Today's College Football Thread

[fishwax]

It should be a great day in college football. There are four games between ranked teams, including the main event between No. 5 Oklahoma and No. 2 Texas Tech. Seems like there has been an unusually large number of games between top 5 teams this year.

The first big matchup is the afternoon game between Michigan State (15) and Penn State (8). If Penn State wins they clinch the Big 10 title and a trip to the Rose Bowl. If Michigan State wins, they could be Big 10 champs, provided Michigan upsets Ohio State today (which is unlikely).

BYU (14) and Utah (7) play this evening. Utah wins the Mountain West and likely guarantees a spot in a BCS bowl if they win today. If they lose, then Boise State will likely get the BCS bid (though BYU could still have a chance) and it would likely be a three-way tie between Utah, BYU, and TCU for the MWC championship.

Pittsburgh (20) and Cincinnati (19) play this evening as well. If Cincy wins, they need only beat Syracuse to clinch the Big East title. If Pitt wins, then the winner of the Pitt-West Virginia game next week will have the inside track for the Big East title.

The Texas Tech-Oklahoma game tonight in Norman could help decide the Heisman winner, the Big 12 South winner, and the BCS Championship Game. If Tech wins, they clinch a spot in the Big 12 title game, QB Graham Harrell will probably win the Heisman, and Tech will be bound for the title game as long as they beat Baylor and then Mizzou in the CCG. If Oklahoma wins, it sets up a three-way tie for the Big 12 south between Oklahoma, Texas, and Texas Tech. Provided all teams win their games next week, the highest ranked team in the BCS would go to the Big 12 Title game (and, provided they win there, the BCS title game as well). Hopefully it will be a great game.

Lots of other action, too, with conference titles, rivalry trophies, and pride on the line. So what games are you looking forward to?

[Bertha Venation]

1. The Hokies have a home game today, very inconveniently for Mrs. V.

as Christiansburg is the halfway point between her hometown and home here in MD. She usually stops halfway on the drive to spend the night. But since there are no decent rooms to be found within 50 mi. of Christiansburg, she's driving straight through. x(

Oh, wait. That's not really about football.

Never mind.

On edit: I love your username. LOL

[fishwax]

7. grr -- football traffic and travelermucks everything up

On edit: I love your username.

I love yours too :) :hi:

[Writer]

2. Does Colt McCoy have any shot at the Heisman?

Is it really just a matter of Graham Harrell losing a game?

[fishwax]

8. he has a shot if Tech loses

I don't think anyone can catch Harrell if Tech goes undefeated. But if OU wins, then Sam Bradford, McCoy, and Tebow are back in the discussion for sure ...

[taterguy]

3. I'm looking forward to Paul Wellstone's alma mater stomping the shit out of whoever they play

That's what Paul would have wanted.

[fishwax]

9. He might be ready to invade Raleigh about now

his alma mater is losing at home to the wolfpack ...

[dem629]

4. NC State @ UNC, Clemson @ Virginia, FSU @ Maryland

Hoping for winners: UNC, CLEMSON, MARYLAND

Haven't checked the SEC games yet, but I'm sure I will watch some of those as well.

[fishwax]

10. can't figure the ACC this year

what a crazy conference race that is. I think the Maryland-FSU game should be a fun one ...

[dem629]

14. Yeah, especially the ACC Coastal Division.

There are four teams in contention for first place. I'm hoping the Tarheels pull it off.

The Atlantic Div. could be wrapped up tonight with a Maryland win over FSU.

Clemson is definitely the biggest surprise letdown/disappointment of the conference, and certainly near the top of the list of letdown surprises in the country. They just absolutely fell apart. I was raised a Clemson fan, so I keep up with them fairly closely still. Firing Tommy Bowden was a good move, even though it cost $3.5 mil. Yowch.

EDIT: Tonight I'll be switching between the T-Tech/Oklahoma game and the FSU/MD game. Good stuff.

[fishwax]

16. So any thoughts on who Clemson's next coach will/should be?

Apparently they interviewed OU DC Brent Venables, but I haven't heard much more about that. Is there anyone in particular you're hoping for?

Regarding Maryland, I think they clinch a tie for the Atlantic tonight, but I thought they could then still lose the tiebreaker to Boston College if BC wins out, which would include beating Maryland in the last game--in that case BC and Maryland would be the only two teams tied with three losses).

[dem629]

21. I think it will (and should) be the current interim head coach, Dabo Swinney.

I think he's doing a fine job with what was dropped in his lap five weeks ago (or whenever it was). He has respect from the players (something that was sorely missing under Tommy Bowden), and they seem to have bought in to his philosophy very quickly. He's been at Clemson since 2003, so he knows the admin, and, more importantly, he knows the recruiting turf and has done a phenomenal job in that area. It's just that Bowden was running a bad and broken system.

For all those reasons, I see no need to look elsewhere. He could be signed for relatively cheap, because he wants the job so bad, and Clemson would use a financial break right now, so my extremely amateur opinion is this: Give him a two-year contract and let's see what he can do. What do they have to lose?

You're probably right about the Maryland situation, by the way. I haven't worked out the possibilities and I was just repeating what I heard the announcers saying during the games today.

[CatholicEdHead]

5. Gophers get Floyd of Rosedale back from Iowa

Plus the D-III Playoffs begin today.

http://www.d3football.com/schedule.html

:D

[fishwax]

11. lol -- I forgot all about that trophy

Had to look it up to refresh my memory because I lose track of all those Big 10 traveling trophies, but that's a good one :)

[Wapsie B]

13. I don't think so.

Not if the Iowa defense has anything to say about it. But it should be a good game regardless.

[insanity]

6. Oregon State v. Arizona

I'm so pumped/nervous. If we win this game, you'll bet I'll be at the Civil War, my ticket is safely stashed away

[fishwax]

12. Arizona's playing awfully well at home this year

If that game were in Corvallis I'd say you could be pretty confident, but Arizona's only home loss was to USC, and that was only by 7. Should be a good game ... and the Civil War with the Rose Bowl on the line :wow:

[insanity]

15. I'm nervous

Both schools have been playing well.

[Twillig]

58. Whoooooooooo!

[VenusRising]

17. Alright, Buckeyes!

There is the 20 point spread they were giving 'em!

[Maccagirl]

19. Yes! Now lets put the nail in this coffin already.

Go Bucks!!!!

[sasquatch]

23. Final score 42-7 Ohio State over Michigan, 5th year in a row!!

Michigan ends the year 3-9.
:rofl:

[fishwax]

31. congrats to the Buckeyes

the Michigan defense played really well to start off, but the Buckeye D kept bailing the offense out. I missed most of the second half, but it sounds like it got out of hand :)

[pokerfan]

18. Washington at Washington State (Apple Cup)

The worst match-up ever is kicking off in half an hour. An 0-10 Washington team against a 1-10 Washington State squad whose sole victory is against DI-AA Portland State. And it's being televised nation-wide on Fox Sports. :(

Lame duck Huskie coach "Paint Dry" Ty Willingham was fired a few weeks ago but agreed to finish out the season in order to get paid for not coaching next year while the Huskies interview more Notre Dame castaways for the head position.

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?page=rivalryweek/applecup">Even in historically bad year, Apple Cup matters to players and fans

[insanity]

20. I'll watch that!

[pokerfan]

25. OVERTIME!

WSU just tied it up on a FG with no time left.

[pokerfan]

26. DOUBLE OVERTIME!!

starting now...

[Twillig]

27. Cougs win.

Awesome.

Wave that Coug flag high, man!

:toast: :party:

[pokerfan]

28. W00T!

[fishwax]

29. that was quite an exciting finish

:toast:

[Drunken Irishman]

22. Getting ready to head to the BYU-Utah game. GO UTES!!!!!!!!!

PLEASE, FUCKING PLEASE BEAT THE COUGARS! I BEG YOU, JUST DO IT! PLLLEEEEEEEASE

Ok. I'm all better now.

[Drunken Irishman]

97. YAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY

[GOPisEvil]

24. The Aggies will NOT lose today.

Thursday, however, is another matter. :)

[fishwax]

30. yeah, I'm afraid Thursday could get ugly for y'all

especially if OU wins tonight and Texas has to make a statement ...

[Tom Kitten]

32. Halftime: Arizona 3 Oregon State 3

Beavs kicked a 47 yd FG to tie as first half ended. Beavs without Quizz rest of the game, took a hard hit and strained shoulder. I'm actually watching it live on the internets!

Soon the Blazers play the Suns on tv. Gotta see Oden vs. Shaq! Won't be posting much for awhile!

[Tom Kitten]

43. 10-10 end of 3rd

[Twillig]

59. Whooooooo!

[RoyGBiv]

33. BOOMER!!!

[fishwax]

35. SOONER!!!

Good start :toast:

[RoyGBiv]

39. Continuing good start ...

Tech ZERO in first quarter.

That would be a goose egg, a nada, none. No points.

[fishwax]

47. 21-0 now

Sooners can't let up, though.

[RoyGBiv]

51. I said a couple weeks ago ...

I could see Tech's weaknesses and didn't know if OU could exploit them.

So far, they're exploiting them.

[Fleshdancer]

34. and Oklahoma scores the first touchdown n/t

[fishwax]

36. woohoo!

:woohoo:

[Fleshdancer]

38. and Oklahoma scores the second touchdown

someone should call Texas Tech and inform them that they're scheduled to play a game tonight.

[fishwax]

37. Oklahoma 7 -- Tech 0 at the end of the 1st quarter

[Capn Sunshine]

41. wow-Tech's got nuttin' so far

They better sack up quick. OU isn't a team that you want to have a big-ass comeback against...offhand, load up the receivers on one side, or run some weak side sweeps, because what they are trying now ain't working.

[Writer]

40. Hook 'em, Sooners!

:headbang:

[RoyGBiv]

49. LOL!

I can actually appreciate that. :)

[tigereye]

42. Pitt better step it up - apparently Cinci has never beat us.

we are going to the PItt-WVU game next Friday!

[lizerdbits]

44. FSU 21 MD 0 at almost halftime

Poor turtlensue!

[blonndee]

45. Wow, someone lit a fire under the OU Defense's asses!

WOW.

[fishwax]

46. And how!

:woohoo:

[Ptah]

48. Bear Down Arizona!

Oregon State Beavers 10
Arizona Wildcats         17

8:00 left in the fourth quarter.

[Ptah]

50. Oregon State misses extra point!

OSU   16
UofA 17

Bear Down Wildcats!

[pokerfan]

94. In 2004

Oregon State was playing at LSU. Their kicker, Alexis Serna missed three extra points including the one that would have forced a second overtime. The (rather dark) joke making the rounds at the time is that he tried to hang himself but was unable to kick the chair out from beneath him.

It has a happy ending though. He went on to become an All American winning the Lou Groza Award the following year and is currently playing in CFL.

[gratuitous]

74. Now that's what a Rose Bowl team does

Outstanding, bark rats.

[Ptah]

83. Congratulations, Beavers.

Well done.

:thumbsup:

[insanity]

88. YES!

My boys did it. Tonight will be fun in Corvallis. It sucks that my girlfriend is a duck :(

[BulletproofLandshark]

52. The Sooners are just putting it on TT.

35-7. That running game for OU is a juggernaut.

[jobycom]

53. 42-7 now. Wow. So how did Texas beat OU, then lose to Tech?

Neither of these is the team UT played.

[RoyGBiv]

56. Re-Match ...

I know it won't happen, but still ...

I've been thinking the same thing.

OU and TX need to play again to decide this fairly, but unfortunately it won't be decided that way.

[jobycom]

60. Until this half started, everyone wanted to see a TT-Texas rematch.

This is stunning. I mean, it's not even like OU got on a lucky streak and Tech just tripped up. They don't look like they are in the same league at the moment. And I know OU didn't look like this against Texas.

[RoyGBiv]

61. As was mentioned elsewhere ...

Someone lit a fire under OU's defense.

This is the best I've seen them play.

Their O-Line is also just kicking ass. I've watched most of Tech's games this season, and I've not see any team treat their D-Line like this, although against Texas they did show that weakness. Texas just couldn't exploit it properly.

I guess this is why they play a whole season. Some teams improve. Others don't.

But I still think an OU-TX rematch is the only truly fair way to resolve this.

[fishwax]

64. The OU-Texas game changed when Ryan Reynolds got hurt

As a Sooner fan, I'm not trying to use injuries as an excuse, but Oklahoma was ahead when Reynolds got hurt, and Texas had not done anything on the ground at that point. Texas was (to their credit) able to expose an inexperienced backup linebacker to establish a running game and get the ball to RBs and TEs in the passing game and win by 10.

Since that game, Oklahoma has (a) established a solution to losing Ryan Reynolds at linebacker and (b) establish an outstanding running game led by a fully healthy DeMarco Murray.

I think those are the two main reasons that this Oklahoma team is much better than the (quite good) Oklahoma team that lost to the (also very good) Texas team back in October.

[jobycom]

66. That makes sense. Although I have to say your tone

was way too polite for this rivalry. :)

[fishwax]

77. lol -- well, at the moment I'm feeling magnanimous

This 38-point (er, make that 45-point) lead has brought out the best in me :)

[blonndee]

68. Good summary. I never thought OU played *badly* against Texas;

it's just that Texas was ON that night. That, and the injury to Reynolds.

I really really hope that the OU playing tonight is the OU we're going to see in the next game. :) (And, hopefully, on Dec. 6!) This is SO fun to watch.

[Writer]

70. That was a good game...

Texas was just a little better. McCoy had a nearly perfect game. They were patient and methodical. It was almost boring to watch Texas, but they won.

Injuries: Texas had Orakpo then his replacement injured last week against Kansas. The THIRD-stringer they brought in helped to bring down Kansas in the red zone. When it comes to injuries, coaching takes over.

[RoyGBiv]

78. It was a good game ...

It was Texas's best game all season. Their exploitation of Reynolds absence is something almost no other team could have done.

That team did not play Tech.

And this OU team did not play Texas.

All fan sympathies aside, I cannot sit here and tell you which of the two teams is better, Texas or OU. I've always thought Tech was good but playing a spoiler role, which I think we're seeing here tonight.

This 3-way tie stuff is crazy. Neither OU nor Texas will be fairly treated in it.

[Writer]

81. Yeah no kidding.

Neither team will be treated fairly. I'd actually feel okay if Oklahoma plays in the BCS Champ. game, because watching Tech play a team like Alabama or Florida will be embarrassing.

[RoyGBiv]

54. Make that 42-7

The running game can be credited to the line right now. OU's O-Line is OWNING Tech's D-Line.

[fishwax]

65. The line has been great to be sure, but the backs have done their part

Brown's cuts have been super-sharp--when he scored on that sweep in the second quarter he could have easily been stopped in the backfield for a 2-yard loss. And Murray's moves (both running the ball and on yards-after-catch in the passing game) have been electric. But, yeah, it all starts with the line. They've been dominant tonight.

[RoyGBiv]

72. Indeed ...

Murray is always good. He just needs that initial hole, and once he gets that, watch out.

Not trying to take anything away from him at all, of course. It's just a standard thing with great backs. You tend only get to see how good they really are when they have a line that gives them the opportunity to shine.

[blonndee]

55. OMG...This OU/TT game is shocking.

I'm just sitting here with my mouth hanging open!

[RoyGBiv]

57. But it's awesome.

:-)

:woohoo:

:bounce:

[blonndee]

62. Hee!

I thought that went without saying. :)

I've now graduated from gaping unbelief to :woohoo:

[littlebit]

63. I feel really dirty

rooting for OU.

[Writer]

67. Yup. Me, too.

I think Tech's problem is not skill but maturity. To go on two fourth downs against a hot-for-trot defense who has you figured out? That's bad coaching.

As far as the players go, this sugar shock, super-aggressive, all-out-on-every-play will carry you only so far. The kids need to calm the fuck down and play ball.

[littlebit]

73. You're right I totally agree.

[RoyGBiv]

69. Embrace the dark side ...

Search your feeeeeeelings ....

:-)

[littlebit]

75. I can't do it

I have tried but I just can't.:)

[RoyGBiv]

80. Awww, c'mon ...

When Texas as in the championship game, I was actually sitting at a bar in *Norman* wearing burnt orange.

You can do it. :)

Texas fans are awesome ... much, MUCH better than OSU fans.

[littlebit]

84. Well we are an awesome bunch

but I really don't look good in maroon. :)

[fishwax]

71. I think it might be time for lonhorn fans to switch their allegiance to Tech

Don't get me wrong, it's been fun having y'all cheer for the Sooners, but a rout this big doesn't help your cause quite as much ;)

[Writer]

76. Yeah you're right...

but Texas did beat Oklahoma in Dallas. Sure this is a thumping, but Texas only barely lost to Tech. They have the best loss so far.

[fishwax]

79. au contraire

They have the best loss so far.

As losses go, a loss to Texas isn't so bad ;)

[littlebit]

82. This is all starting to confuse me.

After tonight there will be a three way tie for first place right? So who will win the tie breaker? How will they all be ranked this next week? I am so confused.

[RoyGBiv]

87. As of Sunday afternoon ...

It's gonna be absolute insanity.

Assuming everyone in the Top-10 after this weekend wins out, it'll be yet one more bit of evidence that the BCS system sucks.

It's going to come down to "style" points ... whatever that means.

[greatauntoftriplets]

85. Northwestern beat Illinois today (sorry!)

OU looks on track to cream Texas Tech. This one you and I can agree on.

:hi:

[fishwax]

91. I'd trade an Illini loss for this any day

I wanted the Illini to do well, and I root for them, but this is beautiful :)

It's been a good year for Northwestern :hi:

[greatauntoftriplets]

92. You're very generous.

OTOH, Oklahoma is doing excellently tonight.

[jobycom]

86. MISSED EXTRA POINT!! MISSED EXTRA POINT!!!

That could come back to haunt them. :rofl:

[RoyGBiv]

89. And there you see ...

The one member of the team that will be doing double laps at the next practice. :)

[jobycom]

90. Laugh!

[Wapsie B]

93. Holy shit!

Never in my wildest dreams would I pick a final score like that. Iowa 55-0 over Minny. OMG!

Let's go Hawks!

[fishwax]

95. I was shocked when I saw that score on the ticker

:wow:

[Twillig]

96. who's the patron saint of snowball mayhem?

Or, "They pelted us with rocks and garbage Snowballs."

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=3719375

SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- Notre Dame football players were pelted by snowballs from fans sitting in the student section during their loss to Syracuse on Saturday.

"To throw snowballs at their own team, I didn't think that was a smart thing to do. I guess it was funny," defensive tackle Pat Kuntz said after Syracuse upset the Irish 24-23.

The Irish play at USC next week.

They've got Rudy up on Hulu now. That might be nice to watch instead.