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.

Week 6 Preview

Last week finally brought the major upsets that we've been waiting for. USC lost to Oregon St. to open the week. That was then followed up by Florida, Wisconsin, East Carolina and Clemson all losing to unranked teams.

This week, there are a few games that could offer more upsets. Here are a few dandies:


Oregon St. vs. Utah

The Beavers are riding high after their victory over USC last Thursday. They are looking to knock off their second straight top 25 team. The Utes most likely will not overlook OSU, since the Beavers are a "bigger" program. However, it will be interesting how Utah plans on defending scatterback Jacquizz Rodgers. If Utah does win, then that will just continue the tradition of the Mountain West handing the PAC-10's it's own ass.


Kansas vs. Iowa St.

For some strange, ungodly reason, I like this Cyclone football team. For some even stranger and ungodlier reason, I really don't like this Jayhawk team. Kansas should roll in this one, but I wouldn't be surprised if ISU stayed in it until the end. If I'm right, we all know anything can happen at the end of a Big XII game.


Kentucky vs. Alabama

The Tide are America's sweethearts right now. ESPN has withdrew USC's cock from it's mouth long enough to start a slobber job on Nick Saban's bunch. Will this fellatio pleasure go straight to the Alabama players' heads? Probably not. But Kentucky is a solid team, and they will be fired up to knock off the Elephants.


Texas Tech vs. Kansas St.

The Red Raiders have faced nothing but JV high school teams to date this season. While the Wildcats don't present that much of a stiffer challenge, it's still conference play. The game is in Manhattan, where Kansas St. always seems to play much better. It will be up to Tech's defense to stop the Wildcats enough to allow Graham Harrell and Co. to outscore them.


Auburn vs. Vanderbilt

Statistically speaking, if the Commodores win, this wouldn't be an Earth altering upset. However, if the 'Dores pull out a win against Auburn, the entire college football universe will be turned on it's head. This is the only upset that I've actually picked to happen, so I think it's more than possible for the Tigers to leave Nashville with a loss.


Connecticut vs. North Carolina

I know I am seriously hating on Connecticut, but they can't keep winning. They've already proved me wrong by starting off white hot. However, once again, I'll be picking against them this week. Even with a dinged up QB, I like the Tar Heels to knock the Huskies out of the top 25.


Ohio St. vs. Wisconsin

I really don't think it would be an upset if the Badgers defeated Ohio St. in Madison this week. However, everyone else in America just about is picking the Buckeyes to win this one. So by popular opinion, I guess it would be an upset. I picked the Badgers in this one.

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Possible Lane Kiffin CFB destinations

Tennessee - The Vols are finally fed up with Fulmer. Kiffin would bring a Bruce Pearl type energy to the football program.


Washington - Let's face it, Willingham is done in Seattle. Jim Mora Jr. is no longer available, so Kiffin would be a good choice.


Syracuse - There's SC connections here. Also, the Orange have grabbed from the NFL before.


East Carolina - Somebody's gotta replace Skip Holtz after he takes the Clemson job.


Florida St. - The 'Nole re-nig on their offer to Jimbo Fisher after another god-awful offensive season.

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1-AA teams that would be competitive in 1-A RIGHT NOW.

Appalachian St.
James Madison
McNeese St.
Richmond
Wofford
The Citadel
Delaware

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What the hell's going on with:

Tim Tebow

Tebow has not performed like last year. Blame it on less plays, more of a running attack, or defensive schemes against him. Tebow has not been Tebow-like. He badly overthrew receivers last week, including a wide open Louis Murphy on the final drive. Also, when was the last time you saw Tebow denied on a fourth and short? Never.

What has gotten into:

Colt McCoy

Unlike Tebow, Colt McCoy is playing very Tebow-like. He is getting it done through the air and on the ground. McCoy has his Longhorns looking very good. If they continue to play like this, they should head into Dallas undefeated for their epic clash against the Sooners.

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5 Games to Watch

1. Auburn @ Vanderbilt
2. Ohio St. @ Wisconsin
3. Oregon @ USC
4. Rice @ Tulsa
5. Florida St. @ Miami(FL)

5 Stories to Follow

1. How will Ole Miss, Oregon St., Michigan & Maryland respond after huge wins?
2. Will Tim Tebow live up to his promise of being bad-ass?
3. Will Mark May be able to juggle both USC and Alabama's cock?
4. Will USC lose to Oregon AND remain in the top 10?
5. Will Randy Shannon drown in a pool of his own tears because he refuses to stop crying?
   

"Dream" non-conference match-ups for the the SEC

So I saw something similar to this being done on ESPN for the Big XII. I thought since it worked for that ass fest of a conference it surely will work for the all powerful SEC.

Here is a dream non-conference match-up for each and every SEC team. I even included Vanderbilt, and they're never included. Some of these match-ups are just so awesome that just their mere presence on your TV screen would cause instantaneous retardation.

That's why some of them will never happen......









Florida vs. USC


I've already discussed how exciting of a game I think this will be. Both teams are VERY fast, and both have excellent offenses. I have to admit that USC's defense is in a whole other class when compared to Florida. The Gators secondary scares me against this passing game, but I think the Florida front 7 would be able to handle the Trojans' rushing attack. I think it would be poetic justice if Emmanuel Moody went for a buck and a few touchdowns against his former team. I would probably lose my mind if Tebow went up against Brian Cushing in the open-field. Who else would you think I'd pick in this one? Of course I'm going with the Gators.









Georgia vs. Oklahoma


Both of these teams are popular picks to make the title game this season. Both teams also have Heisman Trophy candidates in Knowshon Moreno of Georgia and Sam Bradford of Oklahoma. Another story I find interesting between these two teams is that Oklahoma is led by former Florida assistant Bob Stoops, while Georgia is led by former Florida St. assistant Mark Richt. It's kind of like a dumbed down version of Florida vs. Florida St. This year this game could almost be considered a toss up. Both teams have a lot of talent on offense, and both have extremely tough defenses. I would give the ultimate edge to the Bulldogs. Especially if this were a bowl game.









LSU vs. Texas


These two top-tier teams continuously battle for high school talent in Louisiana and Texas. This game would enable the two to move this off season battle to the field. Both teams have also won recent BCS championships. Mack Brown and Les Miles are two of the more recognizable coaches in the nation, and both will have their teams ready to play in the one. Almost any other year, I would have favored the Tigers in this one. However, LSU is still searching for a quarterback to distribute the ball to it's talented play-makers. Texas on the other hand, has Colt McCoy back, and he will have the benefit of an experienced line in front of him. I give the Longhorns the nod in this one.








Alabama vs. Notre Dame


This game could be hyped as the delusional bowl. Every year the fan bases for these two teams proclaim how they will once again repeat for a national title and bring their program back to glory. Every year, these same delusional fans are knocked back down to reality after their team struggles through another season. These two programs have both spent time at the top of college football. Recent recruiting classes suggests they might be able to get there once again. However, that year is not this year. Alabama will be more competitive than last year, but I still think the Irish are a year away from making it back to a bowl game. I give this one to the Tide. Tuscaloosa will fall under martial law as their ravenous fans litter the streets because there is absolutely nothing else to do but celebrate a meaningless win.







Tennessee vs. Michigan


This would be an interesting match-up between two proud programs that have fallen on tough times recently. Tennessee is sticking with Phil Fulmer despite growing unrest around the program. Michigan is still suffering embarrassment from last season's loss to Appalachian St. The Wolverines will most likely struggle this season. Their defense is not very good, and they lost nearly their entire offensive production to the NFL. Tennessee has a better defense than Michigan, but they too face a difficult challenge of finding new play-makers on offense. I give the edge to the Vols in this one. Arian Foster should find no difficulty in finding holes in the Wolverine defense. Tennessee's defense will also be tough to move the ball against for Michigan.








Auburn vs. Purdue


I picked these two schools for one particular reason. Both of these schools are better football teams than their more well admired in-state institutions. Auburn has been better than Alabama for a while now. Purdue is undoubtedly better than Notre Dame at this current moment. Yet, both Alabama and Notre Dame still get most of the pub. This game would be pretty exciting to watch. The Boilermakers have a ton of firepower on offense with QB Curtis Painter and RB Kory Sheets. Auburn will be installing the spread under Tony Franklin this season. Overall, I would give this match up to the Tigers. Their defense would eventually be able to stop Purdue's offense and take the victory.

South Carolina vs. Florida St.


It would be awesome to see Steve Spurrier and Bobby Bowden on the same field once again. With Bowden's career winding down, this year would probably be their last opportunity to do so. Of course, being a Gator fan, Spurrier is one of my favorite coaches. Even though I hate Florida St., I actually like Bobby Bowden too. I've said it before, CFB needs Bobby to stay around the game. One last chance to see some visor tosses and hear some daggumits would be a special treat for any college football fan. I actually might have to give the edge to the Noles in this game. It all would depend on which Gamecock team would show up.








Arkansas vs. Louisville


This is a dream match-up for obvious reasons. Bobby Petrino gets a shot at the team he left in the dust. Of course, no matter what happens in this game, there will be one unchanged truth: Bobby Petrino is a straight up douche nozzle. Petrino's bunch will struggle on offense because this team is not currently designed to run his offense. Steve Kragthorpe, on the other hand, will have the Cardinals fired up and ready. I would expect Louisville to win the Petrino bowl.

Kentucky vs. Kansas

Of course both of these schools are better known for their highly respected basketball programs. Both teams have also recently become a lot more competitive on the football field as well. Kansas is returning a ton of offensive firepower, while Kentucky lost a lot of it's weapons. I would expect this game to be very high scoring, even resembling some of their basketball contests. In the end, I would give the advantage to the Jayhawks.

Ole Miss vs. UCLA

I look at Ole Miss and UCLA as pretty much being the same team. Both squads have tons of talent, yet neither team ever produces like they should. Also, both teams are in the first season of a controversial coaching hire. The Rebels welcome in Arkansas outcast Houston Nutt, while the Bruins tagged NCAA bad boy Rick Neuheisel to lead the way for them. Like I said, both teams are loaded with talent, it's just a matter of which coach can get the most out of his team. I give the edge to Houston Nutt and the Rebels. Also, how good would the talent be in the stands at this game. The co-eds at Ole Miss and UCLA are both top-notch. That alone makes this a dream match-up.

Mississippi St. vs. Pittsburgh

This game may not seem like such a good match-p. Neither team is a national powerhouse that attracts a ton of attention. However, this game would feature two of my favorite running backs in Anthony Dixon of Mississippi St. and Pittsburgh's Le Sean McCoy. I would love to see these two go at it, as well as see how each defense stops them. Last year's bowl game between the Bulldogs and UCF was seen by many as being boring. I actually thought the game was extremely intense and fun to watch. I expect this one to be in that same mold. The Panthers might just have too much offensive firepower for Miss. St. to overcome.

Vanderbilt vs. Tulane

This could have easily been a conference match-up. These two schools almost became charter members for the Magnolia Conference. This was supposed to be the Ivy League of the South. Both teams eventually backed out at the last minute. Tulane has seen limited success in the C-USA. However, Vanderbilt has consistently gotten pissed on by the big boys of the SEC. The Dores are the only SEC team that hasn't grown ultra competitive within the conference. I think Vandy would be able to get the win over Tulane. Partly because Bob Toledo has no business coaching college football

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.

QB's feeling the heat

No other position on a football team receives the accolades that the QB position does. Conversely, if things don't work out, it is often blamed on the QB. Playing QB is a very high risk/reward job.

There are a few quarterbacks out there this season that are feeling the heat from coaches, fans and fellow students. These QB's could be feeling the pressure for several reasons; they're coming off a sub-par season, they're replacing a legend or they are trying to live up to expectations they themselves have built up.

I have made a list of the top 20 QB's that are feeling all kinds of pressure heading into the 2008 season.

These are in no particular order.

• Jonathan Crompton- Tennessee- Crompton will be replacing Erik Ainge at the QB position. Volunteer fans have grown weary of the underachieving football team. If Crompton doesn't get off to a fast start, this could be a bad season for Tennessee.
• Mark Sanchez- USC- Sanchez will be replacing John David Booty at SC. It seems that the QB position has consistently gotten worse over the past few years for the Trojans. If Sanchez wants to break that trend, he will need to erase the memory of his last start, the upset loss to Stanford at home.
• Todd Reesing- Kansas- Reesing and the Jayhawks have built the expectations in Lawrence very high. In fact, it may be too high for the diminutive QB. Reesing is out to prove to everyone that last season was not a fluke.
• Jimmy Clausen- Notre Dame- The best way to describe last season for Clausen: horrible. As bad as Clausen's season was, it's hard to feel sorry for a guy that showed up to Spring practice in a limo. Clausen needs to prove that he is over last season's ass-pounding to silence the critics.
• Drew Waetherford- Florida St.- Can you remember a worse QB to start all 4 years for a BCS school? I sure can't. Weatherford is on par to become the 'Noles' all time leading passer by seasons end. Still, Weatherford's career can only be viewed as mediocre.
• Willie Tuitama- Arizona- At times, Tuitama has looked like a bonafide superstar. At other times, he has looked like a 3rd string JV QB. It will be up to Tuitama to get the Cats into a bowl game for the first time in the Mike Stoops era.
• Tom Brandstater- Fresno St.- Expectations surrounding the Bulldog program are high. Personally, I don't see what all the hype is about. Brandstater is a solid starting QB, but he will have to play out of his mind for the Bulldogs to live up to the preseason predictions.
• Adam Weber- Minnesota- Weber had a decent freshmen season for an awful Minnesota team. He will have to step up his game and improve in the win column to fight off incoming freshmen phenom MarQueis Gray.
• Matthew Stafford- Georgia- The Bulldogs are seemingly a consensus pick to go all the way this season. It all starts and ends with Stafford at the QB position. We all know Georgia's run game will be exceptional and their defense will be solid. It will be UGA's passing game that will have to become more consistent for the Dawg's to make it to a title game.
• Jarrett Lee-LSU- The Tigers seemed to have all the cards in place to make another run at the NC. That is until QB Ryan Perrilloux was dismissed from the team. Jarrett Lee is now expected to step in and lead the title defense for the Bayou Bengals.
• Hunter Cantwell- Louisville- Cantwell will be replacing Brian Brohm for the Cardinals this season. It will be Cantwell's job to lead Louisville to a bounce back year after a disappointing 2007 campaign.
• Colt McCoy- Texas- McCoy faced some pretty high expectations last season, and the consensus thought is that he failed to meet them. The pressure will be on McCoy once again to lead Texas to the Big XII title.
• Casey Dick-Arkansas- Much maligned Casey Dick finally has a pass happy coach in Bobby Petrino. If Dick can't do dick with Petrino tutoring him than there's no hope for him.
• Sean Canfield-Oregon St.- All the pieces are in play for Oregon St. to have a surprising year under Mike Riley. All the pieces except consistent play from the QB. That means it all comes down to how well Sean Canfield can perform.
• Tim Tebow- Florida- Tebow will have the biggest target of any other player in America on his back this season. That's what winning a Heisman can do for you. Also, the Gators are expected to contend for the national title once again.
• Max Hall- BYU- A lot of people are picking BYU to be this year's non-BCS Cinderella. That's a lot of pressure to put on a team coming into the season. Jared Zabransky of Boise St. and Colt Brennan of Hawaii were able to live up to the hype. Will Hall be able to?
• Chase Holbrook-New Mexico St.- Holbrook has put up record-breaking numbers under Hal Mumme at New Mexico St. Unfortunately, these numbers have not transferred to wins. The Aggies are in trouble of being demoted to 1-AA if they fail to generate more attendance. That means NMSU will HAVE to win more games.
• T.J. Yates- North Carolina- Butch Davis has the Tar Heels ready to make a bowl game appearance. All he needs is consistent play from the QB. With Mike Paulus waiting in the wings, Yates will have to really step his game up.
• Giovanni Vizza- North Texas- Vizza will have to fend off highly touted freshman and coach's son Riley Dodge to remain the Mean Green's starting QB. I know no one cares since it's North Texas, but this could be a very interesting QB battle.
• Martevious Young- Southern Miss- Last year, Southern Miss played musical chairs with their QB's. New head coach Larry Fedora would like to find a permanent solution at the position. Young right now is the favorite to win the spot, but he will have to cut down on the bad plays to remain the starter.

Countdown: 88 Days!

88 Days

Dexton Fields and the Kansas Jayhawks will be out to prove that last season was no fluke. With Todd Reesing back to get Fields the ball, the Jayhawks should be explosive once again. This year, however, Kansas faces the big boys of the Big XII.

Pack it in now boys.

I already let you in on who I though were going to be the most improved teams from every conference. Now, I'll turn a little more negative and let you in on the teams that should just skip this season altogether and get ready for 2009.

Once again it will be conference by conference

ACC

Boston College-This should be a familiar sight to Eagle fans once the season is over.

Big XII

Kansas- Count me in as one of the people who thinks Kansas was a total fluke last season. Just like the fact that Mangino came up empty on this mining expedition.

Big East

Connecticut- See, even the pennants know which was Connecticut's season will be heading.

Big Ten

Michigan- All the fans need now are brown paper bags.

C-USA

Houston- The Cougars should still be in the mix in C-USA play, but they will miss Art Briles a lot.

MAC

Miami (OH)- The Redhawks will be dropped on their head a lot this season.

Mountain West

New Mexico- The Lobos will be dressing their cheerleaders this season in an effort to bolster the skill positions. We'll have to wait and see for the results.

PAC-10

Oregon- The product on the field might just be as ugly as these uniforms.

SEC

Arkansas- Their head coach is a douche. All you need to know.

Sun Belt

Troy- I was googling pictures for Troy football when I cam across this. It has nothing to do with the Trojans, but Troy Aikman Football is one of the greatest games ever!

WAC

Hawaii- The Rainbow Warriors will sorely miss Colt Brennan, June Jones and Davone Bress this season.