What a wild couple of weekends we just had..the outlook for several conferences has been jumbled. The stakes continue to be high for a number of games (UCLA-Oregon, Texas Tech-Oklahoma, South Carolina-Missouri), and there are some clear "trap" games (FSU - NC State, Miami - Wake most notably). Here are five that aren't necessarily the center of conversation, but could prove quite interesting or important in some unforseen way.
1. Duke at Virginia Tech. A bit of deja vu from a year ago: a 5-win Duke team coming into Blacksburg looking for the 6th win to clinch bowl eligibility. Last year, the Hokies prevailed after finding themselves down 20-0 (though Duke would get its 6th win a game later against UNC). This time around, Duke's out to show that last year's bowl-bound team was not merely the end of a streak but rather the beginning of one. For the Hokies, now in the Top 15, a major showdown with Miami is just 2 weeks away - but with the offense continuing to improve and the defense strong as ever, I'm sure plenty of focus will be on David Cutcliffe's crew in blue.
2. Louisville at South Florida. Not just under the radar, but buried pretty deep. After a crushing defeat at the hands of UCF, Louisville better be careful not to let one loss become two. As for the Bulls, I'm getting vibes of Willie Taggart's Western Kentucky team from two years ago: blowout loss against an FCS team, but with a nice turnaround into a second-place conference finish. If a currently-perfect-in-conference-play USF can take advantage of a down-beat Cardinals team, a similar (or even better) fate may be in play for the Bulls.
3. Michigan State at Illinois. For several years now, I've seen the Spartans as the state of Michigan's Virginia Tech - defensively superb, but with issues on offense if not mitigated by a star athlete like Kirk Cousins or Tyrod Taylor (among others). And like the Hokies, Michigan State is quietly racking up wins after an early season out-of-conference loss. Conference contention is indeed what MSU has in mind, but it will not come easy in Champaign against an improved Illinois team looking to get back in the bowl eligibility discussion.
4. Boise State at BYU. When VT's 10-win season streak ended last year at 8, Boise State became the active leader in this metric (going back to 2006, marking 7 straight for the Broncos). But that streak is now in serious jeopardy, with 2 losses already on the season against Washington and Fresno State. And BYU did a fine job last weekend taking out previously-undefeated Houston, and 10 wins could become a reality for the Cougars if they keep on their roll (how did they lose to UVA again?!?). After last year's defensive slugfest (or offensive ineptitude...take your pick), which Boise won 7-6, I see this a game where truly anything can happen.
5. Baylor at Kansas. Baylor in the Top 10...wow! I've been a huge fan of this team under Art Briles, and I think he's making a great case for National Coach of the Year (and could be a prime candidate for it if he can land Baylor in a BCS Bowl) with yet another 70-point performance this past weekend. However, Kansas has been nibbling on the edges of a Big 12 win, and competed well several times this year only to come up short. I trust Baylor not to overlook the Jayhawks, or any team for that matter, considering how it was not too long ago that the Bears themselves were anchoring the conference.
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