College Football: 50 Things We Learned From Week 3

Now that the much anticipated feast that was Week 3 of the 2011 college gridiron campaign is over, we can push back from the table, wipe our collective mouths and consider some of the things we learned from a spectacular weekend of football.

Who’s for real, who’s a bust and who proved they still have a shot at making 2011 a special year?  Who shocked us, who made the prognosticators look fallible and who made us look like a genius?  Yes, who’s coming, who’s going and who is already too far gone?

The following slideshow serves as a handy guide, a helpful aid and a thought provoking treatise by pinpointing 50 things we learned from Week 3.

LSU at Alabama on Nov. 5 Will Be a Physical Battle

After watching LSU and Mississippi State throw punch after punch in a brutal battle of physicality on Thursday night and then thinking of the sheer thumping power of the Alabama defense, you begin to salivate when thinking of the Tigers trip to Tuscaloosa in early November.

Regardless of who has how many wins or losses or what the championship implications are the 2011 edition of Alabama and LSU will be much like a prize fight. Thankfully, this one won’t be on pay-per-view (but if it was we’d be putting in on our credit card).

Mississippi State May Still Be 1 Year Away

Despite the fact that LSU and Alabama were so highly touted coming into the 2011 season in the stacked SEC West, Bulldog fans and an anxious nation wondered if this was finally the season that Mississippi State could turn “almost” into “now.”

After opening the year with a predictable beat down of Memphis, the Bulldogs suffered a last second loss to Auburn and then couldn’t hold on against a very good LSU team resulting in a 1-2 record and games at Georgia, vs. South Carolina, vs. Alabama and at Arkansas still left on the menu.

Mississippi State’s season is a long way from being over and it’s more than too early to call the whole thing off, but you still can’t help but get the sinking feeling that 2011 won’t be the year that the Bulldogs achieve their first SEC West title since 1998.

Clemson is Good

It’s important not to lose sight of the bigger picture when we think about Auburn falling to Clemson for the first time since 1951.

Yes, the defending champs lost their first game since winning the big cheesy enchilada against Oregon in January but the flip side of that story line is that Clemson is 3-0 and they outgunned Auburn in every single major statistical category on Saturday.

Yes, the Orange Tigers hung up 624 total yards on the Tigers with a cool Eagle and are perfect through the first three games of the season for the first time since 2007.

Clemson still has to survive the rest of their arduous schedule (a slate that Phil Steele rates as the No. 12 most difficult in the nation) but 3-0 has got to feel good to the folks in South Carolina.

Gamecock’s Marcus Lattimore is The Nation’s Top Rusher

South Carolina’s standout rusher Marcus Lattimore boosted the Gamecocks to a narrow victory over Navy this past Saturday by pounding it out on the ground for a mind blowing 246 yards.

The performance marked Lattimore’s third straight 100-plus yard game this season and his 534 rushing yards thus far in 2011 earns him the top spot in the nation.

Nipping at Lattimore’s heels are Ronnie Hillman from San Diego State with 497 yards, Ray Graham of Pitt with 419 yards, Henry Josey of Mizzou with 400 yards and David Wilson of Virginia Tech with 388 yards.

Texas Wasn’t Messed With

The FBS teams from the Lone Star State (with the very big exception of North Texas who got demolished 0-41 by top ranked Alabama) combined for eight big Week 3 wins leaving scars across the states of Louisiana, California, New Mexico and Idaho in the process.

Here are the victorious details:

TCU 38  ULM 17

Texas 49   UCLA 20

Texas Tech 59   New Mexico 13

Baylor 48   FCS SFA 0

Texas A&M   37   Idaho 7

Houston 35   Louisiana Tech 34

UTEP 16 New Mexico State 10

SMU 40   FCS Northwestern State 7

Ole Miss Won’t See the Top 25 This Year

It’s one thing to let BYU come back and beat you by a single point in Week 1 but a 30-7 road loss to Vanderbilt in Week 3 is another thing entirely.

The Rebels let the Commodores dominate them in every single statistical category last Saturday and extended their streak of losses in SEC openers to nine.

With games against Georgia, Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, LSU and Mississippi State still on the docket, it’s hard to believe that the Rebels will find their way into the Top 25 this season.

Oklahoma is a Deal Closer

The Sooners needed a fourth quarter touchdown and a final defensive stand to earn a monumentally enormous Week 3 road victory over No. 5 ranked Florida State.

Though it wasn’t necessarily pretty and it’s wasn’t the type of domination win Oklahoma enjoyed over the Seminoles last season, it showed that the Sooners have the maturity and confidence necessary to win the “really big one.”

And that’s exactly what these Sooners will need to make a perfect run through a season with more hurdles than a track meet; maturity, confidence and a few big breaks.

Arkansas Is Vulnerable

The Razorbacks Week 3 win over Troy (38-28) boosted Arkansas to a 3-0 record thus far in 2011 but with the “warm-up” portion of the campaign behind them, there is every chance that the Hogs may get exposed in the weeks ahead.

What’s concerning is the 373 yards of passing Arkansas gave up to Troy in their win last Saturday which is more alarming when you consider the fact that Clemson held the same team to under 260 yards through the air during their Week 1 meeting.

Sure, the Troy Trojans are a pass happy tribe, but with games against Alabama, Texas A&M, Auburn, South Carolina, Tennessee, Mississippi State and LSU staring down the 2011 barrel at the Hogs all weaknesses will have to be minimized, immediately.

Nordly Capi Has Got Game

Despite missing the boat on upsetting instate rival Colorado (14-28), the Rams are 2-1 in 2011, a mark that has been achieved at least partially due a stifling defense that is ranked No. 36 in the nation in scoring.

Yep, CSU has allowed only 17.3 points per game thus far which is a stat that has been substantially bolstered by the play of one DL Nordly Capi.

Capi is a 6'3", 249 pound sophomore from Ocoee, FL who leads the team and the nation with a sizzling 5.5 sacks for a total loss of 36 yards.

Capi’s performance gives him the edge over Arizona State’s LB Vontaze Burfict (four sacks) and Stanford’s LB Chase Thomas, UConn’s LB Sio Moore and Ball State’s DT Nathan Ollie (all three tied at 3.5 sacks).

Toledo is Still a Good Football Team

Nobody could have been more disappointed on Saturday morning than the Toledo Rockets who began Week 3 with the hope that only a narrow loss to a No. 15 ranked Ohio State can bring only to be crushed by No. 4 Boise State 15-40 in the historic Glass Bowl.

Yes, the Rockets are now a 1-2 team that has given up 67 points in two weeks but, have hope friend, the worst part of the storm is over for the team who went 8-5 and made their first bowl appearance since 2005 last season.

Yes, the ride home looks way more comfortable than the trip into the season and with a slate that includes Syracuse, Temple, Eastern Michigan, Bowling Green, Miami (OH), Northern Illinois, Western Michigan, Central Michigan and Ball State look for the Rockets to be in the mix in the MAC in December.

Perhaps facing two ranked teams back-to-back in September will do nothing but fire up the rockets in Toledo, Ohio.

West Virginia Is Beginning to Rev Its Offensive Machine

One of the story lines going into the 2011 season we lost in our uncharted stops at Sanction-ville and the Realignment Rumor Mill was Dana Holgorsen taking over the helm at West Virginia.

Holgorsen led an offensive revival last season in his one-year stint as the OC at Oklahoma State and took over a Mountaineer offense this season that returned almost all the key pieces of a unit that ranked No. 78 in scoring in 2010.

Fast forward three games into the 2011 campaign and suddenly West Virginia is ranked No. 15 in points scored (42.0) and hung up 480 yards of total offense in a Week 3 win over a good Maryland team.

As Holgorsen’s newest offensive disciples continue to make their way around the learning curve look for the Mountaineers to literally explode in points and passing yards…a combustion that could cause a meteoric rise to the top of the Big East standings.

Will Muschamp is off to a Good Start

I guess no news is good news in 2011’s edition of the Gainesville media watch and that’s exactly what new Gator head man Will Muschamp has achieved through the first three weeks of play.

Florida is quietly ranked No. 15 in both of the big polls and though wins over FAU, UAB and Tennessee aren’t necessarily worth writing your mom about, the Gators left little to doubt in all three contests and let’s just give at least an ounce of credit that these were all true blue FBS foes.

What’s most impressive, statistically speaking, from the Gators first 21 days under Muschamp is a defense that currently ranks No. 6 overall in scoring and has allowed only 8.7 points per game thus far.

If you’re thinking that a slew of challenges lay ahead for the jet brown coiffed Muschamp and friends, you are exactly right, but, at least they’re off to a great start.

The Option is Alive and Well

In the current pass happy climate of college football, it’s a bit of a novelty to see teams run the time honored option and if you’re a fan of the alternative driven “O,” Week 3 of the 2011 season was a delight, a real delight.

First, Georgia Tech optioned to pound Kansas 66-24 in Atlanta and hung a mind altering 604 yards of rushing on the Jayhawks in the process.

Next, Army worked the triple option to perfection and upset 10-point favorite Northwestern at home, racking up 381 yards on the ground in the process.

With Air Force taking the week off, it was up to Navy to make it a 3-0 option filled weekend but the Midshipmen (who faced the biggest task of the three) ultimately fell just short of cashing in on their victory option in a narrow 21-24 road loss to No. 10 South Carolina, but the Middies still managed 458 yards total offense and gave everyone something to think about.

Boise State is REALLY Good

Yeah, Yeah … the Broncos played Toledo and most of the Rockets “shock and awe” value was lost in the near miss at Ohio State in Week 2 but Kellen Moore and company’s 40-15 beat down of Toledo was impressive none the less.

How so?

Well, let’s not forget that Toledo went 8-5 last season (including a road win at Purdue) and lost by a mere two points in the Little Caesars Bowl and the Rockets return 18 starters and 50 lettermen from this successful 2010 offering, ultimately illustrating that Toledo was no pushover.

Yes, they should have won the game, yes they were favored by almost 20 points but you still have to win the games and not look questionable while doing it.

Robert Griffin III Is Still the Top Rated QB in the Country

Baylor’s Robert Griffin III led the Bears to a 48-0 beat down of FCS Stephen F. Austin this week and his 265 yard, three touchdown performance (shortened by a quarter due to lightening) combined with his stats in the big Week 1 win over TCU were enough for Griffin to retain the top spot among collegiate passers.

Griffin’s QB rating of 244.5 gives him the edge over other top hurlers Russell Wilson (Wisconsin, 213.4), Seth Doege (Texas Tech, 195.4), Kellen Moore (Boise State, 197.6) and Jordan Webb (Kansas, 181.5).

After a Week 4 visit from Rice Griffin and friends will have to notch it up a level to reach the same sort of statistical dominance with a full tilt Big 12 schedule that includes trips to Texas A&M and Oklahoma State and home games against Missouri, Oklahoma and Texas.

Despite the Hype, It’s the FBS All over the FCS

There’s always lots of hubbub regarding the numbers of FCS (formerly DI-AA) teams that either closely challenge or beat squads from the FBS (formerly DI-A) but the first three weeks of 2011 once again proves that by and large, the FBS is monumentally dominant over its smaller counterparts.

How dominant?

Well, teams representing the two divisions have met 74 times thus far in 2011 and the FBS has won 70 of these contests which represents a 96 winning percentage.

In a World of Chaos, Week 3 Gave Us Something We Can Count on

The ACC’s solidified expansion plans have placed the world of sports on notice…the Atlantic Coast Conference is here to stay regardless of what kind of insanity ensues in the west.

This key proactive movement has not only preserved the conference but it has also ensured that the ACC’s oldest continuous rivalry will march on into the foreseeable future.

Yep, Week 3’s North Carolina victory over Virginia marked the 92nd time the two have met, an annual event that has kicked off yearly since 1919.

Score one point for stability in college football!

Lots of Yards Equals Lots of Wins

I am definitely in agreement with anyone who wants to avow that “defense wins championships” but with that being said. a couple thousand yards sure can’t hurt the winning spirit.

Thus far in 2011, the top five teams who have managed the most total offensive output (measured in yards) combine for a 13-2 record.

Here’s your top five:

Georgia Tech     2,026 yards

Oklahoma St      1,803 yards

Washington St   1,619 yards

Oregon                 1,619 yards

Houston               1,608 yards

Some Teams Need a “Do-Over”

After three weeks of play, there are at least a few teams that, regardless of inherent expectations or specific situations, would like to tap their red sparkling shoes together and go back to land of late August before the wheels began to fall off the bus.

Top candidates for a “do over” card are Boston College (0-3), UConn (1-2), Notre Dame (1-2), ECU (0-2), Central Michigan (1-2), Oregon State (0-2), Georgia (1-2), Arizona (1-2) and Ole Miss (1-2).

Be kind, rewind.

Losing to an Unranked Team Will Cost You a Spot up Top

I suppose it shouldn’t come as a shock to anyone but the following teams dropped completely out of the Week 4 AP poll by virtue of losing to an unranked team.

No. 15 Michigan State lost to Notre Dame and dropped out, No. 17 Ohio State lost to Miami FL is now off the AP radar screen, No. 21 Auburn succumbed to Clemson and is no longer ranked, No. 22 Arizona State suffered a road defeat at Illinois and is now unranked and No. 25 Mississippi State fell from grace after their hard fought loss to LSU.

Louisiana Tech is Improving

Louisiana Tech has only been playing FBS (Division I-A) football since 1996 and didn’t join the WAC until 2001.

Since that time, the Bulldogs have enjoyed eight-plus win seasons only three times but despite the 1-2 start in 2011, you can see improvement in Sonny Dykes’ second squad in Ruston.

Consider the losses, a two point road defeat to a Southern Miss squad who is expected to be a C-USA frontrunner and then Week 3’s loss at home against almost ranked Houston where in the Cougars needed 21 fourth quarter points to beat the Bulldogs by one.

I’m not saying La Tech is going to win the WAC but look for continued improvements in Ruston and if the defense can come around, perhaps their first bowl appearance since 2008.

The Weather Is Still Leaving Its Mark on the 2011 Season

After Week 1’s bizarre weather related stories, Week 3 featured a lightening shortened game in Waco  (Baylor’s game against FCS Stephen F. Austin didn’t feature a fourth quarter) and a rain delay in Tulsa (that pushed the start of the Tulsa versus Oklahoma State contest past midnight).

El Bizzaro weather patterns may be Mother Nature’s way of balking at questionable conference realignment suggestions or the rash of NCAA sanctions and investigations that have spread across our great nation.

Marquess Wilson is a Great Young Talent

Despite dropping their Week 3 game at San Diego State (24-42), Cougars WR Marquess Wilson (a 6'4", 183 pound sophomore from Tulare, CA) is the nation’s leading receiver.

Wilson caught only six passes in the loss to the Aztecs but still managed to rack up 236 yards of receiving and two TDs which brings his total thus far in the season to 429 yards and four touchdowns on 15 grabs.

Wilson has already accumulated almost half of his total yards from his freshman season (1,006) and is a big part of the reason that the 2-1 Cougars are ranked No. 4 in the nation in passing yards.

The balance of the top receivers in the land (thus far) include Michael Floyd from Notre Dame (397 yards), Quinton Patton from Louisiana Tech (388 yards), Chris Givens from Wake Forest (366 yards) and Jordan White from Western Michigan and T.Y. Hilton from FIU (the two are tied with 363 yards apiece).

Which Fans Deserve a Bereavement Casserole?

It’s hard to know how to best console the die-hard fan who has suffered a tough loss but why not say you care with comfort food?

Indeed, why not send the broken hearted warrior of Saturday a toasty warm casserole to muster some strength for the ugliness that may lie ahead.

Casserole worthy fans from Week 3’s action include Michigan State Spartan fans, the Ohio State Buckeye faithful, Florida State fanatics, Northwestern fans, the people of Maryland, Ole Miss "hotty toddy" Rebels, Kansas Jayhawk aficionados, BYU supporters and the entire state of Arizona.

LSU is REALLY, REALLY Good

Out of the teams that graced the top five of the preseason polls, LSU arguably has had the toughest early season (and then late season) tests of the bunch.

The Tigers opened their campaign with an epic victory over then No. 3 Oregon (and they made it look fairly easy, especially given the off field drama they’d dealt with) and then after a predictable win over an FCS opponent in Week 2, LSU out lasted a very good Mississippi State team (on the road) in Week 3.

LSU’s stats have been earned against some very tough foes which makes their No. 34 ranking in points scored and their No. 14 ranking in points allowed all the more impressive.

Need another number to be suitably impressed?  LSU has held opponents to an average of 12 points in its first three games (again, we’re talking Oregon, Mississippi State and yeah, well, FCS Northwestern State).

Coming up next for LSU in Week 4 is a road trip to West Virginia to face the offensively impressive Mountaineers.

Boise State Won’t Leave the Top 25 This Season

Realistically, the Broncos would have to suffer more than a couple of defeats to drop out of the rankings before the party is over in 2011 and barring any shocking episodes, it’s difficult to see that happening.

Boise State was relentless at Toledo and with games left against Tulsa, Nevada, Fresno State, Colorado State, Air Force, UNLV, TCU, SDSU, Wyoming and New Mexico, it’s hard to see the Blue Turf Express making any surprise stops.

Third Down Conversions Produce Tangible Results

One of the more provocative stats is that of third down conversion percentage for the obvious reasoning that it gauges drive continuance and somewhat controls time of possession.

But, what does it actually produce in terms of wins and losses because, at the end of the day, of all the numbers and rankings, this is really the bit that matters.

Well, the Top Five teams in terms of third down conversion percentage in 2011 (through Week 3) combine for a 12-2 record which makes you believe that drive continuance is a good gauge of actual success.

Georgia Tech     23 of 34 or 67.6 percent

Texas Tech          15 of 25 or 60 percent

Illinois                   24 of 42 or 57.1 percent

Kansas                  26 of 47 or 55.3 percent

Tennessee          23 of 42 or 54.8 percent

A Loss to the No. 1 Team Will Cost You a Minimum of 6 Spots

Ever wonder how far a team will fall after losing to the No. 1 ranked team in the country on their home field?

Well, the AP and Coaches’ Poll both provide us with a yardstick for this burning question by dropping previously No. 5 Florida State to the No. 11 and No. 14 spots respectively in the Week 4 polls that came out on Sunday.

Houston Nutt and Rick Neuheisel Have Seat Warmers with a Bad Thermostat

Both Ole Miss’s Nutt and UCLA’s Neuheisel’s chairs have been close to the flame for a while but Week 3 losses did nothing to help either.

Neuheisel won’t be fired because he lost to a ranked Texas team last weekend but it would have helped if the Bruins would have been more competitive; the loss to the Longhorns puts UCLA at 1-2 on this season and 16-24 during Neuheisel’s tenure in LA.

On the other hand, Nutt’s 7-30 loss to Vanderbilt could be yet another reason to question the coach who is 1-2 this season in Oxford and 23-18 overall at Mississippi.

Both could be gone by the time the 2011 party is over.

Big Ugly Losses Are Hard to Forget

In golf, you have to force yourself to forget about the eight you just posted on a Par 3 if you have any realistic chance of shooting a respectable score.

In college football, you have to force yourself to forget a really ugly, nasty, unsavory loss if you have any realistic chance of reaching any of your preseason goals (division title, bowl eligibility, conference crown, etc.).

Teams who need a good dose of therapy after Week 3 are Central Michigan (lost 14-44 to Western Michigan), Kansas (lost 24-66 to Georgia Tech), Ole Miss (lost 7-30 to Vandy), UCLA (lost 20-49 to Texas) and Northern Illinois (lost 7-49 to Wisconsin).

It’s still too early in the round to get rattled.

The State of Ohio may be in for a Long Winter

Regardless of the logic surrounding Ohio State’s 6-24 loss to Miami (FL), the people of the Buckeye State don’t take losing football games lightly which makes Week 3 seem like a statewide cataclysmic event.

The only Week 3 win by an Ohio team against an out of state opponent was Ohio University’s 44-7 victory over Marshall and then, of course, there was Cincinnati’s 59-14 beat down of fellow Ohio school Akron…other than these shining moments it was losses, all losses.

All in all, five Ohio teams fell hard bringing a wide swath of defeat across a football obsessed state.

Boise State 40   Toledo 15

Wyoming 28   Bowling Green 27

Minnesota 29   Miami (OH) 23

Cincinnati 59   Akron 14

Ohio 44 Marshall 7

Kansas State 37   Kent State 0

Miami FL 24    Ohio State 6

FIU is the New Acronym in Town

Who can keep up with all these newish schools from Florida with acronyms?

USF, UCF, FIU, FAU … it’s a cornucopia of gridiron contractions.

In 2010, we watched UCF (who has only been playing D-IA or FBS ball since 1996) go 11-3, win a Conference USA crown and beat Georgia 10-6 for the Knights first ever bowl victory (Liberty).

In Week 3 of 2011, we found out that FIU might just become the next little team from Florida that could by virtue of knocking off UCF 17-10, marking the Golden Panther’s first 3-0 start in program history.

FIU’s other wins this season were over North Texas and at Louisville.

Remember, FIU has only been fielding a football team since 2002 and only joined the FBS ranks in 2005 which makes their 7-6 mark in 2010 seem very shiny and beautiful.

Texas Will Achieve Bowl Eligibility This Year

In what can’t really be defined as a “bold prediction,” it seems pretty safe to say that the Longhorns showed us in their Week 3, 49-20 win over UCLA that they can and more than likely will be bowl eligible again in 2011.

Yes, last season was ugly but you saw just enough hope in their road win over a struggling Bruins team to believe that though Texas might not be a BCS team they are more than likely a bowl team.

What it comes down to is that the 3-0 Longhorns need three more wins to get ‘er done and I’m seeing at Iowa State, at Baylor or home stands against Kansas, Texas Tech or Kansas State as prime candidates.

Maryland Needs New Uniforms

After the Terrapins fashion police worthy debut in their Week 1 clash with Miami, we were all treated to a week off from the Maryland-vogue story lines which left us both sickly anticipating and rightly fearing the style implications of their Week 3 game against West Virginia.

Thankfully, the Terrapins took the field this past Saturday minus their state flag tribute wear but unfortunately, that noxious kit was replaced with a darker but still questionable version of team spirit.

Though Maryland’s all-blacks certainly lacked the sheer terror of the lighter hued combo the race track striped helmet and sunburst shouldered jersey left, you wanting less not more.

Seriously, who really cares about the uniforms until they almost become bigger than what goes on upon the turf?

Unless the turf is blue and then you’ve got that whole other question of “over playing” the marketing card.

The Big 12 isn’t Dead Yet

Though the bell may well toll shortly and signal the end of the passing era of the Big 12 conference, the 10 teams that still have a laminated membership card in their wallet are alive and well on the field of play.

Other than Kansas’ ugly-fied 24-66 beat down at the hands of Georgia Tech, the Big 12 programs combined for nine big wins in Week 3.

Iowa State 24   Connecticut 20

Texas 49   UCLA 20

Texas Tech 59   New Mexico 13

Missouri 69   FCS Western Illinois 0

Baylor 48   FCS Stephen F. Austin 0

Texas A&M 37   Idaho 7

Kansas State 37   Kent State 0

Oklahoma 23   Florida State 13

Oklahoma State 59   Tulsa 33

Andrew Luck is Successfully Filling His Heisman Portfolio

Well, we’re three weeks in and Heisman hopeful Andrew Luck is well on his way to being a serious contender for college football's most prestigious bronze award.

Luck is 57-for-85 for 786 yards, eight TDs and only one pick in his first three games which nets him a passer rating of 173.4.

Besides piling on the stats, the key to Luck’s portfolio being approved by the Heisman voters is Stanford going double digits in terms of wins, a task that becomes substantially trickier as the meat of the season approaches.

We’re Still One Week Away from Knowing Who Texas A&M Really Is

While the Aggies conference persuasion dominates the headlines, their No. 8 ranked football team’s true intentions in 2011 remain somewhat a mystery.

Texas A&M has dominated both SMU and Idaho in its first two contests, but it’s still difficult to gauge how good the Aggies really are, a task that is made more difficult when you realize that A&M is the only team that was ranked in the preseason Top 10 that hasn’t played a BCS opponent.

All that changes for the Aggies in Week 4 when Texas A&M hosts No. 7 Oklahoma State in College Station and if that’s not enough to float your boat, hang on for a Week 5 showdown with No. 14 Arkansas in the Jerry Jones Dome of Cash.

Notre Dame’s Magic Number is 4

It seems fairly simple-minded to point out that the Irish play better when they don’t turn the ball over en masse but the reality of football is a far more intricate matter.

But, in an effort to keep things down-to-earth, we’ll take a bold step forward and firmly state that the Irish’s favorite lucky number is now four.

Why four?

Well, the Irish are undefeated thus far in 2011 when they hold total turnovers in a game to under five.

The mathematical representation of this theory is as follows (T = turnovers, W=win and L=loss).

T < 5 = W or

T > 5 = L

Throwing Picks Produce Mixed Results

No matter how you slice it, interceptions are bad.

With that said, some picks are more costly than others and a bunch of other variables can muddy the waters of what is bad and what is worse.

Case in point, four QBs top the interceptions thrown chart for the first three weeks of 2011 but these four hurlers represent not simply guys with questionable decision making skills but instead, four totally separate case studies that illustrate the complexities of college football.

First, we have Brandon Weeden from Oklahoma State who has already thrown six picks but he’s on an undefeated, highly ranked team and has with 131 attempts which means he has thrown the ball more than any other QB in the country in 2011.

Second, you have Kawaun Jakes of Western Kentucky who has only thrown the pill 69 times (and six of these have gone to the other team) and 381 yards but doesn’t have the offensive line support of other guys and already has been sacked four times in 2011.

Third, there is Steele Jantz of Iowa State who has thrown 106 times on an undefeated (though unranked) squad and whose six picks aren’t quite as underwhelming as Weeden’s but still are less worrisome than Jakes’.

Lastly, there is Rakeem Cato of Marshall whose six picks in 84 attempts is alarming but not near as much as the numbers put up by Jakes at WKU.

Ohio State is Out in the Cold

After a seven year run in the AP Top 25, the Buckeye’s 6-24 loss at Miami marked the end of yet another era in Columbus.

The Week 4 poll released on Sunday marks the first time Ohio State hasn’t been among the AP rankings since November of 2004, a fact that is almost impossible to fully digest.

The ACC May Be a Super Conference before the Pac-12 or SEC

While everyone was closely monitoring who would be the next team to transfer away from the dwindling Big 12, the ACC pulled a fast one and nabbed Syracuse and Pittsburgh from the Big East to bring its membership to 14 teams.

The Big East “exit plan” states that outgoing programs need a 27-month window to say their goodbyes so it could be 2014 before the Orange and Panthers pack their valises but the ACC has definitely drawn first blood in the super conference race.

Furthermore, the ACC says it’s not ruling out expansion to 16 teams, so watch out SEC and Pac-12 or you might find yourself suddenly “behind the times.”

Nike Pro Combat is Ridiculous

There is just something comforting about tuning in to college football and seeing the familiar, long standing, historically significant squads dressed in their traditional uniforms and helmets.

It seems almost silly to explain in detail, but normally, you expect these get-ups to feature the sacred school colors and perhaps display a time honored logo.

Now, some teams, like Arizona State, choose to revamp the entire on-field costume basically discarding the old and bringing in the new, a custom that though unsettling to the traditionalist at least has an element of stability.

But, all disclaimers aside, the “one off” “tribute” “special” Nike Pro Combat get-ups are ridiculous.  Yes, they generate interest and no doubt merchandising dollars but at the end of the day. They are serious detractors from the pageantry that sets college football apart from every other sport we enjoy.

Who wants to tune in to Michigan State vs. Michigan and wonder who the Wolverines are playing?

Outlandish.

Baylor&rsquo;s Era of Good Feelings Is Coming to a Close

Well, we’ve left Week 3 behind and we’re heading straight for Week 4 and the Baylor Bears are ranked No. 19 in the Coaches Poll and No. 17 in the AP sweepstakes.

What’s interesting about Baylor’s meteoric rise up the charts is that their climb upwards is almost entirely based on a Week 1 upset of then ranked No. 14 TCU.

Yes, this two-point victory in combination with a Week 2 bye and a Week 3 beat down of FCS Stephen F. Austin (48-0) is what Baylor is using as a hat hook.

I’m not saying that the Bears can’t and won’t be a fine football team in 2011, I’m just saying it’s high time to test their highest ranking in recent memory against the nine other teams who make up the mathematically challenged Big 12.

Week 4 has Baylor hosting Rice and then it’s “on” in Waco and then we’ll see how long the Bears can stay in the top 20 percent of the FBS class.

Northwestern Needs Dan Persa to Keep Winning

Northwestern QB Dan Persa was cleared to play for Saturday’s game against Army but the plan was for him to play only if the Wildcats needed him in an emergency situation.

Well, even though a true crisis didn’t arise, Northwestern once again lost a tight game without Persa at the helm and now saddle a 2-1 record going into an off week that is followed by the beginning of their Big Ten slate.

Before Persa suffered an injury in the Wildcats late season game against Iowa in 2010, Northwestern was 6-3, after the loss of their leader, they were 1-3.

Even though Northwestern bested both Boston College and FCS Eastern Illinois sans Persa, the Wildcats need a very healthy Danny Boy if they have any outside chance of making some noise in the new Big Ten Legends division.

Steve Spurrier Can Beat Non-BCS Opponents

Not only did Navy nearly sink South Carolina’s victory boat in Week 3, the Midshipmen also came just a mere three points short of breaking one of the most impressive streaks in college football coaching.

Yes, the Gamecock’s narrow 24-21 victory over Navy extended Steve Spurrier’s record against non-BCS opponents to 42-0, just barely.

Al Golden Has His First Win as the Hurricane&rsquo;s Head Coach

You’d be hard pressed to find a guy who has suffered more trauma and drama after taking over at a major college football post than Al Golden who has been hamstringed with a major NCAA debacle to go along with the job of rebuilding the once proud Miami football program.

But, you have to feel good for Golden who in Week 3 scored his first victory as the Hurricane’s head meteorologist by virtue of knocking off No. 15 ranked Ohio State in convincing fashion.

You could qualify Miami’s win by saying that the Buckeyes were less than their usual “THE” Ohio State selves but honestly you could express similar sentiments about a depleted Hurricanes squad.

Golden is a good football coach and if he and his new program can survive this chapter of the Chronicles of Sanctions then the long term future at the “U” is as bright as ever.

Attrition and Experience Ratings Really Do Matter

When you consider the fact that Clemson broke a 14-game losing streak against Auburn with a win over the defending champs last Saturday, it’s easy to find a perfect illustration for why attrition and experience ratings really do matter in college football.

Unlike pro sports, college athletics are a very fluid situation and with draft potential, limited eligibility and graduation, last year’s king could easily be next year’s pauper based solely on turnover rates.

Auburn ranks dead last nationally in returning starters and experience ratings coming into 2011 which makes the fact that they have struggled (and will struggle) make perfect sense.

Auburn isn’t a bad football team; they’re a young football team.

UConn May Be the Next to Go

According to an ESPN article published over the weekend, UConn is actively campaigning for the next spot in the super ACC expansion project.

Though football enthusiasts might snub their nose at the addition of the gridiron Huskies, don’t forget about UConn’s dominant roundball program which could be “just the ticket” for admittance in the basketball laden ACC.

Oklahoma is REALLY, REALLY, REALLY Good

Of the big non-conference tests of the first three weeks of the 2011 college football season, it was the Sooners who drew the biggest road test of them all.

Yes, LSU met Oregon, but that was in nearby Dallas and though you could sort of make an argument for Alabama travelling to Penn State and Boise State travelling into the state of Georgia, both those games featured top ranked teams playing teams that were ranked much lower in the Top 25.

And that’s what makes Oklahoma’s victory over Florida State even more impressive, a true road victory against a Top Five team, at night, in a hyped up, amped up over the top environment (with lighted spears nonetheless).

No matter how you feel about Bob Stoops and his band of Sooners, this is the best football team in the nation (for now).

Sanction Gate Isn&rsquo;t Over

If you tuned in, turned on or connected to college football during the days leading up to Week 3’s slate of games you were wryly reminded that the rash of NCAA sanctions that have the entire nation firmly in its grip are not over.

Oregon’s been put “on notice” Ohio State and Miami are far from out of the woods and now even Boise State has given up scholarships….

When will the madness end?