This was a great weekend for football, both college and pro. I usually don't like college football,and I think the bowl system is a giant profit-motivated joke. This is one of the only times you will see me write about college ball.
A weekend of chaos: The No. 2, 3 and 4 teams all fell in upsets. Sadly, Nick Saban's No. 1 Alabama routed Mizzou. But Pitt Beat Clemson with a last-second field goal, Iowa did the same to Michigan, and out West, USC handed the Huskies their first loss. Meanwhile, Penn State had its win gift wrapped by Indiana, which lost five fumbles. A little background here... I work in student aid at Penn State. Many families are surprised to know that I am not an alum and generally couldn't care less about the football team. I wrote off this season after the loss to Pitt, assuming they would go 7-7 and end up in yet another bowl no one cares about or remembers. That all changed the night of October 22. They beat not only their most bitter Big Ten rival, but also the No. 2 ranked team. Fans stormed the field and trashed downtown State College. I then became a fan and I am now pulling for the No. 8 Lions to make a playoff run, which is unlikely but definitely possible.
Best play: Penn State runs a flea flicker. Sorry football experts, but I have to explain this one. In a flea flicker, the QB hands off to the running back, so the other team assumes there will be a running play and stacks up the line. But, the running back pitches the ball back to the quarterback, who then throws a deep pass because all the defenders are at or near the line trying to stop the run. This either works spectacularly or fails epically. This one worked, because it was a score for the Lions.
Off-the-field fun: I was fascinated by an off-the-field pickup game between a bunch of kids during which a football got caught in a tree. They then attempted to throw a second football up there to get the first ball down, and the result was two stuck footballs. The kids threw their friend "Hunter the Punter" under the bus. They then tried to throw a shoe, and climbed the fence. ESPN even sent a camera and their sideline reporter over there to cover the hijinks. The cops got involved and the kids got their ball back.
If Penn State runs the table by beating Rutgers and Michigan State (very possible), they could face Ohio State again in the Big Ten East Championship, and then get into the playoff. I didn't expect them to be so good this season, but we are starting to see Coach James Franklin's recruits show their skills. The reason JoePa's teams were so good was because of recruiting, and we may be seeing that again with Franklin.
On to the NFL: There was also plenty of action in the grownup leagues as well.
Yes Virginia, the Eagles have a ground game: They didn't win in dramatic fashion on a last-second field goal, but this is an important win because, for the first time, they committed to the run. The three-headed running monster of Darren Sproles, Ryan Mathews and rookie Wendell Smallwood combined for 208 rushing yards and three TDs. Since the Birds' receivers are mediocre, this adds a whole new dimension to their game. Yet, they are somehow still last in the NFC East at 5-4. And Carson Wentz is still having a decent season, and would be a serious contender for rookie of the year if it wasn't for two hot rookies who play for the Cowboys.
Cowboys dominate: Big D won another one, this week in Pittsburgh, and are an amazing 8-1, with their single loss the result of a bonehead play on opening weekend. Dak Prescott and Ezeikel Elliott have re-energized this team and made them an offensive powerhouse. Jerry Jones said a now-healthy Tony Romo is the backup to Prescott. This is most definitely the right call, because you stick with the hot hand. Drew Bledsoe even said to Romo "This is what happens when you get injured." For those of you with short memories, Bledsoe was the No. 1 overall draft pick in 1993, and the Patriots envisioned him as their QB for the forseeable future. After signing a gigantic contract in 2001, he was badly injured and replaced by some guy named Tom Brady. We all know how that turned out. Don't count your chickens, Dallas fans... It's not December yet.
Halfback option: RB DeMarco Murray was a beast for the Cowboys. He then had trouble fitting into Coach Chip Kelly's offensive scheme playing for the Eagles. Since playing for the Titans this year, he has returned to form, and he is one of the top rushers in the NFL, second only to Zeke Elliott. During the Flaming Thumbtacks' blowout win over the Packers, Murray had a rushing TD, and even threw a TD pass. The 5-5 Titans are one of the most unpredictable teams in the NFL. Because of the 47-25 win over the Packers, longtime coach Mike McCarthy's job is now in jeopardy.
Down in the Dumps: Da Bears are 2-7, and many optimistic Chicago fans think they will end up 2-14. At least they can draft a decent QB with a record like that. Still, the Cubbies won the World Series. God continues to hate the city of Cleveland, who may very well be the first 0-16 team since the 2008 Lions, and the Browns don't even need Matt Millen to foul things up. A Cleveland fan wants to have a parade if the Browns go 0-16. I say why the hell not?
Jared Who? We all know Carson Wentz was the No. 2 pick this season, and he is having a great run as a rookie. The No. 1 pick was Jared Goff, another quarterback. So far he has been the backup behind Case Keenum. Since the L.A. Rams offense is so inept, they will play him this weekend against the Dolphins, looking for some kind of spark.
So this is a 2-point play now? The Broncos-Saints game ended in dramatic fashion. The Broncos blocked an extra point as time expired, and ran it all the way back to their end zone. This was counted as a 2-point conversion, and the walk-off win for Denver. Didn't this used to be a 6-point play?
How bad are the Jets? Following the 9-6 loss to Los Angeles, apparently they are so bad that the Pats-Jets game was yanked from NBC's Sunday Night slot in Week 12. This is because of the Jets' inability to play professional-level ball and sagging TV ratings for the NFL. Supposedly, the Cards' 23-20 win over the 49ers was also a woofer.
Adventures in Officiating: This week, it's about the non-calls. Kam Chancellor and Earl Thomas weren't flagged after molesting Gronk, giving the Seahawks the unlikely win over the Pats. In the Eagles' win, the zebras missed a blatant helmet-to-helmet hit as Keanu Neal launched himself at Jordan Matthews. The Philly fans reacted accordingly.
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