Rearview: A spanking in East Lansing

The obvious key to derailing the Michigan State Spartans is containing super back Javon Ringer. The Ohio State Buckeyes did just that on Saturday, limiting him to just 67 yards. Of course, Containment is easiest when you jump all over your opponent, forcing them to abandon the running game. An immediate indicator is Ringer’s 16 carries, his lowest total of the season. The Buckeyes led 28-0 at the half, building to 35-0 by the end of the third, before completing the 45-7 drubbing of the 20th ranked Spartans, their highest offensive output on the season. With questions and worry surrounding the Buckeyes past performances, they gave a quick message and delivered a Big 10 statement, which basically said “The champs are here”.

And speaking of spankings, Southern Cal was swinging its own paddle, which is already reviewed here.

GRABBING A BULL BY THE HORNS

The Texas Longhorns are rolling, and the Missouri Tigers latched on and were taken for a ride. Stampeding out of the gate, the Horns had hung 28 before every fan was settled in their seats. Riding the momentum from last week’s victory over Oklahoma, Texas left no doubt about the top spot in the polls. Although we all knew Missouri’s defense wasn’t challenging, I think most expected the Tigers’ offense to at least keep pace. Missouri has now dropped games in consecutive weeks, but can still be considered a favorite in the Big 12 north, meaning they may meet Texas again. Is that a good thing?

FEAR THE TURTLE…SOMETIMES

The most difficult team to figure out is the Maryland Terrapins. They’ve squeaked past Delaware, and lost to both Middle Tennessee State and Virginia. On the flip side, they’ve defeated 3 ranked opponents this season, with No. 20 Wake Forest being the latest victim. The Terps host N.C. State next week. Maybe they should hold their weekly practices as if the Wolfpack were ranked.

TOP 25 UPSETS

(9) BYU defeated by TCU
(17) Virginia Tech defeated by Boston College
(18) North Carolina defeated by Virginia
(21) Wake Forest defeated by Maryland
(25) California defeated by Arizona

Did you notice that 3 of the 5 occurred in the ACC?

DIGITS

-After a poor start, Virginia has now won 3 straight. Their victory over North Carolina marked the 14th straight defeat the Tar Heels have suffered in Charlottesville.

-Syracuse’s Greg Robinson is now 2-22 in Big East play since taking the head coaching job.

-Maryland’s blanking of Wake Forest is the first time the Deacons have been shutout since 1998.

-For the first time in his coaching career, Alabama’s Nick Saban is 7-0.

-1896 was the last time Missouri beat Texas in Austin.

-Colt McCoy’s 82 career touchdown passes overtakes Vince Young as Texas’ leader in that category.

-LSU was aided by a season high 6 sacks in their escape of South Carolina.

-In the last 10 quarters of football, Southern Cal has outscored their opponents 114-0.

-In the shutout of Washington State, the nation’s second longest scoring streak was snapped at 280 games. Michigan is the leader in the category.

-BYU’s upset loss to TCU snapped the nation’s longest win streak, at 16 games.

-Oklahoma’s Sam Bradford threw for a school record 468 yards in the Sooners’ victory over Kansas.

-1939 was the last time Baylor won a game in Stillwater.

-Baylor’s Robert Griffin set a new FBS freshman record, with 155 consecutive pass attempts without an interception.



GALLOPING FINISH

Texas- Without a doubt
Mizzou- Without a defense
Kentucky- Phew!
Tennessee- Not the worst in the SEC
Clemson- New coach, same result
Washington State- Terrible
Virginia- Huh?
Michigan- 2 halves= 1 whole game
Wisconsin- missing out of conference play
Michigan State- A dead Ringer
Ohio State- resembling 2007
Penn State- Catch me, Bowden, if you can.
USC (west)- Bye Week
Northwestern- Bowl eligible
Washington- Willingham is 0-6
Oklahoma State- Shhh
Week 8- BCS standings are here!

Week 3 Heisman Peformances- Receivers

I have only 3 receivers on Heisman watch, and one, Percy Harvin is dropped with the Bye week adding to his lack of production. In 3 weeks, Harvin has just 32 total yards of offense and 1 touchdown. This is a position least likely to win the award, and Jeremy Maclin is easily the front-runner, considering he gets many touches in a variety of ways. Michael Crabtree is the best pro prospect, and despite opponents singling him out as the biggest weapon of the Red Raiders offense, he remains active and equally productive in each game.

RECEIVERS

Jeremy Maclin, Missouri
Opponent: Nevada

6 receptions, 172 yards, 3 tds
6 returns, 62 yards, 0 td

Season: 12 receptions, 223 yards, 4 tds
All Purpose: 538 yards, 5 tds
(297 return yards, 1 td)
Opponents: Illinois, SMS, Nevada

Michael Crabtree, Texas Tech
Opponent: SMU

8 receptions, 164 yards, 3 tds

Season: 24 receptions, 395 yards, 5 tds
All purpose: 398 yards, 0 tds

DROPPED

Percy Harvin, Florida

ON THE BUBBLE

None

Horse’s receiver choice: Jeremy Maclin, WR, Mizzou
Horse’s overall choice: Sam Bradford, QB, Oklahoma

Next update: Week 6

Week 3 Heisman Performances- Quarterbacks

The race for the Heisman Trophy hasn’t taken full form, but it’s slowly revealing a shape. Sam Bradford, Chase Daniel and Max Hall have jumped out quickly with huge numbers, while some others find themselves in vicarious positions. Overall, quarterbacks continue to stand out, with quite a few lighting up stat sheets in the first 3 games.

Rudy Carpenter took a heavy hit with a loss to UNLV. As it stands now, for Carpenter to pull himself out of the hole and make it to New York, his Arizona Sate Sun Devils will probably have to defeat both Georgia and USC, and he needs to be impressive against both. That would also suggest that he needs to win the Pac 10 and secure a top 10 finish. The most memorable number from Todd Reesing’s game against South Florida is “1”. One interception late in the game set up the Bulls with field position to kick the game winning field goal. Reesing can easily make up for that error, considering the Big 12 has so many Heisman candidates and exposure games. Here’s the list for week three, in no particular order.

QUARTERBACKS
New to list: Matt Grothe, USF

Mark Sanchez, USC
Opponent: Ohio State

17 of 28, 172 yards, 4 tds, 1 INT

Season: 43 of 63, 510 yards, 5 tds, 2 INTs
Rating: 166.57
Opponents: Virginia, Ohio State
Record: 2-0

Matthew Stafford, Georgia
Opponent: S. Carolina

15 of 25, 146 yards, 0 td, 0 INT

Season: 46 of 74, 634 yards, 4 tds, 0 INT
Rating: 159.97
Opponents: Georgia Southern, C. Michigan, S. Carolina
Record: 3-0

Sam Bradford, Oklahoma
Opponent: Washington
18 of 21, 304 yards, 5 tds, 0 INT

Season: 64 of 81, 882 yards, 12 tds, 2 INTs
Rating: 214.43
(1 rushing td)
Opponents: Tenn-Chat, Cincinnati, Washington
Record: 3-0

Juice Williams, Illinois
Opponent: Louisiana Lafayette

Pass: 13 of 25, 147 yards, 1 td, 1 INT
Rush: 11 attempts, 35 yards, 0 tds

Season: 65 of 92, 722 yards, 7 tds, 1 INT
Rating: 139.94
(Rushing: 46 attempts, 219 yards, 2 tds)

Opponents: Mizzou, E. Illinois, Louisiana Lafayette
Record: 2-1

Chase Daniel, Missouri
Opponent: Nevada

23 of 28, 405 yards, 4 tds, 0 INTs

Season: 65 of 90, 973 yards, 10 tds, 1 INT
Rating: 197.48
Opponents: Illinois, SMS, Nevada
Record: 3-0

Cullen Harper, Clemson
Opponent: NC State

20 of 28, 262 yards, 2 tds, 1 INT

Season: 54 of 80, 642 yards, 3 tds, 2 INTs
Opponents: Alabama, Citadel, NC State
Record: 2-1

Graham Harrell, Texas Tech
Opponent: SMU

31 of 48, 418 yards, 5 tds, 0 INT

Season: 93 of 152, 1,251 yards, 8 tds, 3 INTs
Rating: 143.74
(1 rushing td)
Opponents: E. Washington, Nevada, SMU
Record: 3-0

Todd Reesing, Kansas
Opponent: USF

34 of 51, 373 yards, 3 tds, 1 INT

Season: 103 of 141, 1,041 yards, 9 tds, 2 INTs
Rating: 153.30
(1 rushing td)

Opponents: FIU, La Tech, USF
Record: 2-1

Rudy Carpenter, Arizona State
Opponent: UNLV

13 of 23, 242 yards, 2 tds, 1 INT

Season: 62 of 87, 975 yards, 6 tds, 2 INTs
Rating: 183.56
Opponents: N. Arizona, Stanford, UNLV
Record: 2-1

Matt Grothe, USF
Opponent: Kansas

32 of 45, 338 yards, 2 tds, 0 INTs

Season: 61 of 93, 780 yards, 7 tds, 2 INTs
Rating: 156.58
(1 rushing td)
Opponents: Ten-Mart, UCF, Kansas
Record: 3-0

Max Hall, BYU
Opponent: UCLA

27 of 35, 272 yards, 7 tds, 1 INT

Season: 91 of 117, 1,095 yards, 12 tds, 2 INTs
Rating: 186.82
Opponents: UNI, Washington, UCLA
Record: 3-0


BYE WEEK

Pat White (WVU), Tim Tebow (Florida), Colt McCoy (Texas)

DROPPED FROM LIST

Dan LeFevour (Central Michigan)

ON THE BUBBLE

Dan LeFevour (Central Michigan)

The Horse’s Early QB Pick: Sam Bradford, Oklahoma
The Horse’s Early Overall pick: Sam Bradford, Oklahoma

From The Horse’s Mouth: Week 1 Spotlight games

The long grueling wait is finally over, and instead of asking questions, debating futures, and embarking on conference war discussions, we can finally receive some answers on the field. Typical of the opening week, there’s a plethora of wood-shed whackings scheduled. But if you sift through those games played for a program’s monetary gains, you’ll find a couple of intriguing matches that can quickly rattle the preseason rankings and affect the title chase.

(24) Alabama at (9) Clemson

The Horse’s must see rating: 10

Quickie: Nick Saban has won his share of big games, and finds himself opening as an underdog on the road. Tommy Bowden’s Tigers now have a top 10 ranking, but can he strip his title of “choke” artist?

Tigers: Cullen Harper returns to build on his national notoriety. The Clemson QB led the team to a 9-4 record in 2007, completing 65% of his passes, while throwing for 2,991, 27 TDs, and only 10 picks. He’s joined by his thunder and lightning backfield of C.J. Spiller and James Davis, which combined for 1,832 yards and 13 scores. Davis nearly entered April’s draft, but his decision brings his 5 yard per carry average back to school. Aaron Kelly and Tyler Grisham will be the receiving targets of Harper, with the speedster Jacoby Ford rejoining the group after suffering a broken ankle last November. If there’s an offensive weakness, it would be a line that only returns Thomas Austin at center.

Seven Starters return on the Clemson defense, but the unit lost all 3 starting linebackers, which are the key pieces to any defense. Another blow is on the defensive line, in losing the senior leadership of Rashaad Jackson for at least half the season.

Tide: Alabama’s bowl victory over Colorado pushed the program over .500 (7-6) in 2007. Now ready to begin his second year, Nick Saban brings back John Parker Wilson, the Tide’s single season passing leader in yards (2,707) and touchdowns (17). But despite the 2007 achievement, Wilson still ranked 92nd in the nation in passing efficiency. If the tide is looking to build on Saban’s first year, the first step will be reducing the number of mistakes made by Wilson. Legging it out will be returning starter Terry Grant, who ran for 891 and 8 TDs last year. They’ve lost some depth at receiver, including D.J. Hall, but Bama welcomes highly touted freshman Julio Jones. The Tide shows strength up front, with top NFL draft prospect Andre Smith, and the return of Antoine Caldwell, who decided against early entry into the 2008 draft.

On the defensive side, Rashard Johnson led the team with 6 interceptions a year ago, but the secondary remains questionable. Javier Arenas will try to establish himself as a true cornerback and strip the label of being a primary special teams player. At 5’9, expect him to be picked on in matchups against Clemson’s bigger receivers.

Xtra Points: Tommy Bowden is in a position to prove his worth. On the other hand, Saban can improve on his football genius by pulling a victory, despite using an “average at best defense” against one of the nation’s top offenses. The Tide should look to control the tempo early, which could leave them positioned for a fantastic finish.

All Time Series: Bama leads 11-2
Streak: Bama has won 11 straight

(20) Illinois at (6) Missouri

The Horse’s must see rating: 10

Quickie: If you’re Mizzou, you’re proud of your past year’s achievements, but also angry. Finishing 12-2, and beating Kansas and Illinois, the Tigers were BCS bowl snubs, with the defeated Jayhawks and Illini receiving the BCS prizes. If you’re Illinois, you’re probably not feeling like you claimed any reward, after being rocked by USC in the Rose Bowl. Both teams enter 2008 with more to prove.

Tigers: Heisman finalist Chase Daniel leads his squad into 2008, after appearing out of nowhere in ’07. Daniel threw for over 300 yards in 8 games last season, and recorded a season total of 33 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. His favorite target, WR Jeremy Maclin is the Tigers’ do-it-all version of Florida’s Percy Harvin, with 2,800 all purpose yards and 16 TDs in 2007. The only question for the offense would be the replacement of running back Tony Temple, but Temple was often injured and didn’t get much significant play last season. Carrying the load will be Jimmy Jackson and Derrick Washington, who should get good looks with the Tigers spreading defenses.

Mizzou's defense isn't spectacular, but manage to get the job done. Defensive stars would include LB Sean Witherspoon and CB William Moore, but this is a unit that failed to put the clamps on the Sooners twice last year, amounting to the Tigers’ only two losses, and costing them the Big 12 title and a BCS bowl bid.

Illini: Juice Williams became a household name, and he’ll have to play bigger than ever in 2008. Lost from the Illini production is running back Rashard Mendenhall and his nearly 1700 rushing yards and 17 TDs. He’s being replaced (if there is such a thing) by Daniel Dufrane (6.7 yard average on 43 carries in ’07), but there isn’t much optimism. In the Spring game, Illini runners rushed for -11 yards, and they remain a work in progress. Illinois led the Big 10 in rushing last year, with QB Juice Williams chipping in 755 yards of that total. If they plan on making any noise, they’ll have to improve on his 1,743 passing yards, which is easier said than done, if you have no running attack.

The Defensive line is the strength of the Illini, returning 3 starters and 8 players rotated into those positions last year. The ends alone accounted for 21.5 sacks, with Will Davis providing 12.5 tackles for loss. A capable secondary adds support, featuring Thorpe award semifinalist Vontae Davis. Combined with Dere Hicks and Miami Thomas, the trio collected 7 interceptions in 2007.

Xtra Points: This year’s venue changes in Missouri’s favor, and unfavorable changes appear on the Illinois roster. The entire outlook appears as “different year, same result”, with a more experienced and fine tuned Tigers team again staring at victory.

All Time Series: Mizzou leads 14-7
Streak: Mizzou has won 3 straight

NOTABLES

Applachian State at (7) LSU: Can lightning strike twice? Division I-aa champions meet Division I champions in Baton Rouge. After the shocker in Ann Arbor last year, the Mountaineers will enter with confidence. Appy State QB Armanti Edwards begins his campaign for the Heisman Trophy.

(18) Tennessee at UCLA: For the Vols, a return to California is a return to the scene of the crime, after the opening debacle against Cal last year. UCLA may have a coaching dream team, but don’t have a roster to do much with them. They’ll start a QB with little preparation, and this one can get ugly in a hurry. Many early projections show UCLA as a 5-7 team at best, and if Fulmer manages to somehow lose to these unprepared early season Bruins, he should be forced to walk back to Knoxville.

Washington at (21) Oregon: Psst! For all of you outside of the Western time zone, this is a rivalry game. The two programs hate each other.

Kentucky at Louisville: Speaking of hate…state bragging rights are on the line. Need I say more?

Utah at Michigan: Your first glance at the Rodriguez Wolverines. Don’t sleep on the Utes. They have a nice squad. I wonder who the people in West Virginia will be rooting for?

(3) USC at Virginia: The Trojans have played in 34 states, and also played in Japan. This will be their first game ever in the State of Virginia. Preview Here

UC Davis at San Jose State: Yes, I’m kidding!

I wish you all a happy and Safe Labor Day weekend. Enjoy the games.