And I'm spent...

It's rare, frankly to have a day like today, where every game you see is great. Early today I was able to see most of both the Axe game and BC and Wake. Now for those of you who don't know, meaning, you don't go to BC, Wake had beaten BC the last two years, in dramatic fashion. This time, they got up big early, and BC clawed back, only to see Wake go up again. BC then came back to win late. Meanwhile, in the axe game, Laurence Maroney performed brilliantly, but so did Bryan Calhoun and Wisconsin, and they won on the blocked kick late. My only question about that play, for the punter, is this. Way not punt the ball out of the back of the end zone for a safety? Minnesota would still lead, but it also puts the pressure on the Badger offense and kicker to make a late field goal.

The next batch of games...well, was some of the best football I've ever seen. Michigan/Penn State probably ended the way it should have. Penn State had been living dangerously all year (witness the last second win over Northwestern) and Michigan had lost late (Wisconsin, Minnesota). Mario Manningham, frankly, deserves the #1 jersey now, though I'm sure it won't be given til after the season. He's stepped into the role Breaston was supposed to fill, which also seems to be helping Steve Breaston play better, now that he's in a more familiar and comfortable role. Henne played better in the second half than he had in previous games, and it showed in the final drive, though he nearly killed me by not going into the end zone.

Notre Dame-USC? Well, its hard to say a lot about a game that basically speaks for itself. You had two great, and I do mean great, coaches matching wits, and their charges going at it in one of the great games I've ever seen. The cliche of the heavyweight fight is about the only thing I can come up with to describe it, with that final, desperate quarterback sneak, USC hit that last powerful jab for the knockout with 10 seconds left in the 12th. The two people made by this game, though, are Brady Quinn, who actually looked better than Matt Leinart until the final drive, and Reggie Bush, who, frankly, should by all rights have clinched the Heisman.

Like a dessert after a big main course, I watched a lot of Virginia-FSU. Now UVa was having what was essentially a big anniversary party of their win over FSU in Charlottesville 10 years ago, which gave the Noles their first ACC loss. Well, they hadn't beaten them since. Still the effort by their defense, and the effort of their pixie QB Marques Haggans, surprised me, and they led big at the half, only to see FSU rally, then finally to put the Noles down. All and all, one of the great sports days ever.

I'm tired, I'm footballed out, I'll blog more next week.