Halftime!! Well, we are about halfway through the college football season, and so here are a few random thoughts on how things are going.
Coach of the Year candidates at the midway point: Bill O’Brien of Penn State, Bill Snyder at Kansas State and Mike Riley up at Oregon State. Can you think of three better?? These guys are all doing a remarkable job at their “State” universities. Funny coincidence, right?
Disappointment of the Year? Not even close. The Big Ten Conference is in a league of its own. The two best stories are Ohio State and Penn State, but both have serious NCAA issues! Michigan State and Michigan have not lived up to expectations. My favorite team in the league has now become Northwestern. That’s right folks, Northwestern! They take in good students, and can still move the chains. Kind of like Stanford. It’s fun to watch smart guys play well.
Out West: Oregon is in a class by themselves. The race in the Pac-12 is for 2nd place. The interesting thing is Oregon has now become so good they MIGHT lose a game, and still get voted into the BCS Championship Game just like Alabama or LSU. Everybody loves the way Oregon plays football. Never thought I’d say it, but it’s true.
Shocker of the Year: Texas’ defense. Never thought I’d see a Texas team give up the numbers they have the last two weeks. Teams are racking up yards like the federal government racks up debt! Hope the Longhorns can come back in the second half, but it won’t be easy.
The SEC looks as good as ever! Why in the world would Missouri and Texas A&M want to go into that battlefield?? Money, you say? All the money in the world doesn’t make you feel good when you are losing every Saturday. I guarantee you a coach didn’t make that decision. Trust me.
Surprise of the Year thus far: Notre Dame. Not only are they undefeated, but they are playing outstanding defense. It’s not the luck of the Irish that has the Domers 6-0, #5 in the BCS and dreaming of a national title.
That’s all for now folks. Can’t wait for the second half.
- TD
Former UCLA head coach and College Football Hall of Famer Terry Donahue is an NCAA Football analyst for Dial Global.
