Bunting got the axe. We all figured Amato might be next, but then we got this out of East Lansing:

With three games remaining in another disappointing season, Michigan State has decided that John L. Smith will not return to coach the 2007 season.

Giving up 46 unanswered points to Indiana probably wasn’t good for the ole job security.

Sometime next week I may ave a more substantive post than this (two projects, going to be out of town this weekend, woo-woo). For now, though, my thoughts on the current state of the ACC were summed up by this conversation with a friend of mine, talking about the Maryland-FSU game:

Me: UMD’s only conference loss is to us
Me: they win and they’re right up there with WFU and BC
Him: RIGHT *UP THERE*
Him: With WAKE FOREST
Him: ACC FOOTBALL

No post for now, except that more than 1 Sun Belt team will get a bowl bid this year. You can access them via the link on your right. I may edit this if I have some sort of free time later this week (hah!).

1. Michigan State University – Well, you’ve now gone from being the worst finishing team in land to the worst starting team in the land. You were down 46-7 before 2 meaningless TDs in the 4th to make it kind of respectable.
2. University of Southern California – Oops. Well, USC fell, but not to one of the teams that people were expecting. They hadn’t been playing well lately, but this time they couldn’t quite recover. (Missed a 2-pt conversion that would’ve tied it at the end)
3. University of Nebraska – After looking respectable against Texas, you fell to Oklahoma State this week, making the Big 12 North race a lot more interesting.
4. University of Miami – Two in a row! GT now has the easy road to the ACC Championship Game.
5. Clemson University – After reaming GT, you go and lose to VT, making the ACC Atlantic race wide open. On the other hand, I’m glad you lost, because I didn’t want GT to play you again for the Championship.
6. Ohio University – Despite sucking, you’re now bowl eligible. Wooo.
7. University of Alabama-Birmingham – (Honorable mention to UConn, Rutgers, Idaho, and Hawaii) – The upcoming UAB-SMU game (and the Idaho-Hawaii game) is being played this Tuesday night, which makes absolutely no sense. Rutgers and UConn play on Sunday night, which is odd since neither of these teams are in the NFL. Stick to Thursday and Saturday during the regular season, ok?
8. North Carolina State University – Chuck Amato has apparently decided that he is not, in fact, the man. You’re next.

Before I begin, I think yesterday’s whipping of Clemson by Virginia Tech officially ends any validity of the Transitive Property in application to college football. If you forgot, recall that: 1) GT whipped VT a few weeks ago in Blacksburg, 2) Clemson whipped GT last weekend in Clemson. So, yeah.

Anyway, let’s do this. As always, this reflects my being here in Atlanta, which means these are the games I get on the Georgia Tech Cable Network and that the times are Eastern.

Noon:

• Oklahoma @ Missouri, ABC: A close game, I think, and a win established Mizzou as the class of the Big 12 North, and perhaps a re-emergence of some evenness in terms of the competitiveness of the Big 12’s divisions.
• Notre Dame @ Navy, CBS: ND rolls.
• NC State @ Virginia, local ACC affiliate: Well, NCSU came back and beat BC and FSU and seems to have a quarterback again. I have to like them here, even at UVA. Also, Virginia still doesn’t really have an offense.
• Northern Illinois @ Iowa, ESPNU: Well, Ehren, Iowa may be overrated, but you have to like them here.
• Northwestern @ Michigan, ESPN: Well, let’s see, Michigan is good this year, and not only did NU’s coach die in the offseason, they just allowed the biggest comeback in DI-A history. UMich rolls.
• UIUC @ Wisconsin, ESPN2: The Fightin’ Ron Zooks head up to Madison, WI. Did you know that Wisconsin’s campus has 6 pubs on it, and unlike GT’s so-called “pub”, they actually serve, you know, alcohol. Wisconsin also plays the Budweiser, but they say “When you say Wisconsin, you’ve said it all!” instead of the proper way (like we do). At any rate, they win.

12:30: Auburn @ Ole Miss, local SEC affiliate: FOOTBAW

3:30

• Miami (FL) @ Georgia Tech, ABC: I have no idea what to make of this game. It’s homecoming for us, and Miami returned a lot of their tickets, so this may be the largest Tech crowd ever. Miami may have an “us against the world” mentality due to their recent “adversity”. We got blown out at Clemson last week, but a GT win here pretty much seals the division for us. There’s a lot riding on this, and in several ways, is probably our most important game of the season.
• Florida vs. Georgia, CBS: I’ll still call it “The World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party”, but honestly, since when do rednecks drink cocktails? Also, UF rolls.
• Wake Forest @ UNC, ESPNU: Ironically, UNC’s players may now play better since it’s confirmed that their coach is gone after the season. Nonetheless, Wake is a solid team and avoid the loss.
• USC @ Oregon State, FSN: Who will knock off USC? Probably not the beavers.

7:00

• Texas @ Texas Tech, TBS: Texas Tech doesn’t really seem to have the “magic” this year, and so Texas will probably be the ones scoring 60 points here if anyone does.
• Arkansas vs. UL-Monroe, ESPNU: I can’t tell if this is being played at a neutral site or counts as a “home” game for UL-Monroe, but honestly, I don’t care.
• FSU @ Maryland, ESPN2: Remember when these teams were good at that offense thing? Yeah. FSU should win.

7:45: Tennessee @ South Carolina, ESPN: Fulmer! Spurrier! The UT of the South seems to be good this year, and despite Spurrier blowing out Vandy last week, UT should roll.

That’s all I got kids. Feel free to dispute below.