Phi Bloga Recapa, Week 12

Does anybody want the ACC? The entire conference could be had for a song, I bet.

Just when it looks like new powers are emerging, the old guard reasserts. By some dizzying math, Boston College (3-3 in the conference) controls their own destiny.

Somehow, Miami at Tech and FSU at Maryland and BC at Wake are all pivotal upcoming games. Weird. You can't tell me that this confusion makes the Orange Bowl compelling...

Anyway, here are reactions to this week's college action from around sports blogfrica.

Miami 16 Virginia Tech 14. C Gally at the North End Zone says:

Bryan Stinespring is awful at his job. One of the worst we've ever seen. If we performed like that at our job, we'd be fired faster than Ryan "Fired Guy" Howard.

We're not saying we could do better. Again, we don't know football that well. But let's look at the facts, shall we?

There are 119 college football teams in Division 1-A. You know where we rank in offense? 109th. Just ahead of San Jose State and Syracuse. San Jose isn't even a state. Hell, we are last in the ACC in offense. Last in the worst conference in the world.

We'd like to say it's a fluke. That we lost a ton of guys and are really young. But that would be a lie. Our rankings for yards per game since 2003:
2007 - 100th
2006 - 97th
2005 - 57th (wooooooooo!)
2004 - 69th
2003 - 69th (at least we're consistent)

Check it out kids.

And we want to be an elite program? Are you kidding? Light years away.

Georgia 17 Auburn 13. Sports Dawg at An Opinion On Sports says:

I've heard it said before after a really good, hard-fought game that neither team deserved to lose. Well after the Georgia - Auburn game today, all I can say is that neither team deserved to win. Even though Georgia prevailed 17-13 and 'improved' (?) to 9-2, it was one of the 'worst' victories I can remember in a long time. Again for the second week in a row, the Bulldogs managed to hang on at the very end to defeat another lesser opponent they should have dominated by at least 21 points. Auburn is not a very good football team, and Georgia seems to deteriorate weekly right before our eyes. The Dawgs lack discipline, and they don't play with the intense fire that fuels motivation. They don't appear to be fundamentally sound, and here we are in the 11th week of the season.

Florida 56 South Carolina 6. Gatorpilot at Orange and Blue Hue says:

This is getting ridiculous.

Florida has defeated its last six opponents by a total of 299 to 63. That is not a misprint. I will state it once more: 299 to 63. In the SEC!

As a fan, even I sometimes feel the same bewilderment coaches such as Spurrier, Miles and Richt have felt when facing the Gators. It’s not fair — not even close. This is like the U.S. Air Force vs. Al Queda shooting bottle rockets out of caves. Like Andre the Giant vs. Pee-Wee Herman. Like… oh, hell, you get the picture.

Ladies and gentlemen, I believe your 2008 Florida Gators could — could — possibly be the best team to take Florida Field in the history of this football program. Two important games remain against two good teams, and then the ultimate contest. Florida must win all three for to earn that title.

But right now, would you bet against them?

Maryland 17 UNC 15. T.H. at Carolina March says:

That was a crap football game.

It was a crap football game, played in the rain, at a miserable stadium in a miserable town among miserable people subjected to an endless barrage of the same two cuts off whatever miserable Jock Jams CD the Maryland AV Club dug out of a bargain bin. It was a crap football game in which UNC, with a chance to accept clear control over the Coastal Division instead, for the third time this season, not show up for the second half and give it away. It was a crap football game that was painfu to watch and I am all the worse for being subjected to it.

Boston College 27 Florida State 17. Chant Rant asks what FSU fans learned from the loss to BC:

That with so much to play for, since Wake's loss conveniently teed up the Noles to win the division, FSU players could be out-hustled by a team with a smart plan and refuse-to-lose attitude.

That a light, quick offensive line can beat a bigger defensive front, but not when that defense is at least as quick, more disciplined, and motivated.

That, on the other hand, stout defense and hard-nosed tackling can occasionally take the night off.

That when it comes to calling pass interference, Ron Cherry's ref crew is on a different planet than other college zebras.

That Christian Ponder has come a long way, but may be only half way there. And that D'Vo needs to play more than one or two snaps a game.

That excessive celebration can result in more painful things than a penalty.

That even after the suspensions for fighting, some players still wanted to get it on after the final gun. Apparently an important lesson yet to be learned.

That we never again want to see those damn black uniforms.

Vanderbilt 31 Kentucky 24. Diezba at Star and Stripe says:

For the first time in twenty-six years, for the first time when a sixth-win was on the line in 17 tries, and for the first time in my lifetime, the Vanderbilt Commodores are bowl eligible.