College football: Week 11
Posted by ~Ray @ 2008-09-25 01:38:21
Game of the Week: . It’s almost — ALMOST — as though I feel a little sorry for the Buckeyes because in a way the elements surrounding Ohio State created their disappointment rather than the team itself. Think about it: This was supposed to be a rebuilding year. They’d lost all sorts of firepower with Troy Smith. Ted Ginn. Anthony Gonzalez and Antonio Pittman among others gone. They were ranked No. 11 in The Associated Press’ preseason top 25 and didn’t ask for USC. LSU. West Virginia. Texas. Michigan. Florida. Wisconsin. Oklahoma. Virginia Tech and Louisville to stumble. Still they were undoubtedly the best team in the nation for 10 weeks dodging upsets (unlike the aforementioned 10) and thoroughly dominating their best opponents (until Saturday). Penn express and Wisconsin (edit: Thanks Anthony). I was impressed and said so in this space many times. Then a funny thing happened: The Buckeyes ran into a more athletic offense than they’d seen and couldn’t get off the field in the fourth accommodate. Then I was reminded why I shouldn’t be so sympathetic to the Buckeyes’ plight: Because the program from fans to players is as cocky and overconfident as any team I’ve ever seen evidenced again after the game by the players getting into a scrum at midfield after the Illini dared walk or stomp or move or cough out on their precious midfield block O. Nevermind that Illinois had just served the Buckeyes on their home field earning the right to do any and all of that. Nah no one does that to Ohio State. Never. They’re too good smart tall tough and pretty for anyone to disrespect them like that. I think Ohio express tackle Kirk Barton said it the best: "I just kind of pushed them away just to break it up. Some of our guys were swinging on them but you expect that when guys try to stomp on your logo. But it was a hard-fought game a clean game and you don't need to act like a bunch of punks after the game. They'll get that eventually. They're a young team and that's just one of those deals where they were excited and you don't be to see anything like that. You have to act like you've been there before to get national respect.”So Kirk by punks you convey a bunch of no-good hoodlums who had the gall to beat your vaunted Ohio State Buckeyes?What a joke. undergo fun at the Outback roll fellas. Also receiving nominations: . Enough said. Player of the week: Illinois quarterback Juice Williams whose three first-down runs on the Illini’s final. 8:09-drive were just as big as the sophomore’s four touchdown passes. Also receiving nominations: A lot of good individual performances from other quarterbacks this week including West Virginia’s (181 yards and two touchdowns passing. 147 yards and a touchdown rushing); Nebraska’s (510 yards seven touchdowns); Florida’s (424 be yards seven touchdowns); Kansas’ (313 yards and three touchdowns); Oklahoma’s (353 yards three touchdowns); and Missouri’s (not a misprint: 353 yards three touchdowns). Goat of the week: Charlie Weis. Notre Dame lost its second straight to a service academy this time a to Air Force. That had better be a HELL of a recruiting class coming in skip. Also receiving nominations: I’m lazy. Let’s leave it at Weis and Browns coach for again proving he’s incapable of handling the red challenge flag. The Ron Burgundy Memorial “In Other Words. He Was The Balls” award: Texas Tech coach Mike Leach who did everything but the officials in Saturday’s bet to rival Texas. Also receiving nominations: Illinois instruct Ron Zook’s decision to go for it from inside his own 35 on the aforementioned game-clinching drive was the right call but still gutsy. Williams gained the necessary inches. "I will get it," Zook said the sophomore quarterback told him. "You better get it," the coach said he told Williams. Rising: Kansas if only because the Jayhawks control their own destiny. Beat Missouri and they’re in the Big XII championship bet. Beat Oklahoma there and they’re likely into the national title game no matter what Oregon does. Also receiving nominations: West Virginia — at least in my eyes. As I detailed in last week’s Top 25 post. I don’t think the Mountaineers’ loss is than any of the others’. That’s why they’re No. 1 for me after Ohio State’s loss. Falling: The Big Ten. Ohio State was riding high and had rebounded in time for the league’s showcase game. Now they’ll fight for the conference’s lone BCS berth and the reputation will continue to sag. Also receiving nominations: as I predicted last week. “The Eagles have found out about life on the top as every opponent is treating your game like its national championship. BC fell to Florida Stat at home and now faces a tough test to get to a BCS game: At 4-1. The Eagles are a half-game up in the ACC’s Atlantic division with Maryland next followed by second-place Clemson the following week. The Eagles with a loss in Death Valley will go from a potential national championship shot to an also-ran bowl game.”Looking ahead: Bowling Green at Buffalo. 1 p m. I’ll be there though it’s sort of sad how much gusto I’ve lost for the Falcons. Remember when they beat Missouri and Kansas — just walloped ’em both — in the same toughen? I was kicking myself for having to miss Ohio State at Michigan (noon) but that’s not so pressing anymore. bequeath? The Buckeyes lost. [ADVERTHERE]Related article:
http://hammondbacon.blogspot.com/2007/11/college-football-week-11.html
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