College Football Predictions 9/23

This weekend is put up or shut up weekend in the SEC as the conference portion of the schedule starts to heat up as you have two games featuring a battle between ranked in the top 17 in the country as well as an non conference match-up pitting two top 25 teams together. This is also the last major test Boise State faces, and if they win they will be waiting in the wings until Alabama or Ohio State loses so they can go to Glendale, Arizona and play for a National Championship.

Game of the Week: This week were are going to Fayetteville to catch the Tide vs Hogs. Two different style of offenses but both play their strengths well and both should showcase their talents Saturday. The key for Alabama is to be able to contain Ryan Mallet and the trio of Arkansas receivers. The young Alabama secondary will be test no doubt in this as they go on their first major road test of the season. Alabama will test the man hood of the Arkansas front seven. They will look to control the clock with dose after dose of Ingram and Richardson. The team who is able to control the pace of the game will win this one albeit it will be close.

Prediction: This game will be back and fourth all day but Alabama's secondary is too young and expect Petrino to try and confuse them all day...Alabama 35 Arkansas 38

Other Games:

12 South Carolina vs 17 Auburn- This would normally be the top game of the week so this is really 1B this weekend. After a tough game with Clemson last week, will Auburn have enough to go four quarters against a talented Gamecock team?...Auburn 24 S Car 35

Georgia vs Mississippi State- Both programs are off to a 0-2 SEC start...this will test the Georgia faithful...G Bulldogs 21 M Bulldogs 24

Kentucky vs 9 Florida- The Honey moon for Joker Phillips is over and now the "real" fun begins but dont expect much fun for Kentucky against Florida....Gator chomp 30 Wildcats 17

22 West Virginia vs 15 LSU- Both teams like to run the ball..LSU knows how to stop it...Tigers 31 Mountys 21

Fresno State vs Ole Miss- This season has had nothing but downs for the Rebels..well here is one up...Bulldogs 14 Rebels 31

UAB vs Tenn- Derek Dooley's season has gone as it was expected thus far but do NOT sleep on this Blazers team that plays tough nose Neil Callaway ball...UAB 21 Vols 28

Game of the Week: We fly with the Eagles and Hokies this week as Boston College take on Virginia Tech. After last week's victory over East Carolina all hope is not lost for Va Tech, they begin their ACC slate this week and still is a popular pick to win the league. Boston College tough defense will give Tyrod Taylor fits and if he doesnt have the running game to back him up, it will not be a good game for the Hokies. Boston College offense is not something to brag about either. Special Teams will be the difference in the game and usually that favors Tech.

Prediction- A punt return wins it for....Eagles 14 Hokies 17

Other games:

Wake Forest vs Florida State- remember what happen out last week in Palo Alto Wake Forest? Expect the same Wake 7 FSU 31

FIU vs Maryland- Can FIU finally pull a upset victory on the road? Another close lose for the Panthers...FIU 10 Maryland 12

NC State vs GA Tech- Wolfpack run defense is not prepared to stop the option attack...State 21 Tech 35

Army vs Duke- The battle of Coach K's alma mater against his current coaching job...Alma Mater 35 Job 21

North Carolina vs Rutgers- North Carolina is still dealing with the NCAA troubles...UNC 14 Knights 21

VMI vs Virginia- um....VA 42 VMI 21

Arkansas State vs Troy- Troy is still the class of the Sun Belt...Troy 35 Red Wolves 30

FIU vs Maryland- Close but no cigar again for the Panthers...FIU 10 Terps 12

North Texas vs FAU- Mean Green have just been green lately...NT 14 Owls 28

Southeastern Louisiana vs LA Monroe- Lions roar will be silent...SE LA 10 Monroe 24

Middle Tenn vs La-Layfette- wont be close...Raidiers 35 Cajuns 14

South Alabama vs Edwards Waters- After last week's historic win over Nicholls State South keeps it rolling against NAIA power house Edwards Waters...Jags 56 Tigers 0

Other National Games of Interest:

24 Oregon State vs 3 Boise State- Boise wins this game they will be in the national championship conversation all year. Oregon State paints there field blue and practice with there scout team wearing the blue jerseys. Too bad that wont help much...Beavers 21 Broncos 31

5 Oregon vs Arizona State- Oregon brings their steroid offense into Tempe. Will the Arizona dessert be enough to be able to slow the ducks down? Doubtful...Ducks 42 Sun Devils 28

For the first time in the history of thecheek20 sports blog we will have guest pickers this week. Both still have four years of eligibility left and four star talent so you know that they mean business.

Bradley Wilkes picks:

Bama over Hogs
Auburn over S Car
LSU over West VA
BC over Va Tech
South over Edwards Waters
Boise over Oregon State

Austin Powell picks:
Bama over Hogs
S Car over Auburn
LSU over West VA
Va Tech over BC
South over Edwards Waters
Boise over Oregon State

The State of the Atlanta Braves

The Atlanta Braves are in a slump...a major slump. They are currently 5-5 in their last 10 games and are 5 games behind the Philadelphia Phillies and one game ahead of the Padres for the National League wild card. The Braves have been like the team that started the season, where at one point they lost nine straight games in a row before they went on there run to take the top spot in the NL East. It looks like Bobby Cox's last season will not be magical at all and the Braves could miss the playoffs. When Chipper Jones went down in August...the Braves season has been going down with him. Is it fatigue? Not enough talent?

Can the Braves send Cox out in style?

Well it is neither. The Phillies have finally got most of their star power back and are clicking on all cylinders. The Braves are in a middle of a make or break series with Philadelphia where they have lost the first two games. The Braves acquired a Derek Lee that is in a shell of himself and how he was three short years ago. The Braves will need to count on fabulous rookies Jayson Heyward and Johnny Venters. If these two play up to their potential then the Braves should win the Wild card.

The Braves schedule includes on more with Philadelphia, three with the Nationals, three with the Marlins and to finish the season they have a three game set with the Phils. The Braves would secure a playoff spot if they are able to sweep both Marlins and Nationals.

Predicition...Braves do make playoff and advance to the League championship series and lose to the Phils.

Three thoughts on this past weekend in college football

First and foremost what a weekend it was! With so many great games it was hard to pick three to talk about. Arkansas and Georgia was a game that went down to the wire, where the nation was once again reminded why Arkansas' Ryan Mallet is the best quarterback and led his team to victory. Arkansas plays host to Alabama this weekend where the winner will have a leg up on the SEC west race. Arkansas has proven that it is ready for the big time and the defense is playing better than expected.
Secondly, Michigan State automatically has a top 3 play if not the top play of the college football season. In case you have not heard or seen it, in overtime Notre Dame kicked a field goal to go up by three. Michigan State was looking at a forty plus yard field goal but instead of kicking it, they ended up faking it and throwing it for a touchdown to win the game by three. If your Brian Kelly you have to be kicking yourself knowing that you should have won the game first off but that watching the replay three Notre Dame defenders knocked each other down during the play to make the pass easy. Notre Dame sits now at 1-2 with the lone victory against Purdue. Brian Kelly will have his year of grace to get his attitude and players into the program but expect him to turn it around real soon.
The battle of the Tigers was a great match-up. Cam Newton grew up a little bit in the game but lets face it Clemson is a middle of the road ACC team at best this season. Cam's weakness in the first two games was being able to throw the ball down the field, but during the game Cam threw multiple throws down the field with accuracy and looked impressive to a certain degree. That would be because three of the completions were to wide open receivers and were not covered. His arm strength is there but accuracy is still a bit of concern.

College Football Predictions 9/18

Last week that was dubbed as "monster" Saturday, the games went like they were suppose to with the higher rated team winning. In a sense it was a let down but was still a great weekend. This weekend there is only one top 25 match-up, 9 Iowa @ 24 Arizona. I expect a couple of upsets this weekend.

Game of the Week: The Game of the week involves the Georgia Bulldogs once again as they take on the 12th ranked Razorbacks of Arkansas. This is a must win game for both squads if both want to contend in their divisions, but this is a bigger game for Georgia after last weeks lost to South Carolina. Aaron Murray will once be without top receiver A.J. Green. Senior wide receiver Kris Durham is going to need a big game to help the running game. Corners Brandon Boykin and Vance Cuff both need to be able to shut down the dangerous duo of Greg Childs and Joe Adams in order to have a chance to win. Arkansas' defense is still in question this year as this will be their first big test against an offense who can be balanced. The front four for the Razorbacks will need to get great push against Georgia's offensive line and put pressure on Aaron Murray when he is back to pass, and need to stop the running attack. Ryan Mallet will need Broadrick Green to run the ball well so Georgia cant just key on the pass.

Prediction: The difference maker on the field is Mallet, and last time I checked he played for Arkansas. This game will not be a high scoring a fair as it was last year but Arkansas wins 35-21.

Other games

10 Florida @ Tennessee- This could get ugly early...UF 35 UT 10

1 Alabama @ Duke- Wallace Wade is the only connection between the success of both programs...Bama 38 Duke 14

Clemson @ 16 Auburn- First defense Auburn has played that will give it a challenge...Clemson 21 Auburn 24

Akron @ Kentucky- Joker Phillips begins a 3-0 coaching career...Kentucky 30 Akron 20

Vanderbilt @ Ole Miss- This game is always close, don't expect anything different... Ole Miss 21 Vandy 17

Mississippi State @15 LSU- Close but no cigar for the bulldogs...LSU 28 MSU 24

Furman @ 13 South Carolina- Yawn...USC 42 Paladins 0

Game of the Week: Clemson visits the plains and takes on Auburn. The battle of the Tigers is a much bigger deal for Clemson Tigers rather than Auburn Tigers. The ACC has taken a bunch of heat for not being able to beat BCS conference teams, the first victory came thursday night when North Carolina State beat Cincy in Raleigh. Clemson will need a heisman type performance from quarterback Kyle Parker if they want to have a chance to win at the end. Running backs Andre Ellington and Jaimie Harper will need to be able to run the ball effectively in order to take pressure off of Parker. Clemson's defense will need to find a way to contain Cam Newton's running ability and make him throw the ball down the field. Auburn is coming off a road win at Mississippi State on a Thursday night in which the offense looked meek at best. Unlike Miss State, Clemson has the ability to score into the higher twenties and Auburns secondary needs to ready against a tough gritty quarterback. Nick Fairley dominates like he did the last game Auburn should win this one.

Predicition: Clemson will give Auburn all it can handle but will not have enough to win it...Auburn 24 Clemson 21

Other Games:

Georgia Tech @ North Carolina- North Carolina is starting to get people back on defense but it wont be enough against the option attack...GT 28 UNC 17

17 Miami (Fl) @ Pitt- Another tough road contest for the Hurricanes, expect the same result as the last one...Pitt 21 Miami 17

Brigham Young @ Florida State- BYU got embarrassed last year in Provo, this one is closer but Florida State wins 24-14

1Alabama @ Duke- Duke is hoping the Nick Saban takes the path Wallace Wade did and leave Bama for Duke...Bama 38 Duke 14

Maryland @ 21 West Virginia- Maryland is off to a 2-0 start, excuse me make that 2-1 start...WVU 31 Maryland 21

Wake Forest @ 19 Stanford- Another match-up where Wake Forest is in a high scoring affair but loses this one...Stanford 42 Wake 41

Virginia Tech @ Boston College- Can Virginia Tech turn its season around against the Eagles on the road? Doubtful...BC 28 VT 7

VMI @ Virginia- Chalked it up to the Cavs as an easy win...Name your own score here...Cavs by 35

Game of the Week: There are multiple games of the week here as its Sunbelt vs C-USA in most contest this week. Middle Tenn plays Memphis and Troy plays UAB both are in state rivalries. Both games pit the best Sunbelt teams vs two of the worst C-USA teams. So the Sunbelt should be able to run the table against these two foes.

Predicitons: Middle Tenn @ Memphis- the Blue Raiders are 1-1 without Dasher this year, the only lose was a 3-point lost to Minnesota at the Barn...MTSU 35 Memphis 31

Troy @ UAB- Both squads are in the shadow of the Tide and Tigers but this is also a feisty rivalry. Troy should win but not by much...Troy 24 Blazers 21

Other Games:

La Monore vs Arkansas State- Expect Applin to have a major game and lead the Red Wolves to victory..ASU 35 La Monroe 14

Florida International @ Texas A&M- Im sure the panthers will enjoy their pay check way more than the beat down...TAMU 49 FIU 7

Indiana @ Western Kentucky- The worst Big ten team plays against the worst Sunbelt team...Indiana 24 WKU 9

Nicholls State @ South Alabama- This will be the toughest game South Alabama will have in their short programs history. The Colonels have a quarterback that HC Joey Jones said was a Mike Vick type. Expect Dunn to play a QB spy most of the game. Brandon Ross and Courtney Smith both will need huge games...USA 28 NSU 24

Other National Games:

9 Iowa @ 24 Arizona- This is a game if Mike Stoops wins could propel his program among the elite in the Pac-10 and challenge for the title...for Iowa remember Claiborne...Iowa 24 Arizona 14

California @ Nevada- Pac-10 vs WAC...Pistol vs Pro...Cal 24 Nevada 10

Predictions for College Football Weekend 9/11

After we had an appetizer last week, its about time we get to the prime rib this weekend. This weekend is a major one as multiple top ten teams either play another ranked opponent or go halfway across the country to play. College football says that week in and week out is a playoff, and this week doesn't disappoint.

Game of the Week: Georgia vs South Carolina- Yes, their are games with more hype but a conference game out weighs any top non-conference game. South Carolina has a very strong showing against Southern Miss last Thursday night to kick off the season. South Carolina's offense looked loose and Stephen Garcia played well but not great. South Carolina's running game will be key if they want to beat Georgia. The Gamecock defense looked fast and did not have many missed tackles and was able to hold one of the nations top receivers DeAndre Brown to just 65 yards with a touchdown. The Secondary will need to play at a high level again this week in order to enjoy success. Georgia Bulldogs Aaron Murrey looked very impressive last week going 17-26 with three touchdowns but the defense he will be playing will not be a lower sunbelt defense and he will need to be more sharp and focused so his team can have a chance to win. Georgia's defense played well last week only giving up 128 total yards against La-Lafeyette. Linebackers Akeem Dent and Darryl Gamble need to pressure Stephen Garcia and make him uneasy and knock him down early and often to help out the Bulldog secondary.

Prediction: A.J. Green will not be playing for Georgia and they will miss him dearly and that should give South Carolina the only edge they need, USC 28 UGA 14

Other Games:
Alabama v.s. Penn State- Joe Pa brings a freshman quarterback into Tuscaloosa, which is never a good idea. Expect Alabama to blitz and blitz often on route to a 28-7 victory.

Vanderbilt v.s. LSU- Coach Caldwell gets welcomed into the SEC rudely, LSU 35 Vanderbilt 14

Arkansas v.s. La Monroe- Tune up game for Georgia, Arkansas 42 La Monroe 0

Florida v.s. South Florida- South Florida's B.J. Daniels will make sure the Bulls are in it to the end but will not be good enough to win it. John Brantley show improvement from week one and throws for three touchdowns, Florida 35 USF 28

Tennessee vs Oregon- Derek Dooley will take his licks early often this season but should at least be competitive, Oregon 31 Tennessee 17

Kentucky vs Western Kentucky- The worst Sun belt team visits Lexington should be a route and Joker Phillips should be able to name the score, UK 42 WKU 0

Mississippi @ Tulane- Hopefully last weeks dreadful lost doesn't slow down the Rebels and they can begin their season now, Ole Miss 28 Tulane 24

Game of the Week- Miami (Fl) @ Ohio State. This will be a statement game for the Hurrincanes against the second ranked team in the nation. Playing in the Horseshoe will be tough but Jacory Harris should be able to lead Miami to keep the close until the fourth quarter. Miami's running game with Damien Berry will be key. If Miami can run the ball and keep the crowd quiet then they have a great shot at putting up points. Defensive ends Allen Baily and Oliver Vernon will be key in stopping or slowing down Terrelle Pryor. If they can keep Pryor in the pocket and not let him use his legs they should be able to keep the game close. Ohio State is looking to keep up with Alabama and not lose a game at home. Quarterback Terrelle Pryor will be the offenses key. If Pryor is able to duplicate what he did in the Rose Bowl then the Buckeyes will have no trouble scoring against the Hurricanes. Look for All-American Defensive end Cameron Heyward have a big game and able to pressure Jacory Harris on most pass plays but the secondary will be tested early and often and expect them to rise to the occasion.

Prediction: Ohio State's talent is too much for Miami (Fl) and cruise, OSU 35 UM 14

Other Games:

Florida State @ Oklahoma- First visit to Norman since Bowdens first season, Oklahoma is looking to look better than they did against Utah State last week. Christian Ponder should be stellar and lead Florida State to an upset, FSU 24 OU 20

North Carolina vs Georgia Tech- Carolina showed moxie and poise last week against LSU but GA Tech's option offense will be too much for there defense, GT 28 UNC 24

Virginia @ Southern Cal- This one wont be close unless Virginia is able to dress some of California's top recruits, USC 48 UVA 21

Duke @ Wake Forest- A battle of smarts reaches the gridiron. Duke should win a close one 21-20.

Boston College vs Kent State- Eagles Soar 40-10

North Carolina State @ Central Florida- Wolfpack runs into a pesky team that wont go away and should win it in the final minutes, NC State 35 Central Florida 31.

Clemson vs Presbyterian- Tigers should be able to rest its starters from the 2nd quarter on, Clemson 56 Presbyterian 0

Maryland vs Morgan State- Maryland continues its success, Maryland 31 Morgan State 7

Virginia Tech vs James Madison- Poor James Madison, VA Tech 56 JMU 0

Game of the Week- North Texas vs Rice. Its conference bragging rights on the line as Conference USA looks to continue its success against the Sunbelt. Lance Dunbar and Nathan Tune both will need to have huge games if the Mean Green want to win. There defense must tackle better and not try to arm tackle Rices running-backs. Look for Rice's Sam McGuffie have a huge game and could run for over 200 yards against a weak defense.

Prediction: Mean Green keeps it close for three quarters but the Owls fly away with a win, Rice 24 NT 14

Florida Atlantic vs Michigan State- Sparty should take care of business, MSU 35 FAU 7

Louisiana Monroe @ Arkansas-  Arkansas 42 La-Monroe 0

Arkansas State @ Louisiana Lafeyette- Battle of two mid-level sunbelt teams, Ark St. 28 Lafeyette 21

Florida Int'l vs Rutgers- Panthers pounce early but the scarlet knights wins big, Rutgers 35 FIU 14

Western Kentucky @ Kentucky- Would be a stellar basketball match-up, UK 42 WKU 0

Troy @ Oklahoma State- Troy keeps it close until the second half, OK State 42 Troy 21

Middle Tennessee vs Austin Peay- MTSU 42 AP 7

Other Notable National Games:

Michigan vs Notre Dame- Rich Rod has finally found the second coming of Pat White and Brian Kelly learns that he is still a year away from competing with top competition. Hail the Victor 28 Irish 21

Stanford @ UCLA- Big Pac-10 match-up. Luck continues to see if he can lead Stanford to a bowl and possibly a Pac-10 title, Stanford 21 UCLA 17

Put up or shut up Thursday

Tonight's match-up between Auburn and Mississippi State is not the only big game but also the NFL starts tonight with a barn burner between the Vikings and Saints. Both of these games can be considered statement games. If Auburn wants to be considered as a real threat to win the West division in the SEC then they need a good showing tonight against the Bulldogs, and the road to Saints winning another championship begins tonight as savvy veteran Brett Favre returns to New Orleans.

Last week Auburn played a mid-level sunbelt conference school in which they should have blown them out by more than just 52-26. They shouldn't even have given up 26 points to them in the first place but Auburn's pass defense was why Arkansas State was able to stay in the game so long. The red wolves were able to pass for 323 yards on the tigers secondary. And now Auburn plays Mississippi State who just so happens to have one of the best offensive minds in college football thanks to Dan Mullen. The Bulldogs were able to chuck the ball around for 371 yards against Memphis. There spread offense will give Auburn trouble but expect the Tigers to be tougher in the secondary this week knowing that if they win this game it could spring board them into winning the west division. The player to watch on offense for Mississippi State will be Chad Bumphis and on defense will be Pernell McPhee. Auburn needs Cam Newton to continue to improve the offense and they will rely heavily on Josh Bynes to get the secondary in the right position so they can make the necessary plays in order to win it.

Prediction: Mississippi State will be able to throw on Auburn in the first half and should lead Auburn at the half but expect the Tigers to make the half-time adjustments and win the game 35-34.

The first game of the NFL season is a rematch between the NFC Championship game and also Brett Favre returns to New Orleans to play against the team he grew up rooting for. You can bet the Vikings will like nothing best then to avenge last years lost in the Super-dome and put the Saints at 0-1 to start the season. Drew Brees has brought life to New Orleans back again and has made the Saints for the first time relevant in the NFL. Whether they are able to repeat as champions is yet to be determine but with a strong showing against a great defense could go along way in showing if they have it in them. This game should be a high scoring afair with two great quarterbacks going head to head again. If the Vikings offensive line can protect Favre from being hit so many times then they should score enough points to keep up with the Saints.

Prediction: Expect the Saints to start off where they finished last year and win the opening game 42-28.

Predictions on the first weekend for College Football

College Football starts Thursday night September 2. Just like every other year college football has only a couple of big games on opening day that will peak the interest of fans but the match-ups are very good.

Predictions

Thursday:
South Carolina v.s. Southern Miss- this is the best match-up of the thursday night games. South Carolina is suppose to contend heavily for the SEC east crown. South Carolina has a solid defense especially in the secondary with Alshon Jeffery, but the offense can only be as good as Stephen Garcia is. Southern Miss is coming off a season where they made a return trip to the New Orleans bowl and lost to Middle Tennessee State. They return one of the best receivers in the nation DeAndre Brown, who could garner plenty of Heisman hype but the defense is in question. Game Prediction: South Carolina 35 Southern Miss 21

Saturday:
LSU vs North Carolina (Georgia Dome)- LSU is a hard team to predict, sometimes the defense will play well and the offense cant score and vice versa. LSU does have the best corner in the nation in Patrick Peterson but he cant score touchdowns on defense. North Carolina is suppose to be a highly regarded favorite to win the ACC this year but with the agent house party in Miami took away some key players their stout defense has some holes now and their offense is shaky at best. This is shaping up to be a low scoring game. Game Prediction: LSU 17 UNC 10

South Alabama vs Pikeville- South Alabama is coming off their inaugural season where they went undefeated. South Alabama is returning all of their starters off last years team and should easily beat Pikeville and continue their undefeated ways. Game Prediction: USA 56 Pikeville 14

TCU vs Oregon State- TCU is coming off a season where they made it to the Fiesta Bowl and lost to Boise State. TCU has lost their best player off last years team in Jerry Hughes. Coach Gary Patterson is always known for having tough teams and to never count them out of any game. Oregon State is looking to dethrone their state rivals Oregon as Pac-10 champs. They have an under the radar running back in Jacquizz Rogers who was overlooked in Texas by all the Big 12 teams. Game Prediction: TCU 21 Oregon State 24

Monday

Boise State vs Virginia Tech- Boise State is looking to become the first non-BCS automatic qualifying school to reach the National Championship game. Boise State returns 21 of 22 starters from last years team. Quarterback Kellen Moore is also on many experts list as a top Heisman candidate and if they win this game could become the front runner. Virginia Tech is no stranger to start off the season with big games as last year they played Alabama in Atlanta. Virginia Tech is known for a tough defense that will knock the breath out of people. Virginia Tech needs Tyrod Taylor to place up to his potential in order to win the game. Game Prediciton Boise 21 VA Tech 28

Other Games
Alabama over San Jose State
Auburn over Arkansas State
Florida over Miami (OH)
USC over Hawaii
Wisconsin over UNLV

Called to Coach

Mark Schlabach recently released a book named Called To Coach. It was a book on the life and times of Bobby Bowden from when he was a little boy growing up in Birmingham, Alabama to him ending up in Tallahassee, Florida to coach Florida State. I have known about this book way back in June, but it was not released until August 23. So you could say I was really excited when it hit the bookshelves.
I have always admired Coach Bowden while he was coaching at Florida State. It was not because of all his victories as coach he accumulated over five decades of coaching football, but because of how he went about pronouncing his faith and his love for Jesus Christ. While reading this book it really opened my eyes on how he was able to use his profession to show what he was put on this earth really to do and that was to spread the love of Jesus Christ.
Throughout the book it was amazing to see how God worked in coach Bowden's life and how God was able to use his status as being a head coach to spread the kingdom. This book can be viewed in two ways while you read it. One is how God uses people to spread his word and the second is a story of how a boy from Birmingham grew up to become one of college football's greatest coaches of all-time. I would recommend this book to anyone who is a Bobby Bowden fan or football fan.