Things that lived up to expectations on a Saturday night I’d been looking forward to for three weeks:
1. The salmon burger with chipotle mayo that I made.
2. My ability to avoid commercials and be sure there was action on the screen at all times.
3. Oregon’s offense.
To list the things that did not live up to expectations would fill this screen. There was Clemson’s defense and LSU’s offense and Denard Robinson and my wife, who found the only channel on cable that was not showing football and watched an infomercial while I grilled. I don’t know who I married.
At any rate, it was still a great way to spend a Saturday night. At one point, it felt like there was too much college football to digest, but as we all know there is never too much.
THE NOT-READY-FOR-PRIME-TIME
COLLEGE FOOTBALL TOP 25
1. Alabama: The Tide continued to roll through lesser opponents.
2. Oregon: The Ducks jump up to this spot after destroying Arizona.
3. Florida State: While the defense was shaky, this was a huge win for Jimbo Fisher.
4. LSU: Not very impressive at Auburn, but got the win.
5. Georgia: Bulldogs may be the real deal.
6. South Carolina: Connor Shaw’s shoulder must be just fine.
7. Kansas State: To go win like that over Oklahoma showed something.
8. West Virginia: Surprised Mountaineers struggled so much against Maryland.
9. Notre Dame: The Irish defense is one of the stories of this season.
10. Florida: The Gators are the only team who are 3-0 in conference play.
11. Ohio State: Another win that was less than impressive.
12. Texas: Longhorns get a test this week with Okie State.
13. Stanford: You get to see the Cardinal on Thursday night.
14. Oregon State: Two games, two wins over ranked teams.
15. Southern Cal: Seeing Lane Kiffin angry made my week.
16. Louisville: Cards struggled with FIU in a revenge game.
17. Oklahoma: Another year with no cigar for Bob Stoops.
18. TCU: Horned Frogs have their schedule in front of them.
19. Oklahoma State: Let’s see what the Cowboys have this week.
20. Clemson: That won’t be the last loss with such an awful defense.
21. Nebraska: Scored 73 points despite three turnovers.
22. Rutgers: Never thought they’d be in this top 25, but here they are.
23. Michigan State: Big game for Sparty this week.
24. Mississippi State: Bulldogs are off this week before tackling meat of their schedule.
25. Virginia Tech: Somebody has to be No. 25.
THE SEC FOUR-PACK
1. You had to feel for Morgan Newton, who has been practicing mostly as an H-back this year, but was pressed into service when Max Smith couldn’t go for Kentucky. Newton was hyped up when he chose Kentucky, but it hasn’t worked out. “Over a career, it seems like inopportune, a lot of things,” Newton said. “It’s just bad timing, bad situations, bad circumstances. It just has been tough, and it makes me look like a lot worse player than I probably am.”
2. OK, raise your hand if you fell for Vanderbilt this summer. Yep, me too. I thought this was a different Vandy team after last year and even when they lost a tight game to South Carolina to open the season they looked like a solid football team. But the Commodores are 1-3 and were dismantled by Georgia. It’s funny how you look at Florida’s schedule one way in August and by October it’s changed. LSU looks beatable and that trip to Nashville doesn’t look as difficult.
3. Also at 1-3 are Arkansas and Auburn and they got there in different ways Saturday night. Arkansas’ defense continues to be awful and the Razorbacks wasted 303 receiving yards by Cobi Hamilton. Auburn showed some backbone in a tough loss to LSU. Maybe Gene Chizik can turn it around, especially with a manageable schedule in October. I know John L. Smith won’t.
4. We talked a lot about Zach Mettenberger in the summer and how he would add a missing element to LSU’s offense. But Saturday night I saw a plodding quarterback who looked wide-eyed on the plains of Auburn. Why LSU insists on rolling him out is beyond me. He looks like he’s running in mud and isn’t accurate on the run. That’s what I saw anyway.
Still having concerns about the O line and D line, KY pressured our QB more than we did theirs, gotta make giant improvements for LSU; too many holes in that O line. Yea, I know Easley was out and R. Powell is done for the year, but someone needs to step up and make a name for themselves on D, do you hear me S. Floyd? John Bostic?
All in all, a good start to the year, but we’ve seen this before. Feeling a little optimistic after watching LSU only hang 12 on a weak Auburn defense. And speaking of defense, hey FSU fans, what happened to that great defense you always speak of, yea you won the game, but DAMN, give up 37 points in the process? You’re fortunate you weren’t playing Bama or LSU.
Re FSU and Clemzin: Can anyone tackle in the ACC? My gosh, I have seen better tackling out of the Buchtholz linebackers.
Why on earth is OSU ranked so high?
Hey, Rooferman “can anyone tackle in the ACC?” did you even watch the Florida-Tennessee game? Tennessee played as though they had never hear the word tackle.
I don’t care if any of them tackle as long as the Gators D shows up and we get the W when we face them. FSU can be undefeated for all I care. Gator finishing strong with a Win in Dec. is all I am after.
This Florida team deserves ‘props’ for the huge difference a year has made, so far. I get that this is ‘still a work in progress’, but it’s nice to see the work paying off!
However, I cannot see Oregon at #2 in the rankings, Pat…what is up with the Media always becoming so enamored with ‘mirrored helmets’ and 2,789 uniform combos? I am WACK against the Quack! Show me a win against a better team (than a re-building Arizona), say USC by 3 TDs, and I will ‘tip my hat’ to them then!
Gator fans need to remain cautiously optimistic. We still have a little ways to go, before we are ready to knock Bamer off their perch!
Enjoying the growth and development of this team, and it’s nice to see some playmakers emerge on Offense. I expect more from our big, experienced D-Line, but you gotta love Morrison and Taylor at LB. I would love to beat LSU and The Hat, but GA and SC are more important. Dare we hope to win 2 of those 3? Could easily go 0-3, but we are rising. Go Gators! (BTW, there’s no “T” in Buchholz.)
Got to get past these injuries, though.
Florida is coming into it’s own. We will just get better as the year progresses. The Offense is finally producing and once the Defense gets healthy again look out.
We really have a shot at LSU in two weeks because they have a lot of injuries at the moment and their offense is one dimensional. Mettenberger is an upgrade but he is green…looks lost at times.
If Driskel plays well and we run the ball effectively then we will win. I would take the run away from LSU and make Mettenberger beat my defense in the Swamp.
Nice call on the Salmon Burger.
That’ll be LSU’s plan too. Take the run away and make Driskel beat them. Hopefully a running QB and better kicking game can be enough to squeeze one out.