BlogPoll Roundtable Part II

The BlogPoll roundtable rolls on, this time hosted by Every Day Should Be Saturday. Below are the questions of import this week and my responses.



What's THE critical game of the season on the national scene?

This is a fabulously difficult question. I'll go with Florida State @ Virginia. I think the Seminoles will be quite beatable again in 2005, meaning there is a very good chance that they open the door for another team in their division to reach the ACC Championship, win that game, and throw a wrench into the BCS. The 'Noles could be 1-2 in conference heading into their trip to Charlottesville, and a loss to the Wahoos in that situation would pretty much bust the Atlantic Division (FSU, Maryland, NCSU, Clemson, BC, Wake) wide open.



What's the most critical matchup for your team?

It's the least surprising pick, but for NC State, it has to be week one against Virginia Tech. In this game, we'll get a feel for several keys to the Wolfpack's season: Is quarterback Jay Davis a year wiser? How well does the defense adjust to replacing its secondary? Has placekicker John Deraney added some accuracy to accompany his impressive range?

If NC State can beat Virginia Tech, it should be a contender in the ACC's Atlantic Division. If the Pack loses, the big games at the end of the schedule lose importance--and that's why this first game is huge.



What's your wingnut upset prediction of year?

I'll stick with my ACC theme and take Wake Forest over Nebraska. In Lincoln.

Because Wake Forest ain't that bad, and because I like watching Bill Callahan get angry.