quick. need to make cats picks.

last year, i picked 7-5. missing on wisconsin, purdue, and hawaii. that was pretty good, i guess.

this year...
game-by-game (wins in bold):
9/3 v. Ohio
9/10 v. Northern Illinois (hyped as "The best college football team in Illinois!", in comcast ads)
9/17 @ Arizona State - Too much downfield passing
9/24 v. Penn State - Too much 'D'
10/8 v. Wisconsin - Coming off a bye week, and they're not that good
10/15, @ Purdue - Kirsch sucks
10/22, @ Michigan State - Stanton sucks
10/29, v. Michigan - God, they're so good.
11/5, v. Iowa - A reckless and stupid pick. They don't have a D-Line, but their two LBs can run to the ball all day. I think their offense is a question, and yet they're consensus top ten. Tate and a cast of nobodies, although Ferentz is fringe-genius. Call it payback for '00.
11/12, @ Ohio State
11/19, @ Illinois - Zook actually does suck.

Ugh. I've predicted a 4-7, 3-5 finish, which is not what i'd hope for.

And yet, not looking at the depth charts...

This season seems to be turmoil-full already. Howard leaving. The Wheeler settlement. The mysterious T-Jordan. Don't like it.

Also, I don't like the thought of relying on a pair of tailbacks (Hunter/Roberson) with no real game experience. Last frosh RB? Anderson, in 1999. (3-8, right?)

The O-line is so thin, after losing Ike and Ulrich and Rees and the other guy.

The only chance for the offense to be good is for Brett to be out-of-his-mind, and for Philmore to become one of the conference's top five. He's electrifying, I think.

Defensively, Clark was so silent and so underappreciated. He'll be missed. I think Cofield's a star in the making. I think he'll emerge.

The linebacking group has three stars. Roach is my favorite, McGarigle is the best. NFL-worthy? Maybe.

DBs suck. Ward's gone, but they still suck. I love Deante Battle's name, however. Maybe McPherson plays well. Heinz is gone, and Henderson (HHHH) sucks.

I know nothing about the Kicking/Return games. Howells? Pederson?

I was good enough to finish 8-0 in conference in the video game.

- - - - - -

However, my bar-watching experience - my first live opener since 2001 - will be augmented by nemo. NIU-Michigan? Who cares! I'm watching the Cats on ESPNU! Woof.