Gameday Commentary - 11 o'clock games

Notre Dame 27, Navy 21

Navy nearly made their second remarkable fourth quarter comeback in as many weeks. Trailing 27-7 in the fourth quarter, sophomore quarterback Ricky Dobbs sparked a comeback that included two onside kick recoveries, but fell just short.

Notre Dame displayed an excellent running game. The three headed monster of James Aldridge, Armando Allen, and Robert Hughes combined to pound the undersized Navy defense to the tune of 230 rushing yards.

Yet again, Jimmy Clausen was inconsistent and threw two interceptions. If Notre Dame wants to get better, they'll rely more on their solid running game than on the unreliable arm of the overconfident Clausen.

Keep an eye on Navy's Dobbs. I have a feeling you'll be hearing a lot about him over the next two years. He's got great athleticism to run the triple option, but he has a stronger arm than any Navy quarterback in recent memory.

Northwestern 21, Michigan 14
Michigan lost their school record 8th game of the season in snow flurries against Northwestern. I know this is going to prompt even more criticism from Michigan fans and the national media, but everyone needs to hit the breaks a little bit.

Sure, and 8-loss season is something Michigan should never have to experience, but when you consider the magnitude of the overhaul taking place to the offense, you have to expect some setbacks. Watching the game, I didn't get the feeling that Michigan was a terrible team. Defensively they are actually quite good.

The 2008 Wolverines are simply a team in transition, and hasn't been able to catch any breaks this season. So lay off Rich Rodriguez (at least for the time being), because he needs at least a couple more years to get his players in place before it's fair to make a judgment on the job he is doing in Ann Arbor.

Georgia 17, Auburn, 13
As expected this was an ugly, low scoring game. Auburn proved to me they haven't quit on this season. Despite all the coaching turmoil and the mounting losses, the Auburn players were still giving a solid effort on the field, and almost pulled the upset.

The main question I had watching the game is: what in the world was Tony Franklin thinking? For some reason, Franklin had it in his head that Chris Todd was a better quarterback than Kodi Burns. Well, he couldn't have been more wrong - and maybe that had something to do with his firing at mid-season.

Burns played a solid game against Georgia. His athleticism is obviously far superior to Todd's, but Burns proved to me today that he is a much better pocket passer as well. Burns has a stronger arm, and more importantly, doesn't panic in the pocket and make stupid throws the way Todd did. In the SEC, you can't have a quarterback that can't handle a pass rush.

WEEK NINE - Midweek Games

Auburn @ West Virginia
(Thursday, 6:30 pm, ESPN)
Before the season started this was one of the more intriguing games on the schedule. It looked like it would be a top 10 matchup with national title implications, but now that it’s here all this game has to offer is a couple of the most underachieving teams in the land trying to stay afloat. Auburn has suffered a particularly interesting meltdown that included Tommy Tuberville firing his offensive coordinator a couple weeks ago. West Virginia started 1-2, but quietly fought back to respectability by winning three in a row. If Auburn’s defense shows up the way it was playing earlier this season, the Tigers will have a big advantage over West Virginia’s predictable offense and a hobbled Pat White. But if Auburn gives the same effort they gave in a loss to Arkansas you can consider their season over. I’ll give Team Tuberville the benefit of the doubt one last time.
J.Pike’s Pick: Auburn 25, West Virginia 16

New Mexico @ Air Force
(Thursday, 7 pm, CBS College Sports)
New Mexico has seemingly been rejuvenated since the loss of their quarterback Donovan Porterie for the season. In fact, the 70-7 thumping they laid on San Diego State last week sent a message to the rest of the Mountain West not to count the Lobos out. But the Falcons consistently make opponents pay for mistakes, and that will be the difference in this game.
J.Pike’s Pick: Air Force 27, New Mexico 24

#14 Boise State @ San Jose State
(Friday, 8 pm, ESPN 2)
If Boise State is going to lose a game this season, this might be the one. San Jose State quarterback Kyle Reed is dynamic enough to take on a Boise State defense that has only allowed more than 7 points in a game once this season. Reed’s combination of accuracy in the passing game and elusiveness in the pocket will provide the biggest test to Boise’s solid secondary so far this year. They’ll have to cover longer than they’re used to and you never know when Reed will tuck it and run. Reed’s counterpart, Kellen Moore has sparked the Broncos this season whenever they needed it. He passed the first big road test of his career with flying colors when he led Boise State to a big win over Oregon in Autzen earlier this year, so I doubt the 20,000 packing Spartan Stadium will affect him much at all. Moore will lead his team to a hard fought victory as Boise State continues their hunt for another BCS Bowl.
J.Pike’s Pick: Boise State 23, San Jose State 17

News & Notes

*NEWSFLASH: Auburn fires offensive coordinator Tony Franklin!

Tommy Tuberville fired offensive coordinator Tony Franklin Wednesday, less than one full year after hiring him. Let's be honest though, Franklin's offense has been awful this season, and it didn't even look like it was heading in the right direction. I'm usually against teams firing coaches without giving them a reasonable amount of time to prove their worth, but in this case I also have to admit it immediately makes Auburn a better team. Hopefully this means we'll see more of Kodi Burns now because Chris Todd has had more than a fair shot at the job.

*The Arizona State/USC game Saturday might have a different look to it. Both quarterbacks, Rudy Carpenter and Mark Sanchez, are nursing injuries and may not play. Carpenter sprained his ankle against Cal a week ago and is still in a boot. If he can't play he'll be replaced by big armed, but inexperienced Danny Sullivan. Sanchez suffered a bone bruise in his left knee and is also considered "day-to-day". Interestingly, Mitch Mustain will start in his place after being elevated above Aaron Corp a week ago for his performance in practice. Could we have our first real Mitch Mustain sighting Saturday night? Tune in to find out.

*Wake Forest kicker/punter Sam Swank strained his right quadriceps in practice Monday and is questionable for the big Thursday night contest against Clemson. Swank is one of the better kickers in the nation, so he could be missed in what is expected to be a close game.

*Purdue head coach Joe Tiller has joined B.Pike on the anti-Curtis Painter bandwagon. Tiller benched Painter in the fourth quarter of the Boilermakers' 20-6 loss to Penn State, and had some harsh criticism for his senior quarterback. "We need to make throws and they need to be in an area where we can catch the football, not at the ankle level or behind or on a deep throw two yards over the top of his head," Tiller said. "Our accuracy perhaps is the thing that right now is hurting us the most." Ouch. Painter is still slated to start against Ohio State this Saturday, but he'll be on a much shorter leash than usual.

*Nick Stephens will get the start at quarterback for Tennessee against Georgia this week. The sophomore from Flower Mound, TX did just enough in the 13-9 win over Northern Illinois to stay a step ahead of Jonathan Crompton on the depth chart.

Gameday Commentary - 8 pm

*Tony Franklin's offense is an abomination. Tommy Tuberville, if you want to win any more games in the SEC this year, you better get control of the offense because otherwise Franklin is going to keep running Chris Todd out there in the shotgun to go 3-and-out for all of infinity. The only time the Auburn offense has moved the ball today is when Ben Tate lined up in the Ace formation and ran the ball down hill (obviously Tuberville's influence). Tate picked up 9 first downs in that fashion. But with Franklin running his preferred offense the remaining 75% of the game, Auburn only produced about 5 first downs and 10+ penalties. Auburn's offense is a joke, and Tony Franklin is looking like a terrible hire so far.

*On a similar topic that will further emphasize Tony Franklin's hard-headedness, Vanderbilt's secondary is legit. D.J. Moore, Myron Lewis, Reshard Langford, and the rest of that group are all big and athletic, and they completely dominated Auburn's receivers tonight. Great win for Vanderbilt.

Gameday Commentary - 5:30 pm

*Kansas State is a bad team. There are no fundamentals at all; nobody on defense can tackle; there are breakdowns in the special teams; and worst of all, the team has no confidence. I feel bad for the players in this situation. The coaching staff is clueless from and X's & O's standpoint, and on top of that, Ron Prince made them run laps in the middle of the night when they got back from a road loss against Louisville a couple weeks ago. Ron Prince looks like he's in his final season as head coach in Manhattan.

*I still like Jim Harbaugh at Stanford. He's a fiery head coach who doesn't let his team quit. Even when his team trailed 28-7 in the third quarter, the Cardinal never quit and Harbaugh was fighting for calls. Stanford ended up cutting the lead to 28-21 and had the ball with a chance to tie.

*I have to give Chris Smelley some credit. He played a great game today in South Carolina's win over Ole Miss.

*Kentucky is giving Alabama all they can handle. Alabama has been great this year, and the defense is playing up to those standards today. But Kentucky is laying the blue print for how to stop the Crimson Tide offense. John Parker Wilson hasn't been a big part of the conservative game plan, but he's not doing his part. Wilson has struggled mightily on throws down the field. Also, kicker Leigh Tiffin has been awful today.

*I've said it once, I'll say it again: I'm not sure there's a quarterback in the country with a stronger arm than Juice Williams.

*Michigan quarterback Steven Threet is coming around. He looked very average early in the season, but his accuracy has improved, particularly on the deep throws that you have to complete to keep defenses from loading up the box.

*Tommy Tuberville is taking his team back! After putting up with Tony Franklin's ridiculous spread offense for the first several weeks (and getting poor results), Tuberville clearly straightened things out this week. The first few drives included more non-shotgun formations than Auburn has run all season. That allowed them to take advantage of Ben Tate's strengths and build a 13-0 lead. Also, Auburn's defense is as good as it has ever been. If the offense keeps playing REAL football (as opposed to that shotgun every play/sideways running nonsense Franklin has been running all year), Auburn is a team that can have legit national title dreams.

*The discovery of the day: Miami WR/KR Travis Benjamin. The freshman has incredible speed and agility and has played a huge role in getting Miami back in the game in the second half against Florida State. Keep an eye on this kid because he'll be making some big plays this year and beyond.

WEEK SIX - Top 25 Preview (Part I: 11-25)

#11 Auburn at #17 Vanderbilt
(Saturday, 5 pm, ESPN)
Vandy quarterback Chris Nickson facing the intimidating Auburn defense should be a fun matchup to watch. Nickson is one of the most dynamic players in the SEC and won’t back down from anybody. Auburn’s defense is flat out one of the best in the nation. There hasn’t been anybody the defensive line couldn’t pressure, and the cornerbacks should easily blanket Vandy’s receivers. On the other side of the ball though Auburn hasn’t been able to score on anybody this year with Tony Franklin’s new spread offense. Ben Tate is woefully misused and quarterback Chris Todd isn’t producing. Todd will struggle again because, surprisingly, the Commodores have one of the better secondaries in the conference. The wild card here will be whether Franklin gives Kodi Burns a shot at quarterback. I don’t have any idea why Burns has been riding the bench all season while Todd struggles. If Burns plays, Auburn wins. If he doesn’t, Vandy wins. I’ll give the benefit of the doubt to the Auburn coaching staff.
J.Pike’s Pick: Auburn 23, Vanderbilt 17

#14 Florida at Arkansas
(Saturday, 11:30 am, Raycom/ESPN360.com)
This one could get ugly. Not only will Florida be looking to redeem themselves after losing AT HOME to Ole Miss a week ago (who’s coaching at Ole Miss now? Hmm…), this also should be the perfect opportunity for Urban Meyer to run up the score as he’s known to do from time to time. Arkansas is arguably the worst team in the SEC because they decided to run off Houston Nutt in favor of Bobby Petrino. I hope you enjoy the cellar, Hog fans.
J.Pike’s Pick: Florida 48, Arkansas 10

#15 Texas Tech at Kansas State
(Saturday, 2:30 pm, ABC)
I definitely don’t have a rooting interest in this game. In fact, if there was a way both teams could lose I would be rooting for that. But unfortunately one of these ugly football teams has to come away with a win in this contest. Kansas State is coming off back to back games in which they gave up over 300 yards rushing to average football teams (Louisville and Louisiana-Lafayette). Mike Leach isn’t smart enough to take advantage of the Wildcats deficiencies against the run, but Michael Crabtree and company will take advantage of K-State’s poor tackling by piling up huge YAC numbers. This will probably be a shootout, but Texas Tech is more stable at this point in the season.
J.Pike’s Pick: Texas Tech 51, Kansas State 37

#16 Kansas at Iowa State
(Saturday, 11:30 am, VERSUS)
Iowa State is a sneaky team that will upset somebody in the Big XII this year, but I don’t think it will be Kansas. Mark Mangino’s squad is too fundamentally sound to give the game away, and that’s exactly what would have to happen. Todd Reesing and the offense might not look as sharp as they did in their non-conference schedule, but they’ll be good enough to keep the feisty Cyclones at arm’s length.
J.Pike’s Pick: Kansas 27, Iowa State13

Westsern Kentucky at #19 Virginia Tech
(Saturday, 12:30 pm)
Taking the redshirt off Tyrod Taylor is the best decision Frank Beamer has made all season. So good in fact that it almost makes up for his decision to put the redshirt on him in the first place. With Taylor at quarterback the Hokies are 4-0; without him they are 0-1. VA Poly’s season officially got back on track last Saturday night with their win in Lincoln and now they appear to be the favorite to win the ACC Coastal division. Before they head into conference play the Hokies get one final tune-up against the Hilltoppers. The only thing I know about WKY is they have the coolest mascot in America.
J.Pike’s Pick: Virginia Tech 33, Western Kentucky 3

#20 Maryland at Virginia
(Saturday, 6 pm, ESPN U)
Maryland hasn’t exactly been the most consistent team this season. They have gone from losing to Middle Tennessee and barely slipping by Delaware to beating Cal and Clemson so far this season. Luckily it probably won’t matter which Maryland team shows up for this game because Virginia has been flat out bad.
J.Pike’s Pick: Maryland 27, Virginia 13

Arizona State at #21 California
(Saturday, 2:30 pm, ABC)
I’m going to call for a rare road upset here. Arizona State’s defense is actually not too bad and Cal will be playing without their most dangerous weapon, RB Jahvid Best. On top of that, Jeff Tedford also opened up the quarterback job in practice again which means there is a chance Nate Longspare could see the field. Yikes! Meanwhile, Rudy Carpenter and Keegan Herring (back from injury) are rested coming off the bye week, so they’ll be ready to give Cal yet another early-in-the-day wake-up call.
J.Pike’s Pick: Arizona State 30, California 24

#23 Illinois at Michigan
(Saturday, 2:30 pm, ABC/ESPN 2)
Michigan is riding high after their big second half comeback to beat Wisconsin a week ago. They’re going to have to put together a full game if they want to beat Illinois though. The explosive duo of Juice Williams to Arrelious Benn can put points on the board at a rate Michigan is incapable of matching. The Michigan defense will have to play a great game just to keep the Wolverines in this one.
J.Pike’s Pick: Illinois 27, Michigan 21

#24 Connecticut at North Carolina
(Saturday, 6 pm, ESPN 2)
This is an interesting matchup in that both teams will be playing without their injured starting quarterbacks. North Carolina had the benefit of breaking in Cam Sexton last week against Miami and he passed with flying colors. UConn isn’t quite as certain what they’ll get from Zach Frazier. One thing you can expect is Donald Brown to get the ball about 30 times. UConn’s tailback is one of the more underrated players in the nation (averaging 149 yards per game), but he’ll face a tough test against Marvin Austin and that Tar Heel D-Line. UConn always plays smart and tough, so they’ll keep this one close to the end, but North Carolina and Butch Davis will notch the win at home.
J.Pike’s Pick: North Carolina 28, Connecticut 24

Rice at #25 Tulsa
(Saturday, 7 pm, CBS College Sports)
If you like shootouts you should find out if you have CBS College Sports channel. When Rice and Tulsa get together on Saturday night there is a very real possibility that they could actually blow up the scoreboard. Last week alone, Tulsa scored 62 points and Rice scored 77! The two teams combined are averaging 96 points per game, so this should be an entertaining game to watch. Hopefully it will go into overtime and both teams will score triple digits.
J.Pike’s Pick: Tulsa 61, Rice 54

WEEK FIVE - Top 25 Preview (Part I: 11-25)

#12 BYU is Idle

Tennessee at #13 Auburn
(Saturday, 2:30 pm, CBS)
The Auburn defense is one of the best in the nation. They’ll have no problem shutting down the woeful Tennessee offense by pressuring quarterback Jonathan Crompton into turnovers. Auburn’s offense is by no means a juggernaut either, but they’ll be good enough in this matchup.
J.Pike’s Pick: Auburn 23, Tennessee 10

#14 South Florida at N.C. State
(Saturday, 6:30 pm, ESPN U)
A week after their upset of #18 East Carolina, N.C. State faces yet another top 20 team in Raleigh. Unfortunately for the Wolfpack they will be without the services of their best offensive and defensive players this time around. Quarterback Russell Wilson, who had a breakout game against the Pirates, and linebacker Nate Irving will both be held out of the game due to injuries suffered a week ago. Harrison Beck, who will start in Wilson’s place at quarterback, is in for a long night. I expect USF DE George Selvie to harass him into a ton of mistakes and turnovers.
J.Pike’s Pick: South Florida 27, N.C. State 10

#15 Texas Tech is Idle

Maryland at #16 Clemson
(Saturday, 11 am, ESPN360.com)
This is a good test for both teams. Is Clemson as good as the preseason hype surrounding them or are they the chumps that barely showed up against Alabama? Is Maryland really as good as they looked against Cal or was that an aberration? Look for this game to be a slugfest decided by mistakes.
J.Pike’s Pick: Clemson 26, Maryland 18

Weber State at #17 Utah
(Saturday, 7 pm)
This matchup has an interesting subtext: Weber State head coach Ron McBride coached the Utes for 12 seasons, compiling an 88-63 record prior to the arrival of Urban Meyer. McBride brings a fairly explosive offense averaging 38.8 points per game in his return to Salt Lake. But Brian Johnson and the current Ute squad are far too much for the Wildcats. Utah must work on committing fewer penalties if they want to compete with BYU in the Mountain West.
J.Pike’s Pick: Utah 43, Weber State 24

#18 Kansas is Idle

Navy at #20 Wake Forest
(Saturday, 2:45 pm, ESPN U)
Wake Forest has quietly compiled a 3-0 record while playing very solid football so far this season. Their defense nearly pitched a shutout against overmatched Florida State last week (never thought I’d say that). The Demon Deacons need to be careful not to overlook Navy though. Navy is coming off a mild upset over Rutgers last week and they finally have quarterback Kaipo-Noa Kaheaku-Enhada Nahasapeemapetilon back in the fold after he missed the first three games due to injury.
J.Pike’s Pick: Wake Forest 23, Navy 15

#21 Vanderbilt is Idle

Virginia Tech at #22 Nebraska
(Saturday, 7 pm, ABC)
Breakdown can be found here: [LINK]
J.Pike’s Pick: Nebraska 32, Virginia Tech 24

North Carolina at #23 Miami
(Saturday, 11 am, ESPN 2)
This is a game that is only going to get more important over the next few years. Both programs appear to be on the rise and both are playing a number of talented freshmen and sophomores. Don’t be surprised if this is a top 10 matchup in two years. I’ll give Miami the nod this year thanks in large part to their talented freshmen, QB Robert Marve and LB Sean Spence. Also, North Carolina quarterback T.J. Yates will miss the game due to an ankle fracture.
J.Pike’s Pick: Miami 24, North Carolina 14

Houston at #25 East Carolina
(Saturday, 2:30 pm, CBS College Sports)
East Carolina finally lost a game last week, but I still thought they played well. Quarterback Patrick Pinkney continues to impress, and East Carolina still plays as physical as any non-BCS conference team. Houston got beat pretty bad by Colorado State a week ago, so expect ECU to roll here.
J.Pike’s Pick: East Carolina 30, Houston 17

WEEK FOUR - Spotlight Game of the Week

#7 LSU
at
#11 Auburn

(Saturday, 6:45 pm, ESPN)

When LSU has the ball
Les Miles finally found a running back to hitch his wagon to. His best offenses usually feature a great running back that can chew up yards and Charles Scott appears to fit that profile. He has been on a tear this season averaging a ridiculous 11.4 yards per carry and his strength/speed combination seems to be on par with Beanie Wells at Ohio State. Linebacker Tray Blackmon will have his work cut out trying to keep up with Scott. He’ll have to play a disciplined game to keep LSU’s running game in check.

You can expect a heavy dose of Scott (and Keiland Williams for that matter) because LSU is very inexperienced at quarterback. Jarrett Lee and Andrew Hatch have been splitting time this season and both will see time Saturday. Auburn’s defense is up to Tommy Tuberville’s usually high standards so you better believe they’ll be looking to put the pressure on the newbies. Sen’Derrick Marks is one of the best defensive linemen in the nation so he’ll be keeping Lee and Hatch company in the backfield all night long.

In a vacuum LSU might have a slight edge with their wide receivers going up against Auburn’s secondary. Demetrius Byrd is a great all around wideout and speedsters Brandon LaFell and Terrance Toliver provide big play ability. However, when you factor in the questionable quarterback play the Auburn DBs have a definite advantage. Warren McFadden has been playing as well as any cornerback in the nation so far.

On the whole I think LSU will be able to manufacture field position with their solid running game and at some point one of the talented wide receivers will make a play to break the game open.

When Auburn has the ball
Whoo-boy. If Auburn’s offense plays the way it did last week in a 3-2 win over Mississippi State I don’t know that they’ll even move the ball past midfield against LSU’s stingy defense.

Where to begin? First there is the complete lack of a real ground attack. Auburn has gone to the spread with new offensive coordinator Tony Franklin. That’s fine and all, but Franklin has completely abandoned any non-shotgun formations in favor of a lot of passing and a sideways running game. The Tigers have been unable to convert in short yardage situations this season due to the change, and they haven’t even faced a defense the caliber of LSU yet.

Then there are the turnovers. Chris Todd and Ben Tate have struggled with shotgun handoffs this year, and that has led to turnovers at critical moments late in games when Auburn is just trying to run out the clock.

If all that isn’t enough, the Tigers benched Kodi Burns, a quarterback that can beat you with his legs, in favor of Todd. Todd might eventually be a solid player in this offense, but right now he’s not executing consistently enough to make the passing game click.

So Auburn can’t run and they can’t string together enough completions to sustain a drive. That’s not a good combination because across the line of scrimmage waits one of the most athletic defenses in the nation. Defensive linemen Ricky Jean-Francois, Kirston Pittman, and Tyson Jackson might make a meal out of Chris Todd if Auburn’s struggling offensive line doesn’t improve. Linebacker Darry Beckwith shouldn’t have any problem containing Ben Tate either.

All things considered, I’m not sure Auburn will even scrape together one drive that ends in an offensive touchdown. Prove me wrong Tony Franklin.

Final Verdict
Make no mistake – this game will be dictated by the defenses. The Auburn defense will not only have to play the best game they’ve played all season, they’ll probably have to score too since Chris Todd and the offense don’t appear likely to put many points on the board.

If Kodi Burns sees action at quarterback for Auburn I’ll give them a slightly better chance of winning. Despite the inexperience at quarterback, LSU still seems to be in much better shape to score points. In a game where points will be at a premium, that will be enough to get the win.

J.Pike’s Pick: LSU 16, Auburn 6

Thanks to The Helmet Project for the helmet logos.

WEEK THREE - Recap

THE GOOD

*Drew Willy and the Buffalo Bulls knocked off Temple on a last second hail mary. After giving up a go ahead touch down with only 38 seconds left in the game, Willy calmly guided his team down the field and completed the 35-yard touchdown pass to Naaman Roosevelt on the last play of the game for the win.

*The Missouri offense looks unstoppable. If we had to hand out the Bo Jackson Award right now, my vote would be split between Chase Daniel and Jeremy Maclin. Daniel displayed his deadly accuracy and quick decision making yet again, posting ridiculous numbers (405 passing yards, 4 tds) in only two and a half quarters! Maclin's blazing speed was obviously too much for Nevada's defense as he racked up 172 receiving yards and scored on 3 of his 6 receptions. And if you think these are the only two weapons on the offense, you're wrong - three other receivers each grabbed 6 passes and went over 100 yards in the game. Wow.

*BYU and quarterback Max Hall burst UCLA's bubble. After a nice opening weekend win over nationally ranked Tennessee, Rick Neuheisel and Norm Chow were geniuses. Now UCLA is 1-1 after suffering the school's most lopsided defeat since, like, the '30s. Max Hall was phenomenal. He had a record breaking stat line by halftime (6 touchdown passes in the first half, 7 in the game) in leading BYU to a 59-0 rout.

*Penn State is looking more and more like your Big Ten champs every week. With Ohio State's struggles, the door is wide open for the Nittany Lions. Against a vastly inferior Syracuse team, they didn't disappoint. The starters barely got to play the whole first half in this blowout! The Darryl Clark to Jordan Norwood connection continues to impress, as does running back Evan Royster. Royster might be one of the best kept secrets in the nation right now - he's fantastic. On top of the offensive firepower, the defense only allowed 159 yards and 8 first downs.

*Oklahoma quarterback Sam Bradford is on a mission to make me look bad for ranking him as the fourth best QB in the Big XII. Bradford simply led the Oklahoma offense to an easy 55-14 victory over Washington in Seattle. The Sooners were never tested thanks to Bradford's efficiency - he threw 5 touchdown passes against only 3 incompletions.

THE BAD

*Cross country road trips were't kind to California and Oregon. Oregon overcame a slow start and 20-6 halftime deficit to beat Purdue in overtime, but Cal wasn't as lucky. Cal had to make the coast-to-coast trip to Maryland, where the game kicked off at noon - or 9 am Berkeley time. They were clearly asleep in the first half as Maryland coasted to an easy 21-6 halftime advantage. This is notable because Maryland was only averaging 14 points PER GAME and was coming off a loss to Middle Tennessee. Cal finally woke up in the fourth quarter and scored three touchdowns, but by then it was too late.

*Oregon could use a quarterback with a bionic knee. A year ago the Ducks season was ruined when they lost potential Heisman Trophy finalist Dennis Dixon late in the season to a knee injury. Backup Nate Costa was already out due to a knee injury so they had to go with Brady Leaf. This season, Costa was projected to be the starter, but he injured the same knee and will be out all year. Then yesterday, Justin Roper injured his knee in overtime and will be out at least two weeks. I'm not sure I would want to play quarterback for Oregon right about now.

*Syracuse. Coach Greg Robinson is obviously on his way out because this team looks completely inept on both sides of the ball. The offense has been awful for years now, but defense was supposed to be Robinson's specialty. Well, this defense is continually out of position and could barely qualify as a speed bump in yesterday's matchup with Penn State's high powered offense.

*Notre Dame and Michigan. Notre Dame won in a downpour, but it looked more like Michigan just gave them the game thanks to 6 turnovers. Rich Rodriguez's offense has a loooooong way to go, there's no question about that. The quarterback play is atrocious, and their best running back right now is Sam McGuffie, who looks like a guy that should be playing in the MAC - not the Big Ten. On the other side of the field, The Ostrich Jimmy Clausen proved yet again that he's the second coming of Ron Powlus with another outstanding stat line: 10-for-21 with 2 interceptions. Notre Dame will make a bowl game because of their lame schedule this year, but don't let that fool you.

*Is there a worse pair of offenses than those featured in the Auburn/Mississippi State game last night? The final score was 3-2. Granted, both defense are pretty good, but those two offenses are putrid. Mississippi State quarterback Wesley Carroll has lead-feet. Even if he had time in the pocket, he couldn't complete a pass beyond the line of scrimmage. I expect that kind of play from the Bulldogs, but shame on Auburn. New offensive coordinator Tony Franklin has that offense headed in the wrong direction. I don't know why they decided to abandon the strong running game they've had for so many years, but now their short yardage running game is embarassing. And the trade off is Chris Todd at quarterback? Ugh. On top of that, Auburn committed numerous holding penalties (one in the end zone that gave Mississippi State their only 2 points in the game) and had a ton of problems with hand-offs that led to two crucial turnovers in the fourth quarter. Auburn scored 3 points in this game, and I think it's an indication of things to come for that offense the rest of the year.

THE GAME OF THE WEEK

*No surprises here. USC dominated Ohio State from start to finish, which falls in line with Ohio State's recent woes in big games. The Buckeyes defense struggled mightily against the speedy Trojan offense, proving once again that they don't have the speed on that side of the ball to compete on a national stage. Joe McKnight ran circles around James Laurinaitis and company, and Mark Sanchez proved he's going to be a step up from John David Booty. I think both teams are right about where we expected them to be.

Week Three Preview

UPSET WATCH

#1 Georgia @ South Carolina
Why it could happen: Because it happened last year. South Carolina’s defense was able to keep Georgia out of the end zone, and they are loaded on that side of the ball this year.
Why it won’t happen: Georgia is a much better team now than the one that lost to USC a year ago. Even though there are mostly the same faces, this team grew up after that loss, and Knowshon Moreno and Matthew Stafford are now two of the best in the country.
J.Pike’s Pick: Georgia 24, South Carolina 13

Iowa State @ Iowa
Why it could happen: It’s a rivalry game and anything can happen. On top of that, Iowa State is a team on the rise. Gene Chizik has the offense headed in the right direction and freshman quarterback Austin Arnaud is more than capable of leading an upset victory.
Why it won’t happen: The Iowa defense isn’t as good as their stats so far this year, but they’re good enough. The Hawkeyes seem to be playing better as a team this year, and their offensive line finally seems up to Kirk Ferentz standards. That will give Iowa the ability to control the ball and the clock, which will ultimately be the key to victory.
J.Pike’s Pick: Iowa 27, Iowa State 24

UPSET WARNING

#9 Auburn @ Mississippi State
Why it will happen: Mississippi State will keep the turnovers to a minimum and play outstanding defense. The new Auburn offense will learn a lesson about abandoning physical football. Good luck with that sideways running game against the speedy Bulldogs.
J.Pike’s Pick: Mississippi State 15, Auburn 12

Stanford @ TCU
Why it will happen: TCU is always sketchy when they are supposed to be good. Stanford on the other hand has been playing over their heads ever since Jim Harbaugh took the job. Running back Toby Gerhart will prove you can run the ball against the usually stout TCU defense and Stanford will out-heart the Horned Frogs.
J.Pike’s Pick: Stanford, 27, TCU 24

WEEK THREE - Top 25 Preview (Part II: Top 10)

#1 Georgia at South Carolina
(Saturday, 2:30 pm, CBS)
South Carolina actually beat Georgia last season thanks to an excellent performance by their defense. The Gamecock D is even better now, and they might be up to the task of containing Matt Stafford and Knowshon Moreno once again. It wouldn’t surprise me if linebacker Eric Norwood even punched in a defensive touchdown. The big roadblock though is the South Carolina offense. With Chris Smelley at quarterback there really isn’t a chance of scoring many points against Georgia’s extremely athletic defense. Will this be the week Stephen Garcia finally shows his face somewhere other than a police blotter? This should be a tight game much of the way, but Georgia is just too good this year. The Dawgs will pass their first road test of many with flying colors.
J.Pike’s Pick: Georgia 24, South Carolina 13

#3 Ohio State at #2 USC
(Saturday, 7 pm, ABC)
Breakdown can be found here: [LINK]
J.Pike's Pick: USC 31, Ohio State 17

#4 Oklahoma at Washington
(Saturday, 6:45 pm, ESPN)
Oklahoma won’t need any help from the officials or a blocked extra point to dismiss Washington. Husky quarterback Jake Locker seems to have improved his passing this season, but he’ll need a lot of help from his defense to keep this one within range. Oklahoma’s offensive line has been dominating so far this year, and I don’t see any reason for that to change here. Oklahoma wins another one going away.
J.Pike’s Pick: Oklahoma 43, Washington 20

#5 Florida is Idle

Arkansas at #6 Texas
Postponed due to Hurricane Ike

Nevada at #7 Missouri
(Saturday, 11:30 am, FSN PPV)
Nevada is a scrappy ball club and I can see their “Pistol” offense creating some problems for the Missouri defense. But Chase Daniel and Jeremy Maclin should have no trouble running up and down the field, even against an underrated Wolfpack defense.
J.Pike’s Pick: Missouri 45, Nevada 24

North Texas at #8 LSU
(Saturday, 7 pm, ESPN360.com)
Come on, give me a break. The defending national champs hosting a team that probably couldn’t beat Texas high school champs Trinity High School? This one won’t even be close. LSU will score on one of the first three plays of the game and coast from there.
J.Pike’s Pick: LSU 52, North Texas High 7

#9 Auburn at Mississippi State
(Saturday, 6 pm, ESPN 2)
I’m not sure what to make of Auburn’s new offensive coordinator Tony Franklin so far. Against Southern Miss the Tigers weren’t able to simply line up and run the football, even with Ben Tate in the backfield. Most of their running plays were sideways out of the shotgun, a la Missouri. That’s not going to cut it in the SEC, especially when you don’t have Chase Daniel pulling the trigger at quarterback. Chris Todd moved the offense okay, but he’s very streaky - Derek Pegues and the Mississippi State defense will make him pay for any accuracy woes he suffers in this game. The Auburn defense is more than up to the task of slowing down an erratic Wesley Carroll, but I’m going to go ahead and call the upset. If Carroll can limit the turnovers and make sure every drive ends in a kick (XPT, FG, or punt – there’s nothing wrong with a punt in this game) the Bulldogs will be able to hold onto the ball more than the new Auburn offense and play good enough defense to hold on for the win.
J.Pike’s Pick: Mississippi State 15, Auburn 12

#10 Wisconsin at Fresno State
(Saturday, 9:30 pm, ESPN 2)
In one of the more interesting games of the weekend, a Big Ten team will actually travel half-way across the country to play in Fresno, CA. Pat Hill will play anybody anytime anyplace, and he has backed that up by traveling all over the country to play big time football teams. They finally got somebody to return the favor. Wisconsin averages 281 rushing yards per game thanks to P.J. Hill and John Clay, and Fresno will have a difficult time slowing them down. The Bulldogs have good experience on offense, but I’m not convinced Todd Brandstater is all he’s cracked up to be. Fresno is scrappy so they’ll hang around throughout the game.
J.Pike’s Pick: Wisconsin 22, Fresno State 19

Gameday Commentary (cont.)

*I'm a little sketchy on the new Auburn offense. They no longer have the ability to line up and run the football - something that I believe is necessary to win in the SEC. Luckily the Tiger defense looks as good as it's ever been. They were absolutely dominant in the first half against Southern Miss. USM put some points up in the second half, but Auburn was running a lot of backups in and out of the lineup to get some experience.

*Big ups to ESPN360.com. I have been able to check out the Georgia Tech/Boston College, Southern Miss/Auburn, and Ole Miss/Wake Forest games thanks to this brilliant bit of technology.

*Penn State is every bit as good as I thought they were. I bumped them up into my top 10 last week and they are giving me no reason to reconsider. Both the offensive and defensive line play have been outstanding - which is remarkable considering they are missing a handful of projected starters due to suspension. Almost as impressive is the collection of skill position talent on offense. QB Darryl Clark, RB Evan Royster, and WR Jordan Norwood are a fantastic trio. That doesn't even include speedy wideouts Derrick Williams and Deon Butler! I now consider Penn State a serious threat to Ohio State in the Big Ten.

*Ed Cunningham is an idiot. Please ESPN, give Ron Franklin a real counterpart because he deserves way better than this clown.

*Charlie Weis' offensive brilliance continues! With two minutes to play in the first half against a San Diego State team that lost to Cal Poly SLO last week(!), the Domers unstoppable juggernaut has a grand total of zero points(!!). Congratulations Chuck!

Gameday Commentary - Morning Games

Ohio State 26, Ohio 14
Ohio State actually trailed early in the 4th quarter of this game against Frank Solich's Bobcats. The Buckeyes were clearly playing vanilla football, but they displayed zero emotion until the fourth quarter when a Roy Small punt return for touchdown broke the game open.
J.Pike's Thoughts:
*Ohio State is going to struggle to score against USC next week. The running game struggled mightily against Ohio, most notably not being able to pick up a 4th and short at one point in the first half. Granted, Beanie Wells wasn't playing and he'll be a factor, but the bigger problem is that Ohio State's receivers are average at best. Brian Robiskie and Brian Hartline just don't want to go get the ball, and you better believe they'll need to make a play or two against USC to avoid three-and-outs on every series.
*The Ohio Bobcats played a great game. Solich had his team ready to play and they looked like they belonged on the same field as Ohio State. Even when starting quarterback Theo Scott went down with an injury in the first half, Boo Jackson stepped right in and showed the same poise in directing the offense against what appears to be a slightly overrated Buckeye defense.

Michigan 16, Miami(OH) 6
Michigan looked pretty decent jumping out to a 10-0 lead early in the first half, but basically had to hold on to beat a scrappy Redhawk team that wouldn't go away.
J.Pike's Thoughts:
*Miami(OH) punter Jacob Richardson put himself firmly in the running for the inaugural Sproles/Sauerbrun Award for Special Teams player of the year. His booming punts single-handedly kept Miami in the game. He finished the day with 7 punts for a 54 yard average, landed 4 punts inside the 20 yard line, and boomed a 74 yarder at one point.
*Michigan doesn't have a quarterback. Steven Threet can run pretty well for a 6'6" guy, but his accuracy in the passing game leaves a lot to be desired. He missed just about every open receiver beyond five yards the whole game. Nick Sheridan is a more accurate passer, but he doesn't have a good arm and can't execute the zone read play as effectively. It will be a chore for Michigan to put points on the board this season.
*Daniel Raudabaugh played a good game for Miami(OH). He was by far the best quarterback on the field today, displaying good arm strength and the ability to make some very good touch throws - as long as he isn't rushed.

Georgia Tech 19, Boston Colleg 16
Persistency was the key for Georgia Tech's running game today. After running up against the brick wall that is BC's front seven for about three quarters, Jonathan Dwyer finally busted a 43-yard touchdown run on an option pitch midway through the fourth quarter to put the game away. Tech finished with 166 rushing yards, and only 240 total yards in the game, but it was enough to secure the win and a 2-0 start for new coach Paul Johnson.
J.Pike's Thoughts:
*I was wrong. Chris Crane is no Matt Ryan. Crane struggled mightily, taking a safety, throwing two interceptions, and making several other poor throws that should have been interceptions as well. The BC defense is good, but they'll need at least a little help from the offense if they are going to win games in the ACC this year.
*Paul Johnson is off to a great start so far in his Georgia Tech coaching career. His team wasn't as good as the Boston College team overall, but they won the fundamentals battle. His commitment to the running game paid off and they have a solid enough defense that they are going to win some games in the ACC this year. A bowl game is definitely in store.

WEEK TWO - Top 25 Preview (Part II: Top 10)

Ohio at #1-t Ohio State
(Saturday, 11 am, ESPN)
Vanilla is the name of the game here. The Ohio State defense will shut down Frank Solich’s offense so there’s no need to give USC any worthwhile film for next week’s showdown. Don’t expect to see anything fancy, especially when it comes to Terrelle Pryor. Beanie Wells will sit this one out to rest his injured toe.
J.Pike’s Pick: Ohio State 27, Ohio 3

Central Michigan at #1-t Georgia
(Saturday, 2:30 pm, ESPN360.com)
Central Michigan quarterback Dan LeFevour is basically Tim Tebow-lite. He should give the Georgia defense a nice warmup test for that Cocktail Party looming on the horizon. CMU prides themselves on their offense, but they haven’t faced a defense as speedy and athletic as they’ll face this weekend in Athens. Matt Stafford and Knowshon Moreno should have no problems with an outmatched Chippewa defense.
J.Pike’s Pick: Georgia 35, Central Michigan 17

#3 USC is off

Cincinnati at #4 Oklahoma
(Saturday, 2:30 pm, ABC)
Some are calling for this to be a close game, but I don’t see it. Few teams start out a season as strong as Oklahoma, and I’m not sure Cincinnati head coach Brian Kelly will ever be ready for a non-conference matchup like this one. OU will dominate in the trenches and Cincinnati will commit stupid penalty after stupid penalty as the frustration grows. Look for the Sooners to put this one away early. Cincinnati will score some garbage points late to make the score look more respectable though - it’s what Ben Mauk would have wanted. That and about eight more years of eligibility.
J.Pike’s Pick: Oklahoma 48, Cincinnati 26

Miami at #5 Florida
(Saturday, 7 pm, ESPN)
This is the game of the week. Miami’s strong recruiting class appears to be paying dividends already, especially on defense. The youngsters are injecting some much needed energy back into the program. Florida on the other hand fancies itself a serious national title contender due to a rather ridiculous stockpile of speed. The Gator defense is improving and I think they’ll be the difference in this game as the offense continues to struggle to find a running game outside of Tim Tebow. Prediction: Tebow will discover the cure for cancer during this game. He’s THAT good.
J.Pike’s Pick: Florida 32, Miami 20

#6 Texas at UTEP
(Saturday, 9:15 pm, ESPN 2)
A UTEP defense that gave up 42 points to Buffalo a week ago is no match for Texas. The UT offensive line will manhandle UTEP in the trenches allowing Colt McCoy to execute the offense flawlessly until the blowout is significant enough to pull the starters. That will probably happen sometime in the third quarter. New defensive coordinator Will Muschamp will take the opportunity to nail home his schemes to the young Texas defense, preparing them for their first big test against Oklahoma in a few weeks.
J.Pike’s Pick: Texas 45, UTEP 17

Southeast Missouri State at #7 Missouri
(Saturday, 6 pm, FSN PPV)
No explanation necessary for this one. Missouri has a powerhouse offense led by Chase Daniel and Jeremy Maclin, two legit Bo Jackson Award candidates. Southeast Missouri State is a 1-AA team that won three games last year. Game over.
J.Pike’s Pick: Missouri 66, Southeast Missouri State 20

Troy at #8 LSU
Postponed due to Hurricane Gustav

Southern Miss at #9 Auburn
(Saturday, 11:30am, Raycom/ESPN360.com)
The Auburn offense isn’t fully up and running yet under new coordinator Tony Franklin. Southern Miss on the other hand was firing on all cylinders offensively last week against Louisiana Lafayette. The Auburn defense is quite a step up in competition though. The Ragin’ Cajuns were able to run the ball effectively against Southern Miss, so I expect Auburn to win this game with defense and a strong performance by Ben Tate. But it will be a struggle from start to finish.
J.Pike’s Pick: Auburn 26, Southern Miss 16

#10 West Virginia at East Carolina
(Saturday, 3:30pm, ESPN)
East Carolina isn’t underrated anymore. The Pirate defense and special teams introduced themselves to the rest of the nation last week when they upset Virginia Tech. They also possess a young quarterback in Patrick Pinkney who can make plays with his arm and his feet, and he’ll give the porous West Virginia defense some headaches. But Pat White is still suiting up for the Mountaineers, so they’ll ride him to yet another victory.
J.Pike’s Pick: West Virginia 27, East Carolina 20

WEEK TWO - Preview

Southern Miss @ #9 Auburn
(Saturday, 11:30am, ESPN360.com)
Why it could happen: Auburn didn’t exactly light up the scoreboard last weekend against Louisiana-Monroe. In fact the defense and special teams scored almost as many points as the offense did. Auburn is still trying to figure out their quarterback situation, but Southern Miss has a potent offense that amassed 633 yards and 51 points last week.
Why it won’t happen: The Auburn defense is significantly than the Ragin’ Cajuns defense. USM will score, but it will be much tougher going against Tuberville’s unit. Ben Tate should also have plenty of room to run the ball against the Golden Eagle defense.
J.Pike’s Pick: Auburn 26, Southern Miss 16

#25 BYU @ Washington
(Saturday, 2pm, FSN)
Why it could happen: Husky Stadium isn’t an easy place to play. BYU has high expectations this season and are favored in this game. Even though Washington doesn’t look very good this year, this looks like a classic “trap” game.
Why it won’t happen: Jake Locker doesn’t have a good enough arm to keep Washington from being one dimensional on offense. BYU is good enough defensively to slow down Washington, and good enough offensively to score points in a difficult environment.
J.Pike’s Pick: BYU 33, Washington 20

#10 West Virginia @ East Carolina
(Saturday, 3:30pm, ESPN)
Why it could happen: East Carolina did it to Virginia Tech last week. Patrick Pinkney played a very good game against a Hokie defense that is far superior to what West Virginia is going to field. East Carolina has a solid defense too, and West Virginia didn’t show off the same potent running game they had last year, running for “only” 149 yards last week.
Why it won’t happen: Pat White will find a way to win. Even though they didn’t run the ball as well last week, White threw a career high 5 touchdown passes.
J.Pike’s Pick: West Virginia 27, East Carolina 20

Buffalo @ Pittsburgh
(Saturday, 5pm, ESPN360.com)
Why it could happen: Pitt was upset by Bowling Green last week, and Buffalo might be an even tougher opponent. Turner Gill’s Bulls routed UTEP last week to the tune of 42-17.
Why it won’t happen: Pitt has to circle the wagons and get a win for coach Dave Wannstedt here … don’t they?
J.Pike’s Pick: Pittsburgh 24, Buffalo 22

Ole Miss @ Wake Forest
(Saturday, 2:30pm, ABC)
Why it will happen: Houston Nutt has the Rebels on the upswing while Wake and the ACC appear to be declining. Wake looked good against Baylor, but this isn’t Baylor. Look for the Ole Miss defense to contain the Demon Deacon running game and force Riley Skinner to beat them. Dexter McCluster will rack up some big plays for the Rebel offense and ice this game late.
J.Pike’s Pick: Ole Miss 27, Wake Forest 24


Alright, so I lied. After picking only four games against the spread last week (and going 2-2), I see even more games I want to pick against the spread this week. We'll see how this goes.

Southern Miss (+17½) over Auburn
(Saturday, 11:30am, ESPN360.com)
Auburn’s offense isn’t quite up to speed yet and won’t break the 30 point mark. The defense is really good but new head coach Larry Fedora has the Southern Miss offense humming already, and they’ll score enough to keep it close.

Ole Miss (+8) over Wake Forest
(Saturday, 2:30pm, ABC)
Congratulations Demon Deacons - you smacked around Baylor. Houston Nutt comes to town with a vastly improved Ole Miss squad that plays enough defense to possibly pull off the upset.

California (-13½) over Washington State
(Saturday, 5:30pm, FCS-Pacific)
Washington State simply doesn’t have enough players to compete this season. Cal on the other hand seems to have new life on offense thanks to the move from Nate Longspare to Kevin Riley at quarterback. Cal wins big.

Tulsa (-21½) over North Texas
(Saturday, 6pm)
Tulsa has one of the best offenses in the nation. Head coach Todd Graham has scored points everywhere he’s been, and North Texas coach Todd Dodge is in over his head here. Tulsa might go for 60 points in this one.

Western Michigan (-6) over Northern Illinois
(Saturday, 6pm)
Western Michigan tested their mettle in Lincoln last week and came out looking like they might be able to do some damage in the MAC. Northern Illinois on the other hand blew it against a Minnesota team that is one of the worst in the nation. Western wins handily at home.

Other games I like, but don’t feel good enough about to give them “Lock” status:
Oklahoma (-21½) over Cincinnati
Air Force (+3) over Wyoming
Buffalo (+13) over Pittsburgh
South Florida (-14) over Central Florida
Iowa State (-7) over Kent State
Miami (+21½) over Florida
Arizona State (-14) over Stanford

News & Notes

*Jim Tressell said that running back Chris Wells will be fine. However, he did not give any indication whether he would be okay to play this weekend against Ohio or not. My guess is they hold him out this weekend to make sure he’s healthy for USC next week.

*Georgia suffered another blow this weekend when defensive tackle Jeff Owens tore his ACL against Georgia Southern and will be out for the rest of the season. Georgia already lost their best offensive lineman Trinton Sturdivant to a knee injury a couple weeks ago and can’t afford any more serious injuries to key players considering the ridiculous schedule they must face this year.

*Mack Brown has suspended defensive tackle Lamarr Houston for the game this weekend against UTEP. Houston played well against Florida Atlantic and is a key player on the defensive line, but he picked up a DWI charge after the game on Saturday night.

*Missouri's Bo Jackson Award candidate Jeremy Maclin might play this weekend against Southeast Missouri State despite a sprained ankle. This is good news to Tiger fans because it means Maclin should be able to get back to 100% by the time the Big XII schedule rolls around.

*Reports out of Louisiana indicate that the Troy at LSU game scheduled for this weekend will be postponed. Both teams have an open date on November 15th, so that seems to be the most likely date for the game to be played.

*Chris Todd was named the starting quarterback for Auburn’s game against Southern Miss this weekend. Kodi Burns, who started last weekend, suffered a cut on his leg, but Tuberville said he wouldn’t have started anyway.

*After playing well in relief of Tommy Beecher last Thursday night, Chris Smelley will start for South Carolina this Thursday night against Vanderbilt. Stephen Garcia is expected to be the backup as Spurrier’s revolving door at quarterback continues.

*Yeah, that was a bad idea. Frank Beamer has decided not to redshirt quarterback Tyrod Taylor after all. Sean Glennon played, well, like Sean Glennon in the loss to East Carolina on Saturday, and Beamer apparently realized Taylor is the only offensive weapon on the roster. Glennon will start, but Taylor will play this weekend against Furman.

*Rich Rodriguez announced that he will redshirt quarterback Justin Feagin this season. Despite the struggles of Nick Sheridan and Stephen Threat against Utah, Rodriguez said the speedy freshman “isn’t ready yet.”

*The funniest story of the weekend had to be in North Carolina where parachuters jumped into the wrong stadium with the game ball. Read for yourself. [LINK]

WEEK ONE - Top 25 Preview

A whopping ten teams in the J&BP top 25 are hosting 1-AA opponents this week. It's a good thing the NCAA added a 12th game to the schedule so that teams can assure themselves of bowl eligibility by fattening their record on one extra cupcake. At least there's a few interesting games on the schedule to keep the excitement going. After all, it's opening weekend! Here's an overview of the top 25 schedule and my picks. Also BP Picks have been added also so let the comparison's begin!

Youngstown State at #1 Ohio State
Saturday, 11 am, Big Ten Network
A tune-up for the loaded Buckeyes. Terrelle Pryor will see his first collegiate action.
J.Pike's Pick: Ohio State, 31-6
Terrelle Pryor show will be in Technocolor in the second half of this one, Tune in for the Trojan killer!
BP Pick: Ohio St

Georgia Southern at #2 Georgia
Saturday, 11:30 am, ESPN360.com
The Suspension Bowl! These two teams combined will have 13 players sitting out due to suspension.
J.Pike's Pick: Georgia, 41-13
This will be really ugly..........
BP Pick: Georgia

Chattanooga at #3 Oklahoma
Saturday, 6 pm, FSN PPV
This one will get ugly early thanks to OU's dominance in the trenches.
J.Pike's Pick: Oklahoma, 59-22
Pardon me Roy, Is that the Chattanooga.....no its Demarco Murray.
BP Pick: Oklahoma

#4 USC at Virginia
Saturday, 2:30 pm, ABC/ESPN2
USC takes a rare cross-country road trip for their season opener. How will their inexperienced offense respond? Luckily for the Trojans, Virginia's defense was gutted due to exhausted eligibility, and quarterback Jameel Sewell will sit out the season due to academics.
J.Pike's Pick: USC, 33-10
Jameel would have kept Virginia within 20 but now this is a official blowout.
BP Pick: USC

Hawaii at #5 Florida
Saturday, 11:30 am, Raycom/ESPN360.com
Hawaii will travel over 4,700 miles to play this game - at 5:30 am Island time! Even with some of Florida's key players (WR Harvin, LB Spikes) out nursing injuries, this should still be a cakewalk against the June Jones/Colt Brennan-less Warriors.
J.Pike's Pick: Florida, 55-27
Hawaii - Colt Brennan - June Jones = 5th in the WAC. Florida's speed is ridiculous.
BP Pick: Florida

#25 Alabama vs #6 Clemson (@ Atlanta, GA)

Saturday, 7 pm, ABC
This is a difficult challenge for a Clemson team with national title aspirations. Nick Saban would like nothing more than to spoil those dreams right out of the gate. We'll get our first glimpse of freshman wide receiver Julio Jones, but the Tigers are loaded on both sides of the ball and will handle Bama.

J.Pike's Pick: Clemson, 23-17
This will be the gem of the weekend and I believe Clemson will not disappoint. This is possible the best team Tommy Bowden has had since he has been there if he doesn't win the ACC and go to a BCS bowl it will be a failure. I know it is week 1, but this one sets the tone. It will be close but I agree CJ and James will do work.
BP Pick: Clemson

Florida Atlantic at #7 Texas
Saturday, 6 pm, FSN PPV
Schnelly called out the Horns' toughness; Mack has been testy with the doubting local media; Vince Young's jersey will be retired before the game. There's plenty of motivation for the Longhorns in this game. I'm curious how Will Muschamp's defense will fare against the surprisingly potent Owl attack.
J.Pike's Pick: Texas, 30-13
Check out the spread picks coming up but straight up give me the Longhorns. This would be epic if FAtl could pull it off, but Mack is saying the right things and this Team is flying under the radar, no off the field incidents this year. I gotta say it, this team could be a player in the BCS.
BP Pick: Texas

#18 Illinois vs #8 Missouri (@ St. Louis, MO)
Saturday, 7:30 pm, ESPN
Game of the week. It should be another entertaining shootout like last season. Don't change the channel after Mizzou jumps out to a big early lead - Zook will make adjustments and this one will go right down to the wire.
J.Pike's Pick: Missouri, 31-27
I love Juice Williams but Vontae Davis is not enough to stop Missouri, who every time I look at them look better!
BP Pick: Missouri

Louisiana-Monroe at #9 Auburn
Saturday, 6 pm, ESPN360.com
An SEC team playing a Sun Belt team - that's a shock...
J.Pike's Pick: Auburn, 31-10
This isn't Alabama, welcome to a real SEC team Mr. Lancaster.
BP Pick: Auburn

Villanova at #9 West Virginia
Saturday, 2:30 pm, ESPN360.com
Not a bad Big East basketball matchup. Not a good football matchup.
J.Pike's Pick: West Virginia, 52-24
This would be a great college basketball game, but its not so watch Pat White and Noel play for a half.
Pick: W Virginia

Appalachian State at #11 LSU
Saturday, 4 pm, ESPN
How about this for a playoff game: LSU, the defending national champs, square off against defending D1-AA champs Appalachian State. Can the Mountaineers pull off another landmark upset? LSU has some question marks, but they are more stable than Michigan was last season. I don't think lightning will strike twice.
J.Pike's Pick: LSU, 38-24
I have heard some shock jocks saying they will beat LSU, sorry but the Jungle is a worse place to be the Big House. LSU will take Cinderella out and not call her back.]
BP Pick: LSU

#12 Tennessee at UCLA
Monday, 7 pm, ESPN
This is an intriguing game. The Vols travel all the way out to California to take on UCLA in Rick Neuheisel's debut. Kevin Craft will be QB'ing for the Bruins, while Tennessee will be breaking in Rick Clawson's new fangled offense. Tennessee looks like a much better team on paper, but you never know what Skippy might have up his sleeve.
J.Pike's Pick: Tennessee, 30-16
For Some reason I think Jonathan Crompton will have a big year this year and it starts with the overrated coaching of Rick Neuheisel. Tennessee will roll.
BP Pick: Tennessee

Akron at #13 Wisconsin
Saturday, 11 am, Big Ten Network
Allan Evridge makes his first start for Wisconsin against a MAC team with not a lot returning.
J.Pike's Pick: Wisconsin, 27-11
Akron may not score in this one, go back to the Rubber Bowl.
BP Pick: Wisconsin

Northern Arizona at #14 Arizona State
Saturday, 9 pm, FCS-Central
Dennis Erickson begins his second year in Tempe with a warm up against the 1-AA Lumberjacks.
J.Pike's Pick: Arizona State, 48-20
Yawn........Rudy, will be done at the half.
BP Picks: Arizona St.

Eastern Washington at #15 Texas Tech
Saturday, 6 pm
The only question in this one is whether the Red Raiders will reach triple digits. Mike Leach will give it his best shot.
J.Pike's Pick: Texas Tech, 84-21
This will be ugly and will reach Triple digits.
BP Pick: Texas Tech

Coastal Carolina at #16 Penn State
Saturday, 11 am, Big Ten Network
Darryl Clark gets the keys to the offense and Stephfon Green finally unleashes his "warp speed" on an opponent. Everybody who suits up for the Nittany Lions will play.
J.Pike's Pick: Penn State, 47-6
Coastal Carolina will be shut out. Joe Pa gotta a pretty good team this year, and no more Morelli.
BP Pick: Penn St.

Washington at #17 Oregon
Saturday, 9 pm, FSN
Justin Roper will start at quarterback for the injured Nate Costa. How will the Ducks offense respond? It might not matter if Jake Locker has to throw against the fantastic Oregon secondary. Locker doesn't exactly pose much of a threat in the passing game.
J.Pike's Pick: Oregon, 27-13
I hate, conference games to open the season, but as much as I would like to take Jake, he doesn't have enough around him to pull the upset.
BP Pick: Oregon

Florida International at #19 Kansas
Saturday, 6 pm
Blowout. The Kansas defense shines again.
J.Pike's Pick: Kansas, 44-10
Jabba will push the issue and it may reach 70.
BP Pick: Kansas

Tennessee-Martin at #20 South Florida
Saturday, 6:30 pm, ESPN360.com
Who is Martin? Is he any good?
J.Pike's Pick: South Florida, 38-17
Yawn....
BP Pick: USF

#21 Utah at Michigan
Saturday, 2:30 pm, ABC/ESPN2
This might be the most interesting game of the opening weekend. Utah has dreams of a BCS bowl and Rich Rodriguez introduces the spread offense to the folks in Ann Arbor.
J.Pike's Pick: Utah, 24-13
Well Utah is the en vogue pick this year and I really like this team. Michigan I believe will be this year's Notre Dame so it starts with game one. What up Brian Johnson you win this one you can put it on coast until the final game of the year against BYU.
BP Pick: Utah

Western Michigan at #22 Nebraska
Saturday, 6 pm, FSN PPV
I'll be making the roadie up for the first home game of the Bo Pelini. I expect to see some ups and downs, particularly with the Nebraska defense going up against an experienced quarterback in Tim Hiller. Nebraska's high octane offense (Shawn Watson is finally calling the plays!) will be too much for Western.
J.Pike's Pick: Nebraska, 37-17
This will be closer then most people think, Bo knows Defense so the Blackshirt will be at least in the building, but not in the lockerroom yet. W Michigan is a good team and is used to playing with the Big Boys. But the Husk will pull it out. Watch for my spread prediction.
BP Pick: Nebraska

Northern Iowa at #23 BYU
Saturday, 5 pm, MTN.
This will be tougher than it looks. Northern Iowa finished 12-1 last season and will give the Fighting Mormons all they can handle.
J.Pike's Pick: BYU, 26-17
Max Power throws for 400...
BP Pick: BYU

#24 Boston College vs Kent State (@ Cleveland, OH)
Saturday, 6:30 pm, ESPN U
There are many reasons to tune in to this game. BC breaks in a new quarterback and will get to show off their stout defense. But more importantly, make sure you check out Kent's mighty mite running back Eugene Jarvis. The 5-foot-5 dynamo is one of the best backs you've never heard of.
J.Pike's Pick: Boston College, 33-13
This game is in Cleveland Rocks and BC is starting everyone new in the offensive backfield, Kent returns pinball Jarvis who is impossible to see behind the line of scrimmage. As much as I want to take Kent, I can't pull the trigger based on coaching of Jeff Jagodzinski, so no upset alert but watch my spread picks.
BP Pick: BC

NOTE: All times listed are CST

BP25- #10 Auburn Tigers

So long Brandon Cox or the govenor switch on the Auburn Program. Now we can finally see what this team is capable of.

Offense-Put any QB here. Kodi Burns will be great in this offense and the RB core of Ben Tate, Brad Lester and Mario Fannin will be toughest trio in the SEC. WR is solid with Montez Billings and Rodgerious Smith and OL returns 5 starters. So the offense is poised for a big season.

Defense-You gotta love Trey Blackmon, but he is his worst enemy. If he can get his off the field under control he could be a lottery pick. The defense overall is solid but not spectacular they lost alot from the previous year(Patrick Lee, Josh Thompson(leading tackler) Quentin Groves(very overrated though) and Johnathan Wilhite), so several players will have to step up, but the Tuberville pantry is stocked, watch for Craig Stevens-LB and Zac Etheridge-SS to fill the void.

Schedule: The only tough game is in Morgantown vs W Virginia, but they should stomp them. SEC road games include trips to............Alabama, and that is it. They get LSU, Tennessee and Georgia all at home. So now that Cox is out, it will be interesting to see how high this team can go, and it will improve on its 9 wins last year.

SEC Preview

Favorites

East: Georgia
Mark Richt’s squad is loaded, and a preseason favorite to compete for a national title. The schedule is also loaded as the Bulldogs face eight coaches who have won national championships on one level or another – and that doesn’t even count Tommy Tuberville who went undefeated at Auburn in 2004. If the talented Bulldogs can stay hungry and manage that schedule, they’ll be in the SEC title game with a berth in the National Championship game on the line.

West: Auburn
Defending national champ LSU has too many holes to fill to be considered a favorite in the West. Auburn is breaking in two new coordinators, but strangely I have more faith in Tuberville than I do in the gambling Les Miles. There’s no way LSU converts on 4th downs as often as they did last season again!

Sleepers
East: South Carolina
Steve Spurrier predicted his Gamecocks would compete for the SEC East title prior to last season. A rash of injuries put an end to those dreams despite a 6-1 start. If the loaded defense can stay healthy, new coordinator Ellis Johnson should be able to mold them into one of the finest defenses in the nation. A good defense can go a long way.

West: Mississippi State
Was Mississippi State a one-year wonder, or are they going to stick around in the SEC West race again this year? Don’t be surprised if Sly Croom and his rock-solid defense, led by playmaking DB Derek Pegues, make another appearance in the postseason. The Bulldogs beat Alabama and won at Auburn last season, so there’s no reason they can’t pull off a similar feat again. And because it looks like LSU will take a step back coming off their national championship season, anything can happen in the wild SEC West.

On the Rise: Ole Miss
It’s safe to say the Ed Orgeron experiment was a mistake and should just be forgotten. Enter Houston Nutt, whose track record in the SEC proves he’ll be able to bring consistency back to the program. The cupboard is far from bare too, especially on the defensive side of the ball. He’ll need to find a running back, but since when has that been a problem for Nutt? True freshman Enrique Davis will challenge for playing time, but don’t count Dexter McCluster out of the equation. He showed flashes of brilliance as a true freshman two years ago, but was later inexplicably moved to wide receiver.

Declining: Arkansas
What were they thinking? Running the successful Houston Nutt out of town is one thing, but to turn around and hire Bobby Petrino is a double-whammy on the program. Petrino is a sound offensive coach, but he will have a hard time commanding respect from his players any more, and he’ll just leave a mess behind when he eventually bolts again (see Louisville and the Atlanta Falcons current situations). Expect some down years for the Razorbacks.

PROJECTED STANDINGS & RECORDS

East
1. Georgia	11-1 (7-1 conference)
2. Florida	10-2 (6-2)
3. Tennessee	9-3 (5-3)
4. South Carolina	7-5 (4-4)
5. Kentucky	6-6 (2-6)
6. Vanderbilt	2-10 (0-8)
West
1. Auburn	10-2 (6-2)
2. LSU	9-3 (5-3)
3. Alabama	7-5 (4-4)
4. Mississippi State	7-5 (4-4)
5. Ole Miss	6-6 (3-5)
6. Arkansas	4-8 (2-6)

PLAYERS OF THE YEAR
Offense: Knowshon Moreno (RB, Georgia)
Defense: Jasper Brinkley (LB, South Carolina)
Special Teams: Brandon James (KR, Florida)

NATIONAL AWARDS CANDIDATES
Darry Beckwith (LB-LSU) – Arrington, Fave
Eric Berry (DB-Ten) – Arrington, Deion
Tray Blackmon (LB-Aub) – Arrington
Jasper Brinkley (LB-SoCar) – Arrington, Fave
Wes Byrum (K-Aub) – Sproles/Sauerbrun
Dannell Ellerbe (LB-UGA) – Arrington, Fave
Greg Hardy (DE-Miss) - Arrington
Percy Harvin (WR-Fla) – Bo Jackson, Sayers
Brandon James (KR-Fla) – Sproles/Sauerbrun
Ricky Jean-Francois (DL-LSU) – Arrington
Rashad Johnson (DB-Bama) – Deion
Knowshon Moreno (RB-UGA) – Bo Jackson, Sayers, Fave
Captain Munnerlyn (DB-SoCar) – Deion, Fave
Chris Nickson (QB-Vandy) - Frazier
Derek Pegues (DB-MSU) – Arrington, Deion
Chris Rainey (RB-Fla) - Sayers
Andre Smith (OL-Bama) – Bo Jackson
Brannan Southerland (FB-UGA) – Fave
Brandon Spikes (LB-Fla) – Arrington
Matthew Stafford (QB-UGA) – Bo Jackson, Fave
Tim Tebow (QB-Fla) – Bo Jackson, Frazier
Gold Wrenches:
LSU defensive line
Tennessee offensive line
Florida offensive line
Georgia defensive line
Ole Miss offensive line
Florida defensive line
Alabama offensive line
Auburn defensive line
Auburn offensive line
LSU offensive line
Ole Miss defensive line