Week 10 Open

Week 10 is now open.  I will advance the week on Saturday (9/7).

On this edition of College Football 360 we span the landscape of the AALoA.  The Iowa Hawkeyes, one of the surprise teams this year, and the Nebraska Cornhuskers continued to roll through the Big Ten as they appear to be on an epic collision course in Week 14.  Iowa jumped out to a 24-0 lead on Northwestern and never looked back while the Cornhuskers pounded the Gophers into submission 48-7.  Taylor Martinez continued his Heisman push throwing for 204 yards and rushing for 104 yards while accounting for 4 TD on the day.


Virginia Tech and Notre Dame both got into shootouts and were lucky enough to come away with the victory over Duke and Arizona State respectively.  Coach Gruden and his Bruins also saw fireworks in their game versus Oregon, unfortunately it was all one sided as Oregon racked up 564 yards on the ground and 9 rushing TD vs UCLA.  QB Marcus Mariota rushed for 246 yards and he was only second on the team as DeAnthony Thomas exploded for 312 yards on the ground ... yikes. 


The Bruins weren't the only team to fall at the hands of a computerized opponent as the Yellow Jackets were upended by Virginia 27-22.  The biggest games of the week were the two B1G conference user games.  The Fighting Illini kept their division title hopes alive with a victory Saturday and in doing so seriously hurt the Spartans chances of reaching Indianapolis.  The Game Of the Week pitted Ohio State, coming off their first loss, and Penn State who had yet to lose a conference game.  The Horseshoe proved to be too much for the true frosh as Ohio State doubled up the Nittany Lions 28-14.


Week 10 presents a couple of potential gimmies as Georgia Tech hosts Pitt, Virginia Tech plays Boston College, Notre Dame visits Navy and UCLA looks to rebound versus Colorado.  Meanwhile Ohio State travels to Purdue to face a Boilermakers team that has plagued coach Tressel over the years. Nebraska and Iowa will both be at home against teams over .500.  Will they get caught looking ahead?  Will RB Damon Bullock's back injury proved to be a bigger deal than expected?


The two most intriguing games are Michigan versus Michigan State as these two in state rivals always put on a good show and Illinois versus Penn State.  There is no rest for the weary as Penn State finds itself in another big time matchup.  A week after giving up sole possession of first place in the division they will battle the Fighting Illini to stay in contention.  Who will blink first?

Ah crap... F#%{*n Purdue...

Good news: Earned my second commit -- 3-Star C John Wilcox.  
Bad news: He's a bust. -7 from his projected OVR.  
Annoying news: I'm still not ranked. 

Great write up again Steel

PSU lands no new recruits and loses first place...Rough week to say the least.

The Paul Bunyan Trophy goes to Michigan State as the Spartans beat the absolute piss out of Michigan 42-7."I sure as hell am not happy with how this season has gone so far, but it did feel damn good to go out here and take our frustrations out on Michigan," Senior MLB Max Bullough was quoted as saying.

After a spotty start to the season including getting embarrassed at home and on the road against Iowa, the defense has played much better of late. Two of their last 3 opponents have been held under 200 total yards, helping the MSU defense rank in the top 10 in both total defense (# and rush defense (#5). 

That stout rush defense is going to get a huge test in their next game though, as they have to travel to Lincoln, Nebraska to take on EDJ's 7-0 Cornhuskers.

illmatic_216 wrote:Great write up again Steel

Thanks man.

SquirrelHunter wrote:The Paul Bunyan Trophy goes to Michigan State as the Spartans beat the absolute piss out of Michigan 42-7."I sure as hell am not happy with how this season has gone so far, but it did feel damn good to go out here and take our frustrations out on Michigan," Senior MLB Max Bullough was quoted as saying.

After a spotty start to the season including getting embarrassed at home and on the road against Iowa, the defense has played much better of late. Two of their last 3 opponents have been held under 200 total yards, helping the MSU defense rank in the top 10 in both total defense (# and rush defense (#5). 

That stout rush defense is going to get a huge test in their next game though, as they have to travel to Lincoln, Nebraska to take on EDJ's 7-0 Cornhuskers.

Congrats on the win.

Wow, is that MSU/Neb game next week?  Big game.

MeanMrMustard wrote:Good news: Earned my second commit -- 3-Star C John Wilcox.  
Bad news: He's a bust. -7 from his projected OVR.  
Annoying news: I'm still not ranked. 

I havent checked this week but VA Tech has zero recruits so far so im with you haha.

SquirrelHunter wrote:The Paul Bunyan Trophy goes to Michigan State as the Spartans beat the absolute piss out of Michigan 42-7."I sure as hell am not happy with how this season has gone so far, but it did feel damn good to go out here and take our frustrations out on Michigan," Senior MLB Max Bullough was quoted as saying.

Wow, nice work... and I'm very glad to hear cause they have taken 5 recruits (I was originally in the lead for) away from me... literally just blown me out of the water, I lose like 250 points on them every week...

I can't wait to get back on the field. Hopefully I can win out and Va Tech and Miami lose a couple times so I fan stay alive for an ACC championship game berth.

I think I'm going transition to an up tempo offense . 7 minute quarters are a lil too short for a ground n pound team like mine.

Steel Pitt wrote:

SquirrelHunter wrote:The Paul Bunyan Trophy goes to Michigan State as the Spartans beat the absolute piss out of Michigan 42-7."I sure as hell am not happy with how this season has gone so far, but it did feel damn good to go out here and take our frustrations out on Michigan," Senior MLB Max Bullough was quoted as saying.

After a spotty start to the season including getting embarrassed at home and on the road against Iowa, the defense has played much better of late. Two of their last 3 opponents have been held under 200 total yards, helping the MSU defense rank in the top 10 in both total defense (# and rush defense (#5). 

That stout rush defense is going to get a huge test in their next game though, as they have to travel to Lincoln, Nebraska to take on EDJ's 7-0 Cornhuskers.

Congrats on the win.

Wow, is that MSU/Neb game next week?  Big game.

thanks guys. 

nah i get a bye week to prepare for Nebraska and figure out how to stop taylor martinez. anybody have some game tape they wanna send me? 

SquirrelHunter wrote:

Steel Pitt wrote:

SquirrelHunter wrote:The Paul Bunyan Trophy goes to Michigan State as the Spartans beat the absolute piss out of Michigan 42-7."I sure as hell am not happy with how this season has gone so far, but it did feel damn good to go out here and take our frustrations out on Michigan," Senior MLB Max Bullough was quoted as saying.

After a spotty start to the season including getting embarrassed at home and on the road against Iowa, the defense has played much better of late. Two of their last 3 opponents have been held under 200 total yards, helping the MSU defense rank in the top 10 in both total defense (# and rush defense (#5). 

That stout rush defense is going to get a huge test in their next game though, as they have to travel to Lincoln, Nebraska to take on EDJ's 7-0 Cornhuskers.

Congrats on the win.

Wow, is that MSU/Neb game next week?  Big game.

thanks guys. 

nah i get a bye week to prepare for Nebraska and figure out how to stop taylor martinez. anybody have some game tape they wanna send me? 

The Heisman Trophy front runner Taylor has been unstopable this season.  The only person with user game tape would be Ani and I don't think that will give you any tips on beating Nebraska, in fact I'm sure of it. lol

BK_Buckeye wrote:Ah crap... F#%{*n Purdue...

Could it happen again ... really???

Steel Pitt wrote:

BK_Buckeye wrote:Ah crap... F#%{*n Purdue...

Could it happen again ... really???

With the way the comp has been playing against everyone else, I'm going in this game expecting to lose...lol

7 turnovers what the fuck just happened? Well just lost to Boston College I don't even know what to say...

x--Nike wrote:7 turnovers what the fuck just happened? Well just lost to Boston College I don't even know what to say...

That sounds like it was a nightmare of a game. That sucks but thanks for losing! Now hopefully I can take care of business.

truth_n_babylon wrote:

x--Nike wrote:7 turnovers what the fuck just happened? Well just lost to Boston College I don't even know what to say...

That sounds like it was a nightmare of a game. That sucks but thanks for losing! Now hopefully I can take care of business.

Good luck to you too!

Steel Pitt wrote:

SquirrelHunter wrote:

Steel Pitt wrote:

SquirrelHunter wrote:The Paul Bunyan Trophy goes to Michigan State as the Spartans beat the absolute piss out of Michigan 42-7."I sure as hell am not happy with how this season has gone so far, but it did feel damn good to go out here and take our frustrations out on Michigan," Senior MLB Max Bullough was quoted as saying.

After a spotty start to the season including getting embarrassed at home and on the road against Iowa, the defense has played much better of late. Two of their last 3 opponents have been held under 200 total yards, helping the MSU defense rank in the top 10 in both total defense (# and rush defense (#5). 

That stout rush defense is going to get a huge test in their next game though, as they have to travel to Lincoln, Nebraska to take on EDJ's 7-0 Cornhuskers.

Congrats on the win.

Wow, is that MSU/Neb game next week?  Big game.

thanks guys. 

nah i get a bye week to prepare for Nebraska and figure out how to stop taylor martinez. anybody have some game tape they wanna send me? 

The Heisman Trophy front runner Taylor has been unstopable this season.  The only person with user game tape would be Ani and I don't think that will give you any tips on beating Nebraska, in fact I'm sure of it. lol

Muahahaha. I've still got a few surprises in store too. And the staff is currently in discussions about making a few changes to the ol' playbook. What, oh what, can we be thinking of next?

EA Servers will be down from 7:00 am EST to 7:15 pm EST on 09/05/2013 for anyone planning to get their games in at that time.

The Missouri Tigers lost a heartbreaker to the No. 22 Tennessee Volunteers in a game that featured bizarre officiating, no defense and an inexplicable blizzard in the middle of autumn.

But the play that will be remembered was Coach Mustard's controversial decision to go for it on 4th and 5 with a minute to play with the team in FG range.

"Why the (expletive) is that controversial?" Mustard said afterward. "Did you watch the same game I did? We give the ball back to them with the score tied, we lose. Is it controversial to try to (expletive) win games now? Don't write that, let me think of something to say without saying (expletive)."

Controversial or not, the gamble looked like it was going to pay off, as Maty Mauk hit Darius White in the hands on a slant, well past the first down marker. With open field ahead of him, White dropped the pass.

TV cameras caught Mustard jumping around on the sideline like a lunatic, screaming at the top of his lungs.

The drop was just the latest in a series of frustrating plays for the Tigers, who fell to 6-3 with the loss. The defense, which had looked so good against the pass in recent weeks, folded altogether, only forcing a single punt all game. The lone punt came after the officiating crew called the first offensive pass interference against the CPU in the history of EA Sports, helping the Tigers force a third and long play and an eventual punt.

The Tigers almost forced a punt in the first half when DE Kony Ealy snuffed out a 3rd and long screen play from the opposite side of the field, only to have the referee call a facemask against him. Ealy later would set the school record for sacks in a season, recording his 11th of the year.

Mauk was brilliant in the loss, leading the Tigers on touchdown drive after touchdown drive, after it became clear that his defense wasn't going to do anything worthwhile.

"You'd think it would be really hard to play in a blizzard but... Eh. Seemed pretty easy out there for both offenses today," Mauk said, shrugging.

Mustard made a stunning announcement after the game, with Senior QB James Franklin expected to return from injury soon.

"Mauk's my guy," he said. "How's that for controversy?"

--

Players of the Game
Offense: WR Dorial Green-Beckham — 10 catches for 125 yards, 2 TDs
Defense: Referee No. 18 — 1 offensive pass interference call.

The Fighting Illini save their season with a huge 49-35 victory over the Penn State Nittany Lions. Write up soon to follow sometime tomorrow.

Ga. Tech stays alive in the ACC with a 38-21win over Pittsburgh. Now. @5-2 I only have one conference game left. I have a chance if First place Miami loses 3 games. They have 5 conference games left. Virginia would need to lose 2 more as well.

Nebraska blows out Northwestern in Lincoln to win their 8th straight as the lone unbeaten in AALoA (for now).

Remaining Games: 
Ken vs CoLOLrado
Buckeye vs The Curse

and illmatic's recruiting

If those games get in, I can play Week 11 early before going out of town Friday. Push it guys!

the_EDJ wrote:Remaining Games: 
Ken vs CoLOLrado
Buckeye vs The Curse

and illmatic's recruiting

If those games get in, I can play Week 11 early before going out of town Friday. Push it guys!

Hehehehe at CoLOLrado

Not surprisingly, Purdue and Ohio State go into TRIPLE overtime, and the Buckeyes manage to pull a 64-56 win...  

The Boilers were all over the Bucks right from the start, taking a Braxton INT to the house, and jumping out to a 14-0 lead in the 1st quarter, and taking a 24-14 lead into the half...

4 min remaining in the 4th, Ohio State found themselves down 34-28 with possession of the ball... thats when Braxton threw his second pick 6 of the game, giving the Boilermakers a 42-28 lead with under 4 min left... 

But the now two nicknamed "Big Play" Philly Brown came to life in the last 3 minutes, catching a 42 yd TD from Braxton Miller on the ensuing drive, and then, after a Purdue fumble, a 68 yd streak TD with 1 min remaining to tie the game...  Purdue would miss a 48 yd game winning FG as time expired...

The Purdue offense was ridiculous, churning out 26 first downs, and going 2/3 on 4th down coversions...  They had consistent scoring drives of 8, 12, 11 plays...  

Braxton Miller accounted for 3 turnovers, and 7 total TDs...

The game featured 970 yds of offense between the two teams...

Crazy game buckeye. Good job everyone on the early advance. Thanks.