Texas A&M Aggies vs. Arkansas Razorbacks
Draper: SEC vs. soon-to-be-SEC. The Razorbacks got absolutely SMOKED by Alabama in a game that surprised no one. A&M fell apart last week by giving up a 17 point lead at home to an offensively dynamic team in Ok State. Both teams limp into this marquee matchup that (once again) no one is talking about. Arkansas is an also ran every year (as is Texas A&M) but I think the Aggies have a little more top to bottom talent. The second half collapse looms large but A&M needs to rebound. Arkansas's Tyler Wilson is good but they will come up just short. TAMU: 27--Ark: 24
Auer: After losing a game they shouldn't have, the Texas A&M Aggies will be looking to make a statement against an overrated R-kansas squad. The Aggies have surprised me, mostly in good was every time I've watched them, and their defense is better than expected. Arkansas has struggled, and karma has not been with them so far. TAMU: 21--Ark: 13
Hoying: A&M showed flashes of brilliance last week against Okie State, but QB Ryan Tannehill has proven to be as turnover-prone as ever, practically giving the game away. The Aggies also proved to be vulnerable against the pass, which gives an edge to Arkansas's airborne attack. However, Texas A&M is too balanced and too talented for the the Hogs to pull this one off. Look for the Aggies to win a shootout. TAMU: 41--Ark: 31
Nebraska Cornhuskers @ Wisconsin Badgers
Draper: I hate to say this, but I don't think this is going to be that close. Neither of these teams has played an opponent with a pulse but Wisconsin has looked solid on both sides of the ball whereas the Black Shirt defense of Nebraska has yet to make an appearance. Taylor Martinez and Rex Burkhead are spectacular runners but Wisconsin will probably load the box to slow down the running game. Martinez won't be able to throw well enough to keep up with the points his defense will give up. Also, Camp Randall at night is a trial by fire for the Nebraska welcome to the B1G. Nebraska: 17--Wisconsin: 31
Auer: Very torn in this one. Do I root for a team I despise, or a newcomer to the conference I know and love? Wisconsin really might be that good. Nebraska's defense might very well be a sieve. I'm going with the Badgers here, and I think it could be ugly. Nebraska: 13--Wisconsin: 41
Hoying: Which team wins this one: the one which has struggled to beat mid-level competition or the one which has spent 4 weeks mauling the Little Sisters of the Poor? Wisconsin has looked nigh unbeatable so far, but their lack of practice against quality opposition will come back to bite them here. Look for a big rushing day from Taylor Martinez and another great performance from Russell Wilson, but the over-hyped, over-confident Badgers will be brought down to reality at the hands of the B1G's newest contender. Nebraska: 35 -- Wisconsin: 34
Clemson Tigers @ Virginia Tech Hokies
Draper: Clemson is coming off a tailor made upset over Florida State (QB hurt, opponent off of a huge game, etc.) to face the other big bad boy in the ACC in Lane Stadium. Tajh Boyd has been spectacular as has the freshman Sammy Watkins, but Virginia Tech is quietly sneaking around under Logan Thomas. Clemson provides the first real test, but Blacksburg will be rocking. Let's not forget all of Clemson's big wins come at home. Lane Stadium shifts the needle to the Hokies and people will start to take note of Beamer's boys. Clem: 16--VT: 27
Auer: Clemson is off to a good start this season but is due for a let down. Haven't watched much of the Hokies, but Blacksburg and Beamerball are the perfect medicine to stop Dabo's Tigers. Clem: 10--VT: 19
Hoying: Clemson QB Tajh Boyd has been playing out of his mind this year, putting up ridiculous numbers against Florida State and Auburn (yes, Auburn has no defense this year, but they're no Marshall or Appalachian State). Meanwhile, Virginia Tech has been fed a steady diet of mediocre teams while waiting to trap the Tigers in Blacksburg. What have we learned from watching Clemson in the past? They have to seize a shot at the conference title before they can choke it all away! Clem: 27--VT: 21
Alabama Crimson Tide @ Florida Gators
Draper: This is a HUGE game in the SEC that will test to see if UF is for real and is Bama as good as we think they are. Florida has some awesome playmakers in Chris Rainey and Jeff Demps but Bama's defense is really really good. On the other side of the ball, both are relatively pedestrian except for the Tide's running back Trent Richardson. Being in the Swamp at night is a tall order, but I think Saban quiets the Gators again with some key defensive stops. Bama: 27--UF: 16
Auer: The Crimson Tide are proving time and again that they are the best team in the nation. The Gators are the Gators, and will stick with the top defense in the nation for a good bit of this game. The Swamp could slow down Alabama initially, but the solid ground game and stout D will prove too much for Florida. Bama: 35--UF: 20
Hoying: Make no mistake, the Gators are back after Urban Meyer's phoned-in 2010 season, but they're not quite in position to challenge Alabama yet. If Our Lord and Savior TIM TEBOW himself were back in orange and blue, all we would see is another waterworks on the sidelines after this scary Alabama D stuffed him again. This one shouldn't be close. Bama: 27--UF: 10
Michigan State Spartans @ Ohio State Buckeyes
Draper: One. more. game. That's all we need Buckeyes. This is the last game for which there are excuses. Following this game, WR1, RB1, LT, and...random defensive guy come back. This is the last statement game for those guys who did everything (or most things in the case of Jordan Hall) right. Huge statement game in the Shoe to show the Buckeyes haven't fallen completely away. The good news is that we get Sparty who, for lack of a better term, is Sparty. MSU has smoked the crappy teams and lost on their only road game vs. a mediocre opponent in ND. Look for Braxton to keep running with little umph in the passing game. Hall will go for 150 yards to stake his claim to challenge Herron upon return. Kirk Cousins and the Spartans will need to throw to score and a key interception late will seal a huge win for the Scarlet and Gray. It won't be pretty, but we'll escape. MSU: 23--OSU: 24
Auer: The Bucks have to win, don't they? Mark Dantonio is a great coach, but his QB, Kirk Cousins, is still a flake. The Buckeye defense will continue to improve, and needs to gel against an average MSU offense. They do present a variety of threats, but the Silver Bullets are just better. The Shoe should be rocking for the Big Ten opener and the final game before the "Friends of Pryor" return to the lineup. Go Bucks. MSU: 16--OSU: 24
Hoying: This game pits strength on strength: OSU's latest Superman, RB Jordan Hall, will need all his X-Ray vision to find gaps in a stout MSU run defense. Add in his phenomenal kick return ability, and he should do enough to keep the Scarlet and Gray close, but not enough to win. That task will fall squarely on the shoulders of Braxton Miller. Notre Dame's Tommy Rees was able to smoke the Spartan secondary, but Braxton will crumble under the pressure, making a crucial late-game mistake that seals the Buckeyes' fate. I hope I'm wrong. MSU: 21--OSU:17
Upset Special(s)
Draper: NW over Ill, Zona over USC (I don't really see any)
Auer: KState over Baylor, Iowa State over Texas
Hoying: Auburn over South Carolina (and lots of upsets above)
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Monday, September 26, 2011
Five Thoughts from the Week that was
1) There needs to be more harsh consequences for referees errors...especially those which should NEVER happen.
Who saw the Toledo/Syracuse game? No one? What about the replay that is being shown briefly then hidden? With a few minutes left in the game, Syracuse scored a TD to go up 29-27. They proceeded to MISS THE PAT!! But the official under the goalpost, the referee, AND THE REPLAY OFFICIAL ruled the extra point went through the uprights. Of course, Toledo ended up kicking a field goal to send the game into overtime which Syracuse ended up winning. Toledo is requested the game to vacated (which won't happen), but people aren't placing enough blame on the officials. Sports officials (NBA refs, MLB umps, NFL/NCAA officials) are routinely given passes for mistakes they make. It's time for this to stop. These officials are paid a lot of money to make the correct calls. Some calls a judgement calls or subjective, but those that are cut and dry and still missed need to result in severe consequences (termination in most cases). Jim Joyce cost Armando Gallaraga a perfect game due to a blown call and this weekend, the officials cost Toledo a win (which could cost them a lot down the road) because the referees were incompetent. Officials often hide behind a veneer of 98-99% success rate on calls. This is blatantly skewed. 75% of the calls in every sport are such that a 5 year old child can make them correctly (like whether or not a PAT goes through the uprights or if someone is out in baseball by 40 ft.). These officials are extremely well paid (5 figures PER GAME in some cases). To miss calls of this simplicity is not acceptable. And then to examine this on video replay and not correcting an error that a monkey wouldn't make makes the matter so much worse. I have been trained as an official in basketball and football and I agree that it is a difficult job. With that being said, these missed calls are completely inexcusable at any level. These officials should tender their resignations immediately (unless they've already been canned) and beg thee league to try to rectify their error which has cost others so dearly.
2) Teams must be constantly ready for that upset possibility.
It seems that there are simply no free lunches in college football anymore. Toledo pushes OSU to the buzzer, LA Tech forced Mississippi State to overtime, Utah State should have beaten Auburn. There are myriad examples this year alone of teams rising well above themselves to scare a powerhouse or even defeat them. Ever since App State beat Michigan in 2007, the little guy has believed. Now the big boys must always be vigilant for the scrappy team that will always threaten to derail a season. We must never forget that those little teams circle the games 4 years previous. No one remembers the Little Caesar's Bowl winner, but everyone remembers Appalachian State upsetting the Wolverines (hehehehe).
3) The Pac 12, like the Big Ten, is also very bad
Those teams that will contend for a title are few and far between this year, but it's a pretty safe bet that they won't come from the B1G or Pac 12. Yes, there are Wisconsin (played no one), Nebraska (terrible defense), Oregon (lost their only big game), and Stanford (1 player and play no one), but no one really buys these teams as legitimate contenders. The cream of the SEC (LSU and Bama), Oklahoma, and maybe Boise or Ok St. are the only contenders now. The Big Ten traditionally takes the beating for being overrated, but let's heap some of the blame on the Pac 12. USC almost (and probably should have) lost to the worst Big Ten team, Minnesota. ASU lost to a mediocre B1G Illinois. Oregon St. lost at home to Sacramento St. The Washington and Washington State's are as billed (bad). Here's an example of East Coast bias helping the reputation of the Pac12 by hiding how bad the conference is. Oregon and Stanford are pretty good, but the rest of the conference is terrible.
4) Heisman trophies are more or less decided in the preseason unless a truly special player throws his hat in the race...early.
Luck. Moore. James. Jones. There're your Heisman finalists in September and most likely in December. Yes, everyone likes to pretend that someone else has a chance, but let's be honest, it's not realistic. ESPiN tried to anoint Denard Robinson after the Notre Dame game because of the explosive runs, but that game did nothing but show me he has absolutely no chance of winning without any talent throwing the ball. He'll fall off in B1G play just like last year. Anyone else is pushed to the side by the media so the preseason contenders can compete. There are other good players, but media shows what it will to determine. Blackmon and Lattimore have a slim shot, but they need to be transcendent to enter the ring. Every once in a while, a Cam Newton comes from nowhere, but we won't get a chance to see that unless some unknown leads their team to an undefeated season.
5) There are some REALLY good teams (top 10) that no one knows about due to media undercoverage.
Quick, what was the matchup of top 10 teams last week? Most would guess LSU/WVU or Bama/Arkansas but it was Ok State/Texas A&M. If you saw the hype for this Big 12 matchup, you would probably be alone. The worldwide leader (and their SEC contract) hid this incredibly big early season matchup on the back page to highlight a good SEC team vs. a Big East contender. I truly believe that the Cowboys are one of the best teams in the country, but you'd never know with the coverage they get. We need the media to come out from behind the screen of unbiased-ness and own up to their true allegiance: $$$$. Yes, LSU and Bama are very very good teams, but there are others that are being ignored due to the sexiness of the name. Even Boise St. is a sexier name for the media due to the cinderella story that pushes teams that are better in my opinion (OkSt., TAMU, SoCarolina, Stanford, Wisconsin, etc.). The SEC isn't the only conference, althought that's what the media wants you to think.
Who saw the Toledo/Syracuse game? No one? What about the replay that is being shown briefly then hidden? With a few minutes left in the game, Syracuse scored a TD to go up 29-27. They proceeded to MISS THE PAT!! But the official under the goalpost, the referee, AND THE REPLAY OFFICIAL ruled the extra point went through the uprights. Of course, Toledo ended up kicking a field goal to send the game into overtime which Syracuse ended up winning. Toledo is requested the game to vacated (which won't happen), but people aren't placing enough blame on the officials. Sports officials (NBA refs, MLB umps, NFL/NCAA officials) are routinely given passes for mistakes they make. It's time for this to stop. These officials are paid a lot of money to make the correct calls. Some calls a judgement calls or subjective, but those that are cut and dry and still missed need to result in severe consequences (termination in most cases). Jim Joyce cost Armando Gallaraga a perfect game due to a blown call and this weekend, the officials cost Toledo a win (which could cost them a lot down the road) because the referees were incompetent. Officials often hide behind a veneer of 98-99% success rate on calls. This is blatantly skewed. 75% of the calls in every sport are such that a 5 year old child can make them correctly (like whether or not a PAT goes through the uprights or if someone is out in baseball by 40 ft.). These officials are extremely well paid (5 figures PER GAME in some cases). To miss calls of this simplicity is not acceptable. And then to examine this on video replay and not correcting an error that a monkey wouldn't make makes the matter so much worse. I have been trained as an official in basketball and football and I agree that it is a difficult job. With that being said, these missed calls are completely inexcusable at any level. These officials should tender their resignations immediately (unless they've already been canned) and beg thee league to try to rectify their error which has cost others so dearly.
2) Teams must be constantly ready for that upset possibility.
It seems that there are simply no free lunches in college football anymore. Toledo pushes OSU to the buzzer, LA Tech forced Mississippi State to overtime, Utah State should have beaten Auburn. There are myriad examples this year alone of teams rising well above themselves to scare a powerhouse or even defeat them. Ever since App State beat Michigan in 2007, the little guy has believed. Now the big boys must always be vigilant for the scrappy team that will always threaten to derail a season. We must never forget that those little teams circle the games 4 years previous. No one remembers the Little Caesar's Bowl winner, but everyone remembers Appalachian State upsetting the Wolverines (hehehehe).
3) The Pac 12, like the Big Ten, is also very bad
Those teams that will contend for a title are few and far between this year, but it's a pretty safe bet that they won't come from the B1G or Pac 12. Yes, there are Wisconsin (played no one), Nebraska (terrible defense), Oregon (lost their only big game), and Stanford (1 player and play no one), but no one really buys these teams as legitimate contenders. The cream of the SEC (LSU and Bama), Oklahoma, and maybe Boise or Ok St. are the only contenders now. The Big Ten traditionally takes the beating for being overrated, but let's heap some of the blame on the Pac 12. USC almost (and probably should have) lost to the worst Big Ten team, Minnesota. ASU lost to a mediocre B1G Illinois. Oregon St. lost at home to Sacramento St. The Washington and Washington State's are as billed (bad). Here's an example of East Coast bias helping the reputation of the Pac12 by hiding how bad the conference is. Oregon and Stanford are pretty good, but the rest of the conference is terrible.
4) Heisman trophies are more or less decided in the preseason unless a truly special player throws his hat in the race...early.
Luck. Moore. James. Jones. There're your Heisman finalists in September and most likely in December. Yes, everyone likes to pretend that someone else has a chance, but let's be honest, it's not realistic. ESPiN tried to anoint Denard Robinson after the Notre Dame game because of the explosive runs, but that game did nothing but show me he has absolutely no chance of winning without any talent throwing the ball. He'll fall off in B1G play just like last year. Anyone else is pushed to the side by the media so the preseason contenders can compete. There are other good players, but media shows what it will to determine. Blackmon and Lattimore have a slim shot, but they need to be transcendent to enter the ring. Every once in a while, a Cam Newton comes from nowhere, but we won't get a chance to see that unless some unknown leads their team to an undefeated season.
5) There are some REALLY good teams (top 10) that no one knows about due to media undercoverage.
Quick, what was the matchup of top 10 teams last week? Most would guess LSU/WVU or Bama/Arkansas but it was Ok State/Texas A&M. If you saw the hype for this Big 12 matchup, you would probably be alone. The worldwide leader (and their SEC contract) hid this incredibly big early season matchup on the back page to highlight a good SEC team vs. a Big East contender. I truly believe that the Cowboys are one of the best teams in the country, but you'd never know with the coverage they get. We need the media to come out from behind the screen of unbiased-ness and own up to their true allegiance: $$$$. Yes, LSU and Bama are very very good teams, but there are others that are being ignored due to the sexiness of the name. Even Boise St. is a sexier name for the media due to the cinderella story that pushes teams that are better in my opinion (OkSt., TAMU, SoCarolina, Stanford, Wisconsin, etc.). The SEC isn't the only conference, althought that's what the media wants you to think.
Grading the Bucks Week 4: Colorado
Offense: B
Braxton Miller makes his first start for the Scarlet and Gray and had a nice little game. See how 5 completions by Braxton was more acceptable to the fans with a win? Fair or not, the performance through the air was about as woeful as Miami. The offense was able to put up points this week so that's a major plus, but it was Colorado. Miller made some nice moves in the backfield and down field but he has some freshman flaws. His internal clock is about 1 second before he takes off running and he is rather indecisive with his running. He doesn't attack the hole but rather dancing through it. The running game was great and Jordan Hall is the stud we all expected. The 1-2 punch of Hall and Herron will be scary. Miller looked passable on his few throws and made 3 excellent throws (2 for TDs and 1 dropped). He still has much to learn in pocket presence and accuracy but he'll learn. Bauserman came in a little late for my taste because Miller takes a lot of hits due to indecision (not to mention JB looked fine at home). The major upside of the offense: 0 turnovers.
Defense: C
Not happy with this unit at all. They came out firing on all cylinders but certainly let up as the game went on. We're seeing the loss of Nate Williams is very costly allowing double teams for Simon on every play. The secondary is still very suspect. I was wrong about Travis Howard. He should probably head back to the bench rather than misplaying every deep ball. Also, I see Howard trying to blow people up rather than solid form tackling--something that will cost us in the future. Tyler Moeller has also not lived up to expectations. Way too many missed tackles, a TD given up on a broken 4th down play, and 17 points to a BAD Buffalo team shows we're not where we need to be.
Special Teams: A-
What makes a special teams day a good one? No one talking about you. Buchanan is punting extremely well (not the biggest leg but great accuracy), Basil is making the kicks now, coverage has been fine, and the return game is giving a little spark. Great kick return but Jordan Hall (again) almost giving a quick 7 and good awareness (or bad Colorado) to get the turnover before the half. I stuck with A- rather than A due to too many touchbacks on the punts and no scores but I could be convinced to bump them up to an A.
Coaching: B
Ok Bollman. You may be learning. We don't have a quarterback...yet. But we do have a fantastic running back and a fairly good O-line. Run. The. Ball. How many attempts did Miller have in the 1st quarter? 0. Great play calling. Everyone says you have to pass to set up the run, but I disagree if the run works. Hall was running up and down the field and Miller looked pretty good running a zone read option. Also, the receivers couldn't catch a pass (except Smith), so just stop throwing until you have to. When Posey gets back and if the receivers put some glue on their hands, we can start throwing (B1G play anyone), but if it ain't broke, don't fix it. Keep running the ball. Also, the fans hated the call to kick the FG with 6 seconds left in the half, but I think it was an ok call. Don't end the half without points when you kick off to start the 2nd half. Had Miller taken too long to decide and the Bucks came away without points, Fickell would be getting mauled. Good safe call, but need some more work in practice to shore up the execution. Keep riding the running game no matter if it's boring if it works.
Braxton Miller makes his first start for the Scarlet and Gray and had a nice little game. See how 5 completions by Braxton was more acceptable to the fans with a win? Fair or not, the performance through the air was about as woeful as Miami. The offense was able to put up points this week so that's a major plus, but it was Colorado. Miller made some nice moves in the backfield and down field but he has some freshman flaws. His internal clock is about 1 second before he takes off running and he is rather indecisive with his running. He doesn't attack the hole but rather dancing through it. The running game was great and Jordan Hall is the stud we all expected. The 1-2 punch of Hall and Herron will be scary. Miller looked passable on his few throws and made 3 excellent throws (2 for TDs and 1 dropped). He still has much to learn in pocket presence and accuracy but he'll learn. Bauserman came in a little late for my taste because Miller takes a lot of hits due to indecision (not to mention JB looked fine at home). The major upside of the offense: 0 turnovers.
Defense: C
Not happy with this unit at all. They came out firing on all cylinders but certainly let up as the game went on. We're seeing the loss of Nate Williams is very costly allowing double teams for Simon on every play. The secondary is still very suspect. I was wrong about Travis Howard. He should probably head back to the bench rather than misplaying every deep ball. Also, I see Howard trying to blow people up rather than solid form tackling--something that will cost us in the future. Tyler Moeller has also not lived up to expectations. Way too many missed tackles, a TD given up on a broken 4th down play, and 17 points to a BAD Buffalo team shows we're not where we need to be.
Special Teams: A-
What makes a special teams day a good one? No one talking about you. Buchanan is punting extremely well (not the biggest leg but great accuracy), Basil is making the kicks now, coverage has been fine, and the return game is giving a little spark. Great kick return but Jordan Hall (again) almost giving a quick 7 and good awareness (or bad Colorado) to get the turnover before the half. I stuck with A- rather than A due to too many touchbacks on the punts and no scores but I could be convinced to bump them up to an A.
Coaching: B
Ok Bollman. You may be learning. We don't have a quarterback...yet. But we do have a fantastic running back and a fairly good O-line. Run. The. Ball. How many attempts did Miller have in the 1st quarter? 0. Great play calling. Everyone says you have to pass to set up the run, but I disagree if the run works. Hall was running up and down the field and Miller looked pretty good running a zone read option. Also, the receivers couldn't catch a pass (except Smith), so just stop throwing until you have to. When Posey gets back and if the receivers put some glue on their hands, we can start throwing (B1G play anyone), but if it ain't broke, don't fix it. Keep running the ball. Also, the fans hated the call to kick the FG with 6 seconds left in the half, but I think it was an ok call. Don't end the half without points when you kick off to start the 2nd half. Had Miller taken too long to decide and the Bucks came away without points, Fickell would be getting mauled. Good safe call, but need some more work in practice to shore up the execution. Keep riding the running game no matter if it's boring if it works.
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