Western Michigan over Iowa doesn't really count as an upset. UL-Monroe over Alabama is an upset, but I think Captain Hangover took the credit for that win. So Upset Watch has spent most of the day in the bar getting tanked because he got stood up this afternoon. It's probably a good thing that he didn't pass out there, too.
Now it's getting late in the evening and Texas Tech has given ol' Upset a ring. They're up 27-7, but they just fumbled and Oklahoma recovered. Crawford is still out, which means Josh Halzle is having to shoulder most of the offensive load. With that being said, DeMarco Murray has really done well once he's got his hands on the ball, so Stoops may shift more of the offense to Murray once the second half begins. Halzle looks like he's settling down a bit, so we'll see if that helps after halftime. As of now, if Oklahoma can get within two scores before halftime, they have to chalk that up as a positive.
In the other games, West Virginia punted on their first possession and Cincy did an excellent job getting downfield .... up until they coughed up the ball. Still 21-10 with WVU on the move now.
Clemson just kicked a 22-yard FG. That tells you all you need to know about that game for now. Interest level: 1.5/10.
Update 1:
WVU / Cincinnati is on the back burner, as the 'Eers just went up 28-10. The less said about BC / Clemson, the better; suffice to say that nothing's gone on there. You haven't missed much if you spent the last 15 minutes eating dinner, as OU / TTU just kicked off the 2nd half. Let's see how this plays out.
Update 2:
I'm actually updating because of BC / Clemson. No, the game hasn't gotten interesting, but BC has taken the lead. It's 13-10, and the "highlight" is BC controlling the ball for about the first 7 minutes of the fourth quarter. There's still time to go in the game and Clemson is driving (as I'm writing, they're in the red zone and I'm actively looking for the Score Alert), so at worst they should be able to tie.
Cincinnati has cut the margin to 28-17 and they may be able to pull out the win if there was 75 minutes in regulation, but I think time's going to run out on them. Of course, literally as I'm writing the previous sentence Cincy recovers a fumble deep in WVU territory, so ....stay tuned. Still don't think there's enough time.
Meanwhile, in the upset du jour, TTU is up 34-13 and driving in the wrong direction. Still, at this point they're not quite to the point where they can hold serve, but Oklahoma's offense is not explosive today and won't be as long as Crawford's on the sidelines. It's not a guarantee, but ...it's not looking bad for the Red Raiders.
Updates on updates: TTU misses a FG opportunity by banging it off the post and Clemson bangs one in on the legs of Cullen Harper. 17-13 Clemson and still 34-13 TTU.
Update 3:
Apparently my insistent mockery of the BC / Clemson game finally reached Death Valley. BC has stormed back to take a 20-17 lead on the arm of Matt Ryan. That last part isn't to anyone's surprise; BC also has managed to do approximately nothing on the ground. Some credit goes to their D as well, as both Spiller and Davis have been shut down. The question I have for Tommy Bowden at this point is why he put the game in Cullen Harper's hands; Harper has done much better than expected, but he still has a fantastic combination of backs that he really should be using.
West Virginia / Cincinnati has gone final; WVU wins a tough battle on the road, which should help them in both the polls and in the computer rankings. Next week's game will do them some favors, but the final battle with a struggling Pitt team won't help. Snap analysis of the polls point to gaining at least a spot in each poll which will probably put them up to 5th at worst. If Oklahoma loses, they're probably in 4th, as I don't think Ohio State's win will do enough for them.
Speaking of Oklahoma, we're to the 4th quarter and they're down by 21.
Saturday, November 17
Week 12: Upset Watch Is Sick of Blue Balls
Week 12: Dear God Let the Night Games Be Interesting
So after today turned out - by and large - a bunch of afternoon clunkers, here's hoping that the night games can be interesting.
Oklahoma @ Texas Tech
Odds of being interesting: 3:1
TTU has enough of a high-powered offense to keep people paying attention during their possession. Unfortunately, they have a defense that makes WAC teams look at it and say, "wow, those guys suck on D" - so they don't really have that going for them. I was really hoping that TTU's D ranked in the top 50 of scoring D, but no. They apparently can defend the pass pretty well, but I wonder how much of that is "TTU has a good secondary" as much as it is "TTU can't stop the run worth shit". Probably a bit of both.
On the other hand, Oklahoma also has a high-powered offense with a defense to match. They're a bit weak against the pass, maybe; it could be as much a questionable secondary as it is a killer front 7. Their offensive passing numbers aren't as Playstation as the Red Raiders, but they actually ....y'know, run the ball. This could be fun if OU's defense forgets to show up.
Boston College @ Clemson
Odds of being interesting: 2.333:1
I want to like this game, I really do. But this could be either a blowout or a dead duck. There's a real chance that both teams could decide they don't want to win the game, even though the winner has a great shot at a BCS berth. Bonus: both teams sport great offenses. Negative: both teams are spotty.
The real nice part about this game is that it should be close, but close doesn't always mean drama. Close also means a 7-7 tie in the 4th quarter with 12 TOs and a bunch of punts. You've been warned.
West Virginia @ Cincinnati
Odds of being interesting: 1.5:1
I like this game quite a bit. Both teams can both score and play D, and Cincinnati's D is notorious ball-hawks this season. I've professed on many occasions my love for West Virginia's offense, and this should be a challenge for them. All signs point to pulling up this game as your primary viewing option.
What could go wrong? Injuries. Blowouts. This game is 2 punts and a turnover away from becoming a blowout, but at least both teams can come back.
If we're lucky, one of these games will be good for a few hours. If not ....well, there's always hockey.
Update 1:
It's probably a little bit early for an update, but since every game is already 7-0, it's worth mentioning at least. Nothing really worth mentioning beyond that, though. Oklahoma scored their 7 on a Pick 6 so TTU will get the ball back, and Cincinnati had to punt on their first possession but forced a three-and-out. West Virginia did pull off one hell of a punt.
Anyway, we're a punt and an Oklahoma TD away from this game getting annoying. I'll just hope Clemson and BC don't punt at all. At least the Penguins had a great first period; Sidney Crosby is playing the best game I've ever seen from him.
Update 2:
I'm not talking about hockey anymore; stupid Rangers. Going through the main games:
WVU @ Cincinnati: Interest level - 4/10. The Mountaineers are up 21-10 going into halftime and get the ball back to start the 3rd. Cincinnati needs some momentum here, and I'm mainly following the game because I like the Bearcats. If it gets to 28-10, it's going on the back burner until Cincy can get within a score.
BC @ Clemson: Interest level - 5/10. Bonus points for staying within 7 points, but here's how the drives have ended:
Punt, TD, turnover on downs, punt, punt, punt, INT, missed FG, punt, punt, FG
Admit it, you're glad you're not watching this game. ACC football!
Oklahoma @ TTU: Interest level - 9/10. This isn't 10/10 only because I don't particularly care about either team, but since the Red Raiders are up 20-7, it's a big deal right now. I can't believe in them yet, though; they haven't looked good on D (which I thought) and I'm not totally sold on the offense. That being said, Michael Crabtree is sick and is worth a point by himself. I haven't seen him before tonight, but ...wow.
Another point of interest: Sam Bradford is out of the game with a slight concussion. His backup is in, and he just was responsible for a delay-of-game penalty. If OU goes to a silent count that'll fix a lot of the problems, but can he handle that?
Week 12: In Search of Interesting Games
Wow. The Tennessee/Vandy game was a nail-biter, but the Vols managed to pull it out. The fourth quarter made all the difference for Tennessee, but the problem for the Vols was - oddly - Cassen Jackson-Garrison, who ended up going for 82 yards on 22 carries. The only justification / reasoning I can think of for this game was a combination hangover / trap game. The defense played great against Arkansas and they'll need to do the same next week. Game ball goes to Arian Foster, who didn't score but set up the TD for the Vols to cut the deficit to 24-22 and rushed for a lot of the yardage that allowed Lincoln to kick a FG that served as the final margin. Fun fact: once I turned off the audio on the game the Vols outscored the Commodores 16-0.
UL-Monroe will win against Alabama at 'Bama. Huge, huge upset - and don't look now, but the Sun Belt is starting to shed some of their doormat image. The conference isn't good yet, but they could give, say, the MAC a run for their money at least. I wonder if the Sabanophiles are going to still worship the ground he walks on after today.
Short of those games, there's ...not a whole lot happening, again. It's been a pretty quiet week. LSU is up 21-7 on Ole Miss now, Wisconsin took the lead on Minnesota - although that's obviously within a score, and I'm reduced to watching Duke / ND during commercial breaks. God, this LSU / Ole Miss game needs to get interesting fast.
Update 1:
These games are teasing me. Miami finally pulled within a score only to see VA Tech put together probably their best drive of the year - and I'd flip over to watch it, but I still can't watch ACC football of my own accord yet. God, this conference needs to get good fast if I'm going to be stuck watching all their regional coverage.
Minnesota just tied it against Wisconsin, but of course I can't watch that game. (No, I don't have cable; wouldn't that game be on the Big 10 Network anyway?) Meanwhile, Penn State is letting MSU back into the game; it's 24-21 with the Spartans just scoring a TD.
Nothing new elsewhere; George O'Leary even pulled Kevin Smith, so he's still stuck on his old numbers. Ole Miss managed to cut it to 21-10, but LSU kicked a FG to restore the old margin. I've got 5 different Gamecasts open hoping something, anything will happen. I'm almost reduced to following Northern Illinois / Navy even though I can only name one guy combined between the two teams and I can't spell his name. Maybe ABC will change their coverage.
Update 2:
I'm about to write a sentence I never even dreamed of writing.
I want to watch Big 10 football. Seriously. LSU just extended their lead to 17 points so I'm putting that game on the back burner now. I've willingly subjected myself to watching an ACC blowout in hopes that they change the broadcast over. It's a 23-point margin in this game. Meanwhile, I'm staring at my Gamecast and seeing that Penn State is only up by 3, but no. I'm watching Miami. And it's not going anywhere.
In other games ....what do you think? Wisconsin is finally rolling, Washington is beating Cal enough that I'm taking notice (same margin, but now it's the 4th quarter), and that's really about it. Updating a line from way earlier, Memphis looks like they'll win against UAB.
I'm actually waiting for hockey to begin now. Maybe I can fast-forward my life by an hour.
Update 3:
This'll be the last update before the night games post It doesn't look like there will be anything exciting on the horizon, either. LSU has put it away, and Indiana did beat Purdue on a last-second FG. I guess that counts for something.
Meanwhile, ABC was no help at all, as Penn State ended up blowing their lead. Did we see any of it? Nope. Western Michigan beat Iowa 28-19 on the arm of Tim Hiller (357 yards, 3 TDs). Short of that, there wasn't a lot going on. In the meantime, I'm going to watch some hockey.
Be back with a preview shortly.
Week 12: First Round Complete
We're starting to finish the first round of games. Ohio State/Michigan just went final - 14-3 Buckeyes. The game wasn't that surprising; I don't think anyone expected an offensive shootout, and Michigan's had a rough season. This may be Lloyd Carr's final game. Player of the game? Chris Wells, who had 39 (!) runs for 220 yards. It wasn't the prettiest game at all, but Wells was the difference-maker.
Vanderbilt just scored another TD to go up 14-9 late in the 2nd quarter. This was followed by Erik Ainge throwing an inadvertent backward lateral recovered by Vandy at the UT 18. Vandy converted that into a FG, making the margin 17-9 at the half. They'll get the ball back to start the 2nd half, too. Upset Watch is eating some breakfast, as he may be needed shortly.
Other games that have gone final:
Illinois 41, Northwestern 22 (MVP: Juice Williams - 15-23, 217 yards, 1 TD plus 136 yards rushing and 2 rushing TDs)
Temple 24, Kent State 14
UConn 30, Syracuse 7
A whole host of games are about to kick off, including LSU / Ole Miss, Michigan State / Penn State, and UAB / Memphis. I think I'm the only person who cares about that last one, though.
Update 1:
Georgia's done a great job locking down the Wildcats in the second half. I figured that Kentucky had a shot to pull back once it got within 8, but Georgia's kicked a FG to go up 24-13 in a score that I expect will hold to final. Nothing else is really new in SEC land; Arkansas is walking all over Mississippi State, LSU is already up on Ole Miss, and Alabama is struggling with an inferior opponent.
Other finals: Georgia Tech wins a close game over North Carolina (27-25), Tulsa over Army in a shootout (49-39), Rutgers close over Pitt (20-16), FSU closed out the win over Maryland (24-16), and that Georgia/Kentucky game went final in the time it took me to write the update.
Update 2:
The Vandy/Tennessee game isn't looking good for the Vols. I've turned off the audio in hopes that might make a difference - I'm nothing if not superstitious. Will it make a difference? I doubt it. After the first drive, the Vols have looked listless on both sides of the ball. It looks like a hangover game in the making.
Notre Dame has gone up on Duke 14-0 right before the half. It's good to know that the Fighting Irish can handle a solid, talented team like the Blue Devils.
Not a whole lot going on elsewhere; Alabama is letting UL-Monroe hang around into the second half, which is amusing but I don't see it lasting. Kevin Smith from UCF has already run for 175 yards and 2 TDs before the half. He's been on a mission in the middle of nowhere, and he may even be able to work himself into the Heisman talk (but I doubt it).
Update 3:
LSU / Ole Miss has kind of stagnated. LSU is up 14-7, but they're not walking all over the Rebels like I expected. Ole Miss has hung tough - and we even had a Brent Schaeffer sighting! He's 2-for-5, which is a completion ratio I fully expect him to maintain throughout the rest of the game.
Another heartfelt thanks goes out to ABC; we get Miami / VT, which has been a 17-0 beatdown. Is anyone surprised? Meanwhile, Kansas is rolling Iowa State, Penn State is up 10-7 on Michigan State, and Washington is winning a tight game 14-13. But no, we get the beatdown.
Apparently Kevin Smith is now at 179 yards and 3 TDs on the game - currently at halftime. I'm a bit surprised; I guess I updated in the middle of his run or something last time. No matter.
Upset Watch: Vandy's still up 24-16 on Tennessee into the 4th quarter, and thank god for Minnesota keeping at least some of the spotlight off that game; they're up 13-3 on Wisconsin in the 2nd quarter. Also, UL-Monroe is up 21-14 on Alabama almost at the end of the 3rd quarter.
Week 12: Tennessee's Kicking Off and I Have the Audio
I figure with me adding a fourth game to the mix (Tennessee / Vandy, audio only) I should start another post. We're still just before halftime with Georgia / Kentucky; Georgia just punched in a Knowshon Moreno TD to cut the margin to 10-7. It's a big score for them; Kentucky basically dominated the first half in both yardage and time of possession, but Georgia was able to throw one drive together for a score. They won't get the ball to start the second half, though.
In the other games: not a whole lot. Everyone's at halftime.
Fun fact: Tennessee TE Brad Cottam is from (one of) my hometown(s). It's Senior Day for the Vols today, a fact that I'm sure nobody else cares about but me. Judging by the crowd response, I'd be right too. At least Ainge got a strong ovation.
Update 1:
Ohio State scored and I totally missed it. I was starting to make lunch and apparently I wasn't looking at the TV then. Apparently it was a Beanie Wells 62-yard run, so I'm not surprised I missed it.
I want to turn on the Gamecast for the UT/Vandy game, but Internet Explorer doesn't like a lot of Gamecasts open at once so I'm already pushing it here. Verdict? Goodbye, MD/FSU.
Update 2:
I don't feel bad about turning off MD/FSU; it was 21-6 early in the 2nd quarter and it's still 21-6 in the middle of the 3rd quarter. I won't be revisiting this game until MD can cut the gap to one score.
What'll I replace it with? ND/Duke! We're close to kickoff there and this game is going to be hideously bad. I'm looking forward to it.
Kentucky/Georgia just got back from halftime, and the Georgia D just forced a punt - which special teams blocked. Georgia's ball deep in Kentucky territory, and it looks like at worst the Dawgs have momentum. In other SEC news, Tennessee is rolling Vandy early, but the first extra point was blocked, so the Vols are only up 6-0 on a Lucas Taylor TD catch.
In other news, Henne's off the field and it'll be up to Ryan Mallett to lead the Wolverines to a win over the Buckeyes. Best of luck - he'll need it.
(Edit: Georgia did punch it in for a TD. 14-10 Bulldogs.)
Update 3:
End of the first quarter in the UT/Vandy game and ...not a whole lot has happened. Daniel Lincoln had a FG bounce off the crossbar and fall out, but Vandy wasn't able to capitalize on it. There really hasn't been much happening in any game that I haven't already updated. Missouri opened up some breathing room against K-State (28-18), Georgia Tech is locked in a tight battle with North Carolina (17-15 GT), and Rutgers is having issues with Pitt but they're leading 17-13.
I have a remarkable ability to update right as Georgia scores a TD. I was all ready to write about how nothing was going on in the UGA/UK game, but as soon as I do Moreno rips off a 20-yard run and Stafford has a big scramble TD. Finally get a chance to see that Beanie Wells TD, which was as nice as you'd expect for a 62-yard TD run. Ohio State is pinned deep in their own territory.
Upset Watch is on snooze for the time being.
Update 4:
Upset Watch has turned a sleepy eye toward the Tennessee-Vanderbilt game. It's now Vandy 7-6 thanks to a remarkable 17-play, 78-yard drive that took 9:02 off the clock. It's still very early, but the drive was helped out thanks to an obvious PI call against Ryan Karl (covering Earl Bennett, of course he was going to have to commit a foul). In other news, Lones Seiber picked up the luck that Daniel Lincoln lost, banging a FG in off the left post to cut Kentucky's margin to 21-13. A Georgia TO and a Kentucky punt gives Georgia the ball again going into the 4th quarter.
It's still 14-3 Ohio State in a game I definitely wouldn't call exciting. Truth be told, I've barely paid attention to any game currently on the TV; Duke and ND are doing their best imitation of the Punt, Pass, and Kick contest, right down to having the athletic skill of 12-year olds. The MD/FSU margin is 11 - 24-13 - so I'm not paying any more attention to it than that.
A quick survey of the 3:30 games has made me realize that I'm going to get to see a couple of clunkers once 3:30 rolls around: LSU @ Ole Miss and Miami @ VA Tech. Poor CBS. Stupid ABC's regional coverage.
The Week 12 Early Game Count
I love Saturdays. I’ve managed to finally set up my computer so I can watch a game online and mute/un-mute the game without having to move. What’s that mean? I’m really lazy – but it’s kind of awesome. Well, really awesome.
Anyway, I’ll be updating this with thoughts from the three games I’m watching:
- Both
- Asher Allen would’ve returned the opening kickoff for a touchdown had he not slipped. Big mistake;
No real thoughts on the third game for now; I’m not following it *that* closely. Well, FSU's damn tomahawk chop gets old quickly, but that's not news.
Update 1:
- Kentucky gets on the board first thanks to a beautiful threaded pass by Woodson to Keenan Burton. This was also thanks to a stupid, stupid PI by the already mentioned Asher Allen - he basically careened headfirst into the intended WR.
- Finally had a chance to score-check on the MD/FSU game. Florida State is killing it thanks to an early pick and great field position. I'll trust their lead about as far as I can throw Bobby Bowden, but it's legit for now.
- Ohio State just pulled off a solid drive to punch the ball in for a touchdown.
- In the time I was writing those previous updates, Kentucky pulls off a beautiful pick and is now driving into Georgia territory. Georgia's playing a lot of zone early and the routes that are being called do a great job of threading the coverage territories. The Wildcats look really good early - 5:13 left in the 1st quarter.
Update 2:
- Georgia is not looking good at all right now. They've had three turnovers already and a couple of bad penalties, and it's 10-0 Kentucky with almost all the momentum to boot.
- Michigan just booted one beautiful 68-yard punt. They're still down 7-0.
- Unrelated game: I'm following Missouri-Kansas State on Gamecast, and I happen to click over to it right as Jeremy Maclin returns the kickoff for a TD. It's strange seeing just one big black line going all the way across the field, but that was what happened. 14-9 Missouri (they blocked the point after).
Update 3:
- Even though I'm not watching the game, I'd feel bad if I didn't mention that K-State has taken the lead against Missouri. This has been a recurring problem for the Wildcats; they have an unfortunate habit of falling asleep for a few minutes at a time during each game. It hasn't killed them much yet, but it will soon. Of course, in the time I post this, they score again to go up 21-15. Oh well.
- Michigan/Ohio State is in the locker room for halftime, and the game ....honestly hasn't been that exciting. I've been spending a while doing some background things for the blog, but I haven't even thought much about looking up. I'm now in the unfortunate position of watching two Lincoln Financial broadcasts at once, and I can now confidently say one thing: just because LF Sports is 1/2 the production value of every other broadcast, two broadcasts doesn't make one totally professional.
- Thomas Brown is back for the Bulldogs! I don't know what this means, but the answer for now is: not a lot. They're driving late in the 2nd quarter.
Saturday, November 10
Random Thoughts from the Early Games
Some random thoughts from the first round of games this morning:
1.
3.
4. I’m a little disappointed in
5. Georgia/Auburn just kicked off – and
6. I’ll be honest; I only watch the ACC because Lincoln Financial sends those games here. Still, I could’ve sworn
Also, don’t look now, but:
- UCLA is up 10-0 over
- ND is losing – again. It’s 17-10 Air Force going into halftime.
-
- Northwestern,
