Student Body Right... Student Body Wrong...  

This was a tough week for me, as I consistently out-smarted myself. I made some really pertinent points in our preview of the games, and then I went against my own logic with my picks. In a lot of ways I think I was wrong because I got too caught up with the inertia, and was too resistent to change. College football is many times a game of inertia, teams build up winning streaks, and certain teams just have another team's number. So I figured that Miami still had an edge on Louisville, even though I knew the talent was on the Cardinals' side of the field. And I bought into the inertia of my inability to think about Notre Dame rationally, so I decided I'd stop thinking about them, and just go with the flow. Anyways, it's another Monday, and I've got another huge helping of crow on my plate, and plenty more excuses to follow.

I was right about:

Being concerned with Jamarcus Russel. His team needed a big game, and he failed to deliver. No matter how good your defense is (and his was phenomenal) you really need more than 3 points to win, especially on the road.

I was wrong about:

Michigan. They came to play, their talented skill position players showed up, as Hart, Henne and Manningham all had excellent games. The defense was solid, and opportunistic, and this team had the balls to just bury a team when they had the chance. They were ruthlessly efficient turning mistakes into points, and created plenty of mistakes.

I was right about:

Notre Dame. I know I picked them, ok. I know this. But I've also been telling anyone who will listen that this is on overrated bunch, that the hype machine is at full blast, and they still haven't proven anything. So far in his tenure Charlie Weiss has the same record Willingham had, and both were blown out by Michigan. I think Charlie is the better coach, but they really haven't shown me anything. Quinn was dreadful, Samardzija looked like he should stick to baseball, and their secondary, which looked like a serious weakness heading into the year, was abysmal. I am furious with myself for not picking the upset. I knew it was going to happen to a Big Ten school with offensive balance, I just bet on the wrong horse.

I was wrong about:

Louisville worrying about Miami. I knew the Cardinals had the talent, I just didn't think they'd get over the hump.

I was wrong about:

Miami's defense. They needed a huge preformance to have a shot, and they simply failed to deliver. The quarterbacks had too much time, the replacement backs ran solidly, and they made some huge plays in the passing game, which simply wasn't supposed to happen.

I was right about:

Petrino being as brilliant as Coker is terrible. In their last seven losses, Miami has been outscored 79-3 after halftime, and 21-0 on Saturday. What does Coker do during the break, while other teams are finding ways to win? Petrino proved that Louisville's best player is whoever is running his plays.

I was wrong about:

Miami being able to bring back the swagger. They tried, by stomping the Cardinal's logo at midfield, but they couldn't back that up, proving themselves to be nothing more than a paper tiger.

I was right about:

That 40-3 drubbing by LSU being a turning point for Hurricane's program, and not the good kind.

I was wrong about:

Tennessee. They may have lost, but they fought hard as hell, and showed some real guts even in defeat.

I was right about:

Erik Ainge. He reverted to form. While he might not have single-handedly lost that game, if he manages something better than 17/33 for 184 yards and 2 interceptions his team can probably overcome the single point defeat.

I was wrong about:

Florida St. I was just wrong. Another team that can't rely on its' history, it's athleticism, and it's swagger. They just got out-played, and their offense is downright putrid.

I was right about:

The Oklahoma-Oregon game. If not for the absolutely absurd call at the end, the final would have been 33-27, slightly off my predicted score of 31-27. Peterson was an absolute beast, with 34 carries for 211 yards. Credit to Jonathan Stewart, he was great, and Oregon made some plays, but the officials get the victory.

I was wrong about:

More scoring in LSU-Auburn. I mean, I knew the game would be a defensive showcase, and yet I convinced myself that these teams would find a way to score. They didn't. LSU did essentially shut down Irons, and Cox was nothing spectacular, although he didn't need to be, and a lot can be said for avoiding mistakes. I was even right that Russel wouldn't have enough to get it done. Really, I should have called the final 10-7 like I wanted to, and just have been done with it.

I was right about:

Nebraska-USC, sort of. Since Nebraska simply played not to get blown out, the final margin is somewhat deceiving. An alleged "west coast" offense, Nebraska consistently tried to pound the ball, bleed the clock, and get out with some semblence of "respect" in regards to the final score. Except that they made virtually no effort to actually win the game. Still, USC opened the big margin I predicted, except that Nebraska didn't bother trying to throw the ball to close the gap in the last minutes. Also, USC would have scored more if there had been any need, and if Nebraska hadn't been so determined to bleed the clock when they were in a huge hole. I'm taking credit for this one, dammit.

I was wrong about:

Oh, I probably shouldn't have called them the Michigan Wolver-choke-artists. Yeah, they shut me up. It's amazing what happens when you actually play up to your ability.