Thanks, Mike, for the introduction. Well, we've landed here at BC, and come not as your enemies but as your friends. We are like Columbus landing in the Indies, only instead of mass murders, we shake hands and kiss babies and trade knowledge with the intelligent posters we have encountered so far, like Pale Rider, Coach, Former Wildcat, Bison1, gators own you, and Head Roadie. Unfortunately, my avatar, the beloved Professor Pickles, is not going to be making the leap to BC as I had hoped. Professor Pickles and I have decided to go our own direction. He refuses to predict games that are not the equivalent of USC vs. Washinghton. All of us here at Camp Enemy wish Professor Pickles all the best of luck in the future with his paintings and with finding worms, since he is a very small yellow bird with a paintbrush. Someday the Professor and myself will hopefully team up again, but until then I have employed a new sidekick. Let's get on with the questions.
- Give some notes on last weeks games
The week started off with a wonderful battle over the technical schools, and Virginia Tech pulled it out in the end. Georgia Tech, however, has once again proven that they are not a cellar-dweller program, and are a team that demands respect and will never lay down. Up in Idaho, the Blue Broncs stopped everyone's favorite Japanese - Hawaiian quarterback from breaking the passing record, in a 69-3 bloodbath. Oklahoma unfortunately beat Oklahoma State, Northwestern again showed why Purdue is PurDONE (credit DeBiceps for that word), Nebraska surprisingly soundly defeated the Missouri Tigers, Central Michigan won the Crap Cup, New Mexico has one of the worst offenses in I-A and beat Colorado State, the Gators had a monumental let-down against Georgia, UCLA proved to be a solid football team by pounding Stanford in a big Pac-10 middle-of-the-pack battle, Michigan State took UM to overtime, UTEP is 6-2 and still isn't getting any respect from analysts, Sonny Cumbie poured hot sauce all over another opponent, and Jose Cruz and the Tarheels pulled out a huge win over the best team in the country. The predictions are getting harder and harder now since it's conference game-time, and because everyone is battling for bowl positions. The past week was soaked with minor and major upsets, but none are as grand as UNC and Miami. Miami reminds me more and more of the New York Yankees: best team in the country athletes-wise, but not a cohesive unit.
- Who is the most over-rated team in the country?
It's absolutely Oklahoma. Strong running game, but when you look at that offensive line, it's not surprising. The defense is very questionable, as yet again a decent passing attack almost defeated them. This team plays USC, it might be a blowout.
- Under-rated?
It's tough to not give this to texas Tech, who can throw for 300 on anyone in the country. But I have to say it's Mike Price and the Miners. Herbsteit said there was no way Price could turn that UTEP program around, and he's done it in less than one season. The only teams UTEP lost to were Arizona State (ranked) and Boise State (longest winning streak in country). That's very commendable, and they have already won more games in 8 outings than they have in the past 3 seasons COMBINED. Why Trev Alberts is slighting Price as coach of the year, I have no idea.
- Conference Outlooks
ACC: I still have Miami in the driver's seat, but it's just too close to call. UVA is playing good ball, and still has a battle upcoming against miami, which will probably be for the ACC crown. Miami plays Clemson this weekend, and Clemson is a team that finishes strong at the end of seasons, and is playing a lot better. Look for the upset, as Miami's woes continue. Is Clemson better than Miami? Absolutely not. But Miami is on their heels, and even the best team in the country (which the Canes are) has trouble rebounding from a loss to North Carolina. A loss here will give the Canes 2 in the conference, and make that UVA game have monumental proportions.
BIG 12: If OU wins this week, I think they wrap up the South officially. A&M is the best team OU will face all season, and the most lethal QB they will face. McNeal can throw, run, do it all, and with OU's defense being very under-achieving, this might be an upset. A&M definitely lost to Baylor though, so it'll be interesting to see if they can come back and beat OU. As for the North... what a disaster. It could be Kansas State, Nebraska, Missouri, anyone. K State plays Missouri this week, and that game has big implications. Missouri is reeling, so I'm taking Kansas State. Just expect OU to win the Big 12, of course.
BIG 10: Wisconsin doesn't play Michigan this season, and it couldn't come at a better year for the Badgers. Wisconsin does however have Iowa and Michigan State left. If any of the undefeated teams lose, it;s going to be Wisconsin. I'm still taking Michigan to win the Big 10.
BIG EAST: Pitt, Syracuse, and BC all have one conference loss. WVU has zero. I see WVU winning the conference, but don't be surprised to see the Mountaineers drop a game yet. The defense isn't playing very well, and Pitt and BC are teams that are playing well. Pitt has a lot of steam right now, and is playing way better than their talent level. Boston College is the most unpredictable program in the nation. It all depends, with them, on what team shows up. Inconsistency has killed good BC teams in the past. Pitt, WVU, Syracuse, or BC are all teams that can still win the conference. The Big East conference race is one of the most exciting in the nation.
CONFERENCE USA: I love Conference USA football. Last night Louisville beat Memphis in a very exciting game. Yesterday, I posted why UF should stay away from such a shady character like Bobby Petrino. I do not like Bobby Petrino, and I think he's only winning games with the players John L. Smith recruited, but I have come across some info that will help clear Petrino's name somewhat. He definitely wrote a letter within the past week to the UL president saying he was commited to Louisville and was not going to leave. This is very good, for a few reasons. 1. Louisville is in a position now where they are heading to a conference that has a BCS bid, and they look like they'll be the top dog. 2. Petrino has a history of being shady. 3. He is absolutely not ready to make that leap to UF yet, since he hasn't even won C-USA yet, and is winning games with players Smith recruited. He needs to stay at Louisville. As for the rest of the conference, I'm a big fan of Southern Mississippi, but Lousiville is just too tough.
MOUNTAIN WEST: Like I said in the other Toof N Nails, Utah is the only team worth even mentioning. Urban Meyer is the guy Florida needs, and hopefully for the Utes he won't get offered the position. Meyer wants to win a national championship. That is not going to happen at Utah unless they get into the Pac-10 or Big 12. That isn't happening any time soon, so except UF to make that call to Meyer.
MID-AMERICA: Miami Ohio proved me wrong this week by upseting Toledo, who I had ranked. Larkin is a fantastic WR, just as my friend Frankie had been warning me about all season. Marshall is the best team in this conference, but their record is so bad that they aren't getting any respect. Expect Marshall to leave the MAC with a big turd in their litter box, in the shape of the conference trophy.
PAC 10: USC beat Cal and beat Arizona State. There is nothing else to say. Cal is one of the best teams in the nation, but USC is above and beyond everyone else. They still have games against a tough UCLA squad, and Notre Dame. Expect another national championship for Pete Carroll and the Trojans, which is unfortunate, because they don't play a conference championship.
SOUTHEASTERN CONFERENCE: Everyone is talking about the Tigers, but something is making me believe that when they lock up with Tennessee again it's going to be a very different story at the end of that game. Tennessee has one of the most talented backfields in the nation (so does Auburn) and they'll be looking for very sweet revenge on the Tigers. Fullmer would love nothing more than to ruin all Auburn's hype. I am keeping a close eye on thsi Tennesee - ND game this weekend. If Tenessee destroys ND, I'd think twice about being 100% positive about Auburn. I love Jason Campbell, he's the MVP of the season, and he deserves the Heisman and a chance to play USC. They just gotta beat Tennessee again, and you can imagine how hard that is going to be.
SUN BELT: I can basically say whatever I want about this conference and no one will ever know the difference haha. I see a lot of Sun Belt action here in Dallas, and I see UNT winning it's 4th straight Sun Belt crown but the team is really down from last year. Luckily for North Texas, they don't play Troy this season. Next year, however, with FAU (beat UNT this year) and Troy on the intra-conference schedule, UNT may be putting those WAC aspirations on hold for awhile.
WESTERN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE: Boise State is of course going to win the conference again, but Mike Price and UTEP deserve more credit than they are getting. You have to realize how bad UTEP really was before this season. We're talking BAD. Like, worse than East Carolina. There are some Sun Belt teams that could have trounced UTEP in the past few seasons. What Price has done is unreal. He has a pool of players who are not very good and he has given them so much confidence it is unbelievable. It really shows how great of a coach Price really is when he wins games with that roster. Next season, UTEP will be even stronger. UCLA transfer Tyler Ebell is sitting out this year because he transferred, and he is a phenomenal running back. Not only will Palmer be more experienced, but they'll have a very high-powered running back as well. UTEP might win the WAC next season. But as of now, it's the same as the past: Boise State.
- Quick Top 10
I usually rank this top 10 based on who is playing the best
1. USC
2. Auburn
3. Wisconsin
4. Utah
5. Texas
6. Tennessee
7. Michigan
8. Michigan State
9. UTEP
10. Pittsburgh
Honorable Mention: Virginia Tech, Iowa, Northwestern, LSU, Boise State, Oklahoma
- Top 5 Heisman Candidates
1. Jason Campbell (Auburn)
2. Reggie Bush (USC)
3. Adrian Peterson (OU)
4. Sonny Cumbie (Texas Tech)
5. Alex Smith (Utah)
- Sidekick's Pick of the Week
With Professor Pickles departure, I give you Caveman Analyst.
"CRUK FAVORITE PLAYER BARRAKA ATKINS. CRUK STRONG LIKE BARRAKA ATKINS. ME TIRED. Zzzz."
- Five guarantees
no order
1. USC over Oregon State
2. Middle Tennessee State over New Mexico State
3. Navy will barely beat Tulane
4. Troy and FAU will be the most exciting game no one sees
5. Iowa will kill off Purdue and Kyle Orton once and for all
- Upset of the Week
Keep your eye on Tennesee and Notre Dame. Another one is A&M and OU of course, and also Maryland and Virginia. But I think the upset of the week is Clemson over a much more talented Miami Hurricanes.
- Who is the worst program in the country
East Carolina goes above and beyond the call of duty. Not only are they the ugliest team on the planet as far as uniforms go, they have proven time and time that they aren't even worth their I-A status. I don't understand how people point fingers at Wyoming for having ugly uni's (homes are bad, away are awesome!) when ECU continues to be purple and yellow and be the Pirates.
- Favorite Place to Drink Hot Chocolate
On a ski-lift with Jessica Debias, kissin' and snugglin'.
- Pitt / Penn State Weekend Outlook
Pittsburgh has a very tough road game against a surging Cuse. The outcome of this game has big implications. Palko is playing exceptional football and continues to show why he is twice the QB Rutherford ever was, and continues to lead a Pitt team that many had buried before the season started. Pitt fans have a lot to be excited about, as this team is playing way better than they should be. Will they beat Syracuse in the Carrier Dome? Tough call. My gut, as of right now, says Syracuse. Penn State takes on a surging team as well, the Northwestern Wildcats. I dont understand why everyone thinks NW is such a terrible program. They have proven so many times they do not deserve their accusations. Bazenez is a very good QB, and although PSU's defense is playing strong, I justy can't see you playing your hearts out and still losing every week and still keeping your morale. I think PSU will slide horribly, and it'll be even more apparent than last year when they play Michigan State. MSU caught PSU last year in a game (and season) where the Lions simply quit. That'll probably happen again. I love Penn State, I'll be watching and screaming and throwing stuff again this week while rooting for them, but I have to say Northwestern pulls it out.
- You Have 5 Sentences, Go
I take multiple naps on a daily basis. My Gram calls John Kerry "John Curry" even after voting for him and supporting him for 2 years. 5 dozen barbeque and old bay wings will taste even better when I am sitting in DeBiceps house and he's crying. I am extremely hungry right now. Taco Cabana is open 24 hours and you can buy 12 flour tortillas and a small queso for about 3.60.
