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Triage Time: Rain Delays Malaise
By Will Carroll | October 29, 2008
The world has gone crazy, stuck in the sixth inning for three days, but injuries keep happening, so we’ll focus on those. Right now, my college fantasy team is starting to creep back into things and for my first time playing, I’m pretty happy with my Chase Daniels-led team. 3-6 isn’t great, but it keeps me in reach as I improve past some silly early week mistakes. Let’s make sure you don’t start someone who won’t help you:
Tyrell Sutton RB NORTHWESTERN and CJ Bacher QB NORTHWESTERN
It’s never good to double up on injuries. With two key players banged up, the Wildcats might have to slow their bowl push. At 6-2, the remaining games will mean the difference between playing on New Year’s Day or one of the lesser bowls that the Big Ten have stacked up. With Bacher , the hamstring appears to be okay. He left in the fourth against Indiana and watched his backup fumble twice, so Pat Fitzgerald really wants to see his QB1 back on the field when they face off with Minnesota in a key game. Sutton, on the other hand, is done for the season with a broken wrist. He’s scheduled for surgery this week, though I couldn’t confirm whether or not that had occurred yet. He could be back for the bowl game, but it’s going to be on Omar Conteh now to get them to a better bowl.
RB Andre Anderson, Tulane
A separated shoulder doesn’t seem like that bad a thing, but there’s varying degrees to it, like anything else. If it’s bad enough, there’s damage, such as strained tendons, torn ligaments, and damage to soft tissue and bone alike. Moreover, there’s the pain from the injury and the inability of someone to use their arms. While the specifics of Andre Anderson’s injury is being guarded closely by Tulane, reports suggesting that he could be out for the season indicate that it was far more than just the separation. In fact, late word that Anderson will need surgery suggest far worse issues. SI is reporting that he has a dislocated shoulder. It’s a big blow for the Green Wave and for fantasy teams.
Darryl Clark QB PENN STATE
The Nittany Lions got a massive win against Ohio State last week and can take the off week to celebrate, excoriate the BCS polls, and give Darryl Clark a week to get over his concussion. Clark was dinged in the third quarter and never returned, but the team held up without him. Reports are that he should be fine in time for the next game and that even if there were a game this weekend, he’d be likely there as well. Playing at Iowa on November 8 is going to be the last real test for Paterno’s team, so while a lot can change between now and then (like an election — go vote!), I’d expect Clark to be playing against the Hawkeyes .
Curtis Painter QB PURDUE
Joe Tiller might not know why Curtis Painter didn’t go back in the game after separating his shoulder, but I do. Painter has been playing through a series of shoulder problems this year while Tiller’s been jerking him around and toying with his chances for a big NFL payday. Following in the footsteps of Drew Brees and a resurgent Kyle Orton, Painter was expected to be a huge star for the Boilers, but instead has been the focus of Tiller’s disappointment on a team that Tiller lost at the announcement of his retirement. Painter’s going to have to rebuild his rep with good pro workouts, but he’s also got a couple more games at Purdue, if Tiller’s man enough to use him.
Michael Crabtree WR TEXAS TECH
It’s safe to say this is the biggest game in Red Raiders history and more importantly, it might be an inflection point for the spread offense. Mike Leach’s team runs an extreme version and let’s face it, Leach is just extreme. One thing we’ve seen is that the spread isn’t a quick fix - Houston’s running the Leach offense and has a shot at a bowl bid while North Texas is still struggling in their second year of the Dodge version. No, the scheme isn’t why the Raiders are lined up with the Longhorns in a huge matchup ; it’s the players in the scheme. Michael Crabtree is a big part of the offense and if you saw him limping off the field last week, favoring an ankle he sprained a few weeks back, it’s a sight that has to have Mack Brown smiling a bit. Something this small could change one of the biggest games of the year.
Marquell Colston RB NEW MEXICO STATE
As far as I can tell, he’s not related to Saints WR Marques Colston , though you can imagine why I thought he might be. Like his non-relative, Marquell Colston is a talented player who’s a bit injury prone. He’s not expected to play this week after missing last week’s game as the leg injury continues to hold him back. Brandon Perez is his backup, but against Boise State, yardage is going to be tough to come by, so it’s a big dropoff for the Aggies hopes for an upset.
Antone Smith RB FLORIDA ST
The power back for the Seminoles took a beating against the Hokies , but things look positive for getting him back in the lineup for the upcoming Georgia Tech game. Smith’s elbow has been the focus of most reports, but sources tell me it’s bruised ribs and strained cartilage in his ribcage that’s the most problematic. Yes, it’s one of those "it only hurts when I breathe" problems, one that will be exacerbated the first time a linebacker puts a shoulder to his body. Expect him to play, but how long he plays really depends on his pain tolerance and the circumstances of the game.
Jerrel Jernigan WR TROY
Things look bad for Jernigan this week as his knee sprain appears more serious than originally thought. The question has gone from how limited he might be as Louisiana-Monroe comes in to when he might be back. Losing the team leader in virtually every receiving category is a massive loss for a team that could be fighting for the Sun Belt title and a third bowl bid for a team that’s only been in Division I … err, FBS , whatever … for five years. Larry Blakeney remains one of the biggest secrets in college football and he’ll have to really coach the Trojans through the next few games down their weapons.
James Starks RB BUFFALO
If you’ve been following along with my work on the NFL’s game, you know that turf toe is affecting some of the biggest names in the game, LaDainian Tomlinson and a guy who would have been in this column last season, Darren McFadden. This year, it’s James Starks who’s limping through with turf toe, an injury that sounds soft, but is intensely painful. Worse, without six weeks of rest, it’s nearly impossible to heal completely, making each step painful and potentially making the situations worse. Starks is expected to play this week, but he’ll be limited and the Bulls thin out behind him due to injury. He’s the best they have, so the Trainers will be working overtime on everything from steel plates in the shoe to painkillers to get him out there as safely and effectively as they can manage.
Tony Pike QB CINCINNATI
Here’s one you don’t hear often: "Tony Pike left during the game after he lost feeling in his arm." Yeah, that’s bad. The Bearcats have had all sorts of bad luck, but seeing South Florida coming means you’d like to have your QB have, you know, feeling in his throwing arm. The backup played well and at this stage, you can’t consider Pike anything other than very risky, especially considering the pass rush that South Florida sports. Look for Cincy to be very quick with the hook on Pike in a must-win conference game for both teams.
Topics: College Football, Triage Time, Will Carroll |
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