Week Two Must-Watch College Football Games

Week two brings several conference openers, inaugural conference games for some Pac-12 teams and some interesting interstate match-ups. So get your food, beverages and college colors coordinated before Noon kick-off today.

1. USC/UGA: Would there be another game ahead of the Gamecocks? The naysayers are coming out of the woodwork against Richt. This is USC’s best team to enter through the gates of Sanford Stadium, and this might be one of worst offensively challenged Bulldogs team. Prediction: The Gamecocks walk the David Pollacks, I mean Dawgs 37-17.

2. Notre Dame/Michigan: Hopefully Mother Nature will not interrupt this game, as last week both teams sat through weather delays. Maybe Notre Dame Head Coach Brian Kelly has taken an anger management course since last Saturday, while Brady Hoke’s season actually begins this week against arch rival Notre Dame.
Prediction: The Irish break out their throwback uniforms and the Red Zone luck is on the side of the Fighting Irish this Saturday night as Notre Dame wins in the Big House 41-30.

3. Alabama/Penn State: Saban brings his herd of pachyderms up to Happy Valley to face JoePa and the Nittany Lions. This could be a defensive struggle as both teams’ QBs aren’t exactly proven players. I look for the SEC to continue its dominance over the Big 10 (+2).
Prediction: Roll Tide wins 24-16

4. Mississippi State/Auburn: The Bulldogs trek over to the Plains to take on a new looking Tigers team. No Newton on offense and no Fairley on defense equal trouble for the defending champs as we witnessed last Saturday versus Utah State. MSU is very explosive on offense but untested on defense. This game will be high scoring and I like the boys from Starkvegas to avenge last year’s loss.
Prediction: Mississippi State outlasts the Tigers in a shootout, 44-38.

5. Missouri/Arizona State: An interesting late Friday night game (10 pm). Missouri was unimpressive in week one with a win against an FCS opponent, while Arizona State ran up the score against a high school team. Look out for Sun Devils middle linebacker Vontaze Burfict, whom Sporting News voted as the most hated college football player because of his ferocity on the football field.
Prediction: (Friday night) ASU torches the Tigers in Tempe 33-17.

6. Texas/BYU: Interesting match-up of two potential conference opponents (rumor is Big 12 invites BYU to join Big 12 to replace Texas A&M). BYU was less impressive playing Ole Miss last Saturday and Texas speared Rice in a snoozer.
Prediction: BYU upsets Texas in Austin 24-17.

7. Utah/Southern Cal: Norm Chow returns to his roots in Southern California as the offensive coordinator for Utah. This is the Utes’ initial Pac-12 conference game, and they get to travel to the Coliseum and face the fighting Kiffins (Lane & Monte). USC is down, and Utah has never played a Pac-12 game.
Prediction: Utah wins its first Pac-12 game 27-19 in the Coliseum.

8. Virginia Tech/East Carolina: Beamer Ball rolls into Greenville, NC. The Hokies smacked down Appalachian State last week, while the Pirates ran into a buzz saw in the second half of their game against USC. This could be a trap game for Virginia Tech, as the Pirates QB Dominique Davis is a very good quarterback.
Prediction: Virginia Tech gets the running game going and beats ECU 42-30.

9. Rutgers/UNC: Rutgers comes south of the Mason-Dixon line and travels to the A-She-She to face the blue bellies. UNC is under a lot of turmoil, as the season began with the Butch Davis saga, but performed well in their opener versus James Madison last week. Rutgers played a JV team last week and will get a wake-up call in Chapel Hill.
Prediction: The Mountain Goats chew up the Scarlet Knights 38-13.

10. Colorado/California: This is the opening Pac-12 conference game for both teams and Colorado’s first ever Pac-12 home game. The fighting left-wingers from Berkeley, CA host the the liberal stampeding Buffaloes from Boulder. The Buffaloes hope to find Berkeley to their liking (I am sure, politically, they will) and pick-up their first ever Pac-12 conference win.
Prediction: California skins the Buffaloes 23-17.

During the weekend, please remember Sunday is the 10th anniversary of 9/11. God Bless the USA!

My next post will be Monday afternoon to review the USC/UGA game.