Nov. 22, 2005

By Eric Sorenson

Special to CSTV.com
 
Well, we've all made it through "Rivalry Week" for 2005. But in reality, the non-rivalry games, USC-Fresno State, Georgia Tech-Miami and Texas Tech-Oklahoma were the best games of the weekend.
 
Two weekends left and, dare I say, it looks like the BCS is going to go off without a hitch. Yes, it burns like an exorcist just to say that. Proof positive, I've sold my soul.
 
So let's get to the third-to-last 10 Questions of the season. Man, it sounds weird to write that. Is it really the end of the season already?
 
 
Question No. 1
Do you think many of those East Coast media types saw Reggie Bush's performance after midnight on Saturday?

A: Doesn't matter.
Images of his 513-yard performance against Fresno State were all over the place on the Sunday highlight shows. So don't worry people, I think everybody that is even remotely interested in college football saw his hip-swiveling, grasping-at-air moves three or four times over. And if you ask me, they were worth every viewing.
 
Question No. 1B
Did Reggie Bush win the Heisman Trophy on Saturday?

A: Depends on your criteria.
If you judge the Heisman on: Best Football Player. Biggest Impact. Most Exciting. Most Dynamic. Biggest Plays in Big Games. Then yes.
If you judge the Heisman on: Most Valuable. Most Hyped by Coach. Most Hyped by PR Dept. Stats. Then no.
  
Question No. 2
Was there a better defensive performance than Georgia Tech shutting down Miami?

A: No.
Talk about a stunner. Maybe some of those Miami players will think twice about putting out a repugnant rap record before a big game. But Tech wins the Jekyll & Hyde award for the East this season. How does a team go from beating Auburn (23-14) to getting lambasted by Virginia Tech (51-7), to losing at Virginia (27-17) to going into the Orange Bowl and beating No. 3 Miami (14-10)? Please explain, Jackets.
 
Give coach Chan Gailey a boatload of credit. Unlike those pro athletes who sign multi-million dollar deals with a shoe company and then go out and don't care if they perform on the field (what the hell, they've got their money, right?), Gailey, fresh off a contract extension and raise, inspired his boys to the biggest stunner of the season. Nice job, Techsters.
 
 
Question No. 3
Was there a better offensive performance than USC outlasting Fresno State?

A: No.
Like Bobby Brady's first kiss, this thing had major league fireworks!  Reggie Bush going nuts. Paul Pinegar finding lanes in the SC defense. The offenses playing "Match this" with each other... I'm having a hard time deciding what team was more impressive - Fresno for playing the top-ranked Trojans to the hilt or USC for showing character once again and gutting out a tough win over an underrated mid-major.
 
It was a remarkable game to say the least. The Coliseum was rocking with over 90,000 in attendance and around 20,000 being red-clad Bulldog fans. And folks, their boys just refused to lose. That O-line for Fresno was probably the most impressive facet of its game - other then the team's guts. I know I mentioned it in a previous article, but major props to Fresno coach Pat Hill. He wouldn't take a "close counts" philosophy after this game. When you looked at him at the post-game press conference, he had that look that he'd love to play USC again tomorrow.
 
Question No. 4
What was the feel-good story of the weekend?

A: JoePa goes to the BCS.
Who in the world would've thought this team, coming off a 4-7 season in `04, would come out and put themselves in a BCS game for 2005? But with Penn State winning at Michigan State, 31-22, it has assured itself of its first Big Ten title since 1994 and their first trip to BCS-land. Simply for sentimental reasons, it's good to see an old-school butt-kicker in the Top 10. Hats off to you, Joe.
 
 Question No. 5
Who had the quietest, biggest win of the weekend?

A: Alabama-Birmingham
Things looked pretty bleak for UAB going into its game in El Paso. Not only did the Blazers pull off a quiet upset at No. 24 UTEP (35-23), they also kept their slim bowl aspirations alive, improving to 5-5 with a winnable game at East Carolina to decide if they become bowl eligible. After losing three of their last four, this was sweet redemption.
 
QB Darrell Hackney and wideout Reggie Lindsay hooked up for a trio of touchdowns and the defensive stalwart was LB Larry McSwain, who made 11 tackles and forced three fumbles.
  
Question No. 6
Is it too late in the season to add somebody to our "exposed" list?

A: Nope. Look at Alabama's O-line.
We didn't see this coming. The Tide line allowed QB Brodie Croyle to be sacked 11 times. 11! That's a season for some quarterbacks to land on their butts. Granted, prior to this Iron Bowl beatdown (Auburn won, 28-18), Croyle had been sacked 24 times, which is a good bit. But still, Auburn went through them like But still, Auburn went through them like Pete Townshend goes through guitar strings. How did this happen? Guess these guys didn't eat their Wheaties on Saturday morning.
 
Congrats to Auburn for winning the most important game in the Yellowhammer State for the fourth straight year.
  
Question No. 7
Still two weeks to go, but who is bound to get gypped in the always-full-of-gyps BCS?

A: Oregon
Is there some kind of rule that states a West Coast school has to get burned by the BCS every year? The Ducks sit in eighth place in the current BCS standings. There are two at-large berths to the BCS bowls. Notre Dame would qualify for one spot with a win at Stanford this Saturday. Another two-loss team, Ohio State, is in seventh place ahead of Oregon (10-1). Granted, OSU's schedule has been a little tougher (No. 2 in SOS by Sagarin) and Notre Dame is a smidge better as well (No. 22 compared to Oregon's No. 30). But keep in mind that the Pac-10 is perennially under-rated.  
 
Question No. 8
What's the worst part about this whole global warming thing?

A: The warm weather games in November.
I was flipping around the dial on Saturday between Utah at BYU, Nevada at Utah State, Idaho at Boise State and (one of my favorite games) Montana at Montana State. All of those games were relatively warm, sunny days while most coaches and fans wore light jackets and some shortsleeve shirts. It's just not the same without the snow flurries and steamy breath.
  
Question No. 9
What should we label outgoing genius/coach Bill Snyder of Kansas State?

A: (Plagiarizing here) Coach of the Century.
That's what Barry Switzer once called the `Cats head honcho for turning the moribund K-State program from absolute zero to national prominence. The stat I love the most is his 136 wins in 17 years roaming the KSU sidelines. In the 54 years prior to that, the Wildcats won 137. That's unbelievable. That's nearly inconceivable.
 
Put it this way, some of the former Nebraska players I know used to call the Kansas State game their "week off."
 
 
Question No. 10
Was there anything wrong with South Carolina-Clemson's pre-game handshake at midfield?

A: Yes... because it doesn't happen more. Regardless of whether there has been a previous brawl, this kind of sportsmanship should occur more often.
 
By the way, big props to the Tigers for pulling out the 13-9 win and pressuring Carolina's Blake Mitchell into three interceptions. After going 2-4 in one-score games, it was nice to see the Tiger D step up and pull out the win. Unlike last year, both of these teams will be going bowling in 2005 with 7-4 records.

The 11th Question
Is it just me, or did the Drew Rosenhaus/Terrell Owens "Next Question!" press conference seem intellectually on the same level as those old pro wrestling interviews?

A: Yes.
And where was Mean Gene Okerlund? Is he the governor of some state now?

 
Read Eric's Last Column: 10 Questions, Week 11

Eric Sorenson is a regular contributor to CSTV.com. Email your thoughts to Eric.