Category: College Football (Page 227 of 296)

      It wasn’t pretty, but Florida should enjoy the win

      October 4, 2008 /

      After crushing Arkansas 38-7 in Fayetteville on Saturday, Tim Tebow and the Florida Gators officially bounced back from their upset loss to Ole’ Miss last week. But for three quarters, the Gators didn’t look that great, which allowed the Razorbacks to hang around until the fourth when UF blew it open. And as Pat Dooley of The Gainesville Sun writes, maybe Tebow and the rest of the Gators are focusing too much on how they’re winning and not winning itself.

      Florida-ArkansasThe body language Tebow was using after a huge score in a must-win game kind of summed it up for the Gator Nation, where negativity lived all week.

      Yeah, we’re winning but we should be winning by more. Did you see that pass that was picked off? What was I thinking? The penalties, man the penalties. The offense just isn’t where it should be.

      And it wasn’t for three quarters, which is why Arkansas stayed around and stayed around and Florida fans grew more and more nervous with every passing gaffe. But Arkansas isn’t as good as Ole Miss, so eventually Florida hit some big plays and blew it open.

      And isn’t that what we should all be focusing on?

      Doesn’t 38-7 on the road feel a lot better than 31-30 at home?

      So I am going to be Mr. Positive today. You win by 31 and beat the point spread and it’s a good day no matter where you live.

      Mr. Positive saw a Florida team come out here on the road on a day that started with rain and wind and chill, a day that ended in the brilliant sunshine that only a victory can bring.

      So lighten up and enjoy it. That includes you, Timmy.

      Forget everything that’s happened anyway.

      The season starts this week.

      Dooley brings up a good point. Too many times we as fans or the media get wrapped up in perfection. We know that one loss could mean that a team’s national title aspirations go up in smoke. But upsets happen, especially nowadays in college football where the talent is more spread out than ever. It’s too bad that style points mean something in college football because all Tebow and the Gators should have to worry about is winning. (Same goes for every program in the nation.)

      College Football

      Is Penn State a true national title contender?

      October 4, 2008 /

      Penn State-PurdueComing into the 2008 College Football Season, the Penn State Nittany Lions weren’t considered a national championship contender. They weren’t even considered a legitimate contender in the Big Ten, with many ranking them behind Ohio State, Wisconsin and even Illinois in the conference.

      But PSU remains undefeated on the season after beating Purdue 20-6 on Saturday and even though they’re still flying under the national championship radar, teams better start taking notice. Not only do the Lions have one of the best offenses in the nation (they were averaging close to 50 points a game coming into this weekend), but they also flashed a little defense in their victory over the Boilermakers.

      Penn State doesn’t have a Heisman Trophy candidate at quarterback like Oklahoma, Missouri or Texas – three teams currently ranked ahead of them in the polls – but so far Daryll Clark has proven that he’s an excellent fit for Joe Paterno’s new spread offense. And while he doesn’t have unworldly size and athleticism like fellow Big Ten back Chris “Beanie” Wells of Ohio State, RB Evan Royster is a workhorse that can grind out tough yards like he did Saturday against Purdue when he rushed for 141 yards and a 7.8 YPC average.

      It was interesting to see PSU win like it did against the Boilermakers because it was unlike any of its previous victories this season. They didn’t light up the scoreboard or win with flash; they just kept moving the ball methodically on offense, didn’t turn the ball over and played solid defense. They proved today that they could win without relying on the big play, which should only serve them going forward.

      The next three weeks will prove whether or not Penn State is a true contender or not. They’re at Wisconsin, home against Michigan and then travel to Columbus to take on OSU through the rest of October. That’s a daunting three-week task.

      College Football

      College Football Week 6 Primer

      October 4, 2008 /

      Time to check out the big games, top matchups and potential upsets as college football heads into Week 6.

      Top 25 vs. Top 25:
      Terrelle PryorNo. 14 Ohio State at No. 18 Wisconsin, 8:00 PM ET
      This was supposed to be a matchup of the best two teams in the Big Ten, but after the Badgers were embarrassed last week in Ann Arbor, this game has lost a lot of it’s luster. Despite Michigan turning the ball over five times and spotting them a 19-0 lead, Wisconsin fell apart in the second half as the Wolverines pulled off a 27-25 upset. For the Buckeyes, they seem to be playing with a chip on their shoulder after losing to USC a few weeks back, especially freshman QB Terrelle Pryor, who is out to use this game as proof that he can play on a big stage. It’ll be interesting to see how the dazzlingly Pryor does in his first road start of his young collegiate career; OSU has not won back-to-back games vs. Wisconsin since 1995/1996. Oddsmakers have established the Buckeyes as 1.5-point favorites.

      No. 13 Auburn at No. 19 Vanderbilt, 6:00 PM ET
      Vandy is off to a surprising 4-0 start this season, but their record is a bit deceiving. The Commodores rank last in the SEC in total offense and defense, and have been out gained in 3 of their 4 games this season. But they sit undefeated largely due to their plus-nine turnover margin, which leads the nation. They’ll get their first real test of the season against Auburn, who crushed the Commodores 45-7 in their last trip to Vanderbilt Stadium in 2003. The Tigers also handed Vandy a 35-7 beat-down last year and are trying to build some momentum off of last week’s 14-12 win against Tennessee. Still, this is the first time Vanderbilt has been ranked since 1984, so the home crowd will noty doubt be psyched. And it’s not like Tommy Tummerville’s team has been that dominant this season. (See the Tigers’ 3-2 victory over Mississippi State as proof.) Vandy is a 4.5-point home underdog.

      No. 23 Oregon at No. 9 USC, 8:00 PM ET
      The Trojans try to bounce back from their humiliating 27-21 loss to Oregon State last week – a defeat that dropped them from the top spot in the rankings. When these two teams met last year in Eugene, the Ducks used an electrifying home crowd to knock off the Trojans 24-17 in USC QB Mark Sanchez’s first start. It would be wise for Oregon to borrow the blueprint left by the Beavers and attack the middle of the Trojans’ beat up defense on the ground. Head coach Pete Carroll is dying to use this game to show USC can still compete for a national title this season and will try to flatten the Ducks, but Oregon’s defense is good enough to keep them in the game. The Trojans are currently 17-point favorites.

      Chase DanielUpset Watch: No. 4 Missouri at Nebraska, 9:00 PM ET
      It’s hard to fathom that the Tigers would stumble this week in Lincoln coming off a bye week and with so much on the line. But Heisman Trophy candidate Chase Daniel has yet to see a decent defense outside of Illinois in the opener. And even though MIZZOU hammered the Huskers last year, Nebraska’s defense is a lot better than the unit that surrendered 41 points to Daniel and the Tigers last year. Missouri has better talent and the better overall team, but one thing to keep in mind is that the home team in this series has won the last six in a row. MIZZOU is an 11-point favorite.

      Other notable games:
      No. 1 Oklahoma at Baylor, 12:30 PM ET Saturday
      The Sooners play their first game since being anointed the top ranked team in the nation. They get a decent opponent in the Bears, who have been a dramatically improved team with scrappy freshman Robert Griffin under center this year.

      Kentucky at No. 2 Alabama, 3:30 PM ET Saturday
      After crushing the Bulldogs in Athens last week, Nick Saban’s Tide can’t fall victims to the upset themselves this week against the unranked Wildcats.

      No. 5 Texas at Colorado, 7:00 PM ET Saturday
      Longhorns’ QB Colt McCoy will look to continue his bid to become this year’s Heisman Trophy winner, but he’ll face a decent Colorado team who is 3-0 at home this year.

      College Football

      Couch Potato Alert: 10/3

      October 3, 2008 /

      Auburn vs. Vanderbilt
      Vanderbilt has endured 25 consecutive losing seasons, but the Commodores are looking to go 5-0 for the first time since 1943, and are trying to earn their first bowl appearance since the 1982 Hall of Fame Classic. They find themselves in sole possession of first place in the SEC Eastern Division. Auburn needs a win on Saturday to have a realistic shot of capturing the SEC Western Division title. The Tigers did derail the Commodores’ early season success last year with a 35-7 blowout win at Auburn. Coverage will begin at 6 PM EST Saturday on ESPN.

      Florida State vs. Miami
      Both teams seem to be on the right track in restoring their reputations as conference contenders despite inconsistent early season performances. This will be the second straight meeting in which neither school is ranked in the polls, and it will be the first time that Miami won’t be hosting the game in the Orange Bowl. Miami’s old home had been a house of horrors for Florida State coach Bobby Bowden, as he was 5-9 against the Canes at the Orange Bowl. Regional coverage begins at 12:30 PM EST Saturday on ABC.

      Ohio State vs. Wisconsin
      The Terrelle Pryor Show continues this week on the road. He has shown the skills that made him the # 1 recruit in the nation by proving he can run and pass in back-to-back home victories over Troy and Minnesota. Now comes the real test – a game at Wisconsin’s raucous and rowdy Camp Randall Stadium. The talented Badgers are no doubt angry, as they’re coming off a 27-21 loss at Michigan in which they blew a 19-0 halftime lead. Regional coverage begins Saturday at 8 PM EST on ABC. Click here for the official Ohio State vs. Wisconsin smack thread.

      Chicago Cubs vs. Los Angeles Dodgers
      Do you believe in curses? If you live in Chicago and root for the Cubs, yes you do. Cubby fans get excited every April, and are heartbroken by October. They have endured eight straight playoff losses, including five in a row under Lou Piniella. The Cubs will have to play better baseball in Los Angeles to bring the series back to Chicago. But history doesn’t bode well for Cub fans, as Piniella is 3-10 in playoff games against Joe Torre, and the 2001 New York Yankees are the only team to come back from a 0-2 deficit in a divisional series. Guess who managed that team….Joe Torre. Saturday’s game 3 coverage will begin 10 PM EST and if necessary Sunday’s game 4 at 4 PM EST on TBS.

      Bullz-Eye Sports Channel, College Football, Couch Potato Alert, General Sports, MLB, Television

      Stanford player: ‘Notre Dame’s Field sucks – I hate that school’

      October 3, 2008 /

      The Notre Dame-Stanford game on Saturday just got a whole hell of a lot more interesting. SPORTSbyBROOKS.com has the story of Stanford offensive lineman Chris Marinelli and his general disdain for all things Notre Dame.

      Notre Dame StadiumMarinelli doesn’t waste any time cutting to the chase:

      “I hate it, playing up there,” Chris Marinelli told cardinalreport.com after practice Wednesday. ”The field, excuse my language, the field sucks. The stadium sucks. I think the area sucks.

      ”I grew up with a bunch of Irish and Italian Catholic people back home,” said the 6-7, 297-pound senior from Braintree, Mass. ”And all the Irish Catholic people, all they talk about is Notre Dame this, Notre Dame that. And they’ve never even been there, you know. So I hate those guys, I hate that school.

      ”We are going out there to mash them up, and that’s all there is to it.”

      Well, at least he’s eloquent. Those Stanford guys have a way with words. All this is coming from a guy who plays his home games in brand new albatross of a stadium that is always half full and features an anthropomorphic tree wobbling around for the crowd’s enjoyment. A stadium where Notre Dame won last year. Yes, last year, when the Irish couldn’t even hang with the service academies.

      Damage control came swiftly, in the form of the ever-popular statement “written” by the offending party. It’s amazing how much Marinelli’s opinion has changed in just a day!

      ”I would like to apologize to the University of Notre Dame and anybody else who I may have offended from the remarks I made in an interview earlier this week. I was caught up in the emotions of the game and should have been more thoughtful in my comments. The remarks were out of character for me and certainly aren’t reflective of my teammates or anybody else affiliated with the Stanford program. I look forward to a competitive game on Saturday in one of the great environments in college football.”

      Whew! Glad that situation was diffused. I almost was considering watching a Notre Dame football game for a second there.

      Allow me to translate Marinelli’s apology:

      “I in no way feel that an apology to the University of Notre Dame is in order but some pile in the AD’s office is making me do this, so F-me right? If you really want to know how I feel about Notre Dame, please see my previous comments. Thank you.”

      College Football

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