Pass or Fail-Week 4

When four top ten teams, lose, there are plenty of fails to hit on during the week. The passes are what become difficult.

Sure, it may be easy to look at the underdogs in those games, but that would just be a boring post.

Anyway, here is this week's Pass or Fail.

Head of the Class: Run, Brandon, Run!!! This was way under the radar, but very much worth recognition. Kansas State kick return man Brandon Banks went off on Tennessee Tech on Saturday to make many team's fans feel better about their kickoff coverage. Banks had two kickoff returns on the afternoon, one after the Golden Eagles tying touchdown in the first quarter and another after halftime, both of which resulted in touchdowns. Banks went 91 yards on the first one, and tacked on an extra three feet for the second one, finishing with 183 kickoff return yards in the game. Banks is only the 12th man in NCAA history to return two kickoffs to the house in a single game.

Pass: Alabama's Defense is ferocious. While I sat watching Alabama in a 0-0 tie with Arkansas halfway through the second quarter almost, it finally donned on me that I should be happy it was still that way. Once Alabama got ahead, it was all but over because of the Crimson Tide's crushing defense. The Crimson Tide are second nationally in overall defense and rushing defense and eighth in passing defense. There have been few teams who have perennially had a stellar defense, but Alabama always seems to be in the top ten nationally in defense year in and year out. Of course, Alabama's swarming defense meant that...

Fail: Arkansas' air traffic controller took a week off. Ryan Mallett was looking like one of the best quarterbacks in the SEC before his trip to Tuscaloosa, which resulting in a 12-35 afternoon, full of miscommunication, drops, and overthrows. The Razorbacks were held to their lowest offensive output of the season by far. Mallett will be a great QB this year, no doubt, and few defenses will be able to attack him like Alabama did, but Saturday was the worst he will look all season.

Pass: Iowa does it again. It would be one thing to say that Iowa just has Penn State's number, which finishing this decade 7-1 against the Nittany Lions would suggest such a thing, but this weekend was different. This was barely even a game as Iowa managed to dominate the game once things settled down. The Hawkeyes put up 21 unanswered points in Happy Valley in front of a very excited and hyped crowd who was all clad in white. Which leads me to believe...

Fail: White outs only erase any home team hope. Besides Penn State's debacle on national television and in front of the Gameday crew (and resulting in Iowa's ridiculous vaulting into the 13th spot in the AP), but Florida State continued the bi-polar world tour by laying an egg at home during a white out against South Florida....excuse me, a Matt Grothe-less South Florida team. Sure, both victors in these situations are still undefeated, but to lose in the fashion that both Florida State and Penn State bit the dust is really no excuse for ranked teams at full strength.

Pass: Oregon decides to punch back. (Ok, I promise, last LeGarrette Blount-Oregon-punch reference of the season[maybe]) After their dismal display to begin the season, the Oregon Ducks are now 3-1 after their Saturday thrashing of the Cal Bears, who were a little to zealous looking ahead to their match against USC this Saturday. Jahvid Best, who had been in my Heisman top five since the pre-season, fell flat on his face against what was perceived to only be a mediocre Oregon defense. Instead, the Ducks are starting to look better and better (as Boise State score more and more) and the noise of Autzen Stadium got to the Golden Bears.

Fail: Finders Keepers is the law in Texas, apparently. I know smaller schools enjoy rushing the field, even if they are the ranked team and beating a team that the polls say they should. However, you rush the field and take the goal posts (potentially) only. That is, unless you go to Houston. The Cougars are still looking for three helmets after Saturday's late win over Texas Tech incited a riot on the field. The program is not going to press charges as long as the helmets are returned, but it seems like someone enjoys their souvenirs a little too much.

Epic Fail: Remember when Ole Miss wasn't Ole Miss? Oh you're 60? Eh, still doesn't make a difference. There is something to be said about the only team in the SEC West who has still yet to make a trip to Atlanta, and once again, this year doesn't look to be the year. The Rebels lost their 6th straight SEC opener Thursday against South Carolina after being universally ranked too high based on one win last year. Ole Miss fell a ridiculous 17 spots in the polls after the loss and now look like a team bound for a return to mediocrity. The Rebs have not put a single half of consistent football together, much less beaten anyone worth writing home about. Sure, you can make the excuse for the boys from Oxford that they only played one Saturday game in September, but that doesn't excuse them from not showing up in the first half against Memphis or SE Louisiana. Who cares, they are gonna go 12-0 in the tailgate this season anyway.