What the heck happened to the Sooners this past Saturday? I had a feeling that Oklahoma was going to lose to Texas this season — just not Texas Christian. TCU played a perfect game from start to finish. They clogged up the box so that Adrian Peterson could be contained and they dared Paul Thompson to beat them.
It is no surprise that Oklahoma will be going to Rhett Bomar this week to get the offense back on track. I predicted that this would happen in my Big 12 preview, and Bomar should have more success moving the ball down the field.
The Notre Dame bandwagon ship is set to sail and plenty of prognosticators have jumped aboard. I guess I can't blame anyone for the Irish hype that's engulfed the nation because they looked superb in their 42-21 thumping of the Pitt Panthers. Brady Quinn looked superb as he was accurate in his passing and he had key runs to set up scores. Speaking of running, Charlie Weis' duo of Darius Walker and Rashon Powers-Neal combined for 140 yards and three touchdowns.
The Irish defense also played well by containing Tyler Palko and holding Greg Lee to only 63 yards receiving. Notre Dame will have to continue to play well next week as they face an even stiffer challenge with Michigan. If they can pull off another upset, I just might have jump aboard.
The HeisDAQ
The race for the Heisman Trophy fluctuates week-by-week. The HeisDAQ will let you know whose Heisman "stock" is rising and falling.
1) Matt Leinart, QB USC (strong buy) — In my Heisman preview, I stated that Leinart had to distance himself from the competition if he had any hopes of winning the trophy. He got off to a good start by throwing for over 300 yards in barely over a half against Hawaii. His 18-for-24 performance was impressive and he earns the top spot this week.
2) Reggie Bush, RB, KR, PR USC (buy) — Bush showed off his versatility by racking up 144 all-purpose yards and two scores against the clearly-overmatched Hawaii Rainbow Warriors. He dominated on the ground highlighted by a superb 41-yard touchdown scamper. Even though he played very well, he will have to play even better to outshine his teammate, Matt Leinart.
3) Vince Young, QB Texas (buy) — V.Y. was superb against Louisiana-Lafayette, but did you expect any less? He threw for three touchdowns and ran for another in the Longhorns' 60-3 victory. I was impressed with his 13-for-17 performance, but he'll have to get more receivers involved next week against Ohio State. The Buckeyes will key in on his all-world tight-end David Thomas and force him to throw down the field to beat them.
4) Chris Leak, QB Florida (buy) — Leak has always been the wildcard in this year's Heisman race. There were some that didn't think that Leak had the ability to run Urban Meyer's offensive system, but those doubts were answered in a convincing performance against Wyoming. He broke Steve Spurrier's school record for consecutive completions (isn't that ironic?) and increased his Heisman chances tremendously.
5) Ted Ginn, WR/KR/PR/DB Ohio State (buy) — Ginn had a fantastic game against Miami of Ohio. He had five catches for 75 yards and a touchdown, and his defense was solid as well. In order for Ginn to move up in the Heisman standings, he will have to make some plays in special teams, as well.
6) Drew Tate, QB Iowa (buy) — Tate looked sharp on Saturday as he was 9-for-10 in limited action against Ball State. The Hawkeyes will face a much stronger challenge at Iowa State this week. I look for Tate to put up much bigger stats in that contest.
7) Brady Quinn, QB Notre Dame (strong buy) — Quinn is one of two newcomers to the HeisDAQ and he has earned his spot with one of the best quarterback performances of the first week. He was effective in the air and on the ground and now the Irish are nationally-ranked going into their game against Michigan. If the Irish can upset the Wolverines, Quinn will guarantee himself a spot in the Top 5.
8) D.J. Shockley, QB Georgia (strong buy) — D.J. Shockley, the second newcomer to the HeisDAQ, was unbelievable against Boise State. His six-touchdown (five by air one on the ground) debut this weekend was unreal. Many people thought Boise State had a chance of upsetting the Bulldogs, but Shockley would have none of it. He showed his dual-threat capabilities by shredding the Bronco defense and has catapulted himself into the Heisman race.
9) Adrian Peterson (hold) — Adrian Peterson's performance against TCU on Saturday has dropped him out of serious Heisman contention for now. His 63 yards on 22 carries was lackluster, but it really wasn't his fault. He got hurt, and his offensive line was overmatched due to TCU's defensive execution up front. The Sooners play in-state rival Tulsa this Saturday, and Peterson should do much better against them.
10) Laurence Maroney, RB Minnesota (buy) — Speaking of Tulsa, Maroney absolutely shredded them for 203 yards last week. His touchdown runs of 67 and 73 yards in the first quarter show why he just might be the best running back in America. He showed great speed getting to the corner, and used tremendous cutbacks in order to spring himself and get himself to the end zone. His next challenge will be against Colorado State, who is still smarting after a last second loss to the hated Buffaloes.
Players who have dropped out of the HeisDAQ top 10: Gerald Riggs, Jr. (hold), Reggie McNeal (hold)
Games to Watch/Picks to Click
In this section of Bluebook Notes, I highlight three of the best potential games for the next week. I will also give my pick as to who will come out victorious.
Notre Dame @ Michigan (+7)
This will be a very fun game to watch and I think it will go down to whoever has the ball last. Notre Dame has already shown that they can cover great receivers and contain good quarterbacks (Greg Lee and Tyler Palko). They face the same script in Michigan with Jason Avant and Chad Henne. Therefore, I think this game will come down to which team can run the ball most effectively. Mike Hart will have to be the difference-maker, and I think Michigan wins, but not by seven.
Score: Ann Arbor's Finest 24, South Bend But Don't Break 21
LSU (+1) @ Arizona State
We all know by know how much Hurricane Katrina has affected the Gulf Coast. What we don't know is how much it has affected LSU's psyche. I'm sure the Tigers will come out fired up and ready to play, but will it be enough to defeat the Sun Devils. That's exactly why this game could go either way. I'm going with Arizona State on this one, as the Sun Devils love to hand out early-season upsets (just ask Iowa).
Score: Stun Devils 35, America's New Favorite Team 31
Texas @ Ohio State (+1)
Who said that BCS bowls are played in January? This game has all of the makings of a classic and has major implications as to which of these teams puts themselves in the driver's seat come New Year's Day. Both teams have superb defenses that can impose their will on the opposing offense. I'm picking Ohio State, just because if I had to draw up a defensive unit to stop Vince Young, A.J. Hawk and the Buckeyes would be it.
Score: Buckin' Eyes 21, Hooked Horns 13
The Mailbag
The mailbag is the final section of Bluebook Notes. This week's comes from Trevor in Seattle:
Avery,
How do you think Washington will fare this season? I'm thinking that U-Dub will shock the world and finish in the top five of the Pac-10 this year.
Trevor, I don't think the Huskies will come anywhere near the top five of the Pac-10 this season, but they are making some steps so that it may happen in the future. Hiring Ty Willingham was a good first-step, but the West Coast offense always takes time to learn, so I wouldn't expect anything quickly. I think Washington wins three games this year, but will hopefully go above .500 in 2006. Thanks for the e-mail!
Do you think that I'm "off my rocker," or did I hit the proverbial "nail on the head?" Let me know! Send an e-mail to [email protected] and include your name and hometown, or post a comment below. I'll do my best to include it in the next week's edition.
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