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." ...
#3 Penn State @ #9 Ohio State Saturday, October 25 - 8:00 EST Columbus, Ohio - Ohio Stadium Penn State -2.5
Summary The last time Joe Paterno won in Columbus, Jimmy Carter was president...Spetember 16, 1978, the Nittany Lions shutout Woody Hayes 19-0...in that game, Hayes shocked the crowd by starting a freshman quarterback named Art Schlichter...
Since joining the Big Ten, Paterno is 0-7 at Ohio Stadium...he has come close a few times, most notably was in 2002 when Penn State held the Buckeyes without an offensive touchdown, only to lose 13-7...the last time JoePa was in Columbus, he had to leave the field twice for bathrooms breaks...
The Penn State offense is engineered by Youngstown, Ohio native Daryll Clark who has thrown 11 TDs this season...the run game is led by Evan Royster (photo, below) who has 893 yards and 10 TDS...Deon Butler, Derrick Williams, and Jordan Norwood are the main weapons at the receiver position...
The one who got away is now the one who stands in the way - Terrelle Pryor...during the winter, Pryor, from Jeanette, Pa., played Penn State like Charlie Daniels plays a fiddle...thinking they had a chance at him, Penn State assistant Tom Bradley was basically living in the small Pa. town...in the end Pryor wanted to be a Buckeye...now he has a chance to show up his possible teammates once again...
The Buckeyes like to run the ball with Chris Wells and Dan Herron...when they go to the air, it is usually going to Brian Robiske...the defense is loaded with big name players, who have yet to come up big in a national game...with his win last week against Michigan State, Jim Tressel became the fastest Big Ten coach to reach 80 total wins in his first 8 seasons...Tressel is currently the Big Ten's second winningest coach all-time with a winning percentage of .825 which is .08 behind Fielding Yost of Michigan...
Quick Numbers Offensive Numbers PSU - Rushing per game - 234 yards OSU - Rushing per game - 182 yards
PSU - Passing per game - 248 yards OSU - Passing per game - 140 yards
- Over the last 3 years, Penn State is 1-5 against the spread when the line is +3 to -3 - Over the last 3 years, Ohio State is 4-0 against the spread when the line is +3 to -3 - Since 1992, Ohio State is 7-0 against the spread and straight up at home against Penn State
What the experts say The Gold Sheet - Penn State 27-20 Power Sweep - Penn State 21-20 Point Wise - Penn State 27-20
Penn State Nittany Lions (8-0) - Head Coach Joe Paterno The following are the Penn State game notes for the Ohio State game...
Ron Musselman of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette writes how Penn State has been able to vanquish past Big Ten demons - is OSU next?... "Long before the season began, many were predicting a Red October for Penn State. The gloomy forecast was based on the Nittany Lions' past performances against Wisconsin, Michigan and Ohio State and the fact that the Lions had to play those three traditional Big Ten powers during a three-week stretch. Penn State was a combined 5-16 against that trio since 2000." ...
Jeff Rice of the State College Centre Daily writes about Penn State's woes at Ohio Stadium... "In seven games against Ohio State in the Horseshoe since 1993, the Nittany Lions have managed a total of five touchdowns. In those games, the Buckeyes have scored eight touchdowns via interception, fumble or kick returns." ...
Musselman writes how Penn State tried hard to get Terrelle Pryor - now he stands in their way to a perfect season... "Instead, Pryor, the most sought-after high school recruit in the country, chose Ohio State. Instead of playing for Paterno, who sometimes has been reluctant to start freshmen athletes, Pryor, 19, is calling the plays for another national football powerhouse." ...
Adam Rittenberg of ESPN's Blog Nation writes how Ohio State is playing the no respect card... "Added Buckeyes cornerback Malcolm Jenkins: "If we could come out with a win, it would force some people to respect us again because we pretty much don't have any right now." ...
Former Ohio State walk-on Drew Norman gives his thoughts about the upcoming game in the Columbus Dispatch... "Saturday will be the eighth time Jim Tressel has led Ohio State into battle against Joe Paterno and the Nittany Lions. The first seven games between JoePa and Coach Tressel have produced some of the best games in recent memory in not only the Big Ten, but the entire country. When the Buckeyes and Lions get together, there are several things you're guaranteed to see." ...
Tim May of the Columbus Dispatch writes how Jim Tressel wants a Sea of Red on Saturday... "Jim Tressel showed up at his weekly media luncheon today wearing a bright scarlet jacket and urged Ohio State fans to follow his lead when Penn State comes to town Saturday." ...
Doug Lesmerises of the (Cleveland) Plain Dealer writes about Youngstown, Ohio native and Penn State starting quarterback Daryll Clark... "In a season in which Ohio State coach Jim Tressel quickly benched senior drop-back quarterback Todd Boeckman in favor of more mobile freshman Terrelle Pryor, No. 3 Penn State enters as an example of what can happen when you stick with a veteran." ...
Lesmerises writes about Penn State and their standard uniform and how Malcolm Jenkins did not want to go there... "That's why when Nike creative director Todd Van Horne and his people meet with coach Joe Paterno and the Penn State administration, they don't go in advocating change." ...
- Over the last 3 years, Georgia is 5-1 against the spread as an underdog - Over the last 3 years, LSU is 6-8 against the spread when coming off a win against a conference rival and 0-2 this year - 4 of 5 games in this series have gone over the total points since 1992
What the experts say The Gold Sheet - LSU 26-20 Power Sweep - Georgia 26-17 Point Wise - LSU 27-20
Georgia Bulldogs (6-1) - Head Coach Mark Richt The following are the Georgia game notes for the LSU game...
Tim Tucker of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution writes if Georgia's inexperienced O-line will be able to handle the LSU defense... "Richt and others have praised the line’s recent progress. But the challenge the group faces from LSU will be “very similar,” Richt said, to that posed by Alabama in Georgia’s lone loss." ...
Tucker writes how closer-than-expected wins are common in the SEC... "But while routs rule in some leagues, close games dominate in the SEC. Eighteen of the 25 intra-conference games played in the SEC this season — 72 percent — have been decided by 10 points or less." ...
Marc Weiszer of the Athens Banner-Herald writes how the Georgia D-line is getting inside info from a former LSU assistant who is now with the Dawgs... "The senior sought out the inside skinny from Stacy Searels, who coached the LSU offensive line for four seasons from 2003-06 and now is in his second year coaching the same position for the Bulldogs." ...
George Morris of the Baton Rouge Advocate writes how the LSU running back by committee is not led by veteran Keiland Williams... "When the 2008 season opened, however, Charles Scott stepped on the field first. And, after taking the first handoff 56 yards, Scott was the committee chairman. And vice chairman. And every other office, including parliamentarian." ...
Randy Rosetta of the Baton Rouge Advocate writes how special it is when LSU and Georgia play each other because they are not on the regular rotation... "In Southeastern Conference football, the quirky rotation of Western and Eastern Division matchups — necessitated by the permanent opponent setup — leads to old rivals not seeing each other for years at a time. So when a juicy inter-division game pops up on the schedule, it’s like Uncle Jack is on his way." ...
James Varney of the New Orleans Times-Picayune writes LSU may be shaky at QB, but they have plenty of options elsewhere... "LSU runs jailbreak screens underneath coverage and flanker screens out of five-wide sets. Hatch and Lee often employ a two-handed play-action maneuver -- sometimes deep in the backfield and in obvious passing situations -- reminiscent of a wishbone quarterback faking to the fullback. The Tigers' leading rusher, Charles Scott, has lined up as a tailback in some sets and a fullback in others. Tailback Richard Murphy has taken direct snaps, and both he and Keiland Williams are receiving targets." ...
ESPN's Chris Fowler writes that a win in Columbus for Penn State may still not be enough... "The Big Ten is viewed as a pretty weak conference, but it has been a team effort. Mediocrity reigns. A key blow is that Wisconsin (with four straight losses) now ranks among the nation's most disappointing teams. The Badgers' meltdown and Michigan's struggles are depriving Penn State of quality wins." ...
Jenni Carlson of the Oklahoma City Oklahoman writes about former NBA and Sooner great Wayman Tisdale who lost a leg due to bone cancer... "Diagnosed early last year with bone cancer in his leg, Tisdale fought the disease for a year and a half before doctors determined the treatment hadn’t eliminated it. His leg was amputated just above his knee on Aug. 25 in hopes of eradicating the cancer." ...
#6 Oklahoma State vs. #1 Texas Saturday, October 25 - 3:30 EST Darrel K. Royal - Texas Memorial Stadium Austin, Texas Texas -13.5
Summary At the start of the season, who would have thunk it?...both Oklahoma State and Texas are coming into this game with perfect 7-0 marks...not too many people...
Okie State keeps rolling along...QB Zac Robinson is third in the nation in passing efficiency while RB Kendall Hunter is sixth in rushing with a 136 yards/game...WR Dez Bryant is fourth in total receiving yards with 809...the offense gets most of the attention in Stillwater, but the Okie State defense is not that bad...the defense is led by junior LB Andre Sexton...Jeremiah Price leads the team in sacks and Patrick Lavine is the top Poke in INTs... this is Okie State's third road game of the year...they are winning on the road by an average score of 33-18...
Another week, another big game for Texas...Colt McCoy is still leading the Horns in rushing, but Chris Ogbonnaya (photo, below) is coming on strong...Ogbonnaya is a 6'1", 225 lb senior running back...the force on defense is DE Brian Orakpo who will be a First Team All-American at the end of the season...
Quick Numbers Offensive Numbers OSU - Rushing per game - 283 yards Tex - Rushing per game - 193 yards
OSU - Passing per game - 218 yards Tex - Passing per game - 290 yards
- Over the last 3 years, Okie State is 1-2 against the spread as an underdog of 10.5 to 21 points - Over the last 3 years, Texas is 3-5 against the spread as a favorite of 10.5 to 21 points - Over the last 3 years, Okie State is 6-8 straight up in road games
What the experts say The Gold Sheet - Texas 38-31 Power Sweep - Texas 41-31 Point Wise - Texas 47-34
Oklahoma State Cowboys (7-0) - Head Coach Mike Gundy Here are the Oklahoma State game notes for the Texas game...
Christopher Shelton of the Stillwater News-Press writes how the Pokes have come a long way since last season... "Junior quarterback Zac Robinson said he got chills when he considered the magnitude of the upcoming Cowboys-Longhorns battle. However, he added that the team will approach the contest the same way they prepare for every other game they play." ...
John Rohde of the Oklahoma City Oklahoman writes how Okie State controls its own destiny... "If the Cowboys keep on winning, it won’t matter what the Sooners or anyone else does because OSU would be headed for the national title game in Miami." ...
Scott Wright of the Oklahoma City Oklahoman writes how Randy Moss was a big reason Okie State receiver Dez Bryant (photo) went to Stillwater... "But when it comes to players like Bryant — a guy with the talent to play anywhere in the country — it isn’t always the obvious attractions that draw them to a particular school." ...
Bill Haisten of the Tulsa World writes about the battle between the Okie State running game and the Texas run defense... "Texas ranks No. 2 nationally in run defense. The Longhorns have allowed only 48.1 rushing yards per game. The Oklahoma State rushing attack is the fifth-most productive in college football." ...
Andrea Cohen of the Oklahoma City Oklahoman writes about the Okie State secondary who will face Colt McCoy... "On Saturday, Oklahoma State’s secondary — which nicknamed itself the "D-Block” last season — will be seriously tested by Colt McCoy, the hottest quarterback in the country, and the Longhorns’ receivers. If McCoy "can’t beat” the D-Block, OSU’s odds of beating the country’s No. 1 team improve dramatically." ...
Suzanne Haliburton of the Austin American-Statesman writes how Mack Brown is motivating his team this week... "The Oklahoma game ball, complete with a funeral theme, was buried at the Texas practice field early last week. Two days later, Sports Illustrated cover boy Colt McCoy took the magazine from his locker and tossed it in the trash to the delight of his teammates." ...
Jimmy Burch of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram writes that a shootout may occur in Austin on Saturday... "Heading into Saturday’s game against No. 7 Oklahoma State (2:30 p.m., Austin), McCoy’s 2008 statistics inside Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium include an 86.4 completion rate (89-of-103), with 1,073 passing yards, 12 touchdowns and no interceptions." ...
Tim Griffin of ESPN Blog Nation writes how Mack Brown enjoys drawing his points... "After beating Oklahoma, Brown sketched a ladder and had the Longhorns climbing it. He continued on that theme this week, after Texas' 56-31 victory over Missouri enabled it to claim No.1 spot in the initial BCS standings." ...
Kirk Bohls of the Austin American Statesman writes about the team chemistry of the Texas Longhorns... "Among the first racing onto the field for the ensuing celebration were Colt McCoy and Jordan Shipley, one the Heisman Trophy frontrunner and the other the star of Texas' statement victory over Oklahoma. Two leaders leading." ...
This past Friday, ESPN's Lou Holtz made a poor decision when he made a comparison of Michigan's Rich Rodriguez with that of Adolph Hitler...Holtz left himself wide open as some bloggers, such as The Big Lead and Deadspin, and liberal media wonks are trying to get Holtz fired...
Sports Illustrated's Stewart Mandel wrote: That ESPN needs to fire, or at the very least suspend, Lou Holtz. I get that Holtz plays the funny, lighthearted sideshow on ESPN's studio shows. I get that the network doesn't seem to mind that the former coach offers almost no actual substantive analysis. But like they say, it's all fun and games until someone pokes his eye out -- or, in Holtz's case, compares Michigan coach Rich Rodriguez to Adolf Hitler.
Holtz apologized Saturday for his bizarre, incredibly offensive remark. TV personalities spend hours and hours talking, which means they're bound to eventually say something they regret. Usually it's enough just to apologize and move on. But Holtz went waaaaay out of bounds. Sports commentators have been fired in the past for making racially insensitive remarks. You would think the same rule applies when making light of a man that killed 6 million innocent people on the basis of their religion -- but as of Sunday afternoon, the network had yet to issue any reprimand.
Of the many comments left for Mandel, this one caught my attention: Mandel, where was the outrage when Madonna compared John McCain to Hitler?
This person hit it right on the button...I am neither liberal nor conservative, but i think it stinks when the liberal media and bloggers will go after a 71-year-old man who clearly misspoke...but none of them have the grapefruits to take on the left-wing liberal nutjob Madonna...this is a woman who hasn't lived in this country for the last 5 years...instead of posting half naked women, why doesn't Deadspin or The Big Lead look into when the last time Madonna voted in a United States presidential election?...
I am a 100% Michigan Man, but I have no problem with what Holtz said because it was an obvious error in judgement - he misspoke!!!...haven't we all said something that came out the wrong way?...
So the highly moral Stewart Mandel should get back to writing about college football...and bloggers like Deadspin and The Big Lead should worry less about trying to get a feather in their cap by trying to get an old man fired...
With the World Series now upon us, Stiles Points will be reflecting back on some anniversary moments of the World Series...
It was exactly 10 years ago today that the New York Yankees completed their 4-game sweep of the San Diego Padres to claim the 1998 World Series...this was the first of three straight World Series title for the Yankees...
Third baseman Scott Brosius (photo, right) was named the Series MVP as he batted .471 with two homers and 6 RBIs...another star was first baseman Tino Martinez (photo, below) who hit .385 for the Series, but his biggest hit occurred in Game 1 when he broke open a close game with a grand slam in the 7th inning...Derek Jeter and Chuck Knoblauch were also solid with .353 and .375 averages respectively...
Mariano Rivera recorded three saves in Series and did not allow a run...the only disappointment for the Yankees was the play of centerfield Bernie Williams who batted .063 and had only one hit...
With Joe Torre as the manager, the Yankees posted a 114-48 regular season mark...including the post-season, New York finished with 125 wins, which is the most ever by a team in a single season...just one year earlier, the Yankees were defeated by the Cleveland Indians in the ALDS...immediately after the game, owner George Steinbrenner vowed that the Yankees would win the Series next year...
The latest Stiles Points Top 16+1 (games through 10/18/08)...this is the third week of the Top 16+1...the Longhorns have a solid grip of #1 after their beatdown of Missouri...this coming Satuday is "Knockout Saturday" in which the loser of a few games will be knocked out of the national title picture... (note, the second number in parenthesis is the previous week's ranking)...
1. Texas (7-0) (1) - Texas showed right from the get-go that there was not going to be any letdown from the Oklahoma victory...Okie State comes calling this Saturday... 2. Penn State (8-0) (2) - JoePa has not won in Columbus since he beat Woody Hayes 19-0 in 1978...this may be his best shot... 3. Alabama (7-0) (3) - the Tide has been winning ugly of late...they cannot sleep on Tennessee this week... 4. Southern Cal (7-1) (4) - 69-0!...I think the Trojans are mad... 5. Oklahoma (6-1) (5) - a nice bounce back win against a very pesky Kansas team...
6. Florida (5-1) (7) - the Gators were idle... 7. Georgia (6-1) (8) - Vandy's days are done after Dawgs bite them... 8. Texas Tech (7-0) (9) - T2 had a tough battle at A&M but took care of business in the end...they have a tough one at Kansas this week...better be on Upset Alert... 9. Oklahoma State (7-0) (10) - no let down as they took care of business at Baylor...this is the Pokes chance - they march into Texas on Saturday... 10. LSU (5-1) (12) - they scummed out a tough win at South Carolina...the loser of this week's Georgia-LSU game is out of the picture...
11. Ohio State (7-1) (13) - Ohio State throttled a good Michigan State team...a win this week against Penn State and a few other upsets may land Ohio State back in the BCS title game... 12. Utah (8-0) (15) - the spotlight is now on Utah after BYU got dumped by TCU... 13. Pitt (5-1) (NR) - the Panthers impressed me by whooping on Navy this week...who knows what could have been if not for the Bowling Green loss in week 1... 14. TCU (7-1) (NR) - the Horned Frogs stunned BYU...their only loss was to Oklahoma... 15. Boise State (6-0) (NR) - Ian Johnson is still running the ball on the blue rug... 16. Kansas (6-2) (14) - I have a feeling the Fighting Manginos are going to upset Texas Tech... +1 - Boston College (5-1) - remember when BC jumped to #2 in the nation last season...after losing Matt Ryan, the Eagles are quietly putting together another solid team...
Heisman Four Horsemen 1. Colt McCoy, qb, Texas - he is getting a firm grip on the Heisman... 2. Daryll Clark, qb, Penn State - an impressive performance this Saturday at Ohio State will make him a legitimate threat to McCoy... 3. Sam Bradford, qb, Oklahoma - he is still in the race... 4. Tim Tebow, qb, Florida - did not play this week...
Games of the Week Stiles Points will be previewing the following three games this week: Georgia @ LSU - the loser will be out of the title picture... Oklahoma State @ Texas - both are undefeated...a loss will hurt their chances... Penn State @ Ohio State - the loser is out of the BCS title game...
Other games to keep an eye on: Michigan State @ Michigan - Sparty should be ashamed of their showing against Ohio State...they can redeem themselves by beating a hated rival... Alabama @ Tennessee- Alabama is the better team, but they cannot sleep on this big rival game...the Volunteers have the talent to pull an upset... Southern Cal @ Arizona - the Trojans smashed Wazzou on Saturday...Arizona is a sneaky team that could make things interesting... Boston College @ North Carolina - BC has only 1 loss this year and the Tar Heels are coming off a heartbreaking OT loss at Virginia...take UNC...
#12 Ohio State @ #20 Michigan State Saturday, October 18, 2008 East Lansing, Michigan - 3:30 (EST) Ohio State -3.5
Summary This is a battle of big brother vs. little brother...Jim Tressel vs. Mark Dantonio...it is a battle of "Family"...
Ohio State has been winning since getting thumped 35-3 by Southern Cal...the offense has been sluggish of late as they did not score an offensive touchdown last week against a weak Purdue team...there has been some mumbling that senior quarterback Todd Boeckman deserves to see action again, but that will not happen...Tressel has the man that he wants under center - Terrelle Pryor...by bringing Boeckman back into the picture, Tressel could start another quarterback controversy, something he wants to avoid at all costs...
When reading the newspapers, there is a clear divide on this team...the seniors want Boeckman to see more playing time...interestingly, Tressel always stresses senior leadership, but he is refusing to put in Boeckman even though he is one of the team captains...
Things have changed up north - and we aren't talking about the Wolverines...this year, baby brother has a team that just may win the Big Ten and play in the Rose Bowl...Michigan State is the team to beat in the State of Michigan...
The Spartans are led by senior running back Javon Ringer who is moving his name up the Heisman list...Ringer already as 1,112 yards rushing and 14 TDs...the Spartans rely heavily on the running game to score points...QB Brian Hoyer has thrown only 6 TDs this year...overall, the Spartans average 176 yards/game on the ground and 192 through the air...
The Spartans have committed only 6 turnovers all year while forcing their opponents to 16 turnovers...
What the experts say... The Gold Sheet - Michigan State 21-20 Point Wise - Ohio State 22-21 Power Sweet - Ohio State 24-14
Ohio State Buckeyes (6-1) - Head Coach Jim Tressel Here are the Ohio State game notes for the Michigan State game...
Bob Baptist of the Columbus Dispatch writes how Michigan State has become a mentally tougher team under Dantonio... "But those moments are becoming fewer and fewer as the Michigan State program more and more embodies the tough, no-nonsense ethic of Dantonio, who was hired two years ago to rescue it from the mood swings that marked his predecessor." ...
Ken Gordon of the Columbus Dispatch writes how Tressel has found his man in Terrelle Pryor even though the numbers keep dropping... "Pryor has accounted for progressively fewer total yards in each of his starts: 205 against Troy, 167 against Minnesota, 164 at Wisconsin and 124 last week." ...
Doug Lesmerises of the Cleveland Plain Dealer writes how Ohio State is trying to get the offense rolling again... "Three days after failing to score an offensive touchdown in a 16-3 win over Purdue on Saturday, the Buckeyes hit the practice field Tuesday in a continued search for answers." ...
Tim May of the Columbus Dispatch writes how offensive coordinator Jim Bollman is dealing with the lack of offense... "Bollman was asked yesterday what he would tell fans who are fretting the malaise will continue. They think it could deep-six what is still a promising season, perhaps even Saturday when the Buckeyes (6-1, 3-0) play at Michigan State (6-1, 3-0)." ...
Joe Rexrode of the Lansing State Journal writes how there are 24 players from the state of Ohio on the Michigan State team... "For a team with just as many starters from Ohio as from Michigan, it's fair to wonder which of the next two Saturdays will see the bigger "rivalry game." Obviously, Michigan State's No. 1 nemesis is Michigan, which will host the Spartans on Oct. 25. But Saturday's home game against Ohio State will have an awfully intense feel to it for many Spartans." ...
Marlen Garcia of USA Today writes how MSU running back Javon Ringer is piling up the yards and Ws... "In part, Ringer said shaky academics kept him from getting to OSU. But he didn’t beat himself up over it." ...
In honor of the 10-year anniversary of when Michigan State went into Columbus as 28-point underdogs and upset the #1 ranked Buckeyes, here is a 3:32 clip of that game...
#12 Missouri vs. #1 Texas Saturday, October 18, 2008 - 8:00 EST Darrel K. Royal - Texas Memorial Stadium Austin, Texas Texas -7.5
Summary After Texas' big win over Oklahoma, QB Colt McCoy was asked about the Longhorns next game with Missouri...McCoy responded that it would probably be the second week Texas would have to play the #1 team in the nation...that all changed 6 hours later when Okie State went to Columbia and stumped the highly favored Tigers...
The Tigers now head into Austin and wonder what could have been...sophomore Jeremy Maclin (photo below) leads the Big XII conference with 1,157 all-purpose yards...
McCoy is now the clear front runner for the Heisman Trophy after last week's performance...McCoy won the Big XII Conference Offensive Player of the Week - the second time this year...Jordan Shipley took home the conference Special Teams Player of the Week too...on defense, the player who showed he is a force at defensive end is Brian Orakpo (photo below)...Orakpo "blew up" numerous plays and caused havoc on the Sooners last week...
Also, ESPN's College Gameday will be live from Austin...Texas leads the all-series 15-5 including winning the last four meetings...over the last eight years, Texas has the winningest football program with a mark of 82-14...
What the experets say... The Gold Sheet - Texas 30-27 Point Wise - Texas 44-31 Power Sweep - Missouri 38-37
Missouri Tigers (6-1) - Head Coach Gary Pinkel Here are the Missouri game notes for the Texas game...
Bernie Miklasz of the the St, Louis Post-Dispatch writes how last week's lost to Okie State has put the pressure back on Mizzou head coach Gary Pinkel... "Much of the flak had vanished. Winning does that. But when the frazzled Tigers skidded to an unexpected 28-23 loss at home to Oklahoma State, the upset reheated some of those negative Pinkel sentiments." ...
Mike DeArmond of the Kansas City Star writes how the Tigers have a lot of players from the State of Texas... "Then there are wide receivers Danario Alexander and Earl Goldsmith and defensive secondary backups Del Howard and Kevin Rutland. Each has a story about how Texas let ’em get away — or even how the Longhorns may not have ever known they played Texas high school football." ...
Dan Angell of the Columbia Missourian writes how Chase Daniel and other native Texans do not have a connection to the state... "He's heard all about the connections between himself and Colt McCoy, a good friend who ended up as the Texas quarterback. But the Texas connection is not a big deal to Daniel anymore." ...
Alan Trubow of the Austin American-Statesman writes about Longhorn safety Blake Gideon and his impressive play despite having back problems... "There were a few big hits during a non-district football game his sophomore season at Leander. There was a crack. Lots of pain. Blake knew his back was bad, and getting worse, but he sucked it up and kept to himself." ...
Tim Griffin of the ESPN Blog Network writes about the impact of Brian Orakpo..."Orakpo has been one of the major reasons why the Texas defense has far surpassed expectations after the first half of the season." ...
Kirk Bohls of the Austin American-Statesman writes that Missouri may have lost last week, but they are still a force... "Fresh off a Big 12 title game appearance, they're showing up with a solid coach, a Heisman Trophy candidate at quarterback, athletic talent all over the field and a legacy of losing they're trying hard to shed." ...
The Dallas Morning News has an article about how Colt McCoy and Chase Daniel have known each other since their days at high school football camps... "They remain linked by circumstance and friendship after first meeting at high school football camps. McCoy signed with Texas. Daniel, who once imagined playing for the Longhorns, went to Missouri." ...
ESPN's Chris Fowler warns Texas and Alabama of possible upsets... "In the eight-decade history of the AP poll, three of the top four teams lost during the same weekend only three times. Until this season. Suddenly, it has happened twice in three weeks! Let that sink in for a second. It is astounding. Only two of the top four teams face really tricky games on Saturday: No. 1 Texas and No. 2 Alabama." ...
#15 Kansas @ #6 Oklahoma Saturday, October 18, 2008 - 3:30 EST Oklahoma Memorial Stadium - Owen Field Norman, Oklahoma Oklahoma -15.5
Summary This is a match-up of Youngstown, Ohio natives...Bear Mangino is a graduate of Youngstown State University while Bob Stoops was born and raised in Youngstown, Ohio...Mangino was a former assistant under Stoops at OU from 1999-01...as offensive coordinator, Mangino helped the Sooners win a BCS title as they had a 24-2 mark while he was running the offense...
This will mark the 100th meeting between the two schools...Oklahoma currently has the longest home winning streak in the nation at 20 straight games...the Sooners lead the all-time series 66-27-6...these teams last met in 2005 when Oklahoma won 19-3 with the game played at Kansas City...
With that said, it comes down to what the players do on the field...the Fighting Manginos of Kansas have only 1 loss, a last second field goal by South Florida...leading the team again is fiesty QB Todd Reesing who has thrown 15 TDs to 3 INTS...his favorite target is Kerry Meier who has 53 receptions and three TDs...
Kansas averages 124 yards/game on the ground...the rushing attack is split between Jake Sharp (283 yards) and Angus Quigley (227 yards)...
OU's defense took a shot last week after losing LB Ryan Reynolds...the Sooners also failed to establish a running game as DeMarco Murray struggled...
Kansas Jayhawks (5-1) - Head Coach Mark "Bear" Mangino Here are the Kansas game notes for the Oklahoma game...
Dugan Arnett of the Lawrence Journal World writes how Kansas recruits heavy in the state of Oklahoma... "Similar sentiments should be plentiful Saturday, when a large collection of Oklahoma natives return to their home state for the Jayhawks’ biggest game of the season. With the exception of Texas, the state of Oklahoma is where Kansas’ coaches have gone most frequently to sign out-of-state recruits." ...
Tully Corcoran of the Topeka Captial-Journal writes how Bear Mangino is still well liked in the Sooner state... "The funny thing about Mark Mangino in Oklahoma is that he is a minor celebrity there, which is noteworthy for a guy who doesn't exactly seek out the limelight." ...
John Shinn of the Norman Transcript writes how the Sooners have a history of bouncing back after the Texas game... "The Sooners have been remarkably adept at leaving the Texas game — win or lose — at the Cotton Bowl throughout the years. Under Stoops, they’re 9-0 against whatever team follows the Longhorns. In this case, it will be No. 16 Kansas at 2:30 p.m. Saturday at Owen Field." ...
John Shinn writes about the changes made on kick-off coverage... "Stoops pointed out that OU didn’t give up a single kick return for a touchdown last season even though it led the nation in kickoffs with 104. The coaches are the same, but some players have changed." ...
Jake Trotter of The Oklahoman writes how OU needs to rework its defense... "This week, OU will try and reassemble its defense without Reynolds, who is lost for the season with a third major knee injury in as many years." ...
Here was a recent article by Dan Wetzel on Yahoo.com which gives Michigan head coach Rich Rodriguez some hope...
Michigan’s struggles likely won’t last By Dan Wetzel, Yahoo! Sports Oct 14, 6:25 am EDT
ANN ARBOR, Mich. – The first-year coach of the historic national power had that blindsided look on his face. He was trying, fruitlessly, to explain an inexcusable home loss to a weak team from a lesser conference.
You mean Michigan’s Rich Rodriguez after a gut-punch humiliation at the hands of Toledo?
Oh sure, him too.
“About 4 a.m. [Sunday morning] I kept turning over, couldn’t sleep, and my wife Rita said, ‘You know, Nick lost to Louisiana-Monroe last year, and look how that’s changed,’ ” Rodriguez said Monday.
Nick is Nick Saban, who was in the same position a year ago at Alabama as Rodriguez is this week. Saban’s first season remaking an ancient power had descended into a series of distressing losses, one more frustrating than the next. The UL-Monroe defeat was enough to make at least some once-worshipful fans wonder about their head coach.
Saban was so mentally shot he compared the loss to Pearl Harbor and September 11. It was meant as an analogy – an example of how sometimes change requires a shock to the system. Predictably, it went over poorly. Things spun from bad to worse.
Just 11 months later Alabama is 6-0 and ranked No. 2 in the nation. It received 26 first-place votes this week and, by SEC standards, has a favorable schedule from here on out. Saban’s statue outside the stadium is all but ordered.
It’s about the only solace Rodriguez has these days. It’s comforting to think the depths of despair cannot just be forgotten, but celebrated as some kind of necessary step toward greatness.
UL-Monroe wasn’t a negative for Alabama; it was a necessity. Or so legend may one day say.
Saban’s Crimson Tide are merely the most recent example Rita Rodriguez could offer her husband. If Saban can win the BCS championship this season, he’d be the fourth coach this decade alone to do it in just his second season at the helm of a once-underachieving super power (Bob Stoops at Oklahoma, Jim Tressel at Ohio State and Urban Meyer at Florida).
That’s all nice, but in his present mental state, Rich Rodriguez remains mostly unmoved. He’s at No. 3 Penn State this week and plays host to No. 20 Michigan State after that.
“I told Rita, ‘Yeah, that’s true with Nick, but that doesn’t make me feel any better,’ ” Rodriguez said, smiling. “I felt Nick’s pain, but it’s not helping me right now.” -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Gallows humor is all that’s left for the program with the most wins of all time. The Wolverines are 2-4 and in danger of their first losing season since 1967, their first eight-loss season ever and their first bowl-less postseason in 33 years. Veteran athletic department staffers joke about the groundbreaking idea of being home for the holidays.
Michigan has struggled from the start – a combination of a new system (Rodriguez’s spread offense) and new faces (six of 11 starters on offense are in their first year). They’ve been particularly inept at the basics – turnovers, penalties, defensive coverage, etc.
Even so, Michigan never had lost to a team from the Mid-American Conference. This was a chance at a precious victory. Toledo entered the game 1-4 and had given up an average of more than 40 points a game in the losses.
Michigan managed just 10 points. To add insult to injury, UT’s only touchdown was a 100-yard interception return. Then Michigan missed a final-second game-tying kick. UT 13, UM 10.
The question was whether this was worse than last year’s historic, cataclysmic defeat.
“Some of the players were saying, ‘Appalachian State, at least they won three national championships at their division,’ ” offered defensive end Tim Jamison.
The booing from the stands and frustration on the radio shows were predictable. It is one thing to struggle, but this level of futility? Yes, there were heavy personnel losses so it wasn’t like Lloyd Carr would have won a Rose Bowl had he returned for a 14th season. Still, a loss to Toledo?
All the preseason preaching of patience sounded good. Try practicing it, though.
Factor in Rodriguez’s embarrassingly silly off-season contract squabble with West Virginia and a few step-on-the-toes-of-tradition moves, and Year One has been anything but smooth.
“I think it’s fair for everybody to question (my approach),” Rodriguez said. “They’re going to question everything I do. I think they’ve questioned everything I’ve done since I’ve been here, the last eight, nine months. …
“I couldn’t have foreseen this situation. Everybody says, ‘You have to be patient.’ So we’re being patient, but at the same time we want results, too.”
If history is an indicator, those will come quickly. Rodriguez himself won just three games in his first season at West Virginia, back in 2001. The next year he won nine.
Michigan can do even better. There’s a reason these monster programs can reload quickly. The recruiting might, the in-house talent and the institutional commitment can get programs moving rapidly under the proper stewardship.
Rodriguez still is that kind of coach. He’s an innovative offensive mind, a tireless recruiter and a master motivator. He turned West Virginia into a perennial national contender. At age 45, he was one of the hottest young coaches the last few years; he even turned down the Alabama job that eventually went to Saban.
He’s had so much success of late, he has a difficult time remembering when he didn’t.
“You say, ‘Well, I never want to go through this again,’ ” he said.
It’s unlikely he will. You don’t combine one of the best programs and one of the best coaches and not experience success.
As impossible as it is right now to imagine Michigan could be ranked No. 2 next season (not that we’re predicting it), it was just as impossible to dream it in sullen Tuscaloosa last November.
Saban used 2007 the way Rodriguez appears to be using 2008. The Tide finished 7-6, but Saban set the tone within the program, used the setbacks to motivate offseason workouts and spent the rest of the time relentlessly recruiting his kind of players.
It’s the same formula of other big-name coaches. Stoops and Tressel went 7-5 their first seasons and won it all the next. Pete Carroll was 6-6 in his USC debut and has won at least 11 games every season since.
This may be new to Michigan, but it isn’t new to programs just like it.
“As far as building a program, the steps you have to have to have a top-10 program for the future is done,” Rodriguez assured. “It’s just that it’s not showing on the field right now. Eventually it’ll show up in the games, and everyone will be happy.”
With that he smiled weakly and left to go watch game tape. His wife’s middle-of-the-night pep talk had helped, but just a little. All the positive words about the future, about staying the course, is necessary but not enjoyable. One day, he knows, he’ll look back and draw something positive from these dark days.
Right now it’s just a nightmare that keeps him up at four in the morning.
Michael Rosenberg of the Detroit Free Press is critical of Rich Rodriguez's performance as head coach of Michigan... "Rodriguez has done an awful coaching job this season. Michigan is 2-4 and just lost to Toledo, which should never happen. Toledo isn’t just a Mid-American Conference team; it’s a bad MAC team, a much worse outfit than Appalachian State last year." ...
- Look for current Ohio State assistant coach Luke Fickell to be the next head football coach at Youngstown State University...there is a good chance that YSU will be making a coaching change after head man Jon Heacock has had another disappointing year...
- If Fickell is not the choice, there is no doubt that Ohio State head coach Jim Tressel will have a major voice in who will be the next head coach at YSU...
- Don't feel sorry for Heacock if he gets fired, he will just move down I-71 and get a job with his brother, Jim, at Ohio State...
- I was surprised that Clemson canned Tommy Bowden in the middle of the season...he has underachieved as the head man at Clemson...the Tigers had many quality players who have done well in the NFL...
- The Tampa Bay Rays players may be young, but they sure act like veteran ball players...after hitting homers, the players move around the bases and into the dugout like true professionals...
- The Redskins, Cowboys, and Giants all missed a golden opportunity to take hold of the NFC East...but all three lost...especially the Giants and Redskins losing to inferior teams...
- I have no problem with a little bench clearing trash talking during the playoffs...it adds even more excitement to the games...
- It is hard to believe that John Madden is actually 72-years-old...
- The betting service that I deal with has Barack Obama the heavy favorite...as of this weekend, you had to place $40 on Obama to win $10...while you can place $10 on McCain and win $15 if he should pull the upset...
The latest Stiles Points Top 16+1 (games through 10/11/08)...the Top 16+1 appeared for the first time last week and already there is another new #1...and just as fast as Vanderbilt broke into the rankings, they were banished after a loss to Mississippi State... (note, the second number in parenthesis is the previous week's ranking)...
1. Texas (6-0) (5) - the Longhorns were impressive, but they cannot celebrate too much as Missouri comes to Austin this Saturday... 2. Penn State (7-0) (4) - JoePa retire?...this may be the best team in the country...Youngstown, Ohio native Daryll Clark - photo 3. Alabama (6-0) (2) - the Penn State and Texas wins caused the Tide to slide 1 spot... 4. Southern Cal (6-1) (8) - it looks like the machine is back in order... 5. Oklahoma (5-1) (1) - Sam Bradford was impressive despite the loss - 5 TDs...this is still a very good team...
6. BYU (5-0) (6) - BYU has been playing good ball all year... 7. Florida (5-1) (11) - that Ole Miss loss is now forgotten...the key to this team is Percy Harvin, not Tebow... 8. Georgia (5-1) (10) - the Dawgs took care of business after their Alabama meltdown... 9. Texas Tech (6-0) (9) - TT had to go OT against Nebraska...they don't rise, but they don't either... 10. Oklahoma State (6-0) (16) - Okie State has a real nice team of talented players...
11. Missouri (5-1) (3) - they lost to a good Okie State team, but still it was a disappointment... 12. LSU (4-1) (6) - 51-21!?!?!...what in the name of Gerry DiNardo happened?... 13. Ohio State (6-1) (12) - the Buckeyes looked awful against a poor Purdue team... 14. Kansas (6-1) (14) - the fighting Manginos can make their mark when they roll into Norman to take on the former #1 team... 15. Utah (7-0) (15) - yawn, wake me when they play BYU... 16. Michigan State (6-1) (NR) - Sparty gets Ohio State on Saturday...this is the game that Mark Dantonio needs to win...he must beat his big brother (Tressel).. +1 North Carolina (5-1) - Butch Davis has turned the Tar Heels around...he may not be a NFL coach, but he is a darn good college coach...
Heisman Four Horsemen 1. Colt McCoy, qb, Texas - he exemplified everything a Heisman winner should be in his win over Oklahoma... 2. Daryll Clark, qb, Penn State - remember when Penn State was trying to get Terrelle Pryor?...who needs Pryor in Happy Valley!!... 3. Sam Bradford, qb, Oklahoma - 5 TDs agains Texas...he played a solid game... 4. Tim Tebow, qb, Florida - just when you thought he was done, T2 comes back with a good game against a tough LSU defense...
Games of the Week Stiles Points will be previewing the following three games this week: Kansas @ Oklahoma - Will Bear Mangino (right) be able to put away a deflated Sooners ball club?... Ohio State @ Michigan State - Big Brother vs. Little Brother - Tressel vs. Dantonio... Missouri @ Texas - the way things are going, Texas will lose this game...
Other games to keep an eye on: Michigan @ Penn State - how will the once proud Wolverines react after a humiliating defeat to Toledo?...remember, Michigan has beaten Penn State the last 9 times they faced off...I smell rout!!!... Pitt @ Navy - the Panthers are starting to gain some momentum, but they cannot take Navy lightly...this is a kind of game Wannstedt always loses... LSU @ South Carolina - the Tigers need to get regrouped after the beatdown at The Swamp...you can never sleep on a Spurrier team either... Wake Forest @ Maryland - I smell upset...
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...
