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

I was right about Wake Forest. True I thought they might score a few more points but they beat Georgia Tech just how I thought they would: great defense, a couple big plays, and huge helping of ineptness by Reggie Ball. More specifically, I was right about:

• Willie Idlette - He may not have the numbers but he was huge against the Yellow Jackets recording 73 yards recieving (including a 45 yarder) and 35 yards rushing. This guy can play.
• Reggie Ball - This guy cannot play. 9 for 29 passing and 2 INT. I don't understand how a major college quarterback can start for 4 years and still be this inept throwing the ball.
  
• Riley Skinner - This kid is quickly becoming a 323 favorite. He may not be blessed with all the prototype NFL skills, but he is a great competitor and wills his team to victors. And 14/25 and 200+ yards isn't too shabby.

I was wrong to not acknowledge Wake Forest MLB John Abbate. In addition to being the emotional leader of the Deacons defense, Abbate is also their best player, recording 15 tackles against Tech. This guy may not have NFL measurables but someone is going to get themselves one hell of a player.


I was right about UCLA. I didn't think they'd win but their defense proved to be as stingy as advertised. The Bruins completely shut down the USC running game (29 carries for 55 yards), and Booty was unable to win the game by himself. There was just so much in this game indicating that it'd be closer than expected (rivalry game, letdown game) but even I didn't think the Bruins could pull it out.

I was wrong about Notre Dame. They aren't just terrible on defense, they are downright pathetic. After watching the same USC offense that torched Notre Dame two weeks ago get absolutely shut down by a good (not great) UCLA defense, it is incredibly apparent that the Irish just stink. Seriously, LSU might score 50 on them.


I was right about Oregon State. They played a solid game in upsetting Hawaii on the island, something that is not easy to do. But while we are talking about Oregon State I think it's worth noting that they, and they alone, have really been the only Pac-10 team that didn't underachieve this season. In the preseason, the Pac-10 appeared to be almost as deep as the SEC. While Oregon State has been better than advertised, the following teams performed far worse than what was expected of them:

• California - 9-3 record and barely in the top 25 won't do it for a team that was supposed to challenge USC.
• USC - Losses to unranked Oregon State and UCLA have to be considered a surprise.
• Oregon - They are 7-5 and, frankly, might be the least inspiring 7-5 team of all time.
• Arizona State - They salvaged their season by going 7-5 but they looked totally disinterested at times this year.
• Arizona - 6-6 is a step up, but this team didn't get invited to a bowl and hasn't made the leap under Mike Stoops yet.

I was wrong about Florida. I think it might be mea culpa time. While I still don't view them as a championship caliber team, they did show me something against Arkansas. Further, I've been criticizing them for being soft all season. They have proved that this isn't entirely true. While Chris Leak is, and always will be, SOFT, it's not fair to impute his characteristics onto the entire team. Guys like Percy Harvin, Dallas Baker, Billy Latsko, and that entire defense are true football players. Urban Meyer has done a great job this year and I will be rooting for them in Glendale.


I was right about UMass. The Minuteman duo of Liam Coen (231 yards, 2 TD) and Stephen Baylark (198 yards, 1 TD) far outplayed their more ballyhooed counterparts Ricky Santos (129 yards, 1 TD) and David Ball (54 yards, 0 TD). The UMass defense played great, and while Coen and Baylark are special players, it is the D-Men that have carried this team all season.

I was wrong about West Virginia.....kind of. I never would have picked them had I known Pat White woudn't play. Still, they deserve a lot of credit. Rutgers was playing for everything (a Big East crown, a BCS birth) while WVU had every reason not to show up (no chance at the BCS, injured star QB). Still, the Mountaineers rose the challenge, barely, and won an important game. Coach Rodriguez will no doubt use this win as a stepping stone for a championship run in the coming seasons.