Well, we got some BCS drama today, didn't we?
Texas A&M vs. Alabama
Goodbye, Alabama. Hello, BCS chaos. The title race is wide open, ladies and gentlemen, and it's all thanks to the team from College Station, the guys wearing white and maroon uniforms, the guys most college football experts and fans gave little to no chance of getting even close to No. 1 Alabama at home. A week after the Tide escaped in Baton Rouge vs. LSU, most figured that they'd use the Aggies as a way to show the nation that they were still the very best, the Gold Standard of college football.
Someone didn't tell that to Texas A&M's freshman QB Johnny Manziel. And to think we thought we'd seen the best of the kid they call Johnny Football last week, that weaving, mesmerising run into the end zone vs. Mississippi State, and on other highlight reel plays earlier in the season. Well, not quite. Johnny Football, as spectacular as he's been all year, put on quite a show against arguably the nation's best defense - or, certainly, one in a nominal top three - in Tuscaloosa, which is a ridiculously difficult place for road teams. And this kid is just a freshman and freshmen, numerous freshmen, have failed epically in front of the Tide fans.
Johnny Football wasn't one of them. He wasn't overawed by the 100,000 screaming fans in the stadium, fans who wanted to see him crunched into the ground. If you were watching him play today for the first time, you wouldn't have ever believed that he was in his first year playing college football. He was that poised and that polished, leading the Aggie offense, which stuttered and faltered in it's last big test (vs. LSU), for a 29-24 win, moving the football up and down the field against a Crimson Tide defense that, pundits often say, could match wits with some NFL offenses. Not on this day.
Not after Johnny Football did his work. And what work: 24-31 for 253 yards and 2 TDs through the air and another 92 yards on 18 carries on the ground. The memories of a sub-par performance against LSU were long gone, blown away like Alabama's defense seemed to be routinely blown away by Manziel's incredible play. If this performance wasn't enough to vault Manziel up into equal Heisman Trophy favoritism with Kansas State's Collin Klein, the voters are crazy. And, Manziel is only a freshman. There's more to come from this kid.
The Alabama defense that had looked a little uncertain at times against LSU seven days ago suddenly cracked completely against A&M, losing plenty - if not all - of it's near-mythical luster, and I'm sure I'm not alone in being incredibly surprised that it happened against an A&M team that had struggled offensively against LSU and Florida. Although, so many thought that Manziel would explode on a national stage sooner rather than later. He picked a good moment, didn't he? The Legend of Johnny Football continues to grow. No moment seems too big for him. Kirby Smart, the Alabama defensive coordinator, will probably see Manziel in his sleep for weeks. That's just the way Manziel dominated today.
Let's say something about the Texas A&M defense, a unit who had been the butt of so many jokes and so much ridicule this year and last as they gave up points like crazy late in games, erasing giant A&M leads. It was partly defensive lapses after half time that cost ex-head coach Mike Sherman his job, and this year likely cost the Aggies' new head man, Kevin Sumlin, some of his sanity.
Today, there was none of that. Even as the Tide came late, seemingly surging for the win, the Aggies stood tall. They knew exactly how to beat Alabama, and how exactly to force QB AJ McCarron, a late-game hero last week, into interceptions. McCarron threw two of them, one when 'Bama needed seven, thus ending the game. Right when it seemed that Alabama were back and might repeat their late-game miracle from LSU a week ago, the Aggies defense stood tall, and won the game then and there. The old saying 'Cometh the hour, cometh the man' has rarely rung more true. This was the moment for the Aggies defense to put so many horrible meltdowns behind them.
And now, the debate can begin: who will be No. 1 in the new BCS standings tomorrow night and, perhaps more interestingly, can Alabama - provided they win the SEC - get into the National Championship Game as a one-loss team instead of an undefeated Oregon/Kansas State/Notre Dame?
Thanks to Texas A&M, this season's just gotten real interesting!
Louisville vs. Syracuse
Lost in the blaze of media coverage following Alabama's loss was another BCS shaping loss: that of ninth-ranked Louisville, who were, in as unlikely a situation as Texas A&M beating 'Bama, put to the sword by QB Ryan Nassib and the middling Syracuse Orange to the tune of 45-26 and so the Big East championship is once again wide-open. Nassib was 15-23 for 246 yards and 3 TDs inside the Carrier Dome, in his final home game of a solid career. The performance saw Nassib pass the celebrated Donovan McNabb and into second place on the Orange's passing yards list behind Marvin Graves.
Mistake-free football and a furious 21-point second quarter won the game for Syracuse, who put up more points against the Cardinals than any other team had so far this season. It was just about over at half-time, with the Orange racing to a 31-13 lead. Nassib was supported ably by RB Jerome Smith, who ran for 144 yards and 1 TD.
For Louisville, who slip behind the Rutgers Scarlet Knights (who beat Army 28-7 today) in the Big East race, QB Teddy Bridgewater's 422-yard passing day wasn't enough. Louisville just couldn't move the football on the ground, accounting for a measly 50 yards on 17 total carries. The other difference was two Louisville turnovers - one was a Bridgewater INT - to zero by a disciplined Orange outfit, who've been there or thereabouts in a few games this season, without coming away with the win. All in all, a good home farewell for the Orange in season 2012
Quick Screens
After bleeding yards and scores the last two weeks, USC's defense clamped down and despite five turnovers by the offense - including 3 Matt Barkley INTs - the Trojans scored a much-needed 38-17 win vs. Arizona State. USC head to the Rose Bowl next week to face UCLA for a chance to play in the Pac-12 Championship Game.
Five losses in a row, and the season for West Virginia is slipping away to the point where the Mountaineers aren't even bowl eligible yet, just over a month removed from being the toast of the college football world. Once more, the WVU defense showed it would have trouble stopping a peewee football team, giving up a whopping 55 points in a 55-34 loss to Oklahoma State in Stillwater. Head coach Dana Holgerson really needs to make changes on his defensive coaching staff. They've been downright embarrassing this year.
After a week of will-he-won't-he, Kansas State's QB Collin Klein did play, and the Wildcats handily took care of TCU, 23-0 - but the game was well and truly over before the Horned Frogs got on the scoreboard for the first time, in the fourth quarter.. It was a pretty similar game to so many that K-State have played this year - no mistakes on either side of the football, some big plays from Klein and the offense, lock-down defense - and the best story in all of college football continues. With Alabama losing, it's looking pretty good for the Wildcats to finish Sunday night at No. 2 in the BCS behind only Oregon.
No Denard Robinson, no worries for Michigan. With the nerve injury in Robinson's throwing arm still a problem, Devin Gardner had control of the Wolverine offense and led them to a 38-31 OT victory against a plucky Northwestern team searching for two consecutive Big House wins against Michigan. The win leaves the Wolverines at least theoretically still in the hunt to win the Legends Division and go to the Big Ten Championship Game.
Speaking of...Wisconsin are going to the Big Ten Championship Game, punching their ticket to represent the Leaders Division with a 62-14 rout of Indiana in Bloomington. Badgers RB Montee Ball was the star of the show, running for 198 yards and 3 TDs on 27 carries.
If Gene Chizik is still on the sidelines next year, in an Auburn shirt, I'll be very surprised, and not alone in feeling that way, either. Two years removed from winning a National Championship with Cam Newton, the hot seat for Chizik is getting hotter with every loss. That glorious day must seem like such a long time ago for the embattled coach. Tonight, Georgia's Aaron Murray led a rout for No. 5 Georgia, embarrassing the Tigers at home, 38-0. Auburn had no answers.
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