Saturday, October 23, 2010

What 2 Watch 4


By MIKE DAROZA
CFRT Editor

Here are three things you might see during your college football Saturday today.


An Immovable Object vs. Irresistible Force

It'll be interesting to see what happens when No.6 LSU's defense clashes with No.4 Auburn's offense.
Something's got to give, but which one will it be?
Currently, Auburn ranks fifth in the nation in rushing yards (283.7 per game), fifth in scoring (40.7 points per game) and eighth in total offense (481.1 yards per game).
Plus, Auburn's junior QB Cameron Newton leads the SEC in pass efficiency and is ranked second nationally in the same category.
Meanwhile, LSU's defense is what's led them to their 7-0 record thus far.
LSU's defense ranks second in the country in total yards allowed (242.1 per game), fifth in rushing defense (83.6 yards per game), eighth in passing defense (158.6 yards per game) and they are eleventh in points allowed (14.4 per game).
LSU may have won the last three meetings, but the winner between Auburn's O and LSU's D should go a long way into determining this year's winner.


If One continues to be the Loneliest Number

No.1 Oklahoma gets to find that out when they travel to No.11 Missouri for a showdown between unbeaten Big XII foes.
A disturbing trend has developed recently, one in which the No.1 team has gone on the road playing a ranked opponent each of the past two weeks and has lost both times.
Technically, Oregon - who is ranked No.1 in the Coaches and AP polls already won this week, demolishing UCLA, 60-13, on Thursday night.
But, will Oklahoma - who sits atop the BCS standings, where, like it or not, it really counts - fall victim to a red-hot Missouri team and make it three straight losses for Numero Uno?
Oklahoma, led by QB Landry Jones is 12th in the nation in passing (303 yards per game), but the Tigers are more than stingy on defense.
They rank second nationally in points allowed (10.8 per game).


Who gets off the Schneid

The term "schneid" comes from the card game gin rummy. 
In that game, a "schneider" or "schneid" is when one prevents an opponent from scoring a point in a game or match. 
In sports, the "schneid" has become a general term for being scoreless, winless, hitless or other unsavory "-less" states. Thus when one achieves that first win, one is said to have "gotten off the schneid."
The Florida Gators, losers of three straight games since 1988, are probably the most publicized of those currently on the schneid, but there are plenty of teams looking to get back on track after long losing streaks.
Fortunately for Florida, they have the week off.
But, who else has an opportunity to get off the schneid?
Currently, the longest losing streak in the nation belongs to Western Kentucky, which has lost each of its last 26 games.
New Mexico and Akron share the dubious second place, each dropping their past seven in a row.
Minnesota's losing streak is six (prompting the firing of head coach Tim Brewster last week), and Washington State, Wake Forest and Duke have all lost five straight.
So, out these seven teams, who might get off the schneid today?
By my calculations, Wake Forest is safe, unless they can somehow come up empty against Bye Week U.
Duke (at No.25 Virginia Tech), Washington State (at No.12 Stanford) and New Mexico (vs. San Diego State) don't have a chance, and will easily add another notch on their schneid belts.
Can the Minnesota Golden Gophers rally around interim head coach Jeff Horton and beat a visiting Penn State - which has lost two in a row themselves?
The two teams with the best odds - no matter how slim they are - are probably Akron and Western Kentucky.
Akron hosts a 2-4 Western Michigan team that has lost three of its last four games.
And, Western Kentucky plays a 2-4 Louisiana-Lafayette, which has also lost three of its last four games.

5 comments:

  1. Here's my vote for Halloween. (Facebook reference). Since I will not be in your neighborhood. My vote has to be the Mawashi, I just couldn't see you pulling off the bell bottoms!
    Shoulda pulled the trigger on the upset, you may need to get off the "Schneid".

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  2. Mawashi it is :)
    Upset?
    By that, do you mean Mizzou over the Sooners?
    Really thought OU would take care of things in Columbus, but the weight on No.1 is turning out to be too much to carry.

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  3. BTW, the CFRT went 4-2 this weekend!

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  4. I would say in the SEC Tennessee has been on quite a Schneid ride, as far as SEC play. Florida is in a slide droppin the last three in conference, but the Vols are a big o-fer in conference play this year.
    I'm not convinced they could get off of it though. But with how this year has been who knows. They have some shots at it. They can play wth anybody untul depth issues catch up and the fall off a cliff at halftime.
    How 'bout them 'Dogs? Mark Richt must have had climbed back up that dive tower for another swan dive but this time in bell bottoms. He's done a good salvage job to get off that hotseat!

    PS-I was 6-0 this week

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  5. Congrats to my good friend Seano!!

    BTW, One is the loneliest number. Will Orburn be next at Ole Miss??

    Also, Congrats to Western Kentucky for not only getting off the Schneid, but throttling Louisiana-Laughyette, 54-21 to end the country's longest losing streak.

    Akron and New Mexico are now officially King Schneiders at eight straight losses.

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