Sympathizing For Brian Brohm
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by Nejoshi
The Louisville Cardinals were dealt another loss, their fifth of the season last night, falling short of 7th ranked West Virginia, 38-31 in a shoot-out that lived up to its billing as a showdown of potent offenses. Pat White suffered a concussion early in the second half, and watched as his team’s 17-point lead was erased, but the slick running junior quarterback saved one last memorable dash for the final minute as he took a 50-yard draw to the house to provide the game-winning touchdown for the Mountaineers.
The Cardinals, winners of the Big East Championship and the Orange Bowl last year, were expected to compete for another BCS bid this season, and this game with their Big East rival was supposed to go a long way toward deciding the national championship game. As expected, Rich Rodriguez’s team is still in the hunt for a second BCS berth in three years. Louisville, on the other hand, is struggling to become bowl eligible.
No man should be more disappointed and angered with Louisville’s frustrating season than Brian Brohm, one of the nation’s top quarterbacks and a sure first round pick in April’s draft. Brohm accomplished nearly everything he could have asked for as a junior last year, winning a conference championship, being named MVP of the Orange Bowl, and tossing 16 touchdown passes. The 6’ 4” quarterback returned to Louisville for only one reason: to win the national championship that eluded him when Rutgers upset his team last November.
As bad as it has been, losses to Syracuse and Utah at home certainly come to mind as season lows, one thing that hasn’t been missing in Louisville is the fabulous play of their leader. Brohm has been tremendous this season, putting up career highs of 3,745 yards and 28 touchdowns, falling victim to a terrible defense that has put an unreal amount of pressure on the offense to produce. In the two losses mentioned above, Brohm threw for over 1,000 yards and had eight touchdown passes. It is downright pitiful that his team managed to lose either of those games when Brohm played as well as he did.
The Cardinals must get at least one win in their final two games to ensure that Brohm will get a chance to play in a bowl game one last time. Regardless of whether or not Louisville becomes bowl eligible, Brohm will be playing on Sundays next season, and could be the first quarterback taken in April’s draft.
College Football Week 11 Viewer’s Guide
Arkansas (6-3) @ (22) Tennessee (6-3), Saturday 12:30 ET
The Razorbacks vaunted running attack exploded last week against South Carolina as Darren McFadden resurrected his Heisman hopes by running for 323 yards and passing for a touchdown. Also accounting for a large portion Arkansas’ mind-boggling 541 rushing yards was Felix Jones, who ran for three scores last week. He is quickly becoming the most underrated running back in the land. Tennessee has been up and down all year, but the Vols have looked impressive at home, going undefeated while winning all but one game by double digits. Phillip Fulmer’s club still controls their own destiny in the crowded SEC East, but a loss would drop them into a tie for third. With a BCS berth still within reach, expect Tennessee to come out firing against a quality opponent at home, and keep their hopes of winning a division title alive.
The Pick: Tennessee
Illinois (7-3) @ (1) Ohio State (10-0), Saturday 3:30 ET
This would be a classic example of a trap game. Ohio State was tested for three quarters against Wisconsin a week ago, but used a spirited rally to win comfortably. With Michigan looming next week, Jim Tressel’s club could be ripe for a letdown, especially against a quality opponent. Last year, the Illini were nothing to boast about, but they gave the top-ranked Buckeyes all they could handle before losing by a touchdown. Rashard Mendenhall against the nation’s best defense should be a real treat to watch, but Ohio State is simply too strong offensively. Playing at the Horseshoe, which has become impossible for Big 10 foes to succeed at, the Buckeyes will go into their showdown with Michigan as the top team in the nation for the second consecutive year.
The Pick: Ohio State
(16) Connecticut (8-1) @ Cincinnati (7-2), Saturday 3:30 ET
Outside of a tough one-point loss to Virginia last month, the Connecticut Huskies have been perfect and are in control of the Big East race. The Bearcats shook off their two game losing streak, by scoring 31 first quarter points in Tampa to take out South Florida. Cincinnati is still stuck in third place, but have the two teams in front of them coming to their place in the next two weeks. Senior Ben Mauk has embraced his role as the team’s signal caller in his first season since transferring from Wake Forest, with a 3:1 touchdown to interception ratio. The Huskies have been led by the quarterback running back combo of Tyler Lorenzen and Andre Dixon, and have continued to get stronger with every passing week. However, in their first game against a quality opponent on the road, their dominance of the Big East will come to an end, and West Virginia will become the new frontrunner.
The Pick: Cincinnati
(18) Auburn (7-3) @ (10) Georgia (7-2) Saturday 3:30 ET
This week’s marquee game features two teams that still have a realistic shot at making a New Year’s Day game, and even an outside shot at a BCS berth. Tommy Tuberville has built a reputation for having his club play their best in the big games, and with his Tigers peaking at the right time, that reputation isn’t likely to take a hit. Freshman Knowshon Moreno is the first Georgia running back to rush for over 1,000 yards in his first year since Hershel Walker and has become a real force in the last two games. Quarterback Matt Stafford isn’t going to impress anyone with his passing skills; Moreno’s emergence has taken pressure off him, and the Bulldogs offense has blossomed. The South’s oldest rivalry will feature the 111th meeting between the Tigers and the Bulldogs, and like last year, Georgia will come out on top.
The Pick: Georgia
(12) USC (7-2) @ (24) California (6-3)
The Golden Bears finally got back into the win column, but didn’t look any good doing it, holding off cellar dweller Washington State by only a field goal at home last week. Jeff Tedford has to be disheartened with how this season has turned out, but this game offers a shot at redemption. Pete Carroll and the Trojans have been the gold standard of the Pac-10 ever since the beginning of the decade, but are more vulnerable than they have ever been during his tenure. This isn’t the same USC team that built a reputation for dominating the important games. Looking at this matchup, it’s the Bears that have the edge in explosive talent with DeSean Jackson and Justin Forcett edging out Staffon Johnson and Fred Davis. But, Cal’s advantage in personnel won’t help them finally beat the Trojans.
The Pick: USC
Last Week: 2-3
Season: 31-23
