This was an odd weekend. There were not a lot of high profile games and no real upsets.
Several teams were on the brink of big upsets and blew it:
#5 LSU survived Ole Miss 43-36. The Rebels led 36-35 with under 5 to play.
#17 Iowa seemed pretty content to lead #9 Ohio State 17-10 in the 4th because they could not stop the Buckeye offense after that while twice going three-and-out. Final: OSU 20 Iowa 17.
San Diego State was up on #23 Utah 34-24 but details are what usually separate good teams from not so good teams. After the Utes cut the lead to 3, they blocked a 4th quarter punt and recovered it on the 3 yard line. You know what’s next.
Purdue on the brink of a big win over #12 Michigan State blew a 15 point 4th quarter lead. The Spartans took the win 35-31.
HAHAs:
#8 Nebraska proved once again, they are NOTHING without quarterback Taylor Matrinez. Texas A&M wins 9-6.
The Big 10 looked like chumps this week. With Illinois playing Northwestern at Wrigley Field, it should have been a great celebration of college football, but they turned it into big friggin’ joke. First was the release of photos of the playing field showing one end line ¼ of a stride from a brick wall. Then the Big 10, Illinois and Northwestern officials knocked their three stooges heads together two days before kickoff and decided it was unsafe – this coming months after all had approved everything. Both teams were forced to attack the west end zone – even on a Northwestern interception return, the refs made the Wildcats go to the other end to kick the extra point – as well as sharing a sideline. The Big 10 looked like idiots.
I cannot sign-off without throwing out the HAHA of the Week: Lame Kiffin and his lame-o daddy D-coordinator lost to Oregon State 36-7. Pat Haden would be best served to give Kiffin and his goons (coaching staff) pink slips and start fresh in 2011.