A conversation on the 2015-16 NFC North

We're nearing the end of the off season. Previously we've discussed the following divisions: AFC East, NFC East, AFC West, NFC West, AFC South, and NFC South. What  follows from here is a look at the NFC North:

Is that you, Teddy Bridgewater? I hardly recognized you in your state of Kafkaesque turmoil.

Minnesota Vikings

A conversation about the 2015-16 AFC South

The following discussion previews the AFC South.  Earlier previews include: AFC East, AFC West, NFC East, NFC West. 

"Seriously? The same helmet every week?!"

Tennessee Titans

A conversation about the 2015-16 AFC West

Mike Langston and Bryan Harvey discuss the AFC West:

"So Peyton's looking a little slow, maybe a little fat, right guys?"

ODU Basketball, A Year On The Bubble

Michael Langston reflects on they physics of ODU's basketball season and looks forward to the Monarchs' upcoming appearance in the NIT:

The Old Dominion Monarchs, the basketball team of my alma mater, will play Charleston Southern Wednesday in the NIT. They earned that bid by being named one of the first four out by the committee on Selection Sunday. So begins a season's denouement.

2014 College Football Playoff: National Championship Game

Ohio State v Oregon @ 8:30 on ESPN

Mike Langston: The first national championship game brings something new.

Bryan Harvey: You sound like Abe Lincoln at Gettysburg.

2014 NFL Playoffs: Saturday's Divisional Round

The following is a conversation previewing the 2014 Divisional match-ups (a discussion of Sunday's games can be found here):


Baltimore v New England @ 4:35 on NBC

The New England Patriots haven't been the same since George W. Bush left office.

2014 NFL Playoffs: Sunday's Wild-Card Round

And now on to Sunday's 2014 NFL Wild-Card games:

Cincinnati Bengals v Indianapolis Colts @ 1:05 on CBS

When will Andy Dalton do the smart thing and change his name to something cool like Boomer?

Michael Langston: When these two teams take the field Sunday afternoon, guess what stat broadcasters will mention time and time again during the playoffs.

2014 NFL Playoffs: Saturday's Wild-Card Round

The following is a conversation previewing the 2014 Wild-Card match-ups (a preview of Sunday's games can be found here): 

Arizona Cardinals v Carolina Panthers @ 4:35 on ESPN

Cam is either revealing the 'S' on his chest or doing the chicken dance.

Mike Langston: Five weeks ago the Panthers were 3-8-1. Now, they are hosting a playoff game. Are they hot? Or, are they the benefactors of a perfectly timed resurrection or a perfectly weak finish to the schedule?

Bryan Harvey: Hm, sounds a bit like divine intervention. That eighth loss, which was a 18 point humiliation against the Vikings, was the team's sixth loss in a row. Then, they beat the Saints, only to have Cam Newton's back fractured two days later. So not only were the Panthers 3-8-1 about five weeks ago, but the day after improving to a still dead 4-8-1, their franchise quarterback also seemed in need of a miracle.

I'm not trying to make light of a car accident, but this is what the script would look like if M. Night Shyamalan made a film about football. Maybe he could call it Indestructible and it could be about an invincible Superman.

Moreover, Carson Palmer could play a quarterback named Mr. Fragile. I guess what I'm trying to say is that if we're to believe the team's been resurrected, then we have to believe in M. Night Shyamalan's genius too.

The Most Popular LCB Articles of 2014

Popular may be a bit of an overstatement, but here they are (and, as always, thanks for reading):

Any New Year's Resolutions this year? Um, to stay away from simplistic binaries.

15. Fresh off the World Cup, Brendan Brody wrote about how "Soccer is Addicting as Hell."

SEC Week 14

Rivalry week is here. Well, it actually started on Thursday with LSU beating Texas A&M and continued yesterday with Arkansas losing to the new power from the East, Mizzou. But anyways, let's start with the SEC-ACC Challenge and make our way to the two games everyone is waiting for.

South Carolina v Clemson

The Gamecocks try to extend their streak to six over the Tigers in (the other) Death Valley against the top rated defense in the country. Deshaun Watson is back for the best ACC team outside of Florida, making this a much tougher game for SC. Take the home team by 10.

Georgia Tech v Georgia

The combined 18-4 record for the schools is the best in this series since 1966. This clean, old fashioned hate game has changed quite a bit since Dooley and Dodd were patrolling the sidelines, but the hate remains. GT's option offense has been unstoppable, but UGA has been playing its best ball of the season. And though they won't have their bell cow, Todd Gurley, handling the rock, Nick Chubb is about as good of a back as you can ask for. I like the Dawgs by 7. And you should too; last season a 20 point lead wasn't enough for GT to win this game.

Kentucky v Louisville

Since basketball season has started, UK's defense has given up 56 points per game. Calipari's team has only given up more than 56 points once this season in their 6 wins. The Cats faithful have moved on to basketball season, and, apparently, so too has their defense. Louisville wins easily.

Florida v Florida State

Everyone is rooting for Muschamp and his Gators to win this, right? But what's more likely: the Seminoles go through the motions for the first 3 1/2 quarters to wake up and win on their final drive. FSU by 3.

Tennessee v Vanderbilt

All week long Derek Mason, the Commodore head coach, has refused to say Tennessee. Instead, he continually refers to them as the "Team out East". This isn't Michigan-Ohio State, Derek. And you don't have a chance in this one. Tennessee will remind Vandy and all their fans of their place in the state. They don't call it the Volunteer state for nothing. Vols by a lot.

Mississippi State v Ole Miss

Just a few weeks ago this seemed like it would decide the SEC Championship. Now that the Bulldogs need an Auburn win to get in and the Rebels are reeling (losing three straight in the SEC), the Egg Bowl has lost a little luster. Still, this is the most important one in a long time and is a must watch game. I like State to win, but I think the Rebs remind us why they were ranked third at one point. State by 3.

Auburn v Alabama
This game has the chance to be either dismal or amazing. If the Iron Bowl is as good as last year's, the edge goes to Auburn. In their two wins over the last four games in the series, they've won by 1 and 6 points respectively. If the game is a blowout, it means Bama wins handily. In their two wins over the last four games in the series, they've won by 49 and 28 respectively. I'll give the edge to the Crimson Tide. While they aren't as dominant as Tide teams of recent memory, their defense is still the best in the country. They are stout enough to allow their offense time to find a groove. Something I'm not sure the Tigers will be able to do. They will need to be at the top of their game to win this and maybe have a miracle or two to extend their Iron Bowl streak to two. Alabama by 13.

SEC Week 12 Preview

Two weeks ago, there was a chance that this weekend would be loaded with SEC games that would help decide the final four for CFP. Georgia was struck down by a mix of a dumb rule and blunt honesty from the best skill player in the country. The Dawgs [sans Gurley] looked like many on Frat Beach at the World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party, aimless and flustered.* Auburn got jumped all over, made one of the best comebacks we will see all year and fumbled it away. Twice. That leaves us with what will probably be the best game all season, which we will get to shortly. However, there are other games with varying levels of importance that we must talk about first.

South Carolina v Florida
Why is this game listed first? To me, it's the most interesting game of the week outside of Tuscaloosa. The gamecocks have NFL talent and are terribly mediocre. It's as if Steve Spurrier died and Al Groh is just Weekend at Bernies-ing the old ball coach. Groh would totally luck into Mike Bobo forgetting he had Todd Gurley and then lose to Kentucky.

As for the Gators, they are at full Muschamp. If you watched taped games of the 2014 Gators, one would assume they were all from different coaching eras. Zook against UK (3 OT win, making the easy one look really hard), Spurrier versus the Vols (who else enjoys beating them more?) and Urban versus the Dawgs. What era will we see against South Carolina? Doug Dickey? Maybe more Zook? Let's go with Spurrier. UF 24, USC 10.

Kentucky v Tennessee
The two worst defenses in the SEC, outside of Nashville, face-off in must wins for both teams. Tennessee needs to win two of its' last three games to gain bowl eligibility. One of those games is versus Missouri. That's not one they can really bank on winning. Kentucky has five wins and two games left, UT and Louisville. While the Cardinals should be weaker with their QB out with an injury, they should have no issue beating their in-state rival. Both teams need this game. However, only one has Josh Dobbs and only one has given up 169 points in the last four games. The latter is Kentucky, the former will be the victor. UT 42, UK 35.

Missouri v Texas A&M
The (other, other) Tigers have the easiest schedule in the SEC this year. They get to play in the weakest SEC East in decades and this is their first game against the west (there other being against Arkansas). Had they not blown a game against Indiana, they would still have a shot at the CFP. Despite getting their doors blown off by UGA and by all statistical measures being a fairly average team. Now, in November, they finally venture west. Against a team who cannot pass against a zone. And a defense who has given up an average of 46.4 points to teams with a pulse ranked teams. Mizzou has a pulse but they shouldn't be anywhere near the top 25. A&M should continue to surprise, despite the bad defense and Kenny Trill's inability to read the defense. This loss will put the SEC race back into Georgia's hands. And with Gurley back, they may just spoil the SEC's chances at their ninth straight trip to the title game and an eighth title in nine years. A&M 48, Mizzou 24

LSU v Arkansas
The Hogs haven't won an SEC game since October 13, 2012, when they beat Kentucky 49 to 7 under John L. Smith. They won two SEC games that season. Meaning, they've gone 2-17 since Bobby Petrino crashed his motorcycle. And while the Hogs are only winless in the league because of the division it plays in, this isn't the weekend where that streak ends. LSU is just too good for the Hogs and Mizzou will be the streak ender. LSU 24, Ark 14.

Auburn v Georgia
As I mentioned earlier, the Tigers are recovering from an absolutely brutal loss. One they managed to fumble away, not once but twice. Georgia on the otherhand is celebrating the return of their best player since Herschel Walker. I like Georgia to win this border war. Afterall, they already blew their shot at a national championship. This is when Richt's teams play their best. UGA 38, AU 35

Mississippi State v Alabama
The SEC needs Alabama need to win this game, both teams to win out and TCU or Baylor to drop a game. It's their only chance of having two teams in the CFP, something the SEC West deserves by just being head-and-shoulders better than everyone else. However, what will likely happen. Alabama loses this weekend,knocking them out of the race. Mississippi State loses to Ole Miss in the Egg Bowl and then lets Todd Gurley run all over them in Atlanta. The SEC would be a victim of its' own awesomeness, cannibalizing itself out of the final four.

Given that grim outlook, I really have no idea what will happen in this game. Alabama has been very hard to read this season. Last week, they waited almost four quarters to decide to play offense against LSU. And if not for a terrible kick-off, they'd be out of the CFP race. Against A&M, they made us all wonder how they ever lost. Eviscerating the Aggies in every facet of the game and making them look more like an FCS squad than a top 25 team. Now, I'm not sure if Kiffin has a little bit of Bobo in him or if Saban really is tempering the offense. But the play-calling seems to avoid the best receiver in football for extended periods of the game. That's a total Bobo move. Get Cooper the GD ball and watch the Tide roll.

As for Mississippi State, at times they seem to be destined for greatness. And others, they seem to be the same old team who sat at the bottom of the SEC almost annually. But they have something Bama doesn't. And it'll sound very cliche but I'm not sure there is any other way to explain it. They have a quarterback in Dak Prescott who just seems to want it more than everyone else. He's got that same aura that Cam Newton and Tim Tebow had before him. With a defense as good as the Bulldogs', you cannot give Dak a chance to win a game. After watching that gif, I'll take the cowbells. MSU 17, Bama 13.

*We [non-Gator fans] should all be thankful for this loss by the Dawgs. That game should all but guarantee Muschamp is back as the head coach in the Swamp next season. That's a win for everyone.

SEC Week 5 Preview

We're still a week away from a really good SEC slate. But SEC football is still better than any alternative*.

SEC Week 4 Preview

The lone good game of this week's SEC slate was played on Thursday in Manhattan, Kansas. Since my procrastination doesn't have classwork to delay me any longer, it has manifested itself in through my yardwork. The last thing I want to do on a Saturday in the fall is yardwork. After all, the grass and weeds will all be dying soon anyway. That is, unless my neighbor mows his lawn. Then I am obligated, driven by guilt and shame, to mow the yard and pull the weeds. Anyways, due to my procrastination all we have left is a yawn-inducing week of SEC football. Which is weird, because it's the third Saturday of September and the Gators aren't playing Tennessee. Thanks, Obama!* Anyhow, let's get to the games.

Flora-Bama
The Gators continue their Muschamp Goodbye Tour this week in Tuscaloosa. It might be a decent game. But this battle for the panhandle could also get ugly. This same Gator team allowed the Cats to rack up 30 points, 450 total yards and 369 passing yards. Sure, they were okay against the run but that's only because Kentucky didn't have to run to score. The Cats threw three interceptions and the Gators still needed three over-times to put them over the top. Now, every team is capable of having a bad week. But I'm betting it's more of a sign of how Florida is still down and last season was no aberration. They'll need a flawless game this week to beat Alabama, whether it's Blake Sims or Jacob Coker throwing the rock. Alabama 35, Florida 17.

Dogs-Tigers
Dan Mullen has turned Mississippi State into a pretty good squad. They are no longer the pushover where SEC foes automatically penciled in a win when they showed up on the schedule. However, they aren't quite there yet and I'm not sure they'll ever get to the point where you will have to question whether or not they can beat LSU in Death Valley. LSU 27, Mississippi State 14.

Cocks-Dores
There is one final SEC match-up this week and it's merely filler. USC makes the trip to Nashville to play Vandy. No one expected the 'Dores post-Franklin would go into such a quick decline. Whether their backslide was caused by Franklin leaving the cupboard bare or they were winning almost single-handedly fueled by his charisma, it's arbitrary and meaningless at this point. The only thing that matters is the Dores are no longer a threat and the Gamecocks should blow their doors off. USC 42, VU 10.

As for the rest of the SEC, see the gifs below. The SEC brings the funk, and the fury.

It's morphin time!

*Actually, the move to 14 teams ruined any sense of history or rivalries. But hey, at least Vandy sucks again. /shrugs

SEC Week 2 Preview

The annual SEC-G5 challenge is nigh. It's a pretty boring week for games in the land of team speed, pretty much unworthy of predictions. But while I'm here, I might as well give a quick glance at the Vols and the other two games that are worth keeping an eye on:

Word is out on Boris Diaw's New Film: 'Low Post by High Post'

The master director on set.

Word is out that Boris Diaw's new film project will be titled Low Post by High Post, but if that sounds like just another feeble attempt to adapt another work by Alfred Hitchcock for contemporary audiences, it isn't. While the official cast list has yet to be released, LCB expects Tim Duncan to play the leading role, with Tiago Splitter or even Kawhi Leonard (as long as their off season schedules don't conflict) slated to play opposite him in what should be a thrilling suspense ride like no other. For more on Diaw's career as a director visit ESPN/TrueHoop's BallerBall.

In the Time of Volunteers: Ignoring the Shadow of Bruce

In mid-February, Tennessee fans were lamenting a lost season for the Vols. A birth in the NIT seemed to be a certainty. As idiotic as it may seem, friends of mine and fellow Vol fans openly called for the re-hiring of Bruce Pearl. Then the Vols went on a run. They went from bubble team to a tournament lock.

They got under-seeded as an 11 seed, put in a play-in game. I texted friends reminding them that the play-in game helped propel VCU to a Final Four. And though I projected optimism, I secretly had them losing to Duke in the third round of my bracket.

Then they shocked Iowa in OT. They followed that up by destroying UMass and Mercer. They were in the Sweet 16 with a favorable match-up against the Michigan Wolverines. The pessimism felt in Vol country in mid-February was quickly forgotten and replaced with unbridled enthusiasm. Bruce Pearl wasn’t coming back and no [sane] Vol fans wanted him back, any more.

On Friday night, I went to dinner with my parents. We got sushi. It took 20 minutes of waiting for them to put the game on. It wasn’t in HD. Thanks to the circa-1989 quality picture, I couldn’t tell what the score was. I got out my phone, looked at the score and quickly realized the Vols were in a drought and on the wrong end of a loss. It started raining.

Tennessee couldn’t hit anything. We all agreed that they would play better if we watched at home. At half-time, we raced home. We beat half-time home. My dad remarks that he thinks it’s over. I tell him it’s a game of runs. I’m not sure I believe it when I say it but “Tennessee has another one left in them”.

We turned on the game, my dogs barked with joy in our reappearance. I gave them a treat and hoped they could wait until the end of the game for a walk. Tennessee starts a couple runs. They get derailed by Michigan threes. My dad says “it’s tough, still don’t see it”.

Then a real run. I’m not sure what happens but it’s like Jordan McRae finally realized he’s the best player on the court. He steals the ball, sets up a nice Jarnell Stokes dunk then goes on a 5 point run almost all by himself. Tennessee is within 5 points. My dad is beginning to believe.

Then a Tennessee turnover. All hope is beginning to leave all of us. I wonder where Chris Lofton is. Michigan has a chance to put the game away. Turnover. Hope and a timeout. Google Chris Lofton. Europe. Tennessee responds with a dumb three, miss. Hope is really low. Then Michigan turns it over again. Everything that can go wrong for Michigan, is. Josh Richardson takes advantage, makes a great move and lay-up. Tennessee is down 3. Hope is renewed but still low. They haven’t fouled enough, only 3 second-half team fouls. Jordan McRae scores. Tennessee is down 1. But with 10 seconds left and two fouls to give before the bonus, hope is low. Michigan inexplicably steps out-of-bounds on the inbound. Tennessee is going to win.

There is no way they don’t.

Then, the refs.

Jarnell Stokes receives the inbounds pass, he spins and the Michigan defender falls before any contact. Ref whistle. It’s a block. Stokes to the line… Nope. It’s a charge. 2 fouls, 2 Stauskas free throws and a full-court heave later, the game is over and Tennessee’s remarkable comeback falls short.

We’re flustered. Wondering how a ref can insert themselves in a game that late on a fifty-fifty call. Then my dad says “They should be proud. They never gave up. When everyone [including their biggest fans] thought all was lost, they found a way to claw back in. No shame in that.” And while he didn’t know it, that is about the best way to explain the 2014 season, one of the best in Tennessee history. Well done. Cuonzo.

Mike Langston can be followed @LangstonLCB.

Writing at BallerBall

What happened to all the sports talk?

LCB Picks: SEC & VA Games of the Week

SEC
(3) USC v (9) LSU @ 8:00 on :
LSU is still over-ranked. They have good weapons on offense, a stout defense but horrible leadership at QB. Until that changes, the Tigers will be overmatched against the top of the SEC. With the Tiger offense sputtering, Lattimore will see the ball plenty; a perfect mix for a Gamecock win. USC 24, LSU 10.

The rest of SEC:
There are actually quite a few quality games in the SEC this week. However, they either feature teams with disappointing records or teams that are ranked too high (see: Texas A&M). Alabama rolls over Missou. Florida faces off against the SEC's most disappointing team, Vandy. The Gators should win easily. Auburn v Ole Miss and Kentucky v Arkansas, make two great pillow fights; I'll take the Rebs and Hogs. Tennessee travels to Starkville to play ranked and unbeaten Miss. State. A team who should have lost by now, but have yet to be tested (SEC wins include Arkansas and UK). I like the Vols in the apparent upset. Lastly is (22) Texas A&M and (23) Louisiana Tech, a game that features one of the best offenses in the south (it's also the best in the WAC). I like La. Tech to take the win, as I don't see the Aggies being able to keep pace with the quick hitting offense of the Techsters.

VA
Villanova v (3) ODU @ 3:30 on Monarch Media: 
It's homecoming today in Norfolk. Supposedly, ODU has one of the best homecomings in the country, according to this site I'd never heard of before seeing this ranking. Eh, we'll take it. The ODU defense has struggled mightily this season. However, I believe it's directly related to how quick the ODU offense scores, leaving the defense little time to recover on the sidelines. I don't see this game changing that much. ODU will score early, often and win. However, in the second half, the defense will falter a bit when they hit the wall, making this game closer than it should be. ODU 49, Villanova 38.

The rest of VA:
Both Virginia schools in the ACC have been huge disappointments and until they improve their play, highlighting their games is just a waste of time. VT plays the much-improved Duke Blue Devils. It's a game they should win, but will they? For Beamer's sake, I hope so. This is starting to resemble the Volunteers downfall that ultimately led to the firing of Fulmer. As for UVA, I have made it no secret that I think London took long to start Sims. Instead of taking his lumps against the OOC teams, he's doing it against conference rivals that are clicking on all-cylinders. UVA should start to play better on offense but at this point, the rest of the season should be about preparing for next year. (4) JMU and W&M face off. The Dukes should win this one handily. The rest of VA's FCS squads aren't really worth noting at this point.

LCB Picks: SEC & VA Picks

SEC
Tennessee v (5) UGA @ 3:30 on CBS:
Another bad week of games in the SEC. Tyler Wilson and Arkansas travel to Texas A&M, giving the Aggies their first SEC win. John L. Smith is just an awful substitute for Bobby Petrino, even with all the chaos and lack of loyalty the latter can bring. South Carolina plays Kentucky in Lexington. We all know how this ends and it won't be pretty. LSU plays defending CAA champion Towson. Towson has an extremely talented RB in Terrance West. But they have no chance in Baton Rouge. Ole Miss goes to Alabama, moving their SEC record to 0-1. Missou takes on UCF in Orlando. This could actually be worth watching, but neither team is really good enough to enforce it as a must-watch. I like UCF with the upset.

Now, most of those games aren't much worse than this as UT still hasn't been able to build depth neccessary to push the best of the SEC for four quarters. The saving grace is the rivalry. UT leads the series (21-18-2) but UGA has won the last two. To end the streak, UT will need to get a sizable lead before the 4th. With their complete lack of a running game and a questionable secondary, I don't really see the Vols being able to hold a small lead late in the game. With their receiving corps, the Vols always have a chance to get a jump on the competition. However, with Jarvis Jones coming after Bray and Aaron Murray passing against the aforementioned weak secondary, I like UGA in a close one. UGA 20, UT 14.

VA
Nothing to see here, seriously. VT plays Cincinnati at Fed Ex Field. After losing another early-season game against a supposedly lesser opponent, VTs season capsule should almost mirror 3 of the last 4 seasons (save for 2009). UVA hosts unbeaten Louisiana Tech. This is the second game that could have been a good one. But the QB controversy is still unsettled and until it is, they'll struggle. The winless Tribe of W&M play host to the truly awful Georgia State Panthers. Whoever loses this game will go winless. Lastly, the 4th ranked ODU Monarchs and NCAA record-holder Taylor Heinicke play at UofR. The Spiders sit at 3-1, however they haven't been tested this season and are coming off a season where they went winless in the CAA. Until the Spiders beat someone of note, their games won't be of note. JMU, VMI and Liberty all on the bye.

LCB Picks: SEC and VA Games of the Week

SEC
Missouri v (7) South Carolina @ 3:30 on CBS:
Their is a slew of terrible games in the SEC this weekend. The Vandy-Georgia game could be and was expected to be good, but all signs point to the Dores returning to mediocrity and cruise-control for the Dawgs. Florida hosts the awful Kentucky Wildcats. It's a game they could overlook and lose but they'd have to overlook a ton to lose to this terrible excuse for an SEC team. Tennessee hosts the Akron Zips, moving the Vols to 3-1. This will surely reignite the fans hope for the season, only for them to fall flat on their face in Athens next week. Tyler Wilson returns for the Hogs to face-off against Rutgers, should be a real barnburner. For some reason, Ole Miss travels to Tulane. LSU travels to Alabama to stomp Auburn. FAU gets the treat of traveling to Tuscaloosa to be destroyed by Bama. Mississippi State and Texas A&M host South Alabama (transitioning FCS) and South Carolina State (FCS HBCU). Overall, just an awful slate. That leaves us with Missou traveling to Columbia. The Tigers are a good team. In most conferences, they would push for the conference title. However, they don't have the depth needed to keep pace for four quarters in the SEC. Marcus Lattimore has a big game, Jadaveon Clowney gets a couple sacks and Columbia rejoices. USC-E 31, Missou 17.

VA
(18) New Hampshire v (5) ODU @ 12:00 on CSN:
I don't know much about New Hampshire. The school is in Durham, NH, the mascot is the Wildcat, Dan Kreider played there, they are a perennial playoff team, they run the spread, they have a balanced attack and a decent defense. I also know that their 600-mile trip to Norfolk will be an unpleasant one. Coach Dee has the defense of ODU headed in the right direction, as the once-porous unit has not allowed a single point in either the first or third quarter through the first three games. If they can just keep the Wildcat offense out of the endzone a couple of drives, they'll give the nation's leading passer, Taylor Heinicke, all the space he needs to move the Monarchs to 4-0. I like the Monarchs to create a couple turnovers, win the game and continue Heinicke's Walter Payton campaign. ODU 45, UNH 28.

Elsewhere in the Commonwealth:
Virginia goes to Fort Worth to take on Casey Paschall and the #17 Horned Frogs. While this is a big game for the Cavaliers, Michael Rocco is still starting, turning this game into a must-watch to a probable blow-out. After their upsetting loss to Pitt, VT tries to rebound at Lane against Bowling Green. It should be a slaughter. I say "should be" because they should have beaten Pitt, a team who lost to Youngstown State. JMU makes the trip Kingston to play CAA cellar dweller Rhode Island. Liberty ends their OOC slate with Lehigh, a good team, for the Patriot League. Liberty gets the W, their first of the season. W&M hosts Delaware, a team that should move their record to 0-4. The Tribe troubles come from an inability to score caused by a bad QB and unimaginative play-calling. Lastly, Richmond moves to 3-1 with their trip to the Georgia Dome with a win over the mighty and future-SBC Georgia State Panthers.