Some observations from college football Saturday:
– Not to take anything away from Jake Long, Matt Ryan or Glen Dorsey, but Darren McFadden is the best player in college football. To me, he’s the only sure thing right now in next April’s NFL draft. He’s Adrian Peterson, only bigger, more durable and possibly even faster. Check out this stat line from Arkansas’ 48-36 victory: 35 carries, 323 yards, one rushing touchdown. He was also 1 for 1 passing for 23 yards and a touchdown. The guy is amazing.
– Oregon is flat out fun to watch. Even though he missed most of the fourth quarter due to a knee injury, Dennis Dixon looked fantastic in the Ducks’ 35-23 victory over No. 4 Arizona State. I’m still not sold on him being a productive pro quarterback due to the system he runs at Oregon, but nevertheless, he’s exciting when he gets outside on an option run.
– Les Miles should go out and buy a lotto ticket with the string of luck he and LSU has had this year. That’s not to say that they don’t deserve the wins they’ve totaled to this point, but boy, if it weren’t for last second touchdowns (touchdowns, not field goals) in victories over Florida and Alabama, the Tigers are sitting at 6-3 right now and nowhere near a title appearance. Although hey, with how nasty the SEC is, every week is a tough week.
– Even though Boston College is set to plummet in the polls after being upset by FSU 27-17, people shouldn’t cast aside quarterback Matt Ryan. His Heisman chances might have dropped, but he’s got bigger and better things ahead of him in the NFL. There’s just no other quarterback prospect in the country with Ryan’s intangibles, fundamentals and arm strength. Right now, he’s a better pro prospect than Brian Brohm, Colt Brennan and Andre Woodson.
– What a catch by Brian Robiskie in the fourth quarter of Ohio State’s 38-17 victory over Wisconsin. He was absolutely hammered in the end zone, but give him credit for hanging onto the ball.
– What in God’s name happened to Nebraska? Remember when they used to be a perennial powerhouse every year? They gave up 48 points in the first half of a 76-39 loss to Kansas. Forty-eight points in one half! Seventy-six points in all! Holy crap – the Jayhawks offense is sick…76 points!
