Be cautious college football!!

Be Cautious Today College Football

In answering emails and blogging on my sites, I have been delayed in my weekly warnings to key college football teams. As I write this, it is almost 11am on a Saturday morning, knowing that in one hour the games begin…but who shall warn them of the dangers of today?

8 Big Ten teams play at noon, and there are some cautions I must share with you. It is imperative that someone warns Michigan State when they host Purdue. For the sake of the entire conference, it is actually a good thing if Michigan State wins because it creates a huge scenario when they play Penn State at the end of the regular season.

But I warn you Spartans, do not look past Purdue, who MUST win this game just to stay alive for post season. This team cannot even lose one more game, else they miss out on any hopes for a bowl…and we know that past history has not favored Michigan State well in the second half of a season. This is a game you must win Michigan State, but I warn you, don’t look past Purdue or you will lose and fall out the top 25.

What warnings can I give to Wisconsin? Were they not in the top 10 earlier this year, and yet now they are in dire straits. With 4 wins you must win 2 of the last 3 to qualify for a bowl. But the two teams you face have better records than you, even Indiana? How then can you promise us a victory and a bowl until you settle the matters at hand? I warn you, do not look at Indiana as a simple win, and do not look past them to the Minnesota game. Your post season has been challenged, and you dare not lose another game.

And what of the Big East teams, who have not been so big this year? I have been told by key sources that the Syracuse vs. Rutgers game will mark the demise of one or the other team this very day. For Syracuse, I send you warnings that should you lose this game to Rutgers, your post season is OVER. You must win 6 games to qualify, and your 2-6 record means you must win ALL your remaining games…starting with Rutgers. The only benefit you have is that of your remaining games, only Connecticut has been ranked…but what good is that if you cannot defeat the teams before you?

And do not laugh Rutgers, for your season also may be in ruin. Your 3-5 record is far below expectations, but you have a better chance to make the post season than Syracuse…if you win today. While Syracuse has no margin for error, yours is paper thin. Does that win over Morgan State count? If so then you must win 3 of the last 4 games…if not, you must win ALL four games. And yet, there is such hope, since you did defeat Connecticut AND Pittsburgh back to back…perhaps my warnings are not needed….

And who shall go to Lincoln, Nebraska to warn the Huskers of what may come? You need only one more win to qualify for a bowl, yet today you face Kansas, a team that has known the top 25 quite well. I have heard many rumors about your weak schedule from which you obtained your 5 victories, and yet when it was time to face true competition, you failed. Do not disappoint us Nebraska, for your entire university has been under the curse since you shamelessly booted out Frank Solich several years ago. Odd that you got rid of a good coach because you expected better…but have been living in the exact opposite of that expectation. Now you must earn your way to an average bowl as the elite teams of the Big 12 step over you. I warn you, look not over Kansas, for they too have aspirations….

Who wears the crown, and yet not feel the eyes staring upon that symbol of royalty? Alabama, I warn you, think not that your reign is without reproach, for now you must walk into the pits of Cajun Country and face LSU. For most of they year most believed that your ascension to the top was based only on defaults. We are quite aware of your glorious win over Georgia, but no other wins have impressed us. Some say you are a paper champion, a false king, and they mean to take advantage of that belief.

But what say you, LSU? Did we not believe that you were one of the top 3 teams in the nation, and you took off well by crushing Appalachian State at the beginning of the year? Were you not invincible? Yet now we must question your strength. Beating North Texas proves nothing, and the Auburn win has been swept under the rug. Losing to both Florida and Georgia tells us that you were not worthy of a top 10 ranking. You have lost much honor this year, and only this victory against #1 Alabama will revive your hopes. Which LSU will we see…the team we thought was great, or the team that clearly is not?

Be ye warned Florida State, you are not the ACC Champions yet. You welcome in a very troubled Clemson team, one who has lost their coach. A coach most familiar with your own…how then will emotions play?

For Clemson must now defeat South Carolina, Duke, Virginia and you to make this a decent season, and they do have comfort of losing a game or two. But what team will we see? The one that last 3 ACC games in a row, or the one who just recently defeated Boston College? A team fighting back, or a team fighting to stay alive?

But your troubles are your own, are they not? Do not try to hide from us the cheap wins over my beloved WCU cats and UTC. We are still not sure how great you really are, but we do know that you control your fate in the ACC. A very key game vs. Maryland may well decide if you will play in the ACC Championships, but if you look past Clemson, you will have disappointing results. Mind you, Wake Forest also has an advantage on you because they beat you earlier. You cannot afford another loss…you have been warned…

And speaking of Wake Forest, who then needs the greater warning: Wake Forest or Virginia, the team they must face? For I have seen the turnaround of this Virginia team, when once we all thought them to be failures. But now this same Virginia team must be reckoned with. Dare we even think that after such a terrible start, Virginia has a shot at the Coastal Division Champions, and thus play in the ACC Championship? With a win over Georgia Tech, and a loss to Miami, they are clearly in the mix. Should you defeat Virginia Tech, it may lock you in for the division leader. But your remaining games are not easy, with Wake Forest, Clemson and Virginia Tech. Nothing has been easy for anyone in the ACC, as you may find out today…take warning…

And as for you Wake Forest, where is the songs of triumph we sang with you earlier this year? How dare you BARELY defeat Duke in overtime, where is the greatness we almost crowned you with? I warn you, that 5-3 record may stay frozen on the winning side if you do not show us your true powers. We know Virginia is playing much better than earlier this year. We also know that a state rival in NC State is not a guaranteed win, even if the Wolfpack is doing bad this year. Where then will your victories come from? Boston College? Vanderbilt? Tell us how you plan to make the post season, after playing such a game against Duke? I warn you, step up your game, or the Vanderbilt game will be your LAST game of the year.

And finally, be warned Missouri. Only a few weeks ago we spoke of your leader as a Heisman candidate, and although he still is a great quarterback, much has been forgotten of your team because of the heavy South division of the Big 12. You must still fight to keep your North Division title hopes alive, but only to do what? Play Texas, or Texas Tech, or Oklahoma in the Big 12 Championship? It seems that greatness was not destined for you this year, for too many others are simply greater.

But be warned nevertheless, because Kansas State comes with great shame. Shame on you Kansas State and the wicked thoughts you bring to pass. Why hire a coach and not give him time to mature his team? When has Kansas State been on top of the Big 12 for you to think that your coach was supposed to put them there in only a couple of years? Has the wickedness of the Nebraska coaching decision filtered into your porous cranium? Has foolish thoughts of greed and pride taken hold of your senses? If so, then I warn you, losing by 40 points won’t be good enough for the likes of you.

And so it ends, my warnings for this week. With 15 minutes left to spare, no less. Oh well, let’s go enjoy another day of great college football!!!