Sunday, September 27, 2009

BlogPoll Ballot Week Four


Four weeks into the college football season here’s what we know. Florida, Texas and Alabama are the three best teams in the country and after that it’s everyone else. The problem is in the ranking of everyone else because there is such parity that it will literally drive you insane trying to figure out who deserves to be where. Take LSU for example. Do the Tigers deserve to be #6? Well, yeah! They are 4-0 on the season and have done something that the majority of the people on this list haven’t, which is remaining undefeated. They probably deserve to be higher but truthfully I don’t think they could beat Virginia Tech or Boise State on a neutral field at this point. That’s the difficult thing here. As the season pans out this process will become easier and clearer but for now it is what it is. Feel free to tell me how you’d do it differently.


1. Florida (1)– Won 41-7 over Kentucky but the big story now is the health of Tim Tebow.

2. Texas (2)– Won a ho-hum game 64-7 over UTEP.

3. Alabama (3)– Won 35-7 over Arkansas.

4. Virginia Tech (9)– Shelled Miami 31-7. VT’s only loss is to Alabama.

5. Boise State (8)– Won 49-14 at Bowling Green.

6. LSU (6)– Late goal line stand saves the day for the Tigers. The problem is that it was against Mississippi State.

7. Cincinnati (13) – Won 28-20 against Fresno State.

8. Ohio State (14)– Won 30-0 over Illinois. The Buckeyes don’t really belong here and they did lose to USC but Washington just won’t go away.

9. Houston (NR) – Can we have two BCS Busters in `09. Who wants to see Boise State and Houston in the Fiesta Bowl? Not Tostitos!

10. Iowa (24)– Scored a big win in Happy Valley with a 21-10 win over Penn State. I’m proud to say that I had Iowa ranked last week even though they didn’t appear in last week’s BlogPoll.

11. Oklahoma (11)– IDLE

12. USC (4)– Did anyone see how pitiful Washington looked against Stanford. That’s the same Washington team that beat USC last week.

13. Penn State (4)– Upset at home by Iowa 21-10.

14. Oklahoma State (15)– Won 56-6 against Grambling.

15. Georgia (16)– Won 20-17 over Arizona State.

16. Mississippi (5)– Upset at South Carolina, 16-10

17. Kansas (19)– Won 35-28 over Southern Miss.

18. Georgia Tech (20)– Upset North Carolina 24-7

19. Oregon (21)– Upset California 42-3.

20. California (7)– Destroyed on the road at Oregon, 42-3.

21. Miami (21) – This is what I get for finally ranking Miami last week. I should have listened to reason because I knew better.

22. BYU (22)– Won 42-23 over Colorado State.

23. TCU (23)- Won 14-10 at Clemson.

24. Michigan (NR) – Survived Indiana 36-33

25. Utah (NR) – Won 30-14 over Louisville


Next Five Out…
26. Missouri

27. Auburn

28. Nebraska

29. South Carolina

30. South Florida

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Gators Hurting From Flu

Florida doesn’t host Arkansas until October 17th but a different type of swine is dismantling Urban Meyer’s defending national championship team. Both players and coaches are succumbing to flu like symptoms and being limited or even held out of practice. Coach Meyer had hold six new players out of Tuesday’s practice as the Gators are prepping for a weekend trip to Kentucky.

"We're all right," Meyer said. "We've just got to get ready. We're doing what we've got to do. What we can control, we control. Guys are wiping down everything. We're doing everything we can. I think we'll be all right."

Among the sick is starting linebacker A.J. Jones and he’s joined by at least eight other players who have been ill this last week. Could the Gators be walking into a trap this weekend? I think not but we’d better pay attention anyway just in case.

Sunday, September 20, 2009

BlogPoll Ballot – Week Three

Another weekend of college football brought another round of upsets among Top 25 schools. Sixteen teams made moves from my ballot last week and there are three new faces on the ballot this week. I had been holding out on Miami because I wanted to see them prove that they were who they appeared to be. Florida State’s win over BYU added legitimacy to Miami’s season opening win over the Seminoles and the thrashing of Georgia Tech proved that they are not a fluke. Welcome back to the world of college football, Miami Hurricanes.


1. Florida (1)– Won 23-13 over Tennessee. Game was closer than most figured it would have been.

2. Texas (2)– Won 34-24 over Texas Tech in a revenge game.

3. Alabama (3)– Won 53-7 over North Texas.

4. Penn State (5)– Won 31-6 over Temple.

5. Mississippi (6)– Won 52-6 over SE Louisiana

6. LSU (7)– Won 31-3 over LA Lafayette

7. California (8)– Won 35-21 at Minnesota.

8. Boise State (12)– Won 51-34 at Fresno State.

9. Virginia Tech (9)– Survived 16-15 at home against Nebraska.

10. Miami (NR) – I’ve been holding out on these guys but now I’m a believer. Their receivers seem to always be open and Harris looks to have all the time in the world to throw a pass.

11. Oklahoma (13)– Won 45-0 against Tulsa. Sooners have gone 8 consecutive quarters without being scored on.

12. USC (4)– Upset at Washington, 16-13. I think that the Trojans problems go deeper than quarterback.

13. Cincinnati (NR) – Won 28-18 at Oregon State looks to be the best of the Big East.

14. Ohio State (14)– Won 38-0 at Toledo.

15. Oklahoma State (15)– Won 41-24 over Rice.

16. Georgia (17)– Won 52-41 at Arkansas.

17. North Carolina (18)– Won 31-17 against East Carolina.

18. Florida State (NR) – Back on the map after 54-28 win at BYU.

19. Kansas (21)– Won 44-16 over Duke.

20. Georgia Tech (11)– One dimensional offense and lack of defensive speed cost them against Miami in 33-17 loss.

21. Oregon (22)– Snapped the nation’s longest winning streak with 31-24 win over Utah.

22. BYU (10)– Destroyed at home by Florida State.

23. TCU (23)- Won 56-21 over Texas State.

24. Iowa (24)– Won 27-17 over Arizona.

25. Pittsburgh (25) – Won 27-14 over Navu


Next Five Out…
26. Michigan

27. Utah

28. Missouri

29. Nebraska

30. Auburn

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Barkley Or Forcier – A Roundtable Discussion













Along with having a weekly vote in the CBS Sports BlogPoll comes the opportunity to participate in roundtable discussions with other members of voting blogs. College Game Balls is hosting this week’s discussion and did an excellent job of coming up with some thought provoking questions.

1. Which freshman impressed you more last weekend: the California dream Matt Barkley who quarterbacked USC over tOSU or white lightening Tate Forcier who slashed through Notre Dame? Which one would you like to have on your team? Feel free to write in another worth candidate.

While there’s certainly to be a ton of quality discussion over this it’s a no-brainer to me. USC’s Matt Barkley completed less than 50% of his passes with an interception and no touchdowns. Meanwhile Michigan’s Tate Forcier completed almost 70% of his passes (69.7) for 240 yards with a 2:1 touchdown to interception ratio. You didn’t even have to watch the games because just a simple look at the stats shows that Forcier had the more impressive performance.

Before you throw out the Barkley played in Prime Time at the Horseshoe let me quickly remind you that Ohio State is a failed two-point conversion away from possibly being 0-2 at the Shoe this season. Barkley also has the better supporting cast and you could make a great argument that USC’s come from behind win had more to do with Joe McKnight than Matt Barkley.

2. Let’s play a game of pretend the unthinkable happened. Commissioner __________ of your conference has been forced to resign after he was caught canoodling with some harlots. Great news, you’ve been chosen to succeed him. To make your mark you decide to make a big change. What is it going to be?

If I had to step in for Big 12 Commissioner Dan Beebe I really can’t think of a whole lot of changes that I’d make to the conference because I believe that the Big 12 is one of the best run conferences in the country. The two things I would do are to secure a warm/controlled climate for the conference championship game and continue to seek new bowl options.

I’ve set in Arrow Head Stadium for the Big 12 Championship Game and while I’ve witnessed the Sooners win there I was still miserable because I couldn’t feel my fingers and toes. With the new Texas Stadium and Edward Jones Stadium in St. Louis there is no reason for any Big 12 fan to suffer through that again.

3. This week the quality of games is kicked up a gear. Other than your own, which game are you most looking forward to?

The two games I’m anxiously awaiting this weekend (other than OU’s intriguing match-up against Tulsa) are Georgia Tech at Miami this Thursday night and Nebraska at Virginia Tech on Saturday.

4. What mascot and/or tradition would you thieve from another school if it was socially acceptable?

I’ll take the East Carolina Pirate for my mascot.



As for tradition I’ll take Texas A&M. Who wouldn’t love a crowd that sways, a band that carries swords and a kiss after every touchdown?


Monday, September 14, 2009

Cutler Shows Why Broncos Dealt Him/Urlacher Done For Season

A bad situation got even worse for the Chicago Bears on Sunday night when Brian Urlacher went down with an injured wrist. With a chance to take home a victory over division rival Green Bay Chicago’s new All-Pro quarterback couldn’t have gotten off to a worse start. Cutler completed 17 of his 36 pass attempts with a ratio of 4 interceptions to 1 touchdown. He mounted a comeback in the second half and put the Bears in front 15-13 but the Chicago defense gave up a 50 touchdown pass from Aaron Rogers to Greg Jennings. Trying to rally his team again for one last scoring drive Cutler tossed his fourth interception on the night. You could make the argument that ultimately it was the Chicago defense that faltered and cost Chicago the game but then again Cutler giving the ball away four times sure didn’t help matters.


Speaking of the Chicago defense, they lost more than just a game Sunday night. Linebacker Brian Urlacher dislocated his right wrist on a play in which he hit Green Bay quarterback Aaron

Rogers. Urlacher underwent surgery on Monday and was placed on injured reserve meaning that he’s done for the season. Now the Bears are looking at going into the final 15 games of the season without Urlacher once again and they’ve got a gun slinger of a quarterback who at least for now has shown that he likes to gamble on the field and can’t pay his debts.


In a strange twist of irony Cutler’s replacement in Denver and former Chicago quarterback Kyle Orton had a prayer answered when Brandon Stokley caught a tipped pass and ran 87 yards to pay dirt in the final se

conds of the game to give Denver a 12-7 win over the Cincinnati Bengals.







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Sunday, September 13, 2009

Blog Poll Week Two Ballot


Two weeks into the college football season the picture is a little clearer as at least four teams have emerged as front runners in the BCS race. We’ve also got two schools making legitimate claims to become BCS Busters. Not a lot of movement on my ballot this week but there are a couple of new faces at #23 and #25. Feel free to share your thoughts.


1. Florida (1)– Won 56-6 over Troy.

2. Texas (2)– Struggled in the first half against Wyoming but got their act together in the second in rout to a 41-10 win.

3. Alabama (3)– Avoided the letdown after last week’s big game against Virginia Tech and routed Florida International 40-14.

4. USC (4)– Came from behind to beat Ohio State 18-15 in the game of the week.

5. Penn State (5)– Not very impressive in 28-7 win over Syracuse.

6. Mississippi (6)– BYE

7. LSU (7)– Less than impressive 23-9 win over Vanderbilt.

8. California (8)– Won 59-7 over Eastern Washington

9. Virginia Tech (11)– Rebounded from last week’s loss to Bama with a 52-10 win over Marshall

10. BYU (12)– Rolled Tulane 54-3

11. Georgia Tech (13)– Hung on for 30-27 win over Clemson.

12. Boise State (14)– Won 48-0 over Miami (OH)

13. Oklahoma (15)– Won 64-0 over Idaho State

14. Ohio State (10)– Defense couldn’t stop USC’s game winning drive.

15. Oklahoma State (9)– Had their bubbles burst in a 45-35 home loss to Houston.

16. Utah (16)– Struggled in 24-14 win over San Jose State.

17. Georgia (17)– Got their offense going against South Carolina but now have defensive concerns after 41-37 win.

18. North Carolina (18)– Struggled heavily in 12-10 win over Connecticut.

19. Nebraska (19)– Won 38-9 over Arkansas State

20. Oregon State (20)– Snuck by UNLV 23-21

21. Kansas (21)– Won 34-7 at UTEP

22. Oregon (22)– Struggling Ducks beat Purdue 38-36

23. TCU (NR)- Won 30-14 over Virginia.

24. Iowa (24)– Dominated Iowa State 35-3

25. Pittsburgh (NR) – Won 54-27 over Buffalo


Next Five Out
26. Cincinnati
27. Texas Tech
28. Miami
29. Missouri

30. Florida State

McNabb Hurt In Eagles Win


It appears that the Philadelphia will need Michael Vick when his suspension ends in week three. After watching Donovan McNabb lay on the ground for several minutes after taking a few hits while running for the game’s final touchdown Head Coach Andy Reid had to be thinking about the Vick contingency plan.

Word is that McNabb has a cracked rib which means that he could be back in uniform next week or out for a month. Regardless of the amount of time McNabb misses, if any, that is a tough injury to overcome when you’re being pounded by NFL caliber defensive linemen each week. Looks like Michael Vick will need to shake of the rust very quickly.

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Monday, September 07, 2009

BlogPoll Week One Ballot


1. Florida (1)– After Saturday’s 62-3 thrashing of Charleston Southern we still know absolutely nothing about the defending national champions.

2. Texas (2)– The Longhorns popped UL Monroe for 59 points but there could be possible concerns over the 20 points their defense surrendered.
3. Alabama (4)– The Tide’s offense rolled against a highly ranked Virginia Tech team in college football’s game of the week.

4. USC (6)– The Trojans didn’t hesitate to go full throttle in their 56-3 thrashing of San Jose State.

5. Penn State (8)– A 31-7 win over Akron has Penn State’s season off on the right foot.
6. Mississippi (9)– 45-14 win over Memphis

7. LSU (10)– The Tigers have some concerns on defense that were exposed in their 31-23 win over Washington.

8. California (11)– 52-13 win over Maryland may have been the most impressive win for the Pac 10.

9. Oklahoma State (12)– Won 24-10 over Georgia.

10. Ohio State (7)– The Buckeyes survived against Navy at the Horseshoe but barely.

11. Virginia Tech (5)– The Hokies are talented but they just couldn’t match Bama blow for blow.

12. BYU (22)– Won 14-13 over Oklahoma.

13. Georgia Tech (15)– Won 37-17 over Jacksonville State.

14. Boise State (16)– Won 19-8 over Oregon.

15. Oklahoma (3)– Oklahoma’s high-octane offense sputtered even before Sam Bradford went down.

16. Utah (17)– Won 35-17 over Utah State.

17. Georgia (13)– Struggled offensively in their 24-10 loss at Oklahoma State.

18. North Carolina (19)– Won 40-6 over Citadel.

19. Nebraska (21)– Won 49-3 over Florida Atlantic.
20. Oregon State (23)– Won 34-7 over Portland State.
21. Kansas (24)– Won 49-3 over Northern Colorado.

22. Oregon (14)– The Ducks look sloooooow against an aggressive Boise State team.

23. Michigan State (25)– Won 44-3 over Montana State.

24. Iowa (20)– Survived 17-16 over Northern Iowa.

25. Florida State (18)– Defensive worries emerge after losing 38-34 to rival Miami.


Next Five Out
26. TCU
27. Pittsburgh
28. Miami
29. Cincinnati

30. Texas Tech

Saturday, September 05, 2009

Buckeyes Survive But #6 Ranking In Doubt


As the early games of college football’s opening weekend are drawing to a close we’ve already learned that one of the nation’s top 10 teams may be a bit over ranked. I put the Ohio State Buckeyes at #7 in by BlogPoll ballot and they debuted at #6 on the initial preseason poll. The AP and Coaches Polls also have the Buckeyes at #6 but anyone who watched that game without any sort of bias would tell you that’s not where Ohio State belongs.


Next week’s polls should bring a drop for the Buckeyes in the rankings if votes are based on performance and not tradition and school name. The Buckeyes were exposed a bit in the defensive secondary and lacked a killer instinct on the offensive side of the ball. The good news for OSU is that they host #3 USC (another team that I believe is ranked too high #4 AP/Coaches) at home next week and have the opportunity to jump back up in the rankings.



Friday, September 04, 2009

Oregon Loses Game Then Player Loses Control



Oregon running back LeGarrette Blount takes losing to Boise State personal. After last season’s loss in Eugene Blount was ready to take it to the Broncos and get one back. Saying that he owed Boise State an, “A** Whipping” Blount backed up his trash talk with 8 carries for -5 yards. Not necessarily the type of performance that portrays any type of a whipping.

Anyone want to guess what happened when Blount’s words were thrown back into his face after the game. If you haven’t already done so, this is the part where you watch the video.

For his efforts in thuggery LeGarrette Blount has drawn a season long suspension. I wonder what the NCAA is thinking of that pre-game handshake idea now.

Wednesday, September 02, 2009

Broncos Shopping Marshall And Jets Are Interested

Remember when Denver Coach Josh McDaniels said that the Broncos weren’t going to trade Jay Cutler? Well Cutler is now a Chicago Bear and McDaniels is dealing with another troubled player that he says he’s not going to trade. If you’re able to read between the lines here you can see that receiver Brandon Marshall’s time in the Mile High City is limited.

Even though the Broncos aren’t actively seeking a trade with anyone rumors are that a price tag of a first round draft pick has been set for Marshall. Possibly willing to step up and pay the price to acquire him are the New York Jets who are about as deep at receiver as a rain gutter in the Nevada desert.

The thing to watch here is that the Broncos don’t want anything less than a first round pick, the Jets, right now, won’t give up a first round pick and Marshall is angry that he’s only making $2.2 million dollars a year. Who’s gonna budge first?