Well not really...nothing much in college football surprises me anymore. A few eye-brow raising moments this past Saturday that forced some serious poll movement. Four of the Top 15 lost...two to un-ranked teams. A bit atypical for this time of the season but it happens to the best of 'em.
Baylor, Oregon, Florida...what happened? Those were real head-scratchers. And IMHO Muschamp should stay at Florida. Ignore the fans and go with your gut; you hired the guy for a reason and that reason is still there. Often after a team or a coach hits rock bottom is when they finally discover what is really wrong and can focus on fixing it. Give him another year.
I have just two words for BYU: halftime adjustments. Just not enough plays in their book. They looked very talented and they are, but they are also too predictable. (Note - that is not the first time I have had only those two words for BYU coaches...but I do hope it's the last).
Georgia....ouch, I really hated seeing the injury to Murray. The injury curse hit Georgia hard this season but Murray was able to shun it until his final home game. The OC tried to pull him after he tweaked his knee on a long run but Murray insisted on returning to the game. That was probably one of those times he should have taken the OCs advice instead of calling his own audible. Not how he wanted to end his career, I'm sure.
Next week...Auburn vs Bama and TA&M vs Mizzou to decide the SEC title match-up. Then there is UCLA vs USC and Clemson vs South Carolina. Also - we'll see Northern Illinois (vs W. Michigan) and Fresno State (vs SJ State) try to keep their BCS bowl bids alive. Need I say more?
E N D - Z O N E
The complete team. Something every coach seeks. A team that is robust on both sides of the ball and on special teams. And it is often the complete teams that have some of the best talent in the game. And also the team that is at the top of the pile. And quite often it is not that team that takes home the most coveted of all college football awards - The Heisman.
Take AJ McCarron and Aaron Murray. McCarron is on the verge of taking Bama to its 3rd BCS title, yet he is a long-shot to take the Heisman and may not even be invited. He holds the best record (36 - 2) for any QB. This year Murray became the SEC QB record holder for total passing yards, total TD passes and total all-purpose yards. On Saturday, his 52nd consecutive start, before the injury he passed the 3,000 yard mark for 2012 making him only the third QB to do that in all four years. The other two? Timmy Chang of Hawai'i and Kellen Moore of Boise State, the latter of which was invited to New York. But Murray did that in the SEC.
The difference is the team; the supporting cast around these guys. The Heisman is awarded to the most exciting player. Usually that is a player who is playing above and beyond what other players do because (1) they have the talent, and (2) they have to in order to win games. Murray and McCarron have such great supporting casts on both sides of the ball that individual heroics are simply not required. The stats show they are more talented than most QBs, but their teammates are, too. So they win as a team...they lose as a team...and the most coveted college football award eludes them...and that's OK because they understand why and they would have it no other way.
ps: I called these two guys out because I am familiar with their careers. There are plenty of others in the same situation.
pss: Interesting to note that some of the most talented QBs in SEC history are playing this year and their last names all start with "M": McCarron, Murray, Manziel, Mettenberger, Marshall. Though injured there was also Tyler Murphy (Florida) and Maty Mauk (limited playing time at Mizzou). Even Aaron Murray's back-up is named Mason. Isn't that just a bit weird?
 |
| Even a late 4th Quarter prayer wasn't enough to lift the Gators. |
I have just two words for BYU: halftime adjustments. Just not enough plays in their book. They looked very talented and they are, but they are also too predictable. (Note - that is not the first time I have had only those two words for BYU coaches...but I do hope it's the last).
Georgia....ouch, I really hated seeing the injury to Murray. The injury curse hit Georgia hard this season but Murray was able to shun it until his final home game. The OC tried to pull him after he tweaked his knee on a long run but Murray insisted on returning to the game. That was probably one of those times he should have taken the OCs advice instead of calling his own audible. Not how he wanted to end his career, I'm sure.
 |
| A sad, sad scene for Dawg fans. |
Next week...Auburn vs Bama and TA&M vs Mizzou to decide the SEC title match-up. Then there is UCLA vs USC and Clemson vs South Carolina. Also - we'll see Northern Illinois (vs W. Michigan) and Fresno State (vs SJ State) try to keep their BCS bowl bids alive. Need I say more?
E N D - Z O N E
The complete team. Something every coach seeks. A team that is robust on both sides of the ball and on special teams. And it is often the complete teams that have some of the best talent in the game. And also the team that is at the top of the pile. And quite often it is not that team that takes home the most coveted of all college football awards - The Heisman.
Take AJ McCarron and Aaron Murray. McCarron is on the verge of taking Bama to its 3rd BCS title, yet he is a long-shot to take the Heisman and may not even be invited. He holds the best record (36 - 2) for any QB. This year Murray became the SEC QB record holder for total passing yards, total TD passes and total all-purpose yards. On Saturday, his 52nd consecutive start, before the injury he passed the 3,000 yard mark for 2012 making him only the third QB to do that in all four years. The other two? Timmy Chang of Hawai'i and Kellen Moore of Boise State, the latter of which was invited to New York. But Murray did that in the SEC.
The difference is the team; the supporting cast around these guys. The Heisman is awarded to the most exciting player. Usually that is a player who is playing above and beyond what other players do because (1) they have the talent, and (2) they have to in order to win games. Murray and McCarron have such great supporting casts on both sides of the ball that individual heroics are simply not required. The stats show they are more talented than most QBs, but their teammates are, too. So they win as a team...they lose as a team...and the most coveted college football award eludes them...and that's OK because they understand why and they would have it no other way.
ps: I called these two guys out because I am familiar with their careers. There are plenty of others in the same situation.
pss: Interesting to note that some of the most talented QBs in SEC history are playing this year and their last names all start with "M": McCarron, Murray, Manziel, Mettenberger, Marshall. Though injured there was also Tyler Murphy (Florida) and Maty Mauk (limited playing time at Mizzou). Even Aaron Murray's back-up is named Mason. Isn't that just a bit weird?