It’s Friday Night, I got some thoughts, and we got College Football coming tomorrow. I’m not keeping a record for College Football because it’s too up in the air. I never know what games will strike me from week to week. I read the schedule and then my brain is flooded with ideas….so here they come!
(22) North Carolina @ Georgia Tech 12 Noon
North Carolina is pretty hot right now, Tech is not. With absolutely no ability to pass the ball the Jackets HAVE to get off to a good start. If they get behind even 7-0 I fear they won’t be able to catch. I’ve said it before, but I’m afraid I’ll be telling the same friends that running the ball is a clock-killer and when you’re behind killing the clock is the last thing you want to do.
We can make proclamations all the time about “must wins”, “need to wins”, “HAVE to wins”, and the like but I think Tech has to have this game. If they lose they can kiss their hopes of playing for an ACC title goodbye and, if they’re not careful, their whole season.
UNC is in much better shape. They are cruising, their offense looks good, and they are in the middle of a “coming out” party. If UNC really wants to put their “party” to the test they’ll punch Teach in the mouth and not stop for the duration of the game. If they let up for one second they won’t seem as strong as I think they really are. Let’s face it: The Tar Heel Blue doesn’t exactly scream “POWER”. They need to punch Tech’s lights out, and I think they will.
{Speaking of which, are there really any power uniforms in sports? Think about it. Michigan? Nah, the yellow isn’t exactly strong. The Yankees? Yeah, the pin stripes say something, but I think it just says “kiss my a#%” more than anything else. The Lakers or Celtics? I love the Lakers and respect the Celtics, but I’m not going to pretend that “forum blue and gold” or faded green and white are powerful. I’d bring up some Hockey teams but I don’t think anybody cares [if you do PLEASE tell me. A dude’s gotta know these things!] Duke Basketball? Close, just the DUKE on the front of the jersey says alot. No frills, no “mamby pamby” crap, but still, light blue and white don’t scream “POWER”. Penn State football? Dark, dark, dark Navy blue? White, white, white. Simple as hell. That uniform says “You’re dead…meat!” Now that’s “POWER”!}
Arkansas @ (3) Alabama 3:30 P.M.
Now I know that Bama is better than Georgia, but still, UGA is no slouch and they gave Arkansas 41 points. Is Arkansas’ offense really working? Is Bobby Petrino just a bad guy and not a total doofus too?
We know that Bama isn’t playing around with anybody, but maybe they won’t be able to score enough to put Arkansas in its place. This is one of those watershed games. Either Arkansas comes in from the cold, or Bama shows how much better than Georgia they are…and in doing so they also show how much better they are than South Carolina AND Ole Miss.
[I need to rant...I cannot believe that Ole Miss lost South Caorlina. I spent all day yesterday justifying Houston Nutt to myself in the car. Saying over and over to the talkradio I was hearing "Houston Nutt's a good coach, he can do this!" Then what does he do? He loses to a disinterested Steve Spurrier who's only won one big game in his entire career (UF's one national title) and who has no business wearing Ole Miss' jock. What the hell!?]
Only LSU will be left to tame for the Tide when they get done with Arkansas. I just don’t see them coming in from the cold. Yeah, I still think Petrino’s a doofus. UGA isn’t as good as advertised….. I hope the Razorbacks enjoyed all those points…
(9) Miami @ (11) Virginia Tech 3:30 P.M.
Jacory Harris, Jacory Harris. That’s all we hear about these days. He’s only jumped to the top of a short Heisman list and he’s leading a resurgent power in College Football. Miami is one of those schools that should be good all the time. I don’t think for one second that this is a fluke. Larry Coker destroyed that program when he basically was not in control and eventually it caught up to him. Randy Shannon has been cleaning up the mess and now he has shown that he can coach and that this school was simply sleeping…not dead.
Virginia Teach needed a miracleto beat Nebraska (another resurgent power) but don’t be fooled, Tyrod Taylor showed that he can do this. He really can. Frank Beamer put a ton of eggs in Taylor’s basket and it might finally be paying off.
These two teams are going to just shoot at each other in “Wild West Quickdraw” fashion. How many points will they both put up? Who knows, but it’s going to be exciting! I’ll tell you this: What I’d really like to see is Tyrod Taylor put his name on the short Heisman list with a monster game against Jacory Harris who will have an equally monstrous game and neither one of them decides the game so we can keep a new and interesting Heisman race in tact. Now that’s fun!
(1) Florida @ Kentucky 6 P.M.
Kentucky has been playing the spoiler for a few years now. Remember the season they had Andre Woodson and screwed up the entire SEC? They were as high #8 that season I believe. Kentucky football!?!?! They’ve also fallen victim to horrific losses like the “Bluegrass Miracle”. We should expect nothing less from a much better coached Kentucky team.
Florida is riding high on Tim Tebow and if they don’t slip they have already been given a spot in the BCS title game. The problem is…it seems undefeated teams aren’t real anymore. Somebody’s got to lose sometime. Remember when Florida lost to Ole Miss last year? The impassioned speech by Tebow (they’ve posted all over the Gators’ football complex) and the eventual championship? If I had to pick someone to put Florida in that mode I’d pick Kentucky. I heard Rich Brooks on the radio the other day and not only sounded very confident, but laid back. The monster season they had a couple years ago issomething he thinks he can repeat at anytime.
Belief is key when have little to lose…
Will Kentucky’s belief = a win over Florida? Probably not, but I will not be shocked if I turn this game on late and the Gators are losing…this is the only team I will pick against Florida this year. Period.
Arizona State @ (21) Georgia 7 P.M.
Joe Cox might be a decent Quarterback, but who could tell. Apparently he had the swine flu and had to be flown on a private jet to the loss to Ok. St. in Stillwater, then he slings the ball around like he’s Vinny Testaverde (not the old, washed up Vinny….the killer “U” Vinny) and now he’s got Arizona State.
First off, I can’t get over UGA’s schedule. If it makes sense to someone I’d like to meet them because they must be able to plug into alien airwaves. I’m not sure what possessed Damon Evans to schedule a Big 12 and a Pac 10 school in the same season. Did he forget that UGA is in the hardest conference in America? {And don’t give me that mess about the Big 12 being better….Mississippi State and Vanderbilt could easily beat Baylor, Texas A&M, and Kansas State!}
With that said, Arizona State can probably keep up with the Dawgs. They’ve gotten some huge plays on defense and they’re a Pac 10 team…they throw it around. UGA’s defense is suspect (sorry Willie Martinez, you know it’s your fault. Brian VanGorder is the man and you’re just……..not.)
Everybody has a crap season….this is UGA’s. They’re gonna lose and it’s going to sting…really,really sting.
Iowa @ (5)Penn State 8 P.M.
Ok, if I’m going to say the Penn State has the most powerful uniform in sports then I should probably preview their game.
Iowa is old school….hard-nosed and intense. Penn State is all those things AND more talented.
There’s not alot to say. For Iowa: No Shonn Greene = No Chance. For Penn State: Daryll Clark = Near Guaranteed Great Performance. You get the idea. [Besides, the Big 10 is weak as hell! You know it is, don’t deny it.]
(24) Washington @ Stanford 9 P.M.
Let’s bill this one the meeting of the giant killers. Two of the teams who have ruined USC’s season in the past three years are going head to head. This is fun!
Washington emerged (and will no longer be sneaking up on anyone)when they beat USC last week. Stanford did the same (and the same) two years ago. Jim Harbaugh is fiery and not afraid to take risks. Steve Sarkisian has Jake Locker.
Steve Sarkisian needs to make sure and get this kid a gift when he graduates (wouldn’t want to do it beforehand….we know big brother NCAA is watching. I kind of feel like he’s the mobster who’s still killing people while he’s in jail…the NCAA is an ever-present menace.) Locker’s stats are astonishing:
In 3 games he’s thrown for 811 yards, 5 TD’s
and a QB rating of 138.69
Are you kidding me? Steve Young and Peyton Manning are jealous. That’s just ridiculous! And we’re going to bet against a Locker-led Washington team? Iiiiiiiiiii don’t think so!
{No wonder Pete Carroll said Locker is “the best Quarterback we’ve played in 9 years here.” All I have to say to that is “holy “&#^”$^#*&%#” Welcome to the Heisman race Jake Locker!
Enjoy the Saturday of College ball…it’s gonna be nuts!