College Football: 50 Things We Learned from Week 8

You knew it was going to happen eventually…

Yes, at some point in the season there would be the inevitable shake-up in the Top 25 that would happen by virtue of some of the top dogs suffering a shocking upset.

Week 8 was that kind of week in college football.

But, even though the major storylines coming from the eighth course of the 14 part meal we call the 2011 season are regarding No. 3 and No. 6 falling from grace, we shouldn’t overlook that there is lots to learn from the other 98 FBS teams that took the field in Week 8.

The following slideshow pinpoints 50 educational points of light from the master brush strokes that produced a fabulous five days of first rate college football.

Kourtnei Brown Is AMAZING

It’s always a GREAT weekend when we have a full slate of college football games to feast on, but the banquet is even sweeter when a 250 pound lineman forces a turnover and scuttles for a touchdown.

Week 8’s meal was enhanced by Clemson DE Kourtnei Brown, who tipped and then intercepted a Bryn Renner pass and scampered for a 20-yard score with 7:36 left in the second quarter of the Tigers game against North Carolina.

The interception and touchdown were both firsts in the senior’s career and were valuable contributions to Clemson’s 59-38 win over the Tar Heels.

Brown also scored on a fumble recovery making him the first player in ACC history to score off an interception return and fumble recovery.

Throwing a Punch Will Get You Suspended

Throwing a Punch Will Get You Suspended

Week 8 paid tribute to a string of players being suspended for everything from throwing a punch, twisting a head in the pile and all out bench clearing brawls.

Here’s a condensed list of the aftermath of a week filled with questionable behavior.

UCLA at Arizona: The brawl that got started this past Thursday night while an imposter referee streaked causing the real officials to be momentarily distracted resulted in two players being ejected from the game and then being suspended for various amounts of time (six UCLA players and four from Arizona).

Miami FL at North Carolina: Miami’s DT Micanor Regis suspended for one game for punching Tar Heels’ WR Dwight Jones in the groin in Week 7’s game in Chapel Hill.

Michigan at Michigan State: Spartan’s DE William Gholston suspended for one game for twisting Michigan QB Denard Robinson’s facemask and punching Wolverines’ OL Taylor Lewan after being held down.

Georgia at Vanderbilt:  Vanderbilt’s center Logan Stewart suspended one half game for hitting Georgia’s DL Kwame Geathers at his knees from behind, Geathers was also suspended for one half game for retaliating by punching Stewart.

Additionally, Bulldogs safety Shawn Williams was suspended for one half game for what was called a “flagrant personal foul” in the third quarter.

Southern vs. Arkansas-Pine Bluff: 25 Pine-Bluff and 16 Southern players suspended for at least one game for a postgame brawl.

Oklahoma Can Be Beaten in Norman

September 3 2005 was the last time Oklahoma was bested at home in Norman, which means that six years, one month and 20 days passed between the Sooners ’05 loss to TCU and their upset defeat at the hands of Texas Tech this past Saturday night.

Yes, the Red Raiders did the unthinkable in Week 8 when they not only snapped No. 3 Oklahoma’s 39-straight home victory streak, but also spoiled their perfect season as a 30-point unranked underdog.

Dominique Davis’ Name Will Appear in the NCAA Record Books

ECU’s 38-35 win over Navy this past Saturday not only marked their third win of the 2011 season, it also launched QB Dominique Davis’ into the NCAA record books.

Davis set two records in Week 8, the first was for consecutive completions in a game (26) and the second was for consecutive completions over two games (36).

Davis finished Week 7’s game against Memphis with 10 consecutive completions and then reeled off 26 straight in Saturday’s win over Navy.

Davis’ performance bested Tennessee’s Tee Martin (1998) and Cal’s Aaron Rodgers (2004) who were tied with 26-straight single game completions and the two game mark also ousted Rodgers from the record book.

The Hail Mary Deflection Play is Alive and Well

Of all the great plays we were treated to in Week 8 arguably the most thrilling of them all was Michigan State’s last second Hail Mary deflection TD to cap off an upset victory over No. 6 Wisconsin on Saturday night.

The play came as the final seconds ticked off the clock, when State’s QB Kirk Cousins heaved a 44-yard pass that was eventually brought down by WR Keith Nichol, who managed to barely cross the plane of the goal line and score.

Even more dramatic than the play itself were the moments between the initial call on the field, the official review and finally the announcement by the head official that the call on the field was overturned and the result was a Spartan touchdown to end the game.

This friends, is what college football is all about.

Oklahoma State Lacks Respect

Undefeated Oklahoma State lacked a very real measure of respect coming into their Week 8 road clash with 3-3 Missouri.

Lou Holtz and Kirk Herbstreit of ESPN, both picked Missouri to upset the Cowboys and even Vegas lacked confidence giving the game the lowest point spread among Top 10 teams with a mere 7.5 points.

Earlier in the week, ESPN ran a headline piece on their College Football page entitle the “BCS Bunch” which featured a picture representing every team in the BCS Top 8 with the huge exception of Oklahoma State.

The Cowboys win over Mizzou on Saturday afternoon wasn’t pretty but they got it done and are 7-0 overall and 4-0 in Big 12 play.

You have to wonder how many more games Oklahoma State will have to win to convince mainstream college football media that they are a very good football team.

Auburn Struggles in Baton Rouge

Auburns’ 45-10 loss to LSU in Baton Rouge this past Saturday afternoon marked their sixth-straight defeat in Baton Rouge.

The last time the Tigers bested the Bayou Bengals in Tiger Stadium was on September 18 1999, when they whipped LSU 41-7 on their way to a 5-6 finish.

The coach?

Well that would be Tommy Tuberville, who led Texas Tech this past Saturday to their first win over Oklahoma in Norman since 1996.

Feels Like the First Time

We’re half way through the 2011 season, but that doesn’t mean we don’t still have some partners lined up on each side of the gym who have never danced with one another.

Following are the two new dancing duets in Week 8.

FCS Jacksonville State at Kentucky–Wildcats win 38-14

Air Force at Boise State–Broncos win 37-26

Ole Miss Has Lost 10 Consecutive SEC Games

The Rebels fought mightily against Arkansas this past Saturday, but came up just short ultimately losing 29-24 at home in Oxford.

The last time Ole Miss knocked off a SEC foe was over a year ago, when they beat Kentucky on October 2 2010 and the last time they defeated a SEC-West opponent was on November 21 2009, when they beat LSU.

Houston Nutt is 10-18 against the SEC in his four and a half years in Oxford.

Conference Power Rankings

After the major shake-up in the Top 25 in Week 8, the conference power rankings have also been altered.

The following is based on the latest AP rankings and conferences are rated on the number of teams appearing in the poll and then their combined average ranking.

SEC:  Five teams ranked/9.4 average ranking.

Big 12: Five teams ranked/11.8 average ranking.

Big 10: Five teams ranked/14.4 average ranking.

Pac 12: Four teams ranked/13.5 average ranking.

ACC: Two teams ranked/10.5 average ranking.

Big East: Two teams ranked/24.5 average ranking.

MWC: One team ranked at No. 5.

C-USA: One team ranked at No. 18.

Week 8 Was Déjà vu All Over Again

In case you found yourself scratching your head and thinking you’d lived Week 8 of the college football season at some point earlier in life, you weren’t the only one…

The déjà vu details are as follows.

2010: No. 20 West Virginia (5-1, only loss to LSU) falls 19-14 to unranked Syracuse.

2011: No. 15 West Virginia (5-1, only loss to LSU) falls 49-23 to unranked Syracuse.

2010: No. 11 Wisconsin (4-0) falls 34-24 to No. 24 Michigan State in East Lansing.

2011: No. 6 Wisconsin (6-0) falls 37-31 to No. 16 Michigan State in East Lansing.

Haven’t we been here before, Daddy?

The Post Week 8 Meals on Wheels Schedule

Week 8 of college football was the type of weekend that begs the compassionate enthusiast to swing into action to aid the less fortunate.

Yes friends, let us fire up our crock pots, shine our Pyrex and spray everything with cooking spray to provide casserole type comfort to our fellow fans who are truly suffering.

Here’s where to send your bereavement wishes.

The Sooner Nation, Bruin backers, Scarlet Knight fans, the state of West Virginia, the followers of the Fighting Illini, people who enjoy a beverage at the Grove in Oxford MS, Lobo enthusiasts, Colorado Buffs buffs, Auburn admirers, the Navy, the Ute nation, the Golden Domers and the Badgers.

The Biggest Swings in the Park

We all knew that Week 7 and 8 might offer the type of matchups to alter the face of the 2011 college football campaign and they didn’t disappoint.

The past 14 days have represented some of the most dramatic swings thus far in the season; following is a very brief summary.

Illinois: Coming into Week 7 the Illini were 6-0, tied for a lead in the Big Ten Leaders division and No. 16 in the AP rankings…after Week 8 they are 6-2 (after back-to-back losses), in fourth place in their division and completely out of the AP.

Cincinnati: Prior to Week 7 the Bearcats were 4-1, but lost in the shuffle of the ever intriguing Big East…after Week 8 they are 6-1 and thanks to huge losses by West Virginia and Rutgers this past Friday night, Cincinnati suddenly has sole possession of first place in the conference and is ranked No. 24 in the AP.

Georgia Tech:  Coming into Week 7 Georgia Tech was 6-0, tied for the lead in the ACC Coastal and No. 12 in the AP…after Week 8 they are 6-2 after two-straight losses, in second place divisionally and gone from the rankings.

Purdue’s Dominance Continues

In what has to be at least a marginal statistical surprise, Purdue’s 21-14 win over Illinois this past Saturday in West Layfayette marked their ninth win over the Illini in the last 12 meetings.

Illinois leads the all-time series between the two 42-39-6.

Never Say Never

In Week 8’s edition of the ever spinning wheel of “never say never,” the party of the first part “no way” gets waylaid once again by the party of the second part “anything’s possible”  proving once against that college football is as fluid as troubled waters under a bridge.

UCF has never lost to UAB in Birmingham

Coming into Thursday night’s clash, UCF was 7-1-0 all time against the Blazers of UAB and had never dropped a game in Birmingham in four tries.  All that changed when UAB shocked UCF 26-24 at Legion field capturing their first victory along the way.

ECU has never beaten Navy

ECU’s narrow 38-35 victory over Navy in Annapolis this past Saturday marked the first time in history that the Pirates have bested the Midshipmen. 

The two teams had only met twice previously and their most recent clash was in 2010 when Navy man handled ECU 76-35 in Greenville NC.

The Michigan MAC Champs

The three MAC teams from Michigan crowned a new in-state champion in Week 8 by virtue of Eastern Michigan defeating Western Michigan narrowly this past Saturday, by a score of 14-10 (both teams had already beaten Central Michigan in 2011).

The last time Eastern Michigan won the Michigan MAC title was in 2007 on their way to a 4-8 finish.

The ’11 Eagles are now 5-3 (3-1 in the MAC) which represents their best start since 1995, when they similarly went 5-3 on the way to a 6-5 finish.

Well Timed Turnovers Can Make Staying Undefeated Possible

Oklahoma State and Clemson were both among fortunate teams this weekend that remained unscathed after facing solid opponents bent on playing spoiler.

One of the key aspects of both wins were turnovers committed by foes; the Cowboys benefited from Missouri’s four mistakes (one fumble and three picks) while the Tigers took advantage of six North Carolina errors (three fumbles and three INTs).

Oklahoma State is No. 2 in the nation in take aways with 25 while Clemson is ranked No. 18 with 17; both are obviously huge contributing factors for perfect (so far) seasons.

The Winner of the “Future of the WAC” Bowl

With Hawaii, Fresno State and Nevada bolting the WAC for the MWC after the 2011 season the face of the Western Athletic Conference is about to be altered forever.

Based on their performances this season, the youthful and scrappy Louisiana Tech Bulldogs and Utah State Aggies seem to be in position to lead the whittled down WAC in 2012 and so this past Saturday’s game may have been a preview of what’s to come.

Louisiana Tech’s 10-point fourth quarter performance ultimately iced Utah State in Logan UT and the Bulldogs left town with a big 24-7 victory to improve their conference record to 2-1.

Nevada Wins Four Straight Over Fresno State for the First Time in 85 years

Nevada’s 45-38 win over Fresno State in Week 8 was the Wolfpack’s fourth-consecutive win over the Bulldogs, which is an achievement they haven’t matched since going 4-0 from 1923-26.

The series between the two actually began back in 1923 and Fresno State leads Nevada all-time 24-18-1.

Minnesota Has Been Dominated by Nebraska

Nebraska’s 41-14 pounding of Minnesota in Week 8 may have marked the first in-conference game between the two in history but it was also the 15^th consecutive time the Cornhuskers have beaten the Golden Gophers.

Before this past Saturday, the two hadn’t met since 1990 and the last time Minnesota beat Nebraska was in 1960 when they won 26-14 in Lincoln on their way to an 8-2 finish, which included a shared Big Ten title and a claim to the National Championship.

The Winner of the “Sunflower Showdown”

One of the most masculine rivalries in all of sport, the Sunflower Showdown pits Kansas and Kansas State against each other in football and men’s basketball.  The “sunflower” referred to in the name points to Kansas’ state nickname “the sunflower state.”

The football teams from each university compete in the showdown yearly for the Governor’s Cup, which dates back to 1911 when the series was only eight years old.

The winner of the 2011 sunflower showdown (and Governor’s Cup) is Kansas State (59-21) who improved to 39-65-5 against the Jayhawks.

UAB Will Win a Game in 2011!

Coming into Week 8, the Blazers where one of three teams that were yet to taste from the chalice of sweet victory in 2011.

Yes, UAB was 0-6 coming into their Thursday night clash with defending C-USA conference champion UCF which made their 26-24 victory over the Knights shocking on a plethora of different levels.

Clemson is REALLY Good

Though it seems impossible to say, Clemson is still unappreciated for what they’ve accomplished thus far in 2011.

They’re 8-0, they’ve beaten three ranked foes, they’re ranked No. 12 in the nation in scoring, they are No. 12 nationally in turnover margin, they are No. 29 in fewest penalty yards and they are only four games away from reaching regular season perfection.

The really good teams in college football just continue to find a way to win wherever they are and whoever they are playing, even if that means 35 third quarter points against a conference foe.

That’s just the kind of team the Tigers are and boy are they fun to watch.

One Loss and Non AQ Teams Get a Boost

The upset losses by No. 3 Oklahoma and No. 6 Wisconsin represent more than just an opportunity for the eight remaining undefeated teams to move one step closer to a BCS title appearance.

The defeats also mean that one-loss teams and non-AQ squads are moving nearer to scoring a BCS berth and perhaps receiving a non-perfect bid (or first ever non-AQ) to the title game.

If the six remaining undefeated BCS teams (Clemson, K-State, Stanford, Oklahoma State, Alabama and LSU) all drop one game before the BCS is decided then suddenly one loss teams like Oregon, Arkansas, Virginia Tech, Oklahoma, Michigan, Nebraska, Michigan State, Penn State and South Carolina are back in the mix.

Additionally, if Boise State and Houston can stay clean, then the above scenario means that the Broncos could finally have a shot at the big enchilada and Houston could become the first ever C-USA team to bust the BCS.

Notre Dame’s loss to USC further increases opportunities because at 4-3 the Irish’s automatic at-large bid seems all but lost leaving the door further open for non perfect (or non AQ) teams.

USC at Notre Dame … Firsts in the Old Series

USC and Notre Dame have been squaring up against each other since 1926 but still Week 8’s contest between the two produced a boat load of firsts in the 83 game history of the series.

(1) The first night game at Notre Dame since 1990.

(2) USC’s 31-17 victory over Notre Dame marked their fifth straight win in South Bend, a first in the series.

(3) The first night game in the history of the series.

(4) Only the 10th time in history that both teams weren’t ranked when they met.

Sparty is Stifling

Any and all questions regarding the strength of Michigan State’s defense were answered in the Spartans thrilling last second victory over No. 6 Wisconsin.

Sparty held the Badgers No. 1 scoring offense in the nation (who had averaged 50 points per game) to a mere 31 points and nabbed two picks off QB Russell Wilson who previously only had one INT on the season.

Michigan State rose to No. 9 in this week’s AP and their defense now ranks No. 2 in total defense, No. 7 in scoring defense, No. 8 in rushing defense and No. 2 in passing defense.

Case Keenum is One of the Most Prolific Passers in History

Not only is Houston 7-0 for the first time since 1990, they are also led on the field by the new NCAA FBS record holder for career total offense.

Yes, QB Case Keenum passed Hawaii’s QB Tim Chang (2000-04) career mark of 16,910 yards in the first quarter of the Cougars win over Marshall on Saturday with 17,173 yards.

Other records on the radar for Keenum in his senior season are career passing yards (also held by Chang with 17,072 yards, Keenum has 16,271 yards) and touchdown passes (held by Graham Harrell from Texas Tech who had 134, Keenum has 130).

The Teams That Have Played The Most Ranked Opponents

One of the most hotly debated topics in college football is strength of schedule or discussions of “who did they play?”

Yes, all statistical evidence (including the bottom line win/loss record) should be weighed against the combined prowess of the combined set of opponents, a task that is inarguably perilous at best.

Following is a list of the Top 25 teams that have played and will play the most ranked foes in 2011, which gives an intriguing counterpoint to any “but who did they play” discussion you might find yourself participating in.

LSU (8-0): Seven total ranked foes, has played five ranked teams and has two left to play.

Texas A&M (5-2): Six total ranked foes, has played three ranked teams and has three left to play.

Alabama (8-0): Five total ranked foes, has played three ranked teams has two left to play.

Oklahoma (6-1): Five total ranked foes, has played two ranked teams and has three left to play.

Clemson (8-0): Five total ranked foes, has played three ranked teams and has two left to play.

Arkansas (6-1): Five total ranked foes, has played three ranked teams and has two left to play.

Kansas State (7-0); Five total ranked foes, has played one ranked team and has four left to play.

Auburn (5-3): Five total ranked foes, has played four ranked teams and has one left to play.

Two Friday Night BCS Games is a GREAT Thing

Anyone who is a remote control switching enthusiast would have been in heaven this past Friday night when two BCS match-ups were featured on ESPN and ESPN2.

ESPN had West Virginia losing to Syracuse while ESPN2 featured Rutgers falling to Louisville.

Yes, it was delicious indeed to curl up on the couch after a tough week and hit one button on the remote to go back and forth between two games featuring quality teams from the transitory Big East.

That’s just sensible scheduling.

Missouri Is Now the Double Six Domino

Now that Missouri’s curators have given chancellor Brady Deaton sole authority regarding conference affiliation the Tigers move from the Big 12 to the SEC seems almost imminent.

If Missouri does opt for greener pastures, then they may become the huge domino that kicks off another rash of conference moves across the college football nation.

The knock on effect of a Mizzou move could include West Virginia and Louisville to the Big 12, the further need to expand by the shrinking Big East and then the total compromising of the proposed MWC and C-USA super duper merger.

Now we’re left waiting to see if Mr. Deaton will roll into his conservatory (where he keeps his games table) and place his finger on the first domino and gently push it forward.

After that all hell could literally break loose…

Houston is 7-0 For The First Time in 21 Years

The Houston Cougars 63-28 beat down of Marshall in Week 8 marked the first time they’ve started a season 7-0 since 1990, when they went 8-0 on their way to a 10-1 finish.

The Cougars only loss in 1990 was to Texas (45-24) in Austin; they beat Texas Tech, Texas A&M, SMU, Arkansas, Baylor, TCU and Arizona State that season.

Geographic Insanity is Upon Us

Student athletes!  It’s time to sign up for frequent flyer membership because you’ll be racking up the miles with the following proposed travel itineraries.

Air Force at Rutgers (1830 miles)

Florida at Missouri (925 miles)

Boise State at USF (2630 miles)

SMU at UConn (1700 miles)

East Carolina at UNLV (2400 miles)

San Diego State at Marshall (2300 miles)

The 2011 Schwartzwalder Trophy Winner

The Schwartzwalder Trophy has been awarded to the winner of the West Virginia vs. Syracuse football game every year since 1993. 

The award is named for Ben Schwartzwalder who had a connection with both universities; he played at center at West Virginia from 1930-32 and served as the head coach at Syracuse from 1949-73 (153-91-3).

Schwartzwalder coached both Jim Brown and Ernie Davis (who was the first African American to capture the Heisman Trophy) and he also was the coach of the 1959 national championship team.

In Week 8, Syracuse captured its eighth Schwartzwalder Trophy by virtue of shocking West Virginia 49-23; Syracuse leads the all-time series 32-27.

Colorado Still Hasn’t Won a Pac-12 Game

Injury-ridden Colorado again fell short of scoring their first ever Pac-12 victory this past Saturday by virtue of being manhandled by top ranked Oregon by a score of 45-2.

The Buffaloes are now 0-4 in league play with other losses coming to Washington State, Stanford and Washington.

Colorado’s next opportunity at a first ever Pac-12 win comes this Saturday when they host Arizona State in Boulder.

Oklahoma State Is REALLY REALLY Good

Even though during the last two games you started to get the feeling that the Cowboys are capable of a meltdown, it simply hasn’t happened.

Yes, the issue was in doubt against Texas and then things could have gone terribly wrong this Saturday in Columbia against Missouri, only they didn’t and Oklahoma State is 7-0 and now in the cat bird’s seat in the Big 12.

What impresses me most about Oklahoma State is actually on defense and has everything to do with taking the ball away from opponents.

The Cowboys are No. 2 in the nation in take aways (24), No. 21 in turnovers (9) and therefore tied for No. 1 in turnover margin with LSU at 15.

After seven games this is no coincidence or statistical oddity, it’s simply indicative of a very aggressive and very successful team.

Western Kentucky is En Fuego

The Western Kentucky football program moved up to the FBS ranks in 2009 and in the two seasons that followed they won a total of two games.

These cold hard facts put the Hilltoppers three-consecutive victories in 2011 into perspective, it’s simply historic.

WKU beat Middle Tennessee 36-33 in double overtime on October 6, shut out FAU 20-0 on October 15 and then this past Saturday they won 42-23 over a quality 6-1 ULL squad.

WillieTaggert and company should be thoroughly commended for this huge achievement in Hilltopper history.

Alabama’s Scariest Stat

The Crimson Tide’s statistical resume reads like a guy who went to Harvard Business School and then served as the CEO who turned around the fortunes of a major company.

Alabama is No. 1 in scoring defense (6.9 points per game), No. 14 in scoring (39.4 points per game) and is No. 15 in rushing yards (229.3 yards per game).

The list could go on and on but the Tide’s scariest stat is their No. 1 national ranking in rushing defense.

Yes, Alabama has allowed a scant 44.88 yards per game on the ground…chew that up before you swallow it, 44.88 yards per game.

Want to be even more frightened as we approach Halloween?

The last two national champions have led the SEC in rushing defense…Alabama leads the world.

21 Teams Are Yet To Win a Conference Game

In an intriguing factoid, we’re a week past the halfway point of the 2011 season and we still have 21 teams who haven’t scored a conference win.

The dishonor league roll includes the following squads.

ACC

Boston College 0-4

Big 12

Iowa State 0-4

Kansas 0-4

Big East

USF 0-3

Big Ten

Minnesota 0-3

Northwestern 0-4

Indiana 0-4

MAC

Akron 0-3

Kent State 0-3

MWC

UNLV 0-1

New Mexico 0-2

Air Force 0-3

Pac-12

Utah 0-4

Colorado 0-4

SEC

Kentucky 0-3

Tennessee 0-4

Mississippi State 0-4

Ole Miss 0-4

Sun Belt

FAU 0-4

WAC

Utah State 0-2

Idaho 0-3

Reality is Better than Fiction

There are some things that happen on live TV that are absolutely supreme to what a group of writers could script. This past Thursday night’s college football game between UCLA and Arizona was one of those golden moments.

With only two ticks left on the clock before halftime UCLA, who trailed Arizona 42-7 after one of the most lopsided halves in 2011, lined up for a final play when fate took over.

First, a referee flew off the sidelines before the play was underway and whistled the play dead, but before anyone could figure out the guy didn’t look quite right, he began to take off his clothing and streak down the field.

As the TV cameras zoomed in on the head official who was watching the “knucklehead” bare all, suddenly the official took off the other direction and when the camera followed him and panned out it revealed that a melee had broken out between the UCLA and Arizona.

The conflict had begun when everyone’s attention was understandably diverted by the imposter referee stripper and resulted in both benches clearing and ended with two players ejected.

It’s a fake official coming out of the stands, ending a play, getting buck naked, streaking down the field resulting in a the temporary focus shift that resulted in an all out brawl amongst the players.

Seriously, I don’t know that we’ll see anything better than that all season.

Utah Still Hasn’t Won a Pac-12 Game

After moving from the MWC to the Pac-12 for the 2012 season, the Utah Utes are still yet to score a “first ever” conference win.

Utah gave up 20 second quarter points to Cal this past Saturday in a 34-10 losing effort that resulted in a 0-4 start in Pac-12 play.

Previous league losses thus far came at USC, vs. Washington and vs. Arizona State, up next for Utah is a home game against 2-5 Oregon State.

Joe Adams Is Freakin’ Fast

In case you aren’t sure who Joe Adams is, he’s a senior WR for Arkansas, and in case you missed it, you should check out the explosive speed he displayed in a third quarter play from this past Saturday’s 9-24 comeback victory over Ole Miss.

The Razorbacks had the ball first and 10 from their own 25 when QB Tyler Wilson completed a screen pass to Adams who looked like he’d been shot out of a cannon when he darted 67 yards to the Ole Miss eight yard line.

The play set up a thrilling Tyler Wilson rushing TD on fourth and goal from the one that broke a 17-17 tie and gave Arkansas their first lead of the game.

Holy Acceleration!

Duke Drops a Dozen to Demon Deacons

Wake Forest’s 24-23 win over the Blue Devils on Saturday marked their 12^th straight victory over Duke, tying the longest all-time streak in the series history (Duke’s 12 straight wins from 1952-63).

The last time the Blue Devils beat the Demon Deacons was in 1999 when they won 48-35 in Durham NC.

Five Teams Will Not Appear in a Bowl Game

With more than half of the FBS field destined to go bowling in 2011 being offered a postseason bid isn’t quite the honor it once was.

Regardless, we can already identify five squads who won’t play in a 2011-12 bowl game.

Indiana: 1-7, last played in a bowl game in 2007 (Insight Bowl, lost to Oklahoma State).

New Mexico: 0-7, last played in a bowl game in 2007 (New Mexico Bowl, beat Nevada)

Colorado: 1-7, last played in a bowl game in 2007 (Independence Bowl, lost to Alabama).

FAU: 0-7, last played in a bowl game in 2008 (Motor City Bowl, beat Central Michigan).

USC: 6-1, postseason ineligible, last played in a bowl game 2009 (Emerald Bowl, beat Boston College)

Alabama and LSU Will be Undefeated on November 5, 2011

Week 8 absolutely altered the face of the upper echelon of the 2011 season and more than likely transformed the race for the BCS title game.

What didn’t change was the fact that in less than 14 days, we’ll watch an undefeated LSU squad battle an equally perfect Alabama in Tuscaloosa for a whole bag full of shiny marbles.

Yes, the Bayou Bengals 45-10 win over Auburn and the Tide’s 37-6 triumph over Tennessee means that the November 5, Week 10 clash betwixt the two (who both enjoy a weekend off in Week 9) retains its saucy “game of the century” billing.

Eight Teams are Still Perfect

Coming into Week 8, we had ten teams who were still blameless and after upset losses suffered by Oklahoma and Wisconsin only eight now remain standing.

The perfect honor roll is as follows: Clemson (8-0), Kansas State (7-0), Oklahoma State (7-0), Houston (7-0), Boise State (7-0), Stanford (7-0), LSU (8-0) and Alabama (8-0).

The Big Ten and Big East are now the only two BCS conferences without an undefeated member.

Two Teams are Still Winless

With UAB’s big win over UCF on Thursday night, the number of teams who have yet to win a game in 2011 has whittled down to only two, New Mexico (0-7) and FAU (0-7).

New Mexico got whipped by TCU 69-0 while FAU lost 38-14 to Middle Tennessee.

Clemson’s Sammy Watkins is RIDICULOUS

He can score, he’s fast, he can return kicks, but did you see this guy lead block on a third quarter kick return by Jaron Brown which resulted in a 36-yard return for to the UNC 45?

Six plays later Watkins blew past a Tar Heel defender on third and 18 caught a Tajh Boyd toss and darted downfield for a 43-yard Tiger touchdown.

With 54 grabs for 819 yards and nine TDs Clemson’s freshman phenom Sammy Watkins is RIDICULOUS!

The Home Team Is Likely to Win When the Spartans and Badgers Meet

The Spartans thrilling last second win over Wisconsin in Week 8 extended a significant streak in the 49 game history of the series between the two.

The home team has won seven-straight in the Michigan State vs. Badgers sequence.  The last time the visitor packed their satchels and went home with a win was in 2002, when Wisconsin won 42-24 in East Lansing.

Weekly Awards

Best Comeback:  In a dead heat, we give this one to both Arkansas who scored 19 third quarter points to overcome a 17-point deficit at Ole Miss and then to Ball State who also erased a 17-point hole with a 21- point third quarter to beat Central Michigan.

Biggest Upset: Though, Michigan State was eight point underdogs to Wisconsin and Syracuse was 14.5 underdogs to West Virginia, the biggest upset of Week 8 goes to Texas Tech who were 30 point underdogs to Oklahoma who they held on to beat 41-38.

 Worst Fashion Switch: Notre Dame’s new even more dome-like helmets received a flurry of media attention leading up to their meeting with USC in Week 8.  But, the shiny headgear ultimately fell flat as the Irish turned the ball over three times and only ran for 41 yards in a 31-17 loss to the men of Troy.

Biggest Blowout: TCU’s 69-0 trouncing of winless New Mexico in Fort Worth.  The Toads out gained the Lobos in offensive yardage 515 to 85.

Alabama and LSU Are REALLY REALLY REALLY Good

We could go on and on about how great these teams are, who they’ve played, what they’ve done, what they’ve overcome and what could happen if they keep on winning.

We could discuss how to statistically separate the two divisional foes and who looks better on paper, but all that will be decided off the page on November 5, when the two finally meet on the field for one of the most meaningful, most anticipated and most physical clashes in recent memory.

These are the two best teams in the nation and yes, they are really, really, really good (16-0 good).