Week Nine Newsletter: Penn State Invades Columbus

This Week’s Shame On....Butch Davis (lost 16-13 in OT at Virginia)

There is no shame is losing this game to Virginia. However, Davis chose to kneel out the fourth quarter game clock after Virginia scored a touchdown to tie the game at 10. His team had 47 seconds to maneuver down the field to set up a game-winning field goal. It ended up costing his team an ACC win as Virginia won in overtime with a touchdown.

Sexy Seven (team whose stock increased last week)

1. Texas (7-0)—Dominant win over Missouri last week; faces upstart Oklahoma State
2. Ohio State (7-1)—Handled Michigan State with ease; set up showdown with Penn State
3. Pittsburgh (6-1)—Avoided upset at Navy; six consecutive wins following loss in opener
4. Colorado (4-3)—Added Big 12 victory with impressive win at Kansas State
5. Tennessee (3-4)—Saved from further embarrassment with win over Mississippi State
6. LSU (5-2)—Stayed afloat in SEC after solid win over South Carolina on the road
7. Georgia Tech (6-1)—Remained atop ACC with win at new-look Clemson

Falling Five (team whose stock decreased last week)

1. BYU (7-1)—Destroyed BCS dreams with ugly loss against TCU on the road
2. Wake Forest (5-2)—Shutout by Maryland, which is the nation’s most inconsistent team
3. Connecticut (5-2)—Missed three field goals in 12-10 loss at miserable Rutgers
4. North Carolina (6-2)—Led nearly entire game and loss to Virginia in a shocker
5. Virginia Tech (5-2)—Third ACC team in Falling Five; out of Top 25 after loss at BC

My Top Five

1. Texas  2. Penn State  3. Alabama  4. USC  5. Oklahoma

Game of the Week: Penn State at Ohio State

This game means more to the rest of the country than Oklahoma State at Texas. The Big Ten has received so much criticism in recent years. And finally, Ohio State is playing in an important Big Ten game that will actually be close. As far as the rest of the nation, everyone will find out which team gets a trip to the Rose Bowl, or even more importantly a trip to Miami.

Heisman Trophy leading candidates

1. Texas QB Colt McCoy
2. Oklahoma QB Sam Bradford
3. Penn State QB Darryl Clark
4. Texas Tech QB Graham Harrell
5. Michigan State RB Javon Ringer

Upset Pick of the Week....Ohio State over Penn State

Since I can’t pick any unranked team to knock off a ranked opponent (though it’s almost a guarantee), I pick the Buckeyes to upend the Nittany Lions in Columbus. The atmosphere within Ohio Stadium will help Ohio State win. It should be great game, but in the end the Buckeyes should prevail.

Team on Upset Alert....South Florida (at Louisville)

For some reason, I am drawn to the aura within Louisville’s Papa Johns Stadium. Especially if Louisville hosts a blackout, the Cardinals can top No. 16 South Florida. Lousiville has an underrated defense, and the South Florida offense can fizzle at times. If this game gets into a shootout, I look to Louisville to have the edge over the Bulls.

Over or Under....80 points  Combined score in the Oklahoma State-Texas game.