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Non-Ranked, Non-Big East Games
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Central Florida (+21) at South Carolina
Yes, Spurrier’s a great college coach. God knows that if you can put up a winner at Duke, as he did in the 80’s, you have to be a great coach. However, anyone who revokes the scholarships of six incoming freshman AFTER they have graduated high school this past summer is a classless jerk. Unfortunately for the Golden Knights of Central Florida great coaching beats class…........
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South Carolina 38 Central Florida 10
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Temple (+31½) at Arizona State
This one is all about the money. As in Temple got paid to visit the desert and take this whipping from an up and coming program led by junior QB Sam Keller………
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Arizona State 55 Temple 13
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Arizona (+7) at Utah
Is it just me or is it strange to have Division I football games played on Friday nights? Utah made a name for itself under Urban Meyer last year. Even though he and NFL #1 draft pick Alex Smith have left the program, Utah is still a talented team under new coach Kyle Whittingham. They will win their share of games this year and vie for another Mountain West Conference title. Fortunately for the Utes this isn’t a league game as Mike Stoops’ Wildcats “Bear Down” and pull the first major upset of the 2005 season…………
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Arizona 24 Utah 23
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Ranked, Non-Big East Games
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Western Michigan (+33½) at Virginia
Can you say “Cupcake”?
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UVA 49 W. Mich 3
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Ball State (+38½ ) at Iowa
At least the MAC makes a lot of money this weekend……
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Iowa 65 Ball St. 16
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Miami (OH) (+15) at Ohio State
A great deal of discussion has surrounded
The Ohio State University as being a legitimate contender for the 2005
National Championship. The Texas Longhorns come to town next weekend looking to prove they too are National Championship contenders. Will the Buckeyes look ahead? Maybe….for a half…………
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Ohio State 38 Miami 24
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Northern Illinois (+19) at Michigan
The good news for UNI: The Huskies have vastly improved their program the past few years. The bad news: QB Chad Henne and RB Mike Hart return for a loaded Wolverine team……
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Michigan 38 UNI 13
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UAB (+23½) at Tennessee
Eric Ainge has won the starting QB job for the Vols and looks to have a great career ahead of him. UAB Coach Watson Brown just wishes he had his brother’s team (Texas) to play this game………
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Tennessee 51 UAB 31
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Boise State (+7½) at Georgia
This should be a good one between the hedges at Sanford Stadium. Broncos coach Dan Hawkins is one of the great young minds in college football and has had the entire off-season to plan for this game. He has a wealth of talent returning on the offensive side of the ball led by athletic QB Jared Zabransky. Former national prep player of the year D.J. Shockley finally takes over the starting QB job for the Bulldogs and is looking to make up for lost time. This should be one of the better games of the day as the Bulldogs pull away late…………
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Georgia 31 Boise St. 20
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Wyoming (+23½ ) at Florida
Urban Meyer takes over the reins of the Gators and looks to turn talented QB Chris Leak into the next Alex Smith. Wyoming is slowly rebuilding their program under Coach Joe Glenn who guided the Cowboys to an upset win over UCLA in last year’s Las Vegas Bowl. While Coach Glenn looks to be an up and coming star in the college coaching ranks, Coach Meyer IS a star with many star players.
In “The Swamp”…………
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Florida 54 Wyoming 20
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TCU (+26½) at Oklahoma
TCU only wishes they had LaDanian Tomlinson back for this game. It wouldn’t matter!....
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Adrian Peterson 24 TCU 21..or..Oklahoma 49 TCU 21
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Georgia Tech (+7) at Auburn
Auburn lost three number one draft picks from last year’s backfield. Georgia Tech looks to improve on last year’s lackluster season with underperforming QB Reggie Ball……………
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Auburn 31 Georgia Tech 16
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Boston College (-2½) at BYU
BC kicks off their first season as an ACC member by traveling on the road to a BYU program looking to rebuild their rich tradition under new coach Bronco Mendenhall. The Cougars are bringing back their “Old School” uniforms this year. Too bad they can’t bring back Steve Young, Jim McMahon or
Ty Detmer……
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BC 27 BYU 20
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Texas A&M (-1½) at Clemson
Standout QB Reggie McNeal looks to place his name among the top QB’s in college football for Coach Dennis Franchione. Coach Fran is looking to work his magic in his third year on the Aggies sidelines and starts the season on the road at Death Valley. Meanwhile, Coach Tommy Bowden hopes that QB Charlie Whitehurst regains his golden touch of two years ago. We know that Clemson can fight after last year’s South Carolina game. The question for this game is WILL they put up a fight? Nope………
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Texas A&M 28 Clemson 17
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USC (-35) at Hawaii
Aloha Mr. Leinart, Mr. Bush and Mr. Carroll! We hope you enjoy your vacation. Will the Trojans be too relaxed for this game? Yes! But it won’t matter, even though former NFL Head Coach Jerry Glanville is now the Rainbow Warriors’ Defensive Coordinator………
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USC 66 Hawaii 28
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UL Lafayette (+39½) at LSU (POSTPONED DUE TO HURRICANE KATRINA)
The only thing that slows down the Tigers in this one is themselves and/or the field conditions following Hurricane Katrina…
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LSU 38 ULaugh 3
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Virginia Tech (-3 ½) at NC State
Marcus Vick is back in school and looking to build upon the legacy of the Vick name. NC State’s defense is extremely stingy and should play like a well-oiled unit this year under Former Mountaineer Assistant Steve Dunlap who takes over as the Defensive Coordinator for Chuck Amato’s Wolfpack. He’s had plenty of practice trying to slow down the Hokie attack over the years…and he will slow them down again this year. Unfortunately, NC State doesn’t have a QB to get the job done this year……
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Va Tech 17 NC State 13
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Miami (Fla) (-3) at Florida State
Both teams enter this game with inexperienced QB’s, but both squads are extremely talented and athletic. Who takes the early lead in the race for the ACC title? I’ll give you two words: “Wide Left!!!”.......
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Miami 23 FSU 21
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Big East Games
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Buffalo (+18) at UConn
The MAC vs. the Big East. Even though UConn lost many starters from last year’s Motor City Bowl Championship team, including star QB Dan Orlovsky, the Huskies need not worry. Why? Because the Huskies will sport one of the best running back tandems in the Big East this year with Cornell Brockington and Terry Cauley, who is returning this season after redshirting in 2004 to rehab an injured knee. It also helps that Buffalo is one of the worst teams in Division I football. Jackie Sherrill ought to be coaching UConn in this one because the Huskies are going to neuter the Bulls..........
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UConn 41 Buffalo 3
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Eastern Michigan (+10) at Cincinnati
Coach Mark Dantonio looks to continue the rebuilding process in his second season as the Bearcats head coach. Coach Dantonio has great recruiting ties due to his former stint as Ohio State’s Defensive Coordinator. If the U of C will build him the facilities, Dantonio will turn this program into a Top 25 contender within five years. If not, the program will remain at its current status………
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Cincinnati 27 Eastern Michigan 17
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Rutgers (-2) at Illinois
Have you heard the rumblings that this is the year that Rutgers is supposed make their move upward in the Big East? I thought so. That’s OK, I don’t believe it either. The Fighting Illini, at least they are until February, upset Coach Greg Sciano’s Scarlet Knights and begin to truly appreciate how good of a coach they landed in Ron Zook………
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Illinois 21 Rutgers 17
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Notre Dame (+3) at Pitt
Ah yes, the junior version of last year’s New England Patriots vs. the Miami Dolphins. The only problem is that Tom Brady in this game plays for Pitt and goes by the name of Tyler Palko. Coach Charlie Weis will move the Golden Domers in the right direction, but it’s going to take a few years of recruiting. Meanwhile, Pitt’s hiring Dave Wannstedt was an excellent hire. Couple his hiring with the hiring of former Pitt QB and NFL Offensive Coordinator Matt Cavanaugh and the future of Pitt football looks extremely bright. Weis’ play calling will keep it close, but Pitt prevails…………
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Pitt 23 Notre Dame 17
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Louisville (-22) at Kentucky
Kentucky has a shot at this one………in basketball. The Kentucky Wildcats are close to admitting they made a mistake by hiring Head Coach Rich Brooks. Brooks and his staff have just not been able to recruit quality talent to Lexington and unless they have a surprisingly good year, this will be his last year at the helm of the Wildcat regime. Phenom QB Brian Brohm leads a very confident Cardinal team into this intrastate rivalry as Coach Bobby Petrino’s team looks to make a statement that they are the team to beat in the Big East in 2005. Whether they are the champions of the Big East remains to be seen. However, what is known is that they are the champions of Kentucky……
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Louisville 45 Kentucky 22
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West Virginia (+2) at Syracuse
Remember those questions we asked ourselves at the beginning of this column? This is the game that will go a long way toward answering those questions. The Orange replace Paul Pasquelloni with first year coach Greg Robinson who was one of the masterminds behind 2004’s terrific University of Texas defense. Even though he will still wear orange on the sidelines, he will quickly be reminded that he is NOT in Texas anymore. The Orange talent level dwindled greatly the past few years under Pasquelloni and will take time to rebuild. Yes, Syracuse will have a new “system” and a renewed enthusiasm due to the hiring of Robinson, but the Orange have less than 30 returning letterman from a very average team that was blasted by Georgia Tech in last year’s Champs Sports Bowl. Meanwhile, Coach Rich Rodriguez and his staff have assembled their most talented team since succeeding Don Nehlen in 2001. There just seems to be a certain confidence that I see with the staff regarding the 2005 Mountaineers. They don’t have individuals who are looking to jump to the professional ranks after this year and I feel that the 2005 Mountaineers will play much more as a TEAM and not the fractured unit we saw last year. It also seems that there is a nice mix of veterans and talented youngsters on this team that reminds me of last year’s ACC Champion Virginia Tech team. The optimism continues to grow as the Mountaineers begin their quest for a third straight Big East title.....
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WVU 34 Syracuse 20
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