Week 4: Some Real Excitement

Toledo can't catch a break. OK State and Clemson and AZ State pulled off upsets of Top 25 teams. And the first of major movement in the polls.

Really? A bad call from the replay booth? Isn't that the point of the replay booth...to make things right? I've had minor issues with replay over the years but how they missed this one will remain a mystery. Either the ball went through the uprights or it didn't; it's really not that hard to determine. Click here and see if you can make a better call than the replay official.

OK State took it to TA&M...that'll teach you to rest on your half-time laurels. Clemson looked dominant over a highly rated (but now questionable) Florida State. And AZ State pulls off the upset over USC. All three of those conference games slapped the face of the pre-season predictions. I just love the unpredictability of it all.

Just for Fun: Click here to see a couple of big-time flubs from Saturday that fortunately did not end up costing the team the game.


EndZone: BYU Wins (sort of)
BYU pulled off a win but with minimal offense production. (In last weeks 54-10 loss to Utah Jake Heaps had 300+ passing yards. In this weeks 24-17 win he only had 130 passing yards). The defense and special teams won this game. Excellent punting, big defensive stops when it mattered most and a couple of big special teams plays provided the win. The play calling, although better and finally showing signs of change (ie: no huddle offense in the 1st quarter), still lacked the passion that the defense and special teams showed.

Week 3: A Telling Weekend

Questions were answered this weekend: Oklahoma looks the part of #1; LSU and Boise continue dominating their opponents; maybe Notre Dame is going to be good this year; Ohio State is not; Vandy over Ole Miss by 23 - wow; then Clemson over Auburn and Utah hanging 54 on a touted BYU defense. Yea - the picture is much clearer now.

This don't look like no
"trail to fame and glory" to me!

Utah at BYU: The first non-conference Holy War in 89 years, and the worst Utah over BYU beat down in 89 years, left Utah the victor and BYU looking for answers. No offense, BYU, but you have no offense. And when you did have offense it was a turnover fest. There were a few glimpses of greatness but no urgency, no dominance, no rhythm. The play calling when down by 30 was the same as when down by four - conservative. And BYU was still huddling in the 4th while down by 30. Finally, when they were down by 37 they began running the hurry up offense. Why then? Why not sooner - like lots sooner?

CC at UGA: Georgia finally gets a much needed win. Yes - the win was over an FCS school but I think UGA deserved a break after three straight losses dating back to their bowl game and the last two games against tough (top 10) opponents. Maybe now they can wrap their heads around the rest of the season and move ahead.

ENDZONE: Mega-Conferences
It looks like the future of college football is huge conferences. The Big East lost two of its teams to the ACC and the Big 12 continues to dissolve. That's OK with me...I think mega-conferences are the first step to a playoff system. It won't produce a great system but it will be an improvement and a step in the right direction. Bring it on.

Week 2: Close...but no cigar.

I watched two games this week: UGA vs SCAR and BYU vs Texas. The games had identical outcomes (went down to the last minute, close score, both my favorites lost). Yet the reasons for the loss that I can tell were notbaly different.

Cup art on a bridge close to BYU campus the morning after their 17-16 loss to Texas.
The cup art the previous morning said "Hook 'em".

BYU played this game much like they played last year's games: good start, pull ahead in the score, back off, then lose. The UGA game, however, had numerous lead changes and was lost on one good SCAR defensive play that forced a turnover and sealed the game for the 'Ol Ball Coach (again). But UGA looked much better than last weeks unprepared outing against Boise State - it was obvious they made changes. BYU looked much like they did in the 4th quarter of last week but they could not keep it up for four quarters. It was obvious to me that Texas made adjustments during the game and in particular at halftime yet BYU just thought they could keep playing the way they were...only to find out (like so many times last year) that you have to keep them guessing for four quarters. D'oh!

Where on campus do they sell these?

ENDZONE: Run the coach out of town?
Georgia fans are ready for some wins - something they got very used to during Richt's first nine years. But numerous injuries and great players leaving early for the NFL and a young team and new coaches seem to have created teh perfect storm that has resulted in an average team. But they'll get better. The talent is obviously there and in the process of being molded into something great. But SEC fans aren't known for their patience and that impatience could cost Richt his job - which in my opinion would be a great loss. Hang in there Dawg fans...it can't get much worse (we hope).

Week 1: No Dull Moments

Baylor over TCU? Utah State a play away from knocking out the reigning champs? LSU shutting down the Ducks? Favored Boise State not just winning but totally dominating the Dawgs? Were these surprises to anyone else?

These two should not sit together.

Opening weekend did not disappoint. It had all the fervor of what we like about college football...upsets, drama, come-from-behind wins, 4th quarter rallies and even a 4th quarter re-rally. I think only true fans understand how cool it all really was. Not like my wife who said, after I commented Saturday night that it was an exciting start to the season, "It's just like any other. Some win, some lose; half the people go home happy and the other half go home sad." She just doesn't understand.


Some say Week 1 answers a lot of questions. Maybe - but I say it often raises more questions. Such as: Are the likes of TCU, Auburn and UGA not very good this year or have other teams simply caught up in terms of talent and depth? Is LSU that good or were the Ducks having an off night? Were the Gamecocks looking ahead or just not prepared for East Carolina? What about all the pre-season hype for Notre Dame? Does the media just want that storied program back in the polls so bad that they put them there each year...only to get shocked  back to reality after a few games? I say no team really settles in completely until after three games. Only then have the big questions have been answered.


ENDZONE: Kudos to Boise State
My wife asked me how Boise got to be so good. I told her I thought it was two things: (1) smart recruiting and (2) game preparation. Boise has figured out how to find the great players who have the right mix of talent and obsession for winning that other schools have ignored or placed farther down their list. Boise has picked up these kids and very intentionally and systematically placed and coached them such that their talents compliment each other. They have been building this for some time and the depth chart showed it (they weren't the ones getting tuckered out Saturday night). And, Boise obviously prepares well for each opponent. As I watched the UGA defense struggle against the Boise passing attack I could only think that the UGA defensive coordinator must not have watched much film or he was dumb enough to believe that without their top two receivers form last year, and a hold on this years top receiver, that they should only prepare to stop the run (which they did a fair job of doing). Boise, on the other hand, was well prepared for UGAs run, pass, defense and anything else Richt threw at 'em...and it showed.