2008 Woodie Awards
2 Minute Drill
Chaos in the NCAA
Sam Summers
Issue date: 10/26/07 Section: Big Red Sports
- Page 1 of 1
This year, college football has been in a state of uproar. When lowly Appalachian State, Division I AA, beat traditional powerhouse Michigan, I knew it was going to be a great year for college football. So far I have been right; upsets every week and the rivalry games have only just started. Who knows who will land atop the heap at the end of the season. The team that does will have run the gauntlet and can be acknowledged as the true NCAA Division I champion.
When Appalachian State beat Michigan, many might have thought that top teams would have been scared into preparing better for every game, instead the upsets continued. In the first seven weeks of
college football there have been ten different teams in the top five and unranked teams have often beaten the traditionally dominant teams. South Carolina over Georgia, Washington over Boise State, Kentucky over Louisville, Utah over UCLA, the list goes on. This small sampling doesn't compare to the greatest two upsets so far this year. When Stanford toppled USC, it was the second time in the last two years that the Trojans have been
surprised by an unranked, division opponent. USC's loss last year to Oregon State, caused them to be knocked out of the national title picture. Their loss to Stanford may have done the same thing this year. With three of their last five games up against top 15 teams, USC's schedule looms over their championship aspirations.
The rematch with Oregon State in week nine is an intriguing one too. Oregon State has managed to upset USC in the past and this year the Beavers pulled an upset again by beating
then No. 2 Cal. Yes, Cal's offense was being directed by a freshman, but that freshman had led the Golden Bears with a 144.99 quarterback rating, not bad. The rank-toppling coup d'état keeps coming and coming, making this one of the best years for college
football in a long time.
The traditional rivalry games have begun to loom. Will ranked teams continue to be felled by lower, unranked or traditional rivals? Who will win the Apple Cup? The Iron Bowl? Or the Duel in the Desert? Of all the rivalry games in College football my favorite is the Oregon Civil War. The game has been won by the home team since 1997, but this year Oregon has multiple key injuries. I am NOT saying Oregon State will win, though I think they have a good chance, if not a better one than in years past. But, before they start looking up cooked duck recipes, they have one hard game to win at USC and to do so they must concentrate on Ryan Canfield who finally seems to be getting into a rhythm. If the Beavers keep getting better from week to week then the Civil War game should be one for the ages.
What ever the reason for this year's chaos in college football, it has made the season exciting. With a new number one team for the last three weeks, depending on what poll you look at, fans are on edge for every game. This atmosphere has created a season that fans will look back on and say, "This is why we watch every weekend." •
When Appalachian State beat Michigan, many might have thought that top teams would have been scared into preparing better for every game, instead the upsets continued. In the first seven weeks of
college football there have been ten different teams in the top five and unranked teams have often beaten the traditionally dominant teams. South Carolina over Georgia, Washington over Boise State, Kentucky over Louisville, Utah over UCLA, the list goes on. This small sampling doesn't compare to the greatest two upsets so far this year. When Stanford toppled USC, it was the second time in the last two years that the Trojans have been
surprised by an unranked, division opponent. USC's loss last year to Oregon State, caused them to be knocked out of the national title picture. Their loss to Stanford may have done the same thing this year. With three of their last five games up against top 15 teams, USC's schedule looms over their championship aspirations.
The rematch with Oregon State in week nine is an intriguing one too. Oregon State has managed to upset USC in the past and this year the Beavers pulled an upset again by beating
then No. 2 Cal. Yes, Cal's offense was being directed by a freshman, but that freshman had led the Golden Bears with a 144.99 quarterback rating, not bad. The rank-toppling coup d'état keeps coming and coming, making this one of the best years for college
football in a long time.
The traditional rivalry games have begun to loom. Will ranked teams continue to be felled by lower, unranked or traditional rivals? Who will win the Apple Cup? The Iron Bowl? Or the Duel in the Desert? Of all the rivalry games in College football my favorite is the Oregon Civil War. The game has been won by the home team since 1997, but this year Oregon has multiple key injuries. I am NOT saying Oregon State will win, though I think they have a good chance, if not a better one than in years past. But, before they start looking up cooked duck recipes, they have one hard game to win at USC and to do so they must concentrate on Ryan Canfield who finally seems to be getting into a rhythm. If the Beavers keep getting better from week to week then the Civil War game should be one for the ages.
What ever the reason for this year's chaos in college football, it has made the season exciting. With a new number one team for the last three weeks, depending on what poll you look at, fans are on edge for every game. This atmosphere has created a season that fans will look back on and say, "This is why we watch every weekend." •
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