Welcome to the return of the almost weekly perspective of college football. For those that don't remember, I write this column as if every player is a Heisman Trophy candidate. Why? Because it is ridiculously ludicrous that the networks, including the World Wide Leader, nay, especially the World Wide Leader, emphasize the Heisman Trophy race all season. Consider this my sarcastic homage to stupid reporting.
Heisman Watch
Quarterback Edition
Favorite - Marcus Mariota - Oregon - Did nothing to bother his Heisman chances during the bye week. Still the best odds to win, out of the running backs.
Kenny Hill - Texas A and M - Still second until the voters decide to start giving Jameis Winston another look.
Dark Horse - Bryce Petty - Baylor - He has over 1,700 yards and 17 touchdowns for a very explosive offense. If, by chance, Baylor gets through the Big-12 unscathed and ends up in the playoffs, he is going to be the primary reason why.
Falling - Jameis Winston - Florida State University - Team fell behind again, and although he orchestrated a great comeback against a good opponent, some voters still might not like him.
Running Back Edition
Favorite - Todd Gurley -Georgia - He is 8th in the FBS in rushing yards, and nobody controls a game like Gurley does.
Melvin Gordon - Wisconsin - Gurley and he are likely 1-2 right now in the Heisman voting, with Abdullah likely third, of fourth at the lowest. Gordon is a home run threat every time he touches the ball.
Rising - Ameer Abdullah - Nebraska - Leads the FBS in rushing yards iwth 833, and is more than on pace to eclipse the coveted 2,000 yard mark.
Sleeper -David Cobb - Minnesota - Third in the FBS in rushing yards, and people most likely realize who he is now that the Gophers defeated Michigan in the big house.
Wide Receiver Edition
Favorite - Amari Cooper - Alabama - Second in the FBS in yards and third in receptions, but only because Alabama was on a bye. Still easily the best receiver in college.
Kevin White - West Virginia - Also on a bye, but still really the second best wide receiver in college, without question.
Rising - Rashad Greene - Florida State - Really taking the reins as the offensive leader and playmaker for Florida State. He is 10th in receptions and 5th in yards in the FBS.
Defensive Edition
3. Jeff Luc - LB - Cincinnati - The senior leads the FBS with an average of 16 tackles per game.
2. Gerod Holliman - S - Louisville - After giving him praise last week, all he did was step up and have another interception this week!
1. Shane Ray - DE - Missouri - 8 sacks, and is trying to follow in the footsteps of former teammate Michael Sam in winning SEC Defensive Player of the Year.
Although, truth be told, I am still waiting for a defender to really put his individual mark on this season.
Player to Watch
Nelson Spruce - WR - Colorado - He had 19 receptions for 176 yards and 3 Touchdowns in the Buffaloes 59-56 loss to California.
My New Favorite Player
Jacoby Brissett - QB - North Carolina State - He was no Jameis Winston, but he sure as heck scared the Seminoles into thinking he was, at least for the first half of the game. Brissett finished with 350 yards and 3 touchdowns - with no interceptions - against the top-ranked Seminoles. Brissett, the transfer from the University of Florida out of national high school power Dwyer in Jupiter, Florida, was the show for the day.
Players of the Week
This section will be more week specific as the season goes forward, but for the first week, it is hard to differentiate the players of the week from the players of the season, as the season has only lasted 1 week.
5. Russell Hansbrough - RB - Missouri - The Junior made the most of his 10 carries, scoring 2 touchdowns late in the fourth quarter to cap Missouri's come-from-behind win at South Carolina.
4. Nelson Spruce - Colorado - His 19 catches for 179 yards would normally rank higher, except for the fact that they came in a 56-59 loss.
3. Melvin Gordon - Wisconsin - Rushed for 181 yards and 2 touchdowns in a 27-10 win versus South Florida. Would also normally rank higher, except it was South Florida.
2. David Cobb - Minnesota - Scored zero touchdowns, but his 183 yards rushing and 50 reception yards allowed Minnesota to control the ball in their upset at Michigan.
1. Todd Gurley -Georgia - Finished the day with 208 yards and 2 touchdowns in a tough fought victory over the Tennessee Volunteers, 35-32.
Goat of the Week (Player Edition)
Christian Hackenberg - QB - Penn State - The team was supposed to have turned the corner, and the reason why is the steady hand of the sophomore quarterback. He finished the game 22 of 45 for 216 yards and a QBR of 12.7 in the shellacking the Nittany Lions took at the hands of the (not even close to being a) juggernaut that is the Northwestern Wildcats.
Goat of the Week (Coach Edition)
Brady Hoke - Michigan - See the rant below.
Predicted Playoffs/Championship Match Ups
Oregon (1) v. Michigan State (4)/Alabama (3) v. Oklahoma (2)
Oregon (1) v. Oklahoma (2)
Last week I had Florida State slide out of the playoffs, and they rewarded me by letting a surprise North Carolina State team pass through their entire defense. When they play a team that can actually pass, like Miami, we might see historic numbers. Again, Michigan State bounces back into the Top 4 in a weak Big 10 after the SEC teams all start to cannibalize each other, beginning this week.
Final Unbeatens
We have 17 unbeaten teams remaining. Here is where I rank them (in terms of how I think the team is, not how long they will remain unbeaten as, for example, there are several meetings between unbeatens this week, one has to lose.
1. Oregon
2. Oklahoma
3. Alabama
4. Auburn
5. Florida State
6. Texas A and M
7. Mississippi State
8. Nebraska
9. Baylor
10. Mississippi
11. UCLA
12. Notre Dame
13. TCU
14. BYU
15. Georgia Tech
16. Arizona
17. Marshall
Rant(s) of the Week
My rant this week is about Brady Hoke leaving Shane Morris in the game after a horrific (illegal) hit that most likely gave Morris a concussion, and if it didn't, the hit definitely left him dazed and woozy. He knew it, Hoke knew it, the players knew it, the fans in the stadium knew it, the announcers knew it, and those watching at home knew it. A little set up ...
Shane Morris, the Michigan quarterback, dropped back to pass in last week's game against Minnesota. After the pass, Minnesota defensive end Thieren Cockran hit Morris late, up under the chin with at best, his shoulder pad, and at worse, his helmet. A late hit penalty was called and the Big Ten office is reviewing the play to see if targeting should have been called, which would result in a suspension for Cockran.
Morris was obviously dazed, at best, and even stumbled only to be caught by offensive lineman Ben Braden before falling to the ground. Morris is waiving off any medical staff and/or substitutes, but he is clearly woozy, Hoke, the coach for the University of Michigan left him in for a play before substituting in Devin Gardner, whose helmet came off during the subsequent play.
Because Gardner's helmet came off he must leave the game for at least one play according to NCAA rule 3-3-9, which reads: "a. If during the down a player’s helmet comes completely off, other than as the direct result of a foul by an opponent, the player must leave the game for the next down. The game clock will stop at the end of the down.".
What happens? Hoke sends Morris back into the game.
A few years ago nobody would have thought twice about this, but we have evolved, we are smarter and we know better. We have experienced Mike Webster, Dave Duerson, Andre Waters, Junior Seau and most recently, Jevon Belcher. What we know now is that hits to the head hurt, make it easier for subsequent hits to cause even further damage to the player, and can lead to long term problems. This doesn't even take into account that at the time of the hit the player isn't thinking straight and has the proverbial "cobwebs".
Anyway, so it is clear that Brady Hoke messed up by first not taking Morris out, second, by putting Morris back into the game, and third, by not acknowledging his mistake during any of the subsequent press conferences. The Athletic Director and President of the University have now acknowledged that the system has "failed" its student-athletes.
Given this last admission, I am going to go ahead and take it as a given that Hoke is at fault here. If he didn't see what Morris was going through, he is in charge of the coaching staff that are supposed to see such things. Even if he erred by leaving Morris in the game, it was even more egregious that he PUT HIM BACK IN!!! Hoke deserves to be fired. Full disclosure - I do not care about the University of Michigan, so I could care less about their won-loss record. I do realize it is the losses that are going to do more with his firing than anything else, but not from my standpoint.
So Hoke messed up, but he isn't the only one. The offensive coordinator should have known better, but if he was busy looking at his play chart trying to determine what play to call next, the quarterbacks coach, or someone else on the offensive staff should have seen Morris. Apparently they did not. The coaching staff failed.
How many times have you seen an injury occur on the field and then players start waiving or asking for the training staff? Let me answer that for you - countless. Sometimes you even see opponents asking for the staff. None of Michigan's players did that for their quarterback. Not even offensive lineman Braden - who had to catch Morris from falling down. Morris's teammates failed him.
I also put a bit of blame on the NCAA rule requiring a player to leave the field when their helmet comes off during a play. Without that asinine rule, Gardner would not have had to come out of the game and Morris would not have had to gone back into the game. NCAA, please revisit some of these stupid rules that make absolutely no sense.
Football is not going to be a great game soon if injuries - especially unnecessary preventable injuries - keep taking all of the players off the field, and keep the next generations of players from even starting to play the game.
Under Performance of the Week
Penn State - They were absolutely annihilated by a Northwestern squad that had already lost to California and Northern Illinois - and Penn State lost at home. Supposedly the Nittany Lions were on the verge of being back. They are not.
Last Week's Trivia Answer
Ameer Abdullah set the Nebraska total yardage record in the game against Miami, breaking the school record held by JOHNNY RODGERS.
Blake Sims of Alabama had 484 yards of total offense against Florida, breaking the record of 457 yards held by Scott Hunter.
Trivia Question of the Week
Two colleges have 3 quarterbacks that have started games in the NFL. Name the schools. Bonus points if you can name the players.
Match up(s) to Watch
4. Arizona v. Oregon - Oregon's first really big test, and it is a chance to show that Arizona belongs. Wait, this game starts at 10:30 EDT on Thursday, and it is competing with an NFL game? Never mind.
4. LSU v. Auburn - Would likely be number 1 if LSU had not be absolutely and thoroughly trounced by Mississippi State. Nevertheless, still a very important game. An LSU loss and they are out of the SEC West race. An Auburn win and they are very much in the national championship race.
3. Nebraska v. Michigan State - As you see from above, I have Michigan State in my playoff - projecting forward to the end of the season. That cannot happen unless they can find a way to slow down Ameer Abdullah. It is possible for Nebraska to vault their way into the national playoffs conversation with a win.
2. Texas A and M v. Mississippi State - Can Kenny Hill really play? Was Mississippi State's victory over LSU a fluke? Which team wants to stay in the division/conference/national title race?
1. Alabama v. Ole Miss - The biggest game for Ole Miss in forever, and ESPN is correct in sending GameDay down to this game. I am still not sold on Ole Miss, but they have an experienced quarterback and some good rushers on defense. If they can make this close, or even win, this could springboard the Rebels into a phenomenal season. Alabama is, well, Alabama.
Showing posts with label Marcus Mariota. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Marcus Mariota. Show all posts
Wednesday, October 1, 2014
Wednesday, September 24, 2014
The Ole College Try
Welcome to the return of the almost weekly perspective of college football. For those that don't remember, I write this column as if every player is a Heisman Trophy candidate. Why? Because it is ridiculously ludicrous that the networks, including the World Wide Leader, nay, especially the World Wide Leader, emphasize the Heisman Trophy race all season. Consider this my sarcastic homage to stupid reporting.
Heisman Watch
Quarterback Edition
Favorite - Marcus Mariota - Oregon - Added 329 yards passing with 5 touchdowns this week against Washington State, and the Ducks needed everyone of them. Also showed the capacity for the big play, throwing for 1 TD of 80 yards and another for 57. Did nothing to slide from the favorite position.
Kenny Hill - Texas A and M - In a blowout in which he did not have to play the entire game, he threw for 265 and added 57 yards rushing. Kenny Football anyone?.
Dark Horse - Connor Halliday - Washington State - Matched Mariota play for play throwing for 436 yards and 4 Touchdowns with no interceptions. He has 1901 yards for the season - which leads the FBS - and 16 TDs. Will not win because the team is so bad.
Falling - Jameis Winston - Florida State University - Team won a close game against a good opponent with him on the bench due to his much publicized suspension for saying "an obscene phrase".
Running Back Edition
Favorite - Todd Gurley -Georgia - A ho-hum game for Gurley because the Bulldogs blew out Troy 66-0. Still finished with 73 yards on only 6 carries, and he still has not had more than 20 carries in a game.
Rising - Ameer Abdullah - Nebraska - He had 229 yards and 2 touchdowns as Abdullah, and the Cornhusker offensive line, totally dominated their win against Miami. He has 625 yards rushing for the year - second in the FBS, despite being the only true offensive threat for Nebraska.
Sleeper -Tevin Coleman - Indiana - Third in the FBS in rushing yards having gained 569 yards, on 26 less carries than Abdullah and 44 less carries that Pittsburgh's James Conner (699 yards).
Wide Receiver Edition
Amari Cooper - Alabama - Leads the FBS in receptions (43) and yards (655) yards, including torching Florida and the supposedly All-American candidate Vernon Hargreaves III for 201 this past week. Easily the best wide receiver in the country.
Kevin White - West Virginia - .Second to Cooper with 42 receptions and 633 yards.
Nobody else is even worth mentioning.
Defensive Edition
3. Danny Shelton - DT - Washington - Leads the FBS in sacks with 7.
2. Gerod Holliman - S - Louisville - His FBS leading 5 interceptions mean that the Cardinals defense does not miss first round pick Calvin Pryor all that much..
1. Shane Ray - DE - Missouri - Tied for the FBS lead with the aforementioned Danny Shelton with 9 1/2 tackles for loss
Although, truth be told, I am still waiting for a defender to really put his individual mark on this season.
Player to Watch
Melvin Gordon - RB - Wisconsin - He had 253 yards rushing and 5 Touchdowns, on only 13 carries against an easily overmatched Bowling Green. Still, the Badgers are finally using Gordon when they need him, instead of overlooking him like they did in the fourth quarter of the LSU game.
My New Favorite Player
Dak Prescott - QB - Mississippi State - Prescott was absolutely outstanding in the Bulldogs victory AT LSU. He threw for for 268 yards with 2 TDs and 0 Interceptions, and also rushed for 105 yards a touchdown, putting the SEC West on notice for the rest of the season.
Players of the Week
This section will be more week specific as the season goes forward, but for the first week, it is hard to differentiate the players of the week from the players of the season, as the season has only lasted 1 week.
5. Anu Soloman - Arizona - The freshman quarterback threw for 520 yards with 5 TDs, albeit with 2 interceptions, in Arizona's 49-45 victory over Cal. Arizona quietly sits at 4-0, and although not likely to challenge for the conference title, could very well determine who does win by beating a favorite or two.
4. Samaje Perine - Oklahoma - The freshman rushed for 242 yards and 4 touchdowns on 34 carries in the Sooners victory over West Virginia. His career total before this game was 32 carries and 1 touchdown.
3. Melvin Gordon - Wisconsin - Thoroughly dominated Bowling Green. Also see Abdullah, Ameer.
2. Amari Cooper - Alabama - It was as if the Florida secondary was standing still.
1. Dak Prescott - Mississippi State - Really good stats, but more importantly, played great in a tough game, against a great opponent, in one of the hardest stadiums in which to play.
Goat of the Week (Player Edition)
Ammon Lakip - K - Clemson - Missed two field goals that would have won the game for the Tigers in Tallahassee. One was from short range.
Goat of the Week (Coach Edition)
Will Muschamp - Florida - How this team manages to keep Jeff Driskel as the starting quarterback is absolutely astonishing to me.
Predicted Playoffs/Championship Match Ups
Oregon (1) v. Michigan State (4)/Alabama (3) v. Oklahoma (2)
Oregon (1) v. Oklahoma (2)
That is right - no Florida State. As some of the undefeateds fall - and they have to as a bunch of them play each other - Michigan State bounces back into the Top 4 in a weak Big 10.
Rant(s) of the Week
My real rant is going to be about Jameis Winston. Not ranting about him, but ranting about how the college suspending him was utterly ridiculous and more conceived out of a lack of understanding among generations and races. But that, right now, is bouncing around my head as a possible entire new column.
So for now, my rant of the week is as a fan, and not a columnist. How on earth can everyone in the entire stadium, and everyone in the entire television viewing audience know that all Nebraska is going to do is to give the ball to Abdullah (which they did 35 times), and yet the defensive coordinator and other coaches fail to see that and try to do something about it? The coaches can say that it wasn't the scheme, but guess what? IT WAS THE SCHEME!!!!
Under Performance of the Week
Missouri - Losing to Indiana at home 31-27 is never good, much less for an SEC that claims that top to bottom it is better than every other conference. It might be at the top, but the bottom of the SEC is not too spectacular this year.
Last Week's Trivia Answer
Clint Trickett threw for 511 yards in the game against Maryland. Which West Virginia QB holds the record for most passing yards in a game, and which Mountaineer Quarterback holds the record for career passing efficiency?
Yards - Geno Smith, 656 yards, against Baylor, 2012
Passing Efficiency - Pat White 150.08
Trivia Question of the Week
This week is a total two-for. (1) Ameer Abullah set the Nebraska total yardage record in the game against Miami. Whose record did he break? (2) Blake Sims of Alabama had 484 yards of total offense against Florida. Whose record did he break?
Match up(s) to Watch
4. UCLA v. Arizona State - It's time for both of these teams to show us if they are for real or not. But, this game is on at 10:00 EDT, and it is competing with an NFL game? Never mind.
4. Florida State v. North Carolina State - This is a very weak slate of games this week, so the fact that I want to see how the Seminoles respond to the return of Jameis Winston and playing an upstart NC State team. Remember, Florida State has historically had some trouble in Carter-Finley Stadium.
3. Cincinnati v. Ohio State - Cincinnati has not beaten the Buckeyes since 1897, and Tommy Tuberville might be their best chance since Tim Murphy. Ohio State is beatable, as we have seen, and the Bearcats have a lot going for them early this season.
2. Tennessee v. Georgia - Tennessee has recruited well the past few seasons, so they definitely have some athletes. Georgia needs to play with a desperation to avoid falling to 0-2 in conference play.
1. Stanford v. Washington - The Huskies host the Cardinal while sporting a 4-0 record. This is one of those games that could turn a major conference upside-down.
Heisman Watch
Quarterback Edition
Favorite - Marcus Mariota - Oregon - Added 329 yards passing with 5 touchdowns this week against Washington State, and the Ducks needed everyone of them. Also showed the capacity for the big play, throwing for 1 TD of 80 yards and another for 57. Did nothing to slide from the favorite position.
Kenny Hill - Texas A and M - In a blowout in which he did not have to play the entire game, he threw for 265 and added 57 yards rushing. Kenny Football anyone?.
Dark Horse - Connor Halliday - Washington State - Matched Mariota play for play throwing for 436 yards and 4 Touchdowns with no interceptions. He has 1901 yards for the season - which leads the FBS - and 16 TDs. Will not win because the team is so bad.
Falling - Jameis Winston - Florida State University - Team won a close game against a good opponent with him on the bench due to his much publicized suspension for saying "an obscene phrase".
Running Back Edition
Favorite - Todd Gurley -Georgia - A ho-hum game for Gurley because the Bulldogs blew out Troy 66-0. Still finished with 73 yards on only 6 carries, and he still has not had more than 20 carries in a game.
Rising - Ameer Abdullah - Nebraska - He had 229 yards and 2 touchdowns as Abdullah, and the Cornhusker offensive line, totally dominated their win against Miami. He has 625 yards rushing for the year - second in the FBS, despite being the only true offensive threat for Nebraska.
Sleeper -Tevin Coleman - Indiana - Third in the FBS in rushing yards having gained 569 yards, on 26 less carries than Abdullah and 44 less carries that Pittsburgh's James Conner (699 yards).
Wide Receiver Edition
Amari Cooper - Alabama - Leads the FBS in receptions (43) and yards (655) yards, including torching Florida and the supposedly All-American candidate Vernon Hargreaves III for 201 this past week. Easily the best wide receiver in the country.
Kevin White - West Virginia - .Second to Cooper with 42 receptions and 633 yards.
Nobody else is even worth mentioning.
Defensive Edition
3. Danny Shelton - DT - Washington - Leads the FBS in sacks with 7.
2. Gerod Holliman - S - Louisville - His FBS leading 5 interceptions mean that the Cardinals defense does not miss first round pick Calvin Pryor all that much..
1. Shane Ray - DE - Missouri - Tied for the FBS lead with the aforementioned Danny Shelton with 9 1/2 tackles for loss
Although, truth be told, I am still waiting for a defender to really put his individual mark on this season.
Player to Watch
Melvin Gordon - RB - Wisconsin - He had 253 yards rushing and 5 Touchdowns, on only 13 carries against an easily overmatched Bowling Green. Still, the Badgers are finally using Gordon when they need him, instead of overlooking him like they did in the fourth quarter of the LSU game.
My New Favorite Player
Dak Prescott - QB - Mississippi State - Prescott was absolutely outstanding in the Bulldogs victory AT LSU. He threw for for 268 yards with 2 TDs and 0 Interceptions, and also rushed for 105 yards a touchdown, putting the SEC West on notice for the rest of the season.
Players of the Week
This section will be more week specific as the season goes forward, but for the first week, it is hard to differentiate the players of the week from the players of the season, as the season has only lasted 1 week.
5. Anu Soloman - Arizona - The freshman quarterback threw for 520 yards with 5 TDs, albeit with 2 interceptions, in Arizona's 49-45 victory over Cal. Arizona quietly sits at 4-0, and although not likely to challenge for the conference title, could very well determine who does win by beating a favorite or two.
4. Samaje Perine - Oklahoma - The freshman rushed for 242 yards and 4 touchdowns on 34 carries in the Sooners victory over West Virginia. His career total before this game was 32 carries and 1 touchdown.
3. Melvin Gordon - Wisconsin - Thoroughly dominated Bowling Green. Also see Abdullah, Ameer.
2. Amari Cooper - Alabama - It was as if the Florida secondary was standing still.
1. Dak Prescott - Mississippi State - Really good stats, but more importantly, played great in a tough game, against a great opponent, in one of the hardest stadiums in which to play.
Goat of the Week (Player Edition)
Ammon Lakip - K - Clemson - Missed two field goals that would have won the game for the Tigers in Tallahassee. One was from short range.
Goat of the Week (Coach Edition)
Will Muschamp - Florida - How this team manages to keep Jeff Driskel as the starting quarterback is absolutely astonishing to me.
Predicted Playoffs/Championship Match Ups
Oregon (1) v. Michigan State (4)/Alabama (3) v. Oklahoma (2)
Oregon (1) v. Oklahoma (2)
That is right - no Florida State. As some of the undefeateds fall - and they have to as a bunch of them play each other - Michigan State bounces back into the Top 4 in a weak Big 10.
Rant(s) of the Week
My real rant is going to be about Jameis Winston. Not ranting about him, but ranting about how the college suspending him was utterly ridiculous and more conceived out of a lack of understanding among generations and races. But that, right now, is bouncing around my head as a possible entire new column.
So for now, my rant of the week is as a fan, and not a columnist. How on earth can everyone in the entire stadium, and everyone in the entire television viewing audience know that all Nebraska is going to do is to give the ball to Abdullah (which they did 35 times), and yet the defensive coordinator and other coaches fail to see that and try to do something about it? The coaches can say that it wasn't the scheme, but guess what? IT WAS THE SCHEME!!!!
Under Performance of the Week
Missouri - Losing to Indiana at home 31-27 is never good, much less for an SEC that claims that top to bottom it is better than every other conference. It might be at the top, but the bottom of the SEC is not too spectacular this year.
Last Week's Trivia Answer
Clint Trickett threw for 511 yards in the game against Maryland. Which West Virginia QB holds the record for most passing yards in a game, and which Mountaineer Quarterback holds the record for career passing efficiency?
Yards - Geno Smith, 656 yards, against Baylor, 2012
Passing Efficiency - Pat White 150.08
Trivia Question of the Week
This week is a total two-for. (1) Ameer Abullah set the Nebraska total yardage record in the game against Miami. Whose record did he break? (2) Blake Sims of Alabama had 484 yards of total offense against Florida. Whose record did he break?
Match up(s) to Watch
4. UCLA v. Arizona State - It's time for both of these teams to show us if they are for real or not. But, this game is on at 10:00 EDT, and it is competing with an NFL game? Never mind.
4. Florida State v. North Carolina State - This is a very weak slate of games this week, so the fact that I want to see how the Seminoles respond to the return of Jameis Winston and playing an upstart NC State team. Remember, Florida State has historically had some trouble in Carter-Finley Stadium.
3. Cincinnati v. Ohio State - Cincinnati has not beaten the Buckeyes since 1897, and Tommy Tuberville might be their best chance since Tim Murphy. Ohio State is beatable, as we have seen, and the Bearcats have a lot going for them early this season.
2. Tennessee v. Georgia - Tennessee has recruited well the past few seasons, so they definitely have some athletes. Georgia needs to play with a desperation to avoid falling to 0-2 in conference play.
1. Stanford v. Washington - The Huskies host the Cardinal while sporting a 4-0 record. This is one of those games that could turn a major conference upside-down.
Wednesday, September 17, 2014
The Ole College Try
Welcome to the return of the almost weekly perspective of college football. For those that don't remember, I write this column as if every player is a Heisman Trophy candidate. Why? Because it is ridiculously ludicrous that the networks, including the World Wide Leader, nay, especially the World Wide Leader, emphasize the Heisman Trophy race this early in the season. After all, who knew who Jameis Winston was at this time last year. Consider this my sarcastic homage to stupid reporting.
Heisman Watch
Quarterback Edition
Favorite - Marcus Mariota - Oregon - Has 806 yards passing with 8 TDs, plus an additional 3 rushing touchdowns. Would likely have had more if game one was not such a blowout for the Ducks. Most impressive was his 318 yard 3TD game against Michigan State.
Clint Trickett - West Virginia - First he comes out before the Alabama game and admits that he first kiss was Nick Saban's daughter, and then they almost win the game. This past week he throws for 511 yards and 4 TDs against Maryland, in a performance in which he was almost unstoppable.
Rising - Kenny Hill - Texas A and M - He is trying his best to make the Aggies' fans and supporters forget Johnny Manziel.
Dark Horse - Brandon Doughty - Western Kentucky - Already 1,459 yards and 12 TDs, with only 2 interceptions.
Falling - Braxton Miller - Ohio State University - Injuries will get you every time.
Running Back Edition
Favorite - Todd Gurley -Georgia - 329 yards rushing in his first two games, including an impressive 198 against Clemson, a game in which he also returned a kick 100 yards for a touchdown. 131 yards in the loss to South Carolina. To date he has not had more than 20 carries in a game.
Rising - D.J. Foster - Arizona State - 510 yards on only 54 carries, means that Foster is someone to watch in the PAC-12 this year.
Sleeper - Jacobi Owens - Air Force Academy - 431 yards rushing, for the Air Force Academy. Plus, one of the academy players needs some love besides Navy Quarterback Keenan Reynolds.
Wide Receiver Edition
Amari Cooper - Alabama - 33 receptions, 454 yards, and easily the best wide receiver in the country.
KD Cannon - Baylor - The freshman has only 14 catches, but leads the NCAA with 471 yards and 5 of his 14 catches have been for touchdowns..
Nelson Spruce - Colorado - Has an NCAA leading 6 touchdown receptions.
Defensive Edition
3. Myles Garrent - DL - Texas A and M - The freshman has only 14 tackles so far, but 5 1/2 sacks, including at least 1 sack in each game! Now that's production.
2. Amarlo Herrera - LB - Georgia - So far, the leading tackler in the SEC.
1. Nobody has really stepped up and separated themselves yet. They will!.
Player to Watch
Maty Mauk - QB - Missouri - Missouri lost a lot of players off its SEC East championship team, but with Mauk, Missouri has a fighting chance to return to the SEC Championship game.
My New Favorite Player
Thurston Armbrister - LB - Miami - Playing next to Denzell Perryman Armbrister is quietly having a fantastic season to date, but that is not why he is here. Armbrister is my new favorite player because when Arkansas State tried to fake punt, one of their receivers fell down like he was dead, even folding his arms before the fall. The fake punt was intercepted, and the receiver, not knowing what was going on, got up, at which point in time Armbrister laid a hellacious block on the receiver. Serves him right for trying to be clever.
Players of the Week
This section will be more week specific as the season goes forward, but for the first week, it is hard to differentiate the players of the week from the players of the season, as the season has only lasted 1 week.
5. Bo Wallace - Mississippi - The elder statesman among SEC quarterbacks threw for 316 yards and 4 touchdowns.
4. Amari Cooper - Alabama - He had 8 receptions for 135 yards, and was virtually unguardable the entire game.
3. Bryce Petty - Baylor - He threw for 416 yards and 4 TDs, along with 0 interceptions for the explosive Baylor offense.
2. Tyler Murphy - Boston College - The quarterback ran for 191 yards in the Eagles upset of USC.
1. Clint Trickett - West Virginia - See above.
Goat of the Week (Player Edition)
Kelvin Rainey - PR - Louisville - What looked to be shaping up to be a really nice season for Louisville, considering they lost Teddy Bridgewater and many others to graduation, now looks like it is going to be average at best. Rainey's fumble at his own 25 lead to Virginia's game winning field goal.
Goat of the Week (Coach Edition)
Mark Richt - Georgia - How Todd Gurley only gets 20 carries is absolutely astounding. I understand not wanting to wear him out, but the reason you rest players during the season is so they are fresh for these close conference, nay divisional, games.
Predicted Playoffs/Championship Match Ups
Oregon (1) v. Baylor (4)/Alabama (3) v. Florida State (2)
Oregon (1) v. Florida State (2)
To be honest - I am not confident in any of these, as I can easily see any or all of these four teams stumbling.
Rant(s) of the Week
No real rant at this point - BECAUSE COLLEGE FOOTBALL IS BACK.
Under Performance of the Week
USC - Still on some scholarship probation, which hurts depth, but for a team some picked as the dark horse to win Los Angeles, and some even thought they had enough talent to compete for the PAC-12, this weeks stinker against Boston College is the easiest under performance of the week.
Last Week's Trivia Answer
N/A this week.
Trivia Question of the Week
Since I have mentioned Clint Trickett twice already in this blog, I will bring him up again. He threw for 511 yards in the match up against Maryland. Which West Virginia QB holds the record for most passing yards in a game, and which Mountaineer Quarterback holds the record for career passing efficiency? This could be the same QB for both, or could be 2 different quarterbacks. No cheating ...
Match up(s) to Watch
4. Oklahoma v. West Virginia - Two throw first quarterbacks, especially with Oklahoma's starting running back injured. More importantly for this game is watch the stands. Should be some very good scenery from both schools there.
3. Auburn v. Kansas State - A Thursday night game on the road in Manhattan, which is a pretty tough place to play. Should provide a really good test for the Tigers/Plainsmen/War Eagles.
2. Miami v. Nebraska - Miami's second big road test, but its first big game since opening on the road at Louisville. Has true freshman quarterback Brad Kaaya truly developed in the last month as much as Miami's coaches say he has? We shall see.
1. Clemson v. Florida State - Clemson is not the team they were last year after losing Tajh Boyd and Sammy Watkins, but neither is Florida State. This game just became more interesting with Heisman Trophy winning Quarterback Jameis Winston suspended for the first half of the game.
Heisman Watch
Quarterback Edition
Favorite - Marcus Mariota - Oregon - Has 806 yards passing with 8 TDs, plus an additional 3 rushing touchdowns. Would likely have had more if game one was not such a blowout for the Ducks. Most impressive was his 318 yard 3TD game against Michigan State.
Clint Trickett - West Virginia - First he comes out before the Alabama game and admits that he first kiss was Nick Saban's daughter, and then they almost win the game. This past week he throws for 511 yards and 4 TDs against Maryland, in a performance in which he was almost unstoppable.
Rising - Kenny Hill - Texas A and M - He is trying his best to make the Aggies' fans and supporters forget Johnny Manziel.
Dark Horse - Brandon Doughty - Western Kentucky - Already 1,459 yards and 12 TDs, with only 2 interceptions.
Falling - Braxton Miller - Ohio State University - Injuries will get you every time.
Running Back Edition
Favorite - Todd Gurley -Georgia - 329 yards rushing in his first two games, including an impressive 198 against Clemson, a game in which he also returned a kick 100 yards for a touchdown. 131 yards in the loss to South Carolina. To date he has not had more than 20 carries in a game.
Rising - D.J. Foster - Arizona State - 510 yards on only 54 carries, means that Foster is someone to watch in the PAC-12 this year.
Sleeper - Jacobi Owens - Air Force Academy - 431 yards rushing, for the Air Force Academy. Plus, one of the academy players needs some love besides Navy Quarterback Keenan Reynolds.
Wide Receiver Edition
Amari Cooper - Alabama - 33 receptions, 454 yards, and easily the best wide receiver in the country.
KD Cannon - Baylor - The freshman has only 14 catches, but leads the NCAA with 471 yards and 5 of his 14 catches have been for touchdowns..
Nelson Spruce - Colorado - Has an NCAA leading 6 touchdown receptions.
Defensive Edition
3. Myles Garrent - DL - Texas A and M - The freshman has only 14 tackles so far, but 5 1/2 sacks, including at least 1 sack in each game! Now that's production.
2. Amarlo Herrera - LB - Georgia - So far, the leading tackler in the SEC.
1. Nobody has really stepped up and separated themselves yet. They will!.
Player to Watch
Maty Mauk - QB - Missouri - Missouri lost a lot of players off its SEC East championship team, but with Mauk, Missouri has a fighting chance to return to the SEC Championship game.
My New Favorite Player
Thurston Armbrister - LB - Miami - Playing next to Denzell Perryman Armbrister is quietly having a fantastic season to date, but that is not why he is here. Armbrister is my new favorite player because when Arkansas State tried to fake punt, one of their receivers fell down like he was dead, even folding his arms before the fall. The fake punt was intercepted, and the receiver, not knowing what was going on, got up, at which point in time Armbrister laid a hellacious block on the receiver. Serves him right for trying to be clever.
Players of the Week
This section will be more week specific as the season goes forward, but for the first week, it is hard to differentiate the players of the week from the players of the season, as the season has only lasted 1 week.
5. Bo Wallace - Mississippi - The elder statesman among SEC quarterbacks threw for 316 yards and 4 touchdowns.
4. Amari Cooper - Alabama - He had 8 receptions for 135 yards, and was virtually unguardable the entire game.
3. Bryce Petty - Baylor - He threw for 416 yards and 4 TDs, along with 0 interceptions for the explosive Baylor offense.
2. Tyler Murphy - Boston College - The quarterback ran for 191 yards in the Eagles upset of USC.
1. Clint Trickett - West Virginia - See above.
Goat of the Week (Player Edition)
Kelvin Rainey - PR - Louisville - What looked to be shaping up to be a really nice season for Louisville, considering they lost Teddy Bridgewater and many others to graduation, now looks like it is going to be average at best. Rainey's fumble at his own 25 lead to Virginia's game winning field goal.
Goat of the Week (Coach Edition)
Mark Richt - Georgia - How Todd Gurley only gets 20 carries is absolutely astounding. I understand not wanting to wear him out, but the reason you rest players during the season is so they are fresh for these close conference, nay divisional, games.
Predicted Playoffs/Championship Match Ups
Oregon (1) v. Baylor (4)/Alabama (3) v. Florida State (2)
Oregon (1) v. Florida State (2)
To be honest - I am not confident in any of these, as I can easily see any or all of these four teams stumbling.
Rant(s) of the Week
No real rant at this point - BECAUSE COLLEGE FOOTBALL IS BACK.
Under Performance of the Week
USC - Still on some scholarship probation, which hurts depth, but for a team some picked as the dark horse to win Los Angeles, and some even thought they had enough talent to compete for the PAC-12, this weeks stinker against Boston College is the easiest under performance of the week.
Last Week's Trivia Answer
N/A this week.
Trivia Question of the Week
Since I have mentioned Clint Trickett twice already in this blog, I will bring him up again. He threw for 511 yards in the match up against Maryland. Which West Virginia QB holds the record for most passing yards in a game, and which Mountaineer Quarterback holds the record for career passing efficiency? This could be the same QB for both, or could be 2 different quarterbacks. No cheating ...
Match up(s) to Watch
4. Oklahoma v. West Virginia - Two throw first quarterbacks, especially with Oklahoma's starting running back injured. More importantly for this game is watch the stands. Should be some very good scenery from both schools there.
3. Auburn v. Kansas State - A Thursday night game on the road in Manhattan, which is a pretty tough place to play. Should provide a really good test for the Tigers/Plainsmen/War Eagles.
2. Miami v. Nebraska - Miami's second big road test, but its first big game since opening on the road at Louisville. Has true freshman quarterback Brad Kaaya truly developed in the last month as much as Miami's coaches say he has? We shall see.
1. Clemson v. Florida State - Clemson is not the team they were last year after losing Tajh Boyd and Sammy Watkins, but neither is Florida State. This game just became more interesting with Heisman Trophy winning Quarterback Jameis Winston suspended for the first half of the game.
Tuesday, September 9, 2014
Ready for Some Football
It is that time of the year again, time for the start of college football. Well, OK, we are two weeks in, but still, we are basically at the beginning. What would the start of college football be without a preseason All-American list? Once again, I am here to give you my preseason All-Americans. As usual, there will be more than 11 a side, to account for the different types of formations (spread, three receiver set, 4-3, 3-4, etc). I explain some of my picks, while others I do not. Why? Because I can. (Starters in capitals).
Offense
QB - MARCUS MARIOTA, Oregon; Jameis Winston, Florida State; Brett Hundley, UCLA - I was right leaving Johnny Manziell off last year's pre-season list despite coming off a Heisman trophy campaign, and I will ultimately be right for not having Winston starting this year. Mariota runs the most dangerous offense in the NCCA, sorry Bryce Petty. Hundley's UCLA could sneak into the playoff at the end of the season.
RB - TODD GURLEY, Georgia; MELVIN GORDON, Wisconsin; Ameer Abdullah, Nebraska; Duke Johnson, Miami - Possibly the easiest position to select multiple starters. Gurley and Gordon are the best in the county hands down. Abdullah showed last week just how he can affect, and turn around, a game. Duke Johnson might be the most exciting player in the country, as he is a threat every time he touches the ball - running, receiving and returning.
WR - AMARI COOPER, Alabama; ANTWAN GOODLEY, Baylor; Tyler Lockett, Kansas State; Rashad Greene, Florida State; Stefon Diggs, Maryland - Cooper is a no-brainer, and Goodley could end with close to a million yards receiving this year. Lockett and Greene are selected over Nelson Agholor of USC because of Lockett's experience being the primary, and only, weapon and Greene's numbers should skyrocket with the loss of all of Florida State's weapons to the NFL. Diggs makes the team for his return capabilities.
TE - NICK O'LEARY, Florida State; O.J. Howard, Alabama - Probably the weakest spot on the team with Eric Ebron, Jace Amaro and Austin Sefarian-Jenkins all going to the NFL, but these two are the best of the lot, and are solid all-around tight ends.
OL - CEDRICK OGBEHI, Texas A and M (T); ANDRUS PEAT, Stanford (T); A.J. CANN, South Carolina (G); TREY JACKSON, Florida State (G); HRONISS GRASU, Oregon (C); Reese Dismukes, Auburn; Brandon Scherff, Iowa - Ogbehi is the latest in a long line of Aggie Tackles, See Matthews, Jake; Joeckel, Luke. Peat makes it because he exhibits the prototypical Stanford toughness that we have come to expect. Grasu might be the hardest name to spell in this list.
Defense
DE - VIC BEASLEY, Clemson; SHILIQUE CALHOUN, Michigan State; Leonard Williams, USC; Robert Nkemdiche, Mississippi - Beasley is one of the easiest selections to this list, while Calhoun leads a particularly tough Spartan defense. Williams and Nkemdiche are both sophomores.
DT - MICHAEL BENNETT, Ohio State; CARL DAVIS, Iowa; Dante Fowler, Jr. Florida - Fowler is not a prototypical tackle, but Will Muschamp likes to line him up there for the speed advantage over interior lineman.
LB - RAMIK WILSON, Georgia; A.J. JOHNSON, Tennessee; DENZEL PERRYMAN, Miami; Myles Jack, UCLA; Eric Striker, Oklahoma; Trey DePriest, Alabama - Wilson led the SEC with 133 tackles (second place had 113), and is likely the leader of the best line backing corps in the country. Jonson and Perryman led their teams with tackles last year, with Johnson having 324 in his career. Jack might be the best two-way player in the country and DePriest is here because every team needs an Alabama linebacker.
CB - IFO EKPE-OLOMU, Oregon; VERNON HARGREAVES, III, Florida; Kendall Fuller, Virginia Tech; P.J. Williams, Florida State - Ekpe-Olomu was an easy pick, and Hargreaves not far behind him. Lots of interceptions would come from this backfield, if they could take the field together.
S - LANDON COLLINS, Alabama; CODY PREWITT, Mississippi; Derron Smith, Fresno State; Kurtis Drummond, Michigan State - The tight ends of the defense, in that this is probably the weakness of the team, and if that is the case, your team is pretty darned good.
Special Teams
K - ROBERTO AGUAYO, Florida State - Nobody else is even close.
P - DREW KASER, Texas A and M - Again, nobody is even really close.
KR/PR - RYAN SWITZER, North Carolina; TY MONTGOMERY, Stanford - With these two guys, along with Duke Johnson and Stefon Diggs on the roster, this team will be scary in the return game.
Offense
QB - MARCUS MARIOTA, Oregon; Jameis Winston, Florida State; Brett Hundley, UCLA - I was right leaving Johnny Manziell off last year's pre-season list despite coming off a Heisman trophy campaign, and I will ultimately be right for not having Winston starting this year. Mariota runs the most dangerous offense in the NCCA, sorry Bryce Petty. Hundley's UCLA could sneak into the playoff at the end of the season.
RB - TODD GURLEY, Georgia; MELVIN GORDON, Wisconsin; Ameer Abdullah, Nebraska; Duke Johnson, Miami - Possibly the easiest position to select multiple starters. Gurley and Gordon are the best in the county hands down. Abdullah showed last week just how he can affect, and turn around, a game. Duke Johnson might be the most exciting player in the country, as he is a threat every time he touches the ball - running, receiving and returning.
WR - AMARI COOPER, Alabama; ANTWAN GOODLEY, Baylor; Tyler Lockett, Kansas State; Rashad Greene, Florida State; Stefon Diggs, Maryland - Cooper is a no-brainer, and Goodley could end with close to a million yards receiving this year. Lockett and Greene are selected over Nelson Agholor of USC because of Lockett's experience being the primary, and only, weapon and Greene's numbers should skyrocket with the loss of all of Florida State's weapons to the NFL. Diggs makes the team for his return capabilities.
TE - NICK O'LEARY, Florida State; O.J. Howard, Alabama - Probably the weakest spot on the team with Eric Ebron, Jace Amaro and Austin Sefarian-Jenkins all going to the NFL, but these two are the best of the lot, and are solid all-around tight ends.
OL - CEDRICK OGBEHI, Texas A and M (T); ANDRUS PEAT, Stanford (T); A.J. CANN, South Carolina (G); TREY JACKSON, Florida State (G); HRONISS GRASU, Oregon (C); Reese Dismukes, Auburn; Brandon Scherff, Iowa - Ogbehi is the latest in a long line of Aggie Tackles, See Matthews, Jake; Joeckel, Luke. Peat makes it because he exhibits the prototypical Stanford toughness that we have come to expect. Grasu might be the hardest name to spell in this list.
Defense
DE - VIC BEASLEY, Clemson; SHILIQUE CALHOUN, Michigan State; Leonard Williams, USC; Robert Nkemdiche, Mississippi - Beasley is one of the easiest selections to this list, while Calhoun leads a particularly tough Spartan defense. Williams and Nkemdiche are both sophomores.
DT - MICHAEL BENNETT, Ohio State; CARL DAVIS, Iowa; Dante Fowler, Jr. Florida - Fowler is not a prototypical tackle, but Will Muschamp likes to line him up there for the speed advantage over interior lineman.
LB - RAMIK WILSON, Georgia; A.J. JOHNSON, Tennessee; DENZEL PERRYMAN, Miami; Myles Jack, UCLA; Eric Striker, Oklahoma; Trey DePriest, Alabama - Wilson led the SEC with 133 tackles (second place had 113), and is likely the leader of the best line backing corps in the country. Jonson and Perryman led their teams with tackles last year, with Johnson having 324 in his career. Jack might be the best two-way player in the country and DePriest is here because every team needs an Alabama linebacker.
CB - IFO EKPE-OLOMU, Oregon; VERNON HARGREAVES, III, Florida; Kendall Fuller, Virginia Tech; P.J. Williams, Florida State - Ekpe-Olomu was an easy pick, and Hargreaves not far behind him. Lots of interceptions would come from this backfield, if they could take the field together.
S - LANDON COLLINS, Alabama; CODY PREWITT, Mississippi; Derron Smith, Fresno State; Kurtis Drummond, Michigan State - The tight ends of the defense, in that this is probably the weakness of the team, and if that is the case, your team is pretty darned good.
Special Teams
K - ROBERTO AGUAYO, Florida State - Nobody else is even close.
P - DREW KASER, Texas A and M - Again, nobody is even really close.
KR/PR - RYAN SWITZER, North Carolina; TY MONTGOMERY, Stanford - With these two guys, along with Duke Johnson and Stefon Diggs on the roster, this team will be scary in the return game.
Wednesday, October 16, 2013
The Ole College Try
Welcome to the weekly installment of the almost weekly perspective of college football. As a refresher, I write this column as if every player is a Heisman Trophy candidate. Why? Because it is ridiculously ludicrous that the networks, including the World Wide Leader, nay, especially the World Wide Leader, emphasize the Heisman Trophy race this early in the season. Consider this my sarcastic homage to stupid reporting.
Heisman Watch
Quarterback Edition
Favorite - Marcus Mariota - Oregon - The guy has not had the huge statistics of some of the other favorites simply because he has not had to play that much after wins. This week he showed what he could do against the 16th ranked Washington Huskies. 24-31 for 366 yards and 3 TDs, and 88 yards and 1 more TD rushing.
Johnny Manziel - Texas A&M - Still the betting line favorite, and as I stated last year, but as I stated last week, I am keeping him here until I see what he does against LSU game. Plus, 346 yards passing and 124 yards rushing is phenomenal from this week, considering it seemed to be an "off" week against Mississippi.
Tahj Boyd - Clemson - In a possible Heisman elimination game this week against Jameis Winston, but did not suffer a letdown against BC before that; 334 yards and 1 TD and another rushing TD..
Rising - Jameis Winston - FSU - 1,441 yards, 17TDs and only 2 Interceptions on the season, including an absolute pasting of the then 25th ranked Terrapins with 393 yards and 5 TDs. A bye week before his Heisman showdown against Tahj Boyd and Clemson.
Falling (1) - Aaron Murray - Georgia - Because he has literally lost everyone of his weapons. He put in as good a display as he could against Missouri, but even that was not enough.
Falling (2) - Teddy Bridgewater - Louisville - Given the Cardinals schedule, Bridgewater needed to put up huge numbers an win games by a lot of points.He did throw for 310 yards and 2 TDs against Rutgers, but also threw an interception in only a 24-14 win.
Running Back Edition
No change this week in the major runners - why? Nobody played anybody this week. The top 3, are simply the top 3 and that is it. More discussion in those rising/sleepers.
Favorite - Andre Williams - Boston College - Only 70 yards rushing, but kept Boston College in the game against Clemson. 846 yards total.
Bishop Sankey - Washington - 167 yards and 2 TDs against Oregon, for a total of 899 yards rushing on the season. He is the nations second leading rusher, and his name is Bishop. Seriously, the Fish that Saved Pittsburgh is awesome.
Rising - Antonio Andrews - Western Kentucky - His 1036 yards leads the nation by 137 yards. His only non-100 yard rushing game was the first game of the year, in which he rushed for 99 yards.
Sleeper - David Fluellen - Toledo - Had a bye week this week, so he had to move from "Rising" to "Sleeper".
Wide Receiver Edition
Brandin Cooks - Oregon State - Leads the NCAA in receptions with 63 and yards with 944 (next highest is 691), and receiving touchdowns with 11. To say that he is Sean Mannion's favorite target is an understatement.
Mike Evans - Texas A & M; - He only has 32 catches, but for 737 yards (23 ypc). Right now he is the best receiver in the SEC, and is projecting as a Top 10 pick.
Jordan Matthews - Vanderbilt - He has 70 catches for 709 yards, and has only had 1 game under 100 yards this season. He is giving Evans a run for best receiver in the SEC.
Sleeper - Nick O'Leary - Florida State - Only 11 catches for 132 yards - but 5 of those catches have been for TDs. That is a pretty good ratio, especially on a team that has so man offensive weapons.
Rising - Odell Beckham - LSU - 37 catches, 733 yards, and is one of the many weapons at Zach Mettenberger's disposal.
Falling - Jarred Abbrederis - Wisconsin - An injury may keep him from a stellar season, despite 35 catches for 646 yards.
Defensive Edition
3. Tyler Matakevich - LB - Temple - Has 82 total tackles average out to 13.7 tackles per game, but 65 of those tackles are solo tackles. I don't care what team you play for, and what teams you play - that is a ton!
2. Vic Beasley - DL - Clemson - He has 9 sacks, but now we get to see if he gets to Jameis Winston when they play Florida State.
1. Michael Sam - LB - Missouri - I had only heard about how good he was until I saw him play against Georgia. He is the best linebacker that I have seen play this year, with all due respect to CJ Mosley.
Player to Watch
Maty Mauk - QB - Missouri - The Freshman QB from Missouri is on here for one simple reason, his 3-3 against Georgia, and 6 total pass attempts in his career are now the starter for the remainder of the year because James Franklin has been lost for the rest of the season due to injury. Right now Missouri is undefeated at 6-0 and ranked 15th in the country, with consecutive games against Florida and South Carolina. How does Mauk perform?
My New Favorite Player Besides Baker Mayfield - the Walk On Freshman
Bryce Petty- QB - Baylor - Because he is like an orchestra conductor leading this track meet of an offense. Last week against Kansas State Petty was 12-21 for 322 yards. Yes 322 yards on only 12 completions.
Players of the Week
5. Bryce Petty - QB - Baylor - See above.
4. Melvin Gordon - RB - Wisconsin - Rushed for 172 yards and 1 TD against Northwestern, as Wisconsin won handily.
3. Davis Webb - QB - Texas Tech - 35-56 for 45 yards and 3 TDs as Texas Tech defeated Iowa State 42-35.
2. Michael Sam - LB - Missouri - Thoroughly dominated the game against Georgia, leading the way to a 41-26 victory.
1. Marcos Mariota - QB - Oregon - See above.
Goat of the Week (Player Edition)
Blake Bell - QB - Oklahoma - Had a total QBR of 4.2 as the Texas Longhorns thoroughly dominated the Sooners. Plus, I get to show another picture.
Goat of the Week (Coach Edition)
Oklahoma Coach Bob Stoops - So, you are sitting at 5-0, ranked 12th, and you play Texas that is absolutely reeling. I know that it is a rivalry game, but 36-20 doesn't even come close to showing how bad Oklahoma was beat in this game.
Predicted BCS Championship Game Match Up
Alabama v. Oregon - More contenders falling out of contention, but Alabama and Oregon still going strong. This week's FSU/Clemson winner will be ready to pounce should the Tide or Ducks lose.
Rant(s) of the Week
Targeting. I am not going to get too in detail, as everything has already basically been said, but if you can review a video to see if a guy should be ejected for targeting and find out that there was no targeting, how do you still enforce the 15 yard penalty?
Interesting Fact of the Week (Even if only to me)
Missouri has forced a turnover in 36 straight games.
Under Performance of the Week
Easy - Oklahoma. And it isn't even close. Georgia might be some people's answer, but they have 147 injuries, and they lost to an undefeated SEC team. Texas - they stink.
Last Week's Trivia Answer
The two FBS conferences with three remaining undefeated teams were, and I stress were, the Pac-12 and ACC. Stanford's loss knocks the Pac-12 out of this neighborhood now.
Trivia Question of the Week
The Georgia-Vanderbilt game can see 3 conference records broken; Georgia quarterback Aaron Murray can break the records for TD Passes and total offense, while Vanderbilt receiver Jordan Matthews can break the record for career receiving yards. Who currently holds those 3 records, and how many TD passes, total yards and receiving yards do Murray and Matthews need to set the record?
Match up(s) to Watch
5. Auburn v. Texas A&M - It is time to see if Auburn is actually a good team, or if they are a pretender. They do have wins against Washington State, Mississippi State and Mississippi, which are all decent teams.
4. Florida v. Missouri - Thanks to Missouri beating Georgia, Florida has a better chance to win the SEC East, if they can beat the Tigers themselves. This is the second of three consecutive tough games for the Gators (LSU, Missouri, South Carolina), that could go a long way to determining if this is a good season or a bust for the Gators. Florida must find some offense to avoid Michael Sam and the Tigers opportunistic defense.
3. UCF v. Louisville - Central Florida's lone loss was a 3 point squeaker to South Carolina. Louisville pulled out a close one against Rutgers last week, and this could be the Cardinals' toughest game yet.. UCF's star running back was recruited by some big schools, and actually signed with Miami before transferring to UCF. Let's see how Charlie Strong's team handles the Knights.
2. UCLA v. Stanford - This should have been a battle of unbeatens, until Stanford's loss last week to Utah. UCLA has Rose Bowl aspirations - or at least Pac-12 championship game. Brett Hundley is one of the hottest players in college football.
1. Florida State v. Clemson - Any questions that this is the game of the week? Winner sits in third position waiting for Alabama and/or Oregon to slip up.
Heisman Watch
Quarterback Edition
Favorite - Marcus Mariota - Oregon - The guy has not had the huge statistics of some of the other favorites simply because he has not had to play that much after wins. This week he showed what he could do against the 16th ranked Washington Huskies. 24-31 for 366 yards and 3 TDs, and 88 yards and 1 more TD rushing.
Johnny Manziel - Texas A&M - Still the betting line favorite, and as I stated last year, but as I stated last week, I am keeping him here until I see what he does against LSU game. Plus, 346 yards passing and 124 yards rushing is phenomenal from this week, considering it seemed to be an "off" week against Mississippi.
Tahj Boyd - Clemson - In a possible Heisman elimination game this week against Jameis Winston, but did not suffer a letdown against BC before that; 334 yards and 1 TD and another rushing TD..
Rising - Jameis Winston - FSU - 1,441 yards, 17TDs and only 2 Interceptions on the season, including an absolute pasting of the then 25th ranked Terrapins with 393 yards and 5 TDs. A bye week before his Heisman showdown against Tahj Boyd and Clemson.
Falling (1) - Aaron Murray - Georgia - Because he has literally lost everyone of his weapons. He put in as good a display as he could against Missouri, but even that was not enough.
Falling (2) - Teddy Bridgewater - Louisville - Given the Cardinals schedule, Bridgewater needed to put up huge numbers an win games by a lot of points.He did throw for 310 yards and 2 TDs against Rutgers, but also threw an interception in only a 24-14 win.
Running Back Edition
No change this week in the major runners - why? Nobody played anybody this week. The top 3, are simply the top 3 and that is it. More discussion in those rising/sleepers.
Favorite - Andre Williams - Boston College - Only 70 yards rushing, but kept Boston College in the game against Clemson. 846 yards total.
Bishop Sankey - Washington - 167 yards and 2 TDs against Oregon, for a total of 899 yards rushing on the season. He is the nations second leading rusher, and his name is Bishop. Seriously, the Fish that Saved Pittsburgh is awesome.
Rising - Antonio Andrews - Western Kentucky - His 1036 yards leads the nation by 137 yards. His only non-100 yard rushing game was the first game of the year, in which he rushed for 99 yards.
Sleeper - David Fluellen - Toledo - Had a bye week this week, so he had to move from "Rising" to "Sleeper".
Wide Receiver Edition
Brandin Cooks - Oregon State - Leads the NCAA in receptions with 63 and yards with 944 (next highest is 691), and receiving touchdowns with 11. To say that he is Sean Mannion's favorite target is an understatement.
Mike Evans - Texas A & M; - He only has 32 catches, but for 737 yards (23 ypc). Right now he is the best receiver in the SEC, and is projecting as a Top 10 pick.
Jordan Matthews - Vanderbilt - He has 70 catches for 709 yards, and has only had 1 game under 100 yards this season. He is giving Evans a run for best receiver in the SEC.
Sleeper - Nick O'Leary - Florida State - Only 11 catches for 132 yards - but 5 of those catches have been for TDs. That is a pretty good ratio, especially on a team that has so man offensive weapons.
Rising - Odell Beckham - LSU - 37 catches, 733 yards, and is one of the many weapons at Zach Mettenberger's disposal.
Falling - Jarred Abbrederis - Wisconsin - An injury may keep him from a stellar season, despite 35 catches for 646 yards.
Defensive Edition
3. Tyler Matakevich - LB - Temple - Has 82 total tackles average out to 13.7 tackles per game, but 65 of those tackles are solo tackles. I don't care what team you play for, and what teams you play - that is a ton!
2. Vic Beasley - DL - Clemson - He has 9 sacks, but now we get to see if he gets to Jameis Winston when they play Florida State.
1. Michael Sam - LB - Missouri - I had only heard about how good he was until I saw him play against Georgia. He is the best linebacker that I have seen play this year, with all due respect to CJ Mosley.
Player to Watch
Maty Mauk - QB - Missouri - The Freshman QB from Missouri is on here for one simple reason, his 3-3 against Georgia, and 6 total pass attempts in his career are now the starter for the remainder of the year because James Franklin has been lost for the rest of the season due to injury. Right now Missouri is undefeated at 6-0 and ranked 15th in the country, with consecutive games against Florida and South Carolina. How does Mauk perform?
My New Favorite Player Besides Baker Mayfield - the Walk On Freshman
Bryce Petty- QB - Baylor - Because he is like an orchestra conductor leading this track meet of an offense. Last week against Kansas State Petty was 12-21 for 322 yards. Yes 322 yards on only 12 completions.
Players of the Week
5. Bryce Petty - QB - Baylor - See above.
4. Melvin Gordon - RB - Wisconsin - Rushed for 172 yards and 1 TD against Northwestern, as Wisconsin won handily.
3. Davis Webb - QB - Texas Tech - 35-56 for 45 yards and 3 TDs as Texas Tech defeated Iowa State 42-35.
2. Michael Sam - LB - Missouri - Thoroughly dominated the game against Georgia, leading the way to a 41-26 victory.
1. Marcos Mariota - QB - Oregon - See above.
Goat of the Week (Player Edition)
Blake Bell - QB - Oklahoma - Had a total QBR of 4.2 as the Texas Longhorns thoroughly dominated the Sooners. Plus, I get to show another picture.
Goat of the Week (Coach Edition)
Oklahoma Coach Bob Stoops - So, you are sitting at 5-0, ranked 12th, and you play Texas that is absolutely reeling. I know that it is a rivalry game, but 36-20 doesn't even come close to showing how bad Oklahoma was beat in this game.
Predicted BCS Championship Game Match Up
Alabama v. Oregon - More contenders falling out of contention, but Alabama and Oregon still going strong. This week's FSU/Clemson winner will be ready to pounce should the Tide or Ducks lose.
Rant(s) of the Week
Targeting. I am not going to get too in detail, as everything has already basically been said, but if you can review a video to see if a guy should be ejected for targeting and find out that there was no targeting, how do you still enforce the 15 yard penalty?
Interesting Fact of the Week (Even if only to me)
Missouri has forced a turnover in 36 straight games.
Under Performance of the Week
Easy - Oklahoma. And it isn't even close. Georgia might be some people's answer, but they have 147 injuries, and they lost to an undefeated SEC team. Texas - they stink.
Last Week's Trivia Answer
The two FBS conferences with three remaining undefeated teams were, and I stress were, the Pac-12 and ACC. Stanford's loss knocks the Pac-12 out of this neighborhood now.
Trivia Question of the Week
The Georgia-Vanderbilt game can see 3 conference records broken; Georgia quarterback Aaron Murray can break the records for TD Passes and total offense, while Vanderbilt receiver Jordan Matthews can break the record for career receiving yards. Who currently holds those 3 records, and how many TD passes, total yards and receiving yards do Murray and Matthews need to set the record?
Match up(s) to Watch
5. Auburn v. Texas A&M - It is time to see if Auburn is actually a good team, or if they are a pretender. They do have wins against Washington State, Mississippi State and Mississippi, which are all decent teams.
4. Florida v. Missouri - Thanks to Missouri beating Georgia, Florida has a better chance to win the SEC East, if they can beat the Tigers themselves. This is the second of three consecutive tough games for the Gators (LSU, Missouri, South Carolina), that could go a long way to determining if this is a good season or a bust for the Gators. Florida must find some offense to avoid Michael Sam and the Tigers opportunistic defense.
3. UCF v. Louisville - Central Florida's lone loss was a 3 point squeaker to South Carolina. Louisville pulled out a close one against Rutgers last week, and this could be the Cardinals' toughest game yet.. UCF's star running back was recruited by some big schools, and actually signed with Miami before transferring to UCF. Let's see how Charlie Strong's team handles the Knights.
2. UCLA v. Stanford - This should have been a battle of unbeatens, until Stanford's loss last week to Utah. UCLA has Rose Bowl aspirations - or at least Pac-12 championship game. Brett Hundley is one of the hottest players in college football.
1. Florida State v. Clemson - Any questions that this is the game of the week? Winner sits in third position waiting for Alabama and/or Oregon to slip up.
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