We're finally getting into some conference play and exposing some teams that might have been a little overrated. In this week's Hangover, I wanna reflect on the weekend, and maybe even get some I told you so's in.
Overrated Watchlist:
The Team: Oklahoma
Their Current Ranking: 3
What they should be Ranked: 14
The Evidence: Let's put it this way- Oklahoma's best win is on the road at the team currently in last place in the ACC. Yeah, I'm talking about Florida State, and until they aren't trailing Wake Forest in the ACC standings, I don't wanna hear about what a good win it was for the Sooners. Other wins include incredibly mediocre Missouri, Tulsa, and Ball State. There's a reason Oklahoma has dropped in the standings behind SEC teams. It's because other teams are proving they belong, and the Sooners aren't doing anything.
Mark your Calendars: Even though the Big 12 slate starts this weekend, Oklahoma probably won't see much of a challenge until November. The Red River Rivalry against equally overrated Texas is this Saturday and is followed by Kansas, Texas Tech, and Kansas State.
Side note: KSU just squeezed out a 1 point home win over Baylor, the only team in America that has yet to realize they must actually field a defense. The media was quick to jump to the massive conclusion that the wildcats are good, and threw them into the top 20 ranked teams. Are you seeing a pattern here with Big 12 teams and being overrated?
Anyway, Oklahoma hosts Texas A&M on November 5 and will travel to Baylor on November 19. Their finale is in Stillwater against Oklahoma State. The Sooners will faulter down the stretch as they play their best competition, dropping 2 of the 3 games I just mentioned.
The Team: Virginia Tech
Their Current Ranking:21
What they should be Ranked: 24
The Evidence: I admit it, this is less of a heads up and more of an I TOLD YOU SO. Whoops, was that accidentally in bold? My bad.
Virginia Tech allowed 10 ppg through the first 4 weeks, notching one of the best scoring defense marks in the country. Congrats- that was against two C-USA teams and two FCS squads. Clemson game to town and handed VT a twenty point loss, the second largest negative scoring differential for the castrated turkies in the last 30 years. I'm looking at the AP Poll trying to be fair, but honestly, the only teams in this poll that I think Tech is better than are the likes of Kansas State and Baylor.
Tech averages fewer than 200 yards passing for game. I know that comes with the territory of having a first year starter at quarterback, but regardless of the reasoning, that tends to make them a little too one dimensional on offense. I don't care if David Wilson runs a 2.9 in the 40, if all you can do is run, defenders are just going to crowd the box all day long. Tech needs to work on open field tackling and balancing out their offense if they want to get back into the ACC title race.
Mark your Calendars: In the preseason, I recall predicting Tech would cruise through ACC play only to get smashed in the title game by Florida State. It's clear to me now that Tech won't even do that. The Georgia Tech game is a loss, just go ahead and book that now. I also believe there will be a surprise loss in there- look at Miami, Wake Forest, or UVA to spring an upset.
VT fans may now proceed to tell me how rediculous I am, much like they did when I said Clemson would own them at home...
The Team: Ohio State
Their Current Ranking: Unranked
What they should be Ranked: Really, Really unranked
The Evidence: Oh how the mighty have fallen. The Buckeyes just completed their second week out of the top 25, a place they haven't dwelled since 2004. After losing to a massively underachieving Miami squad in week 3, Ohio State bounced back with a 20 point trouncing of Pac-12 newcomer Colorado, only to be beaten at home by Michigan State now. Ohio State's only other wins came at the likes of Toledo (barely) and Akron (who cares?). They are barely averaging 20 points a game against that competition, and are ranked in the bottom ten in all of FBS when it comes to passing yards.
Mark your Calendars: The hits are gonna keep coming. The Buckeyes will almost certainly drop their next three games- @Nebraska, @Illinois, and Wisconsin. That would drop THE Ohio State university (note the sarcastic capitalization, please) to 3-5. Sure, they have a bye week to prepare for Wisconsin. Is that gonna help them? Eh. Probably not. I won't completely write them off, as Ohio State has a physical enough d-line to stay in the game. But I still think Wisconsin's smash mouth run game is too much and they Badgers stroll out of Columbus with a win. The buckeyes limp to a 6-6 finish.
The Team: Michigan
Their Current Ranking: 12
What they should be Ranked: 22
The Evidence: Here are the four public opinion categories I have managed to hear so far about Michigan's football team this year:
1. THE SANE (roughly 25%)- Michigan is undefeated, but they don't really have any really great, quality wins. I'll keep an eye on them going forward, but I really would like to see more out of them before I buy i into the hype.
2. THE BANDWAGON/FANBOYS (roughly 60%)- Michigan is back! Denard Robinson is just as great a passer as he is a runner! They should have never switched away from a pro style offense, their offense is clicking on all cylinders! Michigan will probably win the Big 10 at this rate!
3. THE REDICULOUS (roughly 13%)- The Michigan Defense is elite, they're holding all those opponents they're playing to practically nothing! Did you see them shut out Minnesota? Denard Robinson for Heisman, the voting won't even be close!
4. THE MENTALLY ILL (roughly 2%)- Denard Robinson just surpassed Tim Tebow as the greatest college football player to live.
Look folks. Now that Virginia Tech has made me look like a genius (or someone with common sense?), I'm gonna lay off my friends in Blacksburg and concentrate on Michigan. The hype is getting rediculous people. Denard Robinson is not the greatest player in college football, even right now, let alone of all time. You're probably the same people that think Vick is the best player in the NFL. Is Denard the most elusive quarterback? Probably. The fastest? He's up there. The most exciting to watch? It's arguable. The best passer? Absolutely not. The Best? Umm, no. He's not the quarterback at Stanford, after all.
Robinson is averaging 168 yards passing per game. I've seen college Intramural quarterbacks throw for more than that. As for the most embarassing part of the Wolverines, the Michigan football team has not only played a rediculously meaningless schedule (take out the last second win against ehh-inspiring Notre Dame, and you've got a punchline of a September lineup), they haven't even left the school campus yet. The Minnesota blowout/shutout? Oh PLEASE. Minnesota just lost by 13 points at home to an FCS school. They could have forfeited the game against Michigan and it would have meant about as much.
Mark your Calendars: Don't look too far. Michigan will face an interesting test at Northwestern this weekend in a game that I have no idea how to gauge because I don't really know how good either of these teams are. The following weekend, get ready for a loss as the Wolverines travel to Michigan State. Illinois? Probable loss. Nebraska? Loss. Overrated? Big time.
This Weekend: 14/18
This Season: 52/60
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