like theodoresdaddy said in the pick'em thread -- what is up with Penn State? Getting whipped by BC at home?

Go Gamecocks! Not only beat uva but quite handily.

Wake Forest?? 2-0 -- 1-0 in the ACC.

And Ohio State -- another tight victory -- just like last year.

I'm watching Wash State beat Notre Dame now (hate those Irish) while listening to Wisconsin on the internet -- best use of the PC ever developed! ON WISCONSIN!

DC how can you cheer for Wisconsin over Akron - GO ZIPS !

Congrats Bowling Green 27 Purdue 26 ! ! !

I don't want to see my record this week.

I missed out on Penn State, Purdue, Virginia and it looks like I'm missing out on Auburn.

What the hell is up with all the teams this week?

But my Eers should win tonight and Marshall is giving Tennessee a damn good game!

You said it Bucky -- GO COCKS!....Lou Holtz can downplay the chances of his team winning week in and week out (although I think even he outdid himself this week when he advised the 80,000 fans in Columbia not to have very high expectations -- IF they decided to even show up at all, in his words) but Lou continually proves that he deserves to be mentioned with the elite college coaches in the history of the game including Paterno, Bowden, Bryant, et al, a group that he is rarely included in.

As for the Wake win, I was surprised that you didn't include that game in your weekly pick em contest....It was included on the Outsports Yahoo Pick Em group this week , though (where I went 21-2, much to even my amazement) and I was one of two Outsporters (along with Cattledog) who successfully picked Wake to knock off the Wolfpack....not only is Wake a HIGHLY underrated team (they went 7-6 last year and lost heartbreakers to Virginia by 4 and FSU by only 13) and were justifiably only 7 1/2 point underdogs to the 11th ranked team in the country today -- albeit to an NC State team that may have been looking ahead to next week's game at Ohio State a bit prematurely.

In either event, watching the Gamecocks roll over UVA made my day....now if they can only do the same to a tough Georgia team on the road next week this season may turn out to be more promising than expected....GO COCKS!

The Miami-Florida game was an absolute classic! What a thriller. This may turn out to be one of the BEST games of the year.

Unless you're a Gator fan.

Gator fan or not, that was a fantastic game. I know its hard to admit it when you're on the losing end, but the national audience was treated to a close game between two good teams, and the outcome was decided very late. UF has nothing to be ashamed of, IMHO. They made this thing closer than virually everyone would have expected.

Working down the top 25 (according to espn). Sorry, this is going to be long, but I'm feeling wordy tonight.

(1) Oklahoma at Alabama - Interceptions and a fake punt did in the Tide, who proved themselves to be a worthy opponent, but the breaks went the Sooners' way. (Stoops looked more like a Bowden disciple than a Croc-ette with that fake punt.)

(2) Ohio State vs. San Diego State - Was this an indication that they need Clarett after all? Or that the distractions have been too much? Just like the Cincy game last year, this is one the Buckeyes did not deserve to win. Without that lucky tip, they might not have.

(3) Miami vs. (18) Florida - Maybe not the best played game, but it certainly was exciting. One of those "two-half games", it was Miami waking up on both offense and defense that decided the game. A back and forth game is good. A game of scoring streaks indicates inconsistencies. Will the Crocs' "three-headed monster" quarterback system last?

(5) USC vs. BYU - The Trojans are a very solid team. I don't see anyone in the Pac 10 to challenge them yet. The Cougars actually outgained them in yards, but getting touchdowns instead of field goals would have made this a much different game.

(6) Kansas State vs. McNeese State - This is why KSU gets no respect at the beginning of the season. C'mon Wildcats - play somebody!

(7) Michigan vs. Houston - Okay, the Wolverines have an awesome running game, but we'll see how they do against Notre Dame. Even McNeese State could put 50 up against the Cougars.

(8) Georgia vs. Middle Tennessee State - Are these the same Blue Raiders that lost to D1-AA Florida Atlantic last week? An uninspired performance from the Bulldogs, and when coupled with their win over Clemson makes one wonder if they are as good as their record. The Gamecocks should come in next week with a lot of confidence.

(9) Virginia Tech vs. James Madison - (see Kansas State) Well, at least it was an in-state game. Hmmm... does that mean the Virginia Attorney General will push for JMU to fill out the ACC?

(10) Florida State vs. Maryland - Tough to be objective on this one, so I'll let others speak up.

(11) NC State at Wake Forest - Was the Wolfpack looking ahead to Ohio State or are the Demon Deacons that good? I think it's a little of both. The NCSU/OSU game has lost some of its luster after both teams played poorly today, but don't let that take anything away from Wake Forest. They should get into the rankings now.

(12) Pittsburgh vs Kent State - WHY was Rutherford playing? This was Kent State! Your third string QB could have lead the Panthers to an easy victory. Instead you give him a punishment that equates to shaking your finger in his face after he went postal when a woman said, "No." Dude, there are undoubtedly a couple guys in the lockerroom who will take care of you.

(13) LSU at Arizona - The Wildcats have lost their first two games 94-13. The Tigers have won theirs 101-14. Their game in two weeks with Georgia will be very interesting.

(14) Tennessee vs. Marshall - This was game the Volunteers could have lost. The Thundering Herd came back and made this a game. A good showing for them which makes me a bit nervous for when they come to Orlando vs. UCF. But QB Stan Hill should learn something from the Grammatica brothers: Don't celebrate too hard - he aggravated an injury after doing a leaping chest bump with a lineman. Marshall's back-up QB just wasn't up to the task. Could the Vols have been looking forward to Florida?

(15) Virginia at South Carolina - How much does Matt Schaub mean to the Cavaliers? Everything obviously. Give the Cocks credit, they played aggressively, and if Lou Holtz is right, California will have a stripper for governor. (Could he have been referring to those wonderful early pics of Schwarzenegger?) Virginia will need their quarterback healthy to have a chance when they resume ACC play against Wake Forest.

(16) Notre Dame vs. Washington State - Like UM/UF this was a game of streaks. The tying touchdown showed how good Wazoo can be. If that late fumble hadn't popped out of that Cougar lineman's grasp, the Irish wouldn't have had a chance. They'll have to play a LOT better to have a chance against Michigan.

(17) Wisconsin vs. Akron - C'mon Badgers! The Zips should not have been anywhere close to you in this game. A couple non-conference games against UNLV and UNC should give your defense more practice before your Big 10 schedule starts.

(19) Auburn at Georgia Tech - Who picked them #1 at the beginning of the season? The Tigers SUCK! Enjoy the win Yellow Jackets, you travel to Tallahassee next. Auburn visits Vanderbilt next - I'm picking the Commodores.

(20) Purdue vs. Bowling Green - Fear the MAC! Showing us that last year was not a fluke, the Falcons have shown that the MAC West should be very interesting between them and Northern Illinois. This loss does not mean the Boilermakers are not good. But you have to be better than average to beat the best of the MAC.

(21) Arizona State vs. Northern Arizona - This is a team that is supposed to challenge USC in the Pac-10? And you only beat a D1-AA team by 34-14? The Sun Devils will have a big test in two weeks against Iowa.

(22) Colorado vs. UCLA - This was the best game of the day (imho). The Buffs defense played very well, but why didn't Gary Barnett go for the TD at the end of the first half? The Bruins will need more offense before they can think of handling USC.

(23) Iowa vs. Buffalo - Not the Buffalos, the Bulls of the University of Buffalo, as in the longest losing streak in the NCAA. The Hawkeyes played well against a good Miami-Ohio game last week, but this was not a game to get any judge of their real abilities.

(24) Nebraska vs. Utah State - Are the Blackshirts back? Didn't seem that way at first as the Aggies looked good on their first quarter touchdown. The Huskers will need some more offense to win the Big 12 North. Luckily their next game is also at home against Penn State.

(25) Penn State vs. Boston College - Speaking of the Nittany Lions, they limp past Temple and that gets them into the top 25???? The way they are playing, Bobby Bowden will pass Joe Pa this season. We'll see how good they really are when KENT STATE comes to play.

Other games of note

Memphis vs. Ole Miss - The Rebels gave this game away with a late dropped pass that would have been a sure touchdown to put the Tigers away.

Connecticut at Army - Considering the level of play in the Big East after Miami and VT leave, the Huskies could be competitive for the conference title next year. True they've only beaten Indiana and Army, but they're showing some good talent.

I'm just glad that we have a couple more weeks before we have to put together our own rankings.

Jim

[ September 06, 2003, 11:00 PM: Message edited by: BikeJocks ]

The BC Eagles should be 2-0 at this point in the season. The loss to Wake Forest(au underrated team by the way) was a fluke, game was decided by 3 plays, but that's how it goes........right Penn State???

No excuses here. All Penn State was missing in the game was 2 things. An offense and a defense. At least the weather in Un-Happy Valley was perfect for a football game.

And I did get home in time to catch the second half of the Florida - Miami game. At least with Miami's comeback victory their home victory streak remains in tact. Last team to beat the 'Canes in the Orange Bowl during the regular season...PSU.

Thats right If I can't look forward to the future of PSU football, I can at least look back...LOL!

The OSU-SDSU game was broadcast throughout the San Diego viewing areas on the Padres Channel, just one more thing for me to like about this city, and it was one of the most exciting games I've ever viewed. Not a pretty one - too damn many penalties on OSU and butterfingers on the Aztecs' hands matched only by my own - but a great way to wake up on a Saturday morning.

Memo to fellow SDiegans: Bourbon St. starts showing MNF tomorrow evening at 6. Stop by and look for fellow OSers!

Polls - Ohio State wins a squeaker. Miami wins a squeaker. Plus Miami was down by 100 points during the game.

But Miami moves up past Ohio State in the polls.

What's Up ?

I think the reasoning for the poll positions is that Miami came back from a huge deficit to win whereas OSU almost gave the game away.

Plus the strength of the opponent. Miami's huge comeback against Florida is a tad more impressive than Ohio State eeking one out against San Diego State, at least to the voters.

Personally I'm surprised they didn't drop further! A team that was outperformed in nearly every statistical category by SAN DIEGO STATE? A team that was 1-14 in third down conversions against SAN DIEGO STATE? A team that earned only 10 first downs against and gave up 20 to SAN DIEGO STATE - the team picked by it's own conference media to finish next to last in the non-BCS Mountain West?

This is not the same team as last year, so the "defending champions should be #1 until beaten" doesn't work in college football. I wouldn't even have the Buckeyes in the top 25 after that performance if weren't for the Washington game (but then the Huskies got a scare from INDIANA). Top 25, barely - top 10, no - top 3, certainly not - #1, are you kidding? Who were those coaches and writers still voting OSU #1??? Good Grief!

Now, I'm not condemning OSU for the rest of the season. They could still win the Big Ten, remain undefeated and make it to the BCS title game again, but we'll know more after they play Wisconsin and Iowa back-to-back in October. Hell, we should know more next week when NC State comes to town. These are two teams licking their wounds, for sure.

This just goes to prove what I've said in the past: Inertia is a HUGE factor in the polls.

Jim

Hello All:

Well, I am late jumping into this, but here we go with my thoughts. First off, DAMN BikeJock, that is ONE LONG posting!!! LOL Lets see if I can do one bigger!!! wink

There were several great games this past weekend, with the Georgia Tech-Auburn, Oklahoma-Alabama, Florida-Miami, UCLA-Colorado, and Florida State-Maryland games just to mention a few. The Ohio State, and Wisconsin wins were not that impressive, and I can totally see why Miami moved up past the Buckeyes in the polls. Remember guys, pollsters dont look at overall pictures, they look at the current week's performances. While Ohio State looked really good in week #1, they came back down to the ground in Week #2, and Miami put together one hell of a football game against Florida. I will be honest, I was shooting for Florida out of SEC loyalty, and it killed me to see Florida give up this win. UCLA and Colorado was a great game, and UCLA is going to surprise some people in the PAC-10 who are ignoring the Bruins because of a new Head Coach. Well, that Head Coach seems to have his team together and focused. Florida State may just force me to eat my words about them this year, as Chris Rix has put together two back-to-back great performances. That is something he has not done for some time. Everyone is continually harping on FSU Head Coach Bobby Bowden about his running of the program, but he has successfully forced all that news onto the back burner, and has his Seminoles playing like a potential National Contender again. I am not ready to say that the Seminoles are back yet, but if they continue this level of playing ability, you just may see Florida State marching off with the ACC Title, and fighting for a spot in New Orleans in Jan 2004. If, and I say IF, Chris Rix continues his current level of playing, you will see him leading the Heisman Candidates, but that is a VERY early observation, and so many things can happen between now and December.

But what killed me more this weekend, was the continual downward spiral of the Auburn Tigers. Here is a team that was picked by MANY to beat out Tennessee, Georgia, Florida, LSU and Arkansas to win the whole apple cart in the SEC. This is really the first time that Tommy Tuberville has faced National scrutiny, and he is failing miserably. Tuberville faced alot of recognition within the SEC while at Ole Miss, but never really broke through on the national scene. Now he has, and the way he is handling his team is making him and his team look VERY overrated. This is bad for Auburn, AND the SEC. Big Carnall Williams has failed to put together a combined 100 yards rushing yet, and was easily eclipsed by Arkansas' Cedric Cobbs as the #1 RB in the Conference, after only one game, where Williams has played 2. If I am Tuberville, I start 2-a-days all over again. Don't tell me it cant be done, because I went through them in 1988 after Arkansas lost their first game. Trust me, nothing gets a football players' attention like working their butts into the ground after a loss. They quickly learn what happens when they lose, and they will do ANYTHING to avoid it, and it either takes your program to a new level, or breaks it down. Depends on the character of your players. It focused us, and we went on a 10-win run. That Auburn team needs to be refocused if they are going to challenge for the SEC. They can still do it, but Jason Campbell, Williams, and Tuberville need to get their heads out of their collective butts. Alabama is looking very strong, playing very well against Oklahoma, and the jury is still out on LSU and Arkansas. Arkansas gets tested this weekend against Texas. LSU has YET to play a program that has had a winning record for any of the past 5 years, so once again you have a "respectable?" school padding their schedule. Ole Miss lost to Memphis? Yeah that's right. As I have said, Ole Miss will not be anything until they get a new coach. South Carolina looked VERY respectable against Virginia, but keep in mind that Virginia's offense was grounded due to their ACE QB injured, so one cannot truly know for sure what South Carolina has in the gas tank until SEC play begins, but SC Cocks may surprise a few people this year.

That is all I got to say for this week, stay tuned for week #3 preview out on Thursday.

David
Exfballplayer

[ September 08, 2003, 10:17 PM: Message edited by: exfballplayer ]

David .... It was one hell of a game at the Orange Bowl. It was one of those ESPN classics especially the 97 yard opening touchdown return. However, UM and uf will not play again until 2008?

Another great game was the Notre Dame vs WSU game up here in the Mighty Midwest. Notre Dame showed a lot of guts in coming back from 16 point deficit and winning it in OT. Nicholas Setta showed what guts is all about on the field.

Our Bloomin boy, Jeremy, went zero against Yogi Bear and Bruins. What has happen to him? Too much press.

Remember, patience pays off in a football game just look at Notre Dame, Colorado, FSU, and Miami.

JT:

Yeah bud, you are absolutely right when you say that patience pays off in football games. These schools that pulled off amazing comebacks also were very well coached. Teams that keep their heads in the game and fight back, show that not only do they have discipline, but that they believe in their coaching staffs, and they show alot of mental toughness. On the other side of the ball, it is SOOOOOOOOOO easy to get caught up in the emotion of stomping over a rival in a game, and when you get caught up in that emotion, you lose your mental edge. When teams lose their mental edge, you see results like the Miami-Florida game & the Notre Dame game; you cannot find the energy inside yourself to protect your lead against a ferocious comeback, mostly because you have waisted so much of your emotional and physical energy celebrating. The old addage: "Act like you have been there before," really applies here. Part of the blame has to be squarely placed on the coaching staff, because they should not have allowed their players to get carried away celebrating before the game was over. Coach Hatfield would always tell us, "If I catch anyone involved in excessive celebration, it will cost you 100 push-ups on the sideline." So, we learned to curb our celebration until we ended the game, and we were able to maintain our leads in our games. We had several teams mount furious comebacks against us, but we always managed to hold out, because we were mentally still focused on the game.

David
Exfballplayer

[ September 09, 2003, 10:11 AM: Message edited by: exfballplayer ]

David, having seen your pictures, I can never do anything bigger than you. eek! wink

Jim

David ..... Coach Hatfield is a class act. I know that Coach Coker is trying to rein in the showboats at UM. He is doing a good job just like Butch did. Under Erickson, it was totally out of control during his UM years.

In Tally Ho, Coach Bowden is trying to control the press clippings and emotions coming out from the varsity lockerroom. Lets see what Miami week bring us! I am not an optimist on this one.

On the gator vs Canes game, uf did a lot of trash talking in the press down in Florida. Sorry GJ ... but David has a point about coaching and controlling your emotions especially knowing how to act when you have been there before.

On Giraffe (BB), I don't condone what he did after the game at the OB. He is totally out of line by his throat slashing signs toward the uf fans and marching band.

I agree re the trash talk. One of my favorite sports quotes as applied to life is from Bear Bryant: "When you get to the end zone, act like you've been there before." I imagine that Coker is doing quite a bit of that with his guys too.

You gotta hand it to Shannon Snell, though. Much as I wanted him to just shut his cake hole (and said so in a PM to J T), he never backed down, but said that he'd apologize if proven wrong. Well, he was proven wrong and has since publicly and repeatedly apologized and admitted as much.

You'd think that Berlin (who was photographed doing the Danny Wuerffel prayer thing before his classless taunts - WTF?) would have done the same thing to earn back some good graces from the sportswriters. But, no. F*** you, Brockie. Didn't they fine an NFL player for the throat slash?

In any event, on with the show. Good thing the Gator Band got to dominate last weekend over Miami. This weekend is Alumni Band weekend at UF, and FAMU is bringing the Marching 100. It will be different.

gj