NCAA FB WEEK THREE RAMBLINGS AND HIGHLIGHTED MATCHUPS
WEEK THREE RAMBLINGS
-Clemson and Georgia, who are a traditional rivals, are not playing each other this year. They are, however, both playing 1AA (FCS) teams this week. Put me on the long list of people that believes that’s ridiculous.
-Ty Willingham’s new team has been looking much better than his old team this season. Washington has looked impressive in their first two wins, and could really explode onto the national scene with a home win over Ohio State. One has to wonder what a Washington win and a Notre Dame loss this week would do to the psyche of the Irish fans. They’ll have to change the name from Touchdown Jesus to Field Goal Jesus.
-Notre Dame has -8 rushing yards on the season. If they rush for 0 yards against Michigan it will actually be an improvement on their season average. The game against Michigan is interesting because one of the teams is going to be 0-3. Granted, it’s interesting for all the wrong reasons, but it’s interesting nonetheless.
-The WAC’s next OOC win against a FBS team will be their first. At least the league has six wins against FCS teams. The Sun Belt hasn’t beaten anybody outside of their league, and I don’t see them winning any games this week either.
-The Big East has the best overall OOC record at a combined 14-2. Both of the losses belong to Syracuse.
-VERY BAD TEAMS: Duke is very bad, but I didn't realize how bad. They've lost 22 games in a row, and 25 in a row against 1A/FBS teams. What's even more incredible than that is that In their last 80 games against 1A/FBS opponents, the Blue Devils are 6-74. I came across this when I was trying to figure out who had the longest losing streak. I thought it was Florida International, but they've only lost 14 games in a row and are 4-20 against 1A/FBS teams since making the jump to 1A. Granted that's two less wins than what Duke has in their stretch, but they've played 56 fewer games.
SPOTLIGHTED GAMES (all on Saturday):
-ARKANSAS AT ALABAMA. Both teams are unbeaten, but neither team has been tested all that strongly yet. These two teams played in a thriller last year where Alabama played well, but had a meltdown when it came to placekicking which led to Arkansas’s win. Arkansas appears to be the superior team, but Alabama appears to have a good offense and playing at home will give them a big advantage. It would also springboard the Nick Saban era at Alabama. Since both teams are hoping to chase LSU for the division title, one loss may be too much to overcome.
-BOSTON COLLEGE AT GEORGIA TECH (ACC). High stakes game between two ranked unbeatens in the ACC. Boston College has two big conference wins already against Wake Forest and NC State, so this could get them to 3-0 in ACC play. This is the conference opener for Georgia Tech, but they won a big game against Notre Dame in their season opener. BC is out to a fast start as far as winning the Atlantic Division and Georgia Tech could contend for the Coastal Division, but they’ll have to compete with Virginia Tech to do it, so this is a big game.
-LOUISVILLE AT KENTUCKY. This is a huge rivalry game that is as big as any being played this week. Most people don’t realize this, but both teams are 7-1 in their last eight games. Kentucky’s one loss came at Tennessee in the final minutes, and Louisville’s loss was that unforgettable game at Rutgers that also came down the final minutes. Louisville has owned this series, and is currently ranked in the top ten whereas Kentucky is out of the rankings, but the pendulum could swing in a VERY big way if Kentucky pulls off the upset. A win for Louisville improves them to 3-0, enables them to retain their high ranking, and remain squarely in the BCS picture. A win for Kentucky should either get them into the rankings, or very close to it. It also puts them at 3-0 on the season. Last but not least, the winner will get those ever-so-important bragging rights.
-USC AT NEBRASKA. The atmosphere at this game should be very interesting considering how much of a contrast there is between USC’s and Nebraska’s fan base. It’s the first time a #1 team has visited Nebraska since 1978, and it is a game that would put the Huskers squarely in the national title hunt if they were to win it. That is asking a lot, though. Nebraska struggled to get past a Wake Forest team that wasn’t at full strength last week, and USC is all kinds of loaded. The home field advantage will give the Huskers a boost, but they need something more along the lines of a catapult than a boost to beat USC.
-OHIO STATE AT WASHINGTON. Both teams are unbeaten and although Ohio State is ranked much higher, Washington has arguably looked more impressive. OSU struggled for more than a half against Akron last week, whereas Washington didn’t struggle at all against Boise State. Washington also looked very good in their season opener. The Buckeyes better be on upset alert because they’re playing three time zones away against a team who suddenly has quite a bit of momentum. A win for Washington will put the Huskies back onto the national scene, which is a place they haven’t been in quite some time.
HIGHLIGHTED MATCH-UPS FORTHURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 13TH:
-TCU AT AIR FORCE (Mountain West). TCU played well for about three quarters against Texas last week, but then ran out of gas. That most likely ends their BCS hopes, but they could still have a big year by winning the Mountain West and finishing with a top 25 ranking. Air Force is 2-0 on the season and got a big win on the road against Utah last week, so this is a chance for them to knock off two of the better teams in the conference two weeks in a row and improving to 3-0 overall.
-WEST VIRGINIA AT MARYLAND. Both of these teams are unbeaten, but West Virginia has looked much more impressive than Maryland so far on the season. WVU is a BCS contender whereas Maryland looks to be headed to a midlevel ACC bowl. These two teams have developed a nice regional rivalry over the years and the atmosphere should be electric for this one. A win against WVU would springboard Maryland’s season in a very big way.
HIGHLIGHTED MATCH-UPS FOR FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 14TH:
-OKLAHOMA STATE AT TROY. How in the world did Troy get Oklahoma State to come play them at home?? Don’t be surprised if we see both of these teams in bowl games because Troy is favored to win the Sun Belt, but Oklahoma State appears to be on a much higher level. It should be a fun atmosphere because a big name program doesn’t come to Troy all that often, but an upset is very unlikely.
HIGHLIGHTED MATCH-UPS FOR SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 15TH:
-games are sorted in alphabetical order via the home team
-NEW MEXICO AT ARIZONA. Both teams are 1-1 and are looking to taking another step forward to becoming bowl eligible, which is something that won’t be easy for either team to do. This is a game that either team could win, so it’s important.
-SMU AT ARKANSAS STATE. Arkansas State could make a bowl if they win the Sun Belt Conference, which they’re good enough to do. SMU was unimpressive in their first week’s game, but rebounded last week with a win. They’re trying to get to a bowl for the first time since 1984.
-MISSISSIPPI STATE AT AUBURN (SEC). Auburn is coming off a loss to South Florida, but that was a non-conference game so they can keep themselves in the BCS picture by winning today. Mississippi State was buried by LSU in their first game. It will be interesting to see what they do on the road against an Auburn team who is coming off of a loss.
-WYOMING AT BOISE STATE. Very interesting game here between unbeaten Wyoming and Boise State, who had their 14 game winning streak snapped by Washington last week. Wyoming has beaten Virginia and Utah State handily, but playing on the road on the blue turf will be their toughest test yet. It is still very early in the season, but based on what we’ve seen so far it looks as if both of these teams could end up bowling.
-FLORIDA STATE AT COLORADO. Both teams are 1-1 and both struggled against low caliber teams to get that one win. It is looking as thought it will be tough for either of these teams to make a bowl, so this could end up being a big game as far as helping them get to the postseason.
-SOUTHERN MISS AT EAST CAROLINA (Conference USA). Both of these teams looked good in losing efforts in some early out of conference games. East Carolina went down at Virginia Tech and Southern Miss went down at Tennessee. This is the conference opener, and it’s between two teams who should make some noise in the league. Don’t be surprised if both end up in bowl games.
-TENNESSEE AT FLORIDA (SEC). This is Florida’s first real test, and that could be an issue for some of their younger players. Tennessee opened the season with a loss at California, but rebounded with a big win last week against Southern Miss. It’s the conference opener for both teams, and since both are in the same division it is a hugely important game as far as making the BCS goes.
-AKRON AT INDIANA. Akron’s defense put up a tremendous effort against Ohio State last week, but they ran out of gas and with no offensive help the Zips ended up losing. They have another big test today against an Indiana team that is off to a 2-0 start and appears to be on their way to a bowl game. It would be a big road win for Akron, and it would be a big home win for a Hoosier team that is trying to improve to 3-0 and sustain the momentum their football team has recently built up.
-IOWA AT IOWA STATE. This is an in-state rivalry and although Iowa has looked much more impressive and this appears to be a mismatch, this game is oftentimes more exciting than the spread would indicate, especially since the underdogs are at home. Iowa can remain unbeaten on the year and pick up another nice road win, whereas Iowa State is playing for some bragging rights and the chance to turn their season around.
-CINCINNATI AT MIAMI, OH. This is a regional rivalry that goes back to the 1880s. Cincinnati has looked very impressive this season and is coming off a convincing win against Oregon State. Miami struggled last season, but is 1-1 this year with the only loss being in triple overtime at Minnesota. A win for Cincinnati improves them to 3-0 and keeps their momentum going.
-NOTRE DAME AT MICHIGAN. This game is even more interesting than usual this year, but for all the wrong reasons. One of these teams is going to be 0-3. I can’t wait to see which it will be. The loser will have to turn it around in a big way if they want to win enough games to make a bowl.
-PITTSBURGH AT MICHIGAN STATE. Both teams are unbeaten, but neither team has really played anyone. Still, the winner improves to 3-0 which is big because both are looking to build momentum. Technically, since both are unbeaten, both are still in the BCS hunt.
-FRESNO STATE AT OREGON. This game would have been much more interesting and much more important on paper had Fresno been able to beat Texas A&M last week. It isn’t the first time Fresno has had a high level BCS team on the ropes, but failed to finish them off. In fact, the same thing happened a season ago when they faced Oregon. The Ducks appear to be much better than their ranking, but this is potentially the best team they’ve faced so far. I say that because one never knows what Fresno team is going to show up.
-CENTRAL MICHIGAN AT PURDUE. Central Michigan won their first conference game last week, but has a very tall order against an unbeaten Purdue team today. Purdue, although unbeaten, is really untested. It will be interesting to see what they do against one of the better teams from the MAC.
-TEXAS TECH AT RICE. Texas Tech continues to put up huge offensive numbers, and based on how Rice’s defense played last week they may score 100 this week. A win for Tech would be their second road win of the year and improve them to 3-0.
-HOUSTON AT TULANE. Houston hung with Oregon for about a half in week one, and was off last week. This is their conference opener and they should be able to win rather handily against a winless Tulane team.
-BYU AT TULSA. This is a very interesting game between one of the best from the Mountain West and one of the best from Conference USA. Both should go bowling this year, and both could end up in the rankings at some point. BYU hung with UCLA last week, but couldn’t hang in for long enough. Tulsa hasn’t played since their win against Louisiana Monroe on opening night. This should be an entertaining and highly competitive game.
-TEXAS AT UCF. UCF looked impressive in their season opener against North Carolina State, and this is a huge opportunity for them with a BCS contender coming to town. Texas looked much better last week against very good TCU team than they did in their opening week and they clearly appear to be the superior team in this one. UCF fans will be up for the game, but they may not stay up for it for very long if Texas jumps on them early.
-HAWAII AT UNLV. UNLV gave Wisconsin a big scare last week, but came up just short in the end. Hawaii got a big scare from Louisiana Tech, but was able to pull off the win in overtime and keep their BCS hopes alive. Common sense would say that Hawaii wins in a landslide, but after last week I’m not so sure.
-UCLA AT UTAH. This could have been a tremendous atmosphere for the Utes, and it still could be, but they are very banged up with injuries and are missing some key players. They’re still looking for their first win, but aren’t likely to get it against a UCLA team that is trying to get into the BCS.
BUY GAMES (all games on Saturday)
-SAN DIEGO STATE AT ARIZONA STATE. San Diego State has looked great in the first two games and shouldn’t have much trouble improving to 3-0 today.
-LOUISIANA TECH AT CALIFORNIA. LA tech nearly upset Hawaii last week, but has a much tougher order going on the road against a California, who is a BCS contender.
-FURMAN (fcs) AT CLEMSON. Clemson should have little trouble improving to 3-0. Furman has a decent 1aa program, but they shouldn’t be much of a match for Clemson.
-TEMPLE AT CONNECTICUT. Connecticut can improve to 3-0 on the season with a win against the Owls.
-WESTERN CAROLINA (fcs) AT GEORGIA. Georgia is coming off a loss to South Carolina, but should have little trouble rebounding this week.
-TOLEDO AT KANSAS. Kansas has looked impressive in every game so far. They haven’t really played anyone yet and appear to be under-matched again today. Nevertheless, they can improve to 3-0 with a win today.
-MISSOURI STATE (fcs) AT KANSAS STATE. Kansas State can improve to 2-1 with a win today.
-FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL AT MIAMI, FL. Hopefully these two teams can get through this year’s game without a brawl breaking out. FIU has a chance to increase their losing streak to 15 with a loss today. Miami is looking at a low tier ACC bowl if they can’t play any better than they did last week.
-MIDDLE TENNESSEE AT LSU. LSU should win in a blowout and remain unbeaten on the year.
-WESTERN MICHIGAN AT MISSOURI. Despite being favorites to win the MAC, Western Michigan is 0-2 and didn’t really look all that good in either game. Mizzou is 2-0 and is looking to keep their momentum going as conference play approaches.
-BALL STATE AT NAVY. Navy lost last week, but they can improve to 2-1 today which keeps them well on pace to make the Poinsettia Bowl.
-DUKE AT NORTHWESTERN. Northwestern has not looked impressive at all, but they are 2-0 and should improve to 3-0 with a win over a very weak Duke team. Duke has lost 25 of 26, and the one win that they did get came against a 1AA team.
-UTAH STATE AT OKLAHOMA. Oklahoma has not really been challenged this year, and isn’t likely to be challenged today.
-IDAHO STATE (fcs) AT OREGON STATE. Oregon State fell to Cincinnati last week, but should improve to 2-1 this week.
-BUFFALO AT PENN STATE. Penn State beat Notre Dame handily a week ago, and should remain unbeaten against Buffalo. Buffalo blew out Temple last week and any win at all is a rarity for them, but this week it will be much harder to come by.
-NORFOLK STATE AT RUTGERS. Rutgers should win in a blowout.
-SOUTH CAROLINA STATE AT SOUTH CAROLINA. South Carolina should win in a blowout. The risk of a letdown after last week’s big win against Georgia is slim and none.
-LOUISIANA MONROE AT TEXAS A&M. Texas A&M survived a big scare last week, but should have a much easier time this week.
-OHIO AT VIRGINIA TECH. Virginia Tech was beaten very handily by LSU last week, but shouldn’t have too much trouble beating Ohio this week. The Bobcats are 2-0 and have an outside shot at a bowl this year, but they are nowhere close to the level of Virginia Tech.
-ARMY AT WAKE FOREST. Wake has played some good football, but is 0-2 and needs a win badly. They are still good enough to get the wins they need to make a decent ACC bowl.
-THE CITADEL (fcs) AT WISCONSIN. The Badgers are coming off a scare at UNLV last week, but are unbeaten and will likely stay that way after this week.
(This post was last modified: 09-13-2007 12:31 AM by 3rd Wise Man.)
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NCAA FB WEEK THREE RAMBLINGS AND HIGHLIGHTED MATCHUPS
