All Eyes on the Heisman

After many fun-filled weekends of college football, the regular season has finally ended. With the regular season ending, many of the individual awards will be handed out to many deserving individuals. The second Saturday of December always brings about the biggest of these awards. This weekend the spotlight won't be on any college football stadium, but rather New York City. The 74th annual Heisman Memorial Trophy will be given out to one lucky young man. Like every other year there are always outstanding candidates for the award, but only one can bring the trophy home. This year is no different. This is the year of the Big 12 quarterbacks in the Heisman race, plus the reigning Heisman Memorial Trophy winner.

After many weeks of speculation, this year's winner will be chosen Saturday night. The candidates for the 2008 Heisman Memorial Trophy are: Sam Bradford, QB, Oklahoma; Colt McCoy, QB, Texas; Graham Harrell, QB, Texas Tech; and Tim Tebow, QB, Florida. This is a stellar class with any of these players being a great winner of the award. Sam Bradford has led his Oklahoma Sooners to the National Championship, while leading the nation in touchdown passes (48), and only throwing six interceptions. Colt McCoy is the leader of the Texas Longhorns football program. Let's just say that without McCoy, the Longhorns wouldn't be 11-1. McCoy leads his team in passing and rushing and has accounted for a total of 42 touchdowns, while closing in on the all-time record for completion percentage. Graham Harrell is key that starts the Cotton Bowl bound Texas Tech Red Raiders. Harrell is second in the nation in passing yards and has thrown 41 touchdowns compared to only 7 interceptions. Harrell has the defining moment of the season with his last second touchdown to Michael Crabtree to beat the Texas Longhorns. How can you count out our last guy, Tim Tebow (pictured above). He is once again near the top of the Heisman race. Tebow has thrown 28 touchdowns to only 2 picks and has rushed for 12 touchdowns. Sure, its not close to the numbers he put up last year as the Heisman Memorial Trophy winner, but he has led the Florida Gators to their second national title game in three years and is arguably the best leader in college football. As of right now I would say that the favorites are Sam Bradford and Colt McCoy, with Tim Tebow lurking. This should be a great race, and I can't wait to see who brings home the hardware.

Florida Vs. Oklahoma: Take "OFFENSE"

The time that we have all been waiting for is finally here. The BCS is final and it has shown its' true colors. The BCS has been criticized many times in the past for not choosing the correct teams to play in the BCS National Championship game. For example last season the BCS chose overrated Ohio State and a two-loss LSU Tigers team to play in the title game. This was heavily scrutinized as many felt the two best teams in the country at the time were Georgia and USC, as they were both dominating their opponents. It's the same this year, but arguably the two hottest teams are playing for the BCS National Championship.

On January 8th, 2009 the number one ranked Florida Gators will take on the number two ranked Oklahoma Sooners for the BCS National Championship in Miami. By the way the last time the Sooners were in Miami they played the USC Trojans for the BCS National Championship and got it handed to them, 55-19. This game is not without argument though. The Texas Longhorns feel that they, not the Oklahoma Sooners, should be playing Florida in the National Championship game. Texas beat Oklahoma 45-35 in their head to head match-up, but the BCS chose the hotter team at time. I'm sure that this will continued to be argued, but there is nothing you can do about it. The BCS National Championship should be a dream match-up for many as it will more than likely be a high scoring game with two of the best offensive teams in the nation. This will be very exciting to watch. As for the other BCS bowl games. Texas will play the Ohio State Buckeyes in the Fiesta Bowl. Alabama will battle the undefeated Utah Utes in the Allstate Sugar Bowl. Virginia Tech will take on Cincinnati in the Orange Bowl. Not to be outdone the USC Trojans will play in their record setting 33rd Rose Bowl against Joe Paterno and the Penn State Nittany Lions. This should be a very intriguing bowl game with two of the best college football programs in America playing. Not to mention the fact that the two head coaches may be two of the best we have ever seen. This should be a great bowl season and let's go bowling!

It's That Time

This past weekend in college football proved to be very crucial, as predicted, to the BCS. Championship weekend was all it was cracked up to be and more. There was a huge upset amongst one of the undefeated teams, a blowout by another top team, and a come from behind win by a team in Hawaii. All in all the BCS may actually get it right and choose the correct teams to respresent college football in the BCS National Championship.

On Friday night the undefeated, regular season MAC champ; Ball State Cardinals battled the 7-5 Buffalo Bulls. David Letterman's Cardinals were the favorite coming in and didn't disappoint for much of the game, and then it was like the Bulls saw "red" and turned it on. The Bulls forced two fumbles and consecutive drives. Did I fail to mention that they returned each of these fumbles for touchdowns? Buffalo's defense took on the challenge and defeated Ball State 42-24. This win put the Bulls in position for their first ever bowl game. Saturday proved to be a very exciting day in college football. Let's first start off in Tampa Bay. The Virginia Tech Hokies beat the Boston College Eagles for the second straight year in the ACC Championship game, sending the Hokies to the Orange Bowl. This win marked the first time any team had won two ACC Championships. The SEC Championship between Alabama and Florida proved to be a very exciting game. Alabama led 20-17, in the Georgia Dome, going into the fourth quarter. That's when Tim Tebow stepped up and proved why he was the reigning Heisman Trophy winner. Tebow had never beaten an opponent when trailing in the second half (0-5), but all of those misfortunes changed on Saturday. The Gators tallied 14 points in the final quarter and held Alabama to no points in the final quarter, winning 31-20. Saturday night proved to be very exciting as well. The Oklahoma Sooners made a statement against the Missouri Tigers by posting 62 on the board for the fifth straight game. The Sooners dominated the Tigers from start to finish and it was never close, 62-21. The nightcap took place in Hawaii. The BCS bound Cincinnati Bearcats traveled to Hawaii to take on the Rainbow Warriors. Hawaii led for a majority of the game and late into the fourth quarter until Dustin Grutza hooked up with Marshwan Gilyard for a 69-touchdown pass, sealing a 29-24 victory.

Championship Weekend

This upcoming weekend is full of big-time conference championship games, plus a few rivalries. The first weekend of December is host to some of the most intense rivalries in college football. UCLA battles USC in the Rose Bowl in which interestingly enough USC will wear its red home jerseys, even though they will be charged a timeout for it. Maybe the most intense rivalry in college football involves two of our armed forces. The United States Army and United States Naval Academy meet once in again for bragging rights. The most intriguing part of this weekend has to be the conference championship games.

This weekend alone we will four conference championship games. First of all we will start off with the least talked about championship games. On Friday night you can catch the undefeated, 12th ranked Ball State Cardinals battle Buffalo for the MAC title. I'm sure that David Letterman will be all smiles while watching his alma mater try to win the MAC title. Once again this year's Dr. Pepper ACC championship game be something of the norm as the Boston College Eagles take on the Virginia Tech Hokies, a rematch of last year's title game (Virginia Tech won 30-16). With the ACC being down this year, this game isn't generating quite the hype it has in the past. Whoever wins automatically has a trip to the Orange Bowl, so their is an incentive behind it. The two headlining games this weekend include three of the top four teams in the nation. Saturday night Oklahoma will battle the Missouri Tigers for a rematch of last years Big 12 title game, in which the Sooners won. The Sooners are a heavy favorite once again in this game and if they win, National Title game here we come. Last, but not least the number one ranked, undefeated Alabama Crimson Tide take on one of the hottest teams in the nation in the Florida Gators. These two teams have met in the SEC championship game five previous times, and this years winner will go to the National Title game. The Big 12 championship and SEC championship are basically previews for the National Title game. Looks like come January you will likely either see Oklahoma and Alabama or Oklahoma and Florida. Whatever happens, I can't wait to see what happens this weekend.

The Coaching Carousel

College football coaches are on a continuous carousel. In this day in age coaches come and go. It's not like in the old days when a coach could coach for years at the same school and know that his job was secure. Things sure have changed. Today, if coaches have one bad year they are put onto the hot seat and have alumni breathing down their neck. Sometimes coaches don't even have the ability to get a full recruiting class through before they are kicked to the curb. This year is no different as there has already been a lot of coaching changes thus far.

A few weeks ago I wrote about Phillip Fulmer being asked to step down as Tennessee head coach. He roamed the sidelines at Tennessee for 17 seasons and only had three losing seasons. Fulmer won a National Championship in 1998 and recruited Peyton Manning, but that wasn't even enough to keep his job. A few weeks later we are out with the old and in with the new. This past week Tennessee hired Lane Kiffin to be their new head coach and lead them in the right direction. Kiffin, the former Oakland Raiders head coach, received a six year contract that will pay him an average of 2.375 million per year. Kiffin, 33, will be the youngest head coach in division one college football. Kiffin has been given the reigns to one of the most prestigious college football programs in America. He has been told that he can hire his own staff and is very interested in hiring his father Monty Kiffin, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive coordination, to his staff. Slyvester Croom just recently stepped down as the Mississippi State head coach, leaving just three black active head coaches in division one football. Everyone is speculating the situation developing in South Bend. Notre Dame's Charlie Weis is on the hot seat after being hired just a few seasons ago. It will be interesting to see what happens with that situation.

Letter To the BCS: Come On Man!

What a week! This past weekend provided us with a variety of blowouts, an upset, and BCS game-changers. Thanksgiving weekend is always a critical weekend in the college football season. This season was no different. We had the prime-time match-ups between Alabama and Auburn, Florida and Florida State, and Oklahoma and Oklahoma State. These games proved to be everything other than close. The Crimson Tide rolled over the Auburn Tigers 38-0, and Auburn had beaten Alabama six straight times! Florida beat Florida State 45-15 in a game that was played literally in a "swamp." The Saturday night prime-time game played between Oklahoma and Oklahoma State proved to be a game full of offense as Oklahoma State put up 41 points, but it still wasn't enough as Oklahoma beat the Cowboys by twenty, meaning that the Sam Bradford led Oklahoma Sooners had scored 60 or more points for the fourth straight game! There was also an upset this weekend as the Oregon Ducks beat the former Rose Bowl bound Oregon State Beavers in Corvallis on Saturday. This loss ended the Beavers hope for a Rose Bowl title. There were also BCS game-changers as the Cincinnati Bearcats sealed up a spot in either the Orange Bowl or Sugar Bowl. The biggest of these games came from Oklahoma.

As the Oklahoma Sooners beat the Oklahoma State Cowboys on Saturday night, many wondered how the BCS standings would be affected. On Sunday night we all found out. Last week the Oklahoma Sooners were sitting at number three in the BCS standings behind the Texas Longhorns and Alabama. This week was different. The Oklahoma Sooners jumped the Texas Longhorns and gained the second spot in the BCS standings. This means that the Sooners will play the Missouri Tigers in the Big 12 championship game, even though there was a three way tie in the Big 12 South. This is ironic though. Even though Texas beat Oklahoma head to head on a neutral field, Oklahoma was ranked ahead of them. It doesn't make sense to me how computers can choose the teams that will play in the National Championship game. The computers can't hear teams cry for their reasons, but rather all they know is that Oklahoma was putting up astounding numbers and were the better team at the time. The BCS needs a change, but will it ever happen?

It's Official the BCS is a Mess

After Oklahoma's big win over Texas Tech this past Saturday, many people were very interested in how this would shape the BCS. Well the latest BCS polls are out and of course not without controversy. The top 10 teams in the BCS go in this order: Alabama, Texas, Oklahoma, Florida, USC, Utah, Texas Tech, Penn State, Boise State, and Ohio State. The first team is right, but from their it is a mess. Texas, Oklahoma, and Florida all have legitimate cases for that spot. What really doesn't make since is how Florida is ranked number two in the Associated Press poll, but ranked fourth in the BCS poll. Texas is ranked number two in the BCS, but fourth in the latest AP poll. I don't understand the BCS, but really who does?

The real problem with the BCS is about to shine through in the Big 12 South. If Oklahoma can beat Oklahoma State this weekend, there will be a three way tie atop the Big 12 South standings between Oklahoma, Texas, and Texas Tech with all three beating each other. This is where the mess starts. The BCS will have to rank one above the other and that is going to cause a feud. Each team has a case why they should be ranked above the other. Texas beat Oklahoma, Texas Tech beat Texas, and Oklahoma destroyed Texas Tech. Each has their case, but I feel that it will come down between Texas and Oklahoma. Ultimately, even though Texas beat Oklahoma, I feel Oklahoma will be in the Big 12 Championship. This is based all on "style points." Oklahoma would have had bigger wins as of late and they have been playing the best football. So there's your mess. Could we get a play-off anyone?

Games to watch this Thanksgiving weekend: Oklahoma vs. Oklahoma State, Florida vs. Florida State, and Alabama vs. Auburn.

A New Heisman Favorite: Mr. Bradford

Oklahoma and Texas Tech played the biggest game of the year up to date. It was supposed to be the battle of two of the best teams in the nation. Key words "supposed to be." If you saw the game you know what I am talking about. Oklahoma slayed the Red Raiders, 65-21. It wasn't even close. Oklahoma just looked like the superior team playing a pop-warner team. They controlled the game on both sides of the ball and were relentless. The main reason I wanted to focus on this game was not only the BCS complications, but the race for the Heisman trophy. Sam Bradford, Michael Crabtree, and Graham Harrell all came in as potential Heisman Trophy candidates, but only one left a true favorite.

Oklahoma's Sam Bradford came into the game with 38 touchdown passes compared to only six interceptions. He left the game with a school record 42 touchdown passes and still only six interceptions. Since Oklahoma's loss to the Texas Longhorns, Sam Bradford has tosses 19 touchdowns and only one interception. If you watched Saturday night's game you could tell that Sam Bradford is the best player in college football, not by his stats, but his overall presence on the football field. Texas Tech knew he would throw the ball, but still couldn't stop it. Bradford managed a nearly perfect game. He only threw 19 times, but completed 14 of them for over 300 yards. He was truly remarkable and if Bradford can beat Oklahoma State next week, he will probably be up on stage in New York accepting the Heisman Memorial Trophy.

What a Week: A Rhodes Scholar, Blowouts, and Rivalries

What a crazy college football weekend it was. This past weekend had its share of close games, blowouts, rivalries, and one very happy young man. First of all, let's put football aside and focus on academics. A few weeks ago I wrote a blog about Florida State safety Myron Rolle, pictured above, and how he was one of the seven finalists for the Rhodes scholarship. Saturday, gameday, was the date of his interview. He had to have had a million things running through his mind, but Rolle managed to be himself and won the Rhodes scholarship. Rolle thought he would miss his first college game in his career because of his interview, but he was granted permission to board a private jet to meet up with his teammates that night to battle Maryland. Rolle arrived in the second quarter and was able to help lift his team to a 37-3 victory and remain in contention for an ACC title. What a great day for Myron Rolle. Now he has the decision of choosing between the NFL and going to Oxford to study. Whatever he does I am sure he will make the right decision and congratulations on a job well done.

The game of the week between Texas Tech and Oklahoma proved to be not much of a game at all. Oklahoma pounced on Texas Tech early and never looked back demolishing the Red Raiders 65-21. Cincinnati kept their hopes alive for a BCS bowl with their first ever victory over the Pittsburgh Panthers, 28-21. It looks like the Sugar Bowl or Orange Bowl for the Bearcats. Congratulations to the Penn State Nittany Lions as they are smelling the roses and heading to the Rose Bowl with their convincing victory over the Michigan State Spartans. How about the Oregon State Beavers? The Beavers won again yesterday on a game winning field goal in the final seconds defeating Arizona. If the Beavers can defeat in-state rival Oregon next Saturday, they not the USC Trojans, will be headed to the Rose Bowl.

All Eyes On Norman

It could very well be the biggest the game of the weekend, let alone the entire season in that matter. It's the one I told you I would have a whole other blog for. This is the biggest game in the history of one of the programs. Texas Tech vs. Oklahoma. Texas Tech has already had the two biggest games in the history of its football program this season thus far, but this is the one that will make all the difference. This is the biggest game in the Texas Tech athletic program, ever. Texas Tech comes into the game undefeated and sitting at number two in the country in the BCS, AP, and coaches polls. If Texas Tech wins this game they are a lock for the Big 12 title game and win the Big 12 South. Plus if they can pull this off they have a very realistic shot at playing for the National Title. This is not only a big game for the Red Raiders, the Sooners can do some good too if they win. If Oklahoma can win this game and their game against Oklahoma State, they can very possibly jump both Texas and Texas Tech in the BCS standings, thus giving them a trip to the Big 12 title game. This is going to be a game of match-ups and who ever wins the battles, will win the game.

Texas Tech and Oklahoma come in with two of the most prolific offenses in the country, with Oklahoma being first in scoring offense and Texas Tech a respectable third. This game is going to come down to if Oklahoma can stop Graham Harrell and Michael Crabtree, who have connected for 18 touchdowns. If Texas Tech can step up on defense and limit Sam Bradford. So whoever has the biggest impact on defense is liable to come out the victor. Come Saturday night I know I will be watching, will you?

Rivalry Weekend

This could very well be the biggest weekend of the college football season, well in terms of rivalries and big games. This weekend is jam packed full of meaningful, BCS affecting games. First of all let's get it started in Columbus. The Ohio State Buckeyes battle the Michigan Wolverines, enough said. This is considered one of the top rivalries in the country. It ranks with North Carolina and Duke in basketball, the Patriots and Colts in the NFL, and the Yankees and Red Sox in baseball. This year doesn't mean as much. Ohio State is a heavy favorite playing a 3-8 Michigan team and rightfully so, but you have to imagine that Michigan is still going to bring it. In state rivals California and Stanford play with everyone remembering "the play." Vanderbilt and Tennessee take it to the field in Knoxville to decide who is "it" in Tennessee. The oldest rivalry in college football is also taking place this weekend, Harvard and Yale. Last, but not least Indiana travels to West Lafayette to play the Boilermakers for the Old Oaken Bucket. For all these rivalries there are also huge BCS complicating games this weekend.

Penn State and Michigan State are playing in College Park this weekend to settle who will lie in a bed of roses. If Penn State wins this game it is off to the Rose Bowl, but if they lose and Michigan can somehow beat Ohio State, the surprise team in the Big Ten conference will be playing in Pasadena for a chance to win a Rose Bowl. Cincinnati and Pittsburgh play this Saturday night basically for the Big East title. They both hold their own destiny in the Big East and if the Bearcats can beat the Panthers at home and win their final game, they will be headed off to their first BCS bowl game. Oh yeah there is one more big game this weekend, but that is a whole other blog in itself.

Florida Gators: National Title Bound?

The Flordia Gators are back. After a season in which they didn't make a BCS bowl game, Florida is starting to play like they did a few years ago when they won a little thing known as the National Title. Urban Meyer's Gators are back in the National Title hunt. After an early home loss to the Mississippi Rebels everybody started to right them off, but since then the Gators have won six straight games. On their current win streak they have beaten each team they have faced by at least 28 point or more. This win streak includes wins over three top 25 teams in Georgia, LSU, and South Carolina. The Gators have averaged an unbelievable 49.8 points per game during their current six game win streak.That is just unheard of in the SEC, a conference that is supposed to be known for it's defense. This past weekend in their game against South Carolina, the Gators tallied up 56 points against one the best defenses in the country. By the way, Florida also handed Steve Spurrier, the former Florida Gators head coach, his worst lost in his long and lustryous head coaching career. Florida is playing great, but why is everyone stating that the Gators will be playing in the National Championship game?

The Gators are by far the hottest team in the country, but they still have two meaningful games left (technically three if you want to call the Citadel a game). The Tim Tebow led Gators still have to play in-state rival Florida State and the number one ranked Alabama Crimson Tide in the SEC Championship. Florida still isn't ranked in the top two and they aren't even the best team in their conference. For all the praise that Florida is getting, let's let them play out their games first. If Nick Saban has anything to say about it, his Alabama Crimson Tide will be playing for the National Title, not the Florida Gators.

Oregon State=Rose Bowl?

The Oregon State Beavers are 6-3 and setting at 5-1 in the Pac-10 conference. Nothing too impressive really, but wait did I fail to mention that the Beavers are ranked 23rd in the country and hold their own destiny in the Pac-10? Yes, that is true. The Beavers, not the USC Trojans, are currently on the inside track to the Rose Bowl. Oregon State and USC are currently tied atop the standings in the Pac-10 with one loss apiece, but Oregon State has the advantage with their upset of USC earlier in the year. The Beavers next three games aren't going to be easy though. If the Beavers want to earn a trip to the Rose Bowl they are going to have to defeat California, Arizona, and Oregon, teams with a combined record of 19-9. This part of the season is the time the Beavers are usually playing their best football. In 2006 they started 2-3, but finished 10-4. Last year they started 2-3 and finished 9-4. This year is quite the same, but a little different as well. Oregon State started the season 2-3, but could end up finishing it with a Rose Bowl Victory. This is a great story about a team that could end up stirring things up in the BCS.

This weekend is full of potential upset games. Texas visits Kansas to battle it out. The last time the Longhorns visited Kansas they lost, thus turning around Kansas's football program. The old ball coach makes his return to the swamp, when his Gamecocks battle the Florida Gators. This game should be on upset alert with Florida possibly looking ahead to their battle with Alabama on December 6. Last but not least, Bobby Bowden and his Florida State Seminoles play against the Boston College Eagles. BC is a good team who always comes ready to play, so the Seminoles better keep their eyes open.

The BCS Busters

They're known as the BCS busters. The teams that weren't supposed to be here. They sneak up without much notice and take advantage of every loss most teams suffer. These are the teams from the NON-BCS conferences. This year is different. Three teams are trying to crash the party and earn a BCS bowl berth. The Utah Utes, Boise State Broncos, and Ball State Cardinals are all stirring up noise in the BCS. Utah sets a perfect 10-0, while Boise State and Ball State are both 9-0 respectively. Can they really burst onto the scene and steal some spots in some BCS Bowls?

Utah, out of all the teams, has the best shot in my opinion. The Utes have the best win out of all three of the teams, with their win over the previously 12th ranked TCU Horned Frogs last week. Utah is also setting at the highest BCS position, seventh, out of the non-BCS conferences. Another thing going for the the Utes is that they still have to play 16th ranked BYU and they have the experience of playing and winning in a BCS bowl. It looks like the Utah Utes will have a chance to play in a BCS bowl, if they remain undefeated. The biggest thing going for the Boise State Broncos would have to be their experience. The Broncos are setting at number nine in the latest BCS rankings. With their best win coming against Oregon, it looks like the polls are favoring the Broncos a bit because they know they've been here before and had success. Remember when the Boise State Broncos took on the Oklahoma Sooners in the 2006 Fiesta Bowl and won on the infamous "Statue of Liberty" play. It sure seems to me that that is playing a factor in their high ranking. Their is definitely a possibility that they could be chosen for a BCS bowl. Last, but not least, the Ball State Cardinals are making their case for a shot at a BCS bowl. The Cardinals are ranked 14th in the latest BCS rankings, meaning they are currently sitting outside the top 12, the mark to get a shot at a BCS bowl. The Cardinals have three games left to prove they are worthy of this honor. It looks doubtful, even if they do finish undefeated and win the MAC, for a third team to get a shot at a BCS bowl. Plus the Cardinal's best wins have come against Indiana and Navy. It has been a great year thus far for the Cardinals, but it looks like they could be the team on the outside looking in.

Stunned: The Nittany Lions Can't Escape the Blows from the Hawkeyes

Stunned. Shocked. Broken. These words all described the feelings of the Penn State Nittany Lions after their loss to underdog Iowa. Penn State was undefeated heading to Iowa, and left as just another one-loss team. The Lions were favored by many to go undefeated and play in the BCS National Title game. All hopes were lost Saturday as the Nittany Lions were stunned by the Iowa Hawkeyes on a last second field goal, 24-23. Once again Shonn Greene led the attack for the Hawkeyes as he racked up 117 yards rushing and two touchdowns. Greene has rushed for over 100 yards in every game this and is the nations' third leading rusher. With Penn State choking, could the other two undefeated teams keep their streaks alive?

The number one ranked Alabama Crimson Tide traveled to Death Valley to battle the defending national champion, LSU Tigers. This game was full of excitement and storylines. It was Nick Saban's first time going back to Baton Rouge since he left the Tigers for the NFL's Miami Dolphins. Saban and his Tide were able to avoid all the distractions and escape with a 27-21 overtime victory. The Crimson Tide was able to score in overtime off of a John Parker Wilson's touchdown run and wrap up the SEC West. With this win, it means that they will battle Florida in the SEC Championship.

The undefeated Texas Tech Red Raiders made the biggest statement of the weekend. The Red Raiders battled the ninth ranked Oklahoma State Cowboys in Lubbock on Saturday night and gave them a Texas style beat down. Texas Tech punted on their first possession and never looked back from there, as they scored touchdowns on their next seven possessions. The Red Raiders demolished the Cowboys, 56-20, further submitting themselves as one of the best teams in the country. Graham Harrell continued to improve on his run for the Heisman with six touchdown passes (By the way Michael Crabtree caught three of those). It will be very interesting to see if the Red Raiders can run the table as the battle the Oklahoma Sooners in two weeks.

Myron Rolle: The "True" Student Athlete

What defines a student athlete? A student athlete is defined by his/her determination to work hard, manage time, and have the will to balance both. Unfortunately in today's world athlete comes before student. This goes on at the high school and colliegiate level. It is a rarity to see a student athlete actually put student first. With so much emphasis on sports in America, education seems to take a backseat. So when you actually see a big time division one student athlete putting student first, it is a special moment. If that's the case, Florida State's Myron Rolle defines a "true" student athlete.

Myron Rolle is the ultimate student athlete. Rolle has started 30 straight games at Florida State since his freshman season and graduated in just over two years. Rolle is studying to become a doctor. Just recently Myron Rolle became a finalist for one of the 32 Rhodes Scholarships. The Rhodes Scholarship is a very distinguished award. The scholarship provides an all expenses paid two or three years of study at Oxford in England. It is a remarkable feat for anyone, let alone a top division one safety. This has left Rolle with a decision though. Should he stay a student or an athlete? Myron Rolle is projected to be a high draft pick in the 2009 NFL Draft, but if he gets the scholarship it would eliminate that this year anyway. Rolle will already miss his first college game verse Maryland in order to interview for the Rhodes Scholarship. It is a decision he will have to make, but Rolle has always insisted on putting student before athlete. Either Rolle takes the instant money and fame in the NFL or follow his dream of becoming a doctor. Whatever he endeavours I'm sure he will be great at both. This is truly a remarkable story and I applaud Myron Rolle for choosing student before athlete.

P.S. some games to watch this weekend: Alabama vs. LSU, Oklahoma State vs. Texas Tech, and USC vs. California.

A Rocky Road for Tennessee

Phillip Fulmer and Tennessee go hand in hand. Fulmer has been prowling the sidelines for the Volunteers for the past 17 years as the head coach. He has been at Tennessee for more than 35 years as a coach and a player. Rocky Top was home to Phillip Fulmer. Fulmer is one of the best and most respected coaches in college football. Just as everything was going great, things suddenly turned. In the preseason the Volunteers were ranked 18th nationally and were supposed to compete for an SEC East title amongst the likes of Georgia and Florida. After playing in the SEC title game last season, Tennessee returned eight starters on offense including their entire offensive line and both starting tailbacks. With the return of so many starters and the fact that Tennessee is a national power, the feeling around Knoxville was pretty good. Tennessee could potentially have a great season and everything would be back to normal in Tennessee. WRONG! Tennessee started the season with a loss to unranked UCLA, who was starting their third string quarterback. Everything started to spiral downhill from there.

Thus far the Volunteers are 3-6 overall and 1-5 in the SEC East. Somebody had to go. That somebody was Phillip Fulmer. On Monday Tennessee athletic director Mike Hamilton asked Fulmer to not return next season. Fulmer accepted the decision of the university and will not be back directing the Vols next season, though he will finish out this season. Fulmer had a career record of 150-51 in his 17 seasons as head coach, including a national title in 1998. Since the end of the 2001 season, Tennessee has lost 31 games. It may be fine for most schools, but not Tennessee. Tennessee has the resources and support to be great year in and year out. Simply put, Fulmer was not winning enough games. For all his great success, it looks like Fulmer will be remembered as the guy who led a national power to the edge of disaster.

Da Red Raiders!!

Amazing. Jaw-Dropping. Unbelievable. These are the words and feelings I spoke and felt at about 11:30 on Saturday night. The Texas Tech Red Raiders and Texas Longhorns played a classic game on Saturday night. If anyone missed out on watching that game, I will pray for you. For those of you who were privileged enough to have witnessed such a masterpiece, you should hold yourself to a higher order. For all the games that have the hype, this one exceeded it. It was truly remarkable.

The Texas Longhorns traveled to Lubbock looking to return 9-0, but not so fast my friend. The Red Raiders played a beautiful game, in the first half. The Red Raiders were dominating both lines of scrimmage and held a 22-6 lead over the previously ranked number one team in the nation. In the third quarter Texas outscored Tech and trailed at the end of the third quarter 29-19. From the gun in the fourth quarter, Colt McCoy hooked up with Malcolm Williams for a 91-yard touchdown pass. This shaved Texas Tech's lead to only three points and it wouldn't last for long as Texas was starting to look like the "Texas" we had come accustomed to. After a field goal from Texas Tech, Texas running back Vondrell McGee scored a touchdown with 1:29 remaining putting the Longhorns up 33-32. This is when it started to get interesting. The Red Raiders had dominated the entire game. They had sacked Colt McCoy four times and intercepted a pass. The offensive and defensive line had played great, but they had still managed to give up a 19 point lead. This was a spot Texas Tech wasn't used to, so how would they respond? They responded like all great teams do. The Red Raiders marched down the field knowing they only needed a field goal to win. After a near interception by Texas, Tech pulled off one of the most memorable finishes I have ever witnessed. With eight seconds to go, Graham Harrell dropped back and delivered a strike to Michael Crabtree on the sideline. Crabtree caught the ball and broke two tackles, while avoiding stepping out of bounds, and pounced into the endzone. Texas Tech 38, Texas 33. Texas Tech pulled off the greatest upset in the history of their program.

The World's Largest Cocktail Party, Plus a Big 12 Matchup

The Georgia Bulldogs and Florida Gators meet once again this year at Jacksonville Municipal Stadium. Georgia dominated this rivlary throughout the seventies and eighties, but once Steve Spurrier arrived at Florida, the Gators dominated the series. Florida has won 15 of the last 18 meetings in this historic matchup. If the Gators do get beat this year, it will be the first time they lost back-to-back games to the Bulldogs since the 1988-1989 season. Can you recall last year's game? The Georgia Bulldogs came into the game with a 5 and 2 record and an underdog to Florida, led by Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow. Some three hours later Georgia left the game 6 and 2, and one of the hottest teams in the country. The most memorable moment of that game has to be when Georgia head coach Mark Richt directed his team to storm the field in celebration after a Knowshon Moreno touchdown. It was unheard of and kind of funny actually. This game Saturday should have plenty of storylines to go along with it. Whoever wins this game will likely win the SEC East and have a chance at a National Title. Florida is out for revenge after Georgia's embarrassing act and Georgia is trying to regain it's preseason hype. This is obviously the headlining game, but Lubbock, Texas may have something to say about that.

The number one ranked Texas Longhorns travel to Lubbock to battle the undefeated, sixth ranked Texas Tech Red Raiders. Texas is looking to beat its fourth ranked team in a row, while Texas Tech is trying to rid its reputation of losing big games like this. The Red Raiders and their "great" offense led by Graham Harrell and Michael Crabtree will try to outscore the powerful Texas offense led by Colt McCoy. It wouldn't surprise if both teams combined to score in the nineties. These offenses are so efficient and so well groomed, that I expect little defense will be played in this game. If offense is your taste, this game should satisfy that sweet tooth. I expect this to be an awesome weekend in college football and can't wait to see what unfolds.

The Race for the Heisman

Colt McCoy is far from looking like a colt, but rather more like a stallion. McCoy is the cream of the crop in this year's Heisman race. McCoy is far and above the most accurate quarterback in the country (81.8% completion percentage), plus he is directing the fifth ranked offense in the nation. He has led the number one ranked, undefeated Texas Longhorns to three consecutive wins over Oklahoma, Missouri, and Oklahoma State, all previously top 10 ranked teams. McCoy just has that "it" factor. He is clearly the Heisman frontrunner and 2007 Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow said that Colt McCoy deserves the Heisman Trophy this year. Anything can rupture the Heisman race. A loss by Texas and a bad game for McCoy could leave the opportunity open to others.

There is a long list of Heisman candidates, but the one's most likely to challenge McCoy are Oklahoma's Sam Bradford, Texas Tech's Graham Harrell, Florida's Tim Tebow, and Georgia's Knowshon Moreno. Sam Bradford would be the favorite if it weren't for Oklahoma's loss to Texas. Last weekend verse Kansas State he led the Sooners to 55 points...in the first half. 'NUFF SAID. Graham Harrell is continuing to put up ridiculous numbers in Texas Tech's offensive scheme, but the Red Raider's are 8 and 0. Tim Tebow is not even close to putting up the numbers he did last year, but Florida may be the hottest team in the country so you have to include their leader. Knowshon Moreno is the hottest running back in the country and it is hard to argue with that. In the three wins since the loss to Alabama, Moreno has rushed for 436 yards. It will be very interesting if anyone can topple Colt McCoy in these last few weeks and take over the reigns for the Heisman Trophy race.

A "REALLY" Happy Valley

Happy Valley is the happiest it has been in awhile. "Happy Valley" also known as State College, is the home to the nations' third ranked team, Penn State. The Penn State Nttany Lions had cruised through the season till they met up with the Ohio State Buckeyes in Columbus on Saturday night. The Buckeyes were a slight underdog at home to the undefeated Nittany Lions. Ohio State was planning to spoil the BCS. Needless to say, that didn't happen. The Buckeyes, led by true freshman quarterback Terrelle Pryor, proved to be the toughest test for Penn State Nittany Lions thus far. Ohio State gave Penn State its first real taste of adversity when Ohio State took a 6-3 lead heading into the fourth quarter, but Penn State responded. The Nittany Lions rallied to score 10 unanswered points in the fourth quarter. The game wasn't over though. Ohio State tried to climb their way back into by passing the ball. On the final drive things started to look good for Ohio State, until Pryor heaved it into the end zone and was picked off by Lydell Sargeant with 27 seconds remaining. GAME OVER.

What does this all mean for the Nittany Lions? Penn State is on the inside track to win the Big Ten and an undefeated season, a first since 1994. The Lions have three games left: at Iowa, against Indiana, and against Michigan State. They were will be favored in all three games and heavily favored in two of them at least. An undefeated season and Big Ten title doesn't mean they will make to the National Title though. They are ranked third in the latest BCS poll behind Texas and Alabama. If they want a shot at a title they need to hope and pray that one of those two teams get beat.

Notre Dame vs. Washington: Game of the Week?

Notre Dame and Washington meet this upcoming Saturday for their annual game. In years past this was a very intriguing matchup with both teams being predominant powers in college football, now not so much. This game still has some interesting story lines along with it. Notre is 4 and 2, coming off of last season's 3 and 9 collapse, but they are steadily on the rise once again. Washington on the other hand is...well technically I don't know what the Huskies are. I just know that they're bad and there seems to be little hope in the foreseeable future. The Irish and Huskies do share something in common, the head coaches. Charlie Weis was very successful in his first two years as head coach, but that was with Tyrone Willingham's players. He is now starting to get his players into the system and they are starting to produce. Tyrone Willingham just seems to have bad fortune. The Huskies are defeated thus far through the season and star quarterback Jake Locker is on the sideline with a thumb injury. Willingham, I feel was treated poorly at Notre Dame as he was given only three years to try to succeed. His tenure at Washington has been even worst. Willingham has a career record of 11 wins and 31 losses ate Washington. It's sad to say, but there is a slim chance that Willingham will be back next season.

I also wanted to make a few notes about this upcoming weekend. Unbeaten Oklahoma State and number one ranked Texas meet in Austin. It looks like the winner of this game could go on to win the Big 12. In Baton Rouge, Louisiana, LSU battles Georgia in a great SEC matchup. The game of the week has to be the prime-time game this weekend. Penn State battles Ohio State in Columbus on Saturday night and this game has incredible implications. The winner of this game will go on to win the Big 10 and have a shot at the National Title, especially Penn State because they have the chance of going undefeated. This should be a great weekend full of BCS busters.

The Light's Always on Greene

Dedication. Determination. Heart. Leadership. Team player. Will. These words mean many things to many people. To a football player it means everything. In every good football player there are a few of these characteristics. A great player possesses all of these intangibles. Sure, there are a lot of great college football players across the country, but one in particular caught my eye. This player possesses all of these qualities. He truly is a "great" player.

Shonn Greene is a name most people aren't familiar with. I hadn't even heard of the guy till a couple of weeks ago. That has to do mainly for whom he's playing for. Greene is a little known running back occupying the Iowa Hawkeye's backfield. He may be not well known to many, but he sure has caught the attention of opponents. Greene, a junior, has rushed for 1,154 yards through the first eight games. He has rushed for over 100 yards in each of the first eight games and has raised his average to 144 yards per game, third in the nation. The best part about it is that it looks like he has his team winning. Iowa is 5-3 and is coming off a blowout win over Wisconsin. Greene rushed for an astounding 217 yards on 25 carries with four touchdowns. The most remarkable and inspiring thing about Greene is that last season he was able to put his ego to the side and step away from the game. Shonn Greene didn't play for the Hawkeyes last season because he really wanted to improve his grades. That is the true definition a student athlete. Greene probably doesn't want all of the attention and glory, but he better be prepared because it is headed his way.

The BCS: Works for Some, Not for Many

We are eight weeks into the college football season meaning one thing, the always controversial BCS standings are out for the first time. There is not much of a surprise as Texas, Alabama, Penn State, and Oklahoma are number one, two, three, and four respectively, but at number five is where it gets a little tricky. USC is ranked number five in the BCS poll and number 6 in the Associated Press poll, but Florida is ranked number five in the A.P. poll and number ten in the BCS poll. I don't know about you, but it doesn't make much sense to me. The BCS is used, for those of you who don't know, to determine the top two teams through polls, rankings, and computer selection methods to play for the national championship. The BCS never seems to change as there is always controversy among it. Enough with the mess of the BCS, let's get to something more important.

The Texas Longhorns just swept the latest votes for the Associated Press number one ranked team and rightfully so. The Longhorns dismantled the eleventh ranked Missouri Tigers in Austin on Saturday night, 56 to 31. Texas netted more than 600 yards of total offense and Colt McCoy was unbelievable. McCoy went an unheard of 29 for 32 passing, that is a 91 percent completion percentage. That is why Colt McCoy is my Heisman favorite thus far through the first eight weeks of the season. McCoy and the Longhorns have been the most impressive team this season and look like they're on their way to a national title. Being ranked first in the latest BCS polls looks good for the Longhorns as that team has gone on to play in the national championship in the last five years. If Texas can make it through their tough schedule it likes smooth sailing toward the national title.

A Preview for What's to Come

This upcoming weekend is full of BCS busting games and possible poll changing results. The weekend's slate includes games from all across the country. This past Thursday night gave us a preview of what we could possibly see this upcoming weekend. The undefeated, ninth ranked Brigham Young Cougars traveled to Fort Worth, Texas and battled the TCU Horned Frogs. It was supposed to be one of the toughest games on the Cougars' schedule, and it proved to be. Texas Christian's stifling defense held BYU's and quarterback Max Hall's powerful offense to just 297 total yards. Needless to say this ended in a blowout; TCU: 32, BYU: 7. Will this be a preview of what to come? I guess we will have to wait and see.

Big games this weekend include Ole' Miss and Alabama, Georgia Tech and Clemson, Ohio State and Michigan State, LSU and South Carolina, and Missouri vs. Texas. A very inconsistent Mississippi team is coming off an upset of Florida Gators in the Swamp. Clemson is dealing with the emotion of losing their head coach, so I expect them to be fired up and ready to go. Ohio State and Michigan State are battling for Big Ten supremacy along with Penn State. LSU is trying to rebound after an embarrassing loss to Florida. The game of the day has to be between Missouri and Texas. Can Missouri bounce back after their first loss and defeat the number one ranked Texas Longhorns, giving us a fifth number one ranked team thus far in the college football season? Will the Texas Longhorns and Colt McCoy show up and play like they did last week against Oklahoma or have a downfall? This should end up being a great game between two Heisman candidates in Chase Daniel and Colt McCoy and two BCS National Championship contenders.

Light at the End of the Tunnel?

Clemson and Oklahoma State are two teams currently on the opposite end of the college football spectrum. In fact they have been on the opposite end of the spectrum for the entire season. Let’s start out with the good. How bout them Cowboys? The Oklahoma State Cowboys (6-0) have raced out to a great start and are currently ranked eighth in the latest associated press poll. This has been unexpected as the Cowboys were unranked coming into the season. Their latest jump in the polls came after an upset of then the third ranked Missouri Tigers in Columbia. Oklahoma State went into Missouri and dominated the Tigers, as they were able to get pressure on Heisman candidate Chase Daniel all night and force him into throwing three interceptions. An amazing fact was that Chase Daniel threw 13 incompletions in the game against Oklahoma State and in the two previous games he threw a combined 12 incompletions. The key to Oklahoma State’s success all year has been their offense led by junior quarterback Zac Robinson. The Cowboys are averaging an unprecedented 8.97 yards per snap, tops in Division 1-A. Remember the man who proclaimed “Come after me. I’m a man. I’m 40!,” he has his team sure playing like men.

On the other side of the spectrum the Clemson Tigers have fell well below expectations. The preseason ranked number nine Tigers are setting at 3-3 and currently unranked. The favorites in the ACC look like a team that is just competing to get to a bowl game and make it out of the season. Clemson’s coach Tommy Bowden resigned on Monday after failing to live up to expectations and deliver an ACC title to the Tigers during his tenure as head coach. Some players took it hard, like James Davis who started crying when being asked about the resignation of his head coach. I guess we will never know how much of a role a coach plays in a young man’s life. Amongst this controversy star running back C.J. Spiller is out with a hamstring injury and senior quarterback Cullen Harper will undergo shoulder surgery.

Hook Em' Horns

The Red River Rivalry was what everybody expected it to be and so much more. The Texas Longhorns and Oklahoma Sooners battled it out in the trenches for the 103^rd time this past Saturday. The formerly known Red River Shootout was exactly as described. The two teams put up a combined 80 points respectively. That number was the highest combined total between both teams in the history of the rivalry. Too bad it couldn’t have ended up 40 to 40, but somebody had to win. The Texas Longhorns and Oklahoma Sooners traveled to the Cotton Bowl and played a classic.

 

The Longhorns and Sooners battled back and fourth all day. Early in the game Oklahoma blew out to an eleven-point lead provided by Sam Bradford’s two touchdowns. Soon after that Texas made the play of the game and the possible game-changer. Texas wide receiver Jordan Shipley fielded the ball deep in their territory and returned a kick-off for 96 yards and a Texas touchdown. Oklahoma went on to take a one-point lead at halftime, but when they returned for the second half, everything suddenly changed. Texas took off and capitalized on Oklahoma’s mistakes taking a lead into the fourth quarter and never looking back. Despite a great game from Sam Bradford (28 of 39 passing, 387 yards, 5 TDs), the Longhorns went on to upset the favored Oklahoma Sooners 45-35. Texas quarterback Colt McCoy was extremely efficient (28 of 35 passing) and never made huge mistakes that cost his team. It was a great performance by both, but Texas got the better of the Sooners and rose from number five to number one in the latest AP poll. Texas’ number one ranking is a first in the regular season since 1984. Can Texas run the table and win a second national title in the past four seasons? It will be a tough road as they play four ranked opponents in the next five games, but only time will tell.

The Red River Rivalry

   It’s that time of year again and the Texas State Fair is going on. Your probably asking yourself what does that have to do with anything? The second weekend of October and the Texas State Fair hold home to the Red River Rivalry, formerly known as the Red River Shootout. Texas and Oklahoma meet for the 103^rd time in the Cotton Bowl in Dallas. This game could very well end up being a shootout. The number one ranked Oklahoma Sooners bring the fourth ranked scoring offense with them and the fifth ranked Longhorns bring the sixth ranked scoring offense along. This is the highest ranking between both teams in this matchup since 2004. This year’s matchup has BCS complications as well. Whoever wins this matchup is likely to win the Big 12 South and play for the Big 12 Championship. The question is which team is going to step and shutdown Sam Bradford and Colt McCoy, two of the best quarterbacks in the country?

            The Sooners and Longhorns not only have great offenses, but they have some pretty impressive defenses as well. The Sooners defense was supposed to be their downfall this season, especially after there were only six starters returning on defense.  You could also say the same for Texas who returned only four starters on defense. Through the first six weeks of the college football season Oklahoma leads the first Big 12 in total defense and is second in scoring defense to you guessed it, Texas. Looks like the winner of this game is going to come down to who plays better on the “other” side of the ball. 

Hail Hail to Harrell

   Lubbock, Texas is far from heaven for many, but it sure seems like heaven for Texas Tech wide receivers. Texas Tech has the best wide receiver in the nation in Michael Crabtree, a true physical specimen and future NFL pro.  The Red Raiders boast one of the most prolific offenses in the nation. The seventh ranked Red Raiders are fifth in the nation in scoring, averaging 48.2 points per game and have only trailed for a total of 2 minutes and 40 seconds through their first five games. The scary part is that I haven’t even mentioned their quarterback.

            Graham Harrell is the leader of this high-powered machine. Harrell, a senior at Texas Tech, leads the nation in passing yards with 2,027. He is on pace to pass for 4,865 yards and by the end of the year he could end being number two in NCAA career passing yardage behind Ty Detmer, and he didn’t even hardly get any playing time as a freshman. It seems to me that Harrell seems to get zero respect even after putting up these ridiculous numbers. That lack of respect comes from where he plays, Texas Tech, because it‘s program is said to have a system for quarterbacks. I don’t care, system or not, he is the leader of the seventh ranked team in the country and whatever he is doing seems to be working pretty well. Last weekend at Kansas State, Harrell completed 38 of 51 passes for 454 yards and six touchdowns earning him the O’Brien Quarterback of the week award.  If Harrell can lead the Red Raiders to an undefeated season and not be in New York shaking hands and being congratulated on winning the Heisman, that will be a tragedy itself.

The Ohio State University!

They’re done. The season is a failure. No National Title this Year. They’ll be lucky to win the Big Ten. These are phrases that the Ohio State University isn’t used to hearing. Rather they’re used to hearing the exact opposite. These phrases rang from critics’ mouths and fans alike, after their humiliating loss to USC in the Coliseum.

All is not lost though. The Buckeyes continue to crawl their way back into the picture, at least the Big Ten picture. Ohio State is the defending champion in the Big Ten, and they still look like a strong contender for the title this year. The Buckeyes bounced back to defeat Troy and Minnesota convincingly. Neither of these wins was as impressive as their win this past Saturday over Wisconsin. The Buckeyes walked into Camp Randle Stadium, as an underdog, and defeated the Wisconsin Badgers, ending the Badgers 16 game home winning streak. With that win the Buckeyes have solidified themselves as a contender, along the Penn State Nittany Lions, who are thinking Big Ten Title and National Title.

The key to Ohio State’s current winning streak has been the stellar play of super-freshman Terrelle Pryor. Pryor was handed the reigns to the Ohio State machine after the USC loss. Since then he has led the Buckeyes to three straight wins. Pryor may technically be a freshman, but his game is much older than that. In their win over Wisconsin, Pryor at times made freshman mistakes, but win it mattered most he was able to play at a higher level. The freshman drove the Buckeyes 80 yards and managed to cap off the drive with an 11-yard touchdown run with just over a minute to play. This put the Buckeyes in front 20 to 17 and an interception by Ohio State’s Malcolm Jenkins sealed the victory. It is amazing the way the freshman is playing now, but wait till he actually gets comfortable. That seems like a very scary thought for not only the Big Ten, but the country as well.

Vanderbilt: A Place Where Football is King?

This upcoming weekend is full of intriguing, bowl affecting games. The USC Trojans try to avoid being upset for the second straight week as they battle the Oregon Ducks. USC’s loss doesn’t look as bad since three other teams in the top 10 were upset last weekend as well. The number one ranked Oklahoma Sooners travel to play the Baylor Bears, where they shouldn’t have any trouble. Staying in the Big 12, the Missouri Tigers travel to Nebraska to battle it out against the Cornhuskers, a place where the Tigers haven’t won since 1978. Another big game involves the Ohio State Buckeyes and the Wisconsin Badgers. Ohio State travels to Madison, where the Badgers are nearly unbeatable at Camp Randle.

The most intriguing game of the weekend has to be between Auburn and, hold your breath, the VANDERBILT COMMODORES. Yes, Vanderbilt is undefeated and setting at the top of the SEC East. The 19^th ranked are 4 and 0 and have a chance to go to 5 and 0, with an upset of Auburn in Nashville. The Commodores are known more for their GPA not for their football prowess. The Tigers have never played a ranked Vanderbilt team and if Vanderbilt wins it will be the first time they have gone 5 and 0 since the Eisenhower administration. The keys to Vanderbilt’s success have been sound quarterback play from quarterback Chris Nickson (three touchdowns to no interceptions) and a defense that leads the nation in turnover margin. This is a great story and best of luck to the Vanderbilt Commodores.

The Penn State Nittany Lions in HD!

The Penn State Nittany Lions are a team that no one can really seem to figure out. Penn State was ranked 22^nd in the preseason college football associated press poll and was a team with many question marks. Who was going to step and play quarterback with the absence of Anthony Morelli? How would the defense respond?                                      

So far five weeks into the season these questions have been answered. Darryl Clark has stepped up and done an unbelievable job at quarterback for the Nittany Lions. Clark is completing 63 percent of his passes and has nine touchdowns compared to only one interception. The defense has been stellar thus far, only giving up an average of 12.8 points per game. The defense doesn’t have to be great though when they are scoring an average of 49.8 points per game. Granted they haven’t played great competition, other than Illinois, Penn State and their new spread “HD” offense still looks pretty impressive. The tests are sure to come as the Nittany Lions get into the heart of their Big Ten Schedule. The sixth ranked Nittany Lions start a stretch of four road games in six weeks as they head to West Lafayette to battle the Purdue Boilermakers in the “blackout game.” I would expect nothing other than a great game, as Purdue always seems to play better at home. Penn State’s real test will come when they go to Columbus, Ohio to battle the Ohio State Buckeyes on 25^th of November. I don’t know about you but this team looks eerie similar to the 2005 team that finished 11-1 and beat Florida State in the Orange Bowl. If they continue their winning ways we may be comparing this team to another sometime down the road. 

Upset Special

Unbelievable. Shocked. Stunned. These words help to describe the past weekend in college football. This past weekend was the craziest weekend that I can recall in recent memory. FOUR top 10 teams in USC, Georgia, Florida, and Wisconsin, all got beat this weekend. The upsets of these teams played a huge factor in the rankings of the latest polls. USC dropped from number one to number nine. Georgia dropped from number three to number 11. Florida dropped to number 12 and Wisconsin dropped to number 18. Georgia was dominated by Alabama in Athens on Saturday night. The Crimson Tide made the Bulldogs look like a high school team out there as they rolled over them. Perhaps the biggest upset was Florida getting beat in the swamp, where they are virtually unbeatable winning 21 of their last 22 games there, by the Ole Miss Rebels. Jevan Snead and the Rebels outdueled Tim Tebow and the Gators, 31 to 30. What can I say about Wisconsin? The Badgers gave up a 19-point lead on the Michigan Wolverines and ended up losing 27 to 25.

With all of the upsets, teams were quietly able to sneak up into polls. Oklahoma rose to number one, a first since 2003, and the Alabama Crimson Tide followed them at number two. LSU, Missouri, and Texas rounded out the top five. Alabama are by far the Cinderella darlings through the first five weeks of the college football season. Heavily scrutinized quarterback John Parker Wilson has led the Tide to an undefeated start and their highest ranking since 1993. We knew the Tide would eventually be a good team, but we didn’t know it would be so soon. Do you think that folks in Alabama are calling for a raise for Nick Saban from 4 million to 8 million? If Alabama keeps it up, I wouldn’t doubt it.