Desmond Roland could be in line for a huge game against Texas Tech. (Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports)
Welcome to Week Five of The Lowe Down.
As the nation watched Clemson botch a chance to knock off Jameis Winston-less Florida State in the waning moments of a game dominated by Dabo Swinney’s Tigers last weekend, I thought about a word that we all know too well: karma. Sure, I’ll admit that I was pulling for ol’ Dabo and his bunch to pull the upset —and I’m fairly certain that I wasn’t the only one in the country doing so — but it had to be a thrill for backup Sean Maguire and the rest of his teammates get a win without Winston on the field.
We all know Winston’s rap sheet. And we all know what kind of talent he is. But winning a big game without last year’s Heisman winner had to be a big mental boost to the FSU team.
Look, everyone knows about Winston and the things he’s done. But just because he acts the way he does, it doesn’t mean the entire Seminole team acts the same way. And just because there’s a small percentage of NFL players that commit domestic violence acts (which are the ones we hear about) it doesn’t mean the entire league is made up of individuals that commit those same acts. There are so many college and NFL players out there that do the right things every day. So let’s don’t forget the overwhelming majority of those guys when it comes to the sports we love.
As for Winston, I honestly hope the young man can get it together. But I’ll also say this: karma works in mysterious ways. And it could be Winston’s adversary when much bigger things are on the line down the road.
Last week’s record was 16-5, bringing the yearly record to 65-20. To the games we go …
@MattLowe777
Thursday, September 25
Texas Tech (2-1) at No. 24 Oklahoma State (2-1) 6:30 p.m. CT
When starting quarterback J.W. Walsh went down with a foot injury against Missouri State, the forecast for Oklahoma State’s season went from sunny to overcast in a hurry. But the emergence of backup Daxx Garman (559 yards passing and four touchdowns) has the Cowboy faithful feeling a lot better about where their team is headed. Against Texas Tech, Garman needs to rely on his powerful running game, led by bruiser Desmond Roland and speedster Tyreek Hill, and avoid costly mistakes in order to guide the Pokes to another W. Texas Tech allowed an eye-popping 438 rushing yards to Arkansas two weeks ago and is one of the lousiest defensive units in America (429.7 yards per game; 36.7 points per game) despite being capable offensively. Playing that kind of defense doesn’t bode well in Boone Pickens Stadium.
The Lowe Down: Texas Tech 23, Oklahoma State 49
No. 11 UCLA (3-0) at No. 15 Arizona State (3-0) 9:00 p.m. CT
This was penciled in as one of the Pac-12 games of the year before the season, but the loss of Arizona State quarterback Taylor Kelly (foot) and the slow start by UCLA — along with the health status of Brett Hundley (arm) — has thrown a wrench into the preseason hoopla. But the show must go on and the Sun Devils fate now lies in the hands of junior signal-caller Mike Bercovici. Like OSU’s Garman, Bercovici doesn’t have to do too much considering the Sun Devils talent on offense. If Bercovici can manage the game and avoid turnovers, Arizona State has the athletes on defense, especially up front, to give UCLA problems.
The Lowe Down: UCLA 26, Arizona State 33
Saturday’s games coming soon …
