College Football, Week 3: Kendall's Guarantee

I have a personal connection to the Ohio State-Oklahoma game tonight.

Ok, it’s not really that personal, but I have been hearing about this Austin Kendall kid for almost three years now. Yes, the same Austin Kendall kid who guaranteed that Oklahoma quarterback Baker Mayfield would ‘light up Ohio State’s basic defense.’

You see, Kendall’s grandfather, Neal, works alongside my friend Josh Whitmer. I met Neal around three years ago while watching the beginning of the 2014 NCAA basketball tournament. Neal told me his grandson, a sophomore quarterback for a small high school in North Carolina, was one of the top recruits in the country. He also said that Austin had a strong desire to play for Ohio State.

The only problem was that the Ohio State football team did not really recruit Austin. In fact, to hear Neal tell it, Michigan made a stronger push to sign the younger Kendall than the Buckeyes did. Austin would consider the University of Tennessee, among other schools, before finally deciding to take his talents to Norman.

So it’s no surprise that the Sooners backup quarterback would want his team to ‘light up’ the school that ultimately passed on him. Yet I’m not sure that was the best idea to go and tell that to the media.

Jack Nicholson's reaction to Austin Kendall's guarantee.

There is no doubt that Buckeyes’ head coach Urban Meyer, who majored in psychology, used this information to motivate his players. In fact, he might have even called out a couple of underclassmen by name. Not that Sam Hubbard or Jalyn Holmes played poorly in the Buckeyes’ first two games. But Meyer may have suggested as much in order to light a metaphorical fire within each of them.

Before the season if you asked me which game I thought the Buckeyes would lose, I would have pointed to tonight’s contest as the one to watch. But I have a feeling that the Buckeyes make Kendall and the Sooners eat their words. Even JT Barrett and the OSU offense have something to prove in this one.

Ohio State wins comfortably, 34-17. And the nightmare for Kendall does not end there, as the youngster more than likely will be the starting quarterback for the Sooners when they come to Columbus next season. Win or lose this game, there’s no chance Meyer lets his team forget what Kendall said this week.

College Football, Week Two: Overreaction Saturday?

Overreaction Saturday. That is what it is being called around the nation. Or at least that's what I am calling it. I mean sure I called Houston beating Oklahoma, but that doesn't mean I am the next Nostradamus. I mean come on, I did whiff on both LSU and Notre Dame, so I am not perfect.

Oh. Wait. That is what I was talking about anyway. No, I believe that this weekend should be called 'Overreaction Saturday' because of the general overreactions to every outcome last weekend.

Here are the five biggest overreactions to college football after week one:


1 Alabama is head and shoulders above the rest of the college football world:

Sure the 52-6 drubbing of USC--a ranked Power Five conference school---by the Crimson Tide is impressive. Very impressive. But until I see proof that the Trojans are indeed contenders in the PAC-12 South, I am not ready to crown 'Bama national champions yet again. They are, by virtue of being the defending champs, the top team in my Power 5 rankings (see below). Yet I don't know that they are somehow invincible after just one game.


2 The college football playoffs will not include either Oklahoma or LSU.

This reaction makes me nauseated, and it is not because either of those teams belong in the college football semifinals. I mean I am just tired of hearing about who the four teams that will make the CFB playoffs are before the halfway point of the 2016 season. As impressive as the victories in Ann Arbor and Columbus were, no one can say for sure that either of those two teams are locks for Tampa. Or that the Sooners or Tigers won't be there either. If  I'm not mistaken, Clemson was the only undefeated team in the semifinals last year. So it's not a stretch to say there will be at least two teams in Tampa this January that have at least one loss.

3 Texas is legitimately back in the conversation, and the Longhorns should be the favorites to win the Big 12.

The 'Horns victory over the Irish was impressive, even more so considering a true freshman played under center for part of the game for Texas. But I hesitated on this one for quite some time before admitting this might be an overreaction. After all, UT did beat the Sooners last season despite being near the bottom of the conference.

The good thing for Charlie Strong's squad is that they should have all the confidence in the world heading into week two and beyond. So it will be interesting indeed to see where the Longhorns finish this season.

4 Houston has no chance of making the college football playoffs

What did I say earlier about Tom Herman not getting enough respect nationally as a head coach? Say what you will about the Cougars, but I believe if UH is 12-0 at the end of the season they deserve an invite to Tampa. End. Of. Story.

5 Christian MCcaffrey has to be the favorite to win the Heisman after week one.

Again, this is another one of those premature statements. With so many outstanding performances on Saturday (and one by a freshman on Monday who is drawing comparisons to Jameis Winston) we really have no idea who the best player in the nation is.

My Power five teams after Week One:

1 Alabama

2 Clemson

3 Stanford

4 Houston

5 (tie) Michigan and Ohio State



This really shouldn't be a surprise to anyone but I think it's worth noting that neither Michigan or Ohio State created any distance from the other with their lopsided win (s). And that won't change until one of them wins convincingly over a ranked opponent or loses.

Onto a preview of this week's top matchups:

13 Louisville at Syracuse: Count quarterback Lamar Jackson as one of the guys on the outside looking in at the Heisman race. Just don't count me as sold on the Cardinals as a legit top 15 squad just yet. The Orange always seem to play tough at home. Louisville struggles in this one until the end.

Louisville 27, Syracuse 20

Virginia Tech at 17 Tennessee: Volunteers may escape another close call this weekend against the Hokies. Yet they may not either. Without Beamer Ball, who knows what is possible. 

Tennessee 24. Virginia Tech 17


Trap Game of the Week: Louisiana Monroe at 14 Oklahoma:

The Sooners should be plenty pissed after laying an egg in Texas last weekend. But one has to wonder if they will be focused on the Warhawks or whether they will be looking ahead to next week's tilt with the Buckeyes. My gut says the Sooners roll but this is definitely a contest to watch.

College Football, Week One: Sooners on Upset Alert?

College football is back. Let the debate about which four teams will make the playoffs begin. While many people believe that Clemson and Alabama are favorites to return to the semifinals, there is no consensus on the other two teams.

One school of thought is that Oklahoma will be the third team to reach the playoffs. The Sooners return two Heisman candidates, quarterback Baker Mayfield and running back Sam Perine, and they have to be considered the favorites to win the Big 12 this season. If they can navigate a schedule that includes FBS powers such as Houston and Ohio State we could see them playing on January 2nd.

Another school that has drawn attention as a possible playoff contender is Michigan. The Wolverines return several starters on both sides of the ball, including safety Jabrill Peppers. They also have a weak nonconference schedule that has led many to say they have an outside shot at going undefeated. Ohio State and Michigan State loom as the two biggest obstacles in their quest for perfection in coach Jim Harbaugh's second season.

Then there are schools such as LSU and Florida State, who might replace either Alabama or Clemson in the CFB Playoffs, provided they win their respective conference. Some people might argue that this is the season that two SEC schools could make the playoffs, but I say if that happens the committee might as well expand the field from four teams to eight teams.

Other schools that have been mentioned as having an outside shot to make the semifinals of the playoffs include UCLA, Stanford, Georgia, and Tennessee among others.

 But I digress.  While week one of the college football season won't tell us who has a legitimate shot at the national championship this season, it should provide us with some interesting matchups.

Here is a look at some of the top matchups this weekend:

Oklahoma at Houston The Sooners are among the favorites to reach the playoffs this season, and I certainly have them as favorites for week three against Ohio State. Yet this is week one, and as we all saw in the Tennessee-Appalachian State game, anything is possible. This game could end up a lot closer than many people expect. In fact, I still don't feel that the media truly respects the job that coach Tom Herman has done with the Cougars. A strong showing in this contest may change that. I may be totally wrong on this one, but I am making this one my upset special of the week. Greg Ward Jr makes his case for the Heisman against a ripe for the picking Sooner defense.

Houston 27, Oklahoma 24


LSU vs Wisconsin (at Lambeau field in Green Bay): Whether you love him or hate him, you have to respect the mad hatter's guts to travel up north to face a Power 5 nonconference opponent. While I think that LSU will need more than Leonard Fournette--Les Miles' teams often remind me of the Jim Tressel offense at Ohio State-- this season to win the SEC West, I am not sure they will struggle against the Badgers. The Tigers defense holds Wisconsin to a little more than two scores.

LSU 28, Wisconsin 17

Alabama vs USC: The Crimson Tide must replace Heisman Trophy winner Derrick Henry and quarterback Blake Sims. USC also loses several starters, including qb Cody Kessler and safety Su'a Cravens. Would someone please tell me the last time 'Bama played meaningful nonconference game on the road?

Alabama 35, USC 20


Notre Dame vs Texas: Who will be the starting quarterback for the Irish? Malik Zaire? Deshone Kizer? The Gipper? At this point, does it really even matter? It should to Charlie Strong, who could be looking at his last season in the Lone Star State.

Notre Dame 42, Texas 14


That's all for now. See you next Thursday

Most Impressive Streak in Sports History?

A topic of discussion that has created a lot of buzz around the sports world lately is who has the more impressive streak, the Chicago Blackhawks (National Hockey League) or the Miami Heat (National Basketball Association.)

To be honest, I am not sure the two are totally comparable. For starters, the Blackhawks streak includes games that earned them a point to their record (and thus include several overtime losses), whereas the Miami Heat's streak only counts wins.

The Heat have looked absolutely dominant during their latest run, with LeBron James making yet another case why he should be the league's MVP.  Miami has also been able to do this while not taking themselves too seriously, as evidence by the filming of their very own Harlem Shake Video.

Yet I would argue that Miami's streak should come with an asterisk, if only because they are one of the few elite teams in the league. There isn't another team in the Eastern Conference that has been able to give the Heat a consistent challenge.

On the other hand, Chicago's streak, even if it has taken place in the midst of a shortened season, should not be taken lightly. That they have been able to score 45 points in only 24 games is nothing short of amazing, especially given that the team with the best record last season (Vancouver) amassed 111 points in a 82 game season. Certainly, over an 82 game schedule, the 'Hawks would not match the 180 point pace their current record suggests, but it is a fair assumption to say they might have scored in the 130-140 point range.

That is not to say the Blackhawks streak is by any means more impressive. First off, one must take into account that, due to the lockout shortened season, they are playing teams in the Western Conference only. And it should also be noted that, as a casual observer of hockey (watching the Columbus Blue Jackets will do that to you), I am far from an expert on the matter.

But I digress. All of this fuss leads me to the central question of this post:  who holds the most impressive streak in all of sports? Is it the Philadelphia Flyers (who scored a point in 35 consecutive games)? Or maybe it was the Los Angeles Lakers, who won 33 straight games way back when. Or how about Joe Dimaggio's 56 game hit streak? And let's not forget Cal Ripken's 2,632 consecutive games played for the Baltimore Orioles. Maybe it isn't even someone in the professional ranks. How about the UCLA Bruins' 76 consecutive wins in the 1970s? Or Oklahoma football's 57 consecutive wins?

So, whom do you think holds the most revered streak in all of sports? I'll be waiting your answer.