DIVISION 1-A GAMES
*+x GAME OF THE WEEK x+*
"Ugly Ducklings" Southern California at Oregon
The USC Trojans are looking to extend their winning streak, hopefully into the national championship game in their home state of California. Oregon, however, are looking to end that and put the Men of Troy to shame. With the game played at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, OR, the green and yellow looked to take on the crimson and gold (or whatever their colors are). Oregon scared them early going 10-0 on the Trojans. As it turned out, all the ones wanting USC to fall would be saddened much later as Matt Leinart and company kept moving chains and wearing out Oregon's defense. Afterwards, good teams respond to adversity. The Trojans just trojan horsed the men with the ugliest uniforms in college football, en route to an ugly loss, but that ugly loss was just beautiful for Southern California. (45-13, U. of Southern California)
"An Eye for an Eye" Iowa at Ohio State
Oh, baby! We got ourselves a great game in Columbus. The Iowa Hawkeyes are one of the hottest talents in the Big Ten. They are becoming dark horses in the Big Ten and in the nation. Michigan's most hated, Ohio State, are looking to end the Iowa Hawkeyes out of the Top 25. The Buckeyes had a hell of a game against Texas. While Ohio State vs. Iowa won't really be a "Game of the Year" contender as Ohio State vs. Texas shown, this will be a game where sparks will fly, as will fur. But when they hit the field, the Hawkeyes were floundering as they were blanked by a field goal and two touchdowns (17-0). But in the second half, Iowa weren't going down without a fight. The only good news for the Hawkeyes and the Hawkeye faithful were that they didn't get shut out. Ohio State DOMINANT at the Horseshoe. (31-6; OHIO STATE)
"Dam Shame" Arizona State at Oregon State
As seen on TBS College Football Saturday, Arizona State is looking to stay on a great pace as they challenged Oregon State. Their Civil War rivals, Oregon, fell to USC Trojans. Can the other Oregon school step up? Arizona State brought the pain to the busy Beavers. The Sun Devils led pretty convincingly. The worst play of the game was a touchdown that a ref called as an incomplete pass. Even with the booth review, a chance to have a touchdown to lessen the blowout AND have some extra clock to work with was eventually called. They could have lessened the blowout to somewhere just over 10, but the blowout was eminent. (42-24; Arizona State)
"Pretty as a Paterno" Penn State at Northwestern
Nobody knows football like the Big Ten. One of the big surprises is Penn State being 3-0 heading into Evanston, IL, just north of Chicago. The Wildcats welcomed the visiting Nittany Lions. Northwestern is in a nice setting, with a little seaside action and many fans dressed in purple. But the boys from State College, PA, had other ideas. Penn State shown their glory that has been missing since the 1982 Nittany Lions. They rallied from behind to win. (34-29; Penn State)
"Madison Magic" Michigan at Wisconsin
The Big Ten action continues as the Michigan Wolverines are on the ropes. They head into a land where anything can happen, even upsets and beatdowns- the University of Wisconsin. The good ol' Badgers looked to have their way with Michigan. For most of the game, it was pretty close. Wisconsin had an edge on Michigan, and it must have been a pretty good game if the final score was decided by a field goal. I didn't see this game, but it must have been a close fight. (23-20; WISCONSIN)
"Domino Effect" Michigan State at Illinois
Michigan is stumbling, so could rivals Michigan State (Michigan at Michigan State next week!) get her done in Illinois? The Fighting Illini missed out on the National Title in basketball, losing to North Carolina. That was a close game, this was anything but. MSU had their way against the Illinois secondary, pounding the ball up, down, side-to-side, over the top, down below, upside-down, inside-out... don't be surprised if you see this as a "OWNAGE OF THE WEEK" entry. The Spartans cleaned house in Champaign, IL. (65-13; Michigan State)
"Bulls in China Shop" Louisville at South Florida
Ex-Conference USA teams Louisville and South Florida met again. If you remember last year, Stefan LeFors beat down the USF Bulls. The Cardinals won with a score of 45 points. How ironic. Reason being is that the Cardinals will be in for a long night against the Tampa Bay crew of the U. of South Florida Bulls. Playing at Raymond James Stadium, this was downright horrible if you are a believer in the Louisville redbirds. (45-14; SOUTH FLORIDA)
"Finally!" Marshall at Central Florida
UCF were deplorable last year, winning a grand total of 0 games. After their MAC experiment failed completely, the Golden Knights welcomed the Thundering Herd to the Citrus Bowl in Orlando, FL. The local basketball team is the Orlando Magic, and that magic came alive against a talented Marshall. Marshall came off of a close loss against Kansas State sometime back. Marshall loses, but UCF gets themselves a win in somewhat of an easier conference. (23-13; CENTRAL FLORIDA)
"Texas Tough" TCU at BYU
One stands for Texas Christian University; the other stands for Brigham Young University. One of the latest pro stars from one school is LaDanian Tomlinson. One was famous for a bigtime comeback in the 1980s in one game. One created upsets and deserving of a Bowl Game bid. One wants to prevent that from happening. Don't laugh, but the Horned Frogs got a message for any Cougar wanting to interfere. The Horned Frogs trespassed on BYU property, and BYU wants to set the record. And for some time, this was a high-scoring street fight. So much so, that it meant overtime. And for those who say that kickers serve only one purpose and ONLY one purpose, you learned a special lesson. Extra points aren't givens as TCU won a nailbiter by one. (51-50; Texas Christian)
"Pilgrimage to Paradise" Colorado at Miami (FL)
Buffaloes may not know how to migrate, but if they did, it would mean one great stampede. If there was a city I'd love to visit in America besides NYC, let it be Miami, Florida. The girls, the surf, the cars, the... education? Oh yeah, player. The Miami Hurricanes are one of the toughest teams in the nation. With graduates such as Gloria Estefan and Dwayne Johnson (Wrestler and actor "The Rock," also a Miami footballer), they look to acheive excellence. That excellence would be put to the test as they face the defending Big XII North champs, the Colorado Buffaloes. The Buffaloes would experience a lot of sunburn and leave with only a field goal to share with friends and family after their collapse in Coral Gables, FL. Miami Hurricanes blown away the Buffs. (23-3; MIAMI-FLORIDA)
"Gain-esville Another Win" Florida at Kentucky
If the Florida Gators had a nasty cut on them, Urban Meyer would be the ointment and bandages. After Ron Zook left for Illinois, the Gators are establishing themselves quite well. In a game covered by CBS, this SEC matchup put up a battle between a talented team visiting a team that wish their football program was as good as their basketball program. And this Final Four would be four quarters to prove that Wildcats are better than Gators. Mission failed. Mission failed in almost the worst way. (49-28; Florida)
"The Midas Touch" California at New Mexico State
When you think California and college football, you normally think of the USC Trojans. Now let's meet another Pac-10 team, California. The Golden Bears are a team that could upset USC Trojans. For now, they have to play against the New Mexico State Aggies. The game was played in Las Cruces, NM. You can cross the Mexico border if you go about 40 miles southbound from Las Cruces. Let's see if these Aggies can get it done. When you think Aggies, you may think of THE Aggies team- Texas A&M. These Aggies didn't get aggie-gressive enough to make this close. NM State, however, did pull off a BEAUTIFUL kickoff for touchdown. More information in my FINAL COMMENTS. The men of Berkley, CA, pulled this one off. (42-13; Calfornia
"Lone Stars" Texas State at Texas A&M [Rescheduled to Thursday Night]
Let's head to America's second largest state, not to mention my home state- Texas. Texas is a land where "everything is bigger." Big dreams, big trucks, big cities, whether you own some cattle, drill for some oil, pick some cotton or wool, anything is possible in Texas. The Texas State Bobcats of San Marcos, TX made their way in a TOUGH place to play- College Station, TX. This matchup was a guaranteed blowout as Texas A&M is already thinking about Big XII play. TexStU didn't stand a chance. (??-?; TEXAS A&M)
"NoCar Speedsters" North Carolina at North Carolina State
Chapel Hill vs. Raleigh. The best of one of America's first states was to be determined in Raleigh, NC, home to the North Carolina State Wolfpack. I know I've been knocking North Carolina's football program a lot, but they've been coming along quite well. The Tar Heels upset NC State last year. Still smarting, they needed to recover quick, but losing by a touchdown and the PAT is no way to recover. Tar Heels basketball is impressive, as is this football effort. Good job, North Carolina. (31-24; North Carolina)
"Still Asleep" West Virgina at Wake Forest
Wake Forest has a pretty nice fight song, but the Demon Deacons haven't been a great unit. West Virginia, however, has been a sweet unit. The Mountaineers of Morgantown, WV hiked their way to Winston-Salem, NC for this Big East at ACC battle. WV shown no mercy against the somewhat awake Wake Forest unit. The Winston-Salem set got finished off by the Mountaineers and lose another one. (20-15; West Virginia)
"Singing the Blues" Duke at Virginia
Duke is in no one's national title listing. Virginia is a nice unit, hopefully proving me right this weekend taking on Duke. Virginia is usually known for battling Virginia Tech for the Commonwealth Cup, but give a golden trophy for the Cavaliers as they blew out their Blue Devils counterparts. The Cavaliers win, so maybe they aren't the only successful Cavaliers in American sports. (38-7; VIRGINIA)
"Golden Gophers Gold" Purdue at Minnesota
Minneapolis, MN is home to the Minnesota Vikings, the Minnesota Twins, and the Golden Gophers. This Big Ten team took on a freight train team, the Purdue Boilermakers. The boys of West Lafayette, IN went northwest to take on a great football team. This game was down to the wire as the two teams looked at overtime. In fact, it went into double OT. Purdue had to get a touchdown on 4th and 2, and the receiver in question dropped an easy pass as Minnesota pulled it out to win in this exciting matchup. (42-35; MINNESOTA)
"Men's Best Friends" Georgia at Mississippi State
I personally am a cat lover, but I do love Georgia Bulldog football. The boys of Athens, GA left Sanford Stadium to play in Starksville, MS. This was primetime Saturday Night Football on ESPN. The game featured two bulldog teams in this SEC matchup with one special element- the rain. It was a soggy mess plus the darkness, but Georgia shown no fear against a vulnerable Mississippi State. (23-10; Georgia)
"Off!" Georgia Tech at Virginia Tech
Atlanta, GA is home to the Atlanta Falcons, Braves, Hawks, and the Thrashers. They are also home to the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. The Yellow Jackets' QB Reggie Ball was diagnosed with viral meningitis and was questionable. They played against a big Virginia Tech offense. The Hokies shown little to no mercy cleaning up the Yellow Jackets. And if Yellow Jackets are supposed to be dangerous insects, VT must have been wearing plenty of Off! because they didn't feel a damn thing. (51-7; VIRGINIA TECH)
"Love Triangle" Notre Dame at Washington
On the next Springer: a vicious love triangle! Tyrone Willingham was ditched by his former love, Notre Dame. Willingham's been picked up by Washington. Now, Notre Dame is going to show Washington how Notre Dame football is supposed to be played. ON THE NEXT SPRINGER! All jokes aside, the Fighting Irish hit it off against the Huskies in an ugly contest. Ugly for the crew from Seattle, WA. The outfit from South Bend, IN win yet again, off of being upset by Michigan State. (36-17; Notre Dame)
"Got Heinz?" Youngstown State at Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh lost all of their games up to this point. And if they can't win against a team whose nickname is the Penguins, then the 2004 Pittsburgh would be the worst excuse in American football since the 2004 San Francisco 49ers. With the game played in beautiful Heinz Field, Pittsburgh faced a tough Youngstown State. Are you kidding me? A tough 1-AA team against a Big East bottomdweller? No contest. The Panthers savagely took out their opponents. Then afterwards, the Panthers gave a cute meow and slept like angels. And so, the Panthers lived happily ever after. (41-0; PITTSBURGH)
"Razor Sharp" Arkansas at Alabama
At one point, Alabama was an established power, with national championship victories. Nowadays, the National Title eludes the Crimson Tide. They still remain a tough team to beat. If you beat the Crimson Tide, you are a winner in my book. Can the Arkansas Razorbacks show their strength? They tried, but lose by 20. That's two touchdowns (with 2 PATs) and two field goals. Nowhere near close. The Tuscaloosa, AL outfit got her done. (34-14; ALABAMA)
"Syca-delic!" Indiana State at Texas Tech
The Indiana State Sycamores are a Division 1-AA team from Hoosier country. They go down south to northern Texas to say hello to the Texas Tech Red Raiders. If Texas State/Texas A&M was any indication, this should be a close game, right? If you think this would be a close game, you need professional help. So call a doctor NOW! (63-7; TEXAS TECH)
"Betting the Farm" UNLV at Utah State
I obviously don't know what city you can find Utah State, but the Utah State Aggies hosted the Mountain West bottomdwellers, the Rebels of the University of Nevada-Las Vegas. That's right, no Sin City action here. Can these gamblers take on the Aggies and win it all? It was a low-scoring game. But somewhere, a gamebreaker made the game a win by a field goal. (17-14; UTAH STATE)
* Florida Atlantic at Arkansas State
Sun Belt coming up. The Florida Atlantic Owls are Div. 1-A sophomores taking on the Arkansas State Indians. This was a game you may have seen if you have ESPNU. The Fort Lauderdale, FL crew took a huge loss against the Arkansas State crew. To think that FAU was about 9-2 or 8-3 last year, this is not a great start to prove last season wasn't a fluke. (66-24; ARKANSAS STATE)
"A Second Chance" Boston College at Clemson
When I think of xxxxxxxx College, I'm thinking of maybe a small place with not a lot of people attending, and a few seats for football fans. This is Boston College, probably the biggest college in Division 1-A. But they played in this ACC matchup against those Clemson Tigers. Clemson is a tough and talented unit. That talent shown all the way to their 1981 National Championship victory. They can be ACC dark horses if they aren't already. Clemson lost to Miami (FL) last week, so they hope not to lose two straight to BC. The game was a close fight as the teams looked at a 10-10 deadlock. And like a drag racer on a hole shot, the Eagles pulled out by a field goal to further give Clemson a pounding headache. (16-13; Boston College)
"Back to Normal" Tulane at SMU
Love or loathe Tulane, you have to feel for the Katrina-ravaged Tulane Green Wave. They took on a pack of horses in Dallas. I love the 2005 Ford Mustang, but these Mustangs in Dallas, TX have been anything but stellar. Tulane needs a win, just to give people of Louisiana hope. SMU is one of the worst teams in the nation, and Southern Methodist lost another one. (31-10; Tulane)
OTHER DIV. 1-A WINNERS:
TULSA, SOUTH CAROLINA, Eastern Michigan, Western Michigan, OHIO, KENT STATE, AKRON, COLORADO STATE, Wyoming, VANDERBILT
