NCAA By The Numbers: Week 7

1:  Completed passes by Ohio State quarterback Braxton Miller in the Buckeyes' 17-7 upset of the Fighting Illini in Champaign, Illinois.  Luke Fickell seems to have found the way to win.  Prevent turnovers by keeping the ball far, far away from the horrible quarterbacks on his team.  The Buckeyes ran the ball

2:  Consecutive kick return TDs scored by Oklahoma State and Texas to begin the second half.  Oklahoma State took the opening kickoff of the second half and CB Josh Gilbert returned it 94 yards for a TD.  In response, Texas RB Fozzy Whittaker took the ensuing kickoff 105 yards for a score in return.  The last time two consecutive kickoffs were returned for TDs in a game was back in 2005 between Ohio and Ball State.

3: Undefeated teams that were upset on Saturday, leaving ten in Division-I.  Michigan lost their early game in East Lansing, Illinois lost at home to a team that has yet to discover the forward pass, and Georgia Tech lost to Virginia somehow.


9: Total first downs for Ole Miss in their entire game against Alabama.  Ole Miss scored on a 5 play, 72 yard drive to open the game and take an early 7-0 lead.  Ole Miss only mustered 69 yards of offense in the remaining 58 minutes and 30 seconds of the game, and surrendered 52 unanswered points to the Crimson Tide.  Houston Nutt's fate is sealed at this point, but performances like this continue to make Ole Miss look worse.  Alabama showed again that you can score on them early, but after about the first or second quarter, they lock down on defense and allow nothing.  Another number: 1.5.  Yards per carry Alabama is allowing this season, which is .6 yards lower than any other FBS team.

11: Number of sacks for the Michigan State defense in their past two games (6 coming in this game) after only managing 5 sacks in their first four games.  While both teams had 18 first downs, the Spartans were the only passable offense in this game.  Michigan quarterbacks combined to go 12/31 for only 168 yards in East Lansing, where winds were swirling at up to 40 miles per hour.  More odd was the Michigan Wolverines playcalling, which went completely away from the offense that got them to 6-0.  Michigan drove down on the first drive, and completely went away from their offense.  Denard had very few designed QB runs compared to the last few weeks, and only managed 42 yards, as quite a few of his runs were scrambles or sacks.  MSU RB Edwin Baker ran for 169 yards and a touchdown to lead the Spartans to their fourth straight victory over Michigan.  As Mark Dantonio said in a postgame interview: "Times have changed".


39: Points Clemson scored in the second half to overcome a major upset at the hands of Maryland.  Maryland went up 35-17 with 13:41 left in the 3rd quarter, and Clemson outscored Maryland 39-10 from that point on.  RB Andre Ellington rushed 24 times for 214 yards and 2 TDs.  QB Tajh Boyd went 26/38 passing for 269 yards, 4 TDs and 1 INT.   Honorable mention goes to Maryland's do-it-all QB C.J. Brown who accounted for 341 of Maryland's 466 total yards, with 176 passing yards and 23 rushes for 165 rushing yards.  Maryland scored 45 points and lost, they can't have expected that.

241: Difference in yardage gained between Texas Tech and Kansas State, and despite Tech's major advantage on offense, Kansas State emerged victorious 41-34.  The Wildcats scored their first two touchdowns on an interception return for a TD and a kickoff return for a TD.  Seth Doege threw his typical 60+ passes, but in an atypical performance, he threw 3 interceptions along with his 68.3% completions and 461 yards.  Tech couldn't run the ball, as they had 33 rushes for a mere 119 yards.  This could be due in part to the loss of RB Eric Stephens this week to a season-ending injury.  On the other side, QB Collin Klein has carried the ball 19 times in every game thus far, and nothing changed on Saturday, as he toted the rock 23 times for 110 yards.  He also went 12/18 for 146 yards throwing the ball.  Kansas State's zone read offense did just enough to win, and in this game, that meant not turning the ball over, while the Red Raiders had 4 turnovers of their own.

326: Career receptions for Oklahoma WR Ryan Broyles, making him the NCAA all-time leader in receptions, overtaking Purdue WR Taylor Stubblefield's previous record of 316.  Broyles notched 13 receptions for 217 yards and 2 TDs in the Sooners' 47-17 win over Kansas.  

412: Combined yards in the Kent State 9-3 victory over Miami (OH).  Kent State had 244 yards, while Miami (OH) had 168, and the teams combined for a mere 7 conversions on 31 total third downs.  On 70 total rushes, both teams combined for less than 2 yards per carry (70 carries for 128 yards).  Another number: 20.  That's the number of total punts in what looked more like a soccer game than football.  MAC football, feel the mediocrity overtake you.

494: Rushing yards for Northern Illinois in their 51-22 rout of MAC foe Western Michigan.  Northern Illinois was down 15-7 after an Alex Carder TD pass with 8:20 left in the 2nd quarter.  Then in the next 28 minutes of game play, Northern Illinois scored 44 unanswered points, and led 51-15 with 10:34 left in the game.  QB Chandler Harnish accounted for 432 yards, 229 of which came on his 14 carries on the ground. Harnish is second only to Denard Robinson in rushing yards for quarterbacks, with 610 yards in the young season and a 7.4 yards per carry average.  The Huskies travel to Toledo on November 1st, for what will likely decide who represents the MAC West division in the MAC Championship game.

742: Total yards of offense that Boise State totaled on Saturday against Colorado State.  Heisman candidate Kellen Moore was flawless, going 26/30 for 338 yards and 4 TDs.  His main target was WR Tyler Shoemaker who caught 9 passes for 180 yards and 2 TDs.  RB Doug Martin rushed 20 times for 200 yards and 3 TDs in the 63-13 rout, in which Boise scored all 9 of their touchdowns in the first 40:14 of game time.

Scouting Notebook: #1 LSU @ Tennessee

During games periodically, I'll write down thoughts about games as they take place, and share them with you, the readers, to help break down major plays in the games, as well as familiarize you with the players you'll see all season and potentially on Sundays in the NFL.  All the thoughts are in chronological order.

LSU @ Tennessee:

-          LSU CB Tyrann Mathieu is one of the most explosive players in the country.  Every time he gets his hands on the ball, you think it’s going for a touchdown.  I wouldn’t be surprised to see him get a few touches on offense as the year goes on.  He’s impressive defensively too, he hits extremely hard for a 5’9”, 175 lb. corner, and leads LSU in tackles.

-          LSU’s getting dominated on the interior of their line, they’re really missing their starting center, who’s out for the game today.  And Tennessee blocks a field goal!  Until the field goal block is called off due to a delay of game penalty that should have blown the play dead.  Unfortunate for Tennessee, but LSU was clearly about five seconds late on the snap.

-          Tyrann Mathieu got burned, made up for it by jumping out of the building to tip the ball, and Tennessee’s RB Raijon Neal still made a tremendous catch.  The very next play Tennessee tests Morris Claiborne, the other star LSU cornerback deep, and he picks it off, returning it about 90 yards the other way down to the 5.  Wonder if QB Matt Simms and Tennessee learned their lesson yet.

-          LSU calls a HB screen at the perfect time, Spencer Ware runs in basically untouched for a TD.  14-0, and LSU looks like they’ve found their offensive groove.  Time for them to start pulling away.

-          Well, there’s the answer to if Matt Simms learned his lesson yet.  On a solid playaction fake, Matt Simms stares down the outside receiver and forces it into double coverage on a deep post, where safety Eric Reed picks it off for LSU.  Simms had a wide open receiver about 15 yards down the middle of the field.

-          Da’Rick Rogers with a 44 yard reception, one of the first big plays Tennessee has had today.

-          Tennessee’s interior offensive line is dominating the tackles of LSU, Tennessee’s putting together a solid drive. 

-          Great seal block by Tennessee’s right tackle and a solid block by the fullback help Tauren Poole punch it into the endzone.  14-7 LSU, do we have a game now?  I still think not, but Tennessee looks better than expected so far.

-          Freshman WR Odell Beckham Jr. may be every bit as fast as Tyrann Mathieu, Beckham Jr. hits his second gear very quickly.  WRs Odell Beckham, Reuben Randle, Russell Shepard and TE Deangelo Peterson quietly form a very formidable receiving corps.

-          Jordan Jefferson is in now, and is gashing Tennessee on the ground.  He runs a QB power for 10 yards and a first down, then a 6 yard QB power on the next play.

-          Jordan Jefferson has 12 carries for 73 yards, and Spencer Ware 15 carries for 60 yards.  Jefferson runs an option into the end zone to cap a 99-yard TD drive.  This seems like the group of QBs that Les Miles can manage to a national title, just like he did with Matt Flynn and Ryan Perriloux 4 years ago.

-          Great return by Tennessee’s  freshman RB Devrin Young.  That is, until Russell Shepard comes from nowhere and catches him.  Shepard, Beckham, Mathieu, and Claiborne are unreal athletes.  It’s amazing how many great athletes they have. 

-          Spencer Ware is insanely physical.  He seeks out contact, and delivers blows more often than he receives them, that’s how he holds up under the load of carries that LSU gives him and looks unfazed in the fourth quarter. 

-          LSU’s offensive sets aren’t flashy by any means, but they constantly sustain long drives and eat up the clock, which is exactly what they’re gunning for.  LSU wants no part of an offensive shootout where QBs Jarrett Lee and Jordan Jefferson are put in more difficult situations.

-          Great play call by LSU on a WR screen to Russell Shepard.  I predicted 38-7 would be the final score, and what do you know?  It looks like 38-7 will in fact be the final.  LSU’s defense gave up a couple big plays, but nothing all that consequential, and the offense was consistent, scoring on six possessions.  An overall dominant showing by LSU tonight, and just cements the fact that Alabama-LSU will be the de facto national championship game.

Scouting Notebook: Ohio State @ #16 Illinois

During games periodically, I'll write down thoughts about games as they take place, and share them with you, the readers, to help break down major plays in the games, as well as familiarize you with the players you'll see all season and potentially on Sundays in the NFL.  All the thoughts are in chronological order.


Ohio State vs. Illinois:

-          Ohio State QB Braxton Miller runs into RB Dan “Boom” Herron on a running play; he’s still getting the kinks out clearly, being a freshman.  Even as a Wolverines fan, I look forward to seeing how big of a jump forward he takes next year.

-          4 passes were thrown in the first quarter, all by Illinois.  OSU ran the ball 15 times and scored 3 points while keeping the Illini off the scoreboard.  Ideally, they want Miller’s pass attempts under 20 each game at this point.

-          What a tremendous sideline catch on a deep ball by A.J. Jenkins.   Every team knows the pass game is running through him, but no one can stop him.

-          Dan Herron has really added a little bit extra to this offense.  He’s quite obviously their best offensive skill player at this point.

-          Miller’s arm is inspiring absolutely no confidence in the passing game.  His passes are wobbly and he’s not comfortable in the pocket.

-          Ron Zook blows game management 101 again, he had the chance to get the ball back without 40 seconds left in the half and at least attempt to get a field goal, but opts to save his three timeouts.  Someone should tell him timeouts don’t rollover after halftime.

-          Nathan Scheelhaase completely misses a curl route to A.J. Jenkins, picked off by Ohio State.  Dan Herron punches it in and puts Ohio State up 10-0.  Great bounce-out by Herron.  Looks like it’s windy in Champaign, Illinois, as Scheelhaase’s throw floated farther than he anticipated.

-          By the numbers: OSU has run 33 plays. 30 rushes, 3 passes. 

-          A.J. Jenkins is a polished route runner and great pass-catcher.  He snatches everything that comes his way.  He didn’t get much national pub last year as he only had 746 yards, but he had already eclipsed that figure before today’s game on a mere 46 catches thanks to the development of Nathan Scheelhaase.  He’ll be playing on Sundays, and probably for a while.  He doesn’t come across as a #1 receiver, but could definitely profile as a solid #2 receiver down the road.

-          Braxton Miller has dropped back 7 times.  4 times he was sacked, and the other 3 times he threw incompletions.  How does the Illini defense allow him to run for 35 yards on a QB Draw?  Illinois’ players need to know the situation; Ohio State has no passing game whatsoever. 

-          Scheelhaase bobbles a shotgun snap and is tackled at his own 4, because he was looking to his receivers before he even caught the snap.  That should be the end of the Illini’s possession.

o   Except for the fact that they have A.J. Jenkins.  Scheelhaase steps up in the pocket and throws a dart to A.J. Jenkins right at the marker on the sideline, first down Illini.  Big throw by Scheelhaase.

-          A.J. Jenkins with a solid catch, and loses the ball.  OSU recovers the fumble.  Illinois is shooting themselves in the foot right now, with two turnovers in the second half. 

-          By the Numbers: Ohio State has run 42 plays. 39 rushes, 3 passes.

-          Braxton throws a pass, and it’s the first completion of the day, a touchdown to TE Jake Stoneburner.  17-0 Ohio State; that should be it for Illinois’ chances of winning.

-          Illinois finally gets into the endzone.  3 yard pass, 17-7. 

-          Illinois forces a punt and has the ball back near the 50 with about 4 minutes left.  This game isn’t quite over yet as Illinois also has all three of their timeouts.

o   Just as I type that, on the first Illini play, Scheelhaase forces the ball downfield and throws it short of his receiver.  Ohio State CB Travis Howard picks it off, and that may be it for Illinois’ hopes of winning.  OSU forced 3 turnovers in the 2^nd half, which ended up being the key to this game.

Scouting Notebook: #6 Oklahoma State @ #22 Texas

During games periodically, I'll write down thoughts about games as they take place, and share them with you, the readers, to help break down major plays in the games, as well as familiarize you with the players you'll see all season and potentially on Sundays in the NFL.  All the thoughts are in chronological order.

Oklahoma State – Texas:

-          A huge run up the middle by Texas RB Malcolm Brown followed by a 20 yard run and catch off a quick curl in the middle of the field on Texas’ 2^nd drive.  Oklahoma State’s linebackers are nowhere to be found right now.

-          Oh hey, there they are.  Poor read by Texas QB David Ash who throws it right to a linebacker in what’s clearly a Cover 2 defense for his first interception.  Great ball skills by OSU LB Caleb Lavey.

-          Beautiful throw over the top of double coverage by Brandon Weeden to Josh Cooper.  After two runs, the Texas defense was sucked up close to the line of scrimmage.  The Cowboys’ up-tempo offense really forces defenses to cheat a lot or play vanilla coverages; there’s no time to keep switching personnel.

-          David Ash hits Mike Davis on another short curl route and throws to him again on a comeback route on the next play.  It’s clear Mike Davis is Ash’s go-to receiver.  Oklahoma State should really be double covering him at this point.

-          Oklahoma State’s defensive line is getting great push so far, Ash hasn’t looked all that comfortable in the early going here.

-          Malcolm Brown is a load to bring down, he runs upright, but still breaks a lot of arm tackles.  He brings back memories of Cedric Benson, as he doesn’t have breakaway speed but runs through quite a bit of contact.

-          Brandon Weeden forced a deep ball to Justin Blackmon, silly decision.  Texas’ DB Carrington Byndom catches it and barely lands out of bounds, so Oklahoma State gets a lucky break.  Weeden makes the same decision the next play, and Byndom almost picks it off again.  Texas looks comfortable putting Byndom 1-on-1 against Justin Blackmon.  No matter how good a receiver is, you can’t force it to him this badly.  I understand what they’re doing though.  Texas will eventually pay for leaving Blackmon single-covered.

-          AGAIN, Texas WR Mike Davis runs a comeback/curl route and gets a first down.  It doesn’t seem that complicated to anticipate, but Oklahoma State can’t seem to stop it.

-          Blackmon gets the ball on an end around and takes it for 23 yards, Oklahoma State will get the ball in Blackmon’s hands, however they can.

o   Including a 4^th and 9 conversion later on the drive on a 17-yard pass.  He’s already got 5 receptions with about 40 minutes left in the game.

o   Three straight throws to Justin Blackmon, and I think the single coverage on him is about to end. 

-          Mike Davis has 6 of Texas’ 7 receptions thus far, this is getting a bit ridiculous.  He’s open 8-10 yards downfield constantly.  Texas may be trying to set up a deep ball to Davis. 

o   Davis catches a screen.  Make it 7 catches. 

-          David Ash looks like he runs a legit 4.5 40, he’s got serious speed for a QB, and he’s been quite accurate on his short throws actually.  That 23 yard scramble was big to keeping their drive going.

-          Weeden has a gun for an arm, and is really a pro at running this spread attack.  He goes through his progression so quickly, and has so many reliable options.  Justin Blackmon, Tracy Moore, Josh Cooper, and Hubert Anyiam are all reliable receivers.  Outside of LSU, I don’t know that any defense can stop this group of playmakers and Weeden for four quarters.

-          4^th and inches from the Texas 30, and Oklahoma State loads up a Heavy Pistol formation to go for it.  Somehow, Texas’ defense wasn’t ready as they had less players in the box than Texas in the box than Oklahoma State.  Oklahoma State very rarely runs from any formation other than the Pistol, so why the Longhorns were so baffled beats me.  One linebacker that was at the line botched his assignment and Jeremy Smith took the ball 30 yards for a TD.

-          Oklahoma State CB Justin Gilbert returns the 2^nd half’s opening kickoff for a touchdown, his second kick return TD of the year.  Yet another playmaker on this team.  He already has 4 kickoff TD returns in his career, and he’s only a sophomore.

-          Are you kidding?  Fozzy Whittaker returns Oklahoma State’s kickoff for a TD!  What an answer to the Cowboys’ big special teams play!  Also shows a lack of discipline on both special teams units.  3 Oklahoma State players took bad angles on Whittaker and converged 5 yards behind him as he raced to paydirt.  This is Whittaker’s second consecutive game with a kick return TD.  What a fun start to the second half.

-          Oklahoma State starts the half with two 3-and-outs on offense.  Texas has been able to get pressure to Weeden recently. 

-          Malcolm Brown shows exceptional balance on the sideline to stay in bounds for the long rushing touchdown.  This is his best game of his collegiate career thus far with over 100 yards and 2 rushing TDs.  David Ash carries out a great playfake as well on the Statue of Liberty play.  Texas offensive coordinator Bryan Harsin got Boise State on the national scene with the same play against Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl a few years back.

-          Weeden stares down WR Hubert Anyiam on a crossing route in double coverage, and fires an absolutely perfect pass to get the first down conversion.  Can’t emphasize this enough, he’s really got a strong arm.  

-          Josh Cooper makes a phenomenal catch on a ball thrown behind him by Weeden.  Josh Cooper, Hubert Anyiam and Justin Blackmon may all get drafted in 2012, it’ll be interesting to watch.

-          Texas is getting far more pressure on Brandon Weeden here in the second half. They make a big goal line stand and hold Oklahoma State to a field goal, 31-24.

-          To continue on Malcolm Brown, he’s not hesitant whatsoever today. He’s hitting the right hole every time he gets the ball.  Decisiveness is often a problem with freshmen, so that’s good news for Texas.

-          Jeremy Smith inserts himself into the runningback conversation, helping Oklahoma State score on two straight carries, the second of which was a 74 yard TD run.  Texas’ defense was really spread out, no one had a chance to catch him.  Smith and Randle have done an admirable job of replacing RB Kendall Hunter, who’s now in the NFL with the 49ers.

-          Texas goes for it on 4^th and goal, and David Ash underthrows Fozzy Whittaker on a flat route, who fell inches short of the goal line.  Oklahoma State runs the ball and barely gets out of the endzone, then Brandon Weeden takes a shotgun snap 7 yards deep in the endzone, and in his drop back, he steps out of the endzone.  38-26 Oklahoma State, so Texas gets some points out of their drive, and will get the ball back.  Texas really needs to get a TD here to make it a one possession game.

-          Texas’ CB Quandre Diggs makes a fantastic play on a Weeden pass on 3^rd down, and nearly picked it off, but didn’t.  Texas needs to finish these types of plays if they want to win big games like this one.  They’ve got an outside shot at taking down Oklahoma State, which would be the fourth upset of an undefeated team today.

-          David Ash is making a living on these short routes, and is averaging under 3.3 yards per attempt, which is pretty pitiful, but understandable in his first start.  He’s really settling in though as Oklahoma State is playing prevent defense.  They look far too comfortable giving Texas short completions, as Texas is moving the ball pretty efficiently.  Oklahoma State has only scored 10 points on offense in the second half, so it’s not crazy to think Texas can get the ball back. 

-          Ash is 7/8 for 48 yards on this drive, he’s looked far more comfortable, as the Longhorns are getting the ball out of his hands quickly.  ESPN just showed his passing chart, which showed that Ash is 23/32 on passes under 15 yards, but 0/5 on any pass longer than 15 yards.  Right on cue, he throws a deep seam route to a spot on the field where no one is. 

-          Ash fumbles, and the game may be over.  A nickelback blitz on Ash’s backside got to him, and had he seen the blitz, the backside slot WR was wide open streaking down the field on a seam route.  Texas’ hopes of winning are dashed now, but they still can hang their hat on staying close with Oklahoma State all game. 

-          Oklahoma State will take some worries away from this game, as their offense was completely stagnant in the second half other than Jeremy Smith’s two carry TD drive.  Texas got far more pressure on Weeden in the second half and forced errant throws.  On the defensive side, they let the Longhorns run all over them on the ground, and David Ash actually looked fairly efficient towards the end of the game, although that was probably more by Oklahoma State’s design.  They were playing a mild prevent defense, giving up the short 5-6 yard routes to Texas in exchange for time burning off the clock.  Overall, the pass defense was solid against the freshman Ash, but the run defense which surrendered 217 rushing yards is a major problem.

Week 7 NCAA Preview and Poll

1. LSU
2. Alabama
3. Oklahoma
4. Wisconsin
5. Boise State
6. Stanford
7. Oklahoma State
8. Clemson
9. Oregon
10. Michigan
11. Georgia Tech
12. Illinois
13. Kansas State
14. Arkansas
15. West Virginia
16. South Carolina
17. Nebraska
18. Arizona State
19. Baylor
20. Virginia Tech
21. Michigan State
22. Texas 
23. Texas A&M
24. Washington
25. Notre Dame


Notes:
- LSU and Alabama stay 1 and 2 on my poll, and they're pretty easily the best teams this year in my opinion.  If their game against one another is a nail-biter, I may still keep them #1 and #2, because that's honestly how I view them.
- I put 12 of the 13 undefeateds in the top 13, and only left Oregon in the top 10 as a 1-loss team.  Oregon is pretty clearly the best one loss team to me (they lost to LSU 40-27).  Illinois and Kansas State get a boost from the normal polls as a result.  Houston is the 13th undefeated but I'm not ready to rank them honestly.
- Washington gets a nod from me and appears in the top 25, QB Keith Price has played very well, and they're so surprising that I like to recognize their accomplishments.

#11 Michigan at #23 Michigan State (-3) (Saturday, 12:00 PM, ESPN): 


One of the games of the week has an early start, saving us all from the boredom that was Noon to 7 PM last week. Michigan's a surprise undefeated team and puts that undefeated record on the line in East Lansing against Rival Sparty.  The Spartans have won the last 3 renditions of this rivalry, all coached by Rich Rodriguez on Michigan's behalf, and last year's wasn't even close.  Michigan State comes in with the #1 defense in yards allowed, and has really only allowed Notre Dame to score on them.  Problem is, their offense didn't score on Notre Dame, and didn't score on Ohio State; both of which are the only good defenses they've played.

The key to this matchup will be Michigan's passing against a solid MSU secondary.  Denard looked awful in the first half against Northwestern, and played like an All American in the second half.  He needs to keep his mechanics in order, as under pressure, he'll throw off his back foot rather than standing tall in the pocket and taking a hit after the pass.  Also, Michigan needs to stick with running Denard 15-20 times in this game, as he's their best running game.  They've diversified the offense even more than Rich Rodriguez did, adding in the speed option, a flexbone type formation where Denard lines up as a running back, and other wrinkles to keep defenses on their toes.  They've largely abandoned the pro-style offensive philosophy which is smart, and offensive coordinator Al Borges deserves a lot of credit for sticking with what worked and scheming around Denard, rather than trying to fit Denard into a pro-style scheme.  I'm taking Michigan in a close one here.  Denard runs for 100 and throws for 200, and the Michigan defense holds up MSU just enough to pull out a solid road victory.

The Pick: Michigan 31-24

#7 Oklahoma State (-5.5) at #22 Texas (Saturday, 3:30 PM, ESPN/ABC): 


Texas already took a beating from the Sooners, and now Oklahoma's in-state rivals are in Austin to accomplish the same feat.  The Cowboys are undefeated and firing on all cylinders on offense.  Even the defense has been slightly more impressive than was expected, although this still isn't a good defense.  Now they'll face the duo of Texas QBs, Case McCoy and the more mobile David Ash.  Texas offensive coordinator insists on playing David Ash every third drive for some reason, which disrupts the offense.  They should be able to put up SOME points on Oklahoma State's mediocre to bad defense.  Unfortunately for the Longhorns, Oklahoma State is still firing on all cylinders on offense even without Dana Holgorsen.  QB Brandon Weeden is in Heisman talks, and RB Joseph Randle has emerged to give the offense at least a threat of a running game that prevents opponents from dropping 8 into coverage every play.  Oklahoma State is simply too good for Texas.  Texas' defense will sort of keep them within striking distance, but never close enough to legitimately win the game.

The Pick: Oklahoma State 41-28

#20 Baylor at #21 Texas A&M (Saturday, 12:00 PM, FX): 


In what's sure to be an offensive shootout (The Vegas Over/Under line is 76), Baylor, who allowed 36 points to the running attack of Kansas State and 48 points to TCU, faces off against the 120th ranked pass defense in the country of the Texas A&M Aggies.  Robert Griffin III and Ryan Tannehill will take center stage for their teams, as the offensive shootout really won't feature much defense.  A&M does possess the better running game with Cyrus Gray and Christine Michael, but Baylor RB Terrence Ganaway has also been solid this year.  In the end, it'll come down to which quarterback makes less mistakes, and seeing as Robert Griffin III only has 28 incompletions all season, I'll go with him to make less mistakes.  Baylor gets a big win, and Robert Griffin keeps himself in the Heisman conversation.

The Pick: Baylor 45-42

#4 Wisconsin (-40) vs Indiana (Saturday, 12:00 PM, ESPN2): 


Why is this game being previewed?  No, it's not likely to be a real game, or anything resembling competitive, but I wanted to highlight the fact that Wisconsin is favored by 40 points against an actual BCS-conference team.  It really speaks to how weak the Big Ten is right now, with programs like Minnesota, Purdue, and Indiana stuck as cellar-dwellers with no potential for upward mobility.  Wisconsin will roll in this one, and could top 70 points depending on how long Russell Wilson and Wisconsin's starters remain in the game.

The Pick: Wisconsin 66-14

North Carolina (-2) vs Miami (FL) (Saturday, 12:00 PM, ESPN3):


If North Carolina wants to even have a remote chance of making the ACC Championship game, they're going to need to win this game.  While they're at a severe disadvantage (Georgia Tech is 3-0 in ACC play, and North Carolina's 1-1, having lost to Georgia Tech already), there's still hope, so they need to hold things together in this game.  North Carolina has allowed only 18.5 points per game this year to opponents, thanks to future NFL players like DE Donte Paige-Moss, DE Quinton Coples, LB Zach Brown, and CB Charles Brown.  They face off against the Hurricanes and what may be the best RB in the country, Lamar Miller.  He's averaging 7 yards per carry and has 660 yards on the young season in under 100 carries.  Miller's got breakaway speed and the patience of a much more experienced player.  QB Jacory Harris has limited his turnovers this year and only thrown 3 interceptions, so even the passing game is looking good.  On UNC's side, QB Bryn Renner has a dynamic receiver in Dwight Jones, and RB Giovani Bernard is averaging 6 yards per carry this season.  This could be an unexpected shootout type game, sort of like Miami-Virginia Tech was last week.  Given how poor Miami's pass defense was against Logan Thomas last week, I'm going to take North Carolina here, in a close one.

The Pick: North Carolina 27-24

#1 LSU (-17) vs Tennessee (Saturday, 3:30 PM, CBS):


For the second consecutive week, LSU will be kicking an SEC opponent while it's down, as Tennessee has lost QB Tyler Bray for a month or more.  Tennessee doesn't have any hope in this game with Matt Simms leading the team, although he has starting experience from last season.  LSU is going to just wipe the floor with the Volunteers unfortunately, and cement themselves even further as the #1 team in the country.

The Pick:  LSU 38-10

#16 Illinois (-3.5) vs Ohio State (Saturday, 3:30 PM, ABC/ESPN):


Illinois is undefeated and their offense will face its toughest test yet in the Buckeyes defense, which aside from the second half against Nebraska last week, has looked thoroughly impressive.  However, Illinois' defense may have a field day against Ohio State.  Braxton Miller is roughed up but will start, and Joe Bauserman finally showed the coaches enough to demote him to third on the depth chart.  2009 recruit Kenny Guiton has taken more snaps in practice and will be the backup to Braxton.  Guiton can help keep plays alive with mobility similarly to Braxton, but isn't as dynamic as him.  Illinois' defense isn't exactly impressive, but OSU's offense has been pretty stagnant this year, so I don't see them scoring all that much.  QB Nathan Scheelhaase and WR AJ Jenkins will likely connect for a touchdown, 100+ yards, and lead the Illini to a 7-0 start.

The Pick: Illinois 34-20

Florida (-2) at #24 Auburn (Saturday, 7:00 PM, ESPN): 


Both teams are struggling at quarterback, and both have yet to deliver on preseason hype as a result.  Jacoby Brissett will get his second start at QB this week, after facing LSU in his debut.  He should face far less resistance against a poor Auburn defense.  Auburn's QB Barrett Trotter struggled mightily last week in the 38-14 loss to Arkansas, and there's been some pushing to start touted backup QB Kiehl Frazier, who's more of a wildcat quarterback at this point.  Trotter will stay in the game, but look for Gene Chizik to have a quick hook if Florida goes up early.  Florida should win this game, as their defense is far more formidable than Auburn's, but don't expect either offense to score much.

The Pick: Florida 24-17

#9 Oregon (-14.5) vs. #18 Arizona State (Saturday, 10:15 PM, ESPN): 


What could be the game of the night, may actually be this nightcap.  Both teams feature high-powered offenses, and this could be a Pac-12 shootout in primetime.  Oregon's offense took a hit after losing LaMichael James, and this doesn't seem to be getting enough attention.  James is the nation's second leading rusher with 820 yards on a mere 94 carries, and losing him will hurt.  Oregon may be able to soften the blow better than any team in the country however, as freshman RB/slot WR De'Anthony Thomas has looked dynamic and may be the Ducks' big-play guy for years to come, and RB Kenjon Barner is solid in his limited duty.  The rushing game should still be solid, but won't be as explosive as it is with the threat of LaMichael James in the backfield.  The Ducks' passing game has taken a major step back after the loss of WR Jeff Maehl.  No WR has stepped up in his absence, as De'Anthony Thomas is the leading receiver and LaMichael James the third leading receiver.  De'Anthony Thomas will be leaned on heavily in this game and may see 20+ touches.

On the Sun Devils' side, QB Brock Osweiler has played exceptionally in his first full season starting, and the 6'8" giant with a rocket arm looks to exploit a vulnerable Oregon pass defense.  The key will be if RB Cameron Marshall and Arizona State's running game can help them put together long drives, by putting them in 3rd and short situations.  If Arizona State is constantly in 3rd and long, Oregon's creative blitzes will probably spell the end for Arizona State.  This should be a fun game to watch, and College Gameday is there for the game, but in the end, Oregon should end up on top.

The Pick: Oregon 45-34

Week 6 NCAA Football Roundup

Arizona realizes their Coach Stoops isn't Bob, fires him immediately: We may be seeing the end of the "Nick Foles passing for 350 yards in a loss" era of Arizona football, as Mike Stoops was finally fired yesterday after the Wildcats fell to 1-5.  The final straw was a 37-27 loss to Oregon State, who barely knows how to play football as it is (ask Sacramento State), and notched their first victory this year.  Yet again, Nick Foles neared 400 yards (378 yards this time around), and completed 68.9% of his passes but the Wildcats couldn't muster enough offense.  The Wildcats are 114th in the country in rushing with a mere 451 yards this season, and Saturday was no different as they totalled 53 rushing yards.  Arizona's biggest problem is a lack of ability to score early in games.  They always fall behind and have to rely on Nick Foles, Juron Criner and Dan Buckner to bail them out (it never happens).  Arizona now has lost 10 straight games to FBS teams, and this trendy preseason Pac-12 sleeper pick is fast asleep at the wheel.

FLORIDA STATE IS BACK... outside the top 25: Who could have ever seen this coming?  Florida State overrated?  You'll probably tell me next that Clemson is a national title contender.  Oh, wait, they're both true?

Yes, again the prognosticators in the national media fell for the Seminoles and believed for some reason that they would somehow turn it around after losing one of the best QBs in their program's history in Christian Ponder.  This week, their QB situation finally came back to bite them.  True freshman QB Clint Trickett started the game after almost leading them to beat Clemson a couple weeks back in his debut, but threw 2 early interceptions and totalled only 28 passing yards before being pulled for the injured E.J. Manuel.  Manuel came in and threw for 286 yards and 2 TDs, but also added 2 INTs.  Four interceptions combined with the 115th rushing attack in the country is not a formula for success, even against Wake Forest.  Wake Forest is somehow good again, and no you're not in a dream.  They really did make a BCS bowl a few years back, and the way they're playing they have an outside chance at making one this year.  QB Tanner Price threw for 233 yards and 3 TDs and RB Josh Harris ran for 136 yards on a mere 13 carries to lead the Demon Deacons to an upset victory.  Wake Forest faces Virginia Tech this week, and if they win, could be the team to challenge Clemson in the ACC.  I can't even believe I was ever in position to write that sentence, but thus is the nature of college football.

Slight Improvement! Texas A&M ALMOST blows game but doesn't:  After two consecutive chokejobs, it sure looked like Texas Tech had a shot to make it 3 losses in a row for the A&M Aggies, but Texas A&M barely held on to win 45-40.  The hallmark of this near chokejob was Texas Tech going for it on 4th down near their own 30 yard line, and failing to convert.  Texas A&M received the ball at Texas Tech's 33 with 4:06 left in the game, so how did they respond?  Well of course, they lost 7 yards in their 3 plays, and had to punt the ball back to Texas Tech after burning only 1:06 off the clock.  Texas Tech drove down the field and scored a TD with :31 left in the game, and couldn't recover the onside kick.  Now, I guess I'll actually acknowledge solid performances, since it wasn't all about Texas A&M trying to choke the game away (just mostly about that).

So remember how Tommy Tuberville said that Texas Tech would become a more balanced team?  Yeah, he said screw that, and QB Seth Doege went 44/66 for 391 yards and 3 TDs.  Doege has played phenomenally this year and really should be getting more national acclaim than he has to this point.  Texas Tech RB Eric Stephens did top 100 rushing yards (22 rushes for 102 attempts) though.  For Texas A&M, Ryan Tannehill has really taken more of a game-manager role this year than I expected.  He went 16/26 for 188 yards and 1 TD, tacking on 9 rushes for 55 yards and 2 TDs.  The Aggies have turned more to the option/zone-read looks as they saw them work against Arkansas and Oklahoma State.  RB Cyrus Gray led the Aggies with 21 rushes for 116 yards.  Don't get too used to these near or complete chokejobs by Texas A&M, because once they move to the SEC, they'll rarely even have the opportunity to choke away games, since that generally requires leading the game at some point.

Surprise, Luke Fickell is not Jim Tressel, and Joe Bauserman is not good: Ohio State must have seen the 28-year-old QB Brandon Weeden on Oklahoma State and thought that their ancient QB Joe Bauserman would be suitable, because it's the only explanation for not recruiting another passable QB to team with Braxton Miller.  Miller actually led OSU to a 27-6 lead in the game, and then was injured and fumbled the ball to Nebraska.  After that, Nebraska scored 27 straight, and Joe Bauserman put on a truly repulsive performance: 1/10, 13 yards, 1 INT.  Combining that line with OSU's other road game, Bauserman is an uninspiring 3/24 for 26 yards and 1 INT.  This offense is so bad they may struggle to keep up with Purdue this year.  Luke Fickell's brilliance including having Joe Bauserman drop back eight times while OSU held a lead for some reason, and once throwing an interception.  You have the talent equivalent of a 5-year-old child at quarterback, and Luke Fickell has yet to encounter this concept called knowing your limits.  OSU could enter the Michigan game 5-6 and playing for their bowl lives, which would add a truly interesting dynamic to the rivalry, and would make Michigan a complete joke if they can't finally win this year.

Vote Denard for player of the week!  Oh, you saw those 3 interceptions he threw?  Yeah forget about those:  For the second time this year, Denard Robinson threw 3 interceptions in a game, and is being nationally renowned for his performance because he accounted for a lot of yards in a Michigan win.  Because they're in the Big Ten, Michigan actually has an outside shot at being 12-0 when the Big Ten Championship comes around.

They topped Northwestern 42-24 this past weekend in Evanston, IL.  Northwestern looked like an unstoppable offensive force in the first half, leading 24-14 at halftime, and then yet again Michigan made solid halftime adjustments on defense, which has been a hallmark of their season to this midpoint.  Defensive Coordinator Greg Mattison has clearly made a difference as he turned this set of outcasts into a legitimate defense, and at halftime turns them into the Baltimore Ravens defense.  Michigan has outscored opponents 114-21 in the second half to this point in the season, which is the mark of a good team.  While it scares me to say it, this Michigan team is good, and in a weak Big Ten, has a chance to make some serious noise.  That is, until they face Wisconsin and get their faces kicked in.

Good Effort!
- Western Kentucky won their first game of the year, taking down Middle Tennessee State 36-33 in 2OT.
- As noted earlier, Wake Forest upset Florida State 35-30, and vaulted themselves into ACC relevance.
- Steve Spurrier benched QB Stephen Garcia, and new QB Connor Shaw made him look brilliant, as South Carolina whooped Kentucky 54-3, thanks to 311 yards and 4 TDs from Shaw.
- Buffalo upset Ohio University 38-37 in a shootout, where both teams combined for 952 yards.
- Rutgers upset Pitt behind the play of true freshman QB Gary Nova, who threw for 174 yards and 2 TDs.  Pitt was their typical selves, completely collapsing after a great showing in their drubbing of USF last week.
- Florida scored a whole 11 points against LSU and only lost by 30!  Yeah, at this point in the year, I think it's fair to say that's an accomplishment.

Participation Awards:
- Temple dominated Ball State 42-0, limiting to them to 236 yards and forcing 3 turnovers.
- Connecticut trailed West Virginia 10-9 entering halftime.  Then, almost like he plans this second half outburst every week, Dana Holgorsen's offense put up 34 points in the second half to win 43-16.
- Fresno State was embarrassed on national television, as Boise State jumped out to a 37-0 lead, and eventually won 57-7, limiting Fresno State to 9 first downs all night.
- Minnesota still plays football for some reason after last week's beating at the hands of Michigan, and lost by 28 to Purdue.  It doesn't get much worse than that.
- Kansas played Oklahoma State and surrendered 56 points before halftime.  Oklahoma State QB Brandon Weeden didn't even finish the first half because the game was so out of hand.
- Houston somehow held a team to only 3 points on offense, blowing out East Carolina 56-3.

Heisman High Men: Week 6

Heisman High Men is a weekly feature that forecasts who would win the Heisman were it picked that week.  As we all know, the main criteria of winning the Heisman are some or all of the following: 

1.) Being the most outstanding player on an elite-level team (read: BCS game potential) 

2.) Compiling insane statistics that are impossible to ignore (i.e. Denard Robinson getting votes in 2010)

3.) Playing in primetime games and having signature "Heisman moments" (example: Cam Newton's run against LSU.)

I'll try to take all three into account the best that I can and come up with a solid projection of the current order of Heisman contenders, as well as projecting how each respective player should perform in their next game. 

Falling: 

RB, Marcus Lattimore, South Carolina: 124 rushes, 663 yards, 9 TDs; 12 receptions, 139 yards, 1 TD

Lattimore was kept pretty quiet by what's a very poor Auburn defense this past weekend, rushing for a mere 66 yards on 17 carries, and he looked mortal.  South Carolina was upset by Auburn, and this probably affected his Heisman contention more than his statistical performance, as his numbers still rival the best RBs in the country.  I fully expected Lattimore to rush for 200 yards as I wrote in my Week 5 preview post, so this is exceptionally disappointing to me.  If South Carolina can manage to win their division in the SEC, Lattimore has a shot at the Heisman.  If not, Trent Richardson will be too much to surmount.  

QB, Andrew Luck, Stanford: 80/112 (71.4%), 1,013 yards, 11 TD, 1 INT; 11 rushes, 53 yards, 1 TD

Andrew Luck is his typical self, dominating nearly every game, and Stanford is squarely in the national titel conversation.  He's still on ballots now, but most of that is based off his performance last year and the fact that he's the #1 pick in next year's NFL Draft.  Luck's performance hasn't yet been transcendent, and his "Heisman moment" is a reception against UCLA.  There are numerous QBs who have outperformed him this year, including Russell Wilson, Kellen Moore, Brandon Weeden and Robert Griffin III, and two of them have signature wins in primetime games.  If Luck dominates against Oregon and leads Stanford to victory, we may as well wrap the Heisman up for him, but until then, he's not a true contender in my mind.

Heisman Ballot

1. Trent Richardson, RB, Alabama: 96 rushes, 622 yards, 10 TDs; 11 receptions, 148 yards, 1 TD

Like I said last week, the Heisman race early in the season is a volatile one, with players dropping in and out based on singular performances.  Since we only have 4-6 games to judge players on, it's a lot harder to evaluate whole season performances, and players who start slow can enter the race if they come on strong, as Richardson has.  He started very slow in their first two games, but this tidbit from ESPN explains why Richardson is coming on so strong: 

But on the biggest of stages, Richardson has been his best, accounting for 549 yards of total offense and five touchdowns against Penn State, Arkansas and Florida. 

 With a first-year QB that's being severely limited in the passing game, Richardson is the backbone of the offense on a top 3 team, and that's why he'll be a contender the rest of the year if he keeps putting up 100+ yard games.

2. Russell Wilson, QB, Wisconsin: 83/111 (74.8%), 1,391 yards, 13 TD, 1 INT; 22 rushes, 108 yards, 2 TD

Wilson's candidacy is a reality now after the Badgers pummeled Nebraska on national TV in primetime behind Russell Wilson's brilliant play.  He's the second rated passer in the country (behind Robert Griffin III), and easily leads the nation in yards per attempt (12.5 YPA).  Again, on only 20 passes per game, Wilson is putting up fantastic, efficient stats, and leading his team to national title contention.  Luck's putting up the same stats with almost ten more attempts per game, and against weaker opposition than Nebraska in comparison.  Wilson should put up phenomenal stats yet again this week, as the Badgers face the lowly Indiana Hoosiers.

3. Brandon Weeden, QB, Oklahoma State: 142/191 (74.3%), 1,592 yards, 10 TD, 6 INT

Weeden's put up more yards than any other Heisman contender this season, and has done it in only 4 games.  Weeden's video game numbers in conjunction with Oklahoma State's national title contention are sure to keep him in the Heisman picture.  Additionally, WR Justin Blackmon draws a ton of national attention, which helps get Weeden more national showcase opportunities, such as OSU's come-from-behind win against Texas A&M two weeks ago.  Oklahoma State plays Kansas this week, so expect another near 400 yard day and a few TD passes.  Weeden's candidacy will be challenged again next week against Texas.  

4. Robert Griffin III, QB, Baylor: 92/112 (82.1%), 1,308 yards, 18 TD, 1 INT; 36 rushes, 132 yards, 1 TD

The nation's leader in pass efficiency suffered a major blow to his Heisman candidacy as his Baylor Bears lost to the Kansas State Wildcats in a thrilling 36-35 game.  Griffin was far from the reason for the loss, as he went 23/31 with 346 yards and 5 TDs.  What many people may remember unfortunately was Griffin's costly interception to essentially end the game, but keep in mind, Baylor led almost the whole game and wouldn't have had a chance without Griffin's brilliant play.  Griffin's stats through four games are ridiculous, and he only has two more incompletions than touchdown passes this year.  This week he can rehabilitate his image a bit as the Bears face Iowa State at 7:00 PM on Saturday.  He'll keep the stats coming, but can Baylor at least be a decent enough team to keep him in contention?  We'll see by the end of October.  

5.  Tyrann Mathieu, DB, LSU: 35 tackles (4.5 Tackles For Loss), 1.5 sacks; 4 forced fumbles, 3 fumble recoveries for 20 yards and 2 TDs; 4 passes broken up, 1 INT

That statline is a mouthful, as it usually is for defenders, but let me summarize it.  Mathieu leads the Tigers in tackles this year, has accounted for 4 turnovers, and caused more fumbles himself, and also has been a presence behind the offensive line of scrimmage with the 4.5 TFL and 1.5 sacks.  Mathieu has been thoroughly impressive and seems to come up with a signature play every week.  He's likely not long for this list, but what he's done to this point is thoroughly impressive.  LSU vs Florida will be on primetime this week, and if Mathieu causes a turnover or takes a punt return to the house, he may even move up my list.  

Week 5 NCAA Football Roundup

Stephen Garcia suspended from starting lineup after throwing more interceptions:  South Carolina embarrassingly lost to Auburn this past weekend, and Stephen Garcia played a big part, throwing his eighth and ninth picks of the year.  He completed a mere 39.1% of his passes, although one was a 50 yard TD strike to Alshon Jeffery (it's about time).  Michael Dyer looked more like Marcus Lattimore though this weekend, as Dyer took an unbelievable 41 carries (albeit only for 3.5 yards per carry), but helped Auburn bleed the clock out.  Lattimore managed only 66 yards on 17 carries, while Stephen Garcia ran for 62 yards himself.

Auburn QB Barrett Trotter was arguably worse than Garcia, as he went 12/23, threw an identical 1 TD and 2 INTs, but managed only 4.9 yards per attempt to Garcia's 7.0 YPA.  Auburn's winning touchdown came on a Philip Lutzenkirchen (coming to a spelling bee near you soon) catch, putting an exclamation point on a 5+ minute drive ending with 1:38 left in the game.  South Carolina got to Auburn's 30 yard line with a 13 yard pass, but time expired before they could spike the ball.  The Ol' Ball Coach has already stated that backup QB Connor Shaw will start for the Gamecocks and play the whole game next week against Kentucky.  If you'll remember, Shaw started the season opener against ECU and was so much worse than Stephen Garcia that he got pulled by halftime.

Denard can pass again; Minnesota masquerades as actual football team: Michigan absolutely embarrassed the Golden Gophers 58-0, and it was never even a contest.  Michigan's defense is now second in the country in scoring defense (10.2 PPG), a far cry from their past three seasons under Rich Rod.  Is that a farce?  Absolutely, as the schedule to this point isn't exactly strong.  Regardless, this looks like a defense much more prepared for Big Ten conference play than in years past.  Michigan averaged 7.9 yards per play, and outgained Minnesota 580 yards to 177.  Denard began the game 11 for 11, and finished it 15 of 19 for 169 yards and 2 TDs.  He also added 51 yards on the ground, but that was far less necessary.  The Michigan story on offense was diminutive RB Vincent Smith, who ran for a touchdown, caught one, and even threw for a 17 yard score in the second quarter.  The Wolverines basically abandoned the pro style offense approach, which is comforting for me to see as a Michigan fan, because Denard just isn't made for it.  

Minnesota admittedly was missing QB Marquise Gray, who had a toe injury and couldn't plant or cut on it quickly enough to play, but they're also admittedly an awful team this year.  They've lost to New Mexico State and North Dakota State so far this year, and surprisingly enough by the names, only one is an FCS school.  Minnesota and coach Jerry Kill are in for a rough season, and Michigan has slight hopes to contend in their division and get the chance to lose to Wisconsin in the Big Ten championship.

Is there anything Andrew Luck can't do?  Andrew Luck and Stanford routed UCLA 45-19, and Luck had his typical near-perfect game (23/27, 227 yards, 3 TD).  But the surprising part of the game was Andrew Luck's tremendous reception during the game:

Easily in talks for one of the receptions of the year, and this only further showcases the elite athleticism Andrew Luck possesses for a pocket-passing style quarterback.  Luck has found a way to gain national prominence even while playing on the West Coast, as Sportscenter cut into a 0-0 game just to show Luck's catch.  Stanford remains a national story, and they played very well in their first game minus LB Shayne Skov, who is out for the season.  If they beat Oregon, the season may be an undefeated one for Stanford, and they'll get much talk for BCS title contention.

This is what Alabama's defense does to mere mortals:

Florida QB John Brantley being taken off the field.
(Sam Greenwood - Getty Images)

Alabama knocked John Brantley out of the game in the first half, and he took Florida's hopes of winning the game with him.  Brantley was the first QB to make Alabama's defense look human this year, throwing a 65-yard TD to WR Andre Debose on the game's opening play, and finishing the night 11/16 for 190 yards, the TD and 1 INT.  The INT unfortunately was returned for a touchdown by Alabama, but regardless, Brantley had Florida squarely in this game as I projected.  Poor freshman QB Jeff Driskel was thrown into the fire and led the Gators to a mere 64 total yards in the second half.  Now Driskel gets to face the other defense that's in debate for best in the country, LSU, as John Brantley is already ruled out for this week's game.

Alabama's offense rolled in this one, behind the 29 carries for 181 yards by Trent Richardson.  QB A.J. McCarron looked very unimpressive (12/25, 140 yards), so if Brantley had stayed in the game, this would have been far more competitive.  The story was obviously the Alabama defense here, which held Florida to 222 yards (15 rushing!), and forced 4 fumbles, as well as accounting for a touchdown on LB Courtney Upshaw's INT return.  The only games left this season to challenge Alabama are their games against LSU, at Auburn, and the SEC championship.  Florida could still lose this week and get a rematch against LSU/Alabama in the SEC Championship, as South Carolina and Georgia aren't overly impressive teams, so the SEC East division race will be interesting to watch.

Ron Zook's job is safe, again.:  After three underwhelming seasons at Illinois, Zook's Illini have come up in the clutch for him again, and look to be a legitimate top 25 team.  QB Nathan Scheelhaase looks to have improved even further this season, as he threw for a career-high 392 yards and scored the game's final touchdown on a QB sneak with 13 seconds left in the game to top Northwestern 38-35.  WR A.J. Jenkins was Scheelhaase's main target, as he caught 12 of Scheelhaase's completions, all 3 of his TD passes, and accounted for 268 yards receiving.  Illinois struggled to run the ball, which is odd for them, but instead passed all over what looks to be a very weak Northwestern secondary.

Northwestern QB Dan Persa returned to the Wildcats in this game and played well, (10/14, 123 yards, 4 TD), although you could tell they were limiting his pass attempts to keep him safe.  Persa left in the fourth quarter anyways with a reaggravation of his Achilles, but is expected to play against Michigan this week.  Northwestern RB Mark Trumpy also was injured and has been ruled out for the rest of the season, although most Northwestern RBs seem to be fairly replaceable.

Texas A&M gets first taste of choking away an SEC win:  A&M once again, had their opponent down for the count, leading 35-17 at halftime, and found a way to choke it away.  Arkansas outscored A&M 25-3 in the second half to win 42-38 in A&M's second consecutive loss in a shootout.  Tyler Wilson threw for a school-record 510 yards and 5 TDs in the game to keep Arkansas' hopes afloat, and WR Jarius Wright had 281 yards of those.  A&M's approach was very different, as RBs Christine Michael and Cyrus Gray accounted for all five first-half touchdowns.  Ryan Tannehill finished with 247 yards and 1 INT.  A&M simply doesn't have the defense to close out games, and clearly doesn't possess the capacity to be a BCS team.  Arkansas isn't a great team either, but at least they can hold on to leads and surmount large deficits.

Good Effort!
- UTEP kept pace with Houston and QB Case Keenum putting up their sixth touchdown of the game with 6:54 left in the game to decrease Houston's lead to 49-42.  Unfortunately, they didn't score again.
- As Utah State is prone to doing, they choked away a late-game lead, letting BYU drive for a game-winning TD with 15 seconds left to win 27-24.
- Navy nearly beat Air Force, but lost 35-34 after missing an extra point in overtime.  Navy QB Kriss Proctor "taunted" Air Force and Navy missed the long extra point.
- Arizona's offense led by QB Nick Foles kept pace with USC's offense, but couldn't come out on top, losing 48-41 at USC.  Nick Foles should win an award for "Best Performance in a Loss" every week, as he again topped 400 yards passing with 4 TDs.
- SMU upset TCU in the "Battle for the Iron Skillet" rivalry game 40-33.

Participation Awards!
- Bowling Green took an early 10-3 lead over West Virginia.  Then Dana Holgorsen's offense beat them senseless, scoring 52 unanswered points.
- Oklahoma destroyed Ball State 62-6, allowing 0 rushing yards, and intercepting Ball State's QBs three times.
- Wisconsin absolutely dismantled Nebraska's one-dimensional offense and tore up their defense on the way to a 48-17 rout (fun fact: Nebraska's the first ranked team to appear in the Participation Awards, and no Bo Pelini, you shouldn't be proud).
- Notre Dame played Purdue for some reason, and beat them easily 38-10.
- It ain't 2010 anymore for Texas, as they avenged their loss to Iowa State last year, jumping out to a 34-0 lead in the first half, and winning by the final score 37-14.
- Bethune-Cookman led Miami (FL) 7-0 after the first quarter.  Then Miami started trying and outscored them 45-3 the rest of the game.

Heisman High Men: Week 5

We're finally to the beginning of each conference's respective seasons, and this is where Heisman contenders are truly established.  There's a sizeable group of feasible Heisman candidates right now.  A select group of quarterbacks (Kellen Moore, Andrew Luck, Robert Griffin III, Brandon Weeden, Russell Wilson, Denard Robinson, Case Keenum), a group of well-known runningbacks (Marcus Lattimore, Trent Richardson, LaMichael James, David Wilson), and two stand-out receivers (Justin Blackmon and Sammy Watkins).  Tyrann Mathieu, the play-making LSU cornerback has an outside shot, but he'd need to force double digit turnovers, which is highly unlikely.  One month from now, the top 5 will be very solidified for the Heisman, but as of now, it's still open to a bit of interpretation.

1. Robert Griffin III, QB, Baylor: 70/82 (85.4%), 962 yards, 13 TD, 24 rushes for 167 yards, 1 TD

Griffin may not look as impressive in passing yardage, but when a quarterback on an undefeated team has more TD passes than incompletions, he's gotta be mentioned here.  Griffin's game against TCU is still one of the more shocking upsets of the season, and Griffin is legitimately one of the top few quarterbacks in the country.  He's only played 3 games, so he's on pace for 50 TDs and over 4,100 passing yards.  Will he meet either mark?  Probably not.  But he's got a shot at the passing yardage mark, and could easily throw 35-40 TDs in the offense that revolves around his arm and legs.  He'll probably compile 600-800 rushing yards over the year too.  He'll be the Denard Robinson of this year probably; carrying the load of an entire 7-5 or 8-4 team on his back and receiving minor consideration for the Heisman award.  But right now, he's in first place.  His next matchup is against the Kansas State Wildcats, whose defense has been strong this year, but has yet to face a player as good as Robert Griffin.

2. Marcus Lattimore, RB, South Carolina: 107 rushes for 600 yards, 8 TDs, 12 receptions for 139 yards, 1 TD


The South Carolina offense is relying on Lattimore more than ever, as he's on pace to total over 2,000 all purpose yards.  With the passing game out of sync, Alshon Jeffery and Stephen Garcia have failed to establish a consistent connection, and Lattimore has been the bellcow of the offense.  Lattimore runs with extraordinary power and balance and seemingly always breaks the first attempted tackle.  He's on pace to have probably 50 more carries this season than last year, and is also averaging 5.6 yards per carry in 2011 compared to 4.7 last year.  Lattimore will continue to be the centerpiece of the offense, and as long as South Carolina remains in the chase for an SEC title, Lattimore will be one of the leading Heisman contenders.  This week, the South Carolina Gamecocks face Auburn at home.  Auburn's pathetic excuse of a defense will let Lattimore run rampant and total close to 200 yards probably this week, so look for Lattimore to remain near the top of the list next week.


3. Kellen Moore, QB, Boise State: 83/105 (79%), 995 yards, 12 TD, 2 INT


Kellen Moore, like Robert Griffin III, has only played 3 games, so he's still averaging 4 TDs and 331.7 yards per game.  The remarkable thing about Moore though is that after losing Titus Young and Austin Pettis to the NFL, the passing offense hasn't skipped a beat.  While Boise State has a fairly average running game (117.7 rushing yards per game) and RB Doug Martin has struggled, averaging a mere 2.6 yards per carry, Kellen Moore and the passing offense have continued where they ended last year.  7 receivers have at least 8 catches this season, showcasing the balance that the offense has.  The offensive line is solid in pass protection, as Kellen has yet to be sacked, but he's also completing 79% of his passes, an impressive feat regardless of the protection.  This week the Broncos take on Nevada, who de-railed their season last year in one of the bigger surprises of the 2010 season.  Look for Moore to post another 300 yard and 4 TD game


4. Russell Wilson, QB, Wisconsin: 69/91 (75.8%), 1,136 yards, 11 TD, 1 INT, 16 rushes for 91 yards, 1 TD


N.C. State coach Tom O'Brien can say whatever he wants, the fact is, he made a major mistake releasing Russell Wilson from his scholarship and letting him transfer to Wisconsin.  Russell Wilson has been the single most impactful newcomer in the country for any team, and has played with remarkable precision.  The record-holder for most passes thrown between interceptions is rarely letting the ball hit the ground this year. In the power-running offense of Wisconsin, he's managed to average nearly 300 passing yards per game on a mere 23 attempts per game average.  He easily leads the nation's quarterbacks in yards per attempt (12.5)  and is second in QB Rating to Robert Griffin III.  Wilson has made Wisconsin's coaching staff realize they need to place a greater importance on recruiting game-changing quarterbacks rather than game managers.  This week, the Badgers square off with Nebraska in arguably the game of the week.  Should Wisconsin win this game, Wilson's national profile will continue to grow and Wisconsin may vault into the top 5.  This is the first true test of the Wisconsin offense, so it will be interesting to see how they fare against the "Blackshirts".


5. Brandon Weeden, QB, Oklahoma State: 142/191 (74.3%), 1,592 yards, 10 TD, 6 INT


Brandon Weeden completely outclassed fellow Heisman contender QB Ryan Tannehill last weekend as the Cowboys pulled out a gutty victory against the Texas A&M Aggies 30-29.  Weeden went 47/60 in the game and threw for over 400 yards.  The play of the 28-year-old senior has led Oklahoma State to a top-5 ranking in some polls' eyes, and to consideration in the national title picture.  Oklahoma State still has plenty of obstacles ahead, including their final game on December 3rd against Oklahoma, but there's no doubt, they have a shot at running the table this year with the high-flying passing game led by Weeden and Justin Blackmon.

Week 5 NCAA Preview and Poll

Week 4 is in the books, and a few teams made real statements.  LSU showed they're not being stopped this year by anyone not named Alabama or Florida, and dominated West Virginia on a national stage.  Alabama dismantled Arkansas on national television and coasted to an easy win.  Oklahoma State made a huge comeback against the Texas A&M Aggies to win a top-10 matchup and establish themselves as the leading competition to Oklahoma in the Big 12.  But now, it's time to look at Week 5 and preview what's in store for this week's slate.  After the jump, my top 25 poll and picks.

Week 3 NCAA Football Roundup

March Madness is almost here, right?:  The Iowa State Cyclones have overcome all odds and started off 3-0.  Huskies fans are already lined up at the box office for basketball tickets.  QB Steele Jantz didn't have a very good game, throwing 3 picks to his 1 TD, but he led the final TD drive and has an awesome name, so all is forgiven.  On the other side, Connecticut had the ball and was driving at the end of the game, but turned the ball over on downs at the Iowa State 37 with under 1:30 left.  If you're reading this and live in Connecticut, you should file an application for the position of QB at UConn, because it sure couldn't hurt right now.  Connecticut's total passing stats on the season: 38/86 (44.2% Completions), 2 TDs, 5 INTs.

In other basketball school news, Kansas got absolutely run off the field by Georgia Tech on Saturday, losing to the tune of 66-24.  Georgia Tech's triple option offense completely toyed with Kansas' defense, rushing for 604 yards on merely 50 carries (12.1 yards per carry!).  The first carry of the game by Georgia Tech RB Orwin Smith said all we needed to know about what was to be expected of the Jayhawks defense:

Georgia Tech scored on the first play of their possession 3 times, and no Georgia Tech player toted the rock more than 9 times.  Orwin Smith had 265 yards on 5 rushes and 2 receptions, and 3 TDs.  Remember how I said Kansas would be awful?  This is the proof.

The Roof is on Fire: Auburn defensive coordinator Ted Roof should probably get some treatment for those first-degree burns that Utah State, Mississippi State and Clemson laid on him.  Utah State and Mississippi State both had the chance to win the game with a last-second drive the first two weeks after dismantling Auburn's defense, and Clemson actually capitalized on their offensive success, putting up 624 yards and holding Auburn to 24 points.  QB Tajh Boyd made everyone forget about former QB, now Colorado Rockies prospect Kyle Parker, going 30/42 for 386 yards and 4 TDs.  He had an especially encouraging rapport with freshman 5-star WR Sammy Watkins, who had 10 catches for 155 yards and 2 TDs, as well as 7 rushes for 44 yards.  Watkins is clearly going to be the centerpiece of this offense, and he was phenomenal against the Auburn Tigers.

On the other side, Michael Dyer was his usual self (16 rushes, 151 yards, 2 TDs), and Barrett Trotter was extremely mediocre (12/25, 198 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT).  Auburn can't win with this formula, and the wheels finally fell off.  Auburn has allowed more than 3 times as many yards as Alabama this season (Auburn: 1,603 yards, Alabama: 510 yards).Their luck has disappeared, so until they sure up their defense, this is a 7-5 caliber team.

Vanderbilt is really 3-0.  Seriously, it's true: Vanderbilt's students may need to put down the textbooks and come to the football games now, because there's actually a decent product on the field.  Vandy is 3-0 after completely dominating Ole Miss 30-7.  Vandy forced 5 turnovers and held Ole Miss to 234 total yards.  In turn, Vanderbilt rushed for 281 yards and QB Larry Smith added on an efficient day in the passing game, albeit unspectacular (13/20, 103 yards).  RB Zac Stacy accounted for 160 of the rushing yards on a mere 11 carries.  Vandy actually has 10 interceptions on the year already and is allowing a mere 14 points per game.  Don't expect this undefeated streak to continue however.  The Commodores are 10th in PPG in the SEC against their cupcake schedule (33 PPG), 10th in yards per game in the SEC (318, even behind LSU), and they're only converting 24% of their third downs this season.  The train should come off the tracks pretty soon here, but they at least have a shot at a bowl game, which for Vanderbilt is exciting.

God is finally on Notre Dame's side:  Notre Dame systematically dominated MSU this weekend 31-13. Michigan State pulled the score to 14-10 early in the 2nd quarter and Notre Dame answered quickly with two touchdowns to go up 28-10 and put the Spartans too far behind to recover.  The Irish defense was outstanding against the run, taking away Michigan State's biggest weapons Le'Veon Bell and Edwin Baker and holding them to 53 yards on 17 carries.  Kirk Cousins had to attempt 53 passes, and while he totaled 329 yards with 1 touchdown and 1 interception, he was pretty ineffective if the Irish double-covered WR B.J. Cunningham.  Taking away Cunningham's 12 catches for 158 yards, Cousins had about 40 attempts for 179 yards, which is awful.  The secondary is worrisome when you can't even stop the one guy you need to, but at the same time, they did a good job limiting Cousins outside of throwing to Cunningham.

On the flipside, the Irish offense was fairly mediocre.  The Irish turned it over by fumbling on their second drive and Tommy Rees throwing his lone interception on their third drive, and the game looked set up to be another letdown for the Irish, but they recovered.  Jonas Gray and Cierre Wood were effective on the ground rushing 26 times for 126 yards, but the Notre Dame offense was held largely in check.  They had 3 long touchdown drives, and outside that, had literally no success on offense (239 of their 275 total yards were on those 3 drives).  While they at least capitalized on their minimal red zone opportunities, the offense didn't look in sync, and could be a concern for the Irish going forward.  Tommy Rees was more efficient this week, but still didn't look great, and may not be the quarterback to lead them to relevance again.

By land or sea, Navy's pretty good:  We can pretty much always expect the same season from Navy.  About an 8-4 record, a bowl win, and a couple near upsets against big-time BCS teams.  They quite nearly pulled off an upset against the South Carolina Gamecocks on Saturday, who pulled off a 24-21 win.  Unfortunately for the Midshipmen, Marcus Lattimore had a different idea.  He singlehandedly carried the Gamecocks to a victory, toting the rock 37 times for an unbelievable 246 yards and 3 TDs.  Stephen Garcia added on 204 yards passing in a very efficient effort.  He did throw a pick but that was the lone South Carolina turnover, so they could live with it.  Navy's running game surprisingly was literally equally effective to South Carolina's, as both teams averaged 5.8 yards per carry.  Navy led the game three times, including at the start of the fourth quarter, but couldn't mount one last touchdown drive.  Very impressive effort by Navy, and depending on their schedule, they may have one more major upset effort in them.

Good Effort!
- Pittsburgh led Iowa 27-10 with 12:49 left in the game, but Iowa responded with the biggest comeback in school history to win 31-27.  Hawkeyes QB James Vandenberg won Big Ten player of the week honors.
- Temple led Penn State late in the game, but Penn State took a 14-10 lead with 3:06 left in the fourth quarter.
- Duke beat a real, live football team this week that isn't in Division I-AA!  Duke beat Boston College 20-19.
- Minnesota beat a real, live football team too, beating Miami (OH) 29-23 by putting up 13 points in the fourth quarter.
- Washington put up 38 points against the vaunted Nebraska defense, but still lost 51-38.
- North Dakota led Fresno State 22-21 entering the fourth quarter, but Fresno State scored with 10:28 left in the game to win 27-22.

Participation Awards!
- While there was worse this week, Toledo got whooped on national TV by Boise State 40-15 this week, so they get a mention.
- Purdue beat SE Missouri State 59-0.  Good thing Purdue got their offense out of the way this week, they face Notre Dame in their next game.
- Georgia put a 59-0 beatdown on Coastal Carolina, holding them to 112 total yards.
- Wisconsin took down Northern Illinois 49-7, and Russell Wilson had his first 300+ yard passing game as a Badger.
- Oregon beat the real Missouri State 56-7, putting up 681 yards of offense, highlighted by LaMichael James' 204 yards and 3 TDs on 12 carries.
- Baylor destroyed Stephen F. Austin 48-0.  Robert Griffin III went 20/22 for 265 yards and 3 TDs along with 78 rushing yards and is totally still winning that September Heisman.