Well, I’m rest and back from Puerto Rico and ready to run down this week’s games. Thankfully the Duchess was tired after our trip to Old San Juan so I got to watch the ends of the Alabama/Tennessee and Miami/Clemson games. Even when I go away, the games stay crazy. Hopefully, it’ll be just as exciting this weekend. Anyway, on to the Touchdown.
1) No. 5 USC at No. 10 Oregon – 8:00 on ABC
Unless something weird happens (which is a distinct possibility) this game will decide the Pac-10 champion. If you told me after week 1 that this game would be this big, I would tell you that maybe it’s time to stop sniffing glue.
Oregon has been completely locked in since the infamous Boise State game. Jeremiah Masoli leads the high powered Oregon offense and is suffering no ill effects of the knee injury that sidelined him two weeks ago. The USC defense, which has struggled as of late, will have issues trying to contain Masoli.
On the other side, USC has looked a little shaky all season, with the loss to Washington and the narrow victory against Notre Dame. Freshman QB Matt Barkley makes dumb mistakes, which is going to cause headaches against a ball-hawking Oregon defense. Expect to see USC try and establish the run to try and ease Barkley into the game.
I cannot, in good conscience, pick USC in this one. All signs point to an Oregon win. Oregon is good on both sides of the ball and USC can go long stretches without looking like a patented USC team. I think the home crowd leads Oregon to victory, but the USC defense finally steps up and makes it close.
2) No. 3 Texas at No. 14 Oklahoma State – 8:00 on ABC
I’m not sure if this is going to be one of those Texas games where they blow the doors off the opponent or where they struggle before sealing the deal late and you chastise yourself for every worrying about the outcome.
I like Texas. They are a flawed team, but no one seems to know how to exploit it. The flaw is really Colt McCoy. God love the kid, but he can get lazy and unfocused at times. That interception near the end against Oklahoma was horrible. The sad thing was that I saw it coming from a mile away (as did the DB). Thankfully for him, he has a great defense saving his hide.
Don’t laugh at this next statement, but Oklahoma State is a better team without Dez Bryant. I said don’t laugh! His suspension forces Zac Robinson to step up and make plays without his binky. He now has to spread the ball around, making it tough for defenses to key in on any one receiver. Of course, it makes it easier for defenses to stop the run, but that’s not the point.
I think Texas lets the game stay interesting for a little bit, then kicks it into that other gear and takes Oklahoma State behind the woodshed.
3) No. 1 Florida vs. Georgia (in Jacksonville) – 3:30 on CBS
The World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party is back for this year’s edition. Yet another reason for people to take a week off and get drunk. Like you need an excuse.
Florida has been having some trouble of late, ever since Tebow came back from the concussion. His passing efficiency has gone down while his interceptions have gone up. If it hadn’t been for Demps and timely plays by the defense, they might be in trouble.
Georgia, on the other hand, has floundered against good teams. While Joe Cox is a good game manager, he isn’t Matt Stafford, and that is what they need. They are coming off a bye week that was preceded by a win against a JV team (Vandy). Plus, the defense for Georgia is horrible, and that’s an understatement. This may be what Tebow needs to get back on track.
I think Florida needs a loss to get them back into the swing of things, much like last year. However, this isn’t the game they lose. It will stay close if Tebow decides to be the quarterback he’s been the last few weeks, instead of the one of the last few years.
4) No. 19 Miami at Wake Forest – 3:30 on ABC
Give me one second to gloat. Both of these teams lost to Clemson. That puts a smile on my face. While both teams need a lot of help to reach the ACC Championship Game, I think this one could be interesting.
Miami will be without four players for this game, most importantly leading rusher Javarris James. The fate of the Miami offense now rests on the unsteady shoulders of Jacory Harris. I’m not saying Harris is bad; I just don’t want to have to trust him. The one thing Miami has going for them right now is the defense, and that’s not a good thing.
Wake Forest has lost two straight, both on the road against Clemson and Navy. The reason for the two losses is solely because Riley Skinner couldn’t get it done. If you have a pass oriented offense, you sort of need your quarterback to produce. Skinner needs to break out to give Wake a chance.
I think Skinner does break out of the rut and keeps Wake Forest close, but Miami pulls it out in the end.
5) No. 22 South Carolina at Tennessee – 7:45 on ESPN
While this game may not be pretty, it should be close. Both teams are coming off close games, with SC barely getting by Vandy at home and Tennessee’s devastating loss to Alabama (two blocked field goals!).
Tennessee actually has a very competent offense, led by the surprising Jonathan Crompton. In year’s past, I would have made a joke about Crompton’s abilities, but he is actually doing quite well this year. The team is balanced out by a very good defense that is led by one of the best safety’s in the country, Eric Berry.
South Carolina hasn’t been flashy, but they’ve been winning and that’s the important thing. Stephen Garcia, like his Tennessee counterpart, is also quite competent at running the SC offense. He won’t wow you, but he won’t kill you either. They also have one of the best pass defenses in the league, which will be more than willing to frustrate Crompton.
South Carolina seems to have problems on the road and I think those problems will continue this week. Tennessee won’t have to worry about blocked field goals and pull out a close one.
6) No. 8 Cincinnati at Syracuse – 12:00 on ESPNU
Come on; watch the undefeated team that no one is talking about. They could easily backdoor their way into the National Championship Game, so jump on the bandwagon now.
Extra Point:
7) Seven. Count them up. There are seven undefeated teams out there right now, each one with a rightful claim that if they can win out they deserve to be in the National Championship Game. Now, you, me, and Dupree all know that if everyone wins out, the winner of the SEC Championship Game and Texas will be playing in that game. But is it right?
Minus the Big East apple polishers, I think we can all agree that a one loss Alabama team is better than an undefeated Cincinnati team (and I like Cincinnati!). However, doesn’t Cincinnati deserve to be in the discussion? Do they get sidelined because of the perceived weakness of the Big East?
For the sake of argument, let’s say we end the season with the undefeated teams of Texas, Alabama, Iowa, and Cincinnati. Why do we have to sideline Iowa and Cincinnati? Are they being dismissed not because of their conference, but because of who they are?
We always seem to reward one loss teams like USC, but are more than willing to discount undefeated teams like Iowa and Cincinnati. How does USC get ranked than 3 undefeated teams, one of them being in a BCS conference? This is the same USC team that doused their drawers against a Washington team that was winless last year.
Here’s the thing, if we end up with multiple undefeated teams, the dreaded P word is going to start popping up again. However, without a playoff, there is no clear way to decide which team is more deserving than others. Hell, most of the computer polls have Iowa as the number 1 team in the country.
The BCS is good at one thing, creating controversy. I think it would be almost fairer to have all the coaches of the teams with an argument to have a big rock, paper, scissors tournament to see which two teams play in the National Championship Game. Of course, Pete Carroll looks like the kind of guy who thinks nothing beats rock, but that’s a whole other discussion.
Friday, October 30, 2009
Friday, October 16, 2009
Trent's Touchdown - Week 7
If there was anything strange about last weekend’s games, it was the fact that there was no major upset. Yet, we got a nice little shake-up in the polls, but more on this later. This week we actually get a slate of games at all times that look fun to watch, unlike last week’s snooze-fest. They can’t all be winners. Anyway, on to the Touchdown.
1) No. 20 Oklahoma vs. No. 3 Texas (in Dallas) – 12:00 on ABC
The one game everyone has been waiting to watch since both Sam Bradford and Colt McCoy decided to come back for another year. Last year on my Honeymoon, I won some nice scratch beating on Texas, but this year I’m not in a place with legalized sports gambling or have that much confidence in Texas.
Last year, Texas was a flawed team but had big play capability when it was needed. The problem this year is they almost want to win with a degree of difficulty. It’s almost like McCoy needs a reason to get into that game.
Texas/Colorado should have been a cakewalk but it drew me in because it was so close. McCoy didn’t seem to get into the game until he realized his team was trailing then decided to light it up. You know, that’s fine against Colorado or Texas Tech, but you can’t pull that crap against Oklahoma.
As much as I don’t like Oklahoma, I have to say they are a scary good team that lost two road games against two underrated teams. While Bradford is still coming back from injury, they will need to rely on their defense, one of the best in the country. If McCoy gets off to another slow start, Oklahoma will make him pay.
The problem that Oklahoma has is that Mack Brown will have whipped his team up into a frenzy by the time this one starts. Texas won’t start slow and they will have their eyes firmly set on their opponent. Texas wins, but as always, it’s entertaining and close.
2) No. 6 USC at No. 25 Notre Dame – 3:30 on NBC
I may have made a joke last week about Notre Dame vs. the Bye week, but this game has real potential. This is probably the first time I’ve been truly excited about this rivalry since the Brady Quinn/Matt Leinhart duel where Bush pushed Leinhart into the end zone at the end to win if for USC.
Notre Dame has been weird this year. I mean, they are 4-1, but if you watched any of their games, they could easily be 5-0 or 1-4, as they’ve shown signs of either being a top-flight program or last years putrid mess…all in the same game. Jimmy Clausen is finally showing signs of why he was a high ranked prospect coming out of high school. The problem, as always, is the defense. While they will get the lucky pick in key places, they are not exactly consistent.
As for USC, their stumble against Washington is the only blemish on their record (which includes the thriller in Columbus). There defense is one of the best in the nation and a team needs to take their shots when they have the chance. What I’m going to say here is going to make many USC fans scream, if only for the fact that they know I’m right. The Achilles’ heal of USC is the offense.
Don’t get me wrong, I think Williams is one of the best receivers in the country and McKnight is scary when he’s carrying the ball. I don’t trust Matt Barkley, I just don’t. He starts off too slow, he make freshmen mistakes, and he’s too cookie cutter for me.
In a shocker, Notre Dame wins this game. They win it like they always do, by falling ass backwards into a game clinching interception during a USC drive that could give them the victory.
3) No. 4 Virginia Tech at No. 19 Georgia Tech – 6:00 on ESPN2
Well, this is the last hurdle between Virginia Tech and the Orange Bowl, because no other team in the ACC has the ability to challenge Virginia Tech in the slightest way. I’ve really come around on VT.
Georgia Tech was a lot of people’s trendy pick to end VT’s dominance of the Coastal Division, with good reason. The triple option offense that turned people’s heads last year was back and still had the run threat of Jonathan Dwyer. However, as Clemson and Miami proved, if you can take away the run, the offense sputters with Josh Nesbitt at the helm.
If there is any defense that can stifle the GT running game, it is VT. The VT defense is fast and nasty. And once the ball is in the offense’s hands, VT and Tyrod Taylor know how to find the end zone. The GT defense won’t be able to keep up with Taylor or the Hokie running game.
Georgia Tech isn’t the type of team to give up, so they won’t pack it in while VT is kicking their teeth down their throats. I expect this one to be will in hand soon after halftime.
4) No. 22 South Carolina at No. 2 Alabama – 7:45 on ESPN
Everything tells me this is going to be a blowout. Everything I’ve seen from both of these teams tells me that Alabama should have this won by the time the coin flip ends. However, if watch college football all these years has taught me anything, it’s that anything can happen in the whacky SEC.
The defense for both Alabama and South Carolina are disgustingly good. They both made Jevan Snead look unfit to play QB for a Pop Warner team. They both capitalize on mistakes and can stop both the run and pass. This game won’t come down to the defense.
It comes down to the offense. Greg McElroy is a better game manager for Alabama. Plus, to be honest, Mark Ingram is a freak of nature at running back. I think the only defense that has a chance of stopping him would be the Florida defense. Alabama will use him to pound it down the throats of the SC defense and then open it up for the play action pass.
South Carolina will keep it close for a time, but in the end, Alabama wins and makes it look a lot easier than it actually was. I will say this now; I think Alabama is the only team that can go undefeated.
5) Texas Tech at No. 15 Nebraska – 3:30 on ABC
Even a year later, I still have a soft spot for the magical run by Texas Tech, you know, before the wheels came flying off against Oklahoma and Ole Miss. This game is definitely going to be interesting.
The main problem Nebraska will face on Saturday is moving the ball. They need to get a consistent and methodically performance from their offense. It will keep the high powered Tech offense off the field, gain confidence for Zac Lee, and will let Nebraska set the tempo of the game. Nebraska has the best defense in the Big 12, so expect them to actually stop the Tech offense every once in a while.
However, that is easier said than done, as Tech is near the best in the country in most every team offensive category. It looks as if Steven Sheffield will start at QB as Taylor Potts may be unavailable due to a concussion. Don’t worry Tech fans, Sheffield proved last week that he can throw it all over the field just like Potts.
To win, Nebraska is going to need to shut down the Tech offense more times than I think possible. Nebraska can’t let this thing become a shoot-out, because you can’t out-duel the Red Raiders. Texas Tech goes into Lincoln and pulls out the victory, but its close.
6) UAB at Mississippi – 7:00 on ESPN360
I put the over/under on the number of interceptions thrown by Jevan Snead in this game at 3, while Mel Kiper decides that maybe he doesn’t need video of Snead for NFL draft coverage this year.
Extra Point:
7) If I wanted to, I could make the extra point a scathing review of the horrible poll system every week. However, I try and minimize it to a few times a year. Welcome to the first installment this year.
Now, I like Alabama, I truly do. I think they are a better team than Texas. However, since Texas has been ranked ahead of Alabama all year and since both teams won on Saturday, shouldn’t that mean the status quo is in effect? Have we gone back to the days when teams have to get style points to wow the pollsters?
Listen, I was as shocked as everyone that Texas had issues with Colorado, but they still won the game. Did Texas need to utterly humiliate Colorado to stay at number 2? How many points would they have had to win by to keep their position in the polls? Do we start using the point spread as a barometer? Seriously, that’s only relevant to degenerate gamblers as it is a by-product of the gambling community.
Are we going to hit a point where Texas is blowing out Baylor, but Mack Brown keeps McCoy out there because the pollsters don’t feel that’s enough? When are pollsters going to wake up and realize that the win is the most important thing, not how you got there or in what style you did it?
That all said, Alabama definitely belongs at number 2. Roll Tide!!!
As a programming note, there will be no Touchdown next week. I’ll be in Puerto Rico for a wedding.
1) No. 20 Oklahoma vs. No. 3 Texas (in Dallas) – 12:00 on ABC
The one game everyone has been waiting to watch since both Sam Bradford and Colt McCoy decided to come back for another year. Last year on my Honeymoon, I won some nice scratch beating on Texas, but this year I’m not in a place with legalized sports gambling or have that much confidence in Texas.
Last year, Texas was a flawed team but had big play capability when it was needed. The problem this year is they almost want to win with a degree of difficulty. It’s almost like McCoy needs a reason to get into that game.
Texas/Colorado should have been a cakewalk but it drew me in because it was so close. McCoy didn’t seem to get into the game until he realized his team was trailing then decided to light it up. You know, that’s fine against Colorado or Texas Tech, but you can’t pull that crap against Oklahoma.
As much as I don’t like Oklahoma, I have to say they are a scary good team that lost two road games against two underrated teams. While Bradford is still coming back from injury, they will need to rely on their defense, one of the best in the country. If McCoy gets off to another slow start, Oklahoma will make him pay.
The problem that Oklahoma has is that Mack Brown will have whipped his team up into a frenzy by the time this one starts. Texas won’t start slow and they will have their eyes firmly set on their opponent. Texas wins, but as always, it’s entertaining and close.
2) No. 6 USC at No. 25 Notre Dame – 3:30 on NBC
I may have made a joke last week about Notre Dame vs. the Bye week, but this game has real potential. This is probably the first time I’ve been truly excited about this rivalry since the Brady Quinn/Matt Leinhart duel where Bush pushed Leinhart into the end zone at the end to win if for USC.
Notre Dame has been weird this year. I mean, they are 4-1, but if you watched any of their games, they could easily be 5-0 or 1-4, as they’ve shown signs of either being a top-flight program or last years putrid mess…all in the same game. Jimmy Clausen is finally showing signs of why he was a high ranked prospect coming out of high school. The problem, as always, is the defense. While they will get the lucky pick in key places, they are not exactly consistent.
As for USC, their stumble against Washington is the only blemish on their record (which includes the thriller in Columbus). There defense is one of the best in the nation and a team needs to take their shots when they have the chance. What I’m going to say here is going to make many USC fans scream, if only for the fact that they know I’m right. The Achilles’ heal of USC is the offense.
Don’t get me wrong, I think Williams is one of the best receivers in the country and McKnight is scary when he’s carrying the ball. I don’t trust Matt Barkley, I just don’t. He starts off too slow, he make freshmen mistakes, and he’s too cookie cutter for me.
In a shocker, Notre Dame wins this game. They win it like they always do, by falling ass backwards into a game clinching interception during a USC drive that could give them the victory.
3) No. 4 Virginia Tech at No. 19 Georgia Tech – 6:00 on ESPN2
Well, this is the last hurdle between Virginia Tech and the Orange Bowl, because no other team in the ACC has the ability to challenge Virginia Tech in the slightest way. I’ve really come around on VT.
Georgia Tech was a lot of people’s trendy pick to end VT’s dominance of the Coastal Division, with good reason. The triple option offense that turned people’s heads last year was back and still had the run threat of Jonathan Dwyer. However, as Clemson and Miami proved, if you can take away the run, the offense sputters with Josh Nesbitt at the helm.
If there is any defense that can stifle the GT running game, it is VT. The VT defense is fast and nasty. And once the ball is in the offense’s hands, VT and Tyrod Taylor know how to find the end zone. The GT defense won’t be able to keep up with Taylor or the Hokie running game.
Georgia Tech isn’t the type of team to give up, so they won’t pack it in while VT is kicking their teeth down their throats. I expect this one to be will in hand soon after halftime.
4) No. 22 South Carolina at No. 2 Alabama – 7:45 on ESPN
Everything tells me this is going to be a blowout. Everything I’ve seen from both of these teams tells me that Alabama should have this won by the time the coin flip ends. However, if watch college football all these years has taught me anything, it’s that anything can happen in the whacky SEC.
The defense for both Alabama and South Carolina are disgustingly good. They both made Jevan Snead look unfit to play QB for a Pop Warner team. They both capitalize on mistakes and can stop both the run and pass. This game won’t come down to the defense.
It comes down to the offense. Greg McElroy is a better game manager for Alabama. Plus, to be honest, Mark Ingram is a freak of nature at running back. I think the only defense that has a chance of stopping him would be the Florida defense. Alabama will use him to pound it down the throats of the SC defense and then open it up for the play action pass.
South Carolina will keep it close for a time, but in the end, Alabama wins and makes it look a lot easier than it actually was. I will say this now; I think Alabama is the only team that can go undefeated.
5) Texas Tech at No. 15 Nebraska – 3:30 on ABC
Even a year later, I still have a soft spot for the magical run by Texas Tech, you know, before the wheels came flying off against Oklahoma and Ole Miss. This game is definitely going to be interesting.
The main problem Nebraska will face on Saturday is moving the ball. They need to get a consistent and methodically performance from their offense. It will keep the high powered Tech offense off the field, gain confidence for Zac Lee, and will let Nebraska set the tempo of the game. Nebraska has the best defense in the Big 12, so expect them to actually stop the Tech offense every once in a while.
However, that is easier said than done, as Tech is near the best in the country in most every team offensive category. It looks as if Steven Sheffield will start at QB as Taylor Potts may be unavailable due to a concussion. Don’t worry Tech fans, Sheffield proved last week that he can throw it all over the field just like Potts.
To win, Nebraska is going to need to shut down the Tech offense more times than I think possible. Nebraska can’t let this thing become a shoot-out, because you can’t out-duel the Red Raiders. Texas Tech goes into Lincoln and pulls out the victory, but its close.
6) UAB at Mississippi – 7:00 on ESPN360
I put the over/under on the number of interceptions thrown by Jevan Snead in this game at 3, while Mel Kiper decides that maybe he doesn’t need video of Snead for NFL draft coverage this year.
Extra Point:
7) If I wanted to, I could make the extra point a scathing review of the horrible poll system every week. However, I try and minimize it to a few times a year. Welcome to the first installment this year.
Now, I like Alabama, I truly do. I think they are a better team than Texas. However, since Texas has been ranked ahead of Alabama all year and since both teams won on Saturday, shouldn’t that mean the status quo is in effect? Have we gone back to the days when teams have to get style points to wow the pollsters?
Listen, I was as shocked as everyone that Texas had issues with Colorado, but they still won the game. Did Texas need to utterly humiliate Colorado to stay at number 2? How many points would they have had to win by to keep their position in the polls? Do we start using the point spread as a barometer? Seriously, that’s only relevant to degenerate gamblers as it is a by-product of the gambling community.
Are we going to hit a point where Texas is blowing out Baylor, but Mack Brown keeps McCoy out there because the pollsters don’t feel that’s enough? When are pollsters going to wake up and realize that the win is the most important thing, not how you got there or in what style you did it?
That all said, Alabama definitely belongs at number 2. Roll Tide!!!
As a programming note, there will be no Touchdown next week. I’ll be in Puerto Rico for a wedding.
Friday, October 9, 2009
Trent's Touchdown - Week 6
Unlike past weeks, there were no major upsets last weekend. Color me shocked, as I figure Boise State would be residing in the number 4 spot right about now. Of course, we come into a weekend that would have looked great around week 2, but seems to have lost some of its luster now. More on this later. Now, on to the Touchdown.
1) No. 1 Florida at No. 4 LSU – 8:00 on CBS
You know, two weeks ago I would have figured this would have been a laugher, complete with Les Miles curling up in the fetal position at midfield for every Florida fans enjoyment. Oh the changes we’ve seen in those two weeks.
Most important was the shot to the head that Tebow took in the Kentucky game, leaving him questionable for this game. This means that John Brantley and his college career of 58 pass attempts might get to lead the defending National Champions into one of the harshest opposing stadiums in college football.
I think there is something else important at play here. With all the upsets of week 4, LSU catapulted to 4th and everyone promptly dismissed them (myself included). We figured the pretenders would be vanquished by Georgia and all would be right with the world (minus Boise State moving to the number 4 spot). However, LSU proved themselves worthy of the spot, by beating Georgia.
Even if Tebow starts, he won’t be at 100% and probably won’t be carrying the ball as much. With that, this game comes down to the team that can stop the run. Both teams have very good defenses, yet LSU relies on their defense to keep games close for their anemic offense.
Florida only needs a few chances and their run game can with this for them. I think they beat LSU but it’s going to be a lot closer than anyone will be comfortable with.
2) No. 3 Alabama at No. 20 Mississippi – 3:30 on CBS
The two teams are going in two opposite directions. Alabama is the best team not from Florida or Texas and have been beating every opponent silly. Ole Miss, on the other hand, lost to South Carolina and had issues against Vandy. Bama is not the team you want to face when you are having issues.
Over the last two games, we’ve learned by Mack Brown picked Colt McCoy over Jevan Snead. Against South Carolina, he couldn’t complete a pass. Against Vandy, he completed them, just to the other team. Ole Miss is a dangerous team because they have one of the best defenses in the nation. If the offense starts to click again, you better watch out.
Alabama just seems like a team willing to crush everyone in their path. They can beat you by running and passing the ball on offense. The defense is pure Saban, nasty and smart. Teams can’t sit back and wait for the Alabama defense to make a mistake.
If Jevan Snead gets back on track, this game could be very good. If his struggles continue, it’ll be a long game for Ole Miss. Unfortunately for Ole Miss fans, you can’t work out your problems against a team like Alabama. Alabama wins it. Roll Tide!
3) Michigan at No. 12 Iowa – 8:05 on ABC
Just when I jump on the Michigan bandwagon, they lose. Granted, I pretty much predicted they would lose, but that’s not the point. You know what this means? It means that if you are a LSU fan, you should be making hotel reservations in Pasadena.
This game really is a toss-up. Michigan has a really good, but young team. Nearly every game has been close, which either means they have trouble putting away teams or really are a middle of the road team making the best with what they have. Forcier is an extremely talented QB who has a great future in front of him.
Iowa needs to keep doing what they have been doing, which is play strong defense and serviceable offense. Stanzi needs to keep the ball out of the hands of the Michigan secondary. While a team like Arkansas State can’t capitalize on those mistakes, Michigan can.
In a close game, the Iowa home field crowd, experience, and coaching will make this a win for Iowa.
4) No. 13 Oregon at UCLA – 3:30 on ABC
I asked the Duchess which game I should put at number 4 and she said “Ducks”, so here we go. Actually, it’s a pretty good pick for someone’s whose college football knowledge comes exclusively from reading the Touchdown.
After Oregon’s disastrous opening game that would have sent lesser teams into a tail spin, they’ve ripped off 4 straight victories and are suddenly the team to beat in the Pac 10. The only question for this game is if Jeremiah Masoli will be able to play, after his knee injury against the practice squad….er, I mean, Washington State.
UCLA has been impressive so far this season, but are hoping to bounce back after last week’s loss to Stanford. They are going to need all hands on deck, so they better be praying to whatever deity to get back safety Rahim Moore, who suffered a concussion last week. He will help immensely in trying to slow down the Oregon passing attack.
However, with UCLA’s inability to move the ball through the air, it makes them pretty one dimensional. Like most good teams, Oregon can stop one dimensional teams. Oregon wins it and showcases why they are the best in the Pac 10.
5) Boston College at No. 5 Virginia Tech – 12:00 on ESPN360
I didn’t expect to be writing about this game, so it either means there is a lack of good games this week or BC is a little surprising. Seriously, the highlight of my day normally involves me giving crap to some BC fan. It’s not hard when you work in Boston.
Anyway, after the loss to Clemson, BC has been able to won back-to-back conference games, but they seem to have found some offensive rhythm. Competent QB play was the only thing holding them back from being a force to be reckoned with. If you add that in with the solid running game, BC should have no issues with moving the ball.
Virginia Tech, as always, is good on both sides of the ball. I have to say I’m most surprised at the offense, with Tyrod Taylor actually showing the ability to move the ball through the air. I just don’t understand this team. They beat up on Miami, but have issues putting away Duke.
I think the same thing happens here. BC sticks around for the whole game, but VT finally puts them away late to win it.
6) Notre Dame vs. the Bye Week
As per usual, ND makes some critical errors and bone-head plays, but somehow pulls this one out in the end.
Extra Point:
7) Once again, we visit one of my least favorite weeks in the college football season. It’s the “we’ll give you one or two interesting games, but the rest are crap” week. Unfortunately, the Duchess can spot these weekends and it becomes a shopping weekend.
The problem is that other then the LSU/Florida tilt, there is no real game I want to watch. Don’t get me wrong, I’ll watch what’s on and probably enjoy myself, but there isn’t any game that gets me excited. A cursory glance at next week and there are about 4 games I’m excited about.
I do admit that not every weekend can have classic match-ups. However, when you sandwich this in between week 5 (with the Georgia/LSU, Miami/Oklahoma, and USC/Cal games) and week 7 (RED RIVER SHOOTOUT), it gets tough to get excited about Oregon/UCLA. Don’t worry though, I will.
1) No. 1 Florida at No. 4 LSU – 8:00 on CBS
You know, two weeks ago I would have figured this would have been a laugher, complete with Les Miles curling up in the fetal position at midfield for every Florida fans enjoyment. Oh the changes we’ve seen in those two weeks.
Most important was the shot to the head that Tebow took in the Kentucky game, leaving him questionable for this game. This means that John Brantley and his college career of 58 pass attempts might get to lead the defending National Champions into one of the harshest opposing stadiums in college football.
I think there is something else important at play here. With all the upsets of week 4, LSU catapulted to 4th and everyone promptly dismissed them (myself included). We figured the pretenders would be vanquished by Georgia and all would be right with the world (minus Boise State moving to the number 4 spot). However, LSU proved themselves worthy of the spot, by beating Georgia.
Even if Tebow starts, he won’t be at 100% and probably won’t be carrying the ball as much. With that, this game comes down to the team that can stop the run. Both teams have very good defenses, yet LSU relies on their defense to keep games close for their anemic offense.
Florida only needs a few chances and their run game can with this for them. I think they beat LSU but it’s going to be a lot closer than anyone will be comfortable with.
2) No. 3 Alabama at No. 20 Mississippi – 3:30 on CBS
The two teams are going in two opposite directions. Alabama is the best team not from Florida or Texas and have been beating every opponent silly. Ole Miss, on the other hand, lost to South Carolina and had issues against Vandy. Bama is not the team you want to face when you are having issues.
Over the last two games, we’ve learned by Mack Brown picked Colt McCoy over Jevan Snead. Against South Carolina, he couldn’t complete a pass. Against Vandy, he completed them, just to the other team. Ole Miss is a dangerous team because they have one of the best defenses in the nation. If the offense starts to click again, you better watch out.
Alabama just seems like a team willing to crush everyone in their path. They can beat you by running and passing the ball on offense. The defense is pure Saban, nasty and smart. Teams can’t sit back and wait for the Alabama defense to make a mistake.
If Jevan Snead gets back on track, this game could be very good. If his struggles continue, it’ll be a long game for Ole Miss. Unfortunately for Ole Miss fans, you can’t work out your problems against a team like Alabama. Alabama wins it. Roll Tide!
3) Michigan at No. 12 Iowa – 8:05 on ABC
Just when I jump on the Michigan bandwagon, they lose. Granted, I pretty much predicted they would lose, but that’s not the point. You know what this means? It means that if you are a LSU fan, you should be making hotel reservations in Pasadena.
This game really is a toss-up. Michigan has a really good, but young team. Nearly every game has been close, which either means they have trouble putting away teams or really are a middle of the road team making the best with what they have. Forcier is an extremely talented QB who has a great future in front of him.
Iowa needs to keep doing what they have been doing, which is play strong defense and serviceable offense. Stanzi needs to keep the ball out of the hands of the Michigan secondary. While a team like Arkansas State can’t capitalize on those mistakes, Michigan can.
In a close game, the Iowa home field crowd, experience, and coaching will make this a win for Iowa.
4) No. 13 Oregon at UCLA – 3:30 on ABC
I asked the Duchess which game I should put at number 4 and she said “Ducks”, so here we go. Actually, it’s a pretty good pick for someone’s whose college football knowledge comes exclusively from reading the Touchdown.
After Oregon’s disastrous opening game that would have sent lesser teams into a tail spin, they’ve ripped off 4 straight victories and are suddenly the team to beat in the Pac 10. The only question for this game is if Jeremiah Masoli will be able to play, after his knee injury against the practice squad….er, I mean, Washington State.
UCLA has been impressive so far this season, but are hoping to bounce back after last week’s loss to Stanford. They are going to need all hands on deck, so they better be praying to whatever deity to get back safety Rahim Moore, who suffered a concussion last week. He will help immensely in trying to slow down the Oregon passing attack.
However, with UCLA’s inability to move the ball through the air, it makes them pretty one dimensional. Like most good teams, Oregon can stop one dimensional teams. Oregon wins it and showcases why they are the best in the Pac 10.
5) Boston College at No. 5 Virginia Tech – 12:00 on ESPN360
I didn’t expect to be writing about this game, so it either means there is a lack of good games this week or BC is a little surprising. Seriously, the highlight of my day normally involves me giving crap to some BC fan. It’s not hard when you work in Boston.
Anyway, after the loss to Clemson, BC has been able to won back-to-back conference games, but they seem to have found some offensive rhythm. Competent QB play was the only thing holding them back from being a force to be reckoned with. If you add that in with the solid running game, BC should have no issues with moving the ball.
Virginia Tech, as always, is good on both sides of the ball. I have to say I’m most surprised at the offense, with Tyrod Taylor actually showing the ability to move the ball through the air. I just don’t understand this team. They beat up on Miami, but have issues putting away Duke.
I think the same thing happens here. BC sticks around for the whole game, but VT finally puts them away late to win it.
6) Notre Dame vs. the Bye Week
As per usual, ND makes some critical errors and bone-head plays, but somehow pulls this one out in the end.
Extra Point:
7) Once again, we visit one of my least favorite weeks in the college football season. It’s the “we’ll give you one or two interesting games, but the rest are crap” week. Unfortunately, the Duchess can spot these weekends and it becomes a shopping weekend.
The problem is that other then the LSU/Florida tilt, there is no real game I want to watch. Don’t get me wrong, I’ll watch what’s on and probably enjoy myself, but there isn’t any game that gets me excited. A cursory glance at next week and there are about 4 games I’m excited about.
I do admit that not every weekend can have classic match-ups. However, when you sandwich this in between week 5 (with the Georgia/LSU, Miami/Oklahoma, and USC/Cal games) and week 7 (RED RIVER SHOOTOUT), it gets tough to get excited about Oregon/UCLA. Don’t worry though, I will.
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Trent's Touchdown - Week 5
Another week, another handful of upsets and shake-ups in the polls. If I were a team in the top 10 and facing a marshmallow opponent, I would be very scared (I’m looking at you Cincinnati). While the football fan in me loves this, there are drawbacks, but more on this later. Now, on to the Touchdown.
1) No. 8 Oklahoma at No. 17 Miami – 8:00 on ABC
When the season started, I thought this game might be slightly interesting, with an up and coming Miami team facing a massively overrated Oklahoma team. Of course, all that was before the Sam Bradford injury, Oklahoma’s loss to BYU, and Miami running rough shod over the ACC also-rans before losing to Virginia Tech.
While Oklahoma fans are wetting themselves over blowout wins against powerhouses Tulsa and Idaho State, I don’t think you should start looking forward to the Red River Shootout in two weeks. I’ll say what I said a couple of weeks ago, Miami has the ability to key in on what you do best and eliminate it.
The problem last week is that as much as I don’t like Virginia Tech, they are pretty well balanced offensively and can survive by letting their defense and special teams win games for them. What Miami needs to do is key on Oklahoma’s running game, and put the game in the hands the QB.
The problem OU has is at the QB position. Landry Jones hasn’t really faced any tough competition. I think my old high school team would have put up a better fight than Idaho State. Can the freshman actually put together a good game against a good defense? I say no. After a tough game, Miami pulls it out, but barely.
2) No. 7 USC at No. 24 California – 8:00 on ABC
This is like the scheduling Gods are making up for what looked like a snoozer last week in prime time. Two good games that I have the misfortune of not being able to switch between,
This game really comes down to overcoming a loss. USC did it last week with a moderately impressive bounce back against Washington State. USC coming though against a relatively weak opponent is one thing, but Cal needs to come back from an absolute embarrassment handed to them by a team that pretty much threw in the towel after week 2.
Let’s be frank for a minute. USC is doing anything this year. They might be able to pull out the Pac 10 championship, but they aren’t going to be in the hunt for the National Championship. They need to rely on Joe McKnight and the defense.
For Cal, all you need to do is contain Jahvid Best and you’re all set. Oregon did it and made Cal look like a Pop Warner team. The problem is that USC and Cal will probably be 1-2 in the Pac-10. Pac-10 teams this year either have no talent (Washington St), need a year before they are ready (Washington), or have no discipline (Oregon).
As for this game, USC wins and does it with defense, though everyone will fall all over themselves to tell us how well Matt Barkley did.
3) No. 4 LSU at No. 18 Georgia – 3:30 on CBS
Tell me I’m not the only one who thinks that LSU is only 4th for lack of any other team they could put there. They barely escaped with road wins against Washington and Mississippi State. While I may be Washington water carrier, I know they are a limited team that is in a rebuilding year and Mississippi State is Mississippi State.
Georgia has gotten a bit of an unfair rap, but they tried to slug it out with a Big 12 team. You can’t get into a shootout with a high-flying Big 12 team. You need to let your speedy defense contain the offense while you play your game. I thought everyone learned this after Ole Miss dismantled Texas Tech and Florida beat up on Oklahoma last year.
LSU has been getting lucky on the road against opponents they should beat. While I may not like Georgia all that much, they are too good of a team to let LSU push them around. However, like most SEC match-ups between the middle of the pack teams, this one should be close, but Georgia wins it.
4) No. 22 Michigan at Michigan State – 12:00 on Big Ten Network
Laugh all you want, but Michigan State is 16 points away from being 4-0. While Michigan is 4-0, all their games have been played at home. Add into that the fact that super freshman Tate Forcier is coming off an injury; this could be an interesting game.
Michigan State needs to do the one thing they have failed to do all year, stop the passing game. Even if they do that, then they have to contend with the Michigan running game. While MSU is more than willing to let this dissolve into a shoot-out, they just don’t have the horses to win it by doing that.
MSU has one shot at this. They need to rattle Forcier early and they need to keep the crowd in it. This young Michigan team may get rattled by a hostile crowd and could buckle under the pressure MSU will surely try and put them under. I think Michigan pulls it off, but they probably let MSU hang around longer than they should.
5) No. 9 Ohio State at Indiana – 7:00 on Big Ten Network
I think Indiana is a lot better than people give them credit for, while Ohio State is overrated. Seriously, OSU gets Illinois last week and Terrelle Pryor looks like he would have trouble leading a high school team. Add on to that what Indiana did against Michigan on the road last week.
Indiana could have packed it in at any time and no one would have said a word about it. But they kept in the game and kept battling back and gave a big scare to the Wolverines. Beating OSU is fairly easy. Well, easy to plan, not exactly easy to implement.
Put the game in Pryor’s hands. Make him pass the ball. If Indiana can do that, they will be fine. Offensively, Indiana needs to play their game, take the shots when they come, and don’t do anything stupid. They beat Ohio State in yet another upset.
6) No. 21 Mississippi at Vanderbilt – 7:00 on ESPN U
I love how last week everyone was falling all over themselves praising Ole Miss and this week people are saying they need to look out for Vandy. Oh, the fickle winds of fate. Here’s a tip, if you have a talented team in the hands of Houston Nutt, you’re screwed.
Extra Point:
7) I’m taking the flip side of the coin and say this parity thing in college football is no good. How about we spread the upsets throughout the season instead of bludgeoning us about the head with them early in the season. If I were an Alabama fan, I would be wondering when McElroy’s knee was going to blow out.
The one thing about this parity thing that sucks is that I have to deal with these severely flawed teams moving into the top 5 or top 10. LSU is ranked 4th just because they are lucky enough not to have lost yet. Virginia Tech is ranked 6th and are the highest ranked 1 loss team. Seriously? I need some ACC team to wax VT so I don’t have to actively avoid the Orange Bowl again this year.
I think my main problem is that I have to deal with Oklahoma and Ohio State being back in the mix. I always feel like both teams are extremely overrated and become cannon fodder in the National Championship Game for whatever SEC school decides to win the conference. I just need to hope that Texas dispatches Oklahoma in a few weeks. I also need to stop using the Extra Point to rant against Oklahoma and Ohio State. Even if it is so much fun.
1) No. 8 Oklahoma at No. 17 Miami – 8:00 on ABC
When the season started, I thought this game might be slightly interesting, with an up and coming Miami team facing a massively overrated Oklahoma team. Of course, all that was before the Sam Bradford injury, Oklahoma’s loss to BYU, and Miami running rough shod over the ACC also-rans before losing to Virginia Tech.
While Oklahoma fans are wetting themselves over blowout wins against powerhouses Tulsa and Idaho State, I don’t think you should start looking forward to the Red River Shootout in two weeks. I’ll say what I said a couple of weeks ago, Miami has the ability to key in on what you do best and eliminate it.
The problem last week is that as much as I don’t like Virginia Tech, they are pretty well balanced offensively and can survive by letting their defense and special teams win games for them. What Miami needs to do is key on Oklahoma’s running game, and put the game in the hands the QB.
The problem OU has is at the QB position. Landry Jones hasn’t really faced any tough competition. I think my old high school team would have put up a better fight than Idaho State. Can the freshman actually put together a good game against a good defense? I say no. After a tough game, Miami pulls it out, but barely.
2) No. 7 USC at No. 24 California – 8:00 on ABC
This is like the scheduling Gods are making up for what looked like a snoozer last week in prime time. Two good games that I have the misfortune of not being able to switch between,
This game really comes down to overcoming a loss. USC did it last week with a moderately impressive bounce back against Washington State. USC coming though against a relatively weak opponent is one thing, but Cal needs to come back from an absolute embarrassment handed to them by a team that pretty much threw in the towel after week 2.
Let’s be frank for a minute. USC is doing anything this year. They might be able to pull out the Pac 10 championship, but they aren’t going to be in the hunt for the National Championship. They need to rely on Joe McKnight and the defense.
For Cal, all you need to do is contain Jahvid Best and you’re all set. Oregon did it and made Cal look like a Pop Warner team. The problem is that USC and Cal will probably be 1-2 in the Pac-10. Pac-10 teams this year either have no talent (Washington St), need a year before they are ready (Washington), or have no discipline (Oregon).
As for this game, USC wins and does it with defense, though everyone will fall all over themselves to tell us how well Matt Barkley did.
3) No. 4 LSU at No. 18 Georgia – 3:30 on CBS
Tell me I’m not the only one who thinks that LSU is only 4th for lack of any other team they could put there. They barely escaped with road wins against Washington and Mississippi State. While I may be Washington water carrier, I know they are a limited team that is in a rebuilding year and Mississippi State is Mississippi State.
Georgia has gotten a bit of an unfair rap, but they tried to slug it out with a Big 12 team. You can’t get into a shootout with a high-flying Big 12 team. You need to let your speedy defense contain the offense while you play your game. I thought everyone learned this after Ole Miss dismantled Texas Tech and Florida beat up on Oklahoma last year.
LSU has been getting lucky on the road against opponents they should beat. While I may not like Georgia all that much, they are too good of a team to let LSU push them around. However, like most SEC match-ups between the middle of the pack teams, this one should be close, but Georgia wins it.
4) No. 22 Michigan at Michigan State – 12:00 on Big Ten Network
Laugh all you want, but Michigan State is 16 points away from being 4-0. While Michigan is 4-0, all their games have been played at home. Add into that the fact that super freshman Tate Forcier is coming off an injury; this could be an interesting game.
Michigan State needs to do the one thing they have failed to do all year, stop the passing game. Even if they do that, then they have to contend with the Michigan running game. While MSU is more than willing to let this dissolve into a shoot-out, they just don’t have the horses to win it by doing that.
MSU has one shot at this. They need to rattle Forcier early and they need to keep the crowd in it. This young Michigan team may get rattled by a hostile crowd and could buckle under the pressure MSU will surely try and put them under. I think Michigan pulls it off, but they probably let MSU hang around longer than they should.
5) No. 9 Ohio State at Indiana – 7:00 on Big Ten Network
I think Indiana is a lot better than people give them credit for, while Ohio State is overrated. Seriously, OSU gets Illinois last week and Terrelle Pryor looks like he would have trouble leading a high school team. Add on to that what Indiana did against Michigan on the road last week.
Indiana could have packed it in at any time and no one would have said a word about it. But they kept in the game and kept battling back and gave a big scare to the Wolverines. Beating OSU is fairly easy. Well, easy to plan, not exactly easy to implement.
Put the game in Pryor’s hands. Make him pass the ball. If Indiana can do that, they will be fine. Offensively, Indiana needs to play their game, take the shots when they come, and don’t do anything stupid. They beat Ohio State in yet another upset.
6) No. 21 Mississippi at Vanderbilt – 7:00 on ESPN U
I love how last week everyone was falling all over themselves praising Ole Miss and this week people are saying they need to look out for Vandy. Oh, the fickle winds of fate. Here’s a tip, if you have a talented team in the hands of Houston Nutt, you’re screwed.
Extra Point:
7) I’m taking the flip side of the coin and say this parity thing in college football is no good. How about we spread the upsets throughout the season instead of bludgeoning us about the head with them early in the season. If I were an Alabama fan, I would be wondering when McElroy’s knee was going to blow out.
The one thing about this parity thing that sucks is that I have to deal with these severely flawed teams moving into the top 5 or top 10. LSU is ranked 4th just because they are lucky enough not to have lost yet. Virginia Tech is ranked 6th and are the highest ranked 1 loss team. Seriously? I need some ACC team to wax VT so I don’t have to actively avoid the Orange Bowl again this year.
I think my main problem is that I have to deal with Oklahoma and Ohio State being back in the mix. I always feel like both teams are extremely overrated and become cannon fodder in the National Championship Game for whatever SEC school decides to win the conference. I just need to hope that Texas dispatches Oklahoma in a few weeks. I also need to stop using the Extra Point to rant against Oklahoma and Ohio State. Even if it is so much fun.
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