CFB Week 8 Recap

Well after a few weeks of upsets and exciting fishes, Week 8 was a return to normalcy I guess. Thing is, normalcy is boring to me so it was a down college football week for me. Despite the upsets though, there were games that made some conference races tighter and other exposed how good/bad a team really is as we head into the homestretch.

Before I begin the Week 8 recap, I gotta start by predicting my beloved OU Bobcats who hit the field on Tuesday, a day before my college football preview post. The Cats are 2-5 and still have a shot of winning the MAC East, crazy I know. But the leader is 2-2 and the Cats are 1-2. And with 5 games left, running the table could mean a trip to the Motor City. But Temple is no pushover of an opponent anymore. Yeah, they are 2-5 but 3 of their losses are by 4 points or less. I have confidence though that Frank will have the troops ready because there's no doubt in my mind that OU has the better talent. OHIO wins in front a national audience on ESPN2 and I hope my Promise commercial stays off the air this time. Bobcats 31-17

THE BIG 10 THINGS I LEARNED THIS WEEK

1. Ohio State's offense has awaken - In case you didn't read this, Terrelle Pryor went to Jim Tressel last Friday and told him that he did not lead OSU on a scoring drive early, that he didn't deserve to be playing. This kid (and I can say that) is a true freshman with the mentality and skills of a senior. And against MSU, he showed that. His passing still needs work but it's how he is managing the offense. And by jumping out to a 28-0 lead against the Spartans, I think it's safe to say this offense is for real.

2. Someone tell Penn State to play a full 60 minutes - They were done 17-7 to Michigan. I'm sorry but that's just inexcusable. Michigan has their moments, but to be up 10 at Penn State is just crazy. If Penn State begins any of their next 4 games like they did this past week, then they will lose. Especially against Ohio State after watching Pryor, Beanie and the Bucks jump to a huge lead in East Lansing. PSU shouldn't need any motivation going into Columbus next week. The chance to play in the BCS title game should be enough.

3. Texas is good. Really, really good - I knew they were good after the Oklahoma game. But after their dismantling of Mizzou, they may be the team to beat. Before this game, wasn't sure if there was just one team to beat this season but I think Texas has emerged as that team now. Colt McCoy is a stud too at quarterback and with him leading that offense, it's gonna be hard for me to pick against them.

4. Alabama will be upset before the SEC title game - They may still make the title game but after watching Bama's last two games, I'm convinced that they aren't the #2 team in the nation. And I'm even more convinced that they will be upset. I thought Ole Miss was gonna do it but the turnover bug bit the Rebels early. but consider the Rebels outscored the Tide 17-0 in the 2nd half. Next week at Tennessee may be the game they fall but as impressive as Bama looked against Georgia, they've looked terrible against inferior SEC foes.

5. The Pac-10 is a joke - Obviously, this does not count USC. They did their part by smashing Washington State. But the rest of the conference is a just a cluster of average teams who beat up on each other like a Pee Wee football league. Cal, the other ranked team, loses to Arizona. Stanford, fresh off of beating Arizona, loses to UCLA. And don't forget about teams like Arizona State and Oregon who have the talent of a top 25 team but don't play like it. It's sad when USC's biggest obstacle from going 11-1 is Notre Dame.

6. The ACC has been turned upside down - There were 3 ranked teams in the ACC coming into the week. Those 3 may not be ranked after the week. All 3 lost to ACC foes, proving just how mediocre the league is. Just like the 9 other teams in the Pac-10, it's a collection of teams that just beat each other up cause no one wants to stand out. While Wake, UNC, and VT may fall out of the Top 25, I think it's time to put Georgia Tech and Maryland in. They've earned it with their wins.

7. Bye bye BYU, Hello Boise State/Utah - For awhile, BYU was the trendy pick to bust up the BCS. Well, they lost so time to welcome in the new guys (and they've been here before). Utah and Boise State now assume the BCS buster positions. For Utah, they still have TCU and BYU both at home. While for Boise State, there's a game against Fresno State still to come. Keep an eye on these two.

8. South Carolina and Vandy: Not quite there yet - Two SEC teams that are oh so close to reaching the upper echelon of the SEC but just not there yet. Both teams are good and would probably be on top of the ACC if they would switch conferences. And in the SEC, they have played all their opponents tight and come close to pulling off some good upsets. But again this week, the two teams fell to superior SEC opponents. I say give these teams one more year of good recruiting and you may see a small shift where Georgia, Florida, LSU, and Bama aren't the only studs of the SEC

9. Well, can't blame Tommy for that loss - Clemson has been blaming Tommy Bowden for a lot of its losses in the past 10 seasons, including 3 this season. Well, you can't put the blame on Bowden this time. Clemson laid yet another egg this season, losing 21-17 to Georgia Tech in front of a home crowd craving a win. Cullen Harper had a chance to be a hero but threw two interceptions to offset his two TD's. And the defense that played so great was worn out in the 4th quarter and gave up the game-winning score. Clemson has just simply underachieved this season and not even a guy named Dabo can save this squad.

10. Sanford Stadium is a great college football experience - Went to the University of Georgia for the first time for football and was impressed with the college football scene there. Tailgaters everywhere, the red and black all over, and my God, was it loud. I've been to games at the Shoe before and thought that was loud. Well, Sanford definitely equals that. Loved seeing UGA VII too. All in all, fun times.

11. Georgia Southern vs. Appalachian State should've been in my top 15 - Yep, I missed this one. No doubt this is a big game in the SoCon and of course, just to rub it in my face, the teams plays a 37-36 thriller. It'll teach me to look beyond the Football Bowl Subdivision next time.

BEST GAME - Georgia Tech @ Clemson
This was only the best game because I'm a big GT fan this season. Lot of people thought it would take a while for GT to get into Paul Johnson's system but instead, the team is 6-1, bowl-eligible, and right in the thick of the ACC race. And all after blowing a 14-3 halftime lead just to come back and score with about 6 min left to take the lead for good.

WORST GAME - USC @ Washington State
Even USC fans probably turned this game off at halftime. Just another sign of how dominant USC is and should be in the Pac-10 conference. This game was just not a fun one to watch. One team just clearly better than the other. And to think, Washington State fans paid money to see their team gets skunked 69-0.

OVER/UNDER
I know I said it earlier but ALABAMA is OVERRATED. Their past two games after the Georgia win have been lackluster. Struggling against Ole Miss and Kentucky. In both of those games, they were helped by their opponent in the turnover category. This is not the second best team in the nation. No way.
Meanwhile, how about some love for GEORGIA TECH please? I've said it before and will say it again. They are UNDERRATED. They have done nothing but impress, winning 6 of 7, including wins over Clemson and Boston College. The lone loss is a 3-point loss to Virginia Tech. Give the Yellow Jackets some love.

HE/SHE SAID WHAT?
"[Joe Tiller] only had one losing season and that was the only season that Purdue did not go to a bowl game" - Pam Ward being redundant

3 QUESTIONS

1. BCS Rankings come out Sunday. Does anyone really care right now?

2. Gameday probably heading to Columbus for Penn State-Ohio State. Think they've got a catchy nickname for this game like they did for "Collision in the Coliseum"?

3. Will they show my Promise commercial on ESPN2 on Tuesday? We'll hafta wait and see...