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| Monday, October 5 Updated: October 6, 2:58 PM ET The Fans Speak ESPN.com |
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Take your best shot -- at the quarterback, the end zone, ESPN.com . . . anything. The opening weekend of October was arguably the most exciting stretch of college football yet in 1998. And not surprisingly, our mailboxes were overflowing with comments. Here's a sample of opinion from ESPN.com users:
The first weekend of college football in October was excellent. Two games were decided on the last play of the game and the LSU/Georgia game was decided by a mere point. Through the first six weeks or so collge football has proved to be entirely more exciting than the mediocre NFL.
David Thorkelson
What a year! I think we can all agree that this has been, and will show to be an exciting year in college football. It makes me proud to be a fan with Georgia upsetting LSU, OK-State showing that Nebraska is beatable, and the fact that the Big 12, SEC, Big 10, and the Pac 10 are all having good years.
Paul Peak
Ohio State confirmed its status as the best team in the country. This team just has too many weapons on offense and too many future NFL stars on defense. The only chink in the armor against Penn State was the field goal kicker! Better listen when JoPa says the Buckeyes are among the best college football teams in the last 50 years. The folks in Columbus want a piece of the Huskers real bad! Flights from Columbus to Phoenix in early January are filling up real fast.
Joe Vagi
As a Penn State fan, I tip my hat to a fine Ohio State team for their win on Saturday. I am somewhat dismayed at the press coverage of the game, though. The game was NOT a "crush," "blowout," etc. as reported. Were it not for some poor play calling near the PSU goal line near the end of the first half, the game's result might well have been different.
Rick Wetzel
If Arizona's Ortege Jenkins' flip into the endzone is not the most amazing play of the century, I don't know what is. Arizona is a real national contender now.
Joe Thompson
Arizona at Washington: Wow!
R.J. Lott
The last play of the Arizona vs. Washington game was truly memorable as well as spectacular. Possibly one of the best plays of the year.
Dane Wachs
I'm sure I won't be the first to cast an early pre-ESPY award for Ortege Jenkins' Play-of-the-Year. I haven't seen acrobatic moves like that since Kerri Strug's vault in the '94 Olympics. The difference? Jenkins had 600 hundred pounds of mass coming toward him without a springboard. Try that gold medal on for size, Kerri.
Joseph Smith
It's time for Jim Lambright to step down. He has given the University of Washington many years of faithful service, but it is time he resigned. There have been to many coaching errors over the past couple of years and this last weekend's game with Arizona demonstrated he does not have a handle on the program.
C. Leady
It was great to see the Georgia Bulldogs go to Baton Rouge and cage the Tigers. Look out Tennesse, we'll take care of you between the hedges.
Mark Frank
I am a huge LSU Tiger fan, and I just happened to be at the game Saturday in Baton Rouge. I was very impressed by, in my opinion, an underrated Georgia team. Playing in Death Valley on a Saturday night isn't a quarterback's dream, but Quincy Carter showed he is the real deal. We will definitely see him playing games like that in the future.
Oren Conner
A lot of people may think that Nebraska showed signs of vulnerability this past weekend when Oklahoma State took them to the wire. But it's games like Saturday's that will help Nebraska get stronger as a team. They learn how to find ways to win when nothing seems to be working. It's games like Saturday's that will help Nebraska when they play Kansas State on November 14. The fact is that Nebraska still has that "refuse to lose" killer instinct that makes them very difficult to beat.
Scott Everts
Everyone may have seen a preview of how to beat this year's Huskers. But knowing how and being able to do it are two different things.Nebraska will go unbeaten during the rest of the season and will meet Ohio State in Tempe.
Michael McGuire
Nebraska proved once again that they are a one-game team. They mail it in all year against a weak schedule, then prepare for one bowl game for a chance at the fraudulent 'national championship.' A few years ago, Texas showed them up in the first Big 12 title game, creating the illusion of a tough conference schedule. This year, Oklahoma State played a decent game for a change, and in doing so revealed the Nebraska fraud. But no one will care. Just as no one cared when Missouri beat Nebraska last year, but lost on an illegal play, and the coaches gave their buddy Osborne a pity share of the 'title.'
Matthew Ivaliotes
Ricky Williams, at this point in the season is not the front-runner for the Heisman. If he continues his accomplishments against Nebraska, Texas Tech, and Texas A&M then he is deserving. But, running up 300-plus yards against Rice and Iowa State means only that he is a good running back on a field with bad teams. His performance with K-State should have shown many that when the athletes on the other side of the ball are of a high quality, Williams is nothing but average. Williams will break the carreer yardage mark and he more than likley be the seventh player to rush for 2000-plus yards in a season. The latter of the two accomplishments however, does not equate to a Heisman, as Troy Davis proved to the world, twice.
Brad Bingham
All I can say is, "Wow!" after seeing Ricky Williams put in another record-breaking performance this past Saturday at Texas' Daryl K. Royal Memorial Stadium. Everytime he touched the ball the crowd erupted into complete Rickymania! And when he wasn't carrying the ball, they were chanting, "Ricky, Ricky, Ricky." I know one day I will be able to tell my kids and grandkids that while I was attending UT, I had the privilege to watch the best college running back of all-time. And, I will have the record books to back me up.
Mark Tucker
Everyone talks about Tim Couch, Ricky Williams, Brock Huard, Daunte Culpepper and Ron Dayne as frontrunners for the Heisman trophy. No one even mentions LA Tech's tandem of Tim Rattay and Troy Edwards. Tim Rattay is one of the three best QB's in the nation and Edwards is so far ahead of any receiver, it is not even funny. Why aren't either of these guys getting mentioned for the Heisman? I believe the five finalists for the Heisman (in this order of finish) are: Tim Couch, Tim Rattay, Ricky Williams (Texas), Ricky Williams (Texas Tech), and Troy Edwards.
Bret McCormick
Daunte, Daunte, Daunte, Daunte, Daunte!
Peter Conners
How 'bout them Hogs! Hats off to the Arkansas Razorbacks. The Hogs are good, not great, but are playing with enthusiasm and confidence, something Hog fans have missed lately. The Hogs have started 4-0 at home and are at Memphis (might as well call it a home game) this weekend. A 5-0 confidence-building start and a few breaks on the tough SEC road might be just what Houston Nutt and the Hogs need to make a serious run at the top of the SEC West.
Mike Bass
I'm an Auburn fan and buy season tickets. This past Saturday brought back my love of Auburn football: a freshman quarterback, center and running back fought like mad and came up just short of defeating Tennessee. We didn't win the game, but I felt like both the offense and defense played with heart. I felt like I was watching the real Auburn Tigers play again.
Tracy Daniel
North Carolina State University showed it can play ball with the big names. Maybe the real upset this year was Baylor over NC State.
David Thompson
I think people need to give some credit to Marshall University. They are 5-0 this year without Randy Moss and shut down Travis Prentice and the giant killing Miami Redhawks. The defense showed up to play and held the nation's second-leading rusher (Travis Prentice) to 84 yards on 32 carries.
Don Scalise
The MAC gets absolutely no respect at all. Look at Marshall, 5-0 after their huge win over Miami of Ohio. Can they be found in the Top 25? Top 30? No! Why not? Why don't they get any respect? I mean, Miami themselves should have been ranked going into the game, if the MAC had any respect. Now, we have a great chance of going 12-0 and still probably won't be ranked.
Steve Richmond
The Gators may have struggled against 'Bama, but I think they are going to prove over the next three weeks that they are still the cream of the SEC by knocking off LSU, Auburn, and the much improved yet still hated Georgia Bulldogs. Go Gators!
Andy White
Undisciplined is the word. For Florida to give the ball up three times within the 5-yard line is completely unacceptable. Once again, Florida marched up and down the field like it owned the place, only to choke on multiple turnovers. This is the second time Florida has had a chance to blow a football game wide open and failed -- the previous time being Tennessee. I don't know what it is going to take for us to get a little discipline on the team, but we sure better try before we meet LSU this weekend and then Georgia at the end of the month!
Neil Migala
I witnessed history sitting in a cold Ross-Ade stadium with 55,000 other fans as sophomore phenom Drew Brees dismantled Minnesota with six touchdowns in three quarters. I was in school at the end of Purdue's last heyday from '81-'85 and have been a season ticket holder ever since, witnessing some very poor football. But Drew Brees seems to have picked up right where Billy Dicken left off!
John O'Connor
Gee, what a surprise! Purdue gets three lousy votes in the Top 25 poll. I am getting used to the same thing every year in both football and basketball. When are the pollsters gonna take their Michigan/Ohio State goggles off? Both dominant, deserving programs, but there are nine other teams in the Big Ten.
John Culp
To all of you Irish haters out there: we aren't dead yet. It must be hard for you.
Mitch D'Angelo
Wisconsin is the most overrated team on the Top 25. SDSU, UNLV, and a come-from-behind win against Indiana don't exactly turn many heads, yet they are considered a top 12 team. It makes me sick that Wisconsin will probably end up in the top 5 by the end of the year. After all, they don't have to play Ohio State and Michigan (with an anemic 12-9 win vs. Iowa), Penn State, and Michigan State don't look good of late. 10-1 for the year? C'mon, no one wants to see Wisconsin vs. UCLA or Arizona in the Rose Bowl.
Frank Choy
Well, it may have taken four games, but the Michigan defense appears to be back in form. And consider this, take away Ohio State's punt block and fumble recovery, and the Buckeyes only defeat Penn State 14-9. Michigan may not run the table in the Big Ten, but Ohio State better be ready for a battle come Nov. 21. It's gonna be a brutal Saturday.
Rob Weiner
If Michigan's offense would stop making mistakes, they could be 4-1 right now. I think coach Carr needs to put a little fire under their rear ends.
Thomas Robinson
Clemson's loss to North Carolina on Saturday further demonstrates that head coach Tommy West does not belong in a Division 1A head coaching position. Oh sure, you can argue that this is a rebuilding year for Clemson. However, you cannot expect to re-build a program around a bunch of mediocre recruits or with a group of poor coaches. Simply stated, if you can't recruit with the big dogs, how can you expect to compete with them on the football field? The bottom line is, you can't.
Mark Byrd
Clemson-UNC; the ugliest game on TV in a generation. Ugh! Who will get the Clemson job; it is a done deal Tommy West is history.
Kevin Davis
How about the Tulane Green Wave! Shaun King with a broken left hand! Are you kidding me?!? Finally, we have a squad. Thank you, Mr. Bowden!
Mike Mininsky
Pittsburgh's Walt Harris and his ability to recruit quality junior college players is really paying off this season. What more can you say about WR Latef Grim's performance this season?
Chris Tray
It was a great weekend for college football -- The Ilini won and the Hawkeyes lost! That's all that needs to be said.
Jeremy Creamean
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