Five Thoughts of the Week that was--Week 10

1) Events in Penn State are disgusting and make all other institutional comparisons pale in comparison.
Joe Paterno MUST go. That's all there is to this. No, he was not the person involved in the act, but withholding information of sexual assault on children from the authorities and keeping a sexual predator associated with the program is beyond wrong. Tressel paid for his negligence for not reporting extra benefits (rightfully so). This isn't even close! This involves the lives of many children, their friends, their families that will NEVER be the same due to this monster. What makes this so gross is that some of it could have been prevented by people following basic moral standards and standing up for what is right. Joe Paterno always has preached 'Success with Honor'....maybe he should practice what he preaches. An illustrious football career will never escape this and it never should. Penn State should be ashamed of what it tacitly allowed to happen. Ignorance is not an excuse when it's your job to be informed (looking at you Gene Smith). OSU Tatgate, USC benefits, Oregon payments, Auburn's 'perfectly legit' recruitment using pay for play....these are nothing compared to the atrocities in State College.

2) Arkansas can cause total chaos.
After the 'Game of the...zzzzz', many have crowned the Bayou Bengals and buried the Tide. No one is examining the armageddon that could ensue if Arkansas manages to win out (including a win in Baton Rouge). Yes, that may be unlikely, but certainly not impossible. If that were to happen (and LSU/Bama win their other games), there will be a 3 way tie in the SEC West. No longer will the talk be as much about a rematch as it will be about who will play in the SEC championship and which 2 get BCS bids. The SEC tie breaker as I read it states that the tie breaker that matters (all others are tied) is final BCS rankings. However, if the top 2 teams in the BCS are within 5 spots of each other, the head-to-head matchup determines the championship game participant. This means that the highest BCS team may not ascend to the SEC title game. LSU>Bama>Ark>LSU....contradiction circle. This is extremely similar to the 3 way tie in the Big 12 South in 2007 with Oklahoma, Texas, and Texas Tech. Talk about absolute craziness ensuing if this happens.....and I hope it does.
3) The so called 'Game of the Century'....sucked. Please, please, please, please, please DON'T have a rematch.

All hype (SEC, SEC, SEC) and no substance; that's the story of this game. Yes, the two defenses on the field were phenomenal and most of those players will be playing on Sundays, but on the other side of the ball....blech. Yeah, Trent Richardson will make the next step, but that's about it. Missed field goals left and right, horrendous QB play, etc. This game was boring. I don't want to take anything away from the defenses, but pitchers' duels are boring. There was some big hits but it's like beating a Sun Belt offense. I don't judge these defenses based on this game (although other games have proven them stout). The only thing I took away from this is we don't need a rematch. Bama had their shot, and they lost....at home. They're done unless LSU loses a game (even then, done barring Arkansas madness). Rematches are stupid especially when Bama lost AT HOME. I don't care if it was close. They lost. Let another team with the same record (or better) have their shot. I don't want to see that atrocity replayed for all the marbles...even if it is the greatest conference of all time (sarcasm). I learned that these 2 teams may be the best to offer this year, but they don't stack up with the best teams of the decade, let alone the 'century'. Stop the hype machine of the SEC. It's a mediocre conference with 3 elite teams and a lot of garbage.

4) The trick play by Bama was a calculated gamble and a good call that just happened to fail

Saban was getting crushed left and right after the game for letting Maze throw a pass down by the redzone. The thing is, it was a good call. If he didn't hang the ball in the air for 20 minutes, if that 6'6'' TE could fight off a 6'1'' CB, if the line could have protected for more than 2 seconds; it's a TD and a fantastic gutsy call that seals a win (one TD would do it). Instead, Murphy's Law reared it's ugly head and LSU got the ball at the one. In hindsight, that shouldn't have mattered either with the LSU offensive ineptitude. Urban Meyer is the only one who defended the call...and I trust his coaching instincts more than the jokers ESPiN and CBS throw out to tout the merits of the SEC.

5) Oklahoma is in great shape to play for the title
Stanford loses to Oregon, and Oklahoma controls their destiny. Yep, that's it. Boise has no chance. Oregon can't jump them with only one quality opponent left. Oklahoma State plays the Sooners. Arkansas will lose to LSU or knock them out and be very hard pressed to jump OU. I think it's also clear that Bama will fall below the Sooners if Bedlam goes Norman way. Even the Chokelahoma standard might allow Big Game Bob to back into the Championship...but I'm the only person who believes in the Pokes. The wins over Florida State, Texas, Texas A&M, Kansas State, and potentially Oklahoma State will be enough for OU to have earned a shot even with that hiccup (barring an undefeated Stanford)...but let's not crown the Sooners Bedlam champions just yet.