There are 119 Division I-A football teams out there. No one man can follow them all this season. Lee Corso may be the lone exception. But since none of us are him, Blogcritics has appointed a crew to clean up the mess left each week on the co-ed stadiums across the country and summarize (for you, the infallible reader!) the top games, conference by conference.
ACC
After Week 3 of the 2006 college football season it’s clear that the level of quality in the ACC ain’t what it used to be.
The Maryland Terps were thoroughly outclassed and embarrassed 45-24 by West Virginia during ESPN’s Thursday night broadcast, and with rare exception, there wasn’t much for ACC fans to feel that great about by the time Saturday night rolled around.
There were two big games for the ACC this weekend.
Saturday afternoon, No. 17 Miami was trashed by No. 12 Louisville 31-7 in a loss that basically ended Miami’s season and perhaps Larry Coker’s reign at the helm of the ‘Canes. Miami doesn’t play another meaningful game until late October when they visit Georgia Tech and then host Virginia Tech the next weekend, but by then they will be an afterthought in the pollsters' minds.
Saturday night on ESPN, Tommy Bowden’s Clemson Tigers won an interesting but sloppy game by the score of 27-20 over Bobby Bowden’s ninth-ranked Florida State Seminoles. How a team like Florida State that’s blessed with such amazing athletes can have such a lousy offense is a mystery.
In other games, the Boston College Eagles avoided an upset at the hands of the visiting Brigham Young Cougars as they won 30-23 in OT; Virginia Tech hammered hapless Duke 37-0; Georgia Tech took Troy 35-20: Wake Forest forged ahead against UConn 23-14 and North Carolina struggled to beat Division 1-AA Furman 45-42.
ACC members and fans can’t be too happy with losses suffered by teams in their league. For starters, the University of Virginia managed only 178 total yards in a 17-10 loss at home to Western Michigan. But it got worse as North Carolina State got peppered by Southern Mississippi 37-17 in a game where NC State couldn’t even force their opponents to punt.
Chuck Amato of NC State may be joining Larry Coker in the coach’s unemployment office this off season.
There isn’t a game of consequence in the ACC or involving an ACC team during the upcoming week.
Article comments
1 - Ben Miraski
It is good to see that Oklahoma administrators were all over the PAC-10 after the Oklahoma-Oregon game. The President of the University called for the entire officiating crew to be suspended for the rest of the year and for the game to be wiped from the record books (fat chance of that happening). He is also asking for the PAC-10 to change its policy of only allowing PAC-10 officials at home non-conference games.
The officiating crew, including those in the replay booth were suspended for a single game after the PAC-10 reviewed the video.
I think Oklahoma's administrators might want to pay more attention to their player's off the field antics *cough*BOMAR*cough* and worry less about the officiating crew in another league, or asking for crazy things to happen like the game be wiped from the minds of everyone.
2 - DJRadiohead
How about Texas A&M needing a goal line stand to beat Army? FireFran, indeed.
3 - Adam Hoff
OU should also be more concerned with the fact that their supposedly good defense gave up over 500 yards of total offense. That said, they definitely got screwed over. It was the cumulative effect that did it (as it so often does). The onside kick had two missed calls and then it was topped off with a pass interference call that shouldn't have happened because the ball was tipped.
I should add that LSU got it almost as bad as the Sooners. They were on the short end of several terrible PI calls, including an obvious missed call in the first half when David Irons frantically clutched on to an open receiver in the end zone (preventing a sure touchdown), and, of course, the horrible reversed call in the closing minutes when an obvious PI occured on 4th-and-8, yet the flag was inexplicably picked up. So while OU-Oregon gets the "controversy" headlines, I thought LSU got screwed over just as badly.
As for Kenny Irons, he looked good - ran very hard and got the extra yardage when the Tigers needed it most. I would compare him more to Ronnie Brown, an Auburn back of more recent vintage, than Jackson, but either way, he's a good one. Tubberville is turning that school into a tailback factory. Just a few years ago he had Brown, Carnell Williams, and Brandon Jacobs (who then transfered to get more playing time and is now mowing people over in the NFL) on the roster at the same time. Now he has Irons and Lester and no doubt a few more future studs. Pretty impressive.
4 - Ben Miraski
I don't see Kenny Irons making a run for the Heisman, or even being a finalist at this point. He has had two straight games under 100 yards rushing which will kill him in terms of overall numbers.
He is very good, but power rushers like Irons is becoming, are not going to be able to compete with the Steve Slatons and Adrian Petersons of the world.
5 - DJRadiohead
Adrian Petersen has not really done much this year, either. Nice game against UAB he had.
I don't think Irons is a Jackson clone, I just think the power they run/ran with is similar. Brown had power, too, no question. Brown was a more complete back- very good hands. Tuberville has had a wealth of great backs at Auburn, much to my eternal chagrin. Of course I think the best back in the SEC for the second straight year is going largely unnoticed. If Darren McFadden played for a real team instead of Arkansas he would put up unreal numbers. Same thing with Norwood at MissStake last year. Great backs on dreadful teams. MSU cost Norwood millions- moved him back to the third round.
As to Heisman chances... I think over the course of the season Irons will put up enough numbers against bigboy talent and Auburn will win games and be on national TV. I am not predicting he wins. Slaton and Smith damage each other's chances, but one or both of them could be there with Irons and Smith.
Bad officiating? In the SEC? You're joking, right? =) The SEC has had terrible problems for some time now in that department. It is an epidemic. Maybe they need to get another official on the field in addition to instant replay. The game moves so much faster these days- maybe another set of eyes to reduce the amount of ground each has to cover would help. I don't know. Maybe that wouldn't help at all. Something needs to be done. It's awful.
6 - Adam Hoff
A few things:
1) I forget to mention in my Pac-10 recap that while USC won handily for the second straight game, they also lost another key player in the process. Their starting fullback, Ryan Powdrell, suffered one of the nastiest leg injuries I've ever seen. You know when the annnouncers have to warn you before the replay that it is going to be ugly. So now they've lost a starting safety and their fullback in the first two games. Good thing they are deep.
2) It was the best of times and the worst of times for ESPN/ABC's Brent Musberger in the SC game. On the one hand, he was his usual over-excited self (see: his legendary performance during the World Cup) saying things like "John David swings it out to The Rangy One!" when Booty completed a pass to Jarrett, but on the other hand, he got himself in some trouble by revealing confidential information about USC's signaling. First, a seemingly ageless Musberger appeared to age 25 years overnight (between 2002 and 2003) to the point that he resembled the guy in "Raiders of the Lost Ark" who had his face melt off. Now, this. Could these be the last days for Brent?
3) The Heisman race. Isn't it interesting how the mainstream media (read: ESPN) suddenly stopped talking about the Heisman race now that Quinn has little chance at winning it? Without the Golden Boy from Notre Dame, it's like nobody cares anymore. I think the race is more interesting than ever. Troy Smith has to be the frontrunner, but there are a ton of guys off to nice starts who will play for good teams and have showcase games at some point. Slaton looks fantastic. Contrary to a comment above, Peterson has pretty big numbers. Leak is a possibility. I really think Booty will get some consideration. Jarrett was the logical choice coming in, but USC makes so much use of Smith and the tight ends that I think Booty will be the more appealing choice if the Trojans run the table. Mike Hart has to get some love at this point. What if BC runs the table in the dreadful ACC? Wouldn't Matt Ryan be an interesting darkhorse candidate? I know I'm probably forgetting some people as well.
7 - Matthew T. Sussman
Call me crazy, but I think the Heisman will go to a quarterback or running back whose team is in the top 15.
8 - DJRadiohead
Well, I stand corrected- Peterson's numbers are better than I thought they were. I can own up to it. I will say I think Peterson is running against high expectations and a Sooners team that, even if the Oregon disgrace had gone differently, is not likely to be on the big stage this year.
Glamour players from glamour schools have always been what ESPN and, at the risk of sounding snotty, the college football-less New York media have glommed on to. This is no big surprise to me but I agree with Adam on the point.
I do disagree with Leak being a candidate. He's not even the best QB in the SEC, let alone player in the country. Besides, Meyer has started pulling Leak in the redzone for Tebow. If Florida wins the east (and they won't, Georgia will) it could help Leak's cause but I don't it will be him. Smith is the frontrunner with other candidates emerging.
9 - berkeley joe
hey DJ Radiohead, you were asking about the Hawaii defensive player flying around and tackling people with reckless abandon; I think the one you're referring to is a guy by the name of Leonard Peters, who according to the local radio talking heads has single handedly prevented about 6 TD's so far this season (in just 2 games) Guess he's a little banged up, but he hasn't really let that slow him down. Jerry Glanville's defense is really starting to heat up, if you look at the numbers, they've been murderous against the run, should be interesting against the powerhouse (at least so far) run game of Boise this weekend...