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      NFL Week 9 MVP power rankings

      November 14, 2010 /

      It’s getting more and more crowded at the top in these power rankings. It seems like each week, someone new steps up and tried to claim a nomination or spot on this list. That’s life in the 2010 NFL season. Here are the MVP rankings for this week….and since there was a game Thursday, we have to take it into account:

      1. Roddy White, Atlanta Falcons—On pace for 125 catches, 1660 yards and 12 TDs

      2. Peyton Manning, Indianapolis Colts—Who is he even throwing to? Yet still on pace for almost 5000 yards

      3. Clay Matthews, Green Bay Packers—11 sacks at mid-point with a shot to break Michael Strahan’s single-season record

      4. Matt Ryan, Atlanta Falcons—The Falcons are the first 7-win team (thanks to a Thursday nighter) and Ryan helped lead them to victory against Baltimore

      5. Arian Foster, Houston Texans—Exactly where did this dude come from? He’s carried the ball 157 times and is averaging 5.5 yards per attempt.

      6. Philip Rivers, San Diego Chargers—He has even less warm bodies than Manning to throw to, yet keeps putting numbers up.

      7. Michael Vick, Philadelphia Eagles—With all due respect to Kevin Kolb, the Eagles are a playoff team with Vick, spectators without him.

      8. Osi Umenyiora, New York Giants—The sacks leader on a D-line that leads the league in knocking out quarterbacks

      9. Hakeem Nicks, New York Giants—Leads all wide receivers in TDs

      10. Tom Brady, New England Patriots—It’s not so much the numbers, it’s the way this dude leads his team week after week—and they are looking pretty good.

      External Sports, NFL

      Surprise! Cam Newton played, and — surprise! — Auburn won

      November 13, 2010 /
      AUBURN, AL - NOVEMBER 13: Quarterback Cameron Newton of the Auburn Tigers stays in bounds as he scores a touchdown against Brandon Boykin of the Georgia Bulldogs at Jordan-Hare Stadium on November 13, 2010 in Auburn, Alabama. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

      Amid rumors swirling about his eligibility and participation in a pay-to-play scandal, Cam Newton went out and did what he does best on Saturday — dominate.

      Newton had 148 yards and two touchdowns through the air, and added 151 yards and two more scores on the ground as Auburn remained undefeated with a 49-31 win against Georgia. The win clinches the SEC West Division title for the Tigers, who will enter their annual Iron Bowl showdown with Alabama at 11-0.

      What happens between now and Nov. 26 — the day of the Iron Bowl — with Newton is unknown. At the rate news breaks on the subject, I imagine things will be a lot more clear before that.

      Apparently Auburn feels safe enough with the information it has about Newton’s eligibility. Or maybe it doesn’t, and just doesn’t care. Why sit him and miss out on a national title without knowing for sure if he’s going to be ruled ineligible? Maybe he goes through the season, wins the Heisman and a national title and nothing happens.

      Or maybe they’re stripped of everything after the fact. The only thing I think we can say with any level of certainty is that without Newton on the field, none of that matters, because Auburn isn’t beating Alabama without him. Heck, it might not beat the Tide with him.

      I guess the other thing we can be certain of is that this story isn’t going away any time soon.

      College Football, External Sports

      Crazy day in the Big Ten: Wisconsin scores 83, Iowa falters on the road

      November 13, 2010 /
      IOWA CITY, IA - OCTOBER 23- Quarterback Scott Tolzien of the Wisconsin Badgers celebrates with teammates Isaac Anderson and Bradie Ewing after their the University of Iowa Hawkeyes at Kinnick Stadium on October 23, 2010 in Iowa City, Iowa. Wisconsin won 31-30 over Iowa. (Photo by David Purdy/Getty Images)

      I went out for the afternoon to cover a high school football game, and all hell broke loose in the Big Ten. Well, not all hell, but some, anyway.

      The big news is that Iowa, one of the four teams that came into this weekend tied for the top spot in the conference, lost on the road to Northwestern. The Wildcats came back from a 10-point fourth-quarter deficit for a 21-17 win over the Hawkeyes. Dan Persa hit Demetrius Fields for a 20-yard touchdown with 1:22 remaining in the game for the winning score.

      The loss could be the end of Iowa’s conference title/BCS hopes. They can help themselves out quite a bit next week, however, by taking out Ohio State at Kinnick Stadium.

      One team they cannot stop, however, is Wisconsin, which I think just scored on Indiana again (it doesn’t matter what time you’re reading this, that still works). The Badgers won 83-20 (!) at home today, for their fifth straight win. You’d be hard-pressed to convince me any team is playing better in the Big Ten right now than Wisconsin. The Badgers finish the season with a game at Michigan and at home against Northwestern.

      After scoring 83 on Indiana, anyone want to put an over/under on what they’ll score against Michigan? I mean, the baseline has to be like 65, right? Oh, and I forgot to mention, Wisconsin did that without John Clay in the lineup. How this team looked so bad early in the season, and lost to Michigan State by 10, I’ll never know.

      College Football, External Sports

      That Utah win doesn’t look so impressive anymore for TCU

      November 13, 2010 /
      SOUTH BEND, IN - NOVEMBER 13: Tommy Rees of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish throws a pass against the Utah Utes at Notre Dame Stadium on November 13, 2010 in South Bend, Indiana. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)

      Remember that huge win that TCU picked up last week, on the road against a top-five Utah team? Yeah, that doesn’t look nearly as impressive today.

      The Utes went to South Bend today and were pounded by Notre Dame, 28-3. This is the same Notre Dame team that lost to Tulsa two weeks ago, and was routed by Navy a week before that. The same Notre Dame team that was without its starting quarterback, starting running back, starting tight end and second-leading receiver. The Irish were starting a true freshman at quarterback, and they still beat the crap out of Utah.

      This is bad for TCU, as the perception of that Utah win was huge for them. Some in the media — myself included, if I count — were calling it the biggest and most impressive win of the season for any team this year. That’s out the window now.

      The reason this matters is that it’s all about perception for the little guys trying to get into the BCS title game. Boise State was hurt by Virginia Tech losing to James Madison. The Broncos are being helped, however, by the current run the Hokies are on. Every game Virginia Tech plays is almost as important for Boise State as every game the Broncos play themselves. Utah was TCU’s Virginia Tech, and while losing to Notre Dame on the road isn’t as bad as losing to James Madison, being thoroughly dominated like Utah was is. In fact, it might be worse.

      Boise State finishes out this season with a stronger schedule than TCU, and might pass the Horned Frogs in the computer rankings. Utah’s loss today might allow Boise to pass TCU in the human polls, as well.

      College Football, External Sports

      Northwestern upsets Iowa for the second straight year

      November 13, 2010 /
      EVANSTON, IL - OCTOBER 23: Head coach Pat Fitzgerald of the Northwestern Wildcats encourages his team as they take on the Michigan State Spartans at Ryan Field on October 23, 2010 in Evanston, Illinois. Michigan State defeated Northwestern 35-27. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)

      The last time Iowa faced Northwestern was last year when the Hawkeyes were 9-0 and streaking towards a date with Ohio State for the chance to play in the Rose Bowl.

      But the Wildcats ruined Iowa’s dreams then and then did it again this year.

      For the fifth time in the last six meetings between these two teams, Northwestern was able to get the best of Iowa in a dramatic 24-17 win at Ryan Field in Evanston. The Wildcats were trailing 17-7 after Hawkeyes’ quarterback Ricky Stanzi threw two touchdown passes early in the third quarter. But Brian Peters picked off Stanzi near the goal line in the fourth quarter and the Northwestern comeback was on.

      Dan Persa found Jeremy Ebert on a 6-yard touchdown pass with 6:21 remaining in the game to cut Iowa’s lead to 17-14, then Persa threw up a jump ball that Demetrius Fields snagged for another score with just 1:22 on the clock. Stanzi drove the Hawkeyes into Northwestern territory, but a 4th-and-16 Hail Mary attempt fell incomplete with six seconds left and the Wildcats hung on for the win.

      Outside of Ohio State, Northwestern is the only other team that Hawkeyes coach Kirk Ferentz has a losing record against. Without a chance to win the Big Ten, Iowa will try to ruin Ohio State’s chances next week at home at 3:30PM ET.

      College Football, External Sports

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