Week 6 of the College Football season is over and we're 2/5 of the way complete. Lets take a look at the Week in Review.
Best Game of the Week:Florida State vs Miami-This should not be a surprise if this was 1987, or 1991, or even 2002. But in the year 2008 you really don't expect much from either of these two teams. This game was probably one of the best games ever played between the two. It was truely a tale of two games. From the get go it seemed as if Florida State was going to run away with a victory as they jumped out to a 24-0 lead in the 2nd Quarter. However, for Randy Shannon and his Canes its never over. The Canes trailed 31-10 in the 3rd Quarter when the rally began. The Canes scored in 3 different ways(Field Goal, Safety, and Touchdown) to make it 31-22. FSU tried to pull away at 34-22 but the Canes with a pick six and a field goal made it 34-32 with 8:30 left. FSU scored another TD to make it 41-32. Miami made one last rally and a 5 yard run made it 41-39. The onside kick went FSU's way and the Noles hung on 41-39. Truely an instant classic.
Best Player of the Week:Demaryius Thomas(Georgia Tech)-The Yellow Jackets Wide Receiver did something Calvin Johnson never did...230 receiving yards. As a matter of fact, Thomas was the only Tech player with a reception as Georgia Tech demolished Duke 27-0.
Dissapointment of the Week:Maryland Terrapins-The Terps looked bad...really bad. One week after upsetting Clemson and 3 weeks after upsetting Cal, the Terps fell to lowly Virginia 31-0. The same Virginia team who was blown out by UCONN, USC, and Duke and nearly lost to Richmond. UVA gained their first offensive touchdown as the Terps were beaten up and down the field. On a side note I would like to apoligize for my comments on the 2007 UVA team you were not overrated.
Surprise Team of the Week:Kentucky Wildcats-Despite the loss to Bama, the Wildcats surprised many by coming out on Saturday and going toe-to-toe with the best team in the country(according to the media). Bama was a 16 point favorite and Kentucky isn't the same team as last year that beat LSU. Losing is bad but not when you went the distance with a team no one gave you a chance against. I look forward to the rest of UK's season.
Numbers:
11-The amount of points Utah scored in their come from behind win over Oregon State on Thursday. The Utes trailed 28-20 with under 2 minutes left
1978-The last time Missouri had beaten Nebraska in Lincoln before their 52-17 win over the Huskers on Saturday
193-The amount of total offense by Penn State running back Evan Royster in the Nittany Lions' 20-6 win over Purdue
20-The deficit overcome by Kansas in their 35-33 win over Iowa State. The Jayhawks trailed 20-0 at halftime and outscored the Cyclones 35-13
30-The average amount of points per game by Oklahoma
32-The average amount of points per game by Oklahoma State. I think theres competion knocking on the Sooners door
230-The amount of receiving yards by Georgia Tech's Demaryius Thomas in Tech's 27-0 win over Duke
91-The amount of rushing yards by Michigan State's Javon Ringer. Thats different....
431-The amount of total offense by Illinois' Juice Williams in the Illini's 45-20 rout of Michigan
203-The amount of total offense by Florida State's Christian Ponder in the Seminoles' 41-39 win over Miami. I think the QB issue is over
2-The amount of wins by Florida International. FIU beat North Texas on Saturday 42-10. FIU had only 1 win in the previous 3 years of FBS football
2002-The year the North Texas fans wish it was
Speaking of...2002-The last time Maryland won a road night game against a BCS school. They have 2 wins over FBS schools at night but one was against Florida International so it doesn't count
The Contenders:
Oklahoma-Once again the Sooners took the field and once again they got more than 30 points. This time the victim was Baylor in Oklahoma's 49-17 rout. It won't get any easier as the Sooners still have Texas, Kansas, Texas Tech and Oklahoma State.
Missouri-The Bill Callahan era had a positive effect in Mizzou as the Tigers beat Callahan's recruits 52-17 on Saturday. Missouri is the best its ever been. That is saying a lot since 3 years ago they were 5-6. Mizzou still has Colorado, Texas, and Kansas, however.
Speaking of...Texas-The Longhorns are hot and they don't look to be getting any cold any time soon. Many expected the Longhorns to overlook Colorado but they didn't and as a result they won 38-14 over the Buffs. However, it doesn't get any easier with Oklahoma, Missouri, Oklahoma State, and Texas Tech over the next 4 weeks. Don't forget about Kansas either.
Penn State-They went on the road and beat Purdue. The Nittany Lions have the best offense in College Football and a tough defense to go with. However, it doesn't get any easier with Ohio State and Wisconsin left.
Oklahoma State-Everyone forgets about them...except me. The Cowboys are 5-0 and they look smokin hot. Their biggest test so far comes Saturday against Mizzou. If they can beat the Tigers look out.
The Deadsetters:
South Florida-That was surprising...I don't think anyone saw USF falling to Pitt. The Bulls were surprised on Thursday night as Pitt clawed their way through them 26-21. Its a long season, however, and the Bulls got plenty of time and with the Big East as weak as it is they can still manage 11-1.
Speaking of...Pittsburgh-Are they alive? The Panthers vanished from the radar after losing to Bowling Green but have racked up 4 consecutive wins including a 26-21 win over USF. Theres only 4 games Pitt has to fear...and two are out of conference. Pitt has to go on the road against Navy, Notre Dame, and UCONN but get West Virginia at home.
Speaking of...Notre Dame-The Irish almost let the Cardinal back in but at the end they knocked off Stanford 28-21. Jimmy Clausen is playing well and Michael Floyd has been the biggest impact on this team. The defense looks good. However, the Irish need to win a road game and work on Special teams. Saturday against North Carolina will be a test.
Speaking of...North Carolina-The Tar Heels look reals again. They took on a good Connecticut team on Saturday and through the darkness knocked them off 38-12. Notre Dame on Saturday will be huge. But mostly their hardest games are at home and the only real road challenge is Maryland who lost to UVA.
Kentucky-The Wildcats should've won. No doubt aboutit. They took Alabama to their limits and fell short following an onside kick. Given more time I feel the Wildcats could've won. They're in a strong enough conference to garner a shot at a National Title but they have to get through Florida, Georgia, and Vandy first.
USC-The Trojans looked sluggish early as they trailed 10-3 to Oregon. But at the end they rallied back scoring 24 unanswered and demolishing the Ducks 44-10. The running game was down a bit but Mark Sanchez dominated in the air. USC's only real challenge appears to be...
Arizona-You know the kind of team that gets overshadowed by their rival even when their rival is struggling? Thats them their name is Arizona. The Wildcats have a hot offense and a tough defense to go with it. Yes they lost to New Mexico but as Lou Holtz says, "Every team is different every week" and you can bet that Mike Stoops will have his team ready for USC on October 25th. But that doesn't mean to overlook Stanford, Cal, Oregon, Oregon State, and Arizona State.
Florida-The Gators are just barely getting by. This time Tim Tebow and Company was in a competitive game with...Arkansas. Not the Houston Nutt Arkansas team with Darren McFadden, Felix Jones, and Marcus Monk and certainly not Frank Boyles team but with Arkansas 2K8 that got destroyed by Bama and Texas and barely escaped Western Illinois and UL-Monroe. I know that every team is different every week but still. The Gators schedule gets tougher now with LSU, Georgia, Florida State, and others coming up.
Speaking of...Florida State-The Noles hung in with the Canes and knocked them off 41-39. In my opinion, the QB controversy is over in Tallahassee and the Noles are ready to take on anybody again.
Kansas-Hanging tough should be their theme song. The Jayhawks rallied back from a 20-0 deficit to beat Iowa State on Saturday prooving once again that its never over.
Virginia Tech-I guess it applies to them too. Va.Tech has came so close to being eliminated its not even funny. They almost lost to Furman, Georgia Tech, North Carolina, and Nebraska and just narrowly escaped Western Kentucky. The more confidence they gain the better they will get.
Georgia Tech-The Yellow Jackets defense is strong and the Triple Option is working. Yet another team that should've beaten Va.Tech. Ga.Tech may be the best team in the state of Georgia.
Unless you remember...Georgia-The Bulldogs were off this week but look to return next week against the Vols.
Michigan State-They're the most overlooked team in the nation. Michigan State should be 6-0. They should've beaten Cal and they should've blown out Iowa. However, it remains to be seen how well they do on the road with Northwestern, Michigan, and Penn State. However, they do get Ohio State and Wisconsin at home.
Boston College-Another team forgotten about. Yes they narrowly escaped N.C. State but they're 4-1. They're certainly not the Matt Ryan led team they were last year but they're still good, nonetheless. However, road games with North Carolina, Florida State, and Wake Forest will test that.
California-Another Pac 10 team forgotten about. Cal beat Arizona State on Saturday 24-14 and look to continue to succeed in the Pac 10. However, all their toughest games are on the road against Arizona, USC, and Oregon State.
The Unknown:
Alabama-That was close. I mean that was scary close. Bama was a 16 point favorite over Kentucky and they nearly lost to the Wildcats. The other time they did this was against Tulane. Bama needs to realize that they may look easy but nothing is ever easy.
Texas Tech-Once again Graham Harrell threw a lot of passes and Michael Crabtree burned a lot of corners...but it was Kansas State. The Red Raiders still have good defenses to face like Texas and Oklahoma. Lets see how good they do against them first.
Vanderbilt-Vandy beat Auburn but Auburn doesn't look like Auburn this year. They seem like a shell of their former selfs replaced by Vandy. Vandy is 5-0 for the first time since 1943. In 1943 Carnegie Tech and 2nd Air Force were recognized as top College Football teams in major College Football. Has the world gone mad or is Bobby Johnson and Vandy that damn good?
Northwestern-The Wildcats were off this week but face a big test next week when they play Michigan State and the Wildcats have not forgotten the last time they faced the Spartans on Ryan Field.
LSU-The Tigers were off this week but will return Saturday night against Florida.
Eliminated From Contention:
Nebraska-The Cornhuskers have still yet to have won a National Title since Tom Osbourne was coach. Tom never lost 52-17 to Mizzou either.
Colorado-The Buffs were just killed against Texas on Saturday as the Longhorns took them to the Woodshed. Long gone are the days of Bill McCartney. But like Nebraska, the future is bright.
Kansas State-Man 1998 seems so far away....
Oregon-No team is going to recover from losing at home to a mid-major and 44-10 to USC.
Auburn-The Spread is dead, face it, run it in 3 years not now.
Wisconsin-That was surprising. I had Wiscy winning the game but tOSU went out there and suprised me yet again this time positively.
UCONN-No team ever comes back from losing 38-12.
Duke-Wheres Wallace Wade when they need him?
Maryland-Man I regret getting cocky with a bunch of UVA fans.
The Mid-Major National Title Update:
Contenders:
Boise State(4-0)-The Broncos continued their success on the field with a 38-3 rout of Louisiana Tech. They look to become the first "3-time" champions.
Utah(6-0)-The '04 team never came close to losing but these days you got to have close loses to do well later. Look on the bright side...they beat the team that beat USC.
BYU(5-0)-Its not 1984 but the Cougars are playing like it is. They got past Utah State and wait for the trip to the Utes.
Ball State(6-0)-Muncie, Indiana has two things to celebrate and for once it isn't basketball.
Tulsa(5-0)-In the post-Smith/Kragthorpe era the Golden Hurricanes are still tearing through competition.
Still Alive(at the moment):
Western Michigan(5-1)-Are they the best team in the state of Michigan? The other Broncos have a tough road to win this championship including dates with Buffalo, Central Michigan, Illinois, and Ball State.
TCU(5-1)-The Horned Frogs rebounded and knocked off San Diego State 41-7. The Frogs, however, still have BYU, Utah, and Air Force.
What 2 Watch 4:
Clemson vs Wake Forest-This is an interesting ACC Atlantic Division matchup. The winner will most likely be heading to the ACC Championship. North Carolina has been a hot College Football area this season and this matchup is one to watch. Check it out Thursday at 7:30pm on ESPN.
Texas vs Oklahoma-The winner here will win the Big XII in my opinion. I feel no team in the North can beat either of these schools and that the winner will also head to the National Title. Check it out Saturday at 12pm on ABC.
Oklahoma State vs Missouri-First one to 100 wins...or first defense to show up at least. Oklahoma State is the best kept secret in America and Mizzou's offense is red hot. Who will win? See Saturday at 8pm on ESPN2.
LSU vs Florida-This one is always good. In 2006, Florida beat LSU 23-10 en route to the National Title. In 2007, LSU beat Florida 28-24 en route to a National Title. Will the winner of this produce a National Champion? Find out Saturday at 8pm on CBS.
Penn State vs Wisconsin-For the 2nd time in this decade, Penn State has a National Championship caliber team. But Wisconsin is determined to climb back into the Big Ten standings. Whose dream will come true? Find out Saturday at 8pm on ESPN.
Boise State vs Southern Miss-USM has been known as giant killers. In 1989, they upset both Louisville and Alabama under the control of Brett Favre. In 2003, they knocked off TCU on Thursday Night Football. Now another top team comes down to the South. Will it be another upset? Find out Saturday at 8pm on CBS College Sports.
Colorado vs Kansas-This matchup may determine the Big XII North Champion. Colorado is trying to bounce back and KU wants to proove they're legit. Who will prevail? Find out Saturday at 12:30pm on ESPN2.
Notre Dame vs North Carolina-This is an elimination match. In 2006, a mediocre Tar Heels team took the Irish to the limit before Brady Quinn and company prevailed. Things have changed...so has the faces. Who is back? Find out Saturday at 3:30pm on ABC(check your local listings).
Overview:A semi-lackluster weekend but this one should be a back breaker for many teams. So break your back and watch some College Football this weekend. It all starts tonight at 8pm as Troy takes on Florida Atlantic in a key Sun Belt matchup on ESPN2.
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