Fourth Quarter fade costs Ohio State in Texas loss

    Ohio State dominated their visit to Austin for three quarters, but allowed touchdowns on the final three drives, allowing Texas to slip by with a 24-23 win.

Julian Sayin threw for 278 yards with a touchdown and an interception.

Jeremiah Smith caught eight passes for 164 yards and a touchdown to pace the skill players.

Ohio State drops to 1-1 and will host Kent State next Saturday.

Olentangy Offerings.

1) I know Texas scored on three long drives in the fourth quarter, but I have a hard time blaming the defense, which was simply gassed out on the final drive.

The defense does appear to be down a bit from last season, but that's natural considering the talent on that team.

I'm not concerned.

2) Texas did convert two key fourth downs that, if the Buckeyes had been able to stop one, would have been the difference in the game.

3) Jeremiah Smith had a huge game, but most of his damage came in the first half.

I wouldn't say I would be disappointed in his game at all, but a better second half would have helped the cause.

4) I think Ryan Day erred by allowing Texas to roll so much time off the clock before scoring their game-winning touchdown,

Ohio State only needed a field goal to win, and those seconds would have helped in the final desperation drive.

5) Julian Sayin was okay, not great, and his first-half pass was too high for a wide-open Devin McCuin and cost the Buckeyes a certain touchdown.

6) Devin McCuin was dynamic against Ball State. Still, the UTSA transfer returned to earth against Texas, missing his connection on the above pass from Julian Sayin, and finishing with only one catch for five yards.

Ohio State will need someone to step up as the second receiver to relieve some pressure on Jeremiah Smith.

7) I'm aware of Connor Hawkins ' late-game miss from 45 yards that would have clinched the game, but watching the replay, it looked like the holder didn't have a smooth handling of the snap.

Hawkins hit his other three tries, including one from 48 yards, and I think Ohio State has a top notch kicker.

8) The defeat was the first loss in Ohio State history when leading by seventeen points or more at halftime and lost for the first time in 366 games when entering the fourth quarter with a lead of twenty or more- yuck.

9)  Of all the brickbats that could be thrown at Ryan Day for the loss- conservative second-half playcalling, poor time management late in the game, etc .- one stands out above all.

Fourth and two from the Texas 13 and ahead 10-0, Day decided to go for it rather than take a chip shot for three points.

Day then called a run up the middle by Ja'Kobi Jackson for one yard and turned the ball over on downs.

Day has had a tendency to go for it in such situations and against better teams, especially on the road; taking every point might be a better idea.

10) The Buckeyes fell back in their long-standing trap of rotating their defensive linemen so much that when the game is on the line, their best players are on the sidelines.

Larry Johnson has always been a believer in that, and while I see the point (especially on a hot night in Texas) in keeping your freshest players in the lineup, I don't believe it should come at the cost of your best.

I Tell Ya' Herbie

    Time for our weekly thoughts on the college football world- I Tell Ya' Herbie.

I Tell Ya' Herbie:

                            Penn State was viewed by many as a potential playoff winner entering the season.

Between most of their lineup returning and a schedule that featured Oregon coming to State College, and a non-conference schedule that was softer than sherbet, the Nittany Lions ' chances seemed solid.

Even their two overtime defeat to Oregon didn't hurt, but their shocking loss to winless UCLA may have forced Penn State into run-the-table mode, even to make the playoffs, and would include a road win at Ohio State.

I Tell Ya' Herbie:

                             Penn State fans would be more than willing to move on without James Franklin, but it's unlikely to happen.

Why?

Well, if Penn State could find a school that wanted Franklin, Penn State would receive a buyout of between two and four million dollars from that school.

However, if Penn State fired Franklin for any reason (outside of breaking rules, etc.), it would reportedly cost them between $50 million and $54 million.

I Tell Ya' Herbie:

                            Another coach under fire is Texas head man Steve Sarkisian.

Sarkisian's loss to Ohio State on the road could be excused, but not their defeat to a struggling Florida Gators team.

Sarkisian is essentially James Franklin South.

I Tell Ya' Herbie:

                             This week is an opportunity for Indiana to take the next step in its sprint to national prominence.

While Curt Cignetti has done one of the best turnarounds of a downtrodden program in years, the Hoosiers still lack a big scalp on their mantle.

Indiana travels to Oregon on Saturday, and should they win that game, Indiana can knock down another hurdle.

I Tell Ya' Herbie:

                             3-2 Iowa will battle 2-3 Wisconsin in Madison in my favorite game ot the season that doesn't involve a team that I support.

That game is always fun with Ryan (Wisconsin) meeting Jeff (Iowa) in a battle of smack talk, rooting, screaming, and predicting doom; that was always a great time.

I'm hoping to spend my Saturday night on a video chat with the two of them, watching the game.

It's not quite the same as the three of us watching together, but it's something to add to the memory book.

                             

                             

  

Buckeyes starch Arch, hook Texas 14-7

    All the talk entering the Texas Longhorns' visit to Columbus was about the latest Manning to step forward into the limelight and his coronation as the frontrunner to win the next Heisman.

When the Texas Longhorns left Columbus, the talk was how the Ohio State defense neutered the Horns in a 14-7 Buckeye victory. 

Julian Sayin threw a forty-yard touchdown pass and C.J. Donaldson rushed for a one-yard score. Still, the stars were the Ohio State defense, which stopped Texas on fourth down four times, including a goal-line stop that left the Texas version of the Philadelphia Eagles' vaunted "Tush Push" stone-cold stunned.

Ohio State improved to 1-0 and will face Grambling next week.

Olentangy Offerings

1) Ohio State's defense under new defensive coordinator Matt Patricia was the standout.

They harassed Arch Manning incessantly, despite finishing with just one sack, and showed a constantly morphing front that understandably confused the inexperienced Manning.

2) Matt Patricia was looked at as damaged goods after an ineffective run as head coach of the Detroit Lions, and with the loss of Jim Knowles to semi-rival Penn State, it was fair to wonder if there would be an adjustment period for the defense.

The season has only begun, but Patricia's defense looked very good against an offense that is as talented or better than any they will face in the regular season.

It's early, but an excellent game to start the season.

3) I've always liked the Manning family.

I was a fan of Archie as a child, and rooted for Peyton and Eli, but it does feel good to slow the Arch Manning train a bit.

Arch Manning is more likely than not to be a fine quarterback, but it would be nice to see some quality play before handing him a Heisman because his uncle was robbed of one.

Oh, too soon for that?

4) One thing that did surprise me?

Arch Manning's throwing mechanics.

Manning throws very oddly, with a motion that reminded me of 1990s Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Juan Guzman. Manning throws with a lot of action from his arm and shoulder, with a violent whipping motion.

I wonder if that will hurt his durability as his career moves forward?

I also question his mechanics from a family that tutors passers.

5) Julian Sayin was the top prep quarterback in 2015 (Arch Manning was the top-rated QB in 2014), but had become the second banana in pre-game hype.

Sayin only threw for 126 yards (13 of 20) but was hurt by first-half drops (two from Jeremah Smith).

Ohio State kept it basic for Sayin and only his scoring throw to Carnell Tate was a downfield toss but by keeping it simple, Sayin's play wasn't going to cost Ohio State the game.

6) Sayin was also hurt by multiple drops early, two by Jeremiah Smith and one on an early game fourth down that was thrown perfectly to tight end Max Klare.

Drops happen and first game wrinkles are expected, so considering the quality of those two players, those struggles aren't likely to continue.

7) Smith finished with six catches for forty-two yards as Texas double-teamed him often but I do think Brian Hartline might have tried too hard to force his star into the offense.

As great as Smith is, he might have been used better on some plays to help others have one on one coverage in shots downfield as in the score to Carnell Tate.

8) The running game was more effective with West Virginia transfer C.J Donaldson ( 19 carries for 67 yards) than with James Peoples (10 for 20 yards).

Donaldson may not have the speed of Quinshon Judkins but his strength inside is a plus.
I like Peoples as a back but he may need this season to be a feature back next year.

9) Caleb Downs is the best defender in the nation but by the end of the year, the player that will be raved about is linebacker Arvel Reese.

Reese was all over the field and even when he didn't make the play, Reese was near the ball and allowed others to make the stop as Texas needed to account for Reese.

10) The fourth down goal line stop on the Arch Manning sneak will be talked about for years and if NFL teams are watching, the seed for stopping the "Tush Push" may have been planted in Columbus.

Watching the play (and I'm not positive on the players who did what) Edrick Houston,  Kayden McDonald, and Caden Curry each had a position with one going low to clog the blocker, another meeting Manning straight up and the third (Curry I think) diving over the top.

I'll be interested to see if teams use this tactice against the Eagles and others this season.

11) Ohio State's schedule eases a bit with games against Grambling and Ohio U before an off week and their first road test against Washington.

I'm not sure about Washington's roster but traveling to Seattle after last year's loss in Oregon does give me a little pause.

Sawyer Hooks the Horns- Ohio State Tops Texas!

      The Texas Longhorns were one yard away from a tie in the waning minutes of the Cotton Bowl and had four chances to advance that yard.

Three failed plays and seven lost yards later, the game was down to one play.

Jack Sawyer made that play as he swept past his blocker, obliterated Quinn Ewers, separating Ewers from the football, and grabbed the bouncing ball taking it eighty-three yards into Buckeye lore as Ohio State eliminated Texas from the CFP 28-14.

The Ohio State running backs scored all three Buckeye touchdowns as Quinshon Judkins rushed for two scores and TreVeyon Henderson took a Will Howard swing pass seventy-five yards for a touchdown with seconds remaining in the first half.

Will Howard finished with two hundred eighty-nine yards passing with a touchdown and interception with Carnell Tate leading the receivers with seven catches for eighty-seven yards.

Ohio State will meet Notre Dame a week from Monday in Atlanta for the first CFP championship.

Olentangy Offerings

1)  It's so fitting that Jack Sawyer stepped up to make the play of the season.

It was Sawyer, who stopped Michigan's planting of the flag at Ohio Stadium which in hindsight may have been the moment that allowed this team to lock things into place, and who better to run into Ohio State history than Jack Sawyer?

2) On that play, Sawyer blew past Texas tackle Cam Williams untouched and crunched Ewers to force the fumble, yet had the agility to not go to the ground by moving past Ewers, grabbing the ball on one hop and into the history books.

Sawyer has made himself move up draft boards with his late and post-season play but even more, he's made himself a Buckeye legend.

3) The play of the drive came two plays before the Sawyer sack/score on second and goal from the one after stuffing the first down run up the gut.

Texas calls a toss to Quintrevion Wisner but Caleb Downs is there almost before the pitch and while Wisner avoids Downs, he cannot elude Lathan Ransom for a seven-yard loss.

That play forced Texas to throw on third and fourth down and took away any chance of running the ball.

Downs didn't make the tackle but he made the play.

4) Texas dealt with freshman wunderkind Jeremiah Smith by always sending two defensive backs to Smith.

As a result, Smith was thrown to only three times, catching one for a measly three yards.

5) And since someone had to get the ball, if Smith wasn't, Carnell Tate was the main target, but Gee Scott was also thrown to more than usual.

Ohio State didn't complete a pass longer than eighteen yards other than the seventy-five-yard catch and run by TreVeyon Henderson.

6) Will Howard avoided the big mistake that could have kept Texas in the game, and other than one interception in the third quarter (that resulted in no damage), Howard resisted the temptation to force the ball to Jeremiah Smith in double coverage.

That's what a veteran quarterback does, avoid the big mistake.

7) The Jim Thorpe Award for the best defensive back was won by Texas defensive back Jahdae Barron, who is an excellent player, but through my admittedly biased eyes, Caleb Downs was the more deserving candidate.

Downs was all over the field against Texas and was making plays that didn't make the stat sheet as he caused Texas to try to avoid Downs at all costs.

8) The Ohio State defense did more than only turn Texas away at the end of the game.

Ohio State made Texas work for their two scores with long demanding drives and controlled the run and pass equally.

Ohio State sacked Quinn Ewers four times, knocked down six passes, and held the run game to fifty-eight yards for a two-yard per carry average.

9) Ohio State's quick strike at the end of the first half with a swing pass that TreVeyon Henderson took to the end zone shortly after Texas had tied the game at seven allowed the Buckeyes to avoid the dreaded halftime blues.

Henderson has played well recently and is living up to his five-star recruit status with his size and speed.

10)  Ohio State may have played its toughest opponent considering that Notre Dame will be waiting in the finals but I'm not taking the Irish lightly.

Notre Dame's defense is rugged and they run the ball well but they aren't going to scare anyone through the air and I think the Ohio State receivers are too gifted physically for the Irish to handle.

I Tell Ya' Herbie

    With the final weekend of the college football regular season set to start, it's time for the last regular season version of I Tell Ya' Herbie.

I Tell Ya' Herbie:

                              While both Ohio State and Michigan have entered The Game unbeaten several times in the past, and with conference titles and national prestige at stake, this Saturday's clash in Ann Arbor has those and even more.

In fact, this might be the biggest The Game of them all when everything is considered.

 For Ohio State, it's breaking a two-game losing streak, keeps Ryan Day from hearing the name John Cooper with every other sentence or paragraph, and takes some credibility away from the previous two losses considering the sign-stealing scandals at Michigan.

For Michigan, it's all about credibility-lose this game without Jim Harbaugh on the sideline and suddenly it appears that the scandal was legitimate, the "Michigan Men" were so desperate to win that they had to cheat, and there is an asterisk beside the two previous wins and it's almost like Michigan is still on a losing streak.

Plus a loss won't shine well on Jim Harbaugh, even though he won't be there in person, and a loss could mean that this could be the last game that Harbaugh coaches at Michigan.

Toss in a Big Ten title appearance at stake and a likely berth to the CFP ( unless you think offensively challenged Iowa could beat either school) and It's not hyperbole to say this could be the biggest game ever between these two teams and that says it all.

I Tell Ya' Herbie:

                             Friday's Texas Tech at Texas game will be the final time that these two hook up for a while with Texas leaving for the SEC next year and no future games scheduled between the two.

Tech looks at Texas as more of a rival than vice versa but the games between the two are usually competitive and hard-fought with more than its share of wacky endings.

I'll miss the series and Tech now lacks a true rival to despise.

It will take some time as the new Big 12 doesn't have many schools close to Lubbock and many of its schools are in the same boat with lost rivals.

For now, I'd say the most likely to eventually become the Red Raiders "big game" might be one of their old SWC members TCU, Baylor, or Houston but it is going to take time.

The Chancellor's Spurs trophy which Texas and Texas Tech started in 1996 will reside with the winner until the rivalry will eventually be resumed.

I Tell Ya' Herbie:

                             The AAC race is coming down to the wire with three schools without a conference loss entering the final game.

Fortunately, the schedule will sift things down to the final two for the league title game next week as two of the teams will play each other on Friday as UTSA visits Tulane.

The winner of that is guaranteed a title game ticket, while 7-0 SMU hosts Navy (5-5 overall), and a Mustang victory would punch their ticket to the title matchup.

I'm not sure who would win a tie-breaker between SMU (if they lose) or the UTSA-Tulane loser but the conference has to be happy with such a race to the finish.

I Tell Ya' Herbie:

                            The other crazy race is in the Big 12 where Texas leads at 7-1 and three schools (Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, and Kansas State) are all at 6-2 for the two Big 12 championship game slots.

The two teams that control their own destiny are Texas and Oklahoma State but that's if it stays that way after this week.

If Texas Tech beats Texas and all three 6-2 teams win, which is possible as none of them play each other, the league would have a four-way tie for two spots and I don't know how that tiebreaker would play out.

Without knowing who wins the tiebreaker, Mike Gundy's Cowboys could get into the game with a win but also could win and perhaps not make it in should Texas lose.

Wild!

                  

I tell ya' Herbie

Our weekly notebook on college football starts with a complaint and an excellent group of five game this week in the AAC.

I tell ya' Herbie:
                          American Athletic Conference commissioner Mike Aresco suggests there is a double standard against his league on two levels.
The first is his league is underrated against the power five and the other is that his league is held to a higher standard than the other group of five schools.
Aresco might have a mild case in the former, but still, the AAC's small disrespect isn't enough to make a difference in the big picture as even if they were as respected as possible, it wouldn't make enough of a difference to reach the final four.
Aresco's complaint in the group of five rankings is that his teams sometimes are underrated vs the other four conferences weaker schools as he doesn't feel that his third-place SMU Mustangs with one loss deserve to be behind one-loss teams such as the Mountain West's Boise State and especially the Sun Belt's Appalachian State.
Aresco points to his conference's tougher schedule as why his teams are better and he may have a point, but it's always going to be tough in the G-5 for one conference to have the top three teams.

I tell ya' Herbie:
                          Aresco's other complaint could come with his league with the deepest amount of quality schools out of the group of five, looking out at another conference earning the group of five bid to the New Years Bowls.
How so?
His two division leaders (Cincinnati and Memphis) playing each other this Saturday and could play each other again in the AAC title game.
Cincinnati holds a two-game lead in their division, but Memphis is tied with SMU and Navy in their division (SMU and Navy play each other Saturday) and should Cincinnati win along with the SMU-Navy winner winning their final game, it would be a bit different, but should Memphis win this game and then Cincinnati win the rematch, the AAC champion would have two losses and likely not receive the bid as the rules stipulate the G-5 bid go to a conference champion.
On this, I can understand Aresco's problem.
Cincinnati vs Memphis could be the game of the day on a day that will see Ohio State host Penn State and several rivalry games.

I tell ya' Herbie:
                          I'm torn on Tom Herman's Texas Longhorns.
On one hand, Herman's Horns are just 6-4 after a season with big expectations.
On the other, Texas has three of those losses to ranked teams (LSU, Oklahoma, and Iowa State) by 7,7, and 2 points and a ten-point loss at occasionally explosive TCU.
Junior QB Sam Ehrlinger has thrown for almost three thousand yards, 27 TD"s and only eight interceptions, but his offensive line has already allowed 26 sacks with two games to go.
After a Sugar Bowl year, Texas has to be considered a disappointment, but in 2020 Texas has to be all-in as the team will be completely Herman recruited and if Ehrlinger returns, Texas will not have any excuse for anything less than a double-digit amount of victories.

I tell ya' Herbie:
                          I don't understand how anyone other than the most fervent Alabama homer can boost the Crimson Tide for the playoff after their loss to LSU and the following week's injury to Tua Tagovailoa in their game against Mississippi State.
Bama's best wins would be over Texas A&M (currently 7-3, but the Aggies final games are road games against 4th ranked Georgia and top-ranked LSU, so likely to finish 7-5) and assuming they defeat currently 15th rated Auburn, an 8-4 Tigers team.
Add the weak schedule to the season-ending injury to Heisman contender Tagovailoa and unless several things occur such as Baylor defeating Oklahoma in their Big 12 title game, either Oregon or Utah losing a game before the end of the season and then the other wins their Pac 12 title matchup, Clemson losing a game before the end of the season and perhaps even a non-Ohio State Big Ten champion, Alabama would deserve to be on the outside of the final four.
I give teams breaks on non-conference schedules if they try to play at least one tough team when the contract was signed as often times teams that are strong when you schedule them but aren't but the time in between scheduling and the actual games, but Bama doesn't even have that luxury as no one can defend Duke being the best team on a non-conference schedule.
Had Bama scheduled someone such as Florida State, which would have been a power when scheduled, but aren't currently, I would give them far more leeway than I am willing to do now.

I tell ya' Herbie:
                          Remember last week when I wrote that Minnesota was sitting on a loss against Iowa coming off a program-defining win over Penn State?
Well, now it's the Hawkeyes with the target on them as suddenly surging Illinois arrives on a four-game winning streak that not only has made the Illini bowl-eligible but may have saved Lovie Smith's job.
This has possible upset all over it and the only thing that keeps me from picking Illinois as the winner with certainty is that the Hawkeyes will be at home at Kinnick Stadium.

I tell ya' Herbie:
                          I've been asked two questions about this column, so I'll answer briefly.
One is why I don't mention Ohio State often here.
I figure I write about the Buckeyes enough in other posts, so I try to keep OSU out of "Herbie" unless something is really interesting and yet doesn't fit in game recaps.
The other is why does the top five for the power five, group of five and the Heisman only appear on occasion?
Answer; I'm an idiot and forget them sometimes!
Still, these will change from week to week, such as Tua Tagovailoa rated fourth in the Heisman rating now, but will fall as the season moves on and Alabama rated fourth currently, but will likely be passed as other teams win bigger games and conference championships.

Top Five's

Power Five
1) LSU
2) Ohio State
3) Clemson
4) Alabama
5) Oklahoma

Group of Five
1) Cincinnati
2) Memphis
3) Boise State
4) SMU
5) Appalachian State

Heisman
1) Joe Burrow QB LSU
2) Chase Young DE Ohio State
3) Jalen Hurts QB Oklahoma
4) Tua Tagovailoa QB Alabama
5) Jonathan Taylor RB Wisconsin

15 College Football Games that should be Happening! 6-10

We now move to the middle point of our series of college football games that should be happening, but aren't.
The first part of the series can be found here.

6) West Virginia vs Marshall
This is one that almost made into our top five.
Marshall has only been D-I for twenty years, but being the only other D-I school in the state, they should be playing the flagship school in the Mountaineers.
The Thundering Herd has never beaten WVU in their eight modern meetings and went zero for seven in their series that ran from 2006-20012, but still, it makes sense for this series to be played.
The issue appears to be that Marshall wants the series to alternate between Huntington and Morgantown, while the Mountaineers want two home games for them for every trip to Marshall.
It's too bad that the state capital in Charleston doesn't have a suitable stadium to hold the game or that would be the perfect compromise for the third game.
Those that say there is no rivalry between the schools, well my response to that is-Wait until Marshall wins one ( and they will) and then watch it thrive.

7) Notre Dame vs Michigan
Longtime readers may be surprised since I don't like either of these teams and usually try to avoid this September game like the plague.
However, that game was usually a close affair, exciting and with two schools with deep tradition, this game needs to be played every year.
Like the Notre Dame-Purdue series, this series was one that was stopped by the Irish light affiliation with the ACC, which means that the Irish will play five ACC opponents a year.
Notre Dame being an independent meant they could have a lot of rivals with games with Michigan, Michigan State, Purdue, Navy, USC, Stanford etc and something had to give with their ACC agreement.
The two teams will play home and home in 2018 and 2019 and hopefully there can be a way to bring this back to every year status.

8) Texas vs Arkansas
This rivalry dating back to the days of the old SWC with Darryl Royal (Texas) and Frank Broyles (Arkansas) battling for SWC titles and occasionally even national championships.
The 1969 "Game of the Century" (Just watched this today on Longhorn Network,- BOOM, TV upgrade today) saw number one Texas nip number two Arkansas 15-14 and is still remembered to this day.
It just wasn't an SWC game in those days of one or two games a week without it involving one of these teams and their encounter usually had a national television audience
The teams have played five times since the Razorbacks left for the SEC (two of those bowl games), but not since 2008 in the regular season and have no future games scheduled.

9) Kentucky vs Indiana
The former battle for the Bourbon Barrel (both schools eliminated the trophy after an alcohol-related death in 1999, although they could have changed the name to Bronze Barrel, I guess) saw the Wildcats and Hoosiers play almost every year (a few gaps in the early 80's) from 1979 to 2005, but haven't played since.
Neighboring states with a big rivalry in basketball along with both usually being among the weaker football programs in their respective conferences make this a series that would be worth renewing.

10) Maryland vs Virginia
The Terrapins and Cavaliers were longtime conference rivals as the two most northern teams in the ACC (until expansion), they were the closest to each other and battled often for the same recruits.
A trophy was never involved between these schools and despite teams having other rivals (Maryland had various rivalries with other ACC schools, depending on who was strong during in a particular era while Virginia played Virginia Tech every year before VT joined the ACC), their conference rival was consistently each other.
The conference changes saw each add a "rival" in conference (Maryland with Penn State, who doesn't look at them as such and Virginia with Virginia Tech) and could use a non-conference rival currently.
The two will play home and home in 2023 and 2024, so maybe there is hope for reviving this rivalry.

Look for the top five sometime soon!

Thanksgiving Texas Football-Cougars,Red Raiders and Ed Oliver

Thanksgiving Friday often is thought of as "Black Friday", but I have always thought of it more as Rivalry Friday as there are usually rivalry football games or at minimum-important games.

I miss the days of some of those games from days gone by (I have a great idea on this for a post next week), but it is still a great day and the perfect setup for the next day with even more rivalries-especially The Game.

I've been working a lot of late, so I've been pretty tired, but I took a nap and got up at noon to see the newest team that I pull for as the Houston Cougars hosted the Navy Midshipmen.
I've been very effusive in my praise for Cougar defensive lineman Ed Oliver, who I think deserves the Lombardi and the Outland trophies for the top lineman in the nation.
Oliver is just a sophomore and is so dominant that I love watching Cougar games just to see him play.
Oliver was the dominant force in this one, a 24-14 win finishing with 14 tackles,3.5 of those for losses and two sacks and forced Navy to run away from him and run almost exclusively to the outside because they couldn't get the fullback to do anything against Oliver.
Oliver is so dominant that there is talk of a rule change involving blocking below the waist when a player is being blocked by multiple players because Oliver is being double and triple-teamed on every play!
Oliver injured his knee against Temple on one of these blocks and played through an injured ACL for a few games (This video is the week AFTER the MCL injury and Oliver is running downfield chasing down running backs!), so it has only been the last few games that he is back to full speed.


My favorite two Oliver plays are plays that I have to find a video of, but here's a description-
Against Texas Tech, late in the half, Houston put TEN guys back to defend against the deep pass and rushed only Oliver.
Oliver vs the Tech offensive line and yet it's Oliver who forced a hurry and just missed a sack-1 on 5!
The other came in the loss to Tulane (I think anyway) where Oliver is being blocked by multiple blockers, gets held and dragged to the ground, gets up and chases down the quarterback for the sack anyway!
If you like football and couldn't care less about Houston-watch their bowl game anyway, just for Ed Oliver.
I'm already making plans to see the Cougars when they visit Navy next year.
I always talk about when Ryan and I saw Randy Moss when he played for Marshall against Kent State live.
I want to say the same about seeing Ed Oliver live too.

It's been an interesting year to watch Houston. They finished 7-4 and will be in a bowl game, but it has been an odd 7-4 in the first year under Major Applewhite as the replacement for Tom Herman.
Big wins over South Florida on the road and this win over Navy at home are countered by inexplicable losses to bad teams on the road in Tulsa and Tulane.
And had they not collapsed against 25th ranked (as of today) Memphis in blowing a ten-point lead with less than seven minutes to go -it would be the Cougars traveling to Orlando next week for the AAC title game and an attempt to ruin the undefeated season of Central Florida.

I'm a newer Cougar fan because going back to their days in the SWC, my team there was always the Red Raiders of Texas Tech.
The Red Raiders have slotted into every other year's Thanksgiving game against the Texas Longhorns since Texas A&M left for the SEC.
The Longhorns insist on always being at home for their Thanksgiving day game since the Aggie's departure, so Texas Tech plays Thanksgiving at Texas in odd years with TCU getting the slot in even years.
Tech coach Kliff Kingsbury was thought to need a win to possibly save his job as the Red Raiders entered at 5-6 and needed a win to be bowl eligible.
I've never liked the Longhorns, although with Tom Herman taking the job as head coach there, my fondness for Herman has lightened the dislike for now.

I've been critical of the Big 12 for teams playing video game football with little defense, but there are some signs that there are a few steps in the right direction as TCU and Iowa State are playing decent defense and suddenly I'm seeing Tech play better on the defensive side of the football as it was the defense that stepped up made the plays (twice holding the Horns to field goals with drives that had first and goals inside the Tech five) to keep Tech in the game and then an interception by Justus Parker with just over two minutes to go that was returned 56 yards to the Texas 14.
That play allowed Nick Shimonek, the regular starter that didn't see the field until the 4th quarter to hit Cameron Batson for the game-winning score and a 27-23 Red Raider win.


After the game with Tech now 6-6 and bowl eligible, it was announced that Kingsbury would be returning for 2018.
I think that's a fair thing to do with the requirement to Kingsbury that 6-6 next season will not be enough to return for 2019.
Kingsbury's teams have never had problems scoring points, the problem has been a very porous defense even for the Big 12, which says a lot about the state of the Red Raider defense.
The tide may have turned in Lubbock with a defense that will return 10 starters and might be a sleeper team for 2018.
The question is which do I root for in September when the Cougars travel to West Texas for a rematch with the Red Raiders after this season's 27-24 Tech win.

I'll be back later with a quick boxing challenge for tonight's HBO tripleheader and of course later, we'll have our recap of "The Game"...