Week 5 in College Football puts old rivals against each other. Some face off in old conference battles, future conference battles, and new conference battles. Let’s preview the marquee match-ups for the weekend.
1. #14 Texas A&M will be travelling to Fayetteville to take on #18 Arkansas. Next year, this will be a conference game and it will matter a lot more than it will this year. I think Arkansas showed who they really were last week against a stingy defense in Alabama. I don’ think Petrino really understands just how bad his offensive line is at this point. Do not get me wrong, Alabama created pressure against the line and confused blocking assignments. They routinely make offensive lines look bad. But Arkansas cannot let Tyler Wilson ever get beat up again like he was against Alabama. They were cleaning his clock each time he stepped back there to deliver a pass. Arkansas lost a lot when Knile Davis was injured at the beginning of the season. But Wingo is going to have to step up as Davis did last year. They have to have some offensive balance. Without it, teams are just going to send the horses after Wilson and he is going to be knocked out for the season. Texas A&M is coming off a disappointing loss to now #5 Oklahoma State. They were up 20-3 and dominating every aspect of the game. The Aggie defense got no pressure on Weeden. I don’t will be a problem this week. Texas A&M has to display the balance that they were exhibiting earlier this year. Running and passing the ball. Tannehill has to step up and protect the ball. Some of the throws last week were bad reads, and some were not his fault. He is an exceptional athlete that can pull the ball down and be a nightmare matchup for defenses. He cannot turn the ball over against a good team and think that his team can come out with a win. A&M also has a great backfield that can garner the defense to focus on it before they focus on the connection that Tannehill has with Fuller and Swope. I think that Texas A&M can pull this game out if they get back to their fundamentals. Defense and running the ball. I think Texas A&M bounces back 35-21.
2. #13 Clemson travels to Blacksburg, VA to take on #11 Virginia Tech. Everyone thought coming in that Virginia Tech had a very easy road to the ACC championship game. No one expected Clemson to come out and beat an SEC opponent & the favorite to come out of the ACC, Florida State. Well this is why we play the game and love the game of college football. Logan Thomas hasn’t awed you with his numbers, but he is solid at QB and can make a big play at any point in the game with his legs or with his feet. But he does have an injured shoulder and is listed as probable in this game. Virginia Tech plays smash mouth football for about 65% of the game. They are going to play a physical game in which they are going to try to control the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball. Look for them to come out early and try to push that game plan on Clemson. David Wilson will have more responsibility this weekend against Clemson and will see more carries with his QB being injured. Virginia Tech always shows off a defense that can play with any team in the land, they are fast and they are aggressive. Clemson has been running a fast paced offense. They put up Xbox numbers against Auburn and Florida State. They are one of the hottest teams in the country right now. They have converted 23-35 third downs over the past 2 weeks. They can’t be put off the field. Whenever a team dominates time of possession, they are not going to lose too many games. Tajh Boyd and Sammy Watkins are exciting to watch. Watkins is an explosive player and anytime he touches the ball, he is a threat to go the distance. I am picking Clemson to pull this one off. I have been picking against them the past two weeks. I am going to take them 35-24
3. In one of the two night games, #3 Alabama heads to The Swamp to take on the #12Florida Gators. Muschamp has his boys playing well. They are flying around on defense and their offense is getting better every week. This will be the most talented defensive units that Alabama has seen all year. Chris Rainey has been nothing short of amazing this season. He has been leading the way for the Gators all season long and is definitely in the running for the Heisman. A big game against Bama and he could have his Heisman moment, just as Cam Newton had against a top tier LSU defense. Brantley is going to have to play well and Thompson is going to have to put some stick ‘em on his hand or something before he goes out there. He can’t catch a cold this year, and the Gators need him to step up; if not for anything, this game. Florida’s secondary had a few bad plays against TN. But I think that Muschamp got that problem under control and they played better against Kentucky. Demps & Rainey are very small backs, and running between the tackles isn’t something that Florida would want to do against this Defense. They are aggressive and tackle VERY well. The key to this game will be Brantley. Will he make mistakes? Can he read what he sees and make an educated pass and not force a ball? I don’t know if he can. Alabama has been trucking along. And even though they have played the Saudia Arabian Desert Knights and the Poland School of the Shoulderless, they are looked VERY well against their divisional foe Arkansas. Many people, including myself, picked Arkansas as a dark horse to win the SEC West. Well Alabama destroyed any thoughts of that happening last week. Dre’ Kirkpatrick has stepped his game up tremendously and is now the lockdown CB that everyone projected him to be. Saban has really coached him up. Alabama’s secondary alone has 3 potential All-American candidates in it with Barron, Lester, and Kirkpatrick. And the guy on the other side Menzie just maybe as good if not better than Kirkpatrick. They are as physical, instinctive and hard hitting as in secondary in the country. Trent Richardson is just that, Heisman candidate. But that Lacy kid behind him is SOLID. And he looks like a racehorse out there running the ball. It seems that he has gotten over that case of the fumbles that he had. He runs VERY hard and is a load to bring home. Maze on special teams is a breaker. I wouldn’t kick the ball to him unless it was absolutely unavoidable. Alabama is a solid team. It is hard to pick against. There are two blaring questions that are screaming out at Bama. Will AJ McCarron take care of the ball and avoid mistakes. And will the best cover LB for Bama, CJ Mosley play for Alabama and if he does play, will he be effective? Without anyone to cover the speedsters, this may prove to be a problem for Alabama. I think Alabama takes this game, 28-20.
4. The game of the weekend will be #8 Nebraska travelling to #7 Wisconsin. The atmosphere will be electric as Nebraska plays its first ever conference game in the Big Ten. And what a game it will be. Nebraska and Martinez will run the football. So you don’t have to wonder how Nebraska will attempt to run the ball. They don’t throw the ball much. Martinez goes from 0 to full speed faster than most RBs in the country. If he catches a seam he is gone! But Nebraska’s staple is the black shirt defense. They have been giving up the points, but Nebraska’s offense has been scoring them too. Nebraska lost some talent to the NFL last year including the second CB taken in the draft, Amukamara. So look for Wisconsin to attempt to exploit the new faces on defense often and early. The defense isn’t very black shirt like. And Bo Pellini has to know that they are ranked 52nd nationally as far as total defense. This number will have to improve this weekend against a very balanced Wisconsin team. They come in averaging 246 yards rushing and 287 yards passing a game. Now that is balance. They have a big physical offensive line (as always) and they have a solid running back in Montee Ball. Now insert Russell Wilson into the mix and you have a very solid team. Look for Nick Toon to exploit matchups against the Nebraska secondary. But the player to keep your eye on will be Sr. Jake Byrne. He is a great TE that can stretch the field vertically and is a big target. Look for Wilson to hit him early. He is a great blocker as well. Wisconsin is ranked 7th overall in total defense and 3rd in scoring defense. They haven’t really played anyone so I think those numbers are a little inflated. If Cromartie and Fenelus don’t keep their head on a swivel for the pass, they can get easily burned for a TD. I think Wisconsin wins this game 20-14 as the fans in Madison will be going crazy.
Thursday, September 29, 2011
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
The Week 4 Finish
COLLEGE FOOTBALL; what more can you say? This weekend was full of the expected and the unexpected. After going 3-2 on the big games we will recap this weekend of college football. We have a new #1 team based on the performance of one of the teams. Let’s recap the games that we highlighted from Week 4.
1. Georgia Tech holds serve late in the game as they win a great game over a good North Carolina team. Georgia Tech played well offensively as they took a 17-7 lead into halftime off of a FG, a Tevin Washington bomb to a wide open Stephen Hill, and a TD by Roddy Jones. The lead was 14 into the 4th quarter. North Carolina struck on a deep pass over the cover to a Eric Ebon for a TD to cut the lead to 7. Then Giovanni Bernard hit the whole like a bullet from a chamber as he scampered for a 55 yard TD to tie the game. But Tech struck back when Tevin Washington scored with 5 minutes left on the clock that proved to be the game winner. As expected Tech won the time of possession in the game by a full 12+ minutes. Tech put up 312 yards rushing, but the leading rusher was Bernard for North Carolina putting up 155 yards on 17 carries. Very good and exciting football game. I picked this game 28-21. So I was there, just one TD off.
2. Arkansas came to Bryant-Denny. And they left Bryant-Denny beat up as they lose to Alabama 38-14. The story of the day was Alabama’s suffocating defense. They allowed nothing to materialize for most of the day for Wilson the Arkansas defense. It wasn’t fair at all to poor Wilson as he got hit in the mouth ALL DAY LONG. I mean he was standing in there like a champ, though. He made every effort in the world to keep Arkansas in the game. But going up against a defense that leads the country in 3 and outs will frustrate even the best QBs. AJ McCarron played well as he managed the game for the Tide, as he goes 15/20 for 200 yards, 2 TDs, and no Int. That is really all he is going to have to do all year. That defense will get you the ball. Trent Richardson seems to be back on track as he has 17 carries for 126 yards, 3 catches for 85 yards and a TD. The bulk of those yards coming on a screen play that went for a TD. Alabama held Arkansas to 17 yards rushing and held Tyler Wilson to 185 yards passing. The most impressive thing is the number of times that Wilson had to check down to his backs out of the backfield, as no one else was open or he didn’t have time to scan the field. This Alabama defense is scary. And they have a task next week of stopping the undefeated Gators as they travel to the swamp to take on the Gators. I picked Bama by 10, but Bama was determined to beat them a little bit more than what fans expected.
3. Oklahoma State goes into college station and puts up one the best total third quarters ever on both sides of the ball as Oklahoma State beats Texas A&M 30-29. This game had all the makings of a blowout when Texas A&M came out firing on all cylinders. They put up 300 yards of offense in the first half as they went into the half up 20-3. Well then the wheels fell off the bus as Weeden and Blackmon took the game over after the half. OK St ran 37 plays in the 3rd quarter and had the ball for over 11 mintes. There were 3 turnovers for A&M in the quarter a fumble and 2 interceptions. Honestly, they should have put up 28 points in the quarter. Blackmon got really fancy and fumbled the ball out the back of the end zone. Really son? Secure the ball. The game shouldn’t have been as close as it was in the fourth quarter. Blackmon did have another 100 yard game and had a TD. But Cooper had 11 receptions and 123 as he is emerging as a star on the opposite of Blackmon. Weeden again showed amazing control of the offense as he carved up Texas A&M in the second half and ended the game with 47 completions for 438 yards and 2 tds. The most important stat is that he did not turn the ball over. This game is simple. You turn the ball over to a good team and you can almost stamp the ticket as a loss. I picked A&M 42-24 because of the first half team you saw. That team that came out the second half is not what I picked.
4. #11 Florida State is on a two game skid as the loose in Death Valley to #21 Clemson 35-30. Clemson is playing lights out football. Florida State was missing some players, but they had chances to really take this game over. Sammy Watkins is dominating anyone they line up across from him with his 8 receptions for 141 and 2 TDs; none bigger than the 62 yard pass from Tajh Boyd. Boyd had another solid day at the park, throwing for 344 yards and 3 TDs. The weirdest play of the weekend was when he was falling and Werner picked off his pass for a TD. This play actually put Florida State back in the game. Clemson’s defense has been playing well also holding FSU to 29 yards rushing. Florida State HAS to find a running game soon or they are going to be in trouble heading into the meat of their ACC schedule. Clemson dominated time of possession again and converted 9 third downs. Clemson is showing teams that if you can’t get them off the field, you’re defense is in for trouble. Florida State is a very unhealthy team right now. I am not sure EJ Manuel would have made a difference. I picked LSU and FSU for the national title game. Well I was off. I thought that FSU defense would have come out with a little more fire than they did. Had I known that EJ Manuel was not playing I wouldn’t have picked FSU. Trickett is ok, but not ready for the spotlight quite yet.
5. LSU went to Morgantown to defeat West Virginia 47-21. LSU gave up a staggering amount of passing yards this game to Geno Smith. 463 to be exact. But don’t let that number fool you. LSU forced 4 turnovers, 2 of them interceptions. West Virginia passed the ball 65 times. The running game for West Virginia was anemic, rushing 22 times for 70 yards. LSU doesn’t blitz much, but they do rely on pressure from their front four. They didn’t really get that all game as West Virginia’s offensive line did a wonderful job at blocking it. Tavon Austin is as good as advertised. The 5”9 WR was dynamic with 11 receptions for 187 yards. He didn’t get into the end zone though and that hurt them. You saw the momentum of the game switch to West Virginia’s sideline when the lead was cut to 27-21. West Virginia’s crowd was rowdy. Rowdy until Claiborne broke a dynamic kick return where he broke down #22 Avery Williams, stiff armed #81 JD Woods and out ran the West Virginia coverage in the tune of a 99 yard kickoff return. That let ALL the air out the stadium and LSU then steam rolled West Virginia from that point forward. Even the third string back Alfred Blue got into the game to score the final touchdown. I didn’t think this game would be as close as it was in the 3rd quarter. I picked this game 35-14, but LSU did beat the spread that I picked. LSU could have scored 7 more points if Randall did not drop that TD pass. West Virginia has no reason to hold their heads down. They played well and may have found an emerging star in freshman back Dustin Garrison. Garrison showed that he is ready for the big stage. I don’t feel he got enough touches. He averaged 4.6 yards per carry. That may have taken some of the pressure off of Geno Smith.
College football has had no shortage of excitement and it looks to continue all season. Stay logged in with 4th and Inches Magazine with the up to date news around college football!
1. Georgia Tech holds serve late in the game as they win a great game over a good North Carolina team. Georgia Tech played well offensively as they took a 17-7 lead into halftime off of a FG, a Tevin Washington bomb to a wide open Stephen Hill, and a TD by Roddy Jones. The lead was 14 into the 4th quarter. North Carolina struck on a deep pass over the cover to a Eric Ebon for a TD to cut the lead to 7. Then Giovanni Bernard hit the whole like a bullet from a chamber as he scampered for a 55 yard TD to tie the game. But Tech struck back when Tevin Washington scored with 5 minutes left on the clock that proved to be the game winner. As expected Tech won the time of possession in the game by a full 12+ minutes. Tech put up 312 yards rushing, but the leading rusher was Bernard for North Carolina putting up 155 yards on 17 carries. Very good and exciting football game. I picked this game 28-21. So I was there, just one TD off.
2. Arkansas came to Bryant-Denny. And they left Bryant-Denny beat up as they lose to Alabama 38-14. The story of the day was Alabama’s suffocating defense. They allowed nothing to materialize for most of the day for Wilson the Arkansas defense. It wasn’t fair at all to poor Wilson as he got hit in the mouth ALL DAY LONG. I mean he was standing in there like a champ, though. He made every effort in the world to keep Arkansas in the game. But going up against a defense that leads the country in 3 and outs will frustrate even the best QBs. AJ McCarron played well as he managed the game for the Tide, as he goes 15/20 for 200 yards, 2 TDs, and no Int. That is really all he is going to have to do all year. That defense will get you the ball. Trent Richardson seems to be back on track as he has 17 carries for 126 yards, 3 catches for 85 yards and a TD. The bulk of those yards coming on a screen play that went for a TD. Alabama held Arkansas to 17 yards rushing and held Tyler Wilson to 185 yards passing. The most impressive thing is the number of times that Wilson had to check down to his backs out of the backfield, as no one else was open or he didn’t have time to scan the field. This Alabama defense is scary. And they have a task next week of stopping the undefeated Gators as they travel to the swamp to take on the Gators. I picked Bama by 10, but Bama was determined to beat them a little bit more than what fans expected.
3. Oklahoma State goes into college station and puts up one the best total third quarters ever on both sides of the ball as Oklahoma State beats Texas A&M 30-29. This game had all the makings of a blowout when Texas A&M came out firing on all cylinders. They put up 300 yards of offense in the first half as they went into the half up 20-3. Well then the wheels fell off the bus as Weeden and Blackmon took the game over after the half. OK St ran 37 plays in the 3rd quarter and had the ball for over 11 mintes. There were 3 turnovers for A&M in the quarter a fumble and 2 interceptions. Honestly, they should have put up 28 points in the quarter. Blackmon got really fancy and fumbled the ball out the back of the end zone. Really son? Secure the ball. The game shouldn’t have been as close as it was in the fourth quarter. Blackmon did have another 100 yard game and had a TD. But Cooper had 11 receptions and 123 as he is emerging as a star on the opposite of Blackmon. Weeden again showed amazing control of the offense as he carved up Texas A&M in the second half and ended the game with 47 completions for 438 yards and 2 tds. The most important stat is that he did not turn the ball over. This game is simple. You turn the ball over to a good team and you can almost stamp the ticket as a loss. I picked A&M 42-24 because of the first half team you saw. That team that came out the second half is not what I picked.
4. #11 Florida State is on a two game skid as the loose in Death Valley to #21 Clemson 35-30. Clemson is playing lights out football. Florida State was missing some players, but they had chances to really take this game over. Sammy Watkins is dominating anyone they line up across from him with his 8 receptions for 141 and 2 TDs; none bigger than the 62 yard pass from Tajh Boyd. Boyd had another solid day at the park, throwing for 344 yards and 3 TDs. The weirdest play of the weekend was when he was falling and Werner picked off his pass for a TD. This play actually put Florida State back in the game. Clemson’s defense has been playing well also holding FSU to 29 yards rushing. Florida State HAS to find a running game soon or they are going to be in trouble heading into the meat of their ACC schedule. Clemson dominated time of possession again and converted 9 third downs. Clemson is showing teams that if you can’t get them off the field, you’re defense is in for trouble. Florida State is a very unhealthy team right now. I am not sure EJ Manuel would have made a difference. I picked LSU and FSU for the national title game. Well I was off. I thought that FSU defense would have come out with a little more fire than they did. Had I known that EJ Manuel was not playing I wouldn’t have picked FSU. Trickett is ok, but not ready for the spotlight quite yet.
5. LSU went to Morgantown to defeat West Virginia 47-21. LSU gave up a staggering amount of passing yards this game to Geno Smith. 463 to be exact. But don’t let that number fool you. LSU forced 4 turnovers, 2 of them interceptions. West Virginia passed the ball 65 times. The running game for West Virginia was anemic, rushing 22 times for 70 yards. LSU doesn’t blitz much, but they do rely on pressure from their front four. They didn’t really get that all game as West Virginia’s offensive line did a wonderful job at blocking it. Tavon Austin is as good as advertised. The 5”9 WR was dynamic with 11 receptions for 187 yards. He didn’t get into the end zone though and that hurt them. You saw the momentum of the game switch to West Virginia’s sideline when the lead was cut to 27-21. West Virginia’s crowd was rowdy. Rowdy until Claiborne broke a dynamic kick return where he broke down #22 Avery Williams, stiff armed #81 JD Woods and out ran the West Virginia coverage in the tune of a 99 yard kickoff return. That let ALL the air out the stadium and LSU then steam rolled West Virginia from that point forward. Even the third string back Alfred Blue got into the game to score the final touchdown. I didn’t think this game would be as close as it was in the 3rd quarter. I picked this game 35-14, but LSU did beat the spread that I picked. LSU could have scored 7 more points if Randall did not drop that TD pass. West Virginia has no reason to hold their heads down. They played well and may have found an emerging star in freshman back Dustin Garrison. Garrison showed that he is ready for the big stage. I don’t feel he got enough touches. He averaged 4.6 yards per carry. That may have taken some of the pressure off of Geno Smith.
College football has had no shortage of excitement and it looks to continue all season. Stay logged in with 4th and Inches Magazine with the up to date news around college football!
Thursday, September 22, 2011
Week 4 Preview
The true football is here. No more cupcake games until homecoming. Conference play is truly starting. These are the 5 games that we will paying most attention to here at 4th and Inches Magazine.
1. An interesting game, North Carolina takes on the Rumbling Wreck at #25 Georgia Tech in Atlanta at 12pm EST on ESPN . Last week Georgia Tech put a 66 spot on Kansas. They rushed for over 604 yards last week. Their QB Tevin Washington has been very efficient, throwing for 637 yards, 7 TDs, and a 60.7% in completions. But we all know that the triple option in Georgia Tech is one of the most complex basic offenses that you will see. But it is so difficult to stop when run with the efficiency that Tech runs it. This attack can control the clock and keep a good offense off the field. Everett Withers has done a good job so far taking over for Butch Davis. Withers is a coach that will light a fire up under you, and they are a good defensive unit. If North Carolina can play good assignment football, this game is in the works for a good game. Whoever wins this game will be in front in the Coastal division of the ACC. North Carolina senior WR Dwight Jones is poised to have a big game against Georgia Tech. They haven’t seen a WR with the skill set that Jones has. They keep a pretty good WR. GT 28 NC 21
2. At 3:30 EST on CBS, #14 Arkansas travels to Tuscaloosa to take on #3 Alabama. This game will come down to Tyler Wilson and his ability to read the blitz. Alabama comes in with one of the best defenses in the country. Alabama has the ability get pressure quicker than any team in the country, bringing pressure from anywhere at any time. If Wilson can get time, Arkansas has one of the best groups of WRs in the country and he may be able to exploit the blitz packages. Loosing Knile Davis for the season really hurt Arkansas. They were expecting a lot from Davis this season. They were supposed to challenge for the SEC West crown with the balance that Davis provided. They haven’t been getting much from Wingo, Jr. He is going to have to step it up in this game if Arkansas is to stand even a small chance. Arkansas’ defense will get a steady dose of Richardson and Lacy. Both I and Alabama fans have noticed that Trent Richardson hasn’t been running like himself. Hopefully for Bama fans, he has come out of the slump. He was impressive last week (albeit against North Texas). Is Arkansas’ defense up to the task of stopping him? AJ McCarron makes some very risky throws and his decision making can be questioned. Will his risk continue to pay off? This is the meat of the schedule now. SEC defenses are way faster and more aggressive than the cupcake teams that they have been playing. And Alabama still has some unanswered questions. They have been playing cupcake teams and a down Penn State team. Let’s see what happens in this game. Also Arkansas has a two game gauntlet. First #3 Alabama, next week #8 Texas A&M. Alabama 24 Arkansas 14
3. The game of the weekend will be the game in College Station as #7 Oklahoma State will travel to town to take on #8 Texas A&M at 3:30 EST on ABC and ESPN 2. Oklahoma State comes in boasting an offense bringing back 10 starters that finished in the top 10 in almost every offensive category last week. Brandon Weeden and Justin Blackmon are one of the best duos in the country. Blackmon has had 100 yards receiving since the beginning of last season. They are replacing Kendall Hunter a 1500 yard rusher. They aren’t getting that same production from the RB position this year. Oklahoma State throws it around quite a bit, so Texas A&M has its work cut out for them. Sherman has the Texas A&M defense playing well. They have only given up 3 TDs all season and 534 yards. Yes they have been playing some cupcake teams and they have lost Von Miller to the draft. This will be a true test for their defense. On offense the tandem of Tannehill, Gray, and Fuller is going to be very tough to stop. Oklahoma State has not been doing a good job on defense at all. They are ranked 92nd overall defensively. Texas A&M will be tough for this team to overcome with the weapons they have upfront. TAMU 42 OK St 24
4. Coming off of a tough loss, #11 Florida State travels to #21 Clemson at 3:30 EST on ESPN. It was a physical game in Tallahassee last weekend. Florida State couldn’t pull off the win, but there are lingering doubts now in the ability of EJ Manuel to lead Florida State to the Promised Land. He won’t be dealing with as talented of defense as Oklahoma, nor will Clemson be dealing with a tackle missing defense that they took advantage of last week in Auburn. Tajh Boyd and the dynamic freshman Sammy Watkins are making for a great duo in Clemson, but they will have to work hard against a defense that is looking to redeem itself from last week. Florida State HAS to run the football or they are going to be in for problems. Defensive coordinators are going to start sitting back and making EJ Manuel read a defense. WR Kenny Shaw is questionable for the game after his big shot he took in the Oklahoma game and the concussion he suffered. EJ Manuel is questionable, but should be able to play. This game is going to be big for Florida State. It is going to determine which way their season is going to go. They could not establish the run against Oklahoma. No run game, no win.
FSU 27 Clemson 14
.
5. #2 LSU travels to #16 West Virginia on ABC at 8:00 EST. Morgantown is a tough place to play, but with LSU’s defense, I don’t know if they are going to have many problems in this game. West Virginia let Maryland back into the game when they had it well under control. Dana Holgorsen has a high powered offense and his commitment to the pass game has the Mountaineers ranked 7th in the country. Geno Smith has thrown for over 1000 yards in the first three games of the season and the little playmaker Tavon Austin is having a great season catching 20 passes thus far in the season. But going against Claiborne and Mathieu, don’t expect too much passing in this game. Last week Mississippi State tried to throw at Claiborne and Oregon tried to attack Mathieu. We see how those games turned out for the opposing team. LSU boast one of the best secondary units in the country. This LSU defense is the fastest in the country, and has the deepest defense in the country. They can run one group of athletes out and another group in, and not lose any talent on the field. LSU has a true freshman Anthony Johnson playing DT. The kid is an absolute animal on the field. Look for him to dominate early against a West Virginia offensive line that does not move bodies well. West Virginia has not had much success running the ball all season; do not look for it to start now. LSU will, on the other hand run the ball down the throat of the 3-3-5 defense that West Virginia runs. Look for Spencer Ware and Michael Ford to both have big games. LSU 35 WVU 14
1. An interesting game, North Carolina takes on the Rumbling Wreck at #25 Georgia Tech in Atlanta at 12pm EST on ESPN . Last week Georgia Tech put a 66 spot on Kansas. They rushed for over 604 yards last week. Their QB Tevin Washington has been very efficient, throwing for 637 yards, 7 TDs, and a 60.7% in completions. But we all know that the triple option in Georgia Tech is one of the most complex basic offenses that you will see. But it is so difficult to stop when run with the efficiency that Tech runs it. This attack can control the clock and keep a good offense off the field. Everett Withers has done a good job so far taking over for Butch Davis. Withers is a coach that will light a fire up under you, and they are a good defensive unit. If North Carolina can play good assignment football, this game is in the works for a good game. Whoever wins this game will be in front in the Coastal division of the ACC. North Carolina senior WR Dwight Jones is poised to have a big game against Georgia Tech. They haven’t seen a WR with the skill set that Jones has. They keep a pretty good WR. GT 28 NC 21
2. At 3:30 EST on CBS, #14 Arkansas travels to Tuscaloosa to take on #3 Alabama. This game will come down to Tyler Wilson and his ability to read the blitz. Alabama comes in with one of the best defenses in the country. Alabama has the ability get pressure quicker than any team in the country, bringing pressure from anywhere at any time. If Wilson can get time, Arkansas has one of the best groups of WRs in the country and he may be able to exploit the blitz packages. Loosing Knile Davis for the season really hurt Arkansas. They were expecting a lot from Davis this season. They were supposed to challenge for the SEC West crown with the balance that Davis provided. They haven’t been getting much from Wingo, Jr. He is going to have to step it up in this game if Arkansas is to stand even a small chance. Arkansas’ defense will get a steady dose of Richardson and Lacy. Both I and Alabama fans have noticed that Trent Richardson hasn’t been running like himself. Hopefully for Bama fans, he has come out of the slump. He was impressive last week (albeit against North Texas). Is Arkansas’ defense up to the task of stopping him? AJ McCarron makes some very risky throws and his decision making can be questioned. Will his risk continue to pay off? This is the meat of the schedule now. SEC defenses are way faster and more aggressive than the cupcake teams that they have been playing. And Alabama still has some unanswered questions. They have been playing cupcake teams and a down Penn State team. Let’s see what happens in this game. Also Arkansas has a two game gauntlet. First #3 Alabama, next week #8 Texas A&M. Alabama 24 Arkansas 14
3. The game of the weekend will be the game in College Station as #7 Oklahoma State will travel to town to take on #8 Texas A&M at 3:30 EST on ABC and ESPN 2. Oklahoma State comes in boasting an offense bringing back 10 starters that finished in the top 10 in almost every offensive category last week. Brandon Weeden and Justin Blackmon are one of the best duos in the country. Blackmon has had 100 yards receiving since the beginning of last season. They are replacing Kendall Hunter a 1500 yard rusher. They aren’t getting that same production from the RB position this year. Oklahoma State throws it around quite a bit, so Texas A&M has its work cut out for them. Sherman has the Texas A&M defense playing well. They have only given up 3 TDs all season and 534 yards. Yes they have been playing some cupcake teams and they have lost Von Miller to the draft. This will be a true test for their defense. On offense the tandem of Tannehill, Gray, and Fuller is going to be very tough to stop. Oklahoma State has not been doing a good job on defense at all. They are ranked 92nd overall defensively. Texas A&M will be tough for this team to overcome with the weapons they have upfront. TAMU 42 OK St 24
4. Coming off of a tough loss, #11 Florida State travels to #21 Clemson at 3:30 EST on ESPN. It was a physical game in Tallahassee last weekend. Florida State couldn’t pull off the win, but there are lingering doubts now in the ability of EJ Manuel to lead Florida State to the Promised Land. He won’t be dealing with as talented of defense as Oklahoma, nor will Clemson be dealing with a tackle missing defense that they took advantage of last week in Auburn. Tajh Boyd and the dynamic freshman Sammy Watkins are making for a great duo in Clemson, but they will have to work hard against a defense that is looking to redeem itself from last week. Florida State HAS to run the football or they are going to be in for problems. Defensive coordinators are going to start sitting back and making EJ Manuel read a defense. WR Kenny Shaw is questionable for the game after his big shot he took in the Oklahoma game and the concussion he suffered. EJ Manuel is questionable, but should be able to play. This game is going to be big for Florida State. It is going to determine which way their season is going to go. They could not establish the run against Oklahoma. No run game, no win.
FSU 27 Clemson 14
.
5. #2 LSU travels to #16 West Virginia on ABC at 8:00 EST. Morgantown is a tough place to play, but with LSU’s defense, I don’t know if they are going to have many problems in this game. West Virginia let Maryland back into the game when they had it well under control. Dana Holgorsen has a high powered offense and his commitment to the pass game has the Mountaineers ranked 7th in the country. Geno Smith has thrown for over 1000 yards in the first three games of the season and the little playmaker Tavon Austin is having a great season catching 20 passes thus far in the season. But going against Claiborne and Mathieu, don’t expect too much passing in this game. Last week Mississippi State tried to throw at Claiborne and Oregon tried to attack Mathieu. We see how those games turned out for the opposing team. LSU boast one of the best secondary units in the country. This LSU defense is the fastest in the country, and has the deepest defense in the country. They can run one group of athletes out and another group in, and not lose any talent on the field. LSU has a true freshman Anthony Johnson playing DT. The kid is an absolute animal on the field. Look for him to dominate early against a West Virginia offensive line that does not move bodies well. West Virginia has not had much success running the ball all season; do not look for it to start now. LSU will, on the other hand run the ball down the throat of the 3-3-5 defense that West Virginia runs. Look for Spencer Ware and Michael Ford to both have big games. LSU 35 WVU 14
Sunday, September 18, 2011
The Week 3 Finish
4th and Inches Magazine went 2-3 this week on the games that I picked… So I still have a winning record at 7-5. I think I will take that. But we will go over the games that I picked right and then go over the games that I picked wrong.
1. Texas vs. UCLA. The "experts" all around the country were questioning the QB position coming into this game. There were also questions about starting the youth all over the field. Well Mack Brown and company did a wonderful job on the game plan as Texas wins 49-20. Case McCoy looked great in his debut as starter. The Longhorns also switched in freshman David Ash and got very good production out of him as well. They went a combined 15-18 for 199 2 tds. The most important fact is that they did not turn the ball over. Malcolm Brown, the freshman RB had 22 carries for 110 yards. He ran hard all day long and falling forward each time he was hit. He broke numerous tackles throughout the day. He did lose a fumble, but it was from a good hit, not from him being careless with the ball. Jaxon Shipley had another solid day. He had 5 rec. for 46 yards and a few 3rd down conversions. He also threw a td and ran the ball 1 for 15 yards. D.J. Grant was spectacular with half of his 6 catches going for TDs. The defense played great, forcing 3 turnovers in the first quarter, 4 on the day. Texas played very well and really answered a lot of questions. Case McCoy seems to have found a new job leading the Longhorns. Look for great things to come. Texas has the talent, they just have to gel it all together.
2. Tennessee vs. Florida. Florida looked pretty good in their SEC opener. Charlie Weiss did have moments where he struggled calling plays against the SEC defense. He has to correct the red zone issues that are plaguing Florida. But Rainey may have made a statement that he needs to be included in your Heisman trophy discussions. He rushed 21 times for 114 yards, 2 rec. for 104 yards for a TD, and blocked a punt. Brantley threw a 3 yard pass that Rainey took to the house 80 yards later. Brantley was very suspect throwing the football, making very questionable decisions throughout the game. He is in a system that is catered to his strengths, yet he is not flourishing in Weiss’s systems. Florida’s secondary was awful with the penalties in the most inopportune times. Third down pass interference calls are not what championship defenses do. Muschamp has some work to do with his secondary on HOW to get away with that stuff. Tennessee had chances in this game. Things went really bad for them when WR Justin Hunter went out with a knee injury. I hated to see the kid go down like that. He is a big part of the offense there Tennessee. Also Tyler Bray was decimated by drops from his WRs. I mean I know I counted at least 5. Third down drops. You name it, it happened. Tennessee got big responses to keep themselves in the game. But Florida ended the game with an interception. The win for Tennessee was Dooley’s pants. Nuff said.
3. Auburn vs. Clemson. This game can be summed up by two words. Tackle and freshmen. Auburn stormed out the gate to take a 21-7 lead. There seemed that there would be a steady diet of Michael Dyer and that Auburn would go to Death Valley and just dominate. Sammy Watkins and Tajh Boyd had a different idea. Tajh Boyd had 386 yards and 4 tds. Sammy Watkins had 10 catches for 155 of those yards and 2 tds. He also rushed 7 times for 44 yards. The score of the game was 38-24. Auburn only mustered 3 more points for the rest of the game. They could not get Clemson off the field. At one point in the game, Clemson converted on 10 straight 3rd downs. Clemson finished the day 14 of 18 on 3rd downs. Clemson ran 92 plays. They had the ball 36:15 of the game. Yes a lot of the game was Clemson playing well. But a lot of this as well is Auburn’s defense playing just that bad. Auburn was tackling like a 75lb little league team. It was just absolutely awful. They gave up 624 yards today? When did they start to do this in the SEC? Why did Dyer only have 16 carries? He was GASHING Clemson’s defense. Auburn’s offense just disappeared. It looks like it just transferred over to the other sideline. Auburn must find an answer to defensive woes. If not, it is going to be a LONG season. We are looking at 3 straight 400+ yard games for the defense. Watching the game, the defense is just not aggressive enough. Dabo Swinney was very emotional after the game. That is what you love to see from your coach.
4. Notre Dame vs. Michigan St. Notre Dame played an excellent game and beat up on Sparty. Who was expecting this? I know I wasn’t. I don’t really have a lot on this one!
5. Oklahoma vs. Florida State. The atmosphere in Tallahassee was amazing. You can see the camera shaking from the roar of the crowd. Oklahoma came out with great offensive balance. Florida State looked as if they were not prepared. But Florida State made adjustments and started putting pressure on Landry Jones. But the matchup that ended up deciding the game was Kenny Stills on Greg Reid. Kenny Stills made an amazing play on an underthrown ball. Kenny Stills should get player of the game. He played absolutely spectacular in this game. He found himself making big plays in crunch time the entire game. Oklahoma’s defense is as good as advertised. Travis Lewis playing for them last night was HUGE. He was flying around the field along with fellow LB Tom Wort making plays all over the field. The secondary was hard hitting and all over the WRs for Florida State. Oklahoma’s defense should be listed with the Alabama’s and the LSU’s in talks for great defense.
Florida State also played very well defensively. They held the high powered Sooners to just 199 yards passing. The matchup that I was telling you about at tackle, Bjorn Werner took advantage of it. Werner was outstanding wreaking havoc in the backfield all night. Florida State did show off their secondary’s speed as they closed and broke up a lot of passes last night. I think that Stoops (Florida State) made mistakes by not letting them press the Oklahoma WRs. Florida State’s defensive backs are just as fast if not faster than the WRs. I feel that EJ Manuel still has a lot of room for growth. He did take a good pop last night and the back-up Trickett came in a played very well. The thing that hurt Florida State the most is that they could not run the football. Oklahoma made a living in their backfield. In order for them to be successful, they have to be able to consistently run the football. Florida State is still a year or so away from becoming one of the elite all over again.
Also last night WR Shaw took a very scary hit last night. It was very good to see him on the sideline at the end of the game.
1. Texas vs. UCLA. The "experts" all around the country were questioning the QB position coming into this game. There were also questions about starting the youth all over the field. Well Mack Brown and company did a wonderful job on the game plan as Texas wins 49-20. Case McCoy looked great in his debut as starter. The Longhorns also switched in freshman David Ash and got very good production out of him as well. They went a combined 15-18 for 199 2 tds. The most important fact is that they did not turn the ball over. Malcolm Brown, the freshman RB had 22 carries for 110 yards. He ran hard all day long and falling forward each time he was hit. He broke numerous tackles throughout the day. He did lose a fumble, but it was from a good hit, not from him being careless with the ball. Jaxon Shipley had another solid day. He had 5 rec. for 46 yards and a few 3rd down conversions. He also threw a td and ran the ball 1 for 15 yards. D.J. Grant was spectacular with half of his 6 catches going for TDs. The defense played great, forcing 3 turnovers in the first quarter, 4 on the day. Texas played very well and really answered a lot of questions. Case McCoy seems to have found a new job leading the Longhorns. Look for great things to come. Texas has the talent, they just have to gel it all together.
2. Tennessee vs. Florida. Florida looked pretty good in their SEC opener. Charlie Weiss did have moments where he struggled calling plays against the SEC defense. He has to correct the red zone issues that are plaguing Florida. But Rainey may have made a statement that he needs to be included in your Heisman trophy discussions. He rushed 21 times for 114 yards, 2 rec. for 104 yards for a TD, and blocked a punt. Brantley threw a 3 yard pass that Rainey took to the house 80 yards later. Brantley was very suspect throwing the football, making very questionable decisions throughout the game. He is in a system that is catered to his strengths, yet he is not flourishing in Weiss’s systems. Florida’s secondary was awful with the penalties in the most inopportune times. Third down pass interference calls are not what championship defenses do. Muschamp has some work to do with his secondary on HOW to get away with that stuff. Tennessee had chances in this game. Things went really bad for them when WR Justin Hunter went out with a knee injury. I hated to see the kid go down like that. He is a big part of the offense there Tennessee. Also Tyler Bray was decimated by drops from his WRs. I mean I know I counted at least 5. Third down drops. You name it, it happened. Tennessee got big responses to keep themselves in the game. But Florida ended the game with an interception. The win for Tennessee was Dooley’s pants. Nuff said.
3. Auburn vs. Clemson. This game can be summed up by two words. Tackle and freshmen. Auburn stormed out the gate to take a 21-7 lead. There seemed that there would be a steady diet of Michael Dyer and that Auburn would go to Death Valley and just dominate. Sammy Watkins and Tajh Boyd had a different idea. Tajh Boyd had 386 yards and 4 tds. Sammy Watkins had 10 catches for 155 of those yards and 2 tds. He also rushed 7 times for 44 yards. The score of the game was 38-24. Auburn only mustered 3 more points for the rest of the game. They could not get Clemson off the field. At one point in the game, Clemson converted on 10 straight 3rd downs. Clemson finished the day 14 of 18 on 3rd downs. Clemson ran 92 plays. They had the ball 36:15 of the game. Yes a lot of the game was Clemson playing well. But a lot of this as well is Auburn’s defense playing just that bad. Auburn was tackling like a 75lb little league team. It was just absolutely awful. They gave up 624 yards today? When did they start to do this in the SEC? Why did Dyer only have 16 carries? He was GASHING Clemson’s defense. Auburn’s offense just disappeared. It looks like it just transferred over to the other sideline. Auburn must find an answer to defensive woes. If not, it is going to be a LONG season. We are looking at 3 straight 400+ yard games for the defense. Watching the game, the defense is just not aggressive enough. Dabo Swinney was very emotional after the game. That is what you love to see from your coach.
4. Notre Dame vs. Michigan St. Notre Dame played an excellent game and beat up on Sparty. Who was expecting this? I know I wasn’t. I don’t really have a lot on this one!
5. Oklahoma vs. Florida State. The atmosphere in Tallahassee was amazing. You can see the camera shaking from the roar of the crowd. Oklahoma came out with great offensive balance. Florida State looked as if they were not prepared. But Florida State made adjustments and started putting pressure on Landry Jones. But the matchup that ended up deciding the game was Kenny Stills on Greg Reid. Kenny Stills made an amazing play on an underthrown ball. Kenny Stills should get player of the game. He played absolutely spectacular in this game. He found himself making big plays in crunch time the entire game. Oklahoma’s defense is as good as advertised. Travis Lewis playing for them last night was HUGE. He was flying around the field along with fellow LB Tom Wort making plays all over the field. The secondary was hard hitting and all over the WRs for Florida State. Oklahoma’s defense should be listed with the Alabama’s and the LSU’s in talks for great defense.
Florida State also played very well defensively. They held the high powered Sooners to just 199 yards passing. The matchup that I was telling you about at tackle, Bjorn Werner took advantage of it. Werner was outstanding wreaking havoc in the backfield all night. Florida State did show off their secondary’s speed as they closed and broke up a lot of passes last night. I think that Stoops (Florida State) made mistakes by not letting them press the Oklahoma WRs. Florida State’s defensive backs are just as fast if not faster than the WRs. I feel that EJ Manuel still has a lot of room for growth. He did take a good pop last night and the back-up Trickett came in a played very well. The thing that hurt Florida State the most is that they could not run the football. Oklahoma made a living in their backfield. In order for them to be successful, they have to be able to consistently run the football. Florida State is still a year or so away from becoming one of the elite all over again.
Also last night WR Shaw took a very scary hit last night. It was very good to see him on the sideline at the end of the game.
Saturday, September 17, 2011
Week 3 In College Football
There are some interesting storylines happening all over the NCAA world. I will hit the major highlights of them all. Not the normal things, but the things that 4th and Inches Magazine will look at.
1. We will start in Tallahassee. Oklahoma comes to town to face a very talented Florida State team looking to take care of business. I am pretty sure that the loss last year really left a sour taste in their mouth. There are a lot of great college football players in this game. One match up I really anxious to see is the match-up between Oklahoma WR Ryan Broyles and Florida State CB Greg Reid. Both of these players have the ability to break a game wide open. They are both short and quick. Look for Oklahoma to move Broyles around a bit to keep him off of this match-up. You cannot forget also that Kenny Stills is returning to the team. He is definitely another threat that Stoops has to prepare for. A similar chess match that will be played will be at DE with Brandon Jenkins. Jenkins is coming off of an amazing season (13.5 sacks) and is looking to wreak more havoc this year. Jenkins will be matched up on Sr. Donald Stephenson. But look for Florida State to move him around and possibly take advantage of the freshman starting at RT Daryl Williams. This will give him the opportunity to attack against a less experienced player. EJ Manuel is under the microscope this game against a very good Oklahoma defense. But it is an Oklahoma defense missing the pulse, which is Travis Lewis. The Sooners are very young at LB but talented. We will see if Fisher can get them into biting on play action often and early. Also look for the humidity to play a part in this game. We know that Oklahoma is an upbeat and fast paced offense. There will be cramps, so we shall see how the Sooners adjust to the weather. The Sooners are a formidable opponent for Florida State, but I have them winning the game 31-28.
2. Tennessee and Florida will be a better match up than most think. Florida is coming in to show off their new pro-style offense against Tennessee. But don’t look for Tennessee to just lie down. Charlie Weiss will have a tough time at first figuring out just how fast the defenses are in the SEC. This is definitely not Notre Dame, and you will definitely have to get into the I run it on 3rd down, and if you don’t get it, play the field position game until a great play call moves the ball for you. He has a host of weapons at his disposal. He just has to get accustomed to using them. Muschamp will be making his return to the SEC, but this time not as a coordinator, but a head coach. Muschamp is a very excitable and interactive coach with his players. He manages that defense, and it is loaded with good players. But they are VERY young in that secondary. This is where Tyler Bray comes into effect. Tyler Bray is a very good QB, and very capable of completely nullifying Florida’s speed by making quick reads. He does sport shiny cannon and will definitely be the future of Tennessee football. I have Florida over Tennessee 31-21.
3. Notre Dame will host Michigan State. Now let me just put some things out there. Notre Dame is doing a wonderful job moving the football. Taking care of the football is a completely different topic, though. I think that Kelly made the right move by putting in Tommy Rees and benching Dayne Crist. They have a grown man at WR with Michael Floyd. TJ Jones recovered well after Kelly blew a gasket when that ball hit him in the helmet week 1. Yes he solved the QB problem, but did he solve the secondary problem. All of his secondary are seniors. He has Manti Te’o who was a preseason All-American. This defense is filled with leadership. Yet, they couldn’t stop a paper cut. They are playing awful. If only solving this problem was as easy as solving the QB problem. Michigan State has an amazing Trio in Baker, Cunningham, and Cousins. The only other trio that maybe more potent is Garcia, Lattimore, and Jefferies in South Carolina. This team is potent offensively and I look for them to open it up early. I have Michigan State 38-14
4. The defenseless Tiger Bowl will be going on in Clemson this weekend as Auburn takes on Clemson. Honestly I can’t say why Clemson played so bad against Wofford, but they pulled it out. Auburn looked like that against Utah State; they pulled it out as well. But when these two teams meet, expect a lot of points. Michael Dyer is a beast. And Trotter is not as bad of a QB as most make him out to be. Emory Blake is emerging as a star in Auburn with his game changing speed. But Auburn’s defense couldn’t stop an elderly woman walking across the street. Why is Thorpe still starting? What is it that Chizik not seeing. He was a national championship defensive coordinator; what is going on? The one thing that I can say is that I will not bet against Auburn in a close game. They are 9-0 under Chizik in games decided over 7 points. I have Auburn 42-38
5. The Longhorns are throwing sophomore Case McCoy into the fire as Texas travels to take on UCLA. Garrett Gilbert has lost the confidence of the coaching staff. Mack Brown has come to understand that he is just not the answer. Gilbert is an average QB. He has the tools. He just doesn’t believe in himself. Case McCoy is going to be their best choice. A lot of schools are running a two QB system. But not a lot of them are being successful right now. Texas has a good back in Malcolm Brown that takes over games in the second half. Texas has very young players starting at CB. I don’t think that Texas will be blowing the doors off throwing the ball today. Harsin has to keep it simple for McCoy and Ash. They have too many athletes there to not move the ball. Mike Davis, Jordan Shipley, and Marquise Goodwin are as athletic as any other group of WRs as there are in the country. DJ Monroe has been a spark plug for the offense. Harsin has to find a way to get these guys more involved in the game plan. UCLA has a big physical offensive line and they will try to out muscle the longhorn front four. I am going to take Texas in this game 20-17.
1. We will start in Tallahassee. Oklahoma comes to town to face a very talented Florida State team looking to take care of business. I am pretty sure that the loss last year really left a sour taste in their mouth. There are a lot of great college football players in this game. One match up I really anxious to see is the match-up between Oklahoma WR Ryan Broyles and Florida State CB Greg Reid. Both of these players have the ability to break a game wide open. They are both short and quick. Look for Oklahoma to move Broyles around a bit to keep him off of this match-up. You cannot forget also that Kenny Stills is returning to the team. He is definitely another threat that Stoops has to prepare for. A similar chess match that will be played will be at DE with Brandon Jenkins. Jenkins is coming off of an amazing season (13.5 sacks) and is looking to wreak more havoc this year. Jenkins will be matched up on Sr. Donald Stephenson. But look for Florida State to move him around and possibly take advantage of the freshman starting at RT Daryl Williams. This will give him the opportunity to attack against a less experienced player. EJ Manuel is under the microscope this game against a very good Oklahoma defense. But it is an Oklahoma defense missing the pulse, which is Travis Lewis. The Sooners are very young at LB but talented. We will see if Fisher can get them into biting on play action often and early. Also look for the humidity to play a part in this game. We know that Oklahoma is an upbeat and fast paced offense. There will be cramps, so we shall see how the Sooners adjust to the weather. The Sooners are a formidable opponent for Florida State, but I have them winning the game 31-28.
2. Tennessee and Florida will be a better match up than most think. Florida is coming in to show off their new pro-style offense against Tennessee. But don’t look for Tennessee to just lie down. Charlie Weiss will have a tough time at first figuring out just how fast the defenses are in the SEC. This is definitely not Notre Dame, and you will definitely have to get into the I run it on 3rd down, and if you don’t get it, play the field position game until a great play call moves the ball for you. He has a host of weapons at his disposal. He just has to get accustomed to using them. Muschamp will be making his return to the SEC, but this time not as a coordinator, but a head coach. Muschamp is a very excitable and interactive coach with his players. He manages that defense, and it is loaded with good players. But they are VERY young in that secondary. This is where Tyler Bray comes into effect. Tyler Bray is a very good QB, and very capable of completely nullifying Florida’s speed by making quick reads. He does sport shiny cannon and will definitely be the future of Tennessee football. I have Florida over Tennessee 31-21.
3. Notre Dame will host Michigan State. Now let me just put some things out there. Notre Dame is doing a wonderful job moving the football. Taking care of the football is a completely different topic, though. I think that Kelly made the right move by putting in Tommy Rees and benching Dayne Crist. They have a grown man at WR with Michael Floyd. TJ Jones recovered well after Kelly blew a gasket when that ball hit him in the helmet week 1. Yes he solved the QB problem, but did he solve the secondary problem. All of his secondary are seniors. He has Manti Te’o who was a preseason All-American. This defense is filled with leadership. Yet, they couldn’t stop a paper cut. They are playing awful. If only solving this problem was as easy as solving the QB problem. Michigan State has an amazing Trio in Baker, Cunningham, and Cousins. The only other trio that maybe more potent is Garcia, Lattimore, and Jefferies in South Carolina. This team is potent offensively and I look for them to open it up early. I have Michigan State 38-14
4. The defenseless Tiger Bowl will be going on in Clemson this weekend as Auburn takes on Clemson. Honestly I can’t say why Clemson played so bad against Wofford, but they pulled it out. Auburn looked like that against Utah State; they pulled it out as well. But when these two teams meet, expect a lot of points. Michael Dyer is a beast. And Trotter is not as bad of a QB as most make him out to be. Emory Blake is emerging as a star in Auburn with his game changing speed. But Auburn’s defense couldn’t stop an elderly woman walking across the street. Why is Thorpe still starting? What is it that Chizik not seeing. He was a national championship defensive coordinator; what is going on? The one thing that I can say is that I will not bet against Auburn in a close game. They are 9-0 under Chizik in games decided over 7 points. I have Auburn 42-38
5. The Longhorns are throwing sophomore Case McCoy into the fire as Texas travels to take on UCLA. Garrett Gilbert has lost the confidence of the coaching staff. Mack Brown has come to understand that he is just not the answer. Gilbert is an average QB. He has the tools. He just doesn’t believe in himself. Case McCoy is going to be their best choice. A lot of schools are running a two QB system. But not a lot of them are being successful right now. Texas has a good back in Malcolm Brown that takes over games in the second half. Texas has very young players starting at CB. I don’t think that Texas will be blowing the doors off throwing the ball today. Harsin has to keep it simple for McCoy and Ash. They have too many athletes there to not move the ball. Mike Davis, Jordan Shipley, and Marquise Goodwin are as athletic as any other group of WRs as there are in the country. DJ Monroe has been a spark plug for the offense. Harsin has to find a way to get these guys more involved in the game plan. UCLA has a big physical offensive line and they will try to out muscle the longhorn front four. I am going to take Texas in this game 20-17.
Thursday, September 8, 2011
Congrats SEC, this is what you have signed up!
Big XII, what is happening? You have lost 3 teams now in 2 years. Dan Beebe. College Football is calling Dan Beebe. What is so not appealing to the schools in the conference that they are threatening to leave like an unhappy girlfriend?
The problems started when Nebraska bolted for the Big Ten and Colorado for the then Pac-10. The Big XII sat on their hands and did not go after Boise State and TCU. Those schools would have been adequate replacement for Colorado and Nebraska. If you look at the prestige of these two programs, they could have been upgrades. Colorado has not been good since the nineties, and Nebraska has since in recent years become competitive again. This would have been beneficial to both the conference and those teams.
The move would have benefited Boise State most of all. They have not been getting the respect that they deserve. And with the move to the Big XII, it could have shown the world that they can compete in a conference with other powers such as Texas and Oklahoma. It also could have also benefited from the recruiting. They already are doing well in California, but this would have opened Boise State up to the Big XII states. Boise State could have sold the bigger conference and more broadcasting opportunities to recruits; possibly getting more talent than they already have. One name should have made Boise State interested in the move. Chris Petersen. If anyone deserves the chance to show that he can compete in a big time conference week after week, it is Chris Petersen. All he has been doing is winning and out coaching his counterparts in big games.
So yes Dan Beebe, you missed out on this one. I just hope that it doesn’t cost you the conference, and your job.
But what is the program that the SEC is inheriting? Texas A&M does well in other sports. They did win the NCAA women’s basketball tourney last year. Their fans travel well and they have a very big fan base. Kyle Field is an amazing place to play football. Each year, regardless of the record, Texas A&M is one of the toughest places to play in the country. They do have tradition and they also have ties to former SEC coaches Bear Bryant, Jackie Sherrill, and Gene Stallings. But as a QUALITY football program… I just don’t know if I see that right now. I would think the SEC would want a bigger name school with more of a winning tradition that can hold up week in and week out against the competition that they would be facing. The way things are mapping out, Texas A&M will play in the SEC West. That is going to be a problem for them. LSU, Alabama, Auburn, Arkansas, Mississippi State, and Ole Miss reside on that side of the conference. One maybe two of those games will not be competitive for your team. But do NOT think that you are going to dominate this division, and you can’t even compete in the Big XII South.
Rumors are circulating as well that the SEC took Texas A&M to see if they can draw Texas as well. I would have thought that the SEC would have gone after Oklahoma and Texas. This way without a doubt they have the upper echelon of college football in their conference. Only time will tell if this is true amid rumors that the Pac 12 is interested in Oklahoma, Texas, Oklahoma St., and another team to be determined.
The last time Texas A&M won double digit games was in 1998. Do you know what all has transpired since then? Windows 98 was the major breakthrough in technology. A Stamp was .32. Bill Clinton denied having “relations” with Monica Lewinsky. You get my drift. That was 13 years ago. And I will be more than happy to give you the records during this time frame. 11-3 in 98, 8-4 in 99, 7-5 in 00, 8-4 in 01, 6-6 in 02, 4-8 in 03, 7-5 in 04, 5-6 in 05, 9-4 in 06, 7-6 in 07, 4-8 in 08, 6-7 in 09 and 9-4 in 10. Their last bowl win you ask? It was in 2001 against TCU. When was their last conference title? It was 1998, year of the $1.15 gallon of gas. Their last National Title? 1939. They only have one recognized.
In this time frame, they are 1-6 in bowl games. They have lost 5 straight bowl games. In that timeframe, they have lost to 4 SEC Schools. (Mississippi State, Tennessee, Georgia, and LSU) And this is the conference that you want to go to? Texas A&M wants to join the conference that seems to constantly beat them on the big stage? Is Texas A&M believing they won’t beat you week after week? This year is the first time that Texas A&M has been ranked in the top 10 since 1999. So a little optimistic thinking makes them believe that you can play in this conference? If Texas A&M feels that they are that good of a team, prove it against the teams that are in your division, such as Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas, and Baylor. Win your division, Texas A&M before you try to say you are too big for a conference.
It also appears that Texas A&M is running from the Longhorn Network. Not the Texas Longhorns, but the network. But let’s look at this. Only local cable companies have picked up the Longhorn Network. Verizon is the ONLY major cable provider that has it. The smaller companies only got it to about 19 or 20 thousand homes. The Longhorn network is not going to be able to broadcast High School games. They can only “show scores, stats, standings, and new video” per an NCAA statement. They are only showing 2 football games. Most of the sporting events that will be shown will be the other sports of Texas, such as Track and Field, Swimming, Volleyball, Softball, Baseball, etc. The Lone Star Showdown will still be a nationally televised game as well as the Red River Rivalry. So what is Texas A&M in frenzy for? Is it because of the perceived advantage that Texas will have? I have a news flash. Texas has ALWAYS had the connection with High School coaches Texas A&M has not established. That is why the top recruits in the state are going there year after year. There is one more factor that I must point out. Texas had its first non 10 win season since 2001. They have appeared in 2 national championship games, and have a 3-1 record in BCS Bowl games during that span. That is the advantage. Not the Longhorn Network.
Texas A&M is taking changing the landscape of college football further by migrating to the SEC. But maybe they should have been focusing on taking care of business in their division and conference before they try to bail out and go to the SEC. But one thing is sure. Based on the consistency of this football program over the past 13 years, there may be a new team to beat up on in the SEC besides Vanderbilt and Kentucky.
KT
The problems started when Nebraska bolted for the Big Ten and Colorado for the then Pac-10. The Big XII sat on their hands and did not go after Boise State and TCU. Those schools would have been adequate replacement for Colorado and Nebraska. If you look at the prestige of these two programs, they could have been upgrades. Colorado has not been good since the nineties, and Nebraska has since in recent years become competitive again. This would have been beneficial to both the conference and those teams.
The move would have benefited Boise State most of all. They have not been getting the respect that they deserve. And with the move to the Big XII, it could have shown the world that they can compete in a conference with other powers such as Texas and Oklahoma. It also could have also benefited from the recruiting. They already are doing well in California, but this would have opened Boise State up to the Big XII states. Boise State could have sold the bigger conference and more broadcasting opportunities to recruits; possibly getting more talent than they already have. One name should have made Boise State interested in the move. Chris Petersen. If anyone deserves the chance to show that he can compete in a big time conference week after week, it is Chris Petersen. All he has been doing is winning and out coaching his counterparts in big games.
So yes Dan Beebe, you missed out on this one. I just hope that it doesn’t cost you the conference, and your job.
But what is the program that the SEC is inheriting? Texas A&M does well in other sports. They did win the NCAA women’s basketball tourney last year. Their fans travel well and they have a very big fan base. Kyle Field is an amazing place to play football. Each year, regardless of the record, Texas A&M is one of the toughest places to play in the country. They do have tradition and they also have ties to former SEC coaches Bear Bryant, Jackie Sherrill, and Gene Stallings. But as a QUALITY football program… I just don’t know if I see that right now. I would think the SEC would want a bigger name school with more of a winning tradition that can hold up week in and week out against the competition that they would be facing. The way things are mapping out, Texas A&M will play in the SEC West. That is going to be a problem for them. LSU, Alabama, Auburn, Arkansas, Mississippi State, and Ole Miss reside on that side of the conference. One maybe two of those games will not be competitive for your team. But do NOT think that you are going to dominate this division, and you can’t even compete in the Big XII South.
Rumors are circulating as well that the SEC took Texas A&M to see if they can draw Texas as well. I would have thought that the SEC would have gone after Oklahoma and Texas. This way without a doubt they have the upper echelon of college football in their conference. Only time will tell if this is true amid rumors that the Pac 12 is interested in Oklahoma, Texas, Oklahoma St., and another team to be determined.
The last time Texas A&M won double digit games was in 1998. Do you know what all has transpired since then? Windows 98 was the major breakthrough in technology. A Stamp was .32. Bill Clinton denied having “relations” with Monica Lewinsky. You get my drift. That was 13 years ago. And I will be more than happy to give you the records during this time frame. 11-3 in 98, 8-4 in 99, 7-5 in 00, 8-4 in 01, 6-6 in 02, 4-8 in 03, 7-5 in 04, 5-6 in 05, 9-4 in 06, 7-6 in 07, 4-8 in 08, 6-7 in 09 and 9-4 in 10. Their last bowl win you ask? It was in 2001 against TCU. When was their last conference title? It was 1998, year of the $1.15 gallon of gas. Their last National Title? 1939. They only have one recognized.
In this time frame, they are 1-6 in bowl games. They have lost 5 straight bowl games. In that timeframe, they have lost to 4 SEC Schools. (Mississippi State, Tennessee, Georgia, and LSU) And this is the conference that you want to go to? Texas A&M wants to join the conference that seems to constantly beat them on the big stage? Is Texas A&M believing they won’t beat you week after week? This year is the first time that Texas A&M has been ranked in the top 10 since 1999. So a little optimistic thinking makes them believe that you can play in this conference? If Texas A&M feels that they are that good of a team, prove it against the teams that are in your division, such as Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas, and Baylor. Win your division, Texas A&M before you try to say you are too big for a conference.
It also appears that Texas A&M is running from the Longhorn Network. Not the Texas Longhorns, but the network. But let’s look at this. Only local cable companies have picked up the Longhorn Network. Verizon is the ONLY major cable provider that has it. The smaller companies only got it to about 19 or 20 thousand homes. The Longhorn network is not going to be able to broadcast High School games. They can only “show scores, stats, standings, and new video” per an NCAA statement. They are only showing 2 football games. Most of the sporting events that will be shown will be the other sports of Texas, such as Track and Field, Swimming, Volleyball, Softball, Baseball, etc. The Lone Star Showdown will still be a nationally televised game as well as the Red River Rivalry. So what is Texas A&M in frenzy for? Is it because of the perceived advantage that Texas will have? I have a news flash. Texas has ALWAYS had the connection with High School coaches Texas A&M has not established. That is why the top recruits in the state are going there year after year. There is one more factor that I must point out. Texas had its first non 10 win season since 2001. They have appeared in 2 national championship games, and have a 3-1 record in BCS Bowl games during that span. That is the advantage. Not the Longhorn Network.
Texas A&M is taking changing the landscape of college football further by migrating to the SEC. But maybe they should have been focusing on taking care of business in their division and conference before they try to bail out and go to the SEC. But one thing is sure. Based on the consistency of this football program over the past 13 years, there may be a new team to beat up on in the SEC besides Vanderbilt and Kentucky.
KT
Monday, September 5, 2011
The rankings and the SEC West
Usually each year, Alabama and LSU are in the fight for the SEC West crown. Last year Auburn snuck into the mix. Since 2006, out of the 5 BCS championships 3 of them have been won by the SEC West. (Auburn, Alabama, LSU) It looks as if the tradition is going to continue. After week 1, I think right now there is no question who is the cream of this division in the “best conference in football”. And it is NOT who you think…
This week Alabama played Kent State. There were certain parts of their game that were impressive. Jalston Fowler had a great performance. He is a big, physical back that can get outside and break the big run. Marquis Maze had a big game. He caught 8 balls for 118 yards and a TD, while also returning 8 punts for 96 yards and one kickoff for 39 yards. It also seems that Eddie Lacy has gotten over his disease. Last season he was diagnosed with the fumbles, but seems that he has rehabbed and has it under control. He also looked very good catching the football. It appears that Alabama has a solid #2 RB. The offensive tackle that gave Auburn the okie doke Cyrus Kouandjio looked great in pass protection and run blocking. This kid is the real deal. With his play, Barrett Jones may be able to move back inside to his natural guard position.
But Tide fans don’t act like we didn’t watch the same game and saw some glaring holes that need to be fixed ASAP. The offensive line in the run game was pretty good; but in pass protection they were NOT good. They allowed numerous pressures on two young QBs and forced them into early throws. The QBs threw 4 interceptions to a Kent State defense that was mediocre at best. Although McCarron separated himself from Sims with his numbers, they both threw 2 interceptions. Also don’t say you didn’t see those WRs for Kent State running wild in the secondary. The very first play of the game Dre’ Kirkpatrick got beat, but the WR dropped the ball. The Golden Flashes dropped A LOT of passes. They cannot go to Beaver Stadium playing like that. Saban has some work to do. Now don’t say, “Well Auburn struggled.” This isn’t about Auburn; it’s about the fact that you guys have problems too. Alabama just played a far worst team than Utah State.
LSU took a big risk scheduling Oregon in the first game of the season. Although it was in Dallas, it was a home game for LSU. Oregon is a very fast team. So don’t discredit that. But the speed that LSU has across the board is absolutely astonishing. The only thing that was more impressive than that Defense is the depth that they have at these positions. LSU played in the backfield the entire game. They smothered an Oregon running attack that ranked top 5 in the country last year. The secondary was all over the WR’s. It took 31 passes to get to 240 yards. That is 7.7 yards per completion. LSU fans should be very excited about that defense.
Now LSU also has some holes they have to fix. The WRs have to catch the football. Randle had ONE catch. He is supposed to be the big play WR. The TE Peterson led the team in receptions and yards. At one point in the game, he was the only player catching the ball. The suspension of Jordan Jefferson and Russell Sheppard are huge and it shows in the production of the offense. What is going to happen when a team takes the run away and you are FORCED to pass the ball? The problems will soon follow depending on the offensive team there now.
But right now, who is better?
I am basing my view not on the good, but on the bad. Alabama is seeing the issues on BOTH sides of the ball. That secondary problem is something that is going to last ALL SEASON LONG. That is the weakness of the defense. The front seven will have to constantly generate pressure in order for them to be masked. Kirkpatrick is the weakest link. The offensive line in pass protection will have to protect these young QBs to give them time to complete passes. If they throw 4 interceptions against any other team with a defense as opportunistic as LSU, Alabama loses.
LSU will get Russell Sheppard back within the next 2 games. His leadership could possibly help the WRs that LSU has on the roster. I think that Jordan Jefferson will get off of this charge and be there to lead LSU and show that he is a better QB than last year’s numbers show. If LSU cannot throw the ball, people will start stacking the box against that run game. Wearing out defenders doesn’t work in the SEC.
LSU has problems on one side of the ball. Right now LSU is the class of the SEC West. They are the most complete defense top to bottom in the conference, and possibly the country. We all know one thing. Defense wins championships. There is no question that LSU definitely has that. Based on the caliber of team that LSU played and how impressive they won, I think that LSU should be ranked #2 or even #1 in the country.
This week Alabama played Kent State. There were certain parts of their game that were impressive. Jalston Fowler had a great performance. He is a big, physical back that can get outside and break the big run. Marquis Maze had a big game. He caught 8 balls for 118 yards and a TD, while also returning 8 punts for 96 yards and one kickoff for 39 yards. It also seems that Eddie Lacy has gotten over his disease. Last season he was diagnosed with the fumbles, but seems that he has rehabbed and has it under control. He also looked very good catching the football. It appears that Alabama has a solid #2 RB. The offensive tackle that gave Auburn the okie doke Cyrus Kouandjio looked great in pass protection and run blocking. This kid is the real deal. With his play, Barrett Jones may be able to move back inside to his natural guard position.
But Tide fans don’t act like we didn’t watch the same game and saw some glaring holes that need to be fixed ASAP. The offensive line in the run game was pretty good; but in pass protection they were NOT good. They allowed numerous pressures on two young QBs and forced them into early throws. The QBs threw 4 interceptions to a Kent State defense that was mediocre at best. Although McCarron separated himself from Sims with his numbers, they both threw 2 interceptions. Also don’t say you didn’t see those WRs for Kent State running wild in the secondary. The very first play of the game Dre’ Kirkpatrick got beat, but the WR dropped the ball. The Golden Flashes dropped A LOT of passes. They cannot go to Beaver Stadium playing like that. Saban has some work to do. Now don’t say, “Well Auburn struggled.” This isn’t about Auburn; it’s about the fact that you guys have problems too. Alabama just played a far worst team than Utah State.
LSU took a big risk scheduling Oregon in the first game of the season. Although it was in Dallas, it was a home game for LSU. Oregon is a very fast team. So don’t discredit that. But the speed that LSU has across the board is absolutely astonishing. The only thing that was more impressive than that Defense is the depth that they have at these positions. LSU played in the backfield the entire game. They smothered an Oregon running attack that ranked top 5 in the country last year. The secondary was all over the WR’s. It took 31 passes to get to 240 yards. That is 7.7 yards per completion. LSU fans should be very excited about that defense.
Now LSU also has some holes they have to fix. The WRs have to catch the football. Randle had ONE catch. He is supposed to be the big play WR. The TE Peterson led the team in receptions and yards. At one point in the game, he was the only player catching the ball. The suspension of Jordan Jefferson and Russell Sheppard are huge and it shows in the production of the offense. What is going to happen when a team takes the run away and you are FORCED to pass the ball? The problems will soon follow depending on the offensive team there now.
But right now, who is better?
I am basing my view not on the good, but on the bad. Alabama is seeing the issues on BOTH sides of the ball. That secondary problem is something that is going to last ALL SEASON LONG. That is the weakness of the defense. The front seven will have to constantly generate pressure in order for them to be masked. Kirkpatrick is the weakest link. The offensive line in pass protection will have to protect these young QBs to give them time to complete passes. If they throw 4 interceptions against any other team with a defense as opportunistic as LSU, Alabama loses.
LSU will get Russell Sheppard back within the next 2 games. His leadership could possibly help the WRs that LSU has on the roster. I think that Jordan Jefferson will get off of this charge and be there to lead LSU and show that he is a better QB than last year’s numbers show. If LSU cannot throw the ball, people will start stacking the box against that run game. Wearing out defenders doesn’t work in the SEC.
LSU has problems on one side of the ball. Right now LSU is the class of the SEC West. They are the most complete defense top to bottom in the conference, and possibly the country. We all know one thing. Defense wins championships. There is no question that LSU definitely has that. Based on the caliber of team that LSU played and how impressive they won, I think that LSU should be ranked #2 or even #1 in the country.
Thursday, September 1, 2011
Building a team around your best player
The Arizona Cardinals are taking a risk building a team around a player that is NOT a quarterback. They are building a team around Larry Fitzgerald. Yes. Fitzgerald is a WR. Usually, regardless of how good a WR is, teams do not build a team around the strengths of a receiver. But as good as Fitzgerald is, you can't really blame the Cardinals.
Since Larry Fitzgerald has come into a league he has 613 rec, 204 yards and 65 tds. Yes he has done all this in 7 years. Derek Anderson was his QB last year and his play was mediocre at best. Fitzgerald put up 90 rec 1,137 yards and 6 tds. Let me remind you that this team was NOT very good last year.
Not since I started watching football have I seen a team built around a WR. Most of the time, WRs are the most expendable part of the offense. The offseason was spent putting the necessary tools around Fitzgerald to make him even better. Larry Fitzgerald has forced the Cardinals to do is build a team around him. Kevin Kolb was bought in to get Fitzgerald the ball. Kolb still has a lot to prove in the NFL. He hasn’t made the best decisions in the past. But Kolb has showed that he as all the potential in the world to be a great NFL QB. It seems already that he has the model figured out. He has to get the ball to Fitzgerald. Even if Fitzgerald is covered, he is still open. General Manager Rod Graves hopes that Kolb will turn out to be a franchise QB. Also the Cardinals bought in Todd Heap to command coverage and free up Larry Fitzgerald. The Cardinals are putting more faith in Beanie Wells this year to be the premiere back that he was thought to be. So why is this being done? It is being done to make Larry Fitzgerald shine brighter and to make him a more productive player. Hey, if you are investing 120 million into a player, you should definitely make sure he is happy and has all the tools needed to make him successful.
I applaud the Arizona Cardinals for taking care of their best player. Numerous other organizations need to follow suit. The Cardinals took the time to make their star player better. But which organization is going to build around a black QB. I hope it happens soon.
Since Larry Fitzgerald has come into a league he has 613 rec, 204 yards and 65 tds. Yes he has done all this in 7 years. Derek Anderson was his QB last year and his play was mediocre at best. Fitzgerald put up 90 rec 1,137 yards and 6 tds. Let me remind you that this team was NOT very good last year.
Not since I started watching football have I seen a team built around a WR. Most of the time, WRs are the most expendable part of the offense. The offseason was spent putting the necessary tools around Fitzgerald to make him even better. Larry Fitzgerald has forced the Cardinals to do is build a team around him. Kevin Kolb was bought in to get Fitzgerald the ball. Kolb still has a lot to prove in the NFL. He hasn’t made the best decisions in the past. But Kolb has showed that he as all the potential in the world to be a great NFL QB. It seems already that he has the model figured out. He has to get the ball to Fitzgerald. Even if Fitzgerald is covered, he is still open. General Manager Rod Graves hopes that Kolb will turn out to be a franchise QB. Also the Cardinals bought in Todd Heap to command coverage and free up Larry Fitzgerald. The Cardinals are putting more faith in Beanie Wells this year to be the premiere back that he was thought to be. So why is this being done? It is being done to make Larry Fitzgerald shine brighter and to make him a more productive player. Hey, if you are investing 120 million into a player, you should definitely make sure he is happy and has all the tools needed to make him successful.
I applaud the Arizona Cardinals for taking care of their best player. Numerous other organizations need to follow suit. The Cardinals took the time to make their star player better. But which organization is going to build around a black QB. I hope it happens soon.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)