Week 9

Week 9

Top 2 Most Exciting Games of the Week

(Both Games to Watch for last week had to be included in this category)

1.  Ohio State Buckeyes @ Penn State Nittany Lions (local name for mountain lions that used to roam near the school a long time ago)

Just before the start of the season, star quarterback Braxton Miller of Ohio State injured his shoulder in practice so bad that he would miss the entire season.  Sophomore quarterback J.T. Barrett stepped into the starting role and led his team to a close victory in Week 1 against Navy.  In the second game of the season, Barrett's inexperience caught up to him and he played poorly in a disappointing home loss to Virginia Tech.  Ever since that game, however, the Buckeyes have played better and better, thanks to the superb coaching of Urban Meyer and the huge improvement shown by Barrett.  But their first real test of the season would come against a hard-nosed Penn State team, surrounded by over one hundred thousand fans.

The game began as many expected it would, with Ohio State taking an early lead.  Just five plays into the game, the Ohio State defense intercepted a pass by Penn State QB Christian Hackenburg, giving their offense excellent starting field position.  7 plays later, Ohio State's rising star running back Ezekiel Elliot zoomed into the endzone for the first points of the day.  The score remained the same until a field goal by the Buckeyes extended their lead to 10.  Then, late in the 2nd quarter, Ohio State blocked a punt, providing Barrett and the offense once again with great field position.  This time the Buckeyes scored even faster, by way of a Barrett TD pass 6 plays later.  Thanks to superb play on defense, Ohio State led 17 to nothing at the half.

In the locker room, Penn State head coach James Franklin rallied his troops and they came out hungry for some points.  The Buckeyes got the ball first, but the Penn State defense had other plans.  3 plays into the drive, Barrett's pass was intercepted by Penn State linebacker Anthony Zettel and he returned it for a touchdown.  The white-clad Penn State fans jumped up and down with glee, and the stadium came alive with energy.

The crowd settled down a bit, as both teams traded punts until the 4th quarter. On the first play of the Buckeyes' initial 4th quarter drive, Barrett was intercepted again, setting up Penn State with great starting field position of the own.  The Nittany Lions wouldn't let this opportunity slip through their paws and closed to 3 points on a touchdown pass by Hackenburg.  The teams then traded 3 punts and with just under 3 minutes to play, Penn State would have 1 final chance to tie it or take the lead. Starting at their own 9 yard line, Penn State put together a long 19 play drive, thanks to a trio of 3rd down conversions all completed by Hackenburg, 2 with his legs and 1 with his arm.  Then, with nine seconds remaining, kicker Sam Ficken put the ball through the uprights to send the game to overtime.  (Tied at 17)

In overtime, Penn State started with the ball, and 2 completions by Hackenburg got the ball down to the 2 yard line.  2 running plays later, the Nittany Lions had a touchdown and a 7 point lead. However, Ohio State's offense, specifically Barrett and Elliot, finally woke up from their 2nd half slumber.   After a short gain by Elliot, Barrett needed only 2 plays to run the ball into the endzone, with his excellent decision making and speed.  After the touchdown, a Penn State player was called for unsportsmanlike conduct, which would give the Buckeyes the ball at the 12 yard line instead of the usual starting point of the 25 yard line.

Once again, all it took was 1 run by Elliot and 2 by Barrett for Ohio State to score another touchdown and take the lead back.  (24-17)  With their backs against the wall, and their fans biting their nails, the Nittany Lions need to match the score to survive and advance to a 3rd overtime.  However, 3 plays later they found themselves on a last chance 4th and 5 opportunity.  Fighting off fatigue, Buckeyes defensive lineman Joey Bosa fought past the offensive lineman in front of him, got a hand on Hackenburg, and brought him down for the game-winning sack.

The Buckeyes escaped with a victory, but they had better learn some lessons from this game if they are to win on the road again in 2 weeks against powerful Michigan State.

Final Score: Ohio State 31 Penn State 24 (OT)

2.  University of Southern California (USC) Trojans @ Utah Utes

This game would decide which team would stay in the hunt for the PAC-12 Conference Championship.  The Utes fans were riled up as usual and hoping to spur on their team to their 1st win over a storied USC program.

From the very beginning, the game was sloppy.  On the 2nd offensive play by USC, quarterback Cody Kessler threw a backwards pass to his receiver Darius Rogers.  Rogers missed the catch and the ball bounced onto the ground.  Both teams stood still, thinking it was an incomplete pass, while failing to remember that a dropped backwards pass is a fumble!!  Finally, at the urging of his coaches, a Utah defender picked up the ball and ran it back for a touchdown. 

However, the Trojans did not let this blunder get the best of them, tying up the game with a 10 play touchdown drive.  No more scoring occurred until the 2nd quarterback when Utah quarterback Travis Wilson completed passes to 3 different receivers that all resulted in 1st downs.  But the drive stalled at the 7 yard line and they had to settle for a field goal.  Unfortunately for the Utes, the Trojans returned the subsequent kickoff for a touchdown.  5 minutes later, both teams headed into the locker room, with USC leading 14 to 10.  

Describing the start of the 3rd quarter as uneventful would be an understatement, as 6 punts were made.  It started to pick up when, 4 plays after a fumble by Utah, the home team intercepted a pass by Kessler and stole the ball right back.  Starting at the Trojans 38 yard line, the Utes needed only 4 plays to score by way of a rushing touchdown by Devon Booker.  Utah would head into the final quarter with a 17 to 14 lead, but the game was far from over.

On a drive that started in the 3rd quarter, Cody Kessler went to his 2 top receivers Darius Rogers and Nelson Agholor to orchestrate a drive that ended in a TD.  Finding themselves down by 4, Travis Wilson and the Utah offense were stymied by a tough Trojans defense.  USC got the ball back and looked like they were going to run out the remainder of the clock as they got 3 consecutive 1st downs.  But then the Utah defense stiffened and forced USC into a 4th down.   Instead of trying a 45 yard field goal to extend their lead to 7, USC head coach Steve Sarkisian decided to go for the 1st down.  Agholor caught a toss from Kessler and had plenty of room to make the first down.  But he stepped out of bounds a yard shy of the marker.  Utah had a chance.

Thanks to a pass interference call on the Trojans, and 4 great passes by Wilson, the Utes were soon at the Trojans' 19 yard line.  Then, on the next play, Wilson saw an opening, sped through the defense and had just enough room to leap into the endzone!  The stadium was filled with happiness.  But hold the presses!  Upon review, Wilson was pushed out of bounds at the 1 yard line.  Twenty second remained on the clock, and Utah's attempt to pound it into the endzone with Booker was stopped. Thankfully, Utah had saved 1 last timeout.  12 seconds left.  On 2nd down, Wilson rolled to his right and fired a dart of a pass into the waiting arms of his receiver.  

The victory was soon in the books, and the fans rushed the field.  "What a game," the announcers said.  Certainly a game to remember for Utah.

Final Score: Utah 24 USC 21

Top 2 Games to Watch: Week 10

 1.  No. 10 TCU Horned Frogs @ No. 20 West Virginia Mountaineers: 10/1 at 3:30 p.m on ABC or ESPN 2

TCU's offense is on fire, scoring a combined 182 points in their last 3 games.  But can they go on the road and beat an on-fire West Virginia team that is coming off two big wins of their own?  Or will the Mountaineers continue to sharp-shoot their way to another huge victory?

My pick: TCU

2.  No. 4 Auburn Tigers @ No. 7 Ole Miss (Mississippi) Rebels: 10/1 at 7 p.m. on ESPN

Ole Miss is coming off of a surprising road loss to the underwhelming LSU Tigers and comes back home facing a even tougher test.  Can Auburn, led by coach Gus Malzahn, defeat a disheartened Ole Miss team.  Or will the Rebels bounce back well and deal the Tigers a loss that would end their championship hopes? 

My pick: Auburn

Special Requests

Illinois is a team that has been struggling to win games in the Big 10 Conference for years.  But in a game against Minnesota, a team which had not lost a conference game this year, that was all about to change.  This was a homecoming game for Illinois and instead of wearing their usual orange and white uniforms they wore gray uniforms to honor a legendary Illinois player from the 1920's known as "The Gray Ghost."  The Illinois players put together their best first half performance of the season, and led 14-3 at the break.  Then, Minnesota mounted a comeback in the 3rd quarter and fought their way to a 24-21 lead.  Fast forward to about 3/5ths of the way through the final quarter, and Minnesota has the ball and is trying to run out the clock.  The usually sure-handed Minnesota running back David Cobb gets a handoff, but an Illinois defender knocks the ball free.  A teammate of his scoops up the ball and marches into the endzone.  Illinois would hold on to win 28-24, a surprising win over a talented Minnesota team. 

Week 8

Week 8

Results of Last Week's Games to Watch

1.  Notre Dame Fighting Irish @ Florida State Seminoles

This game lived up to all the hype and could be considered the best game of this season so far. Quarterback Everett Golson and the Notre Dame offense played smart, disciplined football on their way to 17 first half points.  The Notre Dame defense held their own as well, holding Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston (who has had a large amount of off the field issues) and his offense to only 10 points.  In the 2nd half, Winston willed his team to 2 touchdowns, while Notre Dame managed just 1.  With the score now tied at 24, Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly knew it was crucial his team had to score, and fast!  After the teams traded punts, Notre Dame drove into Florida State territory, but the drive stalled at the 29 yard line.  Kicker Kyle Brindza converted the 46 yard field goal, but the failure to get a touchdown on that drive would come back to haunt the Irish.  When the Seminoles got the ball back, they did not make such a mistake, as running back Carlos Williams punched it in for the touchdown from a yard out (see above).  

Down by 4, Notre Dame failed to score on their next drive and had to wait until just under two minutes left to have another chance.  The Fighting Irish quickly were backed into a corner, as they were faced with a nearly impossible 4th and 18.  However, Golson had another miracle up his sleeve throwing a perfect pass to quality receiver Corey Robinson for a first down.  Fast forward 8 plays, Notre Dame was faced with another last chance opportunity on 4th and Goal from the 2.  Golson slings a pass to a wide-open Corey Robinson for the apparent go-ahead score.  But wait, Notre Dame was called for a rare offensive pass interference penalty, as a Notre Dame receiver had forcebly impeded a Florida State defender from covering Robinson. The Irish players and coaches vehemently argued against the penalty, but after having seen the replay I am 90% sure the referees made the right call.  Backed up 15 yards to the 17 yard line, Golson threw a long desperation pass that was intercepted in the endzone.  A Florida State victory was assured.  The Seminoles still haven't lost a game in two years.... Sigh....  :(

Final Score: Florida State 31 Notre Dame 27

2.  Kansas State Wildcats @ Oklahoma State Cowboys (The Game That Didn't Happen)

I misread last week's schedule and in reality it was really Kansas State at the Oklahoma Sooners. OOPS!  Well my pick of Oklahoma State over Kansas State wasn't right, but it sure wasn't wrong! 

If you're wondering how Oklahoma State really did, they were bitten by the Horned Frogs of TCU and lost 42-9.

Most Exciting Games of the Week

1.  Kansas State Wildcats @ Oklahoma Sooners

After the loss to TCU two weeks ago, Oklahoma needed to win the rest of their games to remain in the College Football Playoff discussion.  However, they would have to notch a win over a tough Kansas State team coached by one of the best active coaches in college football, Bill Snyder (see above).  He has been coaching Kansas State for many years and always seems to have his team in contention for the Big 12 Conference title.  In a smart move, Kansas State renamed their stadium after him a few years ago.  He would have his team ready for this game.

The 1st half was certainly no sleeper as Jake Waters and the Kansas State offense battled against Trevor Knight and the Oklahoma offense for control of the game.  At the half, the Wildcats led 21-17, thanks in part to a defensive stop late in the 2nd quarter.  The Wildcats got the ball first in the 2nd half and managed 3 points on that drive.  Then, Trevor Knight ignited the crowd by leading a touchdown drive capped off by a pass to tight end/running quarterback Blake Bell.  (Score: 24 all)

Needing points to regain the lead and the momentum, Waters and running back DeMarcus Robinson worked together to lead their team down the field with a balanced mix of running and passing plays. Waters finished it off with a 4 yard TD run and the Wildcats were back up by 7.  However, Oklahoma responded with touchdown drive of their own on the first possession of the 4th quarter. Unfortunately for the Sooners, the usually automatic extra point didn't pan out that way and it was blocked.  The scoreboard now showed a 1 point lead for the Wildcats, and the Sooners were on unsteady ground.  

Kansas State was forced to punt on their next drive, and Oklahoma had a chance to take the lead and possibly control of the game.  After two straight connections between Knight and top receiver Sterling Shepard, Oklahoma ran the ball 7 times in a row for a total of 47 yards, setting up a 1st and Goal from the 4.  The kept it on the ground and ran 3 more running plays, but they only gained a total of 2 yards.  Having failed to score a touchdown, the Sooners would have to settle for a short field goal attempt.  The memory of the blocked extra point filled the mind of kicker Michael Hunnicutt and fear crept in as well.  From only 19 yards out, Hunnicutt shanks the ball terribly and misses way to the left.  The year of the missed (short) field goal continues and the crowd moaned in disappointment and frustration.  Their mood worsens as they watch the Wildcats run out the clock and spoil their remaining national championship hopes. Another quality win for Coach Snyder.

 

Final Score: Kansas State 31 Oklahoma 30

2. Purdue Boilermakers (think workers making boilers for steam trains back in the day) @ Minnesota Golden Gophers

The Purdue coaches are having to rebuild and energize the program after a 1 win season last year. Although Purdue has a losing record this year as well, they are showing sign of improvement, and in a couple years they should no longer be on the bottom rung of the Big 10 Conference.

In this game, Purdue came out with a bit more energy and determination than the home team did and built a 31-20 halftime lead.  But the Minnesota players were not about to let Purdue ruin their spotless Big 10 Conference record.  On the first drive of the 3rd quarter, Minnesota's usually methodical offense scored a touchdown in only 6 plays, but their attempt to get within 3 on a 2 point conversion failed.  After a defensive stop by the Gophers on defense, quarterback Mitch Leidner completed a 45 yard pass and running back David Cobb ran for 16 yard on the next play to set up 1st and Goal. However, just like Oklahoma they couldn't punch it in, bringing the score to 31-29 with Purdue leading.  

With a sense of urgency, the Boilermakers' offense, led by quarterback Austin Appleby, went down the field as fast as a steam engine and scored a touchdown in only 3 plays.  Knowing they needed to respond quickly, Minnesota lets the opportunity slip away and goes 3 and out.  The punt gives Purdue great field position, but Minnesota's defense bands together to force a 3 and out.  Thankful to get the ball back, Leidner completes a 3rd down pass to get a much needed first down.   Then, on the next play, Leidner fires a 37 pass for a touchdown, which energizes the fans.  

Little happens early in the 4th quarter as the teams combine for 3 punts.  The Gophers get the ball with 8 minutes remaining, and thanks to a personal foul penalty combined with some strong running by Cobb, they burrow their way to the 35 yard line.  On 4th down, Minnesota head coach Jerry Kill decides to send out the kicking unit.  Kicker Ryan Santoso, unlike his counterpart in Oklahoma, becomes a hero by nailing the field goal from 52 yards out.  The Gophers possessed their first lead since the 2nd quarter, 39 to 38.  And that's all they would need to grab a victory from the jaws of defeat.

Top 2 Games to Watch: Week 9

1.  No. 20 University of Southern California (USC) Trojans @ No. 19 Utah Utes: 10/25 at 10 p.m. on Fox Sports 1 

(record this one)

Will Utah feed off the energy of their home crowd to gain the victory or will USC's electric offense rule the day?

My pick: Utah

2. No. 13 Ohio State Buckeyes at Penn State Nittany Lions: 10/25 at 8 p.m. on ABC

Will Ohio State's dominant offense, which has vastly improved in the last 3 weeks, turn this game into a blowout?  Or maybe the Penn State fans and quarterback Christian Hackenburg will say: "Not so fast!" 

My pick: Ohio State of course!

Week 7

Week 7

Results of Last Week's #1 Game to Watch

Auburn Tigers @ Mississippi State Bulldogs

Final Score: Mississippi State 38 Auburn 23

Halfway through the 1st quarter this game had already lost most of its luster.  Quarterback Dak Prescott and the Mississippi State offense was unstoppable, receiving unnecessary aid by way of turnovers on each of Auburn's first 2 offensive plays.  To describe the start of this game for Auburn as abysmal would be doing it little justice, as they soon were staring at a 21 point deficit.  The Tigers refused to give up, however, and scored 13 straight points.  The Tigers were within 8 points but gave up another touchdown late in the half. (28-13)  Auburn scored again by way of a Nick Marshall TD pass, and they had 2 chances to tie the game up thanks to the efforts of their defense.  Unfortunately, they failed both times and their defense had nothing left to stop the Bulldogs.  The Bulldogs scored 10 unanswered points and finally put the Tigers back in their cages.  After this impressive win, Mississippi State seems to be on track for taking home the national championship trophy.

Top 2 Most Exciting Games of the Week

1.  Texas Christian University (TCU) Horned Frogs @ Baylor Bears

(I chose to write about a game that I normally would have summarized in the previous section because it was so exciting)

This thrilling game was played in Baylor's fantastic new McLane Stadium situated along the riverfront in Wako, Texas.

From the first snap, this game became an artful display of two opposing offenses that were playing at their full potential.  TCU quarterback Trevone Boykin and his offense lit up the scoreboard first with 2 quick touchdown drives that put up 14 points in the first 7 minutes.  Then Baylor quarterback Bryce Petty and his offense fired back and scored 10 straight points.  At the end of the 1st quarter the Horned Frogs led 14-10, but the fireworks were just beginning.  Back and forth the offenses went down the field, and it seemed both defenses was not even there.  The Bears and Horned Frogs both scored 17 points and the scoreboard read TCU 31, Baylor 27 at the end of the half.  That is in the upper range of the final score of an entire NFL game!  Due to the large number of drives each team had, and commercials, the 1st half took almost 2 hours to play.  Halftime came at the perfect time for the fans, and the offenses for that matter, to catch their breath.

The third quarter flew by as the Horned Frogs hopped down the field on their way to 13 points, while the Bears remained in striking distance by clawing their way to ten points.  The score was in TCU's favor 44 to 37.  The 4th quarter would feature the biggest swing in momentum I have ever seen, and 38 total points!

TCU began the wild 4th quarter by scoring a touchdown at their first opportunity by way of a short run.  Then Baylor had a chance to answer, but it backfired terribly as Petty threw an unwise pass over the middle which was intercepted and returned for a touchdown.  The green and yellow clad Baylor fans were silent as their team was suddenly trailing by 3 whole touchdowns.  But the Bears on the field were not about to disappoint them and played as hard as a mother bear would fight to defend her cubs.

The Baylor defense stepped up their efforts and allowed their offense to score touchdowns on 3 straight drives that lasted at the most for 1 minute and 23 seconds.  Seemingly in the blink of an eye the momentum of the game had changed monumentally.  With 4 minutes left, TCU tried mightily to recapture the momentum but the game had already slipped through their fingers.  A pass from Boykin fell incomplete on third down and they had to punt the ball away with 1:11 remaining.  Baylor had the ball and, with their now ecstatic fans urging them on, played for the win.  Forced into their own 3rd down, Baylor gladly took advantage of a pass interference penalty on TCU, and managed to get the ball down to the TCU 11 yard line.  With 4 seconds left, kicker Chris Callahan nailed the chip shot field goal and the stadium erupted in celebration.  The TCU players somberly left the playing field as the party began in McLane Stadium. 

(Quarterback Bryce Petty, left, celebrating with kicker Chris Callahan, right)

Final Score: Baylor 61 TCU 58

2.  Brigham Young University (BYU) @ University of Central Florida (UCF) Knights

The University of Central Florida has an enrollment of around 58,000, which is 2nd only to Arizona State's 60,000.  A large number of UCF students showed up for the game and their support made an impact on this game.

BYU came into Orlando on a wave of heartbreak.  Their Heisman hopeful quarterback Taysom Hill went down with a broken leg during the 2nd quarter of their previous game against rival Utah State. The backup Christian Stewart was unprepared and was unable to lead the Cougars to a victory.  That night they lost their hopes of going undefeated and their chance at possibly competing for a national championship.  However, BYU has long been known as a physically tough team and they had legitimate hopes of bouncing back against UCF.  The Knights, on the other hand, had lost their first two games against tough Penn State and Missouri teams.  They turned the season around by destroying a cupcake team and narrowly beating Houston, a game they won thanks to a game saving forced fumble at the 1 yard line.

For UCF to win, their sophomore quarterback Justin Holman, who earned the starting job after a momentum-shifting performance against Penn State, would have to play smart.  That's just want he did, as he helped his team to 10 points in 2 of their first 3 drives.  However, Holman and the offense went silent for 2 quarters, as the UCF players and fans watched BYU score 24 straight points.  With 9 minutes remaining in the 3rd quarter, BYU had a 24-10 lead.  But the Knights remounted their horses and, with a mighty shout, charged back into the fray.  

Holman and running back William Stanback led the Knights on a lengthy touchdown drive that gave their defense plenty of time to rest.  The teams traded punts for the next few drives, until UCF tied it up on a bullet of a touchdown pass from Holman to receiver Josh Reese.  The Knights defense continued to hold their ground and, with 2 minutes left, they had a chance to put together a game-winning drive.  The offense got far enough to set up a 45 yard field goal.  Unfortunately, the snap was bobbled and the holder covered it up.  UCF coach George O'Leary had planned for this and called a timeout.  The second chance would be from 52 yards, but it was just too long for the kicker and he missed it wide.  Overtime it is!

The Knights got the ball first and moved forward to set up a 1st & Goal.  2 successive plays accomplished little and quickly it became 3rd & Goal.  Greatly desiring a touchdown, Holman found running back Stanbeck and fired the ball to him for a crucial touchdown.  BYU had to respond with a touchdown of their own to keep the game going.  However, they soon found themselves in a 4th down situation.  BYU quarterback Christian Stewart was forced to throw the ball into tight coverage and the pass fell harmlessly to the turf.  "Knights win!" shouted the commentator.  UCF at last has a winning record.

Final Score: UCF 31 BYU 24 (OT)

Top 2 Games to Watch: Week 8

1.  No. 5 Notre Dame Fighting Irish @ No. 2 Florida State Seminoles: 10/18 at 8 p.m. on ABC

Saying that this Top 5 matchup is critical for each team's championship hopes would be a huge understatement.  The winner of this game will likely be one of the 4 teams selected for the first College Football Playoff.  Will the luck of the Irish (they have been very fortunate recently) help Notre Dame to another close win?  Or will Notre Dame's perfect season evaporate among the heated (and annoying) war cries of the Seminoles fans?

My pick: Notre Dame

2.  No. 14 Kansas State Wildcats @ No. 15 Oklahoma State Cowboys: 10/18 at noon on ESPN

Which team will win this key Big 12 Conference showdown?  Will the Cowboys shoot their way to a victory with their flashy offense or will Kansas State's dual-threat quarterback Jake Waters lead his Wildcats to a road victory?

My pick: Oklahoma State

Special Requests

From my Uncle Dave:

Georgia's incredibly talented running back Todd Gurley was suspended indefinitely for signing his autograph for money.  Like it or not, that is against the rules in college football right now.  Since, Gurley was the heart and soul of the entire team I thought that Georgia would have real trouble on the road against Missouri.  But 2nd-string running back Nick Chubb stepped into his new role perfectly, using his powerful legs to spark the Bulldogs offense.  The defense fed off of that and made Missouri look incredibly BAD on offense.  The final tally was Georgia 34 to zip!

From my Aunt Karen:

The Illinois Fighting Illini were needing a victory against Big 10 Conference foe Wisconsin to reach a winning record.  They played great in the first quarter, leading by a score of 14-7.  Unfortunately, the incredibly tough Wisconsin running offense found their stride and the Badgers had a 38-14 lead in the 4th quarter.  Illinois would make it look close by scoring 2 late touchdowns, but they fell short and lost 28 to 38.  :(

If you want me to cover your favorite team's exploits feel free to e-mail me at fjohnathan28@gmail.com or comment on this post if you have a Google account.

Week 6

Week 6: Utter Chaos

Results of Last Week's Games to Watch

1.  LSU Tigers @ Auburn Tigers

Final Score: Auburn 41 LSU 7

From the start, this game wasn't even close.  Auburn quarterback Nick Marshall was exceptional as a runner last year, but in the offseason he improved his passing skills drastically.  He is now a complete quarterback, showing it in a perfect pass that was brought down by Sammie Coates in the above picture.  Marshall and his offense shredded the LSU defense, and the LSU offense had NO answer. But Auburn better be ready for a pivotal game this Saturday on the road against a tough Mississippi State team.

2.  Stanford Cardinal @ Notre Dame Fighting Irish

Final Score: Notre Dame 17 Stanford 14

This thrilling game was played in miserable windy and rainy conditions that had the fans in ponchos and made every pass difficult to complete.  Notre Dame had a 10-7 lead late in the 4th quarter, but their defense was gashed on a 3rd and Goal play when a Stanford running back ran nearly untouched straight up the middle for a touchdown.  With only 3 minutes remaining, the fans were hoping for a miracle and Fighting Irish quarterback Everett Golson would give them one.  Leading the team down to the Stanford 22 yard line, Golson was trying to become the hero.  However, 2 successive ineffective plays and a 3rd down sack forced the Irish into a last chance 4th and 11.  With the game on the line, Golson scrambled to the left and fired a pass through the wind and rain into the back corner of the endzone and it was caught by tight end Ben Koyack.  The Notre Dame faithful went into a frenzy, and the cold and rainy weather seemed less dismal for the next few hours.

3. Oklahoma Sooners @ Texas Christian University (TCU) Horned Frogs  

Final Score: TCU 37 Oklahoma 33

With the fans in the stands itching for a victory, TCU's Head Coach Gary Patterson, quarterback Trevone Boykin, and a skilled defensive unit were not about to disappoint them.  Due in large part to 2 TD passes from Boykin and 2 defensive TDs, TCU found themselves up by 4, late in the final quarter.  But Oklahoma was began to drive down the field and needed just 1 yard to keep their hopes alive.  However, with a "ribbit!" of defiance, the Horned Frogs defensive line jumped forward after the snap and dropped the Sooners running back in the backfield.   Within minutes the fan would rush the field to celebrate TCU's 1st key conference victory since joining the Big 12 Conference in 2012.

Top 2 Most Exciting Games of the Week

1.  Alabama Crimson Tide @ Ole Miss (Mississippi) Rebels

College Gameday, the nation's premier college football pregame show and the only pregame show that is fun to watch, was there in Oxford, Mississippi on Saturday.  The guest on the show that day was pop star Katy Perry and she is a big fan of Ole Miss.  Former head coach Lee Corso picked Alabama to win and as is his tradition he put the Alabama mascot's head on, which happens to be an elephant. (Why?  I haven't the foggiest idea)  Katy Perry did not like this at all, and after Corso bugged her for a minute with the elephant's flimsy trunk she could stand it no longer.  Screaming, "No! Stop!" she reached over, yanked the elephant head off of Corso, and tossed it onto the ground.  Perhaps it was a sign....

Anyway, due to some sloppy offensive plays and a costly fumble that was returned for a touchdown, the Rebels headed back to the locker room discouraged by Alabama's 14-3 lead.  But they banded together as a team and came out for the 2nd half determined to finally beat Alabama.

The Ole Miss defense held firm during Alabama's first drive of the half and the offense would not waste the opportunity.  Quarterback Bo Wallace marched the Rebels down the field and receiver Larry Treadwell capped it off with a great catch and brilliant run into the endzone.  Alabama would manage a field goal on their next drive, bringing their lead to 7 points (17-10).  Nothing much happened until midway through the 4th quarter, when Wallace found a wide-open receiver in Vince Sanders for a 34 yard touchdown.  The game was all tied up and the Rebels fans began to think: "Is this finally the year we beat Alabama!"  

On the ensuing kickoff, the Crimson Tide special teams came undone, as they did last year in their famous loss to Auburn.  Returner Christian Jones fumbled the ball, and it was recovered by Ole Miss at Alabama's 31 yard line.  5 plays later, Wallace got a 3rd TD pass to running back Jaylon Walton thanks to a great play call.  But the extra point was blocked and Ole Miss was holding on to a 6 point 23-17 lead.  A touchdown and successful extra point could win the game for the Crimson Tide! Alabama quarterback Blake Sims and receiver Amari Cooper got their team down to the Ole Miss 32. On 1st down, Sims took a shot to the endzone, but a Rebels defensive back caught it in the very back of the endzone.  But did he get a foot inbounds?  Originally, the referees said no but upon review it was clear that the defensive back got his left foot down in the endzone a half second before his right foot landed out of bounds.  The referees overturned the call, and a Ole Miss victory was assured. Soon, the fans rushed the field and lifted their fearless quarterback Bo Wallace onto their shoulders, celebrating a heroic and historic win!

Final Score: Ole Miss 23 Alabama 17

2.  Arizona Wildcats @ Oregon Ducks

Coming into the game, the Ducks were favored by over three touchdowns over the upstart Wildcats.

All the "experts" predicted that the Ducks would pummel the Wildcats to take revenge for last year's meeting when Arizona upset Oregon in blowout fashion 42 to 16. (upset and blowout should never go together in the same sentence but they did that day)  But the Wildcats were getting ready to shock the college football world again.

In the 1st half, both teams were sloppy, struggling to get their offenses in rhythm.  The only touchdown was scored early in the 2nd quarter by Oregon, and they coasted to a 7-3 halftime lead. But after the half, the Wildcats came out of the locker room with their claws out and would soon turn the game into a back-and-forth affair.  In just over 3 minutes, the Wildcats bounded down the field and scored on a short run by running back Nick Wilson.  Then, the Ducks offense woke up, an in just under 3 minutes, scored their own touchdown on a short pass by quarterback Marcus Mariota.  Thus provoked, Arizona's offense and defense worked together for 14 straight points on another short TD by Wilson and a deep pass from QB Anu Solomon.  After all that, Arizona found themselves leading on the road 24-14 at the conclusion of the 3rd quarter.

Not wanting to have their national championship hopes dashed by the Wildcats for the second year in a row, Marcus Mariota and the Ducks redoubled their efforts.  They scored 10 straight points on their next two drives and knotted the game up at 24 with 8 minutes left.  The best option for Arizona was to put together a touchdown drive while simultaneously taking as much time as possible off the clock, which is just what they did.  In a slow, yet methodical way, the Wildcats sauntered down the field. However, after two largely ineffective plays and a third down sack, it seemed the drive was over. After making the sack, senior Oregon linebacker Tony Washington showboated to the middle of the field and carried on a bit too much for the referees' liking.  He was flagged for a 15 yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty and Arizona was back in business.  With the help of another Oregon penalty, Arizona made it down to the 1 yard line and punched it in for the go-ahead touchdown.

With only 2 and 1/2 minutes left the crowd at Oregon's Autzen stadium was silent, stunned that Arizona was close to beating them again.  Ducks quarterback Marcus Mariota attempted to lead his team back from the brink, but it was not to be.  On a scramble to the right, Mariota was sacked and stripped of the ball by skilled Arizona linebacker Scooby Wright.  Scooby recovered the ball and the Wildcats were on their way to 2nd straight upset of Oregon.  Well, Scooby-do-be-do!

The Ducks are back to being overdressed pretty boys to me.  Check out the photo at the top of this section, again.  I'm all for supporting Breast Cancer Awareness Month, but there are better ways to do that than to have pink all over your uniforms.

Final Score: Arizona 31 Oregon 24

Top 2 Games to Watch: Week 7

1.  No. 2 Auburn Tigers @ No. 3 Mississippi State Bulldogs: 10/11 at 3:30 p.m. on CBS

Will the Bulldogs chew their way through another SEC West division team or will the Tigers balanced offense get the better of them?

My pick: Auburn

2.  No. 9 TCU Horned Frogs @ No. 5 Baylor Bears: 10/11 at 3:30 p.m. on ABC or ESPN 2

In this crucial battle between two unbeatens, will the tough defense of TCU help them achieve a 2nd straight upset of a Big 12 Conference foe, or will Baylor defend their turf by continuing to light up the scoreboard?

My pick: TCU

Final Word

This weekend was absolutely crazy for college football.  No. 2 Oregon, No. 3 Alabama, No. 4 Oklahoma, No. 6 Texas A&M, and No. 8 UCLA all lost this weekend.  Not to mention Arizona State's miracle victory over no. 16 USC on a Hail Mary. (see this link: http://espn.go.com/ncf/recap?gameId=400548275)  Fans of TCU, Kentucky, and of course Ole Miss all stormed the field to celebrate home upsets.  The playoff picture for this year has been forever changed.