Don't look now, but Charles Scott may have decided to play football this season. It's too early to tell.
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Five Things Learned
1.) Teams should fear LSU
That’s right, the same team that barely escaped the withering grasp of Mississippi State and nearly handed Georgia a game that should have been easily won deserves the nation’s attention. Here’s the deal, LSU is winning ugly, but they’re winning. Sound familiar? It does to Oklahoma and Ohio State. LSU was nothing special on the stat sheet during their first title run of the BCS era that culminated in a smacking of the Sooners. And they lost two games in 2007 when they hammered Ohio State for the big trophy.
Well, here they are again. Winning with defense and and a nasty demeanor is apparently the LSU way. John Chavis has transformed a unit that was often embarrassed last season into a group that held an explosive Georgia team to less than 100 first half yards and only 13 total points. Jordan Jefferson is growing as an accurate passer. Brandon Lafell and Russell Sheppard are coming up with clutch plays, and Charles Scott may have found his groove. If the Alabama and Ole Miss games were in Baton Rouge you could probably pencil this team in for a Rose Bowl date in January. For now, the Florida game is in Tiger Stadium, and the winner takes the early lead for the national title. Each of the last three years, the winner of that game has gone on to hoist the crystal football.
2.) The nation is lacking elite teams
But can anyone really call LSU a top team with great confidence? How about Alabama? Texas? Even Florida? Not really. Texas has been pretty good against cupcakes, with a win over the Red Raiders highlighting the season. Texas Tech isn’t anything special no matter what Mike Leach would have you believe. Alabama still has some questions at QB, and the defense has been hole-punched slightly more than you’d like to see in a surefire title candidate. And Tennesse somehow found a way to make the Gators appear human. It’s like something out of the Island of Dr. Moreau.
So who is it? Where’s the badass 800 pound gorilla? Oklahoma has two losses and two key injuries. Miami folded their chances in Blacksburg to a team that already got spanked by Alabama. Oklahoma State had a shot, but Houston (who just lost to UTEP…) ended the hopes of Mike “man” Gundy’s squad. USC has looked very pedestrian to everyone outside of Pete Carrol’s boyfriend, Brent Musburger. Cal is done. Done. Penn State choked on Iowa. Ohio State choked on USC. The Big East is awful again, and anyone who thinks Cincinatti is the real deal should take a peek at last year’s Orange Bowl. Boise State for the title, anyone? Even the Broncos struggled with 1-3 Fresno State. It’s another year of perilous parity for college football.
3.) TCU is flying too far under the radar
TCU is good. Maybe I should have mentioned them in the previous blurb. But no one else seems to be, so why should I? How is this team getting less love than Boise? Oregon was absolutely awful in their trip to Idaho, so that shouldn’t be the excuse, even though the Ducks are flying high right now. TCU has played a soft schedule so far, but they do have two road wins over BCS competition. And by the way, they beat Boise last season. What’s the deal? Wasn’t the Mountain West supposed to be the premier non-BCS conference? Wasn’t the Broncos’ schedule supposed to keep them from surpassing the Horned Frogs?
I’m not trying to take away from Boise. They’re a great team, and they deserve the love they’re getting right now. But TCU deserves the same respect. Texas Christian is stuck at tenth in the AP Poll. Boise is sitting pretty at sixth. Take out both teams’ games against FCS competition, and TCU’s opponents are 5-8, while Boise’s are 6-13. Am I missing something? When did playing in a weaker conference with a weaker slate become more impressive than two wins over ACC teams on the road?
4.) Oklahoma is done
Yeah, that’s it. Sooners’ fans can sqwuak all they want about how beating Texas and finishing 10-2 would still be a great season, but it won’t be the same. They were supposed to have another shot at Florida. Now the only way that could happen would be for the Gators to drop a couple of games. It won’t happen. Oklahoma has played four games. They’ve lost half of them. Sorry, Stoops, the season is over.
Miami didn’t just beat you, they exposed you. That defensive line that was supposed to neutralize (yeah, I bought into that too) the Miami O line was lethargic, ineffective, and outmatched. The vicious ground game spearheaded by Demarco Murray and Chris Brown that was supposed to take the pressure off of Landry Jones was limp. Brown and Murray helped Oklahoma average a paltry 3.6 yards per rush. It’s not all the fault of the coaches or the players — it’s tough to lose a Heisman winner, the top TE in the country, and your top receiver. But there are big problems in Norman, and it starts with an absolutely awful offensive line. If I were Landry Jones, I’d buy a Kevlar flak jacket.
5.) Tennesse is as bad as we thought they were
Eric Berry can’t be in 22 places at once. He can’t rush the passer and throw the ball and run for ten yards and snare a touchdown pass and return kicks and play safety. And unfortunately, that hypothetical situation seems like the only thing that could save the Vols at this point. Lane Kiffin has deflated his team. His transparent mission to “just keep it close” against Florida drained the confidence of the squad that he had spent all offseason hyping. That’s bad coaching. And it showed.
In a game that could have turned the tide for Tennessee, the Vols were flat against an overrated Auburn team that had benefited from an easy schedule and a gift basket of turnovers from West Virginia up to this point. But Tennesse found a way to make them look good. Auburn is still Auburn, and they’re not devoid of talent or toughness, but this was Saturday night under the Neyland lights. I wouldn’t be surprised to see UT go 0-8 in the SEC this season. This was a big chance for them, and they folded. Jonathan Crompton might not start for a high school team at this point.
Top Three Individual Performances
1.) Charles Scott, RB, LSU
He’s back. At least for now. After following in the footsteps of so many great LSU backs (Alley Broussard, Justin Vincent, etc) and disappearing after a banner season, Charles Scott stopped the trend. His 95 yards and two touchdowns literally won the game for LSU in Athens. With the Tigers desperate for a trip to the endzone, Scott plunged in from two yards out and gave the Tigers the lead. When Georgia scored again and left LSU in an apparent lurch, Scott did it again. Jordan Jefferson pleaded with the coaches to put the ball in Scott’s hands, and the plea paid off. Scott broke through the tackles of three UGA players, including all-star linebacker Rennie Curran, and emerged from the pile for a 33 yard score that iced the game and kept LSU’s title hopes alive.
2.) Jacory Harris, QB, Miami
He folded in Blacksburg. Wasn’t entirely his fault, but it was true. Then came his second chance. A bigger game against a supposedly better opponent. But this time, Harris was at home and he was on a mission. It ended in failure on his first two drives. Both Miami possessions ended in awkwardly overthrown interceptions which led to a 10-0 Oklahoma lead. From that point on, Harris was a different person — the same person who had played in wins over Georgia Tech and FSU. After the final pick, the sophomore went 17/24 for 198 yards and three TDs. It was a maturation moment witnessed by the entire country. I don’t mind eating some crow here. I didn’t believe in Harris after the first three weeks. I believe in him now.
3.) Patrick Peterson, CB, LSU
Talk about a tall order, literally. The 6-01 Peterson was asked to cover the 6-04 AJ Green. The same receiver who had been garnering dark horse Heisman consideration after starting the season with 25 catches for 328 yards and three touchdowns. But Peterson held him in check. The battle of supreme sophomores tilted to the defensive side overall, though Green did make a play or two. Against Peterson he caught only two balls for 31 yards. The other three catches, 68 yards, and one amazing score came against zone coverage. No word on why the Tigers took Peterson off of Green late in the game, but Peterson did his job. He may be the best cornerback in the country. We’ll find out Saturday night when LSU takes on Florida in Baton Rouge.
Top Three Worst Performances
1.) Oklahoma Defensive Line
I don’t even want to talk about this, but I will. Even with Sam Bradford, Jermaine Gresham, and Ryan Broyles banged up, Oklahoma was still supposed to dominate the line of scrimmage, much like Virginia Tech had done, on the defensive side of the ball. Jacory Harris was supposed to be sacked on numerous occasions, the ground game was supposed to come to a screeching halt, and Oklahoma was supposed to gut out a big win and get back in the title picture. Didn’t happen. The Miami O line abused the big names for 140 yards on the ground (150 by Javarris James alone) and all the time in the world for Jacory Harris when he needed it. Sure, he was sacked four times, but it was the inability to stop James on the ground that buried the Sooners.
2.) California’s Entire Team
Wow, what a difference two weeks makes. First Oregon, and now USC stomps all over the bears. At least the Oregon game was on the road. This was a homestand whitewashing. That’s not supposed to happen. Jahvid Best isn’t supposed to be kept out of the endzone two weeks in a row. Worse still, the entire team isn’t supposed to be kept out of the endzone two weeks in a row. Not when Jeff Tedford is the coach, an experienced junior is the quarterback, and the running back scored five times prior to the offensive blackout. Cal is no longer a top five team. They’re no longer a top 25 team. They’ll probably have to win another three games before jumping back into the polls, and with an offense that hasn’t managed a touchdown in 14 days that’s no sure thing.
3.) TJ Yates, QB, North Carolina
I was high on Yates all offseason. I thought the offensive line would be good enough to allow him time to mesh with the new receivers. I thought that the ground game would pick up just enough to create space for Yates. I was right for a while, but since the Connecticut game, UNC has been a different team offensively. Since that stolen win, Yates has three TDs and four INTs. He’s twice gone under the 140 yard passing mark. And his team is on a two-game losing streak to two struggling teams with a combined 10 points against them. Yates topped it all of on Saturday with a loss to previously winless Virginia with 135 yards, two picks, zero scores, and a 3.8 yards per attempt average.
Heisman Barometer
1.) Tim Tebow, QB, Florida
He benefited from the bye week. Had he missed a game with that concussion, he might have slipped a bit. But he’s still Tim Tebow, he’s still putting up the touchdowns, and his team is still undefeated. For now, he’s the frontrunner by default. A win over LSU in Baton Rouge could re-energize his camapaign.
Week 5 Stats: Bye
2.) Jimmy Clausen, QB, Notre Dame
He just won’t go away. Despite turf toe and pouring rain, Jimmy Clause still delivered. He’s got the best stat line in the country for a BCS quarterback, and he’s pulling his team out of holes that prior Irish teams would have drowned in. Notre Dame is dangerous again, and it all starts with Clausen.
Week 5 Stats: 23/31 422 yards 2 TD 1 INT, 8 carries -32 yards
3.) Jacory Harris, QB, Miami
He’s back too. Harris was wiped from this list after a poor performance in a loss to Virginia Tech, but he rebounded in a big way. His second half against OU was a microcosm for his season. Despite rugged starts, he’s coming through in a big way for his team. Beating OU was a signature moment for Harris.
Week 5 Stats: 19/28 202 yards 3 TD 2 INT, 4 carries -30 yards
4.) Colt McCoy, QB, Texas
The two preseason frontrunners both benefited from bye weeks, and they both stand pat for now. McCoy hasn’t been bad this year, not at all, but somehow his performances are lacking a certain media-grabbing quality that everyone was expecting. Still, hard to fault a guy for completing over 70% of his passes and tossing nine TDs over four games.
Week 5 Stats: Bye
5.) Eric Decker, WR, Minnesota
I don’t care that he has no chance to actually win the award. I don’t care that receivers are an afterthought. And I don’t care that Minnesota is no place for a Heisman candidate to call home. Decker is the most consistently uncoverable wideout in the country, and he is single handedly making the Golden Gophers an interesting team. He hasn’t caught fewer than eight passes in a single game this season.
Week 5 Stats: 8 catches 140 yards 1 TD
Surprise Freshman/Tate Forcier Award
Matt Barkley, QB, USC
Weak week for freshmen. Maybe I’m overlooking someone, but with Tate Forcier dropping his first game, and Ryan Williams beating lowly Duke, I’m giving it to Barkley. The freshman didn’t light the stat sheet on fire, but he was good. He went on the road against a team with a chip on its shoulder and delivered. Stafon Johnson was gone, and Barkley picked up the offensive slack. I still don’t think USC beats Washington with Barkley in the lineup, but I’m starting to come around, just a little bit. Barkley finished 20/35 for 283 yards and one lonely INT, but he kept the chains moving, and more importantly kept Jahvid Best off the field. If USC’s defense can keep it up, the Trojans may move back into the national title picture as they watch their QB grow up.
Surprise Team
UTEP Miners
Again, it was a strange week. No major upsets really. But the biggest one had to be UTEP knocking off 12th ranked Houston. Trevor Vittatoe finally showed up, and the Miners’ offense hung 58 points on a Houston defense that had managed to keep Oklahoma State and Texas Tech in check. Running back Donald Buckram ran for a career-high 262 yards and four touchdowns. Texas El Paso held on to the ball and took advantage of two Houston fumbles to ice the highest-ranked opponent to fall on Saturday. Case Keenum’s career day (76 pass attempts, 536 yards, 5 TDs) wasn’t enough to knock Mike Price’s team off in the conference opener for both squads.
Play of the Week
Jacory Harris had them all. Pick one. After opening the game with two bonehead interceptions, Harris stepped up and led his team to 21 points. All three scores came through the air, and all three proved that Harris belongs among the nation’s elite quarterbacks NOW. Not next year, not when he’s a senior, but now. It’s tough to select a favorite, but I’ll go with the last one. Harris hit Travis Benjamin for a 38 yard strike with 6:54 left in the third quarter and put the game away. Sure, it was early, but Harris’ pass gave the Canes an 11-point lead and capped off a run of 21 unanswered. It proved to be too much for Oklahoma to overcome, and Miami walked away from Landshark Stadium with a 3-1 record through the toughest opening stretch in college football.
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