College Football Week Four Review

There were some good games this weekend.  There were also a couple of stinkers and an upset thrown in.  Here's a look back at what we saw.


the Meat Life Must Sees:

Miami (FL) at Pittsburgh
Here is one of the stinkers.  Pitt pretty much had no chance and couldn't get anything going.  Even though Miami QB Jacory Harris still battles the INT bug (he had 2 this game), Miami's defense smothers the Panthers.  TML Who to Watch For athlete Dion Lewis from Pitt has struggled through this early part of the season, only rushing for 41 yards in this game.  Hurricanes storm Pitt 31-3.

Alabama at Arkansas
Game of the week right here.  Arkansas builds a 20-7 lead in the middle of the fourth, Heisman hopeful and TML Who to Watch For athlete Ryan Mallett threw for 313 yards during that span, torching the vaunted Bama D.  But the Crimson Tide showed why they are the defending champs with back to back INTs on Mallett and reigning Heisman winner Mark Ingram pounding out 157 yards on the ground.  17 unanswered points and Bama rolls through with a 24-20 victory in Arkansas.

South Carolina at Auburn
Another barn-burner in the SEC.  Auburn bottles up the spectacular SC freshman RB Marcus Lattimore to just 33 yards after averaging over 111 yards a game.  Gamecocks QB Stephen Garcia puts up great numbers in building a 27-21 lead, but after two fumbles was replaced by freshman Connor Shaw in the fourth quarter who threw INTs on back to back drives.  Auburn QB Cam Newton is continuing to build a name for himself as he led the charge for the Tigers with 2 passing TDs and 3 rushing TDs, the two passing to take the lead and the win.  Auburn outdoes SC 35-27.

West Virginia at LSU
LSU is probably the worst looking undefeated team in the country.  The Tigers pull off the win despite QB Jordan Jefferson throwing for less than 100 yards and 2 INTs.  DB/Return man for LSU Patrick Peterson struck a Heisman pose in the endzone after a punt return for TD in the second quarter to give LSU a 17-0 lead.  The Mountaineers made the score respectable, but their RB Noel Devine was bottled up for just 37 yards rushing.  Tigers win over West Virginia 20-14.


the Meat Life If You Had The Time...:

UCLA at Texas
The upset this past weekend.  Texas had no offense whatsoever, turning the ball over four times in the first half alone.  Their top-ranked run defense was shredded by the Bruin Pistol-option for 290 yards.  There was no time that Texas even threatened to come back, making it hard to read going into the Red River Rivalry.  The Bruins give the 1997 Rout 66 a sequel, upsetting Texas 34-12.

Stanford at Notre Dame
Here is the other stinker this weekend.  Notre Dame had no defense.  Stanford dominates this game.  They even have a player score a TD on both offense and defense in back to back series.  LB/FB Owen Marecic scored a rushing TD and then returned in INT for TD just 13 seconds apart.  He is one of the rare players in this day and age to play both sides of the ball.  The Cardinal stomps the Irish 37-14.

Oklahoma at Cincinnati
The game was probably closer than it should have been.  OU build a comfortable 24-9 lead early in the third. The Bearcats kept clawing back, tearing up the Sooners defense which now ranks in the bottom third of the FBS in rush/pass/total yards against.  Cincinnati really could have won the game if not for OU safety Jonathan Nelson's first half play (TD saving tackle, forced fumble, and INT) and turnovers by Cincy WR D.J. Woods (that fumble into the endzone and then a fumble on a punt toward the end of the game).  Sooners escape Cincy with a 31-29 victory.

Oregon State at Boise State
Oregon State put up another valiant effort against a non-AQ team, but too much smurf-turf trauma.  Boise QB Kellen Moore was his usual self, throwing for 288 yards and 3 TDs, one of them the game-clincher.  Beavers spectacular RB Jacquizz Rodgers was held down to 46 yards rushing.  I guess for Boise fans here begins the countdown to see if the Broncos will make the BCS National Championship.  Boise pulls it out 37-24.


There were no match-ups that I wish I had included on these lists this week.  The coming weekend is setting up to be big!  Here are the ones I want you to see:

Must Sees:

Oklahoma vs. Texas   Saturday 2:30PM CDT

NEW ADDITION   Stanford at Oregon   Saturday 7:00PM CDT

Florida at Alabama   Saturday 7:00PM CDT

Washington at USC   Saturday 7:00PM CDT

If You Had The Time...:

NEW ADDITION   Texas A&M at Oklahoma State   Thursday 6:30PM CDT

Miami (FL) at Clemson   Saturday 11:00 AM CDT

NEW ADDITION   Wisconsin at Michigan State   Saturday  2:30PM CDT

Penn State at Iowa   Saturday 7:05PM CDT

Georgia at Colorado   Saturday 6:00PM CDT

Enjoy the games this weekend!  BOOMER SOONER!

College Football Week Three Review

Alright folks, here we go again!  Another great week of college ball.



the Meat Life Must Sees:


BYU at Florida State
Well, this game was short on the drama factor.  Dubbed as a revenge game, there was not much revenge.  The Cougars kept it close in the first half, trailing 13-10.  But the Seminoles held BYU to just 39 yards in the second half.  Florida State pounded the football on the ground, rushing for 278 yards.  Florida State runs over the Cougars 34-10.


Nebraska at Washington
The supposed road test for Nebraska turned into a field day for the Nebraska running game.  Again no drama there, so the Meat Life must sees are taking a beating.  The Huskers dominated the Huskies.  Burkhead, Helu, and Martinez all rushed over 100 yards, 6 TDs on the ground between the three of them.  Locker had a career worst 4-20 passing and is more than likely out of the Heisman race.  Cornhuskers roll over Washington 56-21.


Texas at Texas Tech
Now this one lived up to the billing.  Texas took a quick 14-0 lead, but Tech scratches and claws it's way back to tie it up by half.  Longhorn D stepped it up big in the second half as the Red Raiders struggled to move the ball.  In the fourth quarter, Texas had a 23 play, 9:23 clock squeezing TD drive aided a pass interference penalty on third down that kept the drive going.  Longhorns grind out victory over Tech 24-14.


the Meat Life If You Had The Time...:

Arkansas at Georgia
For as early as the kickoff was, this game was really good.  Arkansas looked in control as they had a 24-10 lead going into the fourth.  Georgia scores 14 unanswered points to tie the game late.  Each exchange a short drive and punt.  Arkansas has the ball with Heisman hopeful QB Ryan Mallett in command.  They drive down to the Georgia 40 yard line when Mallett hits an open WR Greg Childs about 15 yards down field, Childs makes on move to fake out an defender and is gone to the endzone with 15 seconds left on the clock.  Arkansas makes a statement with the road win against the Bulldogs 31-24.

Baylor at TCU
Here's a good debate...who's the better non-automatic qualifying BCS team?  Boise State or TCU?  TCU outslugged Oregon State a few weeks ago and then rolls over Baylor (granted they are a Big 12 cellar-dweller for quite a while).  The Bears never really had a chance as the Horned Frogs imposed their will on Baylor.  TCU QB Andy Dalton was 21-23 with 267 yards passing and 2 TDs while RB Ed Wesley took care of things on the ground with 165 yards rushing on 19 carries and 2 TDs.  TCU rolled Baylor 45-10.


the Meat Life Misses and Wishes Named Must Sees:


Iowa at Arizona
The late night cap game was excellent.  Arizona dominated the first half, jumping to a 21-7 lead early in the second quarter due to a blocked punt, interception return for TD, and kickoff return for TD.  It then seemed as if they were in meltdown mode as punts and a Nick Foles INT throw get Iowa back in the game with it tied at 27-27.  Foles leads a 72 yard drive to give Arizona the lead and the Mike Stoops defense holds strong as Arizona holds on to win against Iowa 34-27.

Clemson at Auburn
Auburn seems to be surviving the barn-burners as they squeak out another close victory.  Clemson took a 17-0 lead as it seemed there was a rout in progress.  Auburn claws back with a 21 point third quarter to gain the lead.  Clemson comes back to tie the game and they go to OT.  In OT Clemson holds Auburn to a field goal.  It seemed Clemson tied it but a time out was called before the ball was hiked.  The redo misses and Auburn slides to a 27-24 victory over Clemson.

Notre Dame at Michigan State
Man, another close game for Notre Dame again.  Probably the best ending of the week.  The game goes back and forth all game and goes into OT.  The Spartans force the Irish to a field goal in OT.  Michigan State coach Mark Dantonio calls a play he calls "Little Giants," a.k.a. fake field goal where punter/holder Aaron Bates who hadn't thrown a pass since high school finds open  TE Charlie Gantt wide open for the game clincher.  Later Dantonio has a mild heart attack, has a procedure done to unblock an artery to the heart.  He is okay and so is his cardiac-performing football team.  Spartans shock Irish 34-31 in OT.


Alright, here is a preview of this weekend's must sees, along with some new additions I've added to the list:

Must See:
Miami (FL) at Pittsburgh  Thursday 6:30 PM CDT
Alabama at Arkansas  Saturday 2:30 PM CDT
NEW ADDITION  South Carolina at Auburn  Saturday 6:45 PM CDT
West Virginia at LSU  Saturday 8:00 PM CDT




If You Have The Time:
UCLA at Texas  Saturday 2:30 PM CDT
NEW ADDITION  Stanford at Notre Dame  Saturday 2:30 PM CDT
Oklahoma vs Cincinnati  Saturday 5:00 PM CDT
NEW ADDITION  Oregon State at Boise State  Saturday 7:00 PM CDT




Enjoy the football folks!


themeatlife.blogspot.com

Linkin Park “A Thousand Suns,” the Meat Life Complete Review

September 14, 2010 saw the release of the fourth studio album of Linkin Park entitled A Thousand Suns. The band over the course of the last decade have sold more than 50 million albums worldwide despite the ever changing struggles of the music industry.  And while the first half of the decade saw a distinct and singular definition of the “Linkin Park sound,” the last two albums including Suns see a departure from that causing a divide between critics and fans alike.

Linkin Park album covers from first to latest

Next month will mark 10 years since the band Linkin Park took the rock world by storm. With the rap-rock scene of the late 1990s dying down, Linkin Park took its brand of that genre, mixed it up with more electronic and pop elements, and came out with the widely successful Hybrid Theory.  Since then they have taken slow evolutionary steps to try and create a new sound for themselves.  The 2007 release of Minutes to Midnight gave way to a more stripped down sound, less Korn and Nine Inch Nails and more U2.

A Thousand Suns sees the band take a step even further away from their signature sound of the early part of the last decade.  Lead singer Chester Bennington billed it as a “concept album,” and that is definitely the case.  The album explores the danger and paranoia of modern technology, war, and apocalyptic themes.  Although there are dark themes, the album overall has a positive outlook on society’s future.  The band samples several political figures’ speeches from the 1950s and 1960s, including a speech about the Vietnam War by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. that give the album a very ominous feel.

As I have said probably a number of times already, this isn’t the same Linkin Park I grew with as a high school senior or a college kid.  A Thousand Suns will not be for everyone.  Some people may actually hate it…a lot.  Critics from MTV and Artistdirect.com have actually likened it to Radiohead’s Kid A in 2000, an album I actually don’t really like.  But they have a point because this album is a turning point for the band much like Kid A was a turning point for Radiohead.

For the music on the album, there is actually less actual songs on there than I would have expected.  But that basically makes it more of a complete piece of work as a whole.  At first listen I only looked at it in terms of individual songs (nine in total), but after listening to it once all the way through from beginning to end it makes a lot more sense as one piece of work rather than 15 individual tracks it is split up to be.  There is definitely a buildup, a climax, and a conclusion.  One noticeable thing will be the guitars…or lack thereof.  Although the album at times still feels heavy, the band explores other sounds and instruments to get that heavy feel.  There are still guitars on the album, but not in the overpowering sense of say Hybrid Theory or Meteora.

The first couple tracks start with ambient noise and a quote from physicist Robert Oppenheimer in an interview he did after his work on the atomic bomb as he quotes the Bhagavad Gita, a sacred Hindu scripture.  The line quoted includes where the album name is from.  The first actual song on the album,  “Burning In The Skies,” gives kind of a dance-pop feel.

There is another track of ambience and then leads into “When They Come For Me,” a hip-hop track mainly featuring second vocalist Mike Shinoda that has a heavy Middle Eastern feel with heavy drums and hums from Bennington in the background.  Next comes “Robot Boy,” which sounds like something reminiscent of Pink Floyd’s The Wall.  Another interlude buffers that song and “Waiting For The End.”  That track has a real reggae-style hook from Shinoda between the sentimental verses from Bennington.  “Waiting” is said to be the second single to be released.

“Blackout,” the next track, is vocally a throwback to Bennington’s old scream from LP’s past as well as the old pace of the band’s previous work.  “Wretches and Kings” is another hip-hop track and probably bumps the hardest of the songs on the album.  It takes a sample of a rage-against-the-machine speech from Mario Savio.  That leads straight into an electronically modified and ominous quote from Martin Luther King that I referred to earlier.

“Iridescent” feels a bit like a holdover from Minutes to Midnight.  Another interlude and then the lead single from the album “The Catalyst” comes on.  I can understand why they picked this as the first single, a kind of transitional song to introduce the public to the new sound.  “Catalyst” feels a bit like the soundtrack to a revolt and is definitely the climax of the album.  The album closes with the acoustic driven “The Messenger,” probably the biggest surprise on the album.

All in all, the album is worth a couple of listens in the very least.  If you were an LP fan that only liked their Hybrid days, you will be disappointed in the album.  If you are looking for something different to listen to, this may be a good album for you.  I would have to say that after a couple listens all the way through, I’ve grown to like the album.  Not a classic, but definitely worth multiple listens.  It certainly is very different from anything else coming out from popular artists right now.  And I definitely recommend if you listen to it for the first time, to listen from beginning to end as one piece.  It seems to work better that way, and I’m sure you can find 47 minutes out of your day to do so.  One complaint I have is that it feels rather short, but so are the other LP albums, so nothing new there.

One thing that is still the same with Linkin Park is that all the songs sound very cinematic, something I've always liked about the band.  Their songs all have an epic sound and feel like they would fit in well in a movie scene or two.  And although it may feel like Linkin Park is still experimenting and finding that new LP sound, it’s an entertaining journey. 

the Meat Life gives A Thousand Suns 7.5 out of 10.

Download these tracks from A Thousand Suns now!
“Wretches and Kings”
“Blackout”
“Iridescent”
“The Messenger”
(I’ve already told you to download “The Catalyst,” so you should already have that, haha)

themeatlife.blogspot.com

New Banner

Haha!  Hey guys new banner on the Meat Life, courtesy of Michael S. Mitra.

Enjoy the weekend.  I'll hit you back with a thorough review of the new Linkin Park album A Thousand Suns.


themeatlife.blogspot.com

College Football Week Two Review

Same deal as last week.  The Must-See Games were a little bit of a letdown entertainment wise.  If you were cheering for the home team though (like me cheering for Oklahoma), then the Must-See Games were your treat to watch.  Here it goes again!

the Meat Life Must Sees:

Florida State at Oklahoma
In the first couple drives, this game had the makings of a classic shootout.  Each team drove decisively down the field.  Then, things got ugly.  The young OU defense stuffed the Seminoles and QB Christian Ponder for most of the rest of the game.  The Sooners and QB Landry Jones took advantage of a leaky FSU secondary, throwing for 320 yards and scoring 34 points…in the first half!  They didn’t need RB DeMarco Murray to run the ball 35 times to pull this victory off.  Sooners roll over FSU 47-17.

Miami (FL) at Ohio State
The Hurricanes special teams certainly kept it interesting in the first half, scoring a kickoff return and a punt return for TDs, but this was all Terrelle Pryor and the Buckeyes in this one.  Miami QB Jacoby Harris was plagued by the Ohio State defense all day, throwing 4 INTs.  Pryor did his best to keep the Heisman hype rolling leading the team in passing and rushing with 346 total yards.  Buckeyes stomp Miami 36-24.

Penn State at Alabama
There was some concern with last year’s Heisman winner RB Mark Ingram still sidelined with the knee injury, but Alabama’s Trent Richardson filled in nicely for the second week in a row rushing 144 yards.  This game was never close, unless you count the six minutes it was scoreless.  Alabama coasts to a 24-3 victory over the Nittany Lions.

the Meat Life If You Had The Time…:

Michigan at Notre Dame
Unlike my brother’s hatred for Big Ten/Notre Dame style football, I thought this game was very entertaining and probably the most entertaining in the weekend ESPN hyped as “Monster Saturday.”  Notre Dame QB Dave Crist misses most of the first half as Michigan takes a commanding 21-7 lead behind dynamic running/passing QB Denard Robinson a.k.a. "Shoelace."  Crist comes back in the second half and rallies the Fighting Irish as they take the lead 24-21.  It then becomes the Denard Robinson show once again, as he led a 72-yard drive down the field for the winning score.  Robinson had 502 yards of total offense alone, 258 of those rushing, enough for 5^th most in a game in Michigan history.  If they keep playing like this, I might have to take what I said about RichRod back.  Wolverines pull out 28-24 above Notre Dame.

South Florida at Florida
This game was great in the first half.  South Florida held a 7-0 lead until toward the end of the first half.  Then the second half came and they imploded.  Gators RB Jeff Demps takes over the game, running a career-high 139 yards and 255 all-purpose yards.  South Florida just kept turning the ball over with 4 INTs throw by QB BJ Daniels (he only completed 5 passes to his team).  The Gators take the game from South Florida 38-14.

Oregon at Tennessee
This was building up to be a classic.  The game was delayed due to lightning in the first quarter.  Tennessee was holding their own and had a tie with the visiting Ducks 13-13 at half.  Then lightning struck Oregon, scoring 35 unanswered points in the second half.  The Volunteers offense was shut out in the second half.  Oregon RB LaMichael James had a nice game after serving a one game suspension, rushing for 134 yards.  Ducks top Tennessee 48-13.

There weren’t any games I wished I had included on this list this week.  Although I would say this, it was a bad time to be a ranked ACC team.  Each team that was ranked lost, the worst was Virginia Tech’s choke-fest to FCS and Founding Father James Madison 21-16 (although Georgia Tech’s 28-23 loss to Kansas wasn’t pretty either, Kansas lost to FCS North Dakota State the previous week 6-3).  At least Florida State and Miami got beat down by top ten teams.  Out of the previous ranked teams, only Miami is still ranked in the top 25 in the AP and Coaches’ polls.

Okay kids, here are my picks for next week:

Must See:
BYU at Florida State Saturday 2:30PM CDT
Nebraska at Washington Saturday 2:30PM CDT
Texas at Texas Tech Saturday 7:00PM CDT

If you have the time…:
Arkansas at Georgia Saturday 11:00AM CDT
Baylor at TCU Saturday 3:30PM CDT

Enjoy!

themeatlife.blogspot.com

A Thousand Suns...the future of album sales?

For those of you who have known me for a while, I'm a fairly avid Linkin Park fan.  I'm not as obsessive as I once was late in high school or early college, but I have followed them since I discovered them in 2000 the summer before Hybrid Theory came out on to today.

One thing that they have always tried to do is adapt very quickly to technologies available.  They always have had a mobile studio in which they record samples and demos for new songs.  They came out with an iPhone game app where you play the levels and it unlocks live versions of songs and the final level unlocked an otherwise unreleased track called "Blackbirds."

But for the pre-order of their new album A Thousand Suns, they did some things that they have never done for a release.  I don't think anyone else has done for that matter.

A couple months ago Linkin Park had announced they you could pre-order the album on their website.  They had the usual packages that included merchandise like t-shirts and things and one ridiculous package that included a Linkin Park designed skateboard.  But all of these packages included a free mp3 version of the album that will be released to you the night before the album is available in stores.

While the mp3 version of the album is not a new idea (they actually included the mp3 file versions of the songs on their last album Minutes to Midnight), they also give a sneak-peak of the album by releasing a couple of the tracks to you before they send you the entire album.  When I pre-ordered the album, a few days later they sent me the first single "The Catalyst" in mp3 form when they first released it.  Then a couple weeks ago they sent me the another mp3, this time of the song "Wretches and Kings."

At about 11:00 pm CDT on September 13, they sent me the entire album in mp3 form...a few hours before the CD comes out in stores and the mp3s are available on iTunes.  (If that is a tactic to combat piracy, it didn't work.  I actually got a copy of the album from one of my friends of the now renowned nomnomnompton blog about a week before the album came out.)

The release of A Thousand Suns does give an interesting look at how other artists will try to release new material.  Will other artists try to release their work with little previews before they are officially released?  For   big name artists that are still selling strong like Lady Gaga or Jay-Z maybe not.  (I pre-ordered Jimmy Eat World's new album Invented and the most they did was stream their single "My Best Theory.")  But it does present an interesting attempt at changing things up.

I will wait until I give A Thousand Suns a few more listens before I review it here.  Until then, keep bumpin that music.


themeatlife.blogspot.com

United We Stand? Where Our Nation Stands in the Aftermath

I normally don't write about this kind of stuff on here, but I guess I've had this on my mind for a while.


Nine years ago, the worst attack on our nation’s soil took place.  A lot has happened between now and then, but where do we all stand now?  What ways has the United States changed?  In what ways have we stayed the same?

In many ways it has been business as usual.  Economic bubbles burst.  Before 9/11, it was the dot-com bubble that burst.  Companies like Enron were exposed for bad accounting practices, tanking and contributing to a weak economic state.  Some seven years after 9/11 the housing bubble burst.  Companies like AIG were exposed with bad and misleading investment into so-called “toxic” assets.  So we got one thing straight, there will be some type of investment that will bubble up and burst, and there will always be big corporation types that will try to game the system to profit.

There are some negative changes that have gripped America.  More and more the country seems more divided.  Red states and blue states.  Xenophobia.  People arguing about “what is right” for America.  In the aftermath of 9/11, it was “United We Stand.”  Everyone had their American flags out.  New York and DC shirts and hats were sported by everyone all over the country.  A country captivated…ready to take on the challenges---together.  But now we see everyone has to take a side.  For or against the war in Afghanistan.  For or against corporate bailouts.  For or against health care reform.  For or against immigration reform.  For or against “don’t ask, don’t tell.”  For or against building a mosque/community center a few blocks away from the World Trade Center site.  The more issues we have to deal with, the more people seem more divided.

Also, I don’t know if anyone else has noticed, but the media seems to have become a news maker instead of a news source.  It is WAY more opinion-driven “news” that has propagated into mainstream media to attempt to compete.  Something for everyone really.  If you are a conservative, tune to Fox News.  A liberal?  MSNBC is for you.  CNN will lean liberal but they are now leaning heavily on their iReport/blog aspects online to grab the kids that like that social online aspect.

But the way news outlets are now shaped are for a different time to discuss.  The main point I was trying to make was how divided we are now.  Nine years after one of the most difficult, traumatic, confusing, trying events in the recent history of this country, you would think that something like that would have us on a more united front to get this country straightened out.  Not that I am an expert, but I would assume the country came together pretty united when the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor or when the Soviets launched Sputnik.

Maybe I’m an idealist.  Or maybe I’m too naïve to realize that it’s hard to get 300 million people on the same page.  I’m not saying we all should have the same opinion.  I’m just saying that we all should have a more open mind.  An open mind to take go out on a limb a little bit to try to get this economy back rolling the way it was in the 1990s, the way FDR tried different things during the Great Depression.  An open mind to think about the things that will drive the future of the country like green technologies and a broadband internet infrastructure.  Things internally that this country can focus on to get the ball rolling.

Instead we are stuck debating about what to do with someone in this country who illegally immigrated even if they are a productive member of our society.  Instead we pour so much attention to the Muslim community center they are trying to build blocks away from Ground Zero, casting “Islamophobia” across the US.  But why are we focused on these things when the unemployment rate is still floating around 10%?  Why are we so concerned about whether or not gays can be open about their orientation when they and other American troops are still heavily deployed in Afghanistan?

I say we fix the problems instead of causing misdirection and making us afraid of immigrants, afraid of Muslims, afraid of gays.  Yes, the border is important.  But what is more important: deciding what to do with 10 million illegal immigrants or trying to get 10 million Americans jobs?  Which is more important: finishing the job in Afghanistan or making sure that they don’t build a church near Ground Zero (and yes, a mosque is a Muslim church, NOT a terrorist factory as some people would like you to believe)?

We need a rally.  A "United We Stand"-like rally going into the next decade.  Otherwise famous words of Abe Lincoln may come to be.

"A house divided against itself cannot stand."

---------------------

I’ll stop my rant now.  To all those who have lost someone in 9/11 and thereafter to protect this country, I thank you for your sacrifice.  Those who are deployed in harm’s way, I thank you for your service.  And to all those souls lost that fateful day, I will never forget what happened that day and how it has impacted the world I live in today.

9/11: Never Forget.

themeatlife.blogspot.com 

College Football Week One Review

Hey there sports fans!  So I picked some games a few weeks ago that were “must see” and some to catch “if you had the time.”  Well, now it’s time to see how those games turned out.  After we go over those games I’ll highlight some games that weren’t on my list that ended up being epic.

the Meat Life Must Sees:

Washington at BYU
Well, Jake Locker played very well, but BYU’s QB duo of Riley Nelson and Jake Heaps help the Cougars to 10 unanswered third quarter points.  BYU wins 23-17.  Although close, the drama wasn’t nearly as good as some of the other matches of the weekend.

LSU vs North Carolina
I’ll have to admit, I turned this game off when LSU had a 30-10 halftime lead.  But the depleted Tar Heels defense held strong in the second half, shutting out the Tigers as UNC scored 14 in the fourth.  Carolina had one last drive to the six yard line with about 11 seconds left to take the win.  Two passes from QB TJ Yates to TE Zack Pianalto.  Two dropped balls in the endzone in a heartbreaker.  LSU wins 30-24.  Second most dramatic of the weekend.

Boise State vs Virginia Tech
Okay, I’m a self-proclaimed Boise hater.  So when I called a ten-point Hokie victory, I was not only serious but I was hoping for the demise of all that is BSU football.  But someone forgot to tell VT that there was a game going on in the first quarter.  Boise State takes a 17-0 lead.  Then it seems as if the Hokies wake up and start to take over the game late in the game with a 30-26 lead.  Questionable play calls end a Virginia Tech drive that would have milked the clock down.  Boise miraculously drives down the field and scored the final time with 1:09 to go. At this point I was yelling at my screen, but easily this finish and the back and forth game made it the highlight of the football weekend.  Boise State victory 33-30.

the Meat Life If You Had the Time:

Oregon State vs TCU
Good game.  Back and forth play.  Dalton uses his running ability to overcome throwing 2 INTs to put TCU up 28-21.  Oregon State gets the ball with a chance to fight back and score to bring it even…except the center snapped the ball over QB Ryan Katz’s head, forcing him to kick the ball out of the endzone for a safety with about four minutes left to play.  TCU victory 30-21

SMU at Texas Tech
The score really make the game seem closer than it really was for most of the game.  Tech never trailed and led the game 35-14 up through late in the third.  The 13 straight Mustang points were attributed by stalled Red Raider drives when Coach Tuberville was doing his best Mike Leach impression, going for it on 4^th down twice on back to back drives and not converting.  Texas Tech wins 35-27.

the Meat Life Misses and Wishes Named Must Sees:

Pittsburgh at Utah
What a great way to kick off the season with an O/T Thursday night thriller.  Pitt trailed for much of the game but the game went back and forth in the fourth and the Panthers tie it 24-24 to force O/T.  First play of overtime, Pitt’s freshman QB Tino Sunseri throws a pick. Utah drives close to the endzone and kicks the field goal to win.  Utah victory 27-24.

USC at Hawaii
This game proved how big a douche bag Lane Kiffin really is.  Scoring the first three TDs, the Trojans went for two all three times (they were 1-3 in converting those...he even went for two a couple other times later in the game!).  Although USC never trailed, Hawaii kept up and even outgained the Trojans 588-524.  The USC secondary was torched by two QBs (Hawaii’s starter Bryant Moniz was injured in the third quarter…the backup sucked but then third stringer Shane Austin lit it up).  USC wins 49-36.

Outside of that, I don’t really feel like putting Villanova-Temple or Jacksonville State-Ole Miss (although, DAMN! the Rebels suck).  Another great week of football is coming up!  Here are the week to picks to watch that I wrote before the season.  Enjoy!

Must See:

Florida State at Oklahoma Saturday 2:30 PM CDT
Miami (FL) at Ohio State Saturday 2:40 PM CDT
Penn State at Alabama Saturday 6:00 PM CDT

If you have the time…:

Michigan at Notre Dame Saturday 2:30 PM CDT
South Florida at Florida Saturday 11:20 AM CDT
Oregon at Tennessee Saturday 6:00 PM CDT

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