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.