Miami Redhawks Football

After such a phenomenal high school career, could Ben Roethlisberger live up to the hype in college? We shall see...

A few late comers in the recruiting process were more or less snubbed by Roethlisberger as Miami of Ohio already has his loyalty. He showed up on his first day weighing just 185 pounds, quite a bit smaller than the Roethlisberger we all know and love.

He got to ride the bench as he was red-shirted his first year, just so he could get his feet wet in the system and bulk up a bit. Everyone in Oxford knew that the job was Ben’s the next year though, Miami would have a good reserve quarterback that knew the system sitting behind Ben in Ryan Hawk though.

In Ben’s first scrimmage with the Redhawks, against his own defense, he lit it up, impressing everyone on the windy day by completing 21 of 33 passes.

Ben got to start his first game after being named the starter, and did it under circumstances no quarterback wants to start a college career under. He got to play the Michigan Wolverines in The Big House.

He didn’t look too bad against a heavy pass rush though. The mistake that stands out the most in this game is the fact that he threw an interception in the end zone after having a touchdown called back due to a holding call.

He ended up breaking his nose and getting a concussion in a 33-13 loss.

The very next game is when people started falling in love with the legend that is Ben Roethlisberger. He was knocked out of the game against Iowa and Hawk came in to replace him, only to be knocked out himself on his first play.

Before Coach Terry Hoeppner could do or say anything he looked up and saw Roethlisberger putting his helmet back on. It was truly a testament to the man’s toughness and love for the sport.

Roethlisberger showed his intelligence and set school records against Hawaii that year, taking only a series to figure out a special made blitz package and throwing for 452 yards in a loss.

Miami didn’t so well that year, ending the season with an 7-5 record but the freshman phenom known as Ben Roethlisberger was voted MAC Freshman of the Year. He set five Miami records that season, including touchdowns (25), passing yards (3,105), completions (241), completion percentage (.663) and total offense (3,294 yards).

It was during this season that he was nicknamed “Big Ben” due to the play-call on his 70 yard Hail Mary pass against Akron to win the game, which can be watched here.

The next season garnered much of the same as the previous, Miami finishing at 7-5 once more. The stand out game of this season was against the Thundering Herd of Marshall for the MAC title. Roethlisberger’s Redhawks lost to a Marshall team that was missing star quarterback Byron Leftwich.

Ben did however lead them back from double digit scoring deficiencies twice during the game. This game also saw the Miami defensive coordinator Jon Wauford being led out of the stadium in handcuffs.

He broke two of his own school records that season as well, completing 271 passes for 3,238 yards. He also did some punting that year, downing 9 of 11 inside the opponent’s 20 yard line. Is there anything that he can’t do?

Roethlisberger was named a “Heisman Hopeful” prior to his junior season and made everyone look foolish by throwing four interceptions in an opening day loss to the Iowa Hawkeyes.

That’s alright though, because he then proceeded to defeat every team that he faced for the remainder of the season. Miami finished at 13-1 that year. They also got over the hurdle of beating Marshall that year and beat them they did, 45-6.

Miami was also ranked for the first time since 1976, albeit it being 23rd.

Ben finished his college career by throttling the Louisville Cardinals, throwing four touchdowns en route to a 49-28 victory. The thing that stood out the most was his composure under pressure and his ability to not only evade sacks, but make throws on the run while evading those sacks.

Roethlisberger was hailed as the next Chad Pennington when he came to college, and Pennington’s success certainly helped him out by showing that the MAC does have players who can play in the NFL.

He decided that he had nothing left to prove in the game of college football and declared for the NFL draft even though he had one year remaining in his eligibility.

Ben and many others believed that he was the best quarterback available in a draft full of quarterbacks. Though, the tale of the tape showed that teams like the Chargers and Giants didn’t believe as much, as Eli Manning and Phillip Rivers were both taken ahead of him.

The Green Bay Packers wanted him to be Brett Favre’s final project prior to his retirement, they were picking at No. 24. We all know that he didn’t last that long though.

The Steelers were coming off a rare season where they finished without a winning record, standing at 6-10. You’ve got to take into consideration how rare of a move this was for the Steelers, as the last time they picked a quarterback with their first rounder was in 1970 and that man is a Hall Of Famer, Terry Bradshaw.

Roethlisberger was more than happy to be drafted by the blue collar team, the location wasn’t far away from his hometown and it reminded him a lot of Findlay. He ultimately signed a six-year deal with a  $9 million signing bonus, which was less than half of Eli Manning’s signing bonus as the first round pick.

The man was drafted to be Tommy Maddox’s backup, we’ll see how that story goes in the next installment of this series.

Mike Haywood will leave Notre Dame to be head coach at Miami of Ohio.  Beyond loyalty to his alma mater, this type of opportunity brought Mike Haywood to ND.  The title "Offensive Coordinator" was an important entry for an already impressive resume.

Funny, I count myself among those who thought he might be fired at the end of this year.  The offensive play-calling was suspect in the last seven games of the season.  He did not go for the jugular against North Carolina and Syracuse.  The play-calling in the Pitt overtimes befuddled me.  Overall, his offense was not aggressive and not effective.

To his credit, Heywood developed or helped to develop Kevin Faulk, LaBrandon Toefield, Domanick Davis, Rondell Mealey, and Cecil Collins at LSU.  As the running backs coach at Texas, he coached 2004 Doak Walker award winner Cedric Benson.  He also worked with and helped develop Ramonce Taylor and Selvin Young. 

At Notre Dame, Darius Walker was a 1,000-yard rusher under his tutelage.  But, player development particularly on the offensive side of the ball has been suspect for most of his tenure.  The fact he is not only the offensive coordinator but also the running backs coach for a team that has never developed a consistent running game was a concern. 

Coach Haywood is a gifted recruiter.  Mack Brown made him his recruiting coordinator during Haywood’s last year at Texas.  That Texas recruiting class included Colt McCoy, Jermichael Finley, Jamaal Charles, Quan Cosby, Roy Miller, and Rodderick Muckleroy.  Haywood has been part of an Irish staff that has re-energized the Irish recruiting machine.  This group of coaches has elevated Notre Dame back into some analysts’ Top-10 rankings.

As an alum and former football player, Mike Haywood could give recruits the straight scoop on the demands of playing for a school with high academic standards.  If Ron Powlus remains with the staff, he may have to fill that role.

The question is whether his proficiency in recruiting was enough to keep him employed as ND's Offensive Coordinator?

I do wish Coach Haywood success, but I still believe that Miami of Ohio did Coach Weis a favor.

ESPN is reporting that Mike Haywood, Notre Dame's offensive coordinator, will be named the head coach at Miami of Ohio on Tuesday after agreeing to terms on a contract with the university.

To college football fans, there is one thing that might immediately come to mind: The addition of Haywood increases the number of minority head coaches.

With Tyrone Willingham, Sylvester Croom, and Ron Prince not returning to their teams next year, and the media attention garnered by those firings/resignations, it can be assumed that many of the higher-ups in college football are thankful. While there will still be pressure to increase the number of minority head coaches much further, this is no doubt a much needed hire.

There may also be a question among some fans of why the RedHawks would hire the Irish coordinator.

Haywood has been at Notre Dame for four seasons as the offensive coordinator and running backs coach. Those four seasons are his only years as an offensive coordinator, and this past season was his only one with play calling duties, which Charlie Weis later took over.

The Irish offense the past two seasons has not been great, and the running game has been a particularly glaring weakness. At times, the play calling under Haywood was called unimaginative, predictable, and mostly ineffective.

But Haywood was also on the staff for the very successful 2005 and 2006 campaigns, which led to BCS berths, and has been credited with an important role in Darius Walker's development as a running back.

In 2003 and 2004, Haywood was the running backs coach at Texas. There he coached the likes of Ramonce Taylor, Selvin Young, and Cedric Benson.

In his second year with the Longhorns, he was also the recruiting coordinator. The recruiting class that he was responsible for brought in Colt McCoy, Jermichael Finley, Jamaal Charles, Quan Cosby, Roy Miller, and Rodderick Muckleroy.

From 1995 to 2002, he held the same position for LSU. During his tenure, he helped to develop Kevin Faulk, LaBrandon Toefield, Domanick Davis, and Joseph Addai. To a lesser extent, he also had a hand in developing Devery Henderson and Josh Reed, who started their college careers as running backs before becoming productive wide receivers.

As with any first time head coach, he hasn't truly proved that he can put together a great program, so there is no way to predict how well the RedHawks will play during his tenure.

He has, however, put together a very good résumé. The only potential marks against him are the past two seasons with the Irish.

Miami of Ohio has been a stop along the way for many successful coaches, such as Ara Parseghian, Woody Hayes, and Bo Schembechler. Perhaps Mike Haywood will follow in their footsteps.

Miami of Ohio—“The Cradle of Football Coaches”—will name Mike Haywood, Notre Dame’s former offensive coordinator, as Miami’s next head football coach, according to sources close to Haywood. 

Mike Haywood, a Notre Dame graduate, will bring the number of African-American head football coaches to six in the 119 FBS programs.  Haywood has been the Fighting Irish’s offensive coordinator for four years under Charlie Weis.  His contributions to the Irish offensive explosion in 2005 earned him recognition by the American Football Coaches Association as the Assistant Coach of the Year.

Haywood is also Notre Dame’s running backs coach. He previously served as running backs coach for two years at Texas, where he coached Cedric Benson, the 2004 Doak Walker Award winner.  In his two years at Texas, the Longhorns were ranked second (2004) and fifth (2003) nationally in rushing.

Haywood was also the Longhorns' recruiting coordinator until Weis lured him back to Notre Dame.  A native of Texas, Haywood recruited the Lone Star state and Louisiana for the Irish.  Haywood was a four-year letterman at Notre Dame. 

Haywood was a running back coach at LSU from 1995-2002, where he developed some of the Tigers’ finest running backs, including Kevin Faulk, LaBrandon Toefield, Domanick Davis (NFL Rookie of the Year, 2003), Cecil Collins, and Rondell Mealey.  Haywood has been chosen as one of LSU’s All-Time Assistant Coaches.

He has also been an assistant coach at Ball State, Ohio University, Army, and Minnesota.

Haywood will join Turner Gill (Buffalo), Randy Shannon (Miami, Fl.), Kevin Sumlin (Houston), Mike Locksley (New Mexico), and Ron English (Eastern Michigan) as the sole African-American head coaches.  Haywood was a finalist last year for the head coaching position at Houston. 

With Haywood fillling Miami's position, Army and New Mexico State are the remaining FBS head coach openings.  Army is rumored to be on the verge of naming Rich Ellerson, Cal-Poly, head coach from eleven candidates.  Ivin Jasper, Navy, recently withdrew his name from consideration.  New Mexico State announced narrowing their field to three.  Only DeWayne Walker's name has emerged as one of the three.  Six of the ten candidates under consideration are African-American.  

Miami (O) got its nickname "The Cradle of Coaches" by producing such coaches as Earl (Red) Blaik, Paul Brown, Woody Hayes, Weeb Ewbank, Sid Gillman, Ara Parseghian, Bo Schembechler, Jim Tressel, Bill Arnsparger, George Little, Bill Mallory, John Pont, Ron Zook, Gary Moeller, Dick Tomey, Sean Payton, Dick Crum, Paul Dietzel, Randy Walker, John Harbaugh, Larry Smith, and Terry Hoeppner.

Under previous coach Shane Montgomery, the RedHawks were 17-30 over the last four years, including a 2-10 record in 2008.

Drew Willy lit up the scoreboard at UB Stadium on a night where history was made for the blue of the Buffalo Bulls and the blue of the Democratic Party. In the Election Day-inspired Red vs. Blue battle, the Buffalo Bulls defeated the Miami (OH) RedHawks 37-17.

The teams traded scores to begin the game, with Buffalo striking first on a Willy one-yard touchdown run. The RedHawks answered with a 39-yard field goal, which the Bulls answered with a 34-yard bomb from Willy to Naaman Roosevelt in the corner of the end zone, extending the lead to 14-3 at the end of the first quarter.

Miami came out in the second quarter with a touchdown drive that was capped by a seven-yard touchdown run by redshirt freshman quarterback Clay Belton. Willy answered the touchdown with another bomb, this time only 25 yards, which found Brett Hamlin in the middle of the end zone to give the Bulls a 21-10 halftime lead.

Miami started the second half with a touchdown drive that ended with J.R. Taylor's three-yard touchdown run. Unfortunately, the RedHawks defense failed to stop the Bulls' march down the field, and James Starks added to the Bulls' lead with a one-yard touchdown run. A.J. Principe missed the extra point off the left upright, and the Bulls led 27-17 after the third quarter.

However, the Bulls controlled the fourth quarter. Principe added a 34-yard field goal to begin the Bulls' monumental fourth quarter. After a Miami fumble, Starks put the game away with a 52-yard touchdown run, thereby, giving the Bulls their first win against the RedHawks.

Buffalo coach Turner Gill made some very gutsy calls to begin the game. He went for it on 4th-and-2 from the Miami 39 on the Bulls' first drive and faked a punt on the second drive. Fortunately for Buffalo, both plays resulted in first downs. This definitely set the tone for the game.

The Bulls offense accumulated 476 yards of total offense and only punted three times. Willy went 18-20 for 245 yards, and Starks ran for 177 yards on 26 carries.

Miami, on the other hand, gained a respectable 383 yards of total offense but fumbled twice, punted twice, missed a field goal, and turned the ball over on downs twice inside the red zone. In the end Belton went 17-30 for 178 yards, and Taylor ran for 69 yards on 16 carries to lead the RedHawks in rushing.

The Bulls move into sole possession of first place in the MAC East for the time with a 3-2 conference record to go along with their 5-4 overall record, one win shy of the Bulls' first bowl eligible season in their I-A history. Miami falls to 2-7 overall and 1-4 in conference.

Sure, I wasn't at Miami of Ohio for the Ben Roethlisberger days, but in my one-year stint in Oxford, Ohio, I saw some quality football.  The RedHawks made the MAC Championship game and were one win away from a bowl game.

This year, though, I came back home to Saint Louis and am currently attending Saint Louis University.  Not to say that I don't like it here, because I do, but it's really hard living without college football.

Here at SLU, as it is known, the sport of choice is soccer.  After all, the Billikens have the most soccer national championships in D-I history with 10.  That being said, no American soccer game can compare to the experience of watching college football.

Every RedHawks home game it would be the same routine: Wake up early on Saturday morning, partake in some "pregame activities," head to the stadium to tailgate and mingle with fellow fans, and then watch some MAC football.

In contrast, all I've done on Saturdays is sleep in until noon and veg around, resorting to watching college football on ESPN and other football-carrying networks.

It's pretty disheartening, to be honest, especially because I was close with several of the football players and had hoped to see their careers excel at the college level this season.

But instead of making the walk down to Yager Stadium to see the red and white, I'll be watching that East Coast thriller which is already in the second quarter by the time I wake up.

There were some undeniably great moments about last season too.  Roethlisberger came home to Yager Stadium to have his No. 7 jersey enshrined in RedHawk history for good.  The most exciting game of the year for the RedHawks happened at home, a 47-14 blowout of rival Bowling Green.

But I won't be there this year.  Instead, I'll be lying in bed, watching the big boys play on TV.

    1. When Nick Sheridan came into the game in the second quarter and then started the second half, I had to look over to the sideline to see if Charlie Weis was coaching the Wolverines. I don’t like the quarterback rotations at all.

I don’t know who the better player in practice is, and I’m not breaking down film after every game, but it seems like Steven Threet is more capable of running the offense. The bad thing so far is, with the exception of the touchdown pass to Junior Hemingway last week, all of his passes have sailed over the receivers’ heads. If he can get his precision down, this offense will be much more dynamic (or at least capable of sustaining drives).

Threet seems mobile enough to run the offense, though not quite the mobile quarterback Rodriguez wants to run this offense. However, he’s not going to get the quarterback he wants this year, so I’d like to see him pick a quarterback and stick with him.

2. I like what I saw today from  freshmen Sam McGuffie, Michael Shaw, and Martavious Odoms when they got the ball in the open field. They are quick little guys capable of turning short plays into big gains. However, I don’t like seeing them run the ball up the middle.

With the offensive line that Michigan has this season, there aren’t going to be gaping holes to run through. McGuffie and Shaw fall over whenever a defender touches them, unlike Mike Hart who had the lower-body strength to keep moving forward after contact for the past four years.

I would like to see Brandon Minor, Carlos Brown, and Kevin Grady get more carries and let McGuffie and Shaw do their work in the open field.

3. A positive from the first two games is the lack of penalties. So far, Michigan has 10 penalties for a total of 68 yards through two games. Utah and Miami combined for 19 penalties for 207 yards in those games.

Of those Michigan penalties, there was an illegal motion by a wide receiver (Savoy), a pass interference by a linebacker (Ezeh), a false start by tight end (Butler), a personal foul, two delay of games, a holding by an offensive lineman (Ortmann), a substitution infraction at the end of the Utah game, a holding on a kick return, and a pass interference on Morgan Trent.

I think this is a pretty disciplined team so far. Two of those penalties (delay of games) you can blame on the quarterback. One penalty was on special teams. The offensive line has had no false starts and one holding penalty. None of the penalties have been costly. Let’s hope we can keep that up.

4. I wish we had a better return game. I love Donovan Warren as a corner, but he hasn’t done anything on punt returns yet this year. Some of that has to do with the kick coverage – Miami’s gunners were able to get to him pretty easily on most of his returns – but he doesn’t seem to have the quickness to make guys miss.

I liked what I saw from Boubacar Cissoko on a couple of kick returns, so hopefully he can see more action in the return game. Does Steve Breaston have any eligibility left???

5. The defense has played outstanding since halftime of the Utah game. They’re playing up to their potential and haven’t given up a touchdown in the last six quarters. Bring on the Irish!

It used to be that you could count on death, taxes, and Vanderbilt losing.

And granted, the 'Dores haven't played in a bowl game since the Reagan Administration, have never threatened in the SEC East and probably won't again this year.  A handful of upsets along the way are all Vandy's had to show for its football program at a university without an athletic department.

Bobby Johnson took over in 2002, and the above facts haven't changed.  No bowls.  No winning seasons.  A few upsets to pass the time.

But even if the Commodores haven't won the war, they're winning some battles along the way.

Good players like Jay Cutler and Earl Bennett have come through Nashville under Johnson, and Vandy has flirted with a breakthrough.  Last season, though they still finished outside the bowl landscape, they won five games.  Which wasn't anything new in the last few years.

But they won those five games by an average of almost 17 points.  That was new.

Granted, they played Richmond, Eastern Michigan and Miami (OH).  But they also beat Ole Miss and South Carolina by double digits.  Even if they weren't winning six, they weren't finding a way to lose all the time.  Even if you couldn't take them seriously, you couldn't take them for granted either.

However, graduation losses, especially the departure of WR Earl Bennett, made many this offseason say that Johnson had missed his window and it would be back to the doldrums in 2008.

And maybe it still will be.  But on the first night of the college football season, Vanderbilt made a point.

It's still a small point, and those outside the SEC and Miami (OH) may not understand it,  but when the 'Dores went on the road tonight and ran for 275 yards and won by three touchdowns 34-13, they proved that maybe it's not just the every now and again surge of talent with a player like Bennett, and it's definitely not a fluke.

Vanderbilt has made progress.  Real progress.

A team that was supposed to be the old Vanderbilt instead won a road game by three touchdowns.  And Miami (OH) isn't Miami (FL), who isn't regular FL, whom the 'Dores will see along with the rest of the SEC East soon enough.  But the RedHawks aren't terrible either, and Vandy was impressive.  Or at least they were impressive enough.

QB Chris Nickson won't win the Heisman, but his day with 138 yards rushing and playing mistake-free in the passing game was great.  The Commodores picked off three passes.  They did what they had to do to win and win comfortably, which used to be the polar opposite of a program that would do anything it took to lose.

So maybe Vandy goes 1-11.  Maybe they miss another bowl game.  And maybe another talent like Cutler or Bennett doesn't roll around again.  But tonight proves, at the very least, that even without those marquee players, Bobby Johnson has progressed this program away from the automatic circled victory on the opposition's schedule to a team you have to look twice at. 

The steps may be small, but they are steps nonetheless.  Johnson has done a good job.  Vanderbilt cannot be taken for granted.

And if that can happen at Vanderbilt, it can happen anywhere.

This weekend in college football was the most exciting in recent memory, as underappreciated underdogs all across the country rose up against their favored opposition. 

From Auburn over Florida to Florida State over Alabama to Illinois over Penn State, analysts across the land were left scratching their heads.

Over the first month of the season, the equilibrium of college football had been relatively undisturbed. The four teams predicted by many to rise to the top—USC, LSU, Florida, and Oklahoma did just that. 

Michigan didn't live up to lofty preseason expectations, but the Wolverines still figure to be in the hunt for a Big Ten Championship.  Virginia Tech lost badly to LSU, but are the favorites in the ACC.  Sure, South Florida, Oregon, and Kentucky have played better than expected, and Louisville, Tennessee, and Arkansas have played worse, but there had been no major shakeup in the rankings.

Until now. 

The 3rd, 4th, 5th, 7th, 10th, 11th, and 13th ranked teams in the AP Poll ALL lost in the same week for the first time in years. None of these games, except for Oregon-California game and possibly South Florida-West Virginia, were meant to be even close. 

One common theme was that many of the underdogs had beaten the favorites the year prior.  In 2006, South Florida upset West Virginia, Kansas State upset a Colt McCoy-less Texas team, and Auburn beat the eventual national champion Florida. 

Still, no major analyst was ready to even whisper "upset."  It was supposed to be redemption weekend for the favorites...but only Cal Berkeley got the memo.

South Florida started off the weekend on a good note by easily handling the West Virginia Mountaineers.  The South Florida defense—which has now allowed only 11.8 points per game through five games—once again shut down a ranked opponent. 

The Bulls D held the three-headed monster of Pat White, Steve Slaton, and Noel Devine to a mere 126 yards rushing, although White left in the second quarter with a deep thigh bruise. 

Had USF QB Matt Grothe performed even moderately well, he would have been on my Heisman short list—but he didn't exactly step up to the plate in throwing for 135 yards and a  touchdown with two interceptions.  

Still, USF won this one for the underdogs—and for Big East, which has to be recognized as one of the best conferences in the country.

As for Auburn and Florida—the Gators were supposed to redeem themselves for last year's loss against a vastly inferior Tigers team. Instead, they got victimized by another high point in the roller-coaster ride that is the Brand Cox Experience.

The mere mention of the inconsistent Cox brings most Auburn fans to tears or rage, but the embattled quarterback always shows up against Florida.  Cox is like a box of chocolates—you never know what you’re gonna get...except against the Gators.

In his three games against significant opponents (Mississippi State, South Florida, and Kansas State), Cox threw for a meager 49.3 completion percentage with 436 yards, two touchdowns, and six interceptions.  But against Florida—in the vaunted “Swamp”—he posted a 65.4 completion percentage with 227 yards passing. 

I guess we won’t hear chants for freshman quarterback Kodi Burns for a few weeks...until Cox returns to his old form, complete with poor decision-making, worse elusiveness, and a weaker-than-average arm. 

Last night, though, we should’ve all remembered that Auburn owns Florida.  Auburn fans, don’t forget to pick up “Your Season Is Over!” T-shirts at an Auburn University Fan Shop near you.

Colorado wasn’t even supposed to contend with the explosive Oklahoma offense, but somehow held redshirt freshman Sam Bradford—whose QB rating was over 200, which I assure you is pretty good—to a 42.1 completion percentage with 112 yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions. 

Stud freshman running back DeMarco Murray also struggled, gaining only 39 yards on eight touches. 

While Cody Hawkins threw two interceptions for the Buffs, the redshirt freshman was still 61.1 percent with two touchdowns and two or more completions to seven different receivers. 

Oklahoma was no doubt looking past this game toward the Red River Shootout in Dallas on October 6th—as was archrival Texas.

The #7 Longhorns choked away their season at the end of last year, losing to Kansas State and Texas A&M.  One would assume that the Longhorns would have been chomping at the bit to get some revenge...but the team just plain came out flat.

 
Colt McCoy is suffering from “Rudy Carpenter Syndrome," also known as a horrible sophomore slump.  Under-the-radar linebacker/defensive end Ian Campbell may begin to get some national recognition after his interception return for a touchdown.

#10 Rutgers and #13 Clemson also lost, proving they weren’t who we all thought they were. 

Maryland’s defense held Heisman hopeful Ray Rice to 91 yards rushing.  Although the Terrapins don’t really have a quarterback, the offense pounded the Scarlet Knights on the ground for 239 yards. 

Rutgers may have been slightly overrated, but a team without a quarterback will usually be the underdog to the #10 team in the country.

Clemson proved that you do in fact need a competent playcaller to win football games.  Few would argue that James Davis and C.J. Spiller aren’t the best two players on Clemson’s football team, but somehow they only had 23 touches between them. 

I know Cullen Harper has been putting up Heisman-esque numbers, but when you have two of the best running backs in the country on the same team, you give each of them the ball much more often than Tommy Bowden did. 

I bet Spiller wishes he had transferred to Florida after last year, as he almost did.  I’m sure Urban Meyer could use him now. 

Georgia Tech has officially claimed the title of the Most Inconsistent Team in the Country. After getting handled by BC and Virginia, the GT defense and RB Tashard Choice played inspired football for the Yellow Jackets—probably saving Chan Gailey’s job.

This weekend may not have provided the unforgettable moment that was Appalachian State 34 – Michigan 32, but I can't remember ever being prouder of the underdog. 

The upsets give hope to other teams out there who might think they have little or no chance at winning.  But that’s why they strap it up on Saturdays.

As Kansas City Chiefs head coach Herm Edwards once famously pronounced, “You Play to Win the Game!”

Extra Points 

-With their upset of the Penn State Nittany Lions—and their first win over a ranked team since 2001—the Illinois Fighting Illini have officially returned to respectability in the Big Ten. 

While Penn State had been wildly overrated after their blowout victory over Notre Dame in Week Two (back when Notre Dame still seemed capable of scoring offensive touchdowns), the Illini's victory proves they can contend in the conference. 

They probably don’t have a chance to win this year, but with talents like Rashard Mendenhall and Arrelious “Regis” Benn, the Illini could potentially have an eight- or nine-win season.

-Purdue has had the most under-the-radar 5-0 start out of any team I can think of...but when they're playing mid-majors and/or cupcakes such as Toledo, Eastern Illinois, Minnesota, Central Michigan, and Notre Dame, they don’t deserve much recognition. 

A big test will be when Ohio State travels to West Lafayette, IN, to face the Boilermakers this Saturday.  In my Big Ten Preview, I said Purdue would upset OSU. I also said Michigan would go 11-1, so I’m going against my initial intuition. 

As far as Notre Dame goes—I'll start referring to Charlie Weis as “Chaz” Weis until he wins a game.  Also, can Lou Holtz ever bring himself to pick against his beloved Fighting Irish or his Gamecocks? Maybe when ND plays USC...

-Speaking of USC, did they just almost lose to Washington? USC has a bad habit of playing down to  its opponents, as evidenced by the Trojans’ three-point victory over the Huskies. 

Hopefully John David Booty’s two interceptions against a questionable Washington defense take him out of the Heisman running for the time being.  One can only rely on hype over production for so long. 

If I remember correctly, Ohio State quarterback Todd Boeckman went into Seattle and carved up the Huskies secondary.  By that logic, should Boeckman be considered for the Heisman? Never! Of course not!

-Kudos to THE Miami University in Oxford, Ohio—not to be confused with the University of Miami in Florida—for their 17-14 upset over Syracuse. 

Since the 2-3 MAC member is better than Syracuse and Syracuse is better than former National Championship contender Louisville, by the transitive property Miami University is better than the University of Louisville.

-By his standards, quarterback Graham Harrell had a pedestrian performance in Texas Tech’s 75-7 victory over Northwestern State. 

Harrell only threw 40 passes, completing 26 of them for 338 yards, five touchdowns, and no interceptions.  On the year, Harrell has a 71.6 completion percentage with 2,301 yards passing, 24 touchdowns, and only two interceptions. 

If Tech has any semblance of defense, which I’m not sure they do, they'll give Oklahoma and Texas Tech some trouble down the road. 

Freshman wide receiver Michael Crabtree—who infamously dropped Texas Tech’s game-winning touchdown against Oklahoma State last week—is on pace for 144 receptions, 2,208 yards receiving, and 34 touchdowns.  I know Crabtree is part of the prolific Texas Tech offensive “system,” but a player with 14 touchdown receptions this early deserves some recognition.

-Remember Rhett Bomar?

The former Oklahoma quarterback who got kicked off the team for taking money from a car dealership he didn't really work for now plays for Sam Houston State of Division I-AA. 

Sam Houston State played Oklahoma State yesterday—and while Bomar had the chance of a lifetime to show up his former Big 12 rival, he instead had an interception and a 44.9 completion percentage as the Bearkats (not a typo) lost 39-3 in Stillwater.

-Before, I would’ve said that Matt Grothe was a poor man’s Matt Flynn for his savvy pocket presence, mobility, and good decision-making.  Now I would say the opposite. 

Bleacher Report writer Will Schmidley and I have been at odds over whether Flynn is a good player or not.  I say he is the worst LSU quarterback in the history of football. 

While that is a gross overstatement, Ryan Perrilloux is better than Flynn, although his -1 passing yards last week aren’t making the best case for me.

Flynn couldn’t throw a touchdown against Tulane, so what can we really expect out of him against Florida? Remember, Flynn is no Brandon Cox.  Okay, I can’t say that with a straight face, but expect Florida to expose Flynn’s weaknesses, beat LSU, and leave every SEC team not named Kentucky with at least one loss halfway through the season. 

Might the precious SEC be overrated? I think so.  I’ll await demeaning, belittling responses from overzealous SEC diehards.

-I was completely wrong about Pittsburgh’s football team this year. 

I figured that the defense along with a solid offensive line and running game would make up for the losses of key players Tyler Palko, H.B. Blades, and Clint Session.  But in the Panthers’ last two games, the defense has allowed an alarming 39 points per. 

On the bright side, two true freshmen are gaining valuable experience in key positions.  Running back LeSean “Shady” McCoy (509 yards rushing, six touchdowns) and quarterback Patrick Bostick (61.6 percent for 411 yards) may not lead their team to victories now, but watch out for the return of the Panthers in 2008 or 2009.

-Vanderbilt is 3-1 and three wins away from going to a bowl game.  With away games at Auburn, South Carolina, Florida, and Tennessee and home contests against Georgia, Miami (OH), Kentucky, and Wake Forest, the quest will probably go down to the wire.

 
Vanderbilt will beat Miami and is due for at least one upset, but the Commodores will need one more victory if they want the opportunity to play in the Emerald Golden Nut Bowl.

Washington University (MO) Watch: The Bears improved to 4-1 on the season as they easily beat Rhodes College 24-3.  The Bears were led by junior quarterback Buck Smith, who went 19 for 30 with 228 yards and two touchdowns, and sophomore running back Matt Glenn, who scored his sixth touchdown of the season.

Some links 

-I’m pretty sure 99 percent of you have seen Oklahoma State head coach Mike Gundy tearing a new one out of Stillwater newspaper editor Jenni Carlson.  It’s moments like these that make it so entertaining to be college football fans—unless you're somehow offended by the hair gel maniac that is Mike Gundy. 

With priceless quotables such as, “Come after me! I’m 40! I’m not a kid!” and “The newspaper is garbage! And the editor who let this article come out is garbage!,” Mike gave us some humor for our relaxing Sunday afternoons.  Gundy’s tirade against all newspapers around the world was almost as good as Colorado head coach Dan Hawkins “It’s Division One Football!” outburst on February signing day.  

The only thing that Hawkins could’ve said to make it better was, “It’s Bowl Subdivision Football! It ain’t Championship Subdivision Football!”...but maybe that’s just me.

-Mike Gundy isn’t just mad at Jenni Carlson, Mike Gundy is mad at you.

-Nick Saban Hate: This is really old, but pretty funny for you Harry Potter fans. In addition to being signed as the head football coach, Saban was also hired as new Alabama Defense against the Dark Arts teacher.  He has to earn that $4 million dollar a year salary.  Saban’s two straight losses to Georgia and Florida State have prompted a funny, albeit premature Fire Coach Nick Saban website.

-Speaking of websites dedicated to firing coaches, a Columbus law firm bought the rights to Fire Jim Tressel, because anyone thinking that must be out of his mind.

-This rap video is dedicated to Ohio State Buckeyes fans.  I don’t know whether I should be proud or embarrassed after watching this, but I swear we are not all like these people.

-Speaking of Ohio State, third-string redshirt freshman quarterback Antonio Henton was arrested after being accused of soliciting a prostitute in Columbus.  Apparently, he offered $20 for sex.  Now I don’t know much about this practice, but something tells me that for that amount of money, Henton should be glad he was arrested before anything happened.

-Because I’m sure you all are tired of watching various interpretations of the Soulja Boy, watch the Deion Sanders dance tutorial.

-Flashback to the Greg Jones Jacked Up Era.

-This guy needs a little practice on his celebration dance.

-Because you’re probably laughing at Jimmy Clausen too.

-Howie Mandel doesn’t like to shake the hand of this 5’9” running back with cat-like agility.  What about 6’5” quarterbacks with laser rocket arms?

-Did you know Tim Tebow was born in the Philippines?  A country with Roman Catholicism as its predominant religion...how in the world couldn’t Chaz Weis recruit him to Notre Dame? 

Tebow was also home-schooled in Florida but legally allowed by Florida legislature to participate in high school football due to a special bill.  This has prompted Alabama citizens to propose the “Tim Tebow Bill”—asking Alabama state legislature for a similar rule.

-I apologize for this in advance, but...Leave Herm Edwards Alone!

-After you wash your hands, Jim Harbaugh says you should buy Stanford tickets.

-In the Classified ads, Duke is looking for a kicker.  Scholarship potential!

-Leading up to Matt Stafford’s game-winning touchdown pass to Mikey Henderson in overtime a week ago, ESPN announcer Mike Patrick has an important question for the booth...What is Britney doing with her life?

-“Momma Says Knock You Out”—Navy Goat style

-Two mascots in a Professional Basketball League in Rome, GA, duke it out.

-The Kansas City Chiefs wolf mascot body slams an intruder on the field.

-Cheese Rolling, the strangest yet most entertaining sport I’ve ever seen.

-Former Texas Longhorn All-American Roy Williams doesn’t tip the pizza guy.  Let me just say, he’d better not be my cousin.

Next Week: Sunday Afternoon Quarterback will be in Champaign, Illinois to see whether the Fighting Illini can knock off “skinny” P.J. Hill and the rest of Bret Bielema’s Wisconsin Badgers.