Preview and Picks for College Football Week 2

Last week I went 26-4. Let's see how I do this week.

#18 Penn State @ #1 Alabama Well, both teams performed about as well as expected last week. This week, I think that the freshman quarterback of Penn State will led to their downfall. Alabama wins.


#12 Miami (Fl.) @ #2 Ohio State (Game of the Week)
A duel of top quarterbacks, this will be the game that makes or breaks the Heisman cases of both Terrelle Pryor and Jacory Harris. Both players had great games to open the season and both are expecting to have a great game in this match-up. While both could have great games and one loses, it’s far more likely that one of these two is going to have a below-average game. I happen to think that player will be Terrelle Pryor. I don’t doubt his talent; I just think that he isn’t ready for a team quite like Miami. I also think Jacory Harris could be the second or third best quarterback in the country and will explode onto the nationally scene in this game. Miami wins.



#3 Boise State: BYE



Tennessee Tech @ #4 TCU
TCU just beat a dominant Pac-10 team; you really think they’ll have trouble with Tennessee Tech?


Wyoming @ #5 Texas
In-spite of everything that I am about to say, I am picking Texas to win. But I am also of the opinion that this game will be a really good test for that Texas defense. Wyoming’s Austyn Carta-Samuels is one of the more underrated quarterbacks in college football and if that Texas defense is not ready, he could expose that.


Idaho @ #6 Nebraska
While Idaho has taken good strides and improved vastly over the past few years, they’re still not up to the level of Nebraska. Nebraska wins.


#7 Oregon @ Tennessee
This is where all the recruiting losses start to really kill Tennessee’s season. Oregon wins in a blowout.


South Florida @ #8 Florida
Put very simply, the Florida defense needs to play at 100% for the entire game or South Florida could pull the upset. Florida wins in a close game.


Iowa State @ #9 Iowa
The Cy-Hawk trophy remains with the Hawkeyes.


#17 Florida State @ #10 Oklahoma
This will be the proving ground for Florida State’s defense. Oklahoma’s defense was horrible against Utah State, while the Florida State’s offense was dominant in their first game. This leads me to believe this game will be a shootout and the first defense to make a big stop is going to be the key to winning. I’m calling for Florida State to get that stop and pull the upset.


San Jose State @ #11 Wisconsin
Poor San Jose State. They start off against Alabama, now they get to be spanked by Wisconsin.


James Madison @ #13 Virginia Tech
*Snore* Va. Tech wins. *Snore*


#14 Arkansas @ Louisiana-Monroe
Arkansas gets another easy one playing a middle of the road Sun Belt Team. Ryan Mallett gets to improve his numbers for the Heisman.


#15 Georgia Tech @ Kansas
After losing to a FCS team, Kansas gets to try and slow down the triple option attack of Georgia Tech. Yeah, Georgia Tech wins.


Virginia @ #16 USC
Another easy one for USC.


#19 LSU @ Vanderbilt
LSU gets a bit of a rest after facing a tough North Carolina team. They should win this one easily.


UNLV @ #20 Utah
Utah showed how good they are in their first game against Pittsburgh. Now they get a conference opponent who shouldn’t pose too much of a problem. Utah wins.


#21 Auburn @ Mississippi State
Tonight’s big game won’t really be much of a contest. Mississippi State still hasn’t sorted out who their quarterback is going to be and that really hurts their chances of competing against a rising Auburn team. Auburn wins.


#22 Georgia @ #24 South Carolina
This game will be very interesting and has big implications in the race for the SEC crown. While neither team is expected to win the SEC, both have a chance. While I think the talent at Georgia is better, South Carolina has their act together and isn’t missing their best player the way that Georgia is. South Carolina will win this game.


#23 West Virginia @ Marshall
The battle of West Virginia will go to the team that has always dominated the state. West Virginia wins.


#25 Stanford @ UCLA
While UCLA isn’t as good as Stanford, they are good enough to be a test for Stanford. Stanford wins in a tight game.


Other Games of Note


UTEP @ Houston
This game is one that faces a power running team in UTEP against the high octane passing offense of the Houston Cougars. This is another game that holds a lot of meaning when it comes to conference title races; however it’s as closely matched as previously mentioned games. Houston should win easily, considering how much they have dominated Conference USA play in the past, but UTEP did pull the upset a year ago so don’t be too surprised to see them win.


Michigan @ Notre Dame
Michigan impressed me last week with both their defensive performance and their offensive explosiveness. Denard Robinson is definitely the kind of quarterback Rich Rodriguez has been waiting to have emerge since he arrived in Ann Arbor. Notre dame played about as well as one would expect. In this match-up, I’m going with Michigan to pull the upset, but I wouldn’t be surprised if Notre Dame pulls out the win.


BYU @ Air Force
A big game in one of the best conferences in the country; this match-up will help determine who will be competing for second or third in the Mountain West, and if TCU and Utah trip up, either of these teams could pull out the Mountain West title. I doubted BYU last week, but I’m not doubting them this week. BYU wins.


Toledo @ Ohio
Tight conference game in a highly competitive conference, there’s almost no way of telling who is going to emerge from this game. Both teams lost their starting quarterback from a year ago and this game will help show which team has done a good job replacing those lost stars. I’m picking Ohio for this one.


Bowling Green @ Tulsa
Another shoot out game for Bowling Green, however it’s against a team with a definite starting quarterback and an impressive showing underneath their belts. I’ve got Tulsa winning this one.