With realignment talk finally on the back burner for good (well, at least for now), let's look at three big matchups for today!
* Oklahoma State at Texas A&M
The Cowboys hit the road for a top-ten tilt that will give the winner a clear shot to challenge Oklahoma for the Big 12 conference title. Brandon Weeden has led the Cowboys to three straight lopsided wins over outmatched opponents, but has been inconsistent with a league-leading six interceptions thus far. Ryan Tannehill is still looking to quiet the doubters, sporting higher effeciency rating than Weeden (164.8/157.5) and only one interception.
The biggest question for both teams is arguably defense. Oklahoma State surrendered a jaw-dropping 365 yards rushing to Tulsa in their late night marathon a week ago, but most of those yards came with OSU playing out the string with a huge lead and Tulsa playing without their starting quarterback. A&M has played virtually no competition of much note, so how they will fare against Oklahoma State's high-powered passing attack remains to be seen.
It sez here that OSU on the road against one of the toughest home environments in college football will be just a bit too much for the Pokes to overcome. With A&M on its Big 12 Farewell tour, look for Texas A&M to post a wild 42-38 win over OSU this afternoon.
* Arkansas - Alabama
The Crimson Tide may have one of the the best defenses in the country, teamed up with one of the best pair of running backs in the country. So what's a Razorback fan to do? Still, Bama hasn't exactly blown out its first three opponents, but has never been seriously challenged, either. Arkansas did blow out its first two opponents, but found itself in a bit of a battle against Troy before prevailing 38-28. Neither team has enjoyed success in winning the turnover battle (Bama at -3, Arkansas at -4), and Bama's special teams - particularly in the FG department - has been less than special.
One interesting difference is offensive efficiency. While both offenses have been productive inside the redzone, Arkansas has been better at converting those trips into touchdowns, while 'Bama has been settling for field goals. The Razorbacks have converted 100% of its 13 trips into points, settling for field goals only three times. By contrast, Alabama has converted only eight into touchdowns. That highlights the potential risk for Bama should the game come down to one of trading TD's for field goals.
It sez here that, honestly, though, FG's and redzones won't matter. Playing at home, Alabama will use its defense to upend a solid but largely untested Arkansas offense, and secure a 27-14 win over the Razorbacks
* Oklahoma - Missouri
Last year, the Sooners went to Columbia as the #1 team in the country, but a mistake-prone Sooner offense stumbled its way to a 36-27 loss at the hands of Blaine Gabbert and the Missouri Tigers. This year, the Tigers visit Norman with a young, inconsistent quarterback, a nearly-as-young team, and a Sooner squad fresh off a national TV road win against then-#5 Florida State.
It seems too easy, doesn't it?
It seems impossible to think Oklahoma could enter its contest tonight with the same emotional intensity it showed against Florida State, and that gives Missouri an early-game opportunity to make things interesting. If Oklahoma's defensive tendency to play guts-and-blood defense 90% of the time while allowing an inexplicable big play the other 10%, Missouri has the offense to take advantage. The key: A great early start for Missouri quarterback James Franklin.
If the Oklahoma offense comes out and establishes tempo, Missouri will be in trouble. Combine that with Oklahoma's defense that held Florida State to 27 yards rushing a week ago, and Missouri had better pounce on any early game opportunities - or it could be a long day for the Tigers.
It sez here Oklahoma may have a sluggish early-game start, but the friendly confines of Oklahoma Memorial Stadium combined with a revenge mindset gives the Sooners every chance for a lopsided win. Look for Oklahoma to come away with a 41-20 win.
Showing posts with label missouri. Show all posts
Showing posts with label missouri. Show all posts
Saturday, September 24, 2011
Saturday, September 10, 2011
Actual College Football!!
For those of you getting sick to death of realignment updates, take heart. Here's a post on ACTUAL college football for September 10th!
Later Games:
In one of the most phenomenal finishes you'll ever see, Michigan upends Notre Dame on a 18-yard Denard Robinson pass with 2 seconds left to propel the Big Blue to an absolutely stunning 35-31 win. Robinson's heroics capped an 80-yard touchdown drive in 28 seconds, taking possession at their own 20 after Notre Dame scored what appeared to be the game-winning touchdown themselves with 30 seconds to play.
This is one of the truly classic wins in CFB history.
South Carolina 45, Georgia 42: The seat couldn't get any hotter for Georgia coach Mark Richt, who just led the Bulldogs to their first 0-2 start in 15 years. Georgia came *that* close to rallying from a 10-point deficit and getting a final chance to close the gap late, only to miss an onside kick and allow South Carolina to pick up a game-sealing first down and run out the clock. Four Aaron Murray touchdown passes could not overcome turnovers and 68-yard run off a fake punt for the Gamecocks. This may be the beginning of the end for Richt.
Texas 17, BYU 16: With Garrett Gilbert looking lost an inept, throwing two early first-half interceptions, UT found itself in a 13-0 hole. Enter the tandem of David Ash and Chase McCoy, who sparked the Horn offense to life and two second-half touchdowns that staved off BYU's upset bid. The Cougars drove the ball deep into 'Horn territory twice in the first half, but settled for field goals both times; clock mismanagement just before halftime cost BYU at least a chance at another long-range FG. The decisive factor: No serious interior run game from BYU, and second-half defensive adjustments shut down the Cougar passing game. Most important takeaway: Gilbert's likely seen his last duty as Texas' starter.
USC 17, Utah 14: This game had the wildest ending you've probably never seen. Down only 3 with but seconds to play, Utah drove the ball to the USC 49. On 4th and 10, Utah completes a pass to the USC 38 for an apparent first down, only to have the officials mark the ball a full yard short of the receiver's forward progress. Measurement for first down comes up short, ball goes to USC - until a replay review puts the ball at the 39 (still short), and gives Utah a first down. Following a pass interference penalty, Utah tries a 41-yard field goal with 11 seconds left, only to have the ball blocked and returned by USC for a touchdown to give the ridiculously deceptive final score. USC escaped this one with its lives.
More updates later...
Arizona State 37, Missouri 30 - OT: Mizzou QB James Franklin's two-touchdown, 319-yard aerial performance against the Sun Devils fell short in overtime against Arizona State, as ASU upended the Tigers just as lightning approached Sun Devil Stadium. For ASU, it was the biggest win at home in years, against a ranked opponent from a name conference. For Mizzou, one can't help but wonder why coach Gary Pinkel purposely opted to call two straight timeouts just as his Tigers were lining up to kick a likely game-winning field goal - one that was finally missed (badly) left to force the OT. Gary, why ice your own kicker? Isn't that the other team's job?
Iowa State 37, Iowa 30 - 3OT: Paul Rhoads is quietly becoming a giant killer in college football. In his first three years, he's upended Nebraska, Texas, and now Iowa. Not bad on your coaching resume. The Clones simply refused to cave to conventional wisdom and razzled, dazzled, and threw their way to a thrilling three-overtime win against the Hawks. Where it seemed Iowa was content to muscle its way down the field, a late shift to a pass-oriented philosophy put the Hawks behind the eightball and the Cy-Hawk trophy into the hands of the folks in Ames.
Ohio State 27, Toledo 22: That Ohio State won isn't surprising. That Toledo had the ball with a chance to win with under 2 minutes on the clock most certainly is - which is almost as surprising as the fact that Toledo outgained the Bucks on offense - and all this coming in front a Buckeye home crowd at the 'Shoe. Methinks more games like this are ahead for the Bucks until their eligibility issue(s?) are sorted out, and the accountants run through all the receipts (sarcasm). Next up for tOSU: Miami. How poetic is that? Maybe we should call it the Ineligibowl. :)
Auburn 41, Miss 34: Gene Chizik must be getting his tacos and ridiculous luck from the same vendor as Les Miles. The Tigers pulled off yet another hold-your-breath finish, but this time courtesy of the defense, as Miss QB Chris Relf was stung at the Auburn goal line as time ran out to preserve the Tigers' second consecutive breathless victory.
More comments as they come...
Later Games:
In one of the most phenomenal finishes you'll ever see, Michigan upends Notre Dame on a 18-yard Denard Robinson pass with 2 seconds left to propel the Big Blue to an absolutely stunning 35-31 win. Robinson's heroics capped an 80-yard touchdown drive in 28 seconds, taking possession at their own 20 after Notre Dame scored what appeared to be the game-winning touchdown themselves with 30 seconds to play.
This is one of the truly classic wins in CFB history.
South Carolina 45, Georgia 42: The seat couldn't get any hotter for Georgia coach Mark Richt, who just led the Bulldogs to their first 0-2 start in 15 years. Georgia came *that* close to rallying from a 10-point deficit and getting a final chance to close the gap late, only to miss an onside kick and allow South Carolina to pick up a game-sealing first down and run out the clock. Four Aaron Murray touchdown passes could not overcome turnovers and 68-yard run off a fake punt for the Gamecocks. This may be the beginning of the end for Richt.
Texas 17, BYU 16: With Garrett Gilbert looking lost an inept, throwing two early first-half interceptions, UT found itself in a 13-0 hole. Enter the tandem of David Ash and Chase McCoy, who sparked the Horn offense to life and two second-half touchdowns that staved off BYU's upset bid. The Cougars drove the ball deep into 'Horn territory twice in the first half, but settled for field goals both times; clock mismanagement just before halftime cost BYU at least a chance at another long-range FG. The decisive factor: No serious interior run game from BYU, and second-half defensive adjustments shut down the Cougar passing game. Most important takeaway: Gilbert's likely seen his last duty as Texas' starter.
USC 17, Utah 14: This game had the wildest ending you've probably never seen. Down only 3 with but seconds to play, Utah drove the ball to the USC 49. On 4th and 10, Utah completes a pass to the USC 38 for an apparent first down, only to have the officials mark the ball a full yard short of the receiver's forward progress. Measurement for first down comes up short, ball goes to USC - until a replay review puts the ball at the 39 (still short), and gives Utah a first down. Following a pass interference penalty, Utah tries a 41-yard field goal with 11 seconds left, only to have the ball blocked and returned by USC for a touchdown to give the ridiculously deceptive final score. USC escaped this one with its lives.
More updates later...
Arizona State 37, Missouri 30 - OT: Mizzou QB James Franklin's two-touchdown, 319-yard aerial performance against the Sun Devils fell short in overtime against Arizona State, as ASU upended the Tigers just as lightning approached Sun Devil Stadium. For ASU, it was the biggest win at home in years, against a ranked opponent from a name conference. For Mizzou, one can't help but wonder why coach Gary Pinkel purposely opted to call two straight timeouts just as his Tigers were lining up to kick a likely game-winning field goal - one that was finally missed (badly) left to force the OT. Gary, why ice your own kicker? Isn't that the other team's job?
Iowa State 37, Iowa 30 - 3OT: Paul Rhoads is quietly becoming a giant killer in college football. In his first three years, he's upended Nebraska, Texas, and now Iowa. Not bad on your coaching resume. The Clones simply refused to cave to conventional wisdom and razzled, dazzled, and threw their way to a thrilling three-overtime win against the Hawks. Where it seemed Iowa was content to muscle its way down the field, a late shift to a pass-oriented philosophy put the Hawks behind the eightball and the Cy-Hawk trophy into the hands of the folks in Ames.
Ohio State 27, Toledo 22: That Ohio State won isn't surprising. That Toledo had the ball with a chance to win with under 2 minutes on the clock most certainly is - which is almost as surprising as the fact that Toledo outgained the Bucks on offense - and all this coming in front a Buckeye home crowd at the 'Shoe. Methinks more games like this are ahead for the Bucks until their eligibility issue(s?) are sorted out, and the accountants run through all the receipts (sarcasm). Next up for tOSU: Miami. How poetic is that? Maybe we should call it the Ineligibowl. :)
Auburn 41, Miss 34: Gene Chizik must be getting his tacos and ridiculous luck from the same vendor as Les Miles. The Tigers pulled off yet another hold-your-breath finish, but this time courtesy of the defense, as Miss QB Chris Relf was stung at the Auburn goal line as time ran out to preserve the Tigers' second consecutive breathless victory.
More comments as they come...
Friday, August 12, 2011
Conference Shuffling 2011 - More Talk...
Update Saturday, 7:10 PM CDT: Orangebloods.com is now reporting that the remaining Big 12 AD's (minus A&M) have vowed solidarity to the conference. OU has supposedly said it is not interested in the SEC. If A&M leaves, the Big 12 would look to fill the vacancy, with a current short list of BYU, Air Force, Houston, or TCU. Now, how TCU would fit in the picture given their new alignment with the Big East is unexplained.
It looks like the crippled, castrated Big 12 is going to try and limp along as an embarrassing, 9-member remnant of college football that seems to be shifting around its members without touching them. Even if they pick-up a leftover from a middling conference as a 10th member, its a pitiful shadow of what it was just one season ago. It's amazing to me that programs the stature of Oklahoma or even Texas aren't making overtures to conferences that have something more credible than Dan Beebe as their leader.
Update Saturday, 5:03 PM CDT: CBS Sports' Gregg Doyel reports that Oklahoma State, Oklahoma, and two other "unnamed" Big 12 schools inquired of the Big 10 about joining their conference. They were declined due to their academic standing.
This continues to reflect the ongoing scramble for conference realignment with virtually all major sources concurring that A&M will leave the Big 12 for the SEC, and the SEC apparently soliciting several other schools as well.
Update Saturday, 9:30 AM CDT: BIG NEWS: ESPN's Doug Gottlieb is now reporting from his own sources that A&M will, in fact, join the SEC. That's not necessarily new news; however, the other element he is reporting IS big news: Reportedly, three NEW teams are planning the SEC jump, and they are Clemson, Florida State, and Missouri. With A&M and now Missouri departing, the Big 12 is a dead duck. The only question now, where will Oklahoma, Texas, and the rest of the Castrated 12 go? All bets look like the Pac 12 will be the winner. More as it happens!
Update 11:03 CDT....One fairly significant event to note - A&M has apparently scheduled a regents' meeting for Monday to discuss "all matters....relating to conference alignment." Florida State still officially denies they are being courted.
I still think the NCAA is going to have a finger in this, and try its darndest to stop any potential expansion. The threat superconferences pose to the NCAA is very real, but exactly how they can prevent them without some sort of leverage is hard to contemplate.
Rather than continually update yesterday's post about A&M, it seemed ripe to start fresh and evaluate where we are in the whirlwind of new conference realignment talks.
What do we know now? For concrete facts, very little. We have strong indications that Texas A&M will formally announce its intent to join the SEC on or about August 22, although there have been "non-denial denials" all over the place. I think this aspect, with details pending, is going to happen.
The next question I asked here is simple: Given that the SEC wouldn't be taking just one team, they'd take at least two, and maybe four, who was the next school on the SEC's list? Current reports and rumors strongly indicate that other school is Florida State. Supposedly, one insider at the athletic department of one current SEC school claims the conference is "confident" they will announce A&M and FSU as new members within the next two weeks.
That same source also indicates that the SEC might be emboldened to jump to superconference status by ramping up to 16 teams, possibly seeking Oklahoma and possibly Clemson.
If the SEC plans a chess move to a superconference, one has to wonder if the same anonymous "interested parties" thatblocked the formation of the Pac 16 prserved what was left of the "Big" 12 would step in to prevent an "SEC 16?"
The NCAA wants no part of superconferences, for they fear the organization of an entity that jeopardizes their existence. It would not surprise me to find they were part of the "interested parties" that helped put the kibosh on the Big 12's split last year. If ESPN doesn't want to renegotiate its SEC deal and find its newly inked agreements with the BCS to be worth slightly less than the king's ransom they paid for it, it would seem logical they might use backdoor channels into the NCAA to solicit their assitance in stopping this iteration as well.
How? Stopping all the movement would presumably be simple - figure out a way to shut down the Longhorn Network, presumably the proverbial straw that broke A&M's back and led them to pursue the SEC. If the NCAA could apply pressure sufficient to force the Horns into shutting down their network before it started, A&M would have won the battle and the war. If the NCAA couldn't stop them, it would demonstrate just how serious a superconference threat would be to the NCAA's power and influence over college athletics.
How will it all shake out? At this point, who knows. COnventional wisdom holds that OU and Oklahoma State are tied at the hip, and would first want to head west to the Pac 12. OU wants no part of the SEC recruiting quagmire. Missouri has to be attractive to someone with its proximity to the St. Louis TV market, making a prospective Big 10 jump a very real possibility. Either way, it seems all-but impossible for what's left of the Big 12 to survive as a credible conference if A&M bolts.
Watch this space for updates as they come in!
It looks like the crippled, castrated Big 12 is going to try and limp along as an embarrassing, 9-member remnant of college football that seems to be shifting around its members without touching them. Even if they pick-up a leftover from a middling conference as a 10th member, its a pitiful shadow of what it was just one season ago. It's amazing to me that programs the stature of Oklahoma or even Texas aren't making overtures to conferences that have something more credible than Dan Beebe as their leader.
Update Saturday, 5:03 PM CDT: CBS Sports' Gregg Doyel reports that Oklahoma State, Oklahoma, and two other "unnamed" Big 12 schools inquired of the Big 10 about joining their conference. They were declined due to their academic standing.
This continues to reflect the ongoing scramble for conference realignment with virtually all major sources concurring that A&M will leave the Big 12 for the SEC, and the SEC apparently soliciting several other schools as well.
Update Saturday, 9:30 AM CDT: BIG NEWS: ESPN's Doug Gottlieb is now reporting from his own sources that A&M will, in fact, join the SEC. That's not necessarily new news; however, the other element he is reporting IS big news: Reportedly, three NEW teams are planning the SEC jump, and they are Clemson, Florida State, and Missouri. With A&M and now Missouri departing, the Big 12 is a dead duck. The only question now, where will Oklahoma, Texas, and the rest of the Castrated 12 go? All bets look like the Pac 12 will be the winner. More as it happens!
Update 11:03 CDT....One fairly significant event to note - A&M has apparently scheduled a regents' meeting for Monday to discuss "all matters....relating to conference alignment." Florida State still officially denies they are being courted.
I still think the NCAA is going to have a finger in this, and try its darndest to stop any potential expansion. The threat superconferences pose to the NCAA is very real, but exactly how they can prevent them without some sort of leverage is hard to contemplate.
Rather than continually update yesterday's post about A&M, it seemed ripe to start fresh and evaluate where we are in the whirlwind of new conference realignment talks.
What do we know now? For concrete facts, very little. We have strong indications that Texas A&M will formally announce its intent to join the SEC on or about August 22, although there have been "non-denial denials" all over the place. I think this aspect, with details pending, is going to happen.
The next question I asked here is simple: Given that the SEC wouldn't be taking just one team, they'd take at least two, and maybe four, who was the next school on the SEC's list? Current reports and rumors strongly indicate that other school is Florida State. Supposedly, one insider at the athletic department of one current SEC school claims the conference is "confident" they will announce A&M and FSU as new members within the next two weeks.
That same source also indicates that the SEC might be emboldened to jump to superconference status by ramping up to 16 teams, possibly seeking Oklahoma and possibly Clemson.
If the SEC plans a chess move to a superconference, one has to wonder if the same anonymous "interested parties" that
The NCAA wants no part of superconferences, for they fear the organization of an entity that jeopardizes their existence. It would not surprise me to find they were part of the "interested parties" that helped put the kibosh on the Big 12's split last year. If ESPN doesn't want to renegotiate its SEC deal and find its newly inked agreements with the BCS to be worth slightly less than the king's ransom they paid for it, it would seem logical they might use backdoor channels into the NCAA to solicit their assitance in stopping this iteration as well.
How? Stopping all the movement would presumably be simple - figure out a way to shut down the Longhorn Network, presumably the proverbial straw that broke A&M's back and led them to pursue the SEC. If the NCAA could apply pressure sufficient to force the Horns into shutting down their network before it started, A&M would have won the battle and the war. If the NCAA couldn't stop them, it would demonstrate just how serious a superconference threat would be to the NCAA's power and influence over college athletics.
How will it all shake out? At this point, who knows. COnventional wisdom holds that OU and Oklahoma State are tied at the hip, and would first want to head west to the Pac 12. OU wants no part of the SEC recruiting quagmire. Missouri has to be attractive to someone with its proximity to the St. Louis TV market, making a prospective Big 10 jump a very real possibility. Either way, it seems all-but impossible for what's left of the Big 12 to survive as a credible conference if A&M bolts.
Watch this space for updates as they come in!
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