September
19, 2005
 Our
college football week started with a glance at two teams many
have been curious to see. Thursday night’s tilt between
TCU – the humble Horned Frogs who whooped Oklahoma 17-10
in Norman two weeks ago – and Utah – the BCS darling
who lost both its greatest QB along with eight coaches –
let us see just where both of these top Mountain West teams
land at this early season juncture. A well-fought battle came
down to an overtime stanza that proved TCU’s defense
is/was the team’s most reliable dimension. That’s
how they stuffed the Sooners and how they pulled away from
Utah in OT 23-20 there in Fort Worth last week. How did TCU
“sleep” the week between the two big wins and
lose to SMU 21-10? The answer is that both Oklahoma
and Utah have been overrated (the Sooners more so),
so the anomalistic nature of TCU’s plight becomes clear.
Utah played at a rather competitive level for where we expect
they need to be to defend their conference crown, especially
seen as the Utes’ D matched TCU’s by holding the
Horned Frogs scoreless over the final 15 minutes of regulation.
But Utah’s offense is not close to what it was under
Urban Meyer and Alex Smith, though the spread option they
now employ did show signs of its past dominance. Ute first-time
head coach Kyle Whittingham will undoubtedly succeed, it just
won’t be until later this year that we see Utah come
near the levels they displayed in becoming the first non-BCS
aligned team to break through.
Speaking
of the overrated Sooners, look at them now. Many of us predicted
that their offensive profile had changed enough such that
Adrian Peterson wasn’t likely to have nearly the campaign
he did his freshman year. With a QB who averages just over
100 passing yards per game and has two INTs and no TDs, we
are seeing just how human Peterson really is. The slight given
last year to Texas’ then-senior RB Cedric Benson by
the media as they clamored for then-freshman Peterson enough
so that Benson (who had nearly equal running stats to Peterson
1834 vs. 1925, but WAY more receiving yards – 179 vs.
12) wasn’t even invited to the Heisman presentation
shows partly just how over-inflated Peterson’s 2004
numbers were due to ex-Heisman winner Jason White (Peterson’s
’04 QB and backfield mate) distracting defenders. Moreover,
it reveals how little substance most of the media needs in
order to create and then support its own hype, riding their
claims of how Peterson is better than sliced bread “Enron
style” until such claims hit the wall before they will
admit it was all done to get people to the commercials/ads
(you know, the real reason TV/newspapers exist(s)). New Sooner
QB Rhett Bomar, though evidently the best out of the three
OU hurlers, has been exposed to show just how over-blown Oklahoma’s
prowess was anticipated to be. UCLA let OU stay in the game
until the second half, when two fourth quarter TDs put the
score out of reach. In winning 41-24, the Bruins have staked
their willingness to claim the PAC 10 crown if/when any of
the others ranked above them falters. In losing, OU
pulls back the curtain to reveal head coach Bob Stoops
desperately pulling a bunch of levers to justify his team’s
over-inflated rankings. Texas is still on the docket, and
other conference foes will make 2005’s payback a year
Oklahoma fans will want to remember later rather than Sooner…
Another
highly-anticipated matchup came this weekend as Oregon State
finished its non-conference games off with a trip to Louisville.
The Beavers knew they were facing both of last year’s
Liberty Bowl participants within these first three games,
and had dealt the powerful, well-balanced (offense of) Boise
State its own 30-27 payback loss (for beating OSU 53-34 in
2004) just last week. But the Beavers found out this week
just why the Redbirds have been ranked so highly, losing 63-27
in the Bluegrass state. When comparing numbers, one really
has to give Brian Brohm’s 18-for-22, 368 yard, five-TD
the slight nod over Texas A&M Aggie Reggie McNeal’s
15-for-24, 349 yard, five-TD effort, though McNeal did run
for 100 yard on but six tries. Brohm, still an underclassman
(soph), looked flawless as UL tied for the most point ever
scored on this top-level BCS-aligned squad. McNeal did his
damage to SMU, so you can see the disparaging comparison.
McNeal won the Walter Camp due to his added rushing numbers,
so kudos for the Aggie’s well-deserved praise. Now 16-0
when scoring over 40 points under head coach Bobby Petrino,
Louisville held its second-straight foe under 50-yards rushing
(42) and its fourth-straight to under 100-ground yards (dating
back to 2004). But the biggest story swept
under the rug this week is again Elvis…Elvis
Dumervil to be precise. The big senior DE, who set the single-game
NCAA sack record last week with six last week, added three
more to now also be the record-holder of sacks (nine) over
a two-game span. Dumervil again added two forced fumbles (for
a total of four for both weeks), making his two-game effort
one of the most commanding ever (he leads all D-I players
in both categories). Hopefully, they read this column down
in Tampa so that someone there at USF will call for a double-team
on the Miami-native. Otherwise, expect a three-game sack record
to soon be established, too.
West
Virginia beat Maryland 31-19 in College Park, proving that
the Big Eat can still be competitive as their members dwindle
and morph. Given, the Big East’s latest recruit, Louisville,
is a juggernaut; still, USF and Connecticut don’t quite
add up to Miami and Virginia Tech. With the Mountaineers racking
up 301 rushing yards, they continue to avenge four-straight
losses to the Terrapins (two of which were in 2003) and also
continue to surprise many who thought that WVU head coach
Rich Rodriguez’ would experience a lull without ex-QB
Rasheed Wallace. But Rodriguez has gone to a two-QB rotation
that seems to work, so far, as Adam Bednarik and Pat White
combined to go a modest 8-for-11. With their four toughest
games left all at home, things in Morgantown look even better
now that the Mountaineers are again the kings of this
jagged border.
Speaking
of conference “sleepers”, none seems more ready
than Alabama to actually show its stuff. If you happen to
remember the Crimson Tide’s 2004 final defensive rankings
(1st in pass defense, 2nd overall and 7th in scoring), you
know why they currently have the 4th-best total D –
team speed and discipline. But this year’s ‘Bama
squad, having replaced just two departing linemen, is better
at rushing defense so far, ranking second in the nation as
run-stuffers. With QB Brody Croyle back and
in classic form, the differences between 2004 and this year
grow as UA (like WVU) gets all of its toughest remaining foes
at home. They match up well with Florida, so expect a real
defensive edge (take the under) when the Gators (and their
2nd-ranked D) come-a-calling in two weeks.
Even
though Drew Stanton led Michigan State over new-look Notre
Dame (then 10th), undefeated MSU seems to still be ranked
lower than the one-loss Irish (AP has ND 16th and the Spartans
17th; Coaches Poll 18th and 22nd, respectively). The Irish
share a 2-1 record with Michigan, though ND’s 17-10
win in the Big House finds them still placing behind the Wolverines
in both major rankings. With an undefeated Iowa State beating
Iowa, yet still ranking lower than their in-state rivals,
one begins to wonder just what criteria is more important
than overall records and head-to-head results in voters’
minds. No, really, can you tell me, because this one really
has me doubting if there is anything sacred left when
crap like this is what speaks of fairness and justice
in this land. Oh, I forgot FEMA, sorry…which makes the
NCAA seem trivial in its ability to allow extraordinary stupidity
to govern what seems to be obvious and straight-forward.
Ohio
State again struggled with San Diego State before pulling
away 24-6 in Columbus. Two years ago, it was a 16-13 squeaker,
and the 27-12 tilt in 2001 proves that either/both the Buckeyes
aren’t as consistent as some perennial top 10 teams
and/or the Aztecs really gear up for this one. Bet on the
combination of the two, for it is (least of all) curious as
to why OSU can’t use their two amazing QBs to more easily
run away from opponents. Pure-passer Justin Zwick went 9-for-10
for 47 yards, while dual-threat Troy Smith took way more snaps
in going 14-for-26 for 149. It’s the running dimension
that Smith brings which forces foes to wait that extra second
until they know what kind of play OSU is developing, giving
the speedster that much more room to wreak havoc (14 carries
went for 87 yards and two ground scores vs. SDSU). With Ted
Ginn’s super-quick duality (as a RB/WR) lining up so
many different ways with Smith’s role(s), the creativity
Jim Tressel is capable of employing seems endless. Our suggestion
for those episodes of offensive obstruction/stagnation –
try keeping Smith on the field at all times, creating even
more confusion as foes attempt to quickly spread their resources
that much more to cover any/all possible Buckeye outcomes.
Smith, as a WR/HB, gets him (that) many more touches, and
the Buckeyes that many more TDs. OSU seems to score
a lot more when Smith is in, huh. Something has to
give if you are going to keep lining up phenom Ginn in/near
the backfield and only get him one carry. Just like running
Ginn more, having both Zwick and Smith in for about a third
of the plays would add those extra dimensions that keep defenses
flat-footed and guessing. Tressel is still light years ahead
of Bobby Bowden in managing two talents at QB so that each
can shine.
Lagniappe
Penn State
looks to be serving notice to their Big Ten brethren that
they are back after two-straight (and four out of the last
five have been) losing seasons. Oh, you mean those were patsy
non-cons and the conference buzz-saw starts now?...Nebraska
survived Pitt 7-6 with two blocked FGAs, the second as time
expired after Pitt had botched its first game-winning try
into a failed pass. “Third time’s the
charm” fails to apply not only to the Panther’s
special teams, but to Dave Wannstedt’s 0-3 start…Fresno
State proved the rankings wrong – they were 23rd (AP)
and Oregon was unranked before the Ducks prevailed 37-34 at
Autzen Stadium…North Texas’ RB
duo of Pat Cobbs and Jamario Thomas (last year’s leading
rusher for all of D-I) was held to 113 combined yards as Tulsa
won 54-2, holding the Mean Green without a TD for the first
time since Texas beat them 65-0 last year. Fortunately, Tulsa
is not a Sun Belt foe, but what does this say for North Texas’
OL?...Florida’s 16-7 home win over
Tennessee only proves what we here at NationalChamps.net previously
knew – that Urban Meyer is the X-factor that will put
an already-talent-laden Gator squad over the top in both their
conference half and the national rankings…How
can Purdue rank 12th after barely inching past Arizona (3-8,
2-10, 4-8 their past three campaigns) 31-24?...Vandy
looks dandy after dissing Ole Miss 31-23. It is the
Commodores first 3-0 start since 1984, when they went to 4-0
before finishing 5-6. Jay Cutler looks like he can deliver
the first winning season in Nashville since 1982…Give
ESPN some dap for their extensive efforts in switching viewers
over to the hottest ticket once the Oregon State-Louisville
game got out of hand. Seeing Vandy do its thing was a nice
bonus…Even though Syracuse lost to
Virginia 27-24, new coach Greg Robinson served notice that
this version of the Orange will not be nearly as streaky in
its play. In holding Marques Hagans to 16-for-26 and 145 with
three INTs, SU forced him to scramble to beat them, which
he did well to prove why he is the second best dual-threat
QB in the state (see Marcus Vick and his 12-for-16, 200 yard
performance in VT’s 45-0 win over the Ohio “Frank
Soliches”)…Texas Tech will seem
like an unstoppable force with six fairly basic foes to start.
Then we will see why defense wins championships once
they go to Austin (10-22-05)…Both LSU
and Boise State have yet to make any INTs, and while LSU,
Florida, Texas Tech and UCLA have yet to throw any, only UCLA
and Texas Tech have yet to even turn the ball over once…Virginia
Tech, Memphis, Oklahoma State, and Mississippi are the only
ones not to have allowed any passing TDs, while nine squads
have yet to allow any ground scores. VT and Nebraska are the
only schools to have allowed but one TD total so far…And
finally, on this statistical note, if LSU continues to net
48+ per punt, it will likely be they and UF facing
off in Atlanta for the conference championship come December
3rd. In a tight SEC race, special teams can be the difference…
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