Big Ten, Big 12, and Big East Recap- Week 7
By John Kelly
Football Reporters Online
Senior Writer
Midwest/Northeast Correspondent

Longhorns prevail in Red River Shootout, Cincinnati legitimizes itself in the Sunshine State, Iowa holds their ground while OSU falters, and close but no cigar in South Bend

Midterm grades are in and all report cards have been distributed. Some parties got a pat on the back while others took a whipping to the backside.
The 2009 College Football season would drive thoroughbred handicappers crazy
Preseason darlings that swept up preseason polls now are a distant memory. Iowa and Cincinnati, dark horses of their conferences, closed in on the field down the stretch.
However, do not play that exacta anytime soon. Cincinnati looks like a sure thing. Iowa still might find itself place or show. Conference favorites Ohio State and Penn State are no longer the studs at the post. West Virginia and South Florida have gone off the grid. The state of Oklahoma doesn’t even have a say for the overall purse.
Oklahoma literally got a shot in the arm in the Red River rivalry. However, it’s not the type they hoped for. Texas held off the Sooners 16-13 and knocked Sam Bradford out of the game in the second quarter. Last years game provided fireworks before the end of the Texas state fair. This year the fireworks remained on schedule. Texas used its defense to force 5 turnovers en route to victory over the Sooners. Despite, no Sam Bradford and a porous rushing attack the Sooners hung in the game. Oklahoma might be the best 3-3 team in America while having several opportunities to win the game. The Longhorns face a tough test versus Missouri and need to get that offense cranking or their bound to fall into the same trap they did in 2008.
Nebraska seems resemble Charles Manson during his parole hearing. The Cornhuskers always seem poised to turn the corner and then they lay an egg. The 31-10 thrashing by Texas Tech and backup Steve Sheffield showed the country that the Big 12 North is division by cybil. Nebraska’s offense is atrocious and it really takes the spotlight away from intimidating defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh. Kansas finally showed us how vulnerable they were by being upset by a backup Quarterback in his opening start 34-30. While the South Division is Texas’s to lose the North will continue to shuffle around like a card deck till the championship game in December.
By the way what ever happened to Texas A&M football. After leading the nation in total offensive yards and averaging 50 points a game the Aggies were thrashed 62-14 by an inferior Kansas State team. College Station probably should have kept R.C. Slocum around. At least he mashed inferior talent and boosted an intimidating defense.
Iowa is the Seabiscut of the Big 10. No matter how far behind they are they continue to leave the field in the dust. Iowa fell behind early in Madison last week 10-3. They ran off 17 straight points to take out Wisconsin 20-10. Ricky Stanzi is one of the most underrated signal callers in the country. He threw for a modest and controlled 17-23 for 218 yards and a Td. Adam Robinson has made injured starter Jewel Hampton an afterthought. When it has mattered most Robinson has ran hard and fought for the extra yards.
Ohio State and Penn State are the Smarty Jones of thoroughbreds in the Big Ten. Every year they seem to be to powerful for weaker conference foes. Purdue showed that Ohio State is not worth the dough by upsetting them 26-18. In West Lafayette its great to see Danny Hope get a reprieve for letting the Notre Dame game slip away. Tyrell Pryor looked horrific. He seems to be confused whether to run or sit in the pocket. Jim Tressel and the staff might have made the wrong move to throw Pryor into the fray. To bad that redshirt year is no longer an option. Penn State has been laughable this year with all 5 wins versus teams below .500. The Big House beckons ahead for the Nittany Lions. Penn State has lost 6 straight since 1996. Michigan’s defense no doubt is susceptible to yielding 30 or more points. However, Sean Lee’s injury and the defensive injuries might make tackling Tate Forcier a headache. Michigan will be juiced for this game hopefully Penn State provides the same flavor.
Cincinnati has become the War Admiral of the Big East. We knew they were strong on offense but the defensive play makes them a pretty site. The Bearcats handled South Florida 35-17 without Tony Pike. Pike has a cast on his wrist and is questionable for the Louisville game. Even Cincinnati could take this contest even without Pike at the controls. With tougher tests in the future he should sit out. Pike is on fire with flashy receiver Marty Gilyard.
Pittsburgh is a couple defensive plays away from being undefeated. Their crucial 24-17 win in Piscataway vs. Rutgers was a huge statement and they should be ranked in the Top 20. Dion Lewis has eased the blood pressures of the Panther faithful with 1,500 yards on the year and Jonathon Baldwin continues to look like a Big East All America.
Connecticut got an important win over Louisville to move to 4-2 but lost something even bigger. Jasper Howard was stabbed during a school dance after the game. Howard died from an abdomen wound from the stabbing. No doubt about it Howard was a major asset to the team off the field. Jasper left Miami to get away from the gangs and trouble. Connecticut showcased his skills and now he will be unable to fulfill them. These are the tragedies that hurt college sports the most. Condolences to the Brown family and the UConn community.
4 yards separated Notre Dame from forcing overtime against USC. The Trojans built a 20-point and saw it evaporate in the fourth quarter. After Robby Parris caught a crucial fourth down pass to extend the game-tying drive, a spear from Taylor Mays knocked him out for the game. Mays penalty helped the Trojans in the long run because Jimmy Clausen’s last pass was supposed to be directed towards Parris’s hands. Instead, the play went to Duval Kamara and he slipped on his cut with the ball sailing away from him in the end zone. Notre Dame got another chance to score when the officials thought the game was over even though one second remained. Right then and there you thought the Irish would tie it based on the events in 2005. A clock error during that game allowed students to run on the field and slow the pace down. USC sneaked it in to win with the help of Reggie Bush. Notre Dame did not have the same luck.
For all the Weis haters Notre Dame showed the country they have the athletes to compete with the Elite game in and game out. I know USC led by 20 points and might have let up but championship teams don’t do that. Troy’s hiccups have cost them a place in the title game and the fourth quarter revealed similar tendencies. The Irish are far from being an elite program. However, they now have the depth to compete with the elite. Losses hurt in the eyes of all teams but this one helped the Irish image and recruiting chances. It was the biggest recruiting weekend ever at Notre Dame and they couldn’t have asked for a better ending.

WEEK 2 College Football Recap- Big 10, Big 12, and Big East
By John Kelly
Football Reporters Online
Senior Writer
Midwest/Northeast Correspondent
Thrillers in the Big House and at the Shoe, Big 12 national title contender flounders and other conference players keep a steady heading.

Just when you thought it could not get any better. Week 2 in College Football provided more drama than General Hospital.
Two freshmen led their teams to victory in front of hostile crowds. One had Wolverine Nation believing again after an offseason of turmoil. The other had Buckeye nation all over Jim Tressel.

After an impressive showing in week one, the Big 12 suddenly looks vulnerable. Oklahoma State’s reservations for Pasadena are suddenly put on hold thanks to Houston.

After an impressive first week the MAC embarrasses Colorado and gives Missouri all they can handle. Kansas State barely beats UMASS. UConn loses to UNC on a holding call for a safety after dominating them for three quarters. Syracuse hangs around with the Nittany Lions despite losing 28-7. West Virginia shreds an impressive East Carolina defense. South Florida rolls and Rutgers recovered versus Howard.

Michigan’s exciting win over Notre Dame has flipped Rich Rodriguez’s image from a cheater to savior. The Wolverine’s victory is the main story in the Big Ten. Freshman quarterback Tate Forcier did not flinch when adversity struck. Actually the thought of forgetting to brush his teeth according to Rich Rodriguez was his only concern.

It was the breath of the Notre Dame defense that stunk up the atmosphere at the Big House. The unit yielded 21 points in the second half. Forcier made Darius Fleming look foolish on a 31-yard touchdown scamper. Forcier also proved to be high effective throwing on the run and looked like Jeff Garcia versus the Giants in the NFC Divisional Playoffs at times. No matter how many guys came at him Forcier broke loose and made plays. Forcier finished the day 23-33 for 240 yards two passing Tds and one on the ground.

In another 100,000 seat venue the crowd was louder for USC true Freshman Matt Barkley. Backed up at his own end zone he calmly fired a crucial 3rd down pass to Joe McKnight and a NFL-like throw to Anthony McCoy down the seam. While Stafon Johnson won the game Barkley’s poise only made life easier. Barkley like Forcier enrolled in the spring at USC and has impressed the coaches from day one. Well I guess the nation finally saw what Pete Carroll saw in April.

Forcier and Barkley saved the day for their programs and left the losing ones questioning their play calling. Weis berated by fans for passing instead of running out the clock. His previous predecessors took a conservative approach and got burned most of the time. Weis went for the win and if Shaq Evans stopped 2 yards shorter on his hook pattern, this would not be a discussion. If Armando Allen didn’t get injured after his first down run we would be having this discussion?

It seems that Jim Tressel’s conservative nature is no longer accepted like it once was in 2002. Tressel has always been too conservative and he has done a terrible coaching job with star QB Tyrell Pryor in my estimation. USC’s defensive weakness is mobile quarterbacks. Instead of watching Vince Young’s Rose Bowl tape and implementing a similar game plan, Tressel went his own way. Pryor is a dual threat quarterback and should be running and throwing short passes like Pat White did at West Virginia. The passing routes should have made Pyror’s life easier. Brandon Saine is faster than Ramance Taylor at Texas was for Young. Taylor was young’s best receiving back out of the backfield. Jake Ballard and Jake Stoneburner are quality-receiving threats as well who were ignored throughout the night. They could have been effective on shallow crosses, quick outs, and drags underneath. Sticking to Pryor’s strengths and kicking a 52-yard field goal to put the game is the mentality of an elite coach. When your in need of a big time victory you go for the W. Tressel punted and set the stage for the coming of Matt Barkley.

Ohio State can still win the Big Ten. However, the run defense has played subpar the last two weeks. An inept offense will also make it tough to unseat Penn State in early November and their archrival up north.
The press clippings pertained to both showdowns in Columbus and Ann Arbor. However, the rest of the Big Ten was unimpressive.

Wisconsin nearly lost to Fresno State and Penn State was not as dominant versus Syracuse.
Wisconsin to me was the 6th best team in the conference and despite losing PJ Hill and Travis Beckum the offense looks manageable. However, they are never able to put it together for a whole game and Chris Marago’s interception in overtime saved them.

Penn State’s patty cake schedule is a flat out embarrassment. It’s even more of a shame when Syracuse hangs in with you for four quarters. Despite a 21-point victory the Nittany Lions are faced with a ton of issues. Their offensive line cannot block as well as a year ago, the receivers are not the same, and the defense has some big holes along the d-line and at corner. Everyone is circling Iowa as Penn State’s toughest game before facing Ohio State. I think the Nittany Lions are in for a surprise when they travel to Illinois and Ann Arbor where they have dropped previous contests.

No other team in the country blows up more against an inferior opponent than Michigan State. Under Mark Dantonio we thought State was over this. Not exactly. Central Michigan’s Dan Lefevour, the conference’s all time leader in total offense, and a potential NFL Draft prospect carved up the Spartan’s secondary for 300 yards and 3 touchdown passes. This was Michigan’s states strength last year besides the Linebacker position and the running game. Speaking of the ground game, you have a better chance running threw a brick wall than the Spartan runners have finding running lanes. Carlton Ray has only 128 yards rushing this year. Javon Ringer had double that a year ago.

Sparty will have all they can handle with an irritated Notre Dame team annoyed about last week’s loss and the talk of a 6 game home losing streak. If both these problems are not fixed soon it’s going to be a long day for Michigan State and provide a fitting way to end the streak.

What a difference a week makes in Big 12 country.
One week the conference looks like one of the best in the Nation and the next it looks overrated. Week 2 was a huge hit for the Big 12’s reputation. It’s not easy when an improved Colorado squad starts 0-2. It’s not any better that they were manhandled by a Toledo team that was blown apart the week prior. I guess Missouri was looking ahead as they need a 4th quarter rally to hold off Bowling Green.

Oklahoma, Texas, Kansas, Nebraska, and Texas Tech made ends meat of their cupcake warm ups. Oklahoma State took a rough spill at home versus Houston and made week one’s defensive performance look like an aberration.
Its put up or shut up time this week. With Virginia Tech taking on Nebraska and Texas avenging last season’s lost to the Red Raiders we will see who is a contender and pretender.

Look for VA Tech to present challenges towards Nebraska’s stout defensive front. Ryan Williams looked great a week ago and is oozing with confidence. Nebraska has scored an abundance of points versus subpar talent. However, the cornhuskers face a true litmus test this Saturday. Virginia Tech got knocked around by Alabama but led for most of that game. They established a running game thanks to Freshmen Ryan Williams and racked up over 300 yards rushing versus Marshall. The key for the Cornhuskers is can their offense put up points on Bud Foster’s defense. This is a true test to see if Bo Pelini has Nebraska back in the discussion amongst fans in the land of the corn.

Colt McCoy and the Longhorns have not looked sharp but have outscored their two previous opponents. Texas Tech is hot and triggerman Taylor Potts is nothing short of confident. He leads the nation in passing and expects him to toy with the Texas secondary all day.

West Virginia and Cincinnati will either wave their conference banners like Mel Gibson in the Patriot or sound a retreat in the heat of battle. West Virginia’s Jarrett Brown has given the mountaineer faith a short memory of Pat White. Last week he succeeded in a minor test versus East Carolina’s stifling defense. He torched the Pirates for over 300 yards and 4 touchdowns through the air He is also one of the nation’s leading passers.

Auburn is a rabid animal and finally clicking on all cylinders. Gene Chizik is proving his legitimacy down at Auburn and the offense is backing it up thanks to Gus Malzan’s spread scheme. The defense is playing well but is not what it was last year.
Still, West Virginia has not been tested like this in a hostile environment and Mountaineer fans will watch Bill Stewart closely. South Florida’s win down there two years gives them hope.

Cincinnati travels to Corvallis to take on Oregon State. This will be the first true test for the Bearcats and their brand new 3-4 defense. Jaquizz Rodgers is a tiny 5-6 scat back that terrorized USC last year. Plugging Rodger’s running lanes, blitzing Hunter Cantfield, and doubling James Rodgers are keys to an undefeated exit from the Pacific Northwest. Rutgers’s Offensive line was the best in the Big East so you know that Cincinnati has been tested. It is time for them to separate them as a conference elite. Knocking off a Pac-10 team in their own yard is the key.

The Who belted out “Who are you?” over a decade ago. In Week 3 this musical number is a distinct theme. The lyrics will be sung on Saturday.

(eds. Note-JK wasn't Born Yet when the Who Released "Who Are You" in 1978! I got to see That Tour-My freshmen year in College-with Ted Nugent and AC-DC as the Openers!!)