Week 7 Recap

Kentucky 43, #1 LSU 37 (3 OT)
Well then. First, I'll state the obvious in such a game like this: it was a pretty even matchup. Yes, really. Really, things kind of played out like I expected - if nothing else, Kentucky has a good enough offense to put up a decent amount of points, even against the LSU defense (which they did), and if the LSU offense has a bad night (which Matt Flynn did), they could easily scuffle enough for a Kentucky win. Which they did. But I'll refrain from tooting my own horn. Well, any moreso. The really odd thing here is that I figured a Kentucky win would also include an excellent performance by QB Andre' Woodson - in fact, he had a pretty mediocre night, completing only 55% for 250 yards and an unspectacular 3/2 TD/INT ratio. And it leads to somewhat of an odd thing with the Heisman race - being the star player for a team with a huge win like this would theoretically make him the frontrunner, but again, he didn't have that great of a game. However, Darren McFadden had even WORSE of a game, so...who knows. On the LSU side, they were able to run the ball fine, 4th downs in overtime notwithstanding, the problem was mostly the spotty play of Matt Flynn, who couldn't break a 50% completion percentage and only had 130 yards. As for my perceptions of the two teams, LSU remains fairly steady even though they take a slight drop down - they're still one of the elite teams in the country, but my confidence in Matt Flynn has weakened, and honestly, there's just a natural perception difference between "beatable" and "beaten." As for Kentucky, I probably would've nudged them into my top 25 even if they had two straight losses; playing South Carolina close helped a huge amount in me seeing them as a competitive team, and with this win, they've obviously cemented themselves as a team that deserves at 8-4ish season or so, if not better. THIS YEAR IS CRAZY.
Kentucky: STOCK UP
LSU: STOCK DOWN

#2 Ohio State 48, Kent State 3
Not quite that one-sided, but nowhere near competitive. Todd Boeckman was quite efficient here, going for 81% for 184 yards and 2 TD, and this game was over early enough that something called Rob Schoenhoft was not only able to get off 9 attempts, but complete 7 of them. Some of the luster's gone off the win against Washington now, but the Buckeyes keep on keepin' on and seem as good as anyone, especially this year.
Ohio State: STOCK NEUTRAL
Kent State: STOCK NEUTRAL

#3 Oklahoma 41, #10 Missouri 31
Pretty much a win/win, as both teams played up to their level and OU came out slightly ahead. Missouri wasn't able to do much on the ground without Tony Temple, but Chase Daniel pretty much proved his legitimacy by going 37-for-47 (78.7%) for 361 yards, even if he only had a 1/2 ratio. OU's struggles against Colorado seem like a thing of the past; Sam Bradford was outstanding again, going 24/34 for 266 and 2 TD, and running back Chris Brown said "Run It!" (I'm so fucking clever.) and did so for 67 yards and 3 TD. OU established themselves as fully recovered, while Missouri proved they are in fact a legitimate upper-tier team.
Oklahoma: STOCK NEUTRAL
Missouri: STOCK NEUTRAL

#6 Oregon 53, Washington State 7
Holy shit! Just flatout dominance - Dennis Dixon completed 75% en route to 287 and 3 TD, running back Jeremiah Johnson had 4 runs for 63 yards and 2 touchdowns, the defense held Wazzou's Alex Brink under 50%, just...dang. Oregon seems to remain the forgotten national title contender.
Oregon: STOCK NEUTRAL
Washington State: STOCK DOWN

#7 USC 20, Arizona 13
Um. A pretty awful performance by the Trojans at a time when you think they'd have a fire lit underneath them, because unlike their recent close games, this one was as close as the score. Replacement USC QB Mark Sanchez wasn't that good or that bad - he completed 62%, but only had 130 yards and a 1/2 ratio. Arizona's Willie Tuitama was able to do well against the Trojans secondary, nearing a 70% completion percentage, but any chance at a Wildcats upset was hurt badly by their complete lack of a running back, as they only had 22 yards on the ground. I'm exceedingly close to knock the Trojans down a notch, but I'll refrain from doing so due to their track record. The dynasty (of...one national title) may be over sooner than expected.
USC: STOCK NEUTRAL
Arizona: STOCK NEUTRAL

#8 South Carolina 21, North Carolina 15
An odd one. There's nothing really to complain about with South Carolina, but things just feel...underwhelming. The Gamecocks ran the ball well, QB Chris Smelley looked good (65.4%, 172 yards, 3/1 ratio), the defense held UNC's TJ Yates to 52% and a 1/2 ratio, but...ehhh. Part of it might be that the Tar Heels had a lot of yardage, but again, with Yates not being all that great, it's more a case of UNC having a large quantity of passes thrown rather than any sort of quality playing. I'll keep the Gamecocks steady, but they really don't feel like a title contender. I'll also bump UNC up finally, since they've been much more competitive than expected, even if they're still probably #11 in the ACC.
South Carolina: STOCK NEUTRAL
North Carolina: STOCK UP

Oregon State 31, #9 California 28
Well, I expected Cal would lose sometime, but...not in that matter. Cal obviously deserved to take it to overtime before replacement QB Kevin Riley's stupidity, and probably would've won this, possibly big, had them had Nate Longshore. Really not much to say about the Bears - they were the better team, but mistakes mostly attributable to Riley kept the Beaves in it. As for OSU, the Beavers looked much better here then they have at other times. Sean Canfield had a solid performance, and Yvenson Bernard's probably the most underrated back in the nation. Him or someone that's not coming to mind that's just as good, which would obviously make that person more underrated.
Oregon State: STOCK UP
California: STOCK NEUTRAL

#11 South Florida 64, Central Florida 12
Just a bit off in predicting the upset here. Just the game the Bulls needed - Matt Grothe was back in freshman form (that means he was better), putting up 212 and 2 scores on 54% passing, and leading the team in rushing as he often did, going for 100 and 2 more scores on the ground. The defense was also outstanding, holding TWO Central Florida QBs under 50%, and holding the nation's leading rusher, Kevin Smith, to only 55 yards. A thoroughly legitimizing win - the Bulls have gone from one of the best teams to simply not lose a game to a team that, if they get there, could concievably show up and win the national title game.
South Florida: STOCK UP
Central Florida: STOCK NEUTRAL

#12 Texas 56, Iowa State 3
Kind of like the USF win, but without really meaning anything. Colt McCoy returned to 2006 form, completing over 75% en route to 298 yards and 4 scores, but past that it was pretty much a run of the mill beatdown. This mostly served as a reminder/declaration that Texas hasn't completely imploded.
Texas: STOCK NEUTRAL
Iowa State: STOCK NEUTRAL

Iowa 10, #13 Illinois 6
Well, Iowa's alive. Hawkeyes QB Jake Christensen had a good game (68%, 182 yards, TD) and the running game was fine. Still, everyone seems to be injured every year, so they should really just fire their training staff already. Or if they're students then expel them or something. A weird game for Illinois - Juice Williams actually went 9 for 15, which is good for him, but didn't get too many yards either by air or land, and was replaced by Eddie McGee, who gave up the game-ending pick. Really, the key here was Rashard Mendenhall not doing much, as he only had 67 yards on 15 carries. Illinois is still in the thick of the Big Ten race - they've just gone from one of the favorites to a very good albeit one-dimensional team. And, again, Iowa's alive! So good for them.
Iowa: STOCK UP
Illinois: STOCK DOWN

#23 Penn State 38, #14 Wisconsin 7
Well, that margin is much more surprising than the result. Anthony Morelli had a completely decent day, completing 57% for 216 yards and a TD; yes, he amazingly had no turnovers. And Rodney Kinlaw once again proved himself a franchise back, rushing for 115 and a TD. Meanwhile, Wisconsin QB Tyler Donovan played, like, well, Anthony Morelli, having decent but unspectacular stats (16/29, 220 yards) and more interceptions than touchdowns (2 INT, 0 TD). PSU's capable of beating anyone in the Big Ten as long as Morelli plays decently, as this game shows - problem is, that's a big if. And as for Wisconsin, I'll knock them down a notch - this wasn't a disaster or anything, but this is the most vulnerable they've looked all year.
Penn State: STOCK NEUTRAL
Wisconsin: STOCK DOWN

#15 Boston College 27, Notre Dame 14
Much more one-sided than the score. ND seems to have regressed back to early-season form, and BC's still horribly untested. BC played as well as it should've, God knows if that means anything; then again, that can probably be said about BC's entire schedule, both past and future.
Boston College: STOCK NEUTRAL
Notre Dame: STOCK DOWN

#16 Arizona State 44, Washington 20
A pretty one-sided win that ASU needed. Keegan Herring had the big day, going for 119 and a score on the ground, but Rudy Carpenter was good as well, completing 64.5% en route to 227 and a 2/1 ratio. The early potential of both Washington and QB Jake Locker seems like a distant memory, as Locker couldn't even break a 40% completion percentage.
Arizona State: STOCK UP
Washington: STOCK DOWN

#17 Virginia Tech 43, Duke 14
The VT passing game actually showed signs of life, as both QBs completed better than 70% of their passes; but oddly, the Hokies running game didn't crack 100 yards. The defense also completely shut down a Duke offense that hasn't been half bad lately. This was the first game where Virginia Tech really lived up to their preseason expectations, though it's hard to get excited when it's against Duke.
Virginia Tech: STOCK NEUTRAL
Duke: STOCK NEUTRAL

Texas Tech 35, #18 Texas A&M 7
Well, the bloom is off the rose for TAMU. The Aggies remained one-dimensional, and their running game is not as effective in a shootout as Texas Tech's one dimension of passing the hell out of the ball. Texas Tech is somewhat quietly having the great year expected of Hawaii.
Texas Tech: STOCK UP
Texas A&M: STOCK DOWN

Louisville 28, #19 Cincinnati 24
Live by the turnover, die by the turnover - Cincy's year evened out a bit as the Bearcats turned the ball over four times. Louisville's defense managed to hold them under 500 yards, and when that happens, the Cardinals have a chance. Also, Brian Brohm (28/38, 350, 3 TD) is very good.
Louisville: STOCK NEUTRAL
Cincinnati: STOCK NEUTRAL

#20 Georgia 20, Vanderbilt 17
Uninspiring performance by the Bulldogs, outside of RB Knowshon Moreno's 157-yard day. Matthew Stafford was mediocre (51.6%, 201, TD), and the defense allowed Vandy to pretty much hang with them. Vanderbilt may be a bit better than previously thought, while Georgia has gone from an exciting balanced team early to one that just makes me yawn.
Georgia: STOCK DOWN
Vanderbilt: STOCK UP

#21 Boise State 69, Nevada 67 (4 OT)
POINTS! Boise's still the best in the conference, but it seems a lot closer than after the Broncos' 58-0 whooping of New Mexico State. Still, running back Ian Johnson is an unbeatable beast, and while you'd never know it here, BSU might be the only WAC team with a semblance of a defense. Nevada established themselves here as an upper-level WAC team after some pretty mediocre showings thus far.
Boise State: STOCK NEUTRAL
Nevada: STOCK UP

Michigan 48, #22 Purdue 21
Well, Michigan's back. Chad Henne looked like he was expected to in the preseason, completing 75% for 264 and 2 TD, and, shock, Mike Hart retained his mantle as most consistently great player in the nation by going for 102 yards and 2 TD despite having to leave early with an injury. The Michigan run defense was also in full effect, holding the Boilermakers to only 39 yards on the ground, and while Purdue QB Curtis Painter had some good peripherals, he's not quite good enough to beat this team on his own, especially when he throws 2 picks. If not for Ohio State, the Wolverines would probably the favorites to win the Big Ten. Wow.
Michigan: STOCK UP
Purdue: STOCK NEUTRAL

Wake Forest 24, #24 Florida State 21
FSU QB Xavier Lee wasn't awful, wasn't that good (24/45, 283, 2/2 ratio), but the game could've been winnable for the Noles had the running game not absolutely shit the bed. And the defense didn't help matters, as while Wake's Riley Skinner only had a 2/2 ratio himself, he was mostly accurate (70.4%), while unheralded back Josh Adams had a huge day of his own (18 att, 140 yards, TD). Wake is a thoroughly decent ACC team, and if FSU is anything more than that themselves, it's not by much.
Wake Forest: STOCK NEUTRAL
Florida State: STOCK DOWN

#25 Kansas 58, Baylor 10
Ehhhhh. If anything, this one was won by the KU defense, as Baylor got absolutely nothing going. And the Jayhawks running game looked good, as a gaggle of backs combined for 236 yards. Still, I'd like to have seen a better performance from QB Todd Reesing, who, while he had a 2/0 TD/INT ratio, wasn't able to crack 50% passing against what isn't that good a defense at all. I'd knock them down, but I'll keep them steady, as the Jayhawks seem fairly established as a pretty good team, but one that isn't really much of a threat to anyone.
Kansas: STOCK NEUTRAL
Baylor: STOCK NEUTRAL

Auburn 9, Arkansas 7
Wow, what a barnburner. Brandon Cox pretty much regressed, though he kept his completion percentage over 50% in throwing for 101 yards. And he was still better than Arkansas's Casey Dick, who had 111 and a 1/1 ratio on only 46%. Darren McFadden showed the inconsistency that prevented me from buying into the hype last year, going for only 43 yards on 17 carries. Neither of these teams are anything to get excited about. Yawn. See?
Auburn: STOCK DOWN
Arkansas: STOCK DOWN

Buffalo 43, Toledo 33
BUFFALO! Running back James Starks had 244 and 3 touchdowns. Wooooooo! I'm just so happy for them. Toledo's an absolute mess.
Buffalo: STOCK UP
Toledo: STOCK DOWN

Kansas State 47, Colorado 20
Pretty close, the main difference being CU QB Cody Hawkins having quite a bad night, completing only 46% and throwing 3 picks. Mostly served as a reminder that Colorado is a work in progress, though the Buffs should still find their way to a .500 or better record. Kansas State is a perfectly above-average team there's nothing to really say about. Ron Prince seems like a nice man.
Kansas State: STOCK NEUTRAL
Colorado: STOCK DOWN

Virginia 17, Connecticut 16
The dream is over. Although UConn is still in the Also Receiving Votes category. Virginia won the yardage battle, but UConn probably takes this if WR/last year's QB DJ Hernandez doesn't fumble within the Virginia 5 in the last minute of the half. Or UConn could've taken it had they not had a bad snap during their crucial final drive, which, combined with a 5-yard penalty on the next snap, resulted in a 2nd and 38. Still, either way, this was a mostly even contest and legitimized UConn as a pretty good team that could win a few games in the Big East. And since I don't think I've bumped Virginia up, and the Cavs have looked much better since the season-opening implosiong at Wyoming, I'll do that here.
Virginia: STOCK UP
Connecticut: STOCK UP

Georgia Tech 17, Miami 14
Judging by Miami QB Kyle Wright's awesome line of 8/17, 56 yards, 1 TD, rumors of Miami's offense showing improvement may have been horribly premature. Georgia Tech has Tashard Choice, and in the ACC, that's enough.
Georgia Tech: STOCK UP
Miami: STOCK DOWN

Hawaii 42, San Jose State 35 (OT)
Oh come on, really now? This Hawaii team is nowhere as good as last year's; the defense is horrible and giving up 30+ to the absolute dregs of the WAC, and Colt Brennan's been weirdly inconsistent, giving up 4 picks this year. Hawaii's almost definitely losing to Boise or Washington, the intrigue's now to see if a New Mexico State can pick them off.
Hawaii: STOCK DOWN
San Jose State: STOCK NEUTRAL

Houston 56, Rice 48
POINTS! Houston RB Anthony Alridge: 24 att, 205 yards, 4 TD. This scoring output may match Rice's for the next 4 games, at the very least.
Houston: STOCK NEUTRAL
Rice: STOCK NEUTRAL

Michigan State 52, Indiana 27
A fairly shocking beatdown, as the Spartans held a potent IU offense under 200 yards, and MSU QB Brian Hoyer completed a fairly insane 87% of his passes. Oh, and Javon Ringer also had 203 yards. Just a complete annihilation, and the type of game MSU desperately needed. Indiana still looks like a sleeper team, but there's now the extra concern about if they can rebound from such a soulcrushing stomping.
Michigan State: STOCK UP
Indiana: STOCK DOWN

Navy 48, Pittsburgh 45 (2 OT)
Dave Wannstedt is a tactical genius. And a giant detriment.
Navy: STOCK NEUTRAL
Pittsburgh: STOCK DOWN

Oklahoma State 45, Nebraska 14
I could laugh at Nebraska or just comment on how their good but disappoint offense is not nearly enough to carry that horrible defense, but I think the most telling thing is that I saw OK State had compiled 551 overall yards, and frankly, I expected more.
Oklahoma State: STOCK UP
Nebraska: STOCK DOWN