ABOVE: Minnesota native and Montana State alum Craig Kilborn is probably anticipating a different game than you are this Saturday.
Are you excited?
Are you REALLY excited?
I mean, it's not every week you get a matchup of this caliber, one between two teams who basically set the bar for other programs aspiring to mentioned in the same breath as them.
Every detail, every nuance, every last matchup on the field up to and including the training staff has been and will be dissected, analyzed, and compared as we all try to figure out just who has the edge, hoping that maybe we can make a solid prediction which later will allow us to say "Ha! I told you so!"
All across this great land of ours, this momentous date has been circled for months. Plans have been changed, vacations moved, even weddings accelerated or postponed, all to accommodate this very weekend. Yet "weekend" seems too, well, weak of a word to describe this truly ... epochal experience that may never come our way again. You will never forget The Game. Even if you, by some stroke of outrageous misfortune, happen to miss The Game, you will at least remember where you were when you heard The Score. It will be engraved into your mind's eye as surely as if it were chiseled in granite.
But enough about the Minnesota-Montana State game. Let's look at some of the other games first.
Illinois is looking to prove that last season's success was no fluke and their names belong, if not with the Ohio States, then at least with the Penn States and Wisconsins. Somehow, I don't think beating up on a bunch of hurricane refugees is going to change many minds.
CAN WE STAY A COUPLE EXTRA DAYS?
10
SORRY, TEPPER'S STILL SLEEPING IN OUR DOGHOUSE
44
Know Your Non-Conference Tomato Can: University of Louisiana-Lafayette
In 1999, the former University of Southwestern Louisiana shed its compass point and became a University of Someplace. The university had sought to be merely the U of L, but the state board wouldn't allow it. Hence, both this school and Northeastern Lousiana University grabbed the brass ring, becoming UL-Lafayette and UL-Monroe, respectively.
They may have changed the school name, but they kept one of the best nicknames in all of sport: the Ragin' Cajuns. Indeed, UL Lafayette is located in the heart of Cajun country and gladly embraces its heritage, so knock it off with the Boudreaux jokes, already.
UL Lafayette's best known alum is former Miss USA and current actress Ali Landry. Okay, it's actually Richard Simmons, but (a) he didn't graduate from UL Lafayette, and (b) I'd rather run a picture of Ali Landry. Okay, it appears that Ali Landry may not have graduated from ULL either. (B) still holds.
INDIANA vs. BYE
Toughest opponent the Hoosiers have played all season.
IOWA STATE @ IOWA
I thought this was going to be a good game, but after a week of reading the attempted trash talking going in the comments of relevant articles at the Des Moines Register's website, I'm now convinced that both teams are so hopelessly overrated that if there's a way for both of them to lose, they will.
Seriously, as I wrote yesterday, both these teams have a Two-Headed Quarterbeast driving offenses that haven't been stopped (and haven't really been tested) so far. Iowa has done a better job running the ball, which is important; Iowa State has done a better job on special teams, which is more important. Other than that, they're basically the same team in two different uniforms.
Tightly matched games like this usually go to the home team, but that would mean ignoring the recent history between these two rivals. Iowa State always comes out and grabs at victory like it's the last helicopter out of Saigon, while the Hawkeyes lie flat on their backs, staring into the sky, wondering how it's possible that Lucy just pulled the football away again. Clones by a threep. I feel so dirty, but I know a lack of intensity when I see it.
PIG DOOTS
23
LAWSUITS
20
MICHIGAN @ NOTRE DAME
There will be 60 minutes of action in this football game, and 37 of them could wind up on the blooper reel. So far it's an open question if Michigan will ever master the spread. Right now, in fact, it's an open question if they're running any sort of offense at all. Things look better on defense, where the Wolverines haven't given up 100 yards of rushing (total) through two games.
On the other side of the ball is Notre Dame, proud possessors of a gutty, valiant, come-from behind victory over San Diego State.
Now, stop laughing. Do you know how few teams can say they've come from behind to beat the Aztecs?
I always feel a little sorry for Jimmy Clausen, who brought some of the hype (but not all of it ) on himself. I have a feeling that after this game, I'm going to feel a lot sorry for him.
HAIL TO THE TEMP'RY HEROES
24
FAIL, FAIL FOR OLD NOTRE DAME
17
FLORIDA ATLANTIC @ MICHIGAN STATE
I dunno. Do you?
Okay, actually, it's looking like Cal just might be a pretty good football team, and when the season is over, a seven-point loss to the Bears probably won't seem so bad. A lot of (myself included) thought Michigan State was the official Brightly Lit Dark Horse in the Big Ten and expected to Spartans to out-grizzle the Bears. That didn't happen, but MSU could still be a factor in the title chase.
As for this game, Florida Atlantic is not a gimme by any means, but the Spartans should find that their solid ground game will wear down the Owls, but it will take a while, so don't be surprised if this game is close through three.
WHO MUTED COACH'S MIC?
27
LIVE RINGER
41
MONTANA STATE @ MINNESOTA
Fresh off last week's "let's forget that ever happened" 69-10 sandblasting at Kansas State, the MSU Bobcats roll into Minneapolis to face a Minnesota team that has looked pretty good thus far, just like all those Glen Mason team that gorged on pastry in September, then went 2-6 in the conference. Oh, and those Mason teams didn't play defense, either. The Gophers have two more weeks of self-esteem building, which they will need before the Buckeyes drop 50 on them in Columbus on the 27th.
CRAIG KILBORN U
28
MAGINOT U
38
SOUTHERN ILLINOIS @ NORTHWESTERN
With Minnesota having beaten Northern Illinois in week 1, and the Illini beating Eastern Illinois last week, it's up to the Wildcats to help their conference win the Big Ten-Illinois Directional School Challenge. Too bad the rest of the conference was too bwauk-bwauk to schedule Western Illinois, huh?
Right. Game prediction. If Hampton's QB could toss for 400 yards against the Salukis last week, I think I like C.J. Bacher's chances of duplicating the feat.
YOU HAVE TO DRIVE PAST US TO GET TO MEMPHIS
14
YOU HAVE TO DRIVE PAST US TO GET TO LAKE FOREST
27
OHIO STATE @ SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
Oh, is that game this week? I had no idea.
The Buckeyes aren't as bad as they looked last week; Tressel's teams frequently play disappointing games against overlookable foes. Getting Beanie Wells back will mean a lot to this team, at least if he's at 100%, because I'm not sure 80% of Wells would make much difference. Because I don't think Wells will be at 100%, I anticipate that neither offense will dominate; in the end, I like USC to win the war of attrition and make the Buckeyes come up just short.
LAUGH IT UP, FUZZBALL
24
WE'LL PROBABLY LOSE TO WAZZU
28
PENN STATE @ SYRACUSE
Let (hd) / (OSU) = x.
Then, given (SU) < 0, (hd) / (SU) > x. Probably more like x^3.
WE SHOULD COME HERE MORE OFTEN
63
OOH, YEAH, ABOUT THAT ... BAD IDEA
6
OREGON @ PURDUE
Like I said last week, it usually takes until October for Purdue to get exposed. Thanks, Ducks!
PUT IT ON OUR BILL
43
THE DREAM IS OVER
26
WISCONSIN @ FRESNO STATE
I don't know why everybody is piling on poor Allan Evridge, like he's some sort of huge disappointment or something. He only passed for 308 yards last week with 65.4% accuracy, yet somehow everybody seems to think that "make Evridge win the game" is some sort of Kryptonite strategy for the Bulldogs. That's not to say it might not work, given that Fresno never fails to show up, and Bielema's Badgers usually struggle severely in their first road game. Let's not forget, however, that Badger tight end Travis Beckum may return in this game, and if he does, encouraging Bucky to pass may not be a smart thing to do. I still think Fresno holds serve here, but let's not go thinking the Badgers can only run the ball, mmmkay?
CHEESE
17
RAISINS
20
Next week's games!
Ball State @ Indiana: Hope you enjoyed being undefeated, Hoosiers
Iowa @ Pitt: A fight for reputation--the coaches, not the teams
Notre Dame @ Michigan State: Like the '66 game, except not like it at all
Florida Atlantic @ Minnesota: Just join the Big Ten and get it over with, FAU
Ohio @ Northwestern: Bobcats better not be looking ahead to VMI
Troy @ Ohio State: What kind of sick football karma is this, facing Trojans two weeks in a row?
Temple @ Penn State: Wait, this is sicker
Central Michigan @ Purdue: 2,186,744 yards of combined offense
