AJC > Sports > Blog > Archives > 2006 > September > 21 > Entry
DEL.ICIO.USFive critical games to watch
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Last weekend was one of the best ever in college football when it comes to great matchups, controversial plays, and just general talk about the game. This weekend? Not so much. Still there are questions that have to be answered. For example:
1) Will Xavier Lee see action at quarterback when Florida State hosts Rice? Bobby Bowden said this week that if the offense, which is near the bottom of Division I-A in rushing, doesn’t come around soon, he is “going to have to do some soul-searching.” Rather than searching his soul, Coach Bowden might search and find some offensive linemen who know how to run block against a quality defense. Florida State needs some kind of identity, some kind of energy, in its offense. Maybe Lee, the athletic quarterback, can give them that.
2) Has Alabama figured things out? There hasn’t been a whole lot to get excited about in wins over Hawaii, Vanderbilt and Louisiana-Monroe. The offense has sputtered and the rebuilt defense has had some tackling problems. But Alabama has been pointing to its SEC opener with Arkansas all summer as the time when all facets of its team must come together. To me, it’s pretty basic. If Ken Darby gets 100 yards, the Tide wins.
3) Will Michigan suffer a letdown against Wisconsin? The Wolverines’ win at Notre Dame was one of the biggest of the Lloyd Carr era, perhaps the biggest since the national championship of 1997. Wisconsin is 3-0 but hasn’t beaten anybody. Carr really likes this team but believes it is just as hard to handle success as it is adversity. Michigan wants desperately to be undefeated when it goes to Ohio State on Nov. 18.
4) Could Notre Dame go down again? Everybody knows the book on Notre Dame now. If you have a good quarterback and some fast receivers then you can beat the Irish defense. Drew Stanton lit up Notre Dame last season in winning 44-41 at South Bend. After the game the Michigan State players went a little crazy and planted the school flag on the field at Notre Dame Stadium. Coach Charlie Weis and the Irish players haven’t forgotten.
5) Is Louisville vulnerable at Kansas State? You bet your Papa John they are. The Cardinals are coming off one of the biggest wins in school history (31-7 over Miami) and will be without quarterback Brian Brohm, who injured a thumb and is out 3-6 weeks. Heck, just getting to Manhattan, Kan., will be a culture shock for some of these guys. Louisville has better players but this is a letdown game if ever I’ve seen one. Should be interesting.
Comments
By Keith
September 21, 2006 04:15 PM | Link to this
Be ready for yet another Michigan State toppling of the Irish. And yet another September elimination for the Irish.
By toemeetsleather
September 21, 2006 04:18 PM | Link to this
yes unfortunately these teams do not have a chan gailey to keep games in perspective…CHAN IS THE BEST AT THAT!!!ROLL JACKETS!!!!!!!!!!!!!CREAM THE CAVALIERS!!!
By abc
September 21, 2006 04:51 PM | Link to this
K-State will beat Louisville; Arkansas over Bama; Michigan over Wisconsin. The others, who knows.
By Brian Jones
September 21, 2006 05:07 PM | Link to this
As for point #2 Tony, I did not realize that we had finally kicked Vandy out of the SEC…
By Brian Jones
September 21, 2006 05:08 PM | Link to this
As for point #2 Tony, I did not realize that we had finally kicked Vandy out of the SEC…
By Tech fan in Nashville
September 21, 2006 05:33 PM | Link to this
I was thinking the same thing! Didn’t Alabama already play Vandy, thus already having their “SEC Opener?”
I’m no Vandy fan, but the SEC needs them so that 1- they can bring up the athletes’ GPA, and 2- there’s someone for the SEC East to beat on
And FYI, Vany and Arkansas played right to the end last week so neither team is any good. How will this be a big test for Bama? A test to determine whether bama will go to the whocares.com bowl or the music city bowl?
By Ike
September 21, 2006 06:55 PM | Link to this
For all the vandy haters—- it’s not like Arkansas and Alabama blew them out of the water exactly…
By Wozzo the Wonder Dog
September 21, 2006 07:04 PM | Link to this
Vandy will take any bowl game it can get. It would be a shame if Arkansas went to, say, the Emerald Nut Bowl. Of course, it would be a real embarrassment if Arkansas went and got popped by 28 points by the 3rd best team in the Mountain West Conference. Even more so if, say, less than 2,000 Arkansas fans went to the Emerald Bowl.
The SEC likes to have Vandy prop up the overall GPA but don’t forget we can always count on Auburn’s sociology classes. Well, we can laugh at Auburn but at least Auburn wasn’t put on probation (like one local school we all know about).
In summary, here are my recommendations for new coaches: Borges - new head coach at Miami; Tenuta - new head coach at NC State.
Groh, Gailey, Amato, Coker — Man, the ACC can really pick ‘em. (I’d add Duke’s and Wake’s coaches but I’d have to use Google to find their names.)
By VandyBeta
September 21, 2006 09:03 PM | Link to this
Tech fan in Nashville, if you went to GT you would know this, but at schools like GT, Vandy, UVA, NW, athletes actually bring down GPA’s beacuse the academic expectations are much higher. Classes are much harder just to “get through” like many schools in the NCAA. Get your facts striaght bro!
By Dawg_gone_truth
September 22, 2006 09:12 AM | Link to this
Michigan State will wear out the Irish, Colorado will get off the mat and knock out the very highly overrated Dawgs in a upset that will only suprise Dawg fans. Rama Jama I hate Bama, I hope that they lose but they will destroy Ar-Kansas. Chan Gaily may still find a way to lose to Virginia, even though the game is over remember you got the combined effort of Gaily and Ball. Michigan-Wisconsin? My two year old knows that the Badgers will get killed. Erik Ainge has no heart and no matter how good a coach Fulmer brings in he cannot coach heart and until the Vols insert Crompton they will not be able to win the big game. With luck the Vols will beat Marshal.
By Dawg_gone_truth
September 22, 2006 09:17 AM | Link to this
Michigan State will wear out the Irish, Colorado will get off the mat and knock out the very highly overrated Dawgs in a upset that will only suprise Dawg fans. Rama Jama I hate Bama, I hope that they lose but they will destroy Ar-Kansas. Chan Gaily may still find a way to lose to Virginia, even though the game is over remember you got the combined effort of Gaily and Ball. Michigan-Wisconsin? My two year old knows that the Badgers will get killed. Erik Ainge has no heart and no matter how good a coach Fulmer brings in he cannot coach heart and until the Vols insert Crompton they will not be able to win the big game. With luck the Vols will beat Marshal.
By gdawginkalamazoo
September 22, 2006 09:51 AM | Link to this
Wozzo, nice rip.
Dawggonetruth,
Chan Gaily may still find a way to lose to Virginia, even though the game is over remember you got the combined effort of Gaily and Ball. Ha! NOW, That was funny.