College football weekend observations

by WCT, The Ship of Fools

Pic:AP

Now is the time when it starts to turn.

For the first two months of the college football season, we simply watch and enjoy the games. Our teams are still in it (for the most part) and we have an emotional investment in how they do from week-to-week. The end of the season isn't really on the horizon yet, so that finality is not yet in the forefront of our minds.

Then the calendar turns to November and it all changes. Unless you are a member of the lucky few, by now you have come to the sobering realization that your team isn't going to the National Championship Game. Not going to happen this year. Perhaps they aren't even in contention for their conference title anymore either. This just isn't going to be your year. So when our teams are out of it, our fandom turns, and we all begin cheering against a common enemy: the BCS.

For me, as for many of you I would guess, it started on Saturday night. #1 Texas vs. #7 Texas Tech. I thought to myself, what outcome is more damaging to the BCS? What outcome creates the most chaos? How can we get this system to fail again? Since both teams were undefeated, and Tech has so many tough games left on their schedule, its difficult to project the scenarios at this point. But one thing is for sure: From here on out, most of us will spend Saturdays envisioning BCS disaster scenarios (like Texas Tech, Penn State, and Alabama all remaining unbeaten) and cheering for them to play out on the field.

- Now do you believe me that the most entertaining games in college football take place in the Big 12? Great, great win by Texas Tech on Saturday night. Very impressive. The game ended up being close thanks to a furious comeback by the Longhorns, but Tech really looked dominant for most of the game. Now, do they have what it takes to run the table and give all of us the BCS chaos that we want? I still don't think so, but we shall see.

- The other team that really stands to gain from Texas Tech's win over Texas is Oklahoma, who is basically an afterthought at #6. The Sooners, who destroyed a decent Nebraska team 62-28 Saturday, play the Red Raiders on the November 22nd, and have an outside shot to win the Big 12 with some help.

- Just when people began to take notice of the solid season that Florida State was putting together, they fumble away the game inside the 5 yard line in the closing minutes of the game.

- Nice effort by Georgia on Saturday afternoon, thanks for showing up fellas. Holy lord. That was a boat-race pretty much from the opening kickoff. Credit to Florida who is throwing themselves back into Championship Game contention, but Georgia, the preseason #1 team in the land, has now been destroyed in two big conference games, allowing Alabama and Florida to bludgeon them for 90 combined points.

- Another supposed BCS buster bit the dust Saturday as high-flying Tulsa was upset at lowly Arkansas. Its all up to Boise State, Ball State, and Utah now. Utah takes on #11 TCU this Saturday night in the first ever mid-major-game-of-the-century-of-the-week.

- It is truly staggering just how awful Washington and Washington State really are, and they seem to be getting worse and worse each week. Saturday, the Evergreen State duo was beaten by a combined score of 114-0 by USC and Stanford. USC, fine, I get that, but Stanford should not be beating anyone 58-0.

- Interesting BCS side-note, USC, actually dropped in the poll this week. So apparently, Washington is so horrible, that beating them by 8 touchdowns actually makes you look worse. Hilarious.