1. LSU - Looks like the Tigers will be minus a few players with Auburn coming to town Saturday afternoon (3:30 CBS). Tyrann Mathieu (CB), Tharold Simon (D-back) and Spencer Ware (RB) will be sitting this one out. Don't sleep on Chizik. Will Michael Dyer (RB) and Emory Blake (WR) be enought against a stout LSU defense? Crazy enough, this could be a good thing for LSU. I see them getting in some good reps for the backups building better depth, who could very easily be starting elsewhere.
2. Alabama - Bama hosts TN Saturday night. Without Tyler Bray the Volunteers are looking very thin at QB. Look for Sims to be dismantled, and somebody better warm up the 3rd string QB. Could be a really, really long night for Dooley and company. Saban is 16-1 since October '07.
3. Oklahoma - Nation's longest home winning streak plays center stage Saturday night in Norman (39 straight home W's for Oklahoma). OU is tuning up for next week's matchup against a Kansas State team which is in the midst of a revival.
4. Oklahoma State - Noon kick in Columbia as talk of the SEC swirls. This one is on upset alert. Missouri is banged up, and Gundy has Oklahoma State out to a 6-0 start. Can they stay focused? The tigers in loosing efforts gave Oklahoma and K-State a run for their money. Weeden + All-American Blackmon = Dangerzone. Weeden is completing almost 73% of his passes with 16 TDs.
Blackmon has caught 7 of those.
5. Boise State - At home, heavy favorites. Last time Boise lost a home conference game was 1998 - that's 46 straight conference home game wins.
6. Wisconsin - 8:00 PM in East Lansing will be a sight to see. Two heavyweights in the B1G square off, and these 2 could be squaring off again for the B1G Championship Game at the end of the season. The Spartans are coming off an emotional thrashing of in-state rival, Michigan, and Coach Dantonio will have them on point for a home game against The Badgers - just without #2, William Gholston. He's the 2nd leading tackler on the team - a difference maker. I'm just not sure how long Michigan State's defense can hold up with bone crushing style Wisconsin has been flexing all year.
7. Clemson - Clemson is some of the hottest action in the country right now. They have reeled off 7 straight wins and are enjoying being the BCS limelight. Boyd, Sammie Watkins and Ellington have absolutely been sensational. Between the 3 they have racked up 2012 passing yards & 19 TDs (Boyd), 740 rushing yards (Ellington) and 728 receiving yards & 8 TDs (Sammie Watkins).
8. Stanford - The Cardinals (6-0) host Washington (5-1) Saturday night (8:00 ABC). The Huskies remain right on Stanford's heels. Their only loss of the season came to Nebraska, and they will have thier hands full against Andrew Luck. He has 18 TDs and just 3 interceptions. With Coach Harbaugh gone and causing a stir in the NFL, one has to wonder if anyone can derail Stanford's season.
9. Arkansas - Coming off a bye week, Arkansas (5-1) heads to Oxford to face a 2-4 Ole Miss squad that is reeling. The Razorbacks will descend upon the Grove. How Ole Miss has won an SEC game this year is beyond me. They are not very good - at all. Look for Petrino to make life miserable for Coach Houston Nutt.
10. Oregon - Oregon (5-1) heads into Boulder, CO to enjoy a nice road game at Folsom Field. Too bad for Colorado - they are a grease fire. They are 1-6 this year ,and they have yet to even sniff a PAC-12 victory. Look for the trend to continue for the Buffaloes. They will be 1-7 come Saturday evening.
Thursday, October 20, 2011
Monday, October 10, 2011
SEC RACE HOTTER THAN EVER
The SEC’s divisional races are ratings gold. In the latest edition of the South’s edition of "Must See TV", the SEC West race between Alabama and LSU is barreling down the tracks to November 5th in Tuscaloosa. This game will be out of hand, and no doubt be one of the best games of the year. Both have had their downs, but South Carolina and Georgia are both improving and appear to be on the upswing.
Over in the West...
LSU has been sensational. This team is playing with so much confidence, even their punter is talking trash. Les Miles has to be one of the most entertaining coaches in the history of the game. His players love him, and it is easy to see why. Tyrann Mathieu is making a claim for the Heisman and he's a cornerback, so that gives you a good indication of the talent in Baton Rouge. The QB situation has largely been a non-issue, and LSU's ground game has been solid behind Spencer Ware and Michael Floyd. Both LSU and Bama are body slamming opponents with clinical grade nasty-jaw dropping defense. Looking ahead, LSU heads to Rocky Top, then to Auburn, then has a bye week, and then Tuscaloosa.
Bama has been trotting out, quite possibly, Nick Saban’s best defense ever. They have pitched 2 shutouts they have a legit shot a pitching a couple more. Gameballs to Hightower and the entire defensive secondary at this point. The offense is clicking behind AJ McCarron, Trent Richardson, and Marquis Maze. Trent Richardson is another Heisman hopeful. He's been having a solid year. There are still some games left to play, but The Crimson Tide have to head to Oxford, then to Rocky Top, off week, then host LSU. The Crimson Tide could have a legitimate shot at another undefeated season.
Back in the East...
With South Carolina losing to Auburn back in Week 5, the door is still cracked open for Georgia to hang around. The Gamecocks, behind Conner Shaw (for the moment), look to continue the momentum they harnessed in this past weekend’s game against one the SEC’s most futile teams, Kentucky. They have to hit the road, head over to Starkville and face a damaged Mississippi State team, then an off week, then the Gamecocks go to Rocky Top, to Arkansas, and then host Florida. This could be a rocky 34 days for Carolina fans. With the offense appearing to be on the rebound this Carolina team could be tough to stop. The defense has been stellar this year. Melvin Ingram, Jadaveon Clowney and Marcus Lattimore get the Carolina mid-season game balls.
As for Georgia, they have seen the ship righted on the defensive side of the ball. A few Dawgs get some mid-season game balls: Jarvis Jones, Brandon Boykin, Bacarri Rambo on the Defensive side and Isaiah Crowell and Malcolm Mitchell on the offensive side. Showing tremendous upside, Todd Grantham’s defense is getting that foamy-at-the-mouth look that Georgia fans have been praying for in Athens. The offense for Georgia is showing signs of running smoothly, just not for long. As Georgia came of the second half gates and put up 14 points, they quickly popped the clutch in the second half and kept Tennessee in the game. Let’s give Tennessee credit. Injured, they have one of the best passing attacks around that is on the verge of full tilt. Isaiah Crowell and the return to a legitimate running threat at Georgia, have been the other driving forces in Georgia’s leveling off of the program. Malcolm Mitchell has stepped up in the wake of AJ Green.
Georgia heads to Vandy, then have an off week (which comes in at a big time with Crowell and Mitchell both needing to heal up), then head to The Cocktail Party, host New Mexico State, host Auburn, host Kentucky, and finish the season in Atlanata against GA Tech. The regular season finale has nothing to do with the SEC race, but watching GA Tech's ground game, against Georgia's increasingly stingy defense will be a fun one indeed.
Odds are muddy on Coach Richt bringing home the "W" from Jacksonville and running the table AND The Gamecocks dropping another SEC game, maybe Arkansas on the road. Who knows?
Both SEC matchups are equally interesting to keep an eye one. One matchup, The West, is a race between 2 thoroughbreds. The Dysfunctional SEC East is going to really show us what the 2 teams trying to find their way really have in them. Who wants it?
Look for Garcia to get thrown back into the fire before this one is done and on a big stage.
This is surely going to be fun watch pan out.
Friday, September 30, 2011
WEEK 5 PREVIEW
As we head into October and the second month of the 2011 college football season, there are a handful of games that you really just can’t miss this weekend. Conference standings are starting to shape up, and the pretenders are being exposed. Who had Clemson undefeated midday on October 1st? They travel to a very tough Blacksburg, VA, and many are tuning in for the Tajh Boyd – Sammie Watkins show. And there’s one thing for sure The Swamp will be off the charts Saturday night with Alabama in town as two undefeated SEC teams face off.
Cowboys Stadium in Arlington Texas will be the site for the Texas A&M (#14) – Arkansas (#18) matchup. The Aggies will have to put last week’s devastating loss to Oklahoma State out of their mind. Last week Oklahoma State just had more in the tank down the stretch. Great coaching shows and it rose to the top just before halftime and out of the second half gates. And Oklahoma State showed in the 3rd quater how to get it done. A&M went into the half up 20-3 only to see the most unbelievable 3rd quarter imaginable where they gave up 21 points and scored none themselves, the Aggies will have to learn the lessons and just flush the bad from memory. Arkansas is in the same boat coming off a tough loss to Alabama. This should be a good early October test determining who can bounce back and who continues to fall from grace. A&M’s ground game has the edge here, but don’t ever count out Bobby Petrino’s passing attack. I’m positive The Razorbacks came away from Tuscaloosa with a number of things to work on during this week's practices.
Mississippi State at Georgia will be another noon kickoff where we’ll find out who this Georgia team really is. Georgia is currently favored by a touchdown. Last week’s win on the road in Oxford was a largely unimpressive win. The kicking game specialized in missing and the offense should have blown out the Rebels. In a game where the backups should have played almost the entire 4th quarter and received some solid reps (working toward the future), the starters were in late trying to hang on to the lead. Sure the Georgia Defense is showing some great progress and picking it up big time, gravitating towards the upper half of the SEC’s Defensive elite. But it is hard to miss - UGA's red zone offense is pathetic. For a team with tons of tight end talent you would think Mike Bobo would bring out the big boys down in the red zone and punch in for a couple TDs with Crowell or play action to some wide open sure handed tagets. So for Georgia: expect the unexpected. In a season where many were pumped for Miss. State it’s hard for State fans to come to grips with an 0-2 SEC start. Question: Can Georgia plug the middle and keep State off the edge? Question: Can Coach Bobo stop popping the clutch and let this offense just turn it loose? If not, it’s going to be another tough pill to swallow in A-town.
It’s a big day for football in the state of South Carolina. The Gamecocks (#10) host Auburn, and this will be a great barometer as Clemson took care of business beating Auburn at home back in week 3. South Carolina is currently favored by 10, but things are not all good in Columbia. The dysfunction is rising up and boiling over. Spurrier’s headset is taking a beating and his visor is in tatters. Thank goodness he has Lattimore and one of the most exciting defenses around to carry the load. That combination is tough to beat despite Garcia’s bumbling. Look for the Gamecocks to expose Auburn this year. Both teams have yet to lose an SEC match, but something has got to give. Queue up Sandstorm and look for Lattimore on the national stage to really make his mark for the Heisman.
Clemson (#13) at Virginia Tech is a big time cross divisional ACC clash. These two teams could easily be seeing each other again, squaring off in Charlotte for the December 3rd ACC Championship game. Bud Foster has no doubt been watching countless hours of new on the scene Chad Morris and Clemson’s revved up offense. Coach Morris is the right fit for Clemson at Offensive Coordinator, and his offensive scheming is the breath of fresh air that this team needed. Virginia Tech is favored by 7, but I’m just not seeing it. VA Tech has struggled this year – just pop in the tape of the East Carolina game, and I like Clemson’s run defense. Look for Dabo and company to keep the Boyd-Watkins-Ellington-Hopkins show rolling. Bottom line, there are too many Clemson weapons for Virginia Tech to stop them all. Plus I see Logan Thomas having trouble on 3rd and long situations, but Blacksburg...at night. Look for a really close one.
Alabama #3 travels to The Swamp to square off against #12 Florida. This is far and away the marquee game of the day. Coach Will Muschamp has this Florida squad back on track and he’s playing to his team's strengths. The run game is on point again, and the defense is playing really, really good. The Florida defense only gave up 36 points for the entire month of September. On the other side, you’ve got Alabama, who has been playing great defense with a solid run game, and a fairly unproven passing game. The Crimson Tide only surrendered 32 points in December. The matchups to watch in this one are Florida’s run game against The Tide D, and Florida’s QB play from John Brantley against The Tide secondary. And finally how will AJ MacCarron perform on 3rd and long situations? Because, to me, it is clear that Alabama’s Offense has not seen a defense all year with this kind of prowess.
Another primetime game of the night is the Nebraska (#8) at Wisconsin (#7) game. Good luck getting a ticket to this one. Two of the best rushing programs in the country square off in this new found Big 1G rivalry. Both teams have laid waste to their competition. A cross divisional game, all chips will be on the table come Saturday night. Look for Taylor Martinez to take a beating against the Wisconsin defense. Wisconsin has only given up 34 points in the month of September, and that’s nothing to shake a stick at regardless of who you’re playing. These guys are BCS grade. I expect Wisconsin to get into the red zone behind the Russell Wilson - Montee Ball – James White ground game, and punch in TDs in the redzone via the tight ends. Look for a close one early, but Wisonsin to pull away late.
Cowboys Stadium in Arlington Texas will be the site for the Texas A&M (#14) – Arkansas (#18) matchup. The Aggies will have to put last week’s devastating loss to Oklahoma State out of their mind. Last week Oklahoma State just had more in the tank down the stretch. Great coaching shows and it rose to the top just before halftime and out of the second half gates. And Oklahoma State showed in the 3rd quater how to get it done. A&M went into the half up 20-3 only to see the most unbelievable 3rd quarter imaginable where they gave up 21 points and scored none themselves, the Aggies will have to learn the lessons and just flush the bad from memory. Arkansas is in the same boat coming off a tough loss to Alabama. This should be a good early October test determining who can bounce back and who continues to fall from grace. A&M’s ground game has the edge here, but don’t ever count out Bobby Petrino’s passing attack. I’m positive The Razorbacks came away from Tuscaloosa with a number of things to work on during this week's practices.
Mississippi State at Georgia will be another noon kickoff where we’ll find out who this Georgia team really is. Georgia is currently favored by a touchdown. Last week’s win on the road in Oxford was a largely unimpressive win. The kicking game specialized in missing and the offense should have blown out the Rebels. In a game where the backups should have played almost the entire 4th quarter and received some solid reps (working toward the future), the starters were in late trying to hang on to the lead. Sure the Georgia Defense is showing some great progress and picking it up big time, gravitating towards the upper half of the SEC’s Defensive elite. But it is hard to miss - UGA's red zone offense is pathetic. For a team with tons of tight end talent you would think Mike Bobo would bring out the big boys down in the red zone and punch in for a couple TDs with Crowell or play action to some wide open sure handed tagets. So for Georgia: expect the unexpected. In a season where many were pumped for Miss. State it’s hard for State fans to come to grips with an 0-2 SEC start. Question: Can Georgia plug the middle and keep State off the edge? Question: Can Coach Bobo stop popping the clutch and let this offense just turn it loose? If not, it’s going to be another tough pill to swallow in A-town.
It’s a big day for football in the state of South Carolina. The Gamecocks (#10) host Auburn, and this will be a great barometer as Clemson took care of business beating Auburn at home back in week 3. South Carolina is currently favored by 10, but things are not all good in Columbia. The dysfunction is rising up and boiling over. Spurrier’s headset is taking a beating and his visor is in tatters. Thank goodness he has Lattimore and one of the most exciting defenses around to carry the load. That combination is tough to beat despite Garcia’s bumbling. Look for the Gamecocks to expose Auburn this year. Both teams have yet to lose an SEC match, but something has got to give. Queue up Sandstorm and look for Lattimore on the national stage to really make his mark for the Heisman.
Clemson (#13) at Virginia Tech is a big time cross divisional ACC clash. These two teams could easily be seeing each other again, squaring off in Charlotte for the December 3rd ACC Championship game. Bud Foster has no doubt been watching countless hours of new on the scene Chad Morris and Clemson’s revved up offense. Coach Morris is the right fit for Clemson at Offensive Coordinator, and his offensive scheming is the breath of fresh air that this team needed. Virginia Tech is favored by 7, but I’m just not seeing it. VA Tech has struggled this year – just pop in the tape of the East Carolina game, and I like Clemson’s run defense. Look for Dabo and company to keep the Boyd-Watkins-Ellington-Hopkins show rolling. Bottom line, there are too many Clemson weapons for Virginia Tech to stop them all. Plus I see Logan Thomas having trouble on 3rd and long situations, but Blacksburg...at night. Look for a really close one.
Alabama #3 travels to The Swamp to square off against #12 Florida. This is far and away the marquee game of the day. Coach Will Muschamp has this Florida squad back on track and he’s playing to his team's strengths. The run game is on point again, and the defense is playing really, really good. The Florida defense only gave up 36 points for the entire month of September. On the other side, you’ve got Alabama, who has been playing great defense with a solid run game, and a fairly unproven passing game. The Crimson Tide only surrendered 32 points in December. The matchups to watch in this one are Florida’s run game against The Tide D, and Florida’s QB play from John Brantley against The Tide secondary. And finally how will AJ MacCarron perform on 3rd and long situations? Because, to me, it is clear that Alabama’s Offense has not seen a defense all year with this kind of prowess.
Another primetime game of the night is the Nebraska (#8) at Wisconsin (#7) game. Good luck getting a ticket to this one. Two of the best rushing programs in the country square off in this new found Big 1G rivalry. Both teams have laid waste to their competition. A cross divisional game, all chips will be on the table come Saturday night. Look for Taylor Martinez to take a beating against the Wisconsin defense. Wisconsin has only given up 34 points in the month of September, and that’s nothing to shake a stick at regardless of who you’re playing. These guys are BCS grade. I expect Wisconsin to get into the red zone behind the Russell Wilson - Montee Ball – James White ground game, and punch in TDs in the redzone via the tight ends. Look for a close one early, but Wisonsin to pull away late.
Friday, September 23, 2011
WEEK 3: REVIEW
With another weekend in the books, the 2011 College Football picture is beginning to take shape. We saw Oklahoma go on the road and take down FSU in Tallahassee. We found out just how big and strong this Oklahoma team is. West Virginia had a late interception against a driving Maryland team to seal the victory, and Marcus Lattimore proves again that he’s the real deal. If he keeps this up, he’s going to give the voters something to think about this December, and watch out for Florida. They have quickly turned things around down in Gainesville.
Thursday Night Was an SEC West Clash
LSU (#3) travelled to Starville, MS and held Mississippi State (#25) to just 193 total yards. LSU outgained MSU’s rushing attack 148 yards versus 52. To say that LSU’s defense stepped up would be a huge understatement. With John Chavis at the help, this LSU defense is clearly one of the best in the land. The forced a couple MSU fumbles and managed to disrupt MSU the entire game. At the end of the day LSU was just too much, and Spencer Ware (22 carries, 107 yards) showed that he’s got what it takes. LSU wins a big SEC West road test and stays in the national title discussion. LSU 19 – MSU 6.
Friday Night Was No Surprise
Boise State (#4) whipped up on Toledo. Kellen Moore had 455 and 5 TDs on a decent team from the MAC. Toledo was no match for The Broncos who put up 610 yards. Boise marched up and down the field all night. Boise’s defense was solid which forced 2 turnovers. Kellen Moore was 32-42 Boise State 40 – Toledo 15.
Saturday Took Down the Defending National Champ
Auburn (#21) was in Death Valley for a noon kick, and they were out to a 14-0 lead against Clemson to end the first quarter. It was all downhill from there. Auburn’s luck ran out, as a fired up Clemson squad showcased some of the newer talent in the ACC. Auburn’s defense was, shall we say, exposed. Tajh Boyd went 30-42, 386 yards, and 4 TDs, and he takes the QB Game Ball for the weekend. Sammy Watkins blew it up. He had 7 carries, 44 yards and 10 receptions for 155 yards and 2 TDs. With about 9:30 to in the 4th, Auburn is down 24-38, Auburn is driving. It’s 2nd and Goal and QB Barrett Trotter, with awful mechanics, gets picked off by Coty Sensabaugh (CB) to seal it. Clemson racked up 624 yards on the day. Auburn 24 – Clemson 38.
West Virginia (#18) at Maryland – WVU got up early in this one, and held off Maryland who was driving late for the go ahead score. Geno Smith had an OK day, with 1 TD and 1 interception (this kind of performance will not fly against LSU in week 4). Denny O’Brian had some questionable throws into coverage that resulted in picks. Davin Meggett in a losing effort was spectacular with 19 carries, 113 yards and 1 TD. WVU 37 – Maryland 31.
Michigan State (#15) at Notre Dame – Brian Kelly and company got their first win. It took the friendly confines of Notre Dame stadium, and Cierre Wood putting up 2 big TDs in additional to a dandy of a special teams play by George Atkinson to get out in front. It was MSU 10 – Notre Dame 21 at the half, and Notre Dame never looked back. MSU 13 – Notre Dame 31.
Tennessee at Florida (#16) – I got to be honest with you. I’m impressed with Florida. Muschamp and this turn it loose defense have The Gators quickly back in the SEC East discussions. Chris Rainey did what he does best. He ran for a yards and TDs. He had 233 total yards, a TD, and a blocked punt. Tennessee just could not get it done against Florida’s stout defense. They had -9 yards rushing on the day (Ouch). Tennessee 23 – Florida 33.
Navy at South Carolina (#10) - If Gamecock fans tell you they were not sweating bullets in this one, they’re lying. They had their hands full with Navy all day. Carolina was stacking the box to stop the option, and if Navy connects on a couple of those play action passes, this one easily goes the other way. Ultimately they hung on and advanced. Thank goodness for Marcus Lattimore. He had 37 carries, 246 whopping yards and 3 TDs, and he gets my RB Game Ball for the weekend. If he keeps this up, he belongs at the top of the Heisman discussions. Navy 21 – South Carolina 24.
Ohio State (#17) at Miami - Ohio State is a grease fire. Al Golden took care of business at home. I really expected for Ohio State to bring something to the table, but I was wrong. Ohio State was out of position, missing tackles, and their secondary was atrocious. Miami looked good and got up by 14 early. Lamar Miller is a speedy fellow. He had 26 carries for 184 yards. Keep him on your must watch list. Ohio State 6 – Miami 24.
Oklahoma (#1) at Florida State (#5) – This was a heavy weight matchup down in Tallahassee, and the bigger stronger team prevailed. Every time I looked up someone from FSU was getting hurt and carted off the field. In what many expected to be a physical matchup, this one did not disappoint. Landry Jones overcame 2 interceptions, and Oklahoma pulls out the win with clutch receivers like Stills and Broyles. EJ Manuel was injured and Trickett had to step in. He brought FSU back and tied it up at 13-13 midway thru the 4th. But Oklahoma does what great teams to, come right back and counter punch with a TD and an interception to seal it. Oklahoma improves to 6-1 all-time against FSU. Oklahoma 23 - FSU 13.
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Thursday Night Was an SEC West Clash
LSU (#3) travelled to Starville, MS and held Mississippi State (#25) to just 193 total yards. LSU outgained MSU’s rushing attack 148 yards versus 52. To say that LSU’s defense stepped up would be a huge understatement. With John Chavis at the help, this LSU defense is clearly one of the best in the land. The forced a couple MSU fumbles and managed to disrupt MSU the entire game. At the end of the day LSU was just too much, and Spencer Ware (22 carries, 107 yards) showed that he’s got what it takes. LSU wins a big SEC West road test and stays in the national title discussion. LSU 19 – MSU 6.
Friday Night Was No Surprise
Boise State (#4) whipped up on Toledo. Kellen Moore had 455 and 5 TDs on a decent team from the MAC. Toledo was no match for The Broncos who put up 610 yards. Boise marched up and down the field all night. Boise’s defense was solid which forced 2 turnovers. Kellen Moore was 32-42 Boise State 40 – Toledo 15.
Saturday Took Down the Defending National Champ
Auburn (#21) was in Death Valley for a noon kick, and they were out to a 14-0 lead against Clemson to end the first quarter. It was all downhill from there. Auburn’s luck ran out, as a fired up Clemson squad showcased some of the newer talent in the ACC. Auburn’s defense was, shall we say, exposed. Tajh Boyd went 30-42, 386 yards, and 4 TDs, and he takes the QB Game Ball for the weekend. Sammy Watkins blew it up. He had 7 carries, 44 yards and 10 receptions for 155 yards and 2 TDs. With about 9:30 to in the 4th, Auburn is down 24-38, Auburn is driving. It’s 2nd and Goal and QB Barrett Trotter, with awful mechanics, gets picked off by Coty Sensabaugh (CB) to seal it. Clemson racked up 624 yards on the day. Auburn 24 – Clemson 38.
West Virginia (#18) at Maryland – WVU got up early in this one, and held off Maryland who was driving late for the go ahead score. Geno Smith had an OK day, with 1 TD and 1 interception (this kind of performance will not fly against LSU in week 4). Denny O’Brian had some questionable throws into coverage that resulted in picks. Davin Meggett in a losing effort was spectacular with 19 carries, 113 yards and 1 TD. WVU 37 – Maryland 31.
Michigan State (#15) at Notre Dame – Brian Kelly and company got their first win. It took the friendly confines of Notre Dame stadium, and Cierre Wood putting up 2 big TDs in additional to a dandy of a special teams play by George Atkinson to get out in front. It was MSU 10 – Notre Dame 21 at the half, and Notre Dame never looked back. MSU 13 – Notre Dame 31.
Tennessee at Florida (#16) – I got to be honest with you. I’m impressed with Florida. Muschamp and this turn it loose defense have The Gators quickly back in the SEC East discussions. Chris Rainey did what he does best. He ran for a yards and TDs. He had 233 total yards, a TD, and a blocked punt. Tennessee just could not get it done against Florida’s stout defense. They had -9 yards rushing on the day (Ouch). Tennessee 23 – Florida 33.
Navy at South Carolina (#10) - If Gamecock fans tell you they were not sweating bullets in this one, they’re lying. They had their hands full with Navy all day. Carolina was stacking the box to stop the option, and if Navy connects on a couple of those play action passes, this one easily goes the other way. Ultimately they hung on and advanced. Thank goodness for Marcus Lattimore. He had 37 carries, 246 whopping yards and 3 TDs, and he gets my RB Game Ball for the weekend. If he keeps this up, he belongs at the top of the Heisman discussions. Navy 21 – South Carolina 24.
Ohio State (#17) at Miami - Ohio State is a grease fire. Al Golden took care of business at home. I really expected for Ohio State to bring something to the table, but I was wrong. Ohio State was out of position, missing tackles, and their secondary was atrocious. Miami looked good and got up by 14 early. Lamar Miller is a speedy fellow. He had 26 carries for 184 yards. Keep him on your must watch list. Ohio State 6 – Miami 24.
Oklahoma (#1) at Florida State (#5) – This was a heavy weight matchup down in Tallahassee, and the bigger stronger team prevailed. Every time I looked up someone from FSU was getting hurt and carted off the field. In what many expected to be a physical matchup, this one did not disappoint. Landry Jones overcame 2 interceptions, and Oklahoma pulls out the win with clutch receivers like Stills and Broyles. EJ Manuel was injured and Trickett had to step in. He brought FSU back and tied it up at 13-13 midway thru the 4th. But Oklahoma does what great teams to, come right back and counter punch with a TD and an interception to seal it. Oklahoma improves to 6-1 all-time against FSU. Oklahoma 23 - FSU 13.
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