Athlon Sports News
2009 CFB Weekend On Tap: Week 12
Mitch Light predicts the outcome of 10 of the week's biggest games in the Week 12 edition of his 2009 Weekend on Tap column.North Carolina (+3.5) at Boston College
The Tar Heels played their way out of the Coastal Division race with back-to-back losses to Georgia Tech and Virginia earlier this season, but Butch Davis’ club is playing very well down the stretch. A recent three-game winning streak (highlighted by victories over Virginia Tech and Miami) has improved the Heels’ record to 7–3 overall and put them in position to play in a quality bowl game. Boston College, as usual, has been a surprise. The Eagles, too, are 7–3 overall but have a 4–2 mark in the league. A division title is a longshot, but with Maryland on the slate to close the season, Boston College is in position to secure a winning ACC record for the fifth time in five seasons in the league.
North Carolina 20, Boston College 17
Ohio State (-12) at Michigan
The cliché goes something like this: Throw out the records when Team A and Team B meet. Well, in this case, I don’t think that applies. It’s hard to look at these two teams’ resumes and come away predicting anything but an Ohio State victory. Michigan has done nothing over the past two months that suggests it can win a game of this magnitude. The offense has been good enough at times, but the defense is giving up over 30 points per game against BCS competition. Ohio State had to work a bit harder then expected last week but escaped with a 27–24 overtime win over Iowa to clinch a spot in the Rose Bowl. Don’t expect any sort of letdown from the boys from Columbus.
Ohio State 31, Michigan 17
Oklahoma (-5) at Texas Tech
After sharing the Big 12 South title with Texas last year, these two teams have both taken a step back in 2009. They are both 6–4 overall and have a combined record of 7–5 in league play. Still, both the Sooners and Raiders have played very good football at times. Oklahoma is fresh off a 65–10 win vs. Texas A&M, and Texas Tech can claim lopsided victories over Kansas State (66–14) and Nebraska (31–10) on its resume. Oklahoma owns a 12–4 advantage in this series, but Bob Stoops is only 2–3 in his five trips to Lubbock, with losses in 1999, 2005 and ‘07. I’m tempted to go with the Raiders at home, but I’m still on the Sooners’ bandwagon — despite the four losses.
Oklahoma 41, Texas Tech 24
UConn (+6) at Notre Dame
Times are tough at Notre Dame. The Irish dropped to 6–4 last week with a 27–22 loss to Pittsburgh, and Charlie Weis’ job status has been the talk of the college football world. The best guess is that Weis will be dismissed after the 2009 season, even if the Irish win their final two games to finish with an 8–4 record. Over at UConn, Randy Edsall has no worries about his job security despite the Huskies’ disappointing 1–4 record in Big East games. This team has suffered more than its share of heartbreak — both on and off the field. The four losses in league play have come by a combined 13 points and the one non-league loss, vs. North Carolina, was by two points. This is a good team that simply has not been able to win the close games. That could change this week. I smell upset.
UConn 20, Notre Dame 17
Wisconsin (-7.5) at Northwestern
It’s a battle of two Big Ten teams that are quietly having very solid seasons. The Badgers are 8–2 overall and 5–2 in the league with their only losses at Ohio State and vs. Iowa. Northwestern is once again a surprise, with a 4–3 mark in the Big Ten that includes wins at Purdue, Iowa and Illinois. The key for the Wildcats will be slowing down Wisconsin’s bruising running game. Two weeks ago, Northwestern held Iowa to 65 yards rushing on 27 carries en route to the 17–10 win in Iowa City. It’s hard to envision the Cats having similar success against a Wisconsin rushing attack with several weapons.
Wisconsin 28, Northwestern 20
Cal (+7) at Stanford
Stanford is the talk of the Pac-10 and the nation — and for good reason — but Cal is coming off a very impressive win, as well. The Bears, in desperate need of a quality win, knocked off Arizona, 24–16, in Berkeley last Saturday thanks in large part to tailback Shane Vereen, who rushed for 159 yards on 30 carries filling in for the injured Jahvid Best. The Cal defense also did its part, holding the powerful U of A offense to 274 yards. Back to Stanford: Has any program had a better month of November? The Cardinal are 2–0, with a nine-point win over Oregon and a stunning 34-point win over USC in L.A. This team is very, very good on offense, with a devastating running game complemented by an efficient passing attack. This one should be close, but I think the Cardinal will keep rolling.
Stanford 28, Cal 23
Penn State (-3.5) at Michigan State
This is an important swing game for two programs that have had disappointing regular seasons. It might be a bit harsh to label Penn State a disappointment with a record of 9–2 (5–2 Big Ten), but the Lions entered the season with the expectation of winning the league title. Michigan State, too, was expecting to be more of a factor in the league race, but the Spartans have been too inconsistent on both sides of the ball. They are currently 6–5 overall and 4–3 in the league; finishing with a .500 mark is clearly not what this team had in mind. That, however, is what is likely to happen. I believe the Penn State defense will be the difference.
Penn State 30, Michigan State 20
LSU (+3.5) at Ole Miss
Alabama has wrapped up the SEC West, but the winner of the Ole Miss-LSU game will take a very large step toward a second-place finish. The Rebels are fresh off their finest offensive effort of the season, a Dexter McCluster-led rout of Tennessee. It’s quite simple at Ole Miss: When McCluster is heavily involved in the offense, the Rebels have a habit of moving the football down the field. When he is not getting a bunch of touches, the Rebs seem to struggle. Coincidence? I think not. LSU has been an enigma this season. The Tigers feature a ton of talent on offense — including some great-looking receivers — but they have struggled to put points on the board against quality competition. The 31–10 win over Auburn late last month is probably the only time this team came close to playing up to its potential.
Ole Miss 27, LSU 20
Purdue (-3.5) at Indiana
The Hoosiers are headed toward their 14th losing season in the past 15 years, but this is a decent IU team that has had some bad luck (and been the victim of some poor officiating). The Hoosiers have lost by three points at Michigan, one point at Northwestern, three points vs. Wisconsin, and they outplayed Iowa in Iowa City for most of the game before falling apart late. Purdue has been better than expected in Danny Hope’s first season. There have been some low points — a loss at home to Northern Illinois, a 37–0 shutout defeat at Wisconsin — but the Boilermakers do have a win over Ohio State, and they beat Michigan in Ann Arbor for the first time since 1966.
Indiana 30, Purdue 27
Oregon (-5.5) at Arizona
This is perhaps the best game of the day. Oregon controls its own destiny in the Pac-10 but still has to beat Arizona this week and Oregon State on Dec. 3 in the always unpredictable Civil War. Quarterback Jeremiah Masoli is the headliner of the Duck attack, but redshirt freshman LaMichael James has rushed for 125-plus yards in six straight games. Arizona has been solid against the run statistically (20th in the nation), but the Cats had trouble with Cal’s Shane Vereen (159 yards) last weekend. If they can’t stop James, or at least slow him down, they will have a tough time keeping the Oregon offense under control.
Oregon 28, Arizona 20
Last week — 9–1 overall (7–3 against the spread)
Season — 71–39 overall (47–60–3 against the spread)
HEADLINE ARCHIVE
2010 CFB Weekend On Tap: Week 12009 CFB Weekend On Tap: Week 14
2009 CFB Weekend On Tap: Week 13
2009 CFB Weekend On Tap: Week 12
2009 CFB Weekend On Tap: Week 11
2009 CFB Weekend On Tap: Week 10
2009 CFB Weekend On Tap: Week 9
2009 CFB Weekend On Tap: Week 8
2009 CFB Weekend On Tap: Week 6
2009 CFB Weekend On Tap: Week 5
2009 CFB Weekend On Tap: Week 4
2009 CFB Weekend On Tap: Week 3
2009 CFB Weekend On Tap: Week 2
2009 CFB Weekend On Tap: Week 1
2009 Heisman Watch: Sam Bradford
"Wow, what a great honor it is to receive an award named after Johnny Unitas, one of the greatest football players ever,” McCoy said. “I had a chance to talk to John, Jr. and Raymond Berry last night when they told me I was this year's winner and I was pretty speechless.
“With all of the great quarterbacks around the country it’s definitely humbling to be picked as the winner of the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award. But, like I told them last night, this is an honor I can't wait to share with my teammates and coaches. Without them I wouldn't be able to accomplish anything, so this is an award that reflects the success we've had as a team and is a tribute to all of them."
“With all of the great quarterbacks around the country it’s definitely humbling to be picked as the winner of the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award. But, like I told them last night, this is an honor I can't wait to share with my teammates and coaches. Without them I wouldn't be able to accomplish anything, so this is an award that reflects the success we've had as a team and is a tribute to all of them."
Often times college football fans and the media become so enthralled with touchdown passes, elusive runs, ferocious tackles and quarterback sacks that we lose sight of other important matters of college athletics. The Golden Arm Award, presented annually to the top senior quarterback by the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Foundation encapsulates all that is positive in college sports. The award acknowledges performance on the field for sure. But it goes beyond completion percentage and touchdown strikes. The award values character, citizenship, integrity and those who honor the game.
"The winner of the Golden Arm Award is recognized not only for his athletic accomplishments, but also for his character, citizenship, scholastic achievement, leadership qualities, and athletic abilities," says John Unitas, Jr., President of the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Educational Foundation, Inc. The Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award bears the name of the man many refer to as the finest quarterback ever to play the game of football.
In addition to honoring a player with the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award, the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Educational Foundation, Inc., has awarded more than $500,000 in scholarships to deserving scholar-athletes from local area high schools both in Maryland and Kentucky.
"Despite my Dad's outstanding accomplishments, he never forgot his humble beginnings, and this won him a permanent place in the hearts of all who ever knew him," notes Unitas, Jr. "Giving life to his commitment to 'give back,' the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Educational Foundation, Inc. was established to promote football on all levels by providing financial aid to deserving young athletes."
GOLDEN ARM WATCH LIST
Jarrett Brown
West Virginia earned its 15th consecutive victory over Rutgers, holding on for a 24–21 win in New Jersey. Brown completed 10-of-20 passes for 116 yards, as the Mountaineers punched their ticket to the Gator Bowl, where they will face Florida State and former WVU coach Bobby Bowden in his final game.
Daryll Clark
Penn State rolled to a 42–14 win at Michigan State in the Big Ten season finale. Clark completed 19-of-27 passes for 310 yards, four scoring strikes and zero interceptions in the final regular season game of his Nittany Lion career.
Armanti Edwards
Appalachian State rallied for an impressive 35–31 win at defending FCS champion Richmond in the quarterfinals of the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs. Edwards completed 21-of-33 passes for 216 yards, one touchdown — a game-winning four-yarder to Matt Cline with 10 seconds remaining — and zero picks, while scrambling on 12 carries for 51 yards and two trips to the end zone.
Matt Grothe
South Florida lost 29–27 to Connecticut, but Grothe did not play due to a season-ending ACL injury suffered against Charleston Southern on Sept. 19.
Max Hall
BYU won the Holy War over Utah, with a 26–23 overtime thriller in Provo. Hall’s stats were not overly impressive, as the senior signal-caller completed just 12-of-32 passes for 134 yards, two touchdowns and zero interceptions. But his 25-yard scoring strike to Andrew George clinched the victory in overtime after the Cougars defense held the Utes to a field goal.
Tim Hiller
Western Michigan was shocked by Ball State, 22–17, in Kalamazoo. Hiller struggled in defeat, completing 33-of-62 passes for 354 yards, one score and four picks.
Mike Kafka
Northwestern pulled off a season-ending upset of Wisconsin, 33–31. Kafka played mistake-free football, completing 26-of-40 passes for 326 yards, two touchdowns and zero interceptions in his final home game.
Dan LeFevour
Central Michigan rolled to a 20–10 win over Ohio in the MAC Championship Game at Ford Field in Detroit. LeFevour completed 28-of-39 passes for 255 yards, two touchdowns and one interception in CMU’s third MAC title in four seasons. In the process, LeFevour broke the FBS record for career total touchdowns (passing, rushing, receiving), previously shared by Hawaii’s Colt Brennan (2007) and Texas Tech’s Graham Harrell (2008), with 148 scores (101 passing, 46 rushing, 1 receiving).
Corey Leonard
Arkansas State won its season finale, 24–20, against Western Kentucky. Leonard, however, was unable to play due to a knee injury.
Thaddeus Lewis
Lewis became the 60th player in FBS history to pass for 10,000 career yards during his final game at Duke. Unfortunately, the Blue Devils could not defeat Wake Forest, suffering a 45–34 loss.
Colt McCoy
Texas found a way to outfight an aggressive Nebraska team led by defensive tackle Ndumakong Suh, winning 13–12 on a 46-yard field goal that went through the uprights as time expired — for a second time. One second was added to the clock following an incomplete McCoy pass that sailed out of bounds before the game-winning kick. Under pressure all night, McCoy completed 20-of-36 passes for 184 yards and three touchdowns, but did secure the most important stat of all — a victory that capped a perfect regular season, Big 12 championship and a trip to Pasadena for the BCS title game against Alabama.
Tony Pike
Cincinnati pulled off an amazing 45–44 win in the snow at Pittsburgh in the de facto Big East title game. Pike completed 22-of-44 passes for 302 yards, three touchdowns and three interceptions. Trailing 31–17 at halftime, Pike threw three second-half scoring strikes — a 68-yard bomb to star receiver Mardy Gilyard, an 8-yarder to D.J. Woods and a 29-yard over-the-shoulder spiral to Armon Binns to take a one-point lead the Bearcats would not relinquish with 33 seconds to play.
Patrick Pinkney
East Carolina knocked off Houston, 38–32, to clinch its second straight Conference USA title and a trip to the Liberty Bowl in Memphis. Pinkney completed 21-of-34 passes for 262 yards, one touchdown and zero turnovers in a clutch win at Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium in Greenville, N.C., where the Pirates have not lost since falling to the Cougars last year.
Todd Reesing
Kansas could not hold on to a late lead in the 117th Border War with Missouri. The Jayhawks lost 41–39 despite a career outing from Reesing, who completed 37-of-55 passes for a school-record 498 yards, four touchdowns and one interception.
Zac Robinson
Oklahoma State lost out on a shot at a BCS berth by losing 27–0 at Oklahoma. Robinson fought through a shoulder injury to complete just 9-of-21 passes for 44 yards, no scores and one interception in the disappointing shutout loss to unranked OU.
Tyler Sheehan
Bowling Green took care of business against Toledo, winning 38–24 in the season finale. Sheehan completed 19-of-31 passes for 137 yards, two touchdowns and zero interceptions in victory.
Riley Skinner
Wake Forest cruised to a 45–34 win over Duke, as Skinner completed 28-of-38 passes for a career-high 372 yards, a school-record five touchdowns and zero interceptions. The win snapped a five-game losing streak for the Demon Deacons.
Rusty Smith
Florida Atlantic held on to beat Florida International, 28–21, in Miami. Unfortunately, Smith did not play due to a season-ending shoulder injury suffered in a Halloween loss to Middle Tennessee.
Tim Tebow
Superman ran into Crimson kryptonite, as Florida fell to Alabama 32–13 in the SEC Championship Game at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta. In a disappointing effort, Tebow completed 20-of-35 passes for 247 yards, one touchdown and one interception through the air, while tucking the ball on 10 carries for 63 yards. The Gators will not compete for their third national title in Tebow’s four seasons. Instead, UF will play Cincinnati in the Sugar Bowl on New Year’s Day.
Chris Turner
Maryland lost its seventh straight game, falling 19–17 to Boston College. After missing two weeks recovering from a knee injury, Turner completed 11-of-17 passes for 101 yards during his final college start.
Joe Webb
UAB’s one-man offense was not enough to avoid a 34–27 loss to UCF. Webb did all he could, completing 20-of-35 passes for 322 yards, three touchdowns and one interception through the air, while adding 18 carries for 137 yards and one touchdown on the ground.
Juice Williams
Illinois lost a heartbreaker to Fresno State in a 53–52 shootout in Champaign. Williams completed 8-of-16 passes for 211 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions, but was unable to lead the Fighting Illini to victory, as Illinois was outscored 22–14 in the fourth quarter of a one-point loss on Senior Day.