College Football in Review:Week 7

Week 7 of the 2008 College Football season is over lets take a look at the week



Best Game of the Week:Texas vs Oklahoma-The Red River Rivalry had a big time classic in one of the highest games in its history as Texas knocked off Oklahoma 45-35. The win for the Longhorns makes the series a 58-40-5 lead for Texas. Colt McCoy was outdueled by Sam Bradford, but Special Teams, defense, and running the ball made the difference for this one. As a result, Texas is now Number 1 in the AP, Coaches, y25, and possibly BCS. We'll find out the latter later.



Best Player of the Week:Jordan Shipley(Texas)-The Texas wide receiver was a difference maker on Saturday as he recieved 112 yards, 1 touchdown, and a 96 yard kick return for a touchdown. Had not been for Shipley this may have been a different game.



Dissapointment of the Week:LSU-The Tigers weren't favored but to go out and play the way they did on Saturday justifies their spot here. LSU didn't just lose to Florida they were demolished by the Gators. In the SEC, you can bounce back quick as many teams fall every week. Can LSU climb back up?



Surprise Team of the Week:Mississippi State-For Sylvester Croom and the Bulldogs its been a dissapointing year. Last year they had knocked off Alabama and UCF in an 8-5 season. This year the Dogs are 2-4. The win Saturday helps, but that 4 loss deficit hurts. Either way gotta hand it to them they beat a very good Vandy team.



Numbers:



35-The total amount of rushing yards by James Davis and C.J. Spiller in Clemson's 12-7 loss on Thursday to Wake Forest



225-The total yards by Texas Wide Receiver Jordan Shipley in the Longhorns 45-35 win over Oklahoma



52-The amount of drives Missouri went without a three and out. This ended on Saturday as Oklahoma State shut down Mizzou en route to a 28-23 win in Columbia



21-The amount of 4th Quarter points by Nebraska in their 37-31 loss to Texas Tech on Saturday. The Huskers trailed the Red Raiders 24-10 in the 4th Quarter and shut down Texas Tech's high-powered offense



1960-The last time North Carolina had beaten Notre Dame before their 29-24 win over the Irish on Saturday



3-The amount of consecutive games that East Carolina has lost in a row. The Pirates started the year with wins over Virginia Tech, West Virginia, and Tulane but have lost three straight to N.C. State, Houston, and now Virginia



The Contenders:

Texas-They're legit. The Longhorns prooved it on Saturday by beating a very good Oklahoma squad. But thats only the first task. Texas gets Missouri next week, and Oklahoma State in 2 weeks. The good news...they're both at home...the bad news, next month Texas gets Kansas and Texas Tech on the road.



Oklahoma State-The Cowboys were questionable at the beginning of the week, but now they are proven. OSU knocked off Missouri on Saturday but its no easy task for the rest of the season. Okie State still has Texas, Texas Tech, Colorado, and Oklahoma on the table.



Penn State-Texas, Penn State, Alabama, and USC in the top 10? What is this? 1978? The Nittany Lions are on top of the Big Ten following their 48-7 demolishing of Wisconsin on Saturday. The Lions still have Ohio State in Columbus but otherwise, it should be an easy trip through the rest of the season.



The Deadsetters:

Wake Forest-Wake stayed alive in the National Title hunt following an ugly 12-7 win over Clemson on Thursday. Wake has Maryland this week and if they can get through the Terps the rest of the ACC shouldn't be much of a problem.



Oklahoma-Losing to Texas hurt...alot, but the Sooners are still in the Top 5 probably because that game could've gone either way but at the end Texas won anyways. In the Big XII, things can change in a heart beat and the Longhorns have a tough schedule ahead. But let us not forget that OU still has Kansas, Texas Tech, and Oklahoma State along with a Big XII championship game, shall they make it.



Missouri-As I said with Oklahoma, things change in the Big XII quickly. In the case of Mizzou they only lost by 5 to Oklahoma State. Outside of a date in Austin, Mizzou's schedule favors them as Colorado and Kansas come to Columbia.



Florida-The Gators are not dead. They prooved it on Saturday by demolishing LSU 51-21. However, the SEC is still a tough conference and the Gators still have to face Georgia, Florida State, and win the SEC championship before they can talk National Champion.



USC-In College Football you can lose to a 30 point underdog and still make it to a National Title game. As proven by the Trojans who have now crawled to #4 in the nation. If everyone keeps falling then USC has nothing to worry about because their only real competition left is Arizona and Stanford, both teams who have a combined 5 losses.



Georgia-The Bulldogs beat the Vols on Saturday 26-14. However, thats just a cakewalk compared to Vanderbilt, LSU, Florida, Kentucky, and Georgia Tech...all teams who Georgia still has to play.



Vanderbilt-Losing to MSU was bad...whats worse is that the only way Vandy can make it to the National Title is by beating Georgia, Duke, Florida, Kentucky, and Wake Forest in the Confederate "Harvard-Yale Game".



Kansas-The Jayhawks again pulled off a victory this time over Colorado. However, they face tougher challenges ahead with Oklahoma, Texas Tech, Nebraska, Texas, and Missouri.



North Carolina-The Tar Heels should be 6-0 or 4-2 or just 5-1, depending on how you see it. Some say they shouldn't have lost to Virginia Tech while others say they should not have beaten Notre Dame. Either way they're alive and well in Chapel Hill. However, they still have Virginia(whose been revived), Boston College(who everybody forgets about), Florida State, Maryland, and Duke(whose experiencing a revolution).



Michigan State-The Spartans should not have lost to Cal. If anything, they should've beaten Cal, but they didn't. So as a result, since Week 1 they have been fighting for their lives. This week they entered Ryan Field and beat Northwestern straight up 37-20. Now the Spartans can have some home cooking against Ohio State before traveling to Ann Arbor, returning home against Wisconsin, and ending the season with a tough game in Happy Valley(most likely the Big Ten title game) against Penn State.



Lets not forget about...South Florida-The Bulls were off this week but look to return strong against Syracuse.



Lets not forget about...Pittsburgh-The Panthers were off this week but return Saturday to play a VERY good Navy team who beat them 48-45 last year on Heinz Field.



You know whose still around? Florida State-Yes the Seminoles were trashed against Wake but that doesn't exactly bury the Noles who go up against North Carolina State on Thursday night. This should be easy, but Thursday is upset night.



You know who everyone forgets about? Boston College-The Eagles were off on Saturday but return for Game 3 of their series against Virginia Tech. BC took the first game in Blacksburg, but the Hokies won in Jacksonville. With the series heading to Boston, can the Eagles stay alive in the National Title hunt?



The Unknown:
Texas Tech-Another ugly win. Texas Tech's defense gave up 21 points in the final quarter against Nebraska. Thats more than Mizzou gave up in an entire game against the Huskers. Again, defense wins championships and the run and gun can be beaten.



Alabama-The Tide were off but they'll be back and they'll maybe get out of this.



Eliminated From Contention:

LSU-No repeat for the Tigers, as their run, pass, and defense were shutdown against Florida on Saturday.



Notre Dame-1988 still seems far away for the Irish.



Northwestern-You just can't lose 37-20 and bounce back in the Big Ten.



Kentucky-They still can't beat Spurrier...



The Mid-Major National Title Update:
Contenders:

BYU(6-0)-No win is pretty. BYU beat New Mexico 21-3 on Saturday. Now the Cougars face their first real road test against TCU on Thursday night.



Utah(7-0)-The Utes just flat out destroyed Wyoming in the ugly uniform state 40-7 on Saturday. Now the Utes can sit back and prepare TCU and BYU at home next month.



Boise State(5-0)-The Broncos did something not too many mid-majors could do and thats go down to Southern Miss and knock off the Golden Eagles. The Broncos did just that in their 24-7 win on Saturday. With the WAC down this year, the Broncos only real challenge remaining is their last game against Fresno State.

Ball State(7-0)-The Cardinals struggled against Western Kentucky...but so did Va.Tech. A win is a win and Ball State pulled it out on Saturday winning 24-7. This may not be the MAC of old, but winning out is still a challenge for BSU as they still have to face Central and Western Michigan.

Tulsa(6-0)-SMU prooved to be trouble for the Hurricanes as they trailed 31-24 late but rallied to win 37-31 over June Jones and his high-flying Mustang offense. Outside of possibly UCF, the Hurricanes have no real competion left until they get to the C-USA Title game. However, if there is any challenge its November 15th against Houston. If SMU gave Tulsa trouble then expect Houston to pull of the upset over their rival.

Still Alive(at the moment):
Western Michigan(6-1)-The OTHER Broncos trailed the OTHER Bulls, the Buffalo Bulls, in fact, 21-6 in the 4th Quarter but rallied to knock off Buffalo 34-28 in overtime. WMU still has Central Michigan on the road and a possible Mid-Major National Title Game against Ball State on November 25th. Lets not forget, however, about the neutral site game against Illinois at Ford Field on November 8th.

TCU(6-1)-Some wins are ugly...this is one of them. The Horned Frogs barely escaped Colorado State on Saturday winning 13-7. If TCU doesn't shape up then they'll be eliminated on Thursday when they face BYU...luckily its in Fort Worth.

The Mid 10 Rankings:
1.BYU 6-0(Mountain West)
2.Utah 7-0(Mountain West)
3.Boise State 5-0(WAC)
4.Ball State 7-0(MAC)
5.Tulsa 6-0(C-USA)
6.TCU 6-1(Mountain West)
7.Western Michigan 6-1(MAC)
8.Central Michigan 4-2(MAC)
9.Air Force 4-2(Mountain West)
10.Arkansas State 4-2(Sun Belt)

Breaking News: Tommy Bowden fired at Clemson
It has finally happened...Tommy Bowden has been fired from the Clemson Tigers football team. Following their 12-7 loss to Wake Forest on Thursday, Clemson fired Tommy Bowden. Bowden was hired in 1998 after his Tulane Green Wave went 12-0. In his first year, Bowden took the Tigers to the Peach Bowl, where they fell 17-7 to Mississippi State. At Clemson, Bowden qualified for a bowl game every year(with the exception of a forfeited appearence in 2004). The last three seasons Clemson had 9-win seasons but had lost their last two bowl games(Kentucky and Auburn). At the beginning of the year, many predicted Clemson to win the ACC and possibly National Championship with a strong defense and a powerful run game. However, Clemson fell to Alabama 34-10 on opening day. They rebounded to go 3-1 before falling to Maryland(20-17) and Wake Forest(12-7). In 2/3 of those losses, star backs James Davis and C.J. Spiller were held to under 50 yards COMBINED. Clemson plays Saturday against Georgia Tech at home in what will be the first game in the post-Bowden era. I foresee Clemson hiring Skip Holtz at the end of the year and Bowden heading to Florida State as possibly Wide Receivers or Running Back Coach. At the moment, Clemson will be coached by Dabo Swinney.

What 2 Watch 4:
BYU vs TCU-One of three games that will determined the Mountain West Champion. BYU comes in undefeated and hopes to keep it going against a very good TCU squad whose only loss to Oklahoma. See it Thursday at 8pm on Versus(Channel 603 on Direct TV).

Missouri vs Texas-In what was almost #1 vs #2, the Missouri Tigers hope to rebound following a devastating loss to Oklahoma State to take on the Longhorns, who beat Oklahoma. The last time Texas was Number 1, they had just beaten USC in the Rose Bowl. Can the Longhorns keep their spot? Find out Saturday at 8pm on ABC.

Ole Miss vs Alabama-The Rebels already upsetted one SEC school this year...can they do it to another? Will Dr.Jekyll show up for Bama or will Mr.Hyde kill the Tide? Find out Saturday at 3:30pm on CBS.

Kansas vs Oklahoma-This game lost its luster following KU's lost to USF and OU's lost to Texas. But this still is a crucial game in the Big XII race. If OU wants to stay alive they must be Kansas, who hopes to get back to a BCS Bowl game. Which will come? Find out Saturday(check your local listings).

Vanderbilt vs Georgia-Last year Vandy nearly beat UGA at home. This year, Vandy is one year better...but so is Georgia. Who will pull through? Find out Saturday at 12:30pm(check your local listings).

Ohio State vs Michigan State-Usually we talk about Ohio State and Michigan but this time its Ohio State and Michigan State. The winner here may win the Big Ten as both teams try to climb back into National Title contention. Who will stay alive? Find out Saturday at 3:30pm on ABC(check your local listings).

LSU vs South Carolina-LSU slipped against Florida and in the past have struggled with Spurrier. But recently...not the case. This South Carolina squad should be 7-0. Who will keep their SEC title hopes alive? Find out Saturday at 8pm(check your local listings).

Virginia Tech vs Boston College-The rubber match between these two. BC took Game 1 in Blacksburg, but Va.Tech won Game 2 in Jacksonville. Who will win Game 3? Find out Saturday at 8pm(check your local listings).

North Carolina vs Virginia-The Tar Heels are hot, but UVA is getting hotter. Coming off demolishings of Maryland and ECU, the Cavs hope to keep it going against North Carolina. Can they? Find out Saturday at 3:30pm on ABC(check your local listings).

Wake Forest vs Maryland-The Demon Deacans hope to repeat 2006 while the Terps seek revenge for the previous two losses to Wake. What will come true? Find out Saturday at 12pm(check your local listings).

Pittsburgh vs Navy-Both teams come in having pulled off big upsets this year as Pitt beat USF and Navy beat Rutgers and Wake. Last season, Navy beat Pitt 48-45 in Heinz Field. Can Navy sweep the Panthers? Find out Saturday at 3:30pm(check your local listings).

Cal vs Arizona-Both teams have potential to beat USC and the potential to give each other hell. In a key Pac 10 matchup the Wildcats seek revenge for last years thumping in Berkeley. Can AU beat Cal? Find out Saturday at 10pm on Fox Sports Net.

Western Michigan vs Central Michigan-A key MAC matchup as the Broncos take on the Chippawas. The MAC could be determined with this game as could the Mid-Major National Championship. Who will win the battle of directional Michigan? Find out Saturday at 12pm(check your local listings).

Miami vs Duke-Another key ACC matchup as the Miami Hurricanes take on the Duke Blue Devils. The last two years Duke has came close to beating Miami. Could the third time be a charm? Find out Saturday at 3:30pm on ESPNU.

Overview:A relatively good week of college football as the Big XII shined with two marquee matchups. Can this week live up to Week 7? It all starts Thursday night when BYU takes on TCU on Versus and Florida State takes on N.C. State on ESPN. Enjoy the week.