I've gone on record saying that while September is traditionally "Show Me Month" in College Football, October is "Moving Month"-- teams get in position for their November closing runs on bowl bids or conference/national titles. Well this September has shown me a lot-- in fact a little too much. While we've established ceilings and floors for just about everybody in Division I...the over and under scheduling delays the delineation of the middle of the pack. Just how good or bad are these teams? Case in point being Clemson. The Tigers beat North Texas yet fell at #10 Auburn... one could think of 105 Division I schools who would do the same thing. Be ready for a confounding and wide-open first full month of conference play.
Alma Mater Update-- Syracuse has the weekend off after a strenuous September that included wins over Akron, Maine and Colgate...and a 21 point loss at Washington. So no road wins or home losses leaves the Orange a mystery at the moment-- with the road to redemption heading to Tampa next weekend for the team's Big East opener with South Florida. Fire up the wings and save me a seat.
Maryland vs Duke-- Not the same feel on the gridiron that one gets for hoops. The Terps have had more than their share of problems on third down... ranking last in the league in moving the chains and getting off the field. Duke's defense has allowed 44.5 points a game-- but only 39 a contest when you take out the loss to #1 Alabama. The Blue Devils run out of the "Pistol Formation" and lead the ACC in passing yardage. Expect plenty of pistols and points... with the Terps triumphing 37-31.
Virginia faces Florida State-- two first year coaches with massively different expectations... while Jimbo Fisher is charged with returning the Seminoles to past glories (a run like none other in college football), Mike London is building with hopes of reaching six wins and a bowl. The Seminoles, with the exception of getting crushed at #8 Oklahoma, have looked very good this fall. Somehow the brie and chardonnay will go state against a much better team. Cavaliers crumble, 38-14.
Virginia Tech vs #23 North Carolina State-- hard to believe it's the Wolfpack standing as the last unbeaten in the ACC. Or is it? Tom O'Brien is a fine coach whose recruiting pool is much greater than when he led Boston College... and NC State has been a solid if not spectacular football school over the years. But this is Blacksburg. And it's time for Beamerball (please? just one block or return?)--I think. Time to re-assert oneself against the upstarts. Hokies triumph, 20-16.
Elsewhere--Navy grounds Air Force, Howard tops Lincoln, Georgetown over Colgate while
James Madison defeats Delaware.
Last Week: 5-0. Overall: 16-5.
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