Phi Bloga Recapa, Week 4

Two things before I kick off this week's Phi Bloga Recapa. One, let me thank Javon Ringer on behalf of the nation. Javon, thank you for driving the stake in Notre Dame's black heart and killing this "The Fighting Irish are back" chatter kicked up on the heels of a few fluke wins against mediocre opponents. Your big 63 yard run in the fourth quarter, after a game of big bruising runs, nipped ND's comeback chance before it ever truly got started. ND couldn't stop you all night, especially when it mattered most. You're the best, Javon.

And two, ABC/ESPN should seriously get their shit together. The spotlighted game, Georgia at Arizona State, was a dud and we knew it could be a dud beforehand. Yet, perhaps the best game of the young season, LSU at Auburn, which we knew could potentially be the best game of the season, was relegated to cable only access. Yes, yes, I know most people have cable, but I don't. The point is, the best games should get the widest distribution. There's no good reason viewers should be deprived of a classic because TV networks don't want to hurt the Pac-10's feelings or some other such nonsense.

Okay, rant off. Here's a look around sports blogfrica for reactions to this weekend's college results.

LSU 26 Auburn 21. At Pelican State Sports, froberts says:

Les Miles image should no longer be questioned. He is one of the best coaches in the land. No other coach–except for perhaps Pete Carroll–routinely dials up a special play when his team needs it. Tonight we saw a onside kick and a halfback pass. Both were successful, the latter for a touchdown. In a game where both teams needed to let it all hang out, one team did. Auburn, coached by the supposed “Riverboat Gambler” took few chances and showed little ability to adjust or change what he was doing.

On that note, Auburn took a timeout when LSU was lined up for a field goal. Why? I believe that TO was a direct result of the unpredictability that Les has shown in his tenure. Tommy had to tell his team to prepare for a fake, a la South Carolina last year, and was forced to burn a timeout. That TO didn’t end up mattering much, but in another game, it might. And that is a direct result of coaching. Of Les’s genius. Feels weird to write that, but it’s true.

Colorado 17 West Virginia 14. 5th Year Senior at West BY GOD Virginia says:

The coaching was vomit inducing. Any ten year old playing Playstation and X-Box can manage the clock better than HCBS. Why leave a timeout on the board? Did HCBS think there was a 5th quarter?

...

I’m going to interpret this quote from HCBS. After the game he said, “I don’t second guess….I absolutely wouldn’t change a thing.” What I hear, “I’m fine with losing because golly gee willieackers I love this great group of young men. As long as I’m proud of them we are undefeated in my heart. We can just play a bowl game at our practice facility and the season will be a success” WTF! Strap in for a long season.

Pittsburgh 21 Iowa 20. Chas at Pitt Blather says:

I’m stunned Pitt managed to win the game. Honestly, the Pitt coaches did their best to lose this game. Even before the half, we were looking at each other and saying “Bowling Green.” It’s like, the minute that Pitt reaches a double digit lead, Wannstedt decided that it was up to the defense to win the game and castrated the offense. As much as Cavanaugh’s playcalling and offense enrages me, I put it on Wannstedt.

...

Thankfully, the Iowa coaching staff was able to top Pitt. The stubbornness at sticking with Christensen in the second half. That and Shonn Greene may have been hurt.

To say nothing of the fact that Iowa is one of the few teams in college that Wannstedt can actually coach against. They play standard pro-style. Right down to the conservative playing for field-position POV.

Alabama 49 Arkansas 14. TerryP at RollTideBama says:

Going into the 2008 season I looked at the first game, Clemson, and thought we would win that contest. After the game, while admitting I thought we would win, I also had to admit, “I didn’t think it would be in that fashion.”

Then came Tulane and Western Kentucky. Both games, pre-season chalked up W’s, were indeed wins in the end. But yet again, “I didn’t think we would win them in that fashion.”

This morning, reflecting on the game yesterday, I find myself once again sitting in a position of knowing we would win the game but once again perplexed because “I didn’t think we would win it in that fashion.”

...

The highlights today feature the Alabama defense having 4 interceptions against Casey Dick. Frankly, Dick was just giving things away half of the time. (It must be a new found tradition at Arkansas considering other things given away. Like a tradition in basketball when a team scores a 3-point shot and the cheerleaders throw T-shirts to the crowd, when Javier Arenas had his interception they threw a T-shirt to the crowd. Alabama’s crowd, mind you.)