Week 4: Conference Focus

Greetings once again football fans.  Week 4 of the college football season featured several important conference matchups as well as a few intersectional games of note.  We will begin this week’s coverage on the Left Coast.

RESULTS: Pac-12

Stanford and Washington were idle and will square off in the Pac-12 Thursday Night Game of the Week this week.  Personally, I hate Thursday night games.  I understand that they are good for ESPN and for conference exposure and revenue, but for me, college football does not feel like college football when a game is not played on a Saturday.  I’ll make exceptions for bowl games and Thanksgiving weekend games, but that’s about it.

Oregon 49, Arizona 0:  Holy defense, Batman!  We all knew about Oregon’s prolific offensive attack, but zero points surrendered?  To high-flying Arizona?  You got it.  It wasn’t that Arizona couldn’t move the ball, but rather that they could not score, going a remarkable 0-for-6 in the red zone.  Add to that five turnovers, and 49-0 doesn’t seem so surprising.  I love Oregon safety Brian Jackson’s comment after the game: “It’s our job to make the score on the other side as low as possible,” he explained, “and tonight we made it as low as possible.”  Exactly.

USC 27, Dumb Cal 9:  It’s a win.  After last week’s performance at Stanford, the Trojans needed to get healthy at home against a pesky Cal squad.  For the second straight game, the defense did everything it needed to do to help SC win, and for the second straight game, the offense tried to give it away.  Two more Barkley INT’s plus a fumble would have cost the Trojans against a team with more offensive punch, but this was Cal, so it didn’t end up mattering.  Still, this is not a good trend for the preseason #1 team in the country.  On a positive note, USC did rediscover its running game, which had disappeared for much of the previous two contests.  For their part, Cal’s defense fought hard, but it wasn’t enough.  Whether USC will be able to up its play as it enters the meat of its schedule remains to be seen.  As for Jeff Tedford, it’s win now or adios.

Arizona State 37, Utah 7:  I’m not surprised the Sun Devils won this game at home, but 37-7?  THAT makes me take notice.  Utah was held to 55 yards in the second half, and only nine in the fourth quarter.  Yes, Utah has lost its QB and RB, and of course that will impact your offensive production; but what about the defense?  Arizona State led 31-7 at the half, lighting up the Utes for three touchdowns in the first quarter to effectively end the game before it started.  This loss is quite disheartening for Utah, which many considered the #2 team in the South behind SC.  Not no more.  Arizona State, welcome to the door.  Start knocking.

Colorado 35, Stupid Washington State 34:  Mad props to the entire Colorado football team.  They stuck behind their coach in spite of a disastrous start to the season.  I myself buried the Buffs as the 124th best team in college football last week (out of 124).  To make matters worse, Colorado trailed the Cougars 31-14 early in the 4th quarter.  Yet none of this mattered: the players kept their poise and somehow managed to rally for a stunning one-point victory, converting on 4th down from the WSU 4 with nine seconds left.  This is the kind of victory that can lift a team from the doldrums.  Again, my congratulations to the Buffaloes.

As for Stupid Washington State, congratulations on living down to your name.

Oregon State 27, UCLA 20:  I wish I could say I am shocked, or even surprised, at this result, but I ain’t.  I saw this coming last week, after UCLA turned the ball over five times against Houston.  The Bruins had yet to play a complete game of football in all three phases, and it finally came to bite them against a vastly improved Oregon State team.

Something felt strange about this game from the get go.  Unlike against Nebraska, there was no electricity in the stadium — perhaps because it was 95 degrees at the start of the game (at 12:30; the heat only increased as the day wore on), or perhaps because the Beavers dominated the game from start to finish.  Regardless, there was a noticeable lack of urgency in the offensive tempo.  UCLA was a miserable 2-for-15 on third downs.  As a matter of fact, the final score itself is misleading: OSU should have won this game by far more than seven points.  The Beavers lost a touchdown on a personal foul in the first half, then gave away a 65-yard touchdown with under a minute to go before the break — made possible by a defensive holding penalty on the previous play.  Oregon State should have led 24-7 at the half.

Having said that, UCLA also missed its opportunities.  Facing 3rd and goal from the 1, Joe Fauria inexcusably false started, resulting in a field goal instead of a touchdown.  The Bruin defense forced a fumble and an interception on consecutive possessions in the third quarter, but despite outstanding field position, the offense bumbled its way to zero points, thanks to a dropped pass on 3rd and 16 and an overthrown ball by Hundley that would have been a sure touchdown.

In the 4th quarter, UCLA was lucky not to have fumbled at the one yard line (that call could have gone the other way), and lucky that Franklin was not called for pushing Hundley into the end zone on a keeper.  Leading 24-17, Oregon State could have sealed the game late when it had a first and goal at the 2, but three plays netted only one yard, and the Beavers had to settle for a 27-17 lead.  Fairbairn, however, missed from 42 yards with 7:30 to play, and that effectively did it for the Bruins.  His late field goal to cut the lead to seven was too little, too late.

Simply put: Oregon State’s line outplayed UCLA, which looked young and inexperienced (particularly on offense).  In last week’s column I stressed how the Bruins had to play well on offense, defense, and special teams to defeat the Beavers.  UCLA went 0-for-3.  Oregon State proved they were the better team — at least on this day.

WHAT THIS MEANS

From a conference power standpoint, Oregon still remains at the top.  Arizona State takes a major leap forward in the South, with Utah taking a difficult step back.  UCLA looks like a team of the future, and may be able to compete in the present, but the lack of consistency is likely to make it hard for the Bruins to challenge for a divisional title.  Oregon State, however, looks like they can play against anyone after having shut down Montee Ball and Johnathan Franklin in consecutive games.  USC remains a bit of a disappointment, but that is more due to early season expectations not being met; there is still time in the season for Troy to get back in the upper echelon of the college football world.  Stanford will face an awkward test at Washington this week; we shall see if they can maintain their status as the main challenger to the Ducks in the North.  Colorado’s huge victory propels them out of conference doormat status; will they be able to ride this momentum to victory over UCLA on Saturday?

As for WSU, yikes.

POWER RANKINGS

South

1. USC

2. Arizona State

3. Arizona, UCLA

5. Utah, Colorado

North

1. Oregon

2. Stanford, Oregon State

4. Washington, Cal

6. SWSU (Stupid, Stupid, STUPID Washington State)

NATIONAL NOTES

Boise State 7, BYU 6:  So much for high-flying offenses.  The winning touchdown in this game came from Boise’s defense: a pick six scored by a 312-pound nose tackle from Windsor, Ontario named Michael Atkinson, better known as “Canadian Bacon.”  That alone is enough to get you written up in this blog.  I would have added that BYU nearly won this game despite five turnovers (to zero for Boise State) — but I like Atkinson’s nickname better.

Baylor 47, Louisiana Monroe 42:  ULM is the darling of the college football world, even in defeat.  The upset over Arkansas and the near miss against Auburn, and now this near miss against Baylor, mean that I will be cheering for them all season.  Go Warhawks!

Miami 42, Georgia Tech 36:  a thrilling game, but since Miami won I don’t want to comment.

LSU 12, Auburn 10:  it’s an SEC road victory, but make no mistake: the Tigers escaped with their lives.  If they played Alabama right now on a neutral site, it would be tough to pick against the Tide.

Georgia 48, Vanderbilt 3:  winning at home against Vanderbilt was expected, but 48-3?  The Dawgs are a legit top five team — at least for now.  They should prove superior to Tennessee this Saturday, especially playing at home.  Tennessee’s defense has not been good enough to make them a real contender.  A win in Athens, however, could be season defining.

San Jose State 38, San Diego State 34:  watch out WAC, the Spartans are coming.  With a 3-1 record after stopping the Aztecs in San Diego, SJSU is poised to win 8, 9, 10, or possibly even 11 games this season.  Given that their only loss was by three points at Stanford, I wouldn’t bet against them in any remaining contests.

Florida State 49, Clemson 37:  the game of the day — easily.  Trailing 28-14 midway through the third quarter, the Seminoles erupted for 35 points to win going away.  Is FSU “for real,” you ask?  The answer: maybe.  This was a huge win, but it was at home, and the defense gave up a lot of points.  Unfortunately, we may not find out how “real” this team is this season, because the remaining schedule is full of weak ACC opponents.  If FSU finishes undefeated but two other teams from the Big 12, Pac-12, or SEC (or possibly even the Big East) also finish undefeated, the Seminoles will be locked out of the championship game by virtue of their weak schedule.

Kansas State 24, Oklahoma 19:  a huge — no, an enormously huge — victory for Collin Klein, Bill Snyder, and Wildcat Nation, as K-State avenged a humiliating 58-17 home loss last season with a titanic five point upset of the sixth-ranked Sooners in Norman.  How did this happen?  Simple: turnovers.  OU had three, K-State none.  Running back John Hubert summed up the emotions of the Kansas State team beautifully: “He was very excited.  He really didn’t have too much words to say.  That’s when you can tell when Coach Snyder is excited, when he comes into the locker room and he’s kind of speechless.”

Western Kentucky 42, Southern Miss 17:  if I need a coach at the end of this season, I’m hiring Willie Taggart.  WKU continues to roll, this time by 25 points over USM.  Impressive.

Big Ten (Gulp) Pullout Section

Notre Dame 13, Michigan 6:  The law of averages caught up with Denard Robinson in a big way.  After scintillating victories over ND the last two seasons, Shoelace threw four interceptions — several of them really awful — and fumbled, effectively giving the game away despite an excellent performance by the Wolverine defense.  I can’t say for sure whether his performance was the result of a superb defensive effort by the Irish or an off day at the office for Robinson.  Therefore, until I get further confirmation, I’m holding off on any “Notre Dame is back” talk.  Still, 4-0 is 4-0, and the Irish faithful have to be excited by the defense’s consistent effort in each of their first four games.

Central Michigan 32, Iowa 31:  Big Ten embarrassment #1.

Louisiana Tech 52, Illinois 24:  Big Ten bigger embarrassment #2.

Ohio State 29, UAB 15:  Still overrated (the Buckeyes, that is).  4-0 against weak competition, with all games at home, and struggling in the last three?  Come on.  Big Ten near embarrassment #1.

Wisconsin 37, UTEP 26: Big Ten near embarrassment #2.

Michigan State 23, Eastern Michigan 7:  BTNE #3 (might as well create an acronym).

Minnesota 17, Syracuse 10:  BTNE #4.

Thankfully for the Big 10, Nebraska knows how to win — at least against Idaho State (73-7), while Northwestern also knows how to get the W — at least against South Dakota (38-7).  Jeesh.

Finally:

Wyoming 40, Idaho 37 (OT):  is this game even worth mentioning?   CBS Sports didn’t even include a recap on their website.  So…I guess not.

All for now folks.

–Mr. G.

Week 2: Pac-12 in High Gear

Welcome back, dear readers, to another week of Pac-12 football.

I. HOME COOKIN’

I could start with the national scene, but in light of last week’s fantastic results, why should I?

Let’s begin with the UPSET OF THE WEEK, which has to be – wait a minute, which one should I choose?  There were so many remarkable results!  I like saving the best for last, so let’s get the icky vegetables out of the way first.

Colorado: lost at home — to Sacramento State.  Yikes.  To add insult to injury: last week, the Buffs lost to Colorado State – which lost to North Dakota State this week.  Double yikes.

Utah: like I said last week, the win over Northern Colorado didn’t mean much; I needed to see how Utah would do against a better quality opponent.  I got my answer: not too great.  Admittedly, Utah State was a bowl team last year, and has been a pest for the last two seasons to any BCS school they faced.  Still, that was a game Utah needed to win.  They did not.  Join Colorado at the bottom of the South.

From the veggies to the starch (i.e. the more ho-hum results from the conference):

Washington: yes, the Huskies lost 41-3, but it was at LSU.  What are you going to do?  The Tigers have now won 39 consecutive games against nonconference opponents during the regular season, which ties an FBS record.  I’m still withholding judgment on UW.

Stupid Washington State: the school nearly lived down to its name, getting shut out at home in the second half and just hanging on for a 24-20 victory over Eastern Washington.  Hello, Cougars?  You’re in the Pac-12 now!  Wake up!

Dumb Cal: Hosting Southern Utah, Cal was up just 20-17 after three quarters.  You think some people in Berkeley weren’t shaking in their boots at the possibility of an 0-2 start?  The 50-31 final score does nothing to reverse my opinion that the Bears just ain’t that good.

Oregon: not much to say…the Ducks cruised to a 35-6 halftime lead, then allowed Fresno State to kind of get back in the game.  It was 35-19 in the 4^th quarter – that’s just two scores folks – before Oregon closed things out with a 42-25 win.  Still, that’s not as comfortable as you would like at home.

Stanford: the Card was outgained once again, this time against mighty Duke, but the defense and special teams came through in a big way to post a comfortable 50-13 win over the Blue Devils.  Having said that, if Stanford does not up its game significantly during this week of practice, they won’t have a shot against…

USC: half empty, or half full?  According to the LA Times, SC’s performance at Syracuse (technically at a neutral site – New Jersey) was uninspiring and not “flashy.”  Bill Plaschke’s take: “stumbles, penalties, lethargy.”  The scoreboard’s take: the Orange were within 21-16 entering the 4^th quarter.  My take: USC traveled across the country to play against a team that had scored 41 points the previous week.  The weather was awful – the game was delayed for an hour during halftime due to lightning – yet Barkley still connected with Woods, Lee, and company for six (that’s SIX) touchdowns.  Final score: Trojans 42, Syracuse 29.  I don’t view this as “closer than expected.”  I see this as “get the heck out of there and take your win.”  I predict we’ll see the real USC in Palo Alto on Saturday.  I would be shocked if USC allowed the Cardinal to win for the 5^th time in 6 years.  No way, no how.  Not this time.

Turning now to the main course:

Arizona State: beating Northern Arizona is one thing, but beating Illinois is another.  I wasn’t surprised that the Sun Devils took care of the Illini at home, but 45-14?  That’s an eye-opener.  Can ASU continue these dominating performances?  We’ll find out more when they travel to Missouri this weekend.

And now for the most delicious part of the meal.

Dessert #1: Cactus Cooler

Arizona 59, Oklahoma State 38: WHAT a victory for the Wildcats!  After being so poor last season, who could have envisioned this result?  Certainly not I.  RichRod is much further along in his reclamation project than I realized.  Not sure what happened to OSU’s defense (perhaps it never existed?), but my oh my, to defeat a Top 20 team this quickly lends much credence to U of A’s claims of being relevant again.  If you want to nitpick, you could point out that the ‘Cats allowed 636 yards of total offense, and that OSU had four turnovers and an amazing 167 yards in penalties.  But it isn’t Arizona’s fault if the Cowboys choose to self-destruct.  This is a statement win for Arizona.

Dessert #2: Badger Stew

Oregon State 10, Wisconsin 7: if you had told me before Saturday that Oregon State would hold Montee Ball to 61 yards rushing and Wisconsin to barely 200 total yards, I would have seriously considered running around the streets of Sunnyvale with no clothes on.  Thankfully for the locals, none of you told me this, so I was spared arrest for indecent exposure.  Wisconsin, however, was spared nothing – or rather given nothing – by a suddenly stout Beaver defense that put the game on its shoulders and didn’t let up for 60 minutes.  Wisconsin?  7 points?  This is the same team that had won 33 straight nonconference regular season games!  Well, no more.  A monumental victory for Oregon State!

Dessert # 3: Creamed Corn

UCLA 36, Nebraska 30: this game was so delicious, so invigoratingly sublime, that I hardly know what to do with myself.  Uncle Roger and I sweated through 90+ degree temperatures near field level at the Rose Bowl (thanks Noah for the tickets!), but was it ever worth it.

Let’s see…where to begin…how about a comparison to last year.  The 2011 Bruins, particularly on offense, were dull, predictable, and slow.  The 2012 Bruins are creative, have many weapons, and play up tempo.  While you might expect TE Joe Fauria to call the game “exciting,” you would not expect the LA Times to get into the act and declare it a “thrilling” victory.

Now before you get ahead of yourself and think that I’m going to use this game to see into the future merely because I’m a long-suffering UCLA grad who wants to, think again.  Last year, after a big win over Arizona State, what did I predict in the ensuing game against Utah?  A loss.  Again, after a 45-6 win over Colorado, who did I say would win in the Cross Town Rivalry?  USC – and handily.  I may be a Bruin fan, but I’m also a chess teacher.  You can’t take the logic out of me, nor the objectivity.

So, then, what makes this different?

Answer: everything.  Unlike last year’s win over Arizona State (which felt like an accident), this win felt EARNED.  The Bruins came to play, and played better than Nebraska – yes, I will say that with confidence – from tackle to tackle, and in the skill positions.  The Bruins were physical and disciplined – two things severely lacking from teams of recent years.  The anticipation in the stadium was not from fear that the Bruins would collapse, but rather from the hope that their offseason workouts and conditioning would pay early dividends.
UCLA, by its performance in this game – win or lose – has proven that they are already way ahead of schedule.  Do not compare this game to the win over Tennessee in 2008.  That was a “smoke and mirrors” victory that saw UCLA overcome four interceptions to defeat a team that would finish 5-7.  This victory was a total team effort:

• over 650 yards of total offense (sorry Black Shirts);
• better than 15 minute advantage in time of possession; and
• a defensive effort that held the Huskers to just two field goals in the second half.

Could UCLA have won a game like this last year?  No.  Absolutely not.  The coaching was not good enough to be competitive in a game of this caliber.  The Bruins have FIVE starters on offense who are freshmen; this means that the new coaching staff has figured out a way to get them up to speed quickly.  Just as I place blame where it is required, I need to give credit where credit is due.  Coach Mora and his staff have completely transformed this team in nine short months.  My voice was hurting for four days after this game.  Thrilling indeed!

The last word, however, has to go to Greta (who else?), who was the ONLY person in the family who had the courage to pick UCLA to win.  Sylvie (an alum!) said 30-20 Nebraska; Roger, 27-17 Huskers; Gary, 31-21 Big Red; and Cindy – well, shall I just quote her directly?  “Nebraska is going to kill UCLA.”  Let’s hope she has the same instincts in December when she attempts to defend her bowl predictions title.

For the record, Greta the Magnificent said UCLA 31, Nebraska 21.  That’s pretty darn close to 36-30.  Since she is too kind to say it, I’ll say it for her: You people who went to Stanford, UCLA, and Woodbury?  You don’t know nothin’.

 II. Leaders of the Pac and GOW’s

My Current Power Ratings for the Divisions

SOUTH                                                           NORTH

USC                                                                Oregon

UCLA, Arizona, Arizona State                        Oregon State

Utah                                                               Stanford

Colorado                                                        Washington

WSU, Cal

 

Games of the Week

#1: USC at Stanford.

#2: Arizona State at Missouri.

#3: Brigham Young at Utah.

#4: Colorado at Fresno State.

 

III. National Notes

Frankly, last weekend wasn’t all that great – other than in the Pac-12, that is.  But there were a few games of note, at least from my perspective.

Kansas State: quadrupled Miami 52-13.  Any time Miami loses is cause for celebration, but to lose by 39 points to Kansas State?  I must be in heaven!

Louisiana Tech: defeated Houston 56-49.  Why do I bring this up?  Simple: UCLA is favored by 17 over Houston this Saturday, but the Bruins better be paying attention, because after last week’s miserable performance against Texas State, Houston got its act together on offense in a big way, recording an astounding 40 first downs and 693 total yards on 53-of-77 passing.  I do think UCLA will win this game, but the defense better come to play like it did against Nebraska, because Houston can throw it.

Virginia: more misery for Penn State.  They lose a heartbreaker, 17-16, because of four missed field goals AND a missed extra point.  Can it get any worse in Happy Valley?  I don’t think so.  Navy, Temple, Illinois, and Northwestern are next.  Three of those are at home.  The Lions will find a win somewhere in that stretch.

Louisiana Monroe: how did this team defeat Arkansas?  You got me.  I suppose converting on 4^th-and-10 with 55 seconds remaining to score the tying touchdown would do it – along with running for the game-winner on 4^th-and-1.  But if you really want to know, it has to be the first touchdown that ULM scored.  How can anyone cover a receiver named Centarius Donald?  He is capable of giving 100% all the time, simply by virtue of his name.  Add to that the fact that a football field is 100 yards, and there is no stopping Centarius.  In fact, I suggest that he take up both swimming and sprinting in the off season – at the 100 meter distances, of course.  Look out, Michael Phelps; move over, Usain Bolt.  My C-note’s on Centarius.

Satisfyingly yours (til next week anyway),

Mr. G.

2012 Season: Week 1

Mr. G’s Pac-12 Football Weekly

Welcome back, college football fans!  After a tumultuous offseason, it is finally time to enjoy the glories of the gridiron.

Let me begin with a disclaimer.  Do not be misled by the title: I will write something when I feel it will be of interest, and when I have time; therefore, this column (which could become a blog?) may or may not occur each week during the season.  Furthermore, although the focus will be on the Pac-12, I will include some games of national significance as I see fit.

Since no one is paying for this, I am free to write whatever I want, and in whatever irreverent tone I choose.  This includes my personal biases against Dumb Cal and Stupid Washington State University.  I’m giving you my opinion; if you disagree, you’re right.

Now that that’s clear, let’s get down to business.

Section 1: National Notes

• 17-13 = Survival Bowl.  That was the score in Michigan State’s home victory over overmatched Boise State, as well as South Carolina’s road escape at improving Vanderbilt.  These results might actually speak more in favor of the teams that lost than of the teams that won.  Still, a win is a win….

• Iowa, Wisconsin Have Just Enough.  Playing at Solider Field in what was a semi-home game for reigning MAC champion Northern Illinois, the Hawkeyes eked out an 18-17 win despite only 268 total yards.  Wisconsin, by contrast, playing at home against Northern Iowa, was up by 19 points late in the third quarter before the always dangerous Panthers came roaring back.  UNI, who had sustained one-point losses at Iowa and Iowa State in recent seasons, closed the gap to 26-21 and had the ball in Wisconsin territory before failing to convert on 4^th and 1.

• Bad Day for Pennsylvania.  You can decide which is worse: Pitt’s 31-17 drubbing at home to FCS Youngstown State, or Penn State’s punchless performance in a 24-14 loss to Ohio.  Granted, Ohio won 10 games last year, but one has to wonder how much the cloud of the Paterno situation affected Penn State in their first game since the sanctions were handed down (more on that later).  As for Pitt, all I can say is, yikes.

• Near Escapes vs. FCS Opponents Bode Ominously for ACC.  Having suffered through a miserable 2-10 season last year, Maryland surely must have wanted to get off to a fast start against the likes of William and Mary.  But after four turnovers and a paltry 236 total yards, the Terrapins have to consider themselves lucky indeed to have forged a 7-6 victory (particularly since they trailed with under 10 minutes to play).  Equally distressing was Wake Forest’s near collapse vs. Liberty.  The Demon Deacons were outgained at home and had to rely on a pick six and a missed field goal to account for a 20-17 decision.  The ACC was weak to begin with; these results reinforce the generally held opinion that they have the weakest BCS league at present, with the possible exception of the Big East.

• Even Worse?  Oh yes, most certainly.  In descending order of ineptitude I give you:

(#3) Houston.  Really, the Cougars?  The team that went 12-1 last year with Case Keenum, the NCAA’s all-time offense leader?  Uh, yes.  Consider what happened in Houston’s abysmal performance against first-year FBS member Texas State San Marcos (who?): the Bobcats (no, not Ohio) had more yards, more first downs, and a ridiculous 43:09 to 16:51 advantage in time of possession.  Houston lost, at home, 30-13, and the offensive coordinator was fired one game into the season.

(#2) Memphis.  This is a horse of a different color (Memphis was horrific last year at 2-10).  Or maybe not: Memphis also was outgained, had fewer first downs, and lost the time of possession battle – except they did so to Tennessee-Martin, losing on a field goal with four seconds remaining, which was made possible by a fumbled punt return with 21 seconds to go.  Thus, Houston may be bad, but in losing to T-Mart (not sure if that’s the school’s nickname, but for my purposes, it is), Memphis is worse.  And yet…

(#1) Idaho must be the absolute worst team in FBS.  Yes, they were 8-5 as recently as three years ago, and were competitive at 6-7 two years ago, but they went 2-10 last year and might be heading for 0-12 this season, were it not for the fact they are playing in the WAC.  There is no excuse for losing 20-3 to Eastern Washington.  At home.  In an ugly domed stadium.  In front of 11,000 people.  (Wait a minute, I just came up with some excuses.)  Good luck Vandals, you’re gonna need it.

• At the Top.  Because it is so early in the season, it might seem ridiculous to start debating the best teams in the country; but if Week 1 is any indication, the top spot HAS to go to Alabama, who annihilated #8 Michigan 41-14.  LSU won by the same score against North Texas, but that was at home – and it was against North Texas.  USC defeated Hawaii 49-10, but that too was at home, and the opponent was not Michigan.  If any team caught my attention this weekend for the top spot (other than Alabama), it would be West Virginia, who scored 10 touchdowns for the second straight game (dating to last season’s Orange Bowl romp over Clemson).  I don’t think the Mountaineers will continue on that torrid pace, of course, but who wants to play them right now?  Certainly not I.

• Quit Your Whining.  Before I focus on the Pac-12, I have something to say about the chatter I have heard surrounding the NCAA and its sanctions in recent years.  I have a strong opinion, and many of you ain’t gonna like it, and I don’t give a rip.

My not-so-remarkable hypothesis comes from experience.  I’m a teacher and I enforce discipline in my classes.  You screw up, you pay the penalty.  Good parents understand this; good teachers understand this; anyone who manages human beings understands this.  Apparently, however, some college football fans seem to think that when the NCAA hands down sanctions against schools that break the rules, it is somehow “unjust” or “unfair.”

This attitude may very well stem from our nation’s mamby-pamby approach to rules enforcement, particularly in sports.  Baseball players who get caught with performance enhancing drugs serve suspensions for 10, 30, 50, and 100 games, based on their 1^st, 2^nd, 3^rd, or 4^th offenses, respectively.  Let’s see…if I get caught a third time, I lose just a third of my exorbitant annual salary?  That’s not a significant deterrent; I better keep on using! 

If the people who ran baseball – both the players as well as the commissioner – had any backbone whatsoever, they would be able to clean up the sport by changing the policy.  YOU CHEAT, YOU’RE OUT.  No first offense, second offense, fifth offense.  You know exactly what you’re doing when you use a banned substance!  If you’re caught, you’re done.  Period.

Applying this to NCAA football: the last time the NCAA did the right thing, they handed out the supreme punishment to SMU for blatant violations that ran rampant throughout the program.  Over the last decade we have seen Miami, USC, Ohio State, and Penn State allow egregious abuses within their football programs.  Unfortunately, the NCAA has made the feckless decision not to bite the hand that feeds it, imposing sanctions – but nothing further – on these programs.  If I were in charge of the NCAA, two things would change: first, I would outline specific punishments for specific abuses, so that enforcement is consistent based on the severity of the crime; and second, I would actually dole out the punishment required.

The most obvious should be for “failure to comply” and “lack of institutional control.”  These offenses are the most severe, for they fly in the face of fairness: not only are these schools breaking the rules, they are flaunting their practices in so doing.  Schools found guilty of this should receive the death penalty.  In the case of Miami (assuming the allegations regarding the enormous benefits paid out by the booster are verified), I would give them at least one year.  USC would have received at least one year.  Ohio State would have received one year (mainly because their coach knew what was going on but chose not to act on it).  Finally, in the horrific case of Penn State – what the NCAA deemed “an unprecedented failure of institutional integrity” – for a case that ugly, I would penalize the school for FOUR YEARS.  That’s right, no football at all for an entire class.

To those who counter that “punishing the players” is not the right way to address past wrongs, I say: grow up and face the music.  Players who are put out because of such circumstances can always transfer and offer their playing talents to schools that abide by the rules.  The bottom line is this: if you don’t cheat, you won’t find yourself in this situation in the first place.  Don’t come whining to me when you get caught.  Other schools play by the rules; they should not suffer a competitive disadvantage because of your cheating!

Finally, to anyone who has the temerity to suggest that it’s “impossible” to abide by the rules the NCAA sets forth, you are simply wrong.  Over one-third of all FBS football programs have NEVER been placed on probation.  Here they are:

Air Force (CO)	Kent St. (OH)	San Jose St. (CA)
Akron (OH)	Louisiana Tech	South Alabama
Alabama-Birmingham	Louisiana-Monroe	South Florida
Army (NY)	Louisville	Stanford (CA)
Boston College (MA)	Miami (OH)	Temple (PA)
Bowling Green (OH)	Middle Tennessee	Texas-San Antonio
Brigham Young (UT)	Missouri	Toledo (OH)
Central Michigan	Nevada	Troy (AL)
Colorado St.	Nevada-Las Vegas	Tulane (LA)
Connecticut	North Texas	Vanderbilt (TN)
Duke (NC)	Northern Illinois	Wake Forest (NC)
Eastern Michigan	Northwestern (IL)	Washington St.
Florida Atlantic	Ohio	Western Kentucky
Idaho	Purdue (IN)	Western Michigan
Iowa	Rice (TX)

It pains me to say it – and I can’t believe it’s actually true – but this list even includes Stupid Washington State University.  For the 80-plus schools that aren’t on this list (which includes my alma mater), your legacy is tainted with shame.

Instead of whining about NCAA sanctions, the schools that receive them should try accepting responsibility.  You don’t like it?  STOP CHEATING – and consider yourself lucky that I’m not the sheriff.

Section 2: Back to the Pac — Results

Now that I have released my internal tension, it is time to recalibrate my blood pressure.  Let’s discuss the happy goings-on from the Pac-12 this weekend!

UTAH: overwhelmed Northern Colorado 41-0, which might be impressive were it not for the fact that Northern Colorado has lost 19 of its past 20 games (and is in the Big Sky Conference).

COLORADO: came up short against rival Colorado State, 22-17.  Admittedly, playing an emotional game to open the season is never easy, but losing to a team that was 3-9 last season cannot sit well with Buffs fans, who may be in for another long season.

ARIZONA: winning 24-17 in overtime, at home, against Toledo, might seem like a shaky way to start the season.  But Toledo is a tricky opponent, and Arizona in fact dominated this game: they had two touchdowns called back, missed two short field goals, and turned the ball over three times.  With total yardage standing at 624 to 358, the score should not have been that close.  The ‘Cats have something to build on – and a fortunate win to boot.

ARIZONA STATE: yes, it was 63-6, but it was against Northern Arizona.  I’m reserving judgment on this team until their next few games.

UCLA and USC: I’ll finish with those two.  Keep your pants on.

STANFORD: I tried to warn anyone who would listen that Stanford better be on alert against San Jose State this weekend.  The Spartans were vastly improved last season, staying competitive in every game after their opener, and figured to be even better this year.  By contrast Stanford lost stars at tight end, on the offensive line, on the defense, and of course at QB.  The result?  The Cardinal hung on – barely – to record a tense 20-17 victory at the Farm.  Last year’s Stanford team won 57-3 against the same opponent.  This year’s Stanford team ain’t going 11-1.

CAL: Yes, Nevada is a solid team, but oh, what a miserable way to begin the “new era” in Cal football.  The newly rebuilt Memorial Stadium – which, however, still looks awful with the completely unnecessary artificial turf – saw the Bears get behind early, commit plenty of mistakes, and ultimately lose in the last minute, 31-24, to a rebuilt Nevada squad which defeated the Bears for the first time in 17 tries at the old ballpark.  This setback is bound to cause considerable consternation among Cal fans who are already impatient with the team’s mediocrity over the past several seasons.  If the Bears don’t turn things around in a hurry, this will be Tedford’s final season at the helm.

OREGON: the Ducks surrendered 530 yards of total offense and were outscored in the second half, at home, 24-7 by Arkansas State.  Reason for concern?  Not a chance.  The Ducks were up 50-10 at halftime, so Chip Kelly wisely rested his starters while allowing his backups to get ample playing time.  I actually expected this game to be a bit more competitive, as A-State went 10-3 last season.  With this result, my doubts have been erased, and Oregon becomes the clear favorite to repeat as North Division champs in the Pac-12.

OREGON STATE: the biggest loser from Week 1 might just be the Beavers, whose tune-up game vs. Nicholls State had to be rescheduled (or cancelled) due to the hurricane.  This is significant because their first opponent, now, will be Wisconsin, who did have the opportunity to get the kinks out with their difficult victory over Northern Iowa.  Will the Beavers be able to win six games this season?  If so, it won’t be easy….

WASHINGTON: mission accomplished.  The defense effectively shut down the potentially dangerous San Diego State attack, allowing the Huskies to pull out a 21-12 victory and help erase the embarrassment of giving up 67 points to Baylor in last year’s Alamo Bowl.  If the Dawgs can continue to improve on defense, they could cause trouble in the Pac-12 North.

WASHINGTON STATE: Air Raid Attack?  Mike Leach’s first game at the helm of the Cougars (Wazzu, that is) was more a failure to launch.  Losing at BYU is not surprising, but losing 30-6 and being held to 224 yards?  Either that has to change quickly, or WSU will not be as competitive as I thought they’d be this season.

UCLA: what a crazy game!  By the end of the first half, the Bruins had three plays of 70+ yards, which was three times as many as they had ALL OF LAST SEASON!  Rice, however, countered with some offense of their own, and with under a minute to go before halftime, the Owls were down just 29-24 and had the ball with a chance to take the lead.  At that point, the game changed for good: Rice fumbled, UCLA recovered and scored, and from then on the Bruins put the clamps down on defense, shutting out the Owls in the second half to win going away, 49-24.  The announced attendance was 23,000; it seemed like UCLA was playing at the old Stanford Stadium, which Bob Toledo once likened to a Sears parking lot.

USC: the Trojans were outscored in the third quarter and had several dropped passes on offense.  Hawaii managed to move the ball in stretches.  I don’t think USC played particularly sharply, to be honest.  There are only two conclusions to be drawn: either USC is not as good as we all thought, or…USC is absolutely frightening!  (Needless to say, I am taking the second opinion.)  The fact that USC could have played better but still led 35-0 at halftime is scary.  Woods and Lee have to be the premiere receiving tandem in the country, but despite several touchdowns, they didn’t play their best games.  That is beyond frightening and scary: that is downright horrifying.  Thank goodness I’m not a Pac-12 defensive coordinator facing USC this season.

Just for fun:

• Bang!  On their first plays from scrimmage, USC and UCLA netted a total of 147 yards and two touchdowns.  Not a bad way to start the season.

• Conversion Issues.  USC tried three 2-point conversions in the first half, failing on all of them, despite the fact that their kicker made a field goal and went 4-for-4 on PAT’s during the game.  Meanwhile, UCLA did manage to go 1-for-2 on 2-point conversions, but only after having a preposterous three PAT’s blocked – by the same player!  Needless to say, both teams need to fix this immediately.

• U-G-L-Y.  It’s your call.  Which looked worse: Oregon’s outrageous uniforms, or Matt Barkley’s awful haircut?  (Admittedly, neither looked as bad as Andrew Luck’s horrific neck beard last season.)

Section 3: Back to the Pac — Predictions

All the reporting has been done; all that’s left is to decipher where in the Pac each team will finish – based on this week’s results, that is.

SOUTH DIVISION

1. USC. Anyone who puts any other team here is taking illegal substances.  The Trojans are a prohibitive favorite to win, and for good reason.  No one should defeat USC at the Coliseum (although Oregon clearly has the best chance to do so).  Nevertheless, the Trojans will face challenges on the road.  If they want to go 13-0, they can’t afford to slip up, as every team will be using their matchup vs. USC as a measuring stick.

2. ARIZONA/ARIZONA STATE/UTAH/UCLA.  Take your pick.  It’s just too early to tell who will be the best challenger to USC.  If the Bruins put up a good fight against Nebraska next week, they’ve got a shot; barring that, perhaps Utah is the #2 team in the division, but then who knows.

6. COLORADO.  Sorry Buffs, you’re way behind.

NORTH DIVISION

1. OREGON.  Is there any stopping the Quack Attack?  The Ducks should go 7-0 at home and will be expected to win at least three or four games on the road.  Clearly, this team is still the class of the North.

2-6. EVERYONE ELSE.  Stanford is not nearly as good as last year.  Cal may be worse.  Oregon State has too much ground to make up.  Washington State won’t be good enough to challenge this season.  So who’s left?  I guess Washington, but they still need to make a quantum leap to be a player in the conference.

All told, I would be shocked if the Pac-12 title game features any team other than USC and Oregon.  The real battle is for the third spot.

But, as we all know, predictions mean little.  Besides, injuries can hit – and cripple – a team at any moment.  On that uplifting note….

Enjoy the season everyone!

–Mr. G.