2013-10-22 09:34

A very nice weekend regarding college football games, with some shocking upsets.

But the most shocking event for me was a game which did NOT happen.

The players of Grambling State decided to NOT play against Jackson State.

Grambling State is a FCS University from Louisiana; Jackson State is a FCS University from Mississippi.

Jackson State is known for one person:
Wa l t e r Payton, HOF Running Back of the Chicago Bears, Long time all-time leading rusher and so on. If you haven't heard of him, you should google his name and watch some videos ....

Grambling State is well known for two persons:
Eddie Robinson, who was the Tigers HC for a few generations (47 seasons), winning more than 400 football games and having built the program as a model of college football programs. Google him.
Doug Williams, NFL QB of the Washington Redskins 1986 - 1989 and Superbowl MVP of SB XXII as the first black QB ever. Google him, too.

After Robinsons departure Williams took over as HC from 98-2003 and then again from 2008 to basically start of 2013 season, when he got fired.
The team got an interims coach after that.

Now, what happened to having the cancelled game last weekend?

The players complained over several issues regarding health and safety on campus and traveling, weeks ago ... months ago.
The facilities and equipment on Grambling campus must be in a very bad state. So bad that it is dangerous to do training there.
In addition, the team has to travel all road games by bus. Spending not only 1-2 hours but 10+ hours on a bus is a disastrous negative on your playing abilities.
You can imagine that in today’s football world, road games are very far apart. So, those Tigers players are spending lot of hours on a bus.
Normally teams do travel by plane, if such distances are between home and opponent.

They did complain on campus, in the press and that for several weeks, months.

Nothing changed.

Last week they decided to just NOT play the next football game, the road game against Jackson State.

Suddenly the whole press is over Grambling State and the players and maybe now something will change.

In a first reaction, the interims coach, which the players did not like, was released and a team selected interims coach was named.

We will see, what will happen from this point on. They did at least start training again.

On one point, I can understand the players. In this situation .... that was a tough choice and a bold decision.
On the other hand ... I would have selected the next home game, not the away game.
Now Jackson State did also suffer from that, for basically no reason.

Most interesting question is, what happened at Grambling State, to let this proud programs slide so deep?
Only an idiot could let it crumble to shit like this, sorry.

It might be that finances are a big issue here, but with THAT name, THAT tradition and THAT reputation, you can't tell me they would not get millions of dollars if they would ask for it.

Now let's have a look at the BLOCK OF GRANITE TOP GAMES FOR WEEK 8

Saturday, October 19 12:21 PM ET
#22 Florida @ #14 Missouri
Wow!
Mizzou did not only win this, they WON it by almost 20 points.
No starting QB, no problem for the Tigers.
The SEC East looks now, because of this game and some other results like a walk in a park for Missouri. They are 2 games ahead.
Still some good teams to play and they might slip somewhere down the road, but 2 games up front is big.

Florida did not much on defense, which was very disappointing.
And they also have some big games left to play.
Florida 17 - Missouri 36 -> Jacks Score: 29-13

Saturday, October 12 3:30 PM ET
#24 Auburn @ #7 Texas A&M
The next big stunner of the weekend.
Texas A&M lost to the resurrected Tigers by 4 points.

It was a high scoring game and it did turn out the Tigers have more teeth from week to week.
For Texas A&M this is a disaster, for Auburn this is a breakthrough.

A&M is now 2 games behind Alabama, the Tigers only 1 game behind and the Iron Bowl is waiting end of the season.

If Auburns stays healthy, that game might decide the SEC West.
Auburn 45 - Missouri 41 -> Jacks Score: 29-14

Saturday, October 19 3:30 PM ET
#9 UCLA @ #13 Stanford
Looks like I picked the right team here.
UCLA was kept down to 10 points.

That's an amazing thing.

The Cardinals came out dedicated for a big game but they needed a big 3rd quarter to win this.

For both teams nothing changed much.

Stanford will have to face both Oregon teams soon; UCLA will have to handle Oregon, too, but at most the leading Arizona State.
UCLA 10 - Stanford 24 -> Jacks Score: 30-14

Saturday, October 19 6:00 PM ET
#20 Washington @ Arizona State
THAT was also a very nice statement. Of the Sun Devils.
Washington scored 24 points, Arizona State 53!
Some pointed out, before the game, that this would be the perfect trap for the Huskies like it happened in all the former seasons.
That they lose such games.

I thought THIS season they have the maturity to NOT lose.

I was wrong.

Washington keeps the title "most annoying team in the PAC", but they are also not ready to play for the big price.

The Sun Devils stay on course for the PAC South division title.
Washington 24 - Arizona State 53 -> Jacks Score: 30-15

Saturday, October 19 7:30 PM ET
USC @ Notre Dame
The fans of Notre Dame got a glimpse of what life looks like without their starting QB.

Awful.

I hope Kelly has some QB-training left, since this can't be the answer for a team like Notre Dame.

They won this game more or less by defense.

This season can end in a disaster, if Rees gets injured for a season.

USC did play not nice, but who expected that?
USC 10 - Notre Dame 14 -> Jacks Score: 31-15

Saturday, October 19 8:00 PM ET
#5 Florida State @ #3 Clemson
And this was the superlative of stunning games this weekend.

Everybody expected a big game.

Everybody expected a shootout.

Anyone, except some die-hard-fans out of Seminoles country expect such result?

Clemson got blasted, that QB was under pressure all game and the Clemson defense was awful.

Looks like the ACC is already decided, if not VT or Miami have some magic in the ACC championship game.
Florida State 51 - Clemson 14 -> Jacks Score: 32-15

Games of Interest

Louisiana-Lafayette won against Western Kentucky - The Ragin' Cajuns do look like the SBC favourites.
UCF upsets Louisville - The Cardinals can bury their national title dreams, they probably won't even win the AAC.
Minnesota wins against Northwestern - The Wildcats now look like pussy cats .... 3 losses are way too much to play with the big boys.
Michigan State did shut out Purdue - The Spartans are now the division leaders ... strange world ...
Vanderbilt wins against Georgia - I don't want to blame the injuries of Georgia, but they definitely having a bad time at the moment. Division title should be out of scope now.
Tennessee beats South Carolina - are the Gamecocks now a lame duck or did the Vols just find a perfect day? Gamecocks are also way behind in the division.
Colorado State wins against Wyoming - MWC is now open for everybody.
BYO beats Houston - first loss for Houston in this high scoring game.
Duke tops Virginia - Duke only 1 game shy the Bowl eligibility.
Ole Miss upsets LSU - the next big SEC team, which fell.
Arizona beats Utah - Utah was not able to stun Arizona as they did with Stanford last week.

‘Til next time
Jack6 on BLOCK OF GRANITE

Tags: Block of Granite