Judgment Week

[Eric]

I was amazed at the slate for Week 6. I had to cut about 15 games from the pick'em that I really didn't want to as there are going to be season-defining games across the college football landscape in just about every single conference.

ACC: Friday night has Louisville @ Syracuse in an interesting game. Petrino needs his offense to start clicking with their backup QB and Syracuse needs all the wins they can pile up for the bowl season. Virginia Tech @ North Carolina is a huge game for both programs since Beamer doesn't want to start 3-3 and UNC is starting to rumble about Larry Fedora's job security (the guy can't field a competent defense, but he is still a solid coach and is pretty close to making the Tar Heels into a dangerous team). Both teams are 0-1 in the Coastal, so that might as well be an elimination game, but the winner of that division could still take it with three conference losses. NC State @ Clemson--Is NC State for real or will Clemson's new offense keep rolling? Miami and Georgia Tech is another huge Coastal Division game.

B1G: Michigan @ Rutgers. Basically, if Michigan gets embarrassed again, I think Hoke could be fired the next day. Things are that dicey for the coaching staff and that toxic around the program right now. The good news for Michigan is that Gardner will play the whole game so he can at least scramble and Gary Nova has a tendency to throw four interceptions a game, something that could counter the inevitable four Wolverine turnovers. Maryland gets their first big B1G conference game in a home date with Ohio State. And, in my opinion, the biggest game of the day is actually Nebraska @ Michigan State. This is a game with playoff implications, whereas some of the SEC teams can rebound if they drop their games. This will probably be Michigan State's toughest game outside of Ohio State and I really think Nebraska can run the table if they find a way to win this. Riding Ameer Abdullah automatically makes your team awesome. They just need to avoid the annual Nebraska defensive nuclear meltdown that plagues them from time to time.

Big 12: Baylor gets a chance to take out years of pent up anger against the Texas Longhorns. While winning easily last year 30-10, I think Baylor wants to embarrass Texas, so the Longhorns better be ready for this one. TCU gets a chance at a huge statement game against Oklahoma in Forth Worth. Oklahoma has always been much more beatable away from Norman and TCU's defense looks like they did a few years ago.

C-USA: There's only one big game on the slate and that's Marshall @ Old Dominion. Bobby Wilder, ODU's head coach, basically came out and admitted after Friday's loss to Middle Tennessee that the competition in C-USA will be too much for the Monarchs to handle to realistically wish for a +.500 conference record, in so many words (they upset Rice in Dallas, but Rice had their backup QB in for almost an entire half). We'll see if he's right or if his players are better than he thinks when they host Marshall. They weren't a big match for MTSU because their defense still has a tendency to get shredded, but their offense has also been a little on the spotty side. Marshall might overlook ODU and if ODU is on offensively, this could be a huge shootout.

MAC: I'm going to be keeping an eye on Buffalo and Bowling Green. UMass has an average passing game with Tajae Sharpe and Blake Fhronapfel, but Fhronapfel threw for 589 yards and 5 TDs against Bowling Green's absolutely horrendous secondary. I wonder what Joe Licata can do next weekend. Buffalo isn't particularly good, but just about every game Bowling Green plays has the ability to be close because they will allow so many points and they lost Matt Johnson as their triggerman. Knapke has done okay, but he isn't as good as Matt Johnson; I'd assume with Johnson they could win games 60-40 instead of 45-40. Also in the MAC, I'm keeping an eye on Toledo @ Western Michigan as that could be a huge trap game for the Rockets. Western has a running game and a better, winning attitude in Fleck's second season. They pushed VT a little bit after a couple of early gaffes spotted the Hokies 11 points. Not a particularly close game, but a game that last year's squad would have lost by 50. Both of these are important in their respective divisions.

Mountain West: The biggest games in the MWC will be played on Friday with San Diego State traveling to Fresno and Utah State traveling to non-conference opponent BYU. San Diego State has a shot to win the whole division and, while Fresno has been very underwhelming, they still have a shot in Mountain West play depending on the breaks. BYU is shooting for a playoff berth and, while Utah State has also been underwhelming, this is a big statement game for them. Boise State tries to rebound at Nevada Saturday after inexplicably losing to Air Force. Hedrick played one of the worst games in his career and Matt Miller left the game with an injury. A loss to Nevada would dash their conference title hopes.

Pac-12: Arizona @ Oregon on Thursday. Stanford @ Notre Dame, Arizona State @ USC on Saturday. This speaks for itself. Arizona has to find out whether or not they are a pretender, but I think Oregon gets revenge for last year by blowing out the soft 4-0 Arizona Wildcats in Autzen. Notre Dame is making a playoff push against another contender in Stanford and Arizona State and USC are playing in an elimination game for the Pac-12 South (well, moreso for ASU than USC).

SEC: Where do you start? If A&M and Arkansas was the appetizer for the SEC West bloodbath, consider this the main course. LSU travels to Auburn. Ole Miss hosts Alabama. Texas A&M gets to battle Mississippi State and the cowbells in Starkville. In an underrated game, South Carolina will try to rebound at Kentucky who looks like a team that is decent enough to go bowling if they can notch an upset. Kentucky's defense is pretty freaking good.

Sun Belt: Actually, I lied. There aren't any marquee games in Sun Belt play, although UL Monroe @ Arkansas State has some intrigue with the Warhawks coming into conference play undefeated. The Sun Belt is going to be a conference all year long that has some of their top teams getting tripped up by the ones from the middle, so any week could have some interesting results.

[donovan]

Eric, you should do this professionally. I learn more from your succinct synopses than the diatribes normally blogged on the internet.

[billybud]

Yep....the SEC games have my interest...Those are the ones I'll be watching.

I do not expect Oklahoma to be severely tested this week....and Texas might have more fans grumbling after Baylor is through with them.

Michigan? I don't know what to say except that hell will have truly frozen over the day that the Maize and Blue loses to Rutgers.

[Eric]

Yep....the SEC games have my interest...Those are the ones I'll be watching.

I do not expect Oklahoma to be severely tested this week....and Texas might have more fans grumbling after Baylor is through with them.

Michigan? I don't know what to say except that hell will have truly frozen over the day that the Maize and Blue loses to Rutgers.

I hope Satan likes to build snowmen then

[warrriorsfan808]

THE WEATHER CHANNEL:An early report from the WEATHER CHANNEL is forecasting an extremely cold day in hell this weekend with a temperature around absolute zero, they are forecasting even the flames will freeze!!! Everyone should pack their cold weather gear!!

[Cane from the Bend]

UNC is starting to rumble about Larry Fedora's job security (the guy can't field a competent defense, but he is still a solid coach and is pretty close to making the Tar Heels into a dangerous team).

Fedora will never get North Carolina to the playoff. Fedora seemed like the man for the job. He's a decent guy, who can get things pointed in the right direction.

A dangerous team, yes. If you are referring to the Heels being a threat to a contender. North Carolina is a team that is in a position to knock off someone on their schedule from going to places, they themselves cannot get to.

...

Notre Dame & Stanford looks like it could be an interesting match up.

Stanford's running game hasn't been as effective as it was just a year ago, though, the Cardnial D still looks strong.

Going into last week, I thought Notre Dame was for real. They still maybe, but some of their spark fizzled out in New York. Notre Dame had looked like a complete team. The defense is pretty decent, the passing game was there. And they had been running the ball efficiently. That is, up until they played Syracuse. ND went into the game, not having turned the ball over once. They left the game, having turned the ball over 6 times. Interceptions - fumbles - sacks, this just simply did not look to be the same team that started the year. If Syracuse had any real offense to speak of, ND loses that game big.

This will be a defense heavy game. It will be curious to see how Kelly refocused his team. I'm sure he was all over Golson for his mistakes; but Syracuse really forced a lot of those turnovers, that Golson couldn't prevent. Though, some of it may also have been due to a lackadaisical overconfidence --- Stanford has a better defense than Syracuse, and have kept their games tight in scoring. However, Stanford has also, in'my'opinion, played their game a bit too conservatively. I don't know if Shaw just doesn't have the confidence in his Offense, or if he simply believes his Defense can take what comes. But, if ND gets up early, Stanford is gonna need to open up their scheme a little. As we've seen, Washington nearly took the game from Stanford, and USC beat the Cardinal 13-10, so, the conservative approach has shown it's vulnerable side this year.

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As for USC, I think this game with Arizona State could be something to watch.

Arizona St is in desperate need to take this game, and reassert themselves after their humiliating loss to UCLA --- USC, on-the-other-hand, is still trying to wash the bad taste of Boston Massachusetts out of their mouths.

SC does not look as explosive as UCLA, though their defense is pretty good. They did have trouble stopping the running game vs the Eagles, however, AZ State doesn't quite have the ground game Boston College does. The Sun Devils are a pass oriented team. And that is where the Trojans look best on defense.

This one could be a close 4th quarter contest.

...

I don't know what to make of Arizona yet --- they find ways to win, and even shine at times. But, it always feels as if one mistake could put 'em outta the game. And that is what Oregon is all about. Give the Ducks an inch, and before you know it, 14 points has been scored on you. But, Oregon has shown weakness that I haven't seen from them in a while. If the Wildcats can play tight nest with these guys, we could see a second half Oregon melt down.

This game is interesting, because it could play out one of two ways.
Really close --- All out, blowout.

If it's close, the ratings will rise as the game goes on.
If it turns into a blowout, the tv's will turn off.
(unless of course, Arizona somehow is the 1 winning)

...

Auburn has shown a little vulnerability, and that could spell upset. But LSU has already flubbed one game, which could mean disaster for the Tigers, putting a bunch of pressure on them to win.

This scenario could have NC prospects. If Auburn wins, they are sitting in a good spot with momentum. If they lose, the pressure gets turned on them, and they will have to finish undefeated for any real shot.

Coincidentally, that is the position LSU is in currently. If they lose this game, they are basically, from here on out, playing for the best Bowl they can muster. If they win, they can build a little more confidence when facing the rest of their gauntlet.

This is an intriguing pairing, because so much is riding on this game.
And nothing, yet, points to one team being better than the other.

...

Ole Miss is a product of their schedule right now. Their only Conference win so far, was against 1-4 Vanderbilt, who is 0-3 in conference themselves. The Rebs have looked good against their competition thus far, but things get real for them this Saturday when Alabama comes to visit Vaught-Hemingway Stadium.

Bama', though, has looked beatable at times ... yet, they stood rather strong against the gators, beating florida by 21 points. The `Tide was challenged by West Virginia, who seems greatly improved from a year ago, but held out to a 33-23 victory.

There is a lot of hype buzzing about this game, purely based on Miss' 4-0 record. The Rebs are ranked by the media at #11 which is what the media does when they want to raise the significance of a game. Ole Miss has gotten this far looking tough against less than tough opponents. Now we'll see if they deserve all the attention the media has fawned upon them ... or if they are about to slide back to a recognizable second accompanied fiddle.

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Arkansas gave all the Aggies could handle. A&M is lucky, and a bad kicker by the other guys, to still be undefeated. Prior to that game, I thought Texas A&M was quite possibly the best team in the country ... they still might be. But what I do know, is Missi State is tough. And these guys are even tougher when playing in Starkville. Davis Wade Stadium gets loud --- especially when a ranked team is in town --- even more so when the Bulldogs are ranked, undefeated & have Auburn coming in to visit next week.

Mississippi State is gonna be tested. The have the #6 & #5 teams back to back. But, they get them both @ home. This season has a great possibility for the Bulldogs. If ever there were a season for them to make a push for the National Title, here it is. Their schedule is daunting, but they have shown they can finish a game off. If they beat A&M this Saturday, look out. `Cause these guys will have proven they are for real.

The Aggies are somewhat perplexing. They got so far behind Arkansas, things just looked hopeless. A few bad calls by the Hawgs, and A&M was on a roll. If they could start a game as well as they finished last weeks, they could be unstoppable. But, if they get behind that way against a team with the push Missi State has going, then it's a night of cold showers ahead, because the Bulldogs know how to finish a game.

This is an early game time, and with travel factors, Missi State may hold another advantage.

No doubt the cowbells will be a-clunkin' ...

I have A&M winning this game. But it wouldn't surprise me one bit if Mississippi State were to take this.

...

South Carolina is no where near as good as they were a year ago. Kentucky is still looking up the ladder at these guys, though.

I think if the circumstances unfold, just so, then we may be looking at an upset. The Gamecocks defense was supposed to be near the best in the SEC. Now, it looks as if they may be second best in the SEC East. They lucked out against Georgia, but need to reaffirm their position as the team to beat out of their division. Too bad, as, coming into the year, they were touted as the team who could potentially, and finally, take down the winner of the SEC West, in the Conference title game. Having lost to Missouri this past weekend, and to A&M in week 1, So Carolina is in dire straights. They cannot afford to lose another game.

Kentucky, however, is a spoiler alert team. If they beat South Carolina, the Wildcats temporarily jump ahead of the Gamecocks in the conference standings, which would also pit them ahead of florida should Tennessee win that game in Knoxville. That would being interesting, because Kentucky would be second in their division, shadow stepping behind Missouri.

The SEC East Current Standings Are:
---------------CONF------OVR
#24 Missouri ---- 1-0 ------ 4-1
Florida --------- 1-1 ------ 2-1
South Carolina -- 2-2 ------- 3-2
#13 Georgia ---- 1-1 ------- 3-1
Kentucky ------- 1-1 ------- 3-1
Tennessee ------ 0-1 ------ 2-2
Vanderbilt ------ 0-3 ------ 1-4

To say the least, this is a must win for South Carolina. I do not believe Kentucky has the team this year to compete quite at the level South Carolina can bring. But if stale water from the Missouri loss is left over in the cup of the Gamecocks chalice, Kentucky might be able to catch a broken spirited South Carolina team, who is desperate for a win.

...

UL Monroe/Arkansas State --- Neither of these teams have looked that impressive ... at all.

Where there was once an ideal situation, where Boise State was making headlines, showing the other forgotten schools, "We do matter, and we'll prove it", Arkansas State & UL Monroe had a couple of seasons with greater win totals.

However, with a couple of seasons, where the wins are not coming so easily --- outside of their local area, these teams are on the verge of dwindling down their enthusiasm.

Playing in a conference that spans a region dominated by SEC, lower Big XII, and even the southern ACC, Monroe and Arkansas St are going to go unnoticed again this weekend.

Had Ark State beaten Miami, they would be getting some praise. But that loss had the media toss their name to the side, and go, "Well, maybe next time kid".

UL Monroe maybe 3-1, but being blanked by the in-State SEC school 31-0 hurt their credibility.
And, a close 2 point win against a miserable looking Troy, certainly doesn't help.

Arkansas State lost 34-19 to Tennessee, and 41-20 to Miami. These two games were set for Arkansas State to make a name for themselves. Half of their points vs the `Canes, came when Miami called off the dogs, and put in their 2cnd string. Tennessee got a little bit of breathing room, and then, just pulled away easily. A win over Montana State means nothing when your only other win is against a struggling Utah State team, in OT.

I would actually like to see the Sun Belt play more competitively --- right now, though, their best competition is going to come from within their own conference, and peer non-Power conferences.

The match up mentioned here may have Sun Belt title implications --- but right now, all inner conference games have Sun Belt title implications.

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[Eric]

Yeah I'm iffy on Fedora, but I think if they give him another shot next year, he can build North Carolina into a consistent team. I don't know if UNC will ever become an elite program like a lot of people suspect.

I also think that Stanford's struggles in the run game will prevent them from beating Notre Dame on the road. If this team had Stefan Taylor, I might like their odds. But they are doing a committee right now and the results have been mixed.

And I agree with you on the Sun Belt. As of today, Monroe, Lafayette, Arkansas State, Texas State, South Alabama, and Georgia Southern all look to be in contention. You're probably going to have three co-champions at the end of the year. Lafayette has been disappointing, but they can right the ship in conference play. South Alabama lost to Georgia Southern, but they can bounce back with their solid defense. GSU probably has the best offense in the league. Franchione is also building a sleeping Go5 giant (ok, that term might be a stretch) at Texas State. I think he will find a lot of success in the coming years for the Bobcats, unless he bails on them for another shot in the major league (Kansas?).

[Cane from the Bend]

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I don't know what to make of Arizona yet --- they find ways to win, and even shine at times. But, it always feels as if one mistake could put 'em outta the game. And that is what Oregon is all about. Give the Ducks an inch, and before you know it, 14 points has been scored on you. But, Oregon has shown weakness that I haven't seen from them in a while. If the Wildcats can play tight nest with these guys, we could see a second half Oregon melt down.

This game is interesting, because it could play out one of two ways.
Really close --- All out, blowout.

If it's close, the ratings will rise as the game goes on.
If it turns into a blowout, the tv's will turn off.
(unless of course, Arizona somehow is the 1 winning)

Okay, Donovan ... You can smile now.

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[donovan]

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I don't know what to make of Arizona yet --- they find ways to win, and even shine at times. But, it always feels as if one mistake could put 'em outta the game. And that is what Oregon is all about. Give the Ducks an inch, and before you know it, 14 points has been scored on you. But, Oregon has shown weakness that I haven't seen from them in a while. If the Wildcats can play tight nest with these guys, we could see a second half Oregon melt down.

This game is interesting, because it could play out one of two ways.
Really close --- All out, blowout.

If it's close, the ratings will rise as the game goes on.
If it turns into a blowout, the tv's will turn off.
(unless of course, Arizona somehow is the 1 winning)

Okay, Donovan ... You can smile now.

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We have a season now.

[Derek]

Yep....the SEC games have my interest...Those are the ones I'll be watching.

I do not expect Oklahoma to be severely tested this week....and Texas might have more fans grumbling after Baylor is through with them.

Michigan? I don't know what to say except that hell will have truly frozen over the day that the Maize and Blue loses to Rutgers.

I hope Satan likes to build snowmen then

I hate to agree on this, but I think Rutgers can and probably will take this one.

And you are right on the SEC West bloodbath....the sad thing is the team that ends up on the bottom this year....is still better than any team in the East.