The Good
Virginia: Perhaps no team has done more to shake up their conference then Virginia. They face Virginia Tech next weekend in their annual rivalry game. What makes it more meaningful is that if Virginia beats the Hokies, then they win the ACC Coastal. That alone would cause a massive shakeup and with Clemson vulnerable, Virginia could conceivably be the ACC champs. That would send the rankings into chaos, a common theme in this article.
Baylor: Maybe the fact that they could get back into the national title picture had Oklahoma thinking ahead, but they ran into a more then ready Baylor team. RG3 came through in a big way, showing why he has always belonged in the Heisman discussion. The Bears hung with one of the top teams in the nation and managed to pull off a big upset, one among many that occurred this weekend.
The Bad
Nebraska: Weren’t they supposed to be a favorite to play in the first Big Ten title game? They faced a motivated Michigan team who were able to have their way with a usually stout Cornhusker defense. They were unable to stop a relentless rushing attack from the Wolverines and QB Taylor Martinez was unable to really get the offense going. The preseason predictions look like empty hype now.
Clemson: They were cruising on the way to the ACC title game and losing to NC State has to be cause for concern. Especially since they had 4 turnovers and their explosive offense was contained. It was really the mistakes that did the Tigers in as the Wolfpack were able to convert them into points. They definitely have something to prove next week in their rivalry game against South Carolina to re-establish their game before the ACC title game.
The Ugly
Oklahoma State: The top teams are falling like flies it seems and the Cowboys are the latest. Brandon Weeden and Justin Blackmon saw their faint Heisman hopes evaporate with the loss even though they had their usual stat heavy performances. The defense in particular did not perform, leaving the Iowa State player wide open for a score in the first OT. The title game conversation gets more interesting.
Oregon: Speaking of massively epic fails, Oregon had a great chance to return to the BCS title game if they had won out. However, they choked against USC despite nearly sending it into overtime. A missed field goal pretty much sends the Ducks to the Rose Bowl. Then again with the way the season’s progressing, anything can happen.
Awards
The ‘Charlie Weis Ate My Cheeseburger’ Award for Defense: The only thing that can could have made a more complete defensive dominance for LSU was not allowing the lone field goal to Ole Miss. Even with that, the Tigers had their way, holding Ole Miss to only 47 rushing yards, forcing 3 turnovers, stopping every drive cold in its tracks, among other things. LSU is primed for their showdown next weekend with Arkansas.
The ‘Surely You Must Be Joking? No I’m Not And Stop Calling Me Shirley’ Offensive Performance Of The Week: RG3. You could say that the Baylor QB’s 479 passing yards to go along with 4 TD throws is enough to put him into this category and you would be right. However, it was the way he stepped up and his poise that lead his team to a shocking upset which earns him this spot.
The ‘These Are Not The Droids You’re Looking For’ Mystery Of The Week: The BCS Title picture. With Oklahoma State, Oklahoma and Oregon losing this week in addition to Boise State and Stanford last week, there are several one loss teams that will be starting their campaigns. Of course this could all be thrown into total chaos if Arkansas is able to beat LSU next week. At the very least it should provide hours of fodder for the talking heads.
