“For when the One Great Scorer comes to mark against your name,
He writes – not that you won or lost – but how you played the Game.”
-Grantland Rice in his 1908 poem, “Alumnus Football”
This is the origin of the phrase, “It’s not whether you win or lose. It’s how you play the game.” Bet you didn’t know that it was originally a metaphor referring to the game of life. (Neither did I until I just went searching for it.)
Knowing that, it’s hard to argue with Mr. Rice’s words. But since so many people have taken them literally, we will too. If those words were true, Washington would be dancing in the streets in celebration, and Ohio State would be crying into their jerseys. True, the Huskies do have a lot to proud of for the way they played, and the Buckeyes do have some legitimate concerns to address, but Washington still has a 15-game losing streak and Ohio State’s dreams of being embarrassed in another national championship gameare still very much alive. At the end of the day, a win is a win and a loss is a loss.
So on with this week’s update. First I want to remind everyone that I went 0 for 3 in my picks last week. (“Picking” Florida doesn’t count because that’s like picking gravity in this matchup.) Since being accurate doesn’t seem to be in the cards for me, I’ll try to be funnier.
After just one week, we’re left with only 75 undefeated teams, or about 63%. It should have been more, but some schools (Virginia, Duke) aren’t good at scheduling cupcakes.
At this point it’s hard to say anything because each team has only played one game. How can you really judge how impressive a team’s win is until you know the true caliber of their opponent?
So I’m going to hold off for at least another week, if not two, before I start any sort of ranking. For now, let’s examine some of the games.
MOST INTRIGUING
#3 USC vs. #8 Ohio State
Well, duh. It’s the only matchup between ranked teams. It’s also the first game of the year between two teams in the top ten.
This game is very important for the Big Ten (and of course Ohio State in particular), since they are still trying to win back their credibility. The Buckeyes gained a lot of cred in my eyes with their performance against Texas in last year’s Fiesta Bowl. Sure they lost, but they hung in there and really should have won. (There’s definitely fault in losing when you should have the game in hand, but when was the last time Ohio State was in that position in a big game?)
The Buckeyes’ poor performance against Navy raises a lot of concerns, b commentators have been quick to point out the Midshipmen’s unique running attack and how USC will be a very different beast. Okay, but if Navy’s rushing attack is a cerberus, USC’s is a hydra with giant tentacles and heat-seeking missiles.
Tressel only has one home loss to a non-conference opponent, the Texas team that beat USC in the championship game. On the other hand, Carroll only has one AWAY loss to a non-conference opponent, a list that includes heavier competition.
Could Ohio State win this game? Absolutely. But what Tressel cannot do, what he did last year, what he does too often, is be predictable. Thing is, I’m not sure how capable he is of “cutting loose.” So he needs to let Pryor do it for him. Let him take off running on 3rd and long if he thinks he can make it. Go for it on 4th and short, but with a roll-out pass where he has options.
Basically, Tressel has to give Pryor more control and hope he makes the right decisions, eyeblack notwithstanding. But people seem to forget that he’s only a sophomore, so he’s prone to make some mistakes. (So is Barkley, but he’s not going to be asked to do nearly as much.)
If Ohio State plays conservative, they lose big. If they let Pryor take over, they lose because of his mistakes. But I’m glad the Trojans aren’t playing them the next two years after Pryor’s had more experience.
“What do you mean wrong endzone?“
LEAST INTRIGUING GAME
Vanderbilt vs. #11 LSU
All week LSU has had to listen to commentators talk about how Washington ran (or threw, rather) all over their defense. One of their players even said, “It feels like we lost.” That makes them angry. So after Saturday, Vanderbilt will know how they feel. Because they will ACTUALLY lose. By a lot.
With great power comes great responsibility.
UPSET SPECIAL
Michigan vs. #18 Notre Dame
It’s easy to hate on Notre Dame (and kind of fun), but no one can fault their performance last week. They had offensive firepower AND posted a shutout. They very well could slaughter Michigan and have a really good season.
But let’s remember that most of their hype is based on a beat-down they put on Hawaii in a bowl game. After going 6-6. And losing to Syracuse.
Michigan is by no means a good team, but I expect them to finish around .500 this year, putting them dangerously close to a category Notre Dame has trouble with (i.e. teams with winning records). Their fresman are going to play fearlessly, which will lead to both some horrendous mistakes and some amazing big plays.
Both coaches need a win to keep the good feelings they generated last week going. A lopsided loss by either will bring back the rabid fans ready to toss them out the door.
So I’m not saying Notre Dame isn’t any good. Just that they haven’t earned it yet. (Not that a win over Michigan would prove it either.) and until they earn it, I’m skeptical.
A dream come true for millions of couch potatoes around the world.
JUST FOR THE HELL OF IT
ucla vs. Tennessee
When you get right down to it, this is a battle between coaches that have said a whole hell of a lot but haven’t really done a damn thing. Kiffin showed his team can have an offense at least against very bad competition. ucla will be an extreme upgrade, which is really saying something, but I think Tennessee is capable of hanging in there if it turns into a shoot-out, either because the offenses are that good or the defenses are that bad.
Kiffin wants to “win forever,” and he especially doesn’t want to lose to ucla. Which is why he’ll win.
There are special forces are work keeping the bruins out of the endzone.