As I begin writing this post, the 2017 college football season is just 11 days away! Camps are in full gear, and everyone is ramping up to get the season started. This season, there are a handful of games being played a week before the season begins in earnest, and this is known as "week zero". Here are my previews for the game being played on August 26th and 27th:
Oregon State at Colorado State
Date and Time: 8/26, 11:30 AM PST
TV: CBSSN
Point Spread: CSU -3.5
The Rams are opening up their brand new stadium for this game, which is something that has long been in the works. CSU cannot afford to pour all of their emotion into the stadium, as they still must play the game. The Rams figure to contend in the Mountain West Mountain Division in 2017.
Oregon State showed some signs of life, but Marcus McMariyon is gone at QB, having transferred to Fresno State after losing the job in camp to Jake Luton. The Beavers are getting more competitive in the PAC-12, but winning this game in front of what should be a hostile road crowd, may be a tall order.
Bilo's Pick: Colorado State
Portland State at BYU
Date and Time: 8/26, Noon PST
TV: ESPN
Point Spread: N/A
BYU opens the season with Tanner Mangum not having to look over his shoulder as the starting QB, which may be the best news coming out of the program right now. Mangum is a winner, and the Cougars have been identifying solid weapons to have around him in camp. Defensively, the Cougars should overwhelm the FCS Vikings fairly early on.
Portland State is not one of the favorites in the Big Sky conference, and are playing this game for a check, although they have won games against both Washington State and North Texas in recent years. Big Sky teams are always dangerous in early season tilts.
Bilo's Pick: BYU
Hawaii at U Mass
Date and Time: 8/26, 3PM PST
TV: None
Point Spread: PK
I am still having a great deal of trouble understanding why this game is a PK, when Hawaii is clearly the dominant team here, but the Rainbows do have a history of laying eggs when they have to travel across the mainland to the east coast. Still, Hawaii has the personnel and the talent to shake that image here.
U Mass will clearly try to turn this football game into a shootout if they can, as they have the best TE in the nation that nobody wants to acknowledge in Adam Breneman. Still, the Minutemen are coming off a two win season, and may not be much better than that in 2017.
Bilo's Pick: Hawaii
USF at San Jose State
Date and Time: 4:30PM PST
TV: CBSSN
Point Spread: USF -20
USF is coming back fully loaded in 2017 with new head coach Charlie Strong, as he has one of the most underrated QBs in the nation in Quentin Flowers, who led the Bulls in both passing and rushing last season. This game opened up at USF -25, but has settled down at -20.
San Jose State has a weapon in the secondary in CB Andre Charchere, who led the Spartans with 14 PBUs last fall, but the offense may not be up to speed with how fast the USF defense may be coming off of the edge. The Spartans may not have any other answers on defense as to how to stop Flowers.
Bilo's Pick: USF
Stanford vs. Rice @ Sydney, Australia
Date and Time: 8/26, 7PM PST
TV: ESPN
Point Spread: Stanford -30.5
David Shaw has won double digit games in five of six seasons as coach of the Cardinal, but they have some lingering issues at QB heading into 2017. Christian McCaffrey is gone at RB, and that removes a major weapon from the Cardinal arsenal. His replacement, Bryce Love, is getting a ton of love as we head into the season. The Cardinal defense should be stout, as always.
It baffles me as to how David Bailiff continues to survive at Rice, especially given how it seemed completely expected by the language used by the AD last fall that Bailiff would be removed once the season was completed. Imagine my surprise when that did not happen. Bailiff is all over the place as head coach of the Owls, and they just do not have the talent to run with the Cardinal, especially half a world away from the comforts of home.
Bilo's Pick: Stanford
Texas Southern at Florida A&M
Date and Time: 8/26, 3PM PST
TV: ESPN U
Point Spread: None (Bilo's Spread: TSU -2.5)
This is a classic HBCU Kickoff Classic game between members of the SWAC and MEAC. The Rattlers are at home, but are picked to finish in the middle of the MEAC as they try to claw their way back to a spot of respectability in the conference after some seriously down years.
The TSU Tigers have been up and down as of late, but may have just enough in the tank to steal a road win that could be a confidence builder as they prepare for a tough SWAC slate in the West.
Bilo's Pick: Texas Southern
Chattanooga at Jacksonville State
Date and Time: 8/26, 3:30 PST
TV: ESPN (Check Listings)
Point Spread: None (Bilo's Spread: JSU -6.5)
This is a showcase game between SoCon and Ohio Valley Conference powers. The JSU Gamecocks are playing at home, and are ranked sixth nationally in the FCS STATS pre-season top 25 poll. They are a definite national title contender, and should be a heavy favorite to repeat as OVC champs.
Chattanooga has a new head coach in Tom Arth, as Russ Huesman left after last season. The Mocs have been on a steady roll of late, and are looking to keep it going in a competitive top half of the SoCon. JSU comes in with the more stable situation, and so look for them to try to run the ball early to gain tempo control and momentum.
Bilo's Pick: Jacksonville State
Colgate at Cal Poly
Date and Time: 8/26, 4PM PST
TV: ESPN U
Point Spread: None (Bilo's Spread: CP -14.5)
The Cal Poly Mustangs open the season ranked #23 in the STATS FCS rankings and are picked to finish 3rd in the Big Sky, which is good enough to win several other conferences outright. The Mustangs use a sustained rushing attack out of the triple option to gain control over tempo, and that should not be a problem in the opener.
For the Colgate Red Raiders, this is a rare trip outside of the northeast region. They are currently unranked and are looking for an early statement win, one that will be difficult to obtain.
Bilo's Pick: Cal Poly
Richmond at Sam Houston State
Date and Time: 8/27, 4PM PST
TV: ESPN
Point Spread: None (Bilo's Spread: SHSU -1.5)
In what seems to me is the best game of the weekend overall, we get a clash of two top ten programs in the early STATS FCS rankings. Sam Houston State is ranked 3rd nationally, while the Spiders come in at seventh. We should get a major clash of the titans here, and this shows why FCS and D2 football know what they are doing, as either team could lose here and still be a major FCS title contender with a full blown playoff. This is a major contest between what should be two elite FCS programs in 2017.
Bilo's Pick: Sam Houston State, unless Richmond PK Griffin Trau gets a shot to win it late.
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