Ohio State Band Pays Tribute to Michael Jackson

Let's not get it twisted. I hate Ohio State. However, I will admit that the school in Columbus has one thing going for them -- the BEST DAMN BAND IN THE LAND. Watch their tribute to Michael Jackson that took place this past weekend against Iowa. This is simply amazing stuff.

Week Seven Quick Hits

A few notes from the first wave of college football games today...

Sleep easy tonight Mack

• Coming into the Red River Shootout, the atmosphere surrounding Texas head coach Mack Brown was similar to that of a wake before a funeral. Rumors had circulated that Mack would be out if the Horns didn't show up against Oklahoma. As it turns out, the troops rallied around their beleaguered general, and Texas routed OU. In a span of 4 hours, the Longhorns have gone from dead in the water to the front runner for the Big 12's automatic BCS bid.

• Georgia's rash of injuries didn't take long to haunt them. Aaron Murray and company looked like a totally different team against Mizzou today, and the Tigers played well enough to take out the Bulldogs minus five of their top skill position players. We still don't know if Missouri is a true contender in the SEC or nationally, but we now know that UGA is out of the national title race -- a sad development considering the Dawgs may have been the second most talented team in the country when at full strength. 

• After watching Virginia Tech's defense hold Pitt to a paltry nine points, it's becoming clear that Tech could be a very underrated factor in the national title race.The Hokies may not be able to climb into the conversation themselves, but they are playing well enough to knock a team or two out of the running. The Gobblers get Miami next month, and if they win they will likely get a shot against the winner of FSU/Clemson in the ACC championship game. Sweeping those contests could cause a significant amount of chaos in December.

• Michigan State looks to have finally found an offense to go with their defense that has been one of the nation's best all season. Connor Cook has firmly entrenched himself at the top of quarterback depth chart, and skill players like running back Delton Williams and MacGarrett Kings have also emerged to give Sparty a more formidable set of weapons. State has two more likely wins [Purdue and Illinois] before meeting up with Michigan. Considering the Wolverines' shaky performance at times this year, the Spartans may be the team to beat in their division three weeks from now.    

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The Only Stuff You Need to Know: Week Six College Football Recap

For some college football teams [most notably the still undefeated Ohio State Buckeyes], this season is officially past its halfway point. Most of the non-conference mismatches have been played, and now each week widens the gap between man and child both in the polls and in the standings. Here's a summary of this week's most important developments.

•  Tennessee is on the right track under new coach Butch Jones. The Vols didn't get the win over Georgia on Saturday, but they did enough to prove to the nation that they are no longer to be taken lightly. Butch Jones has won everywhere he has went as a head coach, and Tennessee looks to be his next turnaround story. The game may have counted as a loss in the standings, but it was definitely seen as a W in the living rooms of a lot of future Vols around the country. Expect Tennessee to reach a bowl this year and continue to work towards a return to national prominence...well unless a program like USC or Texas steals away Butch at the end of this season. 

He may never lose [tears]

• Ohio State has one exceptional talent. It is called winning football games. Urban Meyer has yet to assemble the wealth of speed and talent that he had at Florida, but his genius as a coach has led to an undefeated record during his tenure in Columbus. Northwestern had OSU dead in the water on multiple occasions, but the Buckeyes kept coming back to life. It's becoming a theme for all close games involving the team. Now it seems clear what Urban's bringing to the table. Ohio State has a nasty defense led by Ryan Shazier, a prototype "Urban Meyer QB" in Braxton Miller, and a rhinoceros of a running back in Carlos Hyde. The scant possibility of Michigan emerging as a legitimate contender is the only thing that looks to stand in the way of Urban being 25-0 in Pasadena for the national championship game. The scariest part of this situation is that Ohio State is recruiting leaps and bounds above every other team in the conference [except for Michigan] which means we could be looking at the infantile stages of decades of dominance. As a life-long Michigan fan, I can't even try to hide my disappointment. 

USC fans would love to see these two switch jackets

• Despite losing at Stanford, Washington looks to be the real deal under coach Steve Sarkisian. The Huskies continued an interesting trend that has developed throughout the course of this season. Steve Sarkisian's team made a huge statement in a losing effort -- similarly to how Georgia, LSU, Texas A&M, and arguably Northwestern have done the same. The Pacific Northwest has waited for Keith Price to turn into a stud QB, but while waiting for Price, Bishop Sankey has developed into a factor back under the radar. That duo, with assistance from the nation's best tight end [Austin Seferian-Jenkins] and a serviceable defense, looks to be ready to compete against anyone in the country. In other news, the emergence of the Huskies has USC fans wondering why Sarkisian (a former Trojan coordinator) didn't get more of a look for the head coaching gig that was given to Lane Kiffin.     

• The people who thought Teddy Bridgewater would win the Heisman really underestimated the awfulness of Louisville's schedule. Let's not get it twisted, Teddy is one of college football's best, and he will make millions in the NFL next year. Still, the Heisman race is a media driven phenomenon, and Bridgewater is really struggling to stand out playing the likes of Temple while other contenders get opportunities against highly ranked competition. Louisville looks like a lock to go undefeated, and they will waltz to a BCS bowl game, but by the time the Cards get to truly prove themselves...someone else will already be holding college football's highest individual honor. 

Coach Briles, he can't win the Heisman if you pull him at the half

• The Baylor offense is the single most entertaining thing about this college football season. Before the Bears played a game this season, their supremely talented running back Lache Seastrunk proclaimed himself as a Heisman contender...and not too many noticed nor cared. Well the Bears just posted 73 points in their latest contest against West Virginia, and they did it while racking up over 800 yards of total offense [a Big 12 record]. Seastrunk has played the role of prophet thus far, looking like a Heisman contender with 172 yards before halftime against the Mounties. The passing game has yet to miss a beat either, despite coach Art Briles using his second straight new QB since sending off RG3 to the NFL. Bryce Petty is the latest newly minted star to lineup in the gun for the Bears, and he has done all the that has been asked of him so far. In a year where the conference looks to be at it's weakest, a conference title and [dare I say it] an undefeated season are well within reach for this program that is clearly on the upswing.  

VCU Prepping for the Season with Navy SEAL Training

Check out Shaka Smart and his Virginia Commonwealth Rams have been preparing for the upcoming college basketball season. The Rams are the favorites to win the Atlantic-10 conference and a Top 25 team. A return trip to the Final Four is also being discussed in some circles, as this looks to be the most talented team ever assembled at the school.