Category: College Football (Page 151 of 296)

      USC game crucial for Notre Dame, Weis

      October 16, 2009 /

      Nobody has to remind Notre Dame’s players and head coach Charlie Weis what this Saturday means for the program. A win would serve as a stepping-stone for the school to get back among the nation’s elite. A blowout loss would send them spiraling backwards and might inevitably cost Weis his job.

      “I said, Saturday night fellas, you’re going to be the lead story in the country, one way or another,” Weis said. “So which lead story do you want to be?”

      Besides the fact that Charlie must not realize Oklahoma is also taking on Texas this weekend, his comments pinpoint the magnitude of Saturday’s game. This isn’t just another game for the Irish – it’s the game of the year.

      The Trojans have beaten the Irish seven straight times. During that span, USC quarterbacks have averaged 323 passing yards and since October of 2002, the Trojans are 31-2 against ranked opponents.

      Oh, and they also rank sixth in the nation in total defense.

      But this is a different Notre Dame team, at least offensively. Jimmy Clausen ranks No. 1 in the country in passing efficiency and the Irish have the 10th best offense in college football. They’re averaging 470 yards per game and over 30 points per contest. Their ground game doesn’t get as much attention as their passing attack, but the Irish are averaging 148 rushing yards per game so they can beat you in a variety of ways.

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      College Football

      No. 8 Cincinnati dominates No. 19 South Florida, but Pike hurt in victory

      October 15, 2009 /

      In what was supposed to be a tough game in a tough environment for Cincinnati, the No. 8 Bearcats easily disposed of No. 19 South Florida 34-17 at Raymond James Stadium on Thursday night. And they did it with their starting quarterback missing the entire second half.

      Tony Pike suffered an injury right before halftime and was replaced by backup Zach Collaros, who supplied a touchdown run of 75 yards midway through the third quarter. He then hooked up with Ben Guidugli on a 43-yard pass completion to set up his second touchdown of the game, this time from three yards out with 13 minutes remaining in the game.

      This was an impressive victory for Cincinnati, especially considering Pike didn’t play the entire second half. To beat a good South Florida team on the road with their backup quarterback should give the Bearcats leverage when the BCS standings are released for the first time on October 20.

      That said, should anyone be surprised by this outcome? The Bulls were undefeated coming into this game, but their only substantial win was against a Florida State team that was obviously overrated from the start. And while freshman quarterback B.J. Daniels is fun to watch, he has a long way to go as a passer. He looked like he was playing in a pick up game tonight with the way he often ran backwards from the snap and never stayed in the pocket.

      But allow me to give credit where credit is due – Cincinnati’s defense played well tonight as it suffocated USF’s running game and never allowed Daniels to set his feet and throw (whether he wanted to or not). Everyone takes about the Bearcats offense (and rightfully so), but Brian Kelly’s team has played well defensively this season too.

      Kelly told Erin Andrews after the game that it “doesn’t look good” for Pike, who could miss a couple weeks with a wrist injury. While that’s unfortunate, Cincinnati has an easy stretch of games over the next couple weeks and could certainly get by with the shifty Collaros.

      College Football

      2009 College Football Picks & Predictions Week 7

      October 15, 2009 /

      No. 20 Oklahoma at No. 3 Texas, 12:00PM ET
      It’s kind of a shame that this game is on at Noon on Saturday because it deserves primetime attention. Texas upset top ranked Oklahoma in the Red River Rivalry last year, but it’ll be hard for the Sooners to return the favor this season. Sam Bradford’s receivers didn’t help him in his return to action last week, dropping at least 10 passes. A fierce Texas pass rush could overwhelm Oklahoma’s inexperienced offensive line and force Bradford to unload the ball sooner than he wants to. Given how the Sooners’ front seven frustrated him last year, Colt McCoy could struggle as well, but I like the home team to win in what should be an emotional game.
      Odds: Texas –3.
      Prediction: Texas 33, Oklahoma 27.

      No. 22 South Carolina at No. 2 Alabama, 7:45PM ET
      Although the Gamecocks pose a threat with their defensive front seven, the Crimson Tide are the most complete team in the nation and should wear South Carolina down in the second half. The Gamecocks simply don’t have the horses up front to move ‘Bama’s front four at the point of attack and if South Carolina can’t stay balanced offensively, Stephen Garcia will struggle. It’s going to be hard for SC to move the ball on the ground against a talented Alabama linebacker corps and therefore Garcia should face plenty of third-and-longs. Some believe the Gamecocks will keep this one close, but after struggling at home last week against Kentucky, I see South Carolina getting rolled this weekend in a tough environment.
      Odds: Alabama –17.
      Prediction: Alabama 35, South Carolina 14.

      No. 11 Iowa at Wisconsin, 12:00PM ET
      The point spread in this game doesn’t make any sense. Why is a ranked Iowa team a 2.5-point underdog on the road against an unranked Wisconsin team that they’ve beaten in five of their last seven meetings? The Badgers’ best attribute is that they can run the ball (they’re gaining just over 200 yards per game on the ground), but the Hawkeyes are solid defensively, ranking 31 in the nation in total defense. So what gives? Simply put, Iowa has not looked great this season despite being undefeated. They will enter a hostile Camp Randall Stadium and could have trouble moving the ball offensively against a Wisconsin defense that swarms to the football. After being unable to get on track last Saturday against Ohio State, running backs John Clay and Zach Brown should carry the Badgers this week to an upset win. (If you can even all it an upset given that Wisconsin is favored.)
      Odds: Wisconsin –2.5.
      Prediction: Wisconsin 28, Iowa 24.

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      College Football

      Can South Florida pull off an upset against Cincinnati?

      October 15, 2009 /

      Raymond James Stadium is the site of one of the more intriguing matchups in college football this week, as No. 21 South Florida hosts No. 8 Cincinnati tonight at 7:30 p.m. ET. This will be the first meeting in which both teams are ranked.

      After Tulsa kept things close last night against No. 5 Boise State, some believe the undefeated Bulls will pull off the week’s first big upset by knocking off the Bearcats, who are also undefeated. Led by Heisman candidate Tony Pike, Cincinnati has the third best scoring offense in the nation, but South Florida has shut down opponents this year, allowing just 9.4 points per game.

      The Bearcats have a couple of things to worry about tonight, namely the fact that they’ll be playing in a hostile environment against a defense that knows how to get after the quarterback. Pike hasn’t seen a pass rush this season the likes of what he’ll see tonight and the Bulls could give him fits.

      Defensively, Cincinnati must contain the athletic B.J. Daniels, who has filled in nicely since starter Matt Grothe was lost for the year after suffering an ACL injury in Week 3. Daniels gives the USF offense a running threat at quarterback, which is good because running backs Mike Ford and Moise Plancher could have trouble churning out yards against a solid Bearcat run defense.

      As previously noted, some college football pundits smell an upset brewing tonight, but I just don’t see it. USF’s big win this year was against a Florida State team that has fallen from grace since being ranked at the start of the season. While Cincinnati hasn’t faced elite competition itself, they demolished Rutgers on the road in Week 1 and beat a decent Oregon State team in Corvallis in Week 3. Bearcat head coach Brian Kelly will have his team ready to play and I think Cincinnati pulls one out in a low-scoring affair.

      Prediction: Cincinnati 23, South Florida 17.

      College Football

      Will Boise State stay in the top 5 after edging out Tulsa?

      October 14, 2009 /

      By now, everyone knows that the clowns that compile the BCS rankings are simple-minded folks. They have short-term memory and are easily influenced by big wins.

      With that in mind, was Boise State’s 28-21 win over Tulsa on Wednesday night good enough to convince voters to rank them in the top 5 when the BCS standings are released for the first time October 18?

      In short: No.

      The Broncos are a solid football team and turned in a sound effort against the Golden Hurricane, outside of two first half turnovers that allowed Tulsa to keep the game close. But Boise State had several opportunities in the third quarter to put the game away and couldn’t. That allowed Tulsa to mount a comeback with a G.J. Kinne to Slick Shelley 55-yard touchdown pass with just under 9:30 remaining. The Golden Hurricane also had two chances to tie the game with less than six minutes to play, but failed to do so when their final two drives stalled.

      Given the conference it plays in, it’s not enough for a team like Boise to only beat an opponent by seven points. While Tulsa had a 4-1 record entering the game, their only loss was a 45-0 beat down at the hands of Oklahoma in Week 3. Voters will certainly compare Boise and Oklahoma’s victories over Tulsa when it comes time to rank the Broncos next week.

      Although Tulsa put up a fight in the first half, this game was hardly ever in doubt for Boise. Up until the fourth quarter, they moved the ball at will and completely dominated the third quarter. But again, while their overall effort was solid in the victory, their performance was unimpressive to say the least. And knowing BCS voters like we do, if teams like USC, Ohio State and Cincinnati roll this week, Boise might find itself ranked outside the top 5 come October 18.

      College Football

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