s officials said he was being evaluated for a head injury. He had th

Out in Arizona and Utah they have whats called the Grand Staircase, a gigantic swath of America stretching from Bryce Canyon through Zion National Park and into the Grand Canyon. Anyone who travels that route is able to witness the evolution of our planet firsthand, a visible journey that reveals Earths development from the depths of the earliest days to the doorstep of modern times. Todays world, as we know it, was formed by pressure and eruptions, storms and explosions, conditions where only the strongest and most resilient escaped extinction and moved forward. To survive and advance one had to adapt and evolve.On Saturday, I traveled the Grand Staircase of College Football. But instead of the high desert of the west, my truck rolled through the hills and past the lakes of I-85 North, from central Georgia to upstate South Carolina. A day that started Between the Hedges with Tennessee vs. Georgia and ended in Death Valley with Louisville vs. Clemson carried me from one layer of the game -- two teams working desperately to regain footing among college footballs elite -- to the highest echelon of the sport and two teams already operating at the level the other two dream of reaching. At both games it was impossible not to be locked into the leaders of those teams, the four quarterbacks.Its a lot for ones brain to process. Especially when they ended up being two of the greatest games one could ever hope to see.So, I drove 532 miles in one day, from hotel departure at 8 a.m. to arrival at home in Charlotte at 3 a.m. Nuts? Maybe. Worth it? Totally. (Hey, I tried to do three games, starting with Miami at Georgia Tech to take it down one more step to the old-school powerhouses trying to catch back up level. Alas, the travel gods didnt allow for it.) Heres what I took away from what I saw, presented here as I wait for my eyes to stop instinctively darting back and forth.Jacob Eason is better than I thought ... but he needs help. The Georgia QB is made out of steel. Sadly, he has to be. He was sacked three times Saturday, including the late hit that caused a fumble and TD for Tennessee. But he still bounced back to throw for 211 yards and a pair of TDs, including the would-be game-winner with 10 seconds remaining. If youve watched him closely over the first five weeks, even with the two straight losses, hes improved so much, an NFL scout told me from the back row at halftime, when the Dawgs led 17-7. After the game and the all-time classic finish that same scout texted me as I hammered out of Athens: See?! That loss isnt on QB. Kid needs help.Joshua Dobbs biggest asset is also his biggest problem. Thatd be his brain. The much-lauded engineering ace is so smart he appears to be a victim of paralysis by analysis, particularly in the first half when the game is moving slower. He goes through progressions slowly and theres a methodical speed in his throws, even just throwing it out of bounds, that creates trouble. But the clock gets tighter and the game speeds up, hes forced to make those decisions faster and makes them better. See: those four double-digit second-half comebacks.Theres no reason why he cant be as dynamic as the guys you are going to see later tonight, former Georgia coach Vince Dooley told me at halftime, speaking of Deshaun Watson and Lamar Jackson. But I dont think weve ever seen him do that for four straight quarters. If he could be as good as he is late in games for 60 minutes it would really be scary. Moments after the game ended on the Dobbs Hail Mary to Jauan Jennings I was sprinting to my truck so I could bolt for Clemson before the stunned UGA fans started trudging toward their vehicles. I ran into Dooley in the concourse. See? said the man who has seen it all. Scary.Deshaun Watsons slow start is over. People around Clemson have been concerned with their quarterbacks mindset since the season started. Was he a victim of the preseason Heisman hype? Was he trying to do too much? Was the post-Chad Morris playbook hangover many expected in 2015 finally showing up a year later? Watson even admitted his head hadnt been totally right to my colleague Marty Smith early last week. On Saturday night he was far from perfect. His deep ball is still off-target, but his synapses are most certainly finally firing in sync.Like Dobbs in the second half, Watsons magic seemed to become conjured back up the more he was pushed to the brink. Take this insane second-quarter drive sequence and watch how Watson becomes January Playoff Watson: Clemson turnover, Louisville turnover, Clemson touchdown, Louisville turnover, Clemson turnover, Louisville turnover, Clemson touchdown, Louisville punt, Clemson touchdown, Louisville field goal, Clemson touchdown. Clemsons four TD drives covered two, one, three and four plays for 20, 11, 57 and 26 seconds, respectively. So, yes, at one point Clemson scored three touchdowns in six plays.Then, when Louisville did push back in the second half, Watson wasnt rattled. I wouldnt say I was more comfortable in the middle of all that, he said around 1 a.m. Sunday. But I would be lying if I said it wasnt the most fun Ive had all year. That, ladies and gents, is a young man who is ready to make another championship run.Lamar Jackson is better than everyone else. With all due respect to the other three QBs as well as the other 100-plus players I saw in action Saturday, no one is a better football player than Jackson. He has Easons nail-hard toughness and Dobbs late-game ability to make special stuff happen, added to Watsons dual-threat talents ... all packaged in a still-developing physical frame and football mind. Even with all of the future NFL talent I witnessed in person Saturday, there was only one athlete who looked as if he had a spotlight permanently trained onto his shiny red helmet.He led the foursome in total offense (447 yards, 295 passing, 162 rushing), QBR (91.9) and in press box gasps caused. He threw darts, short and long, and when he ran it made defenders look like they were trying to grab a greased eel. But dont take it from me. By the time I was sorting all this out I had been awake for 18 straight hours with a 2? -hour drive home still to go and had consumed more caffeine than an undergrad getting ready for final exams. Ask one of the people charged with stopping him.Linebacker Ben Boulware told my colleague David Hale that he told Jackson after the game that hes the best player he has ever played against. And he has faced the likes of Baker Mayfield and Derrick Henry.You can prepare all you want and guys can run the plan perfectly and be right where they are supposed to be and he will still make you look awful, Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney said. I just assume never have to see him again. Ill buy a ticket to see him.He certainly is one of the best Ive ever seen. Hes the next step in the QB evolution. The king atop the pyramid of one of the best days any college football writer -- or fan -- could ever hope to have.OK, now that Im done humblebragging, lets get on with Flipping The Field. As you read Im going to take a nap. That Grand Staircase will wear a man out.From the Ridonculous Stats Department: After his four touchdown tosses vs. Rutgers,?J.T. Barrett?is now the all-time leading TD passer in Ohio State history with 59. Notre Dames DeShone Kizers 471 yards against Syracuse was the third-best passing day in Irish history (Joe Theismann went for 526 in 1970). LSU responded to a week of hearing how it never gets its offensive act together by posting 634 yards against Missouri, its most-ever in an SEC game and done when Leonard Fournette didnt even play. Southern Miss set a school record with 702 yards of offense against Rice. Maryland running back Ty Johnson rushed for 204 yards ... on seven carries. Oh, and this isnt a stat, but its all kinds of ridonculous.Were going streaking! Mark Richt is now 14-0 vs. Georgia Tech in Atlanta, going 5-0 as an assistant at Florida State, 8-0 as head coach at Georgia and now 1-0 as head at Miami (more on this game coming up). Air Forces win over Navy not only put it in the inside lane for the Commander-in-Chiefs Trophy, but was also its 15th straight home win, second-longest in the nation behind Clemsons 19 straight. Perhaps it has something to do with all those way-huge way-overboard warning signs that Troy Calhoun has posted all over the tunnel leading into the stadium warning visitors of the dangers of playing at high altitude (CAUTION: HYPOXIA). When I saw him at the stadium in August and pointed them out, he smiled and winked.Get in the car, Frank ... Florida State has now surrendered a touchdown on the opening drive of all four of its FBS games this season. The Seminoles also had the nations longest home winning streak snapped at 22 and North Carolina is still the only ACC opponent that Jimbo Fisher has never beaten. Stanfords Christian McCaffrey has still not scored a touchdown in a true road game. Michigan snapped a 12-game losing streak to AP top-10 teams that spanned eight years. San Diego State had its 20-game winning streak snapped by South Alabama. (But it should be noted that my man crush, Donnel Pumphrey, did rush for 151 yards and became just the 21st NCAA player to cross the career 5,000-yard mark.)If youre scoring at home ... Notre Dame lost to Duke, who turned around and lost to Virginia, who opened the season by losing to Richmond, who lost to Stony Brook, who, as Duke was beating Notre Dame, lost to Sacred Heart 38-0. So, if youre a Pioneer, feel free to print this out and slide into your Notre Dame friends lap at your next Mass.Speaking of Clemson ... The Tigers like to use the phrase All in. And thats exactly what Clemson fan Jerry Mason is ... as apparently so is his embroiderer.FINALLY! ?Here at Flipping The Field weve been a little distraught at the vanishing of 2015s greatest trend, videos of coaches dancing after big wins. After knocking off Texas (dont call it an upset, unranked OSU was actually a two-point favorite), Mike Im a man, Im 40 Gundy brought it back by dropping it low and slow.Danny Ford Scientific Rocket Quote of the Week: Mike Gundy, Oklahoma State. Yeah, more of this guy. Once he stopped gyrating he was asked by radio station KRXO-FM The Franchise about comments earlier this week from uber-booster T. Boone Pickens criticizing the coach. I hate that he feels the way he does. I mean, I dont know what to do. I just have to do my job. I cant do anything about it. And you know what? At some point if somebody feels it aint good enough, then hell, somebody else can come in here and try it. I mean, Im good. Runner-up: Mike Leach, Washington State. One of these days, before I retire, Im going to throw it 100 percent of the time in one game, and run it 100 percent the next game.Tommy West Coachs News Conference of the Week: Ed Orgeron, LSU. Which one? Take your pick. Every time he has stepped to the microphone since taking over the interim job in Baton Rouge he has told stories, given pep talks and cracked people up. All I can think of -- and I know he would take this as a compliment -- is the old Cajun assistant coach from The Waterboy.Weston Steelhammer Name of the Week: The All-Good Book Team. The ACC Atlantic might as well be renamed the Sunday School Division. Why? Because Boston College has wide receiver Elijah Robinson and cornerback Gabriel McClary, while Syracuse and Florida State have wideouts Steve Ishmael and Jesus Wilson. If you dont know who those names are, contact your local church or synagogue.Frank Reich Backup QB Of The Week Award:?TraVon Chapman, Akron. Just prior to kickoff Chapman was informed that starter Thomas Woodson would be sidelined with a sore shoulder. It all felt a bit serendipitous as Chapman would be taking the field at Kent State. In 2013, when he was a player at Pitt, he was arrested in Kent, Ohio, for allegedly assaulting an ex-girlfriend. The former four-star Kent Roosevelt High School prospect pleaded guilty to a lesser charge, spent several nights in jail in his hometown, was dismissed from Pitt and bounced from Division II Ashland to Akron to play for Terry Bowden, where he became the starter and then lost the job. Chapman fired a 43-yard strike to set up the winning touchdown as the Zips defeated Kent 31-27. There are guys who make headlines for the wrong reasons and never get it turned it around, Bowden said late Saturday. But there are also kids who work hard to right their wrongs. This is one those of stories.Comeback of the Week Award, also named for Frank Reich: Baylor. The Bears trailed Bottom 10 stalwart Iowa State for most of Saturday afternoon, at one point trailing 42-28, but rallied to win 45-42 via a 45-yard field that ended the game and broke the collective heart of Ames, Iowa. In the fourth quarter the Bears outscored the Cyclones 17-0 and outgained them 298 yards to seven. But just in case you were wondering if this was still the Art Briles Air Show instead of the Jim Grobe Dirt Bike Rally, check out these insane rushing stats.?The Guy You Should Know About, But Probably Dont: Mitch Trubisky, QB, UNC. I have been particularly hard on North Carolina for not making better use of running back Elijah Hood, but Trubisky has been so good its hard not to ride that horse as long as it will gallop. Against FSU he was 31 of 38 for 405 yards and three TDs and also picked up a rushing touchdown for good measure. Over the past three weeks he has averaged 430 yards and 3.6 TDs per game So ... pretty good.The Team You Should Know About, But Probably Dont: Miami. My Saturday doubleheader was actually supposed to be a tripleheader, starting in Atlanta to watch Miami play Georgia Tech. Alas, the travel gods (or, more accurately, devils) intervened. Tech probably wishes Miami had experienced the same issues since the Canes won 35-21, a win powered as much by defense as offense, with two fumbles returned for touchdowns within fewer than a minute. The U is now 4-0 under Mark Richt, the first time it has reached that mark under a new coach since 2001 with Larry Coker. That team went 12-0 and won the national championship.The Play You Should Know About But Probably Dont: With all due respect to Michigan hero?Jourdan Lewis, how about this stick-em INT from Division II Wingate Universitys Moryah Johnson?!Remembering Jose. During the Georgia Tech game, the Hurricanes paid tribute to Miami Marlins pitcher Jose Fernandez, whose death continues to leave all of South Florida in a daze. The Canes paid tribute to the 24-year-old wunderkind with a simple but classy helmet sticker.The Game You Should Be Psyched For But Probably Arent: Colorado at USC. The longtime lowly Buffs rolled the currently lowly Oregon State Beavers 47-6 for their biggest Pac-12 win ever and biggest conference win since 1992 when they were in the Big 8 (yes, Big 8, you kids can Google it). Meanwhile, USC stomped undefeated Arizona State 41-20. If Colorado is going to shock the world and really make a run at the Pac-12 South title, it will have to start at the Coliseum.Extra Point: Saturdays game at Georgia saw a parade of Dawg dignitaries who got their moment of applause on the field and the Sanford Stadium Jumbotron, including the 1966 and 76 SEC title teams (yes, they cheered Ray Goff) and 94-year-old Charley Trippi, the oldest living Dawg and oldest living No. 1 NFL draft pick (1945). But the biggest ovation was saved for Devon Gales. It has been more than a year since the Southern University player was paralyzed during a game against Georgia. In the 13 months since, Gales has received financial assistance from the University of Georgia, including donations from UGA fans to a foundation to help the family build a new, accessible home. In August the floods in his hometown of Baton Rouge forced the family out of their home (not the new one, its still under construction), but they were flown to safety in Atlanta, again by the grace of the University of Georgia. In the days leading up to the Tennessee game, it was reported that Gales had moved his hips for the first time during rehab. On Saturday, Gales and his mother were shown on the big screen and received a standing ovation from much of the 92,746 in attendance, the people he has called my new family. http://www.authenticfootballshopbears.com/c-80-bears-adam-shaheen-jersey.aspx . Darren Helm scored on Detroits sixth attempt in the shootout and then Jonas Gustavsson stopped Andrew Shaws shot, lifting the Detroit Red Wings to a 5-4 win over the Chicago Blackhawks on Wednesday night. http://www.authenticfootballshopbears.com/c-68-bears-matt-barkley-jersey.aspx . Pettersen, winner of last years Evian Championships, had nine birdies and three bogeys, holding off a series of challengers led by Marion Ricordeau of France. The second-ranked Norwegian made her season debut after missing the LPGA Tours opening event last month in the Bahamas because of a shoulder injury. http://www.authenticfootballshopbears.com/c-14-bears-brian-urlacher-jersey.aspx . -- Stanfords Kevin Danser knelt on one knee and hardly moved on the sideline as Michigan State celebrated its Rose Bowl victory and his Cardinal teammates made their way to the locker room. Adam Shaheen Jersey . Hazard cut in from the left and scored with a swerving right-footed shot for ninth goal of the season, which proved to be enough for the victory despite Chelseas forwards again lacking a cutting edge up front. Dick Butkus Jersey . Capitals head coach Adam Oates said Ovechkin was injured in the first period against the Vancouver Canucks on Monday and clarified it was not a head injury. AUSTIN, Texas -- After bringing the big hits all day, the West Virginia defense still had to watch as the Texas desperation pass gently floated toward the end zone and then drifted too far.Then came the celebration.Then the wait to see if the Mountaineers had too many players on the field and if Texas would get one last shot to win.Nope. Game over. West Virginias chase for its first Big 12 championship is still alive.Kennedy McKoy ran for two touchdowns and Mountaineers (8-1, 5-1, No. 16 CFP) earned a tough 24-20 Big 12 road win, setting up a showdown with league leader Oklahoma next week.The Mountaineers have not yet won a league title since joining the Big 12 in 2012 but are chasing one with rugged defense in a league spends most weekends breaking scoreboards.They wanted to get this win pretty bad, West Virginia coach Dana Holgorsen said. Our goal has always been to win the Big 12 ... That defense was excellent.Skyler Howard passed for 269 yards and a touchdown for the Mountaineers. The defense gave up 536 yards but got four sacks, forced three turnovers and kept Texas running back DOnta Foreman, the Big 12s leading rusher, out of the end zone .One of those turnovers came on a big hit on Texas quarterback Shane Buechele by Kyzir White that forced a fourth-quarter fumble inside the West Virginia 25.Buechele passed for 318 yards and drove the Longhorns to final chance to win before his last pass fell incomplete. The Longhorns twice fought back from double-digit deficits before the final play.We kept taking our punches and kept coming back, Texas Charlie Strong said. Throw the Hail Mary and had the chance to win it.Foreman finished with 167 yards, his 11th consecutive 100-yard game, which tied former Heisman Trophy winner Earl Campbells Texas school record.THE TAKEAWAYWest Virginia: The Mountaineers came in with the Big 12s best defense and lived up to the billing. Most of Foremans yards came early and the Mountaineers pounded him and Buechele in the second half. The West Virginia offense had four turnovers, three by Howard, but the defense surrendered just seven points off those. Foreman also had an early fumble.They give (Fooreman) the ball and ride him.dddddddddddd We had to stop him and make others make plays. We did that, West Virginia linebacker Al-Rasheed Benton said.Texas: The pressure is back on Strong, who now has three consecutive five-loss seasons. Texas looked to be turning things around with big wins over Baylor and Texas Tech, but the numbers game is catching up to Strong, who is facing intense speculation that he could be fired. Texas is still trying to get bowl-eligible after not making one last season.I really dont worry about that, Strong said of his tenuous job status. I have a really good group of guys and I know they are going to play for me. Theyre going to battle. Theyre going to give everything theyve got.POLL IMPLICATIONSThe victory and impressive defense should keep West Virginia hovering around the top 10 . Keep winning at the Mountaineers can only move up.OPEN MICHolgorsen could be heard using profanity and telling game officials his players were tougher than Texas when an open microphone picked his argument over a reversed fumble. The Mountaineers led 17-3 and recovered a muffed punt return when officials determined they had interfered with the catch. The Longhorns seized on the momentum change by quickly marching to a touchdown in a 10-point rally that cut the lead to 17-13 by halftime.MISSING MALIKTexas linebacker Malik Jefferson, whose resurgent play the previous two weeks had been key to the Longhorns improved defense, left the game in early in the first quarter and did not return. Texas officials said he was being evaluated for a head injury. He had three tackles, including one for a loss, when he was taken out.UP NEXTWest Virginia: The Mountaineers return home next Saturday to host Big 12 leader Oklahoma in a game with huge implications for the league title.Texas: The Longhorns go on the road to Kansas next Saturday.---More AP college football: www.collegefootball.ap.org and https://twitter.com/AP-Top25 .---Previous versions of this story incorrectly spelled the name of Kennedy McKoy. Wholesale Hoodies NFL Shirts Outlet Jerseys NFL Wholesale Cheap NFL Jerseys Free Shipping Wholesale Jerseys Cheap Cheap NFL Jerseys China Wholesale Jerseys Wholesale NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys China Cheap NFL Jerseys ' ' '