Gameday Commentary - 2:30 games

Oregon State 34, California 21

Oregon State has some speed. Between Jacquizz Rodgers, James Rodgers, and Sammie Stroughter, the Beavers have enough speed to run circles around the rest of their schedule (Arizona and Oregon) and take home the Pac-10 title. The trio combined for 475 all purpose yards and 3 touchdowns. Wow. How did those speedy Rodgers brothers not get out of Texas?

Florida 56, South Carolina 6
Oh, I get it. Florida is so good because of their defense and special teams. I'm still not impressed with the offense, but the defense and special teams are indeed special. Both units picked up a touchdown in the first quarter, and that has become the norm in Gainesville lately.

The speed the Gators have on defense and special teams is matched only by the fire with which they play. If Florida goes on to run the table and beat Alabama in the SEC championship game, it won't be because of their inconsistent offense. It will be because of the play of the defense and special teams.

Can somebody please tell me why Charlie Strong doesn't have a head coaching job yet??

Wisconsin 35, Minnesota 32
The little mistakes are starting to add up for Minnesota. Despite an impressive 7-1 start, the Gophers are reverting to 2007 form during the now 3-game losing streak.

Minnesota took an easy 21-7 lead into the locker room at half time. They even took a 24-17 lead into the fourth quarter, but that's when they fell apart. Specifically, the special teams fell apart.

Early in the fourth quarter, right after Wisconsin tied up the game at 24 apiece, Troy Stoudermire fumbled the ensuing kickoff and it went out the back of the end zone for a safety. Then after forcing a Wisconsin punt on the next drive, the Minnesota punt returner made a bone headed decision to field the ball inside his own five yard line. That decision led to another safety for the Badgers.

Two safeties in 3 minutes of game time meant Wisconsin would have all the momentum for the rest of the game. But to make matters worse, quarterback Adam Weber fumbled at his own 11 yard line on the next Minnesota possession, which Wisconsin turned into a touchdown. Game over. Tim Brewster needs to get these mistakes ironed out.

As a side note, Wisconsin looks to have finally found a quarterback. Dustin Sherer has a good arm and played with excellent composure. The junior had a huge third quarter and made some clutch throws to get the Badgers back in the game.

WEEK ELEVEN - Gameday Preview

Michigan (+7½) over Minnesota
The Michigan defense was torched to the tune of 522 yards and 48 points a week ago against Purdue, but I still have faith in them. Defensive end Brandon Graham and the front seven are more than capable of corralling Minnesota quarterback Adam Weber when he runs, and Donovan Warren and Morgan Trent are solid corners who should be able to prevent Weber from throwing the ball all over the yard. I like Minnesota to find a way to win this game at home, but I don’t think it will be by more than a touchdown.

Wisconsin (-10) over Indiana
Wisconsin has their running game back, as evidenced by the 281 yards on the ground last weekend against Michigan State. That doesn’t bode well for Indiana, who ranks eighth in the Big Ten against the run. I expect John Clay and P.J. Hill to have big games in leading a Wisconsin rout.

Rice (-9½) over Army
Army is improving, but they still can’t match Rice’s firepower. Chase Clement and the gang shouldn’t have a problem scoring between 30 and 40 points on Army, which all but guarantees at least a ten point win.

Arizona (-39) over Washington State
Washington State has been generous all year. Despite huge spreads like this one, they have failed to cover in all 8 of their games against 1-A competition. In fact, the Cougars average margin of defeat in Pac-10 play this season is by a whopping 52.8 points! Arizona has scored over 40 points four times this season, and it wouldn’t surprise me to see them top 60 here.

Other games I like, but don’t feel good enough about to give them “Lock” status:
Purdue (+9½) over Michigan State
Tennessee (-25½) over Wyoming
Iowa State (+10) over Colorado
Penn State (-7) over Iowa
Virginia (+3½) over Wake Forest
N.C. State (+4½) over Duke
Florida Atlantic (-21) over North Texas High
Cincinnati (+8) over West Virginia

WEEK EIGHT - Preview

Boise State (-5) over Hawaii
Boise State will win by at least two touchdowns. [LINK]

Wisconsin (+3½) over Iowa
Whoa, let’s all take a step back. Sure, Wisconsin is a disappointing 3-3 right now, but since when is losing games to Michigan, Ohio State, and Penn State such a damning indictment? No matter how bad it looks for Wisconsin right now, the Badgers are still a better team than the Hawkeyes. Hitting the road to get away from the grumbling home fans will actually work to Wisky’s advantage as they maul Iowa in the trenches, pick up a win, and get their season back on track. Note to Iowa, your pink locker rooms aren’t as insulting when you don’t have Brad Banks out there slicing up defenses anymore.

Louisiana-Monroe (-18½) over North Texas High
Here we go again. My favorite D-1A high school team is getting 18½ points and I still think you should pick against them. The Mean Green showed signs of life last week, but still managed to lose by 29 and drop to 0-6 on the season. This week will be no different as North Texas High takes another step on the road to a winless season!

San Jose State (-2½) over New Mexico State
This is a weird one to call as a lock, but I have a lot of faith in San Jose State quarterback Kyle Reed. He’s a late addition to the Faulk Trophy watch list, but he’s very deserving of the honor. He’ll slice and dice the Aggie secondary and run circles around pursuing defensive linemen. San Jose State is slightly underrated and I think they’ll handle Hal Mumme’s troops with ease.

Other games I like, but don’t feel good enough about to give them “Lock” status:
South Florida (-24) over Syracuse
Connecticut (-1) over Rutgers
Miami, Ohio (+9½) over Bowling Green
Ole Miss (+13½) over Alabama
Michigan (+23½) over Penn State
Colorado (-3) over Kansas State
Washington (+14) over Oregon State
Illinois (-16½) over Indiana
Air Force (-4½) over UNLV

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

Kentucky at #1-t Alabama
(Thursday, 2:30 pm, CBS)
This would be the perfect moment for Alabama to come crashing back to earth. The Tide is riding high off a huge win over Georgia a week ago and their promotion to the top of the polls. Kentucky has quietly snuck out to a 4-0 start thanks to an experienced defense that is capable of shutting down Bama if the players’ hearts aren’t in it. But I don’t think Nick Saban will let that happen. Not this week anyway.
J.Pike’s Pick: Alabama 23, Kentucky 10

#1-t Oklahoma at Baylor
(Saturday, 11:30 am, FSN)
Robert Griffin is a force to be reckoned with, and I have a feeling he and Art Briles will actually get the Baylor program turned around. But right now the Bears simply don’t have enough else around Griffin to beat Oklahoma. Briles will have his kids playing their hearts out and Baylor fans will be proud of their effort. In fact, don’t be surprised if this is still a game in the third quarter. But OU has too much talent to let one player beat them.
J.Pike’s Pick: Oklahoma 48, Baylor 24

#3 Penn State at Purdue
(Saturday, 11 am, ESPN)
Penn State is playing as well as anybody right now. Evan Royster is quietly becoming a dark horse candidate for the inaugural Bo Jackson Trophy. Quarterback Darryl Clark is spreading the ball around to Deon Butler and Derrick Williams, two speedsters who can take it to the house on any play. Then there’s the defensive line. Now that Maurice Evans is back at defensive end, the Nittany Lions can claim one of the best defensive lines in the nation. Purdue is no match.
J.Pike’s Pick: Penn State 37, Purdue 20

#4 Missouri at Nebraska
(Saturday, 8 pm, ESPN)
Bo Pelini is quickly establishing himself as one of the best defensive schemers in the nation. He may be working with limited talent on the defensive side of the ball (only Cody Glenn and maybe Ndamukong Suh and Zach Potter are truly “Blackshirt” worthy), but he’ll put his guys in the best position to win. I expect to see the Nebraska coaching staff coach circles around the Missouri coaching staff … BUT it won’t matter because Missouri has much better players. Nebraska will make Missouri look bad at times, but ultimately Chase Daniel will continue his push for the Bo Jackson Trophy.
J.Pike’s Pick: Missouri 41, Nebraska 24

#5 Texas at Colorado
(Saturday, 7 pm, FSN)
Colorado’s offensive line is in flux after losing tackle Ryan Miller for the season. That’s not good timing for the Buffs because Texas comes to town with a fast-improving defense that boasts 16 sacks, most in the Big XII. Colt McCoy also happens to be playing as well as anybody in the nation right now (see his 80% completion percentage and improved strength and speed in the running game). Colorado will need to play the whole game with the immediacy and aggressiveness they displayed in the first quarter against West Virginia if they are to have a chance to win.
J.Pike’s Pick: Texas 34, Colorado 16

#6 LSU is Idle

#7 Georgia is Idle

#8 Ohio State at #18 Wisconsin
(Saturday, 7 pm, ABC)
Wisconsin’s loss to Michigan a week ago was troubling because Michigan doesn’t look like a team with any skill on offense. If Steven Threet gave this Badger defense troubles in the second half, what is Terrelle Pryor going to do? Wisconsin is a solid team, but Ohio State is in the process of shaking off the USC knockdown punch and re-establishing their dominance in the Big Ten. Wisconsin will barely be a speed bump on their road back to the top 10.
J.Pike’s Pick: Ohio State 27, Wisconsin 17

#22 Oregon at #9 USC
(Saturday, 7 pm, ABC)
This will be a good game. More importantly though – when is Mitch Mustain going to transfer again? There’s no way he’s ever going to see the field at USC, so why isn’t his momma speaking up for him?
J.Pike’s Pick: USC 34, Oregon 27

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

#1 USC at Oregon State
(Thursday, 8 pm, ESPN)
Everybody remembers what happened the last time the Trojans visited Corvalis. The Beavers pulled off the upset, ending USC’s 27-game Pac-10 winning streak. In this matchup, the Rogers brothers bring a lot more speed to the table than Ohio State did two weeks ago, so there could be trouble brewing. Throw in one of the most underrated playmakers in the nation in Sammie Stroughter and you have what could be a recipe for another upset. But Mark Sanchez is no John David Booty, and the young Oregon State defense has struggled in the early going. Oregon State’s speed on offense will make the USC defense will look human for the first time all season – if only for a few series. But overall USC is too good and too prepared to get upset again.
J.Pike’s Pick: USC 34, Oregon State 24

#11 Alabama at #2 Georgia
(Saturday, 6:45 pm, ESPN)
Spotlight Game of the Week [LINK]
J.Pike’s Pick: Georgia 24, Alabama 20

#24 TCU at #3 Oklahoma
(Saturday, 6 pm, FSN)
Here’s another game that featured a landmark upset a couple years ago. When TCU knocked off Oklahoma in the 2005 season opener, it marked the start of the Rhett Bomar era. That was not a pleasant season in Norman. Luckily Bomar the Ballhog is gone, and in his place is the remarkably efficient Sam Bradford. TCU is good defensively, but I don’t think they can contain Oklahoma for four quarters anymore. Oklahoma gets their revenge.
J.Pike’s Pick: Oklahoma 33, TCU 13

Arkansas at #4 Texas
(Saturday, 2:30 pm, ABC)
This game was postponed due to Hurricane Ike a couple weeks ago. The only thing that happened between then and now is that Arkansas played like a JV team against Alabama and got beat 49-14. Arkansas is flat out bad defensively. The offense is semi-capable, but Casey Dick is prone to throwing bad interceptions, so he’ll give Texas’ young secondary a much needed boost of confidence. Colt McCoy is quietly playing as well as anybody right now, and he’ll guide the offense to another big day.
J.Pike’s Pick: Texas 38, Arkansas 21

Ole Miss at #5 Florida
(Saturday, 11:30 am, Raycom/ESPN360.com)
Ole Miss has a history of beating Florida, so don’t be surprised if this game is still in doubt in the fourth quarter. Florida’s offense hasn’t yet hit its stride, but the defense is more than picking up the slack. Ole Miss has been completely rejuvenated thanks to the arrival of Houston Nutt. Quarterback Jevan Snead will play well, but in the fourth quarter the Florida defense will rise up and force him into the mistake that ruins the upset bid.
J.Pike’s Pick: Florida 32, Ole Miss 20

#6 Missouri is Idle

Mississippi State at #7 LSU
(Saturday, 6:30 pm, ESPN 2)
Mississippi State has one of the worst offenses in college football and LSU is coming off a big win at Auburn. The LSU defense could probably win this game by themselves. Put Derek Pegues on offense!
J.Pike’s Pick: LSU 37, Mississippi State 3

#19 Illinois at #8 Penn State
(Saturday, 7 pm, ABC)
Evan Royster, Darryl Clark and the Penn State offense has been fantastic in guiding the Nittany Lions to a 4-0 start. The Illinois defense on the other hand has struggled with tackling in the early going. That doesn’t bode well for the Illini. Throw in the fact that Penn State’s defense, which has been playing as well as anybody this year, could possibly be bolstered by the return of their best defensive lineman, Maurice Evans, from suspension. Juice Williams and Arrelious Benn are good, but I don’t think they have enough help around them.
Watch Evan Royster – he’s good.
J.Pike’s Pick: Penn State 34, Illinois 20

#9 Wisconsin at Michigan
(Saturday, 2:30 pm, ABC/ESPN)
Michigan is going to need their defense to step up if they are going to win any games this season. The offense just isn’t there yet and they will turn the ball over. Wisconsin on the other hand has their running game in high gear already. Hosses P.J. Hill and John Clay have been pounding people to the tune of 518 yards and 7 touchdowns in only three games so far this season. Look for that duo to wear down a feisty Michigan team and win it in the fourth quarter.
J.Pike’s Pick: Wisconsin 20, Michigan 14

Minnesota at #10 Ohio State
(Saturday, 11 am, Big Ten Network)
Don’t let Brent fool you – Minnesota isn’t very good. Sure, they have a 4-0 record, but that’s only because they beat the same cupcakes they managed to lose to a year ago. Ohio State on the other hand has found new life with Terrelle Pryor as the full time quarterback. He brings a new dimension to the offense that Todd Boeckman lacked. Chris “Beanie” Wells is also expected to be back in the lineup after missing the last two games with a toe injury. Look for the Buckeyes to put together their most complete game of the season as they beat up and out-coach the inferior Golden Gophers.
J.Pike’s Pick: Ohio State 37, Minnesota 13

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

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

Marshall at #11 Wisconsin
(Saturday, 11 am, Big Ten Network)
Wisconsin ran for 404 yards last week and this week should be more of the same. Eventually Allan Evridge will need to complete a pass or two to win in the Big Ten and the soft Marshall defense seems to be the perfect opportunity to work on his arm.
J.Pike’s Pick: Wisconsin 35, Marshall 13

Tulane at #12 Alabama
(Saturday, 6 pm, ESPN360.com)
There will be no letdown for the Crimson Tide after putting a beat-down on Clemson last Saturday night. Without Matt Forte, who makes his NFL debut for the Bears on Sunday, Tulane is no match for Bama, particularly in the trenches. Look for JP Wilson to fine tune the passing game early as he establishes a connection with freshman receiver Julio Jones. Then Terry Grant and the running game can grind out the clock in the second half.
J.Pike’s Pick: Alabama 37, Tulane 10

The Citadel at #13 Clemson
(Saturday, 2:30 pm, ESPN360.com)
After having national title aspirations destroyed on the opening weekend of the season, there’s no remedy quite like playing The Citadel. After getting manhandled at the line of scrimmage by Alabama, I expect the Clemson players to take out all their frustration this week by beating up on a completely insignificant opponent – and I can’t really blame them.
J.Pike’s Pick: Clemson 61, The Citadel 6

Oregon State at #14 Penn State
(Saturday, 2:30 pm, ABC)
As much as I like Sammie Stroughter and the Oregon State Beavers, they are simply no match for this Penn State team, despite all the suspensions. The Nittany Lions are on a mission this season and running backs Evan Royster and Stephfon Green will have a field day against an inexperienced Oregon State front seven that gave up 210 rushing yards to Stanford a week ago.
J.Pike’s Pick: Penn State 31, Oregon State 15

Stanford at #15 Arizona State
(Saturday, 9 pm, FCS-Pacific)
It’s tough to pick against Stanford after their gutsy performance in a victory over Oregon State last Thursday night. Jim Harbaugh just seems to be pushing all the right buttons and has the players believing in themselves and playing at a higher level than anybody could have expected when he took the job. ASU has too much talent to lose this game though. Stanford will hang in there on guts alone, but Dennis Erickson will make adjustments at halftime and win going away.
J.Pike’s Pick: Arizona State 38, Stanford 20

#16 Texas Tech at Nevada
(Saturday, 8 pm)
This is an interesting road game for the Red Raiders. Nevada’s Pistol offense should give Tech’s always questionable defense problems. The Wolfpack have more offensive weapons than you might think and they’ll keep it close for a while. But Tech has too much offense and you better believe Mike Leach will run up the score late in this one.
J.Pike’s Pick: Texas Tech 48, Nevada 24

Utah State at #17 Oregon
(Saturday, 2:30 pm)
It’s a good thing Justin Roper looked good last week because Nate Costa is going to be out for the season (again) with a knee injury. More importantly, Jeremiah Johnson proved he’s going to be one of the best running backs in the country this year. He’ll pile up the yards again this week.
J.Pike’s Pick: Oregon 44, Utah State 14

#18 South Florida at Central Florida
(Saturday, 6 pm, ESPN 2)
This is a rivalry game, but apparently UCF doesn’t know rivalry games are supposed to be close. South Florida has won the last three games in this series by a combined score of 119-43. This year’s edition will be more of the same.
J.Pike’s Pick: South Florida 38, Central Florida 13

UNLV at #19 Utah
(Saturday, 7 pm, mtn.)
Utah pulled out a win in the Big House opening weekend, but they’ll need to clean up the penalties and turnovers if they want to win the Mountain West. Brian Johnson is a fantastic quarterback and he’ll guide Utah to 2-0 over UNLV.
J.Pike’s Pick: Utah 35, UNLV 17

Louisiana Tech at #21 Kansas
(Saturday, 6 pm, FSN)
Be careful here. Louisiana Tech knocked off Mississippi State in a mild upset last week and is looking to do it again this week. Kansas plays sound fundamental football though and won’t turn the ball over like Mississippi State did. I expect the Jayhawks to jump on La Tech early and remind the Bulldogs they aren’t in Kansas anymore. Or something like that. And I’m predicting a special teams touchdown for Kansas.
J.Pike’s Pick: Kansas 31, Louisiana Tech 13

#22 UCLA is off

#23 Tennessee is off

Eastern Illinois at #24 Illinois
(Saturday, 11 am, Big Ten Network)
Juice Williams proved against Missouri that he truly has taken the next step in his development. Nobody in the country has a stronger arm than Juice, but he probably won’t get to show it off as much this week. Eddie McGee should get plenty of playing time and maybe the Illini can find a running back in this blowout.
J.Pike’s Pick: Illinois 51, Eastern Illinois 13

#25 BYU at Washington
(Saturday, 2pm, FSN)
If Tyrone Willingham is going to bust out a big win and get off the hot seat, this would be a good place to do it. BYU is ranked, but there are still questions about the defense. Jake Locker will have to win it with his feet though because he doesn’t have a big league arm, so I don’t see any way the Washington offense can keep pace with the BYU offense.
J.Pike’s Pick: BYU 33, Washington 20

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- #11 Wisconsin Badgers

Well to conserve time will hit the highlights:

Offense: PJ Hill is a stud and Travis Beckum will make himself a first rounder by the end of the year. They return one of the best OL in the Big 10 and they will need with cast off Allan Everidge running the O. Watch out for Kyle Jefferson.

Defense: Could be the 2nd best in the Big 10. Matt Shaughnessy and Mike Newkirk anchor the line with AA potential and Jonathan Casillas and DeAndre Levy return as the Top two tacklers last year. The secondary is lead by Shane Carter who led the big 10 with 7 picks last year.

Schedule: Non conference is cake, (Fresno St is overrated) and the Big 10 road games are Michigan, Iowa, Michigan St and Indiana, so they get teh Buckeyes, Joe Pa and Juice all at home. The table is set for Bret Bielema so come and get it.

August Updates

* Cranky JoePa kicks two defensive linemen off the team
Luckily Penn State was already stacked on the D-Line. Losing Phil Taylor and Chris Baker hurts, but it will essentially only affect depth at the position. The Lions will still be fine up front, they just won't be able to rotate in as many guys as they were planning on.

* Wisconsin's Lance Smith kicked off the team
This isn't really that shocking. Smith was suspended from traveling with the team to road games last year, and Wisconsin has great depth at running back. So while Smith is a talented player, his presence on the roster won't be missed.

* Kentucky quarterback Curtis Pulley kicked off the team
The heir apparent to Andre' Woodson was booted off the team last week due to some off-the-field issues. Pulley would have brought a ton of athleticism to the quarterback spot at Kentucky, but now the job falls to sophomore Mike Hartline.

* Cincinnati's Ben Mauk denied extra year of eligibility
No offense to Ben Mauk, but I'm glad the NCAA made this decision. Mauk redshirted at Wake Forest, then played two full seasons. He was injured in the season opener his third year at Wake and then decided to transfer to Cincinnati where he played last season. He used all his eligibility - end of story. The NCAA doesn't need to be awarding all kinds of extra years to players every time they get hurt or we'll start seeing a bunch of Paul Blakes running around on the field - nobody wants that. I like Ben Mauk and it sucks that he's suffered so many injuries in his career, but the NCAA made the right decision and he needs to move on.

JP25 - #17 WISCONSIN

Bret Bielema's second season as head coach didn't go quite as well as his first. The Badgers still won nine games while playing a more difficult schedule, but Bielema was unhappy with how the defense performed and decided to fire coordinator Mike Hankwitz. If that move leads to improvements on the defensive side of the ball Wisconsin might once again reach double-digits in the win column.

OFFENSE
The most talked about question mark on offense is at quarterback where the competition to replace the steady (read: average) Tyler Donovan is heating up. Luckily for the Badgers, quarterback isn't as important to the offense as it is at many other schools, so either Allan Evridge (who started a handful of games at Kansas State as a freshman) or Dustin Sherer won't have to do much more than protect the football and hand off to a talented stable of running backs.

P.J. Hill is back after rushing for 1,212 yards and 14 touchdowns in 2007. Hill is a big, bruising tailback that can wear down opposing defenses, but he's got a little bit more quickness than you might realize. Lance Smith is another talented back on the roster, but his status with the team is in question after more off-the-field issues over the summer. He was already suspended from traveling with the team to road games in '07 so there is a chance he might get a similar sentence again for '08. The depth doesn't end with Smith though. Zach Brown impressed as a true freshman last year (568 yards, 5 tds) and redshirt freshman John Clay was one of Wisconsin's top recruits a year ago. So even with the questions surrounding Smith's status, the Badgers should still be able to go three deep at running back without much worry.

The deep backfield will be running behind an experienced offensive line too. Four starters return as well as the sixth man from the 2007 rotation. They'll need to improve pass blocking as a unit though because they can't afford to let defenses harass the quarterback like they did when they gave up 33 sacks last season. On the flip side, whoever wins the quarterback job will have the best receiving tight end in the nation as a safety valve. Senior Travis Beckum (75 receptions for 982 yards, 6 tds) is as athletic as a wideout and has hands to match. He's complemented nicely in 2-TE sets by Garrett Graham (30 receptions for 328 yards, 4 tds).

There's inexperience at wide receiver though, where sophomore Kyle Jefferson is the only returnee with more than two receptions to his credit. As a true freshman last season Jefferson filled in nicely for the talented duo of Like Swan and Paul Hubbard as they each missed most of the second half of 2007. He has the potential to become the next in a growing line of surprisingly talented Wisconsin receivers. It will be interesting to see how the rest of the receiving corps fills out. Sophomore David Gilreath has impressive kick/punt return skills, but can he translate those into running routes and catching passes under duress? Will Marcus Randle El ever show the athleticism on the field that his older brother, Antwaan Randle El, showed as a star quarterback at Indiana?

DEFENSE
The Badgers return nine starters from last season so the pressure will be on new coordinator Dave Doeren to get more out of them. The only two losses from the starting line up (talented corner Jack Ikegwuonu and disruptive tackle Nick Hayden) might hurt a little bit, but an excellent linebacking corps returns intact. The trio of seniors, Jonathan Casillas, Deandre Levy, and Elijah Hodge, were the top three tacklers on the team in '07 and will continue to shoulder the load in '08. Casillas and Levy in particular are more athletic than your typical Wisconsin linebacker and should help lead the defense out of mediocrity.

They'll need help up front from the defensive line to make it happen though. Senior Matt Shaughnessy is a solid Big Ten defensive end, but he needs to take his game to the next level. Tackles Mike Newkirk and Jason Chapman also have talent, but must get improve against the run so the linebackers can roam a little freer in the passing game.

Recently Wisconsin has gotten good production out of its safeties and this year should be no exception. Free safety Shaun Carter picked off 7 passes last year and is back for only his junior season. Jay Valai and Aubrey Pleasant will team up opposite Carter at strong safety. Pleasant is particularly impressive in his ability to help out against the run, but they'll need to be better in pass coverage.

KEEP AN EYE ON
How much the defense improves. If they play better as a unit the win total will increase. If they continue to play average defense though, it will be another mediocre season in Madison.

RISING STAR
Left tackler Gabe Carimi. The sophomore was one of only two linemen to start all 13 games a year ago, and should anchor the O-Line for the next three seasons.