College Football 2010: Ramblings & Thoughts | Thebigtip

We’re five weeks into the 2010 College Football season and things are slowly starting to take shape. Here’s my ramblings and thoughts on the first five weeks of the season for some of the nations top teams - Sparky style!!

BCS Contenders:

When the pre-season AP Poll came out, the two names at the top of the list where reigning BCS Champions Alabama, and Rose Bowl champions Ohio State. Whilst things haven’t changed in terms of results and where they stand on the Poll, in terms of how the teams have played, things couldn’t be anymore different. The Crimson Tide have already had three signature wins over three top #20 teams, those being Penn State 24-3, Arkansas 24-20 and a beat down on the Florida Gators 31-6. They missed Heisman Trophy winner Mark Ingram that first couple of games, but the ‘Tide simply haven’t missed a beat this season. Their defence is as stingy as it was last season as well and fellow RB Trent Richardson filled the void left by Ingram with aplomb. Together, they become the nations most fearsome RB duo.

The Buckeyes meanwhile, they’ve really been far from impressive thus far. QB Terrelle Pryor, who was unbelievable as the Buckeyes knocked off the Ducks in the Rose Bowl last season has shown glimpses of that form, but he’s also shown far too much of the old-QB that seemingly casts doubt over the guy as an elite College QB. Ohio State only have one signature win, that being over then #12 ranked Miami (FL) 36-24 although it’s what might have been for the Hurricanes if their QB Jacory Harris took more care of the ball. He’s simply been a turnover machine this season. 

As for the other four or five teams making a decent run, none has been more impressive than PAC-10 power the Oregon Ducks led by coach Chip Kelly. It was rollercoaster of an off-season for the Ducks, kicking former-QB Jeremiah Masoli off the football team, then having to decide on a new QB. After five weeks, it seems Chip has made the right decision for the team. Not only in terms of getting rid of Masoli, but in the new QB he chose, that man being Darron Thomas. The Ducks lead the nation in scoring (56.6 points per game) and total offense (569 yards per game). It doesn't give up sacks (one in five games). It runs the ball (No. 2 in the nation with 331 yards per game). Their offense has been nigh on impossible to stop this season. Also you’ve got to remember they put 45 consecutive points on the Volunteers in Tennessee. After falling 13-3 behind, the Ducks offense was simply unstoppable after that. It was more of a struggle against Arizona, but still the Ducks came back from 24-14 down to win 42-31, forcing 7 TO’s on the Sun Devils. Then you have the most impressive win of them all, a 52-31 win over a then 4-0 Stanford Cardinal team, that had beaten up on it’s opponents the first month of the season. Not only that, at the end of the 1st Q, the Ducks trailed 21-3 in front of their own raucous crowd. They then outscored the Cardinal 49-10 the rest of the game, including 28-0 in the second half. The Ducks offense is simply beastly.

The Big 12 duo of Oklahoma and Nebraska have also both started well. The Sooners are 5-0, although apart from their 47-17 belt down on Florida State, they’ve not nearly been as impressive as teams like Alabama and Oregon. The Sooners other four wins have been by 8pts or less with wins over Air Force, Cincinnati and the fledgling Texas. For the Cornhuskers, they’re 4-0 although unlike the Sooners, they’ve really beaten up on teams. The problem for Nebraska is that so far they haven’t beaten any teams of note as Western Kentucky, Idaho, Washington and South Dakota State would suggest. However the 56-21 dismantling of the Huskies was impressive as highly rated Washington-QB Jake Locker was stifled by the Cornhusker defense, completing a poultry 4-20 throws. Still, as has been said, what will hurt the Cornhuskers in the long run is that their schedule is hardly one that will make you shiver in your boots, with Texas, Oklahoma State and Missouri the only marginally tough games. For the Sooners and Cornhuskers, they’re going to need two of Alabama, Ohio State and Oregon to lose, as simply, their schedules just don’t match up with those three teams.

Finally the At-Large bids of Boise State and TCU. Both are currently 5-0 which is hardly surprising, but what is surprising is how unconvincing both have looked against decent teams. TCU only managed to beat an OK Oregon State team in Dallas on opening night 30-21. The Broncos then could only manage doing four points better at home, beating the Beavers 37-24. What the Broncos did have as an advantage was having that opening night game against Virginia Tech. In a match that lived up to the hype and went down to the final minutes, Boise came out 33-30 winners. The problem for Boise? Virginia Tech would then go and lose the following week, AT home, to James Madison of all teams. So while pre-season the games against Virginia Tech and Oregon State seemed marquee, right now with both sitting outside the top 25, they’re not so much anymore. For the Broncos, they’ll be hoping that fellow WAC team and also at 5-0 Nevada stays undefeated until they meet on November 27th in Nevada. As for TCU, they’ll be hoping the same with fellow MWC and also 5-0 team the Utah Utes. Like the Broncos, the Horned Frogs have to go to Utah and hope the Utes are undefeated when they face-off. Why you may ask? It’s simple really, both teams need another marquee win and if they’re facing teams in their weaker Conferences that are also undefeated, it bodes well for those teams strength of schedules.

Right now, my favourite two teams to go to the BCS National Championship Game are Alabama and Oregon. The Crimson Tide are simply playing stifling defense which is causing absolute headaches for opposing offences. It’s going to take an offense like that of the Oregon Ducks to stop that ‘Bama D one would think. Certainly right now.

On paper, it’s a marketers dream match-up.