Now this is a hit

WOW

Is anyone outside of Ohio actually surprised

There is no doubt anymore that Ohio State is just plain overrated. They beat up on Big-10 schools that don't have much fire power themselves and ride the wave of false hope all the way to a loss.

Ohio State has now lost every big they have played in over the last 3 season (OSU Michigan is not a big game). I mean the National Championship game against Florida was an absolute blow out. The game against LSU last year was a blow out. The game this year was an absolute blow out. Were not even talking about bad luck and bad breaks for this team. Were talking about them just being plain mediocre. It is not a matter of one bad day any more. This program is just not that good.

On the other hand USC looked damn good. Sanchez just threw his name into the Heisman race big time and as long as USC runs the table (good chance of this) than they will easily be in the national championship game.

I mean its probably not really a possibility but Jim Tressel may be on the hot seat. This program doesn't just expect Big-10 Championships. They want national respect and national championships and Jim Tressel doesn't look like he is the guy to do it.

The wait till next year rivalry

What makes college football so unique is that the cream of the crop always rises to the top and usually stays up there. Programs like USC, Ohio State and Florida don't have down years. Its National Championship or bust. There is no cap just scholarship limits. If you can convince the two best QBs in the country to come to your school and battle it out than good for you.

Notre Dame and Michigan are normally mentioned in that conversation but not this year. They are both going through a rare dry spells that have been highlighted by losses to schools like Appalachian State and Navy.

This game normally has large implications because at least one of these teams has championship aspirations, if not both.

But this years game does not meet the criteria. Michigan has already lost at home this year and Notre Dame did not look to impressive against a very weak San Diego State opponent. What is normally one of the most exciting games of the season might just be one of the ugliest.

Michigan's growing pains are not going away anytime soon. Rich Rod's offense is not one of those overnight deals, especially when the right talent is not in place yet.

Notre Dame is in worse shape. Charlie Wiess looks like a manatee out of water in the college game. He may have had some early success but his lack of recruiting is showing fast. Notre Dame is far from where they have been, even with Jimmy Clausen.

So this Saturday when your looking for some quality college football look a lot further than this game. Maybe next year?

Heisman Watch: Week two

Well we are now out of Heisman previews and onto the race. This is what our top 5 contenders did this weekend and where they stand.

1) Tim Tebow

Last years winner continues to look good. Almost 300 yards passing about 50 yards rushing and two TDs. Performance Grade: B+

2) Chase Daniel

He is absolutely lighting it up. About 245 yards passing and two TDs in limited action. Performance Grade: B

3) Beanie Wells

He didn't play against Ohio so hes going to sit right at #3. A lot will change after this weekend and we see him against the USC defense. Performance Grade: Injured

4) Knowshown Moreno



He wasn't on the list last week but thats because Georgia hadn't let their stallion out of the stable yet. But once they did he made CMU look stupid and racked up 168 yards and three touchdowns in the process. (See Highlight up top) Performance Grade: B+

5) Sam Bradford

395 Yards passing and five touchdowns. He hasn't started play in the Big 12 play yet but so far so good. Performance Grade: A-

Whose name fell out of the race?

Graham Harrell. His Heisman Chances rested on breaking records and hes already off the pace. No Dice.

Whose name is now in the race?

Jahvid Best. 200 yards and three tds on 14 carries.

We know the secret to ECU Football

BEAT YOUR STUDENTS

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The Roundup: The New U

Here is a round up of the later games on Saturday

Florida 26 Miami 3

This game was a lot closer than the score reflects. At half it was 9-3 Florida and it was not until late in the 4th quarter that the Tebow Show took over. So is Miami the "U" or is Florida?

Arizona St 41 Stanford 17

I thought Stanford might sneak up on Dennis Erickson and the Sun Devils but boy I was wrong. Arizona State is looking good. Although they have a beast of a schedule. In four straight games they play Georgia, Cal, USC and Oregon.

Texas 42 UTEP 13

This was the first time these two teams met since 1933 and UTEP had visions of them taking down the Longhorns but it was not to be.

This is the only time I'll defend the state of Washington

I have not seen a team get this screwed in a very long time.

Lets set the stage.

There is less than 10 seconds left in the game and Washington is down 21-28 to #15 BYU. It is 3rd and goal for the Huskies and Jake Locker takes the snap and sprints to his left. He dodges a few tacklers and dives into the endzone. He jumps up and tosses the football over his shoulder and celebrates with his teammates.

The officials slap him with a 15 yard excessive celebration penalty and Washington proceeds to miss the game-tying extra point and BYU squeaks away with the win.

This is absurd for so many reasons.

First of all why the hell are the officials making that kind of call so late in the game. I can see penalizing him early in the game but officials should not decide the outcome of the game. Players and coaches control the outcome not officials.

Also there was nothing that excessive about the celebration.

The rule states that a player can't throw the ball high in the air but what Locker did really wasn't that bad. His celebration was in no way a taunt or demeaning to the other team. The kid just made a hell of a play and was pumped up.

To basically single this kid out and turn him from hero to hated because of a celebration is just absurd.

College football is what it is because of the passion and emotion. By making this call the officials are ruining what everyone loves about college football. Theses players are not paid entertainers they are kids. They are my age and let me tell you when I score a goal in intramural soccer I have more excessive celebrations.

The officials really made a big big mistake.

Not the Worst Saturday Ever

This morning I was sitting in front of the TV thinking this is one of the worst day of games I've seen in a long time. Although it has shaped up to be a pretty solid afternoon.


Wake Forest 30 Ole Miss 28

This so far is the game of the week (Florida Miami still going on). After the ACC was pummeled last week more than just Wake fans were looking for the Deacs to take down an SEC foe. The real surprise was how well Jevan Snead looked after a lackluster season opener. But the real story was Sam Swank who kicked the game winning 41 yard field goal with :03 left on the clock. The deacs are looking good.

Bringham Young 28 Washington 27

This is one of the most ridiculous loses I have seen in a long while but there will be more about this later.

East Carloina 24 West Virginia 3

Well ECU is the best story of college football so far. After upseting Virginia Tech last week the Pirates disposed of #8 WVU. Can you say BCS buster?

Ohio State 26 Ohio 14

Without Beanie Wells this team did not have the same type of swagger they did last week. Wells should be OK for USC next weekend but Ohio State is not looking so impressive.

Georgia Tech 19 Boston College 16

Well Paul Johnson's triple option continues to impress. Georgia Tech proved that they are for real against a legitmate opponent.

Week Two Preview

With the first week in books we move on to the second week of the season. While there aren't as many headline games this weekend there are a couple of games to look for.

Miami at Florida

The ACC is coming off an extremely lackluster weekend and could use a shot in the arm. They won't get it here though. Miami is far from the glory days in the early 2000s and just don't have the talent they used to. Look for Florida to put down the hurricanes easily.

Stanford at Arizona State

Stanford may not be the cream of the crop in the Pac-10 but they are certainly on the upswing. After taking down Oregon State last week they will try and dispose of another conference foe. Dennis Erikson may have his eye on the Georgia game in a few weeks but not likely. Arizona State will take down Stanford.

Ole Miss at Wake Forest

Wake is the only ACC team to be ranked in the top-25. After a good win against Baylor, Wake opens their season at home. Jevan Snead, the former Texas QB, had a solid outing last week and hopes to continue that success in Winston Salem. Ole Miss will put up a fight but Wake will squeak away with the win.

Heisman Watch: First Weekend

Well we are now out of Heisman previews and onto the race. This is what our top 5 contenders did this weekend and where they stand.

#1 Tim Tebow

When the previous years Heisman winner returns for his junior year he has to be atop the list. Tebow's numbers were small against Hawaii (137 yards passing 1 td and 37 yards on the ground) Florida didn't need him so they didn't want him banged up. Performance Grade: C+

#2 Chase Daniel

323 yards passing and 3 tds as well as 47 yards on the ground. This was a big start for Daniels who took down a top 25 team and didn't let the expectations get to him. Performance Grade: B+

#3 Beanie Wells

Well he racked up 111 yards and a TD before going down with a foot injury. No word on how serious it is but this could derail the Beanie Wells bandwagon. Performance Grade: B-

#4 Pat White

He flashed the arm and threw for 208 yards and 5 scores as well as he feet (63 yards rushing). If he can keep up these kind of passing numbers and throw in a few running scores we got ourselves a serious Heisman contender. Performance Grade: B+

#5 Graham Harrell

He absolutely lit it up 536 yards passing and three total touchdowns. Problem for him is he might split votes with his WR Michael Crabtree. B+

Whose name fell out of the race?

Armanti Edwards. While he was always a long shot he really needed a big day on that kind of stage to stand anychance.

Whose name is now in the race?

Juice Williams. Ya its only one game but if he can keep those numbers up he has to be in the conversation.

The Roundup: Part 2

So now we have a full weekend of college football action behind us (minus two games). Well where do we stand?

#1 Georgia 45 Georgia Southern 21

Knowshown Moreno and Matt Stafford looked solid in their season opener. Their defense not quite as good but expect those problems to go away as the season moves on. Impact Freshman A.J. Green had a good day as well. All is well in Athens.

#2 Ohio State 43 Youngstown St 0

The story of this game was Beanie Wells who went down with a foot injury. No official word on how serious it is. Every Buckeye fan is holding their breath right now. Oh Terrell Pryor looked good in his limited action. If Wells goes down for some time expect Pryor to play a bigger role.

#3 USC 52 Virginia 7

USC looked very very good. Sanchez's knee was not an issue as he threw for 300+ yards and three scores. The real story was how good the defense looked. They are fast, big and very physical. The road to the national championship goes right through the Trojans' D.

#6 Missouri 52 #20 Illinois 42

This game was a display of QB prowess. Chase Daniel and Juice Williams combined for 750+ passing yards and
8 scores. Missouri squeaked out with the win but Illinois turned some heads. Jeremy Maclin, who had two big returns for scores went down with an injury although it does not appear so serious

#9 Clemson 10 #24 Alabama 34

Well it did not take long for Clemson to fold like a cheap tent. Alabama is either a lot better than we thought or the SEC is just light years ahead of the ACC.

#17 Virginia Tech 22 East Carolina 27

You think Frank Beamer is regretting redshirting Tyrod Taylor? I'm not sure, but this was just another example of ACC shortcomings on Saturday.

#25 Pittsburgh 17 Bowling Green 27

This does not surprise me. I always felt Pitt was overrated. They really only beat WVU last year and all of a sudden they were a top 25 program. This is a down program with a down coach. Dave Wannstedt is not going to make it past this year if Pitt knows whats good for them.

The Roundup

Well last night was the official opening of the college football season. Lets talk about what we saw:

Stanford 36 Oregon State 28

This is a big win for Stanford who has been somewhat floundering in the Pac-10 recently. Sure they didn't beat USC or Oregon but they showed they can make plays. Especially their defense which had a score and forced 3 turnovers, including a late fumble that ended any comeback hopes. If they keep this up they might pull another big upset this year.


South Carolina 34 NC State 0

Steve Spurrier gets a big win here but there are still some very big question marks. This offense didn't do much until the old ball coach benched starting QB Tommy Beecher (4 ints) for Chris Smelley (2 tds). So who starts next week?


Georgia Tech 41 Jacksonville State 14

Well Paul Johnsons' old school triple option looked very promising in their first game. While it is Jacksonville State the offense showed some good signs. They made good decisions and their line opened some gaping holes. Perrilloux had a rocky start going for 22 for 37 for 136 yards 2tds but 2 ints also.

Wake Forest 41 Baylor 13

This was a great win for Wake. First of all this was the first time in school history that they won in the state of Texas and the first time they beat Baylor. More importantly though the offense looked extremely sharp and Riley Skinner was very impressive. He went 27 for 36 for 220 yards and three scores. This offense has often been criticized for not being able to score but they showed life deep into the game. Oh ya Alphonso Smith got his 15th career interception.

Ryan Perrilloux is up to his not so usual shenanigans

Ryan Perrilloux was once a can't miss prospect that every college coach was salivating over. Texas, Miami, LSU, Florida State; they all wanted him but it was LSU who won the sweepstakes. This year was supposed to be the year that Perrilloux finally lived up to his potential. Last season he saw some playing time including a start in the SEC championship game, which he won. But Perrilloux had a bit of a history of getting himself in trouble. Before you knew it Les Miles had sent him packing.

Now Perrilloux has found a new home at Division I-AA Jacksonville State which opens their season tonight against Georgia Tech.

It will be interesting to see how Perrilloux does with Jacksonville State. He is certainly a special talent but can he get out of his own way and just play football?

WFU not WTF

Not going to a Division I school means that I have no personal connection to any big-time college football program. Sure I live 20 minutes from Rutgers but the team I follow closest is Wake Forest University (I have a number of friends there). The Demon Deacons open their season tonight ranked #23 in the land. It is the first time in school history that this team is opening a season with a little number in front of their name.

This is the little school that could. Maybe you know Wake because of Tim Duncan or Chris Paul but two years ago they crashed the BCS with an ACC championship. They have quickly become a football school with one of the most sought after coaches in the nation, Jim Grobe.

This team has some big-time talent too. On the offensive side of the ball Riley Skinner at QB is one of the most consistent signal-callers in the country. Josh Adams is an explosive RB that is poised for a breakout season.

While their offense is more than capable its their defense that makes the headlines. Aaron Curry is the best linebacker in the ACC but the big name player on this roster is Cornerback Alphonso Smith. He may be undersized but he is an absolute ball-hawk. He has the most career intereceptions among any active player in the country. He is one of the top 3 or 4 defensive backs in the country.

So whats my point? Tonight Wake Forest opens their season against Baylor. While they aren't on ESPN tonight (South Carolina is) pay attention to this team. Before you realize they could be sneaking up the rankings and making their way to a BCS game.

LSU=Harvard?

So as LSU starts their bid to defend their title they have found their next great shitty white QB to lead them to the promised land. Remember Matt Mauck? Ya of course not he sucked. Matt Flynn? Ya that dude with the goofy look on the sideline last year that you thought was Les Miles retarted child? NOPE... starting QB. Now LSU is fielding their uber recruit Ryan Perril.... ANDREW HATCH... HE DUN LEARNED GOOD AT HARVARD.

Here it is baby

College football officially starts tomorrow. So lets talk about the big games and possible upsets that we have brewing for this weekend:

Missouri vs. Illinois

This game has big time implications. The Tigers have the Big 12 title on their mind as well as a national championship birth. Illinois is not as quite as ambitious but they have their eyes set on Ohio State and a Big Ten Championship. If they can run with Missouri they have a good chance in a weak conference.

Clemson vs Alabama

Nick Saban is the most powerful coach according to Forbes Magazine but Clemson and Tommy Bowden are a top-10 team. It is going to be an early test for notoriously under-achieving Clemson and the freshman loaded Alabama team.

Appalachian State at LSU

App state of Michigan blah blah blah. Can they do it two years in a row?

Fresno State at Rutgers

The Bulldogs are primed for a break out season and possibly some BCS busting. Their campaign starts with the Scarlet Knights. It is an early test for Rutgers who needs to tune up for a rough conference schedule.

Brian Leonard is Jumping for joy

BECAUSE COLLEGE FOOTBALL STARTS ON THURSDAY

Lots of QB news

Well a lot of QB controversies and speculation came to an end over the last few days. Here is a general round up of the big stories:


Penn State named Daryll Clark the starter over Pat Devlin. Clark is a big QB who stands at 6-1 and 231 pounds but more importantly is a dual-threat QB. He can run and throw and gives the Nittany Lions a similar look to the '06 team that won the Orange Bowl with Michael Robinson at the helm. Joe Pa has said he will give Devlin some time this season.


At Virginia Tech the Hokies went the other way. They opted for the drop-back style of Sean Glennon over the dual threat of Tyrod Taylor. Last year Glennon struggled behind a weak and battered O-line so Taylor got a lot of playing time. But now with a much stronger line and Glennon entering his senior year the Hokies see him as their best option. V-Tech will also try to red-shirt Talyor who played as a true freshman last year.


The super blue chip superman in the making (supposedly) Terrell Pryor will get to see playing time in Ohio State's opener against Youngstown State. Todd Boeckman is no doubt the starter but there is no reason why Ohio State can't employ a similar strategy that Florida used two years ago with Chris Leak and Tim Tebow. Pryor can be a good change of pace player that could line up any where on the field and the defense has to respect it. Imagine having both Pryor and Boeckman on the field at the same time. Ohhh The confusion it could cause.


Word out of USC is that Mark Sanchez's knee is going to be fine and he will start against Virginia this weekend. Don't be surprised if USC rolls ahead early if Aaron Corp (who seems to have won the back up job) comes in and takes the pressure of Sanchez's knee.

Heisman Watch

The Heisman Trophy is the most prestigious award in college football. To win the Heisman means your name will be in the same class as Reggie Bush, Herschel Walker, Barry Sanders, Archie Griffin, Danny Weurfel, Eric Crouch and of course Mr. Chris Wenkie. Every week we will spot light one player who is on that short list of Heisman hopefuls.

Chris "Beanie" Wells

This guy has to be the favorite at this point. I'm going to leave my dislike for the Big-10 out of this post. Beanie Wells is that perfect blend of speed, size, vision and of course a killer stiff arm. Last season Wells rushed for over 1,600 yards on 274 carries. He broke Archie Griffin's sophomore Buckeye record.

The big worry for Wells has to be just how talented the Buckeyes are. While he may be the Heisman front-runner he is not a guarantee to get the type of carries he did last year. Todd Boeckman is very capable under center and Terrell Pryor might steal a couple of carries, especially late in the season.

Most Heisman winners have that signature game or moment that solidifies them the trophy (think Reggie Bush vs Fresno State or even Desmond Howard's pose). Beanie has that opportunity early in the season against USC. If Wells can crack the 100 yard mark and couple of scores AND his Buckeyes win then he may just be on a collision course with Heisman trophy. Also a big day against Michigan never hurts for a Buckeye.

Picks

This Thursday night the college football season officially opens. It is time to make some predictions:

Who wins the ACC?


Clemson. I want to go Wake Forest but I just don't think they can make enough noise on offense. Once they get a lead they play not to lose the game. You don't win games playing not to lose.

Who wins the Big 12?


Oklahoma. This is a damn good football team. I think they win the conference and have a good shot to play in the BCS championship game. Bob Stoops gets a chance to end the three year losing streak in BCS bowl games.

Who wins the Big East?


South Florida. Everyone is picking Pittsburgh but come on they really only beat WVU last year. South Florida has beat Pitt and WVU the last two times they have played. This team is experienced and ready.

Who wins the Big Ten?


Ohio State. This is the best team Jim Tressel has ever had. There is talent everywhere. Besides this is a down conference and Ohio State will roll through it. This one is really a no-brainer.

Who wins the Pac-10

USC. As long as they kick this injury bug the conference is theirs. They have 4-5 All-Americans on defense. Mark Sanchez is the big question mark (even without the knee injury). If he plays well USC is a top 3 team (if not #1).

Who wins the SEC?


Georgia. This is the hardest conference to predict because there is talent everywhere. Georgia has the most playmakers. If they can get past Florida they could do something special.