Week 6 - Top 10 and Thoughts on This Weekend's Games

Week 6 Top 10





#1 Team and #1 Cheerleaders


1. Oregon - Lose one of their running backs, lose their starting quarterback, no problem, still win by 20.  Yes, they let Washington State stay in the game a little too long (the first quarter), but the team seemed very shaken by the loss of Kenjon Barner and still managed to easily put away the Cougars.
2. Boise State - The Broncos led by 50 in the third quarter before giving up a garbage touchdown in the fourth to Toledo.  This is what very good teams do to inferior competition...jump up early and keep the pressure on until the opponent is blown away.  500 yards of offense and forcing 5 turnovers helps.
3. Ohio State - They drop a spot this week and it's mainly because I keep asking, "Who have they beaten?"  If you're going to rip on Boise State for their schedule, you need to take a better look at who Ohio State is playing this year.  They have Wisconsin this weekend and Iowa in late November.  Two big games, just like Boise State.  Miami was at home, and after what Florida State just did to them, that win looks less impressive.
4. TCU - If defense wins championships, the Horned Frogs have a shot.  Second shutout in a row and this time the offense decided to get involved, beating Wyoming 45-0.  Total yards: TCU 578, Wyoming 191.  The Cowboys also managed 8 first downs and were 0-10 on third down.  Back-to-back weeks of holding an opponent to 8 first downs and less than 200 yards of offense.
5. Nebraska - The Cornhuskers are nearly there.  Against Kansas State, you could almost see that swagger, that dominance, that "forcing our will on you and there is nothing you can do about it" attitude.  They have the opportunity this weekend to get payback for a questionable call at the end of the Big 12 title game last year and do bad things to Texas.  Bad, bad things.
6. Auburn - Cam Newton is a freak.  The pass he completed falling down and out of bounds should have gotten more play on SportsCenter.  The way he runs, he looks like he's just gliding.  The way he's led the Tigers back against Clemson, South Carolina and Kentucky is impressive.  Alabama...you better watch out.
7. Michigan State - Big win at the Big House and this has the makings of a special season in East Lansing.  Again though, who have they played?  Iowa is the lone ranked team left on their schedule and they should be favored against everyone else.
8. Utah -  After that opening three-point win over Pitt, the Utes have quietly beat their last four opponents by 28 or more.  The original BCS buster, that game against TCU the first Saturday in November is shaping up to be a war.  Gameday?  You have to be looking at Rice-Eccles Stadium as a destination that week, right?
9. LSU - Undefeated is undefeated and a win in the Swamp is a win in the Swamp.  I don't know how the Tigers keeps doing it, and this style of play has to come back to bite them in the ass at some point, but so far, so good.
10. South Carolina - I said last week if the Gamecocks beat Alabama they'd be in the Top 10.  Dominating performance against the defending National Champs.  Not sure why the AP and Coaches' polls have Alabama ahead of South Carolina...maybe they didn't watch the game or maybe they're just not registering the fact that the Head Ball Coach took Nick Saban and the Crimson Tide to the woodshed.  Both teams have one loss; South Carolina beat Alabama; South Carolina gets ranked ahead of Alabama.

Thoughts on games played this week:

Taylor Martinez is really, really fast.  Kansas State may not have the fastest defense in the country, but Martinez looked like a bolt of lightning out there, zig-zagging his way through the defensive line and then into the open field.  If the Cornhuskers don't make it to the BCS Title Game, can we get them matched up against Michigan and Denard Robinson for a showdown of the blazing fast quarterbacks?

Oklahoma State took a little while to get rolling against Lousisiana Lafayette, but when they did, they were unstoppable.  I'm looking forward more to Nebraska at Oklahoma State in two weeks more than Texas vs Nebraska next week.

Can Penn State's offense get a shot at Tennessee?  Seems to have done wonders for Georgia today.  Nittany Lions offense is on life support and there might be a DNR on it.

Why is Coors Light making a big deal in their commercial about a resealable bottle?  Do a lot of people have problems finishing a beer?  I can't ever think of a time that I thought, "Oh, I can't finish this beer.  Where's my cap so I can put this back in the cooler and have it later?"  I'm loving their new commercials for their budget Keystone brand with Keith Stone.  Both have been funny and looking forward to more.

Baylor vs. Texas Tech was the most entertaining game to watch Saturday morning.  Bears QB Robert Griffin III is a dynamic player and I wonder what he could do on a Top 25 team.

Georgia receiver A.J. Green is really, really good.  While it's nice that he feels he owes the fans for missing the first four games this year for selling his bowl game jersey and is thinking about coming back for his senior year, he'd be making a big mistake if he doesn't go pro after this year.

Gamecocks absolutely dominated Alabama.  Great win for South Carolina and Steve Spurrier.  The excuses made by ESPN analysts for Alabama playing three tough games in a row is making me want to throw up.  Crimson Tide, you lost.  Suck it up, that's the way the schedule goes sometimes.  As for Alabama being ranked ahead of South Carolina in the latest polls, when the Gamecocks just beat the Crimson Tide...

After two dominating wins against Houston and Texas, a come from behind victory against lowly Washington State (which raised red flags), UCLA looked completely less-than-ordinary against Cal.  This is my fear with the Bruins running the Pistol offense...QB Kevin Prince can't run and he's not much of a passer either (13 for 31 for 99 yards).  They have this week off and then travel to Autzen to take on the Ducks on a Thursday night.  Bring body bags, it's going to be ugly.  It doesn't get any easier with Arizona the following week and then Oregon State.

Arkansas vs Texas A&M was supposed to be more like Baylor vs Texas Tech and ended up being like Pitt vs Notre Dame.  I suppose it was exciting if you had a rooting interest in either team, otherwise, what other game is on?

Apparently, The U is not quite back after getting run out of the building by Florida State.  I'm still not sold that the Seminoles are back yet (remember the Oklahoma game a few weeks ago), but they might be closer than Miami.

Is Utah the quietest team in the country averaging almost 50 points a game?  Third straight week they've gone over 55, poleaxing an Iowa State team that the previous week laid 52 on Texas Tech.  The Big 12 is good from top to bottom and only behind the SEC?

Auburn Coeds

Cam Newton of Auburn is just a beast.  When he's running he looks like he's just taking a leisurely stroll, but his stride is so long, defenders just keep falling behind him.  Tigers, you may be able to beat 'Bama this year and really ruin their season.

USC vs Stanford was surprisingly entertaining.  I thought the Cardinal would blow the Trojans out by the second quarter, but USC traded blows and then literally threw a blow that helped lead to the game-winning field goal.  What does USC play for now?  The undefeated season is gone.  The Pac-10 title is all but gone with two losses in conference now.  How confident are you that Lane Kiffin can keep the team together and rally for a nine or ten win season?

Hawaii might make things interesting.  They take on Nevada this weekend and Boise State the first weekend in November.  Their offense, while not running at Colt Brennan efficiency levels, appears to be rolling again behind Bryant Moniz and they might take out one of the ranked WAC teams.

LSU vs Florida...how does Les Miles keep doing it?  Watching LSU in the last few minutes of a game is like watching a Chinese fire drill or a Keystone Cops movie.  Unfortunately for Florida, watching their offense this year is like watching an 80-year old grandma driving for the first time in a vintage Ferrari and grinding the gears every 50 feet.  Each play seems to take so much effort, is so painful and makes you wince with every stagger, stutter and 2 yard gain.  I hope Gator fans realize how fortunate they were to have an engineer like TimTebow the past four years (and Chris Leak before that).  Another loss by the Gators and Urban Meyer may want to think about letting Trey Burton start a game or two.  Meyer seems uncomfortable running a conventional style offense and needs a spread quarterback to get his mojo back.