[Belated] Sunday Hangover: Bye Week

With the Nasty family running the Hot Chocolate Run 5K in Chicago Sunday morning, driving back to Charleston afterward, and then watching the Cubs finally win a game of the World Series in Wrigley, I forgot about posting my so-called thoughts about the bye week. 

I'm concerned about how well Auburn is doing. I hope Georgia can get it together to defeat them in two weeks. 

But it's been a tough season so far for new coach and former Alabama defensive coordinator Kirby Smart. 

South Carolina beating Tennessee was surprising. Muschamp is putting together a decent record without much big-time talent. 

Ohio State barely got past Northwestern. The smart money will probably be betting on Michigan when Ohio State plays them. 

Clemson and Washington keep winning. 

I'm perplexed that I am not able to watch the game this Saturday versus LSU because the family is going to a traveling Price Is Right performance on Saturday evening. If Alabama loses, I better win a damn car at the event. 

Sunday Hangover: Bye Week

Saturday night was a disappointing night. 

Mrs. Nasty went to Ole Miss, so the Rebels' loss to Auburn was difficult. Their best WR broke his ankle on a play that would have had Ole Miss go ahead in the game (if I remember right). He released the ball in pain before the ball crossed the plane, and Auburn recovered the fumble in the end zone. 

At right around the same time, the Razorbacks drove in the waning moments of their game against State. The Arkansas QB threw up a ball short in the end zone, and a Bulldog made an interception to seal a victory in Starkville. Arkansas will upset someone in the SEC this season, and they only have a few games left to do so. 

The annual cocktail party in Jacksonville was really interesting to watch though. Georgia having two losses has put the East up for grabs, and Mizzou is leading it now. 

I didn't watch much of the Notre Dame-Navy game, but I would imagine a service academy putting up all kinds of points on the Fightin' Irish isn't going to impress the AP voters and the selection committee. 

In Morgantown, West Virginia lost at the end when they probably should have won that game against TCU.

Kansas State continues to roll along. They demolished Oklahoma State last night.

 Oregon soundly defeated its consistent nemesis Stanford. 

I suspect the top four teams the selection committee will have on its board this Tuesday are Mississippi State, Florida State, Auburn, and Oregon. 

Sunday Hangover: Bye Week

A few teams I wanted to win yesterday didn't. 

I wanted Arkansas to beat Texas A&M. They couldn't put the Aggies away when they had the opportunity in the fourth quarter and eventually lost in overtime. 

A similar story line played out in Columbia, South Carolina. After playing the Tigers tough for three quarters, the Gamecocks played crappy defenses against Mizzou and lost. 

NC State lead for much of the game against Florida State, and then the Seminoles took over. 

From what I can tell from reports on the U of Memphis-Ole Miss game, it sounds like the Rebel defense played quite well, but their offense got into trouble with self-imposed mistakes. 

I expect Ole Miss will give Alabama everything it has this Saturday. 

Sunday Hangover: Bye Week

The Crimson Tide spent this week healing up and working on fundamentals.

There were some interesting games yesterday, however. 

Florida State got outmuscled and outhustled by the Wolfpack of NC State. The ACC's best chance for a national title contender is out of the mix. 

South Carolina looked great last night by demolishing the Georgia Bulldogs, but their next two contests are versus LSU in Baton Rouge and versus Florida in Gainesville -- tough sledding.

Watching Ace Sanders from South Carolina returns kickoffs and punts makes me miss Javy Arenas. Alabama hasn't had a serious punt return threat since Javy. Now with Dee Hart out for the year because of knee injury, Alabama needs to find someone at that position. 

That Gillislee guy from Florida is one impressive running back.

One of my "friends" on FB last night said he'd like to see a National Championship Game between West Virginia and Oregon. I would hate that. That idea is dog shit. It would be horrible with their "oley bullshit" defenses.  

Sunday Hangover: Bye Week

Since the Nasty family traveled to the town of gridlock, graft, and duplicity (Springfield, IL) for my daughter's gymnastics meet on Sunday morning, I didn't get to watch much football on Saturday.

I did catch a few of the late games at the hotel room last night though.

Wisconsin has had two implosions in a row. Michigan State beat them on a improbable hail mary last week. Last night after Wisconsin took the lead and then provided a horrible kickoff, Ohio State's freshman qb beat them on a rollout right throw to the end zone. Where the hell was the safety on that play? And man, those new school Ohio State uniforms are ugly. Just awful.

USC got hosed on a call at the end of the game last night. They should have had a second on the clock to attempt to kick a field goal. Then again, the more I see Stanford, the more I'm impressed. Their TEs are lethal weapons.

I saw highlights of how the Commodores of Vanderbilt should have at least taken their game against the Razorbacks to overtime. Tough deal if you're a Vandy fan. This new Vanderbilt coach is doing a heck of job over there in Nashville. They're playing inspired ball, and having the brother of Aaron Rodgers as your quarterback helps too. If I were a betting man, I'd take the points and bet on Vandy next week when they play Florida.

Congrats to Joe Paterno on his historic win yesterday.

Hangover Sunday: Bye Week

Woe to Mrs. Nasty, the Ole Miss alumna because Auburn waxed Ole Miss in Oxford Saturday night. I thought the Rebels would give them a good fight, but their offense couldn't eat any minutes and keep Almighty Cam Newton off the field. That stinks because if there is another school I'd root for in the SEC, it's Ole Miss.

So Auburn kept the offensive buzz saw churning, and the other offensive juggernaut in college football, Oregon, got tested by USC. But in the third quarter, the Ducks found their offensive rhythm. That offense is scarier than Auburn's. And if those two teams meet in the future (BCS National Championship Game?), not much defense will be played. I think the Tigers have a better D though.

I also got to watch parts of the Kentucky at Mississippi State game, and the Bulldogs looked impressive: a stout defense, a solid running attack, and a selectively strong passing game. Mullen, a man known to know offense, chose wisely in making Relf the de facto starter at QB for them.

Elsewhere, the Hawkeyes knocked off Michigan State in powerful fashion. The Spartans got woodshedded.

Sunday Hangover: Bye Week

While the Crimson Tide got some much needed rest this weekend, I still watched some games on Saturday.

I enjoyed the Oregon Ducks giving the USC Trojans a beat-down in Eugene. The offense of the Ducks is powerful and diverse. Wow. Whoever has the misfortune of getting them in a bowl game is going to get clocked. They made the USC D look like a tattered collection of two-bit chumps.

The Gamecocks losing to Tennessee was disappointing, but when a team has that many turnovers, it's hard to win the game. Regardless, no matter how you might feel about Tiffin, I look for Tennessee to be a force next year, especially with Tebow gone (finally) and Georgia trying to learn how to play defense.

In other bad news, the Ole Miss Rebels got their butts kicked by Auburn.

And if you're interested in why Florida's LB Brandon Spikes should be suspended for a game, click HERE.

Off-Week Blues

Since Alabama doesn't play this Saturday, to satiate my college football addiction I offer picks for some select games this Saturday.

Arkansas at Auburn: Sometime the offense at the Barn has to wake up. The Tigers...wait, the Plainsmen....wait, the War Eagles of Auburn finally get it together down at the Cow College. The Barn by a touchdown. 

LSU at Florida: I'm still not buying LSU's QB. Florida wins, but it'll be close.

Tennessee at Georgia: Georgia will demolish the Viles. Phat Phil will eat more because of stress. That orange color will turn even uglier. 

South Carolina at Kentucky: The Wildcats will block the Cocks. Big Blue by a field goal.

Vanderbilt at State: If Vanderbilt starts 6-0, I can believe that a black man with a Muslim-sounding name will become President. Beware of the Bulldogs from Starkville. Mississippi State by a point.

Oklahoma State at Mizzou: The Tiggers tune up before their trip to Austin. This game might be defense-optional. But I think the Tiggers win it before they get beat by the Longhorns.

Oklahoma at Texas. Hook 'em!