Pass or Fail-Week 4

When four top ten teams, lose, there are plenty of fails to hit on during the week. The passes are what become difficult.

Sure, it may be easy to look at the underdogs in those games, but that would just be a boring post.

Anyway, here is this week's Pass or Fail.

Head of the Class: Run, Brandon, Run!!! This was way under the radar, but very much worth recognition. Kansas State kick return man Brandon Banks went off on Tennessee Tech on Saturday to make many team's fans feel better about their kickoff coverage. Banks had two kickoff returns on the afternoon, one after the Golden Eagles tying touchdown in the first quarter and another after halftime, both of which resulted in touchdowns. Banks went 91 yards on the first one, and tacked on an extra three feet for the second one, finishing with 183 kickoff return yards in the game. Banks is only the 12th man in NCAA history to return two kickoffs to the house in a single game.

Pass: Alabama's Defense is ferocious. While I sat watching Alabama in a 0-0 tie with Arkansas halfway through the second quarter almost, it finally donned on me that I should be happy it was still that way. Once Alabama got ahead, it was all but over because of the Crimson Tide's crushing defense. The Crimson Tide are second nationally in overall defense and rushing defense and eighth in passing defense. There have been few teams who have perennially had a stellar defense, but Alabama always seems to be in the top ten nationally in defense year in and year out. Of course, Alabama's swarming defense meant that...

Fail: Arkansas' air traffic controller took a week off. Ryan Mallett was looking like one of the best quarterbacks in the SEC before his trip to Tuscaloosa, which resulting in a 12-35 afternoon, full of miscommunication, drops, and overthrows. The Razorbacks were held to their lowest offensive output of the season by far. Mallett will be a great QB this year, no doubt, and few defenses will be able to attack him like Alabama did, but Saturday was the worst he will look all season.

Pass: Iowa does it again. It would be one thing to say that Iowa just has Penn State's number, which finishing this decade 7-1 against the Nittany Lions would suggest such a thing, but this weekend was different. This was barely even a game as Iowa managed to dominate the game once things settled down. The Hawkeyes put up 21 unanswered points in Happy Valley in front of a very excited and hyped crowd who was all clad in white. Which leads me to believe...

Fail: White outs only erase any home team hope. Besides Penn State's debacle on national television and in front of the Gameday crew (and resulting in Iowa's ridiculous vaulting into the 13th spot in the AP), but Florida State continued the bi-polar world tour by laying an egg at home during a white out against South Florida....excuse me, a Matt Grothe-less South Florida team. Sure, both victors in these situations are still undefeated, but to lose in the fashion that both Florida State and Penn State bit the dust is really no excuse for ranked teams at full strength.

Pass: Oregon decides to punch back. (Ok, I promise, last LeGarrette Blount-Oregon-punch reference of the season[maybe]) After their dismal display to begin the season, the Oregon Ducks are now 3-1 after their Saturday thrashing of the Cal Bears, who were a little to zealous looking ahead to their match against USC this Saturday. Jahvid Best, who had been in my Heisman top five since the pre-season, fell flat on his face against what was perceived to only be a mediocre Oregon defense. Instead, the Ducks are starting to look better and better (as Boise State score more and more) and the noise of Autzen Stadium got to the Golden Bears.

Fail: Finders Keepers is the law in Texas, apparently. I know smaller schools enjoy rushing the field, even if they are the ranked team and beating a team that the polls say they should. However, you rush the field and take the goal posts (potentially) only. That is, unless you go to Houston. The Cougars are still looking for three helmets after Saturday's late win over Texas Tech incited a riot on the field. The program is not going to press charges as long as the helmets are returned, but it seems like someone enjoys their souvenirs a little too much.

Epic Fail: Remember when Ole Miss wasn't Ole Miss? Oh you're 60? Eh, still doesn't make a difference. There is something to be said about the only team in the SEC West who has still yet to make a trip to Atlanta, and once again, this year doesn't look to be the year. The Rebels lost their 6th straight SEC opener Thursday against South Carolina after being universally ranked too high based on one win last year. Ole Miss fell a ridiculous 17 spots in the polls after the loss and now look like a team bound for a return to mediocrity. The Rebs have not put a single half of consistent football together, much less beaten anyone worth writing home about. Sure, you can make the excuse for the boys from Oxford that they only played one Saturday game in September, but that doesn't excuse them from not showing up in the first half against Memphis or SE Louisiana. Who cares, they are gonna go 12-0 in the tailgate this season anyway.

Top 25, Heisman favorites, and links: Week 4

Another week in, another FOUR top ten teams take a tumble. (Go ahead, say five times fast before you move on)

The continued losing of the "best teams" is making putting together a top 25 harder and harder, especially with nine teams who are still unbeaten sitting outside the rankings done by the big boys.

So, after week four, who are the top 25 teams in the land by my standards?

1. Florida
2. Texas
3. Alabama
4. Virginia Tech
5. Boise State
6. Oklahoma
7. LSU
8. USC
9. Cincinnati
10. Ohio State
11. Penn State
12. TCU
13. Houston
14. Penn State
15. Oklahoma State
16. Mississippi
17. BYU
18. North Carolina
19. Miami
20. Cal
21. Georgia
22. Missouri
23. Michigan
24. Iowa
25. Kansas

Heisman Favorites

First off, and I am doing this out of spite and hilarity, but take a look at who Jon Goesslin from SI.com has as the number two player in America. You will laugh.

• Tim Tebow, QB, Florida
• Colt McCoy, QB, Texas
• Greg McElroy, QB, Alabama
• Dez Bryant, WR, Oklahoma State
• AJ Green, WR, Georgia

Links

• You want Power Rankings, I'll give you Power Rankings. Here is Andy Staples from SI, who was in Tuscaloosa on Saturday, and the whole ESPN crew.
• Since this week got started a little late, here is the Forde-Yard Dash, one of my favorite reads each week.
• Mark Schlabach of ESPN.com's weekly column, On the Mark, with a look at who to bet on and bet against for the next two months.
• Stewart Mandel of SI.com looks at this season long and hard as a possible repeat of 2007.

Picks, Previews and Prognostications: Week 4

Here is yet another weeks worth of picks, but not much prognostications again this week with a heavy load of school work to precede Saturday.



Last week, I managed to get above .500 at 11-10 after a 5-2 weekend last Saturday. I am still dead last against the CW staff, but I am at least tied for that honor this week.


Overall, I am now 35-17 after three weeks, which is not a bad after a quarter of the season is over. Now its time for this weeks picks.

@ Penn State 34, Iowa 20

@Wisconsin 30, Michigan State 27

Notre Dame 31, Purdue 14

*Cal 35, @Oregon 31

*TCU 24, @Clemson 20

Pitt 20, @NC State 10

*North Carolina 24, @Georgia Tech 10

@Georgia 35, Arizona State 24

* @Stanford 28, Washington 27

* @Houston 45, Texas Tech 42

Florida 45, @Kentucky 21

LSU 35, @Mississippi State 17

* @Virginia Tech 20, Miami 17

* @Alabama 35, Arkansas 17

Who is Arkansas, anyway?

To say that Arkansas has a legitimate offense would be a huge understatement for Alabama's first SEC opponent.

The Hogs have really opened things up through the air since the arrival of Bobby Petrino last year. This season, the Hogs have the number one air attack with Ryan Mallett flinging the ball around the field.

Arkansas has plenty of targets this year despite the injuries to London Crawford and Lucas Miller. Sophomore receivers Joe Adams, Jarius Wright, and Greg Childs have all stepped up this year, not to mention returning leading receiver DJ Williams, the tight end.

With so many options, Mallett could have a field day in the pocket if the offensive line holds with three juniors. The OL must also get holes against Alabama's tough front seven to give Michael Smith room to run if he does enter the game enough. The expectations out of Fayetteville are that Ronnie Wingo and Knile Davis will get their share of carries against the Crimson Tide on Saturday.

On Defense, Arkansas is once again less than stellar. Sure, this team can put up the points, but the defense can give them up just as quickly. The early loss of Isaac Madison in the secondary has hurt, but the fact still remains he may not make much difference. Georgia went over the top time after time against the Hogs, so the return of Julio Jones and the arm of Greg McElroy spreading it out to over ten receivers so far this season may feast on Arkansas.

On Special Teams, Alabama is the key no matter how you look at it. The Hogs don't have a legit kickoff or punt return specialist, but the Bama coverage will dictate how many yards and points the Hogs have in the game from the specialist.

The coaches are both the "experts" in their own realm, Saban and defense and Petrino and offense. Saban got the best of him last season, and there is a good chance Saban will get him again and force Mallett to throw underneath in this game. Alabama will just find the open receiver in this game, and if they can do that well, the Crimson Tide will be fine.

Wright, Adams, Childs

Pass or Fail-Week 3

Every week, there are those performances that make us all stand in awe at the television, and then there are those that cause the spinach dip to fly off the coffee table.

Every week, each of those performances are complied here on the blog, offering a chance to relive those great moments and those not so great moments when you were cleaning the dip off the dog.

Week three saw a lot out of quarterbacks, and then a few coaches ready to make excuses.

Head of the Class: Jacory Harris is on fiah!!! The Hurricanes have blown through two ranked opponents this season with two still to go, but most of the credit in these games can be attributed to Miami quarterback Jacory Harris who was 20/25 for 270 yards and three touchdowns against the Yellow Jackets last Thursday night. On the year, Harris is 31/59 with five touchdowns and has paced the Miami offense with consistent play. He will face a tough test this week in Blacksburg against Virginia Tech, and the results will reflect largely on him, his team, and his Heisman hopes.

Pass: The one Rich Rod let slip away. The heading isn't a shot at Michigan, especially with Tate Forcier playing as well as he is right now, but it is more so that Ryan Mallett is that damn good. The Razorbacks quarterback has shown why he was such a highly recruited signal caller against Georgia, duplicating his fall scrimmage number of five passing touchdowns and 408 yards through the air. Mallett has yet to throw an interception this season, but will face an Alabama defense this week that is looking to add to their minuscule total of one on the season....that is, if his bullet of a ball can be caught by a defensive back without breaking their hand.

Fail: Oregon apparently has some green besides what they wear. For as much as the extremist fan talks about doing such a thing as this, Oregon fan Tony Seminary actually followed through with the threat of asking for his money back and got a $439 check signed by head coach Chip Kelly after Seminary complained about the Ducks performance in Boise on opening night. I personally don't believe Kelly should have paid the man half a G because his team got outplayed by a better team. If anything, Seminary should be charged more money for staying past the undercard to watch LeGarrette Blount go MMA on a Bronco.

Pass: Speaking of pass, that's all Landry Jones did. Who needs Sam Bradford when the moustache-wearing, gun-slinging Jones is out there throwing for a school record six touchdowns in Oklahoma's lopsided 45-0 win over Tulsa on Saturday. At a school that has plenty of history and a great run of recent quarterbacks (Jason White before Bradford), none of them could take advantage of a weaker team as much as Jones did. Jones may have one more game to shine before Bradford takes back over as the reigning Heisman winner began throwing once again earlier this week. All Sooner fans can take a deep breath knowing that not all is lost once Sam bolts for the money at the end of the year.

Fail: Blue Raider Football is for real! It was not so much a surprise to see Middle Tennessee State beat up on Memphis last week, but the fact the boys from Murfreesboro went up to College Park, Maryland and toppled the turtles is saying something....about Maryland and the ACC. The league is slowly fading into the dark depths of the BCS as an obscure league with no nationally prominent team. Sure, Virginia Tech and Miami are still up in the rankings, but both of those teams will surely end up with two loses at least once again this season. I know, I praised Miami not forty lines ago, but Virginia Tech and Oklahoma loom in the distance.

Pass: The legend of Greg McElroy continues to grow. It was impressive enough to watch Greg McElroy and the historic Crimson No. 12 grow up in the second half against Virginia Tech. Then he went all Ron Steele on us and broke a school record in only his second game as a starter. Saturday, G-Mac broke yet another record while going 13-15 in his half against North Texas. Starting with the second half against Virginia Tech, McElroy has completed 40 of 51 passes to 12 different receivers. McElroy has completed 66% of his passes this season, and if that trend continues, McElroy may emerge as Alabama's most legitimate Heisman contender in the school's history. Sure, it is early, but McElroy has it going right now.

Fail: USC's Christmas comes early this year...again. Watching the Trojans lose a game they shouldn't year after year has become commonplace in college football, but this is the second straight year Troy has been razed in the third week of the season. This season's loss came at the hands of the Washington Huskies, who, after losing every game last season, now have a winning streak after taking down the Trojans. There was a reason why I placed USC at No. 10 in the pre-season, and this game proved it all. New quarterback coming in (Matt Barkeley missing is no excuse), no go-to receiver, and replacing a lot on defense, including their entire linebacking core. Every now and then, teams like USC still have to rebuild, and this year is a rebuilding year...maybe. For all we know, the dynasty could be over.

Epic Fail: Urban Cryer is alive and kicking!!! There is only one thing that could beat USC falling on their face, and that would be Florida head coach Urban Meyer making an excuse a day about how Tennessee kept things close against the Gators on Saturday. Saturday night into Sunday, the first excuse emerged that UF was without three receivers. Sunday, apparently everyone in Gainesville came down with the flu. Monday, it became Florida's game plan to match the Vols idea to play conservative cause Lane Kiffin had chose not to win the game. All in all, Urban is finally realizing that Florida isn't the same team they were last year. Just as I mentioned about USC, Florida faces the issue of not having a go-to receiver this season, and it showed against the boys from Knoxville. The eye test is being applied, and it is now widely known that Florida is very vulnerable.

Top 25, Heisman favorites, and links: Week 3

Another week, another top five team goes down.

USC had their annual letdown against Washington this week, a team that won all of ZERO games in 2008. The Huskies are now 2-1 and are tied for the lead in the Pac-10 with perennial power....Stanford?

Nonetheless, the reasoning for me placing USC at No. 10 in the pre-season was shown this weekend for the entire nation to see: Replacing your starting QB, for the first time in a long time there is no go-to receiver for the Trojans, they are replacing all but three starters on defense, and their lost both their coordinators.

Sure, you can pass off USC as a "reloading" team, but some deficits are just too deep.

ITNOT Top 25-Week 3

1. Florida
2. Texas
3. Alabama
4. Penn State
5. Cal
6. LSU
7. Boise State
8. Oklahoma
9. Mississippi
10. USC
11. Ohio State
12. Miami
13. TCU
14. Cincinnati
15. Oklahoma State
16. North Carolina
17. BYU
18. Houston
19. Georgia
20. Michigan
21. Missouri
22. Kansas
23. Nebraska
24. Washington
25. Florida State

Heisman Favorites

• Tim Tebow, QB, Florida
• Colt McCoy, QB, Texas
• Jahvid Best, RB, Cal
• Jacory Harris, QB, Miami
• Daryl Clark, QB, Penn State

Links

• The Game Day Final recap from ESPN.com takes a look at how underwhelming Florida and Texas have looked so far this season, and list Alabama and Cal as two teams to keep an eye on as the season progresses.
• Pete Thamel of the New York Times has an opposing look at the top two teams and how their QB situations make them better than everyone else in the country.
• Stewart Mandel's Monday gem called College Football Overtime is up once again, and he takes a look at the rise of Miami and Cal after their Emerald Bowl battle last December.
• ESPN.com's Power Rankings for this week have gotten a little cozy at the top, with Alabama just one point behind Texas in the overall poll, but the Crimson Tide did get a first-place vote from Bruce Feldman, who hinted at that on twitter this weekend.
• Dennis Dodd, though I can't stand his writing, makes a good point about how USC may no longer be the USC of four or five years ago after receiving so much praise and publicity from the media.
• With the focus on Arkansas this weekend, here are articles on the Hogs' need to bounce back this week and the display put on by their young receivers with two key guys missing against Georgia.

Picks, Previews, and Prognostications-Week 2

So, a busy week mixed with a horribly boring previous week in college football led to me not updating Wednesday and Thursday, but I shall continue the the picks, because I can't live with my last week.



I went 8-8 last week to move to 24-14 on the year, but went 2-5 in CW picks, moving me to 6-8 on the year, and dead last in that category.



So what went wrong? Well, I lost four of those games by a combined 11 points, and then the Standford let down by 7 points as well. Ironically, the two games I picked correctly were Alabama.....and Auburn.



So, now on to this week, where there is more conference action on the docket, so here what (hopefully) will happen this week.

34 @Iowa, 21 Arizona

27 @Clemson, 24 Boston College

40 Utah, 30 @Oregon


45 Cincinnati, 42 @Oregon State

30 @North Carolina, 23 East Carolina

45 Cal, 27 @Minnesota

*20 @Virginia Tech, 17 Nebraska

45 @Texas, 38 Texas Tech

*31 @Arkansas, 27 Georgia

*48 @Auburn, 45 West Virginia

*24 Mississippi State, 14 @Vanderbilt

*35 @BYU, 17 Florida State

*31 @Florida, 7 Tennessee

* 35 @Alabama, 3 North Texas

Pass or Fail-Week 2

After week two of college football, there really was not much going on worth noting.

If this week's Pass or Fail seems shorter than normal, that's because it actually is.

Head of the Class: Auburn can run the ball, again. The Tigers finally look like a team that might have a chance to go to a bowl. The Tigers are second in the country in offense thanks in large part to their ground game that went nuts on Mississippi State last Saturday. The Tigers are averaging 345 yards on the ground between Ben Tate and Onterio McCalebb, who are both averaging 6.9 yards per carry so far this season. Gus Malzhan has been doing well in his first two games, but Auburn doesn't face a defensive-minded team until they make their way to Knoxville October 3rd.

Pass: Huge Underdogs take the lead. Both Wyoming and Florida International were not expected to give their week two opponents a scare. Both teams were leading their top five opponent in games they would go on to lose by a combined score of 81-24. The Cowboys led Texas 10-6 in the second quarter, and were only down 13-10 at half, but Texas had an onslaught of 35 unanswered points. FIU led Alabama after a second-quarter TD to make it 14-13. The Crimson Tide responded with 27 unanswered points of their own en route to their second victory of the season. The small leads by both of these teams can only lead confidence for both squads as the season continues.

Fail: Week Two Scheduling down right sucks. You wonder why this blog is a day late and a dollar short? There was no game worth watching except USC-Ohio State, and even that game seemed ho-hum despite the way it ended. Many teams were playing pansy teams and what conference match-ups there were, they didn't garner any real attention. In a word: yawn.

Pass: Notre Dame/Michigan was mildly entertaining. Michigan looks to actually be able to challenge for eight wins and possibly second place in the Big Ten after the win over the Irish and a mild conference in their way. Tate Forcier is going to be a household name by the end of the season and could reach Tim Tebow status if the Wolverines can come away with a stellar season in 2009.

Fail: Colorado looks extremely rocky. The Buffs lost to in-state rival Colorado State last week, and then laid a huge egg in the middle of Ohio as Toledo ran, passed, and all out plowed right over Dan Hawkins' team. It seems more likely that Dan Hawkins will not survive the season and will have to leave his son to suffer on Boulder for the next two years.

Pass: College Football is so hot right now. As if the news on last Monday that FSU-Miami was the 2nd highest rated game to be seen on ESPN, it was found out that OSU/USC was the highest rated game, including bowls, in ESPN history. If this continues for the duration of the season, it wouldn't be surprising to see 2009 match-ups taking the top five spots of all-time on ESPN.

Fail: Oklahoma State was not ready for Prime Time. Give credit to Houston here, but the Cowboys had a huge let down against the Cougars on Saturday. Houston seemed to have control during most of the game, and T. Boone Pickens cannot be to pleased to be 1-1 in his brand new money pit. The Big XII isn't too pleased either with their teams from the Panhandle State as both of those teams have lost while being in the top five this year.

Epic Fail: Will there be such thing as a conference race this year? When you look at the BCS conferences this season, only the ACC seems to have a legitimate race. Sure, the Big XII North might have something, but lets face it: Florida will play Alabama in Atlanta, Texas will win the Big XII, Penn State will run through the Big Ten, USC will once again play for the Roses, and Cincinnati is going to hurt some teams in the Big East. No other team in any of those teams conferences/divisions have not shown any promise, and the old adage is the biggest improvements come between weeks one and two. The most intriguing conference may in fact be the Mountain West, with BYU and TCU looking like they could both crash the BCS, and the question of if Utah can recover. Other than that, once again: yawn.

Top 25, Heisman favorites, and links: Week 2

Two weeks in, and things are seemingly starting to take shape.

Two top five teams have already gone down this season, both from the Big XII, and parity might be starting to take shape in college football.

This week, eyes will be on BYU once again as they host Florida State just to see if this Cougar team is legit.

ITNOT Top 25-Week 2

1. Florida
2. Texas
3. Penn St.
4. Alabama
5. USC
6. BYU
7. Cal
8. Oklahoma
9. Ohio State
10. LSU
11. Boise St.
12. Mississippi
13. Oklahoma St.
14. TCU
15. Virginia Tech
16. Georgia Tech
17. Cincinnati
18. Miami
19. North Carolina
20. Pittsburgh
21. Houston
22. Nebraska
23. Kansas
24. Michigan
25. Georgia

Heisman Trophy Favorites-Week 2

Tim Tebow, Florida, QB

Colt McCoy, Texas, QB

Jahvid Best, Cal, RB

Daryl Clark, Penn St., QB

Picks, Previews and Pronostications: Week 2

With week two already underway thanks to Georgia Tech's victory over Clemson last night, it is time to turn the attention to Saturday.

After one week, I am 18-6 on games that I picked to pick, but only 4-3 in games picked by the CW staff, which is actually good enough for tied for second right now.

As for the ESPN college football Pick'em group, I am currently third in the group of ten that actually filled out their sheets this week. Don't forget, it is never too late to join the group, and for those of you in the group, be sure to make out your picks.

This week, there are only 16 games worth picking as conference play begins and only two games capture a national interest.

BYU @ Tulane

I watched Tulane on television last Friday night, and Tulsa was mopping the floor of the Superdome in front of the 100 or so fans that decided their life didn't suck enough. BYU, of course, is coming off the victory over Oklahoma. The Cougars have not had a win this big in quite some time, there will be a bit of a let down, but the Green Wave are just awful, so any letdown short of eight turnovers is enough for a BYU victory. BYU 31, Tulane 6

TCU @ Virginia

The Horned Frogs travel up to Charlottesville where Al Groh still has a job after losing to William and Mary last week. Groh has long been on the hot seat since he started leading the Cavaliers, and TCU has long had a stout defense. They were the only one of two teams last season to hold Oklahoma under 45 points in a single game. The Frogs are beginning their season this week and visit Clemson in two weeks. After this week, though, TCU will be 1-0 against the ACC this season. TCU 27, Virginia 7

*Stanford @Wake Forest

You have to credit Wake Forest for starting off their season against two BCS OOC teams, but at some point you would have thought the Demon Deacons would fear going 0-2 in these games. Both Baylor and Stanford have improved since this schedule was made about five to seven years ago, and Wake has already been up and back down in that time as well. Of course, Baylor had Robert Griffin in their corner last week, while Stanford only has Tavita Pritchard flinging the ball around for them. Nonetheless, the Cardinal took care of business in Pullman last week, and nothing would kick off Jim Harbaugh's third season and a drive for a bowl better than heading back to Stanford for the home opener already 2-0. Look for the boys in red to do so after this weekend. Stanford 28, Wake Forest 17

North Carolina @ Connecticut

In a battle between two up and coming programs, the Tar Heels would seem to have the edge in this game in Storrs. UNC has a legitimate chance to win their division in the ACC while UConn is in the midst of a wide open Big East race. In name, this may look like a close game, and the Huskies being at home may keep it that way for three quarters, but North Carolina should have no problem here moving to 2-0. North Carolina 35, Connecticut 21

Syracuse @ Penn State

Two high profile quarterbacks take the field in Happy Valley on Saturday, one being a Heisman candidate, the other being a former point guard. The main storyline in this game is Daryl Clark vs. Greg Paulus, but other than that, this game has no real national appeal. The Paulus watch will be going on all season, and they did well against their first Big Ten opponent, but the Nittany Lions are not Minnesota. Penn State 42, Syracuse 10

Air Force @ Minnesota

Speaking of the Golden Gophers, they open their new outdoor stadium with a game against the Air Force's multi-faceted running game. The Falcons had an easy time against Nicholls State, but Minnesota is still a BCS team despite their lowly stature in the Big Ten. This game should be more difficult for Air Force, but Minnesota will open their new stadium with a loss. Air Force 30, Minnesota 20

Purdue @ Oregon

The Blount-less Ducks take the field for the first time since the post-game flare up in Boise. Purdue looked a lot more impressive than people expected against Toledo, running away with a game that many experts thought would be close till the end. Now, a senior laden Boilermakers squad travels to Eugene and are looking to kick a duck while he's down. This game looks full speed ahead for Purdue. Purdue 24, Oregon 10

Fresno State @ Wisconsin

Since Bret Bielema arrived in Madison, the Badgers have gotten progressively worse. After a 12-1 first season, Wisconsin is just 16-10 in the past two seasons. Fresno State is a perennial mid-major team that is ready to beat anyone. The Bulldogs should be able to overcome the wild crowd at Camp Randall Stadium and come out of there with a victory against a Wisconsin team that struggled against Northern Illinois last week. Fresno State 20, Wisconsin 13

Troy @ Florida

Two years ago when Troy went down to Gainesville, the game was never really in doubt, but the Trojans kept it closer than expected by keeping the game within thirty. This season, Florida is a lot stronger, and this looks to be one of the weaker teams under Larry Blakeney. The Gators will finally get a decent game next week against Tennessee, but until then, it should be more of the same Tim Tebow for 30 minutes, followed by John Brantley for the next thirty. Florida 56, Troy 13

*Mississippi State @ Auburn

The game that started the demise for Tommy Tuberville will look to get a few more runs on the board this year after a 3-2 game last season. Auburn scored all five runs, err, points last year with a field goal and allowing a safety. Both teams are looking to run a more excitable offense this season, so another five point showing should not be in the future. Guz Malzhan wants Auburn to get to the 90 play plateau this season, while Dan Mullen's spread is still taking shape in Starkville. Eyes will be on two freshman as Chad Bumphis of State and Onterio McCalebb for the Tigers look to steal the show for both teams. The game should be close, but Auburn's experience will overtake MSU by the end of the game. Auburn 14, Mississippi State 10

*South Carolina @ Georgia

Two horrific offenses from week one will square off in Athens in what is traditionally a defensive battle. Both Mark Richt and Steve Spurrier need this win, but the Bulldogs can't afford to start the season 0-2 and facing a trip to a much improved Arkansas team next week. Neither offense showed much promise in game one, and South Carolina's defense is still quite nasty. Stephen Garcia is better than Joe Cox with a shoulder injury, and AJ Green can't defeat that gap alone. South Carolina 13, Georgia 9

Vanderbilt @ LSU

The talk all week has been about LSU's horrific defensive showing against Washington last weekend in Seattle. John Chavis is trying to revamp a defense that had to answer to two heads last season and giving up 450+ yards to a team that hasn't won a game in 2o months is not a good start. Sure, Vandy is still Vandy in a sense, but if the 'Dores are allowed to hang around after one quarter, the game will get very interesting, very quickly. Despite LSU's defensive issues, the Tigers still have the best 1-2 punch at receiver with Toliver and LaFell, and that is enough to get them over the top in this game. LSU 27, Vanderbilt 17

*UCLA @ Tennessee

Tennessee is looking for revenge against UCLA after the 27-24 overtime loss last season in Los Angeles which began the Phil Fulmer farewell tour. I called that game to be the beginning of the end for Fulmer, and it turned out to be. This year, Lane Kiffin could get a huge jump start if the Vols can take down the Bruins. Tennessee has the advantage on defense not only with Eric Berry, but also a young UCLA offensive line and redshirt freshman quarterback. The game might be ugly on offense, but Tennessee should dominate this game on the field, even if it doesn't look that way on the scoreboard. Tennessee 28, UCLA 20

*Notre Dame @ Michigan

A game that looked like a nightmare just two weeks ago has now turned into must see TV after both Notre Dame and Michigan disposed of what were perceived to be difficult mid major game by a combined score of 66-7. The Domers posted a shut out and Michigan took control early against Western Michigan. Now, they face off in the Big House on national television and the victor is in prime position to return to national prominence. Tate Forcier started great for the Big Blue last week, but Jimmy Clausen's confidence is a high as any Clausen has been in 15 years. Notre Dame should come out with a win and a top 15 ranking to boot. Notre Dame 23, Michigan 14

*USC @ Ohio State

The game for which all eyes will be feasted on is hosting College Gameday this weekend in Columbus. Pete Carroll and the Trojans dismantled the Big Ten image once again last year in a 35-3 mauling at the Coliseum. This year, Carson Palmer is salivating at the idea of watching the Buckeyes take it on the chin again. However, Ohio State does have Terrelle Pryor on their side and will not be facing a triple-option attack Saturday. Matt Barkley makes his first start on the road and second overall in front of 100,000 screaming fans in scarlet. It is quite the intimidating place to visit, and Ohio State should play ball and clock control and tire out USC's young defense. Ohio State 24, USC 21

*Florida International @ Alabama

Alabama is looking to avoid the second straight second game letdown as they take on Florida International Saturday. FIU is not as daunting of a task as Tulane was last season in this spot on the schedule, but the Crimson Tide can't afford to sleep on the Golden Panthers. T.Y. Hilton is an all-everything man for FIU, and he will be coming at the Alabama defense and special teams from all angles. Besides that, the Crimson Tide may rack up 200 rushing yards again this week against a very green defensive line from FIU. Mark Ingram shouldn't see the second half, and Trent Richardson is going to have his chance to shine Saturday. Alabama 45, Florida International 7

Links to picks

• Stewart Mandel
• Chris Low
• CBS College Football "experts"
• Harmon Forecast from CBSsports.com
• Charles Hollis of al.com

Who is Florida International, anyway?

For all intended purposes, the Golden Panthers of Florida International are the first cupcake on the schedule. I can safely say that cause I am a firm believer that Nick Saban does not read this blog (or any blog for that matter.)

The Panthers are coming out of the Sun Belt conference and will be kicking off their season this Saturday against the Crimson Tide in Tuscaloosa.

FIU has only been playing football since 2002 and are 21-59 in their seven-year history. The school has never had a winning season, but have won five games on three occasions, including last season's 5-7 effort. An overtime loss to Florida Atlantic in the next to last weekend of the season was the only thing short of keeping the school from a .500 record.

The Panthers have played in Tuscaloosa before back in 2006 when Mike Shula led the Crimson Tide to a 38-3 victory, the only meeting in the series.

As for this year's Panthers squad, they return 16 starters from last season, 10 of which are on offense.

On offense, the Panthers are a predominantly passing team, having their air attack more than double the yards churned out on the ground in 2008. Quarterback Paul McCall only completed 52% of his passes last season, but did throw 15 touchdowns to nine interceptions. His favorite target is T.Y. Hilton, who as a freshman had 1,000 yards receiving and seven touchdowns. He will be the focus of the Alabama defense even though FIU's top five receivers return this season, including all of their touchdown receptions from last year.

On defense, Florida International is quite vulnerable both on the ground and through the air. The Panthers gave up an average of four yards per carry last season and allowed for an average of 60% of pass attempts to be completed. Despite these stats, they still have some players. Linebacker Scott Bryant was the team leader in tackles (89) and tackles for loss (7) from a year ago and he returns for his final season in Miami. Lurking in the secondary is Anthony Gaitor, a first team All-Sun Belt last season. Gaitor led the team in interceptions (5) and pass break-ups (11) last season and will be a focus on locating him on the line before each passing play. The Tide should expect a break on the four-man defensive front as FIU is replacing three defensive linemen this season.

On special teams, Hilton is once again the man for the Panthers. Last season he averaged 23 yards per kickoff return and 15 yards per punt return. He also had a touchdown from each position. For kicks, FIU will rely on Dustin Rivest, who has only hit 19-35 for his career with a long of 43. Rivest will also be taking over the punting duties this season.

For Alabama, the game plan seems pretty simple: run the ball down their throats, play sound defensively, get out without getting hurt. If the Crimson Tide can do this, Saturday will be a successful 60 minutes.

Are You ready for Hawai'i 2006, Part Two on Saturday?

As it has been documented since July, and should be well known by now through countless e-mails, the number of gates available to students for Saturday's home opener at Bryant-Denny Stadium has gone from six to one.

The reason, of course, is because of the new expansion in the South end zone of the stadium that is set to open next fall and raise Bryant-Denny's capacity over 100,000 fans.

Yes, it is a good thing that the stadium is expanding. Along with more seats for season ticket holders, there will also be expanded seating for the students as well as a means for encompassing all sound within the walls of Bryant-Denny to make it an even more difficult stadium to play inside.

Here is the problem, though: the student section size has not decreased from last year, but the number of gates has.

There are still going to be 15,000 students trying to get into the game through one gate, and there is no doubt this will cause a problem that has been seen before.

I take you back to my first game as a student: Alabama vs. Hawaii, September 2nd, 2006. The first game with the newly expanded North end zone and the first game in which card readers are to be used at the student gates.

This game alone was the reason as to why gates now open two and a half hours before game time. At this time, there were only two hours for students to enter.

The University had said that test runs were positive and that there should be no problems...except there were.

Readers failed, lines backed up, and before you knew it, at least 2,000 students missed a bulk of the first quarter and many more missed kick off. Lines were back to the graveyard on Bryant Drive at every gate and were moving at half the speed of snail.

Of course, the changes were made and everything went smoothly from then on out.

Now, here we are again with the University saying that everything should run smoothly Saturday, but lets take a look into what they are expecting to happen.

The University expects there to be a line when gates open two and a half hours to kickoff. They also expect you to wait in line anywhere from an hour to an hour and a half.

In 150 minutes, the University expects to move roughly 14,000 students through one gate with eight card readers. Let me do this math for you.

14,000 students, divided by eight card readers equals 1,750 students per reader.

Those 1,750 students divided by 2.5 hours equals approximately 700 students per hour are expected to pass through each reader.

Seven hundred students per hour boils down to 11.6666..... per minute, meaning one student every five seconds will enter the stadium from each reader.

Anyone who has been to an Alabama football game as a student knows this is not fathomable.

So, where is the SGA in helping getting the students more gates as to where they will be able to get to see the game at a school where football is king? They are in compliance with the University.

The SGA actually had a meeting tonight at six to discuss any questions you may have about the procedure.

Didn't know about it? Well they tweeted about it, so how could you not. It's not like they didn't put an ad in the Crimson White. Oh, wait, they DID NOT put an ad in the Crimson White.

This shouldn't surprise anyone considering this is the same organization who's president promised the campus to be fully wireless in 2007 or said we would have ticket stubs for students who want them when we went to paperless tickets in 2008.

All I can say is I struggle to get Internet consistently when trying to broadcast Alabama Soccer by the Rec Center and I have no documentation that I witnessed Alabama destroy Auburn last November. Thanks, R.B. and Cason, you did oh so well.

So, Steven Oliver, I ask of you, when this system fails on Saturday, please meet with the University and get the students a second gate. It can't be that hard to do with your power.

*****************************UPDATE*******************************

After posting this blog, and my subsequent rant on Rock and Jock last night, I have been informed nicely by two SGA members that the issue has been taken up with the University and that the Athletic Department will not listen to the SGA about potential problems this system may have on Saturday. The Athletic Department fully believes in this system and will not change it unless they view it as absolutely necessary. I would like to apologize to the SGA for my comments above and thank them for their attempt to resolve the manner with the University. Hopefully there can be a better system put in place by Arkansas.

Pass or Fail-Week 1

Before I get into this week's Pass or Fail, I wanted to point out my newest endeavor: Lexycasting.

The idea behind Lexycasting is having someone reporting on a program with a 2-3 minute broadcast that can be contacted via your cell phone.

Each week, I will have a post up after reviewing the previous week's game early in the week, any mid-week news, a 2-minute drill prep post for Saturday's game, and then at least a post game post, if not some at half or during the game.

Want to know how to access it? It's simple. Just dial 1-888-622-2413 and just follow along to listen to the post.

Now, on to what this post is really about, and that's the first week in college football.

After one week, it should be quite obvious who gets the Epic Fail of the week, but what about the other fails and passes after a long weekend of college football?

Head of the Class: Notre Dame and Michigan create a match-up worth watching. I was very skeptical this past week about how Notre Dame and Michigan would perform after Rich Rodriguez's lawsuits and Charlie Weis' billboards, but both teams stepped it up and showed out. Notre Dame jumped on Nevada early and then pounded 21 points on the scoreboard in the 2nd quarter to cruise past the Wolfpack 35-0. Michigan did the same to Western Michigan, in what I had figured to be a close game, and disposed of the Broncos 31-7. Now, the two teams meet in Ann Arbor this week in what has become must see TV the way both teams performed in week one.

Pass: Daryll Clark goes off. If anyone was looking for a potential Heisman candidate at the QB position to take Sam Bradford's place, Daryll Clark made a great case against Akron on Saturday. Clark threw for 353 yards on 29 of 40 passing, all career highs, and connected for three touchdowns as the Nittany Lions rolled 31-7 over the Zips. Clark should not face a QB at his level all season, even Terrelle Pryor from Ohio State. The biggest issue for Penn State this year is playing for twelve consecutive weeks and having the final two off as other teams continue to play and improve their strength of schedule.

Fail: Navy blows it. Ohio State is one of those teams that can get caught looking ahead sometimes. Last season before playing USC, the Buckeyes struggled against Ohio before heading to the west coast to get walloped. This year, the Midshipmen brought their triple-option to Columbus and decided to wreck havoc on Scarlet and Gray. Navy had pulled within two points after a touchdown with 2:23 brought up the necessity to go for two. The Middies decided to pass on the play, and Ohio State LB Brian Rolle intercepted the attempt and ran it all the way back to give OSU two points and double the lead which they would hold on to. Navy was in shock after potentially having the chance to start the season off right, but couldn't make the plays when it counts.

Pass: Florida State and Miami turn back the clock. The question everyone was asking after this game was if both of these teams are finally back. The jury is still out on that, but the game between Miami and Florida State in Tallahassee Monday night was one for the ages. Not only did this game include questionable quarterbacks shining when it counted, but it also had one of the greatest endings in the series history. In usual fashion, FSU ended up on the losing end of an epic finish, but both teams showed great improvement, it seemed, from last year's debacle of an ACC season.

Fail: Those other 10 ACC teams face plant week one. Speaking of the ACC, FSU/Miami did a lot to save face for the conference after their Thursday and Saturday debuts. Thursday night, NC State managed to drop any ball worth a damn in their 7-3 loss to South Carolina. The weekend saw two losses to FCS teams (Virginia to William and Mary, Duke to Richmond), Wake lost to Baylor at home, and that was followed with two Saturday night losses on national television (Virginia Tech to Alabama, Maryland to Cal) in which both of the ACC teams looked overwhelmed for most of the game. Many analysts still believe that the Big East is the bottom of the barrel when it comes to BCS conference, but the ACC may deserve a look this season. The one saving grace may be the battle between Georgia Tech and North Carolina for the Coastal division title, and even that won't be enough to garner national attention and exposure.

Pass: Hello, my name is Joe Webb. If you don't know who Joe Webb is, it is about time you started to take notice. Webb is the starting QB for the UAB Blazers and will be the only reason why they may have a shot at a bowl this season. The Blazers have won only nine games over the past three seasons, but Webb may be the answer to their struggles. Here is what his first half against Rice looked like: scoring run of 15 yards, scoring run of 71 yards, touchdown pass of nine yards, touchdown pass of 22 yards. Webb finished the game with 194 rushing yards on 20 carries and 221 passing yards going 12 for 15. In other words, UAB had 516 total yards in the game, Webb accounted for 415 of them.

Fail: Lane Kiffin becomes the Mike Shula of UT football in one game. The Vols managed not only to beat Western Kentucky, but dismantled them and any dreams they had of enjoying their trip to Knoxville. Sure, Tennessee was going to win this game anyways, but for some reason, points 50-56 were aided by the arm of none other than starting QB Jonathan Crompton. The new starting QB for the Big Orange finished with five touchdown passes because he was still in the game with ten minutes left on the clock. Apparently the Village Idiot does not realize that another deer in headlights has done this before with bad results. You all remember Mike Shula's win over Florida in 2005 and Western Carolina in 2004 when the largest component of Alabama's offense went down for the season in those games. Now, I am not hoping this happens to Tennessee, nor do I expect them to get up by that much again this season, but it should be put in Kiffin's ear that bad things do happen to stupid people.

Epic Fail: This Blount actually does the hitting. Last Thursday morning, no one outside of Eugene, Oregon really knew who LaGarrette Blount was. Twenty-four hours later, his one-hit wonder on Byron Hout was seen on every episode of Sportscenter ten times an hour. Blount apparently didn't take too kindly to the words that Hout had told him after slapping his shoulder pads. Next thing you know, Boise State coach Chris Petersen is restraining Hout for the thoughts he expressed, but in fact ended up being the second bully who holds up the little freshman while the bigger guy knocks him out before both of them run off with his lunch money. Blount not only bounced away from the punch as if he just drilled a three to tie a NBA playoff game, he then proceeded to attack the fans in a manner that would have made Ron Artest proud. For his actions, Blount has been suspended for the season, and rightfully so.

Top 25, Heisman favorites, and links: Week 1

So week one is finally in the books, so I can post the first top 25 now that the week is over with.

There were some shockers, both good and bad, as well as a bad injury to my pre-season #1 team.

So now with the weekend over, where does everyone sit? Take a look for yourself.

ITNOT Top 25-Week 1

1. Florida
2. Texas
3. Penn St.
4. Alabama
5. Ohio State
6. USC
7. Oklahoma State
8. Oklahoma
9. BYU
10. Cal
11. LSU
12. Boise State
13. Mississippi
14. TCU
15. Virginia Tech
16. Georgia Tech
17. North Carolina
18. Cincinnati
19. Pittsburgh
20. Miami
21. Oregon State
22. Nebraska
23. Kansas
24. Florida State
25. Missouri

Heisman Trophy Favorites-Week 1

• Tim Tebow, QB, Florida
• Colt McCoy, QB, Texas
• Darrell Clark, QB, Penn St.
• Jahvid Best, RB, Cal
• Jonathan Dwyer, RB, Georgia Tech

Links

• Jon Solomon of the Birmingham News reviews week one before today and has an interesting team in his #1 spot of his top ten.
• Stewart Mandel's new weekly Monday column, College Football Overtime, touches on BYU, Boise, and a lot of other tidbits from week one.
• Mark Schlabach goes into detail as to why Alabama was able to pull out their week one win against Virginia Tech in Atlanta.
• Its only week one, and ESPN already has their bowl projections out for all the world to see. Mark Schlabach and Bruce Feldman agree on some bowls, but differ on some BCS matchups.
• Here is the Gameday recap from this weekend, with links to each ESPN conference bloggers thoughts for what stood out to them.
• Ivan Maisel of ESPN has his three-point stance blog updated from this weekend touching on LSU, Iowa, and Liberty. You can expect to see something about Miami on Tuesday I'm sure.
• Cory McCartney of SI.com has a few tidbits as to why Alabama beat Virginia Tech from his point of view in the Dome.
• With Missouri not skipping a beat at the quarterback position, Stewart Mandel takes a look at other QBs across the country who had a great debut weekend.

Picks, Previews and Pronostications: Week 1

College Football has officially started back, and not without some opening night jaw splitting moments. (too soon? nah)

The South Carolina/NC State game did not go as I had planned, meaning that the Wolfpack wide receivers need to learn how to put two hands on the football.

Boise did pull out a win for me in the second game, and Oregon looks to be in for a long season. There are very few teams that I will probably pick for Oregon to beat this season.

If you didn't catch the 140 character predictions last night, here is what they were:

*South Carolina @ NC State

the Gamecocks D is still expected to be stout, but Russell Shepard is a beast compared to Stephen Garcia. Close gm: 21-20 Wolfpk

*Oregon @ Boise State

Masoli is a good QB, and the Ducks are gonna be good in the Pac-10, but I think the smurf turf holds strong this yr: 38-34 Boise

So after one night, I am 1-1 on the season, which isn't a bad start considering how hard those two games were to pick.

Now, with everyone else starting Saturday, it is time to get into the meat of the schedule.

Of course, each week, the 8 games selected by the Crimson White Sports Staff will be the eight major ones I select, but I will also try to cover the SEC and any other major games not picked by the staff. You would think as their sports blogger they would want my input, but sometimes logic just doesn't make sense.

Also, you will see my picks from the ESPN.com College Football Pick'em here as well. If you still want to get in on the group and not miss a week, head over the ESPN.com, and find your way to the Fantasy home page. From there, click on the College Pick'em logo, and enter into the competition by searching for the ITNOT Pick'em group and enter the group password: ITNOT. There you will be able to challenge not only me but other readers of the blog.

It would also be interesting if the sports staff would step up and join in as well, but once again, wishful thinking from that group.

So here we go with picks for Week 1.

Minnesota @ Syracuse

The Gophers will have to wait another week to open their outdoor paradise and will spend yet another game inside in the Carrier Dome. Doug Marrone will be making is head coaching debut on Saturday with Greg Paulus as his quarterback. As great of a story I think Paulus will be this season, I have to go with Adam Weber under center for Minne. Minnesota 24, Syracuse 17

Baylor @ Wake Forest

Baylor has been making some great strides the past few years, including climbing out of the basement last season in the ever steep hill that is the Big XII South. Robert Griffin may be the most underrated QB in the BCS, and Wake Forest is having to replace all but four defensive starters on their team. Art Briles returned 16 starters and gets the Demon Deacons at home this year in Waco. I like the Bears. Baylor 27, Wake Forest 24

Stanford @ Washington State

As if WAZU going 2-11 last season wasn't enough, they have to open this year against the team expected to make the biggest strides in the Pac-10 this season in Stanford. The Cardinal have a great recruiting class on the way, and Jim Harbaugh is the best coach they have had there in quite some time. The only way to go is up for the Cougars after getting beat by the Cardinal 58-0 last year. They will score this year, but not much, leaving Stanford to lead the Pac-1o for two weeks. Stanford 35, Washington State 7

*Maryland @ Cal

Cal was very highly touted last year going into College Park, and then had the fear of the turtle enacted upon them in an embarrassing 35-27 game that no where resembled the score. This year, the Terps have to fly to the Left Coast to take on the Bears in Berkeley. Cal still has the sour taste in their mouths and a Pac-1o title on their minds, so expect this one to get ugly early. Cal 38, Maryland 20

Navy @ Ohio State

Ohio State is focused on USC, but no amount of focus is going to deter them from the task at hand of Navy. The Midshipmen still run the triple option, which will definitely give Ohio State's defense fits, but Terrell Pryor is a one-man wrecking crew and won't let the Buckeyes have their national title hopes smashed before a clash with the Trojans. Ohio State, 24, Navy 10

San Jose State @ USC

Just like Ohio State, USC is looking forward to their matchup with the Buckeyes in Columbus next Saturday, but the beat up Trojans must take care of business at home first against the Spartans. Matt Barkley will become the first USC QB to start as a true freshman on Saturday, but his first loss will wait for him for at least one more week. USC 38, San Jose State 13

Missouri vs. Illinois in St. Louis

Last year's game faced Chase Daniel up against Juice Williams in a shootout that the Tigers ended up winning 52-42. This year, Juice is back, Daniel is not. In fact, neither are the Tigers top three receivers from last season. Missouri is facing a tough task with only nine returning starters going up against an Ilini team that is ready for revenge and for their first win against Mizzou in their last five chances. They get it. Illinois 28, Missouri 21

*Miami @ Florida State

In a game that used to be very hyped, no one is even bothering to take a notice of this game on Monday Night. Sure, ESPN will carry it, but the empty seats in the corners of Doak will tell the tale of how hard this rivalry has fallen. When it kicks off, Miami is no where to be found in the polls, and Florida State is #18 just because someone has to win that division. The Hurricanes return more players, but the talent gap is still visible between the two schools. Seminoles at home. Florida State 27, Miami 17

*BYU vs. Oklahoma in Dallas

The first college game in the Palace that Jerry Built will pit the Sooners and Cougars together. Max Hall vs. Sam Bradford will be the biggest competition to watch in this game, but Oklahoma still has plenty coming back on the opposite side of the ball around the reigning Heisman winner. The Sooners held Florida to 24 points in the National Title game last year, and BYU doesn't pose as much of a threat in what should be a very crimson clad crowd. Oklahoma 45, BYU 30

Western Michigan @ Michigan

Tate Forcier will be the starter amongst the three Michigan QBs who will play in Saturday's opener in the newly renovated Big House. Western Michigan brings in the better and more experience QB in the match-up as Tim Hiller leads the Broncos from Kalamazoo to Ann Arbor. The Wolverines have struggled the past two seasons against non-BCS opponents, losing to Appalachian State in 2007 and Utah in 2008. Rich Rodriguez has had a tough couple of weeks, and there is a good chance that will carry on to the field. This could be a high scoring game as only eight defensive starters return between the two teams. Michigan has lost multiple OOC games the past two years. Might as well make it three. Western Michigan 31, Michigan 30

Nevada @ Notre Dame

The Golden Domers are still riding the high of the Hawaii Bowl mauling they handed out, and Jimmy Clausen's unfounded arrogance still reigns over South Bend. Nevada will give the Irish a run for their money, but the Wolfpack have never beaten a BCS team in a season opener in their last 13 tries. Make that 14 after Saturday. Notre Dame 38, Nevada 17

LSU @ Washington

After going winless in 2008, the Huskies decided they had seen enough of Tyrone Willingham and went to USC and raided the cabinet, picking out Steve Sarkisian to lead the team in Seattle this year. LSU is looking to rebound from their worst season since Nick Saban's first year in 2000. The Tigers are hungry to gain back their national respect, and a good place to start is on national television against a team with no confidence. LSU 48, Washington 10

Ole Miss @ Memphis

This may look like a road game on paper, but Oxford to Memphis is only about an hour drive, and for this Rebel team, you can be sure that some red will be scatter amongst the throngs of blue to be there for both teams. Ole Miss has made quick work of the Tigers recently, and with Jevan Snead taking snaps this year, it is going to be a long game for Memphis. Ole Miss 41, Memphis 7

Western Carolina @ Vanderbilt

Vanderbilt is looking to go to back-to-back bowls for the first time in school history this season, and playing the Catamounts is going to lead to an easy victory for the 'Dores on Saturday at home. It is about time Vandy was the one doing the plowing instead of getting plowed. Vanderbilt 40, Western Carolina 10

Western Kentucky @ Tennessee

The Lane Kiffin era begins with the newest member of the FBS coming to town. Western Kentucky will bring their small contingent of fans to watch their first official game in Division I-A, leading to their first official loss. No amount of ineptitude on offense will slow down the Vols in this one. Tennessee 34, Western Kentucky 3

Charleston Southern @ Florida

Will they or won't they? That is the question surrounding Florida and their 73-point favorite line in the game against FCS cupcake Charleston Southern. Tim Tebow will probably see the bench before halftime as Urban Meyer will hand over the check himself after the game with a sly little smile and his pride that much more built up. Florida 63, Charleston Southern 7

Louisiana Tech @ Auburn

The Tigers begin the Gene Chizik era with a very losable game at home. The Louisiana Tech Bulldogs, coached by the former Georgia coaching great Vince Dooley's son, Derek, will have his team ready to go and attempt to improve on their 8-5 record from last season with 16 starters returning. Last year the Bulldogs got their first win against an SEC team when they beat Mississippi State. Chris Todd will do his best to make sure that Auburn isn't team #2. Sometimes your best isn't good enough. Louisiana Tech 21, Auburn 17

Miami, OH vs. Kentucky in Cincinnati

Kentucky is constantly picked last in the SEC East, but coach Rich Brooks always finds a way to improve his team. After three straight years in a bowl game, the Wildcats are looking for their fourth straight and a school record. Miami, OH no longer has Big Ben, so their one chance was about five years ago. Kentucky 31, Miami, OH 13

Missouri State @ Arkansas

Arkansas will begin year two under Bobby Petrino ready to do some damage with Michael Smith back and the addition of Ryan Mallet in the backfield. This game will be a walk in the park, even for the Hogs porous defense. At least three touchdowns for Mallett. Arakansas 42, Missouri State 14

Jackson State @ Mississippi State

Dan Mullen begins his head coaching career against Jackson State. The Bulldogs have had their largest ticket sales in school history this summer, and Mullen should have a rowdy crowd ready for the in-state opponent. Mississippi State 28, Jackson State 10

*Georgia @ Oklahoma State

One of two marquee games for the SEC this first week includes Georgia breaking in a new quarterback while Oklahoma State breaks in their stadium expansion. The Cowboys are looking to make some noise this year in the Big XII South with the lethal combination of QB Zac Robinson, WR Dez Bryant, and RB Kendall Hunter. Georgia has given up 30+ points 11 times in the past four seasons. Saturday will be the 12th time. Oklahoma State 35, Georgia 31


*Alabama vs. Virginia Tech in Atlanta

The Crimson Tide begin their season in Atlanta for the second straight year, but the coaching ability on the opposing sideline has greatly increased. Virginia Tech has as just a vaunted a defense as Alabama, and the established quarterback, but Alabama brings back nine defensive starters against a team without their best running back available. Special teams will play a role in this game, but Alabama might actually hold the edge in the category. With all of that said, the game won't be a blow out, but there will be a measured difference in ability between the Tide and the Hokies. Alabama 24, Virginia Tech 10

Links

• The Orlando Sentinel Sports Staff, all ten of them, let you know who they think has the edge this weekend. And yes, they all picked Florida.
• Chris Low of ESPN.com breaks down week one in the SEC.
• The CBS Sports "experts" make their picks for the first week of the season, even though none of these guys I would really trust.
• Tony Barnhart puts his faith in both major conference teams from the state of Georgia for this weekend.
• Stewart Mandel, quite possibly my favorite writer and go-to guy online, has his thoughts on the upcoming weekend.
• Charles Hollis of the Birmingham News lays out his picks and has one of the SEC teams in the state losing on Saturday.
• Cory McCartney of SI.com picks Alabama/VT as his game of the week in his thorough breakdown of the Chick-fil-a Kickoff Game.

Who is Virginia Tech, anyway?

There has been plenty of time this off season to dissect and investigate anything and everything about the Hokies leading up to Saturday's kickoff in Atlanta.

They are lead by head coach Frank Beamer who will be kicking off his 23rd season in Blacksburg on September 5th.

Virginia Tech is coming off a 10-4 season which included an ACC title as well as Orange Bowl victory over Big East champ Cincinnati, 20-7.

On offense, the Hokies return nine starters, including junior Tyrod Taylor. Taylor is supposed to be much improved from the 99-173 quarterback he was a year ago, throwing for only 1,036 yards, and had a 1:3.5 touchdown to interception ratio.

The biggest question mark for Virginia Tech is definitely their passing game heading into the Chick-fil-a Kickoff Classic, but there is also the question of who will replace Darren Evans in the backfield for VT.

Evans, a 1200-yard rusher last season as a freshman, is out for the season with an ACL tear. The rest of their backfield has been beat up this pre-season as well, but it looks as if Ryan Williams, who was redshirted last season, is going to get the nod to start.

On Defense, the Hokies have the same vaunted reputation as the Crimson Tide. They return seven starters from their defense, but are replacing two of their linebackers in their 4-3 defense and must replace their top two tacklers from last season.

Their defensive line is definitely not an issue, as Jason Worilds returns after an eight sack, 10.5 tackles for loss season a year ago. You can bet to hear his name a lot and see his number six jersey chasing Greg McElroy this Saturday.

As for special teams, the Hokies pride themselves on "Beamer Ball," which means, as the man put it himself, "Anyone on the field at anytime can score for us." This reaches not only from their special teams, which struggled last season by giving up three punts for touchdowns, way about their standards, but to their defense, where every position on the field has scored at some point during Beamer's tenure.

Look for the Hokies to blitz hard on punts and kicks, as well as break some seams on their returns if Alabama gives them the slightest bit of room.

For the intangibles, the Hokies are a lowly 1-10 versus the Crimson Tide, but won the last meeting in 1998 at the Music City Bowl. Alabama played miserably in that 38-7 loss to the boys from Blacksburg that afternoon.

Not only is the head-to-head record in Alabama's favor, but so is the fact that Beamer is just 5-24 against Top 10 teams in his 23 years at Virginia Tech, as well as 9-12 at neutral sites.

The Hokies have also been talking a little smack so far. Williams has already called the Bama game his "break-out" game to the country, and OL Sergio Render has said he thinks center Beau Warren can handle Terrance Cody all by his lonesome.

Nonetheless, it will be an interesting game to watch come Saturday night in Atlanta.

Links

• Here is the ESPN GameDay Kickoff which is posted every Thursday by Chris Fowler. This week it highlights all things important in week one, meaning the five or so games that are actually worth watching.
• Sports Illustrated has their predictions for the entire season up and running with all their college football typing-heads giving their two cents for the season.

Does College Football Really Need an Exhibition Game?

A few weeks ago, Michigan coach Rich Rodriguez spoke out in favor of college football adding an exhibition game to the schedule.

"If there was one rule to change in Division I college football, they would allow you to have a exhibition or preseason game against somebody else. We're the only level (without one.)"

Sure, most people would think this is because he hadn't, and still hasn't, picked a starter from one of his three quarterbacks he says will all play on Saturday against Western Michigan. Or it could be he just wants to work his team of sissies even more than he already does, but the idea seemed to have fallen on deaf ears until yesterday.

That is when Virginia Tech head coach Frank Beamer spoke up about adding an exhibition game to the college football schedule.

Beamer had the same sentiments as Rodriguez did, including wanting the chance to "get some of the things out of the way that come up in that first ball game."

While this seems like a good idea to begin with, the ability to start off in a game that doesn't count, there are a few problems with it.

First, how would a team feel if injuries happened in that exhibition game? It is bad enough Virginia Tech has lost start running back Darren Evans for the season in practice, but how would that go over if he tore his ACL in an exhibition game?

Teams already lose players in scrimmages. USC has averaged losing one starter per scrimmage so far this preseason without playing one real snap. Would creating an exhibition really make them feel any better when a player got hurt?

Speaking of USC, and this goes for many other teams across the Bowl Subdivision, they already have an "exhibition game" the first week of the season.

The Trojans open up their season with San Jose State, one of the better choices for week one cupcakes, before their big game in Columbus with Ohio State. The Buckeyes open the year with Navy.

In the SEC alone, teams are playing Jackson State, Western Carolina, Charleston Southern, and Memphis, just to name a few, in week one as a warm-up game for the better teams on the schedule.

Finally, should anyone really be surprised that Virginia Tech and Michigan are asking for exhibition games?

If there are any two teams in college football who just down right suck out of the gate, it's these two.

Remember 2007 for Michigan. Most people would consider Appalachian State an exhibition game, and Michigan lost to them at home. Last year, Michigan lost to Toledo at home to begin the year. Toledo is at least a Bowl Subdivision squad, but no where near the BCS.

As for Beamer's Boys, they are only 4-2 in their last five season openers, including last year's loss to East Carolina at home on ESPN.

In 2007, the had to rely on a fourth quarter punt block to take down the Pirates in Blacksburg. After that game, LSU put a boot up their "you know whats" in Baton Rouge on national prime time television.

So the question still remains, is an exhibition game really necessary? Well, Rodriguez did have one good thing to say in his rant on the subject.

"Imagine the crowd we'd have at the Big House if we had a spring game against somebody here."

A home-and-home scrimmage in the spring does not sound like a bad idea.

Nonetheless, I would still want to play Michigan.

College Football Pass or Fail: Offseason Recap

Day two of game week only means four more days until Alabama and Virginia Tech kick off in Atlanta, and only two more until South Carolina/NC State and Oregon/Boise State.

Of course, the path to these games takes all off-season to prepare for, and some things went better for some teams than others.

Sure, there will be some hits and misses here, but this is the gist of things from the off-season that will have the greatest impact in 2009.

Head of the Class: Heisman hype is here! Even though not one game has yet to kickoff, it is pretty safe to say the Heisman trophy of 2009 will go to one position, and one of three men who play it. Short of Best running for 1500 yards or Dez, Julio or AJ going for 1200 and 15 TDs, Tim Tebow, Sam Bradford, or Colt McCoy will come away with the bronze this December. Never in the history of college football have two Heisman winners returned for a season, and surprisingly, neither of them have a legit leg up on the other two vying for the title. None the less, this season should be a real treat for college football fans watching these guys battle it out, and to see if anyone can actually challenge them for a spot in New York.

Pass: Minnesota moving outside this year. The Golden Gophers will now have a new home at the TCF Bank Stadium. The new digs include a horseshoe style stadium with two levels located just outside of town on Minneapolis plus a very soccer-esque look of colored seats with the school name spelled out in the seats. The weather may not be a factor for the first game against Air Force, but once Illinois comes calling November 7th, the snow and cold might sway the play of the Ilini in that game.

Fail: Credentials are out of control. After the incident with a blogger and Tim Tebow at SEC Media Days, I have to call into question who the SEC and other conferences allow to their Media Days and other events. Personally, I don't view an individual blogger as a member of the media. If the blogger is connected to a respected site or newspaper, sure, let them in. In other words, I have more credentials than the crack addict who asked Tebow if he has used his Heisman trophy as a seduction tool. With this precedent, don't be surprised if in three years the SEC is getting requests from people on Facebook with 1,000 friends or Twitter with 500 followers. The SEC needs a stricter policy before the circus that hits Hoover every July gets even more out of hand.

Pass: Everybody, say hello to Western Kentucky. Yes, yes, team number 120 becomes official this year as the Hilltoppers join the Sun Belt conference as a part of the Bowl Subdivision. After two years in a relative purgatory, Big Red and Co. have ascended into the realm of the big boys. Their initial prize, opening at Neyland Stadium.

Fail: Oh yea, that Kiffin guy may have finally shut up. Maybe. Speaking of Neyland, one man who made more headlines than his team did was Lane Kiffin. The Vols did a good job of recruiting under Kiffin in his first go-around, but the Village Idiot had plenty to say about his guys, his opponents and his opponents guys. Around Media Days, he had finally toned things down a bit, but the man still needs to learn one important lesson in life: even if you are nervous, you must breathe.

Pass: New Rules!!! As usual, the Rules Committee has decided that college football isn't restricted enough, so they came up with new rules once again. For the first time in almost four years, they didn't touch the clock, which is probably why this is a pass rather than a fail. The two major additions are as follows: First, teams are now allowed to play through the whistle on a play deemed an incomplete pass. What this means is that if the ruling on the field is overturned to a fumble, and the defense recovers, the defense will get the ball. Second, the road teams will now be allowed to wear dark colors as long as they do not clash with the home team's jerseys. In other words, don't be shocked if the Village Idiot goes into Gainesville on September 19th wearing orange.

Fail: Watch lists going off of school rather than skill. Before reading this, take a look at the Davey O'Brien Award watch list for the best quarterback in college football. Now, here is what I see wrong with this picture: Ryan Mallett and Aaron Corp have never started a college football game. EVER. Hell, Aaron Corp lost his starting job, yet still made this list. Josh Nesbitt of Georgia Tech had 123 ATTEMPTS last season, only completing 54 of them for a 44% completion rating, and he is on the list. Tyrod Taylor threw for 1036 yards last season and made this list. My problem with this list, as well as others done before the season, is how are guys who perform well suppose to make it into the running? What if Joe Cox or Greg McElroy light up defenses this year? What should they do about Crompton if he decides to finally play like a man? What about if Matt Barkley or Russell Shepard lead their team to the National Title game? Why even have a watch list to begin with? Each individual award is better off waiting for the season to play out a bit, just like the BCS, and then unveiling their semifinalists for all the world to see. But then again, this is college football, logic doesn't exist.

Epic Fail: Florida State vs. Miami, tickets STILL available. Only ten years ago, it was one of the most vicious, talked about rivalries in college football. Now, it can't even fill a stadium. Labor Day evening used to be known for this game, now its just there. With Randy Shannon struggling to right the Hurricanes ship, and Florida State making more news off the field than on, no one really cares about this game. In all actuality, Miami could start an 0-4 season at this game, and I wouldn't put it past them.

Links

• My weekly Tuesday favorite is no other than Pat Forde's "Forde Yard-Dash." It covers forty national topics in the span of the column for each week of the season. To kick things off, he looks as to why this season will be a special one in the minds of college football fans. Forde's twitter is @espn4d.
• Want to know the best games to watch for this season? Well, Mark Schlabach has taken time out of his day to lay out the schedule for every week of the season, and you can bet there are potential upsets every week of the season. His twitter is @Mark_Schlabach.
• One man who knows and loves college football is Tony Barnhart, columnist for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He has a blog that runs every day in the AJC, and today's is on coach Saban's new contract and how Alabama has him at a bargain. His twitter is @MrCFB.
• From the Sporting News' Matt Hayes, here is a look at why Atlanta has become the new college football hot spot for premiere games to begin the season and why the city may be pushing these marquee games year after year. The twitter for all things Sporting News is @sninsider.
• Sports Illustrated's Andy Staples began his new blog for the site on college football today called In the Trenches, and today he has already gotten a post up about his attempt to secure the records from coaches voting in the ESPN/USAToday poll. His twitter is @Andy_Staples.
• I know football is now only two days away, but anyone who knows me knows that basketball is as much of a draw as football. In other words, here is the preview of the SEC for this season from espn.com, with Alabama being mentioned only when Anthony Grant is mentioned as well.