Rough Weekend for the Big 12
When the national media types trash the Big 12 and heap praises on the SEC and Big 10, I tend to get pretty defensive and rush to the conference's rescue. Though, my wife often tells me that shouting at the television doesn't work. Well, too many more weekends like the on the Big 12 had this weekend, and I might actually have stop shouting and just take it. From NU missing a chance to make a statement in LA, to Bob Stoops' boys getting ska-rood in Oregon, the MAC-level play from much of the rest of the North, and Tech putting up just three points, it just wasn't a good weekend for the Big 12 conference.
The North - MAC plus NU and Mizzou
Maybe Frank Solich and Turner Gill feel comfortable in the Mid-American Conference because the competition level resembles so many of their former division foes.
This weekend, Kansas lost in double overtime to Toledo, the very same Toledo Rockets that took Iowa State in to triple overtime to open the season. In fairness to KU, they outplayed Toledo in many facets of the game, with one key exception - quarterback play. While Toledo's QB was gutsy and prevented mistakes, KU's redshirt freshman QB - Kerry Meier - was busy giving the game away with 4 interceptions and a fumbled exchange with his running back. I give Kansas some credit for looking better against Toledo in their loss than ISU did in their win against the same opponent. But, a loss is a loss. And, it continues Mark Mangino's road woes.
As for Iowa State, they squandered an 11-point lead and nice performance by quarterback Bret Meyer (152 yards passing, 74 rushing) in losing to rival Iowa on the road, 27-17. ISU's defense lived up to their stellar reputation, giving up 410 yards to an Iowa team that struggled with Syracuse the week before. In fairness, Drew Tate was very solid for the Hawkeyes. Todd Blythe and Stevie Hicks are good players, but neither is spectacular. Hicks gets what yards are there. And Blythe disappears for long stretches, or even whole games (see also, UNLV game). I'm yet to be impressed by anything on this team but the quarterback. He is a heck of a player.
Speaking spectacular players, NU ran smack dab in to the Dwayne Jarrett buzz saw on Saturday night. We all knew the match up would be tough. But, wow...Jarrett is the real deal. He's an early first round NFL talent. The other thing about USC that jumped out at me was their linebackers. They are fast and powerful, and clearly the strength of their D. I agree with Steve in that Callahan's strategy was sound and that NU really failed to capitalize. USC did not. They looked every bit the #2 team in the country. And frankly, NU looked like the #18 team. NU is definitely better, but not great. They have plenty of improvements to make before facing a surprisingly feisty Troy team on Saturday.
Back to the rest of the North's collective MAC-ness. Kansas State played MAC foe Marshall. While KSU's defense looked very solid against the worst Marshall team in 10 years, their offense didn't get rolling until late. They didn't make the most of the three turnovers forced by their defense. Yes, KSU is 3-0 for the first time since 2003. They just might be waking up a little. But consider me unimpressed until they play Louisville. Of course, the Cardinals will be without both Bush and Brohm when they play the Wildcats.
Colorado lost to Arizona State to move to 0-3 on the year. CU scored 3 points. They are a bad football team. Good luck against Georgia, guys.
That leaves Missouri - the team I have considered the 2nd best in the North from the start. They moved to 3-0 by beating New Mexico, a team that had their number last year. The 27-17 win wasn't perfect. MU should have made more from the turnovers they got. But, their offense showed near perfect balance (199 passing, 197 rushing) with Chase Daniel at the helm. And the defensive front created great pressure. I'm still glad NU has Missouri at home this year.
In The South - Nuts and Bolts For OU, Tech Scores 3
It was impressive for Oklahoma to go out to Eugene Oregon and beat the Ducks. What? They lost? Seriously, they were up 13 points late in the game...Oh, wait, that's right. They got jobbed by two bad calls and a failure in the replay system. The resulting 34-33 screw job squandered a gutsy performance and wasted an amazing day for Adrian Peterson. OU's version of Bo Jackson had 211 yards on 34 carries. The loss cost OU in the polls, which is unfair. More unfair are those voters who will penalize Peterson's Heisman bid for the loss. Only a great player can make a nearly one-dimensional offense work. (See also Crouch, Eric). Texas has a chance to be great. All the same, I refuse to count out OU in the South race. They showed some serious guts.
Speaking of one-dimensional offenses, the jig might be up for the soul-less coach in Lubbock Texas. The vaunted Texas Tech offense managed just 3 points in an intra-state match up with the TCU frogs with horns. I know the Tech folks will come out of the woodworks shouting "70-10" at me for what I'm about to say. But...this is how it goes with gimmick offenses. Eventually, people get enough film and preparation; professional defensive coaches adjust and find ways to take things away. That's why the run-and-shoot went away. And why, eventually, the spread option will too. It's a matter of evolution. So, if Leach is such a dang genius, he better evolve his way out of having a quarterback who amasses 204 yards...on 47 attempts. 47! Leach was quoted as saying "Today, I coached the worst offense in America." Evolve or die, coach.
Elsewhere in the South, it was heartbreak hotel for Baylor again, losing on a last second field goal to Washington State, 17-15. I'm serious when I say Guy Morris is getting the Bears better. When will they do something to help people believe me? Oh, I know. How about when the drum KSU to open the conference season? Hear me now, believe me later. Of course, that may not happen if they can't find a way to rush for more than 25 yards. Maybe this year wasn't the best time to install the Mike Leach throw-first attack, Coach Morris.
And, A&M might not suck as much as some people thought they would. In fact, Coach Fran got to 3-0 in his "win or else" season in Aggieland. BUT, (big but) those wins are over - The Citadel (seriously, they have the word "the" right in their name like that, not good), Louisiana Lafayette (one of my best friends' middle names is Lafayette, and that still doesn't make it cool) and Army. The win over 1-2 Army was a 28-24 nail biter on a "neutral" field, the Alamodome. I'll know more about how much A&M doesn't suck when they play former NU opponent Louisiana Tech. And really, I still don't like that NU has to play in Kyle Field. It's a tough place to win.
Texas devoured Rice - 52-7. Come on, that's funny. Devoured... fine, don't laugh. I had a friend in college who never bet against Rice, no matter what the spread. His rule was "I never bet against food." That is sound reasoning in a frat-guy betting sort of way. But seriously, only God or George W Bush could have called of this Texas-sized destruction. Rice had negative12 yards rushing. Can we just give Texas 9 wins and have them play OU in Dallas and NU in Lincoln right now, please!
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