Bottom Five November 19
By Ron Haramia
Commentary
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
236. Texas (9-2)
237. UTEP (2-9)
238. Otterbein (2-8)
239. Navy (1-9)
240. Buffalo (1-10)
The Longhorns were supposed to have one of the best defenses in college football, then go out and promptly lose to Texas Tech (a basketball school, right Bob Knight?) by allowing six TD passes and 508 yards through the air.
The University of Texas at isn�t-four-El-TD Pasos enough? lost to SMU (was 1-9) in a battle of WAC-ked out teams, 42-35. The Miners did throw four touchdown passes, but allowed three, then a 66-yard punt return with just 1:22 left, to lose. Rumors abound that UTEP, SMU and Tulsa (1-10, only win against UTEP) may defect and start their own conference next year. One name suggested is the Western non-Athletic Conference.
Otterbein followed up last week�s 73-0 loss and subsequent Bottom Five notoriety with a convincing 56-0 drubbing at the hands of Baldwin-Wallace, who are now 2-8 and wondering why they didn�t schedule Otterbein sooner, and more frequently, than once a year.
Navy separated itself from the season-long military logjam (see NOTES). The midshipmen were out-rushed (237-35), out-passed (272-47), out-1st downed (28-3) in losing 38-0 to UConn. And this team almost beat ND? (see MORE NOTES)
The Buffalo Bulls� QB rushed 11 times for 72 yards....uh, minus 72 yards, to offset their 240 passing yards in an 11-point loss to Akron. The words �loss� and �Akron� in the same sentence are nothing new, but when your team received a loss to the Zips, the penalty is automatic inclusion in the Bottom Five.
NOTES: It took most of the season, but we salute the military teams for their good week. Air Force, Army and Fort Hays State won. Coast Guard and The Citadel lost, but to other military teams (Merchant Marine, VMI). Maine and Massachusetts Maritime have finished their sea-sons.
MORE NOTES: While Pitt scheduled a bye before taking on No. 1 Miami, Notre Dame scheduled Navy, then a bye before playing Bottom Five alum Rutgers (1-9). Do you see the respect this poll commands?
EVEN MORE NOTES: Having narrowly escaped mediocre teams in consecutive weeks (last minute TD to beat Pur-didn�t, overtime needed to beat Illinois), Ohio State is indisputably the worst 12-0 team in the country. The Bottom Five is just waiting for a meltdown against Michigan this Saturday or worse, in the Fiasco Bowl against Miami.
PRO FOOTBALL
28. Green Bay Packers (8-2)
29. Detroit Cowardly Lions (3-7)
30. Arizona Cardinals (4-6)
31. Seattle �C� Hawks (3-7)
32. (tie) Cincinnati Bungles (1-9), Champaign Bears (2-8)
Green Bay packed it in against the Tikes (3-7), losing nine of their last 11 at the Metrodome. The 31st (nearest-to-last) ranked Tike defense intercepted Brett Favre three times while Daunte Culpepper had two TD passes and one rushing in the 10-point win.
The Packer lead is �only� five games now, with six to play, over second place Minnesota. The Tikes are now on a one-game winning streak.
After the game, Cowardly Lions defensive back Todd Lyght said, �Defensively we were inconsistent. We weren�t able to get off the field.� Sure you were.
After taking a 14-13 lead over the Jets, the Lions then allowed 18 straight points to get their defense off the field quickly and to lose 31-14.
Those funny Cards lost 38-14 while allowing Eagle QB Donovan McNabb to pass for 255 yards and four TDs on 20-of-25 passes on a broken ankle.
The �C� Hawks receive a �D-� for their D as they gave up two fourth quarter TD passes by elderly backup QB Steve Beuerlein to lose to the Broncos 31-19.
The Champaign Bears didn�t lose Sunday! Instead, they lost their eighth straight on Monday night, on national TV, with only a few million people watching. �Hopefully, we will have a chance to win it in the fourth quarter,� said Bear linebacker Brian Urlacher before the game. Well, they did, but you still need to actually win one or they may never let the Bears back in Chicago.
|
|
| Community Calendar |
|
No events listed.
|
|
Interactive Calendar
|
