Monday, October 16, 2006
College Football Review
49-0? This is progress? That was the final score of the Kentucky-LSU game, a game so undesired by the networks that it wasn't on television anywhere.
Louisville's offense continued to struggle against Cincinnati. The injuries may finally be catching up with this team. It is interesting to note that four teams are already Bowl Eligible in the Big East, with a combined record of 24-1. Louisville, Rutgers, and West Virginia are unbeaten, and Pitt is 6-1. South Florida is one win away at 5-2. This iteration of Big East football may be just as tough as last season's Big East in college basketball. No one can look at this group and figure out for certain which one will take its place in the BCS Bowl.
Miami brawling in the Orange Bowl? It feels like a flashback to the Convicts of the 1980's.
Michigan vs. Ohio State is looking more and more like it will be #1 vs. #2, a pre-championship game.
Announcers keep promising us the NCAA will repeal the new, insane clock rules, but I'm not so sure. They accomplish their purpose of shortening games. But any purist had to be sickened by the end of USC-Arizona State. ASU had the ball on 4th down deep in its own territory with about a minute and a half to play. They elected to punt. But there really wasn't enough time, as it turned out, because the clock starts on change of possession, not after running first down.
In the future, I expect coaches to have calculated in advance, whether there really is a legitimate chance to get the ball back in that scenario.
I wonder if Mark Richt will survive the season? When he was hired at Georgia, there was tremendous hope that the coach coming over from mighty FSU would jump start Georgia. But so far, they have yet to crack the National Championship game. And losing at home to Vandy isn't going to make the boosters happy. As for Vandy, they may finally be turning the corner, but I doubt if their massive improvement of the past two years will show up significantly on the win-loss ledger, due to the toughness of the SEC.
The other head scratcher of the day was Indiana's win over Iowa. Indiana has appeared lifeless at times this year, but not against the Hawkeyes. It might even be the signs of a program turning the corner, but I have my doubts about whether a coach that has been through as much as IU's coach will be able to guide this program too much longer.
Louisville's offense continued to struggle against Cincinnati. The injuries may finally be catching up with this team. It is interesting to note that four teams are already Bowl Eligible in the Big East, with a combined record of 24-1. Louisville, Rutgers, and West Virginia are unbeaten, and Pitt is 6-1. South Florida is one win away at 5-2. This iteration of Big East football may be just as tough as last season's Big East in college basketball. No one can look at this group and figure out for certain which one will take its place in the BCS Bowl.
Miami brawling in the Orange Bowl? It feels like a flashback to the Convicts of the 1980's.
Michigan vs. Ohio State is looking more and more like it will be #1 vs. #2, a pre-championship game.
Announcers keep promising us the NCAA will repeal the new, insane clock rules, but I'm not so sure. They accomplish their purpose of shortening games. But any purist had to be sickened by the end of USC-Arizona State. ASU had the ball on 4th down deep in its own territory with about a minute and a half to play. They elected to punt. But there really wasn't enough time, as it turned out, because the clock starts on change of possession, not after running first down.
In the future, I expect coaches to have calculated in advance, whether there really is a legitimate chance to get the ball back in that scenario.
I wonder if Mark Richt will survive the season? When he was hired at Georgia, there was tremendous hope that the coach coming over from mighty FSU would jump start Georgia. But so far, they have yet to crack the National Championship game. And losing at home to Vandy isn't going to make the boosters happy. As for Vandy, they may finally be turning the corner, but I doubt if their massive improvement of the past two years will show up significantly on the win-loss ledger, due to the toughness of the SEC.
The other head scratcher of the day was Indiana's win over Iowa. Indiana has appeared lifeless at times this year, but not against the Hawkeyes. It might even be the signs of a program turning the corner, but I have my doubts about whether a coach that has been through as much as IU's coach will be able to guide this program too much longer.
Bengals wilt again...
In the NFL, most teams are pretty close talent-wise, despite whatever their record might be. As a result, even the winless teams will eventually win a game, and no one wants to play a team that was in the playoffs the previous year but opened 0-4 this season.
Sure, the Bengals got robbed on the "pulling the passer's hair" penalty; they should have gotten a turnover and locked the game up. But they got the penalty, and failed to stop Tampa Bay at any point further along in the drive.
Most of Cincinnati's deficiencies from last year have reared their ugly heads in the two losses. They have trouble running the ball, and can't stop the run. Really, the bottom line with this team is they have a bunch of good players but no one that is particularly great. No one that is a future HOF'er. If John Elway could have walked onto the Bengals sideline for the final 35 second drive with three timeouts, he might have engineered something. Carson Palmer? Key sack. 62-yard field goal missed. Game over.
Sure, the Bengals got robbed on the "pulling the passer's hair" penalty; they should have gotten a turnover and locked the game up. But they got the penalty, and failed to stop Tampa Bay at any point further along in the drive.
Most of Cincinnati's deficiencies from last year have reared their ugly heads in the two losses. They have trouble running the ball, and can't stop the run. Really, the bottom line with this team is they have a bunch of good players but no one that is particularly great. No one that is a future HOF'er. If John Elway could have walked onto the Bengals sideline for the final 35 second drive with three timeouts, he might have engineered something. Carson Palmer? Key sack. 62-yard field goal missed. Game over.
