Kentucky at South Carolina
Oklahoma vs. Texas
Virginia Tech at Clemson
Cincinnati at Rutgers
Florida at LSU
Nebraska at Missouri
Congratulations go out to Nebraska and Missouri and Kentucky and South Carolina. Their matchups were the only ones left intact after six of the top 13 teams in the country were toppled this week. As Coach Fran would say, the exhibition season is over, so now we'll find out what teams are made of. Well I wouldn't exactly say he was right but with conference play now underway for everybody, the entire season just got a whole lot more interesting. A brief rundown of the upsets...
(18)South Florida 21, (5)West Virginia 13 - This came Friday night, but it was the only upset pulled off by a ranked team. The game really didn't seem as close as the score indicates. South Florida is for real. QB Matt Grothe can really play and lead a team. Mountaineer Heisman hopefuls, QB Pat White and RB Steve Slaton took big htis to their campaigns. White was ineffective and knocked out of the game with an injury, Slaton had just 54 yards and fumbled twice. Oddsmakers: West Virginia by 7
Colorado 27, (3)Oklahoma 24 - The Sooners did give this one away - they led 24-7 in the 2nd half - but the Buffaloes did have to make some big plays to pull it off. Most came from the coaches kid, QB Cody Hawkins, who tossed 2 gorgeous TD throws in the 4th quarter. Sooners QB Sam Bradford played like a freshman throwing 2 costly and unnessary 2nd half INTs. A muffed punt by Reggie Smith led to the tying TD and Kevin Eberhart kicked the game-winning FG as time expired. Oddsmakers: Oklahoma by 23
Maryland 34, (10)Rutgers 24 - This one was pretty simple, Maryland thoroughly outplayed the Scarlet Knights. Why? - couldn't tell ya, but both RB Ray Rice and QB Mike Teel had costly turnovers and with Rutgers facing a 4th and 10 late in the 4th quarter, tralining 27-24, Teel was sacked and the next play Maryland put it in the endzone. Just think about this Big East fans, Syracuse is 1-0 and on top of the conference. West Virginia, Rutgers and Louisville have yet to post a conference win. Oddsmakers: Rutgers by 18.5
K-State 41, (7)Texas 21 - Worst home at Texas for Mack Brown. Colt McCoy threw 4 INTs. (btw, McCoy now has 8 TDs/9 INT this yr. Last yr he was 29/7). The Wildcats returned an INT, a punt and a kickoff for TDs on this wet day in Austin. The 'Horns never had a lead in the game. Their defense didn't force a turnover. Yet again, the Texas running game was very underwhelming. The Red River Shootout is next Saturday in Dallas and now either Texas or OU will begin Big 12 play 0-2. Oddsmakers: Texas by 14.5
Auburn 20, (3)Florida 17 - This rivals the OU upset as the most surprising because Auburn already had 2 losses and more importantly this game was played in the swamp. Like Texas, Florida never held a lead. They didn't even score in the first half. Their defense allowed a 14 play, 86 yard TD drive and a 10 play, 80 yard TD drive to hit the lockerroom down 14-0. Florida had all the momentum in the 2nd half with 2 4th Qtr TDs to tie the game. But after catching a huge break on a catching interference penalty late in the game, Tim Tebow and crew went 3 and out and Auburn followed with their only pts of the 2nd half. Urban Meyer tried to freeze the freshman kicker, Wes Byrum, by calling timeout just before the the snap on what would have been the winning field goal as it split the uprights. Byrum calmly split the uprights a 2nd time and that one booted the Gators from national championship contention ---- maybe! Oddsmakers: Florida by 17.5
The other top team to lose was (11)Oregon. A 31-24 defeat to (6)California, which should have gone down as teh game of the day, since it actually matched up two top ranked teams and both showed up. The game ended on a 1st and goal play for Oregon when Cameron Colvin caught a short pass and turned towards the end zone and as he approached the pylon the ball was knocked out of his hands and went through the end zone and out-of-bounds. That my friends is a touchback and a horribly empty way to end a tremendously exciting game. If you'll note from previous posts, I've said for some time I think Cal WR DeSean Jackson should be getting a whole lot more attention for the Heisman Trophy. It is, after all, supposed to be awarded to the best player in college football - not just to a big-time player, from a big-time program who is on TV all the time and has been hyped for months. Here's why he is awesome.
1st half, Cal down 10-3, Jackson: 4 receptions, 42 yards and no TDs.
2nd half, Cal outscores Oregon 28-14, DJ:7 receptions, 119 yds, 2 TDs.
I'll have my keys to a Texans victory over the Falcons posted during the Countdown to Kickoff Sunday morning.
-------------WEX
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