Guess Who’s Having the Best Weekend Ever!? (….bronco nation….)

Hot: Sarkisiastic!
How can you not love Washington’s big win on Saturday? They were just SO bad last season. And bad is probably an understatement. They were, after all, the owners of the Pac 10’s ONLY completely winless season. Ever. But that’s the past and this is a new season. And, from the looks of it, a complete turnaround from where the Huskies were a year ago. Saturday, the Huskies held the Trojans to their lowest passing yardage in Pete Carroll history and held them to their lowest score in two seasons. Trojan fan or not, it was amazing to see Washington stay the course and pull out the win. I guess adversity really does make you stronger. And Joe McKnight, whose statement may not be taken well by the Huskies, summed up the very reason why college football is the glorious thing that it is: “Washington wasn’t the better team. They just outplayed us. Clearly, we have superior athletes. But hard work beats athleticism any day.”

Not: Not so “Merry”land
So far this season, Maryland has been murdered by Cal, barely beat James Madison in OT, and lost to Middle Tennessee State. Ouch. They also have 8 turnovers so far. Double ouch. Looking at the rest of their schedule, I can’t help but wonder, “Will James Madison be the only win this season?”

Hot: Sizzling Silicon Shootout
I predicted a nailbiter, and this game definitely was. Boise State jumped out ahead early. Even had me thinking that I had it figured all wrong (which of course I would have been more than glad to be). But you never can count Fresno out. They turned up the heat and before you had time to text “Broncos Rule,” Fresno had closed the gap and put the pressure on the Broncos’ offense. All told, 900+ yards of wildly thrilling plays were left on the field. Much as I hate to do it, I have to give a nod to Ryan Mathews, without whom Fresno would surely have been dominated. Also, much love to Titus Young, DJ Harper, and Jeremy Avery for running their buns off! To Austin Pettis, Derrell Acrey, and Winston Venable for having great hands! And to Kyle Wilson and Billy Winn for making (or breaking) plays!

Not: WAC…..that says it all
Man. Can the conference help some Broncos out or what? Are yall just taking a dive to hurt BSU’s chances at getting into the BCS again? It sure would be awesome if some teams could step it up and give our conference some legitimacy. Even a smidge would be helpful. Not counting BSU, the WAC so far has beaten San Diego State, Nicholls State, UC Davis, Prairie View A&M, Washington State, and Central Arkansas. And been beaten by Washington, Wisconsin, Notre Dame, Colorado State, Texas A&M, Utah, Auburn, Navy, Stanford, USC, UTEP, Utah again, and UNLV. Sigh.

Hot: Tomahawk Chop!
You gotta love an underrated Florida State team coming out and knocking off BYU, in PROVO no less! Christian Ponder said it, “The defense played great. The offense played incredible.” BYU had five turnovers and let FSU have the ball for nearly 20 minutes more of this matchup. FSU dominated and BYU made mistake after mistake. It was really that simple. Simply excellent, that is!

Not: Rank ‘em Up
And just why is BYU ahead of Florida State anyway? And why are they so underrated? They have only lost one game this season. BARELY. In an extremely close, rivalry game against the team now ranked 9 in the country. And they just beat the team that WAS 9. How does that make any sense? Give the Seminoles some love voters.

Hot: Can I get a Ute, Ute?
Oh, yes. The Ducks are wonderful, aren’t they? Not only did they squash Utah’s “Nation’s Longest Winning Streak” Saturday, but in one exciting game they managed to add legitimacy to BSU’s win over the Ducks AND take down one of the Bronco’s potential road blocks to the BCS party! Go Ducks Go! BSU fan or not, it is pretty amazing when a team with four turnovers and nearly 7 minutes less time of possession manages to take down a ranked team. Oh, and don’t forget Massoli’s 4 for 16 performance at QB. Really, how DO you win when you have so much working against you? A lot of heart and a secret love for the Broncos….that’s my guess.

Not: Tulsawful
Remember last week when Oklahoma trounced Idaho State? And we all thought, “Wow ISU must be really bad cause Oklahoma doesn’t even have Bradford in the mix.” Well, guess what! Tulsa is almost as bad. Okay, MAYBE Landry Jones is just that good. He did, after all, throw a school record six TD passes in this game, as well as tied the NCAA record for TD passes in a single game by a freshman. Either way, though, Tulsa did a whole bunch of nothing this week.

W-I-N, Go for the Win!

NOT: Winners Winning

There needs to be some serious attitude adjustments this week. What happened to the little Davids believing that they could topple the giants? That happened to the cocky teams who are too good to try against pitiful opponents? Where has the upset gone?? If you winners and losers don’t get your minds right, we are in for a really boring finish to the season. What will commentators talk about? I imagine something like this: “Now to today’s college football highlights…..everyone in the top 25 won again. In other riveting news, my mother thinks I’m precious and kittens are cute…….” Do you really want to be responsible for that? Y’all better make a better effort this weekend! 

Hot: Northwestern

Every Wildcat looks forward to the Michigan game, but generally dreams of a win are just that. This weekend Northwestern likely strutted into (and out of) the Big House with the knowledge that this year they not only could, but would, realize that dream. And, while doing so, they ensured that Michigan would indeed end this season with their poorest record ever. On Senior Day no less. Nice work, Cats. High Five! 

Not: Stanford

The Cardinal started out the game with that underdog spirit fans love to see, but it fizzled out much too soon! Despite Stanford keeping the game tied up well into the third quarter, the Trojans managed to win by more than 20 points!  

Hot: Houston with a side of Rice

In a fantastic showing Saturday night, Houston racked up 70 points against Tulsa! And just when I bet that this was surely the most points Houston has ever scored, I learned that forty years ago, Houston had a 100-3 win over Tulsa, the record for most points scored by one team in a major college game. And it the win wasn’t exciting enough — Houston now shares the lead of Conference USA with Rice!

Not: LSU sans the 4th quarter

A round of applause for Troy, who came into the game with the appropriate level of “Yes WE Can”-ittude. They brought enough to make LSU fans boo and leave, and to get LSU’s quarterback benched. Unfortunately, they also gave up when they thought they had it won, leading to LSU’s biggest comeback in school history and a 30 point fourth quarter.  

Hot: Mr. Rodgers squared

Jaqcuizz and James Rodgers, in another outstanding peformance, have helped the Beavers turn a pathetic start to the season into a potential trip to the Rose Bowl. “Quiz” has had seven 100+ rushing games this season and scored 1 TD on Saturday….he’s gained more than 1000 yards and has 11 TDs on the season. James, the elder brother, has only 4 TDs on the season, but two of them came against the Bears. The Beavers definitely hit the jackpot when they recruited these two!   

Not: Idaho’s First Play

For those of you who saw the score alert showing Idaho 7, Boise State 0, know that the Vandals were the beneficiaries of a fluke. Nothing shady…just a fluke. Nathan Enderlie’s first pass was good and the reciever was immediately wrapped up by BSU’s defense. Unfortunately, the reciever came down on top of the defender, never hitting the ground, and stood back up and ran the rest of the way to the end zone. But hey, the Vanadals need SOMETHING to cheer about so I suppose all is well that ends well.

Bronco Fever Strikes AGAIN!

Hot: Duck Soup

Everyone….and I mean EVERYONE said that BSU did not have a shot at winning this game. As soon as they did, I knew the Broncos would win. They’ve always done better with a chip on their shoulders! They want you to doubt them; they love it! As much as the win was well-earned, had Oregon’s THIRD STRING QB gotten a concussion a little earlier, the Broncos might not be doing the happy dance this week!

Not: Fresno’s Ranking

How exactly does a team from the WAC who beat what turns out to be an incredibly inadequate Rutgers team, lost to Wisconsin at home, and barely beat TOLEDO in DOUBLE overtime get to stay in the rankings? Seriously voters! there are undefeated teams waiting in the wings! Give up the dream! This year, like every other year, is NOT the bulldogs year to shine. Make room for someone else! 

Hot: NC State wins a legitimate game!

Just when the purple Pirates had everyone convinced that they were invincible, sad little NC State put a stop to their undefeated season. In what should have been a blowout (no offense State fans), the Wolfpack, led by amazing freshman QB Russell Wilson, dusted off their A game and showed the country that they can play ball too. Three cheers for the Wolfpack!

Not: West Virginia

Don’t get me wrong here….I have a fondness for the Mountaineers and truly wanted this to be their season, but like Fresno, it’s just not. Try as they might, they just can’t seem to get it together this season. Were it not for Pat White, they might have gone 3 and out on every possession. And there’s no Pat White on the defensive side of the ball.

Hot: B, B, BYU

Other than the close/controversial win at Washington, BYU has scored at least 40 points in each of their wins (@ Northern Iowa, UCLA, Wyoming). They’ve also held UCLA and Wyoming to the big Zilcho in their last two games. The Cougars are looking pretty unstoppable at the moment. Will Utah have enough to top them in their matchup in November?

Not: Tar Heels lose thier Achilles 

Just when Carolina had a legitimate chance at a thrilling season, their QB and leader, TJ Yates broke his ankle and will be out for the next six weeks. Along with his broken ankle came the disappointing loss against Virginia Tech and a gloomy outlook on the rest of the season. Does anyone know a good Tar Healer who can get things back on track?

Hot: USC vs. Florida: National Championship

My prediction is in. The Trojans and the Gators will face off in THE game of bowl season. USC looks to be freakishly good this season. Even Tebow’s crew looks a little small in the Trojans’ shadow. But are they really that good? Or is their competition just that bad? And is Florida really on a different level? Or has their competition been, well, worth competing against? Whichever turns out to be the case, these teams are off to great starts and will be exciting to watch in January! 

Not: Pillow Fights….or are they?

Saturday’s most-pivotal matchup HAD to be the Bottom 10′s pillow fight: Idaho versus Utah State. Two WAC bottom-feeders waiting and ready for a chance to win a conference game! Idaho may have beaten the mighty Idaho State Bengals, but they were no match for the Aggies! Utah State managed a whopping 42 points to the Vandals’ sad 17. Maybe things are looking up, eh Aggies? Going to topple the giant (BYU) next week?

HOTerable mentions: Northwestern, Missouri, Texas Tech, Oklahoma, Texas, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Clemson, Minnesota, Penn State, TCU

The Penalty Nazi: No Celebrating for You; One Year.

Hot: Pirate Power

Two games into the season and ECU is proving that their bowl game victory over BSU was no fluke! There were golf claps all around for the Pirates when they took down VT last weekend, but no one really thought they could top WVU.  Boy were we wrong! The pirates not only won, they destroyed the Mountaineers. Everytime WVU’s defense had a man wrapped up, he magically gained another 10-12 yards before dropping to the field. Looking at the rest of their line up, the Pirates may just run their way into a national championship game!

Not: 100K to Play

Idaho payed Idaho State $100,000+ to get them on their schedule this season. Couldn’t Idaho really spend those dollars on something more valuable? My mom and dad summarized it best…..Dad: “They could have used that money on new jock straps or something.” Mom: “That, or some balls to put in them.” Ouch! Wicked burn from a senior citizen, Vandals! But hey, you gotta get some W’s on record, right?

Hot: Do you want RICE with that?

Rice fans have been waiting a LOOONG time for something to get excited about….and this season may be it! After handing it to June Jones in his debut last week, Rice executed again to get a victory over Memphis on Saturday. It wasn’t the steamroller win of last week, but a last-minute interception, returned for a TD, gave them the 2-0 streak to start the season. The interception wasn’t the only thrilling moment of the game. Just prior, the Owls successfully attempted a 2-point conversion to tie things up at 35. It may have required a little luck, but a win is a win in the end! And this one was a real HOOT for Owl fans!

Not: Oregon State — AGAIN

Like many of their Pac 10 peers before them, Oregon State took a dive in Happy Valley.  After their heart-breaking loss against Stanford last week, the Beavers certainly weren’t hoping for the spectacular trouncing they recieved against the Nittany Lions. Perhaps the Penn State players tapped into the fiery spirit Joepa showed the media when they inquired about his need to retire. Whatever their motivation, they are on a 2-0 roll to start the season……the Beavers, however, fall on the other end of the spectrum.   

Hot: Vandy-tastic

Vandy hasn’t had a winning season since 1982, and hasn’t even been off to a two-win start since 1989….so it is with MUCH ado that Vandy earned the big W over the Gamecocks on Thursday night. What could be better? Well, proving that last season’s win over South Carolina was NOT a fluke after all. As Jared Hawkins put it, “We’re not a blowoff team. We’re going to hit you in the mouth.” Holla. Go Vandy, Go!

Not: Ohio State

Beanie Shmeanie. One players does not turn a #3-ranked team into a might-as-well-have-been-a-loss victor over a sad team like Ohio. Were it not for their FIVE turnovers, Ohio certainly would have picked off the mighty Buckeyes. What’s done is done, though. Brush it off and prepare to celebrate next weekend! USC won’t put up much of a fight! (No…I’m not laughing right now….okay…I am…a lot.)

Hot: Utah

Once Urban Meyer skipped merrily away to Florida after Utah first busted the BCS party, it seemed certain that the Utes were out of the picture for good. But last week it was the Utes who skipped merrily, away from the Big House with a victory over Michigan…a win that afforded them their first ranking in four years. The Utes may still have been somewhat hung over from the high of that victory because they looked a little pathetic in the first half of their game against UNLV. From there, though, the Utes scored 35 unanswered points to get the win and prove they deserve the respect they earned in last week’s game.

Not: Florida’s Win to End Miami Streak

Don’t be fooled by the lopsided score. The majority of Florida’s play against Miami was less than thrilling. In fact, Tebow looked like he couldn’t throw a pass on-target if Urban Meyer paid him! On their first possession, the Gators easily drove 40 yards, after a truly sad Miami punt, to put it in the end zone, but things cooled WAY down after that. Luckily, the Gators were able to heat things back up in the fourth quarter, managing to put an end to a Miami’s six-game winning streak in the match up.

Hot: Iowa Football, NOT its Fans

Maine and FIU are surely not in the upper escelon of the football class structure, but Iowa did their best to make sure they didn’t forget it! Combined, the two only scored 3 points to the 88 points Iowa put up. The only other thing to say about this game is SHAME on you Iowa fans! How dare you boo your back-up quarterback in a blowout??? Not classy. You need to go sit in the corner and think about just how fickle you’ve become. And maybe write out an apology note begging the team to forgive you and take you back.     

Not: Pac 10 Officiating

Throughout their contest on Saturday night, BYU and Washington traded score for score. Midway through the 4th, all were tied at 21. BYU put together a successful drive, finding the end zone, going up 28 – 21, and giving the ball back to the Huskies with 3 minutes left. In response, Jake Locker scrambled his way down the field and finally into the end zone to give his team a chance to tie things up and take the battle into overtime. After scoring, Locker tossed the ball over his shoulder and rushed to jumping, ecstatic teammates to celebrate……uh oh…..out came the dreaded yellow hanky…..Celebration penalty against Washington. Ultimately, this penalty, which backed up the PAT 15 yards, cost the team and the fans the chance at an exciting overtime competition. Those officials need to go take a time out with the Iowa fans…. 

Hot: Giving your Best

The worst loss in Washington State’s history (124 years in all) is Cal’s gain! In his first start, Cal’s Jahvid Best ran for 200 yards, 30 more than the Cougars totaled. Even better (Best…better…get it?), he did it in 14 carries! Best started the game off right with an 80 yard run for a touchdown and continued to embarrass the Pac 10′s worst team for the remainder of the game.

Not: Colorado

After a thrilling in-state rivalary win over Colorado State last weekend, Colorado nearly toppled to the oh-so-sad Eastern Washington Eagles of the Big Sky conference. The Eagles had a solid lead up to the fourth quarter….Who is the dummy who decided games should be 1 hour anyway? If quarters were only 10 minutes, the Eagles would have had high fives and butt slaps all around after the game. Instead, the Buffaloes managed two TDs and a FG to take the lead. But it wasn’t until the last play of the game that they could be certain of victory. The Eagles had a chance to tie things up with a TD pass. Sadly, Colorado intercepted it with 3 seconds left.  This debacle could spell good news for the Mountaineers who face Colorado next.