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.

The Weekend That Was: Historic Loss, Old Man Football, Season's New Crush

For those of you who have come to this site the past two weekends looking for picks of the week's biggest college football teams, let me say that I am sorry. I am still doing a similar weekly column::, but it is being published on a different site (ArkansasExpats.com- the Razorback blog for SBNation).

Now that my TWTWB columns are being posted to a different website, and because I feel like to post the same content in two places is writer's taboo, I am going to try and do something a little different.

Here in my "The Weekend That Was" posts, I will attempt to provide some insight and show you some of the things you may have missed on Saturday -- because you had better things to do than sit in front of the television for 12 hours.

HISTORIC LOSS: "Now what? What happens after a loss like that? Who's to blame?" These, along with many others, are questions being raised in the Arkansas, as the state's favorite team fell to the University of Louisiana-Monroe.

After a suspect performance against FBS Jacksonville State the week before, most Hog fans were looking forward to hopefully seeing their once high-flying offense rebound and take care of the Warhawks with ease. Worst case scenario? The Razorbacks leave Little Rock with a win and head into  this week full steam ahead preparing for Alabama. The actual scenario? The Razorbacks leave Little Rock with one of the worst losses in school history, lose four players to injury, show no level of BCS-worthy competence on offense or defense, lose ESPN's College Gameday coming to Fayetteville, and fans missing former coach Bobby Petrino.

Arkansas fans believed Bobby's little brother, Paul, would be able to run the offense maybe not quite at the level as big brother, but at least well enough to make it through the season. This is not the case. In utter disbelief, Hog fans watched as the their team was wary to run with the lead. Arkansas ran the ball only six times after going up 28-7 with 9:42 left in the third. Not smart.

With coach John L. Smith clearly not coming back next season, the pressure falls on the shoulders of Athletic Director Jeff Long. He fired Bobby Petrino and brought back Smith on a 10 month contract. Now he must find a hire which will not only energize the fan base, but one who will not let Arkansas fall back to the eight or nine win seasons rut. Problem is, there are few good coaches out there who are not already at destination jobs.

For my new favorite... keep reading.

Georgia's Christian Robinson and Aaron Murray

OLD MAN FOOTBALL (or at least Jarvis Jones) REIGNS SUPREME : In the midst of all the hype surrounding Missouri's first game in the SEC, Tiger linebacker Sheldon Richardson made comments comparing the Bulldogs style of play to the Big Ten and added that it looked like "old man football." A huge no-no in the SEC.

After being down early, Georgia responded with 32 straight points, while future first-round draft pick Jarvis Jones single-handedly stopped the Missouri offense. I know it is two weeks early, but his play reminds me of the same sorts of ways Tyrann Mathieu used to take over games for LSU last season. Jones has to be on the Heisman watchlist.

The Dawgs aptly welcomed Missouri with a statement win of their own and introduced the Tigers to GROWN man football -- or as we SEC fans call simply call it, your conference schedule.

BIG TEN EMBARRASSES AGAIN: The ultimate brand of "old man football" struck out this weekend, proving it is not a relevant football conference.

Purdue and Penn State lost close games in which they had plenty of opportunities to win to Notre Dame and Virginia, respectively. Nittany Lions kicker Sam Ficken missed and extra point and four field goals on Saturday alone.

Old man commissioner Jim Delany may never let his Big Ten schools travel west of the Mississippi again. Nebraska's defense gave up 653 yards of offense to UCLA in a loss. Wisconsin was physically dominated by Oregon State on both sides of the ball. And Illinois was blown out by Arizona State, which, luckily for the Big 10 was on late.

Michigan struggled to put away Air Force at home, while Ohio State did much of the same with UCF in the Horseshoe.

MY NEW CRUSH(es): Every season I try and find a team beyond the SEC that I can support. Whether it be because of a player, a coach, or usually a scheme, I pick a team that may not be the sexy pick to win the national title but is fun to watch and follow that team all season. Last season was Wisconsin. Since they are clearly not the same this year, I have taken fancy to a new team, West Virginia.

They put points on the board faster than the Mountaineer mascot can reload his musket with weapons like quarterback Geno Smith and all-purpose receiver Tavon Austin. Their coach, Dana Holgerson has proven to be an offensive mastermind. Just ask Clemson.  While a national championship this season is within reach if this team, if they lose or not you will no doubt be entertained watching the Mountaineers.

And for you readers who have made it this far -- or were smart enough to scroll...

My new crush for the soon-to-be open Arkansas head coaching position is Charlie Strong. He is, like Bobby Petrino once was, the head coach at Louisville. The once defensive coordinator of the Urban Meyer run at Florida is a native of Arkansas and understands the entire state's passion for their Hogs.

In other great news my Samford Bulldogs have started the season undefeated, with wins over conference rival Furman and West Alabama. The Dogs have looked strong in tight situations thus far and are serious contenders to capture their first FCS playoff berth since joining the Southern Conference.

Tailgating on the quad was never this good when I was at The U.

The Five SEC Players I Would (And Would Not) Hang Out With

I recently had a conversation with a college friend of mine of a college quarterback's, now thanks to the internet  infamous tattoo. It led to the idea for this post. Without further ado, here is the list of players in the SEC, given the opportunity, I would like or would not to hang out with in no particular order.

The "Woulds":

Even Nick Saban likes Barrett Jones

Barrett Jones, Alabama center- A 2011 unanimous All-America selection and Outland Trophy winner, Jones is not only a beast on the field at 6-foot-5, 311-pounds; but he also holds a 4.0 at Alabama, while working on his masters and preparing for the CPA exam. The over-sized nerd, once finished 15th in his age division at a Scrabble competition. Oh and he has played violin continuously since age three. 

Jordan Rodgers, Vanderbilt quarterback- The community college transfer followed began the 2011 season as the No. 2 quarterback on the Commodore depth chart before taking over the starting job and topping Jay Cutler's freshmen year in total yards gained. I would hang out with Jordan on the outside shot he would bring his brother Aaron along, Super Bowl MVP and champion for the Green Bay Packers.

Knile Davis, Arkansas running back and Tyler Wilson, Arkansas quarterback- I went with a combo here for the same reason no parent wants to choose their favorite child. Davis and Wilson are arguably the top players in the SEC at their respective positions. In addition, reports came out that the duo had conversations with former Razorback coach, and poor motorcycle-driving connoisseur, Bobby Petrino over the summer. Wouldn't you like to know exactly what was said?

T.J. Moe, Missouri wide receiver- In my last post, I wrote how Moe stole the show at SEC media days with his comments of how the SEC is better than the Big 12. Other than that,  I do not know much about the No. 1 wideout on the Tiger's depth chart. However, I do know if we were to hang out there is a strong possibility I would have more one-liners to add to my arsenal, which is enough to make the list.

Johnson, stud on and off the field.

A.J. Johnson, Tennessee linebacker- Would I be a fan of his had I not moved to Gainesville, Johnson's hometown two years ago? Probably not, but after doing so and hearing some of the local lore I would like to talk to this kid and get the his full story. I have watched him on some YouTube highlights, and the more I watch the more I wish I could have seen the then Red Elephant in person. Locals here say he is a great all-around person.

Honorable Mention-

Bacarri Rambo, Georgia safety- He was called Fudge before he changed his name in grade school. I would ask for the full story.

Barkevious Mingo, LSU defensive end- The name game again. What is its origin?

Kiero Small, Arkansas fullback- The 5-foot10, 255-pound Small is a willing block seeker in the second and third level. He broke more than ten opponent's helmets and at least eight of his own in 2011.


The "Would Nots":

Tyrann Mathieu, LSU cornerback- If an explanation is necessary, just Google is name. The Honey Badger is a good ball player but has a number of character issues.

Da'Rick Rogers, Tennesee wide receiver- Yet another prima donna wide receiver, who tweets about hanging out with high school kids in hot tubs when he goes home to Calhoun, Georgia. Rogers is talented receiver who used his five-star ranking to shortchange Georgia. He switched his commitment in the last hour to the Volunteers by finagling a scholarship for his high school quarterback. A season later, he publicly announced that he was going to transfer to Georgia State after a disappointing season. These plans never worked out, and now he is still giving his all -- if that possible -- for Tennessee today.

Hard to believe the guy on the right has the art on the right inked on his chest.

A.J. McCarron, Alabama quarterback- Though he is not the reason this blog was created, he comes in a close second because of his tattoo. When one decides to go through with a terrible permanent marking on their body, they prove to me of their poor decision-making skills, which would make hanging out with him not so fun. McCarron's tattoo does just that (and he strives to be just like John Parker Wilson, Bama Bangs and all).

Brad Wing, LSU punter- Football players do not generally respect the masters of special teams (kickers and punters). Sure it was a good play, and another gutsy call by LSU coach Les Miles, but taunting the opposing team after scoring your only career touchdown (which was called back) as a punter is a quick way to find yourself on this list. Cocky punters? Nah.

Bray needs no nameplate on his jersey. He
already has a permanent one on his back.

Tyler Bray, Tennessee quarterback- The Volunteer signal caller is the proud owner of the star tattoo which brought this whole post to life. Since telling the press at SEC Media Days how proud he is of his star back-branding, Bray has thrown a temper tantrum after allegedly being told he would be evicted from his apartment complex. With his cannon-like right arm, he threw beer bottles and golf balls at a neighbor's car. Although he apologized and is paying for the damages, I am not up for a night of taking out anger through vandalism of private property.

Dishonorable Mention- 

Philip Lutzenkirchen, Auburn tight end- He added to the myth that white men can't dance with The Lutzie against Alabama in 2010.

Thoughts and opinions of my list? Or others you would want to add? Comment below.

SEC Media Days, Cam Newton Street, Hold the Joe But More Kobe Please

We find ourselves in the middle of the beginning of the unofficial kickoff of college football. A little wordy, huh? It is easier to call them the Southeastern Conference Media Days, where coaches begin to make excuses for why their team will not live up to expectations (Steve Spurrier and Joker Phillips), respond with numerous wild card answers (John L. Smith and Les Miles), or simply fulfill an obligation to their conference (Nick Saban). 

No matter how your coach answers, the SEC Media Days are the biggest of their kind for the most competitive league in any sport so enjoy the make-believe camaraderie and hopefully we get a coach to drop gems like Missouri's T.J. Moe, "They say girls are prettier here, air's fresher, and the toilet paper is thicker."

Couldn't agree 'Moe', T.J.

This lonely student's sign reads: Protect the Paterno statue.

Some Students Ask for More Joe Please:
In more Joe Paterno news, students -- a population of two -- are camping out in order to protect the statue, which remains erect outside Beaver Stadium.

An anonymous flight from Ohio read "Take down the statue, or we'll take it down for you" (a hopeful me desires for this news to be true).

I wish I would have made note of this in my last post, but the chances of the statue being vandalized is somewhere around 100%. This is all the more reason to take the thing down from its current location and follow my instructions. Students from Penn State have tweeted that "these few students do not represent the entire campus population."

All the more reason for the "protesting" students to take advantage of their parent's investment -- because it does not last forever -- in room and board, and go back to their dorm and hold their own Paterno-crazed pity party.

Cam Newton Way Should be a toll road if plan comes to fruition:
He has NFL records. He was named the NFL Rookie of the Year. He has a statue at his alma mater (Can you even call it that when he only spent eight months there and did not receive a degree from there? Or Blynn Junior College? Or Florida? I digress.). But getting a road named after him? You must be out of your mind.

He is a 23-year-old admittedly "very immature" quarterback. And while -- speaking from experience-- this is to be expected for a man of his age, let's give him some time before we Georgians give him such an honor. For one, it would cost the residents of Scarborough Road in South Atlanta money, time and effort to change their address. Residents also report to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that they are not ready to name a street after a person with a scandaled past.


A second hearing is still on the agenda where the proposition will likely be shot down. If the road does pass a second vote, can we all agree it should at least be a toll road?

Give me more Kobe
NBA Commissioner David Stern has come forward saying that at the next olympics it is possible we see the 23-and-under rule enforced. Within these parameters, USA basketball would still be able to use NBA professionals with onlythree players over the age of 23. This would help protect players in the NBA from participating in the Olympics and coming home injured a la Blake Griffin and Kyrie Irving.

If Stern gets his way, you won't see Kobe or LeBron in USA unis anymore.

Thirty-three-year-old Kobe Bryant thinks the same way I do about the Commissioner's proposal, "It's a stupid idea," Bryant said. I could not agree more with the Olympic gold medalist.

Whether or not to play should remain up to the players, who risk injury and fatigue in the next 82-game season. Some argue that NBAers in international play makes for a competitive disadvantage for the rest of the world.

Um... is that not the point of competition? To be the best? In addition to winning another gold this summer clips such as these will be recorded for all Americans to "Ohh" and "Ahh" over.

Kobe also told a Y! reporter earlier this week that it is "possible" he retires at age 35. Say it ain't so. Sure Bryant is made fun of for the number of shots he takes, but a 1 1/2 years ago he ranked as the ninth best player of all time (and his stock is only rising). Of course, he may be modeling his career even more so like his idol Michael Jordan by testing retirement and coming back as a player-manager down the road.

The Weekend that Will Be

Back again for picks this weekend. I do not have as an exciting weekend planned as I did last weekend, but I am not going to say it won't be a good one. It is too early to tell. But really how good is the feeling of a Friday afternoon and full two days to do whatever you want. I can tell you this, fans in the Rome area go and watch the Wolves play. And for those in the Vicksburg area, go and watch your Vikings play the Gators from the city school, hands down the biggest rivalry in Warren County.

Back to the college game...

Georgia vs. Florida- I have had a hard time putting my finger on both of these teams all year long and consequently making this game one of the hardest to predict. For the first time in 31 years neither team is ranked. Flordia has owned this series, winning 17 of the last 20 meetings and coming off of a bye week head coach Urban Meyer is unbeatable. On the other hand, UGA is playing their best ball of the year and looks like they are playing as well as they can. History doesn't win games. The Dawgs from Athens win.

Missouri vs. Nebraska- Here is one of the big upsets from what will be a crazy Halloween weekend. I know that Missouri has the top ranked defense in college football but I don't see Nebraska QB Taylor Martinez being stopped by another defense like he was against Texas. Nebraska is a tough place to play and Mizzou coming off of the program's biggest win will have a hard time being on the road. Nebraska wins easily.

Michigan State vs. Iowa- Keeping up with the undefeated team losing on the road, Iowa puts away the Spartans. Iowa is a very good team and lost a heart breaker last week at home against my Big 10 crush, Wisconsin. Iowa is one of the most consistent teams in football and just does not lose two games in a row at home. Also the Spartans have not looked good against teams they should have, not have they won a big game. The undefeated magic ends here.

Oregon vs. USC- If you like offense and you like to see the scoreboard rolling this is the game to watch on Saturday. Oregon scores more points than any other team in the nation, 55.1, and the USC defense is giving up over 500 yards a game. The scorekeeper will be tired at the end of this one. USC is a good team with plenty of talent and one of the most hated coaches in college ball. Many reporters are calling this USC's Rose Bowl (USC was banned from postseason play earlier in the season), but I see Oregon ruining the Trojan's party.

Other Winners (in bold):

Auburn vs. Mississippi- Houston Nutt teams get up for games they should get killed in. Could be an upset, but I don’s think the Rebels can pull it off

Vanderbilt vs. Arkansas- Joe Adams and DeQuinta Robinson are out, but look who the Hogs are playing. No worries here. Hogs win big for the alumni back for homecoming.

Baylor vs. Texas- The Bears finally get a chance to beat the vaunted Longhorns

Stanford vs. Washington- Closer than the experts think

Miami vs. Virginia

Michigan vs. Penn State

Kentucky vs. Mississippi State

Clemson vs. Boston College

Tennessee vs. South Carolina 

How See the College Football Weekend

Back again and trying to improve on last week's terrible start. Oh well that is why they play the game, for me to talk about it. Sarcasm. Either way I like to think so. Studying for my Anatomy Lab exam might be what I should be concentrating my efforts towards. No worries parents and grandparents, I studied earlier today so I would have time for to write to my faithful followers.

LSU vs. Auburn- Seriously can any one stop Auburn quarterback Cam Newton? If LSU does they win the game easily. Besides Newton please tell me how Auburn would have scored any points this season. Nope, you can't do it. Like I said last week I know have complete respect for him but am not ready to crown the War Eagles (I know Auburn fans. It's so the two teams are not confused.) the SEC West champion, much less the winner of the whole league and I know that the Bayou Bengals will have to say something about it too. All this said, or written, for my more literal readers, I don't see the Mad Hatter being able to rub the rabbit's foot and pull out a win here.

Alabama vs. Tennessee- Remember when the 3rd Saturday of October meant something? It is OK if you don't. It's been a few years. Since Nick Saban has arrived to Tuscaloosa he has handled the Volunteers all three years. Last year's epic game in which Terrance Cody blocked a potential game-winning kick to win the game was just that, epic. I don't see this one being nearly as close as the Crimson Tide continues to get their roll on and handles this road game easily.

Mississippi vs. Arkansas- This game has started to mean something since the head coach of the Rebels is the former Razorback coach. Yet again, Houston Nutt will get a hearty welcome from his former home crowd. By hearty I mean the loathing will come straight from the heart. Petrino, who was berated earlier this week by a former co-worker during his stint with the Atlanta Falcons, the Cincinatti Bengals Defensive Coordinator, will be looking to show his home crowd that he couldn't be happier in Fayetteville. Arkansas' Ryan Mallet is back from his concussion and has a big week against a subpar pass defense from Ole Miss.

Oklahoma vs. Missouri- The matchup in Columbia is the home to College Gameday, which always bring a little extra excitement to the air. Add in two undefeated teams, one of which is the new BCS number one, and you have as big of a weeknd as you can have in Missouri (outside of Branson of course, Grannie). I am not a believer in the Tigers yet but this would boost nationwide credibility. I can't say that I see it happening though. Heisman candidate, DeMarco Murray runs wild and Oklahoma gets a big win to boost their already top BCS score.


Wisconsin vs. Iowa- Here is Wisconsin's or Iowa's chance to make some serious headway in their quest for the Big 10 title. This will be one of the hardest hitting games of the weekend with both clubs having serious size on the line. I was again impressed by John Clay and the Badger running game that I think they can pull out a tough road game against the most consistent team in America. Wisconsin goes on the road for a mini-upset and separates themselves as the team to beat in the Big 10.

Other Winners (in bold)

North Carolina vs. Miami
South Carolina vs. Vanderbilt
Georgia vs. Kentucky
Notre Dame vs. Navy
Georgia Tech vs. Clemson
Michigan State vs. Northwestern
Syracuse vs. West Virginia
UAB vs. Mississippi State
Whoever Boise State plays vs. Boise State


I have mostly visitors winning which makes me a little nervous but I am ready for Saturday. Who's with me?