Hey USC, We Are…Penn State, Not "Just Another Big Ten Victim"

This Jan. 1 Penn State (11-1) will be making the trip to The Rose Bowl for just the third time in school history, and for the first time since 1995. Their opponent USC (11-1) on the other hand, will be taking the short trip to Pasadena for the 33rd time in school history, and the fifth time in six years.

Of USC’s previous 32 appearances in “The Granddaddy of Them All,” they’ve won 23 of them. With The Rose Bowl being a traditional Big Ten Champ vs. Pac 10 Champ game, 16 of USC’s 23 wins have come against the Big Ten representative.

In the past three Rose Bowls that USC has played a Big Ten team, USC has won by a combined 109-49. And in the third week of this season, USC and Ohio State squared off in the Coliseum in what was supposed to be a game that decided who’d make the National Championship Game in Miami.

USC continued their trend against the Big Ten as they cruised to a 35-3 win over Ohio State, and instantly became everyone’s favorite to be playing in Miami on Jan. 8.

So why do both teams end up meeting in The Rose Bowl, rather than the National Championship? Both teams were upset in last second fashion to conference rivals. USC lost to Oregon State in Corvallis 27-21, and Penn State lost to Iowa in Iowa City 24-23. National Championship hopes for both teams were ultimately lost due to these losses.

What most people consider one of the better matchups of the bowl games, USC fans, and some of the media don’t agree. Many think that the game will be just another USC drubbing of a Big Ten team, and they deserve the National Championship instead.

Here’s an idea USC, don’t go 11-1 with your only loss to a huge underdog like you have the past three years!

The following FACTS are why this won’t be a blowout.

Joe Paterno has appeared in 34 bowl games, and has a 23-10-1 record in those games. That’s a .697 winning percentage. Pete Carroll has appeared in seven bowl games, and has a 5-2 record. That’s a .714 winning percentage. Both these coaches know how to get their teams ready to play in big games.

Both teams have above-average defenses, Penn State has only allowed 149 points this season and USC has allowed only 93.

Penn State has one of the best front four in the Nation with defensive ends Aaron Maybin and Maurice Evans, and defensive tackle Jared Odrick, between the three of them they have 19.5 sacks, and 32.5 tackles for a loss.

Behind them could be the next great linebacker at “Linebacker U,” Navorro Bowman who has 98 tackles on the year. Penn State also has two good cornerbacks in Lydell Sargeant, and Tony Davis.

Penn State’s safeties are a classic example of bend but don’t break, but they seem to break every once in a while. Anthony Scirrotto showed signs of being a star his sophomore year, but never seemed to progress from there. Mark Rubin is great against the run, but mediocre against the pass, and against USC QB Mark Sanchez, both of them could have a long day.

The media-darling USC defense is obviously the most intimidating defense in the nation. With names like Rey Maualuga, Brian Cushing, Kaluka Maiava, Clay Matthews, Fili Moala, and Taylor Mays being household names by now, and the fact that they’re all on the same team is very intimidating.

Almost as intimidating as the 5′ 6″ freshman running back Jacquizz Rodgers of Oregon State who ran for 186 yards on the mighty USC defense, and lead the Beavers to a victory over the then-No. 1 Trojans.

The same Jacquizz (not that there’s more than one in this world) had a successful game against Penn State as well with 22 rushes for 99 yards. But more impressively Penn State steam rolled Oregon State 45-14.

Yes, the same team that USC lost to. Though conveniently the common opponent brought up is Ohio State, and USCs 35-3 win over them, but Penn State only managed to beat them 13-6.

The Ohio State team USC played didn’t have the Heisman favorite at the time, Chris “Beanie” Wells playing for them, and the game was at the Coliseum. Penn State was able to beat Ohio State at the Horse Shoe, with a healthy Beanie Wells.

Obviously the same argument can be brought up about the USC–Oregon State game. It was away, in a hostile environment, etc. But what really irks me is when the media, or a USC article says how much Oregon State progressed from the Penn State game to the USC game.

Wow! What a difference 19 days makes. If that’s the case, then imagine how much better Ohio State was 42 days after playing USC, when they played Penn State.

Anyways, both teams have potent offenses as well. Penn State scored 482 points this year with one of the most talented offenses in school history lead by QB Daryll Clark.

And USC didn’t seem to miss a beat with the departure of John David Booty, scoring 450 points with 2005’s No. 1 QB recruit Mark Sanchez looking like he had the job since the day he got there.

Sanchez threw for 28 touchdowns, rushed for two more, and was intercepted 10 times. Catching everything was predominantly Damian Williams and Patrick Turner.

Williams has 707 yards receiving, and eight touchdowns with his 48 receptions. Turner has 667 yards receiving, with 10 touchdowns in his 45 receptions.

With fewer receptions but just as impressive stats, Ronald Johnson has 29 receptions for 488 yards, and six touchdowns.

Clark threw for 17 touchdowns, ran for another nine, and was intercepted four times. Clark also has three good receivers in Deon Butler, Jordan Norwood, and Derrick Williams. Butler leads the team in receiving, with 43 receptions for 713 yards, and seven touchdowns.

Norwood has 38 receptions for 605 yards and five touchdowns, while Williams has 40 receptions, 451 yards, and four touchdowns.

But they don’t call Penn State “Linebacker U” for nothing, nor do refer to USC as “Tailback U” for nothing. It’s no secret that USC has a stable of running backs; USC has three running backs that have over 600 yards in Joe McKnight, Stafon Johnson, and CJ Gable.

Between the three of them there’s 19 touchdowns, and just under 1,900 yards. All three running backs possess the skill to be starting stars anywhere, but it’s USC, and they all complement each other perfectly.

Penn State’s not too shabby at the running back position either, largely due to the wonderful job that the offensive line does for the feature back Evan Royster.

Royster a 1,200-yard rusher brings with him to Pasadena 6.5 yards per carry, and 12 touchdowns, and his backup Stephon Green isn’t bad either. Green has 521 yards so far this season, with four touchdowns on top of that, but what Green really possesses is speed.

Greens 4.2-second 40-yard dash provides speed to complement Royster’s patience, and they’ve worked well together all year. Wide receiver Derrick Williams, and QB Daryll Clark are often involved in the running game as well. Williams has rushed for 226 yards, and three touchdowns, and as stated earlier Clark for nine touchdowns and 265 yards.

On Jan. 1, none of these stats will matter. Both teams will be walking onto the field confident. But only one will leave confident, as the other will leave heart broken. A lot will be found out in the 2009 Rose Bowl.

Is the Big Ten as weak as they’re made out to be? Is USC’s defense as great as it’s made out to be? Did USC deserve a shot at the National Championship? Did Penn State? Did Penn State even deserve to play in the Rose Bowl?

These questions can only be answered by the team, and if there’s nothing else for Penn State to play for other than winning “The Granddaddy of Them All,” all they have to do is look to the sideline, and see the real granddaddy of them all, Joe Paterno.

This game will be not be a blowout. It will be a well-played game with some of the greatest coaches ever squaring off against each other. I can see a minor mistake being the turning point of the game in a low scoring affair.

With both coaches known for preparing their teams wonderfully this could be one that goes in the history books.

Penn State is not “just another Big Ten victim” for USC.

WE ARE…

 

Go to Source

Big Ten mailbag Part I

Posted by ESPN.com’s Adam Rittenberg

It’s a bit of a slow week around the blog and you guys have a ton of questions (well done, folks), so this will be the first of two Tuesday mailbags. Let’s get it going.

John from Austin, Texas, writes: Adam, First off, congrats on a great year with the blog! Its been a pleasure having someone cover the Big 10 as well as you do. My question is: What the heck is keeping Mike Locksley at Illinois? His name was mentioned for a few of the higher profile head coach jobs this season, but never seemed to get past the first interview. I can understand why he might be shy about an SEC job, but what else is keeping him from going to the next level?

Adam Rittenberg: Thanks for the kind words, John. Locksley is definitely holding out for a BCS-conference head-coaching position, ideally on the East Coast near his recruiting hub of Washington, D.C. He did talk with Clemson but didn’t have a great chance to get that job. Other than Clemson, I’m not sure how many other schools have interviewed him, though it wouldn’t surprise me if Syracuse has made contact. Locks gets paid well at Illinois and has no need to leave for a non-BCS job if he doesn’t want one. He’ll be a frontrunner for the Maryland job whenever Ralph Friedgen moves on, and he should get a close look for Syracuse. Locksley definitely has the personality and recruiting clout to succeed as a head coach on the highest level.

---

Rob from Philadelphia writes: I’ve been reading the national media since Oregon State lost and (most likely) gave USC a Pac10 championship and a Rose Bowl birth. Most people of the opinion that it’s very unfortunate that USC is resigned to destroying Penn State. Some USC players are acting like they’ve already won the game. Defense aside, what is the basis for the Trojan’s status as a national media darling this year?

Adam Rittenberg: The national media loves teams that dominate November and win bowl games, and USC does both. After watching the USC-Notre Dame game on Saturday night, I’ll admit I bought into the hype quite a bit as well. The Trojans’ defense is merciless, and it will be tough for Penn State to score points. That said, USC’s offense is nothing special, and this team falls short of previous editions with Matt Leinart and Reggie Bush. Penn State has a strong bowl record and doesn’t seem like the type of team to play itself out of a game. I’ll have a hard time picking against USC, but it won’t be a rout.

---

Ian from Hartford, Conn., writes: It’s not necessarily big ten related, but who would play in the national championship game should OU get knocked off by Missouri this weekend. Texas is still ahead of USC in the BCS, but would they take a team that didnt win their conference? If USC does get bumped out of the Rose Bowl in favor of the title game, does Oregon State take their spot or another BCS team maybe OU or Texas?

Adam Rittenberg: If Missouri wins, I’d expect Texas to get the nod and play the winner of the SEC championship game in Miami on Jan. 8. USC might get bumped to No. 2, but the Trojans really lack quality wins, while Texas has beaten Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and Missouri. Texas absolutely deserves to go over the Trojans, who needed a marquee win down the stretch and couldn’t get one because of the competition. Should USC jump into the title game, the Rose Bowl likely would take a team not from the Pac-10 (Texas would be my guess). USC, of course, also has to take care of business against UCLA.

---

Read more

A Buck Of A Day

Buckeye fans could not have asked for anything more on Saturday. Scarlet and Gray Nation first got to see the basketball Buckeyes put on a defensive show, defeating Samford 59-22, and later capped off their day by watching Oregon defeat Oregon State 65-38 in the Civil War, to keep OSU’s BCS dreams alive. It was a great day to be a Buckeye and here are some notes from each part of the day.

Basketball

When you give up 6 points in a half of basketball you know you are doing something right. The Buckeyes put forth another solid defensive effort, and once again spread the wealth across the board on the offensive side of the ball to defeat the Samford Bulldogs 59-22 in front of 13,000+ fans at Value City Arena. Evan Turner lead the Buckeyes with 16 points, 4 assists, and a career high 13 rebounds, as Dallas Lauderdale added 10 points, 8 rebounds, and 3 blocks in the victory.Heralded freshman BJ Mullens came off the bench once agai, tallying 8 points, 3 rebounds, and 2 steals in 18 minutes of play. Mullens is clearly being eased into the college game, but the Bucks are going to need him against a very tough Miami (FL) squad on Tuesday night in Coral Gables. The game against the Hurricanes is the first of a tough three game stretch that also includes Notre Dame (Dec. 6, 4 p.m., Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis) and Butler (Dec. 13, 12 p.m., Value City Arena).

Football

The Oregon State Beavers gave the Buckeyes BCS hope, as the Oregon Rushing attack was too much for Mike Riley’s squad. Jeremiah Johnson (17-219-1) and LeGarrette Blount (17-112-1) lead the ground attack, and QB Jeremiah Masoli (11/17-274-3 TD passing; 12-53-1 rushing) lead the Ducks through the air, en route to a 65-38 rout of their in-state rivals. The Oregon win puts USC atop the Pac-10 standings, and a win against UCLA next week will lock the league title up for the Trojans, sending them to Pasadena to face-off against Penn State on New Year’s Day. The Trojans advance to the Rose Bowl, also opens up the last at-large spot in the BCS for Ohio State (10-2, 7-1) or Boise State (12-0, 8-0 WAC). Boise State was ranked #9 in the nation coming into their Friday night game against Fresno State, which saw a close first half turn into a 61-10 Broncos rout. Boise State would normally recieve an automatic bid for being in the top 12 of the BCS standings, but Utah Stands ahead of the Broncos, ranked at #6 in the BCS polls. The Broncos certainly have a good case to get in, marking the first time two non-BCS teams would play in BCS games, but the Buckeyes will plead a case of their own. Ohio State is 10-2 overall, with their only losses coming to the Rose Bowl participants in USC and Penn State. The Buckeyes are co-Big Ten champions, and are 8-1 since Terrelle Pryor has become the starting quarter back. More importantly, the Buckeyes are one of the best traveling teams in the country, and with money being a big target, become a likely candidate for the last at-large spot. While both the Broncos and the Buckeyes will try to state their case for playing in either (most likely) the Sugar Bowl or Fiesta Bowl, all either team can do is wait till next Sunday, when the BCS selections will be made. Could there be any more reasons to have a playoff in College Football?

Go to Source

College Football’s Biggest Surprises of 2008 (So Far)

This year has been typical in that there have been many surprises for fans to talk about.  Let’s recap a few of the biggest be they good or bad.

 

1. Alabama

Everyone said not if, but when Nick Saban would return the Crimson Tide to national prominence and BCS bowls.  Most thought he was at least a year or two away from making that happen.   Alabama’s ascent to number one this year has to be at least one of the biggest surprises.

 

1. Michigan

Help me understand how hiring Rich Rodriguez is a good thing.  They fired Lloyd Carr why?  I don’t believe anybody saw this train wreck coming, especially the people that hired Coach Rod.

 

1. The sudden and complete downfall of Tommy Bowden

Clemson was supposed to be a contender this year.  Instead, their miserable start cost Bowden his job and Clemson their hope for reaching the next level.

 

1. Tennessee

Picked to finish in the top 20, but instead struggling not to finish at the bottom of the SEC with their worst record in decades.  Like Bowden, Fulmer joins the unemployment line with this plummet.

 

1. The Big 12

Yes, many expected Oklahoma to be good, but nobody expected so many teams to have such great seasons.  The SEC is good, but the Big 12 is GREAT.  Never before have so many teams been so close to making it to the top from this conference.

 

1. Oregon State

By beating USC, the mighty Beavers are going to the Rose Bowl ahead of USC with a win over cross-state rival Oregon.  Anybody who said they saw Oregon State beating out USC for the Rose Bowl, raise your hand.  Yeah, that’s what I thought.

 

1. Auburn

Picked by some to win the SEC West, picked by all as a top 20 team, Auburn will be sitting at home this bowl season and perhaps looking for a new coach.  Tuberville’s experiment with the spread proved to be a disaster.  Now he’s trying to simply spread the blame.

 

1. Ole Miss

There’s not a man on the Ole Miss roster that’s ever been to a bowl game.  At the beginning of the season there was reason to expect this year would be different.  Houston Nutt proved one school’s problem could be another school’s solution.  The defeat of Florida cost the Gators a number one ranking and may qualify as the year’s big upset.

 

1. Tim Tebow

How can a former Heisman winner be snubbed the following year by the Unitas Award by not even being nominated?  John Parker Wilson over Tebow?  And we expect them to be rational?

 

1. Vanderbilt

The little team that could.  Vandy hasn’t been to a bowl game since 1982 but will be there this year.  Coach Bobby Johnson proved that the school’s confidence in giving him the time he needed to restore the program was not in vain.

 

Honorable Mention: Notre Dame

Most figured Notre Dame would continue to be an underperforming team, but few figured they would suck THIS bad.  Charlie Weis deserves the Golden Foot to the Lead Butt for this season and should be shown the door.  Many doubt it will happen, however.

 

I number these top 10 all number one because it’s up to you to decide the order. Depending on the area of the country you live in and the team you pull for, I’m sure the order will change.

But as Lee Corso says so often, “Not so fast my friend.”  The season is far from over, and more surprises await.  The biggest story may still be unwritten.

Go to Source

Duck Fever Sweeps the Midwest: Oregon Controls Big Ten’s Bowl Fate

As the end of the season wraps up for the Big Ten, many of its teams will start looking ahead to bowl games. The problem is, only one team, that being Penn State, has a clear idea of where they’re going to go. The rest will have to wait until after the Civil War is over on Saturday to determine their bowl fate.

Because of Oregon State’s win over USC, the Beavers actually lead the conference standings. Why is this bad, you may ask? If Oregon State wins on Saturday against Oregon in a game nicknamed the Civil War, they will go to the Rose Bowl. This would put USC in order for the final BCS at-large bid and knock Ohio State down to the Capital One Bowl.

What this means is that every team in the Big Ten would move down a bowl spot. This would be an especially big drop for Ohio State, Iowa, and Michigan State. Ohio State would drop out of the BCS bowls, and Iowa and Michigan State would be fighting for the last New Year’s Day spot. One would subsequently be dropped to a December Bowl (most likely the Alamo Bowl).

So get out the grills, Big Ten fans, because your season isn’t over yet. From State College to Iowa City to Columbus to Minneapolis, green and yellow will be the colors of the day come Saturday.

Now, Big Ten fans, we have to look at this realistically: Do the Ducks really have a chance? Considering every major sports network has basically already given the title to Oregon State, I wouldn’t be shocked if the Beavers win. But for some reason, they seem to forget that they’re still playing the 19th-ranked team in the country, who is looking for revenge from last year.

Honestly, I think that Oregon will win. Oregon State will come in way too confident, and Oregon is hungry for revenge. Also, Oregon is one of the better Pac-10 teams. They have the same record as Oregon State and are ranked only two spots behind them at number 19 in the country.

Another huge factor in this game will be Oregon State’s loss of Jacquizz Rodgers. The freshman running back has been outstanding and has carried this team much of the way with over 1,200 yards rushing. The fact is, Oregon State is a completely different team without him, and I don’t think they will be able to pull out a win against a team as good as Oregon.

Big Ten fans will put on some new colors this coming Saturday and cheer their hearts out for a team 2,000 miles away—a team that can have a big impact on where they will spend their holiday season.

And for the first time in quite a while, fans from Iowa, Michigan State, Minnesota, Northwestern, Ohio State, Penn State, and Wisconsin will stand side by side and cheer together for the same team.

Go to Source

The great debate over Big Ten bowl scenarios

Posted by ESPN.com’s Adam Rittenberg

The Big Ten is being extremely kind to its web-footed friends this week, hoping that some extra support from the heartland will spur the Oregon Ducks to a victory Saturday at Oregon State.

Northwestern head coach Pat Fitzgerald publicly endorsed Oregon on Monday, and Ohio State linebacker James Laurinaitis did the same while accepting Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year honors Monday night on the Big Ten Network.

Should the Ducks prevail in Corvallis, Oregon State likely would fall out of the Rose Bowl mix, limiting the Pac-10 to only one BCS entry, USC. It also likely would open the door for a second Big Ten team, Ohio State, to earn a BCS at-large berth, giving the Big Ten four straight seasons with multiple BCS entries.

So don’t be surprised if Emilio Estevez shows up in Columbus to lead chants of “Quack! Quack! Quack!” this weekend.

There are obvious benefits to getting two BCS teams into bowls.

The first, of course, is revenue for the league. Penn State would avoid a Rose Bowl rematch against Oregon State, which it crushed 45-14 on Sept. 6, and get a showcase matchup against USC. Ohio State would have a chance at redemption in a BCS bowl after flopping in the last two national title games. And four Big Ten teams would play in January bowl games instead of three.

But there’s another side to the debate, one that could have long-term benefits for a league that simply can’t afford a bad postseason because of its already damaged national reputation.

Read more

Figuring Out This Bowl Mess

With Penn State’s victory over Michigan State on Saturday, the Nittany Lions secured their automatic berth into the Rose Bowl and left the Buckeyes hoping for a shot at a BCS at-large bid.  With Oklahoma’s pummelling of Texas Tech last night, the entire BCS picture was shaken up at the top, most notably with the deadlock between the three Big 12 South contenders, Oklahoma, Texas, and Texas Tech.  What does this mean for Ohio State’s BCS chances?  Not a whole lot, since there is a two team per conference maximum to play in BCS bowls, but what is concerning for the Buckeyes are the vast number of automatic bids going to lower ranked teams, meaning that the higher ranked teams are taking up at-large slots.

So, let’s get to work on painting the bowl picture for the Buckeyes.  First, remember that there are 10 possible slots for the BCS bowl games.  Six of these spots will be filled by conference champions, leaving four potential openings for the Buckeyes.  Since Utah finished the season undefeated, they have essentially clinched one of these four spots.  This leaves Ohio State, USC, the loser of the SEC Championship game, and one of the three Big 12 South teams fighting for three bowl spots.

Now, if everything goes according to plan (meaning that all of the teams in the BCS mix continue to win), then in all likelihood Ohio State will be the odd man out.  After all, it’s been a foregone conclusion that there will be two Big 12 and SEC teams in the BCS, and since Ohio State decided to embarass themselves on national TV against USC last September, there’s no chance that the Buckeyes would be picked to go to a bowl ahead of the Trojans.

Luckily for us, nothing ever goes according to plan in college football, meaning that Ohio State still has an excellent shot of going to the Fiesta or Sugar Bowls.  Any of the following should guarantee Ohio State a BCS bid, in order from most likely to happen to least likely to happen:

1.  Oregon State loses to Oregon next week.  If the Beavers fall to the Ducks next week, they will be eliminated from the BCS discussion, and USC will receive the automatic PAC-10 bid, meaning that instead of four teams fighting for three open at-large bids, each team will find a way in.

2. Florida loses to Florida State next week, then again to Alabama in the SEC Championship.  Two straight Gator losses to end the season would not only leave a terrible taste in the mouths of voters across the country, but it would also give the Gators a total of three losses on the season, whereas every other team competing for a slot would have zero, one, or two losses.  Alabama could potentially be eliminated with two consecutive losses as well, but the BCS selection committe would probably be much more willing to put in a 2-loss SEC team over a 2-loss Big 10 team.

3. USC loses two in a row.  Very unlikely to happen, considering the Trojans have games against Notre Dame and UCLA to finish the season.  If USC only loses one of its next two games, OSU still has a slim chance to receive the benefit of the doubt of the selection committe since they finished the season on such a high note and their two most productive offensive players hardly played (or didn’t play at all) against the Trojans, but it is doubtful.

4. The men behind the BCS come to their senses and issue a radical new rule change that states that if every single team in one (or two, in this case) of the six major conferences absolutely blows, then the conference champion does not deserve an automatic BCS Bid.  This will not happen, mainly because the season is almost over, but also because it just makes too much sense for college football to do it.  Chances are good that Ohio State will be left out of one of the “Big 5″ bowls, despite the fact that the general consensus is that they are better than at least three of the teams (ACC Champ, Big Least Champ, and Utah) that do get bids.

So, Buckeye fans, prepare to complain.  Because odds are, we’re going to get screwed and have to watch our team play in the Capital One Bowl on New Year’s day.  At least we can take solace in the fact that we’ll have a pretty good shot to take out an SEC team along the way.

Go to Source

My Top 25 and This Week’s Pops ‘n Drops

Another week of college football in the books with no surprises in the Top 10 as far as upsets are concerned.  But some real eye openers with regards to margins of victory, notably Oklahoma, Penn State, Utah, and Ohio State.

It was a different story in the second tier where several teams were upset and dropped from the ranks of the ranked. 

 

Pops ‘n Drops

As everyone might guess, dropping from the top was my former No. 1 Texas Tech down to No. 8 after getting whipped but good by OU, which moves up a notch to No. 4.

Unlike the major polls, I could not jump them over Texas, which beat the Sooners a few weeks ago.

Sorry, Sooner fans, you can grab all the style points you want, but no amount against other teams will make up for your 10-point deficit in Dallas.

My mea culpas also to my fellow USC fans. I’m sorry but I had to move Penn State and Utah above the idle Trojans.

Is that fair? Probably not, but PSU annihilated Oregon State the week before the Beavers upset the Trojans, and Utah came from behind to beat the Beavers the week after USC’s lone loss. And yesterday, both teams absolutely dominated their ranked opponents.

But all is not lost, Trojan fans. Both PSU and Utah have finished their schedules while USC still has two more games to play.

Although Pete Carroll may deny knowing how the BCS works, I do believe style points count. They certainly do in my poll.

So, big wins over hapless Notre Dame and UCLA will move the Trojans past PSU and the Utes, as well as any other teams above them that lose. Hint: the O-line needs to play both halves, not just the second.

Undefeated Boise State and Ball State also dropped with narrow wins over Nevada and Central Michigan respectively. No style points against unranked, unimpressive opponents while PSU, Utah, and TCU won with a lot of style.

Dropping from the ranks of the ranked (Top 25) were North Carolina, Michigan State, LSU, and Miami. All suffered huge losses. Pitt also dropped out with a one-touchdown loss to Cincy while West Virginia moved back into the Top 25 with a convincing win over Louisville.

1. Florida (2)

2. Alabama (3)

3. Texas (4)

4. Oklahoma (5)

5. Utah (8)

6. Penn State (9)

7. USC (6)

8. Texas Tech

9. Boise State (7)

10. Ohio State (10)

11. Georgia (11)

12. Oklahoma State (12)

13. Missouri (15)

14. TCU (16)

15. Ball State (13)

16. Cincinnati (17)

17. Oregon State (19)

18. Oregon (25)

19. Georgia Tech (UR)

19. Boston College (24)

21. BYU (14)

22. Florida State (UR)

23. Northwestern (UR)

24. West Virginia (UR)

25. Ole Miss (UR)

Go to Source

Ten Top 10s After Week 13 in College Football

Top 10 Teams

1) Alabama—I’ll be as shocked as anyone if they occupy this spot on Dec. 7.

2) Utah—Undefeated and the run away winner of the Holy War

3) Boise—Survived a scare but got it done.

4) Ball State—Will WMU be their undoing?

5) Oklahoma—Just a tough call.

6) Texas—Beat No. 5.

7) Florida—I’m sure their fans won’t like this too much but what am I supposed to do?

Penn State—Looks like they are the odd man out.

9) USC—I like the Defense, if they lose it will be the Offense’s fault.

10) Oregon State—These guys haven’t lost in a long time.

 

Top 10 Games This Past Week

1) Buffalo 40, Bowling Green 34 —Just when you thought it was over…

2) Oregon State 19, Arizona 17—The Beavers never led until the final gun sounded.

3) Ball State 31, Central Michigan 24—Everything we thought it would be and more.

4) Purdue 62,, Indiana 10—That’s the way to send out your retiring coach.

5) Syracuse 24, Notre Dame 23—What can you even say?

6) Boise 41, Nevada 34—Not really as close as the score.

7) Northern Illinois 42, Kent State 14—Not a great game but we had a hoot in the chat room.

Boston College 24, Wake Forest 21—BC showed guts even with their QB going down.

9) Cincinnati 28, Pittsburgh 21—Congrats to Brian Kelly and the Bearcats on their Big East title.

10) Washington State 16, Washington 13—Eyes glued to the TV watching the worst College Football has to offer.

 

Top 10 People I Am Thankful For This Year

1) My Wife—A true testament to patience and understanding.

2) The readers,  people, and the community of The College Football Place—350,000 unique visitors a month and growing every day, I am truly humbled.

3) Jordan—I hope everyone gets a chance in their life to work with someone who truly gets it.

4) Baby Tate—Not only the most knowledgeable and most informed person at Bleacher Report, also just a class act.

5) Yaro Starak—While he reminds me it was my dream, he helped me realize it.

6) Zander Freund—Unyielding supporter and defender of free speech and freedom of the press; I respect the heck out of that.

7) Joe Paterno and Bobby Bowden—College football is better with these guys in it.

Gideon Shalwick—Gave me the confidence to add video to my blog; this is how most people recognize me.

9) The gang I grew up with—We knew at a very young age that football was a special game.

10) The people of Chicago—The best city to live in in the world!

 

Ten People Who Had A Bad Week

1) Charlie Weis—Not going to be fun in South Bend.

2) Ty Willingham—Not the way you want to go out.

3) Mike Leach—His team had NO answers.

4) Anyone still long the stock market—We touched 7500 on the Dow this week.

5) People who picked against me—I went 13-5 against the spread and 7-2 against the spread on my big picks.

6) Ron Zook—Great recruiter, bad coach.

7) The Miami Hurricanes—Back and on their way back mean two totally different things.

Tim Brewster—Not going to be the Coach of the Year

9) Mark Cuban—I don’t get it, this guy is worth how much?

10) Butch Davis—See “Ron Zook” (No. 6).

 

Top 10 Heisman Candidates

1) Tim Tebow—Why not?

2) Sam Bradford—The Texas Tech game was like an infomercial about him.

3) Rey Maualuga—I have no problem with it going to a defensive guy.

4) Colt McCoy—The accuracy this year has been unreal.

5) Knowshon Moreno—The best Running Back in the country.

6) Graham Harrell—Will get plenty of votes.

7) Michael Crabtree—Will be splitting votes with Harrell.

Beanie Wells—May be the best player.

9) Trevor Vittatoe—An inside joke, but really he’s no joke; give him another year.

10) Nate Davis—He’s had a heck of a year.

 

Top 10 Thanksgiving Foods

1) Turkey—It’s all about the bird; the star of the show.

2) Stuffing—Some call it dressing, I call it my second favorite.

3) Mashed Potatoes—Hello!

4) Corn—Anyone getting hungry?

5) Sweet Potatoes—Extra starch?, count me in.

6) Rolls—Hot, crusty, beautiful rolls.

7) Green Beans—Are these just for show?

Gravy—This should be it’s own food group.

9) Cranberries—Not everyone is a fan, I am.

10) Pumpkin Pie—Last but certainly not least.

 

Ten Favorite Games With Nicknames

1) The Backyard Brawl—Just a great name for a game.

2) Holy War—Sounds like a battle.

3) Clean, Old-Fashioned Hate—So what exactly do they mean?

4) The Worlds Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party—The name was better than the game this year.

5) Civil War—War seems to be a good word for a named game.

6) The Game—Sounds like they mean business.

7) Bedlam—Always has been one of my favorites.

The Iron Bowl—Men of steel?

9) The Arch Rivalry—Played in St. Luis of course.

10) The Game—The Big Game was already taken.

 

Top 10 Trophies for Games

1) The Old Oaken Bucket—I just like saying it.

2) The Little Brown Jug—Another classic.

3) Paul Bunyan’s Axe—Looks very cool when they carry it around.

4) Chief Caddo Trophy—Just lovely at over 7 feet tall.

5) The Wagon Wheel—Anyone ever see When Harry Met Sally?

6) The Old Brass Spittoon—These guys kill each other for it, my wife wouldn’t let me bring it in the house.

7) The Iron Skillet—I saw one of these going for 35 cents at a garage sale recently.

The Beehive Boot—Who wouldn’t want to play for the Boot?

9) The Keg of Nails—Looks just like it sounds.

10) The Peace Pipe—This can get you arrested in 23 states.

 

Top 10 USA Today Preseason Teams From This Year

1) Georgia—The Dawgs were more bark than bite.

2) USC—May finish near this same spot.

3) Ohio State—Stumbled in the big games.

4) Oklahoma—Pretty close.

5) Florida—I wonder if the Gator fans gave these guys as hard a time as they give me.

6) LSU—Maybe No. 6 in the SEC?

7) Missouri—Never got over the hump.

West Virginia—Tough start and they were doomed.

9) Clemson—What exactly were they thinking?

10) Texas—The Longhorns were underrated for a change.

 

Ten Games I’m Looking Forward To This Week

1) Oklahoma State at Oklahoma—The Big 12 and another big game.

2) Florida at Florida State—Real Gator fans know this is no gimme.

3) Georgia Tech at Georgia—Should be a good game.

4) West Virginia at Pittsburgh—Panthers won as 29 point digs last year.

5) Oregon at Oregon State—These teams do not like each other.

6) Auburn at Alabama—Looks horrible on paper but you never know.

7) Notre Dame at USC—Anyone else looking forward to watching this?

Houston at Rice—Should be an offensive show.

9) Western Michigan at Ball State—Does Ball State stay perfect?

10) South Carolina at Clemson—The battle for the Palmetto State.

 

Visit Mitch anytime at The College Football Place.

Go to Source

Top 25 Roundup: Boomer Sooner!

Can anyone honestly say they expected the outcomes of yesterday’s games? I doubt it. There were those who thought that Cinderella had started to call Lubbock home. But don’t get those tickets to Miami just yet, fans.

Check out who made the noise over this past college football weekend.

#5 Oklahoma 65, #2 Texas Tech 21

That score is not a typo, people. The Oklahoma Sooners not only dominated the Ultimate Underdogs of the Big XII…they straight up sank their undefeated ship. Now the Sooners have no other choice but to take the #3 spot away from Texas. Why is that you ask? Let’s do the rundown of the three meetings between these three teams this season:

Texas beat Oklahoma by 10 in the Red River Rivalry. Texas Tech beat Texas by six on a last second touchdown pass from Graham Harrell to Michael Crabtree. This past weekend, Oklahoma killed the Red Raiders by 44. Need I say more? In the words of WWE’s Good Ol’ JR: Boomer Sooner! Oklahoma in my book did enough to earn the #3 spot, but unfortunately, they didn’t do enough to get #2 because…

#3 Florida 70, The Citadel 19

If Tim Tebow is heading to the NFL after this season, expect people to talk about his performance in his final five games. But yesterday, the Superman of Florida put on a clinic against a team that is used to being the punching bag of the Gators. The Gators scored on their first seven possessions and racked up 512 yards…in the first half alone!

Here’s another dangerous stat for Florida State and Alabama to realize: Florida is the first and only team to score 42 points in six consecutive games. Now who did they play before that streak started? You guessed it. Ole Miss. So if this was the last time that the Gator Nation saw him at Da Swamp, he sent everyone home with visions of National Championships dancing in their heads. And with the Sooners beating Texas Tech, they will jump Texas and take #2 outright.

#21 Oregon State 19, Arizona 17

The Beavers are smelling roses? That’s right. With a win against Oregon this coming weekend, the Oregon State Beavers will have done what many have tried but been unable to do: Take the Pac-10 Championship away from Los Angeles, California. On a night where anything could have happened, the Beavers shocked the world once again with a victory over a pretty good football team in Arizona.

With the victory over the Wildcats, the Beavers are primed to win the Pac-10 Championship even if they finish in a tie with the USC Trojans. Even better news? The win over the Ducks will put them in the Rose Bowl against a team that dominated the big Ten all season long…

#8 Penn State 49, #17 Michigan State 18

He may not be talking, but he is smiling right now. After a season that saw the Nittany Lions’ chances of a berth in the BCS Championship go up in smoke after a trip to Iowa, the Lions continued to do what they do best: Winning. After destroying the Spartans in a game that wasn’t even close, the Lions are now heading to Pasadena to play in the Rose Bowl. Whether it’s against USC or Oregon State remains to be seen, but for Penn State, it doesn’t matter.

As far as smiling goes, Joe Paterno is doing nothing else but smiling. The talks of retirement far from his mind, he is now focused on The Rose Bowl and getting the respect back into the Big Ten that was lost on Ohio State and Michigan.

Florida State 37, #22 Maryland 3

This is a touching story, and coming from a Florida Gators Fan, that means a lot. But despite the Seminoles crushing blow on the Terrapins last night, it was about one player in particular.

I would like to send my congratulations to Myron Rolle of Florida State who interviewed for the Rhodes Scholarship on Friday in Birmingham, Alabama. The young Seminole won the Scholarship and then went out and did his part to ensure that Florida State not only is motivated going into their home showdown for the Governor’s Cup against Florida this coming weekend, but also looking at a chance to play in the ACC Championship. But they need Maryland (yes, the very same team they just crushed) to beat Boston College next week.

So where will Florida State’s concentration be come next Saturday?

#10 Ohio State 50, Michigan 14

Just to make all the Buckeyes fans feel better, and to make the Wolverines fans cry even more, the Ohio State Buckeyes delivered a couple of gifts to Big Blue over the weekend:

The first was the Wolverines most embarrassing loss in this rivalry since 1968. The second gift was handing the Wolverines the most losses in their program’s history. Head coach Rich Rodriguez gave Michigan a few gifts of their own: The first time in 34 years that we will not see Michigan in a bowl game and they have their first losing season in 41 years.

Now that it’s over, I have a question for the Michigan Fans. You had high hopes after Lloyd Carr left the program. Rich Rodriguez sorely disappointed you this season. Now the Wolverines will be scratching their asses at home instead of playing against someone in a bowl game. First losing season in 41 years and no bowl game for first time in 34 years. Actually two questions: How do you like ‘dem apples and can Rich right the ship next season?

So how’s the Top Five Look Now?

#5) Texas Tech

#4) Texas

#3) Oklahoma

#2) Florida

#1) Alabama

Go to Source

Next Page »