2016 TRS Football Rankings - Week 9

For all the noise about unbeaten's falling last weekend, there weren't a lot of surprises.

Texas over Baylor was a minor surprise, but winning on the road in conference is a tough thing to do.
To me, the biggest upset was South Carolina over Tennessee.  Something is not right in Knoxville.  They are an immature team, and the cracks might be showing with Jalen Hurd announcing his transfer.  When I have had the opportunity to watch the Volunteers over the last 2 years, it was clear that Hurd was the heart and soul of that team.  For all the talk about their Rocket Scientist at Quarterback,they were at their best with Hurd was rolling and generating emotion.

What this week did give us was a bit more clarity.  The teams who looked to be second tier, but who had managed to not lose a game yet, well...they lost a game.  We no longer have to worry about if they were going to muddy the waters.

Oh, the BCS Rankings came out.

I know that we lost the SEC, but the Aggies?  Really?

I have nothing against the Aggies, but I wouldn't put them in the top 5.  The scary bit there is that they are in and their only game they won't be strongly favored in left is LSU.  If you don't think they should be in, you might be pretty upset here in a few weeks.  LSU to close will be tough, but otherwise their only risk is Ole Miss, who has been reeling.

On to the rankings.

1. WASHINGTON HUSKIES

This is a situation where the point differential is really coming into play.  Washington has not played the caliber of schedule that the other top teams have played, but they have drilled so many teams.  

They got a good test playing a salty Ute team this week and got a nice win.  I don't expect them to stay this high as the other top contenders continue through their respective meat grinders, but Washington can play folks.  Don't think they can't.

2. CLEMSON TIGERS

Clemson may have gotten a little help from the Zebras, at least if you listen to Jimbo.  Whether or not you buy into that being a big play in the game depends on how much credit you give to big Mo.

This is college football, and we tend to give Momentum a lot of credit, and it was a brutal call at a time that FSU was looking to pile on.  BUT, they did score on the drive.  

I am a fan of the Noles.  I have been my whole life, and I have not hidden that fact.  My 2 cents.....that O-Line is a HUGE.GLARING.WEAKNESS.  They couldn't hold their water at the end of the game, and they could not pass block against Clemson's dynamic D-Linemen.  

All the debate means nothing though. What does matter?  Clemson won again, and they won against a quality squad.

3. ALABAMA CRIMSON TIDE

Alabama fell a bit because they had a bye.

It's not slight to them.  If they win out, they will be #1, which is where most of the believe they should be.  Handle your business and and we will see you in the playoffs.

4. OHIO STATE BUCKEYES

The Buckeyes look to have a bit of a hangover.  They are as talented as anybody in the country.

They need to get healthy on their O-Line, but they are loaded, and they need to get their swagger back.  If you are the Buckeyes, and you want to win the title, you have to beat on teams like Northwestern.  You can't just win. You have to BEAT them.

They have some tough games left.

Nebraska just lost their first game and has their sites set on the Big 10 title game.

Michigan State is a team that they cannot overlook.  They did that last year and it cost them.

And then is the big game. Michigan-Ohio State should be a elimination game for the playoffs.

5. LOUISVILLE CARDINALS

Louisville was not dominant against Virginia.

They are holding on by the skin of their teeth, and they need to realize that they still have a lot to play for.  If they don't step it up, they could easily drop 2 of their last 4.

2016 TRS Football Rankings - Week 8

Yes, I know, there was a week between the last 2 posts of the rankings.

Things got away from me a bit, damn the real life.

In the meantime, things have changed a lot in the last 2 weeks.

What has changed you ask? Well.

We have a new number 1 after Ohio State choke.......err......lost in Happy Vally.  Isn't that the strangest name for an actual place?  Seriously, it sounds like it should be the title to either a children's book, a very sad Romance Novel where one of the characters has terminal cancer but the find love despite it, or the worst horror film ever.  Wait, those last 2 might be able to be joined.  hmmmmm....Maybe I should write that.....

Oh hell, I don't have time to post regularly, I would never get that book done.

Back to football.

3 of the top 10 dropped out, with Tennessee dropping like a stone.

6 teams dropped out of the rankings entirely, including some programs which were expected to be strong: Miami of Florida, Arizona State, Ole Miss, and Arkansas.

Yes, 1/5 of the ranked teams 2 weeks ago, are no longer ranked teams.  Boy do we have a big number of mediocre teams this year.

There is still 1 independent team ranked, but it's not Notre Dame,

So, on to the rankings

1. ALABAMA CRIMSON TIDE
Bama is rolling, pun intended.  They have played the last 3 weeks against teams who were ranked at the time, 2 of them on the road.  they won by a combined score of 131-54.  They are, once again, the most consistently outstanding team.

2. CLEMSON TIGERS
Clemson almost got caught looking past a decent North Carolina State team.  By all rights, they should have lost, buuuuuuuuuuuut they didn't so they still get credit for winning.  It also helps that the Auburn win is looking better and better.  That said, they are not 1b right now.

3. OHIO STATE BUCKEYES
Penn State?  Really?

Come on guys.

4. WASHINGTON HUSKIES
Is this the week that Washington finally gets a test in the Pac 12?

I really need to know if they are as good as they look.  They are thumping folks, and they have talent, but the Pac is not the ACC, let alone the Big 10 or SEC.  That said, Utah and Washington State are ranked, Cal can score with anyone, USC is likely about to be ranked again behind Sam Darnold.  This is the toughest stretch they are going to see.  If they can't finish this run, I will gladly drop them like a stone.  Well, not too gladly.

5. LOUISVILLE CARDINALS
So, Louisville was not happy about people picking at them about the Duke game.  They walked in against the Wolfpack team that should have beat Clemson and stepped on their neck.

I think that's only figurative, but as bad as it was, it might have been literal....the neck stepping I mean.

Damn

6. MICHIGAN WOLVERINES

This. Is. A. Squad.

For the season, their combined score is 341-70.  That's an average of 48.7-10.

Now, it hasn't been murderers row, but Colorado is decent, Penn State beat OSU, Wisconsin is tough, and....well the meat is coming.  They should beat the Spartans, but I expect that Sparty will be up for this game, though so will the Wolverines after last year's game.  Maryland is getting better-ish, and they finish with Ohio State.

You know, after Michigan and Ohio State,Wisconsin, the Big Ten is kind of meh.

Pausing to appreciate excellence before we worry about the other 'good teams'

Week 14 TRS College Football Rankings

We are nearing the end of the road as the regular season is set to wrap up in some leagues, while others prep for conference title games.

The picture is getting clearer, but there is still a lot in flux.

1. Oregon Ducks
The Ducks blew out their in-state rivals, which is just what the doctor ordered in their quest to keep the top spot.  This team has now won 7 in a row with 3 ranked teams among those opponents since being upset by an Arizona team that has managed to win the PAC-12 south.

Now we get the rematch, and if Oregon wants to play in the tourney, they need to win that game.

2. Florida State Seminoles

The Noles had another tight one, narrowly escaping an upset bid from a spirited Gator team which was playing its last game under 'Boom'.  The margin wasn't great, though Florida State stayed in the lead after scoring their second touchdown halfway through the second quarter.  One interesting note.  Watching the game, the only player who seemed to not be ready to go, was Jameis.  It was his 3 early picks that gave the Gators hope, thought the Noles defense played very well holding them to 9 points after those picks, and then answered with Terrence Smith's 94 yd pick-6.

Now, Georgia Tech is on deck for the Noles in the ACC title game.  This is a scary game for the Noles.  Not only is Georgia Tech a very good team, coming off a win over a good Georgia team, but they run a scheme on offense which has given FSU trouble in the past.  I expect a lot of points in this game.

3. Alabama Crimson Tide
The Tide played in one of the most exciting games of the weekend, but that's not really a great thing when you are trying to stay in the top 4.  That said, a win in the Iron Bowl is a win in one of the biggest rivalries in college football, and they got it.  The concern here is that they gave up 456 yards passing (to Nick Marshall!!!) and 44 points to Auburn.  Bama is supposed to be about defense.  The numbers look good with Blake Sims throwing for over 300, Amari Cooper closing with over 200 yards receiving, and T.J. Yeldon rushing for 127, but Sim threw 3 picks and only one player other than Cooper caught more than 1 ball.

Now comes the SEC title game and Mizzou, in which Bama will be a heavy favorite.  They need to handle business in this game.

4. Wisconsin Badgers
This probably looks odd as the Badgers have 2 losses to Ohio State's 1.  These two teams are separated by a hair, and right now the Badgers get the nod for a slightly tougher SoS.

They are coming off a win over a up-and-coming Minnesota team, and get to settle it on the field with Ohio State in the Big 11/10 title game.  It will be interesting to see what the Buckeyes can put on the field with their #3 QB taking snaps.

Week 13 TRS College Football Rankings

What did week 13 leave us with?

The Big 12 has a logjam that is going to come down to the very end of the regular season.  On top of the glorious tension that fans are rewarded with from having Baylor, TCU, and Kansas State still in the running, it may offset some of the affect of there being no Big 12 conference title.  It is likely that the Big 12 championship will come down to the Wildcats and the Bears in Waco on the 6th.

There wasn't a lot of excitement in the SEC as most of they are in the midst of their late-season round of cupcakes.  Arkansas's demolishing of Ole Miss did not have a positive effect for their conference.  Arkansas is getting better, but Ole Miss is really not the same team since losing LaQuon Treadwell, and the game, to Auburn.  Simply put, they are good, but not great, which damages the reputation of the SEC West this season.  That said, it is still the best division in football.


Out west, in the PAC, there is still a battle to see who will face off with Oregon for the conference championship.  The thumping that UCLA put on the Trojans in L.A. announced their intentions to contend for the conference title.  It is going to be a very interesting weekend as the Bruins face off with the always-dangerous Stanford Cardinal and Sun Devils go to war with the Wildcats out in the desert.  If the Bruins win, it is theirs, as they hold the head-to-head against both of the Arizona teams.

As for the top 4, Bama rolled over Western Carolina, Florida State escaped again, and Oregon rolled over Colorado, the Vanderbilt of the PAC-12.

So, here is the latest standings:

1. Oregon Ducks: 
The Ducks have not been challenged since getting their starting offensive line healthy again.  If they can avoid an upset in the Civil War against Oregon State and beat whoever comes out of the logjam in the PAC-12 south, they will be a shoo-in for the playoff.  That however, requires 2 more wins over quality programs.

2. Alabama Crimson Tide: 
The Tide will be in the playoff for sure if they win out.  However, they have the Iron Bowl and the SEC championship between them and the playoff.  It will be interesting to see what would happen if the Tide happens to drop one of these games, giving them 2 losses on the season.  Would they jump ahead of all the 1 loss teams, or would they simply give their spot to the Mississippi State team that they beat so soundly a few weeks ago.

3. Florida State Seminoles: 
This team is infuriating to watch.  They are talented, they are clutch, and they insist on proving the latter each and every week.  Mind you, winning a close game against a solid, physical, BC team on a water-logged field is no great shame, but they need to learn how to start a game.  Closing is good, but every now and again, they should whoop someone.  As for the future, they have a rivalry game for with the Gators coming to town before the ACC championship game.  That title game is set against Georgia Tech, which is a scary game for the Noles.  Tech run the triple option which has given FSU trouble in the past, and the YellowJackets have the talent to make the most of it.  If they lose one of these, they will be missing the playoffs.

4. Ohio State Buckeyes: 
People can say what they want about the Buckeyes lettings Indiana hang around, but they have making an impressive run through the Big 10(1).  Now, they have the Big Game against their rivals to the north before lining up for the Big 10 championship.  The west has an interesting situation with Minnesota facing off with the Badgers, with the winner taking the Division.

Week 12 TRS College Football Rankings

Well, what did week 12 teach us?

Well, Alabama is still good, and Mississippi State was over-rated, but good.  In my opinion, it looks like the SEC is proving itself to be a bastion of Parity this year.  It is full of many very good teams, without an excellent team to run away.

That is pretty much the description for any team rankings that you can find.

Florida slept through the first quarter again, but game back to beat an up-and-coming Miami team.   I am sure, by now, that sounds familiar.  That leaves them as the only unbeaten outside of West Virginia.

Oregon is rolling, TCU survived a trap game against a Kansas team that seems to have found new life....but Kansas?

Oh, and Ohio State suddenly has life again in the national picture.  They are looking awfully damned good right now.  But, not quite good enough to get them back in my top 4 yet.

One interesting thought though.  What is LSU holds on to beat Alabama, then turns around and loses to Arkansas while Bama knocks off the Bulldogs.  Where does that leave the SEC?The only team they would have left with 1 loss would be the just beaten Bulldogs.  There is no way that you could put the Bulldogs in the playoffs in front of Bama, but can a team with 2 losses make with so many good 1 loss teams?  Damn, that would have been fun.

1. Oregon Ducks
The Ducks had a fine showing against Bye Week, whose porous defense was not match for Mariota and the rest of the Ducks.  They have the weak-sister Colorado Buffaloes this week with the Civil War in 2 weeks before a spot in the Pac-12 championship.

2. Florida State Seminoles
The Noles started slow again, spotting the young Miami Hurricanes a 16 point lead to start the game, before getting a break on Karlos Williams' tip touchdown reception.  That seemed to wake them up and then their scholarships took over.

This team is so damned talented, that they should be the missing dominant team that everyone is looking for.  They need to mature and come out aggressive to start game from here on.  Boston College is a tough, physical, team that will shorten the game.  They are up next, and they would love to spoil the party.

3. Alabama Crimson Tide
That was a big win for the Tide, which was nowhere near as close as the 5 point spread would indicate.  Bama is loaded, as usual, and look like the class of the SEC.

That the upside.

The downside?  They are playing Western Carolina this week.  Seriously......Western Carolina of the Southern Conference.  These patsy games this late in the season is shameful.

4. TCU Horned Frogs
The Frogs did their best FSU imitation, though they started the comeback a little late.

That said, a conference road win, is a conference road win.  However, they had better play a little better against a hot Texas team when they go to Austin this week or their Cinderella dreams will be over.

TRS College Football rankings after week 14

Sorry about the disappearing act, life got in the way for a few weeks.

Anyway, during my absence, we saw College Football turn itself upside down, and boy was it fun.  Auburn performed round 2 of their Cinderella act with their second miracle win of the season.  I guess having Alabama fall out of the national title picture isn't that huge a change, but everyone was working under the assumption that they were a shoo-in and everyone else was playing for second place that Auburn's was a return felt round the country.

So, a very real question for you College footballs out there; Can we have a national title game without a representative from the SEC?  As odd as it sounds, it is tough to argue with the Buckeyes and the Noles squaring off, assuming they can hold court this week. 

Bama's D just isn't want we are used to.

Auburn is incredibly lucky to be in the position that they are.

Missouri is very good, but I don't know that anyone believe that they are better than either of the top 2 team in the BCS. 

Then again, what do we care about those 'other' rankings?

TRS College Football Rankings after week 11

We get excited every year when get a couple months in and we have a handful of unbeaten teams. 

What is going to happen when all these teams are unbeaten at the end of the year?  Who is going to get the short end of the stick?  What we forget is that there are still conference games and conference championship games to play.

Outside of Florida State, who really has one game on paper that would appear to present and chance of a challenge, the other top teams still have some meat left on their schedule.

Speaking of meat on the schedule, Stanford beefy front lines once again proved to be the kryptonite for Oregon's lightning attack, leaving the Ducks BCS dreams again in shambles.

Alabama passed their rivalry game test against LSU with flying colors, pulling away after a tight first half, giving them a solid resume win which the nation was starting to clamor for.

Right now, the Noles and Tide look to be squared off, if they can hold on through their conference schedules.  Everyone else is hoping for a slip up by the top 2.

TRS Rankings after Week 9

No great surprises at the top this week as the BCS picture took its first step towards sorting itself out. 

I say at the top though, because there are always those fun surprises like this.  This was a huge win for what looks to be an up-and-coming programs in the Big Ten.  They are gathering talent, and are as good as they have been in a decade.  Toss in that they are a fairly young team, and we might have a spoiler on the way....maybe.

Missouri's schedule finally caught up to them as South Carolina stole one out from under the Tigers in the western Columbia of the SEC.  Maty Mauk didn't play quite as well as he did in his first start, but there is no reason to doubt the talent.  Missouri is for real, they just aren't real experienced in the role of the favorite.

The Pac-12 was interesting with Oregon staking a claim at the top, and Oregon State giving Stanford a bit of a scare.  The Beavers have come along way since losing to Eastern Washington. 

Let's see where that puts us this week.

TRS College Football Rankings after Week 8

And I repeat, WOW, what a weekend of football.

We are square in the middle of the conference football season.  What does that mean?  Well, it means we are past most of the non-conference games.  Past the Clemson/Georgia games sadly, thankfully past the BCS team beating the crap out of Georgia State....I hope.

What else does it mean?  It means it's time for the sharks to turn upon themselves.  They have to play teams that they didn't pick.  Teams at their level, teams that know their schemes, teams that are hell bent on ruining Christmas...or rather making sure they are home to enjoy it with their family.

So, let us count that ways that this week was awesome in college football.

1. Louisville goes down.
2. South Carolina falls in Knoxville.
3. Mizzou stomps the Gators.
4. Auburn takes down Johnny Football and the Aggies.
5. The Magnolia bowl goes to the Rebels...could this be a rivalry again?
6. Oregon gives up 557 yards passing.....and wins by 20+.
7. #5 goes into #3 and the Noles beat the !@$@!#$ out of Clemson. 

Oh, and the first release of this, the final, year's BCS rankings were released....with 3 different conference represented in the top 3.

TRS College Football Rankings after Week 7

WOW, what a weekend of football.

Every year has a weekend or two like this, where there cream rises...or injuries take their toll, as the case may be.

Let's take a quick look at what happened.

Missouri announced their intent to be a serious member of the SEC with a road win in Athens.  Say what you want about the injuries, Missouri didn't squeak that game out, they beat the Dawgs, limping as they were.  A good team should be a team on it's third-string running back by double digits.  Missouri was a good team, now we get to see how big a loss James Franklin is going to be.

As bad as Texas looked early in the season, their new found commitment to running downhill and an aggressive defense has them looking pretty good.  Don't get me wrong, they are not a top 10 team week to week, but they are more talented than nearly any other team in the country, and these schemes are letting them play rather thank think.  They will be in the top 20 by the end if they play like this, and they will deserve it.

We found out that as good as Arkansas played to stay close to the Aggies last week, they still have some work to do.

I think we got a realistic measure for how good the Baylor Bears really are.  When squared off against a well-coached defense that takes away those mistake plays that Baylor turns into 80 yard touchdowns, they are still good, but not great.  That said, 35 points on a Bill Snyder defense is a find showing, and they have the talent to beat you a couple times a game even when you are doing things the right way.

The PAC-12 is Oregon and everyone else at this point.  Stanford and UCLA both have a puncher's chance against them, but this race is theirs to lose.

TRS College Football Rankings after Week 6

We got a good slate of games this last week.  With the conference seasons really firing up, we starting to separate the wheat from the chafe. 

What did we learn?

Well, Maryland is not near a complete team.

Northwestern is a legitimate Big 10 contender, or were before they lost a tough one to the Buckeyes.

OU is a different team with Blake Bell at quarterback.

Georgia State's AD is a sadist who scheduled a vicious gauntlet for his young program.

These games did give us a bit of a shuffle in the rankings, so without further ado........

NCAA Football TRS Top 25 after week 5

My apologies, I intended to get the initial TRS rankings for the season out before week 5's games, but didn't get it done in time.

So, I have updated the rankings, and they are looking pretty well trued up.  That's expected, and exactly the reason that I don't publish until we get a month into the season. 

For those of you who are not familiar with the concept I built my ranking system on, here is an overview of the facets I focus on, in order of importance.

1. Who did you play?
2. Did you win?
3. What was your margin?

I judge teams on what they have accomplished to that point, not on any expectation.  The more data we get, the closer to the final answer we get.  So, with no further ado, here are the TRS rankings following week 5 of the College Football Season.

Texas Aggie Football: Aggies face hard loss against Tide.

The Aggies are no longer undefeated.

Despite a valiant effort, Texas A&M couldn’t fully contain the force of Nick Saban and his team. The atmosphere in Kyle Field was electric until the very end when the No. 1 Tide narrowly won 49-42. After all the hype surrounding this game, Texas A&M came out ready to rumble.

While sportscasters aired clips of quarterback Johnny Manziel’s ‘eventful’ summer, he showed a brilliance that seemed Heisman worthy at points.

Coming out of the gate in the first half, Texas A&M pulled an easy 14 point lead. Tide fans everywhere were buzzing about how this was a repeat of last year, and most were threatening to turn off the game. Manziel was on fire until Alabama came back with a force that catapulted them to score 35 unanswered points.

Evaluating the Detroit Lions' 2012 Draft 1 year later

FIRST ROUND
Pick #23 Riley Reiff OT Iowa
Reiff is listed as the starting left tackle at this point, and that is exactly what the Lions drafted him to be.  They have shown their faith in him when they let former draft pick Gosder Cherilus leave in free agency.  I would not be surprised to see them continue to target linemen, but Reiff looks like he could be a start to this unit turning the corner, and keeping Matt Stafford alive.

SECOND ROUND
Pick #54 Ryan Broyles WR Oklahoma
Broyles is the starting slot receiver for the Lions, and he had a strong rookie season finishing with 22 catches and a pair of TD's.  That was more than they expected with with him coming back from knee surgery.  I expect a big year from this year.

THIRD ROUND
Pick #85 Dwight Bentley CB Louisiana-Lafayette
Bentley was viewed as a project with good upside coming out of college, and he is going into his second year at the top of the depth chart.  That is largely projection at this point after he missed quite a bit of time with a shoulder injury.  He was very productive early in the season, and the Lions feed good about their draft.

2012 BCS CHAMPIONSHIP

2012 BCS CHAMPIONSHIP

vs.

Recap:

The Fighting Irish faithful thought that they were back.  They were back in the business of winning national titles.  They had a defense that woke the echoes that resonate for the Golden Dome faithful,and they were a team of destiny...until Eddie Lacy got his first carry.

They should have learned from the SEC championship game.  You cannot live in your base defense and go head to head from a 3-man front against what is, essentially, and NFL offensive line.  I don't know that a scheme adjustment via formation or blitz would have made much difference, but it would have somewhat negated the advantage that they handed the Bama O-Line.  If you line up with 3 against 5, you set up natural double teams.  You have to attack the openings created by the double teams or you are going to lose.  Add in that they needed to gang tackle Eddie Lacy, and were hard pressed to catch up to TJ Yeldon's shoelaces, and they had no shot.

Oh, and AJ McCarron played well too.  He has set himself up for a nice run at the first round following next year.  In a year, the young man has progressed from a nervous game manager to a confident pro-style QB with pocket awareness and a cannon on a right arm.

Notre Dame, you should have been in the Sugar Bowl.  A very good team, but you choked against Pitt and got away with it, and if you watch the tape, you got beat by Stanford and got handed that game.

No shame in their season, but what a dud of a game.

Players of note:
Alabama:
C Barrett Jones: Jones now has a Outland trophy from his time at left tackle last season, a Rimington from his time at Center this season, and 3 national titles starting at 3 positions.  He can feasibly be drafted to start at any position on the O-Line and would likely improve every single team in the NFL from day one.  This is all assuming that he recovers well from his Lisfranc injury.

OG Chance Warmack: Warmack dominated for the Crimson Tide.  It is rare that you see a run blocker who can consistently do what he does.  There were consistently wide open holes on the left side for the Bama running back to crash through.

QB AJ McCarron: McCarron is custom fitted to what the Tide want to do.  He is a prototypical pro-style quarterback, and has grown comfortable in his own skin.  Having the tools to work with that he has doesn't hurt that at all, but he will get a long look for talent evaluators from here on.

RB Eddie Lacy: Notre Dame had no answer for a healthy Eddie Lacy.  They list him at 6'0" 220.  He is shorter and heavier than that, and was easily the healthiest I've seen him in 2 months.  He was physical, and abrupt all game, and would not got down for the first defender to hit him.

RB TJ Yeldon: Yeldon is the next big thing at Bama.  He is a taller running back who runs with power and speed.  He has a chance to be the best back of the Nick Saban era at Bama and had 108 in a backup role in the National Title game.

CB Dee Milliner: For some reason, Everett Golson kept going trying to throw high point fades against Milliner.  For those who are not aware, Milliner is a big, physical, corner.  If he has a weakness it is against the true burners who can test him deep, and calling that a weakness is probably overstating it as he has been timed in the 4.4 range.  He took away half the field, but Notre Dame did themselves no favors in their choice of patterns to attack him with.

WR Amari Cooper: It is nearly unheard of for a wide receivers from Miami's Northwest High to leave the state of Florida, let alone the city of Miami, to play his college ball.  Cooper did just that and he gives the Tide and up and coming Wide Receiver who has first round talent.  Look for big things from him next year after hitting 1000 even as a freshman.

Notre Dame:
QB Everett Golson: Golson just couldn't do enough.  He was running for his life half the night, but he did make some plays on his way to 270 yards passing.  The Irish were quickly made 1 dimensional though, and he is best when they are run-heavy.  The upside here is that this young man is only a sophomore and the QB position is loaded enough that he will be pushed to improve even more.

TE Tyler Eifert: Eifert showed by the NFL is so excited about him when he snagged a fade pattern away from Dee Milliner early in the game...which was a catch in my opinion, contrary to the ruling on the field.  He is big and fast, with great body control and is not afraid to block. 

WR Davaris Daniels: Watching the game it seemed like Bama was making all the plays, but Notre Dame did show some flashes in the passing game which was surprising against the Tide's secondary led by Milliner.  Most of the damage was done to 2 young receivers.  Daniels was the first of them, and the young sophomore caught 6 balls for 115, averaging just shy of 20 yards a catch.  That is impressive considering the whole stadium knew Golson had to throw the ball.

WR TJ Jones: Jones is the second receiver who made noise against the Tide and though he only average ~13 yards a catch, he caught 7 balls for 90 himself and both of these wide receivers will be coming back for Golson, or whoever takes his spot.

Interesting Notes:
Notre Dame was chasing their first title in 24 years, Bama got its 4th.  Neither of them leads the nation in national titles all time though..  Nope, that would be Princeton.

2012 Bowl Season Scoreboard

Georgia’s Aaron Murray Hasn’t Slept Since Bama’ Loss, Says Last Play Was a TD

Earlier this month, Georgia and Alabama played one of the most exciting SEC Championship games in recent memory.  The back and forth contest ended when the clock ran out on Aaron Murray and the Bulldogs at the Alabama 5-yard line, sealing a 32-28 Crimson Tide win that punched Bama’s ticket to the BCS National Championship Game.

Instead of going to Miami to face Notre Dame, UGA is now headed to Orlando where they will face Nebraska in the Capital One Bowl.  Per ESPN.com, Georgia quarterback Aaron Murray is still not over the Bulldogs’ missed opportunity against Alabama:

 ”I can’t sleep at night,” Murray said Wednesday in his first interview since the 32-28 loss to Alabama on Dec. 1. “I literally replay the entire game pretty much every night before I go to bed. It’s stressful. It’s a game that will probably haunt me the rest of my life, honestly.”

College Football Rankings after Week 13

Well, that's that....nearly.




The conference games are done, the pancakes are cooked, and the rivalries are stoked. It's time for the conference championship games, and the final shakeout to see who lands where in the bowl picture.



What have we learned?



Well, Notre Dame is good, and lucky enough, to have gotten a shot at the title...deserved or not.



The other representative will be out of the SEC, and if it's not Georgia, they aren't going to be in the BCS.



Overall, the SEC is still the best at the top, but the Pac-12 and Big-12 are closer than people thought. On the flip side, the Big 12 is much better top to bottom than either of the other schools.



In my ranking system, looking at those 3 conferences, the top and bottom look like this.



TOP 10 TEAMS

BIG-12: 2

PAC-12: 2

SEC: 6



BOTTOM 10 TEAMS

BIG-12: 1

PAC-12: 4

SEC: 5



As you can see, the SEC is a league of the haves, and the have-nots this year. The BIG-12 is solid from the top to bottom, with the exception of the Kansas Jayhawks of course. The Pac-12 is somewhere in between the two, but is improved and looks to continue on their upswing. On to MY rankings. I make the point to capitalize because no one else in the country is likely to agree with them.

Has Tampa Bay Buccaneers' SS Mark Barron Hit the Rookie Wall?

Strong safety Mark Barron came out on fire early in the season, but lately the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' first first-round selection has been a liability at times on the field.

Barron, who was drafted No. 7 overall by the Bucs in April, has struggled in the passing game as of late. He seems to be out of position way too much and has had trouble covering tight ends, which is something a fast, young player like himself should be able to do.

Barron also hasn't learn a very simple principle that all defensive backs need to do – get your head around when the ball is coming. Last week, Barron got flagged for pass interference after he didn't turn his head toward the ball while knocking down a pass. The flag was picked up so no harm was done.

College Football Rankings after Week 11

Well now, we all know what the story is this week don't we?

Johnny Football and the G*@ D@#$ Texas Aggies introduce themselves to the SEC like any proper interloper should...by taking the King's head off.  Myself, and a few others had voice concerns about the lack of SoS for Bama and the chinks that had been exposed in their armor.  To be honest, it did take a very good team, led by a special player to knock them off, and then just barely...but it happened.  Bama is not the best team in the country, but they are still a damned good team.  And.....they are not going to lose a ton between this year and next like they did in the last draft.  They are going to back on top next year, and deservedly so, but for now we have a very interesting argument between 3 teams from outside the SEC as well as the question of how much will that one more high quality win help either Bama or Georgia from the SEC title game.

One thing is for sure, with each of the leading teams having at least one game remaining against a ranked team and Oregon playing 3 more, it's far from over.

Here are this week's rankings.

1. Kansas State Wildcats 8.940
This weeks win against a solid TCU ball club was probably the best performance by a Wildcat defense in this iteration of the Miracle in Manhattan.  They held a TCU team that scored just shy of 34 points a game for season to 10 measly, garbage-time, points.  TCU had 154 yards through 3 quarters before the Cats took their foot off the gas in the 4th to preserve their starters.  Now, KSU needs the Horned Frogs to make some noise the last 2 weeks against Texas and OU.  The Cats have a defense-weak Baylor team and the mercurial Texas Longhorns left to play.  Baylor is no great concern, but the Texas has the talent to give them a puncher's chance...if they can avoid the mistakes that have plagued them all year, especially against the run.  Both are favorable matchups for Snyder's boys.

2. Oregon Ducks 8.663
As impressive as the scoreboard looked after the Ducks were done with Cal, the Bears may have given the blueprint for defenses to slow down the Ducks.  They played a zone shell, like you would play against a passing team, which allowed their secondary to help against the run more successfully than normal.  This allowed them to slow the Ducks down for more than a half.  It is important to note that the Bears were able to run the ball with the ENTIRE STARTING D-LINE for the Ducks being injured and out of the game.  This will not be the case for other opponents.  They were able to force the Ducks to throw the ball though, which is more than anyone else had been able to do, and if a better team is able to do it, they might give themselves a shot.

3. Alabama Crimson Tide 8.508
The Tide was given a lot of credit for last season, and it appears that they are much like last years team.  They are good enough to win with time to prepare, but if they don't have the time to scheme, they are beatable.  Say what you want about the talent on the roster, Nick Saban and his coaching staff are the Tide's greatest strength.  They had back to back games against tough team and had to focus on LSU or the second wouldn't matter.  That didn't give them time to successfully prepare and recover in time for the Aggies.  They are going to need to blow out everyone left with their next 2 teams being poorly regarded in Western Carolina and Auburn.  If they don't win those by a combined 70 and beat Georgia by 2 TD's there should be no way they play their way back into the conversation for the title game.

4. Notre Dame Fighting Irish 7.590
I know, Fighting Irish fans are going to be pissed about Bama still being in front of them, but I don't buy the SoS that is assigned to the Irish schedule. Their Big Ten wins are over-rated and were largely unimpressive. But, if they run the table in an impressive manner, they could easily catch and pass the Tide.  Wake Forest is better than Auburn or Western Carolina, and that end game against USC is their chance to make a statement.  If they can beat them convincingly, to separate themselves from Oregon by use of the common opponent theory, they should get their shot.

5. Texas A and M Aggies 7.416 Gig'Em Johnny Football!!!   Welcome to the SEC indeed.  The Aggies played a hell of a game, and I can't wait to see how this sets them up to wreak havoc on the recruiting roads.  They just put themselves up front as the most exciting football program in the state of Texas, and that is huge. Oh, they also got themselves set up for a very nice bowl game, with what should end as a 10 win season set up.   6. Florida State Seminoles 7.135
First thing first, credit is due to the Virginia Tech Hokies.  They played their best game of the season against a superior FSU team.  They caused turnovers and pushed the Noles into playing a rather poor game.  But, in the end, EJ Manuel had too much nerve and too many weapons to let his team take a second conference loss.  This is still a very balanced team.  They have talent and playmakers all over the field, and have dealt with injuries that would have crippled most teams without, seemingly, missing a beat. 

Game breaking running back - out with a knee
All-American D-End - out
All-Conference CB and All-American Returner - kicked off the team for violations

They are still a top 11 offense and top overall defense in yardage, while being 4th overall in points both ways.  If they hold court against the Gators in 2 weeks, which will be very difficult, the ACC is going to get some respect that it has not gotten nationally.

Funniest Video I've seen in awhile

We all know what the story of the week is in College football this week.

Bama lost.

The SEC might not be in the title game.

wah wah wah

It's everywhere and you are probably already tired of it, but this video from SB Nation is worth hearing it one more time.