Before we get started…wait…yep, Urban Meyer just scheduled a high school team for his non-conference schedule.
Ba-dum-cha!
If I were Lisa Salters, here is what I would ask Urban Meyer before the Troy game (you know, the dumb question that coaches never answer because, well, they just don’t feel the need to tell Lisa Walters ANYTHING):
“Coach, are you using this game as practice for your planned emasculation of Lane Kiffin next week? You aren’t reaaaallllyyyy taking this one seriously, right? Right?”
And then I would wait with baited breath as if Coach Meyer was not about to give me an answer somewhere along the lines of “What, are you stupid?” Which he would not. Because I am Lisa Salters.
Thanks everyone, here all season. Seriously though, how does anyone know that UF is the No.1 team in the country right now?
They are undeniably talented. They have possibly the best college football player of the past 25 years as their quarterback (NOTE: I did not say best quarterback, but best “football player”). They have the East Coast Pete Carroll installed as their head coach.
However, I have a problem with people claiming them to be the “greatest team ever” while they play the schedule that they do.
Their non-conference games are against Charleston Southern (Patrick Nix’s offense put 50 on them; enough said), Troy (very original with the “Trojans” nickname guys), FIU and Florida State.
That is one decent non-conference game, which is required by state law. No joke. It is a state law. Look it up.
Meyer’s excuse (yes, excuse) is that the SEC league schedule is so tough that Florida does not need to schedule tough non-conference games to prove something. That is usually true. However, this year they avoid Alabama and Ole Miss during the regular season (the top 2 SEC West teams). The SEC East is down, and the only two tests come at home (Tennessee) and a neutral sight (Georgia). The only game that seems like a major test for the Gators in conference is LSU on the road, and LSU has struggled to beat Washington and Vanderbilt the last two weeks.
In other words, the “greatest team of all time” will probably not be tested more than once or twice before the SEC Title Game. Shouldn’t a team have to prove that it is No. 1 by playing like it? By beating good teams?
I have no problem with teams opening with a cupcake, or scheduling one after a rivalry game as a sort of “week off”.
Hell, Miami is no different. This season they play Florida A&M, a game which should be handled in the first half. However, it is after opening with 4 teams ranked in the Top 25.
The point is that at this point, and until further notice, UF is overrated. I have never bought in to the whole SEC thing (SEC thing? Yeah, SEC thing) as an excuse for anything. They play tough football, but so do a lot of schools. Saying that you play in the SEC has gone from a badge of courage to a way to weasel out of doing what real winners do: playing anybody, anywhere, anytime. If the SEC is so great, prove it. Play a game in Corvallis. Play Nebraska at home. Go on the road to Tempe or Berkeley or…duh duh duh…Los Angeles. Take on Penn State or Michigan. Prove to me, and everyone else, that the SEC is beyond a doubt the best conference, and that you are the best team in it.
Personally, I long for the days when Miami vs. UF was a yearly occurrence played for a trophy. It was Miami’s biggest rivalry, and it always produced good games. So that is my selfish agenda.
However, I think it is ridiculous that UF could feasibly cake walk (and by feasible I mean “it is the greatest choke of all time if they do not cake walk”) to the SEC title game this year, which they could conceivably lose and STILL play for the National Title against the “designated undefeated, slow Big 10 team”, which is probably Penn State this season. That is not befitting a champion. And it is with sadness that I say that Coach Meyer is probably smart to do it, as the BCS computers will reward him with what is the most important aspect of college football: a chance to play for the title.
All that being said, let’s get down to the rest of my Week 2 breakdown (for the teams thatactually played real games).
Best Game: I hate to say it, but Michigan- Notre Dame was a very suitable follow-up to Miami-FSU. Both offenses played their ass off, and it actually gave me some perspective on Miami’s big win. In those games, it is not about how good our defense or offense is. Both teams are going to score, and all that matter is who wants it more. The mode of victory is irrelevant in big games, taking a backseat to getting it done. Michigan, much like Miami, reacted when they needed to. There were obvious flaws in both teams during these games, but they got the job done in the end. It is easy to sit back and criticize, but let us not forget how important it is to win.
Best Uniform: UCLA’s road uniform looked great against Tennessee’s awful home uniforms. Just cannot teach that.
Game Ball Goes To: Tate Forcier, Michigan. The freshman quarterback was great off the cuff and made plays every time Michigan needed him, especially in the fourth quarter. He made two great plays in the final 20 seconds, the second giving his team the win.
Worst Uniform: Marshall’s green on green on green (GOGOG, as I like to call it). Their monotone, sparkly uniforms looked like the paint job on Hannah Montana’s next car. Please, never again Marshall. You actually made Virginia Tech’s uniforms look good. Hard to do.
This Week’s “Should’ve Been a ‘Cane” Award: Brian Rolle, Ohio State. Close your eyes and imagine a slightly undersized, way too fast linebacker. He has a knack for making plays and delivering bone crushing hits. He is from Immokalee, Florida. His last name is Rolle, for goodness sakes. What is the first college you would assume this player attends? Open them. You thought Miami, right? Wrong. It is Ohio State’s Brian Rolle, and both Larry Coker and Randy Shannon decided he did not deserve a Miami offer. Watch Ohio State play sometime people. He is a stud. A heat seeking, sideline-to-sideline, ballhawking stud. Could he start over Daryl Sharpton? Daryl Bleeping Sharpton?!? I think so.
You know what? That award needs a better name. Maybe I will name this weekly award after Brian Rolle. From now on, this will be known as the “Brian Rolle Should’ve Been a ‘Cane Award”. Done and…wait for it…done.
Non-BCS Name You Should Know: Casey Keenum, Houston. I heard the hype on this kid last season and did not believe it. Now? I have to say, he showed us all why they think so highly of him down Houston way with his big performance in the Cougars’ upset, which I am glad to say I predicted. Which I know you won’t believe. But I did. You can ask my dad. Which I know you won’t. You know what, from now on I am putting my weekly upset pick in print. Which of course means I will go 0 for the rest of the season. And yet I digress.
Weekly Notes (only from games I actually watched)
·Clemson showed me a lot more than Georgia Tech on Thursday night. Tech’s option produced a lot of yards, but not many scores. They got two special teams touchdowns, one big touchdown off an option run in the first quarter, and three field goals. They look like a tough team, but Clemson was able to throw a wrench in the works in the second half when their front four was able to apply pressure and take away the “dive” leg of the triple option attack. Both will be rough games for Miami. I think that Georgia Tech will be a shootout, which I have thought all along. However, I am now much more concerned with Clemson than I was before the Georgia Tech game.
·What the hell happened to Colorado? Seriously! They used to be very tough every year, and Dan Hawkins is supposed to be one of the brightest minds in college football. Also, who thought it was a good idea to play a Sunday night game followed by a Friday night road game? I have not seen a drop off this sudden since The Office from its 4th season to its 5th. And trust me; I know a thing or two about power football programs dropping off. Sigh.
·Wisconsin could be in trouble when the Big 10 schedule opens if they play defense like they did against Fresno State, a game that they won mostly because of bad interceptions (i.e. unforced interceptions) thrown by the Fresno QB. Oh wait? The Big 10 sucks and Fresno would probably be the fourth best team in the league? Ok, never mind, Wisconsin will finish in the middle of the pack as usual and lose to someone in the Outback Bowl. False Alarm!
·Already talked about Michigan- Notre Dame, but isn’t having Matt Millen doing college football games a bit like having a convicted sex offender announcing the Kindergarten Olympics? This guy drafted 4 receivers in the first round (in 6 years!) as Detroit’s GM. You could practically hear him salivating over A.J. Green, Dez Bryant, Golden Tate and Michael Floyd the last two weekends. Also, again, sssssshuuck it Lou Holtssssssz! I could watch Notre Dame lose every game they ever play for eternity and be happy every time. Every. Single. Time. In fact, I hope this happens. Unless they play UF. In which case I will root for the meteor. My friend Steph asked me earlier why I hate Notre Dame. In a BBM. One 20 minute phone call later, I do not think she will ever look at me the same again. That is how much I hate Notre Dame. And no, it is not like the Yankees. The Yankees are actually good. Also, loved the look on Lou Holtz's face in the studio when breaking down this game. He looked like Taylor Swift when she saw Kanye on stage.
·Already talked about Houston- Oklahoma State, which I am sure the Okies feared ahead of time way more than you would think. An explosive offense from Texas against a team coming off one of its most impressive victories ever and a Sports Illustrated cover. This reeked of “Gut Punch Game”. If it were the Hurricanes in this position, I would have been petrified. And apparently with good reason.
·Rick Neuheisel wins a fairly uneventful throw down with Lane Kiffin to claim the title of “Most Obnoxious Coach in College Football”! Next, Rick will challenge New York Jets head coach Rex Ryan in a cage match!
·UGA and South Carolina scored more points in the first quarter than I expected from the whole game. Who saw that coming? Someone made a lot of money on that one…not that you should bet on college athletics…
·Auburn and Mississippi State played a game…it was…good…I guess…ah hell, it was a game I watched because it was on and I am obsessed. Although, I did manage to have a conversation internally about the proper etiquette when the national anthem is on the television. Do you stop talking and stay silent? Do you stand? Does it not affect you if it is not in person? I decided silence and putting down the remote was the right play. Also, my dad and I had a small talk on health care. Yep, that about says it all about this game.
·Ohio State really impressed me with their defensive effort, and obviously the same can be said for USC. However, at the end of the day this was yet another example of the Buckeyes, the third leg of my axis of evil, not being able to close out a big win against a good team. Last year’s bowl game against Texas. Last year’s blowout against USC. Back-to-back national title game losses to UF and LSU. The time they robbed a national title from Miami…wait, am I bitter? Was that sour grapes? Screw it, I hate them anyway. I would be lying if I said it doesn’t make me happy when they lose. Anyway, Matt Barkley showed us all something on that drive, and I cannot help but think that in the long run this will be good for Terrelle Pryor, who gets a lot of hype as a playmaker but does not make all that many plays.
·For those keeping track, I hate college football teams in the following order: 1.) UF 2.) Notre Dame 3.) Ohio State 4.) Virginia Tech 5.) Rutgers (something about Jersey…)
·And that is about it. I can’t believe I just wrote that much over what was probably the worst weekend of the entire season. But, as they say, every game tells a story. Damn, I sound like an ESPN promo. All I need is a Dave Mathews Band song to finish out the post.
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