Posted on 09/25/2008 1:01:44 AM PDT by GOP_Raider
Before I begin this week’s festivities, I wanted to let everyone know that I got an email today that there’s going to an October Surprise. Before I get to that, there’s been a September Surprise. In case you hadn’t been around in the past few weeks, the Vanderbilt Commodores are in the Top 25. No, it’s not from the Onion, the Commodores are not only 4-0, but are 2-0 in the eternal land mine that is the SEC. The same Vanderbilt that doesn’t have an athletic department, the same Vanderbilt that people have impugned and ignored can ignore and impugn no more! “Harvard of the West”? I say that Harvard wears Vanderbilt underoos! The great American underdog story, we are all Commodores now!
(...or we would be if the ‘Dores didn’t have a bye this week. But for the long suffering Vanderbilt faithful that have strolled by over these early moments of the college football season, enjoy this week and the Top 25. Now, the rest of us non-underdogs and the games this week).
#1 USC vs. Oregon State (Thursday 9:00 pm, ESPN). For reasons that probably are due to the past two seasons with the Men of Troy, there’s an expectation that SC will lose a game in their conference slate. Of course, like I mentioned in the previous sentence, it’s due to past history. Oregon State as it turns out did knock off the Trojans two seasons ago but I’m not sure I would be optimistic about the Beavs doing so again.
(For Biggirl, Man50D, and MaineConservative) UConn vs. Louisville (Friday, 8:00 pm, ESPN2) This could be a game for me that will certainly test my multitasking skills. See, I’m going to watch this game and maintain my normal erudite and cutting edge commentary here on this thread and watch the first Obama extemporaneous stumble back to the Chicago machine (should that in fact occur as scheduled). As an added bonus, I’m also going to be at work.
(For Palmetto) Maryland vs. #19 Clemson (High Noon). One thing I was looking at this week was “wow, maybe that loss to Alabama helped Clemson?” Should the Tigers win this one, it would put them not only at 4-1 overall but at 2-0 in the conference. It’s amazing what a loss can do to morale sometimes.
Minnesota vs. #13 Ohio State (High Noon, Big Ten Network) Are we still asking here in the 5th week of the year “will Beanie Wells play this week?” Also, are the Buckeyes of Oh-i-o and the faithful therein not taking any other game for granted from here on out?
Ole Miss vs. #4 Florida (12:30 pm) I really wish I had a more significant kind of analysis, but for the single folk (well okay, the single guys), the lovely ladies of Oxford, Mississippi really make you wonder if you indeed went to the right school.
Arkansas vs. #7 Texas (3:30 pm, ABC) This was one of the games that was postponed and rescheduled thanks to the Karl Rove Hurricane Machine. Who knows exactly if this will help (or not) against the underdog Razorbacks.
#8 Wisconsin vs. Michigan (3:30 pm, ABC) With the current malaise of Ohio State right now, Wisconsin could really come out of the Big 10 this year smelling like a rose. (Yes, I did it again, I probably need professional help. Although with this lack of comedic gift, I could probably be a running mate on just about any Democrat presidential ticket.)
Tennessee vs. #16 Auburn (3:30 pm, See-BS) Who would have thought that a game against Tennessee would ever be a potential “bounce back” game? I can only guess this football season would get worse for the Vols if Bruce Pearl were to show up at Neyland Stadium in orange body paint.
(for kevkrom) Purdue vs. Notre Dame (3:30 pm, NBC) Perhaps Michigan has clued us into a great lesson on how to not beat the Irish and that would certainly be don’t turn the ball over several times. Obviously there’s much more to it than that, but the Notre Dame football team at large does go to class and mind their p’s and q’s (most of the time).
(for Bat_Chemist) Colorado vs. Florida State (3:30 pm, ABC) Having seen sizeable portions of both teams last week, my thinking here is that this could be relatively low scoring. The Buffs offense might present a bigger challenge for the FSU defense than Wake Forest did though.
#24 Fresno State vs. UCLA (3:30 pm, ABC) The Bulldogs, as the de facto FR Home Team, are pretty serious about playing anyone, anytime, anywhere. UCLA on the other hand, has a slightly different approach: be completely obliterated by BYU and lose in ignominious fashion to Arizona. Fresno State is quite possibly the last team the Bruins want to face right now.
Marshall vs. West Virginia (3:30 pm) Certainly it’s plausible that the Thundering Herd is licking their chops for some kind of ambush in Morgantown. If you had caught the Thursday portion of last week’s thread, all is not well with the Mountaineers, so I suppose that yes, it’s very plausible.
Nevada vs. UNLV (10:00 pm) This is the Battle of the Fremont Cannon, which is a replica of one of John C. Fremont’s cannons he had to bury in the Sierra Nevadas in the 1840s. (Strangely enough, Fremont was also the first Presidential candidate of the Republican Party.) It’s rumored that Helen Thomas knows where Fremont’s original was buried, but forgot about it in the middle of asking Abraham Lincoln a really stupid question sometime in 1862.
Navy vs. #15 Wake Forest (3:45 pm, ESPNU) I say this from personal observation here, few things in life are more awesome than watching the three military academies play. Unless of course, it’s your own team and then it’s far more anxious. Anxious, yet somehow still angst well worth it.
#22 Oregon vs. Washington State (6:15 pm, FSN in some places) I don’t think most people around here would ever have thought in their zaniest dreams that Boise State would be better than both of the Oregon and Washington schools. Hey speaking of Boise State...
Louisiana Tech vs. #20 Boise State (Wed, Oct 1, 8:00 pm ESPN) Technically, it’s considered a Week 6 game, but it’s on a Wednesday night. In all honesty, I’m still not sold on Wednesday night games like this one. It’s also the same day I have to go to the dentist…I’m about as terrified of dentist appointments as most other people are, so I’m going to see if I can inhale some nitrous before I go in.
Weber State vs. #17 UTAH (8:00 pm) And we can all thank my dentist for the reason why I am not going to make it to beautiful Salt Lake City for the Utes (as well as current Weber State head coach and also former Ute head coach Ron McBride’s) homecoming. Clearly, I’m in the wrong line of work.
#14 South Florida vs. North Carolina State (7:30 pm, ESPNU) NC State crushed the January dreams of East Carolina last week in Raleigh, now USF comes into town with BCS dreams (albeit the more conventional automatic kind). My initial premonition here is that the Bulls may be ranked slightly higher than this as the season goes along, but I’ve had worse premonitions than these before.
Mississippi State vs. #6 LSU (7:45 pm, ESPN2) O, what Sylvester Croom wouldn’t give for a more effective offense. Odds are, it might not be enough in Death Valley.
Now, for your marquee games...
#23 TCU vs. #2 Oklahoma (7:00 pm) Gigantic game for the Horned Frogs. On opening weekend in 2005, it was TCU that went up I-35 and shocked the Sooners and cruised to the Mountain West crown their first season in the conference. Circumstantially, this game will be much different, since the Sooners have just as good of a chance as anyone to be playing for the national title.
#21 Illinois vs. #12 Penn State (8:00 pm, ABC) I’ve been making a few comments that I don’t think Illinois should have been a Top 25 team after their loss to Missouri. To be honest though, I was just doing that to see if anyone would notice and chew me out for it. But if my own conventional wisdom is indeed wise, we’ll probably have a neat little triumvirate of Ohio State, Wisconsin, and the Lions of Nittany as your Big 10 contenda’s. (Yes, I’ve been waiting all week to use the word “triumvirate” in a sentence).
#10 Alabama vs. #3 Georgia (7:45 pm, ESPN) Nothing will answer the question “is Alabama for real?” quite like going into Athens, Georgia, between the hedges, against the #3 Georgia Bulldogs likely will. Just remember though, when you’re watching the ESPN super hype leading up to this game, when ESPN’s cameras dissolve between the standard “QB warm up” shots of UGA’s Matthew Stafford and Bama’s John Parker Wilson, be sure to ask yourselves “yeah, that’s all well and good, but can Mr. Stafford describe the impact of Kinsey’s ‘Sexual Behavior in the Human Male’ and it’s significance in current western culture?” Ha ha, he read Kinsey!
Enjoy the games this week, wish me luck at the dentist, and I had an October Surprise emailed to me, but I guess it’s already been posted?
Thanks for this thread - some great games this weekend!
What no NU vs VT ??? GO HUSKERS !!!!!
My two favorite teams continue to be Georgia Tech and whatever team is playing against Georgia!! Roll Tide!!
Holding on to the ball will help a lot. However, if Purdue actually manages to play 4 full quarters (looking at late collapses in the Oregon game that they should have won and the Central Michigan game that the officials almost took from them), they should handle Notre Dame just fine, helping to ensure that Tiller's last year is also Weiss'.
I was just going to say that. They are the OTHER regional broadcast game for ABC Saturday night.
Ahhhemmmm....GO MIZZOU!!!!!
Boston, center of the DUmmy universe.
With regard to the ‘Noles game, I can only hope that the Buffs’ defense is significantly weaker than WFU’s. Oh, well, at least I can root for the Bulls...
On another note, Utah is my “15-point” confidence pick this week.
I got a notification from my cable carrier (Time Warner) that IF you have the “digital sports tier” they’re going to start carrying the Big Ten Network. (In Southeastern NC...good call, TWC!)
Every game Alabama plays is a big game in our house...even during the probation years!
Some 'Bammers' (yeah, that's what the haters call us, lol) are biting their nails over this game. Not me! I'm drinking the Crimson Koolaid, thank you very much! :)
Roll TIDE ROLL and pass the koolaid!
Rammer Jammer Yella Hammer..give 'em H3LL ALABAMA!
Is it me or why is the West Virginia stadium empty in the picture. Was it a day that Barak or Joe schedule a speech there? :)
What Big Ten team is in NC??? The answer is NONE!!
I hope the Dawgs beats Saban. Noshawn looks great!
I am hoping we see some similar pics with our new #8 come Saturday night!!!!
size=+3>GO DAWGS!!!! Woof Woof Woof
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