Well it was an action-packed Sunday (and weekend, really) that gives this blog post the potential to be extremely long. I'll try to hit all the highlights.
Ohio State Capsizes
Just a week after gaining the nation's #1 FCS college football ranking in the wake of Alabama's loss to South Carolina, the Ohio State Buckeyes fell apart against the Wisconsin Badgers, who beat a #1 team for the first time since 1981. In front of a raucous home crowd, the Badgers jumped out to a 21-0 lead (including a David Gilreath touchdown on the opening kickoff). They held on to win 31-18, after it got as close as 21-18, and the crowd rushed the field after game in a sea of red.
In other key developments in the FCS, Texas beat previously undefeated Nebraska, Florida lost its third straight game, South Carolina lost to Mississippi State, Arkansas was crushed by undefeated Auburn, and Alabama recovered from their loss at South Carolina to beat Ole Miss 23-10.
The FCS Top Ten now stands: 1) Oklahoma 2) Oregon 3) Boise State 4) Auburn 5) TCU 6) LSU 7) Michigan State 8) Alabama 9) Utah 10) Ohio State
Fightin' Phils
Just as the Texas Rangers recovered from an ugly Game One loss in the LCS to win Game Two (in their case, blowing a 5-0 lead in the 8th inning to the Yankees was more like soul-crushing), the Philadelphia Phillies brushed off Saturday's 4-3 loss to Tim Lincecum and the Giants to win 6-1 last night. Starter "Little Roy" Oswalt went eight innings, struck out nine, and added a key hit and scored from second on a single, running through a stop sign from the third base coach on a close play to score. His teammates praised his grit. San Francisco's Cody Ross hit his third home run of the LCS (he had two off "Big Roy" Halladay Saturday night) in Game Two, but he was the Giants' only offense.
Tonight, the Rangers send Cliff Lee (who beat the Yankees twice in the 2009 World Series as a Phillie) against all-time postseason wins leader Andy Pettite in Yankee Stadium for Game Three of the ALCS. Tomorrow night, Giants' right-hander Matt Cain will host the Phillies and red-hot left-hander Cole Hamels in Game Three of the NLCS.
Around the NFL
In an action-packed Sunday in the National Football League, legends returned, rookies made big debuts, and the most disappointing team in the league just got worse.
First, both the Miami Dolphins and New England Patriots pulled out 23-20 overtime wins, over the Green Bay Packers and Baltimore Ravens, respectively, then the defending-champion New Orleans Saints showed shades of their explosive 2009 selves in a 31-6 thrashing of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Seahawks surprised the Bears, the Giants beat the Lions, and the San Francisco 49ers won their first game of the year after an 0-5 start, beating the Oakland Raiders.
The two teams had little in common coming into the game, but the Pittsburgh Steelers and Cleveland Browns clashed in a huge game early in the afternoon. In 2009, the Browns beat the Steelers for the first time in 13 years, and, yesterday, they were the welcoming-back party for two-time Super Bowl winning quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, fresh off his four-game suspension for violating the NFL's personal conduct policy. Among that welcoming party was former Texas Longhorns quarterback Colt McCoy, the FCS' all-time leader in wins, with 45, playing his first competitive football since the first series of the National Championship Game against Alabama (he was knocked out of the series, and the game, by a hard hit that left his throwing shoulder numb).
McCoy, the third-string quarterback, started in place of injured starter Jake Delhomme and injured backup Seneca Wallace. Staring down one of the league's best defenses, McCoy responded well, completing 23 of 33 passes for 281 yards and one touchdown while also throwing one interception and being sacked five times.
"He's going to be a good quarterback," Pittsburgh linebacker James Farrior said. "He didn't have all of his weapons and he came out of it all right."
He didn't have all of his weapons because Pittsburgh linebacker James Harrison (the 2008 Defensive Player of the Year) sent Browns' players Josh Cribbs and Mohamed Massaquoi from the game with head-to-head hits in the same eight-minute span.
But most of the focus was on the man under center for Pittsburgh. Roethlisberger, who passed for over 500 yards in one game last season, and has won two Super Bowls, was greeted with a warm reception from fans and responded with a 16 of 27, 257 yard, three-touchdown performance that included a beauty of a 50-yard pass to Mike Wallace while backing into his own end zone on the three-yard line. He had some overthrows that were likely due to rust and adrenaline, but the Steelers looked happy to have him back in a 28-10 whaling of the Browns.
Late Sunday night, Peyton Manning's Indianapolis Colts squeaked by Donovan McNabb's Washington Redskins with a 27-24 victory, aided hugely by a 57-yard TD pass from Manning to Pierre Garcon immediately following a McNabb interception. Garcon made a highlight-reel one-handed, leaping, twisting catch later in the game. Indy's Joseph Addai rushed for 128 yards.
Other news came from Minnesota, in what was cheekily nicknamed "The Desperation Bowl", where the Minnesota Vikings (of Brett Favre and Randy Moss fame) faced the Dallas Cowboys (of Wade Phillips, Jerry Jones, Tony Romo, Miles Austin fame). Both teams, who won at least one game in the playoffs last year (and Minnesota was one Favre interception away from reaching the Super Bowl), came in with 1-3 records, among the worst in the league. Only5 teams have even made the playoffs after a 1-4 start in the last 20 years. Both teams were trying to avoid it. In the end, despite no Moss touchdowns and numerous hard hits on the 41-year-old Favre, the Vikings won, 24-21, thanks to 11 Cowboys penalties, including one that negated a 68-yard touchdown. The Vikings are now 2-3, the Cowboys sink to the dreaded 1-4.
Finally, Kevin Kolb made some (more) fans in Philadelphia yesterday, passing for 326 yards and 3 touchdowns in a 31-17 torching of the Atlanta Falcons in his second full game of the year. Kolb, who was supposed to be the starter this year in the wake of McNabb's being traded to Washington, missed two and a half games after suffering a concussion in the opening quarter of the season opener against Green Bay. He was replaced, of course, by Michael Vick, who had two and a half brilliant games before leaving Philly's game against Washington with bruised ribs. After the season-opening game-which they lost to Green Bay but which had convinced Eagles' coach Andy Reid to name Vick the starter-controversy began. Reid continues to call Vick his starting quarterback, despite his injury and Kolb's performance. Vick is not expected to start next week's game against the Titans. There are rumblings that if Kolb plays well and beats Tennessee this week, he should be re-made the starter on his own merits.
The Giants are leading the Phils in SF in Game 3.
ReplyDeleteIt is the top of the 8th. Score 3-0. I am pulling for the Giants. Hey, Dan, McCoy can play football. I didn't think the Browns would give him a chance but he did well. College football remains in turmoil, it doesn't pay to be in the first spot. Good commentary on the NFL and college scene. I hope you have some good stuff tomorrow on the Rangers. Take care my friend.