Official College Football thread - Week 6

[cartman]

The weekend kick off with Cal traveling to play Oregon. On Saturday, there are quite a few good matchups of Top 25 teams:

Florida at LSU
Auburn at Arkansas
and the Red River Shootout, Texas vs. Oklahoma at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas

[Ksyrup]

<S>@</S>Josh_Ward (http://twitter.com/#!/Josh_Ward): RB Bryce Brown is done playing college football and plans to prepare for the NFL Draft, per <S>@</S>JimmyHyams (http://twitter.com/#!/JimmyHyams).

[Izulde]

UNLV/UNR game this Saturday in Reno. We'll probably lose by like 100 even with Kapernick to the NFL.

[dawgfan]

<S>@</S>Josh_Ward (http://twitter.com/#!/Josh_Ward): RB Bryce Brown is done playing college football and plans to prepare for the NFL Draft, per <S>@</S>JimmyHyams (http://twitter.com/#!/JimmyHyams).
I have mixed feelings about this kid. On the one hand, what a waste of a great opportunity to get an education while building up his case for playing in the NFL. On the other hand, if college football were truly amateur and an actual professional football minor league existed, he'd be the perfect candidate for that kind of set-up.

[Ksyrup]

Couple of guys on another board are big UGA/UT fans, so they're trying to one-up each other posting pics and vids of the other school's fans. A select few awesome ones:

http://cdn3.sbnation.com/imported_assets/575692/2010_20october_2023_2021_2025_2030.jpeg

http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e168/voiceguy/dawgsjorts.jpg

http://6.media.sportspickle.cvcdn.com/98/92/307dbfc42ad4df8036e2670512a87fb2.jpg

http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e168/voiceguy/dawgsfat.jpg

http://media.govolsxtra.com/media/img/photos/2010/12/30/vols18_mp_14290_t607.jpg

http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e168/voiceguy/dawgscum.jpg

[JonInMiddleGA]

RB Bryce Brown is done playing college football

What little of it he actually played that is.

[DeToxRox]

Michigan goes to Northwestern tonight. Persa will be playing for the Wildcats which makes me leery, but I don't see how Northwestern can outscore us. That said, I've learned never to underestimate them, especially at home.

[dawgfan]

Michigan goes to Northwestern tonight. Persa will be playing for the Wildcats which makes me leery, but I don't see how Northwestern can outscore us. That said, I've learned never to underestimate them, especially at home.
You confused me there for a second - you mean "this week", not "tonight", right?

[DeToxRox]

You confused me there for a second - you mean "this week", not "tonight", right?

Wow. Not sure where my mind was. I meant Saturday Night.

[knolysis]

Well, I am hoping the Wizard of Oz was kind and granted my beloved Seminoles a running game during their bye week. Hopefully we can use the next couple of ACC matchups as glorified scrimmages and get some things worked out on the O-Line. I'm still really excited about this season and like a lot of things I see about this team, but realistically, thank goodness we are in the craptacular ACC. Any other AQ conference (yes, even the Big East) and we would probably be in some real trouble...

[tarcone]

Iowa travels to Penn St. who we pretty much own. We are going no huddle on offense which is a huge change in philosophy for our program. And we will blitz a lot more, which is another big change for our program.
The results of the no huddle have been very good so far. Hopefully that continues. Our defense isnt very good right now. But I dont think PsUs offense is much better then our defense.
We should win by 2 TDs.

[cartman]

Weather might be an issue for the Red River Shootout. Right now the forecast is a 40% chance of thunderstorms on Saturday.

[tarcone]

Hey cartman, where is your poll? I cant find it.

[cartman]

Hey cartman, where is your poll? I cant find it.

cartman's FOFC College Football Top 25, Week 5 open for voting - Front Office Football Central (http://www.operationsports.com/fofc/showthread.php?t=82447)

[jbergey22]

Iowa travels to Penn St. who we pretty much own. We are going no huddle on offense which is a huge change in philosophy for our program. And we will blitz a lot more, which is another big change for our program.
The results of the no huddle have been very good so far. Hopefully that continues. Our defense isnt very good right now. But I dont think PsUs offense is much better then our defense.
We should win by 2 TDs.

Ill take Penn St +14 vs the team that lost to and gave up 44 points to Iowa St.

[Suicane75]

I'm not sure I'd take Penn State +14 against University Of Phoenix

[jbergey22]

I'm not sure I'd take Penn State +14 against University Of Phoenix

The Penn St defense probably wont even give up 14 points to Iowa. They have a pathetic offense but a top 10 defense.

[jbergey22]

Penn State? This year? The best team they played was Alabama, who is pretty one dimensional on offense, and they gave up 27. Alabama's scoring drives were 11, 10, 10, 11, and 5 plays. They held the ball for 35 minutes and didn't turn it over. Alabama has put up 38-48 in their other encounters, so PSU essentially took 10 points off their norm against tough competition.

Temple and Indiana have put up 10 points on PSU. I'll take Iowa putting up 21-24 against PSU.

You must be fooled into thinking Iowa is actually good this year. They have their worst offensive line since Ferentz first started coaching this team in the late 90s. The reason they went to this no huddle is because their offensive line cant create any holes for Coker. Whether or not they score 14 will depend on if they go no huddle and if the Penn St offense can create field position. In either case Ill take the Penn St +14.

Hawkeye fans may spin it as Ferentz opening up the playbook when in reality it is the only option because of a lot of weaknesses on the o-line. They know the line is below average and if Ferentz had it his way they would be pounding Coker 30 times a game.

And considering the great field position Alabama had the entire game because of Penn Sts lack of offense I would consider holding them to 27 points a fine defensive effort.

[cartman]

A couple of weeks ago Garrett Gilbert announced that we was out for the season due to shoulder surgery. Now he announces he will be transferring next year. A case of the potential not meeting the reality.

[Matthean]

Penn State? This year? The best team they played was Alabama, who is pretty one dimensional on offense, and they gave up 27. Alabama's scoring drives were 11, 10, 10, 11, and 5 plays. They held the ball for 35 minutes and didn't turn it over. Alabama has put up 38-48 in their other encounters, so PSU essentially took 10 points off their norm against tough competition.

Temple and Indiana have put up 10 points on PSU. I'll take Iowa putting up 21-24 against PSU.

I think 'Bama is decently balanced. They lack the long ball, but do decent elsewhere. I think one of the things that holds 'Bama back offensively is that once they get a lead they know they can keep due to their defense they shut down. Them playing PSU the last two years are great examples of this. Even the announcers mentioned it. I know there are other examples as well. A number of 'Bama's scores late are once the other team mails it in, or via TOs as the opponents keep trying to come back. My biggest grip of last year's team is that they turned it on and off on a as needed basis instead of going in and posting 30-40 on whoever they played.

[General Mike]

Where the Pitt fans at?

[yacovfb]

Where the Pitt fans at?

Still celebrating from last Thursday :D

[cuervo72]

I am digging these Oregon uniforms.

[Lathum]

James goes down with what looks like an ugly arm injury. Carted off with his arm in what looks like a huge soft cast.

[cartman]

Peter Gardere. The only QB on either side to win 4 straight games in the Red River Shootout. I was there for three of them. Good times.

HornsNation: Peter Gardere proud of perfect record against OU - ESPN (http://espn.go.com/colleges/texas/story/_/id/7059885/peter-gardere-proud-perfect-record-ou)

[MizzouRah]

Missouri is going to have their hands full with #20 KST tomorrow.

[knolysis]

So what went wrong at Cal?

I remembered making an argument on this board about Cal being a rising team that would eventually challenge for championships in the PAC-10. Those comments were in early October 2007. Since then Cal has played 51 games with a record of 27-24. In the 51 games before my comments, Cal was 39-12. At the time of my comments, Cal was due to make major facilities upgrades and appeared to be doing well in fund raising according to various news reports I read.

Any thoughts/ideas on what caused them to become mediocre rather than continue to get better?

[BishopMVP]

So what went wrong at Cal?

I remembered making an argument on this board about Cal being a rising team that would eventually challenge for championships in the PAC-10. Those comments were in early October 2007. Since then Cal has played 51 games with a record of 27-24. In the 51 games before my comments, Cal was 39-12. At the time of my comments, Cal was due to make major facilities upgrades and appeared to be doing well in fund raising according to various news reports I read.

Any thoughts/ideas on what caused them to become mediocre rather than continue to get better?People thought Jeff Tedford was a QB guru that coached up average players, who then went onto disappointing NFL careers (David Carr, Kyle Boller, etc)... but it turned out Aaron Rodgers was actually a really good QB and he hasn't been able to get a player that good since?

[jbergey22]

They are a speed team in the Pac-10 however other teams in the Pac-10 have become speed teams as well and better at it. Oregon specifically.

[tarcone]

Iowa will go 100% no huddle. It isnt because their offensive line is weak. Its because Their QB feels more comfortable in it. While I agree this isnt one of Iowas best O lines, it isnt weak. Another reason for the offensive shift is the 3 very good WRs we have. And spreading the field will open holes for Coker.

And, as we all know, Iowa owns Penn St.

[DeToxRox]

ryanDFischer Bryan Fischer

RT @McMurphyCBS: Louisville OC Mike Sanford no longer w/program; Shawn Watson new OC, @CBSSports has learnedbit.ly/qIc6sn
this was reported earlier this week:
MattJonesCFB: Mike Sanford was in fistfight with fellow coach on Tues and was demoted

[General Mike]

lmao

[JonInMiddleGA]

Just had a random thought pop into my head: assuming there's the usual 2-3 losses toward the bottom of the top 25 this weekend, does the winner of UT-UGA end up ranked next week? I'm not saying that they should be, I'm just wondering if it might work out that way.

[jbergey22]

Just had a random thought pop into my head: assuming there's the usual 2-3 losses toward the bottom of the top 25 this weekend, does the winner of UT-UGA end up ranked next week? I'm not saying that they should be, I'm just wondering if it might work out that way.

Well if they let the poll keep going UGA would be 32nd and Tenn would be 37th so I think there is a solid chance the winner would sneak in around 24th or 25th, especially if that team were UGA.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Well if they let the poll keep going UGA would be 32nd and Tenn would be 37th so I think there is a solid chance the winner would sneak in around 24th or 25th, especially if that team were UGA.

Hmm ... I think a 1-loss UT has an even better chance than a 2-loss UGA, especially since all three losses have been to ranked teams. Realistically, neither will have exactly beaten a high end opponent after this weekend no matter which one wins, difference being that the Vols would have a better win (Cincy) on their resume than the Dawgs (UT).

[Swaggs]

In sad news, Mike Puskar, co-owner and former CEO of Mylan Inc. (a huge pharmaceutical company) passed away last night. He was WVU's most high profile donor and the namesake for our stadium. As well as one of the largest employers in Morgantown.

I'm sure his contributions were being counted on in the conference realignment shuffle (where it is being reported that the Big East is holding tight to its teams' buyouts and that WVU will need to invest in its facilities and/or add athletic programs if it wants to join another conference), but this is unfortunate news on a few levels.

[Matthean]

34 points with 11 yards rushing by Oklahoma in a half. If this doesn't make Jones the #2 QB behind Luck, I'm not sure what will.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Watching this UT/OU debacle is frustrating. Mizzou lost by 10 in Norman. Really wish MU would have found a way to get over the hump down there. It's very clear that OU is the top dog. They've faced down the early challenges very well and have an easier schedule down the stretch.

[Matthean]

Didn't make the comment before, but it looks like it's going to happen. Basically OU is going to show how well endowed it is even though being #1 at the start of the season and then going undefeated apparently isn't enough to make a team think it will make the title game.

[Radii]

Maryland O-Lineman Andrew Gonnella hurt badly on a 3rd and 1 run. No idea exactly what happened, they brought an ambulance out on the field and kept him pretty well surrounded and the announcers described it as a "gruesome leg injury that we're not going to be showing you".

[Matthean]

Florida officially going 3rd string QB.

Jeff Driskel not dressed for Florida - SEC Blog - ESPN (http://espn.go.com/blog/sec/post/_/id/29912/jeff-driskel-not-dressed-for-florida)

[dawgfan]

So what went wrong at Cal?

I remembered making an argument on this board about Cal being a rising team that would eventually challenge for championships in the PAC-10. Those comments were in early October 2007. Since then Cal has played 51 games with a record of 27-24. In the 51 games before my comments, Cal was 39-12. At the time of my comments, Cal was due to make major facilities upgrades and appeared to be doing well in fund raising according to various news reports I read.

Any thoughts/ideas on what caused them to become mediocre rather than continue to get better?
A variety of things:

Tedford whiffed on recruiting/developing good QBs;
Tedford lost some good assistants - losing Jim Michalczek in 2009 hurt a lot (he's back now);
Oregon took a significant step forward when Chip Kelly arrived;
Stanford transformed from a complete mess to a top-10 team under Harbaugh;
Washington is no longer under terrible management;

I wouldn't give up on Cal though - they still recruit like a mofo with Tosh Lupoi on staff, and Tedford has decided to become more hands-on with the offense like he was when he first took the job.

[JonInMiddleGA]

GT isn't particularly impressive holding on for a 21-16 win over Maryland but it does make them 6-0 and (according to the anncrs) the first team to become bowl eligible this season.

[Lathum]

Excited that the Rutgers game is on ESPNU

[Vegas Vic]

Congratulations to the Oklahoma defense for outscoring the Texas offense 21-10.

[Cuckoo]

There isn't a whole lot better in this world than a thorough beatdown of the Longhorns... :)

[whomario]

What a fucking stupid rule. I couldn´t care less for either team and am propably as much against showboating as anyone, but its not like he did a dance or sth... Seriously, can you really blame a freaking punter for getting excited about scoring a TD ?

[tarcone]

Iowa/PsU on ESPN3. Im very happy. My daugter has a soccer game at 4:45. So I will miss the end of the game. I hope we are blowing them out by the time I have to leave.

Iowa about to score. We are on the PsU 9 down 3-0.

[bronconick]

Wake Forest beats FSU 35-30. Stupidity reigns, from Jimbo thinking the game was a gimme and holding Manuel out until Trickett spends a half playing like a freshman to threeve penalties (again)

Just a bad football team.

WMU up 38-14 in the 3rd on Bowling Green.

[knolysis]

Wake Forest beats FSU 35-30. Stupidity reigns, from Jimbo thinking the game was a gimme and holding Manuel out until Trickett spends a half playing like a freshman to threeve penalties (again)

Just a bad football team.

WMU up 38-14 in the 3rd on Bowling Green.

The loss isn't on Trickett or Jimbo's decision to start Trickett. The secondary is atrocious and the O-Line can't block. The problems go way beyond the quarterback - Trickett is good enough to beat WF. Jesus, we just lost to Wake Fucking Forest. It's gonna be a looonnngggg season. Hope my liver is up to it...

[tarcone]

I believe we have changed their name to Wake The Forest University.

[Lathum]

What a fucking stupid rule. I couldn´t care less for either team and am propably as much against showboating as anyone, but its not like he did a dance or sth... Seriously, can you really blame a freaking punter for getting excited about scoring a TD ?

yeah, that was pretty stupid. at least make it a 15 yarder added to the kick off.

[bronconick]

The loss isn't on Trickett or Jimbo's decision to start Trickett. The secondary is atrocious and the O-Line can't block. The problems go way beyond the quarterback - Trickett is good enough to beat WF. Jesus, we just lost to Wake Fucking Forest. It's gonna be a looonnngggg season. Hope my liver is up to it...

True, but the decision gives an aura of "Pssh, we can beat these guys with a hand behind our back." That blows up in your face when you get beat.

If your starting QB can play, he should start.

[tarcone]

Iowa losing 6-3 at half. Sad.

[Julio Riddols]

WTF has happened to Kansas? Are they division 3 now?

[knolysis]

True, but the decision gives an aura of "Pssh, we can beat these guys with a hand behind our back." That blows up in your face when you get beat.

If your starting QB can play, he should start.

100% agreed from the fan's perspective. Put your best players on the field and crush the competition. I have to think that Jimbo weighed how Clint practiced and his mastery of what they wanted to do this week versus resting EJ and giving him another week to get healthy. Clearly, Jimbo felt Clint could do what was needed to run the offense.

I am 100% behind Jimbo Fisher. I think he made the right decision to start Trickett as I was happy with Trickett's performance against Clemson. I have zero doubt Trickett is good enough to beat Wake Forest. I am also 100% confident that Rick Trickett is vastly overrated as an Offensive Line coach and getting rid of him would make a big difference.

[Julio Riddols]

Also, converted TE Thomas looking good at QB for VT, but Miamis D is about as timid as I have seen.

[Matthean]

Can the LSU/Florida game be removed in terms of SoS for LSU? Near halftime and Burton, a RB, is the passing leader for Florida with 6 yards.

[tarcone]

Kansas' QB is from my area. He played in our conference. Is he playing ok?

[Julio Riddols]

Hes the only guy that has done anything for Kansas, it appears, although he has thrown 2 picks.. But the score is 56-7 at the half, OSU is just obliterating them.

[CU Tiger]

Clemson QB Tajh Boyd carted out of the stadium with a nasty looking knee.
If i was betting given my history of knee surgeries...his year is done.

[digamma]

GT isn't particularly impressive holding on for a 21-16 win over Maryland but it does make them 6-0 and (according to the anncrs) the first team to become bowl eligible this season.

I was e-mailing with a friend earlier and said that I keep going back and forth between thinking GT is pretty good versus thinking the rest of the ACC is just awful.

Whatever the answer, 6-0 for the first time in 45 years is worth enjoying for a little while.

[MrBug708]

Good to see the Big-10 still giving us great games

*yawn*

[digamma]

Clemson QB Tajh Boyd carted out of the stadium with a nasty looking knee.
If i was betting given my history of knee surgeries...his year is done.

Sorry to hear that if it ends up being a season ender. How is your back-up? Hoping we both get to Halloween weekend undefeated.

[CU Tiger]

Sorry to hear that if it ends up being a season ender. How is your back-up? Hoping we both get to Halloween weekend undefeated.

True freshman....not highly recruited....dad played qb in nfl.....good pedigree but raw.

[jbergey22]

Iowa will go 100% no huddle. It isnt because their offensive line is weak. Its because Their QB feels more comfortable in it. While I agree this isnt one of Iowas best O lines, it isnt weak. Another reason for the offensive shift is the 3 very good WRs we have. And spreading the field will open holes for Coker.

And, as we all know, Iowa owns Penn St.

You sound like my buddy who is a Hawkeyes fan so I dont hold it against you. Every year he bets on the Hawkeyes to win the Nat'l title and every year is suprisingly shocked when he loses that bet.

[Eaglesfan27]

You sound like my buddy who is a Hawkeyes fan so I dont hold it against you. Every year he bets on the Hawkeyes to win the Nat'l title and every year is suprisingly shocked when he loses that bet.

Iowa isn't going to even finish in the top 25, if today is a fair indicator of their talent.

[Dr. Sak]

Iowa travels to Penn St. who we pretty much own. We are going no huddle on offense which is a huge change in philosophy for our program. And we will blitz a lot more, which is another big change for our program.
The results of the no huddle have been very good so far. Hopefully that continues. Our defense isnt very good right now. But I dont think PsUs offense is much better then our defense.
We should win by 2 TDs.

To win by 2 TDs you have to score at least 2 TDs

[JonInMiddleGA]

I was e-mailing with a friend earlier and said that I keep going back and forth between thinking GT is pretty good versus thinking the rest of the ACC is just awful.

Or at least the parts of the ACC we've seen so far are just awful. Then again, other than Clemson I'm not sure anybody in the conference looks any better than GT is at the moment. The 4th quarter lapses are concerning, as is the sharp decline in passing productivity, but that should still be good enough for a 3rd or 4th place finish in the conference & that significantly exceeds my expectations for this year. Hell, they're one win away from what I figured was about the max possible.

Whatever the answer, 6-0 for the first time in 45 years is worth enjoying for a little while.

At the very least, it's notable. And that's good enough for today.

[DeToxRox]

A ref in the Michigan/Northwestern game might have suffered a heart attack on the field before the game.

sippinonpurple Rodger Sherman It looks like one of the refs here may have just suffered a heartattack. Ambulance on the field. Lotta hushed breaths here, prayers go out.

[MJ4H]

lol Missouri commits a penalty that completely ends their chance at a nice comeback and the shot cuts immediately to some Missouri fans vigorously chanting S-E-C S-E-C.

Can't explain that.

[General Mike]

Eat Shit Pitt

34-10 Final

[Atocep]

Congrats to Rutgers fans. You held that High Octane!!! offense to 10 points.

[DeToxRox]

Michigan playing the opposite of assignment football right now.

[MizzouRah]

Hats off to KST for being 5-0 although I don't think it will be as fun next week when OU comes to town.

Mizzou's playcalling was horrible, I mean Josey is averaging like 12 yards a carry and you try to pass on every fucking down. What an ugly game...

[miked]

Nothing says ACC offer better than "we just whipped the two teams you chose first". As an RU fan, I always wait for the letdown game. We play Army next week, then I think off to WVU for what will probably decide our season.

[panerd]

Hats off to KST for being 5-0 although I don't think it will be as fun next week when OU comes to town.

Mizzou's playcalling was horrible, I mean Josey is averaging like 12 yards a carry and you try to pass on every fucking down. What an ugly game...

I think our team's game plan is solid when our quarterback can account of 90+% of the plays (Daniel), is somewhat solid when our quarterback can only account for 75-80% of the plays (Smith), is decent when our quarterback can account for 60-70% of the plays (Gabbert) but is terrible when our running game is just a lot better than our QB. I don't understand why they won't adjust the game plan but if it hasn't happened in 10+ years I have just come to grips that it will never happen. You live and die with Pinkels stubborness I guess. And with the past 10 years compared to the first 15 of being a Mizzou fan for me I will still take Pinkel.

[tarcone]

That was pathetic. I guess we are a year away. Another 7-5 season ahead.

I think Ferentz has a bad season every 3 or 4 to quiet the "Ferentz to the NFL" rumors. :)

[Radii]

Nothing says ACC offer better than "we just whipped the two teams you chose first".

Yeah grats on the wins, still want syracuse and pitt, would be happy to trade you for miami though! ;)

[JonInMiddleGA]

Even with the TD by Lane for UT against UGA called back, I really really like a freshman having the presence of mind to finish a play like that just in case. One of of didn't-go-down-landed-on-the-defender plays but he appears to touched the ground now that we see the replay.

Still, nice to see a kid who doesn't just quit on the play & instead tries to make something happen.

[JonInMiddleGA]

LOL

Aaron Murray pass complete to Tavarres King for 11 yards to the Tenn 23 for a 1ST down.
1st and 10 at TENN 23 GEORGIA penalty 10 yard Holding on Aron White accepted, no play.
1st and 20 at TENN 33 Carlton Thomas rush for a loss of 1 yard to the Tenn 34.
2nd and 21 at TENN 34 GEORGIA penalty 10 yard Holding accepted, no play.
2nd and 31 at TENN 44 GEORGIA penalty 10 yard Holding on Kenarious Gates accepted, no play.
2nd and 41 at UGA 46 GEORGIA penalty 15 yard Personal Foul accepted, no play.
2nd and 56 at UGA 31 Richard Samuel rush for a loss of 1 yard to the Geo 30.
3rd and 57 at UGA 30 Richard Samuel rush for no gain to the Geo 30.
4th and 57 at UGA 30 Drew Butler punt for 48 yards, returned by Devrin Young for 19 yards to the Geo 44, GEORGIA penalty 15 yard Personal Foul on Arthur Lynch accepted for a 1ST down.

[JonInMiddleGA]

WTF??? Intentional grounding call on UT with TWO receivers right on line with the short underhand throw. It looked like he was throwing it away, but lo & behold there were two eligible men quite close to where the ball landed.

Horrible officiating crew, bad all night. That sequence I posted a minute ago was about as obvious a case of "let's even things up so it doesn't look bad on the stat sheet" as I've ever seen at the college level.

[RainMaker]

4th and 57 has to be close to a record, right?

[M GO BLUE!!!]

Pat Fitzgerald was right to blow his top... The defender grabbed the facemask with his left, yanking the helmet off.

What a nice second half though! :)

[Vegas Vic]

Nebraska leaves the Big XII and moves to the Big Ten because they can't beat OU or Texas. Now it appears that they're going to be middle of the pack in the Big Ten. Perhaps Conference USA would be a better fit?

[JonInMiddleGA]

4th and 57 has to be close to a record, right?

I figure somebody in a research department will dig that up & it'll show up in the post-game notes somewhere.

I honestly can't recall ever seeing a worse officiated game in the SEC. Utterly clueless & let's be honest, it isn't like UT is LSU or Bama, teams really don't need much help beating them. The even-it-out calls that have taken place in the 4th quarter is NBA-caliber stuff.

[Swaggs]

Houston looks like they have a good shot to go undefeated this season: Houston Football - Cougars News, Scores, Videos - College Football - ESPN (http://espn.go.com/college-football/team/_/id/248/houston-cougars)

They are unranked right now. Wonder if they can move up enough to get into BCS range by the end of the season? Their list of opponents is pretty weak, so it will be an uphill climb.

[JonInMiddleGA]

And now Tyler Bray leaves the game after banging his throwing hand off a helmet. Enter Matt Simms who completes two straight to keep the faint hopes alive down by two TD's.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Vols ain't gonna make it all the way back short of a miracle, but pretty cool to see Simms come in & convert a pair of 4th downs. By all accounts he's had a great attitude in spite of how Dooley handled the QB situation last year, given his background (just being a star's kid & all) he's not necessarily someone that I would have expected that from.

[Matthean]

I got home late and started to watch the baseball game, but I think I'm officially confused as to how good Michigan can be. Is Northwestern pass defense really that bad? If the light really does come on for him in terms of passing, I think they have a legit shot at being the #2 team in the Big Ten. Not that it's saying much this year, but that's well above what I would have guessed.

[MJ4H]

Well, Arkansas is playing pretty poorly and still handling Auburn, 31-14 in the 4th quarter. Hopefully we can put it away here and head to the bye week with no more injuries and then get some people back for the stretch run.

[tarcone]

A guy at work bet me a case of beer on who would be the B1G champ. He took Nebraska, I got the rest of thje B1G. :)

[MJ4H]

Final score: Arkansas 38, Auburn 14.

[Matthean]

Nebraska comes all the way back to tie it up.

[EagleFan]

4th and 57 has to be close to a record, right?

Pretty sad when what was a decent punt doesn't even make it as far as you needed for the first down.

[MizzouRah]

Nebraska leaves the Big XII and moves to the Big Ten because they can't beat OU or Texas. Now it appears that they're going to be middle of the pack in the Big Ten. Perhaps Conference USA would be a better fit?

Speak a little too soon?

It's been one heck of a game.

[Matthean]

I'm at least impressed OSU showed some life after seeing last week's debacle, but that DL got abused in the second half.

[Scoobz0202]

Joe Bauserman, you break my heart

[Balldog]

Joe Bauserman, you break my heart

As bad as Bauserman is, the play calling has been horrible when he is in the game. Why on 3rd and 15 from NEB 32 do you throw down the field with a QB who is ~25% completion percentage when a FG makes a 2 score game. Run the damn ball and set up a reasonable FG try.

Then when we got the ball back with 5 minutes left we call 3 straight pass plays with a QB that can't do dick. As soon as he comes into the game they abandon the run like he is Dan Marino or something.

What a debacle, I can't imagine Fickell has a chance at retaining the job.

[jbergey22]

Do they not call picks in the college game anymore? UCLA got away with a pick play on their final score and another one earlier in the 2nd half. No wonder why college football is so high scoring. The WR's are out there knocking d-backs around on pass plays.

[MrBug708]

UCLA is so bad but they've managed to win games they were outplayed in

[RedKingGold]

As we all know, Penn State owns Iowa.

[jbergey22]

Just had a random thought pop into my head: assuming there's the usual 2-3 losses toward the bottom of the top 25 this weekend, does the winner of UT-UGA end up ranked next week? I'm not saying that they should be, I'm just wondering if it might work out that way.

UGA will have to wait until next week

College Football - Rankings - Rivals.com (http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/football/polls)

[DeToxRox]

I got a chuckle out of this

http://a4.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/305284_10100262265619600_20905538_47440020_1292906224_n.jpg

[Logan]

Nothing says ACC offer better than "we just whipped the two teams you chose first". As an RU fan, I always wait for the letdown game. We play Army next week, then I think off to WVU for what will probably decide our season.

Next week is Navy (Homecoming). We play Army at Yankee Stadium on November 12th. WVU is Oct 29th.

Great couple of wins. The defense was really great yesterday and is shaping up to be something special.

[miked]

Yeah. the RU-WVU game is the same day as GT-Clemson. Probably not going to make it home.

[tarcone]

As we all know, Penn State owns Iowa.

They sure do. That was plain ugly.

[dawgfan]

UCLA is so bad but they've managed to win games they were outplayed in
If UCLA could actually get some decent QB play and take a step forward on defense, they could actually be pretty good. As easy as it is to take shots at the guy, Neuheisel has the Bruins just a game back of ASU in the South...

[Ksyrup]

True, but the decision gives an aura of "Pssh, we can beat these guys with a hand behind our back." That blows up in your face when you get beat.

If your starting QB can play, he should start.

The bad thing is, he can't. I read the several tweets about "EJ's off the mark, chalk it up to rust." Um... he's been "rusty" since the first game of the year, then. We don't have a QB right now. Especially if EJ isn't well enough to run 20 times a game.

That game was disappointing. The biggest question I have is, WTF with the defense? I understand the offensive problems - the OL hasn't been set right since the spring, injury to EJ, injuries to WRs, etc. I expected to struggle on offense. Instead, we manage to put up 30 points 2 straight weeks and still give up more to lose. I guess the silver lining is that if Stoops is worth keeping around, this year's start has probably cooled his chances of becoming a head coach next year.

[Ksyrup]

I am also 100% confident that Rick Trickett is vastly overrated as an Offensive Line coach and getting rid of him would make a big difference.

Isn't the issue that Trickett is the one who likes having a small OL, and Jimbo has turned that philosophy 180 degrees in the last 2 years? I'm no longer in Tally so I don't hear things like I used to, but from afar, I'm wondering if Trickett still has a job solely because we wanted his son as a QB. It seems philosophically, Jimbo should want someone else working with the OL. That said, the OL has really had issues with losing seniors, injuries, and working up the new guys (Hart started this weekend, and he's younger than most high school seniors) that it would probably be hard for anyone to get them working perfectly.

[Ksyrup]

I have never seen a football team from a major conference as inept as Kentucky. I'm sure one exists, probably don't even have to go more than 10 years to find one, but this feels like an historically bad team. They get Jacksonville State after a bye, and while I'm going to put that one in the win column, I'd still give Jacksonville State a 40% chance of pulling an "upset." I can't see them beating anyone in the SEC - they shouldn't come with 15 points of even the worst team on their schedule. That would be 3 wins, but the first 2 were as unimpressive against inferior competition as they could be.

I know he's only gotten 2 years, but Joker should be fired. Rich Brooks didn't leave this team in great shape, but considering where they've been recently and where they are now, there is no talent on this roster. Winston Guy and Danny Trevathan on D are the only guys who could start elsewhere. Morgan Newton makes Joe Bauserman look like Andrew Luck. And his backup threw 2 picks on his first 2 passes and had the third INT dropped before they yanked him. They had 4 INTs and 4 completions. Even a RB threw a pick against South Carolina - throwing a pass with a glove on and the ball flew out of his hand. Smart. 96 total yards on offense, and the defense was on the field for 91 plays. Just embarrassing.

[mauchow]

Check out what Minnesota has done so far this year - and in previous years. I would put them on a short-list as well. :)

[Ksyrup]

Yeah, at the end of the year, UK and Minnesota should play the Tubby Bowl.

The only thing that may save Joker is that basketball practice starts this week.

[Ksyrup]

The best part about UK's struggles is they apparently ran off a 4 star QB from Texas before the season started. I don't know if the kid had some academic or other problems on campus, or he sucked, or he was just pissed at not getting an opportunity to play, but 4 star QBs out of Texas don't just drop by Lexington very often. And now he's gone.

[bronconick]

First time since 1982 that UF/FSU/Miami were all out of the top 25. Wow.

[Easy Mac]

I have never seen a football team from a major conference as inept as Kentucky. I'm sure one exists, probably don't even have to go more than 10 years to find one, but this feels like an historically bad team. They get Jacksonville State after a bye, and while I'm going to put that one in the win column, I'd still give Jacksonville State a 40% chance of pulling an "upset." I can't see them beating anyone in the SEC - they shouldn't come with 15 points of even the worst team on their schedule. That would be 3 wins, but the first 2 were as unimpressive against inferior competition as they could be.

I know he's only gotten 2 years, but Joker should be fired. Rich Brooks didn't leave this team in great shape, but considering where they've been recently and where they are now, there is no talent on this roster. Winston Guy and Danny Trevathan on D are the only guys who could start elsewhere. Morgan Newton makes Joe Bauserman look like Andrew Luck. And his backup threw 2 picks on his first 2 passes and had the third INT dropped before they yanked him. They had 4 INTs and 4 completions. Even a RB threw a pick against South Carolina - throwing a pass with a glove on and the ball flew out of his hand. Smart. 96 total yards on offense, and the defense was on the field for 91 plays. Just embarrassing.

I dunno, J-state did beat Ole Miss last year. They're normally pretty decent in 1-AA.

[bronconick]

The bad thing is, he can't. I read the several tweets about "EJ's off the mark, chalk it up to rust." Um... he's been "rusty" since the first game of the year, then. We don't have a QB right now. Especially if EJ isn't well enough to run 20 times a game.

That game was disappointing. The biggest question I have is, WTF with the defense? I understand the offensive problems - the OL hasn't been set right since the spring, injury to EJ, injuries to WRs, etc. I expected to struggle on offense. Instead, we manage to put up 30 points 2 straight weeks and still give up more to lose. I guess the silver lining is that if Stoops is worth keeping around, this year's start has probably cooled his chances of becoming a head coach next year.

The defense is stupid. That's the only way to describe it. So many 3rd downs extended by penalties. And Stoops' conservative bend but don't break doesn't work when your defense is full of guys committing personal fouls on 3rd and 23 and the offense is turning over the ball on your 40.

Offense needs to be simplified from here on out. I'm going to hope/assume that EJ can run next week. He ought to look deep, look to a back/TE and then just take off, because it's not like the O-line is going to hold together for more than 2 seconds.

[Ksyrup]

I knew this year was not going to be as good as people thought - the #5 ranking was a total ESPN deal so they could promote the OU/FSU game early in the season. What is interesting is seeing all the Jimbo recruits starting to see the field early on. I think/hope Ty Jones is basically done, and we'll see way more Wilder and Freeman at RB here on out, along with Jermaine Thomas, I suppose. Same thing's happening across the board with the younger guys getting more significant time.

This is turning out to be more of a transition year than I expected. I had set my sights on next year being our real opportunity to be good, but given EJ's lack of passing skills, I'm not sure it's going to happen until after he's gone.

[Ksyrup]

I dunno, J-state did beat Ole Miss last year. They're normally pretty decent in 1-AA.

I think for UK's sake, a loss to J-State would be a good thing. If they let him stick around another year after going 2-10. then they've just solidified for the fans, potential coaches, and reecruits that UK doesn't give a shit about football.

[bronconick]

I knew this year was not going to be as good as people thought - the #5 ranking was a total ESPN deal so they could promote the OU/FSU game early in the season. What is interesting is seeing all the Jimbo recruits starting to see the field early on. I think/hope Ty Jones is basically done, and we'll see way more Wilder and Freeman at RB here on out, along with Jermaine Thomas, I suppose. Same thing's happening across the board with the younger guys getting more significant time.

This is turning out to be more of a transition year than I expected. I had set my sights on next year being our real opportunity to be good, but given EJ's lack of passing skills, I'm not sure it's going to happen until after he's gone.

Next year blows. @ WVU, @USF with a chip on their shoulder in a game that should never be played, Virginia Tech cycling into the ACC schedule while Virginia cycles off.

Edit: I think you got Jones and Thomas backwards. Thomas is the one that ran back into the end zone to get a safety. I imagine he's on waterboy duty for the foreseeable future.

[Ksyrup]

Maybe neither of them deserve to play much, then. I've been anti-Ty Jones for a long time.

[DeToxRox]

Sources: Stoops out as Arizona Wildcats’ football coach?

Arizona will hold a news conference Monday night, presumably to discuss the future of the Arizona Wildcats football program, two sources told TucsonCitizen.com late this afternoon.

Speculation is that coach Mike Stoops will be relieved of his duties.

An announcement from Arizona is expected at 5:15 p.m.

Stoops is 41-50 in his eighth season at Arizona. The Wildcats have lost 10 consecutive games at FBS opponents.

[CU Tiger]

I knew this year was not going to be as good as people thought - the #5 ranking was a total ESPN deal so they could promote the OU/FSU game early in the season. What is interesting is seeing all the Jimbo recruits starting to see the field early on. I think/hope Ty Jones is basically done, and we'll see way more Wilder and Freeman at RB here on out, along with Jermaine Thomas, I suppose. Same thing's happening across the board with the younger guys getting more significant time.

This is turning out to be more of a transition year than I expected. I had set my sights on next year being our real opportunity to be good, but given EJ's lack of passing skills, I'm not sure it's going to happen until after he's gone.


Kind of an interesting parallel between Clemson and fsu right now. Dabo goes 9-3 and loses in acccg first year, follows up with a 6-7 dumpster fire that he nearly didn't survive, and now this year starts decent....by the logic fsu should start well next year.

[Ksyrup]

If FSU goes 6-7 this year, I'm not sure Fisher survives. Alive, I mean.

I just hated the top 5 ranking to start. I felt like we could go 10-2 or 11-1 if everything hit on all cylinders, but even then, you work your way up to #5, you don't start there. I'm completely convinced ESPN hyperbole'd FSU to #5 to have that huge game to market in week 3. Sure, our recruiting classes have been great for 2 years, and we beat South Carolina in a bowl, but we got blown out by VT right before that and beat a lost and disorganized UF. Nothing suggested we'd beat OU. Of course, oddly enough, that's been our best game of the season.

[Butter]

I got a chuckle out of this

http://a4.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/305284_10100262265619600_20905538_47440020_1292906224_n.jpg

If I'm not laughin', I'd be cryin'. :banghead:

I was actually thinking before the game how nice it would be for Braxton to have a Terrelle Pryor @ Wisconsin type of Freshman game. He kinda did, then he fumbled and got hurt. So not really.

[Ksyrup]

Anyone see the video of the ref sliding the ball forward as he held it for a measurement of a first down for Wake Forest against FSU? The official was reprimanded, and the ACC says it was a "mechanical issue" with the way he was holding the ball - from behind, not the sides. Riiiiiiight.

http://<IFRAME height=315 src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/HqANJsY8gZI" frameBorder=0 width=560 allowfullscreen></IFRAME> (http://<iframe width=)

[Easy Mac]

Bye Stephen Garcia

[Young Drachma]

CFB - Oklahoma Sooners walk-on RB running back Dominique Whaley is star - ESPN (http://espn.go.com/college-football/story/_/id/7036184/cfb-oklahoma-sooners-walk-rb-running-back-dominique-whaley-star)

[CU Tiger]

Anyone see the video of the ref sliding the ball forward as he held it for a measurement of a first down for Wake Forest against FSU? The official was reprimanded, and the ACC says it was a "mechanical issue" with the way he was holding the ball - from behind, not the sides. Riiiiiiight.


Please dont believe anything that hack Gene writes. There is a reason he is the least credible owner in the entire Rivals network.

The fact that FSU is looking for ecuses why Clemson and WF beat them is proof they are not close to back. This crap is embarassing. EVERY STAFF. EVERY WEEK. SUBMTS THESE. AND MISTAKES ARE ACKNOWLEDGED EVERY WEEK.

[Ksyrup]

Dude, c'mon. The ACC reprimanded the official, downgraded his performance review for the game, and sent out an informational video and memo to all officials.

This has nothing to do with why we lost. It's just a flat-out embarrassment for the league. And BTW, I got this from the local newspaper guys, not anyone on rivals (which I don't even subscribe to or read).

[Ksyrup]

See? This is the kind of rival stuff I guess I'm oblivious to. I really have a hard time getting worked up about othe teams, but then I post something like this and a Clemson fan jumps down my throat. It's kinda comical.

[CU Tiger]

See? This is the kind of rival stuff I guess I'm oblivious to. I really have a hard time getting worked up about othe teams, but then I post something like this and a Clemson fan jumps down my throat. It's kinda comical.

Nah thats not a "rival" repsonse.
Gene Williams, is FSU's "new" rivals.com owner.
After the Clemson loss he cross posted an article saying that the ACC admitted to 7 egregious misses against FSU that directly cost FSU 21 points. The league retorted that the claim was a direct lie, yet Gene stuck by his story.

I personally sent him (through our rivals guy who I am good friends and doing some work with) 48 cut ups with clear call misses. 22-26 more bad calls "against" FSU to be clear. But not 7-0 he claimed and the direct point impact was 6-6. He replied, "My story is more believable and makes more money."

Minutes after the Wake game was final he had another hatchet job uploaded detailing how the refs were out to screw FSU.

He literally has in the article this gem, "a league clearly terrified of the reign of terror wrought upon it during the Noles early days, and resolved to not let history repeat itself. In even closely officiated games, FSU is undefeated and the national media darling we deserve."

The guy is an absoltue choade on a personal level, and I have a level of detst for him usually reserved for much more evil figures.

[Ksyrup]

See, I steer clear of all that stuff. I'm probably a little too level-headed to be as big a college football fan as I am.