I was wrong about all of my predictions last week except for the one that really mattered: Alabama continues to roll. The offense scores enough to decide the game by half-time, and then the defenses pride kicks in to try for a shutout. We’ll be seeing this blue print week in and week out. It’s scary fun to watch. I was also close when I mentioned USC would stumble eventually, though I didn’t see it happening against Stanford. But why not? Stanford has beaten them four straight now. ASU had a couple chances at the upset against Missouri but in the end, they just couldn’t make a play. Oh, and I think they just dropped another wide open pass. Florida beat up Rocky Top in the second half, and Notre Dame not only shut down the Michigan State running game, but dominated Sparty from start to finish. So, for my predictions…..oops. Will this week be any better?
Now here’s the Autumn Wind’s week 3 Top-10 recap:
1. Both LSU and Oregon both won 63-14 in the attempt to say “We’re #2.” LSU is leading the charge in the polls, but I have Oregon at #2. Why? They don’t play Alabama. Yet.
2. Auburn avoided the 0-3 start, and Louisiana-Monroe barely missed out on a 2-0 start…against the SEC! I wonder who’s the favorite to win the SunBelt? Gotta be the War Hawks after how they played against Arkansas and Auburn – both road games, both fourth quarter comebacks, and both O.T. games.
3. Dumbest stat of the weekend: “Notre Dame beats a top-10 team on the road at night for the first time since 1983.” Uh, the Irish rarely play night games, and they’ve rarely played top-10 teams (at least recently), let alone top-10 road teams. That’s like saying the Patriots have never beaten the Arizona Cardinals when the Cards blow clock management in the last two minutes resulting in a missed FG by the Patritos. Sheesh, just saying the Irish are 3-0 for the first time in 10 years is good enough. I’m still not drinking the Irish Kool-Aid though. Get by Michigan this weekend, and I might take a sip.
4. Florida State is now giving up an average of one point a game. Sure, they haven’t played anyone, but that defense is leading the country in pretty much everything. The Seminoles are back! Well, are they? We’ll find out this weekend when they play Top-10 Clemson. Someone check to see if it’s a night game.
5. Geno Smith’s numbers at West Virginia are what you see in video games. 88% completions, tons of yards, and lots of TDs. In fact, he has as many TDs as incompletions through two games. The last guy to do that? Heisman winner RGIII last year. Sorry Barkley, you’re out – Geno’s in!
6. Texas is racking up 50/game and is creeping into my Top-10. We’ll see how they fare in their next three: @ Oklahoma State, v. West Virginia, and then of course the Red River Shootout against Oklahoma. College football is a better place when OU and UT are undefeated going into that game. Speaking of, will this be the year that Florida and Georgia are undefeated during the World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party? I still can’t believe that hasn’t ever happened. At least I don’t think it has.
7. Do you think Virginia Tech wishes it was October already? Seems like the Hokies always lose one they shouldn’t early in the year and then rattle off 8-9 in a row to get back into things.
8. The most priceless view of the week was seeing Lame Kiffin’s face when USC had that 4th and 40 play at the end of the game and he finally realized they weren’t going to beat Stanford. Again. Talk about a “deer in the headlights” look. I guess it’s about time for Kiffin to look for his next gig, right? I mean the dude hasn’t held a job for more than three years. Don’t believe me? Look:
1997-1998 Fresno State (assistant coach)
1999 Colorado State (offensive line coach)
2000 Jacksonville Jaguars (quality control assistant – whatever the hell that is)
2001 USC (tight ends coach)
2002-2004 USC (wide receivers coach)
2005-2006 USC (offensive coordinator – notably during the USC cheating years)
2007-2008 Oakland Raiders (head coach)
2009 Tennessee (head coach)
2010-???? USC (head coach)
Nine jobs in 15 years?
9. Other than Michigan State beating Boise State at home in week 1, does the Big Ten have a quality win? I can’t find one…and don’t say Ohio State needing a blown coverage to score a late TD to beat Cal at home.
10. In case you missed it (the game finished at midnight on the West Coast), Utah upset BYU in a bizarre finish. The Ute fans rushed the field twice thinking the game was over, once after an incomplete pass with :01 on the clock; and again after blocking the last second FG (a penalty was called for fans rushing the field before the play ended). And of course the 2nd FG clanked off the upright. And that concluded week 3. Okay fine. I’ll mention it. Notre Dame’s in the ACC, but not in football. Yet.
Now on to the Top-10 in the standings:
Top-10:
#1 Alabama (3-0) – The distance between #1 and #2 grows by the week.
#2 Oregon (3-0) – You actually get to play a real team this weekend.
#3 LSU (3-0) – The schedule looks a bit easier now that we know both Auburn and Arkansas suck.
#4 Florida State (3-0) – I think you’ll give up more than one point to Clemson.
#5 Oklahoma (2-0) – This is usually about the time OU loses a random game. Is this the weekend?
#6 West Virginia (2-0) – I’m gonna keep saying it – the Big12 goes through Morgantown!
#7 Georgia (3-0) – Bulldogs looking good.
#8 Clemson (3-0) – Can you at least score a touchdown against that vaunted FSU defense?
#9 South Carolina (3-0) – Better win your next two against Missouri and Kentucky before that brutal stretch v. Georgia, @ LSU, @ Florida.
#10 Texas (3-0) – Oh hi, welcome back to the Top-10, Texas. We missed you. Not really.
Rising Fast:
Stanford – Hasn’t lost to in-state rival USC since the Bush administration.
Falling Faster:
Wisconsin – I don’t think I’ve ever put a winning team in the falling faster category, but after the loss to Oregon State and needing Utah State to miss a FG at Camp Randall to avoid another loss, you deserve it. The Badgers are 96th in the nation in rushing. That’s not good.
Heisman Watch:
Geno Smith, West Virginia – Sorry Barkley; 50% passing, three INT’s and a 0-4 record against Stanford won’t get it done. Geno’s sitting at 88% completions for the year, along with nine TD’s and nine incomplete passes. Let me say that again. Nine incomplete passes (less than half of what Barkley had just against Stanford).
BCS Title Game Prediction:
Alabama v. Oregon – I really want to see Oregon’s offense go against Alabama’s defense. My prediction remains the same though, a repeat for Alabama.
Week 4 Big Games:
Michigan @ Notre Dame – Michigan’s won five out of the last six in this series; including the last three while coming from behind with less than 0:30 left in the game. The best part about this series is that both Anton and I no longer have the expectation that our team will win. So, it’s been fun to watch the barn burners the last three years. Notre Dame’s defense is good, but their offense isn’t. Vice versa for Michigan. Which means we’re in for another wild one. But I’m starting to sip the ND Kool-Aid. Notre Dame 27 Michigan 24
Kansas State @ Oklahoma – Some folks (or at least video game programmers) have Kansas State not only winning the Big12, but appearing in the BCS title game. Oklahoma’s highly ranked, but hasn’t played anyone yet (what’s new?). Two fast paced, but slightly different offenses will put up lots of points. This is the type of match-up that OU often struggles with, but the game is in Norman, so I’ll give the nod to the Sooners. Oklahoma 38 Kansas State 35
Arizona @ Oregon – Arizona’s 4th in total yards in the nation; Oregon is 7th. Arizona’s averaging more than 46 a game, Oregon right at 54. Both teams score and score quick. UofSuck’s only chance is to slow the game down, and that’s just unpossible in Eugene. Ducks 51 UofSuck 31
Week 4 Game of the Week:
Clemson @ Florida State – Florida State’s 2nd in the nation in scoring at 59/game and 1st in points allowed at 1/game. No, that’s not a misprint. Sure, they haven’t played anyone at all yet, but make no mistake, the Seminoles are back. Plus, this is a revenge game, as Florida State was upset by Clemson last year. No upset this year – Seminole’s roll: 38 to 10
Until next time…
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