Welcome back! We've got a light schedule in the Top 25 this week, thanks to some good matchups and a number of teams being off:
(6)Nebraska
(13)Utah
(14)Arizona
(15)Arkansas
(20)South Carolina
With that said, I didn't really look for any notable games this week because...well quite frankly I'm short on time. And I don't care about Notre Dame/Boston College.
It's time......for the picks!
TOP 25
(1)Alabama vs. (7)Florida
This is one of 5 games this week pitting two ranked teams. This should be the most high-profile. Alabama and Florida are, to this point, the two best teams in the SEC. Florida is in a bit of a rebuilding phase after losing some stars from last year. Alabama returns almost their whole reigning-National Championship team. Even though on paper Alabama might have the edge, Florida could keep this one close thanks to a rising star who emerged last week. The new do-everything man for the Gators is a Freshman names Trey Burton. If you didn’t see/hear about it, he set the Florida record for touchdowns in a game – besting the mark of Heisman winner Tim Tebow. This game is always closely contested and always a dogfight and this matchup should be no exception. I don’t think the Gators are up to speed yet, but there’s a good chance this could be a precursor to the SEC Championship game. 34-24 Tide.
(2)Ohio State @ Illinois
Ohio State opens up their Big Ten season against the Fighting Illini. Illinois is not supposed to be a contender in the Big Ten, so this should be just another game for Jim Tressel and the Buckeyes. Look for Pryor and the bunch to have yet another field day. 45-17 Buckeyes.
(3)Boise State @ New Mexico State
Boise State continues their march toward the National Championship with yet another cupcake. This is simply my opinion, but the fact that the rest of the Broncos’ schedule looks like this is embarrassing. NMSU is 0-3. This game should not be close. 56-7 Broncos.
(4)Oregon vs. (9)Stanford
Stanford goes into Eugene this week and looks to take down the high-flying Ducks. That is a tall order, this year, as the Ducks are scoring at a rate of a point-per-minute of play. With that being said, Stanford is the best team Oregon will have played. They have a tenacious defense that has the ability to stop a team like Oregon. On the other side of the ball, Andrew Luck is leading a Cardinal offense that is potent in its own right. They breezed by the Irish last week and look to have the same kind of effort and result this week. This is undoubtedly the Cardinal’s toughest challenge to date. In the end, I think the home field for Oregon will be too much for Stanford to overcome. 38-27 Ducks.
(5)TCU @ Colorado State
The high-powered Horned Frogs face a 1-3 Colorado State team and should pretty much obliterate the Rams. Let’s play a game for a second. Ready? (Sing it, you know how this goes) One of these things is not like the others, one of these things just doesn’t belong. Here are CSU’s results thus far: 24-3 loss, 51-6 loss, 31-10 loss, 36-34 win. Notice something odd? Yeah, they scored points last week! Good job, Rams! Well, you won’t score many points this week, sorry. 52-6 TCU.
(8)Oklahoma vs. (21)Texas
The Red River Rivalry rolls into the Cotton Bowl in Dallas, Texas this week. If you’ve never actually watched this game, make a point to. It is truly a festival. And I’m not kidding. It’s at the Texas State Fairgrounds. You’ll see Ferris Wheels and everything. You know what else you’ll see? Two teams beating the living piss out of each other. Texas is coming of an embarrassing home loss to UCLA – their first home loss since 2007. This week might again test the Longhorns. The guy who needs to step up is QB Garrett Gilbert. As the heir to Colt McCoy’s throne, Gilbert has become the second-lowest rated passer in the Big 12. That’s unacceptable. Oklahoma should win this game, but it will be close because of the de facto Texas home crowd and the fact that they should come out angry. 27-21 Sooners.
(10)Auburn vs. Lousiana-Monroe
Cam Newton leads the Tigers against a Louisiana-Monroe team that got destroyed by Arkansas in their first game of the season. This blogger happens to think that Auburn is as-good, if not better than, Arkansas. Therefore, Auburn wins…and wins big. 42-7 Tigers.
(11)Wisconsin @ (24)Michigan State
This will be a big, big measuring stick for the Spartans. Wisconsin is generally considered the second-best team in the Big Ten. MSU wants to prove that they’re for real. They can do it here at home against the Badgers. Coach Mark Dantonio makes his return to the Spartans this week, albeit he’ll be in the coaching booth high above the Spartan Stadium field. That alone should be motivation for the Spartans, though. The Spartan running game has been superb this year, averaging over 200 yards per game. They haven’t played any stingy defenses yet, though, so again…the measuring stick. The passing game really needs to step up this week. No more drops, no more overthrows. Things need to click. The silly season is over, they’re expected to make the plays by now. And we haven’t seen it. This week will tell you whether or not they’re a real dark-horse for the Big Ten title. Wisconsin, on the other hand, just needs to keep doing what it’s been doing. John Clay and Freshman James White lead the Badgers running attack. Their defense has given up no more than 21 points all season, so it will test the MSU offense. MSU has a knack for….gasp….choking in big games. Now would be a good time to get that gorilla of their back. Unfortunately, I really don’t think it will happen here. Something about Wisconsin just scares me. I have a bad feeling that the Spartans will, again, live up to expectations by not living up to expectations in a big game. 31-24 Badgers.
(12)LSU vs. Tennessee
The Tigers welcome the Volunteers to Death Valley this week. So far, in 2 home games, LSU has held opponents to just 21 points. Tennessee has an offense comparable to the other two teams LSU has hosted, so they won’t be scoring much this game. Which brings it down to Tennessee’s defense. Not counting their first-game FCS (Div. 1-AA) opponent, they’ve given up 36 points per game. That tells me the advantage here is for LSU. The Tigers win, 38-14.
(16)Miami (FL) @ Clemson
This game could be closer than it might seem. Miami’s only loss came to Ohio State, but they’ve looked very good since. Clemson is coming off a close loss at the hands of Auburn. Some could make the argument that they should not be unranked. Miami went on the road and smacked around Pitt 31-3, so the road game thing shouldn’t factor much here. 34-27 Canes.
(17)Iowa vs. (22)Penn State
Another big Big Ten opener. Iowa has been lauded as a top team in the Big Ten all year. Penn State’s only loss came to Alabama. This game, like MSU-Wisconsin, will be a barometer for who will be chasing Ohio State for the Big Ten title. Penn State goes on the road and Rob Bolden will get his first taste of Big Ten action. He looked shell-shocked in Tuscaloosa, and he may here too. I still don’t know what to think of Iowa, so I guess I’ll just keep picking them and hope they prove me wrong. 28-24 Hawkeyes.
(18)USC vs. Washington
The Huskies go to L.A. this week. They are not a good team. USC is a good team. This is easy math, people. 38-17 Trojans.
(19)Michigan @ Indiana
Michigan heads down to Indiana with the peace of mind that Denard Robinson is well and will play. They have a good offense, and so does Indiana. Michigan has no defense, but Indiana has some semblance of a defense. That recipe makes me think this will be a high-scoring, close game. I think Michigan wins this game, 31-27.
(23)NC State vs. Virginia Tech
Russell Wilson and the Wolfpack take on the Hokies this week. VT has looked pedestrian all year…even downright embarrassing at times. After 2 despicable non-conference losses, VT is looking to take back the ACC. After shutting out Boston College last week, they can make a huge statement this week that games 1 and 2 were flukes. They’re playing an NC State team that puts points on the board and doesn’t give up very many. This is a tough call and should be a close game. I’m going upset here, 31-27 Hokies.
(25)Nevada @ UNLV
Nevada is the only other team in FBS (aside from Michigan State) that averages over 200 yards rushing per game. UNLV was smashed by both Wisconsin and Utah. Oh, and they allow an average of 165 rushing yards per game. That doesn’t bode well for them. Nevada should run all over the Rebels in this one. 52-21 Wolfpack.
There you have it, folks. Enjoy your weekends of college (and pro, if you so choose) football and tailgating. See you next week.
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Thursday, September 23, 2010
College Football Predictions Week 4
Welcome back to the blog! Last week was a week of surprises, thrills, and scares. This week there are a number of good matchups in the Top 25, so let's get right to it
TOP 25
(1)Alabama @ (10)Arkansas
A grudge match in the SEC. The highest-profile of 4 games pitting two ranked teams this week. Ingram, Richardson and the Tide roll in to Fayetteville (s/t to Joe Castelli) and face Heisman hopeful Ryan Mallett and the Razorbacks. Arkansas is only giving up 111 rushing yards per game, but this game may test their skill. This will be the first tough road test for the Tide, but they should prevail here. It will be close. 24-17 Tide.
(2)Ohio State vs. Eastern Michigan
Ahh yes. The weekly Big Ten – MAC matchup. Eastern Michigan hasn’t won a game in I-don’t-know-how-long. They won’t win this week, that’s for sure. Poor Eagles. Fun Fact: Eastern Michigan used to be known as Michigan Normal School. Michigan Normal School follows their normal pattern this week and loses big. 56-6 Buckeyes.
(3)Boise State vs. (24)Oregon State
A barn-burner out west. The Beavers travel to Boise to play on the blue turf this week. Oregon had trouble with the Broncos last year, and the Beavers may meet the same fate this year. The Rodgers brothers lead the high-powered Beavers into a game that really does have National Championship implications. Kellen Moore looks to keep those hopes on track for the Broncos. Ultimately, I think we see what some would call an upset here. It will be a tightly contested game, but I think the Beavers prevail, 35-27.
(4)TCU @ Southern Methodist
TCU is scoring points at a torrid pace this season. This week should be no exception. June Jones leads SMU into a matchup in which they have little chance of winning. This game shouldn’t be close, even though it is a road game for TCU. 35-14 Horned Frogs.
(5)Oregon @ Arizona State
As many points as TCU has scored this year, Oregon has scored more. The Duck will be doing a good number of pushups this week, just as he has all season. It may not be 506 or whatever insane number it was when they scored 72 points, but he’ll be doing them all game long. The Sun Devils are a good opponent, but not good enough to slow down the Ducks. 48-24 Ducks.
(6)Nebraska vs. South Dakota State
Nebraska’s QB Taylor Martinez has led them to a fantastic season thus far. This game won’t test the Huskers much. This one should be over early. 42-7 Nebraska.
(7)Texas vs. UCLA
Texas travels to the Rose Bowl this week. The Bruins’ season hasn’t been what they may have wanted it to be, and this game won’t help. Garrett Gilbert has led the Longhorns offense this year, and the Horns should roll over the Bruins this week. 31-17 Texas.
(8)Oklahoma @ Cincinnati
Cincinnati gets a high-profile opponent in their house this week. Unfortunately for them, they won’t see the Bearcats take down the Sooners. Oklahoma has had a roller-coaster type season, but if their pattern holds, this game should be a high-scoring affair. And one-sided. 49-17 Sooners.
(9)Florida vs. Kentucky
The Gators haven’t been the Gators of the past. Kentucky shouldn’t pose much of a threat to their unbeaten record, but this game might be closer than some think. The Gators have had too many flaws this year. If they can eliminate those, they can continue to be a power. If not, a second-tier bowl game might be in their future. 31-17 Florida.
(11)Wisconsin vs. Austin Peay
Who is Wisconsin playing this week? John Clay should run wild this week. This won’t be close. 45-13 Badgers
(12)South Carolina @ (17)Auburn
This should be a good game. Steve Spurrier marches the Gamecocks into Auburn for a matchup with rising star QB Cameron Newton and the Tigers. Newton is reminiscent of Terrelle Pryor…but possibly better. It will be fun to watch who dominates the game more – Newton, or South Carolina’s rising star, RB Marcus Lattimore. In the SEC, home-field normally holds a fair advantage, so I’m going with the Tigers. 24-14 Auburn
(13)Utah vs. San Jose State
The Utes continue their winning ways this year against a Spartans team that has already suffered losses to (1)Alabama and (11)Wisconsin. After this week, they will be 0-3 against ranked opponents. 24-14 Utah.
(14)Arizona vs. California
Nick Foles and the Wildcats host the Golden Bears in the desert. Cal had a rough loss against Nevada last week and they may not end up real happy with the result this week. Foles is a Heisman dark-horse and taking Arizona to the top of the Pac-10 picture. Arizona gets off to a good conference start, Cal doesn’t. 45-21 Wildcats.
(15)Louisiana State vs. (22)West Virginia
Jordan Jefferson and the Tigers host the Mountaineers this week. Anytime a team goes to Death Valley they have trouble, and this week should be no exception. The Tigers have a dynamic offense that should be simply too much for the Mountaineers to contain. 21-17 LSU
(16)Stanford @ Notre Dame
Notre Dame looks to avoid their third straight loss this week. After being soundly beat by Michigan two weeks ago and beaten on a trick-play in overtime against Michigan State, the Irish welcome the Cardinal into South Bend. Officiating seems to be pretty favorable for the Irish at home, and they may be looking to get a few calls to get them back on track this week. Andrew Luck has led Stanford to a nice season thus far, and I think they continue their winning ways despite the hostile environment. 28-24 Stanford.
(18)Iowa vs. Ball State
(19)Miami (FL) @ Pittsburgh
This is the Thursday night matchup this week, so I’ll know if I’m right pretty shortly here. Miami has a good team, but they hit a rough patch early in their tilt with Ohio State. Pittsburgh is nowhere near the caliber of Ohio State, so the ‘Canes should win this pretty easy. Jacory Harris is a good QB with the skills to leadership to take Miami far. 27-17 Miami
(20)Southern Cal @ Washington State
Lane Kiffin takes the Trojans to Washington in their conference-opener against the Cougars. The Cougars are 1-2 and have not faired well against good teams. This doesn’t bode well for them for this week. QB Matt Barkley looks to lead USC to a good conference start. Again, they can’t go bowling this year due to NCAA sanctions, so every win for them is for personal pride. 31-10 Trojans.
(21)Michigan vs. Bowling Green
I thought last week was going to be a sleeper, but I guess Michigan was really looking forward to this game with the Falcons. Rich Rodriguez should get the team in line this week and slam the Falcons. 31-10 Wolverines.
(23)Pennsylvania State vs. Temple
Temple is unbeaten this year, but they haven’t played anyone like Penn State. The Nittany Lions stumbled big time against Alabama, but the Owls aren’t the Tide. Rob Bolden has looked good-to-great in each game except Alabama, and he should continue to lead Penn State in the right direction. 38-17 Penn State.
(25)Michigan State vs. Northern Colorado
This game will undoubtedly be a bit emotional. The Spartans head into their first game under interim head coach Don Treadwell after Head Coach Mark Dantonio suffered a mild heart attack following the thrilling win over Notre Dame last week. The best thing here is that the opponent will cause the Spartans little trouble. The Spartans might be in trouble early if they look forward to Wisconsin next week, but I don’t think that will be a problem. The team should want to win this one for Dantonio. 45-13 Spartans.
There are a number of other good games this week, including matchups like Florida State/Wake Forest and Georgia/Mississippi State, but I'm going to just focus on the Top 25 this week. Thanks for reading!
TOP 25
(1)Alabama @ (10)Arkansas
A grudge match in the SEC. The highest-profile of 4 games pitting two ranked teams this week. Ingram, Richardson and the Tide roll in to Fayetteville (s/t to Joe Castelli) and face Heisman hopeful Ryan Mallett and the Razorbacks. Arkansas is only giving up 111 rushing yards per game, but this game may test their skill. This will be the first tough road test for the Tide, but they should prevail here. It will be close. 24-17 Tide.
(2)Ohio State vs. Eastern Michigan
Ahh yes. The weekly Big Ten – MAC matchup. Eastern Michigan hasn’t won a game in I-don’t-know-how-long. They won’t win this week, that’s for sure. Poor Eagles. Fun Fact: Eastern Michigan used to be known as Michigan Normal School. Michigan Normal School follows their normal pattern this week and loses big. 56-6 Buckeyes.
(3)Boise State vs. (24)Oregon State
A barn-burner out west. The Beavers travel to Boise to play on the blue turf this week. Oregon had trouble with the Broncos last year, and the Beavers may meet the same fate this year. The Rodgers brothers lead the high-powered Beavers into a game that really does have National Championship implications. Kellen Moore looks to keep those hopes on track for the Broncos. Ultimately, I think we see what some would call an upset here. It will be a tightly contested game, but I think the Beavers prevail, 35-27.
(4)TCU @ Southern Methodist
TCU is scoring points at a torrid pace this season. This week should be no exception. June Jones leads SMU into a matchup in which they have little chance of winning. This game shouldn’t be close, even though it is a road game for TCU. 35-14 Horned Frogs.
(5)Oregon @ Arizona State
As many points as TCU has scored this year, Oregon has scored more. The Duck will be doing a good number of pushups this week, just as he has all season. It may not be 506 or whatever insane number it was when they scored 72 points, but he’ll be doing them all game long. The Sun Devils are a good opponent, but not good enough to slow down the Ducks. 48-24 Ducks.
(6)Nebraska vs. South Dakota State
Nebraska’s QB Taylor Martinez has led them to a fantastic season thus far. This game won’t test the Huskers much. This one should be over early. 42-7 Nebraska.
(7)Texas vs. UCLA
Texas travels to the Rose Bowl this week. The Bruins’ season hasn’t been what they may have wanted it to be, and this game won’t help. Garrett Gilbert has led the Longhorns offense this year, and the Horns should roll over the Bruins this week. 31-17 Texas.
(8)Oklahoma @ Cincinnati
Cincinnati gets a high-profile opponent in their house this week. Unfortunately for them, they won’t see the Bearcats take down the Sooners. Oklahoma has had a roller-coaster type season, but if their pattern holds, this game should be a high-scoring affair. And one-sided. 49-17 Sooners.
(9)Florida vs. Kentucky
The Gators haven’t been the Gators of the past. Kentucky shouldn’t pose much of a threat to their unbeaten record, but this game might be closer than some think. The Gators have had too many flaws this year. If they can eliminate those, they can continue to be a power. If not, a second-tier bowl game might be in their future. 31-17 Florida.
(11)Wisconsin vs. Austin Peay
Who is Wisconsin playing this week? John Clay should run wild this week. This won’t be close. 45-13 Badgers
(12)South Carolina @ (17)Auburn
This should be a good game. Steve Spurrier marches the Gamecocks into Auburn for a matchup with rising star QB Cameron Newton and the Tigers. Newton is reminiscent of Terrelle Pryor…but possibly better. It will be fun to watch who dominates the game more – Newton, or South Carolina’s rising star, RB Marcus Lattimore. In the SEC, home-field normally holds a fair advantage, so I’m going with the Tigers. 24-14 Auburn
(13)Utah vs. San Jose State
The Utes continue their winning ways this year against a Spartans team that has already suffered losses to (1)Alabama and (11)Wisconsin. After this week, they will be 0-3 against ranked opponents. 24-14 Utah.
(14)Arizona vs. California
Nick Foles and the Wildcats host the Golden Bears in the desert. Cal had a rough loss against Nevada last week and they may not end up real happy with the result this week. Foles is a Heisman dark-horse and taking Arizona to the top of the Pac-10 picture. Arizona gets off to a good conference start, Cal doesn’t. 45-21 Wildcats.
(15)Louisiana State vs. (22)West Virginia
Jordan Jefferson and the Tigers host the Mountaineers this week. Anytime a team goes to Death Valley they have trouble, and this week should be no exception. The Tigers have a dynamic offense that should be simply too much for the Mountaineers to contain. 21-17 LSU
(16)Stanford @ Notre Dame
Notre Dame looks to avoid their third straight loss this week. After being soundly beat by Michigan two weeks ago and beaten on a trick-play in overtime against Michigan State, the Irish welcome the Cardinal into South Bend. Officiating seems to be pretty favorable for the Irish at home, and they may be looking to get a few calls to get them back on track this week. Andrew Luck has led Stanford to a nice season thus far, and I think they continue their winning ways despite the hostile environment. 28-24 Stanford.
(18)Iowa vs. Ball State
(19)Miami (FL) @ Pittsburgh
This is the Thursday night matchup this week, so I’ll know if I’m right pretty shortly here. Miami has a good team, but they hit a rough patch early in their tilt with Ohio State. Pittsburgh is nowhere near the caliber of Ohio State, so the ‘Canes should win this pretty easy. Jacory Harris is a good QB with the skills to leadership to take Miami far. 27-17 Miami
(20)Southern Cal @ Washington State
Lane Kiffin takes the Trojans to Washington in their conference-opener against the Cougars. The Cougars are 1-2 and have not faired well against good teams. This doesn’t bode well for them for this week. QB Matt Barkley looks to lead USC to a good conference start. Again, they can’t go bowling this year due to NCAA sanctions, so every win for them is for personal pride. 31-10 Trojans.
(21)Michigan vs. Bowling Green
I thought last week was going to be a sleeper, but I guess Michigan was really looking forward to this game with the Falcons. Rich Rodriguez should get the team in line this week and slam the Falcons. 31-10 Wolverines.
(23)Pennsylvania State vs. Temple
Temple is unbeaten this year, but they haven’t played anyone like Penn State. The Nittany Lions stumbled big time against Alabama, but the Owls aren’t the Tide. Rob Bolden has looked good-to-great in each game except Alabama, and he should continue to lead Penn State in the right direction. 38-17 Penn State.
(25)Michigan State vs. Northern Colorado
This game will undoubtedly be a bit emotional. The Spartans head into their first game under interim head coach Don Treadwell after Head Coach Mark Dantonio suffered a mild heart attack following the thrilling win over Notre Dame last week. The best thing here is that the opponent will cause the Spartans little trouble. The Spartans might be in trouble early if they look forward to Wisconsin next week, but I don’t think that will be a problem. The team should want to win this one for Dantonio. 45-13 Spartans.
There are a number of other good games this week, including matchups like Florida State/Wake Forest and Georgia/Mississippi State, but I'm going to just focus on the Top 25 this week. Thanks for reading!
Thursday, September 16, 2010
College Football Predictions Week 3
First off, I know I missed my roundup for last week. I had too much stuff going on that weekend. I may be discontinuing that column and writing this exclusively (predictions only vs. both). Regardless, I'll take a quick look at how I did last week:
With 22 games on the docket last week, I ended up going 18-4, thanks in part to pants-shitting performances by Virginia Tech and Georgia Tech. Moving on to this week:
TOP 25
(1)Alabama @ Duke
The Tide shouldn't have much of a problem here. Mark Ingram will finally play and inject some more power into an already powerful offense. 31-14 Bama
(2)Ohio State vs. Ohio
Ohio State comes off a big win against the Canes. This matchup should be a walkover. Don't expect the Wildcats to put up much of a fight. 42-10 Buckeyes
(3)Boise State @ Wyoming
The Broncos are back in action this week facing a Wyoming team that got beat down by Texas last week. The same should happen this week, although Boise's high ranking is really starting to come into question after the realization that Virginia Tech may not be a legitimate FBS team. 38-17 Broncos
(4)TCU vs. Baylor
The high-powered Horned Frogs offense looks to demolish another team this week. Baylor managed to hang with Texas for a quarter, and could magically do the same with TCU. I wouldn't bet on it, though. This game should be over early. 56-17 Horned Frogs
(5)Oregon vs. Portland State
The Ducks pulled away at Tennessee after a lengthy rain delay. There's no reason to believe they won't pull away much earlier in the game this week. 52-9 Ducks
(6)Texas @ Texas Tech
The Longhorns look to continue their winning ways against a stingy Red Raiders team. Mastermind Mike Leach isn't roaming the sideline anymore so Texas shouldn't be as worried. Being a home game might help the Raiders a bit, but not enough. 31-17 Longhorns
(7)Oklahoma vs. Air Force
I generally feel bad for the service academies when they have to play tough teams like this. They won't win this game, and it shouldn't be close. Oklahoma destroyed Florida State last week, this game should be a repeat. 49-10 Sooners
(8)Nebraska @ Washington
The Cornhuskers go on the road and play at a tough stadium. That shouldn't matter much. Jake Locker is looking to cement himself as the best QB in next year's NFL draft, but he won't be doing much to help himself in this game. 24-14 Huskers
(9)Iowa @ (24)Arizona
This may be the marquee matchup this week. Iowa goes to the (almost) west coast and takes on a rising PAC-10 power in the Wildcats. QB Nick Foles, a Michigan State transfer, leads the Wildcats offense, and it's a good one. QB Ricky Stanzi and the Hawkeyes look to continue their hot streak. This could end up being a grudge match, and should be the first good measuring stick for both teams. 21-17 Hawkeyes
(10)Florida @ Tennessee
This game would be a lot more interesting if Lane Kiffin were still coaching at Tennessee. After getting blown out by Oregon in the second half last week, the Vols will be looking to bounce back in a big way. A win here would do that. Florida has been suspect through the first 2 weeks and this game should be a good barometer of where they're really at. 24-14 Gators
(11)Wisconsin vs. Arizona State
The Sun Devils, led by Michigan transfer Steven Threet, come into Madison looking to keep their winning ways going. Unfortunately for them, RB John Clay and the Badgers are a good team. Better than the Sun Devils. And they're at home. The end. 27-14 Badgers
(12)Arkansas @ Georgia
This should be a legitimate test for QB Ryan Mallett and the Razorbacks. An in-conference road game is a good stage to announce that you're still in the running for the Heisman and your team is one to be reckoned with. WR AJ Green is still out for the Bulldogs after his jersey-selling scandal. 24-17 Razorbacks
(13)South Carolina vs. Furman
The Gamecocks are at home and are playing...who? Please, can we not have a repeat of last week's Virginia Tech debacle? 35-7 Cocks
(14)Utah @ New Mexico
Utah continues their march toward being in the BCS-bowl mix again this year. New Mexico shouldn't pose much of a challenge. 42-10 Utes
(15)Louisiana State vs. Mississippi State
The Bulldogs go into Death Valley a week after being carved up by Auburn. QB Jordan Jefferson could have a big day as long as the Tigers take the Auburn gameplan and run with it. 31-14 Tigers
(16)Auburn vs. Clemson
The matchup of the Tigers. Auburn QB Cameron Newton is a rising star in the SEC. He looks to lead his Tigers past the Clemson Tigers in a matchup that will have announcers and viewers alike confused as hell. 21-14 Auburn
(17)Miami (FL) off this week
(18)USC @ Minnesota
The Trojans go to Minnesota this week looking to prove they're for real. A road win against a Gophers team that lost to South Dakota last week wouldn't really help, but it can't hurt either. USC shouldn't have much trouble. 30-14 Trojans
(19)Stanford vs. Wake Forest
The Demon Deacons are a real tricky team that likes to stick with tougher opponents in big games. This game could be no exception. Going to the west coast normally doesn't bode well for visiting teams, but you just never know with Wake. Ultimately I think Stanford is too good a team here. 31-17 Cardinal
(20)Michigan vs. Massachusetts
Yawn. Next. 56-7 Wolverines
(21)West Virginia vs. Maryland
If this game were at Maryland, I'd give the Terps a chance. But, since it's not, I don't. It really could end up being a close game, but Maryland does not win this game. 17-10 Mountaineers
(22)Penn State vs. Kent State
Ahh yes. The ever-present Big-10 vs. MAC matchup. Penn State got stomped last week in Tuscaloosa and JoePa and the Nittany Lions might want to take out some anger. Poor Golden Flashes. The Golden Flashes? What are they, superheroes? 38-10 Nittany Lions
(23)Houston @ UCLA
QB Case Keenum continues his march toward a Heisman trophy. The Cougars offense is more potent than the Stanford offense UCLA faced last week. They got beat at home by the Cardinal, and they'll get beat at home by Houston this week. 28-14 Cougars
(25) Oregon State vs. Louisville
Another matchup where an east coast team goes west (just like Fievel did!). Oregon State, led by James and Jacquizz Rodgers, have an offense that stacks up with anyone in the nation. Louisville doesn't have much to their name. 42-17 Beavers
Local/Notable
Michigan State vs. Notre Dame
The Spartans are back on national TV this week as they host the Irish in an 8pm tilt. Last year the Spartans were, dare I say, upset in South Bend after an abysmal performance by the offense. Their (now) 3-headed running attack should lead them again this week, but Kirk Cousins and the receiving corp really needs to step up. So far, the MSU defense has been a strength, which is really a surprise. I don't know whether to expect that to continue or not.
The Irish looked pedestrian in their loss to Michigan last week. QB Dayne Crist coming out with an odd injury certainly didn't help, but such are the breaks. Their offense did look good when Crist was in, and he's expected to be good to go this week. Look for Brian Kelly to exploit MSU's suspect secondary this week. These teams always play tight games, and this year's should be no exception. 31-24 Spartans
With 22 games on the docket last week, I ended up going 18-4, thanks in part to pants-shitting performances by Virginia Tech and Georgia Tech. Moving on to this week:
TOP 25
(1)Alabama @ Duke
The Tide shouldn't have much of a problem here. Mark Ingram will finally play and inject some more power into an already powerful offense. 31-14 Bama
(2)Ohio State vs. Ohio
Ohio State comes off a big win against the Canes. This matchup should be a walkover. Don't expect the Wildcats to put up much of a fight. 42-10 Buckeyes
(3)Boise State @ Wyoming
The Broncos are back in action this week facing a Wyoming team that got beat down by Texas last week. The same should happen this week, although Boise's high ranking is really starting to come into question after the realization that Virginia Tech may not be a legitimate FBS team. 38-17 Broncos
(4)TCU vs. Baylor
The high-powered Horned Frogs offense looks to demolish another team this week. Baylor managed to hang with Texas for a quarter, and could magically do the same with TCU. I wouldn't bet on it, though. This game should be over early. 56-17 Horned Frogs
(5)Oregon vs. Portland State
The Ducks pulled away at Tennessee after a lengthy rain delay. There's no reason to believe they won't pull away much earlier in the game this week. 52-9 Ducks
(6)Texas @ Texas Tech
The Longhorns look to continue their winning ways against a stingy Red Raiders team. Mastermind Mike Leach isn't roaming the sideline anymore so Texas shouldn't be as worried. Being a home game might help the Raiders a bit, but not enough. 31-17 Longhorns
(7)Oklahoma vs. Air Force
I generally feel bad for the service academies when they have to play tough teams like this. They won't win this game, and it shouldn't be close. Oklahoma destroyed Florida State last week, this game should be a repeat. 49-10 Sooners
(8)Nebraska @ Washington
The Cornhuskers go on the road and play at a tough stadium. That shouldn't matter much. Jake Locker is looking to cement himself as the best QB in next year's NFL draft, but he won't be doing much to help himself in this game. 24-14 Huskers
(9)Iowa @ (24)Arizona
This may be the marquee matchup this week. Iowa goes to the (almost) west coast and takes on a rising PAC-10 power in the Wildcats. QB Nick Foles, a Michigan State transfer, leads the Wildcats offense, and it's a good one. QB Ricky Stanzi and the Hawkeyes look to continue their hot streak. This could end up being a grudge match, and should be the first good measuring stick for both teams. 21-17 Hawkeyes
(10)Florida @ Tennessee
This game would be a lot more interesting if Lane Kiffin were still coaching at Tennessee. After getting blown out by Oregon in the second half last week, the Vols will be looking to bounce back in a big way. A win here would do that. Florida has been suspect through the first 2 weeks and this game should be a good barometer of where they're really at. 24-14 Gators
(11)Wisconsin vs. Arizona State
The Sun Devils, led by Michigan transfer Steven Threet, come into Madison looking to keep their winning ways going. Unfortunately for them, RB John Clay and the Badgers are a good team. Better than the Sun Devils. And they're at home. The end. 27-14 Badgers
(12)Arkansas @ Georgia
This should be a legitimate test for QB Ryan Mallett and the Razorbacks. An in-conference road game is a good stage to announce that you're still in the running for the Heisman and your team is one to be reckoned with. WR AJ Green is still out for the Bulldogs after his jersey-selling scandal. 24-17 Razorbacks
(13)South Carolina vs. Furman
The Gamecocks are at home and are playing...who? Please, can we not have a repeat of last week's Virginia Tech debacle? 35-7 Cocks
(14)Utah @ New Mexico
Utah continues their march toward being in the BCS-bowl mix again this year. New Mexico shouldn't pose much of a challenge. 42-10 Utes
(15)Louisiana State vs. Mississippi State
The Bulldogs go into Death Valley a week after being carved up by Auburn. QB Jordan Jefferson could have a big day as long as the Tigers take the Auburn gameplan and run with it. 31-14 Tigers
(16)Auburn vs. Clemson
The matchup of the Tigers. Auburn QB Cameron Newton is a rising star in the SEC. He looks to lead his Tigers past the Clemson Tigers in a matchup that will have announcers and viewers alike confused as hell. 21-14 Auburn
(17)Miami (FL) off this week
(18)USC @ Minnesota
The Trojans go to Minnesota this week looking to prove they're for real. A road win against a Gophers team that lost to South Dakota last week wouldn't really help, but it can't hurt either. USC shouldn't have much trouble. 30-14 Trojans
(19)Stanford vs. Wake Forest
The Demon Deacons are a real tricky team that likes to stick with tougher opponents in big games. This game could be no exception. Going to the west coast normally doesn't bode well for visiting teams, but you just never know with Wake. Ultimately I think Stanford is too good a team here. 31-17 Cardinal
(20)Michigan vs. Massachusetts
Yawn. Next. 56-7 Wolverines
(21)West Virginia vs. Maryland
If this game were at Maryland, I'd give the Terps a chance. But, since it's not, I don't. It really could end up being a close game, but Maryland does not win this game. 17-10 Mountaineers
(22)Penn State vs. Kent State
Ahh yes. The ever-present Big-10 vs. MAC matchup. Penn State got stomped last week in Tuscaloosa and JoePa and the Nittany Lions might want to take out some anger. Poor Golden Flashes. The Golden Flashes? What are they, superheroes? 38-10 Nittany Lions
(23)Houston @ UCLA
QB Case Keenum continues his march toward a Heisman trophy. The Cougars offense is more potent than the Stanford offense UCLA faced last week. They got beat at home by the Cardinal, and they'll get beat at home by Houston this week. 28-14 Cougars
(25) Oregon State vs. Louisville
Another matchup where an east coast team goes west (just like Fievel did!). Oregon State, led by James and Jacquizz Rodgers, have an offense that stacks up with anyone in the nation. Louisville doesn't have much to their name. 42-17 Beavers
Local/Notable
Michigan State vs. Notre Dame
The Spartans are back on national TV this week as they host the Irish in an 8pm tilt. Last year the Spartans were, dare I say, upset in South Bend after an abysmal performance by the offense. Their (now) 3-headed running attack should lead them again this week, but Kirk Cousins and the receiving corp really needs to step up. So far, the MSU defense has been a strength, which is really a surprise. I don't know whether to expect that to continue or not.
The Irish looked pedestrian in their loss to Michigan last week. QB Dayne Crist coming out with an odd injury certainly didn't help, but such are the breaks. Their offense did look good when Crist was in, and he's expected to be good to go this week. Look for Brian Kelly to exploit MSU's suspect secondary this week. These teams always play tight games, and this year's should be no exception. 31-24 Spartans
Thursday, September 9, 2010
College Football Predictions: Week 2
Welcome back to Datsyuk and Friends. Today, at the urging of a friend, I'm debuting my college football picks. This column will a Thursday staple for the blog. Again, I will do Top 25 matchups, and then any local or notable games. In the Monday column, I'll recap the games and tell you how I did on my picks. So without further ado:
Top 25
(1)Alabama vs. (18)Penn State
This will be an interesting matchup, one of many this weekend. Robert Bolden will have to grow up quickly to survive in the hostile environment in Tuscaloosa. Alabama has the deeper team, and Mark Ingram should be back contributing. I expect this game to be relatively close, but Big Ten teams play notoriously bas when they travel to the SEC. Home field advantage for Alabama takes this one. 27-14 Crimson Tide.
(2)Ohio State vs. (12)Miami
This should be a fun game to watch. Miami doesn’t have the firepower Ohio State does, even though they put up big numbers against Florida A&M. Miami is still missing running back Graig Cooper, a major cog in their offense. Terrelle Pryor has shown that he is the real deal, and the supporting cast around him is superb. Miami faces this tough early season road test and ultimately won’t match up, falling to the Buckeyes 27-17.
(3)Boise State - Off This Week
Lucky Broncos.
(4)TCU vs. Tennessee Tech
The team that got dropped to the canvas in the first round against Arkansas last week now goes to TCU, a better team. Good luck, Tennessee Tech. The only question here is how many points will TCU put up? This game will be over by about the 4 minute mark of the first quarter. 52-6 Horned Frogs
(5)Texas vs. Wyoming
Texas was a little surprised early against Rice last week. Mack Brown won’t want a repeat performance. Expect Garrett Gilbert and crew to come out and bury the Broncos from the start. Shouldn’t be much of a contest. 41-10 Longhorns.
(6)Nebraska vs. Idaho
Nebraska, based on my little knowledge of the team (aka last weeks score), should roll the Vandals pretty easily here. That’s about all I’ve got. 31-10 Huskers.
(7)Oregon @ Tennessee
Tennessee will provide a tougher test for the Ducks this week. Nobody knows if Oregon was simply that good or if New Mexico was simply that bad. We should get a better idea after this week. Chip Kelly’s offenses are known to be creative, and we should be in for a treat this week. The running attack will carry the Ducks again this week. 30-17 Oregon.
(8)Florida vs. South Florida
Florida had a shaky start to their season last week, but I look for them to rebound this week and regain their form of old. John Brantley is a work in progress, but luckily he’s still got some of the best players in the country around him to help him out. The Bulls may give the Gators a bit of a challenge, but I wouldn’t worry if I were a Florida fan. 45-10 Gators.
(9)Iowa vs. Iowa State
The in-state rivalry always seems to bring out the best in both these teams. Iowa is clearly the better team in this matchup, but you just never know. I’m still reserving judgment on the Hawkeyes, so it will be interesting to see what they can do against the Cyclones. 27-14 Hawkeyes.
(10)Oklahoma vs. (17)Florida State
Yet another marquee matchup. Jimbo Fisher will get his trial by fire this week. We’ll see how good he and his team really is. Bob Stoops’ Sooners are replacing Sam Bradford, but Oklahoma is one of those teams who just reloads. This offense could be very potent again. The home-field advantage for the Sooners should help out here. 28-17 Oklahoma.
(11)Wisconsin vs. San Jose State
Wisconsin gets a cupcake in their home opener. John Clay should run all over the Spartans here. End of story. 42-17 Wiscy.
(13)Virginia Tech vs. James Madison
If Virginia Tech doesn’t win by 30, something is wrong. 45-7 VT.
(14)Arkansas vs. Lousiana-Monroe
Ryan Mallett should lead their offense to another strong outing. Simply another warmup for the Razorbacks. 35-7 Arkansas.
(15)Georgia Tech @ Kansas
Georgia Tech will get their first real test when they travel to Kansas. We thought Kansas was going to be a good team, but after putting up only 3 points against a team from the Missouri Valley Conference, I really don’t know what to expect. UK coach Mark Mangino could be eating away his sorrows after the first quarter, or could be eating a celebratory cake after the game. The latter may happen even if the Jayhawks get steamrolled. My better judgment prevails here, 28-10 Yellow Jackets.
(16)USC vs. Virginia
The Trojans welcome the Cavaliers into the Coliseum this week. USC looked a little unsure against Hawai’i last week, but I would expect Lane Kiffin to have them ready for the home opener. I don’t see Virginia putting up much of a fight. 35-14 USC.
(19)Louisiana State @ Vanderbilt
LSU started strong but faded against a depleted Tar Heels squad last week. This early season in-conference road trip should focus their attention. Vanderbilt isn’t going to blow anybody away, but they shouldn’t be slept on, either. Jordan Jefferson should lead the Tigers to a comfortable road win, if they can maintain their focus for 60 minutes. 35-21 LSU.
(20)Utah vs. University of Nevada Las Vegas
Utah plays a Wolfpack team that got pretty much bowled over by John Clay and the Badgers last week. The Utes won’t run anybody down like the Badgers, but their offense can be just as potent. Utah proved themselves against a preseason Top 25 team in Pitt last week, no reason to think they won’t handle UNLV. 38-24 Utah
(21)Auburn @ Mississippi State
Auburn looks to continue their early season success. Their first road test could prove to be a tough one. Another in-conference, in-division early season tilt, these two teams will want to knock each other in the mouth. MSU put up 49 points against Memphis, so they shouldn’t be taken lightly. This one could end up coming down to the wire, but I’m gonna give Auburn the edge. Slightly. 27-21 Tigers.
(22)Georgia @ (24)South Carolina
Georgia WR AJ Green is suspended for the next 3 games following an NCAA investigation into whether or not he violated rules by selling a game-worn jersey, supposedly for charity. That will hurt. South Carolina’s freshman sensation RB Marcus Lattimore is a beast. He should continue to be an offensive leader, along with QB Steven Garcia. Not sure you can really categorize this as an upset without Green in the mix, but I’m going to simply based on rankings. 31-24 Cocks.
(23)West Virginia @ Marshall
The Mountaineers go on the road for the first time in 2010. They shouldn’t have much trouble, either. The Herd was smashed by Ohio State last week. While they won’t get beat quite to that degree again this week, it shouldn’t be close. 28-10 WVU.
(25)Stanford @ University of California at Los Angeles
A game that could go either way, simply because it’s in the Rose Bowl. A game that the Cardinal could lose because they lost TE Levine Toilolo, a favorite target of QB Andrew Luck, for the season with a torn ACL. Bruins coach Rick Neuheisel wants to take back LA from Southern Cal. This would be a good start. Bruins win in a close one, 28-24.
Local/notable:
Michigan State vs. Florida Atlantic (@ Ford Field, Detroit, MI)
The Spartans are coming off their season opening victory over Western Michigan. The offense looked good, but the defense continued their struggles from last year. The secondary looked inept at times, even with the addition of freshman Isaiah Lewis and cornerback Johnny Adams returning from injury. Freshman Le’Veon Bell carried the running attack. (See what I did there?) Keith Nichol asserted himself nicely as a top wideout. Overall, the WR’s had too many drops in the first game. Those need to be minimized going forward. The Owls (who knew they had owls in coastal Florida?) have a good offense that will test the secondary. MSU's offense should put up a good number of points. MSU should beat FAU, but they will be tested. 28-17 MSU
Michigan @ Notre Dame
This will be a purely offensive battle. Approximately no defense will be played. Michigan walked all over UConn last week, but I think that’s due mostly to how poorly UConn’s defense was. The Wolverines’ hopes and dreams hang by Denard Robinson’s untied shoelaces. If he gets hurt at any point this year, their season is pretty much done. On the other side of the ball, Notre Dame looked good against a mediocre-to-crap Purdue team last week. It will be interesting to see how good they really are. I think the running game and Armando Allen will have a big day. The Irish being at home gives them the edge. 34-24 ND.
There you have it, guys. Feel free to comment if you think I’ve done something egregiously wrong. I’ll be back on Monday for a recap.
Top 25
(1)Alabama vs. (18)Penn State
This will be an interesting matchup, one of many this weekend. Robert Bolden will have to grow up quickly to survive in the hostile environment in Tuscaloosa. Alabama has the deeper team, and Mark Ingram should be back contributing. I expect this game to be relatively close, but Big Ten teams play notoriously bas when they travel to the SEC. Home field advantage for Alabama takes this one. 27-14 Crimson Tide.
(2)Ohio State vs. (12)Miami
This should be a fun game to watch. Miami doesn’t have the firepower Ohio State does, even though they put up big numbers against Florida A&M. Miami is still missing running back Graig Cooper, a major cog in their offense. Terrelle Pryor has shown that he is the real deal, and the supporting cast around him is superb. Miami faces this tough early season road test and ultimately won’t match up, falling to the Buckeyes 27-17.
(3)Boise State - Off This Week
Lucky Broncos.
(4)TCU vs. Tennessee Tech
The team that got dropped to the canvas in the first round against Arkansas last week now goes to TCU, a better team. Good luck, Tennessee Tech. The only question here is how many points will TCU put up? This game will be over by about the 4 minute mark of the first quarter. 52-6 Horned Frogs
(5)Texas vs. Wyoming
Texas was a little surprised early against Rice last week. Mack Brown won’t want a repeat performance. Expect Garrett Gilbert and crew to come out and bury the Broncos from the start. Shouldn’t be much of a contest. 41-10 Longhorns.
(6)Nebraska vs. Idaho
Nebraska, based on my little knowledge of the team (aka last weeks score), should roll the Vandals pretty easily here. That’s about all I’ve got. 31-10 Huskers.
(7)Oregon @ Tennessee
Tennessee will provide a tougher test for the Ducks this week. Nobody knows if Oregon was simply that good or if New Mexico was simply that bad. We should get a better idea after this week. Chip Kelly’s offenses are known to be creative, and we should be in for a treat this week. The running attack will carry the Ducks again this week. 30-17 Oregon.
(8)Florida vs. South Florida
Florida had a shaky start to their season last week, but I look for them to rebound this week and regain their form of old. John Brantley is a work in progress, but luckily he’s still got some of the best players in the country around him to help him out. The Bulls may give the Gators a bit of a challenge, but I wouldn’t worry if I were a Florida fan. 45-10 Gators.
(9)Iowa vs. Iowa State
The in-state rivalry always seems to bring out the best in both these teams. Iowa is clearly the better team in this matchup, but you just never know. I’m still reserving judgment on the Hawkeyes, so it will be interesting to see what they can do against the Cyclones. 27-14 Hawkeyes.
(10)Oklahoma vs. (17)Florida State
Yet another marquee matchup. Jimbo Fisher will get his trial by fire this week. We’ll see how good he and his team really is. Bob Stoops’ Sooners are replacing Sam Bradford, but Oklahoma is one of those teams who just reloads. This offense could be very potent again. The home-field advantage for the Sooners should help out here. 28-17 Oklahoma.
(11)Wisconsin vs. San Jose State
Wisconsin gets a cupcake in their home opener. John Clay should run all over the Spartans here. End of story. 42-17 Wiscy.
(13)Virginia Tech vs. James Madison
If Virginia Tech doesn’t win by 30, something is wrong. 45-7 VT.
(14)Arkansas vs. Lousiana-Monroe
Ryan Mallett should lead their offense to another strong outing. Simply another warmup for the Razorbacks. 35-7 Arkansas.
(15)Georgia Tech @ Kansas
Georgia Tech will get their first real test when they travel to Kansas. We thought Kansas was going to be a good team, but after putting up only 3 points against a team from the Missouri Valley Conference, I really don’t know what to expect. UK coach Mark Mangino could be eating away his sorrows after the first quarter, or could be eating a celebratory cake after the game. The latter may happen even if the Jayhawks get steamrolled. My better judgment prevails here, 28-10 Yellow Jackets.
(16)USC vs. Virginia
The Trojans welcome the Cavaliers into the Coliseum this week. USC looked a little unsure against Hawai’i last week, but I would expect Lane Kiffin to have them ready for the home opener. I don’t see Virginia putting up much of a fight. 35-14 USC.
(19)Louisiana State @ Vanderbilt
LSU started strong but faded against a depleted Tar Heels squad last week. This early season in-conference road trip should focus their attention. Vanderbilt isn’t going to blow anybody away, but they shouldn’t be slept on, either. Jordan Jefferson should lead the Tigers to a comfortable road win, if they can maintain their focus for 60 minutes. 35-21 LSU.
(20)Utah vs. University of Nevada Las Vegas
Utah plays a Wolfpack team that got pretty much bowled over by John Clay and the Badgers last week. The Utes won’t run anybody down like the Badgers, but their offense can be just as potent. Utah proved themselves against a preseason Top 25 team in Pitt last week, no reason to think they won’t handle UNLV. 38-24 Utah
(21)Auburn @ Mississippi State
Auburn looks to continue their early season success. Their first road test could prove to be a tough one. Another in-conference, in-division early season tilt, these two teams will want to knock each other in the mouth. MSU put up 49 points against Memphis, so they shouldn’t be taken lightly. This one could end up coming down to the wire, but I’m gonna give Auburn the edge. Slightly. 27-21 Tigers.
(22)Georgia @ (24)South Carolina
Georgia WR AJ Green is suspended for the next 3 games following an NCAA investigation into whether or not he violated rules by selling a game-worn jersey, supposedly for charity. That will hurt. South Carolina’s freshman sensation RB Marcus Lattimore is a beast. He should continue to be an offensive leader, along with QB Steven Garcia. Not sure you can really categorize this as an upset without Green in the mix, but I’m going to simply based on rankings. 31-24 Cocks.
(23)West Virginia @ Marshall
The Mountaineers go on the road for the first time in 2010. They shouldn’t have much trouble, either. The Herd was smashed by Ohio State last week. While they won’t get beat quite to that degree again this week, it shouldn’t be close. 28-10 WVU.
(25)Stanford @ University of California at Los Angeles
A game that could go either way, simply because it’s in the Rose Bowl. A game that the Cardinal could lose because they lost TE Levine Toilolo, a favorite target of QB Andrew Luck, for the season with a torn ACL. Bruins coach Rick Neuheisel wants to take back LA from Southern Cal. This would be a good start. Bruins win in a close one, 28-24.
Local/notable:
Michigan State vs. Florida Atlantic (@ Ford Field, Detroit, MI)
The Spartans are coming off their season opening victory over Western Michigan. The offense looked good, but the defense continued their struggles from last year. The secondary looked inept at times, even with the addition of freshman Isaiah Lewis and cornerback Johnny Adams returning from injury. Freshman Le’Veon Bell carried the running attack. (See what I did there?) Keith Nichol asserted himself nicely as a top wideout. Overall, the WR’s had too many drops in the first game. Those need to be minimized going forward. The Owls (who knew they had owls in coastal Florida?) have a good offense that will test the secondary. MSU's offense should put up a good number of points. MSU should beat FAU, but they will be tested. 28-17 MSU
Michigan @ Notre Dame
This will be a purely offensive battle. Approximately no defense will be played. Michigan walked all over UConn last week, but I think that’s due mostly to how poorly UConn’s defense was. The Wolverines’ hopes and dreams hang by Denard Robinson’s untied shoelaces. If he gets hurt at any point this year, their season is pretty much done. On the other side of the ball, Notre Dame looked good against a mediocre-to-crap Purdue team last week. It will be interesting to see how good they really are. I think the running game and Armando Allen will have a big day. The Irish being at home gives them the edge. 34-24 ND.
There you have it, guys. Feel free to comment if you think I’ve done something egregiously wrong. I’ll be back on Monday for a recap.
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
College Football Roundup: Week 1
First off, welcome back to the blog. I've been away for quite some time now due to moving into my place at school and not getting internet right away. So thanks for coming back.
I’m going to start a new segment of the blog this week. This will be a weekly report covering the world of college football. Why college and not pro, you ask? Well the answer is two-parted and quite simple:. A. I’m a college student. B. I like the passion that college players play with as opposed to my perception of “going through the motions” that pro players seem to have. Bottom line, to each his own.
This segment will cover two distinctive sectors of college football: the Top 25 teams, and then Michigan teams and any other notable matchups of the week. I hope to have this segment up by Monday of each week, but since there was a Monday night game this week, it’s a little late.
On to the Top 25:
I will first admit that I didn’t get to watch many of these games. My own football Saturday activities took precedent, and will for most of the season. So, with few exceptions, this part will be very short and sweet.
(1) Alabama – 48 vs. San Jose St. – 3
This game wasn’t expected to be close, and it wasn’t. The injury to Mark Ingram had absolutely zero effect on the outcome here. The Crimson Tide look to be as strong as last year. I’ll wait and see until they start the SEC schedule to put a real barometer on them.
(2) Ohio State – 45 vs. Marshall – 7
One of the few games I did actually watch, because it was on Thursday night. Ohio State looks very good. Terrelle Pryor is an exceptional quarterback, no two ways about it. I thought he missed some reads at times, but against the Marshall defense, you couldn’t tell. The Thundering Herd made it a close game – for about 6 minutes. After that, it was lights out.
(3) Boise State – 33 vs. (10) Virginia Tech – 30 (@ Fedex Field, Landover, MD)
The marquee game of the weekend certainly lived up to its hype. Two teams expected to do well this season matched up in a game that had National Championship implications – not something you say in the first week of the season very often. The jury was certainly out about Boise State – could they keep up with a BCS-conference powerhouse? Could they pull the upset? (Even though they were ranked higher.)
The answer was a resounding yes. In fact, the Broncos came out and kicked the Hokies in the mouth from the very first snap. After getting out to a quick 10-0 leade, the Broncos had a bit of a relapse, letting Va Tech back into the game. After the quick lead, the game went back and forth, with both teams making big plays on each side of the ball. Quarterbacks Tyrod Taylor (VT) and Kellen Moore (BSU) impressed both with their arm and legs. Both were able to move around inside and out of the pocket and complete passes or make plays when nothing was available. Both are on the watch list for the Davey O’Brien trophy as college football’s top QB, and they showed why. I thought Boise’s linemen, on both sides, were impressive. The offensive line made holes that allowed for big runs. The defensive line disrupted much of what VT tried to do. This game really opened my eyes and proved that maybe Boise is for real. With their easy schedule, there’s really no choice but to include them in the National Title talk. As for the Hokies, they came out slow, and that’s ultimately what cost them the game. They should do well in their conference.
(4) Florida – 34 vs. Miami(OH) – 12
Not really the blowout some Gators fans may have been hoping for. New center Mike Pouncey had a bit of trouble with his shotgun snaps, hurting the Gators’ field position on a few drives. Florida still has the athletes to compete with anyone. Jeffrey Demps is a speedster and a gamechanger. Look for them to shake off the rust and put up a lot of points almost every week. Should contend for the SEC Championship.
(5)Texas – 34 vs. Rice – 17 (@ Houston, TX)
Nothing real notable here, other than the fact that Rice came out early and….dare I say….stunned the Longhorns by taking a 3-0 lead into the second quarter. After that, it was pretty much no contest. New QB Garrett Gilbert showed he has what it takes to lead the Longhorns to the promised land in last year National Championship game. He’ll have to do it without stalwart WR Jordan Shipley this year. Texas should contend for the Big-12 Championship.
(6)TCU – 30 vs. (24)Oregon State – 21 (@ Dallas, TX)
This one really did impress, and not simply because it was hosted at Jerry Jones’ mammoth Cowboys Stadium. Both teams looked good, although I’m partial to the Rodgers brothers of OSU simply due to their stature and how they play. A pretty back-and-forth affair, TCU locked up the game after forcing a fumble and making one Beaver (I can’t remember who it was and I’m too lazy to look it up) kicking the ball out of the back of the end zone for a safety with a little under 2 minutes to go. Perhaps the most impressive part of the game, though, were TCU’s new uniforms. The Horned Frogs came out in pants and a helmet that resembled lizard skin. Very cool.
(7)Oklahoma – 31 vs. Utah State – 24
This one pretty much came down to the wire. OU got out to a lead but the Aggies just wouldn’t go away. A scoreless 4th quarter sealed USU’s fate. Oklahoma should be a Big-12 powerhouse yet again.
(8)Nebraska – 44 vs. Western Kentucky – 10
Honestly don’t know much about this game other than the score. The Cornhuskers handled the Western Kentucky __________s (help?), and as well they should have. After a Big-12 revival last year, Nebraska is looking to return to prominence in the conference this year.
(9)Iowa – 37 vs. Eastern Illinois – 7
Iowa comes into this year returning its star quarterback, Ricky Stanzi. Hopes of the Rose Bowl dance in their heads. This was a pretty good start. No question they should have won this game with plenty of room to spare. They have a tough schedule ahead of them. I’m skeptical as to the early-season high ranking, but will give them the benefit of the doubt for the time being.
(11)Oregon – 72 vs. New Mexico – 0
Ouch. Not really much to say here. Either Oregon is really good or New Mexico is really bad. Or a little of both, I suppose. The final score shocked me, but shocked me less than the halftime score: 45-0. Putting up 45 points in one half is insane. The two-headed running attack of LaMichael James and Kenjon Barner shone brightly. They won the Pac-10 last year, and with USC bowl-ineligible this year, there’s no reason they can’t go to another BCS bowl this year. In addition, my favorite part about the Ducks is their myriad uniform combinations.
(12)Wisconsin – 41 @ University of Nevada Las Vegas – 21
Wisconsin is led by resident freight train John Clay. The running attack was on full force as they pretty much steamrolled the Rebels. Their offense did seem a bit shaky at times, but most teams had those periods in this first week. They could compete for the Big 10 Championship.
(13)Miami – 45 vs. Florida A&M – 0
No real surprise here, other than perhaps the score. Miami had a pretty good team last year, and returned a number of players including quarterback Jacory Harris, but I don’t think a lot of people expected them to come out and smash FAM like they did. Harris is turning into a real good QB. They are still missing RB Graig Cooper, who is recovering from offseason surgery. This team could be even better if and when he comes back.
(14)USC – 49 @ Hawai’i – 36
This one was probably a little closer than most Trojan faithful would have guessed, but I’m willing to blame that on the islands. Have you ever been out there? How could you possibly focus on a football game when the weather is so perfect? The time change didn’t help either, I’m sure. The bowl-ineligible team still has the weapons to win. They won’t get the gratification of going bowling, so they might want to come out and stomp on everyone this season.
(15)Pittsburgh – 24 @ Utah – 27 (in OT)
Full disclosure – this was a Utah home game. However, if you want to be a nationally-ranked team at the end of the year, you have to go into other the team’s house and win games. Dave “The Moustache” Wannstedt didn’t get the job done. Utah is no slouch, though, and credit should be given where credit is deserved. They’ve competed with the big boys before, this really shouldn’t be too much of a surprise.
(16)Georgia Tech – 41 vs. South Carolina State – 10
I didn’t pay much attention to this game. The only thing I know about it is that Josh Nesbitt has requested he now be called Joshua Nesbitt. And that he put up some pretty solid numbers. Which should shock exactly nobody.
(17)Arkansas – 44 vs. Tennessee Tech – 3
First off…who did Arkansas play this week? They may as well have played the Little Sisters of the Poor. The 44 points shouldn’t be much of a surprise. Or perhaps it should – as in, they should have put up more. University of Michigan transfer Ryan Mallett is a Heisman candidate. Look for him to lead the Razorbacks and possibly sneak up on a few teams this year.
(18)North Carolina - 24 vs. (21) LSU – 30 (@ Atlanta, Georgia)
This game was noteworthy – not because both teams were ranked, but rather because UNC had so many key players ineligible or suspended or left home. When all was said and done, most in the Georgia Dome were probably surprised at the outcome. Not due to the fact that LSU had won, but rather because UNC kept it so close, and actually had a chance to win it at the end. Kudos to the Tar Heels. If everything gets ironed out and they get their players back, they should be a solid team in the ACC. LSU could be a dark horse in the SEC behind QB Jordan Jefferson.
(19)Penn State – 44 vs. Youngstown State – 14
Joe Paterno set yet another first in his illustrious career – for the first time, he started a true freshman quarterback, Robert Bolden. Bolden, who is from Orchard Lake St. Mary’s High School, a rival of my alma mater, Detroit Catholic Central, showed that he deserved to be on the field. He made plays both with his arm and legs. Evan Royster is still one of the most electrifying players in college football, and should help Bolden acclimate. This team is ranked so low simply because of losing Daryl Clark. Look for them to move up steadily throughout the year.
(20)Florida State – 59 vs. Samford – 6
Who the hell is Samford? Jimbo Fisher made his mark in his coaching debut after taking over for Bobby Bowden, even if it was against a school a large number of Americans had never heard of before. FSU has some sick uniforms, too.
(22)Auburn – 52 vs. Arkansas State – 26
Auburn lost a lot in running back Ben Tate. Despite that, the fact that they gave up 26 points and only doubled up Arkansas State has to be a bit disappointing for the Tigers. They should be a tier-II SEC team.
(23)Georgia – 55 vs. Lousiana Lafayette – 7
Even without standout WR AJ Green, the Bulldogs had no trouble this week. In the same tier with Auburn, they could end up surprising a team or two.
(25)West Virginia – 31 vs. Coastal Carolina – 0
The Mountaineers came out and shut out the Chanticleers (yes, that is CC’s nickname). I don’t have much of a read on WVU yet, but Noel Devine should continue to be the force that drives them.
Local/notable:
Michigan State – 38 vs. Western Michigan – 14
Michigan State is coming off a disappointing season marred by season-ending suspensions for 12 players following an on-campus brawl. The Alamo Bowl, dubbed “The Suspension Bowl” by some in homage to both MSU's and Texas Tech’s transgressions, was a bit of foreshadowing with position changes and new players emerging. The Spartans return a number of key players across the board. The offense looked pretty good, but nothing spectacular. The defense was porous, as usual. Hopefully that can be shored up with the help of some new talent like Isaiah Lewis. Special teams, specifically kicker, will be a question mark for the first time in 3 years after losing the automatic Brett Swenson. The team has a lot of promise, but they have to show up for 60 minutes and finish games, something they didn’t do last year.
Michigan – 30 vs. Connecticut – 10
The official unveiling of the new Big House went as planned for Rich Rodriguez. In what is sure to be a pressure year for him, he came out and did what he had to do – win by the largest margin possible. Denard Robinson took exclusive snaps under center, with the exception of the few plays the freshman Devin Gardner came in after Robinson was shaken up. (I think Tate Forcier, last year's wunderkid, will transfer in the next couple weeks. He knows he's not in the plans, and made it very evident with his antics during the game.) Their offense was electric. However, UConn’s defense didn’t have a clue. Randy Edsall, UConn’s coach, didn’t seem to have his defensive gameplan ready. The whole stadium knew Michigan was going to run the ball down after down, but UConn still prepared for the pass. Notre Dame should be a much better barometer for how good, or bad, this Michigan team is. Speaking of the Irish…
Notre Dame – 23 vs. Purdue – 12
DayneChrist Crist made his first start for the Fighting Catholics, and he got a lot of help from Notre Dame’s prominent players. Kevin Rudolf is the best tight end in the country. Armando Allen is a solid running back. They have a big, good offensive line. That will certainly help Crist mature and advance his skills. Their schedule gets tougher over the next few weeks as they welcome Michigan and go to Michigan State. The image of their fate will be much clearer after those two games.
Purdue is a middle-of-the-road Big Ten team. Transfer quarterback Robert Marve looked good. And that’s about it. Nothing special from anyone else, nothing really stood out. Both teams looked shaky, and really it could have, and probably should have, been a closer game than it actually was.
Mississippi – 48 vs. Jacksonville State – 49 (in 2OT)
Jeremiah Masoli’s victory in the courtoom didn’t lead to his first victory on the field. The Running Rebels were shocked by an NCAA FBS (formerly Div. 1-AA) team on their home field, just as Michigan was by Appalachian State a couple years ago. No doubt the upset of the week, and possibly upset of the year.
Kansas – 3 vs. North Dakota State – 6
Holy inept offenses, Batman! Kansas is, or was, a legitimate Big 12 team. They lost to a school that I didn’t even know had a football team. What’s worse is they only scored a field goal. In 4 quarters. What!? I guess their defense is alright, but you can’t score a TD against a team from the Missouri Valley Conference!? Come on. Embarrassing.
Maryland – 17 vs. Navy – 14 (@ Baltimore, MD)
Navy fumbled 3 times at the Maryland 1-yard line. That’s all you need to know, right there.
Finally, my Top 25 for this week:
1. Alabama
2. Ohio State
3. Boise State
4. Florida
5. Texas
6. TCU
7. Oklahoma
8. Nebraska
9. Iowa
10. Oregon
11. Wisconsin
12. Miami (FL)
13. USC
14. Virginia Tech
15. Georgia Tech
16. Arkansas
17. Penn State
18. Florida State
19. LSU
20. Auburn
21. Georgia
22. Oregon State
23. West Virginia
24. Utah
25. Stanford
I’m going to start a new segment of the blog this week. This will be a weekly report covering the world of college football. Why college and not pro, you ask? Well the answer is two-parted and quite simple:. A. I’m a college student. B. I like the passion that college players play with as opposed to my perception of “going through the motions” that pro players seem to have. Bottom line, to each his own.
This segment will cover two distinctive sectors of college football: the Top 25 teams, and then Michigan teams and any other notable matchups of the week. I hope to have this segment up by Monday of each week, but since there was a Monday night game this week, it’s a little late.
On to the Top 25:
I will first admit that I didn’t get to watch many of these games. My own football Saturday activities took precedent, and will for most of the season. So, with few exceptions, this part will be very short and sweet.
(1) Alabama – 48 vs. San Jose St. – 3
This game wasn’t expected to be close, and it wasn’t. The injury to Mark Ingram had absolutely zero effect on the outcome here. The Crimson Tide look to be as strong as last year. I’ll wait and see until they start the SEC schedule to put a real barometer on them.
(2) Ohio State – 45 vs. Marshall – 7
One of the few games I did actually watch, because it was on Thursday night. Ohio State looks very good. Terrelle Pryor is an exceptional quarterback, no two ways about it. I thought he missed some reads at times, but against the Marshall defense, you couldn’t tell. The Thundering Herd made it a close game – for about 6 minutes. After that, it was lights out.
(3) Boise State – 33 vs. (10) Virginia Tech – 30 (@ Fedex Field, Landover, MD)
The marquee game of the weekend certainly lived up to its hype. Two teams expected to do well this season matched up in a game that had National Championship implications – not something you say in the first week of the season very often. The jury was certainly out about Boise State – could they keep up with a BCS-conference powerhouse? Could they pull the upset? (Even though they were ranked higher.)
The answer was a resounding yes. In fact, the Broncos came out and kicked the Hokies in the mouth from the very first snap. After getting out to a quick 10-0 leade, the Broncos had a bit of a relapse, letting Va Tech back into the game. After the quick lead, the game went back and forth, with both teams making big plays on each side of the ball. Quarterbacks Tyrod Taylor (VT) and Kellen Moore (BSU) impressed both with their arm and legs. Both were able to move around inside and out of the pocket and complete passes or make plays when nothing was available. Both are on the watch list for the Davey O’Brien trophy as college football’s top QB, and they showed why. I thought Boise’s linemen, on both sides, were impressive. The offensive line made holes that allowed for big runs. The defensive line disrupted much of what VT tried to do. This game really opened my eyes and proved that maybe Boise is for real. With their easy schedule, there’s really no choice but to include them in the National Title talk. As for the Hokies, they came out slow, and that’s ultimately what cost them the game. They should do well in their conference.
(4) Florida – 34 vs. Miami(OH) – 12
Not really the blowout some Gators fans may have been hoping for. New center Mike Pouncey had a bit of trouble with his shotgun snaps, hurting the Gators’ field position on a few drives. Florida still has the athletes to compete with anyone. Jeffrey Demps is a speedster and a gamechanger. Look for them to shake off the rust and put up a lot of points almost every week. Should contend for the SEC Championship.
(5)Texas – 34 vs. Rice – 17 (@ Houston, TX)
Nothing real notable here, other than the fact that Rice came out early and….dare I say….stunned the Longhorns by taking a 3-0 lead into the second quarter. After that, it was pretty much no contest. New QB Garrett Gilbert showed he has what it takes to lead the Longhorns to the promised land in last year National Championship game. He’ll have to do it without stalwart WR Jordan Shipley this year. Texas should contend for the Big-12 Championship.
(6)TCU – 30 vs. (24)Oregon State – 21 (@ Dallas, TX)
This one really did impress, and not simply because it was hosted at Jerry Jones’ mammoth Cowboys Stadium. Both teams looked good, although I’m partial to the Rodgers brothers of OSU simply due to their stature and how they play. A pretty back-and-forth affair, TCU locked up the game after forcing a fumble and making one Beaver (I can’t remember who it was and I’m too lazy to look it up) kicking the ball out of the back of the end zone for a safety with a little under 2 minutes to go. Perhaps the most impressive part of the game, though, were TCU’s new uniforms. The Horned Frogs came out in pants and a helmet that resembled lizard skin. Very cool.
(7)Oklahoma – 31 vs. Utah State – 24
This one pretty much came down to the wire. OU got out to a lead but the Aggies just wouldn’t go away. A scoreless 4th quarter sealed USU’s fate. Oklahoma should be a Big-12 powerhouse yet again.
(8)Nebraska – 44 vs. Western Kentucky – 10
Honestly don’t know much about this game other than the score. The Cornhuskers handled the Western Kentucky __________s (help?), and as well they should have. After a Big-12 revival last year, Nebraska is looking to return to prominence in the conference this year.
(9)Iowa – 37 vs. Eastern Illinois – 7
Iowa comes into this year returning its star quarterback, Ricky Stanzi. Hopes of the Rose Bowl dance in their heads. This was a pretty good start. No question they should have won this game with plenty of room to spare. They have a tough schedule ahead of them. I’m skeptical as to the early-season high ranking, but will give them the benefit of the doubt for the time being.
(11)Oregon – 72 vs. New Mexico – 0
Ouch. Not really much to say here. Either Oregon is really good or New Mexico is really bad. Or a little of both, I suppose. The final score shocked me, but shocked me less than the halftime score: 45-0. Putting up 45 points in one half is insane. The two-headed running attack of LaMichael James and Kenjon Barner shone brightly. They won the Pac-10 last year, and with USC bowl-ineligible this year, there’s no reason they can’t go to another BCS bowl this year. In addition, my favorite part about the Ducks is their myriad uniform combinations.
(12)Wisconsin – 41 @ University of Nevada Las Vegas – 21
Wisconsin is led by resident freight train John Clay. The running attack was on full force as they pretty much steamrolled the Rebels. Their offense did seem a bit shaky at times, but most teams had those periods in this first week. They could compete for the Big 10 Championship.
(13)Miami – 45 vs. Florida A&M – 0
No real surprise here, other than perhaps the score. Miami had a pretty good team last year, and returned a number of players including quarterback Jacory Harris, but I don’t think a lot of people expected them to come out and smash FAM like they did. Harris is turning into a real good QB. They are still missing RB Graig Cooper, who is recovering from offseason surgery. This team could be even better if and when he comes back.
(14)USC – 49 @ Hawai’i – 36
This one was probably a little closer than most Trojan faithful would have guessed, but I’m willing to blame that on the islands. Have you ever been out there? How could you possibly focus on a football game when the weather is so perfect? The time change didn’t help either, I’m sure. The bowl-ineligible team still has the weapons to win. They won’t get the gratification of going bowling, so they might want to come out and stomp on everyone this season.
(15)Pittsburgh – 24 @ Utah – 27 (in OT)
Full disclosure – this was a Utah home game. However, if you want to be a nationally-ranked team at the end of the year, you have to go into other the team’s house and win games. Dave “The Moustache” Wannstedt didn’t get the job done. Utah is no slouch, though, and credit should be given where credit is deserved. They’ve competed with the big boys before, this really shouldn’t be too much of a surprise.
(16)Georgia Tech – 41 vs. South Carolina State – 10
I didn’t pay much attention to this game. The only thing I know about it is that Josh Nesbitt has requested he now be called Joshua Nesbitt. And that he put up some pretty solid numbers. Which should shock exactly nobody.
(17)Arkansas – 44 vs. Tennessee Tech – 3
First off…who did Arkansas play this week? They may as well have played the Little Sisters of the Poor. The 44 points shouldn’t be much of a surprise. Or perhaps it should – as in, they should have put up more. University of Michigan transfer Ryan Mallett is a Heisman candidate. Look for him to lead the Razorbacks and possibly sneak up on a few teams this year.
(18)North Carolina - 24 vs. (21) LSU – 30 (@ Atlanta, Georgia)
This game was noteworthy – not because both teams were ranked, but rather because UNC had so many key players ineligible or suspended or left home. When all was said and done, most in the Georgia Dome were probably surprised at the outcome. Not due to the fact that LSU had won, but rather because UNC kept it so close, and actually had a chance to win it at the end. Kudos to the Tar Heels. If everything gets ironed out and they get their players back, they should be a solid team in the ACC. LSU could be a dark horse in the SEC behind QB Jordan Jefferson.
(19)Penn State – 44 vs. Youngstown State – 14
Joe Paterno set yet another first in his illustrious career – for the first time, he started a true freshman quarterback, Robert Bolden. Bolden, who is from Orchard Lake St. Mary’s High School, a rival of my alma mater, Detroit Catholic Central, showed that he deserved to be on the field. He made plays both with his arm and legs. Evan Royster is still one of the most electrifying players in college football, and should help Bolden acclimate. This team is ranked so low simply because of losing Daryl Clark. Look for them to move up steadily throughout the year.
(20)Florida State – 59 vs. Samford – 6
Who the hell is Samford? Jimbo Fisher made his mark in his coaching debut after taking over for Bobby Bowden, even if it was against a school a large number of Americans had never heard of before. FSU has some sick uniforms, too.
(22)Auburn – 52 vs. Arkansas State – 26
Auburn lost a lot in running back Ben Tate. Despite that, the fact that they gave up 26 points and only doubled up Arkansas State has to be a bit disappointing for the Tigers. They should be a tier-II SEC team.
(23)Georgia – 55 vs. Lousiana Lafayette – 7
Even without standout WR AJ Green, the Bulldogs had no trouble this week. In the same tier with Auburn, they could end up surprising a team or two.
(25)West Virginia – 31 vs. Coastal Carolina – 0
The Mountaineers came out and shut out the Chanticleers (yes, that is CC’s nickname). I don’t have much of a read on WVU yet, but Noel Devine should continue to be the force that drives them.
Local/notable:
Michigan State – 38 vs. Western Michigan – 14
Michigan State is coming off a disappointing season marred by season-ending suspensions for 12 players following an on-campus brawl. The Alamo Bowl, dubbed “The Suspension Bowl” by some in homage to both MSU's and Texas Tech’s transgressions, was a bit of foreshadowing with position changes and new players emerging. The Spartans return a number of key players across the board. The offense looked pretty good, but nothing spectacular. The defense was porous, as usual. Hopefully that can be shored up with the help of some new talent like Isaiah Lewis. Special teams, specifically kicker, will be a question mark for the first time in 3 years after losing the automatic Brett Swenson. The team has a lot of promise, but they have to show up for 60 minutes and finish games, something they didn’t do last year.
Michigan – 30 vs. Connecticut – 10
The official unveiling of the new Big House went as planned for Rich Rodriguez. In what is sure to be a pressure year for him, he came out and did what he had to do – win by the largest margin possible. Denard Robinson took exclusive snaps under center, with the exception of the few plays the freshman Devin Gardner came in after Robinson was shaken up. (I think Tate Forcier, last year's wunderkid, will transfer in the next couple weeks. He knows he's not in the plans, and made it very evident with his antics during the game.) Their offense was electric. However, UConn’s defense didn’t have a clue. Randy Edsall, UConn’s coach, didn’t seem to have his defensive gameplan ready. The whole stadium knew Michigan was going to run the ball down after down, but UConn still prepared for the pass. Notre Dame should be a much better barometer for how good, or bad, this Michigan team is. Speaking of the Irish…
Notre Dame – 23 vs. Purdue – 12
Dayne
Purdue is a middle-of-the-road Big Ten team. Transfer quarterback Robert Marve looked good. And that’s about it. Nothing special from anyone else, nothing really stood out. Both teams looked shaky, and really it could have, and probably should have, been a closer game than it actually was.
Mississippi – 48 vs. Jacksonville State – 49 (in 2OT)
Jeremiah Masoli’s victory in the courtoom didn’t lead to his first victory on the field. The Running Rebels were shocked by an NCAA FBS (formerly Div. 1-AA) team on their home field, just as Michigan was by Appalachian State a couple years ago. No doubt the upset of the week, and possibly upset of the year.
Kansas – 3 vs. North Dakota State – 6
Holy inept offenses, Batman! Kansas is, or was, a legitimate Big 12 team. They lost to a school that I didn’t even know had a football team. What’s worse is they only scored a field goal. In 4 quarters. What!? I guess their defense is alright, but you can’t score a TD against a team from the Missouri Valley Conference!? Come on. Embarrassing.
Maryland – 17 vs. Navy – 14 (@ Baltimore, MD)
Navy fumbled 3 times at the Maryland 1-yard line. That’s all you need to know, right there.
Finally, my Top 25 for this week:
1. Alabama
2. Ohio State
3. Boise State
4. Florida
5. Texas
6. TCU
7. Oklahoma
8. Nebraska
9. Iowa
10. Oregon
11. Wisconsin
12. Miami (FL)
13. USC
14. Virginia Tech
15. Georgia Tech
16. Arkansas
17. Penn State
18. Florida State
19. LSU
20. Auburn
21. Georgia
22. Oregon State
23. West Virginia
24. Utah
25. Stanford
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