Week 6 Predictions

September is behind us and we're finally getting into some good games!  One month into the season, let's see who's trending up and who's trending down.  By trending, I mean teams that seem to be getting better and may exceed expectations, and trending down... you get the idea.

Trending Up

Oregon State - The Beavers are building a dam (get it!?) good team! After winning only 3 games all of last  year, they've equaled that total through 1 month this season.  They've already knocked off two teams ranked at the time, Wisconsin and UCLA.  The Beavers are in the thick of the Pac 12 race at the moment.  Nobody really expected that.

Kansas State - The ultimate feast or famine team is feasting like Jaws on unsuspecting fisherman.  The Wildcats big win was at Oklahoma, but the ass kicking handed out to Miami in little Manhattan is looking like a better win every week.  The Wildcats have a tough schedule but 10 wins again is a definite possibility.

Western Kentucky - The Hilltoppers only loss is to #1 Alabama, who has beaten everyone.  That's nothing to be ashamed of.  The Hilltoppers even beat SEC and in state rival Kentucky. A Sun Belt schedule isn't exactly a murderers row of tough matchups, so the Hilltoppers may have a shot at double digit wins.

Penn State - This team was left for dead post sanctions.  Most people predicted 3 wins.  Most people were hoping for zero wins.  Unfortunately for everyone that hates Penn State, this team has more character and leadership than anyone ever thought and HC Bill O'Brien has made all the right moves thus far.  They are one decent kicker away from starting 4-1, and are currently on a 3 game winning streak.  With no post season to play for, it's balls to the wall for every game.  The haters will continue to hate, but they'll miss an energetic, charismatic young coach and some great players with a ton of character, and not a single person left in the program had anything to do with the scandal.

UT San Antonio Roadrunners - UTSA is 5-0 in the inaugural season at the FBS level. Granted, they play in the WAC and 3 of their wins have come against FCS foes, but still, for a first season at the highest level it's fairly impressive.

Trending Down 

Arkansas -

John L. Smith is reason enough to not look away.  He's now $40.7M in debt. Up from $25M a few weeks ago. At this rate, John L. Smith's debt will be more than the United States owes to China by the time the BCS Championship is played in 2016. This has lead me to a philosophical question... is it better to have John L. Smith as your coach or no coach at all?

Auburn - Auburn is one OT field goal away from being 0-4. Not quite as bad as Arkansas, but when you consider they won a national title just 2 years ago...

Big Ten - The Big Ten is terrible.

Southern Miss - 10 wins last season.  Zero so far this year.

The NCAA - "...Simply put, success in LSU football is essential for the success of Louisiana State University." - Mark Emmert, circa 1999.

Ohio State sent the NCAA an 800 page compliance action plan this week. This is the classic attorney move of drowning the other side in paper work.  Some things I'll assume are in this plan:

1. Ohio State shall have an unlimited football scholarships per year

2. Ohio State shall be able to employ as many coaches as they see fit at any point in time.  This includes assigning a full time staff to recruit while the other staff handles the game day coaching.

3. ESPN will refer to Coach Urban Meyer as "Lord Meyer" and is prohibited from portraying Lord Meyer and the football program in a negative light for as long as Lord Meyer is alive.

4. Ohio State will be allowed to play in multiple bowl games each year for the next 3 years to make up for the bowl games missed due to sanctions.  Oh, and all their FG's will count as 4 points.

5. Should the NCAA find any subsequent violations within the football program, the NCAA agrees to impose further sanctions on Penn State.  The NCAA and ESPN will report any such sanctions are due to the Sandusky Scandal and cannot be questioned in public or private under penalty of death.

As evidenced in the Penn State case with the Freeh report, the NCAA doesn't actually read anything, nor do they have a firm grasp on their own rule book or how to enforce anything.  Creating no-show classes and handing out A's to keep players eligible?  No problem!  Good luck this year Tar Heels!  But... trading equipment and autographs for tattoos!?

Look out!  You'll get hit with more sanctions than Iran.  And in the case of Penn State, well, their Board of Trustees and President are apparently masochists.  Why would a University pay $6.5 million for a report that would bury your own school and then agree to the harshest sanctions this side of SMU without ever critically analyzing said report or asking for due process?  In fact, PSU's Chairwoman of the Board, Karen Peetz, said they never even read the Freeh report!  Can you imagine agreeing to plead guilty without ever reading the evidence the plea is based upon?  Penn State obviously has a culture problem, but it appears to reside in the Board of Trustees and their ineptitude and ignorance rather than football.

Enough about off the field crap. let's see what's happening this week on the grid iron....

Top 25 Action

#1 'Bama v. Bye Week Laziness - I feel obligated to mention the Crimson Tide even when they are on a bye week for fear of suffering the wrath of Saban should he find out the bye week was not given enough credit.  Also,  the injury bug has bitten the Tide. With no game this week, Tide fans will have to find something else to occupy their time...

#23 Washington @ #2 Oregon - UW has been getting their W's by playing some solid D, which makes you wonder what the hell happened against LSU when they gave up 41 points.  The Tigers are not exactly a high octane offensive team. Stanford knocked off USC two weeks ago, and last week UW knocked off Stanford.  Parity reigns in the Pac 12.  UW is currently ranked 101st in passing and 106th in rushing yardage and 93rd with 23.3 ppg. On the flip side, the Ducks are 52nd in passing, 6th in rushing, and 4th in ppg at 52.4.  This is week 2 of a brutal stretch of games for UW. They beat Stanford last week, they get the Ducks this week and USC next week.  If the Huskies can go 2-1 v. those 3 teams, they will be in the thick of the Pac 12 Championship race.  41-14 Ducks.

#3 FSU @ Wolfpack - Any surprise a guy named Jimbo prefers hunting dogs over show dogs?  The 'Noles kept rolling last week with a 30-17 win over South Florida.  FSU doesn't play another team currently ranked in the top 25 until the last game of the year against a Florida team currently ranked #10.  The matchup at Miami in a few weeks is always an interesting game though. The Wolfpack have lost to the only two decent teams they've played this year, Tennessee and Miami.  Their D was torched for 566 yard through the air by 'Canes QB Stephon Morris in their 44-37 loss last week.  EJ Manuel and the FSU offense is much better than Miami.  45-13 Florida State.

#4 LSU @ #10 Florida - Despite winning, LSU continues to fall in the rankings.  Much like McKayla, the pollsters are not impressed. They've now dropped two spots in two weeks.  Perhaps it's just to build suspense before another LSU v. 'Bama national title game?  The Tigers won 38-22 over Towson last week. That final score may indicate the Tigers were looking ahead to The Swamp this week. These two teams are very similar.  They win with stifling defense and running the ball on offense. The month of October will make or break the Gators season, after Vandy next week, the Gators have South Carolina and Georgia at home. Do LSU's struggles on offense the past few weeks finally catch up with them or does Les Miles pull another game out of his ass?  27-21 Gators.

#5 Georgia @ #5 South Carolina -  The Ole Ball Coach has the Gamecocks D playing lights out while he waits for the offense to get up to speed.  The Bulldogs' offense has been humming all season, average 48 points per game.  Can the 'Cocks D slow down QB Aaron Murray? The Dogs O is in the top 30 in just about every offensive category.  While their D is not quite as good, it's no slouch.  Look for Georgia to beat the 'Cocks in their own house.... er.. I mean the Bulldogs will down the 'cocks... shit! ok... the 'Cocks will go limp against the... dammit!  Nevermind.  Georgia wins.  30-17.

Kansas @ #7 K-State -

"... I piled so much bologna, cheese and ketchup on that sandwich it was up to here!"

QB Collin Klein is on a role for KSU this year.  He leads a potent running game that ranks 14th in the nation.  The Wildcats are kind of one dimensional on O right now, with their aerial attack ranked 106th in the nation. Could this be a let down game for KSU after their big win in Oklahoma and a bye week? Kansas's only win has come against FCS South Dakota State.  You think Fatty Weis and QB Dayne Crist saw this coming a few years ago when Weis was Notre Dame's HC and Crist his latest QB protege?  45-3 K State.

#8 WVU @ #11 Texas - WVU may want to start playing some D. Everyone is heralding Geno Smith as the next RGIII after he put up ridiculous numbers against Baylor.  Lost in that discussion is the fact that WVU gave up 63 points and a ton of big plays.  Yes, Geno Smith is damn good, but Baylor's D isn't very good at all.  Numbers like that don't happen against good defenses.  They just don't.  If Tom Brady could play the Saints D every week, he'd have the best season a QB ever had.  My point is, bad D's can make a very good QB look like a Heisman winner.  Texas is by far the best D WVU has faced this year. The 'Horns faced a similar high octane, fast paced offense last week in their win against Okie State. That contest came down to a controversial Texas TD with under a minute left.  Look for a similar result this week as Texas's D is able to slow down WVU just enough to squeak by at home.  36-31 Longhorns.

Hook 'Em Horns!

Hurricanes @ #9 Notre Dame - The Irish are one of the few battled tested teams of the first month of the season.  They already have wins at Michigan State and against Purdue and Michigan at home.  That could mean one of two things.  1. The Irish have a good football team or 2. The Big Ten sucks.  Since we've already established the latter, we'll go with that for now.  After getting blown out at K State, Miami has found ways to win despite a leaky defense.  The Irish should be able to score this week and will have to shut down Miami's passing attack to win.  Notre Dame 37-17.

#21 Cornhuskers @ #12 Buckeyes - Did OSU edit game tape sent to MSU?  Or is Sparty just a sore loser as usual?  Or both?  Probably both. The Huskers came back from 17 points down at home against the Badgers last week and won 30-27.  QB Taylor Martinez threw for 2 scores and ran for 1 more. Martinez still isn't a great passer, but he gets the job done. The Buckeyes eked out a 17-16 victory in East Lansing last week. QB Braxton Miller led the way with 136 yards rushing, and found WR Devin Smith open deep for a 63 yard TD, which accounted for nearly half his passing yards for the day.  Miller & Martinez are part of the new breed of college QB's who run first and pass second.  We used to call these players "Wildcat" QB's, but they've now become the norm.  Which is a likely reason NFL teams are desperate to find QB's these days.  This game could set passing offenses back 20 years and yet the commentators will sing the praises of the winning QB and dub him a "Dual Threat" without addressing the fact that neither of them are good passers.  Don't believe the hype. 21-17 Nebraska.

#13 USC @ Utah - Thursday night alert!  Will I get this posted before this game is played!?  It's not looking good.  The Trojans beat up Cal 27-9 last week.  Now that the hype machine on Barkley, Woods and Lee has slowed a bit, the Trojans can get back to playing football.  Utah got killed by AZ State two weeks ago, 37-7 and their schedule doesn't get any easier this month.  After this game, they play #25 UCLA and #14 Oregon State on the road.  It's make or break time for the Utes.  This week is break.  35-14 Trojans.

Edit: I was right, I did not get this up before the game started.  I'm not watching and don't know the score but it's only 9:30.

Cougars @ #14 Beavers - Wazzu has not beaten a decent team yet, and even lost to a terrible Colorado team.  They were pummeled by the Ducks last week 51-26. Their D is shaky at best and they have one of the worst running games in the nation.  This is a Mike Leach offense though and they will throw it around the field with reckless abandon.  The Beavers are winning, but not by much.  They won 38-35 against Arizona last week.  The Beavers will take the wood to the Cougars. 27-17 Beavers.

Cyclones @ #15 Horned Frogs - TCU QB Casey Pachall has been suspended indefinitely after his arrest on suspicion of DWI.  Freshman Trevone Boykin will get the start at QB this week instead. Boykin has only attempted 10 passes this season. No matter though, as TCU is built on playing defense, not outscoring it's opponents.  The Horned Frogs are allowing just over a TD per game thus far. The Cyclones are a similar team, with a shaky O and a D only allowing 14 points per game. This game will come down to turnovers.  Whichever D can create more of them wins.  20-13 Cyclones

GA Tech @ #15 Clemson - How do you get fired as a cop in South Carolina?  Give a ticket to Clemson HC Dabo Swinney. GA Tech has lost back to back games in which they were favored. Last week they didn't even show up and were dismantled by Middle TN State 49-28.  Clemson has had no problem scoring points this year, it's stopping the other team from scoring too that's been the hard part. The Yellowjackets will have some success on the scoreboard, but not enough. It's still to early for Clemson to start their annual collapse. 45-27 Tigers.

#17 Sooners @ Red Raiders - The Sooners are looking to snap a 3 game losing streak at TX Tech. Somewhat surprisingly, the Red Raiders have one of the best D's in the country, statistically speaking. Then again, the best offense they've faced was Iowa State, so stats can be misleading.  The Red Raiders still love to pass the ball, ranking 7th in the nation.  OU has only two wins this season, against Florida A&M and UTEP, so we don't know much about them yet.  Was the loss to K State a sign of things to come or just a bump in the BCS road?  The Sooners also have their rivalry game against Texas next week, so they may get caught looking ahead.  31-27 Red Raiders.

Arizona @ #18 Stanford - Stanford got a little full of themselves after beating USC and allowed Washington to come back from 10 points down in the second half to win 17-13.  Arizona is glad to be done playing teams from the state of Oregon after back to back losses to the Ducks & Beavers.  This is the Wildcats 3rd of six games in a row against ranked opponents. The early season success and 3-0 start seem like ages ago for this team.  Arizona should be able to put up some points, but this game is crucial to both teams if they want to stay in the Pac 12 race.  34-30 Stanford.

#20 Miss St @ Kentucky - Miss State has slowly & methodically climbed the rankings, mostly by beating up on bad teams.  The best team they've faced so far is a 1-3 Auburn squad.  Kentucky is worse than Auburn.  Kentucky may be looking ahead to next week's matchup against Arkansas.  The loser will be in the SEC basement.  The winner... will be on the stairs to the basement.  37-13 Bulldogs.

UConn @ #22 Rutgers - Fightin' Snookies - Rutgers is undefeated and this guy has no problem telling you how great they are...

What he won't tell you is that Rutgers has not played a ranked team yet this year, and as of right now, won't play any ranked teams until they close out the season against current #19 Louisville.  That schedule is as soft as a baby's bottom.  Explain to me again why the Big East has an automatic BCS bid?  UConn is just waiting for bball season to role around.  What?  They're ineligible for the NCAA tournament because of poor graduation rates?  Man, I'd hate to be in Storrs, CT this winter.  Rutgers 24-13.

#24 Northwestern @ Penn State - PSU won the dairy cattle judging National Championship! Vacate THAT Emmert!  Booyah!  PSU has steadily improved this season, and would be sitting at 4-1 if they had even an average kicker.  While the D has tightened up for the Nittany Lions, the Wildcat offense is by far the best O they've faced all year.  On the flip side, this is also the best D the Wildcats have faced all year. They will do what the Ohio Bobcats did, run the read option and get to the outside, but they'll do it better and faster.  The Nittany Lions will be forced to play assignment football and keep contain.  Their secondary is going to have to make tackles in space. O'Brien's offense has steadily improved each week.  And whatever pixie dust he sprinkled on QB Matt McGloin to turn the former walk on into an efficient starting QB should be bottled and sold.  This game will come down to self inflicted mistakes.  Whichever team makes more of them loses.  28-24 Penn State.

#25 Bruins @ Golden Bears - Cal is just not very good.  Jeff Tedford's seat is getting nice and toasty in NoCal.  Their lone win was against an FCS team, and they weren't even competitive in some of their losses.  UCLA has been revived by Jim Mora Jr.  They put away Colorado easily last week, and will look to do the same this week.  42-14 Bruins.

Games of Note 

Arkansas @ Auburn - My train wreck game of the week!  Can Arkansas salvage anything from this season?  Or will the misery in Auburn continue for another week? Please someone give John L. Smith another job after this!  Please!  34 - 17 Auburn.

Virginia @ Duke - If this were a lacrosse game it'd be one of the best games of the week. Remember the Duke bball player that bought 100K worth of jewelry while he was still in school and only paid 30K of it?  No?  Didn't think so, because the Duke "Investigation" settled out of court very quietly. And the NCAA proves again it enforces rules ad hoc Just in case Duke is ever good at football, or Coach K needs a bigger venue for basketball, Duke is renovating their football stadium. Virginia has switched QB's.  Alabama transfer Philip Sims will start this week for the Cavaliers.  Can he kick start a moribund offense?  30-20 Duke.

Illinois @ Wisconsin - Illinois got their asses handed to them on their home field by Penn State last week 35-7.  The game was never even close.  Tim Beckman is going to need to steal a lot more players from PSU if he hopes to compete in the Big Ten apparently.  The Badgers lost a heart breaker to the 'Huskers last week, losing a 17 point lead in the second half.  Things have not gone as planned in Madison this year, where the rabid fan base expected another Rose Bowl and a run at the BCS Championship.  No seriously, they did.  Nobody outside the state of Wisconsin did, but don't tell Badgers fans that.  35-7 Wisconsin.

Navy @ Air Force - fans of the option will love this old school game.  This type of offense used to be the norm back when Notre Dame was a perennial powerhouse, you know, before WWII.  I love watching the military academies play because it's just fun.  These kids will run, run and run some more.  I would love to see a fumblerooskie at some point.  Air Force gave Michigan a game at the Big House and Navy was dismantled by PSU in Happy Valley.  Falcons 37-19.

Michigan @ Purdue - Not to be outdone by PSU, Michigan won the National 4-H Dairy Judging Contest.  I know what you're thinking....

I had no idea it existed either.  Purdue is in the hunt for the Big Ten Leaders division and HC Danny Hope has the team playing well.  They lost a tough game at Notre Dame, and their 3 wins were against a bunch of bad teams.  Is Purdue for real?  HC Brady Hoke is finding his second season at Michigan a little tougher than his first.  As much of a threat as QB Denard Robinson is on the ground, that ability is almost negated by his horrible passing game.  At one point against Notre Dame I believe he was intercepted on 3 consecutive passes.  I'm not talking consecutive drives, I'm talking consecutive PASSES.  Ouch. He's another Wildcat QB masquerading as a full time QB.  Look for this game to be too close for comfort for the Wolverines.  31-24 Michigan.

Upset of the Week 

Sparty @ Indiana - Sparty gouging at the buck-Eyes? What happens when Michigan State loses to Ohio state at home? An MSU professor is arrested for stripping naked in class. The professor was described as an "eccentric" mathematics teacher who "smoked meth" and never seemed quite right.  Congratulations Sparty...

26 - 24 Indiana!

Week 5 Predictions

It's the end of September already and Week 5 of our season already. I'm not sure how many of you play fantasy football, but if you don't, you should, "IT'S SERIOUS FUN!"

In addition to football season, the fall also brings us new TV shows! Which shows will survive to see the new year?  Hell, which shows will survive until Thanksgiving? For some, being on until Halloween would be a minor miracle. Having worked in the entertainment industry, I can tell you first hand that most shows succeed despite the network execs, not because of them. Let's take a look at the weakest to strongest of Hollywood's latest attempts to entertain us:

FCS - Stars Earn Stripes (NBC).  Like the cupcakes that all FBS teams schedule, this category is for shows that are just filler between good teams, or in this case, commercials. They could call this "Dancing with the Stars Rejects".  Even Dick Wolf & Mark Burnett can't save this from not only being boring, but embarrassing.  Gen. Wesley Clark was a valedictorian at West Point, a Rhodes Scholar, earned the Presidential Medal of Freedom, and even several honorary knighthoods.  Now, he hosts a reality show where "stars" pretend to be soldiers.  I feel sad for America.  I'm pretty sure this has been cancelled already.

Sun Belt - Beauty and the Beast (CW) - A step above FCS, but not quite the big time BCS yet. Yep, it's THAT Beauty & the Beast again.  No, this is not animated.  Yes, it's remake of the 1987 show of the same name starring Ron Perlman & Linda Hamilton.  No, those two do not reprise their roles.  Yes, this will be cancelled before the leaves fall off the trees.

Independents - Hunted (Cinemax) For those shows without a home on basic cable. Who knew Cinemax had more than just movies and soft core porn?  This original series stars Melissa George of Alias and Grey's Anatomy fame.


It has an interesting premise, a super spy is betrayed by her agency, she survives an assassination attempt, seeks revenge on everyone.  Who can't get behind a hot spy seeking revenge on her enemies?  The issue is, will anyone see this?  Speaking of anyone seeing this, Downtown Abbey is apparently the best show nobody has seen except Emmy voters.  I can't say this will be cancelled because I have no idea who still gets Cinemax.




Conference USA -  Malibu Country (ABC) - A show most people forget about immediately after watching it, if they watch it. Reba McEntire returns to TV, this time she plays... Reba.  BUT!  Now she lives in Malibu. So it's TOTALLY different than her previous show, Reba.  Country star has family problems, moves to Malibu.  Yeah, middle America can totally relate.  Is there a big demand for Reba on TV that I'm not aware of?  Reba will be back in Nashville by Thanksgiving.

WAC - Arrow (CW) - Like the WAC has a few interesting teams, and if there is absolutely nothing else on, you'll watch it. The CW has a few shows that some may find interesting, if you don't like good writing or acting. Superhero movies are making billions at the box office... so why not the small screen?  Remember this doozie of a superhero show?

The Flash may be the worst Superhero of all time.  The guy can run, really really fast.  That would be useful for getting AWAY from a fight, but to battle Loki, Red Skull or Whiplash?  Ugh. Who's his nemesis?  The Sloth?


Now, the CW has brought Legolas, er, the Green Arrow to our homes on a weekly basis.  The Arrow, a wealthy playboy by day and vigilante by night, (c'mon!?  How is that not copyright infringement?) The Arrow honed his archery skills on a deserted island... blah blah blah.  I hope they show this in 3D so he can shoot an Arrow through my eye, which be more pleasant than sitting through an episode.












MAC - Made In Jersey (CBS) - A show that doesn't get any respect, but is better than you think. This show sounds like a new MTV reality show, but it's on your grandparents network, CBS.  Working class jersey girl gets a job with a big time New York City law firm. Ironically the "Jersey girl" is played by a Brit, Jessica Blank, but don't worry, they made her hair almost as big as Snookie's.  I can't wait for the first Jerseyesque courtroom melt down scene complete with hair pulling.







Mountain West - Last Resort (ABC) - A show that is better than some other higher rated shows.  Fans of The Shield will appreciate that Shawn Ryan is back with a new series, Last Resort, starring Andre Braugher, and Kate Beckinsale's favorite Vampire, Werewolf hybrid, Scott Speedman.  

Synopsis: 500 feet beneath the ocean's surface, the U.S. ballistic missile submarine Colorado receives their orders.  Over a radio channel, designed only to be used if their homeland has been wiped out, they're told to fire nuclear weapons at Pakistan.  Captain Marcus Chaplin (Braugher) demands confirmation of the orders only to be unceremoniously relieved of duty by the White House XO Sam Kendal (Speedman) who then finds himself sunddenly in charge of the submarine and facing the same difficult decision.  When he also refuses to fire without confirmation of the orders, the Colorado is targeted, fired upon and hit.  The submarine and its crew find themselves crippled on the ocean floor, declared rogue enemies of their own country.  Now, with nowhere left to turn, Chaplin and Kendal take the sub on the run and bring the mean and women of the Colorado to an exotic island.  Here they will find refuge, romance, and a chance at a new life even as they try to clear their names and get home. 

Am I wrong or does this sound like a TV version of Crimson Tide?  I wonder if they end up on the same island as the one from Lost. 

Big Least - Guys with Kids (NBC) & Go On (NBC) - A terrible show that people will watch nonetheless. From Jimmy Fallon comes this, ahem, "comedy" about 3 guys living in the same apartment complex and learning how to be Dad's.  Fourteen kids are used to play the 7 kid roles in this show.  Over/under on at least 8 of the child stars following the same path as Lindsay Lohan & Amanda Bynes.



Another TV season, another Mathew Perry sitcom.  It seems like this happens every year since the end of Friends.  This time, he's a sports radio talk show host who loses his wife and joins a support group in Goon, er, Go On.  People will watch because he was on Friends, and NBC is determined to keep at least one of the friends on TV at all times.











ACC - Animal Practice (NBC) - it's not quite as good as other popular shows, but is successful nonetheless. My comedy theory is this:  Add a midget and a monkey to any situation and you will have something funny no matter what.  My theory is sound and time tested.  Game of Thrones would be nothing but "Warcraft the Series" if not for Peter Dinklage. This show has half of my theory, with the monkey from The Hangover II being the funniest character on the show.

Add a midget and NBC could have the next great sitcom.

Big Ten - Chicago Fire (NBC)  - A show with a cast full of history and tradition that has lost some of it's luster. What do you get when you take Dick Wolf's Law & Order and cross breed it with Backdraft?  You get Chicago Fire. Women will watch because it's got hot firefighters. Men will watch because who among us didn't want to be a firefighter when we were kids?  Everyone had that red plastic firefighter helmet back in the day.  Then we grew up, and started watching Law & Order, and then came Rescue Me and that motley group of firefighters, and now, as we head into our 30's, we arrive at this show.

Big XII - 666 Park Ave (ABC) - Like the conference, it may lack some luster of the bigger shows, but it's still good.  Terry O'Quinn, aka "John Locke", or "Flocke" the smoke monster, from Lost, returns to TV in this drama set in a swanky apartment building, The Drake, on Manhattan's Upper East Side.  The catch is, all of the residents have a secret... .

They have all made a deal with the devil to have their every desire fulfilled. I get the sense that this show is loosely based on Lindsay Lohan & Kim Kardashian.  ABC is promoting the hell out of this show, which means A. They spent a lot of money on it already and need to recoup some of it or B. They believe in the show and think it will be a hit.  I'm going with a little from column A and a little from column B.  I would seriously question the judgment of anyone that would build an apartment complex with the address "666" though.

Pac 12 - The Following (Fox) - A high octane show that's not quite as good as the SEC.  In this case, Fox brings us "The Following", starring Kevin Bacon who I am now separated from by only 2 degrees.  The premise: The FBI estimates there are currently over 300 active serial killers in the U.S. What would happen if these killers had a way of communicating and connecting with each other? What if they were able to work together and form alliances across the country? What if one brilliant psychotic serial killer was able to bring them all together and activate a following? ... OR!  What if serial killers unionized! Maybe they can just create a private Facebook page for themselves, or just follow each other on twitter.  This show sounds like it's one part X-Files, one part CSI, one part Law & Order with a sprinkling of Bacon bits. I'll be following The Following this fall. 

On a side note, if you're into following, and liked Inception and the Dark Knight movies, check out one of Director Christopher Nolan's first movies, Following.

SEC - Vegas (CBS) - This show will win the best ratings year after year. Dennis Quaid, Michael Chiklis, Jason O'Mara, and Carrie-Anne Moss star in this 1960s period drama set in the early days of Sin City. There are no Old Fashioneds or Playboy bunnies, but cowboy hats. Based on the true story of Las Vegas Sheriff Ralph Lamb, Dennis Quaid makes his TV series debut as Lamb, a rancher who goes up against a powerful gangster (Michael Chiklis) to help bring order to Sin City. Casino is one of my favorite movies, and the original Ocean's 11 was a fantastic movie, I only hope this series is as gripping as those two films.  


Of course, the if the networks don't immediately get the ratings they want from any of these shows, they'll cancel them.  And if by chance a show does turn into a hit, they'll move it's time slot around so many times you'll have no idea when it's on, and then they'll put re-runs on for a month before showing a new episode, leaving the audience guessing as to why the F the network is trying to kill the shows that audiences like. 

Note to network execs... viewers don't like playing hide & seek with their shows.  We have short attention spans and the internet is always available.  Would it kill you to keep the damn shows on consistently and in the same time slot?  It would?  OK, then I'm going on the internet then.  Thank god for Tivo.  




Let's talk some football...

Top 25 Action

Ole Miss @ #1 'Bama - Bama's D is the ultimate cock block, nobody can score when they're around.

They have only given up 21 points all season, and 14 of those came against Michigan in the season opener.  They have two shut outs already. Last week they crushed Florida Atlantic 40-7.  Ole Miss has the 11th ranked rushing attack in the nation, but gave up 66 points to the only ranked opponent they played, and that was a Texas team that isn't exactly lighting up the scoreboard this year.  The Rebels will be the latest team to run into the Bama buzz saw.  45-10 Crimson Tide.

#2 Oregon v. Wazzu - The Ducks moved into second on the heels of LSU struggling to put away Auburn last week. The Ducks showed up on D last week, shutting out RichRod's vaunted spread attack 49-0. The Cougars collapsed in the second half against a moribund Colorado team who's coach may still be the first casualty of the season.  The Cougars just don't have the players to keep the Ducks out of the end zone.  59-17 Oregon.

Towson @ #3 LSU - The Tigers escaped Auburn last week with a 12-10 win.  The close call dropped them to #3 this week.  In today's college football, even a win isn't good enough to keep the pace apparently.  If you're not winning by impressive margins, the polls don't like you. As Steve Miller said, Towson will take the money and run.  52-0 LSU.

#4 FSU @ South Florida - The Seminoles showed they belong last week, walloping Clemson 49-37.  The 'Noles have shown they can score, but can they keep anyone from scoring?  Heading into this game, the FSU D had only given up 3 points all season, and the first team they faced with a pulse on offense came out and put up 37 on them.  If that D doesn't tighten up, the 'Noles will be good but not great this year. Lucky for FSU they don't face another team currently ranked in the top 25 until the last game of the season against Florida, currently ranked 11.  The Bulls are in a tailspin, having lost two straight, including 31-27 to Ball State last week.  The skid continues this week, 39-7 Seminoles.

Volunteers @ #5 Bulldogs - The Volunteers lost to the only ranked team they've played this year, losing 37-20 to Florida at home.  Georgia has been impressive this year, with QB Aaron Murray leading a potent offense.  Could the "Dawgs get caught looking ahead to their top 10 showdown with South Carolina next week?  Anything is possible in the SEC.  27-24 Tennessee.

#6 Gamecocks @ Kentucky - Could it be possible for South Carolina to get caught looking ahead too?  Like I said, anything is possible, even a bear riding a horse.

Fortunately for the 'Cocks, Kentucky is terrible.  South Carolina should continue to roll. Spurrier wins shortest press conference of the week pool this year. 39-3 Gamecocks.

#25 Baylor @ #7 Mountaineers - Baylor is 3-0 and has been lighting up the scoreboard all season, but hasn't played anyone of any significance yet.  Their toughest game so far as been against the LA-Monroe Warhawks, and they gave up 42 points to them.  Needless to say, Baylor is all O and no D. The Mountaineers are not what the Bears need right now.  WVU opens with a win in the Big XII debut... 55-34 WVU.  Ligth 'em up!

#8 Stanford @ U-Dub - I would've predicted the Cardinal to win this game after they beat USC, but since it was played last night and the Huskies came back in the 4th quarter for a 17-13 win, I'll congratulate the Huskies on their win and wonder if Stanford was still relishing the fall of Troy.  I have to mention that if you live in or visit the state of Washington, beware of the Zombie Bees 

#12 Texas @ Cowboys - If you watched the Texas offense, you wouldn't think they were currently ranked 7th in the nation in scoring at 49.3 ppg.  I didn't even believe it myself.  The 'Horns haven't played anyone tough yet, and no, Ole Miss is not a tough game.  Okie State is another spread offense team that treats playing defense like Amanda Bynes treats traffic laws, it doesn't apply to them.  There should be plenty of scoring in this game.  45-41 Okie State.

On a side note, neither Okie State nor the Dallas Cowboys thought it prudent to by the domain cowboys.com, and as such, Cowboys.com is a gay dating site.

#14 Buckeyes @ # 20 Sparty - E. Gordon Gee spent 64Kon bow ties!  Freaking bow ties!  He spent an average Americans yearly salary buying a piece of material that he ties around his neck as his trademark look. You just can't make this shit up.  It makes you wonder how much OSU spends on it's football players, and their "compliance" department to keep the NCAA in their place.  #culture.

The Buckeyes are undefeated, but haven't exactly been impressive this year.  Braxton Miller still can't pass consistently.  It only took 2 weeks for Sparty to go back to being Sparty.  After getting hammered by Notre Dame 20-3 at home, Sparty nearly shit the bed against Eastern Michigan last week, finally pulling away in the 4th quarter and winning 23-7.  Sadly, these are still the best two teams in what is turning out to be an awful Big Ten this year.  24-17 Buckeyes.

#15 TCU @ SMU - TCU is the anti-Okie state, winning with stifling D.  The Horned Frogs are #1 in the nation in scoring D, giving up a measly 4.3 ppg.  Then again, their D has only played 3 games and none of those teams were very good. SMU should fall right in line with the rest of the teams.  42-0 TCU.

#17 Clemson @ Doug Flutie U - 1 ranked team, 1 Clemson loss.  This Clemson program is as predictable as the sun coming up.  The Tigers got beat up by the 'Noles last week and look to salvage their season against B.C. this week. The Eagles are not a very good team this year, with one of the worst rushing attacks in college football. If they're going to pull the upset, the Eagles will have to air it out.  39-17 Clemson.

#18 Beavers @ Arizona - The Beavers have played 2 ranked teams this year, and are currently 2-0.  The Beavers do just enough to win, holding on to beat UCLA last week 27-20.  The Beavers formula is to surprisingly air it out on offense and then play solid defense.  So far so good. That D will be put to the test against the Wildcats spread offense.  RichRod will be looking to rebound after getting shut out in Eugene last week. 24-17 Beavers. Go Beavers!

#19 Louisville @ Southern Miss - Louisville is an overall good team, not great at anything, but good at everything.  The Cardinals continue to climb the rankings every week, but haven't played a tough team yet.  Southern Miss does not qualify as a tough team this year. In fact, after winning 10 games last year, the Golden Eagles are still looking for their first win this year. 45-7 Louisville.

Badgers @ #22 Cornhuskers - Wisconsin's offense has struggled mightily this year.  After firing their offensive line coach already, the Badgers benched QB Danny O'Brien in favor of freshman Joel Stave.  Stave got the offense going a little bit last week against UTEP, helping the Badgers put up 37 points. The Badgers coaches only threw the ball 17 times, and relied on the ground attack to help Stave.  Despite losing Montee Ball, who may wish he'd left for the NFL, the Badgers were still able to get the win against UTEP.  Nebraska has not had any issues putting points on the board this year, but their D is not up to 'Huskers traditional standards just yet. They had a scrimmage against Idaho State last week, and this week should be much tougher.  If this game were in Madison, I'd say the Badgers would win.  30-24 Nebraska.

#24 Broncos @ New Mexico - Boise won an ugly game against BYU last week 7-6.  It wasn't so much great defense as it was bad offense.  The Lobos won their in-state rivalry game last week, dropping New Mexico State 27-14.  The Broncos should have an easier time putting up some points this week.  35-13 Boise.

Games of Note

Penn State @ Illinois - Penn State took care of business against Temple last week, winning 24-13 but still making way too many mistakes.  Their D is still not very good, with plenty of receivers running open in the secondary.  Fortunately Temple's QB couldn't hit the ocean from the beach.  Against better teams, the Nittany Lions secondary is in trouble.  Could Illinois be that team?  The Illini got lit up against LA Tech last week, losing 52-24.  The Illini secondary may be worse than PSU's, but can PSU capitalize on it? PSU WR Allen Robinson is turning into one of the best WR's in the country as a true sophomore. How will he respond when teams start game planning to take him out of the passing game? 20-17 Penn State.

Golden Gophers @ Iowa - Iowa set a new low last week, giving up 9 points in the last 45 seconds to lose to Central Michigan 32-31.  Iowa is a mess on both offense and defense right now.  Meanwhile, the Golden Gophers are undefeated at 4-0.  It's not the Gophers are particularly good, it's just that everyone else they've played is worse.  24-7 Minnesota.

Arkansas @ Texas A&M - If Iowa is setting a new low, Arkansas has reached the Ninth Circle of Dante's Inferno. Appropriate that the ninth circle is for treachery considering Bobby Petrino's misdeeds and the Razorbacks program paying the price. Texas A&M may be in a new league, but they're still the same middling program.  The Aggies should be able to put up some points as they keep the Razorbacks train wreck of a season going for another week.  At this point, the only hope Arkansas has is getting Charlie Strong from Louisville this off season. 41-21 Aggies.

Va Tech v. Cincy -  Pop quiz hotshot.  Munchie Legaux is:
                                 A. The next Bond villain
                                 B. A french cartoon
                                 C. a porn star
                                 D. Cincy's starting QB

The Hokies bounced back nicely from their debacle against Pitt, beating Bowling Green easily last week, 37-0.  The schedule makers were nice to the Bearcats this year.  They don't leave Cincy until Oct. 20 when they travel to Toledo.  Are the Bearcats for real or just your typical Big East team that can't be a good team outside the conference?  27-24 Hokies.

(The answer is obviously D.)

Hoosiers @ Northwestern - Indiana is Indiana again this year.  Northwestern is undefeated and has a legit chance of winning the Big Ten this year.  If they can take care of business against the Hoosiers, the Wildcats will head to Happy Valley at 5-0 and will be the favorites in that game.  34-10 Northwestern.

Warhawks @ Green Wave -The Warhawks hung tough against Baylor last week, but just can't stop anyone from scoring.  The Green Wave can't score OR defend.  Look for the Warhawks to put up some big points against one of the worst D's in football.  55-13 Warhawks.

Week 4 Predictions

Week 4 already... why does college football season have to go by so fast?  It's like when stores start putting out seasonal items 2 months in advance.  Seriously, Wegman's had fall stuff out in the beginning of August.  C'mon!  What's the rush? 

I get it you want to get a jump on competitors, but when it's snowing and 20 degrees out in February, the last thing I'm looking to buy is a beach umbrella.  Likewise, when it's 90 and humid as hell, I'm not really looking for a pumpkin flavored coffee.  Speaking of pumpkin, are there no other flavors that we associate with autumn other than pumpkin?  EVERYTHING is pumpkin flavored! When is the last time you got hungry and said to yourself... "I could really go for a pumpkin right now."  One good thing about the pumpkin craze.... the plethora of pumpkin beers available!

Let's talk some football....

Top 25 Action
Florida Atlantic @ #1 'Bama - How dominant have the Tide been this year?  Alabama has outscored its opponents 128-14 and scored 94 points since the defense last gave up a point, with 14 seconds left in the third quarter in the opener against Michigan.  Still, Nick Saban will not be happy until his team is so dominant the BCS agrees to let his 1st team Defense play his 1st team Offense in the national championship game.  Forget a rematch against LSU or beating up a Pac 12 school, the real national championship game is Alabama v. Crimson Tide.  Two Sun Belt teams have beaten the mighty SEC this year.  Could the Owls pull off the upset of the century? According to Owls DE Cory Henry, yes!  According to everyone else, not so much. 45 - 0 Roll Tide.

#2 Tigers @ Tigers - Is "Tigers" the most common nickname in sports?  Were there mass Tiger sightings in the south back in the day or something?  Surprisingly, Tigers is only the 3rd most used nickname in college sports. The top two?  Eagles & Panthers.  Auburn escaped with a 31-28 win in OT against the fearless Warhawks last week.  LSU dominated Idaho 63-14.  Can Auburn stop LSU's 13th ranked rushing attack?  Can LSU get anything going through the air?  Can an 83 year old do a keg stand while tailgating?  Auburn could be 1-3, and 0-2 in the SEC if they can't find a way to pull off the upset at home.  37-17 LSU.

#22 Wildcats @ #3 Mighty Ducks - The desert heat seems to agree with RichRod.  After almost stumbling in their opening game against Toledo, the Wildcats have put up 59 and 56 points in the last two weeks respectively.  In fact, RichRod's much maligned D pitched a shut out last week against South Carolina State.  Meanwhile in Eugene, the Ducks are averaging a video game like 54 points per game. As impressive as that is, it's not nearly the best offensive performance in Oregon last week, check out the kid that put up 634 Yards, 10 TD's in one game!!!  Freshman QB Marcus Mariota has been outstanding, completing 75% of his passes and tossing 8 TD's with only 1 INT.  What do you think?  Last team with the ball wins?  52-49 Ducks. 

#10 Clemson @ #4 Seminoles - Jimbo Fisher's Seminoles have only allowed 3 points total this year.  That's right, through 3 games, the 'Noles have only given up a FG.  Their offense has been averaging 58.7 points per game too!  Are these 'Noles for real?  It's still hard to tell.  They played two FCS schools, which is always nice for padding stats.  Last week they destroyed the Demon Deacons 52-0.  This is FSU's first real test of the year. And unlike FSU's academics, they'll actually have to show up, and this class is not an easy A.  Clemson is a bit more battle tested, having beaten Auburn in their season opener.  The Tigers run a balanced offense that is one of the best in the nation.  Sophomore Sammy Watkins is back from his two game suspension.  Watkins blew up the 'Noles as a Freshman to the tune of 7 catches, 141 yards and 2 TD's.  Will Sammy be able to repeat that performance or will the 'Noles D continue to dominate?  34-24 Florida State. 

Commodores @ #5 Bulldogs - Vandy sits at 1-2 but has played tough in both losses.  The Commodores D has been steady, giving up 36 points through 3 games, including a tough 17-13 loss to open the season against South Carolina.  If Vandy can just figure out how to put some more points on the board, they could go bowling this season.  Vandy is in for a rough test this week against a Bulldogs offense that is averaging 47.3 points per game, good for 10th in the nation.  Granted those points came against relatively easy opponents, unless you consider Mizzou to be a tough game, which the SEC doesn't.  Respect must be earned, not given. Look for the Dawgs to struggle for a half before breaking through.  34-10 Georgia. 

#15 K-State @ #6 Sooners - As I said before, K State is a feast or famine program, and this year they are feasting like a honey badger on a snake.

Last week they had a hiccup in the first half against the Mean Green from North Texas, leading only 14-7 at the half, but turned it on in the second half and won 35-21.  Collin Klein has been one of the best QB's in college football thus far.  With all due respect to UTEP, this is the Sooners first real game of the year.  The Miners put a scare into the Sooners 24-7 to open the season.  OU then rolled over Florida A&M last week, but K State is no Florida A&M.  Can Landry Jones throw his hat in the Heisman ring, or will the Sooner faithful grow even more restless with Stoops?  30-24 Wildcats. 

Tigers @ #7 Gamecocks - Mizzou QB James Franklin didn't play last week because he refused to take a cortisone shot to relieve pain in his shoulder.  This lead to people questioning the QB's toughness, as if refusing to take a cortisone shot somehow makes you less of a man.  As Franklin explained, he avoids taking any pain killing medication, including aspirin. In today's football mad world, players are expected to play through injuries, and that includes taking pain killing drugs to do so.  What seems to be lost on fans is that cortisone simply masks the pain, which can lead to further injury.  I'm not saying one way or the other what Franklin should have done, but it's his body, and if he doesn't want to take a shot and can't play otherwise, that's his choice.  It's easy for fans to sit back on their coach with with beer and pizza and criticize the kid...

But this guy isn't putting his body at risk on every play and sustaining injuries that can last a lifetime.  Then again, with all those cheese curls in that bowl, maybe he is.  The Gamecocks QB is dealing with an injury of his own but Connor Shaw is expected to play.  Expect to see a heavy does of RB Marcus Lattimore as he rounds back into shape from injury. He is arguably one of the best backs in college football and the Gamecocks will need him to step up as they enter SEC play.  Do the Tigers start 0-2 in their new conference?  All signs point to yes.  34-20 South Carolina.   

Terrapins @ #8 Mountaineers - Geno Smith is on fire like a couch on a Saturday night in Morgantown! Anyone headed to Morgantown this week should use extreme caution when driving in...

G Smith has a ridiculous 88% completion rate to go along with 9 TD's and 0 INT's this  year, and even more stunning, he has yet to take a sack!  His Heisman campaign is in full swing.  Maryland has been a schizophrenic team this  year, almost losing to William & Mary, blowing out Temple, and getting dominated by UConn.  Just in case the Terrapins are ever good, and they actually win a big game, and people show up, and care that they win, and decide to storm the field, and head toward the goal posts... Maryland installed hydraulic goal posts.  Better to be safe than sorry?  Do the Terrapins snap at the Mountaineers or hide in their shells this week?  48-17 WVU.  Light 'em up!

#18 Michigan @ #11 Fightin' Irish - It's on like donkey kong in South Bend!  The Irish are 3-0 after a dominating defensive performance against Sparty in East Lansing last week.  The Irish offense hasn't gotten in gear yet, but the D has stepped up.  Say what you will about Brian Kelly's motivational tactics...

but he has his team playing well.  Irish fans are already proclaiming "WE ARE BACK BABY!  WE ARE BACK!!! WOO HOO!!" At 3-0 and with a tough schedule ahead, that may be premature.  D-Rob is like no other player the Irish D has faced this year.  He's literally a one man wrecking crew on offense and a threat to take it to the house on any play.  As 'Bama showed, if you shut down D-Rob, you shut down Michigan.  The question is, will the Irish D be able to contain that Wolverine?  27-20 Go Blue!

Cal @ #13 Trojans - Poor Lane Kiffin.  He was so upset that his team was yet again out played and out coached, he couldn't even talk about it.  Kiffin set a record for shortest press conference, clocking a mere 28 seconds. The lesson the media should learn?  Don't question Kiffin after yet another loss to Stanford that dashes his teams title hopes despite all the hype.  Now who will the talking heads at ESPN gush over outside of the SEC?  Who cares.

The Golden Bears gave Ohio State all they could handle in Columbus last week, coming up just short.  But if ever there was a moral victory for a team, this was it.  They outplayed the Buckeyes most of the game, and if they play with that same fire this week, Kiffin may set a new record for shortest press conference next week.  And oh yeah, all those play makers I was so high on last week, Barkley, Woods, & Lee, got shut down by Stanford.  Amazing what a team that takes pride in playing defense can do to players that looked unstoppable in previous weeks.  34-30 USC.  

Kentucky @ #14 Gators - Good news for Kentucky fans, basketball season is a little over a month away.  Will Joker Phillips still be the Wildcats HC by that time?  Are the Kentucky fans afraid of clowns? Has there ever been a creepier plea to rally a fan base?  Kentucky is reeling after a 32-31 OT loss to the in state RIVAL Western Kentucky Hilltoppers from the mighty Sun Belt!  WKU went Boise on the Wildcats ass, pulling out a HB throwback to the QB for the winning 2 point conversion. This week they must somehow pick themselves up and head to the swamp to take on a Gators squad that keeps getting better every week. Florida has won 2 road games in the SEC already, and finally get to play at home.  The Gators D has been solid all year, and the offense has been progressing under QB Jeff Driskel.  Fun fact, the last time Kentucky beat Florida in football, Ronald Regan was President and this Volleyball movie was the Top flick at the box office...

37-10 Gators. JEAH BRO! 

UAB @ #16 Buckeyes - UAB is bad in every facet of the game.  The Buckeyes were outplayed last week at home by the Golden Bears, but still came away with a 35-28 win. And in the "I'm surprised it took that long" department, Urban Meyer has declared Buckeyes QB Braxton Miller has more talent than Tebow.   Miller responded by dropping to one knee, putting his fist to his forehead and thanking the Buckeye boosters for "supporting" him. Braxton will earn his pay this week against the Blazers.  49-0 Ohio State.

Cavaliers @ #17 Horned Frogs - A week after the Cavaliers prevailed when PSU kicker Sam Ficken did his best Scott Norwood impression, the Cavs went out and crapped the bed against GA Tech, giving up 56 points to the Yellow Jackets. This week they head to the Lonestar State to take on TCU, who managed a measly 20 points against a terrible Kansas team last week, but only gave up 6.  The Cavaliers could be underrated while the Horned Frogs are over rated.  30-17 TCU. 

Beavers @ #19 Bruins -The Beavers have only played one game this year, their 10-7 upset of the Badgers.  That's quite a bit of rest for a team heading into the 4th week of the season.  UCLA has been on a roll. Heisman candidate Johnathan Franklin leads the 5th ranked ground game averaging over 300 yards per game.  The aerial assault is not far behind, ranking 19th in the nation.  Even the Bruins D has improved this year under first year coach Jim Mora, Jr.  UCLA has a favorable schedule, with their two toughest games against Stanford and USC coming at the end of the year.  Could the Bruins be crashing the BCS party?  Can someone in the media ask Jim Mora Jr about the BCS in the hopes that we get a "BCS!?  BCS!? Are you kidding me!?  BCS!?" quote form him ala Jim Sr.  31-17 Bruins.

#20 Louisville @ Florida Int'l - Teddy Bridgewater is one of the best QB's nobody has ever heard of, probably because he plays for Louisville, and Louisville plays in the Big Least.  Take notice, because Bridgewater has been lighting it up for 3 games now with 855 yards on an 81% completion percentage with 5 TD's and 0 INT's.  The Cardinals D almost blew it last week, giving up 20 fourth quarter points to the Tar Heels, but hung on for a 39-34 win.  HC Mario Cristobal has taken the Panthers from perennial doormat to... slightly less of a doormat.  His team still can't stop anybody. If Louisville knows nothing else, at least they know how to keep it classy while tailgating.

  54-17 Cardinals.

Directional Michigan @ #21 Sparty - Sparty got stomped by Notre Dame at home last week.

And just like that, Le'Veon Bell's Hesiman campaign is over.  It was only a matter of time before Sparty went back to being Sparty, that is a middle of the pack program that can't sustain success.  But by the way the Sparty fans brag, you'd think they were 'Bama.  45-10 Michigan State.

South Alabama @ #23 Miss State - To pledge the SEC fraternity, each school must be investigated by the NCAA, and Mississippi State desperately wants to be part of that frat! As they say in SEC country... the south will rise again, or is it "If you're not cheating, you're not trying"? If there is one thing the south knows how to do right, it's BBQ and tailgating. I'm no stranger to college football tailgating, and I'd put my team's tailgating up against any other school, but from the first hand accounts I have heard about southern tailgating, it's an experience unlike any other.  The Jaguars are new to big time southern tailgating, having just joined the FBS, and it will show this week.  45-3 Bulldogs.
 
BYU @ #24 Boise - Boise is coming off a convincing win against Miami(OH) after getting beat by Sparty to open the season.  You have to say this about Boise, they are not afraid to play anyone, anywhere, anytime.  BYU lost the Holy War to in state rival Utah last week.  BYU put up a valiant come back attempt in the 4th quarter scoring two TD's, but couldn't finish it off, losing 24-21.  Boise's D has been keeping them in games this year while their offense struggles.  Look for a low scoring game.  17-14 Broncos.

Edit: This game was played last night before I published this week's predictions and Boise won 7-6, which is an ever lower score than I predicted. Obviously.  

Idaho State @ #25 Nebraska - The Idaho State Bengals are 1-1 this year... who did they beat?  Black Hills State University.  Who?  Exactly. Some fun facts about BHSU, they were admitted to NCAA Div II athletics in 2010.  BHSU is located in Spearfish, South Dakota.  Their biggest rival is South Dakota School of Mines & Technology.  So there you have it, Black Hills State football exists.  The 'Huskers got back on track with a 42-13 drubbing of the Red Wolves last week.  This week should be even easier for the 'Huskers.  49-10.

Games of Note

Bowling Green @ Hokies - The Hokies didn't just shit the bed against Pitt last week, they had explosive diarrhea and woke up next to another dude.  VA Tech lost to previously winless Pitt 35-17 and the game wasn't even as close as that score indicates.  I don't know what's more embarrassing.... losing to Pitt or Gary Busey pole dancing...

Strip clubs are all fun and games until Gary Busey gets on the pole. 

Look for the Hokies to lick their wounds and bounce back against Bowling Green 34-20 this week.

Temple @ Penn State This is Temple's Super Bowl.  Win this game, and the previous 41 game losing streak to the Nittany Lions means nothing.  They can even lay claim to being the best program in PA if they pull this one out.  The Owls like to run the ball, with dual threat QB Chris Coyer leading the attack.  They better be able to run, because Coyer is only completing 41% of his passes this year.  This game will be weakness on weakness, as PSU's secondary is atrocious.  They have consistently allowed teams to convert 3rd and 4th & long this year.  The Owls are coming off a loss to Maryland last week, while Penn State finally got HC Bill O'Brien his first win, dominating Navy start to finish 34-7.  The Lions have improved every week, but are still not that good. When is the last time Penn State had ZERO rushing TD's through 3 games?  It doesn't help that PSU is down to it's 3rd and 4th string RB's due to transfers and injuries, but still.  ZERO! Fortunately the revamped passing offense has been WAY better, with true soph WR Allen Robinson leading the way with 24 receptions for 322 yards and 4 TD's.  PSU QB Matt McGloin has even looked pretty good so far.  It's amazing what a good coach can do for an offense.  Now, if the Nittany Lions D can ever stop anyone on 3rd down, they have a shot at a winning season.  27-17 Penn State. 

Hurricanes @ Yellow Jackets - If the Hurricanes play a game, and no Fans Show Up in Miami... does the NCAA still sanction them for violations? 

The Hurricanes held the first ever "Seat Out" in college football history.  Fans were encouraged to dress as empty chairs for their game against Bethune Cookman.  As you can see, the promotion was a resounding success.  A week after the team failed to show up against Kansas State, which lead to a former Miami player going on an epic rant after the Hurricanes loss, they took the field and beat Bethune Cookman 38-10.  Is there anything funnier than former "Da U" players ranting about their once proud program?  Do they understand the irony of calling their University "Da U"? Will the fans and/or team show up this week against the Yellow Jackets?  GA Tech pummelled Virginia last week 56-20.  The GA Tech offense is ranked 116th in passing and 3rd in rushing yardage per game.  That's as unbalanced as Amanda Bynes behind the wheel of a car. 35-14 Yellow Jackets.

Rutgers @ Arkansas - Oh John L. Smith.  How college football missed you.  We love you on that sideline.  We NEED you on that sideline.  Please win out this year so we can have more of you.  The Arkansas coach owes $27.5M after declaring bankruptcy. Which begs the question, how the hell did John L. Smith get $27.5M in the first place? QB Tyler Wilson called out his team for quitting, and the fans are turning on each other. On one side, the fans support former coach Bobby Petrino who they believe should not have been fired for having an affair with an employee he hired and then lying about it.  Because, you know, winning football games is more important than being faithful to your wife and telling the truth. #culture  On the other hand, fans think John L. Smith should be given a chance.  Just kidding, nobody likes John L. Smith.  Wilson will be back under center this week as the undefeated Scarlet Knights head to Fayetville.  How good is Rutgers?  Hard to tell since they haven't played anyone yet.  How embarrassing would it be for the SEC Razorbacks to lose to a Sun Belt and Big Least team in the same season?  24-20 Rutgers.


UTEP @ Wisky - Things are not good in Madison.  Their plan to bring in another team's QB every year after the success of Russell Wilson last year has exploded like cheese soup left in the microwave too long. The Badgers are benching Maryland transfer QB Danny O'Brien. Joe Stave, a former walk on, will start for the Badgers this week.  Montee Ball has already kissed his Heisman hopes goodbye.  Now the Badgers are just trying to win the Big Ten Leaders division, which shouldn't be difficult with Ohio State and Penn State being ineligible.  The Badgers narrowly escaped with a 16-14 win at home against Utah State after the Aggies missed a last second FG.  UTEP played OU and Ole Miss tough before finally getting into the win column last week against New Mexico State 41-28.  I can see this game being close for a half before the Badgers offense gets it going.  The Badgers D should have no problem handling UTEP.  24-10 Badgers.

Colorado @ Wazzu -How bad are things in Boulder?  Fresno State was up 55-7.... AT THE HALF!  The Bulldogs went on to win 69-14.  The Buffs surrendered in every conceivable way, giving up 664 yards total, including a 94 yard run, and 35 points in the 1st quarter alone.  There hasn't been a beat down like this since I dominated the #2 ranked minor circuit fighter Glass Joe in Mike Tyson's Punch Out!

To say Buffs HC Jon Embree is on the hot seat would be an understatement along the lines of saying jihadists aren't fans of Salman Rushdie.  The Colorado program is in complete disarray.  Meanwhile in Pullman, HC Mike Leach is putting his stamp on the Wazzu program.  The Cougars rank 28th in passing yards per game, and 121st in rushing.  Wazzu may not have the horses to compete in the triple crown  yet, but they'll show up every week and give you a race.  45-13 Wazzu. 

Upset of the Week

Baylor @ Warhawks - LA Monroe almost did it again last week, losing to Auburn in OT.  The Warhawks are playing inspired football so far this young season.  QB Kolton Browning is still flying under the radar despite the heroics of the last two games against the SEC.  If the Warhawks D ever learns how to stop anyone, they could be looking at a decent bowl game this year.  So far so good in the post RGIII era at Baylor.  Granted the Bears two wins have come against terrible teams, but it's good to have some wins to get the team some confidence.  This week will be much tougher.  If the Warhawks D can come close to stopping a dynamic Bears aerial attack, they have a fighting chance.  37-34 Warhawks.