Normally I don’t enjoy being wrong.  Except, of course, when I’ve picked my teams to lose and they surprise me. (grin)
Arlington Heights 33, Southwest 27 (OT)
TCU 33, Colorado State 6
LSU 24, Appalachian State 0
Well, at least Bo Pelini’s unit tossed a shutout.  Les Miles didn’t seem to be too concerned.
“I tried to let our team know that this team we were playing is a good football team,” Tigers coach Les Miles said. “It didn’t make any difference what division they’re in. I thought that considering it was not the emotion that we’ll have in a week, it was a good outing. We promise you it’s been very difficult not to look to the next opponent.”
Play like this against Alabama, Les, and you’ll be on the other end of that score.
…
Arlington Heights jumped out to a 27-17 lead, then watched it evaporate as Southwest kicked a 22-yard field goal with seven seconds left in regulation.
Quarterback Eric Burleson, subbing for an injured Jeff Jones, scored the winning touchdown in OT after Heights held the Raiders Rebels to a missed 51-yard field goal attempt.
…
Gary Patterson has a reputation as a defensive wizard.
Understand, I still think he’s the wrong coach for the TCU Horned Frogs.  But his defense stepped up this year, particularly the much-maligned-since-last-year secondary.
That secondary intercepted four more passes Saturday night against Colorado State (two by safety Brian Bonner), giving them an NCAA-leading 23 for the season.  Ram quarterback Justin Holland was sacked 5 times, one of them for a safety.
Jeff Ballard was 13 of 25 for 160 yards and a touchdown, plus he ran for another touchdown.  Robert Merrill had 95 yards on 16 carries, and Aaron Brown and Cory Rodgers each had one rushing touchdown.  Rodgers also caught the Ballard TD pass.
With the victory, TCU clinched the Mountain West Conference championship, their first outright title since 1958.  The 18th-ranked Frogs will now play in either the Las Vegas Bowl or the Liberty Bowl.
One wonders, however, how high the Frogs could’ve climbed had they not leid a colossal egg against the Shitland Ponies of SMUT.
For now, I’ll happily accept my second straight Perfect Football Weekend, and my third in the last four.
The PFW will return Thursday for a shot at three in a row.