Loser of the Week (Week Six)

POSTED BY Robert Reid, 08 October 2007

In college football, Friday night is for the loser, or a TV show, or the seriously moustached

Friday Night Lights — a TV show — kicked off its second season Friday. ‘Inspired’ by the H.G. Bissinger book of the same name, and set in real-deal Texas, it follows a fictional high school football team’s courting and fast-food habits, but is apparently cutting back on the football to see if it critically loved show can actually draw in some viewers. (As if the subtlety will change the perception of it being a ‘football show.)

The sad thing is the actual Friday tradition is slowly starting to lose some ground, as ESPN is creeping its college-game grasp to the night normally known for high-school play. Some high-school coaches are ticked off. Norman, Oklahoma, coach Butch Peters likened an Oklahoma/Tulsa game a couple Fridays ago to a ‘tragedy,’ saying ‘it’s going to kill a lot of gates, a lot of crowds.’

Purists can be happy that a curse is in place. Several ranked or biggish teams playing the taboo Friday night are losing. Last year’s Orange Bowl champs Louisville lost to Utah at home, #5 West Virginia could barely score at #18 South Florida, #4 Oklahoma got by Tulsa (but lost a mystifying on-the-road game at Colorado a week later), Rutgers’ win over Navy ignited a controversy over last-year’s media darling Scarlet Knights (and they’ve now lost two straight to underdogs), and pre-season hyped Oklahoma State fell to three-legged-bunny Troy.

Justice? High school curse? Or TV ploys to get more viewers of the NBC TV show? Loser of the Week (LoW) says ‘all of the above.’

Loser of the Week: Florida Atlantic
Everyone’s high on surprising South Florida (an 11-year-old program, now in the top five) except little FAU (a six-year-old program named for owls and coached by the belligerently moustached Howard Schnellenberger). A week off its mild upset of West Virginia, and a 17-point favorite, South Florida survived a fumbled punt with 10 minutes remaining and holding a 21-17 lead when a questionable call gave the ball back to the SoFlo bulls. The Bulls then scored on a 54-yard TD run, then FAU bounced back with a 80-yard drive and stopping SoFlo on two three-and-outs. But FAU wouldn’t get another first down, and turned the ball over late on downs, allowing SoFlo a cosmetic TD with 29 seconds left.

Schnellenger said it was ‘sweet’ that no team had played the Bulls better than they had. And SoFlo coach Jim Leavitt was ‘really proud’ of his team’s ‘handling adversity in this environment.’ (Um attendance barely broke 21,000.) FAU (3-3), who barely beat winless North Texas, showed us that SoFlo isn’t going to hold onto that rank long if they consider the palm-lined high-school sized stadium at FAU hostile territory.

FAU lost 23-35.

LoW Penalty Box
Instant Replay Anyone notice it isn’t working? Missouri’s rout of Nebraska should have been worse. A ruled incomplete TD in the first half showed a toe-tapping receiver clearly land in the end zone; replay officials confirmed the call. Later LSU enigmatically challenged the spot on a Florida 10-yard kick-off return. The runner’s foot was near the sideline, but no shown video (aka ‘indisputable evidence’) indicated he stepped out. Replay officials reversed the spot, marking Florida out. Oh, and credit Oklahoma nation for not bickering all last week about a ruled-complete first-down pass late in the Colorado loss in week five. Replay official said it was trapped, shocking TV announcers and anyone watching the game. It’s not that hard, is it?
USA Today/Coaches Poll Following USC’s loss to a second-string quarterback making his first start for the six-TD underdog Stanford on USC’s field, the only question is whether this or Michigan’s loss to Appalachian State is the ‘greatest upset of all time.’ Many side with this one. Not the Coaches Poll, which dropped USC six cuddly spots to #7! The same poll sent Michigan packing, from #5 to out of the Top 25, after the close App State defeat.

→ LoW puts this poll in the penalty box for three weeks, or until LoW HQ receives an apology.

Past LoW Losers
Week 5 Losers: Duke nearly bounced back with a big second-half to narrowly lose to Wake Forest 36-41. Oregon had the week off. Of the teams who beat them in week five, Miami surprisingly lost to North Carolina and Cal had the week off.

On the year, LoW Losers Record after their attention-getting loss: