There were a lot of good games in Week 11. None of the unbeatens fell and there weren't any classic games, but we did see one great game between Iowa and Ohio State and one big upset in the Stanford-USC game. Despite not having an overly memorable game, it was a solid week of college football that had some fun games to watch. I was in awe of TCU and stunned by Stanford's brazen RUTSing of USC. The one downside was thanks to ESPN and ABC I am now sick of the song "Uprising" by Muse. I used to really like that song. Thanks for ruining a good thing, Disney conglomerate.
After the jump we go around the college football world as always, but also get info on the Hokie soccer and basketball teams as well as stuff only I care about.
Virginia Tech Athletics
Smear the Turtle (The A-Line)
"Tech is now 7-3 and looked every bit as dominant as they did in the wins over Fredo and the Canes or any of the previous times Frank has gone up against his good buddy Friedgen [they obviously don't talk football at the lake]. This team can be pretty good when they have their heads in the game and the opposing OC can scheme no better than the QB running for his life. While they may be wondering around the T-D what this team has to play for with yet another ACC title out of the question, the games are scheduled and Tech is playing for what most of the rest of the ACC has been playing for since Tech joined the conference."
Virginia Tech’s women’s soccer heading to Portland
"The third-seed Hokies will actually play second-seed Portland in Portland. Meanwhile, Virginia will play at top-seed UCLA. The Hokies advanced today by beating Dayton 3-1 in Dayton, two days after they beat Murray State in the first round, also in Dayton. This is their first Sweet 16 appearance. In two NCAA trips before this season, they were one and done both times."
VT 69, Brown 55 (Tech Hoops)
"Tech used a 9-0 run late in the first half to jump out to a 15-point lead, holding the bears scoreless from the 7:11 mark of the first half until the last minute of play. The Hokies led 34-23 at the half, thanks in large part to 12 bear turnovers. brown did cut the lead to five at the 13 and 12 minute marks in the second half, and six with 8:39 to go, but brown never got closer than 10 in the final 5:54."
Erick Green should have played more (Darryl Slater)
"Delaney singled out one part of Green’s game that he needs to work on. "He’s got to be more vocal," Delaney said. "He’s not used to running the team. He doesn’t think people are gonna respect his word because he’s a freshman. But I tell him, ‘You’re the point guard. They’ve got to listen to what you do, because you’ve got the ball.’ I think he’s starting to work on that and he’s getting a lot better.""
Q&A With Virginia Tech Guard Malcolm Delaney (ACC Sports Journal)
""Nah, I didn’t think LeBron would have reacted to it like he did. But, the funny part was somebody before the game was like ‘I’ll pay somebody $500 dollars if they dunk on LeBron.’ So, they said that, and as soon as the game started, it happened. So, it was like people thought he couldn’t get dunked on. I think that’s what the biggest part was, people are like ‘Oh LeBron can’t get dunked on by people from college,’ and then it happened.""
ACC Football
Georgia Tech-Clemson rematch could be a classic (Mr. College Football)
"Georgia Tech, which had to rally to beat Clemson 30-27 on Sept. 10, will really have to control the ball and keep it out of the hands of C.J. Spiller. Spiller is the hottest college football player in the country right now. Saturday against N.C. State Spiller ran 16 yards for a touchdown, caught a 34-yard touchdown pass, and threw a 17-yard touchdown pass to Xavier Dye. It would be Clemson’s first-ever trip to the ACC championship game. With the excitement level at Clemson and Georgia Tech, the ACC championship game in Tampa will get its much-needed sellout."
What we learned in the ACC: Week 11 (Annette)
"Georgia Tech is the Coastal Division winner. And rightfully so. Georgia Tech left no doubt it was the better team in Saturday’s 49-10 romp of Duke and earned a chance to play for the ACC title on Dec. 5 in Tampa. The Yellow Jackets played a complete game and looked like one of the best teams in the country on Saturday. Many wondered before this season whether or not ACC defenses would be better prepared to face Paul Johnson’s spread option offense in the second season, but he constantly answered that question by saying the Jackets would be better at executing it, too, and his players have proven him right."
ACC Football Power Rankings, Nov. 16 (ACC Sports Journal)
"Look who’s 15th – one spot out of possible consideration for a BCS bowl – in those wacky standings. It’s the Virginia Tech Hokies, who have allowed 12 points per game in their seven wins. If they beat N.C. State and Virginia in their final two games, they’ll be in the mix. Boise State might have to lose, but the Broncos must still play Nevada, which is 6-0 in the WAC."
OTB’s ACC Power Poll: Week 11 (On The B.Rink)
"So get your tickets ready for Tampa, Georgia Tech and Clemson, but you two still have some big rivalry games ahead of you–will be interesting to see how these teams handle the success going into those respective games. As for Boston College, you had a solid season with all the adversity–and your two ACC losses are on the road at Clemson and Virginia Tech, the ACC’s toughest home fields–nothing to hang the head about."
Georgia Tech 49, Duke 10
Duke Postgame: Wooo! (From The Rumble Seat)
"ACC Coastal Champions. Feels good to say doesn't it? ACC Champions will sound even better in three weeks. Know what else sounds good? 10-1. The Duke win solidifies our first 8 game winning streak since the Bobby Dodd era and like I said earlier, the Duke win isn't special in the fact that we beat Duke. What is special is what the win meant and where it puts us as a program. Georgia Tech is now staring down the eyes of history as a win against the Bulldogs will tie the all-time wins record. Win out the rest of the season and you have a school record in wins and arguably the one of the best seasons in history."
Georgia Tech hands the Blue Devils a 49-10 loss (Blue Devil Nation)
"The real problem for Duke besides getting back into the groove on offense are the mounting injuries. Austin Kelly and Johnny Williams both went out with undetermined injuries and back up quarterback Sean Renfree may have suffered ligament damage. His injury will force Duke to look for another quarterback in practice this week in that they will not burn Sean Schreoder’s redshirt."
Bring back that Old Duke feeling (Dudespin)
"But the last two weeks have brought back those Old Duke feelings. I’m not going to pretend that I thought we would win today, but the absolute drubbing took me by surprise, and the walk to the car was a sad one, analyzing a season that is slipping away."
Clemson 43, NC State 23
Clemson defeats NC State 43-23, one step closer... (Shakin The Southland)
"I'm still left wondering where the damn holding calls were? Lack of discipline in attacking the running game, but when your DTs are being held and Branch/Goodman are held on every other pass rush (and one was a chop block), you wont get tackles for loss/sacks. NC State wasnt doing it on every down and their OL deserves credit for 138 yards, but we're a better defense than that."
NCSU Wrapup (Block-C)
"CJ Spiller scored a TD rushing, receiving, and passing becoming the first Tiger in history to score those three ways in one game. He also reportedly invented a new way of scoring a touchdown the name of which cannot be spoken by the human tongue. CJ had 158 all-purpose yards, making his season total 1,952 yards, eclipsing Derrick Hamilton’s old record."
Beige Alert (Backing The Pack)
"Not that the Little Caezar's Pizza Pizza bowl or whatever was much worth playing for in the first place, but now that the bowl question has been answered with a resounding no, it'll be interesting to see how the team comes out next week. I'm sure they'll want to be there even less than I will. Maybe they're still capable of a pleasant surprise, a what-could-have-been type performance. But in the event of the 63-10 type thrashing I fear is a distinct possibility, and in the event that I do not survive said thrashing, please tell my wife I said hello."
Florida State 41, Wake Forest 28
'Noles Stomp Wake Forest 41-28 (Tomahawk Nation)
"Not many expected much from Florida State without their all-star quarterback Christian Ponder as the 'Noles rode into Wake Forest to face the Deacons on senior day. But the 'Noles offense didn't skip a beat. Florida State offensive coordinator Jimbo Fisher got redshirt freshman E.J. Manuel ready to go."
Begrudgingly Random and Belatedly Meaningless Thoughts (Scalp Em)
"In describing how well coached the Deacons are Gene Deckerhoff described it as "Wake Forest did not get off the boat yesterday." Why would they? It was a home game. And isn’t Winston Salem landlocked? Let me go check my map of North Carolina. Oh wait … I don’t have one!!"
Ouch. (Blogger So Dear)
"Ouch."
Boston College 14, Virginia 10
Boston College Takes Care of Business (BC Interruption)
"With the ACC Atlantic division title out of their control, BC took care of business today and won in Charlottesville to keep hopes of a trip to Tampa alive and get the monkey of no road wins this season off their back. After Clemson defeated NC State earlier this afternoon, you had to be worried that BC would go out and lose to UVA after the emotional letdown of their ACC title hopes slipping away. BC certainly didn't come out with as much energy as they could have but the bottom line is that they did get the victory and they have kept hopes alive of a 10 win season, a division title, and an ACC Championship."
Second viewing thougths and grade report: Virginia (Eagle in Atlanta)
"A win is what is important but I didn't feel great when it ended. As I've already hit hard, we went conservative too early. Why not pass on the final 3rd down? I did like Spaz showing a little more emotion in this game than he has on some other games. I just wish he would show a little more killer instinct."
BC wins at UVA, 14-10 (Eagle All Access)
"Shinskie clearly did not have one of his better games but he made enough plays to keep BC in the game and allow the defense to come up with some big stops. It was an uncharacteristically sloppy game for BC as they committed 10 penalties and had some key drops, including a perfectly thrown deep pass to a wide open Colin Larmond Jr. in the first half."
It's hard to get angry at a bad team (From Old Virginia)
"Anyway, this newfound numbness over losing is all well and good, as long as it's short-term and followed by a "change in the program's direction" in the offseason. You might remember I once opined that Al Groh's greatest contribution to the program has been to keep our expectations high. He might not always have met them, but he's done more than well enough to keep us wanting more. This is healthy. The last thing we want is to go the way of North Carolina, post-Mack Brown. Carl Torbush came in and let things slide, and people there lowered their expectations and stopped really caring, and it got to the point where six years of John Bunting seemed perfectly acceptable even as he flushed the football team down the crapper. I am hoping that expectations next August do not match those for next week."
North Carolina 33, Miami 24
UNC 33, Miami 24 (Carolina March)
"But this was the defense's game, constantly plowing through the Miami line and snatching the ball from opposing receivers every time the game was in doubt. And as a result, UNC is bowl eligible, the same week a quarter of the conference had their postseason hopes dashed. With the remaining two games on the road against hapless Atlantic teams, the Heels have a good chance of getting their highest win total since 1997. So, there's that."
UNC 33 Miami 24 (Tar Heel Fan)
"And it was good thing the defense was putting points up because the offense continues to be hit and miss. T.J. Yates got off to a rough start, settled down for a couple of good drives but was still Mr. Inaccuracy with some of his passes. Despite that, Yates did rack up 213 yards passing on 17-31. He also did not throw an INT which was huge. Yates hit Greg Little on a slant for the first TD as UNC relied more on the pass because Miami was stuffing Ryan Houston at the line."
Game Ten : North Carolina 33, Miami 24 (AllCanes)
"For the critics out there, riddle me this - had it been known beforehand that Miami would put up 435 total yards and 24 points against a top five North Carolina defense, wouldn't that sound like more than enough to get the job done? Harris threw for 319 yards and the Canes amassed 116 on the ground between two backs (including 26 from Matt Bosher on a fake punt.)"
College Football
BCS & Complete Conference Races and Analysis (BCS Evolution)
"The only change this week is that TCU passes Cincinnati due to an impressive win over Utah. Cincinnati will have a chance to impress the voters if they can dominate Pittsburgh. Also, with the season winding down the top three will likely start sliding down further to account for the difficulty in recovering from a loss later in the season. TCU and Cincinnati might start getting in better position in the case where one of these teams lose."
Video: Zac Robinson takes his lump (Dr. Saturday)
"I also wouldn't necessarily advocate getting rid of helmets, but in the wake of hits like this, the Wall Street Journal's rhetorical question last week is apt: Would there ever be collisions like this if players weren't wearing hard plastic shells that help turn their bodies into weapons?"
Cincinnati 24, West Virginia 21
Discussing The High Points Of West Virginia's Loss At Cincinnati (The Smoking Musket)
"The touchdown reversal was clearly the incorrect call. If it had been ruled a touchdown on the field, then we're talking a completely different story. But it wasn't. It was ruled a fumble, and there is absolutely nothing that could be considered indisputable about that video evidence. By definition, indisputable means beyond doubt. I would love to have the replay official look me and the rest of West Virginia fans in the eye and tell me that there wasn't a shadow of a doubt on that call. It simply was an incorrect call."
Ole Miss 42, Tennessee 17
Tennessee, or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Nutt (Red Cup Rebellion)
"Thrashing an SEC opponent feels good. Thrashing a historically strong SEC opponent on a fantastic Fall afternoon, going out on the Square, while not having to worry about the Internet fallout from the opposing fans' various personality disorders... feels fucking amazing. Before I dive into any real analysis, I'd like to send thoughts out to LaMarcus Thompson, the injured UT linebacker. Apparently, the prognosis is good, likely no more than a stinger, but this is not the first such injury for Thompson. Be careful, LaMarcus, it's only football."
Volunteers fall to Dexter McCluster and emotional fatigue (Rocky Top Talk)
"The gray cloud hovering over the Tennessee Volunteers in Knoxville this week followed the team bus to Oxford yesterday, where UT fell 42-17 to the Ole Miss Rebels. Having three heralded freshmen arrested and charged with attempted armed robbery on Thursday gave way to a complete and utter inability to stop Dexter McCluster or the Rebels' defensive line on Saturday. Just to top off the week, the game ended with the emergency training staff strapping LaMarcus Thompson to a backboard and carting him off the field."
Louisville 10, Syracuse 9
Kragthorpe'd: Louisville 10, Syracuse 9 (Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician)
"The Big East Game of the Week "Play of the Game" was Trent Guy's 95-yard punt return for a touchdown. The odd things was, that play was nullified by a replay that showed Guy's knee down at his own 5. The Play of the Game was a play that didn't even happen. That about sums it up."
Wisconsin 45, Michigan 24
Air attack returns as Badgers blowout Michigan (Bucky's 5th Quarter)
"After quarterback Scott Tolzien's second turnover -- a lost fumble returned for a touchdown to give Michigan a 17-14 lead -- you really had to wonder if Chryst was going to scale the offense back and keep the ball on the ground. Think again. Call it stubborness or call it brilliance, but that's exactly when Tolzien and UW passing game showed up."
The Sea Wants To Take Me (mgoblog)
"Well, I finally broke: I've checked out emotionally. This happened last year, too, and the game columns from the on were pleas for something else to do and grim, brief recaps of the latest indignity. It's progress of a sort that it took eleven games for the team to TKO any interest in what might happen the rest of this year, but it's not a fun sort of progress."
Ohio State 27, Iowa 24 (OT)
Finally: Roses (We Will Always Have Tempe)
"In the end, we got what I expected: a dogfight. I anticipated a late turnover or two that would seal the game for Ohio State, and that didn't quite happen. The dominant, game-clinching defensive effort I expected at some point didn't materialize until it was almost too late. The Hawkeyes are far, far better than most give them credit for, and this is definitely another quality win to add to Jim Tressel's resumé."
Seniors Doing Work on Senior Day (Eleven Warriors)
"And how fitting was it, that on Senior Day in Ohio Stadium, three standout senior defenders stepped up in overtime after the Hawkeyes had stormed back from a 14 point fourth quarter deficit to tie the game? Kirk Ferentz’s squad had all of the momentum in a stunned Horseshoe when they received the opening series of the extra period."
27-24: Ferentz's Lament (Black Heart Gold Pants)
"There was so much about the game that swung the momentum one way or another--Trey Stross single-handedly (or two-handedly, whatever) killing two Iowa touchdowns, a missed field goal on each side of the ball, big plays by James Vandenberg and Brandon Saine, whatever. It was a 12-round fight, and all the usual suspects of a titanic fight were there."
Nebraska 31, Kansas 17
Husker Report Card: Nebraska 31, Kansas 17 (Corn Nation)
"I worried going into the Kansas game how much the Huskers had left in their tank after a grueling 10-3 upset of the Oklahoma Sooners last week. Defending the Sooner offense for 87 plays took a lot out of the defense, and the emotional high of last week might just lead to a letdown this week against the Jayhawks. Initially, the defense started the game just fine, preventing Kansas from gaining a single first down in the first quarter. But from that point forward, the Jayhawks started to find a way to move the ball on the Nebraska defense. It started with scrambles that neutralized the pass rush from the defensive line, which in turn opened up the passing game."
Boise State 63, Idaho 25
Boise State beats down the Vandals, 63-25 (One Bronco Nation Under God)
"The more the Vandals change, the more they remain the same. Boise State dominated Idaho, 63-25, forcing five turnovers and making Idaho look downright awful for most of the game. Kellen Moore had five TDs, Austin Pettis caught 4, and Jeremy Avery rushed for over 100 yards in the win."
Florida 24, South Carolina 14
Twenty Consecutive Wins And More Questions (Alligator Army)
"The Gators also will have to continue to deal with the problems of their offense. Poor Caleb Sturgis cannot be the only offense because, you know, he is a kicker. Not including the final kneel down, UF had 4 drives start in South Carolina's end and managed seven points. Sturgis missed two field goals and there was the reenactment of the Ole Miss game. In addition, UF had two drives start outside of their 40, both ending with non scores."
Stanford 55, USC 21
Objectivity Is The New Optimism (Various Provocations)
"Well, well, well. 55-21, an even more dominating victory than the 51-42 victory over Oregon. With that, all sorts of announcements were made, for certain: Toby Gerhart, half man, half amazing, half tank (and yes, Toby warrants three halves); the Stanford offensive line is dominant; Andrew Luck is destined to be a top 10 pick, the only question is which draft…But there were smaller things in the performance which maybe didn’t capture the eye of the press but is nevertheless encouraging to the future like."
The Ramifications of getting Nuked by Stanford... (Conquest Chronicles)
"I could care less about what the polls say or what Bowl game SC is in. Those are short term markers the real test will be if the team can get back to semblance of its former self. The sky is not falling but the skies sure look gloomy. This is where this staff has to earn their money. Are they going to fold like a two-dollar suitcase or are they going to kick some ass and take some names?"
Air Force 45, UNLV 17
No Bowl for UNLV as Air Force Rolls 45-17 (Mountain West Connection)
"The Falcons pretty much did what they wanted on the ground, Asher Clark led the team with 160 rushing yards and three touchdowns. The Falcons had seven players with more then 25 rushing yards and three of those went over 50 yards. Tim Jefferson also had 123 yards through the air. Air Force only had to punt once on the day. The Falcon offense is clicking right now and looks prime to take down #22 BYU. If they keep that ranking after almost losing to New Mexico."
Alabama 31, Mississippi State 3
Initial Impressions from the MSU Game (Roll 'Bama Roll)
"From the outset, you really could not ask for anything more than we did against Mississippi State last night. Considering that we control our own destiny, all we really needed to do was find a way to win, stay healthy, and if we could win in a route then that was all lagniappe. And, sure enough, we found a way to do all three of those things against the Bullies. Again, you really couldn't ask for anything more."
LSU 24, Louisiana Tech 16
LSU 24 - Louisiana Tech 16: Snap Judgments (And The Valley Shook)
"The team as a whole was flat. The defense would play well for a couple of plays at a time, but could never sustain it. They'd lose focus for a play and give up 10 or 15 yards on a screen or a misdirection. Other plays, we would dominate their line and make a tackle for a loss or no gain. It was quite frustrating how we would beat them badly two plays in a row only to see them get a first down to keep a drive going on the third. Hat tip to uberschuck in the comment thread for pointing that out."
TCU 55, Utah 28
TCU Pounds The Utes and Makes A Big Statement (Mountain West Connection)
"After this game I think TCU deserves to play in the Rose Bowl for the national title. I expected them to be good, but they flat out dominated in all aspects of the game. I am still in awe of their incredible team speed. Speed that rivals with the likes of Florida."
Slept on it and I'm ready to move on (Block U)
"It was a tough, tough defeat but this was the perfect storm for TCU. They had a wild home crowd (their best crowd in school history), hype on their side, emotion and more importantly - the better team. Rarely can any program overcome that and generally it leads to a mighty beating."
Pittsburgh 27, Notre Dame 22
Irish Eyes are Not Smiling (Eye of a Panther)
"Looks like I'm not the only one discussing the possibility of Pitt being considered as a national championship contender. As I broke down before, it'd be a long shot. But the fact that it can even realistically be discussed is unfathomable. Make no mistake, Pitt's best chance to sneak into the picture probably went by the wayside this weekend with TCU and Texas winning. But it was nice to think about it."
Turn Out The Lights On Your Way Out (Rakes Of Mallow)
"Do you like how I buried the lede there? We need to talk about the greatness of Golden, but the Weis Era - for all intents and purposes - is over. If the Irish don't lose out, I will honestly be surprised. Can you imagine what the crowd will be like if UConn gets an early lead? Even before that? And they're so due, and this is the perfect national stage to honor their fallen teammate."
Oregon 44, Arizona State 21
Ducks coast to easy victory over Sun Devils (Addicted To Quack)
"It's not often that a 23 point victory can be view as "disappointing," and while I won't quite that far, it sure seems like the Ducks left a lot on the field. They turned the ball over twice, which led to 14 of ASU's 21 points. They allowed a QB getting his first significant playing time to complete some big 3rd downs after getting outside the pocket. They struggled to stop the run during a couple of drives. Jeremiah Masoli struggled with his accuracy in the second half."
Stuff Only I Care About
Oklahoma City in miniature (NewsOK)
Millions of Legos went into creating a miniature model of Oklahoma City.
Rotnei Clarke Explodes For 51 Against Alcorn State (Storming The Floor)
"For those of you worrying John Pelphrey was running up the score, keep in mind the Razorbacks only dressed seven scholarship players. In other words, he didn't have much choice but to play Clarke extended minutes. Here's Clarke's eye-popping stat line. Savor it, because shooting displays like that, even when you can only see it in a numbered format, are still impressive."
LeBron To Honor Jordan By Not Honoring Him (Bootlegger Sports)
"I understand the whole retiring numbers idea, but isn’t it much more of an honor if your number becomes synonymous with identifying the best player on the court? Like number 10 in soccer, generally if you see someone wearing #23 in basketball, you can assume he’s the star. Or has a giant ego. Usually both."
Streaking Sabres Handle Red Hot Flyers (Die By The Blade)
"On Friday we talked about how this would be a difficult weekend for the Sabres, especially with their history in back-to-back games. The Sabres won both games and now have a three game winning streak heading into next week. The criticism of this team has been they haven't beat any good opponents. That changed this weekend when they handled the Calgary Flames on Friday and the Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday."
Felix and Oscar: Why Toews Is The Worst Teammate Kane Could Have (Second City Hockey)
"Now before you immediately start to wipe your ass with this page of the program, please hear me out on this one. Given the way that a vocal portion of Chicago sports fans demand that their athletic heroes be as "blue-collar" as they perceive themselves as being, as well as the respective personalities and skill sets of both Toews and Kane, there is no one in hockey that Patrick Kane could have that could paint him in a less favorable light to those fans than Jonathan Toews."
Five fun traditions you won't find elsewhere (Puck Daddy)
"Boston University's student section will, when UNH or Maine come to town, chant, "The wheels on your house go 'round and 'round, 'round and 'round, 'round and 'round. The wheels on your house go 'round and 'round cuz you're white trash.""
Kovalchuk unlikely to head home (The Globe and Mail)
"Even if the Thrashers are struggling at the box office and operating deeply in the red, general manager Don Waddell has reiterated over and over that his team is prepared to offer Kovalchuk fair-market value for his services, on what would be a lifetime contract if he signs."