By MIKE DAROZA
CFRT Editor
OMG Moment of the Week
If you ask me, the folks at Timex are missing a golden opportunity.
Imagine the following commercial.
The scene begins with LSU Tigers players frantically running around, peering toward the sideline in a panic as the sports announcer's voice in the background blurts out, "This may be it for the Tigers if they can't get this play off!"
Then suddenly, the camera pans to a rather large, shirtless man with purple and gold paint covering his naked upper torso lumbering down stadium steps.
The man breathlessly pushes past several startled fans as he makes a final one-handed hop over the rail, landing on the sideline next to LSU head coach Les Miles.
"Coach! Coach! Here, use this!" he shouts in desperation.
The next shot is of Miles being carried victoriously off the field on the shoulders of his players, and looking down at the new Timex watch on his wrist, he mutters to himself, "Thanks Timex, that was a close one!"
Forget the fact that Miles and his Tigers played sloppy for nearly four quarters on Saturday, and were trailing Tennessee (2-3), 14-10, with 5:41 left to play.
Nothing's unacceptable about that in the SEC.
However, what is inexcusable is what happened shortly thereafter.
The Tigers had the ball at their own 31 and began a 16-play drive that would culminate in one of the strangest endings to a game in recent memory.
After moving to the Volunteers' 34, LSU was facing a fourth-and-nine, with 1:27 and counting when the Tigers were flagged for a delay of game, which by some standards would be a pretty thick-headed mistake considering they had two timeouts remaining.
After marching the five yards off for the penalty, LSU called...a timeout, which might've come in handy BEFORE the delay of game penalty.
No worries, the Tigers completed a 20-yard pass on fourth-and-14, so that little clock management problem was harmless, right?
Later, on the same drive - aided by a pass interference flag on Tennessee - LSU had first-and-goal from the Vols' two yard line with no timeouts left.
On second-and-goal, a quarterback option was stopped at the one yard line, and suddenly the Tigers players on the field looked as if they were panicking, having trouble lining up and frantically looking to the sideline for direction on what to do next.
Meanwhile, the game clock had evaporated from :28 and time was running out and LSU looked as if they were going to end the game running around like the Keystone Cops in the backfield - strangely reminiscent of the Tigers' loss to Ole Miss last season.
Apparently, the LSU center saw the final seconds were about to tick off and snapped the ball, but the snap sailed wildly behind the QB, who jumped on the ball as the clock read :00.
Tennessee players rushed the field in mass celebration and LSU players were strewn about in devastation, but it was discovered the Vols had been flagged for having 13 players on the field for that last play.
In all the chaos caused by the Tigers' floundering to get the play off, Tennessee was trying to counter by getting different personnel onto the field.
Finally, Miles and his team were given one more play with no time on the clock.
Luckily, and I am clearly under-exaggerating here, LSU scored and won the game, 16-14, despite what appeared to be the worst clock management at the end of a football game in the modern era.
Some say Miles is the most fortuitous coach in the history of the game.
Some say that even though he won the game, he's now more on the hotseat than ever.
I say he better call Timex before he runs out of time at his current job.
No Payback Here
Washington QB Jake Locker finally had something go right for him in a season that, at one time, held promise as he led his Huskies to a 32-31 upset over USC.
The game looked as if it would be a golden opportunity for the undefeated Trojans to get revenge for last year's upset loss to Washington, who was coming off a sound beating by Nebraska.
Locker finished with 420 total yards and put USC's revenge hopes off for another year.
Shoelace Does it Again
Just one week after leaving a game for an injured knee, Michigan's Denard "Shoelace" Robinson was back to smashing records and Indiana on Saturday.
Robinson piled up 495 total yards and accounted for five TDs in the 42-35 thumping of the Hoosiers.
Best Little Football House in Texas
There once was a time when you talked about college football in the state of Texas, there were only two names that mattered - Texas and Texas A&M.
However, an argument could be made that the best college football team in the Lone Star State resides in Fort Worth rather than Austin or College Station.
So far it is the TCU Horned Frogs that are nationally ranked in the Top-10.
After lofty expectations in the preseason, the Longhorns have began to fade and the Aggies just put a serious dent in their hopes last Thursday, losing at Oklahoma State.
Texas now has lost on consecutive weekends to UCLA and Oklahoma.
Heck, even Baylor smashed Kansas 55-7.
Oh-fer
The SEC East probably should have just called in sick on Saturday.
Florida lost to Alabama, Tennessee lost to LSU (barely), Kentucky lost to Ole Miss, Georgia lost to Colorado and Vanderbilt lost to UConn.
Luckily, South Carolina had the good sense to take a bye week to avoid a total Eastern whiff.
Oh-fer 2....uh, 5
The Florida Gators' best offense against Alabama Saturday was punter Chas Henry, who also doubles as UF's placekicker.
In their 31-6 loss, Florida traveled into Bama's redzone five times - three of which were inside the Tide's five yard line - but could only manage two field goals for the night.
Four turnovers didn't help UF's cause much either.
Off the Richt-er Scale Bad
While one coach was likely getting off the hotseat, one was getting more firmly planted on it.
Colorado, led by embroiled coach Dan Hawkins, stunned Georgia and their coach Mark Richt, 29-27, handing the Bulldogs their fourth defeat in as many weeks.
Turnovers, especially one on what might've been a game-winning FG drive, gave the Georgia media, talk radio shows and Dawg fan base even more ammo on Richt.
They really didn't need any more.
Forget the fact that Miles and his Tigers played sloppy for nearly four quarters on Saturday, and were trailing Tennessee (2-3), 14-10, with 5:41 left to play.
Nothing's unacceptable about that in the SEC.
However, what is inexcusable is what happened shortly thereafter.
The Tigers had the ball at their own 31 and began a 16-play drive that would culminate in one of the strangest endings to a game in recent memory.
After moving to the Volunteers' 34, LSU was facing a fourth-and-nine, with 1:27 and counting when the Tigers were flagged for a delay of game, which by some standards would be a pretty thick-headed mistake considering they had two timeouts remaining.
After marching the five yards off for the penalty, LSU called...a timeout, which might've come in handy BEFORE the delay of game penalty.
No worries, the Tigers completed a 20-yard pass on fourth-and-14, so that little clock management problem was harmless, right?
Later, on the same drive - aided by a pass interference flag on Tennessee - LSU had first-and-goal from the Vols' two yard line with no timeouts left.
On second-and-goal, a quarterback option was stopped at the one yard line, and suddenly the Tigers players on the field looked as if they were panicking, having trouble lining up and frantically looking to the sideline for direction on what to do next.
Meanwhile, the game clock had evaporated from :28 and time was running out and LSU looked as if they were going to end the game running around like the Keystone Cops in the backfield - strangely reminiscent of the Tigers' loss to Ole Miss last season.
Apparently, the LSU center saw the final seconds were about to tick off and snapped the ball, but the snap sailed wildly behind the QB, who jumped on the ball as the clock read :00.
Tennessee players rushed the field in mass celebration and LSU players were strewn about in devastation, but it was discovered the Vols had been flagged for having 13 players on the field for that last play.
In all the chaos caused by the Tigers' floundering to get the play off, Tennessee was trying to counter by getting different personnel onto the field.
Finally, Miles and his team were given one more play with no time on the clock.
Luckily, and I am clearly under-exaggerating here, LSU scored and won the game, 16-14, despite what appeared to be the worst clock management at the end of a football game in the modern era.
Some say Miles is the most fortuitous coach in the history of the game.
Some say that even though he won the game, he's now more on the hotseat than ever.
I say he better call Timex before he runs out of time at his current job.
Gameballs
No Payback Here
Washington QB Jake Locker finally had something go right for him in a season that, at one time, held promise as he led his Huskies to a 32-31 upset over USC.
The game looked as if it would be a golden opportunity for the undefeated Trojans to get revenge for last year's upset loss to Washington, who was coming off a sound beating by Nebraska.
Locker finished with 420 total yards and put USC's revenge hopes off for another year.
Shoelace Does it Again
Just one week after leaving a game for an injured knee, Michigan's Denard "Shoelace" Robinson was back to smashing records and Indiana on Saturday.
Robinson piled up 495 total yards and accounted for five TDs in the 42-35 thumping of the Hoosiers.
Best Little Football House in Texas
There once was a time when you talked about college football in the state of Texas, there were only two names that mattered - Texas and Texas A&M.
However, an argument could be made that the best college football team in the Lone Star State resides in Fort Worth rather than Austin or College Station.
So far it is the TCU Horned Frogs that are nationally ranked in the Top-10.
After lofty expectations in the preseason, the Longhorns have began to fade and the Aggies just put a serious dent in their hopes last Thursday, losing at Oklahoma State.
Texas now has lost on consecutive weekends to UCLA and Oklahoma.
Heck, even Baylor smashed Kansas 55-7.
Headscratchers
Oh-fer
The SEC East probably should have just called in sick on Saturday.
Florida lost to Alabama, Tennessee lost to LSU (barely), Kentucky lost to Ole Miss, Georgia lost to Colorado and Vanderbilt lost to UConn.
Luckily, South Carolina had the good sense to take a bye week to avoid a total Eastern whiff.
Oh-fer 2....uh, 5
The Florida Gators' best offense against Alabama Saturday was punter Chas Henry, who also doubles as UF's placekicker.
In their 31-6 loss, Florida traveled into Bama's redzone five times - three of which were inside the Tide's five yard line - but could only manage two field goals for the night.
Four turnovers didn't help UF's cause much either.
Off the Richt-er Scale Bad
While one coach was likely getting off the hotseat, one was getting more firmly planted on it.
Colorado, led by embroiled coach Dan Hawkins, stunned Georgia and their coach Mark Richt, 29-27, handing the Bulldogs their fourth defeat in as many weeks.
Turnovers, especially one on what might've been a game-winning FG drive, gave the Georgia media, talk radio shows and Dawg fan base even more ammo on Richt.
They really didn't need any more.
I remember the old Timex commercials and the tag line actually works for the Mad Hatter-"Takes a licking and keeps on ticking". As in Tennessee beat them, and yet he wins the game. That takes me to a Led Zeppelin lyric..."...your times gonna come...". Like hopefully this Saturday against the Gators!
ReplyDeleteMiles better hope his time piece is heat resistant!
ReplyDelete