Who's Hot & Not
- Week 9
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Week 8
Who’s
Hot …
Big 12
Offenses
Is it a case of great offenses or bad defenses? It's probably a
little bit of both, but it's mostly the great talent on the Big 12
attacks. Tulsa leads the nation in scoring offense, but No. 2 through 6
(Oklahoma, Texas Tech, Missouri and Texas) are all Big 12ers. The league
boasts eight of the nation's top 27 offenses in total yards.
Western Michigan QB
Tim Hiller
The junior has stepped up his play over the last few weeks, but will
it be enough to get through the nasty MAC West? Hiller's WMU team lost
to Central Michigan last week, but there will still be chances to get
back in the race with Ball State coming up. Hiller, over his last three
games, has thrown for 347 yards and four touchdowns against Ohio, 345
yards and four scores against Buffalo, and 471 yards and two touchdowns
against Central Michigan. The Broncos face Eastern Michigan this week.
North Carolina Secondary
The Butch Davis defense has been fantastic at going after the ball
led by a secondary that leads the nation with 17 interceptions. Cal is
No. 2 with 15 picks. The Tar Heels have picks off a pass in every game
but one, the loss to Virginia, and is coming off a three interception
day against Boston College. Next up is Georgia Tech, who doesn't throw,
attempting just 98 passes on the year, with three interceptions.
David Cutcliffe vs. Vanderbilt
Just about everyone has gotten fat on Vanderbilt over the last several
decades, but Duke head coach David Cutcliffe, appears to have a little
more luck. As the head coach of Ole Miss, an assistant at Tennessee, and
now at Duke, he is 24-2 over the Commodores after last week's 10-7 win.
The Blue Devils play Wake Forest next.
Arkansas State DE Alex Carrington
Houston's Phillip Hunt leads the nation in sacks. Carrington is No.
2, and has been one of the nation's most consistent playmakers
throughout this season. A big factor who can play inside or out, the
junior has come up with a sack in each of the last six games and has
been solid against the run with 33 tackles. He's a playmaker to watch
out for against Alabama this week.
Who’s
Not …
Southern Miss Defense
What happened to the program that always brought the type of defense
that scared the heck out of all the big names? New head coach Larry
Fedora has struggled in a disastrous first year with a five-game losing
streak, a 2-6 record, an 0-4 Conference USA record, and a defense that
has been abysmal. The aggressiveness isn't there, ranking last in the
league in sacks, it's 102nd against the run, 100th against the pass, and
has allowed 34 points ore more four of the last five games.
Navy Passing Game
Injuries and the effectiveness of the running game has made Navy
even more one dimensional than ever. Air Force is 117th in the nation in
passing, Army is dead last, and Navy is second-to-last. However, Navy
has taken things to another level. Army has thrown the ball 67 times
this year, the second fewest attempts, and Navy has attempted just 48
throws. Last week against SMU, Navy ran the ball 77 times for 404 yards
and five touchdowns in the 34-7 win. The Midshipmen didn't attempt a
pass. Next up is Temple, who allows 209 yards per game.
Texas A&M Defense
The Wrecking Crew this is not. Texas A&M's offense has started to
explode with the emergence of QB Jerrod Johnson, but the defense has
gone in the tank. Currently last in the Big 12, allowing 34.5 points per
game, the Aggies have allowed 188 points over the last four games. Next
up is Colorado, the league's worst offense. If A&M struggles, then watch
out for the Oklahoma game to follow.
LSU Scoring Defense
LSU was third in the nation, and first in the SEC in total defense
last year and allowed just 19.9 points per game. Over the last three
weeks, the Tigers have allowed 120 points and is battling near the
bottom of the league in total defense. After giving up 51 to Florida and
52 to Georgia (with two of the Dawg touchdowns coming from the defense),
the Tigers get a week off against Tulane before dealing with Alabama.
Smart Teams
Just when it seemed like the really smart teams were going to make a big
statement, they all started to struggle at the same time. From
Northwestern losing to Indiana, and losing RB Tyrell Sutton and QB C.J.
Bacher to injury, to Vanderbilt losing to Duke, and with a bowl game far
from secure, to Stanford and Baylor not capitalizing on early success, the small, smart
schools are all of a sudden having problems down the home stretch.
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