College Football 2007: Week 3

Okay, so I'm lazy ass and didn't write a week two CFB roundup. So what?

USC fans enjoyed a 'perfect' weekend, as the Trojans rolled and the Domers and Bruins were thoroughly embarrassed. The Trojans looked particularly impressive on the ground against the Huskers (did I say 'impressive?' I meant 'ridiculous.' When your fullback can rumble for 50 yards on a dive play from your own three-yard-line, that's ridiculous). Their defense did allow Nebraska QB Sam Keller to throw for more than 300 yards, and I don't care what the online accounts say, that wasn't the second-string secondary in there during garbage time. The Trojan passing game struggled, diminishing John David Booty's already flagging Hesiman campaign, but much of this can be attributed by a still uninspiring receiver corp. Patrick Turner, long expected to become JDB's favorite target this year, made his return to the lineup this week and did...well, exactly what Patrick Turner has done his first two years at USC. Drop passes and refuse to block anybody. If anyone is to become the next Dwayne Jarrett (although I' prefer the next Mike Williams), it'll be the hulking David Ausberry. If USC can run this effectively all year (and did I mentioned they started a true frosh at center? Again, ridiculous), they'll cruise to a BCS bowl. But if someone can exploit the secondary and shut down the Trojans' ground attack...


The Genius Charlie Weis is apparently nothing without his Mr. Perfect (Brady Quinn). Notre Dame couldn't beat Mater Dei H.S. at this point. Duke and the service academies are licking their chops after ND's utter destruction at the hands of (twice-embarrassed) Michigan. Willingham is laughing his ass off right now. And at what point do the Domer faithful turn on the Genius? My guess is next year, but why they're more patient with Weis than with Willingham is a mystery (insert race joke here) to me. Maybe the Genius threatened to eat Paul Hornung's grandkids or something, who knows? Big-time programs don't just go from BCS bowl to toilet bowl in one season without there being something seriously wrong with their recruiting.


UCLA. Oh my, UCLA. I can't say I've been a Karl Dorrell apologist, but up until now I've been willing to give him a fair shake. He seems like a nice guy and has a pleasant even-keel attitude that serves as a nice counterpoint to Pete Carroll's ADD style of coaching. But after getting spanked by a winless Utah team 44-6, I have to say that was the last straw. Dorrell's teams have been plagued by wild inconsistency over the past fours years, and you can attribute that inconsistency to a leadership void on the coaching level. Who's doing the motivating here? Where's the preparation? Maybe this is where Dorrell's NFL training hurts him; he treats the kids like professionals, like adults...well, college kids are immature adults at best, and elite D-1 college athletes...well, let's just say their immaturity is enabled a bit more than average student. Adding to this mediocrity is an over-reliance on the West Coast offense (which simply can and will not work in CFB (see also present-day Nebraska and late-nineties USC), there's too much accuracy required from a college QB, and the roster turnover year-to-year is simply too great for players to gell), a lackluster 'play not to lose' conservative mentality, and QB Ben Olson's lack of noticeable improvement He's still suffers from accuracy issues, locks onto receivers, and holds onto the ball far too long. I know beating USC in 2006 was a big deal (and many a career has been made by even almost beating SC--see Genius in above paragraph), but it's time UCLA fans start asking themselves if the program is any better today than it was in 2002 when they fired Bob Toledo.

Pitt lost to a decent Michigan St. team, but they might have the next Reggie Bush up their sleeve. True freshman RB LeSean McCoy was electric on Saturday, juking defenders and displaying some Bush-like quickness and acceleration. Pitt's not going to have a good year with all the injuries they've suffered, but McCoy is the future.


So when does Auburn coach Tommy Tubberville go back on the hot seat? It's been a few years, but his chair was quite warm after a disappointing 2003 campaign. He rebounded with an undefeated 2004 and successful '05 and '06 seasons. Now Auburn, sans QB JaMarcus Russell, is struggling again, losing to lowly Mississippi State (Croom!) after falling to South Florida last week. With rival Alabama resurgent under Nick Saban, how long before the 'For Sale' signs start cropping up on Tubberville's lawn?

My Top 10:

01. USC
02. LSU
03. Florida
04. Oklahoma
05. Rutgers
06. Ohio St.
07. West Virginia
08. Cal
09. Texas
10. Penn St.

Alright, that's it for now as I attempt to perform roster add/drop CPR to both my fantasy football teams.