LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) – Football, baseball and, of course, a little hoops:
*GRADING THE BCS LEAGUES, WEEK ONE:
*Big 12 (9-0) – A-minus. A nearly perfect start from the newly upgraded Big 12 – and I say nearly perfect because none of the teams delivered a signature moment, like Alabama's sleeper-hold on Michigan.
Baylor blasted SMU in its first game without Robert Griffin III. Iowa State did the same to Tulsa. When the bottom of your league is winning like that, that's a good sign.
*ACC (7-1) – B-plus. Even Mike Krzyzewski had to be dazzled by Duke's 20-point win over FIU. Nice win by Clemson over Auburn. But easy on the chest-pounding. Nobody else played anybody in the ACC. Maryland needed a fourth-quarter TD to beat William & Mary. Don't read your e-mail, Randy Edsall.
*SEC (9-2) – B. Tennessee is on the way back. Alabama and LSU roll. Good signs.
But Clemson handled Auburn. Kentucky couldn't stop Louisville from moving the football all the way down the field to the hot dog cart – three times. Florida fans are still grumbling about the Gators' offense. Ole Miss trailed Central Arkansas at halftime.
Not vintage stuff from a league that considers itself several first-down markers better than the world.
*Big East (5-2) – C-plus. Louisville was the big winner, and the Cards could have been a bigger winner if Charlie Strong had decided to finish the game the way Bobby Petrino loved to finish games.
Not much else to shout about, especially with Pitt getting handled at home by Youngstown State. I guess USF is the second-best team in the league, but it's risky to say that off a 21-point win over Chattanooga.
*Big Ten (10-2) – C. The one thing Michigan couldn't do was look 10 years behind Alabama. The Wolverines didn't look 10 years behind the Crimson Tide. They looked 20 years behind.
Add Penn State's loss to Ohio University, Wisconsin's struggle with Northern Iowa and Iowa's escape over Northern Illinois, and it's time to talk about Cody Zeller and Trey Burke.
*Pac-12 (8-3) – C-minus. Even Oregon's fancy uniforms – and fancier offense – can't overshadow three wince-worthy moments.
California spent more than $300 renovating its stadium and then gave a $3 performance against Nevada, losing by a touchdown. Welcome to the Hot Seat, Jeff Tedford. Prepare to hear that Bobby Petrino is available.
Colorado blew a halftime lead and lost its rivalry game to Colorado State, which has a first-year coach in former Louisville assistant Jim McElwain.
Mike Leach might wonder if he should have waited for another job to open after BYU, 30-6, ripped Washington State.
And Stanford learned that life after Andrew Luck might be like life with Joe Borchard, as the Cardinal outlasted San Jose State.
Oregon and USC will dance through this league. Dance, baby, dance.
*The University of Louisville football team figures to gain one spot – maybe – when the fresh Associated Press writers' and USA Today coaches' polls are released today.
Louisville was ranked 25th in the AP poll – and only two teams ranked ahead of them lost. One would be eighth-ranked Michigan, which they say was a little mismatched against Alabama. The other would be No. 24 Boise State, which played its usual gritty game while breaking in a new quarterback at Michigan State.
So Michigan falls, but probably not behind Louisville.Boise probably falls, but not as much as you'd think. Media folks (I'm not a voter) seem to love, love, love Boise and coach Chris Peterson.
But the Cards need to look over their shoulder pads. I wonder if some voters will give Notre Dame more credit for blasting Navy by 40. The Irish were already positioned three spots ahead of the Cards in the USA Today coaches' poll.
(Actually, Louisville gained two spots to 23rd. The Cards passes Boise State, Florida and Stanford, but were overtaken by Notre Dame. Louisville also moved into the USA Today Coaches' Poll, landing at No. 24, ahead of Boise, but behind Florida.)
*I can't name the last award that Anthony Davis did not win. Let's rewind the highlights:
Only rookie to make the U.S. men's Olympic basketball team. NCAA Final Four MOP. Wooden Award. Top Defensive Player in college hoops. Top Freshman as named by U.S. Basketball Writers Association. McDonald's all-American. I'll stop there.
Many figure that Davis is the only pick for NBA Rookie of the Year.
Not Kurt Helin of Pro Basketball Talk.
Deep breath. Listen to his argument. Davis' forte is defense. Points are what win awards in the NBA. Which rookie is going to score the most points?
Damian Lillard, the frisky point guard from Weber State who figures to start for Portland. Lillard can score, but he also figures to thrive running the pick-and-roll with LaMarcus Aldridge.
I'll stick with Davis. Why? He's on an awful team so he figures to become a major part of the offense. To call Davis simply a defensive player is to call a Bentley an automobile. He's a once-in-a-generation defensive player.
I worry that Austin Rivers won't share the ball. But Monty Williams is an excellent coach. He knows that the Hornets aren't paying Davis more than $5 million to watch Rivers shake and bake.
*Exhale, Cincinnati Reds' fans. Baseball Prospectus projection formulas put the Reds' chances of making the playoffs at 100 percent and their chances of winning the NL Central at 98.8 percent.
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It's time for a look back at the first weekend of the college football season.
