Ah. The week is finally here for the LSU vs. Alabama game. #1 vs. #2. The unstoppable force meets the immovable object. Alabama and LSU have similar playing styles. There are few reasons that I think that each team can win and can lose. This is the first of this two part series highlighting strengths of each team. Since LSU is a 4 point underdog, we will start with the Tigers.
1. Depth: LSU has more depth than any other team in the country. They rotate their entire defense in and out of the game. They play 10 defensive linemen; 6-7 defensive backs; and 3-5 linebackers. This is helps LSU in the second half when offensive lines are struggling this team is still fresh. They lose absolutely no talent rotating these guys in and they are very unselfish when it comes to playing time. They know who needs to be in the game at critical situations and who the leaders of the defense are. On the offensive side of the ball they have stable of running backs. Ware, Ford, Blue, and Gore are all good backs that bring something different to the table. They have two extraordinary fullbacks in Copeland and Stampley that will both have long NFL careers because they both bring the wood when it comes to opening up holes for the running backs in critical situations. Hightower had best have his head on a swivel when Stampley is coming through that hole… because if he isn’t it will be bye-bye birdy. This is the primary problem that teams have struggled with against LSU. They bring in wave after waves of athletes and don’t lose any talent in the process. It will be interesting how Alabama will adjust to this. Most teams fall off after Alabama’s depth sets in; this won’t affect LSU, because they are a different animal. Alabama hasn’t played anyone with this much depth. As one of my followers on twitter stated. “Alabama cannot think that this team is going to falter in the second half.” This team gets stronger as the game goes on.
2. Quarterback: LSU has not one, but two experienced QBs. Jarrett Lee has been playing excellent football this season. The 63.2% completion rating, 13 tds, and the most important stat 1 int. He has managed the game very well and has been accurate with the ball. All of his throws have been on the money and has thrown the slant with efficiency all season long. They also bring in Jordan Jefferson as a dual threat to run the ball and to throw it on occasion. You can’t get too caught up on him running the ball when he enters the game. If Lee can’t get the job done, they do have another QB that can come in and take the game over and has proven that he can beat Alabama. Last year Alabama had the more talented team and the QBs were the deciding factor in that game going 14/20 for 208 yards and 1 td. These guys are both better than last year. LSU definitely has the advantage here when compared to AJ McCarron. The weakness of Alabama’s team is the secondary. They are overly aggressive and stare in the backfield. Florida exposed Lester and Kirkpatrick on the first play of the game. They saw it on tape, and I think that Greg Studrawa should pick up on it as well. Kirkpatrick and Milner are SUSPECT! Alabama fans know it as well as coaches around the country. I think LSU will exploit the matchup with Beckham on Milner or trying to get a matchup with Barron. Barron is a great defender, but is not the best coverage S. He takes bad angles on pass break ups and is looking more to jar the ball loose versus breaking it up. Yes they are Thorpe Semifinalist; but I think they are who we think they are. Look for LSU to open it up early and often to keep Alabama off balance.
3. Cornerback: If you look at this secondary with Mathieu and Claiborne, there is no question that they are the best CB tandem in the country. Hell if you look at it, they maybe better than most CB duos in the NFL. They are aggressive. They can press, they can play zone. They can come up and stop the run, and on the next play intercept a pass. They catch the balls like receivers and their ball skills are refined. They both can return punts and kickoffs and are a threat to go to the house any opportunity they get. Oregon tried to go at Mathieu 10 tackles, 1 TFL a forced fumble 2 pass break ups and a TD later, they figured out he really wasn’t the one to attack. Mississippi State tried to go at Claiborne. He had two interceptions in that game and Mathieu had 10 tackles again. Claiborne is actually the better of the two corners. He doesn’t have as many opportunities as Mathieu. But when Claiborne gets them, he capitalizes on them. Mathieu is a true playmaker and can force a fumbles as well. He is disruptive all over the field; sacks, fumbles, tackles for loss, deflections, interceptions, and QB pressures. It is no wonder they nicknamed him the Honey Badger. He has NO fear of the big stage and talks the most out of anyone on the field. Just a little biology lesson; the honey badger has been the most fearless creature on earth by the Guinness Book of World Records. This little creature challenges anything that comes to its face, including lions, zebras, leopards and anything it feels threatened by. It feeds on cobras and anything else that it comes across. Sounds familiar? But let’s not just talk about these guys. Tharold Simon and Ron Brooks get lost in the mix because they just don’t get the snaps that Mathieu and Claiborne get. When they run dime and nickel situations, they lose nothing in coverage because these guys are great cover CBs as well. Ron Brooks stepped in against Auburn and played a hell of game against Auburn; it even included a pick six. Eric Reid is a very physical safety that can do more than just have the kill shot; he can cover TEs as well as WRs and RBs out of the backfield. Craig Loston gets lost in the mix because of how good the corners play. Against Maze, Hanks, and Smelley the advantage here is with LSU. AJ McCarron has been throwing to his first read because Alabama’s WR’s have been getting open. Alabama runs a lot of crossing routes. They also like to get their TE on the corner route or throw to him on a crossing route as well. They don’t have the down the field threat to run past the LSU secondary and burn them deep. AJ McCarron can’t force the ball to fit into tight spaces against this team. They are just too good for it.
4. Defensive Line: Kendrick Adams, Barkevious Mingo, Sam Montgomery, Lavar Edwards, Mike Brockers, Bennie Logan, Anthony Johnson, Josh Downs, Ego Ferguson, Dennis Johnson. All 10 of these guys get reps in games. They wreak havoc; any of the back-ups could be starting anywhere else in the country. No play more memorable than when Mingo ran down LaMichael James from behind. This is a defensive end that is 6”5 237lbs. And he is the SECOND STRING! What fans don’t realize is that LSU rarely blitzes. The pressure that LSU gets is purely from the front four. LSU has 42 TFL, 38 of those are assisted. This means that LSU is getting multiple guys in the backfield to disrupt plays and make stops in the backfield. Alabama’s offensive line has not seen an attack like the one that they will see in the trenches this weekend. A TEN lineman rotation doesn’t happen in football often. LSU has the talent and the depth to pull it off. Tennessee did not have the best defensive line, but they kept Richardson in check for majority of the first half. The plan to beat Alabama was put into place; you put 2-3 bodies on Richardson and make him run through everyone on that defense to beat you. Force AJ McCarron to become a passer. Force him to read a defense and beat you. I can almost guarantee you that he will NOT have the time that he had against Tennessee with that 10 man rotation that LSU is going to send their way.
5. Les Miles: Love him or hate him, Les Miles is one of the most exciting coaches in the country. He coaches the game his way. He will win his way; or lose his way. Regardless of the situation, things will go Les Miles’ way. He has said that this is the best football team he has had down in Baton Rouge; that in itself is a scary thought. Look for Les to open it up, spread them out, run it down their throat, and even pull some plays out of his bag of tricks. Last year, Miles out coached Saban with great situational play calling and seemed to be ahead of Kirby Smart and Nick Saban all game. If Miles comes out on top and wins the play calling battle, it will be very hard to overcome this problem regardless of how good Alabama plays.
6. Road Tested: LSU has gone to Morgantown and won against a dynamic West Virginia squad, they went to Jerry’s playhouse and won in Arlington against a very good Oregon offense. They went to Starkville and won in a closer game against Mississippi State. My point? This team has overcome every difficult situation that it has been presented with and dominated. I don’t think that the crowd in Tuscaloosa is going to affect LSU’s play at all. I think that they will actually try to silence this crowd and take them out of the game early. You shut up a loud and rowdy crowd with your play on the field. I think LSU has done that consistently all season long. Alabama did not set up the conference schedule that LSU set up. I think that was Les Miles’ way of preparing his team for this test against a very gritty Alabama team.
LSU is a formidable opponent. LSU has dismantled an Oregon team that has been blowing people out since they played them. Oregon is one of the fastest teams in the country, but LSU just crushed their speed with even more speed. If Alabama comes into this game with the normal slow start that they have had the past 2 weeks against Vandy and Tennessee, look for one mistake from McCarron to bust this game wide open. I don’t think that Alabama’s team is as good as it was last year. Jones, Ingram, and Dareus all went first round for a reason. It’s going to be a good game, but if LSU plays the type of game that it is capable of, they can win this game by at least 14 points.
Monday, October 31, 2011
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
3rd and Goal: Week 9 Preview
3rd and Goal: Week 9 Preview
This week in college football will be focused more on what game will be happening next week in Tuscaloosa than the games that are going on this week. The #1 and #2 teams will be facing off next week and they both have a bye this week. That doesn’t mean that this weekend doesn’t have some great games that will take place. Let’s review the key matchups.
1. First game of the day will be #11 Michigan State traveling to take on #14 Nebraska. Sparty is coming off of a very emotional game beating Wisconsin at home on a Hail Mary. The game was a wonderful game but a dog fight with a Wisconsin team that refused to go away. They were literally 6 inches away from going to overtime. Kirk Cousins played very well last week, going for 290 on 22 completions and no interceptions. I look for that to continue against a very suspect Nebraska secondary. Le’von Bell carried the load last week, but I don’t look for that to be a continuing trend. Edwin Baker is the star back of this team and look for him to have a big game against Nebraska as well. The 167 yards in the Michigan is what you should see from him. Wisconsin had his number. As you can see I don’t have a lot of faith in the black shirts. Nebraska is ranked 70th in the country in stopping the run, 27th in the pass, and 42nd overall in total defense. I don’t think that Michigan State coming to town on a high is going to help the stats of Nebraska’s defense. One thing that will have to give will either be Michigan State’s rushing defense or the Nebraska rushing attack. Sparty is ranked 8th in the country against the run. Nebraska is 7th in rushing offense. Martinez goes from zero to full speed faster than any other QB in the country. Remember though; Denard Robinson was shut down against this same defense. I don’t think that an over-rated Nebraska team, even in Lincoln, can beat this hot Michigan State team. Sparty wins this game 35-13. Their defense is actually pretty good.
2. #9 Oklahoma is coming off of a TOUGH, TOUGH loss last week in Gaylord Memorial against Texas Tech. Majority of the country, including myself, chose Oklahoma to take on the winner of the Alabama vs. LSU game in the BCS championship game; a few of my followers on twitter even thought that LSU vs. Oklahoma game would be better than the Alabama LSU game. Well that was all shot to hell last week; and things get no easier for Oklahoma as the travel to Manhattan, KS to take on #8 Kansas State. Kansas State doesn’t do anything great, but does everything good. They have the identity of long time coach and AARP member Bill Snyder. He is an excellent coach that can put together a game plan to beat the best of competition. He believes in defense and running the football. As a Texas fan, I understand how tough of an environment Manhattan can be for an opposing team. Jones, Stills, and Broyles are a combination like the Kansas St. defense has not seen all season. This team can light it up at any given moment. Last week they got a slow start against Texas Tech and the opposing offense was moving the ball at will. Kansas St. is ranked 87th against the pass. Don’t look for those numbers to get any better for this pass defense! I don’t think that Klein, Hubert, and Harper are going to generate enough offense to stay stride for stride with Oklahoma. You have to take into account that Kansas State did defeat the same Texas Tech team that beat Oklahoma. So this will be an interesting development. But I am going to call the upset special; I have Kansas State winning this game 38-35 in Manhattan.
3. #5 Clemson travels to take on Georgia Tech. Most of Clemson’s big games have been home games this season. Dabo Swinney has his guys making plays week in and week out and looks like a genius hiring his offensive coordinator, Chad Morris. Sammy Watkins is by far freshman of the Year in his conference as well as the country. He should be up for the Heisman, because he makes plays week in and week out. Another name that is starting to get steam in the Heisman race is Tajh Boyd. The QB has been great this season. His stats speak volumes for the season that he is having; completing 61.9% of his passes, 24 TDs to only 3 interceptions. He has done this against some pretty good defenses, so you can’t discredit is performances on Saturdays. If he keeps it up, he is a LEGIT Heisman candidate. TE Dwayne Allen is running away with the Mackey Award, the award for the best tight end in the country. The rest of the competition doesn’t compare. Ellington has been running the ball very well this season and is 2 good games away from 1000 yards. Clemson has playmakers all over the field. The tigers have a chance to make it unscathed to the South Carolina game. If they can win that game, we will have debates later in the season. Georgia Tech is coming off back to back loses to Virginia and Miami. Georgia Tech is not built to play from behind. If they get behind against this quick hitting Clemson team, it will be a long day again for this offense. Clemson is vulnerable against the run. Michael Dyer carved them up, so if this option attack can stay on the field and keep Boyd, Watkins, and Allen on the sidelines, Georgia Tech can pull the upset. But I have Clemson in this game. 42-24.
These are the three games of note this weekend. Follow us on Twitter @4thandInchesMag for interesting discussions throughout the day! Stay tuned for the recap of these games in the Goal Line Stand.
This week in college football will be focused more on what game will be happening next week in Tuscaloosa than the games that are going on this week. The #1 and #2 teams will be facing off next week and they both have a bye this week. That doesn’t mean that this weekend doesn’t have some great games that will take place. Let’s review the key matchups.
1. First game of the day will be #11 Michigan State traveling to take on #14 Nebraska. Sparty is coming off of a very emotional game beating Wisconsin at home on a Hail Mary. The game was a wonderful game but a dog fight with a Wisconsin team that refused to go away. They were literally 6 inches away from going to overtime. Kirk Cousins played very well last week, going for 290 on 22 completions and no interceptions. I look for that to continue against a very suspect Nebraska secondary. Le’von Bell carried the load last week, but I don’t look for that to be a continuing trend. Edwin Baker is the star back of this team and look for him to have a big game against Nebraska as well. The 167 yards in the Michigan is what you should see from him. Wisconsin had his number. As you can see I don’t have a lot of faith in the black shirts. Nebraska is ranked 70th in the country in stopping the run, 27th in the pass, and 42nd overall in total defense. I don’t think that Michigan State coming to town on a high is going to help the stats of Nebraska’s defense. One thing that will have to give will either be Michigan State’s rushing defense or the Nebraska rushing attack. Sparty is ranked 8th in the country against the run. Nebraska is 7th in rushing offense. Martinez goes from zero to full speed faster than any other QB in the country. Remember though; Denard Robinson was shut down against this same defense. I don’t think that an over-rated Nebraska team, even in Lincoln, can beat this hot Michigan State team. Sparty wins this game 35-13. Their defense is actually pretty good.
2. #9 Oklahoma is coming off of a TOUGH, TOUGH loss last week in Gaylord Memorial against Texas Tech. Majority of the country, including myself, chose Oklahoma to take on the winner of the Alabama vs. LSU game in the BCS championship game; a few of my followers on twitter even thought that LSU vs. Oklahoma game would be better than the Alabama LSU game. Well that was all shot to hell last week; and things get no easier for Oklahoma as the travel to Manhattan, KS to take on #8 Kansas State. Kansas State doesn’t do anything great, but does everything good. They have the identity of long time coach and AARP member Bill Snyder. He is an excellent coach that can put together a game plan to beat the best of competition. He believes in defense and running the football. As a Texas fan, I understand how tough of an environment Manhattan can be for an opposing team. Jones, Stills, and Broyles are a combination like the Kansas St. defense has not seen all season. This team can light it up at any given moment. Last week they got a slow start against Texas Tech and the opposing offense was moving the ball at will. Kansas St. is ranked 87th against the pass. Don’t look for those numbers to get any better for this pass defense! I don’t think that Klein, Hubert, and Harper are going to generate enough offense to stay stride for stride with Oklahoma. You have to take into account that Kansas State did defeat the same Texas Tech team that beat Oklahoma. So this will be an interesting development. But I am going to call the upset special; I have Kansas State winning this game 38-35 in Manhattan.
3. #5 Clemson travels to take on Georgia Tech. Most of Clemson’s big games have been home games this season. Dabo Swinney has his guys making plays week in and week out and looks like a genius hiring his offensive coordinator, Chad Morris. Sammy Watkins is by far freshman of the Year in his conference as well as the country. He should be up for the Heisman, because he makes plays week in and week out. Another name that is starting to get steam in the Heisman race is Tajh Boyd. The QB has been great this season. His stats speak volumes for the season that he is having; completing 61.9% of his passes, 24 TDs to only 3 interceptions. He has done this against some pretty good defenses, so you can’t discredit is performances on Saturdays. If he keeps it up, he is a LEGIT Heisman candidate. TE Dwayne Allen is running away with the Mackey Award, the award for the best tight end in the country. The rest of the competition doesn’t compare. Ellington has been running the ball very well this season and is 2 good games away from 1000 yards. Clemson has playmakers all over the field. The tigers have a chance to make it unscathed to the South Carolina game. If they can win that game, we will have debates later in the season. Georgia Tech is coming off back to back loses to Virginia and Miami. Georgia Tech is not built to play from behind. If they get behind against this quick hitting Clemson team, it will be a long day again for this offense. Clemson is vulnerable against the run. Michael Dyer carved them up, so if this option attack can stay on the field and keep Boyd, Watkins, and Allen on the sidelines, Georgia Tech can pull the upset. But I have Clemson in this game. 42-24.
These are the three games of note this weekend. Follow us on Twitter @4thandInchesMag for interesting discussions throughout the day! Stay tuned for the recap of these games in the Goal Line Stand.
Friday, October 21, 2011
3rd and Goal: Week 8 Preview
3rd And Goal: Week 8 Preview
This week promises to solidify the bowl picture on who is legit, and who isn’t legit. This week is also is the warm up for the big game coming up in 2 weeks, putting Alabama and LSU in the fight for the title game. Let’s get to this preview.
1. #20 Auburn travels to Death Valley to take on the #1ranked LSU Tigers. This is LSU’s warm up game to the battle in Tuscaloosa that is already getting the hype as the true national championship game. But the big news isn’t if Auburn will keep it close, but will LSU have their star players for the Alabama game. Tyran Mathieu, All-American Candidate, Tharold Simon a reserve DB, as well as starting RB and leading rusher Spencer Ware will be missing out of the line-up after they tested positive for synthetic marijuana. They are suspended right now indefinitely and no one really knows if they will be back for the Alabama game. I don’t know if Spencer Ware will be missed as much as Mathieu and Simon. LSU is noted for their defensive depth, but they have a stable of running backs as well. But just as LSU will be missing players, Auburn has been clipped by the injury bug. Emory Blake is Auburn’s most explosive WR and he is gimpy with a knee. Also Tre Mason (Hamstring) & Trovon Reed (Shoulder) are questionable this week as well. They will be missing LaDarius Owens at LB as well. I don’t think LSU will show much this week and will continue to pound the ball and keep the full bag of tricks ready for the Alabama game. If you have noticed, LSU hasn’t been showing much on offense all season. There should be a steady dosage of Michael Dyer for the LSU defense from Auburn. He is the closest thing that the LSU defense will see to Trent Richardson. Dyer is a complete back that runs hard to the outside as well as between the tackles. Clint Mosely has a daunting task with his first start coming against the secondary of LSU. I don’t think that you will rule out seeing Frasier and Trotter as well. Overall I think even this LSU team missing two of their star players and a major contributor in the defensive secondary will struggle with Auburn much. LSU will win this game 28-10.
2. The best back you don’t ever hear about will be on display in Coral Gables as Lamar Miller and the Miami Hurricanes take on the Rambling Wreck from #22 Georgia Tech. Georgia Tech was shocked last week in Virginia and if they are not careful, they will be shocked again. Virginia came out and put their foot in Georgia Tech’s mouth. Tevin Washington is not very efficient throwing the ball and showed last week that he cannot be depended upon to win a game. When it comes to a game that they have to come back in, they are not offensively constructed to make a comeback. This is a ball control offense, and they have to dominate early in order to control the game late. Georgia Tech is #2 in the nation in rushing the ball and the triple option is very difficult to defend. When the season is over, they may have 3 1000 yard rushers; the leader of the pack is Orwin Smith, who is averaging an amazing 13.2 yards per carry! Miami has a pretty good back as well in Lamar Miller. He is a grown man and his 6.4 yard average is as real as it gets. Jacory Harris is going to have to do a better job of giving his running game some support and taking care of the football. Lamar Miller can’t be the only player stepping up. Travis Benjamin is very explosive and they need to find a way to get him more touches. This isn’t the traditional Miami defense either. I am used to seeing Miami with a dominating defensive lineman, a fantastic LB and a lock down corner. Someone on that Miami defense is going to have to step up and make something happen to get a stop and get the offense more possessions. Al Golden is doing a great job as coach of the Hurricanes. But I think that Miami falls to Georgia Tech 28-20.
3. The game of the Week is #6 Wisconsin travelling to take on #16 Michigan State. Wisconsin has been DOMINATING every team they have played; but the only team they played with substance is an overrated Nebraska team that they completely dominated. They are leading the country in scoring offense and are the most balanced team in the country as far as offense goes. The defense is a bit overrated in the scoring defense column, but they do have playmakers on the field on defense. They will have to be focused and locked in to deal with Baker, Cousins, and Cunningham. Edwin Baker is coming off of one of his best games of the season rushing for 167 yards against bitter rival Michigan. I am staring to think that Michigan State’s defense maybe legit. They are #4 in scoring defense, #1 in passing defense, #3 in rushing defense, #2 in overall defense. They frustrated a pretty good Michigan ground game, and have been shutting teams down. But they have not faced a team as balanced as Wisconsin, or a QB as good as Russell Wilson. Michigan State’s defense can be beaten though; all you have to do is watch the Notre Dame tape. Floyd and company killed them. Also of note Gohlston will be suspended this game for the cheap shot that he took against Denard Robinson and the punch he threw. He was out of control and he earned it. If Wisconsin puts on an impressive win as they did against Nebraska, look out polls; because Wisconsin will start having a case for that championship game. Wisconsin 31-13.
4. #25 Washington is playing against the media’s “chosen one” in the Pac-12 #8 Stanford. They boast the anointed Heisman Trophy winner Andrew Luck. We will finally get to see what Stanford is really made of before their showdown with Oregon because Stanford has played ABSOLUTELY no one. San Jose State, Duke, Arizona, UCLA, Colorado, and Washington State? And they are #8 why? Oregon should be ranked over them because they actually beat a pretty good Arizona State team. But I guess when Luck is on your side, who needs to play any real competition? Luck is playing well, but he just hasn’t had to prove much against inferior opponents. 71% completion, 1719 yards and 18tds to 3 ints, you can’t argue with the results. Looking at this game, you can’t possibly think that Washington has a chance. Consider this: Keith Price is throwing the ball very well this year as well going for 69.4% completion with 21 tds and 4 ints. He is going to have to play a flawless game against Stanford and Washington is going to have to run the ball to keep Luck on the sideline. Steve Sarkisian has the right tools to do it. Another good back that no one is talking about is Chris Polk. He has 728 yards and is the # 7th ranked rusher in the country. Sarkisian is a pretty good big game coach. Don’t forget the big time win against USC a few years ago. I have Washington winning this game in the upset 28-25. I think Sarkisian’s experience as a coach helps him in this win. But in order for them to win, they have to come out and establish the run. This will keep Stanford’s offense off the field and Luck on the sideline. This way the luck will with Washington.
This week of College football should be interesting as other notable games include #2 Alabama vs Tennessee in an overrated match up; Alabama is dismantle Tennessee. #7 Clemson needs to be careful with North Carolina. They are a good team with a solid defense. Winters is a good coach and can put together a game plan. Dabo Swinney and company will have to come with a good game plan. Stay tuned to the Goal Line Stand to recap the highlighted games. Follow me on twitter @4thandInchesMag!
This week promises to solidify the bowl picture on who is legit, and who isn’t legit. This week is also is the warm up for the big game coming up in 2 weeks, putting Alabama and LSU in the fight for the title game. Let’s get to this preview.
1. #20 Auburn travels to Death Valley to take on the #1ranked LSU Tigers. This is LSU’s warm up game to the battle in Tuscaloosa that is already getting the hype as the true national championship game. But the big news isn’t if Auburn will keep it close, but will LSU have their star players for the Alabama game. Tyran Mathieu, All-American Candidate, Tharold Simon a reserve DB, as well as starting RB and leading rusher Spencer Ware will be missing out of the line-up after they tested positive for synthetic marijuana. They are suspended right now indefinitely and no one really knows if they will be back for the Alabama game. I don’t know if Spencer Ware will be missed as much as Mathieu and Simon. LSU is noted for their defensive depth, but they have a stable of running backs as well. But just as LSU will be missing players, Auburn has been clipped by the injury bug. Emory Blake is Auburn’s most explosive WR and he is gimpy with a knee. Also Tre Mason (Hamstring) & Trovon Reed (Shoulder) are questionable this week as well. They will be missing LaDarius Owens at LB as well. I don’t think LSU will show much this week and will continue to pound the ball and keep the full bag of tricks ready for the Alabama game. If you have noticed, LSU hasn’t been showing much on offense all season. There should be a steady dosage of Michael Dyer for the LSU defense from Auburn. He is the closest thing that the LSU defense will see to Trent Richardson. Dyer is a complete back that runs hard to the outside as well as between the tackles. Clint Mosely has a daunting task with his first start coming against the secondary of LSU. I don’t think that you will rule out seeing Frasier and Trotter as well. Overall I think even this LSU team missing two of their star players and a major contributor in the defensive secondary will struggle with Auburn much. LSU will win this game 28-10.
2. The best back you don’t ever hear about will be on display in Coral Gables as Lamar Miller and the Miami Hurricanes take on the Rambling Wreck from #22 Georgia Tech. Georgia Tech was shocked last week in Virginia and if they are not careful, they will be shocked again. Virginia came out and put their foot in Georgia Tech’s mouth. Tevin Washington is not very efficient throwing the ball and showed last week that he cannot be depended upon to win a game. When it comes to a game that they have to come back in, they are not offensively constructed to make a comeback. This is a ball control offense, and they have to dominate early in order to control the game late. Georgia Tech is #2 in the nation in rushing the ball and the triple option is very difficult to defend. When the season is over, they may have 3 1000 yard rushers; the leader of the pack is Orwin Smith, who is averaging an amazing 13.2 yards per carry! Miami has a pretty good back as well in Lamar Miller. He is a grown man and his 6.4 yard average is as real as it gets. Jacory Harris is going to have to do a better job of giving his running game some support and taking care of the football. Lamar Miller can’t be the only player stepping up. Travis Benjamin is very explosive and they need to find a way to get him more touches. This isn’t the traditional Miami defense either. I am used to seeing Miami with a dominating defensive lineman, a fantastic LB and a lock down corner. Someone on that Miami defense is going to have to step up and make something happen to get a stop and get the offense more possessions. Al Golden is doing a great job as coach of the Hurricanes. But I think that Miami falls to Georgia Tech 28-20.
3. The game of the Week is #6 Wisconsin travelling to take on #16 Michigan State. Wisconsin has been DOMINATING every team they have played; but the only team they played with substance is an overrated Nebraska team that they completely dominated. They are leading the country in scoring offense and are the most balanced team in the country as far as offense goes. The defense is a bit overrated in the scoring defense column, but they do have playmakers on the field on defense. They will have to be focused and locked in to deal with Baker, Cousins, and Cunningham. Edwin Baker is coming off of one of his best games of the season rushing for 167 yards against bitter rival Michigan. I am staring to think that Michigan State’s defense maybe legit. They are #4 in scoring defense, #1 in passing defense, #3 in rushing defense, #2 in overall defense. They frustrated a pretty good Michigan ground game, and have been shutting teams down. But they have not faced a team as balanced as Wisconsin, or a QB as good as Russell Wilson. Michigan State’s defense can be beaten though; all you have to do is watch the Notre Dame tape. Floyd and company killed them. Also of note Gohlston will be suspended this game for the cheap shot that he took against Denard Robinson and the punch he threw. He was out of control and he earned it. If Wisconsin puts on an impressive win as they did against Nebraska, look out polls; because Wisconsin will start having a case for that championship game. Wisconsin 31-13.
4. #25 Washington is playing against the media’s “chosen one” in the Pac-12 #8 Stanford. They boast the anointed Heisman Trophy winner Andrew Luck. We will finally get to see what Stanford is really made of before their showdown with Oregon because Stanford has played ABSOLUTELY no one. San Jose State, Duke, Arizona, UCLA, Colorado, and Washington State? And they are #8 why? Oregon should be ranked over them because they actually beat a pretty good Arizona State team. But I guess when Luck is on your side, who needs to play any real competition? Luck is playing well, but he just hasn’t had to prove much against inferior opponents. 71% completion, 1719 yards and 18tds to 3 ints, you can’t argue with the results. Looking at this game, you can’t possibly think that Washington has a chance. Consider this: Keith Price is throwing the ball very well this year as well going for 69.4% completion with 21 tds and 4 ints. He is going to have to play a flawless game against Stanford and Washington is going to have to run the ball to keep Luck on the sideline. Steve Sarkisian has the right tools to do it. Another good back that no one is talking about is Chris Polk. He has 728 yards and is the # 7th ranked rusher in the country. Sarkisian is a pretty good big game coach. Don’t forget the big time win against USC a few years ago. I have Washington winning this game in the upset 28-25. I think Sarkisian’s experience as a coach helps him in this win. But in order for them to win, they have to come out and establish the run. This will keep Stanford’s offense off the field and Luck on the sideline. This way the luck will with Washington.
This week of College football should be interesting as other notable games include #2 Alabama vs Tennessee in an overrated match up; Alabama is dismantle Tennessee. #7 Clemson needs to be careful with North Carolina. They are a good team with a solid defense. Winters is a good coach and can put together a game plan. Dabo Swinney and company will have to come with a good game plan. Stay tuned to the Goal Line Stand to recap the highlighted games. Follow me on twitter @4thandInchesMag!
Thursday, October 20, 2011
The "Thug" Label
The “Thug” Label
By: Kerry R. Thompson, Sr
When you think of a thug, what do you think of? An Italian or Russian mobster? A drug dealer? An armed robber? Do you see a kid that smokes weed? It seems like every player that gets involved in something that gets them suspended from the team, they are labeled as thugs. In the midst of the now former Heisman Hopeful Tyran Mathieu getting suspended and starting RB Spencer Ware also getting suspended for “drugs policy” , a lot of the fans are now calling these kids thugs and how they are not looking out for their team.
What makes a thug?
Merriam-Webster defines thug as a brutal ruffian or assassin. Last time I checked, violating a team’s drug policy does not constitute that definition. Mathieu, Simon, and Ware failed to adhere to the team’s drug policy. Do we even know what type of drugs that the kids tested positive for? Do we even have confirmation from a coach? Do we know when the test was actually taken? No we have none of that information. So how can we make a proper assessment to label these kids as thugs if they weren’t being brutal ruffians or assassins?
Terrelle Pryor was labeled a thug because he exchanged “HIS” autograph for tattoos. Reggie Bush was a thug for accepting money. Cam Newton was a thug because he unknowingly bought a stolen computer. Russell Shepard was a thug for being ineligible for the first 3 games of the season. Do you see a trend? Was Ryan Mallett a thug when he was doing cocaine and partying all the time? Was Matt Jones a thug for being convicted of cocaine possession and use? Was Stephen Garcia a thug for being a drunk, resisting arrest, & coming to a leadership conference being drunk? No they were not, they were just labeled as being "troubled" or "just being a college kid". There is a media bias in each of these situations. When you are portrayed as a thug, then you are a thug in the public eye. When articles are written on your troubles as a student that is how you are perceived. Let's be real about this. The public views young black guys that fail a drug test or for that matter get suspended for anything thing or found to be ineligible a thug. When that is all you see on A&E's hit show, The First 48 or on Cops, that is what you are going to think. News about Mallett and his drinking, doing drugs, or partying didn’t come out until the scouts were concerned about it and voiced their opinion about what they were hearing from Fayetteville. The media controls what you find out about. These cases are no different.
The media, as well as a lot of you so called fans, forget how you were trying “things” in college. Most of you same judgmental people were smoking marijuana, snorting cocaine, and going to Woodstock. And the same judgmental people that are cheating on their wives were writing articles on how much Tiger Woods had them fooled into believing he was such a great guy. I can almost guarantee that if a lot of your bosses knew who you really were and the stunts that you pulled in your younger life, the unemployment rate in our country would be double what it is right now.
It just sickens me to see all of the so called “LSU Faithful” being so quick to label these kids as trouble makers, and saying how selfish they are. I have also been listening to Alabama fans comparing Les Miles to Saban; saying how they don’t have those problems down in Tuscaloosa and how Les Miles has no control over his team. Did we forget the textbook scandal, or the NCAA violations against Marcel Dareus in 2009? And yes, you guys were calling those players thugs too. Does that mean that Saban had no control? I am here to tell you, that no one man can control another grown man; unlike other programs that sweep these problems under the rug, Les Miles does stand up for what he believes in and suspends these players, regardless of how it will affect his team. Jordan Jefferson was supposed to be the leader of this team this year and was expected to have a big year. He got into an incident at a bar, and Les Miles wasted no time suspending him and naming Jared Lee the starter. Tyran Mathieu is no doubt the leader on this defense; yet he made his mistake and now he has to deal with his punishment. Les Miles is doing his job. He can’t control player’s actions, but he can demonstrate to the others on the team that if you are man enough to commit the action, then you are man enough to accept the consequences.
I think that what gets lost in the millions of dollars that these kids bring into your beloved university is the fact that these guys are still young adults trying to find out who they really are in life. Yes, these kids make mistakes. They didn’t use their best judgment. Tyran Mathieu is 19 years old. Do you remember what you were doing at 19? Don’t be so quick to label these kids thugs because of their growing pains; If that’s the case, then each and every one of us all have a little thug inside.
By: Kerry R. Thompson, Sr
When you think of a thug, what do you think of? An Italian or Russian mobster? A drug dealer? An armed robber? Do you see a kid that smokes weed? It seems like every player that gets involved in something that gets them suspended from the team, they are labeled as thugs. In the midst of the now former Heisman Hopeful Tyran Mathieu getting suspended and starting RB Spencer Ware also getting suspended for “drugs policy” , a lot of the fans are now calling these kids thugs and how they are not looking out for their team.
What makes a thug?
Merriam-Webster defines thug as a brutal ruffian or assassin. Last time I checked, violating a team’s drug policy does not constitute that definition. Mathieu, Simon, and Ware failed to adhere to the team’s drug policy. Do we even know what type of drugs that the kids tested positive for? Do we even have confirmation from a coach? Do we know when the test was actually taken? No we have none of that information. So how can we make a proper assessment to label these kids as thugs if they weren’t being brutal ruffians or assassins?
Terrelle Pryor was labeled a thug because he exchanged “HIS” autograph for tattoos. Reggie Bush was a thug for accepting money. Cam Newton was a thug because he unknowingly bought a stolen computer. Russell Shepard was a thug for being ineligible for the first 3 games of the season. Do you see a trend? Was Ryan Mallett a thug when he was doing cocaine and partying all the time? Was Matt Jones a thug for being convicted of cocaine possession and use? Was Stephen Garcia a thug for being a drunk, resisting arrest, & coming to a leadership conference being drunk? No they were not, they were just labeled as being "troubled" or "just being a college kid". There is a media bias in each of these situations. When you are portrayed as a thug, then you are a thug in the public eye. When articles are written on your troubles as a student that is how you are perceived. Let's be real about this. The public views young black guys that fail a drug test or for that matter get suspended for anything thing or found to be ineligible a thug. When that is all you see on A&E's hit show, The First 48 or on Cops, that is what you are going to think. News about Mallett and his drinking, doing drugs, or partying didn’t come out until the scouts were concerned about it and voiced their opinion about what they were hearing from Fayetteville. The media controls what you find out about. These cases are no different.
The media, as well as a lot of you so called fans, forget how you were trying “things” in college. Most of you same judgmental people were smoking marijuana, snorting cocaine, and going to Woodstock. And the same judgmental people that are cheating on their wives were writing articles on how much Tiger Woods had them fooled into believing he was such a great guy. I can almost guarantee that if a lot of your bosses knew who you really were and the stunts that you pulled in your younger life, the unemployment rate in our country would be double what it is right now.
It just sickens me to see all of the so called “LSU Faithful” being so quick to label these kids as trouble makers, and saying how selfish they are. I have also been listening to Alabama fans comparing Les Miles to Saban; saying how they don’t have those problems down in Tuscaloosa and how Les Miles has no control over his team. Did we forget the textbook scandal, or the NCAA violations against Marcel Dareus in 2009? And yes, you guys were calling those players thugs too. Does that mean that Saban had no control? I am here to tell you, that no one man can control another grown man; unlike other programs that sweep these problems under the rug, Les Miles does stand up for what he believes in and suspends these players, regardless of how it will affect his team. Jordan Jefferson was supposed to be the leader of this team this year and was expected to have a big year. He got into an incident at a bar, and Les Miles wasted no time suspending him and naming Jared Lee the starter. Tyran Mathieu is no doubt the leader on this defense; yet he made his mistake and now he has to deal with his punishment. Les Miles is doing his job. He can’t control player’s actions, but he can demonstrate to the others on the team that if you are man enough to commit the action, then you are man enough to accept the consequences.
I think that what gets lost in the millions of dollars that these kids bring into your beloved university is the fact that these guys are still young adults trying to find out who they really are in life. Yes, these kids make mistakes. They didn’t use their best judgment. Tyran Mathieu is 19 years old. Do you remember what you were doing at 19? Don’t be so quick to label these kids thugs because of their growing pains; If that’s the case, then each and every one of us all have a little thug inside.
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Week 7 Goal Line Stand
The Week 7 Goal Line Stand
This week, I went 2-2 in my picks. Texas A&M messes me up again. Goodness. I pick for them, they lose; I pick against them, they win. I mean come on. But let’s recap what happened this weekend in College Football.
1. Michigan State wins its fourth straight against Michigan 28-14. Michigan had plenty of opportunities to win this game, but either poor coaching or poor execution prevented Michigan from being great. . Was the wind a factor? Yes; but is it an excuse? No. On 4th and Inches, (cliché), the Michigan coaching staff called a play-action pass and almost turned the ball over. Devin Gardner fumbled a shotgun snap and forced a punt. Michigan gets a stop defensively and keeps the game a one possession affair. Michigan gets the ball back. Denard Robinson throws a quick slant on a blitz read and the WR is not on the same page and a pick 6 seals their fate. Michigan State’s defense executed their game plan to perfection in containing Robinson to only 42 yards on 18 carries. Robinson was also only 9/24 for 123 yards. They were flying to the ball and pushed Robinson back to the inside where the rest of the Michigan State defense was to help with bringing him to the ground. None of the other players for Michigan could get into the groove of the game rushing and Michigan ended the day with 36 carries for 82 yards. Kurt Cousins was less than impressive in this game going 13/24 for 120 yards. He did make the throws that he had to make in critical moments of the game. Edwin Baker was the story of the Michigan St. offense, rushing for 167 yards on the day. Michigan contained him in the first half, but he really got off in the second half. The story line for me in this game was how cocky Michigan State was after this game. Cousins played like crap and if there were some better coaching decisions made on behalf of the Michigan coaching staff, they would have lost this game. I thought it was kind of classless, taking all the credit like they put on a clinic against Michigan in this game. You didn’t so stop fronting. You didn’t beat Michigan, Michigan beat themselves. I picked Michigan 24-17. Michigan just didn’t want to be great yesterday.
2. Texas A&M finally holds on to a lead against Baylor and wins 55-28. Baylor’s defense and running game decided not to show up this week to the game. Last week Terrance Ganaway rushed for 200 yards; this week 34 yards. Texas A&M held Baylor to 50 yards rushing. They couldn’t get anything going on the ground and as result they just couldn’t keep up the Texas A&M. Baylor’s defense allowed a ridiculous 681 yards of total offense and made Ryan Tannehill look like he was the first pick of the NFL draft and made Ryan Swope look like Wes Welker. 415 yards passing for Tannehill, 206 yards receiving for Swope. Oh yeah, and don’t let me leave out the fact that A&M rushed for 266 yards on 45 carries. Robert Griffin III threw for 430 yards and 3 Tds to one interception. For the season, that gives him these stats: 142-182 78% completion percentage, 1950 yards, 22tds, 2 ints. I picked Baylor 35-21. Missed this one, thanks to Baylor’s defense deciding to chill back in Waco instead of coming to the game.
3. Oklahoma State beat Texas 38-26. If you look at the stats, it has all the staples for a win. Texas dominated time of possession (39:18) and rushed for 231 yards. HOLD UP! Didn’t happen that way because Texas, like Michigan, didn’t want to be great on Saturday. The defense played fairly well and held 46 year old Brandon Weeden to only 218 yards passing. They also held Blackmon and Cooper to under 100 yards receiving. Well why didn’t Texas want to be great? Because they could not stop the run. Oklahoma St. rushed for 202 yards and 3 tds. Jeremy Smith had a big game with only 7 attempts but had 140 yards rushing and 2 of those TDs. I understand that you have to defend the pass, but you cannot let an Oklahoma St. team that rushed for 155.5 and ranked 59th in the country to gash you for these big runs all game. At some point, Manny Diaz had to say, you know what I am going to take my chances in coverage and stop this run. The Texas secondary played well, especially Carrington Byndom. Blackmon did catch a TD pass, but he did not show out as he has in weeks past. I would have rolled the dice. Case McCoy did not play a snap as Mack Brown went with freshman David Ash in this game. 2 interceptions and 40 pass attempts later, he only threw for 139 yards and 0 tds. Malcolm Brown played great and is right now the Big XII freshman of the year. Only time will tell. The youth of Texas is apparent this year. I did pick Oklahoma St. 42-20. Texas stayed in this game, but just couldn’t make the plays when they needed to.
4. Arizona St. couldn’t overcome the odds in Autzen to beat Oregon and lose the game 41-27. Oregon’s offense is so fast and can capitalize off mistakes faster than any team in the country. The personal foul they called against Moos, the DT from Arizona St., led to a score in less than 1 min. They have speed all over the field. People thought that they were going to miss LaMichael James this game, and it turns out that Kenjon Barner knew that they wouldn’t carrying the ball 31 times for 171 yards and a TD. They plugged DeAnthony Thomas, the dynamic freshman wideout from Crenshaw High School in there and he got 73 yards rushing. When it was all said and done Oregon rushed for 327 yards against a very good Arizona St. front 7. Darron Thomas did go out with a knee injury. He went to the back and got a brace, but Chip Kelly wouldn’t let him come back in the game. Freshman Brian Bennett surprised the audience as well as the defense with his quickness and great eye with the zone read play. Osweiler was efficient in the first half but that interception to Cliff Harris at the end of the half and the quick score by the Ducks all but sealed the fate for the Arizona St. team that just seems to fall short each year against the Ducks. Pflugrad didn’t play particularly well either. Oregon’s secondary really stepped up in the second half. Oregon’s defensive front also did a great job getting pressure on Osweiler in the second half. Story line of this game is the personal foul; that is one call that Burfict needs to avoid for the rest of the season. Those penalties really hurt Arizona St. There were a couple the killed drives, and that kept drives alive. I picked Oregon in this game 45-30. I was just a few points off.
This was another fantastic week of college football. Stay tuned to Week 8’s 3rd and Goal Analysis!
This week, I went 2-2 in my picks. Texas A&M messes me up again. Goodness. I pick for them, they lose; I pick against them, they win. I mean come on. But let’s recap what happened this weekend in College Football.
1. Michigan State wins its fourth straight against Michigan 28-14. Michigan had plenty of opportunities to win this game, but either poor coaching or poor execution prevented Michigan from being great. . Was the wind a factor? Yes; but is it an excuse? No. On 4th and Inches, (cliché), the Michigan coaching staff called a play-action pass and almost turned the ball over. Devin Gardner fumbled a shotgun snap and forced a punt. Michigan gets a stop defensively and keeps the game a one possession affair. Michigan gets the ball back. Denard Robinson throws a quick slant on a blitz read and the WR is not on the same page and a pick 6 seals their fate. Michigan State’s defense executed their game plan to perfection in containing Robinson to only 42 yards on 18 carries. Robinson was also only 9/24 for 123 yards. They were flying to the ball and pushed Robinson back to the inside where the rest of the Michigan State defense was to help with bringing him to the ground. None of the other players for Michigan could get into the groove of the game rushing and Michigan ended the day with 36 carries for 82 yards. Kurt Cousins was less than impressive in this game going 13/24 for 120 yards. He did make the throws that he had to make in critical moments of the game. Edwin Baker was the story of the Michigan St. offense, rushing for 167 yards on the day. Michigan contained him in the first half, but he really got off in the second half. The story line for me in this game was how cocky Michigan State was after this game. Cousins played like crap and if there were some better coaching decisions made on behalf of the Michigan coaching staff, they would have lost this game. I thought it was kind of classless, taking all the credit like they put on a clinic against Michigan in this game. You didn’t so stop fronting. You didn’t beat Michigan, Michigan beat themselves. I picked Michigan 24-17. Michigan just didn’t want to be great yesterday.
2. Texas A&M finally holds on to a lead against Baylor and wins 55-28. Baylor’s defense and running game decided not to show up this week to the game. Last week Terrance Ganaway rushed for 200 yards; this week 34 yards. Texas A&M held Baylor to 50 yards rushing. They couldn’t get anything going on the ground and as result they just couldn’t keep up the Texas A&M. Baylor’s defense allowed a ridiculous 681 yards of total offense and made Ryan Tannehill look like he was the first pick of the NFL draft and made Ryan Swope look like Wes Welker. 415 yards passing for Tannehill, 206 yards receiving for Swope. Oh yeah, and don’t let me leave out the fact that A&M rushed for 266 yards on 45 carries. Robert Griffin III threw for 430 yards and 3 Tds to one interception. For the season, that gives him these stats: 142-182 78% completion percentage, 1950 yards, 22tds, 2 ints. I picked Baylor 35-21. Missed this one, thanks to Baylor’s defense deciding to chill back in Waco instead of coming to the game.
3. Oklahoma State beat Texas 38-26. If you look at the stats, it has all the staples for a win. Texas dominated time of possession (39:18) and rushed for 231 yards. HOLD UP! Didn’t happen that way because Texas, like Michigan, didn’t want to be great on Saturday. The defense played fairly well and held 46 year old Brandon Weeden to only 218 yards passing. They also held Blackmon and Cooper to under 100 yards receiving. Well why didn’t Texas want to be great? Because they could not stop the run. Oklahoma St. rushed for 202 yards and 3 tds. Jeremy Smith had a big game with only 7 attempts but had 140 yards rushing and 2 of those TDs. I understand that you have to defend the pass, but you cannot let an Oklahoma St. team that rushed for 155.5 and ranked 59th in the country to gash you for these big runs all game. At some point, Manny Diaz had to say, you know what I am going to take my chances in coverage and stop this run. The Texas secondary played well, especially Carrington Byndom. Blackmon did catch a TD pass, but he did not show out as he has in weeks past. I would have rolled the dice. Case McCoy did not play a snap as Mack Brown went with freshman David Ash in this game. 2 interceptions and 40 pass attempts later, he only threw for 139 yards and 0 tds. Malcolm Brown played great and is right now the Big XII freshman of the year. Only time will tell. The youth of Texas is apparent this year. I did pick Oklahoma St. 42-20. Texas stayed in this game, but just couldn’t make the plays when they needed to.
4. Arizona St. couldn’t overcome the odds in Autzen to beat Oregon and lose the game 41-27. Oregon’s offense is so fast and can capitalize off mistakes faster than any team in the country. The personal foul they called against Moos, the DT from Arizona St., led to a score in less than 1 min. They have speed all over the field. People thought that they were going to miss LaMichael James this game, and it turns out that Kenjon Barner knew that they wouldn’t carrying the ball 31 times for 171 yards and a TD. They plugged DeAnthony Thomas, the dynamic freshman wideout from Crenshaw High School in there and he got 73 yards rushing. When it was all said and done Oregon rushed for 327 yards against a very good Arizona St. front 7. Darron Thomas did go out with a knee injury. He went to the back and got a brace, but Chip Kelly wouldn’t let him come back in the game. Freshman Brian Bennett surprised the audience as well as the defense with his quickness and great eye with the zone read play. Osweiler was efficient in the first half but that interception to Cliff Harris at the end of the half and the quick score by the Ducks all but sealed the fate for the Arizona St. team that just seems to fall short each year against the Ducks. Pflugrad didn’t play particularly well either. Oregon’s secondary really stepped up in the second half. Oregon’s defensive front also did a great job getting pressure on Osweiler in the second half. Story line of this game is the personal foul; that is one call that Burfict needs to avoid for the rest of the season. Those penalties really hurt Arizona St. There were a couple the killed drives, and that kept drives alive. I picked Oregon in this game 45-30. I was just a few points off.
This was another fantastic week of college football. Stay tuned to Week 8’s 3rd and Goal Analysis!
Thursday, October 13, 2011
3rd and Goal: Week 7 Preview
3rd and Goal
We are presenting a new name for the weekly preview section of the NCAA games for the week. Let’s get things going.
1. #11 Michigan is going to take on one of their most hated rivals, #23 Michigan State. Michigan comes in with the 7th best rushing attack in the land. Denard Robinson is a threat to score any time he touches the ball. I have admired how Hoke has let Robinson play his game instead of making him line up under center. He is just too dynamic to be handing the ball off to someone that does not have the skill set he has. He leads the team in rushing, but the young RB Fitzgerald Toussaint is a great compliment to Robinson. He had his first 100 yard rushing against Minnesota. Robinson has not, though, been as impressive throwing the ball. He reminds me of a Pat White from West Virginia, but Pat could throw the ball a lot better than Robinson at this point in his career. Michigan’s defense has been much improved as well under defensive coordinator Greg Mattison. They are holding their opponents to 12.5 points per game. Last year Michigan’s defense was atrocious. They couldn’t stop most middle school teams. But they definitely have their hands full with Michigan State’s offense. They have Cousins, Cunningham, Baker, and Bell. But which Cousins is going to show up? The one against Notre Dame was mediocre at best. And will Michigan State be able to stop the run? Statistically, Michigan St. has the #1 defense int the land. But I think that those numbers are a little inflated facing the teams that they have been playing. None of them put up great offensive numbers except Notre Dame; and you see the result of that game. They won’t be facing another lethargic team like they did against Ohio State. This team can run, move, and is well coached. I don’t think Sparty pulls this out. Not even at home. I have Michigan winning this game 24-17.
2. RGIII leads #20 Baylor into Kyle Field to take on #21 Texas A&M. RGIII has been ripping it all year long, and at one point had more TDs than incompletions. That stat is still unreal to me. He has thrown 19 TDs to 1 Int, 80.3% completions, and we are still talking about Andrew Luck in the lead for the Heisman? Why? Baylor has been a very big surprise not only in the Big XII, but in the country. His play continues to amaze Heisman watchers and a big game here against Texas A&M will definitely put him on the map. Baylor’s offense is ranked #3 in the country in yards per game at 563 ypg. They are just as big of a threat running the ball as passing the ball. Terrance Ganaway ran for 200 last week. Kendall Wright has 48 receptions this season for 690 yards and 8 tds. They are a very balanced team. What is their defense going to do against Texas A&M’s balance? They have playmakers as well. Ryan Swope has been playing better than one of the top NFL prospects in Jeff Fuller. Cyrus Gray and Christine Michael have been dynamic and A&M may just have 2 1000 yard rushers for the season. Tannehill is a dual threat as well. Texas A&M has been farting away leads in the first half; just because they may be up, doesn’t mean that they are going to win. I am going to pick Baylor over Texas A&M. Mentally I think that RGIII is better than Tannehill. Baylor takes care of the ball. Texas A&M in the second half is a turnover waiting to happen. 35-21.
3. The high flying and #6 ranked Oklahoma State Cowboys travel to Austin to take on the #22 Longhorns. Texas is licking its wounds after a dismantling by Oklahoma. I just think that they are again just over matched on both sides of the ball. I think that Ok St played their disappointing half against Texas A&M already. Texas and that young secondary combined with that passing attack with Weeden, Blackmon, and Cooper? It is a recipe for disaster. Ok St. is playing better defensively. The QB carousel continues in Texas and they have not decided on who is going to lead their team. They are heading dangerously down the path with the Sims and Applewhite era again, where you know there is one guy that should start, but playing both to ease the boosters. Quietly, Mack Brown is on the hot seat, because he is expected to win with the talent that is being recruited down in Texas. You can’t have top five recruiting classes every year, and not win. Blackmon had his streak broken of consecutive 100 yard receiving games last week. And you can’t just key in on him, because Cooper is just as dangerous. Weeden is tearing it up and completing 33 passes per game. You don’t really have to run the ball if you are as efficient as Ok St. is at throwing the ball. Texas’ defense is not up to the task of stopping Ok St’s offense. 42-20 Oklahoma St.
4. The game of the week will feature #18 Arizona State travels to Autzen Stadium to take on #9 Oregon. People wrote Oregon off after LSU dismantled them. They are still one of the best offensive teams in the country. LaMichael James has been outstanding over the past 3 games. He has averaged 244 yards a game over those games. But after the gruesome dislocation of his elbow in the California game in garbage time of the game has him in a questionable status of this game. No James puts Oregon at a disadvantage. Sensational freshman DeAnthony Thomas has been playing great and making an impact on the field with his speed and charisma. Kenjon Barner is going to have to step up and take some of the heat off of James and take some of those carries away from James while he is healing. And DeAnthony Thomas is going to have to shoulder more of a responsibility of the run game as well. Darron Thomas has not been as good throwing the ball this year, and he is going to have to be spot on this game. Arizona State quietly has one of the best LB corps in the country. Shelly Lyons, Colin Parker, and Vontaze Burfict are amongst the best LBs you’ve never heard of. They are fast, strong, and are excellent in pass coverage as well as stopping the run. Brock Osweiler and Aaron Pflugrad have a great connection and Oregon’s secondary with John Boyett and Cliff Harris will be tested. I think that Oregon has a slight advantage in this game, and I am picking them to win 45-30. Oregon is just too fast. That game will be won in the middle of the field. If LaMichael James can’t play, look for the upset.
Check out the Goal Line stand on Monday morning, reviewing all the games that we highlighted. Follow our mag @4thandInchesMag on twitter!
We are presenting a new name for the weekly preview section of the NCAA games for the week. Let’s get things going.
1. #11 Michigan is going to take on one of their most hated rivals, #23 Michigan State. Michigan comes in with the 7th best rushing attack in the land. Denard Robinson is a threat to score any time he touches the ball. I have admired how Hoke has let Robinson play his game instead of making him line up under center. He is just too dynamic to be handing the ball off to someone that does not have the skill set he has. He leads the team in rushing, but the young RB Fitzgerald Toussaint is a great compliment to Robinson. He had his first 100 yard rushing against Minnesota. Robinson has not, though, been as impressive throwing the ball. He reminds me of a Pat White from West Virginia, but Pat could throw the ball a lot better than Robinson at this point in his career. Michigan’s defense has been much improved as well under defensive coordinator Greg Mattison. They are holding their opponents to 12.5 points per game. Last year Michigan’s defense was atrocious. They couldn’t stop most middle school teams. But they definitely have their hands full with Michigan State’s offense. They have Cousins, Cunningham, Baker, and Bell. But which Cousins is going to show up? The one against Notre Dame was mediocre at best. And will Michigan State be able to stop the run? Statistically, Michigan St. has the #1 defense int the land. But I think that those numbers are a little inflated facing the teams that they have been playing. None of them put up great offensive numbers except Notre Dame; and you see the result of that game. They won’t be facing another lethargic team like they did against Ohio State. This team can run, move, and is well coached. I don’t think Sparty pulls this out. Not even at home. I have Michigan winning this game 24-17.
2. RGIII leads #20 Baylor into Kyle Field to take on #21 Texas A&M. RGIII has been ripping it all year long, and at one point had more TDs than incompletions. That stat is still unreal to me. He has thrown 19 TDs to 1 Int, 80.3% completions, and we are still talking about Andrew Luck in the lead for the Heisman? Why? Baylor has been a very big surprise not only in the Big XII, but in the country. His play continues to amaze Heisman watchers and a big game here against Texas A&M will definitely put him on the map. Baylor’s offense is ranked #3 in the country in yards per game at 563 ypg. They are just as big of a threat running the ball as passing the ball. Terrance Ganaway ran for 200 last week. Kendall Wright has 48 receptions this season for 690 yards and 8 tds. They are a very balanced team. What is their defense going to do against Texas A&M’s balance? They have playmakers as well. Ryan Swope has been playing better than one of the top NFL prospects in Jeff Fuller. Cyrus Gray and Christine Michael have been dynamic and A&M may just have 2 1000 yard rushers for the season. Tannehill is a dual threat as well. Texas A&M has been farting away leads in the first half; just because they may be up, doesn’t mean that they are going to win. I am going to pick Baylor over Texas A&M. Mentally I think that RGIII is better than Tannehill. Baylor takes care of the ball. Texas A&M in the second half is a turnover waiting to happen. 35-21.
3. The high flying and #6 ranked Oklahoma State Cowboys travel to Austin to take on the #22 Longhorns. Texas is licking its wounds after a dismantling by Oklahoma. I just think that they are again just over matched on both sides of the ball. I think that Ok St played their disappointing half against Texas A&M already. Texas and that young secondary combined with that passing attack with Weeden, Blackmon, and Cooper? It is a recipe for disaster. Ok St. is playing better defensively. The QB carousel continues in Texas and they have not decided on who is going to lead their team. They are heading dangerously down the path with the Sims and Applewhite era again, where you know there is one guy that should start, but playing both to ease the boosters. Quietly, Mack Brown is on the hot seat, because he is expected to win with the talent that is being recruited down in Texas. You can’t have top five recruiting classes every year, and not win. Blackmon had his streak broken of consecutive 100 yard receiving games last week. And you can’t just key in on him, because Cooper is just as dangerous. Weeden is tearing it up and completing 33 passes per game. You don’t really have to run the ball if you are as efficient as Ok St. is at throwing the ball. Texas’ defense is not up to the task of stopping Ok St’s offense. 42-20 Oklahoma St.
4. The game of the week will feature #18 Arizona State travels to Autzen Stadium to take on #9 Oregon. People wrote Oregon off after LSU dismantled them. They are still one of the best offensive teams in the country. LaMichael James has been outstanding over the past 3 games. He has averaged 244 yards a game over those games. But after the gruesome dislocation of his elbow in the California game in garbage time of the game has him in a questionable status of this game. No James puts Oregon at a disadvantage. Sensational freshman DeAnthony Thomas has been playing great and making an impact on the field with his speed and charisma. Kenjon Barner is going to have to step up and take some of the heat off of James and take some of those carries away from James while he is healing. And DeAnthony Thomas is going to have to shoulder more of a responsibility of the run game as well. Darron Thomas has not been as good throwing the ball this year, and he is going to have to be spot on this game. Arizona State quietly has one of the best LB corps in the country. Shelly Lyons, Colin Parker, and Vontaze Burfict are amongst the best LBs you’ve never heard of. They are fast, strong, and are excellent in pass coverage as well as stopping the run. Brock Osweiler and Aaron Pflugrad have a great connection and Oregon’s secondary with John Boyett and Cliff Harris will be tested. I think that Oregon has a slight advantage in this game, and I am picking them to win 45-30. Oregon is just too fast. That game will be won in the middle of the field. If LaMichael James can’t play, look for the upset.
Check out the Goal Line stand on Monday morning, reviewing all the games that we highlighted. Follow our mag @4thandInchesMag on twitter!
Sunday, October 9, 2011
The Week 6 Goal Line Stand
4 and 0! We were right on all the games that we picked. Yesterday some teams proved themselves and others proved that they are not ready for the big time. Let’s recap.
1. 55-17. I Was NOT expecting this to happen in Dallas! Oklahoma absolutely dismantled Texas in the annual Red River Rivalry. Texas was overmatched from the opening snap. And you knew it was a matter of time before Oklahoma’s offense started rolling against the young secondary of Texas. Oklahoma scored 2 FGs on the first two drives and Texas’ young defense was playing ok. But the wheels came off after Jazz Reynolds converted on a 3rd down and 25. It was Broyles killing them underneath, Stills killing them over the top, and Reynolds killing them on 3rd downs. Texas could get no pressure on Landry Jones. He stood back there very comfortable and just took advantage of his WR just being flat out better than Texas’ secondary. Landry Jones had 305 yards passing in the first half. But the story of the day was just how smothering Oklahoma’s defense was. Texas was discombobulated on offense. The two young QBs were constantly under pressure. You will never beat an Oklahoma giving them the ball 5 extra times. But the offense didn’t need to convert them all into touchdowns because the defense scored 3 times. Frank Alexander just maybe one of the best defensive ends in the country. Travis Lewis, Tony Jefferson, and Tom Wort were flying all over the field making plays, deflecting passes, and sacking the quarterback. Oklahoma dominated all aspects of the game. It looked like they had a point to prove because all everyone talks about is LSU and Alabama. If you watched Oklahoma play against Florida State and now Texas, you just cannot sleep on their defense. They are for real. I picked Oklahoma by 15. But not by 38. The lone bright spot for the Longhorns was Fozzy Whitaker’s 102 yard touchdown return. Texas has a lot of growing left to do. I think they will be ok. But there will still be more growing pains. 35-20 was my prediction. I was way off.
2. Florida had 2 weeks of nightmares. Alabama one week, LSU the next week. Florida went to Death Valley and got dismantled by the Tigers 41-11. They couldn’t get anything going against the stingy LSU defense. Driskel was knocked out the game, and the wheels just came off the bus. Alabama exposed Florida’s run defense the week prior. So LSU just took advantage of that same weakness. Florida’s defensive line likes to go around blocks, not take them on and defeat them. This causes their LBs to get blocked, opening up numerous running lanes. Florida is a very talented team, but this is their first year under Muschamp. There are going to be some growing pains. LSU ran the ball at will with Spencer Ware and Alfred Blue. The LSU QBs were efficient going 10/14 for 215 yards and 2 tds. The most important stat is that they did not turn the ball over. Jordan Jefferson is fighting to get his job back. But there is no way Les Miles should pull Lee in favor of Jefferson. But according to Miles and the LSU staff, Jefferson has been spot on in practice and is focused like he has never been before. This is a story that is brewing in Baton Rouge. The little disruptive force better known as Tyran Mathieu did have 4 tackles and an interception. This kid is just a game breaker and should be the leader for the Thorpe (Nation’s Best Defensive Back) and should also be in the Heisman conversation. The matchup with Alabama is looming on Nov. 5. Both schools are off the week prior. That game will be epic. I picked LSU over Florida 35-3.
3. Auburn goes to Fayetteville and just can’t get it going as they lose to Arkansas 38-14. Auburn is not getting any production from the QB position. 9/25 with 3 interceptions just won’t cut it when your defense is as useless as a 3 tired car. Michael Dyer has been great over this stretch and seems to be the answer for an Auburn offense that is struggling to move the ball. I thought that Auburn really did a good job against South Carolina. But I think it was just the fact that South Carolina just played that bad. Auburn is now 4-2 and facing some serious offensive questions. Do you play Frazier or do you try to win with Trotter? Neither was very effective against an average Arkansas defense. But it starts with the play calling, continues with the QB play, and ends with the defense. They are not tackling well, covering well, blitzing well. They just are 3 steps behind on every single play. Tyler Wilson played well throwing for 262 yards and 2 tds. The biggest plus for Arkansas was the fact that they actually got some production in the running game. No play was bigger than Joe Adams going for 92 yards as he hurdled over the Auburn player and didn’t break stride for a TD. Arkansas has a warrior at QB. Wilson gets hit more than any other QB in the SEC and he completes the throws. But they had better protect him better or he is going to have someone shorten his season up with a concussion. I had Arkansas 45-35.
4. Georgia holds on against Tennessee 20-12. Isaiah Crowell did not really have the impact that he has been having over the past 3 weeks. But he scored when they needed him to. Tennessee’s defense played fairly well. Georgia’s offense really couldn’t get a lot going against them. It just seems that Tennessee is always missing one part of the game that keeps them from winning. And their offense is just so one sided. Pass pass pass pass. They have to get some balance, especially with LSU coming in next week and Alabama coming in the next. Bray throws it too many times against those secondaries, it will get intercepted. You can’t be one dimensional with these teams. They have to get Poole going, or it will be a bad two game stretch. He only had 7 carries for. Aaron Murray was decent going 15/25 for 227 yards. Malcolm Mitchell had 126 of those yards. After starting off 0-2, Georgia is on a 4 game win streak with Vandy coming to town. This is Georgia’s SEC East title to loose right now. If Richt can keep his team motivated, he will keep his job. At least for another season. I picked Georgia over Tennessee 24-14.
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1. 55-17. I Was NOT expecting this to happen in Dallas! Oklahoma absolutely dismantled Texas in the annual Red River Rivalry. Texas was overmatched from the opening snap. And you knew it was a matter of time before Oklahoma’s offense started rolling against the young secondary of Texas. Oklahoma scored 2 FGs on the first two drives and Texas’ young defense was playing ok. But the wheels came off after Jazz Reynolds converted on a 3rd down and 25. It was Broyles killing them underneath, Stills killing them over the top, and Reynolds killing them on 3rd downs. Texas could get no pressure on Landry Jones. He stood back there very comfortable and just took advantage of his WR just being flat out better than Texas’ secondary. Landry Jones had 305 yards passing in the first half. But the story of the day was just how smothering Oklahoma’s defense was. Texas was discombobulated on offense. The two young QBs were constantly under pressure. You will never beat an Oklahoma giving them the ball 5 extra times. But the offense didn’t need to convert them all into touchdowns because the defense scored 3 times. Frank Alexander just maybe one of the best defensive ends in the country. Travis Lewis, Tony Jefferson, and Tom Wort were flying all over the field making plays, deflecting passes, and sacking the quarterback. Oklahoma dominated all aspects of the game. It looked like they had a point to prove because all everyone talks about is LSU and Alabama. If you watched Oklahoma play against Florida State and now Texas, you just cannot sleep on their defense. They are for real. I picked Oklahoma by 15. But not by 38. The lone bright spot for the Longhorns was Fozzy Whitaker’s 102 yard touchdown return. Texas has a lot of growing left to do. I think they will be ok. But there will still be more growing pains. 35-20 was my prediction. I was way off.
2. Florida had 2 weeks of nightmares. Alabama one week, LSU the next week. Florida went to Death Valley and got dismantled by the Tigers 41-11. They couldn’t get anything going against the stingy LSU defense. Driskel was knocked out the game, and the wheels just came off the bus. Alabama exposed Florida’s run defense the week prior. So LSU just took advantage of that same weakness. Florida’s defensive line likes to go around blocks, not take them on and defeat them. This causes their LBs to get blocked, opening up numerous running lanes. Florida is a very talented team, but this is their first year under Muschamp. There are going to be some growing pains. LSU ran the ball at will with Spencer Ware and Alfred Blue. The LSU QBs were efficient going 10/14 for 215 yards and 2 tds. The most important stat is that they did not turn the ball over. Jordan Jefferson is fighting to get his job back. But there is no way Les Miles should pull Lee in favor of Jefferson. But according to Miles and the LSU staff, Jefferson has been spot on in practice and is focused like he has never been before. This is a story that is brewing in Baton Rouge. The little disruptive force better known as Tyran Mathieu did have 4 tackles and an interception. This kid is just a game breaker and should be the leader for the Thorpe (Nation’s Best Defensive Back) and should also be in the Heisman conversation. The matchup with Alabama is looming on Nov. 5. Both schools are off the week prior. That game will be epic. I picked LSU over Florida 35-3.
3. Auburn goes to Fayetteville and just can’t get it going as they lose to Arkansas 38-14. Auburn is not getting any production from the QB position. 9/25 with 3 interceptions just won’t cut it when your defense is as useless as a 3 tired car. Michael Dyer has been great over this stretch and seems to be the answer for an Auburn offense that is struggling to move the ball. I thought that Auburn really did a good job against South Carolina. But I think it was just the fact that South Carolina just played that bad. Auburn is now 4-2 and facing some serious offensive questions. Do you play Frazier or do you try to win with Trotter? Neither was very effective against an average Arkansas defense. But it starts with the play calling, continues with the QB play, and ends with the defense. They are not tackling well, covering well, blitzing well. They just are 3 steps behind on every single play. Tyler Wilson played well throwing for 262 yards and 2 tds. The biggest plus for Arkansas was the fact that they actually got some production in the running game. No play was bigger than Joe Adams going for 92 yards as he hurdled over the Auburn player and didn’t break stride for a TD. Arkansas has a warrior at QB. Wilson gets hit more than any other QB in the SEC and he completes the throws. But they had better protect him better or he is going to have someone shorten his season up with a concussion. I had Arkansas 45-35.
4. Georgia holds on against Tennessee 20-12. Isaiah Crowell did not really have the impact that he has been having over the past 3 weeks. But he scored when they needed him to. Tennessee’s defense played fairly well. Georgia’s offense really couldn’t get a lot going against them. It just seems that Tennessee is always missing one part of the game that keeps them from winning. And their offense is just so one sided. Pass pass pass pass. They have to get some balance, especially with LSU coming in next week and Alabama coming in the next. Bray throws it too many times against those secondaries, it will get intercepted. You can’t be one dimensional with these teams. They have to get Poole going, or it will be a bad two game stretch. He only had 7 carries for. Aaron Murray was decent going 15/25 for 227 yards. Malcolm Mitchell had 126 of those yards. After starting off 0-2, Georgia is on a 4 game win streak with Vandy coming to town. This is Georgia’s SEC East title to loose right now. If Richt can keep his team motivated, he will keep his job. At least for another season. I picked Georgia over Tennessee 24-14.
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Friday, October 7, 2011
Nnamdi is struggling, but why?
Nnamdi Asomugha was the gem of the free agent class. His play on the field along with the defense he is playing for has been mediocre at best. He has been targeted more times than he ever was at Oakland. Why? With this secondary you would think that it would be no fly zone with Asomugha, Samuels, and Rodgers-Cromartie. There are a few things wrong with this situation. And it starts with the scheme.
Nnamdi is a PRESS CORNER. Always has been, always will be. Oakland schemed around that and gave Asomugha the option to play press. He has some of the most fluid hips in the game. You saw that in the Atlanta game on the Julio Jones double move when they were trying to work on him. He was with him every step of the way. He is very aggressive with his “chuck” and is able to keep up with most WRs he faces. Well Asomugha has at times looked lost and confused in the secondary in zone coverage, especially against the Giants. If Nnamdi would have been playing press coverage, this would have never happened, because Cruz wouldn’t have gotten off the ball. In the nickel situations, they have put him in to cover the slot WR. In the NFL the slot WR is usually the one that will beat you. I understand this move, but on 3rd downs, maybe Castillo should think about moving Nnamdi outside and moving your best zone CB, Asante Samuel, in that position. Corners flourish in schemes that fit their type of play. Asante Samuel is the prime example. He can bait most QBs into making throws because he is an excellent zone CB. Not so much a press CB. The Eagles run a lot of zone blitz, and this is why Asante is so good in it. . If he is going to be the cornerstone of your defense, then you are going to have to get him in situations that he can win. He has proven that he can take away ½ the field when he is at his best. I honestly think that the NY Jets would have been a better fit for Nnamdi. They play the type of game that is built for his strength. No one could throw the ball on them, they would easily be undefeated. Nnamdi in press coverage is always a better option than Cromartie in press coverage.
The Eagles have to play better against the run as well to help the transition. This is a first year defensive coordinator in Philly, who has NO defensive experience. He has a great mind for the game, and the Eagles are just going to have to figure out the scheme. The offense is scoring points. The defense will have to get some takeaways and stops in order for them to be able to finish out games. Asomugha has a high acumen and if anyone can pick up on a new scheme, he can. I just really feel that he is a better asset in press coverage. They are going to have to mix it up in coverage to play to his strength as well. Nnamdi is too good to be getting burned. Put him in a position to succeed, or Castillo is going to have a short stint as defensive coordinator.
Nnamdi is a PRESS CORNER. Always has been, always will be. Oakland schemed around that and gave Asomugha the option to play press. He has some of the most fluid hips in the game. You saw that in the Atlanta game on the Julio Jones double move when they were trying to work on him. He was with him every step of the way. He is very aggressive with his “chuck” and is able to keep up with most WRs he faces. Well Asomugha has at times looked lost and confused in the secondary in zone coverage, especially against the Giants. If Nnamdi would have been playing press coverage, this would have never happened, because Cruz wouldn’t have gotten off the ball. In the nickel situations, they have put him in to cover the slot WR. In the NFL the slot WR is usually the one that will beat you. I understand this move, but on 3rd downs, maybe Castillo should think about moving Nnamdi outside and moving your best zone CB, Asante Samuel, in that position. Corners flourish in schemes that fit their type of play. Asante Samuel is the prime example. He can bait most QBs into making throws because he is an excellent zone CB. Not so much a press CB. The Eagles run a lot of zone blitz, and this is why Asante is so good in it. . If he is going to be the cornerstone of your defense, then you are going to have to get him in situations that he can win. He has proven that he can take away ½ the field when he is at his best. I honestly think that the NY Jets would have been a better fit for Nnamdi. They play the type of game that is built for his strength. No one could throw the ball on them, they would easily be undefeated. Nnamdi in press coverage is always a better option than Cromartie in press coverage.
The Eagles have to play better against the run as well to help the transition. This is a first year defensive coordinator in Philly, who has NO defensive experience. He has a great mind for the game, and the Eagles are just going to have to figure out the scheme. The offense is scoring points. The defense will have to get some takeaways and stops in order for them to be able to finish out games. Asomugha has a high acumen and if anyone can pick up on a new scheme, he can. I just really feel that he is a better asset in press coverage. They are going to have to mix it up in coverage to play to his strength as well. Nnamdi is too good to be getting burned. Put him in a position to succeed, or Castillo is going to have a short stint as defensive coordinator.
Thursday, October 6, 2011
Week 6 Preview
OU and Texas headlines a great weekend of college football. Let’s preview these games
1. #3 Oklahoma travels to Dallas to take on #11 Texas. Texas is a very young team and plays one of the youngest teams at the skill positions in the country. They have 8 offensive starters that are either freshman or sophomores. They play more freshmen than any other team in the country. This can be a good thing and a bad thing. Mistakes are the bad thing. Experience in these games is the key to winning them. Oklahoma has a veteran team that understands that this game usually decides who will win the Big XII. The good thing is that these young players will be out there trying to prove that they belong out there and want to be included with the great players that they watch wear the same uniform as they do now. Harsin has been doing a great job in putting his players in positions to make plays. Jaxon Shipley is McCoy’s safety valve when he gets into a tough situation. I would figure he would be since they have been playing together since they were kids. Malcolm Brown, the young freshman savior at RB, rarely gets tackled for a loss. Texas’ defense has been playing very well also. Manny Diaz seemed to figure things out in the second half of the BYU Texas game. His defense has been flying around since. They forced 3 interceptions in the first quarter of the game against Iowa State. Texas has a really good chance of winning this game. But Oklahoma is a well oiled machine. Jones, Broyles and Stills are a very tough tandem to contain. The pace of the OU offense cannot be matched by any other team in the country and will give the Texas defense fits. But this isn’t the only part of OU’s offense that will give Texas problems. Dominique Whaley has been playing very well and the Texas defense cannot disregard how effective of a runner he can be. The most underrated part of Oklahoma’s team is the defense. Oklahoma has a very good defensive unit. The strength of this unit is the LB corp. Most people focus on just how good Travis Lewis is, but you definitely can’t disregard Tom Wort. He makes plays and was all over the field against Florida State. Texas definitely has its work cut out for them. As much as it pains me to admit to this, Oklahoma is the better team. I think they beat Texas this week 35-20.
2. #17 Florida travels to Baton Rouge to take on the #1 ranked LSU Tigers. Florida is coming off of a week where they not only lost the game, but lost their starting QB to an ugly hit in which his leg was pinned under his body. Florida couldn’t run the ball and struggled to protect the QB after the 1st quarter. They couldn’t stop the run, and did a pretty good job on the pass. Well the same issues they had last week will be the same issues they have this week. Driskel did not really do a great job in relief for Brantley. He did have a 31 yard run on 3rd and 14. Other than that he was abysmal throwing the football. Demps was hurt on a kickoff return by the kicker. He has been battling a foot injury all season. He just can’t seem to stay healthy. The defense couldn’t stop Trent Richardson from rushing for 181 yards. LSU will run the ball the same way, with power and consistently. The difference in Alabama and LSU is the fact that LSU can bring in one of four RBs that can gash you all game long. Jared Lee has been managing the game well and has been surprisingly accurate. The numbers from Kentucky are a little misleading because LSU’s WRs dropped 8 passes. If those passes are completed, I think that game gets uglier than it was. I look for Jordan Jefferson to get some snaps in this game. He has been quoted saying that he wants his starting position back. Maybe he can be another wrinkle that teams will have to prepare for. Spencer Ware is expected to play with his hamstring injury. I think he should sit and get healthy for the Alabama game. He may see limited action. Florida’s defense will have another tough week as LSU will beat Florida 35-3.
3. #15 Auburn travels to Fayetteville to take on #10 Arkansas. Arkansas is coming off comeback win against Big XII favorite Texas A&M. Arkansas put up some massive yards and shut all the naysayers like myself up. They actually protected Tyler Wilson and gave him time. He then proceeded to have the game of his career throwing for 510 yards; Jarius Wright had 281 of those yards. Arkansas played very well in the second half of that game. Although they did not run the ball, Arkansas had enough of an attack to keep Texas A&M honest up front and have to contend with it. Arkansas will be going another week without their star defensive end Jake Bequette with a knee injury. Also the other starting DE Tenarius Wright is out with a broken arm. Arkansas has to be able to at some point put some stops up. Maybe the momentum from the 4th and 2 stop against Texas A&M in the clutch will continue over to the Auburn game. Auburn finally gave Dyer the amount of carries (41) needed to dominate a game. He can carry the ball 25+ times a game. Trotter’s play has been inconsistent. Yes he made the throw to win the game against South Carolina. But he is going to have to be able to hit his WRs consistently. Auburn’s defense gave a valiant effort against South Carolina. But was Auburn’s defense that good, or was South Carolina that bad? I think it was a combination of the two. Can Arkansas keep that momentum facing an Auburn team coming off a big win themselves? Auburn is ranked #106 in total defense and Arkansas is ranked #75. There will DEFINITELY be some points scored in this game. The momentum of the prior week will play a role in who will be the better team and win this game. I am going with Arkansas in this game 45-35.
4. Georgia travels to Tennessee to take on the Volunteers in Neyland Stadium. Isaiah Crowell is another dynamic freshman that has been playing fantastic over his last two games. Check out this stat line: 52 carries 251 yards. Freshman. He has been a catalyst for the 3 game winning-streak that Georgia is currently on. Brandon Boykin is one of the most dynamic players on the field. He is the starting CB, but he can play WR, RB and he is VERY dangerous in the special team game as a returner. He has game breaking speed and if he touches the ball in any way, he is a threat to score. Tennessee has to keep an eye on where he is at all times. This game will be played close to the chest, so every point and possession will count. There is no clear cut advantage here. Tennessee is definitely in a new era of football. They have a solid back in Poole, but Tyler Bray is really the future of Tennessee football. Bray has been paired with Da’Rick Rogers and they have Tennessee ranked amongst the top in the country in passing. His other star WR Justin Hunter is out for the season with an ACL tear. Dooley has the Tennessee faithful anxious for a big win. Can he pull it out this week against a Georgia team riding a three game win streak? I don’ t think so. I think Georgia pulls this game out 24-14. Bray is good, but I think that Georgia is a more complete team.
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1. #3 Oklahoma travels to Dallas to take on #11 Texas. Texas is a very young team and plays one of the youngest teams at the skill positions in the country. They have 8 offensive starters that are either freshman or sophomores. They play more freshmen than any other team in the country. This can be a good thing and a bad thing. Mistakes are the bad thing. Experience in these games is the key to winning them. Oklahoma has a veteran team that understands that this game usually decides who will win the Big XII. The good thing is that these young players will be out there trying to prove that they belong out there and want to be included with the great players that they watch wear the same uniform as they do now. Harsin has been doing a great job in putting his players in positions to make plays. Jaxon Shipley is McCoy’s safety valve when he gets into a tough situation. I would figure he would be since they have been playing together since they were kids. Malcolm Brown, the young freshman savior at RB, rarely gets tackled for a loss. Texas’ defense has been playing very well also. Manny Diaz seemed to figure things out in the second half of the BYU Texas game. His defense has been flying around since. They forced 3 interceptions in the first quarter of the game against Iowa State. Texas has a really good chance of winning this game. But Oklahoma is a well oiled machine. Jones, Broyles and Stills are a very tough tandem to contain. The pace of the OU offense cannot be matched by any other team in the country and will give the Texas defense fits. But this isn’t the only part of OU’s offense that will give Texas problems. Dominique Whaley has been playing very well and the Texas defense cannot disregard how effective of a runner he can be. The most underrated part of Oklahoma’s team is the defense. Oklahoma has a very good defensive unit. The strength of this unit is the LB corp. Most people focus on just how good Travis Lewis is, but you definitely can’t disregard Tom Wort. He makes plays and was all over the field against Florida State. Texas definitely has its work cut out for them. As much as it pains me to admit to this, Oklahoma is the better team. I think they beat Texas this week 35-20.
2. #17 Florida travels to Baton Rouge to take on the #1 ranked LSU Tigers. Florida is coming off of a week where they not only lost the game, but lost their starting QB to an ugly hit in which his leg was pinned under his body. Florida couldn’t run the ball and struggled to protect the QB after the 1st quarter. They couldn’t stop the run, and did a pretty good job on the pass. Well the same issues they had last week will be the same issues they have this week. Driskel did not really do a great job in relief for Brantley. He did have a 31 yard run on 3rd and 14. Other than that he was abysmal throwing the football. Demps was hurt on a kickoff return by the kicker. He has been battling a foot injury all season. He just can’t seem to stay healthy. The defense couldn’t stop Trent Richardson from rushing for 181 yards. LSU will run the ball the same way, with power and consistently. The difference in Alabama and LSU is the fact that LSU can bring in one of four RBs that can gash you all game long. Jared Lee has been managing the game well and has been surprisingly accurate. The numbers from Kentucky are a little misleading because LSU’s WRs dropped 8 passes. If those passes are completed, I think that game gets uglier than it was. I look for Jordan Jefferson to get some snaps in this game. He has been quoted saying that he wants his starting position back. Maybe he can be another wrinkle that teams will have to prepare for. Spencer Ware is expected to play with his hamstring injury. I think he should sit and get healthy for the Alabama game. He may see limited action. Florida’s defense will have another tough week as LSU will beat Florida 35-3.
3. #15 Auburn travels to Fayetteville to take on #10 Arkansas. Arkansas is coming off comeback win against Big XII favorite Texas A&M. Arkansas put up some massive yards and shut all the naysayers like myself up. They actually protected Tyler Wilson and gave him time. He then proceeded to have the game of his career throwing for 510 yards; Jarius Wright had 281 of those yards. Arkansas played very well in the second half of that game. Although they did not run the ball, Arkansas had enough of an attack to keep Texas A&M honest up front and have to contend with it. Arkansas will be going another week without their star defensive end Jake Bequette with a knee injury. Also the other starting DE Tenarius Wright is out with a broken arm. Arkansas has to be able to at some point put some stops up. Maybe the momentum from the 4th and 2 stop against Texas A&M in the clutch will continue over to the Auburn game. Auburn finally gave Dyer the amount of carries (41) needed to dominate a game. He can carry the ball 25+ times a game. Trotter’s play has been inconsistent. Yes he made the throw to win the game against South Carolina. But he is going to have to be able to hit his WRs consistently. Auburn’s defense gave a valiant effort against South Carolina. But was Auburn’s defense that good, or was South Carolina that bad? I think it was a combination of the two. Can Arkansas keep that momentum facing an Auburn team coming off a big win themselves? Auburn is ranked #106 in total defense and Arkansas is ranked #75. There will DEFINITELY be some points scored in this game. The momentum of the prior week will play a role in who will be the better team and win this game. I am going with Arkansas in this game 45-35.
4. Georgia travels to Tennessee to take on the Volunteers in Neyland Stadium. Isaiah Crowell is another dynamic freshman that has been playing fantastic over his last two games. Check out this stat line: 52 carries 251 yards. Freshman. He has been a catalyst for the 3 game winning-streak that Georgia is currently on. Brandon Boykin is one of the most dynamic players on the field. He is the starting CB, but he can play WR, RB and he is VERY dangerous in the special team game as a returner. He has game breaking speed and if he touches the ball in any way, he is a threat to score. Tennessee has to keep an eye on where he is at all times. This game will be played close to the chest, so every point and possession will count. There is no clear cut advantage here. Tennessee is definitely in a new era of football. They have a solid back in Poole, but Tyler Bray is really the future of Tennessee football. Bray has been paired with Da’Rick Rogers and they have Tennessee ranked amongst the top in the country in passing. His other star WR Justin Hunter is out for the season with an ACL tear. Dooley has the Tennessee faithful anxious for a big win. Can he pull it out this week against a Georgia team riding a three game win streak? I don’ t think so. I think Georgia pulls this game out 24-14. Bray is good, but I think that Georgia is a more complete team.
Stay tuned to more picks and analysis after the game with 4th and Inches Magazine. Your opinions are welcomed here at 4th and Inches Magazine. Don’t be shy to comment!
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Auburn #15? They earned it and I will tell you why
Auburn, #15?! Some people are in an uproar, others understand. Auburn should be ranked there. They earned it. Here are 4 reasons that Auburn should be ranked there.
1. Auburn played a Utah State team that is actually pretty darn good. Their record doesn’t reflect that because they have lost all three games in the waning seconds of the game. They could easily be undefeated right now. They lost to Auburn on an onside kick, they lost to Colorado State in OT by one point, a botched extra point, and they lost to BYU off of a deflection. Utah State is ranked 5th in the country in rushing at 307.5 yards/game. No they aren’t winning, but you can’t discredit the reason as to why they gave Auburn a very tough game. And honestly why they should have won. This is a young team that is going to be very tough down the road.
2. Auburn finds a way to win like no other team in the country. Last year Auburn came back in numerous games because they had Cam Newton to will them to victory. Well Cam Newton is no longer there, and they are still finding ways to win games. They live life on the edge, but you can’t hate the results. Chizik is 18-1 his past 19 games. I mean the record speaks for itself. And you may not want to admit it, but they have a better record over that same time than LSU (15-2) and Alabama (14-3). Just wanted to remind you of that.
3. Auburn’s only loss has come to Clemson. Let me remind you the same Clemson team that has beat Auburn, Florida State, and Virginia Tech in 3 consecutive weeks. Tajh Boyd has 8 tds to 1 int over that time frame. Sammy Watkins has easily been ACC Freshman of the Year so far catching 31 passes for 471 yards and 6 tds. If you want to say that Auburn’s defense was awful that game, it was. No question the tackling was awful and Auburn fans were calling for Ted Roof’s head. Again this is the same team that made FSU’s defense, which is very talented, look bad, and then the following week, did the same thing to Virginia Tech on the road. Also over that same 3 game stretch, Clemson has converted 30-52 third downs. A staggering 57.6% at that time Looking at the stats, it’s a reason that Clemson went from unranked in the Auburn game to 8th in the country in just 3 weeks. Consistent play will do that to you.
4. Auburn has beaten 2 ranked opponents in Mississippi State and South Carolina. South Carolina was picked by most to go to the SEC championship game in the East. Stephen Garcia has been playing like total earwax and Spurrier will be forced to put Connor Shaw in at QB to try to get some production out of that offense. Auburn’s defense held a pretty good offense to 2-10 on third down, 9-23 completions and held Lattimore in check the entire game. So maybe Ted Roof has finally got it together. Mississippi State did have 531 yards of total offense 333 yards of that was rushing. They held the ball 36:07 of the game. Mississippi State dominated that game. But when it counted, Auburn held Relf. That seems to be a recurring theme.
Auburn has earned the right to be ranked #15. I don’t think Les Miles is the luckiest man in the SEC anymore. Chizik now has that title.
1. Auburn played a Utah State team that is actually pretty darn good. Their record doesn’t reflect that because they have lost all three games in the waning seconds of the game. They could easily be undefeated right now. They lost to Auburn on an onside kick, they lost to Colorado State in OT by one point, a botched extra point, and they lost to BYU off of a deflection. Utah State is ranked 5th in the country in rushing at 307.5 yards/game. No they aren’t winning, but you can’t discredit the reason as to why they gave Auburn a very tough game. And honestly why they should have won. This is a young team that is going to be very tough down the road.
2. Auburn finds a way to win like no other team in the country. Last year Auburn came back in numerous games because they had Cam Newton to will them to victory. Well Cam Newton is no longer there, and they are still finding ways to win games. They live life on the edge, but you can’t hate the results. Chizik is 18-1 his past 19 games. I mean the record speaks for itself. And you may not want to admit it, but they have a better record over that same time than LSU (15-2) and Alabama (14-3). Just wanted to remind you of that.
3. Auburn’s only loss has come to Clemson. Let me remind you the same Clemson team that has beat Auburn, Florida State, and Virginia Tech in 3 consecutive weeks. Tajh Boyd has 8 tds to 1 int over that time frame. Sammy Watkins has easily been ACC Freshman of the Year so far catching 31 passes for 471 yards and 6 tds. If you want to say that Auburn’s defense was awful that game, it was. No question the tackling was awful and Auburn fans were calling for Ted Roof’s head. Again this is the same team that made FSU’s defense, which is very talented, look bad, and then the following week, did the same thing to Virginia Tech on the road. Also over that same 3 game stretch, Clemson has converted 30-52 third downs. A staggering 57.6% at that time Looking at the stats, it’s a reason that Clemson went from unranked in the Auburn game to 8th in the country in just 3 weeks. Consistent play will do that to you.
4. Auburn has beaten 2 ranked opponents in Mississippi State and South Carolina. South Carolina was picked by most to go to the SEC championship game in the East. Stephen Garcia has been playing like total earwax and Spurrier will be forced to put Connor Shaw in at QB to try to get some production out of that offense. Auburn’s defense held a pretty good offense to 2-10 on third down, 9-23 completions and held Lattimore in check the entire game. So maybe Ted Roof has finally got it together. Mississippi State did have 531 yards of total offense 333 yards of that was rushing. They held the ball 36:07 of the game. Mississippi State dominated that game. But when it counted, Auburn held Relf. That seems to be a recurring theme.
Auburn has earned the right to be ranked #15. I don’t think Les Miles is the luckiest man in the SEC anymore. Chizik now has that title.
The Week 5 Goal Line Stand
This week I went 3-1 on the games that we highlighted. Let’s recap those games.
1. #14 Texas A&M blows another halftime lead and loses to #18 Arkansas 42-38. Now last week, they played a high powered offense in Oklahoma State. I can see Oklahoma State putting up those kinds of numbers and points in one half. But in the second half against Arkansas, Texas A&M couldn’t stop a nosebleed. They have given up more second half yardage in the past 2 weeks than they have in the first 2 games of the season. Texas A&M gave up 510 yards passing to Tyler Wilson. They gave up 281 yards and 13 receptions to Jarius Wright, and yes you read that right. 281 yards receiving to one player. Mike Sherman is going to have to go back to the drawing board with this defense; loosing Von Miller was very big for them and they are going to have to generate a pass rush somehow. Texas A&M showed balance as they rushed for 381 yards and threw for 247 yards. Tannehill threw 0 tds and 1 int though. A&M has got to find a way to force turnovers and to keep turnovers from happening. They are a good ball club and were ranked high. Now everyone is off the bandwagon. Texas was unranked at the beginning of the season. After 4 games, Texas is 4-0 and is ranked #11 in the country. Texas A&M is 2-2 and ranked #25 in the country. Texas A&M could easily be 4-0 if they could’ve played a complete game and not think that they had won a game on the first half of play. 20-3 last week, 35-17 this week. You cannot go the SEC squandering big leads like that when you have teams beat. You will lose every week. I picked A&M to win this game. A&M is killing me!
2. #13 Clemson went to Blacksburg and proved to the world that they were for real, beating #11 Virginia Tech in Blacksburg 23-3. Dabo Swinney had his group ready to play, holding Tech to just 258 total yards of offense. Clemson forced 2 turnovers and was ready for David Wilson’s rushing efforts. He had 123 yards on 20 carries, but no end zone visits. Sammy Watkins was held in check this game, but dynamic TE and Mackey Award front runner Dwayne Allen picked up the slack catching a TD, continuing the streak that is now up to 3 games. Tajh Boyd is playing sensational football. He has thrown for 934 yards, 8TDs to only 1 interception over his past 3 games. Virginia Tech just could not get any rhythm at all. They stayed in 3rd and long situations the entire game and Logan Thomas just couldn’t sustain a drive to put points on the board. Clemson has a multiple running back look that they give teams. Freshman back Mike Bellamy broke a big run for 31 yards were he embarrassed a Tech player in the open field to seal the game. Ladies and Gentlemen, Dabo deserves an extension. Clemson has arrived
3. After the penalties the Florida Gators come out and attack Alabama’s aggressive defense and scores on the first play of the game. 7-0 Florida and you think here goes the challenge that the Crimson Tide hasn’t had all year long. Well then Trent Richardson and that Alabama offensive line came out and completely dominated Florida’s front seven. Alabama at that point takes over the games and outscores Florida 38-3. Florida loses at home in the swamp 38-10. Alabama’s defense is just simply better than the offenses they are facing. They frustrate teams with excellent LB play. And one of the best wasn’t even playing in CJ Mosely. Florida couldn’t muster up a ground game, going for 15 yards on 29 attempts. Trent Richardson and Eddie Lacy combine for 34 carries and 213 yards. AJ McCarron did a good job not turning the ball over. Brantley did not. He missed Rainey on an out and tried to hit Burton underneath and gave Courtney Upshaw a pick six. You can’t expect to beat Alabama if you give them the chance to dominate the game. Courtney Upshaw was awesome this week and should easily be SEC Defensive Player of the Week. He had an outstanding game 4 tackles 3 for loss a sack and an Int for a TD. Also his sack on Brantley may have put a SERIOUS damper on Florida’s season as Brantley had his leg bend back under him and may have ended his season. Tough break for the Gators. Florida may have exploited the weakness of the Alabama defense, but they just didn’t have time to throw the ball very much with the game that Upshaw had. Look for Alabama to get their tune ups in against Vandy and Ole Miss before the big game against #1 LSU in Tuscaloosa. Usually this game decides the SEC. I picked this one, but I expected Florida to have a better showing.
4. Nebraska went into a hostile environment in Wisconsin and basically got the wheels taken off their new car as Wisconsin tore them a new one in this game. 48-17 Wisconsin. I think that now we can start paying attention to this Wisconsin team that shows a balance like no other team in the country; 255 passing 231 rushing. Montee Ball was great in this game rushing the ball 30 times for 151 yards and 4 TDs. Nebraska didn’t have an answer for him all game. Wisconsin did a great job forcing 3 turnovers and giving the ball back to their dominate offense. Russell Wilson has now put his name in the hat for the Heisman trophy. He has given Wisconsin a legitimate shot to win the Big Ten. It has been a while since Wisconsin has had a solid QB to go with the run game that they have always been able to support. I said coming into this game, Nebraska would have to play a lot better defense than they had been playing. Bo Pellini was obviously not happy with the effort that his team put out. He should really not be happy with the way the defense played. Whatever they tried to do, it just didn’t work. Nebraska is not a play from behind team. They can’t throw the ball very well. I picked Wisconsin in this game, 20-14. Seems that Wisconsin had different ideas
This week proved for some great football. Stay tuned to this season as 4th and Inches Magazine continues to bring you coverage!
1. #14 Texas A&M blows another halftime lead and loses to #18 Arkansas 42-38. Now last week, they played a high powered offense in Oklahoma State. I can see Oklahoma State putting up those kinds of numbers and points in one half. But in the second half against Arkansas, Texas A&M couldn’t stop a nosebleed. They have given up more second half yardage in the past 2 weeks than they have in the first 2 games of the season. Texas A&M gave up 510 yards passing to Tyler Wilson. They gave up 281 yards and 13 receptions to Jarius Wright, and yes you read that right. 281 yards receiving to one player. Mike Sherman is going to have to go back to the drawing board with this defense; loosing Von Miller was very big for them and they are going to have to generate a pass rush somehow. Texas A&M showed balance as they rushed for 381 yards and threw for 247 yards. Tannehill threw 0 tds and 1 int though. A&M has got to find a way to force turnovers and to keep turnovers from happening. They are a good ball club and were ranked high. Now everyone is off the bandwagon. Texas was unranked at the beginning of the season. After 4 games, Texas is 4-0 and is ranked #11 in the country. Texas A&M is 2-2 and ranked #25 in the country. Texas A&M could easily be 4-0 if they could’ve played a complete game and not think that they had won a game on the first half of play. 20-3 last week, 35-17 this week. You cannot go the SEC squandering big leads like that when you have teams beat. You will lose every week. I picked A&M to win this game. A&M is killing me!
2. #13 Clemson went to Blacksburg and proved to the world that they were for real, beating #11 Virginia Tech in Blacksburg 23-3. Dabo Swinney had his group ready to play, holding Tech to just 258 total yards of offense. Clemson forced 2 turnovers and was ready for David Wilson’s rushing efforts. He had 123 yards on 20 carries, but no end zone visits. Sammy Watkins was held in check this game, but dynamic TE and Mackey Award front runner Dwayne Allen picked up the slack catching a TD, continuing the streak that is now up to 3 games. Tajh Boyd is playing sensational football. He has thrown for 934 yards, 8TDs to only 1 interception over his past 3 games. Virginia Tech just could not get any rhythm at all. They stayed in 3rd and long situations the entire game and Logan Thomas just couldn’t sustain a drive to put points on the board. Clemson has a multiple running back look that they give teams. Freshman back Mike Bellamy broke a big run for 31 yards were he embarrassed a Tech player in the open field to seal the game. Ladies and Gentlemen, Dabo deserves an extension. Clemson has arrived
3. After the penalties the Florida Gators come out and attack Alabama’s aggressive defense and scores on the first play of the game. 7-0 Florida and you think here goes the challenge that the Crimson Tide hasn’t had all year long. Well then Trent Richardson and that Alabama offensive line came out and completely dominated Florida’s front seven. Alabama at that point takes over the games and outscores Florida 38-3. Florida loses at home in the swamp 38-10. Alabama’s defense is just simply better than the offenses they are facing. They frustrate teams with excellent LB play. And one of the best wasn’t even playing in CJ Mosely. Florida couldn’t muster up a ground game, going for 15 yards on 29 attempts. Trent Richardson and Eddie Lacy combine for 34 carries and 213 yards. AJ McCarron did a good job not turning the ball over. Brantley did not. He missed Rainey on an out and tried to hit Burton underneath and gave Courtney Upshaw a pick six. You can’t expect to beat Alabama if you give them the chance to dominate the game. Courtney Upshaw was awesome this week and should easily be SEC Defensive Player of the Week. He had an outstanding game 4 tackles 3 for loss a sack and an Int for a TD. Also his sack on Brantley may have put a SERIOUS damper on Florida’s season as Brantley had his leg bend back under him and may have ended his season. Tough break for the Gators. Florida may have exploited the weakness of the Alabama defense, but they just didn’t have time to throw the ball very much with the game that Upshaw had. Look for Alabama to get their tune ups in against Vandy and Ole Miss before the big game against #1 LSU in Tuscaloosa. Usually this game decides the SEC. I picked this one, but I expected Florida to have a better showing.
4. Nebraska went into a hostile environment in Wisconsin and basically got the wheels taken off their new car as Wisconsin tore them a new one in this game. 48-17 Wisconsin. I think that now we can start paying attention to this Wisconsin team that shows a balance like no other team in the country; 255 passing 231 rushing. Montee Ball was great in this game rushing the ball 30 times for 151 yards and 4 TDs. Nebraska didn’t have an answer for him all game. Wisconsin did a great job forcing 3 turnovers and giving the ball back to their dominate offense. Russell Wilson has now put his name in the hat for the Heisman trophy. He has given Wisconsin a legitimate shot to win the Big Ten. It has been a while since Wisconsin has had a solid QB to go with the run game that they have always been able to support. I said coming into this game, Nebraska would have to play a lot better defense than they had been playing. Bo Pellini was obviously not happy with the effort that his team put out. He should really not be happy with the way the defense played. Whatever they tried to do, it just didn’t work. Nebraska is not a play from behind team. They can’t throw the ball very well. I picked Wisconsin in this game, 20-14. Seems that Wisconsin had different ideas
This week proved for some great football. Stay tuned to this season as 4th and Inches Magazine continues to bring you coverage!
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