college-football
I’m a Gator and I respect Florida State.
No, not for its three national titles; no, not for its remarkable 24 consecutive seasons bowling; no, not for head coach Bobby Bowden’s class-act demeanor on and off the field. No, not for any of these reasons.
I respect Florida State for wearing number 95 decals in honor of Miami Hurricanes’ defensive tackle Brian Pata, who was found dead of a gunshot wound outside his apartment Tuesday.
In the 2006 college football season, this weekend was pretty much written off as a weekend where we had one or two big games, but nothing that should have shocked the pollsters.
But by God, it did.
I’m sorry, but the Big 12 is just awful.
Alright, the conference has never been great, but after years of mediocrity, not even the conference’s biggest proponents can muster up a defense.
by Trevor Freeman
Someday girl I don’t know when we’re gonna get to that place..Where we really want to go and we’ll walk in the sun…But till then tramps like us…baby we were born to run…
-Bruce Springsteen
If luck truly is when practice meets opportunity then this weekend the Scarlet Knights of Rutgers seized their moment. In the land of Springsteen, Bon Jovi, Tony Soprano……in the land that inspired one of the truly great websites of all-time (www.njguido.com) college football’s best Cinderella story is being written. For a win over Louisville and losses by Auburn, Texas and California has elevated The State University of New Jersey close to a place that Mr. George Mason currently resides. David is once again tapping on the door of Goliath.
Louisville vs. Rutgers
This is the sexiest game on the schedule this week. Two unbeaten Big East teams with completely different styles of play clash on a Thursday night in New Jersey. Ray Rice is one the most talented football players in the country at any position. Throw in the all-conference fullback Brian Leonard, and you have best rushing tandem in the Big East. Louisville’s defense will have its hands full, but Brian Brohm, Mario Urrutia, and their offense should man-handle the Rutgers defensive squad. This one will be hard-fought throughout, but the Cardinals cash their ticket to an inevitable BCS snub.
Louiville-27
Rutgers-21
Arkansas vs. Tennessee
The “Dirty South” just got a little nastier. Expect emotions to run high when these two SEC teams mix it up in the best college football matchup on Saturday. Arkansas is having its best season in years on the legs of Darren McFadden, a homegrown running back coming off a career high 219 yard performance last week. Both teams have questions at quarterback, with Casey Dick replacing an ineffective Mitch Mustain and Jonathan Crompton starting for injured Tennessee starter Erik Ainge. The Vols have off-the-field issues as well with three suspensions this week. But can the Razorbacks continue their unlikely run through the SEC West? All signs point to the pigs.
Arkansas-17
Tennessee-10
Joe Pa Takes One for the Team
I’ll admit that I am not in any way a Joe Paterno. I think that, like Bobby Bowden, his best coaching days are far behind him and he is holding the Penn State football program hostage. However, whenever a 79 year old guy takes a tumble like this, has surgery the next day and still plans on being on the sideline this weekend you have to give him due credit.
Paterno’s injuries were a broken shin bone and torn knee ligaments.
Mountain Climbers
I’ve been on the West Virginia band wagon since last season. I picked them to play Ohio State in the BCS Championship game but Louisville brought all of that to a screeching halt Thursday night with their 44-34 win over the Mountaineers.
With the college football regular season ending in four weeks, I thought it was time for a column about the key matchups that will form the Bowl Championship Series Bowl games and the National Championship. There are a total of 10 matchups that will undoubtedly decide conference championships and at-large berths as well as teams vying for a national championship. Get ready!
So, I got word yesterday from the NCAA that for a season, I was God. I, as commissioner for one week in the 2007 college football year, could match up the teams I wanted and they weren’t allowed to complain.
After I sent Notre Dame to Texas, I then stopped to think what might happen if I put SEC and Big Ten teams together. One thing’s for certain: must-see TV. Well, unless you hate SEC and Big Ten football….
Can’t Say We Didn’t See It Coming
Well, maybe not to Oregon State but I think we all knew that USC was going to lose this season. This isn’t the same Trojans team that we have seen the past three seasons and I’m not just talking personnel. They have struggled several times this season and just don’t have the ability to put teams away. To use the famous pun, “they lack that killer instinct.”
You almost get the feeling with this USC team that they need to figure out that they are not going to win just because the name on the front of their jersey. They need to go out on the field and earn it!
Mountaineers Moving Up!
Thanks to the USC loss and another impressive victory on their part the West Virginia Mountaineers are the number three team in the most recent BCS Poll giving them a legit opportunity to be in the BCS Championship Game.
Southern Cal will not run the table. But if hypothetically it does, it should not play for the national title.
Not under any condition. Not even if it’s the only unbeaten team in the country.
At the midway point of the 2006 season, USC could easily be 3-3, and it still hasn’t played anyone good. And even in the most recent of USC’s three decided wins, the program struggled, pulling away from mediocre Arizona only after three quarters when the Trojans’ superiority in numbers came through.