College Football Weekly Rant - Week 10

COLLEGE FOOTBALL WEEKLY RANT

RANKINGS!!!

The 1^st College Football Playoff Rankings were unveiled this week, so let’s just dive right in and discuss.  First impressions were good.  I think they did a lot right.  I was glad to see that they did not reward teams like Miami and Wisconsin just simply because they are undefeated.  Neither team has any decent wins and the committee punished them for it.  The difference between the two going forward is that Miami will have multiple chance to get that Resume Win, while Wisconsin could have to wait until the Big Ten Championship Game for their 1^st game vs a ranked opponent.

A big question I have moving forward with the committee is how the look at strength of opponent.  For instance, Alabama beat Florida State in Week #1 when the expectations for FSU were sky-high and they were ranked in the Top 5 in the AP & Coaches (I know, not the CFB).  Now Florida State is 2-5 and might not go to a bowl.  Does Alabama get rewarded for beating a team with lots of preseason hype, or will the committee judge FSU (and that win for Alabama) based on their overall record after the season?

A few things did jump out at me when going over the rankings for the first time.  They committee is setting up some very interesting/controversial storylines and possibilities.

*Ohio State is #6.  That puts the top Big Ten team behind three other conference leaders and three other teams with identical records.  With the SEC holding two spots ahead of Ohio State, with Georgia & Alabama both undefeated, it is possible that the loser of the SEC Championship remains ahead of Ohio State?  Could the committee keep out a 1-loss Big Ten Champ Ohio State team?

*Notre Dame is too high for me.  I had them 4^th in my rankings behind Clemson.  I immediately realized that the committee valued USC much more than I did and rewarded Notre Dame for that win (which I am fine with).  My question that I asked before though rings true about Notre Dame.  If USC falls off and NC State (their other Top 25 win) loses another game or two, will the committee have the stones to move Notre Dame down in the rankings, even if they keep winning?  NC State plays Clemson this week, a loss there and Notre Dame likely loses a Top 25 win.  Likewise, USC plays a red-hot Arizona team.  If Arizona and Clemson win, then Notre Dame has ZERO Top 25 wins, do they drop then?

*There will be A LOT of “elimination games” in the final month of the season, beginning this week.  That makes me happy.

WHAT I LEARNED IN WEEK NINE

*There Is A Lot More Wrong With Florida State Than Just An Injured QB.  Everyone knew that DeAndre Francois tearing his knee in the opener against Alabama would be a setback for the Seminoles.  The team that had huge expectations going into the season was now relying on a freshman QB to take them to the promised land.  However, the weeks since that Alabama loss have shown that Francois or not, this FSU team was not a team capable of winning a National Championship.  They still have huge issues on the offensive line, which held them back last season.  Despite having two good young backs in Cam Akers and Jacques Patrick, they are close to what they lost in 1^st round draft pick Dalvin Cook.  And maybe most importantly, a defense, the reason many thought they could compete for a National Championship, has been BLAH.  They ranked 50^th in the nation in Scoring D (24.3ppg) and 56^th in Rush D (158.1ypg). Not good.  Florida State has the longest active streak of bowl appearances (35), that streak may end this year.

*Florida Gators Have Had Enough Of Jim McElwain.  Jim McElwain has been fired from the University of Florida despite going 22-12 in 2+ seasons and starting his SEC career 16-3 in the conference.  He also won the SEC East in his only 2 years at the school.  He is also a guy that the school just gave a contract extension to in June, extending him 1-year, through the 2023 season.  But losing to Alabama 2 years in a row in the SEC Championship and losing 2 straight years (without scoring an offensive touchdown) to hated rival Florida State had a lot of fans and boosters uneasy.  SI.com’s Andy Staples, a UF grad and college football expert, wrote a great piece of how much more went into this move than wins and losses.

WHAT I’M LOOKING FORWARD TO IN WEEK TEN

*Bedlam In Stillwater.  Oklahoma vs Oklahoma State.  Both team enter the game at 7-1.  OU is #5 in this year’s initial CFB Playoff Rankings, Ok State is #11.  This is basically a CFB Playoff elimination game.  The rivalry game that the Big XII was hoping would be played in the conference championship game to determine the CFB Playoff representative is now being played out a month earlier, in the regular season.

*An Old-School Big East Rivalry Game.  Virginia Tech vs Miami.  1-loss Virginia Tech is 13^th in this week’s rankings, Miami #10 despite being undefeated.  This is another elimination game between two rivals.  For years this game determined the Big East Champion, now it puts the winner in the driver’s seat in the ACC Coastal race.

*Conference Race Pictures Clearing Up.  Although not nearly as big in the National Picture as the two previous games mentioned, there are quite a few other games that will impact their conferences moving forward.  In the Big Ten Penn State @ Michigan State will give one of these two teams their second conference loss and end any hope they had at catching Ohio State in the East race. Michigan State has yet to play tOSU, so they technically still control their own destiny in the East, despite losing to Northwestern last week.  In the ACC Clemson @ NC State will give the winner the inside track at the ACC Atlantic title and a spot in the ACC Championship Game (likely against the winner of the VT/Miami game). In the Big XII Iowa State @ Morgantown will also eliminate one from contention for a conference championship game spot.  Iowa State is one of 4 teams in the conference with 1 loss.  WVU is lurking just 1 game back, waiting for other teams to stumble.  In the SEC we have LSU @ Alabama.  Believe it or not, despite currently sitting in 3^rd place and having been outscored 100-91 in conference games, LSU controls their own destiny in the SEC West.  If they win out, it will be the Tigers, not Alabama in the SEC Championship Game against (presumably) Georgia.  Out west in the PAC12 Arizona @ USC gives the winner a clear lane to win the South, while Stanford @ Washington State all but eliminates the loser from winning the North.

COACHING CAROUSEL

The first domino fell in the coaching carousel this week with Florida firing Jim McElwain (see above)

Florida Gators – The Gators will spend money for their next head coach.  Despite still paying Will Muschamp his buyout, and still owing Colorado State over $1M for the buyout of Jim McElwain and now paying over $4M of a buyout to McElwain, the Gators still have that SEC money.  Expect them to go after a successful head coach from a Power 5 program.  Their last two hires have been an assistant coach and a Group of 5 coach, they won’t go either of those routes again… Unless it is for Scott Frost.  Frost is the current head coach at UCF, who is undefeated and killing it in Orlando.  I believe that although Frost is on their list, but he is not at the top.  The three names that I think they at least kick the tires on before going to Frost are Dan Mullen at Mississippi State, Willie Taggart at Oregon and Chip Kelly, formerly at Oregon and the Philadelphia Eagles.  One thing that is for sure, is that by the Gators going after a current head coach, this will get the ball rolling for plenty of other coaching moves.  Credit the Gators for making this move when they did too.  There are going to be other SEC schools looking for head coaches at the end of the month and the Gators just got a head start on all of them.

GAMBLING EYE

Penn State (-9) @ Michigan State – Both teams coming off their 1^st Big Ten loss, Penn State seems better suited to bounce back and stay on the tails of Ohio State.  I could see the Nittany Lions taking out some of their anger on Sparty and Co. in East Lansing on Saturday.

Florida (+3.5/+145 ML) @ Missouri – Obviously Florida is a mess right now, as they go through a coaching change, but Missouri has been a dumpster fire all season.  I expect Florida to play one of their better games of the season on Saturday and that would be more than enough to beat a bad Tiger team.

Wisconsin (-14) @ Indiana -  Wisconsin is by far the best team in the Big Ten West.  Indiana is winless in the Big Ten East.  I know they East is better than the West, but I have got to believe that Wisconsin is more than two touchdowns better than the worst team in the other division.

Syracuse (+5/+175 ML) @ Florida State -   To me Florida State has quit on the season.  At 2-5, the Noles no longer want to be out on the field.  Their goal every year is championships, and that is no longer a possibility for FSU.  Syracuse has been very good as their offense keeps improving.  The Cuse have a chance to get wins over Clemson and Florida State in the same season.

Iowa State @ West Virginia (OVER 60) – Vegas likes WVU in this game which has me shying away from the spread in this game, but in my mind, if WVU is going to win, it will be in a shootout.  Both teams have scored 30+ in 6 of their 8 games played and WVU has scored at least 30 in all 5 of their wins.  60 seems very low to me in a matchup of these offenses.

Virginia Tech (-3) @ Miami – This will sound odd when talking about an undefeated football team, but Miami is not very good.  They have struggled in every game and have continuously let teams hang around.  Virginia Tech is a team that if you let hang around, they will make you pay.  The Hokies will be, BY FAR, the best team Miami has faced this season.  I don’t think this game is close on Saturday night.

Arizona (+7/+240 ML) @ USC – I’m riding the Khalil Tate train until he loses.  This kid has played 4 games this season and still leads the Wildcats in rushing by over 400 yards.  Nobody has stopped him yet and I don’t think USC gets it done either.  Tate is a Southern California kid, so this will be a special homecoming for him.  Expect him to put on a show!

PLAYOFF PICKS

I have now started to release my Top 20 in the Rant Rankings the day prior to the CFB Playoff selection releasing their updated rankings.  Be sure to check that out.

That is all this week.  Make sure the refrigerator is stocked, the spare remote-control batteries are nearby and enjoy the games!

Rant Rankings 10-30-17

With the first College Football Playoff Rankings being announced Tuesday, I wanted to release my Rant Rankings beforehand.

These rankings are 100% based on what I have seen watching college football to this point of the season.  These are not projections for what I think the committee rankings will be or should be.

1. Georgia Bulldogs (8-0) Georgia has answered the bell every Saturday they have played, and they have done it in dominating fashion.  The Bulldogs closest game was their opener, which was a 21-point win vs Appalachian State.  Georgia held a 31-0 lead in that game with 6 minutes remaining.  Georgia edges out Alabama for the #1 spot due to their quality win, on the road over #3 Notre Dame.

2. Alabama Crimson Tide (8-0) Bama has the undefeated record like Georgia, but has played a bunch of nobodies.  That Week 1 win over then #3 Florida State was supposed to be a statement non-conference win for Bama, but Florida State now sits at 2-5 and might not even get bowl eligible this season.  Alabama has only 3 wins over teams with winning records, and two of the three were Group of 5 teams in non-conference games.

3. Ohio State Buckeyes (7-1) When the Buckeyes are playing well, they are dangerous.  The downfall is that they aren’t very consistent.  We saw this Saturday.  They mucked it up and played bad football into the 3^rd quarter against #8 Penn State before finally putting their foot down and dominating the final 20 minutes or so of the game.

4. Notre Dame Fighting Irish (7-1) The Irish have the best loss in college football, a 1-point loss to #1 Georgia.  They have also dominated every other opponent they have faced.  Unfortunately for them, the once vaunted 2^nd half of the schedule suddenly doesn’t look so tough.  The good news is that they should run the table.  The bad news is that the Irish could end the season without a win over a Top 20 team.  They also will not have a conference championship to sell to the selection committee, which we know they like.

5. Clemson Tigers (7-1) Clemson’s only loss the season came when their starting QB got hurt in the 1^st half the game.  When full healthy we have seen the Tigers beat #18 Auburn, #9 Virginia Tech & the reigning Heisman Trophy winner Lamar Jackson and his Louisville Cardinals.  And they beat all of them with relative ease.  No other team in the country has those types of wins.  They get another chance this week when they go to Raleigh to face #19 NC State in a battle for 1^st place in the ACC Atlantic.

6. Oklahoma Sooners (7-1) Suddenly that loss to #10 Iowa State doesn’t look so bad, does it?  And that win at #3 Ohio State looks even better.  The Sooners have another stiff test this Saturday when they go to Stillwater for a rivalry game against #7 Oklahoma State.

7. Oklahoma State Cowboys (7-1) The Cowboys have not been the Cowboys most have expected this season.  While they have just flat-out outscored some opponents, they have also needed their defense to win other games.  With no wins over Top 20 teams currently, the Cowboys face two in their next 2 games.  This week vs #6 Oklahoma, then next week at #10 Iowa State.  These two games will make or break Oklahoma State’s season and playoff hopes.

8. Penn State Nittany Lions (7-1) The Nittany Lions finally played a tough opponent on Saturday and took their 1^st loss in the process.  While it was only a 1-point loss on the road, it was also the only time the season that Penn State will face a ranked team.  It is tough to build a resume when you have nothing impressive to put on it.  I really do think Penn State is a good football team, but I just haven’t seen them prove it on the field.  Based on the rest of their schedule, we probably won’t get that opportunity until Bowl Season.

9. Virginia Tech Hokies (7-1) The Hokies get this Top 10 spot based on potential.  They do have a non-conference win at a neutral site over West Virginia, but other than that, there isn’t much.  That is life in the ACC Coastal for you.  Their 13-point win over Boston College, although perplexing at the time,  is looking much better as each week goes by.  The Hokies lone loss was to #5 Clemson, a team they may get a rematch with in the ACC Championship game if they can get by #12 Miami this week and finish the rest of the season with just that 1 loss.

10. Iowa State Cyclones (6-2) A 2-loss Cyclone team over some undefeated teams you might ask… YES!  The Cyclones have given both #6 Oklahoma and #11 TCU their only losses of the season, with the OU win coming in Norman.  I forgive close losses, when you can counter them with big wins.  After upset win last week vs TCU, it doesn’t get any easier as they go on the road vs WVU this week, before taking on #7 Oklahoma State in 2 weeks.

11. TCU Horned Frogs (7-1) Taking their 1^st loss of the season on Saturday to #10 Iowa State brought the Horned Frogs back to the pack in the Big XII, but their road win in Stillwater over #7 Oklahoma State is what put them on the map this season.  Still in good position to make the Big XII Championship game, the Horned Frogs need to take care of business the next two weeks vs Texas and #6 Oklahoma to secure a spot in Arlington.

12. Miami Hurricanes (7-0) All they do is win, but that isn’t always enough.  The Hurricanes offense has struggled all season, allowing inferior opponents to stay in games.  Only 2 of the 7 wins have come against teams with winning records (Toledo 7-1 & Georgia Tech 4-3).

13. Wisconsin Badgers (8-0) Remember the Iowa Hawkeyes team from 2015 that drove everyone crazy being ranked so high because they were an undefeated Big Ten team? Welcome to the 2017 Wisconsin Badgers.  It’s not that Wisconsin is a terrible team, it’s just that they haven’t played a good team yet this season.  The Badgers are 5-0 in the Big Ten, those 5 opponents have a combined record of 18-22 on the year.  There is a good chance Wisconsin will not play a ranked team until the Big Ten Championship Game.

14. Washington (7-1) It tells you something about the Pac12 when their top ranked team is #14.  The Huskies seem to be the best of the bunch out west, but that isn’t anything worth bragging about this season.  With no wins to write home about to this point in the season, the Huskies will get a chance to prove themselves against better opponents the final month of the season.  It starts with Oregon this week followed by #17 Stanford, Utah and rival Washington State to end the season.

15. UCF Knights (7-0) Hello Group of 5!!!  Central Florida is the class of the Group of 5 this season with a dynamic offense that leads the nation in scoring.  Their undefeated record includes a win over a Power 5 opponent in Maryland.  As long as they don’t trip up in the final month, the Knights should find themselves in a New Year’s 6 Bowl Game.

16. LSU Tigers (6-2) Don’t look now, but LSU controls their own destiny in the SEC West.  Winners of three straight, if they get their 4^th straight it will come against #2 Alabama in Tuscaloosa on Saturday.

17. Stanford Cardinal (6-2) After opening the season dropping two of their first three games, the Cardinal have run off five straight and have resume wins available in their upcoming games.  Stanford still has Washington State, #14 Washington and #4 Notre Dame remaining of the schedule.

18. Auburn Tigers (6-2) Likely out of the SEC West race after losing to LSU two weeks ago, the Tigers still have a chance to make an impact on the overall rankings, as they are the only team in the country that still had to play #1 Georgia and #2 Alabama.

19. NC State Wolfpack (6-2) Two non-conference losses have probably taken the Wolfpack out of the playoff conversation, but they remain undefeated in the ACC going into their game with #5 Clemson on Saturday.  A win over the defending national champs and a trip to the ACC Championship Game is likely, as is a New Year’s 6 Bowl Game.

20. Arizona Wildcats (6-2) It is as simple as Khalil Tate.  Tate took over QB duties 4 games ago.  Since that point the Wildcats are 4-0 and have scored 45. 47. 45 & 58 points in those games. The Wildcats go to LA this week to play USC for the top spot in the PAC12 South.

College Football Weekly Rant - Week 9

COLLEGE FOOTBALL WEEKLY RANT

They are who we thought they were!

There were two big, primetime games last week and both ended up as duds.  In both cases one team clearly outshined their opponents in every phase of the game.  Penn State and Notre Dame both earned the title of “Contender” after their home romps over rival opponents.  Both teams had looked impressive to this point and won a bunch of games, but Saturday was the first time either of them did it against an opponent with a pulse.

Or did they?  Have a pulse I mean.

This is not to take anything away from Penn State and Notre Dame, as I said, they earned the recognition that they have gotten from their performances on Saturday.  Both have themselves sitting in a nice spot to claim a CFB Playoff spot if they keep winning.  Both also have very challenging games waiting for them again this weekend.

But back to Michigan and USC, the big losers this weekend.  These teams are not good football teams right now.  Michigan has been overrated since debuting at #11 in the AP and #9 in the Coaches preseason polls, despite losing more players to the NFL Draft than any other team in the country and returning the fewest starters in the country.  USC had all the hype after last season and the return of Heisman favorite and #1 overall NFL Draft pick, Sam Darnold.  But they showed their flaws starting in Week 1, when Western Michigan, racked up 263 yards on the ground and was in a 28-28 tie in the Coliseum midway through the 4^th quarter. 

Michigan with their uber-annoying, former NFL quarterback head coach Jim Harbaugh has one of the worst offenses in the country.  The Wolverines rank 98^th (out of 130) in the country in total offense (361 ypg). To put that into perspective to my loyal and local readers who know and follow Pitt, the Panthers rank 94^th.  They rank T-90^th in scoring, just 25.1 ppg and haven’t scored 30+ since Week 2.  Penn State held Michigan to just 269 yards and 13 points on Saturday.  With the loss, the Wolverines now fall into a tie with Rutgers in the Big Ten East standings.  I’m sure that is exactly where all the Big Blue Faithful thought Harbaugh would have them in Year 3 as head coach.  BTW, that big Rutgers vs Michigan game for 4^th place in the Big Ten East is this Saturday at The Big House.

USC has been bad in the trenches all season and now they are decimated with injuries.  As mentioned USC allowed 263 on the ground to a MAC team in Week 1, so even when healthy they weren’t great in the trenches.  They also allowed 3 sacks in that game to Western Michigan.  In their loss to Notre Dame, Darnold was sacked 5 times before the Trojans put up the white-flag late in the 3^rd quarter and he exited the game for good.  The Irish also ran for 377 yards against the Boys of Troy.  Things won’t be getting better for USC this year either, as the PAC12 schedule makers didn’t give the Trojans a BYE week until Week 13, when their regular season will have already concluded. 

Again, I don’t mean to take anything away from Penn State or Notre Dame, but pointing out the flaws of their opponents.  They did just what they are supposed to do when they face bad teams, they dominated.  Both Notre Dame and Penn State are good football teams.  We will be talking about them much more this season if they continue to play the way they have through the first eight weeks.

WHAT ELSE I LEARNED IN WEEK EIGHT

*I Now Believe in TCU. It is probably odd to finally buy-in on a team that is undefeated and ranked 4^th in the country after they played Kansas, but that is what I’m doing.  TCU held Kansas to -6 yards in the game’s first three quarters.  That is tough to do to any team, no matter what level.  TCU did it to a Power 5 (I cringe using that term in regard to Kansas) team and conference foe.  Kansas had one 1^st down in the opening drive of the game.  They didn’t have another until the :57 mark of the 3^rd quarter, and that came via penalty.  The Jayhawks longest drive of the game was 17 yards.  That came in their final possession, while facing TCU’s 3^rd string defense. 

*The B1G West is Awful.  I say it all the time, but the Big Ten in general is over rated and because of that, Big Ten teams benefit from inflated records.  The Big Ten West is especially over rated however!  Once again, we have a Big Ten West team high in the rankings, just because they are beating up on other Big Ten West teams.  Just like Iowa two seasons ago, Wisconsin is sitting undefeated and unchallenged in the #5 spot in this week’s rankings.  How did that work out for Iowa???  Just to refresh your memory, they lost in the Big Ten Championship game, then trailed 38-0 in the Rose bowl to Stanford before the Cardinal called off the dogs in a 45-16 romp.  Last year Wisconsin lost 3 games, all to Big Ten East teams.  Can’t we just make a mandate that if you haven’t beaten a ranked team by the 1^st Saturday in October, you can’t be ranked in the Top 10???  FUN FACT #1: With Michigan falling out of the Top 25, the ENTIRE Big Ten now has a grand total of ONE victory over a ranked team this season.  That win was Iowa beating Iowa State 44-41 in Week 2.  Iowa State is ranked #25 this week, and very well could be unranked this time next week after playing #4 TCU on Saturday. 

Just look at ESPN’s Stats & Info Department’s FootballPower Index and the strength of schedules this year.  There are 64 Power 5 conference teams, 65 if you add Notre Dame.  Here is the bottom of that list:

58) Iowa
59) Rutgers
60) Penn State
61) Illinois
62) Indiana
63) Wisconsin
64) Minnesota
65) Northwestern

The only P5 teams in the country with a worse strength of schedule than undefeated Wisconsin are two teams in their division. 

WHAT I’M LOOKING FORWARD TO IN WEEK NINE

*Show Me Games.  Notre Dame and Penn State have to come off of high intensity, high emotion wins against rivals to face even tougher tests this week.  THIS WEEK will be their big games, not last week.  NC State will be the toughest defense the Irish have faced since their Week 2 loss to Georgia.  The Bulldogs held ND to 55 yards on the ground, on 37 carries.  Georgia ranks 4^th national in Rush Defense.  NC State comes in just 2 spots behind the Bulldogs, ranking 6^th on the season, giving up just 91.3 yards per game.  FUN FACT #2: Notre Dame has never scored a touchdown against NC State.  The Wolfpack are 2-0 all-time vs the Irish, limiting them to just 3 field goals, while outscoring them 38-9.

Penn State travels to Columbus, to face Ohio State, the team they knocked off last year on their way to winning the Big Ten East.  Ohio State presents an interesting test for Penn State, simply because they have a functioning offense.  Penn State has not seen one of those yet this season.  Penn State leads the nation in Scoring Defense, giving up just 9.6 ppg.  They also rank 9^th in Total Defense, allowing just over 280 yards per game.  Those numbers may be a little misleading however, when you realize that they have not played a team that ranks in the Top 70 in Total Offense or in the Top 80 in Scoring Offense.

Here are the 7 opponents Penn State has faced this season, and their ranking in Total Offense and Scoring Offense (out of 130):

Akron – 117 Total Offense / 101 Scoring Offense
Pitt – 94/97
Georgia State – 89/114
Iowa – 103/81
Indiana – 95/89
Northwestern – 74/83
Michigan – 98/90

Ohio State ranks 3^rd nationally in Total Offense (577.3 ypg) and is tied for 1^st in Scoring Offense (47.3 ppg).

Another interesting nugget on these games, both NC State and Ohio State had BYE weeks last week, giving them 2 weeks to prepare.

*Afternoon Football.  Due to Game 4 of the World Series, it seems like the networks have elected to schedule their top games all in the afternoon this week, to prevent a ratings battle.  Oklahoma State @ West Virginia is a Noon kick Saturday and it features two ranked teams trying to stay alive for a Big XII Championship Game bid.  Both teams enter the game in a 4-way tie for 2^nd place in the conference at 3-1.  The 3:30 timeslot is slammed with good games.  We mentioned NC State @ Notre Dame already as well as Penn State @ Ohio State, but we also have the rivalry game formerly known as The World Largest Cocktail Party, with Georgia vs Florida in Jacksonville as well as an under the radar game between two ranked teams with TCU @ Iowa State.  Iowa State is in that 4-way tie with WVU and OK State in the Big XII.  TCU sits unbeaten and in 1^st place in the conference.  Iowa State has never won a home game against the Horned Frogs.  Michigan State @ Northwestern is another game to keep an eye on in the 3:30 timeslot.  Sparty is tied with Ohio State and Penn State at 4-0 in the Big Ten East.

*What Is Going To Happen To USC?  As we covered already, USC is a football team with a lot of issues.  That said, they are still in 1^st place in the PAC12 South at 4-1 in conference.  This week however, they have a 3-1 (PAC12 record) Arizona State team in Tempe.  Arizona State has back-to-back wins over Washington and Utah and also beat Oregon earlier this season (before the Justin Herbert injury derailed the Ducks season).  This is suddenly a very losable game for USC and considering they then have Khalil Tate and Arizona next week, the Trojans could be looking at four straight losses if they can’t right the ship and get a road win against the Sun Devils.

HOT SEAT
We started the HOT SEAT section of the Weekly Rant the last week of September, updating you throughout October.  It is now time to remove some coaches from the HOT SEAT, while adding another.

OFF THE HOT SEAT:

Rich Rodriguez (Arizona) – It only took him 10 years, but RichRod finally found his next Pat White in Khalil White and is now off the HOT SEAT and suddenly a legit contender in the PAC12 South.

Todd Graham (Arizona State) – Like his coaching rival Rodriguez, something finally clicked for Graham and the Sun Devils and after 1-2 start in the non-conference.  ASU could be sitting in 1^st place in the PAC12 South after this weekend, allowing Graham to sit in a much cooler and comfortable coaching seat.

Mark Dantonio (Michigan State) – Dantonio was barely on the HOT SEAT to begin with, but now he is completely off.  MSU had a down year last year, going just 3-9 and having some off-the-field issues within their roster which raised questions about Dantonio.  He then got drummed at home by Notre Dame in Week 3, which in hindsight wasn’t nearly as bad of a loss as originally though considering what ND has gone on to do.  Sparty hasn’t lost since.  Dantonio is going anywhere any time soon.

Mark Stoops (Kentucky) – Stoops was probably on this list prematurely.  We must remember this is Kentucky, and if Stoops can stay out of trouble and goes to bowl games, he isn’t going anywhere.  Kentucky is a basketball school in a Football conference.  Stoops is 5-2 right now and that is good enough to the Big Blue Nation who is just waiting for the 1^st tip of the hoops season.

NEW ADDITIONS:

Gus Malzahn (Auburn) – Seems odd to have the head coach of a 2-loss team on the HOT SEAT, but Auburn has been looking for a reason to fire this guy since last year.  As a matter of fact, he probably would have been fired after the LSU game last season had instant replay not overturned the final play of the game.  Instead, Les Miles was fired.  Oddly enough, it was LSU again that may do in Malzahn.  His Tigers blew a 20-point lead 2 weeks ago, losing 27-23 and giving a struggling LSU team life in the SEC East.  Auburn could easily lose their final 3 SEC games, which includes Alabama in the Iron Bowl the final week of the season.  Malzahn is 1-3 vs Nick Saban in the rivalry game, losing the last three, while being outscored 114-69.

Lovie Smith (Illinois) – When Illinois made this hire 2 years ago, it made a lot of sense.  Illinois is never going to be a football power, so why not just hire a local legend (taking the Bears to the Super Bowl gives you legend status in Illinois) to get people talking about the program and let him try to change the perception?  Well things went sideways in a hurry and now Illinois is stuck just 2 years into an 6yr/$21M deal.  The Illini are just 5-14 in their 1^st 19 games under Smith, and while that is a small sample size, there is nothing that looks like he is turning things around.  The Illini haven’t won a game since Sept 9^th, and haven’t scored more than 24 points in a game since Nov 5^th, last season!  They also lost to Rutgers two weeks ago, that alone is a fireable offense at most Power 5 programs.

Clay Helton (USC) -  This one is a longshot, but a possibility.  When Helton was hired in 2015 after taking over in an interim role, it came to most as a surprise.  Helton then started his career as 1-3 to open the 2016 season.  There were whispers at that point, just 4 games into his career, that he may not last long.  Then came a QB switch and a very favorable portion of the schedule, which led to the Trojans finding their stride and running off 9 straight to close the season.  This year however, with lofty preseason expectations the Trojans have struggled in every aspect of the game.  Their 6-2 record doesn’t tell the full story.  Helton probably makes it through the season and begins the 2018 season squarely on the HOT SEAT, but if things get worse and the Trojans falter down the stretch, don’t be shocked if they cut their ties with the 2^nd year head coach.

STILL HOT:

Barry Odom (Missouri) – Odom should have never been on the Hot Seat to begin with.  If Missouri still played football in the Big XII there would be no talk of firing him.  However, Mizzou is now in the SEC, the place where football rebuilds don’t exist, regardless of how much they are needed.  T question now becomes, does Missouri think rationally or do they think like an SEC football program?  Odom has certainly taken his lumps in his first year-plus as head coach, but this is YEAR TWO!!!!  Give the guy some time.  I think he is safe, but it is tough to try to figure out what SEC schools are thinking when it comes to coaching.

SEAT ON FIRE(D):

Bret Bielema (Arkansas) – 2-5 overall this season and 0-4 in the SEC, Bielema is good as gone.  Arkansas has Ole Miss this week and if they lose that, they will be lucky to get to 4 wins on the season. 

Mike Riley (Nebraska) – The good news for Mike Riley and all Cornhusker fans is that Nebraska is currently in 2^nd place in the B1G West.  The bad news is that the B1G West is awful (see above) and the Cornhuskers have a losing record this season and might not get bowl eligible.  Even though he is still on the sidelines, Riley was essentially fired when his AD took the bullet for him back in September.  Then AD Shawn Eichorst was reportedly told to fire Riley after the Huskers lost to Northern Illinois.  When he refused, he was fired. 

Butch Jones (Tennessee) – Jones is another one that is good as gone come Dec 1^st.  He has followed the “How To Not Secure Your Job” manual to near perfection this season.  0-4 in the SEC East while getting outscored 127-36 in those 4 games, won’t cut it most places. It certainly won’t cut it in Knoxville.  Just think if Georgia Tech didn’t go for 2 and the win in the season opener against Tennessee, they could be staring at 2-5 right now, with their only wins coming against Indiana State and UMASS.  The Vols have some winnable games remaining on their schedule, but it is too late at this point.

Kevin Sumlin (Texas A&M) – This is a tough one.  I want to move his to the STILL HOT section because he has the Aggies at 5-2 and they just might be the 2^nd best team in the SEC West.  The problem is that the people making the decisions at Texas A&M are idiots and are just looking for reasons to fire Sumlin.  A loss in two weeks to Auburn or in the finale against LSU might be enough for them.  Either way, Sumlin will land on his feet and find another job in no time.  Deep down, I am hoping that Sumlin and the Aggies win-out and finish 10-2, then Sumlin leaves on his own, taking another job, preferably in the SEC where he can torture A&M annually.

Jim Mora, Jr. (UCLA) – 4-3, 2-2 is not what UCLA expected in Year 6 of Jim Mora, Jr.  Having one of the worst defenses in America is also not something they expected.  The Bruins had a chance to stand out when USC was down.  They missed that opportunity.  The final 5 games of the season will be make or break for Mora and the Bruins.  Washington, Utah, Arizona St, USC & Cal all are good enough to beat UCLA.  The toughest part for UCLA is asking the question, “Who are you going to get that will be better?”   

PLAYOFF PICKS

These are the 4 best undefeated teams in college football right now.  I am not sold that they are the 4 best overall teams in college football, but being undefeated certainly gives you a leg up in the Playoff Race.

1. Alabama

2. Georgia

3. Penn State

4. TCU

NEXT UP:

Clemson

Oklahoma State

Oklahoma

Ohio State

Notre Dame

Miami

That is all this week.  Make sure the refrigerator is stocked, the spare remote-control batteries are nearby and enjoy the games!

College Football Weekly Rant - Week 8

COLLEGE FOOTBALL WEEKLY RANT

Well that was unexpected.

Last week in my “WHAT I’M LOOKING FOR IN WEEK SEVEN” I was so unimpressed with the games that I was basically begging for an upset, but just couldn’t find where it might come from. 

Within about an hour of this being posted last Friday night we had our 1^st upset, with #2 Clemson losing on the road at Syracuse 27-24.  4 hours later, we had Upset #2, when #8 Washington State was blown out by Cal 37-3.  Both teams taking their 1^st loss of the season. 

2 Top Ten teams losing to unranked teams on the road and it wasn’t even Saturday yet.  2 more Top Ten teams would fall Saturday, again on the road to unranked teams.  LSU, just 2 weeks after losing at home to Troy, beat #10 Auburn on Saturday after beating Florida the week before.  Then in some #PAC12AfterDark football Saturday Night #5 Washington feel to lowly Arizona State 13-7. 

Those 4 teams losing leaves just 6 Power 5 teams undefeated at the midpoint of the season.  It also leaves lots of question marks for the College Football Playoff Committee as they are still 2 weeks away from their 1^st rankings.

The PAC-12 with no remaining unbeatens certainly puts a lot of pressure on their top teams the rest of the way out, if they hope to secure a playoff bid.  Both the SEC and B1G have two unbeatens remaining and those teams are not scheduled to play in the regular season.  If both conferences have unbeatens playing in their conference championship games, it could set those games up as defacto Quarterfinal Games in the CFB Playoff.

The other team that these losses help…  NOTRE DAME.

The Irish are sitting with just 1 loss, a 1-point loss to the undefeated Georgia Bulldogs who are ranked 3^rd in the country.  Notre Dame hasn’t beaten anyone of consequence to this point of the season, but the remaining schedule gives them that opportunity, beginning with week when they host #11 USC.  Four of Notre Dame’s final six games are against teams currently ranked.  If Notre Dame can navigate that schedule without another loss, they will certainly get a long, hard look from the committee.

This week’s game between Notre Dame and USC in South Bend is basically an elimination game.  Both teams will enter the game with 1-loss.  Both teams losses have come against ranked teams.  Both teams lack that “WOW” win on their resumes.  Both teams have their toughest games ahead of them.  Neither team can afford to lose this week.

WHAT ELSE I LEARNED IN WEEK SEVEN

*Most Of The SEC Is Garbage This Season, But Their Top 2 Teams Are REALLY Good. Alabama and Georgia keep winning, but not just winning, they are destroying teams.  Granted they are playing the other teams in the SEC, which are mostly dreadful, but Alabama’s margin of victory in their 7 wins this season is 32.5 points.  Georgia’s is 25.  Takeaway the 1-point win over Notre Dame (by far the best team either team has played so far, this season) and the Bulldogs closest game was a 21-point win in Week 1 vs Appalachian State.

*Just Win Baby.  To go along with the 4 Top Ten teams losing last week, there were also some major scares for other teams that still have playoff aspirations.  These teams did just enough to stay in contention for a playoff spot.  Purdue had 2^nd & Goal at the 7 going in for the game-tying score at Wisconsin before throwing an interception.  Wisconsin sealed the game running the remaining 8:14 off the clock with a 16 play, 77-yard, clock-grinding drive.  Miami scored the final 12 points in their game vs Georgia Tech, including the GM FG with :04 left to stay unbeaten.  Oklahoma avoided their 2^nd loss of the season, after blowing a 20-0 lead to rival Texas. OU scored the winning TD with 6:53 remaining and hung on for the 29-24 win.  USC also avoid their 2^nd loss, by stopping Utah on a 2-point conversion with :42 left as the Utes went for the win.  Michigan needed OT to hold off pesky Indiana.  It would have been the Wolverines 2^nd loss on the year as well.

*Jim Mora, Jr. And Butch Jones Will Be Unemployed Soon.  With both coaches hanging on to their jobs by a thread, they both go out and lose to teams their fanbases would say they shouldn’t lose to.  Tennessee and Jones falling to South Carolina at home.  The Vols didn’t score a touchdown in the game.  This week they go to Tuscaloosa.  Should be fun!!!  Mora and the Bruins fall to Arizona, giving up 47 points and over 600 yards in the process.  457 of those yards on the ground.  OUCH!

WHAT I’M LOOKING FORWARD TO IN WEEK EIGHT

*B1G Teams To Finally Score Some Points.  Every team in the Big Ten has played at least 3 conference games, some have played 4.  Of the 14 teams, only 1 has scored 100+ points in conference play.  That was Ohio State, who has scored 223 thanks to playing Indiana, Rutgers, Maryland & Nebraska.  No other conference in FBS that played a minimum of 3 games per team has only 1 team over 100 points scored in conference play.  And sorry, I’m not buying that all the teams are so good defensively, well because they aren’t!

*Big Games.  FINALLY!!!  The Louisville @ Florida State game was maybe the biggest game of Week 8 when the schedules came out, now it isn’t much more than an afterthought.  There are a couple of other MUST WATCH games this Saturday.  Michigan @ Penn State square off in a pretty game in the Big Ten East.  Michigan losing a few weeks ago to Michigan State takes a little away from this game, but the Wolverines can still win the division in things play out right for them.  For Penn State, it will be their ranked opponent that they play this season.  The Nittany Lions can’t afford to look ahead to next week’s showdown with Ohio State, they will have revenge on their mind from last year when Michigan curb-stomped them 49-10 in Ann Arbor.  Also Saturday night, a game we already mentioned, USC @ Notre Dame.  It is the 1^st time that these teams will meet and both be ranked since 2009.  A loss for either team will most assuredly eliminate them from playoff talks.

*Off The Radar Games.  Yes, those games are the biggest games this week, but there are a bunch of others that should be sneaky good and important for conference races, New Year’s 6 Bowls and even CFB Playoff positioning.  In an old Big East game, Syracuse @ Miami is suddenly an interesting game after Syracuse upset Clemson last week.  Cuse is 2-1 in the ACC.  Miami is undefeated on the year, the only remaining ACC team to hold that claim.  UCF @ Navy is a possible preview of the AAC Championship Game and maybe an elimination game for a 1-loss Navy team trying to claim a New Year’s 6 spot.  UCF is still very much in position to grab that bid.  Lane Kiffin has his FAU Owls unbeaten in C-USA play this season, making North Texas @ Florida Atlantic a battle of 2 of the 3 unbeatens remaining in C-USA.  Another game of interest for a different reason this week is Tennessee @ Alabama, which could be Butch Jones’ final game on the Vols sideline. 

A GAMBLING EYE

*Louisville (+6) @ Florida State – Florida State is one of just four teams in the FBS that have not scored 28 points in a game yet this season.  Louisville has allowed at least that many points against every Power 5 opponent they have played this year.  Flip to the other side of the football, Louisville and reigning Heisman Trophy Lamar Jackson, has the offense playing better this year than last year when they dropped 63 on the Noles.  The FSU defense has not allowed more than 27 points in any game this season.  This game has way too many question marks all over the field for anyone to be getting more than 3 points.

*Temple (+7) @ Army – Army is #2 in the nation in Rush Offense averaging almost 380 yards and scoring 28 touchdowns on the ground this season.  Temple ranks 72^nd in rush defense.  Temple also is coming off a loss to lowly UCONN as well.  The Owls have just 2 wins against FBS level teams this season, one coming against winless UMASS and the other against 1-win East Carolina.  The Black Knights should run all over the Owls in this game.

*Pitt (+8) @ Duke – I can’t say that I think Pitt will win this game, but 8 points seems like a lot of points in a game between 2 teams that are clearly better with their defenses on the field.  The UNDER 49.5 is also something I think deserves a long look as well.

*Tennessee (+37.5) @ Alabama – Tennessee is 0-3 in the SEC, losing those games by an average of over 17 points.  Georgia beat the Vols by 41.  That seems like a target number for Nick Saban and the Tide, who have won their 4 SEC games by an average of 40.5.

*Central Florida (-8) @ Navy – Although I like UCF laying the points, the number that jumps out to me is the O/U 65.  UCF leads the nation at 50+ points a game.  Navy ranks 24^th in the nation at over 35 a game.  Both teams score in bunches and do it fast.  This number is down from 67, where it opened.

*Michigan (+9.5) @ Penn State – With the O/U 43 in this game scoring should be at a premium, which has been the case any time Michigan has played this season.  However, if Vegas in on that number 9.5 is a lot of points for the spread.  I think Penn State has the talent to destroy an overrated Michigan team in a hostile environment.  But if you are a numbers guy, you have to like those 9.5 points.

*Arizona (-3.5) @ Cal – This game opened with Arizona getting 1, which if you had the chance to jump on, you should have. Sure, Cal is coming off a huge win, but Zona has found their offense recently and Cal, although improved, still has a long way to go.

*West Virginia (-9.5) @ Baylor – West Virginia is 4^th in the country in yards per game and 8^th in points per game.  Baylor hasn’t won a regular season football game in over a full calendar year, including a 43-point loss their last time out.  What am I missing here?  Why is this line single digits?

PLAYOFF PICKS

I’m so confused and I’m not exactly sure I have 4 teams that are deserving at this point, but…

1. Alabama – Still undefeated and just punishing teams.  Auburn losing takes a little away from thei year’s Iron Bowl.  Alabama should cruise until their showdown with Georgia in the SEC Championship Game.

2. Georgia – Speaking of the Bulldogs… Just re-read what was written of Alabama.

3. Penn State – The Nittany Lions certainly have their flaws, but at this point, who doesn’t (outside Alabama & Georgia).  Three straight games against ranked teams will be the first real tests for Penn State.  It will also be a make or break stretch for their playoff chances.  Michigan at home this week, followed by back to back road games vs Ohio State and Michigan State.

4. TCU – The Horned Frogs have not been dominant, but they have been consistent.  6-0 this season and 4-0 vs Power 5 opponents.  They also have the best win in the country to this point in the season, beating Oklahoma State in Stillwater by 2 scores.  They have only had 1 game decided by single digits this season.  Back to back games to start November with Texas and Oklahoma will be the next test for TCU.

NEXT UP:

Miami

Wisconsin

Oklahoma State

Oklahoma

Ohio State

Clemson

Notre Dame

USC

That is all this week.  Make sure the refrigerator is stocked, the spare remote-control batteries are nearby and enjoy the games!

College Football Weekly Rant - Week 7

COLLEGE FOOTBALL WEEKLY RANT

Let the fun begin.

Saturday gave us our 1^st head-scratching upset of the year, when 2-2 Iowa State went into Norman and beat #3 Oklahoma.  Iowa State had lost both games vs Power 5 teams that they had played this year.  The Cyclones also were playing with their back-up QB after it was announced late Friday night that their starter had left the team for personal reasons.  Iowa State was a 30.5-point underdog going into the game and hadn’t beaten Oklahoma since 1990. 

These types of upsets happen all the time once conference play starts.  Last year we had Iowa beating Michigan and Pitt beating Clemson on the same day.  This is what makes college football so much fun, depending on 18 to 22-year-old men to be consistent week to week.

The lost puts a big cloud over the BIG XII’s playoff chances as well.  Oklahoma was the overwhelming favorite to win the conference after Oklahoma State lost a few weeks back to TCU.  Now TCU and Texas are the only remaining unbeatens in conference play and Texas already has two non-conference losses this season.  The added element of the BIG XII Championship Game which returns this year, will make it even more difficult for the conference to produce a team worthy of the playoff. 

This type of chaos isn’t exclusive to the BIG XII however.  Undefeated Michigan also lost at home on Saturday, falling to in-state rival Michigan State.  It is the 2^nd straight time that Michigan State went into the Big House and knocked off an undefeated Wolverine team.  Just as the Oklahoma loss hurts the BIG XII, Michigan falling to Michigan State gives the Big Ten a black eye.  Now only Penn State and Wisconsin remain unbeaten in the conference.  Penn State’s next two opponents are Michigan and Ohio State.  At the beginning of the season, both games looked like possible match-ups of unbeatens, now neither will be.

As a matter of fact, we are just six weeks into the football season and there are only nine remaining undefeated teams from Power 5 conferences.  The CFB Playoff rankings don’t debut for another month and already teams are in Survive and Advance mode.  Eight of the nine remaining unbeatens are in action this weekend, four of them on the road.  Who will be the next to get knocked off?  Your guess is as good as mine.

WHAT ELSE I LEARNED IN WEEK SIX

*Rivalry Games Are Fun.  Miami vs Florida State and Michigan vs Michigan both took place Saturday.  Both entertaining games, but not exactly well played though.  But that doesn’t matter.  In both cases, the visiting team went to their in-state rival and left with a victory.  Miami’s win in Tallahassee was the 1^st for the Canes over the Noles since 2009.  In the other in-state rivalry game Michigan State continued their dominance over their “Big Brother” Wolverines.  Sparty won for the eighth time in the last 10 years in this rivalry.  It is the 1^st time that has occurred since 1898.  Jim Harbaugh is now 1-2 against Michigan State and 0-2 at home against the rival.  This week we get the Red River Rivalry, between Oklahoma and Texas in Dallas, which is always fun.  I just wish there were more in conference rivalry games.

*Blowouts Are No Fun.  When do the good conference football games start?  I rarely will say a bad thing about college football, but there have been a TON of bad and boring games this season.  Last week had only 2 games that featured Top 25 teams against each other.  The schedule does begin to look better next week.  36 of the 58 games last week were decided by double digits.  While that is fun for my fantasy league.  It is not great when its late Saturday and you just want to relax and watch a good game.

*Will Anyone Contend With USC In The PAC-12 South?  USC is currently the only team in the PAC-12 South that has a winning record in conference play.  Oddly enough, all 4 of those games that USC has played have come against teams from the North division.  However, with the defending South division champ sitting at 0-3 in conference play someone new will have to step up.  Utah, who many pegged as the team to challenge USC, will get their chance this week in LA.  The Utes were unimpressive last week losing to Stanford.  PAC-12 South teams outside USC and Utah are a combined 11-10 overall this season.

WHAT I’M LOOKING FORWARD TO IN WEEK SEVEN

You know it has been a bad few weeks of college football when even ESPN’s College GameDay is punting.  It is only Week 7 of the season and GameDay will not be on a FBS campus for a game for the 2^nd time already this season.  It is the 2^nd time in 4 weeks this has happened.  They were in Time Square in Week 4.  This week they will be in Harrisonburg, VA for Villanova @ James Madison.

So what am I looking for in Week Seven???  Maybe a surprise or two.  Give me a record setting performance or a crazy upset or some great storyline that plays out.

For strictly personal reasons, I want to see Kenny Pickett play at Pitt.  They burned his redshirt last week on the final play of the game, so let’s see what the future QB of the Panthers can do.  It won’t be easy going up against a fierce NC State defensive line, but there is no better time than the present to get that experience.  Im also looking for more of a youth movement from the Panthers.  They are an incredibly young team and while the 2-4 start is disappointing, it also gives the coaching staff to play some younger guys to let them see what they have coming up for the future.

Also…

*Finally Getting Good Games In Week 8.  A Texas win over OU would get the buzzing going for Oklahoma State visiting the Longhorns next week.  UCF vs Navy is a big Group of 5 game in the AAC scheduled for Week 8, if Navy doesn’t stumble against Memphis this week.  Michigan can’t overlook Indiana this week, before they head to State College for a showdown with Penn State next week.  USC and Notre Dame renew their rivalry next week as well.  As long as neither fall this week, next week’s game would be the 1^st time since 2009 that both teams were ranked for the game.

HOT SEAT
We introduced the HOT SEAT section of the Weekly Rant a few weeks back, so let’s revisit it.  We have had 1 coaching change already this year, when Gary Anderson stepped down after a 1-5 start at Oregon State.  Still no firings however.   Job Security Scale: 1 (John Calipari) to 10 (Rick Pitino)

Rich Rodriguez (Arizona) – Did RichRod find his next Pat White last week with redshirt freshman Khalil Tate, who set an NCAA record by rushing for 327 yards?  Tate led the Wildcats over the reigning PAC-12 South Champ Colorado on Saturday.  It was the 3^rd win for the Wildcats this season, matching their total from last year.  Tate may not have saved his coach, but he is at least buying him some time and giving Rodriguez a chance at seeing another year. (6.5)

Todd Graham (Arizona State) – The Sun Devils lost to Stanford their last time out, giving up over 300 yards on the ground to the Cardinal star running back Bryce Love.  It doesn’t get much easier for Graham and company.  ASU welcomes #5 Washington it Tempe this week, followed by a trip to Utah, before #13 USC pays the Sun Devils a visit.  2-6 doesn’t only seem possible, it seems likely at this point.  That would put Graham in line for his 3^rd straight losing season. (7.5)

Bret Bielema (Arkansas) – Bielema is now 10-24 in the SEC after the Razorbacks got thumped by South Carolina last week.  By the way, their next 2 games are against Alabama and Auburn.  With recent news that a clause in Bielema’s extension that he signed in 2015 has been being misinterpreted, a firing seems almost certain in the upcoming months.  The clause tells that Bielema’s buyout, which was thought to be over $15M is actually closer to $5.5M.  Chump change in the SEC. (9)

Mark Stoops (Kentucky) – Kentucky is just 1 blown coverage from being 6-0 this season.  As it goes however, they are 5-1, with their only loss coming against Florida.  A team they haven’t beat in more than 30 years.  The Wildcats haven’t beaten anyone to get those 5 wins, but they are wins nonetheless.  Wildcat fans aren’t picky, they will take any wins they can get.  With the SEC East as bad as it is, it isn’t crazy to think Kentucky could get 9 wins this season, maybe even get to double-digits. (1.5)

Mark Dantonio (Michigan State) – Dantonio is now 8-3 against rival Michigan after the win last week.  Just beating Michigan won’t save his job however, but it is a good place to start.  Sparty is now 4-1, with their only loss to a pretty good Notre Dame team.  3 very winnable games are next up for Michigan State, which could mean they enter November 7-1 before facing Penn State and Ohio State in back-to-back games. (1)

Barry Odom (Missouri) – The Good News… Missouri has Idaho and UCONN coming up on the schedule.  The Bad News… They play Georgia this week before those non-conference games.  Things haven’t gotten any better for Missouri, now 0-3, 1-4 on the year.  I still don’t think Missouri gets rid of Odom after just 2 years.  (3)

Mike Riley (Nebraska) – Nebraska’s only wins this season have come against Arkansas State, Rutgers & Illinois, that isn’t good.  Especially when you throw in the loss to Northern Illinois.  The B1G West is terrible, so the Cornhuskers will pick up some wins, but the schedule makers did Riley no favors as they catch both Ohio State and Penn State in crossover games this season.  With the AD already fired, Riley will follow.  It is just a question of when. (9.5)

Butch Jones (Tennessee) – Jones, like Mike Riley, will be fired at some point before we flip the calendar to 2018.  Tennessee will try to make a run at big names like Chip Kelly and even Jon Gruden, but both of those seem like pipe dreams for Vols fans.  Next week should be fun when Tennessee heads down to Tuscaloosa to take on Alabama. (9.5)

Kevin Sumlin (Texas A&M) – A report came out earlier this week that Texas A&M will be targeting James Franklin from Penn State as their next head coach.  The fact that things like this are even getting out to the media is pretty telling when it comes to Sumlin’s job security.  The interesting question becomes, “what if he turns it around, is it too late?”  The Aggies are 4-2 and just played Alabama last week closer than anyone has all season.  A&M is clearly the 3^rd best team in the SEC West and 4^th best in the conference.  9-3 isn’t out of the question for A&M this year.  That would be Sumlin’s best record in the last 4 years.  Do you still fire him after that type of season? (8)

Jim Mora, Jr. (UCLA) – As mentioned before, the PAC-12 South is not very good.  UCLA is in the PAC-12 South.  UCLA is sitting at 3-2, with a defense that can’t stop anybody.  Their next 3 games are against high powered offenses that should give the Bruins fits.  I can’t imagine another season without a bowl game would be accepted in Westwood. (7.5)

PLAYOFF PICKS

It is never too early to start projecting the playoff.  My top 4 remain the same from last week, but we did mix some things up with the other contenders.

1. Clemson

2. Alabama

3. Georgia

4. Penn State

NEXT UP:

Washington

TCU

Oklahoma State

Oklahoma

Washington State

Miami

Auburn

That is all this week.  Make sure the refrigerator is stocked, the spare remote-control batteries are nearby and enjoy the games!

College Football Weekly Rant - Week 6

COLLEGE FOOTBALL WEEKLY RANT

SAY NO TO PRESEASON POLLS!

This week is a perfect example of why we should do away with all pre-season polls.  And to be honest we probably need new voters for these polls.  Voters that are not too stubborn to change their ballot week to week.  The polls are typically supposed to show who the best teams are at that point in the season.  In no way should your previous week’s ranking reflect your current ranking.  Your preseason poll from 5 or 6 weeks ago should CERTINALY not impact how you are currently ranking teams, you know after you have actually seen them play games and all.

But unfortunately, it does.  And it happens way too often.

Let’s just look at this week’s rankings…

Alabama, the preseason #1 and still #1.  Don’t get me wrong, Alabama is a great football team, but what have they done this season to prove they deserve to be #1.  They beat a preseason #3 Florida State team, that just got their 1^st win of the season on Saturday, narrowly beating Wake Forest.  Alabama also has non-conference wins against Colorado State and Fresno State.  Those two teams are a combined 5-4 on the season, with 2 of the 5 wins coming against FCS teams.  They have also pounded Vanderbilt and Ole Miss, by a combined total of 125-3 in conference play.  But here’s the thing, those teams aren’t very good!

Meanwhile Clemson, the defending National Champions, are ranked behind Alabama, despite also being 5-0.  Their wins include 3 teams currently ranked inside the Top 17, two of which came on the road.  I’m not saying that if Clemson and Alabama played this week that Clemson would beat Alabama, but I am saying that they have done more to earnt he top spot in the rankings to this point in the season.

Another good example is Georgia.

How is Penn State (#4) ranked one spot ahead of Georgia (#5)?  If anyone has watched these teams both play this season, Georgia has done more to prove themselves than Penn State.  BUT Penn State was ranked #6 in the preseason polls and Georgia was #15.  So obviously Georgia can’t be better than Penn State if they are both undefeated.  Forget the fact that Penn State does not have one win over a ranked team.  The 5 wins they have are against teams that are a combined 8-11 against FBS teams and 1 over those teams LOST to an FCS team (Georgia State lost to Tennessee).  Georgia has wins on the road against Notre Dame and Tennessee, plus a dominating win over Mississippi State.  Mississippi State and Tennessee, like the rest of the SEC are very suspect to this point, but Notre Dame is a 1-loss team, that loss coming from Georgia, IN South Bend.  Notre Dame ranks 7^th in the nation with over 300 yards per game on the ground and 3^rd in the nation with 7.1 yards per carry.  Georgia held them to 55 yards on 37 carries (1.5 ypc).  Georgia also just held  Tennessee to just 142 yards of offense on Saturday, the lowest offensive output from the Vols since before Peyton Manning was at Tennessee.

Again… I’m not saying that Georgia would beat Penn State, but I’m saying that they have clearly been more impressive to this point in the season than the Nittany Lions.  (I personally would love to see Saquon Barkley vs the Georgia D.)

WHAT ELSE I LEARNED IN WEEK FIVE

*Butch Jones Will Not Be At Tennessee Next Year.  41-0 at home to a conference opponent?  Yes Georgia is a very good team, but that should not happen if you are Tennessee, EVER!  Last year it was a 59-10 pasting by Alabama in Knoxville, and now this.  Jones was on the hotseat going into last week’s game.  I am actually surprised a move wasn’t made on Sunday to replace Jones with the Vols on a BYE this week.  With schools like Texas A&M, and Nebraska also liking to be shopping for a new head coach in the offseason, Tennessee could have got a jump on the competition for the top candidates had they made a move.

*Auburn Joins Top Tier of SEC.  Gus Malzahn finally is getting the QB play from Jarrett Stidham that he had hoped.  With that comes back to back games against SEC opponents total 993 yards and 100 points.  Stidham has gone 26-33 for 482 and 3 scores with no interceptions in those games.  His efficient play at the QB spot has opened up the dynamic and powerful running attack that the Tigers have.  Oh by the way, the Tiger defense is really good too.

*LSU Is In A Tough Spot.  Nick Saban at Alabama has been a thorn in the side of every coach in the SEC.  Expectations for every team in the conference is to compete with Saban and Alabama.  The problem is, he doesn’t lose.  No program has been affected by Saban more than LSU, the school Saban won a National Championship with.  The problem with LSU and their fanbase is that they think these expectations are reasonable.  Saban is winning at a rate at Alabama that has never been done in the current landscape of college football.  LSU should be in a slight re-build mode this season.  They have a new head coach and offensive coordinator and they don’t have an SEC caliber QB on their roster.  That isn’t the fault of Ed Orgeron.  They aren’t set up to complete with Alabama this season, but give him a year or two and maybe they will be.  PATIENCE… I know it’s tough for the fanbases of the SEC, but you must have it.

WHAT I’M LOOKING FORWARD TO IN WEEK SIX

*Teams Taking Care Of Business.  The schedule is not very good this week.  Of the 20 games in the Top 25 on Saturday 16 of them have double digit point spread this week, and that includes a matchup of ranked teams in WVU and TCU, where the Horned Frogs are 13.5-point favorites at home.   With some bigger tests coming in the next two weeks, teams can’t afford to stumble this week to lesser opponents.

*Winning With Backups.  Michigan, Oregon and Notre Dame will all have backup quarterbacks starting this week due to injuries to the starters.  Notre Dame should still roll over UNC, even on the road as the Tar Hels are not very good.  The Irish running game should be enough to lead them to victory.  Michigan plays a down Michigan State team, but they are still a rival and we know anything can happen in rivalry games.  The last time these two played at the Big House was when Michigan State won on a Walk-Off Block Punt for a Touchdown.  Oregon had their top two QB’s hurt last week, so when they host #11 Washington State this week it will be a true freshman taking the snaps.  That is not a good match-up for the physical and uber-aggressive Cougar defense.

A GAMBLING EYE

* Louisville (-4) @ NC State – Lamar Jackson has made his living making plays happen on the fly.  He may have to do that a bunch on Thursday as he faces a stacked defensive line from NC State.  The difference for me is the Louisville defense and their inability to get off the field.  NC State is 16^th in the nation in time of possession and they don’t turn the ball over.  That means the play-making Jackson will be on the sidelines with the rest of the Louisville offense for the majority of the game.

*Illinois (+18.5) @ Iowa – Illinois is awful.  18.5 is a lot of points to give an offense that struggles the way that Iowa can at times, but let me once again say that Illinois is AWFUL!

*Miami (-3.5) @ Florida State – FSU has major issues protecting their quarterback this season.  Miami has a fast and fierce defense that won’t make things easy on the Noles FR signal caller.  This is a rivalry game and FSU has owned the Canes over the years in this game.  Some would say anything more than a FG in either direction is too much for this rivalry.  I disagree.  I don’t see FSU scoring much at all against the Miami defense and the Hurricanes offense played their best game of the season last week on the road at Duke.

*Air Force (+7.5) @ Navy – Air Force ranks 87^th in the nation in Rush Defense giving up almost 200 yards per game.  Navy leads the nation in Rush Offense running for 400 yards per game.  You do the math

*Alabama (-27) @ Texas A&M – It is crazy to think that this line is this high, but the way Alabama has come out of the gates this season vs SEC opponents, Vegas had no other option.  Texas A&M is not a bad team, but Alabama is dominant.  This number is a fascinating one to me just simply because it is nearly unheard of to see a team the caliber of Texas A&M get nearly 4 touchdowns at home.

*Michigan State (+10) @ Michigan – We all know what happened the last time these two teams played at The Big House.  It’s just a good thing that one of these coaches isn’t a Garde A ass that would hold grudges against a rival.  Oh wait… I don’t see Michigan State scoring many points on this Michigan defense and even with a backup QB I think Michigan scores in bunches to beat Sparty.  I wouldn’t be at all shocked if a few late scores happen just to make the margin of victory a little bigger either.

PLAYOFF PICKS

It is never too early to start projecting the playoff.

1. Clemson – 3 wins over teams ranked in the Top17 before Oct 1.  Only NC State (#24) is ranked among the remaining games on the schedule.

2. Alabama – The SEC is garbage outside Bama, Georgia and Auburn.  Those would likely be the final 2 teams Alabama would have to beat before the CFB Playoff.

3. Georgia – The chances of 2 SEC teams making the playoff is virtually none with how bad the conference is this season, but that doesn’t mean that Georgia isn’t one of the 3 best teams in the country.

4. Penn State – This week begins a tough 3 game stretch for Penn State.  They go on the road for just the 2^nd time this season to Northwestern.  The Wildcats are a much better team than Iowa which nearly upset them on their last road trip.  After Northwestern comes back-to-back games against Michigan and Ohio State.

NEXT UP:

Washington

Oklahoma State

Oklahoma

TCU

Michigan

That is all this week.  Make sure the refrigerator is stocked, the spare remote-control batteries are nearby and enjoy the games!

College Football Weekly Rant - Week 5

COLLEGE FOOTBALL WEEKLY RANT

Just when you think you know…

For the first three weeks of the football season I have put myself out on quite a few limbs, willing to stand by my opinions from what I have seen.  This past Saturday those limbs broke, ALL OF THEM.

I had been skeptical of Alabama, especially offensively and they go out a throttle a good Vanderbilt team scoring a season high 59 points on a Vandy team that led the nation is scoring defense.

I anoint Oklahoma State as the best team in the nation, with the best offense and they get stonewalled at home against TCU.

I claim that Clemson is back and they lay an egg at home against Boston College.  Yes, they won, but the game was tied at 7 heading into the final 12 minutes of play before the Tigers scored 27 straight to close the game.

I was disappointed in what I had seen from Penn State in their first three games, then they come through in the clutch winning a tough game in a tough environment.

Oklahoma looked like world beaters and Baylor looked like the worst team in any Power 5 conference. Go figure Baylor throws for 463 and nearly pulls off the upset.

Before we throw the first few weeks out the window completely, remember conference play really started in full force last week and conference foes know you better than anyone.  Winning in conference is never easy.

I do standby my thought that the SEC is incredibly down this year.  It looks like Alabama and Georgia are the only two teams worth a grain of salt.  LSU struggled at home with a not very good Syracuse team.  Texas A&M and Arkansas played a competitive game that went into OT, but both teams looked sloppy and very average, if that.  Mississippi State looked like they could rival Alabama in the SEC West in their win over LSU in Week 3, then were equally dominated by Georgia this past Saturday, mustering only 280 yards and 3 points.

Then we have Florida. 

The surgeon that implanted the horseshoe up Jim McElwain’s butt, deserves some credit from Gator fans.  Florida is the worst good team in history.  Check out these numbers since Jim McElwain arrived in Gainesville in 2015.  Florida has won 21 of 30 and has appeared in back-to-back SEC Championship Games.  Florida has also gone just 3-8 vs ranked teams in that span.  Under a coach that made his money with offense, the McElwain-led Gators have scored more than 30 points in just 6 of the 30 games he has coached.  In comparison, his final year at Colorado State the Rams scored 30+ points 8 of their 12 games.  Maybe even a scarier stat is that in the 24 games that they haven’t scored more than 30, that are averaging just 19 points per game. YET THEY STILL WIN.  It really is amazing!

WHAT ELSE I LEARNED IN WEEK FOUR

*The BIG XII Is Screwed.  The BIG XII has felt that not having a conference championship game is a disadvantage for them trying to get a team into the playoff.  Welcome 2017 and the return of the BIG XII Championship Game.  Now the conference is going to force their best team to beat their 2^nd best team TWICE in the same season.  No other conference has that set-up.  And in a year which already seems like it could get crazy, good luck getting the committee to select a team that just lost their conference championship game.  TCU beating Oklahoma State on Saturday makes the Big XII race even more interesting, now that a third team has emerged.

*Washington Is Back.  Actually, I don’t know if they ever really went anywhere.  Struggling against Rutgers is never a good thing.   Nobody should ever struggle with Rutgers.  Maybe that opening game stuck with me a little too much.  The fact that the Huskies followed it up with wins over FCS Montana and lowly Fresno State, gave me lots of doubts heading into their PAC-12 rematch game in Boulder.  They passed the test with flying colors.  Colorado had been dominant it their opening 3 games, especially on defense, but Washington ran the ball right down their throats, gaining 254 on the ground and scoring 3 times.  With question marks coming from USC, Stanford, UCLA and Oregon, the Huskies have proven they are still the team to beat in the conference.

*Notre Dame Is Good???  Okay, maybe I still haven’t learned much about Notre Dame, but I am intrigued.  Each passing week the 20-19 loss to Georgia looks better and better.  I know that losing is never good and unacceptable at Notre Dame, but that’s the best I can do right now.  Wins over Temple, BC and Michigan State are wins, but not much more as none of those teams look like bowl teams looking at them one month into the season.  Notre Dame won’t really be challenged again until USC visits South Bend in Week 8.

WHAT I’M LOOKING FORWARD TO IN WEEK FOUR

*Weeknight Football.  I know that there are always college games on Thursday’s and Friday’s, but this week they are actually watchable games.  Out with the usual Group of 5 suspects like South Florida and Boise State.  This week we have Big XII, PAC-12, Big Ten and ACC games all before the weekend starts.  Thursday gave us Iowa State hosting Texas.  It was a sloppy game that was more the two offenses shooting themselves in the foot opposed to battling in a shootout that many may have expected.  Texas gets the 17-7 win as both teams are now 2-2 on the season.  Friday, we have a full slate of games.  Miami @ Duke kicks things off at 7pm.  Raise your hand if you had Duke 4-0 at this point in the season (my hand is down).  The Canes shook off the cobwebs last week vs Toledo after being off for 2 weeks due to Hurricane Irma.  Friday will be the 1^st big ACC test for either team this season.  At 8pm we go to the Big Ten for Nebraska @ Illinois.  Nebraska is desperate for a win and lucky for the Illinois is awful.  The showcase game however doesn’t kickoff until 10:30 with USC @ Washington State.  Pulman is always a tough place to play and the Cougars seem to always give the Trojans a game.  This will be the toughest test to date for either team.  I am married with 2 kids under the age of 3, so I don’t go out on Friday Night anyway, but you can be certain I will be in front of my TV this Friday Night!

*Better Schedule. Last week’s schedule was so bad that College Game Day didn’t go to a game, they went to Time Square.  Last week did have some close finishes, it really didn’t have any match-ups that moved the dial.   Although not great, this week will be better.

NOON:
We actually get off to a slow start with the noon games, but you will need that after Friday’s trifecta of games.  The best game in the noon kickoff slot is Northwestern @ Wisconsin in a game I think most thought could be the Big Ten West pseudo championship game, but Northwestern hasn’t looked great early on.  Wisconsin looks to clearly be the class of the division.

LATE AFTERNOON (3:30):
Indiana @ Penn State and Georgia @ Tennessee are the two late afternoon games that catch my attention most.  Indiana nearly knocked Penn State off the rails last year, leading the Nittany Lions in the 4^th quarter, before Penn State ran off 17 points in the final 4 minutes to stay atop the Big Ten East standings.  This year it could be a trap game for the Nittany Lions.  Penn State is coming off an emotional win at Iowa and now has Indiana, a team that challenge Ohio State and can put points on the board.  If the Nittany Lions look ahead to the upcoming 3 game stretch (@Northwestern, vs Michigan, @ Ohio St) they could be in trouble Saturday.  Georgia should roll Tennessee, but the SEC has been very unpredictable this season.  Butch Jones could really use a Top 10 win to ease the tension in Knoxville.

PRIMETIME:
Clemson @ Virginia Tech is clearly the Game of the Week this week.  Clemson having already knocked off Auburn, and Louisville now gets the Hokies, who look to be the class of the ACC Coastal.  That game starts at 8pm and should have your attention most of the night, however there are a bunch of other decent-to-good games beginning at 7, with Mississippi State @ Auburn.  Another 7pm kickoff that if you like points you’ll love, is Memphis @ UCF.  Both Group of 5 teams already have wins over P5 teams this year and have two of the top upcoming coaches in the business.  At 7:30 you get South Carolina @ Texas A&M which is another opportunity for Kevin Sumlin to get himself fired.  Opposite the Clemson/VT game is Oklahoma State @ Texas Tech in a game that should be fast, fun and full of offense.  And at 9pm, Mississippi @ Alabama should keep your attention until about 9:30 or so when the 2^nd half of the Clemson/VT game should be getting underway.

LATE NIGHT:
I love #Pac12AfterDark.  This week we get Colorado @ UCLA, both coming off beatdown losses and Cal @ Oregon both coming off tough, close losses.

HOT SEAT
It is that time of year that the rumor mills get going and coaches start to get fired (by the fans).  So which coaches didn’t even make it through September this season without finding themselves on the Hot Seat?  SCALE 1 (John Calipari) to 10 (Rick Pitino)

Rich Rodriguez (Arizona) – The Wildcats have one PAC-12 win in the past 22 months, that coming in last years’ season finale over rival ASU.  Now in his 6^th year in the desert, Rodriguez has just one winning season in conference play at Arizona.  The pricey buyout on Rodriguez’s contract might be the only thing that is keeping him in Tucson at this point. (8)

Todd Graham (Arizona State) – Like his coaching rival Rodriguez, the desert has not been kind to Todd Graham.  The Sun Devils snapped a 6-game conference losing streak last week beating Oregon, a win Graham very much needed.  Still just 2-2 on the year, one would think it is bowl game or bust for Graham in Tempe. (7)

Bret Bielema (Arkansas) – Now in year 5 at Arkansas after leading Wisconsin to three straight Rose Bowls, Bielema has won a total of 10 SEC games.  A roughly $15.5M buyout, due to an extension given to him after his only winning season in SEC play, 2015, might be the only thing keeping Arkansas from making a change.  Although some fans are willing to chip in to help pay that off.  There is actually a GoFundMe page to payoff this massive buyout.  (7)

Mark Stoops (Kentucky) – It’s a good thing that Kentucky is a basketball school, otherwise there is no chance he would still be coaching football there.  9-25 in the SEC with only 1 bowl game in five seasons just doesn’t cut it at most places, especially in the SEC.  Those wins have come against Mississippi State, Vanderbilt (2), Missouri (2) (see Barry Odom below) and South Carolina (4).  Not exactly world beaters.  Eastern Michigan and Missouri are next up for Kentucky.  It would be a very good idea for his Wildcats to pick up two wins in the next two weeks. (6)

Mark Dantonio (Michigan State) – Dantonio has done a ton good for the Michigan State football program and put it back on the map after a 40-year dry spell.  Unfortunately, he went 3-9 last year and his team doesn’t look much better this season.  He could typically weather a few bad years, but they also happen to coincide with recent player discipline issues and rape charges on a few of his former players. (4)

Barry Odom (Missouri) – It has been tough times for Odom in this first 2 seasons at Missouri.  The key there was that he is still in his first two seasons.  Missouri is only 3 years removed from back-to-back SEC Championship Game appearances, but since then they have gone 3-15 in conference play.  This year the Tigers have been blown out in all 3 games that they have faced FBS opponents.  (4)

Mike Riley (Nebraska) – Being mediocre does not sit well with Nebraska football fans and that is exactly what the Cornhuskers have been since hiring Mike Riley (17-13, 10-8).  With the AD that hired him fired last week, it may only be a matter of time before Riley follows.  A home loss to Northern Illinois, followed by needing to score the game’s final 13 points to knock off Rutgers at home Nebraska and Riley have a MUST WIN road game against Illinois this Friday night.  That game is followed by Wisconsin and Ohio State. (9)

Butch Jones (Tennessee) – Jones is in a tough spot for 3 reasons.  1) Expectations in Knoxville are borderline ridiculous. Think about the fact that the Vols hadn’t won more than 7 games since the 2007 season before Jones did it in each of the last two years, winning 9 both seasons.  Yet they still want him gone. 2) A new AD always wants his own guy and Tennessee has a new AD.  3) The SEC East has been awful and the Vols still can’t win it. lOsing to Florida in heartbreaking fashion two weeks ago doesn’t help Jones’ job security.  Losing to Georgia this week won’t either. (8.5)

Kevin Sumlin (Texas A&M) – When a Board of Regents member calls for your firing after the 1^st game of the season, it is not a good thing.  When you follow that up with 2 more duds (wins, but ugly wins to inferior competition) in non-conference, it doesn’t make things better.  After winning 11 games with Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Manziel at QB in 2012, the Aggies have won 9, 8, 8, 8 each year since and the offensive minded coach has not developed another QB since.  Sumlin is on a week-to-week basis at this point in College Station.  A&M hosts South Carolina this week, then plays 4 stragiht against ranked teams. (9.9999)

Jim Mora, Jr. (UCLA) – After a successful start at UCLA, which saw the Bruins finish in the top 2 of the PAC-12 South in each of his first three seasons, while winning 9 or 10 games in each of those seasons, it has gone downhill.  The Bruins won 8 in 2015 and just 4 last year.  Mora, a defensive coach by trait is seeing his Bruin defense this year allow over 43 points per game. (7.5)

PLAYOFF PICKS

It is never too early to start projecting the playoff.

1. Alabama – I still don’t see anyone in the SEC that can beat them.  Maybe Georgia, maybe!

2. Clemson – Clemson has another tough road test this week in Blacksburg. A win and they would be in control on the ACC Atlantic.

3. Penn State – At this moment Penn State is the best team in the Big Ten.  Michigan and Ohio State will be there with them at the end, but right now Penn State is playing better and more consistent than those other 2.

4. Washington – As with Penn State in the Big Ten, Washington is playing the most consistent football of anyone in the PAC-12.   A favorable schedule that has Oregon and Washington State both travelling to Seattle and skips USC in the PAC12 South makes it even more likely that Washington could be going to their 2^nd straight PAC-12 Championship Game.

NEXT UP:

Oklahoma State – 1 loss doesn’t derail the Cowboys chances, but the way they lost to TCU is concerning.  Any more performances like that and they are done.

Oklahoma – If we see the Baylor Oklahoma team then forget about it, but if the Ohio State Oklahoma team gets back on the field, there is no reason they can’t win the Big XII.

TCU – No we didn’t forget about the Horned Frogs after their impressive victory.  They do have to go back into the Sooner state to play Oklahoma in November however.  The Horned Frogs will go as far as Kenny Hill takes them.  Last Saturday we saw Good Kenny Hill.  Too many times in the past we have seen Bad Kenny Hill.

Michigan – They haven’t lost, but they just haven’t been impressive in any games they have played this year.  I think this team is still a year away, but it’s tough to brush them off when they roll out that defense every week.

USC – I just need USC to blow someone out.  I don’t care who it is, but just show me that killer instinct and that unstoppable offense, just once.  I really do want to believe, but I just can’t.  Not yet...

That is all this week.  Make sure the refrigerator is stocked, the spare remote-control batteries are nearby and enjoy the games!