IT'S THAT TIME OF YEAR AGAIN!!!!
We've been waiting for it...
The kids are going back to school...
our commutes look like this...
We stop worrying about beach bodies...
and put more effort into our beer belly...
Yes... IT'S FOOTBALL TIME IN AMERICA!!!! EFF YEAH!!!!!
So grab a seat on the couch...
Thursday August 29th
North Carolina @ #6 South Carolina - Let's remember where we left off. The last time we saw Jadaveon Clowney... (sorry Michigan fans)
UNC lost one of the top RB's in college football in Giovanni Bernard, who was the first RB to get selected in the NFL draft this past year. They return multi year starter QB Bryn Renner, who played solid last season and will look to take the next step this year. The Tar Heels have recruited well and have a built in competitive advantage with no-show, no-work automatic A classes for their athletes.
South Carolina is trying to get over the SEC hump. After winning the SEC East for the first time in 2010, the Gamecocks have posted back to back 11 win seasons but have yet to claim an outright SEC Championship. That is the goal in Columbia this year and they may have the players to get it done, lead by the aforementioned man-child Jadeveon Clowney. Senior QB Connor Shaw returns to lead a potent Gamecocks offense. This is a great game to kickoff the season!
Gamecocks 34 - 17
#24 USC @ Hawaii - The Trojans began last season ranked #1 in the nation... and finished 7-6, worse than RB Silas Redd's old team, Penn State, who finished 8-4. Redd also had 95 less yards than Penn State's leading rusher, Zach Zwinak, who finished with 1,000 yards despite playing sparingly in the first few games of the season. So yeah.... you have to hand it to the guy, Lane Kiffin is a great recruiter...
And an awful, terrible, horrible game day coach. But how hard can it be to recruit to a place that offers this?
USC is breaking in a brand new QB after four year starter Matt Barkley moved on to the NFL. Whomever wins the job will have one of the best WR's in the country to throw too in Marqise Lee. The Junior wideout is one the most exciting players in college football, capable of taking it the distance on any catch. USC has highly rated players all over the field but Kiffin just can't seem to translate that talent into production on the field. Is this the year he finally gets his shit together?
You may remember Hawaii HC Norm Chow as an assistant for such teams as the 1984 BYU national champions, or the 03 & 04 USC national title teams. Despite his three national titles as an assistant, Chow has struggled as the head guy at his alma mater. He's in year 2 of a rebuilding project that is one of the toughest in college football. Hawaii has not been relevant since QB Colt Brennan was torching the NCAA record books and leading the Warriors to a BCS game. It's looking like another tough year in Hawaii, but hey, they go to school here....
so don't feel bad for them.
45 - 13 USC.
Saturday, August 31
#1 Alabama @ Va Tech - Get ready to Roll Tide!
The defending national champs head north to take on the Hokies in an intriguing first game matchup. Unlike most of the SEC, the Tide are not afraid to play games north of SEC country. The Tide return Heisman candidate QB AJ McCarron... and his girlfriend...
The back field lost Eddie Lacy, but will be lead by the more than capable TJ Yeldon. The WR position is an embarrassment of riches for 'Bama. The group that can arguably roll nine deep is lead by Sophomore Amari Cooper, who was tabbed as a Freshman All American last season. There is a ton of talent on this team, especially on the defensive side of the ball. The D also boast one of the best names in all of college football, Junior DB Ha Ha Clinton-Dix. You read that right...
'Bama is in the midst of a dynasty and is attempting to become the first three-peat national champion in the modern era. And to the victors go the spoils...
That would be Alabama freshman DE Dee Liner and two of his friends posing with what we can only assume to be their scholarship money.
Va Tech had a rough season in 2012, finishing 7-6, which prompted long time HC Frank Beamer to make staff changes this off season. QB Logan Thomas returns for his senior season and hopes to up his NFL draft stock after a sub par junior campaign. The ground game was non-existent in Blacksburg last season. It will be imperative the Hokies get the ground game going if they hope to avoid another 7-6 season. Playing against one of the best D's in the nation to start the season is not a good way to do so.
37 - 10 Crimson Tide.
Buffalo @ #2 Ohio State - The Buckeyes kickoff QB Braxton Miller's Heisman campaign against a MAC team coming off a 4-8 season. Despite the presence of future NFL LB Khalil Mack, the Bulls had a terrible defense last season and it looks to be more of the same this year. Who? The NFL Scouts have taken notice, and you should too. Mack has a chance to show his stuff against a big time opponent on national TV and the Buckeyes will have to account for him on every down.
If they can block Mack, Miller will be dancing into the end zone all day. He may even throw a few passes just for fun.
Urban Meyer went 12-0 in his first season in Columbus. Did he set the bar too high for himself?
The Buckeye faithful expect nothing short of an undefeated National Championship this year. Anything short of that will be a disappointment. Can he pull it off? Even Alabama has lost in the regular season despite winning the national title last year. But that loss came at the hands of an SEC opponent and a Heisman winning QB. Will the polls be as kind to the Buckeyes if they drop a game in an relatively weak Big Ten?
52 - 3 Buckeyes.
Nicholls State @ #3 Oregon - The post Chip Kelly era begins in Eugene. New Ducks HC Mark Helfrich will try to build on what Chip Kelly, and Nike, started. They'll begin with a brand new, $68 million football operations building that makes CAA's headquarters look like a pile of puke.
When the Ducks aren't relaxing in brand new, state of the art facility, which is obviously meant to help the players focus on their academics because, after all, they are "student athletes", they'll actually have to play some games. Heisman candidate QB Marcus Mariota returns to lead a potent and fast offense. He's joined in the backfield by RB De'Anthony Thomas, who stands 5'9" and weighs 176 soaking wet. But to tackle him, you'll have to catch him first. Thomas also runs track for Oregon and has been timed at 10.31 in the 100 meters. Thomas will also split out wide to give defense even more headaches. Wherever he's lined up, Helfrich will be looking to get him the ball.
Nicholls State is a FCS Division team that will be happy to take their paycheck and their ass whooping and head on back to Thibodaux, LA.
66 - 6 Ducks.
#5 Georgia @ #8 Clemson - One could argue the SEC Championship game was the true national championship last year, and those people would be correct. Georgia gave the Tide everything they could handle coming up just short in the SEC Championship. HC Mark Richt has been very successful posting double digit wins in 8 of his 12 seasons in Athens. The Bulldogs have their own Heisman candidate in Senior QB Aaron Murray, one of the best passers in the nation. He'll be handing the ball off to "Gurshall"...
that is the RB duo made up of two excellent Sophomore RB's in 5'11" 219lb Keith Marshall and 6'1" 232lb battering ram Todd Gurley. Richt's offensive game plan will be fairly simple this season...
On the other side of the field, Clemson has their own Heisman candidate in QB Tajh Boyd. The Tigers lost two of their top playmakers in RB Andre Ellington and WR DeAndre Thompkins to the NFL, but return lightning fast WR Sammy Watkins..
one of the most exciting players in the country. Watkins will look to take over as the main target for Boyd. HC Dabo Swinney has put together back to back double digit win seasons, including their first 11 win season since 1981 last year. Can he surpass that this year? Can a team from the ACC be considered a national title contender? The Tigers have a chance to serve notice that they're serious contenders with a win over the Bulldogs. If not, an ACC Championship will be their ceiling this year.
29-24 Clemson.
Rice @ #7 Texas A&M - At this time last year, QB Johnny Manziel was almost kicked off the A&M team and was thinking of transferring. My what a difference a year makes...
The reigning Heisman winner has had a tumultuous off season to say the least. The ongoing soap opera is about as interesting as watching paint dry, which is exactly what Philadelphia sports have come to...
While Manziel was on the celebrity circuit, his teammates were practicing. After all, A&M is attempting to build on their first year in the SEC, which was also one of the most successful in school history. The Aggies went 11-2, knocked off Alabama and whooped Oklahoma in the Cotton Bowl. What will Johnny Football do for his encore season? With all the controversy surrounding Johnny "Drama" Football, it's easy to forget the stats that won him the Heisman last year. He completed 68% of his passes for 3,706 yards, 26 TD's, 9 INT's and added 1,410 rushing yards and 21 TD's on the ground. Those are Tecmo Bowl numbers!
Rice finished 7-6 and won their bowl game last year. They have 19 returning starters, including 20 5th year Seniors, making them one of the most experienced squads in the nation. They Owls finished on a 5 game winning streak last season and will look to carry that momentum over into this season. If the Aggies lose early, the wheels could come off quickly... or they can put all the Johnny Drama behind them and Manziel will lead them to...
Aggies 48 - 13.
Toledo @ #10 Florida - The Gators had one of the best D's in college football last year, accompanied by an terrible passing offense. The passing game looked something like this last year...
QB Jeff Driskel returns and looks to improve on the 118th ranked passing O from last season. The Gators D should be stacked again lead by arguably the best DE this side of Clowney in Dominique Easley.
The Rockets were a decent team last year, finishing 9-4. They are lead by Senior RB David Fluellen who ran for 13 TD's and just under 1500 yards last season. He'll be hard pressed to find any running room against a Gators D that will again be one of the toughest in the nation.
31-0 Gators.
#12 LSU @ #20 TCU - Another early season match-up between ranked teams. LSU HC Les Miles knows what it takes to win in the SEC, and that includes not kicking talented players off his team, no matter what their transgressions. RB Jeremy Hill plead guilty to a pair of despicable crimes this off season and Miles disciplined him by suspending him, pending a team vote whether or not he is allowed back on the team. Apparently Miles values the democratic process, especially when it allows him to side step any responsibility for disciplining players that break the law. As soon as a judge ruled Hill would avoid prison time, Miles reinstated him. Miles poor judgment dates all the way back to his high school days...
... when he apparently voluntarily wore a one piece leotard.
Meanwhile, in College Station, Manziel's eligibility for allegedly signing autographs for money is in question.
So to review, pleading guilty to misdemeanor battery while already on probation for pleading guilty to another misdemeanor and the NCAA will ignore it, because, after all, that is a legal matter. On the other hand, a player making money by signing is own name to items is a big deal to the NCAA because, after all, that is a money matter.
LSU boasted a solid D last year and, as usual, a less than stellar offense. Perhaps Miles should allow the players to vote on his offensive play calls as well. QB Zach Mettenberger returns to "lead" the offense. He hopes to improve on his average numbers from last season. If LSU hopes to win the SEC West, it will have to again rely on it's D.
"I'm sure if it was some opponent they'd beat by 100 points [the players] wouldn't have a vote," Patterson said.
He's simply stating what everyone outside of Baton Rouge is thinking. The ironic part is TCU could be starting Casey Pachall at QB, who was arrested last season and left the team to enter rehab. TCU was average last season, finishing 7-6. Their offense never got it going all year and their D was good but not great. This is another chance for another conference to beat the mighty SEC. Unfortunately, I don't see TCU pulling off this upset, at least not if Jeremy Hill is playing.
LSU 20-17
Miss St. @ #13 Okie State - The Cowboys are the anti-TCU, preferring to outscore their opponents on offense rather than stopping them with their D. The Cowboys have a QB controversy on their hands but HC Mike Gundy has said both SR QB Clint Chelf and SO QB J.W. Walsh will both play in the opener. But you know what they say, when you have two QB's....
they both suck.
Whomever is behind center for Okie State will be looking to get the ball to JR WR Josh Stewart, the leading returning receiver for the Cowboys.
The Bulldogs are looking to establish themselves as contenders in a loaded SEC West. After finishing 8-5 and beating rival Ole Miss for the 3rd straight year, Bulldogs HC Dan Mullen will look to take the next step. To do so, he'll need to improve an offense ranked 85th in rushing last season and 61st in points for last season. Their D was good but not spectacular. MSU plays 5 teams currently ranked in the top 13 to start the season. Although the Bulldogs might be a better team than last season, they could end up with a worse record. They can start this week by upsetting the Cowboys.
37 - 34 Mississippi State.
Temple @ #14 Notre Dame - The last time we saw the Fightin' Irish on the field, 'Bama was running around...
by...
and through LB Manti Te'o...
The Irish lost starting QB Everett Golson for this season. He's been suspended for "poor academic judgment", which sounds like something LSU would proudly vote to award to it's players on a weekly basis. Golson has stated he'll be back in the spring. In the meantime, HC Brian Kelly has tabbed last season 2nd stringer Tommy Rees as the starter for this fall. The Irish also lose their top two leading rushers and leading receiver from last season. Kelly is known as an offensive coach, and those skills will be put to the test this season. The Irish D should be solid once again, as long as they don't have to play Alabama.
Temple has a new leader this season as HC Matt Rhule takes over an Owls program that has gone from perennial doormat...
27 - 6 Notre Dame.
New Mexico State @ #15 Texas - As we all know....
Including the pressure on HC Mack Brown. Rumors abound that Brown is on the hot seat. The 'Horns finished 9-4 last season, which in Austin is just not good enough. Texas has no problem recruiting, being the big dog in a state ripe with talented players, however those lofty recruiting rankings have not translated to wins on the field lately. And now "little brother" Texas A&M has a Heisman winner and is playing in the SEC and looking a lot less "little".
The Longhorns return 19 starters from last season, including one of the best defensive players in the country in SR DE Jackson Jeffcoat. The 'Horns will have to learn how to stop the run this year if they want to get into a BCS game. On offense, they return QB David Ash as well as all 5 OL in front of him. If Brown can put together another trip to a BCS game he may be able to retire gracefully, if not, he may be forcefully put out to pasture.
47 - 6 Longhorns.
LA-Monroe @ #16 Oklahoma - The Warhawks had a potent offense last year and return SR QB Kolton Browning, the 2012 Sun Belt Offensive Player of the Year. The Warhawks went to OT four times last season and won 3 of them, including an opening weekend upset against then #8 Arkansas. As good as the offense was last season, the defense was equally as bad. They wouldn't be able to stop the lingerie league from scoring...
... then again, most of us would have zero chance of scoring with the lingerie league.
Sooners HC Bob Stoops has selected RS FR Trevor Knight as his starting QB this season, relegating The Belldozer, aka JR QB Blake Bell, to the back up role he's played since arriving on campus. Knight has drawn rave reviews while running the scout team last year and in spring practice this year. Knight's running ability will open up a dimension to the offense that is all the rage in college football, an ability that won Johnny Manziel the Heisman last season. Could Knight be this year's Johnny Football?
Sooners 45 - 24
Central Michigan @ #17 Michigan - Countries throughout Africa celebrated Michigan's Big Ten Championship last season...
Which poses an interesting question about American sports history as understood by Africans. Could an entire generation have grown up celebrating a Buffalo Bills Super Bowl Dynasty?
Michigan is moving on from the Denard Robinson era as HC Artie Lange enters his 3rd season in Ann Arbor.
It might not be a bad idea for Michigan HC Brady Hoke to send Artie Lange out to recruit for him. Not many coaches can be two places at once.
After going 11-2 and winning the Sugar Bowl in his first season, Hoke's program took a step back last year finishing 8-5 and losing the Outback Bowl. But more importantly, they lost to the hated Buckeyes who went 12-0 last year. As always in Ann Arbor, success is relative to the success of the Buckeyes. Could Hoke find himself on the hot seat if he can't beat Urban Meyer? Can't we all just get along?
JR Devin Gardner takes the reigns of the Michigan offense, and while he doesn't have Denard's running ablity, he's no statue himself. What Michigan loses in the QB's running ability, it more than gains in the passing department as Gardner is a much more adepth passer. The defense took a major blow in the off season as star LB Jake Ryan was lost for the season due to a torn ACL.
Wolverines 45-10
Wyoming @ #18 Nebraska - SR QB Taylor Martinez and what may be the worst throwing motion of any D1 QB...
is back for what seems like his 10th year in Lincoln. His arm is low, the angle is completely off, he's dropping his throwing shoulder, his lead shoulder is pointing god knows where, the front foot is pointed away from his target and he's not stepping into his throw. The result?
If his NFL career doesn't pan out, Martinez might just be a world class javelin thrower. He'll have to figure something out as the Huskers look to improve on their 90th rated pass offense from last season. They were 8th in the nation in rushing, but it was ultimately their D that did them in. Nebraska was punched out...
by Wisconsin in the Big Ten Championship game. It was ugly. Really ugly. (I'll give Huskers fans a chance to turn away before the next pic)... .
Wyoming had an above average passing offense last season, but combined with an awful running game and defense, it resulted in a 4-8 record for the Cowboys. JR QB Brent Smith will test the Huskers D through the air. He can scramble too, but if he has nobody to throw too, he'll be scrambling for his life. The Huskers will wash some of the bad taste of the Big Ten Championship game out of their D this week.
Huskers 52 - 24.
#19 Boise State @ Washington - Everyone's favorite underdog is out on the road against a BCS opponent to open the season again.
Boise is not afraid to play anywhere, any time, and they've had success in doing so. Boise played Mich State in East Lansing to open last season and lost a tough game 17-13. The Broncos went on to win 11 games last season, including a bowl win against the Huskie squad they open with this year.
SR QB Joe Southwick will look to improve on his 19 TD's from last season. But it was the Broncos staunch D that got them 11 wins. Boise's D was ranked 8th in the nation, surrendering only 15.8 points per game. If they hope to pull out a win against UW to open the season that D will have to be in top form.
The Huskies were inconsistent last year, knocking off then #8 Stanford and #7 Oregon State, while losing to then #3 LSU, #2 Oregon, and #13 USC. If the Huskies hope to win the Pac 12 North, they'll need to find consistency on both sides of the ball. The offense was below average but it was not due to RB Bishop Sankey, who put up 1439 yards and 16 TD's as the Huskies main weapon. The D should be solid again. This looks to be a low scoring affair.
17-14 Boise State.
Nevada @ #21 UCLA - The Bruins were 9-2 before losing to Stanford for 2 weeks in a row and then dropping their their bowl game to Baylor and finishing the season 9-5. UCLA lost leading rusher Johnathan Franklin to the NFL, but returns dual threat SO QB Brett Hundley. When was the last time UCLA's QB situation was stable as compared to rival USC's? I'm thinking you'd have to go all the way back to this guy...
who lead the Bruins to their last Rose Bowl appearance during the '98 season. HC Jim Mora Jr is looking to break that streak and get the Bruins back into The Granddaddy of 'em All, which also happens to be UCLA's home field.
Nevada is most famous for producing Niners QB Colin Kaepernick...
... who ran HC Chris Ault's "Pistol" offense to perfection during a 13-1 season in 2010. Ault has since retired and we all know about Kaepernick now. New HC Brian Polian, the son of former NFL Executive Bill Polian, takes over in Reno.
Polian will have his own Kaepernick clone to lead his offense with JR QB Cody Fajardo returning. Fajardo has been absent from the national scene thus far but deserves some recognition. Last season he posted a 67% completion rate, 2,768 yards, 20 TD's, 9 INT's to go along with 1,121 yards rushing and 9 TD's on the ground. This kid can play. Look for him this fall.
All of the offensive fire power will mean nothing if Polian can't improve on the Wolfpack's 102nd ranked D. This game will be closer than expected.
UCLA 38-35
#22 Northwestern @ Cal - HC Pat Fitzgerald has built his alma mater into a consistent winner but has yet to deliver a Big Ten championship. The Wildcats won 10 games last year and successfully ran a two QB system and both SR QB Kain Colter, the runner, and JR QB Trevor Siemian, the passer, return this season. Northwestern's passing offense stunk last year, ranking 110th in the country. But the real spark plug that makes this offense go is SR RB Veneric Mark, who can take it to the house on any given play.
The Wildcats goal is to make it back to the Rose Bowl for the first time since Darnell Autry was toting the rock in Evanston way back in 1996.
Cal fired Jeff Tedford and hired offensive guru Sonny Dykes from LA Tech. Dykes offense at LA Tech was explosive and he'll look to duplicate that wide open passing offense in the Pac 12. Dykes will have his work cut out for him.
Northwestern 33 - 24
UMass @ #23 Wisconsin - When you think UMass football, you instantly think of this guy...
Who? Why that's none other than man you know better as...
As would be expected, the Minutemen's first season at the FBS level was ugly. HC Charley Molnar, a former Notre Dame offensive coordinator, is looking to build his own program but it's currently a work in progress. Will he ever be able to finish the project?
Wisconsin has been to three straight Rose Bowl's, losing all three, which, as we know, makes them a dynasty in Africa.
Despite the African dynasty, HC Brett Bielema saw the ceiling of the Badgers capped at the Rose Bowl and bolted for a middle of the pack SEC school, taking over the Arkansas program. The Badgers hired HC Gary Andersen away from Utah State to replace him. Andersen lead the Aggies to an 11 win season in 2012 and will look to improve on his predecessor's success, but can he? Three straight Rose Bowl's is tough to pull off. Last season Wisconsin finished third in the Big Ten Leaders division, but thanks to NCAA the two teams ahead of them were ineligible for the post season. The Badgers lose leading rusher Montee Ball to the NFL and started 3 different QB's for a passing offense ranked 115th in the nation. The D was solid as always and Andersen will have to rely on it early in the season as his players learn a new offensive system.
Badgers 31 - 3.
E Washington @ #25 Oregon State - The Beavers started 6-0 and were ranked as high as #7 last season before finishing off and on the rest of the year and tallying a 9-4 record. JR QB Sean Mannion returns but needs to find consistency. His top wideout is now playing for the Steelers so he'll look to JR WR Brandin Cooks instead. The Beavers leaned heavily on the pass last season, ranking 19th through the air and 101st on the ground.
E Washington could pull off the upset of the young year by knocking off a top 25 BCS program. Stranger things have happened.
Oregon State 47 - 6
Sunday, September 1
Ohio @ #9 Louisville - HC Frank Solich has built a nice program at Ohio. The Bobcats started 7-0 and entered the top 25 for the first time since 1968 last year en route to a 9-4 finish and a bowl win. SR RB Beau Blankenship and his 1600+ yards and 15 TD's return along with SR QB Tyler Tettleton. The Bobcats were average to above average on both sides of the ball but will look to improve on last year's 9 wins and want a MAC Championship.
Louisville JR QB Teddy Bridgewater is on everyone's short list for the Heisman this year and is potentially the #1 overall pick in next year's NFL draft.
Louisville will look to match their basketball program's success by playing for a national title this year. To do so, the Cardinals will have to go undefeated due to the overall weakness of the Big East, neigh, the American Athletic Conference. HC Charlie Strong signed an extension after posting 11 wins including a Sugar Bowl victory over then #4 Florida. If they hope to make it to the BCS Championship, the Cardinal will need to improve on their 105th ranked rushing offense from last season. Bridgewater is good, but he can't do it alone.
Louisville 45 - 17
Monday, September 2
#11 Florida State @ Pitt - If you're wondering what the state of Pitt football is these days, here is some insight...
In last year, Pitt has faced more roster turmoil than sanctioned Penn State
So Pitt leads Penn State 19-17 in transfers from the program in the past year. Pitt fans will tell you it's because HC Paul Chryst is cleaning house and other Pitt fans will nod their head in agreement. But those outside of the Pittsburgh area know you don't run off your best RB if you can help it. Pitt's star RB Russell Shell left the program, then wanted back in, then was denied coming back before finally settling on transferring to West Virginia, Pitt's other hated rival.
The Panthers started off by losing to FCS Youngstown State, but still managed to salvage the season by beating then #13 VA Tech and #19 Rutgers, and almost pulled the upset of the season, losing to #3 Notre Dame in South Bend in triple overtime. In true Panther fashion, they missed a game winning FG from 33 yards out.
HC Jimbo Fisher delivered a 12 win season in Tallahassee. Only a clunker against NC State and a tough loss to bitter rival Florida kept them from playing for a national title. The Seminoles will be replacing first round pick QB EJ Manuel with redshirt FR Jameis Winston and the hype is already building. Winston is a dual threat QB with a cannon for an arm. Could he be the next Johnny Football? FSU has a manageable schedule with their toughest games on the road against Clemson and Florida at the end of the year. If the 'Noles can avoid their annual mid season clunker, they could be playing in the BCS Championship.
Since this game is on Labor Day and many of us will be celebrating the end of summer, beginning of football season, you can always record this game on your DVR.
31 - 13 Seminoles
Games of Note
'Cuse v. Penn State - Penn State rallied from an 0-2 start to finish 8-4 in HC Bill O'Brien's first season as the helm. This season he won't have the steadying hand of a SR QB to help the offense and will rely on JUCO transfer Tyler Ferguson (#5) or true FR QB Christian Hackenburg (#14) to run his offense.
Whoever is behind center will be throwing to WR Allen Robinson, one of the best WR's in the college football.
The D lost their heart and soul with LB Michael Mauti now playing on Sundays. Will someone from the short handed Nittany Lions be ready to step up as a leader and play maker on the defensive side of the ball?
'Cuse will be breaking in a new QB as well with Ryan Nassib now playing for the Giants, the occupants of Giants Stadium where this game will be played. New 'Cuse HC Scott Shafer was promoted from Defensive Coordinator upon the departure of Doug Marrone to the Buffalo Bills. Shafer will try to build on the Orangemen's 4 game winning streak to end last season, including a Pinstripe Bowl over West Virginia.
This game could very well go either way but will come down to which team makes the least mistakes.
Penn state 24-20
William & Mary @ West Virginia - The Mountaineers started off as the hottest team in college football, winning their first 5 games, including a big win at Texas and putting up video game like offensive numbers, but then they completely forgot how to play defense. WVU lost 5 in a row playing Ole' defense that former HC Rich Rodriguez would find embarrassing. And Michigan fans are keenly aware of how much Rodriguez loathes defense.
HC Dana Holgorsen righted the ship in time for WVU to make a bowl game, but the season can't be considered anything but a disappointment. WVU loses QB Geno Smith and leading WR's Tavon Austin, a top 10 draft pick, and Stedman Bailey. Holgorsen is considered an offensive guru and he'll have to show his coaching chops with new starters on offense if he hopes to avoid another lack luster season in Morgantown.
But hey, at least they're not Pitt.
William & Mary will play the role of FCS sacrificial lamb to open the season.
56 - 27 WVU
As the UW fan, I'd like to point out that Boise's attempt to win on the road is also complicated by the fact that the Huskies are returning to their home stadium after a year long $280 million renovation. The track has been removed and the fans are right on top of the action. It will be a 70k sold out, loud crowd.
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