Week 5 Pick ‘em
Here's the Kinney boys inaugural college football blog, and what better way to begin, than with our picks of the week 5, top 25 match-ups. Things look pretty even between Nick and I this week as most these games seem to be no-brainers. Check back Monday to see how we did and talk crap if you want... Roll Tide.
#1 Alabama vs. Ole Miss
Alabama gets this one every time. ‘Bama has looked the part as best team in the country in each game they’ve played this season and this week will be more of the same. The Rebels are off to a good 3-1 start but their loss to Texas is a good indicator of how this game will look. Alabama is way too big, athletic and well coached and won’t have any trouble wrapping this one up.
Roll Tide, 41-10.
-Jeremy
I have to
agree. No matter the team ‘Bama has played this season they look to be heads
and shoulders above everyone else. At home in Bryant-Denny I do not see any way
the Rebels can pull one off here against the Tide. Ole Miss struggled to
contain a tough Texas running game giving up 650 total yards and over 350 on
the ground. They are 62nd in total defense this season giving up and
average of 373 yards and are playing a physical Tide offensive line that should
be able to impose its will. The interesting stat match up in this game is Ole
Miss is No. 11 in the country in rushing offense averaging 259 per outing,
while Alabama allows just 62 yards per contest on the ground. Besides that I
see no way the Rebs can sneak a victory here. (Let the hype for Nov. 3rd
begin).
‘Bama rolls, 42-14.
-Nick
Oregon should be able to control this game. Washington State is coming of an embarrassing loss to one of the worst teams in major college football in Colorado. The ‘Cougs allowed the Buffs offense to rack up 531 yards of total offense and score three touchdowns in the fourth quarter on their way to the one point loss. If Wash. St allowed 500 yards of offense to a team that could not move the ball on FCS opponent Sacramento State, what is going to happen to it when they run into one of the quickest and most efficient offenses in the country? The Ducks could hang a half a hundred in the first half of this one.
Ducks roll 65-24.
-Nick
Agree. See last week. The Ducks should handle the ‘Cougs about as
easily as they handle Arizona. I don’t
see a shout out in back to back weeks, especially with this being a home game
for Washington State but Oregon will pull away with more second half fireworks
and win big
(ready to see this team play someone).
I’m thinking 45-24 Ducks.
-JeremyTowson should give LSU a bit of a breather coming off and ugly win last week against Auburn. LSU will look to tighten things up this week in a tune-up game for an Oct. 6 meeting at the Swamp against the Gators.
Geaux Tigers, 41-3.
-Jeremy
At home in
Death Valley, LSU is virtually unbeatable especially against FCS opponents.
Even after a tough victory against Auburn last week (You have to admit, no
matter if Auburn is a good team or not, Jordan Hare is a tough place to play
and any SEC road win is tough) the Tigers have the eighth-best scoring defense
in the country. The Tigers offense should be able to get back on track with
their defense forcing a lot of three-and-outs from Towson. (Again let the hype
begin for Nov. 3).
52-13 LSU.
-Nick
#4 Florida State @ South Florida
Some would
call this a trap game for the ‘Noles. I do not really like that term, but I do
have to admit with everyone talking about how this team inserted itself in the
national title picture it puts that much more pressure on these kids. Fisher
has been in these situations before and will make sure this team does not
overlook anyone. If EJ Manuel can keep on rolling from that 480 yard
performance against Clemson, FSU wins this going away. South Florida is always
athletic and can make plays in space on offense, but the Seminoles defense is
probably the most talented it has been in years. I do not see this USF offense
able to move the ball against a deep and talented No. 2 ranked ‘Noles defense. FSU blowout 40-24.
-Nick
Coming off that big win last week against a very athletic Clemson team the Seminoles will look to roll into South Florida looking to avoid a letdown. South Florida is coming off a tough home loss to Rutgers last week but will have to wait another week to get back on track. The ‘Noles are far too talented and Fisher has this team keyed in. They should have no trouble against a turnover prone Bulls offense.
‘Noles 44-14.
-Jeremy
This looks to be a great SEC match up and perhaps a make or break game for Derek Dooley. How Tyler Bray handles Jarvis Jones and very nasty Georgia pass rush will be a key match up in this game. Georgia should be able to get in and out with a win, but expect the Vols and a very dangerous offense to give it everything they’ve got. I think this is a close one but Georgia wins at Rocky Top.
34-31 UGA.
-Jeremy
I see this game a little different, Georgia is coming off a dismantling of Vanderbilt (sure it is Vandy) racking up over 500 yards of total offense and 48 points. I am not sure how close I see this game, if we were talking about it in Knoxville than it might be played a little closer. Tennessee is off to a good 3-1 start, but this Georgia team is for real. I agree with Jeremy, the Georgia pass rush is as good as any in the country. The Vols’ struggled against an athletic Florida defense in their SEC opener. I think if they can keep Brey clean and he can throw the ball down field they have a chance to keep this close, but they will struggle with the team speed of Georgia. UGA by 17 to 24 points in this one.
31-14 Dawgs
-Nick
31-24 South Carolina.
-Nick
After
watching Kentucky stumble all over itself last week against the Gators, I would
be surprised to see them make a game out of this one. The Gators were a better team last week sure,
but Kentucky couldn’t get out of its own way in any phase of the game. I don’t see them having any better luck
against a tough Gamecock defensive line that will wreak havoc on the Wildcats
offense. South Carolina gets an easy win
38-13, against a bad Kentucky team and gets ready for the firing squat the next
four weeks of the season.
38-31 Gamecocks.
-Jeremy*Next game- vs. Kansas, Oct. 6
The last time we saw Stanford, they were putting it to USC with a combination of solid defense and a strong running game. They got a dose of their own medicine last night as the Huskies ran the ball right at the strength of this Cardinal defense totaling 136 yards on the ground while limiting Stanford to a mere 65 rushing yards of their own.
-Jeremy
This game
was very interesting to me. I thought that the Stanford front seven was one of
the best in the country after making Matt Barkley look like a pretty
unimpressive Heisman quarterback. Washington did exactly what it needed to do
it ran the ball to open up the pass. Let’s be honest 136 on the ground isn’t
stellar, but against this physical front seven it did what it needed opening up
the pass. The catch and run that scored the game-winning touchdown for
Washington was a big-time play. What a great win for Washington. Sarkisian has
this team on the rebound and it is just too bad that Seattle fans were still
hung over from the Monday Night Football debacle to sell Century Link Field
out. Come on people, its Thursday night prime time on ESPN against a top-10
team.
-NickThis should be an interesting game. I did not like the way West Virginia played against Maryland last weekend. They looked like a team that if that offense and Geno Smith cannot get rolling and the defense is forced to make stops they are in trouble. The good thing for them in this game is there is a chance they may break the scoreboard in Morgantown. I see WVU handling this game pretty well because of Geno Smith, but if the Mountaineers are looking ahead to TCU and Texas the next two weeks a pesky and talented Baylor team could sneak up on them. The over-under on this game is 83, I would expect it to eclipse that with both teams in the 50s.
The high flying Mountaineers 56-45
-Nick
West
Virginia opens up their Big12 schedule with a match up of undefeated teams and a
game that could set a record for points scored.
The Mountaineers are coming off an unimpressive win last week against
Maryland and will have their hands full with a Baylor team that’s averaging 53 points
a game of their own. Look for a
high flying shootout but West Virginia will be too strong led by Heisman
front runner Geno Smith.
51-31, West
Virginia.
-Jeremy
#10 Notre Dame IDLE
*Next game-
vs. Miami, Oct. 6 in Chicago
#11 Florida IDLE
*Next game-
vs LSU, Oct. 6
#12 Texas @ Oklahoma State
The
Longhorns seem to have found their starting quarterback in Davis Ash. Coupled with a solid running game and what
looks to be a very tough defense the Longhorns are looking more like the
Longhorns we’re used to seeing.
Offensively, Oklahoma State is as good as always, averaging a whopping
62 points a game, all be it against three laughable defenses. This will be a good gauge for the Longhorns
in a tough environment. Mack Brown has
never lost in Stillwater. 37-31, Texas.
-Jeremy
This Texas
team is for real. Ash is still gaining experience and confidence, but when you
have a three-headed monster at running back and some of the biggest road
graders in the country on the offensive line that take a lot of pressure off
your signal caller. I agree with Jeremy, the only thing that could make this a
little difficult for the Longhorns is it is in Stillwater. Oklahoma State is
pathetic on defense and as Texas has shown against some early opponents if you cannot
get the ball carrier down on the first hit he is going to thrash you for five
or six yards per pop.
Hook’em Horns in this one 37-24 Texas .
-NickUSC gets an easy win in this one. Barkley and the SC receivers will pick this bad Utah defense apart. The Trojans are a good team, but are very top heavy and lack the depth to really make a run at the Pac-12 Championship. Utah is 1-2 in its last three games with two bad losses- a blowout to Arizona State, who lets admit is not that great, and a loss to little brother Utah State. Let’s give Utah a pass on the little brother, hell I even beat Jeremy sometimes in backyard football, but the 37-7 loss to the Sun Devils is a bad loss. Sure the BYU victory was huge for the Utes, but that is a rivalry game and could go either way any year. The Trojans roll in this game.
42-17 USC.
-Nick
34-10, USC.
-Jeremy#14 Ohio State @ #20 Michigan State-
Braxton Miller versus the Michigan State defense will be the key match up to watch in this game. The Spartans have been playing very stout defense and have needed it with a one dimensional offense that will rely heavily on bell cow Le’Veon Bell. Braxton Miller will need a Heisman performance to pull a win out in Spartan Stadium but I see this Spartan defense taking away Miller’s receiving options and forcing him to try to win the game on his own. Not going to happen on the road, Miller.
I’m going 21-20, Michigan State.
-Jeremy
This being
built up as the game of the weekend is justifiable, but the B1G’s last chance
to show it maybe has a national caliber team. Ohio State is a pretty good team,
but without Braxton Miller it is in trouble, because it has no weapons around
him. This is Ohio State’s first test of the season after playing a soft
non-conference schedule (no Buckeye fans a 35-28 victory against California is
not a good win). For Michigan State if they can play solid defense and keep
Miller from going off they should be able to win this at home. Le’Veon Bell is
a work horse and has proven he can run the ball against anyone. Jeremy is
right, if this team stays one dimensional on offense handing Bell the ball 30
times a game it is going to be a struggle.
With this in East Lansing I give the
nod to Sparty 24-17.
-NickI do not see TCU having a problem with this game in Amon G. Carter. SMU can sling the ball all over the field, but this Gary Patterson defense is just as good as any he has had in the past. Losing Wesley James at running back for the season is tough, but Casey Pachall is the real deal at quarterback and this offense can score with the best of them. With the speed and talent on this defense I see no way SMU can sling the ball around the field like they want to. TCU wins going away. 42-21 Frogs.
-Nick
Ditto, TCU
will be tested this season but not this week against a bad SMU team. The Horned Frogs are playing well defensively
and Casey Pachall has a number of emerging play makers to throw to in the
passing game. TCU has no trouble in this
Dallas-Fort Worth match up.
35-10 TCU.
-JeremyNext game- @ Texas Tech, Oct. 6
Clemson will look to rebound after a tough loss on the road at Florida State last week. BC has thrown the ball surprisingly well this season but will need a big time performance by its defense to win this game. I don’t see that happening as Clemson boasts a bevy of play makers and a creative offensive coordinator in Chad Morris that will look to come out firing. Expect Clemson to get back on track with a good road win.
The Tigers rebound, 45-24.
-Jeremy
Watching
Clemson against Florida State last week, exposed some pretty glaring problems
on defense. That being said I expect Brent Venables to get this defense back on
track against Boston College. The Eagles have the No. 16 passing offense in the
nation right now and if they can get that on track they could give Clemson some
fits in Chestnut Hill. Defensively, the Eagles have been pretty bad and I do
not see them able to slow the high flying offense of Clemson down. Sammy Watkins
is one of the best all-round offensive threats in the country. Clemson should
be able to handle Boston College in this one, expect the score to be outside
the 9.5 point spread for the Tigers.
37-20 Clemson.
-NickThis one is very difficult to pick, because I am not sure what to think about either one of these teams. Sure Oregon State has what look quality wins against Wisconsin and UCLA, but how good are those teams really. They beat Wisconsin without Montee Ball and knocked off UCLA, who’s only good victory was at home against an OK Nebraska team. It seems like every few seasons Mike Riley and the Beavers get off to a great start with some big victories but regress during the middle of the season with some bad losses. Rich Rodriguez has been able to install his offense at Arizona much faster than I would have expected and this team can score like crazy. The interesting stat from this game will be points scored; Oregon State is 113th in points scored while Arizona is 39th. If this game begins to look like a shootout, lookout, because that No. 18 ranking maybe short lived for the Beavers. With this game in Tucson where ‘Zona is 3-0 this season I give the nod to the Wildcats.
35-28 Arizona.
-Nick
After the
goose egg against Oregon last week, I’m not buying RichRod and the ‘Zona
offense yet. Mike Riley has his Beavers
playing well early this season with two solid wins against Wisconsin and
UCLA. Oregon State will need its
defensive to come up big against an up and down Arizona team that can score in
bunches. Expect Riley to have his team
ready to play and come out of this one with a win. I think it’s tight, but a stingy, well
coached Beaver team gets the win.
27-24, Oregon State.
-JeremyCharlie Strong has his Louisville team playing well early this season and they should roll down to Southern Miss this weekend get an easy win against an 0-3 Southern Miss team that’s not doing anything well at the moment.
33-17, Louisville.
-Jeremy
I like this
Louisville team. I agree with Jeremy, Strong is a great coach and has this team
back on track to be a Big East contender. Teddy Bridgewater is one of the best
sophomore quarterbacks in the country and as a dual-threat option there is no
way an 0-3 Southern Miss team who is in the bottom third of every defensive
category can stop him and this Cardinals offense. Look for Louisville to roll
in this match up.
37-10 Louisville.
-NickNext game- @ Kentucky, Oct. 6
This is another difficult game to pick. What makes the difference in this game is does Monte Ball play for the Badgers. Without Ball this Wisconsin offense cannot move down the field as, he has nearly as many yards on the ground as quarterback Danny O’Brien has through the air. Both teams have a loss that makes you scratch your head. Nebraska has a great running game with Rex Burkhead and Ameer Abdullah who can carry this team. Taylor Martinez has improved throwing the ball this season, but if you make this offense throw the ball like UCLA did they will struggle. UCLA made Martinez make decisions in the pocket and it showed he is a running quarterback first. If Wisconsin forces him to throw the ball and puts pressure on him he has proven, like against UCLA that he cannot make the right decision. This game could go either way and do not read too much into the 11.5 points given to Nebraska in this one. Being forced to make a call in this I give the nod to the Huskers because of the running game.
24-21 for the ‘Skurs.
-Nick
It’s hard to
know what to make of the Huskers this season having only played one team worth
mentioning in a loss to UCLA. Taylor
Martinez has looked much improved throwing the ball this season and the Husker
running game looks as tough as ever.
It’s hard to imagine the Badgers will continue to struggle the way they
have this season but it’s even harder to imagine them going on the road at
Nebraska and stealing a victory. I’m
going with Nebraska but don’t be surprised to see an upset here.
24-20,
Huskers.
-Jeremy#23 Rutgers IDLE
Next game- vs UCONN, Oct. 6
A bad New Mexico defense looks to be just what a struggling Boise State offense needs. They’re not the Boise State of the past few years but are still well coached and Chris Peterson won’t settle for average. The Broncos defense has played very well this season and should have no trouble keeping the Lobos in check.
31-13, Boise State.
-Jeremy
Let’s get
one thing out straight, this is not the Boise State team of old where it would
just thrash lesser opponents like New Mexico. I have not been impressed with
the play of Southwick so far, maybe that is because I watched Kellen Moore
light up the field for the last four seasons. This offense has looked pretty
inept at points this season, but New Mexico is still pretty bad on defense and
the Broncos should be able to rack up some yards. New Mexico has shown it can
score but I don’t think the Broncos have any trouble with this one.
-Nick