Washington wide receiver #3 James Johnson breaks down field, Image: Newscom

1. Florida
2. Texas
3. Alabama
4. Mississippi
5. Penn State
6. California
7. LSU
8. Boise State
9. Miami
10. Oklahoma

What’s significant to note is who is not there anymore. And really, that boils down to my favorite team to bash, USC.

Sorry, USC fans. This was supposed to be an easy week for you. The Trojans took on Washington, and after a week at Ohio State’s horseshoe, everyone thought that this would be a relaxing game. Only Matt Berkley couldn’t start, so Aaron Corp took his place. And then Washington actually turned out to be good. Now, Washington already lost to LSU, but they took the moment of the 42-23 win against Idaho from Week Three and used it to beat back USC 16-13. The Trojans had absolutely no passing game, and the Huskies took advantage of that.

It was also a hard week for the MWC. BYU lost at home to Florida State, who is proving not to be a totally terrible team. So MWC fans put their confidence in TCU and Utah instead. TCU pulled through with a thorough beating of Texas State, but Utah was another story. They lost on the road to Oregon, and I couldn’t help but chant “overrated” in my head a bit. They were ranked too high after wins to just Utah State and San Jose State. So now, it’s up to you, TCU.

The week started off with an upset, though, so I guess it was Week Three’s fate to have a bunch of games that pissed people off. Thursday gave us #20 Miami beating #14 Georgia Tech 33 – 17. They’re done. Miami has more than proved that the deserve to be in the top ten. Georgia Tech has more than proved that they deserved to be dropped from the rankings completely. On Friday, Boise State (#10) won against Fresno State 51-34, but don’t be too fooled by the score. Boise State played like crap, both the teams’ defenses sucked, and the game looked like it might go either way for awhile there.

And then there was the Florida – Tennessee game. Coming into this game, my money was on Florida, but I knew that Tennessee wasn’t just going to lie down and take a beating – and they didn’t. The Vols put up a fight, but also knew when they were bested. I think the main problem here was that Kiffin played it safe. Rather than making big plays, which was what they needed for any hope of winning against the Gators, they chose to hold back, focusing more on not doing anything stupid than on taking risks. Florida won 23-13, but it was a good game.

Some other games of interest:

• #13 Virginia Tech beat #18 Nebraska 16-15. VT just has a strong defense, and the game ended up coming down to possession time at the end. Kudos to Nebraska’s kicker, who kept the Cornhuskers in the game.
• Michigan State lost a heartbreaker to Notre Dame on Saturday. With a final score of 33 – 30, we’re beginning to see just how disappointing this Fighting Irish team really is. They should have killed MSU.
• In what I like to call “the battle of who sucks less,” Washington State beat SMU 30 – 27 in overtime.

Post from: EveryJoe

College Football Week Three 2009 in Review

First and foremost, what the crap, Oklahoma State. I think like, the entire state of Oklahoma is bummed out. First, Sam Bradford gets injured. Now this. In case you didn’t watch the game…Oklahoma State, who was ranked #5, got their asses handed to them by Houston. Most people don’t even realize that Houston has a football team. At first, it was just a good game, but Oklahoma State didn’t look like they were really in jeopardy. Whatever adjustments the Cougars made during halftime worked, though. They scored 21 points in the fourth quarter alone! Final score? 45 – 35. Ouch, Cowboys. There goes your bowl game bid.

Everyone’s still talking about the Ohio State – USC game, too. I actually watched every minute of this game on a 72 – inch HDTV. Be jealous. I was cheering Ohio State (Big Ten love), but I knew it would be a close game, and I’m not upset that USC won. Every year, people say that Big Ten teams can’t compete with Pac-10 teams, but I think this game proves that they can.

USC's #4 Joe McKnight was key in the win against Ohio State. Image: Newscom

The final score was 18 -15, and it was not an easy game for either team by any means. It came down to a final amazing drive across the field by USC’s Matt Barkley and Joe McKnight, which led to a score and two-point conversion. There just wasn’t enough time left on the clock for the Buckeyes to make anything happen to take back the lead. Ohio State dropped to #11, from being #8 last week, and I personally think it is a good place for them to be. Although some are calling for them to drop farther, if you saw the game, you know that USC just barely outplayed Ohio State, and the win had a lot to do with timing rather than talent.

Florida, Texas, and Alabama all won. *shrug* No big new there. The games sucked, for the most part. It was interesting that Texas was so sloppy against Wyoming in the first half, but other than that, there really wasn’t anything to see.

Other interesting scores:

• On Thursday, #15 Georgia Tech was almost upended by Clemson. Final score, 30 – 27. Read about it more at The Palmetto Scoop and Football Zone TV.
• Connecticut kept up with #19 North Carolina, but ultimately fell 12 – 10. Read about it more at Tar Heel Blue.
• Ouch. Michigan State lost to Central Michigan 29 – 27, who is a better team than people give them credit for. Read about it more at The Niles Star and The Scores Report.
• Wisconsin held on against Fresno State in double overtime. Final score was 34 – 31 – it was a great game. Read about it more at Bleacher Report.
• UCLA beat Tennesse 19 – 15. Another great game. Read about it more at the UCLA website and Ledger-Enquirer.

Post from: EveryJoe

College Football Week Two 2009 in Review

I can’t watch every game, and there are tons not on TV every week. So, instead of blogging about every game, I’ll link you to the people who are talking about it (by conference). If I missed your link, leave a comment!

Virginia Tech 23, #23 Maryland 13

• VIRGINIA TECH 23, #23 MARYLAND 13 at Today\’s ACC Headlines
• Virginia Tech Hokies Dominate Maryland Terrapins at Fire Bryan Stinespring
• What is that French word? at Turtle Waxing

#19 North Carolina 28, #20 Georgia Tech 7

• Tar Heels Defeat ACC Rival Georgia Tech, 28-7 at North Carolina Football News

#22 Florida State 41, Clemson 27

• Postgame report card: Florida State 41, Clemson 27 at Chopping Block
• Clemson vs. Florida State Football Game Notes at Clemson Tigers News

North Carolina State 27, Duke 17

• NC State 27, Duke 17 at Statefans Nation
• Keys to the game revisited: NC State at Duke at NC State Wolfpack

Wake Forest 28, Virginia 17

• Quick Kicks: Virginia vs. Wake Forest at inRich Sports Main
• Wake Forest vs. Virginia at Sam Smith\’s Blog
• Wake vs. Virginia: The other side at Wake Forest Demon Deacons

Boston College 17, Notre Dame 0

• The Fate of Notre Dame at Raidersaint\’s Weblog
• Eagles Shut Out Notre Dame, 17-0 at Boston College Football News
• Boston College 17, Notre Dame 0 at Dueling Couches

Other conferences: ACC, Big 12, Big East, Big Ten, Conference USA, Independents, Mid-American, Mountain West, Pac-10, SEC, Sun Belt, WAC

(check back soon if the link isn’t live yet)

Post from: EveryJoe

2008 Week 11: Blogging about the ACC

Miami-FL 24, Virginia 17

• Believe in the Canes at Will’s Sports Blog
• TIME FOR RANDY SHANNON TO MANAGE HIS TIME at Smitty’s Sightings
• Canes are Bowl Eligible! at Miami Sports – The City of Champions

Georgia Tech 31, #15 Florida State 28

• Reason to Celebrate at Taylor Stewart’s Blog
• Quick thoughts: Georgia Tech 31, Florida State 28 at Chopping Block

Clemson 27, Boston College 21

• Clemson stops its skid against Boston College at WSJ Sports College

Wake Forest 33, Duke 30 

• Early Voting at Zach Dotsey
• Duke drops an overtime decision to Wake Forest at Blue Devil Nation

Other conferences: ACC, Big 12, Big East, Big Ten, Conference USA, Independents, Mid-American, Mountain West, Pac-10, SEC, Sun Belt, WAC

(check back soon if the link isn’t live yet)

Post from: EveryJoe

2008 Week 10: Blogging about the ACC

North Carolina 45, Boston College 24

• Boosterism at Triangle Offense
• BC vs UNC: The Recap at The Fifth Corner

Miami-FL 16, Wake Forest 10

• FSU UPDATE: Miami 16, Wake Forest 10 at The Word
• Miami Hurricanes 16 Wake Forest Demon Deacons 10 at Miami Sports

Duke 10, Vanderbilt 7

• Big Day for Duke Sports at Zach Dotsey
• Tough defense drops Vanderbilt 10 – 7 at Blue Devil Nation
• LIVE! UPDATE: DUKE 10, VANDERBILT 7 at Moral Victory

Virginia 24, #18 Georgia Tech 17

• Survival! Terps Now 6-2! at Turtle Soup
• Virginia Georgia Tech at We Are SC

#25 Florida State 30, Virginia Tech 20

• Quick thoughts: Florida State 30, Virginia Tech 20 at Chopping Block
• Postgame React: Virginia Tech Hokies @ your Florida State Seminoles at Tomahawk Nation

Maryland 27, North Carolina State 24

• Benjamin 3; Maryland 27, NC State 24 at Shine Silently
• Keys the game revisited: NC State at Maryland at NC State Wolfpack

Other conferences: ACC, Big 12, Big East, Big Ten, Conference USA, Independents, Mid-American, Mountain West, Pac-10, SEC, Sun Belt, WAC

(check back soon if the link isn’t live yet)

Post from: EveryJoe

2008 Week 9: Blogging about the ACC

Florida State 26, North Carolina State 17

• FSU 26, NC State 17 at Section Six
• Postgame report card: Florida State 26, NC State 17 at Chopping Block – Seminoles Blog

Maryland 26, #21 Wake Forest 0

• Navarre breaks through vs. Wake Forest at Maryland Terrapins Football & Basketball
• Football: Maryland Terrapins vs Wake Forest at One Game at a Time

Georgia Tech 21, Clemson 17

• Georgia Tech Edges Clemson at Bored Sports
• Clemson Loses To Gerogia Tech 21-17. at faniq Blog

Virginia 16, #18 North Carolina 13

• Virginia Beats North Carolina at NCAA Football fanhouse

Miami-FL 49, Duke 31

• There are no moral victories: Miami 49, Duke 31 at Triangle Offense
• Miami rolls past Duke 49-31 at WSJ Sports
• Gameday blog: UM 49, Duke 31 (F) at Eye on the U

Boston College 28, #17 Virginia Tech 23

• Boston College getting it done, despite a turnover or five at ESPN’s ACC Blog

Other conferences: ACC, Big 12, Big East, Big Ten, Conference USA, Independents, Mid-American, Mountain West, Pac-10, SEC, Sun Belt, WAC 

(check back soon if the link isn’t live yet)

Post from: EveryJoe

2008 Week 8: Blogging about the ACC

Clemson against #21 Wake Forest

• WAKE FOREST 12, CLEMSON 7 at Today’s ACC Headlines
• Clemson’s disastrous season just got worse at ESPN

Georgia Tech against Gardner-Webb

• Georgia Tech nips Gardner-Webb 10-7 at WSJ Sports
• Is anyone watching Georgia Tech? at ESPN
• Yellow Jackets Best Bulldogs, 10-7 at Rambling Wreck

Miami-FL against UCF

• Knights Fall Short at Miami at UCF Athletics
• Gameday blog: UM 20, UCF 14 at Eye on the U

#22 North Carolina against Notre Dame

• Notre Dame vs UNC: The Recap at The Fifth Corner
• Ugh at Rambles of a Crazy Coffin
• Irish lose in strange finish at Classic Ground

Virginia against East Carolina

• Virginia Tops ECU 35-20 at ECU Pirates
• It’s Gotten Bad Real Fast for ECU at NCAA Football FanHouse

Not playing this week:

Other conferences: ACC, Big 12, Big East, Big Ten, Conference USA, Independents, Mid-American, Mountain West, Pac-10, SEC, Sun Belt, WAC (if the link you click isn’t working yet, stop back later)

Post from: EveryJoe

2008 Week 7: Blogging about the ACC

Now don’t get me wrong – I don’t know his unknown accuser. What she is saying could be very real and very serious, and if so, my heart goes out to this girl.

On the other hand, I don’t know Tarrent either. When it comes to rape, it seems like the person is always guilty until proven innocent instead of the other way around. I’m in no way saying that rape shouldn’t be taken seriously. At the same time, it seems that these days, rape is a dime a dozen on college campus.

That means one of two things: there are a lot of men disrespecting women or there are a lot of women lying to “get back” at men.

Unfortunately, although many rapes are real, in my experiences, most of the people who have cried rape have been lying. At my small college, for example, there was a girl who called rape her senior year. There wasn’t proof of anything, since she reported it a few days after the fact, and the case was ultimately dropped. Later that year, she actually started dating the guy she claimed had raped her. Do you think she was telling the truth about the rape or trying to get his attention?

Unfortunately for that guy, he was kicked off a sports team and the sneaky looks and gossip behind his back went on until the day he graduated. No one wanted to party with him, especially alone.

In any case, what I’m whole-heartedly suggesting is that Tarrent is innocent until proven guilty, and I hope everyone will treat him as such. He was a potential starting cornerback for Georgia Tech, and that’s been taken away, as he’s be suspended from the football team already.

I mean no disrespect to anyone who’s been raped. If he forced himself on this girl, I hope that the legal system brings him to justice, and I hope he has trouble living with himself. But if, like is too often the case, he didn’t rape her? I hope that he’ll be able to work past these charges and have a successful football career.

Post from: EveryJoe

College Rape Cases: A Dime a Dozen

1. Convince an awesome coach to come coach for their team.
2. Convince their awesome coach not to leave.

I can just hear the talks going on. They all sound like used car salesmen. “You aren’t going to find a better opportunity that this. Teams like this only come around once in a lifetime. COACH NOW! No iterest until January 2010!”

Some teams have already made their hires, so their athletic departments can breathe easy:

Arkansas: Boby Petrino

Baylor: Art Briles

Georgia Tech: Paul Johnson

Mississippi: Houston Nutt

Navy: Ken Niumatalolo

Nebraska: Bo Pelini

Texas A&M: Mike Sherman

Washington State: Paul Wulff

It may be interesting to you to note that just one of these new hires is  a minority. To me, I couldn’t care less. Black, white, yellow, red, purple…it doesn’t matter what color your skin is. All that matters is how well you can coach. The best man should be picked for the job every time, regardless of pressure to choose a minority.

Post from: EveryJoe

New Coaching Hires: Update