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Posted 10/29/2006 at 12:43 PM
I had the table all set for a big day yesterday after going 3-0 with my early picks. Virginia (-2), Kentucky (-1.5) and Indiana (+7.5) were all winners.
Probably the biggest surprise in that bunch was the way with which the Hoosiers dispatched Michigan State. There was no big comeback this time for the Spartans as Indiana stepped on their throat in the first half and never let up en route to a 46-21 thrashing to recapture the Old Brass Spittoon for the first time since 2001.
If you haven't gotten a chance to see the redshirt freshman QB at Indiana play, you are really missing something. Kellen Lewis accounted for six touchdowns (five throwing, one rushing) against Michigan State and hooked up four times with his favorite target, sophomore wide receiver James Hardy. At 6-1, Lewis will never be confused with former Hoosiers QB Antwaan Randle El, but he does have some nice scrambling ability to go along with a live arm.
But getting back to the point - there I was sitting at 3-0 with three games yet to kickoff and visions of a 6-0 sweep were starting to enter my head. Those thoughts didn't stay around for long once the Texas/Texas Tech game kicked off.
I had the Longhorns (-10.5) last night and once they fell into a 21-0 hole in the first quarter I knew I was sunk. It was little consolation that from that point on Texas outscored the Red Raiders 35-10. Then again, when Colt McCoy busted free for a late run that would ice the game, I did think for just a second that I was going to witness one crazy backdoor cover. However, McCoy never really made a serious threat to get in the endzone, sliding down after a 33-yard gain and then kneeling a couple times to preserve a four-point Texas win.
It's always amazing to me how a team like Texas Tech can only score six points against someone like Colorado and even fewer (3) against TCU yet rack up 31 against the Longhorns. That just goes to show you how unpredictable some of these intra-state rivalries can be.
The Texas loss was coupled with another as Wyoming (+6) could never get anything going against TCU. I knew this had the potential to be a dangerous spot for the Cowboys as the Horned Frogs were sitting at 0-2 in the Mountain West and desperately needed to get in the win column. However, I was counting on the Wyoming defense - ranked 3rd nationally - to keep this game close. Unfortunately, TCU QB Jeff Ballard threw for 244 yards against a defense that had been allowing 121 through the air and the Horned Frogs rolled to an easy 26-3 win.
All of a sudden my 3-0 start was sitting at 3-2 and my final play, Tennessee -3, was down 17-14 to start the 4th quarter at South Carolina. Thankfully the Vols rallied to outscore the Gamecocks by ten in the final stanza and Tennessee held on for a 31-24 victory.
Random Thoughts:
Southern Cal was finally exposed. Most experts had agreed that the Trojans were living on borrowed time when it came to their undefeated record but then again, most didn't see them losing at Oregon State, 33-31. With Oregon, Cal, UCLA and Notre Dame still left on the schedule, it wouldn't be at all surprising to see USC finish the regular season with three losses - maybe more.
It doesn't seem too long ago when everyone used to rag on the ACC and the way Florida State dominated that conference. Oh, how the mighty have fallen. It's really not that big a deal to beat the Seminoles anymore and after Maryland's 27-24 victory over FSU the Seminoles sit at 4-4 and 2-4 in conference - dead last in the Atlantic division of the ACC. Miami, at 5-3 and 2-2 isn't much better. So much for the state of Florida ruling the ACC.
Right now West Virginia is obviously in the driver's seat to play the winner of the Ohio State/ Michigan game (Nov. 18) for all the marbles. However, with a huge test this Thursday night at Louisville and games left against teams such as Rutgers and Pittsburgh, the Mountaineers still have a lot of work left. You can been sure that a number of one-loss SEC teams - namely Florida, Auburn and Tennessee - are hoping that both West Virginia and Louisville slip up down the stretch which would leave the door wide open for that conference champion to end up in Arizona on January 8.
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