After getting off to their best start in school history, the #5 Oklahoma State Cowboys were feeling pretty good about themselves.  Just like Rutgers, South Florida, and East Carolina (just to name a few in recent years),  the Cowboys found themselves in uncharted territory of football success and got their ship sunk. Oklahoma State was the ugly girl of the Big 12 Conference that got a self esteem boost in the preseason when several people in the media started gauking over them and telling them that they were gorgeous. Unfortunately, the Houston Cougars came into Stillwater and wrecked the ugly girl’s chance at going to the BCS Ball. With exception to Notre Dame, the rest of the top 25 stood pat, but this week proposes several trap games for highly ranked teams. Here are some headlines you might see as you follow this weekend’s action in the college football world:

Georgia Tech Left With No Option

When head coach Paul Johnson took over the reins at Georgia Tech, he brought his triple option offense from Navy with him. There are several skeptics of the triple option offense, myself included. The last truly successful option offense was run masterfully by Heisman quarterback Eric Crouch at Nebraska almost ten years ago. While Georgia Tech did rank #4 in the country last year in rushing yards, they were #116 in passing. The defensive game plan for the Miami Hurricanes this week seems pretty simple, stop the rush and stop the Yellow Jackets. One important element to stopping the rush is speed, which Miami has, and the home field advantage for the Hurricanes certainly will help as well.

Takin’ Care of Business

 #1 Florida, #2 Texas, and #3 USC all have games with important meaning that could slip away if they don’t focus. When Tennessee head coach Lane Kiffin was hired, he said he was looking forward to many things. Two things in particular he was excited for was to beat Florida and to then sing “Rocky Top” (the unofficial fight song of Tennessee), all night long. After Florida dismantles the Vols, the only song Kiffin will be singing is “Nobody knows the trouble I’ve seen, nobody knows but Charlie Weis.” Meanwhile, the #2 Texas Longhorns will have an old Texas shootout and avenge it’s only loss last year to Texas Tech, which kept them out of the National Championship Game. Also, USC will visit it’s former offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian, who is now the head coach of the Washington Huskies. The Northwest has not been kind to the Trojans, where they have lost to Oregon State and Oregon the last two years. A re-energized Washington Huskies team will prove to be a challenge for the Trojans, but the Trojans will take care of business and head home 3-0.

That Was Close

Toledo and Fresno State are heading into match ups this week against Ohio State and Boise State feeling pretty confident. Toledo handed it to Colorado and Fresno State went on the road and took Wisconsin into double overtime. Ohio State is coming off of an extreme mental blow, losing to USC at home in a game they thought they should have won. The Buckeyes can either approach this game with aggression to avenge their loss from last week, or they can come out flat feeling sorry for themselves. I believe they will come out more aggressive with their offense and have a tenacity on defense as well. Ohio State knows that when you are “Ohio State,” you can reach the National Championship Game every year with one loss as long as your other wins look good. Toledo is no pushover though, and will test the Buckeyes much like Navy did opening weekend. Switching gears,  the Boise State Broncos need to be careful in how they approach their game this week. The Bulldogs will be the Broncos’ toughest contest they will have until the end of the season, if the Broncos slip up then the Bulldogs will take full advantage and spoil the Broncos dream season.  A win is a win, which will be uttered by Ohio State and Boise State after they pull out squeakers this weekend.

 

JIB Picks

Last Week: 18-3 / Overall: 35-6

#1 Florida – Tennessee / #2 Texas – Texas Tech / #3 USC – Washington / #4 Alabama – North Texas / #5 Penn State – Temple / #6 Mississippi – Southeast Louisiana / #7 LSU – Louisiana-Lafayette / #8 California – Minnesota / #9 BYU – Florida State / #10 Boise State – Fresno State / #11 Ohio State – Toledo / #12 Oklahoma – Tulsa / #13 Georgia Tech – #22 Miami / #14 Virginia Tech – #18 Nebraska / #15 TCU – Texas State / #16 Utah – Oregon / #17 Oklahoma State – Rice / #19 North Carolina - East Carolina / #20 Georgia - Arkansas / #21 Cincinnati – #24 Oregon State / #23 Kansas - Duke / #25 Missouri- Furman

Tags: NCAA

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