The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com
October 8, 2007 - 5B
MAIZE GAUGE
The Michigan Daily football writers break down the weekend's stats that don't show up in the box-
score. The defense-o-meter measures the intensity of the defense, the Carr-o-meter judges Lloyd Carr's
demeanor following the game and the hypemeter measures the fans' game performance.
DEFENSE-0-METER CARR-0-METER
It didn't look bad, especially when you consider the 3 For someone whose team just beat Eastern by 11, Carr didn't
defense was missing two starting linebackers and a nseemtoo upset. He blamed much of his team's struggles on
4 defensive tackle. But then you remember that it was 4, injuries, discounted the blocked extra point and said the 86-
Crables Eastern Michigan on the field. Even with backups in the Lloyd yard kickoff return was the only thing that really bothered
game, 22 points allowed is less than encouraging, Carrs him. Well, that and the questions about Mario Manningham.
HYPEMETER
1/4 Yeah, we know it was hot. And we know it was Eastern. But to
have that fewfans show up to watch running back Mike Hart
4 break the all-time rushing record? Just knowing that you only
Big Houses get to watch one oftthe greatest running backs in Michigan
history in person a few more timesshould have been enough
to motivate a larger gathering to show upfor the game.
ASSOCIATED . P O
This week saw some teams unfamiliar to national rankings move in to
the top 25. Illinois, fresh off a win over Wisconsin, now sits at No. 18
while Southern Cal may have been part of the upset of the year with a
home loss to Stanford.
THE MICHIGAN DAILY TOP 10 POLL
The michig-an Daily Trip 10 returns fo)r its foarth inistalhlment in6. OKLAHOMA: With a winover Texas inthe Red
this yi ou ng seaso F ach eekDailySp{,rtsstaffer~s ill fil out River Classic, the Sooners take control of the Big
batllotsw ithfirst place votes recceving10P oints, s 1cond-place votes 12. The victory was especially impressive after a
receiving nine, anId so gn. The results are publisheduwith first-place disappointing road loss last week at Colorado. A
aOtes it pa renthEses BCS bowl is not only within reach, but likely.
1. LOUISIANA STATE (11): Statement game this 7.OREGON: The home lois to Calfrnia does n't took
week. Trailing defending champion Florida for as bad when almost ev , .-ther toam in the top 10
the entire game, the Tigers score the winning from the ranks of the unbeatens. It's eve bet-
touchdown with just more than a minute left. The ter when you catsit back and watch it urfuld duirng
Southern Cal loss gave LSU this spot all by itself.vyour b%, week.
Bea~rs don~z't deserve this spot. After the Southern
CaI kjs,,, a wvin in the teamns' Pac A0 matchuip shouI<
guarantee.Ca a spot in the National Chanpionshi
3.OHIO STATE: Staked its claim to the top spot
lathe Big Ten with a dominant win on the road
at Purdue thisweek. The Buckeyes' defense shut
down the Boilermakers, who were previously
averaging 45 points and 496 yards per game.
8. SOUTH CAROLINA: If Steve Spurrier thought
he was spending the restof his coaching days in
obscurityof the stacked SEC, then he's pleasantly
surprised with the Gamecocks' resurgence. Shoot,
he even stars in hisown commercials.
TEAM
1. LSU
2. California
3. Ohio State
4. Boston College
S. South Florida
6. Oklahoma
7. South Carolina
8. West Virginia
9. Oregon
10. Southern Cal
11. Missouri
12. Virginia Tech
13. Florida'
14. Arizona State
15. Cincinnati
16. Hawaii
LAST WEEK
beat Florida 28-24
bye
beat Purdue 23-7
beat Bowling
Green 55-24
beat Florida
Atlantic 35-23
beat Texas28-21
beat Kentucky 38-23
beat Syracuse 55-14
bye
lost to Stanford 24-23
heat Nebraska 41-6
beat Clemson 41-23
lost to Louisiana
State 28-24
beat washington
State 23-20
beat Rutgers 28-23
THIS WEEK
at Kentucky
Oregon State
Kent State
at Notre Dame
Central Florida
Missouri
at North Carolina
Mississippi State
Washington State
Arizona
at Oklahoma
at Duke
at Kentucky
Washington
Louisville
10. CINCINNATI: Coach Brian Kelly, West
Michigan's darlingson, has the Bearcats playing
with a swagger the Nasty Natty hasn'tseen in
over a decade. Still, the Big East isn't the pushover
league it used to be.
S. SOUTH FLORIDA: Two years ago,the Bullswere
just a blip on the radar,but now they'vebecome
a force inthe Big East. South Florida has already
taken out West Virginia, butcan it garner a BCS
bowlbid?
beat Utah State 52-37 at San Jose State
Staff Picks recap: The Daily staff pickers are starting to come back down to earth. After an opening
month in which every picker posted a record well above.500 - including the guest picker - most
everyone hovered around or below mediocrity. This week's guest picker, Business senior Chad Ger-
encer, will stick around for another week, since only Scott Bell was able to best Gerencer's 10-10 mark.
Bell is the lone picker to be above .500 each week of the competition, a pretty impressive feat.
We'd also like to apologize in advance for the new headshots in the paper. It's not our fault Daniel
Bromwich decided to get a mohawk and Kevin Wright tried one-upping him by shaving his head com-
pletely. If you think you can pick better than a group of football writers with ridiculous haircuts, apply
by e-mailing us at footballbeat07@umich.edu. Once Gerencer is out, we'll be drawing a new person.
17. Kentucky lost to South Florida
Carolina38-23
18. Illinois heal Wisconsin 31-26 at Iowa,
19. Wisconsin lutteoIlinuis 31-26 at Pann State
20. Kansas beatKansas State at Rutgers
21. Florida State beat North Caro- at Wake Forest
ia State 27-10
22. Auburn beat Vanderbilt 35-7 at Arkansas
23. Texas lost to Okla- at Iowa State
homna 28-21
24. Georgia lost to Tennes- at Vanderbilt
see 35-14
25. Tennessee beat Georgia 35-14 South Carolina
Games updated through Oct. 7
STAFF PICKS
The Daily football
writers do their best
to predict what happens
in the 2007 College
football season.
Scott uaniei
Bell Bromwich
Jack Kevin
Herman Wright
Gerencer
MICHIGAN (-315)vs. Eastern Michigan Eastern Michigan Eastern Michigan Eastern Michigan Michigan Eastern Michigan
No.1 LOUISIANAST.(-9) vsNo.9Florida Florida Florida Louisiana State Louisiana State Louisiana State
No. 2 USC (-33.5)vs. Stanford Southern Cal Southern Cal Stanford Southern Cal Southern Cal
No.4OhioSt.(-7)vs. No 23 PURDUE Purdue Ohio State Ohio State Purdue Purdue
No.5 Wisconsin (+2.5) vs. ILLINOIS Illinois Wisconsin Wisconsin Illinois Wisconsin
No. 6 S. Florida (-15.5)vs FLORIDAATL. South Florida South Florida South Florida South Florida Florida Atlantic
No.7 BC (-20) vs.Bowling Green Bowling Green Boston College Bowling Green Bowling Green Bowling Green
No.8 Kentucky (+3.5) vs. No.11 S. CAR. South Carolina South Carolina South Carolina South Carolina South Carolina
No 10 Okla. (11) vs. No.19Texas Oklahoma Oklahoma Texas Oklahoma Oklahoma
No.12 Georgia &(+2)vs. TENNESSEE Georgia Tennessee Georgia Tennessee Tennessee
o.13W.Virginia(-26.5)vs.SYRACUSE West Virginia West Virginia Syracuse Syracuse Syracuse
o.15 Va.Tech (+6)vs.No. 22 CLEMSON Virginia Tech Clemson Clemson Virginia Tech Virginia Tech
No. 16 Hawaii (-39) vs UTAH ST. Utah State Hawaii Hawaii Hawaii Utah State
No.18 Arizona St. (-9) vs. WASH. ST Washington State Arizona State Arizona State Arizona State Arizona State
No.20Cincy(+3.5)vs. No.21 RUTGERS Cincinnati. Rugers Rutgers Cincinnati Rugers
No.24 KANSAS ST(3)vs Kansas Kansas State Kansas State Kansas State Kansas State Kansas State
o.17MISSOURI(-7) vs.No.25Nebraska Nebraska Missouri Nebraska Nebraska Missouri
Minnesota (+13.5) vs. INDIANA Indiana Indiana Indiana Indiana Indiana
Northwestern (+14.5) vs. MICHIGAN ST Michigan State Michigan State Northwestern Northwestern Northwestern
Iowa (+9) vs. PENN ST. Penn State Penn State Iowa Penn State Penn State
Best Bet Eastern Michigan Kansas State South Florida Illinois Purdue
Record This Week 11 9-0 (1-0) 10-10-0 (0-1) 7-130 (0-1) 8-12-0 (1-0) 10-10-0 (0-1)
Overall Record 72-53-4 (2-3) 66-59-4 (3-2) 65-60-4 (1-4) 66-59-4 (4-1) 65-60-4 (1-4)
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