I’m ticked off.
I started feeling under the weather yesterday as I was writing the Heisman watch. I figured I could shake it with a ‘mind over matter’ deal like I usually try to do. But, I couldn’t. I’m sick. At least it’s Friday and I now have an excuse to lay on the couch and watch football all day.
On to more important things.
Calvin Johnson.
Wow.
The Georgia Tech wide receiver is unstoppable. He has the build of Terrell Owens (Johnson is 6’5, 235, Owens is 6’3, 225), the attitude of Marvin Harrison (aka humble) and the hands of…I don’t know, someone with huge hands.
Thursday night, Johnson torched Virginia to the tune of six catches, 165 yards and two touchdowns. That’s 27.5 yards per catch for those of you fumbling for a calculator. In four games he has 19 catches, 311 yards, 5 touchdowns.
If I played quarterback for the Yellow Jackets I would just drop back, throw up a deep ball and have Calvin go get it on every down much like I do on Playstation. I am figuring that Johnson wouldn’t get tired, much like the guys on the game don’t. (For the record, I don’t do it every down, but I do it a lot)
Against Troy and Samford (not Stanford), Johnson had two and four catches, respectively. If he can grab a combined 13 balls against Notre Dame and Virginia, GT’s offense is doing him a disservice by not getting him the ball more against the cupcakes on the schedule.
If any receiver could win the Heisman, it’d be Johnson. But the task is so difficult, he’d have to be hauling in 7-8 for 100 and 1-2 every week and then probably host a telethon to get votes.
He’ll be in my Heisman watch next week unless Virginia Tech back Branden Ore and Rutgers back Ray Rice rush for 5 scores a piece.
Before I get to the weekend, I wanted to link this highlight reel made after last night’s game. One, because UVa is my sworn rival, and two because it’s hilarious. It’ll take a minute or two to load.
As for my thoughts about this weekend…
- Colorado is going to drop to 0-4 after getting massacred by Georgia. I hope nobody told Dan Hawkins it would be easy in Boulder.
- Cal has an important game against Arizona State. Falling to 2-2 after starting the season in the Top 10 wouldn’t make things very ginger in Berkeley.
- What’s going to happen to the ACC is Boston College loses at North Carolina State? Frankly, I don’t know if it’s possible because the Wolfpack is in a dramatic tailspin, but the conference would be a complete mess if BC does lose. Right now, BC, Wake Forest and Virginia Tech are the only unbeatens in the conference. Not good.
- Upset watch: host Kansas State over No. 8 Louisville. The Cardinals are so injury plagued, it has become unfair. Star running back Michael Bush is out for the year and the very talented Brian Brohm won’t be throwing passes for at last a month.
- Penn State is going to be 2-2 after this weekend because Ohio State is going to flat out dominate Joe Pa's boys. If trends hold, the Nittany Lions will have two bad losses on their record with a couple of potential losses on the horizon (mainly Michigan in October). The emotional high from last year’s Orange Bowl victory isn’t lasting very long.
- Upset watch #2 (but not nearly as…alarming): Wisconsin at Michigan. Could this be a let down game for the Wolverines? I don’t think so, but you never know.
- Upset watch #3 (pretty alarming, but if it happens then maybe Notre Dame isn’t good after all): Michigan State doesn’t have the most stellar defense in the country, but it has enough weapons on offense (QB Drew Stanton and RB Javon Ringer) to make a Saturday night date with Notre Dame interesting. Stanton is a gamer and I think he’ll be pretty good on Sundays in the future. Maybe that’s just me.
What am I going to be watching?
Noon: Cincinnati at Virginia Tech
3:30: Penn State at Ohio State
4:30: West Virginia at East Carolina. I want to see more of WVU. And, on a side note, ECU has a nice stadium. I was there for a game during the David Garrard era and I was pretty impressed.
8:00: Notre Dame at Michigan State. I might have to watch this one on mute considering B.M. is calling the game.
I’ll cut it off here. Enjoy the weekend. Wash your hands, keeps the germs away.