Notes on the Nation:
Recap:
I was on the road once again this Saturday, but I still have a take on what we can call "Shakedown Saturday."
Obviously, the big story is Texas outgunning Oklahoma. It should be interesting to see if they can keep there winning ways going as the Longhorns' upcoming games include the now one-loss Missouri Tigers and the undefeated Oklahoma State Cowboys and Texas Tech Red Raiders. If they can get through that part of the schedule, they may deserve to be the unanimous No. 1 team in the country.
That being said, Oklahoma still has a shot at the national title. They need to run the table and get a little bit of help by hoping Texas slips up (which it very likely could) and then finish the deal in the Big 12 Championship Game.
It looks like there could be not just one but two non-BCS schools undefeated at the end of the year and both could end up playing in big money games. Those two could be Boise State and the winner of the "Holy War" game between Utah and BYU. I would imagine Utah or BYU would have the best shot at actually playing for the title as the Utes have been to the BCS before already and BYU won a National Championship several years ago under Fisher DeBerry.
I'm going to eat my words on Oklahoma State after the Cowboys beat Mizzou. No one should ever underestimate a head coach who's a man, who's 40 and thinks his the local newspaper is garbage. I put the Tigers in the same boat as the Sooners now. They still have a chance, but they need some help.
The top teams in the SEC keeping beating the puss out of each other. Florida dismantling LSU probably solidifies them as the second best team in the conference at least for a week and puts Alabama by itself at the top, for now. I just don't see the Crimson Tide going undefeated. The SEC is just that good of a conference that it seems nearly impossible for one team to go unscathed for an entire season. And just as I jumped on the Vandy bandwagon, they lose. Go figure (at least I picked Mississippi State in my pick 'em pool).
Top 25
1. Texas
2. Alabama
3. Utah
4. BYU
5. Boise State
6. Penn State
7. Oklahoma State
8. Ohio State
9. Kansas
10. Florida
11. USC
12. Virginia Tech
13. Georgia
14. North Carolina
15. Florida State
16. Pittsburgh
17. South Florida
18. Connecticut
19. LSU
20. Oklahoma
21. Missouri
22. Vanderbilt
23. South Carolina
24. Oregon
25. Arizona
Looking Ahead:
The Commodores will have their biggest test to date when they head to Athens to face the Georgia Bulldogs. I envision Knowshon Moreno running all over Vandy's defense.
Kansas and Oklahoma should be an interesting game. If the Sooners come out sleep walking and down on their selves after last week, the Jayhawks are more than capable of posting OU's second loss in a row.
Ohio State at Michigan State will feature the two best running backs in not just the Big Ten, but the country. If Javon Ringer can run over the Buckeyes' defense to lead the Spartans to victory, I'll throw MSU in my Top 25.
Just like with Oklahoma, LSU also finds itself in a precarious position. The Tigers better not sleep on the "Ole' 'Ball Coach" because if they do, Spurrier and South Carolina will burn them.
Last and definitely not least is Missouri at Texas. I expect a lot of the same as we saw in the Red River Shootout last week. Team accolades aside, this game also have potential to affect the Heisman race, as MU quarterback Chase Daniel is still a front runner for the trophy and Texas passer Colt McCoy has emerged as a legitimate candidate after last week's victory.
Heisman Watch:
1. Max Hall QB BYU
2. Javon Ringer RB Michigan State
3. Chase Daniel QB Missouri
4. Sam Bradford QB Oklahoma
5. Charles Scott RB LSU
The Bull Breaker:
Recap:
What a disappointing loss for the Bulls. I can't say I remember any of Gill's teams giving up a lead like that in the fourth quarter. Buffalo has done a great job of finishing off opponents under Gill and this is not common.
Buffalo's record now stands at 2-4, a position that the team is all too familiar with and had wanted to avoid. The Bulls' play has been better than their win-loss tally but ultimately all that matters are the Ws.
Either way, the two consecutive conference losses (both also coming down to the last play of the game) in a row may have put the Bulls behind the proverbial 8-ball already. I think six wins is still a good possibility, but making the bare minimum for bowl eligibility doesn't guarantee a MAC team to play in the post-season.
Looking Ahead:
Army comes to UB Stadium this weekend. The last time they played in Amherst, the Bulls were able to pull out a victory over the military academy under Jim Hofher.
After losing its last four contests, including an 18-point loss to FBC school New Hampshire, the Black Knights have won two consecutive games over Tulane and Eastern Michigan.
I can't see Turner Gill letting this team drop a fourth game in a row. There is too much on the line at this point to let this squad get down on themselves, especially with more ever-so-crucial league games still to come on the schedule. Army is an improved team, but still has some of the least talented players in Division I FBS. This week UB should get back on track.