2014 College Football Week 5 Pick Em

Pretty good performance last week in a bunch  of good games. This week the games aren't as exciting but we will look to replicate last week's performance. Below are this week's picks.


Texas Tech vs #24 Oklahoma St

The Red Raiders will look to get back on track after they were destroyed at home by the Arkansas Razorbacks two weeks ago when they take on the Oklahoma St Cowboys in Stillwater. The Red Raiders will no doubt look to stop the run better after giving up 438 rushing yards and seven touchdowns to the Razorbacks. With a new defensive coordinator running the show, it will be interesting to see the adjustments to the run that the Red Raiders installed during the bye week to stop a strong Cowboy rushing attack.

Quarterback Davis Webb leads the up tempo Raider attack into Stillwater that will look to get on the board early and often.  Mayfield has already thrown for just under 1000 yards and 10 touchdowns through three games and will need to be on point tonight if the Red Raiders expect to go into Stillwater and get the win.  Webb will look to spread the ball around to receivers Jakeem Grant, Bradley Marquez and Reginald Davis who have each showed some early playmaking ability this season.

The Red Raiders will also bring in a better rushing attack than they have had in the past with DeAndre Washington leading the charge and Justin Stockton sure to see some time as well. The Red Raiders obviously won't be looking to control the clock or pound the ball down the opponents throat in the running game, but instead use it every now and again to keep the defense guessing and play on their heels. 

If Texas Tech is going to win this game, its defense will need to show up and prove it can stop the run. So far this season, the defense has been unimpressive to say the least, ranking 112th in points per game against and 120th out of 124 teams in total rushing yards allowed. If the Red Raiders can force a couple of stops and get their offense rolling early, than they will have a great chance to win this game.


Oklahoma St will look to win its third game in a row when it hosts Texas Tech tonight. After narrowly losing the opener to Florida St, the Cowboys have blown out their previous two opponents. While both of these teams(Missouri St, UTSA) were significantly outmatched, the Cowboys were able to continue to stay balanced on offense and work through the injury of starting quarterback J.W. Walsh during the Missouri St game.

Quarterback Daxx Garman has shown so far why so many wanted him to be named the season openers starter. Garmann has a QB rating of 164.6 over the last two games and has yet to turn the ball over. The Cowboy offense looks to be operating more smoothly with him under the helm than Walsh. So far six different receivers have at least five catches on the year to go along with six different receivers averaging 15 yards or more per reception. Garman will need to prove that he is the real deal on Thursday when he takes on the Red Raiders who will be looking to prove themselves after being embarrassed by Arkansas. 

Along with Garman, the Cowboys sport an under the radar, but powerful running game that can punish opponents at times. Three different running backs have more than 20 carries on the year and you can expect that the Cowboys will look to run the ball early and often against a Red Raider defense that is one of the worst at stopping the run.

If Oklahoma St can run the ball effectively against Texas Tech and keep drives alive while keeping the Red Raider offense on the sidelines, than the Cowboys will be in great shape to win.

Prediction: Both teams will come out trying to establish their up tempo identity. The Cowboys will look to take advantage of the Tech rushing defense early and often while the Red Raiders will stack the box early and force Garman to beat them through the air. 

Both teams will have drives stall in the early stages of the game. Oklahoma St will take a three point lead just before halftime. After a Tech score the Cowboys will drive down the field on a long, methodical drive leading to a touchdown. After stopping the Tech offense, the Cowboys once again will go down the field and get another touchdown putting them up 10 points with about eight minutes to go. 

After another defensive stop, the Cowboys run the clock down before kicking a field goal. Down 13 with less than two minutes to play, Webb leads a touchdown drive, but the Raiders rally falls short after failing to recover the onside kick.

+Oklahoma State Athletics 30 - +Texas Tech University 24




#11 UCLA vs #15 Arizona St


UCLA will look to avenge last year's loss to Arizona St when it travels to Tempe to take on the Sun Devils.  UCLA might be without starting quarterback Bretty Hundley for this game, who hurt his non throwing arm while trying to break his fall during a tackle against Texas two weeks ago. Whether the Bruins have Hundley or not, they will have their work cut out for them in this game.

The Bruins have had trouble protecting the quarterback so far this year, allowing 12 sacks through the first three games. The Bruins will need to do a better job against a Sun Devil defense that will bring the pressure early and often if they expect to win tonight. 

UCLA will look to slow down the aggressive Sun Devil defense by trying to establish the run early and often. The Bruins have had some success on the ground this year as evidenced by running back Paul Perkins' 4.8 yards per carry average, but have been inconsistent in their execution. 

If the Bruins can establish the run early and protect their quarterback from a defense that will send a lot of pressure throughout the game, then they will be in a good position to win later tonight.

Like the Bruins, the Sun Devils come into this game undefeated and with a quarterback injury of their own. However, for the Sun Devils, starting quarterback Taylor Kelly will not play in this game because of a foot injury. Mike Bercovici will step in Kelly's place for the second game in a row looking to give the Sun Devils the upper hand in the race for the Pac 12 South Division championship.  

Bercovici hasn't shown much so far this season as he has only attempted 17 passes coming into tonights game so it will be interesting to see how he deals with an impressive Bruin defense in such a critical game.  If Bercovici can complete some easy early throws to start the game, it can really give him some confidence as the game moves forward.

Luckily for Bercovici, he will have a strong running game behind him, which will try and take some of the pressure off of him. It is safe to assume that running back D.J. Foster will touch the ball at least 25 to 30 times in this game. If Foster can get some early momentum against a tough Bruin front seven, it will open up the Bruin defense for Bercovici to take a couple of shots down the field.

If Arizona St can run effectively early and pressure the Bruin quarterback throughout the game, the Sun Devils will be a prime position to pull of the upset.

Prediction: ASU will try to establish the run to take some pressure off of Bercovici, but the Bruins will stack the box and force the Sun Devils to air it out. Hundley will play in this game, but after some early pressure, the hits will add up and he will be replaced by Jerry Neuheisel to prevent further injury. 

Both the Bruins and the Sun Devils will rely heavily on their running games with each team taking the occasional shot down the field. This game will be decided in the fourth quarter after a forced turnover by Eric Kendricks will give the Bruins a short field. 

A goal line touchdown from star linebacker Myles Jack will put the Bruins up seven with only a few minutes to go. The Sun Devils will be forced to put the ball in the air, but without Kelly will lead to another interception, which will seal the game.

+UCLA Bruins 24 - +Arizona State Sun Devils 17




Duke vs Miami


The Duke Blue Devils will look to improve to 5-0 when they take on the Miami Hurricanes Saturday night. It is hard to believe that the Blue Devils are in the position that they are today after so many years of infamy. 

Duke rolls into this game with one of the most balanced offensive attacks in the country, averaging 230 yards passing and 261 rushing yards per game. Quarterback Anthony Boone has thrived under head coach David Cutcliffe, completing 62% of his passes for seven touchdowns and only one interception. Boone has also used his legs a lot so far this season rushing 19 times for three scores and an average of just under five yards a carry. 

Boone also has a very good rushing attack behind him with five different rushers carrying the ball at least 20 times this season. These five backs have rushed for a combined 941 yards and seven touchdowns so far this season. If the Blue Devils expect to win on Saturday, they will need to establish the run early against a Hurricane defense that has struggled at times this year stopping the run. If Boone can take care of the football and keep the Hurricane rushing attack on the sidelines, than the Blue Devils will have a very good chance to improve to 5-0.

The Hurricanes will look to rebound after a tough loss in Lincoln last week. The Hurricanes just couldn't come up with a defensive stop when they needed it and will look to prove they can stop the run when they take on the Duke Blue Devils.

Freshman Quarterback Brad Kaaya has played well at times, but has also struggled a little with his consistency, which should be expected from a true freshman quarterback. Kaaya has thrown for just under 1100 yards and 10 touchdowns, but has also thrown seven interceptions so far this season. He will need to do a better job at protecting the ball if the Hurricanes expect to beat the Blue Devils on Saturday.

Kaaya has what many quarterbacks wish they had behind them: a running back that can carry the load. Running back Duke Johnson has done just that rushing 61 times for 370 yards and three touchdowns. Expect a heavy dose of Johnson in this one as Duke has had trouble stopping the run themselves and the Blue Devils haven't seen a running back like Johnson this year. If Johnson can find some holes early and keep the Blue Devil defense on its heels, the Hurricanes will have a great chance at getting back on the winning track.

Prediction: Both teams will start the ground attack early with each team having success. After a few stops, Duke will take a four point lead at the half. Miami will come out and take the lead right back with a touchdown from Kaaya. After exchanging scores, the Blue Devils will take the lead with just over five minutes to go. A turnover by Kaaya puts the Blue Devils in great position with the short field. A late touchdown puts this one on ice and the Blue Devils start 5-0. 


+Duke Athletics 31 - +Miami Hurricanes 20


Minnesota vs Michigan


The Golden Gophers roll into the Big House and will look to add to the Wolverines misery with a win on Saturday. To say that Brady Hoke's seat is hot is an understatement and a loss to Minnesota on Saturday could very well end up with a pink slip on Monday.

Minnesota will look to run the ball throughout the entirety of this game. Starting Quarterback Mitch Leidner has only thrown 54 times all season and quite frankly hasn't been very effective. The Gophers will rely heavily on the rushing attack of running backs David Cobb and Chris Streveler

Cobb and Streveler have amassed a combined 756 yards for an average clip of 6.5 yards per carry and five touchdowns. They will have their work cut out for them as the Wolverines rank 9th in rushing yards against. If the Gophers establish the line of scrimmage and if Leidner can make a play of two through the air then the Gophers just might have a shot at winning this game.


The Wolverines will look to get some sort of offensive consistency going against the Golden Gophers on Saturday. The Wolverines are 94th in the country in points per game, but if you take away the two gimme games they have had this season, they have averaged five points per game. Quaterback Devin Gardner has taken much of the blame, some has been fair while some hasn't.

Gardner has completed 64% of his passes but hasn't thrown the deep ball very well this year and has thrown more interceptions than touchdowns as well. Gardner has also been sacked nine times this season and if the Wolverines expect to win on Saturday he will not only need to create some plays through the air, but also avoid getting his team in 2nd and 3rd and long after taking a sack.

Running back Derrick Green has shown some flashes that he should have his number called more as Green is averaging over 6 yards per carry. Green will need to soften up a tough front seven to help Gardner out and if he can't get anything going against the Gophers, than it will be a long night for the Wolverines.

Prediction: This will be a sloppy, run reliant game with each team struggling to get anything going through the air. Not much offense will occur through the first half and this will be a 7-7 tie at the half. A bad turnover by Gardner deep in the Wolverines own territory will give the Gophers a short touchdown drive. Some more three and out's from each team before the Wolverines get back on the board with a field goal at the beginning of the fourth quarter. A long drive by the Gophers ends will no points, giving the Wolverines one last chance to drive down the field for the winning score. Gardner is sacked and stripped and the Gophers recover to seal this one up with a chorus of boos coming from the crowd.

+Minnesota Gophers 14 - +University of Michigan 10



Upset Special:



#16 Stanford vs Washington

After a week off, the Cardinal will look to get its first win in conference play this year when it travels to Seattle to take on the Washington Huskies. The Cardinal are coming off an easy 35-0 win over Army and have had an extra week to prepare for the high flying Chris Peterson offense.

Quarterback Kevin Hogan has been sensational so far this season completing 73% of his passes for 705 yards, seven touchdowns and only one interception. He will need to make some plays throughout this game if the Cardinal are going to keep up with the Husky scoring machine. Expect Hogan to try and get the ball into the hands of wide receiver Ty Montgomery early and often as Montgomery has been by far and away the best threat on the offensive side of the ball for the Cardinal this season.

The Cardinal haven't established the run as effectively as in past years and it won't get any easier as the Huskies only give up 113 yards per game on the ground. The Cardinal will need at least try and establish the run to keep the Husky offense off the field and to try and take the crowd out of the game with long, slow methodical drives.

If the Cardinal can run the ball effectively and slow down the Husky offense, then they will be in this game until the end.

The Huskies are looking to start 5-0 under first year head coach Chris Peterson and knock off their first ranked opponent since they beat Peterson's old team Boise St in the opener last season. 

After struggling the first week of the season without starting quarterback Cyler Miles, the Huskies offense has been on a tear and will look to continue that momentum against a tough Cardinal defense.

Quarterback Cyler Miles has done well so far this season both through the air and on the ground: accumulating 639 total yards to go along with eight touchdowns. Myles will look to receivers Jayon Mickens and DiAndre Campbell to make plays in space to loosen up the Cardinal defense and prevent them from stacking the box to stop the Huskies powerful rushing attack.

Running backs Lavon Coleman and Dwayne Washington lead a backfield that has just pounded opposing defenses so far this season. The Huskies are averaging 240 rushing yards per game and will look to continue that success against the Cardinal defense on Saturday.

If the Huskies can continue rushing the ball like they have this season and can force the Cardinal to be one dimensional, than they will have a very good shot at pulling off the upset.

Prediction: This will be an exciting back and forth game from start to finish. Washington will look to run right at the Cardinal defense and take an occasional shot downfield while the Cardinal will also look to establish the run but given their lack of success on the ground so far this season, will have no problem letting Hogan let it loose. Each team will have success throughout the first half leading to a high scoring first half with the game tied up at 24 at the half. The Huskies will strike first in the second half with a touchdown run by Miles. The Huskies force a stop and drive the length of the field for another touchdown to put the pressure on Hogan and the Cardinal offense. Hogan leads a touchdown drive of his own and after a defensive stop has the chance the tie the game up with four minutes to play. Hogan will try and get the ball into Montgomery's hands but will be intercepted by the Husky defense for the only turnover of the game by the Cardinal. After a first down, the Huskies run the clock out and pull off the upset in front of a rocking crowd.

+Washington Huskies Athletics 38 - +Stanford University 31

Last Week:     4-1
2014 Season: 13-7

2014 College Football Week 4 Pick Em

After two weeks of abbreviated picks, I now finally have the time to get back into the swing of things. An ok performance last week but now it is time to dive into this weeks games.



#22 Clemson vs #1 Florida St

Clemson will look to avenge last year's blowout loss to the Seminoles when they travel to Tallahassee to take on the defending national champions on Saturday. The Tigers will look to replace the loss of some of their stars from last season including receiver Sammy Watkins and quarterback Tajh Boyd with the infusion of new talent.

The Tigers have had a week to prepare for the Seminoles and will look to attack a very impressive defensive unit. Offensively so far this season the Tigers have held up pretty well, despite the losses and are averaging over 335 yards passing a game and just under 180 rushing yards per game as well. The Tigers will need to be very balanced on offense if they expect to go into Tallahassee and beat the Seminoles

Quarterback Cole Stoudt will look to match the efficiency he has put forward in the first two weeks and get the ball out to receivers Artavis Scott and Mike Williams in open space. If Stoudt can make good decision and manage the offense, while the running back by committee can keep the chains moving to keep the Seminole offense on the sideline, then the Tigers could have a shot given that the Seminoles haven't looked all that impressive so far this season and also the fact that Jameis Winston will be suspended for the first half.

The biggest question will be how will the Tiger defense defend the Seminole offense. In week one against the Bulldogs, the Tigers couldn't stop the run and got absolutely shredded. They played the pass pretty well, but just couldn't come up with an answer to Todd Gurley. This week, the Tigers won't be going up against nearly the type of running back Gurley is, however, if they have trouble stopping the run early, then this game will get out of hand earlier than the Georgia game did. If the Tiger defense can come up with some stops on defense and keep the game close or even lead after the first half, then Clemson will be in good position to win on Saturday.

Florida St will look to keep their playoff chances alive when they take on the Tigers on Saturday. The Seminoles will look to get their offense rolling and try and force the Tigers into some early turnovers in an attempt to prevent having to rely on a second half comeback from Jameis Winston, who will be suspended for the first half for acting like an idiot.

Quarterback Sean Maguire will get his first start at the helm and will likely be asked to just keep his team in the game. Florida St will no doubt look to get the run game going early and often to not only take the pressure off of Maguire to start, but also because that is a weakness that was exploited in the Clemson defense. No doubt Maguire will have to make some plays on his own to prevent the Tigers from putting eight in the box and will look to get the ball out wide to Rashad Greene and Nick O'Leary. The Seminoles are still looking for someone to step up at receiver now that Kelvin Benjamin is in the NFL and this would be a great stage for one to show up and provide the playmaking ability that has been lacking so far this season out of the Seminole offense.

The Seminoles will look to create some havoc on the Tiger offense in an effort to shut the door on any possible upset as early as possible. While the Seminoles got somewhat torched by the Oklahoma St offense in the opening game of the year, the Seminoles are giving up less than 350 yards per game and have had a week to prepare for the Tiger offense. If the Seminoles can get some pressure on Stoudt and shut down a relatively inexperienced offense, than the Seminoles will be in good position to win, even without Winston for the first half.

Prediction: This game won't be as ugly as it was last season. This will be a tight game early with Florida St relying heavily on the run to try and take advantage of the porous run defense that Clemson showed in week 1, while the Tigers will look to take the crowd out of it early by throwing it down the field with Stoudt. Clemson will have a slight lead going into half when Jameis Winston will get inserted into the game in the second half. The Seminole offense will start getting better traction with Winston at the helm and will take the lead back going into the fourth quarter. After a defensive stop, Winston will lead the Seminoles down the field again and put the game on ice. A late score by the Tigers will be too little too late.

Update: Jameis Winston has been suspended for the entire game, but Maguire will lead FSU to a last minute victory.

+Florida State Seminoles 31 - +Clemson Tigers 27




Florida vs #3 Alabama

The Florida Gators will look to get a signature win when they travel to Tuscaloosa to take on the Crimson Tide. If Florida can pull of the upset, this would be its first win against a ranked opponent since November 24 2012. To say it will be a challenge is an understatement.

Quarterback Jeff Driskel has shown major improvement from last season, completing over 63% of his passes and most importantly has only turned the ball over one time this season. Driskel will need to be on point with his decision making on Saturday if the Gators are going to have any shot at beating the Crimson Tide in Tuscaloosa. Luckily for Driskel, he has one of the nations best rushing attacks behind him with running backs Matt Jones and Kelvin Taylor. Both running backs are averaging over six yards per carry and will need to carry the load against the nations best rushing defense in Alabama.

Florida's defense has also been impressive so far this season, ranking third against the run and 20th against the pass. The Gators defensive will need to stop the run early and often and force Blake Sims to beat them through the air. If the Gators can force Sims into a couple of mistakes and put together a couple of scoring drives, then they will have a great chance at beating the Crimson Tide.

Alabama is coming into this game as under the radar as a #3 in the country can. After an impressive, battle tested win over West Virginia, the Crimson Tide are coming off two easy wins and will look to build on those successes against the Gators.

Quarterback Blake Sims has done everything that the Crimson Tide ask of its quarterback, which is to keep drives alive and take care of the football. Sims has done a great job of both of those and will look to continue to do that against a very good defense.  Like Driskel, Sims has a very good running game that he can rely on with running backs T.J. Yeldon, Derrick Henry and Kenyan Drake as well as Sims himself have helped the Crimson Tide average over 270 yards per game. Look for the Crimson Tide to continue relying on its running game, but expect Lane Kiffin to open to playbook a little and to take advantage with Sims on some 1 on 1 match ups on the outside.

Alabama's defense has been clinical up to this point of the season. The Crimson Tide are giving up less than 267 yards per game and are allowing only 11.7 points per game. If the Crimson Tide can stop the Florida rushing attack and force Driskel to beat them through the air, Alabama will be in an great position to win. If Alabama has trouble stopping the Florida rushing attack, then this game could get very interesting down the stretch.

Prediction: Both teams will try to establish the run game early and often. Each team will force the opposing offense to beat them through the air. This will be a closer game than the final score will show as this will be a tough, gritty kind of game for three quarters. In the end Alabama's defense will be too much for Florida's offense to overcome and will seal the deal with a touchdown late in the fourth quarter.

+Alabama Crimson Tide 30 - +Florida Gators 14


#4 Oklahoma vs West Virginia


Trevor Knight and the Sooners will look to get another impressive win after blowing out Tennessee last week. Oklahoma has one of the top five defenses in the country to go along with a very balanced up tempo offense that has imposed its will on opponents so far this season and will look to do so against the Mountaineers on Saturday.

Trevor Knight has played well in his first full year as a starter, completing just under 60% of his passes and has done a good job managing the Sooner offense. Knight has the ability to rely on a very good running game behind him, which will be a bit depleted on Saturday with the loss of Keith Ford to injury. If Knight can continue to manage the offense and make the plays when he asked, then OU will cruise to victory.

The most impressive area of the Sooners team is the defense. The front seven is absolutely loaded with talent and it will be interesting to see how the unit holds up against a high flying offense like the Mountaineers. The Sooners already have amassed nine sacks, to go along with six interceptions, two fumbles and two defensive touchdowns. If the Sooners can continue to play at a high level like they have done all season and pressure and force Trickett into some mistakes, then OU could make an impressive statement on Saturday to the college football committee.


The Mountaineers will look to prove their close game against Alabama wasn't a fluke when they take on Oklahoma in Morgantown on Saturday. West Virginia is coming off a 40-37 win against Maryland in which the Mountaineers blew a 22 point lead and had to rely on a game winning field goal at the buzzer to win. The Mountaineers will need to play much better defensively if they expect to beat the Sooners on Saturday

Quarterback Clint Trickett has been spectacular this season, completing 75% of his passes and has thrown for seven touchdowns and only one interception. Trickett will need to continue that efficiency against one of the nations best defense if the Mountaineers are going to win. Trickett has done a good job of spreading the ball around to receivers including Kevin White, Mario Alford and Wendell Smallwood. If Trickett can continue to play as well as he has so far this season and keep the up tempo Mountaineer offense rolling, then West Virginia will have a great shot at pulling off the upset.

West Virginia has been getting torched on defense this year, allowing an average of almost 400 yards of total offense a game. The Mountaineers have struggled to force takeaways and will need to get a takeaway or two on Saturday in order to beat the Sooners. Oklahoma brings in a very balanced offensive attack and the Mountaineers will need to stop the run early and often and force Terrence Knight to beat them if they expect to stay in the game. If the Mountaineers can force a turnover or two and limit Oklahoma's big play ability, then the Mountaineers will have a great shot at pulling off the upset.

Prediction: This will be the most exciting game of the weekend. Each team will come out and put up some early point with their up tempo offenses. The atmosphere of Morgantown will cause some early jitters for Knight who will settle down after a couple drives. West Virginia will lead through most of this game but after a defensive stop by the OU defense, Knight will lead a touchdown drive with only a few minutes left. A valiant comeback attempt by Trickett will fall short and the OU defense will prove to be the defense, stopping the West Virginia offense three times in a row to close out the game.

+The University of Oklahoma 31 - +West Virginia University 27


Virginia vs #21 BYU

The Cavaliers are coming off an impressive upset win over Louisville last week and will look to ride that momentum into Provo on Saturday when they take on the Cougars. The Cavaliers also played very well earlier in the season against UCLA and will come into the Cougar matchup battle tested.

The Cavaliers have had a quarterback by committee with Greyson Lambert and Matt Johns each having received snaps and lead the offense down the field in the first three games. Lambert has been the more efficient passer but looked very uncomfortable in the first game against UCLA. Johns has led the team in the UCLA matchup, but hasn't done too much since that game. Whoever is under the helm for the Cavaliers on Saturday will need to control the offense and most importantly rely on the run game and take care of the football against a very tough BYU defense.

The Cavalier defense has been incredibly impressive so far to start the year and will look to mirror those performances against the Cougars. Against UCLA, the Cavaliers held preseason Heisman contender Brett Hundley without a touchdown and made him uncomfortable throughout the game. Last week, the Cavs held a Louisville offense that averaged over 48 points per game to 21 points. The Cavaliers will need to replicate the game plan they had against UCLA against Brett Hundley because they will be dealing with another dual threat quarterback in Taysom Hill. If the Cavs can stop the run and limit Hill's scrambling or big play ability, then they will be in position to win on Saturday.

Taysom Hill will look to keep the Cougars playoff hopes rolling when he and the Cougars welcome the Cavaliers into Provo. The Cougars are coming off a less than impressive win over Houston in which Houston was able to contain Hill through the air and cause a couple of turnovers. Hill will need to use both his legs and arm against the Cavaliers as we have already seen the Cavs wreak havoc against a dual threat quarterback in Nick Hundley. Luckily for Hill, he will have smash mouth running back Jamal Williams in the backfield to help loosen up the Cavalier defense and open up some lanes for Hill to not only throw over the top of the defense, but also get himself out into space and run.

The Cougars defense has also been very formidable this year as they have only given up an average of 14 points per game to go along with a very physical front seven that has already amassed eight sax this season. If the Cougars can get some pressure on the Cavalier quarterback and force the Cavs to become one dimensional, than BYU will keep its hopes alive to be a spoiler in the playoff.

Prediction: This is going to be a very physical, intense battle in which each team will struggle to score points early. After forcing a couple of turnovers, BYU will finally start to impose their will on a tired Cavalier defense with Hill and Williams gashing them up the gut. A late comeback attempt by the Cavaliers will fall short and the Cougars will improve to 4-0

+BYU 27 - Virginia 14



Upset Special

#5 Auburn vs #20 Kansas St


Auburn and Kansas St enter this ball game each having come off a bye week, looking to get a signature non conference win before conference play gears up.

Auburn comes into this game clicking on all cylinders on offense, averaging 330 yards rushing and 52 points per game while also allowing only 109 rushing yards per game. The Tigers will need to run the ball effectively and stop the Kansas St rushing attack if they expect to beat the Wildcats in Manhattan.

Quarterback Nick Marshall has played well up to this point both on the ground and through the air, but most importantly has taken care of the football. Running backs Curtis Artis-Payne and Corey Grant have gashed opposing defenses, averaging over seven and a half yards per game between the two. The Tigers are still looking for someone to step up at wide receiver but with the rushing attack that the Tigers feature, as long as they can get any sort of contribution, they will put themselves in great shape to win any game.

This will be the toughest test of the season as of yet for the Auburn defense, which has been very opportunistic through the first two games of the year. The Tigers already have four interceptions on the year, as well as a defensive touchdown, and if they can get the Wildcats to turn the ball over, then this game could get ugly in a hurry.

If Auburn can run the ball as effectively as they have to start the year and force the Wildcats into some turnovers, this game will be over in the third quarter. If the Tigers have trouble stopping the Wildcat rushing attack, then this game will be interesting down the stretch.

The Wildcats will look to get back on track after a come from behind victory against Iowa St two weeks ago.  The Wildcats will need to play much better defensively in this game as they did against Iowa St if they expect to have any shot to win this game.

Quarterback Jake Waters has led a well balanced offensive attack that has averages around 238 yards rushing and passing so far through two games this season. Waters has been very impressive on the ground, averaging more than five yards a carry to go along with running back Charles Jones six yards per carry average. Waters has also done a good job through the air completing over 61% of his passes and spreading the ball across multiple receivers. He will need to not only make plays with his feet, but also take care of the football if the Wildcats want to win this game.

Waters will have an elite wide receiver at his disposal in Tyler Lockett. Lockett is averaging over 20 yards per catch this season and tallied 11 touchdowns last season. Lockett is also a dangerous return man and has been used in the past as a rushing threat on the outside. If Lockett can use his speed to stretch the defense vertically and get himself open for Waters, then the Wildcats will have a very good chance at pulling off the upset.

The biggest question mark is how will the Bill Snyder defense attack the Auburn offense. Both teams have had two weeks to prepare and attack each other's weaknesses on the opposite side of the ball. A lot of the Auburn offense has to deal with misdirection and motion and if the Kansas St defenders get taken out of position, then this game will be over in a hurry because the Wildcats don't have the speed to keep up with the Tigers. If Snyder can get his team to maintain gap responsibility, then this will be a very tight game late in the fourth.

Prediction: Both teams will come out and try to establish the run early and often. Auburn will have a couple of long play short drives that will lead to touchdowns while Kansas St will have a couple of long, methodical drives that will lead to some points. The first half will end with the Tigers up going into the half. Both teams will make their halftime adjustments with Kansas St looking to attack the Tigers through the air while maintaining gap responsibility and not following the motion/misdirection play. The third quarter will be a defensive stand by both teams with neither scoring due to the adjustments. After a Kansas St field goal, Auburn will drive down the field and score a touchdown to go up four with under five minutes to play. Needing a touchdown to win, the Wildcats will get a couple of big plays from Lockett, as well as from Waters' feet that culminates in a touchdown with under a minute to go. Marshall tries to get his team in field goal position but there is not enough time and the Wildcats pull of the upset

+Kansas State University 31 - +Auburn University 28



Last Week:    4-1
2014 Season: 9-6

2014 College Football Week 3 Pick Em

East Carolina vs Virginia Tech


Prediction: Virginia Tech



West Virginia vs Maryland


Prediction: West Virginia



Georgia vs South Carolina



Prediction: Georgia



Arkansas vs Texas Tech


Prediction: Arkansas

Upset Special


Louisville vs Virginia

Prediction: Virginia

Last Week:    1-4
2014 Season: 5-5

2014 College Football Week 2 Pickem

Good week last week with a 4-1 showing. This week's picks will be a bit abbreviated as I will be taking the GMAT in a few days. Here are this weeks picks.


Stanford vs USC

Both teams come into this game after impressive performances last week. The key to this game will be whether USC will be able to stop the Stanford rushing attack. If the Trojans can slow down the Cardinal offense and flip the field, then they will have a good chance of winning this game. If the Cardinal can impose their will on offense and keep the Trojan offense on the sidelines, then it will be in good position to win.

Prediction: This will be a physical smash mouth game from beginning to end.  Stanford will try and impose their will early and contain the Trojan offense by rushing four and dropping seven while the Trojans will stack the box to force the Cardinal to beat them through the air. While the Trojans have home field, the Stanford rushing attack will be too much in the end and the Cardinal will run the clock out.

+Stanford Athletics 24 - +USC Trojans 21



BYU vs Texas


Texas will look to avenge last year's loss in which the Longhorns were embarrassed in Provo, but come into this game without three starters on the offensive line and a new quarterback. Both defenses will shut down the opposing offenses early and will force the opposing QB to beat the with the big play. If BYU can run like it did last year against Texas, than the Cougars will win this game. If the Longhorns can stop the run and play physical up front and open some holes for Malcolm Brown and Gray, then the Longhorns will win this game.


Prediction: The Longhorns will stop the Cougars early and often but will have trouble moving the ball on offense with the physical BYU front seven. The difference in this game will come down to penalties as BYU was penalized many times last week against the Cougars while the Longhorns were only penalized once. A late penalty will put the Longhorns in field position to kick the game winning field goal.

+The University of Texas at Austin 13 - +BYU Cougars 10



Michigan vs Notre Dame


The final meeting between these two teams in the preeminent future will be this Saturday and both will be looking to earn the bragging rights. Both teams will look to vault themselves into the public eye with an impressive win.  It is unfortunate that this rivalry will end, but that is college football nowadays. This game will come down to quarterback play. Devin Gardner will need to make plays with both his arm and feet as well as take care of the football for the Wolverines to win this game. Everett Golson will need to continue to make good decisions like he did in week 1 if his team is going to win on Saturday.

Prediction: The Fighting Irish will come out early and often, getting up by double digits right off the bat. The Wolverines will be forced to rely on Gardner to get them back into the game. Gardner will have success early, but will make some mistakes down the stretch that will put the game out of reach.

+Notre Dame Athletics 31 - +University of Michigan 17




Virginia Tech vs Ohio St

Virginia Tech will look to get its first big marquee win in quite some time on Saturday when it visits the Shoe on Saturday. The Hokies will look to get after Freshman QB J.T. Barrett and get themselves a short field to work with on offense. The Buckeyes will look to get their running game going and allow Barrett to get comfortable early and take some strikes down the field later in the game. The Buckeyes will need to play better than they did last week against Navy or they will not win this game.  If the Hokies can force a couple of turnovers and get some points off those turnovers and force the Buckeyes into an early deficit, than the Hokies will have a great shot at winning on Saturday. If the Buckeyes can get J.T. Barrett comfortable and allow him to take some shots here and there down the field on a gambling, aggressive Hokie defense, than they will walk out with a nice win.

Prediction: The Hokies will start off with a nice drive for a score and shut down the Buckeye offense early. However, after some times the Buckeyes will take the lead and force the Hokies to become one dimensional. The game will be close throughout, but the Buckeyes will pull away in the fourth quarter and move to 2-0.

+Ohio State Buckeyes 28 - +Virginia Tech 14



Upset Special


Michigan St vs Oregon

Michigan St will look to attack the Ducks on the ground while causing pressure with its front four and drop seven much like the Stanford game plan against the Ducks the last few seasons. If the Spartans can run the ball and keep the Oregon offense on the sidelines, while being able to pressure Mariotta with just its front four, the Spartans will win this game. If the Ducks can stop the Michigan St running attack and move the ball consistently against the Spartan defense, than the Ducks will win this game.

Prediction: Both teams will have success early on the offensive side of the ball. This will be a low scoring affair through the first three quarters with the Ducks leading by three points going into the fourth quarter. The Spartans will get themselves a touchdown and get a defensive stop and get the ball back with only a few minutes left. After a valiant effort to get a stop, the Ducks give up a short run that gets the Spartans the win and the upset of the year.

+Michigan State Athletics 21 - +University of Oregon Ducks 17





Last Week:    4-1
2014 Season: 4-1