You Can't Win 'em All

Well, 20-6 isn't bad for a first effort, but I make no excuses. I feel it is my duty to revisit some of the games from this past saturday. So here we go.

We'll start with the six losses.

The Biggest Upset: Stanford 45 - Arizona State 35. Come again? Perhaps Stanford heard me trashing them and wanted to prove a point. Keller played hurt and didn't hit 100 yards before he was pulled. The Sun Devils still haven't gotten over the USC loss. But seriously, Stanford? On a side note, anyone who thinks Pac-10 defense isn't horrible (all three of you), should be convinced after ASU gave up 45 points to Stanford, a team that couldn't muster more than 17 against UC-Davis.

Battle of the Schitzophrenics: UNC 7 - Virginia 5. Virginia, hang your head in shame. UNC is not that horrible, but you are much much better than that. Go to your room.

Battle of the Schitzo's, Take Two: Wake Forest 27 - NC State 19. Well NC State took the lead for a while there, but once again, choked. Wake is better than average in a very tough ACC, but must win out to make a bowl. With Miami still on the schedule, this seems very unlikely. NC State, meanwhile, continues its slide. After playing tight with Virginia Tech, it appears to be a shell of what it once was. It will take an upset over Florida State or Boston College for it to reach the postseason. The Wolfpack will finish this season disappointed.

Man That Would Have Been Awesome: Oklahoma 37 - Baylor 30 (2OT). So close, so close. Poor Baylor. I thought they were gonna get this one. Unfortunately, Oklahoma must have realized, "Hey, this is Baylor." At least it went down to the wire. Baylor, you're a winner in my heart, but still winless against Oklahoma.

Yeah, So My Bad: Northwestern 49 - Michigan State 14. I really thought Michigan State would get over itself (and losses to Michigan and Ohio State), to at least make a game of this. Sadly, I was disappointed. The Spartans played some seriously uninspired football Saturday. What really killed any chance was the Staton fumble returned for a touchdown. Ouch. Maybe Northwestern is for real? I'm not sold yet. Let's see how they handle Michigan, Iowa, and Ohio State.

It Still Hurts to Talk About It: LSU 20 - Auburn 17 (OT). Great game. My customary period of mourning is coming to an end, so I think I can discuss it relatively objectively. First off, both teams played well. They were sloppy at times (see LSUs multiple dropped passes, two of which were in the endzone, and Auburn WRs 5+ drops). But still, there was great defense played by both and sparks of great offense. Auburn RB Kenny Irons had a monster game, rushing for 218 yards. LSU WR Skyler Green took a punt back for a TD. It was quite the exciting game. However, miscues in the kicking game cost Auburn the victory. Auburn led every major statistical category except for the one that counts. It appeared that both teams could have blown it open at any moment, but it just never happened. That's what happens when teams are young. Inconsistency runs rampant. To be quite clear, I still blame Auburn kicker John Vaughn. That's your job, man! But it is quite true that some of Auburn's play calling, particularly in overtime, was questionable. Auburn opens with a run, then passes on second and third down, with the pass nearly being picked on third down. Perhaps Tommy Tubberville forgot that his RB, Kenny Irons, had shredded the LSU defense all night. Why throw a pass on 2nd and 8? Why not run again? I know that if you're stopped for no gain, this leaves your QB in a bad spot since it is an obvious passing down, but Irons was the breadwinner. Give him the rock. I question this play calling, but I will not say it was wrong. I do not have the benefit of reviewing tape. Perhaps Auburn saw something they liked. Either way, I would have done everything in my power not to let this game come down to a kick. I have faith in John Vaughn, but after missing four field goals, he's obviously 1) not on his A-game, and 2) questioning his own ability. But alas, it was not meant to be. So where does that leave LSU and Auburn? Well, LSU now controls its own fate in the SEC West. If it wins out, including against Alabama, it will go to Atlanta. Meanwhile, Auburn must win out against Georgia and Bama while hoping that the Tide can knock off LSU. If the stars so align, then Auburn can still reach Atlanta.

Now We'll Move on to the More Notable Wins

Will the Only Legitimate Team in Texas Please Stand Up: Texas 52 - Texas Tech 17. Ouch. Well, that answers one question.

1 Pretender + 1 Pretender = 2 Losses: Mizzou 41 - Nebraska 24. Experienced Senior QB Brad Smith had a great game and the Tigers get the "W". Hmm...Nebraska exposed the same weekend as Texas Tech? Just a coincidence right?

That was Good Defense, Right?: Alabama 6 - Tennessee 3. This was another great game, and an outstanding defensive effort by Alabama. I can't wait to see what it looks like against an offense. The real test comes in three weeks against LSU.

Even Girls Can Play Football: Michigan 23 - Iowa 20 (OT). Not even being emasculated by a pink locker room can keep Michigan down. These pansies just handed Iowa its first home loss in 22 games.