You know what makes me furious? Virginia Tech. I like Frank Beamer; he’s a good coach, a good guy and fields a solid team year in and year out. But come on. James Madison? The worst part is, this gives football purists – those who refuse to accept the mid-majors’ potential legitimacy – enough ammo to keep firing away for at least another year, even though we’ve all seen letdowns like this before, and it’s hardly indicative of Virginia Tech’s real talent.
Really, though, I’m not furious. Just a little irritated at how this plays out. This is why a playoff system would be nice. Mid-majors wouldn’t have to rely on loophole scheduling for them to possibly contend for a national championship, while everybody else would have the ability to actually prove there’s still a talent gap between BCS and mid-major. Who am I kidding, though, that goes against profit flow. Never gonna happen. With that despairing thought, here are my predictions for the week:
Week 2 predictions:
Tennessee vs. #10 Florida – Sorry if you’re not a Tennessee fan reading this, but that’s the bias you get stuck with here. The Vols will always be my first and most extensive read on these predictions. Given that, I think it’s about the only victory Tennessee will get this week.
I was not pleased on so many different levels in the Oregon game last week. I knew we weren’t even close to as good as the Ducks, and I knew the score would probably reflect that. I didn’t know, however, that we would play like the better team for a half and then quit. This is not my perspective as a fan; this is the reaction of media and coaches alike.
If you need examples, just look at LaMichael James’ 72-yard TD run and the Ducks’ pick-six – No, I haven’t looked up who picked it off, because the thought of the play still nauseates me. Only Simms made a full-hearted effort to bring the interceptor down on the pick, and only three people made contact with James, even though he reversed direction in the freaking backfield, and none of those three even got close to a form tackle.
How does this tie in to the Florida game, one that’s an actual rivalry and bound to be more intense? Expect about the same. The Vols have made it clear they can play with anyone for a half. But give the other team a little momentum, and add in the fatigue factor – we all knew UT had no depth; it was just one of those things you kept praying we could avoid in the second half – and Florida looks to have the same reaction as in its first two games: Start off slow and look like a team in serious trouble, before blowing up in the second half for a few TDs.
Final score: 28-17 Florida
#1 Alabama vs. Duke – I won’t call the upset here, but I have to say, I’ve enjoyed keeping track of Duke this far into the season. Granted, their opponents were Wake Forest and Presbyterian, the Blue Devils have been explosive on offense. That being said, there’s no way they overcome an Alabama defense that looks just as good as, if not better than, last season’s D.
Final score: 31-6 Alabama
#2 Ohio State vs. Ohio – OK, fine, I’ll get off my “Ohio State sucks, so why do you keep putting them up there?” bandwagon for the time being. What they did to the ‘Canes, whom I believe are a very good team with a chance to win the ACC, was impressive. This is a top-5 team, and that’s the first time in probably three years I’ve conceded that, so don’t expect to hear it again. Don’t expect the Bobcats, who will struggle to get out of the middle level of the MAC, to put up much of a fight.
Final score: 38-7 Ohio State
#3 Boise State at Wyoming – The fact that this is a road game would matter if it weren’t in-conference for the Broncos. As much as I love me some Boise, I can’t argue the fact that there’s no challenge in the WAC. If you play college fantasy, and you have WAC players available in your league, line up the Broncos, because this is going to be fun.
Final score: 45-13 Boise State
#4 TCU vs. Baylor – It’s funny how TCU can start the season ranked in the top 10, put up a solid performance against a notable Pac-10 team (Oregon State), yet receive absolutely no attention for the fact that the Horned Frogs are ranked fourth right now. The defense won’t be as good as it has been in recent years, but it’s a still a solid, Gary Patterson-led defense that’s going to crush most offenses it faces this year, and it’s Big 12 tune-up this year is against a Baylor squad that’s still at least a couple years away from making any serious moves in the Big 12 – if the league is still around then.
Final score: 38-17 TCU
#5 Oregon vs. Portland State – So turns out, Oregon’s offense is legit. Ugh.
Final score: 63-3 Oregon
#6 Texas vs. Texas Tech – I think Tommy Tuberville has a shot at making Tech a perennial contender in this conference, but I don’t see drastic changes coming in one year, even if he inherited a team easily talented enough to reach a bowl game. I watched Garrett Gilbert just about pull off the upset in the national championship game last season, even though it was the first time he’d gotten anything more than garbage-time snaps. I like Texas for this whole season; I like it a lot.
Final score: 42-28 Texas
#7 Oklahoma vs. Air Force – This is where it gets fun, ladies and gents. Oklahoma proved last week that it’s either a very good team or that Florida is a very overrated team. I think it’s a combination of both, but you can’t argue 47 points against a solid FBS program. However, you can’t argue Air Force putting up 35 on BYU either. This is still a run-centric team, going up against the progenitors of the Wishbone offense, but I like Air Force’s chances. I don’t see an upset happening in Norman, but you can be sure this is going to be a great game.
Final score: 41-31 Oklahoma
#8 Nebraska at Washington – The Cornhuskers are an enigma for me. Western Kentucky shredded their defense two weeks ago for almost 300 yards – though having possibly the nation’s best rusher probably helps – then stifled a high-powered Idaho passing attack, which had a -9 point differential at half time. And then there’s the question of the team’s offense: Is Taylor Martinez really the answer? For the time being, I think yes, he is, and I think both sides of the ball will be enough to stop a team whose only real playmaker is Jake Locker.
Final score: 28-14 Nebraska
#9 Iowa at #24 Arizona – Every year Arizona starts off with hype, and every year it either just manages to meet that hype or slightly fails to reach it. Given that most of the Wildcats playmakers are returning, I really don’t see any difference in this, especially against a stifling Iowa defense. Don’t look for the Hawkeyes to run up 40 on a pretty good Wildcat defense, but Ricki Stanzi is a solid game winner, and Adam Robinson has looked impressive in his first two starts. If nothing else, the runners’ duel between Robinson and Arizona’s Nic Grigsby should be amazing to watch.
Final score: 23-17 Iowa
#11 Wisconsin vs. Arizona State – Remember all the hype surrounding Dennis Erickson’s Sun Devils a few years back? Yeah, that’s dead now. The Sun Devils are the only team, as far as I’m aware, to actually play two FCS-division opponents – only one of those games count towards the team’s bowl eligibility, so I’m lost on this one – and that’s about as much hype as they get this year. As far as my not-so-extensive knowledge of ASU goes, the team has no players or units of note. Look for this to be just another tune-up game for John Clay and the Badgers.
Final score: 35-14 Wisconsin
#12 Arkansas vs. Georgia – Can someone please explain what exactly Arkansas has done to merit a No. 12 ranking? Yes, the Razorbacks have Ryan Mallett, yes they have the best passing attack in the SEC, but this is a defensive-minded conference and the team did little last year and has played no teams of note so far this year. I believe the Hogs will be a good team; they might even be able to upset Alabama later in the year, but Georgia’s coming off a conference loss, it’s playing at home, and the defense looks fairly solid so far. Expect tears and dashed hopes in Fayetteville come Sunday night.
Final score: 28-24 Georgia
#13 South Carolina vs. Furman – If Marcus Lattimore still hasn’t grabbed your attention, this is just another chance for you to watch the best contact runner in college since Adrian Peterson. Steve Spurrier said he thought Lattimore broke around 40 tackles in the Georgia game, which is a lot. And I don’t doubt it either. I watched the Gamecocks’ victory-sealing drive against Georgia, and one two consecutive players, Lattimore should have been stopped for a loss but both times broke tackles to gain 10+ yards. Total, he broke about eight tackles on those two plays. Enjoy watching him run over Furman.
Final score: 56-14 South Carolina
#14 Utah vs. New Mexico – Remember Utah from two weeks ago? Beat Pitt in overtime and all that? Remember New Mexico from two weeks ago? Gave up 70 to Oregon and all that? Yeah, that’s about all you need here.
Final score: 49-10 Utah
#15 LSU vs. Mississippi State – If for nothing else, I love the SEC for games like this. The Bulldogs are a solid team who manage to play SEC foes very close, even if they usually do come out on the bottom. Unfortunately for them, LSU has a solid defense, even if it collapsed against UNC in the second half two weeks ago, and a solid run game. Mississippi State will stay in contention for most of the contest, but Dan Mullen’s first marquee victory won’t come at Tiger Stadium.
Final Score: 24-20 LSU
#16 Auburn vs. Clemson – I have my reservations about Auburn. The Tigers looked like one of the nation’s top offenses last year until defenses caught onto Gene Chizik’s game plan. I have even more reservations about Clemson, though, and for the first time in years, I think they’re ranked where they should be: out of the top 25. This should be a good test for Auburn’s defense before it hits the meat of the SEC, though.
Final score: 28-17 Auburn
#17 Miami – Bye. Smart move, especially given what happened to Virginia Tech.
#18 USC at Minnesota – I have three words for Minnesota fans: South Dakota. Sorry.
Final score: 42-14 USC
#19 Stanford vs. Wake Forest – I’d like to know why a solid Stanford team that absolutely pounded UCLA last week is ranked lower than a USC team that has looked icky at best in its two wins, but that’s not my place to say. UCLA may be a cellar-dweller in the Pac-10, but it’s still a solid program, and the goose egg on its side of the board last Saturday is scary. However, Wake lost a track meet with Duke last week, so it’ll be interesting to see which is the stronger force. I say Stanford’s defense.
Final score: 24-14 Stanford
#20 Michigan vs. UMass – Did you see Denard Robinson? I have no adjectives for this man! Yes, I’m aware it’s early in the season, and I’m sure teams will catch on, but 500 yards is a really big number to ignore, especially for the poor Minutemen.
Final score: 63-14 Michigan
#21 West Virginia vs. Maryland – Well this is interesting. You have the one team (WVU) that’s already struggled against a mid-major this season, while the other team (Maryland) perennially struggles with mid-majors. This is another game where I think home-field advantage is the difference-maker. Maryland is a much better team than its record last year indicates, while I believe West Virginia is a worse team than its record indicates. The amount of skill-position talent on that team should lead to BCS contention annually, yet the team looked sloppy against Marshall.
Final score: 27-20 West Virginia
#22 Penn State vs. Kent State – Like Miami, smart move with the lax scheduling right after a big game. The Nittany Lions need this one after being pounded unceremoniously by the Crimson Tide last week. Completely unrelated, but if Penn is short for Pennsylvania, how come Kent isn’t short for Kentucky (Kent State is in Ohio)?
Final score: 41-13 Penn State
#23 Houston at UCLA – I would love to say this is a sure bet for Houston, but I can’t bring myself to accept a Case Keenum-led letdown for a third year running. That being said, if the Bruins couldn’t stop Andrew Luck, they sure can’t stop Keenum.
Final score: 45-35 Houston
#25 Oregon State vs. Louisville – I’ve never been a fan of dropping a team completely out of the rankings for losing a thriller against a top-10 team, so I’m glad the Beavers are back in this week, because they deserve to be here. The Rogers brothers -– if you haven’t seen them by now, I judge you. Seriously, youtube them –- are some of the most dynamic players in football, and they will score on anyone, especially Louisville. I have faith Charlie Strong can get the Cardinal turned around, but this test will simply be too much for them.
Final score: 30-17 Oregon State
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