Week 6 Predictions

Week 5 was a busy week in college football and in this writer's home.  Having a newborn really gets in the way of writing a college football blog.

You know what happened to the last guy that tried writing a blog while his wife was changing dirty diapers? 

"My penis is over there, your honor." 

So yeah, I missed a week, sue me.  

Let's talk some football.  

Top 25 Action

Georgia State @ #1 Alabama - The line on this game is 'Bama -55.5.  For those of you non-gamblers out there, that means 'Bama needs to beat GA State by 8 TD's to cover the spread.  The only question is really how long will "Bama HC Nick Saban keep his starters in the game.  This has the potential to be the biggest blow out since the 80's glam rock scene...

I'm not even sure how men get their hair blown out that big.  I also wonder at what point Brett Michaels started going bald and had to resort to the head band.  Lastly, this song still rocks... 

'Bama will be without safety Ha Ha Clinton-Dix after he's been suspended indefinitely for a violation of team rules.  An Alabama strength coach was put on leave for allegedly providing money to Dix. For this game, the suspension won't matter, but when can we expect Dix back?  In the SEC, "suspended indefinitely" means "suspended until a tough game", so expect Dix back for the game against LSU on Nov 9th.

55.5 - 0 Roll Tide! 

#2 Oregon @ Colorado - The Ducks average margin of victory thus far is 49 points.  You heard me.  The Ducks are beating teams by an AVERAGE of 49 points!  That's ridiculous.  The Ducks will most likely be without lightning fast RB De'Anthony Thomas as he's currently in a walking boot due to an injured right ankle.  Oregon shouldn't miss him too much as they have way too much firepower on offense for the Buffaloes to handle. 

Speaking of the 80's, the last time the Colorado program was relevant was just about that long ago.  

It was literally a generation ago, 1990 to be exact, Colorado beat Notre Dame 10-9 in the Orange Bowl to claim a national championship. 

59-13 Oregon 

#3 Clemson @ Syracuse - Syracuse plays their first game as a member of the ACC against a Clemson squad making their first trip to up state New York.  Syracuse has knocked off some ranked teams under the dome in the past few seasons...

The Orangemen knocked off WVU in 2011 and up ended Louisville last season.  Could they pull the upset of the season and knock off the Tigers? 

Clemson QB Tajh Boyd has started shaky the past few games but settled in and found his favorite target WR Sammy Watkins for multiple touchdowns.  I can see Clemson starting slow and 'Cuse keeping this game close for a half.  If the Tigers are sloppy they'll be in trouble in front of a fired up 'Cuse crowd.  If Clemson plays like they are capable of, this game won't be close. 

45-24 Clemson

#4 Ohio State @ #16 Northwestern - The Wildcats get dynamic RB Venric Mark...

...back for their biggest game of the season.  Ohio State is riding a 17 game winning streak and looking to win against Northwestern for the 29th time in their last 30 meetings.  ESPN Game Day will be in Evanston for this game, which means all the famous alumni will be back in town for the game.  And by all the famous alumni, I mean this guy... 

Ohio State will get QB Braxton Miller back for this game.  QB Kenny Guiton has more than held his own as the starter in Miller's absence and will be ready to step in should Miller falter.  

The Wildcats average 249.5 yards rushing per game and OSU is only giving up 84 yards rushing.  Something has to give.  This game will come down to Northwestern's ability to stop Braxton Miller from running wild.  If they can contain him they can keep it close.  

Despite the hype, I don't see this game being that close. 

45 - 24 Ohio State 

#15 Washington @ #5 Stanford - We're going to find out in the next 3 weeks if Washington is a contender or pretender as they face #5 Stanford, #2 Oregon and #22 Arizona State in consecutive weeks. If UW goes 3-0 they'll be in the top 10 and a potential national title contender. If UW can go 2-1 against that schedule they'll be in the thick of things in the PAC 12.  If they go 1-2 a mid tier bowl is their most likely destination.  If they 0-3 HC Steve Sarkisian may take another look at that USC job that just opened up.  

Stanford will be out to get revenge for a 17-13 loss last season where the Cardinal were held without an offensive touchdown.  QB Kevin Hogan add a dimension to the offense that they didn't have in that game as he's mobile enough to hurt the Huskies with his feet.  

The Cardinal will have to find a way to contain RB Bishop Sankey, one of the best backs in college football. 

Last year the Huskies gave Sankey the ball 40 times and pounded Stanford on the ground.  Huskies QB Keith Price has improved since last season and will be counted on to provide a more balanced offense.  

This should be a great game that may very well come down to the last possession. 

30-27 Washington 

#6 Georgia @ Tennessee - The Bulldogs won an epic contest against LSU last week and are primed for a let down on the road this week. Georgia will be without star RB Todd Gurley and struggled to run the ball with Keith Marshall last week.  QB Aaron Murray has come into his own this season, showing poise and hitting open WR's.  Given the chance, he can pick apart the Vols D.  

On the flip side, the Vols have been in Arrested Development since firing HC Phil Fulmer...

They've lost to both ranked teams they played this year and let Sun Belt foe South Alabama hang around for the entire game last week.  Even though the Vols won 31-24 they didn't have the killer instinct good teams have when playing lesser opponents.  

The Bulldogs have that instinct. 

38-13 Georgia 

#7 Louisville @ Temple - Temple is now 0-4 after losing to perennial FBS cellar dweller Idaho last week. Temple is facing a very real possibility of going 0-12.  Their best shot at a W is against Army or UConn.  The Owls are bad to awful in every aspect of the game.  The fact that now Miami HC Al Golden was actually able to win some games and stabilize that program is nothing short of a coaching miracle.  

This is the type of game where QB Teddy Bridgewater should put up 300 yards and 4 TD's in the first half and relax the second half.  Maybe he can take a tour of Lincoln Financial Field since he may very well be starting for the Eagles next year. 

52-7 Louisville 

#25 Maryland @ #8 Florida State - If you ask Siri who her... his?  its? .. favorite college football team is, this game has your answer...

The Terrapins are 4-0 and are coming off a bye week.  Their 37-0 defeat of WVU looks even better after WVU knocked off Okie State last weekend.  So are the Terrapins contenders in the ACC or is a two horse race between FSU and Clemson for the BCS berth?  

Meanwhile the 'Noles have been steamrolling lesser opponents.  This will be FSU's toughest game so far this season.  QB Jameis Winston could throw his hat into the Heisman ring with a good game, but he may want to save his best game for his meeting with Clemson in a couple weeks. 

As long as FSU doesn't get caught looking ahead, they should win this one comfortably. 

38-17 Seminoles 

#10 LSU @ Mississippi State - LSU hung with Georgia all game and QB Zach Mettenberge played arguably his best game in an LSU uniform but the Tigers came up just short losing 44-41.  Defense was thought to be a strength of the Tigers, but Georgia exposed some flaws both on the ground and through the air.  

The Bulldogs have been up and down all season, beating up on bad teams and losing to good ones.  They beat Troy 62-7 a couple weeks ago and the up and down trend should continue against an LSU squad looking to take out some frustrations.  

45-14 LSU 

TCU @ #11 Oklahoma - The Sooners snapped a 7 game losing streak to the Fightin' Irish last weekend and picked off 3 passes en route to a 35-21 win.  QB Blake Bell seems to have settled into the starting role throwing for 232 yards and 2 TD's and adding 59 more yards on the ground.  The Sooners D did give up 232 rushing yards, including an 80 yard TD.  The Big XII is shaping up to be a 3 way race between Oklahoma, Baylor and Texas Tech.  All of those teams have some flaws and it's possible we have a 3 way or even 4 way tie atop the Big XII come December. 

For now, the Sooners must take care of TCU before facing bitter rival Texas in the Red River Shootout our whatever bullshit PC name they call it now.  

TCU HC Gary Patterson's name has been floated as a possible successor to not-yet-fired but definitely-on-the-hot-seat Texas HC Mack Brown.  Patterson has built the Horned Frogs into a consistent winner even if this year's squad is not quite as good as previous years.  The Frogs have taken care of business against lesser opponents but have yet to score a W against a good team.  Could the Sooners be reveling in their win over Notre Dame and/or looking ahead to Texas?  This has all the makings of a trap game! 

30-27 Horned Frogs

#12 UCLA @ Utah - The Bruins won this game 34-27

Kentucky @ #13 South Carolina - The Wildcats have 1 win and that came against a bad Miami (OH) team.  HC Mike Stoops is putting together nice recruiting class, but he has not put together a nice team on the field this year.  As always, the Wildcat fans are counting the days until basketball season.

The Gamecocks escaped Disney World with a 28-25 win over UCF.  RB Mike Davis proved a he can carry the load on offense, rushing for 167 yards and 3 TD's.  The Gamecocks are beat up, with DE Jadeveon Clowney nursing bruised ribs and QB Connor Shaw uncertain to play with a shoulder injury.

This is the perfect week for a game against Kentucky.

29-13 South Carolina 

Georgia Tech @ #14 Miami - The 'Canes are off to their best start in nearly a decade and are looking to score their 5th consecutive win over the Yellowjackets.  QB Stephon Morris seems to have progressed from erratic to consistent this season.  He played through an ankle injury last week and put up a season high 222 yards and 2 TD's.

The Yellowjackets run HC Paul Johnson's triple option offense but were held to only 160 yards rushing last week by VA Tech in a 17-10 loss.  If Miami's D can limit the damage on the ground, the 'Canes will be 5-0.

27-17 Miami 

WVU @ #17 Baylor - Baylor is AVERAGING 69.7 points per game this season.  You read that right, Baylor is averaging what some NCAA basketball teams can't manage.  Of course, the level of competition has been sub par.  WVU is not exactly known for defense, but at least they're a BCS conference team.

WVU scored a big win against then #11 Okie State last weekend and will look to continue that momentum.  If WVU can win this one, they'll be right in the thick of things for a Big XII title.  Stopping the Bears O is going to be a daunting task for the defensively challenged Mountaineers.

56-31 Baylor 

Arkansas @ #18 Florida - The Gators lost QB Jeff Driskel for the year but that may not be a bad thing as the offense was stagnant with him at the helm.  In steps JR QB Tyler Murphy who can run and throw.  Murphy amassed 192 total yards and 2 TD's in the win against Kentucky, his first career start.  Things get a bit tougher against an Arkansas squad riding a 2 game losing streak.

The Razorbacks have had success running the ball but are dreadful through the air. It will be a long day for Arkansas as Florida boasts one of the best D's in the nation.  Unless Florida completely self destructs, their D should be able to dominate and send Arkansas to their 3rd straight loss.

24-10 Gators 

Minnesota @ #19 Michigan - Michigan's uniforms are one of the most iconic in college football.  With all the alternate uniforms popping up these days, the Wolverines have kept to their tradition of Maize & Blue.  And let's hope offensive lineman Graham Glasgow has no say in designing alternate uniforms...

That dude really likes cats.

After a big win against Notre Dame, Michigan has squeaked by with wins against lesser opponents the past two weeks.  As they begin Big Ten play, QB Devin Gardner will have to show more consistency.  Thus far he's looked like a star at QB and the like he has no business playing QB in the same game.

The Golden Gophers beat up on some crap teams to start the season and lost Iowa, the first decent team they've faced.  The Gophers have no passing game to speak of and will need to get it done on the ground against Michigan.  This game will depend on which Devin Gardner shows up.  If Michigan turns it over and allows Minnesota to hang around it will be a long night in Ann Arbor, but I expect the Wolverines to score the W.

34-17 Michigan 

#20 TX Tech @ Kansas - The Jayhawks, much like Kentucky, are just biding their time until basketball season starts.

The Red Raiders are damn good with a top 3 passing attack and a 33 year old head coach in Kliff Kingsbury that's brought an energy to the program. And he's apparently the most eligible head coach in the country..

but that still doesn't mean shit if he can't win game, and he's doing just that. Kingsbury was the OC for Texas A&M last season and helped Johnny Football become Johnny Heisman.  As an encore, he's returned to his alma mater and turned walk on freshman QB Baker Mayfield into one of the best QB's in the country.

So what's next for Kinsbury?  Dating a model?  An actress?  Maybe a pop star?

Jessica Simpson and Kliff Kingsbury

Been there, done that. Allegedly. We do know Jessica has a thing for QB's from Texas.

I'm not sure where Kingsbury goes from here, but a win over Kansas is a good start.

45-10 TX Tech 

K State @ #21 Okie State - After hanging over 55 points on two bad teams for a couple weeks in a row the Cowboys offense cam crashing back to earth against WVU of all teams. The Cowboys were sloppy and their D couldn't stop WVU when it counted.

K State just isn't the same team without former QB Collin Klein at the helm.  JUCO transfer QB Jake Waters has been up and down and just doesn't have the skill players around him to make K State a legit contender in the Big XII this year.  That said, K State is known for winning games they shouldn't, so you can never count them out.  I still think Okie State is over rated.  This is my upset special of the week.

34-27 K State 

#22 Arizona State @ Notre Dame - After their loss to Oklahoma last weekend, Notre Dame players headed directly into their locker room, neglecting to stop and sing the alma mater with the student section, as is tradition in South Bend.  That was a surprise to everyone but HC Brian Kelly, who apparently changed tradition 2 years ago and claimed the players no longer sing the alma mater after home losses.  I guess nobody ever noticed since Notre Dame did not lose at all at home last season?  Either way, the alumni and students were not happy with him, and more importantly, they are not happy with Notre Dame's 3-2 record.

The Irish are now unranked and have surrendered 41 and 35 points in their losses.  They now face an Arizona State squad that hung 62 on USC in a game that was the proverbial straw that broke the camel's back.  After their beat down, USC HC Lane Kiffin was fired.  I guess USC AD Pat Haden felt that since the NCAA wouldn't reduce their sanctions, the next best thing he could do for the program was get rid of Kiffin, and just about all of USC fans would agree.

The Sun Devils should be 2-2 but were saved by the refs in the Wisconsin game.  It's not often that Notre Dame is an underdog at home, but Arizona State is over rated.

27-21 Notre Dame 

#23 Fresno State @ Idaho - Fresno State is lead by QB Derek Carr, little brother of former first overall pick and Houston Texans tackling dummy David Carr.  Carr, already married with a child, seems to be the anti-Manziel.

Derek Carr and wife Heather. 

The Bulldogs are off to a 4-0 start and will be favored in every game for the rest of the season.  They're looking to become the latest BCS buster from the Mountain West conference but only a Charmin soft schedule will prevent them from doing so.  They've already won arguably their two toughest games this season against Rutgers and Boise State.  Only an upset stands in the way of a perfect season, but even a 12-0 record may not be enough for a BCS bid after the embarrassment that was Northern Illinois in the BCS last season.

Idaho is bad.  Not as bad as Temple, but bad.

45-7 Fresno State 

#24 Ole Miss @ Auburn - Ole Miss officials have apologized for the behavior of a group of freshman football players who used "borderline hate speech", aka derogatory terms for homosexuals, directed at student actors during a University theater production of "The Laramie Project."

However, that headline buries the lead.  The investigation should focus on why Ole Miss football players are actually attending class and the boosters reaction to such a travesty.

But seriously folks, this is Ole Miss we're talking about.  For every American flag you'll find a Confederate flag not far behind.  Former plantations dot the country side.  The state has a long and sordid history of racial intolerance that's still inexplicably a source of pride for some in the state.  So progress at Ole Miss is measured differently.  Even though yelling homosexual slurs are fellow students is intolerant and immature, it sure beats a race riot.  Progress.

The Rebels were shut out by Alabama last week 25-0.  The Rebels were held to 205 total yards and couldn't do anything on the ground.

Auburn lost to LSU 35-21 last week.  Auburn was down early but never gave up, but they had no answer for LSU RB Jeremy Hill.  Both teams should be able to put up some points this week, but I'll give the edge to Auburn at home.

34-30 Auburn 

Games of Note

Penn State @ Indiana - Penn State got an early Hanukkah gift from the NCAA during their bye week in the form of reduced sanctions.  The Nittany Lions got 5 scholarships back for the 2014 cycle, giving them 20 total.  They are also now allowed 75 players on scholarship starting next season before returning to a full 25 scholarships and 85 total in 2016.  While USC fired their coach and continue to whine incessantly about their sanctions as an excuse for their poor performance on the field, PSU HC Bill O'Brien never complains and continues to win despite the sanctions.  The only people that seem to be upset about the reduction are opposing fan bases who hoped to gain from Penn State's loss.  Which is an ironic commentary on the culture of college football.

On the field, PSU's D couldn't stop Central Florida in a home loss two weeks ago.  The offense seems to still be figuring it out, at times looking almost unstoppable, and at other times going three and out and looking like it's their first spring practice.

We know Indiana can score, but can they defend?  The Hoosiers gave up 41 to Navy and 45 to Missouri, both losses.  Neither of those offenses has a weapon like WR Allen Robinson or a QB as talented as FR QB Christian Hackenburg.  This game should be fun to watch as both teams will be able to put up points.

41-31 Penn state 

Florida International @ Southern Miss - If it's bad football you like, this is your game of the year!  Both teams are 0-4 and the Eagles are riding a 16 game losing streak.  Both squads are atrocious on offense and even worse on defense.  If it were possible for both teams to lose, these two teams would find a way to do it.  

24-17 Southern Miss 

Week 4 Predictions

The only prediction I know is 100% guaranteed is my newborn son will make me severely sleep deprived and I'll be changing at least 8 diapers per day.  You can take that prediction to the bank. And due to that sleep deprivation, this week's predictions will be abbreviated.

As for college football, Week 3 is done and just as games are played every week, it seems as though a new scandal is brewing every week as well.  Last week Okie State was the focus of an SI investigation going back a decade.

This week, Yahoo broke a story about SEC players receiving improper benefits.  Those players include former Tide tackle and current Bears tackle DJ Fluker. The allegations include former Tide DE Luther Davis as a go between for agents. Some agents allegedly provided Davis with money, who then provided that money to the players.  The agents have denied knowing what Davis was doing with the money, and the players have denied taking it, and Davis had declined comment, and Sgt. Schultz claims to know nothing about any of it.

Meanwhile SI continues to their assault on the Oklahoma State programming, most recently releasing a story alleging wide spread drug use in the program. Former Okie State and current LSU HC Les Miles has denied any wrong doing, claiming "We have always done things right."  Which, in the SEC, translates to, "We have always cheated.  If you ain't cheatin' you ain't tryin'."

We can be certain of one thing, nothing will come of this.  Why? Because of this quote from 1999 by former LSU Chancellor Mark Emmert, "Simply put, succes in LSU football is essential for the success of Louisiana State University."

And the revolving door of allegations and the NCAA doing nothing continues.

Nothing to see here folks, move along.

Let's talk some football! Week 4 appears to be the college football equivalent of bye weeks.  We have six FCS schools playing ranked teams.

Top 25 Action

Colorado State @ #1 Alabama - The Tide exacted some revenge on Johnny Football winning at A&M 49-42.  The game was a barn burner.  The Tide went down 14-0 before reeling off 35 unanswered.  A&M came back, and Manziel made another ridiculous scramble play...

but it wasn't enough.  The Tide D gave up some big points and big yardage and was exposed a bit but the Aggies have the best offense the Tide will face all year.

The Rams are not a good team. The only question is can they cover the 39.5 point spread.

Roll Tide! 49-6

#3 Clemson @ NC State - An intriguing Thursday night game for both squads.  It already seems like forever ago that Clemson knocked off Georgia to open the season.  Coming off a bye week after playing an FCS school, the Tigers will be a bit rusty.

On the other side of the field, the Wolfpack are coming off a bye week as well, and have beaten two cupcakes so far.  NC State runs a balanced offense with JR QB Pete Thomas as the trigger man.

This is the type of game Clemson is notorious for losing in the past.  With QB Tajh Boyd firmly entrenched as a Heisman contender and WR Sammy Watkins capable of scoring on any play, there is no excuse for the Tigers to lose games like this anymore.

35-14 Clemson

Florida A&M @ #4 Ohio State - Backup QB Kenny Guiton lead the Buckeyes to an easy win over Cal. Guiton tossed 4 TD's and the Buckeye's put up 52 points without Braxton Miller.  It's not the offense the Buckeye fans should be concerned with.  The OSU D gave up 34 points, including 371 yards and 3 TD's passing by freshman QB Jared Goff.  Even in a watered down Big Ten the Buckeyes D will have to play better if they expect to contend for a BCS Championship.

Florida A&M is more famous for it's band than it's football team.  And that band is back after a two year suspension related to a hazing death. The Marching 100's will be jumping for joy at half time...

but not at the end of the game.

52-3 Buckeyes

#23 Sun Devils @ #5 Stanford - Arizona State knocked of Wisconsin in the desert last week in one of the most bizarre endings of the young season...

A complete run down of the sequence can be found here, but a summary is Wisconsin attempted to center the ball for a game winning FG.  Badgers QB Stave appeared to kneel down on the hash, but ASU's bench started yelling that it was a fumble as Stave left the ball on the ground.  A Sun Devil player then jumped on the ball and laid on it for 9 seconds until a ref pulled him off.  At that point there were about 5 second left in the game and Wisky couldn't line up in time to spike the ball and attempt the FG.  Sun Devil fans celebrated the bizarre win...

Stanford has dispatched with Army and San Jose State thus far but this is by far their toughest challenge of the young season.  Are the Cardinal really the 5th best team in the nation?  It's difficult to tell.  ASU will air it out and it will be up to Stanford's D to stop them.  Don't be surprised to see the Sun Devils make this a much closer game than anyone expects or even pull off the upset.

34-30 Stanford

Auburn @ #6 LSU - Auburn has already won more SEC game than they won all of last season and matched their win total from 2012.  At 3-0, the Tigers are already WAY better than they were in last season under HC Gene Chizik.  I'd also like to nominate Chizik as the worst coach to ever win a national title. I'm guessing the guy on the left in this pic had something to do with it.

Cam Newton & Gene Chizik

LSU rolled Kent State last week and has not been seriously challenged all season.  Yes, they beat a ranked TCU team, but TCU doesn't seem to be as good as advertised this year.  LSU will have to find a way to stop Tigers RB Tre Mason

So is Auburn back to contending in the SEC or is LSU worthy of their #6 ranking?  If this game were at Auburn, I'd pick the upset, but LSU's home field advantage will be tough to overcome.

35-28 LSU

Florida International @ #7 Louisville - The Teddy Bridgewater Heisman train keeps on rolling along against a Charmin soft schedule.  But even if Teddy Football doesn't win the Heisman, he may have already won at life. Check out the pic of Bridgewater in the Louisville game program...

Good for you Teddy.  Good for you.

Louisville won the Governor's Cup last week even though the game was much closer than expected.  The Cardinals only lead 10-7 at the half before pulling away for a 27-13 victory.  T-B H2O only put up 250 yards and 1 TD.  He should have an easier time this week against an FIU squad that lost to FCS Bethune Cookman last week.

52-7 Louisville

Bethune-Cookman @ #8 FSU - The aforementioned Bethune Cookman Wildcats are now 3-0, including trouncing FBS Florida International last week.  Florida State is not Florida International.  The "Noles have not played anyone of consequence so we really have no idea how good they and freshman QB Jameis Winston really are.  We still won't find out this week. We'll have to wait until an Oct 19th match up with #3 Clemson to find out of FSU for real.  Until then, we'll all be watching and judging.

63-7 FSU

North Texas @ #9 Georgia - Much like the Green Lantern is one of the worst super heroes, the Mean Green are one of the worst FBS programs.  The Bulldogs get to fine tune their game before a date with #6 LSU next weekend.

45-10 Bulldogs

SMU @ #10 Texas A&M - Johnny Football put up another Heisman worthy performance against the Tide last week but this time it was in a losing effort.  Manziel put up 464 yards and 5 TD's through the air to go along with 98 yards rushing.  It was the Aggie D that couldn't contain the Crimson Tide, allowing 49 points and 628 total yards.  SMU needed a TD with 12 seconds remaining to knock off FCS Montana State.  Look for the Aggies to take out some frustration on the Mustangs after a sluggish start due to the big game hangover.

48-21 Aggies

New Mexico State @ #13 UCLA - The Other Aggies may have the worst D in football, giving up and average of 47.3 per game, including 56 to offensively challenged Texas. NMSU's offense isn't much better, averaging only 16.3 points per game en route to an 0-3 start.

The Bruins scored a huge win against Nebraska last weekend, rallying from 18 points down for a 41-21 win which included 31 unanswered points in the second half.  Dual threat QB Brett Hundley lead the way 294 yards, 3 TD's passing and 61 more on the ground.  But it was the Bruins D that really stepped up, limiting dual threat QB Taylor Martinez to -13 yards rushing for the game.

The Bruins will have a field day with the Aggies D before opening their PAC 12 schedule against Utah next weekend.

52-13 UCLA

#15 Michigan @ UConn - Michigan nursed a GIGANTIC big game hangover...

and nearly blew it against Akron last weekend.  The Wolverines needed a goal line stand in the closing seconds to hold on to a 28-24 win.  In today's college football, it's all about surviving and advancing.  It was ugly, but a win is a win.

The Wolverines will have no such hangover this weekend as they head to Storrs to take on the Huskies.

Did you know UConn has other sports besides women's basketball?  Neither did I.

38-17 Michigan

Savannah State @ #16 Miami - The 'Canes scored a huge win against in state rival Florida 21-16 last weekend.  It was arguably the biggest win of HC Al Golden's tenure in Coral Gables.  The story of this game was turnovers. The Gators turned the ball over 5 times and did so at the most inopportune times.  The 'Canes turned it over once and despite being outgained on offense 413 to 212 yards still won the game.  It wasn't so much that Miami played a great game as Florida played a sloppy one.  But hey, a win is a win.

Savannah state has given up 77 and 66 points in their two losses, and their lone win was a 7 point victory over division II Fort Valley State.  This one could get ugly early.

59-3 Miami

Idaho State @ #17 Washington - The Huskies marched into Soldier Field and flew back home to Seattle with a 34-24 win over Illinois last weekend.  QB Keith Price threw for 342 yards and 2 TD's and RB Bishop Sankey had a career high 208 yards rushing. UW's D held the Illini to 9/25 passing and only 156 yards.

The Idaho State Bengals are another FCS sacrificial lamb.

45-0 UW

Maine @ #18 Northwestern - ANOTHER FCS team against a ranked opponent.  With all these mismatches this week, is it any wonder ESPN College Gameday decided to broadcast live from Fargo, ND.  The NDSU Bison will take on Delaware State as the Gameday crew looks on.

As for this game, Northwestern is averaging 43.3 points per game.  The Wildcats D is good but not great.  This a tune up game for Northwestern before taking on #3 Ohio State next weekend.

54-17 Northwestern

Tennessee @ #19 Florida - Former Volunteer Arian Foster claims he took money and ripped the NCAA this week.  As expected, the NCAA has no response.

So a former star player took money while he was in college?  And that's a story?  The real story is Foster is actually talking about it.  It used to be this stuff like this was on the down low, only whispered about ever since the death penalty was leveled on SMU in the 80's.  Now it seems that NCAA President Mark Emmert is so weak and running such an inept organization that it's no longer taboo to talk about.  It's actually kind of trendy to talk about it because nobody is afraid of the NCAA anymore.  So if there are any former college players reading this, share your story, the NCAA won't and can't do anything.  Let's hear all the juicy details and make Mark Emmert squirm like the little worm he is!

Florida's offense is stil inept.  Not NCAA inept, nobody is that bad, but inept nonetheless.  Their D is still stout though.  And they'll need that D to continue to play well as they open their SEC slate.

Tennessee got crushed by #2 Oregon last weekend 59-14 and have one of the worst passing attacks in college football.  The Vols are a running team taking on a Gators D that is at it's best against the run.  Sorry Vols, but this game isn't looking good for you.  Gators HC Will Muschamp gets a one week reprieve from the coaching hot seat.

27-7 Florida

LA-Monroe @ #20 Baylor - The Bears O is downright filthy, averaging a ridiculous 69.5 points per game and ranking in the top 10 in passing and rushing.  Their D is only giving up 8 points per game as well. So why isn't Baylor ranked in the top 5?  Because they've only beaten Wofford and Buffalo.

The Warhawks shouldn't pose any threat this week.

66-13 Baylor

Sparty @ #22 Notre Dame - A moment of silence please.  It was one year ago from September 12th that Lennay Kekua passed away.  Luckily her spirit lives on in the form of Roniah Tuiasosopo...

I'll never forget poor Manti's face when he found out Lennay wasn't real...

The Irish needed a 21 point rally in the 4th quarter to put away Purdue 31-24 last weekend. QB Tommy Rees threw for 309 yards and 2 TD's but the Irish ground game continued to struggle.

Sparty has beaten up on smaller kids thus far and yet still has a terrible aerial attack.  MSU plays old school Big Ten football, running the ball and playing lights out D.  If it's offense you like, this game is not for you.

23-16 Notre Dame

Purdue @  #24 Wisconsin - The Boilers blew it last weekend surrendering 21 points to Notre Dame in the 4th quarter in their 31-24 loss.  Purdue's offense played well for the first time this season but it's still a work in progress.

The Badgers lost on one of the weirdest sequences to end a game against Arizona State last weekend.  A 33-32 win turned into a 32-30 loss as Wisky failed to stop the clock to get off a game winning FG try.  After shutting out their first two opponents, the Badger D surrendered 32 points to the first team with an offensive pulse they faced all season.

I still think the Badgers are over rated.

29-24 Purdue

Texas State @ #25 Texas Tech - Walk-on freshman QB Baker Mayfield has set Lubbock ablaze while leading the Red Raiders to a 3-0 start.

The Red Raiders arial assault is averaging 400 yards per game.  TX Tech knocked off TCU 20-10 last weekend to open their Big XII conference schedule.  The Red Raiders should be able to start at least 6-0 and possibly 7-0 if they can beat WVU.  If Tech can manage to knock off the Mountaineers their Oct 26 date against Oklahoma could be for first place in the Big XII.

Texas State is only giving up 9 points per game, but again, they've played virtually nobody. Despite playing nobody, the Bobcats offense is still bad.

49-6 Red Raiders.

Games of Note 

Kent State @ Penn State - PSU couldn't stop UCF when they needed to last weekend and lost a tough game 34-31.  Penn State had absolutely no pass rush and allowed UCF QB Bortles to have all day in the pocket and he picked them apart consistently.

The Nittany Lion offense was ok but stalled on some drives through their own mistakes.  A fumble by RB Zach Zwinak while PSU was driving in the 4th quarter was the nail in the coffin.

Kent State's only win is against FCS Liberty and they're giving up 43 points per game in their two losses.

This type of game is exactly what PSU needs to get back on track before entering Big Ten play.

45-21 Penn State

Week 3 Predictions

It was an odd Week 2 in college football, but perhaps none more awkward than the pairing of Herbie, Musberger and Eminem...

And for the first time in this author's lifetime, Texas, USC, Florida and Notre dame all lost on the same day.
That hasn't happened since the Ford administration.

And now the head coaches from two of those big time programs are officially on the hot seat.  You know who's more popular than Lane Kiffin and Mack Brown right now?

King Joffrey

Let's start off with the least popular man in Knoxville and Los Angeles.

Kiffin guided the Trojans to a 10-7 loss at home to perennial Pac 12 bottom feeder Washington State.  Yes, USC, who last year was ranked #1 and talked openly about winning a national title, just lost at home despite their D not allowing an offensive touchdown.  Wazzu gave up 394 yards through the air last week to an Auburn team that fielded one of the worst offenses in football last season.

And did I mention USC has WR Marqise Lee, who was getting Heisman hype in the pre season?

When it was all said and done, USC's two highly recruited QB's Cody Kessler and Max Wittek combined to go 11-21 for 54 yards and 2.6 yards per attempt through the air and each threw an INT.  Wazzu's only score was a 70 yard pick-six just before half time.

The Trojans mustered 139 yards on the ground to the tune of a 3.3 average.  They actually held the Cougars to 7 total yards rushing and picked them off twice.

I repeat, they held them to 7 total yards rushing and picked them off twice and did not allow an offensive TD.  AND THEY LOST. AT HOME.

That's the worst performance since this...

Bababooey First Pitch

On the flip side of that inept offensive performance is Mack Brown's Longhorns defense.

The 'Horns also lost to the Cougars, as BYU stampeded through the Texas D to the tune of 550 yards on the ground.  BYU QB Tayson Hill rumbled for 259 yards and 3 TD's and, most impressive of all, averaged 15.3 yards per carry.  That's just nuts.  It's like the entire 'Horns D forgot how to tackle.  Or they forgot to scout BYU, who installed a new read option offense this year.  I'm guessing it was a combo of the two.

How do you remedy this?  Mack Brown started by firing DC Manny Diaz and hiring Greg Robinson for the same position. This is the same Greg Robinson that was the DC at Michigan under Rich Rodriguez.  Seriously.  The guy who was in charge of Michigan's D when they finished 82nd in total D in 2009 and then 110th in 2010 was just hired to essentially save Mack Brown's job.

Sadly for Texas fans, I am not fucking kidding you.

So does USC go after Washington HC and former USC assistant Steve Sarkisian?  Does Texas look in state at TCU HC Gary Patterson or tempt Urban Meyer to leave Ohio for the fertile recruiting grounds of Texas?  Who knows.  But it's looking like both positions will be available soon.

On to week 3...

#1 Alabama @ #6  Fightin' Manziels - "Bama got to rest and watch Manziel do what he does best...

No, the other thing he does best...

The Aggies knocked off Sam Houston State and now await the biggest game thus far of our young season.  Bama will be looking to get revenge against the Aggies and Manziel for their lone loss last season.  To do so, the 'Bama D will have to contain Johnny Football.  That's easier said than done.  Manziel is at his best when plays break down and he can create.  There are no defensive calls that can account for broken and improvised plays.  On offense, the Aggies will need to keep mistakes to a minimum.  A penalty or dropped scoring toss could cost them the game.  On D, the Aggies will try to keep the Tide from beating them deep.  Tide QB AJ McCarron can have his own Heisman coming out party with a big game this year.  So which team makes the least mistakes?

Roll Tide!

35 - 27 Alabama

Tennessee @ #2 Oregon - The Ducks have outscored their opponents 125-13 in their two games this season. The Ducks are fast...

and while they've outscored their opponents by over 100 points, those opponents were an FCS school and a bad ACC team.  So what do we know about the Ducks?  We know they can beat up on smaller, slower teams.

The going gets a bit tougher this week as they take on the Volunteers who have outscored their opponents 97-20.  Like Oregon, those opponents were an FCS school and a Sun Belt squad.  The Vols forced 7 turnovers against W Kentucky last week, returning two INT's for a TD.  If the Vols can force the Ducks to cough it up again this week and keep that offense off the field they may have a chance.  Tennessee fans ran former HC Phil Fulmer out of town and have not seen the kind of success he brought since.  Vols HC Butch Jones has won at every stop and a win against the Mighty Ducks...

Getting Drunk and Winning Runs in the Family

... would go a long way to endearing him to Vols fans.  But I don't see it happening.

45 - 17 Oregon

#4 Ohio State @ Cal - Is Cal auditioning for the next Big Ten expansion?  Or do the Big Ten teams just like the weather in NoCal? The Buckeyes are the second Big Ten team to visit Berkley in 3 weeks.  The Buckeyes may not have QB Tim Tebow... er, Braxton Miller, who went down in the 1st quarter last week and has been diagnosed with an sprained MCL.

OSU still rocked the Aztecs but Buckeyes fans know their National Championship hopes ride on the legs of Miller.  OSU should have no problem this week as Cal HC Sonny Dykes is still in the process of teaching his high octane offense.

45-10 Buckeyes

#5 Stanford @ Army - Army is one of the few teams that still use the triple option offense.  You won't see a lot of passing yards from the Black Knights.  Defending the option is all about playing disciplined D, which the Cardinal excel in.  Stanford took care of business against the plucky San Jose State Spartans and should have no problem shutting down Army's rushing attack this week.

38-7 Stanford


#7 Louisville @ Kentucky - QB Teddy Bridewater continued to turn in Heisman worthy stats, racking up 397 yards and 4 TD's against Eastern Kentucky.  Bridgewater needs to keep putting up video game stats as the Cardinals don't have a single game against a currently ranked opponent on their schedule.

Wildcats rookie HC Mark Stoops got his first win as a head coach against Miami (OH) in a rout last week. After a loss to W Kentucky to open the season, a loss to in state rival Louisville would make the Wildcats the worst FBS program in the state.  The good news is Stoops is hauling in some talent on the recruiting trail that will improve the Wildcats, but bad news is that talent won't be on campus until next season. But don't fret Wildcats fans, basketball season is only a few months away.

38-3 Louisville

Kent State @ #8 LSU - LSU HC Les Miles is known as the Mad Hatter.  He chews grass, calls insane plays at odd times, mismanages the clock, and yet he still wins.  Is there anything the guy can't do? Survive a Sharknado maybe?

Nope, he's got that handled too.

The Tigers handled UAB with ease last week.  This week they get the Golden Flashes of Kent State who may or may not have star RB Dri Archer who suffered an ankle injury and missed the Flashes loss against Bowling Green last week.  Even with him, the Flashes are just not very good.  LSU should have another cake walk.

56-13 Tigers

Nevada @ #10 Florida State - The 'Noles took a week off after QB Jameis Winston's coming out party at Pitt.  Winston will look to repeat his performance but this time in Tallahassee.  FSU should have an easy time getting to their October 19th date with Clemson undefeated.

Nevada's D is awful.  They did get a W against FCS UC-Davis, but still, that D is terrible.

56-7 Seminoles

Akron @ #11 Michigan - The Wolverines played one of the most exciting games of the young season last week, knocking off the Fightin' Irish 41-30 in front of 115,109 spectators, the largest crowd ever for a college football game.

Michigan QB Devin Gardner donned the hallowed #98 jersey of Michigan legend Tom Harmon, the Wolverines first Heisman trophy winner back in 1940, and did the jersey proud throwing for 294 yards and 4 TD's and adding 82 yards and 1 TD on the ground.

He found his favorite target WR Jeremy Gallon for 184 yards and 3 TD's.  Aside from a boneheaded retreat into his own end zone to avoid a sack and then an even more boneheaded attempt to throw the ball away to avoid a safety which resulted in a pick six for the Irish, Gardner was solid all game.

Even though the Zips managed a 35-33 win against FCS James Madison last week, they are not good on either side of the ball. And I'm being generous by saying "not good".

47-7 Michigan

Lamar @ #12 Okie State -

Oklahoma State is responding to allegations in an upcoming SI article about misconduct in the program starting in 2001.  The allegations include payments to players from boosters and academic fraud, including changing grades, as well as widespread drug abuse and that hostesses in a University program provided sex to recruits.

Was SI investigating or just watching The Program?

I still feel bad for Latimer.  Kid was a beast but just couldn't get it done without juicing.

Okie State has already said they'll conduct an internal investigation.  My advice, make sure the report finds no wrong doing and tell the NCAA to eff off when they come calling.

The Cowboys easily handled the Roadrunners last week putting up 56 points in San Antonio.  They should have an even easier time this week against FCS Lamar.

59-10 Cowboys

Vanderbilt @ #13 South Carolina - Something is wrong with all world DE Jadeveon Clowney. He's playing, but does not seem to be at the same level as last season.  Last week, the Bulldogs neutralized him by allowing him to rush inside and then either throwing or running to the outside of him.  So what do you do with a player you can't block?  Apparently you don't worry about blocking him, you just make him go where you want him to on the field and then run where he's not.  Clowney will need to get better as more teams simply run around him.  The entire 'Cocks D will need to play better after giving up huge yards and 41 points to Georgia.

South Carolina RB Mike Davis had a coming out party in a losing effort last week.  Davis put up 149 yards and 1 TD and averaged 9.3 yards per carry.  He broke off a huge 75 yard run that caught the Bulldogs completely off guard.  Despite the loss, South Carolina is still in the hunt for the SEC East title and a BCS game.  The Commodores may not like playing a pissed off 'Cocks squad, but Lee Corso definitely enjoys playing with a Cock...

On the other hand, Kirk Herbstriet apparently doesn't want to touch Corso's Cock.

Yep.  Cock jokes.  So I've got that going for me.  Which is nice.   

Vandy took out their frustration of losing a heart breaker in week 1 and opened up a can of whoop ass on Austin Peay.

SCAR will have to account for Vandy LB Caleb Azubike, and hope they don't make him angry.  You wouldn't like him when he's angry...

Vandy has some offensive weapons in SR QB Austyn Carta-Samuels and his favorite target SR WR Jordan Mathews.  Those two can hook up for a score from anywhere on the field.  Clowney will have to show up and make some plays or else Vandy has the weapons to make this a long night for the Gamecocks.

34-24 South Carolina

Tulsa @ #14 Oklahoma - The OU offense couldn't find the right gear against a solid performance from WVU last week.  OU was lead by RB Brennan Clay's 170 yards and QB Travis Knight was replaced by Blake Bell in the 4th quarter after throwing a couple of picks.  The D came up big and held WVU to just 7 points.  It wasn't so much great defense in this game as much as it was bad offense.

The Sooners have decided to make a switch and go with the Belldozer for this game.

The Golden Hurricane are coming off a dramatic win, knocking off Colorado State 30-27 on a FG as time expired.  I'd like to take this time to make my first nomination of the year for worst college mascot.

Not only does your school nickname sound like something R Kelly would be envious of, but your mascot looks like the red headed step child of Captain America.

Tulsa likes to throw and if the Sooners offense stalls, they could be in for a shootout.

36-20 Sooners

#16 UCLA @ #23 Nebraska - The Bruins hung 58 points on Nevada to open season behind the dual threat talents of QB Brett Hundley.

The Sophomore can get it done on the ground and through the air.  It's hard to tell how good the Bruins offense is after only one game but one thing we do know is the Huskers D ain't all that.

Nebraska extended Southern Miss' misery with a 56-13 victory last week.  So Miss sucks.  The previous week Wyoming gave the Huskers all they could handle at home, and this Bruins offense has more talent than the Cowboys.  QB Taylor Martinez is a dual threat in his own right.  Can the Bruins D contain him? Take the over in this one.

45-38 UCLA

W Michigan @ #17 Northwestern - The Wildcats put away Syracuse by half time last week, leading 34-7 at the break en route to a 48-27 win.  Northwestern was paced by the dual threat QB duo of Kain Colter & Trevor Siemian, who are quite possibly the best duo since these guys...

Ace & Gary

Colter accounted for 116 yards and 1 TD through the air and 87 yards and another TD on the ground, while Siemian tossed 3 TD's aired it out for 259 yards.  All this was without their biggest weapon, RB Venric Mark, who sat out with an injury.  The 'Cats offense has been humming all season and this week will be no different.  The Broncos are coming off a loss to FCS Nicholls State.  This game will be a wipeout.

54-7 Northwestern

#19 Washington @ Illinois - The Fightin' Illini were underdogs against Cincy going into last week and came out with a 45-17 win.  QB Nathan Scheelhaase went off for 312 yards and 4 TD's through the air. Scheelhaase was not hassled all game, and as you know, you DO NOT hassle the Haas.

U-Dub took a week off after thrashing Boise State to open their season.  Boise was a popular upset pick in week 1 and limped away with a 32 point loss.  The Illini will have to shut down RB Bishop Sankey who is the main cog in the Huskies offensive machine.

The next few weeks we'll start to see which teams are for real and which teams were just bullying lesser programs, because eventually the bullies get beat.

29-24 Washington

#20 Wisconsin @ Arizona State - The only stumble in ASU's 55-0 flogging of FCS Sacramento State was by Sun Devil Center Kody Koebensky, who took a dive when running out of the tunnel with his teammates.

Wisconsin is 2-0 and hasn't allowed a point yet this season.  Is the Wisky D ridiculously good? Doubtful considering those two shutouts came against FCS Tennessee Tech and UMass, who in their second year at the FBS level still has mostly FCS talent.

In other words, the pre-season is over for both teams and now it's time to find out which one is for real.

27-20 Sun Devils

#21 Notre Dame @ Purdue - If you thought Bon Jovi was an Italian rock star from New Jersey, you were wrong...

he's inexplicably Irish?  Well, he's an Irish fan at least.  Which makes sense with his son Jesse being a walk on to the Irish squad.

Jesse Bongiovi

I wonder if it's awkward for Jesse when they play "Livin' on a prayer" at parties.

The Irish D looked like it did against Alabama last season, failing to slow down the Michigan attack unless the Wolverines stopped themselves.  QB Tommy Rees eclipsed the 300 yard mark and tossed 2 TD's, but also was picked off twice.

Purdue might have the worst offense in college football at the moment. The Boilers have a total of 27 points in two games, including 20 points against FCS foe Indiana State last week.  They needed a late INT to preserve their 20-14 victory.  If new HC Darrell Hazell is going to live up to the hype, he's going to need to figure out how to get his team to put points on the board.

41-0 Notre Dame

#24 TCU @ Texas Tech - Walk on freshman QB Baker Mayfield is the toast of Lubbock after two strong performances to open the season. The Red Raiders have put up 102 points in two games and Mayfield leads the team in passing and rushing.  As is par for the course in the early weeks of college football, the level of competition leaves something to be desired.  SF Austin is an FCS school and SMU is not exactly known for it's tough defense.

On the other hand, TCU HC Gary Patterson prides himself on his teams playing tough D.

The Horned Frogs took care of business against FCS SE Louisiana 38-17.  Texas Tech is known for their air it out offense.  TCU is known for their tough D.  Different schools, different philosophies, different hotties..

 

So which philosophy wins out?  #27 or #9? Offense or defense?

27-24 Red Raiders

#25 Ole Miss @ Texas - QB David Ash has played well this season, but it's not a good sign that he leads the 'Horns in rushing yardage too.  The 'Horns are reeling after their worst defensive performance in school history against BYU.

Ole Miss is 2-0 after dispatching with FCS SE Missouri State.  Texas will need to find an answer for highly touted freshman WR Laquon Treadwell, who is the real deal.

Along with WR  Donte Moncrief and freshman TE Evan Engram the Rebels have some reliable weapons for QB Bo Wallace in the passing game.

Texas HC Mack Brown better bring this to the game with him...

If Texas has another showing like the debacle last week, that will be the only thing to ease the burn when he tries to sit down.

39-24 Ole Miss

Games of Note

Central Florida @ Penn State - The Golden Knights are 2-0 and have given up a total of 7 points this season.  As expected, those 2 wins came against over matched opponents Florida International and Akron.  Even a short handed Nittany Lions squad is better than those two programs.  UCF is lead by QB Blake Bortles who is a damn good QB and can air it out.  The running game is paced by RB Storm Johnson, who transferred to UCF after spending his freshman season at Miami. PSU will need to find a way to contain WR's Rannell Hall and Breshard Perriman, both of whom can break a big play at any time.

PSU is a bit banged up with OLB Mike Hull missing the Eastern Michigan game with a knee sprain.  PSU started slll.....ooooo....www... against the Eagles but picked it up in the second half.  True freshman QB Christian Hackenburg looked shaky to start but settled down and finished with 311 yards, 1 TD and 1 INT.  The kid is prone to freshman mistakes, but his physical tools are apparent.  Once this kid masters the mental side of the game, look out.  The Lions had a pair of 100 yard rushers in RB Bill Belton and Akeel Lynch. RB Zach Zwinak is still the starter, but HC Bill O'Brien will go with the hot hand at RB.  Any of the three could be the leading rusher on any given Saturday.  Through the air, WR Allen Robinson continues to be one of the best WR's in college football.  Even when he's not getting the ball, the attention he commands allows other receivers to get open.  The junior will most likely be playing on Sundays come next season.

Bill O'Brien

UCF HC George O'Leary and PSU HC Bill O'Brien go all the way back to O'Leary's days at GA Tech, when he hired the younger O'Brien as a grad assistant.  It's hard to believe, but O'Leary has been at UCF for 9 years already and has had 5 winning seasons and 4 losing since taking the reigns.  Except for an 8-5 record in 2009, the Knights have followed every winning season with a losing one.  UCF went 10-4 last year.  Can the protege' knock off his one time master?

George O'Leary

This is the toughest game of the season for both squads.  If the Lions get off to another slow start and let the Knights go up early, it will be a long night in Happy Valley.  But if PSU can snap out of it's first half funk and put up some points and create turnovers, the Knights will have a long plane ride back to Disney World.









27-23 Penn State

Georgia State @ WVU - The Mountaineers put up a fight in Norman last week but ended up losing 16-7.  It looks to be a rebuilding year in Morgantown but a bowl game should still be within reach.

The Georgia State Panthers are in their first season at the FBS level and have already lost to two FCS opponents.  You have to hand it to GSU though, they weren't afraid to schedule Alabama despite their lack of... well, everything.  If the Panthers somehow found a way to beat 'Bama, that would be the biggest upset since...

Buster Douglas beats Mike Tyson

45-3 Mountaineers

Southern Miss @ Arkansas - The Golden Eagles are on a 14 game skid. Arkansas has won 2 in a row against lackluster opponents.  Southern Miss is a lackluster opponent.  Arkansas HC Brett Bielama once guest starred on Beavis & Butthead.

34-0 Arkansas.

Boston College @ USC - Bahahahahahahaha!!!!

20-10 Boston College