Rankings

These rankings are comprised of the old BCS formula, with one minor tweak of my own, I add in Collegefootballnews.com rankings. Something to note about their rankings, unlike AP and Coaches, CFN looks at how the team is playing, not necessarily how they could end up.

Update: This week incorporates the first week of the Harris Interactive Poll

1. Alabama
2. Oklahoma
3. Texas
4. LSU
5. Penn State
6. Missouri
7. Georgia
8. Utah
9. Brigham Young
10. Boise State
11. South Florida
12. Texas Tech
13. USC
14. Virginia Tech
15. Ohio State
16. Vanderbilt
17. Oklahoma State
18. Wisconsin
19. Auburn
20. Kansas
21. Florida
22. Oregon
23. Connecticut
24. Michigan State
25. Kentucky

A few notes:
-The gap between #2 Oklahoma and #3 Texas is large (5.45-11.44)
-Alabama is #1 in every computer except for one that has been released thus far, and for good reason, they have dominated good and average opponent, except for that unexplainable struggle versus Tulane
-The computers hate Florida with an average ranking of 33.75, while the humans give the Gators a 10.75 average. Talk about overrated.

If the BCS selected today:

Rose Bowl (Big Ten vs. Pac-10)
Penn State vs. USC

Sugar Bowl (SEC)
LSU vs. Utah

Fiesta Bowl (Big 12)
Texas vs. USC

Orange Bowl (ACC)
Virginia Tech vs. South Florida

BCS Championship (#1 vs. #2)
Alabama vs. Oklahoma

Not bad match-ups all around, of course there is the dumb rule of a maximum of 2 teams from any conference, here is how it would be in a perfect world with a play-in game to help satisfy those who demand a "play-off"

#1 Alabama vs. #4 LSU... Can't happen because they'll play later in the regular season
#2 Oklahoma vs. #3 Texas... Again can't happen, they play in two weeks, this is why projections don't make complete sense at this point of the year.

#5 Penn State vs. #6 Missouri... Good match-up, class of the Big Ten (right now) vs. probable Heisman Winner
#7 Georgia vs. #8 Utah... Bloodbath, so many people were excited to see Hawaii vs. Georgia, look how that turned out
#9 Brigham Young vs. #10 Boise State... BYU has to play Utah, so these will shift around quite a bit

Week 5 Picks

Well Thursday night sure kicked off an exciting weekend of college football. There are lots of good match-ups this weekend, not all of them marquee, but lots of intra-conference matchups that will help shape the BCS landscape soon enough. I wouldn't be shocked if there was one more major upset this weekend. Here are the records so far: Gomer (33-18) (good pick of NCST over ECU, terrible pick of TAMU over Miami) Chief (34-17) (Solid all around)

P.S. Neither of us saw the Oregon loss to Boise, talk about ugly, the Pac-10's suckage makes the bashing of the Big Ten subside for now.

Wisconsin Badgers vs. Michigan Wolverines
Gomer: The Badgers have not won in Ann Arbor since 1994, that will change Saturday. While Michigan's run defense has been one of their few strengths, their offensive has been, well, offensive. Wisconsin's D is good, and healthy, these should signal a rough day for the Wolverine attack. P.J. Hill will have a slow start to his day but in the end put up decent numbers. Sam McGuffie will struggle but will hit a home run somewhere in there. UW: 28 - UM 13

Chief: A great matchup…a few years ago. Not as much this year. The Wolverines are hoping to use the ‘energy’ of the Big House to spark a rough start, but the Badgers will come in prepared. That win over Fresno was much more impressive than you think…and the UM loss to Notre Dame was just as bad as you think. Michigan will come out and show some heart with a flashy Threet, but the blue-collar Badgers will grind out a victory. UW: 31—UM: 13

Alabama Crimson Tide vs. Georgia Bulldogs
Gomer: The long slow fall back to Earth begins Saturday for the overrated Crimson Tide. Alabama was able to smoke a vastly unprepared and poorly coached Clemson team with 4 new linemen, and trounced an awful Arkansas team. Georgia is busting out the black jerseys to help "black out" the Tide on Saturday night and the Tide offense will struggle to get anything going in this intimidating environment. 'Bama: 10 - UGA: 24

Chief: Bama looks for a signature win to show they’ve returned to prominence, but I don’t think they can get that win between the hedges. The Black Out in Athens will unnerve the young Tide line to allow Knowshown Moreno to have a solid game while the Bulldog defense puts a hurt on everyone’s favorite 3-named QB Jon Parker Wilson. UGA VII chills on the ice as the Dawgs bring home a big win. Bama: 10—UGA: 17

Illinois Illini vs. Penn State Nittany Lions
Gomer: PSU looks to continue its roll through the non-conference schedule right through the Big Ten. So far the Nittany Lions haven't played anyone of note, except for an Oregon State team who took the Trojans to the woodshed Thursday night. The Juice Williams led Illini could make this a game but the running game will be shutdown too easily making Williams have to throw to beat the Lions. Unless Juice has a game much like he did versus Ohio State last year, the Lions should win easily. UI: 14 - PeeSU: 35

Chief: The Zookers enter Happy Valley hoping to bring down the Nittany Lions who are riding high. Juice Williams looked like he could pass against Mizzou, but the Penn State’s secondary is much better than the Tigers’. I liked Penn State coming into this year and they have lived up against middling competition. Illinois will ‘up the quality opponent’ ante, but they aren’t the same without Mendenhall. I think Illinois covers a 14.5 point spread…but just barely. UI: 14—PSU: 28

Virginia Tech Hokies vs. Nebraska Cornhuskers
Gomer: Virignia Tech is walking into a trap when they visit Lincoln, Nebraska, also known as "Bo Pellini Land". Tyrod Taylor and the Hokie offense are going to be in for a long day, the Husker Blackshirts have not allowed a TD in the last eight quarters. The good news is that the Hokie D is one of the best in the nation and will help keep the Nebraska offense in check. I expect a low scoring affair. VT: 14 - Neb: 20

Chief: I really don’t care about this game-another matchup of two programs who used to be good. VT beat a flashy UNC team last week and the Huskers have beaten…no one of note. Bo Pelini may bring Nebraska back to relevance eventually, but VT will grind out a close win. Neither of these teams are anything to call home about. VT:20—NU:19

Minnesota Gophers vs. Ohio State Buckeyes
Gomer: The Bucks look to get the offense rolling with the (limited) return of Beanie Wells to the backfield. Minnesota is a much improved team over last year and has just enough weapons to give OSU's D some fits. While the Minnesota D is marginally better than last year, Pryor will still continue to emerge as a play-making QB who doesn't quite have the touch down perfectly. Beanie will get about 15 carries while Boom still gets the majority in an effort to save Beanie for next weeks showdown in Camp Randall. UM: 20 - OSU: 35

Chief: BEANIE’S BACK!!! Bad news for Minnesota. The Gophers enter this game with a better record than the Buckeyes for the first time since 1999. They were completely inept last year, but Sophomore QB Adam Weber has really matured. I firmly believe that this Buckeye team has the ability to wake up and that Beanie will provide that spark. OSU has looked deflated in the last 3 games, but it’s Big 10 time. Beanie for 3 TDs and the Bucks remind the Big 10 whose conference this is. UM: 9—OSU: 38

Other Games that don't really matter:

Fresno State vs. UCLA: Gomer - FSU Chief - FSU
Colorado vs. Florida State: Gomer - FSU Chief - FSU
TCU vs. Oklahoma: Gomer - OU Chief - OU
Troy vs. Oklahoma State: Gomer - OSU Chief - OSU
South Florida vs. NC State: Gomer - USF Chief - USF

Rankings

These rankings are comprised of the old BCS formula, with one minor tweak of my own, I add in Collegefootballnews.com rankings. Something to note about their rankings, unlike AP and Coaches, CFN looks at how the team is playing, not necessarily what they have accomplished all season.

1. USC
2. Georgia
3. Wisconsin
4. LSU
5. Missouri
6. Alabama
7. Oklahoma
8. Florida
9. Texas
10. Utah
11. Brigham Young
12. Wake Forest
13. Boise State
14. Texas Tech
15. Ohio State
16. South Florida
17. Penn State
18. Auburn
19. TCU
20. Oregon
21. Vanderbilt
22. Virginia Tech
23. Kansas
24. Nebraska
25. Connecticut

A few notes:
-The gap between #2 UGA and #3 UW is huge (8.37-16.57) whereas the gap between #3 and #8 is small (16.57-19.51)
-The computers love #10 Utah. Average human ranking is 18.33 average computer ranking is 7.00, quite a bit of disparity. If they keep winning, they will have the biggest impact on the actual BCS bowl matchups.
-If the BCS was ran the way it should (no tie-ins) this is what your games would look like:

#1 USC vs. #4 LSU (play-in)
#2 Georgia vs. #3 Wisconsin (play-in)
#5 Missouri vs. #6 Alabama
#7 Oklahoma vs. #8 Florida
#9 Texas vs. #10 Utah

Surprisingly all intriguing match-ups, unfortunately here is what we would see using real system:

#1 USC vs. #2 Georgia... okay
#3 Wisconsin vs. #4 LSU... not bad
#5 Missouri vs. #10 Utah... I don't care
#12 Wake Forest vs. #7 Oklahoma... ugly
#16 South Florida vs. #15 Ohio State... intriguing

It Has Begun...


Terrelle Pryor made his first start as OSU's QB yesterday in front of 102,000+
While rushing for 66 yards on 14 attempts, TP was able to go 10/16 for 139 yards and 4, yes 4 touchdowns, and 1 interception.

All but one of the four TD passes was unimpressive, ducks thrown to relatively wide open receivers, so the passing still has plenty of room for improvement. His feet allowed him to keep plays alive, now I don't know for sure if he had to use his feet on any of the four TD passes, but the fact of the matter is his versatility allows more flexibility and can better forgive a porous offensive line.

Week 4 of Gomer & Chiefs Picks

Gut check week... Records so far: Gomer (25-13) Chief (25-13)

Louisiana State Tigers vs. Auburn Tigers
Gomer: I'm picking the Tigers in this one... ha... ha ... ha. Okay really, we've all heard that the home team has won this match-up for a bazillion years in a row, and I don't expect that to change. Auburn has the defense that "wins championships" and I think that talk will get started this week. Their offense isn't overly potent, which is probably the only reason they aren't getting any talk, if Auburn is not careful LSU's attack could pull away late. LSU: 17 - AU: 23

Chief: The game of the week coming out of the SEC is at Jordan Hare stadium. The home team has won this game 8 years straight with most games being ‘defensive struggles’ (or maybe just crappy offense). Last year, Miles pulled his crap at home and got reeeeeeal lucky. Auburn will return the favor in another snoozer in which points will be at a premium. LSU: 6—UA: 7

Georgia Bulldogs vs. Arizona State Sun Devils
Gomer: Not no way, not no how, this upset will not happen. Knowshon Moreno will run all over the Sun Devils. ASU just lost to UNLV, the easy excuse is they were looking ahead, the real reason is they suck. I'm okay with a Georgia win here mostly because I don't want a 3rd Pac-10 team to become ranked. Moreno and Stafford will have a field day with the overmatched Sun Devils. UGA: 34 - ASU: 10

Chief: This looks to be a bounceback week for both teams as UGA struggled mightily against the offense challenged Spurriers (weird huh?) and ASU dropped an embarrassing one to UNLV. This is the first time the Bulldogs have headed west of the Mississippi since 1968 and they couldn’t have picked a better time/team to take on. Carpenter has the skills, but no talent around him. UGA will dominate this game leading to some more undeserved credit for the SEC as ASU just isn’t that good this year. UGA: 38—ASU: 17

Florida Gators vs. Tennessee Volunteers
Gomer: Unfortunately what I want to happen and what I think will happen are two completely different things. Tennessee struggled with and lost to a BAD UCLA team in an instant-classic. Meanwhile the Gators were facing a team with a pulse (Miami) and didn't look good themselves. It seems the Florida defense is improved significantly but most defenses have the Fightin' Tebow's figured out. UF: 14 - UT: 6

Chief: The Vols need this one bad for respectability, but UF is still an excellent team looking for another championship. After the debacle in LA and last weeks exposure of the Bruins’ mediocrity, Crompton and the Orange need more than hope to win this one. The Gators will expect to show the full offense and that they have moved to more than just Tebow and Harvin, but the offense will boil down to….Tebow and Harvin. It won’t matter as the Gators win in Knoxville again setting Fulmer’s seat on fire. UF: 41—UT: 24

Notre Dame Irish vs. Michigan State Spartans
Gomer: The Irish were able to capitalize on the mistakes of the Wolverines last week but the Spartans are of a different breed. Dantonio's system and philosophy are well in place and MSU will look to roll over a porous Irish defense and make the most out of mistakes by Jimmy Clausen. Javon Ringer should be getting Heisman talk and this game should help get that going. ND: 10 - MSU: 27

Chief: Wow…The Irish won. And it only took 6 turnovers in the mush to get it. No seriously, the Domers completely exposed Michigan last week and for that I give them credit. This week, they meet Javon Ringer. The Ohio native is slobbering at attacking this Irish team. Look for another 200 yards for Ringer on the ground. ND: 13—MSU:28

Wake Forest Deacons vs. Florida State Seminoles
Gomer: I expect this to be a classic showdown. FSU has not beaten the Demon Deacons since 2005 and have been embarrassed in two straight losses (home and away). FSU may be undefeated, but their wins have come against 2 I-AA opponents. Wake has looked good in the early stages of the season and should be firing on all cylinders. Look for the Noles to use emotion and brute strength to overpower Florida State in a classic. WF: 17 - FSU: 20

Chief: This will be the first real test for the new Noles after 2 tune-ups against FCS competition (sad I know). Wake snuck away with one 2 weeks ago vs. Ole Miss and would love nothing more than to embarrass the perennial power FSU 3 years straight as the Noles drubbed them for so many years. Not so fast my friend. Christian Ponder is the real deal and the return of Preston Paker will bring the Noles to the forefront of the ACC and out of the depths or mediocrity. The Noles haven’t forgotten the last few beatings and are out for revenge this year. WF: 17—FSU: 31

Troy Trojans vs. Ohio State Buckeyes
Gomer: I don't know what to say after last week's embarrassment in California. Since the Bucks seem to do the exact opposite of whatever I predict I think the real score of this game is gonna be 38-13, but since we struggled last week with 6th year senior and "captain" Todd Boeckman throwing to wide open USC defenders, our defense cannot generate pressure, and when they do, they usually whiff on the tackle, and Troy runs a spread offense (they passed to 15 different players last week), and Troy's QB is mobile. Wow, I honestly want to pick the Bucks to implode on this one, but I cannot do that in good conscience being an alum and bleeding scarlet and gray, and all that jazz. Pryor will rush for at least 50, and throw for at least 100, count it. Troy: 20 - OSU: 24

Chief: Alright Bucks…put up or shut up. I’ve had enough of this crap. Being one of the few in scarlet in gray who traveled to the Crushing in the Coliseum, I was amazed at the pure ineptitude of the play calling. No passes further than 10 yards when the coverage was soft? Stopping the platooning QBs when it was working? Pryor isn’t the complete answer until he can throw decently. We’ll see him play, but hopefully the O-Line will realize that blocking is a benefit. I think the Bucks grow a pair this week and take it out on these Trojans. No Beanie means no blowout, but the Bucks win handily here to remind the nation that it’s still The Ohio State University and we won’t tolerate second best. Troy: 13—OSU: 31


Other Games:
East Carolina @ NC State Gomer: NCST Chief: ECU
Ohio @ Northwestern Gomer: NW Chief: NW
FAU @ Minnesota Gomer: UM Chief: UM
Iowa @ Pittsburgh Gomer: Iowa Chief: Iowa
Boise State @ Oregon Gomer: Oregon Chief: Oregon
Virginia Tech @ North Carolina Gomer: VT Chief: VT
Miami @ Texas A&M Gomer: TAMU Chief: UM

Well it is the day after the loss to USC and I slept on it and I think I know what is the problem. The one thing that I noticed last night during the game is that our team has no swagger, no attitude, and no desire. This is a team that should dominate everyone on paper but that is not the case when we play. It all starts up front with our offensive line. On the second drive where we went 17 plays our offensive line was giving Boeckman just enough time to complete passes and our running backs were gaining positive yards. We were moving the chains and that is exactly what we needed to do. We maybe only got a field goal but it was a good series to build on. Then USC went down and scored easily and it seemed that as soon as our offense saw that they lost the fight and just decided to bend over and take it in the butt. We are a extremely physically talented team but it seems that our own players sometimes don't believe that they are.

I also noticed that while we have a ton of seniors on this team there are not a lot of leaders among that group. JL is not among this group, he was trying to get his teammates into this game but it never took. I think on offense we missed Beanie in the fact that I now think he is the vocal leader and he plays with the most attitude on offense and without him on the field they played without confidence.

I am not one of the many people that are calling for Tressel's job because while he lost the NC the last two years he also got us there and not every coach can do that. I do think that something needs to change among the staff. I partially think the attitude problem with the team leads back to Tressel's stoic and calm persona. I agree with Gomer now that Dantonio brought a intensity to our defense that we just don't have now. I think this off-season JT needs to look at his staff and possibly consider bringing in an actual offensive coordinator and have him call plays. This way the play calling will be better and more creative.

There was some good that I found out of this game. Pryor looked good. I still don't think he should start mostly because I doubt he knows more then 20% of the playbook because he still is a true freshman. I do think he needs to be used more and I think that is something we will see. I also noticed that when Pryor was on the sideline he never sat down, he was always cheering and trying to get people into the game. This is the kind of attitude that Boeckman doesn't have. After one play he got tackled and got into the face of one of the USC players and it wasn't a fighting kind of talk but it was the kind of situation where he showed he has the swagger and the attitude on the field. This bodes well for his future.

I also noticed that USC is damn deep with talent. They recruit the hell out of 5 star players and to an extent it shows. The senior class we have now is good but it is not flashy. Most of these players are more lighly recruited players but still good players. I think that looking into the future and as of right now we have a better recruiting class then USC this past year and in 09 we right now have the best in the country. I think the future in that regard looks bright and we still have a chance to have a good season. I am hopeful that the team will come our next week pissed off and destroy Troy and hopefully carry that anger the rest of the season.

Week 3 of Gomer & Chiefs Picks

More surprises than expected as ECU continues to impress! Last weeks records: Gomer (14-11) Chief (15-10)

Kansas Jayhawks vs. South Florida Bulls
Gomer: I like the Bulls in this BCS Caliber show down on what should be an exciting Friday night. USF seems to be a hornets nest when a big name (err Kansas, big name?) opponent comes to town, even if the visitor has almost every plausible advantage, the crowd seems to truly be an inspiration for the home team. Todd Reesing should be spot on but look for a late turnover to seal the deal for the Big East banner carriers, the USF Bulls. Kansas: 28 – USF: 34

Chief: This is a very interesting matchup. These are two programs that emerged onto the scene last year from relative obscurity. Kansas has been great this year, but their opponents have been the same level as last year’s---awful. USF struggled mightily last week, but they are capable of exploding against anyone. The Jayhawks are coldly efficient but I believe USF was looking ahead last week. Look for George Selvie to get to Reesing early and often to shake the unshakeable QB. The home crowd is the X factor KU: 31—USF: 34


Wisconsin Badgers vs. Fresno State Bulldogs
Gomer: Despite averaging 45 points per game so far this season most “experts” are not giving another “slow” Big Ten team a chance. PJ Hill went nuts in the first week against lowly Akron but was held to only 57 yards this week against Marshall. This week the Badgers get back All-American Tight End Travis Beckum and leading tackler Linebacker Garrett Graham. Both stars return just in time as the Fresno State offense could give them fits with sophomore running back Ryan Matthews running the ball. This game should be a classic or a Badger Blowout. Wisconsin: 45 – Fresno State: 34

Chief: Any other week, this would be the matchup I’d be most interested in. The Bulldogs are looking to be considered among the elite while the Badgers are trying to show they can win on the road. Wisconsin has bigger players, but Fresno plays with a chip on their shoulders. This will be a very physical game that goes down to the wire, but I believe P.J. Hill will be the difference and lead the Badgers to a very close win. Take nothing away from the Bulldogs as the mantra of ‘anyone, anywhere, anytime’ puts fear into the Wisconsin faithful. UW: 24—Fres: 21


Oregon Ducks vs. Purdue Boilermakers
Gomer: I really don’t like Purdue in this game. The Boilers are led through the air by senior QB Curtis Painter and on the ground by RB Kory Sheets but are “starless” on defense. Oregon lost all the big names from last years potent attack, Jonathan Stewart and Dennis Dixon, but still the attack has been potent against below average opponents. This will be a shootout that could really go either way if the defenses are able to generate pressure and make the quarterbacks make mistakes. Oregon: 41 – Purdue: 31

Chief: I’d love to see a Big Ten win for Wilford Brimley…I mean Joe Tiller, but I don’t think they can hang with the second best team in the Pac 10. The Oregon secondary will be the story as I think they will slow down Curtis Painter and the Boiler offense enough for the W. This would be a huge upset win for the big 10, but I don’t see it this time. OU: 31—PU: 17

Michigan Wolverines vs. Notre Dame Irish
Gomer: If you enjoy straight up BAD football, then this game is for you. Of course since the Irish are playing any little thing they do will be looked at as the best, mostly because it’s on NBC and they are stuck with the Irish until something like 2075. Michigan’s defense should dominate this game giving the conservative offense a short field a few times during the afternoon. Total first downs between the two teams? 22 Michigan: 19 – Notre Dame: 7

Chief: Oh how the mighty hath fallen. This epic battle between the 2 most winningest programs in the sport has been relegated to relative obscurity. The Wolverines have shown little for the Big Blue to get excited about. When Michigan has to ‘escape’ Miami of Ohio, there are problems in Ann Arbor. On the other side, Jabba the Weis really needs this win to avoid another horrible season in which his job is in jeopardy. Too bad the Irish have even more to be worried about on both sides of the ball. I think this will indeed be another pillow fight that will really determine which historic program becomes the laughing stock of college football for 2008. I think Notre Dame will maintain that title again—the echoes will remain asleep. UM: 20—ND—10

Ohio State Buckeyes vs. Southern Cal Trojans

The Clash at the Coliseum

Gomer: Will he or won’t he? So much hangs on the status of Beanie Wells, and it rightfully should. Beanie provides the dynamic backfield the Buckeyes need, specifically Todd Boeckman needs. I believe that the true “key to the game” is the play of the defense. I want to see a defense circa 2002/03 that blitzes and mans up, and zones, and you name it, I want to see it. If the Silver Bullets can pressure Sanchez the Bucks could potentially command this game and they really should. USC is inexperienced in many positions, but without getting pressure and preventing the “home run” play, it could be a long night for the Buckeyes. Ohio State: 27 – USC: 21

Chief: This is the matchup for the ages. The two most dominant programs (by far) of the last 7 years meet on the battlefield in SoCal reminiscent of the Rose Bowls of old. Anyone who says they aren’t excited is not a true college football fan. I wish Beanie was healthy for the Buckeyes, but regardless, this will be a game of epic proportions. This game could be a blowout (either way) or a nailbiter and I wouldn’t be surprised. Mark Sanchez looked stellar against UVA, but let’s not forget that the Silver Bullets are a whole different story. Coming into the game, the focus has been on the unstoppable nature of the Trojans offense and the gloom and doom without Beanie for the Bucks, but this game will be a defensive struggle. These teams exhibit the best defenses in the country and it will be a slugfest. I think there will be more NFL caliber talent on this field than the 2002 National Championship. You can call me a homer and I don’t care. I truly believe that even a Beanie-less Buckeye squad is capable of a W. Last week was an aberration; this week will be all that you can ask for. Bring on the Trojans! OSU: 20—USC: 17

Other Games:

NC State @ Clemson Gomer: Clemson Chief: Clemson
Central Michigan @ Ohio Gomer: CMU Chief: Ohio
East Carolina @ Tulane Gomer: ECU Chief: ECU
Stanford @ TCU Gomer: TCU Chief: TCU
Oklahoma @ Washington Gomer: OU Chief: OU
Bowling Green @ Boise State Gomer: BSU Chief: BSU
Iowa State @ Iowa Gomer: Iowa Chief: Iowa
Georgia @ South Carolina Gomer: UGA Chief: UGA
Georgia Tech @ Virginia Tech Gomer: GT Chief:

Week 2 of Gomer & Chiefs Picks

After a surprisingly interesting week one everyone has a weekend to catch their breath with mostly vanilla match-ups across the country. Last weeks records: Gomer (5-7) Chief (6-6)

Central Michigan Chippewas vs. Georgia Bulldogs
Gomer: If the Bulldogs had not relinquished their number one raking this past week I’d expect Central Michigan to have a decent chance at an upset. CMU QB Dan LeFevour has the experience and talent necessary to navigate the UGA Defense, but the CMU Defense (remember they’re in the MAC so calling it a Defense might be a stretch) has almost no hope of stopping the efficient Stafford and the powerful Moreno. I expect this to be at least somewhat interesting for a bit. CMU: 28 – UGA: 52
Chief: Central Michigan was one of the standout midmajors that no one paid attention to. Yes, they lost on a last second field goal to Purdue in the Motor City Bowl, but this is a team that almost never even sniffed the postseason let alone almost beat a Big 10 opponent. On the other side, the Bulldogs are suffering from myriad injuries that seem to get more prevalent every week. QB Dan LeFevour should make this a game—for a half—then the angry Dawgs that were disrespected in the poll this week will take care of business between the hedges. CMU: 20—UGA: 44


West Virginia Mountaineers vs. East Carolina Pirates
Gomer: As nice as it would be to see the Mountaineers go down to up-and-comer ECU I think that Virginia Tech was more than ripe for the picking in week one. WVU’s attack will be unstoppable by most defenses, which is why they should easily win the Big East this year. Noel Devine and Pat White will not have a problem getting around the Pirate defense that easily shutdown the inept VT “attack”.
WVU: 38 – ECU: 17
Chief: The Mountaineers got off to a rocket like start with Pat White shooting to the top of most Heisman lists by *gasp* throwing for 5 touchdowns. The bad news for the Neers, it was against Villanova. ECU stunned the nation with the first big upset of the 2008 season by out-Beamering Beamer with a block punt to seal the win over the Hokies. This ECU team could be something special, but I just don’t think they have enough to beat WVU. I do however think that this will be the best game of the day. I wouldn’t be surprised with a Pirate win, but I think a last second FG lets Morgantown give a HUGE sigh of relief. WVU: 28—ECU: 27


Minnesota Gophers vs. Bowling Green Falcons
Gomer: As many writers have mentioned, people are still baffled by the Tim Brewster hire last year at Minnesota. The offense looks even better than last season, but the defense is still atrocious. When you are still playing your starters in the 4th quarter against NIU, there seems to be a problem. BGSU is coming off of a nice upset of Pitt on their home field. BGSU could be set for a let down, but I think they are just better. Sheehan will lead the offense up and down the field, and Briggs will help bring some serious pressure on Gopher QB Adam Weber.
Minn: 28 – BGSU: 34
Chief: The Gophers, having matched last year’s win total (1) already look to make it 2 in a row against the Falcons. Last year’s 3OT thriller was great, but BG showed it has a little something after upsetting Pitt on the road. I’ll be honest, Pitt was overrated, but it’s amazing that BG could steal one on the road. Minn is so very much improved this year, but I don’t think it will be enough. Minn: 23—BG: 30
Miami Hurricanes vs. Florida Gators
Gomer: The Gators looked impressive in their opener vs. HAWAII… most teams would look impressive in this game considering the Warriors are a shell of their previous selves. Miami has a young QB named Robert Marve who actually broke all the high school records that Tim Tebow set while he was a young QB in Florida. Randy Shannon’s young Canes will slow down the Florida attack, but the Gators are too talented and too experienced to be held back for long. Look for the ‘Canes to be the thorn in a few teams side this season.
Miami: 17 – UF: 31
Chief: The Gators haven’t beaten the Hurricanes since 1985 and many think this is the year to do it. I don’t know about 21 point favorites (I think Miami has improved somewhat), but I can’t argue that UF is clearly better. Miami will have to look elsewhere for a breakout game. Tim Tebow should be able to ‘wow’ the nation with another 9-15 performance against a subpar opponent. UM: 17—UF: 31

Ohio University Bobcats vs. Ohio State Buckeyes
Gomer: Ohio U, how now one really cares about you, you behave like a jealous step-child and do nothing but complain about OSU. Your band may be exciting but no coach, especially not The Great One(s) have ever call you TBDBITL let alone the State. But we certainly cannot forget that we are State and you are Ohio…. (watch the video below to get that one).
OU: 6 – OSU: 44
Chief: Another Week another weak opponent. I hate the way teams schedule all these patsies. I can see 1 as a tune-up, but come on. OU is actually worse than YSU in the Sagarin rankings. With that said, the Buckeyes are without Heisman hopeful Beanie Wells--too bad it doesn’t matter. The only hope for the hapless Bobcats are to catch the Buckeyes looking ahead….not gonna happen with Beanie sidelined. This team needs to show the nation that it can still contend without number 28 toting the rock. Let’s not forget that the Bucks defense put up a gooseegg on the Penguins (not to mention allowing -11 rushing yards and less than 80 total yards) and someone once said ‘defense win’s championships’. While the talk surrounds Beanie and Pryor, Boeckman and the defense will continue running this team from behind the scenes. OU: 6—OSU: 41

Other Games:
Georgia Tech @ Boston College
, Gomer: BC Chief: BC
Miami (OH)@ Michigan
, Gomer: Michigan Chief: Michigan
Cincinnati @ Oklahoma
, Gomer: Oklahoma Chief: OU
Oregon State @ PSU
, Gomer: PSU Chief: PSU
Ole Miss @ Wake Forest, Gomer: Wake Chief: Wake
Texas A&M @ New Mexico
, Gomer: UNM Chief: UNM
USF @ UCF, Gomer: USF Chief: USF

Northwestern @ Duke, Gomer: NU Chief: NU

Thoughts and Musings from Chief:

Good for you USC, you ran it up on a pathetic ACC team that YSU would have fought valiantly. In the words of Denny Green, “If you’re gonna crown ‘em, crown their a**es’. This shows how much pull the media has. ESPN has already started the ‘is USC the greatest team of all time’ schpiel. It’s pathetic. USC looked great, but let’s be honest, so did OSU, OU, and even Stanford for that matter. Wait until any of these teams plays a real game before you determine their worth. Preseason rankings are nothing more than (un)educated guesses. Now, all of a sudden, UCLA is a ranked team?! Why? Because they won one of the ugliest games of the weekend over a Tennessee team that looked hapless? Clemson #9? Swing and a miss. Tennessee #18? Can you say, ranking based on history/conference? Hey, I’m guilty too, but taking preseason rankings as law, is just ignorant. Clemson looked like a contender in the offseason and now looked like an FCS team. Before we elevate Bama to the top 15 (fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, I’ll put Bama in the top 10?!), can we wait to understand the quality of Clemson?
With that said, I will go back and say that I gained a ton of respect for one Rick Neuheisel this weekend. Everyone commented on the transition of 4 int Kraft to Heisman finalist Kraft in the second half, but honestly, Neuheisel had no one else to play QB. He couldn’t pull him unless Rick suited up in the locker room. Come to think of it, did they show Kraft and Neuheisel in the same screen in the 2nd half?) The play of the game in my mind wasn’t on the field at all. It was the coaching by Neuheisel when UT made the FG to send the game into OT. Most coaches would look businesslike at their play-cards and hope to find the solution to lead a mediocre team over a perennial top 15 finisher. Not Neuheisel. As ball went through the uprights, he started pumping his fist in the air in excitement as if to say, ‘Great! Now we get to play more football!’ This rubbed off on his team as they played OT with great energy and enthusiasm. He showed me that he can coach the heart of a team which is the most important quality of a head coach. Sorry, but I don’t think the monopoly is over yet, but you made me a believer that with coaching like that, it could be in time. Good for you Neuheisel.

Living for the Weekend...

Perfect time for a long weekend followed by a short week. I certainly hope you stayed up to see UCLA's thrilling victory over the Tennessee Volunteers. I'm waiting for the excuses to come flying as to how an SEC team lost to a mid-level Pac 10 team starting its third string QB.

Speaking of said 3rd string QB; I cannot say enough about Bruin QB Kevin Craft, he started off very well 4/6 only to then throw 4 INTs in the remainder of the 1st half, including a Pick-6 to end the half. It looked like the Vols had finally seized momentum heading into halftime with a 14-7 lead, but the fact that the lead wasn't bigger with 4 huge turnovers benefitting them, I had a hunch that Neuheisel's Bruins would make things interesting, and interesting they did make it. UCLA cut into the Vol lead immediately with a 43 yd FG and in last half of the final quarter took the lead 17-14. Tennessee was then able to drive down and retake the lead 21-17 forcing Craft to start a drive with under 2 minutes remaining. He lead the Bruins to retake the lead with only 27 seconds remaining. The Rose Bowl erupted, it was awesome, everything college football should be, to add even more intrigue the Vols were able to drive down, and tie the game at 24 a piece to send it to overtime! The Vols won the toss and deferred, forcing UCLA to play offense first, when they managed only 3 points I'll admit my certainty of a Bruin victory started to fade dramatically. UCLA's defense made an amazing stand forcing the Vols to take the 3 points and go to double OT.... "Not so fast my friend" Tennessee Kicker Daniel Lincoln missed his 3rd kick of the night giving the game to the Bruins.

There certainly is a disappointing slate of games for this upcoming weekend:

Ohio University @ OSU
Georgia Tech @ Boston College
Miami (OH)@ Michigan
Central Michigan University @ Georgia
Cincy @ Oklahoma
Oregon State @ PSU
Ole Miss @ Wake Forest
WVU @ East Carolina
Texas A&M @ New Mexico
USF @ UCF
Northwestern @ Duke
Minnesota @ BG
Miami @ Florida

There isn't a single match-up of ranked teams which is disappointing but week 1 and week 3 will help make up for it.... Predictions to come later this week

Usually this only happens in practice...

OU Bobcats = Joke

My Oh My...

A slew of surprises on opening day, lets get started.

Utah was able to hold on and beat Michigan 25-23 in the Big House. Watching the Wolverines run the spread was surreal to say the least. Utah definitely shot themselves in the foot with 15 penalties for 137 yards, without these penalties this game might not have been close. And honestly 90% of analysts correctly picked the Utes to "upset" Rodriguez led Michigan in their home opener.
On offense Michigan struggled to run the ball only gaining 36 yards of 25 attempts, while they utilized both QB's, Threet and Sheridan. Sheridan didn't look bad he just didn't look good and turned the ball over. Threet was similar and missed wide open receivers. I think it's easy to blame the QB's, both of whom never had taken a collegiate snap until yesterday.
On defense they were less than impressive in the first half giving up nearly 300 yards but were able to shut down the Utah attack after halftime. Some say that the Utes "went conservative" but I can't agree. Utah was only up 24-10 at the half, I don't know anyone who coaches a spread offense team that would start playing conservative with only a 2TD lead, on the road.

Michigan State gave up a late 80 yard rush to allow Cal to seal the deal against the Spartans. Unfortunately I was unable to view this game, my local ABC showed Bama vs. Clemson. I know from reading the line score that MSU gave up too many points to keep up. From the beginning they were playing catch up and Dantonio had to let Hoyer throw the ball far too much (20/48 for 321 yds). For a team I had zero expectations from I found it impressive that Cal put up so many points against the MSU defense.

Illinois special teams gave up two returns for TDs to allow Missouri to pull away with a win. One thing is for certain, Juice Williams is an even better passer than what the Buckeyes saw scortch them for 4 scores last season (26/42 for 451 yds, 5 tds, 2 ints). Already that is a vast improvement on his past two seasons where he has typically thrown a pick for every touchdown, but hey, the season is young. RB Dufrene is good (avg. 5.8yds per carry), but the Mizzou defense seemed willing to shutdown the run and force Juice to pass on them. And yeah, the Illini receivers are good 3 different guys at or near 100 yards (Judson, Duvalt, and Benn). The defense was more questionable than expected, but a lot of it was due to poor tackling. I can't begin to count how many attempted arm tackles I witnessed during last nights game, wow.