Fixing the Pro Bowl

The NFL's Pro Bowl has degenerated into something so despicable that as one of the last two football games of the year it barely serves as a suitable appetizer before the football feast that is Super Bowl week.

I tuned into last night's Pro Bowl for about ten minutes and after the second or third whistle that signaled a play had been blown dead because a running back had gained all the forward progress he could and just stopped running, I promptly changed the channel.

Excluding the sideline interview with a bleeding JJ Watt (whose bloody finger and ensuing comment to the Commish about "playing hard" felt more staged than the last production of Wicked), nobody seemed concerned with even creating the illusion that they cared about being out there.

The problem with the Pro Bowl? How much time do you have? Plagued by an absence of some of the game's biggest stars, no real consequences and poor timing, the NFL's Pro Bowl is the worst All-Star game in pro sports.

So how do we fix the Pro Bowl? I'm glad you asked:

Raise the stakes 
One of the biggest knocks on the Pro Bowl is that it feels like it doesn't matter, because, frankly, it doesn't. Nobody gives a damn! Any depressed retail manager will tell you that to get people to care about what they're doing, you must add incentive.
There is no home field advantage for the Super Bowl, so let's toss something stupid like that out of the window (here's looking at you, Bud Selig). Why not pepper in some real consequences?
How about cash incentives for big plays? Wouldn't it be great to realize that not only did Antonio Cromartie make a great play and pick off Eli Manning, but he also just paid child support for one of his 25 kids?
What about letting stats in the Pro Bowl count for something? Pipe down football purists, you know it'd be great TV to watch Drew Brees or Tom Brady chase records against a bunch of All-Stars.
You could even get a little gimmicky with it. The winning conference stays at a luxury hotel for next year's Super Bowl, loser stays at a Motel 6 by the highway. The possibilities are endless, just something, anything to add some intrigue to what is now a boring, insufferable contest.

Change the rules 
Here's a list of things prohibited in the Pro Bowl:

• Motion or shifting by the offense 
• Having three receivers on the same side of the formation 
• Anything other than a 4-3 defense 
• Blitzing 
• Press coverage outside of five yards 
• Rushing on a punt, FG or PAT 

Are you kidding me? Are we even playing football anymore? Time to cut the boys loose. Let 'em play, Roger. 

Goodell might also consider adding a "Commissioner's Choice" selection to the roster. Who wouldn't want to see Ray Lewis squirrel dance his way across Aloha Stadium one last time? 

Hell, while we're here, why not let one old pro come back for each squad? Wouldn't adding a Brett Farve or a Jerome Bettis greatly increase the intrigue of what is now an utterly uninteresting game? I'm not suggesting an old-timer's football game (now THAT would be unwatchable), but adding a football version of a "designated hitter" to the Pro Bowl would at least be an interesting wrinkle and at worst a lawsuit, but I think the Shield can handle another one of those. 

Guarantee Player Contracts for the Next Year
Admittedly, I stole this one from Peter King, who on the Dan Patrick Show this morning smartly stated that if you guarantee a player's contract for the next season, they're likely to give more effort in the game. (It should also be noted that when initially asked about the Pro Bowl King stated, "I don't want the Pro Bowl." King 1, Commish 0.)
Football is a violent game and injuries are going to happen, but if the players cared about getting hurt, they wouldn't be playing football. They care about getting paid. So make sure they'll get their green through the coming year and we're going to hear the pads popping a little louder in Honolulu.

Move the Date
For the most part, All-Star games are inconsequential, but playing the Pro Bowl a week before the BIGGEST GAME OF THE YEAR dwarfs its importance even more.
I propose moving it to the third Sunday in February, which this year would be the 17th. All-Star Games should feel like a bonus, not like they've been crammed between two high-stakes weekends of football. Moving it to two weeks after the Super Bowl allows a week of celebration for the victors and the option of playing football at a high level one last time before the long offseason begins.

Like the ideas? Have some better ones? E-mail the blog at sick.nick.sports@gmail.com.

College Football Week 14: The Everything Burrito

I recently treated myself to a steak dinner at a local restaurant and, not having had steak in quite some time, I savored every last morsel of meat, right down to the fatty parts that most people cut off because their "refined" palettes are too good for the excess fat (but I, being impoverished, do not make such discriminations).

I hope this column is like a fine steak after a long, dark steak-less period in your life. The season is nearing its glorious end where two teams will play in a national championship game that everyone will complain about and we've got a lot of ground to cover: conference championships, the Heisman trophy presentation and rivalries (sorry, no NHL report cards as requested; the NHL is on ice). So pop some Adderall and let's get to it.

Championship Weight

Before we get to the fatty parts of the steak, let's stick with what has been the lean, choice cut of this column for its illustrious two-year existence: previews and predictions. 

ACC Championship, No. 13 Florida State vs. Georgia Tech 

We'll roll through these championship games in order of ascending entertainment value (excluding the C-USA title game because 1. I'm my own editor and 2. The game between UCF and Tulsa doesn't have BCS implications. Sorry Golden Knights and Hurricanes.). By that token, it's no surprise the ACC title games slides into dead last, as the ACC has been an absolute dumpster fire this year. How bad is the ACC? Coaches are leaving to coach at Kentucky (which is and always will be a basketball school), that's how bad. 

Speaking of sinking ships, if Florida State has shown they can do anything this year, it's beat up on inferior competition (NC State notwithstanding) and they should be able to do just that against Georgia Tech. 

In college football, you are who you play and if you look at GT's schedule, their 6-6 record becomes even more underwhelming. A 21-point loss to Middle Tennessee State, a 24-point loss to BYU, a mid-season firing of the defensive coordinator and then a dismantling at the hands of Georgia last week suggest that any team with marginal offensive talent can score on the Yellow Jackets. 

While the Seminoles are perhaps not as good as we thought they were (that's the best you're getting Gator fans. I will tip my hat no further.), they are still talented on offense and at least should be able to score on Saturday. Triple option be damned, 'Noles win in Charlotte. 

Pac-12 Championship Game, No. 16 UCLA vs. No. 8 Stanford 

Wait, didn't we just do this? We did? That's right, Stanford will play UCLA for the Pac-12 title less than seven days after beating them in their regular season finale, 35-17. 

What did we learn last week? Only that Stanford's defense could handle Jonathan Franklin (1,506 rushing yards, 11 TDs) and Brett Hundley (3,234 passing yards, 26 TDs) and that between Stepfan Taylor and Zach Ertz, the Cardinal can muster enough offense to beat the higher scoring members of the Pac-12 (as they did with Oregon earlier in the month). 

What will we learn Saturday? That defense really does win championships. The Cardinal will stymie the Bruins for a second consecutive week, this time on their home turf. Stanford silences UCLA...again. 

Big Ten Championship, No. 12 Nebraska vs. Wisconsin

While the ACC has been awful, the Big Ten has suffered a down year as well, thanks in part to NCAA sanctions, but also thanks to just some really awful football. One of the bigger disappointments in college football this year has been Wisconsin, who made the Rose Bowl the past two years and will be playing to do so again on Saturday. 

The only thing standing in their way? The Grenade Launcher and the Cornhuskers offense. It took some time, but after giving up 63 earlier in the year to Ohio State, I think we can put the "Blackshirts" moniker normally given to Nebraska's vicious defense to rest and recognize that Taylor Martinez and the offense is the strength of this team. 

And I think that strength will carry Nebraska to victory. It's just been too disappointing a year for Wisconsin between Montee Ball's injuries and a five-loss season, including last week's overtime loss to a Penn State team that literally had NOTHING to play for except pride (and while we're here, good for Bill O'Brien and the guys on Penn State's squad, who, while they won't get to go to a bowl game, far exceeded everyone's expectations). 

I'll take the Huskers to win and replace the Badgers in the Rose Bowl this year. 

MAC Championship, No. 21 Northern Illinois vs. No. 17 Kent State

Whoa, a MAC team is ranked in the BCS Top 25? Wait, TWO MAC teams are ranked in the BCS Top 25? Now you're telling me there are two WAC teams also in the Top 25? I think the Mayans might have been right about 2012.

All kidding aside, (and I never thought I'd say this), but the showdown between the Golden Flashes and the Huskies could actually be worth the watch. Friday's game in Detroit pits pedigree against passion. The Huskies have won 11 games each of the last three years while Kent State eclipsed five wins for the first time since 2006, willing their way to an 11-win season. 

Both teams have dynamic playmakers in NIU's Jordan Lynch (who leads the team in passing and rushing, accounting for a total of 39 TDs) and Kent State's tandem of Dri Archer and Trayion Durham, both of which are over 1,000 yards and are tied for a team leading 14 touchdowns. 

In the end though, I think NIU is the overall better football team. They're more experienced, play better defense than the Golden Flashes and Lynch can and will carry his team to victory if he has to. NIU by a nose (sorry James). 

SEC Championship, No. 2 Alabama vs. No. 3 Georgia

Easily the most compelling game, not only because of its national title implications but also because it pits the best offensive line in the country against one of the best defensive units in the country, specifically keep an eye on Barrett Jones vs. big ole John Jenkins (that's 660 total pounds of lineman right there). 

On offense, it's well-documented that Alabama likes to run the ball first and pass second, but boy can the Tide run. Between Lacy and Yeldon, Alabama might have the best one-two rushing punch in the country, but don't forget about AJ McCarron, who has shown he can step up in big games (remember LSU? Not sure if those were tears of joy or tears of surprise. "Sweet Baby Bear Bryant, did I really just do that?!?!" We're gonna go with joy.).

Defensively, Alabama is scary good. Bama, as we've seen, is incredibly disciplined, sometimes almost to a fault. Sure Texas A&M was a hiccup, but Johnny Manziel isn't your average quarterback (which we'll touch on later) and he attacked the Tide with something you don't encounter much in the SEC: athleticism at the quarterback position.  

If Georgia quarterback Aaron Murray has time to sit in the pocket and read the defense, I imagine it would be much like if I tried to read Egyptian hieroglyphics. Some folks are saying Bama's secondary is their weakness, but Bama and star defensive back Dee Milliner are third in the country in passing defense, allowing just 5.75 yards per pass attempt this season. Also don't forget that Saban takes personal pride in coaching the secondary and I'd be shocked if they come up short in a game of this magnitude. 

When it comes down to it, the Tide have been there before. Saban and company will be up for this one and I don't think Murray has it in him to win the big one, or at least he hasn't shown he can and to do so against Alabama would be a tough place to start. A lot of people are picking Georgia, but you're king until you're dethroned, right? The Tide take care of the Dawgs in Atlanta. 

The Heisman Trophy

Annually awarded to the "most outstanding player in college football," the Heisman trophy's criteria allows for a little wiggle room. "Most outstanding" means a lot of different things to a lot of different people, which is why the country is divided over this year's candidates.

Your finalists are Matt Barkley, Geno Smith...wait, sorry I'm stuck in September. Here are the real finalists:

Collin Klein, Quarterback, Kansas State University

Let's start with Optimus Klein. I tweeted earlier in the year that Klein was Tebow 2.0, minus the obnoxious self-righteousness and indeed their playing styles are eerily similar. But it was Tebow's character that made him so popular and propelled him to a Heisman victory in 2007.

Unfortunately for Klein, he doesn't quite have the flair or following that Tebow had. Also unfortunately for Klein, he got shut down by a god-awful Baylor defense late in the year, and, as I think we'll find out, the Heisman trophy is very much a "what have you done for me lately?" award.

Simply put, he doesn't have enough flash in his game and, quite frankly, K-State hasn't marketed him very well. As much as it pains me to say, I wouldn't put my money on Klein taking home a bronze trophy in December.

Manti Te'o, Linebacker, Notre Dame

Te'o has been outstanding for the nation's "best" team ("best" in quotations because imagine if we had a selection committee for the BCS rankings instead of computers. Think March Madness but with football. Do you think Notre Dame, with three wins of just three points over Purdue, BYU and Pitt, would still be number one? Didn't think so.) and is hoping to be the first primarily defensive player since Charles Woodson to win the Heisman trophy.

Manti's disadvantage is twofold. First, his impact on the game is often difficult to quantify being on the defensive side of the ball, and all too often the Heisman is about stats. That said, Te'o isn't in the Top 50 in the country in solo tackles or sacks. Additionally, Te'o only plays defense.

No special teams, no return yardage, just hard-nosed football, which isn't "sexy" enough to win you the Heisman anymore. I'm not saying he doesn't deserve it (if you know me, you know I love defense), I'm saying his game doesn't translate into a successful Heisman campaign.

Johnny Manziel, Quarterback, Texas A&M

Which brings us to Johnny Football. Manziel has done a lot of growing up this year but has hit all the criteria we've seen lacking in the other two guys. Johnny has racked up the stats (second in total offense this season) and Manziel has a signature win (Johhny Football ran circles around No. 1Alabama in Tuscaloosa earlier this month). And unlike Klein and Te'o, Manziel plays with some flash.

Manziel is sensational, something that can't be said for the other candidates. You're holding your breath when Manziel is scrambling past defenders; you're not glued to your TV as Collin Klein crams the ball down the defense's throat at the goal line.

The trend continues (Cam Newton, RG3), another dual threat quarterback will take home college football's most coveted trophy. 

Fine with Fighting

I recently attended a rivalry game (can you guess which one?) and allow me to first say this: College football rivalries embody everything that is good and holy in the sport: competition, history, and most of all, passion. 

That being said, there feels something fundamentally wrong when those who have no family history with a university and did not attend the university for which they are cheering, personally attack those that do and did. 

Don't get me wrong, I love trash talk, yelling obscenities at opposing fans and teams, and caring entirely too much about the outcome of a football game. 

But something feels amiss to me when someone who has arbitrarily attached themselves to a football team, and not a school, drags the name of the opposing school through the mud. You love your team, I love my university. As far as I'm concerned, you don't have a dog in the fight. 

Perhaps I'm being a touch too sensitive in light of my team's recent loss and perhaps I'm not seeing the bigger picture here (college football is big business, the more people with a rooting interest, the better it is for the sport), but please, bandwagon fans who have only been watching since 2006, stay in your own yard. 

While we're here, I have a question for Florida fans. I'd wager 95% of the Florida fans I know are not only outstanding individuals but also know a thing or two about football (it hurt me to say that, but sometimes the truth hurts). That said, at a FSU game earlier this year, I watched a Florida fan being escorted from the student section in Doak Campbell after flying the bird and trying to pick a fight with everyone around him for the better part of the first half. 

It's important to note that FSU was playing Duke that week, so really there was NO REASON FOR HIM TO BE THERE. That was not the first time I've seen something similar to this happen. 

My question for you all is this: Do you witness similar things from rival fans at home UF games? Are these the bandwagoners I described earlier in this section? Were these incidents isolated and not representative of the Florida fan base as a whole? 

Sound off either in the comments or e-mail the blog. When I asked folks what they wanted to read prior to this column, the response was great. Keep the requests and questions coming, I'd love to do a mailbag of some kind soon. 

Enjoy your football and we'll see each other again before bowl season. 

College Football Week 11 Predictions: The Triumphant Return

This morning I was able to do something I had not been able to do in a long time: I dragged myself out of bed, showered, flipped on classic college football (2005 ACC Championship Game, in case you were wondering) on ESPN Classic and sat down to write my first predictions column since Week 4.
I'm sorry for my long absence, but as I'm sure most of you are aware, life happens and sometimes the things we love fall to the wayside. So without getting too sappy on you, let's dig in to this week's predictions.

No. 25 Toledo vs. Ball State: Kinda missed the boat on this one, mostly because the Rockets played on Tuesday night. Who plays on Tuesday? What's that? MAC teams desperate for national exposure play on Tuesdays?
In all seriousness though, if you love college football, you've got to love what's happening in the MAC this year (did I really just say that?) The Mighty MAC has six bowl-eligible teams and the races at the top of the divisions could come down to the last week. It's just a shame that their only team in the Top 25 got dumped by one of their own.

No. 24 Northwestern at Michigan: The Wildcats take on the Wolverines Saturday in a game that has huge Big Ten Legends division implications. Both teams have a loss to Nebraska, but should the Cornhuskers slip up, the winner of this one could scoop up a division title and a trip to Indianapolis.
The Wildcats and Wolverines play very similar styles: run the opponent to death and throw only when you have to. The only difference here is that Michigan plays much better defense, ranking in at seventh in the nation in total defense and for that reason I'll take Michigan at home. Wolverines win in the Big House.

No. 23 Rutgers vs. Army: Apart from a bewildering loss to Kent State at the end of October, Rutgers doesn't seem to have suffered any let down since losing long-time head coach Greg Schiano to the NFL, handling their business in conference and even travelling to Arkansas and stealing a win (impressive regardless of the dismal year the Hawgs are having).
Army does sport the best rushing attack in the FBS, but when all you do is run, it's not as impressive a stat as it sounds. Rutgers will knock off Army and they'll do so on the backs of their stout defense. Scarlet Knights cruise past Army.

No. 22 Texas Tech vs. Kansas: Texas Tech has been a pleasant surprise this year and the Red Raiders' three losses this year (Oklahoma, Kansas State and Texas) are nothing to be ashamed of. The difference between this year and last year? The Red Raiders finished 114th nationally last year in total defense. This year Tuberville and crew are 18th.
This week they're sure to dump one of the worst offenses in the country in Kansas. Charlie Weis's debut season has been without success. We're in Week 11 and the Jayhawks haven't beaten an FBS school yet. Red Raiders win big.

No. 20 Louisiana Tech at Texas State: Speaking of pleasant surprises, good for you Louisiana Tech. The Bulldogs are 8-1 and their only loss was a two-point defeat to Texas A&M and LA Tech is the WAC's lone ranked team.
The Bulldogs score points in bunches (would you believe 2nd nationally in scoring offense?) and senior quarterback Colby Cameron is approaching 3,000 yards, has 24 TDs and 0 INTs. Yes, that's correct ZERO. Cameron for Heisman? Probably not. But you can't ignore what he and the Bulldogs are doing. They'll take care of FBS newcomers Texas State easily.

No. 19 USC vs. Arizona State: Remember when Matt Barkley was a sure thing to win the Heisman trophy and everyone was waiting for a USC-Alabama title game? Oh how the mighty have fallen. The Trojans have had no problem dumping the cupcakes on their schedule, but they've struggled against the class of their conference.
Luckily for USC, Arizona State isn't quite the class of the Pac-12 at 5-4. The Sun Devils can throw the ball, but USC can throw it better and Marqise Lee is smashing all sorts of records in Los Angeles. Coming off a disappointing loss to Oregon, USC should come out swinging. Trojans exorcise the Sun Devils.

No. 18 UCLA at Washington State: In a game that features two coaches in their first year at their respective programs, the storylines couldn't be any more different. Jim Mora has resurrected UCLA. The Bruins are in the Top 25 and apart from a strange hiccup at Cal, UCLA has been a delight to watch this season.
On the flip side, Mike Leach has yet to win a conference game and when your most impressive result is a seven-point loss to Stanford, you know you're having a bad year. With the Bruins scoring tons of points (37 a game) and the Cougars' willingness to throw the ball down field, there should be no shortage of offense in this one. But in the end, Johnathan Franklin and the Bruins will outrun the Cougars.

No. 17 Texas vs. Iowa State: The Longhorns have rebounded after losses to two ranked teams in the middle of the season and, surprisingly, it's been their offense that's winning them games. David Ash has taken control of the quarterback role in Austin and has thrown for 15 TDs already this season.
Saturday should be an emotional day in Austin as the man whose name is on the side of the stadium passed away this week. Darrell Royal, who led Texas to two outright national championships passed away this week and while the younger generation of Longhorns probably didn't know much about him, his loss will certainly impact the coaching staff.
Couple that emotion with a more dynamic offense and the Loghorns should win one for Darrell on Saturday.

No. 16 Nebraska vs. Penn State: Penn State is ineligible for postseason play, but don't tell them that. With a skeleton crew, the Nittany Lions have clawed their way to a 6-3 record and have been playing for nothing but pride the whole season. After a rocky start, Matt McGloin has thrown for almost 2,500 yards, 18 touchdowns and only three interceptions.
On the other side of the ball is the worst throwing motion in football in Taylor Martinez, and the Grenade Launcher has guided the Cornhuskers to a lead in the Legends division and if they can hold through the final weeks of the season they'll find themselves in Indianapolis.
While Penn State has definitely overachieved this year, they'd be hard pressed to get this one on the road. I'll take the Huskers at home, but it'll be closer than everyone thinks.

No. 13 Clemson vs. Maryland: Who will play quarterback for the Terrapins in this one? Is there any way they can get Danny O'Brein back?
Whoever's under center, it likely won't matter. Keep an eye on freshman wide receiver Stefon Diggs for the Terrapins (he's having an outstanding year), but he's got to have somebody to get the ball to him to have any impact. Tajh Boyd and Sammy Watkins in Death Valley will surely take care of business against an injury-ravaged Terrapin squad. Tigers beat the shells off the Terrapins.

No. 12 Oklahoma vs. Baylor: After losing to Kansas State and firmly placing themselves outside of national title contention, Oklahoma has continued to shuffle through wins against inferior opponents, a disappointing loss to Notre Dame being the lone exception. And make no mistake, Baylor is inferior competition.
Yes, the Bears can score, but with a defense as air-tight as a spaghetti strainer, Oklahoma should score early and often and could easily dump 50 on a Baylor defense that is giving up 39 points a game. Sooners slay the Bears.

No. 11 Oregon State at No. 14 Stanford: Of the top teams in the FBS, Oregon State is the only one I haven't had a chance to sit down and watch this season. Call it East Coast biased, I'll call it them being a victim of circumstance (when you start after 10:30 on Saturday on ESPN2, it's hard to get me to tune in).
Both teams will be starting quarterbacks that have replaced the beginning of season starters, the difference being Cody Vaz (no, that's not a women's birth control drug) is 3-0 as a starter and he has a better compliment of receivers. Markus Wheaton has been outstanding in his senior year, pulling in eight touchdown catches.
Stanford plays outstanding defense, but with a freshman at quarterback, I think it'll be tough for them to move the ball. Catch Beaver Fever y'all, this is the week Oregon State arrives on a national stage. Beavers grab a tough win on the road.

No. 10 Florida State at Virginia Tech: Don't be fooled by Virginia Tech's 4-5 record, the Hokies will come to play Thursday night and if you're a Florida State fan, you have to be worried about this one. With the Game that Shall Not Be Named being the exception, Florida State has started slow on the road this year, most recently falling behind by 10 early to Miami.
The problem with FSU on the road has been two-fold: timid coaching and poor execution. In their only loss this year, the 'Noles looked to have put it on cruise control too early and it came back to bite them.
The Hokies' pedigree should force the Seminoles to get out to a fast start and they should do just that against the ACC's most disappointing squad. If you want to be elite, these are the games you have to win. I'll take FSU, but I don't feel good about (I've been hurt before, in case you can't tell).

No. 9 Louisville at Syracuse: Louisville is ranked a little too high for my taste, but there is no denying what Teddy Bridgewater has done for the Cardinals this year. With a QB rating over 170 and 18 touchdowns to just four interceptions, Bridgewater has been outstanding for the Big East's crown jewel.
The 'Cuse are probably better than their 4-5 record might suggest, but Charlie Strong has the Cardinals playing too solid a brand of football for them to stumble against an inconsistent Orange squad. Louisville escapes the Carrier Dome with a win.

No. 8 South Carolina vs. Arkansas: Earlier in the year, this could have been one of the marquee SEC matchups of the season. But with South Carolina suffering two losses (albeit to two Top Ten teams) and Arkansas literally falling off the face of the planet, this game won't have the implications it could have had earlier in the season.
It'll be interesting to see how South Carolina bounces back after losing Marcus Lattimore for the season (have worse things happened to a better person?), but Arkansas is such a wreck on and off the field, I don't see them stealing a win in Willams-Brice. Cocky secures its eighth win over a dismal Hawgs squad.

No. 7 LSU vs. No. 21 Mississippi State: I knew LSU would give Bama fits last week, but I did not expect them to pull ahead late and it to happen mostly because of the arm of Zach Mettenberger. Mettenberger finally threw the ball down field with authority, passing for 298 yards and barring AJ McCarron's late game drive to take the lead, Mettenberger would have thrown the game-winning touchdown.
Despite the loss, I think the Bama game will have done wonders for Mettenberger's confidence and LSU will be out for blood Saturday night following last week's heartbreak. Tigers beat up the Bulldogs.

No. 6 Florida vs. LA-Lafeyette: I'd like to give a Sunshine Scooter "not so fast," to Florida, but, I cannot do that in good conscience. Yes, the Gators have struggled in the past couple weeks and they definitely didn't look like a Top Ten team last week against Mizzou, but sometimes you need the Ragin' Cajuns to come to town to remind you how good you are.
The Gators will take care of business against an overmatched Sun Belt squad.

No. 5 Georgia at Auburn: Auburn's wins this year: an overtime thriller over Louisiana-Monroe (who, coincidentally, has more SEC wins than Auburn this year) and a drubbing of New Mexico State last week.
On the other side of the field, Georgia holds their destiny in their hands and with a win over the Tigers on Saturday can punch their ticket to the SEC Championship game for the second year in a row. I expect them to do just that against one of the worst offenses in the league in Auburn. Dawgs win by a large margin and secure a date in Atlanta.

No. 4 Notre Dame at Boston College: If you're scoring at home, Notre Dame has three home wins of three points over unranked teams, most recently getting taken to triple overtime by a fiesty Pitt squad. In short, I don't think the Irish deserve their No. 4 ranking. Yes, they beat Oklahoma, but in the Sooners' biggest games this year they have shrunk and Landry Jones has pulled a Houdini.
That said, Boston College is incredibly bad this year and I'll be shocked if Spaziani has a job come December. If the Eagles can keep it close, this could get interesting, but against a stout Notre Dame defense, I don't think they'll have much opportunity to do so. Irish prevail in the unofficial Catholic Bowl.

No. 3 Oregon at Cal: Poor, poor Cal. You're just another sad, overmatched hurdle to the national title game that Oregon will blow the doors off of like you're a test car on MythBusters. The Ducks have shown no signs of slowing down since Game 1, and there's no way Cal's the team to do it. Mariota, Barner and company run all over Cal.

No. 2 Kansas State at TCU: After he left the game in the third quarter against Oklahoma State last week, we all learned something about Collin Klein: he's mortal. Like I said at the start of the year, Optimus Klein is a Heisman contender, but his status is in doubt for Saturday and head coach Bill Snyder is being typically mum on the subject.
That said, the Wildcats still play terrific defense and should have no trouble foiling the Horned Frogs and freshman quarterback Trevone Boykins.

No. 1 Alabama vs. No. 15 Texas A&M: If this were any other squad, I'd put the Tide on upset alert, especially against Johnny Manziel and a potent Aggies offense. But if there's anything we've learned in college football this year, it's that Alabama is a class apart.
Their execution and resilience is something that cannot be taught but must be built. And that's exactly what Saban has built since arriving in Tuscaloosa. I'll take the Tide against anyone, anywhere, anytime until they show me anything besides good coaching, outstanding athletes and surgeon-like precision, and that includes this Saturday. The Tide roll back into Tuscaloosa with a win.

College Football Week 4: Predictions, Stadium Etiquette and FSU-Clemson

Last week: 16-5
2012 Season: 35-10 
I'd like to consider myself a lucky guy: functioning vehicle, nice apartment, steady job, significant other, great family, etc. What this luck does not extend to is my fortune involving my neighbors at college football games.
If there is an ignorant, inebriated simpleton from the shallow end of the gene pool in the stadium, I can guarantee you he is within shouting distance of my person and that he is indeed "shouting" and will continue to do so for the duration of the contest.
Now, most of you are mild-mannered, red-blooded Americans who enjoy college football just as much as the next person and if that's you, feel free to skip down to the predictions and enjoy one of the good Lord's most blessed inventions: college football.
But if you find yourself getting sideways looks from the folks in your section, I invite you to stick around for a couple, brief pointers on how to make your stadium experience more enjoyable for you and those around you.
Don't:

• Yell obscenities at your fellow patrons for sitting down during a media timeout. I'm sorry friend, it's over 90 degrees. In Florida. In September. The players are hydrating on the sidelines and I just paid four dollars for a Powerade. I believe I'll take my rest whenever I can get it. 
• Call for the backup quarterback after the first three-and-out. Sure that first drive would've made Chip Kelly cringe, but bailing on your guy after the first series doesn't make you look smarter. It makes you sound like a fool. 
• Coach from the stands. I assure you, the gentlemen on the sideline know more than you could ever hope to know about football and you probably think that "nickleback" is just the name of  band. 
• Show up drunk. They say no man is an island, but I bet you'll feel awfully helpless if your world starts going sideways and you're 60 rows from the nearest exit. And while the comedic value of watching you stumble through the stands the way I stumble to the bathroom at 4 in the morning is exceptionally high, your neighbors appreciate your sobriety. 

Getting off the soapbox for now. Let's get to the good stuff:

No. 25 Nebraska vs. Idaho St.: I think the Bruins snuck up a little bit on the Cornhuskers a couple of weeks ago, but we did learn one thing from that contest with UCLA: the "Blackshirts" defense is a thing of the past. UCLA lit Nebraska up for over 600 yards of total offense and new defensive coordinator John Papuchis has his work cut out for him.
Luckily Idaho St. is on the docket this week and Taylor Martinez and company should run all over the Bengals (Nebraska is 8th in the country in rushing offense). Cornhuskers win roll an FCS opponent.
No. 24 Boise St. vs. BYU: I honestly haven't seen much of Boise St. since their 17-13 loss to Michigan State but regardless of who is on the field for the Broncos, they are consistently one of the most well-coached groups in the FBS and Chris Petersen makes sure his boys come to play every Saturday.
BYU was more than a bit disappointing last week and failed to knock off a beaten-up Utah squad. I know Joe Southwick is no Kellen Moore, but in Petersen's system, he doesn't have to be. I'll take coaching and scheme over a disjointed BYU team. Boise wins on the Smurf Turf.
No. 23 Miss. St. vs. South Alabama: It's been a tough road for the Jaguars in their first year in the FBS that's included a two-point loss to UTSA, a 31-7 loss on the road at North Carolina State and a snubbing out of EA's premier college football offering, NCAA Football '13.
That road won't get any smoother when they travel west to play Mississippi State, a team that, for all their other attributes, excels in toughness. Having already handled their business through three weeks, I don't see South Alabama posing any problems in a hostile environment in Starkville. Can't hurt a dawg, Bulldogs win big.
No. 21 Michigan St. vs. Eastern Michigan: After watching Michigan State's offense flounder against Notre Dame last weekend, I couldn't decide if Sparty was that bad or if the Irish were just that good on defense (we'll get to Notre Dame later).
Michigan State was exposed for what they are this year: one-dimensional, which is a shame because teams will be game planning for their only legitimate offensive weapon (Le'Veon Bell) and it'll force Andrew Maxwell to make plays for them. While it won't affect this matchup, it's definitely something to watch moving forward. Sparty will romp over an overmatched MAC squad.
No. 20 Louisville at FIU: Charlie Strong's defense almost gave up a big lead to UNC last week, but managed to hang on for the W at home. Teddy Bridgewater was excellent last weekend (I really like this kid. He's young, athletic and has tons of poise. I think he could run the table in the Big East until he graduates. Granted running the table in the Big East is like being the funniest guy on Blue Collar Comedy Tour, but I digress.) and is completing over 80 percent of his passes on the season.
FIU is giving up an awful lot of points this year, exactly 39 a game and I think Bridgewater and a well-coached Louisville squad will take down the Golden Panthers in Miami.
No. 19 UCLA vs. Oregon St.: Jonathan Franklin is averaging over 180 yards per game and has already eclipsed the 500-yard mark and we're only three games into the season. Franklin is even getting a little well-earned Heisman buzz, but the rest of the Bruins are scorching the earth as well. As a team, UCLA is second in the country in total offense, averaging over 600 yards per game.
The Beavers stymied Wisconsin in their only game of the season so far, upsetting the Badgers 10-7. They're going to have to score a whole lot more than 10 points to hang with the explosive Bruins and I just don't think they have it in them. Jim Mora Jr. moves to 4-0 and wins his inaugural Pac-12 game.
No. 17 TCU vs. Virginia: TCU's defense has yet to face a tough test, but the Horned Frogs are giving up only three points a game, good for second in the nation. Casay Pachall hasn't had too much asked of him yet, but look for TCU to throw the ball more with leading rusher Waymon James now gone for the season.
Virginia has squeaked by Penn State and been trounced by Georgia Tech in their only two FBS matchups so far. Junior Michael Rocco is completing just 64 percent of his passes and the offense hasn't put up more than 20 against legitimate competition yet. I'll take the Horned Frogs at home.
No. 16 Ohio St. vs. UAB: I don't think I've been more underwhelmed by a team in the Top 25 than Ohio St. Many publications had them in their preseason Top 10 (partly because that moves paper, but that's an entirely different issue), but the Buckeyes have had to count on Braxton Miller to save their bacon two weeks in a row.
The UCF game was a seven-point contest at halftime and the game-winning touchdown last week against Cal didn't come until there was less than five minutes to go in the fourth quarter. The Buckeyes have one more week to figure it out before they start their conference schedule next week against Michigan State.
No. 13 USC vs. Cal: If you didn't catch USC-Stanford last week then shame on you, as you missed the most exciting game of the young season. Our lesson last week was two-fold: 1) if you want to beat USC, you'll have to outmuscle them and 2) USC can definitely be outmuscled.
I'm placing the Trojans on upset alert this weekend. That's not because I think Cal is a better football team, but I'm interested to see how Barkley (who stunk up the joint against Stanford) and the Trojans will respond after a huge letdown last week. In the end though, I think the Men of Troy bounce back. USC takes the shine off the Golden Bears.

No. 14 Florida vs. Kentucky and No. 11 Notre Dame vs. No. 18 Michigan: There's been a lot a talk about whether these two programs are "back" or not but I think that cannot definitively be determined within the first three games of the season and to quite some of the hype I've grouped these two predictions together.
Florida has yet to beat a team that had more than seven wins in 2011 and Notre Dame needed a late field goal to beat Purdue and got one or two more big plays from their offense than a one-dimensional Michigan State squad.
Are they both playing better football than what they have been in recent years? Yes. Do I think they'll both win this weekend? Yes (As good as Kentucky is in hoops, they are equally as bad in football and I was very impressed with Notre Dame's discipline on defense last week. I think they'll give Denard Robinson fits.) Do I think either of them are Top 10 teams? Absolutely not. So everybody take a deep breath. It's only Week 3.

No. 8 West Virginia vs. Maryland: Geno Smith is emerging as the early season frontrunner for the Heisman trophy (734 yards, 9 TDs, 0 INTs and an 88.0% completion percentage) and boy howdy is West Virginia scoring some points.
Maryland on the other hand is already floundering, having lost to Randy Edsall's old squad Connecticut at home last week. Maryland, who is averaging less than half as many points per game as the Mountaineers are, will have a tough time hanging in this one. Smith and the Mountaineers lay it on thick against the Terrapins. 
No. 7 South Carolina vs. Missouri: Mizzou bounced back last week after getting dominated in the fourth quarter against Georgia in what was their inaugural game in the SEC. This week marks another first for the Tigers as they take to the road for the first time in their new conference, traveling to Columbia to take on the Gamecocks.
Connor Shaw is back for the Cocks and his playing time will be contingent on how much pain he can tolerate as the hairline fracture in his shoulder can't get any worse with contact.
One of the most telling things about Mizzou's loss to Georgia was how dominant the Bulldogs' front seven was in the second half when they finally woke up. I doubt it will take South Carolina's arguably more dominant front that long to come to life in front of the home fans for the Cocks' SEC opener. Cocky takes down the Tigers.
No. 6 Oklahoma vs. No. 15 Kansas St.: Sure Oklahoma is ranked 6th in the country, but what do we know about this year's edition of the Sooners? Well, we know that it took them four quarters to put UTEP to bed in Week 1 and that they can kick the crap out of poor, overmatched MEAC schools. So, in short: nothing.
The Wildcats are in very much the same boat, having yet to be truly tested in 2012. Collin Klein has been impressive, but has had his share of mistakes. Klein is tough though and his senior leadership is immeasurably important for the Wildcats.
That said, as badly as I want to pick Klein and company, Oklahoma is too versatile on offense (now installing packages for bruising backup QB Blake Bell) and it would take an awfully heroic performance out of Klein to pull off the upset in Norman. Sooners win.
No. 5 Georgia vs. Vanderbilt: I'm not really sure why you'd bench your starter for a game against a lowly opponent like Presbyterian, thus wrecking his confidence before the heart of your SEC schedule, but Vandy has done just that and at the time of posting, it's still unclear whether Jordan Rodgers, younger brother of the Green Bay Packers' Aaron Rodgers, will get the start on Saturday.
After the Dawgs rested linebacker Jarvis Jones last week with a groin injury, Jones will look to reprise his two sack, two forced fumble performance that he had against Mizzou against the Commodores. With one of the more balanced offensive attacks in the country, look for the Dawgs to run away with this one between the hedges. Georgia dominates.
No. 3 Oregon vs. No. 22 Arizona: Hope they've got extra light bulbs for the scoreboard, because they're going to need them in Autzen on Saturday night. In terms of sheer yardage, the Wildcats are actually averaging more offense than the Ducks heading into this one (gasp!), but the Quack Attack is scoring more.
Rich Rodriguez has surprisingly revitalized the Wildcats in just a few short weeks and after outgunning Oklahoma State, defeating Oregon in Autzen at their own game would be quite a feat. It'll certainly be an interesting mix of styles on Saturday with 'Zona more prone to throwing the ball and the Ducks tearing up the turf with their signature running attack, but in the end I like Oregon's freshman signal caller Marcus Mariota and Chip Kelly's stable of weapons is a little deeper than Arizona's. Ducks win a barn burner.
No. 2 LSU at Auburn: After losses to Clemson and Mississippi State, Auburn was one blocked kick away from being 0-3 and suffering a loss to UL-Monroe, pride of the Sun Belt. After winning a National Title against Oregon a couple seasons ago, Auburn's decline seems to have worsened following last year's respectable 8-5 effort.
Thus far in 2012 LSU seems to be holding steady and while the Tigers that will be wearing purple and gold on Saturday have lost five of their last six in Jordan-Hare, they're certainly more talented than Auburn. Tough running from Kenny Hilliard and Alfred Blue and a hard-nosed defensive effort should propel LSU to a win.
No. 1 Alabama vs. FAU: After literally beating the sense out of Arkansas last week, I hate to see what'll happen to FAU on Saturday. The Tide will rotate early and often to get some of their young guys some reps as this one will be out of FAU's reach early.
Rammer Jammer, Bama wins by a healthy margin.

View from the Cheap Seats Special Preview: 
No. 4 FSU vs. No. 10 Clemson: 
As a writer I try and stay as objective as possible, but there are certain scenarios in which you cannot divorce your heart from your head. As many of you might know, I've been rooting for Florida State for my entire natural born life, earned a degree at FSU and I cannot recall a game about which I've ever been more anxious.
Sure last year's Oklahoma game was huge (and one of the most electric environments I've ever been in. I expect more of the same Saturday at Doak Campbell.), but the expectations for FSU felt like a "too much too soon" scenario and while I picked the 'Noles in a tight one, I'll be the first to admit that I was being a bit of a homer.
This year already has a different feel in Tallahassee. Two cupcakes headlined the start of last year's schedule as well, but the Seminoles looked much more focused against inferior competition this year than they did last year.
Their execution was crisp on both sides of the ball, the offensive line appears to have their ducks in a row and the defense looks particularly menacing (FSU is first in the country in total defense and scoring defense and if I wanted to get picky, I'd say they could force more turnovers but that'd be like saying a Ferrari could have a little more horsepower).
The talent on defense is borderline unfair and even without All-American Brandon Jenkins, Bjoern Werner is leading the nation in sacks and I could spend the rest of the column listing talented, athletic playmakers on the defensive side of the ball: Carradine, Dawkins, Jernigan, Williams, Jones, Moody, Joyner, Rhodes...the list goes on and on.
After last year's disappointment, Saturday night should be EJ Manuel's show. Years of high expectations for the athletically gifted senior out of Virginia Beach will either be realized or left unfulfilled and while I've heard grumbling about his play thus far in 2012, my belief is that FSU hasn't really shown their hand offensively yet and they'll kick the training wheels off the bike on Saturday night.
A welcome sight for Seminole fans has been the return of a reliable running game. Chris Thompson is the home run hitting kind of back that FSU hasn't had in a while and Thompson along with sophomores Devonta Freeman and James Wilder Jr. will add welcome balance to an offense that struggled running the football last year.
But make no mistake, Clemson will come to play and that vaunted FSU defense will have their hands full against the Tigers' stable of weapons in quarterback Tajh Boyd, running back Andre Ellington and wide receivers DeAndre Hopkins and Sammy Watkins. Clemson's offensive potency is nothing to scoff at, but the Tigers are replacing four starters on the offensive line and will have their hands full against the Seminoles defensive front, perhaps the deepest, most-talented line in the country.
Harping back to last year's Oklahoma game and the expectations leading up to it, there was an aire of optimism but not a real expectation of victory. This year is different. The players are speaking with a quiet confidence and last year's let downs seem to have humbled and emboldened the players and coaching staff. I fully expect Florida State to handle their business on Saturday because whereas they could have beaten Oklahoma last year, they should beat Clemson this year.
And they will. Noles win, 35-21.

John L. Smith has Lost his Marbles

I think the past two weeks have pushed Arkansas head coach John L. Smith over the edge.

Follow the link. Hilarity ensues.

College Football Week 3: Predictions and Why We Watch on Saturdays

Last Week: 19-5
You see that? Do you see those five losses? Evidently my description of last week's matchups as "vanilla" was taken seriously by some of Week 2's underdogs. Four of those five misfires were executed by teams who were unranked last week but their victory wasn't unfathomable. One of those five was pulled off by a minnow that saw his shot at taking down a giant and took it.
Last week's UL-Monroe and Arkansas game was a microcosm of the college game. The big X-factor in college has always been the heart and sense of urgency possessed by the young men on the field.
While college football itself is big business, there are no player contracts, no lucrative endorsements by major corporations, just a pride for your school and the impossible hope that, because of the emotional heart of the game, anyone has a chance against anyone.
Which is why, having never rooted for UL-Monroe in my life, and, in fact, having watched them get run out of the stadium on several occasions, I involuntarily rose from my couch as the Warhawk offense trotted back onto the field for a fourth and one play in overtime.
It was very much a Boise State-Oklahoma scenario, circa 2007. The whole stadium was thinking, "Why not line up for the kick? From this distance it's a chip shot." But sometimes when you're David and you're down to the last rock in your slingshot, you just have to swing for the fences.
So when Kolton Browning rolled left then looked back right and saw a patch of green grass that you could drive a Mack truck through, he sprinted his way to ULM immortality and into the hearts of college football fans everywhere.
And that's why we watch every Saturday: for the Kolton Brownings, for the Appalachian States, for the Boises and for the chance that, perhaps this week, we might witness the impossible. We might witness David take down Goliath.
Alright, enough waxing poetic, let's get to this week's games (and don't call them "vanilla"):

No. 25 BYU at Utah: Utah suffered their first loss to Utah State in their last 12 meetings last weekend and it came in heart-wrenching fashion in overtime. Adding injury to insult, Utes QB Jordan Wynn is hanging it up after suffering a shoulder injury in the loss and Utah coach Kyle Whittingham has yet to give any indication as to who will replace Wynn.
After dumping Washington State in Mike Leach's debut, BYU hung 45 on an FCS school last week. What I have seen of the Cougars I have been impressed with; the boys from Provo play a physical game of football. I think there's too much in flux for Utah, BYU will take this one on the road.
No. 24 Arizona vs. South Carolina St.: Rich Rod and his upstart Wildcats outscored one of the most prolific offenses in recent college football history last week by dropping a 50-spot on the Oklahoma State Cowboys.
Rodriguez, for his part, looks much more comfortable under the "score first, defense later" umbrella of the Pac-12. We'll see how that pays off when Arizona hits conference play, but for now they'll easily handle the MEAC's South Carolina St.
No. 22 UCLA vs. Houston: If this year's UCLA team was meeting last year's edition of the Houston Cougars, they might've had to change the lights in the scoreboard at halftime. That said, this year Houston has already given Texas State their first win as an FBS school and then proceeded to have 56 points dropped on them by Louisiana Tech. Where's Case Keenum when you need him? Doesn't he have an 8th year of eligibility left or something?
For the Bruins, Jim Mora Jr.'s coaching debut has been a delight and arguably one of the most impressive this year in college football. UCLA is scoring points in bunches and, most importantly, winning football games. They'll win another against a rebuilding Houston squad.
No. 19 Louisville vs. North Carolina: The Tar Heels suffered a heart breaker last week in Winston-Salem when Tanner Price scampered into the end zone with a little over two minutes to go in the fourth.
Louisville has looked impressive so far in Charlie Strong's third year at the helm of the Cardinals program, priding themselves on defense as usual, but Teddy Bridgewater has looked more than capable in Louisville's first two games (his QB rating is over 173 if that's any indication).
Louisville is on this rise while there's a lot in flux for North Carolina in Larry Fedora's first year (new offensive and defensive schemes to name a few). I'll take Strong's Cardinals at home.
No. 18 Florida at No. 23 Tennessee: I picked against the Gators last week and was proven wrong as Jeff Driskel was able to guide UF to a win on the road, spoiling Texas A&M's SEC debut. This week, Florida travels to Neyland Stadium to take on the Tennessee Volunteers and it's the first time the two have been ranked when playing each other since 2007.
Muschamp and Dooley are very familiar with each other (they've coached together on several occasions, once at LSU and once in the pros) and Tennessee hasn't beaten Florida in seven years. I like Tyler Bray, I like Derek Dooley's orange pants and I like the fact that Dooley has the Volunteers back in the Top 25 and playing meaningful football again. Jeff Driskel doesn't pull it off two weeks in a row, right? I'll take the Volunteers to edge out the victory in one of the SEC's most hostile environments.
No. 17 Michigan vs. UMass: Last week's game against Air Force was perhaps a little too close for comfort for Michigan fans, although it was likely a comforting sight seeing Shoelace breaking big runs again (Denard had touchdown runs of 79 and 58 yards in Big Blue's home opener).
UMass has only scored six poins in two games in their debut year in the FBS. I don't seem them threatening a Wolverines team that should handle their business against an overmatched UMass squad.
No. 16 TCU at Kansas: TCU knocked the socks off Grambling State in their Week 2 opener and are looking more polished and dangerous than they were last year (I can't wait until the Horned Frogs hit the meat of their Big 12 schedule: @ OK State, @ West Virginia, Kansas State, @ Texas and home to Oklahoma to close the season).
Kansas is heading into Week 3 having yet to beat an FBS opponent and don't expect TCU to be the first. I just don't trust Charlie Weis, and yet, here he is at the helm of another program. Horned Frogs stomp the Jayhawks in their first game in the Big 12.
No. 15 Kansas State vs. North Texas: Last week I called Collin Klein a Heisman darkhorse ahead of Week 2's games and he promptly showed that my trust in him was in good faith, delivering a four-touchdown performance in an absolute embarrassing of the Miami Hurricanes. I don't think the Mean Green of North Texas have what it takes to slow down Klein and the Wildcats.
No. 14 Texas at Ole Miss: While it has been against lesser competition, the Longhorns are proving to be efficient on both sides of the football as they enter Week 3 ranked 8th in the country in points against and 21st in points scored. But this is the first big test for David Ash: A game on the road against an SEC team, albeit Ole Miss, who, to their credit, have never lost a party but have certainly lost their share of football games in recent years.
Regardless of how Ash performs, he is backed by better weapons and a better defense. Longhorns crash the party in Oxford.
No. 13 Virginia Tech at Pittsburgh: Virginia Tech took care of business against Austin Peay last week and while they may have won the game, they certainly lost the fashion show.
It's been a rough go so far for Paul Chryst, although it looks like he got out of Wisconsin while the getting was good. That won't take the sting out of an 0-2 start, including a 31-17 shocker of a loss to FCS Youngstown State. The Hokies will add to their woes on Saturday.
No. 12 Ohio State vs. Cal: Head coach Urban Meyer wasn't pleased with Ohio State's performance last week, going so far as to say that the Buckeyes weren't a good football team after their 31-17 win over what should've been an outmatched UCF squad.
Luckily for Meyer, the Cal Bears come to town giving up an average of 31.0 points per game in what should be yet another tune up for the Buckeyes before starting their conference schedule in two weeks (UAB comes to visit next week). Braxton Miller should have a field day against a porous Cal defense. Buckeyes win big.
No. 11 Clemson vs. Furman: I'm mailing this one in. I'm tired of trying to turn water into wine with these cupcake games that require no analysis and lightning already struck once this year with UL-Monroe's dumping of Arkansas. Clemson rolls.
No. 10 Michigan State vs. No. 20 Notre Dame: Sparty looks loaded this year with LeVeon "The Belldozer" Bell at running back and William Gholston anchoring the defensive line. Andrew Maxwell has looked capable under center and Michigan State have handled business in their first two games.
Notre Dame whomped Navy in Week 1 and then needed a late field goal to dump Purdue at home last week, but not after head coach Brian Kelly benched Everett Golson in favor of Tommy Rees, no doubt dashing the confidence of the younger Golson. While Notre Dame's defense will keep them in this game, their tepid offense will be stifled by a Michigan State defensive unit that embodies the moniker "Spartan."
No. 9 West Virginia vs. James Madison: West Virginia scored 69 in their opener against Marshall and they might get to 80 against James Madison. Geno Smith and the Mountaineer offense is too prolific for them to trip over FCS James Madison.
No. 8 South Carolina vs. UAB: Although he missed his share of passes, Dylan Thompson looked capable against East Carolina last week, with the Pirates wearing uniforms that were, as Gamblin' Rob described them, "designed by 15-year-olds."
Thompson will need only duplicate his performance last week to send UAB home with a loss as starter Connor Shaw, at last check, was doubtful for Saturday's contest against the Blazers.
No. 7 Georgia vs. Florida Atlantic: Two words: John. Jenkins. Good luck Florida Atlantic. You're gonna need it.
No. 5 Florida State vs. Wake Forest: After winning a weather-shortened contest over Savannah State, the Seminoles are set for their first meaningful game of the 2012 season and make no mistake the Demon Deacons will come to play.
The encouraging thing for Seminoles fans is that at no point in their opening games did Florida State appear unfocused or as if they were going through the motions and I expect them to give the same attention to the Demon Deacons leading up to this week's ACC opener. Wake Forest and Tanner Price will play tough, but I truly believe FSU is elite this year. Florida State exorcises the Demon Deacons.
No. 4 Oregon vs. Tennessee Tech: Oregon's speed is absolutely no match for a lesser Tennessee Tech team. Look for Kenjon Barner and De'Anthony Thomas to run roughshod on the Golden Eagles. Ducks win big.
No. 3 LSU vs. Idaho: Poor, poor Vandals.
No. 2 USC at No. 21 Stanford: So much for my "closer than the experts think," prediction of Duke hanging with Stanford last week; the Cardinal blew the doors off of the Blue Devils, hanging 50 on the Dookies. The Cardinal are playing good defense and safety Ed Reynolds is tied for the FBS lead in interceptions with three in the first two weeks.
But USC is no Duke or San Jose State and are masters of their own destinies when it comes to nabbing a national title and Saturday will go a long way in telling us as to whether they're ready or not. USC's prolific offense faces their first true test of the season against a stingy and experience Stanford defense. In the end though, I think Stanford just doesn't have enough on offense to hang with the Trojans and the senior leadership of Matt Barkley will really make a difference in this one. USC wins by a slim margin.
No. 1 Alabama at Arkansas: A week ago, I'm sure GameDay was already making travel plans for Fayetteville because a No. 1 Alabama was set for a date with a Top-10 Arkansas squad in what would've surely been one of the best matchups of the young season.
And then Tyler Wilson went down in the first half of the Razorbacks' game last Saturday. And then UL-Monroe, who had been paid $500,000 to come get embarrassed in Fayetteville kept hanging around and hanging around. And the rest, as they say, history.
This week Wilson is still doubtful and likely will not play Saturday. That doesn't bode well when facing an Alabama defense that thus far has been, in a word, "clinical." The Tide rolls out of Fayetteville with a victory this weekend.

College Football Week 2: Top 25 Predictions

I didn't run a predictions column last week for two reasons: 1) like this week, most of the matchups, with the exception of a handful of games, were pretty vanilla and didn't really warrant a full predictions column and 2) I had just poured a couple hours into a Preseason Top 25 and, quite frankly, didn't really have time to do so.
This week's games don't really have me chomping at the bit to roll up my sleeves and delve into deep analysis, but this will give me a chance to comment on what happened last week and start tracking my predictions (I finished November 206-50, good for a .824 winning percentage. Eat your heart out Corso).
Let's get to the games:
No. 25 Stanford vs. Duke: Last week the Dookies hung 46 on FIU out of the Sun Belt and it looks like the post-Luck era in Stanford is going to be tougher than most people thought. Junior Josh Nunes was 16-for-26 and just 125 yards in his debut against the mighty Spartans...of San Jose State.
Frankly, I'm worried about the Cardinal. 20 points a game isn't going to cut it in the high-scoring Pac-12 (Oregon had 50 by halftime last week against a much better Arkansas State squad). But does that mean I think a program of low football pedigree can make a cross-country trip and score all over a proud Stanford defense? No, no it doesn't. I'll take the Cardinal in one that's "closer than the experts think."
No. 24 Florida at Texas A&M: Among the snooze-fests on tap this week, this is one of the handful that I would pay to see, especially after this shot across the bow by some Aggies fans in Gainesville. This one should be an ugly one, as Florida was in a dog fight with Bowling Green (yes, Bowling Green of the mighty MAC) for much of Saturday and while we don't really know much about the Aggies yet, we do know that they lost a lot of key players on both sides of the ball and only return four starters on defense.
This one's as close to a toss-up as you can get, but I'll take the Aggies because I don't think the Gators will be able to score enough to steal a win on the road in College Station against a Texas A&M team that will be eager to prove themselves in their first SEC game.
No. 23 Louisville vs. Missouri State: Remember those boring games I was mentioning earlier? Enter Louisville vs. Missouri State. The Cardinals were in the driver's seat from start to finish last week against Kentucky. I like the way Charlie Strong has Louisville playing and I'll take the Cardinals to wipe the floor with Bears and contend for a Big East title later in the season.
No. 22 Notre Dame vs. Purdue: Looks like I've got no choice, despite keeping them out of my Top 25 last week, I must mention the Fighting Irish this week. Last week Notre Dame hung 50 on Navy in Dublin, racking up nearly 300 yards on the ground.
This week they'll have to do much less travelling, but expect them to continue to keep pounding the football to take pressure off sophomore quarterback Everett Golson. Notre Dame's strong front will push them to a victory over the Boilermakers.
No. 21 Kansas State vs. Miami (FL): The Wildcats welcome the Hurricanes after thrashing Missouri State last week. Miami rode freshman running back Duke Johnson to a victory over Boston College last week and are looking to avenge a home loss they suffered at the hands of Kansas State last year.
But this is not the Miami of old, at least not yet. Gone is the nastiness on defense (the 'Canes gave up 32 to a mediocre BC squad...and mediocre is being kind) and gone is most of the flash on offense. This is Collin Klein's year to shine in Manhattan, KS and perhaps in Manhattan, NY as well. It'd take some kind of performance for Miami to beat the Wildcats and I just don't think they have it in them.
No. 20 TCU vs. Grambling State: It's sure to be an exciting year for the Horned Frogs. They're finally in an AQ conference, kicking off their first season in the Big 12 with games against OK State, West Virginia, Texas and Oklahoma.
Casey Pachall returns at quarterback and the defense should be improved over last season's, a team that still finished 11-2. They'll whomp Grambling State in this one and have plenty to look forward to in the weeks ahead.
No. 19 Michigan vs. Air Force: Big Blue is coming off a demoralizing loss at the hands of Alabama, a game in which it was clear that the Wolverines were outclassed in every facet of the game. I don't want to say Denard Robinson ended his Heisman campaign with last Saturday's two INT performance in Cowboys Stadium, but he looked constantly overwhelmed and it would take some kind of year from here on out for Shoelace to make it to New York in December.
But, Air Force is no Alabama and look for Michigan to return to form this weekend.
No. 18 Oklahoma State at Arizona: Last week the Cowboys hung 84 on Savannah State, a game that was in part a testament to how prolific Oklahoma's State offense is and part a testament to how awful Savannah State is.
Rich Rod and the Wildcats needed overtime to take down Toledo of the mighty MAC (two MAC mentions in the same column? Think I can get to five by the end of the column?) and in all didn't look very impressive. I'll take Mike Gundy and the Pokes to outgun Arizona.
No. 17 Texas vs. New Mexico: The Longhorns thrashed Wyoming by 20 last Saturday and I don't expect this week's matchup with New Mexico to be a much closer affair, but here's one thing to keep an eye on: Texas is 17th in the country in rushing and 97th in the nation in passing. Look to see if Mack Brown tries to add a little balance to his offense ahead of the heart of his Big 12 schedule.
No. 16 Nebraska at UCLA: Last week against Rice, UCLA senior running back Jonathan Franklin ran for 214 yards on just 15 attempts in a performance I would categorize as "video game-like." If there's one thing we learned about the Bruins in Jim Mora Jr.'s inaugural game at the helm it's that there will be no shortage of offense for UCLA in 2012.
As for Nebraska, the Cornhuskers rode Taylor Martinez's five passing TDs to a convincing win over Southern Miss last week (that's right, the Grenade Launcher tossed five TDs). The matchup to watch in this one will be the Blackshirts against UCLA's offense, but in the end I don't think UCLA has the defense to hang in this one.
No. 15 Virginia Tech vs. Austin Peay: Lane Stadium saw its first OT game in its storied history on Monday when Georgia Tech threatened to spoil the Hokies' season opener, pushing VT into bonus football. Notoriously slow starters, the Hokies got away with one last week, but don't expect any overtime this weekend. Va. Tech puts a hurting on an outclassed Austin Peay team.
No. 14 Ohio State vs. UCF: The Urban Meyer era at Ohio State began with fireworks as Braxton Miller turned in an impressive performance, accounting for 368 total yards and three total touchdowns. I thought it might take a little while for Miller to get comfortable in Meyer's offense, but evidently not and I expect Miller to light the world on fire in the Big Ten this year. The Buckeyes will have no trouble with UCF this week and I'm very much looking forward to watching them as the year progresses.
No. 13 Wisconsin at Oregon State: The Badgers were one of those teams whose Week 1 result made you cringe if you were rooting for the home team. A five-point win over Northern Iowa isn't exactly something to write home about.
That said, the Beavers haven't been anything to write home about in recent years either and the more comfortable Wisconsin QB Danny O'Brien and Montee Ball get with each other, expect that Badger offense to click a little more. I'd be willing to bet that we'll see a little more fireworks from the Badgers this week. Badgers beat the Beavers.
No. 12 Clemson vs. Ball State: After a disappointing finish to last season, the Tigers bounced back and beat a good Auburn team in Atlanta, racking up 320 yards on the ground, 58 of them coming from quarterback Tajh Boyd. Don't expect a weak MAC team like Ball State (that's three if you're scoring at home) to hang with an offense like Clemson's.
No. 11 Michigan State at Central Michigan: Michigan State's performance against a depleted Boise State team was underwhelming, beating the Broncos by just four and needing an extraordinary performance from LeVeon Bell to do so.
In the end, I think the Spartans will gain some steam down the stretch and be just fine and the Chippewas of Central Michigan, MAC cellar-dwellers last year (we're in range...), will have their hands full with LeVeon the "Belldozer."
No. 9 South Carolina vs. East Carolina: Cocky and Sparty were in the same, puzzling "you should've beaten that team by at least 14, if not more, why so flat in the season opener?" boat (it's not a very well-named boat) and South Carolina almost lost starter Connor Shaw in the process.
This week Shaw is a gametime decision and South Carolina gets a much less feisty East Carolina team. While the offense was lackluster against Vandy, the defense was impressive, especially the front seven. South Carolina will handle their business against the Pirates.
No. 8 Arkansas vs. UL-Monroe: Tyler Wilson threw for over 300 yards and three scores in a thrashing of Jacksonville State last week as John L. Smith and the Hawgs handily won their season opener over the Gamecocks.
I like the weapons Arkansas has in Knile Davis, Wilson and receiving targets Brandon Mitchell and senior tight end Chris Gragg. We'll learn more about Arkansas later in the year, but they'll continue to take care of business early and will dominate the Warhawks.
No. 7 Georgia at Missouri: Missouri kicks off their inaugural SEC campaign with a home contest against the Bulldogs from Georgia. Like their SEC East rivals, Georgia was a little underwhelming against MAC foe Buffalo (and that's five! And we ended on my favorite MAC team, the Buffalo Bulls. Nobody circles the wagons like the Buffalo Bulls!).
The matchup to watch here is Georgia's front seven against Mizzou's rushing attack. Additionally, Aaron Murray was a little flat against the Bulls but I expect the Dawgs to have righted the ship come Saturday. I'll take a more complete Georgia team over the Tigers.
No. 6 Florida State vs. Savannah State: Allow me to calm the waters in Tallahassee. This week I've heard people saying that the loss of defensive end Brandon Jenkins is going to drop the Seminoles to two or three losses this season. But what these "fans" fail to realize is that while Jenkins is an All-American, the defensive line is the deepest unit on the team and while it will be hard to replace Jenkins, it's not the end of the world.
This team still has plenty of weapons on both sides of the ball and looked sharp against Murray State last week, even if they were running a skeleton offense and only defending the screen pass. They'll be just fine this week against a horrifyingly bad Savannah State team.
No. 5 Oklahoma vs. FAMU: If there were a king of underwhelming performances last week, we would've crowned the Sooners, who struggled mightily against UTEP. Luckily, they'll get a bit of a reprieve as they welcome the Rattlers from the MEAC.
The Sooners will have no trouble beating up on the Rattlers, but if Landry Jones wants to contend for a Heisman trophy this year, he'll need to be more convincing than he was last Saturday.
No. 4 Oregon vs. Fresno State: Oregon was a team that really impressed me last week. They hung 50 on Arkansas State in the first half and before you say, "Whatever, it's Arkansas State," remember that the Red Wolves were a 10-win team last year (even if it was in the Sun Belt).
Freshman Marcus Mariota was a bright spot for the Ducks, throwing for three scores and 200 yards in his debut under center and any concerns you had about him leading the offense can be put to bed for at least the first few weeks of the season. The Ducks were characteristically fast last week and I'd hate to be the Bulldogs this week. Oregon wins big.
No. 3 LSU vs. Washington: Known for their offense last year, the Huskies were only able to put up 21 on San Diego State last week while LSU enjoyed a victory over a much weaker opponent in North Texas. The two meet in Death Valley for one of the more interesting matchups of Week 2.
The Tigers have a decided advantage on paper and while the Huskies might hang around early, I expect LSU and Les Miles to pull away as the game drags on. There's just too much talent on the LSU defense for the Huskies to give the Tigers any real problems.
No. 2 USC at Syracuse: The Trojans rolled against Hawaii last week and looked every bit the part of a Top 5 team. Matt Barkley continues his Heisman campaign against the Orange, who couldn't hold off Northwestern last week.
The boys in Blue and Orange will have their hands full against an exceptionally talented and well-coached Trojans team. Nothing in this one gives any indication that the 'Cuse can hang with the Men of Troy. USC rolls.
No. 1 Alabama vs. W. Kentucky: Last week the Tide proved me right for picking them as the No. 1 team in the country. Alabama opened the season with a convincing performance against Michigan, a game that was so convincing to AP voters that even though USC won by 39, they still relinquished the top spot to the Tide.
Alabama was up 31-7 at half and could've really blown the tires off Michigan in the second half but chose not to. As I said last week, Saban knows how to prepare his teams for marquee, primetime games and the defense, despite losing a handful of starters, is still the best in the country. I was impressed with AJ McCarron on Saturday, and this only adds to the chips stacked in Bama's favor. Poor, poor Hilltoppers. Bama rolls in Week 2.

Preseason Top 25: Cheap Seats Poll

Fire up the grills, wash the losses out of that old lucky jersey and get ready to congregate at stadiums, bars and couches across the country. After a long arduous wait, college football is back ladies and gents and in just a few short hours the Gamecocks of South Carolina will take on the Commodores of Vanderbilt in the first tilt of the 2012 season.
I know posting has been scarce over the summer, but we all know college football is my wheelhouse, so expect much more headed your way over the coming months, including week-by-week predictions, game recaps/retro diaries, and, with your gracious participation, mailbags.
Let's roll up our sleeves and dive right in with the second annual From the Cheap Seats Preseason Top 25 Poll, as voted on by yours truly. Here we go:

25) Washington Huskies
Under Steve Sarkisian the Huskies have proved that they can score with the best of them (see the 2011 Alamo Bowl against Baylor) and junior quarterback Keith Price is a real talent. The offense will be running on all cylinders again this year; the real measure of their improvement will be on the defensive side of the ball.
Ranking 108th nationally in scoring last year, if the Huskies can improve on that pathetic ranking then they could make some noise in a Pac-12 conference that is pretty diluted outside of Oregon and USC.
Circle the calendar: On Oct. 13 the Huskies will welcome the Men of Troy in a game that is Washington's best shot at knocking off one of the big boys in 2012.

24) Florida Gators
Last season the Gators ranked eighth in the country in total defense, allowing just under 300 yards a game and had it not been for a two-game stretch against the two teams that would eventually play for the national title, then that number might have been even lower. Returning a ton of guys from last year's unit, expect the defense to once again be the strength of this team.
The offense is a completely different story. Will Muschamp and company have yet to pick a starter at quarterback, turning Saturday's game against Bowling Green into a glorified tryout for the starting job for sophomores Jacoby Brissett and Jeff Driskel. There is good news for the offense though; I think new offensive coordinator Brent Pease will bring some smarts to an offense that looked lost at times last year.
Circle the calendar: Oct. 20 the Gators are home to South Carolina, a contest that has big conference implications.

23) Boise State
The good news for the Broncos? They play in the Mountain West. The bad news? They just lost college football's all-time winningest quarterback in Kellen Moore and 90% of their starting defense. That being said, they've still got Chris Petersen at the helm and while they won't be the Broncos of the past several years, I see only one loss on their schedule.
Circle the calendar: Friday night (Aug. 31) the Broncos take on Michigan State in their annual "We're playing a team from an AQ conference because that's how we roll" game. I expect Sparty to roll, but it'll be a good chance for the rest of the country to gauge where the Broncos are at this year.

22) Stanford
There are mighty big shoes to fill with the departure of number one overall pick Andrew Luck at quarterback. David Shaw and the boys do return leading rusher Stepfan Taylor and they'll also get linebacker Shayne Skov back from a torn ACL, completing one of the best linebacker corps in the country.
Expect the running game and the defense to be the strengths for the Cardinal this year, as they are sure to regress a bit.
Circle the calendar: If the Cardinal are to entertain any hopes of a conference title, it'll come down to a Nov. 17 game against Oregon in Autzen.

21) Kansas State
I don't know how he keeps doing it, but damn it Bill Snyder, at the ripe age of 72, has put the Little Apple back on the map. Again. Mark my words, Collin Klein is a dark horse Heisman candidate and for my money the most underrated quarterback in the country.
The guy is everything a college football player should be: tough and resilient, a true leader, minus all the "swagger" of more arrogant players. Klein is just a a hard-nosed player and the Wildcats will go as far as their quarterback can carry them.
Circle the calendar: Sept. 22 at Oklahoma should give the Wildcats a good feel for where they stand in the conference.

20) Notre Dame 
Just kidding. But really, they haven't been relevant in years and anyone that has them sniffing the Top 25 is fooling themselves. What do you think this is, Notre Dame radio?

20) Oklahoma State
The Cowboys lose the old man at quarterback (Brandon Weeden has departed for a starting job at Cleveland) and will be hard pressed to duplicate last year's No. 2 scoring offense. The Pokes will likely shift to rely more heavily on the running game and look for Joseph Randle to duplicate his 1,000-yard performance from last year.
The defense wasn't all that great last year, but then again they didn't have to be. With the offense in a bit of decline, look for that to bite OSU this year.
Circle the calendar: Sept. 29 the Pokes welcome Texas to Boone Pickens Stadium, a game that will be a great litmus test for Mike Gundy and the 'Boys.

19) Ohio State
Urban Meyer returns to the sidelines in a move that was more predictable than Lindsay Lohan's next jail term (which is really almost as reliable as the lunar cycle at this point). Meyer will institute his spread attack, much to the delight of sophomore quarterback Braxton Miller who was practically built for Meyer's spread offense.
Look for the Buckeyes to be much improved under Meyer and with nine starters returning on defense, I expect Ohio State to be much more competitive than 2011's 6-7.
Circle the calendar: Sept. 29 the Buckeyes travel to East Lansing to take on the Spartans in a game that will be an interesting mix of styles (the spread vs. Michigan State's power running attack).

18) Nebraska
The Huskers return 14 of 22 starters from last year, including their leading rusher in Rex Burkhead, their leading receiver in sophomore Kenny Bell and their leading passer in Taylor Martinez (if you can call what Taylor Martinez does "passing." My brother affectionately refers to him as "The Grenade Launcher.").
Even with ol' GL under center, the Huskers should improve this season. Bo Pelini's brother Carl has departed for Florida Atlantic and new defensive coordinator John Papuchis should make adjustments for the physicality of the Big Ten, something Carl failed to do last year (the defense gave up 350.7 yards per game in their inaugural Big Ten season).
Circle the calendar: Oct. 6 at Ohio State figures to be another barn burner. The Huskers overcame a 21-point third quarter deficit to defeat the Buckeyes last year.

17) TCU
Apart from running into the buzz saw that was Robert Griffin III in Week 1 and an overtime loss to SMU, Casey Pachall did an admirable job of replacing the Red Rifle at quarterback in Fort Worth last season. The Horned Frogs return three 700-yard rushers in Waymon James, Ed Wesley and Matthew Tucker, the only team in the country to return a trio of 700-yard rushers.
The defense wasn't quite up to snuff by Gary Patterson standards and look for them to be tested as TCU makes the jump to the Big 12 this year after dumping a previous commitment to the Big East. Stansly Maponga (1A for best name in college football) looks to anchor the line for a young defense that, while they only return five starters, saw plenty of action last year.
Circle the calendar: Oct. 27 TCU travels to Oklahoma State in a game that is sure to test the young defense we just mentioned.

16) Texas
The Longhorns finished sixth nationally against the run last year and return six starters on defense, including defensive end Jackson Jeffcoat who is sure to give Big 12 quarterbacks fits this season along with Alex Okafor who anchors the other end of the line.
The real issue for Texas will be at quarterback. Either David Ash or Case McCoy needs to step up or they need to somehow grant floundering alumni Vince Young or Colt McCoy another year of eligibility. The offense is a huge liability in comparison to the defense, especially at the QB position.
Circle the calendar: The Longhorns open up their conference schedule on Sept. 29 at Oklahoma State. While I have no doubt that the defense will compete, the real story will be if the offense can lend them a  helping hand.

15) Virginia Tech
The Hokies return a whopping eight starters on a defense that finished 10th nationally last season. Their whole defensive line returns from a 2011 campaign that saw the Hokies lead the ACC in sacks with 41. As usual, expect a Bud Foster coached defense to be the Hokies' calling card this year.
Logan Thomas returns at the quarterback position and will look to duplicate his 3,000 yard passing performance from last season. Three seniors at receiver will help, but when your returning leading rusher is also your quarterback, you're going to need some young backs to step up.
Circle the calendar: On Oct. 20 the Hokies travel to Death Valley and look to exorcise some of last year's demons. Two of Virginia Tech's three losses came at the hands of Clemson last year.

14) Wisconsin
Heisman candidate and returning leading rusher Montee Ball will look to lead the charge for the Badgers this year. Look for him to be helped out by displaced quarterback Danny O'Brien, who just two short seasons ago was the ACC's Freshman of the Year before parting ways with Randy Edsall and the Terrapins after the 2011 season.
Six returning starters on defense coupled with the surprise return of Ball (many thought he would bolt for the NFL), their leading receiver in Jared Abbrederis and O'Brien's Russell Wilson-esque pocket presence and mobility should guide the Badgers to a successful 2012 campaign.
Circle the calendar: On Oct. 27 the Badgers will "welcome" Michigan State to Camp Randall Stadium, looking to avenge their shocking 2011 regular season loss to the Spartans.

13) Michigan State
Look for a loaded Spartan defense to carry the load for Michigan State in 2012. William Gholston at defensive end and the other seven returning starters on defense will try to reprise a 2011 performance where they finished sixth in the country in total defense.
The offense returns bruiser LeVeon Bell at running back but there's a void at quarterback with the departure of Kirk Cousins, who had the misfortune of being drafted behind RG3 in Washington. Lucky for expected starter Andrew Maxwell, the four returning starters on offense are all on the offensive line.
Circle the calendar: Oct. 20 the Spartans travel to the Big House in a game that could decide the Big Ten Legends Division.

12) Clemson
Try and strike the 70-33 butt-whooping the Tigers received in the Orange Bowl from West Virginia and instead ponder this: The Tigers return all of their offensive leaders in quarterback Tajh Boyd, wide receiver Sammy Watkins and running Andre Ellington.
The defense was downright porous at times, allowing more than 30 points eight  times last season. Eight returning starters will have gained experience from those struggles and new defensive coordinator Brent Venables will look to remedy some of those issues.
Circle the calendar: Sept. 22 at Florida State will make or break Clemson's hopes for a division/conference title in 2012.

11) Arkansas 
The Razorbacks return senior Tyler Wilson at quarterback, get running back Knile Davis back from injury and return senior tight end Chris Gragg. Wilson will be the key for this team and his decision to come back for his senior season will make a huge impact for the Hawgs this year (and really, who wants to enter a draft featuring Andrew Luck and RG3?).
My concern with Arkansas is not on the field but on the sideline. Head coach John L. Smith gets the job by default after a tumultuous offseason that saw former head coach Bobby Petrino get the axe for some off the field issues. More so in the pros, a head coach in college football needs to be more of a leader and less of a game manager. We'll see how Smith fares this year.
Circle the calendar: Home to Alabama on Sept. 15 has big implications for the division and the conference.

10) West Virginia 
The Mountaineers make the jump to the Big 12 this year under second-year head coach Dana Holgerson. The offense scored points in bunches (just ask Clemson) and finished the season ranked 15th in the country in total offense and 13th in total scoring. West Virginia returns senior quarterback Geno Smith, who threw for over 4,000 yards and nabbed MVP honors in the Orange Bowl last season.
The issue for West Virginia will be adjusting to life in the Big 12, which, while it is no SEC, is miles ahead of the Big East the Mountaineers are used to.
Circle the calendar:  Oct. 6 at Texas will be the Mountaineers' first taste of a powerhouse Big 12 team and will define their chances at a conference title.

9) Michigan
Brady Hoke has the Wolverines marching to a winning beat, finishing 11-2 in his first season in the Big House. If anything, Denard Robinson's senior season will at least be exciting. Shoelace led the team in passing and rushing last season, and it will be interesting to see if Robinson can finally remedy his interception problem (he led the Big Ten in 2011).
Fresh off a Sugar Bowl win over Virginia Tech, expectations will be high for Big Blue, as they should be. Michigan returns 13 total starters and apart from an opening game against Alabama and a final contest against Ohio State, their schedule sets up pretty favorably.
Circle the calendar: While Saturday's season opener against 'Bama will be interesting, the one that will really matter for the Wolverines will be Nov. 24 against Ohio State.

8) Florida State 
I could talk all day about how Florida State is returning eight starters on defense, they finally seem to have nipped the injury bug, how quarterback EJ Manuel is finally healthy and ready to steer this team to national prominence and how third year head coach Jimbo Fisher has a team that is absolutely loaded with talent.
Instead, let me say this: If there ever was a year for FSU to make some noise nationally, this is it. These are Fisher's guys and with a schedule that sets up mostly in their favor and begins with four home games, Florida State should win their division and the conference in 2012. There won't be any excuses left if the 'Noles don't perform in 2012.
Circle the calendar: Nov. 8 at Virginia Tech might be a conference title game preview and could very well have national title implications if the 'Noles are undefeated at that point.

7) South Carolina
The Cocks will begin the season without the train wreck that was Stephen Garcia and have their man in Connor Shaw at quarterback. Shaw led SC to wins over Clemson and Nebraska after replacing the dismissed Garcia and has shown maturity in throwing the ball and a nice ability to escape the pocket with his feet.
Couple that with junior Marcus Lattimore returning from a knee injury and junior Ace Sanders at receiver and South Carolina should have designs of being in Atlanta come December. Oh, and don't forget about Jadeveon Clowney and Devin Taylor at defensive end. Clowney nabbed eight sacks as a freshman, and with a year to learn Lorenzo Ward's scheme, can only look to improve on that tally in 2012.
Circle the calendar: Oct. 6 against Georgia will almost definitely decide the SEC East.

6) Oklahoma
Landry Jones returns to guide the Sooner offense, which finished fifth nationally last season, averaging 512.3 yards per game. Last year's breakout star Dominique Whaley returns from a broken ankle and even though wide receiver Ryan Broyles is gone, junior Kenny Stills returns having caught 61 balls for 849 yards and eight touchdowns last season.
The question mark for the Sooners will be on the defensive side of the ball. In their three losses last year  Oklahoma gave up 41, 45 and 44 points respectively. Mike Stoops returns as defensive coordinator and it will be his job to whip the Sooners into shape on defense.
Circle the calendar: Oct. 13 vs. Texas in the Red River Shootout has big conference, and perhaps national title, implications for the Sooners.

5) Georgia
The Bulldogs return 10 (yes, 10) starters on defense, including safety Bacarri Rambo (No. 1 name in college football). Rambo will be suspended for the first four games, but I think the Dawgs can make it through Buffalo, Missouri, FAU and Vandy without him.
Aaron Murray is already breaking school records and apart from Tyler Wilson is the only bonafide, game-changing quarterback in the SEC. Isaiah Crowell's dismissal from the team will hurt the running game, but Ken Malcome should step into the starting roll and perform well.
Circle the calendar: As stated above, Oct. 6 at South Carolina is a huge game for the Bulldogs.

4) LSU 
The Tigers return a ton of talent on defense, including an outstanding defensive line. Look out for Sam Montgomery and Barkevious Mingo to wreak havoc on opposing offenses. The loss of Tyrann Mathieu shouldn't hurt them too badly on the defensive side of the ball, but in all his playmaking ability, especially on special teams, will be missed.
Zach Mettenberger takes the reins at quarterback and the backfield is exceptionally deep and talented. Michael Ford and Spencer Ware make for a great one-two punch. Then there is, of course, the undeniable good fortune of Les Miles.
Circle the calendar: Much like last year, their Nov. 3 matchup against Alabama will decide the division, the conference and perhaps a slot in the national title game.

3) Oregon 
Marcus Mariota will take over for Darron Thomas, who left for the NFL only to go undrafted. Mariota's inexperience will likely affect his management of the offense, but the real talent will be the two guys standing beside him in the backfield. Yes, LaMichael James is gone but De'Anthony Thomas and Kenjon Barner will do damage of their own.
If there's anything that Oregon has taught us in recent years, it's been that speed kills. While the quarterback position might hinder the offense's production, they still return enough speed to run circles around opposing defenses.
Circle the calendar: While Nov. 3 at USC will likely be a preview of the conference title game, Nov. 17 vs. Stanford will determine whether the Quack Attack will be in the Pac-12 title game.

2) USC 
We've spoken plenty about quarterbacks returning and leaving, but no QB storyline was bigger in the offseason than Matt Barkley deciding to return for his senior year. The kid wanted a shot at some postseason football and who can blame him? Barkley finished the 2011 season throwing 23 touchdowns and just three picks over his last six games.
The Men of Troy return eight starters on offense seven starters on defense, including most of their secondary. Robert Woods is a huge target for Barkley and expect the defense to improve with some experience under their belts.
Circle the calendar: If there ever was a trap game, it will be Oct. 13 at Washington in a hostile environment. This will certainly show Lane Kiffin if his boys are national title material.

1) Alabama 
Betting against Nick Saban is like betting against the house. And you never bet against the house. The way he runs a football program is unparalleled, which is why I'm giving the Tide a slight edge over the Trojans. This is year two for Lane Kiffin at USC. Saban is in year six and already has two national titles to his name at Alabama. He's coached in the big games, he knows how to prepare his teams and there's not a more brilliant mind in football than Saban's.
The offensive line returns all but one starter and quarterback AJ McCarron is a proven game manager. Trent Richardson is gone but Eddie Lacy should fill the void just fine. The defense lost a ton of starters,  but rest assured that everyone on that defense knows those schemes in their sleep thanks to defensive coordinator Kirby Smart and Saban, who takes personal pleasure in coaching the secondary in particular. The Tide will rise in 2012.
Circle the calendar: The only thing that will derail Alabama from a return appearance in the national title will be Nov. 3 at LSU, a monumental contest that will be ridiculously overhyped and, in all likelihood, dubbed "Game of the Century 2."