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Rivalry Saturday!
by Mike Neri
Plenty of big games on tap in college football this weekend, starting with Oklahoma/Texas, the Red River rivalry. A year ago No. 5 Texas pulled the upset, 45-25, outrushing the No. 1 Sooners 161-48. QB Sam Braford threw for 387 yards, 5 TDs, but 2 picks. Oklahoma then was able to leapfrog into the Big 12 title game via a committee vote, something that has steamed the Longhorns since.
Oklahoma and Texas tied for the Big 12 South title in 2008, both finishing 7-1 in conference, but so did Texas Tech. The three-way tiebreaker was the computerized BCS rankings. Oklahoma (3-2 SU, 2-2 ATS) didn’t get the cover last week, a 33-7 win over Baylor, but the events of that game make this one so much more interesting. Junior QB Sam Bradford (2 TDs, no INTs) returned after being sidelined with a shoulder injury and was outstanding: 27-of-49 for 389 yards (6 passes dropped). The 49 passes attempts matched the second most of his career. Think Bob Stoops did that to test his arm for this game? The Sooners are on an 8-4 run over the total.
Texas (5-0 SU/3-2 ATS) hasn’t been challenged until now. The running game suffered injuries in Saturday’s win over Colorado. Junior Vondrell McGee left with an injured left shoulder, and freshman Tre' Newton suffered a mild concussion in the first half. The Longhorns were limited to just 46 yards rushing. Texas is on a 32-17-2 OVER the total run. The Sooners are outraged that Texas has won three of four in the series. The Longhorns are outraged that OU got to play in the BCS title game and didn’t so much as apologize for it!
Texas Tech is playing well under Coach Mike Leach again, a pass-happy attack without a playbook. The Red Raiders head to rival Nebraska for a Big 12 game, a big one for both teams. QB Taylor Potts (13 TDs, 6 INTs) is 6-foot-5, but battling a concussion and didn’t play Saturday. Fortunately, the didn’t need him in a 66-14 rout of hapless Kansas State, as junior QB Steven Sheffield (11 TDs, 2 INTs) threw 7 TDs and 490 yards!
Nebraska (4-1 SU, 4-0 ATS) coach Bo Pelini has senior QB Zac Lee (10 TDs, 3 picks), who is playing well, and a strong defensive front. The team is still flying high after a terrific comeback at Missouri in the rain, down 12-0 in the fourth they exploded for 27 straight points. The offense is balanced with power RB Roy Helu on a team that averages 36 points, 168 yards rushing and 238 passing.
Nebraska enters with a 4-1 record several players said they just had one of their best weeks of practice. They are allowing 9 ppg. Nebraska has converted 10 takeaways into 42 points in 2009. The new-look Husker defense gets its stiffest test of the season, one it failed a year ago in a 37-31 loss at T-Tech.
Virginia Tech (5-1) and Georgia Tech look to see which team has the better defense and ground attack Saturday. Virginia Tech runs a ball control unit on offense behind mobile junior QB Tyrod Taylor (7 TDs, 1 INT), who is 18-3 as a starter. Tailback Ryan Williams is one of the top backs in the nation in rushing (120 yards per game). They come off an impressive 48-14 rout of rival Boston College, rolling up 223 yards on the ground and holding the Eagles to 161 total yards.
Georgia Tech (5-1) continues to impress, with speed on offense behind QB Josh Nesbitt and RB Jonathan Dwyer, the 2008 ACC player of the year. Georgia Tech is off a 49-44 win at Florida State and was unstoppable on offense, with 532 yards (401 rushing). Both teams ran for over 198 yards in last year’s meeting, with G-Tech having a big edge in total yards (387-247) but coughing it up 2 times. They had 278 yards rushing! The Hokie defense can’t let that happen again.
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