Code Orange

I was going to make the last post a games to watch post, but then it turned into a tirade against the polls this week, so I’ll make this the games to watch post instead.

Florida State (4-1) at Wake Forest (3-2) - 7:30 PM, Thursday

This is a huge game in the ACC Atlantic Division was the winner stays within one game of Boston College in the division, while the loser is pretty close to out of the division race.  Florida State needs to prove that it has fully recovered from their game against Clemson while Wake needs to prove that they can win against a quality opponent after having close games against Army and Duke and needed to come back from 21 points down against Maryland to win.

Central Florida (3-2) at South Florida (5-0) - 12:00 PM

The game to determine the king of directional Florida, UCF can be a tricky opponent, almost pulling off an upset win against Texas.  South Florida needs a big win to amend for their close against against Florida Atlantic last week.

Purdue (5-1) at Michigan (4-2) - 12:00 PM

Michigan has started to roll after their embarrassing start, but still needs to knock off the lesser Big 10 opponents if they wish to keep their eyes on Ohio State and the Big Ten Championship.  Purdue, meanwhile, doesn’t want a good 5-0 start to go down the tube fast with two straight losses to the conference’s standard bearers.

Oklahoma State (3-3) at Nebraska (4-2) - 12:30 PM

Despite being 3-3, Oklahoma State is still only 1 game out of the Big 12 south lead, and a win over Nebraska would get them over a big hurdle to get them back into the race.  A loss by either team will make it very difficult for either to have a chance to play for their division.

Buffalo (2-4) at Toledo (2-4) - 1:00 PM

Has Buffalo ever had 3 wins since moving up to I-A football? They have a good shot at it this week as they take on a Toledo team which barely got by a I-AA team and beat a 1-5 Iowa State team by 1.  If they win, Buffalo will move to 3-1 in the MAC (though, apparently only divisional games count towards the division championship.  Buffalo is 2-0 in their division) and will people start *gasp* evening consider the possibility for Buffalo as a challenger for the Eastern Division title?

Tennessee (3-2) at Mississippi State (4-2) - 2:30 PM

The only reason why this is a game to watch is to see if Tennessee can continue on from their big win over Georgia.  Tennessee is one of three teams in the SEC East who control their own destiny for the division title, and probably have the easiest road of the three.  Tennessee will be removed from the driver’s seat if they lose to the other Bulldog team.

Texas A&M (5-1) at Texas Tech (5-1) - 3:30 PM

It’s the battle of the 5-1 should-be-ranked Big 12 teams.  The winner better be ranked or the human polls should probably be removed entirely from the BCS calculations.  Texas A&M can take a big leap forward in the Big 12 South if they win.  However, Texas Tech can essentially reset the division if they win.

Wisconsin (5-1) at Penn State (4-2) - 3:30 PM

Both of these teams depserately needs to rebound.  Penn State is probably already out of the Big Ten race, but is almost certainly eliminated with a 3rd conference loss.  Wisconsin also needs a win to keep their hopes alive.

LSU (6-0) at Kentucky (5-1) - 3:30 PM

Along with Tennessee, Kentucky is another team in the SEC East who controls their own destiny.  However, unlike Tennessee, they have the unfortunately duty of having to play LSU.  LSU can add a few more links to their armor of #1 votes with another win over a ranked team, while Kentucky probably must pull the upset to keep any hope of winning the division alive.

Connecticut (5-0) at Virginia (5-1) - 3:30 PM

A very curious out of conference match-up at both teams need this win to prove that they are, really, for real.  Virginia is still haunted by their Week 1 loss to Wyoming, but hasn’t played a team with a winning record otherwise.  Connecticut, on the other hand, while 5-0, hasn’t played anyone yet either, with their most impressive win being over 3-3 Akron.  This will be the first test for both teams, and the winner will likely become a strong contender to win their conference or division.

Missouri (5-0) at Oklahoma (5-1) - 6:30 PM

This is unquestionably the game of the week as Missouri tries to send a message to the rest of the Big 12 - and nation - that they are, indeed, for real.  Oklahoma will try to reassert themselves as kings of the Midwest by adding a win over undefeated Missouri.  A win would almost certainly catapult the Tigers into the Top 10 and National Championship talk may start buzzing around Columbia.

Indiana (5-1) at Michigan State (4-2) - 7:00 PM

Indiana has been oh-so-close to getting bowl eligible several times in the past few years, but haven’t been able to reach that 6-win mark.  They can do it this week against Michigan State, on top of getting their first true quality win and staying as a valid contender for the Big Ten title.

Louisville (3-3) at Cincinnati (6-0) - 7:00 PM

If Louisville were the team they were supposed to be, this would have challenged the Missouri/Oklahoma game for game of the week status.  Instead, Louisville comes into this game trying to stop the bleeding, having lost 2 in a row and 3 of their last 4.  They’ll have a tough time doing so against Cincinnati.  However, looking ahead at games against UConn, South Florida, West Virginia, and Rutgers, Louisville needs to try to find some games to win, or else they may not even go bowling.

Auburn (4-2) at Arkansas (3-2) - 7:45 PM

This is a game between two SEC teams who were hoping to have much better seasons than they have.  With two conference losses, Arkansas is probably already out of the SEC West race, but they can receive a final blow if Auburn beats them.  Meanwhile, Auburn themselves can’t afford another conference loss if they want to keep up with LSU.

East Carolina (3-3) at UTEP (4-2) - 9:05 PM

This is an interesting game if for no other reason than this could be a preview of the Conference USA title game.  Both teams currently lead their division, though neither can really afford a loss at this point in the season or else they’ll be playing catch-up in their division the rest of the way.

Colorado (4-2) at Kansas State (3-2) - 9:15 PM

Colorado is leading the Big 12 North along with Missouri.  If Missouri picks up the win against Oklahoma, Colorado really needs this win to keep up.  Meanwhile, Kansas State needs a win to stay in the division race altogether, or else they’ll fall 2 games back of (at least) Colorado.

The upset of the day is easily Stanford taking advantage of a weak-looking Southern Cal and winning 24-23.  USC becomes the 2nd top 5 team to lose today.  The other Los Angeles team goes amiss as well as UCLA hands Notre Dame their first win of the season 20-6.

In rivalry games with conference championship implications, Oklahoma bounces back to defeat Texas in the Red River Shootout 28-21 to keep Oklahoma in the Big 12 South race.  Meanwhile, Texas A&M mounts a huge comeback, scoring 24 of the last 30 points to beat Oklahoma State 24-23.

In the SEC, newly minted #1 LSU scores with around a minute left to play to get by Florida 28-24.  Meanwhile, Tennessee runs all over Georgia  35-14 and now leads the SEC East along with South Carolina and Kentucky.  Tennessee is the only team who has played both Florida and Georgia.

In the ACC, Virginia Tech beat up Clemson 41-23.  That puts Clemson 2 games behind Boston College in the Atlantic Division while the two Virginia teams are the only remaining teams still undefeated in conference play in the Coastal Division.

In the Big 10, Ohio State made a statement against Purdue, winning 23-7.

In the Big East, Cincinnati shows that they are for real by getting past Rutgers 28-23.

Temple, Buffalo, and Army, three much maligned teams, all pick up wins today.  Temple defeated Northern Illinois 16-15, Buffalo ran over Ohio 31-10, while Army squeezes past Tulane in overtime 20-17.

Only three games are still in progress.  Tulsa leads UTEP late in the 4th quarter 47-41, Missouri is running all over Nebraska 41-6 with 10 minutes to go, and Hawaii leads Utah State 7-3 halfway through the 1st quarter.

Other Finals:

Wake Forest 41, Duke 36
Wyoming 24,  Texas Christian 21
Mississippi 24, Louisiana Tech 0
Mississippi State 30, UAB 13
Miami (OH) 20, Kent State 13
Alabama 30, Houston 24
Penn State 27, Iowa 7
Florida State 27, North Carolina State 10
South Florida 35, Florida Atlantic 23
San Jose State 28, Idaho 20
Arizona State 23, Washington State 20
Oregon State 31, Arizona 16
Fresno State 49, Nevada 41
San Diego State 24, Colorado State 20
Troy 34, Florida International 16
Toledo 35, Liberty 34
Louisiana Lafayette 38, North Texas 29
Virginia 23, Middle Tennessee State 21
Texas Tech 42, Iowa State 17
Akron 39, Western Michigan 38
Louisiana Monroe 30, Arkansas State 13
Arkansas 34, Chattanooga 15
Colorado 43, Baylor 23
East Carolina 52, Central Florida 38
Air Force 31, UNLV 14

Update - 3:44

Four straight incomplete passes in overtime my Michigan State hands Northwestern the win in overtime, 48-41.

Meanwhile, Central Michigan easily handles Ball State 58-38 to move to 3-0 in the MAC Western Division.

Finally, I may not be around to blog about games much until this evening, so if I don’t post anything in a while, you know why.

Update - 3:39

North Carolina finishes their game against Miami, winning 33-27 as Miami continues their up and down season.

Northwestern strikes first in overtime, scoring a touchdown and taking a 48-41 lead.

Two teams known for losing are on track to pick up wins today as well. Buffalo leads Ohio 24-10 in the middle of the 4th quarter while Temple leads Northern Illinois 13-6 early in the 4th quarter.

Meanwhile, Auburn easily handles SEC East Surprise-Wannabe Vanderbilt 35-7.

Update - 3:33
Close finishes (and upsets) galore!

The Top 10 slaughter continues this week as Illinois defeats Wisconsin 31-26 to move to 5-1.

Kansas State didn’t waste any time wasting their new Top 25 ranking by losing to in-state rival Kansas 30-24. Kansas is now 5-0.

Meanwhile, Northwestern misses a 36 yard field goal as time expires to push their game against Michigan State into overtime tied at 41.

Update - 3:29

Maryland survives. Georgia Tech scores 23 of the final 30 points in the game, but a holding penalty late in Georgia Tech’s final drive pushes them back, forcing them to kick a 52 yard field goal instead of a 42 yard field goal (or closer). They missed. Maryland pulls it out 28-26.

Meanwhile, Indiana moves to 5-1 by defeating Minnesota 40-20. Boston College also dispatches of Bowling Green 55-24 making Boston College the first bowl eligible team of 2007.

Update - 3:22

Just when Michigan looked like they had finally rebounded from their 0-2 start, they play a tight game with Eastern Michigan. Yes, Michigan won 33-22, but it’s Eastern Michigan.

Update - 3:14

West Virginia finally ends Syracuse’s misery, winning 55-14. Syracuse had a total of 217 yard of offense while allowing 486. However, I think this may be the first game Syracuse actually rushed for over 100 yards (I’ll need to check that).

Update - 3:12

Pulling Away: UNC pulls farther ahead of Miami, increasing their lead to 33-20 with 8 minutes to go. Also, it looks like yet another Top 10 team will fall as Illinois pulls farther ahead of Wisconsin 31-19 with under 5 minutes to go.

Update - 3:10

Closing Up: Kansas State gets within 3 of Kansas, 27-24 with under 7 minutes to go while Georgia Tech pulls to within 2 of Maryland, 28-26, also with under 7 minutes to go.

Update - 2:58

Breathing Room? UNC puts up another field goal to expand their lead to 10 over Miami, 30-20 early in the 4th quarter. Also, Northwestern and Michigan State continue their death match tied at 34, also early in the 4th.

Georgia Tech is also mounting a comeback against Maryland, now down only 28-20, also early in the 4th quarter.

And for those of you wondering whether Syracuse could pull off another miracle…forget about it. The Mountaineers are crushing them 55-14. A full 1/3 of Syracuse’s 184 total yards came on a single 61 yard touchdown pass in the 3rd quarter and the Orange are on the verge of allowing yet another 500 yards of offense.

Update - 2:41

Hurricanes blow back? Miami charges back and closes the gap to 27-20 against UNC in the 3rd quarter. Meanwhile, Kansas takes a 21-17 lead on Kansas State at the end of the 3rd quarter. Illinois also still leads Wisconsin, though barely, 24-19, also at the end of the 3rd quarter.

Update - 1:41 PM

Michigan State tries to stay in the Big Ten race, but Northwestern is giving them all they can handle, leading 20-13 at halftime. Indiana, meanwhile, looks like they’re well on their way to going to 5-1 as they lead Minnesota 27-14 at halftime. Wisconsin tries to hang in the game with Illinois, closing the gap to 17-6 by halftime.

1:18 PM

Ouch! North Carolina is obliterating Miami 27-0 and it isn’t even halftime yet. Miami is tied for the Coastal Division lead in the ACC. Doesn’t look like they will be after today. Continuing on the ACC blowout theme, Maryland is easily handling Georgia Tech 21-3, also in the 2nd quarter.

And are we gonna have another Top 10 slaughter? Perhaps as Illinois leads Wisconsin 17-0. Elsewhere in the Big Ten, Northwestern is trying to mess with Michigan State with both teams currently tied at 13.

In the Big East, West Virginia is making sure that what happened to Louisville doesn’t happen to them as they lead Syracuse 21-7.

Kansas and Kansas State are also currently tied at 7.

Update 7:09

California wins the battle of the west over Oregon 31-24 so set up a showdown later in the season with USC.

Kansas State also finishes the deal against Texas 41-21. So both big Big 12 South teams lose today. Finally Georgia Tech upsets Clemson 13-3. Tiger fans can’t be happy about that.

More Finals!

Kent State 33, Ohio 25
Louisville 29, N. C. State 10

Update 6:46

Looks like the Big East will once again be a three team race between…South Florida, Connecticut, and Cincinnati? Sure looks that way as Maryland now has a 10 point lead on Rutgers in the middle of the 4th quarter.

Also, Kansas State has pretty much taken care of Texas, now leading 41-21, also middle of the 4th.

Update 6:28

Well, that didn’t go well. Syracuse gets a sack, then 3 straight incompletions to hand the ball back to Miami at the foot of the endzone. Miami just runs out the clock to defeat the Orange 17-14.

Meanwhile, Georgia Tech adds yet another field goal to expand their lead to 13-3 over Clemson in the 4th quarter.

Update 6:22

Miami goes 3 and out, running about a minute and a half off the clock. Syracuse gets the ball back on their own 11 with 2:29 to go.

Also, Maryland retakes the lead against Rutgers 20-17 late in the 3rd quarter and Kansas State drops another 10 on Texas to expand their lead to 34-21, now in the 4th quarter.

Georgia Tech tacks on a field goal to expand their lead over Clemson to 10-3 in the 4th as well. Meanwhile, California finds their offense in the 2nd half as they take the lead over Oregon 24-17 in the 4th quarter.

Finals:

Utah 34, Utah State 18

Update 6:16

Not Dead Yet: Syracuse drives down the field to put another TD on the board, closing the gap to 17-14 against Miami with 4 minutes to go.

Update 6:06

Miami tries to seal the deal by scoring a field goal and going up 17-7 in the middle of the 4th quarter. It could have been worse if it wasn’t for a goal line stand by the Syracuse defense. Syracuse has once again given up over 400 yards of offense.

In other games, Wisconsin expands their lead over Michigan State to 10 in the 3rd quarter: 34-24. Maryland also comes back and ties Rutgers at 17 in the 3rd quarter. Louisville is in another close game as N.C. State is behind, but still is in the game, down 16-10 in the 3rd. Finally, Texas has closed the gap to 24-21 against Kansas State.

Update 5:40

Wisconsin tacks on another field goal, as they lead Michigan State 27-21 at halftime. Rutgers retakes the lead in their game, 17-14.

Another final:

Nebraska 35, Iowa State 17

Update 5:14

The Syracuse from last week returns? Robinson throws a 43 yard pass to Mike Williams to pull the Orange to within seven, 14-7.

Also, Wisconsin takes a 24-21 lead over Michigan State, and Kansas State pulls to a 24-14 lead over Texas. Also, Oregon leads California 10-3.

Update 5:06

Syracuse avoids going down by three touchdowns by intercepting a Miami pass deep in Syracuse territory.

Maryland and Rutgers exchange touchdowns as the Terps continue to lead 14-10 nearing halftime. Michigan State and Wisconsin also swap another pair of touchdowns as they are tied up 21-21 in the 2nd quarter.

Update 5:00

Colorado pulls the huge upset over Oklahoma, winning 27-24 on a game ending field goal.

Update 4:44

Colorado recovers a fumble on an Oklahoma punt return, and follows up by putting it in the endzone to tie Oklahoma at 24 with 4 minutes to go.

Update 4:37

Maryland takes the lead on Rutgers 7-3 in the 2nd quarter. Also, Wisconsin and Michigan State exchange touchdowns, making that game 14-14, also in the 2nd quarter.

More:

Boston College 24, Massachusetts 14

Update 4:17

Syracuse appears to be their old self again as they go down another touch down to Miami (OH), who now leads 14-0. Syracuse has 81 yards of offense so far in the 1st half.

Elsewhere:

Georgia 45, Mississippi 17
Kentucky 45, Florida Atlantic 17

Original Post

Let’s start off with some more finals:

Indiana 38, Iowa 20
Army 37, Temple 21
Texas A&M 34, Baylor 10
Navy 31, Air Force 20
South Carolina 38, Mississippi State 21

Meanwhile, Boston College has a relatively close game with I-AA Massachusetts, leading 24-14 with about 8 minutes to go in the game. For once, Oklahoma is also being kept down to a reasonable number of points as they lead Colorado 24-10 after 3 quarters.

Elsewhere, Wisconsin and Michigan State are tied at 7 in the first quarter, Rutgers leads Maryland in the 1st quarter, Miami (OH) leads Syracuse 7-0 in the 2nd quarter, Texas and Kansas State are tied at 7 in the 1st quarter, and Clemson leads Georgia Tech 3-0 in the first quarter.

Update 3:34

Michigan does indeed hang on against Northwestern, winning 28-16, not exactly an impressive win.  One has to wonder what is going on with the Big Ten.  Penn State losing to Illinois this week mixes things up again.  Is everyone in the Big Ten that good, or that bad?

Also, Notre Dame drops to 0-5 as they lose once again to Purdue 33-19.  Notre Dame is looking at possibly going 0-8 now as their next three games are against UCLA, Boston College, and Southern California.

Other Finals:

Central Michigan 35, Northern Illinois 10
LSU 34, Tulane 9

Update 3:29

Illinois pulls it off, defeating Penn State 27-20. Also, Michigan has put another touchdown up on Northwestern.

Also:

Connecticut 44, Akron 10

Update 3:16

Virginia Tech survives North Carolina 17-10.

Update 3:07

It’s over: Miami survives, beating Duke 24-14. Also, Ball State blows out Buffalo 49-14.

Michigan looks like they may avoid the upset as well as they’ve just taken the lead on Northwestern 21-16 with just over 9 minutes to go.

Update 2:59

Nevermind, Duke gets sacked on a 4th and 6 on the Miami 30, and then Miami scores a touchdown 2 plays later. Looks like Duke will let a possible upset slip through their fingers for a 2nd straight week.

Update 2:52

Will Duke beat Miami (the Florida one)? They’re only down by 3 with 4 minutes to go, but they’re in Miami territory and driving…

Original Post

Sorry for not posting until now, but I’ve been busy with other stuff this morning.

I looks like quite a few good teams are having a lot more trouble than they should be in the early round of games, with some possible upsets looming. Here are the games going on right now:

Virginia Tech 10, North Carolina - 3rd Quarter
Northwestern 16, Michigan 7 - 3rd Quarter
LSU 10, Tulane 9 - 3rd Quarter
Illinois 24, Penn State 17 - 3rd Quarter
Miami 10, Duke 7 - 3rd Quarter
Indiana 21, Iowa 7 - 3rd Quarter
South Carolina 17, Mississippi State 14 - Halftime
Texas A&M 10, Baylor 3 - Halftime

Notre Dame looks like they’re heading to be 0-5 as they trail Purdue 23-6 in the 3rd quarter. Meanwhile, Temple is trying to win their first game in a while, as they are tied-up with Army at 21, also in the 3rd Quarter

Here are today’s games to watch:

Penn State (3-1) at Illinois (3-1) - 12:00 PM

Believe it or not, Illinois is 3-1, and is a very close game with Missouri from being 4-0.  Illinois is quickly showing themselves to be a team that cannot be taken lightly.  Meanwhile, Penn State is coming off a disappointing loss to Michigan.  I’ll be interested to see how this game turns out.  How good is Illinois?

Notre Dame (0-4) at Purdue (4-0) - 12:00 PM

Can Notre Dame get a win? This week is another tough week as they travel to Purdue.  Looking at Notre Dame’s remaining schedule, this is a must-win game.  If Notre Dame cannot pull the upset against Purdue, they’re looking at being 0-8 going into the Navy game.

Mississippi State (3-1) at South Carolina (3-1) - 12:30 PM

Yes, Mississippi State is 3-1, with wins over Tulane, Auburn, and Gardner-Webb.  Ok, those are really impressive wins, except for maybe Auburn and this will be Mississippi state’s first true test of the season (they were merely sacrificial lambs against LSU).  South Carolina is looking to rebound from their loss against LSU.

Syracuse (1-3) at Miami-OH (1-3) - 3:00 PM

After their stunning upset at Louisville last week, can Syracuse rebound, or will they fall right back into the hole they were in after their first three games.  Meanwhile, Miami needs to get out of a 3-game losing streak themselves.

Michigan State (4-0) at Wisconsin (4-0) - 3:30 PM

This game as Big Ten title implications.  Wisconsin just survived Iowa last week, and now face an even better looking Michigan State team.  Meanwhile, Michigan State will face their first real test of the season.  The winner of this game definitely has a leg-up on fighting for the Big Ten title.

Maryland (2-2) at Rutgers (3-0) - 3:30 PM

After West Virginia’s loss last night and Louisville’s lost last week, Rutgers is the Big East’s last hope of getting a team into the BCS Championship Game. However, they’re facing what can be a very tricky Maryland team this week.  Maryland has yet to win a good game yet this year, however, by they fared better than expected against West Virginia, and were beating up Wake Forest before they blew that game.  Rutgers should win, but they can’t overlook Maryland.

Kansas State (2-1) at Texas (4-0) - 3:30 PM

Kansas State is thisclose from being 3-0, but haven’t really beaten anyone impressive, though they have won impressively.  Texas, on the other hand, has looked very vulnerable all season, though they have kept winning.  Texas just escaped in both of their games against Arkansas State and Central Florida.  TCU was a possible early-season upset for Texas, but they pulled that game out.  Has Texas finally found their grove?  If note, Kansas State is definitely a worth enough of an opponent to leave Austin with a win.

Clemson (4-0) at Georgia Tech (2-2) - 3:30 PM

Georgia Tech has had two tough losses in a row while Clemson comes in trying to keep up with Boston College in the ACC Atlantic division race.  I still think Georgia Tech is a team one can’t take lightly, so Clemson has to watch out.

California (4-0) at Oregon (4-0) - 3:30 PM

This is probably the game of the week, and appears to be the only game between ranked opponents this week.  This is a huge game in the Pac 10, as the winner gets a leg up on 2nd place in the conference, a BCS bid, and a chance to upset USC for the conference title.

Southern Cal (3-0) at Washington (2-2) - 8:00 PM

Washington started the season with two good looking wins, then suddenly lost two in a row.  Will Washington rebound?  This may be a tricky game for USC and a possible upset if Washington can get their game back together.

Auburn (2-2) at Florida (4-0) - 8:00 PM

Auburn is in desperate win of turning their season around.  They pulled the upset against Florida last season, though Auburn was a much better team last season.  Florida should win, but this is still an upset watch.

Update 7:07

Two sacks in overtime seal the deal for Wake Forest as they pull out the win against Maryland 31-24. Just so you know, Wake Forest scored the final 28 points in the game.

Michigan State finishes off Notre Dame 31-14. Notre Dame is now the only BCS team without a win, and future wins are looking sparser and sparser for the Irish.

Update 7:02

Wake Forest scores a touchdown with 17 seconds left to tie them with Maryland. Wake then strikes first in Overtime. Can Maryland respond and sent it to two?

Eastern Michigan defeats Howard 31-15. This leaves the Western Michigan vs. Central Connecticut State game tonight as the rubber match between the battle of football giants that is I-AA vs. Directional Michigan.

Central Florida finishes off Memphis 56-20.

Update 6:49

And Michigan starts looking like the team that they were supposed to be at the start of the season, and JoPa must wait yet another year to get a win over Michigan, as Michigan prevails in a slog (is that even a word?) 14-9.

North Dakota State becomes the 6th I-AA team to beat a I-A team by beating Central Michigan 44-14. So far there has been a I-AA over I-A upset in all 4 weeks of the season.

Other Finals:

Wyoming 34, Ohio 33
Ohio State 58, Northwestern 7
Colorado 42, Miami (OH) 0

Update 6:42

Penn State adds a field goal to make it 14-9, but time is running out with only 2:17 left.

Updated 6:34

Wofford defeats Appalachian State 42-31 to end ASU’s Division I-long win streak and is the first I-AA team to defeat them since 2005.

Updated 6:31

Both Michigans extend their lead - Michigan now leads Penn State 14-6 while Michigan State leads Notre Dame 31-14. Meanwhile, Wake has moved within a touchdown of Maryland now, down only 24-17 with 7:25 left.

Updates 6:05

Not as much going on in the mid-afternoon games, but here are some updates:

• Penn State adds another field goal, and pulls within 7-6 of Michigan at the end of the 3rd quarter.
• Michigan State expands their lead to 24-14 over Notre Dame
• LSU is romping over South Carolina 28-7.
• Maryland still has a healthy lead over Wake Forest 24-10, just starting the 4th quarter.

We also have a final:

Brigham Young 31, Air Force 6

Update: 5:12

Sorry for being so long between updates. Let’s just say, remind me not to take a “trip quick” out into Blacksburg at the same time the game ends again.

In any case, Duke just can’t hang on as Navy kicks a field goal as time expires to win 46-43. In other finals, Boston College defeated Army 37-17 while Virginia Tech defeated I-AA William & Mary 44-3.

In other, bigger, games, Michigan State is hanging to a 17-14 lead over Notre Dame as that game approaches halftime while Michigan is slugging it out with Penn State, sitting on a 7-3 lead at halftime. Maryland is also holding on to a 17-3 halftime lead over Wake Forest.

Update 4:01

Other games of interest: Michigan leads Penn State 7-0, and I believe Notre Dame scored their first offensive touchdown of the season as they lead Michigan State 7-0.

Original Post

Since the other one got interrupted by the Syracuse upset…

It isn’t a good day to be a Cardinal. Nebraska survives Ball state 41-40. Florida also survives Mississippi, winning 30-24.

Duke is still leading Navy 43-32 with 9:55 to go, however.

Others:

Virginia 28, Georgia Tech 23 - Final
Bowling Green 48, Temple 35 - Final
Clemson 42, N. C. State 20 - Final

Update 3:45

Syracuse 38, Louisville 35 - Final

Update 3:41

The Fat Lady gets on the stage.

Syracuse recovers the onsides kick.

Florida tacks on a field, but is still in upset danger, only leading Mississippi 30-24.

Update 3:39

The Fat Lady must wait a little longer. Louisville puts up another touchdown, closing the margin to 38-35, but with only 56 seconds left, they need the onsides kick and some help.

Ball State tacks on a field goal to extend their lead to 40-35 over Nebraska with 7:05 left.

Akron 27, Kent State 20 - Final
Illinois 27, Indiana 14 - Final
Update 3:26

Louisville takes the turnover and turns it into 7 points, but is it too little, too late? 38-28. Syracuse. We also just passed 1,000 yards of offense in the game.

Nebraska scores to pull within 2 of Ball State - 37-35, with 9:21 left.

South Florida 37, North Carolina 10 - Final

Update 3:22

Louisville finally gets a break as Syracuse has their first turnover in the game while driving to seal the deal.

Meanwhile, Duke and Navy continue to try to score more points in a single game than either program probably did all season last year, as they each score again and Duke maintains a 43-32 lead.

Update 3:18

Mississippi pulls within 3 of Florida as another upset reappears on the radar. It’s 27-24 Gators with 14:33 left.

Update 3:16

Meet the New Boss, same as the Old Boss. Louisville continues their habit of getting into Syracuse territory and then having their drive stall - in this case by Brohm throwing his 2nd interception of the day. They take 3 minutes off the clock and get nothing out of it. It really looks like this is Syracuse’s game now. We’re now passed 900 total yards of offense in the game.

Meanwhile, the Cornhuskers better start sweating as Ball State opens up a 9 point lead, 37-28 with 12:50 left. Navy also closes the gap against Duke to 36-31.

Update 3:05

West Virginia finally ends the misery, finishing out a 48-7 win over East Carolina. Meanwhile, Mississippi is doing everything they can to hang with Florida. They score their first touchdown, and it’s 27-16 Gators.

Origional Post

It’s time for a new post for the new set of games coming up. Of course, we have 3 upsets we’re looking at right now. Syracuse leads Louisville 38-21 with 10:13 left in the game, Ball State leads Nebraska 31-28 at the end of the 3rd quarter, and Duke leads Navy 36-25 at halftime.

Update 2:59

And Syracuse marches down the field and has their first real scoring “drive” of the day with an 8 play, 73 yard drive capped off by a 17 yard touchdown pass.  Syracuse has now passed 350 yards passing and 400 yards of total offense.  It won’t matter whether Louisville’s offense is finally in full gear if their defense can’t stop anyone from scoring.  At this rate, we’re looking at 1,000 total yards gained for these two offenses today.  Syracuse 38, Louisville 21 with 10:13 to go.

Nebraska and Ball State keep swapping scores.   And the score stands at 31-28 Ball State.  There have been 6 lead change in the game already.

Georgia Tech also finally takes the lead on Virginia, 23-21.

Update: 2:46

Louisville’s engine appears to have finally gotten started, as they march down the field for the 2nd time in 3 series to put another 7 on the board, though they did make it harder on themselves, committing 30 years in penalties in the drive. They have 14 minutes to make up the other 10 points. Syracuse 31, Louisville 21.

Duke isn’t giving up yet, scoring again, putting two more Blue Devil touchdowns on the board. They now lead Navy 36-25 at halftime. Meanwhile, another upset special appears to be fading as Bowling Green opens up a two touchdown lead on Temple.

Nebraska and the other Cardinal team from Ball State swap touchdowns, and Ball State keeps leading 24-21. Florida finally opens a margin on Mississippi, taking a 21-6 lead.

Update 2:31

And then Syracuse picks off Brohm for the first time today, and Louisville turns it over for the third time (Syracuse has not turned the ball over yet). Louisville is lucky to get away with only giving up a Field Goal. It’s now 31-14 Syracuse.

Update 2:26

Louisville can’t get a break to save them. After scoring their first touchdown, Syracuse came back and ran back the kickoff for their own touchdown. Now that Louisville finally pulled to within 7, Syracuse has a 2-play 72 yard drive, capped by a 60 yard pass to Shadle to expand the lead back to 14: 28-14.

Syracuse has now gained more yards today than in any game this season, gaining 330 yards. They are keeping up with Louisville’s offense, gaining 33 rushing yards against Louisville’s 37 and passing for 297 more yards, against Louisville’s 305.

The difference in this game has been Syracuse’s big plays. They have now scored on a 79 yard pass, a 60 yard pass, a 42 yard pass, and a kickoff returned for a touchdown. Louisville, meanwhile, has been able to move the ball, but not enough to get into scoring position.

Ball State has also retaken the lead against Nebraska, 17-14.

Update 2:22

Louisville once again moves into Syracuse territory. However this time Louisville sticks it into the endzone with the help of a 15-yard penalty on Syracuse. One felt that it was going to happen sooner or later. You can’t keep allowing Louisville into your territory on every drive and hope that it stalls every time.

Syracuse 21 Louisville 14 now with 6:00 left in the 3rd Quarter.

Meanwhile, Navy says “not so fast” to Duke geting a 2nd straight win, as they retake the lead 25-22. Georgia Tech has now also pulled to within 1 of Virginia, 20-21.

Update 2:13

With Syracuse backed up with 2nd and 9 on their own 10, Curtis Brinkley just railed off Syracuse’s longest run of the season at 20 yards.

Navy also strikes back, closing the gap to 22-17 against Duke.

Update 2:05

This is starting to look like one of those boring TV series: the same thing happens every episode. In this case, the same thing is happening in every Louisville drive: they move the ball into Syracuse territory then the drive stalls.

Oh, And Duke is now ahead of Navy 22-10.

Update 1:57

Louisville gets the ball to start the 2nd half, immediately marches into Syracuse territory, only to immediately fumble the ball away. That’s Louisville’s second lost fumble today.

Today seems to be the day of the underdog: Temple is putting up a fight against Bowling Green, Duke is going for two in a row against Navy, Ball State is giving Nebraska all they can handle, and Mississippi is hanging with Florida.

Halftime Scores

Here are some scores for you, all at halftime:

Syracuse 21, Louisville 7
West Virginia, 27, East Carolina 0
South Florida 20, North Carolina 3
Kent State 7, Akron 7
Illinois 20, Indiana 7
Temple 21, Bowling Green 21
Virgina 21, Georgia Tech 17
Nebraska 14, Ball State 10
Clemson 24, N. C. State 14

Update 1:28

Multiple updates this time. First off, if Syracuse is using a bend-but-don’t-break defensive plan this week, it seems to be working as Louisville once again marches into Syracuse territory, only to have their drive stall before they can get within field goal range.

Also, Ball State has now tied Nebraska at 7, and Duke takes a 6-3 lead on Navy.

Update 1:22

Immediately after I post that, Syracuse throws a 43 yard pass to go up on Louisville 21-7. Syracuse has now scored more points in the first half against Louisville as they have in any of their first 3 games, and they have now already passed their average total yards per game, having gained 223 total yards, and that’s with -3 yards rushing. The Orange have already passed for in this game than they have in any game all season as well - beating out their 223 yards passing against Illinois.

Update: 1:20

Syracuse has now eclipsed their average passing yards per a game, thus far passing for 180 yards as they are driving down the field again after holding Louisville to four straight incomplete passes on the Syracuse 30 in the previous drive.

Mississippi has also added another field goal to pull within 1 point of Florida.

Update: 1:10

Florida finally gets on the board early in the 2nd quarter, getting ahead of Mississippi 7-3, Nebraska has only been able to put up 7 points in the first quarter against ball state, and you’d think that Louisville would have more than 158 yards passing with Brohm passing 14 for 18.

Update: 12:59

Mississippi strikes first in their game against Florida, kicking a field goal. They lead 3-0.

Louisville also survives the fumble, forcing Syracuse to punt (they got lucky by running the kickoff out to the 50 before). Syracuse got down to the 34 before committing a penalty and getting sacked. This game has had a net total of 0 yards rushing so far - Louisville has 9 yards of rushing while Syracuse sits at -9 yards.

Updated 12:52

This Louisville/Syracuse game looks more interesting. As pathetic Syracuse has looked in their first three games, they continue to hang with Louisville. Louisville ended a 5 play, 67 yard drive with a touchdown to tie the game at 7. Syracuse then returned the ensuing kickoff for a touchdown, then immediately recovered a Louisville fumble on the Cardinal’s next offensive play. Louisville is now in serious danger of going down two touchdowns against the Orange.

Louisville can only hope that their offense is enough to make up for their defense - a defense which is even allowing an offense ranked pretty much at the bottom of I-A football to move the ball.

Posted 12:48

Louisville appears to be showing that, no matter how good your offense may be, you still need a defense as Syracuse leads them 7-0 at the end of the first quarter, having already passed for 142 yards today. Syracuse only averages 167 passing yards and 199 total yards a game. Of course, Louisville allows 235 passing and 429 total yards a game themselves.Meanwhile, Virginia is putting a beating on Georgia Tech 21-7 nearing the end of the first quarter. Maybe Georgia Tech isn’t as good as we thought. Either that or Virginia really got their act together after they Wyoming game.

There aren’t any other significant stories going on as of yet today.