Tag: Big Ten (Page 6 of 6)

      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

      Couch Potato Alert: 9/26

      September 26, 2008 /

      Alabama vs. Georgia
      This game has actually exceeded all pre-season expectations, since the matchup now pits two top-10 teams against each other. Nick Saban is leading his Crimson Tide into Athens for a program temperature check. How much have they improved will be determined “between the hedges” against the undefeated Bulldogs on Saturday night. Coverage begins at 7:45PM EST on ESPN. Click here for the official Alabama-Georgia smack thread.

      Illinois vs. Penn State
      Both schools will open conference play on Saturday evening at Beaver Stadium. The key matchup pits swift-footed Fighting Illini quarterback Juice Williams against the #1 defense in the Big Ten. After throwing for over 400 yards against Missouri in the season opener, Williams has since struggled with his passing efficiency and will go against a defense that has only allowed two passing touchdowns on the season. Joe Paterno is trying to avenge a tough loss last year in Champagne. Regional coverage begins at 8 PM EST on ABC.

      Major League Baseball
      How exciting will baseball be this weekend? Well, considering five teams (Chicago White Sox, Minnesota Twins, Philadelphia Phillies, New York Mets, and Milwaukee Brewers) are competing for three playoff spots, the excitement level is pretty high. The weather could be the biggest opponent for the teams on the East Coast, as the forecast calls for 80-90 percent chance of rain throughout the weekend. It’s difficult to imagine the amount of chaos several rainouts will bring to the end of the season. But there’s a good possibility that one, two, or three teams will have to play a 163rd or makeup game to break a tie on Monday or Tuesday. Check your local listing on ESPN, Fox Sports, and TBS on game coverage this weekend.

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

      Week 5 College Football Primer

      September 24, 2008 /

      Time to check out the big games, top matchups and potential upsets as college football heads into Week 5.

      Top 25 Action:
      Nick SabanNo. 8 Alabama (4-0, 1-0 SEC) at No. 3 Georgia (4-0, 1-0 SEC), Saturday 7:45 PM ET ESPN
      In their 27-10 win over Arizona State last week, the Bulldogs were able to physically dominate ASU in the trenches, but questions still remain about their inexperienced offensive line. After having trouble with South Carolina’s front four two weeks ago, UGA head coach Mark Richt made some changes that at the very least, worked in the win over ASU. But the Bulldogs’ offensive line will get another stiff test this week against a physical defensive front of Alabama. Tide head coach Nick Saban has his team believing they can win and their 328-92 rushing dominance in a win at Arkansas last week was nothing short of impressive. Last year ‘Bama gave Georgia everything they could handle before finally losing 26-23 in overtime in Tuscaloosa. So it should be another great SEC battle “between the hedges” this Saturday. Georgia is currently a 6.5-point favorite.

      No. 24 TCU (4-0, 1-0 MWC) at No. 2 Oklahoma (3-0, 2-0 home), Saturday 7:00 PM ET
      The Sooners wrap up their non-conference schedule by hosting an undefeated TCU team that ranks 13th in the nation in points scored. Of course, Oklahoma is the top ranked program in that category, so lets not get ahead ourselves in predicting an upset. The Sooners have outscored opponents 164-42 and are second in the nation with a 40.7 average margin of victory. OU head coach Bob Stoops has been around the block more than enough to know his team can’t relax before conference play. Oklahoma is an 18.5-point home favorite.

      No. 22 Illinois (2-1, 0-1 away) at No. 12 Penn State (4-0, 3-0 home)
      Entering the season, Ohio State and Wisconsin were considered the class of the Big Ten. While that might still be the case, the conference produces an underrated matchup this Saturday in Happy Valley when the Nittany Lions host the Illini. So far this season, PSU has one of the best offenses in the nation, ranking sixth in total yards, 31st in passing yards, eighth in rushing yards and third in points scored. But the last time the Lions squared off against Illinois, they turned the ball over three times inside the Illini’ 30-yard line in a surprising 27-20 loss in Champaign. Film of that game will almost certainly be shown to PSU players leading up to Saturday’s game. Illinois is currently a 15-point road dog.

      Upset Watch:
      Chris ToddTennessee at No. 15 Auburn Saturday 3:30 PM ET CBS
      Considering they were crushed 30-6 by Florida last Saturday, not too many people will give the Vols a chance this weekend against the Tigers, who are coming off a narrow loss to No. 6 LSU. But Tennessee played better against the Gators than the final score indicated. The UT defense surrendered only 16 first downs and 243 yards against the high-powered Florida offense. That bodes well this week when they take on an Auburn offense that has only managed 17 points in their first eight quarters against SEC opponents and is largely still a work in progress. Oddsmakers have established Auburn as a 6.5-point favorite.

      Other notable games:
      No. 1 USC at Oregon State, Thursday 9:00 PM ET ESPN
      Remember the last time USC traveled to Corvallis? The Trojans certainly do.

      Mississippi State at No. 5 LSU Saturday 7:30 PM ESPN2
      The Tigers are coming off a huge win last week in Auburn. Will they have a letdown against unranked Mississippi State?

      Arkansas at No. 7 Texas Saturday 3:30 PM ET ABC
      Bobby Petrino’s bunch were hammered last week at home against Alabama. Petrino can probably count on similar results this week in Austin.

      College Football

      Missouri tops Illinois 52-42 in wild shootout

      August 31, 2008 /

      Jeremy Maclin helped No. 6 Missouri beat No. 20 Illinois 52-42 in a thriller Saturday night at the Edward Jones Dome in St. Louis.

      It was over when… Missouri LB Sean Weatherspoon picked off Juice Williams and returned the INT 35 yards for a touchdown with 3:18 left in the game, pushing the score to 52-35 and ending Illinois’ comeback attempt.
      Gameball goes to… Chase Daniel, who saw a second quarter INT brought back for a touchdown, but settled down and finished the game with three TDs, 323 yards passing and 47 yards rushing.
      Stat of the game… 1,081: The Tigers and Fighting Illini combined for over 1,000 yards of total offense in their second straight thriller in St. Louis.

      Missouri’s defense didn’t look good, but Illinois deserves massive credit for hanging with the Tigers for four quarters. Even though they couldn’t pull out a win, the Illini needed a showing like this to prove that last year wasn’t a fluke and that the program is making strides. Ron Zook is turning Illinois into a competitor and if Saturday night was any indication of what’s to come for them, the Illini are going to battle Ohio State and Wisconsin this year in a weak Big Ten.

      As for Missouri, the defense was an issue but what an amazing offense. The season just started but I can’t wait for the MIZZOU-Kansas game.

      College Football

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