SB Nation - Penn St. Nittany Lions

If College Football Had a Playoff: Round One Results

Jeremy Mauss — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 16:59:25 -0000

The first round is in the books and now of to the quarterfinals where the higher seeds still have home field advantage until the final four. The most recent win was Cincinnati over Central Michigan. Here is how the first round went:

# 1 Alabama over Troy #16

#9 Georgia Tech over #8 Ohio State

#12 Penn State over #5 Florida

#4 TCU over #13 LSU

#2 Texas over #15 East Carolina

#7 Oregon over #10 Iowa

#11 Virginia Tech over #6 Boise State

#3 Cincinnati over #14 Central Michigan

People have been saying it is a popularity contest which it is and it is hardly from scientific, so the people who have been complaining about that just relax. In saying that the BCS is a popularity contest after the number one and number two matchup are set. They take the teams that will give them the most ratings, sell tickets, and patronize their town.

OK that is enough of me on my soap box.

The two big surprises were that Florida and Boise State both higher seeds lost. In my opinion those teams would have most likely won that matchup, but besides my vote not much can be done. Just imagine if these first round games were actually real! The only two games that would have been blowouts and not really watchable are the Texas and Alabama wins. Even the Central Michigan vs. Cincinnati would have been intriguing for one Brian Kelly was the former coach and the Chips have an offense that can put up points.

In the mean time these playoffs are taking the Christmas weekend off (which is probably what would happen if there was a real playoff) until Monday. However, in the mean time you can salivate over the next potential matchups.

#9 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets @ #1 Alabama Crimson Tide

This would be a true test of the Alabama defense going up against Paul Johsnon's run option offense.

#12 Penn State Nitanny Lions @ #4 TCU Horned Frogs

Lets see if Penn State's offense is able stay their traditional conservative selves can have any success against the amazing TCU defense.

#7 Oregon Ducks @ #2 Texas Longhorns

The Longhorns may need to add an extra digit to the scoreboard for this game. Basically who ever has the ball last will win this game.

#11 Virginia Tech Hokies @ #3 Cincinnati Bearcats

A rematch of last years Orange Bowl will be the main reason to tune in. This matchup will come down to if Virginia Tech can make a few stops against Cincinnati.

Poll

What second round matchup would be the best game?

Don't Bet On It!: College Football Bowl Edition (Part VI)

T Kyle King — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 15:00:22 -0000

After focusing on matters closer to home, both personally and athletically, in recent days, I now return to forecasting all the bowl games. However, I must remind you that I am quite bad at this, as evidenced by my sub-.500 prognosticating record in the postseason thus far, so, please, whatever you do, if you want a merry Christmas . . . Don’t Bet On It!

Last time, we finished up with the Outback Bowl, so we pick up with the next New Year’s Day tilt:

Capital One Bowl: LSU Tigers v. Penn St. Nittany Lions (Jan. 1): Lions and Tigers and credit cards, oh, my! With apologies to Joe Paterno, Penn State is the worst 10-2 team in the country. Unless this game comes down to any of the finer points of coaching (such as, for instance, when to call a time out), I really don’t see Louisiana State struggling too much in this one, regardless of the Bayou Bengals’ regular season struggles.

Gator Bowl: Florida St. Seminoles v. West Virginia Mountaineers (Jan. 1): Bobby Bowden’s most recent pair of employers meet in the Sunshine State for a swansong almost as annoying as Tim Tebow’s ongoing goodbye; not since the Judds have two people gone on a longer farewell tour, complete with an increasingly irritating line of ". . . for the last time"s. What no one seems to be noticing is that the ‘Noles have no business playing on New Year’s Day. There may not be two more irrelevant head coaches in Division I-A than Bobby Bowden and Bill Stewart, but I’ve seen the Mountain Men take care of business in a January bowl game before, so I’m taking West Virginia.

Rose Bowl: Ohio St. Buckeyes v. Oregon Ducks (Jan. 1): Much has been made of the cultural differences that will be on display in Pasadena when staid conservative Ohioans led by a head coach who plays it close to the vest (sorry) meet freewheeling progressive Oregonians led by a head coach who opens up the playbook, but, really, it’s much more simple than that. The Pac-10 champions play to win and the Big Ten champions play not to lose. The Ducks are thrilled to be back in the Tournament of Roses and the Buckeyes have a recent history of big-game faceplants. Oregon beat the Purdue Boilermakers and the USC Trojans, two teams to whom Ohio State lost. While my favorable forecasts for the West Coast BCS league in postseason play got off to a rocky start in Sin City, the Pac-10 recently has struggled much more with the Mountain West than with the Big Ten, so I am not dissuaded. Previous series meetings notwithstanding, I like the Ducks to take down the Bucks.

Sugar Bowl: Cincinnati Bearcats v. Florida Gators (Jan. 1): Will the more disappointed contestant please stand? The Sunshine State Saurians are still on their road to recovery and the Big East champions inexplicably are irate with Brian Kelly after he was about as forthright as a head coach with one foot out the door has ever been about his impending departure. I don’t know that two teams have ever been less motivated for the Sugar Bowl than this pair of sad sacks who are weepy over a major bowl game in the Big Easy, but, hey, if either of you would like to trade places and head to Shreveport instead . . . anyone? Anyone? That’s what I thought. When motivation, vel non, is not a factor, talent usually prevails. The more talented team would be, like, the Gators, or something.

Now that we’re all the way through New Year’s Day, we’re starting to get to the ~~crappy second-rate bowl games ESPN moved to early January to build hype for the national championship game~~ really important matchups, so you’ll want to stick around for the rest of my bowl predictions and the upcoming Too Much Information breakdown of the Independence Bowl. In the meantime, though, please remember, above all else: ~~Don’t Bet On It!~~ Merry Christmas!

Go ‘Dawgs!

Rest Easy, Jim Delany. Your 12th Member Has Arrived.

Run Up The Score — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 14:06:30 -0000

What if I told you there was a university that was Harvard from Monday through Friday and Southern Cal on Saturdays? A team that is already ranked preseason #1 by a prominent college football analyst, has tons of famous alumni, possesses world-class facilities, and would provide Penn State with a rivalry game that would easily eclipse Ohio State vs. Michigan?

It exists, my friends. It exists in the mind of Rutgers Al. And if you've not seen the work of The State University Of New Jersey Al, prepare yourselves. Here's what he posted on YouTube after their season opening 47-15 loss to Cincinnati, a game that was such a monumental upset that it could only be compared to the Dolphins beating the Bears in 1985. Seriously. PICK UP THE SCARLET PHONE, DELANY.

OMGSEC PODCAST

Run Up The Score — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 20:07:10 -0000

[Late Update: This probably isn't happening now.]

For those who can't get enough of SEC Speed, I'll be on the Team Speed Kills Now podcast tonight around 9:20 p.m., or somewhere in that range. We'll be discussing the Senate's version of the healthcare reform bill, Brittany Murphy's tragic death, the "Singoff" finale, and some bowl game.

Their show starts at 8:00 p.m. and will go through all of the SEC's bowl games, so I imagine they'll be exhausted and ripe for harassing by the time I call in. However, to keep up, I'll do my best Joe Moschitta impersonation.

LSU In Review - Week Five Vs. #18 Georgia

BSD — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 13:00:18 -0000

by John Bazemore - AP

2 months ago: LSU receiver Terrance Toliver (80) is stopped by Georgia's Bacarri Rambo during the second quarter of an NCAA college football game in Athens, Ga., Saturday, Oct. 3, 2009. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)

View full size photo »

Final - 10.3.2009	1	2	3	4	Total
LSU Tigers	3	3	0	14	20
Georgia Bulldogs	0	0	0	13	13

Complete Coverage >

In week five the LSU Tigers traveled to Athens to take on the Georgia Bulldogs in a game that would go a long way toward sorting out the SEC race. LSU had not won between the hedges since 1987, and Les Miles had never beaten the Bulldogs who came into the game with a #18 ranking despite an opening day loss to Oklahoma State.

If you fell asleep right after kickoff and woke up midway through the fourth quarter, you didn't miss much in this game. It was basically more of the same from what we saw out of the Tigers the first four weeks of the season. The defense smothered their opponent for much of the game while the offense did just enough to get by. Then there was a flurry of activity at the end with LSU somehow pulling out a win.

Georgia went three-and-out in their first possession giving LSU the ball at their own 37. The Tigers drove down the field largley on the back of a 34 yard pass from Jordan Jefferson to Brandon LaFell. But on 3rd and 4 at the Georgia 9 yard line, Jefferson threw a pick in the endzone to kill the drive.

Georgia ran the interception out of the endzone and got tackled at the two yard line. They puckered up with their back to the endzone and ended up punting from the five. A 14 yard return by Trindon Holiday set up the Tigers with a first down at the Georgia 43 yard line. By the way, did you hear that Holiday won the NCAA 100 meter dash championship? I'm sure the Capital One Bowl announcers will only remind us of that every time he touches the ball just in case you forget.

LSU drove down the field to get a first and goal at the Bulldog 9. But Charles Scott got blown up on a screen pass on second down for a one yard loss. Then Jefferson sailed a pass over the head of Terrance Toliver and the Tigers were forced to kick a field goal.

On the ensuing possession, Georgia strung together a few first downs and managed to flip the field position, but they had to punt and LSU took over at their own 20. To spark the team a bit, Miles put in Russell Shepard at quarterback, and he gained 26 yards on the first three plays from the Wildcat. The drive ended at the Georgia 22 when Charles Scott got stuffed for a two yard loss on 3rd and 1. Perhaps showing a little sign of redzone desperation, Les Miles tried a trick play on fourth down where LaFell jogged toward the sideline like he was coming out of the game but then lined up in formation. A slight delay in placing the ball by the officials allowed Georgia to spot him and run a man out to defend him. LSU was forced to call timeout, and then kicked the field goal to take a 6-0 lead.

After another Georgia three-and-out, LSU took over at their own 26 and made another nice drive down to the Georgia redzone. But another gaffe would cost them points. Again showing frustration with the redzone problems, Miles elected to go for a first down on 4th and 1 at the Georgia 9. With the play clock running down, Jefferson decided to hurry the snap rather than call another timeout. The quarterback sneak failed, and Georgia took over on downs.

Though LSU completely dominated the first half, they had to be disappointed that the first half ended with them only up by six points.

In the second half it was the Georgia defense that came out determined to dominate. LSU's first possession went backwards as Jefferson was sacked on three straight plays. The Tigers were forced to punt from their own two yard line giving the Bulldogs the ball at the LSU 44 yard line. But Georgia would later miss a 32 yard field goal to cut the score in half. LSU's next possession went three-and-out, and the third quarter would later run out with the Tigers only running six offensive plays.

Georgia took the ball at their own 40 yard line and finally got some mojo. An 18 play drive that consumed nearly eight minutes off the clock ended when Joe Cox found Shaun Chapas for a touchdown pass on 4th and goal at the 1. The Bulldogs took their first lead of the game at 7-6 just as the fourth quarter began.

Both teams traded punts over the next four possessions, and then LSU began a drive at their own 12 yard line and went the length of the field in 12 plays. The drive ended when Scott smashed through the line for a 2 yard touchdown. A two point conversion attempt failed when Jefferson was sacked, and LSU took a 12-7 lead with 2:53 to go in the game.

Georgia responded with a drive of their own. An LSU defensive breakdown allowed a 46 yard pass to Tavarres King to get the Bulldogs in the redzone. Then Cox found A.J. Green who leaped over a defender to make a catch in the endzone. Georgia failed on their own two point conversion when LSU broke up a slant pass, so the Bulldogs took a 13-12 lead with just over one minute to go.

But Georgia shot themselves in the foot with an unsportsmanlike conduct that forced them to kick off from their 15. Holiday returned the kick 40 yards, and another Georgia penalty tacked on another five yards to give LSU the ball at the Georgia 38. Two plays later Scott slashed through the line and took it to the house for a 33 yard touchdown. Then in what appears to be typical SEC tradition, LSU drew an unsportsmanlike conduct making them kick off from the 15. But Georgia's final drive ended with an interception by Perry Riley, and LSU escaped with another ugly win.

It was another game where LSU dominated defensively but couldn't put their opponent away. They outgained the Bulldogs 368-274 in total yards and 154-45 on the ground. Jefferson finished the day 18-of-27 for 212 yards, but he was intercepted once and gave up six sacks, many of which were from him holding the ball too long. Charles Scott was the offensive hero on the day with 95 yards and 2 TD on 19 carries. But remember that 33 of those yards came on the winning touchdown. The two quarterbacks combined for 56 yards on 22 carries for the rest of the yards LSU gained on the ground.

Drive Chart

FULL SCREEN VERSION

Quotes From The Game

"I think our guys wanted to rush the football and certainly prepared last week to do so. I think it’s hard work. I think it’s attitude. I think it’s something that this team pointed at and achieved."

- Les Miles -

"I think our offense has confidence in Charles Scott. I think our offense has confidence in the ability to run the football. We just needed to do it and put it together. I think that’s a piece that we can’t lose. We can’t lose sight of it, and it must continue to grow, but I don’t know that Charles needed that. I can tell you that his team needed him to have that day."

- Les Miles -

"I would like to get some production in the sack area. I like, again, the position that our defense puts our team in and the opportunity to win a game on the road at Georgia. For me to say I need more sacks, I like the pressure that was put on. I like the opportunity to get turnovers. I like the opportunity to stop the rushing game. I thought our defense played well. Yes, I would like to have some more sacks but not at the cost of overall production."

- Les Miles -

"Part of me is tempted to say that Jordan Jefferson had a weak game. He certainly made some critical mistakes, and continues to struggle running the option. He just does not run it authoritatively. He gets too far into the backfield, and too close to the pitch man, making it easy for one defender to cover both him and the pitch, which defeats the whole purpose of the option. In the passing game, he would hold the ball too long, and would end up getting sacked when he could have thrown the ball to an open receiver or at least thrown the ball away to avoid a big loss."

-And The Valley Shook-

Spaulding Roundup: Owls Flooding DC, Preparing For Bruins As If Getting Ready For Penn State & Other Notes

Nestor — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 19:43:34 -0000

More photos » by Paul Vernon - AP

Temple's Matt "the Bug" Brown, all 5-5, 167 pounds of him is a key cog in the Owls running attack as he has rushed for 446 yards, 4 TDs

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While the Bruins continue to have a good time in their (Donahuesque) preparations to go bowling, the entire Temple Owls program is preparing for what it appears to be their Super Bowl against UCLA in Washington DC. The Temple Owls athletic program have set up a special deal with Amtrak encouraging Owl fans to flood Washington DC:

The Temple University Athletics Department and Amtrak are encouraging fans to take the train to Washington, D.C., to watch the Owls and UCLA play in the EagleBank Bowl at RFK Stadium on Dec. 29.

With approximately 100 trains between Philadelphia and Washington every day, Amtrak is the most convenient way to the game.

Amtrak offers a number of discounts that are available to Owls’ fans, including a 10 percent discount for AAA members and active duty U.S. military personnel and their spouses and dependents. Members of Student Advantage and seniors 62 and over receive a 15 percent discount, and children ages 2 through 15 travel at 50 percent off when accompanied by a full-fare paying adult. Amtrak is also offering a 25 percent discount on its Northeast Regional service for those who would prefer an extended stay in Washington.

Would be interesting to know if UCLA athletic department can do the same for all UCLA alums living in the major cities on Amtrak line for this game as well. Either way I hope the Bruins better be ready to play in a game atmosphere which might end up feeling like a road game at fired up Autzen or Husky football stadium with much colder and icier winter weather.

Perhaps the "camaraderie" the team is building through over the wall stunt, diving around at the Spieker Aquatics Center, enjoying Magic Mountain will help the team to get more loose and focused next Tuesday. However, I have to say part of me is feeling very uneasy whether our team will have the requisite fire and intensity to get it done against jacked up Owl team backed by thousands of their fans.

As for the Owls, they are preparing for UCLA as if they are getting ready of Penn State. Specifically Al Golden is seeing similarities between the Bruins and Nittany Lions:

UCLA has similar players to the Nittany Lions and runs similar schemes, Golden said Thursday. But this isn't good news for Temple (9-3), which is going to its first bowl game in 30 years. The Owls lost 31-6 to Penn State on Sept. 19.

"Offensively, they look very similar to Penn State," Golden said. "On the other side of the ball, they look like Penn State. They have probably five or six (future NFL) draft choices. They have dominant players in the front seven and linebackers that could run. It's a great challenge for us."

More on the Owls' line of thinking and notes on their team after the jump.

Golden and his coaches have specifically zeroed in on the similarities between the defensive lines of Lions and Bruins. To drill down bit further they are seeing a lot of PSU's Jared Odrick (who led the Nittany Lions with six sacks and had 10 tackles for losses totaling 56 yards) when watching the game films of Brian Price. Needless to say our big guy will have the full attention of the Owl's offensive line:

"I thought Odrick was the best, but these guys were saying he's better," Golden said. "After we played Penn State, I didn't think we would see anyone as good as him. (Price) is a heck of a football player, quick off the ball and very disruptive. He's hard to block and someone we're concerned about."

Price has seven sacks and 22½ tackles for losses this season.

Temple named its offensive line the team MVP in its recent banquet. The Owls gave up just 18 sacks all season, tied for 39th in the countrt, and had four games in which they didn't give up any.

But the line is going to have its toughest job to date. Penn State's four sacks against Temple were the second-most the Owls allowed all season. And Price is just as explosive as Odrick.

The job of blocking Price could go to any one of the offensive guards, including freshman backup Jeff Whittingham, an Atlantic City High School graduate.

"We watched film on him. He's a great player," Temple senior offensive tackle Devin Tyler said. "I will see him a couple of times, and we'll be ready. But he's a great player and dominates games."

How the Owls handle Price and what the Bruins do to anticipate and attack will be critical because the game is going to hinge on how the Bruins handle the Temples rushing attack. Sportsline.com has the following scouting report on the Owls' offense:

Temple, home to one of the best and most physical o-lines in the MAC (a jumbo-sized unit that includes a pair of first-team all-league performers in Darius Morris and Colin Madison and averages 6-foot-5 and 318 pounds from tackle to tackle), will rely on its two-headed tailback approach of freshmen Bernard Pierce and Matt "the Bug" Brown, who are now called "Bernie and the Bug" by their Owl teammates. The 6-foot, 212-pound Pierce has established himself as one the top ballcarriers in the country on his way to setting Temple freshman records with 1,308 yards rushing and 15 touchdowns. Brown, all 5-5, 167 pounds of him, has risen steadily on the depth chart to become the chief backup for Pierce.

If UCLA packs the box with defenders to slow down "Bernie and the Bug", then Temple head coach Al Golden has shown that he isn't afraid to use Pierce as a decoy -- faking handoffs to him, freezing the defense and then punishing the Zips with a nice blend of play-action passes, reverses to speedy wideouts and some option runs by mobile quarterback Chester Stewart, who will be making just his fifth college start.

Bruins will have to find a way to get to Stewart. From what I have read apparently he "could be rattled" if our guys find a way to land couple of huge shots early on and disrupt him from getting into any kind of comfort zone. Note he will be making just his fifth collegiate start and was apparently "clearly rattled" in their regular season finale against Ohio, completing just seven of his 22 passes for just 92 yards.

The other key Temple players Bruins need to keep an eye on Tuesday:

WR/KR James Nixon -- The fastest player on the team (4.3 speed in the 40), Nixon is Temple's top kick returner with 497 yards and two touchdowns on 17 returns. He became the first player in school history to score a kickoff return touchdown in consecutive games. He ranks No. 10 nationally with 29.24 yards per return.

DE Adrian Robinson -- The sophomore defensive end earned 2009 MAC Defensive Player of the Year honors after setting a school single-season record for sacks with 12. He ranks No. 10 nationally in sacks (0.92 per game). Robinson also has a team-best 12 tackles for loss and a team-best five forced fumbles.

LB Alex Joseph -- A team captain, Joseph leads all Temple defenders with 73 tackles, including a team-best 46 solo takedowns and 5.0 tackles for loss. He also has two breakups, a sack, an interception, and a fumble recovery.

Robinson and Joseph are keys to one of the best rushing defenses (108.8 yards per game allowed) in the country. The strength of the Owls' defense is its front seven, which besides Robinson and Joseph includes potential future pros such as Andre Neblett at nose tackle. Per Sportsline.com Neblett and Robinson "routinely occupy multiple blockers, allowing Jaiquawn Jarrett (70 tackles), Dominique Harris (68 tackles) and the Joseph brothers, Alex (73 tackles) and Elijah (56 stops), to make plays."

As mentioned yesterday the key for the Bruins on Tuesday will be to mix it up with a balanced offense bringing different looks. I think this Owl team will be well prepared for the base look Bruins showed against the Arizona State and Southern Cal defenses. Given Prince's shoulder status and Craft's track record, Owls will also most likely stack the box and force the Bruins to beat them with our passing game. I think the Bruins should take up that challenge (unless we have brutal wintery weather conditions via rain, sleet or snow) and go to the passing game (including looking for opportunities to go down field) to set up our running attack.

Either way I hope our guys are mentally prepared. While I am excited personally to see our guys in person for the first time in years, a big part of me is anxious about our preparations for the actual game. I don't think this is a game Rick Neuheisel can afford to lose heading into his third season in Westwood.

GO BRUINS.

Daryll Clark Is Aware Of Reality

Run Up The Score — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 04:13:55 -0000

Daryll Clark is mad as hell, and he's not going to take this anymore.

Hey, that's the deal. In 2009, there's 12-for-32 against Iowa and 12-for-28 against Ohio State. In 2008, there's 9-for-23 in Iowa City and 12-for-20 in an incomplete performance at the Horseshoe. And in between, a lot of gaudy numbers against some awful defenses. The Capital One Bowl won't make or break Daryll Clark's career, and Clark can't do it by himself. However, even he couldn't deny that a win against a top-15 team* would do wonders for how he's remembered in Happy Valley.

* - Other than that ridiculously fraudulent 15th ranked Michigan State team that was pasted in Beaver Stadium last year. They were awful.

Don't Bet On It!: College Football Bowl Edition (Part V)

T Kyle King — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 02:51:08 -0000

Bowl season is cranking up into high gear, and so are my predictions for bowl season. We finally have made it to New Year’s Eve, so there’s no sense mincing words. Accordingly, I will dive right in after offering my obligatory disclaimer: Don’t Bet On It!

Texas Bowl: Missouri Tigers v. Navy Midshipmen (Dec. 31): I’m always happy to see the student-athletes of the U.S. Naval Academy matching up with a Big 12 opponent in the postseason, because it warrants linking to this unintentionally NSFW clip. Unfortunately for the Mids, they’re going up against a Mizzou rush defense that is giving up just 96.4 yards per game on the ground and has surrendered just thirteen rushing touchdowns in twelve games. Granted, no one in the league runs the ball quite like Navy, but the Tigers can move the ball and I like them to slow down the Midshipmen enough to give Missouri the win in a Lone Star State showdown with big recruiting implications for Gary Pinkel’s squad.

Insight Bowl: Iowa St. Cyclones v. Minnesota Golden Gophers (Dec. 31): Oh, for pete’s sake, am I really going to have to go to the trouble of looking up information on these two outfits? I have absolutely no insight to offer (see what I did there?) on either of these two teams, so I’m going with Minnesota because I have even less faith in Iowa State than I do in the Golden Gophers. Basically, I just want to get this one out of the way so I can get to the games featuring SEC teams.

Chick-fil-A Bowl: Tennessee Volunteers v. Virginia Tech Hokies (Dec. 31): The Big Orange have a December date in the Georgia Dome and you’d have a hard time persuading the Volunteer faithful that this outing represents anything less than the SEC Moral Victory Championship Game. Unfortunately for Lane Kiffin’s crew, the Tennesseans’ focus appears to be all over the place, ranging from "we’re just happy to be here" after two losing seasons in the last four years (a perception that somehow succeeds in overlooking 19 wins in the two seasons immediately preceding Phillip Fulmer’s final fall on the sideline) to "we should’ve gotten the Outback Bowl bid instead" (which, to be fair, they should have) to "there’s nothing to these secondary violations because 178 miles is totally different from 200 miles." Those seem like a lot of distractions for a team going up against a squad as solid as VPI. I’m going with the Hokies in a typically closely-contested ~~Peach~~ Chick-fil-A Bowl.

Outback Bowl: Auburn Tigers v. Northwestern Wildcats (Jan. 1): Just when you thought no traditional SEC power could be more upbeat over a 7-5 season than Tennessee appears to be, along come the Plainsmen to demonstrate just how much it is possible to overreact to a .583 winning percentage that would have done Chan Gailey proud. (By that, of course, I mean overreacting to going 7-5 in a positive way. If you’re overreacting to going 7-5 by declaring the death knell of human civilization the way, say, I am, well, that’s perfectly reasonable, naturally.) The fact is, though, that there are different paths by which to arrive at mediocrity. The Tigers started out 5-0 but stumbled down the stretch, losing five out of seven games after October 3. That was the date on which the Wildcats snapped a two-game losing streak to begin a 6-2 run to close out the campaign, capped off by a three-game winning streak that included triumphs over two ranked teams. In these sorts of situations, postseason tilts in Tampa tend to follow a familiar pattern: Kentucky had no business being invited to the Outback Bowl in 1998, and the Wildcats were beaten fairly handily by Penn State; South Carolina had no business being invited to the Outback Bowl in 2008, and the Gamecocks were beaten quite convincingly by Iowa; Auburn had no business being invited to the Outback Bowl in 2009, and the Tigers will be defeated by at least two scores by Northwestern.

New Year’s Day is now upon us, so we’re starting to get into the games that actually matter to you. Stick around for the rest of my forecasts, but please continue to keep in mind at all times that I offer a warning for a reason. In other words, whatever you do . . . Don’t Bet On It!

Go ‘Dawgs!

Bump, Set, Three-peat

Bama Hawkeye — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 13:42:11 -0000

Congratulations to the Penn State women's volleyball team, which won its third consecutive NCAA Championship in dramatic fashion yesterday. After dropping the first two sets to Texas, the Lions rallied and won three straight sets and their third straight crown.

Penn State has now won 102 consecutive matches. That's the record in the sport. Only the University of Miami's tennis program, which won 137 straight matches in from 1957-64, holds a longer winning streak in any NCAA sport.

LSU In Review - Weeks Two And Three

BSD — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 15:48:23 -0000

More photos » by Bill Haber - AP

3 months ago: LSU running back Keiland Williams (5) gets away from Louisiana-Lafayette defensive tackle Jordan Topp (98) in the first half of an NCAA college football game in Baton Rouge, La., Saturday, Sept. 19, 2009. (AP Photo/Bill Haber)

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Week Two - Vanderbilt Commodores

Final - 9.12.2009	1	2	3	4	Total
Vanderbilt Commodores	0	7	2	0	9
LSU Tigers	7	6	3	7	23

Complete Coverage >

In week two the LSU Tigers defeated the Vanderbilt Commodores on a rain soaked home opener night game in front of a crowd of 91,000 fans.

Running back Keiland Williams was the star of the night scoring two touchdowns and rushing for 72 yards on 10 carries. Charles Scott added another 49 yards on 13 carries as the Tigers outrushed the Commodores 178-122.

Quarterback Jordan Jefferson dinked and dunked his way for 138 yards on 20-of-29 passing. Brandon LaFell caught 7 passes for 38 yards while senior R.J. Jackson caught six passes for 55 yards. LSU used a little trickeration on their second series when backup quarterback Russell Shepard entered the game. They ran a wildcat play with him where he gained 13 yards. Then on the next play he lined up at reciever and caught a pass for eight yards, but he fumbled at the end of the play.

The LSU defense shut down Vanderbilt quarterback Zac Stacy holding him to just 88 yards passing and under 50% completion. The Tiger defense dominated the night all together holding the Vanderbilt offense to just 210 yards and 7 points.

But LSU was far from perfect on the evening. A poor snap on a punt gave Vanderbilt a safety, and Jefferson threw a pick near the goal line. LSU was fortunate that the latter play was overturned on a defensive holding call. But it was a solid win in the second week of the season for the Tigers.

Quotes From The Game

"Any time you play imperfectly and you come to the postgame, you have to recognize that first things first -- you'd much rather win than do any other thing. That being said, I think we've got to play better. ... There were no style points for this one. That's a fact." - Les Miles

"The defense saved the offense's bacon tonight. We had too many 3-and-outs, and more than one negative possession in the second half. Vandy had great field position for most of the 2nd half thanks to three consecutive possessions in which we ran a total of nine plays with two punts and a bad-snap safety." - And The Valley Shook

Week Three - Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin Cajuns

Final - 9.19.2009	1	2	3	4	Total
Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin Cajuns	0	3	0	0	3
LSU Tigers	7	10	7	7	31

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Week three was a sleeper against the Ragin Cajuns. The amazing statistic of the game is that the Cajuns doubled their all-time scoring against the Tigers in Tiger Stadium. In 12 total games played at Baton Rouge, the Cajuns have been outscored 618-6. They have never scored a touchdown. Ever. Wow. The Cajuns gained 272 total yards with 109 yards rushing. Safety Chad Jones had two interceptions for LSU.

The LSU offense wasn't spectacular, but they were good enough to win. Penalties and turnovers plagued them and held the score lower than it should have been. On the day, LSU only gained 330 total yards. Jefferson completed 16-of-25 passes for 165 yards, 2 TD, and 1 INT. He was also sacked once and fumbled. The LSU running back by committee gained 164 yards. Charles Scott gained 63 on 12 carries while Keiland Williams tallied 41 yards on 10 carries.

Though it was an easy win, it was a particularly brutal game from the injury standpoint for LSU. Tight End Richard Dickson suffered a concussion. Jefferson mildly sprained his knee. DT Josh Downs left with a knee problem. Right tackle Joseph Barksdale had to leave the game as well.

Quotes From The Game

"Our quarterback was not necessarily in a groove early, but we have some talent and we have the ability to make plays. We're not hitting on all cylinders just yet." - Les Miles

"The offensive line should be dominating teams like this and is not doing so. Jordan Jefferson misses open receivers at times. The defense is much improved from the Washington game to now, but still gives up the occasional long, methodical drive or big 3rd down conversion. " - And The Valley Shook

"He's a young quarterback. (Jefferson) He sees some guys open and he's 'Ooh, ooh . . .' and he's not comfortable in his mechanics. He rushes. We've got to get him in practice and do it again, do it again, do it again." - Les Miles