Welcome to Week Eight of The Lowe Down.
In the state of Alabama football is king. I will even be willing to say about 90 percent of the state’s population has an allegiance to either Auburn or Alabama due to being an alumni or fan.
But after hearing some absolutely ludicrous calls on Birmingham sports talk radio (http://www.joxfm.com/ ) this week about both schools, I’m beginning to question the football IQ of my Alabama brethren. And I am dumbfounded as to know why.
Have we (me and my fellow Alabamians) not been brought up on the coaching prowess of Bear Bryant and Shug Jordan? Pat Dye? Gene Stallings? Nick Saban? Gus Malzahn? Heisman Trophies? All-Americans? SEC titles? Musso off tackle? Bye, bye Bo! My goodness if any fan bases should know football it’s the Auburn and Alabama fan bases — sidewalk fans, alumni or whatever.
This entire week I’ve listed to complaints about Alabama’s offense such as ‘we can’t move the ball’ or our ‘offense is pathetic.’
Well, the damn starting center is hurt. And ever since he got hurt against Ole Miss the offense has stalled out. And there’s a reason for that. He is a very important part of the offense.
Blake Sims is also a first-year starting quarterback. He’s going to make mistakes. But he will also make plays. He’s proven he can. But until the first-team offense can get some rhythm with a new center expect there to be struggles. Duh!
As for Auburn … it’s ‘why can’t we run the ball better?’ or ‘we can’t tackle’ or ‘why don’t we let Nick (Marshall) run to the outside?’ Well, on offense Auburn lost the No. 2 pick in the draft (Greg Robinson), an absolute maniac H-back (Jay Prosch) who blew people up at the point of attack and arguably the best guard in the conference last year as a freshman (Alex Kozan). That’s some talent. And sometimes you just can’t replace those players. But the sky is not falling on the Plains. Auburn is averaging 38.8 ppg people! Two shy of 40!
Look, alumni and fans of a LOT of schools would kill for their teams to have the success that Auburn and Alabama have had on the field.
Heck, just look at the state of Mississippi right now. The whole dag um state is on Cloud Nine (and that they should be) each and every morning at the thought of Ole Miss or Mississippi State actually winning a national title. And we in the state of Alabama know how that feels … until the Crimson Tide or Tigers lose a game. And then all hell breaks loose.
Last week’s record was 12-9, bringing the yearly record to 107-42. To the games we go …
@MattLowe777
Friday, October 17
Fresno State (3-4, 2-1 MW) at Boise State (4-2, 2-1 MW) 7:00 p.m. CT
Last year these two combined for 1,083 yards of total offense and 81 points (Fresno State won 41-40) when they met in Fresno, but that likely won’t be the case this season. The Bulldogs just don’t have the offensive firepower they did in 2013 with Derek Carr at quarterback (which is understandable) and they’ve been wildly inconsistent on that side of the ball in 2014. Boise State isn’t head and shoulders better than the Bulldogs, but tailback Jay Ajayi will give the Fresno defense fits as will quarterback Grant Hedrick if he’s on his game.
The Lowe Down: Fresno State 17, Boise State 38
Saturday, October 17
No. 4 Baylor (6-0, 3-0 Big 12) at West Virginia (4-2, 2-1 Big 12) 11:00 a.m. CT
We all know Baylor can score and score at will. But last week’s nail-biter versus TCU proved that Art Briles’ team still has some deficiencies on defense and that could be a major cause for concern here if you’re a Bears fan. West Virginia can chunk it on anybody behind quarterback Clint Trickett and big-time wideout Kevin White (6-3, 208), but tailback Rushel Shell (two straight weeks of at least 100 yards) is supplying some oomph in the running game — which has given the Mountaineers an added dimension on offense — and he could be in line for a big game on the ground. Baylor goes down in Morgantown.
The Lowe Down: Baylor 38, West Virginia 41
No. 14 Kansas State (4-1, 2-0 Big 12) at No. 11 Oklahoma (5-1, 2-1 Big 12) 11:00 a.m. CT
When the Big 12 is brought up in College Football Playoff discussions, rarely, if ever, is Kansas State mentioned. But with a win over the Sooners, you can rest assured the Wildcats will garner some national attention then. Kansas State is a balanced team on offense that features a senior quarterback (Jake Waters), a good running game and explosive wideout Tyler Lockett. The Wildcats can also make life miserable for quarterbacks on defense due to their disciplined play. But look for Oklahoma to squeak out a victory behind the arm of Trevor Knight, a big-play defense and huge day from veteran kicker Michael Hunnicutt.
The Lowe Down: Kansas State 23, Oklahoma 26
No. 21 Texas A&M (5-2, 2-2 SEC) at No. 7 Alabama (5-1, 2-1 SEC) 2:30 p.m. CT
For the disgruntled Alabama fans out there who don’t like the product they are seeing at the moment, here are three words for ya: ignorance is bliss. No team, and I mean no team, in America would just keep on operating like a well-oiled machine without its starting center. And no team, and I mean no team, with the exception of Auburn and Florida State, has the bulls-eye on its back (because of the sustained success) like the Crimson Tide does. That means every week you get the max effort from your opponent. But the last time I checked a win is a win no matter how pretty it is. For those who think the Tide’s offense sucks, maybe you’ll be “pleased” after Blake Sims and company gash a Texas A&M defense that still has a lot of holes.
The Lowe Down: Texas A&M 17, Alabama 38
No. 15 Oklahoma State (5-1, 3-0 Big 12) at No. 12 TCU (4-1, 1-1 Big 12) 3:00 p.m. CT
For the third consecutive week TCU takes on a good team and you really have to wonder where the Horned Frogs are mentally after their stunning loss to Baylor. Throw in the fact that star quarterback Trevon Boykin’s health status (wrist) is questionable and this makes for an interesting matchup. If Oklahoma State hopes to pull the upset, quarterback Daxx Garman will need to be on the mark in the passing game and the young Cowboy defense will need to makes some plays. I think both will happen, but Gary Patterson’s team will find a way to pull out a hard-fought win.
The Lowe Down: Oklahoma State 27, TCU 34
No. 10 Georgia (5-1, 3-1 SEC) vs. Arkansas (3-3, 0-3 SEC) (Little Rock) 3:00 p.m. CT
Arkansas is very close to knocking off a good team and many in and around the college football world think this is the weekend the Razorbacks get the job done. But will it be so? Georgia looked like a different team its rout of Missouri last weekend and I honestly think the loss of tailback Todd Gurley could be a rallying cry for Mark Richt’s bunch. Eh … not so fast! Back-to-back road games for the Bulldogs could be a recipe for disaster here. Look for the Razorbacks to finally break down the door and get head coach Bret Bielema his first SEC win.
The Lowe Down: Georgia 23, Arkansas 27
Tennessee (3-2, 0-2 SEC) at No. 3 Ole Miss (6-0, 3-0 SEC) 6:00 p.m. CT
A good coach + a veteran quarterback with a lot of skill players + a fast, tough, tenacious defense = good team. The formula for success has been quite simple for Ole Miss this season and week after week Hugh Freeze’s team plays its style of football and plays it well. This week should be another opportunity to do just that against Tennessee, but expect the Vols to put up a good fight. Tennessee played Oklahoma tight until the fourth quarter in Norman and it almost upset Georgia in Athens so the Vols are capable. Ole Miss defensive tackle/end Robert Nkemdiche likely won’t play due to an off-field incident and his loss could be big in this game. Tennessee quarterback Justin Worley can make plays when he’s on, and freshman tailback Jalen Hurd is a dynamic player, so the Vols have the talent on offense to keep the game close.
The Lowe Down: Tennessee 17, Ole Miss 30
No. 5 Notre Dame (6-0) at No. 2 Florida State (6-0, 3-0 ACC) 7:00 p.m. CT
How good is Notre Dame? Well, we are about to find out. The Irish didn’t look good last week after barely edging a bad North Carolina team 50-43, but they could’ve been looking ahead. Who knows? In this game, Notre Dame’s defense will have to play well, particularly against the pass, if it wants to upset the near two-touchdown favorite Seminoles. The Irish have been tough against the run, but it will be imperative that Brian VanGorder’s unit put heat on Jameis Winston when the ‘Noles go to the air. If Winston has all day to throw, this game could get out of hand in a hurry.
The Lowe Down: Notre Dame 20, Florida State 35
No. 23 Stanford (4-2, 2-1 Pac-12) at No. 17 Arizona St. (4-1, 2-1 Pac-12) 9:30 p.m. CT
It’s a shame that Stanford doesn’t have last year’s offense (32.3 ppg). If it did, it’s doubtful the Cardinal would have two losses. But like in a hand of poker you have to play what you’re dealt, and David Shaw’s team has to score points this week if it wants to escape Tempe with a win. ASU quarterback Mike Bercovici (he has completed 69 of 113 passes for 998 yards, with eight touchdowns and two interceptions, in starts vs. UCLA and USC) has played well in the absence of Taylor Kelly — who returned to practice this week — and he seems to be settling into a groove. Bercovici will face his share of challenges against the rugged Stanford defense, but I think he and the Sun Devils will do the deed at home following a bye week.
The Lowe Down: Stanford 26, Arizona State 31
In other Saturday games:
Iowa 23, Maryland 26
Purdue 16, Minnesota 26
Virginia 23, Duke 30
UCLA 42, Cal 33
Rutgers 17, No. 13 Ohio State 38
UAB 27, Middle Tennessee 24
No. 24 Clemson 24, Boston College 31
No. 8 Michigan State 35, Indiana 14
No. 25 Marshall 45, FIU 16
Colorado 26, No. 22 USC 37
Missouri 23, Florida 20
Kentucky 27, LSU 30
Washington 34, No. 9 Oregon 37
