September Games Not to be Missed

So yesterday I got completely hated on by folks in what I'm assuming is the Mountain time zone, and while this was a first for me to get so much hate on a blog post, it's a moment worth cherishing. However, I cannot dwell on yesterday and it is time to move on and perhaps annoy (or not) more people by picking some must see match-ups around the country for the first month of the season.

1st weekend:
Oregon @ Boise St. (Sept 3rd): The pride of the WAC shocked the Ducks in Eugene a season ago, will Oregon return the favor?
Navy @ Ohio St. (Sept 5th): Could the Midshipmen shock the Buckeyes at home who might be overlooking this game because of the lurking Trojans?
BYU @ Oklahoma (Sept 5th): As pointed out by the haters yesterday, this is a glorious match-up with a lot of pride and reputation implications.
Alabama @ Va Tech (Sept 5th): a top 10 match up on a neutral turf featuring the ACC's best and the SEC's second best.
Maryland @ Cal (Sept 5th): After the beating the Bears took on the East Coast, it will be interesting to see how they respond at Memorial Stadium.

2nd weekend:
Iowa @ Iowa State (Sept 12th): Honestly, probably not going to be too good of a game, but it's a rivarly game so all logic is out the window.
Notre Dame @ Michigan (Sept 12th): Same reasoning as the Iowa match-up.
UCLA @ Tennessee (Sept 12th): Can the Bruins win in a tough environment and erase the demons of the 59-0 thrashing at BYU? Can the Vols respond to their OT loss a year ago at the Rose Bowl? Will Lane Kiffin say something stupid? (probably)
USC @ Ohio St (Sept 12th): Does this even need a reasoning? Fine. This game is so hyped it's going to be shown in 3-D!!!

3rd weekend:
Boise St. @ Fresno St. (Sept 18th): The most marquee match-up in the WAC and two very solid teams. This is the only chance in league (except the Nevada game perhaps) for Boise St. to lose.
Cal @ Minnesota (Sept 19th): Will the Big 10 finally beat a Pac-10 team? Will Cal finally win on the road?
Tennessee @ Florida (Sept 19th): Cue up the bulletin board material and Tim Tebow's left hand (and his legs) and don't forget the stuffling Florida D.
Utah @ Oregon (Sept 19th): Will the Utes pull a Boise St. and win in Eugene? Can the Pac-10 rightfully claim itself the best West Coast conference once again? Will those silly Mountain West fans stop hating on my blog?
Arizona @ Iowa (Sept 19th): A chance for the Pac-10 to beat a Big 10 team again, or a chance for the Big 10 to win a game it's supposed to at home.
FSU @ BYU (Sept 19th): How will the altitude of Provo affect the 'Noles? Will Bobby Bowden be able to breathe at all? Can BYU beat a good team in the regular season?

4th weekend:
Miami (FL) @ Virginia Tech (Sept 26th): Can the 'Canes beat the elite in the ACC and return to their rightful place at the top of their conference?
UNC @ Georgia Tech (Sept 26th): Normally a solid basketball match-up, this football clash might also determine who is for real in the ACC.
TCU @ Clemson (Sept 26th): Will the MWC get a big win at an ACC school (even if that school is constantly overrated and underachieves)?
Cal @ Oregon (Sept 26th): Is this the game that will determine places 2-3 in the PAC or perhaps even 1-3? Who will the bandwagon Trojan fans be rooting for? And which mascot will win in a fight?

This Year's Most Overrated Conference

Year after year, the Big 10 has to be the most overrated conference of them all. I mean, when was the last time they won a big bowl game? OSU, Penn State, Illinois, and Michigan have had a tough time this decade to win anything. The exception of course is the 3OT thriller in the Fiesta Bowl (championship game that year) over Miami, and perhaps Wisconsin's Rose Bowl win on 1-1-00 over Stanford. Therefore, I find it way too easy to diss this "power" conference, and I need to move on to a different conference. The one that deserves the most "Are you kidding me?" reactions about how well it's top teams will do is none other than the... Moutain West. That's right, the same conference who's champion two years ago barely beat my beloved Bruins in the Vegas bowl by a point. Did I also mention how we were playing with a fourth-string QB? but I digress. Sure, a lot has gone on for the MWC that has helped build it a more reputable name. However, this preseason has been completely ridiculous. Without further ado (and more ramblings) let's examine each of their three ranked teams in order of rank:

17 TCU: The Horned Frogs had a very solid '08 season finishing with two losses, both to Top 10 schools, and had a nice upset of #9 Boise State in the bowl game. However, Boise State had nothing going for it except a win at Oregon, which while very impressive, cannot help you get a ranking that high. This year, 7 returning starters come back on offense and 4 on defense. The thing is, their defense was real good last year and let's be honest here, no way they can reload like U$C or any other big school.

18/19 Utah: Really? Sure they had a BCS win again, but the guy who led that team isn't back. Neither will their skilled positions with the exception of the TE position. On defense they return 7, but those are all guys that are good at best. This does not warrant such a high ranking. I honestly do not remember when a school with not that much talent, a new QB, and brand new receivers did well. Then again, the MWC is a mid-major, so good for them.

24/20 BYU: Just because their team is way older (silly Mormons), does not mean they are a top 25 school. Are they seriously better than Oregon State, Pitt, Illinois, and Texas Tech just to name a few? probably not. Yes, they will score a lot with Max Hall (pictured to the right) still taking snaps, but their defense is really thin and the fact of the matter is, how good has their recruiting been to replace a solid 25 team from a year ago? Just ask Big 12 teams not named Texas or OU about scoring a lot, and getting scored on a lot. Oh, and they lost to the Pac 10's 5th best team in the Vegas Bowl last year.

While I may be wrong about these three schools, the fact that the rest of the MWC is as good as Davon Jefferson's grammar, they have to beat the big dogs from other conferences to prove something. Also, notice how none of them really play the top 2 teams from other leagues. One match-up to watch though is when Utah plays Oregon, that will be fun.