College Football - Live Thread - Week Seven

ESPN.com Scoreboard ^ | Thursday October 12th to Saturday October 14th 2006

[MikefromOhio]

College Football – Week Seven

Week Six brought the first major upset of the year down on the plains in Auburn. Arkansas went in and physically dominated Auburn for 4 quarters en route to a shocking 27-10 victory over the Tigers. Florida followed that up by winning rather easily against LSU at the Swamp. The Buckeyes and Michigan held serve, while West Virginia had another easy game. USC was pushed again by the Huskies of Washington. This week features what was looking to be the game of the year in the SEC only last Friday night. Florida leaves the friendly confines of the Swamp to visit Auburn.

Saturday, October 14th, 2006 – 7:45 PM on ESPN

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(2) Florida (-2) at (11) Auburn

Generally the home team is given a 3 to 3.5 point advantage when the lines are put out. Given that Auburn is a home underdog by 2 points (meaning to cover the spread the Gators need to win by more than 2 points), the odds makers think that Florida is around 5 points better than Auburn. Seeing as Auburn was absolutely dominated last Saturday by Arkansas, I’d say that is a pretty good bet. One development to be aware of college football fans, Auburn was missing one of their better linebackers for the Arkansas game. His return will allow Auburn to put their best defensive lineup in the game against Chris Leak and Tim Tebow. The key is the continued good play of the Florida quarterbacks. If they continue to play mostly error free, the Gators will win easily. Being that this game is at night, at Auburn, with Auburn’s season hanging in the balance, expect the Tigers to play hard. Can Florida stand up to being #2 in the nation? We will see. What’s for sure is that this is a classic trap game for Florida.

Florida 22 – Auburn 19

Thursday October 12th, 2006 (ESPN Thursday Night Game)

(22) Virginia Tech (-3) at Boston College

This is a critical game for both teams in the weakened ACC. The winner stays in the race for the ACC championship game, while the loser is possibly out of the race altogether.

VT 24 – BC 13

Thursday October 12th, 2006 (ESPNU Thursday Night Game)

Temple at (12) Clemson (-45)

Temple is Temple. Clemson usually struggles against teams they should smoke. I think they come out focused and they MIGHT put up 70 in this game.

Clemson 67 – Temple 0

Saturday October 14th 30th 2006 (in ranking order)

(1) Ohio State (-14) at Michigan St.

Ohio State 35 – Michigan St. 17

Arizona St at (3) USC (-19.0)

USC 35 – Arizona St. 10

(4) Michigan (-6) at Penn State

Michigan 25 – Penn State 20

Syracuse at (5) West Virginia (-25)

WVU 42 – Syracuse 13

Baylor at (6) Texas (-27)

Texas 45 – Baylor 12

Cincinnati at (7) Louisville (-25)

Louisville 37 – Cincy 10

(8)Tennessee BYE

(9)Notre Dame BYE

(10) Cal (-8) at Washington St.

Cal 32 – Washington St. 20

(13) Georgia Tech BYE

Kentucky at (14) LSU (-26)

LSU 39 – Kentucky 17

(15) Iowa (-18.5) at Indiana

Iowa 45 – Indiana 13

Vanderbilt at (16) Georgia (-13.5)

Georgia 27 – Vandy 7

SE Missouri St. at (17) Arkansas (NL)

Arkansas 52 – SE Mizzou St. 7

UCLA at (18) Oregon (-8.5)

Oregon 35 – UCLA 17

(19) Missouri (-2) at Texas A&M

Mizzou 28 – Texas A&M 13

(20) Boise St. (-26.5) at New Mexico St

Boise St 48 – New Mexico St. 14

(21) Nebraska (-9) at Kansas St.

Nebraska 28 – K-State 24

Iowa St. at (23) Oklahoma (-19)

Oklahoma 34 – Iowa St. 10

(24) Rutgers at Navy (-2.5)

Navy 28 – Rutgers 22

Minnesota at (25) Wisconsin (-8)

Wisconsin 34 – Minnesota 21

BY REQUEST

New Mexico (-3) at UNLV (Mountain West Conference)

UNLV isn’t a good team and New Mexico can climb back into the MWC race with a win. They should win relatively easily.

UNM 21 – UNLV 15

(19) Missouri (-2) at Texas A&M

Missouri is on a roll. They finally beat someone of note last weekend. Texas A&M was 3 bad play calls by Bobby Ross away from being upset by Army. With another heartbreaking loss against Texas Tech, they came out listless against a mediocre Kansas team. Missouri is looking at a showdown with Nebraska coming up, but they shouldn’t overlook Texas A&M.

Mizzou 28 – Texas A&M 13

Overall:

It wasn’t a good week for the home team. My picks weren’t the best and even my normally reliable straight up picks were bad (14-7).

102-21 Straight UP
69-51-3 Against the Spread

[dread78645]

Finals:

Hawaii 68
Fresno State 37

Kentucky 0
LSU 49

Florida 17
Auburn 27

[dread78645]

1. Ohio State
2. Michigan
3. USC
4. West Va.
5. Auburn
6. Florida
7. Louisville

That's what I figure ...

[Lakeshark]

A good take on the polls.

I think the Michigan/OSU game will be a barn burner, unlike the Texas/OSU game. A true national championship game is brewing in Columbus.

I doubt USC will run its table, they are looking way too iffy against teams that aren't that good. I know they don't have that tough a schedule, but they still have to play Cal, Oregon, and Notre Dame, the only remotely hard teams they play.

I do feel badly for the SEC teams, they probably won't be able to get to the championship game cause their conference is too tough. I have seen that happen for the Big Ten before, and totally understand their frustration. Teams from the ACC, Big EAst, Big Twelve, and Pac Ten can go undefeated pretty easily to get into the BCS final (witness Oklahoma those two years)

If I were dictator, I would mandate that the winner of the SEC play the winner of the Big Ten for the final, and let the whining commence amonst the lesser conferences.

[Bat_Chemist]

My condolences on your team's succumbing to "The Curse of Being #2".

[Bat_Chemist]

Tar-heels score, conversion NO GOOD
4:49 - 4TH QTR
Wake 25
NC 23

Wake played (and beat) NC State, not UNC. UNC lost (at home) to my alma mater, USF, 37-20.

[dread78645]

AP as of 10/15:

1 Ohio State
2 Michigan
3 Southern California
4 West Virginia
5 Texas
6 Louisville
7 Tennessee
8 Auburn
9 Florida
10 Notre Dame

Well, at least I got the top 5 right.
;->

Texas just slipped my mind and I flat-out disagree with Tennessee in the top 10 (and I'm not too sure about the boys from South Bend, either ...)

[dread78645]

Wake played (and beat) NC State, not UNC.

You are correct. Sorry.

:g/Tar-heels/s//Wolfpack/g

[ABG(anybody but Gore)]

Tough to argue with that. A lot of us SEC fans figured that the killer schedule all the top teams faced would lead to nobody finishing unbeaten. Last night confirmed that when Auburn finished off Florida leaving no SEC team undefeated this season.

Right now, I'd have to put Ohio St. and Michigan 1 and 2 because they both look like they're going to be on top come their showdown in Columbus next month. Like you said, USC is dancing with fire, and sooner or later, they will get burned, so I put them at #3. I'll put Auburn at #4 because I think West Virginia's schedule thus far is a joke and Texas was clearly outclassed against the Buckeyes. Florida slides to 7 and Tennessee appears to be on a mission this year, so the Vols are #8. Louisville gets the ninth and Cal breaks back into the top 10.

[Lakeshark]

The SEC is just brutal this year. I didn't expect anyone to be able to go undefeated, and that is a shame, as there are so many good teams this year.

I expected that the Big Ten would be closer and until Ohio State and Michigan started to play didn't expect that either of them would go undefeated until they played each other. They still both have tough games to play, but watching them, I now doubt either will get beat before Nov 18. They are both truly first class on both sides of the ball.

Agreed, West Va and Louisville play no one of consequence until they play each other, and if they play a top 5 team in the BCS series, I expect them to get a rude awakening.

This could be a fun ending, lots of football left to play.

[raptor29]

"....the only remotely hard teams they (USC) play."

Yeah, thank God they scheduled that cupcake Arkansas team for the opening day 50-14 rout, at Arkansas, thus far the only rout on USC's schedule this year. You know Arkansas, the team leading that powerhouse SEC........

[Lakeshark]

Say what you will.....

Nebraska is the only ranked team they have played, and they were at number 22.

Ohio State has beaten a #2 and a #13 team. Michigan has beaten a #2 and another top 20.

USC barely beat Washington State, Washington, and now Arizona State.

I doubt they will be unbeaten after their final 3 games, and if they miraculously did, they will get waxed in the BCS final. Having watched all 3 teams, USC simply isn't the caliber of Ohio State or Michigan this year. They aren't what they were the last few years, or anywhere close.

[LibertarianInExile]

"If I were dictator, I would mandate that the winner of the SEC play the winner of the Big Ten for the final, and let the whining commence amonst the lesser conferences."

Agreed 100%, although SOS has become more important lately with the advent of BCS weighting there. It's still not weighted substantially enough.

[LA Woman3]

Police: OU linebacker arrested

[MikefromOhio]

It's amazing what a bad cable modem can do to your ability to FReep :)

While I am of the opinion that Florida got absolutely SCREWED on that fumble call, they had an opportunity to come back from it and still win the game. That game illustrated the career of Chris Leak perfectly. Great stats, quality guy, never comes through in the clutch. I saw one of the national media types call him the A-Rod of college football. Maybe, except Leak isn't getting paid $20million a year.

Also, USC needs to put teams away. If you go up, at home, by 3 TDs, put that team away. They won't get a lead like that against Oregon, Cal or ND. It's not out of the question that they could lose any of all of those games.

Auburn needs Arkansas to lose two times, needs to run the table itself, and needs to win the SEC Championship game. If USC loses, they will be in Glendale if so. As it stands right now, and Arkansas DOES indeed get to the SEC Championship game, Auburn will be ineligible. They will not have won their conference.

[WhyisaTexasgirlinPA]

Mike, what happened in the Florida International/Miami game after the street fight broke out? Did the refs throw anyone out? Did they just resume playing? That was unreal!

[MikefromOhio]

They threw out a few players, I'm not entirely sure of the number at the moment.

I do know that the leagues, both the Sun Belt and the ACC have indefinitely suspended 31 players in total.

If it were up to me, and it isn't, those players wouldn't have a scholarship anymore.

[WhyisaTexasgirlinPA]

I agree, but then if things were up to me there would only be about 4 people posting on the internet too! ;^)

[dfwgator]

Leak had a bad game Saturday night, it happens. But he gets a lot of crap he doesn't deserve. And Danny Wuerffel had bad games too at UF.

First of all, he had to put up with Ron Zook for two years, that's bad enough.

Then he plays in a scheme where his style really doesn't quite fit, but he's made the best of it and I think has played pretty well for the most part.

That being said, UF could have done a lot worse than Chris Leak. And he came through against Tennessee, and led them back from a 10-point deficit.

[Man50D]

Mike, what happened in the Florida International/Miami game after the street fight broke out? Did the refs throw anyone out? Did they just resume playing? That was unreal!

A total of 31 players have been suspended for each team's next games. Thirteen Miami players were suspended and eighteen FIU players were suspended. More and longer suspensions may follow. Stay tuned.

[WhyisaTexasgirlinPA]

Thanks - we were flipping between various games Saturday and kept catching just bits of the scene and never heard what determination was made. Do refs have the authority to just end a game if it is out of control?