Big 10 Report: Week 9

Overview:

 Leave it the Big 10 to remind us how important special teams play is.  Two games were impacted by two gutsy special teams’ plays.  Michigan State was able to pull off another trick play that was a major factor to them remaining undefeated.  Wisconsin used a fake punt to thrust them ahead of Iowa.  The results of both of these games had a major impact on the Big 10 standings so it is just another reminder that special teams are exactly that special.  Ohio State rebounded from their loss last week and put a pounding on Purdue but the Buckeyes need help if they want to regain their Big 10 Crown.  It was a tough loss for Northwestern but I am still counting on them for at least 1 big win this year so keep an eye on the Wildcats.

Standout Players:  

If you want to watch a player giving 110% on every play look no further than Dan Persa of Northwestern.  This guy plays with a lot of guts and almost led his team to an upset victory over Michigan State.  While watching that game I was shocked that he kept getting up after every big hit.  This kid is a gamer and deserves a lot of respect for his play on the field.  This weekend had good performances from several quarterbacks but I was really impressed by the play of Ricky Stanzi.  Stanzi has a reputation of making poor decisions, but he was on point against Wisconsin.  He ended the game throwing 3 touchdowns and 0 interceptions.  Even though Iowa lost I think Stanzi proved that he is still a force in the Big 10. Not to be out done Kirk Cousins had an impressive game too.  Michigan State had to lean on their Junior quarterback more than usual as they found themselves down early.  Cousins completed 67% of his passes going 29-43 with 331 yards.  His play had a lot to do with the Spartans staying undefeated.

Looking Ahead:

Another College Football weekend and another great Big 10 match-up.  This weekend could be the last major test for Michigan State as they take on the Iowa Hawkeyes in Kinnick Stadium.  I like Michigan State in this game but it is really difficult to win in Iowa City.  Another game that promises to be exciting is the Michigan @ Penn State game.  Penn State is looking to get their season back on track and a win against Michigan would do the trick.  Michigan looks to answer the questions surrounding the team, as to whether they can win games in the Big 10.

Written by Jon Dove.  Follow him on Twitter @NFLMocks.

PGWU Heisman Watch: Week 8

We had some great showings on Saturday and others weren’t.  Deanrd Robinson and Taylor Martinez fell to the back of the line after last weeks performances.  Terrelle Pryor failed to follow up a great pasing game against Indiana with a horrible game vs the Badgers.  Kellen Moore and Cam Newton continue to win and put up ridiculous stats.  Here is the top 5 for week 8:

5th Justin Blackmon WR Oklahoma State Cowboys  He leads the nation in most major categories for receiving and is a major reason behind his Cowboys being 6-0 with a big time battle against Nebraska this week.  He will be matched up with stud CB Prince Amukamara for the Huskers.  If he has a big game here, he will climb on this list.

4th DeMarco Murray RB Oklahoma Sooners   The All-Time leader in Touchdowns for the Oklahoma Sooners keeps getting it done every week.  He padded his stats against a weak Iowa State team last week, but he will have a national spotlight on Saturday night when his Sooners head to Mizzou for a battle with the Tigers.

3rd LaMichael James RB Oregon Ducks  He dropped a spot after the bye week, but LaMichael still has a great shot to hoist the trophy in December.  Look for him to have a huge game against the Bruins this Thursday night.

2nd Kellen Moore QB Boise State Broncos 14-16 fro 231 yards and 2 TD, and that is just in the half he played.  His stats would be twice as impressive if he played in the 2nd half of any games this year.  The fact that he plays a weak schedule in the WAC is what bothers me about him.

1st Cameron Newton QB Auburn Tigers His performance in the shootout against the Razorbacks was incredible.  He added another 4 TD’s to his tally this season and almost rushed for 200 yards.  He has the Tigers up to number 5 in both polls and 4th in the BCS rankings.  He finds a way to get it done every week.

Big 10 Report: Week 8

Overview: 

 Two big things were lost this weekend; Ohio State’s #1 ranking and Tim Brewster’s job.  You cannot talk about this past weekend’s games without mentioning the big win by the Wisconsin Badgers as they upset the #1 Buckeyes.  Wisconsin played their game and won because they were able to establish a running game.  John Clay and James White were a great 1-2 punch as they put up 184 rushing yards and 3 touchdowns.  The loss by the Buckeyes put a serious dent in their National Title hopes, now they must keep winning and hope that other teams lose.  Terrelle Pryor regressed as a passer and threw more than a handful of balls in the ground.  Not all is lost for Ohio State so they need to regain focus and play well.  Lost in upset talk was the nice performance by the unbeaten Michigan State Spartans.  I felt that this could possibly be a trap game for the Spartans but they came out and played their game.  They have a few tough games coming up including at Iowa and at Penn State.

Iowa also took care of business this weekend knocking off the Michigan Wolverines.  It appears that the Big 10 has as many as 4 teams battling for the title; those teams include Michigan State, Ohio State, Wisconsin, and Iowa.

You have to think this might be the start of the slide for Michigan as they have not lost 2 games in a row.  It is obvious that Michigan is struggling with the bigger stronger teams of the Big 10, compared to the different style teams they played early in the season.

Standout Players:  

Over at NFLMocks.com we looked at the performance of Gabe Carimi and I think he is worth mentioning here as a stand out player.  He had a tough match-up against Cameron Heyward but he held his own in pass protection and also opened up several big holes for the running backs.  I was really impressed with the way he got to the second level.  You also have to mention another Wisconsin player in JJ Watt as he was all over the field.  He was constantly in the backfield putting pressure on Pryor while holding strong against the run.  Finally, I want to point out the game by Iowa’s Adam Robinson who carried the ball 34 times for 143 yards and 2 touchdowns.  Robinson is going to be one of the most important pieces to Iowa’s Big 10 championship hopes.

Looking Ahead:

There is really only one game that will get a lot of attention and that is the match-up of Wisconsin @ Iowa.  This game could very well knock the loser out of title contention.  The key to the game is on the front lines as the Wisconsin offensive line looks to get a push against the impressive Iowa defensive front.  A nice head to head match-up to keep an eye on is Gabe Carimi vs Adrian Clayborn.

Written by Jon Dove.  Follow him on Twitter @NFLMocks.

PGWU Heisman Watch: Week 7

Welcome to week 7 in the college football season. This weekend we get our first BCS standings and quite a few big games, but we are here this week to talk about the Heisman Trophy candidates. Terrelle Pryor is back on the map this week, as is Taylor Martinez. Did Denard Robinson hurt his chances with last week’s performance? Check it out.

5th Kellen Moore QB Boise State   He has 14 TD to 1 INT this season, and is averaging 9.9 yards per completion.  These stats are great considering he hasn’t played much in the 2nd half of the last few games.

4th Taylor Martinez QB Nebraska Wow!  That is all I can say about his performance last Thursday against KSU.  He made the Wildcat defense look silly with his blazing speed.  Martinez leads all FBS schools with 10.8 yards per rush and 12 rushing TD.

3rd Terrelle Pryor QB Ohio State  Slowly, but surely Pryor is beginning to quiet his critics.  He is throwing the ball better this season than he ever has, coming off a great performance against Indiana.  He was 24-30 for 334 yards and 3 TD.  For the season he has 15 TD to 3 INT and is completing nearly 70% of his passes.

2nd LaMichael James RB Oregon  Had an impressive game last week with 223 total yards and 3 scores.  He has been an extremely consistant performer so far this season and that is what it takes to win the Heisman Trophy.

1st Cameron Newton QB Auburn  He continues to put the Tigers on his shoulders and they continue to win.  He had 4 rushing TD last week, adding to his impressive total TD mark of 21.  If the Tigers keep winning, he will stay atop this list.

GameDay

After a very long week of sub-par football games, College Football Saturday is finally here!! This week is mainly focused on some big time match ups in some of the big time conferences, but a couple key out of conference games are still on the schedule. Check us out every Saturday morning for our primer to GameDay!

The Big 10 boasts a couple games to keep an eye on this week. Indiana brings its high powered offense to The Ohio State University and the Buckeyes stingy defense. Depending on the health of Terrelle Pryor, this could be a tight game. The game of the week in the Big 10 would have to be Michigan State at Michigan. This rivalry got a whole lot more interesting with the emergence of Denard Robinson facing the very talented Spartan defense, led by Greg Jones.

A couple of the out of conference games to at the very least keep an eye on would be Arkansas and Texas A&M in Dallas at Jerry’s Palace and Utah at Iowa State. The Arky/TAMU game should be an offensive explosion, and it features a handful of NFL Draft prospects. Utah at Iowa State should be a close game in my opinion, I just think ISU is playing with a confidence right now.

The ACC is having somewhat of a down year, but could have a couple interesting games this week. Clemson travels to UNC to face the Tar Heels in a game that features two underacheiving teams, the Tar Heels are getting their core players back every week though. The game to watch is FSU at Miami. This match-up will be centered around 2 big time QB prospects in FSU’s Christian Ponder and Miami’s Jacory Harris. The QB that has the best game will lead his team to a win.

Finally we get to the SEC. Possibly the 2 biggest games of the week are held here, I could probably write that every week. Alabama travels to South Carolina, if the GameCocks can stop the Bama rushing attack they have a very good chance. Ingram rushed for close to 250 yards last year in a 20-6 Tide victory. LSU heads to Gainesville, FL to face the Gators. This game should be a very close low scoring battle because both teams have speed to burn on defense and very shaky offenses.

The PGWU crew will be in and out all day today, so use this as an open thread for any college football discussions you would like to have. No matter what game you are watching, there is always a Draft prospect to keep an eye on!

Written by Jason Madson. Follow on Twitter @isbnJMAD

Week 6 in the Big 10

Overview:

 This was a big weekend in the Big 10 as it was good to see some teams take charge of their spot in the pecking order.  Michigan State had a very good win against the higher ranked Wisconsin Badgers.  Michigan State looks to have a strong team that has hopes to make a run at a Big 10 title or at the very least a Rose Bowl bid if Ohio State makes it to the National Championship Game.  Iowa came out and did what they were expected to do against Penn State and you cannot count them out of the Big 10 race.  Penn State looked sluggish on offense and that has a lot to do with a inconsistent running game and a true freshman quarterback.  Northwestern and Michigan are undefeated but many will argue the neither has played a tough schedule, and that is probably true.  Michigan had another shootout win against Indiana giving up over 200 receiving yards to Indiana wideout Tandon Doss.  Ohio State had a dog fight of a game against Illinois and they looked terrible when Pryor went out briefly with an injury.  This is noteworthy because if he is unable to stay healthy, this Buckeye team could be in serious trouble.

Standout Players:

There is no way you mention Big 10’s top players without leading off with Denard Robinson.  This kid has himself positioned nicely for a Heisman trophy run and is stuffing the stat sheet every week.  He is such an electric player and is one of the most exciting players in College Football.  Iowa’s defensive end Adrian Clayborn showed up in a big way against Penn State recording 10 tackles, 3 tackles for loss, and 1 sack; a truly dominate performance.  You also have to give a lot of credit to Kirk Cousins because he led his team to a good victory while going for an efficient 8-10 118 yards in the second half.

Looking Ahead:

The top game on the schedule is the match-up between rivals Michigan and Michigan State, this will be an exciting one people.  Each team is ranked in the top 20 and are undefeated, this game will go a long way towards the final Big 10 standings.   It will be interesting to watch Denard Robinson go against a legitimate defense this week.  I like Michigan State in this game because I feel they will control the clock with their running game and slow down Robinson just enough. 

 Two other intriguing games to keep an eye on are Illinois vs Penn State and Ohio State vs Indiana.  The Penn State vs Illinois game pins two teams hoping to keep pace with the top part of the Big 10 and a loss for either team could be the beginning for a disappointing season.  The only reason I would give Indiana a chance against Ohio State is because I am a little unsure of the health of Pryor.  I feel if he misses any time due to injury the Indiana offense could make this game interesting.

Written by Jon Dove.  Check out his work at NFLMocks.com and on Twitter @NFLMocks

PGWU Heisman Watch

Every Week we will be giving out the top 5 Heisman candidates based on their performance so far in the season.  Last weekend gave us some strong showings, from some of the top candidates.  Michigan Wolverines QB Denard Robinson continues to seperate himself from the rest of the pack.  Terrelle Pryor took a step back with average play and an injury, LaMichael James had a huge week in a very important Pac 10 game..  Here are the top 5 Heisman candidates for this week.  They are ranked in reverse order.

5th Cameron Newton QB Auburn Tigers

He has carried the Tigers on his super-sized shoulders to a 5-0 record, both throwing and running the football.  His mix of accuracy, a big time arm and mobility are 3 of the biggest reasons Auburn is undefeated.

4th Daniel Thomas RB Kansas State

This do it all running back has the odds stacked against him every week, but he still manages to get his yards and big plays.  This former QB is a pro at running the Wildcat for HC Bill Snyder.

3rd DeMarco Murray RB Oklahoma Sooners

Did you see him tip toe the sidelines against Texas last Saturday?  He is a do it all player for the Sooners who deserves more pub.

2nd Colin Kaepernick QB Nevada

I know this is probably way too high for many peoples liking, but he is as good as they come with the ball in his hands.  He should lead his team to an undefeated record when the Wolfpack face Boise State later in the season.

1st Denard Robinson Michigan Wolverines

I really don’t need to say much about this phenom.  He is the Heisman winner right now and if his season continues this way, it will be impossible to overlook Mr. Robinson.

PGWU Heisman Watch

Every Monday we will be giving out the top 5 Heisman candidates based on their performance so far in the season.  Last weekend gave us some strong showings, from some of the top candidates.  Michigan Wolverines QB Denard Robinson continues to impress the voters.  Terrelle Pryor has put up some tremendous stats, so has Kellen Moore from Boise State.  Here are the top 5 Heisman candidates after week 3.  They are ranked in reverse order.

5th Taylor Martinez QB Nebraska Cornhuskers

He has led the Cornhuskers to a 3-0 record, and done so in a convincing manor.  He has rushed 40 times for 421 yards and 8 TD averaging 10.5 per rush.  In what isn’t a strong part of his game, he has thrown the ball for a 65% completion percentage and  392 yards with 1 TD and 1 INT.  He runs the Nebraska offense extremely well, and if they keep winning he will keep climbing on this list.

 

4th Andrew Luck QB Stanford Cardinal

Luck has played flawlessly so far this season.  He has led Stanford to a 3-0 record with a TD-INT ration of 10-0.  He has thrown for 674 yards this season and has a completion percentage of 64%.  He is no slouch on the ground either.  He averages 10.8 yards per carry and has another score on the ground.

 

3rd Patrick Peterson CB LSU Tigers

Peterson has played his role perfectly as a shutdown corner, he already has 2 INT.  He is also an incredible return man for the Tigers.  He is averaging 31.7 yards per kick return and 23.9 per punt return.  He is as good as they come for what he does.

 

2nd Ryan Mallett QB Arkansas Razorbacks

Mallet has done an incredible job leading the Razorback offense this season.  The Hogs have a huge game this weekend with number 1 ranked Alabama.  If Arkansas and Mallett come out of this game with a W, I could see a magical season for Mallett and his team.

1st Denard Robinson QB Michigan Wolverines

 

This kid has been a huge surprise this season.  Very few had any idea about him before he exploded against UCONN.  I figured it would slow down after that game, but he has continued to impress.  He has a 69% completion percentage, has thrown for 671 yards, 4 TD and 1 INT.  That is impressive, but here is where it gets ridiculous, his running stats are that much better.  He leads the nation in rushing with 559 yards and a 7.6 average yards per carry.  Add in another 4 TD on the ground and you can tell why Michigan has played so well this season.

Written by Jason Madson @isbnJMAD on Twitter

PGWU Weekend Review

As most of you were watching college football on Saturday, I was enjoying my bachelor party.  I didn’t get to watch much college football, so I spent yesterday and this morning watching the games I recorded.  Here is my version of how the past weekend in college football played out.

Nebraska crushed the Huskies and embarrassed Jake Locker, 56-21.  20% completion percentage is a joke.  If I were playing the Huskers, my gameplan would be to run the football, a lot.  This is the first time I have seen Jared Crick this year and I think he is good, but not the great player everyone is making him out to be. Taylor Martinez is extremely fast around the corner, I would put one of my safties as a spy on him every play, prove you can beat me with your arm.  Nebraska has a Dallas Clark clone in WR/TE Mike McNeill, he is a threat all over the field. 

Houston’s chances of being a BCS buster were crushed by UCLA this week, 31-13 Bruins win.  Case Keenum played in this game, after having concussion symptons during the week, and might be out for quite a while longer now.  He was injured trying to make a tackle on an INT return by UCLA LB Akeem Ayers.  He injured his right leg, but that is all we know at this point.  Keep your eye on freshman QB Terrance Broadway, who stepped in after Keenum’s backup was hurt as well.  He is going to be a good one.  UCLA shored up their rush defense for this week atleast, holding Houston to a little over 100 yards this week.  Bruin RB Johnathan Franklin had a huge game with 158 yards and 3 scores.

Ohio State did what they were supposed to do against Ohio, 43-7 was the final.  Terrelle Pryor had a good game, but 2 INT worries me a little.  The combo of Daniel Herron and Brandon Saine provide a good punch for the Buckeyes.  Add in the rushing ability of Pryor and they have the makings of a very good running game.  I love the Buckeye defense,  they are solid from front to back.

Wisconsin struggled withe the Arizona State Sun Devils on Saturday, but get the win 20-19.  Jay Valai is a hero this week after blocking the game tying extra point.  This raises some questions about the legitimacy of Wisconsin being ranked this high.  The Sun Devils are a team they should lined up and out muscled on every play, especially at home.  Scott Tolzien was his usual accurate self for the Badgers, connecting on 76% of his passes.  

Oregon State holds on to beat the Louisville Cardinals, 35-28.  The Beavers have an offense that is loaded with play makers, but a horrible defense.  Quizz Rodgers had a great game on the ground, gaining 132 yards and 2 scores.  He also caught a pass for a score.  The Beavers were saved by a late INT by Sr. CB James Dockery. 

Arizona proved the doubters wrong this week, beating Iowa 34-27.  Nick Foles threw for 303 yards and distributed the ball to 11 different targets last week.  They made Iowa’s defense look silly in the first half.  Big play’s helped the Wildcats out as well, an INT  return for a TD by Trevin Wade and a KR for a TD by Travis Cobb and a blocked punt helped Arizona out tremendously.  I am very impressed with Iowa QB Ricky Stanzi though, he looks like a better decision maker this season.  Iowa RB Adam Robinson was a non-factor the whole game.

Missouri gets an ugly win, beating San Diego State late 27-24.  This game was one to forget for Mizzou fans, and Blaine Gabbert for that matter.  The Tigers did get the win, but Gabbert threw 2 costly INT’s in the games final quarter.  He did connect with WR TJ Moe on a game winning 68 yard TD with 51 seconds left in the game.  Aztecs RB Ronnie Hillman had a very memorable game.  He rushed for 228 yards and 2 scores, one a 75 yard run, the other for 93.  The Tigers had a big time injury in this game when star DE Aldon Smith suffered a broken fibula, he hopes to be back for the Big 12 conference opener against Colorado.

Oklahoma barely slipped by Air Force,  27-24.  The Falcons gashed the Sooners with their running game, gaining 357 yards on the ground.  They averaged close to 6 yards per rush.  Landry Jones was solid in this game, throwing for 254 yards and a TD.  The Sooners leaned on RB DeMarco Murray, and he didn’t let them down.  Murray had 148 total yards and 3 scores.  Sooners WR Ryan Broyles had a solid receiving game as well.

Written by Jason Madson @isbnJMAD on Twitter

Pregame Warm-Up Podcast Week 3

This week on The Pregame Warm-Up Podcast, we discuss quite a few topics. Tune in for a discussion about Reggie Bush and what he should’ve done with his Heisman Trophy, the Pregame Warm-Up conference breakdown where we discuss the hot topics in each conference for this upcoming weekend, we made our selections for the Pregame Warm-Up Pick’em segment and finished this week off with the World Famous Prospect Quick Fire. Thanks for listening!