DDT

Some old magazine covers: left, Joe Sullivan, Navy, 1944; middle, unknown; right, Bobby Layne, Texas, 1947

“I tell young players who want to be coaches, who think they can put up with all the headaches and heartaches, can you live without it? If you can live without it, don’t get in it.” —Bear Bryant

The predictably unpredictable steeplechase continues
DDT’s prediction that LSU and Stanford would meet in the national championship game has, due to an unforeseeable chain of events, proven to be inaccurate. However, LSU can end ‘Bama’s quest for a third crown by upsetting the Tide in Tuscaloosa this weekend. With the Crimson out of the way, the road will be clear for Oregon and Florida State to make a run.

If Oregon beats Stanford, they have little competition on the final laps of the season (Utah, Arizona, Oregon State, with a PAC12 playoff game against, probably, Arizona State).

Florida State gets Wake Forest this week, with Syracuse, Idaho (Idaho?) and Florida remaining to be played, then an ACC playoff rematch with Miami, who they had no problem with last week.

If Oregon fails against the Cardinal from Palo Alto, Florida State and Ohio State would move up, even though the Buckeyes, playing a weak schedule in a weak conference, are overrated.

But what about Baylor (7-0)? Top Ten in three statistical categories, even though they haven’t played anybody, yet. We find out if they’re for real tonight (Nov. 7) when they play OU and in the next few weeks when they run the gauntlet of  Texas Tech, Oklahoma State, TCU and Texas. If the Bears go undefeated, they might jump Ohio State in the BCS poll.

And don't forget Stanford (7-1), DDT’s early pick? If they beat Oregon convincingly, and with only one loss, they might leap frog back into the hunt—assuming an Ohio State or a Baylor drops out along the way.

So: Alabama, Oregon, Florida State, Ohio State, Baylor and Stanford—all contendahs as we begin week 11.

Which Top 5 were you talking about?
Rating teams by stats is about a 50/50 proposition. In some cases it fits the team’s on-the-field success. In others it doesn’t. The Top Five in total O are all in the Top 25, three are in the Top Ten, and all could be BCS-bound.

Total O                        Rushing O
1    Baylor                    1    Army 
2    Oregon                   2    Oregon 
3    Texas A&M             3    New Mexico 
4    Florida St.              4    Northern Illinois
5    Northern Ill.           5    Georgia Tech

But check total Rushing O. Doesn’t seem to make much difference in the final assessment. Number 1 is Army. Number three is New Mexico. They may run the ball well, but they don’t play D and they don’t win. Army (3-6) is ranked #108 in the CBS Sportsline Poll; #72nd in total D; #87 in scoring D. New Mexico (2-6) is #113 (CBS); #116 (total D); #110 (scoring D).


Passing O checks out with the exception SMU who is 3-4 on the season and is giving up 42 points per contest when the other team has the ball.

Total D                        Passing O                  
1    Michigan St.           1  Baylor
2    Louisville                2  Texas Tech
3    Virginia Tech           3  Oregon St.
4    Cincinnati                4  Fresno St.
5    Alabama                 5  SMU

Total D is interesting. Michigan State (7-1), the leading defensive team, is only ranked 17th in the AP poll and is overshadowed by three teams with two losses each. Sparty, for some reason, doesn’t seem to be getting much love from pollsters. And number three VaTech, gave up 27 last week and lost to 4-4 Boston College. So much for being in the Top Five.

Scoring D appears to have more credibility, with Alabama leading the pack. The other five in the Top 10 in scoring D are Baylor, Bowling Green, Oregon, VaTech and Ohio St. This week, all eyes in the Southwest will be on Baylor.

Scoring D
1 Alabama
2  Louisville
3  Michigan St.
4  Florida St.
5  Wisconsin

Too much black again

A couple of pix. What are Houston’s colors? Red and white. What were they wearing in last weekend’s game with South Florida? Black. And look at that helmet logo. Black on a red helmet. Question: Can you read a black logo on red better than a white logo on red?

Houston vs. South Florida

And what are Troy’s colors? Maroon and white. What were they wearing in last weekend’s game with Louisiana-Monroe? Black. And look at that helmet logo, if you can. Can’t really see much with all that black.

Troy vs. ULM

Northwestern will show a patriotic look in their next contest. Fair enough. After that, let’s get back to traditional uni’s.

Northwestern

The Academies

Navy, 4-4. Close loss last week to Notre Dame. If ND, with all their size and speed and talent played with the guts the Midshipmen showed, the Irish could compete in the NFL. This week, Navy hosts Hawaii.

Army, 3-6. Lost to Air Force last week. This week, they host Western Kain’tuck.

Air Force, 2-7. Beat Army. This week, at New Mexico. Both teams run the ball well. Should be an old-fashioned slug-fest in the trenches.