Good Lord, there's a lot of games today . . . at long last . . . so let me get to it. I may even need to break this into bits, just to avoid the "post lost" problems I've had in the past. And I will certainly need to cherry-pick, which means you'll need to add any matchups which interest you, but which I skipped for brevity's sake.
But first, there were a few notable scores last night:
Charlotte 49 - Tennessee 48 = This one shocks me. Yeah, the 49ers needed a late shot to edge the Vols, but they should never had been in that position to begin with. UNC-C has not played very well this year, and judging by their meager scoring they played no better yesterday. Still, it is a great win for them, and they "improve" to a 5-6 record. Meanwhile UT should have been focused after their embarrassing loss to Oakland, yet apparently were not. So, after beating teams like 'Nova and Pitt, and reaching a # 7 ranking, they have lost 2 in a row, to teams they really should have beaten.
Chattanooga 71 - Elon 65 = But at least another team from the Volunteer State showed up against one from the Old North one. I thought this would be decent, and it was.
Utah 86 - Boise State 84 = This too I felt had some po', and such was the case.
Arizona State 78 - Nevada 75 = This was one of those contests between two so-so squads, so-so I skipped it. Yet it was a lot of fun, and at least a so-so victory for the Sun Devils.
Virginia 63 - Oregon 48 = But here, I thought it would be closer. UVA has spent a generation near the bottom of the ACC, while the Ducks are supposed to be "competitive" in the Left Coast League. Well, I caught a little friendly fire back a few weeks back when I called them another cupcake for Dook. Maybe I wasn't so far off.
Today's action is already underway, yet most of the scores are too lopsided to matter much, with the notable exception that USC is hanging pretty tough with the Jayhawks . . . so far . . ., and East Carolina/Coastal Carolina is a war. Select (believe it or not) games to follow include:
# 2 Ohio State vs. South Carolina = If any team has shown up as well as Duke this year, it's been the Buckeyes. They should take this. But the Gamecocks are pretty good themselves, and are known to toss a few upsets into their seasons. Remember, they gave Kentucky their first loss last year, back when people aside from Wildcats thought they were unbeatable.
# 5 Syracuse vs. Iona = And the Orange should take this, by three or four possessions anyway, but don't be shocked if the Gaels hang for a time. After losing their first 3, they've won 7 in a row, including one over the Richmond Spiders.
# 6 Kansas State vs. Florida = K-State's star Pullen has been pullin' a bit of a disappearing act lately, and the Gators have been inconsistent. This might actually be a fairly tight game . . . if it does not turn into a blowout.
# 8 Pitt vs. MD Eastern Shore = Meanwhile, this one is done, before it even begins.
# 9 Baylor vs. Gonzaga = Here we have a matchup between polar opposites, in that the Bears are not used to playing at this perceived level, whereas the 'Zags are not playing up to the level they are accustomed to. For that reason alone, I find this game interesting.
# 10 Villanova vs. Delaware = The 'Nova Cats have been inconsistent too, and Delaware's been at least OK. But their best win was over ODU, and good as that is, it's not at the "upset" heights one over 'Nova would be. Keep your eye on this, but don't let a blowout surprise you.
# 11 San Diego State vs. UCSB = The Aztecs remain on a roll. But the Gauchos are coming off big victories over Santa Clara and UNLV. This may be a decent contest here.
# 12 Illinois vs. Ill. Chicago = Yeah, I've used this joke before, but it is apt: "Ill Chicago is right". No contest.
# 13 Missouri vs. Central Arkansas = Save for the lame joke, ditto.
# 14 Michigan State vs. Prairie View A&M = And the only thing interesting about this one is the fact that Tom Izzo will be sitting it out, serving a one-game suspension by the NCAA for a minor violation during a summer camp. He does not like it, his AD at MSU does not like it, but unlike a number of whiners out there they both say it is what it is, and are moving past it. Good for them . . . and good for them that the suspension is now, as opposed to when they are actually playing somebody.
# 16 BYU vs. UCLA = Although I don't have a lot of faith in the Cougars, I have even less that the Bruins are back. This should be double-digits.
# 17 Kentucky vs. Miss. Valley State = And this will be double-digits.
# 19 Purdue vs. Indiana State = And this might not be, but it should be a Boilermaker W nonetheless.
# 20 Louisville vs. Gardner-Webb = But this one could be a lot closer than you might expect. The Cardinals have shown some holes, and G-W's not terrible.
# 22 UNLV vs. Southern Utah = The back-to-back losses by the Rebels will likely drop them from the ranks, yet they will also likely take this game . . . though I don't expect a spanking.
# 22 Texas vs. North Carolina = Yeah, I know . . . there are TWO # 22s in this week's AP poll, and no # 23. If there were a # 23 playing for the Tar Heels today, the Longhorns would have no chance. But there isn't, so this one will depend on whose young players show up instead. It should be within 2 or 3 possessions, either way.
# 25 Texas A&M vs. Arkansas = The Aggies have a better team than the Razorbacks, but this too should be close enough to hold your interest.
That's it for the "ranked" contests. I'll be back later with some other choices.