Week One Picks

Thursday

South Carolina over Vanderbilt

UCF over Akron

Ball State over E. Michigan

C. Michigan over SE Missouri State

Kent State over Towson

Utah over N. Colorado

M. Tennessee over McNeese State

S. Alabama over UTSA

Connecticut over UMass

Texas A&M over Louisiana Tech

UCLA over Rice

New Mexico State over Sacramento State

Utah State over S. Utah

E. Washington over Idaho

BYU over Washington State

Arizona State over N. Arizona

UNLV over Minnesota

 

Friday

Temple over Villanova

NC State over Tennessee

Florida Atlantic over Wagner

Michigan State over Boise State

Stanford over San Jose State

 

Saturday

Notre Dame over Navy

East Carolina over Appalachian State

Troy over UAB

Illinois over W. Michigan

Ohio State over Miami (Ohio)

Penn State over Ohio

Northwestern over Syracuse

West Virginia over Marshall

Georgia over Buffalo

North Carolina over Elon

Air Force over Idaho State

Maryland over William & Mary

Virginia over Richmond

California over Nevada

Oregon State over Nicholls State

Nebraska over Southern Miss

Purdue over E. Kentucky

Wisconsin over N. Iowa

Tulsa over Iowa State

Miami over Boston College

Iowa over N. Illinois

Florida over Bowling Green

Colorado over Colorado State

New Mexico over Southern

Florida State over Murray State

Pittsburgh over Youngstown State

Wake Forest over Liberty

Memphis over UT-Martin

South Florida over Chattanooga

W. Kentucky over Austin Peay

FIU over Duke

Missouri over SE Louisiana

Oklahoma State over Savannah State

Kansas over South Dakota State

UL-Lafayette over Lamar

Arkansas over Jacksonville State

Clemson over Auburn

LSU over North Texas

Ole Miss over C. Arkansas

Mississippi State over Jackson State

Texas Tech over Northwestern State

Kansas State over Missouri State

USC over Hawaii

Rutgers over Tulane

Indiana over Indiana State

Michigan over Alabama

Houston over Texas State

Texas over Wyoming

Fresno State over Weber State

Oklahoma over UTEP

Arizona over Toledo

Oregon over Arkansas State

Washington over San Diego State

 

Sunday

Louisville over Kentucky

Baylor over SMU

 

Monday

Virginia Tech over Georgia Tech

 

FCS Games

 

Thursday

Morehead State over S. Virginia

Fordham over Lock Haven

W. Illinois over Butler

Stephen F Austin over SW Oklahoma

Campbell over Shorter

New Hampshire over Holy Cross

S. Illinois over E. Illinois

Delaware over West Chester

Georgia State over South Carolina State

Tennessee Tech over Hampton

St. Joseph’s (IN) over Valporaiso

Western Carolina over Mars Hill

North Dakota over South Dakota Mines

 

Saturday

Lehigh over Monmouth

Morgan State over Sacred Heart

VMI over Delaware State

Illinois State over Dayton

Presbyterian over Brevard

Bryant over Marist

Montana over South Dakota

Howard over Morehouse

Furman over Samford

Citadel over Charleston Southern

Georgia Southern over Jacksonville

Albany over Colgate

UA-Pine Bluff over Langston

NC Central over Fayetteville State

Stony Brook over C. Connecticut State

Coastal Carolina over North Carolina A&T

Old Dominion over Duquesne

Wofford over Gardner-Webb

Concordia (AL) over Mississippi Valley State

James Madison over St. Francis

Georgetown over Davidson

Norfolk State over Virginia State

Florida A&M over Tennessee State

Grambling over Alcorn State

Alabama A&M over Tuskegee

North Dakota State over Robert Morris

Cal Poly over San Diego

Drake over Grand View

Texas Southern over Prairie View

Portland State over Carroll

UC-Davis over Azusa Pacific

Montana State over Chadron State

 

Sunday

Bethune-Cookman over Alabama State

 

College Football Kicks Off!

We are back to our favorite time of year once again!!! College football opens tonight. Ccheck the site often all weekend for live updates!!!
http://powerratedsports.com/

Assumption and American International 2012 Previews

Please join us as Paul MacInnis continues to preview the 2012 Northeast 10 Conference season school by school. His latest installments include looks at the Hounds of Assumption College, and the Yellow Jackets of American International. READ MORE

Missouri Tigers 2012 Preview

Gary Pinkel has had some success in his career at Missouri, but Missouri was never a functional power in the Big 12 on any regularity, so I find it almost laughable that the SEC will be any more hospitable to the long term chances of the Tigers than the Big 12 was. Missouri has dropped, in my opinion, from a top 4 Big 12 program to a top 8 program in the SEC, and their chances there may not be that good. They believe that with increased money and conference status, that they will be able to attract bigger recruits, and more national attention. What I see is another Kentucky, Vandy, and Mississippi State. This will not end well for the Tiger program as a whole. READ MORE

Florida Gators 2012 Preview

The Gators are not in the class of Georgia and South Carolina in the SEC East. Will Muschamp was highly thought of by the UF administration when they brought him in from Texas, but last season's 7-6 record was not what they were expecting. Florida was young last fall, but they were talented, so it's hard to see why things went the way they did, especially on offense. If the Gators cannot get things turned around this season, the heat will be on super high next fall. The defense should still be amazingly talented, but with no offense to speak of, it may not mean much when it comes to the SEC East race. Expect another middle of the road season, as this team more resembles the Charlie Pell Gators rather than the Urban Meyer Gators. READ MORE

South Carolina Gamecocks 2012 Preview

South Carolina is one of my dark horse candidates to win the SEC this fall. There is nothing that I see that tells me that the Gamecocks cannot make a run at not only the SEC, but could be an outside candidate for a national title run this fall, especially if Lattimore is healthy. Connor Shaw should have a huge season this fall, and this defense is one of the more talented units in the nation, despite using so many new starters this season. If the Gamecocks get through camp healthy, expect huge things this fall. READ MORE

Bilo Football Joins Tha SportsKrib Radio Show

Check out the podcast from last week on blogtalk radio as I joined Tha SportKrib radio show to talk NFL football. We discussed Terrell Owens in Seattle, Chad Johnson (pre-wife beating), Randy Moss, and as much else as we could squeeze in.
http://kingzkrib.com/
It's the top  "Tha SPORTSKRIB" choice for last week's show.

Hope you all enjoy it. Will be doing some other college football appearances throughout the season on various outlets.

Tyrann Mathieu Kicked Off of LSU Football Team

In breaking news, Tyrann Mathieu, otherwise known by his ridiculous moniker the "Honey Badger", has been kicked off of the LSU football team for a violation of athletic department rules. This is a stinger for LSU, as they lack experience behind him, with the guys in the 3 and 4 position on the depth chart are both freshmen. He leaves a void not only in the secondary, but at punt returner as well, and Les Miles projects Odell Beckham to get a majority of the work in camp at that spot going forward. No specifics have bene given about what the violation was, but Mathieu does have a history of suspension for drug use. It has not been released that the issue was at play here.
More info as it becomes available.

Georgia Bulldogs 2012 Preview

The Bulldogs may have some issues in the run game this fall, but Aaron Murray should be able to guide a very strong passing attack to make up for it. They won't need much from the new back, but will need just enough to keep defenses honest. A more pressing issue is fixing the line, as there will be little time to mold in 3 new starters. Defensively, the Bulldogs are all set, especially with stars like Jarvis Jones and Bacarri Rambo back in play. This could be one of the best defenses in the country, and along with Murray's ability to pass and scores, Georgia could be in even better position to win this season than they were a year ago. READ MORE

LSU Tigers 2012 Preview

Few teams in the country can claim that they have a legit shot at winning a national title. LSU is one of those teams. They have a great coach in Les Miles, and even though they have some questions or holes here and there, you have to believe that Miles and his staff will find a way to patch them early, and have this team clicking out of the gate. The schedule is highly favorable, as Alabama comes to Baton Rouge, and the first three games are all extremely winnable at home. Don't be surprised to see LSU right at the top at the end of this season. READ MORE

Indiana Hoosiers 2012 Preview

The Hoosiers have needs everywhere on the roster, and Kevin Wilson has his hands full. Honestly, the roster is so devoid of talent, another one win season is as possible as anything. Don't even dream of going to a bowl in Bloomington, because that would be a pipe dream extreme. It's going to be a long while to build this program into a winner. READ MORE

Minnesota Golden Gophers 2012 Preview

The Gophers look like an absolute mess on paper. When I try to point out positives for Jerry Kill and his staff, I struggle to find many. This team just has to work on getting better, and they have a long way to go to get to that point. No joke, this is going to be a struggle, and Kill has suffered through ailments that make me wonder if he has the gas in the tank to get this job done. I can tell you one thing, it won't happen this season, and I worry especially about that home date with New Hampshire in week two. If the Gophers lose the road opener to UNLV, it's going to be a very long season indeed. READ MORE

Illinois Fighting Illini 2012 Preview

The illini are starting a new era under former Toledo coach Tim Beckman, a guy who put Toledo back on the map after a few years of struggles. I believe that Beckman has the ability to put Illinois on a very good course, but it may take a season or two to get it all together. A bowl is not out of the realm of possibilities, but a run at a conference title is unlikely. Beckman will get it together, and will likely do it sooner than later. That being said, if you turn your back on Illinois, they may bite you, especially this defense. READ MORE

St. Anselm Hawks 2012 Preview

It is my pleasure to introduce Paul MacInnis as our newest contributor for the Bilo College Football Report and powerratedsports.com. Please join us as Paul will be covering the Northeast 10, NESCAC, and Centennial Conferences for us all season long.
Paul starts out by previewing the St. Anselm Hawks of the D2 Northeast 10 Conference. READ MORE

Northwestern Wildcats 2012 Preview

Northwestern looks like a huge candidate to disappoint this fall. Kolter Cain is a super athlete, but can he develop into a super QB this fall? If he does not, the season will be derailed. The defense did little to apply pressure last fall, and that, too, is a major issue that needs to be resolved. If not, the inexperienced secondary could get exposed often and early. Northwestern does not look primed to contend this fall, and even though the schedule is built for success early, I still see voids in the overall game here. READ MORE

Purdue Boilermakers 2012 Preview

When you have as much returning experience as Purdue does, expectations have to be high. That is why we will have Danny Hope on the hot seat, as if he does not make a run at a really good bowl this season, or if he fails to even pick up a winning record, he may find his way out, as he spent all of last season in that same place. Expectations will be raging, and he will carry the torch. Purdue has enough on paper to challenge as an upset candidate for a major run at a divisional title, and it would be a huge disappointment if they don't make that run. They don't have to win it, they just have to challenge, and that should be enough. READ MORE

Iowa Hawkeyes 2012 Preview

The Hawkeyes are in rebuilding mode, especially on defense, and will also have to new coordinators. This will probably lead to some bumps and bruises, and I think that it could be a bad year for Iowa football. Iowa will find it toough going to get to a bowl this season, as the inexperience on defense may lose them some games this fall. Kirk Ferentz has been riding the middle line of success or failure for years now, so I will be looking at hom as a hot seat candidate for 2012. READ MORE

Penn State Nittany Lions 2012 Preview

I know that the title of this post is misleading, but it is with regret that I announce that I will not be writing a preview of the 2012 Penn State football program. There is too much roster fluidity ongoing for me to write an accurate portrayal of what is going on inside the Penn State football program at this time, so rather than writing what may be innacurate and mistimed information for you to read, I would rather not waste your time, or mine, on writing up something that will not make sense a week or two from when I wrote it.
I admit that I have made mistakes in the past in regards to reporting information that proved to be inaccurate later, and in so learning from these mistakes, I wish not to take you down that path once more.

Sincerely,
Scott Bilo

Nebraska Cornhuskers 2012 Preview

Nebraska has some issues to consider heading into 2012. They need to get their line to gel quickly, as they replace 3 starters there on offense. They need to find a way to beef up against the run, as they allowed 158.5 yards per game rushing last season. They also need to figure out how to finish, as they finished just 3-3 including their bowl loss last season. Those are pressing issues for Bo Pelini and staff this season. If the Huskers can get this all together, they could push past Michigan State in the division, and give Michigan a run for the division title and a spot in the Big 10 Title Game. The talent is there, but they now have to put it together. READ MORE

Ohio State Buckeyes 2012 Preview

Ohio State certainly hired the right guy in Urban Meyer, but he needs a little bit of time to get his pieces in order on the field to make his offense click to its top ability. The Buckeyes are not eligible to win the Big 10 title this fall as a fall out to all of the issues that got the previous administration booted out, so he has a pressure free year to build. Look for development beyond all else this season, but the Buckeyes won't be down long, so if you want to beat them, do it now.  READ MORE

Michigan State Spartans 2012 Preview

I am a huge believer in the coaching staff of Mark Dantonio, and so I believe that the offensive staff is going to figure out their inexperience at the skill positions on offense. They simply have to do so early to help out what should be one of the best defenses in the country this fall. The defense can likely win some games all by themselves, but they also could get worn down early if the offense does not come through. That cannot happen. I see a solid bowl in the making for MSU, but I do not believe that they have the ability to take out Michigan for the division crown this season. READ MORE

Michigan Wolverines 2012 Preview

The Wolverines are back on the national radar, and Brady Hoke has set the program up to continue this way for some time. The Alabama game will be telling, but the Wolverines have enough firepower on offense to overcome what could be a rebuilding Alabama D. Look for Michigan to be a big time player not just in the Big 10, but if they can defeat Alabama early, they could be playing for national attention in 2012, not just in conference play. READ MORE

Maryland Terrapins 2012 Preview

Randy Edsell was a bit of a dud in his first season at Maryland in 2011. He added nothing to a program that had some success under Ralph Friedgen, and quite frankly, looks like a bit of a bad hire right now. If Maryland is going to get back to decent, they have to fix the horrid defense that allowed 34.3 points per game last season, and get some productivity through the air on offense. If improvements are not found in these areas, you may as well expect Maryland to be home for the holidays once again, which is exactly what I believe will happen. READ MORE

Miami Hurricanes 2012 Preview

There are many problems at Miami, and there are more off the field than on. The Nevin Shapiro stuff is still floating around and damaging the program by the day, and now there are allegations made that Al Golden's staff used a Shapiro associate for illegal recruiting when they arrived as well. All of this is a stay tuned item.On the field, the Hurricanes are a giant mess. The defense looks thin and untalented overall, while the offense looks like the train could skip the tracks at any moment. Getting back to even for Miami would be something this fall, but I am not sure that they can. READ MORE

North Carolina Tar Heels 2012 Preview

This is going to be a bit of a wasted season at UNC, as the Heels are not eligible for a bowl, or for the ACC title game if they qualify die to sanctioned levied for the Butch Davis era. Everything is for the love of the game at UNC this fall, and it's a shame, as the offense really looks loaded enough to carry a rebuilding defense. The good news is that they'll still be eligible for our PRS rankings, so there's something. READ MORE

Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets 2012 Preview

Georgia Tech ranked second in the nation with 316.5 yards rushing per game last season. That looks likely to repeat this season, as all of the parts look poised to return that had a big part in that last season. If Washington can improve further on his passing this season (Tech ranked only 112th in passing offense), Tech could go much further and would be able to once again be in the race in the ACC. All that being said, I am looking for an improvement overall here, as Tech looks like a very nice football team heading into camp. Look for big things here. READ MORE

NC State Wolfpack 2012 Preview

The Wolfpack made a big move forward last fall, now it's all about keeping the momentum going in the right direction, which has not been a Tom O'Brien specialty. If NC State can get the mojo heading upward, they can certainly be a dark horse in the ACC title hunt, especially with weapons like Glennon and Amerson on the roster. The reality so far has been that O'Brien has never been able to establish a positive consistency in Raleigh or Boston, so it's hard to see which way the pendulum will swing in 2012. The talent is there, but will the coaching be there as well? This year will tell the tale. READ MORE

Florida State Seminoles 2012 Preview

The Seminoles were a major disappointment to many in 2011, and so they have much to prove in 2012. Many have FSU down for the top 10 in pre-season polls, and I think that the talent is there for that, but the Seminoles have to prove that they want it bad enough, and so therefore should be handed nothing. The pieces are certainly there to make a major move in ACC play, and the pressure is going to be on Jimbo Fisher to get the job done this season. By the way, the first two weeks on the schedule are absolutely pathetic, with dates against Murray State and Savannah State. Absolutely ridiculous of FSU to schedule two FCS opponents to open the season. READ MORE

Eastern Washington 2012 Overview

Despite its injury epidemic in 2011, the Eastern Washington University football team didn’t make excuses.The Eagles just reloaded for 2012. READ MORE

Temple Owls 2012 Preview

Temple held no grudges from getting kicked out of the Big East years ago, and the minute that the door opened, all was forgiven, and Tempe returned. They may be wishing that they had not done so, as Temple could very well float back to the bottom of the former home, a spot that they got quite used to. There is very little starting experience coming back this season, and so Temple may have a hard time getting back to a BCS level league after competing for several seasons in the MAC, where they found a way to win. It'll be about finding a way again for Steve Addazio's program in 2012, and I am wary about saying that it is possible to do. READ MORE

Syracuse Orange 2012 Preview

There is an amazing return in talent on the defensive side of the football, but the Orangemen are not nearly as solid on offense. With Nassib back at QB, the tools are there to improve the 90th ranked offense in the nation, and that is a must if Syracuse is to turn a corner and get back to finding ways to win under Doug Marrone. This is year four for Marrone, and so it's time to pick a consistent path for his program. That's easier said than done, as the Orangemen haven't known consistency for a long time. I do not feel good about 2012 for Syracuse, and it could get quite ugly. READ MORE

South Florida Bulls 2012 Preview

The Bulls took a real dive last season, finishing 2 games under .500. They need improvements at the top on offense, as BJ Daniels has to become a better passer, and by that, I mean he has to do better than hitting the short routes. The defense did a very poor job defending the pass last season, and that area alone killed this defense. Skip Holtz has got to find a way to push USF ahead of the average team that they have been for years. They always start out strong, and finish weak. That has got to change. READ MORE

Dispelling WAC Rumors

Here's our weekly WAC update. There is no WAC update. I just spoke via email with Jeff Hurd, acting WAC commissioner, and asked him about WAC rumors regarding anouncements that were said to be immenent by some readers and unnamed media outlets. I can tell you that these rumors are untrue at this time, and nothing is imminent at all. He has not even heard these rumors himself, and there is nothing on the table to be done in the next several days, and I expect no announcements or conversations even until the end of August at the earliest now.
Hurd does not make these decisions independently, and has to wait for approval from the WAC Board of Directors before making any announcements, and he has not received that green light at this time.
To make things perfectly clear, there will be no WAC football in 2013, and although there is still a strong desire to move forward with football in 2014 and beyond, it is not a necessity to keeping the WAC alive entirely. The priority is to keep the WAC alive in any way possible, and if that means that football dies and potentially never returns, they are ok with that, although it is not preferrable that way.
That's all there is at this time. There is no announcement forthcoming, and so nothing has changed. Beware of rumors that you hear, as almost all of it will be simple conjecture from unproven sources. I will update this post with a YouTube post very soon.
As always, feel free to contact me directly with any questions you may have in regards to the WAC or any other conference, and I will get you the answers that you need from direct sources within the conference or school, as to avoid potentially damaging or false rumors.

Scott Bilo
8/3/12

Pittsburgh Panthers 2012 Preview

The Panthers have some serious skill set power on offense, but if the line does not come together early, it may not matter. The defense is what worries me, as the Panthers may go from having one of the more solid defense in the country, to looking like swiss cheese overnight. There is a sever lack of experience and depth on defense, and the offense is going to have to score plenty and create long sustained drives to keep this unit off of the field. The defense is really the Achilles of the entire program right now, and Paul Chryst will have to find the pieces in his first season to keep it from imploding. The schedule is shameful, with two FCS opponents and a lower tier MAC team as non-conference foes outside of a home date with Virginia Tech. Pretty pathetic actually. READ MORE

FCS: Northeast Conference Preview

Here is our preview for the Northeast Conference for 2012. Our predicted order of finish is as follows:

1. Albany
2. Monmouth
3. Duquesne
4. Sacred Heart
5. Bryant
6. Central Connectcut State
7. Robert Morris
8. St. Francis
9. Wagner

READ MORE

Pre-Season All-Mountain West Team 2012

We are pleased to announce our Pre-Season Mountain West Team for 2012. Fresno State had 5 members on the team this season, while Wyoming had 3, Colorado State added 5. UNLV had one entry, Air Force added 3, Hawaii added 2, New Mexcio added 3, San Diego State added 4, Nevada added 1, and Boise State added 1 as well. READ MORE