The college football season is a third of a way done and it's been an exciting one so far. Top 10 teams have been falling just about every week and the top-tier teams have all had a bit of a scare. But that's just the way it is in college football, with every week meaning so much for every team. There's still a ton to be figured out but for now, here's what I learned from the Week 5 action.
THE BIG 10 THINGS I LEARNED THIS WEEK
1. In Pryor We Trust? - When Terrelle Pryor decided to play his college football at Ohio State, I was ecstatic. I figured it not only meant 3-4 great years of QB play, but a great chance at a national title. But I'm not so sure about that anymore. Yes, Pryor has played great the past three games but his mechanics and decision-making is still not up to par for a team that depends on him so much. I haven't completely lost faith but a great, actually make that dominant performance against a quality team like Wisconsin would go a long way to changing my opinion.
2. Luck of the Irish - Okay, maybe it's not luck but the way Notre Dame has been winning games is getting to be a bit pathetic. For a team that is supposed to be among the best 25 in the nation, they aren't playing like it. They've only beaten one team with a winning record and in 3 of their 4 wins, it's been by 7 or less. Yes, it's a great thing to win but winning these games like this also shows this is a team that has the inability to dominate and/or take over a game. The defense has been awful and thankfully, Jimmy Clausen and the offense has bailed them out. If I'm a ND fan, I'm not encouraged by the play or Charlie Weis's coaching yet.
3. Welcome Back SEC - Last year was a down year for the SEC. No matter what people may say, it was. Besides Florida and Alabama, no one else really was scary. But this is a new year and this is a conference with some real talent. Beyond the aforementioned two, there's an LSU squad that keeps getting better. A South Carolina team that while slow starters are showing signs of being a legitimate worry for Florida come November. Auburn is perfect and can score with the best of them. And Ole Miss is still a good team and has their opportunity to prove it against Bama. I'm really excited to see how the action all shakes out.
4. Bye Bye Bobby? - I'm never one to call for a coach's head, especially in college football. But it may be time for Bobby Bowden to call it a career. This season is off to awful start for the 'Noles, having gone 2-3. I'm not blaming that on Bowden but when things are going bad, coaches get canned. And with FSU with a coach-in-waiting, why not make the switch? Bowden doesn't look like he does much on the sideline anyways, walking around sans headset. His best moments come during the press conferences where he spouts off about how bad his team played in his folksy manner. Time for a change FSU and by the sounds of it, it may be coming.
5. Bye Bye BCS Title Game - At the beginning of the season, there were a good amount of NFL "experts"/pundits that had Oklahoma in the BCS title game. Now, just after 4 games, the Sooners are out of that picture, after losing their second game. Same can be said for California, who many thought had an outside shot of not only winning the Pac-10 but also making a run at the title game. Both teams have obviously not been eliminated but it'll be a steep hill to climb. And while losing early is better than losing late, it's also true that winning is better than losing at all.
6. ACC Ridiculousness Begins - I was really hoping this year that the ACC would be easy to figure out. The good teams would be beat the bad teams and the race would come down to one big game between those good teams. Just 5 weeks into the season, forget that. North Carolina was ranked just two weeks ago. But on Saturday, lost 16-3 at home to Virginia, who is awful. Clemson came close to beating Georgia Tech and TCU but blew a 13-3 lead against Maryland en route to a 24-21 loss. Meanwhile, VT couldn't beat Duke by double-digits. And the once mighty FSU lost to BC. Here's hoping GT, VT and Miami (FL) avoid the upsets and the ACC becomes a fun conference once again.
7. Time To Respect OU - The Bobcats are just 3-2 but it's time to respect them when it comes to the MAC East race. Every publication I found picked the 'Cats to finish no higher than third. After seeing this team perform in the first 5 weeks though, I see no reason to believe this team can't win the division. The offense has been outstanding, even with the lack of a true running game. The defense hasn't been terrible and the special teams is about as good as it gets for a MAC school. They won't go undefeated in the MAC but a 6-2 record isn't out the question at all.
8. The "other" unbeatens - Auburn, South Florida, and Missouri. Last week, I talked about these teams as teams not getting any respect because they were such a surprise. Well, I'm glad to see that they are finally getting noticed. All 3 teams have jumped into the top 25 and for good reason. They've come out of the gates strong despite low expectations. Now all of them are going to be put to the test. Missouri faces Nebraska on Thursday night in a battle of ranked squads. South Florida faces Cincinnati on October 15th in what should be a battle of unbeatens. And Auburn still has the likes of LSU, Ole Miss and Bama on the schedule.
9. BCS Busters - Not the best of weeks for the 3 teams hoping to jump into the BCS. Boise State did win but it was an ugly win over a UC Davis team that had no business hanging with the Broncos on the blue field. TCU didn't play bad at all against SMU. The only problem is that they were playing SMU. But it was an awful week for Houston, who were thumped by UTEP. Case Keenum threw for more than 500 yards but that wasn't enough as the Cougars find themselves all but out of the BCS picture now.
10. Heisman Watch - With Tebow and McCoy idle, there was room to jump into the spotlight for some players. RB Jahvid Best didn't do that at all, thanks to another bad performance against a quality team. Cincy QB Tony Pike's numbers were good but not great, throwing for 270 yds and 2 TD against a winless Miami (OH) team. QB Case Keenum did throw for 536 yds and 5 TD but in a losing cause. QB Jacory Harris threw for 202 yds and 3 TD in a big win but also had 2 INT. Maybe the biggest mover of them all though was Jimmy Clausen, who threw for 422 yds and 2 TD in yet another heroic late-game performance.
11. Lee's Losing It - I'm a big Lee Corso fan. His antics and eccentric personality are welcome when I wake up on Saturday morning. But Corso is starting to lose his touch. I can't take him seriously in any of his analysis because not only is it 5-10 seconds but it is awful compared to the in-depth information Kirk Herbstreit provides. In the picks segment, the only thing Corso is good for is a "Not so fast my friend". But even that gets old after the fifth time he does it. I'm not sure I want to see Desmond Howard or Jesse Palmer take his spot instead but I do know that ever since the minor stroke, Corso just hasn't been the same.
OVER/UNDER
- There are a few possibilities here but i"m going with NORTH CAROLINA as my OVERRATED team. Losing to Georgia Tech is one thing but losing at home to Virginia is just pathetic. I mean, come on, the same Virginia team that lost to FCS foe William & Mary. Butch Davis had seemed to getting this team on the right track but nothing about the last two performances is right.
- As far as my UNDERRATED team this week, I'm going with SOUTH CAROLINA. This is a team that is just a couple plays from being undefeated. And while they don't win in dominating fashion, they do win. They have an offense that can strike quick. They have a QB that is getting more comfortable with every game. And they have a fast defense. This is by far the best team Steve Spurrier has had since he's been there. Now, let's see if he can turn them into an SEC contender.
HE/SHE SAID WHAT?
"He ran in there like Ray Charles. You got to look in the eyes and see where you're going."- Doc Walker
3 QUESTIONS
1. Will Tim Tebow be back to play against LSU? And if so, will he 100%?
2. Which Iowa will show up against Michigan? The one who upset Penn State or the one that nearly lost to Arkansas State?
3. Will Stanford really be able to challenge USC in the Pac-10?
Don't forget, you can help me help Habitat For Humanity with a donation. Every little bit helps. Just sponsor me as I run the Augusta Half-Marathon on November 1st. Just visit www.firstgiving.com/mattbarnes
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