Category: College Football (Page 30 of 296)

      In touching moment, Eric LeGrand leads Rutgers onto field

      October 29, 2011 /

      A little over a year after being paralyzed from the neck down, former Rutgers defensive tackle Eric LeGrand led the Scarlett Knights onto the field today for their game against West Virginia.

      LeGrand has been a model for perseverance since the injury, as he continues to be a bright personality in public. He’s even done some play-by-play while he continues to recover from his injuries.

      From the ESPN New York article:

      LeGrand was wearing a black Rutgers jersey like the rest of the team, and rode his motorized wheelchair, with an axe on his lap — a symbol of coach Greg Schiano’s mantra of “keep chopping.” Junior defensive tackle Scott Vallone and junior linebacker Khaseem Greene — both former roommates of LeGrand’s — were on either side of him, with the rest of the players following behind.

      LeGrand led the team to the 50-yard line, turned right and went to the sideline before quickly leaving the field.

      Amidst the snowstorm, the half-filled stadium was filled with chants of “52!” — LeGrand’s former number.

      Doctors predicted LeGrand would never be able to breathe without a ventilator after the injury, but he is now standing for 40 minutes at a time in therapy, and predicts he will walk again.

      College Football, External Sports

      After all the good, Michigan State’s bad puts it in a tough spot

      October 29, 2011 /
      Michigan State Spartans center John Stipek (R) is consoled by a teammate while sitting on the bench during the second half of the Capital One Bowl college football game against the Alabama Crimson Tide in Orlando, Florida, January 1, 2011. REUTERS/Phelan M. Ebenhack (UNITED STATES – Tags: SPORT FOOTBALL)

      Before the month of October started, Michigan State was staring at a brutal conference gauntlet of four straight games against Ohio State, Michigan, Wisconsin and Nebraska. Somehow, the Spartans found a way to win those first three, pushing themselves near the top 10 of the BCS rankings and taking control of the Big Ten Legends Division.

      But with today’s loss to Nebraska, the Spartans and their very respectable 3-1 record during the month, need help to get to the Big Ten Championship Game in Indianapolis.

      It’s a cruel fate for a team that found different ways to win against three of the Big Ten’s top six teams, and somehow was able to get emotionally ready to play all three of them. Apparently four is too much to ask for, however, as the Spartans — especially offensively — looked listless in the loss.

      Kirk Cousins was terrible, the run game was non-existent and the defense was tired from spending most of the game on the field after the offense yet again failed to do anything.

      So now Nebraska is in the Legends driver’s seat, holding the head-to-head tie-breaker against MSU and having the luxury of its one conference loss (at Wisconsin) coming outside of the division. The road is not easy, however, as Nebraska finishes the season at home against Northwestern, at Michigan, at Penn State and at home against Iowa. With as erratic as the Nebraska offense is, any one of those games is losable.

      Michigan State’s road wasn’t a guarantee, but it was much easier than Nebraska’s, they substitute Michigan and Penn State for Indiana and Minnesota, the conference’s two worst teams.

      It’s amazing how quickly the euphoria from a miracle last-second win against an unbeaten, top 10 opponent can wear off in college football. But I suppose that’s part of the reason we all love it so much.

      College Football, External Sports, News

      Fade Material: College Football Week 9 Predictions

      October 29, 2011 /
      Oklahoma State Cowboys quarterback Brandon Weeden throws the football in the first quarter against the Missouri Tigers at Faurot Field in Columbia, Missouri on October 22, 2011. Oklahoma State won the game 45-24. UPI/Bill Greenblatt

      My season record stayed status quo after finishing 2-2 last week. Alabama and Texas Tech (which won outright against Oklahoma) covered but neither Arkansas nor Boise State mustered enough points against Ole Miss and Air Force, respectively. In fact, Arkansas nearly lost outright and Air Force kept things relatively close all game against the Broncos.

      My season record is now 19-11-2 and I keep rotating between feeling confident and scared out of my mind with my picks this week.

      Oklahoma @ Kansas State, 3:30PM ET
      One of two things is going to happen today. Either the Sooners are going to come out pissed off about their loss last week to Tech and absolutely crush the Wildcats or they’re going to come out flat and potentially lose outright. What I don’t like about that scenario is the unknown. We know what we’re getting out of K-State: A solid football team with a dual threat quarterback that has been disrespected by oddsmakers all season. I think the spread should be closer to 10 instead of nearly two touchdowns. I get that oddsmakers are trying to protect themselves from a potential OU rout, but I still like Bill Snyder’s team today at home.
      THE PICK: KANSAS STATE +13.5

      Baylor @ Oklahoma State, 3:30PM ET
      It’s funny, the Cowboys keep rolling but the lines in their games always seem pretty reasonable for a team that’s 7-0 and 6-1 against the spread this season. It appears as though the sharp bettors keep going against them and it’s keeping the spreads low. I realize that Baylor can score on anyone and OK State’s defense couldn’t stop a nosebleed. But the Bears’ D isn’t anything to right home about either and if it’s going to be a shootout, I like Brandon Weeden and Justin Blackmon on their home turf, especially with Baylor coming off a humbling 55-28 loss to Texas A&M.
      THE PICK: OKLAHOMA STATE -14

      Colorado @ Arizona State, 6:30PM ET
      I thought the Buffaloes were going to keep things close at home against a banged up Oregon team. Instead, Colorado was crushed 45-2 in one of the more pathetic showings of any college team this year. With quarterback Tyler Hansen (concussion) not expected to play and redshirt freshman Nick Hirschman under center, I like ASU to roll. The Sun Devils haven’t exactly been lighting the stat sheet up but Colorado has been outscored by an average of 26.5 points in its four road losses this season. Brock Osweiler should have himself a big night.
      THE PICK: ARIZONA STATE -31

      Clemson @ Georgia Tech, 8:00PM ET
      Everyone keeps waiting for Clemson to implode and all they keep doing is winning. BIG. I was among the contingent that believed the Tigers would fall apart at some point but looking at their upcoming schedule they have a great opportunity to finish the season undefeated if they can play well on the road. Today marks the first of three road games that Clemson has left on its schedule. A trip to Atlanta to play Paul Johnson’s Yellow Jackets is never easy, but Georgia Tech has issues. Quarterback Tevin Washington has thrown four interceptions over the last three games, starting center Jay Finch is out with an injured leg and opponents have started to exploit Johnson’s run-happy offense. I have no qualms about laying the points with Clemson. I just hope the hook doesn’t burn me.
      THE PICK: CLEMSON TIGERS –3.5

      Last Week: 2-2
      Season Record: 19-11-2

      Check out College Football Point Spreads at Bullz-Eye.com.

      College Football, External Sports, Free Picks

      Will $2,000 make a difference?

      October 25, 2011 /
      Auburn University quarterback Clint Moseley (15) is sacked Louisiana State University saftey Derrick Bryant (36) by during their NCAA football game in Baton Rouge, Louisiana October 22, 2011. REUTERS/Sean Gardner (UNITED STATES – Tags: SPORT FOOTBALL)

      The NCAA is weighing a $2,000 increase in the amount universities can give to college athletes for their scholarships. The idea is to help cover the “full cost” of attending college.

      Will this solve all the problems? Of course not. The NCAA brain trust needs to rethink all of their idiotic rules, and they also need to consider letting these athletes earn money from their celebrity status. Maybe we need to redefine what it means to be an amateur athlete in the 21st century.

      That said, this should help a little. Giving these kids some spending money should lessen the incentive to accept benefits from boosters.

      College Football, External Sports

      Oklahoma goes down at home against Texas Tech

      October 23, 2011 /

      No. 3 Oklahoma couldn’t overcome an early deficit as they lost to Texas Tech 41-38. The much-hyped Sooners’ defense gave up 572 total yards to the Red Raiders along with the 41 points, pretty much destroying any notion that they belonged in the National Championship game. Meanwhile Landry Jones completed 30 of 55 passes in the shootout for 412 yards and 5 touchdowns against one interception.

      This result will shake up the BCS rankings, as No. 4 Wisconsin also lost a heart-breaker to Michigan State. Few people have been talking about No. 8 Stanford, but with Andrew Luck at the helm, they might pose the most interesting challenge to the eventual SEC winner if that’s how things play out. Last night Luck barely had to break a sweat in Stanford’s 65-21 thrashing of No. 25 Washington, as the running game for Stanford exploded for 446 yards and 5 touchdowns.

      Of course the entire BCS discussion is ridiculous. Oklahoma is still a very good team, and if we had a sensible 8-team playoff for example, the Sooners would have a chance to redeem themselves and learn from this loss. Unfortunately, that notion doesn’t exist often in college football unless everyone ends up losing a game.

      College Football, External Sports, News

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