PLAYERS DROPPED: No players were dropped this week.
PLAYERS TOEING THE LINE: Andrew Luck wasn’t very impressive against the woeful Washington State Cougars. Luck doesn’t have the rushing ability to complement his passing numbers, so he needs to have monster games to stay in this race. Luck looked outstanding earlier, but is starting to be more ordinary.
PLAYERS ADDED: No players were added this week.
LaMichael James, Oregon
2009: 230 rushes, 1546 yards, 14 TD
2010: 134 rushes, 971 yards, 11 TD
Last: 20 rushes, 123 yards, 2 TD
Kendall Hunter, Oklahoma State
2009: 89 rushes, 382 yards, 1 TD
2010: 161 rushes, 1,031 yards, 12 TD
Last: 26 rushes, 201 yards, 2 TD
Terrell Pryor, Ohio State
2009: 167-295 (56.6%), 2094 yards, 18 TD, 11 Int / 162 rushes, 779 yards, 7 TD
2010: 134-203 (66.0%), 1,775 yards, 18 TD, 6 INT / 79 rushes, 408 yards, 3 TD
Last: 16-22 (72.7%), 270 yards, 3 TD, 2 INT / 4 rushes, -2 yards
Denard Robinson, Michigan
2009: 14-31 (45.4%), 188 yards, 2 TD, 4 Int
2010: 97-143 (67.8%), 1319 yards, 9 TD, 5 Int / 137 rushes, 1096 yards, 9 TD
Last: Bye
Taylor Martinez, Nebraska
2009: N/A
2010: 66-111 (59.5%), 1,046 yards, 8 TD, 3 Int / 100 rushes, 870 yards, 12 TD
Last: 23-35 (65.7%), 323 yards, 5 TD, 0 Int / 19 rushes, 112 yards, 0 TD
Matt Barkley, USC
2009: 211-352 (59.9%), 2,735 yards, 15 TD, 14 INT
2010: 138-211 (65.4%), 1869 yards, 20 TD, 4 Int
Last: Bye
Andrew Luck, Stanford
2009: 162-288 (56.3%), 2575 yards, 13 TD, 4 Int
2010: 133-200 (66.5%), 1728 yards, 19 TD, 5 Int
Last: 20-28 (71.4%), 190 yards, 3 TD, 1 Int
Kellen Moore, Boise State
2009: 277-431 (64.3%), 3,536 yards, 39 TD, 3 INT
2010: 105-151 (69.5%), 1567 yards, 16 TD, 1 Int
Last: Bye
Cameron Newton, Auburn
2009: Junior College
2010: 90-138 (65.2%), 1,364 yards, 13 TD, 5 Int / 157 rushes, 1,077 yards, 14 TD
Last: 10-16 (62.5%), 86 yards, 0 TD, 0 Int / 28 rush, 217 yards, 2 TD
ON THE RADAR: Ricky Stanzi, Iowa; Brandon Weeden, Oklahoma State; Vai Taua, Nevada, Robert Griffen III, Baylor, Justin Blackmon, Oklahoma State.
Other recent posts on COLLEGE FOOTBALL HAVEN:
Monday Musings: BCS = Broken Championship System
Poll Results: Will either #1 Oklahoma or #2 Oregon play in the BCS National Championship Game?
College Football Haven Top 25, Week 8, 2010
Game of the Week: LSU Tigers at Auburn Tigers
Game Predictions, Week 8, 2010
Weekly Trivia: LSU starting 7-0
Monday, October 25, 2010
Monday Musings: BCS = Broken Championship System
After another fantastic set of games this weekend for college football, here are my 10 thoughts for Week 8.
1. BCS = Broken Championship System. Two out of the three components in the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) are human polls—the USA Today Coaches poll and the Harris Interactive Poll. This has been done with the expressed intent to give the human element more control over the top teams than the computer element. The Oregon Ducks have been number one in each of these polls the last two weeks, yet Oregon is not number one in the BCS, for the second consecutive week. Oklahoma was number one last week, and Auburn is number one this week. Someone needs to fix those computers. Even with only one third the weight, they are deciding who is number one.
2. How was this game close? The Auburn Tigers out gained the LSU Tigers 526 to 243 in total offense on Saturday. Why did Auburn have to stop LSU on a fourth down with 3:20 to play to win this game? With 526 yards you should have a lot more points. For example, Oregon “only” needed 582 yards to get 60. Why couldn’t Auburn muster more than 24?
3. We are legit. The Missouri Tigers (7-0), the Baylor Bears (6-2), and the Syracuse Orangemen (5-2) made this statement Saturday. All had glossy to semi-glossy records, but no one knew how much stock to put into these records. After Missouri beat Oklahoma, Baylor beat #22 Kansas State, and Syracuse beat #20 West Virginia, we all know that they are legitimate leaders in their conferences.
4. Progress in Pullman. The Washington State Cougars still aren’t winning games, but at least they are scoring points and making some of these losses respectable. Just a 10 point loss to Stanford. USC is the only Pac-10 team to beat the Cougars by more than 20. That includes Oregon, Stanford, and Arizona.
5. Worth the wait? Tyrod Taylor is finally starting to play up to his sky high expectations. He is fourth in the nation in pass efficiency with a 171.1 rating—this is by far the highest rating of his career. He has 527 rushing yards with a 6.2 yard per carry average. Taylor already has 15 TD passes, which is two more than he had all of last season. His completion percentage is up almost 9 percent to 63.9%. He is also on pace for his highest passing yards in a season.
6. Short lived success. Cincinnati and Georgia Tech are the latest teams to join the list of teams having reached a BCS bowl and quickly fell back to middle of the pack or worse in their conferences. Wake Forest, Louisville, Kansas, and Illinois all had a spike in wins to play in a BCS game, but quickly fell below 0.500. After playing in BCS bowls last year, Cincinnati is currently at 3-4, and Georgia Tech is 5-3 with the meat of their schedule still to come.
7. Green means go. Teams with green as a school color rolled up impressive amounts of total offense. Baylor: 682 yards; Hawaii: 614 yards; South Florida: 590 yards; Oregon 582. It was even good for one player named green. Hawaii running back Alex Green ran for 172 yards and four touchdowns on just 14 carries.
8. Yellow means go faster? In driver’s ed I was taught that you are supposed to slow down and stop when the light changes to yellow. When Oregon changed from green to yellow home jerseys, they sped up. The Ducks put up 60 points Thursday night, but what was more impressive is that they did it with only 21:29 possession time. No Oregon drive was longer than 3:37.
9. Three in a row. For the third straight week a number one ranked team lost. Alabama was the first, Ohio State was the second, and now Oklahoma fell. Will Auburn or Oregon make it four this week? Oregon faces a stiffer test with USC, but don’t count out Mississippi from pulling off the unexpected upset of Auburn. No one expected the Rebels to beat number 4 Florida two years ago.
10. Which was worse? Virginia Tech’s loss to James Madison in week two, or Texas’ loss to Iowa State this week? Okay, this is a bit of a stretch to put those two losses in the same sentence, especially since one is a 4-3 FCS team and the other is a 4-4 FBS team. However, after Iowa State lost 68-27 and 52-0 in back-to-back weeks, how do the Longhorns not put up at least 30? Sure you’re coming off an emotional win over Nebraska, but this loss looks really, really bad.
Other recent posts on COLLEGE FOOTBALL HAVEN:
Poll Results: Will either #1 Oklahoma or #2 Oregon play in the BCS National Championship Game?
College Football Haven Top 25, Week 8, 2010
Game of the Week: LSU Tigers at Auburn Tigers
Game Predictions, Week 8, 2010
Weekly Trivia: LSU starting 7-0
Heisman Trophy Hopefuls, Week 7, 2010
1. BCS = Broken Championship System. Two out of the three components in the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) are human polls—the USA Today Coaches poll and the Harris Interactive Poll. This has been done with the expressed intent to give the human element more control over the top teams than the computer element. The Oregon Ducks have been number one in each of these polls the last two weeks, yet Oregon is not number one in the BCS, for the second consecutive week. Oklahoma was number one last week, and Auburn is number one this week. Someone needs to fix those computers. Even with only one third the weight, they are deciding who is number one.
2. How was this game close? The Auburn Tigers out gained the LSU Tigers 526 to 243 in total offense on Saturday. Why did Auburn have to stop LSU on a fourth down with 3:20 to play to win this game? With 526 yards you should have a lot more points. For example, Oregon “only” needed 582 yards to get 60. Why couldn’t Auburn muster more than 24?
3. We are legit. The Missouri Tigers (7-0), the Baylor Bears (6-2), and the Syracuse Orangemen (5-2) made this statement Saturday. All had glossy to semi-glossy records, but no one knew how much stock to put into these records. After Missouri beat Oklahoma, Baylor beat #22 Kansas State, and Syracuse beat #20 West Virginia, we all know that they are legitimate leaders in their conferences.
4. Progress in Pullman. The Washington State Cougars still aren’t winning games, but at least they are scoring points and making some of these losses respectable. Just a 10 point loss to Stanford. USC is the only Pac-10 team to beat the Cougars by more than 20. That includes Oregon, Stanford, and Arizona.
5. Worth the wait? Tyrod Taylor is finally starting to play up to his sky high expectations. He is fourth in the nation in pass efficiency with a 171.1 rating—this is by far the highest rating of his career. He has 527 rushing yards with a 6.2 yard per carry average. Taylor already has 15 TD passes, which is two more than he had all of last season. His completion percentage is up almost 9 percent to 63.9%. He is also on pace for his highest passing yards in a season.
6. Short lived success. Cincinnati and Georgia Tech are the latest teams to join the list of teams having reached a BCS bowl and quickly fell back to middle of the pack or worse in their conferences. Wake Forest, Louisville, Kansas, and Illinois all had a spike in wins to play in a BCS game, but quickly fell below 0.500. After playing in BCS bowls last year, Cincinnati is currently at 3-4, and Georgia Tech is 5-3 with the meat of their schedule still to come.
7. Green means go. Teams with green as a school color rolled up impressive amounts of total offense. Baylor: 682 yards; Hawaii: 614 yards; South Florida: 590 yards; Oregon 582. It was even good for one player named green. Hawaii running back Alex Green ran for 172 yards and four touchdowns on just 14 carries.
8. Yellow means go faster? In driver’s ed I was taught that you are supposed to slow down and stop when the light changes to yellow. When Oregon changed from green to yellow home jerseys, they sped up. The Ducks put up 60 points Thursday night, but what was more impressive is that they did it with only 21:29 possession time. No Oregon drive was longer than 3:37.
9. Three in a row. For the third straight week a number one ranked team lost. Alabama was the first, Ohio State was the second, and now Oklahoma fell. Will Auburn or Oregon make it four this week? Oregon faces a stiffer test with USC, but don’t count out Mississippi from pulling off the unexpected upset of Auburn. No one expected the Rebels to beat number 4 Florida two years ago.
10. Which was worse? Virginia Tech’s loss to James Madison in week two, or Texas’ loss to Iowa State this week? Okay, this is a bit of a stretch to put those two losses in the same sentence, especially since one is a 4-3 FCS team and the other is a 4-4 FBS team. However, after Iowa State lost 68-27 and 52-0 in back-to-back weeks, how do the Longhorns not put up at least 30? Sure you’re coming off an emotional win over Nebraska, but this loss looks really, really bad.
Other recent posts on COLLEGE FOOTBALL HAVEN:
Poll Results: Will either #1 Oklahoma or #2 Oregon play in the BCS National Championship Game?
College Football Haven Top 25, Week 8, 2010
Game of the Week: LSU Tigers at Auburn Tigers
Game Predictions, Week 8, 2010
Weekly Trivia: LSU starting 7-0
Heisman Trophy Hopefuls, Week 7, 2010
Poll Results: Will either #1 Oklahoma or #2 Oregon play in the BCS National Championship Game?
The poll results ended in a tie. Forty percent voted that neither Oklahoma nor Oregon would play in the BCS championship game. Forty percent also voted that Oregon would play in the BCS championship game. The other twenty percent voted that only Oklahoma would. No voters voted that both teams would make it to the championship game.
Thank you to all who voted. We will stick with a BCS theme in the new poll question: "Should Auburn be the BCS number 1?"
Thank you to all who voted. We will stick with a BCS theme in the new poll question: "Should Auburn be the BCS number 1?"
College Football Haven Top 25, Week 8, 2010
The Michigan State Spartans moved into the top five this week following Oklahoma’s loss. Alabama, Wisconsin, and Nebraska are back in the top 10. Missouri made the biggest jump up six to number 6 with their upset of the Sooners, which provides some satisfaction to me since I didn’t buy into the BCS number one ranking for Oklahoma. Iowa dropped the furthest, down 10, from nine to 19. Baylor and East Carolina are the two newcomers to the top 25 taking West Virginia and Texas’ places. I am tempted to ban Texas from the top 25 for the rest of the year. I understand a let down after the big win against Nebraska, but to lose to Iowa State, that is unacceptable at this point.
1. Boise State (6-0)
LAST: Bye.
2. Oregon (7-0)
LAST: Beat UCLA, 60-13.
3. Auburn (8-0)
LAST: Beat LSU 24-17.
4. TCU (8-0)
LAST: Beat Air Force 38-7.
5. Michigan State (8-0)
LAST: Beat Northwestern 35-27.
The Big Ten Championship and Rose Bowl are theirs for the taking.
6. Missouri (7-0)
LAST: Beat Oklahoma 36-27.
The Show Me state showed all of us something Saturday.
7. Utah (7-0)
LAST: Beat Colorado State 59-6.
Time for the real games to begin for the Utes.
8. Alabama (7-1)
LAST: Beat Tennessee 41-10.
Not quite the drama as last year when these two met.
9. Wisconsin (7-1)
LAST: Beat Iowa 31-30.
10. Nebraska (6-1)
LAST: Beat Oklahoma State 51-41.
Who knew Taylor Martinez could pass?
11. Ohio State (7-1)
LAST: Beat Purdue 49-0.
12. Oklahoma (6-1)
LAST: Lost to Missouri 36-27.
13. Oklahoma State (6-1)
LAST: Lost to Nebraska 51-41.
14. Stanford (6-1)
LAST: Beat Washington State 38-28.
15. Arizona (6-1)
LAST: Beat Washington 44-14.
16. LSU (7-1)
LAST: Lost to Auburn 24-17.
17. Florida State (6-1)
LAST: Bye.
18. Arkansas (5-2)
LAST: Beat Ole Miss 38-24.
19. Iowa (5-2)
LAST: Lost to Wisconsin 31-30.
20. South Carolina (5-2)
LAST: Beat Vanderbilt 21-7.
21. Virginia Tech (6-2)
LAST: Beat Duke 44-7.
22. Nevada (6-1)
LAST: Bye.
23. Mississippi State (6-2)
LAST: Beat University of Alabama-Birmingham (UAB) 29-24.
24. Baylor (6-2)
LAST: Beat Kansas State 47-42.
Robert Griffen, III, has Baylor bowling for the first time in 15 years.
25. East Carolina (5-2)
LAST: Beat Marshall 37-10.
OTHERS TO WATCH: USC, Kansas State, Miami, Northwestern, North Carolina State, Syracuse, San Diego State, Southern Mississippi, West Virginia, Navy, Temple, Northern Illinois, Hawaii.
Previous Top 25:
Preseason
Week 1
Week 2
Week 3
Week 4
Week 5
Week 6
Week 7
1. Boise State (6-0)
LAST: Bye.
2. Oregon (7-0)
LAST: Beat UCLA, 60-13.
3. Auburn (8-0)
LAST: Beat LSU 24-17.
4. TCU (8-0)
LAST: Beat Air Force 38-7.
5. Michigan State (8-0)
LAST: Beat Northwestern 35-27.
The Big Ten Championship and Rose Bowl are theirs for the taking.
6. Missouri (7-0)
LAST: Beat Oklahoma 36-27.
The Show Me state showed all of us something Saturday.
7. Utah (7-0)
LAST: Beat Colorado State 59-6.
Time for the real games to begin for the Utes.
8. Alabama (7-1)
LAST: Beat Tennessee 41-10.
Not quite the drama as last year when these two met.
9. Wisconsin (7-1)
LAST: Beat Iowa 31-30.
10. Nebraska (6-1)
LAST: Beat Oklahoma State 51-41.
Who knew Taylor Martinez could pass?
11. Ohio State (7-1)
LAST: Beat Purdue 49-0.
12. Oklahoma (6-1)
LAST: Lost to Missouri 36-27.
13. Oklahoma State (6-1)
LAST: Lost to Nebraska 51-41.
14. Stanford (6-1)
LAST: Beat Washington State 38-28.
15. Arizona (6-1)
LAST: Beat Washington 44-14.
16. LSU (7-1)
LAST: Lost to Auburn 24-17.
17. Florida State (6-1)
LAST: Bye.
18. Arkansas (5-2)
LAST: Beat Ole Miss 38-24.
19. Iowa (5-2)
LAST: Lost to Wisconsin 31-30.
20. South Carolina (5-2)
LAST: Beat Vanderbilt 21-7.
21. Virginia Tech (6-2)
LAST: Beat Duke 44-7.
22. Nevada (6-1)
LAST: Bye.
23. Mississippi State (6-2)
LAST: Beat University of Alabama-Birmingham (UAB) 29-24.
24. Baylor (6-2)
LAST: Beat Kansas State 47-42.
Robert Griffen, III, has Baylor bowling for the first time in 15 years.
25. East Carolina (5-2)
LAST: Beat Marshall 37-10.
OTHERS TO WATCH: USC, Kansas State, Miami, Northwestern, North Carolina State, Syracuse, San Diego State, Southern Mississippi, West Virginia, Navy, Temple, Northern Illinois, Hawaii.
Previous Top 25:
Preseason
Week 1
Week 2
Week 3
Week 4
Week 5
Week 6
Week 7
Friday, October 22, 2010
Game of the Week: LSU Tigers at Auburn Tigers
Tigers will tangle this week to claim the territory at the top of the SEC. The LSU Tigers and Auburn Tigers are both 7-0. Besides the drivers seat in the SEC West, this game has a top 5 ranking ridding on it. If you are Les Miles, then you can either squelch all calls for your job, or have the fire Les Miles talk ramp up again. If you are Cameron Newton, then you can clearly separate yourself as the new Heisman Trophy front runner.
This game is a classic battle of strength against strength: Auburn’s Offense vs. LSU’s Defense. Often the strengths cancel each other out, and the game is decided by the battle between the weaker sides of the ball. The match up of the LSU offense vs. the Auburn defense favor’s LSU. The Bayou Bengals have scored over 28 points four times. The Auburn defense has allowed 24 points or more five times, including 26 to Arkansas State.
One other factor that favors LSU is that LSU had an easier game last week. While Auburn had a track meet with Arkansas, LSU had a scrimmage with McNeese State. Looking at that McNeese State game, I have to believe that LSU has used the last two weeks to get ready for Auburn.
KICKOFF: 3:30 PM (EDT)
TV: CBS
Other recent posts on COLLEGE FOOTBALL HAVEN:
Game Predictions, Week 8, 2010
Weekly Trivia: LSU starting 7-0
Heisman Trophy Hopefuls, Week 7, 2010
Monday Musings: 10 Thoughts About Week 7, 2010
Poll Results: Is Denard Robinson still the Heisman Trophy front runner
College Football Haven Top 25, Week 7, 2010
This game is a classic battle of strength against strength: Auburn’s Offense vs. LSU’s Defense. Often the strengths cancel each other out, and the game is decided by the battle between the weaker sides of the ball. The match up of the LSU offense vs. the Auburn defense favor’s LSU. The Bayou Bengals have scored over 28 points four times. The Auburn defense has allowed 24 points or more five times, including 26 to Arkansas State.
One other factor that favors LSU is that LSU had an easier game last week. While Auburn had a track meet with Arkansas, LSU had a scrimmage with McNeese State. Looking at that McNeese State game, I have to believe that LSU has used the last two weeks to get ready for Auburn.
KICKOFF: 3:30 PM (EDT)
TV: CBS
Other recent posts on COLLEGE FOOTBALL HAVEN:
Game Predictions, Week 8, 2010
Weekly Trivia: LSU starting 7-0
Heisman Trophy Hopefuls, Week 7, 2010
Monday Musings: 10 Thoughts About Week 7, 2010
Poll Results: Is Denard Robinson still the Heisman Trophy front runner
College Football Haven Top 25, Week 7, 2010
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Game Predictions, Week 8, 2010
I rebounded last week to post a 17-7 record, and moved to 115-46 for the year. The picks this week are 100% head-to-head conference games. The one independent game this week is between two independent teams, Notre Dame and Navy. As always, you are free to chime in with your picks, or at least where you agree or disagree, and we can discuss. If I left off a game that really interests you, throw it out and we can discuss it also.
ACC
Georgia Tech at Clemson, 28-17 Georgia Tech
North Carolina at Miami, 31-28 Miami
Big XII
Nebraska at Oklahoma State, 21-14 Nebraska
Oklahoma at Missouri, 35-10 Oklahoma
Big East
Rutgers at Pittsburgh, 27-21 Pitt
Connecticut at Louisville, 28-14 Louisville
Big Ten
Penn State at Minnesota, 41-7 Penn State
Indiana at Illinois, 28-10 Illinois
Conference USA
Rice at UCF, 38-17 UCF
Marshall at East Carolina, 45-7 East Carolina
MAC
Central Michigan at Northern Illinois, 28-22 N. Illinois
Ohio at Miami (OH), 24-14 Miami
MWC
San Diego State at New Mexico, 45-0 San Diego State
Air Force at TCU, 28-10 TCU
Pac-10
UCLA at Oregon, 35-10 Oregon
Washington at Arizona, 28-24 Washington
SEC
Georgia at Kentucky, 38-28 Kentucky
Mississippi at Arkansas, 42-21 Arkansas
Sun Belt
Louisiana-Monroe at Middle Tennessee State, 21-10 MTSU
Western Kentucky at Louisiana-Monroe, 31-17 LA-Monroe
WAC
New Mexico State at Idaho, 28-13 Idaho
Fresno State at San Jose State, 45-7 Fresno State
Independents
Notre Dame at Navy, 24-21 Notre Dame
Other recent posts on COLLEGE FOOTBALL HAVEN:
Weekly Trivia: LSU starting 7-0
Heisman Trophy Hopefuls, Week 7, 2010
Monday Musings: 10 Thoughts About Week 7, 2010
Poll Results: Is Denard Robinson still the Heisman Trophy front runner
College Football Haven Top 25, Week 7, 2010
ACC
Georgia Tech at Clemson, 28-17 Georgia Tech
North Carolina at Miami, 31-28 Miami
Big XII
Nebraska at Oklahoma State, 21-14 Nebraska
Oklahoma at Missouri, 35-10 Oklahoma
Big East
Rutgers at Pittsburgh, 27-21 Pitt
Connecticut at Louisville, 28-14 Louisville
Big Ten
Penn State at Minnesota, 41-7 Penn State
Indiana at Illinois, 28-10 Illinois
Conference USA
Rice at UCF, 38-17 UCF
Marshall at East Carolina, 45-7 East Carolina
MAC
Central Michigan at Northern Illinois, 28-22 N. Illinois
Ohio at Miami (OH), 24-14 Miami
MWC
San Diego State at New Mexico, 45-0 San Diego State
Air Force at TCU, 28-10 TCU
Pac-10
UCLA at Oregon, 35-10 Oregon
Washington at Arizona, 28-24 Washington
SEC
Georgia at Kentucky, 38-28 Kentucky
Mississippi at Arkansas, 42-21 Arkansas
Sun Belt
Louisiana-Monroe at Middle Tennessee State, 21-10 MTSU
Western Kentucky at Louisiana-Monroe, 31-17 LA-Monroe
WAC
New Mexico State at Idaho, 28-13 Idaho
Fresno State at San Jose State, 45-7 Fresno State
Independents
Notre Dame at Navy, 24-21 Notre Dame
Other recent posts on COLLEGE FOOTBALL HAVEN:
Weekly Trivia: LSU starting 7-0
Heisman Trophy Hopefuls, Week 7, 2010
Monday Musings: 10 Thoughts About Week 7, 2010
Poll Results: Is Denard Robinson still the Heisman Trophy front runner
College Football Haven Top 25, Week 7, 2010
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Weekly Trivia: LSU starting 7-0
The answer to last week's trivia question, "When was Michigan State's last national championship?" is 1966. It was a split national championship with Notre Dame. Michigan State had a 9-0-1 record in 1966. Notre Dame had an identical 9-0-1 record. They played to a 10-10 tie on November 19 that year.
Despite all the pessimism at LSU, the Tigers are 7-0. Even when LSU won the national championship in 2003 and 2007, they lost before game seven. Therefore, this week's question is:
For more trivia questions, visit the Trivia page.
Despite all the pessimism at LSU, the Tigers are 7-0. Even when LSU won the national championship in 2003 and 2007, they lost before game seven. Therefore, this week's question is:
When was the last time LSU won their first seven games?Leave your answer in the comments section. The answer will be revealed next Wednesday when a new question is asked.
For more trivia questions, visit the Trivia page.
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Heisman Trophy Hopefuls, Week 7, 2010
Slowly, but surely, the 2010 Heisman Trophy race is becoming more and more defined and select. I think the consensus is that Denard Robinson, Cameron Newton, and LaMichael James are the top 3. Terrell Pryor probably has the number 4 spot nailed down, but number five is still up for grabs. That means the race is still open. All it takes is two big weeks or one bad week to jump to the top, or fall to the bottom.
PLAYERS WHO STOOD OUT: Kellen Moore is playing out of this world. He had his third consecutive game with a 200+ pass efficiency rating (250). Sure, San Jose State isn’t the University of Texas, but Moore’s numbers against the Spartans were better than Alabama’s Greg McElroy in every category.
Cameron Newton is showing us he learned a thing or two from Tim Tebow while he was at Florida. Newton had another 188 yards rushing and 3 touchdowns on the ground this week. He has seven touchdowns and 386 yards rushing the last two weeks. He is now the fourth leading rusher in the nation, and tied for first (with two other quarterbacks) in rushing touchdowns.
Matt Barkley guided USC to a blowout win over Cal. He posted his second straight 300 yard passing game. He also threw five touchdowns, bringing his 2010 total to 20. Only Bryant Moniz (Hawaii) has more (21). Barkley is seventh in the nation in passing yards, and eighth in pass efficiency.
PLAYERS DROPPED: Daniel Thomas had his third straight game with less than 100 yards rushing. That is not what Heisman hopefuls do.
Ryan Mallett suffered a concussion early in his game against Auburn. Very bad timing. Mallett needed a good game and a win to keep his Heisman hopes alive. He should have a good year and a long career in the pros, but he won’t have a trip to New York this December.
PLAYERS TOEING THE LINE: Taylor Martinez was benched. Not the sign of a Heisman hopeful. You should be on the field when your team is trying to make a comeback. Martinez showed us that he is a much less competent passer than Denard Robinson and Cameron Newton, and that is severely hurting his chances, at this point.
Denard Robinson is severely hurting, literally. Robinson is toeing the line for two reasons. First, he sprained his right shoulder Saturday. If he misses any more game time, it might be too much to overcome. Even with his spectacular start to the season. Second, he needs to win games. Michigan is fading fast, just like last year. I know the defense is horrid, but Heisman hopefuls have been able to score enough points to get their teams bowl eligible. If Michigan has to fight tooth and nail just to get to a bowl game, then the Heisman is not for Robinson.
PLAYERS ADDED: Ricky Stanzi (QB, Iowa) has joined Brandon Weedon (QB, Oklahoma State) as a player very, very close to being added. Stanzi will play Wisconsin and Michigan State the next two weeks, which will determine whether he should or should not be a hopeful.
LaMichael James, Oregon
2009: 230 rushes, 1546 yards, 14 TD
2010: 114 rushes, 848 yards, 9 TD
Last: Bye
Kendall Hunter, Oklahoma State
2009: 89 rushes, 382 yards, 1 TD
2010: 135 rushes, 830 yards, 10 TD
Last: 25 rushes, 130 yards, 1 TD
Terrell Pryor, Ohio State
2009: 167-295 (56.6%), 2094 yards, 18 TD, 11 Int / 162 rushes, 779 yards, 7 TD
2010: 118-181 (65.2%), 1805 yards, 15 TD, 4 INT / 75 rushes, 410 yards, 3 TD
Last: 14-28 (50.0%), 156 yards, 0 TD, 1 INT / 18 rushes, 56 yards
Denard Robinson, Michigan
2009: 14-31 (45.4%), 188 yards, 2 TD, 4 Int
2010: 97-143 (67.8%), 1319 yards, 9 TD, 5 Int / 137 rushes, 1096 yards, 9 TD
Last: 13-18 (72.2%), 96 yards, 1 TD, 1 Int / 18 rushes, 105 yards, 0 TD
Taylor Martinez, Nebraska
2009: N/A
2010: 43-76 (56.6%), 723 yards, 3 TD, 3 Int / 81 rushes, 758 yards, 12 TD
Last: 4-12 (33.3%), 63 yards, 0 TD, 0 Int / 13 rushes, 21 yards, 0 TD
Matt Barkley, USC
2009: 211-352 (59.9%), 2,735 yards, 15 TD, 14 INT
2010: 138-211 (65.4%), 1869 yards, 20 TD, 4 Int
Last: 25-37 (67.6%), 352 yards, 5 TD, 0 Int
Andrew Luck, Stanford
2009: 162-288 (56.3%), 2575 yards, 13 TD, 4 Int
2010: 113-172 (65.7%), 1538 yards, 16 TD, 4 Int
Last: Bye
Kellen Moore, Boise State
2009: 277-431 (64.3%), 3,536 yards, 39 TD, 3 INT
2010: 105-151 (69.5%), 1567 yards, 16 TD, 1 Int
Last: 14-16 (87.5%), 231 yards, 2 TD, 0 Int
Cameron Newton, Auburn
2009: Redshirted
2010: 80-122 (65.6%), 1278 yards, 13 TD, 5 Int / 129 rushes, 860 yards, 12 TD
Last: 10-14 (71.4%), 140 yards, 1 TD, 0 Int / 25 rush, 188 yards, 3 TD
ON THE RADAR: Ricky Stanzi, Iowa; Brandon Weeden, Oklahoma State; Vai Taua, Nevada.
Other recent posts on COLLEGE FOOTBALL HAVEN:
Monday Musings: 10 Thoughts About Week 7, 2010
Poll Results: Is Denard Robinson still the Heisman Trophy front runner
College Football Haven Top 25, Week 7, 2010
Game Predictions, Week 7, 2010
Weekly Trivia: Michigan State National Championships
PLAYERS WHO STOOD OUT: Kellen Moore is playing out of this world. He had his third consecutive game with a 200+ pass efficiency rating (250). Sure, San Jose State isn’t the University of Texas, but Moore’s numbers against the Spartans were better than Alabama’s Greg McElroy in every category.
Cameron Newton is showing us he learned a thing or two from Tim Tebow while he was at Florida. Newton had another 188 yards rushing and 3 touchdowns on the ground this week. He has seven touchdowns and 386 yards rushing the last two weeks. He is now the fourth leading rusher in the nation, and tied for first (with two other quarterbacks) in rushing touchdowns.
Matt Barkley guided USC to a blowout win over Cal. He posted his second straight 300 yard passing game. He also threw five touchdowns, bringing his 2010 total to 20. Only Bryant Moniz (Hawaii) has more (21). Barkley is seventh in the nation in passing yards, and eighth in pass efficiency.
PLAYERS DROPPED: Daniel Thomas had his third straight game with less than 100 yards rushing. That is not what Heisman hopefuls do.
Ryan Mallett suffered a concussion early in his game against Auburn. Very bad timing. Mallett needed a good game and a win to keep his Heisman hopes alive. He should have a good year and a long career in the pros, but he won’t have a trip to New York this December.
PLAYERS TOEING THE LINE: Taylor Martinez was benched. Not the sign of a Heisman hopeful. You should be on the field when your team is trying to make a comeback. Martinez showed us that he is a much less competent passer than Denard Robinson and Cameron Newton, and that is severely hurting his chances, at this point.
Denard Robinson is severely hurting, literally. Robinson is toeing the line for two reasons. First, he sprained his right shoulder Saturday. If he misses any more game time, it might be too much to overcome. Even with his spectacular start to the season. Second, he needs to win games. Michigan is fading fast, just like last year. I know the defense is horrid, but Heisman hopefuls have been able to score enough points to get their teams bowl eligible. If Michigan has to fight tooth and nail just to get to a bowl game, then the Heisman is not for Robinson.
PLAYERS ADDED: Ricky Stanzi (QB, Iowa) has joined Brandon Weedon (QB, Oklahoma State) as a player very, very close to being added. Stanzi will play Wisconsin and Michigan State the next two weeks, which will determine whether he should or should not be a hopeful.
LaMichael James, Oregon
2009: 230 rushes, 1546 yards, 14 TD
2010: 114 rushes, 848 yards, 9 TD
Last: Bye
Kendall Hunter, Oklahoma State
2009: 89 rushes, 382 yards, 1 TD
2010: 135 rushes, 830 yards, 10 TD
Last: 25 rushes, 130 yards, 1 TD
Terrell Pryor, Ohio State
2009: 167-295 (56.6%), 2094 yards, 18 TD, 11 Int / 162 rushes, 779 yards, 7 TD
2010: 118-181 (65.2%), 1805 yards, 15 TD, 4 INT / 75 rushes, 410 yards, 3 TD
Last: 14-28 (50.0%), 156 yards, 0 TD, 1 INT / 18 rushes, 56 yards
Denard Robinson, Michigan
2009: 14-31 (45.4%), 188 yards, 2 TD, 4 Int
2010: 97-143 (67.8%), 1319 yards, 9 TD, 5 Int / 137 rushes, 1096 yards, 9 TD
Last: 13-18 (72.2%), 96 yards, 1 TD, 1 Int / 18 rushes, 105 yards, 0 TD
Taylor Martinez, Nebraska
2009: N/A
2010: 43-76 (56.6%), 723 yards, 3 TD, 3 Int / 81 rushes, 758 yards, 12 TD
Last: 4-12 (33.3%), 63 yards, 0 TD, 0 Int / 13 rushes, 21 yards, 0 TD
Matt Barkley, USC
2009: 211-352 (59.9%), 2,735 yards, 15 TD, 14 INT
2010: 138-211 (65.4%), 1869 yards, 20 TD, 4 Int
Last: 25-37 (67.6%), 352 yards, 5 TD, 0 Int
Andrew Luck, Stanford
2009: 162-288 (56.3%), 2575 yards, 13 TD, 4 Int
2010: 113-172 (65.7%), 1538 yards, 16 TD, 4 Int
Last: Bye
Kellen Moore, Boise State
2009: 277-431 (64.3%), 3,536 yards, 39 TD, 3 INT
2010: 105-151 (69.5%), 1567 yards, 16 TD, 1 Int
Last: 14-16 (87.5%), 231 yards, 2 TD, 0 Int
Cameron Newton, Auburn
2009: Redshirted
2010: 80-122 (65.6%), 1278 yards, 13 TD, 5 Int / 129 rushes, 860 yards, 12 TD
Last: 10-14 (71.4%), 140 yards, 1 TD, 0 Int / 25 rush, 188 yards, 3 TD
ON THE RADAR: Ricky Stanzi, Iowa; Brandon Weeden, Oklahoma State; Vai Taua, Nevada.
Other recent posts on COLLEGE FOOTBALL HAVEN:
Monday Musings: 10 Thoughts About Week 7, 2010
Poll Results: Is Denard Robinson still the Heisman Trophy front runner
College Football Haven Top 25, Week 7, 2010
Game Predictions, Week 7, 2010
Weekly Trivia: Michigan State National Championships
Monday, October 18, 2010
Monday Musings: 10 Thoughts About Week 7, 2010
College football did not disappoint this weekend. More upsets, more (un)Heisman moments, and more controversy--the BCS standings are out. After all the weekend action, here are my Monday Musings.
1. Dream Seasons Done. The Nebraska Cornhuskers, Ohio State Buckeyes, and Nevada Wolf Pack all saw hopes of undefeated seasons erased. It will take a lot of help from others for Nebraska and Ohio State to make it to the BCS National Championship game now.
2. The WAC is no walk in the park. Nevada’s loss to Hawaii shows that not just anyone can run the table in the WAC, at least not this year. If Boise State does end up undefeated, they will have beaten 3 quality conference opponents: Hawaii, Nevada, and Fresno State.
3. Wish you were here. On his way home Saturday night, Urban Meyer should have picked up two of these familiar post cards and sent one to Dan Mullen (Mississippi State head coach/former Florida offensive coordinator) and the other to Cameron Newton (Auburn QB/former Florida QB).
4. Should we really be surprised? Sure, Nebraska had the emotion of playing for revenge, and Texas had lost its last two games, but think about it. Texas was coming off a bye. The Texas defense is equal to, if not greater than, the vaunted Black shirts. Nebraska has been less than stellar at times (South Dakota State, 17-3; Idaho, 38-17). Cornhusker QB Taylor Martinez is just a freshman. As good as he has been, freshmen are still freshmen.
5. 120-27. Iowa State has been outscored by almost 100 points the last two weeks. The Cyclones have yielded one point per minute of play, and 1.75 points per minute that the opposing team’s offense is on the field.
6. Thank you. Michigan State needs to send one of these cards to Wisconsin. The Spartans don’t play Ohio State so the only chance for Michigan State to win the Big Ten outright, finish higher in the BCS standings than Ohio State, and get the conference’s automatic BCS bid was for someone to beat Ohio State. Wisconsin was happy to oblige.
7. Watch out for the Wildcats. The Kentucky Wildcats that is. They took Auburn to the wire last week. This week they upset South Carolina. Georgia and Mississippi State are their next two opponents. Kentucky has assumed the spoiler role and they can spoil both opponents’ seasons with a win in each game.
8. Good news/bad news. The good news during the Oregon Ducks’ bye week was that even without playing the voters moved them up to number one in the rankings. The bad news is that LaMichael James went from being the second leading rusher in the nation to the fifth. Vai Taua, Nevada, Bilal Powell, Louisville, and Cameron Newton, Auburn, all moved ahead of James.
9. Watch out Michael Crabtree, I mean Trevor Insley (Nevada). Insley set the NCAA single season receiving yards record in 1999 with 2,060 (Crabtree had 1,962 in 2008). After 190 yard and 207 yard receiving games in back-to-back weeks, Oklahoma State receiver Justin Blackmon is on pace for 1,910 yards, and that would be with only 114 receptions. Both Crabtree and Insley had 134.
10. Is Baylor bowl bound? The Baylor Bears are one win away from qualifying for a bowl, the first in program history since 1994. They have a hard road to travel for win number six: Kansas State, at Oklahoma State, at Texas, Texas A&M, and Oklahoma.
1. Dream Seasons Done. The Nebraska Cornhuskers, Ohio State Buckeyes, and Nevada Wolf Pack all saw hopes of undefeated seasons erased. It will take a lot of help from others for Nebraska and Ohio State to make it to the BCS National Championship game now.
2. The WAC is no walk in the park. Nevada’s loss to Hawaii shows that not just anyone can run the table in the WAC, at least not this year. If Boise State does end up undefeated, they will have beaten 3 quality conference opponents: Hawaii, Nevada, and Fresno State.
3. Wish you were here. On his way home Saturday night, Urban Meyer should have picked up two of these familiar post cards and sent one to Dan Mullen (Mississippi State head coach/former Florida offensive coordinator) and the other to Cameron Newton (Auburn QB/former Florida QB).
4. Should we really be surprised? Sure, Nebraska had the emotion of playing for revenge, and Texas had lost its last two games, but think about it. Texas was coming off a bye. The Texas defense is equal to, if not greater than, the vaunted Black shirts. Nebraska has been less than stellar at times (South Dakota State, 17-3; Idaho, 38-17). Cornhusker QB Taylor Martinez is just a freshman. As good as he has been, freshmen are still freshmen.
5. 120-27. Iowa State has been outscored by almost 100 points the last two weeks. The Cyclones have yielded one point per minute of play, and 1.75 points per minute that the opposing team’s offense is on the field.
6. Thank you. Michigan State needs to send one of these cards to Wisconsin. The Spartans don’t play Ohio State so the only chance for Michigan State to win the Big Ten outright, finish higher in the BCS standings than Ohio State, and get the conference’s automatic BCS bid was for someone to beat Ohio State. Wisconsin was happy to oblige.
7. Watch out for the Wildcats. The Kentucky Wildcats that is. They took Auburn to the wire last week. This week they upset South Carolina. Georgia and Mississippi State are their next two opponents. Kentucky has assumed the spoiler role and they can spoil both opponents’ seasons with a win in each game.
8. Good news/bad news. The good news during the Oregon Ducks’ bye week was that even without playing the voters moved them up to number one in the rankings. The bad news is that LaMichael James went from being the second leading rusher in the nation to the fifth. Vai Taua, Nevada, Bilal Powell, Louisville, and Cameron Newton, Auburn, all moved ahead of James.
9. Watch out Michael Crabtree, I mean Trevor Insley (Nevada). Insley set the NCAA single season receiving yards record in 1999 with 2,060 (Crabtree had 1,962 in 2008). After 190 yard and 207 yard receiving games in back-to-back weeks, Oklahoma State receiver Justin Blackmon is on pace for 1,910 yards, and that would be with only 114 receptions. Both Crabtree and Insley had 134.
10. Is Baylor bowl bound? The Baylor Bears are one win away from qualifying for a bowl, the first in program history since 1994. They have a hard road to travel for win number six: Kansas State, at Oklahoma State, at Texas, Texas A&M, and Oklahoma.
Poll Results: Is Denard Robinson still the Heisman Trophy front runner
The poll has closed on the question, "Is Denard Robinson still the Heisman Trophy front runner?" The results are No, he is not, by a 54%-46% margin.
Thank you to everyone who voted. Don't forget to vote in this week's poll, "Will either Oklahoma or Oregon play in the BCS National Championship game?"
Thank you to everyone who voted. Don't forget to vote in this week's poll, "Will either Oklahoma or Oregon play in the BCS National Championship game?"
College Football Haven Top 25, Week 7, 2010
The Oklahoma Sooners may be number one in the first BCS standings for 2010, but they only moved up one spot to number 5 in the College Football Haven Top 25. Auburn was the big winner from Nebraska and Ohio State both losing. The Tigers jumped from number 7 to 3.
Oklahoma has beaten two quality teams: Texas and Florida State. The Sooners have struggled to beat everyone else (except Iowa State). A 52-0 win over Iowa State does not make up for a seven point win over Utah State, a three point win over Air Force, and a two point win over Cincinnati. Auburn has three quality wins: Mississippi State, Arkansas, and South Carolina. The Kentucky win took on more meaning with the Wildcats win over South Carolina this week.
Oklahoma State and Missouri were other big winners this week as they stayed unbeaten.
1. Boise State (6-0)
LAST: Beat San Jose State 48-0.
Ever so slightly, that bests Alabama’s 48-3 win on opening day.
2. Oregon (6-0)
LAST: Bye.
Wouldn’t a Boise State-Oregon match up in the BCS national championship game be intriguing?
3. Auburn (7-0)
LAST: Beat Arkansas 65-43.
HUGE showdown with LSU this week.
4. TCU (7-0)
LAST: Beat BYU 31-3.
Only led 3-0 with 2 minutes left in the first half.
5. Oklahoma (6-0)
LAST: Beat Iowa State 52-0.
6. Michigan State (7-0)
LAST: Beat Illinois 26-6.
The Illini are tougher than most expected this year.
7. Utah (6-0)
LAST: Beat Wyoming 30-6.
8. LSU (7-0)
LAST: Beat McNeese State 32-10.
McNeese State led 10-7 with 10 minutes left in the second quarter. Can LSU win a game without it being ugly?
9. Iowa (6-1)
LAST: Beat Michigan 38-28.
10. Alabama (6-1)
LAST: Beat Ole Miss 23-10.
They still control their own destiny.
11. Oklahoma State (6-0)
LAST: Beat Texas Tech 34-17.
Playing well in the Sooners’ shadow.
12. Missouri (6-0)
LAST: Beat Texas A&M 30-9.
13. Wisconsin (6-1)
LAST: Beat Ohio State 31-18.
14. Nebraska (5-1)
LAST: Lost to Texas 20-13.
15. Ohio State (6-1)
LAST: Lost to Wisconsin 31-18.
16. Stanford (5-1)
LAST: Bye.
17. Florida State (6-1)
LAST: Beat Boston College 24-19.
Text book definition of a let down.
18. Arizona (5-1)
LAST: Beat Washington State 24-7.
19. West Virginia (5-1)
LAST: Beat South Florida 20-6.
20. South Carolina (4-2)
LAST: Lost to Kentucky 31-28.
Still in the driver’s seat in the SEC East.
21. Arkansas (4-2)
LAST: Lost to Auburn 65-43.
22. Texas (5-2)
LAST: Beat Cal 48-14.
23. Virginia Tech (5-2)
LAST: Beat Wake Forest 52-21.
That is 5 straight for the Hokies.
24. Nevada (6-1)
LAST: Lost to Hawaii 27-21.
25. Mississippi State (5-2)
LAST: Beat Florida 10-7.
OTHERS TO WATCH: USC, Kansas State, Miami, Northwestern, Baylor, Georgia Tech, North Carolina State, Air Force, San Diego State, East Carolina, Southern Mississippi.
Previous Top 25:
Preseason
Week 1
Week 2
Week 3
Week 4
Week 5
Week 6
Oklahoma has beaten two quality teams: Texas and Florida State. The Sooners have struggled to beat everyone else (except Iowa State). A 52-0 win over Iowa State does not make up for a seven point win over Utah State, a three point win over Air Force, and a two point win over Cincinnati. Auburn has three quality wins: Mississippi State, Arkansas, and South Carolina. The Kentucky win took on more meaning with the Wildcats win over South Carolina this week.
Oklahoma State and Missouri were other big winners this week as they stayed unbeaten.
1. Boise State (6-0)
LAST: Beat San Jose State 48-0.
Ever so slightly, that bests Alabama’s 48-3 win on opening day.
2. Oregon (6-0)
LAST: Bye.
Wouldn’t a Boise State-Oregon match up in the BCS national championship game be intriguing?
3. Auburn (7-0)
LAST: Beat Arkansas 65-43.
HUGE showdown with LSU this week.
4. TCU (7-0)
LAST: Beat BYU 31-3.
Only led 3-0 with 2 minutes left in the first half.
5. Oklahoma (6-0)
LAST: Beat Iowa State 52-0.
6. Michigan State (7-0)
LAST: Beat Illinois 26-6.
The Illini are tougher than most expected this year.
7. Utah (6-0)
LAST: Beat Wyoming 30-6.
8. LSU (7-0)
LAST: Beat McNeese State 32-10.
McNeese State led 10-7 with 10 minutes left in the second quarter. Can LSU win a game without it being ugly?
9. Iowa (6-1)
LAST: Beat Michigan 38-28.
10. Alabama (6-1)
LAST: Beat Ole Miss 23-10.
They still control their own destiny.
11. Oklahoma State (6-0)
LAST: Beat Texas Tech 34-17.
Playing well in the Sooners’ shadow.
12. Missouri (6-0)
LAST: Beat Texas A&M 30-9.
13. Wisconsin (6-1)
LAST: Beat Ohio State 31-18.
14. Nebraska (5-1)
LAST: Lost to Texas 20-13.
15. Ohio State (6-1)
LAST: Lost to Wisconsin 31-18.
16. Stanford (5-1)
LAST: Bye.
17. Florida State (6-1)
LAST: Beat Boston College 24-19.
Text book definition of a let down.
18. Arizona (5-1)
LAST: Beat Washington State 24-7.
19. West Virginia (5-1)
LAST: Beat South Florida 20-6.
20. South Carolina (4-2)
LAST: Lost to Kentucky 31-28.
Still in the driver’s seat in the SEC East.
21. Arkansas (4-2)
LAST: Lost to Auburn 65-43.
22. Texas (5-2)
LAST: Beat Cal 48-14.
23. Virginia Tech (5-2)
LAST: Beat Wake Forest 52-21.
That is 5 straight for the Hokies.
24. Nevada (6-1)
LAST: Lost to Hawaii 27-21.
25. Mississippi State (5-2)
LAST: Beat Florida 10-7.
OTHERS TO WATCH: USC, Kansas State, Miami, Northwestern, Baylor, Georgia Tech, North Carolina State, Air Force, San Diego State, East Carolina, Southern Mississippi.
Previous Top 25:
Preseason
Week 1
Week 2
Week 3
Week 4
Week 5
Week 6
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Game Predictions, Week 7, 2010
The law of averages caught up with me this past week. I struggled to keep my head above 0.500 going 12-11. That brings the season total to 98-39 (71.5%). On to this week’s picks. As always, you are free to chime in with your picks, or at least where you agree or disagree, and we can discuss. If I left off a game that really interests you, throw it out and we can discuss it also.
Thursday, October 7
South Florida at West Virginia, 35-21 West Virginia
Friday, October 8
Cincinnati at Louisville, 17-14 Louisville
Saturday, October 9
ACC
Maryland at Clemson, 31-17 Clemson
Wake Forest at Virginia Tech, 44-14 Virginia Tech
Big XII
Missouri at Texas A&M, 38-31 Missouri
Baylor at Colorado, 24-7 Baylor
Big Ten
Ohio State at Wisconsin, 28-17 Ohio state
Minnesota at Purdue, 27-7 Purdue
Conference USA
Houston at Rice, 31-17 Houston
UTEP at UAB, 31-24 UAB
MAC
Miami (OH) at Central Michigan, 24-13 Central Michigan
Buffalo at Northern Illinois, 24-13 Northern Illinois
MWC
Air Force at San Diego State, 28-24 Air Force
Utah at Wyoming, 77-7 Utah
Pac-10
California at USC, 35-21 USC
Arizona at Washington State, 45-17 Arizona
SEC
Mississippi State at Florida, 21-20 Florida
Ole Miss at Alabama, 49-10 Alabama
Sun Belt
Louisiana-Lafayette at Troy, 27-10 Troy
Louisiana-Monroe at Western Kentucky, 21-3 LA-Monroe
WAC
New Mexico State at Fresno State, 52-17 Fresno State
Nevada at Hawaii, 41-38 Nevada
Independents
Army at Rutgers, 31-17 Rutgers
SMU at Navy, 27-21 Navy
Other recent posts on COLLEGE FOOTBALL HAVEN:
Weekly Trivia: Michigan State National Championships
Heisman Trophy Hopefuls, Week 6, 2010
Poll Results: Which team had the biggest win this weekend (Week 5)?
Monday Musings: 10 Thoughts About Week 6
College Football Haven Top 25, Week 6, 2010
Thursday, October 7
South Florida at West Virginia, 35-21 West Virginia
Friday, October 8
Cincinnati at Louisville, 17-14 Louisville
Saturday, October 9
ACC
Maryland at Clemson, 31-17 Clemson
Wake Forest at Virginia Tech, 44-14 Virginia Tech
Big XII
Missouri at Texas A&M, 38-31 Missouri
Baylor at Colorado, 24-7 Baylor
Big Ten
Ohio State at Wisconsin, 28-17 Ohio state
Minnesota at Purdue, 27-7 Purdue
Conference USA
Houston at Rice, 31-17 Houston
UTEP at UAB, 31-24 UAB
MAC
Miami (OH) at Central Michigan, 24-13 Central Michigan
Buffalo at Northern Illinois, 24-13 Northern Illinois
MWC
Air Force at San Diego State, 28-24 Air Force
Utah at Wyoming, 77-7 Utah
Pac-10
California at USC, 35-21 USC
Arizona at Washington State, 45-17 Arizona
SEC
Mississippi State at Florida, 21-20 Florida
Ole Miss at Alabama, 49-10 Alabama
Sun Belt
Louisiana-Lafayette at Troy, 27-10 Troy
Louisiana-Monroe at Western Kentucky, 21-3 LA-Monroe
WAC
New Mexico State at Fresno State, 52-17 Fresno State
Nevada at Hawaii, 41-38 Nevada
Independents
Army at Rutgers, 31-17 Rutgers
SMU at Navy, 27-21 Navy
Other recent posts on COLLEGE FOOTBALL HAVEN:
Weekly Trivia: Michigan State National Championships
Heisman Trophy Hopefuls, Week 6, 2010
Poll Results: Which team had the biggest win this weekend (Week 5)?
Monday Musings: 10 Thoughts About Week 6
College Football Haven Top 25, Week 6, 2010
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Weekly Trivia: Michigan State National Championships
Last week's trivia question, "Who was the last Michigan Wolverine to lead the nation in rushing?" was a trick question. The correct answer is no one. Michigan has never had a running back lead the nation in rushing for a single season. For a school with so much tradition at running back, that is hard to believe.
Michigan State has a pretty clear path to a 12-0 season, which could land them in the BCS national championship game. The Spartans have won three national championships. Therefore, this week's question is:
For more trivia questions, visit the Trivia page.
Michigan State has a pretty clear path to a 12-0 season, which could land them in the BCS national championship game. The Spartans have won three national championships. Therefore, this week's question is:
When was Michigan State's last national championship?Leave your answer in the comments section. The answer will be revealed next Wednesday when a new question is asked.
For more trivia questions, visit the Trivia page.
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Heisman Trophy Hopefuls, Week 6, 2010
The list of Heisman Hopefuls saw no changes this week. The race became a lot more competitive with Michigan State containing Denard Robinson. Also, several of the hopefuls had standout performances.
PLAYERS WHO STOOD OUT: Terrell Pryor had the best passing day of his career. He completed 80% of his 30 passes for 334 yards and 3 TD without an interception.
Taylor Martinez wanted everyone to know that he can run just as well as Denard Robinson. Martinez logged 241 yards on just 15 carries, and he scored on over 25% of those carries (4 TDs). He also added 128 passing yards on just 7 attempts to go along with the impressive run total.
Andrew Luck continued to improve not only his Heisman Trophy chances, but his NFL draft stock as well. He completed over 83% of his passes for 285 yards and three touchdowns.
Kellen Moore has been just as hot as Luck. Moore had his second consecutive game of a pass efficiency rating over 218. He is now the nation’s leader in efficiency with a 183.3 rating.
Cameron Newton had his own Robinson-esque game with 210 yards passing and 198 rushing, with 4 rushing scores.
Matt Barkley responded to my criticism for not having a 300 yard passing game by throwing for 390 yards against Stanford. He has played well enough the last two weeks to win, but the Trojan defense has allowed teams to kick last second field goals to steal the victories.
PLAYERS DROPPED: No players were dropped.
PLAYERS TOEING THE LINE: Ryan Mallett had a good enough game to remain a hopeful, but not good enough to get him removed from this section. Daniel Thomas laid an egg against Nebraska. He averaged less than three yards a carry on 22 rushes as the Wildcats were blown out 48-13.
PLAYERS ADDED: No one was added this week. Brandon Weedon (QB, Oklahoma State) is very, very close to being added. I will be watching him closely the next two weeks (Texas Tech and Nebraska) and make a decision on him after that. Fewer and fewer players will be added for the rest of the year as the lead pack solidifies itself. For example, I can’t justify adding any running backs unless they do something to show me they are better than LaMichael James. Even those other running backs on the list will be dropped soon if the distance between them and James continues to increase. This isn’t a list to recognize players having a good year. It is the Heisman Hopefuls.
LaMichael James, Oregon
2009: 230 rushes, 1546 yards, 14 TD
2010: 114 rushes, 848 yards, 9 TD
Last: 25 rushes, 136 yards, 2 TD
Daniel Thomas, Kansas State
2009: 249 rushes, 1,265 yards, 11 TD
2010: 127 rushes, 691 yards, 6 TD
Last: 22 rushes, 63 yards, 0 TD
Kendall Hunter, Oklahoma State
2009: 89 rushes, 382 yards, 1 TD
2010: 110 rushes, 700 yards, 9 TD
Last: 28 rushes, 126 yards, 1 TD
Terrell Pryor, Ohio State
2009: 167-295 (56.6%), 2094 yards, 18 TD, 11 Int / 162 rushes, 779 yards, 7 TD
2010: 104-153 (68.0%), 1349 yards, 15 TD, 3 INT / 57 rushes, 354 yards, 3 TD
Last: 24-30 (80.0%), 334 yards, 3 TD, 0 INT / 3 rushes, -19 yards
Denard Robinson, Michigan
2009: 14-31 (45.4%), 188 yards, 2 TD, 4 Int
2010: 84-125 (67.2%), 1223 yards, 8 TD, 4 Int / 119 rushes, 991 yards, 9 TD
Last: 17-29 (58.6%), 215 yards, 1 TD, 3 Int / 21 rushes, 86 yards, 1 TD
Ryan Mallett, Arkansas
2009: 225-403 (55.8%), 3,627 yards, 30 TD, 7 Int
2010: 122-174 (69.3%), 1748 yards, 13 TD, 6 Int
Last: 27-38 (71.1%), 310 yards, 3 TD 1 Int
Taylor Martinez, Nebraska
2009: N/A
2010: 39-64 (60.9%), 660 yards, 3 TD, 3 Int / 68 rushes, 737 yards, 12 TD
Last: 5-7 (71.4%), 128 yards, 1 TD, 0 Int / 15 rushes, 241 yards, 4 TD
Matt Barkley, USC
2009: 211-352 (59.9%), 2,735 yards, 15 TD, 14 INT
2010: 113-174 (64.9%), 1517 yards, 15 TD, 4 Int
Last: 28-45 (62.2%), 390 yards, 3 TD, 0 Int
Andrew Luck, Stanford
2009: 162-288 (56.3%), 2575 yards, 13 TD, 4 Int
2010: 113-172 (65.7%), 1538 yards, 16 TD, 4 Int
Last: 20-24 (83.3%), 285 yards, 3 TD, 0 Int
Kellen Moore, Boise State
2009: 277-431 (64.3%), 3,536 yards, 39 TD, 3 INT
2010: 91-135 (67.4%), 1336 yards, 14 TD, 1 Int
Last: 16-22 (72.7%), 267 yards, 3 TD, 0 Int
Cameron Newton, Auburn
2009: Redshirted
2010: 70-108 (64.8%), 1138 yards, 12 TD, 5 Int / 104 rushes, 672 yards, 9 TD
Last: 13-21 (61.9%), 210 yards, 0 TD, 1 Int / 28 rush, 198 yards, 4 TD
ON THE RADAR: Ricky Stanzi, Iowa; Brandon Weeden, Oklahoma State; Dan Persa, Northwestern, Vai Taua, Nevada, Kirk Cousins, Michigan State.
PLAYERS WHO STOOD OUT: Terrell Pryor had the best passing day of his career. He completed 80% of his 30 passes for 334 yards and 3 TD without an interception.
Taylor Martinez wanted everyone to know that he can run just as well as Denard Robinson. Martinez logged 241 yards on just 15 carries, and he scored on over 25% of those carries (4 TDs). He also added 128 passing yards on just 7 attempts to go along with the impressive run total.
Andrew Luck continued to improve not only his Heisman Trophy chances, but his NFL draft stock as well. He completed over 83% of his passes for 285 yards and three touchdowns.
Kellen Moore has been just as hot as Luck. Moore had his second consecutive game of a pass efficiency rating over 218. He is now the nation’s leader in efficiency with a 183.3 rating.
Cameron Newton had his own Robinson-esque game with 210 yards passing and 198 rushing, with 4 rushing scores.
Matt Barkley responded to my criticism for not having a 300 yard passing game by throwing for 390 yards against Stanford. He has played well enough the last two weeks to win, but the Trojan defense has allowed teams to kick last second field goals to steal the victories.
PLAYERS DROPPED: No players were dropped.
PLAYERS TOEING THE LINE: Ryan Mallett had a good enough game to remain a hopeful, but not good enough to get him removed from this section. Daniel Thomas laid an egg against Nebraska. He averaged less than three yards a carry on 22 rushes as the Wildcats were blown out 48-13.
PLAYERS ADDED: No one was added this week. Brandon Weedon (QB, Oklahoma State) is very, very close to being added. I will be watching him closely the next two weeks (Texas Tech and Nebraska) and make a decision on him after that. Fewer and fewer players will be added for the rest of the year as the lead pack solidifies itself. For example, I can’t justify adding any running backs unless they do something to show me they are better than LaMichael James. Even those other running backs on the list will be dropped soon if the distance between them and James continues to increase. This isn’t a list to recognize players having a good year. It is the Heisman Hopefuls.
LaMichael James, Oregon
2009: 230 rushes, 1546 yards, 14 TD
2010: 114 rushes, 848 yards, 9 TD
Last: 25 rushes, 136 yards, 2 TD
Daniel Thomas, Kansas State
2009: 249 rushes, 1,265 yards, 11 TD
2010: 127 rushes, 691 yards, 6 TD
Last: 22 rushes, 63 yards, 0 TD
Kendall Hunter, Oklahoma State
2009: 89 rushes, 382 yards, 1 TD
2010: 110 rushes, 700 yards, 9 TD
Last: 28 rushes, 126 yards, 1 TD
Terrell Pryor, Ohio State
2009: 167-295 (56.6%), 2094 yards, 18 TD, 11 Int / 162 rushes, 779 yards, 7 TD
2010: 104-153 (68.0%), 1349 yards, 15 TD, 3 INT / 57 rushes, 354 yards, 3 TD
Last: 24-30 (80.0%), 334 yards, 3 TD, 0 INT / 3 rushes, -19 yards
Denard Robinson, Michigan
2009: 14-31 (45.4%), 188 yards, 2 TD, 4 Int
2010: 84-125 (67.2%), 1223 yards, 8 TD, 4 Int / 119 rushes, 991 yards, 9 TD
Last: 17-29 (58.6%), 215 yards, 1 TD, 3 Int / 21 rushes, 86 yards, 1 TD
Ryan Mallett, Arkansas
2009: 225-403 (55.8%), 3,627 yards, 30 TD, 7 Int
2010: 122-174 (69.3%), 1748 yards, 13 TD, 6 Int
Last: 27-38 (71.1%), 310 yards, 3 TD 1 Int
Taylor Martinez, Nebraska
2009: N/A
2010: 39-64 (60.9%), 660 yards, 3 TD, 3 Int / 68 rushes, 737 yards, 12 TD
Last: 5-7 (71.4%), 128 yards, 1 TD, 0 Int / 15 rushes, 241 yards, 4 TD
Matt Barkley, USC
2009: 211-352 (59.9%), 2,735 yards, 15 TD, 14 INT
2010: 113-174 (64.9%), 1517 yards, 15 TD, 4 Int
Last: 28-45 (62.2%), 390 yards, 3 TD, 0 Int
Andrew Luck, Stanford
2009: 162-288 (56.3%), 2575 yards, 13 TD, 4 Int
2010: 113-172 (65.7%), 1538 yards, 16 TD, 4 Int
Last: 20-24 (83.3%), 285 yards, 3 TD, 0 Int
Kellen Moore, Boise State
2009: 277-431 (64.3%), 3,536 yards, 39 TD, 3 INT
2010: 91-135 (67.4%), 1336 yards, 14 TD, 1 Int
Last: 16-22 (72.7%), 267 yards, 3 TD, 0 Int
Cameron Newton, Auburn
2009: Redshirted
2010: 70-108 (64.8%), 1138 yards, 12 TD, 5 Int / 104 rushes, 672 yards, 9 TD
Last: 13-21 (61.9%), 210 yards, 0 TD, 1 Int / 28 rush, 198 yards, 4 TD
ON THE RADAR: Ricky Stanzi, Iowa; Brandon Weeden, Oklahoma State; Dan Persa, Northwestern, Vai Taua, Nevada, Kirk Cousins, Michigan State.
Monday, October 11, 2010
Poll Results: Which team had the biggest win this weekend (Week 5)?
Oregon's win over Stanford (42%) was the biggest victory of week 5. Washington's win over USC was second with 33%, and Michigan State over Wisconsin received the final 25% of the votes. Oklahoma's win over Texas received no votes.
Thank you to everyone who voted. Don't forget to vote in the new poll: "Is Denard Robinson still the Heisman Trophy front runner?"
Thank you to everyone who voted. Don't forget to vote in the new poll: "Is Denard Robinson still the Heisman Trophy front runner?"
Monday Musings: 10 Thoughts About Week 6
College football turned in a fantastic weekend. Several games came down to the last minute. Some more mid-season rivalry games were unexpected blowouts, while other games were much closer than expected.
1. Bad week to be unbeaten. With targets on their backs, the undefeated teams were tested and several failed. Five undefeated teams lost (Kansas State, Northwestern, Alabama, Arizona, and Michigan). Two others were severely tested (Auburn and LSU).
2. What a different a week makes. Colorado beat Georgia last week, 29-27. This week, the Buffs were whipped by Missouri 26-0, while Georgia whipped Tennessee 41-14.
3. A bad day to be UM. Michigan lost to in-state rival Michigan State 34-17, ruining the Wolverines' perfect record. Miami lost even worse in their rivalry game, 45-17.
4. A Boost for Boise State. The Broncos got a boost in the polls this week. They moved up one spot to number 3 in each poll and gained 7 first place votes in the AP and one in the USA Today. Certainly Oregon State's win over previously undefeated Arizona helped contribute to changing voters' minds, as well as Alabama's loss.
5. Back to the little kid table. Iowa State thought they were on the way up to the next level after last year's 7-6 campaign. Saturday, the Cyclones gave up 41 points--in the first half. You still have a long way to go.
6. He's human. Denard Robinson was playing out of this world in the first five games. Saturday saw him limited to 86 yards rushing and saw him throw three interceptions.
7. No more last second field goals. USC has lost back-to-back games to Washington and Stanford on last second field goals. No 4-2 team is closer to being 6-0 than the Trojans.
8. Game of his life. South Carolina quarterback played the game of his life in the upset of Alabama. His stat line was 17-20 (85%), 201 yards, 3 TD, 1 Interception. That is what it takes to beat at team like the Crimson Tide.
9. Half a day off. Baylor and Texas Tech gave their defenses half of the day off. At halftime the score in their game was 35-28. The defenses did play in the second half as each team scored only 10 points.
10. Learn to share. BYU held on to the ball for 45:01 in their 24-21 win over San Diego State. The Aztecs just wanted 2 more minutes.
Other recent posts on COLLEGE FOOTBALL HAVEN:
College Football Haven Top 25, Week 6, 2010
Game of the Week: Michigan State Spartans at Michigan Wolverines
Game Predictions, Week 6, 2010
USC Trojans: Still No Institutional Control
Weekly Trivia: Single Season Rushing Leader
Heisman Trophy Hopefuls, Week 5, 2010
1. Bad week to be unbeaten. With targets on their backs, the undefeated teams were tested and several failed. Five undefeated teams lost (Kansas State, Northwestern, Alabama, Arizona, and Michigan). Two others were severely tested (Auburn and LSU).
2. What a different a week makes. Colorado beat Georgia last week, 29-27. This week, the Buffs were whipped by Missouri 26-0, while Georgia whipped Tennessee 41-14.
3. A bad day to be UM. Michigan lost to in-state rival Michigan State 34-17, ruining the Wolverines' perfect record. Miami lost even worse in their rivalry game, 45-17.
4. A Boost for Boise State. The Broncos got a boost in the polls this week. They moved up one spot to number 3 in each poll and gained 7 first place votes in the AP and one in the USA Today. Certainly Oregon State's win over previously undefeated Arizona helped contribute to changing voters' minds, as well as Alabama's loss.
5. Back to the little kid table. Iowa State thought they were on the way up to the next level after last year's 7-6 campaign. Saturday, the Cyclones gave up 41 points--in the first half. You still have a long way to go.
6. He's human. Denard Robinson was playing out of this world in the first five games. Saturday saw him limited to 86 yards rushing and saw him throw three interceptions.
7. No more last second field goals. USC has lost back-to-back games to Washington and Stanford on last second field goals. No 4-2 team is closer to being 6-0 than the Trojans.
8. Game of his life. South Carolina quarterback played the game of his life in the upset of Alabama. His stat line was 17-20 (85%), 201 yards, 3 TD, 1 Interception. That is what it takes to beat at team like the Crimson Tide.
9. Half a day off. Baylor and Texas Tech gave their defenses half of the day off. At halftime the score in their game was 35-28. The defenses did play in the second half as each team scored only 10 points.
10. Learn to share. BYU held on to the ball for 45:01 in their 24-21 win over San Diego State. The Aztecs just wanted 2 more minutes.
Other recent posts on COLLEGE FOOTBALL HAVEN:
College Football Haven Top 25, Week 6, 2010
Game of the Week: Michigan State Spartans at Michigan Wolverines
Game Predictions, Week 6, 2010
USC Trojans: Still No Institutional Control
Weekly Trivia: Single Season Rushing Leader
Heisman Trophy Hopefuls, Week 5, 2010
College Football Haven Top 25, Week 6, 2010
The College Football Haven Top 25 had a major shake up this week. Two top 10 teams lost and four of the bottom five lost. Five teams entered/reentered the rankings this week. South Carolina (#11) is the highest of the new teams, followed by Florida State (#16), after their big upsets over Alabama and Miami, respectively. Missouri, Air Force, and West Virginia are the other new teams. Michigan State and LSU are now in the top 10.
1. Boise State (5-0)
LAST: Beat Toledo 57-14.
You can't ask for anymore from Boise State at this point. Next week against San Jose State is a key game.
2. Ohio State (6-0)
LAST: Beat Indiana 38-10.
The Buckeyes don't have to play Michigan State this year.
3. Oregon (6-0)
LAST: Beat Washington State 43-23.
4. TCU (6-0)
LAST: Beat Wyoming 45-0.
Back to 2009 form.
5. Nebraska (5-0)
LAST: Beat Kansas State 48-13.
6. Oklahoma (5-0)
LAST: Bye.
7. Auburn (6-0)
LAST: Beat Kentucky 37-34.
8. Michigan State (6-0)
LAST: Beat Michigan 34-17.
Only one tough game left: Iowa, October 30.
9. Utah (5-0)
LAST: Beat Iowa State 68-20.
10. LSU (6-0)
LAST: Beat Florida 33-29.
Les Miles made a huge statement.
11. South Carolina (4-1)
LAST: Beat Alabama 35-21.
Could this be the year?
12. Iowa (5-1)
LAST: Bye.
13. Alabama (5-1)
LAST: Lost to South Carolina 35-21.
14. Arkansas (4-1)
LAST: Beat Texas A&M 24-17.
15. Stanford (5-1)
LAST: Beat USC 37-35.
The Stanford D needs some work.
16. Florida State (5-1)
LAST: Beat Miami 45-17.
Big win made bigger with the rivalry and with it coming on the road.
17. Nevada (6-0)
LAST: Beat San Jose State 35-13.
18. Oklahoma State (5-0)
LAST: Beat Louisiana-Lafayette 54-28.
19. Missouri (5-0)
LAST: Beat Texas A&M 38-35.
20. Arizona (4-1)
LAST: Lost to Oregon State 29-27.
21. Wisconsin (5-1)
LAST: Beat Minnesota 41-23.
22. Michigan (5-1)
LAST: Lost to Michigan State 34-17.
The defense must improve immediately.
23. North Carolina State (5-1)
LAST: Beat Boston College 44-17.
24. Air Force (5-1)
LAST: Beat Colorado State 49-27.
25. West Virginia (4-1)
LAST: Beat UNLV 49-10.
OTHERS TO WATCH: Oregon State, Virginia Tech, Maryland, Kansas State, Syracuse, USC, Miami, Florida, Northwestern.
Previous Top 25:
Preseason
Week 1
Week 2
Week 3
Week 4
Week 5
1. Boise State (5-0)
LAST: Beat Toledo 57-14.
You can't ask for anymore from Boise State at this point. Next week against San Jose State is a key game.
2. Ohio State (6-0)
LAST: Beat Indiana 38-10.
The Buckeyes don't have to play Michigan State this year.
3. Oregon (6-0)
LAST: Beat Washington State 43-23.
4. TCU (6-0)
LAST: Beat Wyoming 45-0.
Back to 2009 form.
5. Nebraska (5-0)
LAST: Beat Kansas State 48-13.
6. Oklahoma (5-0)
LAST: Bye.
7. Auburn (6-0)
LAST: Beat Kentucky 37-34.
8. Michigan State (6-0)
LAST: Beat Michigan 34-17.
Only one tough game left: Iowa, October 30.
9. Utah (5-0)
LAST: Beat Iowa State 68-20.
10. LSU (6-0)
LAST: Beat Florida 33-29.
Les Miles made a huge statement.
11. South Carolina (4-1)
LAST: Beat Alabama 35-21.
Could this be the year?
12. Iowa (5-1)
LAST: Bye.
13. Alabama (5-1)
LAST: Lost to South Carolina 35-21.
14. Arkansas (4-1)
LAST: Beat Texas A&M 24-17.
15. Stanford (5-1)
LAST: Beat USC 37-35.
The Stanford D needs some work.
16. Florida State (5-1)
LAST: Beat Miami 45-17.
Big win made bigger with the rivalry and with it coming on the road.
17. Nevada (6-0)
LAST: Beat San Jose State 35-13.
18. Oklahoma State (5-0)
LAST: Beat Louisiana-Lafayette 54-28.
19. Missouri (5-0)
LAST: Beat Texas A&M 38-35.
20. Arizona (4-1)
LAST: Lost to Oregon State 29-27.
21. Wisconsin (5-1)
LAST: Beat Minnesota 41-23.
22. Michigan (5-1)
LAST: Lost to Michigan State 34-17.
The defense must improve immediately.
23. North Carolina State (5-1)
LAST: Beat Boston College 44-17.
24. Air Force (5-1)
LAST: Beat Colorado State 49-27.
25. West Virginia (4-1)
LAST: Beat UNLV 49-10.
OTHERS TO WATCH: Oregon State, Virginia Tech, Maryland, Kansas State, Syracuse, USC, Miami, Florida, Northwestern.
Previous Top 25:
Preseason
Week 1
Week 2
Week 3
Week 4
Week 5
Friday, October 8, 2010
Game of the Week: Michigan State Spartans at Michigan Wolverines
This edition of the Michigan Wolverines and the Michigan State Spartans rivalry is one of the biggest in several years. The important thing is that both teams are 5-0, but this game features so much more.
On the Michigan State side, you have a bunch of upstarts. The Spartans are the biggest feel good story of college football this year. They used a fake field goal to beat Notre Dame. Following that win, their coach suffers a heart attack but never missed a game.
On the Michigan side, you have the one man wrecking crew: Denard Robinson. He is the nation’s leading rusher and the Heisman Trophy front runner. Did I mention that he doesn’t tie his shoelaces?
One other story line that makes this game particularly interesting is that with all that Robinson has done that Tate Forcier did not last year, Michigan still needs to do something to show that they are better than last year. In 2009, Michigan started 4-0 and won five games. That fifth win was Indiana, the rest were non-conference games. All Michigan has done in 2010 is sweep the non-conference slate and beat Indiana. This week is the first chance for the Wolverines to actually do something they did not do last year, to show the nation that they are better than a year ago, and to do something of substance to save Rich Rodriguez’s job. Another meltdown like last year and Rodriguez will be gone.
With Robinson, you would think that Michigan should win this game going away. However, as good as Robinson is, the Michigan defense is that bad. If the defense can’t step up, not just this week but the rest of the year, Robinson will have the burden of turning in a 200 yard passing and 200 yard rushing game every week for the Wolverines to win and get bowl eligible.
Other recent posts on COLLEGE FOOTBALL HAVEN:
Game Predictions, Week 6, 2010
USC Trojans: Still No Institutional Control
Weekly Trivia: Single Season Rushing Leader
Heisman Trophy Hopefuls, Week 5, 2010
Monday Musings: 10 Thoughts About Week 5
Poll Results: Which top 5 team will lose first?
College Football Haven Top 25, Week 5, 2010
On the Michigan State side, you have a bunch of upstarts. The Spartans are the biggest feel good story of college football this year. They used a fake field goal to beat Notre Dame. Following that win, their coach suffers a heart attack but never missed a game.
On the Michigan side, you have the one man wrecking crew: Denard Robinson. He is the nation’s leading rusher and the Heisman Trophy front runner. Did I mention that he doesn’t tie his shoelaces?
One other story line that makes this game particularly interesting is that with all that Robinson has done that Tate Forcier did not last year, Michigan still needs to do something to show that they are better than last year. In 2009, Michigan started 4-0 and won five games. That fifth win was Indiana, the rest were non-conference games. All Michigan has done in 2010 is sweep the non-conference slate and beat Indiana. This week is the first chance for the Wolverines to actually do something they did not do last year, to show the nation that they are better than a year ago, and to do something of substance to save Rich Rodriguez’s job. Another meltdown like last year and Rodriguez will be gone.
With Robinson, you would think that Michigan should win this game going away. However, as good as Robinson is, the Michigan defense is that bad. If the defense can’t step up, not just this week but the rest of the year, Robinson will have the burden of turning in a 200 yard passing and 200 yard rushing game every week for the Wolverines to win and get bowl eligible.
Other recent posts on COLLEGE FOOTBALL HAVEN:
Game Predictions, Week 6, 2010
USC Trojans: Still No Institutional Control
Weekly Trivia: Single Season Rushing Leader
Heisman Trophy Hopefuls, Week 5, 2010
Monday Musings: 10 Thoughts About Week 5
Poll Results: Which top 5 team will lose first?
College Football Haven Top 25, Week 5, 2010
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Game Predictions, Week 6, 2010
It was a good week last week. I ended up 19-3, which makes me 86-28 (75.4%) on the season. At least two undefeated teams will lose this week as Nebraska and Kansas State, and Michigan and Michigan State face each other. At least two winless teams will win their first game as well with Western Kentucky and FIU playing each other and New Mexico and New Mexico State squaring off. As always, you are free to chime in with your picks, or at least where you agree or disagree, and we can discuss. If I left off a game that really interests you, throw it out and we can discuss it also.
Thursday, October 7
Nebraska at Kansas State, 42-13 Nebraska
Friday, October 8
Connecticut at Rutgers, 21-14 Connecticut
Saturday, October 9
ACC
Virginia at Georgia Tech, 35-17 Georgia Tech
Florida State at Miami, 24-21 Florida State
Big XII
Baylor at Texas Tech, 31-28 Baylor
Big East
Syracuse at South Florida, 28-14 South Florida
Big Ten
Michigan State at Michigan, 49-45 Michigan
Illinois at Penn State, 20-17 Illinois
Conference USA
East Carolina at Southern Miss, 31-14 Southern Miss
Tulsa at SMU, 45-35 SMU
MAC
Western Michigan at Ball State, 13-10 Ball State
Akron at Kent State, 7-6 Kent State
MWC
Colorado State at Air Force, 42-3 Air Force
Wyoming at TCU, 38-21 TCU
Pac-10
UCLA at California, 28-21 UCLA
Oregon State at Arizona, 24-17 Oregon State
SEC
Tennessee at Georgia, 21-20 Tennessee
Auburn at Kentucky, 55-10 Auburn
Sun Belt
Western Kentucky at Florida International, 17-10 FIU
Florida Atlantic at Louisiana-Monroe, 31-21 FAU
WAC
Utah State at Louisiana Tech, 28-17 Utah State
Hawaii at Fresno State, 38-24 Fresno State
Independents
Pittsburgh at Notre Dame, 24-21 Notre Dame
Other recent posts on COLLEGE FOOTBALL HAVEN:
USC Trojans: Still No Institutional Control
Weekly Trivia: Single Season Rushing Leader
Heisman Trophy Hopefuls, Week 5, 2010
Monday Musings: 10 Thoughts About Week 5
Poll Results: Which top 5 team will lose first?
College Football Haven Top 25, Week 5, 2010
Thursday, October 7
Nebraska at Kansas State, 42-13 Nebraska
Friday, October 8
Connecticut at Rutgers, 21-14 Connecticut
Saturday, October 9
ACC
Virginia at Georgia Tech, 35-17 Georgia Tech
Florida State at Miami, 24-21 Florida State
Big XII
Baylor at Texas Tech, 31-28 Baylor
Big East
Syracuse at South Florida, 28-14 South Florida
Big Ten
Michigan State at Michigan, 49-45 Michigan
Illinois at Penn State, 20-17 Illinois
Conference USA
East Carolina at Southern Miss, 31-14 Southern Miss
Tulsa at SMU, 45-35 SMU
MAC
Western Michigan at Ball State, 13-10 Ball State
Akron at Kent State, 7-6 Kent State
MWC
Colorado State at Air Force, 42-3 Air Force
Wyoming at TCU, 38-21 TCU
Pac-10
UCLA at California, 28-21 UCLA
Oregon State at Arizona, 24-17 Oregon State
SEC
Tennessee at Georgia, 21-20 Tennessee
Auburn at Kentucky, 55-10 Auburn
Sun Belt
Western Kentucky at Florida International, 17-10 FIU
Florida Atlantic at Louisiana-Monroe, 31-21 FAU
WAC
Utah State at Louisiana Tech, 28-17 Utah State
Hawaii at Fresno State, 38-24 Fresno State
Independents
Pittsburgh at Notre Dame, 24-21 Notre Dame
Other recent posts on COLLEGE FOOTBALL HAVEN:
USC Trojans: Still No Institutional Control
Weekly Trivia: Single Season Rushing Leader
Heisman Trophy Hopefuls, Week 5, 2010
Monday Musings: 10 Thoughts About Week 5
Poll Results: Which top 5 team will lose first?
College Football Haven Top 25, Week 5, 2010
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
USC Trojans: Still No Institutional Control
The USC Trojans athletic department was punished by the NCAA because the NCAA (finally) concluded that the athletics department lacked institutional control. Since that ruling, the Trojans have aggressively tried to regain control. They returned their 2005 Heisman Trophy awarded to Reggie Bush, and they changed the cover of their media guide to reflect the refusal to keep the Heisman for Reggie Bush's junior year. In short, USC is doing all they can to erase Bush from their history and show their disdain for his actions. It even came to the point that Bush returned his Heisman as well.
A few months after the NCAA sanctions came down, USC still lacks institutional control While they think all these radical measures are sending the message of control, it is doing the exact opposite. It is clearer than ever that USC lacks institutional control. No one expects USC to look the other way and condone Bush, but there is no reason to throw him under the bus, either. It is understandable that USC is hurt and embarrassed by all of this, however, USC needs to do what they didn’t do five years ago: look at the big picture—think long term. If USC had been looking at the big picture and thinking long term, then they would have avoided the mess they are in now.
Reggie Bush made it clear that he was not admitting guilt by forfeiting the Heisman Trophy. He was doing what he thought was the best way to end the controversy. Translation: USC has kept this issue going and they should have just moved on after the NCAA ruling. Bush brought in $7 million last year, and he is scheduled to get $8 million more this year. How inclined is Reggie Bush to donate even one penny of this money to the school that just disowned him? Several of Reggie’s former teammates are playing in the NFL. Add to that all the previous USC players with generous salaries in the professional ranks. How do they feel about USC dissociating itself with Bush in this way? What side will they take on this? Do they curtail their donations thinking that USC would do the same to them if something comes up in the future?
College football is very competitive. The competition extends beyond the field. Coaches are battling it out in living rooms all across the country trying to land prized recruits. The USC administration is crippling Lane Kiffin while giving Mack Brown, Bob Stoops, Urban Meyer, Nick Saban, and every coach in the Pac-10 additional ammunition. Sixteen to 18 year old boys are very impressionable. As they see USC react this way, are they more compelled to attend USC? Surely these recruits don’t plan to violate the rules, but they aren’t going to want to be treated like this, if they do slip up. The lack of scholarships and no bowl appearances makes recruiting hard enough, USC didn’t need to shoot themselves in the foot.
USC football took a blow from the NCAA, but the bigger blow was delivered internally by the USC athletics department. The NCAA ruling would only impact the program for two years. The public betrayal of Bush can impact the school for much longer. Reggie Bush could have helped line the coffers of the school—financially and physically—through generous donations and recruiting assistance. By erasing Bush from your past, you erase him from your future.
Other recent posts on College Football Haven:
Weekly Trivia: Single Season Rushing Leader
College Football Haven Top 25, Week 5, 2010
Monday Musings: 10 Thoughts About Week 5
Poll Results: Which top 5 team will lose first?
Heisman Trophy Hopefuls, Week 5, 2010
A few months after the NCAA sanctions came down, USC still lacks institutional control While they think all these radical measures are sending the message of control, it is doing the exact opposite. It is clearer than ever that USC lacks institutional control. No one expects USC to look the other way and condone Bush, but there is no reason to throw him under the bus, either. It is understandable that USC is hurt and embarrassed by all of this, however, USC needs to do what they didn’t do five years ago: look at the big picture—think long term. If USC had been looking at the big picture and thinking long term, then they would have avoided the mess they are in now.
Reggie Bush made it clear that he was not admitting guilt by forfeiting the Heisman Trophy. He was doing what he thought was the best way to end the controversy. Translation: USC has kept this issue going and they should have just moved on after the NCAA ruling. Bush brought in $7 million last year, and he is scheduled to get $8 million more this year. How inclined is Reggie Bush to donate even one penny of this money to the school that just disowned him? Several of Reggie’s former teammates are playing in the NFL. Add to that all the previous USC players with generous salaries in the professional ranks. How do they feel about USC dissociating itself with Bush in this way? What side will they take on this? Do they curtail their donations thinking that USC would do the same to them if something comes up in the future?
College football is very competitive. The competition extends beyond the field. Coaches are battling it out in living rooms all across the country trying to land prized recruits. The USC administration is crippling Lane Kiffin while giving Mack Brown, Bob Stoops, Urban Meyer, Nick Saban, and every coach in the Pac-10 additional ammunition. Sixteen to 18 year old boys are very impressionable. As they see USC react this way, are they more compelled to attend USC? Surely these recruits don’t plan to violate the rules, but they aren’t going to want to be treated like this, if they do slip up. The lack of scholarships and no bowl appearances makes recruiting hard enough, USC didn’t need to shoot themselves in the foot.
USC football took a blow from the NCAA, but the bigger blow was delivered internally by the USC athletics department. The NCAA ruling would only impact the program for two years. The public betrayal of Bush can impact the school for much longer. Reggie Bush could have helped line the coffers of the school—financially and physically—through generous donations and recruiting assistance. By erasing Bush from your past, you erase him from your future.
Other recent posts on College Football Haven:
Weekly Trivia: Single Season Rushing Leader
College Football Haven Top 25, Week 5, 2010
Monday Musings: 10 Thoughts About Week 5
Poll Results: Which top 5 team will lose first?
Heisman Trophy Hopefuls, Week 5, 2010
Weekly Trivia: Single Season Rushing Leader
There were no correct answers to the last trivia question, " How many total points were scored in all seven overtimes of the 2006 North Texas-FIU game?" The correct answer is: 15 (Three field goals for North Texas, two for FIU). That is barely one point per possession in overtime. Pretty amazing when you consider that teams are in field goal range from the first snap of each overtime possession.
Now for this week's question. As improbable as it seems, the Michigan Wolverines' quarterback Denard Robinson could end the year as the nation’s leading rusher. Michigan has a tradition of producing great running backs. Therefore, this week's question is:
For more trivia questions, visit the Trivia page.
Other recent posts on College Football Haven:
College Football Haven Top 25, Week 5, 2010
Monday Musings: 10 Thoughts About Week 5
Poll Results: Which top 5 team will lose first?
Heisman Trophy Hopefuls, Week 5, 2010
Now for this week's question. As improbable as it seems, the Michigan Wolverines' quarterback Denard Robinson could end the year as the nation’s leading rusher. Michigan has a tradition of producing great running backs. Therefore, this week's question is:
Who was the last Michigan Wolverine to lead the nation in rushing?Leave your answer in the comments section. The answer will be revealed next Wednesday when a new question is asked.
For more trivia questions, visit the Trivia page.
Other recent posts on College Football Haven:
College Football Haven Top 25, Week 5, 2010
Monday Musings: 10 Thoughts About Week 5
Poll Results: Which top 5 team will lose first?
Heisman Trophy Hopefuls, Week 5, 2010
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Heisman Trophy Hopefuls, Week 5, 2010
The list of hopefuls is diminishing. More players are playing their way off the list than on the list. We are down to three running backs and eight quarterbacks.
PLAYERS WHO STOOD OUT: Denard Robinson continues to play at a record pace. He had 277 yards passing and 217 rushing. His pass efficiency is up to 180 and he has a 193 yard lead for the rushing title.
LaMichael James ran for 257 yards on 31 carries and found the end zone three times in Oregon's top 10 showdown with Stanford.
PLAYERS DROPPED: Mark Ingram could not afford to have a 47 yard game, even if it was only 11 carries and he still had two TDs, after he missed the first two games. The season is nearly half over and Ingram is not even half way to 1,000 yards. John Clay is a consistent strong runner whose starting job will never be in jeopardy, but he isn’t up to Heisman level. Greg McElroy had another sub-Heisman worthy performance for the second week in a row. He is a great game manager and fits the role Alabama needs him to play, but that role is not Heisman candidate. Jacory Harris completed less than 40% of his passes versus Clemson, and his interception-itis continued. Harris has yet to pass for 250 yards this year.
PLAYERS TOEING THE LINE: Ryan Mallett nothing changes during a bye week. Matt Barkley is another QB without a 300 yard game. He will have chances against Stanford and Oregon to make a statement.
PLAYERS ADDED: LaMichael James, Running Back, Oregon. James is second in the nation in rushing, and he is on pace for 1,709 yards, despite missing the first game of the season.
LaMichael James, Oregon
2009: 230 rushes, 1546 yards, 14 TD
2010: 89 rushes, 712 yards, 7 TD
Last: 31 rushes, 257 yards, 3 TD
Daniel Thomas, Kansas State
2009: 249 rushes, 1,265 yards, 11 TD
2010: 105 rushes, 628 yards, 6 TD
Last: Bye
Kendall Hunter, Oklahoma State
2009: 89 rushes, 382 yards, 1 TD
2010: 82 rushes, 574 yards, 8 TD
Last: 22 rushes, 101 yards, 2 TD
Terrell Pryor, Ohio State
2009: 167-295 (56.6%), 2094 yards, 18 TD, 11 Int / 162 rushes, 779 yards, 7 TD
2010: 80-123 (65.0%), 1015 yards, 12 TD, 3 INT / 54 rushes, 373 yards, 3 TD
Last: 9-16 (56.3%), 76 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT / 11 rushes, 104 yards
Denard Robinson, Michigan
2009: 14-31 (45.4%), 188 yards, 2 TD, 4 Int
2010: 67-96 (69.8%), 1008 yards, 7 TD, 1 Int / 98 rushes, 905 yards, 8 TD
Last: 10-16 (62.5%), 277 yards, 3 TD, 0 Int / 19 rushes, 217 yards, 2 TD
Ryan Mallett, Arkansas
2009: 225-403 (55.8%), 3,627 yards, 30 TD, 7 Int
2010: 95-138 (68.8%), 1438 yards, 10 TD, 5 Int
Last: Bye
Taylor Martinez, Nebraska
2009: N/A
2010: 34-57 (59.6%), 532 yards, 2 TD, 3 Int / 53 rushes, 496 yards, 8 TD
Last: Bye
Matt Barkley, USC
2009: 211-352 (59.9%), 2,735 yards, 15 TD, 14 INT
2010: 85-129 (65.9%), 1127 yards, 12 TD, 4 Int
Last: 14-20 (70.0%), 186 yards, 0 TD, 0 Int
Andrew Luck, Stanford
2009: 162-288 (56.3%), 2575 yards, 13 TD, 4 Int
2010: 93-148 (62.8%), 1253 yards, 13 TD, 4 Int
Last: 29-46 (63.0%), 341 yards, 2 TD, 2 Int
Kellen Moore, Boise State
2009: 277-431 (64.3%), 3,536 yards, 39 TD, 3 INT
2010: 75-113 (66.4%), 1069 yards, 11 TD, 1 Int
Last: 13-18 (72.2%), 196 yards, 3 TD, 0 Int
Cameron Newton, Auburn
2009: Redshirted
2010: 57-87 (65.5%), 928 yards, 12 TD, 4 Int / 76 rushes, 474 yards, 5 TD
Last: 14-19 (73.7%), 245 yards, 3 TD, 1 Int / 1 rush, -11 yards
ON THE RADAR: Ricky Stanzi, Iowa; Brandon Weeden, Oklahoma State; Dan Persa, Northwestern, Vai Taua, Nevada
Did you miss the College Football Haven Week 5 Top 25? Check it out here
Did you miss the Monday Musings for Week 5? Read them here.
PLAYERS WHO STOOD OUT: Denard Robinson continues to play at a record pace. He had 277 yards passing and 217 rushing. His pass efficiency is up to 180 and he has a 193 yard lead for the rushing title.
LaMichael James ran for 257 yards on 31 carries and found the end zone three times in Oregon's top 10 showdown with Stanford.
PLAYERS DROPPED: Mark Ingram could not afford to have a 47 yard game, even if it was only 11 carries and he still had two TDs, after he missed the first two games. The season is nearly half over and Ingram is not even half way to 1,000 yards. John Clay is a consistent strong runner whose starting job will never be in jeopardy, but he isn’t up to Heisman level. Greg McElroy had another sub-Heisman worthy performance for the second week in a row. He is a great game manager and fits the role Alabama needs him to play, but that role is not Heisman candidate. Jacory Harris completed less than 40% of his passes versus Clemson, and his interception-itis continued. Harris has yet to pass for 250 yards this year.
PLAYERS TOEING THE LINE: Ryan Mallett nothing changes during a bye week. Matt Barkley is another QB without a 300 yard game. He will have chances against Stanford and Oregon to make a statement.
PLAYERS ADDED: LaMichael James, Running Back, Oregon. James is second in the nation in rushing, and he is on pace for 1,709 yards, despite missing the first game of the season.
LaMichael James, Oregon
2009: 230 rushes, 1546 yards, 14 TD
2010: 89 rushes, 712 yards, 7 TD
Last: 31 rushes, 257 yards, 3 TD
Daniel Thomas, Kansas State
2009: 249 rushes, 1,265 yards, 11 TD
2010: 105 rushes, 628 yards, 6 TD
Last: Bye
Kendall Hunter, Oklahoma State
2009: 89 rushes, 382 yards, 1 TD
2010: 82 rushes, 574 yards, 8 TD
Last: 22 rushes, 101 yards, 2 TD
Terrell Pryor, Ohio State
2009: 167-295 (56.6%), 2094 yards, 18 TD, 11 Int / 162 rushes, 779 yards, 7 TD
2010: 80-123 (65.0%), 1015 yards, 12 TD, 3 INT / 54 rushes, 373 yards, 3 TD
Last: 9-16 (56.3%), 76 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT / 11 rushes, 104 yards
Denard Robinson, Michigan
2009: 14-31 (45.4%), 188 yards, 2 TD, 4 Int
2010: 67-96 (69.8%), 1008 yards, 7 TD, 1 Int / 98 rushes, 905 yards, 8 TD
Last: 10-16 (62.5%), 277 yards, 3 TD, 0 Int / 19 rushes, 217 yards, 2 TD
Ryan Mallett, Arkansas
2009: 225-403 (55.8%), 3,627 yards, 30 TD, 7 Int
2010: 95-138 (68.8%), 1438 yards, 10 TD, 5 Int
Last: Bye
Taylor Martinez, Nebraska
2009: N/A
2010: 34-57 (59.6%), 532 yards, 2 TD, 3 Int / 53 rushes, 496 yards, 8 TD
Last: Bye
Matt Barkley, USC
2009: 211-352 (59.9%), 2,735 yards, 15 TD, 14 INT
2010: 85-129 (65.9%), 1127 yards, 12 TD, 4 Int
Last: 14-20 (70.0%), 186 yards, 0 TD, 0 Int
Andrew Luck, Stanford
2009: 162-288 (56.3%), 2575 yards, 13 TD, 4 Int
2010: 93-148 (62.8%), 1253 yards, 13 TD, 4 Int
Last: 29-46 (63.0%), 341 yards, 2 TD, 2 Int
Kellen Moore, Boise State
2009: 277-431 (64.3%), 3,536 yards, 39 TD, 3 INT
2010: 75-113 (66.4%), 1069 yards, 11 TD, 1 Int
Last: 13-18 (72.2%), 196 yards, 3 TD, 0 Int
Cameron Newton, Auburn
2009: Redshirted
2010: 57-87 (65.5%), 928 yards, 12 TD, 4 Int / 76 rushes, 474 yards, 5 TD
Last: 14-19 (73.7%), 245 yards, 3 TD, 1 Int / 1 rush, -11 yards
ON THE RADAR: Ricky Stanzi, Iowa; Brandon Weeden, Oklahoma State; Dan Persa, Northwestern, Vai Taua, Nevada
Did you miss the College Football Haven Week 5 Top 25? Check it out here
Did you miss the Monday Musings for Week 5? Read them here.
Monday, October 4, 2010
Monday Musings: 10 Thoughts About Week 5
Week 5 was supposed to be another exciting week of top 10 games and the Red River Rivalry. Conference schedules started to be in full force, too. The top 10 games fizzled, but the conference play sizzled. Here are this week’s Monday Musings.
1. The SEC is officially down. The preview of the SEC championship game was a very lopsided 31-6 blowout. Georgia is 1-4. LSU is in contention for the title “worst 5-0 team.” Ole Miss lost to Jacksonville State. Tennessee squeaked past UAB in overtime. In a year that Alabama had to replace virtually its entire defense, they look to be tested only twice (Arkansas and Auburn), and that is with six conference teams having two weeks to prepare for the Crimson Tide.
2. The torch is officially passed. Tim Tebow was king of college football for the last three years. Everyone was star struck with the quarterback in Gainesville. He accumulated eye popping offensive stats. With Tebow off to the NFL, the torch has been passed to Denard Robinson. Get ready for a three year love fest with the sophomore quarterback in Ann Arbor. Robinson accounted for 5 TDs on Saturday as he passed for nearly 300 yards and ran for over 200 more. On the season he has a 179 pass efficiency rating and leads the nation in rushing (908 yards) by nearly 200 yards!
3. The worst 5-0 team. LSU makes a strong push for this title, but Northwestern definitely takes the cake. The Wildcats biggest win is 37-3 over Illinois State. The rest of the wins are one point over Minnesota (1-4), five points over Central Michigan (2-3), 17 points over Rice (1-4), and two points over Vanderbilt (1-3). Got a problem with this Northwestern? Well, you have a chance to show me something October 23 against Michigan State.
4. What is your favorite color? The Temple Owls love the color brown. With running back Bernard Pierce out with an ankle sprain, Matt Brown picked up the slack and carried 28 times for 226 yards and 4 TDs. Temple needed every yard to beat Army 42-35 and move to 4-1 on the year.
5. The warning light better be on. With the conference schedule swinging into full force, some top teams better have taken notice to what happened Saturday, or they will not be among the ranks of the unbeatens much longer. Ohio State struggled to beat Illinois. They better shape things up in Columbus before they face the likes of Iowa, Wisconsin, and Michigan. LSU barely escaped Tennessee in a game best described as a “comedy of errors.” Oklahoma, congratulations on finally beating Texas. It wasn’t pretty, but you did it. Now, get back to work so you don’t lose to a Big 12 North team.
6. Gutsiest call. Chip Kelly reached into the Sean Payton bag of tricks and used an onsides kick to get back in the game against Stanford. Down 21-10 early in the second quarter following a 29-yard TD pass by Darron Thomas, Oregon recovered an onsides kick and drove down to make it a four point game.
7. Hear come the Hokies and Beavers. We all knew that Virginia Tech and Oregon State were slow starting teams. Much to the satisfaction of Boise, Idaho, both teams are ramping up their speed. Virginia Tech is on a three game win streak after downing previously undefeated North Carolina State, 41-30. The Hokies are 2-0 and first in the Coastal division of the ACC. Oregon State got a solid win against Arizona State to move to 2-2, but isn’t that what we all expected? Remember those two losses are to top 5 teams. Oregon State is ready to play the spoiler role in the Pac-10 and if they play their cards right, they will find themselves in Pasadena.
8. The worst FBS team. While some teams have been astonishingly good and fun to watch, others have been atrociously bad and painful to watch. The sad part is deciding the worst college football team is harder than choosing the worst 5-0 team. In the end, the winner (or loser) is New Mexico. Whether it is Oregon or UNLV, New Mexico has not been competitive in any of their games.
9. Doomed to fail? After Gene Chizik was hired by Auburn, all the experts and pundits said Chizik was in a situation where it was impossible to succeed. He had a 5-19 record at Iowa State in two years. The public backlash was huge. Charles Barkley even got mixed up in it. Eighteen games, a 13-5 record, a top 10 ranking, a Heisman Trophy candidate at quarterback, and the Chizik hire appears to have paid off.
10. No surprise this time. The last two years, Iowa has surprised everyone and knocked off an undefeated Penn State team. The Hawkeye’s 24-3 win over the Nittany Lions this weekend came as no surprise to anyone. Penn State is reloading on offense and Iowa is expected to push Ohio State for the Big Ten title.
For the results to last week's opinion poll, click here.
For the latest College Football Haven Top 25, click here.
1. The SEC is officially down. The preview of the SEC championship game was a very lopsided 31-6 blowout. Georgia is 1-4. LSU is in contention for the title “worst 5-0 team.” Ole Miss lost to Jacksonville State. Tennessee squeaked past UAB in overtime. In a year that Alabama had to replace virtually its entire defense, they look to be tested only twice (Arkansas and Auburn), and that is with six conference teams having two weeks to prepare for the Crimson Tide.
2. The torch is officially passed. Tim Tebow was king of college football for the last three years. Everyone was star struck with the quarterback in Gainesville. He accumulated eye popping offensive stats. With Tebow off to the NFL, the torch has been passed to Denard Robinson. Get ready for a three year love fest with the sophomore quarterback in Ann Arbor. Robinson accounted for 5 TDs on Saturday as he passed for nearly 300 yards and ran for over 200 more. On the season he has a 179 pass efficiency rating and leads the nation in rushing (908 yards) by nearly 200 yards!
3. The worst 5-0 team. LSU makes a strong push for this title, but Northwestern definitely takes the cake. The Wildcats biggest win is 37-3 over Illinois State. The rest of the wins are one point over Minnesota (1-4), five points over Central Michigan (2-3), 17 points over Rice (1-4), and two points over Vanderbilt (1-3). Got a problem with this Northwestern? Well, you have a chance to show me something October 23 against Michigan State.
4. What is your favorite color? The Temple Owls love the color brown. With running back Bernard Pierce out with an ankle sprain, Matt Brown picked up the slack and carried 28 times for 226 yards and 4 TDs. Temple needed every yard to beat Army 42-35 and move to 4-1 on the year.
5. The warning light better be on. With the conference schedule swinging into full force, some top teams better have taken notice to what happened Saturday, or they will not be among the ranks of the unbeatens much longer. Ohio State struggled to beat Illinois. They better shape things up in Columbus before they face the likes of Iowa, Wisconsin, and Michigan. LSU barely escaped Tennessee in a game best described as a “comedy of errors.” Oklahoma, congratulations on finally beating Texas. It wasn’t pretty, but you did it. Now, get back to work so you don’t lose to a Big 12 North team.
6. Gutsiest call. Chip Kelly reached into the Sean Payton bag of tricks and used an onsides kick to get back in the game against Stanford. Down 21-10 early in the second quarter following a 29-yard TD pass by Darron Thomas, Oregon recovered an onsides kick and drove down to make it a four point game.
7. Hear come the Hokies and Beavers. We all knew that Virginia Tech and Oregon State were slow starting teams. Much to the satisfaction of Boise, Idaho, both teams are ramping up their speed. Virginia Tech is on a three game win streak after downing previously undefeated North Carolina State, 41-30. The Hokies are 2-0 and first in the Coastal division of the ACC. Oregon State got a solid win against Arizona State to move to 2-2, but isn’t that what we all expected? Remember those two losses are to top 5 teams. Oregon State is ready to play the spoiler role in the Pac-10 and if they play their cards right, they will find themselves in Pasadena.
8. The worst FBS team. While some teams have been astonishingly good and fun to watch, others have been atrociously bad and painful to watch. The sad part is deciding the worst college football team is harder than choosing the worst 5-0 team. In the end, the winner (or loser) is New Mexico. Whether it is Oregon or UNLV, New Mexico has not been competitive in any of their games.
9. Doomed to fail? After Gene Chizik was hired by Auburn, all the experts and pundits said Chizik was in a situation where it was impossible to succeed. He had a 5-19 record at Iowa State in two years. The public backlash was huge. Charles Barkley even got mixed up in it. Eighteen games, a 13-5 record, a top 10 ranking, a Heisman Trophy candidate at quarterback, and the Chizik hire appears to have paid off.
10. No surprise this time. The last two years, Iowa has surprised everyone and knocked off an undefeated Penn State team. The Hawkeye’s 24-3 win over the Nittany Lions this weekend came as no surprise to anyone. Penn State is reloading on offense and Iowa is expected to push Ohio State for the Big Ten title.
For the results to last week's opinion poll, click here.
For the latest College Football Haven Top 25, click here.
Poll Results: Which top 5 team will lose first?
All top 5 teams won this weekend, so we have to wait to see if the poll results are accurate. Oregon led the way with 39% of the votes. The Ducks did have to overcome an 18 point deficit to beat Stanford. Ohio State was second with 22%, Alabama was third with 19%, TCU was fourth with 17 percent, and Boise State was last with one Fresno State Bulldog fan or Nevada Wolf Pack fan voting against the Broncos.
Thank you to everyone who voted. Don't forget to vote in this week's poll: "Which team had the biggest win this weekend?"
Thank you to everyone who voted. Don't forget to vote in this week's poll: "Which team had the biggest win this weekend?"
College Football Haven Top 25, Week 5, 2010
Rather than wait until the end of the year, I will take the time now to say, “I told you so.” I made a big deal about Florida being ranked too high and Texas as well in the USA Today and AP preseason polls. Texas is going to win most of the games they have left and climb to a decent ranking by the end of the year. Florida will benefit by a down year in the SEC, but 3 losses is the minimum for this team.
This week there was some movement up top. Alabama and Ohio State switched spots at 2 and 3 and Oregon and TCU switched spots at 4 and 5. While the coaches and the AP felt Boise State should drop a spot, I disagree. Don’t worry, I am not so drunk with Boise State Kool-Aid that I won’t drop them from the top. If you read last week’s post about Boise State, you should have a pretty good idea what it will take for me to move them down. Of course, other teams need to keep putting pressure on as well. Michigan State is this week’s big mover—up 10 after beating Wisconsin.
1. Boise State (4-0)
LAST: Beat New Mexico State 59-0.
2. Alabama (5-0)
LAST: Beat Florida 31-6.
‘Bama moves up more because of Ohio State’s poor play, than Florida’s poor play.
3. Ohio State (5-0)
LAST: Beat Illinois 24-13.
4. Oregon (5-0)
LAST: Beat Stanford 52-31.
Outscored Stanford 49-10 after Stanford went up 21-3.
5. TCU (5-0)
LAST: Beat Colorado State 27-0.
Not the same team they were last year.
6. Nebraska (4-0)
LAST: Bye.
7. Arizona (4-0)
LAST: Bye.
8. Oklahoma (5-0)
LAST: Beat Texas 28-20.
9. Auburn (5-0)
LAST: Beat Louisiana-Monroe 52-3.
10. Utah (4-0)
LAST: Bye.
11. Michigan (5-0)
LAST: Beat Indiana 42-35.
As impressive as it has been, Michigan has only done as much as they did last year.
12. Michigan State (5-0)
LAST: Beat Wisconsin 34-24.
What is bigger—the Notre Dame win or the Wisconsin win?
13. Iowa (4-1)
LAST: Beat Penn State 24-3.
14. Miami (4-1)
LAST: Beat Clemson 30-21.
15. Arkansas (3-1)
LAST: Bye.
16. LSU (5-0)
LAST: Beat Tennessee 16-14.
When you win that ugly, you go down.
17. Stanford (4-1)
LAST: Lost to Oregon 52-31.
18. Nevada (5-0)
LAST: Beat UNLV 44-26.
19. Oklahoma State (3-1)
LAST: Beat Texas A&M 38-35.
20. Wisconsin (4-1)
LAST: Lost to Michigan State 34-24.
21. Kansas State (4-0)
LAST: Bye.
22. USC (4-1)
LAST: Lost to Washington 32-31.
USC should have treated Steve Sarkisian like a transfer and not allow him to take a job at another Pac-10 school.
23. North Carolina State (4-1)
LAST: Lost to Virginia Tech 41-30.
Can the Wolfpack regroup and make the ACC championship game?
24. Florida (4-1)
LAST: Lost to Alabama 31-6.
The worst thing for the SEC will be to have the Gators make it to Atlanta.
25. Northwestern (5-0)
LAST: Beat Minnesota 29-28.
OTHERS TO WATCH: South Carolina, Oregon State, Virginia Tech, Florida State, Southern Miss, West Virginia, Air Force, Temple.
Previous Top 25:
Preseason
Week 1
Week 2
Week 3
Week 4
This week there was some movement up top. Alabama and Ohio State switched spots at 2 and 3 and Oregon and TCU switched spots at 4 and 5. While the coaches and the AP felt Boise State should drop a spot, I disagree. Don’t worry, I am not so drunk with Boise State Kool-Aid that I won’t drop them from the top. If you read last week’s post about Boise State, you should have a pretty good idea what it will take for me to move them down. Of course, other teams need to keep putting pressure on as well. Michigan State is this week’s big mover—up 10 after beating Wisconsin.
1. Boise State (4-0)
LAST: Beat New Mexico State 59-0.
2. Alabama (5-0)
LAST: Beat Florida 31-6.
‘Bama moves up more because of Ohio State’s poor play, than Florida’s poor play.
3. Ohio State (5-0)
LAST: Beat Illinois 24-13.
4. Oregon (5-0)
LAST: Beat Stanford 52-31.
Outscored Stanford 49-10 after Stanford went up 21-3.
5. TCU (5-0)
LAST: Beat Colorado State 27-0.
Not the same team they were last year.
6. Nebraska (4-0)
LAST: Bye.
7. Arizona (4-0)
LAST: Bye.
8. Oklahoma (5-0)
LAST: Beat Texas 28-20.
9. Auburn (5-0)
LAST: Beat Louisiana-Monroe 52-3.
10. Utah (4-0)
LAST: Bye.
11. Michigan (5-0)
LAST: Beat Indiana 42-35.
As impressive as it has been, Michigan has only done as much as they did last year.
12. Michigan State (5-0)
LAST: Beat Wisconsin 34-24.
What is bigger—the Notre Dame win or the Wisconsin win?
13. Iowa (4-1)
LAST: Beat Penn State 24-3.
14. Miami (4-1)
LAST: Beat Clemson 30-21.
15. Arkansas (3-1)
LAST: Bye.
16. LSU (5-0)
LAST: Beat Tennessee 16-14.
When you win that ugly, you go down.
17. Stanford (4-1)
LAST: Lost to Oregon 52-31.
18. Nevada (5-0)
LAST: Beat UNLV 44-26.
19. Oklahoma State (3-1)
LAST: Beat Texas A&M 38-35.
20. Wisconsin (4-1)
LAST: Lost to Michigan State 34-24.
21. Kansas State (4-0)
LAST: Bye.
22. USC (4-1)
LAST: Lost to Washington 32-31.
USC should have treated Steve Sarkisian like a transfer and not allow him to take a job at another Pac-10 school.
23. North Carolina State (4-1)
LAST: Lost to Virginia Tech 41-30.
Can the Wolfpack regroup and make the ACC championship game?
24. Florida (4-1)
LAST: Lost to Alabama 31-6.
The worst thing for the SEC will be to have the Gators make it to Atlanta.
25. Northwestern (5-0)
LAST: Beat Minnesota 29-28.
OTHERS TO WATCH: South Carolina, Oregon State, Virginia Tech, Florida State, Southern Miss, West Virginia, Air Force, Temple.
Previous Top 25:
Preseason
Week 1
Week 2
Week 3
Week 4
Friday, October 1, 2010
Game of the Week: Stanford Cardinals at Oregon Ducks
The Pac-10 schedule makers look like geniuses. Who knew that with the losses that the Stanford Cardinals (Toby Gerhart) and the Oregon Ducks (Jeremiah Masoli) suffered from last year to this year that these two teams would both be a very dominant 4-0? Throw in the fact that Stanford upset Oregon 51-42 last year the week after Oregon knocked off USC, and this game has become THE marquee matchup on a weekend that also features Alabama vs. Florida and the Red River Rivalry (Oklahoma vs. Texas).
I apologize, but I have been very busy this week and cannot do a full preview of this game. Here is a link to the STATS, LLC preview on ESPN.com: http://espn.go.com/ncf/preview?gameId=302752483
I apologize, but I have been very busy this week and cannot do a full preview of this game. Here is a link to the STATS, LLC preview on ESPN.com: http://espn.go.com/ncf/preview?gameId=302752483
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