1. Central Florida vs Syracuse
This game has the makings of a classic. On one side, you have a Central Florida team that has struggled this season, but is coming off a big win over a ranked in-state rival in South Florida. They have played one of the hardest schedules in the NDL and are ready to take on a Syracuse team that is exceeding all expectations. Syracuse comes into this game 3-1, but his opponent's offenses are... lets just say they blow harder than Weasel on a Saturday night. This one should be close all game as Syracuse wants desparately to become a bowl team. That desparation will not pay off however as Central Florida should provide an offense with just too much fire power for the Syracuse defense. The Orange crowd should keep them in this game til the 4th but I look for Central Florida to pull away late.
Centra Florida 34 Syracuse 24
2. Western Kentucky at Middle Tenneessee State
Add a decent team who can't play defense with hopes of a Sun Belt crowd with a crappy team who is winning games who can't play defense and what do you get? Uuaww's first 100 point guarantee of the season. I reall don't see how these teams don't put up a century mark. They have both been playing great offense and mixing it with subpar defense. Add the fact that this game could potentially have big Sun Belt implications and you have a recipe for points. Wildes and Feisty have been turning some heads across the NDL, especially Wildes with his sheisty play calling at times. This one should come down to the wire.
Western Kentucky 48 Middle Tennessee State 54 (2OT)
3. Minnesota at Ohio State
Who would have thought that this would possibly be a bowl elimination game this early in the season. A loss for Minnesota here would put them at 5 on the season and for Ohio State, it would give them 4. The Buckeyes could still possibly be bowl bound, but is the Papa Johns Bowl really worth it for a team like Ohio State? He might as well just curl up in the corner as to avoid the humilation of getting pistol whipped by a Vandebilt coach who shows up to the game in drag. I mean, does the NCAA have no shame? allowing Papa Johns, who for the record, has shitty pizza, host a bowl game? What ever happened to naming bowl games after fruit and items, not companies. If you are going to name it after a company, why not Pink Taco? They failed in Arizona, trying to name the Cardinals stadium that, but a mid-level bowl? why not? You can't tell me that Florida State vs. Auburn in the Pink Taco Classic (it would get Classic status after 1 year) wouldn't draw a crowd. I put the over/under in muff flashes at 8 for the game. If this game was in Minnesota, I might go with the Gophers, however the home field advantage will push the Buckeyes to victory, and maybe out of the Papa Johns Bowl.
Minnesota 20 Ohio State 24
#10 Illinois vs Purdue
The Juice is gonna run lose on the lazy Canadian. First off, is their a team that represents Canada more than Purdue? A team that no one really expects to do much, maybe we just have some unrealistic expectations of them. Prime example was Curtis Painter last year, everyone expected him to maybe become step up and lead Purdue in the Big 10, and possible be a high NFL round draft pick, break the mold so to speak a la Quebec from Canada. Instead, he half-assed his senior season, and did nothing... just like Quebec does. Now I don't know where in Canada Nick is from, but it doesn't really matter since it is all the same. I digress but Illinois should have no problem dispatching Purdue, this one won't even be close.
Nick (left) getting stared down before getting beat down by Talented1 (right)
Illinois 42 Purdue 10
The Interception Challenge is just about over, Tim Tebow threw a pick in week 6 vs. LSU, but 5 weeks of survival might be enough for Tebow. The only other QB who is still alive is Kevin Riley of California. He has 3 games he needs to survive without an interception, but if he does it, he will beat Tebow. The problem is that those opponents are Memphis, Oregon and USC. It is unlikely that he will survive and as soon as he throws a pick, Tebow will be crowned
Who was flavorful this week? These owners.
8. Texas Christian- The Horned Toads are 3-0 on the season and looking to crack the Top 25 for the first time this season. Mtwasik has this team on the right path.
7. Arizona State- Arizona State is 4-0 on the season and is looking more and more as the cream of the Pac 10. Game vs. Cal later this season might decide the Pac 10.
6. Wyoming- Franky quietly has led the Cowboys to a 3-1 record on the season and with two favorable games against New Mexico and Arkansas State has them thinking a bowl game is a very likely possibility.
5. Florida State- Everyone knew the ACC was going to be brutal this year, but after Week 6, only the Seminoles are still undefeated at 3-0.
4. Akron- Another mid major who is having a great year. At 4-1 Drez must be thinking that a ranking and MAC championship could be within his grasp.
3. Houston- BCS Buster? that is what Ran Dawg is thinking after starting the season 4-0. Only games vs Central Florida and Utah seem like real threats.
2. Alabama- Don't look now but Alabama is 5-0. Can they survive the gauntlet of the SEC to set up a date in the SEC Championship vs. Florida and maybe a spot in the national championship?
1. Florida- Florida is 5-0. Can anyone stop BigMike?
This week the Bottom 10 is brought to by Coldplay. Tulane's victory over Louisiana Tech earns them a week off of the Bottom 10. Three WAC teams anchor the Bottom 10 this week with a great Bottom 10 elimination game features winless teams San Jose State and Fresno State. The loser of that one should take over the #1 spot from UL- Monroe.
10. San Jose State (0-3)- Don't Panic: The Spartans may be 0-3 but two of those losses cam against top 25 teams so there is no need to panic in the Silicon Valley, conference play is coming.
9. North Texas (0-4)- What If: What if North Texas had won one of their close games this season? would this season have taken a different path?
8. Fresno State (0-4)- Clocks: Fresno State must want to turn back the clock on their team to better days when just a few years ago they nearly upset Reggie Bush and the USC Trojans.
7. Duke (0-3)-2000 Miles: Dray has to deal with the brutal ACC, moving 2000 miles away to another conference may be the answer.
6. Indiana (0-4)- Violet Hill: The Hoosiers travel to the purple stadium of Northwestern this year to play a 1-4 Wildcats team that may be their best chance at a win this season.
5. Nebraska's non-conference schedule- Yellow: Was Sammy yellow bellied when scheduling? Central Michigan, Temple, San Jose State and Wake Forest are his opponents.
4. Missouri (0-5)-Fix You: Some one needs to fix this Missouri team that is too good to be 0-5.
3. Louisiana Tech (0-4)- Talk: Maybe just talking about his problems with fellow Bottom 10 dwellers will help him figure out what has gone wrong this season.
2. Temple (0-4)- Trouble: Being in the Bottom 10 in both total offense and defense doesn't look good for the Owls. They are in a whole heap of trouble.
1. UL-Monroe (0-5)- Lost: This team has looked lost all season, they must be missing their usual bottom 10 mate in UL- Lafayette who now has 3 wins.
Apologize to: Navy's failure to play, Iowa State, New Mexico, Washington State, Memphis and Uuaww's meltdown.
I understand that some NDL owners are busy with familes, jobs, smoking, etc. But shouldn't timeliness of getting games played be a factor? I understand if you have troubles every now and then but if you consistantly are 4-5 weeks behind, shouldn't you be penalized? 6 weeks have passed in the season and their are a handful of teams who have only played 1 game or so. I know getting two owners to get together to play can be hard, but some of these one game owners are always online... Now they may have some fancy excuse but fact of the matter is, getting your games played in a reasonable timeframe should be a factor in the 40-40-20. Just bitch slapping an owner 5 points for being lazy should get a few of them in gear to actually play on time. And if not, relegate them to Utah State. Their is no reason a top tier team shouldn't have at least 3 games played at this point. It screws up the polls, it screws up the NDL:ESPN, and it annoys and pisses off owners. It shouldn't be hard to find 2 hours a week to play, get it together and play your games.
I know that some owners like to pad their schedules to make them BCS contenders, just like in real life, but Nebraska took it to a whole new level. His opponents are a combined 1-14. He avoids Texas this season and his non-conference schedule features the likes of San Jose State, Central Michigan, and Temple. He finishes up the season with Wake Forest. Now, Missouri being 0-4 isn't his fault but man up and grow a pair. That is one of the weakest non-conference schedules I have seen in the NDL. Not only that, but NDL voters have decided that he is the #7 team! Do people even look at the opponents when they vote? It is not like we make it hard for you, it is right there! Granted I am sure a few NDL owners legitimately think Central Michigan is a quality team (probably southerners), but Temple and San Jose State? come on. How bout we had SOS next to the teams when we do the rankings. I personally don't know who is better between a pair of 4-0 teams. Some teams who are good in real life suck in the NDL and vice versa. We need something more than team names to go by. Luckily for us, Nebraska draws a ranked Texas Tech team this week. I am pretty sure the Red Raiders will expose the Cornhuskers for the team they really are.
