Well, we didn't think it would be an exciting Saturday in college football. But with the game-winning heroics of Ricky Stanzi (above) and Mt. Cody (more on him later) fans around the country were left holding their breath. You know about the shakeup in the BCS, but what about the much more important YCS? Why does nobody still want the Heisman trophy? Find out here, because we're the ones who tell it like it is!
YCS STANDINGS
1.Alabama (8-0, last game W vs. Tennessee 12-10, up next Nov. 7 vs. #9 LSU)
-Thanks largely to the heroics of Terrence "Mt." Cody (which has to be the best college nickname in years), Alabama retains a slim hold on the YCS #1 spot. Though the game against Tennessee was ugly with a capital U, 'Bama hung in with their stout defense and the boot of Leigh Tiffin accounting for all of their points. Of course, the game might not have been as close if not for a late fumble by RB Mark Ingram (of course, more on that later). But, the point is, against an SEC opponent desperate for a trademark win, the Tide survived. They'll have to mount an even better effort, especially offensively, when they take on the Bayou Bengals in 2 weeks.
2. Florida (7-0, last week W at Miss St. 29-19, up next Sat. vs. Georgia)
-Florida also survived a surprisingly stiff SEC test from Miss. St., but the pressure is definitely mounting on Urban Meyer and co. Repeating isn't easy, and even the Genius in Florida is admitting his offense is not where it should be. Add to that the clearly shaky performance by Tim Tebow (2 INTs returned for TDs), and there's reason for worry, even in Gainesville. But, much like 'Bama, it's the defense that will carry Florida to the SEC title game. Not even the World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party can keep Florida from their date with the Tide...that is, unless JC QB somehow finds the tailgate scene during pregame.
3. Texas (7-0, last week W at Missouri 41-7, up next Sat at #14 Oklahoma St.)
-Texas remains in the catbird seat, thanks in large part to Colt McCoy giving one of the best performances of his season. Although Mizzou has been struggling as of late, Texas's total team performance was impressive, especially coming off such a physical encounter the week before with Oklahoma. The last potential hurdle to a Big 12 title game appearance, and most likely a BCS Title Game, is this Saturday at Oklahoma St. Whether Dez Bryant is available or not for the Cowboys, their potent offense should provide quite the challenge for the 'Horns, who rank 2nd in the nation in total defense.
4. Cincinnati (7-0, last week W vs. Louisville 41-7, up next Sat. at Syracuse)
-Apparently, we at the YCS are the only ones who are willing to give any respect to the Bearcats. Though they were dropped all the way to 8th in this week's BCS, they remain 4th in the only standings that matter...well, the only ones that should matter, at least. Backup QB Zach Collaros went 15/17 for 253 yards and 3 TDs (hey, maybe it's not too late for him to win the Heisman?) in relief of Tony Pike. Even if the Bearcats go unbeaten, which they have a good chance at, it's clear now UC will need some help from teams like Texas and USC to have any outside hopes at a miracle national title game appearance.
5. Iowa (7-0, last game W at Mich St. 15-13, up next Sat. vs. Indiana)
-Ok, so the YCS was the last ones on the Iowa bandwagon, but after their thrilling last-gasp win at Michigan St., we have to admit Iowa seems to be living a charmed life. Their defense continues to play well and the way they consistently are winning close games calls to mind Ohio St.'s somewhat miraculous national title run of 2002. Their play in the last few weeks will be guided by Jr. QB Ricky Stanzi, who may not have put up the most impressive numbers Sat. night, but came through for his team when it mattered most. Oddly enough, Ohio St. seems like the last team that stands in the way between the Hawkeyes, and a perfect season.
6. TCU (7-0, last game W at #16 BYU 38-7, up next Sat. vs. UNLV)
-Clearly, we at the YCS are willing to admit when we were wrong...frankly, we have had a lot of opportunities to do so this season. The instance we may have been most wrong was this past Saturday when we picked BYU to end TCU's undefeated season. Boy, were we wrong. TCU absolutely mopped the floor with a very good BYU team, at Provo. Their defense looked fast and aggressive, and their offense was potent, led by QB Andy Dalton.
7. USC (6-1, last week W vs. Oregon St. 42-36, up next Sat. at #10 Oregon)
-It was a good news/bad news week for USC this past week. On one hand, the offense continued to look dominant, with even reserve RB Allen Bradford stepping up for nearly 150 yards and 2 TDs. But, the defensive meltdowns over the last 2 weeks have to be troubling Pete Carroll. In South Bend two weeks ago, the defense almost gave up a late three score lead to the Irish. This Saturday, the defense gave up an astounding 482 yards to Oregon St., at home. The challenge will be much tougher this Saturday when the Trojans have to travel to an even more potent offense in Oregon.
8. Boise St. (7-0, last week W at Hawaii 54-9, up next Sat. vs. San Jose St. )
-In a way, you really have to feel for Boise St. They won their biggest game of the year too early, by defeating what now is a very strong Oregon team on the blue turf. What more can they do to appease voters? They are still beholden to play their conference slate, which this season, doesn't look like it will be good enough to garner a BCS bid. Unless TCU slips up, it looks like Boise will have to look elsewhere for their bowl game.
9. Oregon (6-1, last game W at Washington 43-19, up next Sat. vs. #5 USC)
-The Ducks leapfrog into the YCS Top 10 with a dominant victory at Washington ahead of their showdown with USC. The most encouraging sign for Oregon had to be the performance of QB Jeremiah Masoli, who was able to return from injury to contribute 3 total TDs. Masoli's dual threat will be the key if Oregon hopes to gain the inside track on a trip to the Rose Bowl.
10. Georgia Tech (7-1, last game W at Virginia 34-9, up next Sat. at Vanderbilt)
-The Ramblin' Wreck retains the last spot in the YCS after their demolition of division leaders Virgina (I didn't believe it either when I heard that, but, I guess it was true). Still, even though they disposed of weak competition, it seems Georgia Tech now holds the inside track to an ACC Title Game berth. And if they continue to rush for over 350 yards per game, they'll be tough to beat.
Dropped from the YCS: Miami (Fl)
Just Missed Out: LSU, Penn St.
-The roller coaster ride that is The U's season went back down last Saturday in an OT loss to Clemson. While the foundation for the rebirth of the U has been built this season, they still need a strong finish this year to keep the momentum going. LSU and Penn St. continue to just miss out on the Top 10 after impressive conference wins over Auburn and Michigan respectively.
RSS HEISMAN WATCH
1. NOBODY-Equipment Manager-Somebody Please Step Up A&M
-We've tried being patient with this year's mediocre bunch of Heisman candidates. We've tried thinking outside of the box to consider dark horse candidates. We've even tried begging candidates to please, please, take control of this Heisman race! But, nothing has worked! Through 8 weeks, not one player in college football has been able to put together consecutive performances that made you think, wow, that guy is legitimately worthy of the Heisman. So, nobody occupies the top spot in this week's Heisman Watch. If one of the top 4 impress, we'll consider moving you back up. But, we have no problem keeping 1st place vacant as long as no one takes this race and makes it their own.
T-2. Mark Ingram-RB-Alabama (last week 18 rushes, 99 yards)
-Even without a rushing TD to speak of, and barely missing out on another 100-yard game, Mark Ingram's performance would have been enough to keep him in 1st place on our Watch. But, the committee just couldn't shake his fumble in the final minutes to give Tennessee a chance to steal away the game. Because it was his 1st collegiate turnover in well over 300 touches, he still stays tied for second. But, he needs a big rebound game against LSU to maintain his Heisman candidacy. Here's a hint for Nick Saban too...if you care at all about your player's Heisman chances...give him the ball more than 18 times!
T-2. Tim Tebow-QB-Florida (last week 12/22, 127 yards 2 INTs, 22 rushes, 88 yards, 1TD)
-Tim Tebow also could have taken a hold of the #1 spot, but he turned in one of the worst performances of his entire career at Miss. St. Not only was he erratic with his passes all night, but he threw uncharacteristically bad passes with two attempts being returned for TDs. His coach Urban Meyer says it all today, "Tim Tebow is not playing at his highest level". Does someone who isn't playing at his best at this important part of the season? The RSS Heisman Watch doesn't think so. If Tebow wants to make history, he needs to find his SuperMan cape, pronto.
4. Colt McCoy-QB-Texas (last week 26/31, 269 yards, 3TDs, 1INT)
-Colt McCoy finally found his 2008 form at Mizzou, only missing on 5 of 31 passes and throwing 3 TDs. Much like his team and the national title picture, McCoy may find himself in the catbird seat at the Heisman ceremony. WIll the voters give the trophy a second time to Tebow, when he didn't play his best? It's hard to say...I mean, most voters, really like Tim Tebow. But, if McCoy can build on Saturday's game and keep up these impressive performances, he could charge to the finish line as a late-emerging favorite.
5. Jimmy Clausen-QB-Notre Dame (29/36, 246 yards, 2 TDs)
-Another week, another comeback and game-winning TD from Jimmy Clausen. It's like it's this guy's job, or something? The main obstacle to Clausen's campaign is his lack of any marquee games the rest of the season. While Ingram, Tebow, and McCoy will have at least 2-3 more games against tough opponents, or in conference title games, Clausen's remaining schedule includes Wash. St., Navy, and Stanford. Not even the Peacock can dress up those borderline scrimmages.
Dropping Out of the Race: Kerry Meier's cup of coffee in the RSS Heisman Watch lasted as long as one might expect. His paltry 8 catches for 64 yards wasn't enough to keep him in the Watch, but, you might want to pay some attention to him as a late-round sleeper some day.
Keep an Eye On: Terrence "Mt." Cody-DT-Alabama
And how could you not keep an eye on Mt. Cody after his game-saving performance against Tennessee. The guy is always making life hard for the opposing offensive line, but his two blocked FG's in the 4th quarter kept the Tide's title hopes from flatlining. With a physique to make King Kong Bundy jealous (who by the way, is still alive, and shockingly small thanks to my alert, late-night channel surfing last night on Sports Time Ohio), Mt. Cody will certainly play a key role in the rest of 'Bama's season.
Well, that wraps it up for this week's YCS and Heisman Watch. As always, feel free to let us know how wrong we are in our comments section. Also, as a favor, please feel free to vote us up on BallHype if you check us out there...we'll figure out some way to pay you back, we promise. Tune in tomorrow for the conclusion of our NBA Preview and a wrap-up of the National. Football. League. Until then, it's bye for now!
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