Week Seven What We Learned

By: David Folz

Week Seven in the college football season produced some great games and some high explosive football this past weekend.  So with that here’s what we learned.

Texas A&M vs. Louisiana Tech: Let me just recap the game and stats for you: 116 total points, 40 points combined in the fourth quarter, with Louisiana Tech down 27 at two separate points in the first half.  Total yards: Aggies 678, Bulldogs 615.  Individual Stats: Johnny Manziel: 395 yards passing and three touchdowns, 181 yards rushing and three touchdowns (576 total yards.) Mike Evans: 4 receptions for 137 yards and a touchdown (over 34 yards per reception.) Colby Cameron: 450 yards passing and five touchdowns.  Kenneth Dixon: 111 yards rushing and two touchdowns.  Quinton Patton: 21 receptions, 233 yards and four touchdowns.  Final Score: Texas A&M 59, Louisiana Tech 57, and that is all you need to know there.

The SEC deserves the hype: Okay not only is the number one team in the nation Alabama, but half the league is ranked this year.  Detractors will say that the media favors the SEC but the fact of the matter is that the conference simply has the best talent, the best coaches and the best venues.  Everyone else has to get on their level and quickly.  The latest results: LSU beat South Carolina 23-21, Texas A&M won, Alabama rolled Missouri 42-10, Florida beat Vandy 31-17 and Mississippi State beat Tennessee 41-31.

The first BCS Rankings: The much-awaited BCS rankings were introduced this weekend and already there is complaining.  The top five are Alabama, Florida, Oregon, Kansas State and Notre Dame.  Oregon shouldn’t fret too much since Florida still has to win the rest (which seems highly unlikely due to the SEC’s strength) and they have to beat Alabama.  Kansas State is a good shot as long as they win, and Notre Dame merits a big look if they beat Oklahoma upcoming.  The BCS will have its controversy, but this year looks to have one of the most stable fields for the BCS to have in quite some time.

The Big East Race to Watch: Who would have thought the Big East would be a conference to watch this year?  This year is turning out to be a big one for the much-maligned conference with three teams in Louisville, Rutgers and Cincinnati who have been really good thus far.  All three teams are undefeated and all have proven so far worthy of the automatic BCS berth at the end of the season.  Either of the three are much deserving of it and could play a factor at the end of the season.

Surprise bowl teams: Well Duke lost last week to Virginia Tech but only need one more win to get to a bowl game, but there are some other teams surprising to the bowl scene if they get to six wins.  Western Kentucky is 5-1 on the season and their only loss on the season is to Alabama.  Kent State is 5-1 as a member of the MAC, should make it into a bowl game with another win and so far is 3-0 in conference play.  These two teams bear watching when the bowl games are announced with the matchups should these three teams get to six wins.

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