College Football Debriefing

Each week, after all of the games have been played, I'll re-visit some of them and give my take(synonym for biased, slightly informed opinion). It's called the debriefing because whatever happened during your chosen team's game you probably felt like you were part of a crime scene, or maybe a terrorist attack. Whether you thought you were robbed by the referees, or got to witness some WMD's exploding in your stadium, this is where we'll re-open fresh wounds and examine the positives and negatives. But since we're all college football fanatics, probably mostly the negatives.

Seriously, What The Hell Is Going On?
One or two weeks worth of craziness and "upsets" is explainable and somewhat expected, but this season's wackiness week in and week out is weird and almost unsettling. It's as if the Earth has shifted off its axis, and what we thought we knew has been smashed into tiny little pieces.

LSU obviously used up all of their fourth down luck against the Gators because that playcall for a run to the left against Kentucky that got absolutely stuffed was not imaginative or overpowering. And just like that, #1 falls.

Then second ranked Cal, with the top spot open for the taking, watches their season crumble as the clock ticks down to 00:00 while the field goal unit is scrambling onto the field to attempt the tying kick.

Besides that, we had Cincy dooming themselves via turnover against Louisville, Penn State blasting Wisconsin, Iowa shutting down Illinois and Wake Forest edging out FSU.

Make sure you tune in this week to see what type of freakish events happen under the big top!

The Little Program That Could Has Crashed The BCS Party
The South Florida Bulls had never had a football team ranked in the top 25 before. Right now, they're #2 in the BCS. Jim Leavitt has built that program from scratch, probably with dynamite, whiskey, sledgehammers and other manly tools. They're poised to take over the helm should when Ohio State stumbles. I know some people believed that USF could challenge Rutgers and WVU for the Big East this year, but who would have ever thought they would be the highest ranked team in the state right now? Congrats Bulls.

If Only I Could Predict The Lotto Numbers
Last week I wrote that Ohio State was "creeping up", and that this might be the season they win it all(again). The Buckeyes hopped up to #1 after the LSU and Cal losses, and have played pretty good football so far. However, they toughest part of their schedule is fast approaching(Michigan St. this week), and as we've seen, being #1 isn't the greatest thing in the world this season.

All Your Scoring Belongs To Us!
How's this for a stat line? "Final score 69-67, 4OT. 1266 yards of combined offense." That's what Boise State and Nevada gave us last night. College football, isn't it great?

My (insert respective team here) Did This Well
Hopefully watched the LSU at Kentucky game since it was their bye week, and they travel to Lexington this coming Saturday.

My (insert respective team here) Didn't Do This Well
Everybody seemed to stay out of trouble, though it was sad to hear that walk on defensive back Michael Guilford and his passenger, Ashley Slonina, were killed in a motorcycle accident. Condolences to their friends and families.

Heismens!
Graham Harrell directed the pass happy Texas Tech offense against TAMU, and his season totals are now 3,151 yards, 31 TD's and 3 INT's.

Mike Hart injured his ankle, but not before running for 102 yards and 2 TD's. In the first half against Purdue. Hart leads the nation with 1,078 rushing yards and is near the top with 12 TD's.

And to give some defensive players some space here at The Sports Oasis:

George Selvie currently leads the nation with 11 sacks, and energizes the USF defense week in and week out.

Jordan Dizon from Colorado leads the nation with 58 solo tackles and 89 total tackles. He's not going to get real Heisman consideration, but we'll give him some props here.

Thursday Night Is Ready To Make You Worthless On Friday Again
We've had a great slate of Thursday night games this year, and this week is no different. The South Florida Bulls get to take their shiny new #2 ranking on the road to face Rutgers. It should be a great matchup, and with the way this season has gone anything can, and probably will, happen.

Consider yourself debriefed! (But still totally mystified)

It's The Beginning Of October And The Dolphins Are Right Back Where They Started

Over the past few seasons it's been exhausting being a Dolphins fan. Most recently, it was the whole Nick Satan debacle, and an offseason that saw some popular players depart and some curious draft decisions.

And now it's the beginning of October, and the Dolphins(and their fans) are in the same spot they were a number of months ago. Looking for a quarterback to lead the team.

Thanks to Trent Green's decision to block a defender in the knee with his head on Ted Ginn's reverse(You remember him right? Miami's #1 pick.), Cleo Lemon is the starter for the forseeable future. He may even be the starter for the rest of the season because this is Green's second bad concussion in as many seasons. If he can't go, then it will be up to Lemon and second round pick John Beck to try and end Miami's eight game losing streak.

Does passing on Brady Quinn after he fell into Miami's lap seem like such a great decision now, Coach Cameron? I know that Ginn's 51 yards of total receiving have made a huge impact, but seriously, passing on Quinn? [sarcasm]It's still a great idea six months later![/sarcasm]

And You Thought Your Local DMV Was Shady

Imagine if you had a favorite sports team. Now imagine if you wanted to get a custom license plate depicting your allegiance to said team. If no one else had that tag, then it would be yours to proudly display on the back of your vehicle forever and ever. Or at least until some asshat rips it off.

If you live in London however, that wouldn't be the case. No, across the pond you might have to bid on the tag in an auction if you really want it, and you better bring your nickels, dimes, shillings, whatever because it probably won't be cheap. Especially if it has anything to do with soccer.

It's the ultimate status symbol for a West Ham fan with a fat wallet and an ego to match -- the personalised car number plate "WE57 HAM".

The plate is up for auction later this month with a reserve price of 4,000 pounds, small change for most premier league players.

"We know what a large and passionate support there is for West Ham," said Damian Lawson, of the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA), the auction's organiser.

"Because the number reads so well we think it stands a real chance of topping the table of football plates."

Ok, so a reserve of 4,000 pounds puts it at roughly $8,155. That's pretty damn expensive for a license plate, but what's this about "topping the table of football plates"?

Bidding will have to be fierce to beat the current record for a football-themed plate. The DVLA sold "AR53 NAL" for 36,000 pounds in 2004.

Private sales of plates such as "1 UTD", for Manchester United, have reportedly fetched even bigger sums.

36,000 pounds? That's a little over $73,000. That's a lot of money for a piece of metal on the back of your vehicle. Don't they have those window flags, or magnetic signs in England? You could buy a few thousand cases of those for that type of money. And it's not like this is an individual auctioning off the plate. It's the government office in charge of licensing vehicles that's sanctioning this.

Oh well, I guess if someone is willing to pay that kind of money for it, then more power to them.

That Feeling In Your Stomach? Yes, That's Dread

Watching sports on TV as a big sportsfan is a unique experience. If you do it long enough, and have a good understanding of the game, then you get sort of a sixth sense about things. Now, they don't always work out the way you think they will, but for the most part you can be pretty accurate in certain situations. The problem with this is that when something disatrous happens to your favorite team, playing your favorite sport, you get this bad feeling in your stomach.

It's sort of a combination of fear, anxiety and bad seafood mixed together. Like when you did something bad, and instead of your mom yelling at you she said "wait until your father gets home". The problem was he wouldn't be home for another 3 hours, and you were stuck in this quasi-punished purgatory while your insides gurgled. That's exactly what it's like when something is going wrong for your favorite team.

It's also exactly what I experienced on Saturday night.

Florida came into their game against LSU as the underdog. Shocked at home the week before by a suddenly resurgent Auburn team everyone wondered how they would respond. Would they bounce back tenaciously and pull out the win? Or would they hang around for a little while, but ultimately wilt under the pressure? I knew it was a winnable game for them, and was full of excitement and confidence as I entered a local establishment to watch the game.

To set the scene, I would say that the crowd was about 80% pro-Gators. There were some Seminole fans mixed in, but they would be quiet until the 4th quarter(by the way, you know your season sucks when the only thing you have to look forward to is your rival losing). Also, there was at least one fan of either Nebraska or Missouri because someone complained when the huge TV closest to where I was sitting got changed from Nebraska vs Mizzou to UF vs LSU, so it had to get switched back.

For three quarters, everything went Florida's way. The problem with penalties seemed to be righted. Florida had put up 24 points on the nation's stingiest defense. Tebow and Kestahn Moore were able to run the ball well. Even the defense was getting pressure on the quarterback(s), and not getting burnt deep. But then it happened. The "orange blue" chants got a little quieter, and the Gator chomp wasn't seeing quite as much action. What had happened was that Kestahn Moore fumbled on Florida's 49 yard line to end the 3rd quarter. Florida had the momentum most of the game, but that play at that point in time energized the LSU crowd through the break between quarters, and they started the 4th quarter on a mission.

My stomach started gurgling just a little bit at that point.

I knew that turnovers could bring about a quick change in the score. I started feeling a little uneasy about that 10 point lead, but that settled a bit when Colt David missed a 37 yard field goal.

Alright, no points off of the turnover, great. But then it happened again.

Tebow threw a pass that bounced off the receiver's shoulder/helmet and right into an LSU defender's hands. At the Florida 27 yard line nonetheless. Just like that, two consecutive drives ended by turnovers.

At this point, that feeling of dread had fought its way through a few layers of beer and wings. Enough to make sure that I felt it, and understood what was happening.

LSU drives, goes for it on 4th down and scores a touchdown. Yes stomach, I hear you.

Florida now holds a tenative 3 point lead, and there's a lot of time left. But by now I can feel the momentum shift all the way from Baton Rouge. Florida goes three and out and punts. What happens next, for the next 8 minutes and 6 seconds only serves to increase the dread until it's replaced by a feeling of disappointment.

LSU mounts a 16 play drive, complete with two successful 4th-and-1 runs to score the go ahead touchdown with 1:09 left. There are no more chants or chomps. Just FSU fans cheering for LSU, and a crowd of people hoping for a miracle, but realizing that the probablity isn't exactly high. At this point my stomach feels hollow, like someone has sucker punched me in the gut. Repeatedly.

Florida drives to the LSU 45 yard line where they commit a 10 yard penalty(always save the best for last), and Tebow heaves a prayer into the end zone but it's futile.

The damage had already been done to the scoreboard and my stomach.

Like I said, watching sports as a sportsfan is unique. As soon as Kestahn Moore fumbled I knew something very bad was on the verge of happening. The missed field goal seemed to only delay the inevitable. Maybe it's just my memory being clouded by hindsight, but after that second consecutive drive ended with a turnover I didn't like Florida's chances at a win anymore. That "sixth sense" was telling me that things weren't looking good, and dread was creeping in from all around.

The funny thing is that that's the best part of being a fan of college football. The same thing that makes winning so great also makes losing so hard.

Emotion.

And you know what?

I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world. Well, maybe a case of Pepto Bismol.

College Football Debriefing

Each week, after all of the games have been played, I'll re-visit some of them and give my take(synonym for biased, slightly informed opinion). It's called the debriefing because whatever happened during your chosen team's game you probably felt like you were part of a crime scene, or maybe a terrorist attack. Whether you thought you were robbed by the referees, or got to witness some WMD's exploding in your stadium, this is where we'll re-open fresh wounds and examine the positives and negatives. But since we're all college football fanatics, probably mostly the negatives.

Bizarro College Football World Lives On!
Stanford won. Yes, you read that right. The Fighting Jim Harbaughs ended the nation's longest home winning streak. One that spanned over 6 years. That is pure, unadulterated craziness. Oh yeah, Illinois ended the nation's longest winning streak by beating Wisconsin. Previously unranked Kansas, now the proud owner of the #20 spot, upset K-State at home. Nebraska got blasted by Mizzou. And Miami lost to UNC. Stay tuned every week from here on out to see what the hell else happens.

Les Miles Gut Checks His Team
I've got to hand it to LSU(just like my beloved Gators did). They made plays when they needed them most, and lucked pulled out a gritty win. Going 5-for-5 on 4th downs is pretty impressive, and ensured that Colt David wouldn't have to be counted on to shank make one.

The SEC Is Proving Once Again How Tough It Is
There are currently 7 SEC teams ranked in the Top 25. Every week the teams are fighting for championship hopes. And even when a traditional powerhouse like Tennessee is having a down year a team like Kentucky steps up and helps fill the void.

Ohio State Is Creeping Up
Last year they were supposed to win it all, but maybe everyone was off by a season. The Buckeyes took apart a pretty good Purdue team on Saturday without playing great football. Their conference is weak this year, and if there was ever time to run the table this is it. They still have tough games left(at PSU/Meeechigan, vs MSU/'Consin/UI), but a perfect record is possible. Though, they would probably still get smacked around by an SEC in the championship game should they make it that far.

My (insert respective team here) Did This Well
Cut down on the penalties. Finally, after what seemed like months and months of having double digit penalties the Gators only had 2 for 8 yards. At least that was nice.

My (insert respective team here) Didn't Do This Well
Stop 4th down conversions by LSU in the 4th quarter. On the two 4th quarter touchdown drives for LSU in the 4th quarter they converted 3 times. One was a 4th and goal that resulted in a TD. The other two were 4th and shorts that Jacob Hester was able to pick up running straight ahead. If Florida stops any of those, then they most likely win the game.

Heismens!
Graham Harrell continues to lead the nation in passing yards and touchdowns(I know, I know he's in a pass happy offense. Whatever.)

Redshirt freshman Michael Crabtree continued to benefit from having Graham Harrell at QB by catching 10 passes for 154 yards and 3 TD's. He now has ober 1,000 yards receiving and 17 receiving TD's.

Mike Hart reclaimed the lead in rushing yards by running for 215 yards(He became UM's all-time rushing leader), and 3 TD's on Saturday.

Consider yourself debriefed!

It's 5 O'Clock Somewhere - Gastrointestinal Edition

Since it's Friday, and the end of the workweek for most people, we think that you should be provided with a post that takes the edge off so to speak. Because it's going to be random and hopefully humorous, that means that it won't always be sports related. It will also pop up at any time on Friday.

Light posting this week due to something called "real life", and a general malaise caused by a loss in The Swamp. Florida gets a quick shot at turning things around when they face #1 LSU in Baton Rouge this weekend. The short turnaround from being upset to possibly causing the upset could be a blessing or a curse. Unfortunately, we won't know the answer until it's too late for one of the teams. Another loss for Florida probably means more punishment of the GI tract for Gator fans. In case you're not sure what that type of pain looks like here's a clip to help you out. Hopefully the Gators bring us a win, and one of our friends brings some Pepto.



Happy Friday!

Domo Arigato Mr. Byrum

With the Gators loss to Auburn still being a bit raw and painful, like road rash that has to get scraped with the wire brush, I saw this video and felt just a bit better. Because when the fans of your team are doing this in opposing stadiums you have to win for them.

Or they suffer complete embarrassment, and maybe even an asskicking. Or two.

Domo arigato indeed.

Khalif Barnes Doesn't Understand Valet Parking

Khalif Barnes seems to have a hard time operating a motor vehicle. A little less than one year ago he was arrested and charged with DUI. In that incident he basically called the residents of Jacksonville racists, and wondered aloud in the back of patrol car why they would even have an NFL team there.

If you thought that was interesting, then you should get a kick out of Khalif's latest automotive mishap. In which he wrecks his 2007 Mercedes causing an estimated $10,000 worth of damage, calls the police to report the accident, tosses the ignition key into the grass then flees the scene.

Jacksonville Jaguars offensive tackle Khalif Barnes was cited for reckless driving, leaving the scene of an accident and violating a term of his probation following a one-car accident in which he plowed his Mercedes into a tree.

Barnes called Jacksonville police to the scene of the accident near his house early Saturday morning, but when officers arrived Barnes was not there. When they knocked on his door at home, he wasn't there, either.

What officers found, however, was the lineman's 2007 Mercedes Benz against a tree and keys in the grass. Police estimated damage to the car around $10,000.

Sure Khalif, just toss the keys in the grass, and we'll get this Mercedes back to you in pristine conditon, no questions asked.

Michael Vick's Saga Continues

In case you had forgotten, Michael Vick and his three partners in crime are scheduled to appear at the Surry County Circuit Court tomorrow to face local charges in the dogfighting case.

Today, however a "team of dog behavorial experts assembled by the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals" found that 48 of the 49 pitbulls seized from Vick's property in Surry County can be placed in adoptive homes or with law enforcement officials.

Only one dog was deemed to be dangerous enough to be euthanized.

According to a motion filed Monday in U.S. District Court, the dogs fall into five categories that include eventual adoption and specialized training for law enforcement work. Some of the dogs either exhibited fear toward people or suffered from a medical condition

The motion doesn't indicate how many dogs were placed in each category other than to suggest one, identified as number 2621, is an immediate candidate for euthanasia because its aggression toward humans made a complete examination unsafe.

There isn't any word on how the other 11 dogs seized, there were 60 total taken, have fared, or if any of them will need to be euthanized. It does make you wonder, though if these findings will have any bearing on how hard the local authorities come down on Vick.

Killing and/or maiming dogs is not right, and Vick deserves to be punished for his involvement in that type of activity. However, his chances of seeing some type of leniency possibly go up with every dog that's deemed not dangerous or aggressive. In this case, I wonder if the ASPCA's findings, an organization that probably wants Vick to suffer the harshest possible consequences, will actually help Vick out in the long run.

College Football Debriefing

Each week, after all of the games have been played, I'll re-visit some of them and give my take(synonym for biased, slightly informed opinion). It's called the debriefing because whatever happened during your chosen team's game you probably felt like you were part of a crime scene, or maybe a terrorist attack. Whether you thought you were robbed by the referees, or got to witness some WMD's exploding in your stadium, this is where we'll re-open fresh wounds and examine the positives and negatives. But since we're all college football fanatics, probably mostly the negatives.

Upsets, Upsets, Come Get Your Upsets!
What appeared to be a relatively docile college football weekend shook up the polls and shattered dreams. Five of the top ten lost(Oklahoma, Florida, WVU, Texas & Rutgers), as did two other ranked and previously unbeaten teams(Clemson & Oregon). It was like bizzaro college football world opened up, and started sucking in teams.

LSU Back On Top
Despite a slow first half against Tulane, LSU moved past USC into the #1 spot in the AP Poll. Both teams have the ability to put lots of points over the course of 60 minutes, but LSU's defense is much tougher. They deserved to get moved up.

South Florida Benefits From The Shake Up(So Does Kentucky)
So what FBS team from Florida is currently ranked the highest? Florida? No. Miami? Uh uh. FSU? Wrong again. UCF? Nope. It's the University of South Florida, which maxxed out their win against West Virginia on Friday night with all of the upsets on Saturday. They're currently sitting at #6, while the next closest Florida school is UF at #9. And no, that's not a typo. Kentucky has crept up to #8 in the football rankings. Andre Woodson continues to lead the Wildcats extremely well, and has them sitting alone atop the SEC East. Bizarro world indeed!

My (insert respective team here) Did This Well
Uh, cut down on the penalties? 7 for 44 yards was less than usual, but they came at the most inopportune times. Personal foul on special teams? Illegal formation on a successful fake punt? Gun, bullet, foot. The Gators didn't allow any sacks either. Woohoo...

My (insert respective team here) Didn't Do This Well
Hmmm...win?!? Actually, Florida's rushing average was way down, and when your starting "tailback" carries the ball three times for four yards things probably aren't going too well.

Heismens!
Graham Harrell put up another 5 passing TD's, as Texas Tech hung 75 points on the powerhouse that is Northwestern St. He's leading the country in pass yards, and has 24 TD's to just 2 INT's.

Mike Hart turned in another 100+ yard performance, going for 106yds and 1 TD. UCF's Kevin Smith has another monster day, rushing for 223 yards and 3 TD's. Smith has to get mentioned now, as he's third in the nation in rush yards(713) and first in rush TD's(10).

Michael Crabtree gets some space because he's racked up almost 1,000 yards receiving through five games and has 14 TD's. Sure, Texas Tech is a pass heavy offense, but those numbers are pretty impressive, especially for a freshman.

Thursday Night Is Fun Again!
After a down week last week, we get another good Thursday night matchup. This time it's the #8 ranked Kentucky Wildcats going on the road to face the #11 ranked South Carolina Gamecocks. South Carolina's pass defense has been pretty good so far, though their rush defense gives up an average of 200 yards per game. However, Kentucky's rush defense hasn't been any better giving up an average of 203 yards per game, and their pass defense is weaker than USC's. It should be another good SEC matchup.

Consider yourself debriefed!