Anyway, the ACC, SEC, and other key conferences have some important games this week, so let's get on with the show.
Key Games In The ACC
Maryland (2-5, 1-2 in the ACC) at Duke (3-3, 1-1 in the ACC)
Ralph Friedgen and the Terps mosey down to Durham to try to avoid being poked by the Pokers, and I ain't sure they're gonna be fast enough to get out of the way. David Cutcliffe and the Blue Devils throw the pitchfork around pretty good, and I don't think the Terps will be able to keep up.
Rod's Reject - Maryland
Georgia Tech (6-1, 4-1 in the ACC) at Virginia (3-3, 2-0 in the ACC)
Paul Johnson and the Humble Bumbles buzz into Charlottesville Saturday, taking dead aim at a bunch of revitalized Cavaliers. Al Groh and his Sword Toters got off to a rough start this year, but have bailed out a lot of the water that was in the boat. But the Cavaliers better be ready, because this bunch of Yellow Jackets have what it takes to punch a few more holes in the ship...and so it will be.
Rod's Reject - Virginia
Wake Forest (4-3, 2-2 in the ACC) at Navy (5-2)
Nice out-of-conference match as Jim Grobe's Demon Deacons hit the travel circuit, trying to have a Deacon revival after last Saturday's debacle at Clemson, but the Preachermen may not find this part of the country too much to their liking, either. Ken Niumatalolo and his Annapolis bunch can sho nuff tote the rock, and the Deacs ain't been too spiffy stoppin' such an attack. Trouble brewin' in A-town for Wake.
Rods Reject - Wake Forest
Boston College (5-2, 3-2 in the ACC) at Notre Dame (4-2)
Frank Spaziani and his Nation Birds swoop into Hail Mary country, hopin' to pop some claws into a wounded bunch of Irish, but it's gonna be a tough job to finish off. Charlie Weis and his Golden Tops left a lot of their emotions on the field last Saturday when they fell short against Southern Cal, but I think they will rebound to pluck just enough feathers out of the Eagle to get the win...barely.
Rod's Reject - in a close one - Boston College
Key Games In The SEC
Arkansas (3-3, 1-3 in the SEC) at Mississippi (4-2, 1-2 in the SEC)
Bobby Petrino and the Wild Hawgs hit The Grove Saturday, hopin' to put a Tusk or two into the Rebel Rear, and they just might do it. Houston Nutt and his Firebrands ain't quite hit all their targets like they were supposed to do this year, but they still have a couple of rounds of ammo left, and they might just find a bulls-eye on the backside of the pigs.
Rod's Reject - in a close one - Arkansas
Louisiana-Monroe (4-2, 3-0 in the Sun Belt) at Kentucky (3-3, 1-3 in the SEC)
Rich Brooks and his Blue Cats came back from the road last week with a win against Auburn, and they will want to keep uncle mo on their side of the fence. Charlie Weatherbie and his Warhawks, though, ain't just gonna let the Cats take this one without a fight. Kentucky will be sleep-walking for a while, but will wake up in time to swat the birds featherless.
Rod's Reject - LM
Florida (6-0, 4-0 in the SEC) at Mississippi St. (3-4, 1-2 in the ACC)
Urban Meyer and his Toothy Crew slither into Starkville and will quickly be stalking it's prey from the get-go. Dan Mullen and the Maroon Bullies will try to make a fight out of this one, and will do so for a while. But points don't come in buckets for the Bulldogs, and it won't take the Gators too long to sink its teeth into the hometown dogs...and they ain't gonna let go.
Rod's Reject - Mississippi St.
Tennessee (3-3, 1-2 in the SEC) at Alabama (7-0, 4-0 in the SEC)
Lane Kiffin and the Volunteers hope to put Alabama on Upset Alert this Saturday as they travel into Tuscaloosa for a mid-afternoon battle with Nick Saban and his bunch of Pachyderms. The Crimson Tide ain't always real smooth and pretty offensively, but they know how to smack you in the mouth on defense. The Free Fighters will be tough on defense, too, so expect a low-scoring affair, but with Bama getting a few more points when it counts.
Rod's Reject - Tennessee
Auburn (5-2, 2-2 in the SEC) at LSU (5-1, 3-1 in the SEC)
Baton Rouge will be the scene for this Tiger Tangle as Gene Chizik and his Auburn Tigers come calling on LSU. Les Miles and his Bengals have been pretty tough this year, and I don't think things will change too much Saturday. Another great defensive game, with LSU able to scratch and claw their way out with a win...a close win.
Rod's Reject - Auburn
Other Big Game Around The Nation
Louisville (2-4, 0-2 in the Big East) at Cincinnati (6-0, 2-0 in the Big East)
Steve Kragthorpe and his low-flying Cardinals flap into Ohio Saturday, lookin' to find some homecoming-buster magic against the Bearcats. But Brian Kelly and his Furry Creatures ain't ready to hibernate yet, and should show up ready to make a short snack out of the skinny birds. Bearcat Homecoming - successful.
Rod's Reject - Louisville
Iowa (7-0, 3-0 in the Big Ten) at Michigan State (4-3, 3-1 in the Big Ten)
Sparty hopes to shock the college football world Saturday as Kirk Ferentz and his midwest Hawkeyes head into Green-ville, and this one should be worth watching. Mark Dantonio (a former Gamecock) will have his Spartans fully armed and ready for this Big Ten battle, and the hometown crowd should be ready also. Michigan State has struggled a little overall, but been pretty good in the Big Ten. Iowa has been unbeaten...until Saturday.
Rod's Reject - In an Upset In Some Circles - Iowa
Penn State (6-1, 2-1 in the Big Ten) at Michigan (5-2, 1-2 in the Big Ten)
Rich Rodriguez and the Wolverines hope to set a trap for the Nittany Lions Saturday as Penn State heads into Michigan to do battle at the Big House. Joe Paterno and his Mountain Cats ain't gonna fall for it, though, and will show up with claws fully sharpened and ready. This one's gonna be real interesting, and wouldn't shock me if Michigan finds a way to win. But I think PSU's defense will be the difference.
Rod's Reject - in a close one - Michigan
Texas (6-0, 3-0 in the Big 12) at Missouri (4-2, 0-2 in the Big 12)
Mack Brown and the Longhorns make a stampede toward Mizzou, with a top priorit of avoiding the surprise upset. Gary Pinkel and the Tigers will be fully prepared to pull off the shocker, but I don't they will have quite enough skill to get the job done. Texas starts off slow, and that may cost them by the time the games over. But I think they are able to hang on for the close win.
Rod's Reject - Missouri
TCU (6-0, 2-0 in Mountain West) at BYU (6-1, 3-0 in Mountain West)
This one's for King Of The Hill in the Mountain West conference, as the winner stays on track for a really big bowl game. Gary Patterson and his Horned Frogs hop into Provo for a Gameday Saturday and hope to sneak out with a win. But Bronco Mendenhall and his bunch of Mountain Cats ain't just gonna let that happen without a fight. But...I think it will happen.
Rod's Reject - in a good one - BYU
South Florida (5-1, 1-1 in the Big East) at Pittsburgh (6-1, 3-0 in the Big East)
Jim Leavitt and the Big Bulls hit the trail to Pitt-ville Saturday in what will be one doozy of a game. Dave Wannstedt and the Panthers will be ready for the visitors...for a while, anyway. It will take a little while for the Bulls to get up steady on all 4 hooves, but when they do, the Panthers might be in trouble. The Bulls pull off a Big East stunner.
Rod's Reject - in an Upset - Pitt
The Big Two In South Carolina
Clemson (3-3, 2-2 in the ACC) at Miami, Fl (5-1, 2-1 in the ACC)
Dabo Swinney and the Pickens County Pride saunter into South Beach for a Saturday afternoon tilt with the Big Wind in what should be a defensive doozy of a ballgame. Both of these teams are pretty stout on the D-side, while they're pretty comparable on offense. Mike Shannon and the Hurricanes will be ready to storm the Tigers, but Clemson will be more that up for that challenge. When all is said and done, I think Miami gets a little bit more done on the O-side, but it ain't gonna be by much.
Rod's Reject - in a nailbiter - Clemson
Vanderbilt (2-5, 0-4 in the SEC) at South Carolina (5-2, 2-2 in the SEC)
Bobby Johnson and his Commodores continue to look for a favorable port to park their battered ship, but there ain't no ports in Columbia, and that ain't good for Vandy. The Ship Steerers do have some good things going on defensively, but so far this year, there ain't been no ammo in the guns on offense. Steve Spurrier and his Yardbirds had a good game last week against Alabama, with the defense playing good enough to win. But the Gamecock offense, like Vandy, don't need triple-digit availability on the scoreboard, and points ain't just gonna fall out of the sky against this Vandy defense. But over the course of the game, look for the Gamecocks to slowly take over this one, but it won't be until the second half.
Rod's Reject - Vanderbilt
Rod's List Of Other Losers
Illinois will lose to Purdue
Bowling Green will lose to Central Michigan
Indiana will lose to Northwestern
Minnesota will lose to Ohio State
UConn will lose to West Virginia
Iowa State will lose to Nebraska
Eastern Michigan will lose to Ball State
Miami, Ohio will lose to Northern Illinois
Baylor will lose to Oklahoma State
Kent will lose to Ohio
Buffalo will lose to Western Michigan
Washington will lose to Oregon
Texas A&M will lose to Texas Tech
Kansas will lose to Oklahoma
San Diego State will lose to Colorado State
Air Force will lose to Utah
Idaho will lose to Nevada
UCLA will lose to Arizona
Washington State will lose to California
Tulane will lose to Southern Miss
Rice will lose to Central Florida
SMU will lose to Houston
New Mexico State will lose to Fresno State
Oregon State will lose to USC
Arizona State will lose to Stanford
Hawaii will lose to Boise State
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