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Two weeks off, two weeks on…that’s how it has seemed to go for the Cougars this football season.

Two average games to start the season, two mind-blowing shutouts after that, and two head-scratching snoozefests after that.

But with games remaining at TCU, at Air Force, and at Utah, BYU can ill-afford to continue to play inconsistent football.

The fun all starts two days from now against TCU in Fort Worth.

One can only guess how bloodthirsty the nation’s best defense will be when the ninth-ranked team in the nation comes calling.

Other than a 35-10 loss to Oklahoma, the Horned Frogs have given up 45 points in six games. My trusty calculator tells me that’s 7.5 points per game. My trusty football brain tells me that’s pretty good, no matter who you’ve played.

This much is sure, however—TCU will need to balance out its offense to win. Current starting quarterback Marcus Jackson can do some wonderful things with his feet, but his arm is average at best. Previous starter Andy Dalton, who has missed the last two games with an injury, is in the same mold as Jackson—good runner, OK passer. Both have done enough through the air to put wins on the board, but they’ll need just a little more to keep the underrated Cougars’ defense off balance and on the field.

Who will win? That’s anybody’s guess. TCU definitely has the defensive talent to give BYU quarterback Max Hall fits. Then again, Hall and his trio of wide receiver Michael Reed, tight end Dennis Pitta, and wideout Austin Collie may follow the example of the Sooners and rack up some frequent flyer miles at the expense of the Horned Frogs’ defense.

You know what you’ll get from TCU—great defense and a relentless running attack.

But the problem is you don’t know what you’ll get from BYU. Will it be the team that got penalized for 123 yards against Utah State? Will it be the team that put the ball on the floor four times against Northern Iowa? Or will it be the team that hung 521 yards on UCLA and came away plus-six in the turnover battle against Wyoming?

If the Cougars have any hope of remaining in the top 10, or even top 15, they need a win. If they have any hope of climbing higher in the polls, they need a decisive win.

The only question is: What BYU team will show up?

Only Charlie Weis could know how Clemson QB Cullen Harper feels right now.

One moment you’re on top of the world and the next moment you’re stinking up the place.

After a lousy 15/35 performance by Harper, coach Tommy Bowden is going to the bullpen. Redshirt freshman Willy Korn is going to get his chance to pull Clemson out of the rut of a disappointing season.

So here’s my train of thought… your offense scores 1 TD in seven quarters even though they’ve got two very good running backs to mix it up with, they’re a little banged up, and your best wide receiver only has 250 yards on the year… and you’re going to blame the QB that brought you back to prominence?

When the Tigers can’t run the ball they’re messed. That’s the bottom line. How was Harper in the games where Clemson ran the ball well? Solid. How was he when they got flattened? Not so good.

So you’re going to Willy Korn because he’s mobile and provides the offense with more options? Is he going to pull a Terelle Pryor out there and lead a game winning drive? Doubt it. Much love to ya, Willy. You’re going to be a good QB. But I doubt it. You may have some good backs, but you don’t have the best running back in the nation as a decoy.

If you’ve already got two runners who can impose their will on opposing teams and they’re not already taking over games, chances are a third might just give you more of the same result. If you’ve got a banged up line that can’t hold up against having a bunch of guys in the box, you’ll still get more of the same. If all-ACC WR Aaron Kelly cannot get his hands on more completions, you’ll still get more of the same.

The Tigers’ problems go a lot deeper than just Harper. If you want to get a spark, bring Korn in off the bench to throw the defense off balance. Give Harper a breather. Don’t let the defense settle down. Run one with Korn, hand one off, throw one with Harper, throw one with Korn, hand another one off…

Bowden may just be mimicking Jim Tressel, but there’s a big difference between Todd Boeckman and Cullen Harper — Boeckman was never really that good to begin with.

I just hope Tommy knows what he’s doing. Because right now he’s either going to be a mastermind or a goat. He better hope and pray Willy Korn grows up fast. Because we all know the kid can play some good ball, but the only question is — can he play right now?

For Bowden’s press conference go here and enjoy

Oh, and by the way, Willy Korn has a fansite

If I had the answer to that question, I would probably be in the Florida Keys sipping on a passion fruit smoothie right now.

Alas, I am in a college computer lab and I have no answers.

And how could I?

Both UNC and Notre Dame give up more yards than they gain. And both teams have lost the one game that could have given them at least a shred of credibility.

So here we sit, with two teams that are 4-1 after posting disappointing records a year ago (and many years before that if you’re UNC). Both teams have feasted upon weakened opposition. Both teams have found ways to win other than by playing awesome offense.

Starting from the top, Notre Dame QB Jimmy Clausen is now officially the chosen one. He will be Notre Dame’s keystone for this weekend’s game and the next three seasons.

In the weekend’s coming of age win against Stanford he passed for 347 yards, 3 TDs and 0 INTs. Lest we forget, leading RB Armando Allen only got 33 yards on the ground — no help. With the help of WR Michael Floyd Clausen took the Cardinal defense and hung it out to dry.

Clausen now has 12 TDs as opposed to 6 picks and his QB rating is up 30 points from a year ago.

Last year was a nightmare, but now the kid’s a year wiser. He’s got an improved set of playmakers around him. And he’s got a huge fan base praying for him to succeed (which, as I now realize in retrospect, is probably literal).

Yes, he can thank a considerably weaker schedule. But do you really think Evan Sharpley could have hung 350 yards on Stanford? Clausen can ball.

On the other side of the ball, QB replacement Cameron Sexton has performed adequately in relief of T.J. Yates. He probably won’t light up the sky, but he’ll be able to take care of the ball for the Tar Heels. He proved in a 4th quarter comeback against Miami he has the poise to make throws under pressure. Will he be able to do that against a better team? Good question. Will he be able to do that against a Notre Dame defense that gives up 237 yards in the air? Probably.

The Tar Heels got one good game out of RB Shaun Draughn, but they’ll need him to bring the heat consistently. As long as they can keep the ball moving on the ground, they have a good enough QB to make a few timely passes to playmakers Brandon Tate and Hakeem Nicks.

Notre Dame still struggles to run the ball. And that will pose a huge problem against any team with a better than bad secondary. The Irish WILL BE exposed. Case in point, Michigan State held the Irish to an amassation (not a word, I know) of 16 yards on the ground. A great rushing day for Armando Allen against Purdue is the only reason Notre Dame even averages triple digit rush yardage.

As for the defensive units, both sides are relatively untested an inconsistent. And for this reason it’s hard to get a read on how well the Tar Heels and Irish will do.

We know that UNC can make special teams magic. We know that Notre Dame can make Michigan cry. But we just don’t know if both defensive units can hang with an offensively talented team. Notre Dame failed against Michigan State. UNC has yet to see a good offense.

Both teams have provided a consistent, although not overpowering and at times unbalanced, offensive effort throughout the season. But they’ve consistently been outgained. And there will come a time when teams won’t make costly turnovers or miss assignments. There will come a time when the QB is having a bad day or the running game won’t click (see UNC/VT and ND/MSU). And that’s when the losses start to come.

So we go into Saturday’s game looking at a “Test for the Untested.” There are two defenses that definitely bend and there are two offenses that have the ability to plug along in consistent fashion.

But if we just get down deep and look at the root of it all and ask ourselves…

Who’s the real deal? And who wins this game?

UNC

Why?

Butch Davis.

On paper, most things are equal between UNC and Notre Dame. Both offenses are average to good. Both defenses are hovering around average and inconsistent. But coaching will get you a very long way. And Butch Davis is without a doubt one of the best coaches in the nation that nobody seems to talk about. He’s taken a program at the bottom of the barrel and made them, at least for a moment, credible.

He’s in it to win it. He spurned Arkansas for the hundredth time to continue establish his legacy at North Carolina. He’s getting support to upgrade facilities. He’s molding his program his way. And we know what happened the last time he molded a college program — many many wins.

Clausen will continue his improvement, UNC will definitely feed off of a rowdy home crowd, but in the end the coaching battle will win it.

And in a battle of Butch Davis vs. Charlie Weis, I’ll take Butch every time.

That’s what it seems like to me.

I was doing a little late night sports surfing on msn.foxsports.com and it dawned on me… I’ve seen articles about Georgia, I’ve seen the argument about Oklahoma vs. Alabama vs. LSU, I’ve seen the Chase Daniel hype, but I haven’t gotten much of a beat on the Longhorns.

To that I say “Why not?”

Texas has quietly rolled up a 4-0 record with a 198-43 scoring margin. From week to week they’ve crept slowly from number 11 to number 5 in the polls. Their rush defense is absolutely stifling (50+ yards per game).

But the most noteworthy achievement to date has to be the solid play from QB Colt McCoy.

All the way through the 2007 season, McCoy played nowhere close to the level of football he played as a freshman in 2006 (of course, forgetting those two literally painful losses to KSU and TAMU). Even with a talented feature back in Jamaal Charles, McCoy still threw 18 picks compared to 22 TDs. Sure, his numbers weren’t terrible (3300 yards and 65 % completions), but when I thought of Colt McCoy, I didn’t trust him to cover the odds.

Granted, I haven’t gambled a penny in my life. But if I ever did hit up a bookie, it wouldn’t have been on the Horns.

Bottom line is this… McCoy’s now getting in gear. Even with a stagnant rushing attack that he currently headlines he’s completing 80 percent of his passes and he’s thrown only one INT compared to 14 TDs thus far.

“But he’s played Rice, UTEP, Arkansas and FAU,” one might say.

“Hogwash,” I might say. And here’s why…

Through 4 games last year McCoy had thrown for 7 touchdowns and 5 interceptions. And Texas barely scraped by Arkansas STATE and UCF by a combined total of 11 points. This is WITH Jamaal Charles, Limas Sweed (pre-injury), Nate Jones, and Jermichael Finley. Those guys? All gone.

McCoy is leading the team in rushing and he is throwing strikes like he’s ready for Sunday.

Line it up, compare it, cut it in half, do what you want. This guy’s not v. 2007 any more.

After a summer long hiatus, I will be back on top of all the mid-season college football action in a few short days. Sometimes life gets in the way of blogging! It happens!

Much love

Andrew

I believe in second chances. Every athlete deserves one. I hate it when athletes don’t get a second chance, but I love it when that second chance comes and they make the most of it. But what really gets me is when athletes get that second chance, and then blow it.

You want to talk about a guy who blew not just a second chance, but a number of chances after that, look no further than Ryan Perrilloux. He blew it! Even after allegedly being found being involved in a counterfeiting scheme, even after entering a casino illegally, and even after failing to meet his obligations as an LSU student-athlete, Les Miles believed he’d turn around. And he has every reason to believe that.

The Tigers won a National Title last year, in part to Perrilloux’s performance in the SEC title game. He would be the starting QB to one of the most dominate programs in the country. He would have played for arguably the most visible team in the most visible conference out there.
Miles probably considered this, and even more, when he had previously suspended and disciplined Perrilloux. He gave him a shot to make amends, and to prove people, like me, wrong

Perrilloux blew it. He took advantage of his coach’s good nature, and he let down his teammates, as now the best two options LSU has at QB are a freshman and a Harvard transfer. LSU may actually now have bigger problems at QB than Michigan, which is saying a lot. Ryan, I hope it was worth your shot, because from where I stand, you have to be one of the stupidest people out there. Good luck at D-II…if you get there.

Things have not been going well for the Michigan Wolverines this past year. First, there was that huge upset in the Big House against Appalachian State (no Michigan, I have not forgotten) that started a horrible skid. Then there was their fifth straight loss to rival Ohio State. And then they had to settle for Rich Rodriguez when what they really wanted was Les Miles. And that was just the regular season.

The off-season has proven even more tumultuous for one of the most storied programs in the country. Player after player has transfered out of Michigan to play else where after Rich Rod’s arrival. Then came the loss of heavily recruited Terrelle Pryor who decided to sign with the rival Buckeyes, leaving what seems to be nothing but unanswerable questions involving the quarterback position. Now, with the impending draft of their offensive line’s all-star, Jake Long, comes another blow. Former Wolverine OL Justin Boren has decided to cut his ties with the Maize and Blue to sign on with none other than the Buckeyes.

When asked why he was leaving the Wolverines, Boren said, “family values have eroded” under the new head coach, Rich Rodriguez. Now, we can debate the reasons for the departure of Boren. They could be simply sour grapes, and they could be exactly what he says they are. Either way, there should be cause for concern in Wolverine Country.

The Athletic Department for Michigan may think that they found their guy, but the players and recruits are thinking something else. Maybe it would have been better for the athletic department to, you know, ask the players what they would like. After all, they are the ones making the money for them.

Rodriguez is a good coach to be sure. But it may not matter if the good, talented players Michigan has (or had) will not play for the man. This is an “I told you so” moment for me. I knew this hire would cause problems for Michigan. I just thought it would be later instead of sooner. Well, here’s to being proven wrong.

BYU fans got a potentially bad piece of news today. Center Trent Plaisted announced his intention to go in to the NBA Draft this upcoming June. Plaisted is a good player. He certainly has great potential to go in to the pros and become someone who can change a game. He has that potential, but I question if he has lived up to it on a regular basis.

Plaisted has a good skill set. He led BYU in rebounds with 7.7 per game and was second in points per game with 15.6, only trailing Co-MWC Player of the Year Lee Cummard. His biggest issue is his consistency. He had nights when he was the boss this past season. He put up 9 double-doubles and had stellar numbers against teams like Louisville and North Carolina.

However, along to go with those incredible, shinning moments came times when he looked lost and flustered. In post-season play (MWC Tournament and the Big Dance) Trent never hit his rebounding stride, and really didn’t come around until after halftime in some cases. His most dismal numbers came from the charity stripe this season; .542 FT %.

One thing that I have liked about Trent is that his numbers and his game improve year in and year out. For that reason, I think he should forgo the NBA for one more year simply because we have yet to see the best in him. There have been movie trailers of what he can be, but he still has yet to show the full-length blockbuster.

Trent will not go high in the draft this year, but if he shows more with another season as a Cougar, he will prove that he belongs as a second round choice at the very least. It’s a good thing he hasn’t hired that agent yet because he still has a shot at coming back for his final season. Here’s to hoping that the NCAA hasn’t seen the last of him.

This is typically a college sports blog, but since the NFL Draft involves the pros and the collegiate athletes, I won’t lose much sleep over this post.

There is a lot of talk about Miami drafting Boston College QB Matt Ryan with the #1 pick. Justifiably so. Ryan is an excellent QB who could really flourish anywhere he plays. However, drafting a QB may hurt them more than help. Need we forget, Miami drafted former BYU QB John Beck in 2007 NFL Draft. Yes, Miami finished 1-15 and yes Beck started in a few of those games. But please be reasonable. After Miami lost Chris Chambers to San Diego, who did he have to throw to? And who was protecting him at the line? Beck may have had better luck throwing to real dolphins, and as far as protection goes, the cheerleaders may have been better.

I submit to you the man that will change their horrific luck: Michigan’s Jake Long. This 6′7” 315-pound behemoth moves faster then many defensive linemen and has the skills to play most any position up front. He is young, he is smart, and he is a no-miss pick. We know that a QB is only as good as his protection. Need proof? Just watch Super Bowl XLII; simple enough.

Ryan is a good QB, and I’m sure that there are plenty of teams out there that could use a guy with his talent. As of right now, the Miami Dolphin don’t fit that billing. Once Miami gets those things that a QB needs, such as good linemen and good receivers, maybe they can start to be a little more picky.

I was walking around the BYU campus the other day and I noticed basketball player Vuk Ivanovic stroll past me. Having some knowledge of the Serbian language, I realized his name, directly translated into English, is Wolf Johnson. Pretty sweet name, if you ask me. Sounds like the name of somebody that balled for the ABA back in the day.

Anyways… I went on a search to check out some of the best names in college basketball…

Leemire Goldwire — Charlotte If your name rhymes, you’re good in my book.

Jaycee Carroll — Utah State How many dudes can rock two girl names? He led the Aggies in scoring, mind you.

Hashim Thabeet — Connecticut The name just sounds like it belongs to a tall, athletic blocking machine.

Robert Vaden — UAB Vaden. Vader. Kills opponents with 3s. Kills opponents with Jedi Mind Strangulation.

John Killen — SMU Do you want to meet this guy? I don’t.

Jaytornah Wisseh — Long Island How many people have a name that sounds like it came straight out of Jay Z’s mouth?

Paulius Morkeliunas — Long Island It must be great being a foreign player. “Yes, in my language it means ‘Paul The Most Awesomely Cool One.’” Most likely, their teammates are none the wiser…

Stuart Creason — Colorado State I’m thinking taped glasses and suspenders… how bout you?

Jabir Jinna Jr. — UVSC Extra points for alliteration.