The Rookies

Jahvid Best is fast.

We’re trying something new here, with Roundtable discussions and chats for college football, the NFL, and soccer on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday every week. Feel free to leave your opinions in the comments.

How’s your team?

Minda, Nebraska: Nebraska is 2-1, maybe should have been 3-0. I’ve been worried about their D-Line, but after watching QB Zac Lee get lost in the spotlight yesterday, I’m almost worried about him too.

Mech, Michigan: The University of Michigan is effing awesome right now. They unleashed a devastating running attack on Eastern this weekend, highlighted by Carlos Brown’s 187 yards on just 13 carries for two TDs. Entering Big 10 play next week, I think Michigan has definitely shown that they can contend for the conference championship.

Chill, Boston College: How is my team doing? Let’s put it this way: George Armstrong Custer had a better day on June 26th, 1876, than BC football did last Saturday against Clemson. BC plumbed the depths of ineptitude, with 48 total yards, 3 turnovers, and 12 3-and-outs. The offensive line was more porous than Paris Hilton circa 2006, and BC’s two freshman quarterbacks made me long for Jonathan Crompton.

What’s even more disheartening is that down 16-0 at halftime, coach Frank Spaziani told the sideline reporter that he wasn’t hopeful for a win and that “it might get ugly in the second half.” Usually, teams quit on coaches. This coach quit on his team. I’m about three weeks from calling for his head. At this rate we might even lose to Notre Dame.

Rock, Florida: We got to play Jonathan Crompton, so 23-13 wasn’t too outlandish a margin for a team that allowed clock-chewing drives on the ground and didn’t throw a ball further than 30 yards downfield. (Hurry back, Deonte Thompson: This isn’t going to cut it for long.)

Best surprise? Biggest disappointment?

Chill: I would vote for Miami as the biggest surprise so far. Jacory Harris is the real deal, Andre’ Woodson with better pocket presence and more size. What’s more impressive is that the defense is finally playing up to their potential. Last year against Georgia Tech, Da U’s speed on defense was immature and poorly coached, thoroughly fooled by the triple option. This year, the Canes stayed disciplined, playing as a unit. If Miami beats Virginia Tech this weekend, they should be the clear favorite for the ACC title.

The biggest disappointment is tougher. Quite a few middling BCS teams have played shockingly (looking at you, Purdue, Virginia, Maryland, etc), but biggest disappointment has to be a team with bigger expectations than that.

Minda: I’m terribly disappointed in Furman, my second-favorite team. I mean, here I thought my Paladins had a shot against Missou–oh wait. What the hell is a Furman? And why was Missouri playing THEM in Week 3 while other Big XII teams* were actually playing ranked opponents?

*just Nebraska and Texas Tech, actually. But still, Muck Fizzou, as the kids say.

Mech: Although it is tempting to give biggest surprise to Washington, I think enough people saw this outcome coming. I’ll instead call Joe Cox the biggest surprise, throwing for 375 yards and 5 TDs to lead Georgia over Arkansas. Cox had been completely mediocre in his first two games of the year, so this performance really came out of nowhere. Biggest disappointment I would give to BYU, who got flat out destroyed at home by Florida State.

Rock: The disappointment is USC, obviously: 0-for-10 on third downs, multiple turnovers deep in Washington territory, a defense that couldn’t stop Jake Locker when it mattered, and the sort of play-calling that would lull Jim Tressel to sleep. As USC rounds into terrifying form like they always do, this one’s going to hurt. Unlike Stanford in 2007 or Oregon State in 2008, this was about the offense flailing, not the defense leaking, and USC should have the talent (though they were missing deep threat Ronald Johnson) to score 20 points on anyone.

The surprise, begrudgingly, must go to Florida State. In years past, that opening night loss to Miami would have sideswiped the season, and the soggy, hair’s-breadth win over Jacksonville State seemed to indicate that was a possibility this year. But FSU played with the speed Mickey Andrews has been talking about on defense (Greg Reid is the best freshman in the country) and was brutally efficient on offense, fully dismantling a BYU team that had the most impressive win of the season to that point with their manhandling of Oklahoma in Dallas. The orange-and-blue part of my brain is seeing red over FSU and Miami rising again, but the more rational national college football fan is just happy both schools seem to have coaching that can maximize their talent again.

Sweetest play of the weekend?

Chill: Minnesota’s perfectly executed WR reverse pass for a touchdown against Cal. The beauty of this play was in its execution. Eric Decker, lined up in the slot, ran back and left while the Minnesota RB ran a toss sweep right. Decker caught the pitch perfectly in stride, ran to his left, and threw a perfectly weighted fade into the corner of the endzone. Touchdown.

Mech: Tyrod Taylor’s game winning throw over Nebraska.

Minda: Everything about USC losing was sweet sweet nectar for the soul. (resists stabbing Mech)

Rock: This:

Simple. Powerful. Beautiful. (And I think Berry got the better of the hit; Tebow usually doesn’t fall sideways.)

Best team? Is there one?

Chill: Everyone has looked vulnerable so far, and it’s far too early to anoint a best team, but I believe Florida will be that best team. Based on performances and opponents so far? That would be Alabama.

Rock: There’s no best team. Alabama’s playing better than anyone else, has the best win of any undefeated team (neutral site over Virginia Tech), and still couldn’t put away Florida International until the second half. If I had an AP ballot, I’d try to rank seven teams sixth, or, failing that, burn it.

Mech: Team of the week, at least, goes to Miami, who thoroughly destroyed a talented Georgia Tech team. Looks like we are seeing the the rebirth of “The U.”

Best player in the country or of the week? Why?

Chill: The best player in college football is Jahvid Best. Do yourselves a favor and watch the next Cal game. Best is clearly superior to every other player on the field. Against Minnesota, he scored two fourth-quarter touchdowns where everyone on the field knew what was coming (Best running to the corner of the end zone) and the Gophers were powerless to stop it. Jahvid Best runs through college defenses like Adrian Peterson runs through NFL defenses. Right now, that’s the highest compliment that can be paid to a college football player.

Mech: Cal’s Jahvid Best wins player of the week for single-handedly winning the game against Minnesota with 5 TDs. If Best can continue to put up these kinds of numbers, he could lead Cal all the way to a BCS game and possibly bring home the Heisman for his troubles.

Rock: Yeah, sorry, Jahvid. It’s Eric Berry, both this week and for the season. Peep the pick at 0:24:

He was a monster for Tennessee on Saturday, all over the field, leading a surprisingly stout defense against a team with more talent. Bruce Feldman (it’s Insider) was impressed, too:

Berry did everything from making a diving interception to tracking down one of the Gators’ speedy scatbacks from across the field to another play in which he took on a blocker AND tackled the option man. He moved up on my Heisman ballot, and I get that offensive players are more involved on more plays. But none of these QBs and RBs are better than the next-best guys at their positions by as much of a gap as Berry is at his.

We’ll be having our chat tonight during Last Call, probably from seven-ish to nine-ish. Join us, won’t you?