EVENTUAL 2020-21 NATIONAL CHAMPION MICHIGAN STATE 24, Iowa 17
True interesting fact: Michigan State is undefeated when turning the ball over 6 times or fewer! Iowa is now winless, which is not at all where I expected them to be. Lombardi is looking like he is determined to win me over. Last week was full of bad passes and perfectly placed ones. Some consistency would be nice. It would also be nice if Ricky White is the real deal – he sure looked it Saturday, but that was one game where he was working on island coverage without a lot of safety help. It would also be nice if we could run the rock. Simmons looks good, but tentative, Collins is no where to be found, and Heyward… welcome back from the transfer portal! We did a pretty good job defensively against Meatchicken – and not as bad against Rutgers as the score made it look – and Iowa’s offense has been mediocre. I am enthused.
Florida 17, Georgia 13
One of the two the non-MSU marquee games of the week. Georgia’s offense has been missing in action all year. Hard to imagine it turning up this weekend. Hard also to imagine Georgia’s defense not taking Florida to trask, but unless the Law Firm of Stetson Bennett LLP dramatically improves, Georgia team is going nowhere. Not sure how replaceable the two suspended for a half Gators will be, but I still think Florid has the defensive moxie to bottle up the weak Georgia offense.
ClemSIN 35, Our Lady of the Perpetual Tie 20
After giving up 21 points to BC’s offense in the first half Saturday ClemSIN’s defense throttled the life out of them in the second half. I expect the second half is what we see this week. OLotPT has not really shown me the kind of sustained quality offense necessary to stay with ClemSIN’s offense, or enough defense to make me think they can contain ClemSIN’s offense. The World’s Worst Draw of Scrabble Tiles looks like, well, like I am going to have to learn to spell his name next year. Etienne continues to be the most underappreciated great player in CFB. As an aside, does anyone know of the whereabouts of jbott? I really want to get back to making anti-ClemSIN jokes again.
the 52, Rutgers 10
There is a scene at the end of A Fish Called Wanda where Otto (Kevin Kline) has his feet stuck in cement unable to move while watching as Kkkkken (Michael Palin) slowly drives up to (and over) him in a steam roller. I imagine that is roughly how Greg Schiano feels this week. Rutgers is winless when its defense forces 6 turnovers or fewer. I expect that stat to be a valid one at year’s end as well.
Meatchicken 27, Indiana 20
On one hand, MSU showed opposing teams the crucial weaknesses in Meatchicken’s offense and defense. On the other, MSU also showed Meatchicken’s coaches the same weaknesses, and I do not know if IU’s offense can exploit Meatchicken’s island corners the way MSU did – or that Meatchicken will be using the safeties as run support again. I do think IU has a stout enough defense to take away the run option from Milton and make him play quarterback and to limit Meatchicken’s rather pedestrian receivers. IU is being talked about on the fringes of the playoffs. That is nice for them.
University of California* 35, Arizona State 27
Welcome back PAWCP! I get that the 9 start time makes business sense; I am just not sure that it makes sense for the pregame preparation for the kids who actually play the game. Anyway, I have high expectations for trojanhorse’s boys this year. So, stumbling out of the gate against a pretty good Sun Devils team is practically guaranteed. Sorry, troj.
* Southern
S 35, Y 31
The Battle of the BU’s!
the Pennsylvania State University 28, Maryland 17
It looks like Maryland has an offense, with Mini-Tua at the helm. On the other hand, Minnesota’s defense has had issues in both of the games they have played, so we will see. I think the PSU put up a good effort against the last week – there is just a huge talent gap between the and the rest of the Big However Many. PSU is the best winless team in CFB. I think they can contain Maryland.
Oregon 27, Stanford 21
Oregon breaks in a new QB – their old one is in the process of proving me wrong about him in the NFL, but he was a decidedly flawed college QB – and Stanford is trying to rebound from a down year. Really, I have no sense of the PAWCP until I see them play a few games, so I am just going with my feeling that Oregon will avoid the Shough of Despond. Because the world does not get enough bad John Bunyan jokes and I am the remedy!
Texas A&M 35, South Carolina 17
Don’t sleep on TAMU as the fourth playoff team, especially if the PAWCP forms the traditional circular firing squad. Their schedule going forward is manageable. One loss, with Alabama as your only loss? Granted, this year’s version of God’s Conference West is not like the last few years’s, but they still have the reputation and running the non-Alabama portion of that table is impressive. Looks good when compared to a lot of two loss teams from the Pure Prairie League, or God’s Conference East – particularly if it is Florida, who they beat - or whatever comes out of the COVID raddled clusterfuck of a Big However Many West. I suppose Our Lady of the Perpetual Tie could muck it up by beating a Lawrenceless ClemSIN. Anyway, I still don’t like their quarterback, but they are perfectly placed in this mess of a year.
Cincinnati 41, Houston 17
Then again, could this be the year a Group of Five team gets in? Cinci has the ranking to demand serious consideration in the event there is a butt load of two loss Power Five conference champions. Cinci made a pretty persuasive case last week.
Oklahoma State 27, Kansas State 17
I guess OSU has national relevance until they pick up a second loss. It could happen this week, but I am thinking their reckoning comes a bit later.
Wisconsin 0, Purdue 0
The Big However Many has a COVID protocol the includes cardiac testing and takes 21 days. Not only is Wisky not playing Purdue, they ain't playing Meatchicken in two weeks either. As a dedicated fan of chaos, I have to wonder what will happen in Wisky goes 5 - 0 and goes up against, say a 7 - 1 team that they beat. Technically, a half game behind, right? Or a 6 - 1 Nebraska, who Wisky would have a presumably higher ranking?
Poll
