LSU vs Arkansas: Sure, Arkansas won this nailbiter. And in the leadup to the game, all eyes might have been on Arkansas’s dueling quarterbacks, brothers Casey and Nathan Dick. But the true star to emerge today was LSU quarterback Jordan Jefferson. No, his numbers weren’t electric — 9 of 21 for 143 yards and 2 touchdown passes — but they’re downright remarkable for a true freshman. Jefferson ran for a respectable 50 yards and, moreover, showed versatility in the pocket, running tall for one long gain of 15. He looked good out there. If I’m Les Miles, I’m not feeling so sorry about my prospects after a tough year for Tiger quarterbacks.
But if I’m Arkansas, I’m feeling like I just fought an incredible fight against the defending national champions. And I did! In a season in which comfort has been hard to come by, Arkansas — who finishes 2-6 in the conference and 5-7 overall — can at least point to a number of very close finishes. They had a convincing victory against then #18 Tulsa and a victory over then #20 Auburn, and their losses were even closer: a one-point loss against Kentucky, a two-point loss against Mississippi, a three-point loss against Mississippi State. Their wild blowout losses? Versus #1 Alabama, #2 Texas, and #4 Florida.
#2 Texas vs Texas A&M: Should their be any doubt left as to whether #2 Texas quarterback Colt McCoy deserves to among the top contenders of any Heisman Trophy list after Texas’s winning season, the numbers in McCoy’s devastating performance against chief rival A&M say it all: 23 of 28 for 211 and 2 throws for TDs in addition to 49 yards and 2 TDs scrambling. Texas A&M, well — certainly this franchise has seen better days. Texas, on the other hand, has had many winning seasons in recent years, and in one respect this season has been the winningest: McCoy threw for 3,445 yards, the most in any season in school history.
The BCS has no love for Texas, and the Burnt Orange Nation has spent the last few Saturdays in indignity, rooting uncomfortably for victories by the likes of Oklahoma in hopes of keeping its hard-won top-ranked spot in the BCS rankings. Enough is enough: give us a damned playoffs, President-elect Obama. In the meantime, coaches should take a closer look at McCoy, who has played extraordinarily well against the toughest schedule in all college football this year.
Photo used with permission under a Creative Commons license with Flickr user Davig A G Wilson.
