Been a week since I have been able to post anything here on the blog, so as a return, I have decided to post my Saturday picks here for all to see. Here are all of my picks for all of the FBS and FCS games being played this weekend.
FBS
Penn State over Eastern Michigan...even with Paterno's wax dummy in the box, Lions roll.
Michigan State over Central Michigan...MSU is pissed after last week. Whoop ass time!
Michigan over San Diego State...Hoke knows the Aztecs, and Michigan has more talent.
Iowa over UL-Monroe...Hawkeyes should cruise over Warhawks at home.
Georgia Tech over North Carolina...Withers suffers first loss at UNC
Notre Dame over Pittsburgh...ND found a stride, and Pitt is just not that good.
Toledo over Syracuse...Rockets may be down after two beatdowns. I still have faith.
SMU over Memphis...A single girl scout could take the toothless Tigers.
Georgia over Ole Miss...Richt needs to win every game. Rebels are awful. Good combo.
Temple over Maryland...I look for Owl defense to frustrate Terps uneven offense.
UMass over Boston College...BC is abysmal, and UMass needs a signature FBS win.
Miami (Ohio) over Bowling Green...Falcons are improved, but Miami feels right at home.
Akron over VMI...Even Akron can't lose to the Keydets.
Army over Ball State...Going out on a limb here, but Army beat Northwestern last week.
Ohio over Rutgers...Bobcats are for real, and Rutgers is ripe for a beating like this.
TCU over Portland State...Frogs will role over surprising Vikings.
Air Force over Tennessee State...Falcons should have no problems over FCS Tigers.
Virginia Tech over Marshall...Tech has been struggling, but Herd has been a flop.
Florida State over Clemson...That win for the Tigers over Auburn was not that big a deal.
Ohio State over Colorado...Hard to pick the struggling Buckeyes, but not that hard.
Wisconsin over South Dakota...Do I really have to explain this?
Northern Illinois over Cal Poly...Huskies need a bounce back win, and this is it.
South Alabama over Kent State...Jags need a big win, and this should be it for young program.
Tulane over Duke...The losing coach winds up in the Dead Pool.
Virginia over Southern Miss...I should be picking Eagles. That means that Cavs will win.
Miami over Kansas State...Two very overrated programs. Miami wins a close one.
Illinois over Western Michigan...Illinois is a class above, and should win easily.
East Carolina over UAB...Both klook for first win, and it goes easily to the Pirates.
Oregon State over UCLA...Neuheisel winning a road game? Laughable. Beavers win.
Washington over California...This is a close one, as they are very similar this season.
Alabama over Arkansas...Tide is just better, and deeper.
Oklahoma State over Texas A&M...Cowboys get huge test, but are more consistent.
New Mexico State over San Jose State...Who Cares Bowl 2011.
Troy over Middle Tennessee...Trojans begin their annual run towards Sun Belt superiority.
Fresno State over Idaho...Both have been pretty terrible out the gate, and I think I may be wrong.
FIU over UL-Lafayette...Panthers are on another level this season, but Cajuns are decent.
UConn over Buffalo...Huskies have to beat someone, and Bulls are pretty terrible.
Sam Houston State over New Mexico...I refuse to pick Lobos to win any game in 2011.
Indiana over North Texas...IU already lost to Ball State. Not going to lose another bad game.
USF over UTEP...Bulls roll over terrible Miners.
North Dakota State over Minnesota...This would not be much of a shock. Bison are just better.
Texas Tech over Nevada...If this were 2010, it'd be the other way around.
Florida over Kentucky...Gators gaining steam, Cats unravelling.
South Carolina over Vanderbilt...Gamecocks need to make a statement. Vandy not there yet.
Auburn over FAU...Tigers get a bounceback win over hapless Owls.
Mississippi State over Louisiana Tech...MSU starts to turn it around.
Baylor over Rice...Bears continue to beef up on weak part of schedule, just like 2010.
Nebraska over Wyoming...Huskers should cruise against overmatched Cowboys.
Arkansas State over Central Arkansas...Ryan Aplin should have a breakout game this week.
Utah State over Colorado State...Rams offense is a bit of a mess, and USU is ready to win.
LSU over West Virginia...This game won't be as close as networks want it to be.
Oklahoma over Missouri...barring a letdown from last week, Sooners crush the Tigers.
Boise State over Tulsa...Hurricanes don't have the guns to combat the Broncos.
Houston over Georgia State...Cougars nearly slipped last week. Won't happen this week.
UNLV over Southern Utah...Rebels shocked the country last week. Should be able to win.
Oregon over Arizona...Wildcats shcedule has been brutal. Oregon may run away.
USC over Arizona State...Sun Devils got exposed last week, and USC will key on that plan.
Hawaii at UC-Davis...After two heinous weeks on the road, Rainbows start to come back.
FCS
Butler over Drake...Drake has barely survived against bad teams. Butler gets solid win.
Yale over Cornell...Both got solid wins to open last week. Yale still better.
Old Dominion over Delaware...ODU in upset, as they are a more veteran team.
Monmouth over C. Connecticut State...Hawks shocked Villanova last week, can be very good.
Lehigh over Liberty...Liberty won't stop the Lum/Spadola show for Hawks.
San Diego over Morehead State...Toreros looking solid early, but they need a big win here.
Columbia over Albany...Sean Brackett should have his way this week for Lions.
Furman over Presbyterian...Paladins get an easy one this week.
Georgetown over Marist...Hoyas took Yale to brink, bounce back with win.
Bryant over Wagner...Even money here, but Bulldogs will pull ahead.
Jacksonville over Campbell...Gotta stick with the Dolphins, but the defense is having issues.
Dartmouth over Sacred Heart...Big Green looked solid last week.
Rhode Island over Fordham...URI has been close in losses. They get over the hump.
Elon over Citadel...Having a hard time with this one, as Elon almost fell to NC Central last week.
Dayton over Central State...Flyers, and it won't be close.
Norfolk State over Charleston Southern...Playing Bucs like getting a bye week.
UTSA over Bacone...Roadrunners will not fall to NAIA mid tier team.
South Carolina State over Delaware State...SCSU losses to FBS teams. They win big.
Texas Southern over Alcorn State...Tigers are unstable, but should beat Braves.
Indiana State over Youngstown State...Sycamores are on fire right now.
Appalachian State over Chattanooga...FCS game of the week, but ASU shows who is boss.
Florida A&M over Southern...Rattlers should get some traction this week after tough start.
Morgan State over Howard...Morgan State not that bad. Howard is.
Richmond over New Hampshire...Spiders miracle run continues this week.
Weber State over Northern Colorado...Need a win? Schedule the Bears. It's a guarantee.
Northwestern State over Nicholls State...SLC opener for both, but Demons have the edge.
Coastal Carolina over N. Carolina A&T...Whether playing with cats or dogs, CCU has the talent.
Arkansas-Pine Bluff over Clark Atlanta...Lions should cruise easily this week.
Northern Iowa over Western Illinois...Time for the Panthers to stake their claim.
Jackson State over Alabama State...Great game should be close, but I take Tigers at home.
Georgia Southern over Western Carolina...Eagles should win big, start SoCon run.
Bucknell over Pirnceton...Bison win on the road. What's wrong with Tigers?
NC Central over Savannah State...NCC almost knocked off Elon. This is an easy pick.
Lafayette over Stony Brook...both looking for a grip this week, but Leopards appear stronger.
N. Arizona over Idaho State...Bengals are improved, but Jacks should come up big this week.
Penn over Villanova...Who would have thought combined records would be 0-4 at this point?
Grambling over Alabama A&M...Doug Williams gets his Tigers back on track this week.
Duquesne over St. Francis...Dukes stay in the NEC race this weekend.
Stephen F. Austin over Texas State...Jacks looking to send Bobcats out of FCS as losers.
Eastern Kentucky over Austin Peay...EKU should have no trouble at all this week.
Southern Illinois over Missoui State...Salukis keep the Bears winless.
Prairie View over Mississippi Valley State...Panthers with ease over awful Devils.
Wofford over Samford...Terriers have too much power for Bulldogs.
North Dakota over Black Hills State...Rout will be on early.
Jacksonville State over Eastern Illinois...Should be close, but Gamecocks come out on top.
James Madison over William & Mary...Something is missing for Tribe.
Davidson over Johnson C. Smith...Wildcats should have more in the tank than the Bulls.
Towson over Colgate... Tigers are tough at home suddenly. Who saw this coming?
South Dakota State over Illinois State...Jackrabbits look for big road win in MVC play.
Montana State over Eastern Washington...Eagles were so 2010. Bobcats continue the blues.
Tennessee Tech over SE Missouri State...Tech dominates. SEMS still looking for talent.
McNeese State over SE Louisiana...Cowboys should get solid road win.
Montana over Sacramento State...Hornets on fizzle mode after Oregon State win.
Friday, September 23, 2011
Saturday, September 17, 2011
Observations 9/17 Part 2
More games have gone final. Here are my observation from the next round of FBS finals...
San Diego State 42, Washington State 24
The Aztecs outscored WSU 28-7 in the second half and nullified a Cougar lead, essentially bringing WSU back to Earth after two huge weeks of winning. Ryan Lindley passed for 273 yards and 2 scores, and Ronnie Hillman rushed for 4 TDs for the Aztecs in the win.
Ball State 28, Buffalo 25
The Cardinals are showing signs of life under Pete Lembo, and they are very much alive early in the MAC. Buffalo, not so much.
UL-Lafayette 38, Nicholls State 21
It was not a great win for ULL, but Mark Hudspeth will take any wins that he can get while building a program with the Ragin' Cajuns.
Ohio 44, Marshall 7
The Bobcats jumped out to a 34-7 lead at the half, and we are left wondering when the real Marshall squad will stand up. The Bobcats rolled up 562 yards of total offense in the win.
Southern Mississippi 21, SE Louisiana 0
The Eagles are pretty bad. They should have dominated the Lions. So much for the offensive guru in Larry Fedora.
Kansas State 37, Kent State 0
Who hasn't beaten the shit out of Kent State this season? Anyone in Ohio thinking that the Darrell Hazell hire was a good one? Anybody? Anyone?
Illinois 17, Arizona State 14
Huge test passed by the Fighting Illini. Huge test failed by Arizona State. Will ASU bounce back? Will Illinois coontinue to win after going 3-0. Many questions still exist for both programs.
Houston 35, Louisiana Tech 34
Houston had to score 21 points in the 4th quarter to put off the upset. Conference USA is a major mess, and Houston did nothing to repair the image issues.
Indiana State 44, Western Kentucky 16
As huge a win as this was for the Sycamores, it was equally ugly for WKU. Ronnie Fouch tossed 3 TD passes for the Sycamores.
Missouri 69, Western Illinois 0
The Tigers set a school record by rolling up 750 yards, while allowing the Leathernecks only 40 yards in the easy win over FCS WIU.
South Florida 70, Florida A&M 17
The Bulls rolled to an easy win that was basically a scrimmage for them. That is how you handle an FCS opponent, Southern Miss.
Texas A&M 37, Idaho 7
The Aggies coasted to a 27-0 lead at the half and never looked back. Jeff Fuller became the A&M all-time leading receiver.
Louisville 24, Kentucky 17
The Cardinals bounced back strong after a rough loss last week to take out their arch rival in what was an extremely ugly game. Kentucky is looking towards a potentially ugly rest of the season.
Alabama 41, North Texas 0
The Crimson Tide coasted over yet another patsy this season (beat Kent State two weeks ago). Alabama is in control right now, but the SEC schedule is still to come.
Miami 24, Ohio State 6
The Buckeyes really are that bad right now. Miami is not playing like Miami, yet it was still enough to smack down OSU in the Cheater Bowl.
More finals coming up!
San Diego State 42, Washington State 24
The Aztecs outscored WSU 28-7 in the second half and nullified a Cougar lead, essentially bringing WSU back to Earth after two huge weeks of winning. Ryan Lindley passed for 273 yards and 2 scores, and Ronnie Hillman rushed for 4 TDs for the Aztecs in the win.
Ball State 28, Buffalo 25
The Cardinals are showing signs of life under Pete Lembo, and they are very much alive early in the MAC. Buffalo, not so much.
UL-Lafayette 38, Nicholls State 21
It was not a great win for ULL, but Mark Hudspeth will take any wins that he can get while building a program with the Ragin' Cajuns.
Ohio 44, Marshall 7
The Bobcats jumped out to a 34-7 lead at the half, and we are left wondering when the real Marshall squad will stand up. The Bobcats rolled up 562 yards of total offense in the win.
Southern Mississippi 21, SE Louisiana 0
The Eagles are pretty bad. They should have dominated the Lions. So much for the offensive guru in Larry Fedora.
Kansas State 37, Kent State 0
Who hasn't beaten the shit out of Kent State this season? Anyone in Ohio thinking that the Darrell Hazell hire was a good one? Anybody? Anyone?
Illinois 17, Arizona State 14
Huge test passed by the Fighting Illini. Huge test failed by Arizona State. Will ASU bounce back? Will Illinois coontinue to win after going 3-0. Many questions still exist for both programs.
Houston 35, Louisiana Tech 34
Houston had to score 21 points in the 4th quarter to put off the upset. Conference USA is a major mess, and Houston did nothing to repair the image issues.
Indiana State 44, Western Kentucky 16
As huge a win as this was for the Sycamores, it was equally ugly for WKU. Ronnie Fouch tossed 3 TD passes for the Sycamores.
Missouri 69, Western Illinois 0
The Tigers set a school record by rolling up 750 yards, while allowing the Leathernecks only 40 yards in the easy win over FCS WIU.
South Florida 70, Florida A&M 17
The Bulls rolled to an easy win that was basically a scrimmage for them. That is how you handle an FCS opponent, Southern Miss.
Texas A&M 37, Idaho 7
The Aggies coasted to a 27-0 lead at the half and never looked back. Jeff Fuller became the A&M all-time leading receiver.
Louisville 24, Kentucky 17
The Cardinals bounced back strong after a rough loss last week to take out their arch rival in what was an extremely ugly game. Kentucky is looking towards a potentially ugly rest of the season.
Alabama 41, North Texas 0
The Crimson Tide coasted over yet another patsy this season (beat Kent State two weeks ago). Alabama is in control right now, but the SEC schedule is still to come.
Miami 24, Ohio State 6
The Buckeyes really are that bad right now. Miami is not playing like Miami, yet it was still enough to smack down OSU in the Cheater Bowl.
More finals coming up!
9/17 Observations
Here is a list of observations from games that have gone final so far today, 9/17.
Purdue 59, SE Missouri State 0
The Boilers needed this kind of game to get their heads back on right after losing to Rice last week. SE Missouri State really could have used Henry Harris back on the roster today.
Western Michigan 44, Central Michigan 14
Bill Cubit picked up a must win, and shows that he is ready to at least make appearances that his Broncos are in the MAC race. Dan Enos does not seem to have the same touch that Butch Jones and Brian Kelly had at CMU.
Michigan 31, Eastern Michigan 3
Denard Robinson ran like a mad man for 198 yards, but he passed the ball like a girl. Can we please get a complete game from the Wolverines at some point? They sure did not play one today.
Clemson 38, Auburn 24
Before anyone gets too excited about this win for Clemson, please realize that a girl scout could score on Auburn these days. The Auburn offense ran out of gas as they continue to have to make up for the awfule Auburn D. Dabo Swinney did need this win.
Iowa 31, Pittsburgh 27
The Panthers celebrate their impending move to the ACC with a blown big lead against Iowa. The Big East actually got a little worse this week.
West Virginia 37, Maryland 31
This was a good win for the Mountaineers, who have struggled against the Terps in recent years. WVU made it more exciting than it had to be after blowing a sizable lead.
Penn State 14, Temple 10
The Owls had every shot to win this game, but here's a hint as to how to do it. Get an offense. It helps. Paterno is still not coaching the Lions, and they are now making up excuses as to why. Time to go, Joe, and I am serious this time.
Wyoming 28, Bowling Green 27
The Cowboys needed this win badly, and they almost blew it. The Falcons blew the halftime lead, but the Cowboys almost blew their lead in the 4th quarter. Great perfomrances by Matt Schilz and Kamar Jorden wasted for the Falcons.
Vanderbilt 30, Ole Miss 7
The Commodores go to 3-0 under new coach James Franklin, and Houston Nutt just splashed into the Dead Pool for the coming week. Vandy will cool off sometime soon, however, but this is still a solid start for the perpetual loser.
Duke 20, Boston College 19
David Cutliffe saved his bacon this week, and it has become very apparent to me that Frank Spaziani, good guy that he is, is not the right guy to lead Boston College.
Georgia Tech 66, Kansas 24
So the real Kansas finally showed up this week. There is now way that the Jayhawks should have lost this game this way. Tech may be better than we thought that they could be, but this is just stupid.
Georgia 59, Coastal Carolina 0
Maybe the Chanticleers need some cats afterall. They needed something against the Bulldogs, who were pissed off coming off of an 0-2 start. This does not mean that the Bulldogs are any good, however.
Colorado 28, Colorado State 14
The Rams had a chance to make a big splash and hit 3-0 for the season, but instead, there was a major thud, as it was all Buffaloes after CSU took an early 7-0 lead.
TCU 38, UL-Monroe 17
The Warhawks took a 17-14 lead in the 1st quarter, and then the Frogs got angry and went on a 24-0 run. With all of the work done at Amon Carter Stadium during the offseason, TCU probably forgot they were playing at home.
Cincinnati 59, Akron 10
Need a remedy for getting your ass kicked last week? Play Akron. It's sure to make you feel better.
Minnesota 29, Miami (OH) 23
Thank God that the Gophers won this week, because I would have been afraid for Jerry Kill's health had they lost this week. Kill gets his first win as the head coach at Minnesota.
Nebraska 51, Washington 38
The Huskers got into another shootout, and the Black Shirts appear to have some real issues. The offense carries the day again, and the Huskies appear to be not ready for primetime.
Florida 33, Tennessee 23
The Gators still own the Vols, apprently. Florida is looking more and more like they have aspirations to crawl into the national title scene, and may be the team that they were a few years ago. Taylor Bray was still decent for Tennessee, and will probably bounce back fine.
Wisconsin 49, Northern Illinois 7
The Badgers dominate again, and they are looking like the team to beat in Bog 10 play. Russell Wilson passed for 340 yards and 3 scores, and Ball and White combined for 3 more scores.
North Carolina 28, Virginia 17
The Tarheels passed another test this week, and Everett Withers is now 3-0 as interim coach. UNC has still not played amajor winner yet, so there will be bigger tests to come.
Notre Dame 31, Michigan State 13
The Irish needed this win beyond any other, and they finally found a way to start, grind out, and finish a win. Cierre Wood ran for two scores, and the MSU run game was completely absent.
Army 21, Northwestern 14
Injuries are killing the wildcats at QB, as Kain Colter was injured in the loss. Now the Cats are down to their 3rd stringer. Teams usually don't have winning seasons when they get down that far.
Texas 49, UCLA 20
We should have witnessed the final leak in Rick Neuheisel's life vest in the dead pool. UCLA needs to end it, and soon. Mack Brown, on the other hand, seems to have Texas heading in the right direction with young talent coming out of his ears.
Oregon 56, Missouri State 7
OK...we get it. The Ducks can beat up on the weak sisters. Time for another test to see if Oregin learned anything from the LSU defeat.
Indiana 38, South Carolina State 21
The Hoosiers got a much needed win, but they didn't exactly pull away in the second half. The Hoosiers are another team that has yet to provide a full 60 minute game.
Texas Tech 59, New Mexico 13
At least the Lobos scored in double figures this week. Mike Locksley should just be counting down the days before the New Mexico administration finally nuts up and fires his ass.
Nevada 17, San Jose State 14
The Wolfpack is obviously experiencing rebuilding pains this season, and there is no way that they will be able to beat Boise State or Hawaii in the WAC. That being said, only a FG win over the Spartans?
Virginia Tech 26, Arkansas State 7
The Hokie offense is still experiencing issues, and this is the second straight week that they struggled against an inferior opponent. Is Tech just going to hand the ACC title to Florida State this season?
Tulane 49, UAB 10
What the hell happened here? Bob Toledo may not have climbed out of the Dead Pool with this huge win, but he certainly dragged Neil Callaway into the Pool with him.
California 63, Presbyterian 12
The Bears should be ashamed of ever playing a school from the Big South, especially with so many quality Big Sky opponents available for FCS opponents. This match up and job of scheduling was nothing more than a fucking disgrace.
FIU 17, UCF 10
FIU is 3-0 for the first time ever, and no team is better than the Panthers since the middle of last season. With quality wins in every game this season, FIU is the steady favorite to win the Sun Belt.
NC State 35, South Alabama 13
The Wolfpack didn't exactly blow up against the FCS Jaguars, and it would seem that despite the win, you could almost treat this win as a loss. NC State is in trouble when their schedule intensifies.
South Carolina 24, Navy 21
The Gamecocks were lucky to escape with a win against the pesky Middies at home, as Stephen Garcia seemed to try to give the win away at ever turn. Thank God they have Marcus Lattimore, and he rushed for over 200 yards and scored the game winner.
Wake Forest 48, Gardner-Webb 5
The Deacons should not get very excited about this win, as it was essentially meaningless. This win gives them zero clout, and they gain no points in the PRS this week beyond what they won by.
Baylor 48, Stephen F. Austin 0
Again, this win tells us nothing about the Bears. Despite the win over rebuilding TCU, we still know essentially nothing about this Baylor team. Struggles are sure to come for Baylor.
Memphis 27, Austin Peay 6
Memphis gets their only win of the season. Now back to sucking to the extreme.
More as the late games go final!
Purdue 59, SE Missouri State 0
The Boilers needed this kind of game to get their heads back on right after losing to Rice last week. SE Missouri State really could have used Henry Harris back on the roster today.
Western Michigan 44, Central Michigan 14
Bill Cubit picked up a must win, and shows that he is ready to at least make appearances that his Broncos are in the MAC race. Dan Enos does not seem to have the same touch that Butch Jones and Brian Kelly had at CMU.
Michigan 31, Eastern Michigan 3
Denard Robinson ran like a mad man for 198 yards, but he passed the ball like a girl. Can we please get a complete game from the Wolverines at some point? They sure did not play one today.
Clemson 38, Auburn 24
Before anyone gets too excited about this win for Clemson, please realize that a girl scout could score on Auburn these days. The Auburn offense ran out of gas as they continue to have to make up for the awfule Auburn D. Dabo Swinney did need this win.
Iowa 31, Pittsburgh 27
The Panthers celebrate their impending move to the ACC with a blown big lead against Iowa. The Big East actually got a little worse this week.
West Virginia 37, Maryland 31
This was a good win for the Mountaineers, who have struggled against the Terps in recent years. WVU made it more exciting than it had to be after blowing a sizable lead.
Penn State 14, Temple 10
The Owls had every shot to win this game, but here's a hint as to how to do it. Get an offense. It helps. Paterno is still not coaching the Lions, and they are now making up excuses as to why. Time to go, Joe, and I am serious this time.
Wyoming 28, Bowling Green 27
The Cowboys needed this win badly, and they almost blew it. The Falcons blew the halftime lead, but the Cowboys almost blew their lead in the 4th quarter. Great perfomrances by Matt Schilz and Kamar Jorden wasted for the Falcons.
Vanderbilt 30, Ole Miss 7
The Commodores go to 3-0 under new coach James Franklin, and Houston Nutt just splashed into the Dead Pool for the coming week. Vandy will cool off sometime soon, however, but this is still a solid start for the perpetual loser.
Duke 20, Boston College 19
David Cutliffe saved his bacon this week, and it has become very apparent to me that Frank Spaziani, good guy that he is, is not the right guy to lead Boston College.
Georgia Tech 66, Kansas 24
So the real Kansas finally showed up this week. There is now way that the Jayhawks should have lost this game this way. Tech may be better than we thought that they could be, but this is just stupid.
Georgia 59, Coastal Carolina 0
Maybe the Chanticleers need some cats afterall. They needed something against the Bulldogs, who were pissed off coming off of an 0-2 start. This does not mean that the Bulldogs are any good, however.
Colorado 28, Colorado State 14
The Rams had a chance to make a big splash and hit 3-0 for the season, but instead, there was a major thud, as it was all Buffaloes after CSU took an early 7-0 lead.
TCU 38, UL-Monroe 17
The Warhawks took a 17-14 lead in the 1st quarter, and then the Frogs got angry and went on a 24-0 run. With all of the work done at Amon Carter Stadium during the offseason, TCU probably forgot they were playing at home.
Cincinnati 59, Akron 10
Need a remedy for getting your ass kicked last week? Play Akron. It's sure to make you feel better.
Minnesota 29, Miami (OH) 23
Thank God that the Gophers won this week, because I would have been afraid for Jerry Kill's health had they lost this week. Kill gets his first win as the head coach at Minnesota.
Nebraska 51, Washington 38
The Huskers got into another shootout, and the Black Shirts appear to have some real issues. The offense carries the day again, and the Huskies appear to be not ready for primetime.
Florida 33, Tennessee 23
The Gators still own the Vols, apprently. Florida is looking more and more like they have aspirations to crawl into the national title scene, and may be the team that they were a few years ago. Taylor Bray was still decent for Tennessee, and will probably bounce back fine.
Wisconsin 49, Northern Illinois 7
The Badgers dominate again, and they are looking like the team to beat in Bog 10 play. Russell Wilson passed for 340 yards and 3 scores, and Ball and White combined for 3 more scores.
North Carolina 28, Virginia 17
The Tarheels passed another test this week, and Everett Withers is now 3-0 as interim coach. UNC has still not played amajor winner yet, so there will be bigger tests to come.
Notre Dame 31, Michigan State 13
The Irish needed this win beyond any other, and they finally found a way to start, grind out, and finish a win. Cierre Wood ran for two scores, and the MSU run game was completely absent.
Army 21, Northwestern 14
Injuries are killing the wildcats at QB, as Kain Colter was injured in the loss. Now the Cats are down to their 3rd stringer. Teams usually don't have winning seasons when they get down that far.
Texas 49, UCLA 20
We should have witnessed the final leak in Rick Neuheisel's life vest in the dead pool. UCLA needs to end it, and soon. Mack Brown, on the other hand, seems to have Texas heading in the right direction with young talent coming out of his ears.
Oregon 56, Missouri State 7
OK...we get it. The Ducks can beat up on the weak sisters. Time for another test to see if Oregin learned anything from the LSU defeat.
Indiana 38, South Carolina State 21
The Hoosiers got a much needed win, but they didn't exactly pull away in the second half. The Hoosiers are another team that has yet to provide a full 60 minute game.
Texas Tech 59, New Mexico 13
At least the Lobos scored in double figures this week. Mike Locksley should just be counting down the days before the New Mexico administration finally nuts up and fires his ass.
Nevada 17, San Jose State 14
The Wolfpack is obviously experiencing rebuilding pains this season, and there is no way that they will be able to beat Boise State or Hawaii in the WAC. That being said, only a FG win over the Spartans?
Virginia Tech 26, Arkansas State 7
The Hokie offense is still experiencing issues, and this is the second straight week that they struggled against an inferior opponent. Is Tech just going to hand the ACC title to Florida State this season?
Tulane 49, UAB 10
What the hell happened here? Bob Toledo may not have climbed out of the Dead Pool with this huge win, but he certainly dragged Neil Callaway into the Pool with him.
California 63, Presbyterian 12
The Bears should be ashamed of ever playing a school from the Big South, especially with so many quality Big Sky opponents available for FCS opponents. This match up and job of scheduling was nothing more than a fucking disgrace.
FIU 17, UCF 10
FIU is 3-0 for the first time ever, and no team is better than the Panthers since the middle of last season. With quality wins in every game this season, FIU is the steady favorite to win the Sun Belt.
NC State 35, South Alabama 13
The Wolfpack didn't exactly blow up against the FCS Jaguars, and it would seem that despite the win, you could almost treat this win as a loss. NC State is in trouble when their schedule intensifies.
South Carolina 24, Navy 21
The Gamecocks were lucky to escape with a win against the pesky Middies at home, as Stephen Garcia seemed to try to give the win away at ever turn. Thank God they have Marcus Lattimore, and he rushed for over 200 yards and scored the game winner.
Wake Forest 48, Gardner-Webb 5
The Deacons should not get very excited about this win, as it was essentially meaningless. This win gives them zero clout, and they gain no points in the PRS this week beyond what they won by.
Baylor 48, Stephen F. Austin 0
Again, this win tells us nothing about the Bears. Despite the win over rebuilding TCU, we still know essentially nothing about this Baylor team. Struggles are sure to come for Baylor.
Memphis 27, Austin Peay 6
Memphis gets their only win of the season. Now back to sucking to the extreme.
More as the late games go final!
Monday, September 12, 2011
New Today
Our new PRS Rankings are now available at http://www.powerratedsports.com/ as is our new weekly Pass/Fail Report!
Coming up later this evening, Coaches Swimming in the Dead Pool and Coaches on the Hot Seat!
Coming up later this evening, Coaches Swimming in the Dead Pool and Coaches on the Hot Seat!
PRS FBS, FCS, and D2 Rankings
Our latest PRS rankings will be released by 3PM EST today. All three sets are complete, with Stanford, Richmond, and Northwest Missouri State all claiming top spots this week. See all 406 FBS, FCS, and D2 schools ranked at powerratedsports.com later today!
Saturday, September 10, 2011
Latest Finals (9/10) at 5:18PM PST
South Carolina holds off Georgia, drops the Bulldogs to 0-2, 45-42. 39 total points posted in 4th quarter.
Idaho 44, North Dakota 14...Vandals trailed early, blew it open in the second half.
Washington State 59, UNLV 7...Cougars find another cupcake in the Rebels, and are 2-0 in must win season for Paul Wulff.
Murray State rebounds from tough Louisville loss with 39-0 smackdown of Mississippi Valley State.
South Dakota picks up a huge upset with a 30-17 win over Eastern Washington, dropping Eagles to 0-2 after winning the FCS title last season.
More soon!
Idaho 44, North Dakota 14...Vandals trailed early, blew it open in the second half.
Washington State 59, UNLV 7...Cougars find another cupcake in the Rebels, and are 2-0 in must win season for Paul Wulff.
Murray State rebounds from tough Louisville loss with 39-0 smackdown of Mississippi Valley State.
South Dakota picks up a huge upset with a 30-17 win over Eastern Washington, dropping Eagles to 0-2 after winning the FCS title last season.
More soon!
Latest Finals (9/10) at 4:56PM PST
Marshall has pulled off an upset in Huntington as they have knocked off Southern Miss 26-20.
Syracuse held off upset minded Rhode Island 21-14
Howard has pulled off a win at Morehouse, 30-27
Western Illinois rebounds, drops Jacksonville to 0-2, 35-21
South Carolina State takes the FCS battle of the week, beats Bethune-Cookman 26-18
More as finals come in. Stay tuned for a D2 update!
Syracuse held off upset minded Rhode Island 21-14
Howard has pulled off a win at Morehouse, 30-27
Western Illinois rebounds, drops Jacksonville to 0-2, 35-21
South Carolina State takes the FCS battle of the week, beats Bethune-Cookman 26-18
More as finals come in. Stay tuned for a D2 update!
Observations From Today's Finals
By Scott Bilo
We have some finals today, and several more games are in action. Let's take a look at where we are so far...
Michigan State 44, Florida Atlantic 0
This game was over by the half, and Sparty abused the Owls much like Florida did a week ago. The Spartans were highly efficient, with Kirk Cousins completing 16/20 passes on the day. Baker and Bell both looked solid.
FAU is now averaging 1.5 points per game.
Illinois 56, South Dakota State 3
The Illini rushed for 6 TDs, including 2 by Nathan Scheelhasse, and they jumped to a 35-3 lead at the half in a laugher over the FCS Jackrabbits. Illinois has not played anyone of any significence, so we still don't know what to take from this.
Kentucky 27, Central Michigan 13
The Wildcats finally found an offense in the second half after trailing 13-6 at the half. Morgan Newton is not a good QB, as he only completed 9 passes on the game. That will not be getting it done in the SEC.
Ohio State 27, Toledo 22
The Rockets outgained the Buckeyes 345-302, but the Buckeyes held Toledo off late to stave off the upset. OSU was probably looking forward to playing Miami in Cheater Bowl 2011 next week. Eric Page was huge for Toledo, catching12 passes for 145 yards. A lack of a running game probably killed Toledo.
Wisconsin 35, Oregon State 0
The Badgers were not challeneged again this week, and you have to start to wonder if Mike Riley isn't in some kind of trouble at Oregon State, who now looks worse than Washington State in the Pac-12 North.
Iowa State 44, Iowa 41 (3OT)
The Hawkeyes were not really impressive last week, but neither was ISU in a one point win over Northern Iowa. Both teams were exposed for their flaws today, but only the Cyclones are 2-0.
San Diego State 23, Army 20
You may not think it, but this is a very big win for the Aztecs on the road. Ryan Lindley struggled, but Ronnie Hillman was solid and scored twice. SDSU moves to 2-0, as they are trying to push forward without Brady Hoke.
Army is floating back to the bottom after two bad losses. They need more than just Trent Steelman, who scored 3 TDs.
Auburn 41, Mississippi State 34
The Tigers stopped Chris Relf on the 1 foot line as time expired. The Auburn defense is a wreck, and they will get massacred as the schedule toughens up. I give them credit for pulling it out today, as I seriously thought that they would lose.
North Carolina 24, Rutgers 22
The Tarheels are surviving, and they are now 2-0 after a hard fought win over the Scarlet Knights. Bryn Renner will have to start throwing the ball to the right team for the success to continue, as he was picked 3 times. Giovani Bernard offset that by rushing for 2 scores for UNC. Rutgers wasted a huge game by Mohammed Sanu.
West Virginia 55, Norfolk State 12
The Mountaineers are 2-0 against patsies this season. They have to play someone at some point.
Pittsburgh 35, Maine 29
The Panthers barely survived a determined Maine squad. Pitt struggled against Buffalo last week as well, so should we be worried? Panthers gave up 334 yards and passing and 3 scores to Bears QB Warren Smith. Not good.
Eastern Michigan 14, Alabama State 7
The Eagles were aware that they were playing Alabama State, right? Wow...just wow.
Colorado State 33, Northern Colorado 14
UNC has yet to play a fellow FCS opponent. They are 0-2. CSU is now 2-0, but the schedule gets tough with Colorado coming up in Denver. By the way, Northern Colorado fans, your message boards beat on me because I said that you hired a bad coach on the cheap. You lost to FUCKING LINDENWOD last week. Who's laughing now?
Clemson 35, Wofford 27
Pretty much the short and sweet of it...Clemson sucks. Yeah, they suck. They will get crushed i ACC play. I pretty much gurantee it. Dabo Swinney, the Dead Pool is getting ever closer.
Northwestern 42, Eastern Illinois 21
The Wildcats coasted after the half, and they are now out to a 2-0 start. EIU drops to 1-1.
Stanford 44, Duke 14
The Cardinal struggled early and may have been taking the Devils a bit lightly. By the end, there was no doubt who was in control here, and Luck got to rest up in the 4th.
Alabama 27, Penn State 11
Paterno is not coaching Penn State. He was sitting in the box, with no headsets, not talking to anyone. The figurehead got beat by Saban again, and it's time for JoePa to go.
TCU 35, Air Force 19
The Frogs coasted against the Falcons, who struggled greatly in the home loss and MWC opener. Casey Pachall completed 80% of his passes in the win for TCU. Both teams go to 1-1.
Wake Forest 34, NC State 27
NC State was exposed in a win over Liberty for having severe problems. Wake Forest blew a huge lead in a loss to Syracuse. Both teams repeated last week, without Wake entirely losing the lead, but they blew a big one.
Virginia Tech 17, East Carolina 10
When your QB is sucking the big one, go to the run. Tech did that and won.
Rice 24, Purdue 22
Purdue loses on the road to the Owls, and Danny Hope's life vest has just sprung a leak in the dead pool. Start treading water!
Oregon 69, Nevada 20
The Ducks scored 41 by halftime, and they kept on scoring. Nevada never had a chance against the pissed off Ducks. Darron Thomas tossed 6 TD passes on the day. That's right...6.
New Mexico State 28, Minnesota 21
The Aggies march into Minneapolis and make it their bitch. Wow...just wow.
Washington 40, Hawaii 32
Hawaii tried to make a game of it, but they cannot win away from the Islands. Damn shame, as the Huskies were vulnerable.
Tennessee 45, Cincinnati 23
If the Bearcats were one of the better programs in the Big Least, I would certainly hate to see the worst. Tennessee cruised early at home. Taylor BRay was huge, with 405 yards passing and 4 scores for the Vols.
Tulsa 31, Tulane 3
The beginning of the end came today for Tulane coach Bob Toledo. Bill Blankenship got his first win as Tulsa coach today.
More later as games go final throughout the evening!
FCS Finals
North Carolina Central 42, Central State 3
The Eagles have posted easy wins over D2 teams to start the season 2-0. They are not learning much about themselves at this point.
Old Dominion 40, Georgia State 17
The Monarchs pulled away from a close game early to blow away the Panthers in Atlanta. Colby Goodwin rushed for 196 yards in the win for ODU, while Thomas DeMarco shook off a bad passing day by rushing for 2 scores.
New Hampshire 48, Lehigh 41 (OT)
The Wildcats came away with a thrilling win in a battle between two of the better prgrams in the Northeast. Kevin Decker hit Joey Orlando from 25 out to give the Cats the win. Chris Lum passed for 401 yards for Lehigh, but he was picked 3 times.
Holy Cross 37, Colgate 7
The Crusaders bounced back from a tough loss against UMass last week by pounding the Red Raiders at home. The Crusaders held Nate Eachus under 100 yards (96) in the win. Ryan Taggert passed for 2 scores and rushed for another in the win.
Bryant 27, American International 16
The Bulldogs woke up in the second half after trailing AIC by 3 at the half to get the win. Jordan Brown caught 2 TD passes for Bryant in the win.
Campbell 72, Newport News 0
The Camels got a huge win against the unaffiliated NNC. CJ Oates rushed for 139 yards in the win.
Duquesne 22, Dayton 13
The Dukes picked up a huge win over the Flyers on the road, and they got a big game from QB Sean Patterson, who passed for 254 yards on the day. Will Bardo only completed 13/31 passes for the losing Flyers.
William & Mary 24, VMI 7
It was not pretty, but the Tribe picked up a much needed win to avoid starting 0-2. The Tribe rushed for 216 yards in the grind it out win.
Presbyterian 38, North Greenville 21
Lance Byrd rushed for 153 yards in the win over the D2 Crusaders for the Blue Hose. The Hose harrassed NGU QB Willie Korn, the Clemson/Marshall transfer, holding him to just 11/30 passing.
McMurry 24, UT-San Antonio 21
The Roadrunners lose to a team that Stephen F. Austin had beaten by 76 points last week. Oh, to be a new program.
Indiana State 48, Butler 34
Ronnie Fouch completed 15/18 passes for ISU, and Brock Lough rushed for 131 yards in a shoot out win over the Bulldogs at home. ISU was bouncing back from a big loss to Penn State last week.
Southern Utah 35, Sacramento State 14
The T-Birds scored 20 in the 2nd, and they rolled past the Hornets just a week after they had upset FBS Oregon State. SUU makes a statement as they prepare to join the Big Sky next fall.
Montana State 38, UC-Davis 14
MSU came off of a tough performance in a loss to Utah to dominate the Aggies at home. MSU looks ready to make another run at the Big Sky title.
Montana 37, Cal Poly 23
The Grizzlies came off of a decent game at Tennessee in a loss last week, and they drop the Mustangs to 0-2. The Grizz outscored Poly 23-6 in the second half in the win to come back from an early deficit.
Appalchian State 58, North Carolina A&T 6
ASU rolls after getting crushed by Virginia Tech last week. ASU scored 37 points in the second half after a bumpy start.
Youngstown State 77, Valporaiso 13
The Penguins jumped out to a 63-6 lead at the half against the worst FCS program in the country. No effort needed.
We have some finals today, and several more games are in action. Let's take a look at where we are so far...
Michigan State 44, Florida Atlantic 0
This game was over by the half, and Sparty abused the Owls much like Florida did a week ago. The Spartans were highly efficient, with Kirk Cousins completing 16/20 passes on the day. Baker and Bell both looked solid.
FAU is now averaging 1.5 points per game.
Illinois 56, South Dakota State 3
The Illini rushed for 6 TDs, including 2 by Nathan Scheelhasse, and they jumped to a 35-3 lead at the half in a laugher over the FCS Jackrabbits. Illinois has not played anyone of any significence, so we still don't know what to take from this.
Kentucky 27, Central Michigan 13
The Wildcats finally found an offense in the second half after trailing 13-6 at the half. Morgan Newton is not a good QB, as he only completed 9 passes on the game. That will not be getting it done in the SEC.
Ohio State 27, Toledo 22
The Rockets outgained the Buckeyes 345-302, but the Buckeyes held Toledo off late to stave off the upset. OSU was probably looking forward to playing Miami in Cheater Bowl 2011 next week. Eric Page was huge for Toledo, catching12 passes for 145 yards. A lack of a running game probably killed Toledo.
Wisconsin 35, Oregon State 0
The Badgers were not challeneged again this week, and you have to start to wonder if Mike Riley isn't in some kind of trouble at Oregon State, who now looks worse than Washington State in the Pac-12 North.
Iowa State 44, Iowa 41 (3OT)
The Hawkeyes were not really impressive last week, but neither was ISU in a one point win over Northern Iowa. Both teams were exposed for their flaws today, but only the Cyclones are 2-0.
San Diego State 23, Army 20
You may not think it, but this is a very big win for the Aztecs on the road. Ryan Lindley struggled, but Ronnie Hillman was solid and scored twice. SDSU moves to 2-0, as they are trying to push forward without Brady Hoke.
Army is floating back to the bottom after two bad losses. They need more than just Trent Steelman, who scored 3 TDs.
Auburn 41, Mississippi State 34
The Tigers stopped Chris Relf on the 1 foot line as time expired. The Auburn defense is a wreck, and they will get massacred as the schedule toughens up. I give them credit for pulling it out today, as I seriously thought that they would lose.
North Carolina 24, Rutgers 22
The Tarheels are surviving, and they are now 2-0 after a hard fought win over the Scarlet Knights. Bryn Renner will have to start throwing the ball to the right team for the success to continue, as he was picked 3 times. Giovani Bernard offset that by rushing for 2 scores for UNC. Rutgers wasted a huge game by Mohammed Sanu.
West Virginia 55, Norfolk State 12
The Mountaineers are 2-0 against patsies this season. They have to play someone at some point.
Pittsburgh 35, Maine 29
The Panthers barely survived a determined Maine squad. Pitt struggled against Buffalo last week as well, so should we be worried? Panthers gave up 334 yards and passing and 3 scores to Bears QB Warren Smith. Not good.
Eastern Michigan 14, Alabama State 7
The Eagles were aware that they were playing Alabama State, right? Wow...just wow.
Colorado State 33, Northern Colorado 14
UNC has yet to play a fellow FCS opponent. They are 0-2. CSU is now 2-0, but the schedule gets tough with Colorado coming up in Denver. By the way, Northern Colorado fans, your message boards beat on me because I said that you hired a bad coach on the cheap. You lost to FUCKING LINDENWOD last week. Who's laughing now?
Clemson 35, Wofford 27
Pretty much the short and sweet of it...Clemson sucks. Yeah, they suck. They will get crushed i ACC play. I pretty much gurantee it. Dabo Swinney, the Dead Pool is getting ever closer.
Northwestern 42, Eastern Illinois 21
The Wildcats coasted after the half, and they are now out to a 2-0 start. EIU drops to 1-1.
Stanford 44, Duke 14
The Cardinal struggled early and may have been taking the Devils a bit lightly. By the end, there was no doubt who was in control here, and Luck got to rest up in the 4th.
Alabama 27, Penn State 11
Paterno is not coaching Penn State. He was sitting in the box, with no headsets, not talking to anyone. The figurehead got beat by Saban again, and it's time for JoePa to go.
TCU 35, Air Force 19
The Frogs coasted against the Falcons, who struggled greatly in the home loss and MWC opener. Casey Pachall completed 80% of his passes in the win for TCU. Both teams go to 1-1.
Wake Forest 34, NC State 27
NC State was exposed in a win over Liberty for having severe problems. Wake Forest blew a huge lead in a loss to Syracuse. Both teams repeated last week, without Wake entirely losing the lead, but they blew a big one.
Virginia Tech 17, East Carolina 10
When your QB is sucking the big one, go to the run. Tech did that and won.
Rice 24, Purdue 22
Purdue loses on the road to the Owls, and Danny Hope's life vest has just sprung a leak in the dead pool. Start treading water!
Oregon 69, Nevada 20
The Ducks scored 41 by halftime, and they kept on scoring. Nevada never had a chance against the pissed off Ducks. Darron Thomas tossed 6 TD passes on the day. That's right...6.
New Mexico State 28, Minnesota 21
The Aggies march into Minneapolis and make it their bitch. Wow...just wow.
Washington 40, Hawaii 32
Hawaii tried to make a game of it, but they cannot win away from the Islands. Damn shame, as the Huskies were vulnerable.
Tennessee 45, Cincinnati 23
If the Bearcats were one of the better programs in the Big Least, I would certainly hate to see the worst. Tennessee cruised early at home. Taylor BRay was huge, with 405 yards passing and 4 scores for the Vols.
Tulsa 31, Tulane 3
The beginning of the end came today for Tulane coach Bob Toledo. Bill Blankenship got his first win as Tulsa coach today.
More later as games go final throughout the evening!
FCS Finals
North Carolina Central 42, Central State 3
The Eagles have posted easy wins over D2 teams to start the season 2-0. They are not learning much about themselves at this point.
Old Dominion 40, Georgia State 17
The Monarchs pulled away from a close game early to blow away the Panthers in Atlanta. Colby Goodwin rushed for 196 yards in the win for ODU, while Thomas DeMarco shook off a bad passing day by rushing for 2 scores.
New Hampshire 48, Lehigh 41 (OT)
The Wildcats came away with a thrilling win in a battle between two of the better prgrams in the Northeast. Kevin Decker hit Joey Orlando from 25 out to give the Cats the win. Chris Lum passed for 401 yards for Lehigh, but he was picked 3 times.
Holy Cross 37, Colgate 7
The Crusaders bounced back from a tough loss against UMass last week by pounding the Red Raiders at home. The Crusaders held Nate Eachus under 100 yards (96) in the win. Ryan Taggert passed for 2 scores and rushed for another in the win.
Bryant 27, American International 16
The Bulldogs woke up in the second half after trailing AIC by 3 at the half to get the win. Jordan Brown caught 2 TD passes for Bryant in the win.
Campbell 72, Newport News 0
The Camels got a huge win against the unaffiliated NNC. CJ Oates rushed for 139 yards in the win.
Duquesne 22, Dayton 13
The Dukes picked up a huge win over the Flyers on the road, and they got a big game from QB Sean Patterson, who passed for 254 yards on the day. Will Bardo only completed 13/31 passes for the losing Flyers.
William & Mary 24, VMI 7
It was not pretty, but the Tribe picked up a much needed win to avoid starting 0-2. The Tribe rushed for 216 yards in the grind it out win.
Presbyterian 38, North Greenville 21
Lance Byrd rushed for 153 yards in the win over the D2 Crusaders for the Blue Hose. The Hose harrassed NGU QB Willie Korn, the Clemson/Marshall transfer, holding him to just 11/30 passing.
McMurry 24, UT-San Antonio 21
The Roadrunners lose to a team that Stephen F. Austin had beaten by 76 points last week. Oh, to be a new program.
Indiana State 48, Butler 34
Ronnie Fouch completed 15/18 passes for ISU, and Brock Lough rushed for 131 yards in a shoot out win over the Bulldogs at home. ISU was bouncing back from a big loss to Penn State last week.
Southern Utah 35, Sacramento State 14
The T-Birds scored 20 in the 2nd, and they rolled past the Hornets just a week after they had upset FBS Oregon State. SUU makes a statement as they prepare to join the Big Sky next fall.
Montana State 38, UC-Davis 14
MSU came off of a tough performance in a loss to Utah to dominate the Aggies at home. MSU looks ready to make another run at the Big Sky title.
Montana 37, Cal Poly 23
The Grizzlies came off of a decent game at Tennessee in a loss last week, and they drop the Mustangs to 0-2. The Grizz outscored Poly 23-6 in the second half in the win to come back from an early deficit.
Appalchian State 58, North Carolina A&T 6
ASU rolls after getting crushed by Virginia Tech last week. ASU scored 37 points in the second half after a bumpy start.
Youngstown State 77, Valporaiso 13
The Penguins jumped out to a 63-6 lead at the half against the worst FCS program in the country. No effort needed.
Friday, September 9, 2011
Ask the Professors Announcement
At this time, I am placing "Ask the Professors" on an indefinate hiatus. We have not been able to guarantee a solid piece from week to week, and rather than spend time with a piece that may or not be to quality for you, the reader, we have decided to place it on hiatus, and if we cannot find a viable alternative way to run the feature, we will be cancelling the series altogether.
For those of you who have been weekly readers of this feature, we thank you, and we apolgize. Next week, we will be launching a new and concerted effort both on the Bilo College Football Report, and at powerratedsports.com in order to bring you daily material that we hope will be up to our standards of what it is that we would like to produce for you.
Thanks to all of you,
Scott Bilo
For those of you who have been weekly readers of this feature, we thank you, and we apolgize. Next week, we will be launching a new and concerted effort both on the Bilo College Football Report, and at powerratedsports.com in order to bring you daily material that we hope will be up to our standards of what it is that we would like to produce for you.
Thanks to all of you,
Scott Bilo
Thursday, September 8, 2011
Scott Bilo's Thursday College Picks
Here are my selections for Thursday's FBS, FCS, and D2 action on the field.
FBS
Oklahoma State over Arizona
This game has some issues, as Arizona will be missing top receiver Juron Criner. Both teams were fired up on offense last weekend against some weak competition, but I suspect an intact offense gives the Cowboys the edge this week.
FCS
Hampton over Florida A&M
If you are looking for a shot at an early season FCS upset, this could be your game. The Rattlers struggled last week, and Hampton picked up a home win. With the Pirates playing at home again, I am looking for them to take out A&M in a close battle.
Tennessee Tech over Maryville
Tech handled themselves well in a loss to Iowa last weekend. Maryville is just a minor inconvenience in comparison. Tech wins big.
D2
Carson-Newman over Fayetteville State
CN is looking to reestablish themselves in 2011 as the power that they were in the last decade. This is their shot to prove that they can be that team.
Valdosta State at Newberry
Valdosta, like CN, is trying to get back on top of the heap. Newberry does not possess the talent base that the Blazers have. VSU should win this by 2 scores.
Washburn at Lincoln (MO)
The Ichabods more than have the talent edge in this game. Washburn should win this game handily at home tonight.
Humboldt State over Central Washington
CWU will be favored, but Humboldt has the hot hand, and the CWU offense struggled last week. Getting back on track against a team with some momentum in the Lumberjacks may be a huge challenge, but CWU also is trying to avoid the 0-2 start that may make them irrelevent in a very tough D2 district.
Coming tomorrow...Friday and Saturday picks!
FBS
Oklahoma State over Arizona
This game has some issues, as Arizona will be missing top receiver Juron Criner. Both teams were fired up on offense last weekend against some weak competition, but I suspect an intact offense gives the Cowboys the edge this week.
FCS
Hampton over Florida A&M
If you are looking for a shot at an early season FCS upset, this could be your game. The Rattlers struggled last week, and Hampton picked up a home win. With the Pirates playing at home again, I am looking for them to take out A&M in a close battle.
Tennessee Tech over Maryville
Tech handled themselves well in a loss to Iowa last weekend. Maryville is just a minor inconvenience in comparison. Tech wins big.
D2
Carson-Newman over Fayetteville State
CN is looking to reestablish themselves in 2011 as the power that they were in the last decade. This is their shot to prove that they can be that team.
Valdosta State at Newberry
Valdosta, like CN, is trying to get back on top of the heap. Newberry does not possess the talent base that the Blazers have. VSU should win this by 2 scores.
Washburn at Lincoln (MO)
The Ichabods more than have the talent edge in this game. Washburn should win this game handily at home tonight.
Humboldt State over Central Washington
CWU will be favored, but Humboldt has the hot hand, and the CWU offense struggled last week. Getting back on track against a team with some momentum in the Lumberjacks may be a huge challenge, but CWU also is trying to avoid the 0-2 start that may make them irrelevent in a very tough D2 district.
Coming tomorrow...Friday and Saturday picks!
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
Week One Pass/Fail Report WAC
Pass
Hawaii…Bryant Moniz was a maniac in the win over Colorado, as he scored 4 times on the night. Hawaii looks to be by far the best team in the WAC, but the competition is not exactly offering up much strength.
Fail
Everyone Else…No other team in the conference recorded a win. Completely shameful, as this conference may be in its final years.
Hawaii…Bryant Moniz was a maniac in the win over Colorado, as he scored 4 times on the night. Hawaii looks to be by far the best team in the WAC, but the competition is not exactly offering up much strength.
Fail
Everyone Else…No other team in the conference recorded a win. Completely shameful, as this conference may be in its final years.
Week One Pass/Fail Report Sun Belt
Pass
Florida International…FIU has come out of nowhere since the middle of last season to become the new leader in the Sun Belt. They got a crushing win over North Texas, and now they are the team that all others must chase. Huge chance to get a big upset at Louisville this week.
Fail
Everyone Else…No other team in the Sun Belt earned a win, or even earned a shot at praise after a horrible week. This league is a disaster right now outside of itself.
Florida International…FIU has come out of nowhere since the middle of last season to become the new leader in the Sun Belt. They got a crushing win over North Texas, and now they are the team that all others must chase. Huge chance to get a big upset at Louisville this week.
Fail
Everyone Else…No other team in the Sun Belt earned a win, or even earned a shot at praise after a horrible week. This league is a disaster right now outside of itself.
Week One Pass/Fail Report SEC
Pass
Mississippi State…The Bulldogs just crushed the Tigers in every single way, and did so on the road, which is what drove them to #1 in the first PRS Rankings of 2011. The Bulldogs broke all kinds of records, and Vic Ballard continued on his run as a TD machine.
Alabama…The Tide did not have to do much this week to be successful, and they coasted, but did find a QB in AJ McCarron. Trent Richardson, 3 TDs aside, was not very impressive.
Tennessee…The Vols were in control the entire afternoon against a very solid Montana program. The Grizzlies never got close, and the Vols got an easy win at home.
South Carolina…East Carolina jumped up 17-0, and it made the Gamecocks angry. Stephen Garcia got redemption by passing for 3 scores, while Marcus Lattimore added three scores of his own.
Arkansas…The Razorbacks struggled early last season, but no such thing this season, as the Hogs rolled to a 30-0 lead at the half on Missouri State.
Florida…It was a successful launch for Will Muschamp and his Gators, as they crushed FAU at the Swamp. It was a dominating performance across the board.
Vanderbilt…The Commodores capped off a big first win for James Franklin by blowing it open with 21 in the 4th quarter. Strong teams finish strong, and the Commodores took care of that this week.
LSU…The Tigers whipped Oregon around like a rag doll all night long, and they now look to be a team in the national title hunt.
Fail
Kentucky…The defense saved their ass. With UK struggling on offense all night, the defense did what they had to do to make it work. If the offense does not wake up soon, this defense will get hung out to dry.
Auburn…Auburn should never need late heroics to stave off an upset bid by Utah State. What happened on Saturday was shameful, and it paints a picture of what SEC foes can do to them.
Ole Miss…The pressure is slowly building on Houston Nutt to win, and he had his chance against BYU. The team blew it late, and the heat is building in Oxford.
Georgia…Speaking of heat, Mark Richt should start packing his bags. Short of winning 9 or 10 games from this point forward, nothing will save him now. They were never in it against Boise State.
Mississippi State…The Bulldogs just crushed the Tigers in every single way, and did so on the road, which is what drove them to #1 in the first PRS Rankings of 2011. The Bulldogs broke all kinds of records, and Vic Ballard continued on his run as a TD machine.
Alabama…The Tide did not have to do much this week to be successful, and they coasted, but did find a QB in AJ McCarron. Trent Richardson, 3 TDs aside, was not very impressive.
Tennessee…The Vols were in control the entire afternoon against a very solid Montana program. The Grizzlies never got close, and the Vols got an easy win at home.
South Carolina…East Carolina jumped up 17-0, and it made the Gamecocks angry. Stephen Garcia got redemption by passing for 3 scores, while Marcus Lattimore added three scores of his own.
Arkansas…The Razorbacks struggled early last season, but no such thing this season, as the Hogs rolled to a 30-0 lead at the half on Missouri State.
Florida…It was a successful launch for Will Muschamp and his Gators, as they crushed FAU at the Swamp. It was a dominating performance across the board.
Vanderbilt…The Commodores capped off a big first win for James Franklin by blowing it open with 21 in the 4th quarter. Strong teams finish strong, and the Commodores took care of that this week.
LSU…The Tigers whipped Oregon around like a rag doll all night long, and they now look to be a team in the national title hunt.
Fail
Kentucky…The defense saved their ass. With UK struggling on offense all night, the defense did what they had to do to make it work. If the offense does not wake up soon, this defense will get hung out to dry.
Auburn…Auburn should never need late heroics to stave off an upset bid by Utah State. What happened on Saturday was shameful, and it paints a picture of what SEC foes can do to them.
Ole Miss…The pressure is slowly building on Houston Nutt to win, and he had his chance against BYU. The team blew it late, and the heat is building in Oxford.
Georgia…Speaking of heat, Mark Richt should start packing his bags. Short of winning 9 or 10 games from this point forward, nothing will save him now. They were never in it against Boise State.
Week One Pass/Fail Report Pac-12
Pass
Arizona State…Played a team that they should crush, and they did. That’s a pass. Now play someone so we can see if you are really any good!
Stanford…Playing San Jose State is like getting to scrimmage against a quilting club. Stanford made it look that easy.
Washington State…It’s bittersweet, as the Cougars lose QB Jeff Tuel to a fractured clavicle. That could be really bad news long term for WSU. The Cougars got a rare chance to cruise.
California…The Bears scored 19 in the first, and they had an easier time of Fresno State than anyone would have thought.
Arizona…Nick Foles lit it up for the Wildcats, and they may have moved into position as the most dangerous team in the South.
Fail
Utah…They got the win over Montana State, but they looked shaky getting it. Not the kind of light it up performance for the Utes that you would have expected on their first night as a member of the Pac-12.
USC…Great performances by Barkley and Woods aside, the Trojans almost gave away a 19-3 halftime lead. They never scored after the half. That is concerning.
UCLA…Shockingly, UCLA could not get all of the elements on the same page…again. The defense and the special teams ruined what could have been a great story for QB Richard Brehaut. Same shit, different day for the Ruins.
Oregon State…The Beavers should never lose to Sacramento State, and I am not saying anything bad about the Hornets, who happen to be a good football team in a strong league. The Beavers are supposed to be better than this. Obviously, they are not.
Washington…I had concerns about the Huskies coming into this game, and they damn near made my concerns a reality against Eastern Washington. Huskies needed a late turnover to seal the deal. What happened to this program?
Oregon…what happens when you punch a Duck in his bill? He flops over like a dead fish. The Ducks never got to run their finesse offense, and they lost themselves when LSU got in their grills.
Colorado…The Buffaloes cemented their place in the Pac-12 lower levels, but I am not sure that they are worse than UCLA in the South. They let Bryant Moniz put on a show.
Arizona State…Played a team that they should crush, and they did. That’s a pass. Now play someone so we can see if you are really any good!
Stanford…Playing San Jose State is like getting to scrimmage against a quilting club. Stanford made it look that easy.
Washington State…It’s bittersweet, as the Cougars lose QB Jeff Tuel to a fractured clavicle. That could be really bad news long term for WSU. The Cougars got a rare chance to cruise.
California…The Bears scored 19 in the first, and they had an easier time of Fresno State than anyone would have thought.
Arizona…Nick Foles lit it up for the Wildcats, and they may have moved into position as the most dangerous team in the South.
Fail
Utah…They got the win over Montana State, but they looked shaky getting it. Not the kind of light it up performance for the Utes that you would have expected on their first night as a member of the Pac-12.
USC…Great performances by Barkley and Woods aside, the Trojans almost gave away a 19-3 halftime lead. They never scored after the half. That is concerning.
UCLA…Shockingly, UCLA could not get all of the elements on the same page…again. The defense and the special teams ruined what could have been a great story for QB Richard Brehaut. Same shit, different day for the Ruins.
Oregon State…The Beavers should never lose to Sacramento State, and I am not saying anything bad about the Hornets, who happen to be a good football team in a strong league. The Beavers are supposed to be better than this. Obviously, they are not.
Washington…I had concerns about the Huskies coming into this game, and they damn near made my concerns a reality against Eastern Washington. Huskies needed a late turnover to seal the deal. What happened to this program?
Oregon…what happens when you punch a Duck in his bill? He flops over like a dead fish. The Ducks never got to run their finesse offense, and they lost themselves when LSU got in their grills.
Colorado…The Buffaloes cemented their place in the Pac-12 lower levels, but I am not sure that they are worse than UCLA in the South. They let Bryant Moniz put on a show.
Week One Pass/Fail Report Mountain West
Pass
Air Force…The first three quarters were all you needed to see. The Falcons coasted in the 4th and gave up 13 points. Overall, it was a decent performance.
Colorado State…The Rams got a jump on MWC competition, and did not fold in a tough situation. Much needed win for Steve Fairchild.
Boise State…The Broncos shut the critics up, and they dominated the Bulldogs in Atlanta. They are looking like they will not miss a beat this season. Kellen Moore is a machine.
San Diego State…Cal Poly fought them hard, but the Aztecs took control here. They probably have more to prove after last season than anyone, but Ronnie Hillman showed that he was no fluke.
Fail
UNLV…There was no life In the Rebels until it was much too late. UNLV was outclassed on every level against Wisconsin.
TCU…I could give them a pass, but I won’t. They let this game get away from them way too early. The starters are inexperienced, but a gutsy performance almost truned it around in the 4th. They will still be a good football team.
New Mexico…The clock is ticking on Locksley as head coach. UNM still does not have any offense, and there is no life.
Wyoming…The Cowboys had to score late to hold off Weber State, and that should not be happening. I am starting to seriously have concerns about Dave Christensen as head coach here.
Air Force…The first three quarters were all you needed to see. The Falcons coasted in the 4th and gave up 13 points. Overall, it was a decent performance.
Colorado State…The Rams got a jump on MWC competition, and did not fold in a tough situation. Much needed win for Steve Fairchild.
Boise State…The Broncos shut the critics up, and they dominated the Bulldogs in Atlanta. They are looking like they will not miss a beat this season. Kellen Moore is a machine.
San Diego State…Cal Poly fought them hard, but the Aztecs took control here. They probably have more to prove after last season than anyone, but Ronnie Hillman showed that he was no fluke.
Fail
UNLV…There was no life In the Rebels until it was much too late. UNLV was outclassed on every level against Wisconsin.
TCU…I could give them a pass, but I won’t. They let this game get away from them way too early. The starters are inexperienced, but a gutsy performance almost truned it around in the 4th. They will still be a good football team.
New Mexico…The clock is ticking on Locksley as head coach. UNM still does not have any offense, and there is no life.
Wyoming…The Cowboys had to score late to hold off Weber State, and that should not be happening. I am starting to seriously have concerns about Dave Christensen as head coach here.
Week One Pass/Fail Report MAC
Pass
Temple…The Owls came out swinging in the Mayor’s Cup game, as they rode Bernard Pierce to the win. Temple had to come out strong to prove that nothing would change under Stave Addazio. They did exactly that.
Toledo…The Rockets dominated UNH in tuning up for the showdown with Ohio State. Austin Dantin and Terrence Owens combined to pass for 5 TDs.
Bowling Green…Matt Schliz looks like he could be about to break out. Idaho was not the toughest opponent they could have faced, but it was a solid win, and it means moving in the right direction.
Ball State…The Cardinals moved in a really good direction in Indianapolis, and pulled off a huge win over Indiana. Big win, and Pete Lembo may do some really nice things in Muncie.
Northern Illinois…The Huskies threw down the gauntlet to the rest of the MA, and they dominated Army from start to finish. The Huskies are one of the strongest teams in the conference, and are a top 25 team in my book.
Ohio…The Bobcats had a very impressive road win, but they will be damned for the opponent. It doesn’t matter who you play, but you had better dominate when you are supposed to. Ohio did that.
Eastern Michigan…Ok, they only beat Howard. When you are EMU, you need wins against anyone you can get them over. This was a good job.
Fail
Central Michigan…The Chippewas failed to take an opportunity to make a major smash, as they struggled against the Bulldogs at home. SC State is a solid FCS program, but CMU should have made a huge push this week, and failed.
Akron…The Zips are an absolute disaster. Akron almost does not belong in the FBS ranks. They had about as bad a game as they could have against Ohio State, and that’s saying a lot.
Miami (Ohio)…The Redhawks had a shot at pulling an upset, but they just came out flat on offense. Too many mistakes, but the defense took their shots at an inexperienced offense.
Kent State…Did you ever really think that they could have upset Alabama? Absolutely no chance there, but the only thing that they did well was that they held Richardson to 37 yards rushing, despite allowing him to score three times.
Western Michigan…The Broncos got beat up by the Wolverines, and after some early success, the Broncos got shut down. Michigan adjusted, Western never did.
Buffalo…The Bulls didn’t get blown out of the building, but the certainly didn’t challenge the Panthers much.
Temple…The Owls came out swinging in the Mayor’s Cup game, as they rode Bernard Pierce to the win. Temple had to come out strong to prove that nothing would change under Stave Addazio. They did exactly that.
Toledo…The Rockets dominated UNH in tuning up for the showdown with Ohio State. Austin Dantin and Terrence Owens combined to pass for 5 TDs.
Bowling Green…Matt Schliz looks like he could be about to break out. Idaho was not the toughest opponent they could have faced, but it was a solid win, and it means moving in the right direction.
Ball State…The Cardinals moved in a really good direction in Indianapolis, and pulled off a huge win over Indiana. Big win, and Pete Lembo may do some really nice things in Muncie.
Northern Illinois…The Huskies threw down the gauntlet to the rest of the MA, and they dominated Army from start to finish. The Huskies are one of the strongest teams in the conference, and are a top 25 team in my book.
Ohio…The Bobcats had a very impressive road win, but they will be damned for the opponent. It doesn’t matter who you play, but you had better dominate when you are supposed to. Ohio did that.
Eastern Michigan…Ok, they only beat Howard. When you are EMU, you need wins against anyone you can get them over. This was a good job.
Fail
Central Michigan…The Chippewas failed to take an opportunity to make a major smash, as they struggled against the Bulldogs at home. SC State is a solid FCS program, but CMU should have made a huge push this week, and failed.
Akron…The Zips are an absolute disaster. Akron almost does not belong in the FBS ranks. They had about as bad a game as they could have against Ohio State, and that’s saying a lot.
Miami (Ohio)…The Redhawks had a shot at pulling an upset, but they just came out flat on offense. Too many mistakes, but the defense took their shots at an inexperienced offense.
Kent State…Did you ever really think that they could have upset Alabama? Absolutely no chance there, but the only thing that they did well was that they held Richardson to 37 yards rushing, despite allowing him to score three times.
Western Michigan…The Broncos got beat up by the Wolverines, and after some early success, the Broncos got shut down. Michigan adjusted, Western never did.
Buffalo…The Bulls didn’t get blown out of the building, but the certainly didn’t challenge the Panthers much.
Week One Pass/Fail Report Independents
Pass
Navy…Never had any issues with Delaware, and Kris Proctor had a huge day on offense. The Middies are looking good early, but the games get tougher from here.
BYU…The Cougars had to rally late from a 10-0 deficit on the road, but that’s a tough way to do it. BYU will need all of their focus this week in Austin.
Fail
Notre Dame…The pressure is certainly on Brian Kelly after making a huge mistake in starting Dayne Crist over Tommy Rees. Rees came in to them game down 16-0, and got close to pulling it off. Rees starts against Michigan.
Army…The Huskies were never in the game against Northern Illinois, and they just got hammered. Last season could have been a fluke, and it could be back to losing at West Point.
Navy…Never had any issues with Delaware, and Kris Proctor had a huge day on offense. The Middies are looking good early, but the games get tougher from here.
BYU…The Cougars had to rally late from a 10-0 deficit on the road, but that’s a tough way to do it. BYU will need all of their focus this week in Austin.
Fail
Notre Dame…The pressure is certainly on Brian Kelly after making a huge mistake in starting Dayne Crist over Tommy Rees. Rees came in to them game down 16-0, and got close to pulling it off. Rees starts against Michigan.
Army…The Huskies were never in the game against Northern Illinois, and they just got hammered. Last season could have been a fluke, and it could be back to losing at West Point.
Week One Pass/Fail Report Conference USA
Pass
Tulane…Nearly got upset by the lions last season. Nearly did this season as well, as the Lions hung around in the 1st half. This time, Tulane pulled away enough to be able to breathe.
Houston…Case Keenum had his way for most of the day. The Cougars look to be back on track, but the defense was a mess. They also nearly lost focus in letting UCLA back into the game.
UCF…I can get 11 2nd graders together from area schools and handle Charleston Southern, but UCF handled them fine on their own. Moratorium on Charleston Southern playing FBS schools should be put into affect any day now.
Fail
Memphis…Could Memphis possibly be worse than they were a season ago? My guess would be yes.
East Carolina…The Gamecocks spotted you a 17-0 lead? What the fuck? How does a team fall apart so quickly? Ask the Pirates, as they did a masterful job in the art of the cluster fuck. Complete collapse.
Rice…Like the Owls had any chance this week. Same old Rice, different day.
Tulsa…The Hurricanes just wish that they could move to Kansas, just so they don’t have to feel obligated to be the Sooners’ bitch once a year.
UTEP…Had to go to OT just to beat Stony Brook? How is the water in the dead pool for Mike Price?
Southern Mississippi…Still trying to figure out why the Eagles got rid of Jeff Bower for Larry Fedora. I still don’t understand. A struggle against Louisiana Tech is what you get? Wow.
Marshall…Was that Doc Holliday running around actually trying to get struck by lightning? Marshall was just outclassed.
SMU…If that was the Mustang audition to join the Big 12, I would say it was a failure befitting the American Idol audition rounds. What a mess. No worries, as there may not be a Big 12 left to join.
Tulane…Nearly got upset by the lions last season. Nearly did this season as well, as the Lions hung around in the 1st half. This time, Tulane pulled away enough to be able to breathe.
Houston…Case Keenum had his way for most of the day. The Cougars look to be back on track, but the defense was a mess. They also nearly lost focus in letting UCLA back into the game.
UCF…I can get 11 2nd graders together from area schools and handle Charleston Southern, but UCF handled them fine on their own. Moratorium on Charleston Southern playing FBS schools should be put into affect any day now.
Fail
Memphis…Could Memphis possibly be worse than they were a season ago? My guess would be yes.
East Carolina…The Gamecocks spotted you a 17-0 lead? What the fuck? How does a team fall apart so quickly? Ask the Pirates, as they did a masterful job in the art of the cluster fuck. Complete collapse.
Rice…Like the Owls had any chance this week. Same old Rice, different day.
Tulsa…The Hurricanes just wish that they could move to Kansas, just so they don’t have to feel obligated to be the Sooners’ bitch once a year.
UTEP…Had to go to OT just to beat Stony Brook? How is the water in the dead pool for Mike Price?
Southern Mississippi…Still trying to figure out why the Eagles got rid of Jeff Bower for Larry Fedora. I still don’t understand. A struggle against Louisiana Tech is what you get? Wow.
Marshall…Was that Doc Holliday running around actually trying to get struck by lightning? Marshall was just outclassed.
SMU…If that was the Mustang audition to join the Big 12, I would say it was a failure befitting the American Idol audition rounds. What a mess. No worries, as there may not be a Big 12 left to join.
Week One Pass/Fail Report Big 10
Pass
Wisconsin…Expected an easy day against UNLV, and they certainly got one. They jumped out 51-3 before slipping into cruise mode.
Northwestern…Wildcats didn’t have Dan Persa, but they picked up a gutsy win on the road anyway. They’ll be better when Persa returns, but an easy week is ahead.
Ohio State…The Buckeyes systematically dismantled the Zips, and were nothing but consistent on the day. Bigger test comes this week with spunky Toledo looking for an upset coming to town.
Penn State…This was a ho-hum game for the Nittany Lions, and they built up a big lead at the half and cruised in the second.
Iowa…Another dull game, but hey, the Hawkeyes took care of business. Time to get to some real football now.
Minnesota…Yes, they lost, but they never folded and died when they could have, and made it a real game in the second half. The Gophers are already ahead of where they were a year ago.
Illinois…This game was on upset alert, and the Illini did not entirely dominate. They still avoided the upset, and never let the Arkansas State offense get off of the ground.
Michigan…Not that the Wolverines would have lost this game last season, but they certainly needed to get off to a big start against the Broncos, and the defensive improvement was a great example of how different this team can be.
Nebraska…The Huskers got an easy win, but it was not pretty at all. Nebraska needs to get themselves together to avoid making mistakes like they did last season, and they were not entirely focused here.
Fail
Indiana…This was a great chance for Kevin Wilson to make a splash and a statement in the opener, but all we got is a work in progress sign. Inexcusable loss.
Purdue…Sure, the Boilers won, but if you have to score 17 in the 4th to beat Middle Tennessee, you may have some problems. We could be in for a long season with this lot.
Michigan State…Did the Spartans know that the season had started? They certainly didn’t look like it, as they struggled mightily against the worst team in the Missouri Valley Conference. Time to wake up!
Wisconsin…Expected an easy day against UNLV, and they certainly got one. They jumped out 51-3 before slipping into cruise mode.
Northwestern…Wildcats didn’t have Dan Persa, but they picked up a gutsy win on the road anyway. They’ll be better when Persa returns, but an easy week is ahead.
Ohio State…The Buckeyes systematically dismantled the Zips, and were nothing but consistent on the day. Bigger test comes this week with spunky Toledo looking for an upset coming to town.
Penn State…This was a ho-hum game for the Nittany Lions, and they built up a big lead at the half and cruised in the second.
Iowa…Another dull game, but hey, the Hawkeyes took care of business. Time to get to some real football now.
Minnesota…Yes, they lost, but they never folded and died when they could have, and made it a real game in the second half. The Gophers are already ahead of where they were a year ago.
Illinois…This game was on upset alert, and the Illini did not entirely dominate. They still avoided the upset, and never let the Arkansas State offense get off of the ground.
Michigan…Not that the Wolverines would have lost this game last season, but they certainly needed to get off to a big start against the Broncos, and the defensive improvement was a great example of how different this team can be.
Nebraska…The Huskers got an easy win, but it was not pretty at all. Nebraska needs to get themselves together to avoid making mistakes like they did last season, and they were not entirely focused here.
Fail
Indiana…This was a great chance for Kevin Wilson to make a splash and a statement in the opener, but all we got is a work in progress sign. Inexcusable loss.
Purdue…Sure, the Boilers won, but if you have to score 17 in the 4th to beat Middle Tennessee, you may have some problems. We could be in for a long season with this lot.
Michigan State…Did the Spartans know that the season had started? They certainly didn’t look like it, as they struggled mightily against the worst team in the Missouri Valley Conference. Time to wake up!
Week One Pass/Fail Report Big East
Pass
Rutgers…The Knights needed to kick some ass, and they did, but it was against a lower level FCS cupcake. Can someone force Rutgers into scheduling some challenging games early?
Syracuse…The Orangemen did not lie down and die for Wake Forest. They rallied when down big, and came out with a solid win. Schedule eases up with Rhode Island this week.
Connecticut…The Huskies coasted against a team they should have coasted against. Big deal. Good enough for a pass, but the schedule is a joke.
South Florida…The Bulls went into South Bend and popped the Irish right in the mouth. Huge win for Skip Holtz on the road, but can USF sustain this energy all season?
Pittsburgh…The Panthers only get credit for the second half after sleeping their way through the first. The Panther let Buffalo hang around for much too long before kicking into gear.
Cincinnati…Sure, UC scored 72 points, but it came against one of the worst teams in FCS football. There should be a ban on Austin Peay ever playing an FBS opponent ever again.
West Virginia…Lightning was a blessing for Marshall, because I am sure that the Mountaineers would have scored more if the game had been allowed to continue.
Fail
Louisville…Sure they won the game, but it was a horrible second half, as Louisville never scored again after the break.
Rutgers…The Knights needed to kick some ass, and they did, but it was against a lower level FCS cupcake. Can someone force Rutgers into scheduling some challenging games early?
Syracuse…The Orangemen did not lie down and die for Wake Forest. They rallied when down big, and came out with a solid win. Schedule eases up with Rhode Island this week.
Connecticut…The Huskies coasted against a team they should have coasted against. Big deal. Good enough for a pass, but the schedule is a joke.
South Florida…The Bulls went into South Bend and popped the Irish right in the mouth. Huge win for Skip Holtz on the road, but can USF sustain this energy all season?
Pittsburgh…The Panthers only get credit for the second half after sleeping their way through the first. The Panther let Buffalo hang around for much too long before kicking into gear.
Cincinnati…Sure, UC scored 72 points, but it came against one of the worst teams in FCS football. There should be a ban on Austin Peay ever playing an FBS opponent ever again.
West Virginia…Lightning was a blessing for Marshall, because I am sure that the Mountaineers would have scored more if the game had been allowed to continue.
Fail
Louisville…Sure they won the game, but it was a horrible second half, as Louisville never scored again after the break.
Week One Pass/Fail Report Big 12
Pass
Baylor…This pass almost became a fail, as TCU raged back from a huge deficit in the 4th quarter, and the Bear defense almost collapsed. This was a good win for Art Briles, but the defense has some problems. Robert Griffin certainly doesn’t.
Oklahoma State…Justin Blackmon did not score, but had 8 receptions for over 100 yards. Even the Cowboys not at their best was better than anything that ULL had to toss at them, and the defense shut down TE Laderius Green.
Kansas…The Jayhawks were not dominant, but they lost to an FCS opponent last season to open, so this is a move in the right direction. Kansas may be slightly better this season.
Texas Tech…Tech was another team that had to wake up after finding themselves down 10-0 to the Bobcats. A loss here would have placed Tubberville on the hot seat.
Texas…The Longhorns started out strong against Rice, but they did last season as well. There was good news all over the field, as many of the coaching changes paid dividends here.
Oklahoma…The Sooners just own Tulsa, and they did so once again last weekend. There was never any reason to worry, and Landry Jones was on fire.
Texas A&M…The Aggies were dominant throughout this game, and they looked like they were sending a message to the SEC to let them know what they’d be getting. The deal is on for Wednesday for A&M to get their SEC invite.
Fail
Missouri…The Tigers were favored by 20 in this game, but were entirely uninspired. Missouri was flat, and may be overrated by many.
Iowa State…The Cyclones only got by Northern Iowa by one point, and that will not be a healthy selling point if the conference collapses and ISU has to find a new home.
Kansas State…Many people were buying into K State during the summer. Still buying in after they barely escaped EKU by a field goal? I am selling.
Baylor…This pass almost became a fail, as TCU raged back from a huge deficit in the 4th quarter, and the Bear defense almost collapsed. This was a good win for Art Briles, but the defense has some problems. Robert Griffin certainly doesn’t.
Oklahoma State…Justin Blackmon did not score, but had 8 receptions for over 100 yards. Even the Cowboys not at their best was better than anything that ULL had to toss at them, and the defense shut down TE Laderius Green.
Kansas…The Jayhawks were not dominant, but they lost to an FCS opponent last season to open, so this is a move in the right direction. Kansas may be slightly better this season.
Texas Tech…Tech was another team that had to wake up after finding themselves down 10-0 to the Bobcats. A loss here would have placed Tubberville on the hot seat.
Texas…The Longhorns started out strong against Rice, but they did last season as well. There was good news all over the field, as many of the coaching changes paid dividends here.
Oklahoma…The Sooners just own Tulsa, and they did so once again last weekend. There was never any reason to worry, and Landry Jones was on fire.
Texas A&M…The Aggies were dominant throughout this game, and they looked like they were sending a message to the SEC to let them know what they’d be getting. The deal is on for Wednesday for A&M to get their SEC invite.
Fail
Missouri…The Tigers were favored by 20 in this game, but were entirely uninspired. Missouri was flat, and may be overrated by many.
Iowa State…The Cyclones only got by Northern Iowa by one point, and that will not be a healthy selling point if the conference collapses and ISU has to find a new home.
Kansas State…Many people were buying into K State during the summer. Still buying in after they barely escaped EKU by a field goal? I am selling.
Week One Pass/Fail Report ACC
Pass
Georgia Tech…The Yellow Jackets were expected to pound on Western Carolina, which they did, but what was not expected was that Tech developed a passing game, as Tevin Washington passed for 271 yards and 3 scores. Interesting development there.
Virginia Tech…The Hokies avoided the FCS upset loss this season, and devastated a very good Mountaineer club. They hit them early, and kept on hitting, and David Wilson proved that he can and will be the primary back this season.
Florida State…It was a pass, but not a resounding pass. FSU did not exactly dominate on offense, and looked clunky at times. The defense carried the day.
North Carolina…The Heels needed this kind of game to come out of the gate with, as there has been much controversy surrounding the program. The schedule gets tougher from here, but this was a good building block
Clemson…Clemson gets a pass for the second half, mainly. The Tigers were asleep at the wheel through 30 minutes, and Troy was hanging around. The Tigers finally woke up and took care of business.
Virginia…Hell, even I thought that William & Mary had a shot this week, but it was not to be. Virginia looks alive on defense, but again, the schedule gets tougher now.
NC State…This is a pass because they won the game, but NC State has issues on defense, and they have to get things fixed in a hurry. Liberty harassed the Wolfpack secondary, and the play of new QB Mike Glennon was average.
Maryland…Again, it wasn’t always pretty, as Danny O’Brien had issues at times for the Terps. Still great to win a season opener when it also serves as a conference opener.
FAIL
Wake Forest…The Deacons had Syracuse on the ropes and they let them go. This could be another long season for the Deacons, as they also lost QB Tanner Price in the game.
Boston College…The Eagles lose a game at home to a team that does not have their best QB on the field. At least Chase Rettig finally looks ready to be the QB for the Eagles.
Duke…Is there a grade lower than F? If there were, I’d gladly hand it to the Devils, who lose to a team that had their coach quit just 8 days before the season. David Cutliffe is in trouble here.
Miami…Same Miami, different day. The Hurricanes played with a total lack of discipline, and the defense was a mess. Al Golden is probably wishing he were still at Temple. This is worse than you think.
Georgia Tech…The Yellow Jackets were expected to pound on Western Carolina, which they did, but what was not expected was that Tech developed a passing game, as Tevin Washington passed for 271 yards and 3 scores. Interesting development there.
Virginia Tech…The Hokies avoided the FCS upset loss this season, and devastated a very good Mountaineer club. They hit them early, and kept on hitting, and David Wilson proved that he can and will be the primary back this season.
Florida State…It was a pass, but not a resounding pass. FSU did not exactly dominate on offense, and looked clunky at times. The defense carried the day.
North Carolina…The Heels needed this kind of game to come out of the gate with, as there has been much controversy surrounding the program. The schedule gets tougher from here, but this was a good building block
Clemson…Clemson gets a pass for the second half, mainly. The Tigers were asleep at the wheel through 30 minutes, and Troy was hanging around. The Tigers finally woke up and took care of business.
Virginia…Hell, even I thought that William & Mary had a shot this week, but it was not to be. Virginia looks alive on defense, but again, the schedule gets tougher now.
NC State…This is a pass because they won the game, but NC State has issues on defense, and they have to get things fixed in a hurry. Liberty harassed the Wolfpack secondary, and the play of new QB Mike Glennon was average.
Maryland…Again, it wasn’t always pretty, as Danny O’Brien had issues at times for the Terps. Still great to win a season opener when it also serves as a conference opener.
FAIL
Wake Forest…The Deacons had Syracuse on the ropes and they let them go. This could be another long season for the Deacons, as they also lost QB Tanner Price in the game.
Boston College…The Eagles lose a game at home to a team that does not have their best QB on the field. At least Chase Rettig finally looks ready to be the QB for the Eagles.
Duke…Is there a grade lower than F? If there were, I’d gladly hand it to the Devils, who lose to a team that had their coach quit just 8 days before the season. David Cutliffe is in trouble here.
Miami…Same Miami, different day. The Hurricanes played with a total lack of discipline, and the defense was a mess. Al Golden is probably wishing he were still at Temple. This is worse than you think.
Texas A&M to SEC
The Texas A&M SEC deal could come as early as tomorrow, which would then start the chain reactions once again in conference expansion and realignment. The article below has it all, and is a solid read on the situation. Oklahoma and Oklahoma State will likely once again be talking to the Pac-12 about joining when Texas A&M is officially out the door. More on this as events develop.
http://www.bruinsnation.com/2011/9/6/2408847/conference-expansion-Oklahoma-Texas-UCLA-Colorado-SEC-PAC
http://www.bruinsnation.com/2011/9/6/2408847/conference-expansion-Oklahoma-Texas-UCLA-Colorado-SEC-PAC
Thoughts on College Football's Opening Week
By Matt Chandik
Games watched this week: Ohio State-Akron, Michigan-Western Michigan, Notre Dame-South Florida, LSU-Oregon, Georgia-Boise State, Maryland-Miami.
Georgia is still not good. Image courtesy of Dr. Saturday.
I hate Boise State.
There, I said it. I can't stand the Broncos, so I'm not going to pretend like I'm going to be unbiased on the subject. I hate their uniforms. I hate their schedule. I hate the fact that everyone rallies around them. I hate that they're the flag-bearer for all the little schools. I hate that ESPN rides Boise's collective dick every fucking year. It drives me nuts.
After this weekend, my hate for Boise was increased exponentially. I have no problem with them beating Georgia, or rather, making Georgia look like a bunch of inept high schoolers who had no business being on the field with Boise State. Kellen Moore is one of the nation's top-five quarterbacks, and he showed why against the Bulldogs. 28-34 for 261 yards, three touchdowns and only one interception when his running game was shut down – Doug Martin only garnered 57 yards on 24 carries – and while replacing his top two wide receivers in a hostile environment is more than impressive. Boise dominated both lines of scrimmage as it gave Moore all day to throw and disrupted the Georgia offense. All in all, Boise looked the part of a top-five team.
Which they always do when they play their overrated BCS team of the year as part of their schedule that would make some high school athletic directors blush. Yes, Georgia is a big name. The Bulldogs had their share of All-Americans, they're a big program in college football and they've got some decent players. So of course, Boise State is going around parading like it just downed a program ranked right near the Broncos and a program that's been ripping off 10-win seasons for the past decade.
In the words of Lee Corso, not so fast, my friend. I don't know how to put this, but uh, Georgia's, y'know, not very good. The Bulldogs were 6-7 a year ago with losses to the likes of Colorado, Florida and Central Florida. That was with All-America and No. 4 draft choice A.J. Green, first-team All-SEC pick Justin Houston (11 sacks in 2010 before being drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs), running backs Washaun Ealey and Caleb King (1,241 combined rushing yards and 13 TDs), first-team All-SEC guard Clint Boiling and a host of other key players. To be rather blunt, this is a pretty crappy team.
Perhaps no big-time program does as little with as much as Georgia does. Its home state is one of the most fertile recruiting areas in the country and the Dawgs have as much talent as most teams. What it boils down to, essentially, is that Georgia head coach Mark Richt is a mediocre coach. Yes, I know he's a got a pretty winning percentage when he's playing stiffs who can be intimidated by playing Between the Hedges, but really, show me some marquee wins for Richt. He continually loses big games and it's excused because he beats the likes of Kentucky, Vanderbilt and Southwest Alaska State Tech A&M for the Blind every year. Cornerback/return man/running back Brandon Boykin touched the ball once against Boise State – and promptly took it 80 yards for a score and led the team in rushing. That touchdown run – where Boykin displayed blinding speed and left everyone on Boise's roster in a different zip code – occurred with 8:39 to go in the first quarter. For the next 51:21, nobody thought it was a good idea to give him the ball again. I'm sorry, Mark Richt, but if I have a guy who fires off an 80-yard touchdown on his first touch, you can be damn sure that I'm giving him the ball again.
Anyway, back to Boise. Sure, it's not the Broncos' fault that the Bulldogs are in the midst of a down cycle right now, one that should and most likely will cost Richt his job. However, let's stop pretending that this is a big win. It's not. It's a three-touchdown win over a team that might not make a bowl this year. Boise tries to get as much mileage out of its “big” out-of-conference wins, but the two marquee wins have been this one and the Virginia Tech game last year. Ah, yes, we fondly remember that VT game at Redskins Stadium, don't we? The Broncos won 33-30 against a team that promptly...lost by more than that to Division 1-AA member James Madison the next week. Let's repeat. Boise beat VT by three, JMU beat VT by five. I'm not a fan of the transitive property in college football, but seriously, we're going to gloat about beating a team that lost to a 1-AA school? Come on. I know the Hokies rolled through the ACC (woo, big accomplishment there. A step above the Big East, 12 steps below the SEC.) thanks to a schedule that included zero good teams, but I can't take you seriously if you lose to a 1-AA school, no matter the circumstances, and I'm a Michigan fan.
Listen, Boise. If you want to be taken seriously and actually have a reason to bitch if you're left out of the title game, play a real schedule. Join a real conference, not the one where the Disney All-Stars are your biggest competition. You want props for scheduling a marquee out-of-conference game? Schedule Alabama. Schedule LSU. Want to see what a real schedule looks like? Scope out LSU's slate this year. A neutral-site game against No. 3 Oregon, road dates at Mississippi State, West Virginia, Alabama, Tennessee and Ole Miss. That doesn't count home games with Arkansas, Florida and Auburn. Think it's just an SEC thing? Michigan's 2012 schedule includes a neutral-site game in Arlington, Tex., road games at Notre Dame, Ohio State and Nebraska and home games with Iowa, Michigan State and Illinois. That's a schedule. Take notes, Boise. Play more than one team with a pulse every year and you'll have more of a case.
The University of Oregon football team's new logo. Image courtesy of Charmin Toilet Paper.
Oregon
The Oregon Ducks are officially the Indianapolis Colts of the college football world. They're fast, they'll score in bunches, but when push comes to shove and they're matched up with a physical team, they'll fold because they are a soft team. We saw it last year against Stanford in the first half before Stanford was worn down from the speed of Oregon. We saw it in the BCS national championship game where Auburn's defensive line held a pow-wow in the Ducks' backfield and we saw the shining example Saturday night in Arlington. True to form, LSU didn't do anything too crazy in terms of formation or trick plays. The Tigers simply pushed Oregon around. Oregon's sweeps to the wide side, its option plays and its complex offense was no match for LSU's rough-and-tumble defensive front. I don't know if there's a factory down in Baton Rouge where Les Miles breeds enormous defensive linemen who can run, but a strong DL has been the backbone for LSU's successful teams, and this year is no different.
I'm not a believer that the box score tells the whole story, but it certainly does in this case. LaMichael James averaged a paltry three yards per carry and had a long of 13. Kenjon Barner couldn't crack two yards per carry and muffed a punt that led to an LSU touchdown. DeAnthony Thomas looked like a freshman with two costly fumbles. All three of these players are small, and unlike the likes of Maurice Jones-Drew and Ray Rice, they're small and soft. Oregon can't line up and blow other teams off the ball. It relies on too much misdirection and finesse. That stuff might fly when you're facing Washington State, so the Ducks will win quite a few games. However, finesse doesn't work against elite teams, much like the Indianapolis Colts have learned with just one Super Bowl in the Peyton Manning era.
Congratulations, Akron. You let this...thing slap you around. Image courtesy of cleveland.com
Ohio State-Akron
Let's preface everything with this: It was Akron. A horrible, putrid, atrocious, terrible Akron team. Getting to Joe Bauserman with just four guys, even with three of those guys being new starters, was never an option. Their coverage guys couldn't cover my grandmother, let alone an overgrown wide receiver in Jake Stoneburner or a guy like Verlon Reed.
Joe Bauserman looked good at avoiding whatever pressure Akron was able to bring and he made some solid throws, but again, it was Akron. No one on Akron's defense would crack Ohio State's third string. It's not a test in the slightest.
One player that really impressed was cornerback Dominic Clarke, who got the start because of Travis Howard's one-game suspension for taking impermissible benefits. Clarke was thrown at more than Bradley Roby, but acquitted himself very well when Clayton Moore was able to put the ball in his receiver's zip code, which wasn't very often. He had a pair of pass break-ups, but it was more how he broke up the passes that was impressive. He read the ball well and came out of his breaks very well. Clarke displayed good athletic ability and timing and should be a very solid No. 3 corner for the Buckeyes behind Howard and Roby.
Im in yur bakfieldz...kilin ur kwarterbak. Image courtesy of Detroit News.
Michigan-Western Michigan
WMU isn't very good. The Broncos are better than Akron, but they're still not a good team. What was concering as a Michigan fan was the inability of the front four to get a pass rush. The opening drive of the game brought up visions of the Rich Rodriguez era. The defensive backs were lined up in the parking lot and were late on breaking on the ball. While it was just one game, sophomore cornerback Courtney Avery seemed to regress from last year. He broke late on the ball and appeared scared of getting roasted deep. Mind you, Michigan lacks a safety who can take away the deep ball and I'm sure part of the alignment was thanks to Greg Mattison, but Avery needs to improve more. J.T. Floyd is still J.T. Floyd. He's not a good corner. He's simply too slow. He might make a passable strong safety, but as a corner, he's so slow.
Mattison turned up the pressure in the second half with great results. Redshirt freshman linebacker Jake Ryan split a double-team in the red-zone and hit Alex Carder as Carder was attempting a pass. Brandon Herron picked off the pop fly and roared 94 yards down the sideline for the score. Later, strong safety Jordan Kovacs registered his first of two sacks as he came in untouched from the right side and forced a fumble. Herron picked it up and brought it back for his second touchdown of the game.
In the entire Rich Rodriguez era, the Wolverines scored four defensive touchdowns in three seasons. In one game under Brady Hoke and Greg Mattison, they hit half of that, and a big reason why was the defensive adjustments made by Mattison. After watching the “sit in Cover 3” defense go nowhere, Mattison brought the defensive backs a little closer and turned up the blitzes. He had a pair of blitzes that had Kovacs come in untouched and led to Carder doing a happy dance in the pocket all game. It should be interesting to see how Mattison handles Notre Dame's wide-open offense this week with Tommy Rees at the controls.
Dude, you are literally purple. Simmer down. Image courtesy of Dr. Saturday.
Notre Dame-South Florida
Speaking of the Irish, well, that didn't go so well against the Bulls. Jonas Gray might be the softest “power back” in the NCAA. His fumble cost the Irish a 14-point swing and jumpstarted South Florida. It was a great forced fumble by Jerrell Young and a good scoop-and-score by Kayvon Webster, but honestly, it never should have been at that point. Gray is terribly indecisive, has poor vision and looks scared of contact. Not exactly traits you want from your power back.
I understand the point of a power back, but honestly, there's no reason Cierre Wood can't have his cake and eat it, too. This guy is a stud. He racked up 104 yards on 21 carries and 44 yards on three catches. Those numbers are good, but not out of this world. However, it wasn't so much the stats that were impressive but how he got them. Wood has exceptional agility and wiggle and displayed some solid top-end speed. There were quite a few times where he wiggled free for more yards after he appeared trapped. He's a viable threat to be Notre Dame's first 1,000-yard back since Darius Walker did it in 2006, the last time the Irish went to a BCS game.
Defensively, I still think Manti Te'o is a tad overrated. He's still a top-five inside linebacker in the nation, but he doesn't get quite as dirty and doesn't shed blockers like Vontaze Burfict and Luke Kuechly do. Burfict gets in the middle and tries to kill offensive linemen who get in his way, whereas Te'o would rather run around them. His worst games always come against teams who single out a blocker for him every game. I'm biased, but go watch Te'o against Patrick Omameh last year. Sure, Te'o posted 13 tackles against the Wolverines last year, but most were downfield stops. Omameh destroyed Te'o on a lead block to spring Denard Robinson for an 87-yard touchdown run and also wiped him out on Robinson's game-winning TD run. If he's allowed to roam free, Te'o can do some serious damage. If there's a guard that accounts for him every play, he turns into a pile jumper.
What in the fuck is going on here? Image courtesy of ABC News.
Maryland-MiamiThe most impressive quarterback in this game was Stephen Morris. He didn't throw for more yards than Danny O'Brien and didn't get the win, but he was very impressive compared to where he was a year ago. Morris threw a pair of interceptions, but one was a Hail Mary at the end of the game. The other, though, was Jacory Harris-esque. He dropped back on 4th and a mile and tried to squeeze in an out route on the near side of the field that was intercepted and returned for a touchdown. Clearly, not a throw he should have attempted, but it's a tough situation. Other than that, though, Morris was solid. He displayed a much livelier arm than Harris ever did or ever will and he was able to fit the ball into tight windows. He took deep shots, but he wasn't reckless with them like Harris is. Morris flashed solid mobility and should be the starter for Miami.
Lamar Miller was the best player on the field. He rushed for 119 yards and a score and added 100 more yards on kick returns. Miller showed his top-end speed when he pulled away from the Maryland defense, but at the same time, he also displayed toughness with how he finished his runs. He's not afraid of anyone or anything and it definitely shows in his running style.
Danny O'Brien wouldn't have had such a productive offensive night if it weren't for horrendous playcalling from Miami's defensive coordinator. The bubble screen was open whenever the Terps wanted it. There's not much skill needed to make that throw. I know that the 'Canes were short on depth because of the suspensions stemming from their tumultuous offseason, but that's really not a reason to not take on Maryland's unproven receivers. However, Miami was perfectly content with giving up bubble screens all day. The scarier part for the U, though, is how soft the defense was. The line got pushed off the ball a little bit, but the linebackers and defensive backs just seemed scared to tackle the ballcarrier. It's a far cry from the days of the old U and I think that the Miami alums in the NFL, including Ed Reed, who made an appearance in College Park last night, would be ashamed of what the current Hurricanes program looks like. The U was a lot of things back in the day, but soft was never one of them. Other than Vaughn Telemaque, there weren't many impressive defensive players yesterday.
Matt Chandik is a contributor to the Bilo College Football Report/Power Rated Sports. He can be reached at matt.chandik@gmail.com or on Twitter @MattChandik.
Monday, September 5, 2011
Week 1 FCS Rankings Now Posted
The first edition of our FCS 2011 PRS Rankings are now posted at the following link:
http://powerratedsports.com/files/PRS_FCS_Rankings_Week_1_090511.pdf
Every FCS team is ranked top to bottom. Remember, our rankings are points based, and conference affiliation or team history has absolutely no bearing in the rankings. Teams rise and fall rapidly.
Our FBS and D2 PRS rankings will be posted on Tuesday.
http://powerratedsports.com/files/PRS_FCS_Rankings_Week_1_090511.pdf
Every FCS team is ranked top to bottom. Remember, our rankings are points based, and conference affiliation or team history has absolutely no bearing in the rankings. Teams rise and fall rapidly.
Our FBS and D2 PRS rankings will be posted on Tuesday.
First FCS PRS Rankings of 2011
We will be releasing the first FCS and D2 PRS Rankings of 2011 later this afternoon. I can tell you that the FCS rankings are completed, and due to their huge upset win on the road over Oregon State, the Sacramento State Hornets will claim the top spot this week, followed at number two by the Richmond Spiders, who despite losing their coach to a DUI arrest and resignation just 8 days before the start of the season, defeated Duke 23-21 on Saturday. Lehigh, Alabama State, and Southern Illinois will round out the top five, and are followed in the top 10 by Bethune-Cookman, Georgia Southern, Wofford, Marist, and UMass.
Check back at powerratedsports.com at 8pm EST for the remainder of the poll! More info on the D2 rankings coming up, and remember that due to Miami-Maryland playing tonight, the FBS rankings will be made available tomorrow.
Check back at powerratedsports.com at 8pm EST for the remainder of the poll! More info on the D2 rankings coming up, and remember that due to Miami-Maryland playing tonight, the FBS rankings will be made available tomorrow.
Saturday, September 3, 2011
Observations from Saturday's Games Thus Far
We have gotten through most of our day today, so here are my takes and observations on what we have seen so far. Our first annual Pass/Fail Report will be released on Monday!
For more, please head to powerratedsports.com for more college football coverage!
Northwestern 24, Boston College 17
The Wildcats proved today that Dan Persa's absence did not crush them on the road, but they will certainly need him as the weeks progress. Kain Colter looked decent in moving the offense for Northwestern.
Auburn 42, Utah State 28
Be afraid Auburn fans. This near disaster at the hands of Utah State showed what could come when you match up with Mississippi State next week. You have got some problems!
Ohio State 42, Akron 0
It took what seemed like forever for OSU to warm up and get going. And that was against the worst team in the MAC in Akron. Makes you wonder if Toledo has a chance next week.
Missouri 17, Miami (Ohio) 6
The Tigers have some issues, but I thought that Zac Dysert and company had more to bring to the offensive side of this game for Miami. One thing is for sure, as the 20 point spread was a joke.
Penn State 41, Indiana State 7
Coaching from the press box is not coaching. Joe Paterno sat upstairs with a headset, looking even more the figurehead everytime we see him.
Purdue 27, Middle Tennessee 24
The Boilers were the second straight Big 10 team to snag a late victory from the Blue Raiders, as Minnesota rallied to beat the Raiders in 2010. MTSU has to find a way to win these games.
Iowa 34, Tennessee Tech 7
There was once a time that the Hawkeyes would have beaten a team like this by about 50. These are not those days. Iowa had a big first half, and then went to sleep in the second. I am sure the fans loved that...
UConn 35, Fordham 3
At one point, the Huskies had only committed one penatly. Of course, they were playing FREAKING FORDHAM!!!! I mean, really? Their fans were really busy patting themselves on the back for this win today. Don't hurt yourselves now...it's a long season.
Alabama 48, Kent State 7
It kind of flet like Bama was sleepwalking their way through this game. They pulled awayearly, but there was never a challenge. At least they weren't playing FREAKING FORDHAM!!!
Virginia Tech 66, Appalachian State 13
The Hokies were NOT going to be an upset victim this season. They got out big early and made this into a laugher, and then kept on beating the Mountaineers down. That's what you are supposed to do in games like this.
Tulane 47, SE Louisiana 33
Early in the game, there were flashes of last season, when the Lions nearly upset the Green Wave. Then, Tulane found some gas in the tank and pulled away. Good thing too, as a loss would have cemented the end of Bob Toledo.
Air Force 37, South Dakota 20
Wow...17 point win over a lower tier FCS program. Huh. Did you see what the Hokies did to an FCS powerhouse? Yeah, check it and get back to me.
USC 19, Minnesota 17
If you are a USC fan, you should be concerned after this very lackluster performance. If you are a Gopher fan, you should be happy that your team didn't crawl into the fetal and die after USC opened up a 19-3 lead. Jerry Kill is already having an effect.
Illinois 33, Arkansas State 15
The Red Wolves really were not in this game. They made the Illini fight for it, but they had no shot. Illinois could have been an upset victim today, but they did well to take care of business.
Michigan 34, Western Michigan 10
If the game had not been shortened by lightning, the score would have been worse. Denard Robinson lined up in shotgun more than people thought that he would, but as I have said, Al Borges knows what's best.
Houston 38, UCLA 34
I promise that I will not pick the Bruins to win anymore as long as Neuheisel is coaching, and as a Bruin fan, I will not wear any of my hats or jersys this season either. I am fucking sick of Rick Neuheisel. Fucking sick of him. UCLA should not lose to Houston.
Florida State 34, UL-Monroe 0
The Seminoles just sort of coasted through today, and we expected more. This is the team that is supposed to try to beat Oklahoma in two weeks? Think again.
Nebraska 40, Chattanooga 7
The score looks more impressive than the play on the field. Nebraska had issues, and stumbled their way through. Inconsistencies plagued them last season as well.
Navy 40, Delaware 17
Andrew Pierce got his 100 yards for Delaware, but Kris Proctor dominated by rushing for 176 yards and 3 TDs for the Middies. Solid start against an FCS power. UConn wouldn't dare schedule them Delaware. Too busy playing FREAKING FORDHAM!!!
North Carolina 42, James Madison 10
No repeat magic for the Dukes in the opener this season. Thank God I wasn't expecting anything.
Clemson 43, Troy 19
Troy put an early scare into the Tigers, but then they woke up and realized that "hey, we're Clemson". Tigers pulled away in the second half.
Sacramento State 29, Oregon State 28 (OT)
Big Sky gets a huge win, and the Pac-12 is thinking about booting Oregon State and replacing them with Sacramento State. The Beavers are in bigger trouble than we thought.
BYU 14, Ole Miss 13
Not what we were expecting from BYU's big opening, but they certainly traveled enmasse to Oxford for the game. Jake Heaps looked rushed and unbalanced at times, so BYU has some work to do.
Stanford 57, San Jose State 3
How does Andrew Luck start his Heisman campaign? He rushes for the first Stanford TD of the season, and the Cardinal Cruised from there. Luck was respectable, but not awesome. Still was good for 3 scores.
Washington State 64, Idaho State 21
Cougar fans were lighting up Twitter with chatter as the Cougars scored at will. They aren't used to that. It gets tougher next week against UNLV, but not too much tougher.
There are 33 games still in progress in the FBS level. MOre to come as we close these games out, and more an FCS football later tonight.
For more, please head to powerratedsports.com for more college football coverage!
Northwestern 24, Boston College 17
The Wildcats proved today that Dan Persa's absence did not crush them on the road, but they will certainly need him as the weeks progress. Kain Colter looked decent in moving the offense for Northwestern.
Auburn 42, Utah State 28
Be afraid Auburn fans. This near disaster at the hands of Utah State showed what could come when you match up with Mississippi State next week. You have got some problems!
Ohio State 42, Akron 0
It took what seemed like forever for OSU to warm up and get going. And that was against the worst team in the MAC in Akron. Makes you wonder if Toledo has a chance next week.
Missouri 17, Miami (Ohio) 6
The Tigers have some issues, but I thought that Zac Dysert and company had more to bring to the offensive side of this game for Miami. One thing is for sure, as the 20 point spread was a joke.
Penn State 41, Indiana State 7
Coaching from the press box is not coaching. Joe Paterno sat upstairs with a headset, looking even more the figurehead everytime we see him.
Purdue 27, Middle Tennessee 24
The Boilers were the second straight Big 10 team to snag a late victory from the Blue Raiders, as Minnesota rallied to beat the Raiders in 2010. MTSU has to find a way to win these games.
Iowa 34, Tennessee Tech 7
There was once a time that the Hawkeyes would have beaten a team like this by about 50. These are not those days. Iowa had a big first half, and then went to sleep in the second. I am sure the fans loved that...
UConn 35, Fordham 3
At one point, the Huskies had only committed one penatly. Of course, they were playing FREAKING FORDHAM!!!! I mean, really? Their fans were really busy patting themselves on the back for this win today. Don't hurt yourselves now...it's a long season.
Alabama 48, Kent State 7
It kind of flet like Bama was sleepwalking their way through this game. They pulled awayearly, but there was never a challenge. At least they weren't playing FREAKING FORDHAM!!!
Virginia Tech 66, Appalachian State 13
The Hokies were NOT going to be an upset victim this season. They got out big early and made this into a laugher, and then kept on beating the Mountaineers down. That's what you are supposed to do in games like this.
Tulane 47, SE Louisiana 33
Early in the game, there were flashes of last season, when the Lions nearly upset the Green Wave. Then, Tulane found some gas in the tank and pulled away. Good thing too, as a loss would have cemented the end of Bob Toledo.
Air Force 37, South Dakota 20
Wow...17 point win over a lower tier FCS program. Huh. Did you see what the Hokies did to an FCS powerhouse? Yeah, check it and get back to me.
USC 19, Minnesota 17
If you are a USC fan, you should be concerned after this very lackluster performance. If you are a Gopher fan, you should be happy that your team didn't crawl into the fetal and die after USC opened up a 19-3 lead. Jerry Kill is already having an effect.
Illinois 33, Arkansas State 15
The Red Wolves really were not in this game. They made the Illini fight for it, but they had no shot. Illinois could have been an upset victim today, but they did well to take care of business.
Michigan 34, Western Michigan 10
If the game had not been shortened by lightning, the score would have been worse. Denard Robinson lined up in shotgun more than people thought that he would, but as I have said, Al Borges knows what's best.
Houston 38, UCLA 34
I promise that I will not pick the Bruins to win anymore as long as Neuheisel is coaching, and as a Bruin fan, I will not wear any of my hats or jersys this season either. I am fucking sick of Rick Neuheisel. Fucking sick of him. UCLA should not lose to Houston.
Florida State 34, UL-Monroe 0
The Seminoles just sort of coasted through today, and we expected more. This is the team that is supposed to try to beat Oklahoma in two weeks? Think again.
Nebraska 40, Chattanooga 7
The score looks more impressive than the play on the field. Nebraska had issues, and stumbled their way through. Inconsistencies plagued them last season as well.
Navy 40, Delaware 17
Andrew Pierce got his 100 yards for Delaware, but Kris Proctor dominated by rushing for 176 yards and 3 TDs for the Middies. Solid start against an FCS power. UConn wouldn't dare schedule them Delaware. Too busy playing FREAKING FORDHAM!!!
North Carolina 42, James Madison 10
No repeat magic for the Dukes in the opener this season. Thank God I wasn't expecting anything.
Clemson 43, Troy 19
Troy put an early scare into the Tigers, but then they woke up and realized that "hey, we're Clemson". Tigers pulled away in the second half.
Sacramento State 29, Oregon State 28 (OT)
Big Sky gets a huge win, and the Pac-12 is thinking about booting Oregon State and replacing them with Sacramento State. The Beavers are in bigger trouble than we thought.
BYU 14, Ole Miss 13
Not what we were expecting from BYU's big opening, but they certainly traveled enmasse to Oxford for the game. Jake Heaps looked rushed and unbalanced at times, so BYU has some work to do.
Stanford 57, San Jose State 3
How does Andrew Luck start his Heisman campaign? He rushes for the first Stanford TD of the season, and the Cardinal Cruised from there. Luck was respectable, but not awesome. Still was good for 3 scores.
Washington State 64, Idaho State 21
Cougar fans were lighting up Twitter with chatter as the Cougars scored at will. They aren't used to that. It gets tougher next week against UNLV, but not too much tougher.
There are 33 games still in progress in the FBS level. MOre to come as we close these games out, and more an FCS football later tonight.
First Saturday!!!!
Welcome to the first Saturday of 2011!!!
I will have new post up this evening for those of you on the East Coast, and this afternoon for the West Coast. New material will be posting later this morning on powerratedsports.com, so it will be a very busy day. Good luck to you and your teams. We look forward to posting for you later today!
I will have new post up this evening for those of you on the East Coast, and this afternoon for the West Coast. New material will be posting later this morning on powerratedsports.com, so it will be a very busy day. Good luck to you and your teams. We look forward to posting for you later today!
Thursday, September 1, 2011
September 2nd College Football Schedule
The following games are on the slate for tomorrow night:
FBS
TCU at Baylor
Youngstown State at Michigan State
FCS
Clark Atlanta at Georgia State
D2
Texas A&M-Kingsville at Central Washington
Maritime at Bentley
Mayville State at Minnesota-Crookston
Curry at Stonehill
Hillsdale at Ferris State
FBS
TCU at Baylor
Youngstown State at Michigan State
FCS
Clark Atlanta at Georgia State
D2
Texas A&M-Kingsville at Central Washington
Maritime at Bentley
Mayville State at Minnesota-Crookston
Curry at Stonehill
Hillsdale at Ferris State
Final Record Against the Spread-Thursday
With Thursday's action in the books, I finished 8-6 against the spread, with wins coming from Louisville, Central Michigan, Toledo, Georgia Tech, Rutgers, Utah, Syracuse, and Arizona State. My six losses came against Villanova, North Texas, Wisconsin, Memphis, Idaho, and Kentucky.
As far as straight up picks are concernerd, we posted those picks at powerratedsports.com with Kieth Harding, Matt Chandik, and me picking games straight up. I finished 23-2 on straight picks, Matt finished the night at 24-1, while Keith wrapped up at 24-1 as well. Two games are in action tomorrow night with TCU/aylor and Youngstown State/Michigan State. With all of us selecting the same winners, we will remain a game apart heading into Saturday.
As far as straight up picks are concernerd, we posted those picks at powerratedsports.com with Kieth Harding, Matt Chandik, and me picking games straight up. I finished 23-2 on straight picks, Matt finished the night at 24-1, while Keith wrapped up at 24-1 as well. Two games are in action tomorrow night with TCU/aylor and Youngstown State/Michigan State. With all of us selecting the same winners, we will remain a game apart heading into Saturday.
Week One Picks Against the Spread
For our straight up picks, check out powerratedsports.com to find out who I am selecting, and check out picks by Matt Chandik and Keith Harding as well.
9/1
Murray State at Louisville...NL...I pick Louisville
South Carolina State at Central Michigan...NL...I pick C. Michigan
Villanova at Temple...NL...I pick Villanova (UPSET)
New Hampshire at Toledo...NL...I pick Toledo
North Texas at FIU...FIU by 14...I pick UNT against the spread
Western Carolina at Georgia Tech...NL...I pick Ga. Tech
NC Central at Rutgers...NL...I pick Rutgers
UNLV at Wisconsin...Wisconsin by 36...I pick Wisconsin
Montana State at Utah...NL...I pick Utah
Mississippi State at Memphis...Miss. State by 31...I pick Memphis against the spread
Wake Forest at Syracuse...Syracuse by 6.5...I pick Syracuse
Bowling Green at Idaho...Idaho by 6.5...I pick Idaho
Kentucky vs. W. Kentucky (at Nashville)...UK by 18...I pick Kentucky
UC-Davis at Arizona State...NL...I pick Arizona State
9/2
Youngstown State at Michigan State...NL...I pick MSU
TCU at Baylor...TCU by 5...I pick TCU
9/3
Missouri at Miami (Ohio)...Mizzou by 20.5...I pick Miami (OH) against the spread
Indiana State at Penn State...NL...I pick Penn State
Tennessee Tech at Iowa...NL...I pick Iowa
Akron at Ohio State...OSU by 34...I pick Ohio State
Middle Tennessee at Purdue...NL...I pick Purdue
Fordham at UConn...NL...I pick UConn
Northwestern at Boston College...BC by 3...I pick Northwestern (UPSET)
Utah State at Auburn...Auburn by 23...I pick Auburn
Kent State at Alabama...Alabama by 38...I pick Bama
Appalachian State at Virginia Tech...NL...I pick Va. Tech
South Dakota at Air Force...NL...I pick Air Force
South Florida at Notre Dame...ND by 10..I pick ND
Minnesota at USC...USC by 23...I pick USC
Western Michigan at Michigan...UM by 14...I pick Michigan
UCLA at Houston...Houston by 3...I pick UCLA (UPSET)
Arkansas State at Illinois...NL...I pick Illinois
ULM at Florida State...NL..I pick FSU
Troy at Clemson...NL...I pick Clemson
James Madison at North Carolina...NL...I pick UNC
SE Louisiana at Tulane...NL...I pick Tulane
Delaware at Navy...NL...I pick Navy
Chattanooga at Nebraska...NL... I pick Nebraska
Sacramento State at Oregon State...NL..I pick OSU
BYU at Ole Miss...BYU by 3...I pick BYU
Idaho State at Washington State...NL...I pick WSU
San Jose State at Stanford...Stanford by 30...I pick Stanford
Liberty at NC State...NL...I pick NC State
William & Mary at Virginia...NL...W&M (UPSET)
Montana at Tennessee...NL...Tennessee
Buffalo at Pitt...Pitt by 30...I pick Pitt
UL-Lafayette at Oklahoma St....NL...OSU
Texas State at Texas Tech...NL...Tech
Missouri State at Arkansas...NL...Arkansas
Austin Peay at Cincinnati...NL...UC
Florida Atlantic at Florida...NL...Florida
Richmond at Duke...NL...Duke
East Carolina vs. South Carolina (at Charlotte)...SC by 21...ECU against the spread
Army at N. Illinois...NIU by 10.5...NIU
Fresno State at Cal...Cal by 10.5...Fresno State (UPSET)
N. Iowa at Iowa...NL...Iowa
Howard at E. MIchigan...NL...EMU
E. Kentucky at Kansas State...NL...K State
McNeese State at Kansas...NL...Kansas
Indiana vs. Ball State (at Indianapolis)...IU by 6...I pick IU
E. Washington at Washington...NL...I pick Washington
Charleston Southern at UCF...NL...UCF
Elon at Vandy...NL...Vandy
LSU vs. Oregon (at Arlington)...NL...Oregon
Boise State vs. Georgia (at Atlanta)...Boise by 3...Boise State
Ohio at New Mexico State...Ohio by 7... Ohio
Rice at Texas...Texas by 24...Texas
Tulsa at Oklahoma...OU by 25...OU
Weber State at Wyoming...NL...Wyoming
Stony Brook at UTEP...NL...UTEP
Louisiana Tech at Southern Miss...Southern Miss by 12...Southern Miss
Cal Poly at San Diego State...NL...SDSU
N. Arizona at Arizona...NL...Arizona
Colorado at Hawaii...Hawaii by 7...Hawaii
9/4
Marshall at West Virginia...WVU by 23...WVU
SMU at Texas A&M...A&M by 16...SMU against the spread
9/5
Miami at Maryland...NL...Maryland
9/1
Murray State at Louisville...NL...I pick Louisville
South Carolina State at Central Michigan...NL...I pick C. Michigan
Villanova at Temple...NL...I pick Villanova (UPSET)
New Hampshire at Toledo...NL...I pick Toledo
North Texas at FIU...FIU by 14...I pick UNT against the spread
Western Carolina at Georgia Tech...NL...I pick Ga. Tech
NC Central at Rutgers...NL...I pick Rutgers
UNLV at Wisconsin...Wisconsin by 36...I pick Wisconsin
Montana State at Utah...NL...I pick Utah
Mississippi State at Memphis...Miss. State by 31...I pick Memphis against the spread
Wake Forest at Syracuse...Syracuse by 6.5...I pick Syracuse
Bowling Green at Idaho...Idaho by 6.5...I pick Idaho
Kentucky vs. W. Kentucky (at Nashville)...UK by 18...I pick Kentucky
UC-Davis at Arizona State...NL...I pick Arizona State
9/2
Youngstown State at Michigan State...NL...I pick MSU
TCU at Baylor...TCU by 5...I pick TCU
9/3
Missouri at Miami (Ohio)...Mizzou by 20.5...I pick Miami (OH) against the spread
Indiana State at Penn State...NL...I pick Penn State
Tennessee Tech at Iowa...NL...I pick Iowa
Akron at Ohio State...OSU by 34...I pick Ohio State
Middle Tennessee at Purdue...NL...I pick Purdue
Fordham at UConn...NL...I pick UConn
Northwestern at Boston College...BC by 3...I pick Northwestern (UPSET)
Utah State at Auburn...Auburn by 23...I pick Auburn
Kent State at Alabama...Alabama by 38...I pick Bama
Appalachian State at Virginia Tech...NL...I pick Va. Tech
South Dakota at Air Force...NL...I pick Air Force
South Florida at Notre Dame...ND by 10..I pick ND
Minnesota at USC...USC by 23...I pick USC
Western Michigan at Michigan...UM by 14...I pick Michigan
UCLA at Houston...Houston by 3...I pick UCLA (UPSET)
Arkansas State at Illinois...NL...I pick Illinois
ULM at Florida State...NL..I pick FSU
Troy at Clemson...NL...I pick Clemson
James Madison at North Carolina...NL...I pick UNC
SE Louisiana at Tulane...NL...I pick Tulane
Delaware at Navy...NL...I pick Navy
Chattanooga at Nebraska...NL... I pick Nebraska
Sacramento State at Oregon State...NL..I pick OSU
BYU at Ole Miss...BYU by 3...I pick BYU
Idaho State at Washington State...NL...I pick WSU
San Jose State at Stanford...Stanford by 30...I pick Stanford
Liberty at NC State...NL...I pick NC State
William & Mary at Virginia...NL...W&M (UPSET)
Montana at Tennessee...NL...Tennessee
Buffalo at Pitt...Pitt by 30...I pick Pitt
UL-Lafayette at Oklahoma St....NL...OSU
Texas State at Texas Tech...NL...Tech
Missouri State at Arkansas...NL...Arkansas
Austin Peay at Cincinnati...NL...UC
Florida Atlantic at Florida...NL...Florida
Richmond at Duke...NL...Duke
East Carolina vs. South Carolina (at Charlotte)...SC by 21...ECU against the spread
Army at N. Illinois...NIU by 10.5...NIU
Fresno State at Cal...Cal by 10.5...Fresno State (UPSET)
N. Iowa at Iowa...NL...Iowa
Howard at E. MIchigan...NL...EMU
E. Kentucky at Kansas State...NL...K State
McNeese State at Kansas...NL...Kansas
Indiana vs. Ball State (at Indianapolis)...IU by 6...I pick IU
E. Washington at Washington...NL...I pick Washington
Charleston Southern at UCF...NL...UCF
Elon at Vandy...NL...Vandy
LSU vs. Oregon (at Arlington)...NL...Oregon
Boise State vs. Georgia (at Atlanta)...Boise by 3...Boise State
Ohio at New Mexico State...Ohio by 7... Ohio
Rice at Texas...Texas by 24...Texas
Tulsa at Oklahoma...OU by 25...OU
Weber State at Wyoming...NL...Wyoming
Stony Brook at UTEP...NL...UTEP
Louisiana Tech at Southern Miss...Southern Miss by 12...Southern Miss
Cal Poly at San Diego State...NL...SDSU
N. Arizona at Arizona...NL...Arizona
Colorado at Hawaii...Hawaii by 7...Hawaii
9/4
Marshall at West Virginia...WVU by 23...WVU
SMU at Texas A&M...A&M by 16...SMU against the spread
9/5
Miami at Maryland...NL...Maryland
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