National Overview
In spite of a seeming dearth of quality matchups, Week Two produced much more drama than its predecessor. It was a pleasant surprise to see Troy hanging with second-ranked Clemson (well, maybe not in Death Valley) and Nicholls State nearly take down Georgia. But that was far from the totality of the excitement this weekend; Arkansas - TCU turned out to be a barnburner, LSU was on the ropes early against Jacksonville State, and Central Michigan notched an upset of dubious veracity at Oklahoma State.
It's a shame the Cowboys got jobbed on that intentional grounding call, but for the record, there was also a blatant uncalled hold on Okie State's go-ahead touchdown minutes earlier. In the end, voters probably won't punish OSU too harshly if it wins out, so the team's fate is still in its own hands, despite the current outrage emanating from Stillwater.
The smattering of minor upsets and close calls underscored the simple fact that we still know very little about every team. Even squads that have already played a high-profile showdown might have more to reveal. In Oklahoma's case, for example, the Sooners could have been vastly overrated (yet again) in preseason predictions and exposed against a mid-major in Houston. Or they might have also run into a top-five team, in which case a 10-point loss in a virtual road game in the season opener is no great shame. We'll get a better idea of where OU - and a handful of other teams - really stack up starting this week.
In an early AAC test, Houston (which should surely be in the top five by now, given Clemson's struggles) has to go to Cincinnati for its first road game Thursday night. Greg Ward, Jr. will play, but don't underestimate the Bearcats. This is not a warm-up like last week against FCS foe Lamar. Cincy can play, and a Cougars victory ought to be treated as a quality one.
Saturday morning offers the next context with real intrigue, as mercurial Tennessee takes on Ohio. The Volunteers should of course roll to an easy win, but given UT's struggles to this point (despite a 2-0 start) it might be worth keeping an eye on this one while watching the second-biggest game of the day: Florida State at Louisville.
Both teams are ranked in the top 10, but to be frank, I'd be shocked if the Cardinals even stay within a score. Louisville's offensive numbers thus far are impressive, but they came against the equivalent of high school defenses. It's nice that Lamar Jackson likes to run around and make plays with his feet, but he's completed less than 60 percent of his passes and won't have anywhere near the same amount of time to make decisions against the fierce FSU defense.
Also at 9 a.m. Pacific, there's a pair of teams on upset watch in the Big Ten. Penn State is favored by nine over Temple, which is interesting given how thoroughly the Owls dismantled the Nittany Lions last year. Meanwhile, Iowa has the thankless task of hosting five-time defending FCS champion North Dakota State, which could spell real trouble for the Hawkeyes if they let the Bison pull them into a slugfest.
Moving on to the midday slate, we get Alabama trying to avoid an unthinkable third-straight loss to SEC West rival Ole Miss. The Rebels are definitely a quality team, but they appear to have regressed from the past two seasons, and it would be stunning to see anything other than a huge blowout for the Crimson Tide. It's what they do.
Oregon - Nebraska, also at 12:30 p.m., will provide a great look into what the Ducks and Cornhuskers are working with in 2016. If Oregon really is going to be a Pac-12 afterthought, it wouldn't a surprise to see NU make a statement to move back into the national spotlight. With a win, the Huskers would also announce their candidacy for the Big Ten title.
At the same time, there's Pittsburgh at Oklahoma State, a sneaky-good intersectional matchup. The Panthers will try to shake off that near-collapse versus Penn State, while OSU has to bounce back from the Central Michigan controversy. I expect a fantastic game in Stillwater featuring two very different offensive styles.
In the afternoon time slot, Texas A&M has to travel to Auburn for a contest that should offer referendums on more than just these two teams. UCLA and Clemson's reps are also at stake, as we might find out if the Bruins and (Clemson) Tigers were simply overhyped. It's increasingly looking that way.
Michigan State also faces a huge test at Notre Dame. It's unclear why the Spartans are ranked so high, but ND's defense didn't engender much confidence at Texas, either. I think the Fighting Irish are rightly favored, so we'll see if MSU will return some of that usual strong Spartan D and get a quality road win.
Then there's the big one: Ohio State at Oklahoma. The Sooners, in typical OU fashion, cheated us out of a fantastic top-five Week Three showdown by losing to Houston. No matter. This is still a delightful non-conference battle that could have major Playoff implications. No doubt Houston is rooting hard for Oklahoma to improve its resume by, in turn, beating another top-ranked school. OSU overwhelmed its first two overmatched opponents, but OU in Norman is a different animal. Despite their inexperience and the location, though, I have to favor the Buckeyes. The Sooners have flopped one time too many on the big stage.
In late-night action, USC and UCLA will try to save their seasons on the road at Stanford and BYU, respectively. While the Pac-12 contest has a lot more at stake, the Bruins need to avoid another black eye for the league in Provo. It won't be easy. More on these games in the Pac-12 section.
Playoff Poll
It's still too early, but there are always absurdities in the polls to point out. It's clear voters still place far too much of an emphasis on running up the score against terrible opponents, as Louisville's rankings (10th in both polls) demonstrate. LSU is the poster boy for why preseason polls are terrible, somehow retaining a ranking despite losing its opener and struggling against an FCS team in the first half this week. On the other hand, Georgia was roundly rebuked by both polls for nearly losing to Nicholls State, which is a positive sign.
Pac-12 Report
So much for Washington State, eh? There was a slim chance the Cougars could rebound from the opening loss to Eastern Washington to take a redeeming win at Boise State, but the old Wazzu bugaboos - falling behind early, poor defense - rose up to put this squad in an 0-2 hole to start the year. The Cougs could go unbeaten the rest of the way (not that they will) and wouldn't garner a Playoff invite.
Unfortunately, the WSU game was just the start of an awful late-night slate the Pac-12 is probably glad most the country missed by going to bed early. San Diego State ran all over Cal, proving that the Bears are exactly who most of us thought they were. Arizona fell behind 21-3 at the half to Grambling State, averting disaster only because it was playing an FCS foe. Arizona State got the win over Texas Tech, but despite Sun Devil running back Kalen Ballage's insane night, the result said a lot more about the Red Raiders' defense than ASU.
UCLA and Oregon slogged though decent wins against overmatched opponents, looking largely uninterested throughout their respective games. Washington got another blowout, though against another patsy, while USC and Colorado did the same. Utah got the conference's best win of the week against BYU, and even that victory was pretty fortunate. Stanford and Oregon State may have fared the best of any Pac-12 teams by simply not playing.
Week Three, sadly, does not offer the conference much in terms of bolstering its sagging reputation. ASU plays at Texas-San Antonio on Friday and should win. Half of the other teams in the league play similarly hapless non-conference foes. UCLA is in for a battle at BYU, but by already losing at Texas A&M to start the season there's not much the Bruins can win back at this point.
Colorado will probably lose at Michigan, which is no big deal. The Buffaloes have already looked significantly improved in the early going and an expected defeat to a top-five team on the road won't hurt (granted, an upset would be HUGE). Cal hosts Texas and will also almost assuredly lose, but a decent showing from either the Buffaloes or Bears would be nice.
Oregon's trip to Nebraska won't help the league much, either. If the Ducks win, it's because they are the higher ranked, more prominent team nationally. If they lose, it's because Oregon is clearly on a slide to irrelevance again. There's nothing to be gained and everything to lose. UO has the clear advantage offensively, but the D is again the question. I don't know if the Ducks can come back if they get into, say, a 14-0 first-quarter deficit. Getting out in front early or keeping pace appears very important this week. We'll see what happens.
The significant prime time game is USC at Stanford, a series that, as I noted in my preseason preview, has been maddeningly difficult to predict. The inferior team has won multiple times in recent years, often hurting the conference. This year Stanford is in the top 10 and the likely best hope for the Pac-12 to make the Playoff (based on preseason ranking), so I'm fully prepared for SC to go up to The Farm and upset the Cardinal, devastating the remaining prestige of the league. Prove me wrong, Stanford. Win a big game you're supposed to, for once.
Random Thoughts and Observations
I've talked in the past about LSU's Les Miles and how I believe he isn't a good coach. Miles has won a National Championship, played for another and has the highest winning percentage among Tigers' coaches who have coached more than one season. He's also highly controversial at this point in his tenure, been accused of squandering LSU's elite recruits, and was very nearly fired in what amounted to a booster-led coup last season.
There comes a time with college head coaches when a change needs to be made, for the benefit of both the longtime coach and the program. We saw it at Georgia in 2015, when Mark Richt's "always pretty good but rarely great" era was mercifully ended. We saw it in 2014, when Mike Riley, tired of playing with a lesser deck at Oregon State, jumped ship for Nebraska. It happened with Lloyd Carr at Michigan, Phil Fulmer at Tennessee, and Mack Brown at Texas. All of those men won National Championships. It was simply time to part ways.
That's where I think LSU is with Miles. The accusations about the recruits are fair. The Tigers have recruited at an elite level for several years, and outside of a run to the BCS title game in 2011, they just haven't fully taken advantage of those talents. In 2013, LSU had future NFL receivers Jarvis Landry and Odell Beckham, Jr., future NFL RB Jeremy Hill and a great college QB in Zach Menttenberger, yet finished in the middle of the pack (seventh) in the SEC in total offense.
I (and many other commentators) have noted over the past few seasons how strange it is that LSU can't seem to find even an average quarterback, something this team desperately needs (Mettenberger, the exception, transferred from Georgia). Leonard Fournette is the best back in the country, but seems doomed to play out his college career on a series of eight- and nine-win squads that fail to meet expectations. The Tigers have already gotten off to a 1-1 start in 2016 that included an upset loss to Wisconsin, still haven't found a competent passer, and still have zero chance of playing with Alabama. It's almost like I predicted this might happen.
It's time for a change. Miles has recruited well and usually fields good defenses, although it's worth noting that after losing longtime defensive coordinator John Chavis last season the Tigers fell all the way to 41st nationally in scoring D, the first time in seven years they finished outside the top 25. Miles isn't terrible, but he's inarguably a better recruiter than in-game coach, and it's starting to show. LSU should have parted ways with him last year to create a fresh start for the program. It didn't, and now has to deal with another squandered season.
2016 Stanzi Awards
In Week Two we were rewarded with another five individual awards, including a wild Double Stanzi in Hawai'i. The 2016 race is off to a wonderful start!
Week Two Awards
Deshaun Watson, Clemson
Opponent: Troy
Performance: Two INT, won by six
James Knapke, Bowling Green
Opponent: North Dakota
Performance: Two INT, won by one
Troy Williams, Utah
Opponent: BYU
Performance: Three INT, won by one
Brett Rypien, Boise State
Opponent: Washington State
Performance: Three INT, won by three
DOUBLE STANZI ALERT
Ikaika Woolsey, Hawai'i
Opponent: Tennessee-Martin
Performance: Three INT, won by five
Troy Cook, Tennessee-Martin
Opponent: Hawai'i
Performance: Two INT, lost by five
2016 Standings
Ikaika Woolsey, Hawai'i: 1
Troy Williams, Utah: 1
Brett Rypien, Boise State: 1
Nick Mullins, Southern Miss: 1
Bart Houston, Wisconsin: 1
Tyler Jones, Texas State: 1
Austin Allen, Arkansas: 1
James Knapke, Bowling Green: 1
Deshaun Watson, Clemson: 1
Riley Neal, Ball State: 1
We've already got a new leader in the clubhouse after just one week! For tossing three picks and nearly losing to an FCS team, Hawai'i's Ikaika Woolsey takes the top spot! He'd better enjoy it, because it doesn't seem like the Rainbow Warriors are going to be winning much this year. Week Three promises even more entertainment as we move toward full-time conference play.
Wednesday, September 14, 2016
Friday, September 9, 2016
The Bruising of the Pac-12
National Overview
What a weekend it wasn't. The much-ballyhooed "Best Opening Week Ever" did very little to live up to the hype, producing a series of duds in the majority of the high-profile matchups. Alabama - USC was an abomination. LSU - Wisconsin was an offense-free slog. Even relatively close contests like UCLA - Texas A&M and Georgia - North Carolina were ugly to watch. The entire weekend was bailed out by the wild shootouts on Sunday and Monday night. Fortunately, the disappointing results did provide a lot of important insights.
To start with, Florida State's ability to rally in the manner the Seminoles did (with a true freshman quarterback, no less), should have the rest of the nation terrified. That FSU came back from a 22-point halftime deficit with such remarkable ease proves the impressive talent level this team has across the board. Clemson, who struggled to survive Auburn, should be very concerned.
Of course, the biggest winner of Week One was Houston, which did the improbable in decisively toppling Oklahoma to eliminate the largest obstacle on its schedule in the quest for a Playoff berth. OU's shameful performance in yet another big game certainly had something to do with it, but no matter; Houston is unquestionably on track for a stunning Playoff-busting run.
Three of the five Power conferences emerged from last weekend worse for wear, though. The ACC, despite North Carolina's loss to Georgia, remains in great shape with two teams in the top five of the polls. The Big Ten, led by Ohio State and Michigan, didn't play anyone and therefore managed to stay the course.
That wasn't the case for the SEC, Big 12 or Pac-12. The SEC is fine as long as Alabama continues to look like an unbeatable juggernaut, but the nation's toughest league otherwise took a big hit. Seven SEC teams lost their openers, lowlighted by LSU's flop against Wisconsin and Mississippi State falling to South Alabama. Without the Crimson Tide, this conference would be in trouble.
The Big 12 fared similarly, as Oklahoma ruined the league's best shot at the Playoff in Week One. Texas did notch a big upset of Notre Dame, but the Longhorns aren't likely to run the table or finish with one loss. TCU looked terrible for most of its shootout with South Dakota State, and the best win the conference got outside of Texas was West Virginia's victory over Missouri.
However, neither conference ended up looking as bad as the Pac-12, which may have seen its Playoff hopes evaporate before a single league game. UCLA and USC are perennially overhyped by the media, but they're important flagship teams that went down in ugly fashion to the SEC. Arizona lost to BYU. Washington State lost to an FCS foe for the second straight year. Even in victory, the league was disappointing. Stanford also struggled with Kansas State, while Oregon, Washington and Arizona State picked up less-than-meets-the-eye blowouts of bad competition. It was, all in all, a disaster. More on this in the Pac-12 Report.
Unfortunately, Week Two offers much less than the seemingly stacked opening weekend. Shamefully, there's not a single matchup of ranked teams, and very few ranked teams look to even get a real challenge. All of the best contests appear to be outside the Top 25, such as Penn State - Pittsburgh, BYU - Utah, and Texas Tech - Arizona State. Arkansas at TCU and Virginia Tech - Tennessee have potential, but that's about it.
Playoff Poll
It's obviously far too early for a real Playoff prediction, and I've made my feelings on preseason polls known. Still, the release of the first in-season polls always provides some interesting talking points. For example, why did Clemson retain its ranking after struggling to beat unranked Auburn? Shouldn't Florida State have leapfrogged the Tigers after defeating a ranked Ole Miss team? How is LSU still ranked after that atrocious performance? Considering that we don't know how good LSU and Notre Dame really are, why did Wisconsin and Texas jump all the way up to 10th and 11th, respectively? These inconsistencies are what makes the polls so frustrating.
Pac-12 Report
It really was that bad. No one really expected USC to beat Alabama, but it would have been nice to see the Trojans keep it close and respectable. The 52-6 beatdown was the opposite of that. Meanwhile, UCLA was reasonably favored versus Texas A&M, but once again proved unready for the national spotlight. Coupled with Arizona's close loss to BYU and Washington State's embarrassing loss to Eastern Washington, the Pac-12 already had a bad week before including the middling wins.
Oregon won going away against UC Davis, but led just 25-7 at the break after a very slow start. Arizona State blew out Northern Arizona, but only after holding a 10-3 lead at halftime. Washington crushed Rutgers on the scoreboard, but only had 76 more offensive yards (and most curiously, was outrushed by the Scarlet Knights, a near-impossibility in a blowout of that magnitude). Stanford did what Stanford does, racing out to a 17-3 on Kansas State before doing everything in its power to let the Wildcats steal the game.
In all honestly, the most promising outcomes of the week came from the presumed bottom of the conference. Oregon State came through with very respectable effort on the road at Minnesota, showing that perhaps the Beavers aren't as hopeless as some predicted, while Colorado announced another big step forward for the program by thrashing rival Colorado State 44-7. If the Buffaloes keep playing like that, the long bowl drought will end this season.
Overall, though, it was an awful weekend for the league. Unless one of the three North contenders run the table, a Playoff bid is all but lost. I don't think Stanford, Washington or Oregon is good enough to do that, particularly if the teams penciled in as easy wins (like OSU and Colorado) continue to improve. It's not a done deal, but the odds don't favor the Pac-12 making a real run at a National Championship this year.
Random Thoughts and Observations
The big topic on hand to start the 2016 season is the expansion of the Big 12. I have mixed feelings on further expansion in the Power Five, as there are already too many bad teams dragging down the bottom of the major conferences. With that said, it makes little sense to have four leagues with a championship game and one without, so the addition of two more schools to the Big 12 doesn't seem terrible. It sounds as if the conference has already whittled down the candidates from an initial list of 12, so I'm going off what is currently being reported.
East Carolina, which would have made a reasonable eastern partner for West Virginia, is out. The Big 12 surely wants to add such a school for the Mountaineers (as it would also assist in travel for other sports like basketball), but the quality options are scarce. Louisville, which would have made for a sensible choice, has already been snatched up, and likely won't leave the stability of the ACC. Cincinnati is a decent pick, as is Memphis, but neither is exactly a big name brand. BYU desperately wants into a major conference, but it remains to be seen if the Big 12 will A) expand in that direction and B) support a school with a life contract policy like BYU's.
The first, most obvious choice is Houston, which would join its old Southwest Conference peers in a heartbeat if given the opportunity. With tradition, strength in multiple sports and a football team more than capable of competing at the highest level, the Cougars would seem to be the simple answer. But therein lies the rub: the current Big 12 schools don't want Houston. Texas is a crowded-enough recruiting ground as it is, and Big 12 members don't want to have to compete with a program that could corner the market on that section of the state.
So politics, as they so often do, will play into the league's final expansion decision. If I were making the call, I'd say the Big 12 should bite the bullet and bring in Houston along with Cincinnati as an eastern bloc team with WVU. It's not a perfect solution, but it will at least allow the conference to host a title game again and (potentially) survive the third round of expansion.
2016 Stanzi Awards
My favorite creation of this blog, the Stanzi Awards honor the nation's worst QB performances in an attempt to crown the most reckless passer in the country by season's end. But in order to properly pay homage to the former Iowa signal-caller, a few rules must be followed:
1) QB's are the only eligible players
2) The QB must have multiple turnovers
3) The game must by close (within two possessions)
4) The QB's team must win the game
So let's get this glorious ball of ineptitude kicked off! Week One got things going beautifully, with a delightful pair of Double Stanzis to go along with the individual awards picked up this week. It was a perfect beginning to what will surely be yet another season full of crushing sack-fumbles and ill-timed pick-sixes.
Week One Awards
Riley Neal, Ball State
Opponent: Georgia State
Performance: Two INT (one for TD), won by 10
Tyler Jones, Texas State
Opponent: Ohio
Performance: Two INT, won by two in triple overtime
Austin Allen, Arkansas
Opponent: Louisiana Tech
Performance: Two INT, won by one
DOUBLE STANZI ALERT
Bart Houston, Wisconsin
Opponent: LSU
Performance: Two INT (one for TD), won by two
Brandon Harris, LSU
Opponent: Wisconsin
Performance: Two INT, lost by two
DOUBLE STANZI ALERT
Nick Mullins, Southern Miss
Opponent: Kentucky
Performance: Three INT, won by nine
Drew Barker, Kentucky
Opponent: Southern Miss
Performance: One INT, two FUM, lost by nine
2016 Standings
Nick Mullins, Southern Miss: 1
Bart Houston, Wisconsin: 1
Tyler Jones, Texas State: 1
Austin Allen, Arkansas: 1
Riley Neal, Ball State: 1
Week One was a little disappointing, but there are eleven more games to go! Here's hoping the rest of season will live up to college football's tremendously unpredictable, highly entertaining legacy.
What a weekend it wasn't. The much-ballyhooed "Best Opening Week Ever" did very little to live up to the hype, producing a series of duds in the majority of the high-profile matchups. Alabama - USC was an abomination. LSU - Wisconsin was an offense-free slog. Even relatively close contests like UCLA - Texas A&M and Georgia - North Carolina were ugly to watch. The entire weekend was bailed out by the wild shootouts on Sunday and Monday night. Fortunately, the disappointing results did provide a lot of important insights.
To start with, Florida State's ability to rally in the manner the Seminoles did (with a true freshman quarterback, no less), should have the rest of the nation terrified. That FSU came back from a 22-point halftime deficit with such remarkable ease proves the impressive talent level this team has across the board. Clemson, who struggled to survive Auburn, should be very concerned.
Of course, the biggest winner of Week One was Houston, which did the improbable in decisively toppling Oklahoma to eliminate the largest obstacle on its schedule in the quest for a Playoff berth. OU's shameful performance in yet another big game certainly had something to do with it, but no matter; Houston is unquestionably on track for a stunning Playoff-busting run.
Three of the five Power conferences emerged from last weekend worse for wear, though. The ACC, despite North Carolina's loss to Georgia, remains in great shape with two teams in the top five of the polls. The Big Ten, led by Ohio State and Michigan, didn't play anyone and therefore managed to stay the course.
That wasn't the case for the SEC, Big 12 or Pac-12. The SEC is fine as long as Alabama continues to look like an unbeatable juggernaut, but the nation's toughest league otherwise took a big hit. Seven SEC teams lost their openers, lowlighted by LSU's flop against Wisconsin and Mississippi State falling to South Alabama. Without the Crimson Tide, this conference would be in trouble.
The Big 12 fared similarly, as Oklahoma ruined the league's best shot at the Playoff in Week One. Texas did notch a big upset of Notre Dame, but the Longhorns aren't likely to run the table or finish with one loss. TCU looked terrible for most of its shootout with South Dakota State, and the best win the conference got outside of Texas was West Virginia's victory over Missouri.
However, neither conference ended up looking as bad as the Pac-12, which may have seen its Playoff hopes evaporate before a single league game. UCLA and USC are perennially overhyped by the media, but they're important flagship teams that went down in ugly fashion to the SEC. Arizona lost to BYU. Washington State lost to an FCS foe for the second straight year. Even in victory, the league was disappointing. Stanford also struggled with Kansas State, while Oregon, Washington and Arizona State picked up less-than-meets-the-eye blowouts of bad competition. It was, all in all, a disaster. More on this in the Pac-12 Report.
Unfortunately, Week Two offers much less than the seemingly stacked opening weekend. Shamefully, there's not a single matchup of ranked teams, and very few ranked teams look to even get a real challenge. All of the best contests appear to be outside the Top 25, such as Penn State - Pittsburgh, BYU - Utah, and Texas Tech - Arizona State. Arkansas at TCU and Virginia Tech - Tennessee have potential, but that's about it.
Playoff Poll
It's obviously far too early for a real Playoff prediction, and I've made my feelings on preseason polls known. Still, the release of the first in-season polls always provides some interesting talking points. For example, why did Clemson retain its ranking after struggling to beat unranked Auburn? Shouldn't Florida State have leapfrogged the Tigers after defeating a ranked Ole Miss team? How is LSU still ranked after that atrocious performance? Considering that we don't know how good LSU and Notre Dame really are, why did Wisconsin and Texas jump all the way up to 10th and 11th, respectively? These inconsistencies are what makes the polls so frustrating.
Pac-12 Report
It really was that bad. No one really expected USC to beat Alabama, but it would have been nice to see the Trojans keep it close and respectable. The 52-6 beatdown was the opposite of that. Meanwhile, UCLA was reasonably favored versus Texas A&M, but once again proved unready for the national spotlight. Coupled with Arizona's close loss to BYU and Washington State's embarrassing loss to Eastern Washington, the Pac-12 already had a bad week before including the middling wins.
Oregon won going away against UC Davis, but led just 25-7 at the break after a very slow start. Arizona State blew out Northern Arizona, but only after holding a 10-3 lead at halftime. Washington crushed Rutgers on the scoreboard, but only had 76 more offensive yards (and most curiously, was outrushed by the Scarlet Knights, a near-impossibility in a blowout of that magnitude). Stanford did what Stanford does, racing out to a 17-3 on Kansas State before doing everything in its power to let the Wildcats steal the game.
In all honestly, the most promising outcomes of the week came from the presumed bottom of the conference. Oregon State came through with very respectable effort on the road at Minnesota, showing that perhaps the Beavers aren't as hopeless as some predicted, while Colorado announced another big step forward for the program by thrashing rival Colorado State 44-7. If the Buffaloes keep playing like that, the long bowl drought will end this season.
Overall, though, it was an awful weekend for the league. Unless one of the three North contenders run the table, a Playoff bid is all but lost. I don't think Stanford, Washington or Oregon is good enough to do that, particularly if the teams penciled in as easy wins (like OSU and Colorado) continue to improve. It's not a done deal, but the odds don't favor the Pac-12 making a real run at a National Championship this year.
Random Thoughts and Observations
The big topic on hand to start the 2016 season is the expansion of the Big 12. I have mixed feelings on further expansion in the Power Five, as there are already too many bad teams dragging down the bottom of the major conferences. With that said, it makes little sense to have four leagues with a championship game and one without, so the addition of two more schools to the Big 12 doesn't seem terrible. It sounds as if the conference has already whittled down the candidates from an initial list of 12, so I'm going off what is currently being reported.
East Carolina, which would have made a reasonable eastern partner for West Virginia, is out. The Big 12 surely wants to add such a school for the Mountaineers (as it would also assist in travel for other sports like basketball), but the quality options are scarce. Louisville, which would have made for a sensible choice, has already been snatched up, and likely won't leave the stability of the ACC. Cincinnati is a decent pick, as is Memphis, but neither is exactly a big name brand. BYU desperately wants into a major conference, but it remains to be seen if the Big 12 will A) expand in that direction and B) support a school with a life contract policy like BYU's.
The first, most obvious choice is Houston, which would join its old Southwest Conference peers in a heartbeat if given the opportunity. With tradition, strength in multiple sports and a football team more than capable of competing at the highest level, the Cougars would seem to be the simple answer. But therein lies the rub: the current Big 12 schools don't want Houston. Texas is a crowded-enough recruiting ground as it is, and Big 12 members don't want to have to compete with a program that could corner the market on that section of the state.
So politics, as they so often do, will play into the league's final expansion decision. If I were making the call, I'd say the Big 12 should bite the bullet and bring in Houston along with Cincinnati as an eastern bloc team with WVU. It's not a perfect solution, but it will at least allow the conference to host a title game again and (potentially) survive the third round of expansion.
2016 Stanzi Awards
My favorite creation of this blog, the Stanzi Awards honor the nation's worst QB performances in an attempt to crown the most reckless passer in the country by season's end. But in order to properly pay homage to the former Iowa signal-caller, a few rules must be followed:
1) QB's are the only eligible players
2) The QB must have multiple turnovers
3) The game must by close (within two possessions)
4) The QB's team must win the game
So let's get this glorious ball of ineptitude kicked off! Week One got things going beautifully, with a delightful pair of Double Stanzis to go along with the individual awards picked up this week. It was a perfect beginning to what will surely be yet another season full of crushing sack-fumbles and ill-timed pick-sixes.
Week One Awards
Riley Neal, Ball State
Opponent: Georgia State
Performance: Two INT (one for TD), won by 10
Tyler Jones, Texas State
Opponent: Ohio
Performance: Two INT, won by two in triple overtime
Austin Allen, Arkansas
Opponent: Louisiana Tech
Performance: Two INT, won by one
DOUBLE STANZI ALERT
Bart Houston, Wisconsin
Opponent: LSU
Performance: Two INT (one for TD), won by two
Brandon Harris, LSU
Opponent: Wisconsin
Performance: Two INT, lost by two
DOUBLE STANZI ALERT
Nick Mullins, Southern Miss
Opponent: Kentucky
Performance: Three INT, won by nine
Drew Barker, Kentucky
Opponent: Southern Miss
Performance: One INT, two FUM, lost by nine
2016 Standings
Nick Mullins, Southern Miss: 1
Bart Houston, Wisconsin: 1
Tyler Jones, Texas State: 1
Austin Allen, Arkansas: 1
Riley Neal, Ball State: 1
Week One was a little disappointing, but there are eleven more games to go! Here's hoping the rest of season will live up to college football's tremendously unpredictable, highly entertaining legacy.
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