Intro
Ok, before I get started on this thing, I want anyone reading to know that I'm in the UK. My news and stories, results or predictions may be behind the times as most things that happen in the US, happen while I'm snoozing!
The main purpose of this blog is to give my opinions and views on the current affairs surrounding the NFL and NCAA Football leagues. As the NFL season is underway (well, preseason anyway) I will be focusing on the regular season predictions and news. As for the College games, they kick off this weekend, so they will take the main focus of this weeks entry.
WEEK 1 COLLEGE BALL - RESULTS!
So, it's arrived! Tomorrow, 7pm, the first of the college football games gets underway. Of course, being in the UK, my chances of watching those games are severely limited. So I imagine what you're thinking is "What can he possibly put in this section?!".
Well, I'm going to give you the matchups for this weekend, followed by my prediction. But I'm not just giving you the two teams then picking one, I'm going to tell you why and how they will win!!
Intrigued?!
Read on!!
THURSDAY 28TH AUGUST
Northeastern Huskies at Ball State Cardinals - It's hard to look anywhere than Ball State here. Northeastern is a D1AA side who finished with a 3-8 record in the CAA. Ball State are returning 9 starters from last years team that made it's first bowl appearance since 1996. The Cardinals defense was sketchy last year, but returning many players with experience should give them a boost. The Huskies may put some numbers up on the ground but not enough to contend with the top overall recruit two years at QB for the Cards in Nate Davis.
My pick - Ball State Cardinals.
Winner - Ball State Cardinals - Nate Davis delivered, throwing for 290 yds of 21/24 att and 3 tds. Although I was wrong about the Huskies putting some numbers on the ground (combined 32 car for 93 yds), the result was never an issue here. Incidentally, there were no turnovers or fumbles by either team, so that's something that the Huskies can look at as a positive.
UTEP Miners at Buffalo Bulls - UTEP is returning with one of the top freshmen QB's from last year, who has fully recovered from surgery in his non-throwing shoulder. Look for him to be dominant, especially without a solid candidate to carry the rock. As to who he will throw to, that's also up in the air. UTEPs' pass defense last year was awful and will only have improved as much as the coaches have allowed it. Buffalo will take full advantage of that as they return they best QB to wear the Bulls uniform! Couple that with a definite threat in James Starks at HB and the Bulls offense should tear UTEP apart. Their only issue could come at LB, but as the Miners running game will not be solid, it should hold for this first game.
My pick - Buffalo Bulls.
Winner - Buffalo Bulls - Well Buffalo pretty much dominated the Miners. Starks ran the rock superbly, putting together 179 yds off 31 carries. Despite returning Vittatoe for his second year, his numbers weren't good and he got picked off 3 times. Throwing for 1 td will not get him in the coachs' good books though. Buffalos' QB Willy managed to put up some numbers despite only completing 10/16 - 221 yds and 4 tds. One thing the Miners can take away is Petersens' punting numbers were very good, completing 3 with 1 touchback and 2 inside the 20, with a long of 59 yds.
Eastern Illinois Panthers at Central Michigan Chippewas - Despite the Panthers only throwing a grand total of 2291 yds last year, they were very productive on the ground. Ademola Adeniji moved the rock for 1254 yds on 248 carries giving him a 5.2 avg. Couple that with 15 tds and you have a very solid producer in the backfield. Dan LeFevour is the Chippewas own version of Tim Tebow and must be giving the Panthers soiled jockstraps! As one of only 2 guys to have thrown 3000+ yds and rushed 1000+ yds in a season, he controls the offensive side of the ball. Add that to the Chippewas being in an MAC title run this year and it does not look good for EI.
My pick - Central Michigan Chippewas.
Winner - Central Michigan Chippewas - LeFevour had a nice game completing 21/31 for 217 yds and 3 tds. On the ground, the Chippewas had 44 carries overall for a total of 172. Sneed had a good game moving the ball finishing with a 6.8 avg and a td. Panthers QB Reeder was the only real notable mention; completing 19/28 for 201 yds and a td. With Adeniji lost to graduation, the Panthers ground attack was literally grounded. Only putting together a total of 83 yds overall from 31 carries, they will need to improve those stats to compete anywhere.
Indiana State Sycamores at Eastern Michigan Eagles - Well for all it's worth, this is pretty much an exhibition game for EMU Eagles. Andy Schmitt at QB should have another productive year as he improves with experience, but running the ball could be a big focus area for the coaches. Look for a lot of subbing at the RB position in this game to guage the potential. The Eagles defense is very solid and the one to watch will be LB Daniel Holtzclaw who had 125, that's 125 tackles last year!
My pick - I think you know, it's Eastern Michigan Eagles.
Winner - Eastern Michigan Eagles - A shut out by the Eagles, 52-0.This was always going to be a runaway victory for the Eagles, but they put up a fantastic display on both sides of the ball, taking home 637 yds of total offense, 3 ints and only allowing 3-16 3rd downs to ISU. Schmitt connected on 15/20 passes for 160 yds and a td, but perhaps the most impressive total was (as expected) the running game. Not particularly solid last year, the coaches gave almost every guy on the depth a chance to move the ball. Overall they carried 53 times for over 400 yds and 6 scores. Impressive work on behalf of the coaching staff. If I was going to give Indiana something to take away, it could be that HB Gates moved the rock 10 times for 61 yds (6.1 ypc) with a long of 24. Also a good punting display by Mullane, walking away with a long of 59 yds and 43.7 avg.
Hofstra Pride at Connecticut Huskies - While the Huskies will always remain in the shadow of West Virginia in the Big East, last year they more than proved they are capable of producing the goods. Tyler Lorenzen at QB should have a better year this time around owing to experience, but the offensive line HAS to protect him better. On all sides of the ball, the Huskies are solid and will be challenging WVU again.
My pick - Connecticut Huskies.
Winner - Connecticut Huskies - A nice outing by the Huskies taking the win 35-3, despite commiting 5 turnovers. Tyler Lorenzen had a very average performance, completing 14/25 for 184 yds, but 3 ints. Perhaps more interestingly, his backup Endres completed 4/5 for 49 yds, giving him some good numbers. Hofstra can be happy with the 3 ints, despite throwing 2 themselves. There is really nothing they can take away from this game besides that; they're rushing game only managed 40 yds from 28 carries.
Jacksonville State Gamecocks at Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets - Georgia Tech have shaken things up and brought in Navys' head coach. This should improve the running game no end, provided they can find a solid starting runner. Things at QB are also up-in-the-air (no pun intended!). Although they're defensive line is very solid, things get shaky the further back you go so if Jacksonville can air some out, they may get some scores.
My pick - Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets.
Winner - Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets - A nice win for GT 41-14, but not entirely convincing. As expected, the passing game was less than stellar completing 8/15 overall for 135 yds. A surprising game by backup QB Shaw, who completed 3/3 for 48 yds though. Some great numbers on the ground could be due to the new coaching staff; they managed an overall 46 carries for 349 yds and 6 scores. Despite the Gamecocks putting up some good numbers and completing more than half 3rd down attempts, they turned the ball over 4 times and that's more than they would like. A confident performance by QB Perilloux, who outshone everyone on the offense should be a good sign for Jacksonville.
Vanderbilt Commodores at Miami (OH) Redhawks - The 'Dores' play in one of the toughest conferences in college ball, the SEC. Miamis' defense is it's strong point at this stage of the season; returning seniors Clayton Mullins, Joey Hudson and Chris Shula (grandson of HoF'er Don Shula no less!) Vanderbilt has lost a lot of starters during the summer, most notably WR Earl Bennett. The entire offensive line has gone as well as 5 starters on the defense.Vanderbilt are not worried long term by this, but it could affect early performance. One positive for them though is return of 4 starting DB's, one of the best batch the school has fielded for some time.
My pick - Surprisingly, I'm going with Miami.
Winner - Vanderbilt Commodores - The Dores took this one 34-13, proving me wrong. Miami QB Radabaugh underperformed badly, only connecting on 19/41 tries 244 yds, scoring 1 but getting intercepted 3 times. With no sting from the offense, that left everything down the D. Managing to get no interceptions, but recovering 2 fumbles was maybe the high point, as Vanderbilt put up over 250 yds on the ground. Whether Vanderbilt purposely came out meaning to run the ball is a question I can't answer, but the passing game was mediocre to say the least.
Eastern Kentucky Colonels at Cincinnati Bearcats - The OVC winners in Eastern Kentucky outclassed every other conference member by going 8-0, 9-3 overall. Despite not putting up huge numbers through the air, the run game was more than solid. Will that be enough to down the Bearcats? Hmm, well that remains to be seen as Cincinnati has a potent batch of RB's and a proven commodity of WR's. The QB situation is still undecided but that shouldn't cause too many problems. On defense, the Cats have some returning starters, but DE is a HUGE problem at the moment (they have a converted QB and TE on the ends!) so if Kentucky can exploit those areas, they could get solid yardage.
My pick - Even with the gaps, Cincinnati Bearcats should get this one.
Winner - Cincinnati Bearcats - A convincing 40-7 win for the Bearcats, with a lot of positives to reflect on. Junior QB Grutza had a stellar outing completing 21/28 for 296 yds and 3 scores. The running game looks solid again this year, taking just over 200 yds on 44 carries. Even with the holes in the Bearcats defensive line, the Colonels just couldn't get going - with only 147 yds through the air and 48 on the ground. Sophomore WR Watts had a good outing hauling in 3 catches for close to 100 yds and landing one in the endzone, exposing some issues for the Bearcats secondary to look at.
Southern Charleston Buccaneers at Miami (FL) Hurricanes - So, it's not very often you get to see a QB start the season as a true freshman who has never taken a college snap right? Well, you will now! The former Tampa Plants' record breaker Robert Marve looks likely to steal the #1 slot on the roster ahead of 2 other freshman QB's. Fortunately, there is experience in the backfield to take the load with Javarris James (cousin of Edgarrin) and Graig Cooper. Turn to the defense and you may run into some problems. All along the defensive front 7 has been plagued by injury and some guys who thought there wouldn't see action, may just do!
My pick - Miami (FL) Hurricanes.
Winner - Miami (FL) Hurricanes - 52-7. Good outing by the Hurricanes. With Marve out, the backup QB's did an ok job combining for 17/27 and 192 yds. On the ground, Javarris James took the rock 73 yds on 12 attempts for a decent 6.1 ypc. Charleston were completely outclassed in this game, and it showed. Only managing 126 yds of total offense, 81 of those coming from Junior QB Tribble Reese. This was never going to be close, Charleston can only hope for better in Div1AA.
Troy Trojans at Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders - So Troy has the potential on offense, but that's all. It's not proven. After losing QB Omar Haugabook (who took 99.9% of the snaps after the offensive scheme changed to a wide-open one), the situation is pretty edgy. It's the same story at HB. One big thing for Troy is the return of 6 regulars on the offensive line. Even with the loss of Leodis McKelvin to the NFL, the defense will hold true. Despite MTSU's outstanding starters at DB, there are serious holes all over the field for the Raiders. Look for freshmen and incoming guys to fill some holes at DL and LB, while WR remains a big headache for the coaches.
My pick - Despite this being a rivalry game MTSU HAS to win, it's hard not to go for Troy Trojans.
Winner - Troy Trojans - As much as I would have liked to have seen MTSU take this one, Troy landed it 31-17. A good 4th quarter comeback by MTSU was in vane but a positive nonetheless. 3 fumbles by Troy is a concern, and something that MTSU should have capitalized on, but that's history. A good outing by Junior QB Joe Craddock saw him land 20/32 atts for 200 yds and a score. A good performance by Sophomore DuJuan Harris at HB should make the starters role his to lose after putting together 148 yds on the ground. The headaches continue for MTSU as no receiver particularly shone in this performance.
Wake Forest Demon Deacons at Baylor Bears - Wake Forest could be one of the most exciting teams this year. The last 2 years has seen a major shift in the way they play, and it's paid off. QB Riley Skinner should have a break-out season and with a semi-talented pool at receiver (including Demir Boldin, little brother of Arizona Cardinals Anquan), the offense should produce some big numbers. However, the loss of 4 starters on the line could leave that a moot point. Baylor has one mother of a schedule, not the least of their problems coming from WF. The Big 10 South has some of the best teams in the country and will doubtless give the coaches headaches. And with lack of depth at DL, DB and RB the Bears could be in for a rough ride.
My pick - I'll go with the up-and-comer Wake Forest Demon Deacons.
Winner - Wake Forest Demon Deacons - Good win for the Demon Deacons, taking this one 41-13. As expected, Skinner landed a good performance completing 27/36 for 220 yds and taking it to the house 3 times. The receiving corp performed well and got the job done with Sophomore Ben Wooster grabbing 90 yds on 6 catches. The Bears struggled offensively only completing the overall passes for just over 150 yds, and not even completing 100 yds overall on the ground. The lack of depth at key positions on the defensive will cause them problems, especially given the schedule they face.
South Dakota State Jackrabbits at Iowa State Cyclones - Despite Iowa's Big 12 status, they were disappointing last season only averaging 18.2 points per game. That's not surprising considering the conference but it won't get easier. What makes it harder is the lack of a consistent QB and loss of school record holder WR Todd Blythe. Some of the pressure could fall on Alexander Robinson at RB who has shown he can compete with the best. The defense has experience, but no real play makers that can change games. I somehow doubt that the Jackrabbits can compete even through this though.
My pick - Iowa State Cyclones.
Winner - Iowa State Cyclones - 44-17. Still not feeling comfortable with the QB situation, they only were used sparingly completing 13/19 attempts for 159 yds and 2 scores. The run game was improved though with Senior Jason Harris and Alexander Robinson combining for 152 yds (229 yds overall on the ground). Harris actually landed a big gain of 68 yds which will increase his chances of landing the starters role. A disappointing outing for the Jackrabbits QB Ryan Berry though after throwing 5 ints. Sophomore Kyle Minett had a decent showing at HB though, coming away with 111 yds off 22 carries and a td. ISU had a very solid game in the secondary, landing the 5 ints and taking one to the house.
North Carolina State Wolfpack at South Carolina Gamecocks - ESPN's highlight game. The 'Pack' have improved over the last 2 seasons, but not having a definite starter at the key areas will be of concern. Most notably QB, HB and WR are all being decided just before (or during!) this game. The secondary can cope with the loss of DeJuan Morgan to the draft, but it's mighty big shoes to fill. SC provide valuable depth at receiver, including a pair of monster TE's. The defensive side is also solid, including some of the biggest LB's in the conference. Pass and rush coverage are fairly solved in South Carolina and they should make a better run than the 6-6 finish last year.
My pick - South Carolina Gamecocks.
Winner - South Carolina Gamecocks - A shut out by the Gamecocks in this rivalry game 34-0. Despite my best efforts to stay awake to watch this one (1am UK time!), I failed. With an average performance by QB Beecher, who threw 4 ints, Sophomore Chris Smelley stepped in to complete all 5 of his passes for 92 yds and 2 tds. This kid could be one to watch. A solid performance by Senior RB Mike Davis gives the run game some depth too. The Wolfpack struggled with the passing game only completing 5 passes all night for 49 yards and getting intercepted twice - the coaches need to get back to the drawing board here. A solid performance by Senior Andre Brown at HB gives them some confidence that they can move the ball though. The DB's had a field day picking off errant passes by Beecher, but unfortunately the offense couldn't translate those into scoring drives.
Oregon State Beavers at Stanford Cardinal - The only game today that features 2 teams from the same conference. OSU has 2 potential starters at QB, both competant. Although it's hard to determine a starting HB, the field is plentiful. The only real area of concern for the Beavers is at LB, but OSU has a history of turning out NFL quality linebackers. The Cardinal has much needed depth and experience on the defensive side of the ball, returning a lot of last years starters. Offensively though, could be a struggle. The QB and HB no.1 spots are open for the taking. The WR depth is not great but should be enough to see them through. The offensive line has been moved around but will hold true due to the experience of the guys.
My pick - Oregon State Beavers.
Winner - Stanford Cardinal - 36-28. Oregon had the numbers - QB Lyle Moevao threw for over 400 yards on 34 completions landing 3 tds but being picked twice. Even with 2 receivers having over 150 yards in the air (Stroughter and Morales) this still wasn't enough. Pritchard took the snaps under-center but only completed 10 of his 17 attempts but one for a score. Junior RB Toby Gerhart moved the rock 19 times for nearly 147 yards, giving him a fat 7.7 ypc. Couple that with two trips to the endzone and you have your number one guy on your depth chart. Elsewhere on the offense no one receiver stood out, but all did a good enough job of moving the chains.
Well, that wraps up the Thursday 28th August line up. Maybe I'll be right. I have the added luck that this the first game of the season, and for most of the big clubs, that means exhibition game. Still, let's see what it brings us. Maybe some injuries to key stars? Maybe some upsets? Who knows.
Look out for my blog tomorrow on the upcoming games for Friday and Saturday.
Peace. G
