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That’s more like it.
The first half of the college football season had given the impression that Alabama was unbeatable, and Denard Robinson was running away with the Heisman Trophy.
But the South Carolina Gamecocks and Michigan State Spartans took care of business Saturday, with performances and results that made it clear that the rest of this season will be crazy … which is just the way we like it.
If South Carolina can take Alabama out of its game, then there is no reason to think Iowa or Wisconsin can’t move Ohio State off the spot. Likewise, Oregon can surely be bumped off by a team like Arizona or Oregon State. And maybe even somebody will be able to beat Nebraska.
Who knows? But the plot has just begun to thicken.
What made Alabama’s loss to South Carolina so fascinating was the completeness of the 35-21 defeat. We could not have been prepared for the way Carolina outplayed the Tide in every phase of the game — certainly including the performance of the coaching staffs.
As Stephen Garcia displayed laser-accurate passing to lead South Carolina to an early 21-3 lead, Alabama was drawn out of its game as Nick Saban obligingly junked his vaunted rushing attack. The normally dynamic duo of Mark Ingram and Trent Richardson — who were averaging about 27 carries for 235 yards a game — were allowed to run the ball a total of 17 times for 54 yards, and just four of the attempts came in the second half.
In the meantime, SC freshman Marcus Lattimore was giving a clinic on how to gain yards after contact, and the home team was sacking Alabama QB Greg McElroy an unimaginable eight times, which reduced the Tide’s rushing total to 36 net yards. After the first quarter, Alabama never had the ball with a chance to tie the score. The one time 'Bama did close to within 7 in the early in the third quarter, South Carolina responded with a remarkable 15-play, 82-yard drive that consumed 7:55 of the clock and served to send Saban and his team into panic mode.
For his part, McElroy passed for a career-high 315 yards while being saddled with his first loss as a starting quarterback since junior high school, leaving him to issue a Tim Tebow-like statement later, saying, “I’m not going to have this (losing) feeling anymore.”
Just as McElroy and Garcia noted in their post-game handshake, these teams are pointed toward meeting again in the SEC championship game. And indeed, a one-loss SEC champion is still very much in the hunt for the national title. History shows us that No. 1-ranked teams that lose in the first half of the season do not drop too drastically in the polls, and have plenty of time to make up ground, retaining an outside shot at the national championship.
HEISMAN RACE RESET: Now that Denard Robinson was unmasked with a pair of interceptions in the end zone in Michigan’s 34-17 loss to Michigan State, and Nick Saban took the ball out of Mark Ingram’s hands, who takes over the lead in the Heisman Trophy race?
Robinson is probably still the guy to beat, but at least the Spartans knocked some of the gloss off of the Wolverines’ spectacular quarterback. And with the way opponents are getting better film of how to slow him down — which is all that is required to beat the Big Blue — it’s easier to envision teams like Iowa, Wisconsin, and Ohio State turning him into a candidate for 2011.
In the meantime, Oregon’s LaMichael James, Ohio State’s Terrelle Pryor, Auburn’s Cam Newton, Boise State’s Kellen Moore, and Nebraska freshman Taylor Martinez have to be pretty well bunched up near the top of any watch list. But the season is only half over. For example, wouldn’t Ryan Mallett jump back in it by leading Arkansas past Auburn and LSU?
UNBEATENS EVERYWHERE: With Alabama’s 19-game losing streak halted, Boise State takes over as the longest winning streak in the country … with 19. Next is Ohio State with 12, and then it drops down to Auburn and Oklahoma with seven.
There’s no shortage of teams carrying winning streaks and striving for a perfect season as well as a potential national championship. At the midpoint of the season (for most teams, anyway) more than half of the teams in the Top 25 remain unbeaten. The list of 13 undefeated teams is significantly more than normal for this point of the season — three more than any of the past five years at a comparable point.
2010: 13 after six games.
2009: 9 after six games, 5 at the end of the regular season (No. 1 Alabama, No. 2 Texas, No. 3 Cincinnati, No. 4 TCU, No. 6 Boise State).
2008: 9 after six games, 2 at the end of the regular season (No. 6 Utah, No. 9 Boise State).
2007: 10 after six games, 1 at the end of the regular season (No. 10 Hawaii).
2006: 9 after six games, 2 at the end of the regular season (No. 1 Ohio State, No. 9 Boise State).
2005: 7 after six games, 2 at the end of the regular season (No. 1 USC, No. 2 Texas).
BCS BUSTER REALITY CHECK: In a strange way, Saturday’s results probably damage the position of the BCS busters. On first glance, it might seem that since No. 1 lost, everybody will move up. Maybe so, but when it comes down to it, Alabama lost at least in part because it was facing its third ranked team in a row — two of them on the road.
That is precisely the point that Boise State, TCU, and Utah are almost helpless to argue, since those teams will never get to prove that they can win big games against ranked teams on a regular basis. It’s fair to suggest that Alabama, on the heels of winning at Arkansas and then routing Florida, would have loved the chance to regroup by whipping up on UNLV or San Jose State before having to take on South Carolina.
This season’s first BCS rankings come out next week (Sunday, Oct. 17).
NOT ALL GREAT FOR GARCIA: Stephen Garcia was almost flawless against Alabama. He was 17-for-20 for 201 yards and 3 touchdowns in a performance Spurrier called “the best he’s ever played.” Still, Garcia did offer a glimpse of how he’s making the Old Ball Coach older all the time.
When a shotgun snap went awry on the first play of the third quarter and his team leading 21-9, Garcia scooped up the ball at about the 5-yard line, and had a couple of options. Ideally he would have turned and thrown the ball away. He was, however, under duress, so it’s understandable that he opted not to stop his momentum and risk a sack and fumble. So, his other option was to fall down at the 5-yard line. It was, after all, first down, and the Gamecocks would have had two snaps to gain some yards before punting.
What he was not coached to do was keep running back toward the goal line, and from the 3-yard line, hurl the ball through the end zone. Anything but that, which would give Alabama two points and the ball in good field position following a free kick. But that’s just what Garcia did, giving the Tide just the break they needed.
Against Auburn, after Garcia fumbled on a sack, the next time he got the ball he fumbled it away again. Spurrier benched him despite having golden opportunities down the stretch, and South Carolina lost. This time, even though the Tide quickly pulled to within 21-14, Garcia regained his poise and led two second-half touchdown drives to help them pull away.
SOME BAD BLOOD FOR AN OLD RIVALRY: Can’t help but love the Wisconsin-Minnesota old-school rivalry heating up with Badgers coach Bret Bielema going for two with six minutes remaining and his team holding a 41-16 advantage. He claimed “The Card” that all coaches rely on suggests going for two to turn a 25-point lead into a 27-point lead, and that he’s a non-thinking automaton when it comes to The Card. The logic is that, if you kick the extra point and settle for a 26-point lead, you lose the game if you give up three touchdowns, three 2-point conversions, and a field goal.
Minnesota coach Tim Brewster went a little sideways, causing a bit of a scene after the game, and declaring “everyone in college football” knows Bielema was out of line. Maybe so, but every rivalry needs a little bad blood like this to dredge up next year and beyond. Besides, Brewster’s otherwise comatose Gophers got so mad, they went back out and scored a late touchdown to cover the spread 22-point spread in the 41-23 defeat.
TIDBITS
— With its new Matador-Two defense, USC gave up another last-minute game-losing field goal drive in as many weeks, this time to Stanford. The Trojans have given up 69 points the past two weeks, and have lost two in a row for the first time since 2001 (Pete Carroll’s first season). But they are not alone: Their losing streak is tied for the eighth longest in college football, tied with Texas, Florida, and Penn State, among others. Western Kentucky’s 25-game losing streak is the longest in the country.
— Dennis Erickson’s demise has been greatly exaggerated. Yes, his Arizona State team had lost eight consecutive Pac-10 games dating back to last season, but when the Sun Devils went on the road and beat Washington, 24-14, they moved to 3-3 on the season, and their losses were like this: by 1 point at Wisconsin (owing to a late missed PAT); by 11 points to Oregon when ASU had seven turnovers; by 3 points at Oregon State. Erickson has a young, fast team that is going to make some noise before the Pac-10 season is over.
— Michigan State is 6-0 for the first time since Nick Saban coached the Spartans to that start in 1999 … and they’re vying for their first 7-0 mark since Duffy Daugherty’s team started 10-0 in 1965 and 9-0 in 1966. Of course, that’s the last time they beat Michigan three years in a row — until now. The way Mark Dantonio’s team plays so soundly makes it the most interesting of the dark horses in the race to No. 1.
— I didn’t take Gene Chizik seriously when he suggested to the world a couple of weeks ago that Auburn’s football success “is a God thing.” Geez, yet another dramatic victory (some would say miraculous or at least divine) has the Tigers 6-0. The last-second field goal to beat Kentucky, 37-34, was the third game-ending kick of the season for Wes Byrum. Now back-to-back home games against Arkansas and LSU could put Auburn squarely on top in the powerful SEC West.
— Speaking of which, Cam Newton seems to be the second coming (of Pat Sullivan?!) for Auburn. He rushed for 198 yards and 4 TDs, and passed for 210 yards, and has elevated himself into “the conversation,” much the same way Nebraska’s Taylor Martinez has.
A GLANCE AHEAD
Thursday, Oct. 14
South Florida at West Virginia — These teams are chasing, uh … Syracuse in the Big East race.
Friday, Oct. 15
Cincinnati at Louisville — See above … yes, Syracuse.
Saturday, Oct. 16
Arkansas at Auburn — One of many SEC West showdowns this season; Ryan Mallett vs. Cam Newton!
South Carolina at Kentucky — Suddenly, Gamecocks are the toast of the East … now it’s up to them.
Illinois at Michigan State — Both teams scored emotional victories this week; can Sparty keep it going?
Boston College at Florida State — Seminoles look like the class of the ACC, but must show consistency.
Iowa at Michigan — Hawkeyes have to win on the road; Michigan tries to get back on track.
Ohio State at Wisconsin — Buckeyes have won 4 of 5 at Camp Randall; but how will the crown fit?
Texas at Nebraska — Longhorns will have had two weeks to mull over their 2-game losing streak.
Missouri at Texas A&M — Tigers are unbeaten, but Aggies are a rugged bunch, especially at home.
