Sometimes You Just Need a Bye Week

Yes, I took last week off from writing.  After seeing Florida's/Driskel's performance against Missouri, I needed to join the Gators in having a bye week.  I'm pretty sure that game was not an actual football game.  It was something.  It was on a football field.  The participants wore football uniforms and had a football.  But that, my friends, was not football.  It certainly was not Gator football.  I needed an extra week to recover from it.

So things have been shaking up in the top 25, and I really don't know who's good this year.  TCU has a good offense, clearly.  Alabama looks like it's finally shaping up, but I wouldn't be surprised if they lose another game.  Mississippi State looks good.  Ole Miss will lose again.  Oregon...still suspect.  FSU is awful  Like really, really, really bad at football.  Louisville killed me last night.  They squandered every opportunity in that game.  Honestly, I've watched FSU and I've actually paid attention.  I'm SO sick of the media hyping the "undefeated defending national champions."  Umm, wake up.  FSU could easily be 3-5 right now if not for some bad calls and good luck.  Yes, I said 3-5.  Go back and watch the games vs Oklahoma State, Clemson, NC State, Notre Dame and of course Louisville.  Could have lost all of those.  And none of those teams are very good.  So it's pathetic that they could have lost all five.  But I'm supposed to believe FSU can contend for a national title this year? No chance.  Sure, go ahead...say I'm biased because I went to Florida.  Say my judgment is clouded because of the off-the-field issues.  But WHEN (notice I didn't say IF) FSU loses, I will say back to you, "I TOLD YOU SO."  Fun fact: Jameis Winston threw as many picks against Louisville as Geno Smith did against the Bills on Sunday.

So last weekend, one of my teams beat the other.  I was win-win for me.  But I'm hoping both Rutgers and Nebraska win this weekend.  I'm going to the Wisconsin-Rutgers game tomorrow, and I'd really like to rush the field after a Scarlet Knights' victory.

Nebraska will have no problem with Purdue.  I'll pick TCU to beat West Virginia.  I'll actually pick Kentucky to win at Missouri.  Mississippi State will definitely beat Arkansas (lock of the week).  Stanford will give it a good try, but Oregon wins this year.  I'm of course picking Illinois -- not because I think they're good, but just because I hate Ohio State.  I'll pick UCLA at home over Arizona and Arizona State at home over Utah.

But more important than all of these....GO GATORS!  TO HELL WITH GEORGIA!!!!

We've waited 5 years for this...

GO GATORS.  Big showdown in South Florida this weekend - but I'll get to that.

First, let me say that Oregon State, USF, Kansas State and Iowa are not good.  Let me add that Georgia and Ohio State, two teams I loathe, are seriously lacking on defense and it makes me oh-so-happy.

Nebraska, get your act together.  That was a pathetic win.  And Rutgers? You broke my heart. I know it was late and you wanted to go to bed....but next time just kick the PAT.

Gators...you did what you had to do to beat Toledo.  We still own the state of Ohio.  I wasn't necessarily impressed, but I didn't expect to be.  A smart team of coaches would hold something back for Miami and surprise them...so I'm hoping for a big win over that tropical depression.  Also, FAU didn't even look that bad against Miami.  I hope Miami wasn't holding much back - but we've all seen ACC defenses.  (I'm thinking Georgia should consider joining the ACC after that performance against Clemson.)

Now, there aren't too many fantastic games this weekend, so I'm pretty disappointed in the scheduling.  I mean, give me a break.  Ohio State/San Diego State is (where I live) on ABC at 3:30pm.  Umm, really? That's a more anticipated matchup than Florida-Miami?? Just because Ohio State is insanely overrated? Just another prime example of Big Ten bias.  Apparently putting a MEANINGLESS Michigan-Notre Dame game in primetime wasn't enough.  So now I have to watch the hungover Gators play at noon in the hot Miami sun.  I don't care if Miami is unranked in the AP poll and ranked last in the USA Today poll.  This is a rivalry game that is only played every 5 years, and well, it's just plain disrespectful to put it on the air that early.  Yeah, I get it, Miami is a thing of the past.  But the Gators are in the SEC! Not the always overrated Big Ten that hasn't won a championship since a questionable call more than a decade ago!

And with that mini rant, I give you some picks for this week:

Ohio State will beat SDSU - but not by as much as you think.  They will lose on the west coast next weekend.  I'm picking South Carolina over Georgia because a) I hate Georgia; b) I like Steve Spurrier; and c) Georgia has no defense, evidently.  I'll pick Notre Dame (coin flip) in a game I don't care about at all.  Oregon should slaughter Virginia.  Houston beats Temple.  Cincy beats Illinois  Rutgers beats Norfolk State.  Nebraska pulls it together and more impressively beats Southern Miss.

And come on.  You already know.

GATOR NATION, BABY.  Beat the Hurricanes.  Eat some ibis for brunch.  GO GATORS!!!