Campus Confidential

Opening weekend, here are a dozen you should pay attention to.

Clemson (-5) vs. Alabama
The Tigers' offensive line is a big question, but the bigger issue is Alabama's offense. And its going up against a fantastic defensive unit. Pay close attention to Tommy Bowden's front four.

Illinois vs. Missouri (-8.5)
Missouri has to prove to me it can play defense. I think the Tigers will win, but this will be an exciting one.

Tennessee (-7) at UCLA
I can see the Rick Neuheisel era getting off to a fast start, despite the offseason injury problems.

Syracuse at Northwestern (-11.5)
Syracuse is really bad and Northwestern's offense is pretty darn good and will put up some serious points.

Bowling Green at Pittsburgh (-13)
The Panthers are a hot pick this year because of LaSean McCoy, and it's hard to deny them with such a talented running back. If they're as good as advertised, no reason they shouldn't win this by 2 scores.

Hawaii at Florida (-34.5)
I generally hate big lines, but Florida is going to lay it to the Warriors in preparation for Miami next weekend.

Southern Cal (-19.5) at Virginia
Virginia has a good defense and some pretty good skill position players, but young quarterback Peter Lalich won't enjoy facing USC's scary-good defense.

Oklahoma State (-7) at Washington State
The Cowboys' powerful offense shouldn't have many problems against a weak Pac-10 team.

Utah at Michigan (-3.5)
The Big House will certainly be rocking for Rich Rodriguez's opening game, but it won't be enough. RR's offense is not in the state it needs to be to beat a solid team like Utah.

Florida Atlantic at Texas (-23)
Colt McCoy lost a fair amount on offense, but Texas' defense will pitch something close to a shutout in this one.

Western Michigan at Nebraska (-13.5)
You better learn the name Marlon Lucky. If you don't know by now, you'll be watching his multiple touchdown runs on SportsCenter Sunday morning.

Memphis at Ole Miss (-8)
Houston Nutt kicks things off with all kinds of trickeration. Quarterback Jevan Snead (Texas transfer) is going to love playing for Nutt.

BY MIKE ROSE

I gave my five games to watch yesterday. But he's a quick thumbnail of some other games worth mentioning as college football season starts tonight.

Thursday, Aug. 28

N.C. State at South Carolina, 8 p.m.: Is this the season that Steve Spurrier gets the Gamecocks into the land of SEC giants? South Carolina gets Georgia, LSU and Tennessee at home. So the schedule is favorable. The Gamecocks need a strong showing tonight to build momentum.

Saturday, Aug. 30

Virginia Tech at East Carolina, noon: Dangerous game for the 17th-ranked Hokies. East Carolina isn't backing down from any team, with West Virginia next. This has to be an upset alert, along with Utah at Michigan.

Hawaii at Florida, 12:30 p.m.: Hawaii couldn't handle Georgia seven months ago. Now they get Florida in "The Swamp." June Jones and Colt Brennen are gone. I'm always interested to see Hawaii play, but Florida should have an easy time.

Appalachian State at LSU, 5 p.m.: We all remember the scene of App State blocking that Michigan field-goal attempt and sealing the upset in The Big House last season. Can App State do it again, in Death Valley? Perhaps. If this game is close in the fourth quarter, watch out.

Michigan State at California, 8 p.m.: Which Michigan State team will show up? Better yet, which Cal team shows up? Cal was as high as No. 2 in the country last year before falling apart.

Sunday, Aug. 31

Rivalry games are always fun. Kentucky (minus Andre Woodson) visits Louisville (minus Brian Brohm) at 3:30 p.m. Colorado State goes to Colorado at 7:30 p.m.

Monday, Sept. 1

Fresno State at Rutgers, 4:30 p.m.: Yes, this game definitely has BCS implications. Fresno State could win 10 games this season. Rutgers won't fall too far after losing Ray Rice to the NFL.

BY MIKE ROSE

Yes, it's only the first week of the season, but trust me -- there are plenty of good games to keep an eye on.

Each week I'll highlight five that I think are noteworthy. So here we go with the five for Week 1:

Saturday, Aug. 30

Saturday features two very good games and a few others that will be interesting.

USC (No. 3 AP and No. 2 USA Today) at Virginia, 3:30 p.m.: I think USC's defense will take charge. With defensive tackle Fili Moala, linebackers Brian Cushing and Rey Maualuga, and free safety Travis Mays (who is built like a strong safety at 6-4 and 225), USC has stars on defense. But the Trojans should also do some good things on offense. Quarterback Mark Sanchez, who dislocated his left kneecap about three weeks ago, has made a quick recovery and has been cleared by doctors to play against the Cavaliers. Plus, running back Joe McKnight and wide receiver Vidal Hazelton are rising stars. Virginia won nine games last season, but lost a lot of talent. Still, the Cavaliers will be tough at home. In the end, USC has too much talent and gets a hard-earned, but fairly easy road win.

Utah at Michigan (No. 24 in USA Today), 3:30 p.m.: The Rich Rodriguez era begins at The Big House. I'm very curious to see Michigan play. The offense will be a lot more wide open than we're all accustomed to seeing. I don't think Michigan will really be clicking until mid-October. Utah has been predicted to have as high as nine or 10 wins. But I'm going with Michigan in a close one. No App State this year.

Alabama (No. 24 in AP) vs. Clemson (No. 9 in both polls) at Atlanta, 8 p.m.: Clemson has all of the pressure. The Tigers have the high national ranking, are the favorite to win the ACC, and probably the best backfield in the country (with running backs James Davis and C.J. Spiller, and quarterback Cullen Harper). Historically, Clemson hasn't played too well when expectations are high. Alabama will be much improved in Nick Saban's second season and has star Julio Jones on offense. I'm going with Clemson in a close one, maybe 31-27.

Illinois (No. 20 in AP and No. 19 in USA Today) vs. Missouri (No. 6 AP and No. 7 USA Today) at St. Louis, 8:30 p.m.: Missouri won last year's opener 40-34. I really like the Tigers this year with quarterback Chase Daniel and wide receiver Jeremy Maclin. Illinois can counter with quarterback Juice Williams and wide receiver Arrelious Benn. I think both defenses will be good this year. The one difference in this game is the absence of Rashard Mendenhall from the Illinois backfield. With Mendenhall gone, Williams will have to do more. Juice looks great one play and not so good the next. Missouri wins this one.

Monday, Sept. 1

Tennessee (No. 18 in both polls) at UCLA, 8 p.m.: First, Pat Cowan was named the starting quarterback, but tore his ACL. Now quarterback Ben Olson is out eight weeks with a broken foot. So Kevin Craft, who played some at San Diego State, will be running the offense for UCLA. But don't feel too bad for the Bruins. Rick Neuheisel is back in Los Angeles as the head coach. And Norm Chow is running the offense. UCLA will find a way to score points. On the other side, Tennessee head coach Phillip Fulmer is clearly on the hot seat this season, in a very tough SEC no less. Plus, Erik Ainge is gone to the NFL, replaced by new QB Jonathan Crompton. But I think the Vols come out strong in this one and win the opener. Tennessee by a field goal.

By Adam Abramson

I come to you with my apologies.

I'm in the process of moving and the timing couldn't be worse. It'd be like asking an accountant to move during tax season or a politician to move during an election. But I've made the bed...at least I can see the light at the end of the tunnel (this time next week).

Enough about me. We had a pretty good football game to watch last night.

Could you imagine how long this blog post would be if the game had meant what we all thought it would back in early September? Louisville and bowl eligibility are two concepts that should have cross paths back in October, not November 29, with the bowl eligibility part hanging in the balance.

Either way, it was a good game. Rice found pay dirt three times, but racked up just 120 on 30 carries. Brohm attempted just 22 passes but was clutch in the fourth quarter to put the Cards in position to win. If you didn't see, he threw a perfect strike to Harry Douglas along the sideline for 46 yards that set up Art Carmody's 33 yarder to win it. Fine work by a senior QB part of a pretty solid class.

We can only hope that last night was the start of a great championship weekend. My picks are very important this weekend, but I'll explain that early next week.

Until then...

I am currently engrossed in Rocky III, patiently awaiting the USC-ASU game.

Mr. T might be the baddest dude to walk the planet in a long time.

I did some research on Laurence Tureaud and he lived an awesome life. On his business card read "Next to God, there is no greater protector than I." How money is that?

We have a great lineup this weekend, isn't Rivalry Week the best invention ever? There are a few games that have pretty attractive lines…

-Virginia Tech-Virginia
-Georgia-Georgia Tech
-Texas-Texas A&M
-Boise-Hawaii

Alright, Mickey just died. I'm bummed. I gotta go…enjoy the games. Someone text message me scores between the hours of 4 and 5.

Couple of things to follow up on...

1. Wow. 'Their' instead of 'they're'. Geesh is right.

2. West Virginia -6.5 at Cincinnati. BNG, I don't know how I missed this. I'm guessing Nos. 1 and 2 are linked. However, I don't see WVU winning this game by less than a touchdown. WVU is the only consistent thing left in the conference at this point.

3. Miami at Virginia Tech -17. I didn't pick this game originally for a few reasons. First, I have picking VT games because I'm usually wrong. Two, the spread is really big and I'm not really sure what to think, haha. But I understand I do have a lot of Virginia Tech readers, so that's my fault. I will take Virginia Tech to cover. It's senior day, Miami's problems are very grave and Virginia Tech has been cookin' since the BC loss.

By Adam Abramson

Man, there's so much to take away from last night's Oregon loss.

1. 1. You do NOT want to be ranked No. 2 this season. Yikes. I mean, nothing went right for Oregon. Very curse-like.
2. 2. You saw how important Dennis Dixon is to Oregon. It's further proof he should have been atop the Heisman race. Now the question is: Does the injury/loss eliminate him? If it drops him a few rungs, can he play his way back to the top? Will he play this year?

3. 3. Brady Leaf loves to stare at where he's going to throw the ball. He looks completely uncomfortable in the pocket. I know he was a little dinged up, but it was beyond ugly at times. Any throw over 5 yards was very ugly.

4. 4. Jaison Williams drops as many passes as he catches. Wow.

5. 5. Jonathan Stewart is a load. Before he went down with his injury, he was tough to tackle. It's a shame he can't play with Dixon as his quarterback next year.

6. 6. The crew officiating the game last night was terrible. TERRIBLE.

7. 7. Tough day for the Pacific Northwest (if San Fran is included in that region) with the Barry Bonds news and the Oregon loss.

8. 8. Wasting 800 words and an hour of research on a team that loses later in the evening is frustrating.
   

Fun way to start the weekend. I'll take my cover any day of the week. Kudos to BNG and the rest of his Mountaineer brethren.

Louisville is now 5-5. Can you believe that? This game isn't close if WVU holds onto the ball in the second half. UL's problems are huge. Obviously they cannot play defense, but the offense was terrible on third down last night (3-of-13). And what happens when they lose their senior quarterback and best wide receiver (Harry Douglas)? Trouble in the Ville.

Where there isn't trouble is Morgantown. I was impressed with their poise. I wasn't impressed with Pat White's ability to throw the ball. The fact is that he cannot make every throw required of a top-flite quarterback. Now, he'll be fine because he's extremely special at making plays. I think we saw that late in the fourth quarter. But Mountaineer fans should be worried about finding themselves down late in the game, having to pass their way back into it. The first half is as important for WVU as it is for any Top 25 team at this point.

There's no reason this team should miss out on the BCS, though.

Last night's offensive party was supposed to kick off a weekend of marquee games that would answer tons of questions for us, as stated on Thursday. But when college football decided to climb aboard the crazy train, games this weekend lost their luster. However, that won't stop us from making some picks. Rapid-fire style this time (I'm hoping the formatting will work for the blog, we'll see). And I'm bringing a boatload at you. Take notes and tell me what you think of the format. Trying to come up with a system here.

By Adam Abramson

Tonight was supposed to kick off the make-or-break weekend.

Louisville vs. West Virginia

Just 10 weeks ago this was a battle of Top 10 teams. Much like it was last year when No. 5 Louisville topped No. 3 West Virginia 44-34 in a game that had over 1,000 total yards.

We were waiting all season for the last two Big East Champions to play each other. So what happened?

Well, WVU turned the ball over 423 times against South Florida and Louisville didn’t play defense almost every time out this season.

Should be an easy game to predict, right? West Virginia has climbed back into the Top 10 and Louisville has one win to brag about – over Cincinnati.

Let’s see how easy.

West Virginia has the No. 4 defense in the country. And the Mountaineers are pretty balanced on that side of the ball, both in the Top 15 at stopping the pass and run.

Well, that could be because their offense is very run oriented so their defense sits on the bench much of the game because of clock management, right? Maybe. WVU is No. 23 in the country in T.O.P. Not bad at all.

And Louisville? Well, we alluded to how ugly their defense is. Maybe the unit is on the field a whole lot? Not so much. The offense is one of the country’s best and the Cards are No. 7 in time of possession. The defense is just bad.

Edge: Clearly WVU.

On offense both teams excel. Despite generally having an time of possession edge, WVU doesn’t run a ton of plays on offense (about 70). Credit that to the rushing attack that keeps the clock moving in between plays. Louisville averages about 77 per game and they love to wing it around the field. Houston runs about 83 per game, that’s a whole lot. Just a little FYI.

Generally I like an offense that has a command of the run over the pass, but Pat White is capable enough to put the offense on his arm if need be. As for Brian Brohm, he’s shown me enough and the numbers prove he’s the general of a fantastic offense.

Edge: Even

As for special teams, both teams are pretty solid. UL’s Arthur Carmody and WVU’s Pat McAffe are both kickers who can get the job done. Carmody won the Groza award last year. Both teams take really good care of the ball (well, WVU is fine it’s not playing South Florida). So I’ll say all is even here.

Now, the game is at home on a Thursday night. I’ve been to Mountaineer Stadium (never at night, but it was pretty tough during the day). So that only helps a team with the Xs and Os advantages.

As for motivation? Well, WVU has the conference championship and BCS in its sights. Louisville does not. I’m actually shocked that the Cards lost to Syracuse because it’s going to keep them from wining the conference, even if they win out. However, UL is still not bowl eligible and is not interested in playing in Saskatchewan in late December, so there’s stuff to play for on its sideline as well.

You have to think that WVU will win this game, even taking into account the madness that has been the 2007 season (and Big East, for that matter). About that 17-point spread…that’s the tricky part. I don’t think it’ll be close, but I think Louisville will cover.

34-23, West Virginia

By Adam Abramson

BLACKSBURG -- About 90 minutes after Boston College pulled off its comeback I was driving off campus when I saw Daily Press columnist David Teel walking by.

I rolled down my window to say hey and Dave says “You ever see anything like that?”

Well…yeah, I have. Maybe not exactly that, but I’ve come to expect situations like last night from Virginia Tech.

The Hokies are new to this elite football game and aren’t quite good at it yet. They aren’t winners in the proper sense. They aren’t finishers, be it a game or a season (in years prior, Tech has been notorious for not finishing a season). They’re a step below the Southern Cals, LSUs, Michigans, Ohio States and even Floridas of the country. The proof was in last night’s pudding.

As for the end of that game: What happened to the play calling on defense? Where was all of that pressure? If the prevent defense didn’t work the first time around when Matt Ryan put together his first touchdown drive, why go back to it? Furthermore, if you drop eight guys to cover the field, why is one of them defensive end Orion Martin. Not sure who that is? He’s the guy who haplessly flailed at the ball as Andre Callender camped out in the end zone with 11 seconds left.

You can’t ask a defensive end to play safety in a prevent. If you want to give up rushing the quarterback, make sure the guys you entrust to stop a touchdown are familiar with their roles (read as “Let no man behind you”).

I don’t blame the players. This one is chalked up to the Tech coaching staff, no questions about it.

But, like I said. I’ve come to expect situations like that. I’ve caught a lot of heat for riding Tech a little too hard in the blog this season, but I feel vindicated. Boston College didn’t make my pick look good, Virginia Tech did.

Oh, and just for the record, Matt Ryan is not a Heisman quarterback yet, but he sure is a great pro prospect.

I’m just gonna rip through a few picks for the weekend and leave it at that. I forgot how tiring it was to watch a game from outside the press box. Enjoy the games this weekend.

By Adam Abramson

I'll be honest. I'm pretty crabby and extremely tired thanks to Joe Torre's unexpected choice to say "good riddance" and suicide bombing in Pakistan (what a mess…poor people). This will be quick, especially considering the slate of games is…I'll stop myself there before foot goes in mouth, again.

As for Thursday night: Greg Schiano and Ray Rice get the credit. That offense made plays we all knew it was capable of - through the air and on the ground. Rice was dominant as the game churned along and the trick plays were perfectly executed and neutralized two costly special teams turnovers.

Last week I said the ACC is a mini version of the SEC, with everyone beating each other up and all. Let me rephrase. The Big East is a mini version of the SEC and the ACC is a mini version of the Big East at this point (only Connecticut is unbeaten in-conference and only Pittsburgh is winless at 0-1).

We'll do this week's picks like we did this week's Top 25. Just click the link to continue onto the picks. Let me know what you think of this format.

An adjustment is not benching your starting quarterback for a series.

It's what Wake Forest did to shut down Xavier Lee in the second half. It's paying extra attention to Greg Carr when he runs more than 20 yards down field, knowing another jump ball would be coming.

Has Florida State existed in a lethargic state for the last two years? There's just no offense. The penalties are pathetic. Worst in the country. It's a mess. I mean, how bad was that third down facemask by Alex Boston? He's a fifth-year SENIOR and he shot his whole team in the foot when there was plenty of time to mount something together.

On a positive note: How money is Sam Swank?

But I just want to say it again: Florida State was overall pathetic. I'm this angry and I care nothing for Florida State football. The Seminoles bring in too much talent to be this mediocre. But they'll still go up to Blacksburg and beat Virginia Tech. I'm tired of talking about this game.

As for the rest of the weekend, it's finally safe to say that this weekend's schedule really raise the hair on the back of my neck. There's only a handful of games that have "big picture" implications, but if the upset trend continues, who knows what we'll be saying on Sunday and Monday. Normalcy has been as disciplined as Florida State, so I won't assume too much.

No. 11 Missouri at No. 6 Oklahoma (-12)
This could be game #1 between this pair as both are on the fast track to winning their respective divisions of the Big 12. Unbeaten Missouri has its toughest test, but has cleared its other hurdles including Nebraska and Illinois. Once again we're looking at a game where the key is defense. Oklahoma plays it well, Missouri doesn't. The Tigers were able to outscore Illinois, but the Sooners are a Top 15 offense and defense. Sounds overwhelming. Can Mizzou's No. 4 offense, led by QB Chase Daniel, create enough opportunities?

I think it's a tall order on the road. I'm going to say Missouri to cover, but OU finds a way to win a close one. This is definitely the best game of the week on paper and worth watching.

No. 19 Wisconsin at Penn State (-7)
Two teams that have completely let me down. The Nittany Lions are fighting for their conference lives, but with two losses on the slate, it's a long way to the top. Both of these schools are very mediocre on offense and because of that I think Penn State, who has been playing great defense all year, can neutralize P.J. Hill - but Dan Connor & Co. better be ready for a healthy dose. I can see this line being a push, but Wisconsin has been a dog against the spread this year (1-4) because everything is close. Penn State's offense has been so asleep at times this year that I think it'll be another close one. Badgers cover, but pick up a second straight loss.

No. 1 LSU at No. 17 Kentucky (+9.5)
Ahhh, memories.

I'm sure every NFL scout will be watching to see how Andre Woodson responds to this insane defense. My guess? Another so-so outing. And when Woodson has so-so outings, the Wildcats don't win games. LSU to cover…the Tigers are tired of close games.

Louisville at No. 15 Cincinnati (-10)
The Cardinals are one of those groups where you keep thinking it'll eventually click. That the defense and offense will both say "hey, we're in this together!"

Louisville just looks completely awful and uninspired. I think a lot of that has to do with Bobby Petrino - that was a huge loss for UL and now he's wallowing in the NFL hoping he doesn't get embarrassed on Monday night. Cincy is a perfect 5-0 against the spread this year for three main reasons: 1. Ben Mauk, their quarterback, 2. A No. 1 turnover margin rating, 3. Their rushing defense.

No. 3 can be skewed. Leading games, teams are trying to pass their way back into it and abandoning the run, so who knows there (Cincy is awful against the pass).

Louisville is still the country's second-rated offense, but the team's kryptonite? Facing another good offense - which Cincy has.

With all of that said, I am going say…wow, this is tough. Cincy to cover, but it could go either way. It wouldn't surprise me to see UL actually win this.

No. 22 Auburn at Arkansas (-3)
Another who knows game. The SEC has been insane this year and it's not fair that I have to pick these games.

It's easy to pick Auburn for the "upset." I mean, at 4-2, one of their losses came against a pretty good team. Their wins…well, look no further than at Florida. The defense is top 15 and playing well…but that offense is pretty gross.

Honestly, another coin flip. I'll take Auburn to win.

Purdue at Michigan (-5.5)
The question posed this week was "What does Michgian have to do to get back into the Top 25?" Well, if the Wolverines win this one, time to start considering them.

It's definitely Mike Hart time. If he gets 25 carries for 130 and a score, UM will have no problem covering at home. I'm banking on that. UM to cover.

As for a lock of the week, I like Miami to cover the 2.5 it's giving Georgia Tech. While both are unpredictable, I think Miami is quite salty about last week's embarrassing loss in Chapel Hill and will run it all afternoon.

Happy watching. Shameless plug: If you have XM, check out Ch. 144 between 4-7, might hear a guy you know.

By Adam Abramson

Just trust Campus Confidential. I couldn't put the game on until 9:30 in the third quarter, but SoCo looked good from what I saw. I started to feel good about this game as I was ironing my shirt and wish I had time to log on and put some scratch down. That's how it goes.

Everything I read online said Woodson couldn't pull off the win but did nothing to hurt his stock. The Gamecocks can play some serious defense, so that's a pretty good report.

I'm pretty burned from live blogging the Yankee massacre, so I'm going to keep this short.

Before I make the picks, I just want to follow up BNG's folo to my folo.

"BC will also fall. Not this week or next Bowling Green and Notre Dame, but fall they will, and when they do, they're strength of schedule (or lack
thereof) will be a major story in their demise."

I agree with everything there. They won't be in the title hunt. But they're definitely a sexy pick for the ACC title and a berth to the BCS. You'd have to agree there, right? The ACC isn't offering much right now.

As for Week 6:

No. 15 Virginia Tech at No. 22 Clemson (-5)
Let's stay in the ACC. It's Virginia Tech's second trip to a Death Valley to face the Tigers this year. I don't know that it will be another blowout, but Clemson will cover this game if it can complete some early passes. Tech is just extremely weak up front and Clemson has a Top 25 defense that will give Tech fits all night. James Davis and C.J. Spiller should each get 20 carries as they did in a 42-20 win over North Carolina State. Clemson to cover.

No. 5 Wisconsin at Illinois (-2.5)
You read that right: Illinois is a favorite. And they should be. Wisconsin doesn't deserve its No. 5 ranking and Illinois doesn't deserve to be unranked. Wisconsin's Top 5 defense from last year is nowhere to be found. Will this year's unit force enough mistakes from the young Juice Williams? Will Wisconsin let another opponent hang around. If so, is this the game they lose? I'm going to say yes. I'm taking Illinois at home. Zook is back, baby.

No. 10 Oklahoma vs. No. 19 Texas (+12)
We're going to find out how bad Texas is. My guess, they won't cover. Oklahoma is going to romp. But will I be shocked if the Longhorns wake up and do something? No. The Longhorns are actually playing decent, statistically speaking, but it's not enough. OU is saltier than the Longhorns and it'll show.

No. 12 Georgia at Tennessee (push)
I've seen enough from Georgia to take the Bulldogs this game. Tennessee is getting quite a bit of respect with this line. They've beaten nobody and were stomped by somebodies. The Vols have been a huge disappointment in my eyes and rank up there with Penn State as teams that have let me down most this year. Georgia's only loss was to a soon-to-be Top 10 South Carolina team, by 4. Woof, woof. Dawgs to win.

No. 9 Florida at No. 1 LSU (-8)
I have a feeling the Tigers are liking that No. 1 ranking and no matter how mad Florida is, they aren't coming into Death Valley and leaving with a win. Now the question is that spread. The key here is LSU's offense against Florida's defense. LSU should have a much easier time moving the ball than they did against South Carolina and Florida will have their hands much more full with LSU than it did with Auburn. LSU to cover.

No. 4 Ohio State at No. 23 Purdue (+7)
This is one of the most important games of the weekend. If Ohio State wins here, there's a strong chance it runs the table and creates some BCS problems (although that shouldn't be the case). Colleague Erik Boland I discussed it this week and he feels an unbeaten Buckeyes team would get in over a one-loss LSU or USC. I guess he's right, although it shouldn't be the case. As for who wins Saturday? Purdue is beyond awful against the pass (which is weird because it's what they do so well on offense). But Ohio State's offensive strength isn't the pass, although the Buckeyes have shown flashes. Purdue's Top 10 offense is going against OSU's No. 2 defense. Time and time again this year we've seen high-powered offenses, who lack on defense, play teams that can really slow down a game and every time the defense wins. For that reason, I'm taking the Buckeyes to win by 10.

By Adam Abramson

I wish Auburn-Florida was relevant. But the spread is bad, Auburn is bad and that's that. Mississippi State-South Carolina is arguably the SEC game of the week because it'll be more competitive. I will say Auburn can make itself somewhat relevant with a win, but that won't happen.

As for LSU-Tulane, reader Black N Gold wants to know what I think of a seven touchdown line. I was actually talking about this last weekend when someone asked what the line was on Virginia Tech-William & Mary (no FBS-FCS lines set by Vegas, yes I said it, no I don't work for the NCAA). It's just such a crapshoot, to use a gambling term. LSU will likely win by at least 40. But what's really the difference between a 45 and 50 point lead? Never touch any line that big. I guess people like putting on a blindfold and throwing darts.

On to a few picks.

Penn State at Illinois (+3)
Coming off a loss, the Nittany Lions face another trap game. The Fighting Zooks are a tricky, very athletic club. State lost to a motivated and embarrassed Michgian defense. Illinois can't put up like the Wolverines on that side of the ball, so I think Morelli and Scott can rebound somewhat. On the flip, Juice Williams is such a wildcard for the Illini, but I think PSU's defense can neutralize him just fine. Penn State to cover, no sweat.

Clemson at Georgia Tech (+3)
The Tigers aren't getting much respect. I really like them to cover this game. For the second weekend in a row, I'm most confident about a line where Clemson is involved and they were true to me last Saturday. Davis and Spiller are going to grind on that defense all afternoon.

Kansas State at Texas (-15)
I don't care about the whole revenge factor. Texas has not been impressive at all. Kansas State quarterback Josh Freeman is looking a lot better at quarterback, but he still needs to cut down on the mistakes. It's early, but if this kid keeps progressing, he can grow into an Andre Woodson in two years (they look like carbon copies with the pads on). I like the Wildcats to cover. I don't know if they can pull it off, but they'll keep it within two touchdowns.

Michigan State at Wisconsin (-7)
It's easy to look at the Badgers playing some closer ball games this year and think this has a lot of upset potential. Michigan State didn't exactly blow my hair back last week at Notre Dame, so I don't know if they can go into Madison and plant the flag in the middle of the field come game's end. I'll say Michigan State to cover, but Wisconsin a winner.

Cal at Oregon (-6)
Tricky, tricky game. The Bears have lookd sharp. The Bears have looked flat. Oregon has been sharp on offense and are 4-0 against the spread. I hate picking games like this. Two good offenses (one great offense, thusfar) and two yuck defenses. This is definitely a showcase of fun. I don't want to touch this line, but I do want to touch the over of 73. This has 45-41 written all over it. I like Oregon at home to cover. Dennis Dixon has really been a big-time weapon this season. Watch this game if you can. But I don't know if that will be possible. Coverage map for 3:30. We need a better system here. I don't want to watch Maryland-Rutgers.

Alabama at Florida State (-2)
There are some fatal flaws in Tallahasse. Nick Saban is going to outcoach the Tide to a win. Also, EJ Manuel, the Florida State verbal (stud quarterback from Norfolk, VA) has not been stellar in his final prep season. Overrated? We'll see.

By Adam Abramson

I'm pumped.

Huge game. No work. Just me and the TV. Killer way to spend a Friday night when you don't have to work, right?

Tonight is the first big night for the Big East. Raymond James Stadium is sold out. Students waited in line last Sunday for tickets and scooped them up immediately. I mean, it's the biggest game in South Florida football history.

Last week I was watching USF-North Carolina and they showed the old coaching trailer, dubbed "The Ponderosa." It was similar to my fourth grade class with Mr. Bub, in a trailer, when I lived in South Florida (the real South Florida...USF is in Tampa, which is central Florida). When it rained we would do P.E. in a trailer. I wonder if they did workouts in The Ponderosa when it rained in Tampa? I've officially entered left field. Sorry.

Anyway, the program has come a long way. That's what I'm trying to get at here. Can the Bulls take out West Virginia? I've been back and forth all week on this. Matt Grothe walked onto Mountaineer Field last year and beat a WVU team still salty about a loss in Lexington. Does Grothe have the magic again? Has WVU really shored up the defense as readers are telling me? Can South Florida slow down the masterful rushing attack of Slaton and White?

Like I said, back and forth. But the pendulum stops on the Green and Gold side. I'm taking the 7-point underdogs to win.

I'll be back with the rest of the weekend around lunch time.

Now for less important business. I want to follow up because it's been a big week of TV watching. I've handed out my grades:

House - A+
Heroes - B
Beauty and The Geek - A+
Friday Night Lights Season 1 - A+ (through four episodes)
Chuck - A+
Life - B
Kitchen Nightmare - A
Law & Order SVU - Cannot grade. I got halfway through and dozed off thinking the recorder was on. It wasn't. Got the DVR set for Sat. night encore.
The Office - on the DVR
My Name is Earl - on the DVR
Big Shots - on the DVR
Back to You - forgot to record. oops. Any encores?

By Adam Abramson

Fact: The Miami Hurricanes read Campus Confidential yesterday and used it as motivation. (OK, not fact)

Fact: You'll have a problem when you have a three-headed rushing attack and one of the heads doesn't get a single touch in the first 30 minutes of a football game.

I figured the Aggies would have a tough time playing defense against Miami's athletes, but I didn't figure Dennis Franchione and his staff would be completely out coached. Right now all of the Big XII is smiling because they've been saying it all along. Texas A&M was a complete mess last night.

How do you not get Jorvorskie Lane the ball? I mean, it's not like the coach forgot he was around, he's impossible to miss. He had seven touchdowns in the first three games and left Miami with just two carries. That's embarrassing.

Definite props to Miami. They were definitely playing with an extra bounce in the step and the defense was flying to the ball while playing very disciplined. With a little time, I am liking Randy Shannon's chances in Coral Gables. The recruiting class he's putting together this year is insane. He has 17 verbal commitments, 15 are from Florida. Five are from the nation's top prep program, Miami Northwestern High.

Heck, if I saw Sebastian the Ibis crankin Soulja Boy on the field, I'd sign right up (see video, and remember the Barney video I posted about three weeks ago). It was also featured as the Campus Craze on the telecast.

But enough about last night. There's five great games to watch this Saturday.

No. 12 South Carolina at No. 2 LSU (-19)
South Carolina was able to use its defense to top Georgia between the hedges, but it ain't gonna happen in Death Valley. If I'm Les Miles, I'm sitting Matt Flynn with that ankle sprain for one more week. He's definitely earned his bones to be the starter, but Ryan Perriloux should play against a good defense (Flynn proved he can handle the challenge against LSU). Let Flynn rest and get him geared up for the rest of the season. There's a lot of points to cover and the Gamecocks haven't been letting up that many points this season. 34-16 is not a cover, so I'll say LSU to win, but not cover.

North Carolina at No. 23 South Florida (-13)
Exciting times in Tampa. The Bucs beat division rival New Orleans this week and the Bulls are playing their first game as a ranked squad. The game is on at noon on ESPN. Just watch it and keep an eye on Mike Ford, the USF running back. North Carolina isn't working with a lot at this point outside of quarterback T.J. Yates, so I'm not confident in the Tar Heels covering the points.

No. 10 Penn State at Michigan (+3)
I'm nervous if I am a Penn Stater (that goes for you, Mike). These are the kind of games that you flip on the TV and hold your breath for 200 minutes. Michigan is sure to play with a little extra bounce in its step, but one glaring fact remains: the Wolverines still can't play defense. Well, the Nittany Lgions can play offense. I like Penn State to cover, but it'll be close for a while. If Anthony Morelli tanks, someone bless this young man because I don't know if he'll be forgiven.

No. 21 Kentucky at Arkansas (-7)
My heart goes out to the Wildcats. I'm sure nobody was pulling for the Razorbacks last week more than Kentucky (although the thrillers were on at the same time). Rich Brooks' boys are walking into the belly of the beast because Arkansas is rather ticked. Kentucky has been rather susceptible against the run this year which means Darren McFadden is primed to snap off another 200 yard game and work his way back into Campus Confidential's Heisman watch. I like Arkansas to cover, but I also like Andre Woodson to have another big game. Arkansas' pass defense just looked pathetic at times against Alabama.

No. 22 Georgia at No. 16 Alabama (-3.5)
If the underdog Bulldogs decide they want to play offense, they'll win this game no problem. The question is, will they want to play offense? The Tide is high after what will go down as one of the top five games of the year and that emotion can be a powerful thing for a 6 p.m. kickoff (will it be 5 Tuscaloosa? I'm pretty sure). I'm having a hard time picking a winner in this one. It's only Week 4 but Georgia really has its back against the wall with an SEC loss under its belt. Georgia is once again starting two true freshman on the offensive line and Mark Richt has said publicly they should not be playing. Can I just not pick? I guess that's not possible. I'm going with Georgia. Don't prove me wrong again, Nick Saban.

Two locks for you. First, Clemson will destroy N.C. State. James Davis and C.J. Spiller should both clip 100 yards because the Wolfpack are atrocious against the run. Clemson giving just seven is a gift.

The other is Southern Cal hosting Washington State. With all of the athletes the Trojans have, there's no shame in putting up 60 points. USC is giving up 25 points but will win by at least 28. John David Booty is looking for a 5-TD game.

Happy watching.

By Adam Abramson

Steve Slaton, Pat White and Noel Devine kicked off a fun weekend ahead.

Devine had a ton of hype coming out of high school. I didn't think his out-of-this-world high school highlights would translate to the next level in the same fashion. Southwest Florida doesn't have the greatest football and he's rather small. But some of the cuts he made on Thursday night in College Park are legit. He's the epitome of a scat back. By the way, they never showed a good replay, but I thought that was a touchdown.

I was glad to see Jordan Steffey play a decent game. The fumbled snap made me wince quite a bit, but he settled in and played a half-decent ball game. He's been through a lot the last three years, so playing in front of the country and throwing a touchdown has to feel pretty darn good.

There aren't a plethora of great games this weekend, but there are a few good ones. We're going to learn a lot this weekend. Let's have a gander.

Notre Dame at Michigan

Both 0-2. Change is a beautiful thing. It only seems like yesterday that the powerhouses met in South Bend. Mario Manningham catches the TD and crashes into the band in the corner of the end zone. Those days are long gone, though. Two new quarterbacks this year. Michigan's defense is long gone (why did I think they'd survive losing that much talent, I'll never know). All the talk behind Michigan freshman Ryan Mallet is that he's as good, if not better, than Notre Dame freshman Jimmy Claussen. I don't think you can base everything on this weekend, but it definitely has plenty of intrigue. The Wolverines are favored a touchdown and I think they'll clear it with Mike Hart. Notre Dame just can't block, or stop anyone. SPEAK UP, LOU HOLTZ.

Southern Cal at Nebraska

The last time Sam Keller faced Southern California, I was sitting in an Applebee's in Huntington, W.Va. I had just covered Virginia Tech-WVU, when Marcus Vick torched the Mountaineers and flicked off the fans (before Michael did in Atlanta, actually). Actually, the first half was spent driving on the highway in West Vriginia. We made to Applebee's for the second-half collapse, where Keller was throwing to USC as much as Arizona State, and when he found Derek Hagans, it was a drop.

Will revenge be sweet? He's got weapons in Maurice Purify and Marlon Lucky. But Nebraska has just looked really sluggish. The line is 10.5 and I think it's going to be close to that. USC could be pumped after all the talk that LSU should be ranked higher than them, but I don't know how much motivation that provides. I like Nebraska to cover, but lose a close one. 32-24 Trojans.

Florida State at Colorado

I'm going to continue to believe in Florida State's offense. It will show up. Colorado hasn't blown my hair back in a long time, so I like the Seminoles to cover the measly 3.5 they're giving.

Ohio State at Washington

Great benchmark for the Buckeyes. Can they contain Jake Locker (great quarterback name)? The Huskies knocked off Boise State last week, but this is a different animal coming to town. Ohio State run the ball as well as the Broncos and they play tougher defense. I think Ohio State covers the four it's giving.

Boston College at Georgia Tech

The Yellow Jackets can run the ball. Will that translate into tempo control and keep the ball out of Matt Ryan's hands long enough? Yes. Georgia Tech can play enough defense to keep Boston College on its toes. I think this will be a back-and-forth game with the Jackets covering the touchdown they're giving. Watch GT back Tashard Choice. The kid can play.

Louisville at Kentucky

It's time to take Kentucky seriously if it pulls off this one. I slept on UK last year in the bowl game and they torched Clemson, so I'm not letting that happen again. I'm hopping on the Andre Woodson bandwagon and riding the upset this weekend. This one is going to be another shootout, but this is no MTSU.

Tennessee at Florida

Both teams are a little dinged up. Florida has the speed. Tennessee has the strength. But what do they say? Speed kills. Tennessee's offense hasn't been dynamic enough to run with a big dog like Florida. Tim Tebow to Percy Harvin all day will wear down the Vols, allowing the Gators to cover the 8 they're giving.

Arkansas at Alabama

The No. 16 team in the country steps into Tuscaloose with the No. 1 rushing attack in the country through the first two weeks. That's not really a surprise, considering who mans that backfield. I understand Arkansas lacks on defense, but Alabama won't make you scream when they have the ball. Yet the Tide is a 3-point favorite.

Take this line and do what Darren McFadden is going to do with it, run, run, run. If Alabama somehow pulls this off, eternal props to Nick Saban. But I just don't see Arkansas having trouble with this one.

I'm cutting it off here. Colt Brennan will throw for another six touchdowns this week. Should be fun.

By Adam Abramson

I promise this will be the last week of me cutting my previews short. It's a shame, because this week is jacked full of great games.

I have to leave for the airport in about 5 hours and need to grab a few Zs before I go back to the Big Easy.

By the way, the over/under in that Louisville game was like 64. The over on that was a lock. Wish I had known that about 5 hours before the game kicked off.

I think it's safe to say that the Virginia Tech-LSU game is the headliner for the weekend, but like I said, the slate is chock full of great games. Let's rip through the good ones.

I will say this, I think Notre Dame will not roll over and die like it did against Georgia Tech. Colleague Erik Boland and I talked about the legend of Jimmy Claussen beginning this weekend if he can somehow put together a win in Happy Valley. Erik will be in State College for the game, which has a pretty healthy spread at 17.5. Notre Dame will cover, but I don't know if the Irish will win.

By Adam Abramson

I've tried to write this about four times, but have been interrupted each and every time, so my apologies if this is a little scatterbrain.

I watched a good bit of the LSU game last night and wasn't THAT impressed. Everyone is pencling in the Tigers to face USC for the title, but they're going to have to do a lot more. Maybe it was knocking off some of the rust, but the first half was not pretty, considering they had like 4 INTs. An unproven offense must step up and control games as much as that fantastic defense.

Moving on...

The fact that it's opening weekend makes up for a rather weak slate of games.

Maybe it's not THAT weak, maybe I'm just looking ahead to Sept. 8.

The game of the weekend is undoubtedly Cal vs. Tennessee. Tales of revenge or domination could be told for ages after this weekend. With a defense that has to be improved, a matured Nate Longshore and an electric DeSean Jackson, Cal is a 6-point favorite. However, I think Tennessee's defense is better than the unit last year that shut down Marshawn Lynch. Vols QB Erik Ainge has a broken pinky on his throwing hand, but reports are he's releasing the ball just fine. I like Tennessee to upset. I know, West Coast hater. But I do think Tennessee is going to surprise some people this season.

But Notre Dame-Georgia Tech is a must-watch as well for several reasons.

1. Life without Brady. Now that Quinn is in Cleveland, the long-standing post left behind has been nothing short of dramatic this summer. Charlie Weis won't tell anyone who is going to start on Saturday. Will it be the vaunted freshman Jimmy Claussen? If so, is he NFL ready or whatever the recruiting gurus penciled him in as? Wi