RhodeIslandBuck
This guy's a real jerk
I'm 100% sure Gonzalez will stay, Pittman I'm about 50/50, and I think Ginn is gone.
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Sporting News
SN's Midseason All-American Team
Posted: October 10, 2006
Sporting News
Offense
WR Calvin Johnson, Georgia Tech
WR Mario Manningham, Michigan
TE Darius Hill, Ball State
C Dan Mozes, West Virginia
G Kasey Studdard, Texas
G Tim Duckworth, Auburn
T Justin Blalock, Texas
T Kirk Barton, Ohio State
QB Troy Smith, Ohio State
RB Adrian Peterson, Oklahoma
RB Garrett Wolfe, Northern Illinois
K Justin Medlock, UCLA
KR Marcus Thigpen, Indiana
Defense
DT Glenn Dorsey, LSU
DT Marcus Thomas, Florida
DE Mkristo Bruce, Washington State
DE LaMarr Woodley, Michigan
LB Dan Connor, Penn State
LB Buster Davis, Florida State
LB James Laurinaitis, Ohio State
CB Daymeion Hughes, California
CB Leon Hall, Michigan
S Reggie Nelson, Florida
S Eric Weddle, Utah
PR DeSean Jackson, California
P Joe Radigan, Rutgers
SN's Midseason All-American Team
Posted: October 10, 2006
Sporting News
Offense
WR Calvin Johnson, Georgia Tech
WR Mario Manningham, Michigan
TE Darius Hill, Ball State
C Dan Mozes, West Virginia
G Kasey Studdard, Texas
G Tim Duckworth, Auburn
T Justin Blalock, Texas
T Kirk Barton, Ohio State
QB Troy Smith, Ohio State
RB Adrian Peterson, Oklahoma
RB Garrett Wolfe, Northern Illinois
K Justin Medlock, UCLA
KR Marcus Thigpen, Indiana
Defense
DT Glenn Dorsey, LSU
DT Marcus Thomas, Florida
DE Mkristo Bruce, Washington State
DE LaMarr Woodley, Michigan
LB Dan Connor, Penn State
LB Buster Davis, Florida State
LB James Laurinaitis, Ohio State
CB Daymeion Hughes, California
CB Leon Hall, Michigan
S Reggie Nelson, Florida
S Eric Weddle, Utah
PR DeSean Jackson, California
P Joe Radigan, Rutgers
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RhodeIslandBuck
This guy's a real jerk
osugrad21;630366; said:Sporting News
SN's Midseason All-American Team
Posted: October 10, 2006
Sporting News
Offense
WR Calvin Johnson, Georgia Tech
WR Mario Manningham, Michigan
TE Darius Hill, Ball State
C Dan Mozes, West Virginia
G Kasey Studdard, Texas
G Tim Duckworth, Auburn
T Justin Blalock, Texas
T Kirk Barton, Ohio State
QB Troy Smith, Ohio State
RB Adrian Peterson, Oklahoma
RB Garrett Wolfe, Northern Illinois
K Justin Medlock, UCLA
KR Marcus Thigpen, Indiana
Defense
DT Glenn Dorsey, LSU
DT Marcus Thomas, Florida
DE Mkristo Bruce, Washington State
DE LaMarr Woodley, Michigan
LB Dan Connor, Penn State
LB Buster Davis, Florida State
LB James Laurinaitis, Ohio State
CB Daymeion Hughes, California
CB Leon Hall, Michigan
S Reggie Nelson, Florida
S Eric Weddle, Utah
PR DeSean Jackson, California
P Joe Radigan, Rutgers
Barton? I knew he was doing well but midseason All-American?
Where's Pitcock?
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cfn
Midseason Report - Big Ten
By Staff
CollegeFootballNews.com
Posted Oct 10, 2006
The best Big Ten players, coaches, surprises of the midseason and more.
Offensive Player of the Midseason </B>? Troy Smith, QB Ohio State
Defensive Player of the Midseason ? Leon Hall, DB Michigan
Ten best Big Ten players in the first half of the season
1. Troy Smith, QB Ohio State
2. Mario Manningham, WR Michigan
3. Mike Hart, RB Michigan
4. Tony Hunt, RB Penn State
5. [FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1]Leon Hart, DB Michigan [/SIZE][/FONT]
6. [SIZE=-1]P.J. Hill, RB Wisconsin [/SIZE]
7. [SIZE=-1]Anthony Spencer, DE Purdue[/SIZE]
8. [SIZE=-1]Jim Laurinaitis, LB Ohio State[/SIZE]
9. [SIZE=-1]Antonio Pittman, RB Ohio State [/SIZE]
10. Paul Posluszny, LB Penn State
[FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1]Biggest Surprise ? Purdue QB Curtis Painter can throw.
Purdue leads the Big Ten and total offense and passing offense thanks to a huge first half of the season from Painter, who has shown he?s far more than just a good option runner. He has a great group of receivers to work with, and he?s finding them.
Biggest Disappointment ? [/SIZE][/FONT][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1]Michigan State
Can you imagine what the team would be like if it didn?t choke against Notre Dame? Confidence is occasionally everything, and this team might have been good enough to challenge for the Big Ten title if it came away with the win over the Irish. Things went from bad to worse losing to Illinois and also losing top back Javon Ringer, and now the season appears to be in the tank.
[/SIZE][/FONT][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1]The Big Ten Champion will be ... [/SIZE][/FONT][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1]Ohio State. Actually, it?ll be the winner of the Michigan ? Ohio State game. After the first half of the season, no one else even appears to be close.
[/SIZE][/FONT][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1]Best Game of the First Half
Notre Dame 40 ... Michigan State 37, Sept. 23
With a stunning comeback scoring 19 points in the final 8:18, Notre Dame kept hopes for a BCS slot and a possible national championship alive thanks to two Brady Quinn touchdown passes and a 27-yard interception return for a touchdown from Terrail Lambert with 2:53 to play. Quinn threw five scoring strikes on the day highlighted by a 43-yard play to Jeff Samardzija on fourth down to spark the comeback. Samardzija caught two touchdown passes and Rhema McKnight caught scoring passes from 32 and 14 yards out. Michigan State got out to a 31-14 lead with two Drew Stanton touchdown passes and a 19-yard interception return for a touchdown from Ervin Baldwin, but the offense turned it over three times in the fourth quarter finishing off with a strange interception by Lambert off a ricocheted pass that sat on the back of a Spartan receiver Kerry Reed.
Second Best Game ? Purdue 38 ... Miami University 31 OT, Sept. 9
Third Best Game ? Southern Illinois 35 ... Indiana 28, Sept. 16
Worst Game of the First Half
Minnesota 62 ... Temple 0, Sept. 16
Minnesota scored on its first seven possessions for a 45-0 halftime lead. Bryan Cupito threw four touchdown passes with Logan Payne catching the first three scoring passes of the game. The Gopher running game got on track with 282 yards and touchdown runs in the first half from Amir Pinnix and Alex Daniels. The defense had few problems with an Owl offense that managed seven first downs and 157 yards of total offense.
[/SIZE][/FONT][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1]Coach of the Midseason ? Jim Tressel, Ohio State
Fine, so there are a lot of coaches out there that would win with the Buckeye offense, but how many could quickly piece together a defense after losing so many stars? Give credit where credit is due for Tressel and his staff to keep the team playing at the highest of levels despite having the bull?s-eye on its back.
Player who'll step up in the second half ? Paul Posluszny, LB Penn State
Last year's Butkus Award winner was playing out of position over the first few games of the season and was hampered a bit by a brace and the knee injury suffered in the Orange Bowl win over Florida State. Now he's starting to play up to his All-America capabilities again running as well as he did before and making play after play with nine solo stops against Minnesota and ten against Northwestern.
Best performance so far - Michigan WR Mario Manningham caught four passes for 137 yards and three touchdowns in the 47-21 win over Notre Dame.
Top Freshman ? P.J. Hill, RB Wisconsin
Back from a broken leg that cost him all of last year, Hill has been the centerpiece of a Badger offense that spent the first half of the year without a steady passing game. His power and quickness through the hole have been exactly what the UW offense has needed.
Coach who needs to have a big second half ? Michigan State?s John L. Smith
Collapsing against Notre Dame is one thing; losing at home to Illinois is another. Don?t forget about the way-too-close-call against Idaho. The team has enough talent to play with anyone in the country, but its head keeps it from playing up to its potential. That?s the coach?s fault.
Player who needs to have a big second half ? Penn State QB Anthony Morelli
He played like an inexperienced quarterback over the first part of the season highlighted by his awful late performance against Ohio State and his bad start against Notre Dame. Penn State isn?t out of the Big Ten title hunt, and at the very least has a shot at the number two spot, but it needs Morelli to start making teams pay for loading up against Tony Hunt and the ground game.[/SIZE][/FONT][SIZE=-1]
Best remaining conference game ? Michigan at Ohio State, Nov. 18
If all goes according to plan, the spot in the national title game, as well as the Big Ten championship, will be on the line. Iowa?s trip to Michigan on October 21st and Michigan State?s date at Ohio State on the 14th should be the only hurdles in the way.
Team Mid-Season MVPs & Predictions
[/SIZE][SIZE=-1]Illinois[/SIZE][SIZE=-1] ? QB Juice Williams
predicted wins: Ohio
predicted losses: at Penn State, at Wisconsin, Ohio State, Purdue, at Northwestern
predicted record: 3-9
[/SIZE][SIZE=-1]Indiana[/SIZE][SIZE=-1] ? QB Kellen Lewis
predicted wins: None
predicted losses: Iowa, at Ohio State, Michigan State, at Minnesota, Michigan, at Purdue
predicted record: 3-9
[/SIZE][SIZE=-1]Iowa[/SIZE][SIZE=-1] ? LB Mike Klinkenborg
predicted wins: at Indiana, Northern Illinois, Northwestern, Wisconsin, at Minnesota
predicted losses: at Michigan
predicted record: 10-2
[/SIZE][SIZE=-1]Michigan[/SIZE][SIZE=-1] ? WR Mario Manningham
predicted wins: at Penn State, Iowa, Northwestern, Ball State, at Indiana
predicted losses: at Ohio State
predicted record: 11-1
[/SIZE][SIZE=-1]Michigan State[/SIZE][SIZE=-1] ? QB Drew Stanton
predicted wins: at Northwestern, at Indiana
predicted losses: Ohio State, Purdue, Minnesota, at Penn State
predicted record: 5-7
[/SIZE][SIZE=-1]Minnesota[/SIZE][SIZE=-1] ? WR Logan Payne
predicted wins: North Dakota State, Indiana, at Michigan State
predicted losses: at Wisconsin, at Ohio State, Iowa
predicted record: 5-7
[/SIZE][SIZE=-1]Northwestern[/SIZE][SIZE=-1] ? LB Nick Roach
predicted wins: Illinois
predicted losses: Purdue, Michigan State, at Michigan, at Iowa, Ohio State, Illinois
predicted record: 3-9
[/SIZE][SIZE=-1]Ohio State[/SIZE][SIZE=-1] ? QB Troy Smith
predicted wins: at Michigan State, Indiana, Minnesota, at Illinois, at Northwestern, Michigan
predicted losses: None
predicted record: 12-0
[/SIZE][SIZE=-1]Penn State[/SIZE][SIZE=-1] ? RB Tony Hunt
predicted wins: Illinois, at Purdue, Temple, Michigan State
predicted losses: Michigan, at Wisconsin
predicted record: 8-4
[/SIZE][SIZE=-1]Purdue[/SIZE][SIZE=-1] ? QB Curtis Painter
predicted wins: at Northwestern, at Michigan State, at Illinois, Indiana
predicted losses: Wisconsin, Penn State, at Hawaii
predicted record: 8-5
[/SIZE][SIZE=-1]Wisconsin[/SIZE][SIZE=-1] ? OT Joe Thomas
predicted wins: Minnesota, at Purdue, Illinois, Penn State, Buffalo
predicted losses: at Iowa
predicted record: 10-2 [/SIZE][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1]
[/SIZE][/FONT][/SIZE][/FONT]
Midseason Report - Big Ten
By Staff
CollegeFootballNews.com
Posted Oct 10, 2006
The best Big Ten players, coaches, surprises of the midseason and more.
Offensive Player of the Midseason </B>? Troy Smith, QB Ohio State
Defensive Player of the Midseason ? Leon Hall, DB Michigan
Ten best Big Ten players in the first half of the season
1. Troy Smith, QB Ohio State
2. Mario Manningham, WR Michigan
3. Mike Hart, RB Michigan
4. Tony Hunt, RB Penn State
5. [FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1]Leon Hart, DB Michigan [/SIZE][/FONT]
6. [SIZE=-1]P.J. Hill, RB Wisconsin [/SIZE]
7. [SIZE=-1]Anthony Spencer, DE Purdue[/SIZE]
8. [SIZE=-1]Jim Laurinaitis, LB Ohio State[/SIZE]
9. [SIZE=-1]Antonio Pittman, RB Ohio State [/SIZE]
10. Paul Posluszny, LB Penn State
[FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1]Biggest Surprise ? Purdue QB Curtis Painter can throw.
Purdue leads the Big Ten and total offense and passing offense thanks to a huge first half of the season from Painter, who has shown he?s far more than just a good option runner. He has a great group of receivers to work with, and he?s finding them.
Biggest Disappointment ? [/SIZE][/FONT][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1]Michigan State
Can you imagine what the team would be like if it didn?t choke against Notre Dame? Confidence is occasionally everything, and this team might have been good enough to challenge for the Big Ten title if it came away with the win over the Irish. Things went from bad to worse losing to Illinois and also losing top back Javon Ringer, and now the season appears to be in the tank.
[/SIZE][/FONT][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1]The Big Ten Champion will be ... [/SIZE][/FONT][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1]Ohio State. Actually, it?ll be the winner of the Michigan ? Ohio State game. After the first half of the season, no one else even appears to be close.
[/SIZE][/FONT][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1]Best Game of the First Half
Notre Dame 40 ... Michigan State 37, Sept. 23
With a stunning comeback scoring 19 points in the final 8:18, Notre Dame kept hopes for a BCS slot and a possible national championship alive thanks to two Brady Quinn touchdown passes and a 27-yard interception return for a touchdown from Terrail Lambert with 2:53 to play. Quinn threw five scoring strikes on the day highlighted by a 43-yard play to Jeff Samardzija on fourth down to spark the comeback. Samardzija caught two touchdown passes and Rhema McKnight caught scoring passes from 32 and 14 yards out. Michigan State got out to a 31-14 lead with two Drew Stanton touchdown passes and a 19-yard interception return for a touchdown from Ervin Baldwin, but the offense turned it over three times in the fourth quarter finishing off with a strange interception by Lambert off a ricocheted pass that sat on the back of a Spartan receiver Kerry Reed.
Second Best Game ? Purdue 38 ... Miami University 31 OT, Sept. 9
Third Best Game ? Southern Illinois 35 ... Indiana 28, Sept. 16
Worst Game of the First Half
Minnesota 62 ... Temple 0, Sept. 16
Minnesota scored on its first seven possessions for a 45-0 halftime lead. Bryan Cupito threw four touchdown passes with Logan Payne catching the first three scoring passes of the game. The Gopher running game got on track with 282 yards and touchdown runs in the first half from Amir Pinnix and Alex Daniels. The defense had few problems with an Owl offense that managed seven first downs and 157 yards of total offense.
[/SIZE][/FONT][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1]Coach of the Midseason ? Jim Tressel, Ohio State
Fine, so there are a lot of coaches out there that would win with the Buckeye offense, but how many could quickly piece together a defense after losing so many stars? Give credit where credit is due for Tressel and his staff to keep the team playing at the highest of levels despite having the bull?s-eye on its back.
Player who'll step up in the second half ? Paul Posluszny, LB Penn State
Last year's Butkus Award winner was playing out of position over the first few games of the season and was hampered a bit by a brace and the knee injury suffered in the Orange Bowl win over Florida State. Now he's starting to play up to his All-America capabilities again running as well as he did before and making play after play with nine solo stops against Minnesota and ten against Northwestern.
Best performance so far - Michigan WR Mario Manningham caught four passes for 137 yards and three touchdowns in the 47-21 win over Notre Dame.
Top Freshman ? P.J. Hill, RB Wisconsin
Back from a broken leg that cost him all of last year, Hill has been the centerpiece of a Badger offense that spent the first half of the year without a steady passing game. His power and quickness through the hole have been exactly what the UW offense has needed.
Coach who needs to have a big second half ? Michigan State?s John L. Smith
Collapsing against Notre Dame is one thing; losing at home to Illinois is another. Don?t forget about the way-too-close-call against Idaho. The team has enough talent to play with anyone in the country, but its head keeps it from playing up to its potential. That?s the coach?s fault.
Player who needs to have a big second half ? Penn State QB Anthony Morelli
He played like an inexperienced quarterback over the first part of the season highlighted by his awful late performance against Ohio State and his bad start against Notre Dame. Penn State isn?t out of the Big Ten title hunt, and at the very least has a shot at the number two spot, but it needs Morelli to start making teams pay for loading up against Tony Hunt and the ground game.[/SIZE][/FONT][SIZE=-1]
Best remaining conference game ? Michigan at Ohio State, Nov. 18
If all goes according to plan, the spot in the national title game, as well as the Big Ten championship, will be on the line. Iowa?s trip to Michigan on October 21st and Michigan State?s date at Ohio State on the 14th should be the only hurdles in the way.
Team Mid-Season MVPs & Predictions
[/SIZE][SIZE=-1]Illinois[/SIZE][SIZE=-1] ? QB Juice Williams
predicted wins: Ohio
predicted losses: at Penn State, at Wisconsin, Ohio State, Purdue, at Northwestern
predicted record: 3-9
[/SIZE][SIZE=-1]Indiana[/SIZE][SIZE=-1] ? QB Kellen Lewis
predicted wins: None
predicted losses: Iowa, at Ohio State, Michigan State, at Minnesota, Michigan, at Purdue
predicted record: 3-9
[/SIZE][SIZE=-1]Iowa[/SIZE][SIZE=-1] ? LB Mike Klinkenborg
predicted wins: at Indiana, Northern Illinois, Northwestern, Wisconsin, at Minnesota
predicted losses: at Michigan
predicted record: 10-2
[/SIZE][SIZE=-1]Michigan[/SIZE][SIZE=-1] ? WR Mario Manningham
predicted wins: at Penn State, Iowa, Northwestern, Ball State, at Indiana
predicted losses: at Ohio State
predicted record: 11-1
[/SIZE][SIZE=-1]Michigan State[/SIZE][SIZE=-1] ? QB Drew Stanton
predicted wins: at Northwestern, at Indiana
predicted losses: Ohio State, Purdue, Minnesota, at Penn State
predicted record: 5-7
[/SIZE][SIZE=-1]Minnesota[/SIZE][SIZE=-1] ? WR Logan Payne
predicted wins: North Dakota State, Indiana, at Michigan State
predicted losses: at Wisconsin, at Ohio State, Iowa
predicted record: 5-7
[/SIZE][SIZE=-1]Northwestern[/SIZE][SIZE=-1] ? LB Nick Roach
predicted wins: Illinois
predicted losses: Purdue, Michigan State, at Michigan, at Iowa, Ohio State, Illinois
predicted record: 3-9
[/SIZE][SIZE=-1]Ohio State[/SIZE][SIZE=-1] ? QB Troy Smith
predicted wins: at Michigan State, Indiana, Minnesota, at Illinois, at Northwestern, Michigan
predicted losses: None
predicted record: 12-0
[/SIZE][SIZE=-1]Penn State[/SIZE][SIZE=-1] ? RB Tony Hunt
predicted wins: Illinois, at Purdue, Temple, Michigan State
predicted losses: Michigan, at Wisconsin
predicted record: 8-4
[/SIZE][SIZE=-1]Purdue[/SIZE][SIZE=-1] ? QB Curtis Painter
predicted wins: at Northwestern, at Michigan State, at Illinois, Indiana
predicted losses: Wisconsin, Penn State, at Hawaii
predicted record: 8-5
[/SIZE][SIZE=-1]Wisconsin[/SIZE][SIZE=-1] ? OT Joe Thomas
predicted wins: Minnesota, at Purdue, Illinois, Penn State, Buffalo
predicted losses: at Iowa
predicted record: 10-2 [/SIZE][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1]
[/SIZE][/FONT][/SIZE][/FONT]
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WaitingforKickoff
Legend
Surprised by the lack of recognition of Gonzo. He may not be the most physically talented player on our team, but I would defintely vote for him as my MVP.
Barton and Pittman are certainly playing well and can forgo their SR year if they wish to. The only problem with that is that chances are they will be much higher draft picks after next season, possibly first rounders. Do they wish to make the same mistake that Youboty made?
Barton and Pittman are certainly playing well and can forgo their SR year if they wish to. The only problem with that is that chances are they will be much higher draft picks after next season, possibly first rounders. Do they wish to make the same mistake that Youboty made?
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ESPN
Just For Argument's Sake...
By Ivan Maisel
ESPN.com
From nagging questions to soapbox moments to Heisman hype, here's a look at the hottest topics in college football.
1. Who is the player of the half-year? If the ESPN Heisman poll is any indication, Ohio State senior quarterback Troy Smith is a runaway winner. He has 14 of 15 first-place votes. The one voter who didn't select Smith first is near and dear to me. He is, uh, I.
Before any Buckeyes begin to man their battle stations, hear me out. I think Smith is the best quarterback in the nation this season. He has proven himself as a talented passer. He showed against Bowling Green on Saturday that, even if he didn't show it in the first five games of the season, he hasn't forgotten how to tuck the ball into the crook of his arm and move the chains.
Harry Cabluck/AP Photo
Troy Smith has sparked the Buckeyes to a 6-0 start.
As good as he is, I think his best assets are intangible. It is obvious, even from my limited interaction with him -- a group interview here, a few postgame interviews there -- that Smith has matured into a leader. The rest of the locker room will follow him anywhere.
That said, I think there's a difference between the Heisman, which honors the "most outstanding player" in college football, and the typical award. That word "outstanding" suggests a level of excellence that Smith, in my mind, hasn't achieved.
But who has? Is there a player out there who has wowed anyone this season? The player with the best statistics is tailback Garrett Wolfe, but he made the mistake of accepting a scholarship at Northern Illinois. I say that tongue-in-cheek, because I don't think Wolfe has anything else to prove, even if he is in the Mid-American Conference. The Senior Bowl, which doesn't invite anyone that it doesn't think will interest the NFL, is going to invite Wolfe.
Perhaps it is my prejudice toward my own opinion, but I began the season thinking Oklahoma tailback Adrian Peterson is the best player in the country, and I have seen nothing to change my mind. Peterson gained "only" 109 yards against Texas, and had a brain lock on the pass he didn't catch that turned out to be (A) a lateral and (B) a fumble recovered by Texas and returned for a touchdown.
Georgia Tech wide receiver Calvin Johnson and West Virginia tailback Steve Slaton also deserve consideration. But here's the bottom line: Who has distinguished himself as an individual player? As the "most outstanding player" in the nation. It may be that we're waiting for last year's race, when Reggie Bush had one of the great seasons of recent memory. Given the support for Troy Smith, he seems to be, as the leader of the No. 1 team, the default candidate.
By that criteria, some of our recent Heisman winners would include Tee Martin of Tennessee (1998) and Craig Krenzel of Ohio State (2002) and Jason White of Oklahoma (2003). And we all know that none of them -- oh, wait a minute. White won. My point is, the Heisman shouldn't go to anyone by default.
Make Smith the player of the half-season, but let's not inscribe his name on American sport's most famous trophy just yet.
2. What are the five biggest moments of the first half of the season?
1. Oregon-Oklahoma
Both teams have lost again, so the impact of the refusal of Pac-10 replay official Gordon Riese to overturn the ruling that the Ducks recovered an onside kick has been muted. The fact is, Oklahoma wasn't good enough to stop Oregon from scoring again.
Another fact: The Ducks escaped with a 34-33 victory that had an inquiry light attached to it. And another: The memory of Oklahoma president David Boren's emotional outburst demanding that the game be stricken from the record books will follow him, just as his predecessor (George Cross) had to deal with once saying that he wanted a university the football team could be proud of.
Cross, unlike Boren, had his tongue in his cheek.
The short-term impact may no longer be felt, but the long-term impact will be. More scrutiny has been applied to replay officials and how they operate. Pac-10 athletic directors will discuss Thursday the league's policy that Pac-10 crews work Pac-10 home games. In a season when the NCAA Football Rules Committee has endured harsh criticism for new clock rules that have shortened the game by 10 percent, the last thing anyone needed is continued controversy over instant replay.
2. Tennessee's third-quarter onslaught in the opener against California
The Volunteers had heard it for eight months. No, make that nine months. They didn't play in December. For the first time in Phillip Fulmer's 14 seasons as head coach, they didn't go to a bowl. Fulmer had his first losing record (5-6).
He didn't like that very much, and he made sure that his players didn't enjoy themselves, either.
Fulmer rehired his close friend, David Cutcliffe, to reshape the offense. The players rededicated themselves to the weight room. They got sick of hearing about the decline of the Vols. They got tired of hearing about how this would the season that the Golden Bears challenged USC for supremacy in the Pac-10.
From the first play, Tennessee became the aggressor. They dominated the first half against Cal, yet led only 14-3 at intermission. By the time 6:29 had elapsed in the third quarter, the Vols led 35-3. Cal tacked on a couple of touchdowns against the scrubs. Tennessee has returned to the top 10. So, too, has Cal, making what Tennessee did in the opener all the more amazing.
3. Michigan blows out Notre Dame in South Bend
It seems like a long time ago now, since the Wolverines are ranked fourth in the nation and are looking unstoppable. But don't forget that they went into Notre Dame Stadium having lost three of four to the Irish. The natives, as well as everyone else, had begun to question coach Lloyd Carr.
It didn't take long to figure out this was not the same Meeshigan. Prescott Burgess stepped in front of Brady Quinn's second pass, intercepted it and returned it 32 yards for a touchdown. Exit crowd noise, exit momentum, exit the Irish -- and by the time Michigan led 34-14 at the half, exit the Carr doubters. Michigan cruised to a 47-21 victory, and everything is copacetic in the land of maize and blue.
4. The rise of Missouri
It stood to reason that some team in the Big 12 North would halt the division's slide into mediocrity. But few people outside of Columbia thought it would be Missouri, a team that had defined mediocrity over coach Gary Pinkel's five seasons (29-30).
But the Tigers have seven senior starters on defense and a young quarterback, redshirt sophomore Chase Daniel, whose light had been hidden behind the aura of former Tigers QB Brad Smith.
The defense has been nothing short of magnificent, holding the Tigers' first five opponents to a total of 50 points. When it gave up 21 to Texas Tech, it also forced five Red Raiders turnovers, including two interception returns for scores, 17 yards by end Xzavie Jackson and 22 yards by reserve free safety William Moore.
Missouri fans are beginning to ask about a 13-0 season and what might happen to the Tigers in that scenario. The funny thing is, it's not such an outlandish question.
5. Texas A&M's calculated risk with its nonconference schedule.
The Aggies played I-AA The Citadel, Louisiana-Lafayette, Army and Louisiana Tech. Do the math: two (military academies) plus two (Louisiana hayrides) equals 4-0, a start that coach Dennis Franchione could use as a shield with which to fend off frustrated Aggies fans.
A 4-0 record, even with a narrow escape against Army, is all well and good, but the Aggies had lost four of their past five against the Red Raiders, a latecomer to the old Southwest Conference and a school that all self-aggrandizing Aggies look down upon. When A&M led Tech 27-24 in the final minute, it looked as if the Aggies might be on their way to being mentioned in the same sentence as Texas and Oklahoma.
But Tech QB Graham Harrell had other ideas. He threw a 37-yard textbook fade directly to the right pylon. Wide receiver Robert Johnson brought it in without a footstep to spare before angling across the side boundary of the end zone with 26 seconds to play. Texas Tech won 31-27, and the Aggies' agony extended again.
Texas A&M is 5-1 with four ranked opponents (Missouri, Oklahoma, Nebraska, at Texas) to come. Fran could have used that win over Tech.
3. Who is the coach of the half-year? Arkansas lost big in its opener to USC, 50-14, and coach Houston Nutt wasted no time making a change at quarterback. Casey Dick might have been the starter, but Dick got hurt in August practices. Robert Johnson, the starter for several games last season, started against the Trojans, and Nutt didn't like what he saw.
Clay Carson/WireImage.com
Houston Nutt led the Hogs past Auburn.
So Nutt put freshman Mitch Mustain into the starting lineup. Mustain may have been the top recruit in the nation, but no freshman is ready to start at quarterback. Nutt decided that Mustain, even with an easy-reader playbook, would be his best weapon.
Nutt proved to be right.
Mustain gets better every week. Tailback Darren McFadden, after injuring his foot in a preseason bar fight, gets healthier every week. Arkansas sneaked past Vanderbilt 21-19, somehow beat Alabama 24-23 in double overtime and dominated No. 2 Auburn this past week 27-10. The Razorbacks have a significant edge in the SEC West.
Nutt, who began the season on a hot seat, is on his way to transforming it into his second division crown in nine seasons.
Just For Argument's Sake...
By Ivan Maisel
ESPN.com
From nagging questions to soapbox moments to Heisman hype, here's a look at the hottest topics in college football.
1. Who is the player of the half-year? If the ESPN Heisman poll is any indication, Ohio State senior quarterback Troy Smith is a runaway winner. He has 14 of 15 first-place votes. The one voter who didn't select Smith first is near and dear to me. He is, uh, I.
Before any Buckeyes begin to man their battle stations, hear me out. I think Smith is the best quarterback in the nation this season. He has proven himself as a talented passer. He showed against Bowling Green on Saturday that, even if he didn't show it in the first five games of the season, he hasn't forgotten how to tuck the ball into the crook of his arm and move the chains.
Harry Cabluck/AP Photo
Troy Smith has sparked the Buckeyes to a 6-0 start.
As good as he is, I think his best assets are intangible. It is obvious, even from my limited interaction with him -- a group interview here, a few postgame interviews there -- that Smith has matured into a leader. The rest of the locker room will follow him anywhere.
That said, I think there's a difference between the Heisman, which honors the "most outstanding player" in college football, and the typical award. That word "outstanding" suggests a level of excellence that Smith, in my mind, hasn't achieved.
But who has? Is there a player out there who has wowed anyone this season? The player with the best statistics is tailback Garrett Wolfe, but he made the mistake of accepting a scholarship at Northern Illinois. I say that tongue-in-cheek, because I don't think Wolfe has anything else to prove, even if he is in the Mid-American Conference. The Senior Bowl, which doesn't invite anyone that it doesn't think will interest the NFL, is going to invite Wolfe.
Perhaps it is my prejudice toward my own opinion, but I began the season thinking Oklahoma tailback Adrian Peterson is the best player in the country, and I have seen nothing to change my mind. Peterson gained "only" 109 yards against Texas, and had a brain lock on the pass he didn't catch that turned out to be (A) a lateral and (B) a fumble recovered by Texas and returned for a touchdown.
Georgia Tech wide receiver Calvin Johnson and West Virginia tailback Steve Slaton also deserve consideration. But here's the bottom line: Who has distinguished himself as an individual player? As the "most outstanding player" in the nation. It may be that we're waiting for last year's race, when Reggie Bush had one of the great seasons of recent memory. Given the support for Troy Smith, he seems to be, as the leader of the No. 1 team, the default candidate.
By that criteria, some of our recent Heisman winners would include Tee Martin of Tennessee (1998) and Craig Krenzel of Ohio State (2002) and Jason White of Oklahoma (2003). And we all know that none of them -- oh, wait a minute. White won. My point is, the Heisman shouldn't go to anyone by default.
Make Smith the player of the half-season, but let's not inscribe his name on American sport's most famous trophy just yet.
2. What are the five biggest moments of the first half of the season?
Both teams have lost again, so the impact of the refusal of Pac-10 replay official Gordon Riese to overturn the ruling that the Ducks recovered an onside kick has been muted. The fact is, Oklahoma wasn't good enough to stop Oregon from scoring again.
Another fact: The Ducks escaped with a 34-33 victory that had an inquiry light attached to it. And another: The memory of Oklahoma president David Boren's emotional outburst demanding that the game be stricken from the record books will follow him, just as his predecessor (George Cross) had to deal with once saying that he wanted a university the football team could be proud of.
Cross, unlike Boren, had his tongue in his cheek.
The short-term impact may no longer be felt, but the long-term impact will be. More scrutiny has been applied to replay officials and how they operate. Pac-10 athletic directors will discuss Thursday the league's policy that Pac-10 crews work Pac-10 home games. In a season when the NCAA Football Rules Committee has endured harsh criticism for new clock rules that have shortened the game by 10 percent, the last thing anyone needed is continued controversy over instant replay.
The Volunteers had heard it for eight months. No, make that nine months. They didn't play in December. For the first time in Phillip Fulmer's 14 seasons as head coach, they didn't go to a bowl. Fulmer had his first losing record (5-6).
He didn't like that very much, and he made sure that his players didn't enjoy themselves, either.
Fulmer rehired his close friend, David Cutcliffe, to reshape the offense. The players rededicated themselves to the weight room. They got sick of hearing about the decline of the Vols. They got tired of hearing about how this would the season that the Golden Bears challenged USC for supremacy in the Pac-10.
From the first play, Tennessee became the aggressor. They dominated the first half against Cal, yet led only 14-3 at intermission. By the time 6:29 had elapsed in the third quarter, the Vols led 35-3. Cal tacked on a couple of touchdowns against the scrubs. Tennessee has returned to the top 10. So, too, has Cal, making what Tennessee did in the opener all the more amazing.
It seems like a long time ago now, since the Wolverines are ranked fourth in the nation and are looking unstoppable. But don't forget that they went into Notre Dame Stadium having lost three of four to the Irish. The natives, as well as everyone else, had begun to question coach Lloyd Carr.
It didn't take long to figure out this was not the same Meeshigan. Prescott Burgess stepped in front of Brady Quinn's second pass, intercepted it and returned it 32 yards for a touchdown. Exit crowd noise, exit momentum, exit the Irish -- and by the time Michigan led 34-14 at the half, exit the Carr doubters. Michigan cruised to a 47-21 victory, and everything is copacetic in the land of maize and blue.
It stood to reason that some team in the Big 12 North would halt the division's slide into mediocrity. But few people outside of Columbia thought it would be Missouri, a team that had defined mediocrity over coach Gary Pinkel's five seasons (29-30).
But the Tigers have seven senior starters on defense and a young quarterback, redshirt sophomore Chase Daniel, whose light had been hidden behind the aura of former Tigers QB Brad Smith.
The defense has been nothing short of magnificent, holding the Tigers' first five opponents to a total of 50 points. When it gave up 21 to Texas Tech, it also forced five Red Raiders turnovers, including two interception returns for scores, 17 yards by end Xzavie Jackson and 22 yards by reserve free safety William Moore.
Missouri fans are beginning to ask about a 13-0 season and what might happen to the Tigers in that scenario. The funny thing is, it's not such an outlandish question.
The Aggies played I-AA The Citadel, Louisiana-Lafayette, Army and Louisiana Tech. Do the math: two (military academies) plus two (Louisiana hayrides) equals 4-0, a start that coach Dennis Franchione could use as a shield with which to fend off frustrated Aggies fans.
A 4-0 record, even with a narrow escape against Army, is all well and good, but the Aggies had lost four of their past five against the Red Raiders, a latecomer to the old Southwest Conference and a school that all self-aggrandizing Aggies look down upon. When A&M led Tech 27-24 in the final minute, it looked as if the Aggies might be on their way to being mentioned in the same sentence as Texas and Oklahoma.
But Tech QB Graham Harrell had other ideas. He threw a 37-yard textbook fade directly to the right pylon. Wide receiver Robert Johnson brought it in without a footstep to spare before angling across the side boundary of the end zone with 26 seconds to play. Texas Tech won 31-27, and the Aggies' agony extended again.
Texas A&M is 5-1 with four ranked opponents (Missouri, Oklahoma, Nebraska, at Texas) to come. Fran could have used that win over Tech.
3. Who is the coach of the half-year? Arkansas lost big in its opener to USC, 50-14, and coach Houston Nutt wasted no time making a change at quarterback. Casey Dick might have been the starter, but Dick got hurt in August practices. Robert Johnson, the starter for several games last season, started against the Trojans, and Nutt didn't like what he saw.
Clay Carson/WireImage.com
Houston Nutt led the Hogs past Auburn.
So Nutt put freshman Mitch Mustain into the starting lineup. Mustain may have been the top recruit in the nation, but no freshman is ready to start at quarterback. Nutt decided that Mustain, even with an easy-reader playbook, would be his best weapon.
Nutt proved to be right.
Mustain gets better every week. Tailback Darren McFadden, after injuring his foot in a preseason bar fight, gets healthier every week. Arkansas sneaked past Vanderbilt 21-19, somehow beat Alabama 24-23 in double overtime and dominated No. 2 Auburn this past week 27-10. The Razorbacks have a significant edge in the SEC West.
Nutt, who began the season on a hot seat, is on his way to transforming it into his second division crown in nine seasons.
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ESPN
Old School: Big Ten back to Big Two this year
By Bruce Hooley
Special to ESPN.com
Iowa, Wisconsin and Michigan State have trotted out throwback uniforms in recent years to celebrate some aspect of their football history.
Ohio State and Michigan are offering their own unique twist this season, hearkening back to a bygone era of the Big Ten, without tweaking their appearance much at all.
By running off six dominant victories apiece, the Buckeyes and the Wolverines have returned the conference to the Big Two and Little Eight days, although it's the Little Nine now thanks to Penn State's addition since the Woody and Bo Era.
If Michigan can weather a Saturday trip to Penn State, without injured wide receiver Mario Manningham, all signs point toward a Nov. 18 matchup in Columbus between two unbeatens.
Harry Cabluck/AP Photo
Troy Smith and the Buckeyes are heading toward a clash with the Wolverines.
Ohio State's remaining schedule until Michigan is a punch line. After Michigan State this week come home dates with Indiana and Minnesota, then trips to Illinois and Northwestern.
Michigan gets Iowa at the Big House, then coasts toward OSU with games against Northwestern, Ball State and Indiana.
Manningham should be back by mid-November following the arthroscopic procedure he underwent Tuesday morning to repair torn cartilage in his knee.
He leads the Big Ten in receiving yards (87.8 yards per game), total receiving yards (527) and leads the nation with nine receiving touchdowns.
Manningham is just one of the playmakers who would be on display in what looms as the first Ohio State-Michigan matchup of unbeatens since 1975, when the Wolverines entered 8-0-2 and the Buckeyes were 10-0.
Michigan's Mike Hart is second in the league and No. 8 nationally in rushing with an average of 132 yards per game. OSU's Antonio Pittman is 15th in the country at 104 yards per game.
OSU quarterback Troy Smith leads most Heisman Trophy projections, and justifiably so given his 68 percent completion rate and 15 touchdown passes, against only two interceptions.
Michigan's Chad Henne is second behind Smith in the league's passing efficiency department (13 TD, 4 INT).
Michigan's Steve Breaston has the conference's top punt return average (11.3), probably because few teams bother kicking to OSU's Ted Ginn Jr., who has taken five returns back for touchdowns in his career.
Defensively, Michigan is the best in the country against the run (40.3 ypg), while OSU is first in scoring defense (9.3 ppg).
Ohio State and Michigan haven't reached the season finale unbeaten and untied since 1973, the second of 10 consecutive years (1972-81) that the winner of the matchup earned the Big Ten's automatic berth in the Rose Bowl.
While it's rare these days for Michigan and OSU to dominate in the same season, it once was routine.
In 1968 and 1970, and from 1972-75, the Michigan-Ohio State game not only decided which team would travel to Pasadena, each of those six seasons featured at least one unbeaten team and the other with no more than one blemish on its record.
But while the impending matchup echoes of nostalgia, the stakes also testify to how much college football has changed since the two storied programs ruled the standings every year.
Assuming both OSU and Michigan are unbeaten on Nov. 18, the loser -- not the winner -- would likely land in the Rose Bowl.
That's because the winner would almost certainly lead the Bowl Championship Series standings and therefore head to the BCS title game Jan. 8 in Glendale, Ariz.
The Rose Bowl would therefore have an inside lane to selecting the Ohio State-Michigan loser as its replacement team for losing the Big Ten Conference champion to the BCS title game.
[FONT=Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif]Biggest Surprise[/FONT]
It's no surprise that Michigan State has tanked, but it is a surprise that the Spartans have mailed it in this early. Consecutive losses to Notre Dame, Illinois and Michigan -- with No. 1 Ohio State coming to East Lansing this week -- have all but sealed head coach John L. Smith's firing at season's end. Typically, MSU waits until the second half of the season to hit cruise control and drive off a cliff. This year, Sparty decided to get a jump on the Christmas season and hibernate early.
[FONT=Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif]Midseason MVP[/FONT]
Ohio State quarterback Troy Smith leads most Heisman Trophy projections, so it's impossible not to select him as the first-half MVP. Smith's status could change as the season unwinds, however, even though the Buckeyes' schedule until a Nov. 18 regular-season wrap-up with Michigan is laughably soft. The subpar competition should have Smith on the sidelines by the middle of the third quarter, giving Wisconsin's P.J. Hill or Michigan's Mike Hart a chance to hoist the trophy by season's end.
[FONT=Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif]Midseason Coach of the Year[/FONT]
OSU's Jim Tressel boasted the nation's consensus No. 1 team in the preseason and has prodded the Buckeyes to performances worthy of that designation despite a September schedule of three Top-15 opponents, including Texas and Iowa on the road. Still, the winner is Michigan's Lloyd Carr, because he's done something more difficult than getting an already great team to play great. Carr had to sell the Wolverines on being better than their 7-5 record of 2005, while integrating new coordinators on offense and defense. The enormity of that task hasn't fazed him at all.
[FONT=Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif]Bowl Bound[/FONT]
Ohio State, Michigan, Iowa, Wisconsin, Penn State and Purdue.
Old School: Big Ten back to Big Two this year
By Bruce Hooley
Special to ESPN.com
Iowa, Wisconsin and Michigan State have trotted out throwback uniforms in recent years to celebrate some aspect of their football history.
Ohio State and Michigan are offering their own unique twist this season, hearkening back to a bygone era of the Big Ten, without tweaking their appearance much at all.
By running off six dominant victories apiece, the Buckeyes and the Wolverines have returned the conference to the Big Two and Little Eight days, although it's the Little Nine now thanks to Penn State's addition since the Woody and Bo Era.
If Michigan can weather a Saturday trip to Penn State, without injured wide receiver Mario Manningham, all signs point toward a Nov. 18 matchup in Columbus between two unbeatens.
Harry Cabluck/AP Photo
Troy Smith and the Buckeyes are heading toward a clash with the Wolverines.
Ohio State's remaining schedule until Michigan is a punch line. After Michigan State this week come home dates with Indiana and Minnesota, then trips to Illinois and Northwestern.
Michigan gets Iowa at the Big House, then coasts toward OSU with games against Northwestern, Ball State and Indiana.
Manningham should be back by mid-November following the arthroscopic procedure he underwent Tuesday morning to repair torn cartilage in his knee.
He leads the Big Ten in receiving yards (87.8 yards per game), total receiving yards (527) and leads the nation with nine receiving touchdowns.
Manningham is just one of the playmakers who would be on display in what looms as the first Ohio State-Michigan matchup of unbeatens since 1975, when the Wolverines entered 8-0-2 and the Buckeyes were 10-0.
Michigan's Mike Hart is second in the league and No. 8 nationally in rushing with an average of 132 yards per game. OSU's Antonio Pittman is 15th in the country at 104 yards per game.
OSU quarterback Troy Smith leads most Heisman Trophy projections, and justifiably so given his 68 percent completion rate and 15 touchdown passes, against only two interceptions.
Michigan's Chad Henne is second behind Smith in the league's passing efficiency department (13 TD, 4 INT).
Michigan's Steve Breaston has the conference's top punt return average (11.3), probably because few teams bother kicking to OSU's Ted Ginn Jr., who has taken five returns back for touchdowns in his career.
Defensively, Michigan is the best in the country against the run (40.3 ypg), while OSU is first in scoring defense (9.3 ppg).
Ohio State and Michigan haven't reached the season finale unbeaten and untied since 1973, the second of 10 consecutive years (1972-81) that the winner of the matchup earned the Big Ten's automatic berth in the Rose Bowl.
While it's rare these days for Michigan and OSU to dominate in the same season, it once was routine.
In 1968 and 1970, and from 1972-75, the Michigan-Ohio State game not only decided which team would travel to Pasadena, each of those six seasons featured at least one unbeaten team and the other with no more than one blemish on its record.
But while the impending matchup echoes of nostalgia, the stakes also testify to how much college football has changed since the two storied programs ruled the standings every year.
Assuming both OSU and Michigan are unbeaten on Nov. 18, the loser -- not the winner -- would likely land in the Rose Bowl.
That's because the winner would almost certainly lead the Bowl Championship Series standings and therefore head to the BCS title game Jan. 8 in Glendale, Ariz.
The Rose Bowl would therefore have an inside lane to selecting the Ohio State-Michigan loser as its replacement team for losing the Big Ten Conference champion to the BCS title game.
[FONT=Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif]Biggest Surprise[/FONT]
It's no surprise that Michigan State has tanked, but it is a surprise that the Spartans have mailed it in this early. Consecutive losses to Notre Dame, Illinois and Michigan -- with No. 1 Ohio State coming to East Lansing this week -- have all but sealed head coach John L. Smith's firing at season's end. Typically, MSU waits until the second half of the season to hit cruise control and drive off a cliff. This year, Sparty decided to get a jump on the Christmas season and hibernate early.
[FONT=Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif]Midseason MVP[/FONT]
Ohio State quarterback Troy Smith leads most Heisman Trophy projections, so it's impossible not to select him as the first-half MVP. Smith's status could change as the season unwinds, however, even though the Buckeyes' schedule until a Nov. 18 regular-season wrap-up with Michigan is laughably soft. The subpar competition should have Smith on the sidelines by the middle of the third quarter, giving Wisconsin's P.J. Hill or Michigan's Mike Hart a chance to hoist the trophy by season's end.
[FONT=Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif]Midseason Coach of the Year[/FONT]
OSU's Jim Tressel boasted the nation's consensus No. 1 team in the preseason and has prodded the Buckeyes to performances worthy of that designation despite a September schedule of three Top-15 opponents, including Texas and Iowa on the road. Still, the winner is Michigan's Lloyd Carr, because he's done something more difficult than getting an already great team to play great. Carr had to sell the Wolverines on being better than their 7-5 record of 2005, while integrating new coordinators on offense and defense. The enormity of that task hasn't fazed him at all.
[FONT=Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif]Bowl Bound[/FONT]
Ohio State, Michigan, Iowa, Wisconsin, Penn State and Purdue.
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Link
Midterm evaluations put Buckeyes at top of class
The Salt Lake Tribune
Midterms. The dreaded time when we see who is progressing at a satisfactory rate, whose national championship hopes have been dashed, and which schools are hoping they can salvage a season.
I used to hate midterm reports because they so often revealed just how bad I was at math and offered little hope of salvaging a decent grade. It makes me giddy I can hand out my own evaluations:
PASSING
Ohio State: Hard to meet expectations when teams start the season with as much hype as the Buckeyes did this year, but they look every bit like a team that deserves to play for a national championship. Quarterback Troy Smith is a virtual lock for the Heisman Trophy, with 15 touchdowns passes and 1,261 yards.
Iowa: The Hawkeyes' run of three consecutive 10-win seasons ended with last year's 7-5 showing, but they have returned to their winning ways. They thumped Purdue 47-17 on Saturday to climb to No. 15 in the AP poll and have one scary game remaining - Oct. 21 at Michigan.
David Cutcliffe: Back as Tennessee's offensive coordinator after jobs at Ole Miss and Notre Dame, he has the Vols averaging 35.2 points - 11th in the nation.
Cal: The Bears fell from their preseason No. 9 spot after a blowout loss at Tennessee. Since, they have scored at least 41 in their past five wins and look like a serious threat to USC's perch atop the Pac-10.
FAILING:
Florida teams outside of Gainesville: For the first time since 1982, neither FSU nor Miami is ranked in the top 25. Florida International is 0-6 as it continues to adjust to life at the I-A level and Florida Atlantic, which hosts SUU today, is 1-4. South Florida is 4-2, but the small school missed a chance to make big headlines when it narrowly lost to Rutgers 22-20 last week.
The refs: Yes, only a few weeks ago it was suggested in this space that coaches needed to stop complaining about the referees. But this is not whining, just wondering . . . Why are the officials getting worse as the season goes on? The Oklahoma-Oregon brouhaha received the most attention, but games seem to have more than the normal controversy this year - from running of the game clock to discussing and overturning typically clear-cut calls such as holding.
Duke: Some streaks have ended and others have begun, but Duke's continues. The Blue Devils have lost 13 games in a row and nearly put an end to the streak last week against Alabama. But the Tide scored late to pull away and keep Duke on track to match the school record of 23 consecutive losses set from 1999-2003.
Stuffy administrators: Officials at Penn State are cracking down on students camping outside the stadium, not allowing them to start camping out until Thursday mornings. Georgia tightened up its tailgating rules even more, not allowing tailgaters to set up their spreads on campus until 7 a.m. on game days, ending a tradition for many who started tailgating the Wednesday before the game.
Some might see such hardy tailgating as excessive, but in a time when many sports are losing fans, college administrators should feel lucky theirs is being supported with such fervor and encourage it, not ban it.
Midterm evaluations put Buckeyes at top of class
The Salt Lake Tribune
Midterms. The dreaded time when we see who is progressing at a satisfactory rate, whose national championship hopes have been dashed, and which schools are hoping they can salvage a season.
I used to hate midterm reports because they so often revealed just how bad I was at math and offered little hope of salvaging a decent grade. It makes me giddy I can hand out my own evaluations:
PASSING
Ohio State: Hard to meet expectations when teams start the season with as much hype as the Buckeyes did this year, but they look every bit like a team that deserves to play for a national championship. Quarterback Troy Smith is a virtual lock for the Heisman Trophy, with 15 touchdowns passes and 1,261 yards.
Iowa: The Hawkeyes' run of three consecutive 10-win seasons ended with last year's 7-5 showing, but they have returned to their winning ways. They thumped Purdue 47-17 on Saturday to climb to No. 15 in the AP poll and have one scary game remaining - Oct. 21 at Michigan.
David Cutcliffe: Back as Tennessee's offensive coordinator after jobs at Ole Miss and Notre Dame, he has the Vols averaging 35.2 points - 11th in the nation.
Cal: The Bears fell from their preseason No. 9 spot after a blowout loss at Tennessee. Since, they have scored at least 41 in their past five wins and look like a serious threat to USC's perch atop the Pac-10.
FAILING:
Florida teams outside of Gainesville: For the first time since 1982, neither FSU nor Miami is ranked in the top 25. Florida International is 0-6 as it continues to adjust to life at the I-A level and Florida Atlantic, which hosts SUU today, is 1-4. South Florida is 4-2, but the small school missed a chance to make big headlines when it narrowly lost to Rutgers 22-20 last week.
The refs: Yes, only a few weeks ago it was suggested in this space that coaches needed to stop complaining about the referees. But this is not whining, just wondering . . . Why are the officials getting worse as the season goes on? The Oklahoma-Oregon brouhaha received the most attention, but games seem to have more than the normal controversy this year - from running of the game clock to discussing and overturning typically clear-cut calls such as holding.
Duke: Some streaks have ended and others have begun, but Duke's continues. The Blue Devils have lost 13 games in a row and nearly put an end to the streak last week against Alabama. But the Tide scored late to pull away and keep Duke on track to match the school record of 23 consecutive losses set from 1999-2003.
Stuffy administrators: Officials at Penn State are cracking down on students camping outside the stadium, not allowing them to start camping out until Thursday mornings. Georgia tightened up its tailgating rules even more, not allowing tailgaters to set up their spreads on campus until 7 a.m. on game days, ending a tradition for many who started tailgating the Wednesday before the game.
Some might see such hardy tailgating as excessive, but in a time when many sports are losing fans, college administrators should feel lucky theirs is being supported with such fervor and encourage it, not ban it.
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CBS
2006 CBS SportsLine.com's Halfway All-America Team
CBS SportsLine.com staff
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica]
Garrett Wolfe
Mario Manningham
Eric Weddle
Pos Player Class School
[/FONT][FONT=Arial, Helvetica] Offense [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica]QB Troy Smith Senior Ohio State
RB Steve Slaton Sophomore West Virginia
RB Garrett Wolfe Senior Northern Illinois
WR Calvin Johnson Junior Georgia Tech
WR Mario Manningham Sophomore Michigan
TE Darius Hill Junior Ball State O
L Doug Free Senior Northern Illinois
OL Sam Baker Junior USC
OL Dan Mozes Senior West Virginia
OL Joe Thomas Senior Wisconsin
OL Aaron Sears Senior Tennesseee
Defense
DL Gaines Adams Senior Clemson
DL Mkristo Bruce Senior Washington State
DL Glenn Dorsey Junior LSU
DL Brian Smith Senior Missouri
LB H.B. Blades Senior Pittsburgh
LB Patrick Willis Senior Mississippi
LB Korey Hall Senior Boise State
DB Eric Weddle Senior Utah
DB LaRon Landry Senior LSU
DB Reggie Nelson Junior Florida
DB Daymeion Hughes Senior California
Special Teams
K Justin Medlock Senior UCLA
P Joe Radigan Senior Rutgers
Ret Marcus Thigpen Sophomore Indiana
[/FONT]
2006 CBS SportsLine.com's Halfway All-America Team
CBS SportsLine.com staff
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica]
Garrett Wolfe
Mario Manningham
Eric Weddle
Pos Player Class School
[/FONT][FONT=Arial, Helvetica] Offense [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica]QB Troy Smith Senior Ohio State
RB Steve Slaton Sophomore West Virginia
RB Garrett Wolfe Senior Northern Illinois
WR Calvin Johnson Junior Georgia Tech
WR Mario Manningham Sophomore Michigan
TE Darius Hill Junior Ball State O
L Doug Free Senior Northern Illinois
OL Sam Baker Junior USC
OL Dan Mozes Senior West Virginia
OL Joe Thomas Senior Wisconsin
OL Aaron Sears Senior Tennesseee
Defense
DL Gaines Adams Senior Clemson
DL Mkristo Bruce Senior Washington State
DL Glenn Dorsey Junior LSU
DL Brian Smith Senior Missouri
LB H.B. Blades Senior Pittsburgh
LB Patrick Willis Senior Mississippi
LB Korey Hall Senior Boise State
DB Eric Weddle Senior Utah
DB LaRon Landry Senior LSU
DB Reggie Nelson Junior Florida
DB Daymeion Hughes Senior California
Special Teams
K Justin Medlock Senior UCLA
P Joe Radigan Senior Rutgers
Ret Marcus Thigpen Sophomore Indiana
[/FONT]
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CBS Sportsline Mid Season Report
It's 3 pages long but page 2 is probably the one most Buckeye fans would want to read.
http://www.sportsline.com/collegefootball/story/9721176
Feel free to merge, didn't know if there was already an existing thread to put this into.
It's 3 pages long but page 2 is probably the one most Buckeye fans would want to read.
http://www.sportsline.com/collegefootball/story/9721176
Feel free to merge, didn't know if there was already an existing thread to put this into.
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SI
Midseason Crystal Ball
SI.com's experts give their forecasts for second half
Posted: Thursday October 12, 2006 10:25AM; Updated: Thursday October 12, 2006 2:35PM
SI.com's college football writers Stewart Mandel, Luke Winn, Cory McCartney and Mark Beech provide their predictions for the second half of the season.
BCS predictions
Mandel:
National title: Ohio State vs. Florida
Rose: Michigan vs. USC
Fiesta: Texas vs. Louisville
Orange: Clemson vs. West Virginia
Sugar: Notre Dame vs. Tennessee
Winn:
National title: Ohio State vs. Texas
Rose: Michigan vs. Cal
Fiesta: USC vs. Louisville
Orange: Clemson vs. Tennessee
Sugar: Notre Dame vs. Florida
McCartney:
National title: Ohio State vs. West Virginia
Rose: Michigan vs. Cal
Fiesta: Texas vs. Boise State
Orange: Clemson vs. Tennessee
Sugar: Notre Dame vs. Florida
Beech:
National title: Ohio State vs. West Virginia
Rose: Michigan vs. USC
Fiesta: Texas vs. Boise State
Orange: Clemson vs. Tennessee
Sugar: Notre Dame vs. Florida
National champ
Mandel: Ohio State. Needless to say, I'm much more comfortable with the Buckeyes than I was going into the season. The offense is a machine and the defense is making opposing quarterbacks' lives miserable.
Winn: Ohio State. I stayed away from the Buckeyes in the preseason Crystal Ball, not because of a lack of faith in Troy Smith but because of their defense, which I figured would break down at some point against either Texas, Iowa, Michigan State or Michigan. After Week 6, OSU has the No. 1 scoring D in the country and my doubts are long gone.
McCartney: Ohio State. I'm sticking with my preseason pick and riding Troy Smith & Co. to the title. They turned road trips to Texas and Iowa into breezes, and the defense, which is tied for No. 1 in the nation with 12 interceptions, has been sensational.
Beech: Ohio State. The Buckeyes are playing with so much confidence on both sides of the ball. I'm beginning to think that their only real opponent is complacency ... until their Nov. 18 date with Michigan, that is.
Second-half surprise team
Mandel: Hawaii. The 3-2 Warriors went on the road and gave both Alabama and Boise State scares. Expect them to win most of their WAC games and knock off Purdue and/or Oregon State.
Winn: Miami. It seems as if everyone has given up on the 3-2 'Canes and acknowledged that Larry Coker's firing is a foregone conclusion, which it may very well be. But Miami recently found a big-play runner (Javarris James) and has a strong enough D (ranked No. 8 against the run) to make things interesting. Could a stunning 6-1 run to close the regular season save Coker's job?
McCartney: Florida State. The Seminoles are 1-2 in the ACC for the first time ever, and their chance of making the title game is probably over. But the only game they should lose the rest of the season is against Florida. A 6-1 finish should soothe some of the current woes in Tallahassee.
Beech: Penn State. The Nittany Lions, unranked and unloved at 4-2, might not beat Michigan this weekend, but I expect them to run the table after that. Their defense is on the rise -- witness the night-and-day performances in the Notre Dame and Ohio State games. And their offense should only get better as quarterback Anthony Morelli gains more experience.
Second-half flop team
Mandel: Virginia Tech. A cream-puff early schedule masked the 4-1 Hokies' weaknesses until Georgia Tech came to town and exploited them. Expect two or three more losses in ACC play.
Winn: Rutgers. It was fun while it lasted, right? The run-happy Knights started 5-0 but could easily lose three of their next four games (to Navy, Pitt and Louisville) and go on to finish 8-4. The reason: They won't be able to play from behind against better teams, seeing that quarterback Mike Teel has thrown six interceptions to only two touchdowns, and has a sub-par 103.7 passer rating.
McCartney: Rutgers. The Scarlet Knights have relied way too much on Ray Rice and the running attack. If Rice is neutralized, they won't get much help from Teel, who has the worst touchdown-to-interception ratio among Big East starters. Road games at Navy, Pittsburgh and West Virginia, not to mention a home date with Louisville, could all be trouble, killing those feel-good vibes around Piscataway.
Beech: Rutgers. At 5-0, the Scarlet Knights are the feel-good story of 2006. Head coach Greg Schiano has worked wonders, but he'll be hard-pressed to get four more wins the rest of the way. In fairness, though, it's hard to call an 8-4 season a flop, especially at Rutgers.
Heisman Trophy winner
Mandel: Troy Smith, Ohio State. As long as the Buckeyes keep winning and Smith keeps playing like he has, there's not much Brady Quinn, Garrett Wolfe or anyone else can do to wrestle the thing away from him.
Winn: Garrett Wolfe, Northern Illinois. Troy Smith's name is probably engraved on the trophy already, but I'm sick of handing it to the best quarterback on such a regular basis. Wolfe will finish with wow numbers -- 2,600 yards, perhaps -- and respectable games against two Big Ten powers (OSU and Iowa). That's enough for me.
McCartney: Smith. Wolfe may be the chic pick, but he didn't march into Austin and Iowa City and rip the hearts out of two hostile crowds. Smith's on pace to finish with 2,522 yards and 30 touchdowns, numbers that will be hard to ignore, despite how many yards Wolfe racks up.
Beech: Smith. He's halfway home and has done just about everything right to this point. His efficient dissection of the Texas D (17 of 26, 269 yards, two TDs) showed his total command of the offense. His scrambling save of a broken play against Penn State -- which resulted in a 37-yard touchdown pass -- showed his remarkable athletic ability. The Buckeyes are going to have to lose for anybody else to get close to him.
Heisman candidate who'll disappear
Mandel: Adrian Peterson, Oklahoma. With the Sooners out of the national-title picture, Peterson will struggle to stay in the limelight. He may have big games, but the voters won't see them.
Winn: Ray Rice, Rutgers. Sir Speedy is a fine runner (and currently No. 2 behind Wolfe in the rushing race), but see the blurb in the "flop" section: The Knights will be forced to pass more frequently in the season's backstretch, and Rice's numbers will inevitably fall ... along with his team's ranking.
McCartney: Chris Leak, Florida. While the Gators are unbeaten behind their two-headed QB system of Leak and freshman Tim Tebow, it's not doing Leak any favors. Who would have thought the Gators' biggest win so far (over LSU) may have ended his candidacy?
Beech: Garrett Wolfe, Northern Illinois. I don't think Wolfe will disappear so much as he will probably never catch up -- no matter how many rushing yards he gains. He's a marvelous talent, but the Huskies play only one more marquee opponent: Iowa, on Oct. 28.
First coach to get fired
Mandel: John L. Smith, Michigan State. It's never a good sign when the coach admits publicly that he's on thin ice. Unless the Spartans upset Ohio State this weekend, I don't see things ending well.
Winn: John Bunting, North Carolina. I say Coker holds off the dogs until January and Bunting goes first. It's a down year for the ACC, one in which a once-lowly Tobacco Road neighbor, Wake Forest, is making a run at a decent bowl, and the Heels still haven't made any strides. They're 1-4 and getting steamrollered on the ground, giving up an atrocious 202.6 yards per game.
McCartney: Bunting. He's under contract through 2009 and it will cost the Tar Heels in excess of $1.5 million to oust him, but he's 25-40 in six years. This year's team is off to a 1-4 start, on pace for his fifth losing season.
Beech: I stare into my crystal ball and I see swirling before me the heads of John L. Smith, Larry Coker and Chuck Amato. Who will go first? My guess is Smith, since his team has suffered by far the most embarrassing meltdown.
Midseason Crystal Ball
SI.com's experts give their forecasts for second half
Posted: Thursday October 12, 2006 10:25AM; Updated: Thursday October 12, 2006 2:35PM
SI.com's college football writers Stewart Mandel, Luke Winn, Cory McCartney and Mark Beech provide their predictions for the second half of the season.
BCS predictions
Mandel:
National title: Ohio State vs. Florida
Rose: Michigan vs. USC
Fiesta: Texas vs. Louisville
Orange: Clemson vs. West Virginia
Sugar: Notre Dame vs. Tennessee
Winn:
National title: Ohio State vs. Texas
Rose: Michigan vs. Cal
Fiesta: USC vs. Louisville
Orange: Clemson vs. Tennessee
Sugar: Notre Dame vs. Florida
McCartney:
National title: Ohio State vs. West Virginia
Rose: Michigan vs. Cal
Fiesta: Texas vs. Boise State
Orange: Clemson vs. Tennessee
Sugar: Notre Dame vs. Florida
Beech:
National title: Ohio State vs. West Virginia
Rose: Michigan vs. USC
Fiesta: Texas vs. Boise State
Orange: Clemson vs. Tennessee
Sugar: Notre Dame vs. Florida
National champ
Mandel: Ohio State. Needless to say, I'm much more comfortable with the Buckeyes than I was going into the season. The offense is a machine and the defense is making opposing quarterbacks' lives miserable.
Winn: Ohio State. I stayed away from the Buckeyes in the preseason Crystal Ball, not because of a lack of faith in Troy Smith but because of their defense, which I figured would break down at some point against either Texas, Iowa, Michigan State or Michigan. After Week 6, OSU has the No. 1 scoring D in the country and my doubts are long gone.
McCartney: Ohio State. I'm sticking with my preseason pick and riding Troy Smith & Co. to the title. They turned road trips to Texas and Iowa into breezes, and the defense, which is tied for No. 1 in the nation with 12 interceptions, has been sensational.
Beech: Ohio State. The Buckeyes are playing with so much confidence on both sides of the ball. I'm beginning to think that their only real opponent is complacency ... until their Nov. 18 date with Michigan, that is.
Second-half surprise team
Mandel: Hawaii. The 3-2 Warriors went on the road and gave both Alabama and Boise State scares. Expect them to win most of their WAC games and knock off Purdue and/or Oregon State.
Winn: Miami. It seems as if everyone has given up on the 3-2 'Canes and acknowledged that Larry Coker's firing is a foregone conclusion, which it may very well be. But Miami recently found a big-play runner (Javarris James) and has a strong enough D (ranked No. 8 against the run) to make things interesting. Could a stunning 6-1 run to close the regular season save Coker's job?
McCartney: Florida State. The Seminoles are 1-2 in the ACC for the first time ever, and their chance of making the title game is probably over. But the only game they should lose the rest of the season is against Florida. A 6-1 finish should soothe some of the current woes in Tallahassee.
Beech: Penn State. The Nittany Lions, unranked and unloved at 4-2, might not beat Michigan this weekend, but I expect them to run the table after that. Their defense is on the rise -- witness the night-and-day performances in the Notre Dame and Ohio State games. And their offense should only get better as quarterback Anthony Morelli gains more experience.
Second-half flop team
Mandel: Virginia Tech. A cream-puff early schedule masked the 4-1 Hokies' weaknesses until Georgia Tech came to town and exploited them. Expect two or three more losses in ACC play.
Winn: Rutgers. It was fun while it lasted, right? The run-happy Knights started 5-0 but could easily lose three of their next four games (to Navy, Pitt and Louisville) and go on to finish 8-4. The reason: They won't be able to play from behind against better teams, seeing that quarterback Mike Teel has thrown six interceptions to only two touchdowns, and has a sub-par 103.7 passer rating.
McCartney: Rutgers. The Scarlet Knights have relied way too much on Ray Rice and the running attack. If Rice is neutralized, they won't get much help from Teel, who has the worst touchdown-to-interception ratio among Big East starters. Road games at Navy, Pittsburgh and West Virginia, not to mention a home date with Louisville, could all be trouble, killing those feel-good vibes around Piscataway.
Beech: Rutgers. At 5-0, the Scarlet Knights are the feel-good story of 2006. Head coach Greg Schiano has worked wonders, but he'll be hard-pressed to get four more wins the rest of the way. In fairness, though, it's hard to call an 8-4 season a flop, especially at Rutgers.
Heisman Trophy winner
Mandel: Troy Smith, Ohio State. As long as the Buckeyes keep winning and Smith keeps playing like he has, there's not much Brady Quinn, Garrett Wolfe or anyone else can do to wrestle the thing away from him.
Winn: Garrett Wolfe, Northern Illinois. Troy Smith's name is probably engraved on the trophy already, but I'm sick of handing it to the best quarterback on such a regular basis. Wolfe will finish with wow numbers -- 2,600 yards, perhaps -- and respectable games against two Big Ten powers (OSU and Iowa). That's enough for me.
McCartney: Smith. Wolfe may be the chic pick, but he didn't march into Austin and Iowa City and rip the hearts out of two hostile crowds. Smith's on pace to finish with 2,522 yards and 30 touchdowns, numbers that will be hard to ignore, despite how many yards Wolfe racks up.
Beech: Smith. He's halfway home and has done just about everything right to this point. His efficient dissection of the Texas D (17 of 26, 269 yards, two TDs) showed his total command of the offense. His scrambling save of a broken play against Penn State -- which resulted in a 37-yard touchdown pass -- showed his remarkable athletic ability. The Buckeyes are going to have to lose for anybody else to get close to him.
Heisman candidate who'll disappear
Mandel: Adrian Peterson, Oklahoma. With the Sooners out of the national-title picture, Peterson will struggle to stay in the limelight. He may have big games, but the voters won't see them.
Winn: Ray Rice, Rutgers. Sir Speedy is a fine runner (and currently No. 2 behind Wolfe in the rushing race), but see the blurb in the "flop" section: The Knights will be forced to pass more frequently in the season's backstretch, and Rice's numbers will inevitably fall ... along with his team's ranking.
McCartney: Chris Leak, Florida. While the Gators are unbeaten behind their two-headed QB system of Leak and freshman Tim Tebow, it's not doing Leak any favors. Who would have thought the Gators' biggest win so far (over LSU) may have ended his candidacy?
Beech: Garrett Wolfe, Northern Illinois. I don't think Wolfe will disappear so much as he will probably never catch up -- no matter how many rushing yards he gains. He's a marvelous talent, but the Huskies play only one more marquee opponent: Iowa, on Oct. 28.
First coach to get fired
Mandel: John L. Smith, Michigan State. It's never a good sign when the coach admits publicly that he's on thin ice. Unless the Spartans upset Ohio State this weekend, I don't see things ending well.
Winn: John Bunting, North Carolina. I say Coker holds off the dogs until January and Bunting goes first. It's a down year for the ACC, one in which a once-lowly Tobacco Road neighbor, Wake Forest, is making a run at a decent bowl, and the Heels still haven't made any strides. They're 1-4 and getting steamrollered on the ground, giving up an atrocious 202.6 yards per game.
McCartney: Bunting. He's under contract through 2009 and it will cost the Tar Heels in excess of $1.5 million to oust him, but he's 25-40 in six years. This year's team is off to a 1-4 start, on pace for his fifth losing season.
Beech: I stare into my crystal ball and I see swirling before me the heads of John L. Smith, Larry Coker and Chuck Amato. Who will go first? My guess is Smith, since his team has suffered by far the most embarrassing meltdown.
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SI
SI.com's Midseason All-Americas
Heisman candidates Smith, Peterson headline group
Posted: Thursday October 12, 2006 1:40AM; Updated: Thursday October 12, 2006 8:29AM
Offense Defense
QB: Troy Smith
Sr., Ohio State
Completing 68 percent of his passes, with 15 TDs, 2 INTs.
DE: Mkristo Bruce
Sr., Washington State
Leads the nation with 10 sacks, including five in one game.
RB: Adrian Peterson
Jr., Oklahoma
Former Heisman runner-up averaging 150.4 yards a game.
DT: Alan Branch
Jr., Michigan
The unquestioned centerpiece of nation's No. 1 rushing defense.
RB: Garrett Wolfe
Sr., N. Illinois
With 1,181 yards in five games, on pace to break I-A record.
DT: Glenn Dorsey
Jr., LSU
First-year starter constantly finds way into opposing backfields.
WR: Calvin Johnson
Jr., Georgia Tech
Has four 100-yard games, eight TDs despite nursing injury.
DE: Anthony Spencer
Sr., Purdue
Leads nation in tackles for loss (14.5), has forced three fumbles.
WR: Mario Manningham
Soph., Michigan
Leads nation with nine TDs, averaging 22 yards per catch.
LB: Buster Davis
Sr., Florida State
Relentless defender had 12 tackles (three for loss) vs. Miami.
WR: Robert Meachem
Jr., Tennessee
Nation's leading receiver with 112.5 yards per game.
LB: James Laurinaitis
Soph., Ohio State
Star of nation's top-ranked scoring defense has four picks.
C: Eric Wood
Soph., Louisville
The driving force behind the Cards' No. 5 rushing offense.
LB: Philip Wheeler
Jr., Georgia Tech
A ferocious blitzer, he's racked up 8.5 tackles for loss.
OL: Ryan Clady
Soph., Boise State
Playing even better than predecessor Daryn Colledge.
DB: Daymeion Hughes
Sr., Cal
Has five picks, helped contain Oregon star Jaison Williams.
OL: Roman Fry
Sr., Clemson
RB James Davis often runs behind his powerful left guard.
DB: Dwight Lowery
Jr., San Jose State
Juco transfer leads nation with seven interceptions in four games.
OL: Arron Sears
Sr., Tennessee
NFL-ready tackle neutralized stud Georgia DE Quentin Moses.
DB: Reggie Nelson
Jr., Florida
Star safety has four interceptions, leads No. 2 scoring defense.
OL: Joe Thomas
Sr., Wisconsin
Hyped pro prospect wreaked havoc against Michigan.
DB: Eric Weddle
Sr., Utah
Nation's premier cover corner has six interceptions, two TDs. Special Teams
K: Justin Medlock
Sr., UCLA
Has hit 12 of 13 field-goal attempts, two from beyond 50.
KR: Marcus Thigpen
Soph., Indiana
Has three returns for TDs; no one else has more than one.
P: Kody Bliss
Sr., Auburn
Nation's No. 2 punter amassed 289 yards in a 7-3 win over LSU.
PR: DeSean Jackson
Soph., Cal
Electrifying player had return TDs against Arizona St., Oregon. Second Team QB Erik Ainge, Jr., Tennessee DE Gaines Adams, Sr., Clemson RB Ray Rice, Soph., Rutgers DT Quinn Pitcock, Sr., Ohio State RB Steve Slaton, Soph., West Virginia DT Marcus Thomas, Sr., Florida WR DeSean Jackson, Soph., Cal DE Brian Smith, Sr., Missouri WR Jaison Williams, Soph., Oregon LB Alvin Brown, Jr., Iowa State TE Darius Hill, Soph., Ball State LB Dan Connor, Jr., Penn State C Samson Satele, Sr., Hawaii LB Rey Maualuga, Soph., USC OL Sam Baker, Jr., USC DB Leon Hall, Sr., Michigan OL Alex Boone, Soph., Ohio State DB Aaron Ross, Sr., Texas OL Jake Long, Jr., Michigan DB Marcus Watts, Jr., Kansas State OL Steve Vallos, Sr., Wake Forest DB Eric Wright, Jr., UNLV K Patrick Shadle, Soph., Syracuse KR Jeff Smith, Fr., Boston College P Joe Radigan, Sr., Rutgers PR Sammie Stroughter, Jr., Oregon State
SI.com's Midseason All-Americas
Heisman candidates Smith, Peterson headline group
Posted: Thursday October 12, 2006 1:40AM; Updated: Thursday October 12, 2006 8:29AM
Offense Defense
Sr., Ohio State
Completing 68 percent of his passes, with 15 TDs, 2 INTs.
Sr., Washington State
Leads the nation with 10 sacks, including five in one game.
Jr., Oklahoma
Former Heisman runner-up averaging 150.4 yards a game.
Jr., Michigan
The unquestioned centerpiece of nation's No. 1 rushing defense.
Sr., N. Illinois
With 1,181 yards in five games, on pace to break I-A record.
Jr., LSU
First-year starter constantly finds way into opposing backfields.
Jr., Georgia Tech
Has four 100-yard games, eight TDs despite nursing injury.
Sr., Purdue
Leads nation in tackles for loss (14.5), has forced three fumbles.
Soph., Michigan
Leads nation with nine TDs, averaging 22 yards per catch.
Sr., Florida State
Relentless defender had 12 tackles (three for loss) vs. Miami.
Jr., Tennessee
Nation's leading receiver with 112.5 yards per game.
Soph., Ohio State
Star of nation's top-ranked scoring defense has four picks.
Soph., Louisville
The driving force behind the Cards' No. 5 rushing offense.
Jr., Georgia Tech
A ferocious blitzer, he's racked up 8.5 tackles for loss.
Soph., Boise State
Playing even better than predecessor Daryn Colledge.
Sr., Cal
Has five picks, helped contain Oregon star Jaison Williams.
Sr., Clemson
RB James Davis often runs behind his powerful left guard.
Jr., San Jose State
Juco transfer leads nation with seven interceptions in four games.
Sr., Tennessee
NFL-ready tackle neutralized stud Georgia DE Quentin Moses.
Jr., Florida
Star safety has four interceptions, leads No. 2 scoring defense.
Sr., Wisconsin
Hyped pro prospect wreaked havoc against Michigan.
Sr., Utah
Nation's premier cover corner has six interceptions, two TDs. Special Teams
Sr., UCLA
Has hit 12 of 13 field-goal attempts, two from beyond 50.
Soph., Indiana
Has three returns for TDs; no one else has more than one.
Sr., Auburn
Nation's No. 2 punter amassed 289 yards in a 7-3 win over LSU.
Soph., Cal
Electrifying player had return TDs against Arizona St., Oregon. Second Team QB Erik Ainge, Jr., Tennessee DE Gaines Adams, Sr., Clemson RB Ray Rice, Soph., Rutgers DT Quinn Pitcock, Sr., Ohio State RB Steve Slaton, Soph., West Virginia DT Marcus Thomas, Sr., Florida WR DeSean Jackson, Soph., Cal DE Brian Smith, Sr., Missouri WR Jaison Williams, Soph., Oregon LB Alvin Brown, Jr., Iowa State TE Darius Hill, Soph., Ball State LB Dan Connor, Jr., Penn State C Samson Satele, Sr., Hawaii LB Rey Maualuga, Soph., USC OL Sam Baker, Jr., USC DB Leon Hall, Sr., Michigan OL Alex Boone, Soph., Ohio State DB Aaron Ross, Sr., Texas OL Jake Long, Jr., Michigan DB Marcus Watts, Jr., Kansas State OL Steve Vallos, Sr., Wake Forest DB Eric Wright, Jr., UNLV K Patrick Shadle, Soph., Syracuse KR Jeff Smith, Fr., Boston College P Joe Radigan, Sr., Rutgers PR Sammie Stroughter, Jr., Oregon State
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