Week 8 Review

National Overview

It was a wild weekend, as several games went down to the wire even though there was only one matchup of top 25 teams. I got a lot of quality football in, which should make up for next weekend when I'll be spending most of my day at Autzen Stadium.

The biggest upset occurred in the ACC, when Miami (FL) shockingly went down in overtime to Clemson. Virginia Tech was off and Georgia Tech blasted Virginia, so once again we have a new pecking order in the Coastal Division. The Yellow Jackets have already played six conference games, so all they have to do is beat Wake Forest and Duke. That's not exactly a tall order, but I'll temper my enthusiasm until the games are won.

Both Florida and Alabama survived playing poorly against bad teams. Again. Why exactly are these considered the two best teams in the country? Florida survived an awful Mississippi State team despite two pick-sixes and Alabama got incredibly lucky in blocking a Tennessee field goal attempt as time expired. The credibility of the mighty SEC has been (gasp) called into question the last couple of weeks and this will do nothing but increase the cries of "overrated" from the tired, huddled masses. Rise up, brave friends! Throw off your oppressors and refuse to accept the East Coast bias!

I expected that Oklahoma would further expose Kansas. I didn't expect to see Missouri get its doors blown off by Texas. A Longhorn win, sure, but not a blowout. Texas silenced a lot of critics (including me) with that performance, their best of the season. But what about the rest of the Big 12? A week after crushing Nebraska, Texas Tech got killed by a terrible Texas A&M team that had just gotten blown out by a bad Kansas State team. If that wasn't enough, Nebraska turned the ball over an astonishing eight times and lost at home to Iowa State. What is happening in this conference? I'll still go with Texas as the obvious choice for the title, but outside of that I have absolutely no idea.

Cincinnati predictably ripped apart Louisville, but the story in the Big East was the hurting Pittsburgh laid on South Florida. The Panthers are now the undisputed top challenger to the Bearcats. West Virginia is still hanging around, but I think it's pretty safe to say the season finale matching Cincy and Pitt will decide the conference title. Connecticut also showed a lot of heart in taking the Mountaineers to the wire in Morgantown after their emotional week.

The Big 10 breathed a huge sigh of relief when Iowa squeaked past Michigan State on a last-second miracle, keeping alive the league's hopes (however improbable) for two BCS berths. Ohio State rebounded from the Purdue loss in a big way, while the Boilermakers continued their sudden success with a win over Illinois. But the surprise was the way Penn State dismantled Michigan. I thought these two teams were evenly matched and gave the edge to the Wolverines because they were at home, but I was way off on that one.

The Pac-10 action was, with one notable exception, a little disappointing. Stanford simply out-muscled Arizona State and Arizona would have blown out UCLA if not for several turnovers. Cal-Washington State was the one-sided game everyone thought it would be too. The biggest flop was Washington's performance against Oregon. I really expected the Huskies to make things tough for the Ducks after reading all week about how they had a chance to win. Once again, the pundits were wrong. Oregon State had the most impressive performance of the week, even in defeat. The Beavers exposed USC's defense even more than Notre Dame did and could have pulled off a huge upset if things had gone their way in the last few minutes. I'm not sure how people can keep repeating that USC is a dominant team when their defense plays so undisciplined and sloppy.

Of course, the Oregon and Southern Cal wins set up an titanic showdown in Eugene on Halloween night. Who will win this game? I'll preview the matchup in-depth later this week, which in all likelihood will decide the Pac-10 Champion.

Boise State knocked off hapless Hawai'i late Saturday, but the most important game of the weekend (at least, to the BCS) turned into a beatdown in Provo. For the second straight year, TCY smashed BYU into oblivion, which presents a big problem for the voters. TCU has begun to assert itself as a BCS-worthy team, which bodes ill for Boise State's hopes. In fact, the Horned Frogs have passed the Broncos in the BCS standings already.

On the polls

I really don't know what the voters have been watching that I've missed. Florida regained the top spot in the AP poll this week thanks to their win over Mississippi State and Alabama's close win over Tennessee. These are two close wins over terrible teams. Need I remind anyone that UCLA, the second-worst Pac-10 team, beat Tennessee at Neyland by four? If they were power rankings, as they should be, the polls would move both the Gators and Crimson Tide down. Alas, that's not going to happen until one of them loses.

1) Texas

The Longhorns had their most complete performance of the season by far, beating Missouri 41-7. Coupled with the Oklahoma win (and the poor showings of other top teams), Texas has done enough to earn the top spot. Colt McCoy also looked like his old self for the first time this year.

2) USC

While it was way closer than it should have been, the Oregon State win counts for a lot. The Beavers are very good and will be in the top 25 by the end of the season. The defense has really become a cause for concern, though. The duel in Eugene this week will finally answer whether the Trojans are for real.

3) Alabama

Man, every week an SEC team seems to get lucky. This time it was Alabama, blocking a field goal to knock off Tennessee. The game was at home and the Volunteers are very bad, so I have to knock the Tide down right now. My previous concern - whether the passing game could come through in the clutch - has become a big issue.

4) Florida

Another stinky offensive performance, particularly in the red zone. Florida has to find something other than "Tebow, dive left" to gain consistent yardage. Mississippi State has no business running back two interceptions on the Gators, who continue to look very vulnerable.

5) Cincinnati

No Tony Pike, no problem. Pike's Heisman hopes might have disappeared with the way his team sliced up bumbling Louisville without him, but Cincinnati probably doesn't mind as long as they keep winning. The Pittsburgh game is looking huge now.

6) Boise State

They completely obliterated Hawai'i, but it was still Hawai'i. The only reason BSU is holding on to this spot is that Oregon win - I can't move the Ducks over the Broncos in good conscience. Yet. If Boise State wins a few more games ugly and Oregon keeps winning, I might have to swap the teams.

7) Oregon

All the worries about a fired-up Washington crowd and team evaporated by halftime. Washington might not be great (see - Oregon game), but they're at least good (see - USC game), and the Ducks went right through them. Now we get into the realm of ifs... If Oregon beats USC next week, if Oregon can beat Stanford... or Oregon State... then what? We'll just have to wait and see.

8) TCU

I thought the Horned Frogs would win, but whoa. That BYU game got out of hand fast. Barring a major upset, TCU's only remaining test comes versus Utah, at home, in three weeks. Can you say "BCS?" That beatdown of the Cougars was impressive.

9) Iowa

Say what you will about Florida and Alabama. Iowa has more luck than the Tide and Gators combined. Yet another miracle finish, this time against Michigan State, has positioned the Hawkeyes to grab the Big 10's BCS berth, but does any team in that conference really deserve it?

10) LSU

LSU dominated Auburn Saturday night, although the other Tigers had already shown that they weren't much of a threat. Iowa stays ahead of LSU because the Hawkeyes are at least going on the road to win their close games. If LSU wins impressively the next few weeks, they'll move up.

11) Georgia Tech

The Ramblin' Wreck sidestepped a potential landmine at Virginia and kept their offense rolling. With Miami (FL) losing, Tech suddenly finds itself atop the division and in prime position to win the ACC title. The job head coach Paul Johnson is doing in Atlanta is incredible. If they stay focused, the Yellow Jackets will be in for a special year.

12) Virginia Tech

Virginia Tech was on a bye week, but I kept them up in my rankings because I sincerely believe they would beat everyone below them. One thing lost in the Georgia Tech defeat was how well Tyrod Taylor passed the ball, something he has not been known for. I don't expect this team to collapse, as they still have an outside shot at an at-large BCS bid.

13) Houston

The Cougars have played themselves into a pretty nice spot, and they'll get respect because of their non-conference success early in the year. But can the voters look past the fluke loss to UTEP? Probably not, because Houston is still trailing Oklahoma State.

14) Oklahoma State

A win over Baylor isn't too impressive, but don't worry. The Cowboys will get a great chance to fully legitimize themselves with this week's Texas game. Huge implications in this one, as OSU could still win the Big 12 South with an upset here.

15) Penn State

Finally, a win over a respectable team. We might have overrated Michigan nationally after their hot start, but beating the Wolverines 35-10 on the road is still pretty sweet. Perhaps there's still hope for conference title. It's important to note that the Big 10 has no tiebreakers, thus all JoePa's guys need is one Iowa loss to claim the crown.

16) Pittsburgh

When Pitt is on like they are now, things get nasty. The Panthers smacked South Florida around this week and have the look of a top 15 squad. All they have to avoid now is the West Virginia trap game to set up a barnburner against Cincinnati for the Big East title.

17) Oklahoma

The Sooners dropped out of the polls last week, but obviously the voters didn't really think the team was that bad, because they jumped them right back in after the win versus overrated Kansas. The Sooners can still be a player in the Big 12 South division race - one Texas loss, and the field is leveled. Sounds crazy, but remember last year?

18) Ohio State

Minnesota's not good, but Ohio State did to them what good teams do - blew them out. The Buckeyes get one easy week, then it's back to work against Penn State and Iowa. The offense is still an enigma, but you never know. Terrelle Pryor could very well redeem himself and get his team a conference title by the time everything is said and done.

19) Arizona

Once again, you have to wonder about that play against Washington. The Wildcats are oh-so-close to being 6-1 and ranked in the top 15. They are rolling right now, but the schedule is about to get a lot tougher. How they handle the pressure of being favored to win games will show whether the team is ready to make the jump to great.

20) Oregon State

They lost to USC and are 4-3. Well, Oklahoma's 4-3 too. I was very impressed by OSU's performance against the Trojans Saturday, which almost stole them a win. Let's face it, this team is going to keep improving and will be in the top 25 by season's end, so I figure I might as well get them there now.

21) West Virginia

A nice win over a fired-up Connecticut team and WVU is sitting at 6-1. No, there are no real quality wins, but that's why I have the Mountaineers at No. 21. They have a big game with Cincinnati in a few weeks, but the South Florida game this weekend will probably be the best measure of how good West Virginia is.

22) Central Michigan

I had to get these guys on here. They're 7-1, the only loss is at Arizona and they beat Michigan State on the road. The MAC is weak, but this team is likely going to go 11-1 and they should be ranked for that. Hey, Iowa got credit for beating Sparty, so why not CMU?

23) South Carolina

Only ranked because I really couldn't find any deserving teams. A 14-10 win against Vanderbilt is nothing special and the Ole Miss win still hasn't really done them any favors. They're 6-2, which is more than most teams can say, and they played Alabama tough. I'm not enthusiastic about them, though.

24) Notre Dame

Yeah, I feel a little sick seeing this name here too. I certainly didn't move them into my poll because of the Boston College win. The USC game looked pretty good, though, and the shutout of Nevada in the first week deserves applause. Like South Carolina, there simply wasn't another team out there I thought earned a spot in the rankings.

25) Navy

Navy, I like, and not just because they run the flexbone like Georgia Tech (although it doesn't hurt). It may surprise you to learn that the Midshipmen are 6-2 and almost knocked off Ohio State. Notre Dame is the only tough team left on their schedule, so I foresee a nice record by December (I do think the Irish win that game, thus their higher ranking). But how can you not love a team that wins without throwing a pass?

Random Thoughts and Observations

ESPN's Gregg Easterbrook, who writes under the moniker "TMQ" (for Tuesday Morning Quarterback) has brought up this issue the past few seasons, but I think it's still worth talking about: Why can't announcers get the terms "reverse" and "end around" right?

An end around is when a player, usually a receiver, runs horizontally toward the quarterback and takes a handoff with the intent of running outside. The play has recently been used with pre-snap motion and gained notoriety as the "fly sweep," although the original name is "end around" because the X receiver or "split end" takes the ball around the opposite side of the offensive line he started from, where he will cut outside the block of the tight end. This is different from a reverse, in which a running back or receiver hands off to another back/receiver after the quarterback has already handed or pitched him the ball. Hence the name "reverse" - the ball travels in one direction, then goes back the other way. In an end around, the ball carrier simply runs wide, so the ball never changes direction. It's frustrating to watch a game in which announcers constantly yell "Reverse!" when the play is just a sweep to the outside via the end around. This may seem like nitpicking, but commentators are paid to know football. Can't they figure out the difference between the two plays?

Florida was the recipient of another suspicious call Saturday when officials incorrectly ruled that linebacker Dustin Doe scored on a game-clinching interception return for a touchdown in the fourth quarter. A look at the replay clearly shows that Doe dropped the ball before crossing the plane of the goal line. Instead of a Mississippi State fumble recovery, however, the play was ruled a touchdown. Florida went on to win 29-19.

My question is, at what point do the Gators pay for all the bad calls they've been receiving? Teams that get by like Florida has been doing usually suffer defeats when their luck runs out. How long can Florida last?

As an addendum to the Florida game, I have to talk about Tim Tebow. I know it sounds as if I'm harping on the guy. I'm not trying to. But I watched Tebow go 12-22 with only 127 yards and no touchdowns (with two picks, both returned for touchdowns) against a dreadful MSU team, then saw Tebow listed as second on the Heisman list on Monday's College Football Live. He was also listed first on Bleacher Report's weekend roundup. By what measure is he a Heisman candidate?! Tebow has 14 total touchdowns in seven games this season. Listen to these stats:

2734 passing yards.
70 percent completion rate.
20 touchdowns.
4 interceptions.

Those are the numbers of Houston's Case Keenum. Compare them to Tebow's:

1159 yards.
63 percent completions.
8 touchdowns.
4 interceptions.

Keenum outranks Tebow in every statistical category - passing efficiency, yards, touchdowns, completion percentage - except picks, in which the two are tied. But wait - Tebow has played a much harder schedule, right? Well, let's examine that claim.

Both Florida and Houston played a FCS (Football Championship Subdivision, formally 1-AA) opponent, so you can throw those out. The teams also both played at Mississippi State. Tebow's line? 127 yards, no TD's, two picks. Keenum's? 434 yards, four TD's, two interceptions. Yikes.

Florida's combined opponents have 26 wins, while Houston's have 22. This is close. But the number is deceiving, as Florida plays in the SEC, where teams regularly pad their schedules with non-conference games against Sun Belt teams, the weakest conference in the country. To Florida's credit, Troy is the best team in the Sun Belt. Impressive. But Florida's opponents have played four games against the Sun Belt to just one for Houston's. While Houston's opponents have played more FCS competition, not one of Florida's opponents has beaten a current top 25 team. Houston's opponents have one such win - UTEP over Houston, a game in which Keenum's offense threw up 41 points.

Finally, if you throw out common wins (wins over the same schools by Florida and Houston's opponents), you get this measure of success - wins over BCS-conference teams.

Florida's opponents: Louisville, Auburn (twice), Washington, Mississippi State

Houston's opponents: Missouri, Baylor, Kansas State, Nebraska

That looks pretty even to me. I'm not saying Houston is a better team than Florida. But Keenum is a better quarterback than Tebow.

With that long and drawn-out argument, let's move on...

It's said that everyone thinks they have a perfect playoff system, so you might as well hear mine.The problem is that any number of teams greater than eight makes the playoff take too long. With a 16-team playoff, you would have four weeks to determine a champion, and the bowls already take long enough as it is. With an eight-team system, you can also make sure that only the most deserving teams get in. Why is that? Because there are 11 FBS (Football Bowl Subdivision, formerly 1-A) conferences. With a 16-team format, you would be allowing teams that did not win their conference championship to compete for the national title. I have long had a problem with this - if you can't win your own league, you can't win the top trophy. It just doesn't make sense.

Once we have established an eight-team limit, the rest of the picture becomes clearer. There are six BCS conferences, which are the hardest ones top-to-bottom (despite the recent rise of the Mountain West). Therefore, the winners of the Pac-10, Big 10, Big 12, SEC, ACC and Big East are in, followed by the two highest-ranked conference champions of the non-BCS leagues. We can use the BCS to rank the teams and move forward from there. Last year, using my system, the playoff would have looked like the following:

1) Oklahoma
8) Boise State

4) Penn State
5) Virginia Tech

3) USC
6) Cincinnati

2) Florida
7) Utah

Think about the contests we would have seen under this format! A rematch of Boise State-Oklahoma, a potential USC-Florida game in the second round (that is, if Utah didn't knock off the Gators first). Penn State-Virginia Tech would have been a brilliant defensive battle too, and best of all, we'd know for sure who the best team was.

Of course, this leaves out one-loss Alabama and Texas. Well, those teams didn't win their conference. Sorry. Texas had a right to complain about the Sooners winning the Big 12 South, but that was due to the conference's stupid tiebreaker rules, not the BCS.

Additionally, the games could be set up to end the same time they do now, in the first week of January. The first round would be played the third weekend of December (when the bowls begin now) and the championship game would fall where it should - New Year's Day. That's when the college football season should end. I hate how it's been moved all the way to a week later. The other bowls could still be played, interspersed throughout the playoffs. They don't mean anything now, and they still won't with the new system.

Unfortunately, we're stuck with the BCS for a few more years. But someday, someway, I think the fans may get what they want. When college football does change to a playoff, this is the way it should go.

Heisman-worthy (right now)

Ndamukong Suh, DL, Nebraska

The Huskers' embarassing home loss to Iowa State was no fault of Suh's. Actually, considering how many times his offense turned it over, it's fair to wonder how the game would have gone without him. He ranks 22nd in the nation with seven pass breakups. As a lineman! That's just ridiculous. Only one other non-defensive back ranks in the top 50.

Mark Ingram, RB, Alabama

The Tennessee game demonstrated why I don't like giving the Heisman to running backs. Ingram is good, but it's definitely fair to wonder if he's a product of his great offensive line. The LSU game looming on the horizon will show the nation if he can compete with a top-shelf defense.

Colt McCoy, QB, Texas

McCoy finally showed up this weekend! One great game doesn't really deserve a spot on the list, but I think this is the beginning of an upswing for him. His competition - outside of the Oklahoma State game - is going to get easier, and he'll start racking up the stats. Playing for a national title contender doesn't hurt either. But he's still second thanks to...

Case Keenum, QB, Houston

I talked about it already. Keenum has great stats and has been a great leader. He's been the best quarterback in the country over the first half of the season and the Heisman has gone to a quarterback eight of the last nine years. One more stat for you: he leads the nation in "points responsible for" per game at 20.29, over one and a half points more than the nearest competitor.

You want to know where Tebow ranks, don't you? Admit it.

He's tied with the likes of Tennessee's Jonathan Crompton at 37th - 12.00 points a game.