NCAA Football (Week 7)

Games I saw (some of):

Auburn 27-24 (1) Georgia

I kept waiting for UGA to take over and it felt for a minute like they were gonna pull it out. But they just kept turning the ball over and even as weak as Auburn is this season, it was enough to put them ahead. Auburn fans will be living off this one for a while. As for UGA, well, they beat Bama and they're still in line to win the SEC, so all isn't lost but it got a little harder this year.

(4) Ohio State 19-15 (5) Indiana

Oh man, feel bad for that kid.

Sluggish game on both sides but I was more unimpressed with the Buckeye offense than I was impressed by the Hoosier defense. Ohio State did enough to win and Indiana is a worthy opponent but I thought this was the chance for the Buckeyes to blow up and get a monster W. Both squads are still very much alive.

(6) Alabama 10-26 (14) Tennessee

Bama sucked in this game! Their one TD was a near pick-6 that led to an easy score (not unlike their comeback against Kentucky, though the Cats gave them several easy scores in the 4th quarter). Otherwise, the Bama offense never got going. Tennessee looked more fluid than their sludgefest with Texas a coupla weeks ago, but I kinda think it was bcause Bama just never got their defense going either (which is how they turned the tide against Kentucky). Back to back L's for Alabama is weird, that team looks like they're just tired of playing football. Not really sure about Tennessee, they could get rolling here or maybe they're just an up-and-down team.

Florida 27-24 (7) Texas

Texas jumped out to an early lead then....just stopped. Florida did well to grind their way back into the game and then to continue to take the lead and hold it. The Arch Manning haters are hatin' more than ever but, again, I'm still not convinced this poor Texas team is his fault. The O-line isn't there and the receivers aren't impressive. As for Florida, they're another one of those up-and-down SEC squads. 

(15) Kentucky 21-13 Oklahoma

If you told me that Kentucky would win at South Carolina, at Texas A&M and at Oklahoma in the same DECADE. I'd be dubious. To do all that in the same season (and a W over LSU and a halftime lead against Alabama!) is...breathtaking. The last time Kentucky was this high in the conference this late in the season was 1978, which was the last truly good year Kentucky ever had. So allow me a moment of hyperbole: this is easily the best Kerntucky football side of my football watching life. Still have to play Florida, Tennessee, Missouri and Louisville, so still time for this season to go horribly sideways but, for now, let me have this fantasia, lord! 

Top 25

Handled their business

(4) Ohio State, (8) Brigham Young, (9) Mississippi, (10) Texas Tech, (11) Utah, (14) Tennessee, (15) Kentucky, (20) Houston, (21) Wake Forest, (22) Louisiana State, (24) Southern Methodist

Won but did not impress

(3) Miami (Florida State 35-43 (2OT) Miami)

Miami is your new #1....and they needed every ounce of luck to get past a sorry-ass Seminole squad. They won, they did what they needed to do, I get that, but they're #1 in the nation now, I just expect a little more from a varsity letterman.

(12) UCLA (UCLA 17-7 Wisconsin)

I'm just not impressed (yet) by UCLA. Do they have it in them to really shine out? I don't know.

(25) Northwestern (Northwestern 24-21 Michigan State)

This Spartan squad is pretty bad, if this Northwestern team is really ready to kick some ass, I would've thought a decisive victory in Lansing wouldn't be too much to ask. Perhaps I'm being harsh, it is a road win in conference, but I thought they'd cruise and they did not. 

Bad beat

(5) Indiana (Ohio State 19-15 Indiana)

Indiana struggled but they made the Buckeyes struggle, too. And they almost pulled it out (well, should have to be honest). Not a devastating L (I don't think they even dropped in the standings).

(18) Oklahoma State (Oklahoma State 25-28 Texas Tech)

I was skeptical of Oklahoma State but I've warmed up on them and they gave a high powered Tech squad a good game. 

Not so good

(1) Georgia (Auburn 27-24 Georgia)

UGA shouldn't have fallen behind, should've been able to come back, should not have given the game away late.

(2) Notre Dame (Notre Dame 24-28 BYU)

I thought they'd roll over BYU and they got stung instead. A close match and BYU is pretty good, perhaps I'm being a little hard on the Irish but they were ranked #2, they should've won this game.

(6) Alabama (Alabama 10-26 Tennessee) 

Bama sucked and UT kinda stomped them. Not good. 

(7) Texas (Florida 27-24 Texas)

Texas had a good lead and didn't hold it. Not good. 

(13) Missouri (Missouri 3-31 Mississippi)

Yipes! Not surprised they lost, this would've been a Bad Beat if they'd put up any kind of fight in Oxford. But, they didn't.

(16) Mississippi State (Mississippi State 0-31 LSU)

Likewise, with Missouri: I just needed to see some fight in Baton Rouge and MSU brought none. 

Next week's intriguing matches:

(7) Mississippi @ (17) Texas (Ole Miss is rolling, Texas is struggling, this is the Longhorns' best chance to right this season)

(11) Tennessee @ South Carolina (surprised that the Vols are a road dog but the Gamecocks can be spicy, should be worth catching)

(14) Houston @ Utah (odd to me that Houston is rather big underdog on the road, they should put up a lot of points, no?)