Week 12

Week 12: A Week That Should Have Been Better

Result of Last Week's #1 Game to Watch

All you need to know is Alabama won.  I don't want to talk about it any further.

Final Score: I can't bear to type it.

Most Exiting Game of the Week

1.  Washington Huskies @ Arizona Wildcats

2 weeks prior to this game, Arizona had watched their chances of going to the PAC 12 Championship game mostly disappear in a tough loss to UCLA.  Would they be able to keep their hopes of receiving a quality bowl invite with a win over a resilient Washington team?

Fast forward to late in the 2nd quarter, Arizona is trailing by 10 but their offense has the ball in the redzone.  Unfortunately for Arizona that's as far as they can get and they have to settle for a field goal.  But Arizona head coach Rich Rodriguez had a trick up his sleeve.  Instead of snapping the ball to the holder, the long snapper fired it backwards into the hands of kicker Casey Skowron.  Skowron dashed around the right side of the defense and beat the last defender to the corner of the endzone for the touchdown. (celebration below)

With about a minute left in the half, the Huskies got the ball back, but had no intention of keeping it. On the 4th play of the drive, the center snaps the ball low and the ball shoots past the quarterback Cyler Miles.  Miles picks up the loose ball, but is soon tackled and he fumbles.  An Arizona player falls on it, and the offense gets the ball again at the 19 yard line.  4 plays later, running back Nick Wilson speeds into the endzone, giving the Wildcats a 21-17 halftime lead.

Washington scores 9 points in the 3rd quarter, not 10 thanks to a botched snap on the extra point. That missing point would come back to haunt the Huskies.  At the beginning of the 4th quarter, Arizona has the ball at their own 15 yard line, but soon arrives at the Washington 22 by way of a 63 yard pass from quarterback Anu Solomon.  But they cannot get another 1st down and have to settle for a field goal.  This time Skowron kicks the field goal, and shrinks the Huskies' lead to 2.

For the next 3 drives, the teams trade punts.  Then the Wildcats mount an determined effort to take the lead.  They get all the way down to the Washington 17 yard line, but then an Arizona receiver ran the wrong route and Solomon's pass is intercepted by a wide open Washington defensive back in the endzone.   With only 4 minutes left, all the Huskies had to do was run out the clock.  They accomplished that until they reached midfield where the same Arizona player who recovered the ball in the first half forces a fumble and his teammate recovers 

About 1 1/2 minutes remain in the game and the Wildcats just need a field goal to win.  A combination of runs by Wilson and passes by Solomon get the ball to the 30 yard line.  Skowron sets his sights on the target and takes a deep breath.  The ball is snapped, the hold is good, and the football soon sails majestically through the goal posts.  The fans jump up and down in celebration and within minutes Skowron is being carried off the field on his teammates' shoulders.  Its not many times a kicker is considered the hero of a game, but scoring 13 points in 1 game certainly warrants that honor.

Final Score: Arizona 27 Washington 26

Special Requests

The Georgia Bulldogs needed a win over a tough Auburn team to stay in the hunt for a trip to the SEC Championship Game.  At the end of this game, however, Georgia looked like the tougher team. The Bulldog defense held the usual explosive Auburn offense to a measly 7 points.  The Georgia offense was just as dominant, amassing over 400 total yards, including nearly 300 on the ground. The final score was 41-7, giving new life to the Bulldogs' SEC Championship dreams.  

With its 3rd loss, Auburn's once very promising season has been chewed to shreds.  They still have to face that darn Alabama team.  They could win.  Miracles do happen you know.

Week 11

Week 11

Top 2 Most Exciting Games of the Week

1.  No. 14 Ohio State Buckeyes @ No. 8 Michigan State Spartans

This game would most likely decide who would win the Big 10 Conference and have the best chance to make it to the playoffs.  Each team was raring to go before the players even arrived at Spartan Stadium.  

Early in the 2nd quarter, Michigan State answered Ohio State's 1st touchdown drive of the game with their second TD drive.  The Spartans were now up 14-7 and Ohio State wanted to respond quickly. Unfortunately, the kickoff returner for Ohio State was paying too much attention to how he would score a touchdown and wasn't fully focused on the ball flying towards him.  The ball slipped through his fingers and landed on the turf where the Spartans recovered it.  The Buckeyes would be in serious trouble if they gave up a second straight touchdown.  However, after standing tall for 2 plays the Ohio State defense got a break when a touchdown was called back due to a holding call.  Michigan State attempted a 39 yard field goal but missed it wide to the left.  

The Buckeyes' blunder hadn't cost them and quarterback J.T. Barrett and his offense were eager to get back on the field.  On the 1st play, Barrett threw a short pass to receiver Michael Thomas, who broke a tackle and won the ensuing footrace to the endzone.  The game was tied, instead of the Spartans being up by 2 touchdowns: a huge difference.  The Ohio State defense only allowed Michigan State to gain 1 first down on their next drive and soon the ball was back in the hands of their offense.  5 plays later, Barrett fired a 44 yard pass to star receiver Devin Smith who caught it for the touchdown.

The Buckeyes held that lead at the end of the 1st half. (28-21)

After holding the Spartans to a field goal on the 1st drive of the 3rd quarter, Ohio State set their sights on taking control of the game.  They put together a long and methodical drive that ended with a short touchdown run by sophomore running back Ezekiel Elliot.  The Buckeyes were now up by 11 points and would coast to a 49-37 win.  But will this win give them a high enough boost in the playoff rankings to have a shot to get into the top 4?  Only time will tell. 

2.  No. 7 Kansas State Wildcats @ No. 6 TCU Horned Frogs

Both these teams have purple as one of their two primary colors, and the game would decide who were the true Purple People.  A song about a flying purple people eater comes to mind.  Anyway, due to their respective rankings this game would decide who would assume a major spot in the playoff discussion.

At the half, the scoreboard showed TCU was leading 17-7.  It could have been 21-7 without a bad move by the referees who spotted the ball at least a yard short, forcing the Horned Frogs to kick a field goal.  O.k. I'm done venting.

Thankfully, TCU got the ball first in 2nd half, and after a very good kickoff return followed by 2 great passes by quarterback Trevone Boykin, soon found themselves at the Kansas State 19 yard line. On the next play, Boykin dropped back to pass but saw an opening and sprinted past the defensive line.  Soon he was at the 5 yard line and saw two defenders converging right in front of the goal line. He charged towards them and initiated a jump that turned into a front flip after his body hit one of the defenders.  Before you knew it he had landed in the endzone.

After that electric play, the Wildcats' quarterback Jake Waters led his team on a TD drive that culminated in a superb TD pass to quality receiver Curry Sexton.  However, the Horned Frogs were not about to let Kansas State think they could mount a comeback.  3 plays into their next drive, TCU would put the game away.  Running back Aaron Green, starting in place of injured BJ Catalon, took the handoff, beat the Wildcat defenders to the edge, cut back from the right sideline to the left sideline, picked up a wall of blockers, and coasted into the endzone.  The fans were going crazy after two fantastic touchdowns and they could feel a victory coming on.  They were right and the Horned Frogs were soon celebrating a big 41-20 win.

Reaching the playoffs is now quite possible for TCU, as long as they win the rest of their easy games.

Top 2 Games to Watch: Week 12

1.  No. 1 Mississippi State Bulldogs @ No. 4 Alabama Crimson Elephants/Tide: 11/15 at 3:30 p.m. on CBS 

This game has huge implications for me, because I REALLY want to see Alabama knocked out of the championship race.  Will Mississippi State go on the road and prove they are still #1?  Or will Alabama lose?  Hahaha.

My pick: Do I even need to say it.

2.  Toledo Rockets @ Northern Illinois Huskies: 11/11 at 8 p.m. on ESPN 2

This rare Tuesday, yes Tuesday, night game will decide who will win the West Division in the Mid-American Conference (MAC) and likely win the conference title.  Will Northern Illinois's powerful running game led by bruising running back Cameron Stingily lead them to a victory?  Or will Toledo keep their undefeated conference record intact?

My pick: Northern Illinois

Week 10

Week 10: One Step Closer to the Playoffs

Top 2 Most Exciting Games of the Week

Once again both of this week's Top Games to Watch fit nicely into this category

1.  TCU Horned Frogs @ West Virginia Mountaineers 

This game was as exciting as it was slated to be, but with fewer points than expected.  The game started with West Virginia scoring 13 unanswered points while the usually explosive TCU offense seemingly forgot the gunpowder at home.  Thankfully, the Horned Frogs found some gunpowder left under one of the sideline benches by the Mountaineers' musket-wielding human mascot, and fired off a touchdown drive.  The defenses ruled the 2nd half, with no points being scored.  Many people, myself included, were wondering why the wheels were coming off of these two high-powered offenses.  The 2nd half would be a different story.

On their first drive of the 2nd half, the Horned Frogs hopped down the field and took the lead on a 2 yard run by quarterback Trevone Boykin.  (14-13)  Then the Mountaineers regrouped and pushed the Horned Frogs' defense back until crossing the goal line on a 5 yard dash by one of their running backs.  West Virginia held the lead and now their defense needed to step up.  Usually sure-handed receiver Josh Doctson caught a pass from Boykin, but was stripped of the ball by cornerback Terrell Chestnut, who picked up the loose ball and ran it back for a touchdown.  The cluster of TCU fans who made the trip were trying to comprehend how the momentum had shifted so quickly.

Later in the 3rd quarter, TCU's offense was sparked by the play of running back B.J. Catalon who ended the drive with a 23 yard TD run.  Then, early in the final quarter, reliable kicker Josh Lambert gave West Virginia a 30-21 lead by making an easy 23 yard field goal.  The Horned Frogs responded again with a timely touchdown drive that was capped off by another dash by Catalon.  Thanks, to some way too conservative play-calls by West Virginia head coach Dana Holgerson, TCU would have 2 more chances to win it.

Getting the ball back a 2nd time with just over 2 minutes left, the Horned Frogs needed to make something happen.  The deep passing ability of Boykin finally revealed itself when he fired a pass to his receiver Kolby Listenbee for a 40 yard completion.  After 1 short pass completion and 3 runs by Catalon, the Horned Frogs were deep in Mountaineers' territory.  With 4 seconds remaining, TCU kicker Jaden Oberkrom nailed a 34 yard attempt right between the uprights and quieted the crown that had been as loud as a NASCAR race only a moment before.  The Horned Frogs had avenged the loss that they had suffered in similar fashion against Baylor.  TCU is still in the hunt for a spot in the first College Football Playoffs!

Final Score: TCU 31 West Virginia 30

2.  Auburn Tigers @ Ole Miss (Mississippi) Rebels

These two were ranked No. 3 and 4 respectively in the first ever rankings by the College Football Playoff Committee, and only the winner would remain among the 4 teams currently slated to take part in the playoffs.  Whichever team lost this one was going to be really disappointed.

The first quarter was just a taste of what was to come, with both teams scoring a touchdown.  In the second quarter, things began to heat up.  Ole Miss quarterback Bo Wallace marched his team down the field and finished the drive off when a screen pass to stand-out receiver Laquon Treadwell, who scampered into the endzone for a 10 yard TD.  But the Tigers were not about to let the game get out of hand.  Auburn quarterback Nick Marshall escaped the pocket, sidestepped a would-be tackler, and launched a pass to receiver Sammie Coates.  Two defenders converged on Coates, but the pass somehow made it past their outstretched hands and Sammie was soon standing in the endzone holding the ball.  However, the Rebels were not content with a tie heading into the half, and their offense sprinted down the field, setting up a 47 field goal which was made by kicker Gary Wunderlich.  The scoreboard read: Rebels 17, Tigers 14.

Ole Miss got the ball first in the 2nd half, but couldn't capitalize and had to punt the ball to Auburn. But Auburn did even worse, giving the ball back to Ole Miss at midfield after a 3 and out and a horrible punt.  The Rebels made them pay on the next play, as Wallace threw a short pass to tight end Evan Engram who ran 50 yards for a touchdown.  Auburn was down by 10 and on the ropes, but they just wouldn't quit. Thanks to a defensive stop, the Tigers took the lead by scoring 14 straight points on a TD run and a TD pass by Marshall. (28-24)

The Ole Miss offense got back on track and answered with a touchdown run by Wallace.  On the ensuing drive, Auburn was soon forced into a 3rd and long situation.  On 3rd down, Marshall fired an ill-advised pass towards Coates, and Sammie came down with it again, using his 200 pound frame to get between the defender and the ball.  6 plays later, Auburn regained the lead on a short run by powerful running back Cameron Artis-Payne.  (35-31)

Ole Miss would have 2 chances in the red zone (20 yards and closer to the endzone) to take the lead back.  The first time, Wallace had the ball on a 2nd and 1 play, was almost brought down for no gain, but unnecessarily fought for extra yardage, leaving himself vulnerable to a fumble.  That's just what happened: the Tigers clawed the ball loose and pounced on it.  However, Auburn only managed 1 first on their drive and had to punt.

The Rebels got the ball near midfield, and fought their way down to the 20 yard line.  Two plays later, tragedy struck.  Wallace threw a pass to Treadwell who caught it and broke through the defense.  But at the 5 yard line, Treadwell was tracked down from behind by a defender who landed on Treadwell's leg.  Treadwell's leg bent awkwardly as he fell forward, and Treadwell lost his grip on the football near the goal line.  Thinking it was a fumble, Auburn jumped on the ball. The play was called a touchdown, but Treadwell was on the ground in serious pain.  The Ole Miss fans chanted his name as he was eased onto a cart by the team's medical staff.  But the situation would get even worse, when the referees reviewed the play and discovered Treadwell had in fact fumbled before the ball crossed the goal line, rewarding Auburn with possession.

The fans watched in silence as the Tigers ran the clock out to end the game.  A tragic and horrible way to lose a game for the Rebels.  I pray Treadwell will have a quick and full recovery.

Final Score: Auburn 35 Ole Miss 31

Top 2 Games to Watch: Week 11

1.  Ohio State Buckeyes @ Michigan State Spartans: 11/8 at 8 p.m. on ABC

Both teams come into this game with only 1 loss, and they can't afford another if they want to stay in the playoff discussion.  The last time these two teams met in Spartan Stadium, Ohio State walked away with a close win.  Can Head Coach Urban Meyer and his Buckeyes do it again, or will the Spartans be victorious as they were in last year's Big 10 Championship Game?

My pick: Ohio State!

2.  Kansas State Wildcats @ TCU Horned Frogs: 10/8 at 7:30 p.m. on Fox

Can TCU continue their winning ways against tough Big 12 Conference opponents, or will the Bill Snyder coached Wildcats leap into the championship discussion with a huge win?

My pick: TCU!  All of you should know that by now.