View From Bennett Avenue

This is always a weird time of the season for college football fans. There is plenty of withdrawal after weeks of non-stop action amidst the craziness of the last few weeks of recruiting. New staffs are being formed, players are deciding on pro careers and next season's schedule is being poured over for opponents to feast on. Alabama won again, which does not make a lot of people happy, and Heisman winner Robert Griffin announced that he was going pro after a stellar career in Waco.
Griffin, of course, had to come out. He has accomplished as much as could be expected as a college player both athletically and academically and has already been injured. No need risking that again. Plus it looks like a top ten pick awaits him. Good luck to him and to the wave of new players that will accept the mantle from stars like Griffin, Luck, Richardson, Blackmon and James.

Opening Upset of 2011

TCU coach Gary Patterson could not have gotten much sleep last night. If he did, nightmares of Baylor wideouts racing past his DBs would have woken him up. Baylor beat TCU 50-48 thanks in large part to long passes completed against a rebuilt Horned Frogs secondary. But, most importantly, Baylor showed mettle enough to shake off 25 straight TCU points in marching down field late in 4th Q for the winning FG. That was impressive.
Can Baylor build off this win? They should be able to, as long as QB Robert Griffin stays healthy. Griffin completed 21-27 for 359y and 5 TDs. The defense still needs work. As for TCU, there is work to be done but that was to be expected after losing 13 starters. The 25-game regular season win streak is over and the key for coach Patterson is shaking off the loss and focusing on the MWC crown. Defense of that title, in their last season in conference, begins next week at Air Force. At least they will not give up 414y passing in that game.

Big 12 Round-Up

Baylor beat Texas. In Austin. I just thought that I remind everyone of that occurrence, from Saturday, as the news is slow to get out these days. Baylor last beat the Longhorns in 1997 and last beat them on the road in 1991 (Ah the Southwest Conference). And yes sir, the Bears are currently in first place in the Big 12 South by a half game over Oklahoma and Oklahoma State. And it is November. The Bears have a fine coach in Art Briles, great quarterback in Robert Griffin, nifty running back in Jay Finley and a defense that is exceeding expectations. Griffin's return from a torn ACL has gone extremely well so far as he has already thrown for 2,592y with 20 TD passes and rushed for 410y and 7 more TDs. In a conference loaded with star players, he may be the mosy dynamic. Of course two tough games await Baylor in Oklahoma State in Stillwater and Oklahoma at home (and the Bears cannot overlook Texas A&M either), but these Bears will be bowl-bound for the first time since 1994. These are heady times in Waco.

Although Nebraska and Missouri are still tied atop the Big 12 North, the Tigers will need some help due to the Cornhuskers not only owning the head-to-head tiebreaker but possessing an easier schedule the rest of the way. Still, there is plenty of football yet to be played.