Athlon Sports News
2009 CFB Weekend On Tap: Week 10
Mitch Light predicts the outcome of 10 of the week's biggest games in the Week 10 edition of his 2009 Weekend on Tap column.South Carolina (+5.5) at Arkansas
This is a very important game for both teams. South Carolina is trying to avoid a late-season collapse for the third straight season. The Gamecocks, who have lost two of their last three, are 6–3 overall, but after this trip to Fayetteville they have two very difficult games at home vs. Florida and Clemson. If they lose this game, it’s conceivable that this team could finish 6–6 in the regular season for the third straight year. If Arkansas, currently 4–4, loses, Bobby Petrino’s club will have to win two of its final three to reach bowl-eligibility. The Hogs still have home games vs. Troy and Mississippi State, but neither of those games is a gimme. Neither team is playing very well right now, but South Carolina’s struggles on offense — the Gameocks have scored 16 points or less in four of their last five SEC games — are a big concern.
Arkansas 20, South Carolina 16
Kansas (-2.5) at Kansas State
The battle for supremacy in the Sunflower State is a little more interesting because Kansas isn’t playing as well as expected and K-State has exceeded preseason forecasts. The Jayhawks have lost three straight after opening with five consecutive wins, and — shocker! — the defense is the big problem in Lawrence. Over the last four games (including a 41–36 win over Iowa State), KU is allowing an average of 36.8 points. That won’t get it done — even in the Big 12. K-State somehow leads the North with a 3–1 record, even though this team has losses of 66–14 to Texas A&M and 17–15 to UL-Lafayette on its resume. Credit Bill Snyder for getting the Cats to believe, but you have to wonder if the Wildcats’ resurgence has more to do with the sorry state of the Big 12 North than actual improvement with this team.
Kansas 34, Kansas State 30
Oregon (-5.5) at Stanford
We’ve already seen how Oregon bounces back from adversity — the Ducks won seven straight after the opening-game debacle — but how will this team handle prosperity after the huge win over USC? The guess here is quite well. The Ducks are playing with a ton of confidence, and they are playing well in every phase of the game — something that cannot be said about previous highly ranked Oregon teams. Stanford is 5–3 overall and needs just one win to return to a bowl game for the first time since 2001. But getting that one win will not be easy. The Cardinal host Oregon, travel to USC and end the season with home games against Cal and Notre Dame. Stanford is no doubt one of the most improved teams in the Pac-10, but keep in mind the Cardinal do not own a win over a team that currently has a winning record.
Oregon 30, Stanford 20
Wake Forest (+14.5) at Georgia Tech
Georgia Tech might have some issues on defense, but the offense is a thing of beauty. The Jackets have scored 40 points or more three times against BCS conference foes in 2009, and for the season they are averaging 444.4 yards and 35.2 points per game. Wake Forest enjoyed some defensive success two weeks ago against Navy, an option team coached by former Paul Johnson assistant Ken Niumatalolo, but Georgia Tech’s skill position players are bigger, faster and stronger. Wake suffered its third straight loss Saturday, dropping a 28–27 decision to Miami on a touchdown in the final minutes. Wake is now 4–5 overall and must pick up two more wins to play in a bowl game for the fourth straight season.
Georgia Tech 37, Wake Forest 19
Duke (+8.5) at North Carolina
Duke’s 2009 season got off to a tough start — a 24–16 loss at home to Richmond — but the Devils have won five of the last seven games, including three straight, all in ACC play. The school’s first bowl game since January 2005 is within reach, but this team needs to win seven games since the win over NC Central (still reclassifying from D-II) doesn’t count. Senior quarterback Thad Lewis struggled early this season but has been outstanding of late. Over the last four games, Lewis is completing well over 60 percent of his passes and is averaging 383 yards. Statistically, North Carolina will be the best defense Lewis and the Devils face all season. The Tar Heels rank seventh in the nation in total defense and have been solid against both the run and the pass. The spread seems to be a bit high, but I believe North Carolina, despite its struggles, is the better team.
North Carolina 21, Duke 14
Ohio State (+4) at Penn State
Undefeated Iowa is obviously still a major player, but the Big Ten title chase will be a bit clearer after these two league powers clash in Happy Valley. Ohio State, which hosts Iowa in two weeks, controls its own destiny — assuming that a two-loss Buckeye team would be ranked ahead of a one-loss Iowa team in the BCS standings (the tie-breaker). It’s a bit trickier if Penn State beats Ohio State and goes on to beat Indiana and Michigan State. Would a one-loss Penn State team be ranked ahead of a one-loss Iowa team (assuming an Iowa loss to Ohio State) even though Iowa won at Penn State earlier in the season? The guess here is yes, but that is far from a certainty. Stay tuned.
Penn State 24, Ohio State 17
LSU (+9) at Alabama
Barring a big upset in the Big 12, Texas has secured one spot in the national title game. If Alabama beats LSU, then the other spot is all but guaranteed to the winner of the SEC title game. This, of course, assumes that both Florida and Alabama go on to win their remaining regular season games. There are some obstacles — Florida must play South Carolina and Florida State while Alabama still has road trips to Mississippi State and Auburn — but both the Gators and Tide will be significant favorites to remain unbeaten. So what does this all mean? If you are a fan of Iowa, Cincinnati, Boise State, Oregon, TCU, etc., or you just enjoy BCS chaos, you really, really, really need LSU to win this game — and then you need the SEC West winner (either LSU or Alabama) to beat Florida in the title game.
Alabama 17, LSU 10
Oregon State (+7) at Cal
Very quietly, Cal has rebounded from its two-game slide against Oregon and USC to win three straight and sneak back in the top 25. The Bears have averaged 3.0 points in their two losses and 43.8 points in their six wins. Obviously, the level of competition has not been nearly as strong, but Kevin Riley has been playing well in recent weeks. In the win at Arizona State last week, he threw for a season-high 342 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions. Oregon State is up to its usual tricks — using a late-season push to overcome a slow start and play its way into the top half of the Pac-10 standings. The Beavers have won three of the last four, with the only loss by six points at USC. This team has had some issues on defense, but the offense, led by southpaw Sean Canfield and the Rodgers brothers, has been able to move the ball on just about everyone. Cal is the safe pick here, but this is just the type of game Oregon State seems to win.
Oregon State 30, Cal 20
Florida State (+8.5) at Clemson
Florida State finds itself as an underdog for the third time this season. The Seminoles won the previous two games outright, rolling past BYU, 54–28, as an 8.5-point underdog and overcoming a big deficit to beat North Carolina, 30–27, as a two-point dog. To pull the hat trick, Florida State will have figure out a way to slow down Clemson tailback C.J. Spiller. The Noles have been astoundingly bad against the run in 2009. Consider the following: Florida State ranks 101st in the nation and last in the ACC in rushing defense, and has allowed an opponent to rush for at least 100 yards in each of the past five games. While the defense is struggling, there is nothing wrong with the FSU offense. Thanks in large part to the play of quarterback Christian Ponder, the Noles rank ninth in the nation in passing offense, averaging over 300 yards per game. They will need a near-perfect effort from Ponder to beat a Clemson team that controls its own destiny in the ACC Atlantic.
Clemson 34, Florida State 27
Oklahoma (-6) at Nebraska
This once-classic rivalry is just another game in the Big 12. And the only reason there is any intrigue this year — and the only reason the point spread is reasonable — is because of Oklahoma’s relative struggles. For the first time since 1999, Bob Stoops’ first season in Norman, the Sooners entered the month of November with three losses. Those three setbacks have come by a total of five points, but a loss is a loss — especially when you expect to compete for a national title on an annual basis. Nebraska got back in the win column last week, beating Baylor, 20–10, in Waco. But all is not well in Lincoln, where the Husker offense continues to be a major concern. Nebraska is averaging 47.3 points against Sun Belt competition, 15.8 points against the rest of the college football world. And in the last three games, the NU offense has scored a total of three touchdowns. All signs point to a big OU win.
Oklahoma 30, Nebraska 13
Last week — 7–3 overall (3–7 against the spread)
Season — 56–34 overall (38–50–2 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.