College Football: Week 5

Rough week four for me. Temple showed promise but blew it. Arkansas had a blowout in their hands but didn't show up for the fourth quarter. Notre Dame didn't even really have a chance. I ended 17-5 (0-3) Brandon went 20-2 (0-1). For the year that puts me at 75-14 (3-6) with Brandon at 80-9 (2-3). Picking upsets incorrectly is starting to kill me. My helmet sticker from week four goes to Cam Newton of Auburn. He was 13-21 for 158 yards and 2 touchdowns. He also ran the ball 25 times for 176 yards and had 3 more touchdowns as he led his Auburn Tigers over the Gamecocks of South Carolina 35-27. Brandon's helmet sticker goes to Terrelle Pryor. His Buckeyes scored 73 points and he led the way going 20-26, with 224 yards and 4 touchdowns. He also ran it just 7 times for 104 yards and a touchdown averaging 14.9 yards per carry.

Week five has several top-25 matchups and a few byes as well. (Visit the following link for the latest on Brandon's blog. See his picks, break downs and opinions throughout the CFB season and of course throughout the world of sports. http://thebiznizfiles.blogspot.com/)

Thursday September 30th 2010

#24 Oklahoma State Cowboys 3-0 vs. Texas A&M Aggies 3-0

The Thursday night showdown is very intriguing. Both teams undefeated and coming off of pretty weak schedules. Each playing thier first true test of the year. This is the Aggies first road game of the year and the Cowboys haven't left Stillwater. Jerrod Johnson struggled against FIU as did the whole team. A late touchdown sealed the 27-20 win for TAMU over the Panthers. Both of these teams look very even to me. Brandon Weeden has a favorite target for the Cowboys in Justin Blackmon. He has seven more receptions than the number two guy. Kendall Hunter has 472 yards on the ground for OSU. Jerrod Johnson has a couple differenet recievers he likes to throw too but he's struggled with interceptions throwing four already this season all in the FIU game. Christine Michael leads the way for the Aggies running game. This one was pretty tough to pick and I initally wanted the upset but with the Aggies struggling with turnovers I think OSU will come away with the win in a pretty close matchup. OSU 32 TAMU 24. Brandon: OSU 36 TAMU 23.

Saturday October 2nd 2010



Nick Saban coached his Tide to a
fourth quarter come back against
Heisman hopeful Ryan Mallett and
the Arkansas Razorbacks

 #1 Alabama Crimston Tide 4-0 (1-0) vs. #7 Florida Gators 4-0 (2-0)

Alabama had the great come back in the fourth quarter at Arkansas. Down 20-3 they score 21 unanswered to pull the 24-20 comeback. That is the epitomy of a National Champion. Never giving up and coming from behind to make sure the W is in the bag. Fantastic performance by Mark Ingram as well. I tip my head to Saban's crew. Florida ran all over the Kentucky Wildcats and we have an SEC battle of the unbeatens. Florida's offense looked great last week. Brantley's numbers were solid and the running game was spread out. They didnt' need a breakout performance from Jeff Demps finally. He didn't even score against UK. That's good for this Gators team. Demps is their guy but they are finding their identity when everyone is stepping up. Trey Burton had all five rushing touchdowns for Florida. Oh yeah and he only ran the ball five times. He also was 1-1 through the air and caught five passes from Jeff Brantley with 37 yards and had the only receiving touchdown. Those are ridiculous numbers. Oh yeah and he's listed as a quarterback on ESPN.com. I do not see that happening this weekend as the Gators host the Champs. In fact, I don't see them winning either. With all due respect to Urban Meyer and the rest of the Gators, they don't have enough weapons to pull the upset here. Bama's defense is much better than UK's. Bama 27 FLA 16. Brandon: Bama 28 FLA 20.

#2 Ohio State Buckeyes 4-0 @ Illinois Fightin Illini 2-1

Illinois plays their third consecutive home game against Terelle Pryor and the Buckeyes. They worked Southern Illinois but nearly fell to Northern Illinois. Both teams open Big Ten play but this game will be much like what Ohio State's has been like thus far ... cake (Miami (FL) exempt). OSU 46 Illinois 16. Brandon: OSU 42 Illini 21

#3 Boise State Broncos 3-0 @ New Mexico State Aggies 0-3

Boise State will likely make their final trip to Las Cruces as they begin conference play for the last time in the WAC. NMSU can only hope for a drastic distraction for the Broncos. Otherwise, this one won't be close. BSU 58 NMSU 10. Brandon: Boise State 56 NMSU 10.

GAME OF THE WEEK


Andrew Luck celebrates after he led the Cardinal to upset
#8 Oregon in November last year. He will look to make it
two years in a row.

 #4 Oregon Ducks 4-0 (1-0) vs. #13 Stanford Cardinal 4-0 (1-0)

The Ducks defense got torn apart by ASU quarterback Steven Threet last week. He threw for 387 yards and 3 TD's but his 4 INT's ended up being the difference. In fact ASU led in the passing, running and receiving stats as the Ducks squeaked by with an 11 point win and saw their first competitive game of the season. They had better get ready for Andrew Luck and the rest of the Stanford Cardinal. Luck proved me wrong last week. I picked Notre Dame to upset Stanford and it wasn't even close. LaMichael James still leads the way for Oregon's rushing attack and I do see him having success on the ground in this game. The difference will be Andrew Luck. Looking at film of last weeks game could serve well for Andrew as Threet nearly had his way with the Oregon defense. The difference between the two, Luck doesn't throw interceptions very often. Stanford has five receivers with over 100 yards and Doug Baldwin is the leader with 12 catches for 222 yards. Shoot out alert for both defenses and upset alert for the 4th ranked Ducks. Stanford takes this one. Stanford 38 Oregon 34. Brandon: Oregon 42 Stanford 28

#5 TCU Horned Frogs 4-0 @ Colorado State Rams 1-3

CSU nearly started 0-4 but barely squeaked past the Vandals of Idaho 36-34. Freshman quarterback Pete Thomas does have some upside and the future may be bright for him. Perhaps the next Bradley Van Pelt. Hosting the fifith ranked school in the country will not be an easy task. We have blowout material here as both schools open MWC play. TCU 48 CSU 12. TCU 40 CSU 9.

#8 Oklahoma Sooners 4-0 vs. #16 Texas Longhorns 3-1 (1-0) *Neutral Field

The Red River Rivalry actually nearly made it as our GOW for week five. Texas' embarassment to UCLA last week was the deciding factor. Regardless, this should be a good matchup as it usually is. The Longhorns will be looking to bounce back from that blowout at home last week while OU is coming off of two close wins. Cincy gave them all they can bargain for and Air Force put up a fight. In the end I think it's the Sooners that walk away with the victory here. They're just a bit more experienced than Texas. I see another close low scoring contest here. OU 21 Texas 14. Brandon: OU 28 Tex. 17.



Johnathan Clay will continue piling
up the rushing yards as he try's to
lead Wisconsin over Michigan State.

 #9 Wisconsin Badgers 4-0 @ #21 Michigan State Spartans 4-0

Michigan State will be at home for the fifth straight week and they host the 9th ranked Badgers. Both offenses look even on paper. This game will be entertaining from start to finish. MSU will try to use the crowd to their advantage and I think they need to come out swinging (not literally ... no ejections please) to make a statement at home. Wisconsin is coming off of a 70 point performance against D-I AA Austin Peay. This one had all the makings of being the GOW and it will not disappoint. Could be decided in overtime as well. In the end, I'm going with the Badgers to take this close one. Jonathan Clay and Scott Tolzein seem to have a bit more experience and that can make all the difference in the world in a close conference game. Notre Dame is a team on the rise so they're not really a powerhouse yet, which means this game will be MSU's first test of the season. Wisconsin has proven themselves when they traveled to Arizona State and got the victory there against Steven Threet and company. Badgers hand Sparty their first loss. Wisconsin 17 MSU 13. Brandon: MSU 28 Wisconsin 23.

#10 LSU Tigers 4-0 (2-0) vs. Tennessee Volunteers 2-2 (0-1)

LSU's passing game was ridiculous last week and wasn't really a factor against West Virginia. Stevan Ridley is the reason they won that game. I'd like to say Tennessee's defense could stop them, but they can't. The Vol's have played three D-I A schools so far and beat one of them. They got blown out by Oregon and Florida and needed a couple of overtimes to beat C-USA foe UAB 32-29. The Blazers had 535 total offensive yards in Knoxville. Now they finally go on the road to LSU. Yeah I don't really see any reason to give Tennessee the upset. LSU 38 Ten. 17. Brandon: LSU 32 Ten 17.

#11 Auburn Tigers 4-0 (2-0) vs. Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks 1-2 (0-1)

ULM is the second Sun Belt team to visit Jordan-Hare Stadium this season. Arkansas State came out with 26 points. South Carolina only put up one more than that last week. However the Red Wolves score was doubled by the Tigers. This game could get ugly early. Cameron Newton could have a career day. UA 52 ULM 10. Brandon: Aub. 37 ULM 14.

#17 Miami (FL) Hurricanes 2-1 @ Clemson Tigers 2-1

Andre Ellington is filling in CJ Spiller's shoes. He will be a
part of the attack as the Tigers look to upset Miami (FL).



Clemson took Auburn to overtime two weeks ago and fell in OT. Miami is on their third straight road game. Miami just had their way with Pitt on the road and cruised to a 31-3 victory. As they begin the ACC schedule they will see much better competetion on the road. Clemson has a tandem threat at running back. They don't throw it very often but when they do Kyle Parker looks good. Twelve receivers have caught at least one ball and the load is shared very well across the board. Dwayne Allen has the most catches with eight. Clemson doesn't really turn the ball over very often while Miami QB Jacory Harris has just as many INT's as TD's with six a piece. The Canes also have a running back tandem so this could go down to which team has the ball for the last possession. Miami's turnover problems will be the difference in this one. The Tigers take the upset for week five. Clemson 28 The U 23. Brandon: Miami 35 Clemson 27.

#18 Iowa Hawkeyes 3-1 vs. #20 Penn State Nittany Lions 3-1

Penn State had a scare last week to Temple who scored 13 first quarter points. The Lions didn't gain the lead til late in the 3rd when they kicked their fifith field and took the lead 15-13. A 4th quarter touchdown sealed it as they kept the Owls scoreless for three quarters. Iowa shutout Ball State and are getting ready for the visiting Nittany Lions. This is a Big Ten opener for both squads who's offenses are performing pretty well. PSU is led by freshman QB Robert Bolden who looks pretty impressive. Ricky Stanzi and Adam Robinson will teach Bolden a lesson or two as their experience will end up making all the difference. No blowout, but a comfortable win for the Hawkeyes. Iowa 28 PSU 16. Brandon: Iowa 27 PSU 20.

#19 Michigan Wolverines 4-0 @ Indiana Hoosiers 3-0

Sometimes I forget that Indiana even has a football team. I know that's a little harsh but no one can offer the argument that they're 3-0. The conferences of their opponents are as follows CAA (D-I AA), Sun Belt, MAC. Welcome back to the Big Ten Hoosiers. Where you've done nothing for years. Here comes Denard Robinson to Memorial Stadium to light up the stat sheet and scoreboard (considering his bruised knee in last weeks game is good to go). Mich. 45 IU 13. Brandon: Mich 42 IU 20.

#25 Nevada Wolfpack 4-0 @ UNLV Rebels 1-3 (1-1)

62 two years ago was the last time the Wolfpack cracked the top 25. Welcome back to the history books and the 21st century UNR. Colin Kaepernick leads his Wolfpack to Sam Boyd Stadium as they take on in state rival the Rebels. UNLV hasn't played well against ranked teams so far this year. Oh yeah and they've already lost to a WAC team this year too. Idaho destroyed the Rebels 30-7. Beating New Mexico 45-10 can't really give you that much confidence either. Nevada will beat their third and last MWC opponent this season proving they do belong in the conference sooner rather than later. UNR 38 UNLV 17. Brandon: UNR 48 UNLV 21.



Jared Tew is the main
weapon for Air Force's
Triple Option.

 NON TOP-25 GAME

Air Force Falcons 3-1 (2-0) vs. Navy Midshipmen 2-1

The battle of the academies in 2010 begins. Air Force's only loss came in Norman when they lost by three to Oklahoma. Navy's lone loss was by the same defecit to Maryland in the season opener. Both teams headline top running games and will look to trump one another in that category. The Falcons however have the edge as they're flat out more talented and execute better than the Midshipmen. Air Force struggled a bit last week in Laramie but I do believe that was a fluke. They've looked solid all year and being at home will be a good boost for them with Navy coming to Colorado Springs. I don't see a blowout but I think AFA will use their home field advantage to their benefit. Navy will get on the board and it will be a close game. In the end Tim Jefferson will lead his Falcons to victory. AFA 28 Navy 17. Brandon: AFA 34 Navy 24.

College Football: Week 4

Last week Brandon beat me by one pick going 22-2 (1-1) while I finished 21-3 (1-0). That's twice now that North Carolina has let me down losing by the same score both times. And who thought Houston would lose their first and second string QB's? Tough break for the Cougars. After three weeks Brandon is 60-7 (2-2) with me at 58-9 (3-3). We have two helmet sticker winners. Brandon went with Ryan Mallett the QB at Arkansas. Ryan was 21-33 through the air with 380 yards and 3 TD's with one of those being the late game sealer over Georgia. My helmet sticker goes to Colin Kaepernick. Colin was 10-15 with 181 yards and 2 TD's through the air and ran the ball 17 times for 148 yards and 3 more touchdowns as his Nevada Wolfpack ran over the Cal Golden Bears 52-31. Now lets look ahead to week four.

Thursday September 23rd 2010

#19 Miami (FL) Hurricanes 1-1 @ Pittsburgh Panthers 1-1

The 'Canes are coming off of a bye. They got some extra time to prepare for Pitt after their 36-24 loss to Ohio State. Jacory Harris will be hungry for a win. Pitt also had a bye after their victory over New Hampshire. So far Dion Lewis has been pretty quiet and Tino Sunseri is still trying to get his feel for the offense. Harris threw four picks against the Buckeyes and his team still only lost by twelve points. Set those aside and his numbers were pretty decent. With all due respect to Dave Wannstedt and his Pitt Panthers (and the home field advantage) Miami will come away victorious. I'm not really sold on either team, but I think Miami just has a few more weapons than Pitt. Miami 20 Pitt 14.  Brandon: Miami 32 Pitt 21.

Friday September 24th 2010

#5 TCU Horned Frogs 3-0 @ SMU Mustangs 2-1 (2-0)

When TCU first joined the Mountain West Conference they plowed through with an undefeated conference record. They started the season with an upset over Oklahoma. The only loss on their record was SMU and they lost by more than a touchdown. Since then, this game hasn't really been close. June Jones is still trying to get SMU back to where they used to be years ago. They almost went home from Lubbock with a victory, beat UAB 28-7 and last week they sent Washington State home with a loss by two touchdowns. Holding tight against Tech was impressive but UAB has never really been good and WSU has been the worst Pac-10 team for years now. It's almost a disgrace having them in the Pac-10. TCU still has Andy Dalton at QB with his high powered offense. I do see some competition here but it will still be a comfortable win for Gary Patterson's Horned Frogs. TCU 41 SMU 27. Brandon: TCU 45 SMU 24.

Saturday September 25th 2010



Ryan Mallett showed much poise during crunch time as
he led Arkansas to victory over Georgia.



GAME OF THE WEEK

#1 Alabama Crimson Tide 3-0 @ #11 Arkansas Razorbacks 3-0 (1-0)

The Tide and Razorbacks square off in weeks four's GOW. Bama has blown out every opponent so far this season. One of those was a young Penn State. Mark Ingram is back and will try to capitalize from his huge game in Durham last week. But beware Tide. You're in Ryan Mallett's house. Mallett already has over 1000 yards passing and showed his Heisman hopeful abilities in the thrilling win over Georgia last Saturday. I'm highly looking forward to this game. The defending Champs want nothing more than to repeat and the Razorbacks are finally back in the top 15 since Darrenn McFadden left. Ohio State is the eight point favorite for this matchup. I'm calling this one the UPSET SPECIAL of the week. Very tight game in a solid SEC matchup. Sorry Saban. No undefeated season this time. I don't see many flaws, just the Razorbacks with one more chance of making a play than the Tide. The fans will go crazy in Razorback Stadium after this one. Arkansas 28 Bama 24. Brandon: Ark 27 Bama 24.

#2 Ohio State Buckeyes 3-0 vs Eastern Michigan Eagles 0-3 (0-2)

Ohio State plays their fourth straight home game of the season (they have eight total). This one will be another breezer as they face their second MAC opponent. Another big day for Pryor and company. OSU 56 EMU 0. Brandon: OSU 52 EMU 12.

#3 Boise State Broncos 2-0 vs Oregon State Beavers 1-1

The Broncos face their last non conference threat to making their run for the national title. There is another threat on the schedule but we'll look at that when it gets here. BSU welcomes the Beavers of Oregon State to the smurf turf. Boise took a bad hit to their strength of schedule when Viriginia Tech (who was #6 in the country when they beat them) lost at home to James Madison. They also nearly lost to ECU this last week. The Broncos need to make another statement against an AQ school so their argument can remain. The Broncos surprised no one as they pummeled Wyoming 51-6 on Saturday and they haven't lost at home since September 8th 2001 when they lost 41-20 to Washington State. Oregon State has never beaten the Broncos either. The Rodgers brother's will try to break both of those streaks. They're coming off of two competetive matchups against TCU and Louisville. They will put up a fight but Chris Peterson will not let his Broncos lose this game. I just don't see it happening. BSU 38 OSU 26. Brandon: BSU 30 OSU 24,

#4 Texas Longhorns 3-0 (1-0) vs UCLA Bruins 1-2 (0-1)

The Bruins ran all over Houston last week who was without star QB Case Keenum, and that was why they were able to do that. Still, UCLA hasn't proven anything yet this season. The Longhorns beat rival Texas Tech in week three and it didn't really go down to the wire either. With Texas rolling and UCLA definitely struggling this season I find it highly unlikely the Bruins will come out of Austin with a 2-2 record. Nor do I see this one being a close game. Texas 28 UCLA 10. Brandon: Texas 36 UCLA 24.



LaMichael James leads the way for the
2010 highest scoring offense.

#6 Oregon Ducks 3-0 @ Arizona State Sun Devils 2-1

ASU almost gave me another L last week as Wisconsin narrowly escaped with a 20-19 victory. This could be the first real test for the Ducks this season too. They struggled in the first half at Tennessee but rolled to a huge victory. The Devils will be ready for Oregon. Do not discount the upset potential here as Steven Threet will look lead with the passing game. Oregon's huge running game and top scoring offense could be the difference here. I don't see them matching their season average, but I wouldn't be surprised to see a shootout. It took me awhile to think this one through. I kept leaning back and forth. ASU did well against NAU and Portland State at stopping the run but John Clay had 162 yards last week. The running game is the Ducks forte. They will take the victory in Tempe. Oregon 38 ASU 27. Brandon: Oregon 42 ASU 27.

#7 Nebraska Cornhuskers 3-0 vs South Dakota State Jackrabbits 0-2 (0-1)

Nebraska only allowed Jake Locker to complete four passes last Saturday. He finished 4-20 with just 71 yards and they picked him off twice. The Huskers had three players with over 100 rushing yards on the road. With that performance and holding a potential number one overall NFL draft pick to go 4 of 20, I see the material of a National Champion. They are just cruising thus far this season. Oh yeah, they're playing SDSU this week. Almost forgot. NU 58 SDSU 6. Brandon: NU 48 SDSU 3.

#8 Florida Gators 3-0 (1-0) vs Kentucky Wildcats 3-0

UK is lead by senior running back Derrick Locke who is coming off of a big game against Akron. The Gators are rolling thus far in 2010 with Jeff Demps giving them the spark in each of their three games. The SEC really is unpredictable sometimes but I'm not sure the Wildcats have a chance in this one. UF has alot of momentum scoring at least 31 points in each game so far with the defense keeping each opponent under 20 points. I see the same pattern here as they host Kentucky. Jeff Brantley will have a decent game but the play maker will be Demps. Urban Meyer leads his team to victory yet again. UF 33 UK 17. Brandon: FLA 34 UK 17.

DeMarco Murray and Ryan Broyles
have been very dangerous for OU.

#9 Oklahoma Sooners 3-0 @ Cincinnati Bearcats 1-2

The Sooners defensive line has had some issues this season and the D as a whole is letting points be scored. They were almost upset by Air Force last week and Utah State two weeks ago. I'd like to start an argument that they may be facing their worst opponent of the season thus far. With no dis-respect to Fresno State, Cincinnati just doesn't look good so far. I do like Zach Collaros though. He's been getting the ball to his receivers but have lost both games on the road to the Bulldogs and the NC State Wolfpack. They come back home to host Landry Jones, Demarco Murray and Ryan Broyles. I believe the Bearcats will put some points on the board but their defense will have a long afternoon. OU 51 Cincy 28. Brandon: OU 41 Cincy 21.

#10 Wisconsin Badgers 3-0 vs Austin Peay Governors 2-1 (1-0)

Wisconsin saw a scare at Arizona Sate last week but pulled off the victory 20-19. I'm not really sold on the Badgers yet as they've struggled each week. They ended up beating UNLV 41-21 but struggled a bit against San Jose State. Their competition level droops down a bit as they host Austin Peay. The Badgers will start 4-0 but could have a long season in conference play. Wisc. 37 AP 16. Brandon: Wisc. 37 AP 14.

#12 LSU Tigers 3-0 (2-0) vs #22 West Virginia Mountaineers 3-0

West Vriginia remains the only team from the Big East in the top 25 and along with Rutgers are the only two left undefeated. They have a tough task as they travel to Baton Rouge. The offense is still rolling with Noel Devine leading the way on the ground. He's averaged 118 yards on the ground per game and Geno Smith is averaging 266 passing yards per game. This LSU defense has only allowed 10 points since their 30-24 defeat of North Carolina and both of those games were against SEC foes. This could turn into the battle of the two running backs as Stevan Ridley leads the way for the Tigers offense. Jordan Jefferson is only averaging 19 passes a game. I give Devine a touchdown or two but I don't see much else going well for the Mountaineers offensively. Look for a competitive game, but don't expect it to go down to the wire. The Tiger's D will keep their offense on the field for most of the game. LSU 34 WVU 21. Brandon: LSU 30 WVU 21.

#13 Utah Utes 3-0 (2-0) vs San Jose State Spartans 1-2

San Jose State finishes a Tough non conference schedule against the Utes. They see the third ranked opponent in four games. Utah has had two weeks of easy victories and it looks to be three in a row. Jordan Wynn has been out with a sprained thumb but Terrence Cain has looked just fine in games against UNLV and New Mexico. Utah doesn't really have one outstanding player, yet as a team they look fantastic. They have many different offensive weapons at every position. SJSU barely squeaked by Southern Utah at home last week. I don't see much of a spark for them as they visit Rice-Eccles Stadium. Utah 48 SJSU 10. Brandon: Utah 48 SJSU 12.

#14 Auburn Tigers 3-0 (1-0) vs #15 South Carolina Gamecocks 3-0 (1-0)

Finally we get to see just how good both of these schools are. The Gamecocks did upset then #22 Georgia, but I'm not sure just how good the Bulldogs are this year. I love this matchup between Auburn and Steve Spurrier's South Carolina squad. Alshon Jeffery is the star wideout for the Cocks. He has 306 of Stephen Garcia's 500 passing yards. If Auburn can keep him in check, all they'll have to worry about is the running game of Marcus Lattimore. I think the balance that Cameron Newton brings to the table on his home field will be the difference in this game. Auburn has too many weapons with their running game and the passing game compliments it very well. I like South Carolina to be a sleeper in the SEC this year, but I think they fall to Auburn in this one. UA 27 SC 19. Brandon: Aub. 27 SC 21.

#16 Arizona Wildcats 3-0 vs California Golden Bears 2-1

Arizona with the big win over Iowa last week welcomes the Bears to Arizona Stadium. Cal suffered the big loss to Nevada last week but won't get long to lick their wounds. Nick Foles and co. awaits them. Both teams are opening conference play for 2010. Cal scored 52 points in the first two games of the season but gave up that same amount to the Wolfpack last Friday. Nick Foles is no Colin Kaepernick, but the Wildcats have many offensive weapons. Shane Vereen is a great playmaker as he replaces Jahvid Best, but I don't see Cal having enough to pull the upset. Arizona 35 Cal 21. Brandon: AZ 34 Cal 27.



Dayne Crist will be hungry for a win
after the tough OT loss to MSU.

#17 Stanford Cardinal 3-0 (1-0) @ Notre Dame Fighting Irish 1-2

Stanford is off to a great start in the 2010 season and they finish non conference play traveling to South Bend. The Irish suffered the thrilling loss to Michigan State last week and that was their second close loss in a row. It's time to rebound. Stanford is doing a great job with their balanced offensive attack led by Andrew Luck. Both teams look pretty even to me but I'm gonna go with the Irish in a close game. Big day for both QB's. Dayne Crist coming away with the edge as they upset Stanford. ND 31 Stanford 27. Brandon: Stan. 35 ND 28.

#18 Iowa Hawkeyes 2-1 vs. Ball State Cardinals 1-2

Iowa comes back home after the loss to Arizona and to a team on a two game losing streak. Ball State lost to Liberty at home and Purdue on the road. Traveling to Kinnick Stadium will not be fun for them. Field day for the Hawkeyes. Iowa 44 Ball State 10. Brandon: Iowa 37 Ball St. 7.


Bernard Pierce will lead the way as Temple will try to take
advantage of the youthful Penn State.

#20 Penn State Nittany Lions 2-1 vs. Temple Owls 3-0 (1-0)

We still don't know how good Penn State is. They got demolished by the defending champs while beating Youngstown State and Kent State. The Lions are very young and vulnerable and the Owls are off to their best start in years. I understand that JoePa is on the sideline still but watch out PSU it's UPSET ALERT. If we look at these two on paper, they're virtually neck and neck. Temple is coming off a convincing victory over UCONN and has all the momentum coming into Beaver Stadium. PSU has everything to lose and they proved two weeks ago they don't belong with the elites anymore when Bama beat them 24-3. Nice win here for the Owls. Temple 28 PSU 24. Brandon: PSU 38 Temple 10.

#22 Michigan Wolverines 3-0 vs. Bowling Green Falcons 1-2

Michigan struggled a bit against UMASS last week but I think that's a fluke. They'll regroup and be ready for Bowling Green. The Falcons lost their first two road games and I don't see this one being much different. They will show some promise on a couple drives but Denard Robinson will have his way with the BG defense. Mich. 38 BG 14. Brandon: Mich. 42 BG 28.

#23 Michigan State Spartans 3-0 vs. Northern Colorado Bears 2-1 (1-1)

MSU had a scare with coach Mike Dantonio suffering a heart attack after the exciting win over Notre Dame. He's okay and should be good to go against Northern Colorado. The Spartans fake field goal to throw for a touchdown gave them the overtime win over Notre Dame. That has to be exciting for the players and they should be all ready to build off of that. No problems this week against the Bears. MSU 38 NCU 13. Brandon: MSU 40 NCU 7.

#24 Missouri Tigers 3-0 vs Miami (OH) Redhawks 2-1 (1-0)

The Tigers struggled to put away San Diego State last week while the Redhawks rolled all over another school from the Mountain West beating Colorado State 31-10. 22 of Zac Dysert's completions have been to Senior Armand Robinson. The Redhawks have a balanced rushing game too. All Missouri needs to do is keep Robinson in check and they should be fine. Blaine Gabbert has two primary targets in T.J. Moe and Michael Egnew. I would like to put upset alert on for this game so don't be surprised, but I'm not going with it just because I can't pick two MAC schools to upset two top AQ teams the same week. I wouldn't be able to live with myself. Mizzou should be too powerful for these Redhawks. Mizzou 31 Miami 23. Brandon: Mizzou 42 Miami 23.

NON TOP-25 GAME

Ryan Colburn will try to lead
his Bulldogs to 3-0.

Fresno State 2-0 (1-0) @ Mississippi Rebels 1-2 (0-1)

Jeremiah Masoli is having a real good season so far for the Rebels. Yet they find themselves 1-2 with losses to D-IAA Jacksonville State and SEC foe Vanderbilt. The Bulldogs first two wins have been very convincing as they begin their finale of the WAC. Fresno usually loses the close games on the road to AQ schools but I see them taking this one. Ole Miss has too many problems of their own. This will be a close game with Masoli fighting for a victory but Ryan Colburn will lead his Bulldogs to victory as they beat their second AQ school this season. Without Masoli the Rebels wouldn't be as dynamic and Fresno has too many weapons. FSU 23 Ole Miss 16. Brandon: Ole Miss 34 Fresno 14.

College Football: Week 3

Week two was full of surprises. Virginia Tech shocked the nation and angered Boise State fans as they lost to James Madison at home. Georgia Tech fell to Kansas and Florida State didn't even show up in Norman. That was a disappointment. Last week I was 16-5 (1-2) and Brandon was 18-3 (1-0). Overall the standings are Me at 37-6 (2-3) with Brandon at 38-5 (1-1). Last weeks helmet sticker goes to Denard Robinson of Michigan. Denard was 24-40 for 244 yards and a passing touchdown. On the ground he had 28 carries for 258 yards and 2 touchdowns in Michigan's exciting win at Notre Dame. Rich Rod may be safe with this kid as his QB. Time for week three's picks. Brandon was able to post on his blog finally, although he may continue to have internet/computer trouble. I'd like you all to check out his take on the recent drama with Reggie Bush forfeiting his Heisman Trophy (as well as his week three picks) at the following link. http://thebiznizfiles.blogspot.com/2010/09/bizniz-volume-4-issue-3.html

 Friday September 17th 2010

#24 California Golden Bears 2-0 @ Nevada Wolfpack 2-0

 



Colin Kaepernick will look to make a
statement at home against Cal.

D-I AA Eastern Washington and future MWC foe Colorado State are the first two teams to see Colin Kaepernick and the Nevada Wolfpack this season. With wins of 49-24 and 51-6 can we really judge how good Nevada is? We will this week in Reno as they host the Cal Golden Bears who has had pretty much the same schedule so far. They allowed ten total points combined as they hosted both UC Davis and Colorado scoring fifty two points of their own both times. This could be a season defining game for both teams. Both schools look pretty even to me on the offensive side of the ball. It's Cal's inexperienced Defense that I see being the downfall in this game. Kaepernick is too powerful and will be on his home turf. The Wolfpack take home the upset of the week honors. Nevada 27 Cal 17. Brandon: Cal 45 Nev 24.

Saturday September 18th 2010

#1 Alabama Crimson Tide 2-0 @ Duke Blue Devils 1-1 (0-1)

Duke just put up a fight on the road against the Demon Deacons of Wake Forest last week but only beat Elon by 13 at home the week before. Even though they're at home this week I have a hard time seeing them doing much on the field against the Tide. Mark Ingram has been cleared to play this week. Tide fans will be stoked to see their Heisman winner from last year make his debut. I'm trying really hard to find something good to say about Duke football. With all the conference realignment that's been going on we keep hearing that football is the money maker. I seriously doubt that is the case in Durham. Sorry Dukies, Coach K's name isn't on the football turf. No surprise here. Bama 48 Duke 16. Brandon: Bama 38 Duke 16.

#2 Ohio State Buckeyes 2-0 vs. Ohio Bobcats 1-1 (0-1)

The Buckeyes haven't lost at home to another school from the state of Ohio since 1921 when they fell to Oberlin 7-6. 'Nuff said. OSU 55 Ohio 10. Brandon: OSU 48 Ohio 17.

#3 Boise State Broncos 1-0 @ Wyoming Cowboys 1-1

Boise is coming off of a bye where they watched Virginia Tech (whom they beat in a thriller the week before) lose at home to James Madison. The fans are irate as that will put a major hit on the Broncos strength of schedule in their run for the BCS this year. VT was supposed to contend for the title this year. Watch out Cowboys. The Broncos will be looking to pour it on in retaliation. Blowout alert. BSU 51 UW 7. Brandon: BSU 40 Wyo. 21.



The Longhorns lost a tough
one the last time they
visited Lubbock



#4 Texas Longhorns 2-0 @ Texas Tech Red Raiders 2-0

Who can forget the last time the Longhorns visited Lubbock? This one could be another thriller. Texas is reloading while the Raiders are still getting over the Mike Leach drama. SMU almost left Lubbock with a victory in week one. Both teams face their only true challenge thus far. Anything can happen in a rivalry right? Just ask the 2005 TCU Horned Frogs. I'm still not sold on Texas yet this year but no one can deny Mack Brown's resume. Taylor Potts will be tested with the Longhorns experienced secondary and that could be the difference. Tech's one dimensional offense will be their Achilles heel. If they can establish the run against UT's young front four they could pull away with a victory. No Michael Crabtree this time. Texas takes the nail biter. Texas 24 TTU 18. Brandon: Tex 38 Tech 23.

#5 TCU Horned Frogs 2-0 vs. Baylor Bears 2-0

Top of the MWC versus the bottom of the Big XII. TCU is desperately seeking for exposure in their own state to compete with the Texas Longhorns. Scheduling Baylor may have been good for that but I'm not sure it will get more attention than the Texas/Texas Tech game. Funny how those two games landed on the same day. The Bears have only allowed nine points combined this season and scored thirty four in both games against Sam Houston State and Buffalo. TCU could score more than nine in the first quarter alone. Baylor will be getting the same treatment they gave their first two opponents. Horned Frogs win big ... again. TCU 43 BU 10. Brandon: TCU 40 Baylor 16.

#6 Oregon Ducks 2-0 vs. Portland State Vikings 1-1

The Ducks have had a high octane offense all season. They got off to a slow start at Tennessee last week and went into the locker room tied at 13. They outscored the Volunteers 35-0 in the second half. Don't expect Oregon to follow in Virginia Tech's footsteps. Portland State lost badly on the road in Tempe earlier this month to another Pac-10 foe Arizona State. Well guess what Vikings, the Ducks are the defending Pac-10 Champs. Another big win in Autzen Stadium. Oregon 58 PSU 3. Brandon: Ore 65 Por St. 7.
 

Jeff Demps has been the
spark for Florida's success
so far this season.

 #7 Florida Gators 2-0 @ Tennessee Volunteers 1-1

Tennessee fans had something to cheer about in the first half against Oregon as they were tied 13-13 going into the locker room. The Vol's wouldn't score again and lost 43-13. Perhaps that was because of the rain and lightning delay. Sometimes taking a break from what's working can be negative. Especially in the game of football. Regardless, they got pummeled. People have been questioning Florida and they've come up with two convincing victories over Miami (OH) and South Florida. Both teams are pretty young and the game was close in Knoxville last year. Still, I see Jeff Demps with yet another big game on the ground. Tauren Poole has been impressive on the ground for Tennessee too and this could turn into a battle between the two. Urban Meyer will still lead his Gators to victory. He knows how to get things done and I believe his team as the edge in the QB battle and defensively. UF 27 Ten. 16. Brandon: FLA 42 Ten 17.

#8 Nebraska Cornhuskers 2-0 @ Washington Huskies 1-1

Washington got off to a slow start but rolled to a nice win against Syracuse last week. They got shutout in the second half of week one but gave 'Cuse the same outcome with a 41-20 victory. Locker looked more like himself with 289 and 4 TD's against the Orange. Chris Polk running the ball has been offering some nice security for Locker. However, things could get ugly as the Huskers come to town. NU hasn't really had any tough opponents so far but I don't see them slowing up. The offense will do what they can to keep up but it will be a long day for the Huskies defense. NU 38 UW 26. Brandon: UW 21 NU 20.

#9 Oklahoma Sooners 2-0 vs Air Force Falcons 2-0

Oklahoma scared a lot of folks two weeks ago when they almost lost to Utah State. The Sooners shut them all up last week. I disrespected how they play on their home turf. I had them losing to Florida State and they won by 30. Air Force had a great win last week too as they ran all over BYU. The Falcons are trying to compete for a top three spot in the Mountain West but I'm not sure they walk out of Norman victorious. Landry Jones, DeMarco Murray and Ryan Broyles have all been ridiculous this year. Jones is three yards shy of 600 for the year. Broyles has nearly a third of those yards while Murray is just under 260 on the ground. Air Force's Triple Option featuring Jared Tew and Asher Clark could find success on two or three drives but that won't be nearly enough. OU takes another big victory. OU 41 AFA 24. Brandon: OU 40 AFA 21.


In 2009 the Hawkeyes and Wildcats
squared off at Kinnick Stadium with
Iowa being victorious.



GAME OF THE WEEK

#10 Iowa Hawkeyes 2-0 @ #18 Arizona Wildcats 2-0

Arizona will be looking to avenge the loss to the Hawkeyes in September of last year. The two schools square off in our game of the week. The Wildcats defense has allowed 6 points in two games this season. I don't think Ricky Stanzi cares about those numbers as he comes to Tucson. Nick Foles has looked spectacular for the U of A thus far. He has a primary target in junior Juron Criner while Nic Grigsby and Greg Nwoko are sharing the load on the ground. But this inexperience defense will be challenged as they face the Hawkeyes. Adam Robinson will test the youthful Wildcat linebackers and could open up the passing game for Iowa. I see a close one and I would really like to see AZ get the victory, but this Iowa defense is too good. They have eight returning starters from 2009 on a unit that ranked 10th overall in total yards allowed and 4th in passing yards. Again, Arizona will test the defense and could find them guessing once or twice, but Iowa will be too much in the end. Iowa 27 Arizona 24. Brandon: Ariz 32 Iowa 24.

#11 Wisconsin Badgers 2-0 vs. Arizona State Sun Devils 2-0

ASU began the season with two D-I AA schools at home. I'm not sure if they know what they're getting themselves into traveling to Madison. The Badgers haven't exactly played powerhouse schools either but their offensive attack will have a field day. Even if John Clay gets stuffed by the Devils veterans up front, The passing game shouldn't have any problems either. As much as I like Steven Threet, a decent air game won't be enough. Wisconsin 37 Arizona State17. Brandon: Wis. 38 ASU 14.


LSU will look to build from their
thrilling OT victory over UNC.

 #12 LSU Tigers 2-0 (1-0) vs Mississippi State Bulldogs 1-1 (0-1)

MSU let me down last week as I picked them to upset Auburn at home. They see another SEC opponent coming to Starkville. This LSU offense is led by Stevan Ridley and Jordan Jefferson with Brandon taylor and Patrick Peterson leading the way in the secondary for the defense. The defense carried the Tigers last season as the offense ranked 112th in overall yardage. Pretty bad. And they were still 9-4. Sorry Bulldogs, I can't go with you this time. This D is too powerful. LSU 24 MSU 13. Brandon: LSU 31 MSU 20

#13 Arkansas Razorbacks 2-0 @ Georgia Bulldogs 1-1 (0-1)

The Bulldogs welcome Ryan Mallett to Athens who hasn't really had any troubles yet this season. In two games Mallett has 701 passing yards. He's definitely lived up to the hype he's been getting. This week he faces an inexperienced secondary on the road. Georgia is coming off of loss to South Carolina where they failed to find the endzone. Freshman Aaron Murray has been very efficient throwing the ball for the Bulldogs. Being at home may give them a spark or two but I still see Mallett having a big game through the air leading the Razorbacks to victory. Ark. 28 UGA 17. Brandon: Ark. 23 UGA 14.

#14 Utah Utes 2-0 (1-0) @ New Mexico Lobos 0-2

After the Lobos 72-0 loss to Oregon earlier this year some were saying they're the worst team in college football. New Mexico has been outscored 124-17 so far this season. The last time the Utes came to town the Lobos nearly gave Utah their only loss. They couldn't pull it off and lost 13-10. The Utes later found themselves in the Sugar Bowl destroying Alabama. I don't see that happening again this year (UNM nearly beating them that is) as New Mexico has too many problems to be upsetting a top 15 school. Utah cruises to 3-0 regardless if Jordan Wynn is able to play. Terrence Cain is more than capable. Utah 44 UNM 17. Brandon: Utah 45 UNM 10.



Cam Newton has been impressive so
far on the ground and through the air.



#15 Auburn Tigers 2-0 (1-0) vs. Clemson Tigers 2-0

I praised Cam Newton last week but predicted his team to lose a close one against Mississippi State. They proved me wrong and won 17-14. Clemson faces their first real challenge of the season as they travel to Jordan-Hare Stadium. CJ Spiller is gone and Sophomore quarterback Kyle Parker is the only returning skilled position offensive player but so far this season it's been the Andre Ellington and Jamie Harper show in the backfield. The Tigers could find themselves in another close fight. I'm not disrespecting Auburn again. Newton will lead his team to victory in another nail biter. UA 28 Clemson 26. Brandon: Aub. 36 Clem. 24.

#16 South Carolina Gamecocks 2-0 (1-0) vs. Furman Paladins 1-0

South Carolina had the solid win against Georgia last week and Steve Spurrier is starting to make his statement as their head coach. Watch out SEC, the Cocks are alive. I was surprised by JMU last week and NDSU the week before so I'm not going to say anything about this being pretty much a week off for SC. But I am predicting Marcus Latimore having a huge game on the ground as he leads his team to a blowout. So.Car. 45 Furman 7. Brandon: So.Car. 41 Fur. 10.

#19 Stanford Cardinal 2-0 (1-0) vs. Wake Forest Demon Deacons 2-0 (1-0)

Stanford didn't travel very far as they shutout UCLA 35-0. Their attack is led by future first round draft pick Andrew Luck. Wake Forest had a hard time closing out Duke in Winston Salem last week. Their rushing game was well balanced and Chris Givens nearly had all the receiving yards. Andrew Luck will be too much for WF's young D. Stanford 38 WF 13. Brandon: Stan 38 Wake 14

#20 Penn State Nittany Lions 1-1 vs Kent State Golden Flashes 1-1

PSU is coming off of their embarrassing loss to Alabama. They failed to reach the endzone at all. It's time to rebuild their confidence against MAC foe Kent State. Nothing really stood out positively for PSU besides freshman Robert Bolden's two picks. Time to regroup. The Golden Flashes kept up with Boston College last week but still lost 26-13. Sam Kirkland and Jacquise Terry headline the offense at receiver. The Nittany Lions may be a little inexperienced but I see them looking good in Happy Valley. After that loss last week they need to show some resilience before Big Ten play starts. PSU 30 KSU 13. Brandon PSU 41 KSU 10.

#21 West Virginia Mountaineers 2-0 vs. Maryland Terrapins 2-0

West Virginia had an exciting overtime win last Friday over Marshall. Although I picked them, it would have been cool to see The Herd pull it off on the 40th anniversary of the devastating plane crash. Maryland squeaked by Navy two weeks ago and ran all over Morgan State last week with their talented running game. Geno Smith had a great game through the air in Huntington while Noel Devine had great rushing numbers as well. I'd like to see Maryland pull this one off but the Mountaineers defense is too experienced for a one dimensional offense. WVU 33 UMD 17. Brandon: WVU 36 UMD 24.

#22 Michigan Wolverines 2-0 vs. Massachusetts Minutemen 2-0 (1-0)

Denard Robinson had over 500 yards of offense in South Bend last week. I'm not saying he'll repeat that performance but do look for another big day from Rich Rod's crew as the Minutemen come to town. Mich. 47 UMASS 6. Brandon: Mich. 56 UMASS 13.


Case Keenum will try to lead his team
to victory against UCLA on the road.


#23 Houston Cougars 2-0 (1-0) @ UCLA Bruins 0-2 (0-1)

Houston continues to light up the score board. It's a good thing because the defense has allowed 28 and 24 points to Texas State and UTEP so far. They're leaving the state of Texas for the first time this year as they visit the Rose Bowl. Case Keenum has been impressive thus far and I believe he'll continue that. UCLA has two experienced safety's in Tony Dye and Rahim Moore but they won't be enough for the high octane offense of the Cougars. UCLA started last season 3-0. They will start 2010 0-3. UH 44 UCLA 23. Brandon: Hou 36 UCLA 21.

#25 Missouri Tigers 2-0 vs. San Diego State Aztecs 2-0

Mizzou is still in reload mode after the Chase Daniel and Jeremy Maclin era but off to a nice start in 2010. Blaine Gabbert already has over 500 passing yards in two games this season. Brady Hoke is still trying to make the Aztecs relevant in the top heavy Mountain West but can't quite find his next Nate Davis. Ryan Lindley is still the man taking the snaps in Qualcomm and SDSU is off to a 2-0 start. A challenge lies ahead as they face a much more competitive opponent than Nicholls State and New Mexico State. Travelling to Columbia will be a good test for them. The Tigers aren't exactly a Big XII powerhouse but the gap between mid Big XII and mid MWC isn't close. Sorry Mr. Hoke. Mizzou 28 SDSU 10. Brandon: Mizzou 42 SDSU 17.



TJ Yates is looking to rebound after
the tough loss to LSU in week one.

Non Top-25 Game

Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets 1-1 @ North Carolina Tar Heels 1-0

GT got upset by they Jayhawks of Kansas last week. That doesn't look too good for them because KU lost to North Dakota State the previous week. The Tar Heels are coming off a bye week where they had time to get past their last minute loss to LSU. Senior Tight End Zack Pianalto dropped two late touchdown passes from TJ Yates that could have been the game winner both times. I'm still bitter about that too. Georgia Tech had a solid running game last week where six players had over 30 yards on the ground. Josh Nesbitt however only completed 5 of 15 passes. Yeah that's not gonna fly against this veteran UNC defense. I'm not calling blowout alert here, but the Heels will still win by more than a touchdown. UNC 28 GT 17. Brandon: GT 26 UNC 20.

College Football: Week 2

I was 21-1 (1-1) last week and Brandon was 20-2 (0-1) with upset picks in parenthesis. Darn those shorthanded UNC Tar Heels. If their tight end would learn how to catch a pass I'd be undefeated. Brandon is still having internet trouble so he won't have any breakdowns this week either and it looks that way for the foreseeable future. Time for week two. Lots of good matchups and upset alerts.

Thursday September 9th 2010

Tyler Russell had a
huge game in his
debut against
Memphis.

#20 Auburn Tigers 1-0 @ Mississippi State Bulldogs 1-0

The Tigers got off to a good start putting points on the board against Arkansas State. Cameron Newton had a huge game passing for three touchdowns and rushing for two more. He nearly had the same amount of yardage both ways throwing for 186 and rushing for 171. Auburn had a total of 608 yards offensively. MSU destroyed Memphis at home 49-7 in week one. The Bulldogs used two quarterbacks, junior Chris Relf and freshman Tyler Russell who had a huge night through the air with 256 yards and 4 TD's. With two of his receivers getting 212 of those yards, Brandon Heavens with 112 and Chad Bumpis with 100. Auburn has won four straight in Starkville. The 2008 game ended 3-2. I see a tight matchup here. However there will be more than five points scored this time. In fact there could very well be more than a hundred points scored at Davis Wade Stadium. UPSET ALERT. Auburn gave up alot of yards and points to a so/so Sun Belt team last week. Although I'm a big fan of Cam Newton I'm not sure the Tigers defense can have enough time to prepare for MSU's balanced attack regardless what any body says about the two QB system. They had five players with at least six rushing attempts and each had at least 20 yards. Vick Ballard led with 60 yards on 7 carries and 2 touchdowns. This game could swing and if it ends up being Auburn's offense on the field for the last series, Newton has what it takes to get the victory. Having said that I like the Bulldogs at home. Two Thursday night upsets in a row. MSU 48 Auburn 40. Brandon: Aub. 28 MSU 17.

Friday September 10th 2010

#22 West Virginia Mountaineers 1-0 @ Marshall Thundering Herd 0-1

The Mountaineers look to build off of their 31-0 pounding of FCS opponent Coastal Carolina as they prepare for in state rival Marshall who got destroyed by Ohio State last week. Doc Holliday faces his former boss. They are at home this week but I don't see an upset here. Not even a close one. I know anything can happen in rivalry games but the Herd have no answer for Noel Devine. Their offense didn't even score against the buckeyes. They may find the endzone once or twice but it won't be close. WVU 31 Marshall 14. Brandon: WVU 30 Marsh. 16.

Saturday September 11th 2010

#1 Alabama Crimson Tide 1-0 vs. #14 Penn State Nittany Lions 1-0

This is probably the toughest matchup of the week. Bama's top three defense returns one starter and only allowed three points against San Jose State last week. They're likely still without Mark Ingram but the running game fared well with Eddie Lacy gaining 111 yards while Trent Richardson and Demetrius Goode getting 66 a piece. Penn State got off to a slow start against Youngstown State but still won by 30 with Robert Bolden winning the starting QB role. This game should be a good one but I'm giving the champs the home field advantage here. It won't be a comfortable win necessarily but it won't go down to a two minute offense. Bama 24 PSU 14. Brandon: Bama 27 PSU 20.

Terrelle Pryor will try to
continue his Heisman run
against the Hurricanes.

GAME OF THE WEEK:
#2 Ohio State Buckeyes 1-0 vs. #12 Miami (FL) Hurricanes 1-0

The quarterback battle is the most intriguing of the week. Terelle Pryor was huge against Marshall and Jacory Harris was nearly perfect going 12-15, 210 yards and a touchdown through the air leading the 'Canes to a 45-0 shutout against Florida A&M. This is another solid matchup of the week and with all due respect to Harris and Miami, they aren't going to pull this one off on the road. Pryor is too powerful and the U is still on the up rise. Buckeyes take this one. OSU 26 Miami 17. Brandon: OSU 28 Miami 20.

#4 Texas Longhorns 1-0 vs. Wyoming Cowboys 1-0

Football really is just a game sometimes. The Cowboys are seeing that as they've lost a member of their team to a tragic accident. Several freshman on the football team were traveling back from visiting friends in Fort Collins, CO while the driver fell asleep at the wheel and freshman linebacker Ruben Narcisse life was taken in the accident. The other's were admitted to a hospital, one needing surgery but survived. It may be hard to cope for Wyoming as they travel to Austin to play the Longhorns this week. None of the players participated in UW's 28-20 victory over Southern Utah on Saturday. I'm sure Mack Brown's Longhorns will welcome them with open arms as they visit. As far as football goes, Texas clobbered the Cowboys when they visited Laramie in September last season. This Texas team is much different from last year. They do have a McCoy at QB still but he's not the starter. Garrett Gilbert had an alright game against Rice. Threw for 172 yards completing 14 of 23 passes. The running game was spread out between Tre' Newton and Cody Johnson. Newton had 61 yards and 3 touchdowns while Johnson had 59 yards. For a team still trying to reload after the Colt McCoy era, this is a good game for them to get the feel. Austyn Carta-Samuels can be dangerous for the Cowboys. He had a huge game against Southern Utah going 26-32 with 319 yards and 3 touchdowns but they only won 28-20. I don't see them having enough to pull the upset here. Texas 43 Wyoming 20. Brandon: Texas 45 Wyoming 18.

#5 TCU Horned Frogs 1-0 vs. Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles 0-1

The Golden Eagles jumped to a 3-0 lead after the first quarter against Arkansas last week and that's about all the good that happened for them. They lost 44-3 and I don't see why the TCU game should be any different. Andy Dalton made his statement  against Oregon State passing for 175 yards and a TD while running for 2 TD's. Yes RUNNING. Dalton doesn't do that. Oh yeah Ed Wesley still had 134 rushing yards and a TD himself. Look out TTU. The Horned Frogs are better than the Razorbacks. TCU 58 TTU 0. Brandon: TCU 48 TTU 6.

#6 Florida Gators 1-0 vs. South Florida Bulls 1-0

Both the Gators and Bulls got off to rough starts but ended up winning big. USF used two quarterbacks against Stony Brook and both had solid performances. Running game was decent too. Florida's D kept Miami (OH) out of the endzone and had a pick six in the second quarter. It's the offense that I question. It was 21-12 in the fourth quarter and if it weren't for a bad throw that led to a pick the Redhawks could have knocked on the door. After the pick Jeff Demps erupted for 72 yard touchdown run. The PAT failed. This game took me the longest to pick. I like BJ Daniels and have always been fond of the Bulls. But UF's defense will win this game. As far as offensively, Jeff Demps will bail out Jeff Brantley and the rest of the crew again. Although if USF pulls it off, I wouldn't be surprised. Florida 21 USF 17. Brandon: Florida 40 USF 20.

#7 Nebraska Cornhuskers 1-0 vs. Idaho Vandals 1-0

The Vandals had a solid season last year going 8-5 with a bowl victory against Bowling Green. They upset two MWC opponents and finished 4-4 in WAC play. Did anyone know there was a city named Moscow in the United States? I'm sure that's a first for many. But this week they're playing in Lincoln. I'm sure that's enough said. Blowout alert people. The Huskers are the favorites to win the Big XII in this their finale season. I'm one of those who pick them to do that. Big day for the entire Nebraska offense as they play game two of their four non conference games that should be cake. NU 52 Idaho 10. Brandon: NU 30 Idaho 3.

Kenjon Barner looks to build off
of his huge game in week one.

#8 Oregon Ducks 1-0 @ Tennessee Volunteers 1-0

Oregon looked like they were playing an FCS school last week. Although I bet Appalachian State and Montana would take offense to that. New Mexico got shutout 72-0. The Ducks played two QB's as well but Darron Thomas made the highlight reel over Nate Costa. The man of the day was Kenjon Barner with his four rushing TD's. The Vol's have another Simms at quarterback and they shutout UT-Martin. But beware rockytop, the Pac-10 champs (minus Masoli) are in town. Nearly the entire Ducks team from last year returns. I believe I stated that last week. Yeah, the Ducks win this one but the question is, what uniform are they going to wear? Oregon 34 Tennessee 20. Brandon: Oregon 40 Tennessee 21.

#9 Iowa Hawkeyes 1-0 vs. Iowa State Cyclones 1-0

The Cyclones actually had a good year last year. And they were bad statistically. Their wins were North Dakota State, Kent State, Army, Baylor, Colorado, Minnesota with a surprising win over Nebraska. Minus the Huskers, that's not a very good resume. I can't even remember the last time they beat their rival the Hawkeyes. It wasn't even close last year and the game was played in Aimes. Iowa's D is too good to allow a loss to ISU. Don't be surprised to see a shutout. Boring matchup here. Unless you're an Iowa fan. Iowa 45 ISU 9. Brandon: Iowa 30 ISU 20.

#10 Oklahoma Sooners 1-0 vs. #18 Florida State Seminoles 1-0

The Sooners had a surprising game against Utah State. They almost lost at home. WHAT? With all due respect to the Aggies, that's just unacceptable. I'm surprised they're a top ten team after that. Diondre Borel threw for just under 350 yards against this "solid" OU defense. Well guess what Bob Stoops, Christian Ponder is coming to town. It was Borel's three picks and DeMarco Murray that won the game for OU. I don't think Ponder will be throwing three picks. FSU D wasn't great last year so that could be their downfall. Ponder got taken out early against Samford and his backup E.J. Manuel still had 129 yards. Ty Jones had a big game on the ground. Perhaps the game last week against USU was a fluke for OU. First game jitters maybe? Or Utah State is good? If not, the Sooners could find themselves on upset alert. I doubt Stoops will let the scare get mental with his players, but I do think his defense was exposed. I'm calling upset for the Seminoles. This one's going down to the wire. It's Ponder versus Murray. Both with significant games for their respective teams but the Seminoles coming away with the victory. FSU 27 OU 23. Brandon: OU 30 FSU 24.

#11 Wisconsin Badgers 1-0 vs. San Jose State Spartans 0-1

Not sure what to say about the Spartans. Lost by 45 to the defending champs last week. I don't see anything much different this week. The Badgers allowed three touchdowns against UNLV but still doubled their score. Their opponent isn't any better and their at home. Big win for Tolzein and the Badgers. Wisconsin 45 SJSU 8. Brandon: Wisc. 35 SJSU 7.

Tyrod Taylor will be hungry for
a victory after the loss to Boise State.

#13 Viriginia Tech Hokies 0-1 vs. James Madison Dukes 1-0

The Hokies lost a tough one in DC to the Broncos of Boise State. They got off to a slow and sloppy start, rebounded yet still fell short 33-30. It's okay Hokies. You can get over it. Boise is an elite no matter what anyone tells you. And you're still a top 15 team. Should be a long night for the Dukes. Tyrod Taylor and Ryan Williams will have a blast as they light up the stat sheet and score board. VT 55 JMU 6. Brandon: VT 36 JMU 6.

#15 Arkansas Razorbacks 1-0 vs. Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks 0-0 (Neutral Field)

ULM had the week off. That gave them some extra time to prepare for the Razorbacks. Yeah right. Ryan Mallett will pour it on in Little Rock. Does the neutral site even make that much of a difference? Arkansas 37 ULM 7. Brandon: Ark. 41 ULM 9.

#16 LSU Tigers 1-0 @ Vanderbilt Commodores 0-1

I'm still mad at LSU for pulling off the victory against the Tar Heels. I won't be doing anything crazy like predicting an upset for it though. The Commodores are horrible. Conference play starts so look for Les Miles to be focused. Jordan Jefferson will show his veteran abilities on the road. LSU 38 Vandy 16. Brandon: LSU 31 Vandy 10.

#17 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets 1-0 @ Kansas Jayhawks 0-1

SCSU scored more points against the Yellow Jackets last week than the entire outcome of the Kansas vs. North Dakota State game. That wasn't a bag on Tech either. They won the game by 31 points. Oh yeah and Josh Nesbitt threw the ball six times. SCSU's QB had better passing numbers. Why pass the ball when your quarterback runs for 130 yards and 3 touchdowns. GT had at least six players with 30 rushing yards. 6-3 Kansas? Really? NDSU? Really? Well don't look for the Jayhawks to be much more of a presence this week as they were last. Don't look for them to be a presence at all in the Big XII this season period. GT 48 KU 9. Brandon: GT 38 KU 14.

Steve Spurrier looks to
start off 2-0 in 2010.

#19 Georgia Bulldogs 1-0 @ #25 South Carolina Gamecocks 1-0

Both the Bulldogs and Gamecocks had big wins last week. The Cocks had spread out numbers across the offense besides Alshon Jeffery who found over 100 yards of receiving against the Southern Miss Golden Eagles. The running game looks to be pretty deep this season. The Bulldogs numbers against Louisiana-Lafayette were very similar to South Carolina's. Look for an exciting matchup here. I give the Cocks home field advantage as they pull the upset in a close game. Perhaps Spurrier wasn't a mistake in Columbia. S. Car. 24 UGA 21. Brandon: S. Car. 29 UGA 27.



#20 Utah Utes 1-0 vs UNLV Rebels 0-1

The Utes had an exciting overtime victory over the Pitt Panthers and put them out of the top 25. DeVonte Christopher had 155 of Jordan Wynn's 283 passing yards. Wynn sprained his thumb in the game however and is day-to-day for the Utes. If he's unable to go then backup senior Terrence Cain will call the signals. Cain started the first few games last season before Wynn was named the starter. Utah's defense kept Dion Lewis quiet and he honestly didn't look like a Heisman winner. Didn't have much of an impact. The last time UNLV beat the Utes was in 2007 in Vegas when they shut them out 27-0. Since then the last two meetings haven't been close and I'm not seeing this one being that way either. Omar Clayton threw 16 times but completed just 6 of those passes last week and was the leading rusher for the Rebels in week one against Wisconsin. He does have a talented receiving core and that could get them into the endzone once or twice. No upset here. Utah 38 UNLV 17. Brandon: Utah 32 UNLV 17.

Mike Stoops Wildcats
looked solid in week one.
Can they contend in the
Pac-10?

#23 Arizona Wildcats 1-0 vs. Citadel Bulldogs 1-0

Arizona looked great at Toledo. Their defense shutout the Rockets offense who normally throws for hundreds of yards. The only imperfection on the scoreboard being a safety that Arizona gave to them with a penalty in the endzone. The Wildcats won 41-2 scoring all 43 points on their own. Nick Foles was solid and nearly perfect through the air. 32-37 360 yards and 2 touchdowns. Don't look for anything different this week against The Citadel. Freshman Matt Thompson had a huge game against the Chowan Braves. Who??? Is that a high school? Thompson threw three touchdowns but only threw six passes total. This is the most unlikely upset of the week. AZ wins big. Arizona 51 Citadel 7.

#24 BYU Cougars 1-0 @ Air Force Falcons 1-0

The Falcons started their season with the annual whipping of an FCS school. They downed Northwestern State 65-21. Last year they shutout Nicholls State 72-0 at home to start the season off. Week two sees an unlikely opponent in Colorado Springs. Just two games ago Air Force lost to BYU 38-21 in Provo. Air Force hasn't beaten the Cougars in six years. They're hoping the early season matchup can be victorious. Troy Calhoun had good things to say in the Denver Post about BYU's freshman QB Jake Heaps saying he's a future first rounder and they will be preparing for him as they have in the past with Max Hall. Heaps and junior Riley Nelson each had 131 passing yards against UW last week with Nelson gaining 45 yards on the ground as well and they will both be switching every possession again. BYU's defense kept Jake Locker out of the endzone the entire second half and came up huge with late stops. Air Force rarely throws the ball and BYU usually has their number. I don't see a change in recent history with this one. Although, the nay sayers don't think the Cougars will win. As they shouldn't have last week either. BYU 34 Air Force 20. Brandon: BYU 28 Air Force 24.

Can Denard Robinson repeat his
performance from week one in
South Bend?

NON TOP 25 GAME:
Michigan Wolverines 1-0 @ Notre Dame Fighting Irish 1-0

The Wolverines had the surprisingly surprising victory over UCONN last week. (If you struggled with that, repeat the sentence slowly until you understand). They beat the Huskies by three touchdowns. Denard Robinson had the best offensive performance of the week with 186 yards through the air and 197 on the ground with a touchdown each. Those are disgusting numbers against a fellow AQ school. Notre Dame beat Purdue by 11 at home. Hosting the Wolverines may not be an easy task. Malcolm Floyd had a good game for the Irish in Brian Kelly's debut. He's reloading an offense that just lost Jimmy Clausen and Golden Tate. Malcom Floyd is still in South Bend though and he could be the next Tate. This matchup will go down to the wire and I give Rich Rod's Michigan crew the edge. Kelly is still rebuilding this team and lets face it, Purdue isn't any good. Tough home loss for the Irish. Michigan 28 ND 23. Brandon: Mich 24 ND 21.

College Football: Week 1

Now that the summer is over we can finally start worrying about the 2010 season rather than what's happening with the NCAA Football landscape changing. There was much movement across college football but that topic is on hold for now. It's time for my week one picks. (I'm using the ESPN/USA Today Top 25 poll all season so therefore, USC won't be included unless playing a ranked team). Before I start let me lay it all out for you. My buddy and fellow sports blogger Brandon and I will be going head to head with our picks. I'll post his picks in italics but for his full break down on each of them check out his blog at  http://thebiznizfiles.blogspot.com/. We have to have at least one upset per week and one non Top 25 game pick. Here we go.

Thursday September 2nd, 2010

#2 Ohio State Buckeyes 0-0 vs. Marshall Thundering Herd 0-0

The Thundering Herd is on the right track with the hiring of new head coach Doc Holliday. They finished last season 7-6 with a bowl victory against Ohio. They return fourteen total starters and are led by senior quarterback Brian Anderson. Look for them to be a sleeper in the C-USA, but they will be no match for the Hesiman candidate Terrelle Pryor and the Ohio State Buckeyes. He'll have a huge game both on the ground and through the air. Look for him to make a week one statement for his Heisman run. OSU 48 Marshall 20. Brandon: OSU 48 Marshall 10

#13 Miami (FL) Hurricanes 0-0 vs. Florida A&M Rattlers 0-0

Um yeah ... there's really not much to say about FAMU. Jacory Harris will begin his season with a huge game as the 'Canes have a breezy victory. Miami (FL) 55 FAMU 7. Brandon: Miami (FL) 40 FAMU 7.

#15 Pittsburgh Panthers 0-0 @ #24 Utah Utes 0-0

This is going to be a solid opener between the Utes and Panthers. Dion Lewis had 1,799 yards his freshman season and he'll look to explode out of the gates off of his sophomore season. Utah has a young defense with only three returning starters. Look for a huge day for Lewis. I say at least 150 yards and a couple TD's. However, Kyle Whittingham knows how to get things done. The Utes have a solid backfield of their own. Eddie Wide is on the Doak Walker award watch list. Jordan Wynn will look to build off of his huge game in the Poinsettia Bowl against Cal last season. I see Pitt's running game scoring and a well balanced attack for Utah getting to the endzone as well. Here's my upset of the week. Utah takes a close one. Utah 28 Pitt 27. Brandon: Pitt 28 Utah 20.

Saturday September 4th, 2010

#1 Alabama Crimson Tide 0-0 vs. San Jose State Spartans 0-0

Roll Tide Roll. Coming off of their National Title last season, Bama will show no signs of stopping. SJSU will be their practice game this season. Mark Ingram won't be on the field due to a knee injury but I still don't see that being a problem for this game. It's time for backup Trent Richardson to shine. It's uncertain how long Ingram will be out for but some are saying the entire first month. Most schools would be weighed down greatly on the loss of a returning hesiman winner and with all due respect to Ingram, there shouldn't be too great of worries. Richardson has what it takes to step up. I believe he'll still get some touches when Ingram returns. Much like Reggie Bush and Lendale White for USC in 2005. Nick Saban's Tide wins this one in a blowout. I'm giving the Spartans the benefit of the doubt by getting two field goals. Bama 48 SJSU 6. Brandon: Bama 51 SJSU 9.

#3 Florida Gators 0-0 vs. Miami (OH) Redhawks 0-0

Miami (OH) had the 23rd best passing game in the nation last year. Yet their total offense was 84th and had one win against Toledo. Nearly their entire offense returns and they may look to upset the so called "rebuilding" Florida Gators. John Brantley finally gets his chance to call the signals for Florida. Filling Tim Tebow's shoes is going to be real tough though and he'll have to find his go-to reciever. Jeff Demps may be his security valve as he finds himself. Demps had 745 yards on the ground last year. That's pretty impressive since Tebow ran the ball often. Look for Demps to have a break through season. Florida will have a rough start in this opener but Urban Meyer will continue his winning tradition. UF 34 Miami (OH) 16. Brandon: UF 38 Miami (OH) 14.

#4 Texas Longhorns 0-0 vs. Rice Owls 0-0

Like Florida, Texas is also replacing a quarterback star in Colt McCoy. He left a legacy at Texas and now it's Garrett Gilbert's turn. The Longhorns only have ten returning starters but Mack Brown's teams never seem to be in rebuilding mode but more of reload mode. The season opener against Rice seems to be a perfect game to get the pre-season and inexperience jitters out of the way. Rice was 2-10 last year and were terrible on both sides of the ball. I don't really see them doing anything different. It may take Texas a whole quarter to get the feel but watch out Owls. You will get blown out in Memorial Stadium. Texas 45 Rice 7. Brandon: Texas 31 Rice 7.

#7 TCU Horned Frogs 0-0 vs. #22 Oregon State Beavers 0-0 (Neutral Field)

Gary Patterson's Horned Frogs saw a disappointing end to a great season. Before the Fiesta Bowl many were saying they got snubbed out of the BCS Championship. They had the 7th best offense last year as far as gaining yards and the number one defense in the country. Andy Dalton seems like he's been in Fort Worth forever. He's finally a senior and so is his favorite target Jeremy Kerley. TCU looks to make another run in the BCS standings this season. That loss to Boise State will be their motivation. Oregon State had an embarassing loss to BYU in the Las Vegas Bowl last season. Jacquizz Rogers should make his own statement for the Heisman race in 2010. OSU didn't lose much but they did replace their signal caller. Ryan Katz is the man who'll be handing Rogers the ball as well as throwing to his brother James Rogers. At a neutral site this should be an interesting game. With all due respect to the Rogers brothers I don't see them being enough to beat that classic Patterson defense. TCU 34 OSU 23. Brandon: TCU 26 OSU 21

#8 Oklahoma Sooners 0-0 vs. Utah State Aggies 0-0

Landry Jones took over unexpectedly last season after the injury to Sam Bradford. For a redshirt freshman tossed into a tough situation he actually faired pretty well. Four of OU's five losses last year were by a combined 12 points including two one point losses. Jones had just under 3200 passing yards last season. Ryan Broyles will be his main target in 2010. Utah State lost their thousand yard rusher Robert Turbin but their starting QB Diondre Borel remains in an inexperienced offense who surprisingly did well last season. It's the defense where all the questions lie. They were terrible last season but second year head coach Gary Anderson is hoping to change that. I don't see that happening in this game. USU will have a long day in Norman. OU 53 USU 13. Brandon: OU 55 USU 10.

#9 Nebraska Cornhuskers 0-0 vs. Western Kentucky Hilltoppers 0-0

The Huskers were nearly the BIG XII Champs last year as they lost to Texas in a controversial one point loss in the conference title game. They seem to be back on the National Radar as they fell out of annual top 25 contention for a bit. Fifteen starters from their 10-4 season return. This game will be the start of another solid season. Perhaps this one will end with a conference title and a trip to a BCS game. The Hilltoppers were 0-12 in 2009 and not many of those games were close. Nebraska should have no problems in week one. Nebraska 59 WKU 10. Brandon: Nebraska 25 WKU 3.

#10 Iowa Hawkeyes 0-0 vs. Eastern Illinois Panthers 0-0

Ricky Stanzi returns for the Hawkeyes and shouldn't run into any problems in week one against EIU. Iowa's only stumbling block in the Big Ten last season was a three point overtime loss to Ohio State. The race in the conference could be just as tight again as the two schools both had BCS victories. Iowa will start out with what should be a boring blowout. I give the panthers one late game sympathy touchdown. Iowa 60 E. Ill. 10. Brandon: Iowa 28 EIU 12.

#11 Oregon Ducks vs. New Mexico Lobos

Oregon went through a lot of drama last season with the infamous punch from Legarrette Blount in the season opener against Boise State. They also lost their starting quarterback Jeremaiah Masoli who was kicked out of school for drug possession. Had he returned they'd have 10 starters on offense back. They still have a lot of talent back and look to reload after their Rose Bowl loss to Ohio State. The Lobos had trouble of their own last year but that took place among the coaching staff. All the problems resulted in a 1-11 season in the top heavy Mountain West Conference. They have a freshman quarterback leading the way for a young offense. The defense is also very young with only one senior. No chance at a victory in Autzen Stadium. Oregon 40 UNM 17. Brandon: Oregon 37 UNM 13

#12 Wisconsin Badgers 0-0 @ UNLV Rebels 0-0

The Rebels were nearly bowl eligible last season and had an early season upset with a 23-21 victory over Oregon State. In '08 they had a surprising victory against Arizona State in the season opener. UNLV apparently plays well with AQ conference foes at home early in the season. Omar Clayton will have another set of good wide outs to throw the ball too. They won't have a Pac-10 foe in sin city this time. Wisconsin was 10-3 last year and have ten returning starters on offense. Scott Tolzien looks to flirt with a 3,000 yard season. I don't see a hometown Vegas team getting the upset this time. Wisconsin 38 UNLV 23. Brandon: Wisconsin 34 UNLV 20.

#14 Penn State Nittany Lions 0-0 vs. Youngstown State Penguins 0-0

The Penguins will be a great opponent for Penn State to break in their new quarterback. Joe Paterno still hasn't named his starter but whoever it is will have a very experienced offensive line led by Stefen Wisniewski. They will likely play more than one QB early until one of them rises above. The competition is between Matt McGloin, Kevin Newsome, and Robert Bolden. The Nittany Lions look be in the top of another tight Big Ten conference and look to build of of their 11-2 2009 season. PSU 55 Youngstown 16. Brandon: PSU 45 Youngstown 9.

#16 LSU Tigers 0-0 vs. #18 North Carolina Tar Heels 0-0 (Neutral Field)

This game between the Tigers and Heels will be very intriguing. Neither teams offenses were great last year but both had solid defenses. UNC is a little more experienced and have nine returning starters on both sides of the ball. They have a defense who ranked 6th in total yards allowed while LSU's D was 26th in total yards. Jordan Jefferson will have his favorite target in senior wideout Terrance Tolliver and those two could open up the running game for the Tigers. I still give the Heels defense the edge in this one. They're just more experienced and flat out better than Les Miles' defense. UNC could be a sleeper in the ACC this season. Neither team has the home field edge as they will be playing in Atlanta. Should be a solid game but don't look for much scoring offensively. Defense could score some points though. Here's upset number two this week. UNC 16 LSU 10. Brandon: LSU 21 UNC 17.

#17 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets 0-0 vs. South Carolina State Bulldogs 0-0

SCSU had a great 10-2 2009 season. They saw a loss to D-I AA power house Appalachian State to end their season. Running back William Ford was one yard shy of 1500 on the ground last season. If there were to be a D-I AA school to upset a D-I A school in week one ... this would be it. Having said that, GT led by quarterback Josh Nesbitt will not let that happen. Especially at Bobby Dodd stadium. Look for Ford to have a decent game. Maybe a TD or two but the bulldogs will be no match for the Yellow Jackets. GT 38 SCSU 14. Brandon: GT 34 SCSU 7.

#19 Arkansas Razorbacks 0-0 vs. Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles 0-0

Tenn. Tech has two tough games against D-I A schools right in a row. The season starts against Heisman hopeful and potential top 10 draft pick Ryan Mallett and the Arkansas Razorbacks. The Razorbacks were so-so last season in the SEC going 8-5 with all five losses being within the conference. Nearly the entire offense returns as they look to score big again. They averaged 36.0 points a game last year. That will continue in week one against the Golden Eagles. Arkansas 45 Tenn. Tech 10. Brandon: Ark. 49 Tenn Tech 6.

#20 Florida State Seminoles 0-0 vs. Samford Bulldogs 0-0

The Jimbo Fisher era in Tallahassee begins with the Bulldogs coming to town. Christian Ponder is on the national watch list as FSU tries to make a statement in the national scene where the Seminoles haven't been in a few years. They upset West Virginia in the Gator Bowl last season and hope to fair better in the ACC as they were 4-4 in conference play in 2009. Ponder could lead them to that goal. Chris Evans leads the offensive attack for Samford and he'll look for another thousand yard season. But it won't start with a week one victory. FSU 33 Samford 7. Brandon: FSU 44 Samford 7.

#21 Georgia Bulldogs 0-0 vs. Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin Cajuns 0-0

The Ragin Cajuns barely missed a bowl game last year. They had a tough early schedule in which they actually upset K-State 17-15 in week two. They saw a 6-6 season end in a loss to Troy at home. Chris Masson returns at QB for ULL and will look to take advantage of a young Georgia defense. The Bulldogs Offense returns many starters but their QB is not one of them. Freshman Aaron Murray will have a very experienced receiving core as well as the O-Line. He will still have to get the bugs out of the way early. I see an upset alert early in the game but it won't end that way after Murray finds his rhythm. Georgia 28 ULL 17. Brandon: UGA 38 ULL 10.

#23 Auburn Tigers 0-0 vs. Arkansas State Red Wolves 0-0

Arkansas State had the best defense in the Sun Belt last year led by junior Linebacker Demario Davis. Auburn only saw trouble in their conference games last season. With 16 total returning starters the Tigers will try to replace star running back Ben Tate. Senior Mario Fannin and true freshman Michael Dyer will compete for the job. Fannin hasn't done much as he was more of a pass blocker last year so Dyer will likely see some solid minutes. ASU could use the inexperience at both the QB and RB positions as a weakness and exploit it if they have what it takes. It will be a great opportunity for a Sun Belt upset. Auburn may be vulnerable and could take awhile to find some rhythm, but they won't let this one slip through. Auburn 28 Arkansas State 17. Brandon: Auburn 36 ASU 9.

#24 West Virginia Mountaineers 0-0 vs. Coastal Carolina Chanticleers 0-0

Does anybody even know what a Chanticleer is? Look out Coastal Carolina here comes Noel Devine and the Mountaineers of the Big East. I'm calling a shutout here. West Virginia 51 Coastal Carolina 0. Brandon WVU 35 CC 3.

NON TOP 25 Game

BYU Cougars 0-0 vs. Washington Huskies 0-0

The Cougars started last season off with a huge victory against the Oklahoma Sooners. They look to start the 2010 season with a victory as well with things looking a bit differently. Bronco Mendenhall has decided to use a QB platoon. Junior Riley Nelson and true freshman Jake Heaps will share the load. Nelson is a mobile lefty while Heaps is more prototypical BYU QB material. However, Riley has some experience as he backed up Max Hall last year and that is what gave him the tie against Jake Heaps who led Skyline High School to three consecutive state titles. BYU lost their all-time leading rusher Harvey Unga. Harvey missed the OU game last year but Brian Kariya and JJ Di Luigi decently filled his shoes while he was out. They also have a true freshman Josh Quezada who will see some time. I don't see a problem at the running back nor wide receiver. The Cougars are stacked at wide out. No matter who's calling the plays in the huddle, I think BYU's offense will still put points on the board. Jake Locker wants revenge as BYU was victorious in 2008 after a contraversial call and blocked PAT. Jake Heaps is from Washington and was recruited by the Huskies. This is his shot to show them what they missed out on. Locker has never played in a bowl game but is still the projected number one NFL draft pick next year. He will be looking to poor it on the true freshman who decided not to succeed him. Locker vs. BYU's experienced secondary will be a great matchup. Nobody thinks BYU two QB's or one will win this game but I see BYU winning another close one against UW. Call it biased if you wish. I don't care. BYU 27 Washington 24. Brandon: BYU 30 Wash. 28.

Monday September 6th 2010

GAME OF THE WEEK
#5 Boise State Broncos 0-0 vs. #6 Virginia Tech Hokies 0-0 (Neutral Field)

Everyone is looking forward to this game. Non-AQ haters are excited to see Boise fail. Chris Peterson's Broncos get a lot of nay sayers from being in the WAC conference. That will change next season as they make the jump to the Mountain West and they don't look to have anything less than usual success in the WAC in this farewell season. Like 2009, The Broncos open this year with their toughest matchup. They have 18 returning starters from their 14-0 season which ended in a 17-10 Fiesta Bowl victory over TCU. Kellen Moore and co. are looking to be the first Non-AQ team to contend for a BCS championship. And they have  everything in place to do so. The Hokies will look to play spoiler for the Broncos. Tyrod Taylor and Ryan Williams lead the offensive attack for Frank Beamer's Virginia Tech squad. They had a top ten defense last year that only returns three players. They'd better hope they can just reload rather than rebuild because Boise will not let up. With all due respect to the ACC and VT, who is eyeing for a BCS title themselves, I see their weak defense being exploited by the highest scoring offense in 2009. Chris Peterson knows how to win the big games. He's 49-4 at Boise State and I see them getting the victory in week one. Look for a shootout ladies and gentlemen. VT will have a great year, but their young defense won't be enough for this high octane offense led by Hesiman candidate Kellen Moore. Boise State 37 Virginia Tech 24. Brandon: VT 23 BSU 21.