Saturday, November 19, 2011

Presto's Picks-- tournament time? Or bowl of confusion...

Every year I basically write the same thing. About how college football needs to decide its championship on a field instead of by voters and computers. Let the candidates decide their fate in the open! I've had 4-team, 8-team, 12-team and 16-team fields. And the band plays on. I've incorporated the bowls and gone to neutral sites. I've sent automatic qualifiers to different regions. I've made January 1st the day for the Final Four and the Elite Eight. And the band plays on. So I'll draw up my pretend bracket after this weekend's games and write about how a tournament actually makes November games meaningful for more than the top 5-7 teams... and how the lower level bowls really do nothing but reward mediocrity (yes, Syracuse-- I know last year's 7-5 mark deserved some celebration... but a trip to the Bronx and a Banner?). I watch the SEC self-perpetuate its perch atop the college football landscape while unbeatens like TCU and Boise State get the shaft. But the bowl band plays on.

Maryland (2-8) visits Wake Forest-- a team that needs a victory to wrap up a bowl berth. The Demon Deacons are led by Tanner Price-- who has a pair of wideouts (Chris Givens and Michael Campanaro) to stretch the field. The Terps' defense has had problems recently stopping anyone and everyone (40ppg in last five weeks). Offensively, what was a quarterback rotation is now simply CJ Brown and hold your breath-- walk-on Troy Jones and punt returner Tony Logan are the backups. Read that last sentence again. Terps tumble 44-27.

Virginia (7-3) turns to Tallahassee-- a place they've never won-- and needs to beat #23 Florida State in order to stay alive in the Coastal Division race. Perry Jones and Kevin Parks have powered the Cavalier ground game effectively this fall-- but haven't run into brick wall like the first in the ACC Seminole defense. Do you feel confident putting your Orange Bowl hopes in the hands of Michael Rocco? But if there's been one team that's been predictably unpredictable this fall- it's been Kippy and Buffy's alma mater. Cavs come up short 23-20.

Navy sinks San Jose State, Howard defeats Delaware State, James Madison falls at Massachusetts (they're not losing on Thanksgiving week), William & Mary beats Richmond.

Last Week: 6-1.
Overall: 59-25 (12-2 in closing month!)

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