What we learned from the non-AQs, Week 10
November 8, 2009
Posted by ESPN.com’s Graham Watson
Showdown in Fort Worth: All eyes will be on Fort Worth this weekend as TCU and Utah meet up for the biggest game of both of their regular seasons. This could be the game to decide whether the Horned Frogs go to the BCS. Last season, Utah won this game and it helped propel the Utes into a BCS bowl. The Horned Frogs will be looking for payback. It should be an exciting game, especially after both teams dismissed this week’s opponents — San Diego State and New Mexico — with relative ease.
The comeback kids: Houston is starting to have a flair for the dramatic. In what looked like a sure loss to Tulsa in the waning minutes, Houston got the ball back and quarterback Case Keenum completed two passes to get the Cougars within a 51-yard field goal. Kicker Matt Hogan took care of the rest. It’s the second consecutive week the Cougars have come from behind to win and fifth time this season (third late in the game). Keenum, who’s continuing to make a Heisman push, had another 500-yard game, and is now less than 200 yards short of 4,000 passing yards for the season.
Benefit of the doubt: In close games, regardless of the opponent, most ranked automatic qualifying schools get the benefit of the doubt. Boise State is hoping for similar leeway. The Broncos struggled with then-3-5 Louisiana Tech and though the Broncos never trailed, the Bulldogs made the game a lot closer than it probably should have been. Couple that close win with Oregon’s stunning loss to Stanford, and it will be interesting to see where the Broncos land when the BCS standings come out later this afternoon. The fact of the matter is that Boise State is still undefeated and should get credit for that. We’ll see what the voters think.
All aboard: Navy pulled off a great upset this week with a win over Notre Dame, the team’s second in the past three seasons after not winning any games against the Irish in the previous 43 years. The win gave the Mids seven on the season and after the game they accepted an invitation to the Texas Bowl. Now, with two games remaining in the regular season, the goal will be to notch that eighth win for the third consecutive season. Only once in the past four seasons have the Midshipmen earned more than eight wins.
SMU is one game away: SMU’s dramatic 31-28 win over Rice put the Mustangs one game closer to bowl eligibility and in the hunt for the Conference USA West title. Their 4-1 league start is the best since 1986. The Mustangs, who host UTEP next week, won six games in 2006, but did not make a bowl game. SMU has not played in a bowl since 1984. The Mustangs won the game on the strength of three blocked kicks, including one that was returned 74 yards for a touchdown. Defensive end Margus Hunt blocked an extra point attempt and a field goal attempt to give him six blocked kicks this season.
