Sunday Cup Of Coffee

Closer and closer to the end of the 2009 college football regular season and things are getting very exciting. Six teams remain undefeated as everything is up for grabs at this point. It's Sunday afternoon and we're having a cup of coffee.

At The Top

Roll Tide Roll I may have underestimated 'Bama and top Heisman candidate, Mark Ingram. The Crimson Tide left Starkville on Saturday night boasting a 10-0 record with eyes on a National Championship. Running back Mark Ingram had another fantastic game averaging 7.8 yards a carry on 19 rushes while the 'Bama defense allowed 10 or fewer points for the fifth time this season. Nick Saban's squad is very, very dangerous and close calls against Tennessee and LSU in recent weeks have toughened this team all around.

Chomp, Chomp, Chomp Twenty straight wins after a 24-14 victory at South Carolina. The Florida Gators haven't lost a game since September 27th, 2008. Anyone else impressed? The wire-to-wire top ranked Gators have a defense with bite that has yet to allow more than 20 points in any of their games this season. Led by junior defensive end Justin Trattou and senior linebacker Brandon Spikes, Florida's defense is sixth in the country in interceptions (17) and eleventh in the country in sacks (29). Very impressive.

McCoy & Co. Are Waiting After the injury to Oklahoma's Sam Bradford, the Longhorns ticket to the National Championship game was punched. Just keep winning, and your a lock. Colt McCoy has done just that. While McCoy isn't putting up earth shattering numbers as he has in recent years, he's winning. In four straight weeks the Longhorns have put 35+ points on the board and haven't allowed more than 14. The Big XII is a one-team conference and that one team is headed to the National Championship.

Hook 'Em, Horned Frogs Texas Christian is as advertised, awesome. In each of their two statement games this season, against a ranked BYU team and Utah this past week, TCU has dominated. In Provo, the Horned Frogs flattened BYU in a 38-7 rout. Saturday night, the Horned Frogs came out and put 55 points on the board against the Utes, holding them to just 4 of 15 on third downs. TCU's offense is ranked fifth in the country in rushing offense averaging 252 yards per game. From a non-BCS conference, the Horned Frogs should be able to crash the National Championship party, beware.

Rough Nights

The Irish Eyes Are Frowning What else needs to be said? The 6-4 Irish aren't a top tier program. BCS Bowl dreams are gone. Jimmy Clausen won't win the Heisman Trophy, 20+ year draught in South Bend continues. Charlie Weis will be fired and then what? Start over? Notre Dame lost their fourth game to a twelfth ranked Pittsburgh team Saturday night and the nightmare isn't over. The schedule was in their favor to begin the year, USC & Boston College, both teams they've struggled against would be coming to their place. Michigan (5-6), Washington (3-7), Purdue (4-7), and Washington State (1-9) all on their schedule. You are what your record is, 6-4 just average.

The Trojans Are Embarrassed In their two most recent "big" games, the Trojans have been outscored 102-42, ouch. Their freshman signal caller Matt Barkley has looked like a freshman throwing four interceptions combined in both of those games. Going forward it doesn't get easier for USC, with two games remaining against UCLA and a ranked Arizona team, Southern California is going to have to fix some things quick. I've seen Pete Carroll's team play three times this season, with a lead they don't attack, when losing they lay down. That's a character thing, not a talent thing. No one questions the talent that is on this team, but the hunger just isn't there. Do they have talent like Oregon's LaMichael James or Stanford's Toby Gerhart? Yes. However do they have heart and discipline like those players? No. It's about time USC plays like the top tier team everyone makes them out to be.

Heisman Update

Alabama RB, Mark Ingram Great performance against Mississippi State, 19 carries for 149 yards and two touchdowns. He's frontrunning rightnow.

Florida QB, Tim Tebow A very workmen like performance yet again. 14 completions for 199 yards passing and 1 rushing and passing touchdown.

Texas QB, Colt McCoy Completed 76.5% of his passes over the last four games. You take Clausen, Locker, and Tebow. I'll draft a veteran passer like McCoy anyday.

Clemson RB, C.J. Spiller 158 total yards in Clemson's 20 point victory over North Carolina State on Saturday. Spiller is late to the party but extremely dangerous.

Stanford RB, Toby Gerhart Last four games, 123, 125, 223, and 178 yards rushing. Previous four games, 96, 134, 200, and 113 yards rushing. The nations 3rd leading rusher, PERIOD.