Pilfering Pete

Hot: Iowa

People may have already been congratulating Penn State on their undefeated season and impending trip to the national championship game, but Iowa was not among them. They proved this weekend that no matter how good a team is, the season is not over until every game is marked off the calendar. Right, Florida? USC? What’s most entertaining is that Daniel Murray, who kicked the game-winning FG with one second to go, was only 1 of 3 on field goal attempts coming into the game. He actually hadn’t made one since the season opener! Nice!

Not: Tennessee

Remember the curse of the “W” and how Wyoming was among those terrible, terrible, TERRIBLE teams? Well, apparently Tennessee is even MORE terrible. As if losing to the Crudy Cowboys wasn’t bad enough, the Vols did it at home on Homecoming. Yes, the lowest-scoring team in college football held the Vols to seven points, their lowest-scoring non-conference game in six years. SUPER ouch! 

Hot: Texas Tech

Yes, they’ve still got it. Like most of the nation, I was pumped up to watch another nail-biting, high-scoring shoot out Saturday night. Instead, I nodded off for a good portion of Tech’s lopsided victory over Oklahoma State. Remember, though, Red Raiders, just like Penn State learned this weekend, the season is not over until every game is finished. Oklahoma is going to be a crazy tough hurdle to overcome.

Not: Schools talking to Coach Pete

Rumor has it that several schools are trying to persuade Chris Peterson to leave Boise State. To those schools, I have this to say: “You can’t have him. So there!” Scary, right? Seriously, though, Coach Pete already committed to “Beat Coach Pete” so he pretty much has to stay at BSU forever! http://rec.boisestate.edu/beatpete/index.cfm

Hot: Pat Hill’s pants….which are on fire

According to the commentators in yet another pathetic Fresno State loss, Pat Hill cited the reason for Fresno’s tough non-conference scheduling as that they can’t get anyone else to play them. Yeah right, Pat! Let’s review: Fresno does or does not have a good track record against schools at or below their level? DOES NOT is the correct answer. So tell me, Pat, why exactly would those teams have a reason to be scared to play you? Shame on you for lying.  

Not: WVU’s overtime loss

Just when things were back on track, West Virginia loses to Cincinnati in overtime and Michigan beats Minnesota! For much of the game, the Mountaineers never even looked to have a chance at winning. They were down 20 to 7 at the start of the fourth quarter. From there it was Fiesta Bowl-level craziness to take the game into overtime. WVU scored a safety, a TD complete with a 2-point conversion, recovered an on-sides kick, and made a 52-yard FG to tie up the game! PHEW! Going into overtime, it seemed like WVU was destined to win, but they could only manage a FG on their possession. From there, the offense could only watch helplessly as the Mountaineer defense roughed the passer and failed to stop the Bearcats’ TD attempt.  

Hot: George Iloka….and the rest of the team too!

Bronco fans were definitely non-plussed with the plethora of mistakes in Saturday’s game. However, on paper, the Broncos are wicked hot (unless you look at the penalties…)! FOUR players passed for TDs: Coughlan, Perretta, Moore, Bissel.  The offense accrued 563 yards. The defense forced SIX turnovers. FIVE different players scored: Pettis, Powers, Childs, Johnson, Perretta. But my favorite player of the game was George Iloka who snagged two interceptions!

Not: Football fan fatalities

This is most definitely the most unimpressive thing in college football right now. Apparently, a heated argument about the Alabama/LSU game led to the fatal shooting of two fans. Read the limited details here:

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=3693334

Hot: Ball State

Quietly, but steadily, Ball State continues to win and climb in the polls. The undefeated Cardinals are now sitting at 14 in the BCS poll. Ball State, currently 9-0, is having its best season in more than forty years. And Wednesday night, they had a chance to show the nation why. The Cardinals easily breezed past MAC opponent Northern Illinois, beating them 45 to 14 when all was said and done.

Not: Not getting to watch Utah versus TCU

When two ranked potential BCS busters play, shouldn’t that be televised? On a channel people get? Rather than watching an exciting TCU/Utah game that could have had major implications for other BCS hopefuls, we had to sit through the Maryland/Virginia Tech game instead, just to see the score scroll by on the bottom of the screen! A wag of the finger to you, programming decision makers!

Maybe YOU Should be BSU too!

Hot: Fresno Proving Me RIGHT!

Another overtime game against an inferior team….only this time the Bulldogs proved that, despite my prejudice against them, I have been right all along. Fresno State was always OVER RATED!! It gets more embarrassing for Fresno when the facts are revealed: this was a home game; Hawaii has never beaten a rank team on the road; the Bulldogs turned the ball over six times; they also missed 3 field goals; Hawaii’s only win this season (until now) was against Weber State. I DO love to be right!! 

Not: The “Mighty” Ducks

Oregon was amazing on Saturday…..for like 5 minutes anyway. After that, they couldn’t have scored if the Trojans gave them the ball on the one yard line with 8 downs and benched the D line. They are THAT bad. What is Mike Bellotti thinking? Why put Masoli in at QB when he proved his inadequacy against Boise State? Despite playing nearly the same amount of time in that game, Masoli managed a measly 27 yards compared with Thomas’s 210 and 3 touchdowns. The only logical explanation is that Coach Bellotti put money on the Trojans and wanted to ensure he was gonna get paid! Holla!

Hot: Wednesday’s Winners

Go Orange! Go Big Blue! Fight! Fight! BSU! There’s really not much more to say than that. There were a few mistakes, but overall the Broncos looked great in all areas against Louisiana Tech on ESPN Wednesday night.  The Broncos continue their home turf (blue as it is) success, having only lost 1 game at home in the last five years.

Not: South Florida

The Bulls’ offense did a whole bunch of nothing in the first half of their game against Pitt. They did manage to block a punt and run it back for a score so that they were only down by 10 instead of 17 at the half. Before that score, the Bulls missed a field goal and failed to convert on a fake field goal attempt. The offense did manage to score in the second half, but not enough to overcome the Panthers. See you later, top 10.

Hot: Baller State

Ball State has made it into the Top 25 for the first time EVER! There’s something magical about being BSU…isn’t there? The Cardinals are now 6-0, and held Toledo scoreless Saturday….unlike Fresno who could barely beat them in double OT. Go FootBALL State!

Not: Freezermakers

Yeah, Purdue, you stink. Your boilers are broken. They’re making nothing but ice (and not the shiny diamond kind). It hurts me to say it. I really does. But so is life.  It’s like a box of chocolates, you know? And that’s all I have to say about that.

Hot: It will happen SOONER or later

The Sooners are only 10 points away from being the first program to reach 30,000 points scored. Unfortunately for them, Boise State plans to score that many (30k) next week. Blast those Broncos! Always trying to steal Oklahoma’s glory!  

Not: Virginia Wins

Remember when Maryland embarrassed Cal? That sure was exciting, wasn’t it? Their peformance against Virginia this weekend was just a smidge below that level. They failed to score at all and let the up-to-this-point-rather-terrible Terrapins walk all over them. They moved the ball fairly well, getting more then 300 yards of offense, but could never cash in. Better luck next week, not-so-merry land.

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

America’s Next Plus-Size Running Back

Hot: Myron Pryor

ALL of Kentucky’s TDs came from turnovers Saturday against Loserville (err…Louisville), but none was more exciting then the 72-yard fumble returned for a TD by the big burly 300+ lb Myron Pryor. The only guy who even had a CHANCE to run him down was the CENTER. Never a good sign. Louisville’s performance was dismal during the good times, and even worse during the bad, which was certainly satisfying for the Kentucky fans who had to pay more than $70 a ticket to attend the game (compared to $40 for Louisville fans).

Not: ACC, Football that is…

Thank goodness for basketball, because if it were up to football results, the ACC might as well join the WAC. Wake Forest and Maryland were the ONLY ACC teams to beat 1-A….excuse me, Football Championship Division….teams. BC, Duke, Georgia Tech, Miami, and North Carolina managed to beat some less-than-highly touted 1-AA teams….Clemson, Virginia, and NC State lost to Alabama, USC, and South Carolina, badly.  And Virginia Tech, try as they did, could not stave off ECU. Attack the WAC, ACC! Attack the WAC!

Hot: Pirates of the Carolinabean

I know I wasn’t the only person to scratch my head and say “Who in blue blazes is ECU?” before the Sheraton Hawaii Bowl following the 2007 season. But people across the country are starting to take notice of the Pirates who are now on a roll after beating the world’s greatest football team (Boise State) in Hawaii and starting the season with a thrilling victory over Virginia Tech.  Only time will tell if this team is as legit as Johnny Depp’s career. Perhaps even too legit to quit!

Not: Idaho

Arizona generally goes overlooked in the football world, but leave it to Idaho to make them look like USC up against Palo Alto High School. Arizona’s 70 to 0 destruction of the Vandals was the their highest scoring game since flappers were in style! Not only that, this was Arizona’s first shutout in 12 years! And all this in the rain no less! Idaho’s Nathan Enderlie completed a miserable 10 passes. Even if counting his intercepted throws as completions, he STILL wouldn’t make it to 50%. Looks like the Vandals can look forward to a permanent spot in the Bottom 10….AGAIN!  

Hot: Florida

No, not just Tebow, not just the offense, EVERYONE got in on Florida’s scoring frenzy Saturday. The defense scored two TDs, both off interceptions…and special teams scored on a punt return. Perhaps most impressive….Florida did not score at all in the first or fourth quarters. Imagine if they’d kept things fired up for all four quarters! Hawaii on the other hand had 6 turnovers….at least one from each of their quarterbacks….Colt, oh Colt, where-fore-art-thou, oh Colt? 

Not: Oregon State’s final drive

The Beaver’s conference and season opener against Stanford was nothing if not a nail-biter. Down by 8 with two minutes left to play, it looked like the Beavers were surely going to lose. But as luck would have it, Stanford couldn’t move the ball and had to punt it away with a little over a minute and a half left. The Beav’s were ready to make the most of the opportunity. Several well-executed plays later, they found themselves at 3rd and 4 with 16 yards to the goal. Just then, Darrell Catchings made a great catch, running 15 yards toward the end zone. With 44 seconds left on the clock, and a first down secured, Catchings stretched for the end zone….lost the ball….and fumbled it right through the end zone. And in that briefest of moments, the team and fans alike fell from the thrill of victory into the misery of defeat….starting the season on a down note and having to face a 0-1 record when conference play begins.

Hot: UCLA

Despite throwing back-to-back interceptions, Kevin Craft lit things up in the second half to lead UCLA and new head coach Rick Neuheisel to an exciting overtime victory over the supposedly superior Volunteers. It couldn’t hurt that, according to Coach Fulmer, “[Tennessee] made enough mistakes to fill three of four games.”

Not: Fresno’s win over Rutgers

On their first possession, Rutgers made it within 30 yards of the goal line, but failed to score with a missed field goal. On the second, they made it to first and goal….but 4 tries later, still had no points. On the next, they only had 36 yards to drive, but threw an interception immediately. Two possessions later, they made it down to the 4 yard line, again failed to get the TD, and missed another field goal. AND SO….at halftime, the score was all tied at zero, instead of Rutgers 24, Fresno 0. Thus, after a miserable first half, Fresno was able to come out for the second half with a clean slate, and they certainly made the most of it. Thanks for nothing, Scarlet Knights.

Hot: Bowling Green

Props to Bowling Green who managed to ARM PITT with their first home loss to an MAC team in school history (24 games in all). Pitt possessed the ball seven minutes longer than BG, but that was not enough to offset their 4 turnovers. And what’s good for Bowling Green in good for BSU…until September 13, anyway.  

Not: June Jones’ Debut

Hopefully June’s big fat paycheck makes him happy cause there is no way the performance of his new team is doing anything for him. Not only did SMU fall on their face in the season opener, they did so against Rice, who hasn’t scored that many points since 1944….and now have a conference loss under their belt.  Five turnovers and seven penalties were not exactly what the lei-free Jones was hoping for.