So far, the preseason questions about the Tigers’ ability to replace stars from last year’s Sugar Bowl winning squad seem to have been answered. Senior QB Matt Flynn is playing as well as any QB in the country and the Tiger defense is absolutely dominating opponents. They pummeled Virginia Tech, a preseason top 10 team, 41-0. They withstood Florida’s best shot this past weekend to stay unbeaten at 6-0. They are, without a doubt, the top team in the country.
Upsets Everywhere
We’ve seen five year’s worth of major upsets packed into one season:
Appalachian State beating Michigan – The football equivalent of a 16 seed beating a 1 in the NCAA basketball tournament. Division II App. St. derailed Michigan’s national title run before it even began and opened up serious questions about Lloyd Carr’s long-term longevity in Ann Arbor. The Wolverines seem to have righted the ship since this opening game debacle, but the upset will live on as one of the greatest of all time.
Stanford beating USC – Ending the longest home winning streak in the country is something special. Doing it as a 41 point underdog is simply unheard of. This was bound to happen to USC at one point or another this season, but it’s a shock that the letdown happened against Stanford.
Syracuse beating Louisville – Syracuse is quite possibly the worst team among the BCS conferences. Yet their sole win came against Louisville, on the road, and as a 37.5 point dog. The game seriously exposed Louisville for what they are – not a good team.
Heisman Race Wide Open
This race is about as wide open as it could be at the moment. None of the players on the pre-season hype list have done a lot to distinguish themselves through the halfway point in the season. Arkansas RB Darren McFadden is probably still the guy to beat, but don’t be surprised to see other names like Cal WR DeSean Jackson or Florida QB Tim Tebow thrown into the mix.
Best Press Conference
Mike Gundy, Oklahoma State.
Gundy’s “I’m a Man!!!” rant was ridiculous enough to earn a spot in the Denny Green “Crown their Asses!” pantheon of all-time great post-game press conference blowups.
Biggest Surprise(s)
Illinois. Consecutive 2-win seasons did little to inspire faithful among the Illini faithful in Champaign. However, much maligned coach Ron Zook has finally gotten his team on track, securing the first major win of his tenure with an upset of then ranked no. 5 Wisconsin this past weekend. The Illini are 5-1, and with games against Michigan and Ohio State still looming, they could be in a position to shake up the Big Ten title race.
South Florida/Cincinnati/Connecticut. The Big East trio are all undefeated and tied for the conference lead. Preseason favorites West Virginia, Rutgers and Louisville, on the other hand, have all suffered conference losses so far.
Boston College. Also 6-0 and leading the ACC. QB Matt Ryan has been on fire as of late, and his inspired play has moved him squarely into the discussion for many of the major postseason awards lists (Heisman?).
Biggest Disappointment
Louisville. The Cards entered the season as a top-10 team and a favorite to reach a BCS bowl for the second year in a row. 6 games in, they’re struggling mightily at 3-3 with bowl eligibility looking less and less likely every week. The defense has been torched repeatedly, surrendering an average of over 40 points a game in their losses. Senior QB Brian Brohm is the lone bright spot on the team, having thrown for 2,400 yards and 20 TDs thus far. However, new Cards coach Steve Kragthorpe appears to be way in over his head with this team, and many in the normally supportive Louisville fan base are clamoring for his removal.
What to Watch For
- Can LSU stay undefeated? It’s entirely conceivable to see them lose to either Auburn, Alabama or Arkansas. Plus, a possible blood-feud rematch with Florida could happen in the SEC championship game.
- Can Cal win the Pac-10? With USC blowing the game against Stanford, the Golden Bears’ destiny is entirely in their hands.
- Will a mid-major get a shot at the BCS? Boise State proved last year that the little guys can indeed play great football at the highest level. Hawaii is the only non-BCS school in both polls at the moment, and it looks like they’ll have to stay unblemished to make it to crash the BCS party.
- Is Ohio State for real? They destroy all the teams they are supposed to beat, but it doesn’t seem as if they’ve been tested at all this season.
- Will Kentucky flame out? The Cats currently stand at 5-1, but they face a brutal closing stretch that includes games against LSU, Florida, Georgia and Tennessee.
- Where will Notre Dame end up? It’s been a sorry season thus far for the Irish, to say the least.
-posted by Rev. Shaw Moore
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