College Football Week 7

College football continues to roll on as we head into week seven and plenty of great teams are heading on the road this week. The top 10 has suffered some changes in the pass weeks and it is going to happen again when South Carolina and LSU knock heads.

Speaking of LSU-SC, they are the first pick for this week!

LSU- 31 South Carolina- 20 - As much as I hated on LSU last week, they are a hard team to beat at home. Though Zach Mettenberger and the rest of the Tiger's offense has been weak, the defense makes up for it. They have allowed 12.8 points per game and have a great knack of pressuring the QB. The Gamecocks won't be an easy opponent. They too have a stellar defense and they have a pretty good offense. Last week's result for SC does make me think of this game a bit more, but they played an extremely overrated team.

Texas- 17 Oklahoma- 10 - This will be an old fashioned Red River Rivalry. Both teams have proved a lot this season. I like Texas because of David Ash. The kid takes care of the football and has a really good arm. It helps when you have a great rushing attack to help you out. Joe Bergeron and Malcom Brown are a nice dual threat and should keep the Sooner defense on their heels. The Sooners will need a great game from Landry Jones if they want to win. He has been decent this season, but when he struggled against K-State, Oklahoma suffered. I see the same thing happening in this game.

Texas A&M- 48 Louisiana Tech- 30 - No one expected Louisiana Tech to be in the Top 25, so when they fall this week it shouldn't be too much of a surprise. I praised LT at the beginning of the season, but this match-up will be too much for them. Surprisingly, TAMU is near the top of the nation in all team stats and their only loss is against Florida. Johnny Manziel has surprised me this season. He has done a great job as a freshman and has been very actuate. I think last week's win for the Aggies really showed the mental strength of this team. They will show a toughness again this week and see through the win.

Stanford- 10 Notre Dame- 19 - The Irish have really shown me up this year. I wasn't sure if they were back yet, but Manti Te'o and the rest of the defense have proven something to me. They will be the main reason that the Irish win. Everett Golson will be pivotal in this game. If he has a bad day, they Irish could be in trouble. I really don't trust Stanford after their huge loss to Washington and their near loss to Arizona. The rushing game will need to come to play if the Cardinal want a chance to win.

Quick Picks

Tennessee- 14 Mississippi State- 20

Miami- 30 North Carolina- 29

Alabama- 50 Missouri- 10

West Virginia- 70 Texas Tech- 50

Illinois- 10 Michigan- 30

College Football Week Six

Sorry for the hiatus sports fans! School has been very busy, but I should have some more time now to stand on my soap box. Today is the sixth week of college football and as always I have my picks, but be sure to keep an eye on the blog for my MLB and MLS playoff predictions, NFL panic meter, and English Premier League Power rankings. Now for college football!

LSU 31 Florida 38 - I think Florida can win this one. Its a game at home to a lack-luster Tigers team that doesn't seem to have the same bite they had last year. The Gators are a strong 4-0 and have only had one cupcake match-up so far. They looked comfortable going all four quarters with a great Texas A&M team and played a solid game against Tennessee. The Gator passing attack will continue to be dull, but the defense will show their grit in this game. They are ranked 10th in defense and should be able to stop the very run oriented Tigers offense. This game will be close the whole way through, but I believe the Gators will pull it out.

Georgia 21 South Carolina 24 - This is going to be a a telling game for both sides due to the fact neither team has faced a great opponent yet. The Gamecocks are a lot softer than people think. The numbers say that they are a great defense, but the teams they played tell more. The near loss they had to Vanderbilt in the first week was not a good sign. The Bulldogs are even more overrated. The defense for this team doesn't look like it can hang with the best in the SEC and will probably be torn up on Saturday. All in all it should be a very interesting game. The Gamecocks will win it, but I think both teams will be hurt by the match-up.

West Virginia 38 Texas 30 - Geno Smith was incredible last week. His numbers looked like a good game on NCAA 13. The real story of that game was the Mountaineer defense. They gave up a lot of points to a decent Baylor team. You have to wonder what they will give up when they play a good one? This game will supply the answer. Texas should be strong. They are a team that can put up some big numbers too. and they have a defense to back it up. David Ash can't put up Smith's numbers, but he can cut through the secondary. But after last week I can't pick against this Mountaineer offense. Smith won't do it in the fashion he did last week, but he will lead WV to the win.

Ohio State 17 Nebraska 10 - This will be the battle of developing QBs. Martinez and Miller are both pretty solid QBs who can run the ball, but have the arm too. They are both overcoming seasons where they both had issues, plus both teams have great defenses. As much as I want to say both QBs are going to be able to make huge plays, I can't get over the fact that the defenses have essentially already played these offenses in practice all year. In the end, I think Braxton Miller will be able to make or two more plays than Martinez and win the game for the Bucks.

Quick Picks!

Oregon 51 Washington 21

CMU 10 Toledo 41

Miami 10 Notre Dame 19

UCLA 41 Cal 20

Oregon State 30 Washington State 13

Thanks for reading!

College Football Week 4

This whole picking thing isn't working out for me this year... Last week looked just like the first and hopefully I can finally right the ship this week. There are some great match ups in the PAC-12 and the ACC. Of course, there is also the huge match up in South Bend. Without any more delay, to the picks!

Oregon-42 Arizona-10 - I don't think Arizona is that good...yet. Rich Rod will work is magic in a few seasons, but 'zona isn't going to stay in the top 25 this year. Oregon has too much speed with De'Anthony Thomas and the only question coming into this season, the QB, has a solid answer in Marcus Mario'ta. The Ducks will cruise at home and win their first PAC-12 game of the year.

TCU-30 Virginia-20 - TCU didn't have the greatest start to the season last week, but against this weaker ACC team, they should shine. They will need to make sure that they get their run game established. With Waymon James out for the year, Matthew Tucker is going to need to get a lot of carries in this game. Watch for The TCU wide outs to have another solid week as Casey Pachall passes all over the field.

Florida State- 28 Clemson- 21 - E.J. Manuel is going to have a great game. He's already gone for over 500 yards and this week he will add a lot to that. Clemson is strong, but I don't think they have the defense to keep up with FSU. The Seminole defense is going the story of the game though. The look like the Noles of old and will really keep Tajh Boyd down.

Oklahoma-14 KSU-10 - This will be a really close game. KSU are a really good team this year and Oklahoma may be a bit overrated. If the Wildcats can keep it close in the first half, I think they have a chance. Ultimately, I think the Sooners will feed off the home crowd and pull out the close win.

Notre Dame-10 Michigan-21 - Michigan isn't a great team. The defense may be good enough to keep them in the Big 10 race, Robinson can't pass the ball. The Irish have the same issues with their offense as well. It will truly be a battle of the defenses. I just think that Notre Dame gave their performance of the year last week and that is what gives Michigan the win.

Quick Picks

Iowa- 35 CMU- 10

UCLA- 24 Oregon State- 3

Miami- 20 Georgia Tech- 17

South Carolina- 35 Missouri- 10

Northern Illinois- 20 Kansas- 10

Thanks for reading!

College Football Week 3

Welcome to week three of the college football season and after last week, we are in for a treat. Arkansas' catastrophic loss coupled with a few other major upsets set the tone for the rest of the season. This is going to be one of those seasons where almost no one outside of the top three is safe. I expect a few more teams to have terrible losses this season.
Last week posses some big questions: is the Big Ten as great as many thought they were? Should we lower our expectations of the SEC? Are the lower conferences really that great? Maybe these questions are yes or maybe no, but all I know is that wee are in for one heck of a season.

Last week I went a pretty bad 7-4. I really messed up on the Nebraska pick and let's not even get started on the Miami pick. Let's see what's going on for me this week!

Michigan State- 31 Notre Dame-10 - This will be an interesting game. Notre Dame really took it to Navy on the first week, but the Purdue game really shows me why I should pick Michigan State. The Fighting Irish were very one dimensional against the Boilermakers and that will really help Michigan State. They will stop the run really easily and the Spartans will stop the air raid. The only issue for the Spartans will be Maxwell's play. The game will be closer if he can't get going. If he comes out hot, this game will be over early.

Ohio State- 41 Cal-7 - This game won't be so close. Cal hasn't been a great team and this season holds more of the same. OSU QB Braxton Miller has really blossomed into his role as THE guy and I think he will continue to have success in this game. The Buckeye defense will really be the story though. I think they will really hold the Golden Bear offense.

USC- 51 Stanford-10 -This game won't even be close. I don't think Stanford is that good and this USC team looks unstoppable. Matt Barkley will tear up the defensive secondary and the run game will come around too.

Quick Picks

TCU-41 Kansas-3

Alabama-41 Arkansas-17

Virginia Tech-35 Pitt-0 (I've lost all faith in the Panthers!)

Florida-23 Tennessee-10

BYU-17 Utah-10

Missouri- 31 Arizona State- 10

Thanks for reading!

NFC Preview

Though the leaves aren't falling and there isn't a crispness in the air, football is back. I gave you all you needed to know about college football and so far I think it's going to be a good year. Now it's time for the big boys. As I type this post, the Giants and the Cowboys are about to kick off.

I like the NFL, but I'm not quiet as obsessed with it as I am with soccer and college football. This NFC preview is going to be brief, but I will still tell you where I think everyone is going to be at the end of the year.

Let's Go!

NFC East

1. Philadelphia Eagles- Vick will have a monster year. He will really be what the Eagles envisioned last year and I'm sure that the Eagles won't want the embarrassment they had last season. 

2. New York Giants- The Super Bowl Champions won't be as good as they were last year, but they will still have a solid season. Eli Manning is going to have to carry the team because of all the talent they lost, but if he does, they are looking like a playoff lock. If he doesn't, well... you know.

3. Dallas Cowboys- This is what this team has turned into: a bunch of losers. They are going to fail as "America's" team once again. Romo doesn't have what it takes to be a serious playoff QB and he doesn't have a lot of solid players around him to help out. 

4. Washington Redskins- This team will play better than their fourth place finish, but they play in a tough division. RG3 will have a decent season, but I feel a lot of people are going to be harsh on him after watching Cam Newton tear it up. This team will be dangerous soon, but this won't be the year. 

NFC North

1. Green Bay Packers- The offense will continue to amaze. Rodgers, Jennings, and Nelson are unstoppable and will continue their dominance through the air. The running game will improve with Cedric Benson in the back field. The defense will still need work, but they won't be terrible like last season. 

2. Detroit Lions*- The team from the D will be great. They got great wide outs and Stafford is almost a top 5 QB. The defense will be great as well with all of their play makers. The interesting part will seeing if they can respond from all the off season turmoil.

3. Chicago Bears- They will be right in the running all the way until the end. Cutler will have a good season throwing the ball while the defense will continue to be great. If they played in a weaker division they would be a playoff team. 

4. Minnesota Vikings- Christian Ponder will have another 'meh' kind of year. I don't see a lot in this team especially with the uncertainty surrounding Peterson. If he comes back strong they may have a chance at a .500 season. 

NFC South 

1. New Orleans Saints- Hat an off-season for this team. It would be tough for anyone to overcome it, but Drew Brees isn't just anyone. His leadership will be a huge reason why the Saints win this division. The defense will be depleted, but they can still stop a lot of teams. 

2. Carolina Panthers*- I think this team is going to be scary good this season. Cam Newton will avoid the sophomore slump and the running game will still be prominent. The defense will be the question. If they can give their offense a chance by slowing down the other team, I think they can go far.

3. Atlanta Falcons- Matt Ryan is going to be great, but for some reason these guys won't go to the playoffs. They have all the weapons on offense, but I think the defense is going to get torched by a lot of teams in their division and their conference. 

4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers- This team has some promise. Josh Freeman will have another solid year through the air and LeGarrette Blount will pound teams on the ground. The defense will be improved, but the rest of the offenses in this division will still get the best of them. 

NFC West

1. San Francisco 49'ers- Last year wasn't a fluke. This team will get really close to the Super Bowl again. They added talent on the offensive side and Alex Smith will continue to throw as great as he did last season. The defense will be one of the best in the league and will really shut down some teams. 

2. St. Louis Rams- The Rams will look good this season, but let's remember that they are still miles away from being great. Sam Bradford will mature this season and will cut down on his interceptions this season. Steven Jackson will have another great year on the ground and could have a break out year if he doesn't get hurt.

3. Seattle Seahawks- They added a whole bunch of guys, but they are unproven. Marshawn Lynch will be the star of this team and will continue to pound other teams on the ground. The defense will be iffy and will be what ultimately keeps them from getting better. 

4. Arizona Cardinals- There are a lot of issues with this team. The QB situation is going to be the main story line of the season because the rest of the team isn't worth talking about. They will have a chance to have a high draft pick though! 

*Wild Card Teams

NFC Championship Game

Packers over 49ers

Thanks for reading

College Football Week Comes to a Close

Big 10, Big 12, SEC, and my top 25 today! Plus I'm going to give you a few picks for tonight games! Enjoy!

Big Ten

Legends

1. Nebraska 10-2 (6-2) – The defense was pretty bad last year. They got a lot of guys back now and I think that will help with the cohesiveness. They are scattered throughout the unit so there will be some blown plays at times, but they will be few and far between. On offense, QB Taylor Martinez is one of the best in the conference on the ground. He will get a little better through the air this season, but the pass game still won’t be the focus. RB Taylor Burkhead will also be a beast this fall. He should rush for about 1,500 yards this season.

Key Wins: Michigan, Michigan State, Penn State. Key Losses: Ohio State, Northwestern.

2. Michigan 9-3 (6-2) – This Wolverine team is going to be dangerous. QB Denard Robinson will be a beast all fall and should be a dark horse for the Heisman. He has Roundtree to throw it to and Toussaint to hand it off to; what’s not to like. The defense will continue to be great as well. They have an improved secondary through experience and their ability to not let the other team score will be uncanny. The only problem is that I think they will be streaky this season. The Big 10 is one of those leagues that has a lot of interesting upsets. Michigan could easily go 11-1, but with how the league is I think they lose a few.

Key Wins: Michigan State, Notre Dame, Iowa. Key Losses: Alabama, Nebraska, Ohio State.

3. Iowa 9-3 (5-3) – I think Iowa is going to kill it this year. Not a lot of people have confidence in this team, but I just got a feeling about them. They have a weaker schedule, but will lose to all the big teams.  QB James Vanderberg will be the star again and should near 3,500 yards this season. The run game could be an issue. They could start a sophomore and the fact that they don’t have the best line doesn’t help. The defense will get better this season. The secondary looks to be improved and they will need to be. The group was one of worst in the Big 10 last season.

Key Wins: Northwestern, Penn State, Iowa State. Key Losses: Michigan, Nebraska, Michigan State.

4. Northwestern 9-3 (5-3) – For some reason I’m hot on this Wildcat team. They have an easy out conference season and I think they will win the close games this season. I know they don’t have a lot of guys coming back, but I think they are still going to have a solid season. The defense will still need more work. The do have a solid middle of the D, but the secondary is going to be pretty bad. The offense will have lost a lot last year, but the wideouts are back. I think they will help the young QB Kain Colter adjust to his new position.

Key Wins: Michigan State, Nebraska, Penn State. Key Losses: Michigan, Illinois, Iowa.

5. Michigan State 8-4 (4-4) – This Spartan team is going to be interesting. I don’t think they are going to be that good (as Big 10 standards go). The defense is there. With all the juniors and seniors on that squad it’s hard to not be scared. The middle of that defense will pass rush with the best of them and will stop the run just as well. The only problem is going to be the offense. They have the line to be great, but the players they block for are not as great. The QB situation is going to be interesting. I don’t think either of the guys have the arm to make it through a tough Big 10 schedule. Plus the running game isn’t going to be any better.

Key Wins: Wisconsin, Notre Dame, Boise State. Key Losses: Michigan, Nebraska, Ohio State.

6. Minnesota 2-10 (0-8) – This is another bad Minnesota team. They will get their two wins out of conference and they will actually lose to a MAC team. They don’t have a lot of guys coming back, but QB MarQueis Gray will be back. He is the entire Gopher team. Without him they might as well go down to the MAC.

Key Wins: UNLV, New Hampshire. Key Losses: Western Michigan, Iowa, Nebraska.

Leaders

1. Ohio State* 11-1 (7-1) – Ohio State might be one of the better teams this season. Though they don’t have any post season hopes, Urban Meyer will keep his team motivated. QB Braxton Miller will be much improved from last season. He has TE Jake Stoneburner as his security blanket and RB Carlos Hyde will finally have the space he needs to shine. The offensive line could be an issue for the Bucks. They don’t have too many returning starters, but the guys have the skills to learn quickly. The defense will be solid on the line and in the secondary. It will be interesting to see how the linebackers respond to the pressure. It shouldn’t be too much of an issue because Ohio State knows how to put together a defense.

Key Wins: Michigan, Michigan State, Nebraska, Cal. Key Losses: Wisconsin.

2. Wisconsin 10-2 (6-2) – Wisconsin lost a lot of talent last season, but they do have RB Montee Ball. With OSU out of the running for post season play, they will dominate the rest of their weak division and even beat OSU. Montee Ball will have another huge season along with his line. The QB position will be the issue. Danny O’Brien will be the start, but he will have some growing pains this year. The defense will have some success this year. They will still be a top 5 unit in the Big 10 and they will really help the Badgers this season.

Key Wins: Illinois, Ohio State, Oregon State. Key Losses: MSU, Nebraska.

3. Illinois 8-4 (4-4) – The Illini are primed for a great season. I think that their schedule will allow them to get off to a hot start. They do play a lot of the great Big 10 teams early though, so they will be in the basement for most of the season. QB Nathan Steelhaase is going to have a great year. He is a force in the air and on the ground. He will single handedly carry this team. The running game does need to show up though. Donovonn Young will need to be the guy this year. I think he will have the speed and illusiveness to really get the ground game going. The defense will be near the top of the conference again. The pass rush will only get better this season and the amazing secondary should stay the same.

Key Wins: Minnesota, Purdue, Northwestern. Key Losses: Ohio State, Wisconsin, Penn State.

4. Penn State* 6-6 (2-6) – It’s hard to gage this team after this offseason hell. They are either going to 

come out inspired or they are going to be absolutely terrible. I think they have a mixture of that this season. QB Matt McGloin shouldn’t have too many issues leading them against the out of conference opponents. When it comes to the conference though, he will struggle. The defense should have another great year. I don’t think they can duplicate last season where they only allowed 16.8 points per game, but they will still be respectable.

5. Purdue 5-7 (2-6) – Another ho-hum year for the Boilermakers. They will have one heck of a battle for QB this season, but whoever gets it will have options around him. WR O.J. Ross and TE Cosby Wright will be the main playmakers and the line will be pretty good. The defense will continue to struggle. They have a lot of guys coming back, but it will still be hard for them. The d-line will be able to bring the pressure, but the secondary will still have holes.

Key Wins: Minnesota, Indiana, Marshall. Key Loss: Michigan, Wisconsin, Notre Dame.

6. Indiana 4-8 (0-8) – Indiana will still be a bad team this season. They just don’t have the draw like the rest of the Big 10 teams so the recruiting suffers. All of their out of conference games should be wins, but I might be a bit generous. The offense will improve a bit. RB Stephen Houston will be the star. He might get close to 1,000 yards on the ground this season. The defense was bad last season, but they will be a bit better this year. They got a lot of guys coming back and I think the experience will help them.

Key Wins: Navy, Ball State, Indiana State. Key Losses: All conference games.

Championship: Nebraska over Wisconsin 

Big 12

1. Oklahoma 11-1 (8-1) – Oklahoma will rise to the top of the Big 12 this season. Their rivals won’t be as good and QB Laudry Jones will do just enough to make them a national championship contender. He will throw well over 4,000 yards again this season. All the other key positions will have enough talent infused that they will be very successful. The defense will continue to be dominating in the secondary. They will need to work on the pass rush, but I believe Coach Stoops will be able to change it around. Unfortunately, the in state rivals will spoil the party once again.

Key Wins: West Virginia, TCU, Texas. Key Loss: Oklahoma State.

2. West Virginia 10-2 (7-2) – They are going to be the surprise team from the Big 12. They will handle the transition with flying colors. QB Geno Smith is going to be one of the best passers in the nation. If they can get a running game to go along with that, I think they could really be going places. Smith also has his wide outs and his line. There isn’t much to hate about the offense. The defense might be the issue. They were pretty bad in the Big East last season, but that doesn’t mean they can’t adapt. They will be tested early and often in the Big 12 and I think that will pull them together.

Key Wins: TCU, Texas, Baylor. Key Losses: Oklahoma, Kansas State.

3. TCU 10-2 (7-2) – Though this is TCU’s first season in the Big 12, they have the pedigree to win a lot of games. To be honest, I think they needed the new challenge. Now that they have a lot of hard games they are going to try harder. They are returning someone in every key position on offense. QB Casey Pachall is going to have a good year. The running game will also be solid. They have two very capable backs and that will really help them out. The defense is good at stopping the run, but the passing game is really going to hurt them. The secondary is going to need some improvement if they are going to make it in the Big 12.

Key Wins: Texas, Kansas State, Oklahoma State. Key Losses: West Virginia, Oklahoma.

4. Oklahoma State 10-2 (7-2) – The Cowboys are going to take a few steps back this season, but they will continue to get wins. The freshman QB problem might be an issue this season. The running game will have to pick up the slack. RB Joe Randle will have another stellar season and will really help OSU win some games. The defense will need some help. They did a good job last year bending and not breaking, but they will need to stop the pass. If the secondary can get it together, this team becomes really dangerous.

Key Wins: Oklahoma, Texas, Baylor. Key Losses: TCU, West Virginia.

5. Texas 8-4 (5-4) – A lot of people think this team is back on the rise. I just don’t see it. Mac Brown is a great coach, but he is really going to have to work some magic if this team is going to get a sniff of the top three. The QB and RB battles will be an interesting storyline this season. I don’t know if they are going to be able to find a constant starter though. The line will be really good and whoever the QB is will have options. The defense was really good last year and I think that will continue. The defense will be the reason that they win most of their games this season.

Key Wins: Kansas State, Baylor, Texas Tech. Key Losses: Oklahoma, TCU, West Virginia.

6. Baylor 7-5 (4-5) – Baylor lost RG3, but they will still have some great players. I’m not expecting a season like last year from the Bears, but they will be dangerous. QB Nick Florence will have learned a few things from RG3 and I think the wideouts will help out. The defensive secondary is also looking great. They are all returning and that will really help them improve from last season’s last place finish.

Key Wins: Texas Tech, Kansas State, Iowa State. Key Losses: Texas, TCU, WV.

7. Kansas State 7-5 (4-5) – QB Collin Klein is on the edge of stardom. Now that some great play calling talent has left the conference, he can take center stage. He had over 1,000 yards on the ground last season. He was also able to get over 1,000 through the air. They are going to need the passing game to come around, so WR Chris Harper will really have to step up. The defense will continue to stay near the top of the conference. Their ability to stop the run will continue to be great, but the pass defense will regress this season.

Key Wins: West Virginia, Kansas, Miami. Key Losses: TCU, Baylor, Texas.

8. Iowa State 4-8 (2-7) – I think Iowa State had a dream season last year. I know Paul Rhoads can get his team motivated, but there is more talent in the Big 12 this year so the Cyclones will regress. The offense will be proficient. RB James White will have a decent season and should almost get to 1,000. The defense will once again be middle of the road. The pass rush won’t be so great, but the pass defense should be scary.

Key Wins: Kansas, Texas Tech, Tulsa. Key Losses: Baylor, West Virginia, Kansas State.

9. Texas Tech 5-7 (2-7) – It’s been a long time since we’ve seen the Tech of old. The defense will continue to be the issue for them this season. They never seem to have the same coordinator from year to year and I don’t think they have the talent to hang with the great Big 12 offenses. The offense will continue to be pretty explosive. WR Eric Ward will double his receiving stats this season and will lead the offense.

Key Wins: Iowa State, Kansas, Texas State. Key Losses: Kansas State, Texas, Baylor. 

10. Kansas 3-9 (0-9) – Once again; another school that should stick to basketball. Head coach Charlie Weis could help the Jayhawks get to .500 someday, but not this year. The offense doesn’t have a lot besides the left side of the line. At the moment it’s kind of hard to see who is going to be the star on the scoring side, but time will tell. The defense also doesn’t have a lot of guys. Overall, Kansas is just the bottom of the Big 12 barrel.

Key Wins: Rice, Northern Illinois, South Dakota State.

SEC

East

1. Georgia 11-1 (7-1) – Georgia is a serious contender in the SEC. They aren’t a LSU or Bama, but they still have a lot of talent on both sides of the ball. QB Aaron Murry is going to have another wonderful season and will probably improve on his numbers. The running game will need to get tuned up though. The Bulldogs have some young guys that look like they could have some big seasons on the ground. The defense looks just as good as last year. They only have two new starters and their experience will lead them to another great season.

Key Wins: South Carolina, Missouri, Florida. Key Loss: Auburn.

2. South Carolina 9-3 (5-3) – The Gamecocks have been one of the SEC’s best for years now. They will continue to be one of the great teams this year. They have a great running game in RB Marcus Lattimore. He will run for over 1,000 yards this season and really rack up the points. QB Connor Shaw should be great as well. He will throw for over 2,000 yards this season. The defense is truly what makes this team great though. They will have another great season as they climb the national rankings for defense. The secondary might take a hit this season, but they should still be one of the best in the nation.

Key Wins: Missouri, Florida, Clemson. Key Losses: Georgia, LSU, Arkansas.

3. Missouri 9-3 (5-3) – For some reason I think the new comers are going to do really well. They are going to get off to a rocky start, but as the season goes on they are going to get some quality wins. The offense lost their running back, but I’m confident that Senior Kendial Lawrence will have learned enough from the system to have a great year running the ball. QB James Franklin is also going to be really good. His dual threat ability will make him a hard matchup for defenses. The defense will regress a bit. They won’t be used to the speed of the SEC and will give up some big player early, but should have a great season.

Key Wins: Tennessee, Florida, Arizona State. Key Losses: Alabama, South Carolina, Georgia.

4. Florida 9-3 (5-3) – This Florida team is going to shock a lot of people. They will have the fire power to hang with the best, but they won’t quite be able to beat them. QB Jacoby Brissett will have a pretty good year as the starter and will throw for close to 3,000 yards. The running game will have to pick it up this season and with Mike Gillislee’s speed I think they will. The defense got a lot of guys back. They will continue to stay near the top of the country at everything they do. The secondary will continue to be stellar with Safety Matt Elam.

Key Wins: Texas A&M, Florida State, South Carolina. Key Losses: Missouri, Georgia, LSU.

5. Tennessee 6-6 (2-6) – This Tennessee team would be top 3 in almost any other conference, but not the SEC. The have returning starters all over the roster and I think last season created a lot of momentum. QB Tyler Bray will have a great season throwing for over 2,500 yards. The running game will suffer though. It will continue to be one of the worst in the SEC because of the lack of experience in the position. The defensive secondary will be tough. They were middle of the road in the SEC last season, but 12^th nationally. They will get better there. The run stopping will need some work. The linebackers will really be tested this season.

Key Wins: Vanderbilt, Kentucky, NC State. Key Losses: Florida, Georgia, Mississippi State.

6. Kentucky 5-7 (2-6) – Kentucky isn’t an SEC power house for football, but they will still put up a great fight. The Wildcats will be near bowl contention at the end of the year, but the lack of a run game will really hurt them. Their line isn’t that big and the running backs aren’t elusive enough to make up for that. The defense will have a great line and secondary. They will still need to work on stopping the run though. The line backers are going to have to play big if the defense wants to have a chance.

Key Wins: Vanderbilt, Mississippi State, Kent State. Key Losses: Tennessee, Florida, Louisville.

7. Vanderbilt 4-8 (1-7) – I feel bad hating on Aaron Rodger’s little brother, but this team can’t do it in the SEC. The offense will be good, but not great. They got guys at all the key positions and they are all experienced. QB Jordan Rodgers will improve on last year’s stats and get close to 2,000 yards through the air. The defense will be middle of the road as well. Though they are nearly a top 25 defense, they are vanilla in the SEC.

Key Wins: Ole Miss, Wake Forest, UMass. Key Losses: Tennessee, Kentucky, Missouri.

West

1. Alabama 12-0 (8-0) – I know Bama lost a lot of players, but they do every year. This is a great program. Nick Saban will really shock some people with the depth this season. The defense won’t be the best in the nation, but I guarantee you they will be close. They are filled with a lot of new talent that is going to explode onto the scene this year. The offense will miss the running game of Trent Richardson, but that line is so good I think anyone can go for 1,000 behind them. QB, AJ McCarron and his wide outs are going to be the key. If they can improve on not dropping the ball, the Tide could roll all the way.

Key Wins: LSU, Arkansas, Auburn. No Losses.

2. LSU 11-1 (7-1) – The Tigers will be back in full force this season and will really compete will Bama. Though they lost Tyrann Mathieu, this team will be good. The passing game will still be the highlight of the offense, but the running game will improve. They got a good set of tail backs and will pound out some good yards this season. The defense will be close to their form last year. The secondary isn’t going to be as good, but I expect the pass rush and run stopping abilities to still be there.

Key Wins: Arkansas, Texas A&M, Washington. Key Loss: Alabama.

3. Arkansas 10-2 (6-2) – I would group these guys in with South Carolina. They would be a national championship contender anywhere else, but they play in the SEC. QB Tyler Wilson is the best in the conference and he will be unstoppable with his tight ends. The running game is what might bring this team down. If they can get that everybody needs to watch out. The defense is also an area of concern. They give up a lot of yards on the ground. The senior line backers are going to need to do a lot this season if they want to go to a BCS bowl.

Key Wins: South Carolina, Auburn, Texas A&M. Key Losses: Alabama, LSU.

4. Auburn 7-5 (3-5) – Though the years of Cam Newton seem to be light years in the past, the Tigers will still be on the prowl. The offense will be better than last year. The running game will continue to be efficient, but the passing game is really going to need some work. The Tigers will have a young QB no matter what. The wide outs will really have to help out. Both of them are seniors and have a ton of experience in the SEC and should tear up some teams. The defense won’t be the worst in the SEC, but they won’t be too far from it.

Key Wins: Clemson, Mississippi State, Ole Miss. Key Losses: Alabama, LSU, Arkansas.

5. Texas A&M 6-6 (2-6) – I think the Aggies are going to have a hard time crossing over to the SEC. They lost a lot of talent last year and couldn’t keep a lead in the fourth quarter. The offense won’t have the same bite they had last season. The defense won’t be too much better. They will get to the QB, but the secondary has so many holes. They won’t have a problem stopping the rushing game, so they should have that to lean on.

Key Wins: Mississippi State, Auburn, SMU. Key Losses: Missouri, Ole Miss, Florida.

6. Mississippi State 6-6 (2-6) –  The Bulldogs have gotten better over the years and they could get into another bowl game. The wide outs will be outstanding this season. They just won’t have someone to throw it to them. QB Tyler Russell will need to adjust quickly or this team doesn’t have a chance. The defense has a chance to be pretty good. I think they will allow less yards through the air this season. The will regress a bit in the other departments though.

Key Wins: Ole Miss, Tennessee, South Alabama. Key Losses: Arkansas, Texas A&M, Kentucky.

7. Ole Miss 4-8 (1-7) – This isn’t a very good team, but they should be on the rise from last season. RB Jeff Scott is the offense and at the moment and he will rush for close to 1,000 yards. The defense isn’t very good either. They are going to get torn up by a lot of teams this season. Almost all of their wins will be from out of conference games, but I think they can shock one team in the SEC.

Key Wins: Texas A&M, Tulane, UTEP. Key Losses: Mississippi State, Auburn, Vanderbilt.

Championship: Alabama Over Georgia

Top 25

1. USC

2. Alabama

3. LSU

4. Oklahoma

5. Oregon

6. Ohio State

7. Georgia

8. Nebraska

9. West Virginia

10. Florida State

11. Virginia Tech

12. South Carolina

13. Arkansas

14. Michigan

15. Oklahoma State

16. Wisconsin

17. North Carolina

18. Florida

19. TCU

20. Missouri

21. Stanford

22. Iowa

23. Clemson

24. Boise State

25. Louisville

Today's Picks:

CMU 42 - SE Missouri State- 3

South Carolina 45 - Vanderbilt 14

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College Football Week: Day Five

It's the West and the East on the blog today! 

Enjoy!

PAC 12

North

1. Oregon 11-1 (8-1) – This team has lost a lot this off season, but Chip Kelly has done a great job at getting some new talent. The running game will continue to be great for this Ducks team. RB Kenjon Barner is a seasoned vet and De’Athoney Thomas is the speedster of the country. Now that they have their QB in Marcus Mariota, they are primed for another high scoring season. The defense is also coming along. Very quietly they have become one of the best units in the nation. Linebacker Michael Clay will be the leader of the defense and should help them to have a great season.

Key Wins: Washington, Stanford, Cal. Key Losses: USC.

2. Stanford 9-3 (7-2) – They lost the best QB in the nation last season and that will show. There will be times this season where they will just struggle to win, but they still have enough players on this team to compete. They also have the advantage of playing in the depleted North Division. The offense may not be very good next season, but the defense should. The line backers will be key. They need to serve as a good bridge between the secondary and the d-line. With Chase Thomas, I think they should be able to do so.

 Key Wins: Arizona, Cal, Washington. Key Losses: USC, Oregon, Notre Dame.

3. Washington 8-4 (6-3) – The U Dub is back. They had an interesting bowl game with Baylor last season and I think that could point to success this season. The offense will be great. It may be one of the few in the conference that could go score for score with Oregon’s QB Keith Price will be great this season. He may be one of the best QBs all year. The defense will be the downfall. They were one of the worst in the country and if you are in a close game, you are going to need to make a few stops. They do have some guys coming back, but there are major problems with this defense.

Key Wins: Washington State, Arizona, Cal. Key Losses: USC, Oregon, Stanford.

4. California 7-5 (5-4) – The offense will be good. It won’t be as good as other great offenses in the conferences, but they will be dangerous out of conference. Isi Sofele will be an amazing threat on the ground and will really support the offense. The defense will be the best part about this team. They are great at stopping the pass and this year will be more of the same. Look for the safety Josh Hill to have a big year stopping opposing QBs.

Key Wins: UCLA, Oregon State, Washington State. Key Losses: Oregon, Stanford, Ohio State.

5. Washington State 4-8 (2-7) – The Cougars will have another down year. There is just too many great teams in the PAC-12 for WSU to be successful. The offense doesn’t have a lot of great players in the big roles. The offensive line should be solid, but the guys they are blocking for aren’t going to be there. The secondary will be the best part of this team. They will improve on their numbers from last year and should force a few mistakes from other teams.

Key Wins: Oregon State, Colorado, UNLV. Key Losses: Utah, UCLA, Washington

6. Oregon State 2-10 (1-8) – This will be another down year for the Beavers. The offense has potential, but it won’t be here quite yet. QB Sean Mannion will be a great player down the road and when he gets there, the Beavers will be good. The defense will go from the cellar to the middle of the PAC 12. They have a lot of guys coming back and they will get some quality games out of them. OSU still has a long way to go.

Key Wins: Nicholls State, Utah. Key Losses: Cal, Washington State, Oregon.

South

1. USC 12-0 (8-0) – This team may be the best in all the land. QB Matt Barkly is going to have one hell of a season and he will pretty much carry the team. The running game may be in question, but now that they got Silas Redd from Penn State that problem will be solved. The defense will be great too. The secondary will be incredible. They will be able to stop the likes of any great team in the nation. The only problem they might have is out scoring Oregon twice. They will beat them in the regular season and I’m confident they will be able to do it in the Pac 12 title game.

Key Wins: All of them. Key Losses: None.

2. Utah 7-5 (5-4) – Utah will be an ok team, but in the easy PAC 12 south they will be near five hundred. The wide receiving corps is incredible for this team. They are really experienced and they will carry this team. The defense will also be really good. Last season they wouldn’t let other teams score and I expect that to continue with the great defense that they have. Bending and not breaking is a very successful tactic and I believe it will pay dividends for the Utes.

Key Wins: Utah State, Arizona State, Washington State. Key Losses: USC, Oregon State, Washington.  

3. Arizona 6-6 (4-5) – Rich Rod will have a good first season with Arizona. They will have some great wins this season, but the losses will come too. The offense will have to replace a lot of key players but the whole offensive line is back. This will help the rest of the offense as they start this season. The defense will be interesting as well. They have some great players coming back, but there are a lot of young guys. This team will need to get off to a good start if they want to finish out the season in a decent fashion.

Key Wins: Oregon State, UCLA, Colorado.  Key Losses: Oregon, Utah, USC.

4. UCLA 6-6 (4-5) – UCLA just hasn’t been the program of old. They did somehow make it to the PAC 12 championship game last season, but I can promise you that won’t happen again for a while. The rushing game will once again be the focal point for the Bruins and they will have great success running the ball. The passing game will really need some work if they want to score a lot more. The defense will be solid. They can’t stop the run so well, but when offenses take to the air they will hold their own. This team will have an interesting year, but will end up with as many wins as losses.

Key Wins: Arizona State, Washington State, Colorado. Key Losses: California, Utah, USC.

5. Arizona State 4-8 (3-6) – The Sun Devils won’t have a good season. They seem to have the right running backs in Cameron Marshall and Marion Grice, but the QB just isn’t there. They will have a decent running game this season. It won’t be one of the best in the conference, but it will be respectable. The passing game will really need some work. The defense will be middle of the road again. They will have some games were they look like they are coming around, but they will also regress throughout the season. Overall, this team isn’t anything special.

6. Colorado 3-9 (0-9) – Colorado has been one of the worst teams in all of the land for some time now and that isn’t going to change this year. They will get all of their wins through the out of conference schedule, but the PAC 12 will not be kind. One day this team will be a contender in the PAC 12, but that could be years from now. In short, the offense will be bad and the defense won’t be as bad. Whoopie.

Key Wins: Colorado State, Sacramento State, Fresno State. Key Losses: All Conference games.

Championship: USC over OREGON

Big East

1. Pittsburgh 9-3 (6-1) – Pitt will be a solid team this year which quite frankly is all you need to win the in Big East. A lot of people are down on them, but there are a lot of toss up games in this conference and for some reason I think they will be able to pull it out. The offense is filled with great targets for QB Tino Sunseri. He is used to his wide outs and that will really pay dividends as the season goes one. The already great running game will also get better from last year. The defense will also be solid. The secondary is filled with talent and will continue to improve on their marks from last year. The problem will be who can get to the quarterback. Both lines in front of the secondary have few returning starters.

Key Wins: Louisville, Syracuse, Cincinnati. Key Losses: South Florida, Virginia Tech, Notre Dame.  

2. Louisville 9-3 (5-2) – Louisville should be on the national radar this season. They have a great chance of turning some heads this year. Freshman QB Teddy Bridgewater broke on to the scene last year and should be better in his second season. His line is about the same and that should help him improve the scoring problem they had last season. The defense also has a lot of players coming back and they will continue to be one of the stingier defenses in the Big East.

Key Wins: South Florida, Kentucky, Cincinnati. Key Losses: Pitt, Syracuse, North Carolina.  

3. South Florida 8-4 (5-2) – South Florida has had a decent program over the years. They will continue that tradition by getting to another bowl game this season. It’s no secret that QB B.J. Daniels has been inconsistent, but this will be the year that he figures it out. He’s got a lot of guys around him that he knows and I think that there is just enough new talent to freshen his career up. He won’t have as good of a running game to rely on, but it will still be efficient. The defense will be good as well with a great set of line backers that will rush the QB and really create some frustration for the opposing offense.

Key Wins: Pitt, Cincinnati, Nevada. Key Losses: Louisville, Syracuse, Florida State.

4. Cincinnati 7-5 (4-3) – In years past the Bear Cats have had a prolific scoring offense. This year will be a different story. They don’t have the same personal as they did last year and that will really hurt them. WR Kenbell Thompkins will be the guy to watch. He will have to be a great leader for this team to get off the ground. The defense will still be great at stopping the running game, but the passing game will still be an issue.

Key Wins: UConn, Syracuse, Temple. Key Losses: South Florida, Louisville, Pittsburgh.

5. Rutgers 8-4 (3-4) – This is another solid team in the Big East. They will have plenty of chances for wins, but they will not do so well in the conference. They have a new coach and lost some talent and WR, but I think there are enough leaders on this team to make a difference this season. The offense will be so-so, but the defense will be the talking point. They have some serious talent returning and the young guys will be able to feed off that. Khaseem Greene will be a crucial point for this team and will stop the passing game in amazing ways. All they need to do is figure out how to stop the run and they should be fine.

Key Wins: Syracuse, Temple, UConn. Key Losses: Cincinnati, Arkansas, South Florida.

6. Syracuse 5-7 (3-4) – ‘Cuse has been known for its wonderful basketball program. The football program won’t be that bad this year either. I know 5-7 isn’t really good, but when you compare it to other basketball power houses, it is. They will be very bi-polar this year. I think they will have trouble beating the teams they should and then shocking teams that they shouldn’t beat. Neither side of the ball for this team really sticks out to me though. They have a senior QB in Ryan Nassib, but he isn’t that impressive. In short, this will be a middle of the road team that could have you shaking your head every week.

Key Wins: South Florida, Temple, Louisville. Key Losses: UConn, Northwestern, Rutgers.

7. UConn 4-8 (2-5) – The offense really isn’t there for this team. They do have Lyle McCombs, but he will be the only thing. He will have another 1,000 yard season and could be looked at by NFL teams come this off-season  The defense is shaky, but they will be able to do one thing: stop the run. They were ranked number three in the nation last year in run prevention and I think they will do it again with their talented linebackers.

Key Wins: Temple, Syracuse, Buffalo. Key Losses: Western Michigan, Rutgers, Maryland.

8. Temple 2-9 (0-8) – After a few years in the MAC, this team won’t be ready for the Big East. They will have a lot of close games, but I don’t think they will be able to close them out. They pretty much have a new offense this season. They won’t be able to handle ever some of the worst Big East defenses and their scoring will suffer. The defense has the potential to be a high point for the Owls, but that is a big maybe.

Key Wins: Villanova, Army. Key Losses: All Conference games.

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