2014 Week 10
November 5, 2014
The week got off to a fantastic start last Thursday night, also known as Devil's Night even though Nick Satan's team wasn't playing. Top ranked defending champion Florida State had to come back from a 17-point deficit to knock off the St. Louisville Cardinals.
The Cards, led by their quarterback Will Gardner, the brother of Michigan QB Denard Gardner, had their way with the Noles in the first half. But the game turned around after one of Heisman winner Jimmy Winston's multiple interceptions. The St. Louisville player ran the ball back but got body-slammed to the turf by FSU receiver Nick O Leary.
You had this magnificent intersection of sports. In a football game a player for a Cardinals team more known for baseball was downed on a wrassling move by the grandson of a golf legend. Yes, Nick O Leary is the grandson of a breeding experiment between Jack Nicholson and UCF coach George O Leary.
FSU's cross-state rivals, the Gators, also had a big win last week, defeating the Georgia Bulldogs 38-20 in the World's Biggest Cocktail Party in Jacksonville, thereby saving Coach Muschamp's job for another week or two.
One of the big controversies occurred during the renewal of an eastern rivalry. The Maryland Terrapin captains refused to shake hands with the Penn State captains before defeating the Lions 20-19. This ebola hysteria has just gone too far.
Speaking of coach Leary, one of the biggest upsets was UCF's loss to a 1-win Yukon team. It's always tough to make the long plane journey to the Klondike, and Dawson City was about as inhospitable as it was during Jack London's heyday.
Other famous former Notre Dame coaches did much better. Coach Holtz, now plying his trade in gay Paree, led the La Tech Fighting Frenchmen to a huge win over Western Kentucky. Lou sure looks sharp on the sidelines in that beret. Speaking of Lou, his Irish had an exciting come from behind win over the Navy Seamen.
Duke had a narrow win over new conference foe, my beloved Pitt Panthers, 51-48 in double overtime. I'm still not sure about these overtime rules. I guess the ACC is still basketball obsessed, but it was strange to decide things with a free throw shooting contest.
Visor Boy had a tough loss against the Vols, 45-42. Tennessee is really starting to turn things about thanks to new coach Butch Davis.
The Texas Christian Horny Toads kicked a long FG at the horn to upend the homestanding Western Virginia Mountain Men. I enjoyed watching the ESPN gameday show, as Coach Corso put on the mascot head backwards. For some reason my good friend Herb Street turned it around so Lee could see through the eye holes. That was unfortunate -- it's a lot more entertaining show when Coach is stumbling down stairwells or blindly choking animals.
Speaking of animals, the Oregon Beavers blew out the Stanford Trees, 45-16. Oregon has really been on a roll since losing to Arizona and may be the favorites in the Pac-8.
Finally, I have to talk about the exciting finish to the Auburn vs. Ole Southern Mississippi game. The Rebels looked to be going in for the game winning touchdown when star receiver Deion Treadwell was tackled, fumbled the ball, and broke his leg all at the same time. Thus Auburn got a stunning victory in the most tragic way possible. I haven't seen an appendage bend and snap like that since Marlon Brandon's sex scenes in "Last Tango in Paris".
We've got some big games coming up next weekend -- Alabama at LSU, Notre Dame at Arizona State, Ohio State at Michigan State, and U.T.S.A. at R.I.C.E. Talk to you soon!