Category: College Football (Page 267 of 296)

Here’s an un-computerized look at the top 10 teams in college football:

1. Ohio State (12-0)
Previous Rank: #1
All right Buckeye fans, here’s your chance to tell me whom you want to face come January 8th. Post now or forever hold your piece.

2. USC (10-1)
Previous Rank: #4
It took a lot for me to jump the Trojans up two spots from four to two, but after watching what USC did to the Irish last Saturday, I feel good about the decision. I honestly think that the Trojans just got caught sleeping against Oregon State. USC has a quarterback that is playing great football, two NFL-caliber wide receivers (Dwayne Jarrett is a beast) and a hard-nosed defense. Plus, Pete Carroll always has his boys ready to play in a big game.

3. Michigan (11-1)
Previous Rank: #2
I don’t know if that vaunted Wolverine defense could stop USC for four quarters. The Ohio State game proved that I think. Although something tells me Michigan beats Florida at a neutral site.

4. Florida (11-1)
Previous Rank: #3
This probably isn’t fair to the Gators to move down one spot after a win. But what has been fair to Urban Meyer’s group? Florida would have benefited from Arkansas staying at one-loss, because now a win over the Razorbacks doesn’t look as impressive. Either way, Florida is a very good football team that will probably not get the chance to show the nation what it could really do.

5. LSU (10-2)
Previous Rank: #8
Boy, did the Tigers come full circle or what? I had these guys ranked high all year and even had LSU beating Auburn and Florida earlier in the season. They muffed both of those contests and still find a way back into the top five. I’ve called LSU the Jacksonville Jaguars of the NCAA all year and I think the comparison fits.

6. Arkansas (10-2)
Previous Rank: #5
I’ll highlight the positive in the Razorbacks’ loss to LSU, because everybody knows what the negative was out of the defeat. Darren McFadden is an outstanding player. He completely kept Arkansas in that game with his impressive runs and deserves heavy consideration for a Hesiman. What an athlete.

7. Notre Dame (10-2)
Previous Rank: 6
The only way to explain what happened to the Irish in Southern Cal is that a better team flat out just smoked them. Brady Quinn is sizing up his Lions jersey right now. Start the Joey Harrington nightmares now please.

8. Wisconsin (11-1)
Previous Rank: #10
Good deal for the Badgers. Wisconsin doesn’t even play and it moves up two spots in the rankings. I know the two programs have no relation, but I get a feeling that Urban Meyer and the rest of Gator Nation is upset with this injustice as I type.

9. Oklahoma (10-2)
Previous Rank: Unranked
It took the Sooners all season to make a push back into the top ten after a ref completely shot their season against Oregon. Too bad it’s the end of the season and Oklahoma isn’t fighting for too much these days but a decent bowl. The Sooners must feel like they arrived late to a killer party because they got screwed with bad directions. But as they pull up to the party they see all the action is virtually over. Heal soon Adrian Peterson.

10. Boise State (12-0)
Previous Rank: Unranked
It’s tough to leave out a team that goes undefeated in college football. I don’t care what conference you play in, staying unbeaten is an impressive feat for any program.

Here are your college football players of the week.

Remember, if you feel that another player was worthy of higher honors than the two I chose, post the athlete and let me hear why you think he or they were more deserving.

Here are your top performers of the week:

Offensive Player of the Week: Dwayne Jarrett, WR USC
While there were plenty of solid offensive performances to choose from, I’m always partial to the athlete who does it on a national stage. Jarrett was phenomenal in the Trojans 44-24 victory over Notre Dame. The receiver caught seven passes for 132 yards and three touchdowns and helped propel USC into the #2 spot in the BCS rankings. There might not be a better receiver in the NCAA that uses his size to gain an advantage on a defender than Jarrett.

Defensive Player of the Week: Ben Moffitt, LB South Florida
Moffitt was great in the Bulls 24-19 upset over previously ranked No. 8 West Virginia. The linebacker recorded seven tackles and recovered a Steve Slaton fumble in the end zone for a touchdown. Moffitt was also part of a defensive effort that held Slaton and Pat White to only 60 rushing yards.

With the Trojans convincing 44-24 victory over Notre Dame Saturday night, USC has leapfrogged Michigan in the BCS standings. The Trojans now claim the number two spot behind Ohio State and now USC controls its only destiny. Beat UCLA next week and the Trojans will take on the Buckeyes in the national championship.

Given the current BCS situation, Florida is on the shakiest ground for playing for a national title. A one-loss Gator team being the odd man out won’t sit too well with Florida head coach Urban Meyer and his plea for a playoff system either. The Gators would have plenty to argue about too. Not only does Florida play in one of the toughest conferences in college football, the SEC, but also the Gators only loss was to Auburn. The Tigers were ranked No. 11 when they upset Florida, while USC’s only loss would be to an unranked Oregon State program.

Of course, one thing could fix all of this mess, but it also makes the most sense. That’s why we may never see a playoff system in college football.

Top 10 Rewind:

1. Ohio State (12-0)
Ohio State-USC for a national championship? I can certainly hang with that. I think if Florida beats Arkansas, the Gators have a legitimate grip over not getting a chance at a title. However, after watching the Trojans dismantle Notre Dame, I don’t know if there is a better game than USC-OSU. Michigan-OSU is great from a rivalry standpoint, but then again, the Wolverines already had their shot.

2. Michigan (11-1)
The potential Rose Bowl match up seems to pit Michigan vs. California. Is it just me or does that contest seem rather lame?

3. USC (10-1)
You can check out my Notre Dame-USC recap here.
Next Game: at. UCLA, Dec. 2.

4. Florida (11-1)
Florida survived a couple of big plays and turnovers to hold onto a 21-14 victory over the rival FSU. Couple things from the game: One, play-by-play announcer Gary Thorn either drank gallons of coffee or loaded up on sugar before the game. I swear every time a pass was caught or a tailback broke one tackle the guy lost it in the booth by screaming what a play it was. Settle down chief, save the screaming for a game-ending play. Secondly, FSU quarterback Drew Weatherford is outright terrible. As much as the Seminole defense tried to keep FSU in the game, Weatherford equally tried to give the contest away. Weatherford threw three interceptions, including one that was picked off in the end zone in the third quarter that killed an FSU scoring opportinuty. On TV it almost looked like the kid didn’t even care about winning the game. Next up for the Gators – take care of business next week against Arkansas in the SEC Championship game and then start lobbying how you’re more deserving than USC.
Next Game: vs. Arkansas, Dec. 2.

5. Arkansas (10-2)
What amazes me about Arkansas’s 31-26 loss to LSU on Friday is how these borderline national championship teams continue to choke its chances away at the end of the season. Pundits fought for West Virginia, then Louisville, then Rutgers. Then it was Arkansas that deserved a chance. Maybe there’s a reason why we continue to see the big boys competing for a national title every year. Either way, the BCS system continues to get let off the hook, especially if the Razorbacks knock off the Gators next week in the SEC Championship. These “potentials” continue to fall and the BCS is able to justify not having a playoff format. And once again, the fans continue to lose.
Next Game: at. Florida, Dec. 2.

6. Notre Dame (10-2)
You can check out my Notre Dame-USC recap here.

7. West Virginia (9-2)
South Florida took advantage of four Mountaineer turnovers to defeat West Virginia 24-19. What a shocker, another Big East program gets knocked out of the top 10. It’s amazing how just three weeks ago, three Big East teams were ranked in the top 10, now the conference will be lucky to have one. Allow me to give credit where credit is due, however. To go into Virginia and knock off the No. 7 team in the nation is impressive. South Florida is no cupcake either, as the Bulls end their season 8-4. The amazing thing about South Florida’s victory was holding Steve Slaton and Pat White to a combined 60 yards rushing. That’s quite a drop off from the two sophomore’s usual output of about 1,000 yards a game.
Next Game: vs. Rutgers, Dec. 2.

8. Louisville (10-1)
The Cardinals smacked around a lifeless second-half Pittsburgh team 48-24. Quarterback Brian Brohm threw for 337 yards and four touchdowns. Brohm was an impressive 21-of-29 passing as Mario Urrutia hauled in seven receptions for 144 yards and one touchdown. It’s kind of ironic that Louisville will more than likely finish the season ahead of West Virginia. After losing to Rutgers, the Cardinals were cast aside quickly, even though Louisville beat the Mountaineers a week before the defeat. It’s just interesting how things come full circle sometimes in college football.
Next Game: vs. Connecticut, Dec. 2.

9. LSU (8-2)
The Tigers 31-26 win over was Arkansas was big in my eyes. Not only did LSU knock an SEC rival out of contention for a national title, but the Tigers also prove that they could win a big game this season. When you’re beating up Tulane and Arizona, but falling to Auburn and Florida, there’s obviously not much creditability there. However, you knock off one of the SEC Championship teams in Arkansas on its home turf and now you have something to build on heading into a bowl game. Nice win LSU.

10. Wisconsin (11-1)
As of right now, it looks like Wisconsin might play Arkansas in the Capitol One Bowl. If that were the case, Darren McFadden vs. P.J. Hill would be quite a running back dual.

Most impressed with: South Florida holding both Steve Slaton and Pat White under 100 combined rushing yards. That’s amazing considering both Slaton and White usually crack 150 yards on the ground apiece.

Least impressed with: West Virginia, Texas and Notre Dame were the biggest flubs of the weekend. But at least the Irish can say they lost to a USC team that is probably heading to a national championship.

Biggest upset: How about Texas A&M going into Austin and knocking off Texas 12-7 on Friday? The Aggies haven’t defeated the Long Horns in six straight meetings and held a Texas offense to just one touchdown after coming into the game averaging close to 40 points a game. Texas QB Colt McCoy was just hammered on more than one occasion throughout the game. He seemed okay, but McCoy left the field on a stretcher. Welcome to the A&M-Texas rivalry freshman.

Looking forward: Arkansas vs. Florida tops the list as far as big games, but many eyes will be on UCLA-USC to see if the Trojans will get tripped up at the end of the season.