Saturday's another exciting day of college football, and certainly, there are some games with a lot at stake for a lot of teams.
There’s no question there’s pressure on both N.C. State and Carolina.
This has been a tough week for the Pack. Losing to Akron was not what anyone thought, and going to Southern Mississippi won’t be easy.
Chuck Amato loves to argue with the media, and frankly, it’s not helping him much. Maybe he should let his team's play do more of the talking. And really, nobody likes to hear excuses, no matter what the endeavor.
I still think State has the talent to be a good team. Can the coaching staff mold that talent? Even with the great Philip Rivers, State lost five games his senior year, and since then, the loss total has been six, and then, five more last year. In the seventh year, this is not an upward trend. But there’s plenty of season left.
I think anybody who’s a Carolina fan knows the Tar Heels cannot lose at home to Furman. If they do, it will be a long ugly season; and John Bunting’s neck will be out there for just about anybody to chop.
Cameron Sexton, the red-shirt freshman from Laurinburg, gets the start at quarterback. Once he settled down, he looked decent against Virginia Tech. This should be a good game to see what he’s got. Joe Dailey’s an athlete, but he made poor decisions at Nebraska, and that’s continuing so far at UNC. And I am one of those who think a 1AA team should not beat a Carolina team. I know, I know, but that’s what I think.
Meanwhile, Duke gave it everything they had at Wake Forest. Now, the monstrous part of the schedule begins at Virginia Tech. Who the heck put together that schedule?
Anyway, here’s some selected picks for this week. Last week, I went 3 up and 2 down. Admittedly, I’m no Pam Saulsby, who’s kicking all of our behinds on Jeff’s Friday-night Pigskin Picks.
N.C. State over Southern Mississippi - I’ve had several people tell me I’m crazy and that I may be, but that’s my pick and I’m sticking with it.
Carolina over Furman - The Heels must not lose this game. Enough said.
Miami over Louisville - This should be a heck of game. If Miami loses this one, the new ACC is looking very stale.
Florida State over Clemson - Both teams are beat-up defensively. I give the edge to FSU at home, but not really sure why.
Tennessee over Florida - A huge game for both with the pressure on Tennessee and Philip Fulmer at home.
Notre Dame over Michigan - The two schools with the best fight songs, and this year, Notre Dame has the best team.
Auburn over LSU - Playing at home gives Auburn the edge. How about what West Virginia’s doing to Maryland? If the ACC had to expand, I wish they had taken West Virginia instead of Boston College. It would have made the ACC more compact -- and think of the rivalries!
Enjoy the games, and I hope your team wins.
