Dumpster Fires of the Week: Looking at you, Big 12
If last week was all about SEC dominance of the giant trash can fire, this week the Big 12 stepped up to take over again.
Dumpster Fires of the Week: Week Two
1. OSU grounded
It’s probably a bad sign that a large part of your team stumbled and tripped entering the field during the smoke machine thing.
Oklahoma State managed to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory in the most unique fashion possible. I can honestly say that I’ve never seen a team lose because of an intentional grounding call before.
Of course, why OSU would call a pass on 4th and whatever from the opponent’s 40 with under 10 seconds is just baffling. Conventional wisdom says you punt the ball or even have your QB scramble around to waste time before taking a knee. The rest is Hail Mary and lateral history. Great job, Cowboys.
2. TCU, preseason darling
Despite massive personnel losses, TCU was the trendy pick this preseason to win the Big 12 by national media types. Last week, the Horned Frogs barely escaped a shootout with the vaunted San Diego State Jackrabbits. This week, the blunted toads reclaimed their long Southwest Conference tradition of losing to the Razorbacks.
What really hurt is that TCU had grabbed control of the game after trailing 20-6 in the fourth quarter. Arkansas even missed a chip shot field goal that would have raised its lead to 23-6. TCU quickly scored three times to grab a 28-20 lead. The Hogs tied it with a long drive and a great two-point play, followed by TCU having a close game-winning FG blocked by mammoth Arkansas tackle Dan Skipper. OT went back and forth before the Pigs won on their second possession.
After two games, TCU looks more like an 8-5 team than a competitor for the Big 12 title.
3. Northwestern Mildcats
NU faithful have stuck with alum hero Pat Fitzgerald as head coach through good times and bad, but you have to wonder if his time is running out after a terrible 0-2 start. We mentioned Northwestern last week while talking about all those cupcakes striking back. After losing 9-7 to Illinois State at home Saturday night, though, the Wildcats earned a solo Dumpster Fire entry.
4. Texas Tech efense
When you score 55 points and still lose by 10, you clearly have no D.
Kalen Ballage is a talented football player for Arizona State, but in tying an NCAA record by scoring eight touchdowns versus the Red Raiders, Tech made him look like Herschel Walker. Samaje Perine has to be drooling over the thought of facing that unt.
Kliff Kingsbury seems to be loved by the Raider fans, but at what point does the total inability to field a defense get him fired? It’s the third time that Tech has score 55 points or more under Coach Bro and lost. No one else in the profession has more than one game like that.
5. Mark Stoops' job security
It looks like one Stoops brother has worn out his welcome coaching a different bunch of Mildcat species. Kentucky started the season with a loss in a paycheck game, then turned in a “we quit” performance against Florida.
UK appears ready to challenge cellar dwellers South Carolina and Vanderbilt for claim to being worst team in the SEC – in true Dumpster Fire fashion. Yes, SEC homers, you have a three-way pillow fight for conference suckitude honors, so no more laughing at everyone else.
-Atlantasooner