What we learned from Saturday
Posted: Sunday, October 12, 2008 2:15 AM
Before sending out a search party for the LSU defense, we’re back to wrap up Week 7 of the college football season.
It’s tough at the top: Texas, the highest ranked team that posted a victory this week, deserves to jump from No. 5 to the top of the heap. Alabama, which sat this wacky week out, should hold steady at No. 2, followed by Penn State, which went to Camp Randall Stadium and decimated Wisconsin, 48-7. Florida also decisively took care of its business with LSU, 51-21, staking its claim to climb to No. 4. Once you get past that quartet, it gets a little messy. We’d go with Oklahoma and USC at Nos. 5 and 6 (losing to Texas is no crime, while getting worked over by Oregon State is). Then, you’ve got Texas Tech, BYU, Georgia and Oklahoma State to fill out the Top 10. Missouri and LSU have good shots to end the season in the Top 10, but they don’t deserve to be there right now. Both Tiger squads might not mind too much. It’s dangerous in there.
The spread offense is not for everybody: A year after being a primary talking point around the country, the spread offense has been a complete dud at two high-profiles schools. Under the direction of one of the system’s godfathers, Rich Rodriguez, Michigan’s offense is in worse shape than Amy Winehouse. Saturday’s 13-10 loss to Toledo is arguably the most embarrassing defeat in Wolverine history, which is saying something. At Auburn, Tony Franklin, another spread guru, got sacked after only six games as the Tigers offensive coordinator. Three days later, while continuing to transition away from the spread and return to a more traditional attack, Auburn promptly lost at home to lowly Arkansas 25-22 mustering only 193 yards of total offense, 56 of which came on the ground.
What’s happened to quarterbacking in the Pac-10?: Historically a breeding ground for top-notch passers, the Pac-10 has fallen on hard times as of late in that regard. Against Arizona State on Saturday, USC’s Mark Sanchez threw three interceptions and lost a fumble in the least impressive 28-0 victory you’ll ever see. His outside shot at breaking into the Big 12’s monopoly on Heisman Trophy finalists is likely gone. Later in the day, Arizona’s Willie Tuitama was held off the scoresheet in a disappointing 24-23 loss at Stanford. The rest of the signalcallers in the league are “just there,” despite some getting a fair amount of preseason hype. Perhaps the best quarterback in the Pac-10 is Washington’s Jake Locker, but he hasn’t seen action for the hapless and winless Huskies since breaking his right thumb last month.
Wisconsin’s season is sunk: Three weeks ago, Bret Bielema’s Badgers were ranked at No. 9 and established a 19-0 halftime lead over Michigan. Since then, it’s been all downhill for Wisconsin, which fell apart in the Big House in what ended up being a 27-25 loss. That was followed by a hard-fought 20-17 setback to Ohio State and a 48-7 surrender to Penn State . . . both of which unfolded in front of the home folks in Madison. The Badger marching band even got suspended in the middle of all that. Even if the bleeding ends next Saturday at Iowa (which might not be a pushover after blasting Indiana, 45-9), that won’t soothe the overall pain felt by a proud program that felt it was in line for a BCS berth.
Texas two-step: After putting the clamps on the high-tempo Oklahoma offense when it had to in Dallas, the Longhorns will try to complete the double-play in Austin on Saturday against a Missouri team that’s smarting from its tumble at home to Oklahoma State. After winning a duel against Sam Bradford, Colt McCoy will share the field with Chase Daniel, Zac Robinson and Graham Harrell in the next three weeks. Such is life in the Big 12 these days. Having now slipped into the lead for the Heisman, it’ll be interesting to see how McCoy handles the heat.
