Did That Just Happen?
Posted by josh_weisman, October 7, 2008 - 3:21 pm
Did that Just Happen? - Crazy Games and Big Upsets :
On my way back from Ann Arbor, MI where I witnessed the biggest comeback in “Big House” history (Thanks Wisconsin!), I started thinking about the upsets of the weekend and how the college football world was turned upside down. This season started out as if it was going to be a BCS success with no huge upsets, until this weekend; where we saw the #1, 3,4 and #9 teams fall as well as ECU’s cinderella season take another huge hit with its second loss. Here are some of the highlights of the 1st part of another wonderful college football season.
UPSETS:
1. Unranked Oregon State over USC:
USC opened up Pac-10 play visiting Oregon State after coming off a big win against Ohio State. USC came out flat and Oregon State played with no fear. The Beavers steamrolled the Trojans and were up 21-0 at halftime. USC tried to make a comeback but Sanchez and the Trojan’s fell short. True freshman running back Jaquez Rogers had 189 total yards and made a name for himself on a national stage.
2. Ole Miss upsets the Gators.
Houston Nut took a lot of criticism after leaving Arkansas for his ala matter Ole Miss, but this weekend’s victory over the vaunted Gators validates this move for him. Ole Miss played the Gators tough all game but Teebow and Harvin came back with a touchdown with under 2 mins to cut the lead to one. All the Gator’s needed was an extra point. But Ole Miss stepped up and blocked the extra point and sealed a huge win for their program.
3. Unranked Michigan over Wisconsin
Wisconsin has not won in the Big House in 3 decades. Wisconsin came in as the #9 team in the country and seemed as if history was going to change. The Badgers were up 19-0 at halftime and they had forced 5 Wolverine turnovers. More of the same until the end of the 3rd quarter when the Wolverines scored a touchdown and scored 27 unanswered points. The Wolverines let the Badgers drive down the field at the end of the game and gave up a touchdown. All the Badgers needed was a 2 point conversion, which they got but a penalty negated it. They tried again but to no avail. The Big House erupted and the student section and the players mocked the “Jump Around” tradition of the Badgers. The Wolverines got a huge win for new coach Rodriguez and now may see their season turn around.
4. Alabama holds on against UGA.
This was the game that I was looking forward to the most this weekend. Two top ranked SEC teams going head to head “between the Hedges.” Too bad only one team looked like a top ranked team. Alabama came into Georgia and whooped the “dawgs” in the 1st half to the tune of 31-0. Alabama’s offense looked unstoppable while their defense held Moreno and Stafford to barely 50 yards of total offense. The 2nd half was a little different. Georgia finally got on a roll and a huge punt return seemed to turn the tide. But, the Crimson Tide would not give up and even though they gave up 30 2nd half points, held on for a 41-30 victory and made a statement that they deserve to be in the top 5.
SURPRISES
1. ECU: ECU had two huge wins in the beginning of the season against Virginia Tech and West Virginia. They seemed destined to run the table but with two straight losses, it doesn’t look like the Pirates will crash the BCS party this year. Although, ECU has now become a household name and will continue to improve.
2. BYU: The Cougars hold the nation’s longest winning streak and with their absolute destruction of UCLA (59-0), they seem on their way to a BCS game in January.
3. BFOC (Big “Frosh” on Campus”): This year has been the year of the freshman. Last year it was Jeremy Macklin and Knoshon Moreno. This year it’s Terrell Pryor, AJ Green, Julio Jones, and Sam McGuffie. These 4 freshmen have made major impacts on their team immediately and now all 4 are starters and Green and Pryor seemed destined for greatness. Pryor looks like a man child on the field eating up defenses with his arm and legs. Green shows the skills that NFL scouts drool over and at 6’4”, he’s a big target for Stafford. McGuffie has proven that he is not such a YouTube star. McGuffie has 4 touchdowns and has shown he is a dual threat both running and catching the ball out of the backfield. Jones came into the season as the #1 rated WR coming out of high school and has lived up to his billing. This freshman is a true star and gives John Parker Wilson a huge target after the departure of All-American DJ Hall.
4. Javon Ringer: The MSU star is on pace to set the NCCA record for carries in a season. In the 1st four games of the year, Ringer is averaging 42 carries and over 200 yards per game. While MSU may not be complete team, Ringer is sure turning heads and defenses and MSU looks like it could contend in the Big 10.
5. Missouri: Mizzou continues to destroy opposing defenses with its high powered offense. Chase Daniel is a definite Heisman contender and sophomore Jeremy Macklin is quickly turning into the best WR/KR combo in the nation. Watch out Oklahoma, Mizzou is going to give you a run for the Big 12 title.
DISSAPOINTMENTS
1. FSU: Bobby Bowden and the Seminoles were ranked at the start of the year but the absence of a quarterback has left the Seminoles reeling. What happened to the good ‘ole days when Miami and FSU were always in the top 5? Those days are long gone and so are the ‘Noles.
2. Clemson: I had Clemson as a top 10 team at the start of the season. Oops! The Tigers fell flat on national TV against the Crimson Tide and haven’t played well since. Even with what many consider to be the best RB tandem in the country, the Tigers can’t seem to get on track. Even in a weak ACC, the Tigers need some serious help if they want to have a chance at the conference championship game.
3. Tennessee: The Vols came in as probably the 6th ranked team in the SEC but always plays tough. This year…something happened. After losing to UCLA in the season opener, they have lost to their bitter rival Florida and then Auburn. With games at Georgia, South Carolina, and Vandy, and a home game against Alabama, it looks like the Vols are in for a long season.
Early Season Heisman Hopefuls:
Sam Bradford, Colt McCoy, Jeremy Macklin, Chase Daniel, Knowshon Moreno, Javon Ringer.