College Football Live Thread - Weekend Nine

Sportsline.com Scoreboard ^ | Thursday 26th of October to Sunday 29th of October 2006

[MikefromOhio]

Weekend Eight was the weekend of near-misses and close calls. Texas, Cal and Notre Dame all escaped their games with wins. Texas won on a last second field goal in Lincoln against Nebraska, while ND drove 80 yards for a winning TD pass from Brady Quinn. Cal, however, had to go to overtime to defeat a steadily improving Washington team. It was business as usual for most of the top 5, with West Virginia, Auburn, Michigan and Ohio State all rolling to relatively easy wins. Unfortunately ND’s narrow win and subsequent drop in the polls prompted whining from Charlie Weis, which is rebutted by ESPN columnist DJ Gallo here. Needless to say, putting Florida and Tennessee aren’t the biggest transgressions this past weekend. Having to come back against a mid-tier Pac10 team, with their backup Quarterback at the helm, at home, late in the 4th quarter, IS a problem for ND.

This week’s match up of the week pits Georgia and Florida in the “World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party”. This is a fun game every year to watch.

Saturday, October 28th, 2006 – 3:30 PM on CBS

at

Georgia at (9) Florida (-13.5)

The World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party pits Georgia against Florida. Generally this game is played in Jacksonville. Florida has all of the advantages on paper, but more than one good team on either side has been upset here before. Georgia could get back into SEC contention with a win here while Florida needs a win to hold serve to get to the SEC championship game. In the end, I think Georgia’s lack of offense will hold them back from winning this game. They will need points on every possession and the Florida defense is too good to allow that.

Florida 24 – Georgia 14

Thursday October 26th, 2006 (ESPN Thursday Night Game)

(10) Clemson (-4.5) at Virginia Tech

Clemson has a chance to take absolute and total control of the ACC with a win. This has been the type of game that Clemson has lost in the past. After winning a game that many thought they wouldn’t, they have a history of laying an egg the next week. Not this year.

Clemson 32 – Virginia Tech 24

Friday October 27th, 2006 (ESPN2 Friday Night Game)

UTEP at Tulsa (-14)

Tulsa has played one decent team (BYU) and lost. Look for Tulsa to roll over UTEP, although this game should be interesting for a while.

Tulsa 42 – UTEP 24

Saturday October 21st 2006 (in ranking order)

Minnesota at (1) Ohio State (-27)

Ohio State 38 – Minnesota 3

Northwestern at (2) Michigan (-30)

Michigan 45 – Northwestern 10

(3) USC (-10.5) at Oregon State

USC 37 – Oregon St. 13

(4) West Virginia BYE

(5) Texas (-10.5) at Texas Tech

Texas 34 – Texas Tech 20

(6) Louisville BYE

(7) Auburn (-19) at Mississippi

Auburn 38 – Mississippi 13

(8) Tennessee (-3.5) at South Carolina

Tennessee 28 – South Carolina 20

(11) Notre Dame (-13) at Navy

ND 38 – Navy 17

(12) Cal BYE

Louisiana Monroe at (13) Arkansas (NL)

Arkansas 49 – LA Monroe 6

(14) LSU BYE

(15) Boise St BYE

Illinois at (17) Wisconsin (-21.5)

Wisconsin 52 – Illinois 13

Buffalo at (18) Boston College (-35)

BC 48 – Buffalo 0

(19) Oklahoma at (23) Missouri (-2)

Mizzou 24 – Oklahoma 17

Oklahoma St. at (20) Nebraska (-5.5)

Oklahoma St. 28 – Nebraska 27

Miami (FL) at (21) Georgia Tech (-5)

Georgia Tech 32 – Miami 16

Baylor at (22) Texas A&M (-4.5)

Baylor 37 – Texas A&M 24

(24) Wake Forest (-8.5) at North Carolina

Wake 34 – North Carolina 10

Portland St. at (25) Oregon (NL)

BY REQUEST (FReepmail me to have your team included)

New Mexico at Colorado St. (-6.5) – Saturday, October 28th (Mountain West Conference)

Every time I pick against New Mexico, they win, and every time I pick them, they lose. I don’t know anymore.

Colorado St. 28 – New Mexico 17

Baylor at (22) Texas A&M (-4.5)

A&M needs to play better defense against Baylor than they did against OK St. Baylor can score in bunches. If it can ever figure out the defense thing, they could be a dangerous team.

Baylor 37 – Texas A&M 24

Sunday October 29th, 2006 (ESPN Sunday Night Game) UCONN at (19) Rutgers (-19)

As UCONN proved last week against West Virginia, it has a problem stopping the run. Ray Rice should get close to 200 yards in this one.

Rutgers 35 – UCONN 10

[neodad]

I agree, but if Tech had more opportunities than they needed. I think Mike Leech blew some calls at the end of the game.

[Diddle E. Squat]

And Alabama is a mediocre team.

At 6-3, as compared to:

6-3 Iowa
6-3 Penn State (at Columbus)
5-4 Indiana (at Columbus)
5-4 Cincy (Big Least conference, at Columbus)
5-4 N. Illinois (minor conference, at Columbus)
4-5 Bowling Green (minor conference, at Columbus)
4-5 Michigan State
3-6 Minnesota (at Columbus)

Let's see, Indiana lost at home to S. Illinois and UConn, Iowa lost to the Indiana juggernaut, Penn State got thrashed by overrated Notre Dame, Cincy was throttled by 'mediocre' 6-2 Pittsburgh and 6-2 VA Tech.

You had an impressive win at Texas, but every other OSU opponent has been your definition of mediocre or far worse. A real murderers' row, there. Will you now demand brownie points for the Buckeyes bravely toughing out 6 of 9 games at home? The travel must be exhausting.

Meanwhile Hawaii lost by a touchdown to both Alabama and an undefeated Boise State (which should be close to the top 10.) Boise State whipped Oregon State 42-14 (ya know, the team that just beat USC.) Speaking of the Pac 10, you claim they would roll over Hawaii, so let's see how the Pac10 fared compares with them against the WAC. Washington St. beat Idaho 56-10 at home, while Hawaii beat them 68-10 at home (Oregon State beat Idaho 38-0.) Seems comparable. That's a 6-3 Washignton St. that lost to USC 28-22, whipped a UCLA that had played Notre Dame to almost a standstill at South Bend, and beat Oregon St. and 6-2 top 15 Oregon. An Oregon that beat WAC Fresno State 31-24, while Hawaii whipped them 68-37 (Washington, which lost at USC by 6 points beat Fresno State 21-20.) So plenty of indicators that Hawaii could hang with Pac10 teams.

Goodness gracious, you Buckeyes are such homer apologists. To claim that Hawaii's Colt Brennan doesn't belong in the top 15 of Heisman consideration when he runs the #1 offense in the country and is blowing away Vince Young (and even moreso Leinert) in all purpose yards is nonsense, as is the claim that Hawaii couldn't compete in a 'major' conference like the Pac10 or Big Can't Count Conference.

[MikefromOhio]

LOL!!!!!!

That's it call me a homer. You're the one making lame excuses to try to knock Troy Smith from running away with the Heisman.

It isn't as if your team has anyone near it.

He went in and smoked Texas. He went in and smoke Iowa. He's 3rd or 4th in passer efficiency. He's played some of the best competition and won. He's played some of the worst and not let down.

And don't look now, but the Big East is better than the ACC and it and the Big XII are fighting for 4th behind the Pac-10, the Big Ten and the SEC.....

I know you'll keep whining though, so bring it on.

[MikefromOhio]

And Hawaii can't compete in ANY of the big conferences, except maybe the ACC (though I'm pretty sure Clemson, GT and maybe Boston College would beat them)....

If he was such great stuff, he wouldn't be playing in a gimmick offense in one of the worst defensive conferences in the nation.

He's probably not even on the watch list for the Heisman.

[MikefromOhio]

Well I'll give you this...he IS in the top 15...but just barely...


http://www.athlonsports.com/college-football/8796/2006-heisman-watch

and he has similar rep with ESPN

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/heisman06/index

Terry Bowden doesn't list him, although this is a bit old...

http://sports.yahoo.com/ncaaf/news?slug=tb-heismanwatch101906&prov=yhoo&type=lgns


Look he's like Garrett Wolfe. Good player, but he's a product of the system and his conference. He won't get into the top 5 voting, and is a stretch to even reach the top 10.

[Diddle E. Squat]

And yet Colt McCoy's numbers are amazingly similar to Troy Smith's. I could mimick the Ohio State crybabies last year and whine that it was only Colt's second collegiate game ("If Tressel had played just Troy we would have won, we are actually the national champions") and note that he has vastly improved as the season goes on (led 4 straight comebacks), Texas' weakness is its defense not its high-powered offense, and that at the current rate he is on pace to surpass Troy Smith in output by the end of the season. And you can't claim that OSU's schedule since Texas is any tougher than the Longhorns (especially since OSU won't play a conference championship game and you get to dodge 8-1 Wisconsin.) But as I EARLIER POSTED, so far I do NOT think that Colt McCoy should even be invited to New York, but Troy Smith should. That was never my position. If you Buckeyes wouldn't be such annoying homers you'd realize that debate about OSU and TS is not the same as arguing that they aren't #1 or that he shouldn't win the Heisman.

If I were going to be a similar homer, why would I predict that OSU will lose to Michigan, when Texas' best shot at playing in the mythical national title game is for OSU to win out? Think about it, a Michigan is going to drop further than OSU would based on pre-game rankings, and a loss to #1 is better than to #2. There is a real possibility that Cal loses again, 2 or 3 of the 1-loss SEC teams will lose, and Rutgers or no one emerges from the Big Least without a loss. Plus Texas strength of schedule is going to keep rising as they play better teams at the end of the season. 5-3 Okl. St. is probably bowl bound (and may very well upset Texas next week), don't look now but the Aggies are 8-1 (misleading, but it will influence the computers), and even 5-4 Texas Tech has a shot at a bowl. So Texas (if they don't lose again) has a good shot of jumping more teams in the BCS rankings, even if some of those teams don't lose. Thus I have a strong vested interest in Ohio State not losing to Michigan.

Yet objectively, that is what I predict. Break out of your homer mode, there is legitimate debate about things involving Ohio State, everyone who notes such doesn't have an ax to grind or sour grapes, that's just a copout defense.

[Diddle E. Squat]

Bubba, I'm the radar screen. Colt Brennan will emerge in the next few weeks on the gab circuit (if for no other reason that the media wants a race just so they have something to talk about) and will get invited to New York. It takes time for some of these unknowns to differentiate themselves and accumulate enough numbers to get far ahead of the pack.

BTW, wasn't the Superbowl winner a nobody from another nobody conference?

[MikefromOhio]

Bubba, I'm the radar screen.

LOL Sure you aren't. How many Heisman votes do you have? LMAO!!

Colt Brennan will emerge in the next few weeks on the gab circuit (if for no other reason that the media wants a race just so they have something to talk about) and will get invited to New York.

Not unless one of the big 5 will have to get injured....the person to challenge Troy Smith has already been selected by the media. His name is Mike Hart. But since you hate the Big Ten, you won't be objective about him either.

It takes time for some of these unknowns to differentiate themselves and accumulate enough numbers to get far ahead of the pack.

You can't possibly think that colt Brennan is better than troy Smith. LMAO!

BTW, wasn't the Superbowl winner a nobody from another nobody conference?

WTF does the NFL have to do with the Heisman Trophy??? Completely different things. The Heisman is an individual award that is VOTED ON, whereas the Super Bowl is a product of what happens between entire TEAMS on the field.

You've lost the argument if you need to bring in the NFL to a college conversation.

[MikefromOhio]

LOL

If you don't like reality, maybe you should just ignore college football this year.

Assuming Troy Smith smokes Michigan again (like he has the past two seasons), he wins the Heisman. It won't be close.

Sorry if you don't like that. Actually no I'm not.

[aft_lizard]

Troy Smith will win it, the Heisman doesnt always go to the best out there, I would compare Troy Smith to Eric Crouch, both phenomenal playmakers with less than stellar statistics.

[dfwgator]

I see Hawaii only scored 68 points this week.

[MikefromOhio]

It's just gotta burn Charlie Weis that USC lost to Oregon State, but they are still ranked ahead of Notre Dame.....

I think you, me, Scott says and Mainepatsfan could score 40 against Idaho at this point....

[Lakeshark]

But Troy smith will likely play in the NFL, he is much more talented than Crouch ever was.

He's one of the best players I have seen, and in my opinion deserves to be running away with the Heisman.

[Lakeshark]

My 3 picks sure screwed the pooch..............

Oh well, always next week.

[Lakeshark]

Just suppose that the Michigan Ohio State game is razor close. Why would someone pick up Texas as # 2 if Ohio State has already beaten Texas, and beaten them badly?

[MikefromOhio]

No one did really well this week....

conference play is very unpredictable.

[Diddle E. Squat]

See the last paragraph of post 276, I've been speculating that the loser might not drop below #2 for a couple of weeks now. In theory if the game is close they shouldn't drop below #2, but the polls almost always do so anyway. Some of that is that the voters don't want to see an immediate rematch, but somebody else. For Texas there may be interest in a rematch since the game was at the start of the season and it was only Colt McCoy's 2nd college game, and thus the outcome may be different based on how the team has changed over the season. But my guess is that the voters (and country) would prefer another 1-loss team be given a shot, perhaps a USC or Florida or Tennessee. Or how about Wisconsin? But that might be viewed as similar to a Texas situation, since they lost to Michigan and are the same conference as OSU (would prefer a non-conference matchup.) However the computers in the BCS can often cancel out these preferences, as we've seen multiple times, from Nebraska to OU excluding USC.

This is why this whole mythical nat'l championship is a complete joke, we need a playoff system. There is absolutely no way to say for certain that USC, Tennessee, Florida, or even a 1-loss West Virginia or Louisville are not the actual best team in the country.

[Lakeshark]

Well yes....

My favorite (and wishful thinking) theory for this year is everyone has a one loss season except Ohio State and Michigan.

They play a triple overtime game.........

The loser drops below #2 in the BCS polls.......

The space/time continuum fails, football fans from all conferences revolt, and the BCS as we know it is crushed by Dorothy's house.

Ok, ok......it's a fun way to theorize the end of the BCS.....

[smith288]

Not to mention that the media often gets antsy if there isn't a race for the Heisman

Not this year so far. Every "expert" I have heard are resigned to the fact that Troy is the only one out there who has done anything consistently as well as a true role model and leader.

Not a slight to anyone but thats just how this year is playing out.

Smith's numbers arent overwhelming? He is the 4th rated passer, has more TDs than Quinn, less INTs and hasn't been rattled once this year.

That's not a missed point. Its reality. It seems to me you want some sort of Heisman race when there isn't even an inclination of one thus far. Especially after Peterson got injured.

Brennan's stats are so out of the ordinary because he plays for June Jones and the pass dominated offense. Chang put up some seriously impressive numbers there too, yet he never sniffed the Heisman. I dont think anyone from the WAC will win it in the near future, fair or not.

[scott says]

Rutgers plays UCONN on ESPN- Sunday Night Game