You Can't Win 'em All...

Maybe not, but everyone once in a while you get close. The record is 19-4 this week and now stands at 94-36 on the year. This weekend was a crazy one in some respects and produced some very memorable games. Let's start with the losses.

I've Seen This Before: Georgia Tech 14 - Miami 10. As I watched this game, I saw two things. First, Miami couldn't run the ball to save its life. It netted 30 yards on the evening, partly due to the seven sacks by the Yellow Jackets and partly due the simple ineffectiveness of back-up running-back Charlie Jones. Does anyone remember the season opener against Auburn? I sure do. The Jackets helded Auburn to 50 yards rushing, as the Tigers struggled to find who was going to be the running back. Georgia Tech wasn't able to sack QB Brandon Cox as much as Kyle Wright, but the pressure forced him into throwing four interceptions. In that game, as in this game with Miami, Georgia Tech capitalized on instability at running back to put the game squarely in the hands of a new quarterback. Brandon Cox wasn't able to do it, and Kyle Wright wasn't either.

Let's See That Again: Texas Tech 23 - Oklahoma 21. This was an amazing game that came down to a review with 0:00 on the clock. With no timeouts and four seconds on the clock, the Red Raiders elected to run the ball from the 2-yard line for the go-ahead touchdown. First off--that's guts. Second, there was a great hit put on him by one of the linebackers, but he wormed his way forward and broke the plane--we think. As ESPN showed on later reviews, the official who signaled touchdown on the field was screened from viewing the play by a Texas Tech reciever. He rushed in and signaled touchdown and the review confirmed it. However, it's my opinion that had he ruled it to not be a touchdown, that play would have stood too. I don't think incontravertible evidence was available to overturn whatever call happened to be made. So did he make it? I don't know, but it made for a great game.

Why Am I Not Surprised: California 27 - Stanford 3. Stanford, oh Stanford. Why do continue to plague me? I give you a chance to prove yourself to me and you fail miserably. You didn't even make a game of it. See if I ever pick you again.

Now onto the wins.

They're Back: Virginia Tech 52 - Virginia 14. The Hokies absolutely dominated the Cavs. They also managed to sneak onto Virginia's field and paint a giant "T" next to the Virginia "V". They then backed up what that implied by stomping Virginia. There's no doubt that VaTech is the team to beat in the ACC once again, now that Miami has fallen again.

Going Out With Class: Kansas State 36 - Missouri 28. Coach Bill Snyder goes out with a win as his players refuse to give up. Never understimate the value of heart.

Six Feet Under: Iowa 52 - Minnesota 28. Minnesota has lost 4 of its last 5 against ranked teams. And they didn't just lose this one. This was over really quickly. 7-4 is not a bad season, but you know the Gophers are extremely disappointed.

Best Four Loss Team Ever: Ohio State 25 - Michigan 21. After this game, how can anybody argue with Michigan? Yes, they lost a close game, again. I know they have four losses, but I sure as hell wouldn't want to play them. Ohio State again finds some offense, which is one reason why the Buckeyes are so dangerous right now. Ohio State still has an outside shot of making it to a BCS game, but Michigan will have to settle for beating the crap out of a most-likely overmatched school.

Why Won't You Die?: USC 50 - Fresno State 42. Fresno QB Paul Pinegar threw for 317 yards and four touchdowns, but he always seemed to throw one of his four picks at inopportune times. Reggie Bush had a ridiculous game, accounting for over 500 all-purpose yards. Still, Fresno was in this to the bitter end. Everytime USC kicked it in gear, Fresno clawed their way back in. My only beef with Fresno is the last play. It's easy to second guess, because hind-sight is 20/20, but--there had to have been a better option than the pass Pinegar threw. They had the ball at the USC 25 with a little over a minute left. It was first down. The reciever runs what looks like a skinny post. It appeared that he tried to get inside, but the DB was all over him and denied him from making a cut. The safety was on the outside of the reciever. And yet, Pinegar threw the ball to this reciever. Can we say "bad decision?" Not only was the pass horrible and a horrible decision, but it was first down! They had enough time to run the ball if they wanted to--and they had done so with great success all night. Maybe it was the play call and maybe it was the QB's bad decision, but either way, Fresno threw away its chance of pulling off the upset.

You Can't Spell "Better Luck Next Year" Without "UT": Vandy 28 - Tennessee 24. Vandy refused to quit, and despite Tennessee's 3rd best offensive effort this entire year, the Vols fell. That is just sad. I wish Vandy were bowl-eligible, though, because it would have made this win even more special. I think that with this loss Tennessee has solidified itself as the most disappointing team of the entire year. Iowa, Florida, Texas A&M, and Oklahoma all have reason to be upset, but they will all be playing in December.

Sign of Things to Come?: Arkansas 44 - Mississippi State 10. Mississippi State's defense held Alabama to a field goal, and Alabama nearly beat LSU. Yes, Mississippi State was probably playing with some extra emotion against Alabama, but the point is that the Bulldog defense is not horrible. Arkansas blew them out. The Razorbacks scored more points on MSU than any team this year has. That's something to be commended. Freshman RB Darren McFadden is averaging nearly seven yards a carry. If QB Casey Dick can keep the mistakes down, Arkansas has the offensive capability of keeping LSU from reaching Atlanta. Next week should be a good game.

Pass, Bama, Pass: Auburn 28 - Alabama 18. This game was not nearly as close as the score, as Auburn scored 21 straight points in the first quarter. It was as explosive of an outburst as Auburn has had this year. They caught the Bama defense on its heels and kept on pushing. Meanwhile, the defense dominated Alabama for all but one drive. Brodie Croyle was sacked 11 times!! 11! That reminds me of games on Playstation. When you throw in the number of hurries and knockdowns, Brodie probably asked to be relieved on that last set of Bama downs. Although LSU will most likely win the SEC West, Auburn has a legitimate claim as the best team in the SEC. They have beaten the East's best (Georgia), and have played much more consistently than LSU. I'm not taking anything away from LSU. They beat Auburn fair and square, and if they played tomorrow who knows what would happen. However, after what Auburn has shown the last two weeks, they appear to be playing much better football than the Bayou Bengals.