Week 8 Recap

Week 8; BCS Picture Coming into Focus

 

     The BCS is finally coming into focus, but there is still plenty of football left that could cloud it all up again. For starters, does Florida deserve to be #1 in the rankings? Even if they don't end the season at #1, they certainly deserve that spot at this point of the season. Alabama continues to play inferior teams, but at least they have what appears to be their first test in the SEC this season. They host Mississippi State.

  

     My picks for the weekend didn't end up perfect but it was still a solid week for my picks. I went 5-2. Moving my record to 34-15 for the season.

 

     South Carolina will be licking their wounds for the next few weeks. The Gators never gave them a chance to find their footing, and that was key in this blow-out. Driskel threw 4 TD's. Granted, Florida never had to sustain long drives for their TD's, but that means their defense did their job. Great win for the Gators. Terrible loss for Spurrier and the Gamecocks.

 

 

 

    Michigan edged out Michigan State. Well, at least we know which team is the worst in the state of Michigan. The Spartans had plenty of chances to win this game and they just couldn't get it done. The Wolverines now have a legit shot at salvaging their season. They have some important games ahead, and if they can pull those games out, they are in business.

 

    What about the games I picked right?

 

     Alabama over Tennessee. Yeah, this was a no-brainer. I had to include it in my picks though. Tennessee looked like they were going to hang around for awhile, but as we thought, Bama took control of the game and never took their foot off the gas. I said 35-17, and it ended up 44-13. Alabama still has yet to be tested. They have played 'Mickey Mouse' teams thus far, but that schedule should get a little tougher down the stretch. LSU may still prove to have what it takes to take down the Tide. That game is just around the corner, and LSU is getting better every week.

 

 

 

     Kansas State destroys West Virginia. Welcome to the Big 12, West Virginia. The formula that teams can use to beat West Virginia seems to be: Have an average or better offense, and have an average defense. Don't get me wrong, Kansas State is better than average on both sides of the ball. However, I think there are plenty of teams out there that could slow down Geno Smith. That's a surprise. Who thought West Virginia's offense could be stopped?.......Sure, we knew they could be slowed down, but stopped? They have been stopped dead in their tracks 2 weeks in a row. It wasn't the shoot-out I thought it would be (42-28). It ended up 55-14. Shocking to see Geno Smith struggle as much as he has the last two weeks. No more Heisman for Geno?

 

    Florida State holds off Miami. Not as impressive as some may have expected. Rivalry games rarely go as predicted, but I came close. I called for 38-21, and the game ended 33-20. The Noles got the win, but it came at a very high price. Senior RB Chris Thompson is out for the rest of the season. He suffered a torn ACL Saturday night.

 

     Such a tough way for Thompson to end his career at FSU. Big loss for FSU. He was closing in on 1,000 yards rushing for the season and ending the curse at FSU. There hasn't been a 1,000 yard rusher at FSU since Warrick Dunn. Yes, that would have been a great way for Chris to be remembered at Florida State, but now he will be remembered for other things instead of his stats. His character, mental toughness, and his will to fight through adversity will be what defines him. For those of you who didn't know, Thompson broke his back against Wake Forest in 2011. He went through a long recovery process that, at times, he questioned whether he would ever be able to play again. Entering week 8 of the season, Thompson was on pace to eclipse the 1,000 yard mark by the end of the regular season. He has had a great season. Pound for pound, he is the best running-back FSU has had in years.

 

 

 

    LSU survives Texas A&M. The rest of the SEC better watch out for A&M in years to come. They have proven that they can play with the likes of some of the best SEC teams. They may not have the record to show it, but they are in these games down to the closing minutes. LSU is getting better, but still has some work to do if they are going to take down Bama. I called for it to be a close game, 24-17......and LSU did their part and won 24-19. I may not have been close in my score picks for most of the season, but this week? I have been pretty close with my picks this past weekend.

 

 

   

   Clemson beats Virginia Tech. The ACC needed Clemson to keep winning, and they did with a 38-17 victory over the Hokies. This was the third victory over the Hokies in two seasons for Clemson. I know what Virginia Tech feels like......The hate between these two teams is growing in every game they play. This could turn into a pretty big rivalry within the conference. The Hokies continue to spiral downward. They have one pretty big game left that could salvage the season for them. Yes, there are other games left on the schedule, but Hokie fans have a Thursday night game in Blacksburg against Florida State circled. That game is still a few weeks away.

 

  

   Okay, lets make things a little interesting. I want YOU (the reader)  to email or post A WORD that you would want used in my posts. It can be totally random. Just a word that would seem out of place in a college football blog. Please keep it clean, but have fun with it. I will pick a word or two every week and force them into my posts. This week's word came from Starnes Kelley. The more rediculous the word, the more it will stand out. Have fun with it.

 

   Don't forget to check us out on Facebook and give us a 'LIKE'  (www.facebook.com/collegefootball2day)

 

   Reader questions, comments, and/or reactions to this past week are on tap for Wednesday.

 

   Send your questions to jeremy.cf2d@yahoo.com or post them to our Facebook page.