Gator Bait!

Tim Tebow returned and the Florida Gators passed what appears to be their stiffest regular season test. This past Saturday saw national title contenders flex their muscles. There were a few very good finishes and I think we learned a lot about teams. We are deep enough into the season to understand most teams. There are some teams that have not been tested yet but for the most part, we know enough about teams to draw some conclusions.

Thoughts from the Couch
-Virginia Tech is the best one-loss team in the country right now. The Hokies pounded the Boston College Eagles to put a stranglehold on the ACC. The Hokies only loss came on opening night against Alabama. I think they have gotten their offense sufficiently revved up behind an improved Tyrod Taylor and a dominating running game. Ryan Williams might be one of the five best running backs in the country. The defense is always stiff in Blacksburg and this group is no exception. If they can run the table for the rest of the season, they might find themselves in the title game.

-Oregon is USC's biggest test in the PAC-10. The Ducks have rescued their season from the fire after a loss at Boise State and a near home loss to Purdue. They have been rolling since with wins over Utah, Cal and UCLA. Oregon beat the Bruins 24-10 without quarterback Jeremiah Masoli. I don't think they can beat USC but they get them in Eugene and Chip Kelly has restored their confidence after what could have been a disastrous start.

-Auburn isn't quite ready for the spotlight. The Tigers were off to a great 5-0 start. However, they got absolutely drilled by the Arkansas Razorbacks. A late rally made things a little bit interesting but Arkansas completely dominated in the 44-23 win. I called for Ryan Mallett to have the best stats in the SEC at season's end. He continued his stellar season with 274 yards and two touchdowns. Both of these fan bases should be happy with the direction their programs are heading.

Kudos
-The Florida Gators were not spectacular or explosive. They didn't put up huge numbers or blow out LSU. But I thought, they made a very loud statement on Saturday night in front of a sold out Tiger Stadium crowd. The Gators were more physical and more intense than LSU. The offensive line blew LSU off the ball and Florida ran the ball straight up the middle of the Tigers defense. Florida's defense controlled the Tigers offense all night and didn't give them a single big play to gain momentum. Tim Tebow had a very good game considering not taking any hits for two weeks. I loved the hard-nosed performance from Florida and they will need more of it if they want to beat Alabama.

-Kudos to Army. They always deserve our congratulations for even fielding a competitive team under the restrictions they recruit against. The Army Golden Knights knocked off the Vanderbilt Commodores 16-13 in overtime on Saturday. Beating an SEC team is an extraordinary accomplishment, nice job.

-Kudos to Bowling Green wide receiver Freddie Barnes. Barnes caught 22 passes for 278 yards and three scores as the Falcons squeaked by Kent State 36-35. This was an extraordinary performance. Barnes was an NFL prospect before this game and I imagine his highlight got some nice additions after Saturday.

Shame On You
-The Florida State defense continues to be atrocious. The Seminoles are undersized. That works if you have a lot of speed. Problem is, FSU's defense is not very fast. They were shredded by the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets triple option offense. I always enjoy watching Georgia Tech play. The triple option is fascinating, especially when it is run with good athletes. The Yellow Jackets racked up 532 yards including 401 on the ground. I wish IU would hire a coach who would implement the triple option at Indiana. They would be more exciting, attract more fans and win more games.

-I wrote a couple of weeks ago that the natives were getting restless in Athens, Georgia. Well, after Saturday's performance at Tennessee, they want some answers. Mark Richt has always been reluctant to make personnel changes but he needs to get rid of his two coordinators if he wants keep his job. The defense was shredded for 45 points by a woeful offense. The offense managed three points. Mike Bobo and Willie Martinez better have their bags packed, they might not last another week. It was painfully obvious that Tennessee was going to run playaction and roll Crompton out to the right. Georgia never did anything about it and they were embarrassed 45-17. This team was supposed to be a challenge for Florida. Not happening!

-The Purdue Boilermakers had another good start on Saturday at Minnesota. However, midway through the second quarter, things began to unravel. They again struggled in the second half and fell 35-20 to the Gophers. That isn't bad, Minnesota is a decent team. The problem for the Boilermakers is they are now -9 in turnover margin (nation average is -1.5). The Boilers continue to fumble the football and if they don't figure it out soon, they might finish with one or two wins.

Okay, I will preview the Hoosiers and Illini plus the upcoming week in college football in the next couple of days. Until then, stay vigilant and God Bless America.

Hoosier Hysteria is only two days away!