Creek vs Musket
Creek 8-2 (4-1 Last Week): What are you gonna do? Every now and then you have to swim with sharks. GA Tech gobbled Duke like so many pilot fish. The Beez are a juggernaut and it will not be stopped until they actually face a defense. The chances of that happening this year are slim, unless they draw Pitt in the New Improved Orange Bowl. Florida continues do what is necessary to win. Pitt has the big game coming up, so a few languid moments against ND were not only understandable, but very Wannstachian. This is slim slate this week, with three of The Voice Top 10 idle and most of the rest playing tomato cans. Watch out for that salmonella in those cans though; there is always a weekly surprise this time of year.
Musket 6-4 (4-1 Last Week): Woooooooooo! I’m goin’ International, baby! Well, maybe not just yet. I’ll wait until I actually catch the mighty flowing Creek. It was a good week even though, once again, the upset bid didn’t stick. South Carolina had opportunities, but Florida took actions. A late Tim Tebow error should have been intercepted and the tide may have changed for the home Gamecocks, but what are you gonna’ do? After the game Urban Meyer only hugs one player, you can guess who that was. Wannstache almost blew it, I could see the Gator Bowl fading fast from the Big East late in the 4th quarter. TCU may be the hottest team in the nation, they are simply are rolling over their opponents. The Horned Frogs have a stranglehold on a BCS game; with a little luck they may get a shot at the title.
#4 TCU at Wyoming
Musket: Texas traveled to Wyoming early in the season and only managed a 13-10 lead at halftime. Of course in the second half, the Longhorns rolled over the over-matched home team to the tune of a 41-10 final. The Horned Frog’s defense is going to put the vice grips on the Cowboy’s green offense. There’s not much chance for Wyoming to score some points unless they get it done on defense. Enter Andy Dalton. The Senior quarterback has only thrown three picks on the season to his 17 TDs. Dalton has the offense playing to Horned Frog defense’s standards: damn good. TCU wins.
Creek: The Frogs are a disciplined, well coached team. The defense is as good as almost any in the country. As MM said, Dalton has found his inner Joe Namath. With a little luck and some zebra help, TCU could end up in the BCS CG. That would be Texas’ worst nightmare. If somehow Texas ended up as their opponent the stakes would be the highest in BCS history. The National Championship is great, but, as we all know, is nothing compared to the championship of The Republic of Texas. Wyoming is just bad. Awful. There is really nothing more to say. It will be ugly. TCU wins.
#8 LSU at Ole Miss
Musket: LSU was butt ugly in the BCS beauty contest against Louisiana Tech. The Bulldogs hung tough piling on 322 offensive yards while holding the Bayou Bengals to 246 total yards. Jordan Jefferson missed the game, but LSU is still loaded with weapons and should have blown the Bulldogs out of the swamp water. The Rebels finally played to expectations, especially on offense against Monte Kiffin’s tough defense. Though Houston Nutt’s tendencies more odd than the number ’3′, when he has a team playing hot, they’re hot. Hotty Toddy, Gosh Almighty, Ole Miss wins.
Creek: Does Houston the Nutt have it in him to inspire a team to great heights two weeks in a row? If all he has to inspire is McCluster, he has it made. Problem is, LSU is not Tennessee. The Vols came in with most of their LBs out because of injury and some other players still wiping black ink off of their fingertips. Does it really matter who plays QB for the Tigers – they are both bad. LSU is banged up, but their D is intact. I just don’t have faith in The Rt. Reverend; not two weeks running. LSU wins.
#10 Ohio State at Michigan
Musket: Michigan is in disarray. Rich Rodriguez’s Wolverine coaching career couldn’t have been bitterer, and now the locker room tension is so thick it can be cut with a knife. Even Mountaineer fans have to be scratching their head and wondering what cloud the Top Ten Coach has perched himself upon. Typically, I’d say Rodriguez is good for a solid upset, but this 2009 Wolverine team is separating like oil and water. Ohio State’s defense is playing angry. The Buckeyes have also turned up the volume on their rushing attack. Ohio State wins.
Creek: If you sat down with physicists, psychologists, engineers and your crazy Aunt Betty, you could not design the mess that is Michigan. Before the season, we had players going off the cliff like lemmings. Now we hear that the starting QB is pondering moving on. Most of these players say that Rodriguez doesn’t speak kindly to them. Could you imagine these twits playing for Woody or Coach Bryant or even Jackie Sherrill? The AD is even beating up little girl security guards to get to the tiny meatballs and Scotch buffet in his private box. I think they all need to roll a fat one and cool down a bit. Then you have the Buckeyes. Does Tressel just flip a coin to see which team will show up? If we get decent OSU and Pryor doesn’t do anything to cause them to lose, they are a pretty good team. They need this win, it will help offset the humiliation of losing to Purdue and make the Rose Bowl at least a little more interesting. The Buckeyes defense has played great football of late and it looks like some of the very offensive kinks are being ironed out. Ohio State wins.
Kansas at #3 Texas
Creek: The Fighting Manginos seem to have hit a wall. They are now doing more fighting with Mark than they are with opponents. When the AD meets privately with the team and the topic is the coach, “evaluation of the program” is soon to come. With Todd Reesing, they are a very mediocre team. Without him, they would just be bad. Still, wouldn’t it be fun to see Mack Brown sputtering and in seizures on the sidelines as Mangino pulls an Al Groh and saves his job at the last minute? The Jayhawks don’t have the defense to keep McCoy, Shipley and company out of the end zone. This will not be a blowout. Mangino will inspire his lads to hold within 10-15 points for 3 1/2 quarters, then the bloodletting begins. Colt needs a Heisman type game, but I think it will come next week. Mangino will win the brisket eating contest and may shake his ample booty at La Zona Rosa, but Texas wins.
Musket: Its mid-November and Colt McCoy is still heating up his engine. The kid can flat out play, we all know that much. He just hasn’t played to potential yet. That’s saying a lot for someone who has thrown for 2,628 yards and 19 Touchdowns, however at this time last year McCoy had already thrown 30 Touchdowns. Texas has young receivers and has struggled on occasion to put up rushing yards, things are starting to click. Something tells me the offensive engine is getting ready to fire on all cylinders. Todd Reesing plays his ass off and there’s not much more a coach can ask for. Some have said Mangino’s ample booty ain’t doin’ no shakin’ cause its propped up on a hot seat, a very large hot seat. The Jayhawk kids like Mangino alright and will give a valiant effort. Texas just has too many facets of power to be beaten at home. Texas wins.
#9 Boise State at Utah State
Creek: This is like having a romantic dinner at Applebee’s. I guess if you eat, it is technically dinner. If you are with one you love, it could technically be considered romantic. The guy in South Carolina who was recently arrested for multiple incidents of sexual relations with his wife’s horse probably considered that romantic too. There are people who consider what they do on any color expanse of grass surrounded by bleachers as big time football. I’m not one. Sure, one or two beat a good team every few years, but if you took all of their victories over the last ten years, it wouldn’t add up to one season for a PAC 10, Big E – 12 – 10, SEC team. Still, there are true believers – either people who see Orin Hatch as the Messiah or are just looking to shake up the world of college football. I guess all of this comes down to the fact that Boise State actually appears to have a decent football team. They have that signature 9 point victory in their first game against Oregon. Naturally, it took nearly 5 minutes for this to translate into a slaughter (?). That’s it. The rest of the schedule would be underdogs to the Texas high school 4A runner up. I guess Utah State’s (3-7) signature win has been that 23 – 21 nail biter over 3-7 LA Tech. I wouldn’t watch this game at gunpoint, but since the Top 3 are playing teams nearly as pathetic and another 3 aren’t playing, we have no choice but to pick it. Boise State wins. Let me know how it comes out.
Musket: Boise State has a Friday agenda: wake up, eat scrambled eggs and five potatoes, light workout taming wild horses, eat pork chops and six potatoes, take pictures for advertising firm at ‘Go Buck Yourself’ ranch, eat steak and seven potatoes, and add to the nation leading total points pile of 43.6 points per game. This Bronco offense utilizes every eligible offensive player and every blade of grass on the field. Very few teams operate as well on the principle of complete and total teamwork. The fact that the Bronco defense has also joined the party ranking 12th in the nation in total defense means that this Boise State squad is a very well-rounded opponent. Utah State is relatively insignificant to the WAC let alone the national picture. Boise State Wins