PAC 10 Preview - 10-10-08

Pac 10:

USC vs. ASU (the replacements are coming)

The game should just be dubbed the all-injured bowl (just kidding). Considering the fact that when both Arizona state and USC bump heads, QB Mark Sanchez who suffered a bruise in a 44-10 win over Oregon will not be in the line up. He's been out of practice all week and is still discussing the possibility of sitting out. Sanchez' back up, Mitch Musting has been prepared all week as the potential starter. Despite being the 4th qb on the depart in the start of the season, Musting moved up to the 2nd slot last week. Musting, the Arkansas transfer has a lot of talent, but forces pass in tight spots, which get him in trouble.

From the sun devils side, QB Rudy carpenter is nursing a sprained ankle he suffered in a loss to Cal. While USC can cover up the loss of Sanchez with a guy who went 8-0 in the SEC last season, Losing Carpenter leaves Arizona State without its best player. If Carpenter can't go, that means he’ll ruin his streak of games started, just falling shy of his 37th consecutive game. Arizona State will have to turn to Junior, Danny Sullivan, who will be making his first career start, at USC in THE COLLISUM. This is not the ideal starting place for any QB, midseason.

Unless of course, you're a Trojan football player.

Whatever the Case... Pete Carroll knows how to pick em' and knows how to coach em'..

So I'm with TROY...

S. Ballah

Big Ten Review - 10-10-08

Big Ten review: 



We Are PENN STATE (now broadcasting in High Definition)

Nittany Lions#6, or like I like to call em' JoePa's Boys, are 6-0 and continue to look impressive, as they bring the Big Ten's
most explosive offense into Wisconsin on Saturday night vs. the
Badgers, who need to win in order to

avoid a 0-3 conference start.

Wisconsin enters this week as one of the nation's most desperate
teams. The Badgers are desperate for a conference win. They realize
that starting 0-3 would destroy all hopes of winning the Big Ten.
Coach Bielema has decided to stick with Quarterback Allan Evridge.
HE
wants the 5th year senior to improve on his accuracy. Evridge has
received much criticism for his 53.2% passing with 3 ints’ in the last
couple of games. Although the Badgers passing game has been hurt due to
injuries to junior TE, Garrett Graham and senior TE, Travis Beckum, 
the run oriented badgers cannot afford lack luster play from the QB
position.

"The bottom line is we've got to expect the ball to be
delivered with better accuracy,"

Bielema said.

Coach Rodriguez is still steaming from Michigan's 25 pt home loss to
Illinois. Coach R said,

"The wolverines played a little bit soft in all
aspects of the game"

He's promising to fix things up, and he must do
so fast, as Michigan is currently 2-3.


Tackle, Dorsey and Wr Evans out of Michigan are still suffering injuries and remain questionable for Saturday's game.

Michigan State's big play defense has them riding a five-game win
streak which has noted them 23rd in the AP poll. The Spartans climb in
the ranks marks their first appearance in 3 years. Northwestern, 
like Michigan State, is on a five game win streak, but unlike the
Spartans, find themselves on the outside looking in. Much of Northwestern's success is coming from senior running back Tyrell Sutton.
Sutton is averaging 124.0 scrimmage yards per game, ranking him sixth
in the Big Ten. Despite being only half way through the season, Northwestern has already come within one win of matching 2007's final
record. Sutton's take on the sudden success and recent buzz on campus,


"We just have to maintain that buzz and make sure we stay humble and
stay grounded and play every game like we're 0-0."

S. Ballah

SEC Review 10-10-08

SEC review:

All eyes on Florida vs. LSU

The Florida Gators have been looking all season to add more offense to assist Tim “Superman” Tebow and the versatile Percy Harvin. Coach Ubran Myer may have found his answers last week in Jeffrey Demps and Chris Rainey. Rainey and Demps are packed with speed, and seemed to out run everyone on their way to the end zone last week as both went over 100 yards.

The gators will need this balanced scoring attack to beat a very good LSU team.

Florida vs. LSU started to heat up a few days ago.

Defensive Tackle, Ricky Jean- Francois made a statement to the press when asked about facing 2007 Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow, saying:

"LSU Tiger Defenders would try and knock Tim Tebow out of Saturday's game."

Because of the negative press the comment caused on both sides, Jean-Francois was forced to make a statement on LSU's official website clarifying his words.

"We never go into any football game trying to hurt a player from the other team," Jean-Francois said in the release. "My comments in regard to Florida quarterback Tim Tebow were misinterpreted and were intended to reflect the style of football that we play at LSU. We have great respect for Tim as player and a competitor. By taking him out of the game, I meant, as a defense we are going to try to make him ineffective. I'm sorry that my initial comments were interpreted another way."

My take on his comments are, I felt that what he said was misinterpreted, and was done in a competitive manner. After all isn't Jean-Francois earning that scholarship money to knock opposing players out of the game? It's football people.

Despite all of the bulletin board material that has been added to the contest, this will be the first time in 18 years that national champions from the two previous years will meet. The last time this happened was in 1990, when 88' champion Notre Dame beat 89' champion Miami, in a 29-20 classic in South Bend.

According to LSU Coach Les Miles,

"If you find any weaknesses, tell me,"

Miles said in regards to Florida.

"They don't have any weaknesses. Being ranked (No. 11) is underselling them some. It will be our strengths against their strengths. "Our team will have a real want to compete in that game. If we play like we can, I like our match up. Make no bones about it. This game will be fun to play. The players will enjoy this one."

This will defiantly be a great much up. A must see!

S. Ballah

Big 12 Review - 10-10-08

Big 12 review:



It's Red River Rivalry Day at the Cotton Bowl...

All Eyes on Oklahoma vs. Texas

Oklahoma's Defensive Line will be at full strength for its first time this weekend. If you're a long horns fan, you're probably cringing at the thought. Before the season many analyst named Oklahoma's defensive front as the strength of the team. Injuries to Junior DT, DeMarcus Granger and Freshmen DE, Frank Alexander had left their defensive front depleted. The rest of the Defense was able to step up, while they recovered from their bumps and bruises.

With both Oklahoma & Texas ranked in the top 5 nationally for the first time since 2004 (Sooners #1 and Texas #5), both look to remain undefeated in a stacked conference.

But, I see this as an opportunity for the Sooners to maintain their number one spot.

This should be a GREAT game and I hope that it comes down to the wire, but Oklahoma has been playing like a True #1... My nod goes to the Sooners

S. Ballah