CFB Week 5: ODU in the record books, Hokies facing a rough week, and the Hoos look for redemption
Man, that QB over at ODU really did some stuff last week. Plus my picks for which games to watch this weekend.
The big news this week was ODU QB Taylor Heinicke’s record setting performance against New Hampshire. Heinicke went 55/79 for 730 yards and five touchdowns, breaking the NCAA Division I record for single-game passing yards. The all-time record, which stands at 736 yards, was set earlier this year in a Division III game. ODU will join Conference USA for football in 2013. Check out some of Heinicke’s highlights:
Here’s a couple notables from this past weekend that you may have missed:
- Notre Dame beat Michigan 13-6, which isn’t that surprising considering Michigan turned the ball over on six straight posessions (five interceptions and one fumble). I stand by my claim that Notre Dame is not good: with a +4 in turnover margin, they managed only 13 points. But now they’re ranked #10, and we have to hear about how wonderful they are and how Bryan Kelly is a genius. Barf.
- Before Saturday night’s Clemson-FSU matchup, when was the last time you watched a prime-time game between two ranked ACC opponents that actually mattered?1 It was great hearing Herbstreit and Musburger drool over these two ACC teams–we’re more relevant than the Big East, guys!
- Check out Miami’s leads/deficits in their game against Gerogia Tech by quarter: +19, -3, -14, 0, +6! Crazy! At one point the Canes were down by three scores! Miami’s almost certainly backish!
- Upset: Kansas State over Oklahoma. Bill Snyder is back and making it happen in Manhattan. How weird would it be to play in a stadium named after yourself?
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Virginia Tech vs. Cincinnati
Saturday, September 29th, 3:30 PM; ESPNU
So Virginia Tech won a game and the defense pitched a shutout. Time for celebration, right? Sadly, no. The first quarter against Bowling Green was a barf bag of miscommunications, dropped passes, and ugly mistakes. The running game finally got going behind Tony Gregory and JC Coleman, but mostly out to the perimeter and against a subpar perimeter defense. Athletic defenses (think Clemson, FSU, or even Cincinnati) are going to absolutely crush that sort of thing.
Hokies. I’ve got some bad news: we’re probably not going to win this week against Cincinnati. I just don’t see how this team, which has absolutely no identity on offense, lackluster performance by both the offensive and defensive lines, and some serious chemistry issues among the skill players is going to pick up the W. Plus, the Bearcats had last week off and will have had additional time to prepare for the Hokies. I just don’t see things working out in our favor, but I’ve been wrong before (at least once)!
Virginia vs. Louisiana Tech
Saturday, September 29th, 3:30 PM; ESPN3
Well, we pretty much knew that was going to happen, didn’t we? At least deep in our hearts of hearts? If UVA wants to win football games, they have got to stop turning the ball over–they’re tied for 114th in the country in turnover margin. On Saturday against TCU, QB Rocco threw two interceptions (both on the TCU side of the field), and Coach London eventually put in Alabama transfer Philip Sims early in the 4th quarter. But by then the Horned Frogs were already up 20-0, and it was too late for the Hoos.
If the Hokies have a tough road to hoe against the Bearcats, then at least the Wahoos can put a stop to their two-game losing streak and beat the Bulldogs of Louisiana Tech, right? I dunno! The Bulldogs have one of the best offenses (statistically) in the nation and one of the worst defenses (statistically) in the nation. UVA, on the other hand, has a below average offense and a below average defense. I think things are going to end up in the Hoo’s favor, but watch out if it turns into a shoot-out!
Games worth watching
Thursday, 9:00 PM, ESPN; #8 Stanford at Washington — It is my opinion, after watching that Stanford-USC game, that The Cardinal are the best football team in the Pac-12.2 Plus any chance to see Stanford’s nightmarish tree mascot on TV is always worth taking.
12:00 PM, FX; #25 Baylor at #9 West Virginia — This is easily Saturday’s best noon game. How will West Virginia perform in their first Big 12 game? Can Baylor build on last year’s RGIII-driven success? Unfortunately, it’s on FX? I guess they show football games now?
3:30 PM, ABC; #14 Ohio State at #20 Michigan State — This will be Coach Urban Meyer’s first Big Ten test as coach of the Buckeyes. I think many things about OSU and Coach Meyer, but regardless, this should be a good one to watch.
3:30 PM, ESPNU; Virginia Tech vs. Cincinnati — Go Hokies!
3:30 PM, ESPN3; Louisiana Tech at Virginia — Go Hoos!
8:00 PM, ABC; Wisconsin at #22 Nebraska — At Nebraska on the week that god-man Athletic Director Tom Osborne announced his retirement? Not an environment I’d want to walk into if I were a badger wearing a striped turtleneck sweater.
10:00 PM, Pac-12 Network; #18 Oregon State at Arizona — Here’s your chance to watch Oregon dismantle another Pac-12 team! Of course that assumes you have access to the Pac-12 Network, which is probably not the best assumption for those of you living in Virginia.
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Ross Catrow
Founder and publisher of RVANews.
Notice: Comments that are not conducive to an interesting and thoughtful conversation may be removed at the editor’s discretion.
I am interested in know some of the many things you think about OSU and Urban Meyer. I take it that they are negative. Right?
Like it or not tOSU is one of, if not the wealthiest athletic departments in the country located in talent-rich Ohio. Combine that with, again, one of the best, if not the best coach in the country and unfortunately they will be buying- I mean winning- national titles in football again in the near future.
Everyone ignore how I said Stanford was the best Pac-12 team. I really thought they their insane defense would be enough to beat just about everyone on their schedule–guess not! Just pretend I said *Oregon* was the best team in the Pac-12
@Steve — I liked Meyer at Florida, but I can’t get over how he basically pulled a Saban and left for OSU after first telling the Gators he would stay, and then he couldn’t because of his health, and then that he would stay again. I’m also still miffed about OSU’s 2002 national championship run when they won all of their games by three points but everyone insisted that they were so utterly dominate.
I was born in Ohio and I attend a Buckeye game once a year. My father went to OSU and I am a VCU Ram but also a Buckeye fan. I am not a big Urban Meyer fan but I am sure he will grow on me. He was born and raised in Ohio and his first job was under Earl Bruce on the OSU staff. I think he considered it his dream job. I understand the OSU vitriol because of their rabid fan base. The 2002 national championship was a great run and I agree that they benefited from some questionable calls and pulled out close games but most teams that run the table have to have a little luck on their side. The OSU/MSU game should be a good one. I hope you realize that all fans of the Scarlet & Grey are not loud mouths. Ha!