Red Card Top 25- Week 3

Posted by Nick Verlaney on Sep 21, 2011 in NCAA Football | 5 comments

Hey folks- glad you decided to visit again. I havent said thanks to all of my readers in a while, so Ill take this moment to indeed thank you for all of the kind words over the past few months. It truly means a lot for peers and strangers alike to give me positive feedback on this little project of mine. I do my best each week to make this a fun read for everyone who stumbles across this site, and I hope that over time my blogging style has improved. Ill definitely do my best to make sure it continues to get better as well. Whether you have given me feedback in person or commented below, I salute you for reading and hope you keep coming back.

Last weekend’s slate of college football games provided us with a share of upsets and dominant performances. Without further ado, let’s take a look at the rankings, Heisman contenders, games to watch in week 4 and show some folks a much needed RED CARD. Boom.

Mike Vick thinks that this blog is better than being concussed by his own lineman.

1. LSU. The Tigers werent pretty in beating then #25 Mississippi St. on the road, but it is hard to argue with their defensive dominance to this point in the year. Look for QB Jarrett Lee to have a better game against West Virginia this week.
2. Oklahoma. Vaults ‘Bama to #2 after a pretty complete performance against the #5 Florida St. on the road.
3. Alabama. The Tide had an easy win over North Texas, but now they face a HUGE matchup at home vs. #14 Arkansas.
4. Boise St. The Broncos were in a tight matchup until halftime with Toledo, but pulled away comfortably in the second half due to Kellen Moore’s brilliant 5 TD performance.
5. Stanford. Like Boise St., Stanford struggled in the first half against Arizona on the road, but then the wizard of Andrew Luck took over in the second half. Losing MLB Shayne Skov for the rest of the year due to injury could be a huge loss for the Cardinal on defense.
6. Wisconsin. ‘Sconnie still looks like the class of the B1G on offense, but their defense needs to improve dramatically to challenge for a National Championship.
7. Oklahoma St. In a weird turn of events, weather pushed the Okie St- Tulsa game back until almost midnight Saturday. They played, and the Pokes easily won. Next up: at #8 Texas A&M.
8. Texas A&M. The Aggies have their biggest test of the season coming up against #7 Oklahoma St. Whoever wins this match-up is in the drivers seat to challenge Oklahoma in the Big XII.
9. Oregon. The points keep rolling in for the Ducks.
10. Virginia Tech. Looked pedestrian in their win over Arkansas St., but they have a lot of talent to challenge for ACC honors.
11. Arkansas. Quite possibly the most dangerous team in the country right now. If the Hogs can get a few turnovers against Alabama, look out.
12. South Carolina. There is no way around it, South Carolina didnt play well against Navy. Had Marcus Lattimore not rushed for a billion yards, the Gamecocks couldve lost at home. Their defense needs to step up in SEC play.
13. Florida St. The ‘Noles offense didnt play well against OU at home on Saturday. They cannot afford a hangover when they travel to #21 Clemson this weekend.
14. Florida. The Gators surprisingly beat up on Tennessee in the Swamp in a game that wasnt as close as the final score indicated.
15. Nebraska. The Huskers offense took a major step against a BCS opponent in Washington on Saturday. The defense? Not so much. The Huskers will do well to not overlook Wyoming on their way to Wisconsin on October 1st.
16. West Virginia. WVU pulled out a heart-attack win against Maryland on Saturday. It was a statement win for Dana Holgorsen and could give the Mountaineers momentum headed into their matchup with LSU at home this weekend.
17. South Florida. South Florida continues to impress on both sides of the ball.
18. Baylor. Easy 48-0 win against Stephen F. Austin. Next up: Rice.
19. Clemson. The Tigers mounted a furious comeback to beat Auburn last weekend. They will need to start faster against Florida St. this weekend to pull an upset.
20. TCU. The Horned Frogs are getting back to normal in MWC play.
21. Texas. After a nice 49-20 win over a terrible UCLA team, the Horns take a week off before facing Iowa St.
22. Michigan. Brady Hoke’s former school, San Diego St. rolls into town this week. Look for an offensive display.
23. Illinois. The Illini posted one of their biggest wins in recent memory last week, downing #22 Arizona St. at home. They are one of four B1G teams that remain undefeated.
24. USC. The Trojans keep plugging along, but this weeks opponent, Arizona St., could be their litmus test for the rest of the year.
25. Georgia Tech. Holy offense. Is there anything left of Kansas after that curb-stomping?

Could Marcus Lattimore make the Top 3 Heisman contenders next week?

Who will win the A&M- Okie St. shootout?

• #14 Arkansas at #3 Alabama. This may well serve as an elimination game in the race for the SEC West. Both teams have looked the part this year so far and are looking to battle LSU for the division crown. Arkansas is maybe a bit of surprise considering they lost QB Ryan Mallett to the NFL and gifted RB Knile Davis to injury, but so far the Hogs havent missed a beat. Tyler Wilson is leading the offense with supreme accuracy, and the Hogs D has been stout to this point. They face a whole ‘nother beast traveling to Tuscaloosa this weekend though. If Alabama can get good, mistake free football from QB A.J. McCarron, then the Tide’s rushing attack and defense will be allowed to take over the game. Look for a tight game throughout with some nervy moments for Alabama fans. Prediction: Alabama 28-25. Confidence: 7.

• #7 Oklahoma St. at #8 Texas A&M. This could very well be the shootout of the year in any conference. These are the two most prolific offenses in the country and neither is afraid to race to 70 points- which it could take to win this game. Oklahoma St. brings veteran QB Brandon Weeden and superstar receiver Justin Blackmon to Kyle Field on Saturday, both looking to jump into the Heisman conversation with a huge road win. Texas A&M’s offense has been more balanced so far, but prolific nonetheless. QB Ryan Tannehill, RB Cyrus Gray and WR Jeff Fuller are all vying for top conference honors as well as trying to avenge last years heartbreaking loss in Stillwater. This match-up comes down to defense, and in that area, A&M has been far superior to this point. Prediction: Texas A&M 41-38. Confidence: 5.

• #2 LSU at #16 West Virginia. Does LSU play a ranked opponent every single week? It seems so, and this week’s test for the Tigers doesnt get any easier as they travel to Morgantown. The Tigers would do well to have a better offensive display than they did against Mississippi St. because 19 points wont win this game. Conversely, West Virginia must be able to play in space against the best defense they will see all year. As long as LSU doesnt turn the ball over much, they should be able to score at-will. Prediction: LSU 30-17. Confidence: 8.

• #11 Florida St. at #21 Clemson. Just a week after Florida St. could have vaulted themselves into the national championship coversation, the Seminoles have to avoid being left behind in the ACC race to up-and-coming Clemson. The Tigers are young, but man are they athletic. They bring a QB, in Tajh Boyd, that has already amassed 911 yards and 10 TD’s through 3 games, and a solid rushing attack avering 216 yards/game. We all know that Florida St. brings a nasty defense to the table and will be the toughest challenge that Clemson has faced so far this year. The ‘Noles have to avoid a hangover after the OU loss to have a chance to win this game. If FSU can bring a consistent offense to the field Saturday and give some rest to its defense, this game could go Florida St.’s way. If not- look out for an upset. Prediction: Florida St. 31-28. Confidence: 7.

This should give KU fans nightmares.

Here are this week’s worthy recipients of  Red Cards:

• To the Kansas football team and coach Turner Gill: RED CARD. Here are some numbers that Georgia Tech accumulated against KU in a 66-24 curb-stomping last Saturday: 768 total yards, 604 rushing yards, 12.1 yards per carry.
• To Nebraska’s defense: RED CARD. No push on the line. Little-to-no tackling. Soft coverage. Who is in charge of this effort, Kevin Cosgrove? Get it together, and quickly.
• To Auburn: just one week after you made it back into my good graces you go and blow a huge lead on the road against Clemson. RED CARD.
• To what is left of Ohio St. after that comprehensive loss at Miami: RED CARD. This is the first time I have seen Buckeye players seem lost in a long time.
• To UCLA coach Rick Neuheisel: RED CARD. Even with most of the Pac-12 down this year, there is a strong chance of your squad going 3-9. How’s that whole BEAT SC thing going for you?
• To Michigan St.: Welp, see ya later. The reason Im showing you a RED CARD is because I thoroughly enjoyed having Notre Dame on this list week-in and week-out. You let them off the hook for a week. Shame on you, Sparty, shame on you.

Happy Football folks.