Week 9
The “bluebloods” keep losing games and so does Nebraska. Contrary to their beliefs the only thing blue about their blood is the color after adding a few drops of it to a meth test packet.
Already seeing some of the results of the new playoff system. Some games that in the past would have been elimination games are now more about seeding. Even with the bigger field we are seeing some teams that in recent years expected to be in eliminated or close to it.
Not going to see playoff contenders in the early week games.
Tuesday Sam Houston (5-2) is at Florida International (2-5) trying again for bowl eligibility after losing last week. The other Tuesday game has the INEPT (UTEP) Miners (1-6) at Louisiana Tech (Lousy Tech) (2-4.) The only reason some of these teams get wins is because they have to play each other.
Wednesday night Kennesaw State (0-6) welcomes in Liberty (5-0.) Kennesaw recently moved up to FBS but they forgot to recruit a team of FBS players. Most of their losses have been closer than their record would lead you to expect. Mercy does still exist.
Thursday has a game that has an outside chance of playoff implications. (19)Pitt (6-0) at home against Syracuse (5-1). This would be the best win so far on Pitt’s record, win out and they would be in.
Friday night opens with Louisville (4-3) at Boston College (4-3.) Both are now just looking for a couple more wins and a bowl game.
(17)Boise State (5-1) at UNLV (6-1) for the lead in the Mountain Worst Conference. Neither team has beaten anyone of note but Boise came close to beating now #1 Oregon.
The late game has Rutgers (4-3) discovering the wonders of football after dark at USC (3-4) in what for the Knights will feel like a midnight game. Trojans are more than a two TD favorite but seem to be doing their annual falling apart act.
Don’t sleep in Saturday morning, the interesting matchups start early.
Normally a game between a 5-2 power conference team and a 5-1 team would be expected to be close. If Nebraska (5-2) is close to (4)Ohio State (5-1) at the end of the 1st quarter it will be an upset. Buckeyes may score more often in this game than a bunch of Nebraska donors with a pen of fresh sheep.
Since that game won’t be close, some others are definitely worth watching early.
(12)Notre Dame (6-1) plays (24)Navy (6-0) at Metlife Stadium in New Jersey. Navy is having a dream season for a service academy and beating Notre Dame would boost them into the playoff discussion. An Irish loss would effectively kill their hopes.
No playoff implications but Georgia Tech (5-3) at Virginia Tech (4-3) should be good. The Hokies three losses are all to quality teams.
All season the #1 spot in the rankings has been temporary. Mid-day is another chance for the big change. This years Cinderella (20)Illinois (6-0) could get the biggest win in their modern history with an upset at (1)Oregon (7-0.)
Also in a mid-afternoon battle of ranked teams are two that are suddenly trying to get their seasons back on track. (21)Missouri (6-1) at (15)Alabama (5-2.) Up until recently fans of both were thinking playoffs, loser here is probably eliminated.
Another SEC game has former #1 now (5)Texas (6-1) at (25) Vanderbilt (5-2) who knocked of then #1 Bama. Oddsmakers don’t give Vandy much of a chance but they didn’t in that game against the Tide either. A Vandy upset here would result in an epic meltdown among the Bama fans.
Staying with the SEC, early evening starts with (8)LSU (6-1) at (14)Texas A&M (6-1.) In addition to being weird in their own ways both would be square in the playoff conversation with a win.
Wisconsin (5-2) hosts (8)Penn State (6-0.) Wisconsin stumbled early but has been solid the last 3 weeks. Pedo State hasn’t dominated as much as their record would indicate (or Jerry wanted.)
(22) SMU (6-1) is at Duke (6-1.) Solid records against less than impressive schedules.
Other than the Buffs game, not an impressive week in the B12. Huge rivalry game has Kansas (2-5) at (16)Kansas State (6-1.)
A game that before the season was discussed as a potential playoff determining game has become our blowout of the week.
(6)Miami (7-0) has three close wins in a row. Visiting Florida State (1-6) is a game against Cal away from being winless and appears to have given up. The spread is about three TDs, Miami may cover that in the 1st quarter trying to make a statement.
Garbage game of the week again brings us close to home. Utah (U oatta quit) State (1-6) on the windswept prairies against Wyoming (1-6.) The Aggies (Uglies) have lost every game since their season opener agains a FCS school. Wyo (Why go?) lost to an FCS school but managed to beat Air Force who is worse than many FCS schools this year.
Staying close to home Colorado State (4-3) hosts New Mexico (3-4.) The Lobos have won three in a row, the Rams three out of their last four, in both cases mainly thanks to pathetically weak schedules
Air Force gets a one week break from their regular beatings.
After a week off to enjoy their only win of the year Northern Colorado (1-6) goes back to getting beaten up with Montana (5-2) coming to Greeley.
Huge week for the small schools.
Great game in Golden as (8)Western Colorado (7-0,5-0) is at (10)Colorado Mines (6-1,4-1.) A win by Western would be a statement game at the top of the conference.
(12)CSU Pueblo (7-1,6-0) has their bye after a close call against Black Hills State.
Colorado Mesa (5-2,4-1) continues to hang around the leaders and will stay there this week as they go to Durango to play Fort Lewis (1-6,0-5) who is still terrible.
Should Western beat Mines this week it will set up next week to determine the very best and very worst in the conference as Western will play Pueblo in what will almost certainly determine the conference championship.
At the same time Fort Lewis will be at Adams state to see if Fort Lewis remains the dregs of the conference or if somehow Adams has fallen below them.
The “bluebloods” keep losing games and so does Nebraska. Contrary to their beliefs the only thing blue about their blood is the color after adding a few drops of it to a meth test packet.
Already seeing some of the results of the new playoff system. Some games that in the past would have been elimination games are now more about seeding. Even with the bigger field we are seeing some teams that in recent years expected to be in eliminated or close to it.
Not going to see playoff contenders in the early week games.
Tuesday Sam Houston (5-2) is at Florida International (2-5) trying again for bowl eligibility after losing last week. The other Tuesday game has the INEPT (UTEP) Miners (1-6) at Louisiana Tech (Lousy Tech) (2-4.) The only reason some of these teams get wins is because they have to play each other.
Wednesday night Kennesaw State (0-6) welcomes in Liberty (5-0.) Kennesaw recently moved up to FBS but they forgot to recruit a team of FBS players. Most of their losses have been closer than their record would lead you to expect. Mercy does still exist.
Thursday has a game that has an outside chance of playoff implications. (19)Pitt (6-0) at home against Syracuse (5-1). This would be the best win so far on Pitt’s record, win out and they would be in.
Friday night opens with Louisville (4-3) at Boston College (4-3.) Both are now just looking for a couple more wins and a bowl game.
(17)Boise State (5-1) at UNLV (6-1) for the lead in the Mountain Worst Conference. Neither team has beaten anyone of note but Boise came close to beating now #1 Oregon.
The late game has Rutgers (4-3) discovering the wonders of football after dark at USC (3-4) in what for the Knights will feel like a midnight game. Trojans are more than a two TD favorite but seem to be doing their annual falling apart act.
Don’t sleep in Saturday morning, the interesting matchups start early.
Normally a game between a 5-2 power conference team and a 5-1 team would be expected to be close. If Nebraska (5-2) is close to (4)Ohio State (5-1) at the end of the 1st quarter it will be an upset. Buckeyes may score more often in this game than a bunch of Nebraska donors with a pen of fresh sheep.
Since that game won’t be close, some others are definitely worth watching early.
(12)Notre Dame (6-1) plays (24)Navy (6-0) at Metlife Stadium in New Jersey. Navy is having a dream season for a service academy and beating Notre Dame would boost them into the playoff discussion. An Irish loss would effectively kill their hopes.
No playoff implications but Georgia Tech (5-3) at Virginia Tech (4-3) should be good. The Hokies three losses are all to quality teams.
All season the #1 spot in the rankings has been temporary. Mid-day is another chance for the big change. This years Cinderella (20)Illinois (6-0) could get the biggest win in their modern history with an upset at (1)Oregon (7-0.)
Also in a mid-afternoon battle of ranked teams are two that are suddenly trying to get their seasons back on track. (21)Missouri (6-1) at (15)Alabama (5-2.) Up until recently fans of both were thinking playoffs, loser here is probably eliminated.
Another SEC game has former #1 now (5)Texas (6-1) at (25) Vanderbilt (5-2) who knocked of then #1 Bama. Oddsmakers don’t give Vandy much of a chance but they didn’t in that game against the Tide either. A Vandy upset here would result in an epic meltdown among the Bama fans.
Staying with the SEC, early evening starts with (8)LSU (6-1) at (14)Texas A&M (6-1.) In addition to being weird in their own ways both would be square in the playoff conversation with a win.
Wisconsin (5-2) hosts (8)Penn State (6-0.) Wisconsin stumbled early but has been solid the last 3 weeks. Pedo State hasn’t dominated as much as their record would indicate (or Jerry wanted.)
(22) SMU (6-1) is at Duke (6-1.) Solid records against less than impressive schedules.
Other than the Buffs game, not an impressive week in the B12. Huge rivalry game has Kansas (2-5) at (16)Kansas State (6-1.)
A game that before the season was discussed as a potential playoff determining game has become our blowout of the week.
(6)Miami (7-0) has three close wins in a row. Visiting Florida State (1-6) is a game against Cal away from being winless and appears to have given up. The spread is about three TDs, Miami may cover that in the 1st quarter trying to make a statement.
Garbage game of the week again brings us close to home. Utah (U oatta quit) State (1-6) on the windswept prairies against Wyoming (1-6.) The Aggies (Uglies) have lost every game since their season opener agains a FCS school. Wyo (Why go?) lost to an FCS school but managed to beat Air Force who is worse than many FCS schools this year.
Staying close to home Colorado State (4-3) hosts New Mexico (3-4.) The Lobos have won three in a row, the Rams three out of their last four, in both cases mainly thanks to pathetically weak schedules
Air Force gets a one week break from their regular beatings.
After a week off to enjoy their only win of the year Northern Colorado (1-6) goes back to getting beaten up with Montana (5-2) coming to Greeley.
Huge week for the small schools.
Great game in Golden as (8)Western Colorado (7-0,5-0) is at (10)Colorado Mines (6-1,4-1.) A win by Western would be a statement game at the top of the conference.
(12)CSU Pueblo (7-1,6-0) has their bye after a close call against Black Hills State.
Colorado Mesa (5-2,4-1) continues to hang around the leaders and will stay there this week as they go to Durango to play Fort Lewis (1-6,0-5) who is still terrible.
Should Western beat Mines this week it will set up next week to determine the very best and very worst in the conference as Western will play Pueblo in what will almost certainly determine the conference championship.
At the same time Fort Lewis will be at Adams state to see if Fort Lewis remains the dregs of the conference or if somehow Adams has fallen below them.
