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
Friday, October 8, 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
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Game Predictions, Week 5, 2010
I turned things around a little last week posting a 17-6 record, and on the season I am 67-25. Conference play is starting up in ernest this week for most of the conferences. Most of these predictions are conference games. We'll see if that helps or hurts my record. As always, you are free to chime in with your picks, or at least where you agree or disagree. If I leave out a game that really interests you, throw out your prediction for that.
Thursday, September 30
Texas A&M at Oklahoma State, 31-21 Oklahoma State
Saturday, October 2
Virginia Tech at North Carolina State, 28-17 North Carolina State
Miami at Clemson, 24-17 Miami
Texas vs. Oklahoma, 28-14 Oklahoma
Louisville at Arkansas State, 35-10 Louisville
Florida Atlantic at South Florida, 31-20 South Florida
Wisconsin at Michigan State, 21-17 Wisconsin
Penn State at Iowa, 31-10 Iowa
Tulsa at Memphis, 35-21 Tulsa
SMU at Rice, 45-14 SMU
Navy at Air Force, 28-24 Air Force
Notre Dame at Boston College, 27-13 Notre Dame
Northern Illinois at Akron, 34-13 Northern Illinois
Ohio at Eastern Michigan, 17-14 Ohio
TCU at Colorado State, 45-14 TCU
Nevada at UNLV, 42-21 Nevada
Arizona State at Oregon State, 38-31 Oregon State
Stanford at Oregon, 56-45 Oregon
Kentucky at Mississippi, 31-21 Mississippi
Tennessee at LSU, 24-15 LSU
LA-Lafayette at North Texas, 21-17 North Texas
Louisiana Tech at Hawaii, 42-31 Hawaii
If you missed College Football Haven's Top 25 this week, click here.
If you missed Monday Musings this week, click here.
If you missed College Football Haven's Heisman Hopefuls this week, click here.
If you missed this week's trivia question, click here.
Thursday, September 30
Texas A&M at Oklahoma State, 31-21 Oklahoma State
Saturday, October 2
Virginia Tech at North Carolina State, 28-17 North Carolina State
Miami at Clemson, 24-17 Miami
Texas vs. Oklahoma, 28-14 Oklahoma
Louisville at Arkansas State, 35-10 Louisville
Florida Atlantic at South Florida, 31-20 South Florida
Wisconsin at Michigan State, 21-17 Wisconsin
Penn State at Iowa, 31-10 Iowa
Tulsa at Memphis, 35-21 Tulsa
SMU at Rice, 45-14 SMU
Navy at Air Force, 28-24 Air Force
Notre Dame at Boston College, 27-13 Notre Dame
Northern Illinois at Akron, 34-13 Northern Illinois
Ohio at Eastern Michigan, 17-14 Ohio
TCU at Colorado State, 45-14 TCU
Nevada at UNLV, 42-21 Nevada
Arizona State at Oregon State, 38-31 Oregon State
Stanford at Oregon, 56-45 Oregon
Kentucky at Mississippi, 31-21 Mississippi
Tennessee at LSU, 24-15 LSU
LA-Lafayette at North Texas, 21-17 North Texas
Louisiana Tech at Hawaii, 42-31 Hawaii
If you missed College Football Haven's Top 25 this week, click here.
If you missed Monday Musings this week, click here.
If you missed College Football Haven's Heisman Hopefuls this week, click here.
If you missed this week's trivia question, click here.
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Boise State Broncos: How to Guarantee A Spot in the BCS Title Game
Dear Boise State Broncos,
Congratulations on a 3-0 start that includes wins over your two toughest opponents. As a college football fan for over two decades, I am aware of your plight to play for a national championship. Boise State is a small school with much less tradition, fans, and money. You have to fight for the more established members of college football to recognize and validate you. After a great 2009 season that saw you post a perfect 14-0 record and win your second BCS bowl game, you came into 2010 with faint hopes that another perfect season would land you in the BCS National Championship game. With 20 out of 22 starters back from last year, anything less than an undefeated season will be a disappointment.
This year started just as planned. You beat the Virginia Tech Hokies on national television in a hostile environment. Problems started in week two. Virginia Tech lost to a FCS opponent. Now the Hokies don't appear to be the juggernaut so many thought they would be. Poof, that loss by Virginia Tech cost you seven first place votes in the AP poll. Oregon State came to town, and you comfortably won that game. Rather than sing your praises for beating another quality team that figured to contend for an automatic bid in a BCS game, the pundits are downgrading the Beavers. (Never mind that they have played two top 5 teams closer than anyone expected.)
That brings me to the purpose of my letter. I know Virginia Tech's loss and the pessimism about Oregon State are a blow to your cause, but don't despair. I have the formula that will guarantee you a spot in the game January 10, in Glendale.
This year you have some unexpected allies: your conference members. Normally, playing them hurts you more than it helps; this year is different. In fact, even your future Mountain West Conference member Wyoming gives you a boost. WAC teams have played many of the teams you are going to be competing with for one of those two BCS National Championship game spots. As an added bonus, your WAC counterparts have fared reasonably well. The BCS system puts an emphasis on two things: winning games and winning with style. What you need to do is win with more style than those other teams did. Here are the key games:
Wyoming, September 18
One week before (September 11) the Wyoming Cowboys went to Austin, Texas and lost to the Longhorns 34-7. Texas was ranked number 5 at the time and they could be the Big XII champion at the end of the year. The Big XII champion has played in the national title game the last two years. Therefore, you needed to beat Wyoming worse than Texas did, and you did, 51-6. If Texas finishes the year 12-1, your 45 point win over the Cowboys should give you the edge over Texas.
San Jose State, October 16
The San Jose State Spartans did you a double favor. They played number 1 Alabama the opening week (lost 48-3) and number 9 Wisconsin the following week (lost 28-14). Alabama is the favorite to win the SEC, and we all know that the SEC champion has won the last four national championships. The Crimson Tide set a pretty high standard with the 48-3 victory, but it is not unreasonable. You beat SJSU 45-7 last year. You will play the Spartans in San Jose as well. A more stylish road win against San Jose State should help your case. Wisconsin probably won't win the Big Ten, but if they do voters and computers should give you preference if you have a better win against SJSU than the Badgers did.
Hawaii, November 6
The Hawaii Warriors pushed USC in an opening day 49-36 loss. While Oregon and Stanford are getting the attention in the Pac-10 right now, USC is still undefeated. Make sure you beat Hawaii by a minimum of 14 points, but I would recommend you double that to 28.
Idaho, November 12
The most impressive team in the Big XII this year has been number 6 Nebraska. Winning the Big XII championship and finishing undefeated appears a distinct possibility. The Cornhuskers played Idaho on September 11 and won 38-17. A 21-point win. Improving on that seems reasonable. You did beat the Vandals 63-25 last year, which was Idaho's best team since the state's first potato crop.
Nevada, November 26
Worst case scenario, Nevada will be 9-2 when this game is played. The Wolf Pack made waves September 18 when they beat the Cal Bears 52-31. Cal doesn't figure to be a player in the Pac-10 race (although don't rule out a rivalry upset over Stanford), but with this win on their resume and currently a top 25 team, a win over Nevada could count as another quality win.
Utah State, December 4
The Utah State Aggies went into Norman, Oklahoma on September 4, and almost came out winners. The Sooners claimed a narrow 31-24 victory. This is where you can pick up a lot of ground, Broncos. A 30+ point win over Utah State will easily get you the nod over Oklahoma if they are the Big XII champs.
There you have it. Of course, you will want to win all your games by a minimum of two touchdowns, but these five games that you still have to play are the most important ones on your schedule. Win with more style in these games and your spot in the BCS National Championship game is secure.
See you in Glendale.
If you missed College Football Haven's Top 25 this week, click here.
If you missed Monday Musings this week, click here.
If you missed College Football Haven's Heisman Hopefuls this week, click here.
If you missed this week's trivia question, click here.
Congratulations on a 3-0 start that includes wins over your two toughest opponents. As a college football fan for over two decades, I am aware of your plight to play for a national championship. Boise State is a small school with much less tradition, fans, and money. You have to fight for the more established members of college football to recognize and validate you. After a great 2009 season that saw you post a perfect 14-0 record and win your second BCS bowl game, you came into 2010 with faint hopes that another perfect season would land you in the BCS National Championship game. With 20 out of 22 starters back from last year, anything less than an undefeated season will be a disappointment.
This year started just as planned. You beat the Virginia Tech Hokies on national television in a hostile environment. Problems started in week two. Virginia Tech lost to a FCS opponent. Now the Hokies don't appear to be the juggernaut so many thought they would be. Poof, that loss by Virginia Tech cost you seven first place votes in the AP poll. Oregon State came to town, and you comfortably won that game. Rather than sing your praises for beating another quality team that figured to contend for an automatic bid in a BCS game, the pundits are downgrading the Beavers. (Never mind that they have played two top 5 teams closer than anyone expected.)
That brings me to the purpose of my letter. I know Virginia Tech's loss and the pessimism about Oregon State are a blow to your cause, but don't despair. I have the formula that will guarantee you a spot in the game January 10, in Glendale.
This year you have some unexpected allies: your conference members. Normally, playing them hurts you more than it helps; this year is different. In fact, even your future Mountain West Conference member Wyoming gives you a boost. WAC teams have played many of the teams you are going to be competing with for one of those two BCS National Championship game spots. As an added bonus, your WAC counterparts have fared reasonably well. The BCS system puts an emphasis on two things: winning games and winning with style. What you need to do is win with more style than those other teams did. Here are the key games:
Wyoming, September 18
One week before (September 11) the Wyoming Cowboys went to Austin, Texas and lost to the Longhorns 34-7. Texas was ranked number 5 at the time and they could be the Big XII champion at the end of the year. The Big XII champion has played in the national title game the last two years. Therefore, you needed to beat Wyoming worse than Texas did, and you did, 51-6. If Texas finishes the year 12-1, your 45 point win over the Cowboys should give you the edge over Texas.
San Jose State, October 16
The San Jose State Spartans did you a double favor. They played number 1 Alabama the opening week (lost 48-3) and number 9 Wisconsin the following week (lost 28-14). Alabama is the favorite to win the SEC, and we all know that the SEC champion has won the last four national championships. The Crimson Tide set a pretty high standard with the 48-3 victory, but it is not unreasonable. You beat SJSU 45-7 last year. You will play the Spartans in San Jose as well. A more stylish road win against San Jose State should help your case. Wisconsin probably won't win the Big Ten, but if they do voters and computers should give you preference if you have a better win against SJSU than the Badgers did.
Hawaii, November 6
The Hawaii Warriors pushed USC in an opening day 49-36 loss. While Oregon and Stanford are getting the attention in the Pac-10 right now, USC is still undefeated. Make sure you beat Hawaii by a minimum of 14 points, but I would recommend you double that to 28.
Idaho, November 12
The most impressive team in the Big XII this year has been number 6 Nebraska. Winning the Big XII championship and finishing undefeated appears a distinct possibility. The Cornhuskers played Idaho on September 11 and won 38-17. A 21-point win. Improving on that seems reasonable. You did beat the Vandals 63-25 last year, which was Idaho's best team since the state's first potato crop.
Nevada, November 26
Worst case scenario, Nevada will be 9-2 when this game is played. The Wolf Pack made waves September 18 when they beat the Cal Bears 52-31. Cal doesn't figure to be a player in the Pac-10 race (although don't rule out a rivalry upset over Stanford), but with this win on their resume and currently a top 25 team, a win over Nevada could count as another quality win.
Utah State, December 4
The Utah State Aggies went into Norman, Oklahoma on September 4, and almost came out winners. The Sooners claimed a narrow 31-24 victory. This is where you can pick up a lot of ground, Broncos. A 30+ point win over Utah State will easily get you the nod over Oklahoma if they are the Big XII champs.
There you have it. Of course, you will want to win all your games by a minimum of two touchdowns, but these five games that you still have to play are the most important ones on your schedule. Win with more style in these games and your spot in the BCS National Championship game is secure.
See you in Glendale.
If you missed College Football Haven's Top 25 this week, click here.
If you missed Monday Musings this week, click here.
If you missed College Football Haven's Heisman Hopefuls this week, click here.
If you missed this week's trivia question, click here.
Weekly Trivia: Seven Overtimes
There were no correct answers to the last trivia question, "Before Bob Stoops became the coach, how many consecutive seasons did Oklahoma not have a winning record?" The correct answer is: 5 (1994: 6-6, 1995: 5-5-1, 1996: 3-8, 1997: 4-8, 1998: 5-6).
Now for this week's question. The North Texas Mean Green beat the Florida International Golden Panthers in 2006, 25-22, after playing SEVEN overtimes. This week's question is:
For more trivia questions, visit the Trivia page.
Did you miss the latest College Football Haven Top 25? Check it out here
Did you miss this week's Monday Musings? Read them here.
Did you miss the latest College Football Haven Heisman Hopefuls? View the list here.
Now for this week's question. The North Texas Mean Green beat the Florida International Golden Panthers in 2006, 25-22, after playing SEVEN overtimes. This week's question is:
How many total points were scored in all seven overtimes?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.
Did you miss the latest College Football Haven Top 25? Check it out here
Did you miss this week's Monday Musings? Read them here.
Did you miss the latest College Football Haven Heisman Hopefuls? View the list here.
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Heisman Trophy Hopefuls, Week 4, 2010
Tracking the Heisman Trophy candidates all year requires a lot of patience. I really feel like dropping some players, but I realize that with a couple of big games they will be the front runner. All of the players on this list are capable of having big games.
PLAYERS WHO STOOD OUT: Mark Ingram had another big game. He is quickly climbing the list. I expected a drop off this year, but with his first two games, I think he has a better chance to win two Heisman trophies than any of the other winners the last decade.
Denard Robinson was having a monster game before his injury. Injuries are part of the game, but I really hope he doesn't come close to another injury. His career could rival Tim Tebow's and Reggie Bush's when all is said and done. As a fan, that is something I want to see.
Cameron Newton has made me a believer: 158 passing, 176 rushing against South Carolina. The Gamecocks are a very good defensive team.
PLAYERS DROPPED: Jaquizz Rodgers is the only one falling off the list this week. I know he has played some very tough defenses so far, but he should still crack the 100 yard mark if he is really the most outstanding player.
PLAYERS TOEING THE LINE: Ryan Mallett and Jacory Harris. It was a tough call on these two. I am disappointed with them both. Mallett did cost his team the game with his interception, but what if Arkansas goes on to finish the year 11-1, and Mallett's stats are off the charts? How many of these other guys will play better against Alabama? Harris has interception problems as well. He could fix that, and Miami could end the year 12-1 and the ACC champs. Just like with Mallett, how well with these other guys play against Ohio?
PLAYERS ADDED: Cameron Newton, Quarterback, Auburn. Newton, the Florida transfer, has turned the Tigers into contenders in the SEC. He is a great dual threat that is being overshadowed by Denard Robinson.
Mark Ingram, Alabama
2009: 271 rushes, 1,658 yards, 17 TD
2010: 33 rushes, 308 yards, 4 TD
Last: 24 rushes, 157 yards, 2 TD
John Clay, Wisconsin
2009: 287 rushes, 1,517 yards, 18 TD
2010: 77 rushes, 501 yards, 6 TD
Last: 15 rushes, 118 yards, 1 TD
Daniel Thomas, Kansas State
2009: 249 rushes, 1,265 yards, 11 TD
2010: 105 rushes, 628 yards, 6 TD
Last: 22 rushes, 76 yards, 2 TD
Kendall Hunter, Oklahoma State
2009: 89 rushes, 382 yards, 1 TD
2010: 60 rushes, 473 yards, 6 TD
Last: Bye
Terrell Pryor, Ohio State
2009: 167-295 (56.6%), 2094 yards, 18 TD, 11 Int / 162 rushes, 779 yards, 7 TD
2010: 71-107 (66.4%), 939 yards, 10 TD, 2 INT / 43 rushes, 269 yards, 3 TD
Last: 20-26 (76.9%), 224 yards, 4 TD, 0 INT / 7 rushes, 104 yards, 1 TD
Denard Robinson, Michigan
2009: 14-31 (45.4%), 188 yards, 2 TD, 4 Int
2010: 57-80 (71.3%), 731 yards, 4 TD, 1 Int / 79 rushes, 688 yards, 6 TD
Last: 4-4 (100%), 60 yards, 0 TD, 0 Int / 5 rushes, 129 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: 25-38 (65.8%), 357 yards, 1 TD, 3 Int
Taylor Martinez, Nebraska
2009: N/A
2010: 34-57 (59.6%), 532 yards, 2 TD, 3 Int / 53 rushes, 496 yards, 8 TD
Last: 6-14 (42.9%), 140 yards, 1 TD, 2 Int / 13 rushes, 75 yards
Jacory Harris, Miami
2009: 242-406 (59.6%), 3,352 yards, 24 TD, 17 INT
2010: 55-86 (64.0%), 690 yards, 6 TD, 6 Int
Last: 21-32 (65.6%), 248 yards, 2 TD, 2 Int
Greg McElroy, Alabama
2009: 198-325 (60.9%), 2508 yards, 17 TD, 4 Int
2010: 61-86 (70.9%), 899 yards, 7 TD, 3 Int
Last: 18-26 (69.2%), 194 yards, 1 TD, 2 Int
Matt Barkley, USC
2009: 211-352 (59.9%), 2,735 yards, 15 TD, 14 INT
2010: 71-109 (65.1%), 941 yards, 12 TD, 4 Int
Last: 16-25 (64.0%), 290 yards, 3 TD, 2 Int
Andrew Luck, Stanford
2009: 162-288 (56.3%), 2575 yards, 13 TD, 4 Int
2010: 64-102 (62.7%), 912 yards, 11 TD, 2 Int
Last: 19-32 (59.4%), 238 yards, 1 TD, 2 Int
Kellen Moore, Boise State
2009: 277-431 (64.3%), 3,536 yards, 39 TD, 3 INT
2010: 62-95 (65.3%), 873 yards, 8 TD, 1 Int
Last: 19-27 (70.4%), 288 yards, 3 TD, 0 Int
Cameron Newton, Auburn
2009: Redshirted
2010: 43-68 (63.2%), 683 yards, 9 TD, 3 Int / 75 rushes, 485 yards, 5 TD
Last: 16-21 (76.2%), 158 yards, 2 TD, 0 Int / 25 rushes, 176 yards, 3 TD
ON THE RADAR: Russell Wilson, North Carolina State, Ricky Stanzi, Iowa; Brandon Weeden, Oklahoma State; Dan Persa, Northwestern
Did you miss the College Football Haven Week 4 Top 25? Check it out here
Did you miss the Monday Musings for Week 4? Read them here.
PLAYERS WHO STOOD OUT: Mark Ingram had another big game. He is quickly climbing the list. I expected a drop off this year, but with his first two games, I think he has a better chance to win two Heisman trophies than any of the other winners the last decade.
Denard Robinson was having a monster game before his injury. Injuries are part of the game, but I really hope he doesn't come close to another injury. His career could rival Tim Tebow's and Reggie Bush's when all is said and done. As a fan, that is something I want to see.
Cameron Newton has made me a believer: 158 passing, 176 rushing against South Carolina. The Gamecocks are a very good defensive team.
PLAYERS DROPPED: Jaquizz Rodgers is the only one falling off the list this week. I know he has played some very tough defenses so far, but he should still crack the 100 yard mark if he is really the most outstanding player.
PLAYERS TOEING THE LINE: Ryan Mallett and Jacory Harris. It was a tough call on these two. I am disappointed with them both. Mallett did cost his team the game with his interception, but what if Arkansas goes on to finish the year 11-1, and Mallett's stats are off the charts? How many of these other guys will play better against Alabama? Harris has interception problems as well. He could fix that, and Miami could end the year 12-1 and the ACC champs. Just like with Mallett, how well with these other guys play against Ohio?
PLAYERS ADDED: Cameron Newton, Quarterback, Auburn. Newton, the Florida transfer, has turned the Tigers into contenders in the SEC. He is a great dual threat that is being overshadowed by Denard Robinson.
Mark Ingram, Alabama
2009: 271 rushes, 1,658 yards, 17 TD
2010: 33 rushes, 308 yards, 4 TD
Last: 24 rushes, 157 yards, 2 TD
John Clay, Wisconsin
2009: 287 rushes, 1,517 yards, 18 TD
2010: 77 rushes, 501 yards, 6 TD
Last: 15 rushes, 118 yards, 1 TD
Daniel Thomas, Kansas State
2009: 249 rushes, 1,265 yards, 11 TD
2010: 105 rushes, 628 yards, 6 TD
Last: 22 rushes, 76 yards, 2 TD
Kendall Hunter, Oklahoma State
2009: 89 rushes, 382 yards, 1 TD
2010: 60 rushes, 473 yards, 6 TD
Last: Bye
Terrell Pryor, Ohio State
2009: 167-295 (56.6%), 2094 yards, 18 TD, 11 Int / 162 rushes, 779 yards, 7 TD
2010: 71-107 (66.4%), 939 yards, 10 TD, 2 INT / 43 rushes, 269 yards, 3 TD
Last: 20-26 (76.9%), 224 yards, 4 TD, 0 INT / 7 rushes, 104 yards, 1 TD
Denard Robinson, Michigan
2009: 14-31 (45.4%), 188 yards, 2 TD, 4 Int
2010: 57-80 (71.3%), 731 yards, 4 TD, 1 Int / 79 rushes, 688 yards, 6 TD
Last: 4-4 (100%), 60 yards, 0 TD, 0 Int / 5 rushes, 129 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: 25-38 (65.8%), 357 yards, 1 TD, 3 Int
Taylor Martinez, Nebraska
2009: N/A
2010: 34-57 (59.6%), 532 yards, 2 TD, 3 Int / 53 rushes, 496 yards, 8 TD
Last: 6-14 (42.9%), 140 yards, 1 TD, 2 Int / 13 rushes, 75 yards
Jacory Harris, Miami
2009: 242-406 (59.6%), 3,352 yards, 24 TD, 17 INT
2010: 55-86 (64.0%), 690 yards, 6 TD, 6 Int
Last: 21-32 (65.6%), 248 yards, 2 TD, 2 Int
Greg McElroy, Alabama
2009: 198-325 (60.9%), 2508 yards, 17 TD, 4 Int
2010: 61-86 (70.9%), 899 yards, 7 TD, 3 Int
Last: 18-26 (69.2%), 194 yards, 1 TD, 2 Int
Matt Barkley, USC
2009: 211-352 (59.9%), 2,735 yards, 15 TD, 14 INT
2010: 71-109 (65.1%), 941 yards, 12 TD, 4 Int
Last: 16-25 (64.0%), 290 yards, 3 TD, 2 Int
Andrew Luck, Stanford
2009: 162-288 (56.3%), 2575 yards, 13 TD, 4 Int
2010: 64-102 (62.7%), 912 yards, 11 TD, 2 Int
Last: 19-32 (59.4%), 238 yards, 1 TD, 2 Int
Kellen Moore, Boise State
2009: 277-431 (64.3%), 3,536 yards, 39 TD, 3 INT
2010: 62-95 (65.3%), 873 yards, 8 TD, 1 Int
Last: 19-27 (70.4%), 288 yards, 3 TD, 0 Int
Cameron Newton, Auburn
2009: Redshirted
2010: 43-68 (63.2%), 683 yards, 9 TD, 3 Int / 75 rushes, 485 yards, 5 TD
Last: 16-21 (76.2%), 158 yards, 2 TD, 0 Int / 25 rushes, 176 yards, 3 TD
ON THE RADAR: Russell Wilson, North Carolina State, Ricky Stanzi, Iowa; Brandon Weeden, Oklahoma State; Dan Persa, Northwestern
Did you miss the College Football Haven Week 4 Top 25? Check it out here
Did you miss the Monday Musings for Week 4? Read them here.
Monday, September 27, 2010
Poll Results: Who is the ACC Favorite?
The Clemson Tigers are the ACC favorite, according to 36 percent of voters. The Miami Hurricanes came in second with 22%, followed by Virginia Tech (18%), North Carolina State (9%), Georgia Tech (8%), and Florida State (7%).
Thank you to everyone who voted. Don't forget to vote in this week's poll: Which top 5 team will lose first?
Thank you to everyone who voted. Don't forget to vote in this week's poll: Which top 5 team will lose first?
Monday Musings: 10 Thoughts About Week 4
The first month of the 2010 college football season finished this weekend, and it showed. The games got tighter and the stakes have risen, but the fun and excitement keeps coming. Here are this week’s musings.
1. In the Pitts. The Pittsburgh Panthers were the clear favorites in the Big East this preseason. Now the Panthers sit at 1-2. The lone win came against New Hampshire. The second loss came at home to Miami, 31-3. Dion Lewis has gone from fab-freshman to sub-par-sophomore. Lewis is averaging less than 50 yards a game and just three yards even per rush.
2. Weapon of choice: the pistol. Nevada made the pistol offense famous, and they are riding its popularity, and success, to a 4-0 record and top 25 ranking. The Wolf Pack isn’t the only team using it these days. Alabama used the pistol regularly against Arkansas this weekend, and UCLA used the pistol to shoot down Bevo, 34-12.
3. How did Bowling Green manage to win a game? Michigan played musical chairs at quarterback, but the offense didn’t skip a beat. Denard Robinson and Tate Forcier both sustained injuries, but Michigan still rolled up 721 yards total offense and put 65 points on the board. Robinson had 128 yards rushing on five carries, Forcier was a perfect 12-12 passing the ball, and Michigan converted 10 of 12 third downs. The only way to win is to play a team with a worse defense or play a team with no offense, but Bowling Green does have one win on the year (44-28 over Marshall).
4. Who is better: Pac-10 or SEC? The Pac-10 might be giving the SEC competition for the title “Best Conference in College Football.” With the exception of Washington and Washington State, the Pac-10 is very strong. The other eight teams are a combined 23-8, and all eight losses are to undefeated teams. The Pac-10 has two upsets of top 10 teams to its credit as well.
5. The best QB in the ACC. Russell Wilson, North Carolina State, is asserting himself as the best signal caller in the ACC. Veterans Jacory Harris, Christian Ponder, and Tyrod Taylor were expected to be the cream of the ACC crop this year. Wilson has outplayed them all, to date, and he bested Josh Nesbitt on Saturday. After throwing a pick-6 that closed a 17 point lead to three, Wilson recovered and threw a 23-yard touchdown pass to push the lead back to 10.
6. Mississippi Mud Slide. The Ole Miss Rebels bounced back from an abysmal loss to Vanderbilt to inundate the Fresno State Bulldogs. Jeremiah Masoli was 8-12 passing for 153 yards, and Brandon Boldin ran for 228 yards on just 19 carries. Ole Miss had 578 yards of total offense and scored 55 points.
7. Will this be the year? The Nevada Wolf Pack has not beaten Boise State since 1998. Nevada hasn’t been 4-0 since 1991. They have been close the last few years. When Boise and Nevada meet on November 26, will the Wolf Pack pull of a monumental upset?
8. Good thing conference play is starting. With six teams in the Big 12 undefeated and seven teams in the Big 10 undefeated, it is a good thing that conference play is starting this week. Nothing is better to separate the contenders from the pretenders. We all remember how Michigan fell from 4-0 to miss a bowl last year. With Texas and Iowa not among the unbeaten teams in each conference, it is hard to believe that the win-loss records really reflect how good teams are at this point.
9. Moral victories are multiplying. The Florida International Golden Panthers notched another moral victory this weekend. FIU is 0-3 with a 19-14 loss to Rutgers, a 27-21 loss to Texas A&M, and a 42-28 loss to Maryland. The head coach said they were not going to take satisfaction in these moral victories, but they do represent how far FIU has come. Just two years ago, FIU lost 40-10 to Kansas, and 42-0 to Iowa.
10. Lost or won? Did Alabama win the game against Arkansas, or did the Razorbacks lose it? Arkansas led most of the game. They had a commanding 20-7 lead in the second half. Alabama cut that lead to three with six minutes to play. All Arkansas had to do was hold on to the ball and run the clock out. Not only did they fail to do that, but Ryan Mallett threw an interception on the third play of the drive. This miscue gift wrapped the winning touchdown for Alabama.
For the latest College Football Haven Top 25, click here.
1. In the Pitts. The Pittsburgh Panthers were the clear favorites in the Big East this preseason. Now the Panthers sit at 1-2. The lone win came against New Hampshire. The second loss came at home to Miami, 31-3. Dion Lewis has gone from fab-freshman to sub-par-sophomore. Lewis is averaging less than 50 yards a game and just three yards even per rush.
2. Weapon of choice: the pistol. Nevada made the pistol offense famous, and they are riding its popularity, and success, to a 4-0 record and top 25 ranking. The Wolf Pack isn’t the only team using it these days. Alabama used the pistol regularly against Arkansas this weekend, and UCLA used the pistol to shoot down Bevo, 34-12.
3. How did Bowling Green manage to win a game? Michigan played musical chairs at quarterback, but the offense didn’t skip a beat. Denard Robinson and Tate Forcier both sustained injuries, but Michigan still rolled up 721 yards total offense and put 65 points on the board. Robinson had 128 yards rushing on five carries, Forcier was a perfect 12-12 passing the ball, and Michigan converted 10 of 12 third downs. The only way to win is to play a team with a worse defense or play a team with no offense, but Bowling Green does have one win on the year (44-28 over Marshall).
4. Who is better: Pac-10 or SEC? The Pac-10 might be giving the SEC competition for the title “Best Conference in College Football.” With the exception of Washington and Washington State, the Pac-10 is very strong. The other eight teams are a combined 23-8, and all eight losses are to undefeated teams. The Pac-10 has two upsets of top 10 teams to its credit as well.
5. The best QB in the ACC. Russell Wilson, North Carolina State, is asserting himself as the best signal caller in the ACC. Veterans Jacory Harris, Christian Ponder, and Tyrod Taylor were expected to be the cream of the ACC crop this year. Wilson has outplayed them all, to date, and he bested Josh Nesbitt on Saturday. After throwing a pick-6 that closed a 17 point lead to three, Wilson recovered and threw a 23-yard touchdown pass to push the lead back to 10.
6. Mississippi Mud Slide. The Ole Miss Rebels bounced back from an abysmal loss to Vanderbilt to inundate the Fresno State Bulldogs. Jeremiah Masoli was 8-12 passing for 153 yards, and Brandon Boldin ran for 228 yards on just 19 carries. Ole Miss had 578 yards of total offense and scored 55 points.
7. Will this be the year? The Nevada Wolf Pack has not beaten Boise State since 1998. Nevada hasn’t been 4-0 since 1991. They have been close the last few years. When Boise and Nevada meet on November 26, will the Wolf Pack pull of a monumental upset?
8. Good thing conference play is starting. With six teams in the Big 12 undefeated and seven teams in the Big 10 undefeated, it is a good thing that conference play is starting this week. Nothing is better to separate the contenders from the pretenders. We all remember how Michigan fell from 4-0 to miss a bowl last year. With Texas and Iowa not among the unbeaten teams in each conference, it is hard to believe that the win-loss records really reflect how good teams are at this point.
9. Moral victories are multiplying. The Florida International Golden Panthers notched another moral victory this weekend. FIU is 0-3 with a 19-14 loss to Rutgers, a 27-21 loss to Texas A&M, and a 42-28 loss to Maryland. The head coach said they were not going to take satisfaction in these moral victories, but they do represent how far FIU has come. Just two years ago, FIU lost 40-10 to Kansas, and 42-0 to Iowa.
10. Lost or won? Did Alabama win the game against Arkansas, or did the Razorbacks lose it? Arkansas led most of the game. They had a commanding 20-7 lead in the second half. Alabama cut that lead to three with six minutes to play. All Arkansas had to do was hold on to the ball and run the clock out. Not only did they fail to do that, but Ryan Mallett threw an interception on the third play of the drive. This miscue gift wrapped the winning touchdown for Alabama.
For the latest College Football Haven Top 25, click here.
Sunday, September 26, 2010
College Football Haven Top 25, Week 4, 2010
I shook up the rankings some this week adding five teams that are still unbeaten, but were previously unranked. Texas, South Carolina, Oregon State, and West Virginia were dropped from the rankings after losses. Penn State fell out after an ugly win. The top 10 had some movement, but nothing extreme, with the exception of previously unranked Auburn coming in at 10. Some wild variations are seen from 11-20. That is due mostly to the season still being just four weeks old and we are still figuring out how good teams really are.
1. Boise State (3-0)
LAST: Beat Oregon State 37-24.
2. Ohio State (4-0)
LAST: Beat Eastern Michigan 73-20.
Terrell Pryor took advantage of this one to pad his stats.
3. Alabama (4-0)
LAST: Beat Arkansas 24-20.
Arkansas lost that game more than Alabama won it.
4. TCU (4-0)
LAST: Beat SMU 41-24.
TCU looked beatable Friday night.
5. Oregon (4-0)
LAST: Beat Arizona State 42-31.
Arizona State might not win the Pac-10, but they could upset some teams looking for that title.
6. Wisconsin (4-0)
LAST: Beat Austin Peay 70-3.
Style points moves Wisconsin ahead of Arizona and Nebraska.
7. Nebraska (4-0)
LAST: Beat South Dakota State 17-3.
I was expecting a let down, but not this much of one.
8. Arizona (4-0)
LAST: Beat Cal 10-9.
A defensive slug fest in the Pac-10?
9. Oklahoma (4-0)
LAST: Beat Cincinnati 31-29.
10. Auburn (4-0)
LAST: Beat South Carolina 35-27.
Cam Newton has Auburn on the verge of a special season.
11. Stanford (4-0)
LAST: Beat Notre Dame 37-14.
Jim Harbaugh has transformed Stanford.
12. Florida (4-0)
LAST: Beat Kentucky 48-14.
13. USC (4-0)
LAST: Beat Washington State 50-16.
14. North Carolina State (4-0)
LAST: Beat Georgia Tech 45-28.
The Wolfpack is my new favorite in the ACC.
15. LSU (4-0)
LAST: Beat West Virginia 20-14.
16. Utah (4-0)
LAST: Beat San Jose State 56-3.
That's better than Alabama did against the Spartans.
17. Michigan (4-0)
LAST: Beat Bowling Green 65-21.
I still have reservations about Michigan. I want to see them win some Big Ten games before jumping on the bandwagon.
18. Iowa (3-1)
LAST: Beat Ball State 45-0.
19. Miami (2-1)
LAST: Beat Pitt 31-3.
20. Arkansas (3-1)
LAST: Lost to Alabama 24-20.
That was a heart breaker.
21. Kansas State (4-0)
LAST: Beat UCF 17-13.
22. Michigan State (4-0)
LAST: Beat Northern Colorado 45-7.
23. Nevada (4-0)
LAST: Beat BYU 27-13.
The Wolf Pack is 4-0 for the first time since 1991.
24. Oklahoma State (3-0)
LAST: Bye.
25. Texas A & M (3-0)
LAST: Bye.
OTHERS TO WATCH: Penn State, Texas, South Carolina, Oregon State, West Virginia, Air Force, Temple, and Northwestern.
Previous Top 25:
Preseason
Week 1
Week 2
Week 3
1. Boise State (3-0)
LAST: Beat Oregon State 37-24.
2. Ohio State (4-0)
LAST: Beat Eastern Michigan 73-20.
Terrell Pryor took advantage of this one to pad his stats.
3. Alabama (4-0)
LAST: Beat Arkansas 24-20.
Arkansas lost that game more than Alabama won it.
4. TCU (4-0)
LAST: Beat SMU 41-24.
TCU looked beatable Friday night.
5. Oregon (4-0)
LAST: Beat Arizona State 42-31.
Arizona State might not win the Pac-10, but they could upset some teams looking for that title.
6. Wisconsin (4-0)
LAST: Beat Austin Peay 70-3.
Style points moves Wisconsin ahead of Arizona and Nebraska.
7. Nebraska (4-0)
LAST: Beat South Dakota State 17-3.
I was expecting a let down, but not this much of one.
8. Arizona (4-0)
LAST: Beat Cal 10-9.
A defensive slug fest in the Pac-10?
9. Oklahoma (4-0)
LAST: Beat Cincinnati 31-29.
10. Auburn (4-0)
LAST: Beat South Carolina 35-27.
Cam Newton has Auburn on the verge of a special season.
11. Stanford (4-0)
LAST: Beat Notre Dame 37-14.
Jim Harbaugh has transformed Stanford.
12. Florida (4-0)
LAST: Beat Kentucky 48-14.
13. USC (4-0)
LAST: Beat Washington State 50-16.
14. North Carolina State (4-0)
LAST: Beat Georgia Tech 45-28.
The Wolfpack is my new favorite in the ACC.
15. LSU (4-0)
LAST: Beat West Virginia 20-14.
16. Utah (4-0)
LAST: Beat San Jose State 56-3.
That's better than Alabama did against the Spartans.
17. Michigan (4-0)
LAST: Beat Bowling Green 65-21.
I still have reservations about Michigan. I want to see them win some Big Ten games before jumping on the bandwagon.
18. Iowa (3-1)
LAST: Beat Ball State 45-0.
19. Miami (2-1)
LAST: Beat Pitt 31-3.
20. Arkansas (3-1)
LAST: Lost to Alabama 24-20.
That was a heart breaker.
21. Kansas State (4-0)
LAST: Beat UCF 17-13.
22. Michigan State (4-0)
LAST: Beat Northern Colorado 45-7.
23. Nevada (4-0)
LAST: Beat BYU 27-13.
The Wolf Pack is 4-0 for the first time since 1991.
24. Oklahoma State (3-0)
LAST: Bye.
25. Texas A & M (3-0)
LAST: Bye.
OTHERS TO WATCH: Penn State, Texas, South Carolina, Oregon State, West Virginia, Air Force, Temple, and Northwestern.
Previous Top 25:
Preseason
Week 1
Week 2
Week 3
Saturday, September 25, 2010
Game Day Talk, Week 4, 2010
It's game time! It is another big week in college football. Alabama and Arkansas are squaring off, Oregon faces its first real test (maybe) with conference foe Arizona State, and Boise State will play Oregon State, just to name a few. It promises to be a great day. Leave your thoughts on the action as it happens.
Friday, September 24, 2010
Game of the Week: Alabama Crimson Tide at Arkansas Razorbacks
The Alabama Crimson Tide and the Arkansas Razorbacks have done their part so far to make this game what we all wanted it to be. These two undefeated SEC West teams square off in a game that could decide who plays in Atlanta for the SEC championship, and possibly a shot at the BCS national championship game.
Ryan Mallet has met the high expectations that everyone had for him this year. He is the first quarterback to throw for 1,000 yards, and his 40-yard touchdown pass against Georgia with 15 seconds left won the game last week. Defense was a weakness for the Razorbacks a year ago. The 2010 edition appears to be better, but has it improved enough?
Alabama has improved on offense. Greg McElroy has a pass efficiency rating of 200. The Crimson Tide have three running backs with over 150 yards rushing. The new defense has looked very strong, however, it hasn’t really been tested.
Last year, Alabama overwhelmed Arkansas 35-7. Neither Mark Ingram nor Trent Richardson had a big game running the ball. It was McElroy having the best game of his short career throwing for 291 yards and 3 touchdowns. The Crimson Tide shutdown the Arkansas offense that had averaged over 500 yards per game in the first two games of 2009.
Alabama has won its last 18 conference opening games. This is Arkansas’ best opportunity to get a win against Alabama. Ryan Mallet may be gone next year, the game is in Fayetteville this year, and Alabama has an untested defense. I expect this game to go down to the wire.
If you missed College Football Haven's Top 25 this week, click here.
If you missed Monday Musings this week, click here.
If you missed College Football Haven's Heisman Hopefuls this week, click here.
If you missed this week's trivia question, click here.
If you missed this week's game predictions, click here.
Ryan Mallet has met the high expectations that everyone had for him this year. He is the first quarterback to throw for 1,000 yards, and his 40-yard touchdown pass against Georgia with 15 seconds left won the game last week. Defense was a weakness for the Razorbacks a year ago. The 2010 edition appears to be better, but has it improved enough?
Alabama has improved on offense. Greg McElroy has a pass efficiency rating of 200. The Crimson Tide have three running backs with over 150 yards rushing. The new defense has looked very strong, however, it hasn’t really been tested.
Last year, Alabama overwhelmed Arkansas 35-7. Neither Mark Ingram nor Trent Richardson had a big game running the ball. It was McElroy having the best game of his short career throwing for 291 yards and 3 touchdowns. The Crimson Tide shutdown the Arkansas offense that had averaged over 500 yards per game in the first two games of 2009.
Alabama has won its last 18 conference opening games. This is Arkansas’ best opportunity to get a win against Alabama. Ryan Mallet may be gone next year, the game is in Fayetteville this year, and Alabama has an untested defense. I expect this game to go down to the wire.
If you missed College Football Haven's Top 25 this week, click here.
If you missed Monday Musings this week, click here.
If you missed College Football Haven's Heisman Hopefuls this week, click here.
If you missed this week's trivia question, click here.
If you missed this week's game predictions, click here.
Game Predictions, Week 4, 2010
It’s a good thing I didn’t get full of myself for my 36-10 record on the year and go bet the house in Vegas. Last week humbled me, as I was only 14-9. That makes the record on the year 50-19. Lots of good games this week. As always, you are free to chime in with your picks, or at least where you agree or disagree. If I leave out a game that really interests you, throw out your prediction for that.
Friday, September 24
TCU at SMU, 42-27 TCU
Saturday, September 25
Buffalo at Connecticut, 31-13 Connecticut
North Carolina State at Georgia Tech, 24-23 North Carolina State
Virginia Tech at Boston College, 28-14 Virginia Tech
UAB at Tennessee, 27-7 Tennessee
Alabama at Arkansas, 35-31 Arkansas
UCLA at Texas, 24-14 Texas
Stanford at Notre Dame, 42-14 Stanford
Idaho at Colorado State, 21-17 Idaho
Fresno State at Mississippi, 34-24 Fresno State
Oregon at Arizona State, 35-17 Oregon
Toledo at Purdue, 31-10 Purdue
Central Michigan at Northwestern, 38-14 Northwestern
Akron at Indiana, 35-17 Indiana
North Texas at Florida Atlantic, 31-6 Florida Atlantic
Western Kentucky at South Florida, 42-7 South Florida
UCF at Kansas State, 28-10 Kansas State
Oklahoma at Cincinnati, 55-7 Oklahoma
New Mexico State at Kansas, 40-10 Kansas
New Mexico at UNLV, 13-7 UNLV
Southern Miss at Louisiana Tech, 34-10 Southern Miss
West Virginia at LSU, 28-24 LSU
FIU at Maryland, 24-10 Maryland
If you missed College Football Haven's Top 25 this week, click here.
If you missed Monday Musings this week, click here.
If you missed College Football Haven's Heisman Hopefuls this week, click here.
If you missed this week's trivia question, click here.
Friday, September 24
TCU at SMU, 42-27 TCU
Saturday, September 25
Buffalo at Connecticut, 31-13 Connecticut
North Carolina State at Georgia Tech, 24-23 North Carolina State
Virginia Tech at Boston College, 28-14 Virginia Tech
UAB at Tennessee, 27-7 Tennessee
Alabama at Arkansas, 35-31 Arkansas
UCLA at Texas, 24-14 Texas
Stanford at Notre Dame, 42-14 Stanford
Idaho at Colorado State, 21-17 Idaho
Fresno State at Mississippi, 34-24 Fresno State
Oregon at Arizona State, 35-17 Oregon
Toledo at Purdue, 31-10 Purdue
Central Michigan at Northwestern, 38-14 Northwestern
Akron at Indiana, 35-17 Indiana
North Texas at Florida Atlantic, 31-6 Florida Atlantic
Western Kentucky at South Florida, 42-7 South Florida
UCF at Kansas State, 28-10 Kansas State
Oklahoma at Cincinnati, 55-7 Oklahoma
New Mexico State at Kansas, 40-10 Kansas
New Mexico at UNLV, 13-7 UNLV
Southern Miss at Louisiana Tech, 34-10 Southern Miss
West Virginia at LSU, 28-24 LSU
FIU at Maryland, 24-10 Maryland
If you missed College Football Haven's Top 25 this week, click here.
If you missed Monday Musings this week, click here.
If you missed College Football Haven's Heisman Hopefuls this week, click here.
If you missed this week's trivia question, click here.
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Heisman Trophy Hopefuls, Week 3, 2010
This week is the first week that I will make changes to the list. With three weeks in the books, the grace period is over for players on the list who have not been Heisman worthy this year. Those who were not on the initial list, but have shown that they are Heisman material will be rewarded and be fully featured on the list of hopefuls.
First off the list is Jake Locker. The only time this year he has resembled a Heisman Trophy candidate was against Syracuse, and that performance against Nebraska was unforgivable. Case Keenum is off the list as well, per his season ending injury. Ryan Williams is out as well. Three yards and a cloud of dust isn't considered outstanding anymore, and no running back gets the Heisman when his quarterback is out rushing him. Dion Lewis needs to earn his way back on to the list. Those 27 yards against New Hampshire should have come on two carries, not 10. Christian Ponder didn't bounce back from his horrid game at Oklahoma with a statement game against BYU, so Ponder is off the list as well. Maybe next year for Landry Jones. Playing to the level of your opponent is not what the Heisman rewards. Jerrod Johnson is off the list as well. Anyone who makes FIU look like FSU is not ready for a trip to New York.
New to the list this week are two running backs and four quarterbacks: Daniel Thomas, Kansas State, and Kendall Hunter, Oklahoma State; Denard Robinson, Michigan, Taylor Martinez, Nebraska, Greg McElroy, Alabama, and Andrew Luck, Stanford. Martinez is the only one who was not on the radar prior to last week. His huge game against Washington got him the attention he deserved for his excellent play all season.
I decided to leave Mark Ingram on the list to recognize his great play in his first game back. I don't think he has much of a chance at the Heisman since he missed the first two games, but when you break your first carry of the year for 48 yards and have over 100 yards rushing in the first quarter, you deserve some recognition. As far as a leader goes, I think it is still Denard Robinson, but Ryan Mallett improved his position with a last minute TD pass to beat Georgia. Daniel Thomas, Taylor Martinez, and Andrew Luck, with his 10:0 TD to interception ratio, round out my top five at this point.
Mark Ingram, Alabama
2009: 271 rushes, 1,658 yards, 17 TD
2010: 9 rushes, 151 yards, 2 TD
Last: 9 rushes, 151 yards, 2 TD
John Clay, Wisconsin
2009: 287 rushes, 1,517 yards, 18 TD
2010: 82 rushes, 383 yards, 5 TD
Last: 22 rushes, 123 yards, 1 TD
Daniel Thomas, Kansas State
2009: 249 rushes, 1,265 yards, 11 TD
2010: 83 rushes, 552 yards, 6 TD
Last: 34 rushes, 181 yards, 2 TD
Jaquizz Rodgers, Oregon State
2009: 273 rushes, 1,440 yards, 21 TD
2010: 42 rushes, 207 yards, 3 TD
Last: 24 rushes, 132 yards, 2 TD
Kendall Hunter, Oklahoma State
2009: 89 rushes, 382 yards, 1 TD
2010: 60 rushes, 473 yards, 6 TD
Last: 11 rushes, 59 yards
Terrell Pryor, Ohio State
2009: 167-295 (56.6%), 2094 yards, 18 TD, 11 Int / 162 rushes, 779 yards, 7 TD
2010: 51-81 (63.0%), 715 yards, 6 TD, 2 INT / 36 rushes, 165 yards, 2 TD
Last: 22-29 (75.9%), 235 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT / 8 rushes, 35 yards, 1 TD
Denard Robinson, Michigan
2009: 14-31 (45.4%), 188 yards, 2 TD, 4 Int
2010: 53-76 (69.7%), 671 yards, 4 TD, 1 Int / 74 rushes, 559 yards, 4 TD
Last: 10-14 (71.4%), 241 yards, 2 TD, 1 Int / 17 rushes, 104 yards, 1 TD
Ryan Mallett, Arkansas
2009: 225-403 (55.8%), 3,627 yards, 30 TD, 7 Int
2010: 70-100 (70.0%), 1081 yards, 9 TD, 2 Int
Last: 21-33 (63.6%), 380 yards, 3 TD, 0 Int
Taylor Martinez, Nebraska
2009: N/A
2010: 28-43 (65.1%), 392 yards, 1 TD, 1 Int / 40 rushes, 421 yards, 8 TD
Last: 7-11 (63.6%), 150 yards, 1 TD / 19 rushes, 137 yards, 3 TD
Jacory Harris, Miami
2009: 242-406 (59.6%), 3,352 yards, 24 TD, 17 INT
2010: 34-54 (63%), 442 yards, 4 TD, 4 Int
Last: Bye
Greg McElroy, Alabama
2009: 198-325 (60.9%), 2508 yards, 17 TD, 4 Int
2010: 43-60 (71.7%), 705 yards, 6 TD, 1 Int
Last: 14-20 (70.0%), 258 yards, 3 TD, 1 Int
Matt Barkley, USC
2009: 211-352 (59.9%), 2,735 yards, 15 TD, 14 INT
2010: 55-84 (65.5%), 651 yards, 9 TD, 2 Int
Last: 17-26 (65.4%), 192 yards, 2 TD, 2 Int
Andrew Luck, Stanford
2009: 162-288 (56.3%), 2575 yards, 13 TD, 4 Int
2010: 45-70 (64.3%), 674 yards, 10 TD, 0 Int
Last: 17-23 (73.9%), 207 yards, 4 TD, 0 Int
Kellen Moore, Boise State
2009: 277-431 (64.3%), 3,536 yards, 39 TD, 3 INT
2010: 43-68 (63.2%), 585 yards, 5 TD, 1 Int
Last: 20-30 (66.7%), 370 yards, 2 TD, 1 Int
ON THE RADAR: DeMarco Murray, Oklahoma; Cameron Newton, Auburn; Ricky Stanzi, Iowa; Marcus Lattimore, South Carolina; Jeffery Demps, Florida
Did you miss the College Football Haven Week 3 Top 25? Check it out here
Did you miss the Monday Musings for Week 3? Read them here.
First off the list is Jake Locker. The only time this year he has resembled a Heisman Trophy candidate was against Syracuse, and that performance against Nebraska was unforgivable. Case Keenum is off the list as well, per his season ending injury. Ryan Williams is out as well. Three yards and a cloud of dust isn't considered outstanding anymore, and no running back gets the Heisman when his quarterback is out rushing him. Dion Lewis needs to earn his way back on to the list. Those 27 yards against New Hampshire should have come on two carries, not 10. Christian Ponder didn't bounce back from his horrid game at Oklahoma with a statement game against BYU, so Ponder is off the list as well. Maybe next year for Landry Jones. Playing to the level of your opponent is not what the Heisman rewards. Jerrod Johnson is off the list as well. Anyone who makes FIU look like FSU is not ready for a trip to New York.
New to the list this week are two running backs and four quarterbacks: Daniel Thomas, Kansas State, and Kendall Hunter, Oklahoma State; Denard Robinson, Michigan, Taylor Martinez, Nebraska, Greg McElroy, Alabama, and Andrew Luck, Stanford. Martinez is the only one who was not on the radar prior to last week. His huge game against Washington got him the attention he deserved for his excellent play all season.
I decided to leave Mark Ingram on the list to recognize his great play in his first game back. I don't think he has much of a chance at the Heisman since he missed the first two games, but when you break your first carry of the year for 48 yards and have over 100 yards rushing in the first quarter, you deserve some recognition. As far as a leader goes, I think it is still Denard Robinson, but Ryan Mallett improved his position with a last minute TD pass to beat Georgia. Daniel Thomas, Taylor Martinez, and Andrew Luck, with his 10:0 TD to interception ratio, round out my top five at this point.
Mark Ingram, Alabama
2009: 271 rushes, 1,658 yards, 17 TD
2010: 9 rushes, 151 yards, 2 TD
Last: 9 rushes, 151 yards, 2 TD
John Clay, Wisconsin
2009: 287 rushes, 1,517 yards, 18 TD
2010: 82 rushes, 383 yards, 5 TD
Last: 22 rushes, 123 yards, 1 TD
Daniel Thomas, Kansas State
2009: 249 rushes, 1,265 yards, 11 TD
2010: 83 rushes, 552 yards, 6 TD
Last: 34 rushes, 181 yards, 2 TD
Jaquizz Rodgers, Oregon State
2009: 273 rushes, 1,440 yards, 21 TD
2010: 42 rushes, 207 yards, 3 TD
Last: 24 rushes, 132 yards, 2 TD
Kendall Hunter, Oklahoma State
2009: 89 rushes, 382 yards, 1 TD
2010: 60 rushes, 473 yards, 6 TD
Last: 11 rushes, 59 yards
Terrell Pryor, Ohio State
2009: 167-295 (56.6%), 2094 yards, 18 TD, 11 Int / 162 rushes, 779 yards, 7 TD
2010: 51-81 (63.0%), 715 yards, 6 TD, 2 INT / 36 rushes, 165 yards, 2 TD
Last: 22-29 (75.9%), 235 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT / 8 rushes, 35 yards, 1 TD
Denard Robinson, Michigan
2009: 14-31 (45.4%), 188 yards, 2 TD, 4 Int
2010: 53-76 (69.7%), 671 yards, 4 TD, 1 Int / 74 rushes, 559 yards, 4 TD
Last: 10-14 (71.4%), 241 yards, 2 TD, 1 Int / 17 rushes, 104 yards, 1 TD
Ryan Mallett, Arkansas
2009: 225-403 (55.8%), 3,627 yards, 30 TD, 7 Int
2010: 70-100 (70.0%), 1081 yards, 9 TD, 2 Int
Last: 21-33 (63.6%), 380 yards, 3 TD, 0 Int
Taylor Martinez, Nebraska
2009: N/A
2010: 28-43 (65.1%), 392 yards, 1 TD, 1 Int / 40 rushes, 421 yards, 8 TD
Last: 7-11 (63.6%), 150 yards, 1 TD / 19 rushes, 137 yards, 3 TD
Jacory Harris, Miami
2009: 242-406 (59.6%), 3,352 yards, 24 TD, 17 INT
2010: 34-54 (63%), 442 yards, 4 TD, 4 Int
Last: Bye
Greg McElroy, Alabama
2009: 198-325 (60.9%), 2508 yards, 17 TD, 4 Int
2010: 43-60 (71.7%), 705 yards, 6 TD, 1 Int
Last: 14-20 (70.0%), 258 yards, 3 TD, 1 Int
Matt Barkley, USC
2009: 211-352 (59.9%), 2,735 yards, 15 TD, 14 INT
2010: 55-84 (65.5%), 651 yards, 9 TD, 2 Int
Last: 17-26 (65.4%), 192 yards, 2 TD, 2 Int
Andrew Luck, Stanford
2009: 162-288 (56.3%), 2575 yards, 13 TD, 4 Int
2010: 45-70 (64.3%), 674 yards, 10 TD, 0 Int
Last: 17-23 (73.9%), 207 yards, 4 TD, 0 Int
Kellen Moore, Boise State
2009: 277-431 (64.3%), 3,536 yards, 39 TD, 3 INT
2010: 43-68 (63.2%), 585 yards, 5 TD, 1 Int
Last: 20-30 (66.7%), 370 yards, 2 TD, 1 Int
ON THE RADAR: DeMarco Murray, Oklahoma; Cameron Newton, Auburn; Ricky Stanzi, Iowa; Marcus Lattimore, South Carolina; Jeffery Demps, Florida
Did you miss the College Football Haven Week 3 Top 25? Check it out here
Did you miss the Monday Musings for Week 3? Read them here.
Monday, September 20, 2010
Poll Results: Will Michigan QB Denard Robinson finish this year as the nation's leading rusher?
The results are in, and 52% said Denard Robinson would not lead the nation in rushing this year. He is still on top after week three, but I expect that the majority will be right. That being said, you cannot deny Robinson's running ability, so I won't be shocked if he does manage to lead the nation in rushing.
Thank you to all who voted. Don't forget to vote in this week's poll: Who is the favorite in the ACC?
Thank you to all who voted. Don't forget to vote in this week's poll: Who is the favorite in the ACC?
Monday Musings: 10 Thoughts About Week 3
College Football turned in another memorable weekend. It was packed with memorable performances, unexpected events, and defining moments for teams, players, and coaches. Here are this week's musings.
1. Here we go again. Last year, the Michigan Wolverines started hot (4-0) and we all thought they were back. They only won one game the rest of the year (63-6 against Delaware State). That has made me hesitant to get excited about Michigan this year. The shootout with UMass on Saturday didn't help. Will Michigan keep winning once Big Ten play starts?
2. Houston, we have a problem. A week after Houston appeared to be in excellent shape with a ground game to go with their potent passing attack, the Cougars lost their first and second string quarterbacks. Case Keenum was the life blood of that team. Now, a season full of so much promise, is most likely shattered.
3. The ACC favorite is who? The North Carolina State Wolfpack looks to be the team to beat in the ACC. They are the only 3-0 team, and behind the arm of Russell Wilson they are legit. Tom O'Brien had struggled so far at NCState, but he looks to have assembled a solid team he can win with.
4. Escaped by their whiskers. The Wisconsin Badgers survived a scare Saturday by Arizona State. A blocked extra point attempt with 4:09 to play made the difference. Wisconsin has one more game to figure things out before Big Ten play starts. They might be 3-0 at this point, but none of their wins have been dominant.
5. Can we shorten the game to 3 quarters? This question was asked by FIU, and everyone playing Oregon. The Florida International Golden Panthers had a 20-6 lead going into the fourth quarter, only to see Texas A&M score 21 fourth quarter points to win 27-20. Oregon is humiliating everyone, do we really need to rub it in and play the final 15 minutes?
6. 'Bamas Best Back. Mark Ingram made it clear that he is, not only, the reigning Heisman Trophy winner. He is the best Alabama Crimson Tide running back. Back from injury, Ingram took his first carry of the season 48 yards. He had over 100 yards in the first quarter. He averaged 16.8 yards per carry, and scored two touchdowns. Trent Richardson is a very good player, but let's refrain from saying he is better than Ingram.
7. This is why you came back? Many experts felt Jake Locker would have pushed Sam Bradford for the number one pick in last April's NFL draft. Locker decided to stay for his senior year. I don't think he came back for games like the one on Saturday: 4-20 passing for 71 yards and 2 interceptions. Here's an idea, let's go back nine months and Locker can declare for the NFL draft and Jimmy Clausen can stay for his senior year.
8. The Pac-10 packed a punch. Although Washington didn't look so hot, several Pac-10 teams did. Arizona came up with the biggest upset of the year by knocking off Iowa, 34-27. Stanford continued to roll with a 68-24 trashing of Wake Forest. UCLA rebounded with a 31-13 win over upstart Houston. While it was just Portland State, Oregon still exceeded expectations (69 points in 45 minutes). Even Arizona State represented well in a loss at Wisconsin. The losses by Washington and Cal hurt the conference, but everyone else came through.
9. You conned me. UConn had us all fooled. The Huskies are not measuring up to contender status in the Big East. A 20 point loss to Michigan in the opener (UMass only lost by 5). A 14 point loss to Temple this week. Temple might win the MAC, but if you expect to contend in a BCS AQ conference, you put away MAC schools easy.
10. The most overrated play. Michigan State faked a field goal in overtime to beat Notre Dame. It was a risky call, and it looked cool from the camera angle on television, but don't buy into the hype that this one play was the gutsiest play of the college football season. The Michigan State head coach even explained that they didn't have much confidence in their kicker. My props to Michigan State for getting the win over one of their rivals and for executing the play well, but let's not blow this out of proportion.
For the latest College Football Haven Top 25, click here.
1. Here we go again. Last year, the Michigan Wolverines started hot (4-0) and we all thought they were back. They only won one game the rest of the year (63-6 against Delaware State). That has made me hesitant to get excited about Michigan this year. The shootout with UMass on Saturday didn't help. Will Michigan keep winning once Big Ten play starts?
2. Houston, we have a problem. A week after Houston appeared to be in excellent shape with a ground game to go with their potent passing attack, the Cougars lost their first and second string quarterbacks. Case Keenum was the life blood of that team. Now, a season full of so much promise, is most likely shattered.
3. The ACC favorite is who? The North Carolina State Wolfpack looks to be the team to beat in the ACC. They are the only 3-0 team, and behind the arm of Russell Wilson they are legit. Tom O'Brien had struggled so far at NCState, but he looks to have assembled a solid team he can win with.
4. Escaped by their whiskers. The Wisconsin Badgers survived a scare Saturday by Arizona State. A blocked extra point attempt with 4:09 to play made the difference. Wisconsin has one more game to figure things out before Big Ten play starts. They might be 3-0 at this point, but none of their wins have been dominant.
5. Can we shorten the game to 3 quarters? This question was asked by FIU, and everyone playing Oregon. The Florida International Golden Panthers had a 20-6 lead going into the fourth quarter, only to see Texas A&M score 21 fourth quarter points to win 27-20. Oregon is humiliating everyone, do we really need to rub it in and play the final 15 minutes?
6. 'Bamas Best Back. Mark Ingram made it clear that he is, not only, the reigning Heisman Trophy winner. He is the best Alabama Crimson Tide running back. Back from injury, Ingram took his first carry of the season 48 yards. He had over 100 yards in the first quarter. He averaged 16.8 yards per carry, and scored two touchdowns. Trent Richardson is a very good player, but let's refrain from saying he is better than Ingram.
7. This is why you came back? Many experts felt Jake Locker would have pushed Sam Bradford for the number one pick in last April's NFL draft. Locker decided to stay for his senior year. I don't think he came back for games like the one on Saturday: 4-20 passing for 71 yards and 2 interceptions. Here's an idea, let's go back nine months and Locker can declare for the NFL draft and Jimmy Clausen can stay for his senior year.
8. The Pac-10 packed a punch. Although Washington didn't look so hot, several Pac-10 teams did. Arizona came up with the biggest upset of the year by knocking off Iowa, 34-27. Stanford continued to roll with a 68-24 trashing of Wake Forest. UCLA rebounded with a 31-13 win over upstart Houston. While it was just Portland State, Oregon still exceeded expectations (69 points in 45 minutes). Even Arizona State represented well in a loss at Wisconsin. The losses by Washington and Cal hurt the conference, but everyone else came through.
9. You conned me. UConn had us all fooled. The Huskies are not measuring up to contender status in the Big East. A 20 point loss to Michigan in the opener (UMass only lost by 5). A 14 point loss to Temple this week. Temple might win the MAC, but if you expect to contend in a BCS AQ conference, you put away MAC schools easy.
10. The most overrated play. Michigan State faked a field goal in overtime to beat Notre Dame. It was a risky call, and it looked cool from the camera angle on television, but don't buy into the hype that this one play was the gutsiest play of the college football season. The Michigan State head coach even explained that they didn't have much confidence in their kicker. My props to Michigan State for getting the win over one of their rivals and for executing the play well, but let's not blow this out of proportion.
For the latest College Football Haven Top 25, click here.
Sunday, September 19, 2010
College Football Haven Top 25, Week 3, 2010
The rankings were pretty stable this week. Houston fell out with their ugly loss to UCLA. The Cougars are not a top 25 team without Case Keenum. Arizona made the biggest jump after upsetting Iowa. The Wildcats are now number 7. With Iowa's loss, Ohio State is now number 2. Any one of the top six is worthy of the number one spot, right now, so I ranked them based on the likelihood that they would finish the year undefeated. Oregon has played well enough that I considered moving them above Alabama, but the Pac-10 will not be easy. Arizona and Stanford will be very hard, and Arizona State and USC won't be pushovers either. Don't forget the Civil War to end the year. Temple is on the cusp of the top 25. If they beat Penn State in Happy Valley this week, the Owls will find themselves ranked. North Carolina State is the only team to move into the rankings this week.
1. Boise State (2-0)
LAST: Beat Wyoming 51-6.
That was a bigger beat down by Boise, on the road, than Texas gave the Cowboys, in Austin (34-7).
2. Ohio State (3-0)
LAST: Beat Ohio 43-7.
The Big Ten title looks a lot more achievable now.
3. TCU (2-0)
LAST: Beat Baylor 45-10.
4. Nebraska (3-0)
LAST: Beat Washington 56-21.
I hope Jake Locker was taking notes from Taylor Martinez, because that is the way a Heisman Trophy candidate plays.
5. Alabama (3-0)
LAST: Beat Duke 62-13.
Good to have Mark Ingram back, but it would have still been an easy win without him.
6. Oregon (3-0)
LAST: Beat Portland State 69-0.
If the quality of opponents was better, Oregon could be ranked higher.
7. Arizona (3-0)
LAST: Beat Iowa 34-27.
Huge upset. Biggest win of the year by anyone, so far.
8. Arkansas (3-0)
LAST: Beat Georgia 31-24.
The defense needs to be better next week if the Razorbacks want to win.
9. Wisconsin (3-0)
LAST: Beat Arizona State 20-19.
Should Wisconsin be worried, or is this Sun Devils team for real?
10. Oklahoma (3-0)
LAST: Beat Air Force 27-24.
The Sooners rebounded in a major way.
11. Texas (3-0)
LAST: Beat Texas Tech 24-14.
12. LSU (3-0)
LAST: Beat Mississippi State 29-7.
Still not convinced that LSU is back. I am expecting some big losses later.
13. South Carolina (3-0)
LAST: Beat Furman 38-19.
14. Florida (3-0)
LAST: Beat Tennessee 31-17.
There are still plenty of reasons to be concerned in Gainesville.
15. USC (3-0)
LAST: Beat Minnesota 32-21.
16. Iowa (2-1)
LAST: Lost to Arizona 34-27.
Tough road loss.
17. Oregon State (1-1)
LAST: Beat Louisville 35-28.
18. Miami (1-1)
LAST: Bye.
19. Penn State (2-1)
LAST: Beat Kent State 24-0.
The defense held its own. The offense has a way to go.
20. West Virginia (3-0)
LAST: Beat Maryland 31-17.
21. Utah (3-0)
LAST: Beat New Mexico 56-10.
New Mexico might be the worst team in the nation.
22. Stanford (3-0)
LAST: Beat Wake Forest 68-24.
23. North Carolina State (3-0)
LAST: Beat Cincinnati 30-19
The Wolfpack just might be the team to beat in the ACC.
24. Oklahoma State (2-0)
LAST: Beat Tulsa 65-28.
25. Texas A & M (3-0)
LAST: Beat FIU 27-20.
If there was another 3-0 team that impressed me, they would be here. The Aggies should not be proud of this victory.
OTHERS TO WATCH: Auburn, Air Force, Temple, Michigan, East Carolina, Kansas State, and Northwestern.
Previous Top 25:
Preseason
Week 1
Week 2
1. Boise State (2-0)
LAST: Beat Wyoming 51-6.
That was a bigger beat down by Boise, on the road, than Texas gave the Cowboys, in Austin (34-7).
2. Ohio State (3-0)
LAST: Beat Ohio 43-7.
The Big Ten title looks a lot more achievable now.
3. TCU (2-0)
LAST: Beat Baylor 45-10.
4. Nebraska (3-0)
LAST: Beat Washington 56-21.
I hope Jake Locker was taking notes from Taylor Martinez, because that is the way a Heisman Trophy candidate plays.
5. Alabama (3-0)
LAST: Beat Duke 62-13.
Good to have Mark Ingram back, but it would have still been an easy win without him.
6. Oregon (3-0)
LAST: Beat Portland State 69-0.
If the quality of opponents was better, Oregon could be ranked higher.
7. Arizona (3-0)
LAST: Beat Iowa 34-27.
Huge upset. Biggest win of the year by anyone, so far.
8. Arkansas (3-0)
LAST: Beat Georgia 31-24.
The defense needs to be better next week if the Razorbacks want to win.
9. Wisconsin (3-0)
LAST: Beat Arizona State 20-19.
Should Wisconsin be worried, or is this Sun Devils team for real?
10. Oklahoma (3-0)
LAST: Beat Air Force 27-24.
The Sooners rebounded in a major way.
11. Texas (3-0)
LAST: Beat Texas Tech 24-14.
12. LSU (3-0)
LAST: Beat Mississippi State 29-7.
Still not convinced that LSU is back. I am expecting some big losses later.
13. South Carolina (3-0)
LAST: Beat Furman 38-19.
14. Florida (3-0)
LAST: Beat Tennessee 31-17.
There are still plenty of reasons to be concerned in Gainesville.
15. USC (3-0)
LAST: Beat Minnesota 32-21.
16. Iowa (2-1)
LAST: Lost to Arizona 34-27.
Tough road loss.
17. Oregon State (1-1)
LAST: Beat Louisville 35-28.
18. Miami (1-1)
LAST: Bye.
19. Penn State (2-1)
LAST: Beat Kent State 24-0.
The defense held its own. The offense has a way to go.
20. West Virginia (3-0)
LAST: Beat Maryland 31-17.
21. Utah (3-0)
LAST: Beat New Mexico 56-10.
New Mexico might be the worst team in the nation.
22. Stanford (3-0)
LAST: Beat Wake Forest 68-24.
23. North Carolina State (3-0)
LAST: Beat Cincinnati 30-19
The Wolfpack just might be the team to beat in the ACC.
24. Oklahoma State (2-0)
LAST: Beat Tulsa 65-28.
25. Texas A & M (3-0)
LAST: Beat FIU 27-20.
If there was another 3-0 team that impressed me, they would be here. The Aggies should not be proud of this victory.
OTHERS TO WATCH: Auburn, Air Force, Temple, Michigan, East Carolina, Kansas State, and Northwestern.
Previous Top 25:
Preseason
Week 1
Week 2
Saturday, September 18, 2010
Game Day Talk, Week 3
It's game day! The action so far has been great. Tom O'Brien has NC State off to a great start (3-0) with their win Thursday night. Nevada made a statement by crushing Cal, and who knows what to think of So. Miss. victory over Kansas. The Jayhawks are still struggling to find an identity this year. Anyways, we are sure to see many other things today worthy of comment. Look forward to your feedback.
Friday, September 17, 2010
Game of the Week: Iowa Hawkeyes at Arizona Wildcats
The Arizona Wildcats have surprised several people this year. The Iowa Hawkeyes are living up to their high expectations. Saturday night, each team will find out how close or far they are from where they need to be to reach their 2010 goals.
Arizona has been overlooked in a wide open Pac-10 this year. Oregon, Oregon State, Stanford, USC, and even Washington got attention in the preseason, but Arizona is making people notice them. They have outscored their first two opponents 93-8, while rolling up over 1,000 yards of total offense.
After winning a BCS bowl last year, Iowa is expected to push Ohio State for the Big Ten title and, possibly, a spot in the BCS National Championship game. Ricky Stanzi has stepped up his game and the offense has more fire power than a year ago.
On paper, Iowa is clearly the better team, but don’t count Arizona out. If I am a Hawkeye, I am concerned about the start time of this game: 9:30 p.m. local Iowa time. When this game ends, it will already be Sunday in Iowa. I don’t think the Iowa players are used to playing so late at night. I would also be concerned about the revenge factor. Iowa beat Arizona 27-17 last year. Since this is the first real game for Arizona, that means the Arizona players have been staring at this game since January.
Arizona has been overlooked in a wide open Pac-10 this year. Oregon, Oregon State, Stanford, USC, and even Washington got attention in the preseason, but Arizona is making people notice them. They have outscored their first two opponents 93-8, while rolling up over 1,000 yards of total offense.
After winning a BCS bowl last year, Iowa is expected to push Ohio State for the Big Ten title and, possibly, a spot in the BCS National Championship game. Ricky Stanzi has stepped up his game and the offense has more fire power than a year ago.
On paper, Iowa is clearly the better team, but don’t count Arizona out. If I am a Hawkeye, I am concerned about the start time of this game: 9:30 p.m. local Iowa time. When this game ends, it will already be Sunday in Iowa. I don’t think the Iowa players are used to playing so late at night. I would also be concerned about the revenge factor. Iowa beat Arizona 27-17 last year. Since this is the first real game for Arizona, that means the Arizona players have been staring at this game since January.
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Game Predictions, Week 3, 2010
I improved a little from week one to week two on my record for picking the winner. My only misses were Sun Belt Conference games and upset specials. Last week, I was 19-4, and now I am 36-10 on the year. As always, you are free to chime in with your picks, or at least where you agree or disagree. If I leave out a game that really interests you, throw out your prediction for that.
Friday, September 17
Kansas at Southern Miss, 31-21 Southern Miss
California at Nevada, 31-10 Cal
Saturday, September 18
Ohio at Ohio State, 42-3 Ohio State
Arkansas at Georgia, 42-24 Arkansas
Maryland at West Virginia, 24-21 West Virginia
Kent State at Penn State, 31-7 Penn State
Georgia Tech at North Carolina, 17-14 North Carolina
Connecticut at Temple, 31-24 UConn
North Texas at Army, 21-14 Army
Ball State at Purdue, 35-28 Purdue
Air Force at Oklahoma, 34-24 Oklahoma
Florida at Tennessee, 21-17 Florida
BYU at Florida State, 31-21 Florida State
Troy at UAB, 28-27 Troy
Louisville at Oregon State, 35-17 Oregon State
Middle Tennessee State at Memphis, 38-14 Middle Tennessee State
Boise State at Wyoming, 42-7 Boise State
Texas at Texas Tech, 41-35 Texas
Notre Dame at Michigan State, 27-21 Notre Dame
Fresno State at Utah State, 24-21 Utah State
New Mexico State at UTEP, 28-17 UTEP
Iowa at Arizona, 27-17 Iowa
Houston at UCLA, 38-35 Houston
If you missed College Football Haven's Top 25 this week, click here.
If you missed Monday Musings this week, click here.
If you missed College Football Haven's Heisman Hopefuls this week, click here.
If you missed this week's trivia question, click here.
Friday, September 17
Kansas at Southern Miss, 31-21 Southern Miss
California at Nevada, 31-10 Cal
Saturday, September 18
Ohio at Ohio State, 42-3 Ohio State
Arkansas at Georgia, 42-24 Arkansas
Maryland at West Virginia, 24-21 West Virginia
Kent State at Penn State, 31-7 Penn State
Georgia Tech at North Carolina, 17-14 North Carolina
Connecticut at Temple, 31-24 UConn
North Texas at Army, 21-14 Army
Ball State at Purdue, 35-28 Purdue
Air Force at Oklahoma, 34-24 Oklahoma
Florida at Tennessee, 21-17 Florida
BYU at Florida State, 31-21 Florida State
Troy at UAB, 28-27 Troy
Louisville at Oregon State, 35-17 Oregon State
Middle Tennessee State at Memphis, 38-14 Middle Tennessee State
Boise State at Wyoming, 42-7 Boise State
Texas at Texas Tech, 41-35 Texas
Notre Dame at Michigan State, 27-21 Notre Dame
Fresno State at Utah State, 24-21 Utah State
New Mexico State at UTEP, 28-17 UTEP
Iowa at Arizona, 27-17 Iowa
Houston at UCLA, 38-35 Houston
If you missed College Football Haven's Top 25 this week, click here.
If you missed Monday Musings this week, click here.
If you missed College Football Haven's Heisman Hopefuls this week, click here.
If you missed this week's trivia question, click here.
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Weekly Trivia: Winning Seasons for the Oklahoma Sooners
The answer to last week's trivia question, "What 7 schools were the charter members of the Western Conference (which evolved into the Big Ten) in 1896?" was correctly given by the second Anonymous responder. Those schools were: Michigan, Wisconsin, Northwestern, Chicago, Minnesota, Illinois, and Purdue.
Now for this week's question. Bob Stoops took over at Oklahoma in 1999. Since he was named head coach at Oklahoma, he has won 119 games and had a winning season every year. This week's question is:
For more trivia questions, visit the Trivia page.
Did you miss the College Football Haven Week 2 Top 25? Check it out here
Did you miss the Monday Musings for Week 2? Read them here.
Did you miss the College Football Haven Heisman Hopefuls for Week 2? View the list here.
Now for this week's question. Bob Stoops took over at Oklahoma in 1999. Since he was named head coach at Oklahoma, he has won 119 games and had a winning season every year. This week's question is:
Before Bob Stoops became the coach, how many consecutive seasons did Oklahoma not have a winning record?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.
Did you miss the College Football Haven Week 2 Top 25? Check it out here
Did you miss the Monday Musings for Week 2? Read them here.
Did you miss the College Football Haven Heisman Hopefuls for Week 2? View the list here.
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Heisman Trophy Hopefuls, Week 2, 2010
The Heisman Trophy race continued to evolve this week with all the big games and big performances. After poor performances last week, Landry Jones and Jake Locker rebounded to look like legitimate Heisman Trophy candidates. Mark Ingram missed his second consecutive game. Unless he comes back and runs for 300 yards next week he is unofficially eliminated. Dion Lewis needs to have a big game soon or he will be off the list as well. He averaged less than 3 yards per carry against New Hampshire. You can say the same thing about Ryan Williams for Virginia Tech. He had less than 100 yards on 20 carries in a loss to James Madison. That is not the way Heisman hopefuls play. Christian Ponder and Jacory Harris hurt their chances mightily with poor performances on the big stage, while Terrell Pryor helped himself with over 200 yards passing and 100 yards rushing against Miami. However, I think we can all agree that if the Heisman had to be awarded today, the trophy would go to Denard Robinson at Michigan. He is 43-62 (69.4%) for 430 yards, 2 TD and 0 Int, plus 57 rushes for 455 yards (8 yards per carry) and 3 TD.
As I stated last week, no one will be added or removed from the detailed list of hopefuls until after week three. A few players have played their way onto the radar. Marcus Lattimore from South Carolina with his huge game against Georgia. Ricky Stanzi with Iowa. He is playing much better this year and appears poised to lead Iowa on a run for the national championship. Jeffery Demps at Florida is becoming the 2010 version of Percy Harvin while averaging over 12 yards a carry on an otherwise inept Florida offense.
Mark Ingram, Alabama
2009: 271 rushes, 1,658 yards, 17 TD
2010: --
Last: Did not play vs. Penn State
John Clay, Wisconsin
2009: 287 rushes, 1,517 yards, 18 TD
2010: 40 rushes, 260 yards, 4 TD
Last: 23 rushes, 137 yards, 2 TD
Ryan Williams, Virginia Tech
2009: 293 rushes, 1,655 yards, 21 TD
2010: 40 rushes, 131 yards, 2 TD
Last: 20 rushes, 91 yards
Jaquizz Rodgers, Oregon State
2009: 273 rushes, 1,440 yards, 21 TD
2010: 18 rushes, 75 yards, 1 TD
Last: Bye
Dion Lewis, Pitt
2009: 325 rushes, 1,799 yards, 17 TD
2010: 35 rushes, 102 yards, 2 TD
Last: 10 rushes, 27 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: 29-52 (55.8%), 480 yards, 4 TD, 0 INT / 28 rushes, 130 yards, 1 TD
Last: 12-27 (44.4%), 233 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT / 20 rushes, 113 yards, 1 TD
Jake Locker, Washington
2009: 230-395 (58.2%), 2,800 yards, 21 TD, 11 Int / 112 rushes, 388 yards, 7 TD
2010: 42-70 (60.0%), 555 yards, 5 TD, 0 Int / 16 rushes, 41 yards, 1 TD
Last: 22-33 (66.7%), 289 yards, 4 TD, 0 Int / 5 rushes, 12 yards
Ryan Mallett, Arkansas
2009: 225-403 (55.8%), 3,627 yards, 30 TD, 7 Int
2010: 49-67 (73.1%), 701 yards, 6 TD, 2 Int
Last: 28-43 (65.1%), 400 yards, 3 TD, 1 Int
Christian Ponder, Florida State
2009: 227-330 (68.8%), 2,717 yards, 14 TD, 7 INT
2010: 23-42 (54.8%), 280 yards, 4 TD, 3 Int
Last: 11-28 (39.3%), 113 yards, 0 TD, 2 Int
Jacory Harris, Miami
2009: 242-406 (59.6%), 3,352 yards, 24 TD, 17 INT
2010: 34-54 (63%), 442 yards, 4 TD, 4 Int
Last: 22-39 (56.4%), 232 yards, 1 TD, 4 Int
Landry Jones, Oklahoma
2009: 261-449 (58.1%), 3,198 yards, 26 TD, 14 INT
2010: 47-76 (61.8%), 597 yards, 6 TD, 2 Int
Last: 30-40 (75.0%), 380 yards, 4 TD, 0 Int
Matt Barkley, USC
2009: 211-352 (59.9%), 2,735 yards, 15 TD, 14 INT
2010: 38-58 (65.5%), 459 yards, 7 TD, 0 Int
Last: 20-35 (57.1%), 202 yards, 2 TD, 0 Int
Jerrod Johnson, Texas A&M
2009: 296-497 (59.6%), 3,579 yards, 30 TD, 8 Int / 145 rush, 508 yards, 8 TD
2010: 53-78 (67.9%), 671 yards, 6 TD, 0 Int
Last: 25-38 (65.8%), 349 yards, 4 TD, 0 Int
Kellen Moore, Boise State
2009: 277-431 (64.3%), 3,536 yards, 39 TD, 3 INT
2010: 23-38 (60.5%), 215 yards, 3 TD, 0 Int
Last: Bye
Case Keenum, Houston
2009: 492-700 (70.3%), 5,671 yards, 44 TD, 15 INT
2010: 32-46 (69.6%), 553 yards, 5 TD, 3 Int
Last: 15-24 (62.5%), 279 yards, 0 TD, 1 Int
ON THE RADAR: Kendall Hunter, Oklahoma State; DeMarco Murray, Oklahoma; Daniel Thomas, Kansas State; Andrew Luck, Stanford; Greg McElroy, Alabama; Denard Robinson, Michigan; Cameron Newton, Auburn; Ricky Stanzi, Iowa; Marcus Lattimore, South Carolina; Jeffery Demps, Florida
Did you miss the College Football Haven Week 2 Top 25? Check it out here
Did you miss the Monday Musings for Week 2? Read them here.
As I stated last week, no one will be added or removed from the detailed list of hopefuls until after week three. A few players have played their way onto the radar. Marcus Lattimore from South Carolina with his huge game against Georgia. Ricky Stanzi with Iowa. He is playing much better this year and appears poised to lead Iowa on a run for the national championship. Jeffery Demps at Florida is becoming the 2010 version of Percy Harvin while averaging over 12 yards a carry on an otherwise inept Florida offense.
Mark Ingram, Alabama
2009: 271 rushes, 1,658 yards, 17 TD
2010: --
Last: Did not play vs. Penn State
John Clay, Wisconsin
2009: 287 rushes, 1,517 yards, 18 TD
2010: 40 rushes, 260 yards, 4 TD
Last: 23 rushes, 137 yards, 2 TD
Ryan Williams, Virginia Tech
2009: 293 rushes, 1,655 yards, 21 TD
2010: 40 rushes, 131 yards, 2 TD
Last: 20 rushes, 91 yards
Jaquizz Rodgers, Oregon State
2009: 273 rushes, 1,440 yards, 21 TD
2010: 18 rushes, 75 yards, 1 TD
Last: Bye
Dion Lewis, Pitt
2009: 325 rushes, 1,799 yards, 17 TD
2010: 35 rushes, 102 yards, 2 TD
Last: 10 rushes, 27 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: 29-52 (55.8%), 480 yards, 4 TD, 0 INT / 28 rushes, 130 yards, 1 TD
Last: 12-27 (44.4%), 233 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT / 20 rushes, 113 yards, 1 TD
Jake Locker, Washington
2009: 230-395 (58.2%), 2,800 yards, 21 TD, 11 Int / 112 rushes, 388 yards, 7 TD
2010: 42-70 (60.0%), 555 yards, 5 TD, 0 Int / 16 rushes, 41 yards, 1 TD
Last: 22-33 (66.7%), 289 yards, 4 TD, 0 Int / 5 rushes, 12 yards
Ryan Mallett, Arkansas
2009: 225-403 (55.8%), 3,627 yards, 30 TD, 7 Int
2010: 49-67 (73.1%), 701 yards, 6 TD, 2 Int
Last: 28-43 (65.1%), 400 yards, 3 TD, 1 Int
Christian Ponder, Florida State
2009: 227-330 (68.8%), 2,717 yards, 14 TD, 7 INT
2010: 23-42 (54.8%), 280 yards, 4 TD, 3 Int
Last: 11-28 (39.3%), 113 yards, 0 TD, 2 Int
Jacory Harris, Miami
2009: 242-406 (59.6%), 3,352 yards, 24 TD, 17 INT
2010: 34-54 (63%), 442 yards, 4 TD, 4 Int
Last: 22-39 (56.4%), 232 yards, 1 TD, 4 Int
Landry Jones, Oklahoma
2009: 261-449 (58.1%), 3,198 yards, 26 TD, 14 INT
2010: 47-76 (61.8%), 597 yards, 6 TD, 2 Int
Last: 30-40 (75.0%), 380 yards, 4 TD, 0 Int
Matt Barkley, USC
2009: 211-352 (59.9%), 2,735 yards, 15 TD, 14 INT
2010: 38-58 (65.5%), 459 yards, 7 TD, 0 Int
Last: 20-35 (57.1%), 202 yards, 2 TD, 0 Int
Jerrod Johnson, Texas A&M
2009: 296-497 (59.6%), 3,579 yards, 30 TD, 8 Int / 145 rush, 508 yards, 8 TD
2010: 53-78 (67.9%), 671 yards, 6 TD, 0 Int
Last: 25-38 (65.8%), 349 yards, 4 TD, 0 Int
Kellen Moore, Boise State
2009: 277-431 (64.3%), 3,536 yards, 39 TD, 3 INT
2010: 23-38 (60.5%), 215 yards, 3 TD, 0 Int
Last: Bye
Case Keenum, Houston
2009: 492-700 (70.3%), 5,671 yards, 44 TD, 15 INT
2010: 32-46 (69.6%), 553 yards, 5 TD, 3 Int
Last: 15-24 (62.5%), 279 yards, 0 TD, 1 Int
ON THE RADAR: Kendall Hunter, Oklahoma State; DeMarco Murray, Oklahoma; Daniel Thomas, Kansas State; Andrew Luck, Stanford; Greg McElroy, Alabama; Denard Robinson, Michigan; Cameron Newton, Auburn; Ricky Stanzi, Iowa; Marcus Lattimore, South Carolina; Jeffery Demps, Florida
Did you miss the College Football Haven Week 2 Top 25? Check it out here
Did you miss the Monday Musings for Week 2? Read them here.
Monday, September 13, 2010
Poll Results: Which team should be the most concerned?
Florida has the biggest reason to fear, according to 51% of the voters. Oklahoma was a distant second with 27% of the vote. USC came in third with 15%, and Texas rounded up the rear with the remaining 7%. Thank you to all who voted.
Don't forget to vote in the new poll: Will Michigan QB Denard Robinson finish this year as the nation's leading rusher?
Have you seen the new College Football Haven Top 25? If not, click here.
Did you miss Monday Musings? Click here.
Don't forget to vote in the new poll: Will Michigan QB Denard Robinson finish this year as the nation's leading rusher?
Have you seen the new College Football Haven Top 25? If not, click here.
Did you miss Monday Musings? Click here.
Monday Musings: 10 Thoughts About College Football, Week 2
Week 2 of the 2010 college football season is in the books. It was another week full of surprises and outstanding play. Looking back on the weekend, here are my Monday Musings:
1. Steve Spurrier's solution for South Carolina. Steve Spurrier has struggled to win at South Carolina the same way he won at Florida. He may have found the solution. Running back Marcus Lattimore took the Gamecocks on his back Saturday in a pivotal game against Georgia. The freshman rushed for 182 yards and two touchdowns.
2. The year of the Dakotas. In week 1, Kansas lost to North Dakota State, 6-3. This week Minnesota lost to South Dakota, 41-38. Everyone circle September 25 on your calenders. Suddenly the North Dakota State-South Dakota game has become must see TV.
3. Houston, we have a run game. We all know that the Houston Cougars have a potent passing attack. Well, it looks like they found a run game to compliment it. Bryce Beall ripped off 195 yards on the ground this week against UTEP. With Case Keenum day-to-day following a concussion, Houston might have to rely on the services of Beall this week against UCLA.
4. This is the best you've got, ACC? The top teams in the ACC did not represent the conference well this week. Miami didn't even push Ohio State. Georgia Tech lost to the aforementioned Kansas team. Florida State was less of a challenge to Oklahoma than Utah State. However, the worst of the weekend was Virginia Tech coming up empty at home against James Madison. Is it time to auction off that BCS spot to the highest bidder?
5. The next move for the Pac-10. This one is so obvious that no studies need to be done. Just cast the votes and announce it later today. It is time to kick out Washington State and replace them with Boise State. From stadium size to media market it is an even swap. The quality of the product in Boise, however, is vastly superior to the product in Pullman. After dropping their opener 65-17 to Oklahoma State, the Cougars had to outscore the Montana State Bobcats 16-0 in the fourth quarter to pull out a 23-22 win and snap a 10 game losing streak.
6. That's more like it. Not to be outdone in futility, future Pac-10 member Colorado returned to its losing ways. The CU Buffaloes showed a different identity than we have become accustomed to in their opener against Colorado State (24-3 win). This week, the Buffs were back to normal. The Cal Bears hung 52 points on Colorado in a 45 point victory. Somehow, Colorado was able to win the third quarter 7-0.
7. Bye, bye, national title hopes. No I am not referring to Virginia Tech, although they can kiss the national championship good-bye as well. I am alluding to the Sun Belt Conference. Ok, maybe they didn't really have any national title aspirations in the first place. However, they are officially out of the picture now. With Florida Atlantic, Troy, FIU, and Louisiana-Monroe all losing this week, no Sun Belt member is still undefeated.
8. The nation's leading rusher is who? A quarterback. With his 258 yard outburst against Notre Dame, Michigan quarterback Denard Robinson is the nation's leading rusher with 455 yards. He has a 41 yard edge on Kendall Hunter from Oklahoma State. Robinson ran for 197 yards against Connecticut in the season opener. It appears he could maintain this lead for awhile.
9. The best 0-2 team. Vanderbilt. The Commodores lost a 23-21 decision to Northwestern in the season opener. They were in striking distance (10-3) going into the fourth quarter against LSU this week. Not too bad considering they lost their head coach only a few weeks before fall camp opened.
10. The worst 2-0 team. Arizona State. What substance is there in wins against Portland State and Northern Arizona? The next two weeks (Wisconsin and Oregon) should even the Sun Devil's record.
For the new College Football Haven Top 25, click here.
1. Steve Spurrier's solution for South Carolina. Steve Spurrier has struggled to win at South Carolina the same way he won at Florida. He may have found the solution. Running back Marcus Lattimore took the Gamecocks on his back Saturday in a pivotal game against Georgia. The freshman rushed for 182 yards and two touchdowns.
2. The year of the Dakotas. In week 1, Kansas lost to North Dakota State, 6-3. This week Minnesota lost to South Dakota, 41-38. Everyone circle September 25 on your calenders. Suddenly the North Dakota State-South Dakota game has become must see TV.
3. Houston, we have a run game. We all know that the Houston Cougars have a potent passing attack. Well, it looks like they found a run game to compliment it. Bryce Beall ripped off 195 yards on the ground this week against UTEP. With Case Keenum day-to-day following a concussion, Houston might have to rely on the services of Beall this week against UCLA.
4. This is the best you've got, ACC? The top teams in the ACC did not represent the conference well this week. Miami didn't even push Ohio State. Georgia Tech lost to the aforementioned Kansas team. Florida State was less of a challenge to Oklahoma than Utah State. However, the worst of the weekend was Virginia Tech coming up empty at home against James Madison. Is it time to auction off that BCS spot to the highest bidder?
5. The next move for the Pac-10. This one is so obvious that no studies need to be done. Just cast the votes and announce it later today. It is time to kick out Washington State and replace them with Boise State. From stadium size to media market it is an even swap. The quality of the product in Boise, however, is vastly superior to the product in Pullman. After dropping their opener 65-17 to Oklahoma State, the Cougars had to outscore the Montana State Bobcats 16-0 in the fourth quarter to pull out a 23-22 win and snap a 10 game losing streak.
6. That's more like it. Not to be outdone in futility, future Pac-10 member Colorado returned to its losing ways. The CU Buffaloes showed a different identity than we have become accustomed to in their opener against Colorado State (24-3 win). This week, the Buffs were back to normal. The Cal Bears hung 52 points on Colorado in a 45 point victory. Somehow, Colorado was able to win the third quarter 7-0.
7. Bye, bye, national title hopes. No I am not referring to Virginia Tech, although they can kiss the national championship good-bye as well. I am alluding to the Sun Belt Conference. Ok, maybe they didn't really have any national title aspirations in the first place. However, they are officially out of the picture now. With Florida Atlantic, Troy, FIU, and Louisiana-Monroe all losing this week, no Sun Belt member is still undefeated.
8. The nation's leading rusher is who? A quarterback. With his 258 yard outburst against Notre Dame, Michigan quarterback Denard Robinson is the nation's leading rusher with 455 yards. He has a 41 yard edge on Kendall Hunter from Oklahoma State. Robinson ran for 197 yards against Connecticut in the season opener. It appears he could maintain this lead for awhile.
9. The best 0-2 team. Vanderbilt. The Commodores lost a 23-21 decision to Northwestern in the season opener. They were in striking distance (10-3) going into the fourth quarter against LSU this week. Not too bad considering they lost their head coach only a few weeks before fall camp opened.
10. The worst 2-0 team. Arizona State. What substance is there in wins against Portland State and Northern Arizona? The next two weeks (Wisconsin and Oregon) should even the Sun Devil's record.
For the new College Football Haven Top 25, click here.
Sunday, September 12, 2010
College Football Haven Top 25, Week 2, 2010
This week saw a lot of movement in the rankings. Nebraska jumped from 9 to 6, but that was more based on the unimpressive play of Arkansas and Wisconsin. Oregon is surging up the rankings. The Ducks have gone from my preseason 21 to number 7. South Carolina makes its debut at number 15 after an impressive win over Georgia. Five teams fell out of the rankings (Georgia Tech, BYU, Florida State, Virginia Tech, and Georgia). They were replaced by South Carolina, Utah, Texas A&M, Stanford, and Oklahoma State. Michigan almost made it, but I remember 2009 starting very similar to 2010, so I want to see if the Wolverines have what it takes to win all season, not just get off to a fast start.
1. Boise State (1-0)
LAST: Bye.
The win last week now looks a lot less impressive.
2. Iowa (2-0)
LAST: Beat Iowa State 35-7.
So much for all that hype coming out of Ames.
3. TCU (2-0)
LAST: Beat Tennessee Tech 62-7.
4. Alabama (2-0)
LAST: Beat Penn State 24-3.
5. Ohio State (2-0)
LAST: Beat Miami 36-24.
Impressive win by Ohio State. Not sure yet which I was worse: my overestimation of Miami, or my underestimation of Ohio State.
6. Nebraska (2-0)
LAST: Beat Idaho 38-17.
7. Oregon (2-0)
LAST: Beat Tennessee 48-13.
8. Arkansas (2-0)
LAST: Beat Louisiana-Monroe 31-7.
Seventeen fourth quarter points made this look better than it was.
9. Wisconsin (2-0)
LAST: Beat San Jose State 27-14.
10. Oklahoma (2-0)
LAST: Beat Florida State 47-17.
The Sooners rebounded in a major way.
11. Houston (2-0)
LAST: Beat UTEP 54-24.
Revenge is costly. Houston lost star quarterback Caseto Keenum to injury in the third quarter.
12. Texas (2-0)
LAST: Beat Wyoming 34-7.
13. LSU (2-0)
LAST: Beat Vanderbilt 27-3.
Not sure if LSU should move up after leading only 10-3 after 3 quarters.
14. Arizona (2-0)
LAST: Beat Citadel 52-6.
Moving up based on style points. Next week is the real test (Iowa).
15. South Carolina (2-0)
LAST: Beat Georgia 17-6.
The new team to beat in the SEC East. Hopefully the Gamecocks don't fizzle out at the end this year.
16. Florida (2-0)
LAST: Beat South Florida 38-14.
Maybe South Florida is that good, but this score is deceptive. The Gators still have a lot to work on.
17. USC (2-0)
LAST: Beat Virginia 17-14.
The defense came to play this week, but where was the offense?
18. Oregon State (0-1)
LAST: Bye.
19. Miami (1-1)
LAST: Lost to Ohio State 36-24.
The Hurricanes still not all the way back yet.
20. Penn State (1-1)
LAST: Lost to Alabama 24-3.
The defense held its own. The offense has a way to go.
21. West Virginia (2-0)
LAST: Beat Marshall 24-21 OT.
22. Utah (2-0)
LAST: Beat UNLV 38-10.
Scored 38 points without their starting quarterback.
23. Stanford (2-0)
LAST: Beat UCLA 35-0.
24. Oklahoma State (2-0)
LAST: Beat Troy 41-38.
25. Texas A&M (2-0)
LAST: Beat Louisiana Tech 48-16.
OTHERS TO WATCH: Auburn, Air Force, Temple, Michigan, East Carolina, and Northwestern.
Previous Top 25: Preseason
Week 1
1. Boise State (1-0)
LAST: Bye.
The win last week now looks a lot less impressive.
2. Iowa (2-0)
LAST: Beat Iowa State 35-7.
So much for all that hype coming out of Ames.
3. TCU (2-0)
LAST: Beat Tennessee Tech 62-7.
4. Alabama (2-0)
LAST: Beat Penn State 24-3.
5. Ohio State (2-0)
LAST: Beat Miami 36-24.
Impressive win by Ohio State. Not sure yet which I was worse: my overestimation of Miami, or my underestimation of Ohio State.
6. Nebraska (2-0)
LAST: Beat Idaho 38-17.
7. Oregon (2-0)
LAST: Beat Tennessee 48-13.
8. Arkansas (2-0)
LAST: Beat Louisiana-Monroe 31-7.
Seventeen fourth quarter points made this look better than it was.
9. Wisconsin (2-0)
LAST: Beat San Jose State 27-14.
10. Oklahoma (2-0)
LAST: Beat Florida State 47-17.
The Sooners rebounded in a major way.
11. Houston (2-0)
LAST: Beat UTEP 54-24.
Revenge is costly. Houston lost star quarterback Caseto Keenum to injury in the third quarter.
12. Texas (2-0)
LAST: Beat Wyoming 34-7.
13. LSU (2-0)
LAST: Beat Vanderbilt 27-3.
Not sure if LSU should move up after leading only 10-3 after 3 quarters.
14. Arizona (2-0)
LAST: Beat Citadel 52-6.
Moving up based on style points. Next week is the real test (Iowa).
15. South Carolina (2-0)
LAST: Beat Georgia 17-6.
The new team to beat in the SEC East. Hopefully the Gamecocks don't fizzle out at the end this year.
16. Florida (2-0)
LAST: Beat South Florida 38-14.
Maybe South Florida is that good, but this score is deceptive. The Gators still have a lot to work on.
17. USC (2-0)
LAST: Beat Virginia 17-14.
The defense came to play this week, but where was the offense?
18. Oregon State (0-1)
LAST: Bye.
19. Miami (1-1)
LAST: Lost to Ohio State 36-24.
The Hurricanes still not all the way back yet.
20. Penn State (1-1)
LAST: Lost to Alabama 24-3.
The defense held its own. The offense has a way to go.
21. West Virginia (2-0)
LAST: Beat Marshall 24-21 OT.
22. Utah (2-0)
LAST: Beat UNLV 38-10.
Scored 38 points without their starting quarterback.
23. Stanford (2-0)
LAST: Beat UCLA 35-0.
24. Oklahoma State (2-0)
LAST: Beat Troy 41-38.
25. Texas A&M (2-0)
LAST: Beat Louisiana Tech 48-16.
OTHERS TO WATCH: Auburn, Air Force, Temple, Michigan, East Carolina, and Northwestern.
Previous Top 25: Preseason
Week 1
Saturday, September 11, 2010
Game Day Talk (Week 2)
It's time for another great week of college football. In the four games played Thursday and Friday, we already have 2 OT games, plus one that went down to the final minute. Houston was able to win going away, despite Case Keenum getting injured and missing the fourth quarter.
Lots of important match ups highlight today, so we should have a lot to talk about. See you throughout the day.
Lots of important match ups highlight today, so we should have a lot to talk about. See you throughout the day.
Friday, September 10, 2010
Game of the Week: Miami Hurricanes at Ohio State Buckeyes
College football has a lot of great games this week: Alabama vs. Penn State, Oklahoma vs. Florida State, Notre Dame vs. Michigan, and even Florida vs. South Florida is compelling after the Gators' lackluster play last week. None of these games, however, is as big as the showdown at the 'Shoe: Ohio State vs. Miami. While the Oklahoma-Florida State contest comes close, this game between the Buckeyes and the Hurricanes will have the most bearing on the national championship and Heisman Trophy races than all of the others.
Each team has had a few extra days to prepare after they easily disposed of Marshall and Florida A&M in their openers over a week ago. Both Miami and Ohio State need this win for many of the same reasons. Besides the national championship and Heisman implications, the winning team will get a big boost to its national image. Since these two teams last met to play for the 2002 National Championship, their national images have been tarnished.
Miami had won its last 34 games before the controversial loss to Ohio State, which was Larry Coker's only loss in his first two season on the job for Miami. Four years later, Coker had lost control of the program. Miami had slipped to 7-6, and the Hurricanes had several off the field issues. Miami fell even further (5-7) in Randy Shannon's first season (2007). Shannon has been working diligently to bring Miami back to the top. A win on Saturday would go a long way in accomplishing that.
Ohio State has had great success on the field since they last played Miami, winning 73 games in the seven years that have followed. The Buckeyes' problem has been that on the rare occasions that they do lose, they lose ugly. Those ugly losses have usually been on big stages: 41-14 against Florida in the 2006 National Championship game, 38-24 against LSU in the 2007 National Championship game, and back-to-back losses to USC in 2008 and 2009. The Rose Bowl win at the end of last season helped, but beating a rising Miami squad will silence a greater number of critics.
Ohio State and Miami both have experienced players. They both have talented players. The team that will end on top will be the one that is hungrier for the win.
If you missed College Football Haven's Top 25 this week, click here.
If you missed College Football Haven's Heisman Hopefuls this week, click here.
If you missed this week's trivia question, click here.
If you missed this week's game predictions, click here.
Each team has had a few extra days to prepare after they easily disposed of Marshall and Florida A&M in their openers over a week ago. Both Miami and Ohio State need this win for many of the same reasons. Besides the national championship and Heisman implications, the winning team will get a big boost to its national image. Since these two teams last met to play for the 2002 National Championship, their national images have been tarnished.
Miami had won its last 34 games before the controversial loss to Ohio State, which was Larry Coker's only loss in his first two season on the job for Miami. Four years later, Coker had lost control of the program. Miami had slipped to 7-6, and the Hurricanes had several off the field issues. Miami fell even further (5-7) in Randy Shannon's first season (2007). Shannon has been working diligently to bring Miami back to the top. A win on Saturday would go a long way in accomplishing that.
Ohio State has had great success on the field since they last played Miami, winning 73 games in the seven years that have followed. The Buckeyes' problem has been that on the rare occasions that they do lose, they lose ugly. Those ugly losses have usually been on big stages: 41-14 against Florida in the 2006 National Championship game, 38-24 against LSU in the 2007 National Championship game, and back-to-back losses to USC in 2008 and 2009. The Rose Bowl win at the end of last season helped, but beating a rising Miami squad will silence a greater number of critics.
Ohio State and Miami both have experienced players. They both have talented players. The team that will end on top will be the one that is hungrier for the win.
If you missed College Football Haven's Top 25 this week, click here.
If you missed College Football Haven's Heisman Hopefuls this week, click here.
If you missed this week's trivia question, click here.
If you missed this week's game predictions, click here.
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Game Predictions, 2010, Week 2
Last week, I posted a 17-6 record straight up, but the scores could have been improved. As always, you are free to chime in with your picks, or at least where you agree or disagree. If I leave out a game that really interests you, throw out your prediction for that.
Thursday, September 9
Central Michigan at Temple: 28-17, Temple
Auburn at Mississippi State: 31-24, Auburn
Friday, September 10
UTEP at Houston: 45-24, Houston
West Virginia at Marshall: 31-14, West Virginia
Saturday, September 11
Georgia at South Carolina: 30-24, South Carolina
Iowa State at Iowa: 24-10, Iowa
Florida State at Oklahoma: 35-28, Oklahoma
Michigan at Notre Dame: 31-28, Michigan
Miami at Ohio State: 21-17, Miami
Wyoming at Texas: 45-17, Texas
Louisiana Tech at Texas A&M: 34-10, Texas A&M
Colorado State at Nevada: 38-17, Nevada
Stanford at UCLA: 27-21, Stanford
Memphis at East Carolina: 28-14, East Carolina
Eastern Michigan at Miami(OH): 24-21, Eastern Michigan
Arkansas State at Louisiana-Lafayette: 24-13, Arkansas State
UNLV at Utah: 31-27, UNLV
Syracuse at Washington: 35-21, Washington
Virginia at USC: 56-10, USC
Rutgers at FIU: 28-17, Rutgers
San Jose State at Wisconsin: 42-3, Wisconsin
Hawaii at Army: 35-28, Hawaii
Duke at Wake Forest: 27-21, Wake Forest
If you missed College Football Haven's Top 25 this week, click here.
If you missed College Football Haven's Heisman Hopefuls this week, click here.
If you missed this week's trivia question, click here.
Thursday, September 9
Central Michigan at Temple: 28-17, Temple
Auburn at Mississippi State: 31-24, Auburn
Friday, September 10
UTEP at Houston: 45-24, Houston
West Virginia at Marshall: 31-14, West Virginia
Saturday, September 11
Georgia at South Carolina: 30-24, South Carolina
Iowa State at Iowa: 24-10, Iowa
Florida State at Oklahoma: 35-28, Oklahoma
Michigan at Notre Dame: 31-28, Michigan
Miami at Ohio State: 21-17, Miami
Wyoming at Texas: 45-17, Texas
Louisiana Tech at Texas A&M: 34-10, Texas A&M
Colorado State at Nevada: 38-17, Nevada
Stanford at UCLA: 27-21, Stanford
Memphis at East Carolina: 28-14, East Carolina
Eastern Michigan at Miami(OH): 24-21, Eastern Michigan
Arkansas State at Louisiana-Lafayette: 24-13, Arkansas State
UNLV at Utah: 31-27, UNLV
Syracuse at Washington: 35-21, Washington
Virginia at USC: 56-10, USC
Rutgers at FIU: 28-17, Rutgers
San Jose State at Wisconsin: 42-3, Wisconsin
Hawaii at Army: 35-28, Hawaii
Duke at Wake Forest: 27-21, Wake Forest
If you missed College Football Haven's Top 25 this week, click here.
If you missed College Football Haven's Heisman Hopefuls this week, click here.
If you missed this week's trivia question, click here.
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Weekly Trivia: Conference Charter Members
Last week's trivia question, "Before this four year run started in 2006, how many years did it take the SEC to win four national championships?" (In other words, if you start with 2005, how many years do you have to go back until the SEC has won four national championships?) was correctly answered by an anonymous visitor. An SEC team won the national championship in 2003 (LSU), 1998 (Tennessee), 1996 (Florida), and 1992 (Alabama). In total, that makes 14 years. However, as you may recall, the 2003 title was a split national championship (AP voted USC number 1). You have to go back to 1980 (Georgia) for the SEC to have four AP national championships.
Moving on, this summer we had some changes announced regarding conference affiliation. Nebraska will make the move to the Big Ten next year. This week's question is:
If you missed the College Football Haven Top 25, click here.
If you missed the College Football Haven Heisman Hopefuls, click here.
Moving on, this summer we had some changes announced regarding conference affiliation. Nebraska will make the move to the Big Ten next year. This week's question is:
What 7 schools were the charter members of the Western Conference (which evolved into the Big Ten) in 1896?Leave your answer in the comments section. The answer will be revealed next Wednesday when a new question is asked.
If you missed the College Football Haven Top 25, click here.
If you missed the College Football Haven Heisman Hopefuls, click here.
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