Showing posts with label Boston College. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Boston College. Show all posts

Sunday, September 24, 2017

The Morning After - Survival Saturday

I called this weekend "sneaky good" and it delivered. A few upsets happened, beginning with Virginia knocking off Boise State Friday night on The Blue Turf, and many others were close to happening. My thoughts on the day that was college football Saturday.

1st Quarter
Kendall Joseph (34) was all over the field Saturday.
(Photo courtesy Clemson Athletics)
Sandwiched between two tough road games, Clemson came away with a 34-7 win over Boston College in the proverbial trap game. No, this game was not a blowout as the score indicates. And no, Clemson fans weren't thrilled about a 7-7 score in the fourth quarter. What I am pleased with was that this team faced some adversity (again - think Auburn) and overcame it in a big way (again). Kelly Bryant's passing was off. The defense was letting BC into Clemson territory all game, but stiffened up. The offense had starting field position inside its own 10 yard line half the game. At the end of the day, Clemson was the superior team and the athletic advantage swung in the Tigers' favor midway through the fourth quarter.

Bryant ran for 102 yards and scored twice. Freshman running back Travis Etienne rushed for 113 yards and scored twice in the fourth quarter, giving Clemson the spark it needed. The Tigers outgained the Eagles 482-238, rushed for 342 yards, converted half their third downs (8 for 16), and had 27 first downs to BC's 12. Those were some of the highlights that stood out and what I will try to remember about this game going forward.

Going into next week, though, things need to be cleaned up. An offensive performance like those first three quarters will result in a loss Saturday night in Blacksburg. Virginia Tech is fast and physical, much like Auburn. The difference? The Hokies have an offense. Clemson's defense will face its first team challenge. Stopping a one-man show (Lamar Jackson) is one thing, but slowing down the Hokies won't be easy. Beat Virginia Tech.

2nd Quarter
TCU waltzed into the house that T. Boone Pickens built and poked the Cowboys where it hurts most. See what I did there? The Horned Frogs put the Big 12 and the rest of the country on notice that not only does it have a defense that can slow down one of the most prolific offenses, but it has an offense that will contend with the best. Gary Patterson has TCU on the right track once again. I'd like to see a little consistency first before putting them in the Playoff. The Frogs have to go to K-State, Oklahoma, and Texas Tech, the latter two back-to-back. Long way to go.

As for OSU, that was a big bite of humble pie. Mike Gundy went on record as saying he didn't know how anyone was going to stop his offense. You've been served. But he's a man, he's 50! He can take it. His Cowboys now face the fact that they were beaten soundly at home and still have the entire Big 12 slate to go, including next week at Texas Tech, plus a late October-early November stretch at Texas, at West Virginia, and versus OU. And the blueprint for how to beat the Pokes is out there.

3rd Quarter
Georgia catapulted to the top of the SEC East with it's dominant win from start to finish over Mississippi State. BENched was wrong about which Bulldogs would show up to play. Kudos to Kirby Smart for making me look dumb. He had a great gameplan to stop MSU's Nick Fitzgerald. We saw freshman Jake Fromm grow up right before our eyes. I thought the big game atmosphere might get to him a bit. The opposite occurred. He was just 9-for-12 passing, but had 201 yards and two scores, including the beautiful flea-flicker for a 59-yard TD on the first play of the game.

Talk of Mississippi State being the team that could challenge Alabama in the West came to a halt. Now, the SEC is two teams - Bama in the West, and Georgia in the East.

4th Quarter
The Penn State Nittany Lions passed their first big test, one that many teams fail. Trace McSorley's touchdown pass as time expired gave college football the game of the year. It was an ugly game. No one will refer back to it as a season-defining win. The Lions will get credit, however, for winning a road game in a tough venue early in the season, something they failed to do twice last year (at Pitt and at Michigan). James Franklin's bunch showed resolve. They'll have a few more battles coming up, but Oct. 21 at home against Michigan is looming large.

On the Heisman front - and I hate to do this so early in the year - Saquon Barkley served notice to all the quarterbacks out there that he may be the most explosive player in the game. He juked, hurdled, and carried Hawkeye defenders all night. He won't get the glory of the game-winning score, but if not for him, it's likely PSU wouldn't have been in the game at all.

Overtime
After jumping out to a 28-10 lead, Oklahoma watched Baylor grab momentum and reel off 21 straight points to take a 31-28 lead in the third quarter. Baker Mayfield's third touchdown pass of the night gave OU the lead back and then the Sooners gave the Bears a Sermon, Trey Sermon that is. The freshman entered the game and carried the ball 12 times for 148 yards and two scores to put the game just out of reach enough. It was a scare OU fans didn't like to see, but Lincoln Riley gets a bye week to regroup before heading full steam into Big 12 play. ... NC State pulled off a shocker in Tallahassee, handing the Seminoles their second loss of the year in just their second game. The Wolfpack defensive front frustrated freshman QB James Blackman all game. FSU now goes back to the drawing board without a win and staring down an ACC schedule with current unbeatens Wake Forest, Miami, and Duke as their next three opponents, and of course Clemson down the road with Louisville and Florida as well. Serious question, will the Noles make a bowl game? Also serious question, is NC State Clemson's biggest threat in the Atlantic division? ... A&M and Arkansas produced a shootout in the Southwest Classic, with the Aggies winning another OT game against the Hogs, 50-43. Too bad all this game does is put one coach on the hotter seat and give the other fanbase reason to fret how their coach will screw up after this win. ... USC wasn't overly impressive in a win at Cal, but the Trojans forced six turnovers and pulled out a 10-point road conference victory. That's good enough for now. ... Michigan found its quarterback, John O'Korn, for now. The Wolverines had some offensive life at Purdue and get a bye week to get O'Korn more reps with the ones before hosting in-state rival Michigan State. ... I can't leave out the performance by Alabama. Man, that was scary. But just remember, that was a bunch of four- and five-stars beating up a bunch of afterthought recruits. No need to make this one bigger than it really is. ... Last but not least, #Pac12AfterDark gave us Washington doing to Colorado the same thing it did in last year's title game, Arizona State scoring an upset over the 24th-ranked Oregon Ducks, and Stanford racing past UCLA 58-34. Staying up late isn't easy, but it's usually worth it.

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-BtW 
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Sunday, October 9, 2016

The Morning After... The Blow Out Weekend

BENched presents The Morning After... My weekly college football observations, where this weekend you were either blown out by your opponent or by Hurricane Matthew.

 1) Halfway through the 2016 schedule, we like to welcome the real Clemson Tigers to the season. Just six days removed from a huge emotional win over No. 3 Louisville, Clemson traveled to play Boston College, a place where wins have been a struggle. There was no struggle Friday night. Clemson clicked on all cylinders and led 21-3 after one quarter. When the backups entered the game in the fourth quarter, it was evident the talent gap between the two squads. Clemson's 56-10 win was the first time Clemson scored 50+ points since Oct. 31, 2015, at NC State (56-41 win).
The Tigers were able to rise above and soar past the Eagles Friday night.
(Photo courtesy USA Today Sports)
2) For the third time this season, Clemson's balanced offensive attack gained over 200 yards both rushing and passing. Wayne Gallman only needed nine carries to reach 100 yards rushing (109 to be exact). His 59-yard touchdown run was the first Tiger play over 50 yards this season. On the ensuing drive, Deshaun Watson hit Mike Williams for a 50-yard pass in which Williams dove and stretched out entirely to make a spectacular grab. The next drive, tight end Jordan Leggett went 56 yards to paydirt, giving Clemson three consecutive drives of 50+ yard plays after having zero such plays in the five previous games. It's safe to say the Tiger offense is gaining momentum.

3) BC's offense is abysmal, that much is clear. But Clemson's defense was able to get pressure with little blitzing. Clelin Ferrell, Dexter Lawrence, Christian Wilkins and a host of other D-linemen ravaged the Eagle backfield all night. Like last year, Clemson's defense is ahead of the offense. With more depth, however, it appears the trudge toward the end of the season won't be a factor. It was made well known in 2015 that the defensive Tigers were worn down come season's end. This unit appears to be picking up steam with six regular season games to go.

 4) Statistically speaking: Clemson has now won 44 straight games against unranked opponents. ... The Tigers are 6-0 for the fourth time in the last six years. Clemson had been 6-0 only four times in the previous 78 seasons. ... CU is 77-0-1 when gaining 200 yards passing and rushing. ... Watson is 24-2 as a starter. One of the losses came to Georgia Tech in 2014 when he was injured in the first quarter and didn't return. The other is to Alabama in last season's National Championship Game. ... Gallman has 15 career games with over 100 yards rushing. That ties a Clemson record with Raymond Priester. ... Deon Cain had two more TD receptions, the second consecutive game he's hauled in two scores. He leads the team with six touchdown catches.

 5) The Red River Showdown was once called the Red River Shootout. While the name won't change back, the game itself turned into a shootout. Oklahoma's offense had little trouble solving Charlie Strong's defense, gaining 672 yards in the 45-40 win. Samaje Perine bulldozed his way to 214 yards and two scores, while receiver Dede Westbrook had 10 catches for 232 yards - a Sooner record - and three touchdowns. The trouble for the Crimson and Cream came on defense. Longhorn freshman quarterback Shane Buechele threw for 245 yards and three TDs. OU couldn't stop D'Onta Foreman on the ground either, allowing 159 yards and two TDs to the Horns runner.

It was the defense, however, that came up with two crucial stops late in the third and early in the fourth quarters. When OU took a 28-27 lead, the Sooners forced a 3-and-out. Westbrook then hauled in his third score of the game to put the Sooners on top 35-27. Another 3-and-out gave OU the ball back and again they scored for what ultimately proved to be too much for Texas to overcome.

With TCU and Texas behind them, OU has a clear shot at the Big 12 title. Kansas State, Baylor and Oklahoma State must visit Norman. Oklahoma travels to West Virginia late in the year, but the conference title may be wrapped up before then.

6) No. 8 Texas A&M and No. 9 Tennessee produced a classic. It seems that most games the Vols are involved in these days turn out to be classics. The Aggies led 28-7 early in the third quarter, and 35-21 late in the fourth. But don't count out Big Orange. Tennessee scored twice in the final three minutes to send the game to overtime. Both kicked field goals in the first frame, but Texas A&M prevailed 45-38 after scoring and then intercepting Josh Dobbs. The next two weeks see both teams facing No. 1 Alabama - Tennessee on Oct. 15 at home; Texas A&M on Oct. 22 at Bama.

7) Saturday Stunners: No. 6 Houston was the second Top 10 team to go down. The Cougs lost on the road to Navy 46-40. Houston's dream of crashing the Playoff party ended in Annapolis. ... No. 10 Miami became the third Top 10 team to fall, as the Canes dropped their seventh straight to No. 23 Florida State when the Noles blocked a potential game-tying extra point. ... Other Top 25 teams to go down were: No. 17 North Carolina getting blown away in Hurricane Matthew by No. 25 Virginia Tech, 34-3; No. 21 Colorado lost 21-17 at USC; No. 16 Arkansas lost big to No. 1 Alabama (not surprising here); And Washington State drop-kicked No. 15 Stanford on The Farm, 42-16.

8) Notre Dame is off to its worst start (2-4) since 2007 following a 10-3 loss at NC State. The Irish and Wolfpack played amidst the hurricane conditions in Raleigh. The field was more fit for slip-and-slide, but no excuses as both teams dealt with the problematic conditions. The Irish still have Stanford, Miami, Navy, Virginia Tech and USC still on the schedule. It's very possible Notre Dame won't make a bowl game this season.

9) There are now only 11 unbeaten FBS teams remaining. Nine are from Power 5 conferences and two Group of 5 teams.

Power 5
ACC - Clemson
Big 12 - Baylor and West Virginia
Big Ten - Michigan, Nebraska and Ohio State
Pac-12 - Washington
SEC - Alabama and Texas A&M

 Group of 5
MAC - Western Michigan
MWC - Boise State

Some games to keep an eye on next week - Alabama at Tennessee, Nebraska at Indiana, West Virginia at Texas Tech, and Ohio State at Wisconsin.

10) The schedule finally becomes a little more routine. Six games to go, all on Saturdays, one bye week, and four home games. One at a time. Beat NC State.

-BtW
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Friday, October 7, 2016

PTF: Prediction Time Friday - Week 6

The first weekend of October provided some amazing finishes. On the second weekend of October, rivalries renew. Not your typical end-of-season rivalries, but some rather big ones. There are four matchups between Top 25 teams. Enough of the banter. On with the picks!

2016 BENched PTF Record
Last Week: 8-5
Game of the Week Pick: 0-1
Overall: 45-19 (.703 win %)
*Rankings below reflect the AP Top 25

Friday

No. 3 Clemson at Boston College (Line: Clemson -17)
Friday Night Lights for the No. 3 team in the land. Some things should just never happen. Lots of emotion in this one with the Eagles playing their annual "Red Bandanna Game." The Tigers are coming off the huge win over another bird type last week. The thought here is that Clemson has found its stride and is about to turn it up about 10 notches. Tigers 34-10

 Saturday

Texas vs. No. 20 Oklahoma (Line: Oklahoma -11.5) - Red River Showdown at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas
Big Game Bob takes on Charlie "Save My Job Again" Strong. The Burnt Orange and Crimson split at the 50 of the Cotton Bowl is a spectacle. OU will be without several key defenders, including a couple on the defensive line. No way the Longhorns overpower the Sooners again. Right? Ponies and Wagons 38-30

 Notre Dame at NC State (Line: NC State -2)
NC State playing a non-conference Power 5 opponent? Say whaaaat? Anyway, Notre Dame lacks a defense. NC State lacks the ability to have anything better than a mediocre season. The line flipped from ND -2.5 to State -2. There could also be potential weather issues from Hurricane Matthew. Take your pick. Irish 28-24

LSU at No. 18 Florida (GAME POSTPONED)
What could have been a 3-2 type ballgame has ended up 0-0 before it ever got started. The question now becomes what happens if either of these teams ends the SEC portion of their schedule 6-1? Hurricane Matthew 1, Gators and Gator Hunters 0

 Indiana at No. 2 Ohio State (Line: Ohio State -29)
Look, the Hoosiers upset Michigan State last week, and that might have been worse for them heading into the Horseshoe. Now the Buckeyes can't not take them seriously. Bucks 52-21

 No. 25 Virginia Tech at No. 17 North Carolina (Line: North Carolina -1.5)
Some people are high on the Hokies. Some, like me, have looked at their schedule and seen who they've beaten. The Heels are a tested bunch. And that kicker is savage. That's enough for me. Heels 37-28

 BYU at Michigan State (Line: Michigan State -6)
Sparty, as mentioned, is sulking from the loss to Indiana. Probably not good for any team coming to East Lansing this week. Taysom Hill hasn't looked the same as he did pre-injury for the Cougars. Sparty 20-14

 GAME OF THE WEEK
No. 9 Tennessee at No. 8 Texas A&M (Line: Texas A&M -7)
Things sure are rocky on Rocky Top. Of Tennessee's five wins, four have been after trailing by double-digits and the other was a nine-point win over Ohio (Bobcats, not State) after only leading by two going into the fourth quarter. Meanwhile, the Aggies should be at full strength and are out to prove a 5-0 start for the third straight year will lead to bigger things. Expect another insane atmosphere at Kyle Field, much like that at Death Valley last week in Clemson. Aggies 41-31
How many more miracles do the Vols have in them?
(Photo courtesy Tennessee Athletics)
No. 21 Colorado at USC (Line: USC -4.5)
Last week, then 1-3 USC was a 10-point favorite over then 4-0 Arizona State. I questioned it. USC answered it. Final score: Trojans 41, Sun Devils 20. So once again, here we are with the sub-.500 Trojans facing a 4-1 and ranked Colorado squad. The Buffs are legit. But what does Vegas know? They can't be right about this. Buffs 34-30

 No. 1 Alabama at No. 16 Arkansas (Line: Alabama -14)
Tricky trip for the Tide up to northwest Arkansas.  Bret Bielema's teams have played Bama tough the past few years. This Tide team is different with Hurts receiving the snaps. Tide 31-17

 No. 5 Washington at Oregon (Line: Washington -9)
The Huskies haven't beaten Oregon in 12 years. Seriously, George W. Bush was wrapping up his FIRST TERM as President. A loss by the Ducks at home to end this streak and you can fully expect that Phil Knight will be phoning his best bud, Chip Kelly. Huskies 48-24

 No. 23 Florida State at No. 10 Miami (Line: Miami -3)
I love this rivalry. It's how it's supposed to be. How much this game also gets affected by Hurricane Matthew could play a huge factor. Miami seems to be on the path back to glory, but hasn't played a worthy opponent yet. Don't fault the Canes for that, though. They've just beaten everyone on their schedule. However, they were out-gained by Georgia Tech and only defeated the Jackets by 14, a margin solidified by two defensive touchdowns. Take those away and Miami's offense tied GT's 21-21. On the flip side, this game is make or break for the Noles. A loss dooms the season (three losses before mid-October). A win gets FSU back on track for a decent bowl. Canes 23-17

Washington State at No. 15 Stanford (Line: Stanford -7.5)
How do the Trees react to being smoked by Washington last week? And did you see the Cougs wallop Oregon 51-33, beating the Ducks for the second straight season? Not real sure about the spread in this one. I like the upset! Cougs 41-35

-BtW
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Sunday, October 18, 2015

The Morning After...

1) The reason I started writing my collective thoughts the next day is because people, in general, often overreact in the immediate moments following an event. I wanted to give myself time to sit on my thoughts. Last night is the perfect example why. I sat here and watched Clemson miss big play after big play. Deshaun Watson looked terribly off, especially in the first half. Despite not putting BC away - more on that later - the Tigers came away with a 17-point victory. Watson finished with 420 yards passing, four total TDs, and Clemson racked up 532 yards on a defense that through its first six games was allowing 140. This was a much better game looking back now than in the moments after the win.

2) However, I am disappointed in Clemson's lack of killer instinct. Against Power 5 teams, Clemson has struggled to put opponents away. After going up 20-10 on Louisville and finally getting some separation, the Cards returned a kickoff to cut it right back to three points. Clemson never was able to pull away, but won by that margin. With a 21-3 fourth quarter lead against Notre Dame, the defense gave up chunk play after chunk play. The failed 2-point attempt at the end prevented the Irish from sending the game to OT. Even a 19-point win over Georgia Tech should have been much larger. Clemson led 40-10 going into the fourth quarter, but the Tigers allowed two more TDs in the final frame. And finally against BC, there were moments when it was 27-10 that I felt like this team should've stomped on their throats and raced out a 41-10 lead. But it never happened. That killer instinct needs to be found, now.

3) It was mentioned by several beats at the game that BC was the first team to get any kind of push up front on Clemson's D-line. While that doesn't sound great, it doesn't bother me either. The Eagles are big and physical up front, and always have been. Outside of the FSU game, I don't foresee another game in the trenches where Clemson will get pushed around. With that said, Clemson held BC to 159 total rushing yards.

4) That's now 34 straight wins over unranked opponents, 14 straight wins at home, and 9 straight overall for the Tigers. Keep on Clemsoning, Dabo.

5) Not much to say about a 55-0 shellacking by OU at Kansas State. Perhaps the most dominating win against  Power 5 team in the Bob Stoops era. Of course, it comes on the heels of the most embarrassing loss in his tenure. Is the Texas game a fluke and the Sooners really are a Top 10 team? Or will it be more Jekyll and Hyde by this OU team? Next week is a home game against Texas Tech, a team who struggled to put away mighty Kansas.

6) Was I the jinx? When Michigan State's pass fell incomplete on fourth down with 1:54 to go, I tweeted, "BIG win for the BIG Blue in the BIG House against a BIG Ten opponent. #everythingisBIG." Little did I know, Sparty had other plans. The epic turn of events that transpired as time expired will be thrown into the same echelon with The Iron Bowl's "Kick 6" two years ago. It's hard to put into words how to feel about it when it's something that's never happened before. I feel awful for the Michigan punter. He panicked. I probably would have tried to do the same thing in his shoes. Hindsight is, hold onto the ball and take the loss of yards and turnover. It didn't happen. And now Michigan has to turn the page, while MSU can build off one of the most improbable wins.

7) How 'bout them Tigers? No, not Clemson. Memphis! On the second play of the game, No. 13 Ole Miss took a 7-0 lead. They led 14-0 after the next series. Then, Memphis happened. Paxton Lynch and the Tigers settled in and reeled off 31 unanswered points en route to a 37-24 win, the program's biggest. They not only knocked off an SEC school, but it's one that most of the Ole Miss alumni base resides in Memphis. It was a big win, too, for the American Conference, and an even bigger blow to the SEC. The job Justin Fuente has done at Memphis is remarkable. The Tigers had seven wins in his first two seasons combined. They won 10 games last season and are 6-0 now, riding a 13-game winning streak. This could be the Group of 5 team that ends up in one of the Big 6 Bowls, but Houston could have something to say about that Nov. 14.

8) Speaking of the SEC, can we all just agree that the SEC West isn't the best and greatest division in football? After LSU and Alabama - which I will remind you lost to Ole Miss at home, who subsequently lost to Memphis - the division is at best average. Texas A&M and Ole Miss were the next best teams, but humbling losses yesterday prove neither are ready for the spotlight. Arkansas, Mississippi State and Auburn are lost causes. It doesn't get much better in the East. Florida put up a great fight at LSU, but fell short. Georgia, Missouri and Tennessee aren't deserving of Top 25 rankings. Vandy, Kentucky and South Carolina are at the bottom of the food chain, once again. It's just an average-at-best conference that ESPN would like you to believe is talented and deep.

9) Quick hits: Baylor continues to impress. The Bears look like they are on a mission and are destroying anyone and anything in their way ... Ohio State finally looked like the team many expected. However, one dominating win over a mediocre Penn State still doesn't justify a No. 1 ranking in my book ... Utah remained unbeaten with a solid win over Arizona State. The Utes trailed 18-14 going to the fourth, but outscored the Sun Devils 20-0 to close the game.

10) The showdown between FSU and Clemson Nov. 7 is nearing. Just two games stand in our way. But we don't like to look past this week. Beat Miami.

-BtW
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