8-5-1
NOTRE DAME VS SOUTH FLORIDA :-(
BYU VS MISSISSIPPI :(
COLORADO STATE VS NEW MEXICO :-)
INDIANA VS BALL STATE :-(
BOISE STATE VS GEORGIA :-)
OREGON VS LSU :-)
HAWAII VS COLORADO :-)
BOSTON COLLEGE VS NORTHWESTERN :-(
HOUSTON VS UCLA :-)
MIAMI FLA VS MARYLAND :-(
CALIFORNIA VS FRESNO STATE :-)
NOILLINOIS VS ARMY :)
--TWOGAMES WITH SPREADS--
WEST VIRGINIA(-21) VS MARSHALL :-/
MICHIGAN(-13 ½) VS WESTERN MICHIGAN :)
I can't believe I picked freaking Notre Dame!! With 5 turn overs the final score should've been much more embarrassing than it was. I didn't watch the game but from the write ups it seems Senior QB Dayne Crist threw 4 interceptions at key points in the first half that should've resulted in TD's. (But USF's defense preached turnovers all summer so it was the result of good defense as much as anything.) After the stadium was cleared at the half due to lightening, the switch was made to Sophomore QB Tommy Rees who got one interception but threw for two TDs and helped get the team within 3 points by the end of the game, avoiding a complete embarrassment. Notre Dame didn't score the entire first half, and coach Brian Kelly felt that switching QBs was a "step back". Wow, really? The other interesting element to the game was that USF's head coach Skip Holtz played for Notre Dame and was an assistant coach for them under his dad Lou Holtz, so it was a meaningful win for him.
Michigan beat the spread! I like Brady Hoke's emphasis on discipline, especially in the current environment of players (and coaches) lacking it. The Wolverines wanted to continue to play and prove themselves as evidenced by the fact that they were disappointed the game was stopped in the third quarter due to severe weather. I still think it's premature to proclaim that Michigan is "back" but as we saw in Jim Tressel's first year at Ohio State with their first win over Michigan in 3 years, a team with heart can accomplish a lot. I'm an OSU fan but what makes football rivalries fun are worthy opponents, so I really hope Michigan will become a powerhouse once again and ultimately make the Big Ten stronger.
Boise State. This is the thing with Boise St., they play lower ranked teams from TOUGH conferences in their season openers then whine that they don't get to prove themselves again until the end of the season. Well, there's a simple solution to that: change conferences. Everybody's doing it so it's not like it's difficult. But that would mean they'd have to really prove themselves rather than rely on doubt and innuendo to make their case for attending the National Championship game. (Note that I did not say "playing".) Nobody wants to see a Boise St. vs. Alabama National Championship because blowouts are not fun for anyone, especially viewers. So while I picked Boise St. over Georgia, I'm not convinced they could win against a highly ranked team from a strong conference after the second game of the season. I'm open to being convinced but until they take action to really prove themselves I cannot buy into their strategy of introducing "reasonable doubt" against other teams.
West Virginia didn't quite make the spread so that gave me a "tie" as part of this week's record. It was explained to me that spreads should always include a 1/2 point so there are clear winners or losers.
Colorado State sucked less than New Mexico, yes!!
Maryland vs. Miami: I think the uniforms simply scared Miami senseless. Maybe threatening them with similarly disjointed uniforms will scare them straight.
Ohio State Segment*
I'll start and end with Luke Fickell: The expert commentary floating around me Saturday noted how Jim Bollman was doing the offensive play calling and that it was excellent; meaning there was a good mix and Akron didn't know what was coming from where. Fickell did the defensive play calling, which makes sense since that's what he has played and coached, and he was effective because he kept the Zips to zip*.
Joe Bauserman was GREAT. He's very accurate, scrambles well, and has a maturity you don't get with an 18 - 21 year which was old evidenced by his solid decision making. His time as a professional minor league baseball player has served him well. I predict a two-QB system for at least the next game or two, and possibly most of the season.
Carlos Hyde: YES!! He did not score a TD but had a team high 94 yards rushing and was fun to watch.
Jake Stoneburner: Love the name, who do you know that can burn stone? No one! Jake scored 3 TD passes. But seriously, it's great that they're using the Tight End in the passing game, it has been the most underutilized position at OSU so hopefully we'll see a lot more of that.
Kicking: Ugh, no comment.
Braxton Miller: Poor guy, the announcers kept gossiping about him while the camera was on him and he was aware of it. Urban Myers ragged on him saying he should've been wearing headsets and learning what was going on and the failure to do so was on him. I'm not so sure, he's the rookie and should be coached in this area. (Maybe that worthless QB coach could start there.) They also commented that Bauserman wasn't wearing them...after he was done playing for the day! Who cares? That's all the poor guy has done for four years. But back to Braxton, he had GREAT passing and nailed one to Devon Smith in the end zone in the third quarter. He also scrambled to the left to get out of hot water to make a first down. It's too soon to tell but he looks better than Terrell Pryor*, let's hope he's smarter than him off the field too.
Penalties: The game was relatively penalty free, especially for a first game. I attribute this to good coaching. Let's hope they stay disciplined.
Luke Fickell Part II: Is Luke fickle a good coach? It can't be answered against Akron since it's not a real-world test, but I like that Fickell isn't afraid to delegate, a good leader can delegate and let people use their strengths without being threatened. Few people can do it all with a high level of excellence, so you have to trust people to do what they're hired to do. I see Luke Fickell doing that and it is the trait of a true leader.
*Preseason disclaimer: But it's Akron!
Cirque du Soleil Play of the Week
Amazing plays involving acrobatic moves worthy of a Cirque du Soleil peformance.
- Amazing one-handed catch by Ohio State's Evan Spencer!! OMG!!!
LINK: Ohio State Highlights
Commentary on the Commentary
This is where I comment on what commentators or announcers had to say about the games.
Mike Mays' comment about Ohio State's solid performance: "But it's Akron!"
My response: Ha ha ha ha ha!
Lou Holtz' calling Mike Mays an idiot for his comment about Ohio State.
My response: Ha ha ha ha ha!
Fashion Segment
With so many new, throwback, and limited edition uniforms in college football these days it deserves its own section. This section will also include commentary on fashion statements made by anyone involved in college football: coaches, officials, fans, and announcers. No one is safe. In some instances links must be used instead of images due to copyright restrictions.
Luke Fickell: Wearing black on a 97 degree day? It's almost as bad as wearing a sweater vest in the sweltering heat. And that was apparently not enough, he had on 3 layers: the black half-zip pull over, a red polo, and a white quarter-sleeve tee. My husband saw an interview with Fickell where he said he would wear whatever his wife laid out for him. I'm not sure I buy this, I saw a shot of his wife and kids and they were appropriately dressed for the weather. (And what grown man has his wife lay out his clothes for him, much less admits it?)
Brent Mussburger: SRLSLY?? (click below link to see)
LINK: Brent Mussburger's Fashion Statement
Georgia'sNike Pro Combat Uniform. AKA: "Daredevil": I LOVE the helmet, and the uniform looks good too. I normally hate uni-colored uniforms (I call them uni-uni's). When the pants and jerseys are the same dark color it makes it very hard to follow the player's movements because there's nothing to break up the body. White uni-uni's don't bother me like the dark colored versions and Nike has manged to make this red Georgia uniform an exception also.
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| Courtesy of Nikeblog.com |
Oregon's Nike Pro Combat Uniform. AKA "Tron": I LOVE it. Even though it's a dark green uni-uni the glow-in-the-dark accents break it up enough to make it possible to follow the players' movements. The matte black on the helmet gives it the look of green steel. Overall it's very Tron and very nicely done.
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| Courtesy of Nikeblog.com |
Maryland Terrapins. AKA "Court Jester": I realize the uni is based on the Maryland state flag but...what a mess.
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| Courtesy of Nikeblog.com |
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