College Football Weekend Wrap-Up

by SlickWillyATL

Yet another eventful weekend in college football is over with and the landscape has taken a neater shape. So what really happened, who benefited the most and who is in trouble? Why, I'm glad you asked...

5 Weekend Winners:

• LSU - Not so much because they throttled Louisiana Tech by 48, but because they have reclaimed the #1 slot in the polls and in the BCS. With only a pitiful Ole Miss team and a downtrodden Arkansas squad left on the schedule, the Bayou Bengals should coast into Atlanta for the SEC Championship game.
• Oregon - Another team that benefited strictly because of #1 falling. The Ducks now control their own destiny and with a fairly poor schedule left, they need to win and win impressively with undefeated Kansas, and one-loss teams like Oklahoma, Missouri and Ohio State behind them.
• Kansas - Yet again the Jayhawks went into a hostile road environment where they weren't supposed to win, and yet again they came out with a W. If they can slide by Missouri on November 24, the Jayhawks will be in their first ever Big 12 title game and will have a shot to finish the season unblemished.
• Georgia - Even if Tennessee wins out and goes to the SEC Championship game, Georgia could still end up in a pretty good spot. With their win over Auburn, Georgia climbed into the #9 position in the polls and is behind a cluster of Big 12 teams that will ultimately knock each other off their respective pedestals. If the Bulldogs win out, and both Kansas and Missouri lose a game apiece (which is very likely with Oklahoma looming in the Big 12 South), the Bulldogs could find themselves in a BCS bowl as an at-large choice.
• Mississippi State - Sly Croom's Bulldogs became bowl-eligible for the first time since 2000. He may say it's just another game, but you know Croom has to love sticking it to his alma mater after passing him up to hire Steakhouse Shula.

5 Weekend Losers:

• Ohio State - This one basically goes without saying. Whenever you are the nation's #1 team and lose, you have effectively ruined your season. The Buckeyes, after having a near stranglehold on a BCS Championship berth, lost a game in the Big Ten that very few people predicted they would have lost. It's possible that they could fall from #1 to out of the top 10 in two weeks with the annual showdown with Michigan this coming Saturday. Watch out!
• Boston College - A win over Maryland could have given Boston College a firm grip on the ACC Atlantic division. Now, the Eagles must win out in order to reach the ACC Title game. Instead of bouncing back, the Eagles proved all the doubters who believed they were a fluke at #2 just two short weeks ago.
• Michigan - The Wolverines still have an opportunity to win the Big Ten, but a win at a hostile Camp Randall Stadium could only have helped their poll position. They still have a conference title to play for, but that loss couldn't have cooled off Lloyd Carr's seat any.
• Connecticut - Don't get me wrong, Cincinnati has a solid football team, but losing 27-3 only proved that the Huskies were a fluke. The upcoming game at Morgantown is even more daunting for UConn now.
• Kansas State - The Wildcats could have become bowl-eligible with a win against a frighteningly sub par Nebraska squad. Instead, K-State let a backup quarterback roll up over 500 yards passing and 7 touchdown passes on its defense and allowed the Huskers to score on 11 consecutive possessions.

Coaches on the Hot Seat:

• Phil Fulmer - A win over Arkansas helps his cause, but there's still some rumblings on Rocky Top. Winning out and pulling an improbable upset over LSU in Atlanta could do wonders for his future.
• Ed Orgeron - When the fan base is already disgruntled at your performance, eking out a 7 point win over Northwestern State isn't something you should be interested in.
• Charlie Weis - Air Force has had a solid season and Chad Hall (my high school point guard) has been a terror to defenses everywhere this season, but Notre Dame shouldn't look as bad as they did on Saturday (which Saturday? Pick one form this season!). Weis did his typical blame-placing, as only he can. Arrogance has a first name, its C-H-A-R-L-I-E! If it didn't take $25 million to buy him out, he likely would have been canned before he left the field.
• Slylvester Croom - Coming into the season, Croom was definitely on the hot seat. I think its safe to say that he's off with wins over highly-ranked Kentucky, Auburn and Alabama this season and a bowl berth in the offing. Expect him to get an extension at season's end (not because one bowl berth in 4 years is worth an extension, because he got one bowl berth in 4 years at Mississippi State).

Heisman Race:

1. Glen Dorsey, LSU - It's my opinion that he has been more dominant than any other college football player in the nation this year. Cheap shot chop block in the Auburn game? No worries! He came back out two weeks later, still feeling the effects against Alabama, and dominated the game. I think it's time to start using some of those Chuck Norris jokes for Dorsey.
2. Dennis Dixon, Oregon - He's been sensational all year and is the best offensive player on the #2 team in the country (which is, unfortunately, some of the key criteria that Heisman voters look for). Winning out in impressive fashion will probably get him the award.
3. Pat White, West Virginia - His completion percentage is quite gaudy, but the offense he plays in is a pretty big factor. He won the Louisville game late with a memorable scramble and don't be surprised to hear his name get called if he and his Mountaineers finish strong.
4. Darren McFadden - If he had anything around him, his team wouldn't have 4 losses, and he wouldn't have to carry the load. All that would also mean he would be at the top of this list. I still would rather have him on my team than any other player in the nation.
5. [Sleeper/Homer Alert] Chad Hall, Air Force - The Falcons now have 8 wins and Hall is the only player in the nation to lead his team in rushing, receiving and return yardage. 1,721 combined rushing and receiving yards along with 13 total touchdowns, and that's not even including kick and punt return yardage. The Heisman is supposed to go to the nation's best all-around college football player, right?

That's it for this week. Hopefully next week will be just as exciting. The landscape will only continue to take shape.

Much Love