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THE UNIVERSITY DAILY IANSAN
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2007
Red River Shootout could eliminate chance at title
BY CASE KEEFER ckeefer@kansan.com
GAMES OF THE WEEK:
NO. 10 OKLAHOMA (4-1)
VS. NO. 19 TEXAS (4-1)
The upsets these two teams endured last week undoubtedly forced the annual Red River Shootout in Dallas to lose a little luster — but not much.
It's still Oklahoma versus Texas, one of the greatest rivalries in college football. Although it doesn't hold national-title implications unlike the last five years, the loser of this game will find itself 0-2 in conference play and all but eliminated for a chance at a Big 12 title.
Both teams lost last week because of too many turnovers. Texas quarterback Colt McCoy stood no chance against a strong Kansas State defense and threw four interceptions before leaving the game early with a concussion. Oklahoma quarterback Sam Bradford threw two interceptions, but receivers Malcolm Kelly and Juaqu Iglesias are mostly at fault for not holding onto the passes.
NO. 25 NEBRASKA (4-1) AT NO. 17 MISSOURI (4-0)
(5-0)
NO. 9 FLORIDA (4-1) AT NO. 1 LOUISIANA STATE
Both teams' defenses haven't been able to stop anyone. Both teams' offenses haven't been stopped by anyone.
Could Tim Tebow have a weakness after all? If the Heisman candidate does, it will be revealed at Tiger Stadium Saturday.
The Tigers have beaten the Cornhuskers each of the last two times in Columbia, Mo., but it's been more than 50 years since they've beaten the Huskers three times in a row at home.
The Tigers boast the nation's top defense against the run and the pass. Auburn was able to contain Tebow in the rushing game last week with his longest carry only accounting for 12 vards.
and Stryker Sulak are great pass rushers but have had problems against the run. The Tigers are only surrendering 158 rushing yards per game.
Coach Urban Meyer's best bet against the speedy LSU defense might be to get the ball quickly to sophomore Harvin on screen passes. The Tigers will likely blanket Harvin with senior cornerback Jonathon Zenon as frequently as they can.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
To accomplish the feat, Mizzou quarterback Chase Daniel must be perfect. He averaging more than 350 yards passing per game, which ranks fifth in the nation, but he still occasionally gets careless with the ball. The Nebraska defensive backs have shown a propensity for giving up big plays with soft coverage on receivers that could help Daniel.
Ohio State wide receiver Brian Robiskie runs into the end zone for a touchdown against Northwestern on Sept. 22 in Columbus, Ohio. The No.4 Buckeyes (5-0) face No. 23 Purdue (5-0) in the weekend's only matchup between undefeated teams.
The Gators have a bigger concern, though. Team captain and defensive leader, senior safety Tony Joiner, was arrested on burglary charges earlier this week. It's uncertain whether he will play Saturday.
The Tigers are coming off a bye week with hopes that their defense got better with plenty of rest. MU defensive linemen Evander Hood
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Oklahoma quarterback Sam Bradford will try to lead his team to a victory against Texas after a bitter upset at the hands of Colorado. The loser of the rivalry game will fall to 0-2 in the Big 12.
The only matchup between two unbeaten teams this week will take place in West Lafayette, Ind.
NO. 4 OHIO STATE (5-0) AT NO.23 PURDUE (5-0)
The Buckeyes are undefeated after five games for the second year in a row while the Boilermakers are looking to go 6-0 for the first time in 64 years.
Purdue quarterback Curtis Painter is off to as good of a start as anyone in the nation with 308 yards per game and 18 touchdown passes on a 67 percent completion rate. Although he's a three year starter, Painter has never played against Ohio State.
He should be ecstatic he's never played against a defense as good as the Buckeyes. They rank second in the nation in total defense, led by linebacker James Laurinatis' 43 tackles, three sacks and two interceptions.
NO.15 VIRGINIA TECH (4-1) AT NO.22 CLEMSON (4-1)
(4-1)
This game may be a preview of the ACC Championship Game because Clemson and Virginia Tech have looked the most impressive out of each of the conference's respective divisions.
The Hokies threw the Tiger's season off track last year with a 24-7 victory in Blacksburg, Va., right after the Tigers garnered national acclaim for their 7-1 record. Virginia Tech has dominated Clemson historically as the Tigers haven't beaten the Hokies since 1989.
Except for giving up 48 points to LSU, the Virginia Tech defense has been stingy. Hokie linebackers Xavier Adibi and Vince Hall are combining for nearly 20 tackles per game and are a perfect match for Clemson's electrifying duo at running back, James Davis and C.J. Spiller.
OTHER GAMES:
OKLAHOMA STATE (3-2)
ATTEXAS A & M (4-1)
Cowboy quarterback Zac Robinson, with eight touchdowns and six interceptions, hasn't exactly been outstanding since replacing Bobby Reid. But Robinson will have a chance at improving those numbers against an A&M secondary allowing 232 passing yards per game.
COLORADO (3-2) AT BAYLOR (3-2)
Have the Buffalooes moved on and set their sights on the Bears after last week's massive victory against Oklahoma?
IOWA STATE (1-4) AT TEXAS TECH (4-1)
Red Raider freshman receiver Michael Crabtree leads the nation with 920 receiving yards, nearly 250 yards ahead of the receiver in second place.
STANFORD (1-3) AT NO. 2
UNIVERSITY OF
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
(4-0)
The Cardinal has given up an average of 47 points to the three Pac-10 Conference opponents they've faced. None of them had the talent the Trojans have.
NO. 5 WISCONSIN (5-0) AT ILLINOIS (4-1)
The Badgers play a physical, exhausting brand of football by pounding senior running back P.J. Hill between the tackles. The Fighting Illini fly around the field like a Blue Angels rally, counting on big plays from young players such as freshman Arrelious Benn.
NO. 6 SOUTH FLORIDA (4-0) AT FLORIDA ATLANTIC (3-2)
The Bulls are ranked in the top 10 after only 11 years as a program. The Owls are only in their sixth year as a football team and are envious of the success of their in-state counterpart.
BOWLING GREEN (3-1) AT NO. 7 BOSTON COLLEGE (5-0)
The Falcons and the Eagles meet for the first time in history Saturday.
NO.12 GEORGIA (4-1) AT TENNESSEE (2-2)
Georgia has won three in a row at Neyland Stadium. The Volunteer secondary has been nothing short of awful but is coming off a bye week to face the Bulldogs.
NO.13 WEST VIRGINIA (4-1) AT SYRACUSE (1-4)
Syracuse has looked terrible in every game this year except one; its 38-35 upset victory against Louisville, West Virginia's Big East rival.
NO. 18 ARIZONA STATE (5-0) AT WASHINGTON STATE (2-3)
When Dennis Erickson took over as coach of the Wildcats, he was expected to find unprecedented success in Tempe, Ariz. But no one thought that success would translate in his first year.
NO. 20 CINCINNATI (5-0)
AT NO. 21 RUTGERS (4-1)
The Bearcats have relied on a strong passing attack from senior quarterback Ben Mauk in their first five games. But led by standout strong safety Ron Girault, the Scarlet Knights are ranked fourth in total passing defense.
Edited by Ashlee Kieler
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