Week 11 - HOPE

This week we proved that Hope isn't just a place in Arkansas. Its also what I need to keep me over .500. Oh, and we elected a new president who is big on hope too. Its what his hometown Northwestern Wildcats will need a lot of against Ohio State this week.

Bonehead of the Week:

The Marshall employee who left the cart in the back of the end zone. I'll let you take a look for yourself.

"Total focus . . . Ohhh!!" And thanks, ESPN for all of the camera angles.

On to the picks . . .

RUTGERS -15 Syracuse (the Babaian-Blumenstoc​k Classic)

Rutgers, coming off the bye week, has won their last two games in impressive fashion, beating two of the top teams in the (insert synonym for overrated here) Big East. The Scarlet Knights look like they finally have rounded the corner, hit their stride, and a load of other "we're finally doing well" cliches. Syracuse on the other hand . . . well talking about how bad they has become a cliche itself. What nice things can I say about this Orange team? They've matched their Big East win total from last season, and are guaranteed at least the same number of wins as they had in 2007 as well - two big positives! What else? . . . their mascot can beat Penn State. Now the reality: Syracuse is winless on the road this season, and they play their home games in a dome. Forecast for Piscataway, NJ on Saturday? Rain. Really, what else would you expect from NJ? The biggest question I'm left with is whether or not Rutgers can win this game by 15. I'll probably kick myself for this one on Sunday, but I like the Scarlet Knights to cover.


BC -3 Notre Dame (the Holy War or the "We'll Both be Happy to be Bowl Eligible at the End of the Season" Classic)

The likelihood that both of these teams will not head to a bowl game is slim. However, reports that Jimmy Clausen is less than 100% heading into Chestnut Hill this week, and the fact that the Eagles could potentially lose out the season has many fans of Jesuit football teams worried. On top of that, Charlie Weis had an MRI on Wednesday that revealed he has a torn anterior cruciate, medial collateral and posterior cruciate ligaments, his lateral meniscus and the posterior capsule, which Weis admitted, "I don't even know what it is." Do you hear that, JoePa? Charlie barely has a knee left to stand on, but he doesn't coach from the press box.

Sorry - I got sidetracked.

This game will come down to offensive efficiency. BC's run attack is their strong point, ND's is their passing game. Though the Irish mixed their passing game well with some success on the ground, they have yet to show that they can do without the arm of Jimmy Clausen and still win. The Eagles know that in order to play in something better than the Eagle Bank Bowl, they're going to have to win this game and then steal another of their next three. For the Irish, I just don't see a big road win here. I'll take BC to cover and win their 6th straight against the Irish.


ECU -8 Marshall

Talk about two teams that started off the season in opposite places and managed to meet in the middle. Kind of like these guys. Yeah, that's it! ECU and Marshall are cousins. The Pirates are the cocky guy that starts out strong and then lost 3 straight to bring him back to earth. And The Herd is the funny guy that is all over the place but manages to end up just fine. Except that Marshall is in West Virginia and they marry their cousins there. Well, one of these teams is going to lose, and the other is going to celebrate as the top in the CoUSinA East. I like Marshall with the points.


Fresno State -2 Nevada

Fresno State lost to Louisiana Tech last week because they could not for the life of them stop the run. In fact, the Bulldogs have allowed 200+ yards rushing in 5 of their last 6 games. This is bad news since Nevada just happens to be averaging 300+ yards per game, making them the 4th best in the nation. This could go bad quickly. Couple that with the fact that Fresno State has one home win this season, and I shudder to think how far the Bulldogs have fallen since beating Rutgers. I like the Wolfpack getting the points.

Alabama -3 LSU

So you may have heard about this one. Evidently Alabama coach Nick Saban used to coach at LSU, and this week he's heading back there for the first time since he left. Wait, he won a National Championship with them too? Gee, that must be awkward. No wonder LSU fans hate Saban so much, I mean, what else did he do besides turn them into a contender in the tough SEC, rebuild their athletic facilities, restock their team through great recruiting, put up a 48-12 record, and win 2 SEC championships and a national title? Talk about doing nothing in five seasons for the Purple and Gold.

How worked up are Tiger fans? Let me share some comments from the "Tiger Droppings" message board:

Oh-wee-oh You suck Nick!

and

I will give $100 to anybody who throws a brick at Saban. Has to hit him in the head though.

followed by

If he can hit him without it being picked off, I'll throw in towards getting him a scholarship

I don't know how Alabama can go into a highly hostile Baton Rouge and win, but I have difficulty seeing LSU as the team that ruins Saban's record. Oh what the heck, who doesn't like storybook endings? I'm taking the Tigers with the points. Another #1 falls. Hooray BCS!!

Until next week . . .