Well, it's time to get into my normal routine with these picks - highlighting my Top 25 and teams on the border, select Top 25 games, and other games of interest.
Thurs Sept 10
# 22 Clemson Tigers at Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets: Clemson looked strong in their opening weekend, but the Yellow Jackets defense is not to be ignored. This is Tech's chance to leap into the Top 25. GA TECH
Sat Sept 12
Central Michigan Chippewas at Michigan State Spartans: The Spartans opened strongly, albeit against an FCS team. Beating up on the Chippewas doesn't guarantee a leap into the Top 25, but it will command attention by their upcoming opponents. MICHIGAN STATE
Fresno State Bulldogs at Wisconsin Badgers: Wisconsin was a team who had some troubles in their opening weekend. They won, but it wasn't easy. It should be easier now, although the Bulldogs can be a tenacious bunch. This win will also be hard-fought, but Wisconsin should pull it out again. WISCONSIN
Iowa at Iowa State: Iowa was nearly shocked last weekend. Coming into Ames, where the Cyclones have played them tough in previous years, may not be the best way to recover from that. I actually have to pick the upset on this one. IOWA STATE
North Carolina Tar Heels at UConn Huskies: North Carolina looked really good. Of course, just about any FBS team would look good against the Citadel. This will be their first challenge, and I think NC is up to it. NORTH CAROLINA
#20 Stanford Cardinal at Wake Forest Demon Deacons: Wake looked absolutely atrocious as they were whipped by Baylor! Stanford beat up on Washington State, and should roll over the not-too-intimidating Deacons. STANFORD
Syracuse Orangemen at #8 Penn State Nittany Lions: Syracuse played Minnesota tough, but they won't be as successful against Penn State. This will truly be Greg Paulus' baptism, and he'll get burned. PENN STATE
Troy Trojans at Florida Gators: Florida continues to pad their national ranking by playing patsies. It doesn't impress me, so don't expect to see Florida high in my rankings until they hit SEC play. FLORIDA
Idaho State at #18 Oklahoma Sooners: The Sooners lost to BYU, but losing QB Sam Bradford is a worse hit. They probably won't need him this week against FCS Idaho State, but if they want to retain their Top 25 ranking, they need Bradford back soon. OKLAHOMA
Marshall Thundering Herd at #25 Virginia Tech Hokies: The Hokies couldn't budge Alabama's defense, but Marshall should be another story. Tech's chance to get a win won't be squandered. VA TECH
Arkansas State Red Wolves at #11 Nebraska Cornhuskers: Nebraska should breeze over this Sun Belt opponent, which might hurt them if they slow it up. Somehow, I don't think Nebraska will. They fully intend to take advantage of Sam Bradford's injury to bring attention to them. NEBRASKA
#16 BYU Cougars at Tulane Green Wave: BYU gets an easier opponent this week, and shouldn't have to come from behind. The offense should continue to improve, as they did in the second half of their game against Oklahoma. BYU
East Carolina Pirates at West Virginia Mountaineers: East Carolina nearly lost to FCS Appalachian State, and their vaulted defense looked somewhat anemic. If they don't get that defensive spark back, they won't prevail against the potent offense of the Mountaineers. WEST VIRGINIA
Houston Cougars at #6 Oklahoma State Cowboys: No doubt about it, the Cowboys showed they had spunk. That renowned offense wasn't so impressive, but perhaps it'll show up this game. Houston's defense isn't as good as Georgia, so the Cowboys should excel this week. OKLAHOMA STATE
#7 Notre Dame Fighting Irish at #14 Michigan Wolverines: Both teams were impressive in their openers, but their opponents were not too challenging. This will be a key game for both teams, and both teams have last year's disasters to overcome. Michigan has plenty of new players, while Notre Dame QB Jimmy Clausen seems to have grown from his inaugural season last year. This will be a close game that can go either way. In those cases, I usually favor the home team. MICHIGAN
Texas Longhorns at Wyoming Cowboys: Wyoming isn't a bad team, but Texas should make them look pathetic. Texas needs a big win to vault into the Top 25, which I think they'll do. TEXAS
UCLA Bruins at #10 Tennessee Volunteers: Tennessee had a good opener, but their ranking was assisted by a large number of teams playing FCS or weak FBS teams. UCLA might give them fits, which could weaken their ranking. I think the Vols will pull out a victory, but we'll see what happens afterwards. TENN
Eastern Washington at #2 Cal Golden Bears: We aren't done with the FCS v FBS match-ups. This contest won't help Cal's ranking, and with so many strong teams playing FBS opponents, even a win could cause Cal to slip. CAL
Jacksonville State at Florida State Seminoles: You have to admire Jacksonville State, as they battle TWO FBS teams in consecutive weeks. They won't come out of either with a victory, but it should toughen them up for their divisional opponents. FLORIDA STATE
Bowling Green Falcons at #10 Missouri Tigers: Bowling Green had a nice opener, but Missouri was even more impressive. The Tigers lost three key offensive players, but they don't seem to have skipped a beat. Their defense looked good, too, so the Falcons have challenges on both sides of the ball. MISSOURI
Florida International Golden Panthers at #3 Alabama Crimson Tide: Florida International has a pretty good team, but they won't be able to surprise the powerful Crimson Tide. The Tide started slowly last week, but many teams did. They'll be a much stronger force this week. ALABAMA
South Carolina Gamecocks at Georgia Bulldogs: Neither team looked impressive in their opener, but at least South Carolina's defense muscled out the win. Can Georgia recover enough to win this game? It's often tough to play in Athens, so I'll give a slight edge to the Bulldogs, but don't be surprised if Steve Spurrier pulls out this one. GEORGIA by one
Vanderbilt Commodores at #19 LSU Tigers: Vandy usually surprises a couple of conference opponents, but I don't think LSU will be one of them. The Tigers defense didn't seem as fierce as it has in previous years, though, so Vandy might have a window. If LSU looks past them, they may get upset. LSU
Southeast Missouri State at #12 Cincinnati Bearcats: The Bearcats take a break from their outstanding opener by drubbing a midling FCS team. CINCINNATI
Miami Ohio Redhawks at #5 Boise State Broncos: The Broncos defense completed dominated the Ducks last week, and the Redhawks will be their next victim. The Broncos are the first team which I believe might go unbeaten this season. BOISE STATE
Northern Arizona at #21 Arizona Wildcats: If Arizona isn't careful, they find themelves upset. Northern Arizona is certainly capable of it, and these in-state battles can be emotionally charged (just ask Iowa). I think Arizona will prevail, but perhaps not by much. ARIZONA
#23 Purdue Boilerrmakers at Oregon Ducks: Speaking of those Ducks, can they recover and gain a home win? Truthfully, I don't think so. The Ducks were so completely dominated, and their squads so thoroughly confused, that I'm not sure they can fix it in one week. Purdue was a little rusty, but they showed the type of offensive power that we've come to expect from them. Their defense isn't as good as Boise's, so the Ducks will score, but I think Purdue will score more. PURDUE
#15 Utah Utes at San Jose State Spartans: USC thumped San Jose State, and Utah will likely embarass them, as well. UTAH
GAME OF THE WEEK: #1 USC Trojans at #17 Ohio State Buckeyes: USC has beaten Ohio State the last three times they've met. It's tough to visit the Horseshoe, but it's tougher yet to beat the Trojans. This year they're more ground-based than aerial, but that might not help, as OSU struggled against the best rushing team in the land. They were able to prevail due to special teams, but USC has a great squad there. USC
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment