Week 9 Review

Sometimes you're right, and sometimes you're very, very wrong.  This week, I was very, very wrong, so here goes my attempt to explain myself.


Notre Dame, don't worry Irish fans, I'm shoveling the crow in by the fistfull.  I picked OU to not only win the game, but handle the Irish easily.  Notre Dame showed me a few things on Saturday, they have a top tier front seven, they have one of the best coaches in the country, and they're much more athletic than you think.  Notre Dame made Landry Jones throw the ball in front of their secondary, closed down throwing lanes, stuffed the run, and mixed up the defensive looks they gave Landry.  They ran the ball well, but the difference was Golson saved his best game for the Irish's biggest.  He wasn't spectacular on saturday night, but deserves a ton of credit for that win.  He made crucial throws on third down, he ran the ball very effectively in big spots, and looked relatively comfortable late in that game.  I've done a 180 on the Irish, it took one Saturday night in Norman, Oklahoma for me to change my mind, and I'm picking Notre Dame to play Alabama in the National Championship.  Oklahoma, let me down again, but this time I'm not sure the Sooners were better than the opponent, I really think they were outmatched by the physicality of the Irish.  The Sooners will scrape themselves off the mat and get back to work, because they still have a good chance to get into a very good bowl game.  With Kansas State in the drivers seat of the Big12 and Oklahoma needing the Cats to lose twice, it appears as though Oklahoma can do no better than second in the conference.  If you're a Sooner fan, it's not what you wanted in August, but after Notre Dame just exposed every weakness Oklahoma has, and there aren't many, you've got to hope you can just cross the finish line without any more damage.

Georgia, reminded everyone that the Dawgs have a few athletes on the roster too.  We've gotten so wrapped up in Florida and everything they can do defensively, we forgot Georgia has some incredible athletes and probably the best NFL prospect in the country.  Mark Richt kept his team believing and just shut down Driskel and the Florida offense.  Georgia doesn't have what it takes to beat Alabama, but I'm not sure anyone does.  If they can stay focused and not have a let down against opponents they should be able to handle easily, Richt will take his team to Atlanta for the second time in two years.  That's pretty good for a guy that finds himself on the hot seat every now and then.  Florida was simply outhustled for the first time this year.  The Gators looked so lost on saturday afternoon, and it appeared as though they weren't ready to be challenged by Georgia.  I'm not sure if they got a bit overconfident or if Georgia is just that much better, but the Gators never really got it going offensively.  Florida should finish out with a few easy wins before going on the road to take on the Seminoles.  That should be an epic battle this year as both teams should be at or near the Top 10, it's been awhile since that was the case.  If Florida can get that win, they'll be in really good shape to earn that second SEC BCS Bowl game invitation.

Alabama, is just rolling along in the best conference in football as if they were rolling through the WAC.  No one is even close to moving the ball against the Tide, and it's apparent Saban has elevated his team to another level of football.  The Tide can pound the rock like no one else, McCarron is #2 on my Heisman List, and that defense just doesn't give up points.  I have the Tide in the National Championship game, but Lester and LSU have had the recipe to beat Bama in the past, and this one's in Baton Rouge, at night, where the Tigers just don't lose.  This game isn't getting the same amount of noise the "Game of the Century" did last year, but it's very much a toss up game, if I had the guts to bet on this one, my money would be on the Tide, but I'm steering clear of this one and if I were you, I wouldn't bet against Lester and the Tigers this week.  Mississippi State really couldn't get out of their own way on Saturday, but that's what the pressure of playing Alabama does to you.  Mullen and Co should still be able to have a statement type season, it just won't be a SEC/Nat Champ type statement.

Kansas State did it again, they just keep winning and with a relatively soft back half of the schedule, you have to believe Snyder is in position to lead his team to an undefeated season, a Big12 Championship, and a possible BCS National Championship Game invitation.  Now the debate will start on which two teams will get the nod if Bama, K-State, Notre Dame, and Oregon all go undefeated.  My take, it should be the Tide and the Irish, but there are several obstacles between here and there for those two teams, Kansas State looks to have the easiest road, and by no means is it "easy."  Texas Tech, it's amazing what happens when you play a team with a defense isn't it.  The Red Raiders were completely outmatched in every phase of that game.  It was actually difficult to watch how easy Klein and Co had it on Saturday.  You expect more from a defense that's been ranked so high and a quarterback that seems to have been so efficient.  The Red Raiders are still having a surprisingly good season, and a couple more wins should be enough to warrant a decent bowl game invitation.

Arizona, is now the second team to get to the Trojans, and with four winnable games coming up, the Wildcats could win the Pac12 South with a little help from Oregon next week.  Rich Rod has them rolling and while the defense is prone to give up some big plays, the offense looks like they can score with anyone...except Oregon.  USC, was stunned again, and all before the "big showdown," with Oregon.  If the Trojans can get some stops and Barkley and Lee can get to that defense through the air, it could be close, but my guess is Oregon rolls, and Chip doesn't take his foot off the gas until the Ducks score 60+.

Washington got to Oregon State and the return of Mannion put the Beavers behind in the count as he threw 4 interceptions.  Riley waited too long to pull him with a proven winner sitting on the bench in Vaz.  Sometimes coaches get in their own way, and it was obvious early that Mannion wasn't going to be able to get it done.  The Beavers just needed one more quarter with Vaz to get to the Huskies, but they made the change late and couldn't come back because of it.  The Huskies now have two wins over top ten teams, and one glaring beat down to LSU.  Oregon State, I'm afraid it's about to start falling apart, and just in time for the meat of the schedule.  Figure out who you're going with under center and start trying to work it out from there.  I hate to say this, because I love the Oregon State story, I love Riley, I love that defense that plays physical and shuts down the run, but this season looks a lot like one that could seriously get away from the Beavers at this point.  I still think they're going to be pulling one surprising upset, but with the Ducks, Cardinal, Golden Bears, and Sun Devils looming, it would be great to finish the year 2-2 in those games.


SpecialEdTeams Top 20
1.    Alabama - and few would argue
2.    Kansas State - another big win and what looks like a smooth road to undefeated
3.    Notre Dame - now has that signature win to hang their hat on
4.    Oregon - needs to handle what appears to be a weaker USC than we thought
5.    LSU - might not be in this spot next week, they need a strong performance
6.    Florida - and the Gators have a win over the 5th ranked Tigers
7.    Georgia - needed that win on Saturday, should play for an SEC Champ
8.    Louisville - is taking care of business, cutting it close, but a win is a win
9.    South Carolina - solid wins plus losses to #5 and #6...they deserve this spot
10.  Mississippi State - a loss to Alabama doesn't mean you can't play football
11.  Oregon State- better wins and a better loss than the Noles
12.  Florida State - handled Duke easily
13.  Texas A&M - is about to get tested, this week at Miss St, next week at Bama
14.  Stanford - that loss at ND doesn't look so bad now does it
15.  Oklahoma - still searching for that signature win of the season
16.  Arizona - struggle early, but really playing well now
17.  Clemson - still hasn't beaten anyone relevant
18.  UCLA - the Bruins were almost forgotten, they've got a chance to make some noise
19.  USC - doesn't really have that impressive win yet, but it could happen this week
20.  Nebraska - nice performance on Saturday against shoelace

SpecialEdTeams Conference Rankings
1.    SEC - and the gap is getting wider every week
2.    Pac12 - if you disagree here you should go back and watch the football games
3.    Big12 - still seeking a signature non-conference win
4.    Big 10 - it pains me to write you in right here
5.    Big East - Rutgers needed a win over a "little sister of the poor," couldn't get it done
6.    ACC - awful...awful...awful

SpecialEdTeams Heisman Watch
1.    Collin Klein (KSU) - Finally, people are seeing it the way I've seen it for several weeks
2.    A.J. McCarron (BAMA) - has his Heisman campaign speech next week in Baton Rouge
3.    Manti Te'o (ND) - had a big night in Norman, that stuff goes a long, long way
4.    Kenjon Barner (ORE) - didn't get many carries, but toted it for nearly 12 yards each time
5.    Johnny Manziel (A&M) - if you've seen him play, you wonder if he can do it against Bama

SpecialEdTeams Walker Watch
1.    Kenjon Barner (ORE) - and the gap is widening
2.    Johnathan Franklin (UCLA) - went for 164 on Sat, and has a 6.7 yd per attempt avg.
3.    Ka'Deem Carey (ZONA) - 119 in an upset is worth one spot on my list
4.    Mike Gillislee (FLA) - one bad performance doesn't take away from what he's done
5.    Stepfan Taylor (STAN) - not his best, but he's having a great season

SpecialEdTeams Biletnikoff Watch
1.    Marquise Lee (USC) - he's back!  And setting every Pac12 receiving record there is
2.    Terrance Williams (BAY) - goes for 190 in the loss, kid will play on Sundays
3.    Cobi Hamilton (ARK) - Hogs keep losing, Hamilton keeps producing
4.    DeAndre Hopkins (CLEM) - decent day, but needs to be better to get into top 3
5.    Austin Hill (ZONA) - goes for 259 in the upset win...welcome to the list Mr. Hill

SpecialEdTeams Mackey Watch
1.    Eric Ebron (UNC) - nice game in the rivalry game win
2.    Zach Ertz (STAN) - disappeared in the win, but got the win
3.    Austin Seferian-Jenkins (WASH) - we need to see more from you
4.    Chris Coyle (ASU) - weak night, and your team needed you to be better
5.    Blake Jackson (OSU) - nice game in the win over TCU

Week 8 Review

At this point in the season, things are what they seem.  West Virginia is incapable of slowing down a junior high school offense, Alabama is on another planet and we're not quite sure who's up there with them, and Collin Klein is the best player in the country up to this point.  The best part about this college season is that the back half the schedule should be even better than the front half.



Kansas State was not graded last week because I thought the OU game was a fluke and that OU really beat themselves.  I wanted to see if the Wildcat defense was capable of slowing down a high powered offense, and the Wildcats proved they can in Morgantown last night.  Snyder and Co dominated the game from start to finish and really embarrassed Geno and Dana's offense all night.  It was without a doubt the loudest answer to a question of the season thus far.  Kansas State gets an A+ for the first half of the season and after that performance last night, Kansas State looks like the team with the easiest road into the BCS National Championship Game.  West Virginia, that was pathetic, I'm done talking about you, done talking about Dana as a coaching candidate at Alabama, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, or Texas if those jobs were to come available, I'm done believing in the Mountaineers, you should be ashamed of yourselves after what happened last night.

Oklahoma, might be back in the mix for a National Championship, I know a few things to be true about the Sooners.  If they show up, there are few teams in the country that can match the Sooner's best, the new receivers are really starting to settle in, and they will dismantle Notre Dame next saturday.  It should be a very satisfying season in Norman, I'm sticking with my 11-1 prediction which should be good enough for a BCS Bowl, possibly a BCS National Championship Game invitation.

Florida, is much better than I thought at the beginning of the season.  The Gators are just nasty on the defensive side and developing nicely on offense.  If the Gators can get past Georgia next week, it sets up nicely for a Florida vs Alabama SEC Championship Game.  If the Gators do make it there, I'd like to point out how much time both Bray and Shaw had when Florida didn't bring pressure from the linebackers or secondary.  That, plus their very average passing game, could be the demise of the Gators if/when they face Alabama.  South Carolina, that stretch was very difficult, but it should get easier, at least for a little while.  The Gamecocks are built to get after the passer and create tight windows using only three, four, or five to pressure the quarterback.  Clowney is a man's man, and without question the best defensive player in the country this year.  If you haven't seen South Carolina, I'd highly recommend watching #7 on their defense, plays defensive end, is the best defender in the country in my opinion.  It wasn't enough yesterday to get the win, but South Carolina has the meat of their schedule behind them, so the Gamecocks could get a lot of confidence down the stretch and are still a potential candidate for a BCS Bowl at this point.

Alabama is on another planet, they've yet to even be contested, it's beginning to bother me actually.  The front half of Bama's schedule had a lot of promise, Michigan, Arkansas, and Missouri, but those ended up being duds.  We make excuses for those that can't compete, like, "Michigan's not really that bad, Saban just really knows how to coach his boys up and get them ready in week 1, if that game were played in week 3 or 4, it would have been closer," or, "Arkansas was without Tyler Wilson and in a funk, it would have been closer if the Hogs were 100%," or, "Missouri's just struggling in the new league, give them a year or two and they'll make it a good game."  The truth is, Alabama is just on another planet, and there might be some teams up there with them, but if you're not up there, good luck playing football against them.  Tennessee, it's been a really long season so far, but with the toughest SEC schedule this year, drawing two top 10 teams from the West, Florida playing the way they are, Georgia game being at Georgia, and South Carolina being at South Carolina, this season was a complete scheduling nightmare.  Hang in there though, after what's probably going to be an 0-5 start in the SEC could finish with three wins, four if you count the non-conference contest with Troy.  The Volunteers should finish the season 4-0 and be bowling, it'll give the new coach all those bowl practices, so that will be good.

Notre Dame, it's beginning to look a lot like you're just pretending, your most impressive win is not all that impressive.  That could all change this coming week in Norman, my guess is the Sooner's offense will be the first to crack the facade of that Irish D, but Stoops troops have struggled with physical football teams and Notre Dame sure looks to fit that mold.  Oklahoma is just too athletic, too fast, and too confident right now to go down to this much overrated Irish team.  BYU, great effort, but in the future, let your QB fling it down the field when you're down 3 with only a few seconds left.

Oregon is one of those teams that could be on another planet with Alabama, they've looked incredible thus far and do most of their damage running the ball.  The biggest difference to this Oregon team is the defense and they're playing it very well in Eugene right now.  I want to see an Alabama vs Oregon game very badly, I think the Tide's physicality is really difficult for anyone outside the SEC to match and then you start listing off the attributes of both teams and realize it might be a pretty good game.  Arizona State lost to what might be the second worst team in the SEC...right now I'm calling Auburn the worst, but Missouri and Kentucky will get a chance to battle it out for worst in the East.  When you lose to Missouri and then manage to go 3-1 in the Pac12, it makes me think the Pac12 is weaker than currently perceived.

Texas Tech, is taking care of business this year.  What an impressive year so far for the Red Raiders, at this rate you might find yourselves in the top half of the conference and playing in a New Years Day bowl.  TCU, welcome to your new league, when every week the opposing team has similar talent, it forces you to show up every week with the same intensity.  It might be a few years before the Horned Frogs really have the depth to win at a high level in the Big12.




SpecialEdTeams Top 20
1.    Florida - with the wins the Gators have put together, they deserve this
2.    Kansas State - again, very impressive wins thus far
3.    Alabama - the Tide's schedule will heat up down the stretch, it should be fun
4.    Oregon - the Ducks are winning and making it look easy, Kiffin, you ready?
5.    LSU - is obviously one of the elite teams in the country, the Tigers can really play
6.    Notre Dame - will probably be moving down after this week
7.    Oregon State - can play some defense...offense is mehh, but defense is wow
8.    Oklahoma - if the Sooners are back like I think they are, lookout Notre Dame
9.    Mississippi State - the Bulldogs needed this start, the rest of the schedule is brutal
10.  USC - the Trojans are just waiting for the showdown with the Ducks
11.  Rutgers - deserves to be higher, but they'll get their chance
12.  Texas Tech - the Red Raiders just continue to impress, I'm impressed
13.  South Carolina - needed to show up against Florida, they failed
14.  Lousiville - cutting it close this week, maybe they'll get back on track next week
15.  Georgia - the Dawgs might be overrated here, but I'm calling the Kentucky game a fluke
16.  Florida State - the Noles tried to lose another to the U, rivalry games are always tough
17.  Ohio - the fighting Solich's just keep winning and winning
18.  Texas A&M - the Aggies can really play, they've hung in with the SEC elite's two times now
19.  Stanford - the Cardinal didn't even let the Big Game get close
20.  Wisconsin - look who's running the ball again and looking like they can play a little football

SpecialEdTeams Conference Rankings
1.    SEC - no doubt about it today
2.    Pac12 - and if Oregon St keeps winning, lookout SEC
3.    Big12 - Oklahoma needs to handle Notre Dame to make a run at the Pac12
4.    Big East - and the games are actually pretty entertaining to watch
5.    ACC - Clemson and Florida St need to keep winning to keep this spot
6.    Big10 - blah

SpecialEdTeams Heisman Watch
1.    Collin Klein (KSU) - kid is way out in front in my book, and pulling away
2.    A.J. McCarron (BAMA) - is so efficient, had a great game this weekend
3.    Kenjon Barner (ORE) - the cornerstone of the Oregon offense, start talking about him
4.    Matt Barkley (USC) - had a big game against a terrible D, but he needed some confidence
5.    Mike Gillislee (FLA) - is the man in Gainesville, the MVP of the Florida offense

SpecialEdTeams Walker Watch
1.    Kenjon Barner (ORE) - keep running, stay healthy, accept the award
2.    Mike Gillislee (FLA)- is the only other running back even close right here
3.    Montee Ball (WIS)- the last three games have been monsters, he's back in it
4.    Stepfan Taylor (STAN) - had a monster game on Saturday
5.    Ka'Deem Carey (ZONA) - just another 172 yards on the ground this week

SpecialEdTeams Biletnikoff Watch
1.    Terrance Williams (BAY) - 21 yds a catch, 9 TDs, running away with yards
2.    Marquise Lee (USC) - and gaining ground, Sat was his 4th 100+ yd receiving game
3.    DeAndre Hopkins (CLEM) - not his best effort on Sat against Va Tech
4.    Cobi Hamilton (ARK) - had the week off
5.    Stedman Bailey (WVU) - one more bad week and he'll be off the list

SpecialEdTeams Mackey Watch
1.    Zach Ertz (STAN) - great game against Cal, 134 yds and a TD
2.    Eric Ebron (UNC) - needed more against Duke, tough loss
3.    Austin Seferian-Jenkins (WASH) - Huskies were humbled, but Austin came to play
4.    Chris Coyle (ASU) - decent game against Oregon, Ducks were just way too much
5.    Jace Amaro (TTU) - was out on Sat, Red Raiders could have used him

Week 7 review and Mid Season Grades

It's Mid-Term grades time, and as always, "Things are never quite as good as they seem, nor are they as bad as they seem, but somewhere in the middle is reality."

What did we learn on Saturday?

LSU isn't going to go away that easily.  After last week the world was down on the Tigers, and for good reason, they looked pitiful offensively against Florida.  Well, the offense didn't blow me away, but Lester did was Lester does best, keep his team in it and allow his athletes to make big plays when the game is on the line.  You have to commend the Tigers for their effort against Lattimore and the way they disrupted Shaw all night, but the weaknesses in LSU's game are on the other side of the ball and are very apparent.  The Tigers are much better than we thought last week, but probably not as good as we thought in August.

Mid-Term Grade - B+

Final Record Prediction - (9-3)

South Carolina had to impress you on Saturday, they were out gained and outplayed all night and still had a shot to win late.  Shaw really struggled throwing the ball, but I'm not putting it all on him, the LSU defensive front caused so much disruption and Lattimore's struggles gave those NFL DE's the freedom to do whatever they wanted.  The Gamecocks are not quite as good as we thought last week, but much better than we thought in August.

Mid-Term Grade - A-

Final Record Prediction - (10-2)

Oklahoma just became my choice for the best 1 loss team outside the SEC.  The Sooners dominated in all aspects of the game and downright embarrassed the Longhorns on Saturday.  I felt sorry for Mack Brown at halftime, the poor guy just does not match up very well with Bob Stoops and it was proven again.  Landry Jones gets a lot of credit for handling the Longhorns and making it look easy, but the defense in Norman has been the engineer of the last two wins.  You have to wonder what happens if the Sooners get matched up against an Alabama, LSU, Florida, or South Carolina and get pushed around like they did against Kansas State.  Has this team evolved into a more physical, more determined, more disciplined version of it's August self, or has the competition just gotten less physical?  I'm leaning right down the middle, the dedication to give Millard the touches I've been begging Heupel for, and the middle of that defense finally pushing guys around, make it obvious this team has turned a corner, to what level, we'll know very soon.  The Sooners are much better than we thought they were after the first 3 games, but not quite as good as we thought they'd be at the beginning of the season.

Mid-Term Grade - B

Final Record Prediction - (11-1)

Texas, well, I may be eating crow by year's end, but I'm hanging on to see if Mack Brown can right the ship and get Texas into a top tier bowl game.  The fact that Texas has lost the physicality needed to compete every week in a top tier conference is disheartening and a change at the top might be all the 'horns need to get back into the upper echelon of the conference they claim to control.  It's time for me to call Texas what they are, soft, very soft.  I'm guessing it'll be more of the same, but I'm choosing to believe the current coaching staff can get this team to respond.  If Mack gets 'em going, this is a BCS caliber roster, if the horns refuse to get more physical, it'll be a long season in Austin that ends with a change at the helm.  With the body of work we've seen, the Horns aren't nearly as good as I thought they were two weeks ago, and not quite as good as we thought in August.

Mid-Term Grade - C-

Final Record Prediction - (9-3)

Arkansas' season continues to be as wacky as their head coach's press conferences.  They came out and looked invincible against Kentucky, downright unstoppable, and impenetrable on the defensive side.  It was Kentucky so the Hog fans need not get too excited, or should they?  I've seen Kentucky struggle against the entire SEC, but not like they did against the Hogs.  The game was only a half and one drive and Arkansas finished with not only full game numbers, but a really well played full game.  This one had all the makings of single game records and it's a shame the Hogs didn't have the opportunity to play it out and set all those records.  Tyler Wilson threw for nearly 350 yards in the first half, he had 4 touchdowns and completed what felt like every throw.  He's still having trouble throwing the ball deep, but the adjustment to taller, slower receivers has caused some issues, no longer can he just throw it as far as he can and know that J Wright and Joe Adams will catch up to it.  If there was any hole in the Razorback offense on Saturday it was Wilson's struggles with the deep ball.  The defense again looked suffocating and appeared to be all over the field, and all while the best defensive players coming into the season watch from the sidelines with injuries.  We're learning a lot about kids like Will Hines, Otha Peters, and my new favorite freshman, AJ Turner.  The back end of the defense could be better, but safety is not a position you just sign up for in this league, it takes a special player that's instinctive, can really run, and incredibly physical.  The Hogs are not the team we thought they were in August, not even close, but as they find themselves you have to wonder if they may end up giving the back end of their schedule a lot of fits.  The last three opponents Arkansas will face only have two losses between the three of them, could Arkansas play spoiler this year?

Mid-Term Grade - D+

Final Record Prediction - (6-6)

Kentucky, it's been a long season, but I want to warn you against putting all the blame on Joker, he's been dealt a crumby hand.  The idea that Kentucky is going to turn their football program into a winner in a matter of two or three years with any coach is why the Wildcats are the permanent cellar dwellers of the SEC.  The Wildcats are terrible, even worse than originally anticipated.  Kentucky is getting one of the few F's I'm passing out at this Mid-Term session.

Mid-Term Grade - F

Final Record Prediction - (2-10)

Notre Dame is getting a lot of undeserved love right now, sure, the Irish have handled the teams on the schedule, but I'm concerned for the media members jumping on the Irish bandwagon before we really, truly know.  The Irish are really struggling on offense and while we all agree their defense has been very impressive at some point they're going to have to score some points.  I think BYU will give the Irish some trouble, but Notre Dame should be able to handle that one, it's the showdown with Oklahoma on Oct 27th that you have to worry about as an Irish fan.  If Notre Dame can get to that game, go down to Norman, and really make it a game, I'll change my opinion, until then the Irish are a team that's best win came in overtime to the third or fourth best team in the Pac12.  The Irish are much better than I thought they'd be in August, however, they're not quite as good as everyone seems to think.

Mid-Term Grade - B+

Final Record Prediction - (10-2)

Stanford, you have to give the Cardinal a lot of credit, they hung in there and really challenged Notre Dame through the entire ballgame.  I've been very impressed with the Luckless Cardinal, so much so that I'm giving them a grade a bit higher than the Cardinal faithful would probably like to see.  At the beginning of this year I didn't think Shaw would get anything going without Luck running the show, I was wrong.  Shaw is now one of the most respected coaches in College Football, and his team, well a couple wins here and there and the Cardinal could find themselves in the Rose Bowl this year.  That's not my prediction though.

Mid-Term Grade - A-

Final Record Prediction - (8-4)

Alabama, what's left for me to say, they've handled everyone on their schedule with relative ease. They run the ball well, they play incredible defense, and their quarterback should be a finalist for the Heisman.  I really can't find any holes in this Alabama team, but that doesn't mean they won't show up when the meat of the schedule arrives.  The Tide have several tough games ahead and while, yes, they'll be favored in all of them, the mix is diverse enough that if Bama does have a weakness, it will be exposed.  I don't think they have one and they're coached by the best coach in the business, this team should be able to handle the rest of them.

Mid-Term Grade - A

Final Record Prediction - (12-0)

Missouri, this season can't be over soon enough, it's getting ugly in Columbia.  When you join a new league that does play some defense, fans shouldn't run their mouths about how they're going to roll through their schedule.  Players shouldn't call opponents style "old man football," and your biggest commitment of all time shouldn't be burning one down during the season, or during his career.  The Tigers are pathetic and after what I saw from the Wildcats on Saturday I think Mizzou will have a shot to beat Kentucky and get that lone SEC win of the year.  The Tigers are one of the worst stories of the season, and this one's probably not going to have a fairy tale ending.

Mid-Term Grade - F

Final Record Prediction - (4-8)

Texas Tech has really surprised me, Tommy Tuberville just received his doctorate in defense, so he'll be going by Dr. Tuberville from here on out.  Lubbock is a strange town and the Red Raiders do enjoy a significant home field advantage, not necessarily because the fans, or the facilities, but almost exclusively because of the weird feeling you get when you get off the plane in Lubbock, TX.  Don't let me downplay the Red Raiders signature win on Saturday, it was a curb-stomping.  People can talk about trap games and West Virginia's upgraded conference, and Lubbock's weird feel all they want, the fact of the matter is Dr. Tuberville, Seth Doege, and the Red Raider defense took Dana, Geno, Stedman, and Tavon behind the woodshed and beat them into oblivion.  It wasn't close, it wasn't ever close, and the Red Raiders deserve all the credit for that.  The season has gone much better than I expected in August and while Oklahoma reminded Dr. Tuberville that the Red Raiders won't be winning the conference, you have to believe after Saturday that this is a Tech team that could finish in the top half.  I personally think it's going to be a disappointing end to a fantastic first half of the season.

Mid-Term Grade - A-
Final Record Prediction - (7-5)

West Virginia was really enjoying the new conference until this week, guess what Geno, in a real conference you have to play every week.  The Mountaineers were outplayed in every facet of the game on Saturday and I'm sure Dana and Geno are ready to get into the film room and figure out how they're going to beat Kansas State.  Here's a tip Dana, this one's on me, don't let Collin Klein run over your defense while your offense stands on the sidelines and watches the game, that's a recipe for a loss.  The Mountaineers have one good win and one terrible loss, had they been able to go into Lubbock, take care of business, and come out with a W, my grade would be much different.  At this point, I'm not sure how good West Virginia really is, I know they can throw it around and I know those receivers are playing some good football, but how much of that can be attributed to West Virginia's offense vs the porous defenses they'd faced up to this point.  The schedule gets much more difficult, and lucky for Geno, he'll have a chance to get back to the top of the Heisman race.  West Virginia right now is exactly who I thought they were at the beginning of the season, I have no idea what to expect from this team.

Mid-Term Grade - C+
Final Record Prediction - (9-3)

Florida, just when I thought the Gators would go into a "zook" for a few years, Muschamp has Florida at the top of the SEC again.  It's amazing to see the difference a year made with these Florida defenders and now that Muschamp has them playing National Championship level defense, it's just a matter of time before Brent Pease gets that offense into similar form.  The athletes at Florida are second to none and they showed it against LSU.  In my opinion Florida, not Alabama, should be number 1 in the polls, not because I think they're better, but because of the wins they've accumulated: at Texas A&M, at Tenn, and LSU.  No one in the country can compete with those wins, but the schedule doesn't soften until Nov and I think the Gators could slip up in one of the next two.  The always popular Florida vs Florida State at the end of the year could be a really big one for both teams, but definitely for the Gators.  Florida is one of my few A+'s I'm giving out, we'll see if they can pass the next two tests with the same spunk.

Mid-Term Grade - A+
Final Record Prediction - (11-1)

Georgia got the much needed week off after getting hammered by the Visor and Marcus Lattimore, I'll be very surprised if this Georgia team doesn't take it out on lowly Kentucky this upcoming weekend.  The Dawgs have one win over Tennessee that I'd call a good win, the rest of them are not very impressive and I'm wondering if this Georgia team doesn't have a few more let downs left in them.  Only issue there is, they don't play anyone after Florida on Oct 27th.  This team played an SEC schedule and drew Auburn and Ole Miss from the West and got Tennessee at home.  If they lose to Florida decisively, I'm afraid it won't matter what they do the rest of the year, the Dawgs will be a dog, in my book.

Mid-Term Grade - C
Final Record Prediction - (10-2)

Mississippi State is the Cinderella of the Ball so far, it's become obvious that Dan Mullen is a really, really good coach.  I'd be shocked if he doesn't make a move at seasons end to Texas, Tennessee, Auburn, Arkansas, or maybe even Nebraska.  Mississippi State is a legitimate winner this season and they proved it against Tennessee on Saturday.  The wins aren't the most impressive in the SEC, but they're winning, they're 6-0 and 3-0 in the best conference in the land, they play tremendous defense, rush the passer well, run the ball well, and their QB can make the throws when asked to.  They needed this 6-0 start, even against a soft schedule to gain confidence going into the back half of a pretty brutal schedule.  They'll get one more win this Saturday against Mid Tenn, but then they go to Alabama, get A&M at home, go to LSU, get Ark at home, and go to Ole Miss.  I don't see the back half going nearly as well as the front half, but you have to give Mullen a lot of credit for having the Bulldogs in this position at the midway point.

Mid-Term Grade - A-
Final Record Prediction - (9-3)

Tennessee is the best 3 loss plus team in the country, they've proven they can get out there and play with the top tier of the SEC, but they haven't been able to get the wins.  The Volunteers are a little shaky on defense, but are very proficient scoring the football, Tyler Bray is playing pretty well, completing 60% of his throws and has 16 TDs on the year.  The WR's at Tennessee are explosive and athletic, the offensive line is doing enough to get the run game going and if you can keep Rajion Neal healthy, this kid can really eat up yards on the ground.  You just look at the list of wins are get really depressed as a Vols fan, this is probably Dooley's last season, because I can't imagine them getting over the hump in the next two games, Bama at home then at South Carolina.  The Vols are getting a fairly high grade, because I can't imagine another team in the country has a more difficult schedule and they've kept the games competitive into the fourth quarter.

Mid-Term Grade - B-
Final Record Prediction - (7-5)

Texas A&M is doing in the SEC what many thought Missouri would be able to do, compete.  The Aggies went to the wire with the second best team in the country, housed Arkansas, and got their first taste of an SEC road victory against Ole Miss.  The wins list isn't very impressive, and even if Arkansas does turn it on through the end of the year, no one can argue that the Hogs team that A&M destroyed, wouldn't have been able to compete in the Sun Belt at the time A&M put the beat down on them.  I'm excited to see what Johnny 'Football' Manziel can come up with against a very, very good LSU defense.  The game is in College Station, but I'm not sure 12 men will be enough for the Aggies.  My guess, LSU rolls to an easy victory and the culture shock of the SEC finally sets in with Mr. Football.  The rest of the schedule looks challenging, road games at Mississippi State and Alabama loom in November.  A&M is much better than I thought they'd be in August, but I'm afraid it won't be enough to finish better than .500 in the SEC.

Mid-Term Grade - B+
Final Record Prediction - (8-4)

Ole Miss, the most underrated team in the West, has a chance to really surprise some people through the back half of a very difficult schedule.  The Rebel Black Bears travel to Little Rock to take on a resurgent Arkansas team in two weeks, then to Athens to face Georgia, they get Vandy at home, but finish the season at LSU and with Miss St at home.  If the Rebels can find 2 victories in there we have to call it a success.  Obviously you'd hope they'd be able to beat Vandy at home, but we've seen Vanderbilt play some exceptional defense, then maybe they'll be able to get it done against the Hogs, or possibly Miss St at home.  Chances are slim, so Ole Miss, while they're getting a good grade, is probably not making a bowl game in Freeze's first year.

Mid-Term Grade - B
Final Record Prediction - (5-7)

Auburn, you have to believe this is the last year for Chizik, it's time for the charade to end and the charismatic, National Championship winner to move on.  Coaches on the radar have to include, Dan Mullen, Bobby Petrino, Paul Rhoades, and Butch Jones.  It's been a disaster of a season and only two years removed from a National Championship.  The back half of the schedule doesn't point to a resurrection of this season either, games at Vandy and at Bama, Georgia and A&M at home.  They do have New Mexico St and Alabama A&M left, so if you're Tiger fan you're hoping you can at least get those two.  When Gene Chizik was hired, I thought it was a flop of a hire, I felt that way while they were hoisting the Crystal Ball, and my suspicions have been confirmed in one of the worst seasons of all time for a very proud football program.

Mid-Term Grade - F
Final Record Prediction - (4-8)

Clemson, the most overrated team in a terrible league, I'm actually becoming frustrated that anyone can still have them ranked among the top 25 teams.  The skill players are incredibly athletic, but the Clemson Tigers went to the wire with the Auburn Tigers, then that defense gave up 27 to Ball State, 49 to Florida State, 31 to Boston College, and 31 to Georgia Tech.  Even though these Tigers have only one loss, they're nowhere near as good as the media believes and just because they can beat up on a terrible conference, doesn't mean they deserve high marks for it.  I will give Clemson one thing, they win the games, which is more than can be said for Florida State.  They're not as good defensively as I thought in August, and they're about as good defensively.  It was a one game/test season for the Tigers, and they didn't do very well on that test.  If they can get to Nov 24th and beat a healthy South Carolina, I may adjust this grade.

Mid-Term Grade - C-
Final Record Prediction - (9-3)

Florida State, I wish the ACC would start making a commitment to football, it's sad to watch this storied program beat up on the "sisters of the poor," in their own conference.  The Seminoles have benefited from a very easy schedule and deserve zero consideration for a BCS bowl, however, the BCS is forced to take at least one team from every AQ conference, and the ACC will send one of those teams.  At Virginia Tech in Nov looks like the most difficult ACC contest left on the schedule, but the Noles do get Florida at home on Nov 24th, a game that could make me change my mind about the Seminoles.

Mid-Term Grade - B-
Final Record Prediction - (10-2)

Oregon took the week off and to this point, it seems like they've had every week off.  The Ducks won't see similar athletes until Nov 3rd when they go down to LA to take on USC, but we've seen teams like Arizona State and Oregon State give the Ducks trouble.  I don't think Stanford will have the offense this year to keep scoring with Oregon, but USC knocked them off last year, it'll be interesting to see if they can do it again this year, my guess is no.  This is Oregon's best defense since Chip took the reigns, and this is the best quarterback I believe Chips had during his time there.  Those two things make the rest of the Pac-12 look very manageable for the Ducks, problem is, if a team can come up and hit them in the mouth, slow down the run game, and force Mariota to beat them throwing the football into tight windows, I'm not sure Oregon would know how to handle that challenge.  The Ducks are even better than I thought they'd be in August, and they keep proving it every week.  They've yet to score less than 40, 50 thrice, and 60 once, this team is rolling and Mariota and Barner are the reasons why.

Mid-Term Grade - A
Final Record Prediction - (11-1)

Oregon State is right there with Miss State as the Cinderella of the Ball, just a different Ball over there on the West Coast.  In a league that's traditionally a finesse league, the Beavers are bringing the physicality and it's working brilliantly.  The Beavers beat a very run oriented Wisconsin team, then shut down the best rusher in the country in week 3, then snuck past Rich Rod and went to Provo and beat a very good BYU team.  Mike Riley's story on College Gameday was tremendous, it just makes you want to route on the Beavers even more.  I love the style of play and I enjoy even more watching a team that has a quarterback out and they can bring in the backup and give them a manageable game plan and board the buses outside a very good programs stadium with a win.  Everything about Oregon State has been impressive, but the schedule is going to heat up even more, road games at Washington and at Stanford, and Oregon will be coming to Corvallis.  Great season Beavers, and if the right things fall into place, we might see Oregon State in the Rose Bowl.

Mid-Term Grade - A+
Final Record Prediction - (9-3)

USC, the preseason favorite was out after week 3 with that surprising loss to Stanford.  The Trojans haven't been near as dominate as Kiffin would like and while they're getting wins, they're just making it look so difficult.  The schedule gets rough on the back end, trips to Arizona and across town to UCLA loom, while Oregon and Notre Dame are coming to the Coliseum.  The Trojans should be able to handle the road contests, but the road is where they've struggled so far.  This season isn't one of the mid 2000s Trojan seasons where we watched them just dominate everyone else, if the Trojans still have National Championship hopes, they better start playing like a National Championship team, because if you put them on the field with Alabama, Florida, South Carolina, LSU, or Oklahoma right now, the Trojans would get embarrassed.

Mid-Term Grade - C+
Final Record Prediction - (10-2)



SpecialEdTeams Top 20
1.    Alabama - in my opinion, the best team to this point
2.    Oregon - I know the BCS has Florida, but I think the Ducks are the superior team
3.    Florida - another big win on Saturday and they'll be moving up
4.    Kansas State - because they've had better wins
5.    LSU - I think the Tigers would curb stomp the Irish
6.    Oregon State - just keeps on winning
7.    Notre Dame - smoke and mirrors and Manti Teo, the Irish need a reality check
8.    South Carolina - Spurrier has a big one coming up on Saturday
9.    Mississippi State - very deserving of this spot, 6-0 in the SEC
10.  Oklahoma - lookout for the Sooners folks, now they have some momentum
11.  Louisville - was Charlie kidding when he said he wouldn't leave
12.  USC - the Trojans are winning, but not convincingly
13.  Rutgers - has some nice wins, big games looming
14.  Texas A&M - probably going to be moving down after this next week
15.  Texas Tech - Dr. Tuberville has 'em playing some football in West Texas
16.  Cincinnati - is much better than people are giving them credit for
17.   Florida State - doesn't deserve credit as a team, but they have the athletes
18.   Georgia - needed the bye week, let's see what they do down the stretch
19.   Ohio - yes, Solich is on the Top 20 list, and Ohio looks like our BCS buster
20.   West Virginia - has a chance to prove themselves on Saturday

SpecialEdTeams Conference Rankings
1.   SEC - the football has been 2009-2010 level football this year
2.   Pac12 - is a lot of fun to watch, and no one is awake to watch it
3.   Big12 - with OU back and the parity, the Big12 is closing the gap
4.   Big East - 3 undefeated, ranked teams, better than the next two
5.   ACC - blah
6.   Big 10 - it's just, so, so bad, can the Big 10 have a mulligan?

SpecialEdTeams Heisman Watch
1.    Collin Klein (KSU) - and after Geno's loss, he's pulling away with it
2.    Kenjon Barner (ORE) - is the reason Oregon's #2, not D. Thomas
3.    Geno Smith (WVU) - was humbled in Lubbock, but I think he'll bounce back
4.    AJ McCarron (BAMA) - slowly, steadily putting it together, needs to stay healthy
5.    Johnny Manziel (A&M) - a Freshman?  Yes, this kid is lighting it up, probably not for long

SpecialEdTeams Doak Walker Watch
1.    Kenjon Barner (ORE) - can't be penalized for an off week
2.    Mike Gillislee (FLA) - not his best against Vandy, but shows up in the big games
3.    Ka'Deem Carey (ZONA) - on pace for 1200 yards and 18 touchdowns
4.    Giovani Bernard (UNC) - at 8.3 yards per carry, you better believe he's on the list
5.    Tevin King (LT) - Saturday was my first look, and I like what I saw

SpecialEdTeams Biletnikoff Watch
1.     Cobi Hamilton (ARK) - and Lee has been replaced with an SEC guy
2.     Marquise Lee (USC) - struggled mightily at Wash, needed a better game
3.     Terrance Williams (BAY) - is pulling away in the receiving yards category
4.     Stedman Bailey (WVU) - 14 TDs is a lot of TD catches
5.     DeAndre Hopkins (CLEM) - quietly putting together an All-American season

SpecialEdTeams Mackey Watch
1.     Eric Ebron (UNC) - consistent performer, but a nice game against Miami
2.     Jace Amaro (TTU) - exploded on the scene in a huge game, incredible performance
3.     Chris Coyle (ASU) - slow and steady wins the race and he's been consistent
4.     Zach Ertz (STAN) - needed more from you in South Bend
5.     Austin Seferian-Jenkins (WASH) - great performance, almost got the Trojans




 

Week 6 Review

"Things are never quite as good as they seem, nor are they as bad as they seem, but somewhere in the middle is reality."


My Predictions vs the outcomes:


Penn St 21-17 - Penn St 39-28 (1-0)

Penn St took care of business and revealed the true identity of Northwestern, they're still Northwestern.


Auburn 35-17 - Arkansas 24-7 (1-1)

Alright, I admit, I get a little down on my Hogs sometimes...it's no secret Ark is my team and I shouldn't ever pick scores because I cannot remove emotion. The Hogs looked really good at the line of scrimmage against Auburn, the Hogs had 8 sacks and protected Tyler Wilson very well in the first half. The secondary still gave up big throws, but limited the run after the catch better, they also had 3 interceptions. The running game looked much better and Tyler Wilson came out of the gate throwing it all over the yard with ease. Auburn didn't go quietly, but if Chizik goes 0-8 in the SEC with Ole Miss and Vandy on the schedule, it'll be coach hunting time on the Plains.


Stanford 35-24 - Stanford 54-48 (2-1)

Stanford is going to have a fighting chance to finish second in the North and in the Pac12. In fact, if they just keep winning and let Oregon take care of business, the Cardinal may make a Rose Bowl appearance. That would be huge, the Cardinal would come out of the woodwork and at least get 15,000 people to buy Rose Bowl tickets. Arizona just needs a couple of years to allow Rich Rod to get his players into his system. It's obvious that Arizona is headed in the right direction, but it'll be interesting to see if this team can stay motivated with all the close losses.


Florida 24-13 - Florida 14-6 (3-1)

Florida needs to show me they can give Driskel attainable goals and keep him involved in the game. Driskel almost lost it for the Gators in the first half, and then disappeared in the second half. The defense was spectacular and somehow the Gators won the kicking game, but without that gutsy performance by Gillislee and the resilience of the offensive line to keep working against the best defensive ends in football it might have gotten out of hand in the second half. LSU might bounce back, but they better figure out how to throw the football. Les Miles has proven he can take an excellent quarterback and make him terrible, I'd like to see him give the offense to Mettenburger and allow his very talented QB to figure it out. You'd think they would have worked on that in the first few weeks, instead, Lester made sure the country knew his team could pound the rock. Well, they couldn't pound it against Florida, and with a National Championship in their sights since last January it could start to unravel in Baton Rouge, I'll stand back and watch what happens.


Clemson 38-14 - Clemson 47-31 (4-1)

Clemson won a much closer game than it appears, the ACC is downright awful and Clemson just happens to be the second best of a very bad group of teams. Georgia Tech needs something good to happen very soon, it seems like they just can't get over the hump in games. I smell a coaching change in the near future, maybe not this year, but surely Tech will realize they can be better than this.


TCU 31-10 - Iowa State 37-23 (4-2)

Iowa State, I just don't think Rhoads will be at Iowa State much longer, with big wins like this, it'll be tough to keep him in Ames. The Cyclones ended Oklahoma State's BCS Championship hopes last year, they just brought TCU back down to reality and I wouldn't be surprised if they got to someone else before this season is over. TCU, you haven't even hit the meat of your schedule yet. It's going to be a long season in Fort Worth, much like it's been for Mizzou, new, substantial upgrade in conference, means more losses and compounding losses because you'll need more depth in your new league.


Oklahoma 28-17 - Oklahoma 41-20 (5-2)

Oklahoma needed a big win, and while Texas Tech isn't anywhere close to the top of the BigXII, the Sooners have had a lot of trouble in Lubbock, and needed to go in there and dominate to build some confidence. The Sooners played fairly well in all aspects and are still my favorite to win the league. Texas Tech had a nice run, but just because you can compete in the FCS doesn't mean you have what it takes to beat the Sooners.


Oregon State 28-24 - Oregon State 19-6 (6-2)

That Oregon State defense is proving to be the real deal, I'm curious to see the Beavers against a team in the top half of the league. My guess, the Beavers will still lose a few they're just outmatched in, however, they'll win one they're not suppose to and take care of business in the games they should win. It's going to be a special seaon in Corvallis, and who knows, a couple of opponents have key injuries at the right/wrong time, we might see the Beavers in the Rose Bowl. Washington State, hang in there, Mike Leach will get it going.


South Carolina 17-13 - South Carolina 35-7 (7-2)

The Gamecocks engineered the most impressive win of the week, they dominated in all three phases and just outright embarrassed Richt and the Dawgs. I'm so excited to see this South Carolina team go to Baton Rouge and then to Gainesville, if they win those two you have to start thinking National Championship possibilities in Columbia this year.


Texas 52-42 - West Virginia 48-45 (7-3)

West Virginia really impressed me last night. I should give myself points for calling the shootout, but I can't imagine anyone outside the SEC and possibly Florida State slowing down this West Virginia offense. Geno Smith comes to play every single game, so do his receivers, but the guy I was most impressed with was Andrew Buie. What a performance from the Sophomore, 207 on 31 carries, what a workhorse. Had Texas been able to contain Buie on the ground, their secondary was playing well enough to get the stops needed to pull out a win, but Buie was having none of it. The DE's couldn't get too far up the field and gave Geno more time to throw on 1st and 2nd down, and occasionally when the Mountaineers would be in third and medium and those DE's would fire off the ball and be 4 yards up the field with Buie going the other direction with blockers in front. Dana was masterful in the playcalling and West Virginia beat Texas in Austin at Texas' game. Welcome to the BigXII West Virginia, you just beat the second most formidable program in your new league in their building, that's cause for celebration. Don't celebrate too long, the BigXII is full of teams that can sneak up on you. Texas, how in the world did you lose that game? You should be ashamed of yourselves, it was pitiful watching poor David Ash do everything he could and the coaching staff screw it up for him. You have to wonder how your quarterback goes 22/29 for 269 yards with no interceptions, your tailbacks get 31 carries for 132 yards and 4 touchdowns, and you only punt the ball one time the whole game, and lose. Texas baffles me and I'm almost done believing in you. You have one more chance to earn all the hype I've been giving the Longhorns this year, it'll be in Dallas next Saturday against Oklahoma, win that one and you're back on track for the kind of year this team is capable of having, lose that one and get ready to unravel and be looking for a new coach at seasons end.


Missouri 28-14 - Vanderbilt 19-15 (7-4)

Vanderbilt is so much better than their record indicates and I'm so happy for Franklin and Vandy that they got this win. It signifies so many things, first of which is that Vandy would finish much higher in every other league. Second would have to be the fact that when you sign up to play football at Vanderbilt, you know what that means, it means a great education and probably a lot of losing. Anytime kids that choose education over football success get a win, it warms my heart. Missouri, I can't really say I know what happened in this one, it wasn't in my rotation of games. I can say that Mizzou is finding out just how tough their new league is. With losses to what seems like everyone, it's getting difficult to find a game on Mizzou's SEC slate that they could actually win. Kentucky will be the big one, and I'm sure the Wildcats will be feeling the same pressure, so you better get ready for a cat fight...pun intended.


Florida State 35-10 - NC State 17-16 (7-5)

NC State, kudos to the Wolfpack for sticking this one out, it looked hopeless late and then all of sudden Florida State let down their guard. Are we really surprised? Florida State is notorious for letting their guard down and allowing inferior teams to slip in, gather momentum, and then take over late. It's been a slightly disappointing season in Raleigh with the loss to Tennessee early and then to Miami a week ago. Florida State and the ACC are now on the back of everyone's mind and if any conference doesn't deserve their AQ status, it's the ACC this year. Florida State could refocus and get to that last game with Florida without giving away another one, if that is indeed the case, November 24th is the only big one left for the Noles and their only shot at national relevance again this year.


Ohio State 31-20 - Ohio State 63-38 (8-5)

Ohio State scored more in the first half than I thought they would in the entire game. It makes me wonder what Pelini is doing in Lincoln. Are we practicing defense Bo? I've seen Ohio State struggle to score against Non-AQ teams, against bad Big 10 teams, and the only other time they put 50+ on the board was when Miami of Ohio came to Columbus in week 1. Is that what the feared blackshirts have become, a team that gives up 371 yards on the ground? Ohio State is not the team everyone thinks they are, especially at the quarterback position. I'm not sold on the Buckeyes, especially when their biggest win so far was to a team that got hammered by the sixth best team in the Pac12. The Big 10 is very bad, and while Ohio State is not laying eggs out there, they aren't necessarily convincing me either.


Oregon 52-24 - Oregon 52-21 (9-5)

Oregon came out firing on all cylinders and it wasn't long before Washington realized they didn't have a chance. I'm concerned for Keith Price and the Huskies, they should be better, they should be having a nice season, but it starts up front Steve and until you can start controlling the line of scrimmage, Oregon's going to keep scoring touchdowns, over, and over, and over.




SpecialEdTeams Top 20
1. Alabama - only makes the schedule look easy because they're so good
2. Oregon - didn't show up groggy against Washington, nice performance
3. Florida - very, very impressive against LSU...that D is nasty
4. South Carolina - wow, what a performance against Georgia
5. Kansas State - convincing win and the Wildcats will host WVU on the 20th
6. West Virginia - huge win against Texas, made me a believer in the Mountaineers
7. LSU - if the TIgers can't figure out offense, it could be tough the rest of the way
8. Oregon State - the Beavers have some nice wins, but they'll need more
9. Mississippi State - quietly 5 - 0 and looking good, especially at the QB position
10. Notre Dame - the Irish will have their chance against USC and OU
11. USC - had a decent game against Utah, but they'll need to be better
12. Oklahoma - Landry didn't look so bad, OU might be back
13. Rutgers - if you're not impressed with both sides of the ball for Rutgers, get impressed
14. Georgia - looked pitiful, Richt needs to get 'em motivated
15. Louisville - gets a confusing Pitt team in Pittsburgh, we'll see what they bring
16. Cincinatti - Louisville comes in on the 26th, they shouldn't have trouble with the next 2
17. Texas A&M - LSU comes to College Station on the 20th...and then we'll really know
18. Texas - I thought they were trying to develop the power run game...their D needed it
19. Florida State - just pitiful, same old 'let you down' Seminoles
20. Stanford - and headed to South Bend to take on the overrated Irish


SpecialEdTeams Conference Rankings
1. SEC - is so good right now it's scary
2. Pac-12 - Oregon's carrying the flag, everyone else is worn out after passing the BigXII
3. Big 12 - Texas needed to show there's a gap between BigXII and Big East, they failed
4. Big East - the big 3 look tough, everyone else...blah
5. Big 10 - is there only one team worth anything??? A team that doesn't even count!
6. ACC - it's just so, so, so bad...I'm tired of having to comment on it


SpecialEdTeams Heisman Watch
1. Collin Klein (KSU) - OU in Norman is a bigger win than Texas in Austin
2. Geno Smith (WVU) - is the favorite if you're stat watching and not player watching
3. A.J. McCarron (BAMA) - steady, strong performances every week
4. Kenjon Barner (ORE) - just keeps producing...and I might be the only one noticing
5. Matt Barkley (USC) - slides back into the conversation after a good performance

SpecialEdTeams Doak Walker Watch
1. Kenjon Barner (ORE) - stay healthy, accept the Walker award, it's that simple for Barner
2. Mike Gillislee (FLA) - great performance against a great defense
3. Johnathan Franklin (UCLA) - winning the stat sheet battle
4. Kadeem Carey (ARIZ) - second time on the list, great performance in the loss
5. Marcus Lattimore (SCAR) - and the favorite is back on the list

SpecialEdTeams Biletnikoff Watch
1. Marquise Lee (USC) - kid is a performer, and probably going to win this award
2. Stedman Bailey (WVU) - bigtime performer, 13 TD catches so far...I'm impressed
3. DeAndre Hopkins (CLEM) - now leads the nation in receiving yards
4. Cobi Hamilton (ARK) - needs to show he can create separation even when doubled
5. Terrance Williams (BAY) - 19.6 yards a catch...this kid is dangerous

SpecialEdTeams Mackey Watch
1. Chris Coyle (ASU) - pretty average performance, needs to be better to keep this spot
2. Zach Ertz (STAN) - nice performance against Arizona in a close one
3. Dion Sims (MSU) - needs to be better, almost lost that one to Indiana
4. Levine Toilolo (STAN) - huge game in the win...I'm expecting this name to stick
5. Mychal Rivera (TENN) - has a big one against Miss St coming up

Week 5 Summary AND Week 6 Predictions

"Things are never quite as good as they seem, nor are they as bad as they seem, but somewhere in the middle is reality."

Defense?...hello...hello!...defense!?!:

Georgia, whew, that one got close, but the Dawgs made the plays defensively they had to make down the stretch to win. I was very impressed with the Georgia offense, while I'm still concerned about the Georgia defense going forward. Tennessee was doing anything they wanted, they ran the ball extremely well, moved the ball effectively and efficiently all night long. It was way too close and if Florida's defense is that much better than Georgia's, the East may get really interesting down the stretch. Tennessee needed this one to stay in the race for the SEC East, a loss to Florida and Georgia pretty much puts the Vols on the outside looking in. This is a much improved team and I'm excited to see how they do with the remainder of their schedule.

Texas A&M made it look very easy against the Hogs. It was the Johnny Manziel show and the Aggies finally break the losing streak against Arkansas, all it took was joining their conference. The Aggies needed to get that win under their belt, because the schedule's about to heat up, they go to Ole Miss, and to La Tech, both of which the Aggies should win, but won't be easy. Then they come home for LSU, then at Auburn, at Mississippi St, and at Alabama, a stretch they could easily go winless in. They wrap up with a W against Sam Houston St and the familiar Missouri Tigers at home. For the Hogs it's seriously getting ugly, I know there's logic to keeping John L Smith on the sideline, but if I'm Jeff Long I'm giving an up and coming coach the opportunity to prove he can right a sinking ship. Whatever happens in Fayetteville, it needs to happen soon, before the Hogs don't have a single W against a BCS opponent in a season that started with National Championship hopes.


Washington, was very impressive on Thursday night. All the attention on the QB to start the season, but to be blunt, Price hasn't impressed me at all, not even on Thursday night in an upset win. Kasen Williams, really looked good, Sankey, looked phenomenal, the Washington defense is much more physical than I thought they'd be, and Price was just out there. It's getting very difficult to call the runner-up in the Pac-12 North, could go to several teams, but Washington is definitely in the mix. Stanford, it's not nearly as bad as you think right now, your season rests on how you compete against Oregon, but don't go losing 'em all just focusing on the Ducks. I think everyone got a little too high on the Cardinal after the USC win, and it's tough to come back on a short week and reach that emotional level again. The Cardinal will be just fine, keep grinding and running the football like you do.


West Virginia, can't cover anyone...Louisiana Monroe covered up the Baylor receivers last week better than the Mountaineers on Saturday night. The Mountaineers should be embarrassed, not excited, Geno Smith for Heisman? Yeah, anyone that let's it fly 51 times is going to rack up some stats, I've got an idea, how about show your leadership ability and walk over to your defensive players and tell them to get a stop. Very few people enjoy football like I do, but that wasn't fun to watch, it was awful. It's going to be long year in Morgantown, literally a long year, with all those commercial breaks after scores that game must have taken four and half hours to play. Probably a record for a non-overtime game. Baylor, I'm surprised you hung in as long as you did, now go get a defense and stop pretending like you're ever going to stop anyone. There were only four punts in the entire game, and the Baylor Bears only made two stops in 13 possessions...that's terrible.


Ohio State, well, the only team that technically can't win the conference is separating from the rest of the league. The Big 10 is very, very bad, and I know the Ohio State President, Gordon Gee, is just glad the league didn't lose another to a "little sister of the poor" today. I'm going to get very bored watching the Big 10 this year, I'll still watch, but good grief it's ugly. Michigan State, it's starting to unravel a bit in East Lansing, but don't worry Spartan fans, no one in the Big 10 is going to run away with this thing this year. Well, Ohio State will, but they're not real this year.


South Carolina, was nervous at halftime, but the Ole Ball Coach got the troops together and South Carolina rolled in the second half. I'm so very ready for the South Carolina vs Georgia game, it's setting up to be a collision of greats, the great edge rushers and play action passing game of Georgia, against possibly the best, most athletic defensive end combo in the nation. Kentucky, came out with a fire playing for their head coach, but the emotion drained and the Kentucky vacancy is as obvious as the vacancy at Arkansas.


Alabama, is still rolling, but Ole Miss gave them about as good a game as anyone so far. It's obvious Hugh Freeze has the Rebel Black Bears headed in the right direction, if he gets some athletes in Oxford, lookout for the Rebels.


Oregon appeared to be asleep last night as Mike Leach's struggling Cougars racked up 402 yards of total offense, problem for the Cougars was the negative eight yards on the ground. Leach has never been one to pound the ball, but when your defense is on the field chasing Kenjon Barner for 195 yards, it's imperative to give them a few minutes on the bench to recover. Oregon is obviously good enough to sleepwalk their way to wins against the bottom of their conference, if it happens again, I doubt the Ducks stay unbeaten. Washington State, don't get too excited about the way you competed against the lame ducks, pun intended, but know that Mike Leach is going to make Wazu fans very happy until he does something stupid.


LSU has yet to prove they're the real deal yet, but next week in Gainesville they better show up with their best stuff or Driskel and Muschamp will embarrass them. The Tigers look like they're bored with their early slate of games, they got up for the Washington game and just beat down the Huskies. If that's the LSU team that shows up, it'll be tough to beat them, but if Lester doesn't have his team running on all cylinders, the Tigers have a lot of games left on the schedule they could lose.


Florida State is not getting off that easy after Saturday's less than stellar win, it's tough to imagine that offense could operate so efficiently against Clemson and then look so inept against Skip Holtz's defense. I was high on the Seminoles last week, not as high as most, but I let emotion get in the way of reality, and the reality is the Seminoles are a bit overrated. The athletes are definitely there, but it's the same old Florida State issues except this year there's no one on the schedule to expose them. It's time we recognize the Seminoles are not quite back yet, they'll be in a BCS bowl, possibly a National Championship, but I'm afraid it'll end in embarrassment for these Seminoles.


Texas, that was a big one late last week as the Cowboys crumbled in Stillwater. It was evident that David Ash is going to be just fine as the signal caller in Austin, he did a marvelous job guiding the Texas offense even as the coaching staff tried to lose it for the Horns. If I have to watch another Jet Sweep get stuffed in the backfield I'm going to throw up. Goodwin was handed the ball four times on the Jet Sweep and only gained five yards, call better plays and show your QB that's actually been playing pretty well that you have confidence in him throwing it down the field. Oklahoma State, needed Weeden and Blackmon last week, so either call 'em up and beg them to come back or start treating the guys you have like they're just as good and see if they rise to the occassion. Randle had 27 touches against the Horns...for a team that's usually so good at spreading it around, you're making it awfully easy on opposing D's going forward to know who they have to take away. It's time to see if anyone wants to step up and be the next Justin Blackmon, Dez Bryant, Rashaun Woods, etc... history would suggest there's someone else that can play on your roster.




SpecialEdTeams Top 20
1. Alabama - the schedule needs to warm up again to solidify this spot
2. Oregon - looked flat out of the gate, but flat Oregon is still very good
3. Georgia - hello Georgia offense, jury's still out on the d, but Murray can play
4. South Carolina - steady, smooth, big one tomorrow night, we'll know a lot more then
5. Florida State - we know you'll move back up at least one spot after this week by default
6. LSU - looked rough again, two in a row will cost you in the polls
7. Kansas State - needs more big games so people don't forget how good Klein is
8. Texas - huge win in Stillwater, suspect officiating, but it's take a little luck occassionally
9. Florida - is really coming together, a win tomorrow and I'll really believe in the Gators
10. West Virginia - am I the only one that doesn't think Geno can do that every game
11. Mississippi State - under the radar and slowly climbing
12. Notre Dame - needs OU and USC to be good and needs to beat them to get into the top 10
13. TCU - needs a meaningful win to get some momentum in the polls
14. Southern Cal - impressive win last night
15. Oregon State - just keeps winning
16. Rutgers - has made me a believer
17. Oklahoma - oh boy, haven't won in Lubbock since 2003...this one is big
18. Louisville - will Charlie be the coach after this year, he says yes
19. Northwestern - the K-State approach, play no one and win 'em all
20. Cincinnati - it's all about the uni's in Cincy!

SpecialEdTeams Conference Rankings
1. SEC - and the gap is widening
2. Pac-12 - maybe the most dense, but only one team at the top
3. Big 12 - needs OU to get the W in Lubbock, the Pac 12 is pulling away
4. Big East - thanks to USF, the Big East holds the #4 spot
5. Big 10 - it's really, really ugly, only team worth mentioning, doesn't count
6. ACC - when your best struggles like that against the Big East's worst, i yi yi


SpecialEdTeams Heisman Watch
1. Collin Klein (KSU) - is leading this race...no if, ands, or buts
2. Geno Smith (WVU) - too many records not to move up a spot
3. A.J. McCarron (BAMA) - steady, strong performances every week
4. Aaron Murray (UGA) - another big game, but needs to be even better to move up
5. Kenjon Barner (ORE) - how is Thomas even considered the guy, look at the numbers!!!

SpecialEdTeams Doak Walker Watch
1. Kenjon Barner (ORE) - stay healthy, accept the Walker award, it's that simple for Barner
2. Johnathan Franklin (UCLA) - needed a bigger game against Oregon St to keep the top spot
3. Le'Veon Bell (MSU) - show me something against a good defense
4. Joseph Randle (OSU) - huge night against Texas, he is the man in Stillwater
5. Mike Gillislee (FLA) - needs a big one against a great LSU run D

SpecialEdTeams Biletnikoff Watch
1. Marquise Lee (USC) - 5 weeks at #1 on this list...
2. Stedman Bailey (WVU) - system receivers bother me, this kid could play anywhere though
3. Terrence Williams (BAY) - needed a couple more plays to get past Geno and Dana
4. Cobi Hamilton (ARK) - only player on the Arkansas roster playing like he cares
5. DeAndre Hopkins (CLEM) - he is the man for the Tigers this year, that's saying something

SpecialEdTeams Mackey Watch
1. Chris Coyle (ASU) - stays in the top spot and pulling away
2. Dion Sims (MSU) - needed to show me more in the loss to OSU
3. Eric Ebron (UNC) - solid consistent performances thus far
4. Mychal Rivera (TENN) - big catches against Georgia
5. Zach Ertz (STAN) - big game as he upstaged Seferian-Jenkins, but the Huskies got the win



THE BIG ONES:


Northwestern goes to Penn St...I think the Nittany Lions are finding their identity and they send the Wildcats back to Chi-town with their first loss of the year. Penn St 21-17


Arkansas goes to Auburn, can the Hogs turn it around...short answer, NO, it gets ugly on the Plains for the Hogs and Frazier looks like a future Heisman trophy winner. Auburn 35-17


Arizona travels to Palo Alto and gets a frustrated Stanford team, I think the Cardinal control the line of scrimmage and Arizona struggles to matchup with the size of Stanford. Stanford 35-24


LSU goes to the Swamp and gets the fighting Muschamps who have been gaining confidence. I think it unravels for the Tigers in Gainesville, Florida pulls away late for a 24-13 victory.


Georgia Tech at Clemson, it's not going well in Atlanta, the team can play, but they keep losing close one's. Clemson's athleticism dominates, Tigers win 38-14


Iowa State at TCU - TCU has the best schedule in the world, they start with the worst Big 12 team and then play the league from the bottom up...I think the Horned Frogs struggle in October and get exposed in November, but I'm not sure the Cyclones have what it takes to score against the Frogs D. TCU 31-10


Oklahoma at Texas Tech, I've seen enough from Oklahoma to know if they don't win this one, they could go away for the rest of the year. Stoops doesn't let that happen, he gets 'em motivated and the Red Raiders don't have the pass rush that K-State did, the Sooners win early, gets close in the middle, and then pull away late. Bob Stoops 28-17


Washington State at Oregon State, we're going to find out a lot about the Beavers this week, they've had to get up for big games three weeks in a row, now with the lowly Cougars coming in surely they can waltz through this one...they don't. Leach has the Cougars fighting hard, but it's not enough. Oregon State wins late 28-24


Georgia at South Carolina, I saw Georgia's o-line struggle early against an athletic Missouri front. Missouri is not the second best front in the country, but Carolina is. Gamecocks win an ugly one, and win with big defensive plays late. Spurrier 17-13


West Virginia at Texas, I haven't seen the line on this yet, but I'm not convinced the Texas D can stop Geno, however, I'm certain the WVU D can't stop anyone. Texas wins a shootout 52-42


Vandy at Missouri, the Tigers have a shot to get a tally in the W column in the SEC...if they're not completely exhausted from all that emotion that was released like a semi tire blowout on the freeway, they win a tough one in Columbia. Missouri 28-14


Florida State at NC State, the Noles better come out with more fire than they did last week, this one could be close, but it won't be. Noles role 35-10


Nebraska at Ohio State, I'm in complete shock at how terrible the Big 10 is this year, Buckeyes have a shot to go undefeated in what has become a laughing stock of a conference. Buckeyes 31-20


Washington at Oregon, if you're willing to stay up all night you can watch the most dominant display of offense you may ever see. If Washington thought LSU was fast, buckle up Husky fans, it's going to be a long night of watching Kenjon Barner and De'Anthony Thomas go for over 300 on the ground. Ducks dominate 52-24


Enjoy the games