Weekend TV Preview

- Week 1 of 2008 kicks off tonight.

Thursday

Wake Forest (-12) at Baylor - FSNSW - 7:00 pm
Wake Forest brings back 16 starters from a very solid 2007 team. 9 starters back on a great defense. I love Art Briles, I think he'll win and get Baylor to 6 wins within 2-3 years. He's got more connections with Texas high school coaches than anyone in the state, including Mack Brown. He will get players to Baylor. He just won't win this year. Offenses like that take at least a year to get going. Blowout.
Pick - Wake Forest -12

Oregon State (-3) at Stanford - ESPN2 - 8:00 pm
I like Oregon State for a sleeper pick to contend for the #2 spot in the PAC-10 (behind USC of course). I think Stanford peaked with the win at USC, losing 5 of their next 7. Oregon State will be a 9 win team in 2008.
Pick - Oregon State -3

NC State at South Carolina (-14) - ESPN - 7:00 pm
NC State absolutely sucks. 10 starters return for South Carolina, which should have a top 3 defense in the SEC. NC State is terrible on offense and may not get 200 total yards. A typical, SEC-type ugly game. 20-3 Carolina.
Pick - South Carolina -14


Friday

SMU at Rice (-3.5) - ESPN - 7:00 pm
SMU will be good eventually, June Jones will turn things around. But he has guaranteed himself a terrible season by benching Justin Willis. Rice has 18 starters back. That's all I know. Take the home team.
Pick - Rice -3.5


Saturday

Virginia Tech (-9.5) at East Carolina - ESPN - 11:00 am
Virginia Tech is possibly the most boring team in America to watch. And are severely overrated year after year. 7 starters were lost on defense. The 2 top running backs have been either lost to injury or kicked off the team. The offense licks nuts. This is ripe for an underdog cover.
Pick - East Carolina +9.5

Syracuse at Northwestern (-11.5) - ESPN2 - 11:00 am
The first 11 am Big 10 game of the year. If there's a bigger TV viewing beating than an 11 am Big 10 game, I don't know of it. I do, however, think Northwestern will be a much improved 7-8 win team this year. There's too much offense for them not to be. A good QB and a very good RB, look for them to put up very un-Big 10 offensive numbers. Syracuse is depressingly terrible.
Pick - Northwestern -11.5

Bowling Green at Pittsburgh (-13) - ESPNU - 11:00 am
Another team that disgusts and bores me, Pittsburgh, a Big 10 team trapped in the Big East. Only fitting that they play at 11 am along with all the other Big 10 juggernauts. They return 15 starters and are picked to contend for the Big East. So I can't take a mid major, even with 2 TD's.
Pick - Pittsburgh -13

USC (-19.5) at Virginia - ABC - 2:30 pm
Now is where the day gets good. USC goes 3 time zones east to play Virginia. With the athletic QB Jameel Sewell not on the team anymore, some cement shoed white guy is the starter and will get eaten alive by USC, who may have the best defense in the nation. The Dirty Sanchez era begins with a bang.
Pick - USC -19.5

Utah at Michigan (-3.5) - ESPN2 - 2:30 pm
The 1st upset alert of the day. Utah is a very underrated, dangerous team. Remember what athletic QB's did to Michigan last year? App State and Oregon took Michigan to the woodshed with athletic QB play. Brian Johnson is a top 5 running QB in the nation. Rich Rodriguez will eventually rule the Big 10 with his speed oriented offense, but it will take at least a year to implement, especially with a former walk-on starting at QB. Upset in the Big House.
Pick - Utah +3.5

Oklahoma State (-7) at Washington State - FSNSW - 2:30 pm
Oklahoma State possesses one of the most explosive offenses in the nation. 8 starters back on offense, with Zac Robinson being the most unknown star QB in the conference. The defense sucks still, so I can't take them as a road favorite of a touchdown or more. I know nothing of Washington State, except that they're in the PAC-10, can probably score points, and are playing in-state. Give me the points.
Pick - Washington State +7

TCU (-6.5) at New Mexico - VS - 5:00 pm
Could be a decent game. New Mexico broke through with a bowl game last year, and TCU returns 14 starters, including 8 on defense and their QB and RB. TCU and Utah are the overlooked Mountain West teams to BYU. TCU could win 11 games this year. A loss at Oklahoma could be the only blemish. They start strong in the desert.
Pick - TCU -6.5

Boston College (-10) at Kent State - ESPNU - 6:30 pm
Please tell me how a major conference 11 win team in 2007 can be favored by only 10 against a mid major? With only the QB to replace on offense (a 5th year senior who has the goods to deliver according to scouts), and the defense bringing back multiple talented players, I see this as the pick of the day.
DOUBLE PLAY - Boston College -10

Alabama at Clemson (-4.5) - ABC - 7:00 pm
Clemson will be among the most overrated teams in the nation this year. The skill players initially excite you, but part of the equation of making those talented skill players excel is having a decent offensive line. The line was mediocre last year and contributed to disappointment, and with only 1 returning starter, expect more of the same this year. Alabama signed the best class in the nation this past off season and seems ready to climb into the elite again, but not this year. As much as I think Clemson will disappoint this year, they will win and cover against a young, talented, but not yet ready Alabama team.
Pick - Clemson -4.5

Illinois at Missouri (-9) - ESPN - 8:00 pm
Missouri (my pick for National Champion), returns everyone. They lost Martin Rucker at TE, but still have Chase Coffman. That was the only star who was lost from a team that was last seen ripping through Arkansas in the Cotton Bowl. If not for 2 meltdowns against Oklahoma last year, this team is in the BCS Championship game. This is their year. The schedule is favorable, with their 2 hardest road games very winnable (Texas and Nebraska), and their toughest game overall (Kansas) being played at a neutral site. It's all laid out for them. And Illinois comes down to earth this year, no Rashard Mendenhall means more emphasis on Juice Williams throwing the ball, which is never a good thing.
Pick - Missouri -9


CROWN GAME



Washington at Oregon (-13.5) - FSNSW - 9:00 pm
The 1st PAC-10 Crown Game of the year. How great it is to have college football back. I don't know much about either team, except that Oregon's offense will take a backseat to the defense for the 1st time in Mike Bellotti's tenure at Oregon. The defense should be a top 5 unit nationally this year. Washington has a decent game breaker at QB with Jake Locker, but little else.
Pick - Oregon -13.5


Sunday

Kentucky at Louisville (-3.5) - ESPN - 2:30 pm
The Bourbon Bowl. Not sure who to pick here, as both teams lost way too much talent to the NFL. Kentucky had 6 guys lost to the NFL on offense, and Louisville lost Brian Brohm and Michael Bush on offense. This is such a toss up, but I think Kentucky has a better chance of having a decent season than Louisville does, so give me Kentucky.
Pick - Kentucky +3.5

Colorado (-11) at Colorado State - FSNSW - 6:30 pm
Colorado could have the toughest schedule in the nation this year, with games against West Virginia and Texas at home, Kansas, Missouri, Texas A&M and Nebraska on the road, and this game against Colorado on a neutral field. They will be very much improved and a very dangerous team for anyone. Expect a few upset wins. Their final record will probably not reflect how good of a team they may be. Colorado State sucks, but this is an underrated rivalry game that is always exciting, so I can't let 11 points sit there without taking them.
Pick - Colorado State +11


Monday

Fresno State at Rutgers (-5) - ESPN - 3:00 pm
Fresno State plays anyone, anywhere, at anytime. I love this team and this program. It shocks me that Pat Hill is still in the Valley. Rutgers goes to a more pass-based offense, which is a concern as I was not impressed at all with Mike Teel last year, and that was with Ray Rice in the backfield supposedly taking the pressure off of him. Fresno has a very underrated QB, 10 starters back on offense, and should have a more than solid defense. They always rise to the occasion when playing a big conference school. Give me the points.
Pick - Fresno State +5

Tennessee (-7) at UCLA - ESPN - 7:00 pm
UCLA burned me last year as being my sleeper top 5 pick for the year. With 20 starters back and a favorable schedule, they flopped big time. I will not make that mistake again. Rick Neuheisel is an offensive genius, but even he can't turn around that crap offense in just a year. Tennessee is a very under the radar, dangerous team that returns a ton of talent. They run all over UCLA in the Rose Bowl.
Pick - Tennessee -7