Georgia has lost two-in-a-row and this time to unranked and SEC East cellar dweller Vanderbilt! With last week’s loss to #13 Tennessee (51-33) and now a 24-22 loss to the Commodores, expect #16 Georgia to plummet further in the national rankings. Still on Georgia’s dance card are the toughest part of its season– #2 Florida, #11 Auburn and #13 Georgia Tech.
In another SEC contest, #11 Auburn continues to impress, beating #2 Florida 27-17. Auburn also beat #6 LSU in week three by a score of 7-3. Auburn has a solid “D� that’s capable of keeping them in the game. Although the Tigers’ defense had its problems in the first half with Florida, it proved to be stellar in the second half when they managed to score on a blocked punt and a fumble recovery. The Auburn offense did not score a TD and that’s worrisome for the Tigers.
The SEC, with its cadre of top teams and a dangerous lower echelon, is proving to be a volatile, unpredictable and entertaining conference.
Two other surprises in the Top 25 saw Indiana beat #15 Iowa by a score of 31-28 and Texas A&M beat #19 Missouri by 6 points, 25-19. The Hoosiers’ stunning victory over Iowa should be a wake-up call for the Hawkeyes, who must travel and battle #4 Michigan next week. For the unranked Texas A&M team, they have a chance to continue to be a giant killer in their final three games against #23 Oklahoma, #21 Nebraska and #6 Texas. Prior to those contests, they play Oklahoma State and Baylor. Texas A&M could be in the elite by the end of the season or merely a footnote in Missouri’s season.
Boston College, which dropped out of the Top 25 last week should be back in with a convincing 22-3 win over #22 Virginia Tech. The Eagles defense forced 4 turnovers and held the Hokies to only 21 yards in the first half and 181 yards total for the game. BC QB Matt Ryan looked good, going 16 for 29 for 174 yards and 2 TDs.
The talk-of-the game was walk-on kicker Steve Aponavicius, who had never played a game of organized football in his life! He was two for two on field goals (36 and 20 yards) and two for two on PATs! He replaced kicker Ryan Ohlinger, who was suspended after getting in a fight outside a Boston bar. Ohlinger has been struggling on the field, missing three extra points in two weeks.
With three Top 25 clubs losing to unranked opponents, there should be plenty of room for the Eagles to move back into the national rankings.
The #24 Scarlet Knights of Rutgers continue to have their best season in years. The team looked like it would have a breakout season in 2006 and thus far it has. Next week, they play the Pittsburgh Panthers (6-1)—a club off to a much better start than most predicted. The Knights must beat the Panthers to keep their ranking and to contend for a top spot in the Big East. The Panthers sit atop the Big East with a 2-0-conference record, having beaten lowly Cincinnati and Syracuse.
Later in the season, Rutgers takes on conference foes #7 Louisville and #5 West Virginia. Of the six games left on the Knights schedule, the Panthers, Cardinals and Mountaineers will be the toughest and will determine Rutgers conference and national finish.
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