Dan Persa and the Wildcats will finally get the signature win they have been looking for.
For the first time this year, don’t expect a lot of upsets this week, we may have thee at the most. With it being this late in the year and only one top 25 match-up, the only excitement we are going to see is if top teams allow inferior opponents to hang around. On a side note, if Cam Newton and his father did receive money from Auburn to play there then the NCAA needs to nip this investigation in the bud quickly! The last thing we need is another Reggie Bush Heisman and another USC national Title that never was. There is no place is collegiate sports, or any sports for that matter, for cheating. Also worth noting is the rivalry match-up of Boise State and Idaho. This past summer, Boise State’s President made some remarks on the University of Idaho. A couple words he used to describe them was “nasty, and “inebriated.” Those words may be on the Idaho Vandals’ bulletin board this week, but it won’t help them try to stop Boise State’s attack. Let’s take a look at a few headlines from this weekend:
Northwestern Finally Notches an Upset
At face value, Iowa is #13 in the nation and Northwestern is nowhere close, this should be an easy win for Iowa. But, you cannot discount Northwestern having two-score leads in the second half in two of there three losses. They had Penn State on the ropes last week and #10 Michigan State in the same position the week before. Iowa has been on the other end a few times this year, coming from behind to win, it’s about time that there is a reversal of roles. Although not relevant to this year’s matchup, the Wildcats have has the Hawkeyes’ number in three of the last four meetings. Wildcat QB Dan Persa has the ability to keep the tough Hawkeye defense on their heels and give the Hawkeyes a taste of their own upset medicine.
We Have Now Entered the College Football Twilight Zone
You only have to look as far as the Texas Longhorns to see what a crazy year it has been. The value of a senior quarterback, even if he is 5-foot nothing, cannot be understated. It’s not that the Longhorns are without Colt McCoy, they are also out a leader. When McCoy got injured last year in the National Title Game, freshman QB Garrett Gilbert came in and led an amazing comeback that fell just short. Although there was disappointment, there was also excitement for this year and Gilbert’s potential to keep Texas up toward the top. Longhorn fans weren’t the only ones drinking the Texas Kool-Aid, so were the coaches and the media. Texas was ranked #3 preseason, now Baylor and Texas A&M are ranked higher, and the Longhorns are fighting to be bowl-eligible.
Scott Tolzien and the Badgers will be just another top 10 team to stand pat.
Top 10 Stands Ground for First Week
At least one team in the top 10 has lost every week this year. This week, every school (with the exception of Auburn if Cam Newton is rightfully suspended) will stand pat and take care of business. Of the ten original teams in the preseason top 10, only four remain, guesses? #3 TCU, #4 Boise State, #8 Ohio State, and #9 Nebraska. With two of those teams being non-AQ teams, a few things need to be said of preseason rankings. First, most top teams are not what they are hyped up to be (Texas was #3, Florida was #4 for Hell’s sake). Second, the non-AQ teams ARE what they are hyped up to be. Third and lastly, no polls should be released until at the earliest week four, which is usually the when most top teams stop playing division 2 schools and pick on someone their own size.
JIB Picks
Last Week: 16-2 / Overall: 157-28
#1 Oregon – Cal / #2 Auburn – Georgia / #3 TCU – San Diego State / #4 Boise State – Idaho / #5 Wisconsin – Indiana / #6 LSU – Louisiana-Monroe / #7 Ohio State - Penn State / #8 Nebraska – Kansas / #9 Stanford – Arizona State / #10 Michigan State (Bye) / #11 Oklahoma State – Texas / #12 Alabama – #18 Mississippi State / #13 Iowa – Northwestern / #14 Arkansas – UTEP / #15 Utah - Notre Dame / #16 Oklahoma – Texas Tech / #17 Virginia Tech – North Carolina / #19 Arizona – USC / #20 Missouri – Kansas State / #21 Nevada – Fresno State / #22 South Carolina – #24 Florida / #23 Central Florida – Southern Miss. / #25 Texas A&M – Baylor
