Week 1- Winners, Losers, Observations and Overreactions!

Week 1 of the college football season doesn’t usually bring us too much excitement outside of the fact that we’re back to playing college football- which I guess actually is quite exciting but I digress.  In most cases we got what we expected; a bunch of blowouts, a few exciting top 25 matchups and some serious head scratchers.

 

Winners

 

Moral victories- Oklahoma State, West Virginia & Virginia
Sure there are no moral wins in this sport but a few teams have a lot to take away from competitive losses.  Oklahoma State and West Virginia took FSU and Alabama, respectively by surprise.  Though they both came up just short, no one expected either team to be in the game, much less competitive.  The Cowboys played toe-to-toe with the defending champs and had some chances late in the game to take the lead.  West Virginia was in similar positions against the Tide and if it weren’t for some red zone miscues, we might be talking about week 1 shockers!  Virginia outscored UCLA 20-7 but were undone by three defensive touchdowns by the Bruins.

 

Texas A&M
Someone forgot to tell Kevin Sumlin that his team is supposed to be rebuilding and Kenny Hill isn’t Johnny Manziel.  South Carolina was the favorite by most media outlets to win the SEC East and were even in some people’s early playoff picks, but that made no difference to the Aggies.  Hill (44/60, 511, 3 TD’s) and A&M thoroughly dismantled the Gamecocks in Columbia, ending an 18-game home winning streak and potentially ending SC’s playoff hopes. 

 

USC
Few people in college football had a worse week leading up to this game then SC’s new head man, Steve Sarkisian.  Despite all the distraction, Sark and the Trojans were able to shut out the noise and turned in one of the most impressive performances of the week.  The Trojans ran 105 plays (105 PLAYS!!!) on offense and racked up 701 yards on their way to their 52-13 win over Fresno State.  It’s no secret that USC has talent but I think this certainly puts the Pac-12 on notice the SC will be a player. 

 

NDSU
Because everyone loves to get paid to beat the crap out people.

 

Losers

 

South Carolina
This could go in the overreaction column because I don’t necessarily think this is as much an indictment on SC as it is a wakeup call about A&M.  That said, the loss on Thursday exposed some glaring issues for Steve Spurrier’s team, especially in the defensive secondary.   

 

UCLA
This game should have been an explosion for Brett Hundley and the UCLA Bruins, but their 28-20 win over Virginia has left more questions than answers.  Virginia outgained UCLA and had it not been for three defensive touchdowns, we might be talking about one of the all-time week 1 upsets.  Hundley, a preseason Heisman candidate has yet to go from a good player with a ton of potential to the player that dominates week-in and week-out regardless of the opponent.  All is not lost for Jim Mora and UCLA, but this team needs to take some major strides in the next few weeks to be a serious contender in the Pac-12 South.

 

Washington
I’m not sure that there is a spelling for the sound the Huskies made late Saturday night after they stole a win at Hawai’I (AT HAWAI’I!!!!).  Bleegh!!!  There’s a good chance Hawai’i won’t win three games this season and the Huskies were a trendy dark horse pick to challenge for the North (including by yours truly).  While I don’t think it’s time to panic in Seattle, my blind faith that Chris Peterson is a step up from Sark might be wavering just a tad.

 

Miami
This was a tough game to watch and concerning if you are a Miami fan.  The ‘Canes looked painfully like the Miami teams we’ve come to expect out of Coral Gables- a far cry from the dominance of the 90’s and early 2000’s.  The offense failed to produce and the defense looked painfully uninspired. 

 

 

Overreactions

 

Texas A&M in the top four.  Look, I get the Aggies looked amazing on Thursday against South Carolina and there is a good chance they’ll end up competing in the SEC West.  Kevin Sumlin has a history of fielding explosive offenses and Kenny Hill joins a group of highly productive Sumlin quarterbacks; Manziel, Case Keenum, Sam Bradford, Jason White, Drew Brees, etc.  A&M’s couldn’t have kicked off the season any better, but we’ll see how this defense plays over the course of the season as they get deeper into the SEC schedule.

 

There are no dominant teams this year.  Ahh, come on, it’s week one and most teams are always working out the kinks.  Alabama got off to a sluggish start against Virginia Tech last season and went on to dominate almost every team they played until Auburn… which leads me to my next point.  Auburn nearly lost to Washington State to open the season last year and we all know how their season ended.  I fully expect Alabama, FSU and even UCLA dial it up in the coming weeks.

 

South Carolina!?!?  After getting crushed at home by Texas A&M it’s reasonable to assume that South Carolina’s season is essentially over.  I mean, there goes the East championship, no playoff berth, in fact, let’s just call the rest of SC’s season off.  Why bother?

 

The B1G’s playoff chances are over?  This might just be a slight overreaction but the light is dwindling.  Wisconsin could conceivably recover from its loss to LSU, run the table and win the B1G going 12-1, but that’s not likely.  JT Barrett did an admirable job but let’s face it, Ohio State doesn’t look like a contender without Braxton Miller.  Michigan State looks like the best candidate for the B1G to get a team into the playoff, which means the world is riding on their game at Oregon this week. 

 

Observations

The Big 12 is going to be much better than I originally thought.  Everyone’s been high on OU since their bowl win over Alabama, but Baylor, K-State and Texas each looked really solid in week one.  Even your middle of the pack Big 12 teams looked better than expected.  TCU seems to have found an offense, even if it was against Samford.  West Virginia and Oklahoma State both looked much better than expected in losing efforts against the No. 1 and No. 2 teams in the nation, respectively. 

Texas A&M wasn’t just a flash-in-the-pan.  Kevin Sumlin is a legit coach and he and the Aggies aren’t going anywhere.

North Dakota State is probably the 60^th best team in Division 1 football.  Okay, there’s no way to really rank them but they’re making a living feeding on FBS opponents.

Nick Saban and the up-tempo spread offense.  As great a defensive coach as Saban and DC Kirby Smart are, Alabama’s chances of going to the playoff and winning another title are slim if they can’t get a handle on these offenses.

Todd Gurley is the best running back in college football.  See Clemson game.

 

 

 Players of the Week

Kenny Hill, QB, TAMU

How about breaking Johnny Manziel’s single-game passing record in your first start?  Hill threw for 511 yards and three touchdowns as A&M drilled South Carolina.

Todd Gurley, RB, Georgia

Gurley accounted for 293 total yards, running for 198 and three touchdowns and capped things off with a 100 yard kickoff return for a touchdown helping UGA seal the deal against rival, Clemson.
 

Melvin Gordon, RB, Wisconsin

Gordon ran 16 times for 147 yards and a score in a losing effort to LSU.  Who knows how many he could have gone for had Wisconsin not inexplicably gone away from him in the second half.

 

Rashad Greene, WR, FSU
Greene had a career high 203 receiving yards on 11 catches against OK State and delivered a decisive 50-yard touchdown to help seal the win for the ‘Noles.

 

 

 

Top 25 Picks Review

 

No. 1 Florida State 37, Oklahoma State 31

Jameis and the Seminoles didn’t play their best game but took care of a feisty OK State.
Nick-Florida State, 38-21
Jeremy- FSU, 41-17

 

No. 2 Alabama 33, West Virginia 23
Concerns for Alabama?  West Virginia had a chance to win, but red zone blunders cost them.
Nick-Bama, 31-14
Jeremy- Alabama, 34-17

 

No. 3 Oregon 62, South Dakota State 13
Oregon vs. South Dakota… pretty much tells you all you need to know.
Nick-Oregon, 70-14
Jeremy- Oregon, 55-14

 

No. 4 Oklahoma 48, Louisiana Tech 16
Sooners were efficient in their win against Louisiana Tech.
Nick-Sooners, 56-35
Jeremy- OU, 42-10

 

No. 5 Ohio State 34, Navy 17
JT Barrett and OSU ran away from Navy late, but the Midshipman played the Buckeyes much closer than expect.
Nick-Ohio State, 35-24
Jeremy- OSU, 34-14

 

No. 6 Auburn 45, Arkansas 21
A tale of two halves.  Auburn turned on the afterburners in the second have scoring 24 points and shutting out Arkansas.
Nick-Auburn, 42-20
Jeremy- Auburn, 38-24

 

No. 7 UCLA 28, Virginia 20

Eesh!  UCLA and their Heisman-candidate offense were outscore 20-7 by Virginia’s offense.  Fortunately for the Bruins they managed three defensive touchdowns.  FYI- UVA was 2-10 last year.
Nick-UCLA, 45-24
Jeremy- UCLA, 38-14

 

No. 8 Michigan State 45, Jacksonville State 17
Sparty is primed for this week’s showdown with Oregon.
Nick-Michigan State, 38-3
Jeremy- Michigan State, 34-10

 

No. 10 Baylor 45, SMU 0
Art Briles thinks this is the best defense he’s had yet.  A scary though given Bryce Petty didn’t play in the second half.
Nick-Baylor, 48-34
Jeremy- Baylor, 45-21

 

No. 11 Stanford 45, UC Davis 0
Tune up for SC.
Nick-Stanford, 45-10
Jeremy- Stanford, 37-7

 

No. 12 Georgia 45, No. 16 Clemson 21
One team came away with answers, the other questions.  UGA looks like the real deal.
Nick-Georgia, 35-31
Jeremy- UGA, 31-27

 

No. 13 LSU 28, No. 14 Wisconsin 24
Never count out the “Mad-Hatter.”  LSU rallies in the second half outscoring the Badgers 21-7 on their way to the win.
Nick-LSU, 31-28
Jeremy- LSU, 24-23

 

No. 15 USC 52, Fresno State 13
Welcome to SoCal, Sark.  Glad you’re here.  Now here comes Stanford.
Nick-USC, 41-30
Jeremy- USC, 38-17

  

No. 17 Notre Dame 48, Rice 17
Despite the suspensions of their top receiver and defensive back, Everett Golson looked better than ever in his return to the Irish.
Nick-Notre Dame, 42-24
Jeremy- Notre Dame, 35-14

 

No. 18 Ole Miss 35, Boise State 13
The defense looked as advertised.  Unfortunately, so did Bo Wallace- hype and turnovers.
Nick-Ole Miss, 45-41
Jeremy- Ole Miss, 37-17

 

No. 19 Arizona State 45, Weber State 14
It was 38 before Weber State could blink.
Nick-ASU, 45-17
Jeremy- ASU, 51-14

 

No. 20 Kansas State 55, Stephen F. Austin 16
There’s a lot hype around K-State this year their 55-points against SFA is a good way to start.
Nick-Kansas State, 45-17
Jeremy- K-State, 35-10

 

No. 21 Texas A&M 52, No. 9 South Carolina 28
The first shocker to start the season.  A&M might have reloaded and SC has more holes to fill than we originally thought.
Nick-South Carolina, 38-31
Jeremy- South Carolina, 35-24

 

No. 22 Nebraska 55, Florida Atlantic 7
One down, seven more to go for Bo Polini and his Huskers.
Nick-Nebraska, 49-17
Jeremy- Nebraska, 34-7

 

No. 23 North Carolina 56, Liberty 29

This offense is dangerous with Marquise Williams.
Nick-North Carolina, 45-14
Jeremy- UNC, 45-14

 

No. 24 Missouri 38, South Dakota State 18
Maty Mauk was efficient in his first start of ’14, leading Mizzou to an easy win over SDSU
Nick-Missouri, 38-13
Jeremy- Mizzou, 41-13

 

No. 25 Washington 17, Hawai’i 16
We’ll see what kind of difference Cyler Miles can make when he comes back next week.
Nick-Washington, 48-10
Jeremy- Washington, 45-13



Happy week 2 to you all!  Check back for our Week 2 Preview.  As always, thanks for reading!  Follow us on Twitter @307CollegeFB

Week 1 Preview

Thursday

No. 21 Texas A&M @ No. 9 South Carolina, SEC Network, 6 p.m. ET

This is a great game to start the SEC and the college football season. Texas A&M looks a little weak on defense to stop a monster running game from the Gamecocks. Is this the start the USC needs to finally get to the SEC title game? This could be a little closer than it looks on paper. First game is always tough to choose, but USC should handle this game.

Nick-South Carolina, 38-31

Jeremy- South Carolina, 35-24

 

No. 18 Ole Miss vs. Boise State, Atlanta, Ga., ESPN 8 p.m. ET

A huge game for both teams as Ole Miss is looking to solidify and see its amazing 2013 recruiting class grow up this season and make some noise in the SEC. Boise State is breaking in a new coach and what better way to open up with a win over a ranked SEC school.

Nick-Ole Miss, 45-41

Jeremy- Ole Miss, 37-17

 

No. 19 Arizona State vs. Weber State, Pac-12 Network, 10:30 p.m. ET

Snoozer to start the season for the Sun Devils here and they should roll in this game.

Nick-ASU, 45-17

Jeremy- ASU, 51-14

 

Friday

No. 8 Michigan State vs. Jacksonville State, BTN, 7:30 p.m.

Is there really any need to talk about this one? If Sparty doesn’t win in a shutout in this game it will be a disappointment.

Nick-Michigan State, 38-3

Jeremy- Michigan State, 34-10

 

Saturday

No. 1 Florida State vs. Oklahoma State, Dallas, Texas, ABC, 8 p.m. ET

What a great opportunity for Florida State to open the season as the defending national champs on ABC and defeat a down Oklahoma State team. After researching a lot about the ‘Noles this year they could be better than last year. Do the ‘Noles start and end in Dallas? It all starts right here.

Nick-Florida State, 38-21

Jeremy- FSU, 41-17

 

 

No. 2 Alabama vs. West Virginia, Atlanta, Ga., ABC, 3:30 p.m. ET

The Tide are still without a starting quarterback, but with their style of football does it really matter? This is a big season for West Virginia and they could really use a game to shock the world on the first weekend of the season, but don’t expect that to happen. Bama may not look pretty in this game, but it should be able to run the ball all over a weak Mountaineer defense.

Nick-Bama, 31-14

Jeremy- Alabama, 34-17

 

No. 3 Oregon vs. South Dakota State, Pac-12 Network, 10:30 p.m. ET

Look for the Ducks to run up 70 points in this game. Marcus Mariota begins his attempt at a Heisman trophy run and this game should get him a great start.

Nick-Oregon, 70-14

Jeremy- Oregon, 55-14

 

No. 4 Oklahoma vs. Louisiana Tech, 7 p.m. ET

I am probably in the minority here but I do not think the Sooners are the No. 4 team in the country. I doubt we will see whether that is true this weekend as they should have no problem running over Tech. It will be interesting in this game to see how Sooner QB Trevor Knight gets his sophomore campaign off.

Nick-Sooners, 56-35

Jeremy- OU, 42-10

 

No. 5 Ohio State vs. Navy, CBS Sports Network, Noon

The Buckeyes have probably had the worst luck of any team in fall camp losing Braxton Miller, but that shouldn’t affect them in this game. Navy could make this game interesting for the first half, but the OSU defense is too tough to allow a major upset to start the season.

Nick-Ohio State, 35-24

Jeremy- OSU, 34-14

 

No. 6 Auburn vs. Arkansas, SEC Network, 4 p.m.

Can Auburn harness the miracle like it did last season? What effect does the Nick Marshall suspension have on the Tigers? Even though the Hogs can run the ball, I don’t think we will really know what Auburn is going to look like tell a few weeks. Arkansas should be improved but don’t expect them to hang with the Tigers in this game.

Nick-Auburn, 42-20

Jeremy- Auburn, 38-24

 

 

No. 7 UCLA vs. Virginia, ESPN, Noon

We have heard so much in the off season about UCLA’s return to the top and how they are a dark horse national title contender. Virginia could be sneaky to some teams, but Brett Hundley and the Bruins are looking to start their season off with a statement and I expect they will do just that.

Nick-UCLA, 45-24

Jeremy- UCLA, 38-14

 

No. 11 Stanford vs. UC Davis, Pac-12 Network, 4 p.m. ET

Another week one snoozer. Stanford is one of the most physical teams in the country and should have no problem with UC Davis. It will be interesting to watch if Kevin Hogan has truly claimed this team as his and what kind of fire the Cardinal show up with for this game.

Nick-Stanford, 45-10

Jeremy- Stanford, 37-7

 

No. 12 Georgia vs. No. 16 Clemson, ESPN, 5:30 p.m. ET

This is probably the most intriguing game of the weekend. Georgia looks like it is loaded and ready for a run at the SEC title and maybe even a national title. How do they replace Aaron Murray is the biggest question, but with the defense they have and the running game look out this team could be scary good. Clemson is in the same situation looking to replace an all-world quarterback in Tajh Boyd as well as receiver Sammy Watkins. This game to me comes down to who can control the ball better because both teams have great defenses (I know Clemson with a good defense right?). I think this comes down to Georgia at home and the Dawgs rushing attack.

Nick-Georgia, 35-31

Jeremy- UGA, 31-27

 

No. 13 LSU vs. No. 14 Wisconsin, ESPN, 9 p.m. ET

More questions than answers come from this game. Does LSU have a quarterback? Do they need one with Leonard Fournette running the ball? Will Fournette live up to the hype? For Wisconsin is Melvin Gordon the real deal and can he carry this team back to a B1G title? This like Clemson-Georgia is extremely intriguing. I think the speed of LSU will be the difference in an extremely close game.

Nick-LSU, 31-28

Jeremy- LSU, 24-23

 

No. 15 USC vs. Fresno State, FOX, 7:30 p.m. ET

The Sarkisian Era beings in LA and the Trojans look like a team that is ready to make its return to prominence. USC lacks depth, but its starting 22 are so good they will only need the bench after this game is out of hand. Fresno State is replacing too much after some mass attrition to the NFL including quarterback David Carr.

Nick-USC, 41-30

Jeremy- USC, 38-17

 

No. 17 Notre Dame vs. Rice, NBC, 3:30 p.m. ET

The Irish should be happy to have a serviceable quarterback in the mix with Everett Golsen back under center and are talented. They lose a lot on the defensive front, but should have no problem with the Owls.

Nick-Notre Dame, 42-24

Jeremy- Notre Dame, 35-14

 

No. 20 Kansas State vs. Stephen F. Austin, 7:10 p.m. ET

It’s not unheard of to see Kansas State lose to an FCS team to start the season, but don’t expect it to happen this week. SFA was just run over by Eastern Washington in week one of the FCS season and no way it can hang with the Wildcats.

Nick-Kansas State, 45-17

Jeremy- K-State, 35-10

 

 

No. 22 Nebraska vs. Florida Atlantic, BTN, 3:30 p.m. ET

Good way for the Huskers to get off on the right foot here. FAU is going to struggle breaking Nebraska’s opening-day winning streak. Watch for Ameer Abdula to look like the dark horse Heisman contender he is in this one. Huskers roll.

Nick-Nebraska, 49-17

Jeremy- Nebraska, 34-7

 

No. 23 North Carolina vs. Liberty, ESPN3, 6 p.m. ET

The Heels are a very young but talented team. It will be tough to see how good they really can be opening with an FCS program, but look for them to show some flashes of that talent.

Nick-North Carolina, 45-14

Jeremy- UNC, 45-14

 

No. 24 Missouri vs. South Dakota State, ESPNU, 3:30 p.m. ET

Missouri was the surprise team in the SEC last year with one of the best runs in the program’s history. Can they repeat it after losing some big names? We probably won’t find out too much about Mizzou in this one, unless they lose...

Nick-Missouri, 38-13

Jeremy- Mizzou, 41-13

 

No. 25 Washington @ Hawai’I, CBS Sports Network, 10:30 p.m. ET

Good way for the Chris Peterson era to get underway in Washington. Play a game in paradise and play one of the worst teams in college football. The Huskies have some question marks going into this season, but the Warriors are a bad team and UW should have no problem in this one.

Nick-Washington, 48-10

Jeremy- Washington, 45-13

 

Sunday

No. 10 Baylor vs. SMU, Fox Sports 1, 7:30 p.m.

This could be a sneaky close game as SMU can score with the Bears, but in the end Baylor has too much talent and speed for the Mustangs to keep up with. Plus Baylor is playing the opening game in its new facility no way the fall in this one. I think it will be closer, but Baylor pulls it off in the end.

Nick-Baylor, 48-34

Jeremy- Baylor, 45-21

 

 

 

Games to watch

 

There are two games that I am really interested in this weekend, Clemson-Georgia and LSU-Wisconsin. Both games are pretty even and could go either way.

 

Clemson @ Georgia

For the second straight year this is probably the most intriguing game in week one. Good for these two schools to schedule a tough game to start the season to see where they truly are.

 

Georgia

The Dawgs are loaded this season and ready to finally make the run to an SEC title and potentially a spot in the playoff. Offensively, Nick Marshal and Todd Gurley will carry the load for this unit and they are two of the best running backs in the country. Hutson Mason is a new starting quarterback but not new to the game and has plenty of experience to help this offense move the ball. Georgia’s defense is loaded just like its offense and it could be the best unit on this team. UGA is tough to beat at home especially when it is looking for revenge after last season. Expect this team to come out ready to play and Marshall and Gurley to be the difference makers in this game.

 

Clemson

The Tigers are replacing some serious pieces from a year ago in Tajh Boyd and Sammy Watkins so the offense could be the one question mark for this team. It is tough to have to open against such a great Georgia defense, but Dabbo Sweeney being the offensive guru he is should be able to get this offense moving during this game. For once expect the Tiger defense to be better than its offense and it could be the unit that keeps it in this game. Vick Beasley could be the best defensive lineman in the country and DC Brent Veneables should have this defense primed and ready to take on the Gurley-Marshall duo.

 

Analysis

If Georgia comes out and scores on the first two drives with a solid rushing attack lookout this one could be over early, but if the Clemson defense can get some early stops and slow down Gurley and Marshall this could be a battle. Clemson also needs to establish itself on offense with a couple nice long drives to start the game. If it gets in the red zone it better score touchdowns because against this Georgia defense opportunities are going to be few and far between. If the Bulldogs can get the Clemson offense off the field on third down the first few drives of this game and establish the running game early I could see this being a lopsided game, but I think Clemson has enough talent on defense to keep this one close and a little more low scoring than last season. I think Georgia will pull this one out and it is going to come down to a big play from its defense and a solid game from either Gurley or Marshall.

 

 

LSU vs. Wisconsin

This is the other great game to watch this opening weekend. Both of these teams are extremely evenly matched and they play damn near the same style of physical football.

Wisconsin

The biggest thing in this game for Wisconsin will be its rushing attack lead by Melvin Gordon. If the Badgers can use that extremely experienced offensive line and Gordon to get the ball going downhill they have the chance to meet LSU in physicality and make an early statement in Houston. I worry a little bit about the Badger defense against an equally physical offensive front and rushing attack from the Tigers, but this is going to be smash it out football game. The true key to this game could come from the Wisconsin passing game, if the Tigers start to shut down the rushing attack can Joel Stave and UW passing game get first downs and score points?

LSU

The Tigers have a lot more questions than the Badgers do, but they also have more top-to-bottom talent. Speed could be one of the biggest weapons for the Tigers in this game as they are hands down much faster than Wisconsin. LSU’s key in this one will be the ability to plug holes and win the battle at the line of scrimmage to stop the Badger rushing attack. On the offensive side of the ball for the Tigers getting Leonard Fournette some early touches and getting him confident in the game will be huge. This game will come down to some big plays from him and the Tiger running game.

Analysis

Physically these teams are very evenly matched, but one of the keys to this game will be LSU’s speed. If they can get around the edge as well as plug the lanes for Gordon and the Badger running game the Tigers could be on their way to an early statement game between the SEC and B1G. That being said if Gordon can find some running room and the Badgers can establish an early running game this could be extremely interesting. I think LSU’s team speed will be the key in this one, but this should be one of the best games of the weekend. I think this one is going to be extremely close and could come down to who has the ball the last drive.

 

Upset Alert

This one is tough to pick this week because they really good games are pitting ranked teams so those can be upsets. I know I may get some hate mail for this, but sorry Ohio State fans.

Ohio State-Navy: I can’t go so far as to call this an alert, but maybe a heightened level of anxiety should be the best way to put this. Ohio State’s defense is so good that it should have no trouble stopping the Navy Triple Option, but if Navy can make some early first downs and keep that defense on the field longer than expected this game could be closer than Ohio State fans want. Watch out for Ohio State to get a slow start on offense and Navy to start with some big plays. If Navy is in this game at the end of the third quarter watch out this could be an upset.

 

Players to watch

Vic Beasley-DE-Clemson: The Clemson defense could be the key in the game against Georgia and if Beasley can make some big plays for his defense it could give the Tigers the momentum to win this game.

Jamies Winston-QB-Florida State: How does the reigning Heisman trophy winning handle all the distraction and begin his run at a second-consecutive trophy? It will be interesting to see if he comes out on fire like he did last season.

Leonard Fournette-RB-LSU: The No. 1 overall recruit in 2014 should see plenty of playing time in the opener against Wisconsin. Will he live up to the hype and lead the Tigers this season?

Brett Hundley-QB-UCLA: Hundley and the Bruins start the season with a trip all the way across the country against a potentially sneaky Virginia team. Hundley is a Heisman candidate and this could be a great way for him to get some big numbers and a good win to start the season.

Trevor Knight-QB-Oklahoma: Knight missed a lot of time last season due to injury but came in to help the Sooners beat Bama in the Sugar Bowl. What does his sophomore season have in store? Knight’s success is going to be a key in the Sooners success. He needs another good start to the year to keep the momentum of 2013 going.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My Conference pick

ACC

Atlantic-Florida State

Coastal-North Carolina

Winner-Florida State

B1G

East-Michigan State

West-Wisconsin

Winner-Wisconsin

Big 12

Winner-Baylor

Pac 12

North-Oregon

South-UCLA

Winner-UCLA

SEC

East-Georgia

West-Alabama

Winner-Georgia

 

Four Teams in the Playoff

UCLA, Georgia, Florida State, Baylor

Championship Game: Florida State-Georgia

Champion: Florida State

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Preview: Allstate Sugar Bowl

Thursday, January 2

All-State Sugar Bowl- #11 Oklahoma vs. #3 Alabama, 8:30pm ET, ESPN

Alabama- Oklahoma has all the makings of BCS Blowout.  Alabama dominated opponents all season long (except, obviously against Auburn), while Oklahoma spent much of the season winning, but searching for an identity every week. 

It’s been a back and forth quarterback situation between Blake Bell, Trevor Knight and Kendal Thompson all season.   Bell played well after coming in for an injured Trevor Knight to lead the Sooners to a big road win at Oklahoma State.  Despite the win for Bell, there’s still no clear leader at quarterback and against a defense like Alabama that could pose a major problem.  That makes the job of Jalen Saunders and Brennan Clay that much more important for the Sooners.  If Saunders and Clay cannot help take the pressure off whoever lines up at quarterback, it’s going to be a long day for a Bob Stoops and this offense.

Alabama had been penciled in to the BCS Championship game since the preseason and after a historic loss to an Auburn team they were controlling, you have to wonder a little bit about how hungry this team will be.  It’s hard to question Nick Saban and senior quarterback AJ McCarron, who will look to punctuate a brilliant career with a fourth BCS Bowl win.  McCarron will lean on running back TJ Yeldon and a talented receiving corp against a solid Oklahoma defense that finished 22^nd in the nation. 

Alabama is a solid favorite in this game and rightly so.  Bob Stoops’ track record in big games is questionable and with three weeks to prepare, Nick Saban will certainly have this team chomping at the bit to erase the Iron Bowl memory.  I think Alabama will come out sharp and control the Sooners from start to finish.  Oklahoma is simply overmatched across the board and against this defense, not having a reliable quarterback under center will prove costly.  Bama will roll.

Our picks-

Jeremy- Alabama, 38-17
Nick- Alabama, 41-24