Week 9: NCAA Ruminations

Big 10, Schmig 10
Quick - what team has the best record in the Big 10 - don't look!

Yep - the Nittany Lions. After tanking at Ohio State, the Badgers are suffering big time. Guess who Wisconsin is tied with in the "Leaders" division of the Big 10?  Purdue. The same team that, once again, shriveled in the face of the Wolverines. The league is doing itself no favors with Michigan State looking helpless against Nebraska.

Big 12, Schmig 12
Really Texas Tech? Not only do you lose to Iowa State, you get pancaked by them. This is a team that lost 4 straight games to league opponents and you lose BIG to them AT HOME.

Really Kansas State? Shades of the past - you give up 35 unanswered points in the second half?

Remember when Baylor was the talk of the town? Baylor? Meet a real offense, real offense? Feast away.

In the defense of Mizzou: take a look at Missouri's schedule sometime...they had an early game at Arizona State. Have all ready played Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Kansas State, and Texas A&M (they managed to beat the Aggies today). In the next 3 weeks they travel to Baylor, and then host Texas and Texas Tech. They finish the season with a gimme against Kansas. That's a tough schedule no matter how you slice it. Prep for the SEC apparently (expect for the part about travelling west of the Mississippi to play a quality non-conference opponent in the regular season)

ACC, Scmay CC
I never, not for once, figure Clemson would be the golden goose that would give the ACC it's first national title since the 1999 FSU team. No, this is Clemson, and not since its last, and only, national title in 1981 has it ever gone a season without an implosion. I knew it was coming. In these blogs I predicted it would be against NC State. It came a few weeks earlier against Georgia Tech, which ran Paul Johnson's madman scheme to perfection. When the Yellow Jackets are clicking, they are the most frustrating team I could imagine having to face. The Hokies have been victimized by it many times. Any given possession could use 8 minutes of time with the Jackets run-first, run-second, run-always offense. Clemson was down early and that was that.

So the Hokies struggled to beat Duke. And by struggled I mean Duke had a chance until a final interception doomed the Devils with under a minute to play. Good thing the Hokies are really clicking right before they face....Georgia Tech.

Headline from Friday "Cavaliers Shock Miami". The only truly shocking part was that Jacory Harris didn't throw a pick.

Dear Maryland, Great move firing the ACC Coach of the Year last year. Super. How's that working out for you anyway?

And a hearty congratulations to Boston College for finally beating a team that plays above the Pop Warner level.

All day Saturday I heard how FSU has now beaten three straight opponents by 25 points or more for the first time since forever. No one mentioned that those three opponents were Duke, Maryland and NC State - a combined 3-10 in league play. Next week the Noles get Boston College.

SEC, SchmessEC
Having suffered through another Florida loss (four straight) in my household, it is hard to take any kind of non-biased approach. One thing I can say about yesterday is that Will Muschamp may have been left a mess by Urban Meyer BUT Urban Meyer didn't leave a disorganized mess that can't send in a play from the sideline in time to avoid about 27 delay of game penalties. Coach, Meyer never used running backs - but he had Tebow. You don't. You need a running game in the worst possible way.

Georgia has the following left on it's schedule: New Mexico State (really?), Auburn, Kentucky, and Georgia Tech.  They could easily be 10-2 after an 0 and 2 start. They could seriously lose to the SEC West champ, whoever it is, by 70.

Vanderbilt - stupid kickers.

Remember when Houston Nutt was awesome? Neither does he.

Pac 12, Schmack 12
Gosh - it just breaks my heart to see Lane Kiffin lose in triple overtime at home to Stanford.

I almost said that with a straight face.

Big East, Schmig East
If anyone is curious, the Big East is still holding games.

Others Schmothers
Take away Case Keenum's stat-padding 9 TDs from Friday night's win over Rice and he STILl leads the nation in passing TDs.

NOTRE DAME BEAT NAVY! NOTRE DAME BEAT NAVY!

Outside of Boise State in the Mountain West, no non-BCS conference has a team with fewer than 2 losses. The Mid-American and Mountain West conferences have no team with fewer than 3 losses. This is why you don't get to sit at the big boy table.