College Football 2005 Week 7: Deliver Us From Evil

[JohnBM01]

GTPlanet, we are past the halfway point of the season. To those who have played six games and won them all, these teams have already cashed in their one-way ticket to a Bowl Game of some kind. Why do I make so much emphasis on getting into Bowl Games? It is because Bowl Games are an indication that your team has done all there needs to be done to warrant a winning season. You play about 11 games a year. Your goal is to make it to six victories. You do that, you can be selected to play in certain Bowl Games. In conferences with 12 or more teams playing, you may have a crack at winning your 12th game. Winning the conference title will make you a bit more eligible for consideration to the bigtime bowls. Outside of Bowl Games, here's the way to kick off this week of action.


INTRODUCTION:
Last week was insane. Northwestern pulled the trick against Wisconsin, handing them their first loss. Texas finally defeats Oklahoma after losing five straight times (not to mention a blowout win). And Joe Paterno won't have to pull out his hair or watch his blood pressure if Penn State lost. For many of the top teams, destiny awaits. But WHAT destiny? Is it a satisfactory and sweet destiny? Or is it a dark and deadly destiny? Some teams will be tested. Some will face cupcake opponents who are still capable of pulling a humongous upset. Some dreams may shatter while other dreams live almost forever. Seven teams in the Top 25 remain unbeaten (USC-Trojans, Virginia Tech, Texas, Texas Tech, UCLA, Florida State, and Penn State). How many will remain unbeaten at week's end? Who will climb higher up the rankings to make something happen? GTPlanet, for the more than 120 Division 1-A schools, it is time to accept destiny no matter what the scores indicate.

NOTE: For an undefeated focus, the first seven entries will include all unbeaten teams in order of AP rankings after Week 6.

 

[JohnBM01]

DIVISION 1-A GAMES:

*+x GAME OF THE WEEK x+*

"Play Like an Irishman Today" U. of Southern California at Notre Dame
The Trojans of Southern California are an adamant species in Division 1-A football. They almost can't be stopped. Teams have tried, but not too many could finish the job. Nothing lasts forever, right? So far, no one had yet to prove that theory true. The boys of Los Angeles, CA are looking to add another ruby to the Irish club, signalling a victory by USC-Trojans. One other team proved unstoppable, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish of South Bend, IN. This Independent team is pretty special, as are all independents. If you're an Independent school, you can play almost anyone you want across the nation. You have no such thing as "in-conference" games. So this is a nice oppurtunity for the blue and gold to bring USC to its knees. The Irish sported the lucky green jerseys instead of the ND blue. Let's take it to the proverbial 2-minute warning. USC is down 28-31 to the Irish. Leinart takes a seat to ND. They are out of timeouts looking at a crucial 4th Down. USC hopes not to return to Los Angeles without a win. They connect. Now 1:02 to go, 4th Quarter. (-; )

"Buff n' Stuff" Colorado at Texas
I bet after the Red River Shootout, Texas felt like a million dollars having beaten their most hated school, Oklahoma. The Texas crew took it all and returned home to Austin, TX... with the Golden Hat. But right now, the Longhorns are more like silver instead of gold because they are still trailing USC for the #1 ranking before the week started. The 'Horns faced the Big XII North Champions, Colorado, in Texas Memorial Stadium. (42-17; TEXAS)

(Virginia Tech - Bye week)

"The Tallahasse Express" Florida State at Virginia
Tallahasse, Florida was rocking in Week 1 when FSU finally beat the Miami Hurricanes. The men in Seminole Red and gold travelled north to meet th Virginia Cavaliers. FSU doesn't play Virginia Tech this year, but they still face a talented ACC unit in the University of Virginia. FSU needs a win here to stay undefeated and better their chances of a bigtime Bowl game. (-; )

"Hot Dawgs" Georgia at Vanderbilt
Nashville, TN is the site for this matchup. In a great matchup last weekend, the Bulldogs knocked off the Tennessee Volunteers. Now the 5th-ranked Georgia crew look to take on and take down Vanderbilt. Who would have thought the Commodores would be undefeated, but lose to... Middle Tennessee State? They'd later lose to Louisiana State. If Vanderbilt want to stop the bleeding, they'll need to step up and take on a ruthless Georgia offense. There's plenty of fight in these dogs. Them mangy dogs still got her done. (34-17; Georgia)

* Alabama at Ole Miss
Alabama's Crimson Tide went to Oxford, MS to meet the Ole Miss Rebels. Some expect Alabama to perhaps be undefeated all the way to perhaps a BCS bowl. Alabama stays unbeaten. (13-10; ALABAMA)

"Push to Pasadena" Penn State at Michigan
Here are two things that don't go right: "Michigan," and "losing season." I see a trend going, and here's reason to be happy if you are a Michigan fan. This is Week 7, and Michigan has had an up-and-down season. They are going in a pattern of win, lose, win, lose. Think about it as a math problem. Michigan wins over Northern Illinois, loses to Notre Dame, wins over Eastern Michigan, loses at Wisconsin, wins at Michigan State, and loses to Minnesota. So if this pattern continues, Michigan will upset Penn State this week, but lose at Iowa the week after. For Penn State, Joe Paterno couldn't be any happier for his team. The man is about 78 years old, still as youthful and enthusiastic as he probably was when he coached his first game. But have the Nittany Lions enough to stay undefeated? Remember. This is Michigan, one of the toughest teams in the Big Ten even if this season's win-loss record doesn't verify that. With one second remaining, Ann Arbor was hushed as the final play came about. Michigan could go 3-4 on the year if they let PSU get undefeated. But with Brad Nessler and his partner with the call, Ann Arbor has reason to celebrate as the unbeaten Nittanny Lions got upset by the Wolverines. (27-25; MICHIGAN)

"Bruined and Battered" UCLA at Washington State
Let's meet the other Los Angeles school- the University of California-Los Angeles. The Bruins are undefeated meeting one of the most talented teams in the Pac-10, Washington State. The WSU Cougars just missed Bowl Game action, but won four more games than their in-state rival, Washington. UCLA may not be tested to the max in this game, but easy does it. If the Bruins win, they face Oregon State. Then in their final two games this year, they will be tested against Arizona State and at Southern California as their biggest tests after this game. UCLA survives a scare in Pullman, WA. (4?-??; California-Los Angeles)

"Lubbock Lockdown" Kansas State at #13 Texas Tech
The last of the undefeated focus ends here with KSU-Wildcats vs. Texas Tech. Kansas State is doing much better than last year, when they finished 4-7. They only lost at Oklahoma. Now they meet the undefeated Red Raiders of Texas Tech. They are at 4-1 and a threat in the Big XII North. The Wildcats are looking to splash the boys in red with the purple and silver of Kansas State. At one point, K-State led 6-3 until Texas Tech rushed the ball straight to the house. KSU responded with a hellacious 80-yard pass play straight to the house. Kansas State was looking at a blowout until a coast-to-coast kickoff for a touchdown maintained status quo with a 98-yard kickoff return for a touchdown. It was like going from Portland, ME to Seattle, WA. I swear... this game is a SHOOTOUT! The Texas Tech Red Raiders now have their rivalry game at Texas. If the Lubbock boys can deliver that performance to rivals Texas, Texas is going to have a huge scare on their hands. The Texas Tech QB finished with 643 passing yards in the game. Afterwards, a shootout was a blowout. If you can dig my flow, man. (59-20; TEXAS TECH)

* Indiana at Iowa
Indiana is Hooiser country. Indiana is a pretty accomplished home of basketball that's other than North Carolina. Indiana would sure like to return to Bowl Game action. They haven't been to one since 1993 when they played in the Independence Bowl, losing to Virginia Tech. Iowa is just looking to kick ass and take names- something the Hawkeyes have done pretty well despite accepting tough losses to Iowa State and a blowout against Ohio State. Kinnick Stadium in the house. And how about that beautiful, sunny weather in Iowa City, IO? Iowa had a Personal Foul called against them on offense, so what do the Hawkeyes do about it? Throw up a beautiful long ball for the TD, of course! ^_^ The game seemed to be close late in the game, but the Hawkeyes refuse to lose. (3?-1?; IOWA)

* Michigan State at Ohio State
Oh yeah, man! It's the big one... oh wait. Michigan STATE vs. Ohio State. Not to worry. The Spartans have done quite well. While enjoying a Bye week last week, the boys in green from East Lansing, MI are ready to hit it off against THE Ohio State University in Columbus, OH. The date between Michigan and Ohio State isn't until November 19th, but for now, MSU is still a comparable opponent. (35-24; OHIO STATE)

* Louisville at West Virginia
Well, Louisville... you ready for Big East play? The Cardinals have two evils working against them- West Virginia, and then going on the road to West Virgina. The boys of Morgantown, WV welcomed the visiting Louisville. Ever heard the expression "make a mountain out of a molehill?" Well, the Mountaineers are ready to climb Mt. Louisville and conquer that mountain. The Cards are #19 in the nation, so this would be somewhat of an upset for WV to win. And it happened. Took three overtimes, since no one wanted to lose. There are NO ties in today's college football, so win, or go home. You dig? WVU got it done, and that's real. (46-44, 3OT; WEST VIRGINIA)

* Army at TCU
Army isn't a real football team. The Black Knights simply suck at football. They haven't seen the postseason since 1996 (Independence Bowl). Let me tell you about the school they are playing against. TCU stands for Texas Christian University. Their nickname is the Horned Frogs. Sound dumb? Worry not. Their football program is more impressive than the name they selected. They play in Fort Worth, TX. So you know that Dallas isn't too far away. Far away has to be the key for Army as they can't seem to win... AGAIN. (38-17; TEXAS CHRISTIAN)

* San Diego State at Utah
Last year, Utah was the ultimate Cinderella story. The sheer amount of exhiliration and exhulation was testament to their wonderful leadership by Urban Meyer. Now that Meyer is trying to steer the Gators to the top and not Utah, they've been falling back. And they now face one of the worst west coast teams this season- the San Diego State Aztecs. If the Utes can't knock off the Aztecs, they need some help. And in so, they do. (-; San Diego State)

"Rushing Roulette" Memphis at Houston
I was born and raised in Houston, TX. My brother is an alum of the Houston Cougars. The scarlet and white are our answer to anyone whom daresay give us a loss. Houston isn't Texas' toughest team, though. And speaking of tough... how does facing off against Memphis sound? The Memphis Tigers are one of the best teams in Conference USA. Their excellence extends into basketball, so the Cougars will have their hands full after blowing out Tulane 35-14. A win here would make the Cougars go 4-2 and only two games away from a postseason bid. And if they win, their next challenge will be at Mississippi State. But can you believe it? Memphis is 2-3 before this game and are dead last in C-USA East. One is defending a conference lead, and the other is trying to get to 0.500. One is doing great avenging last season, while another is in deep crap. The Coogs ripped a beautiful 78-yard run from their own 20, then connected with a tough 2-yard rushing TD. Afterwards, the rush defense was horrid as they were only down by one. (35-20; Memphis)

"Press Your Luck" Miami (FL) at Temple
Among the ranked teams, Miami is the highest-ranked team that is not undefeated. Being ranked at #7, they play against the MAC-bound Temple Owls. Temple seems more like a high school team compared to Miami's talent. The Owls have an advantage in this game- the 12th Man. This Owl crew are based in the same city where you can find La Salle, Villanova, and for you basketball types, Saint Joseph's. And that city would be Philidelphia, PA. (3?-?; Miami-Florida)

"" Clemson at North Carolina State
Thursday night college football is a bit like Monday Night Football with the pros. And this past Thursday night, Clemson and North Carolina State wanted to make something happen. Clemson has won 5 of their 6 games. Strangely enough, they won 5 of 6 games last year at this point as well. It is a Carolinas battle between South Carolina's Clemson Tigers, and North Carolina's NC State. The game is played in North Carolina. North Carolina has cities like Fayetteville, Asheville, Charlotte, and for today's game... Raleigh. ESPN has the call with the wonderful commentary of Mike Tirico and former Ohio State QB Kirk Herbstreit. Kind of like the Al Michaels and John Madden of college, eh? On to business. NC State came off of beating ranked Georgia Tech. If the Wolfpack can limit penalties, they can win football games and move the chains. Let's see who handled the rock with care en route to a decisive win. Early on, NC State had plenty of silly penalties and blown execution. Their chance to shine came as Clemson two Personal Fouls as NC State was able to take it to the house on that drive. They'd later make a beautiful kickoff return down to about the Clemson 20, but that ended up with a 25-yard field goal which connected up the middle. NC State ended up defeating themselves for a majority of the matchup. (31-10; Clemson)

"Boot Camp" Louisiana-Lafayette at Arkansas State
The rivalry between LSU and Arkansas is for the Golden Boot shaped in the mold of both Louisiana and Arkansas. This is a Sun Belt boot battle as the Ragin' Cajuns met the Arkansas State Indians. If you've been following current college football events, you know that the NCAA is looking to ban nicknames of "abusive or hostile Native American Indian" nicknames. The Arkansas State crew want to put this issue aside and just play some football. When a game is a high-scoring deal decided by 7 or less points, you are assured the game was a big fight. The fighting force was in Arkansas State's favor as the ASU crew won at the wire. (39-36; ARKANSAS STATE)

* Texas-El Paso at Tulane (Tulane plays in Ruston, LA)
Tulane is having a tough year, but not on the field. Well, actually... across many fields. With the wave of hurricanes which devastated Tulane University, the New Orleans, LA boys welcome C-USA newcomers Texas-El Paso, or UTEP for short. The Miners are doing quite well in the race for Conference USA West honors. The Green Wave of Tulane are playing outside their stadium again, this time in . ESPN had the coverage on TV. At one point, UTEP was blowing out the troubled Tulane, but they made it close almost at the end of the first half. Afterwards, Tulane's troubles continue. The good thing is that Tulane's footballers get to play as opposed to not play at all. UTEP is now tied with Houston for the C-USA West lead. If Houston loses against Memphis, Tulane will take the lead in the C-USA West. (45-21; Texas-El Paso)

* Florida at LSU
The Bayou Bengals are looking to hit it off against another coastal team, the Gainesville Gators. Louisiana State is one of two Division 1 teams who call Baton Rouge, LA their home (the other one is Southern University, by the way). The Florida Gators are one of the hottest teams in the SEC and has been that way since their national title back in 1996. This year, they are hotter than ever with Urban Meyer. Meyer made the Utah Utes (who stink this season compared to last) into the ultimate Cinderella story of 2004. Now, he hopes to take Florida higher than their 1996 aspirations. But they have a tough task trying to take down Les Miles' crew. (21-17; LOUISIANA STATE)

* Oklahoma vs. Kansas (at Arrowhead Pond; Kansas City, MO)
Falling apart and fading fast. Oklahoma is having a horrible year. But if you are a fan of Texas or Oklahoma State, then this is the most beautiful thing you've ever seen. I think the Norman boys have to be saying in their minds that if they can't beat Kansas of all teams in the Big XII, then it's time for a coaching change. The Kansas Jayhawks are obviously more into getting their basketball program together with Midnight Madness around America. The University of Kansas footballers know that they have a chance to REALLY humiliate the Sooners. For Oklahoma, this is a chance to get some easy wins and get people to shut up about their bad performance. This week, they play the Kansas Jayhawks. Next week, they play the Kansas Jayhawks... of the Big XII South- Baylor. But back to this week. (19-9; Oklahoma)

* Wake Forest at #14 Boston College
Wake Forest has been a long-standing ACC participant. But in the wake of conference realignment, Boston College joined the ACC crew. Boston College is a great team which possesses great talent. Whoever can forget Hail Mary as Doug Flutie threw up a long ball to upset the Hurricanes of Miami? Wake Forest meanwhile, has proven to be more of a basketball power than a football power. The Demon Deacons will do everything and anything in Chestnut Hill, MA to upset the Eagles of BC at their home. Inside two minutes, we look at 30-28 in Chestnut Hill. BC is 5-1 on the year, and Wake Forest at 2-4 on the year. Boston College won the game, but also a good chance at a Bowl Game. (35-30; BOSTON COLLEGE)

* Auburn at Arkansas
The Auburn Tigers finished 11-0 last year including a BCS Bowl victory. Many disgruntled Auburn, AL were probably saying "Why Oklahoma? Why not USC vs. Auburn?" Back in Week 1, they lose to Georgia Tech. With this game, they've won five straight. (??-??; Auburn)

"How Dirty Boys Get Clean" Wisconsin at Minnesota *+x for Paul Bunyan's Axe x+*
The Golden Gophers are doing better than Minnesota's pro football team this year. Laurence Maroney is the golden Golden Gopher rushing weapon for Minnesota. For some of the rare stats I provide, Maroney rushed for over 1,348 yards last season. Wisconsin took a horrible loss at Northwestern. The former #14 ranked crew went from Madison to Minneapolis. Both of these teams are in the range of #20 to #25. So, whomever loses this one is going to get cut down to size. Minnesota is the higher-ranked team at #22 compared to #23 Wisconsin. Minnesota was going to put away Wisconsin for good, and that was the game, right? No. Inside of three minutes, Minnesota shot themselves in the foot. The punter fumbles the ball for a Badgers TD. Wisconsin's touchdown stands after a 15-yard Facemask by Minnesota. In addition, what was a guaranteed win was was a damned disappointment of execution. Just because a game is winding down with a blowout seemingly preserved, the game still isn't over. There's going to be plenty of film study and criticism in Minneapolis in the coming days. (38-34; Wisconsin)

"Texas Fried Cowboys" Oklahoma State at Texas A&M
Texas A&M is one of the Big XII teams on the rise. The Aggie crew out of College Station, TX welcomed the Oklahoma State Cowboys. Last year, A&M beat OkSU by 16. Looking to avenge that defeat, the Cowboys don't want their win-loss record covered in TAMU maroon. And did I mention that this game will be played in Kyle Field? That means one thing for ANY team to compete in College Station- 60K+ screaming Aggies fans. Can the 12th Man make it happen? You damned right, player! (62-23; TEXAS A&M)

"Flashes of Goldness" Kent State at Navy
Kent State... Kentucky State... I don't know. Call them what you want, but Kent State are the Golden Flashes. They meet another team with gold- the Navy Midshipmen. Kent State just missed Bowl Game play by losing 6 games. You need to win 6 or more games to make the cut for Bowl Game cosideration. Last Bowl Game they been in was back in the 1972 Tangerine Bowl, losing to Tampa 18-21. I don't know if Tampa is now the University of South Florida or not, but just wanted to bring that point. This seems like a nice matchup for the Kentucky brand meeting the Annapolis, MD unit. Report for duty at 1330 hours (Eastern Daylight Time). The game was pretty close, but the Midshipmen celebrate another victory as they have won their third straight game. (34-31; NAVY)

"Field Generals" Bowling Green at Buffalo
You want a nice place to play in, but a mediocre team? No, I'm not talking Kansas. I'm talking about Buffalo, New York. The Buffalo Bulls welcomed the more talented Bowling Green State University Falcons. Kentucky meets New York in this Mid-American Conference game. (27-7; Bowling Green)

* Middle Tennessee State at Florida Atlantic
In 2003, Florida Atlantic was a member of the Atlantic Sun in football and in basketball. A year after, they were still part of the Atlantic Sun conference in basketball, but debuted in Division 1-A's Sun Belt conference. This year and maybe next, they are looking to get into the Sun Belt for both football and basketball. The Owls welcomed the team to beat an unbeaten Vanderbilt, Middle Tennessee State. The Blue Raiders blocked a kick against the Vandy Commodores to upset them bigtime. Florida Atlantic has a lot of cleaning up to do if they want to perhaps become a team on the rise like fellow Sun Belters, Troy. MTSU wins another game, and this is big to their cause. (??-??; Middle Tennessee State)

* North Texas at Florida International
North Texas is the powerhouse of the Sun Belt. Those Mean Green cowboys out of Denton, TX met another Sun Belt sophomore, the Florida International Golden Panthers. This group in Miami, FL welcomed the Mean Green to the stadium of over 7,000 people at FIU Stadium. FIU held them at a moment, but North Texas pulled it out in the end to send FIU packing. (??-??; North Texas)

"The Devil Went to North Carolina" Georgia Tech at Duke
Ladies and gentlemen, get jacked. We got Duke football! If you hear crickets chirping or tumbleweed rolling, then don't be surprised. Whereas North Carolina seems to be better with football nowadays, their rivals Duke kind of suck to be honest. They have a chance to get it together, but against a devilish opponent with Georgia Tech. If you look at it, these are two basketball powers in the ACC, but GT has proven that it can really make something happen if you let them. So if you don't defend up front or in the secondary if you are Duke, you're looking at a long day. ESPNU has this game covered like a blanket. (35-10; Georgia Tech)

* East Carolina at Southern Methodist
The Priates of Greensville, NC's East Carolina U met the Mustangs of Southern Methodist. SMU is one of the worst teams in Texas, third only to Rice and Texas Southern. ECU wants to make SMU pay. ECU b-e-a-t SMU b-y s-e-v-e-n. Y-o-u d-i-g?(24-17; East Carolina)

* Tulsa at Rice
While Houston had their hands full with Memphis, Houston's rivals, Rice, welcomed a team Houston beat- the Tulsa Golden Hurricane. So where are we? Houston, Texas, baby! But where in Houston? Ah-hah! This game is Rice Stadium, not too far from the Texas Medical Center. The stadium seats over 70,000 people. College Sports TV has this alternative games while the main CSTV feed has Memphis at Houston. For the second-worst Division 1 Houston-based football team, the Owls looked at being down 7-0 at the 5-minute mark. Afterwards, Rice loses. So the Conference USA teams from Houston both fall. Houston to Memphis, and Rice to Tulsa. UTEP takes the C-USA West Lead. (4?-??; Tulsa)

* Nevada-Las Vegas at Air Force
Falcons hovered over the sky like buzzards and picked apart the Rebels of UNLV. Air Force wins big. (42-7; AIR FORCE)

* Rutgers at Syracuse
Typical- Syracuse Orange loses in football. Strange- they are 1-5. Victorious- the Scarlet Knights of Rutgers. (31-9; Rutgers)

* Oregon State at #18 California
Berkley, CA is the site for this matchup. Did you know that California's stadium is built right along a fault line? It is said that the stadium could split into two sides in case a big one hits it. Speaking of big ones, Oregon State has a big game against the Golden Bears. The OrSU Beavers are looking to to go Bowling and land a colossal upset in the Pac-10. As it seemed, Oregon State completed the upset of California and win big in Berkley. (23-20; Oregon State)

* South Florida at Pittsburgh
South Florida's Bulls upset the Louisville Cardinals earlier this year, but couldn't upset the Pitt Panthers. (??-??; PITTSBURGH)

"Be Back in a Zip" Akron at Miami-Ohio
Remember a few weeks back? There is no such thing as Miami, Ohio. Miami University is in Oxnard, OH. The Redhawks are looking to stay on top as they meet fellow MAC East compadres, Akron. The Zips (-; MIAMI-OHIO)

* Ohio at Central Michigan
The Ohio Bobcats took a loss to the Central Michigan Eagles in this MAC game. (-; CENTRAL MICHIGAN)

* Connecticut at Cincinatti
Fresh off of a win against the 'Cuse, the Huskies didn't find their rhythm against the Cincinatti Bearcats. (2?-1?; CINCINATTI)

* Louisiana Tech at Nevada
The Nevada Wolfpack may not be so sorry after all, as they beat the Bulldogs of Louisiana Tech. (-; NEVADA)

* Northwestern at Purdue
Joe Tiller's Purdue Boilermakers need some regrouping after losing to Northwestern's Wildcats. It was a beautiful day in West Lafayette, LA, but an ugly sundown for Purdue. (-; Northwestern)

* Central Florida at Southern Mississippi
Southern Mississippi blown out UCF bad. The Golden Eagles did better than the improving Golden Knights. (-; SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI)

* Washington at Oregon
The Washington Huskies fall to 1-5 as the Oregon Ducks win another one. Maybe Washington could use Urban Meyer instead of Willingham. (45-21; OREGON)

 

[JohnBM01]

DIVISION 1-AA AND LOWER

"You Down Wit' OVC?" Tennessee State at Tennessee Tech ***RIVALRY GAME***
Let's talk about Tennessee for a moment. Yeah, that's right. The Volunteer State. However, this isn't about the Volunteer Orange-clad players and fans, but two Division 1-AA teams in the Ohio Valley Conference- Tennessee Tech playing at Tennessee State. Let's meet these two teams. Just like Marquette in basketball, Tennessee Tech University is home to the Golden Eagles. The Golden Eagles make their nest in Cookeville, TN. Tennessee State is home to the TenSU Tigers, who call Nashville, TN home. Who's the better 1-AA Tennessee team in this rivalry? We will find out in Cookeville, won't we? As the game winded down, Tennessee State had TTU's number as TenSU cashed in the win. (31-20; Tennessee State)

"Virginia is for Football" Hampton at Norfolk State
MEAC action coming up, GTP. What is MEAC? No, it's not a cat's cry. You're thinking of "meow." This is the MEAC, short for the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference. This conferences features eleven institutions, eight in football. The teams without football institutions or not in the MEAC include the Coppin State Eagles, the University of Maryland-Eastern Shore Hawks, and the Howard Bison. And in terms of what's out there for the teams, you're looking at a conference with talent such as Bethune-Cookman College, Florida A&M University, Morgan State, and South Carolina State among others. But meet two of the MEAC's talent- the Hampton Pirates, and the Norfolk State Spartans. ESPNU has this 1-AA match. Hampton remains undefeated in both overall and conference ratings as Norfolk State loses another game. (55-14; Hampton)

* Yale at Lehigh
If I am not mistaken, our nation's President is an alum of Yale. Would he want his Bulldogs to down the Mountain Hawks of Lehigh? You bet. Yale is part of the Ivy Leauge, as they squared off against Lehigh of the Patriot Leauge. Lehigh is the unit out of Bethlehem, PA. Can these Patriot Leaugers beat the smart boys of Yale? (28-21, 2OT; LEHIGH)

* Penn at Columbia
The Quakers blown out the New York City, NY brand of Columbia. (44-16; Penn)

* Dartmouth at Holy Cross
The Dartmouth Green saw red as they lost to the Holy Cross Crusaders of the Patriot Leauge. (28-16; HOLY CROSS)

* Fordham at Colgate
A 23-0 blank job helped Colgate's Raiders get it done over the Fordham Rams. (23-0; COLGATE)

* La Salle at Catholic
The MAAC's pride of Philadelphia is La Salle as they meet Catholic. Never heard of Catholic? Well, that's because this is a Division 3 team. Catholic represents the Old Dominion Athletic Conference, or the ODAC. (41-34; CATHOLIC)

* Wisconsin Weslayan at Charleston Southern
(63-42; CHARLESTON SOUTHERN)

* Murray State at Samford
Both teams need a win to salvage something from this year, and Samford's Bulldogs got it done against Kentucky's Murray State. The Racers lose to Samford and fall to 1-5. (27-23; SAMFORD)

* Valparaiso at Butler
Valparaiso University and Butler University are two teams in the Pioneer Conference. The Valpo Crusaders look to crusade to down the Butler Bulldogs. Valparaiso is in the state of Indiana. This game is played in America's speed city, Indianapolis, IN. If this score was a high-stakes auto race, it seemed like Butler had an engine failure and accepted a loss to the Crusaders of Valparaiso, IN. (34-21; Valparaiso)

* Bethune-Cookman at Savannah State
The Mecca of Stock Car Racing is the hometown of Bethune-Cookman College. Love your stock car racing? Bethune-Cookman is the Daytona Beach, FL brand of football in the MEAC conference. They meet the Independent squad, Savannah State. Savannah State's basketball squad finished 0-28 last season, and hope their football program doesn't become a disappointment. The Tigers met the Wildcats, and the Wildcats beat the crap out of Savannah State. The MEAC school wins over this Independent. (56-13; Bethune-Cookman)

* Alcorn State at Texas Southern
Alcorn State is a Mississippi brand meeting the Maroon Mean Streak of Texas Southern University. TSU came off of winning... a game... to meet the Braves of Alcorn State. The Texas Southern Tigers are carrying the 1-AA pride of Houston, TX to take down the Mississippi boys of Alcorn State. Texas Southern won only once compared to last year, and they can't get it done at Robertson Stadium. (29-22; Alcorn State)

* St. Peters at Duquesne
This is an MAAC battle. The Metro-Atlantic Athletic Conference is home to five football teams, but 10 basketball teams. St. Peter's College and Duquesne represent two of the five teams, as the other teams include Iona, La Salle, and Marist. Outside of football, other talent includes Canisius, Manhattan, Loyola College, Fairfield, Rider, Niagara, and Siena. St. Peter's College take their Jersey City, NJ unit to Pittsburgh to be welcomed by Duquesne in Pittsburgh, PA. The best way to remember Duquesne's nickanme is to simply say the first syllable of the university. They are the Dukes of Duquesne. (-; )

* Robert Morris at Central Connecticut State
We have Northeastern Conference action as Robert Morris met Central Connecticut State. The Blue Devils defeated the Colonials. (??-??; CENTRAL CONNECTICUT STATE)

* VMI at Wofford
Wofford College hosts the Keydets of Virginia Military Institute. The Terriers are doing quite well in the rankings out of the SOCON Conference. They improve to 4-2, downing the Keydets, who are now under 0.500 with this road loss. (38-23; WOFFORD)

* Maine at Hofstra
The Black Bears of Maine got black eyes when they got blanked by the Pride of Hofstra. The New York brand wins another one. (44-0; HOFSTRA)

* William and Mary at Northeastern
(-, 2OT; William and Mary)

* Southeast Louisiana at Northwestern State
(31-10; NORTHWESTERN STATE)

* Richmond at Delaware
The Blue Hens of Delaware lost in a homecoming game last weekend, but they lose another game to the Richmond Spiders. The spread is by double. (20-10; Richmond)

* San Diego at Dayton
San Diego's Toreros downed the Dayton Flyers. (??-?? San Diego)

* East Washington at Montana
East Washington's talented Eagles offense downed the Missoula, MT's Montana Grizzlies. Fast fact- the Montana fight song sounds completely like Georgia Tech's. If you know Georgia Tech's song, you know Montana's as well. The difference? GT won, Montana didn't. (-; East Washington)

* Sam Houston State at Nicholls State
It is a blowout in Louisiana as the Nicholls State crew washed out the Bearkats of Sam Houston State. (3?-1?; NICHOLLS STATE)

* Gardner-Webb at Coastal Carolina
In Overtime, the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers beat the Gardner-Webb Running Bulldogs. (34-31, OT; COASTAL CAROLINA)

"Do the Charleston!" Furman at The Citadel ---RIVALRY GAME---
Charleston, South Carolina is home to The Citadel. This is a Southern Conference game, or as it's also called, the SOCON. But this isn't about a PS2 game highly popular for multiplayer action, but this is a conference complete with eight teams. The Greensville, SC unit of Furman University is home to the Paladins. The Citadel is in Charleston, SC and home to the Bulldogs. Apparentely, these two just do not like each other. So we got a Rivalry Game, players. They don't like each other so much, that they had this game decided in three overtimes. And in the end, the Citadel came up short as Furman goes to 6-1. They are a ranked team, I believe. This will really make the Paladins happy. (39-31; Furman)

* Grambling State at Arkansas-Pine Bluff
Grambling is undefeated in the SWAC Conference, but the Tigers downed the Golden Lions of Arkansas-Pine Bluff. (26-23; Grambling)

* Rhode Island at New Hampshire
The Rhode Island Rams represent America's smallest size state. But they get blown out BIG by New Hampshire's Wildcats. (53-9; NEW HAMPSHIRE)

* Harvard at Lafayette
Think crimson. Crimson is kind of a red color, like a red blood color. Crimson is the color and nickname for the Harvard boys. These Ivy Leaugers met the Patriot Leauge's Leopards of Lafayette. You may think Lafayette, LA. But this is Easton, PA we're talking about. As it turned out, the Harvard Crimson beat the (??-??; Harvard)

* ??? at Morgan State
A touchdown was all that was needed for the Morgan State Bears to win. (7-0; MORGAN STATE)

"Bye Bye Bison" Villanova at Bucknell
More Wildcats with wild wins. Villanova downed the Bucknell Bison. (3?-; Villanova)

* St. Francis of Pennsylvania at Stony Brook
The record goes to 2-4 as the Red Flash lose to the Stony Brook Seawolves. Stony Brook is now 3-3. (49-27; STONY BROOK)

* Sacred Heart at Albany
The Sacred Heart Pioneers lost to the Great Danes of Albany. New York's capital city wins another one. (-; ALBANY)

* Panhandle at Texas State
If I'm thinking of a pan handle, I'm normally thinking about the upper regions of Texas. The Southland Conference's Texas State Bobcats welcomed Panhandle to San Marcos, TX. Either Panhandle is an Independent, or Texas State just came to play. And of course, win. (75-7; TEXAS STATE)

* Florida A&M at South Carolina State
The Bulldogs edge out the Florida A&M Rattlers. South Carolina State is now 5-1. (40-3; SOUTH CAROLINA STATE)

* Tennessee-Martin at Jacksonville State
Gamecocks. You think of South Carolina's fouls when you think of Gamecocks and football, but don't forget the Gamecocks of Division 1-AA squadron, Jacksonville State. The University of Tennessee in Martin, TN are home to the Skyhawks. So you know if Tennessee-Martin wins one, they'll be high in the sky over the Gamecocks. There's a problem though, when you play Jacksonville State in their home state of Alabama... the win didn't happen. I don't think Gamecocks can fly in the sky too high or too majestically. But they looked pretty promising in this game. (??-??; JACKSONVILLE STATE)

* Wagner at Monmouth
The Wagner Seahawks of the MAAC down the Monmouth Hawks. (??-??; Wagner)

"Called in Sick" Mississippi Valley State at Paul Quinn
The 3-3 Delta Devils made Paul Quinn look like a Pee Wee team up against an NFL powerhouse. Mississippi Valley State got it done in a BIG way. I wonder how many people were still out there cheering on MVSU. (62-0; Mississippi Valley State)

"Bayou Border Wars" Jackson State at Southern
How do you salvage a bad season? Beat a rival. The Southern Jaguars beat the Jackson State Tigers in Baton Route, LA. The rivalry fun REALLY doesn't start until they play against Grambling State. JSU is 2-4, and Southern is 2-3. (20-14; SOUTHERN)

* James Madison at Massachusetts
The James Madison Dukes play Delaware next, but before then, they lost a game to the hot Massachusetts Minutemen. (10-7; MASSACHUSETTS)

"Weber Grilled" Sacromento State at Weber State
Weber State's Wildcats took down the boys from the capital of California. The Sacromento State Hornets swarmed, but the Utah brand of Weber State didn't feel a thing. (26-14; WEBER STATE)

* Western Illinois at Youngstown State
The Penguins improved to 6-1 by beating the Western Illinois Leathernecks. (27-21; YOUNGSTOWN STATE)

"Kings of the Hill" Missouri State at Western Kentucky
The WKU Hilltoppers toppled Missouri State's (formerly Southwestern Missouri State) Bears. (37-28; WESTERN KENTUCKY)

* Chattanooga at Elon
The Mocs improved to 5-2 as they downed the Elon Phoenix. (10-7; Chattanooga)

* Towson at Liberty
The Patriot Leauge's Liberty had no answer to the Towson Tigers. (38-17; Towson)

* Illinois State at Southern Illinois
Illinois State goes over 0.500 by beating the Salukis of Southern Illinois. Both teams now have four wins on the season, but the Redbirds shone brighter. (61-35; Illinois State)

* Prairie View A&M at Alabama State
The Alabama State Hornets weren't afraid of the Panthers of Prairie View A&M. PVAMU falls to 1-4 as Alabama State is 6-1. (34-13; ALABAMA STATE)

* Stephen F. Austin at McNeese State
The McNeese State Cowboys lassoed up a win by downing the SFA Lumberjacks. (33-23; MCNEESE STATE)

* Montana State at Portland State
The Fighting Bobcats didn't put up enough fight over Portland State's Vikings. This hurts for Montana State because Montana State is a ranked school. Another Big Sky win for the Vikings. (44-41; PORTLAND STATE)

* Southern Utah at California-Davis
The Aggies of the University of California-Davis defeated the Southern Utah Thunderbirds in this Great West matchup. SUU remains winless. (33-21; CALIFORNIA-DAVIS)

 

[JohnBM01]

MY COMMENTARY

BIGGEST WIN (or WINS) OF THE WEEK:
West Virginia Upsets #1?-ranked Louisville in Triple Overtime West Virginia pulls off a win as the boys of Morgantown, WV got it done against the Cardinals. Many say Louisville is overrated, and this game may be a big indication. My congratulations to the Mountaineers on holding on defense to bring down those redbirds.

MOST DISAPPOINTING LOSS (or LOSSES) OF THE WEEK:
(1) Minnesota Blows a Preserved Win Is this the most disappointing loss this weekend? Well, think about it. You have a great lead, but you just discombobulate down the stretch. Minnesota had everything going in trying to take down the Badgers. But in the end, Minnesota beat... Minnesota. For Wisconsin, this is a win they will gladly accept after losing at Northwestern.

UPSET(S) OF THE WEEK (if any):
(1) Florida State Loses to Virginia In Charlottesville and (2) Penn State Beaten in a Heartbreak This week's Upset of the Week is a tie. I'm actually torn between which is the bigger upset- Virginia downing Florida State, or Michigan breaking Penn State's heart. If I had to lean towards one, I would definitely choose Michigan's beating of Penn State with one second left in the game.
(26-21)


OWNAGE(S) OF THE WEEK:
Division 1-AA Ownage! No big blowouts in 1-A, so the ownages in question go to Division 1-AA and lower. Let's meet the blowout suspects and the sacrificial lambs. First off, Texas State introduced Panhandle to America, and performed an unholy beatdown of 75-7. Also, let's not forget Paul Quinn getting owned by Mississippi Valley State.

Panhandle = OWNED! (by Texas State)
Paul Quinn = OWNED! (by Mississippi Valley State)

ENTERTAINING MOMENTS:
* During the Clemson/NC State game, there was a video of Kirk Herbstreit playing "NCAA Football 2006" against an NC State footballer. As it turned out, Herbstreit lost 22-14 to the guy. Herbie used Ohio State and shown he is a better running QB than a passing QB. Even my user-created team is more of a ground attack team! * The Kansas State QB got whacked by Texas Tech, but he simply rolled over backwards and just shook it off. Real cool, man. * Iowa had that Personal Foul called against them, but turned negatives into bigtime positives, so after an Unecessary Roughness call was called against them, they connect with a touchdown outside of sloppy defensive coverage downfield by Indiana. * Later, #3 by Texas Tech completely ran over #12 of Kansas State! The cameramen couldn't believe how fast #3 zoomed out of nowhere to run over the KSU runner for a fumble to preserve a Red Raider blowout. * The Colorado QB threw a long ball that was picked off by Texas, then fumbled, and recovered. Not good news if you're from the Fountain, CO unit. * There was plenty of drama for the end of Notre Dame vs. USC. At one point, I was ready to type up that USC got upset very badly. But champions respond, and respond they did as the USC Trojans beat Notre Dame, no matter what the color of ND's jerseys.


FINAL COMMENTS:
I normally say that it was an exciting week of football for certain weeks. This one really was quite exciting. Wisconsin capitalized on a discombobulating Minnesota lead, Michigan connected with a short pass to knock off #8 Penn State, and Florida State loses to Virginia. My, how things change. Next week, Texas Tech travels to Austin, TX to meet the Longhorns. I'll have that, and Michigan meets Iowa. Iowa City, IO, Kinnick Stadium, blue and maize vs. black and gold. Should be a great one. But do reply about this week. Later on this week, I'll provide updated poll rankings.

 

[JNasty4G63]

.....sunny weather in Iowa City, IO?.....(3?-1?; IOWA)

Iowa abbreviation is IA, and the score ended at 34-17. Hawks rocked it. And now, just like last year, we are now tied for the Big-10 lead. Should be a good game next week with Michigan coming to town. Should be close, but hopefully playing at home will help us. I can't wait.

Hilg

 

[JohnBM01]

My bad, JNasty. I was a bit confused because I was thinking between Iowa and Indiana.

What still shocked me was in Division 1-AA as La Salle lost to Catholic of Division III. That in itself was an upset. I believe Rutgers lost to 1-AA school Villanova earlier this year. Then, Maine made the game close between Nebraska. Some of the lower-level schools shown that they aren't complete cupcakes, even though they may be not as favored as the higher-up school. Something I've done on the side was come up with this long registry of colleges and universities, so that in order for me to know what each college's/university's conference is, I keep it all in one long TXT file. I'm not sharing it (at least not yet (maybe)), but it helps in understanding the school's name, conference, and maybe even what city it's in. Panhandle (lost to Texas State. See OWNAGE OF THE WEEK) is not in my registry, so I'll have to look up this place. I'll have the poll results as of this date soon enough, though.

 

[JohnBM01]

Correction. The AFCA Poll (Division 2 and 3, and maybe even 1-AA as well) is given out each Tuesday. The scores aren't updated. Nebraska-Omaha is ranked #25 from the 10/12/2005 polls.