Weekly Picks

No into this week, just straight to the picks!


Western Michigan @ Ball St.
Navy @ Northern Illinois
Texas A&M @ Texas
West Virginia @ Pittsburgh
Central Michigan @ Eastern Michigan
Mississippi St. @ Ole Miss
Ohio @ Miami(OH)
UTEP @ East Carolina
Akron @ Temple
Kent St. @ Buffalo
Colorado @ Nebraska
Bowling Green @ Toledo
Fresno St. @ Boise St.
UCLA @ Arizona St.
Georgia Tech @ Georgia
Syracuse @ Cincinnati
Miami(FL) @ NC State
South Carolina @ Clemson
Virginia @ Virginia Tech
Kansas @ Missouri
UAB @ UCF
Arkansas St. @ North Texas
Nevada @ Louisiana Tech
New Mexico St. @ Utah St.
Southern Miss @ SMU
Auburn @ Alabama
Florida @ Florida St.
Baylor @ Texas Tech
Maryland @ Boston College
North Carolina @ Duke
Tulane @ Memphis
Houston @ Rice
Tulsa @ Marshall
FIU @ Florida Atlantic
Kentucky @ Tennessee
Oregon @ Oregon St.
Vanderbilt @ Wake Forest
Oklahoma @ Oklahoma St.
Notre Dame @ USC
Washington St. @ Hawaii

Upset Alerts:

Colorado over Nebraska - The Buffs need this win to become bowl eligible. I think Coach Hawkins gets them fired up enough to win it.

North Carolina St. over Miami(FL) - Just like last season, Tom O'Brien has the Wolfpack playing like ACC champs at the end of the year. If he can just find a way to have his team play like that all season long, he may have something special.

Tennessee over Kentucky - The Wildcats may be running into a buzz saw on this one. I don't see the Vol senior class letting Coach Fulmer go out without a win.

Oklahoma St. over Oklahoma - It's Bedlam! Anything can happen.....

Weekly Picks

Last Week- 42 - 11

Overall - 285-72


Just like my Gators, I bounced back rather strong this week. A few of my highlight picks were Vanderbilt, Temple, North Carolina and South Carolina to name a few.

Due to yet another Tuesday night game, I have to make my picks a little early this week. Here is the truth:



Troy @ Florida Atlantic
Clemson @ Wake Forest
UAB @ Houston
Louisville @ Memphis
Texas @ Oklahoma
Iowa @ Indiana
Toledo @ Michigan
East Carolina @ Virginia
Syracuse @ West Virginia
Minnesota @ Illinois
Rutgers @ Cincinnati
Colorado @ Kansas
South Carolina @ Kentucky
Eastern Michigan @ Army
Utah @ Wyoming
Kansas St. @ Texas A&M
Vanderbilt @ Mississippi St.
Ohio @ Kent St.
Nebraska @ Texas Tech
Arizona St. @ USC
Tennessee @ Georgia
Purdue @ Ohio St.
Notre Dame @ North Carolina
Michigan St. @ Northwestern
TCU @ Colorado St.
Gardner-Webb @ Georgia Tech
Western Michigan @ Buffalo
UCF @ Miami(FL)
Temple @ Central Michigan
Miami(OH) @ Northern Illinois
New Mexico St. @ Nevada
Arkansas @ Auburn
Arizona @ Stanford
New Mexico @ BYU
Bowling Green @ Akron
Washington St. @ Oregon St.
Ball St. @ Western Kentucky
Iowa St. @ Baylor
UL-Lafayette @ North Texas
UL-Monroe @ Arkansas St.
Middle Tennessee @ Florida International
Utah St. @ San Jose St.
Oklahoma St. @ Missouri
LSU @ Florida
Penn St. @ Wisconsin
Boise St. @ Southern Miss
Tulsa @ SMU
Tulane @ UTEP
Air Force @ San Diego St.
Idaho @ Fresno St.
UCLA @ Oregon
Louisiana Tech @ Hawaii


Upset Alert: Here's a few upset picks I made for this week:

Colorado over Kansas. I like Colorado's running game. If they can play slightly better than Iowa St. did last week, which isn't impossible, they should knock off the Jayhawks.

Kentucky over South Carolina. This might not be too big of an upset pick. I like the Cats to win a defensive battle.

Buffalo over Western Michigan. I know what you're thinking. "There's no upsets in the MAC! All teams are equally bad!" Well you're wrong and you're an ass. This would be an upset. Besides, nobody circles the wagons like the Buffalo Bulls.

Wisconsin over Penn St. This might be a long shot. But I just don't see the Badgers losing three straight games. Especially back-to-back home games.

Weekly Picks

Last Week - 36-17

Overall - 243-61


Much like my beloved Florida Gators, I had an off week. The 17 losses were easily the most I've suffered through all season.

This week, my picks come early due to the Florida Atlantic vs. Middle Tennessee showdown tonight on ESPN2.

Hopefully, I have better results this week.

Florida Atlantic @ Middle Tennessee
Louisiana Tech @ Boise St.
Pittsburgh @ South Florida
Memphis @ UAB
Oregon St. @ Utah
BYU @ Utah St.
Cincinnati @ Marshall
Penn St. @ Purdue
Duke @ Georgia Tech
Iowa @ Michigan St.
Indiana @ Minnesota
Boston College @ North Carolina St.
Rutgers @ West Virginia
Akron @ Kent St.
Oklahoma @ Baylor
Florida @ Arkansas
Kansas @ Iowa St.
Western Kentucky @ Virginia Tech
Alcorn St. @ New Mexico St.
UNLV @ Colorado St.
Ohio @ Western Michigan
Stanford @ Notre Dame
Army @ Tulane
Kentucky @ Alabama
Texas Tech @ Kansas St.
Arizona St. @ California
Illinois @ Michigan
South Carolina @ Ole Miss
Temple @ Miami(OH)
SMU @ UCF
Florida St. @ Miami(FL)
Eastern Michigan @ Bowling Green
Navy @ Air Force
Nevada @ Idaho
Auburn @ Vanderbilt
San Diego St. @ TCU
Texas A&M @ Oklahoma St.
Connecticut @ North Carolina
Florida International @ North Texas
Maryland @ Virginia
UL-Lafayette @ UL-Monroe
UTEP @ Southern Miss
Northern Illinois @ Tennessee
Ball St. @ Toledo
Washington @ Arizona
Texas @ Colorado
Oregon @ USC
Ohio St.@ Wisconsin
Rice @ Tulsa
Missouri @ Nebraska
Wyoming @ New Mexico
Hawaii @ Fresno St.
Washington St. @ UCLA

Upset Alert - I already picked Vandy over Auburn , so of course that's my upset pick of the week. Also, I really wanted to pick Colorado over Texas. However, the Buffs performance last week against Florida St. really forced me to go with the 'Horns. We'll see....

The top 25 players: Big XII

This looks like it could be a VERY big year for the Big XII. Oklahoma, Texas and Texas Tech all have realistic shots of winning the South. While Kansas, Colorado and Missouri are all looking to win the North.


The Big XII has closed the gap on the SEC for the best conference argument. They are just a Nebraska and Kansas St. surprise season away from being mentioned in the same breath.


Here are my top 25 players from the Big XII conference:


1. Michael Crabtree - Texas Tech WR- Crabtree won the Biletnikoff award last season as a Freshman. Expectations are high for the super soph and his Red Raiders. We'll see if he can repeat last season's successes.

2. Chase Daniel - Missouri QB - Daniel was a Heisman trophy finalist last season. He should be competing with Tebow and others to once again make the trip to New York at the end of the season.

3. Sam Bradford - Oklahoma QB - I have said all along that I felt like Bradford had the best argument against Tebow last season for the Heisman. If he plays like he did last year, Bradford should be a finalist for the award this season.

4. Graham Harrell - Texas Tech QB - Harrell will once again put up some pretty impressive numbers in Lubbock. Once again, however, no one will give him any respect.

5. Auston English - Oklahoma DL - There is always a great Sooner defensive linemen. It's English's turn to take that role.

6. George Hypolite - Colorado DL - I think Hypolite might be my favorite defensive player in the Big XII. The guy has a non-stop motor and he plays with all heart. Like Rod Tidwell said, "Heart? I'm all heart mother f***er!"

7. Duke Robinson - Oklahoma OL - Robinson might be the biggest player in the Big XII. Imagine the battles he must have with Auston English during Sooner practices.

8. DeMarco Murray - Oklahoma RB - Another Sooner makes my top 10. No wonder why I have them in the BCS title game this year......

9. Sean Weatherspoon - Missouri LB - It's not all about the offense at Missouri. The Tigers boast a pretty good defense too, led by Weatherspoon.

10. Joaquin Iglesias - Oklahoma WR - Another Sooner............

11. Jeremy Maclin - Missouri WR - Maclin might be the fastest player in the Big XII. He will be the main target for QB Chase Daniel this season.

12. Cedrick Dockery - Texas OL - It's hard to believe the Longhorns first entry onto this list is at 12 and it's a linemen.

13. Mike Goodson - Texas A&M RB - If Maclin is the fastest player in the conference, Goodson is not very far behind him. He is the lightning to Javorskie Lane's thunder.

14. Nic Harris - Oklahoma DB - It's a shame Bob Stoops can't win a bowl game anymore. He has a ton of talent to work with in Norman.

15. Colt McCoy - Texas QB - I would rank McCoy a little higher on this list but he is just so damn inconsistent.

16. Marlon Lucky - Nebraska RB - Lucky will be the main focal point for the Cornhuskers offense this season. That should mean more carries and more yards for this very talented back.

17. Joe Pawelek - Baylor LB - How about Baylor making a surprise appearance on the list? Art Briles should have the Bears competing in the Big XII. Just not this year.

18. William Moore - Missouri DB - Once again, I'm telling you that the Missouri defense will be very good this season.

19. Todd Reesing - Kansas QB - Reesing was the feel good story last season in CFB. I'm not completely sold on Reesing, but he had too good of a season to not include him.

20. Quan Cosby - Texas WR - Texas may not have as much talent on the offensive side of the ball as they're used to, but Cosby is a gem at wide out.

21. Joe Mortensen - Kansas LB - Mortensen is the heart and soul of a very underrated, but tough Jayhawk defense.

22. Zac Robinson - Oklahoma St. QB - Robinson broke all kinds of Cowboy records last season. He just needs to learn how to win on a consistent basis.

23. Brian Orakpo - Texas DL - A lot of people in Austin are clamoring over Orakpo's performance. He clearly has not lived up to his expectations at Texas, but talent alone gets him on this list.

24. Phil Loadholt - Oklahoma OL - I had to squeeze one more Sooner onto the list before it was all said and done. Loadholt doesn't get the pub he deserves, mainly because he shares the line with Duke Robinson.

25. Dez Bryant - Oklahoma St. WR - Bryant was one of the reasons why QB Zac Robinson was able to have such a tremendous season last year. Oklahoma St. will once again feature a very prolific offense, and Bryant will be a big part of it.

2008 Impact Freshmen

There is a popular and overused saying that describes freshmen. You know it, "The best thing about freshmen is that they become sophomores." This is a cliche that is used almost every year by coaches throughout the country. For the most part, this saying is true. However, every year there are a handful of freshmen that make a difference on their teams.

The following are the 10 freshmen that I think will have the biggest impact on their respective teams in 2008.

Note: These are not the top 10 freshmen this year overall, these are the players that will make the biggest impact on their teams right away.

1.Darrell Scott- RB Colorado- Scott could start right away for the Buffaloes. The incumbent starter at tailback is Demetrius Sumler. I believe Scott is an overall better back than Sumler and he should eventually overcome Sumler for the starting role.

2.Julio Jones- WR Alabama- Jones was the top prospect overall this season. With the departure of D.J. Hall, Alabama could use all the help it can get from the receiver position. Jones will start the season as the third option, but look for him to quickly become John Parker Wilson's favorite target.

3.DeAndre Brown- WR Southern Miss- The Golden Eagles have not seen a talent like Brown in quite a long time (if ever). DeAndre will immediately start for Southern Miss, and with Larry Fedora's wide-open offense, he could have a monster year.

4.Arthur Brown- LB Miami- Bill Young is not the only Kansas import to provide the Hurricanes with a huge upgrade on defense this season. Brown was the top LB recruit in a Miami class that featured some of the best LB's in the nation. Young will bring a new tenacity to the defense that would allow Brown to become the nasty LB that Miami has sorely needed in recent years.

5.Jonathan Baldwin- WR Pittsburgh- Baldwin could either be the starting TE or the 3rd receiver for the Panthers this season. Whichever position he plays Baldwin will be a big, physical target for QB Bill Stull. The Panthers could have a passing game on par with LeSean McCoy and the running game this season.

6.Riley Dodge- QB North Texas- Dodge is hoping to pull off what Cody Hawkins did last year at Colorado. That is start for his father as a true freshman. Dodge will have to overcome incumbent starter Giovanni Vizza to accomplish the feat.

7.Baker Steinkuhler- OL Nebraska- Steinkuhler should start right away for Nebraska on the O-line.Steinkuhler has the skills and mean streak needed to be a typical Nebraska linemen. Wherever he plays on the line, TB Marlon Lucky should find him and run right behind him.

8.Omar Hunter- DT Florida- Florida's defense was shaky at best last season. Hunter has been touted all Spring by Urban Meyer. Omar will definitely be in the rotation once the season starts and if the D-line struggles again, he should become a starter sooner rather than later.

9.Jermie Calhoun- RB Oklahoma- Calhoun has the talent to start anywhere in America. Unfortunately for him, so does returning starter DeMarco Murray. The Sooners will still use a lot of Calhoun this season. He would be like Noel Devine of West Virginia last year, providing the home-run play when needed.

10.A.J. Green- WR Georgia- Green will get plenty of playing time this season for Mark Richt. He is simply too talented not to. I look for Georgia to use Green on a lot of deep routes to compliment Mohammed Massaquoi at the other WR spot.

Expansion? It's the PAC-10's turn.

I recently did a blog referring to the possible expansion of the Big East and how awesome that would be. Now it's time for me to show you how smart I am by discussing the possible expansion of the PAC-10.

PAC-10 expansion is a bit more unlikely than Big East expansion. Most PAC-10 fans will argue that bringing in two more teams will go against the tradition that the conference has built up. I agree there is a certain air about PAC-10 schools that doesn't exist anywhere else in the West. Bringing in two more teams would somewhat dilute that.

Also, the main reason for expanding would be the implementation of a conference title game to generate more revenue for the conference itself. This argument might not hold up in the PAC-10 because a title game might not be all that more profitable. Unlike the SEC and Big XII, the PAC-10 fan base is not exactly obsessed about it's football. I compare the PAC-10 more to the ACC, and we have seen how much of a struggle that conference is having with it's title game.

Despite these drawbacks, expanding the PAC-10 to allow a conference title game could be beneficial to all of college football.

Here are six possible candidates that I believe would get some consideration if the PAC-10 were ever to expand.

1. Boise St.- The Broncos have been the class of the non-BCS schools of recent years. From 2002-2006, Boise St. won 5 straight WAC titles. Of course, Boise St. is remembered most for knocking off the Oklahoma Sooners in the Fiesta Bowl after a perfect 2006 season.

Boise St. would bring with them a fan base that would rival top PAC-10 programs. Other than USC, California and UCLA, Boise St. might have one of the better fan bases in the PAC-10.

The downside to Boise St. is that they play in a small market. Idaho doesn't exactly scream PAC-10. Also, the blue turf that the Broncos play on would have to go as it is seen as nothing more than a gimmick by the PAC-10 powers.

2.Colorado- A few years back it was reported that the Buffs would welcome a move to the PAC-10 from the Big 12. Colorado might not fit in with the rest of the PAC-10 geographically, but that's been done before (i.e. Penn State in the Big Ten, Arkansas in the SEC, Iowa St. in the Big XII.) Since the Big XII started playing title games back in 1996, Colorado has participated in 4 of them. Also, Colorado would bring a national championship to the PAC-10 with their title in 1990 (shared with Georgia Tech.) Colorado would be able to match the other PAC-10 schools in terms of tradition and name recognition, which would be a big seller.

A drawback for Colorado to join the PAC-10 would be the fact that the Buffaloes will undoubtedly have to pay some sort of fine to the Big XII. The move to the PAC-10 would have to be overwhelmingly positive for Colorado to even consider throwing away money like that.

As a side note, this would allow Colorado, Washington and UCLA to compete for the Neuheisel cup every year. Good stuff.

3.Utah- Utah is a respected state university that would fit the mold of a PAC-10 institution. Also, bringing in Utah would allow the PAC-10 to capture the Salt Lake City market. Since the Mountain West conference came into existence in 1999, the Utes have won 3 conference titles. Also, Utah defeated Pittsburgh after their perfect 2004 season to become the first non-BCS school to win a BCS bowl game.

Utah is always one of the more respected non-BCS schools in the country. However, the Utes have lost some of their luster after the departure of head coach Urban Meyer to Florida.

4.Fresno St.- The Bulldogs already play in a PAC-10 market in Fresno, CA. The ability to keep the geographical boundaries that currently exist would be a big draw for the PAC-10 in regards to Fresno St. The Bulldogs have won three WAC titles under Pat Hill and have always taken the role of fearless underdog when playing against BCS competition.

One thing the Bulldogs lack is a defining win. Fresno St. has had their share of upsets but they have never really captured the college football world like Boise St. and Utah have. Also, lately Fresno St. has been labeled an underachiever and last time I checked the PAC-10 already has a UCLA.

5. BYU- The Cougars have gradually become one of the better non-BCS teams in college football recently. This year BYU is expected to make a run at a BCS bid. If that were to happen, it would greatly improve their stock in this discussion. BYU has won 4 Mountain West conference titles including back to back championships the past two seasons.

The Cougars definitely have the goods on the field, but BYU is not a research institution, which is almost a mandatory requirement for the PAC-10. BYU's religious affiliation may be too much to overcome for them to be seriously considered for the PAC-10.

6. UNLV- The Rebels are easily the least credentialed football team on this list. One thing that UNLV does have that the other schools don't is a very solid basketball program. The b-ball program would help UNLV in the expansion discussion.

Also, UNLV would give the PAC-10 the Las Vegas market. This could either be a good thing or a bad thing depending on how you want to look at it.

UNLV might have the smoothest transition of the 6 schools listed into the PAC-10 because the Rebels roster is loaded with USC transfers.

The pageantry that is college football- Top 10 CFB Intros

College football is built around tradition. The history of a certain program is often the deciding factor to get a recruit to commit to one program over another.

Every school has it's own certain tradition, especially as it pertains to the way the team enters the field. I have my personal favorite intros and you are about to be blessed by me sharing them with you.

Not included are newer pre-game intros like the ducking of automatic gunfire at USC games or dodging bodies of Michigan fans leaping from the top of the Big House.

Here are the best.

1.Clemson- Howard's Rock and The Hill. I feel that LSU should pay a little compensation to Clemson for everytime they use Death Valley to describe their home. Clemson's Death Valley is the original and it has a lot more tradition. I can't think of one school receiving so many commitments based on it's game day intro. Whenever a new recruit is interviewed he often say he came to Clemson to have the opportunity to touch Howard's Rock and run down The Hill.

2.Auburn- War Eagle. Every game before the players are introduced, an Auburn staff member comes out to midfield and releases an eagle. This eagle majestically soars over the crowd. It seems the bird is able to make a whole lap around the stadium without once flapping it's wings, making it all the more memorable. This sight is made even more special with the sound of thousands of crazed rednecks being worked up into a frenzy. It's SEC tradition at it's finest.

3.Nebraska- Tunnel Walk. Nebraska's tunnel walk is very simple. What makes it special is the fact that the Cornhuskers were the first school to utilize video on the jumbo tron to show the team making it's way to the field. This build up the anticipation and adds to the hysteria surround Memorial Stadium leading up to kick off, (at least it used to.)

4.Navy/Army- The March. Before every Navy or Army game the Midshipmen or Cadets march to their seats by making their way through the field. This gives the crowd a chance to show the respect that these young men and women deserve. This site is all the more special before the annual Army/Navy game as Cadets and Midshipmen cross the field at the same time.

5.Colorado- The Running of Ralphie. Colorado uses it's live mascot better than any other school in the nation. Before every game, Ralphie and his his team of 6 handlers race around the stadium. Sure sometimes the handlers get trampled and sometimes suffer life threatening injuries, but it is all worth it!

6.Ohio St.- Dotting the I. I don't like Ohio St. all that much so I'm a little biased when I say that I don't really see the big deal behind this. However, I am in the very small minority when it comes to this line of thinking. I might not understand it, but I can respect it. Dotting the I is a great tradition and is one of the many things that makes college football so great.

7.Florida- Heeeeeeeeerrrreee Come the Gators!. The Florida football intro blends a few aspects together that make it special. First, there is a video of Gators hunting pray in the Swamp. This is accompanied by the Jaws theme music. At the end of the video, the crowd hears a voice that say, "Welcome to the Swamp, where only Gators get out alive." This is met with wild cheers and the announcement of "Heeeeeeeeeerrrrrrreeee come the Gators!" The team then runs out onto the field through an F and over to their sideline. A-MA-ZING!

8.Florida St.- The Flaming Spear. No, this has nothing to do with Chief Osceola's sexual orientation. Before every game, the Chief rides onto the field on his trusty steed, Renegade, carrying a spear that is lit on fire. This fear is then thrust into the Seminole logo on mid-field. This symbolizes that you are on Seminole territory and you are trespassing. Unfortunately, these Seminoles are having trouble as of late protecting their territory.

9.Tennessee- Running Through the T. This intro would be a lot higher on the list if it wasn't accompanied by the worst combined sounds known to humanity. This of course, is the crap fest that Vols fans like to call Rocky Top. If, you're not sick of it at first, I promise you will be the 476th time you hear it midway through the second quarter.

10.Ole Miss- Looking at the Coeds.- I've always stated that Ole Miss has the best collection of hot females anywhere on this planet. What better time to take in these sights than at a hot-weather football game? If this had anything to do with the actual football game it might have been number 1 on the list.

S.O.S. = SEC is Officially the Shit.

I came across a recent ranking of the ten most difficult schedules this coming season. The rankings were determined by the opponent's winning percentage.

Here were the results:

1.Georgia
2.Florida
3.Arkansas
4.UCLA
5.Alabama
6.Auburn
7.Ohio St.
8.Kentucky
9.Colorado
10.Baylor

Is is any surprise that 6 of the top 10 teams with the toughest schedule reside in the SEC. I hate when people say the SEC gets off by playing weak out of conference teams at home. My response: So what? We deserve the break from the rigorous in-conference schedule.

If SEC teams were in the Big Eleven, where we would have the luxury of playing Northwestern, Minnesota, Michigan St. or Iowa on any given week, then we would go out and find tougher out of conference teams to schedule. Instead we're stuck with the likes of LSU, Georgia, Florida, Auburn, Tennessee or Alabama on any given week.

The SEC is the toughest conference by far. I couldn't care less if they just played their 8 conference games and said to hell with the rest of the schedule.