Blogpoll Roundtable 2.3

@ Maize 'n' Brew.

1. Its only the third week of the season and we've already seen some highly ranked favorites drop out of national championship contention. Preseason favorite Cal dropped to #21 after a loss and a pair of underwhelming victories. Who's your pick as the next NC contender to take a fall?

Florida. Schedule is a death march: a one-loss Florida team that wins the SEC should be in the MNC game over an undefeated VT or WVU.

2. By that same token there are several schools hanging around without a loss that all of a sudden look like surprise contenders. There are also a few one loss teams with a legit shot at getting back into it. Looking at the rankings who's the team no one's talking about with the best shot at crashing the party?

No one's talking about now? Or at the beginning of the season? I had Louisville ranked above WVU at season's start and while the Mountaneers are getting mountains of hype Louisville has just as much of a shot at dodgy undefeated-ness come season's end.

Other than the Big East duo, the obvious answer is Virginia Tech. The ACC has quickly descended into a mass of garbage and VaTech's annual bear of a defense and special teams touchdown per game could be enough to skate through the regular season undefeated. But we've thought that about VaTech since... well, forever.

3. Every team has their quicksand away game. You know. That place you should win but somehow find ways to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory or at least scare the &*%^ out of you every year. Did you know that over the last 21 years Kentucky wasn't won once in Knoxville? Where is your team's yearly sandtrap?

Ask me last week, and the answer is Notre Dame. Ask me this week: still Notre Dame. I done seen too many improbable things under the watchful eye of Michigan Defensive Touchdown Jesus to let one BEAT DOWN completely erase my fear of that baleful place.

4. Now that you've looked into the darkest place in your football soul, free Escalades aside, turn and look into your crystal ball. Conference play is either just starting or a single game in. Based on what you've seen so far, give the order of finish in your conference, and if you've got a Conference Championship game tell us who the winner will be. Independents must predict the remainder of their schedule. The results your predictions will be held against you at the end of the season.

ON TRACK FOR THE BIGGEST GAME EVER IN THE HISTORY OF EVER

1. Michigan (WOO HOMER!)
2. Ohio State

STILL IN MY TOP TEN DESPITE AVAILABLE EVIDENCE

3. Iowa

CREAMY SOFT MIDDLE OF CONFERENCE

4. Michigan State
5. Wisconsin
6. Penn State
7. Minnesota
8. Purdue

YOU LOST WHAT TO WHO?

9. Northwestern
10. Indiana
11. Illinois

5. In keeping with the spirit of Maize n Brew, name your beverage of choice on game days and why. It need not be alcoholic, as there are some of us who choose not to imbibe on game day. Further, it need not be limited to a single brand/type/category. If you enjoy drinking PBR and Kraft Turkey Gravy at the same time (which I have personally witnessed), please, elaborate. Finally, if you should feel so inclined, and this is not a requirement, add an anecdote involving said beverage choice.

I don't drink on gamedays. At least, not before the game. Whenever I've watched a sporting event in the throes of intoxciation the memories afterward are hazy and dulled, and I'm willing to take the chance of something awful happening (like, say, 2005) in exchange for a clear and lucid remembrance of anything Mario Manningham does.

BONUS SMQB question: What gridiron memory sears you so deeply, down to your appropriately-colored veins, that a simple acknowledgement, a "sorry" from the proper source - even if it didn't change the outcome - would lift a burden and cleanse a scarred corner of the soul? What injustice do you still carry, and want officially recognized?

I would like to see the timekeeper who gave Michigan State a second it did not have in 2001 shot.