BY DAN GEORGE 

(NOTE: Opinions expressed here are of the author alone and do not reflect the opinions of anyone at LibertyHillSports.com)

Did you know?

1.   That many of you ridiculed me for picking Mizzou to beat Texas..take that!

2.   Purdue has now beat Ohio State two striaght at home-Hail Purdue

3.   Oklahoma State won its 10 straight on the road

4.   1998 was last time Boise State lost a conference game at home

5.   The Houston Cougars only had 25 minutes of possession but still scored 73 pts

6.   Dec 4th, 1965 is the last time Penn State played with out Joe Paterno..offensively its been every week for years

7.   The Florida Gators have lost 9 straight against ranked opponents...way to continue the streak Muschump!

8.   This is Georgia's first 8 game winning streak since 2002

9.   4th time this year the Gaggies have blown a half time lead

10.  That was Michigan State's first win in Iowa since 1989.

11.  Casey Pachall of TCU is the first QB under Gary Patterson to throw for 400 yards in a single game

12.  The last time Stanford's QB Andrew Luck and Oregon QB Darron Thomas squared off was in 2007. Luck's Houston Strartford team

defeated  Aldine 34-24..Thomas did rush for 101 yards and throw for another 168

13.  First time the Longhorns didnt score a TD since 2004

14.  Tennessee is 0-6 in conference play for the first time ever

 

This week's biggest winners

 

1.   College football fans.....we saw great finishes at Clemson, Kansas State, Boise State, Purdue, Penn State, and Baylor

2.   The B.C.S....Boise State and Stanford drop from the ranks of the unbeatens making a possible LSU vs Ok State a lot less controversial

3.   Oregon, Oklahoma, and Alabama are back in the National Championship talks

4.   Mizzou...wins over Texas and Texas AM in the same season don't happen very often in Columbia

5.   Houston..they remain undefeated and ESPN's college game day will be on campus next week

6.   The Sam Houston State Bearkats defeated Northwestern State 43-17 to improve to 10-0 on the year..W. Kidd rushed for 169 yards!

 

This week's biggest losers

 

1.   College football fans..if Ok State finishes undefeated the BCS works and a college play off even less likely.

2.   The State of Texas...we pride ourselves on college football...Texas, Gaggies, and Texas Tech stink..Baylor by 1 in OT

The State of Texas as produced 2 national champions since 1970

3.   Boise State....didn't they miss a big kick last year

4.   Stanford saw its 17 game winning streak end, Luck is no longer guaranteed the Heisman, and  no shot at the National Championship

 

 

Observations from around the country

 

1.   I don't remember a time in College football when we've had 6 quality Qb's like we do now with Andrew Luck, Landry Jones, Matt Barkley, Robert Griffin III, Kellen Moore and Brandon Weeden

2.   Speaking of Quality QB's..exp[lains why traditional powers like Texas, Florida, and Ohio State are struggling

3.   I don't think Texas Tech could stop Allen H.S

4.   What happens if both LSU and Ok State lose regular season games....Georgia and Arkasas both have shots at beating LSU

5.   I hate the penalty for an illegal hit to the head..especially when the offensive player lowers his head right before contact

6.   Justin Blackmon is the best Offensive player in the country

7.   Mizzou to the SEC....maybe you can schedule Vandy, Kentucky, and Ole Miss twice a year

 

Longhorn observations

 

1.   I saw this one coming...Longhorn fan's were talking Fiesta bowl after beating 2 of the worst Div 1 defenses in the land.

2.   Case McCoy is really a Div 1 qb?

3.   Would love to see Blake Gideon graduate tomorrow

4.   No question the loss of top three RB's hurt team's game plan and psyche but Mizzou's DL dominated

5.   Poor clock management at the end of the first half

6.   I thought the defense played very well, holding a good offense to just 17 points

7.   My prediction of 6-6 is looking better

8.  At least 2 years away from a liget top 10 team.

9.  I know a frosh QB and a 4th string RB makes things difficult but I thought the playing calling was awful

 

 

In case you fell asleep

 

1.   Toledo Gains 804 Yards in 66-63 Win Over WMU

2.   Virginia Tech  37   Georgia Tech  26

3.   Houston     73      Tulane 17

4.   Humboldt State 37-7 over Western Oregon..The Lumberjacks go 9-1 on the season!

5.   Florida State defeated Miami

 

What I'm watching next week and predictions (4-2 last week and 38-10 on the year)

 

1.   USC at Oregon.............Trojans improving and will score often but the crowd an Oregon Off too much...Quack Quack   42-34

2.   Kansas State at Texas.  Wilcats tough and Texas can't throw...Wilcats  24-20

3.   Nebraska at Michigan....The Huskers in the Big House, never thought I would see that..Mich hasn't seen D like this....Huskers  27-17

4.   Oklahoma at Baylor.......Oklahoma has new life at BCS final...wild one in Waco?   Sooners  45-28

5.   Penn State at Ohio State,,,,,loser gets first pick of Urban Myer......could end  3-0//Buckeyes   21-17

6.   Iowa at Purdue.....................there are only 2 people in the world who care about this game and I'm one of them...Purdue wins at hm   28-24

 

Coaches on the hot seat

 

Houston Nutt's decision to resign at the end of the year brings my coaching prediction to 5 on the year. Remember, I put Joe Paterno on my hot seat after week one

 

1.   Mike Sherman.....Texas AM....Gaggies are 24-24/14-17 in conference and 0-2 in bowls under Sherman...didn't they start the season ranked #5

2.   Rick Neutheisal..UCLA..I thought he was ok until the 31-6 loss at Utah

3.   Turner Gill..Kansas........25-46 lifetime and 1-14 in Big 12 play

4.   Ron Zook..Illinois...........another Big 1o loss..18-36 in that conference

5.   Dennis Erickson.............Defeated USC and Mizzou, things were going well then losses at UCLA and Washington State....21-23 lifetime in Pac 12 play

 

Just a thought? Al Gore leaves Miami to take the Penn State job. Mike Leach takes his offense and love of Pirates to Miami. Urban decides between

Ohio State, Texas AM, and a list of 3-4 schools

 

 

Rumor Mill

 

LOS ANGELES -- Washington Huskies coach Steve Sarkisian appeared to take a page out of the old Lou Holtz book for game management and amped up the pressure on USC this week with his comments Monday regarding Trojans quarterback Matt Barkley.

Asked about the USC offense in advance of Saturday's game against the Trojans, Sarkisian said Barkley would be a better NFL quarterback than his significantly more-hyped counterpart at Stanford, Andrew Luck.

 

"If I'm an NFL head coach right now, I'd pick Matt Barkley ahead of Andrew Luck," Sarkisian said in his weekly press conference.

Told afterward of his comments, Barkley laughed and said Sarkisian was "just pouring on the sugar."

"He's just pouring it on," he said.

 

 

Despite learning months earlier that scout Willie Lyles had requested $3,000 from a University of Texas booster to ensure a recruit's visit, the Longhorn football program paid $15,000 to a recruiting service that employed Lyles in 2008-09, according to documents obtained by ESPN's "Outside the Lines."

Lyles, who later started his own recruiting service with a client list of Oregon, LSU and Cal, is at the center of an ongoing NCAA investigation. The personal trainer-turned-recruiting guru intensified the scrutiny when he told Yahoo! Sports that a $25,000 payment he received last year from Oregon was not for his work as a traditional scout, but for his influence with top recruits and his ability to usher them through the signing and eligibility process. That included heralded running back Lache Seastrunk from Temple, Texas.

 

Top 20 highest-paid college football coaches

 

Of the top 12, only Lane Kiffin is without a conference championship, a BCS bowl appearance or a top-10 season.

 

Salaries for some private universities, like Notre Dame, weren’t available.
Salaries don’t include performance bonuses, which vary by school.

Salary (in millions), Years as FBS coach, Highest accomplishment
5.17, Nick Saban, Alabama, 15, two national championships
5.10, Mack Brown, Texas, 26, one national championship
4.53, Bob Stoops, Oklahoma, 12, one national championship
4.00, Lane Kiffin, USC, 2, 15-11 career record
3.78, Kirk Ferentz, Iowa, 12, four top-10 seasons
3.75, Les Miles, LSU, 10, one national championship
3.65, Jim Tressel, Ohio State, 10, one national championship
3.56, Bobby Petrino, Arkansas, 7, two top-10 seasons
2.94, Jim Grobe, Wake Forest, 16, one ACC championship
2.81, Mark Richt, Georgia, 10, six top-10 seasons
2.80, Steve Spurrier, S. Carolina, 21, one national championship
2.80, Chip Kelly, Oregon, 2, BCS title game appearance
2.78, Bo Pelini, Nebraska, 3, two Big 12 title game appearances
2.75, Jimbo Fisher, Florida St., 1, one ACC title game appearance
2.75, Will Muschamp, Florida, 0,
2.55, Gary Pinkel, Missouri, 20, one top-5 season
2.50, Bret Bielema, Wisconsin, 5, two top-10 seasons
2.50, Houston Nutt, Mississippi, 14, two SEC title game appearances
2.44, Paul Johnson, Georgia Tech, 9, one ACC championship
2.30, Jeff Tedford, California, 9, one top-10 season

High School Super 25 action over the weekend:

 

 

No. 1 Don Bosco Prep (Ramsey, N.J.) 56, Clifton 8

No. 2 Trinity (Louisville) 72, Simon Kenton (Independence) 0

No. 4 Armwood (Seffner, Fla.) 54, King (Tampa) 6

No. 5 Katy, Texas 38, Cinco Ranch (Katy) 7

No. 6 Camden County (Kingsland, Ga.) 62, Beach (Savannah) 0

No. 7 Grayson (Loganville, Ga.) 22, Centeral Gwinnett (Lawrenceville) 0

No. 8 Allen (Texas) 59, Flower Mound 30

No. 10 Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas) 49, Cheyenne 6

No. 11 Good Counsel (Olney, Md.) 35, Archbishop Carroll (Washington) 0

No. 12 Bellevue (Wash.) 28, Glacier Peak (Snohomish) 17

No. 14 Gaffney (S.C.) 42, Spartanburg 0

No. 15 Central Catholic (Pittsburgh) 42, Peters Township (Canonsburg) 14

 

Where does NFL talent come from?

 

Eight graduates of Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) St.  Thomas Aquinas High School were part of 2011 NFL Kickoff Weekend rosters, most of any high school in the United States, USA Football announced today.  The totals are based on the 1,695 players on Kickoff Weekend rosters.

USA Football is the sport’s national governing body and is the official youth football development partner of the NFL.

NFL players hail from 1,382high schools in 47 states and the District of Columbia, four countries and one U.S. territory (American Samoa).

 

States with most NFL players

 

 

 

 

Hometowns with most NFL players

NFL PLAYERS PER CAPITA:  Louisiana, with one NFL player for every 85,535 residents, leads the list of NFL players per capita. Mississippi (1 in 89,918) and the District of Columbia (1 in 100,287) round out the top three. The national average is one NFL player per 183,887 U.S. residents.

States with most NFL players per capita

State	Population *	NFL Players	Per Capita
Louisiana	4,533,372	53	1 NFL per 85,535 people
Mississippi	2,967,297	33	1 NFL per 89,918 people
District of Columbia	601,723	6	1 NFL per 100,287 people
Florida	18,801,310	184	1 NFL per 102,181 people
South Carolina	4,625,364	45	1 NFL per 102,786 people
Alabama	4,779,736	46	1 NFL per 103,907 people
Georgia	9,687,653	90	1 NFL per 107,641 people
Montana	989,415	9	1 NFL per 109,935 people
Wyoming	563,626	5	1 NFL per 112,725 people
Hawaii	1,360,301	11	1 NFL per 123,664 people

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

SCOUTS INC.'S TOP 32

Player	Pos.	School	Grade
1. Andrew Luck*	QB	Stanford	99
2. Matt Kalil	OT	USC	97
3. Landry Jones*	QB	Oklahoma	96
4. Trent Richardson*	RB	Alabama	96
5. Morris Claiborne*	CB	LSU	96
6. Quinton Coples	DE	N. Carolina	95
7. Jonathan Martin	OT	Stanford	95
8. Justin Blackmon*	WR	Okla. State	95
9. Brandon Thompson	DT	Clemson	94
10. Vontaze Burfict	ILB	Arizona St.	94
11. Riley Reiff*	OT	Iowa	94
12. Luke Kuechly*	ILB	Boston Coll.	93
13. Dre Kirkpatrick*	CB	Alabama	93
14. Lamar Miller*	RB	Miami (FL)	93
15. Manti Te'o*	ILB	Notre Dame	92
16. Janoris Jenkins	CB	N. Alabama	92
17. Alameda Ta'amu	DT	Washington	92
18. Matt Barkley*	QB	USC	92
19. David DeCastro*	G	Stanford	92
20. Alfonzo Dennard	CB	Nebraska	91

* indicates a non senior