What We Learned In College Football Yesterday
Sunday, October 19, 2008
A short list of what we scanned through for most of the day yesterday:
- Texas isn't losing if it plays good enough defense to give up only 30 or so points a game when its offense hangs half a hundred on its opponent. Mizzou went down in Austin, 56-31, after Colt McCoy and the Longhorns raced out to a 35 point lead in the first half. McCoy threw for two scores and ran for two more. Texas has a brutal schedule in conference, but none of its opponents are likely to stop its attack.
- And there is very little defense in the Big 12. Oklahoma game up more than 400 yards on the ground to Kansas, but thanks to 468 (!) passing yards from Sam Bradford, they beat KU 45-31.
- Alabama will lose if it plays like it did against Ole Miss in the second half, because the Rebels beat themselves in Tuscaloosa with turnovers. That was a 24-20 win that could have gone the other way and no one would have been surprised.
- Penn State can and should beat Ohio State next week, but it will be a hell of a game to watch. The Nittany Lions looked like the Nitty Kitties for a quarter, came back in the 2nd quarter, and then opened up the keg and sprayed the Wolverines in the 2nd half on the way to a 46-17 ass nailing.
- Ohio State took advantage of five Michigan State turnovers to run through East Lansing 45-7.
- Maryland is a team in dire need of Prozac. Lose to Middle Tennessee State, whoop Cal. Lose to Virginia, shut out Wake Forest yesterday 26-0. Oh well, I'll say it anyway, because the Terps are tied for tops in the ACC Atlantic Division: FEAR THE TURTLE.
- Boston College helps with the noble goal of trying to knock Virginia Tech out of any chance of the conference championship. Chris Crane threw two pick sixes, but led the Eagles to a string of 21 unanswered to a 28-23 win.
- The Dabo Swinney Era is off to a bad start in Death Valley. The beauty of watching Georgia Tech try and master the triple option is that when an opposing team gets faked, it's a beautiful thing. Tech wins 21-17.
- Texas Tech trails for the first time at the half playing Texas A&M, comes back to rout the Aggies as Graham Harrell throws for 2 TDs to Michael Crabtree and runs for three more.
- OK State: still dangerous, reliably routs Baylor 34-6.
- Northwestern knocks Purdue around 48-26, they're looking forward to playing OSU in two weeks with some inspired football from C.J. Bacher and Eric Peterman.
- Has any team fallen harder and faster than Wisconsin? They coughed up a second half comeback to Michigan, supplied the butt to be whipped by Penn State last week, and were destroyed by Iowa 38-16. Shon Greene rushed for 217 yards and 4 TDs.
- Oh, right, there is Washington State. They may be the worst major conference D-IA team I've ever seen. USC beat them 69-0, making the Cougars' fourth conference loss involving an opponent scoring 60+ points.
- Georgia will lose to Florida if its defense can't step up. Vanderbilt, although good, isn't an offensive powerhouse by any means and they kept it close even though the Dawgs had a good day offensively (Knowshon Moreno rushed for 172 yards and a score.) UGA hung on at home, 24-14.
- LSU takes pride on stopping people on defense, and that's what they did to hold on to a fourth quarter lead. Gamecocks QB Stephen Garcia was sacked six times and South Carolina had negative yardage in the 4th.
9 Comments:
I am PUMPED for the Washington-Washington State showdown next month. It's gonna be a classic.
-The referee that elbowed South Carolina QB Stephen Garcia before he got tackled must've seen too many Buffalo Wild Wings commercials.
-Clemson's AD took a page out of Jerry Jones' book and was right behind Swinney on the sidelines. The Dabo Show might get canceled faster than Cavemen did.
For those who missed the umpire in the LSU-South Carolina game giving the Gamecocks QB a forearm shiver during a play:
http://videos.thestate.com/vmix_hosted_apps/p/media?id=2298087
Around the :55-:50 mark (the highlights clip countdown goes in reverse), you will see the play. Unbelievable.
Just like John Saunders said yesterday, after Virginia beat UNC in OT, the one thing we know about the ACC is that we don't know anything about the ACC. Clemson(who I thought was way overrated from the get-go) is no longer a factor, Miami just got their first conference win yesterday, Wake goes down in flames against Maryland(who lost to UVA 31-0 just three weeks ago); Carolina showed serious holes yesterday, and another overrated team, VA Tech, took it on the chin at BC.
Oh, and after barely getting by Richmond and losing to Duke by 28, Virginia has "stormed back" into the race in the Coastal Division. Problem is, they still have road games at Ga. Tech, Wake and VA Tech, plus home games with Miami and Clemson. I see a max of two wins, maybe. I will say this; they have found themselves a very good QB in Mark Verica.
Yeah...Cougs and Huskies in yet another Rotten Apple Cup! It's as if Paul Wolff took the E. Wash. Eagles and planted them into the PAC-10. OH wait...the Eagles of Eastern Wa are way better! In reality Portland State must be the WORST team in all of college Football...remember they lost to Wazzu 49-8. Wolff sure does know how to beat those DI-AA schools! At the end of the game yesterday the commentator said that Wolff will have success while at Wazzu, because "he knows the area." WTF?! I know the area! But you don't see me running the friggin team! Anyway...GO COUGS!!! Huck them Fuskies!!!
Come on Brian...
Did you watch or listen to the Vandy-Georgia game? Or read the final stats and play-by-play?
Vanderbilt's two touchdowns were not the result of poor defense.
The first, at the end of the first half happened because of TWO stupid pass interference penalties by Georgia. The second penalty happened on an incomplete pass by Vandy on a 3rd down and three play. It gave Vandy the ball on the Georgia 18. The worst part about that penalty is that it should have gone against Vandy and not Georgia, as the Georgia defender had position (or at least appeared to have it).
The second touchdown occurred after Stafford's second interception gave the ball to Vandy at the Georgia 26 yard line.
Other than that, the defense did a great job, holding Vandy to 245 total yards (114 rushing and 131 passing).
No, it is not the 12th best NCAA D-1A Georgia defense that needs to hunker down to beat LSU and Florida, it is the offense.
Knowshon Moreno has been horribly inconsistent this year, partly because UGA is now on their 4th left offensive tackle. The normally reliable field goal kicker for UGA, Brian Walsh, missed from 37 and 40 yards.
Georgia did not "hang on" to win. But to continue to win, they need to do a better job in the Red Zone and avoid stupid, costly penalties. And Matthew Stafford needs to do a better job with the ball, throwing 3 interceptions in the past two games. If he did not throw the picks and Walsh made the two field goals, the score is 30-7.
OMDQ and Josh: It will be like watching Barbaro and Eight Belles---two dead horses.
"Georgia will lose to Florida if its defense can't step up."
Florida gave up a bajillion points to Georgia last year and let Moreno run all over them. Just saying.
"Vanderbilt, although good, isn't an offensive powerhouse by any means..."
And they scored twice on the whole day, the first a complete gift off a bogus PI call.
"Knowshon Moreno has been horribly inconsistent this year"
100+ yards against ASU, UT (who is actually pretty good against the run), CMU, and Vandy. Less than 100 against GSU in obviously limited action...but he scored three times anyway. Less than 100 against Bama because the Dawgs were playing with four WRs for most of the game. Less than 100 against USC...well, that one's a legitimate off-day.
So there you go. In terms of defenses actually stopping Moreno...you have one game. Out of 7.
Two things: First, I had hoped the Spartans would beat the Buckeyes to squash any hope of them getting blown out in the BCS title game again this season. Second - and most importantly - have you seen Hannah Storm on ESPN this morning. High heel boots and a short skirt. A very nice look.