Heroes
Boston College: Three turnovers and two superb
goal-line stands from the Eagles defense on Friday night were only bettered by
the performance of RB Andre Williams, who carried the football 35 times for a
career-high 204 yards and a score for a 24-10 win against Wake Forest. BC are
2-0 on the season, which is as many wins as they had all last season.
Michigan Stadium & Wolverine Fans: Is there a better night-time environment for college football than The Big House? Massive kudos to the Michigan fans, who packed that place in and made it look absolutely awesome for those of us watching on TV. It’s a fantastic place to watch a game of football. The posted crowd of 115,109 is a new single-game NCAA record, and what an environment in which to break that record. An interesting post-game touch, too, with the stadium PA playing the Chicken Dance during celebrations. That’ll go down well in South Bend, I’m sure!
Johnny Manziel: Off-field attitude issues aside, he’s balling right now. What a day – actually, not even that; less than three quarters of game action – he had against Sam Houston State in Texas A&M’s 65-28 victory. The reigning Heisman Trophy winner was 29-42 for 423 yards, 3 TDs and a solitary INT. And, as if that wasn’t enough, he had 39 yards and a score on seven rushing attempts. Watch out, Alabama, next week, because Johnny Football’s feeling it big-time.
Taysom Hill: BYU pulled off maybe the upset of the week, beating No. 15 Texas in Provo, thanks to their quarterback’s efforts on the ground. Rather mediocre passing the football (he was barely passing at a 50% completion rate), Hill made up for it with his wheels, carrying the football eighteen times for 258 yards and three touchdowns. He was well supported by RB Jamaal Williams, who notched up 179 yards. The Cougars had 681 yards of offense.
ESPN’s College GameDay: Still the most entertaining and informative pre-game show on television, GameDay was, once again, superb viewing from Ann Arbor this weekend, particularly the headgear pick that Lee Corso has made famous. Although he got it wrong, his “win one for the chicken” line in reference to Michigan coach Brady Hoke’s suggestion that the Irish were chickening out of their series with the Wolverines was great, as was his introduction of some chickens onto the desk. You never know what’ll happen during that part of the show, and that’s what makes it so much fun!
Michigan Stadium & Wolverine Fans: Is there a better night-time environment for college football than The Big House? Massive kudos to the Michigan fans, who packed that place in and made it look absolutely awesome for those of us watching on TV. It’s a fantastic place to watch a game of football. The posted crowd of 115,109 is a new single-game NCAA record, and what an environment in which to break that record. An interesting post-game touch, too, with the stadium PA playing the Chicken Dance during celebrations. That’ll go down well in South Bend, I’m sure!
Johnny Manziel: Off-field attitude issues aside, he’s balling right now. What a day – actually, not even that; less than three quarters of game action – he had against Sam Houston State in Texas A&M’s 65-28 victory. The reigning Heisman Trophy winner was 29-42 for 423 yards, 3 TDs and a solitary INT. And, as if that wasn’t enough, he had 39 yards and a score on seven rushing attempts. Watch out, Alabama, next week, because Johnny Football’s feeling it big-time.
Taysom Hill: BYU pulled off maybe the upset of the week, beating No. 15 Texas in Provo, thanks to their quarterback’s efforts on the ground. Rather mediocre passing the football (he was barely passing at a 50% completion rate), Hill made up for it with his wheels, carrying the football eighteen times for 258 yards and three touchdowns. He was well supported by RB Jamaal Williams, who notched up 179 yards. The Cougars had 681 yards of offense.
ESPN’s College GameDay: Still the most entertaining and informative pre-game show on television, GameDay was, once again, superb viewing from Ann Arbor this weekend, particularly the headgear pick that Lee Corso has made famous. Although he got it wrong, his “win one for the chicken” line in reference to Michigan coach Brady Hoke’s suggestion that the Irish were chickening out of their series with the Wolverines was great, as was his introduction of some chickens onto the desk. You never know what’ll happen during that part of the show, and that’s what makes it so much fun!
Villains
Notre Dame: Specifically, the Athletic
Department or whomever made the decision to abandon the series with Michigan
after next year – it looks as though the series won’t return until at least the
early 2020s. Yeah, I know that they’re required to play 5 ACC opponents each
year, but there should still be room on the schedule for Michigan. And to Brian
Kelly, who was either initially forced the ridiculous line pedalled by his
university that the rivalry with the Wolverines isn’t really a great rivalry,
rather just a regional one, or he actually believed it himself. I’m not sure what’s
worse. Either way, that assertion out of South Bend is a load of rubbish –
Michigan vs. Notre Dame is one of the enduring national rivalries in the game,
and college football won’t be the same without it. Thankfully, Kelly recanted
that statement the day after eyebrows were raised nationally.
The Paterno Family: I’ve kept mostly quiet on this issue, but the continued court action for one thing or another by the – ill-advised – family of the late Penn State coach need to fade silently into the shadows of college football. Their constant attempts to clear Paterno’s name in the face of the Freeh Report into Penn State Football and Jerry Sandusky is getting tired. Their most recent swing at the plate is suing the NCAA, and they have lodged a 92-page memorandum just why they think their claims against the NCAA over the punishment handed down in the wake of the Sandusky scandal should not be thrown out. In trying to secure his legacy, what they’re doing is further tarnishing it. Enough, please!
Texas: In Provo, Utah on Saturday night, they allowed BYU to run through, around and over them, giving up 681 yards in a resounding 40-21 loss. If that’s the sort of defense that the Longhorns plan on playing for the rest of the year, they’re going to finish stone motherless last in the Big 12. It was a deplorable effort. Mack Brown will not be happy, and nor will Texas’ large fan base. This was a bad loss against a Cougars unit who lost to lowly Virginia last week. Seven days is obviously a long time in football.
Eminem: ugly interview at Michigan Stadium with Brent Musburger and Kirk Herbstreit coming out of half-time. There to promote his new single, the rapper looked confused and uninterested in the first part of the interview and made the second half awkward when he started over-heaping praise on Musburger. Throughout most of the exchange, Herbie looked like he wanted to laugh. I don’t know how he managed to keep it in. Train-wreck television.
South Carolina Coaches: Scuffling on the sideline? Really, guys? Just when you think you’ve seen everything. It was a bad look on television and the Gamecock Athletic Director could not have been happy. All in all, definitely not a good day to be associated with South Carolina Football. Should be a few interesting meetings with Steve Spurrier this week.
USC: The worst offensive showing of the weekend by a long way. The Trojans were inept from beginning to end, failing to score more than a solitary touchdown against the Cougars, whom no one has ever mistaken for being a defensive powerhouse. For mine, it’s as simple as this: a team with Marqise Lee as one of it’s starting receivers should never score only seven points, particularly not against a team not known for playing tough D. Southern Cal has so much to figure out and Lane Kiffin’s hot seat just because a furnace.
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