Author: rickro51 Page 35 of 36

On Thursday night, I was repulsed by a totally classless, inexcusable action.  Texas Tech was hosting perennial doormat Kansas (Oh, where have you gone, Mark Mangino??).  There were less than 2 minutes left in the game and, typically, Kansas was being outclassed 55-19.  Not that the Jayhawks were not used to being on the short end of the stick.  The rout in Lubbock would prove to be the 40th consecutive road loss for hapless Kansas (One has to go back to a 2009 game at UTEP to find a Jayhawk road victory).

Tech has a 4th and 13, on, very roughly, the Kansas 40.  The call on the next play simply should not have happened.  The QB throws a bomb into the end zone.  Thankfully, the pass was not completed but the total lack of sportsmanship shown by the play call was appalling.  Perhaps one could rationalize that maybe Kliff Kingsbury was trying to give a backup QB a rare shot for glory.  But even that lame rationale would not hold water here as the backup QB, Nic Shimonek, had ALREADY thrown for 4 TD passes (Patrick Mahomes had been injured earlier in the game).

Football can be a dog-eat-dog sport but that call was so classless and unsporting given poor Kansas’ unparalleled woes.  The Kansas football players are human beings and to try to needlessly tack on another score was the type of action only a bully or a twisted mind would contemplate.

Kliff Kingsbury no doubt wanted to add to his team’s always gaudy passing statistics.  To try to remain #1 in the country.  But some sportsmanship should govern here.  If Kingsbury spent less time reading about his team’s passing stats and more trying to buttress an always pitiful defense, perhaps that would be a better use of his time.  Media types have raved about Kingsbury’s good looks and how hot he is.  In that context, I think of the Temptations’ Motown classic, “Beauty is Only Skin Deep.”

As College Football Odyssey always prefers to end on a positive note, look for South Alabama coach, Joey Jones, to have some intriguing coaching offers for 2017.  South Alabama dumped #19 ranked San Diego State, 42-24, even with the handicap of having to go with a backup QB.  The upset was the 3rd large upset over the past 13 months for Jones.   Congratulations, coach!

Nic Shimonek

Consider my surprise earlier this week.  TCU is hosting Oklahoma on Saturday.  The Horned Frogs started as a 1-point dog and the line spurted to 3.5 in favor of the Sooners.  I was surprised.  Oklahoma was not particularly competitive in either the Houston or Ohio State game.  Even in TCU’s sole loss, the Horned Frogs had a strong 2nd half comeback, only to fall to Arkansas in an overtime classic.   I definitely prefer Gary Patterson as a gameday coach to Bob Stoops.  For the perennially loaded Sooners, am I the only one who thinks that Stoops has lost some games that he never should have?  Two home losses stay with me.  The 41-38 2011 Texas Tech pratfall to Tommy Tuberville as a 28-point favorite and the mismanaged Oklahoma State loss as a 21-point favorite in 2014 are tough to forget.

I would be even more bullish on TCU winning this game if not for 2 key injuries.  KaVontae Turpin’s electric kick returns will be missed again.  Perhaps more important, Center Austin Schlottmann will also be out.  History dictates that the most underrated position on the team is center as the line calls can flow less easily when a change occurs.  Oklahoma’s best attribute the past year is catching teams with key injuries.  Last year, the Sooners barely held off a TCU team playing with a backup QB and a decimated defense.

Washington State is another undeserving home dog.  This I understand better but I believe Vegas has it wrong.  The Oregon team visiting Pullman is not one of the Chip Kelly or Mike Belotti vintage.  Instead, the Ducks are saddled with an embarrassing defensive line that made the offenses of UC Davis and Virginia seem potent.  Worse, they magically transformed  a Colorado backup QB, Steven Montez, into a potential Heisman Trophy winner last week.  The same Montez who went 0 for 7 in Ann Arbor seven days earlier.  Is it strange that the last name of their new D coordinator, Hoke, rhymes with joke?  Just asking.

Interesting to note that the biggest weakness of the Cougars is also their D line, both in terms of a lack of pass rush and depth.  So, look for a lot of points and a game like last year’s in Eugene where WSU prevailed, 45-38, as a 16-point dog.

I think folks checked out on WSU after their 2 opening losses but context is needed.  Both were 3-point losses to excellent teams in Eastern Washington and Boise.  There seems to be collective amnesia that the Cougars were 9-4 last year and returned a lot including the sensational Luke Falk to Gabe Marks tandem.

While the right teams are favored in the Wisconsin and Wake Forest games, when was the last time we were a month into a season and two undefeated teams from Power 5 conferences were BOTH DDD’s (I am not talking cup size for the porn-oriented segment of our readership but Double Digit Dogs)?  Never might be the correct answer.  College Football Odyssey will not be surprised if one of these surprise teams remains undefeated Saturday night.  Rick Rock

I view Tennessee as one of the most diverse states in the country.  Just as I could never imagine Isaac Hayes playing a gig in the Smoky Mountains, the idea of a country honky tonk in downtown Memphis seems just as strange.  However, the state of Tennessee pulled together in one sense: on Saturday,  three dramatic comebacks shined.

Tennessee spotted long-time tormentor Florida a 21-0 lead then roared back with 38 unanswered points in front of 100,000+ orgasmic Vol fans.  In Murfreesboro, Middle Tennessee State trailed Louisiana Tech  27-7 in the 3rd quarter before roaring back to win, 38-34.  At game’s end, Middle had to thwart La Tech on 4 downs inside their 10-yard line to secure the victory.  La Tech now has the interesting distinction of losing the last two Saturdays despite 550+ yards of offense in both defeats.  With shootouts like that, it is almost like Sonny Dykes never left!

Vanderbilt came from behind to force overtime with a TD on the final play of regulation.  Down 21-17 with 2 minutes to go, the Commodores’s prospects were bleak as Western Kentucky had a first and goal.  However, the D stiffened and forced a field goal.  Vanderbilt, led by their so-so QB, Kyle Shurmur, had 67 seconds to go down the field lacking any timeouts.  For that fateful minute, Shurmur inexplicably morphed into Joe Montana to the dismay of the largest crowd to ever watch a WKU home game.    Vandy then scored another TD to go ahead 31-24 in OT only to see Western Kentucky score a TD.  Jeff Brohm rolled the dice on a 2-point conversion and the potential game-winning pass was tipped away.  Anchor down, baby!

Memphis did not have any chance to join the other  three Division 1-A Volunteer state teams in dramatic heroics.  When you are leading 56-3 at the half, the scope for dramatics is pretty limited.  The Tigers had to settle for having 11 different players score TDs as they handed Bowling Green their worst loss in history, a 77-3 throttling.   This broke a record that had only stood for 3 weeks.  Previously, the worst BG loss in history was their 77-10 embarrassment at Ohio State on September 3.

For those who read this blog religiously, we expressed an opinion prior to the opener that we thought that the Wake Forest season win total of 5.5 wins, expected by the experts, seemed a tad low to us, largely thanks to a tissue soft first half of the schedule.  We even fantasized about the possibility of Wake rolling into their October tilt in Tallahassee with a 6-0 record.   Then reality smacked us in the kisser as the stench from Wake Forest’s offensive performance in their opener was unmistakable.   The Demon Deacons were held to 174 yards of total offense against Tulane, yet, remarkably, against all odds, still pulled out a narrow, 7-3 win over the Green Wave.  Our dream of a 6-0 start for Wake seemed to be an LSD-fueled  fantasy.  John Wolford’s anemic performance in the opener prompted an eventual QB change to the  more dynamic Kendall Hinton.  After some excellent play,  Hinton got hurt and they had to go back to Wolford, veteran of 24 previous starts.  The situation was reminiscent of a guy who temporarily dumps his wife for his mistress only to later go back hat-in-hand to ask the wife for forgiveness. after he discovers that his mistress is the first cousin of Glenn Close.  Well, maybe only slightly reminiscent.

Wake might have been a bit lucky against Indiana in yesterday’s 33-28 triumph.  IU’s quarterback, Richard Lagow, heaved a TD bomb in the game’s first minute and torched Wake for 496 yards.  However, the Demon Deacons were resilient enough to pick off 5 Lagow passes and fought off a spirited Hoosier rally.  (By the way, our other two picks on the season win total were Houston over 9 or 9.5 and Middle Tennessee over 7.5 wins.  Sorry for bragging, but we are not always this good, so we wish to take advantage of the opportunity!!).  This week, Wake travels to Raleigh and starts off as 10.5 point dog versus the Wolfpack.  Stay tuned to see if the Demon Deacons can pull off a third straight upset.

We close with a note of compassion for the USC football program.  We do realize that our blog last week regarding the current state of Trojan football could have been viewed as slightly harsh.   Further, College Football Odyssey does not wish to receive a 15-yard penalty for piling on.   Thus, we will not dwell on USC blowing a 24-10 lead against Utah on Friday night.  We also pledge not to do any research as to whether Clay Helton’s lifetime 1-5 head coaching record is the worst in Trojan history.

Let’s all Fight On this week!  We always love to hear from you.   Rick Rock

Pat Haden is a legendary Trojan QB and, by all reports, a nice guy. However, the Trojan great should be eternally thankful there is not a Hall of Shame for Athletic Directors. Because he would be considered a composite of Babe Ruth, Michael Jordan and Tom Brady among the worst of the worst.

Rampant cronyism (and perhaps some laziness) played into the failed hires of the arrogant Lane Kiffin, the alcoholic Steve Sarkisian and the woefully under qualified current Trojan head man, Clay Helton. To date, Helton is 1-4. As much as USC’s mediocrity is surprising, what is far worse is the seeming way that Trojans tank games and are disorganized. USC appeared to give up in the 2nd half of the Alabama slaughter. The apparent lack of effort is not the first time in recent memory. I am sure that USC fans wish to forget the 2012 Sun Bowl when Troy played a 6-7 Georgia Tech team that needed special dispensation to play in any bowl. The result was a dismal 21-7 loss. Lane Kiffin was too busy burying his nose in his play call list to even consider motivating his could-care-less troops during the game. A second no show by the defense, 9 months later at Arizona State, to the tune of 62 points allowed, prompted Haden to meet Kiffin at the tarmac of LAX at 3:15 AM.

Historians will tabulate Haden’s failed hires at 3. I think it might have been four. After Kiffin’s firing, the Trojans played hard under interim coach, Ed Orgeron. The highlight for the gruff, excitable Louisianan was a thrilling 20-17 victory over Stanford. I was at the Coliseum that night and the “whoo whoos” filled the air. Just like when Pat Haden played. Orgeron subsequently lost to UCLA. Perhaps that cost Orgeron the permanent gig.

Haden MUST have known about the fact that Steve Sarkisian’s favorite song might have been Roger Miller’s, “Chug A Lug” classic. A number of people in Seattle were aware that the bottle was the likable Sark’s worst enemy.

Five games might not be a fair amount of time to judge Helton after Haden removed the interim tag late in 2015. In addition to the Alabama surrender, the disorganization and lack of cohesion on an experienced offensive line is a strong indictment. I realize that Center is a vitally important position and that Tom Lobendahn has been lost for the year, but Ron Yary, Brad Budde and Anthony Munoz must all be disgusted by what they see. And Helton’s refusal at the beginning of the year not to give the explosive Adoree Jackson any touches on offense is bizarre. Maybe he should see the two-way players Jim Harbaugh has used at Stanford and Michigan — Jabrill Peppers does not seem to get too tired.

It is clear that USC needs somebody who can motivate (and perhaps scare) all these underachieving, four and five-star pretty boys who seemingly prefer to read their glowing, prep recruiting rankings than commit to being part of a real team. Helton does not get it when he said before last week’s Stanford game that “USC wants to be more like Stanford.” What an admission and indictment! Coach, how about aspiring to what USC USED TO BE!! Forget Stanford comparisons!!

If I were coach of USC, I would require USC players to watch the entire North Dakota State-Iowa game. Obviously, the Bison are very well coached, but perhaps a touch of shame might help this hapless bunch. These underrecruited gems maximize their ability. Heck, 36 of the players are from Minnesota. When the second-tier Golden Gophers do not recruit those guys, this is a further testament to their grit and development when they have won 6 consecutive victories over the big boys. For now, sadly, it would be fair to dub the Trojans as the anti-Bison.

How fitting that Tom Brady was the guest of honor in The Big House, courtesy of Roger Goodell. College Football Odyssey was represented at Michigan Stadium, courtesy of Matt Anctil. How ironic that Brady saw Michigan get off to its worse start in Ann Arbor since 1998 (Donovan McNabb’s Syracuse team jumped out to a 24-0 lead against a UM team led by Brady).

Four minutes into the game, Maize & Blue partisans were shocked by a 14-0 deficit, courtesy of a fumble and a Sefo Liufau bomb. Michigan recovered to take a 24-21 halftime lead but Liufau was not finished. Despite sustaining a badly sprained ankle on the first play from scrimmage in the 2nd half, Liufau uncorked another bomb on the next play, his 3rd TD pass of the game. 28-24, Buffaloes!

Sadly, for Liufau & The Buffs, he was sidelined for the duration as the Buff offense was rendered impotent. While the MRI proved negative, the extent of Liufau’s injury is unclear. The improved Buffs clearly need Liufau as much as Romeo needed Juliet. For the injury-plagued QB, his latest setback shows how cruel fate can be. Given that the Pac 12 South is teeming with disappointments, a Liufau-led Colorado team actually had some chance to rise from the ashes for the first time in over a decade. College Football Odyssey wishes Liufau a speedy recovery.

The vulnerabilities of the Wolverines were exposed. When was the last time Michigan had an offensive line which could consistently open holes for a quality rushing game? 2006, I would say. Of course, if Michigan had a running back with breakaway speed, that would help but Denard Robinson is long gone. Colorado’s bevy of speedy receivers exposed some glaring problems at Safety and Defensive Back. Some of those problems will be resolved when the stellar Jourdan Lewis takes the field for the first time, perhaps as soon as this Saturday’s tilt against Penn State. To boot, QB Wilton Speight was shaky in the first half.

Part of the reason For Michigan’s issues at Safety relate to the unleashing of Jabrill Peppers. The former Safety’s unparalleled versatility has been illustrated by his rebirth as a linebacker and an edge-rushing terror. His nine tackles, including 3.5 tackles for loss, were only part of his workday. He rushed the ball two times for 24 yards. His kick returns were spectacular, including a 55-yard kick off return and capped by a 54-yard punt return touchdown that sealed Michigan’s win. Surrounded by so many so-so performances, Peppers literally put his teammates on his back. It was almost as if Peppers demanded to be included in the same conversation as, gasp, the iconic Charles Woodson.

If Mr. Lewis does not play on Saturday, we anticipate more scoring in the Penn State game than is typical in their series.

As for Michigan, their #4 ranking seems inflated. Given the impressive performances by Michigan State, Central Michigan and Western Michigan on Saturday, one could argue that for one day, Michigan was only #4 in its own state! Rick Rock

Coaches demand so much of their players. I go absolutely berserk when coaches betray their hard-working troops with brain dead decisions that cost them the game. Consider UConn’s 28-24 loss in Annapolis last Saturday. UConn fell behind 21-0 then heroically fought back — especially commendable when one considers that Navy employs the time-grubbing triple option. UConn has driven down to the Navy half-yard line with 17 seconds left. UConn burns its last time out before their 2nd down play. Coach Bob Diaco inexplicably calls a run. The run is stuffed and worse, the Huskies take their sweet time getting back to the line of scrimmage. The Navy defense did not seem to mind this casual approach and went along with the program. The Huskies did not run another play. Ballgame!!

Obviously, UConn should have thrown on 2nd down and, if necessary, on 3rd down. There would still be time for a 4th down and if Diaco then wanted to run the ball, fine. His excuse was so lame after the game as to induce massive scorn. He would not even take accountability for the game management travesty he had just perpetuated. For a program struggling to become relevant, this defeat was devastating. If you were in Las Vegas and bet on UConn +4, PLEASE let College Football Odyssey know. We will personally contact the athletic director on your behalf and see if we can negotiate a deal for you.

If I was a member of the Storrs police department, I would have had no choice, upon Mr. Diaco’s return, but to arrest him for theft. Being fair-minded, I would have accepted any reasonable bail request.

IDIOCY Part 2: Boise State has 1st down at midfield with 4:54 remaining and a 31-21 lead against Washington State and their lethal passing attack. Milking the clock seems prudent — especially when you have the talented Jeremy McNichols at running back. First down: Pass incomplete down the field. Second down: Pass incomplete down the field. Third down: Yet another pass: This was picked off. On WSU’s next play, Luke Falk threw a bomb to Gabe Marks. Success for perhaps the best pass/catch tandem in the USA. 31-28. Bryan Harsin and his staff finally started to run the ball on their next possession with success. However, if not for some time clock mismanagement by WSU in the last minute, Boise’s horrific play calling at the 5-minute mark could easily have cost the Broncos the game.

Since College Football Odyssey has a strong preference to be positive, we end with kudos to two coaches who shined on Saturday.

True confessions: I am not a big Todd Graham fan . Two reasons: I really disliked the way he treated Pitt, bolting for ASU after only one year. Also, he has gone so ballistic on some of his players during games. I did not fancy ASU’s chances against Texas Tech in Tempe last Saturday. The Sun Devils were unimpressive for 3 quarters the previous week against the Lumberjacks of Northern Arizona (I have always wondered if the NAU women sports teams should be called the LumberJills). I was unimpressed with new QB, Manny Wilkins. For the Red Raiders, Graham unveils a new offensive weapon. The Sun Devils effectively ran Kalen Ballage out of the “Sparky” formation (Everybody else calls it the Wildcat but that would be a major problem in nomenclature given the nickname of their Tucson archrival). After Ballage scores a NCAA-record 8 TDs, Arizona State prevails 68-55. Nice job, Mr. Graham!

College Football Odyssey has been very hard on Derek Mason for the manner in which he has repeatedly mishandled his QBs, in tragicomical, musical chairs fashion. His fast, confidence-sapping QB shuffles have previously caused us to wonder if he should even be in the same zip code as his QB corp. Against Middle Tennessee, Vandy starting QB Kyle Shurmur starts out 0 for 7. The old Derek would have yanked him. Evidently, there is a new Derek. Shurmer is allowed to stay in, completing 13 of his next 14 throws. A shocking offensive outburst from the Commodores ensues, with no small assist from Ralph Webb’s 211 rushing yards. Vandy’s 47 points in the game would constitute an explosion for most teams. Given Vandy’s repeated and historical offensive challenges, 47 points would seem to require some successful black magic. New Derek, you rock!!

All the pundits were saying “Oh, woe is us.” After all the marquee week 1, Top 25 matchups, there was nary a one on the week 2 schedule. Well, Week 2 turned out to be perhaps the most exciting weekend in years. Simply unbelievable!!

Au contraire, there was actually one awesome part of the schedule. Renewal of two rivalry games that should be played each year:

Pitt-Penn State were getting together for the first time since 2000. The 16-year gap was a travesty based on Joe Paterno’s petulance about Pitt not coming aboard a BIG Big East conference idea proposed by Paterno 30+ years ago. The 42-39 game was a fun fest with much more offense than expected. Sorry, Joe. Coupled with the Jerry Sandusky scandal, two big strikes against you. (Trivia Question: There was another game of great magnitude in 2006 with the same 42-39 score. Can you name the teams? Answer at end)

Even agnostics should pray for The Holy War to be played EVERY year. The BYU-Utah game produces an atypical amount of heart-rending, pulsating finishes and this epic proved to be no exception. BYU, facing a 20-13 deficit, produced a dramatic TD drive with only 18 seconds left. The Cougs went for 2 but the stout Utah defense stuffed Taysom Hill for the win.

There was yet a 3rd game which rekindled an old rivalry from the Southwest Conference days ((God, I do miss the Southwest conference. Nothing like The Lone Star State being cool enough, big enough and grand enough to have its conference, with Arkansas invited as the permanent house guest)): Arkansas @ TCU. The last 8 minutes of the game and the 2 overtimes will go down as among the most entertaining segments in college football history. TCU roared back from a double-digit deficit to take a 28-20 lead with 2 minutes to go. Horned Frog QB, Kenny Hill, makes a throat-slashing gesture on the TD play. After the stupid, idiotic, mind-blowing penalty, TCU has to kick off from its own 20. The good field position gives Arkansas more than enough time to score with about 40 seconds to go. The 28-26 scores forces the Hogs to go for 2. It takes a dramatic pass play off a reverse for the Hogs knot the game. Only one problem: Arkansas scored too soon. Having their own brain cramp, Arkansas kicks the ball to one of college football’s best returners, Sophomore KaVantae Turpin. OOPS!! TCU takes over deep in Hog territory only to have their subsequent 28- yard FG kick blocked by 6’10” Dan Skipper, forcing overtime. As excellent as the double OT was, it was anti-climactic after the breath-gasping 4th quarter.

Two games that were thought to be utter blowouts: Nicholls State made a gallant 4th quarter rally against Georgia but fell just short, 26-24. I thought I was dreaming when I watched the replay last night on SEC Network and the commentator said just before the end of the first half.that the Colonels were the better rushing team against a Bulldog team gifted with their typical RB glut.

36-point favorite Clemson found itself to be barely winning in a 13-10 dogfight against Troy early in the 4th quarter. The Tigers were on Troy’s one-yard line. FUMBLE! Troy had an easy path to a 99-yard TD return to put them in the lead. Had the whistle really blown before the fumble? The officials said yes. Clemson scored on the ensuing play and the Troy threat was extinguished.

One FCS team did rule in utterly dramatic fashion. Illinois State is down 7-6 as Sean Slattery attempts a game-winning 33-yard field goal. Just like in Starkville the previous Saturday, the ball doinks off the left goal post. However, this time, God smiles on the Redbirds. The ball ricochets thru the uprights. Maybe it is a good idea that the Big 10 is forbidding any future contracts with FCS teams.

And if you feel asleep early on Saturday night (OK, late for you Eastern folks who cost Christian McCaffrey the Heisman last year), you missed enough offense for 20 games. Really hope you have a DVR in such case. In Tempe, the over/under for the Texas Tech was 80.5. Hell, that total was almost covered at the half! 37-34, baby. ASU’s 68-55 triumph was highlighted by 8 TDs by Kalen Ballange, a record-tying effort. Ballange had only scored 9 TDs in his career before his epic effort. Ballange’s heroics overshadowed 540 passing yards from Tech’s Patrick Mahomes.

In San Diego, the most enthusiastic crowd since the 1992 opener against USC (a riveting 31-31 tie) awaited Saturday night as Cal came to town. The Aztecs, despite some excellent DBs, could not stop Davis Webb and the new contingent of Cal receivers to the tune of 522 passing yards. Thankfully for SDSU, the combination of Donnel Pumphrey and a porous Cal rush defense more than compensated. Pumphrey’s 285 yards rushing helped him to eclipse the career yardage record of all-time Aztec icon, Marshall Faulk.

When SDSU scored with 5 minutes to go, the Aztecs held a 45-34 edge, but it was nearly not enough. Cal scored in the last minute and recovered the onside kick. Only after DeMontae Kazee’s interception at the SDSU 17-yard line could the Aztecs breath and celebrate their 45-40 triumph. Is it remotely possible that SDSU and Boise meet in the Mountain West title game as undefeated teams?? The prospect makes me tingle. Much more possible after the narrow triumphs by SDSU and Boise over Pac 12 schools Saturday night. By the way, one intriguing stat in Wazzu’s 31-28 loss on the blue turf. SIX times WSU entered Boise territory only not to score.

As great as the above games were, this blog has not got around to mentioning the unbelievable hook-and-ladder play by Central Michigan to topple Oklahoma State. Amazing! My view is that the play was so immensely awesome that it should stand, rules be damned. Mike Gundy’s latest response is to require conference referees for all non-conference games in Stillwater. My response to Mr. Gundy: WWAAAAHHHHHH!! You were great enough to man up and admit you made a mistake in the intentional grounding call. I wish you would have left it at that.

A special shout out to LSU’ Tre’Davious White. How many 60-yard punt return TDs require a 121-yard journey? At one point, White was 21 yards BEHOND the point where he caught the pigskin. If you have not seen this fantastic return, fire up youtube.com.

Trivia Answer: #1 Ohio State 42, #2 Michigan 39

WEEK 2 WAS SIMPLY UNBELIEVABLE. More please!

One of the most deceiving scores of last Saturday was Oregon’s 53-28 triumph over UC Davis. Despite the score, alarm bells should be going off in Eugene.

Let’s consider:

Did Oregon’s horrible defense in 2015 improve? Apparently not. Out of the 13 Big Sky teams in 2015, UC Davis ranked 13th in points scored per game. Nor was this year’s UC Davis team supposed to be much better. Out of 13 Big Sky teams, the Aggies were picked to finish, you guessed it, 13th. Davis was so lightly regarded that the Ducks went off as a 48-point favorite in Sin City.

Brady Hoke was brought aboard as the new defensive coordinator but he can only do so much. It would be illegal for Hoke to tackle. Oregon gets another tissue soft opponent this Saturday as Virginia travels across the country under new coach, Bronco Mendenhall. Lower division Richmond tore apart Virginia last Saturday, as evidenced by a whopping 524-302 disparity in total yardage.

Imagine Oregon’s shock on September 17 when they take the field in Lincoln, Nebraska and actually have to play a football team.

College Football Odyssey has a special place in its heart for any lower division team, such as Richmond, that can topple one of the big boys. Just mention of UC Davis brings to mind one of the greatest and unique upsets in the history of college football. In 2005, Davis visited Stanford. This odds were even more lopsided against the Aggies than when a 1-AA team like Richmond takes on a 1-A team. Davis was transitioning from Division 2 to Division 1-AA and had all of 35 scholarship players (Division 1-AA teams generally have 63 available scholarships). When Stanford took a 17-0 lead, nobody thought Davis had a prayer. However, the Aggies fought back to make it a 17-13 game and were driving for the winning score in the waning seconds. Stanford’s Nick Sanchez appeared to make the game-clinching interception for the Cardinal. However, he was ruled out of bounds. Davis scored on the ensuing play with 8 seconds to go. If there had been replay, most felt that Sanchez’ interception would have been upheld. However, the Pac 10 supplied neither a replay staff or related video equipment since Davis was a lower division opponent. So in the memory of the amazing UC Davis upset, 11 years ago, and to Richmond and the other 3 lower division teams that beat the big boys last Saturday, College Football Odyssey bows down and pays homage.

The importance of coaching in college football is paramount. Consider the stunning comeback victory by South Alabama against Miss St. South Alabama started off as a 31.5 point dog in this game, a remarkably high number against an MSU team that has been gutted by graduation the past 2 years. Even more surprising than the outcome was the manner in which the shocker occurred.

The Bulldogs were leading at the half 17-0. Usually, when a huge underdog can triumph, they start off fast against an overconfident favorite. While USA’s defense did shut down the Bulldog O in the early going (which prompted Dan Mullen to replace Nick FItzgerald with a more mobile QB in Damien Williams), a QB switch energized the home side.

A USA loss seemed inevitable at halftime. Somehow, USA Coach Joey Jones, galvanized his forces for a resounding 2nd half against an SEC team. This is the 2nd time in 12 months that Jones pulled a rabbit out of his hat. Last year, he managed to lead an underwhelming USA squad (the Jaguars finished 5-7) to an improbable upset in San Diego against an excellent Aztec team. Has any coach recently had two more improbable upsets in a year’s time??

Now, let’s vent about another Jones: Butch. Amid all the pre-season hoopla surrounding the Vols, fans were eager to overlook Jones’ 4th quarter pratfalls in 2015. But there is NO excuse, NONE, to be out-physicaled by a SunBelt team, even one as strong as App State. If you watched the Vols’ O Line against App State’s D Line, and been color blind as to the color of the uniforms, you would have sworn that App State was the SEC team. O line play requires a lot of coordination, which, in turn, relies on good coaching. Tennessee’s O Line was in NO way ready to win the SEC.

Lest you think I am being unfair to Butch Jones, two other SEC coaching staffs did not distinguish themselves in the opening weekend: LSU’s erratic QB, Brandon Harris, has still not progressed. His feetwork is often terrible and his game-ending interception was yet another indictment both on him and the coaching staff (pains me to say that, since Les Miles is a breath of fresh air). With the exception of the one Zach Mettenberger year, the QB play at LSU over the past 7-8 years speaks volumes.

Derek Mason, the Vandy head man, is a hell of a defensive coach. And that is where he belongs. For the 2nd time in 3 years, he has made inexplicable QB changes in the opener which made little sense and, worse, sapped the confidence of his QBs….Vandy got off to a 10-0 lead last Thursday against the Gamecocks. No need to panic. He makes a QB change. While his QB decisions were not as atrocious as his 3-QB change-a-thon in the 2014 opener against Temple (a 37-7 travesty), he should not be allowed to be in the same zip code as his QBs.

Now on to much more positive stuff!! In addition to the kudos already accorded legendary Eastern Washington receiver, Cooper Kupp, in a previous post, two other kudos are so well deserved:

College Football Odyssey is far from infallible in our predictions. We thought Western Kentucky’s offense was going to fall off with the graduation of phenominal QB, Brandon Doughty. Sure did.. Led by new QB, Mike White, WKU only threw for 517 yards against Rice (355 in the first half!!!!), 10th best mark in Conference USA history. Part of the beauty of college football openers is that they continually make fools of the experts.

Kalani Sitake, the new BYU head coach, made a courageous decision at game’s end against Arizona in the first Cactus Classic.After seeing the Cougars’ starting kicker miss both a PAT and a field goal, he sent out his backup freshman kicker for a 33-yard field goal. Arizona had rallied to take a 16-15 lead and this kick would be the difference between victory and defeat. The freshman, Jake Oldroyd, nailed his first field goal attempt, cementing his name in Cougar lore.

For those who love the “Rudy” film, you will salivate over the story of Eastern Washington star receiver, Cooper Kupp.

Kupp had zero, yes, zero, Division 1-A scholarship offers. Both Washington and WSU whiffed on Yakima’s Davis High standout.

If either the Pac 12 or the Northwest Pac-12 schools had an all-opponent Hall of Fame, Kupp would be at the head of the class!

His stats against the four Pac-12 schools Kupp has played against almost defy belief.

Receiving Yards TDs

2013 Oregon State 119 2
2014 Oregon 249 3 (Oregon got a sneak peek at Kupp’s QB, Vernon Adams)
2015 Washington 145 3
2016 WSU 206 3

His prowess were major reasons that EWU recorded upsets over a ranked Oregon State team and a talented WSU team fresh off a 9-4 record.

Kupp would have been a high draft pick if he came out after the 2015 year but chose to stay one last year for his teammates.

College Football Odyssey is in AWE of you, Mr. Kupp