Week Two

WEEK TWO

DREAMS DASHED … last week fully half of the teams who took the field had their dreams of a national championship smashed to pieces … more smashing will occur this weekend.

SHORT FUSE … after spring practice and fall camp, you’d think it would have been easy for Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly to pick a starting quarterback he could stick with … well, it took Kelly all of one half of one football game to yank starter Dayne Crist in favor of Tommy Rees … at a place like Notre Dame, had the kid’s last name been “Christ,” he’d still be the starting quarterback.

TRIVIA QUESTION OF THE WEEK: What is the maximum number of points a college football team can win by in overtime?

TOP OF THE HEAP … 1) Oklahoma, 2) LSU, 3) Boise State, 4) Alabama, 5) Texas A&M, 6) Stanford, 7) Wisconsin, 8) Oklahoma State, 9) Sacramento State, 10) Nebraska, 11) Virginia Tech, 12) Oregon, 13) South Carolina, 14) Mississippi State, 15) Baylor, 16) Penn State, 17) Florida, 18) South Florida, 19) West Virginia, 20) Arizona State, 21) Brigham Young, 22) Northwestern, 23) Arizona State, 24) USC, 25) California.

THE OTHER END … 120) State of Oregon (0-2), 119) State of New Mexico (0-2), 118) Catholic Schools (0-2), 117) Bulldogs (1-3).

This week’s picks are as follows:

ALABAMA over PENN STATE … the winner gets a leg up in the national title hunt. A rare early-season showdown when other schools tend to fatten their win-loss record. Bama by 20.

MISSISSIPPI STATE over AUBURN … the defending national champions were lucky to beat lowly Utah State last week. They won’t be so lucky this time. Bulldogs by 4.

CAL over COLORADO … no, this is not a Pac-12 game. Or even a Pac-10 game. It was scheduled before Ralphie and the Buffaloes joined the westward expansion in college football. Therefore it does not count in the conference standings. Besides, Colorado has yet to prove it belongs in this conference. Cal, meanwhile, may be the league’s sleeper as it breaks in a talented new quarterback. Bears by 17.

STANFORD over DUKE … it’s being called the Battle of the SATs. Which is a good thing for the Dukies, because if we’re talking football here, the Blue Devils are decidedly on the short end of the stick. Stanford by 40.

OREGON over NEVADA … last week Oregon quarterback Darron Thomas said the season would pretty much be over if Ducks lost to LSU. After the Ducks did, indeed, lose to LSU, Thomas predictably started saying the Ducks still have a lot to play for. But they’d better not overlook always dangerous Nevada, coming off the greatest season and highest ranking in school history. Oregon by 14.

WASHINGTON STATE over UNLV … the Cougars are attempting to open 2-0 for the first time since Tupperware was invented, but with starting quarterback Jeff Tuel on the injured list, this season is nowhere near as bright as it once appeared. Wazzu by 10.

UCLA over SAN JOSE STATE … the Bruins definitely “Know the Way to San Jose” if we’re talking about the Spartan end zone. This one won’t be close. Bruins by 62.

WASHINGTON over HAWAII … homefield advantage to the Huskies, who survived an enormous scare last week from defending FCS champion Eastern Washington. Huskies by 1.

BYU over TEXAS … I keep telling people, the Boys from the Y are for real this year. BYU by 5.

NEBRASKA over FRESNO STATE … maybe it’s time for Pat Hill to rethink that “anyone, anywhere, anytime” philosophy. Huskers by 35.

SOUTH CAROLINA over GEORGIA … bad year for Bulldogs (see Fresno State). Gamecocks by 3.

TCU over AIR FORCE … the Horned Frogs are just too darn good to lose two in a row. Frogs by 10.

ARIZONA STATE over MISSOURI … Dennis Erickson is not messing around this year. The Devils are loaded and ready to rumble. Sun Devils by 14.

OHIO STATE over TOLEDO … the Buckeyes continue their march through everyone in Ohio who plays football. Next up, Moeller. Ohio State by 38.

UPSET OF THE WEEK: Utah over USC … until they emerge from under their bowl-less blanket, the Trojans appear relatively unmotivated from week to week. Otherwise, how to explain last week’s squeaker at miserable Minnesota? The Utes are anxious to make a statement that they belong in the Pac-12. No better place to do it than at the Los Angeles Coliseum. Utes by 4. (Upset record: 0-1).

ROUT OF THE WEEK: Wisconsin over Oregon State … let me be the first to say the meager Beavers will not win a football game this year. They especially won’t win at Wisconsin, which should be included in the conversation any time the words “national championship” come up.  Badgers by 50. (Rout record: 1-0).

DON’T BET ON IT, BUT: Notre Dame over Michigan … this used to be one of the biggest games on the college football landscape, but no more. The Irish desperately need a win after high expectations were dashed with last week’s miserable home performance against South Florida. Irish by 7. (Don’t bet record: 0-1).

FIVE EASY PICKS: This week’s money-back-guaranteed winners are Arkansas (over New Mexico), South Florida (over Ball State), LSU (over Northwestern State), West Virginia (over Norfolk State) and Florida State (over Charleston Southern). (FEP record: 5-0).

WORST GAME OF THE WEEK: Minnesota over New Mexico State … the perpetually rebuilding Gophers finally pick on someone their own size. Gophers by 21.

EMBARRASSMENT OF THE WEEK: Houston over North Texas … my goodness gracious, the Cougars will have six touchdowns by halftime. Houston by 47.

UC DAVIS over MONTANA STATE … both teams stepped into the Pac-12 last week and both were overwhelmed by superior foes, but the Bobcats did manage to keep it close at Utah. Too much talent at UC Davis to start 0-2, but this one won’t be easy. Aggies by 6.

OTHER GAMES:  Louisville over Florida International, Michigan State over Florida Atlantic, Iowa over Iowa State, Kentucky over Central Michigan, San Diego State over Army, Pittsburgh over Maine, Colorado State over Northern Colorado, Virginia Tech over East Carolina, Northwestern over Eastern Illinois, North Carolina State over Wake Forest, Clemson over Wofford, Southern Mississippi over Marshall, Tennessee over Cincinnati, Syracuse over Rhode Island, Mississippi over Southern Illinois, Florida over Alabama-Birmingham, Navy over Western Kentucky, Louisiana Tech over Central Arkansas, Illinois over South Dakota State, SMU over UTEP, Utah State over Weber State, and Wyoming over Texas State.

Last week: 61-8, season: 61-8, percentage: .884.