SCOTT JACOBS

Last year, Tim Tebow won the Heisman, but his team was nowhere close to winning a title.  This year, Tim Tebow finished third in the Heisman ballot, but he’ll get a chance to win another trophy twice: the BCS National Championship trophy.

In an extremely close vote, that actually saw the third place finisher (Tebow) finish with the most first place votes, Sooners QB Sam Bradford came away with college football’s most prestigious award.  Bradford, who led Oklahoma to a 12-1 record, threw 48 touchdowns, just 6 picks, and directed a potent Sooners’ offense to the most points in college football history.  Oklahoma’s thrashing of the previously unbeaten Texas Tech Red Raiders on national TV when they put up 65, and Bradford threw for four TD’s and no picks probably propelled him to victory over his two other competitors, Florida’s Tebow, and Texas’ Colt McCoy.  But there’s no doubt that Longhorn fans will have something else to gripe about after their school lost to Oklahoma in something else.

And while Bradford had a fabulous year, would he have won the award if it was McCoy that had just led the Longhorns to a Big 12 title, and a berth in the BCS National Championship game?  That’s where the debate gets interesting.  Please know: I’m not saying Bradford wasn’t worthy of the award.  He totally was.  In his last four games Bradford was spot on brilliant.  He threw for 14 touchdowns, and not a single pick.  And in leading the Sooners to over 60 points in their last five games, and over 50 in nine games this year, Bradford helped the Sooners fly into the national title game.  Well, kind of.

Texas fans will point out that Bradford was outperformed by McCoy in Texas’ 45-35 win in Dallas on October 11th, but that point is moot, because it hasn’t gotten the Longhorns anywhere since the regular season ended. Texas felt they got snubbed when Oklahoma jumped them the last week of the season.  Their fans are sure to feel more angst after McCoy lost to Bradford by a measley 122 points in the Heisman vote.

Lost in the shuffle was Tebow, who who finished last but lost by just 151 votes.

Tebow got 309 first place votes.  The Heisman winner, Bradford collected 300, and McCoy got 266.  Close?  This race was as tight as it gets.  And it really could have gone either way.

Mitch voted for Tebow in the Sports Bloggers Heisman, and I went for McCoy, but ultimately it was Bradford who came away the victor.  He’ll get a chance to make it two for two when Oklahoma takes on Florida in the BCS National title game in Miami on January 8th. Though if recent history is any indication Bradford’s Heisman victory will send his team into the loser’s column. The last five Heisman winners (not from USC) including Sooners QB Jason White all all lost their ensuing bowl game

For Oklahoma they hope that trend doesn’t hold true. And because of Tim Tebow’s inability to claim his second Heisman, Archie Griffin (the former Ohio State great)  still remains the only college football player ever to win the award twice.

SCOTT JACOBS

So Plaxico Burress apparently shot himself last Friday at some nightclub, when his gun accidentally went off.  I know it’s not funny, but doesn’t a small part of you find it a little humorous how sad and pathetic of a story this guy has become?

In unrelated news, the Giants are on fire, 11-1, and on the verge of clinching the NFC East.  They’ve already exceeded their win total from 2007, the year they uh, won the Super Bowl.  Last year they shocked the world.  This year, well, a lot of people will be shocked if they don’t win it all.

Texas is griping about the BCS.  What’s new?  Nothing.  Interestingly enough there are reports and rumors that even if the Longhorns don’t make it to Miami they can still finish number one in the AP Poll.  Apparently there’s a gigantic gap in the USA Today poll, and the AP Poll.  In the USA Today all voters must put the BCS Championship game winner number one on their final ballot.  Not so for the AP Poll, which has 65 voters who can do whatever the heck they want. In other words, if Oklahoma runs the table and wins it all, and Texas wins their matchup in the Fiesta Bowl, against either Utah or Ohio State, the Horns could feasibly be voted ahead of the Boomer Sooners in the AP Poll.  Round and round we go.

And while we’re at it, does every game really mean something in college football?  That’s the tired line we’ve been fed for a few months now.  That every game is a playoff because of the BCS.  I somewhat disagree.  Tell that to USC (who barely lost to what turns out to be a decent Oregon State team) or Texas (which lost by a hair to Texas Tech on the road).  Every game is big, yes.  But every game is not created equal.  It’s about who you lost to, how they beat you, and when they beat you.  It’s the reason USC isn’t higher in the polls right now.  They were a heavy favorite to beat Oregon State and they lost.  And even though it was super early in the year, and they’ve gone onto destroying everything thrown in their way since, it doesn’t matter.  In fact, I’d argue, that USC may be in the top three right now of the BCS had they lost to the Buckeyes by a field goal at home.  Instead, they whalloped the Bucks and the BCS computers whalloped them a few weeks later after losing in Corvalis.

Other thoughts and bickerings…

My respect for Stephon Marbury dies a little more every day.  In fact, I think I have more respect for Mike Tyson now.  At least he put a giant intimidating tattoo on his head.  Marbury had the gall to tattoo his stupid brand logo on his scalp.  Classless.

I’m sorry but the NFL Network’s coverage of Arizona-Philly last week was beyond overkill.  They relentlessly hit on the same three topics the entire show, which lasted like 2.5 hours!   Donovan McNabb, Kurt Warner, and the Cards chance of clinching the West.  It was really disappointing from a channel that is supposed to be 24/7 football, not 24 hours of reruns.  And the analysis was awful pregame.  When the game did start Bob Papa put me to sleep.  It was the first NFL Network telecast I’ve seen this year on TV, and besides Chris Collinsworth I wasn’t impressed.  Papa has a crazy schedule, but he bores me to tears.  And so did that game, which was well out of hand after Warner and the Cards forgot to show up.

This isn’t super helpful to the good people of Seattle, but the team you lost to Oklahoma City absolutley stinks this year.  By far the worst team in the league, the Thunder recently ended a 14 game losing streak by beating the lowly Grizz.  The Thunder, or Sonic Stealers if it helps you Seattle, improved to a mind blowingly unimpressive 2-16.  But hey, there play matches their look and their owner’s class: very minor league.

But my favorite one has to be this gem:

“I’m really happy to be back in Calgary; I love Canada,” Dallas Stars player Sean Avery said  recently. “I just want to comment on how it’s become like a common thing in the NHL for guys to fall in love with my (former girlfriends). I don’t know what that’s about, but enjoy the game tonight.”

For that he has been suspended indefinetley.

Really?

Furthermore, the Stars are with the decision to suspend Avery indefinitely. Stars owner Tom Hicks said the following:

“I completely support the league’s decision to suspend Sean Avery,” Hicks said in a statement. “Had the league not have suspended him, the Dallas Stars would have. This organization will not tolerate such behavior, especially from a member of our hockey team. We hold our team to a higher standard and will continue to do so.”

In case you’re wondering, I think Avery just became my unofficial personal hero.  Listen to the “ex’s” he’s talking about:

Elisha Cuthbert

Rachel Hunter

And I’m sure there’s more.  And though hockey may not be big anymore, apparently hot famous chicks still dig it.  So hockey’s at least got that going for them.

MITCHELL BLATT

Oklahoma has been rewarded for allowing 452 yards to Oklahoma State by moving ahead of Texas in the BCS–by a scant 0.0128 points–and into the Big 12 Championship for a matchup against Missouri which could project them into the National Championship game.

Texas beat them 45-35 earlier this season, but they didn’t get the nod for the Big 12 Championship because Texas Tech was also tied for first in the conference, so that threw out the possibility of head-to-head matchups as the tiebreaker. Indeed, Texas Tech beat Texas, but Oklahoma beat Texas Tech, so it would be impossible to use head-to-head as the decider.

During Oklahoma’s victory of Ok. State last night, Kirk Herbstreit was talking up Oklahoma’s offense, which piled up 557 yards in their 61-41 victory. It was their sixth straight game with over 500 yards of offense. That’s pretty impressive, but what isn’t impressive is that they need 500 yards to win games.

Commentators like Herbstreit have been pondering who can beat Oklahoma when Oklahoma has such a tough offense–(Well, Texas #1, since they already beat Oklahoma.)–but anyone who has a championship worthy defense and offense can beat them.

What it’s going to come down to is that either Florida or Alabama will beat them.

Florida already beat Alabama 38-7 and gained 514 yards on them. They average 449 yards per game. Oklahoma averages 557 yards per game.

The big difference is that Florida allows 12 points per game. Oklahoma allows 25. If you get blinded by the lights on the scoreboard, sometimes you might forget that football involves offense AND defense, and only one of these two teams has both.

Sometimes you ignore the defense and think a great offense can score on anyone. (And it’s certainly true that Florida can score on Oklahoma.)

Florida hasn’t played any offenses as good as Oklahoma’s or Texas’s yet, but they did hold Tennessee to 6 and five of their opponents under ten (oddly, that didn’t include Citadel, but with a 70-19 victory, you have to imagine there were lots of possessions).

Oklahoma did hold Chattanooga to 2–I’ll give them credit there–but all of their other opponents have reached double digits, and eight scored over 20.

Oklahoma is just a blaze burning down a gas station, but they’re going to run out of fuel soon.

SCOTT JACOBS

Texas started the day. Oklahoma State just about finished it, and somewhere in between the titans (s0-called that is) of college football’s top five fell like the troops fighting against the 300 men of Sparta. O, this wasn’t a big Hollywood blockbuster, but boy did it feel like one. Number one, number three, and number four all fell, and all fell hard, and in that 24hour time period, a whole heapload of stuff changed in the road to the BCS Championship.

The Big 12 is loaded
From five to one, o it can be done. After the Longhorns impressive win over previously unbeaten and number one Oklahoma in a thrilling Red River Shootout (that lived up to its name) the Longhorns jumped from good team that hadn’t really been challenged, to potentially elite team ready to compete for a national championship. In a game that had it all, including come back after comeback, bizarre penalties (including one of the best acting jobs ever by a punter), gutsy calls (like Oklahoma faking a punt on 4th and 6 and only getting 5), and brilliant quarterback play (Oklahoma’s Sam Bradford threw for five TD’s and lost!), the dust settled, and Texas emerged victoriously 45-35, dethroning the Sooners at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas.

Colt McCoy was clutch, and stood toe to toe with Bradford, and in doing so, proved he might be good enough to lead this Longhorns team to a championship. But first things first: the Longhorns have to survive a brutal Big 12. Next week, they get Missouri (also knocked from the ranks of the unbeatens by surprising Oklahoma State) and that will be a huge game, that doesn’t even have implications within their own division. Just how good is the Big 12?

Going into the day Oklahoma was number one, Missouri was number three, Texas was fifth, Texas Tech was seventh, Kansas was 16th, and Oklahoma State was 17th. That’s half the conference in the top 20! So while people are all ready to crown the SEC as the superior conference in college football, maybe those pundits should take another look. The Big 12 is loaded!

Oklahoma will probably drop to 7th or 8th, Mizzou is likely to fall to around 10th, Texas Tech will most likely move into the top five (even after their nailbiter over Nebraska in OT), Kansas will move up after pushing aside Colorado, and how about Oklahoma State! The Cowboys are 6-0, already bowl eligible, and they have a huge program building win after stunning Missouri on the road 28-23.

I remember reading a story a few years ago that Rick Reilly wrote about how T. Boone Pickens, a filthy rich alumni, was flooding the football program with huge donations. The number, $163 million, was considered controversial at first, because people felt it could have been best served going to academic departments. Well, that money went to new facilities, and state of the art equipment, and lookie now- the Cowboys are looking good. I should note that while wins quiet issues, the money probably would have been served best elsewhere going to a department that needed it. But for Oklahoma State they’re now back on the map.

With Oklahoma State’s resurgence came a stunning fall from grace for Missouri, which was coasting along in it’s bid for number one. Chase Daniel went 27-31 in the second half, but three of those were interceptions, including a bad forced throw that was picked late in the game, sealing the deal. Now, the Tigers have to rebound against potential number one Texas (we’ll get to that in a moment) at Austin. Remember, the Tigers didn’t have to play the Horns last year, and so next week should be really interesting. Going into the nightcap, Missouri fans foresaw a top five clash once again, but the only smash they felt tonight was the pain of their national title hopes crashing and burning.

This just in: No chance of LSU repeating in 2008
51-21. LSU went into the Swamp, and got mutilated on Saturday Night. They fell behind 20-0 , made it a game early in the third with a touchdown which made it 20-14, and then the Gators just ran the Tigers out of Gainesville. A full on bullying display by the number 11 Gators not only ruined LSU’s previously unbeaten season, but it also ended any chance they had of getting back to the national title game. When you lose a game, voters look at how you lost. Was it a close game, did you blow a big lead, were you just downright embarassed? Chalk LSU’s status to that last one. In the meantime, the Gators turned a lot of heads on Saturday with their 30 point thrashing, but they really just knocked out a team I said was over-rated a few weeks ago. It’s a great win, especially over a top five team, but c’mon! The Tigers don’t have a quarterback right now, and their offense has been inept. I said a few weeks ago that one Tigers team (In the LSU-Auburn game) would beat the other, and then a few weeks later the other Tigers team would get exposed. LSU beat Auburn, and today got destroyed by Florida. The Gators add a nice bounce back win to their resume after that debacle two weeks ago against Ole Miss.

So who’s number one?
Number two Alabama was off this week, but at 6-0 they have a case.

Number five Texas made the biggest statement of the day, taking down number one Oklahoma, and making numerous comebacks to do it, including one from 21-10.

Number six Penn State slaughtered the free falling Wisconsin Badgers 48-7 at Camp Randall to improve to an impressive 7-0.

Number seven Texas Tech just snuck by Nebraska 37-31 in overtime, and they’re now they’re 6-0.

So who’s number one?

Here’s my rankings after a wild weekend:

1. Texas- their win was impressive enough, coupled with three top five teams falling and Alabama not playing to claim number one.  But there’s no rest for the Longhorns who have Missouri, Oklahoma State, and Texas Tech back to back to back.  Wow, is that a brutal upcoming three game stretch!
2. Alabama- they didn’t lose, they didn’t win. They stay where they are for now.
3. Penn State-Joe Pa’s still got it, and the Lions look like legit championship contenders.
4. USC- Guess who’s creeping back into the picture: USC. After they throttled the Sun Devils 28-0 they jump Texas Tech.
5. Texas Tech- the Red Raiders top five? After a shaky win over the Huskers at home, they find themselves here because practically everyone else lost.
6. Oklahoma- That Texas game was really close most of the way. This team is still very, very good.
7. BYU- Forget BCS busters. The way this season is playing out, could the Cougars (6-0) contend for a championship?
8. Florida- their obliteration of LSU merits their spot here. But LSU is over-rated I tell ya.
9. Georgia- Not an amazing win over the Vols, but sufficient enough.
10. Oklahoma State- It’s the way they beat Mizzou, with defense, that impressed me the most.

What do you think?