Uggggh!

Well at least I have my health. After posting a 0-5 record for picks yesterday, I have lost a great deal of pride. Right now I feel like James Patton, the offensive line coach for Oklahoma. We both feel crummy this morning, but can turn things around in the future with some hard work. I get back on the horse Monday with Cincinnati against Rutgers in a game that I am attending. Perhaps a live appearance can change my fortunes.
At least my picks were for fun. The ACC has to live with their play all season. Already considered a weak sister to conferences like the SEC, the ACC did nothing this week to suggest that those opinions need to be changed. Four conference members took on opponents from BCS conferences and all four lost. Virginia Tech had the marquee appearance and hung around with Alabama thanks to some big plays. But, the Hokies were clearly the weaker team and began to get pushed around by the Tide in the 4th quarter. Maryland really had no chance against a team, California, that has national title aspirations. The Terps had to fly cross-country to take on a team with more talent that was pissed off about their loss when these teams played last season. North Carolina State and Wake Forest laid eggs in contests that they played at home against beatable opponents. The Wolfpack offense got pounded into submission by South Carolina, while the Deamon Deacons surely missed linebacker Aaron Curry and the other three defenders drafted off their 2008 team while chasing Baylor quarterback Robert Griffin.
Making matters worse for the conference were the losses suffered by lesser lights Virginia and Duke against two members of the Colonial Conference, William & Mary and Richmond respectively. Losing to defending FCS national champion Richmond is not something to be too embarassed by, but the fact that two members of a lesser regional conference beat ACC teams is not a good thing.
On Monday an ACC team has to beat someone from a big conference as Miami and Florida State tussle in Tallahassee. The conference does need an exciting game and not one of the offensively-challenged match-ups we have seen from them of late.
Having one of their better days in recent memory were the now three-team collection of independents playing major college football. Notre Dame happily took advantage of Nevada's suspect secondary in beating the Wolfpack 35-0. Navy came within a whisker of stunning Ohio State on the road as the Buckeyes clearly had their eyes on Southern Cal next weekend. And finally, Army picked up a nice road win over Eastern Michigan as the Cadets seemed to have easliy picked up new coach Rich Ellerson's triple option offense.