Rutgers Hate Week: A Final Note

I'd like to thk u all fr th mmrs of Rutgers Hate Week.

Well, that about wraps up Rutgers Hate Week. It's been a hectic, fun week - I only wish I had more time to mock the State University of New Jersey. But alas.

I'm in New Jersey at this very moment, just about 8 hours away from making the trek down Route 287 to Piscataway, where it will then be on like Donkey Kong.

All that's left, between now and gametime, is for the fifth and final "Great Moment in Rutgers History" to be revealed. If I don't have that by kickoff, I'll try to have it up at halftime. It'll be like how ESPN revealed its No. 1-ranked "Greatest College Football Player Ever" at the Rose Bowl. Yeah … exactly like that.

I hope you've been amused/entertained/brought into a scarlet-hating frenzy at some point this week. I'll always know that, in the end, I amused myself. And really, since this gig doesn't pay a whole lot of money, that's all that matters.

So I'll leave you with a bullet-point preview for Saturday's game, plus a prediction:

• I'm worried that Mike Teel is due for one of his patented one-INT masterpieces. Rutgers is probably as good as UConn if Teel plays even sort of like a D-I quarterback.
• I'm all about Zach Frazer...but I hope he's been working hard over these last two weeks.
• UConn's defense scares me. I could see Kordell Young having a big day.
• This game screams letdown ... and yes, I know, UConn lost last week. But a week off, big homestand coming up next week, Rutgers will have to be fired up now that their season dangles off the edge of a cliff. I don't like the way it adds up.
• This game is a must-win for UConn, given their end-of-season schedule. Gotta be bowl eligible before Cincy and WVU come to town.
• As you can tell, I'm a huge wet blanket I don't feel good about a whole lot. I do feel confident that Donald Brown will have a Donald Brown game.

I am inexplicably terrified of this game. Rutgers simply can't be as bad as they've looked. They were one play each away from beating West Virginia and Cincinnati; if UConn gets down early like they did against UNC, I'm skeptical of their ability to come back.

All that being said, your Cautiously Optimistic Official Game Prediction:

UConn 27, Rutgers 20

Enjoy the game. And Ruck Futgers.