2009 College Football - Week 8 Recap

There are 15 weeks in the college football season. We are now done with 8 of them. That's so depressing. So far, it's been amazing, with upsets abound and near-upsets of the biggest team, every week has been an adventure. But that's how it should be with this system of college football and I wouldn't have it any other way. Oh wait, yes I would. I'd call for a playoff.

THE BIG 10 THINGS I LEARNED THIS WEEK

1. Will #1 please stand up? - Florida, Alabama and Texas all seem to be in control of their own destiny when it comes to the BCS title game. But every week, it looks like one of them is going to screw up their destiny. And while the BCS will designate a #1 team every week, none of these 3 have played like it yet. This past week, Texas played the best but that was the first real dominant performance from the 'Horns in a while. Meanwhile, Bama had been quite impressive but then at home against Tennessee, the Tide had to block a game-winning FG to escape a loss at home. And then Florida. They played an admirable game against LSU but since that game, the offense has been terrible. They probably should have lost to Arkansas at home and then against Miss. State, they continued to turn the ball over, something that is gonna bite them in the butt soon enough. By now, I figured one would rise to the top but that hasn't happened yet.

2. Bradford's decision - Not gonna lie, Sam Bradford's decision to skip his senior season shocked me. Here's why. He had an amazing sophomore season with the Sooners. He had amazing stats, led them to a national title game and won the Heisman trophy. But is he really that good? One year in college as a starter. Is that really enough before making the next step? And obviously, he's not very durable. I honestly think Bradford has more to prove in college but he must not care about that. The other thing I guess to think about is that Oklahoma's season is all but done now. It makes sense for them to move on and start a new dynasty with Landry Jones. Maybe Bradford and Stoops felt this was best for both parties. Again, I think he should come back but eh, so should a lot of players.

3. Iowa is for real...I think - Each and every week, I think Iowa is going to lose. Not because I think they are a bad team but because they are a better tan average team that has just been fortunate in a multitude of games. While those kinds of teams have good records, they always fall apart at some point. But through 8 games including some against tough opponents, Iowa keeps winning. But these close calls are just ridiculous. A one-point win versus N. Iowa. A three-point win against Arkansas State. And then, 2 two-point victories over Big Ten foes. Does this make this team good or does it make this team lucky? The good teams win the close games. But at the same time, the good teams don't play this many close games, especially against the likes of Northern Iowa and Arkansas State.

4. Watch out for Wannstedt - I can't believe this but Dave Wannstedt has a Pitt team that can really play. Yeah, I said it. South Florida is a good team. They beat a good FSU team and played Cicny tough for 4 quarters. But Pitt just dismantled USF from start to finish. Bill Stull played a solid game at QB and RB Dion Lewis scored twice as the Panthers dominated the first half and had a 31-7 lead. And beyond the offensive state, the defense and discipline of this team is commendable too. All along, they have been the biggest threat to Cincy but now, they may be the favorite in that game.

5. GT in control - For a while, it seemed like Miami (FL), GT and VT were well on their way to a 3-way tie for the Coastal division crown. That would set up a 3-way tiebreaker based on BCS standings, which would have probably gone to Miami (FL). But thanks to a great upset by Clemson on the road, GT is in control of the ACC Coastal and with 6 games already in the books, they all but have it locked up. The two teams left for GT are Wake and Duke, two games they should win. And with the ACC Atlantic full of mediocre teams, might as well give GT their Orange Bowl tickets now.

6. Look Out For Zona - I never thought Zona would be the darkhorse in the Pac-10 this year. Not with the likes of Oregon State, Stanford, and UCLA there. But it's Zona who is at the top with Oregon and USC. Their only losses are on the road at Iowa an a 3-point loss to Washington. And with Washington State this week, they're bound to move to 6-2 and just gain more confidence. The Wildcats finish with one of the toughest schedules in the nation though with trips to Cal, USC and rival ASU and a home date with Oregon. But if any of these teams overlook the 'Cats, they may regret it come the final horn.

7. What Happened? - This is aimed at 3 teams. The first is Illinois. Ron Zook has always been one of my favorite coaches. He also is one of the better recruiters in the nation. But right now, he may also be a dead man walking. The Illini have just one win. Yeah, just one win. And it doesn't make sense either, considering they returned their star QB and plenty of others around him. But alas, they have just one win. North Carolina was supposed to be a player in the ACC this year but instead, the Tar Heels are languishing at the bottom of a mediocre ACC Atlantic. Butch Davis and this team have taken a big step backwards and better turn it around if they don't want to call this a wasted year. Finally, Auburn was all smiles at 5-0 and thinking a possible SEC East title. But now, they're 5-3 and that offense that was so dynamic has fallen asleep. There's still time to win the 6th game to qualify for the bowl game but man oh man, what a fall.

8. OU, Oh No - Talk about a punch in the gut. After a three-game win streak in the MAC, including two straight defensive showcases, it was a bad effort by the Bobcats against Kent State. Kent State came in 2-1 in the conference and knew a loss in the game would probably keep from a MAC East title. Well, they played with that urgency while OU just played. QB play was a definite problem has Theo Scott and Tyler Tettleton combined threw for 3 INT. But most importantly, the 'Cats had -9 yds rushing. What a joke. For a team that had looked so good on offense in 2 of the past 3 weeks, -9 yds rushing is an absolute embarassment.

9. BCS Busters - Because of the unimpressive showing by the top 3 teams in the BCS, I think there is a remote chance that a BCS buster could get some real consideration for the title game. Of course, they need some more upsets to happen but as far as Boise State and TCU, they can only do what they can do. Boise State did its thing, traveling all the way to Hawaii and destroying the Warriors 54-9. But TCU's win was better, beating a rankd BYU team at their place and beating them bad, 38-7.

10. Heisman Watch - Numbers wise, Colt McCoy had the biggest day among the contenders, with 269 yds passing and 3 TD. Tim Tebow continued his struggles, though he still may win the award on "leadership" merit (what a joke). Alabama RB Mark Ingram was held to 99 yds and no score. Cincy QB Tony Pike didn't even play, really hurting his chances. Notre Dame QB Jimmy Clausen was solid once again with 246 yds and 2 TD. For now, these seem to be the only real contenders.

11. Bob being Bob - In case you haven't heard by now, Bob Griese said something this past week that has gotten him into a bit of hot water. When discussing NASCAR during a promo, Chris Spielman said "Where's Juan Montoya?" in regards to the top 5 standings. Griese responded with "Probably eating a taco." I didn't hear it live (though it was the OSU game and it was on) but watching the replay, it was harmless. Was it racist? Absolutely not but was it racially insensitive? Of course. It wasn't the time or venue for a joke like that and while I do think some people overreact to stuff like this, I gotta agree with ESPN's suspension of one game for Griese. He's apologized numerous times already by the way too.

I'm too tired to do the rest of this column now. Yes, I am tired. Get over it. I'm still recovering from OU. NFL Power Rankings will be out soon enough.