There is an arch nemesis residing in the Chinstrap Nation. His persistent schadenfreude is such that he chooses never to miss an opportunity to berate your prodigious prognosticator for the occasional miscue.

So, last weekend, as the Noon games were winding down, your Pope of Predictionators decided to head him off at the pass, communicating to him that somehow incorrect choices had already been made in 60% of the weekly picks.

And he needn’t need to musktwiddle it out to the cyberverse, thank you very much.

Syracuse hadn’t yet recovered from its first L the week before in Death Valley, and fell to the Golden Domers in the Carrier Dome.

Auburn — Why on earth would someone allegedly sound of mind dub them to be the victor? — fell to the Razorbacks in Jordan Hare Stadium. Which is reported to have been bereft of spectators by the 4th Q. Thus the Toomer Toilet Paper Removal Corps got the week off. And, in the aftermath, to the surprise of nobody, Bryan Harsin was relieved of his coaching duties.

And Miami, under the guidance of Mario the Savior was down 3-6 at UVa, with under a minute to play.

But, lo and behold, in a barn burner of a snoozefest, the ‘Canes scored and prevailed in OT#4, on a two point conversion.

Which set the stage for two phenomena in my neck of the woods.

One, a day of joy for the Red & Black Faithful, as the Cards whopped Wake up one side o’ the head, the other and over under sideways down. While the Cats were checkmated on Rocky Top.

Both of which were correctly crystalballed here.

3-2 for the weekend. 30-21 for the season.

This week’s winners:

UMess @ UCant. Those of you college football addictives who are regular readers of the Bottom 10 feature at ESPN’s website understand those names. And, if you are not a regular reader but care about pigskin, you owe it to yourself to check in weekly on Hump Day a/k/a Peerless Pigskin Prognostication Day. Anyhow, the state universities of Massachusetts and Connecticut have been regular denizens of said collective for years. Under the mentorship of Jim Mora, the Huskies who went 4-32 over the last three seasons, are a surprising 4-5, winners of 3 of their last four, with a W over flailing BC last time out. So they are UConn again and do not make the list. As for the Not Sixty Minutemen, they sit atop the standings of said ignominious grouping still. 1-7 they are. The Huskies shall even their record, moving unfathomably to the cusp of hallowed bowl eligibility.

Tulane @ Tulsa. We love us some Green Wave. Because we love us some New Orleans. Oh, I can taste the crawfish strudel at JazzFest as my fingers float across the keypad. Dinner at Clancy’s near the Tulane campus, sublime. Some Deacon John and Aurora Nealand at the Fairgrounds. Is it April yet? As it turns out, Willie Fritz’s pigskin contingent is having a pretty tasty and melodic season itself. Atop the AAC at 7-1 (4-0), with an out of league W in The Other Manhattan over K State. T is also for Tulsa, though the Golden Hurricane haven’t exactly been blowing away opponents. Or even close. This is sort of a trap game for the Wave. But they shall not Fritz out, if you get my pun.

Tennessee @ Georgia. Welcome to Week X’s Game of the Year, Game of the Century, Game of the Week. Your choice. Both these schools in the Conference That Cares More sit comfortably — for the moment anyway — in the Final Four. Hendon Hooker vs. Stetson Bennett XVIII. Must See TV. Etc, etc, etc. Fans will be tuned in. The nagging question is whether the upstart Vols can weather the hype. Against Kirby Smart’s squad with 239 ***** pigskinners in Athens before UGA and the rabid faithful? Georgia’s been here. Tennessee’s not, at least for a long while. Bulldogs come out the peachiest.

Kentucky @ Missouri. The Cats have been a little less than expected lately. Three Ls in the last 4. Mark Stoops britches, deserved or not, must feel a bit warm. Like when you get in your car on a balmy day, when the day before was cool, and you forgot to turn off the seat warmer. Like previous seasons during the Eliah Drinkwitz regime, Mizzou is hovering at .500. Its victories not especially impressive. It’ll be tight, but Cats show ’em in Columbia.

James Madison @ Louisville. Twice last week I watched the ACC morning show while working out. On both shows they previewed the upcoming weekend’s games. The Louisville Cardinals did not get a single mention. Wake Forest did. But not U of L. Then, that 2d half happened. YaYa this ye pundits. Cards jumped almost forty spots in one national ranking of all the BCS schools. Not so long ago the upstart Dukes were national darlings. Two Ls in a row cooled the hype. Rejuvenated, and not about to let down, Cards get bowl eligible.

— c d kaplan