PSP's Rutgers - 'Ville Prediction

Since I won't get a chance to post this prior to tomorrow night's showdown, I'm making my Rutgers/Louisville pick right here and now! I'm taking my boy Jone's advice. The skirt is coming off. I'm going to be a fan and make a pick through my Scarlet colored glasses. Lord Baby Jesus, knows I've been waiting my whole life for a game like this.

After my tepid post last night, I'm guessing most of you expected me to pick a narrow victory for the 'Ville. But not so fast my friends! (I just love that line from Lee Corso.) I think RU's defense will rise to the occasion and disrupt the high powered Cardinals offense. Remember, Cincy and Syracuse gave them a hard time and if those two scrub squads could make the 'Ville work hard for points, why can't the 2nd ranked scoring defense in all the country do the same???

I also expect QB Mike Teel to play the best game of his career. The kid is a flat out winner. He's lost one...yes, ONE... game since his high school days at North Jersey Power House, Don Bosco Prep. Plus, even though the numbers didn't show it, Teel turned a corner in their last game against UConn. On a couple of long balls, he put the ball right on the money, but his absurdely yound WR's just weren't up for the challenge. This week, someway, somehow they will be. Teel also needs to utilize his All Big East Tight End, Clark Harris. He should be a constant threat down the middle of the field.

Most importantly, I just don't see Louisville being able to stop RU's power running game with Rice and Leonard. For all Brian Leonard has done to put this football program on the map, he deserves to have a key role in the biggest game in school history. Plus, if Ray Rice wants to be a serious Heisman contender, he will have a national stage to make a legitimate statement.

In any event, I hope Coach Schiano called fellow Jersey Guy, Bill Parcells and asked for his game plan from Super Bowl XXV, when the Giants held off the high powered Bills for the championship, because that's exactly the kind of clock controlling game the Knights will have to utilize to be successful. If they play a ball control, mistake free offense, sprinkled with their usual outstanding special teams play and the defense gets a few stops and a key turnover or two, RU can win this game.

Plus, the RU fan base has been waiting for a game like this for their entire lives. It's like U2 showed up at a out of the way County Fair in Iowa as part of their World Tour. The RU crowd should be fantastic. If you have ever seen what a student section of 3,000 is like for a game at the RAC for a basketball game, you know how loud a Rutgers crowd can be. I can only imagine what a student section of 11,000 will be like tomorrow night. Frankly, it's never happened. I can't wait to see how the fans react. If the RAC attitude carries over, they will simply not let this team lose.

For all of the above reasons, I see a 24 to 21 Rutgers victory!

R-U, Rah, Rah,R-U, Rah, Rah,
Whoo-Raa, Whoo-Raa;Rutgers Rah
Up-Stream Red Team;Red Team Up-Stream
Rah, Rah,Rutgers Rah!!

(Sorry guys, I promise to get back to your regularly scheduled viewing of Philly Sports after this game. For now, I ask that you be patient and let me get this out of my system. Thanks!)