#5 Florida vs. #8 Georgia Saturday, November 1, 2008 - 3:30 EST - CBS Jacksonville, Florida - Gator Bowl Florida -6.5
Summary The "World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party" is once again in Jacksonville...this game alone pumps $25 million into the city's economy...the game has been played in Jacksonville annually since 1933 with the exception of two years in 1994-95...Georgia leads the all-time series 47-37-2...
After losing to Ole Miss on September 27th, the Gators are 3-0 and have outscored their opponents 152-33...we all know about the Florida offense with Tim Tebow, Percy Harvin, and Jeffrey Demps (photo below)...here is an interesting note, Tebow did not throw a fourth quarter incompletion throughout the month of October...
The Gators defense has raised their level of play over the last three games...the defense is anchored by MLB Brandon Spikes
The Dawgs are led by RB Knowshon Moreno (photo below) who has rushed for 925 yards and 12 TDs so far this year...QB Matthew Stafford has thrown 12 TDs to 5 INTs...his favorite targets are senior Mohammed Massaquoi and freshman A.J. Green...combined, the two have caught 9 of Stafford's 12 TDs...
Quick Numbers Offensive Numbers Fl - Rushing per game - 196 yards Ga - Rushing per game - 172 yards
Fl - Passing per game - 214 yards Ga - Passing per game - 258 yards
Michael DiRocco of the (Jacksonville) Florida Times-Union writes how Urban Meyer stresses blocked punts... "It's sort of a double "whump" - a football being kicked, immediately followed by it smacking against a hand, forearm, chest or stomach of a player. When his team is responsible for the second whump, Meyer loves it. It's when the Gators create the first whump that his stomach tightens and twists." ...
Robbie Andreau of the Gainesville Sun writes how Florida must stop Knowshon Moreno... "The spirited Georgia tailback ran all over the Gators last year. He ran around them, he jumped over them, he ran through them. He ran them into the ground, wearing them out with 188 yards rushing and three touchdowns on a whopping 33 carries in Georgia’s 42-30 victory." ...
Andreau writes how the Gators running back position has become a strength with the emergence of speedster Jeffrey Demps... "In Meyer’s first three seasons, the tailbacks were pretty much a drag on UF’s up-tempo, big-play offense. They were just sort of there, their contribution usually being an occasional 5-yard run or a fumble or a missed blocking assignment. At one point, Meyer grew so frustrated with the lack of production that he referred to his tailbacks as trash." ...
Jeremy Fowler of the Orlando Sentinel writes how Georgia disrespected the Gators last season... "With that logic, Georgia wasn't too brilliant on two occasions in the Southeastern Conference in 2007, especially one. UGA's en masse celebration in the Gators' end zone on the first score of last season's 42-30 win on Oct. 27 has become the focal point of this year's heated rivalry." ...
Terence Moore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution writes how neither team is talking about Georgia's "Stomp" last season... "The week of the Florida game, Richt said he told his offensive players on the field to celebrate enough after Georgia’s first touchdown to draw an unsportsmanlike penalty. Instead, all of his players sprinted from the sidelines to the end zone for a dog pile between screaming and clowning." ...
Thomas Stinson of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution writes how Tim Tebow is still hurt by Florida's loss to Georgia last season... "Tim Tebow, who last month nearly broke into tears while trying to explain the Gators’ loss to Ole Miss, isn’t so sure that defeat was harder to take than last year’s 42-30 loss to Georgia." ...
Stinson writes about Florida's stellar defense... "Yet among the dozen subplots bubbling around Saturday’s Georgia-Florida game, the Gators’ celebrated defense poses the most intricate question. How well might it hold up against a quality quarterback? How will it react against a team like Georgia, which can run and pass with equal alacrity?" ...
Marc Weiszer of the Athens Banner-Herald writes how Knowshon Moreno is quietly back in the Heisman race... "If Moreno can keep up his recent pace, he might have to figure out a way to thank his linemen for helping him get a December invitation to New York City as a Heisman Trophy finalist." ...
Dallas Cowboys @ New York Giants Sunday, November 2, 2008 - 4:15 EST - FOX Giants Stadium - The Meadowlands Giants -8.5
Summary Last season, the Dallas Cowboys won the two regular season games, however, when it counted the most, the New York Football Giants went into Texas Stadium and won the Divisional Playoff game 21-17...Dallas leads the all-time series 54-36-2...the Giants hold a 17-14 edge in games played at Giants Stadium...
As known, the Cowboys are a banged up bunch...they have the 21st ranked defense...they are ranked 17th in scoring defense (23.0 points/game)...on the offense, Dallas is ranked 2nd overall...they are 10th in the league in scoring offense (25.3 game)...the 120 yards per game on the ground ranks them 10th...
The Giants offense and defense are ranked in the top 10...on offense, the G-men are ranked 7th overall and have the number 1 rushing offense in the NFL with 157.3 yards/game...the Giants defense is ranked 3rd overall...they lead the league in sacks with 26 and have allowed only 3 rushing TDs all year...
Quick Numbers Offensive Numbers Dal - Rushing per game - 120 yards NYG - Rushing per game - 157 yards
Dal - Passing per game - 245 yards NYG - Passing per game - 221 yards
- Dallas is 20-20 over the last 3 years in all games against the spread...
What the experts say Power Sweep - New York 33-13 The Gold Sheet - New York 38-17
Dallas Cowboys (4-3) - Head Coach Wade Phillips Brian Davis of the Dallas Morning News gives his mid-season report card on the Cowboys... "Just like the Dow, the Cowboys have fallen from last year's highs. With eight games remaining, it's time for the team to start a rally in hopes of zooming up the standings and into the playoffs." ...
Cedric Golden of the Austin American-Statesman writes about Dallas' win over Tampa Bay... "These are the new-look Cowboys. Led by a 40-year-old quarterback whose arm strength was questioned even when he was in his 20s; a head coach who seems to take more delight in opponent's missed field goals than his team's touchdowns, rare as they are these days; and joined by a Detroit Lions refugee wide receiver who is no stranger to this state but just plain happy to be here." ...
Tim Cowlishaw of the Dallas Morning News writes how the Cowboys should play loose on Sunday since they are expected to lose... "Anyway, if the Browns can beat the Giants and the Chiefs can beat the Broncos and the Rams can beat the Cowboys ... you get the picture. Because the Cowboys are so universally expected to lose, they have nothing to lose. They can play without fear. If there are no consequences to actions, then mistakes are impossible." ...
Todd Archer of the Dallas Morning News writes how Marion Barber is a workout freak... "Late in the morning, the Cowboys running back – and more than 30 teammates – showed up at Valley Ranch to get in a workout with Juraszek, the team's strength and conditioning coach. And on his other off day, Tuesday, Barber was back in the weight room." ...
New York Giants (6-1) - Head Coach Tom Coughlin Paul Schwartz of the New York Post reviews what happened in the Giants locker after the Steelers win and how Justin Tuck hates the Cowboys... "On their way into the visitors' locker room at Heinz Field, general manager Jerry Reese was there to shake the hand of every player and coach, saving a quick hug and hearty back-slap for a few select individuals. In every corner of the large room, the laughter and outward sense of accomplishment served as a reminder that even Super Bowl champions are capable of finding new mountains to climb." ...
Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News writes how the Giants have a golden opportunity to stick it to Dallas... "The Giants (6-1) could build a huge cushion over the Cowboys (4-3) with a win on Sunday that would make Dallas an afterthought in the NFC East race." ...
Matt Mosley of ESPN's blog network writes how the image of Eli Manning and Tony Romo have changed since their last meeting at the Meadowlands... "If someone told you on Nov. 11, 2007, that Eli Manning would be the MVP of Super Bowl XLII, you probably would've laughed. On that fall afternoon, Manning threw two interceptions and was sacked five times in a 31-20 loss to the Cowboys at Giants Stadium." ...
Steve Serby of the New York Post warns the Giants not to take the Cowboys lightly... "Don't you dare believe you are Supermen, immune to Kryptonite, who can strut onto your home field and wait for the wounded Cowboys to swoon at your feet. Don't believe the hype because this becomes a trap game if you do." ...
#1 Texas @ #7 Texas Tech
Saturday, November 1, 2008 - 8:00 EST - ABC
Jones AT&T Stadium - Lubbock Texas
Texas -6.5
Summary Texas leads the all-time series 42-14...last year, Texas won 59-43...Texas dominated the time of possession 40 minutes to 20 minutes...the Red Raiders only ran the ball 7 times for 10 yards, but passed for 466 yards...the Longhorns were more balanced as they had 283 yards on the ground and 268 through the air...the Red Raiders last win against Texas was in 2002...
Texas Tech, Penn State, and Utah enter the week with the nation's longest win streak at 10 games...
This will be the fourth in a string of four tough conference opponents for the #1 ranked Texas Longhorns...the Longhorns took care of business last week by beating a tough Oklahoma State team 28-24...QB Colt McCoy can basically secure the Heisman with another impressive performance this week...
The Red Raiders are led by Heisman hopeful, QB Graham Harrell...Harrell has thrown 28 TDs and 5 INTs this season...Harrell is fortunate to be throwing to maybe the best receiver in the nation in sophomore Michael Crabtree...Crabtree has 60 receptions for 794 yards and 14 TDs...Texas Tech's running game is led by Baron Batch (537 yards, 4 TDs) and Shannon Woods (481 yards, 10 TDs)...
Texas Tech made some headlines a few weeks back when they asked Matt Williams to joing the team...the Red Raiders were having an awful time in the kicking department and decided to ask Williams to be their place kicker after he won a halftime promotion during a game this season...
The Red Raiders pass defense is rated third nationally with 14 interceptions...Brandon Williams and McKinner Dixon are team leaders in the sack department...
Quick Numbers Offensive Numbers UT - Rushing per game - 183 yards
TT - Rushing per game - 138 yards
UT - Passing per game - 303 yards
TT - Passing per game - 418 yards
- Texas is 5-3 straight up in games played in Lubbock since 1992...
- Over the last 3 years, as a favorite of 3.5 to 10 points, the Longhorns are 7-1 straight up...
Texas Longhorns (8-0) - Head Coach Mack Brown Here are the Texas game notes for the Texas Tech game...
Alan Trubow of the Austin American-Statesman writes about former running back, now DE Henry Melton... "Defensive end Brian Orakpo , the teacher, was wondering if his pupil, Henry Melton, could start over and succeed. The lessons were about how to become a good defensive end." ...
Tim Griffin of ESPN's blog network writes about the banged up Texas secondary... "The test for Brown mirrors that for the Texas defense, which will be challenged to stop a Tech offense that ranks first nationally in passing offense, second in total offense and third in scoring. The Red Raiders have scored at least 35 points in every game this season and feature a deep collection of playmakers besides Crabtree. Texas defensive coordinator Will Muschamp will attempt to counter that offensive firepower with an injury-riddled secondary." ...
Kirk Bohls of the Austin American-Statesman writes how the Longhorns will need to establish the run this week... "But if Texas is to get by an excellent Red Raiders team, it will have to devote itself to a clock-eating, chain-moving ground game. Not exclusively, but when it counts." ...
Don Williams of the Lubbock Avalache-Journal writes about the Tech defensive line... "Texas Tech defensive end Jake Ratliff has started every game this season, but when circumstances dictate he doesn’t mind deferring to McKinner Dixon and Brandon Williams. The latter two, statistically speaking, are among the top three pass rushers in the Big 12 Conference." ...
Adam Zuvanich of the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal writes about Texas stud DE Brian Orakpo... "Brian Orakpo’s dream is to win the Heisman Trophy. Only one full-time defensive player has ever won the award - Michigan cornerback Charles Woodson in 1997 - and he also was a punt returner who played a little offense. Another obstacle to Orakpo’s Heisman hopes is teammate Colt McCoy, the Texas quarterback who is widely regarded as the frontrunner." ...
Ivan Maisel of ESPN.com writes how Texas Tech has a history of folding in big games... "Now is the time to prove the nation wrong. Under Leach, the Red Raiders are 10-26 against ranked teams, 63-11 against everyone else." ...
Tim Griffin of ESPN's blog network writes how Tech QB Graham Harrell is preparing for the biggest game of his career... "So much for worrying about satellite shoots, radio shows or teleconferences with the national media. If Harrell wins the Heisman this season he'll do it the old-fashioned way -- by earning it on the field with a big performance over No. 1 Texas and during the rest of the season." ...
The Associated Press caught up with New York Yankees captain Derek Jeter who is spending his first October not in the baseball playoffs... "It's seems like a long October for Jeter, whose Yankees missed the playoffs this year after a 13-season string of postseason appearances." ...
Stiles Points checked out some other blogs about Patti LaBelle's rendition of the national anthem at Sunday's World Series...the overwhelming majority had very negative responses to her performance...
By Bob Beecher on October 26, 2008 11:58 PM She came up with an overlong rendition ... AND ... couldn't remember the correct lyrics!
She sang, "skylight's last gleaming," (instead of twilight's)
She sang, "through the perilous flight," instead of perilous fight.
Don't think so? Well, just like that mistaken "safe" call near third base, go back and check the tape!
By Jason on October 27, 2008 12:26 AM As a Canadian I was embarassed at that horrible rendition of a beautiful national anthem. It was a travesty and she is not the only one who does it. And for some reason the fans in the stands seemed to have loved it. Go figure!
By MaxCackle on October 27, 2008 12:31 AM Labelle's anthem performance was one of the worst I've ever seen. She screwed up the lyrics twice & the rest was sliced, diced & pureed. Note to all artists: stop trying to reinvent the wheel & just sing the song with a light touch of your own style. The girl who sang it before game 3 did a great job, however, and hers would be a good reference for all who sing it in the future.
By James on October 27, 2008 2:03 AM Oh patti...yikes that was so bad! Yes, I agree w/ the above poster the girl (taylor swift) who sang it Sat. nite did so much better!
As a native Philadelphian I was embarassed Sunday night and the group of people I was watching the game with all agreed that her take on the anthem was awful. Just sing it as it is please?
By Michael Crane on October 27, 2008 3:06 AM I was embarrassed to be an American while listening to that. People were mainly cheering that it was over and the game was finally going to begin. But that was about as bad of a rendition I've ever heard...
By Daniel Barrott on October 27, 2008 3:33 AM Currently I am living overseas in New Zealand. I am from America. We got game 4 of the World Series on T.V. here and I was embarrassed that the world had to watch a horrible attempt at the National Anthem. Our anthem is beautiful when song the right way with a little change from the artist. I wanted to mute the tv when she was singing.
By SKYYSYKO on October 27, 2008 8:11 AM DITTO DITTO DITTO.....I CANT AGREE MORE WITH THE FIRST THREE COMMENTS.THERE SHOULD BE GUIDELINES SET FOR THESE PERFORMERS.JANET JACKSON/JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE DEBACLE DOESNT SEEM SO BAD NOW
By steve on October 27, 2008 8:20 AM LaBelle's National Anthem was extremely hard to bear, painful to the ear, and extremely unpatriotic. Philadelphia should be ashamed of themselves for allowing her to butcher such a sacred song. It's a good thing Citizen's Bank Park doesn't have a roof because they would be repairing a lot of cracks in it this morning. If you're going to sing the National Anthem at America's greatest pastime, baseball's World Series...LEARN THE WORDS AND SING IT RIGHT!!! The National Anthem is a sacred song and should not be altered. Patti LaBelle is a discrace to the United States after what she did.
By James G on October 27, 2008 8:23 AM I can't believe that someone could actually enjoy that torrid performance. Melodically she was all over the place, the lyrics were slaughtered, and the song clocked in at what felt like 17 minutes. A terribly embarrassing showing.
By Jeff on October 27, 2008 10:00 AM "Not one (anyone) could have sung along with, but one that almost equalled the power of the accompanying fireworks."
That is the main point of singing the Anthem at a public event - to lead the crowd in the singing. If she wants to sing the Anthem that way, she should do it in her concerts. I feel this way for anyone doing the Anthem at an event – including Taylor Swift and the Backstreet Boys.
I think the vast majority of the people in this country know Patti LaBelle can sing. She has an amazing voice, IF she would just sing. I looked up some older clips of her on YouTube and she was spectacular. The older she gets, however, the more “dressing up” she does with her songs and it becomes difficult to listen.
I thought Los Lonley Boys did a superb job when they sang the Anthem and if Patti would just sing it the correct way, people would be mesmerized. She should realize that being asked is a huge honor and she should perform the song with dignity, not as if she’s auditioning.
By Barry Eynon on October 27, 2008 2:38 PM The third worst rendition of the National Anthem I have ever heard. Only Carl Lewis and Rosanne Barr did worse. Hopefully tonight we have a singer who wants to respect the anthem and not try to personalize a song that is meant for our nation and not for individual experimenataion.
By Joseph D. Marquis on October 27, 2008 3:16 PM That was probably the worst rendition of the national anthem I have ever heard. There have been other bad ones. Maybe they should have to audition before being allowed to butcher our national anthem on national T.V. A real embarrassment.
By cindy on October 28, 2008 8:47 AM It's not a matter of white or black. She butchered the song. Best rendition I ever heard was Whitney Houston's at the Super Bowl, maybe 15+ years ago. I'll never forget that performance!
So far, I was able to watch the pre-game ceremonies for Games 1 and 4 of this year's World Series between Tampa Bay and Philadelphia...I was totally appalled and disgusted with the singing of our country's national anthem during those games...
The Backstreet Boys sang in Game 1 and Patti LaBelle in Game 4...anyone, and I do mean anyone, who thought they did a good job in their rendition of the Star Spangled Banner has to be out of their mind...
Major League Baseball should be ashamed in having these artists perform during the World Series...the Boys and LaBelle changed the words, added words, changed the melody, rhythm, and/or everything else...in other words, it sucked and they should be embarrassed...both the Boys and LaBelle's rendition ranks up there with that of Carl Lewis and his off-tune hackjob...
The Star Spangled Banner should be sung with dignity and honor, not as a Top 40 Pop singles hit...this butchery of our song at sporting events must stop!!!... Below is a clip of the Backstreet Boys awful performance...
Just who is this team?...the Tulsa Golden Hurricane (singular, not plural) are sitting at 8-0 and will not be making an appearance in a BCS bowl even if they run the table...the Canes are from Conference USA...this Saturday, they travel to take on Arkansas of the SEC...their closest games this season came at SMU on October 11...Tulsa won 37-31...
Head Coach Todd Graham is in his second year as the head coach at Tulsa...he posted a 10-4 mark in his first year which included a 63-7 trouncing of Bowling Green in the GMAC Bowl...the 44-year-old Graham was previously the head coach, for 1 year, at Rice before coming to Tulsa...he also worked as a defensive assistant to Rich Rodriguez at West Virginia...
Offense Tulsa is a high powered offense as they average 255 yards on the ground and 346 through the air per game...through eight games, they have scored 61 touchdowns...the offense is led by QB David Johnson who has thrown 32 TDs and 9 INTS...Johnson spreads the ball around to various receivers such as Brennan Marion (31 rec, 827 yards, 7TDS), Damaris Johnson (28,388,6), and Slick Shelley (25, 457, 6)...the running game is held down by Tarrion Adams who has 5 rushing TDs and 643 yards...
Tulsa has been in the red zone 50 times this season, and they have scored 44 times (38 TDs 6FGs)...
Defense Tulsa's D gives up 382 yards per game...the defense does toughen as the game moves on...in the first quarter, they have given up 72 points, 58 in the second, 44 in the third, and 35 in the fourth...opponents have a 41% sucess rating in third down coversions...
James Lockett leads the team with 10 sacks and is followed by Mike Bryan with 7 sacks...
Kicking The field goal kicker is Jarod Tracy who is 5 of 6 this year, however his longest field goal is 34 yards...Kevin Fitpatrick has made a 41-yard field goal this year...
Notables This past weekend, Tulsa retired jersey number 83 in honor of former great and NFL Hall of Famer Steve Largent...other former players with their jerseys retired include: Billy Guy Anderson (#14), Jerry Rhome (#17), Ellis Jones (#31), Felto Prewitt (#36), Glenn Dobbs (#45), Marvin Matuszak (#64), and Howard Twilley (#81)...
Also honored was former Tulsa head football coach John Cooper...Cooper coached Tulsa from 1976-84 and compiled a record of 57-31...
The latest Stiles Points Top 16+1 (games through 10/26/08)...this is the 4th week of the Top 16+1...this past weekend was "Knockout Saturday" in which Ohio State and LSU are eliminated from the BCS title picture...for the second straight week, Georgia is on the edge as they take on 1 loss Florida - the loser will be out of the title picture..you will notice that #13 & #14 are left vacant...I just don't feel there are worthy teams to occupy those spots...I also don't believe LSU and Ohio State are worthy of those spots either...so instead of putting any team in the rankings, I have decided to leave those spots vacant...(note, the second number in parenthesis is the previous week's ranking)...
1. Texas (8-0) (1) - the Longhorns showed their toughness by gutting out a win over a very strong Okie State team... 2. Penn State (9-0) (2) - JoePa finally got the monkey off his back in Columbus... 3. Alabama (8-0) (3) - the Tide survived talk of an upset bid at Rocky Top... 4. Southern Cal (8-1) (4) - USC dodges a major bullet in Tucson... 5. Oklahoma (7-1) (5) - OU may look back on this season and wonder what could have been...
6. Florida (6-1) (6) - the Gators layed waste to Kentucky... 7. Georgia (7-1) (7) - an impressive win at LSU...another big game by Moreno, and he will be back in the Heisman hunt... 8. Texas Tech (8-0) (8) - T2 took care of Kansas right from the start...this week's game is on national television...Mike Leach has arrived... 9. Oklahoma State (7-1) (9) - Okie State is for real...you cannot drop this team even though they lost... 10. TCU (8-1) (14) - the Horned Frogs held their last four opponents to only 7 points...they play at Utah on Nov. 8th...
11. Utah (8-0) (12) - one more game until their showdown against the Horned Frogs... 12. Boise State (7-0) (15) - are they going back to a BCS bowl again?... 13. Vacant - 14. Vacant - 15. Ohio State (7-2) (11) - the defense played well against Penn State... 16. LSU (5-2) (14) - LSU's defense has been a major disapointment... +1 - Navy (5-3) - Navy became the first team in 11 years to go an entire game without attempting a pass...Navy ran the ball 77 times for 404 yards in their 34-7 win over SMU...Ricky Dobbs, who played the quarterback position ran 42 times for 224 yards...SMU finished the game with -13 yards rushing..
Heisman Four Horsemen 1. Colt McCoy, qb, Texas - if he could get by Texas Tech, you might as well start engraving the trophy... 2. Tim Tebow, qb, Florida - T2 was kinda off the radar earlier this season, but he is coming on strong now... 3. Sam Bradford, qb, Oklahoma - steady... 4. Graham Harrell, qb, Texas Tech - Harrell gets the national stage this Saturday night...an impressive performance may catapult his to the top...
Games of the Week Stiles Points will be previewing the following ttwo games this week: Texas @ Texas Tech - this will be the 4th of four straight difficult opponents for the Longhorns... Florida vs. Georgia - whoever loses will probably be headed to the Capital One Bowl... NFL Special - NFC East Dallas @ New York - Stiles Points will always preview any NFC East match-up...
Other games to keep an eye on: Tulsa @ Arkansas - the Golden Hurricanes are playing a lower SEC team, but it is still an SEC team... Pitt @ Notre Dame- this would have been a marquee game if the Panthers would not have lost to lowly Rutgers...just when it looked like Wannstedt had things going in the right direction, he screwed up - again... Southern Cal @ Arizona - the Trojans smashed Wazzou on Saturday...Arizona is a sneaky team that could make things interesting... Utah @ New Mexico - New Mexico is 4-5, but they are not a horrible team...they already beat Arizona...and they have played TCU and Tulsa...the Utes better watch themselves...
Penn State 13 Ohio State 6 Ron Cook of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette lays into Terrelle Pryor for his "country comments" about Penn State... "It happened because of the critical mistake by Pryor, the heavily hyped kid from Jeannette who had dissed Penn State -- at least in the minds of its players -- during the recruiting process last winter by saying State College was too "country" for his liking." ...
Bob Hunter of the Columbus Dispatch writes how the game was set perfectly for Tressel Ball... "Tressel had a game suited to his style, but one turnover -- he hates turnovers -- was the killer." ...
Texas 28 Oklahoma State 24 Barry Tramel of the Oklahoma City Oklahoman writes how Oklahoma State made a statement even though they lost... "The Cowboys stood toe-to-toe for 60 minutes with the team that through two months has proven to be college football’s best. And the only difference was a play here, a penalty there." ...
Kirk Bohls of the Austin American-Statesman writes how the Texas defense made the stops when they needed... "Lofty and perhaps unattainable standards aside, Will Muschamp's defense stiffened after intermission and checked the Cowboys on 10 second-half points, using a critical fourth-quarter stand and a fourth-down stop late to secure unbeaten Texas' eighth straight victory." ...
USC 17 Arizona 10 Bill Plaschke of the Los Angeles Times writes how USC's chance at the BCS title game may have faded after Penn State's win... "That means Penn State, with three easy finishing games, probably will occupy one spot in the national title game. Which means the other spot will surely go to either the SEC or Big 12 champion, both leagues containing enough unbeaten or strong one-loss teams to squeeze USC out." ...
John Moredich of the Arizona Republic writes how Arizona's Rose Bowl dreams are over... "USC came away with a 17-10 victory at Arizona Stadium, putting a halt to the Wildcats' run of at least one win over a top 10 team for a fourth straight season and likely spoiling any chance UA had at going to the Rose Bowl for the first time." ...
Other Stories William Rhoden of The New York Times writes about a study that deals with NFL players and their coaches... "Last season, the N.F.L. players union commissioned the Wharton Sports Business Initiative at the University of Pennsylvania to conduct an unprecedented survey of players. It was the first time players had been asked about issues related to their coaches. The survey asked players to name names, and the players overwhelmingly obliged." ...
Dave Anderson of The New York Times writes about former Jet Larry Grantham and his role as the Super Bowl team's alumni director... "Befitting a six-time all-star in the American Football League, he still knows where everybody on that Super Bowl team is. He has emerged as their alumni director and their inspiration, a recovering alcoholic for more than two decades and now a throat cancer survivor." ...
#5 Florida vs. #8 Georgia
cked, immediately followed by it smacking against a hand, forearm, chest or stomach of a player. When his team is responsible for the second whump, Meyer loves it. It's when the Gators create the first whump that his stomach tightens and twists." ...
t said he told his offensive players on the field to celebrate enough after Georgia’s first touchdown to draw an unsportsmanlike penalty. Instead, all of his players sprinted from the sidelines to the end zone for a dog pile between screaming and clowning." ... 
