Trent's Touchdown: Six Week 10 College Football Games to Watch

Week 10 is here and yet again I'm swamped with work and school. Therefore, you get what you got last week, a list and some pithy comments.

We all know the college football "Super Bowl" is this weekend, but I would keep an eye on the Texas A&M/Oklahoma game. A few weeks ago, it would have been a gimme to Oklahoma, but they have proven they can lose at home against a team with a good offense.

Kansas State could have a nasty surprise for Oklahoma State, thereby taking us one step closer to Boise State in the National Championship Game. Excuse me while I throw up at that thought.

I also think we finally see the wheels come flying off South Carolina. No Marcus Lattimore means they are relying completely on their defense. That won't work against Arkansas. Anyway, see you all next week, here's the Touchdown:

1) No. 1 LSU at No. 2 Alabama – 8:00 PM on CBS

2) No. 14 Kansas State at No. 3 Oklahoma State – 8:00 PM on ABC

3) No. 9 South Carolina at No. 7 Arkansas – 7:15 PM on ESPN

4) Texas A&M at No. 6 Oklahoma – 3:30 PM on ABC

5) Texas Tech at No. 21 Texas – 12:00 PM on FX

6) Purdue at No. 20 Wisconsin – 3:30 PM on ABC

Extra Point:

Blocked by a surprising aggressive special teams play.

Trent's Touchdown: Six Week 9 College Football Games to Watch

Unfortunately, I had an extremely busy week so I can only give the good games and not my normal rundown. I will say I was happy with the loss by Oklahoma last week as it helps out Clemson in their improbable run to the National Championship Game.

Keep an eye on the Clemson game, as they always have issues with Georgia Tech. I also think Michigan State keeps the pressure up. They aren't the same team that lost to Notre Dame earlier in the season.

Oh yeah, a big, fat middle finger to Bleacher Report. They keep screwing with my articles and never fix any of the errors they make. I would lace the rest of this with profanity, but I'm better than that. Oh wait, no I'm not. PISS OFF ASS CLOWNS! Anyway, on to the pseudo-Touchdown:

1) No. 9 Oklahoma at No. 8 Kansas State – 3:30 PM on ESPN

2) No. 11 Michigan State at No. 14 Nebraska – 12:00 on ESPN

3) No. 5 Clemson at Georgia Tech – 8:00 PM on ABC

4) No. 6 Stanford at USC – 8:00 PM on ABC

5) No. 15 Wisconsin at Ohio State – 8:00 PM on ESPN

6) No. 22 Georgia vs. Florida – 3:30 PM on CBS

Extra Point:

Lesson to all NFL and college quarterbacks. When you have only one play left, don't throw it out of bounds or to the underneath receiver and hope for another Music City Miracle. Throw it deep to the endzone and hope for the best. It worked for Michigan State.

Trent's Touchdown: Six Week 8 College Football Games to Watch

Here we are at Week 8 of the college football season. Of course, that means that the first BCS standings came out last weekend, but we can get into that later. We have a large slate of conference matchups to look into to, so on to the Touchdown:


1) No. 6 Wisconsin at No. 16 Michigan State – 8:00 PM on ESPN

For all you Wisconsin fans out there, this game is the first time you can actually see if your team is any good. There is no better way to be tested than on the road, in conference, against a particularly nasty defense.

Wisconsin has been absolutely rolling this year, but you need to take their success with a grain of salt. They have played all but one game at home (neutral field against Northern Illinois) and the only quality opponent was an over-hyped Nebraska team that nearly lost at home to Ohio State.

The Badgers do have all the pieces needed that make a Championship team, but we just don’t know if they are actually that good. I’m a huge fan of Russell Wilson, but his numbers were never anywhere near this good when he was at North Carolina State.

Of course, part of his success has to be all the offensive weapons he has at his disposal. Nick Toon is one of the better receivers in the Big Ten and Montee Ball is the best running back in the conference. That will help out any quarterback, even Dayne Crist.

The Spartans, on the other hand, have had a few challenges this year, losing on the road to Notre Dame, but beating Ohio State in Columbus and defeating Michigan at home last week. What was most impressive was the fact that they made Denard Robinson look bad before knocking him out of the game.

The problem all year for Michigan State has been their offense. Kirk Cousins has been steady, but his success last year was due in part to the running game. The running game had been pretty bad for the Spartans before Edwin Baker blew up for 167 yards against Michigan. When the running game is clicking, Cousins can get comfortable and make the throws he needs.

Part of me wants to pick Wisconsin because of MSU’s offensive struggles and the Badgers stifling defense. However, that defense has not faced any real opponents. Michigan State narrowly edges out Wisconsin at home, probably in the last minute.


2) No. 25 Washington at No. 8 Stanford – 8:00 PM on ABC

Wait a minute; Stanford is actually playing a meaningful game before the November 12th showdown against Oregon? The post-Jake Locker Huskies are surprising a lot of people.

This game is actually hard to judge because Stanford hasn’t faced any competition and Washington has only faced Nebraska on the road (and got beaten). You can say that Stanford has an amazing run defense, but I don’t see guys like Juwan Thompson of Duke or Keola Antolin from Arizona lighting the world on fire.

The Stanford run defense will have its hands full with Chris Polk, one of the best running backs in the Pac-12. He is averaging just over 120 yards a game and helps keep the pressure off of Keith Price. Price has been flying under the radar, but he can easily get into a rhythm and will pick apart a defense if given time.

Everyone knows about Andrew Luck, so it seems like a waste to go over all he has going for him. The one thing that needs to be of concern to the Huskie defense is that he doesn’t turn the ball over (6 to 1 touchdown to interception ratio). If Washington wants to win, they need turnovers. Look for the Cardinals to let Stepfan Taylor run the ball so Washington can’t just play the pass.

I actually think it’ll be closer than the point spread thinks it’ll be. Washington can hang around and frustrate Stanford for most of the game, but I think Luck is just too much to handle. Stanford wins, but people will start to take Washington seriously.


3) No. 20 Auburn at No. 1 LSU – 3:30 on CBS

This game just got a heck of a lot more interesting after three players for LSU got suspended for allegedly testing positive for synthetic pot. Off the subject, but what exactly is synthetic pot and how does it differ from the real thing?

So, LSU is now without superstar Tyrann Mathieu, leading rusher Spencer Ware, and reverse defensive back Tharold Simon. This might be a huge issue if this game was against Alabama, but this is Auburn we are talking about.

I’m not trying to diss Auburn, but quarterback Clint Moseley is getting his first collegiate start against LSU. Ask Jacoby Brissett of Florida and Matt Simms of Tennessee how the experience worked out for them. Of course, those changes were due to injury, not ineptitude of the previous starting quarterback.

Moseley does have one saving grace in running back Michael Dyer. Dyer is one of the better running backs in the SEC and did reasonably well against LSU last year. However, last year the key playmaker was Cam Newton.

Offensively, LSU is going to do what it always does, which is slowly and steadily move the ball. The whole LSU philosophy is to slowly break down the other teams will to compete. Expect Jarrett Lee and Jordan Jefferson to grind it out, play a field position game, and not make any stupid mistakes.

I’m actually surprised that the point spread of 21 is not higher. Auburn is going to make dumb mistakes and they are going to turn the ball over. LSU will capitalize on these mistakes. I don’t think LSU will blow them out, but I don’t think it’ll be as close at the score will suggest.


4) No. 4 Oklahoma State at Missouri – 12:00 PM on FX

I promise that this is going to be the last time that I try and sing the praises of Missouri. But when you’re talking about a tough road game for a highly ranked team, I have to write about it.

Oklahoma State has shown no signs of slowing down all year. Even when Brandon Weeden looked human last week against Texas, the team still scored a bunch of points and gained a bunch of yards. With the passing game faltering, the running game and special teams were able to step up to score points.

We also can’t overlook the Cowboys defense. They aren’t great, but they were able to control the Texas offense enough to give Oklahoma State the victory. You don’t always have to be the best, just good enough.

Missouri has multiple ways to test a defense, but they thrive at running the ball, behind running back Henry Posey and quarterback James Franklin. Franklin is also pretty good throwing the ball too, even if he has been throwing to the other team recently (3 of his 4 interceptions have been in the last two games.

Oklahoma State is going to need Weeden to get back to form in order to win at Missouri. That said, I think he does get back on track. However, Missouri has been able to keep their three losses this season close, including a ten point loss to Oklahoma in Norman. Expect another close one, but the Cowboys pull it out in the end.


5) North Carolina at No. 7 Clemson – 12:00 PM on ESPN

After a close call on the road against Maryland, Clemson gets to go home and face a tough North Carolina team. The last thing UNC needed was for wide receiver Dwight Jones to open his yap and motivate the Tigers.

For those of you who don’t know, when Jones was asked about who the best receiver in the ACC was, he said himself. He then went on to explain that Clemson star receiver Sammy Watkins is just a speedster while Jones has more technique and experience. Way to get off on the right foot.

While I like Watkins, I think we should hold off on the C.J. Spiller comparisons until at least his sophomore year. If he’s still taking kick-off returns the distance and pretty much carrying his team to victory, then we start tossing Spiller’s name around.

Everyone has been talking about the explosive offense of Clemson lead by Tajh Boyd, but Byrn Renner is probably the best quarterback in the ACC. His completion percentage and passer rating are the highest in the conference and he hasn’t thrown an interception in October. It also helps he has one of the better wide receivers in the ACC (the previously mentioned Jones) to throw to.

Renner’s big problem is that he doesn’t get enough time to throw the ball. The offensive line is suspect on pass protection and could be the issue for the Tar Heels’. If Clemson is able to shut down running back Giovanni Bernard, it could be a long game from Renner.

As far as Clemson is concerned, they need to work on the defensive issues from last week’s debacle in Maryland. They should be okay since Renner isn’t a running quarterback like C.J. Brown last week. The Tigers should be fine offensively with Boyd, Watkins, Andre Ellington and Dwayne Allen at their skill positions.

Clemson will be challenged by North Carolina, but I fully expect the Tigers to beat them, so long as they don’t look ahead to the showdown with Georgia Tech next week.


6) USC at Notre Dame – 7:30 on NBC

Remember the 2005 USC/Notre Dame matchup that featured Matt Leinhart and Brady Quinn? It ended up being one of the best college football games I’ve ever seen.

This year, we get Matt Barkley and Tommy Rees battling it out to see who can throw this game away. While the smart money is on Rees, never underestimate Matt Barkley’s ability to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.


Extra Point:

The first BCS standings of the year have come out and you know what that means. We get tons of articles debating and dissecting the standings. I really don’t have too much of an issue with it for right now. Yes, I think Clemson is a little undervalued and Wisconsin and Boise State are a little overrated, but it’s still early.

Right now, I think we can all agree that whichever two teams of the top four go undefeated deserve to play in the National Championship. While I may be a huge Clemson fan, I accept that an undefeated LSU and an undefeated Oklahoma State deserve to play in the National Championship over an undefeated Clemson.

The same goes for Boise State, Wisconsin, and Stanford. While they may not play in the toughest conferences, their out of conferences schedules are laughable. I’m not going to give Wisconsin, with out of conference foes UNLV and South Dakota, a place over LSU, with out of conference games against Oregon and West Virginia.

However, the rankings actually mean very little right now. We know that at least two of the top 4 will have one loss. We also know that college football is a whacky sport and anything and everything is possible. I could see any team in the top ten emerge to play in the National Championship Game and I wouldn’t be surprised.

It’ll get really fun if there are a bunch of one loss teams at the end of the season and see how that plays out. Even though we all like to complain, most of the time the BCS gets the top two teams correct. As much as I would love a playoff, we would then get into arguments about the teams on outside looking in. Of course, it’s not college football without controversy.

Trent's Touchdown: Six Week 7 College Football Games to Watch

Welcome to Week 7. Now that I’ve finally gotten used to all the realignment talk and NCAA violations scuttlebutt I hear every day, I know have to be on the look-out for injury updates on players like LaMichael James and Tajh Boyd.

Not only that, but I was shocked by the announcement that Stephen Garcia got booted from South Carolina. Okay, not so much shocked as bewildered. We can talk about Garcia and his issues later. Now, on to the Touchdown:


1) No. 11 Michigan at No. 23 Michigan State – 12:00 PM on ESPN

I remember last year’s match-up between Michigan State and Michigan fondly. Everyone was hyping Denard Robinson, then the Spartans smacked him down and everyone realized that he wasn’t that great. The same sort of thing is happening this year.

No doubt about the fact that Robinson is a dynamic player. I like to think of him as a horribly inaccurate version of Clemson’s Tajh Boyd. Thankfully, Michigan doesn’t count on Robinson to have to throw the ball very often. He has only thrown the ball more than 20 times twice this season and has three interceptions in both games. Not good numbers.

However, running the ball, Robinson is one of the best. He is in the top 10 in the FBS in rushing yards per game. He is allusive and speedy. The key to beating Michigan is containing Robinson and making him throw the ball. That is easier said than done.

Michigan State was able to contain Robinson last year and ended up winning. The Spartans defense is just as tough this year as they were last year. It also helps that they are very good at stopping the run. They should get Robinson to turn the ball over; it is just capitalizing on those mistakes that will be the issue.

The Spartans offense hasn’t been that great this year. After a monster year last year, Kirk Cousins hasn’t been that great. He’s been bitten by the interception bug in the last few games, including two in the nail-biter against Ohio State two weeks ago.

The running game for Michigan State has also been woeful. Le’Veon Bell and Edwin Baker are both better running backs than their numbers suggest. To put it in perspective, Denard Robinson has nearly two hundred more rushing yards on twelve less carries than Bell and Baker combined.

Michigan State is going to want to grind this one out while Michigan is going to want to run all over the field. I think the Michigan State defense is too good to let Robinson control this game. It’ll be close as always, but the Spartans pull it out at home.


2) No. 18 Arizona State at No. 9 Oregon – 10:15 PM on ESPN

Arizona State looks like they have found a way to stop LaMichael James. They let Cal injure his elbow. While there is still doubt on whether James will play, there is no doubt Oregon is still the favorite in this one.

After the loss to LSU to start the season, we haven’t been hearing too much about the Ducks. They have just been going along and steady dismantling teams. With their big playmaker sidelined, look for Kenjon Baker and De’Anthony Thomas to get the ball more. Also, Darron Thomas is going to have to keep doing what he always does, lead the offense and move the ball.

Arizona State has a good offense that relies on the arm of Brock Osweiler. While is touchdown to interception ratio is nearly 2 for 1, he may not have to worry about that. Oregon has been having troubles creating turnovers. He does throw his interceptions in bunches, with all six coming in only three of ASU’s games.

There are only two real ways to beat Oregon. The first is to play a physical, defensive game. This was the type seen by Auburn and LSU. The second is to let it dissolve into a shoot-out and hope for the defense to step up once. The shoot-out strategy hasn’t been successful in the past, but could work this year with the weakened Oregon defense.

Arizona State does not have the ability to play either one of those styles. I like ASU, I think they will be in the Pac 12 Championship Game, but they don’t have the ability this year to hang with either Oregon or Stanford.

The only saving grace for the Sun Devils is that fact that James is probably out. That said, Oregon still have a lot of playmakers on offense. Couple that with the fact that the game is in Oregon and this game is starting to look bad for ASU. I don’t think ASU will get blown away, since Oregon will still be getting used to no LaMichael James. I think the Ducks win by two touchdowns.


3) No. 20 Baylor at No. 21 Texas A&M – 12:00 PM on FX

How do you come back from back-to-back second half gag-jobs against ranked opponents? Barely hold off a third straight second half gag-job on the road, that’s how. Aggie fans had to be a little leery during last weeks Texas Tech/Texas A&M game.

If you like lots and lots of offense and don’t want to be bogged down with pesky things like defense, then this is the game for you.

Baylor has one of the best quarterbacks in the nation in Robert Griffin III. His completion percentage is over 80 percent, he has 19 passing touchdowns compared to 1 interception, and he is a very good running quarterback.

Texas A&M, on the other hand, is led by the underrated Ryan Tannehill, who has had some issues keeping the ball out of opponent’s hands. Tannehill also has the ability to take off and gain yards with his feet. While his team did choke away two leads, he did take both Oklahoma State and Arkansas to the brink.

The problem with this game is the defense. Texas A&M has a woeful defense, probably the worst in the country. They give up too many yards at the worst possible times. They nearly folded completely against Texas Tech last week. When you are facing a quarterback like Griffin and you want to win, you need to be perfect.

This game will dissolve into a shoot-out quickly. You can expect both teams to move up and down the field with relative ease. However, I have to think that Baylor can make more plays down the stretch to pull this out.


4) No. 6 Oklahoma State at No. 22 Texas – 3:30 PM on ABC

Wait, the Texas Longhorns have to face a high octane offensive team from the state of Oklahoma? Didn’t this happen last week?

Anyone who saw the drubbing of Texas last weeks knows the team needs a little help. A good old fashion shoot-out might be just want the doctor ordered. The Longhorns have a good offense, but they are young and are going to make dumb mistakes against quality defenses, as we saw in the Red River Shootout.

The Achilles Heel of Oklahoma State is the defense. It gets overlooked because the Cowboys pour on the points against opponents. The defense gives up, on average, close to 28 points a game. Against a team like Oklahoma, with offensive and defensive balance, this is going to be a huge issue.

Texas, along with a young offensive, has a young and inexperienced defense. A veteran quarterback like Brandon Weeden should be able to pick apart the defense; much like Landry Jones did last week. What Texas needs to do is try and stop the aerial assault, either through tight coverage or a pass rush.

You are going to see a lot of points scored in this game. Texas is going to need a lot of help from its defense if it expects to stay in this game. I think the Cowboys win by at least two touchdowns.


5) No. 19 Virginia Tech at Wake Forest – 6:30 PM on ESPN3

Normally, I don’t like to write about or even think about Virginia Tech football. The main reason is they just play an ugly style of football. It’s effective, just not fun to watch. However, I’m here to pump the tires of the flavor of the week: Wake Forest.

Before we start anointing the Demon Deacons the next ACC Champion, let’s first remember that they lost to Syracuse and their victories have not been against quality opponents. Before Seminoles fans start screaming at me, I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, FSU is a paper tiger.

Now, it’s not all bad for Wake Forest. They have one of the most underrated quarterbacks in the country in Tanner Price. Price doesn’t turn the ball over and can sling it all over the field. He could use a bit more help from his running game, but Josh Harris has been improving every week.

As for Virginia Tech, before we start saying that Logan Thomas has arrived, remember his career day last week was against Miami. He is still the same quarterback who looked absolutely pathetic against a still improving Clemson defense and on the road against East Carolina.

Thomas is going to have to be the man in this game for the Hokies to win, considering the Demon Deacons are one of the better teams against the run. David Wilson will still get a lot of carries and a fair number of yards, but Virginia Tech cannot count on him to win the game for them.

For Thomas to truly silence the critics, he is going to have to have a good game against Wake Forest. He will pale in comparison to Price, but he cannot simply give up like he did against Clemson. Wake Forest is going to just attack that Hokie defense, continuing to pass all game long hoping something will stick.

Virginia Tech has yet to have a quality road test this year. This will be a close one, but I think Wake Forest can squeeze out a victory at home.


6) Ohio State at No. 16 Illinois – 3:30 PM on ABC

Talk about two teams on different paths. Illinois is undefeated and looking to make serious waves in the Big Ten. Ohio State can’t get out of its own way. The Illini are bowl eligible while the Buckeyes are going to struggle to break .500. Not a fun time to be an Ohio State fan, but finally a reason to cheer as an Illinois fan.


Extra Point:

Last week I wrote about the feel good story of Russell Wilson. Today, I’ll tell you the tale of Stephen Garcia and wasted talent.

It’s not very often that a top 25 team and odds on favorite to win their division boots their starting senior quarterback off the team, but that is exactly what South Carolina did this week. According to sources, Garcia tested positive for marijuana and alcohol. While Garcia is over the age limit for alcohol, he stated he would not to drink as part of an agreement he made with the school following his fifth suspension.

Yes, you read that correct, fifth suspension. He has violated numerous “team rules”, with an incident involving girls in his hotel room after curfew before a bowl game and an incident involving a life skills and leadership seminar. Those were just the recent problems, he had run-ins with the police during his freshman year for public drunkenness, keying a professor’s car, and pulling a fire alarm.

The main problem with Garcia was that it just seemed like he didn’t give a crap about anything. He was given numerous opportunities to succeed and didn’t follow through. Plus, his play was always very erratic. You never knew if you were going to get the guy who beat defending champion Alabama in 2010 or the guy who completed less than 40 percent of his passes and had two interceptions against Auburn in 2011.

It was a running gag for me to mention week after week how bad Garcia was, even calling for his benching before the Auburn game. However, I figured he would be with the team all season. I just figured he was pulling a Jevan Snead, where he just fell to pieces in his final season. Turns out he just couldn’t leave his troubled past behind.

So, Gamecock fans now get to root for Connor Shaw, who so far has been able to stay out of trouble. As for Garcia, he gets to wonder where it all went wrong while trying out for teams in the Arena Football League and the United Football League. After all, he’s going to need beer money.

Trent's Touchdown: Six Week 6 College Football Games to Watch

It’s Week 6 of the college football season. Another week, another round of conference realignment talk. Also, another round of suspensions at Ohio State, but we can talk more about that later. Now, on to the touchdown:


1) No. 3 Oklahoma vs. No. 12 Texas – 12:00 PM on ABC (at Dallas, TX)

Can we have a moment of silence for Garrett Gilbert’s career at the University of Texas? I guess it’s pretty sad when your high point is a four interception performance in the National Championship Game. May he have better luck at SMU or wherever he ends up.

Enough about that, it’s the Red River Shootout! Oklahoma is the overwhelming favorite, but the game will be tougher than it looks. While the rotating quarterback situation is normally a distraction, the two headed monster of Case McCoy and David Ash seem to work well for Texas.

The team has really started to click since the benching of Gilbert during the BYU game. You can expect Texas to attack the Oklahoma defense with a balanced run and pass attack. Defensively, the Longhorns are going to have to slow down the pass attack of Oklahoma and try and create turnovers.

The turnovers should be an issue. While everyone wants to slobber over Landry Jones’ ability to throw, people seem to turn a blind eye to his 2 to 1 touchdown to interception ratio. My suggestion would be to go off-script and use Dominique Whaley to soften up the Texas defense, than use Jones to pick apart a defense looking run first.

While I think that Texas is overrated at this point, I think they can pull this off. The simple fact of the matter is that Texas has really seemed to have rallied around McCoy and Ash. Texas is also on a whirlwind tour of beating up on teams they lost to last year. Plus, if college football has taught me anything, it is to never bet against a McCoy.


2) No. 15 Auburn at No. 10 Arkansas – 7:00 PM on ESPN

The fight for third place in the SEC West heats up! Normally, I wouldn’t put a third place game this high up, but when four teams in one division are in the top 15, you make special exceptions.

While I’m sure all the Auburn fans are celebrating after their team beat South Carolina last week, they shouldn’t break their arms patting the Auburn defense on the back. The Gamecock offense is centered solely on the running of Marcus Lattimore. The Arkansas offense is centered on the arm of Tyler Wilson.

Auburn has a horrible pass defense. Last game they were effective at stopping the pass, but that was against Stephen Garcia, who finally got benched for Connor Shaw. Look at the numbers that Tajh Boyd put up in the loss to Clemson. Tyler Wilson is expected to put up comparable numbers to Boyd.

You have to give Arkansas a lot of credit. They got beat up by Alabama two weeks ago and go down 35-17 at halftime to Texas A&M before storming back to beat the Aggies by 4. While the Arkansas defense has been serviceable, the offense is what really drives the team.

In order for Auburn to win, they are going to need to score early and often and never let up. They are going to need their defense to come up big and make key stops. That is do-able, if this was last year’s Auburn team. It’s not happening this year. Arkansas is going to try to light up Auburn and will, for the most part, succeed.


3) No. 17 Florida at No. 1 LSU – 3:30 PM on CBS

Les Miles recently said that he wants to get Jordan Jefferson more involved in the LSU offense. I’m not sure if that’s a good thing. While Jarrett Lee is not exactly Heisman material, he is an effective game manager for this LSU team. By game manager, I mean that he won’t win you any games and he’ll make mistakes, but not enough to have you lose to inferior teams.

This game was a heck of a lot more interesting before John Brantley went down with a leg injury during Florida’s big loss to Alabama last week. Now, the Florida offense is being lead by a freshman quarterback who trouble getting the snap last week. Basically, the Florida offense is going to be about running early and often.

I don’t completely discount the Gator’s ability to move the ball. Charlie Weis has shown the ability to dumb down his offense for a quarterback who is being called on to replace an injured starter (Tom Brady in 2001). However, Weis wasn’t game planning against the LSU defense.

LSU has one of the best defenses in the country. Their specialty is stopping the run. LSU is going to ride this defense for as long as they can. They will win or lose games based on just how well the defense does. The Tigers defense will try and shut down the Gators and give Jarrett Lee (or Jordan Jefferson) good field position when leading the offense.

Add in the fact that this game is being played at LSU and things do not shape up nicely for the Gators. While I don’t think LSU will do all that much offensively, their defense will handle Florida and win the game for the Tigers.


4) Missouri at No. 20 Kansas State – 3:30 PM on ABC

It kind of says something about your team if you’re ranked and playing an unranked opponent at home and the unranked opponent is actually favored to win. Seriously though, the only reason Kansas State is ranked is because they had to be ranked, after beating an overvalued Baylor team.

I wrote a few weeks ago about how Missouri was one of the best two loss teams in the country. Offensively, they have a very potent running attack no matter who is carrying the ball. Not to take anything away from Henry Josey, but if it wasn’t for injuries he wouldn’t be getting the carries he’s getting. James Franklin is one of the more underrated dual-threat quarterbacks in the country, who can light it up on the ground and through the air.

Kansas State is going to try and lean on its defense, like it did against Baylor and Miami. They gave up a lot of yards to those two teams before making big stops late. The Wildcats are going to need luck on their side to stop Missouri.

Kansas State cannot afford to try and match Missouri offensively. I like Collin Klein as much as the next guy, but his passing numbers are nowhere near as good as they have to be. His main skill is running with the ball but he’ll need to throw to win this game.

Missouri has a lot of things going for them at this point. A win against Kansas State will keep them going in the right direction. I think the Tigers get by Kansas State by at least a touchdown.


5) No. 12 Michigan at Northwestern – 7:00 PM on Big Ten Network

I’m still not sure how Michigan is ranked so high. The only challenge they had was Notre Dame and if it wasn’t for poor defense and Tommy Rees, Michigan would have lost that game. Outside of Kansas State, is Michigan the most underwhelming top 25 team?

I never understood the allure of Denard Robinson. I want a Wolverines fan to rationally explain it to me. He is just a horrible passer. He has one skill set, which is running the ball. Don’t get me wrong, he is an exceptional runner, but that’s his whole game. It’s almost like Michigan runs the Wildcat offense on every snap.

As for Northwestern, Dan Persa is finally back from injury and ready to light the Big Ten on fire. There is a question about his ability to run the ball after his Achilles’ injury from last year, but he can still throw the ball. The main problem for Northwestern is the fact that their back-up quarterback is their leading rusher. They need Persa to be able to run the ball so their offense can click.

A lot of people will talk about the highly ranked Michigan defense. Again, I’m not exactly sure why. Their opponents this year have been Western Michigan, Notre Dame, Eastern Michigan, San Diego State, and Minnesota. That’s not exactly a murderer’s row. Plus, all these games have been at home, a distinct advantage.

In this year’s Big Ten, Michigan is a good team. That just doesn’t translate to actually being a good team against the rest of the country. Northwestern finally got their leader and quarterback back last week and lost on defensive lapses during the final two minutes. I think Northwestern pulls off the upset at home.


6) Ohio State at No. 7 Nebraska – 8:00 PM on ABC

This was supposed to be the game in which Ohio State got back Dan Herron and DeVier Posey. Looks like the NCAA had different ideas. It’s going to be a long month of October for the Buckeyes. Is it wrong that I’m smiling about that?


Extra Point:

I may have had a little fun with Ohio State, but what the heck is going on in Columbus? DeVier Posey and Dan Herron, who just finished a five game suspension for “Tattoo-Gate”, are getting at least one more game tacked on for receiving too much money for too little work for summer jobs.

But fear not, Athletic Director Gene Smith said that there wasn’t a “systemic” problem with Ohio State. He then proceeded to throw everyone but himself and the University under the bus. Is there anyone besides Smith who believes there isn’t a “systemic” problem at Ohio State?

According to Smith, this was about individual failures. Which I might have believed if it had happened to one or two players. However, this has been multiple players with multiple violations that lead to one of the better coaches in college football to have to resign in disgrace. This is an Ohio State failure.

Listen, the issue here is the sense of entitlement these kids feel. Ohio is a severely depressing place, so of course if there are players who make the population as a whole feel just a little bit better about their situation, those players are going to be looked upon as better than everyone else and given special treatment.

Ohio State has done nothing to try and dissuade them of this belief. This was evident after the tattoo incident came to light before the Sugar Bowl last year. Instead of suspending the players involved, the University allowed Tressel to let them play and serve their suspension for the first five games of the following year.

This was a joke, considering Ohio State’s only competition would have been Michigan State during that five game stretch. Basically the school was sending the message that you’ll get suspended if you do something bad, but not for any relevant games.

The University needed to come down hard on these players since they broke the rules, instead of giving them a slap on the wrists. Ohio State felt it was better to win the Sugar Bowl than to enforce the rules. In a cruel bit of karmic payback, Ohio State ended up vacating that Sugar Bowl victory, along with all the other games in the 2010 season. There is no one to blame but themselves.

Trent's Touchdown: Six Week 5 College Football Games to Watch

Welcome to Week 5 of the college football season. So, after four weeks, we’ve seen suspensions, sanctions, conference switching, ref’s admitting blowing calls, and a whole host of wild finishes. While I’m trying to forget most of that list, I love the wild finishes. Looking at some of the games this week, we should be in store for some good ones. Anyway, on to the Touchdown:


1) No. 8 Nebraska at No. 7 Wisconsin – 8:00 PM on ABC

If you’re going to open up play in your new conference, this is the way to do it. This game could even be a preview of a Big Ten Championship Game. I’m getting chills just thinking about it. Either that or I need to turn on the heat.

So far this season, neither team has faced any competition. I’m not sure if this is the best way for either team to jump into Big Ten play. Both teams are going to get a challenge in this one.

When you talk about the best quarterbacks in college football right now, Russell Wilson from Wisconsin needs to be near the top of the list. He has a completion percentage over 75 percent and doesn’t make dumb mistakes. He makes the defense stop him and his offense.

Of course, passing is easy when every defense is going to be keyed to the backfield duo of Montee Ball and James White. They will be there to punish the Nebraska defense and open up the air to Wilson, as you’re going to need eight guys in the box to think about stopping the Badger’s potent run game.

While Nebraska has beaten up on their opponents, they haven’t looked that great. While they have an athletic defense that can make plays, they are vulnerable to the balanced offensive attack of a team like Wisconsin.

Taylor Martinez has also been less than stellar. While is completion percentage about 50 percent, his true talent is running the ball. He leads the team in rushing, but has a nice compliment in Rex Burkhead to take some of the carries.

If Wisconsin can contain Martinez and make him have to throw the ball, it’ll be a long day for the Cornhuskers. While I don’t think they can do it all game, I feel that Martinez is going to have to throw effectively to slow down the Badger defense. Wisconsin wins this one, but Nebraska keeps it close.


2) No. 3 Alabama at No. 12 Florida – 8:00 PM on CBS

I could steal my own line from above and say how this could be a preview of the SEC Championship Game, but with the strength of the SEC, you never know what could happen. My only problem in writing about this game is the two teams are pretty much mirror images of each other.

Worse yet, the winner will be giving a blue print to the rest of the SEC on how to beat them. Part of me just wants to use the ambiguous “they” when describing the two teams, just to save time. But that would be lazy of me.

While both teams have very impressive defenses, you need to give the nod to Alabama, as they have beaten two ranked teams, while the only moderately good team Florida has beaten was Tennessee. The Tide shut down the high powered offensive of Arkansas last week, making them look average.

Offensively, both teams boost great running backs. However, in order to win this game, the quarterback is going to have to make some plays. I know this is shocking, but I actually trust John Brantley more than I do A.J. McCarron. While their numbers are virtually identical, I think Charlie Weis will put Brantley in more of a position to win, offensively speaking.

All that said, I think the Tide win this one. This is a defensive match and it’ll come down to which defense makes the mistake that costs their team the game. I feel the Alabama defense is just too good to make that mistake. Expect this to be a hard fought game. Roll Tide!


3) No. 13 Clemson at No. 11 Virginia Tech – 6:00 PM on ESPN2

As a Clemson fan, last week I was looking forward to the Florida State game because I knew that FSU was a paper tiger. This week, I’m dreading the Virginia Tech game, because I know that the Hokies are for real.

The thing that mainly scares me is the fact that Clemson’s young offensive stars get their first game on the road against a physical, athletic defense. If you haven’t heard what Tajh Boyd and Sammie Watkins have been doing over the last two weeks, watch College Gameday on Saturday morning for a quick recap.

Virginia Tech, on the other hand, relies mainly on Logan Thomas handing the ball off to David Wilson. What VT is going to do once they get into the main portion of the season is try and emulate LSU from last year.

Virginia Tech is going to let their defense win the game for them by covering for the inadequacies of their quarterback. They will run the ball as much as possible and play a field possession game and hope for a turnover deep in their own territory.

Virginia Tech is just nowhere near as good as LSU was. The Clemson offense is going to make mistakes and that will keep this game closer than it really should be. The only thing the Clemson defense can do is stop the run and thankfully that is all Virginia Tech does. Clemson pulls it out on the road and people start gushing even more over Boyd.


4) No. 14 Texas A&M vs. No. 18 Arkansas – 12:00 PM on ESPN (in Arlington, TX)

Nothing says fun on a Saturday like watching an SEC West throw down. Oops, sorry, I’m already looking into the future. Right now, both teams are in different conferences. Not to worry, I’ll use this line next year.

Both of these teams are coming off of a loss, but the games were completely different. Texas A&M had a complete choke-job (also known as Red Sox-itis) against Oklahoma State, losing 30-29 after being up 20-3 at halftime. Arkansas, on the other hand, got manhandled by Alabama. The Tide defense limited the Arkansas offense to 226 yards, which is over 200 yards fewer than their average.

If you vanish the second half of last week’s game, this looks like a cake-walk for Texas A&M. However, you need to realize that the Aggie defense got absolutely lit up by Brandon Weeden. While Tyler Wilson is not Brandon Weeden, he is reasonable substitute. However, Wilson is going to need help from his running game, which he didn’t against Alabama, in order to slow down the Aggie pass rush.

Texas A&M will need better running from Cyrus Gray, who got a staggering 35 yards rushing against Oklahoma State. The Aggies have no issues at quarterback. As long as Ryan Tannehill can find Ryan Swope, everything will be fine.

This game will dissolve into a shoot-out before the end of the first half. I think the Aggies defense redeems itself and actually steps up and makes a stop when needed. It’ll be close and high scoring and the Aggies get back on track.


5) Auburn at No. 10 South Carolina – 3:30 on CBS

While watching South Carolina this year, you just keep wondering when the wheels are going to come flying off. Seriously, South Carolina is a team I think everyone is just waiting for them to lose.

Amazingly, all of South Carolina’s issues can be found on offense. I think Stephen Garcia has finally decided to stop alternating between being good and bad and just stuck with bad. He threw four interceptions against Vanderbilt last week. I knew he would get picked off, but four! Can we just get Connor Shaw in there and end everyone’s misery?

To make matters worse, Marcus Lattimore finally proved he was human by only rushing for 77 yards last week. The only good thing going for South Carolina is the fact that Auburn’s defense is pretty poor. The Tiger defense gives up way too many yards and way too many points. South Carolina should be able to get back on track offensively.

Offensively, Auburn hasn’t been that great either. Barrett Trotter has been holding his own and Michael Dyer is a good running back. The problem is the fact that the South Carolina defense has been what has been saving the Gamecocks week in and week out. Expect Auburn to have issues moving the ball.

I’m always scared when picking a South Carolina game because they can play amazing one week and putrid the next. I’ll pick South Carolina, but their own ineptitude will keep it close.


6) Michigan State at Ohio State – 3:30 on ABC

This is the last game for Ohio State before the “tattoo suspensions” are lifted. It doesn’t really matter though, considering the Buckeyes will get tattooed in this game and the three following it. Come on, that was funny!


Extra Point:

If you’ve followed Big Ten football this year, you know that Russell Wilson has been lighting the world on fire. Now, if you’re an ACC fan like me, you might be asking yourself why that name sounds familiar. Well, until last year, Russell Wilson was the starting quarterback for the North Carolina State Wolfpack.

But wait, don’t transfer students have to sit out year? That is very true, except there is a little loophole there. If the player graduated and still had eligibility left, he doesn’t need to sit out. Wilson graduated from North Carolina State, yet still had one year of eligibility.

Now you have to be wondering why NC State would let Wilson leave? He did throw for over 3000 yards in the past two seasons. Well, this is where the Colorado Rockies come into the picture. Wilson, also a baseball star at NC State, was drafted last year by the Rockies. He made the choice to skip spring and summer drills to play in the Rockies minor league system.

NC State decided that Mike Glennon was now their starting quarterback. They released Wilson from his scholarship and he transferred to Wisconsin, enrolling in their graduate program in order to play. So, is this good for college football?

Personally, I do not see the harm in it. The main thing everyone always brings up when talking about college football, whether it be an argument about a playoff system or paying athletes, is that the kids are at college for an education.

Wilson worked his butt off to graduate early and decided that he wanted to explore his opportunities in professional baseball so as not to have to commit to football. NC State wanted him to commit fully to football (although this wasn’t an issue when he was playing baseball for the Wolfpack).

While I don’t think there should be ease of transfer for undergrads, when it comes to graduate students, the player should be able to transfer if he wants. These are good kids looking for another year to prove their worth to scouts, not someone jumping for school to school looking for playing time and headlines.

The Three Best Two Loss Teams in College Football

So, you’ve gotten through the first four weeks of the college football season and your favorite team has two losses already? Fear not, the season is not over. There are still teams with two losses that are playing competitive football and could make a run at something special. So, I’m going to give you three of the two loss teams you shouldn’t dismiss just yet.


1) Georgia (2-2)

Georgia didn’t have it easy to start the season. They had to face Boise State on a neutral field and got SEC East favorite South Carolina at home. So it was unsurprising that Georgia started out 0-2. It was also unsurprising that they won against Coastal Carolina and Ole Miss in the next two games.

Georgia definitely has some positives going for it. Quarterback Aaron Murray gets better with every game, finally emerging as the leader they need him to be. Also, Isaiah Crowell has burst on the scene as an impact running back for the Bulldogs. With offensive stability, they can finally stop leaning on Brandon Boykin as their playmaker.

Defensively, they are getting better. They gave up way too many points to Boise State and South Carolina to responsibly win those games. The defense recently found their groove against lesser opponents, so it is still questionable if they can keep up the intensity.

For an SEC team, the schedule looks pretty favorable for Georgia. They go on the road to Tennessee, Vanderbilt, and Georgia Tech, get Auburn and Kentucky at home, and face Florida on a neutral field. While they probably won’t be winning the SEC East, they will at least be able to make a nice bounce back from last year, shake things up, and use it as a stepping stone for next year.


2) Missouri (2-2)

Missouri has a rough stretch to start out the season, with road losses to an underrated Arizona State team (in overtime) and the top ranked Oklahoma Sooners. They were able to temper those losses with wins against Miami (OH) and Western Illinois.

While their wins have been against less than stellar opponents, the Missouri losses have been close (17 points total). Added to the fact that they were on the road and it doesn’t seem that bad. The kicking game has failed Missouri this season, as they missed a field goal in OT that would have won it against Arizona State and two field goals against Oklahoma which would have kept the game closer.

The Missouri offense may have lost Blaine Gabbert to the NFL, but they have only been moderately effected. While quarterback James Franklin may not have a great completion percentage, he can make teams pay by running the ball (over 100 yards rushing against Oklahoma). They also have Henry Posey in the backfield, who can easily get 100 yards rushing a game if he gets the touches.

While they aren’t amazing defensively, they are good enough to keep Missouri in most games. They hit a four game stretch starting in late October that is less than desired, where they are at home against Oklahoma State, on the road at Texas A&M and Baylor, and then back home against Texas. If they can win two of the four, that will put them in good position at the end of the season.


3) Notre Dame (2-2)

As much fun as it would be to tweak Notre Dame fans by keeping them off the list, I’d be remiss if I did so. However, I will say that if you told me Notre Dame was 2-2 at this point in the season, I would have predicted the loss to South Florida, but not Michigan.

After the 0-2 start, Notre Dame beat Michigan State (at home) and Pittsburgh (on the road). I was surprised by the victory over Michigan State, seeing as I thought Michigan State was a better team and the fact they were coming off the heart breaking loss to Michigan.

Notre Dame’s big problem is going to be turnovers. Tommy Rees is throwing too many interceptions to make the Fighting Irish a winning team. Rees also uses Michael Floyd as too much of a security blanket, with over a third of his completions going to Floyd. The running game has been important to Notre Dame’s offense, with Cierre Wood able to get important yards on the ground.

Defensively, the Fighting Irish have been better than normal, but not great. There is really no excuse for the defensive lapses that allowed Michigan to win their game. It always seems to be the Achilles Heel of Notre Dame over the past five years or so.

The schedule looks good for the Irish, with only the last game at Stanford looking like a loss. The rest of the schedule is against the dregs of the ACC (at Wake Forest, home against Maryland and Boston College) and the Service Academy’s (Air Force and Navy at home). The USC matchup on October 22 gives you pause, but seeing as it’s at home and USC isn’t really that good, Notre Dame should prevail.

Keep praying to the Touchdown Jesus and Notre Dame could back their way into a BCS Bowl. Or they could continue to turn the ball over, lose winnable games, and make Brian Kelly wonder why he left Cincinnati. Seriously, no one should ever wonder why they left Cincinnati.

Trent's Touchdown: Six Week 4 College Football Games to Watch

Is it Week 4 of the college football season already? This week, the talk hasn’t been about the early season showdowns in the SEC, ACC, and Big 12, but about realignment. With the possible expansions for both the ACC and Pac 12, everyone has been talking about possibilities and consequences. For now though, the talk has died down some, but more on that later. Now, on to the Touchdown:


1) No. 14 Arkansas at No. 3 Alabama – 3:30 PM on CBS

How can you not get excited about a SEC West showdown? One reason not to is the fact that it’s on CBS and I have to deal with Verne Lundquist and Gary Danielson. How about ESPN loan out Nessler and Blackledge for this and we all walk away happy?

This is really a tale of two different offenses. The Tide are going to do all they can to limit the weakness of A.J. McCarron. While he has talent, he’s not ready to carry this offense. The Tide are going to depend on Trent Richardson and Eddie Lacy to run the ball to soften up the Arkansas defense.

That shouldn’t be too hard, considering Arkansas has a poor rush defense. The Razorbacks gave up over 450 yards of rushing to Troy. While defense may not be the strong suit of Arkansas, they do have a dynamic offense.

The Razorbacks have one of the best passing offenses in the country, led by Tyler Wilson. Wilson’s issue is accuracy, which is not a problem you want against the tough Alabama defense. While they have a competent running back in Ronnie Wingo, expect Arkansas to throw early and often.

Arkansas will want to make this into a shootout, which will favor them. Alabama will want to slow it down and grind it out, which will favor them. As much as I like Arkansas, I think Alabama has this one, but expect it to stay close. Roll Tide!


2) No. 7 Oklahoma State at No. 8 Texas A&M – 3:30 PM on ABC

We have a top tier Big 12 matchup just days after Texas greed scuttled a plan to blow up the Big 12. Oklahoma State was all ready to jump to the Pac 12 and A&M is already off to the SEC, but for now we have to deal with the facts of this game.

Offensively, it’s tough to find a better team than Oklahoma State. They are in the top 10 in a handful of offensive categories. They kind of remind me of that Graham Harrell/Michael Crabtree Texas Tech team from a few years ago. However, appearances can be deceiving.

Brandon Weeden, while having a completion percentage over 70 percent, has an interception problem. Since the Cowboys are a pass happy team, it doesn’t bode well for them. While the offensive line is competent, they’ll have issues stopping the rush of Texas A&M.

Ryan Tannehill, on the other hand, has the ability to keep the ball out of the defenses hands. Tannehill also has the added benefit of having Cyrus Gray in the backfield, who is almost a guarantee to get over 100 yards rushing. The Aggies shouldn’t have much issue moving the ball against a lackluster Cowboy defense.

Much like the Razorbacks, Oklahoma State forgoes defense and wins games by just outscoring their opponents. While working against lesser teams, they will have issues against teams that have a solid defense, like Texas A&M. Expect it to stay close throughout, but the Aggies prevail in the end.


3) No. 11 Florida State at No. 21 Clemson – 3:30 PM on ESPN

Clemson has a massive win over Auburn, but that was just the first of the three games in a row that will push the Tigers to their limits. FSU is facing problems of their own on the injury front after their loss last week to top ranked Oklahoma.

Clemson answered all the doubters last week with their two touchdown victory over Auburn, after being down by two touchdowns themselves earlier in the game. Tajh Boyd had nearly 400 yards passing and 4 touchdowns to end the defending National Champions 17 game winning streak. The one sour note for Clemson in that game was their lackluster defense.

As for Florida State, the team doctor should be able to afford a yacht considering all the injuries that team is dealing with. Most importantly, E.J. Manuel has a sprained non-throwing shoulder, which could keep him out or limit his effectiveness in the game on Saturday. The Seminoles also have injury issues at wide receiver and running back.

FSU can exploit the Clemson defense, but they need to stay mistake free and keep the ball out of Boyd’s hands. FSU also needs to keep play-making wide receiver Sammy Watkins under wraps, after he dominated against Auburn’s secondary. FSU hasn’t won in Death Valley since 2001. I think that is a streak Clemson will help continue this week, but it’ll be a close game.


4) No. 2 LSU at No. 16 West Virginia – 8:00 PM on ABC

Of the many realignment rumors over the past week, one that sticks out is West Virginia’s possible move to the SEC if the Big East falls apart. This game could be a preview of future SEC conference battles if that comes to pass.

To start off, I think I owe an apology to Jarrett Lee. I once compared his play to eating rancid meat. He’s actually not half bad. He reminds of Trent Dilfer during the Baltimore Ravens Super Bowl year. He won’t win games for you, but he won’t lose them for you either.

The key to victory for LSU is their defense. They are one of the best defensive teams in the country and proved that in Week 1 against Oregon. They are going to have an equally tough challenge against West Virginia.

West Virginia really doesn’t have a running game to speak of. The basis offensive strategy for the Mountaineers is to give the ball to Geno Smith and tell him to throw it. Giving WVU credit, it’s worked for them, as they are 6th in the country in passing yards per game. Unfortunately for WVU, a one dimensional offense will not work against LSU.

I see the LSU defense causing West Virginia fits and Jarrett Lee using great field position to score offensive points. Expect LSU to win this by at least a touchdown.


5) Vanderbilt at No. 12 South Carolina – 7:00 PM on ESPN2

I’ve been doing the Touchdown for close to 6 years now and I think this is the first time Vanderbilt has ever made it. Congratulations Commodores.

Vanderbilt has flown under the radar starting out 3-0, beating quality opponents like UConn and Ole Miss. The defense for Vandy is going to be the key. They create loads of turnovers and the offense has the ability to capitalize. Expect Vandy to run the ball a lot on offense, as quarterback Larry Smith isn’t exactly wowing people with his abilities.

Speaking of inconsistent quarterbacks, I’m convinced the Stephen Garcia has two settings: Heisman and Spaz. Garcia was in “spaz” mode against Navy last week so the offense turned to Marcus Lattimore to run the ball (246 yards rushing on 37 carries). Expect more of the same from Lattimore this week, considering Vandy leads the FBS in interceptions.

South Carolina seems to want to play every game with a degree of difficulty. Every game this year has been closer than it should have been. It’ll come back to bite them at some point. I think South Carolina wins it, but it’ll be closer than anyone expects.


6) No. 10 Oregon at Arizona – 10:15 PM on ESPN2

Last year I had a man-crush on Jake Locker, this year it’s Nick Foles. Expect lots of passing, lots of offense, and an Arizona loss. With all that said, it should be a fun game.


Extra Point:

Earlier this week, I had written, in my mind, a nice article on the facts and speculation of college football realignment. Not 24 hours later, the Pac 12 said “no thanks” to Texas, Texas Tech, Oklahoma, and Oklahoma State, thereby blowing up my article.

The reason is the odious Longhorn Network. If you are not accustomed to the Longhorn Network, picture the Big Ten Network, if it only focused on Ohio State. Basically, when Texas and ESPN developed the idea, it was a big middle finger to the rest of the Big 12.

The main reason Nebraska bolted to the Big Ten was that it was tired of being treated like a second class citizen. Once Nebraska left, I figured that the other dominos would fall. While a team like Baylor may not have the cache to find another top flight conference, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, and Texas A&M could surely find a new place.

The Aggies were the first out of the shoot with an invite to join the SEC. This, along with the previous defections of Nebraska and Colorado, brought the Big 12 down to nine teams and on the precipice of implosion. This was why Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas, and Texas Tech all decided to talk to the Pac 12 about a super-conference.

The major stumbling block and eventual deal-killer was the Longhorn Network. Yet again, the monument to Texas self-absorption proved too much for some to handle. The reasoning from the Pac 12 was sound. They didn’t want two separate revenue models, one for Texas and a different one for the remaining fifteen teams.

So, here’s the deal. If you live in Big 12 Country and you love the conference and are scared that it will self-destruct with teams joining other conferences and natural rivalries being lost, you get a convenient scapegoat. Don’t blame Nebraska, Colorado, or Texas A&M. Blame the University of Texas and the Longhorn Network. Instead of “hook’em horns”, flash them a whole new hand gesture.

College Football Realignment: 2011 Edition

If you thought the first round of realignment in college football was crazy, the second round is chaotic. It is hard to separate fact from speculation and the good from the bad. So, we’re going to dive right in and take a look at this by conference and see who comes out on top and who is left in the dust.

ACC:

Fact:

The ACC will gain both Pittsburgh and Syracuse. The timing depends on other factors involving the Big East, Big 12, and Pac 12 to be discussed later. The longest it would take would be 27 months, due to Big East Conference bylaws.

Speculation:

UConn and Rutgers are both in talks to join the ACC. It is looking increasingly likely that this will happen. Another wrinkle is the fact that Notre Dame, if feeling they couldn’t make it as an independent, they would first look to the ACC before the Big Ten.

End Result:

So far, it’s a win for the ACC. The conference looked on the brink of collapse at the beginning of the season, with Miami facing the death penalty and talks of Clemson moving to the SEC. Now, the ACC is looking like it’ll have a presence all up and down the Eastern seaboard.

If they can pull in UConn and Rutgers, they’ll be the first super-conference. I can’t be the only one excited about the possibility of a super-conference. Sixteen teams battling for a conference crown. This is good stuff.

SEC:

Fact:

The SEC is adding its 13th member with Texas A&M. Additional candidates will pop up once everything shakes out.

Speculation:

Two top teams on the SEC radar are West Virginia and Missouri. If the Big East and Big 12 merger or implode, look for WVU to definitely make the move. It would be a smart pick-up for the SEC. Missouri would be a good addition to the SEC West.

End Result:

Solid results for the SEC so far. Texas A&M is a good pick-up and WVU and Missouri would definitely help solidify the conference as the best in the country. The SEC, like the ACC, will pick who they want and are in the driver’s seat as to who they’ll accept. It’s a good position to be in these trying times.

Big East:

Fact:

The conference is losing Pittsburgh and Syracuse. However, they will be gaining TCU before the next football season.

Speculation:

Doom! The Big East is on the brink of losing UConn and Rutgers. If they go forward with the Big 12 merger, they will most likely lose West Virginia. Of course, this will free up both Pitt and Syracuse to move under the 27 month window.

End Result:

I do not see the Big East surviving. Of course, this is a good thing for college football. The quality of football in that conference was sub-par at best. Although, if the Big 12/Big East merger goes through, I don’t see the quality really picking up.

The one team you feel sorry for is TCU. They wanted a nice easy conference to dominate and get an automatic BCS bid. Now, they’re like the youngest child watching the bitter divorce of their parents. They’re not quite sure what’s going on, but they know they’ll get screwed in the end.

Big 12:

Fact:

Texas A&M has left for the SEC. Texas and Oklahoma have given their Presidents permission to talk to the Pac 12 about joining, which is a move that will bring Texas Tech and Oklahoma State with them.

Speculation:

If the move of the four schools to the Pac 12 goes though, there are a number of things that could happen. There is the possibility of the aforementioned merger with the Big East, in which Baylor, Iowa State, Kansas, Kansas State, and Missouri would absorb all the remaining Big East teams.

The Big 12 could just cease to exist, leaving the above mentioned teams to find their own conferences. Scuttlebutt on Saturday was the Baylor and Iowa State were in talks with the Big East and Missouri is known to fancy the SEC.

End Result:

Not good. While Texas greed is the reason for the end of the Big 12 as we used to know it, it’s almost sad to see the once mighty conference left to scramble for scraps. The best the Big 12 could hope for would be the merger deal, while keeping West Virginia and Missouri. However, I predict that WVU becomes the 14th member of the SEC, while Missouri tries to get into either the SEC or Big Ten.

Pac 12:

Fact:

No moves as of yet. However, the speculation is enough to set the world on fire.

Speculation:

Texas, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, and Texas Tech are in talks to move to the Pac 12, making it a super-conference. Texas, as always, still has the ability to scuttle any deal. However, this looks like it might happen.

End Result:

A Pac 16? It’s a no-brainer. If they pull this off, the Pac 16 is the big winner in the realignment shuffle. Oklahoma and Texas are massive prizes and will mean good things for the new conference. The main hurdle is how to make the new conference work. My guess would be that they will make the announcement and the ACC will follow suit.

Also, everyone needs to find a way around the particularly loathsome Longhorn Network, which will have issues considering the Pac 12 already has a conference network. The Pac 12 has the edge here, since they don’t need Texas. However, with the defection of Texas A&M and the fact Missouri wants out, Texas is going to need to do something fast.

End Conclusion:

There are people who are going to support realignment and those against it. It’s like a Presidential Election, there is always going to be a group of people upset by it. However, I see this as a natural evolution of college football.

The problem all started when Texas wanted their own network and the Big 12 decided to let them have it. Nebraska didn’t like it and bolted to the Big Ten. It all started a domino effect. The thing is that as college football becomes big business, schools are going to do what is in their financial best interest (or what they think will be in their financial best interest).

Nebraska was tired of being the red-headed stepchild of the Big 12 and wanted more of the pie. This year, Pittsburgh, Texas A&M, and Syracuse all found greener pastures in different conferences. The landscape of college football is changing daily and teams are scrambling to find solid ground.

There are even more possible moves that I didn’t mention above. One interesting possibility is the merger between the Mountain West and Conference USA, which would give the newly formed conference an automatic BCS bid. With the Big East on the verge of losing their automatic bid, this could be huge.

According to a recent poll done by Baylor, 76 percent of college fans would be disappointed with super-conferences. Of course, the poll was done in Big 12 states, so I don’t know how much stock can be put into it. The problem is that this is going to happen. If you could find me one person in the 76 percent who is going to boycott college football because of this, I’ll eat this article. Just make sure you pass me some ketchup.

Trent's Touchdown: Six Week 3 College Football Games to Watch

Welcome to Week 3 of the college football season. I think ESPN is calling this “Road Test Weekend”. While an apt title, I wonder who comes up with this stuff. If any games this week are as thrilling as the Notre Dame/Michigan game last week, we’re in for a treat. Anyway, on to the Touchdown:

1) No. 1 Oklahoma at No. 5 Florida State – 8:00 PM on ABC

This game is a must-win for both of these teams if they want to play in the National Championship Game. Oklahoma no longer has a conference championship game to show off in and FSU belongs to an overall weak conference, so this is it.

Both teams have been impressive to start the season, but that’s inconsequential as the opponents have all been easy. So, here’s what we know. Oklahoma can light it up offensively. I may not like Landry Jones, but does have the ability to spread the ball around and make plays (when he’s not throwing interceptions).

The Oklahoma defense will have their hands full with E.J. Manuel. While I don’t trust Manuel, he has the ability to fire up his team and take off running if needed. He can be a little erratic when throwing the ball but he’ll most likely be targeting Rodney Smith at wide-out. FSU will definitely have problems running the ball against the tough Oklahoma defense.

Oklahoma probably has the most well-balanced offense in the country and has a good enough defense to contain most of the teams they’ll face this year. The Sooners need to come out fast, take the crowd out of it, and give Landry Jones enough of a cushion so he doesn’t feel pressured to have to perform (like last year’s game against Missouri).

Oklahoma wins this one by two touchdowns, but FSU keeps it interesting through half-time.


2) No. 15 Michigan State at Notre Dame – 3:30 PM on NBC

This game last year put everyone on notice that Michigan State was for real. This could be just the statement game they need to get everyone’s attention this year again.

With all the conference realignment talk in the Big Ten, Wisconsin being the team to beat, and Ohio State’s drama, Michigan State has flown under the radar. Proof positive of that statement is the fact that 0-2 Notre Dame is actually favored to win this game.

In my mind, Kirk Cousins is probably the best quarterback in the Big Ten. He throws quality balls and doesn’t make dumb mistakes. He should have no issues throwing on the Notre Dame defense, as they need to stay cognizant of the MSU rushing attack, which can eat a defense up if they aren’t prepared.

Things aren’t looking good for Notre Dame, especially after that last second loss to Michigan last week. The worst part about that is the fact that Notre Dame had the ability to put that game away early and let the opportunity slip through their fingers.

The decision by Brian Kelly to start Tommy Rees is actually starting to look like a good decision. While he did have two picks, he was effective moving the ball through the air. MSU is going to need to blanket Michael Floyd, as Rees always goes to Floyd when he’s in trouble. The Irish need to use Cierre Wood and a running game to ensure that MSU doesn’t focus solely on the pass.

All signs point to this being a close game. Notre Dame has the ability to keep every game close before finding a way to lose. Michigan State pulls this one out in the last two minutes of the game, leaving Irish fans miserable, despondent, and clinging to the argument that Rees is better than Crist.

3) No. 6 Stanford at Arizona – 10:45 PM on ESPN

Finally, I can stop talking about the running game because this game features Nick Foles and Andrew Luck, the two best quarterbacks in the Pac-12. Okay, I will bring up the running game, but it won’t be complimentary.

If you don’t know who Andrew Luck is, just stop reading right now, because college football is not for you. Even though Stanford has had no real competition, they have done what good teams do against inferior opponents and give us a few minutes of Sportscenter highlights out of the deal. Stanford has also been able to use its running game to make defenses stay honest. Stepfan Taylor isn’t going to light the world on fire, but he can give you 50 to 75 yards a game.

Arizona, on the other hand, has no running game. I think I can gain more rushing yards than Keola Antolin and Ka’Deem Carey combined. The Arizona offense is all on the shoulders of Nick Foles. Foles has a completion percentage above 75% and nearly double the passing yards of Luck.

However, with such a one sided offensive attack, it’s easy for defenses to key on Foles and not have to worry about any other threats. Expect the Stanford defense to do just that. Arizona will have a much tougher time on defense as the Stanford offense is a more balanced attack.

If you’re a fan of aerial displays, this is the game for you. If Arizona goes down early, they’ll give up all pretense of running and let Foles throw it until his arm falls off. Stanford wins this game, but it’ll be closer if Arizona finally learns how to run the ball.

4) No. 21 Auburn at Clemson – 12:00 PM on ABC

This is a rematch of last year’s game which pretty much told the world that Cam Newton was for real. Thankfully, for Clemson fans, Newton is in the NFL and don’t have to worry about him anymore. Of course, neither do Auburn fans, but that’s another point entirely.

The defending National Champions are getting no respect this year, mostly for good reason. This year should be a window into what would have happened to Auburn last year if Newton wasn’t around. Their offensive running game is suspect, which is kind of sad when you have Michael Dyer and Onterio McCalebb in the backfield. If that wasn’t enough, the defense is pretty bad and that’s not a description you want when you’re in the SEC West.

Clemson has been offensively sound, with Andre Ellington running the ball for big yards. However, they let bad teams stick around for far too long in games. This is going to come back to big them if they don’t take advantage of the opportunities they have. The Clemson defense isn’t too great either and gave up huge rushing numbers to Wofford.

Like last year, this game will be close. However, unlike last year, Clemson will be able to pull it out in the end.

5) No. 23 Texas at UCLA – 3:30 PM on ABC

For all you Texas fans out there, last year, this game marked the beginning of the end. We’ll see if this year will bring about different results.

The most intriguing part of this game is the whole quarterback situation for both teams. Let’s start with Texas since I’m giddy that we have another McCoy at Texas. That’s right; Case McCoy came off the bench to save Texas’ bacon against BYU last week. He rallied the team around him and he led them to victory. Don’t expect to see Garrett Gilbert anytime soon.

As for UCLA, Kevin Prince left last week’s game with a minor concussion, but he is cleared to play. It’s just a question of whether he’ll start, as Richard Brehaut did pretty well in relief. Even with the UCLA quarterback situation in flux, you can count on Derrick Coleman to put up some good rushing yards to help out.

I learned a long time ago to never bet against a Texas team led by a kid named McCoy. If only for that reason, I’m thinking Texas wins it. It’ll be close though, considering Texas is getting used to a competent quarterback.

6) No. 17 Ohio State at Miami – 7:30 PM on ESPN

This game is fun just because you can come up with so many jokes for it. How about the Convict Bowl? Can we just use this game as a scared straight video for kids about to start playing in college? Is this game sponsored by the NCAA Investigations Department? Come on, think up your own, it’s fun.

Extra Point:

If you’ve paid attention to college football this week, you know that the NCAA smacked down Boise State for rules violations. They will lose nine scholarships over a three year span and the athletic department will be on three year’s probation. In addition, the NCAA also reduced the number of spring and preseason practices BSU can hold.

Before the NCAA handed down the penalties, Boise State did what all good college programs should do. They created self-imposed sanctions. While the school did reduce the number of scholarships and practices, the NCAA felt this wasn’t enough.

Head coach Chris Petersen said he was “surprised by the findings”. Actually, anyone who has followed college football for the last year shouldn’t be surprised. The NCAA has a bit of a black eye over the last year, with a vacated National Championship, a vacated Heisman Trophy, and a vacated ACC Championship. Let’s not forget the Ohio State and Miami scandals.

The NCAA needed to drop the hammer. While in the past the self-imposed sanctions would have been enough to let the NCAA walk away from this, the current climate in college football today necessitates that the NCAA call down the thunder on the slightest indiscretion. Know this, if your favorite team is the target of a NCAA probe, prepare for the worst.

Clemson Tigers Football: Three Games in Hell

My alternative title for this article was “How Dabo Swinney loses his job”, but decided to be a little optimistic. For the Clemson season, the next three weeks are critical. It is probably one of the toughest three week spans for any team not in the SEC. It will also show if Clemson has decided to be a contender or an also-ran. So, let’s look at these games.

At Home vs. Auburn – September 17:

Clemson gets the defending National Champion after the heartbreaking overtime loss in Auburn last year. It was also the game where Cam Newton decided he needed to be “the man” and carry his team to victory. But that was last year.

Auburn this year has pretty much the same problem last year. They get into close games and hope that someone will bail them out. Unfortunately, Cam Newton is in the NFL. While you would expect more out of a SEC West defense, Auburn can’t stop the run. While this wasn’t an issue last year, that will get them into a mess of trouble this year.

Andre Ellington is going to be the key to a Clemson victory here. He needs to do in this game what he did in last year’s loss to Auburn, which is to gain lots of yards on the ground and beat up the Auburn run defense. This will open up Tajh Boyd to make plays as he should have plenty of time to throw the ball.

The problem Clemson will have is stopping the run. As they’ve had issues against Wofford stopping the run, don’t expect it to be easier when facing Michael Dyer and Onterio McCalebb. While Clemson will have issues in this game, it is clearly the most winnable of the three.

At Home vs. Florida State – September 24:

One week after Florida State gets top ranked Oklahoma at home, they have to go on the road to Death Valley. I think Clemson’s chances in this game hinge on what Oklahoma does to FSU. If FSU wins, the ride a wave of confidence of knocking off a number 1, if they lose, they could be let down over their chance to move to one of the best teams in the country.

Clemson is going to need a more balanced offensive attack to thwart the FSU defense. Therefore, Tajh Boyd is the key to a Clemson victory here. He needs to be able to successful throw the ball, not take sacks, and generally keep the FSU defense worried about the pass to let Ellington successfully carry the ball.

As far as the defense is concerned, the Clemson defense needs to be more focused on the run. They have had horrible games trying to stop the run and I don’t buy the argument that they were unfocused. E.J. Manuel is not that great of a quarterback and if the defense forces him to have to throw the ball, Clemson should be in a good position. Not saying it’ll happen, but Clemson could win this one. Don’t forget, FSU is a paper tiger.

On the Road vs. Virginia Tech – October 1:

The fifth game on the Virginia Tech schedule is also the first real test the Hokies will face this season, considering the toughest opponent they will have faced before this game is East Carolina. However, this is also the toughest of the three games for Clemson. It’s doesn’t help that the game is in Blacksburg.

Even though Virginia Tech is in a bit of a transition period, they are going to be the toughest ACC opponent Clemson will face this year. The key for Clemson is going to be their run defense. If they can contain David Wilson, they put the game in the hands of the inexperienced and shaky Logan Thomas. Good things will happen at this point.

The Clemson offense will need to play mistake free against the Virginia Tech defense to capitalize. The VT defense was pretty poor last year and they are looking to redeem themselves, as seen with the victory over East Carolina. The big question that still needs to be answered is if Boyd will be the quarterback everyone thinks he can become. Clemson could eke out a victory in this one.

End Result:

Okay, I’m not going to sugar coat this. What I ran through above is best case scenario for Clemson. This is by no means what is going to happen. Clemson has some serious issues in letting bad teams hang around way too long (like last weeks Wofford game). They can’t do this and expect to win and of these games.

Most rational people would say that Clemson either goes 2-1 (at best) or 1-2 (most likely). I think winless or undefeated in these three games is highly unlikely. However, unless Clemson does go 2-1 in this stretch, Dabo Swinney will lose his job at the end of the season.

No matter how good a Clemson team is, they have a knack for losing games they should win. Following these three games, the Tigers have 6 games against ACC opponents (3 at home, 3 on the road), then the end of the year match at South Carolina. Clemson does not run the table in the ACC after these games.

Swinney can salvage his job with an 8-4 season and a back door invitation to the ACC Championship Game. Clemson isn’t going through the front door (issues winning winnable games) and they are going to need FSU to falter somewhere along the way. The key game in this stretch is FSU. They need to beat them to have any hope of making the ACC Championship Game.

We’ll get a picture of Clemson on Saturday at 12 noon against Auburn. We’ll see if this year’s Clemson team is ready to make a step or two forward or if they’re the same as all the other Clemson teams of the past few years. God help us if they find snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.

Trent's Touchdown: Six Week 2 College Football Games to Watch

Welcome to week 2 of the college football season. While no real huge shockers as far as scores last week, we got a nice quarterback controversy in Notre Dame and a bunch of new head coaches got wins.

I think the biggest shocker was some of those new uniforms. I thought I was going to have a seizure when I saw the new Georgia uniforms. Those things were ghastly. But enough of me auditioning to be a judge on Project Runway, on to the Touchdown.

1) No. 3 Alabama at No. 23 Penn State – 3:30 PM on ABC

Two words you never want to hear when talking about your favorite teams some up when talking about these teams: quarterback controversy. Although, it’s less of a controversy and more of a question mark.

After the Greg McElroy years, Nick Saban is still undecided on who to name as starting quarterback. Neither McCarron nor Sims really distinguished themselves, throwing a combined 1 touchdown and 4 interceptions against Kent State. They’ll have issues with the experienced secondary of Penn State.

For Penn State, while there were no interceptions, Bolden and McGloin only threw for a combined 114 years. The main problem Penn State has is quarterback protection, where the PSU offensive line had troubles against the vaunted pass rush of Indiana State.

The game plan on for both teams will be fairly similar. They both want to use the running game, make sure their quarterbacks don’t screw up, and let the defense win it for them. The edge in this one goes to Alabama because the Bama defense will make Bolden and McGloin throw the ball.

That won’t be an issue for Alabama. Their quarterbacks can throw the ball; it’s just a question of keeping it out of the secondary’s hands. Alabama wins, but it’s closer than it should be.

2) No. 12 South Carolina at Georgia – 4:30 PM on ESPN

The SEC season has begun and not a minute too soon. The winner gets early position in the SEC East race. However, early position in that division doesn’t mean much since all the teams are on an even level really.

South Carolina is the favorite to win the division, yet they seem to want to win with a degree of difficulty. It really comes down to Stephen Garcia, who is really all over the place. One game he’s great, the next he’s horrible. I never know what to make of him.

One thing Garcia should do is throw early and often to Alshon Jeffery. It took me a while to get on the Jeffery bandwagon, but I’m a convert now. However, I know the Spurrier game plan in this one. Run Marcus Lattimore until either Georgia stops him or he passes out from exhaustion.

Georgia is going to have trouble stopping the run as one of their best linebackers is out due to foot surgery. Plus, Lattimore is not an easy guy to take down. Last year they had issues with that and this year won’t be much different.

While I have faith in Aaron Murray, Georgia needs more offensive weapons. I’m starting to get the feeling that Brandon Boykin is going to be asked to play both ways this year. Not that that’s a bad thing, especially when your number one receiver is the tight end.

I’m going to say it’ll stay close due to South Carolina’s inability to play a flawless game, but I think they will win. Although Georgia could win and it wouldn’t surprise me. The only thing I know for certain is that the Georgia uniforms assault my eyes.

3) Notre Dame at Michigan – 8:00 PM on ESPN

I feel kind of bad that ESPN got roped into this being the prime time game and neither team is ranked. But hey, it’s a night game in Ann Arbor and that has to count for something.

After the dismal performance last week against South Florida, Notre Dame is floundering. Brian Kelly did the only thing he could do; bench Dayne Crist in favor of Tommy Rees. While this flies in the face of my personal feelings about someone over the age of five going by the name “Tommy”, it’s the move that needed to be made.

Any football fan will tell you that the fans favorite player is the back-up quarterback, especially if your starter is shaky. While I would normally support Crist (I just love saying the name), I think the rabid Irish fan base needs to see Rees either succeed or fall on his face. I don’t know which it is, though I am growing tired of all the “Rees is the man” articles I’ve been reading by writers who two weeks ago stated that “Crist is the man”.

Michigan has the same problem they had last year and it was the one I was harping on when everyone was jumping on the Michigan bandwagon. Denard Robinson is the problem, not the solution. His mindset is run first, throw second. He needs to get more comfortable in the pocket and look for the open man.

However, Notre Dame showed last week they have issues with mobile quarterback, but I trust B.J. Daniels throwing the ball more than Robinson. The Irish defense needs to be able to contain Robinson if they want a shot a winning. One the flip side, the Irish should be able to get some offense going against Michigan, they just need to start Rees off slowly and let him build confidence.

I feel Notre Dame gets their feet under them in this game and finally gets a victory. The defense will have issues, but will be able to stop Robinson when it counts.

4) Oregon State at No. 8 Wisconsin – 12:00 PM on ESPN

I know you’re all wondering why I’m putting this game up here, considering Oregon State lost last week, at home, to Sacramento State. Of course, you’re all probably wondering when Sacramento became a state too (yeah, yeah, bad pun).

Listen, even though Oregon State lost, they are still a scary team. The OSU running attack under Malcolm Agnew is brilliant. He carried the ball 33 times for 223 yards and 3 touchdowns. Those are crazy numbers. The only issue is can he get those types of yards against a tough Wisconsin defense.

As for Wisconsin, they have the luxury of replacing their seasoned starting quarterback from last year with a seasoned starting quarterback from another school. Russell Wilson has two straight seasons with over 3000 yards passing at North Carolina State before making the move to Wisconsin.

Of course, Wilson has the luxury of having one of the better backfields in the country with Montee Ball and James While. Even Dayne Crist would be successful with that backfield. Even if defenses can stop these two, they then need to be able to stop Wilson. Not an easy task for anyone.

I think Oregon State can actually keep it close for a little bit. They have talent all over the field, but are a bit rudderless. While I think Wisconsin wins it, it’ll be closer than people expect.

5) BYU at No.24 Texas – 7:00 PM on ESPN2

Texas is trying to rebound from a tough season last year while BYU is looking to make a name for itself as an Independent. It’s fun all around.

Texas quarterback Garrett Gilbert is becoming more comfortable running the offense at Texas and no longer looking like a deer in the headlights. Last week, Texas even busted out the wildcat formation against Rice. To me, the wildcat always seems to be an act of desperation. It basically says that you don’t trust your quarterback and don’t respect the defense.

The big problem for Texas is going to be J.J. DiLuigi. Not that he’s an amazing running back, but the fact that Texas can’t stop the run. Also good news for BYU is that Jake Heaps should have plenty of time to throw since the Texas defense can’t rush the quarterback very well either. That said, the Texas defense is an athletic bunch and make stops when they need to.

I see a game that will remind us of the Ole Miss/BYU game last week, very tightly contested and down to the last minute. I think BYU gets out of Austin with a win.

6) No. 16 Mississippi State at Auburn – 12:21 PM on SEC Network

I think I made the joke last week that Auburn could go from national champion to last in the SEC West. Not to worry Auburn fans, you should be able to finish ahead of Ole Miss.

Extra Point:

I am a huge college football fan and my favorite team is Clemson. I have no ties whatsoever to the school. I do not know anyone who has ever been to Clemson. If fact, I don’t think I know anyone who has even been to South Carolina. Strange?

I don’t think so. The thing I don’t understand is the fierce loyalty to a school that you attended. Basically, you have paid an organization large amounts of money to provide a service that is virtually that same everywhere else (unless it’s an Ivy League school) and, in turn, you pay money for and zealously root for that organizations sports teams. It’s just not clicking in my head.

The college I went to for undergrad did not have a football team, but I currently attend Boston College for grad school. I absolutely hate the Boston College football team. Mostly because they just play an ugly version of football. Why can’t we just look at the teams and make a determination?

That’s what I did. I watched Clemson play one day as a young boy and I liked the way there were playing. I decided at that time that they would be my team. I watch teams I enjoy to watch and root for those teams. When I was younger I hated Notre Dame, but now I love them. They are just fun to watch.

So, the whole point is that we should choice teams we like to watch, not because we went to that college. Either that or you should root for teams based on gentle parental manipulation from a young age. That’s the only way I can explain being a New England Patriots fan in the early 1990’s.

The Craziness of Notre Dame Football: 2005-2011

There are a few ways you can tell its fall. The leaves start to change, the weather gets a little cooler, Sam Adams Octoberfest hits the shelves, and the Notre Dame football team implodes. It’s like clockwork.

It has to be heartbreaking for fans to see another highly touted Notre Dame team fail to meet early expectations. However, this has been the storyline for a while now in South Bend. While this probably occurred prior to the 2005 season, I’m using that as a jumping off point. The reason is the fact that Tyrone Willingham should never inspire confidence in anyone.

The Charlie Weis Era: The Brady Quinn Years (2005-2006):

While I may have no respect for Tyrone Willingham as a coach or recruiter, he did leave Charlie Weis with a pretty good team in 2005. Willingham was sort of like Ron Zook, but instead of doing his homework and recruiting high quality players, he sort of lucked into guys like Quinn.

While 2006 may have been the more hyped year, 2005 was the best year. The 2005 squad wasn’t expected to do much, with a new coach, new system, and coming off a 6-6 season. However, Quinn seemed to flourish under Weis’ pro-style offense while leading Notre Dame to a 9-3 record.

The 2005 team beat three ranked teams on the road (Pittsburgh, Michigan, and Purdue) and lost their two regular season games by a total of 6 points (Michigan State and USC). The Michigan State game was lost in overtime, but Quinn had rallied the team from a 21 point deficit to get it to overtime. As for the USC game, you can’t mention that to a Notre Dame fan without incoherent ramblings about the “Bush Push” (one of the greatest games ever played).

At the start of the 2006 season, hopes were high and Notre Dame was ranked number 3. Hopes were dashed when Michigan trounced Notre Dame at home by 26 points in the third game of the season. Then, in the final game of the season, Notre Dame got run over by USC by 20 points. They still received a Sugar Bowl berth, only to get blown out by LSU by 27 points.

The Charlie Weis Era: The Jimmy Clausen Years (2007-2009):

At the end of the 2006 season, the Fighting Irish lost a number of players to graduation and the NFL Draft, including Brady Quinn. This left room for freshman Jimmy Clausen to take the reins. Freshman starting quarterbacks usually don’t mean good things. I think you can tell where the 2007 season is heading.

Here is a quick recap of the 2007 season. Notre Dame went 3-9, starting out 0-5 before their first victory (UCLA on the road), then losing four in a row before back to back victories (Duke and Stanford) to end the season. As the season went on, Clausen started to show improvement, so things seemed to be turning around a bit.

The 2008 season was lackluster, but a definite improvement at 7-6. There was only one blowout loss (USC by 35 on the road). The remaining five losses were by a total of 42 points, which is respectable. Only two of those losses came at home, by a combined 4 points. Notre Dame managed a Hawaii Bowl berth and beat Hawaii 49-21. Hopes were high that Notre Dame could build off this and improve the following year.

In the 2009 season, Notre Dame started off 6-2, with close losses to Michigan (by 4 on the road) and USC (by 7 at home). At this point, the Fighting Irish were ranked 19, with four games remaining. Those four games were home against Navy, on the road against Pitt (ranked 8), UConn at home, and on the road against Stanford. Any right minded fan would think, based on the season at this point, that Notre Dame would go 3-1 in this stretch.

The Fighting Irish lost all four. I think the worst part was that they were all close games. They lost all 4 by a total of 17 points. The Stanford game pretty much ended the Charlie Weis era by giving up 18 points in the 4th quarter. It was so bad, that Notre Dame announced that they wouldn’t attend a bowl game that year, even though they were eligible.

The Brian Kelly Era: The Dayne Crist/Tommy Rees Years (2010-present):

After Charlie Weis was shown the door, Notre Dame hired Brian Kelly after his sterling year at Cincinnati. He immediately needed a quarterback since Jimmy Clausen decided he had enough and was going to the NFL Draft. Dayne Crist and his sketchy knee got the nod to run Kelly’s spread offense.

While the 2009 team was great to watch as a football fan (due to the close nature of nearly every game), the 2010 team needed to be watched just because you had no clue what the heck was going to happen from week to week. The 2010 season was a roller coaster ride.

Notre Dame started out 1-3, with the loss to Michigan coming on Michigan’s final drive and the loss to Michigan State coming in overtime on a fake field goal. The Irish then win 3 straight, making everyone think they turned it around. They then lose to Navy and Tulsa, with Crist blowing out his knew in the Tulsa loss.

Freshman Tommy Rees comes in beats number 15 Utah at home, beats Army at Yankee Stadium, and goes to Coliseum and beats USC. Just to end on a high note, he leads the Irish to a beat-down of Miami. They finish with a respectable 8-5 season. You could almost feel the anticipation by Irish fans for the start of the season.

In the off-season, the quarterback battle ended when Crist got the starting nod for the first game against South Florida. With a pre-season ranking of #16 and a pretty favorable schedule, some fans thought this might be the start of a return to a BCS Bowl. In the immortal words of Lee Corso, “not so fast my friend”.

Notre Dame got off to a slow start and underestimated the scrappy South Florida team. The ineffective Dayne Crist was replaced by Tommy Rees. Rees did better by comparison, but there were plays in the red zone that left you wondering if Crist would have gotten it done. With the three point loss at home, Notre Dame tumbled out of the top 25. They now have to man-up for a trip to Ann Arbor and Michigan.

The End Result:

Notre Dame has been awash with talented players and coaches since 2005. Minus the 2007 season, there really isn’t an excuse for the 43-33 record over that time period. The offense hasn’t really been the issue over that time, except for the times when Clausen looked like a deer in the headlights. They had two offense minded coaches who were quiet skilled at moving the ball.

The one explanation I have always heard has been the bad defense. I agree with that, to a point. Yes, Notre Dame had issues stopping teams. They also gave up points at inopportune times and couldn’t seem to stop good offensive teams. I fully agree that the defense bares a bulk of the responsibility.

However, the offense was never lighting the world on fire. The offense was riddled with bad play calling, bad execution, and dumb plays more times than I could count. I have trouble watching a Notre Dame game from start to finish because it just becomes grating to watch a receiver run a 5 yard out when they need 8 yards.

So, I have to feel bad for Notre Dame fans because the teams have the talent, they just can’t seem to make the final leap and capitalize on it. I guess I can sympathize because it’s kind of like being a New England Patriots fan right now. You know they have all the parts, you get excited before the season because of all the good things you’ve heard, but in the back of your mind, you’re wondering how they’re going to blow it.

Look on the bright side, maybe this was a one-time deal before the two headed monster of Rees and Crist lead the Irish to new heights. Of course, if you think that can actually happen, maybe you should buy some lottery tickets too.