SB Nation - Hawaii Warriors

Week Fourteen BlogPoll Ballot Draft

T Kyle King — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 03:52:12 -0000

The time has come to cast my final regular-season BlogPoll ballot---or, at least, I think it has; I’m assuming we’re not submitting new top 25s after next weekend’s Army-Navy game---and here is what I came up with after starting with a blank piece of paper:

Rank	Team	Delta

1	Alabama
2	Cincinnati	2
3	Texas
4	Boise State	1
5	TCU	1
6	Florida	4
7	Oregon
8	Ohio State
9	Georgia Tech	1
10	Iowa	1
11	West Virginia	9
12	LSU	1
13	Arizona
14	Oregon State	2
15	Southern Cal
16	Virginia Tech	5
17	Stanford
18	Miami (Florida)	4
19	Pittsburgh	7
20	California	1
21	Oklahoma State	2
22	Brigham Young	1
23	Nebraska	1
24	Penn State	7
25	Wisconsin	1
Last week's ballot

Dropped Out: Houston (#18), Central Michigan (#25).

The Alabama Crimson Tide (13-0) are No. 1. Duh! Of the dozen Division I-A opponents beaten by Nick Saban’s squad, nine finished with winning records, including the sixth-ranked Florida Gators, the twelfth-ranked LSU Tigers, and the 16th-ranked Virginia Tech Hokies. The Tide’s only close calls came in rivalry games against teams who will be playing on New Year’s Eve or later.

In spite of their close call against the Pittsburgh Panthers in a game played in the snow featuring two botched extra point attempts, the Cincinnati Bearcats (12-0) captured the No. 2 spot on my ballot by virtue of seven regular-season wins over teams that finished above .500, among them the 11th-ranked West Virginia Mountaineers, the 14th-ranked Oregon St. Beavers, and 19th-ranked Pitt. Also, Cincy gets credit for having a logo reminiscent of Chick-fil-A's.

While I understand and respect C&F’s argument, I awarded the No. 3 ranking to the Texas Longhorns (13-0) because Mack Brown’s outfit went undefeated against a slate that included no Division I-AA schedule fodder and only four teams that posted losing ledgers. Wins over the No. 21 Oklahoma St. Cowboys and the No. 23 Nebraska Cornhuskers provided heft to the Big 12 standard-bearer’s resume.

I ranked the Boise St. Broncos (13-0) ahead of the TCU Horned Frogs (12-0) for a variety of reasons. Both took advantage of a Division I-AA victim and each faced five Division I-A teams with winning records, but Boise State has an additional win and Texas Christian has two close shaves (at Air Force and at Clemson) as opposed to the Broncos’ one (at Tulsa). Boise State’s second- and third-best wins (over Nevada and Fresno State) are comparable to the Frogs’ (over Utah and Clemson), but the Broncos’ marquee victory over the seven-ranked Oregon Ducks far outshines TCU’s best pelt, that of the 22nd-ranked BYU Cougars.

The Sunshine State Saurians (12-1) slipped to sixth after their less than competitive neutral site outing against ‘Bama, as befits the nation’s lone once-beaten team, and Oregon (10-2) led the parade of two-loss teams because the Ducks fell to two quality teams on the road and made up for those setbacks with wins over three teams ranked in my top 20 (Arizona, Oregon State, and Cal).

The Ohio St. Buckeyes (10-2) earned a No. 8 ranking on the strength of wins over the tenth-ranked Iowa Hawkeyes, the 24th-ranked Penn St. Nittany Lions, and the 25th-ranked Wisconsin Badgers. The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (11-2) rode their ~~fourth-place finish in the SEC East~~ ACC championship to the No. 9 ranking, although the Ramblin’ Wreck’s loss to the Georgia Bulldogs at home serves as a drag on a resume that includes five close calls in the Golden Tornado’s ten Division I-A wins. Only two of the Engineers’ victims finished with fewer than five losses, but one of those triumphs came over No. 16 VPI.

Iowa (10-2) carded quality victories over a trio of top 25 teams (Arizona, Penn State, and Wisconsin, all by double-digit margins) to overcome respectable losses to Ohio State and Northwestern, both of whom will be playing on New Year’s Day. (For whatever it might be worth, I would point out that the five BCS bowls pit No. 9 v. No. 10, No. 7 v. No. 8, No. 4 v. No. 5, No. 2 v. No. 6, and No. 1 v. No. 3 on my ballot. This ought to be a pretty good bowl season.)

West Virginia narrowly edged out Louisiana State in my estimation. Both teams boasted similar resumes: both finished 9-3; both won three games by a touchdown or less; both lost one game by a touchdown or less. However, as ashamed as I am to admit it, the Mountain Men’s win over Pitt counts for more this season than the Bayou Bengals’ win over Georgia. I know, it hurts me to admit that, too; visions of Tony Dorsett and Dan Marino will haunt my dreams tonight.

A glut of 8-4 clubs out of the Pac-10 proved difficult to untangle, but I declared the Arizona Wildcats first among equals by awarding Mike Stoops’s troops the No. 13 ranking. Three of Arizona’s four losses came on the road, two of them were nailbiters, and only one of them was the handiwork of a team with fewer than eight wins. The Wildcats carded victories over No. 14 Oregon State, the 15th-ranked USC Trojans, and the 17th-ranked Stanford Cardinal, with Central Michigan thrown in for good measure.

The Beavers landed right behind Arizona, partly because of wins over Cal and Stanford but mostly because of a quartet of quality losses. Oregon State’s four setbacks all came against opponents sporting eight or more wins, and, of the four, only the one against the No. 2 team in the country wasn’t a close call.

I will grant that it appears somewhat strange that I placed Stanford at No. 17, two spots behind Southern California (a club the Cardinal beat handily in Los Angeles) and three spots ahead of the California Golden Bears (a squad that defeated Jim Harbaugh’s outfit at the Farm), but Stanford had no legitimate third-best victory after the Cardinal’s wins over Oregon and USC to overcome the trio of triumphs notched by the Men of Troy over Ohio State, Oregon State, and Cal. Likewise, the Bears of Berkeley had trouble overcoming the fact that all four of their losses came by margins of 17 points or more. Oddly enough, Southern California, Stanford, and California each lost to a 5-7 team on the road, but the Trojans’ loss to the Washington Huskies and the Cardinal’s loss to the Wake Forest Demon Deacons at least had the virtue of being close.

Sandwiched amid those West Coast outfits were No. 16 Virginia Tech (9-3), which beat top 25 teams Miami and Nebraska while sustaining three respectable defeats (including two to top ten squads); the 18th-ranked Miami Hurricanes (9-3), who are able to boast of a marquee win over Georgia Tech; and 19th-ranked Pittsburgh (9-3), which sneaked ahead of California by virtue of a more forgivable set of losses. The Panthers’ three setbacks all came by close margins, with two of those coming in down-to-the-wire clashes with top eleven opponents Cincinnati and West Virginia. Pitt’s loss to N.C. State was comparable to Cal’s loss to Washington---both came on the road against 5-7 squads---but the Wolfpack won by seven and the Huskies won by 32.

The inclusion of Oklahoma State (9-3) attested to the fact that next year’s BlogPoll should rank only 20 teams instead of 25---which the Associated Press poll did prior to 1989, by the way---but somebody had to be No. 21, so the Pokes were as qualified as anyone. Why was Les Miles’s old team ranked nine spots behind Les Miles’s current team when both have identical records and both count a win over the ‘Dawgs among their most impressive conquests? Simple: LSU lost to three teams with a combined 33-5 record by a combined 62-41 margin, while OSU lost to three teams with a combined 30-8 record by a combined 113-49 margin.

BYU (10-2) had absolutely no business being ranked after getting positively smoked by TCU and the hapless Florida St. Seminoles, but Brigham Young beat the Oklahoma Sooners and the Utah Utes, which counts for something. Nebraska (9-4) did little to impress me in the win column---the ‘Huskers beat only two teams with winning records---but, since all of the Big Red Machine’s losses were to teams that finished .500 or better and three of those were by razor-thin margins, I gave Bo Pelini’s team the benefit of the doubt.

The fact that Penn State (10-2) and Wisconsin (9-3) made the grade proves that I was scraping the bottom of the barrel; both the Nittany Lions and the Badgers lost convincingly to the Big Ten’s two top ten teams and neither beat more than two Division I-A teams that finished above .500, but the dearth of quality squads at the bottom of my ballot allowed a PSU team whose best win was against Temple and a Wiscy unit whose best win was against Fresno State to sneak undeservedly into the top 25.

Consideration was also given to the Boston College Eagles and the Mississippi Rebels. I’d like to tell you that I took a look at the Central Michigan Chippewas, East Carolina Pirates, Houston Cougars, Missouri Tigers, Navy Midshipmen, North Carolina Tar Heels, Northwestern Wildcats, Rutgers Scarlet Knights, and Texas Tech Red Raiders, but, if I said so, I’d be lying.

I watched the Oregon-Oregon State game on Thursday, the Central Michigan-Ohio (Ohio) game on Friday, and a Saturday slate consisting primarily of the Cincinnati-Pittsburgh, Alabama-Florida, and Clemson-Georgia Tech games, with bits of the Nebraska-Texas and Hawaii-Wisconsin tilts sprinkled in for variety.

As always, I actively solicit your input with respect to what is, after all, a draft ballot. Feel free to register your disagreement or lobby for or against particular teams in the comments below.

Go ‘Dawgs!

Saturday College Football Game Day Open Comment Thread

T Kyle King — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 15:30:14 -0000

Just because the Red and Black will not be in action at any point this afternoon or evening doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy one another’s usual collegiality on an autumn Saturday, particular with a lineup before us that includes, but is not limited to, the following:

12:00 noon: Cincinnati Bearcats at Pittsburgh Panthers
12:00 noon: Houston Cougars at East Carolina Pirates
12:00 noon: West Virginia Mountaineers at Rutgers Scarlet Knights
4:00 p.m.: Alabama Crimson Tide v. Florida Gators
8:00 p.m.: Nebraska Cornhuskers v. Texas Longhorns
8:00 p.m.: Clemson Tigers v. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
11:30 p.m.: Wisconsin Badgers at Hawaii Warriors

That slate generates legitimate interest without requiring emotional investment; we care, though not so much that we’ll get too far down if things don’t go our way and yet still enough that, if we like what we see (if, say, certain teams whose names rhyme with Horrida Haters and Borgia Heck Fellow Packets happen to lose), we can get so jacked we’ll go eat a stick of butter.

Feel free to join in the fun, folks. I’m trusting podunkdawg to bring the brownies, tankertoad to bring the pessimism, and a good time to be had by all.

Go ‘Dawgs!

Week 14 in the Non-Con: What I Want

Bama Hawkeye — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 13:45:08 -0000

We have favorites and we have loyalties, but if the Big Ten is going to climb out the national perception doldrums, we're going to have to do it together. That means that we have to all be pulling in the same direction. Here's what I want to see from each Big Ten team in their non-conference battles this week. These columns started before the conference season and go on after the conference season...

Make sure to go back and submit your picks for Week 14 of the Obligatory Predictions Contest. Weekly winners get a chance to write 500 words on the site.

Illinois (Fresno State)

The Bulldogs are no pushover. They gave the Badgers all they could handle each of the past two years and have won six of their last seven games (it should be noted that their games against Wisconsin, Boise State, and Cincinnati all predated this run). This is not the best Bulldog team of the decade, but it's good enough to beat an Illini squad that doesn't show up. Zook better turn the intensity knob all the way to 11 for this one.

Wisconsin (at Hawaii)

Part two of this Big Ten-WAC Challenge sees the Badgers traveling to Hawaii for a vacation and a football game. If they are too focussed on the former, the likelihood of losing the latter increases by a factor of ten. This is not a good Hawaii squad, but with some home-cooking (the refs are notorious for home town calls in Aloha Stadium), they can pull an upset. They did it last week against a superior Navy squad. Wisconsin should win, but they better not pick up any random Tiki idols...

Hopefully John Clay returns the idol to its proper resting place in the cave before kickoff.

What I Want

I want Illinois to play with the offensive intensity that they showed against Cincinnati. I want Wisconsin to not get flustered when the refs try to screw them.

What I Expect

I expect that we'll end with two wins and a .750 non-con winning percentage.

What We've Got So Far

The Big Ten is 31-11 (.738) out of conference. The league is 5-9 against BCS Conference teams (plus Notre Dame). The league has two losses to non-BCS teams (Northern Illinois over Purdue and Central Michigan over Michigan State).

Will Boise State make a clean sweep of WAC awards?

Kevan Lee — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 15:55:15 -0000

More photos » by J.D. Pooley - AP

2 months ago: Bowling Green quaterback Tyler Sheehan (13) is sacked by Boise State's Ryan Winterswyk (98) while Bowling Green's Brady Minturn (70) is late with the block during the first half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Sept. 26, 2009, in Bowling Green, Ohio. (AP Photo/J.D. Pooley)

Browse more photos »

Award season is just around the corner, and after this week's games, the WAC will be naming its players of the year and coach of the year. Does Boise State deserve to sweep the awards?

After the jump, take a look at how each award race is shaping up and share your comments on how likely a Bronco sweep would be.

Offensive Player of the Year

Candidates

Kellen Moore
QB Colin Kaepernick, Nevada
RB Ryan Mathews, Fresno State

The race for this year's WAC OPOY has been eerily reminiscent of those maddening JumboTron plane/waterboat/car races they have at sporting events. One minute the red one is the lead. The next minute, it's the yellow one. Would someone please just end the thing so that we can all mentally prepare for the hidden-ball-in-helmet video?

Mathews was the overwhelming favorite for this award at the season's halfway point, but as is Mathews M.O., he got injured and has fallen behind. Next in line was Kaepernick who spearheaded a revitalized Nevada team as it ran off eight straight wins. However, it appears that the player with the most momentum at the end of the season is Moore, who clearly outdueled Kaepernick in the de facto WAC championship.

The favorite? Moore. It would be an abomination if anyone other than Moore took home OPOY honors. In other words, it would be a lot like last year.

(Note: All three players should return next year, providing quite the hype-fest for Karl Benson and the WAC. Has he already printed the media guide cover?)

Defensive Player of the Year

Candidates

Ryan Winterswyk
DT D'Anthony Smith, Louisiana Tech
LB Ben Jacobs, Fresno State
S Shiloh Keo, Idaho
DE Dontay Moch, Nevada

Out of the three WAC awards, I think this one will be the closest one to call. Each of the above four players has had a special season. Idaho's Keo is second in the WAC in tackles and has been the sole playmaker on a much-improved Vandal defense. Jacobs has been an animal, recording 82 tackles, 3 FFs, 3 FRs, and two blocked kicks; plus, the WAC loves choosing linebackers (see Solomon Elimimian last year). Smith is the most NFL-ready defensive player in the conference, and while his numbers aren't outstanding, his impact certainly has been. Moch leads the conference in TFLs and is in the top three in sacks.

And then there's Winterswyk. He currently leads the WAC in sacks (8.0) and sits second in TFLs (15). He has been a disruptive force all season long, hassling quarterbacks and stuffing the run. Has he been Boise State's best defensive player this season? I would say yes. And in a year when there is no clear-cut player deserving of WAC DPOY, wouldn't it make sense to choose the best player on the conference's best defense?

The Statesman unveiled its choices for WAC awards this week, and they come to a different conclusion than I did.

Boise State cornerback Kyle Wilson is the choice in a year without a dominant player. Wilson is an All-American whose production - three interceptions, two pass breakups, two touchdowns - doesn't show his true value.

Do you think Wilson has played better than Winterswyk this season?

Personally, I think that Wilson had a better 2008. Anyone who says that teams do not throw Wilson's way this season is absolutely wrong. Teams most certainly throw his way, and he has been surprisingly undisciplined with penalties and tackling at times this year. Don't get me wrong. Wilson is still an all-time great Bronco. I just don't see him deserving DPOY honors this season.

If we're talking about who is more valuable to the Broncos' defense, then I think Wilson might win. But as far as the player who has had the better season, I think that player is Winterswyk.

Is there another player on the Boise State defense you think has had a better year? Jeron Johnson? Billy Winn?

Coach of the Year

Candidates

Coach Pete
Robb Akey
Chris Ault

The only reason I listed Ault above is that I can see some people giving him credit for bringing Nevada out of that 0-3 hole and running off eight straight wins. That said, I think the discussion is really between Robb Akey and Coach Pete.

But really, should it even be a discussion? No doubt Akey worked some miracles with the Vandals this year in bringing them to 7-5. However, he lost his team's three biggest games and only won one out of five games after becoming bowl eligible against a weak schedule. The Vandals lost by double-digits to the conference's three best teams, giving up 133 points combined to Nevada and Boise State. And to put the cherry on top, Idaho dropped its season finale at home against a three-win Utah State.

On the other hand, Coach Pete has gone undefeated with the youngest team in the country.

If the WAC is serious about awarding COY to the coach who had done the best job this season, the award will go to Coach Pete. Year in and year out, he pulls off an incredible job, and it would be a shame if he is punished for his consistency.

(Note: I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the turnaround that Hawaii's Greg McMackin has done with the Warriors. The season could not have started worse for UH - McMackin's homophobic/apologetic blunder at media days, the Warriors' 2-6 start, the loss of their starting quarterback. But four straight wins, including a victory over Navy, has Hawaii on the cusp of a bowl. Who would have thought that was possible a month ago?)

Your turn

Who do you think will win this season's WAC awards? Share your winners in the comments. Also, please weigh in on who you think has had the better season: Ryan Winterswyk or Kyle Wilson.

Cougars Conquer Warriors on Oahu, 83-65

Layton — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 16:23:43 -0000

A game that was predictably never close turned historic as coach Rose became BYU's newest 100-game winner, doing it faster (134 games) than any BYU coach, and topping the pesky Warriors 83-65 behind Jimmer Fredette's 20 points and 8 rebounds.

Moving to 3-0 on the young season, BYU's defense owned Hawaii and got solid play from JT (17 pts) and Jackson Emery (11 pts, 6 boards)...not to mention, all 13 players clocked in--depth is certainly a luxury this season.

Dave Rose exceeded the quickest-to-100 mark held by Roger Reid in the early and mid 90s. In the four year span since Rose took over, the BYU basketball program has never reached such heights in terms of wins, winning 76% (duh) of their games. It's a great time to be a Cougar fan.

BYU vs. Hawaii recap from ESPN

Georgia Bulldogs 31, Auburn Tigers 24

T Kyle King — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 02:30:06 -0000

Games between the Georgia Bulldogs and the Auburn Tigers are not always close---see 2004 and 2007---but, historically, this has been a series hallmarked by tight ballgames, as befits a rivalry as ancient and storied as this one. Of the 113 clashes between these two teams, 49 have been decided by seven or fewer points. On average, more than two out of every five meetings between the Bulldogs and the Plainsmen have been nailbiters. So it was in Sanford Stadium last night.

Georgia recorded eighteen first downs and Auburn recorded eighteen first downs. Georgia converted five third downs and Auburn converted five third downs, which is baffling to me, since it seemed like the Tigers converted at least a dozen third-and-longs. Georgia ran the ball 38 times and Auburn ran the ball 38 times. Georgia tallied 342 yards of total offense, a mere 33 feet shy of the mark attained by Auburn. Had the Tigers held the pigskin for 47 fewer seconds, the time of possession would have been exactly even, which is remarkable, given the decided advantage the Plainsmen held in the early going. Despite the similar endings of the respective contests, this game, unlike the South Carolina game, was every bit as close as the score indicated.

It didn’t look that way from the get-go, though. Half an hour before kickoff, I entered Sanford Stadium accompanied by an overwhelming sense of dread, assured of the doom that awaited the ‘Dawgs, and nothing I saw in the opening period disabused me of my dour preconceptions. Auburn opened the game with a nine-play, 74-yard drive that ended in a touchdown. Georgia responded by going three and out on an opening drive that lost four yards and included a Bulldog false start penalty. The Plainsmen proceeded to go 82 yards in eleven snaps to take a 14-0 lead and the Red and Black answered by picking up two yards in three plays before punting. In short, it was exactly the contest I anticipated it would be. After fifteen minutes of clock time had elapsed, the hedges were in jeopardy and the Tiger faithful were getting ready to party like it was 1999.

Joe Cox looked like Joe Cox at his worst . . . which is to say, he looked like Brandon Cox. Potentially big plays came up just short and the Bulldogs’ increasingly predictable menu of sweeps and screens routinely failed to gain. Willie Martinez’s defense played the way we have come to expect it to play. Seemingly one play out of every three went well for the Georgia D until the inevitable completion to the open receiver behind the linebackers and in front of the safeties. My 56-7 prediction wasn’t looking quite so outlandish as the second period got underway.

When we looked up at the scoreboard as the first half unfolded, we saw few statistics from which to take heart, but there were a couple for those among the Bulldog faithful who were willing to squint and search for them. Georgia had incurred fewer penalties and had shown at least a modicum of discipline, as when the defender very deliberately turned loose of the Auburn ballcarrier he had ridden out of bounds before drawing a flag for administering a late hit. The ‘Dawgs hadn’t moved the ball, but they hadn’t turned it over, either. It was, as my uncle has been known to remark, bad, but it wasn’t so bad.

Then Cox connected with Israel Troupe on a 50-yard touchdown pass to put Georgia on the board and allow the Classic City Canines to go to the locker room at halftime down by a single score. A 51-yard Blair Walsh field goal cut the deficit to four points and Washaun Ealey capped off a four-and-a-half-minute drive spanning 82 yards in eight plays with a one-yard touchdown run to give the Bulldogs the lead. Son of a gun, we were in this thing! It had taken a decidedly lucky bounce on a would-be interception that turned into an Orson Charles reception, but the Bulldogs were out in front in a game that had appeared as though it might get out of hand.

Auburn wasn’t done, of course; the Tigers’ turnaround has been too genuine, and the spirit of the rivalry is too strong, for us ever to expect the Plainsmen to curl up into the fetal position at the first sign of adversity. A doinked field goal by Wes Byrum---whom Orson Swindle had told me at Tent City earlier in the evening that he would run down with his automobile if given the opportunity---sent the contest to the final quarter tied at 17.

Tavarres King redeemed his earlier drop of what ought to have been a touchdown pass by snagging a 47-yard reception on the first snap of the fourth stanza. One play later, Caleb King was in the end zone and the hometown heroes had retaken the lead. The Georgia edge lasted only as long as it took Demond Washington to take a pretty decent kickoff at the one yard line and weave 99 yards downfield for the tying touchdown.

The Bulldogs got the ball back and punted. The Plainsmen took possession and Reshad Jones intercepted a Chris Todd pass. A personal foul penalty against---wait for it---a team other than Georgia set up the Red and Black inside the Auburn 40 yard line. Three Ealey carries gave the ‘Dawgs a first down inside the 25 and Caleb King covered the remaining ground for a touchdown.

Once again, the Tigers refused to run and hide. Auburn held the ball for the next fourteen plays, running almost six minutes off the clock while marching 40 yards downfield. The Plainsmen picked up five first downs in the course of the drive, the last of which came on a fourth-down conversion that carried the visitors to the Georgia 22 yard line.

On first down, Ben Tate was halted for a one-yard loss. On second down, an electrified Sanford Stadium was given a severe scare when Bacarri Rambo went down after delivering the touchdown-saving hit that separated the intended receiver from the football. There were two more downs to be played, but, truthfully, the game was over when Rambo, strapped immobile to a backboard and lifted onto the cart upon which he would be whisked away to receive medical attention, raised his right arm and gave the crowd the thumbs up that signaled to us that he would be all right. There would be no 2005-like fourth-down heroics by the Tigers this night.

Inevitably, the Alabamians moved backwards. Cornelius Washington dropped Todd for a seven-yard loss on third down. Back-to-back Auburn time outs could not stop the roaring crowd from inducing perhaps the most flagrant false start in the history of college football. Todd’s final desperate toss on fourth and 23 fell incomplete, and all that was left was what my father calls "the prettiest play in football": your quarterback taking a knee to bleed the final seconds from the game clock.

I have yelled that loudly for that long, cheered that lustily and that elatedly, and applauded that strongly and that sincerely, in Sanford Stadium more than once before, but it’s been a while---actually, it’s been exactly two years, since the last time our guys beat these guys in this venue, in a game that yielded a victory only slightly more stirring than this one---and, despite what my head shrewdly tells me, there was no convincing my heart in that moment that there has ever been anything wrong with being a Georgia Bulldog that beating the Auburn Tigers couldn’t fix.

Oh, I know this doesn’t cure all our ills; a loss at historic Grant Field in two weeks appears all but certain, and a victory over the Kentucky Wildcats is far from a sure thing with Rambo and fellow injury victim A.J. Green sidelined for the duration. Nevertheless, for all the faults that fairly might be found with the Bulldogs’ performance between the hedges last night, I defy anyone to deny the truth of this statement: Georgia’s win over Auburn last night marked the best all-around performance by a Red and Black team since the win over Hawaii in the 2008 Sugar Bowl.

The foregoing statement probably is more of an indictment of the 22 games that preceded last night’s triumph than a praise of this latest Bulldog victory, but, at this point, I’ll take it, warts (which admittedly and undeniably were there) and all. Maybe it was a "dead cat bounce" and maybe it was the start of a 2006-like stretch run, but, either way, it was a fourth straight win over our oldest and biggest rival for the first time in my lifetime, and that, in my book, is cause for celebration, no matter what the occasion.

After the game, I went into the Tate Center to use the facilities---in the course of a tense game against a major rival, I become so focused that I essentially experience a cessation of all bodily functions, so I tend to come down from the rarefied air of game day by exiting the stadium and realizing, "I have to go to the bathroom and get something to eat, stat!"---and I found myself in line behind an Auburn fan. Since we both were standing there, I thought the civilized thing to do would be to extend my hand and say, "Good game," so I did.

He looked at me out of the corner of his eye and sarcastically snorted, "Yeah, ‘good game.’" He refused to shake my hand. I didn’t say another word to him; he took care of his business at his urinal and I took care of my business at mine, but it was a satisfying exchange that confirmed the basic correctness of my prejudices against his kind and reminded me why this rivalry matters, why this victory matters, and why I hate Auburn.

Go ‘Dawgs! Auburna delenda est!

SEC Power Poll Ballot: Week Ten

T Kyle King — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 01:00:30 -0000

I’m still soliciting comments on my BlogPoll ballot draft, but there are deadlines to be observed in the interim, one of which concerns my SEC Power Poll ranking of the twelve teams in the league. The strength of the Southeastern Conference is as follows, in descending order:

1. Alabama Crimson Tide (9-0): Against a significantly better class of competition than that faced by the Sunshine State Saurians on Saturday, ‘Bama trailed 7-3 at the break yet outscored the Bayou Bengals 21-8 in the second half. The Red Elephants do what good teams do to win.

2. Florida Gators (9-0): Urban Meyer’s outfit still has a solid shot at becoming the first Florida club of the modern era to go unbeaten, but these Gators aren’t remotely as fear-inducing as the 1995, 1996, and 2008 Orange and Blue teams that made it to the national championship game. The Gators are good, but they’re less than the sum of their parts. They’ll end the regular season unscathed, but, right now, I wouldn’t pick Florida to beat either Alabama or Texas.

3. LSU Tigers (7-2): Louisiana State showed that the gap separating the top two teams in the SEC from the next ten teams was not quite as large as we thought, but it’s still large enough to be notable. This year, that gets you ranked third in the league. I’m thinking we may want to lay off on the "toughest conference in college football" talk for a little bit.

4. Auburn Tigers (7-3): Yes, the Plainsmen gave up 31 points to Furman, but they scored 63 and 28 of the Paladins’ points came in the second half, after Auburn had built up a 42-3 halftime lead. Something tells me Saturday night’s showdown between the hedges will not feature a scintillating display of rock-ribbed defensive prowess. Oh, goody . . . because high-scoring games against the Tigers in Athens worked out so well for the Bulldogs in 1993, 1995, 1997, 1999, and 2005! (I hate Auburn.)

5. Mississippi Rebels (6-3): I can’t fault Ole Miss for scoring 38 points on a Division I-AA opponent at home. I can fault the Rebs for surrendering 14 points in the first half. I’m guessing the Northern Arizona players felt right at home in the Grove, what with all those trees, ‘cause there are a boatload of trees in the Flagstaff area. Just so you’ll know.

6. Tennessee Volunteers (5-4): Monte Kiffin’s defense is good, but Lane Kiffin’s timing is better. There has never been a better year to be a rookie head coach in the Southeastern Conference. When, prior to 2009, could a 2-3 record in SEC play be considered success? Is it fair to say Tommy West has just been Kiffined?

7. Arkansas Razorbacks (5-4): Will the real Hogs please stand? Please? Just when you thought it was safe to write off Arkansas, the Razorbacks wallop South Carolina to prove that all animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others.

8. South Carolina Gamecocks (6-4): Steve Spurrier may coach another three or four years in Columbia, but the mystique of the Evil Genius is officially a thing of the past. Another promising season is circling the drain for the Palmetto State Poultry, once again diminishing the value of the Bulldogs’ tough tussle with South Carolina. Thanks for nothing, Gamecocks.

9. Georgia Bulldogs (5-4): The Red and Black did what they were supposed to do against a Division I-AA opponent, which is something they haven’t done since facing the Hawaii Warriors in the 2008 Sugar Bowl. (Oh, stop. The Aloha State parvenus deserved that and you know it.)

10. Mississippi St. Bulldogs (4-5): It’s unfortunate that the NCAA requires a team to win six games to qualify for postseason play, because I’d like to see a bowl game pitting Mississippi State against Connecticut to settle the question of which is the best 4-5 team in America.

11. Kentucky Wildcats (5-4): When does the UK formula for reaching a bowl game start to include beating good teams?

12. Vanderbilt Commodores (2-8): The SEC school known for its smarts is 0-6 in league play and continues to be the doormat of the conference. Maybe foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of big minds, too.

If you have any arguments against any of that, well, frankly, it’s too late for me to change it even if you convince me that I’m wrong, but feel free to register your quarrel with my logic in the comments, anyway. It will make you feel better to get it off your chest, even if it has no impact whatsoever, so have at it.

Go ‘Dawgs! Auburna delenda est!

Game balls for Boise State versus Hawaii

Kevan Lee — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 14:46:15 -0000

More photos » by Marco Garcia - AP

Browse more photos »

Boise State cruised past Hawaii 54-9, thanks to solid efforts in all three phases of the game. What stood out the most from the Broncos' big win on the islands? I'll weigh in with my game balls after the jump, and feel free to add yours in the comments.

Reader's choice award for player of the game

Kellen Moore

Moore was very un-Taylor-Tharp-like in his dissection of the Warrior secondary. His five passing touchdowns were a career high, and he went sans turnover for the fourth time in seven games. It's very hard to beat the Broncos when Kellen Moore is on his game, and he was most definitely on his game Saturday night. Should the Broncos end up in the Hawaii Bowl, I will be significantly less worried than I was last time.

Runner-up for player of the game

Matt Kaiserman

While Kellen Moore took nearly half of the reader votes, Kaiserman was a pleasant surprise at No. 2. The grayshirt, redshirt, concussed running back looked healthy and happy running over and through Hawaii defenders to the tune of 122 yards and a touchdown. He outrushed the entire Hawaii team, and he did so in 35 minutes of work (his first carry came at the 5:00-minute mark of the 2nd quarter). That's downright Jeremy Avery production. Or Doug Martin production. Or D.J. Harper production. Or ... Brock Forsey production? How about we just say that Kaiserman fits in well with the Bronco backfield and leave it at that?

Award for eating a chalupa and then falling down the stairs

Bryant Moniz

Hawaii's QB excused himself late in the first quarter with a head injury following a sack by Billy Winn. Oh, but the chalupa was so good for awhile there!

via media.idahostatesman.com

Best fake punt

Kyle Brotzman

I am not surprised that the Broncos pulled off a perfectly executed fake punt, but I am surprised that Kyle Brotzman throws the ball better than several WAC quarterbacks. On fourth and four, Brotzman completed a strike downfield to a wide open Jason Robinson who escaped out of the left side of the formation with the roll right playfake. A 28-yard pass on fourth and four? What a call. I love fake punts so much I should probably marry them.

Take away Brotzman's missed field goals this year, and is the 2009 Bronco special teams the best ever?

Best one-yard punt

Hawaii's Alex Dunnachie

Yikes. That thing was ugly. But considering that it lead to zero Bronco points, perhaps Dunnachie knew what he was doing all along.

Coordinator award for excellence in the field of coordinating

Justin Wilcox and Bryan Harsin

Wilcox's gameplan involved Jeron Johnson sitting back in a centerfield position, breaking up lazy long bombs by the Warrior QBs. Did it work? I'd say so. Johnson's two picks came as a direct result of his staying on top of deep receivers, and Wilcox's other mad scientist schemes (Venable in man-to-man, focus on turnovers) worked to perfection.

Harsin's contribution to the win was a little less overt but just as important. Believe it or not, but the Boise State offense did not convert a third down until the second quarter. The game really started turning when Harsin called Titus Young's number on a couple of short passes that got the offense going. That drive ended in a TY touchdown, and the rest is history.

Most Heisman-like numbers

Kellen Moore

Since the BCS axis of evil has robbed Bronco fans with hopes and dreams of a fair world, we may as well turn our attention to the not-yet-disappointing Moore for Heisman campaign. Update: The nation's No. 1 passer threw for 223 yards, five touchdowns, and no picks as his team stayed undefeated and in the Top Ten.

Don't you dare even tell me that Moore has no chance because he plays on a non-BCS team and is only a sophomore. Don't you take this from me. I need this.

via media.idahostatesman.com

Player who could have rushed for 122 yards if he wanted to

(tie) Jeremy Avery, Doug Martin, Jarvis Hodge, Michael Coughlin, Jimmy Pavel

Taking nothing away from Kaiserman's spirited rushing, the Bronco offensive line was downright moving people on Saturday night. The holes were big, and Kaiserman took full advantage. It was a good night to be a healthy Bronco running back not named Jeremy Avery.

Runner-up: Brock Forsey

Game-changing play

Jeron Johnson's end zone INT

Though it might not be remembered as such, Johnson's INT in the Hawaii end zone might have been the game's biggest play. Following a one-play Bronco TD drive off a turnover that made the score 17-0, Hawaii marched down the field with fourth-string QB Shane Austin all the way to the Bronco 14-yard-line. A score here would have kept the game close and given Hawaii some much-needed momentum. Instead, Johnson stepped in front of an Austin pass, the Broncos took the ensuing possession and went 80 yards in five plays for the score. What could have been a 17-7 game, turned into a 24-0 game, and Boise State never looked back.

Suspicious bad trend that could sink the Broncos at some point

Third down conversions

Boise State was only 3-for-13 on third down conversions and all three came on the legs of Matt Kaiserman. Better add that to the to-do list, under the giant, Sharpie scribble "BAD SNAPS ARGGGGG!!!"

Your turn

What performances, players, or plays stood out to you in Boise State's win over Hawaii? Did you love the announcing? Did you love the defense? Think Boise State can beat anyone when they play like this? Leave your thoughts in the comments.

Boise State blows out Hawaii, 54-9; Kellen Moore throws five TDs

Kevan Lee — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 06:26:04 -0000

More photos » by Marco Garcia - AP

about 1 month ago: Boise State defenders Daron Mackey, right, and Aaron Tevis, left, force a fumble from Hawaii running back Leon Wright-Jackson during the first quarter at the NCAA college football game, Saturday, Oct. 24, 2009 in Honolulu. (AP Photo/Marco Garcia)

Browse more photos »

The Boise State Broncos made quick work of the Hawaii Warriors, jumping to a 34-0 lead at halftime and never looking back. Will a 54-9 win impress voters? Did voters even bother staying up?

Kellen Moore threw five TDs, Jeron Johnson collected three turnovers, and Titus Young scored three times in the Bronco win. Analysis coming soon. In the meantime, leave your thoughts, reactions, and analysis in the comments.

Broncos win convincingly, which is nice for a change

There can be no second-guessing the scoreboard this week. Boise State made it obvious that they are leaps and bounds better than the Hawaii Warriors, save for a center-QB exchange contest. A meandering victory over UC Davis and a one-score win at Tulsa left plenty of room for interpretation from the barbaric national media. A 54-9 win over Hawaii should stem that.

Even more importantly, Boise State pulled the trick on the same day that TCU put on a clinic at 16^th-ranked BYU. Voters will undoubtedly see TCU's win as better than Boise State's, but at least the Broncos don't have to make excuses for eking out a victory over Hawaii. Boise State is doing its best. There's nothing to complain about with their performance in Hawaii.

Hey look! Even you can be ranked No. 4 in the country and not have center-QB exchanges figured out

Excuse me for a second.

/hitting head against the table, /lighting things on fire, /weeping, /shaking fist at the sky and yelling, "Why God? Why?!"

There. That's better.

What was up with the snaps on Saturday? Thomas Byrd was all over the place. Garrett Pendergast was no better. It was unbelievable to watch. Just when you thought that the bad snaps were bound to end, another one would fly over Kellen Moore's head or dribble under his legs. Absolutely incredible. I'm not sure what's worse: how many bad snaps there were on Saturday or how this has been a problem for nearly two months.

All of which begs the question: Is Thomas Byrd going to have to change positions? He's too good to not be on the field, but he's becoming a liability.

The Broncos open up the playbook. Hi, playbook!

Austin Pettis and Kyle Brotzman completed passes against Hawaii, which is music to Bronco fans' ears. Pettis' WR pass to Efaw was vintage Boise State, and the fake punt with Brotzman was beautifully designed and professionally executed. More of this, please.

Matt Kaiserman > Doug Martin?

I don't mean to rain on Kaiserman's parade, but why did Doug Martin get zero carries and Kaiserman got 23? Am I the only one who's thinking this?

Now the good news: Kaiserman looked really solid running the ball. He was quick to the hole, patient with his blocks, and he made guys miss. His final stats on the night: 23 carries, 122 yards, and one TD. Could Martin have had 122 yards, too? Probably.

Matt Kaiserman = Brock Forsey

Stop me if you've heard that one before.

Turnovers make things so much easier

A big reason why Boise State was able to pour it on was the big play ability of the Boise State defense. The Broncos finished plus-6 in turnover differential, including a barrage of TOs in the second quarter that helped push Boise State to a big halftime lead.

Games like this just go to show how big turnovers can be when it comes to the way a game is viewed. If Boise State fails to get any turnovers in the first half, it might have been a 17-7 halftime score. The final score certainly wouldn't have looked so lopsided. Thank goodness for the Bronco defense tonight. For the first time since Bowling Green, they didn't make us fans sweat the result.

Would you pronounce the red zone offense as fixed?

I wouldn't. There were too many miscues (mostly bad snaps) and too many points left on the field. This game could have been even worse than 54-9 if the Broncos had punched it in a couple more times. The center exchanges will take the blame this week, but I'm not fully convinced that cleaning up snaps will cure the red zone problems. Kellen Moore still did not play lights out on third down, which has been an issue for him all year. We'll see what happens next week.

Bronco coaches obviously read this blog; Kirby Moore sees much more playing time

Li'l Moore earned big minutes Saturday against the Warriors. His catch on the Broncos' first drive may have been his only one of the game, but the fact that he was even on the field that early is saying something. Moore was involved in the offense more than he has been all season, which tells me that he's learning the playbook faster and coaches are trusting him more. This pleases me.

It's games like these that remind me why I love Jeron Johnson

Johnson's two picks and fumble recovery were the types of big plays that Bronco fans love from the junior safety. When he's on the top of his game, Johnson plays a great centerfield. Hopefully, this is a sign of things to come.

All he does is catch touchdowns

Titus Young is quickly becoming synonymous with the blowout. His previous big game was against Bowling Green, and Saturday against Hawaii he went end zone nuts again, scoring three times. When things are going well for the Broncos, things are going well for Titus Young. Coincidence? What do you guys think?

Other observations:

What was Bryant Moniz out with? Sprained braids?
That was the worst camera work of all-time. I had to take a Dramamine five minutes into the first quarter.
What has happened to Derrell Acrey?
I wouldn't worry too much about a lack of pass rush. Hawaii QBs were getting rid of the ball pretty fast.
Not sure why Titus Young's "hang loose" was considered taunting the third time he did it and not the first two times.
Anyone concerned with Winston Venable in pass coverage? I'm not. It's not like he was two or three yards away from his man when he caught the ball.
I'm just glad Tom Scott didn't call Matt Kaiserman "Shea McClellin" all game.
Would Ghandi have pulled Kellen Moore late in the fourth quarter? That's what I thought.
I'm not sure the islands could have enough mojo to counter the fact that Hawaii is a Greg McMackin-coached team.
Kyle Brotzman is solid, but not automatic. Guess we'll have to live with that.
Interesting how the Broncos didn't bother isolating Kyle Wilson on Greg Salas. Shows how confident Justin Wilcox is in the rest of his defensive secondary.

Poll

Who was Boise State's player of the game against Hawaii?

Kellen Moore

121 votes

Titus Young

27 votes

Matt Kaiserman

67 votes

Jeron Johnson

54 votes

269 votes | Poll has closed

Week 8 in the Non-Con: What I Want

Bama Hawkeye — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 15:00:33 -0000

Wisconsin (BYE)

Wisconsin gets to rest this week. They moved their fourth non-con game to the first week of December. They'll be flying out to Hawaii to play the Warriors.

Don't wake a sleeping Badger.

Make sure to go back and submit your picks for Week 8 of the Obligatory Predictions Contest. Weekly winners get a chance to write 500 words on the site. NEW this year is our season long competition - win the whole damn thing and we send you something amazing.

What I Want

I want Wisky to rest up and plan how to stop their slide.

What I Expect

The bruises of the last two weeks to heal...while the memories live on.

What We've Got So Far

The Big Ten is 28-10 (.737) out of conference. The league is 5-8 against BCS Conference teams (plus Notre Dame). Indiana's loss to Virginia guarantees that the Big Ten can finish with no better than a .500 record against the other BCS schools. The league has two losses to non-BCS teams (Northern Illinois over Purdue and Central Michigan over Michigan State).