Watching Oklahoma throttle Texas Tech early, decisively, I kept imagining (hoping?) Mike Leach whispering Obi Wan Kenobi beyond-the-grave sage wisdom into the headset of his quarterback Graham Harrell.
"Trust your re-ceivers." "Stretch out with your wheel routes." "Use the flare." Etc.
But no hokey religions or ancient weapons would save the Red Raiders Saturday night. They got creamed, plain and simple. No hocus pocus, no magic. The dream has died for another season.
The college season entices with its possibilities, with its democracy, but in the end so often the same players, the aristocracy, are squabbling over the same stale piece of cake.
I hate to say it because I don't have any faith in Bob Stoops and the Sooners, but throughout no team in the Big 12 has looked better than Oklahoma. Even in loss to Texas, I thought the Sooners were the superior team: bigger, faster, nastier. They simply played flat-footed when things started to swing the other way.
And that's it, right? Something is slightly amiss with the coaching and emotion at OU. If talent were gold, they'd have enough to sate a 16th century Spanish king, but there's a disconnect when it comes down to fuhbaw contests... not beauty pageants.
But in the world of college football, there's no denying Oklahoma's proved themselves worthy of the Big 12 South crown. What that ultimately means is anyone's guess.
Let's take a look around sports blogfrica for reactions to Saturday's action.
North Carolina State 41 UNC 10. Jacob at TarEye Or BuckHeel? says:
Losing to the team that annoys the fan base the most is the easiest way to get a basketball school looking ahead.
Losing by 31 points just makes it worse.
Butch Davis (0-2) against NC State needs to beat Duke or the season will be severely tainted.
Syracuse 24 Notre Dame 23. NunesMagician at Troy Nunes Is an Absolute Magician says:
The first half was unlike anything I remember seeing out of this team all season. Cam Dantley was a surgeon, picking apart the ND secondary. Curtis Brinkley and Antwon Bailey were running solidly. And the SU defense...my word. I mean, they just made me write "my word." Even though the score was only 10-3, the first 28 minutes of the game was about as well-coached and well-played as I've seen from the Orange all season. Maybe even in the entire Greg Robinson Era.
Wildcat formations, halfback passes, going for it on 4th down in the 1st quarter...who is this Syracuse offense, where they have been and what have you done with our boring, vanilla, plain team?
The last two minutes of the 2nd quarter? Well, it looked like the other shoe was dropping, as it always does. The Irish took a 14-10 lead into halftime and every SU fan surely thought there same thing. "Well, enjoyed it while it lasted..."
The 2nd half started about the same way the first one ended. The Orange offense suddenly looked, well, normal and the Irish were making moves. I blinked and all of a sudden the Orange were down 23-10.
And then, Antwon Bailey happened. Seriously...Doug Hogue who? Delone Carter whatnow? Bailey's final numbers...126 yards rushing, 25 yards passing and a touchdown. With Brinkley on the sidelines (injured or just not working?), Bailey stepped it up with some fantastic moves and runs.
By the time Dantley hit Donte Davis in the endzone for the go-ahead touchdown, there was a wierd feeling going on inside every SU fan. Well, I guess I can only speak for myself but, before he threw the pass...I kinda expected them to score. That's crazy, right? I felt comfortable enough with the Syracuse offense that they would score a go-ahead touchdown with less than a minute to go and win the game on the road at Notre Dame.
What the hell is going on???
Utah 48 BYU 24. JazzyUte at Block U says:
What an amazing game. Brian Johnson is God!
It's just too much to really take in right now. For the second time in five seasons, the Utes are undefeated and heading to the BCS. Who would have thought this possible at the beginning of the season? What an amazing run and I don't care what anyone says, this was the most enjoyable Holy War ever. Just complete domination in that fourth quarter!
I will have more on this game later, but for now, soak it up, enjoy it, celebrate and say it with me: B-C-S!
Oregon State 19 Arizona 17. Jake at Building the Dam says:
James was an integral part of Oregon State's 19-17 win over the Arizona Wildcats on Saturday evening, it's just that a 41 yard, potentially game tying touchdown reception wasn't in the formula. The eldest Rodgers found the seams in the Wildcat defense in brilliant fashion on fly sweeps, rushing for 102 yards on just 10 carries with a touchdown.
On the next play, 3rd and 8 from the Arizona 41, Canfield hit Sammie Stroughter four yards beyond the line of scrimmage on a slant route. Sammie reversed his course, picking up the first down and much more, getting the Beavers inside the ten yard line.
Sammie would eventually be on the receiving end of a seven yard touchdown pass from Sean Canfield three plays later, bringing the score to 16-17 in favor of Arizona.
And then, just when you thought your anxiety couldn't get any higher, Justin Kahut missed the extra point.
Oregon State's fourth quarter touchdown drive included the majority of the adversity the Beavers were forced to overcome in Arizona Stadium.
Cincinnati 28 Pittsburgh 21. DPJ at Cat Basket says:
It is hard to imagine that after being 7-0 against Cincy we now struggle to come up for reasons as to why we are where we are. Sure we should have beat BG and Rutgers. However, Cincy is a team we have owned during the bad times and the good. Except now Cincy has the River City Rivalry trophy on their shelf for 1 whole year.
I just can't believe folks........ There are not any words to describe the emptiness that I am feeling right now. I was prematurely thinking about Miami and Phoenix. Now it is back to the reality of Toronto and Birmingham.
Oklahoma 65 Texas Tech 21. Ryan Hyatt at the Williams and Hyatt Show Blog says:
Tonight, Texas Tech earned everything it got.
No refs, no fluke plays, no excuses. Texas Tech went from Big Time to Not Ready For Prime Time in the span of two weeks.
Everything that had been a strength, was a weakness.
I won’t waste time with an X and O breakdown. Tonight, OU was a better, much better, team and program and proved it on the field. While Tech played the “crimson team”; OU played like their hair was on fire. Mike Leach tries to make it all business and the next play while Bob Stoops obviously made it personal with his players.
That said, you can’t love Mike’s approach for 10 wins and then bitch about it the night it doesn’t work. Life don’t work that way.
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