College Football Week 6 recap

This was the funnest weekend college football has seen in my memory. With five teams in the top 8 dropping games, it was also the most upset filled week in the history of the AP poll. Now that the dust has settled, we are left with a slim group of unbeatens left standing, and plenty of amazing games and moments to charge into the next half of the season. I've provided my personal three takeaways from this weekend, in vaguely ranked importance.

Dak Prescott had a day for himself, with 5 TD's in a
rout of the Aggies. 

Most importantly, this will not be a season where being undefeated is a necessary qualification for playoff football. Thank God in his heaven. Perhaps one of the happier states outside of Mississippi on Saturday night was actually Oregon. After a disappointing egg laying by the Ducks (sorry) against an unranked Arizona team (again?!) Mariota and co. must have counted themselves out for yet another season. Another season where they don't run the table, another season where they don't contend for a national championship, another season… oh wait. With Oregon, Alabama, Oklahoma, and Texas A&M all in the playoff conversation before this weekend, can we really cross them all off the list after losses? We can't, is the answer. Thankfully then, this year we'll have some outstanding one loss teams. I truly believe that those four top 6 teams that lost this weekend should remain in the playoff conversation as the season progresses, which is good for college football. So many strong teams dropped good games that we can eliminate exactly no one from the conversation, especially by the end of the season.

We're still talking about the Ducks, who enjoyed watching
Saturday: The Pac 12's last hope. 

Which brings me to my next important point; This weekend, while providing some fun highlight reel moments, (and some ridiculous stats, including a D1 game passing record from Washington St's Connor Halliday with 734 yards through the air… in a loss) also set up some humongous games in the upcoming weeks. Of particular note are Auburn at Miss St. (next weekend), then Auburn at Ole Miss, Notre Dame at Florida St, another matchup which will cull the ranks of the unvanquished. At this point, there won't be all too many. Baylor at Oklahoma on November 8th will decide the Big 12, and as of yesterday Baylor is in the fourth playoff spot. But again, what's so great about this weekend is that so many good teams lost that none of them are out of the conversation. These are some great match ups.

How many Division one records are set in a loss? 

and Auburn vs Texas A&M. A season ending Auburn at Alabama Iron Bowl could well be for all the marbles, depending on how this season unfolds. Here's hoping... After those first two games for Auburn, there will by necessity only be one undefeated team left of those three SEC teams, unless Auburn loses both games, in which case we have an amazing rivalry game on our hands. The perennial Miss St. Ole Miss at the end of the season would then become without a doubt the most important game in the history of the rivalry. The two teams from Mississippi have never been ranked in the top ten simultaneously, which is going to change in this week's AP poll. A non SEC game to keep on the radar will be

None of which are in the Pac 12. Oh, Pac 12. My once and future king, my favorite conference, my personal preseason pick, how you have let me down. You string me along, telling me this will be the season, a strong conference full of players who can read! I should have known then as I know now, it's simply too good to be true. I did in fact rank the Pac 12 as the strongest conference in college football before this season began, and boy do I look stupid now. In my defense, the computers agreed with me, and the SEC had lost just about every good quarterback it had (Prescott, you've taught me better by now, not to mention a little Nick Marshall laying a whupping on LSU). But the Pac 12 just isn't the conference it wants to be. Oregon can score and always has been able to, but they seem to be more effective at dropping 70 on FCS teams than winning important conference games. They talk a lot about making the next step, about contending for a national title, but they have to deal with upstart Wildcats run amok in their own conference first. Stanford is always a fundamentally coached football team with a top 5 defense, but quarterback play holds the Cardinal back, until Kevin Hogan learns to move his eyes a little for the love of God. (see below, they dropped a great game in Southbend, again.) 8th ranked UCLA lost an ugly game to the Utah Utes, and there's yet another Pac 12 team that talks a big national scene game but loses bad match ups. All these up and coming teams made me pick the Pac 12. I drank the koolaid. I figured this would be the year at least one of those three elite teams delivered on their promises. I can still remember UCLA coach Jim Mora, after good losses against great teams last year, angry as anything and going on about "there has to be a point where we start winning these big games, I don't care about looking good in a loss." Well, the Bruins haven't reached that point. Oh, and not to forget the fourth Pac 12 team we care about, the 16th Trojans coming in hot with a loss to Arizona State on a legendary Hail Mary. So not this year, for the conference. I was rooting for the West, I really, really was, but again they have disappointed their fans, which includes me. All told, top 25 Pac 12 teams went 0-4 this weekend, and that includes two top ten teams losing to unranked opponents. Not a good weekend, and because of it the conference probably won't send a team to the playoff.  

Destined to be a physical football game

(That was a great game against the Irish, by the way. In 35 degrees and pouring rain, it felt a lot like the battle of Helm's Deep, and Golson won it on 4th and 11 with under a minute remaining with a perfect touchdown pass to a wide open Ben Koyack, 17-14. Wet conditions (neither team ever really passed effectively) and great defense were the story in a physical and important football game, that has now gone a little overlooked in such a tumultuous weekend.)

So Mississippi can celebrate for a week, and ditto for Auburn fans, all of whom are sitting pretty at the top of the Sec West. But that conference will look a whole lot different in three weeks, with only one unbeaten remaining in all likelihood. The losers this week shouldn't be too bummed either. In short, the only fans who should bail on this season are fans of Brady Hoke, who's so gone it's not even funny. Michigan dropped to 2-4 with a truly atrocious showing against Rutgers, 24-26. Michigan sucks. But beyond that, there's a lot of great things happening in this sport. Here's to an awesome weekend in college football, and many more to come. Cheers.

Notre Dame's Season on the Rocks: A Fan's Take

Every year without fail, Notre Dame provides a veritable fount of college football controversy and excitement. They've mattered since the beginning of the game, and nowadays that gives the anti-Domers ammunition, as they use favorite terms like archaic and irrelevant. But love them or hate them, you're talking about them, so they're important. While we (you should know from the outset that I am a loyal fan of the Irish, through thick and, yes, thin) still don't mention the great debacle of January 2013, this is a team that, when one neatly glances over that briefest of hiccups on a very national stage, has looked stronger and stronger recently. Going into the 2013 season, everyone had high hopes. Everett Golson had struggled late, sure, but it was his defense who carried the team to a national championship berth anyways (a defense led by, that's right, Manti Te'o. It's almost hard to continue at this point, but I'll try). Regardless, he had matured, the defense looked strong, and everything was rosy, even after an egg laying of tremendous proportions against Alabama.

Then Golson cheated. I used to know all the details, but a mercifully selective memory has erased them from my mind. An academic infraction? Really? The enormous, money making machine that is college football is going to take a big hit because some 19 year old had someone else write his final paper on his favorite chapter of Harry Potter? But suspended he was, to be exact because of "poor academic judgement" on a test.

Golson was suspended for the entire 2013 season. 

This is the life of a Notre Dame fan. I do in fact recall my reactions when I heard of Golson's suspension. I raised my eyes to the heavens, quietly walked out my door, screamed briefly, and went for a walk. This was the season! The trend! The quarterback! The stars had aligned, until Golson was out, and Tommy Rees (don't ask) led the team to a respectable 9-4 record, with a final AP ranking of 20th. This was not the Notre Dame season of my dreams, nor anyone's. Meanwhile a tiny voice in the back of my mind was quietly asking me if I was happy that my team applied this sort of standard for a student-athlete, even to its most important player. I couldn't really decide.

Already at the end of that 2013 season, I recall looking forward to this upcoming one with considerable interest, ever the optimist. The SEC had been vanquished on the national stage. The rising sophomore class was the best recruiting class in the country when they were first enrolled. These men can certainly make a difference, most notably outside linebacker Jaylon Smith, Notre Dame's best defensive player already. There was and is a lot to be excited about for the upcoming Irish season.

But of course, as soon as my hopes were raised, with equal, almost pitiful suddenness they were dashed. This came with the news that wideout DaVaris Daniels and defensive captain KeiVarae Russell were to be suspended for the season, for yet another "academic violation." Thankfully, since then it appears that the suspension is temporary and a reinstatement is likely. But for now their eligibility is in some doubt, and if ultimately these two men do not play Notre Dame will not have a legitimate chance at a playoff berth-Daniels was second on the team in receiving yards last year (behind TJ Jones, now drafted by the Lions) and Russell was one of the best cornerbacks in the country.
Some met this with glee, others dismay, and others frustration. I was inclined to a healthy mix of the last two. But more than just fans of Notre Dame should be sad to hear that their season is in peril. A good Notre Dame team is good for college football. Call me a homer, but I can hopefully provide a decent argument for this. As I have clearly shown above, Notre Dame, probably more than any other large football program in the country, values its student athletes as just that. For most top 25 programs in the country, the notion of the student athlete is a myth of laughable scale. Of course there is plenty of "academic support" for football players in Southbend, and I am not saying that every member of the team takes legitimate classes and works hard in the classroom, but I am absolutely saying that Notre Dame is very committed to academic standards. This is unequivocally proven by their commitment to the suspension of key players. Certainly I can't remember many other players at any other big football schools being suspended for cheating on tests and papers. Ask yourself honestly if an SEC school would suspend its starting quarterback (for an entire season!), top receiver, and defensive captain in the course of two years for anything other than a felony. The discrepancy is astonishing.

In comparison, a recent 146 word paper written by a UNC football player reads as follows, with no editing on my part. Note the grammatical prowess on display.

On the evening of December Rosa Parks decided that she was going to sit in the  white people section on the bus in Montgomery, Alabama. During this time blacks had to give up there seats to whites when more whites got on the bus. Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat. Her and the bus driver began to talk and the conversation went like this. “Let me have those front seats” said the driver. She didn’t get up and told the driver that she was tired of giving her seat to white people. “I’m going to have you arrested,” said the driver. “You may do that,” Rosa Parks responded. Two white policemen came in and Rosa Parks asked them “why do you all push us around?” The police officer replied and said “I don’t know, but the law is the law and you’re under arrest.

The essay received an A minus, and it was the final and only grade for the class.  It was made scandalously public by a whistleblower who noted that UNC had created fake classes for its student athletes.

Most people can agree that this is wrong. Most can also say that some sort of academic standard should be imposed on student athletes, if we are to maintain the pretense of collegiate football. Notre Dame is the place that most quickly comes to mind when such arguments are made. A strong Notre Dame team means a strong year in college football. If you care to see college football preserved as it currently stands, in all its tradition and its history of the student athlete, an entirely different entity than any professional sport, you care to see Notre Dame succeed. Notre Dame's success proves, in effect, that the current college football model is effective. Without getting into the debate about payment or no payment (I'll do so at a later date) if you love college football then please, acknowledge some gratitude (however grudging) to the Fighting Irish for doing it right.
I rest my case, and Michigan sucks. 

Five College Football Games to Watch (Week 13)

Well it's not the best week I've ever seen, but this Saturday in the world of collegiate pigskin deserves your attention for several reasons. As the season comes to a close, every game is an opportunity not to earn a berth, but to lose one. What a twisted world. Anyways, that's the way it goes, so if you're favorite team is in the top 10 right now, hold your breath and cross every appendage of your body that they'll run the table at this point. It's been a great season, with some memorable games, but these next 3 weeks should be the most exciting part, as per usual. Here are 5 games to watch this weekend, in no particular order, with my (humble) predictions:

9 Texas A&M @ 18LSU: The Tigers are coming off a loss to be proud of, while the Aggies look to secure a BCS bid, perhaps. While they are more or less out of the SEC title game running, they can still finish the season well, despite a poor defense. That soft defense has plagued them all season, leading to losses in games where their studly young quarterback puts up 41 (ahem, Alabama.) Speaking of whom,  Johnny Manziel is definitely another reason to watch this one, as all of a sudden some are questioning Jameis Winston's stranglehold on New York glory. I am not one to call for Winston's head just yet, (I reserve judgement, if you were interested) but we will have to see how it plays out. Regardless, the Winston case has thrown a wrinkle into the perfect little Heisman world, and for Johnny Manziel that means hope, if he can do something incredible against LSU and then Missouri next week. Closing out the season with 2 top 10 opponents means 2 oppurtunities to prove his legitimacy. Johnny Football knows this, and you can bet he wants to secure his status as frontrunner. Now is when one wins a Heisman race. I think we'll see Manziel do just that (not win per se, but at least make a good case), and people forget, as good as LSU is, they have lost thrice this season! Zach Mettenberger let me down last week, and though his two big outside threats (Jarvis Landry and Odell Becham) had some big plays, they couldn't finish the game against the Tide. I won't fall for LSU again, and say Texas A&M 31 - LSU 17

BYU @ Notre Dame: Call me a homer, but I've watched every ND game this season, as I'm a big fan. While their season ended with a loss to Pitt a couple of weeks ago, this should prove to be a good one. These are simply two traditionally powerful football teams, and while neither has lived up to potential this year, that doesn't mean we won't see great talent on display. I'll be watching for several reasons: It's Senior Day in Southbend, usually emotional, and BYU plays well against the Irish, every time. Regardless of rankings, or lack thereof, this is a good game without fail, and I go ND 27 - BYU 21

19 Arizona St. @ 14 UCLA: The Bruins have played their best in losses this season, while the Sun Devils have won 5 straight. We should see some great Pac 12 football, especially in the wake of Stanford and Oregon losses. Now these teams have something big to play for. I give this one to a high powered Sun Devil offense, although it should be an excellent matchup against the Bruin defense that contained even the mighty Ducks for a half this season. Arizona St. 24 - UCLA 16

8 Missouri @ 24 Ole Miss: For whatever reason, almost every college football guru has the Rebels in this one. I don't see that, as even with the Rebels at home there is clearly a superior team here. The Tigers have dropped one game all season in the mighty SEC and incredibly they are this close to an SEC title game. I can't see 13 year veteran head coach Gary Pinkel letting his fine Mizzou squad drop a game of this importance. They've stepped up big in some huge games already this year, including wins over Georgia and Florida. So I go against the grain and back the favorite? I guess so. Missouri 31 Ole Miss 20 

Bryce Petty's been doing that a lot this season. 

3 Baylor @ 11 OSU: This is the one to watch this weekend. It could easily be the most fun I have this college football season. I honestly can't begin to say how excited I am for this Big 12 matchup. I have been eyeing (and writing about) this game for three weeks now, as Baylor went into the only tough stretch of the season not having faced a quality opponent up to that point. Now the Bears are on the other side of games against Oklahoma and Texas Tech, and have two nice wins on the record. So this game is it, for Bryce Petty's Heisman hopes (again, we're waiting on Jameis Winston's eligibility) and Baylor's BCS title bid. Granted, even if they win in convincing fashion, they need Alabama or the Seminoles to drop a game to make it, but if, no when the Bears win this one big they can say without a doubt they are for real. This is a team that can score. They do it, early, often, and well. They seem to enjoy it, and now we've seen they can do it against pretty good football teams. The Cowboys qualify as such, so this game is huge. The Bears are now undoubtedly a team of national prominence, and I must say it suits them. It's gonna be great, and I see Baylor 42 OSU 27. 

Seriously, watch that game if no other. If you're a fan of college football, or even just sports, or, nay, just excitement, watch this game. After Winston's semi allegations exploded, Bryce Petty's odds to win the Heisman surged correspondingly. We'll have to wait and see.

NFL Report Update: Notre Dame

Breaking News: After Notre Dame quarterback Everett Golson was suspended from the school, head coach Brian Kelly announced Tommy Rees will be the starting quarterback in 2013. Golson led Notre Dame to the BCS National Championship, where they lost to Alabama 42-14. Tommy Rees was the starting quarterback for the Fighting Irish at one point in time, with an overall record of 14-4 as a starter at Notre Dame.

BCS National Championship Preview: Notre Dame vs. Alabama

     On January 7^th, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish have the potential to dethrone the Southeastern Conference as the powerhouse of the BCS National Championship. The SEC has won the past six National Championships, two of which were won by Alabama, Notre Dame’s upcoming opponent. The only thing that stands in Notre Dame’s way from yet another national championship is Nick Saban’s sensational defense, similar to the one who took home the title in 2012. The two teams set to play are both steeped in history, but many college football fans are questioning whether or not the Fighting Irish deserve to battle Goliath for a National Championship. History has proven that the underdogs are capable of defeating the favorites, even on the world’s biggest stage (see Boise State, 2007 Fiesta Bowl), which is why the 2013 National Championship is worth watching.

           

Notre Dame Fighting Irish: The 2011 season is still fresh in the minds of Notre Dame fans across the nation, where the Fighting Irish finished the year at 8-5, lost to Florida State in the Champs Sports Bowl, and showed little promise for the upcoming season in August. After the fourth week of football, however, Notre Dame upset Michigan State on the road, and then trounced 18th ranked Michigan in South Bend. A dominant win over Miami led to the highlight of Notre Dame’s season; an overtime win over rival Stanford, thanks to an unbelievably defiant goal line stand. 8^th ranked Oklahoma could not stop the rolling Irish, who fell, at home, 30-13. After a triple overtime scare against Pitt, and two easy wins back to back, the final game on the schedule was against USC, a struggling team missing their star quarterback, Matt Barkley. Notre Dame kept the perfect season alive, and much of their surprising turnaround can be credited to their senior phenomenon, Mant Te’o. Te’o, the middle linebacker for Notre Dame, is destined to be one of the Heisman finalists in New York. This exceptional defender has proven to be an effective motivator, especially after what he was forced to endure. The death of his grandmother and girlfriend before the season began fueled the fire within him, and his stat line makes an amazing case for the Heisman Trophy over freshman sensation Johnny Manziel. Though Notre Dame’s offense is nothing extraordinary, quarterback Everett Golson is capable of scoring when the game is on the line. The difference maker for Notre Dame will be their sensational defense (ranked first in the nation in terms of points allowed), and whether or not they can shut down Alabama’s respectable offense.

Alabama Crimson Tide: Alabama’s season started off as projected--dominant wins over each and every opponent. An easy win over Michigan in their first game of the season led to a hot streak that carried them through the first nine weeks of football. Mississippi State, ranked 11^th at the time of their meeting, was unsuccessful in jumping out to an early lead, and Alabama went on to win the game with ease. The next game on the schedule was a modern day rivalry between Alabama and fellow SEC powerhouse LSU. Alabama’s 14-3 lead at halftime was not enough to hold off the Tigers of Louisiana, and before long, Alabama found themselves down, desperate to claw their way out. Quarterback AJ McCarron marched Alabama down the field, and eventually connected with running back TJ Yeldon for the game winning score. The following week, Alabama was caught in a similar situation, except this time, a 20 point deficit was too much  to overcome, as Johnny Manziel toppled the number one team, after a Texas A&M interception sealed a victory for Manziel’s squad. Back-to-back shutouts against unranked teams were not enough for Alabama to regain their number one spot in the rankings, at one point held by Kansas State, and then eventually Notre Dame. Finally, in one of the best college football games played in the 2012 season, Alabama beat Georgia for their second consecutive SEC title. In a game that came down to the last second on the clock, Alabama’s rushing attack proved too much for the Georgia defense, and the Crimson Tide held off Georgia for a final tally of 32 points to Georgia’s 28 points. Similar to Notre Dame, Alabama’s defense has proven to be stellar once again, ranking second behind, who else, but the Fighting Irish. The passing game under AJ McCarron has been less than stellar, but Sunday’s SEC showdown proved to football fans that Alabama’s running back tandem is capable of making big plays at the right moment. Both running backs, Eddie Lacy and TJ Yeldon, rushed for at least 150 yards and a score, but don’t expect the same numbers against Notre Dame’s defense.

Bottom Line: Notre Dame has been underestimated throughout the duration of the season, and they finally have the chance to prove themselves when they take on the heavily favored Crimson Tide. In yet another low scoring National Championship, Notre Dame challenges Nick Saban’s defense early on in the game, but the defending champs prove to be too much by the fourth quarter.

Alabama over Notre Dame 16-10  

College Football Ranking Reactions (Week 13)

      Just two weeks ago, many people were speculating that, by the end of the season, four of the nations top teams would remain undefeated, and serious controversy would come about. As we know, however, that is not the case, and only one team remains perfect; Notre Dame. The Fighting Irish have one game left in the regular season against the USC, and an upset lurks around the corner. Three SEC teams are eagerly hunting for the number one spot, and if Notre Dame were to lose in the final week of play, the BCS Championship Game might be between two SEC teams for the second year in a row.

Todd Gurley

1. Notre Dame: The close game between Notre Dame and Pitt caused doubt among fans on whether or not the Fighting Irish deserved to be number one. With a perfect record, though, they were voted number one, thanks to big wins over Stanford, Michigan, and Oklahoma. USC is the final game of the regular season for Notre Dame, and rivalries always add a whole other dimension to games, even if on paper, the game appears to be lopsided. Notre Dame ought to be fuming after losing the past nine out of ten games to USC in the battle for the Jeweled Shillelagh. On the other hand, USC has nothing to lose, and will be more than happy to dethrone the number one seed. Matt Barkley will challenge Notre Dame's elite defense, led by Heisman contender Manti Te'o.

2. Alabama: Out of all the teams to suffer an upset this past season, Alabama's loss to Texas A&M late in the game was the most shocking. Alabama was coming off of back to back wins over ranked football teams, and a win over (at the time) 15th ranked Texas A&M was almost a given. Unfortunately, the combination of Johnny Football's leadership and Alabama's turnover amount late in the game was what led to their downfall. Just like Notre Dame, Alabama will be facing one of their bitter rivals in the final week of play, the Auburn Tigers. Alabama's top ranked defense will likely smoother the unranked Auburn offense.

3. Georgia: Though Georgia has only played two ranked teams so far this season, one was a victory over the SEC-rival Florida. Gator nation ranked second overall when the game took place, and Georgia previously lost to 6th ranked South Carolina. In a low scoring game, Georgia managed to put up 17 points and upset the Gators. Freshman running back Todd Gurley has been absolutely extraordinary so far, and the best part is, he is only a freshman. Their one loss to South Carolina was by an extremely large margin (35-7), and apart from Florida, this team has done little to prove they are worthy of the third spot in the nation.

4. Florida: Observing the list of team's overpowered by Florida, you will notice just how many bowl contenders are named. Texas A&M, Tennessee, LSU, and South Carolina all lost to the Gators, where Georgia was the only team who succeeded in taking them down on the road. Up next: the Florida Gators will voyage to Florida State's campus, and compete in this bitter rivalry. The Seminoles have lost just one game this year, but the loss came against an unranked NC State. That said, Florida State will be looking to get back in the hunt for the BCS Championship Game, and defeating Florida would help them do so.

5. Oregon: For the first time since 2007, the number one and two ranked teams lost in the same week. Oregon, the second ranked team in the nation, fell to Stanford in one of the best Pac-12 games seen in a very long time. The loss only bumped them down three spots, so Oregon, if all goes well, is still in the hunt for the National Championship. Oregon's high flying offense ranks second in the nation (51.1 points per game) all thanks to their top notch running game. It is unclear how this offense would play against the elite offense seen from Alabama, but it is likely they will run all over the 15th ranked Oregon State Saturday.