So after today turned out - by and large - a bunch of afternoon clunkers, here's hoping that the night games can be interesting.
Oklahoma @ Texas Tech
Odds of being interesting: 3:1
TTU has enough of a high-powered offense to keep people paying attention during their possession. Unfortunately, they have a defense that makes WAC teams look at it and say, "wow, those guys suck on D" - so they don't really have that going for them. I was really hoping that TTU's D ranked in the top 50 of scoring D, but no. They apparently can defend the pass pretty well, but I wonder how much of that is "TTU has a good secondary" as much as it is "TTU can't stop the run worth shit". Probably a bit of both.
On the other hand, Oklahoma also has a high-powered offense with a defense to match. They're a bit weak against the pass, maybe; it could be as much a questionable secondary as it is a killer front 7. Their offensive passing numbers aren't as Playstation as the Red Raiders, but they actually ....y'know, run the ball. This could be fun if OU's defense forgets to show up.
Boston College @ Clemson
Odds of being interesting: 2.333:1
I want to like this game, I really do. But this could be either a blowout or a dead duck. There's a real chance that both teams could decide they don't want to win the game, even though the winner has a great shot at a BCS berth. Bonus: both teams sport great offenses. Negative: both teams are spotty.
The real nice part about this game is that it should be close, but close doesn't always mean drama. Close also means a 7-7 tie in the 4th quarter with 12 TOs and a bunch of punts. You've been warned.
West Virginia @ Cincinnati
Odds of being interesting: 1.5:1
I like this game quite a bit. Both teams can both score and play D, and Cincinnati's D is notorious ball-hawks this season. I've professed on many occasions my love for West Virginia's offense, and this should be a challenge for them. All signs point to pulling up this game as your primary viewing option.
What could go wrong? Injuries. Blowouts. This game is 2 punts and a turnover away from becoming a blowout, but at least both teams can come back.
If we're lucky, one of these games will be good for a few hours. If not ....well, there's always hockey.
Update 1:
It's probably a little bit early for an update, but since every game is already 7-0, it's worth mentioning at least. Nothing really worth mentioning beyond that, though. Oklahoma scored their 7 on a Pick 6 so TTU will get the ball back, and Cincinnati had to punt on their first possession but forced a three-and-out. West Virginia did pull off one hell of a punt.
Anyway, we're a punt and an Oklahoma TD away from this game getting annoying. I'll just hope Clemson and BC don't punt at all. At least the Penguins had a great first period; Sidney Crosby is playing the best game I've ever seen from him.
Update 2:
I'm not talking about hockey anymore; stupid Rangers. Going through the main games:
WVU @ Cincinnati: Interest level - 4/10. The Mountaineers are up 21-10 going into halftime and get the ball back to start the 3rd. Cincinnati needs some momentum here, and I'm mainly following the game because I like the Bearcats. If it gets to 28-10, it's going on the back burner until Cincy can get within a score.
BC @ Clemson: Interest level - 5/10. Bonus points for staying within 7 points, but here's how the drives have ended:
Punt, TD, turnover on downs, punt, punt, punt, INT, missed FG, punt, punt, FG
Admit it, you're glad you're not watching this game. ACC football!
Oklahoma @ TTU: Interest level - 9/10. This isn't 10/10 only because I don't particularly care about either team, but since the Red Raiders are up 20-7, it's a big deal right now. I can't believe in them yet, though; they haven't looked good on D (which I thought) and I'm not totally sold on the offense. That being said, Michael Crabtree is sick and is worth a point by himself. I haven't seen him before tonight, but ...wow.
Another point of interest: Sam Bradford is out of the game with a slight concussion. His backup is in, and he just was responsible for a delay-of-game penalty. If OU goes to a silent count that'll fix a lot of the problems, but can he handle that?
