For the second straight week NCAA football centers on a thursday night involving a clash between unbeaten Big East squads. But you non-east coast based foke don't have to worry there is plenty important games this Saturday to look forward to.
5. Wake Forest Demon Deacons vs. Florida State Seminoles in Tallahassee
The Demon Decons completely control their destiny to the BCS and how often do you think anyone could have even imagined uttering that in the past. The Decons played well last week but were heavily helped by careless interceptions thrown by BC. Now headed into Tallahassee the Decons are ranked while the Seminoles are not, another odity. Can the Demon Decons continue the sputtering downfall of Florida State, or will FSU rise up and not lose to a school that in the past they would have pounded. The Pick: FSU will win this game at home for pride alone and the ACC Coastal will be again up for grabs.
4. South Carolina Gamecocks vs. Florida Gators in the Swamp
Spurrier headed back to the swamp to face off against the program he starred at and the program he built into a super power, it has to feel odd for him and all of the Gator fans in the Swamp. I can't imagine that any Gator fan could not cheer the guy. With that being said everyone in the Swamp will fully desire and expect the Gators to destroy the Gamecocks, and with the questionmarks surrounding Syvelle Newton, still listed as a wideout on ESPN you have to give a big time advantage to the Gators. The Pick: Spurrier can't do it in the swamp without the Gator talent, Gators by 10.
3. Oregon Ducks vs. Southern California Trojans in LA
And so starts the Trojans gauntlet of Pac 10 foes and Touchdown Jesus. Questions marks lie on both sides truly. Are either of these teams for real or are they a product of luck (Oklahoma), great timing (Arkansas without McFadden), or facing the weaker 1/2 of the Pac 10 at the start of the schedule. Watching a few Oregon games they seem like a West Virginia light, maybe even Sweet & Low. They have a good running QB and good RB but their defense stinks. This should be a relatively high scoring game but eventually USC will get more stops than the porous fighting highlighters. The Pick: USC at home in a close one.
2. Tennessee Volunteers vs. Arkansas Razorbacks in Fayetteville
Oh the stars are lining up for the Razorbacks. Throughout the midway point of the season the Volunteers were arguably the best team in the SEC and Erik Ainge was a legitimate Heisman Contender while the Razorbacks were facing the cream puffs post Auburn. And this weekend, well Erik Ainge isn't in the lineup and I'm willing to bet that Houston Nutt is jumping with joy about this. Without Ainge the Vols turn to a redshirt freshman with no experience who came up short against LSU at Rocky Top. In Fayetteville I expect the Razorbacks to pretty much sow up their trip to the Georgia Dome as all they would have to do to finalize this is beat Miss St. the following week. The Pick: Arkansas by a td or two.
1. Louisville Cardinals vs. Rutgers Scarlet Knights in Jersey
This is the surprise of the season, the fact that Rutgers is competing in not just the biggest game of the weekend but by far the biggest game of this college football week. Rutgers of all teams, the same team that used to give up 80 points to West Virginia, or the team that stupidly stomped on the Cardinal in Louisville and then proceeded to get pummeled last season. Rear back and think deep and try to come up with a single moment that any Rutgers male athletic team played in a big game. I know I can't think of one. All I can come up with is the NIT. Now Rutgers will pack the seats in their stadium and be the media darling of NYC for a day and they even have Mike and The Mad Dog doing a live show from the stadium. This is the biggest game in the metropolitan area since the time when West Point used to produce Heisman Trophy winners.
The key to Rutgers chance to win this game, Quarterback Mike Teel who has had limited success this season especially when you take away his numbers against Navy. While Rutgers has mostly been able to pound away at their opponents with their rushing attack behind Ray Rice and Brian Leonard it's highly doubtful that they could win this game without completing a few passes down field to open up the defense. Else Louisville will thrust 8 or 9 guys in the box on every play and Rutgers simply isn't good enough to create running room against solid athletes when they clutter the box. Teel needs to come up big for Rutgers to remain undefeated come midnight.
With all this being said Rutgers are going to need to play out of their mind and get lucky with a few Louisville turnovers to win this game. Flat out Louisville has better athletes, as much if not more riding on the game, and a possible first round pick running the ship at QB. The Pick: Lousivlle wins a battle which stay tight up until the 4th quarter when Brohm starts hitting his targets with consistency and the Rutgers offense begins to stall. Cardinals by 10.
5. Wake Forest Demon Deacons vs. Florida State Seminoles in Tallahassee
The Demon Decons completely control their destiny to the BCS and how often do you think anyone could have even imagined uttering that in the past. The Decons played well last week but were heavily helped by careless interceptions thrown by BC. Now headed into Tallahassee the Decons are ranked while the Seminoles are not, another odity. Can the Demon Decons continue the sputtering downfall of Florida State, or will FSU rise up and not lose to a school that in the past they would have pounded. The Pick: FSU will win this game at home for pride alone and the ACC Coastal will be again up for grabs.
4. South Carolina Gamecocks vs. Florida Gators in the Swamp
Spurrier headed back to the swamp to face off against the program he starred at and the program he built into a super power, it has to feel odd for him and all of the Gator fans in the Swamp. I can't imagine that any Gator fan could not cheer the guy. With that being said everyone in the Swamp will fully desire and expect the Gators to destroy the Gamecocks, and with the questionmarks surrounding Syvelle Newton, still listed as a wideout on ESPN you have to give a big time advantage to the Gators. The Pick: Spurrier can't do it in the swamp without the Gator talent, Gators by 10.
3. Oregon Ducks vs. Southern California Trojans in LA
And so starts the Trojans gauntlet of Pac 10 foes and Touchdown Jesus. Questions marks lie on both sides truly. Are either of these teams for real or are they a product of luck (Oklahoma), great timing (Arkansas without McFadden), or facing the weaker 1/2 of the Pac 10 at the start of the schedule. Watching a few Oregon games they seem like a West Virginia light, maybe even Sweet & Low. They have a good running QB and good RB but their defense stinks. This should be a relatively high scoring game but eventually USC will get more stops than the porous fighting highlighters. The Pick: USC at home in a close one.
2. Tennessee Volunteers vs. Arkansas Razorbacks in Fayetteville
Oh the stars are lining up for the Razorbacks. Throughout the midway point of the season the Volunteers were arguably the best team in the SEC and Erik Ainge was a legitimate Heisman Contender while the Razorbacks were facing the cream puffs post Auburn. And this weekend, well Erik Ainge isn't in the lineup and I'm willing to bet that Houston Nutt is jumping with joy about this. Without Ainge the Vols turn to a redshirt freshman with no experience who came up short against LSU at Rocky Top. In Fayetteville I expect the Razorbacks to pretty much sow up their trip to the Georgia Dome as all they would have to do to finalize this is beat Miss St. the following week. The Pick: Arkansas by a td or two.
1. Louisville Cardinals vs. Rutgers Scarlet Knights in Jersey
This is the surprise of the season, the fact that Rutgers is competing in not just the biggest game of the weekend but by far the biggest game of this college football week. Rutgers of all teams, the same team that used to give up 80 points to West Virginia, or the team that stupidly stomped on the Cardinal in Louisville and then proceeded to get pummeled last season. Rear back and think deep and try to come up with a single moment that any Rutgers male athletic team played in a big game. I know I can't think of one. All I can come up with is the NIT. Now Rutgers will pack the seats in their stadium and be the media darling of NYC for a day and they even have Mike and The Mad Dog doing a live show from the stadium. This is the biggest game in the metropolitan area since the time when West Point used to produce Heisman Trophy winners.
The key to Rutgers chance to win this game, Quarterback Mike Teel who has had limited success this season especially when you take away his numbers against Navy. While Rutgers has mostly been able to pound away at their opponents with their rushing attack behind Ray Rice and Brian Leonard it's highly doubtful that they could win this game without completing a few passes down field to open up the defense. Else Louisville will thrust 8 or 9 guys in the box on every play and Rutgers simply isn't good enough to create running room against solid athletes when they clutter the box. Teel needs to come up big for Rutgers to remain undefeated come midnight.
With all this being said Rutgers are going to need to play out of their mind and get lucky with a few Louisville turnovers to win this game. Flat out Louisville has better athletes, as much if not more riding on the game, and a possible first round pick running the ship at QB. The Pick: Lousivlle wins a battle which stay tight up until the 4th quarter when Brohm starts hitting his targets with consistency and the Rutgers offense begins to stall. Cardinals by 10.
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