The Rest of the Saturday in College Football
By the way, the reason I didn't give a local look in the post below to the view from Appalachian State? Well, that's because the Mountain Times, the paper serving the beautiful Boone, North Carolina area, only publishes weekly. I can tell you there is a water shortage there, though, perusing the headlines. I am guessing next week's edition will have a thing or two to say about what unfolded in Ann Arbor. And maybe an update on a local festival or church bake sale.
Meanwhile, in the rest of college football:
Cal gets its revenge on Tennessee, displaying a much better appreciation of the need to play fast and hit hard than it did one year ago in Knoxville. Cal 45. Tennessee 31. Tell you what, from watching that game last night, Cal has the play fast stuff down pat. Some eye-opening speed on the edges from the Bears, including a genuine star-making performance from Cal's running back, Justin Forsett.
The 45 points given up by UT is the most they have allowed since Florida hung 62 on them back in 1995.
Stewart Mandel, the best in the college football business right now on the national sites, has a good recap of the day with assorted observations in his si.com blog. It includes this thought among others:
"I caught a lot of flak from Virginia columnists (though not so much Cavaliers fans) when I placed Al Groh on top of my annual worst-coaches list this summer. I wonder if any of them are starting to reevaluate America's least productive $2 million coach in light of this score Saturday: Wyoming 23, Virginia 3."
One of the Swamp's resident die-hards would be in agreement with Mandel, I think, with regard to his take on Groh. But, hey, if you are Groh and can talk someone into paying that kind of jack for that kind of incompetence, I guess good for you.
By the way, Texas, for those who missed just barely missed out in turning in a notable loss of their own, barely escaping with 21-13 win over Arkansas State. Someone let Longhorns fans know when the team re-discovers the ability to run the ball in short yardage situations. It appears to still be missing.
Really interesting first weekend of college football, to say the least. Although one wonders which si.com female staffer gave the go-ahead for si.com to run the headline "An All-Time Shocker" with regard to the Appy State win. Guess she hasn't had better...
