The Weekend That Was: Where's the Defense?, UGA Wins Again, Texas & Alabama Hype, My Own Solid Weekend

Much has been made of the absurd stats from Saturday's games. The West Virginia-Baylor game is getting all of the publicity, but there were plenty of others that looked more like video games than actual competition. Here are a couple that jump off the box scores.

West Virginia's Geno "Heisman" Smith

 656 -- Yards passing by the Mountaineer's Geno Smith. It ranks fifth all-time for a single-game in Division I. Smith also finished with more touchdowns (8) than incompletions (6) on the day.

581 -- Passing yards from the Bears' Nick Florence in their losing effort to West Virginia, passing Robert Griffin III single-game mark.

557 -- Total yards accumulated by Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel, breaking the old record of 540.

314 -- Receiving yards accumulated by Baylor's Terrance Williams to set the Big 12 record. Mountaineer reciever Stedman Baily had 303 yards and five touchdowns, which would have been the record if not for Williams' performance.

222 -- Rushing yards from Air Force's Cody Getz in a win over Colorado State. He becomes the first Falcon to record four 100-yard games to start the season and the first with two 200-yard games since 2007

133 --Total points recorded in the WVU-Baylor game on 1,507 yards of offense.

4 -- Games in which the teams combined for 1,000+ yards of total offense (Texas-Oklahoma State, Tennessee-Georgia, Baylor-West Virginia, and Miami (Ohio)-Akron).

If the old adage is true that defense wins championships, then many teams are much further away than they want to be from holding the crystal ball in January.

DOGS BETTER VOLS: With the win over Tennessee on Saturday, the Bulldogs were able to prove they can not only finish close games, but that their trip to South Carolina this week becomes the de facto SEC East Division Championship, a prelude to the SEC West Championship on November 3rd.

Sure the Dawgs "escaped" this weekend with the win, but the bigger question is what to make of Tennessee. There is no one part of the game which can definitively be fixed and make this a contending team. In the same light, there is no one thing making them unable to compete. It is a mixture of both and undoubtedly a perplexing situation to be in for Volunteer fans.

As close as you can get for free, close enough to hear the
opening score and get chills.

The offense scored 44 points on the road in a hostile environment. The defense gave up more points, but made critical stops when they needed to. Big plays hurt the Tennessee defense, but their big plays helped the offense. Coach Derek Dooley gave his team a chance to win, but the arm that makes their offense go in Tyler Bray threw three interceptions, not a coaching error. It is not bad enough to start over, but it is hard to justify continuing down the same path.

I had the good fortune to be in Athens on Saturday. After covering a game for The Times on Friday night, I left for the Classic City and met my sister and a few friends downtown, which is worth almost all of the positive adjectives given to it.

Gameday came and we tailgated, as any good SEC fan should do. If you have never experienced an Athens tailgate, you should. There are few places around the country that do it better than the folks in red and black. My sister and her friends made their way into the game, and since I had no interest in paying $150 to see the game, I enjoyed the pregame and first Bulldog scoring drive from a different perspective.

Being the old man I am, I was ready to get out of town and head back to Gainesville to watch the second half and beat the traffic. I was fortunate enough to see some friends to watch the game with, ready for it? With all that Athens' downtown offers, where did we meet to watch the game? 20 miles outside of Athens at a Beef O'Brady's. So when you watch that terrible bowl game this December, you can blame me for supporting the company and keeping the bowl game alive. It was a good time nonetheless.

WHAT ALABAMA COULD BE, NOT YET: I am not buying Alabama like the rest of you. I have no problem admitting the Tide is the best team in the country, but I am not oohing and ahhing like the rest of you over their dominance. Yes, they have won in convincing fashion and their defense looks outstanding, but who have they played?

Michigan's two wins are UMass and a close one at home against Air Force. Ole Miss' only opponent worth mentioning was Texas, a 66-31 loss for the Rebels. By the end of the season they could be as good as last year's team, but not yet. And for the love of the "Bear," can we stop comparing them to an NFL team?

LAST BUT NOT LEAST:

- Arkansas has given up on the season. There is no doubt about that, as it becomes more apparent  every time they take the field. Call me a homer, but take your shots now. This is an anomaly and historically bad. I am realistic and know that Arkansas, no matter how much badly I want it, is probably not going to ever be a perennial football powerhouse, but it is a better team than this. SEC teams who get an extra win because Arkansas is down, enjoy it now.

- There has been a lot written about Florida State and Notre Dame's rise back to the good ole days. What about Texas? Sure, it has only been three years since they were in the national championship, but these last few years have been horrendous on Texas standards. They seem to have figured out the offense and we know with the recruiting classes they sign the talent level is only going up.

PERSONAL NOTE: I do not normally talk about my own experiences from the weekend on these types of columns. However, since my weekend did involve being in Athens for the Tennessee-Georgia game this week I figure I will go ahead and throw this in there. It was a great time all-around. The whole weekend, not just Saturdays, which in the especially fall are usually pretty good.

For those of you around my age, and even moreso those of you in school, unfortunately eating alone is a  more common experience than not, an unfortunate part of this transient period. This weekend was the exception.

Food is an essential part of life, but the socialization of meal times can be of greater importance to me. The one meal I had alone was my Friday night pregame meal before I went and covered a high school game for the The Times, and I did not have a meal with the same group of people twice this weekend. I ate with family, new friends and old friends in places I had never been before.

From downtown Athens, to tailgating, to a Beef O'Brady's in Jefferson, to church and a Sunday School party. It was solid.

Thanks to all who had a part in making this weekend a good one. I am looking forward to some more soon: The ole Silver Anniversary of my life and Samford Homecoming are around the corner.

Bet you can't tell which two came from the same gene pool. Props to you Mama and Daddy.

The Weekend That Was: Irish and Seminoles Back?, Ducks Defense, Bulldogs 'Barking' for Love

Notre Dame's Manti Te'o

There both back. No doubt. Notre Dame and Florida State are back to their old form. Whip out your LA Gear light-up sneakers, Tamagotchis, and favorite boy band CD. It is like we have been sent back to the 90s.

In the words of former Seminole Lee Corso, "Not so fast, my friends."

"Back" for both of these teams does not mean a perfect third of the season, if so both have already come "back" in the last decade. No. "Back" for these programs is an entire perfect season and a championship rings, hats and shirts adorning the players in January.

Notre Dame has played the tougher schedule, with wins over a top 10 team on the road (Michigan State) and a win against  No. 18 Michigan on Saturday. The Irish also has the more difficult schedule remaining, which will keep them from contending for one of the top two spots in the BCSNC. One of their biggest improvements since last season is turnover margin. Redshirt freshman Everett Golson has kept the ball from opposing defenses and the Irish defense is playing stingy. Notre Dame sits at No. 5 in turnover margin at plus-9. Four games into last season the Irish were ranked No. 118.

Florida State looked awfully good on Saturday though defeating No. 10 Clemson 49-37 at home with over 660 yards of total offense. E.J. Manuel is beginning to look like the player everyone thought he could be for the last two years, compiling over 1000 yards of offense, 8 touchdowns, and completing 73 percent of his passes this season. The Seminoles have the easiest schedule on paper of any true title contenders, but they must continue to improve and win games they should unlike they have done recently with such high expectations. Their most challenging game looks to be No. 11 Florida at home on the final week of the season.

DUCKS DEFENSE, RUN GAME IMPRESSIVE: Tell me if this makes any sense: Team A had 25 first downs, Team B had 19. Team A had 495 yards of total offense, Team B had almost 350. Yet, Team A beat Team B 47-0. Team A is Oregon, and Team B is Arizona.

The Wildcats had the ball six times in the Ducks red zone and came away with exactly zero points. With the way Arizona was moving the ball it is quite a testament to Oregon's defense to hold the shutout. In no way I am saying the Ducks' defense belongs in the same conversation as some of the SEC big boys but it is impressive nonetheless.

While it was slowed down a little in this game, even more impressive on the season has been the Oregon rushing attack. Lead by senior Kenjon Barner and the most electric player in college football, De'Anthony Thomas. The two have combined for more than 600 yards rushing and 10 scores through three games. Thomas would be the Heisman favorite if not for having to share the backfield with another potential contender. This means Thomas, who is scoring on every fifth offensive touch, is being underutilized.

I know that we have seen it before and I am not calling for the national championship right now, but it sure would be fun to see them play a top-tier SEC defense.

BULLDOG MAKING STRONG 'BARK' FOR HEISMAN: Speaking of Heisman contenders Georgia quarterback Aaron Murray has to start getting some love. If the Bulldogs are able to continue their winning ways, it can only help him. Against Vanderbilt on Saturday Murray was 18 for 24 for 250 yards, two passing scores and one rushing touchdown. He is on pace for more than 3,500 yards and 33 touchdowns for the regular season.

If gets enough support from the stout UGA defense to remain undefeated and can somehow beat Alabama or LSU in the SEC Championship, look for his name to be called at the Downtown Athletic Club during the second week of December.

Samford's Fabian Truss

BULLDOGS REMAIN UNBEATEN: It may not be hitting the national media, but there is another Bulldog team that is 4-0 and 2-0 in their conference, the Samford Bulldogs.

The Bulldogs scored 15 fourth quarter points for a 25-21 win at Southern Conference foe Western Carolina on Saturday. Running back Fabian Truss ran the ball 23 times for 173 yards and two touchdowns, including the go-ahead score.The win sets up a televised game at Georgia Southern this week (Being televised at this level is still a big deal.) Under the direction of Heisman Trophy winner Pat Sullivan, the program is without a  doubt headed in the right direction, and the Bulldogs are ranked in the coaches poll for the first time since 1995.

I am going to an alumni event in Atlanta on Tuesday and for the first time ever I have a feeling the Bulldogs from Birmingham will be a conversation over dinner. I will proudly take part in the "It's Great, To Be, a Saaaamford Buuulldog!" chant.

LAST BUT NOT LEAST:

We sat so close I could feel the spit coming off of Tech's
defensive coordinator Al Groh's tongue. 

-Oregon State defeated another ranked team to take coach Mike Reily officially off the hot seat: Wisconsin two weeks ago and ULCA this week. To celebrate the win, Reily ordered 200 double-doubles with fries from In-and-Out for his team.

-Georgia Tech lost a strange game to Miami in which the Hurricanes scored 19 points to open the game. The Yellow Jackets followed with 26 straight points in response. Miami scored the final 23 points, including a touchdown in overtime, to win the game.

-Western Kentucky won again, pounding Southern Mississippi 42-17. The Hilltoppers have won 10 of their last 12. Their two losses? LSU and Alabama.

-Missouri hates grown man football, and has begun initial talks of a move back to Big XII.

Inside Samford Baseball: The Birth of the Rightfield Rowdies

Some 300 hours ago, the nation's best Bulldog team was beginning their game with Florida State in Tallahassee with the daunting task of defeating the nation's third-ranked Seminoles. As Samford fans listened to the voice of the Bulldogs, Mark Grace, on WVSU and watched their computer screens closely as each pitch was tracked on CBS Gametracker, Cinderella's night came to an abrupt 5-2 end in the NCAA Regionals.

The Bulldogs put on a strong showing on the national stage

For a school and fan base that, until recently, has not experienced much athletic success on the national level, the 2012 Samford Bulldog baseball team was magical. Minus a couple bright spots with the Bowden family leading the football team and a two year stretch in Men's basketball (1999 & 2000), Samford has never been known to grab the front page of The Birmingham News Sports section, until the Academic Progress Rate comes out each year. Samford regularly competes against large, public institutions such as Alabama, Auburn and UAB to garner attention. They did take second place in 2012. The Dogs were the best college baseball team in the state, going 10-5 against in-state institutions and advancing further than any other in-state school in the NCAA tournament.

Remember when going to a Samford athletic event, let alone a boring baseball game, was not the most attractive option at Samford?

I went back through the archives of samfordsports.com and found the game where the success of Samford baseball began. April 3, 2009 at Joe Lee Griffin Field. A certain group of gentlemen decided to park their trucks and grill out behind the Pete Hanna Center near the rightfield wall. Samford came away with a 6-4 win over the Wildcats.

Some of the original Rowdies in their
traditional rightfield location

The following night the same group of trendsetters decided they would meet up for Saturday's game. Some had a previous engagement to an Alpha Delta Pi fundraiser. As soon as those boys had filled their commitment raising money for the Ronald McDonald House, they headed to join their friends at the same spot just to the left of the Bulldog bullpen. Although the Dogs afforded their newest fans a valiant and thrilling effort, scoring three runs in the bottom of the ninth inning before dropping the contest, Samford's newest athletic tradition was born, the Rightfield Rowdies.

The Rowdies became a presence at home baseball games, inviting all to come and root for the Bulldogs, all the while becoming especially close with the opposing team's rightfielder. There was research on the unfortunate guy that stood in the No. 9 fielding position, down to becoming Facebook friends -- with him and his significant other if available -- and almost memorizing his biography on the team website.

As the numbers of Rowdies grew, so did the amount of research, heckling, and food, but all the while the jeers remained curse-free and family friendly because it was Samford after all. Printed reports were brought to each game on the opposition. Certain members of the Rowdies became quite good friends with the members of the Samford baseball team, who would hand out free official gear to their most faithful followers.

The new deck in centerfield

Over the next year and a half the relationship between the baseball team and their student following  grew so that the baseball coaches came to the idea of building a porch for the Rowdies. Under the instruction of coach Casey Dunn and other officials, a porch was built behind centerfield, which ultimately meant the Rowdies could begin to "make friends" with the other outfield positions.

That April night in 2009 was the start of Samford baseball's run to the 2012 SoCon Championship and an impressive run in the Tallahassee Regional two weeks ago, where the Bulldogs beat the Southeastern Conference Champion twice.

Was it actually the Rightfield Rowdies' intensity that brought about the rise in play of the Samford baseball team? While myself and a few of my friends would like to take credit, it probably had more to do with coach Dunn and the players. Here is a big thank you to them for the excitement they provided the Samford family. You made us proud.

And to you current students roaming around a beautiful campus in Homewood, Alabama... if you find yourself lucky enough to call the deck in centerfield home for a game, you're welcome. For a real old school experience, back your pick-ups behind the Pete Hanna Center, fire up the grill and give the opposing rightfielder something to remember.

The Weekend That Will Be: Week 4

Arkansas at Alabama- The SEC's top offense will travel to Tuscaloosa for a showdown with the SEC's top defense.The lack of a running game stopped the Hogs from defeating the No. 1-ranked Crimson Tide last year and once again, the game may come down to how well each team can run the ball and effectively control the clock. If Alabama running back Trent Richardson can keep his pace going the Razorbacks' explosive offense can not get on the field. Also watch to see how a young offensive line from Fayetteville reacts to playing in one of the toughest stadiums (and most picturesque) in the game. Alabama moves to 4-0 and their coach Nick Saban remains undefeated against Arkansas.

Oklahoma State at Texas A&M- In what may be the last game between these two teams for quite some time as the Aggies move to the SEC, plenty of points will be scored. Watch for the running game to be key in who wins the game on Saturday. Texas A&M running back Cyrus Gray will go for his ninth consecutive 100 yard rushing game. The winner of this shootout may very well be the team who has the last possession. If you like defense stay away from the Aggies and Cowboys. Texas A&M wins at home.

Florida State at Clemson- One team is coming off their coach's biggest career win and the other off of a disappointing loss. Clemson coach Dabo Swinney kept his job for a couple of more seasons last week with a win over the defending national champions. Was rushing the field necessary? No and proof Clemson is not quite ready for the SEC. Swinney had an outburst that was reminiscent of Houston Nutt's "We Got that Wood" speech. Luckily for Swinney, he probably keeps his job. Seminole quarterback E.J. Manuel has been officially ruled "questionable" for the game on Saturday at Death Valley. Without Manuel it will be harder for FSU to pull off my upset special, but they still come out on top.

LSU at West Virginia- One can only hope the rumors of LSU students running into West Virginia classes in Morgantown and yelling "Geux Tigers!" is true. It is hard to believe it is not true, knowing rabid LSU fans. The Mountaineer offense is averaging 42 points per game and LSU's defense is giving up about 4.2 points per game. West Virginia quarterback Geno Smith will feel pressure. Pressure to perform and more pressure from the Tigers' defensive line. The Tigers, who have played the NCAA's toughest September schedule, will continue their dominance, winning easily.

Other picks (winners in bold)
North Carolina at Georgia Tech- Just do what you did last week Tech, over 600 yards on the ground and more than 12 yards a carry.

Georgia at Ole Miss- The Hot Seat Bowl ends with even more pressure on Ole Miss coach Houston Nutt. The Bullodgs are too talented.

Vanderbilt at South Carolina- Did I call that the Gamecocks would struggle last week? Vandy wakes up from their dream and plays more like the Vandy we have come to know.

Southern California at Arizona State- USC is young, six total freshamn starters. A tough night road test will prove to be too much.

Notre Dame at Pittsburgh
Florida at Kentucky
Oregon at Arizona

The 10 Bowls to See

It is here. The wait is over. As we get ready for one of the most exciting times of the year we all forget the mess that is the BCS, but can we agree it did what it was meant to do? Did it not put the top two teams in the nation in a bowl game? Granted, there are aspects that need attention, but those in charge of the BCS are working on those and open to change. Good or bad, we are stuck with the bowl system for now and here are the ten that I am looking forward to the most.

1. Tostitos BCS National Championship Game
No. 2 Oregon vs. No. 1 Auburn

 This one should be obvious as to why it is number one. The two best teams, best offenses, and players in the nation are all on one field. I think both offenses start off slow because of the layoff, but then the winner is the defense that can make one more stop than the other.

2. Allstate Sugar Bowl
No. 6 Ohio State vs. No. 8 Arkansas

  Two explosive quarterbacks going at one another. The Sugar Bowl pits a typical NFL style quarterback in Ryan Mallet versus the more mobile Terrelle Pryor. It will be interesting to see how Mallet can handle the number two defense and how the improved Arkansas can handle another mobile quarterback. Can OSU’s get past their losing streak, excuse me, beating streak by SEC teams?

3.Rose Bowl Game presented by VIZIO
No. 5 Wisconsin vs. No. 3 TCU

    It will be fun to see if TCU is as good as they think they are and prove that to the rest of the country. They have yet to win in all of their BCS bowl tries. They will get their chance against a huge, smash-mouth Wisconsin team whose play is described by their coach as “real American football.” 

4. Discover Orange Bowl
No. 4 Stanford vs. No. 13 Virginia Tech

    Though this game looks like a promising one, will anyone be at the Orange Bowl who is known for its bad attendance numbers. Again, here we have a match-up of two different types of quarterbacks. On one hand what looks like will the number one overall pick in April’s NFL draft and the other is a more mobile and winningest quarterback in Hokie history, Tyrod Taylor.

5. Capital One Bowl
No. 16 Alabama vs. No. 9 Michigan State

    Easily the best non-BCS game Alabama and Michigan State will meet on New Years Day. Alabama, who is still bitter about a loss in which they blew a 24 point lead, will try and go back to what has made them so good, a solid running game. On the opposite side of the field is a team which is bitter that they are not playing in a BCS game after sharing part of the Big 10 title. It’s always fun when the SEC and Big 10 get together.

6. AT&T Cotton Bowl
No. 10 LSU vs. No. 17 Texas A&M

      A team that is on the rise and has played extremely well since a tough loss to Arkansas will play a team that is coming off a loss to Arkansas that would have locked up a Sugar Bowl bid. The Jerry Dome will be rocking as both schools are close and travel well, not to mention that Jerry Jones, Arkansas alumni and member of of their 1964 National Championship team, will not be outdone as far as the environment goes.

7. Chick-fil-A Bowl
No. 20 South Carolina vs. No. 23 Florida State

    South Carolina has to go back to the site at which they were embarrassed by the number one team in the country. They will be taking on a team that is just not quite ready to be compared to the FSU teams of old. Jimbo has this team on the right track. Steve Spurrier needs this win or this season, though making it to the SEC Championship will end in disappointment as many of his seasons have.

8. Gator Bowl
No. 21 Mississippi State vs. Michigan

  Here again we have up and coming in MSU against a team with a “Rich” heritage in bowl games. Speaking of... Rodriguez will be fighting for his job and beating an SEC team would help his resume tremendously. The Bulldogs, however, couldn’t be happier with their coach as he is the envy of all programs head coach hunting.

9. AutoZone Liberty Bowl
Georgia vs. No. 25 UCF

 Really the only reason this game is of any real interest is one of UCF’s  starting wide receivers is from Rome, Georgia and gets a chance to play his home state team in front of many family members and friends. But seriously the UCF team is nothing to look past for the Bulldogs. They are a very talented team, maybe the second best in Florida this year. There is still a lot of pressure on Mark Richt, and losing this game would not help his cause.

10. Hyundai Sun Bowl
Notre Dame vs. Miami

   Criminals vs. Catholics... No it doesn’t have the same ring to it as it used to, but this game shows the state of college football right now. Miami and Notre Dame of today are not your dad’s Miami and Notre Dame. Winning this game will be a huge stepping point to get things back on track for the winner.

Championship Weekend

They say there is no playoff system, but what is this championship weekend come down to? Two teams must win to get their shot at a national championship. Experts can complain about the bowl system but the system we have now sure does make for an exciting last weekend of football.

Auburn vs. South Carolina- Did you see the special on ESPN about the SEC championship titled Atlanta? It hit the importance of this game right on the head. Yes, for the Tigers it most likely means a chance at the national championship and a Sugar Bowl bid for the Gamecocks, but it also means they are the best team in the South, a very important title in these parts. South Carolina must stop Cam Newton but no one has figured it out yet. It ain’t happening this week either. Sure South Carolina might play well for a while but the Tigers are playing for something bigger and Newton officially locks up the Heisman.

Oregon vs. Oregon State- Another “playoff game” atmosphere in Corvallis, Oregon, as the Ducks go down the road 40 miles and try to win the Pac-10. Oregon State has been the home to many upsets recently and would like nothing more than to ruin their rival’s run to the championship. Here is there chance. They are going to slow the game down to have a chance but their D isn’t good enough to do it. Ducks win and have roses in their mouths at the end of the night.

Florida State vs. Virginia Tech- Maybe this ACC Championship will have more than 10,000 people in Charlotte at the stadium. As good as the SEC Championship game is shows how the ACC just doesn’t have it quite right. If there are people there watching or not Virginia Tech is winning the game, sorry Boise. The Hokies are hot, winning their last 10 games. It really is about when you win in college football. Florida State has made huge strides this year and is headed to the right direction, but the Hokies are experienced.

Oklahoma vs. Nebraska- In the best game that no one is talking about, Nebraska is playing their last game in the Big 12. If you going to leave, this is the way to go. Too bad they don’t win in their last Big 12 match up. Nebraska’s games have been close recently and just have not been the same team since QB Taylor Martinez hurt his ankle. His motor is what makes this offense go. Oklahoma, on the other hand, has had to play its way into this game and is motivated to win and they will.

Other Picks (in bold):

Connecticut at South Florida- UConn is going to the Orange Bowl without a single vote in the Coach’s Poll.

Utah State at Boise State- I bet Boise K Kyle Brotzman doesn’t miss a kick. Too bad it’s one week too late

Southern Methodist at UCF- My high school QB and favorite UCF player WR Brian Watters gets a ring and a trip to the Liberty Bowl.

Washington at Washington State

USC at UCLA

Rutgers at West Virginia

Nevada at Louisiana Tech