Week 5

Week 5

Results of Last Week's Games to Watch

1. Minnesota Golden Gophers @ Michigan Wolverines

Final score: Minnesota 30 Michigan 14

Michigan's recent poor performances have led to a decrease in attendance at the Big House and it showed Saturday.  But boos could still be heard as the Wolverines were soundly defeated by Big Ten rival Minnesota.  Michigan had no answer for the Gophers' run-heavy offense, throwing a pick 6 (interception return for a TD) on one ill-fated drive.  The head coach of Michigan, Brady Hoke, had better start looking for another job.  And soon! 

2. Missouri Tigers @ South Carolina Gamecocks

Final Score: Missouri 21 South Carolina 20

(I have NO idea what that trophy is.  I didn't even know this was considered a rivalry game.  Could it be the Columbia Cup because both universities are located in a city called Columbia?)

This game seemed to be all locked up for the Gamecocks as they led 20-7 midway through the 4th quarter.  But the Tigers were as fierce as ever, scoring on a 1 yard touchdown run by running back Russell Hansborough on each of their next 2 drives.  With only a minute and a half left and needing a field goal to win it, South Carolina could not pull it off and lost in front of a packed crowd.  I didn't expect this after Missouri's perplexing loss to Indiana, but you just can never tell if a team can bounce back with an upset victory.

Top 2 Exciting Games of the Week

1.  Tennessee Volunteers @ Georgia Bulldogs

Tennessee's team name came from the large number of soldiers their state fielded for the Confederacy during the Civil War: a storied tradition that has not been lived up to in recent years.  Fortunately, Tennessee is one of three SEC programs, including Arkansas and Kentucky, that are showing signs of improvement.  However, they would have to play well to come away with a victory between the hedges (between the seats and the field is a ring of hedges at Georgia's stadium).  However, it was not looking very good in the 4th quarter for Tennessee when Georgia star running back and Heisman candidate Todd Gurley bolted up the middle of the Volunteers defense for a 51 yard touchdown, giving the Bulldogs a 28-17 lead. 

Sounding the bugle call, the Volunteers redoubled their efforts, and put together a drive that ended in a 31 yard TD pass from QB Justin Worley.  Needing a 2 point conversion to get within 3, Worley threw a crisp pass to his tight end Daniel Helm and before you knew it the score was 35-32.  Then the Tennessee defense began pulling their weight and forced Georgia to punt on their ensuing drive. However, Georgia downed the punt deep in Tennessee territory.  In the shadow of his own goal posts, running back Jalen Hurd mishandled the handoff and the ball bounced onto the turf.  It was kicked backwards, and a Georgia defender dove onto the ball in the endzone for the easy score. (35-25 Georgia lead)

After shooting themselves in the foot, the Volunteer offense would have to score 10 points in the last 4 1/2 minutes of play to force overtime.  Tennessee went as fast as they could, marched down the field in 2 minutes, and got back within 3 thanks to another TD pass from Worley.  With just over 2 minutes left, Tennessee would have to go for the onside kick.  They lined up a small wall of players on one side of the field and a bigger one on the other, and Georgia had no idea which way the kicker would bounce the ball.  In a bit of trickery, the kicker booted the ball toward the smaller group, but Georgia still came up with the ball.  The Bulldogs simply ran out the clock and coasted to a slim victory.  Unfortunately, Tennessee has now lost 21 straight road games against ranked opponents.

Final Score: Georgia 35 Tennessee 32

2.  Arkansas Razorbacks (Wild Boars) vs. Texas A&M Aggies (This is a common team name at "Ag" or agriculture schools)

This intriguing SEC matchup was played in imposing Dallas Cowboys stadium: the best venue in all of football.

This game was slated to be an offensive battle between Texas A&M's electric passing attack fueled by QB Kenny Hill and Arkansas' powerful rushing attack behind an offensive line with a heavier average weight than many NFL teams.  Hill got off to a slower than usual start and his Aggies found themselves down by 14 to 21 at the half.  The first drive of the second half for Texas A&M was unproductive, resulting in a punt.  Arkansas went to work running the ball and capped off the drive with a touchdown on a play-action (fake hand-off) pass.  A two touchdown lead for the Razorbacks and they were feeling happier than boars in a mud pit. 

Then late in the third quarter, Arkansas had a chance to put it away.  Strong running back Jonathan Williams busted up the middle for a 50+ yard gain down to the Aggies 1 yard line.  Hold the phone! A Razorbacks offensive linemen was called for a personal foul and the run was erased.  3 plays later, Arkansas had to punt and the punter booted the ball to the Aggies' 14 yard line.  Then, on the very next play Kenny Hill and his receiving core ignited their faithful fans with a 86 yard touchdown reception.  The Aggies were back in it and within a touchdown. (28-21)  The next 3 drives were inconsequential as neither offense could hit their stride.  Then with just under 3 minutes to play, Arkansas needed to get only one more first down to run out the clock and walk away with a win.  But they couldn't put the nail in the coffin and had to settle for a field goal attempt, which, if made, would also do the trick.  Razorbacks kicker John Henson sighted in the target, but his foot failed him and the 44 yard try veered far to the left and fell harmlessly (hopefully) into the crowd.  The year of the missed field goal continues.

Two plays later, the Aggies again made the Razorbacks pay dearly for a mistake and scored a 59 yard touchdown through the air.  Soon it was overtime and Texas A&M got the ball first at their opponents 25 yard line before Arkansas would have their chance.  On the first play of overtime, Hill looked left then fired another dazzling pass into the waiting arms of receiver Malcolm Kennedy for a 25 yard TD.  Now it was Arkansas' turn to play from behind and they were as afraid as boars in the crosshairs of a hillbilly's shotgun.  Their trusting running game failed them on first and second down and they had to pass on third down, which set up a last chance 4th and 2 play.  The Aggies were ready though. The defensive line broke through the heavy lineman in front of them and the Razorbacks running back was swarmed in the backfield and stopped cold!  Mark another win for the Aggies, who might just beat Alabama in a few weeks.  Unless Ole Miss can beat them first... 

Final Score: Texas A&M 35 Arkansas 28 (OT)

Top 4 Games to Watch: Week 6

1. No. 3 Alabama Crimson Tide @ No. 11 Ole Miss (Mississippi) Rebels: 10/4 at 3:30 p.m. on CBS

This important game will be the site for the College Gameday pregame show and looks to be a thrilling game.  Ole Miss has a real shot to beat that overrated Alabama team, which I would love to see happen.  The Rebels have a great defense but their offense needs to start producing consistent drives early in the game to be able to pull off the upset at home.  And don't worry, Alabama has 5 tough games left on their schedule and they are highly unlikely to win them all :) 

My pick: Ole Miss.  No surprise there!

2. No. 15 LSU Tigers @ No. 5 Auburn Tigers: 10/4 at 7 p.m. on ESPN

This battle between 2 teams of ferocious Tigers should be an exciting one.  After last week's game against New Mexico State, LSU has given the starting quarterback job to Brandon Harris as he played far better than the original starter Anthony Jennings in the game.  Harris better be ready to play because he will be facing Tigers both in the stands and on the field who will be out for blood in Auburn's Jordan-Hare Stadium.

My pick: Auburn

3.  No. 14 Stanford Cardinal @ No. 9 Notre Dame Fighting Irish: 10/4 at 3:30 p.m. on NBC

Will Notre Dame quarterback Everett Golson continue his Heisman trophy worthy winning ways and guide his team to a victory against a hard-nosed opponent?  Or will Stanford give us a taste of old-school football and carve out a win with their tough defense and their unrelenting run game?

My pick: Notre Dame

4.  No. 4 Oklahoma Sooners (think the first wave of pioneers trekking across the plains in covered wagons) @ No. 25 Texas Christian University (TCU) Horned Frogs

Will the balanced offense and determined defense of Oklahoma get them a comfortable win or will TCU's talented defense get the upper hand and provide their offense with a chance to win the game in front of a hopeful home crowd?

My Pick: TCU 

Week 4

Week 4

Results of Last Week's Games to Watch

1. Auburn Tigers @ Kansas State Wildcats

Final Score Auburn 20 Kansas State 14

This game was a lot sloppier than I had expected, especially on the side of Kansas State.  They had 3 turnovers in the game and missed 3 field goals.  Auburn was better, but their potent offense struggled to put points on the board, managing only twenty.  The hero of the game for the Tigers was quarterback Nick Marshall whose two crucial touchdown passes were the key to the victory.  With a tough SEC schedule looming ahead of them, Auburn better use this game as a learning experience. They will have to play better or their conference schedule will chew them up and spit them out.

2.  North Carolina Tar Heels @ East Carolina Pirates

Final Score: East Carolina 70 North Carolina 41

You must all be thinking: "70 points, really!"  Yep it's no typo.  The Pirates blew apart the Tar Heels defense with relentless cannon blasts that left their opponents' hopes of winning in splinters.  East Carolina quarterback Shane Carden threw for 438 yards and four touchdowns and his stellar performance leads me to say he is arguably one of the best QB's so far this year.  The running game for the Pirates was just as spectacular as running back Breon Allen ran for over 200 yards and two scores (TD's).  With apologies to any North Carolina fans I might know, East Carolina is now the best football program in the state of North Carolina.    

Top 2 Most Exciting Games of the Week

1.  California (Cal) Golden Bears @ Arizona Wildcats

This battle out West looked to be a fun game to watch as each team featured a high-powered passing attack, and it certainly didn't disappoint.  At the end of the third quarter, however, the stadium 3/4 full of Arizona fans was mostly quiet, as their Wildcats were down by 18 points: 31-13.  But Arizona QB Anu Solomon and his offense refused to quit.  They scored 10 points within the 1st minute and 1/2 of the final quarter, bringing it to a 8 point or 1 possession game.  (Remember teams can go for a 2 point conversion instead of the extra point)  California's offense wasn't done either, scoring on a 50 yard TD run, and another touchdown drive after Arizona brought themselves back to within 8.  So now the score was California 45 Arizona 30 with only 5 minutes remaining, making the game appear out of reach for the Wildcats.

However, Arizona was determined to not go down without a fight.  The Wildcats completed yet another touchdown drive in just under two minutes (45-38).  They then attempted an onside kick, where the kicker must kick the ball at least ten yards before his team can recover the ball, very hard to do when the opposing team is expecting it.  The ball bounces high into the air and Arizona comes down with the ball.  The fans cheer loudly as their team still has a chance.  Arizona scores again with lightning speed under a minute later bringing them to within 2 points: 45-43.  The Wildcats line up for a 2 point to potentially tie the game.  But the opportunity slipped through their fingers as the pass from Solomon was deflected in the endzone, with only 2 and 1/2 minutes left on the clock.

There can't possibly be anymore chances left, right!  Wrong!  Thanks to Arizona's remaining timeouts and their determined defense, they hold Cal to a 47 yard field goal attempt.  Golden Bears Kicker James Langford boots the ball with all his might but it sails wide left.  The Wildcats had been given one final chance, with under a minute to go.  Unfortunately, the Wildcats get called for a costly 15 yard offensive pass interference.  They still somehow manage to convert a 4th down play and spike the ball with 5 seconds left on the Cal 47 yard line.  A Hail Mary pass into the endzone was their only hope.  With no time left quarterback Anu Solomon heaves the ball into the endzone, and receiver Austin Hill, surrounded by 4 Cal defenders, jumps up and comes down with a miraculous touchdown catch!!!!  The whole team streams onto the field, sprinting into the endzone to congratulate Hill and celebrate the heroic victory.

50 points total were scored in the final quarter, the most I have ever heard of.  Wildest 4th quarter ever!

Final score Arizona 49 California 45

2.  Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets @ Virginia Tech Hokies (Their mascot is a bird the gobbles, so I guess this means turkeys)

This battle of the Techs was a hidden gem of a game with much meaning for both teams.  Virginia Tech was coming off of an upset loss at home to East Carolina and Georgia Tech was trying to remain unbeaten.  Fast forward to the middle of the 4th quarter.  Virginia Tech quarterback Michael Brewer has just thrown an interception that was returned for a touchdown, giving Georgia Tech a 17-16 lead.  Brewer responds by leading his team into Yellow Jackets' territory with some accurate short passes.  On the next play, Brewer hands the ball off to his running back who makes it past the 1st down marker, but gets hit and fumbles the ball.  A Georgia Tech defender attempts to jump on the loose ball but it slips out of his fingers and lands right next to Brewer who had been following the play closely.  He simply picks it up, sprints as fast as he can, and dives over a defender for a touchdown.  Virginia Tech goes for 2 and Brewer completes a pass to his tight end Bucky Hodges to give his team a 7 point lead: 24-17.

 With the situation getting desperate, Georgia Tech switches gears offensively to their seldom used passing game instead of their usual triple-option rushing attack.  They convert 2 key fourth downs en route to a touchdown pass by Justin Thomas to reliable target DeAndre Smelter.  The game is now tied at 24 with 2 minutes left, but instead of wisely running the ball and playing for overtime, Virginia Tech coaches go for the win.  They call a passing play, putting the ball in the hands of Brewer, who had already thrown 2 interceptions.  Sure enough, Brewer throws the ball into tight coverage, and the Yellow Jackets come away with another interception.  

Taking over at midfield, Georgia Tech takes control, running and passing the ball deep into Virginia Tech territory all the way to the 7 yard line and calls a timeout with 3 seconds remaining.  Yellow Jackets kicker Harrison Butker gets set for a 24 yard glorified extra point, and knocks it through for the win.  The Yellow Jackets swarm the field and celebrate the victory, while some form a dog pile on top of the kicker. Virginia Tech fans are distraught, having witnessed two upset losses at home in a row.  

Final score: Georgia Tech 27 Virginia Tech 24

Top 2 Games to Watch: Week 5

1.  Minnesota Golden Gophers @ Michigan Wolverines: 9/27 at 3:30 p.m. on ABC or ESPN 2

This matchup between teams both named after short four-legged critters is a must-win for Michigan. The Wolverines' prospects for this season are even worse than when I last wrote about their blowout loss to Notre Dame 2 weeks ago.  This last weekend they lost at home to Utah 26-10 giving the lower than usual number fans who filed into their stadium, nicknamed the Big House, little to cheer about. Michigan better get back on track soon or their coach's job security will be called into question even more.  However, Minnesota comes into town with a solid rushing attack.  So, which team will hold their helmets high at the end of the day?

2.  Missouri Tigers @ No. 13 South Carolina Gamecocks: 9/27 at 7 p.m. on ESPN

This game has lost some of its potential luster after Missouri's shocking loss at home to the usually underwhelming Indiana Hoosiers.  However, the nation's premier pregame show College Gameday will be there.  (Catch it every Saturday at 9 a.m to 12 p.m. on ESPN.  Don't miss the tradition that made this show famous: former coach Lee Corso puts on the mascot's headgear of the team he picks to win.)  Anyway, will Missouri manage a bounce-back win or will famed head coach Steve Spurrier lead South Carolina to another SEC win?

Week 3

Week 3: The Week of the Upset

Results of Last Week's Games to Watch

1. Georgia Bulldogs @ South Carolina Gamecocks

Final Score: South Carolina 38 Georgia 35

The result of this game is very surprising considering the Gamecock defense's horrible showing against Texas A&M in Week 1 when they gave up over 450 yards.  The game was a definite shootout as the teams racked up a total of 37 points in the first half alone.  In the second half, every time South Carolina went up by 10 or more points, Georgia kept pace and scored a touchdown of their own. After a South Carolina punt, Georgia had an opportunity to take the lead late in the game.  However, they could not punch it into the endzone and had to settle for a chance to tie with a field goal.  With rain coming down, the Georgia kicker got ready to kick an easy 27 yard field goal, and MISSED it wide to the right!  South Carolina then proceeded to run the clock out to win the game.  Sucks to be that kicker.

2. Louisville Cardinals @ Virginia Cavaliers

Final Score: Virginia 23 Louisville 21

Virginia quarterback Grayson Lambert's 1 rushing touchdown and 1 passing touchdown had his team thinking upset.  The Cavaliers had the lead for most of the game, until midway through the fourth quarter when a roughing the passer penalty (thanks to a Virginia linebacker's dumb move) negated an interception and extended a Louisville drive that resulted in a touchdown. (Score: 21-20)  Then the Cavaliers had to punt on the next drive. The Cardinals' punt returner  was in a perfect position to make the catch, but dropped the ball and it was recovered by the Cavaliers.  However, the Virginia offense had to settle for a 42 yard field goal attempt after sputtering on the next three plays.  But it was well within kicker Ian Frye's range and he booted it through, with 3 minutes left on the clock  The Virginia defense held and the Cavaliers walked away with the victory: a great win for a program that had struggled mightily in recent years.  

Top 2 Most Exciting Games of the Week

1. Kentucky Wildcats @ Florida Gators

The one number that was being repeated many times prior to the game was 1979, which was the most recent year the Wildcats beat the Gators at the Swamp.  They made a run at ending that streak Saturday night under the lights at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.

Jump to late in the fourth quarter, Kentucky is lining up for a 46 yard field goal.  Unfortunately, they get called for a false start and have to back up five yards.  But the Kentucky kicker has cold water in his veins and makes it anyway, evening the score at 20.  Florida has just enough time to drive down the field to attempt a game winning 52 yard field goal.  However, Gators kicker Austin Hardin is not as fearless as his counterpart across the field and he misses wide right.  Overtime here we come.

In college football each team gets a chance to score starting at their opponents 25 yard line. Consequently, overtime can last awhile, which is what happened in this game.  In the first overtime, Kentucky gets the ball first, and proceeds to score a touchdown, meaning Florida HAS to score a touchdown to keep the game going.  However, Florida soon finds themselves backed into a corner, having to convert a 4th and 9 to stay alive.  Thankfully, the Gators had an answer.  Quarterback Jeff Driskel fired a pass to reliable target Demarcus Robinson for a touchdown.  Overtime # 2 coming up.

In the second overtime both teams settled for field goals, bringing the score to 30 apiece.  Then the Gators' defense snaps their jaws shut, shutting down the Wildcats' offense thanks to great play by the defensive line and a superb play by defensive back Brian Poole in the endzone.  This time the Kentucky kicker is out of gas, and misses the 42 yarder.  Sensing a victory, the Gators step on the gas and work their way down to the 1 yard line.  On the next play, running back Matt Jones forces his way into the endzone and the Gators celebrate a hard fought victory.  Florida fans everywhere breathe a sigh of relief as their team avoids an embarrassing loss.

Final score: Florida 36 Kentucky 30 (3OT)

2.  West Virginia Mountaineers @ Maryland Terrapins (another name for a turtle)

Maryland had excellent uniforms but that couldn't help them during the first quarter and a half of play, as they found themselves bring beaten handily 28 to 6.  Then their offense and defense woke up, leading to 21 unanswered points from the middle of the second to early in the third quarter. (Score West Virginia 28-27)  Then the Mountaineers fired a volley, netting nine points on a safety and a touchdown, giving themselves a 10 point 37-27 lead.  However, the Terrapins would not give up, racking up 10 more unanswered points.  However, West Virginia quarterback Clint Trickett and his offense weren't done, marching down the field to set up a game winning 47 yard field goal with only seconds left.  Kicker Josh Lambert knocks it through easily and the Mountaineers fired their muskets off in celebration.

Final Score: West Virginia 40 Maryland 37

Top 2 Games to Watch: Week 4

1. No. 5 Auburn Tigers @ No. 20 Kansas State Wildcats: 9/18 at 7:30 p.m. on ESPN

 

Will the Tigers maul the Wildcats with their dangerous read-option offense or will Kansas State's dynamic quarterback-receiver duo of Jake Waters and Tyler Lockett light up the scoreboard?

2. North Carolina Tar Heels @ East Carolina Pirates: 9/20 at 3:30 p.m. on ESPNU

The Pirates return for a home game after their upset of 17th ranked Virginia Tech on the road.  Their program is on the rise and, with senior quarterback Shane Carden at the helm, they look to continue to successfully raid the ports of ACC teams against long time ACC program North Carolina.  On the other hand, North Carolina is coming off an exciting win against San Diego State two weeks ago. Can the Tar Heels go into hostile territory and return home victors?

Week 2

Week 2

Results of Last Week's Top 2 Games to Watch

1. Oregon Ducks vs. Michigan State Spartans

Final score: Oregon 46 Michigan State 27

At halftime, Oregon was down by 6: 18-24.  However, in the second half the Oregon defense started to clamp down, and only gave up 3 points.  The Ducks' offense kept flapping along and flew through the Spartans defense on their way to 4 second half touchdowns.  After this big win, I would now have to say they are men with a unique and awesome sense of style.

2. Notre Dame Fighting Irish vs. Michigan Wolverines

Final score: Notre Dame 31 Michigan 0

In this shutout victory, quarterback Everett Golson had an exceptional game, finishing with 3 touchdown passes.  This is the first time since 1984 that Michigan has been shutout and the first shutout in this rivalry's history.  Notre Dame will have the last laugh for a while at least as this is the last currently scheduled meeting between these two football powerhouses.  They have been playing on and off since 1887 for a total of 42 games.  However, the loss of this rivalry is not as bad as some would bemoan, because this isn't the biggest rivalry game for either team.

Top Two Most Exciting Games of the Week 

1. San Diego State Aztecs @ North Carolina Tar Heels

First off, I'm sure you're all wondering what a Tar Heel is.  The name comes from a story from the Revolutionary War.  British soldiers waded across a river and when they reached the other side they found tar covering their feet.  Some believe that a bunch of inventive North Carolinians dumped some pine tar, which was their most important export at the time, into the river to slow down the Redcoats.  The British said that if you went to North Carolina you would get tar on your heels.

Back to football, the first score of the game came by way of a Sportscenter worthy 100 yard interception return for a touchdown by North Carolina.  But early in the 4th quarter the Tar Heels found themselves down by 10 points.  North Carolina needed a touchdown drive desperately and they came up big.  Quarterback Marquise Williams threw a perfect pass and his receiver Mack Hollins caught it in stride and raced down the field for a 91 yard touchdown.  The mass of fans wearing light and dark blue were jumping for joy.

The North Carolina defense did their job on the ensuing San Diego State drive, holding them to a field goal.  The Tar Heels offense kept scampering forward, scoring 10 points on their next 2 drives, giving them a 4 points lead with 4 minutes left: 31-27.  The Aztecs needed a touchdown to win. They fought their way down the field to set up 1st and Goal at the 2 yard line.  But with a mighty kick, the Tar Heels stopped Aztecs' running back for a loss back at the 5 yard line.  So, San Diego State decided to try another short pass at the goal line which didn't work out so well in the 1st quarter. And just as before, the pass failed to reach the intended target and was intercepted in the endzone, which sealed the victory and sent the North Carolina faithful into a frenzy.  I guess the raiding party of Aztec warriors could not avoid getting tar on their heels.

2. USC Trojans @ Stanford Cardinal (yes there's no "s" because it refers to the color)

This game was anything but flashy as this in-state battle was knotted at 10 at the beginning of the final quarter of play.  The USC sideline was an unlikely source of excitement as the head coach was called for a 5 yard delay of game and 15 yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalties for arguing with the referees.  Someone needed to take a chill pill that day!  Fortunately for him, his antics didn't hurt his team much.  

With 5 minutes left the Trojans fought like warriors defending their city (think Homer's The Iliad) against the tough Stanford defense and got to the Cardinal's 35 yard line.  Like a reliable catapult, USC kicker Andre Heidari fired the ball threw the uprights for a 53 yard field goal.  That's all the Trojans needed as they held on for a 13-10 victory.  This victory was nearly identical to USC's win last year over Stanford with a late field goal.  I can't imagine how frustrating it is as a player to lose by a field goal to the same team two years in a row.  Boy, that burns.  

Top Two Games to Watch: Week 3

1. No. 6 Georgia Bulldogs @ No. 24 South Carolina Gamecocks (think fighting roosters): Saturday 9/13 at 3:30 p.m. on CBS

This game is the only top 25 matchup this week and is the second ranked opponent for both teams. Will the Bulldogs chew through their opponents defense like they did against Clemson, or will South Carolina's defense have learned something from their shellacking at the hands of Texas A&M in Week 1 and play for an upset in front of their home crowd?

2. No. 21 Louisville Cardinals @ Virginia Cavaliers

Will Louisville continue their winning ways against conference foes in their first year in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) or can Virginia manage a much needed win with their fans around them?

Week 1

Week 1

It's time for college football once again and I, for one, am very excited.  What makes it even more awesome is that this is the first year of the new College Football playoff!!

For the first time ever college football will have playoffs!  This is something that I have been longing for since I first started watching college football: a system by which more than two teams can compete fair and square for the national championship.  Here's how it works: at the end of the year 4 teams will be selected by a 13 member selection committee to take part in 2 semifinal games.  Then, the winners of the semifinals will play each other for the championship!  No more relying on polls and computer calculations, just reasonable decisions by people who all have backgrounds or relationships with football programs.  

The championship will be played at huge Cowboys Stadium, while one semifinal will be played at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena and the other at the Sugar Bowl where the New Orleans Saints play.  Next year the Orange Bowl (Miami Dolphins' stadium) and the Cotton Bowl (Dallas Cowboys' stadium) will host the semifinals game.  Finally, the Fiesta Bowl (Arizona Cardinals' home) and the Chick-Fil-A Bowl (Atlanta Falcons' home) will round out the semifinal rotation.  I can't think of better locations for the most anticipated games of the year.

(And for the people who've seen the movie Rudy, this video explains all of this in hilarious fashion:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ayN6tB9uJec)

Top Two Most Exciting Games of the Week 

1. Abilene Christian Wildcats @ Georgia State Panthers

The reason you probably haven't heard of either of these two teams is that one is from the 1-AA division of college football and one just became a full member of the 1-A division.  Let me explain those terms.  1-A is the division of college football that everyone watches and the one I blog about, which includes teams like Florida, Ohio State, and Auburn, etc.  1-AA is the division just below that with the best teams being Sam Houston St, North Dakota State, and Eastern Washington among others.  Georgia State is the 1-A team who has just climbed to the top of the ladder of college football divisions.  Coming up to the highest level of collegiate football is no small task, with the skill and talent of your opponents having greatly increased.  This point was effectively demonstrated during last season for the Panthers as they went into a tailspin on their way to a 0-12 record.

This year Georgia State was looking to start fresh.  The game was played in the Atlanta Falcons' stadium as are all of Georgia State's home games.  How nice to play half your games in a stadium like that!  The game was played on Wednesday night so that it would be the lone game on that day and thus get on ESPN.  The game was a back and forth affair with the score 21-16 at the half.  But in the 4th quarter the Panthers found themselves down 28-37 with 6 minutes left.  They put together a touchdown scoring drive (score 35-37) and managed to force Abilene Christian to punt on their next drive.  The Panthers got the ball back but were forced into a 4th and long with just over a minute left.  With his back against the wall, quarterback Nick Arbuckle threw a perfect pass and it was caught for a stunning 1st down.  Later in the drive, Georgia State converted another 4th down to keep their hopes alive.  Then Arbuckle scampered for 13 yards to set up a game winning field goal.  Kicker Will Lutz knocked it through and after a final kickoff the Panthers rushed the field, wildly celebrating their first win in two years!

2. Clemson Tigers @ Georgia Bulldogs

Both teams came into the game with a lot to prove.  Both had new starting quarterbacks, each having lost their previous talented starters by way of graduation.  The Bulldogs had a rough season last year with injuries to key players plaguing them throughout SEC conference play.  This game has become a rivalry game in recent years and the Georgia fans were hungry for a victory.  However, Clemson clawed its way to 21-14 lead midway through the 2nd quarter.  Seizing the opportunity Georgia's Heisman contending running back Todd Gurley ran the ensuing kickoff back 100 yards for an electrifying touchdown.

The score remained deadlocked at 21 at the half and the only points scored in the 3rd quarter was a field goal by Georgia.  During the 2nd half Georgia's defense became a stone wall to the Clemson offense, shutting them down completely.  Then Gurley and the other Bulldog running backs, with great blocking by their offensive line, began tearing through the Tigers' defense.  The game quickly became a rout as Gurley scored twice and his running mate Nick Chubb added another TD.  The Bulldogs finished with over 300 rushing yards and won the game by a score of 45-21.  It was a statement win and seems to suggest that Georgia will be a serious contender for the year's SEC Championship.  It has been a great week for Georgia.

Top 2 Games to Watch: Week 2

1. No. 8 Michigan State Spartans @ No. 3 Oregon Ducks: Saturday 9/6 at 6:30 p.m. on Fox

This game pits the high scoring offense of Oregon against the rock hard defense of Michigan State.  Oregon better show they can fly above their opponents if they want to avoid more questions about the effectiveness of their program.  They have a state-of-the-art multi-million dollar training facility and a jersey deal with Nike.  They better start making it to championship games or else they will become known as overconfident pretty boys.

2. Michigan Wolverines @ No. 17 Notre Dame Fighting Irish: Saturday 9/6 at 7:30 p.m.

This game between perennial college football powers has important implications for both teams.  Can Head Coach Brady Hoke get his Wolverines to play up to the high expectations of Michigan fans or will Notre Dame quarterback Everett Golson (pictured in photo), after serving a one year suspension due to academic reasons, put together another stellar performance as he did last week against the Rice Owls.