College Football Week 11 Wrap Up

First, let's say we all know this is a bad year for Notre Dame football. There's no need to kick a man while he's down, but The Irish lost to a service Academy for the first time since 1944. They are now 1-9 and play Duke, who is also 1-9 on Saturday in a game that Duke has no business being anything more than a blow up doll for the Golden Domers to have their way with.


IT HAPPENED! IT FINALLY HAPPENED!

#1 Ohio State brought unranked Illinois to the horse shoe on Saturday afternoon in what they figured to be a warm up game for Michigan in the Big House next week. Problem is, Jim Tressel would rather walk in on his dog commiting suicide than a spread offense. It gives him nightmares, or at least it should. He can't figure it out to save his life. The Illini's QB, Juice Williams put himself on the top of my personal heroes list for the week. I thought Michigan would beat OSU next week because they had nothing else to play for, than ruining the Buckeye's season. But my boy Ron Zook said, "Don't worry BigSlim. I got you son." The game started out with OSU scoring on 2 plays and me going, "Oh, good. Dammit Ron Zook we can't count on you for anything, can we?" Then he called me and said "Watch this, and shut up." Illinois dialed up their own 2 play TD. Nice. After that, the Juice Williams show as in full effect. The Illinois QB went 12/22 for 140 yards and 4 TDs/0 INTs. His counterpart, Todd Boekman, went 13/23, 156 yards with 0 TDs/3 INTs. The big story of the game was the 4th quarter. Ohio State snapped the ball on offense 3 times in the 4th. Illinois kept the ball for the last 8+ minutes. They just drove down the field, going for it on a crucial 4th down around their own 30 yard line, in which OSU burned a timeout because they had 12 men on the field, while Illinois was in punt formation. During the break, Juice told the Zooker "Let's go for it. I'll get it." He did, and the rest is history. The final was 28-21. The only thing going on now is OSU is praying that Oregon goes to the BCS Championship, because if they play them in the Rose Bowl, that spread offense will expose them even more nastily than the Fightin' Zook's.


#2 LSU brought in Louisiana Tech to town and crushed them, like they should have. The creamed the Bulldogs, 58-10. Jacob Hester was the standout player in this game, going for 115 and a TD on only 11 carries.


#3 Oregon was idle this week and plays Arizona on Thursday night.


#4 Kansas took their show on the road to play in Stillwater against the Cowboys from Oklahoma State. Jayhawks sophomore QB Todd Reesing had a very solid day, going 27/40 for 308, 3 TDs/0 INTs. Kansas RB Brandon McAnderson also shined, again on Saturday. He stacked up 142 rushing yards and 2 rushing TDs to go along with 27 receiving yards in the Kansas victory, 43-28. Personally, I think Kansas is thinking about jacking the Gators' swag. They're gonna try for titles in football and basketball. They probably won't succeed, but on the chance they do, I'm sayin you can't do it like the originals.


#5 Oklahoma welcomed punching bag Baylor to town, and showed their offensive firepower. Sooners QB Sam Bradford went 20/25 for 353, 3 TDs/1 INT. Demarco Murray went for 95 yards and 3 TDs in the Sooners 52-21 W.


The #6 Mizzou Tigers brought in the Aggies from Texas A&M in a game that had not 1, but 2 safeties. Missouri looked strong through the first half, but couldn't seem to put the Aggies away until late in the 4th. Tiger's QB Chase Daniel was outstanding, going 27/35 for 352 yards, 3 TDs/0 INTs. Jeremy Maclin led all receivers with 5 catches for 146 yards and 2 TDs in the Tigers defeat of A&M, 40-26.


#7 West Virginia played in those ugly all yellow, highlighter looking uni's on Thursday against Louisville in what was sure to be a game lacking defense. Brian Brohm, who was a Heisman Hopeful in the beginning of the year was trying to beat his exact opposite at QB, Pat White. He failed, again. White went 16/25 for 181 yards, 2 TDs/0 INTs. That's nothing special, but a Pat White type passing day. What separates the 2 are their rushing numbers. White went for 147 yards and the winning TD on a 50 yard scamper late in the 4th. The Mountaineers won 38-31.


#8 Boston College went from win and you're in The Game, to a two game losing streak. This time, the upsetting team was the Terps from Maryland, who also beat a ranked Rutgers earlier in the year. Matt Ryan threw for over 400 yards, and had 3 TDs, but it wasn't enough to hold off Maryland who piled on 472 yards of total offense in their 42-35 win.


#9 Arizona State was still mad coming off their loss at Oregon last week, and almost fell victim again Saturday to UCLA, who gave Notre Dame their only win of the season. In a game where no body stood out, the Sun Devils held off the Bruins, 24-20.


#10 Georgia brought in rival #18 Auburn for a meeting between the hedges. Dawgs QB Matt Stafford went 11/19 for 237 yards, 2 TDs/1 INT. Freshman RB Knowshon Moreno continued his recent dominance, going for 101 yards and 2 TDs. Auburn QB Brandon Cox threw 4 INTs, and the Tigers amounted for only 216 yards of total offense in the Georgia win, 45-20.



#11 Virginia Tech brought in the 'Noles on Saturday night. Bobby Bowden had never lost to Va Tech. The Noles were just coming off their win at then #2 BC. The Seminoles have that swarming, fast defense that was sure to give Hokies QB Tyrod Taylor fits. Not true. I was watching this game for a little while, and turned it when the Noles were down 20-6. A little while later, I turn back. Drew Weatherford is on the bench, and Christian Ponder led the Noles to the lead, 21-20. The 4th quarter was all VT though, and the Noles went down 40-21. Taylor was 10/15 for 204 yds, 2 TDs/1 INT. He also had 92 yards rushing and a TD to boot.


No Mike Hart and Chad Henne only playing in the first two series of the game proved to be costly for #12 Michigan. They went to Wisconsin, in what some pepople said was a sleeper game. Michigan knew that win or lose, they are playing for the Big 10 Championship and a spot in the Rose Bowl next week. So it wasn't a big deal if they lost. I think they were more worried about Mike Hart getting his rest so he can come back and play against Ohio State. Wisconsin took the W, 31-27.


#13 UConn proved to be a duck. Finally, in week 11, they were beat like the the Huskies of old. Cincinnati QB Ben Mauk went 21/33 for 276 yds, 3 TDs/0 INTs in the Bear Cats 27-3 romping.


#14 Texas is a second half team. There's no denying it. For the 3rd week in a row, they used the 4th quarter to put their opponent to sleep. Coming out of the half, the Horns were up only 28-20 against Texas Tech. They scored in the 3rd to bring the score to 35-20. In the 4th, both teams turned it on, but fortunately for Texas, they had the lead going in, and won the game, 59-43. Colt McCoy threw for 4 TDs while RB Jamaal Charles ran for 174 yards and a TD in the game.


#15 Florida was on upset alert, as they will be every time they play a Steve Spurrier coached team. Percy Harvin didn't make the trip to Columbia with a sinus infection and migraines. That didn't matter. Tim Tebow passed for over 300 yards and 2 TDs and ran for over 100 and a career high 5 rushing TDs. Tebow also broke Emmitt Smith's record for most rushing TDs in a season by a Gator at any position. Sneior Bubba Caldwell caught 11 passes for 148 yards and a touch in the 51-31 route of the Game Cocks.


#16 Hawaii QB Colt Brennan needed only 3 passing TDs to break the all time record, of 121 held by Ty Detmer. He got 2 trying it, and then got injured. Detmer's record is sure to be broken the next time Brennan takes the field. Hawaii beat Fresno State 37-30.


# 17 USC went to #24 Cal in what was a must win game in the Pac 10. The Trojans are easing John David Booty back in to the swing of things, as he only threw the ball 20 times. The story comes from the stable of RBs SC carries with them. Chauncey Washington broke out for 220 yards and a TD in the 24-17 win.


#19 Virginia listened to the football Gods before playing Saturday night. All fans of football in the south that aren't Cane fans were hoping for an embarrassment, and boy, what an embarrassment it was. The Orange Bowl was shut down on the worse home shutout in Miami history. I can't stop smiling as I'm writing this. I hate the Canes almost as much as I hate the Noles and Gayton Manning. Miami's defense, which is always 'so good' gave up more than 400 yards and 48 points in this glorious game. Canes lose 48-0 and drop a stinker in the dump that is (soon to be was) called The OB.


#20 Boise State beat Utah State 52-0. I hate Boise State. I wish they would go away. 11 of 12 teams in the SEC would straight embarrass them, and for some reason they are living off of last year. They're in the WAC and they're not undefeated. Is that not enough for them to be unranked?


#21 Clemson is inching closer to playing in the ACC championship game for a spot in that Orange Bowl. Tigers QB Cullen Harper went 27/35 for 266 yds, 3 TDs/0 INTs. Wake Forest could only manage 10 points in this 44-10 Tigers victory.


#22 Alabama got upset by Mississippi State for the second straight year. The only difference is this year, it makes the Bulldogs bowl eligable for the first time since 2000. Bama QB John Parker Wilson gave the game away with the clock ticking away in the first half. Bama was on the 2 yard line and looking to score, which would have put the Tide up 16-3 going in to the half. He threw an interception that was taken 100 yards to pay dirt. The Bull Dogs never looked back, and won the game 17-12.


#23 Penn State beat instate rival Temple 31-0. Lions QB Anthony Morelli went 22/33 for 260 with 3 TDs/1 INT. PSU running back Rodney Kinlaw ran the ball 27 times for 168 yards and a score.


#24 Tennessee contained Arkansas RB Darren McFadden as much as you could hope to. Run DMc ran 22 times for 117 yards and no scores in the Vols 34-13 victory over the Razorbacks.


In a game where nobody really stood out, #25 Kentucky beat Vanderbilt 27-20.



New Heisman Top 5:

Dennis Dixon, QB Oregon
Tim Tebow, QB Florida
Matt Ryan, QB Boston College
Darren McFadden, RB Arkansas
Pat White, QB West Virginia


New BCS Top 25

1. LSU 9-1
2. Oregon 8-1
3. Kansas 10-0
4. Oklahoma 9-1
5. Missouri 9-1
6. West Virginia 8-1
7. Ohio State 10-1
8. Arizona State 9-1
9. Georgia 8-2
10. Virginia Tech 8-2
11. USC 8-2
12. Florida 7-3
13. Texas 9-2
14. Virginia 9-2
15. Clemson 8-2
16. Hawaii 9-0
17. Boston College 8-2
18. Boise State 9-1
19. Illinois 8-3
20. Tennessee 7-3
21. Michigan 8-3
22. Cincinnati 8-2
23. Kentucky 7-3
24. Connecticut 8-2
25. Wisconsin 8-3