Category Archives: ncaa football

2012 Big Ten Preview: Iowa Hawkeyes

Joe Pasquali, our resident college football analyst, is back with another Big Ten team preview. He has laid out some of the division leaders, but he has yet to name which team will win one of the divisions in the Big Ten conference. Will Iowa win the Legends division?

After a disappointing 2011 campaign (7-6, 4-4 in conf, 1-3 vs top 25) Iowa fans should have little reason to expect 2012 to be a lot better. The Hawkeyes have to replace both lines, both coordinators, and their both downfield threat in Marvin McNutt. Even though Iowa has one of the easiest schedules in the conference, their two biggest inner division games are on the road at Michigan and Michigan State. You won’t hear the words rebuilding come out of Kirk Ferentz mouth, but this year has the look of it.

Offense (C+)

The Hawkeye program for the last decade has consistently had one of the best offensive lines in the conference, if not the nation. Replacing three starters from a year ago is no easy task, but should be mitigated by the return of two year starter and coach’s son center James Ferentz. James Vandenberg returns at the helm after an impressive first year as starting QB (3022 yards, 25 TDs, 7 INT), but he will be without many weapons. Marcus Coker (RB) and Marvin McNutt (WR) were two all-conference studs that carried this Iowa team last year. Jordan Canzeri was supposed to be the starter this year at running back but tore his ACL this spring and is out for the year. With so many new faces, a depleted backfield, and a new scheme, I look for Iowa to struggle to put up points in 2012.

Defense (B)

Iowa’s defense had a very human season in 2011, ranking 46th in scoring defense allowing 23.8 points a game and only recording 22 sacks (77th). Combine that with three new defensive lineman and you could have shakey year. Luckily for Iowa they return Christian Kirksey and James Morris at linebacker, both were starters last year and should be able to mop up an mistakes in front of them. There is decent experience in the secondary with corner Micah Hyde returning as well as safety Tanner Miller, but the defense will surely hang on the front four. Iowa’s new defensive coordinator Phil Parker has already said they plan to blitz a lot and go with press man coverage which should help with the lack of pass rush, but could leave the secondary exposed to big plays.

Special Teams (B+)

Mike Meyer returns at kicker after a solid 2011 season, making 14 of 20 field goals including a long of 50 yards. The only thing that worries me is that he is a psychology major. Honestly, I don’t want my kicker thinking about too much, especially in big games. Mr. Meyer’s overactive brain could cost the Hawkeyes once or twice this year.

Coaching (B)

When Kirk Ferentz took over coaching Iowa gas was 1.17 a gallon. Though Iowa hasn’t been touching double digit wins the last few years, his job is one of the safest in college football. Two new coordinators should make for a rocky season, but the schedule is kind and Iowa will be bowling come December.

2012 Win/Loss Prediction: 8-4 (4th in Legends)

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2012 College Football: All-Name Team

Not everyone can have the last name ‘Manning’ or ‘Montana’, some of us have to go through life with a pretty ridiculous name. Most of these names are pretty rough to grow up with, but some are names you wish you had…especially if you are named something bland like Joe Smith or Bobby Roberts (my name).

Some of the name are easy laughs that you’ll get instantly, but a few may take you a few moments to get the humor.

2012 NCAA Football’s All-Name Team consists of the funniest names in college football this year…and one specific one that I wish I had.

I hope you enjoy this year’s college football’s “All-Name Team”. Continue reading →

2012 Big Ten Preview: Penn State Nittany Lions

Joe Pasquali, our resident college football analyst, is back with some more of Big Ten team previews. We are about halfway through the conference and the best is yet to come. Can Penn State move past the scandal and bring the attention back towards football?

By now we all know about the off season drama at Happy Valley. We know more gruesome, disturbing, and troubling details then we probably ever wanted to. With all of that said, football is played on the field. Eleven men still have to line up against eleven men and beat the hell out of each other. Coaches, athletic directors and lawyers don’t run, they don’t block, and they don’t tackle. This is still a football team with some very talented young men, a rabid fan base behind them, and a pretty kind 2012 schedule. The Nittany Lions get Ohio State and Wisconsin at home, their two biggest conference/divisional games of the year. They’ll win one of those in ugly, 10-7 Penn State fashion.

Offense (C-)

The Penn State offense in 2011 was boring, predictable, and ineffective in 2011. Their lack of a passing attack mixed with inability to get a big play from anywhere led to their 110th ranked 19 points per game. The departure of running back Silas Redd to USC isn’t going to help matters. Pair that with the fact that Penn State still has no quarterback and you are going to see low scoring games again this year. Matt McGloin and Rob Bolden are still the two quarterbacks to choose from, with neither being anything close to impressive last season. Matt Stankiewitch is the lone returning starter to the offensive line, a unit which lost four of six players with any experience. Justin Brown is the lone weapon on the outside with 35 career catches and will be relied on to be a downfield threat.

Defense (B+)

Penn State’s defense was the strength of the team last year and this season should be no different. Linebacker U will be stacked at just that in 2012, with seniors Gerald Hodges and Michael Mauti as well as juniors Glenn Carson and Khairi Fortt leading the way. The loss of Devon Still to the defensive line will hurt, but Jordan Hill and Pete Massaro should lessen the growing pains of a relatively young front four. The weakness of the defense will be in the secondary where Penn State replaces all four starters from a year ago. First year defensive coordinator Ted Roof will have his work cut out for him shaping this back four into a working unit.

Special Teams (C-)

With last year’s kicker/punter Anthony Fera transferring to Texas, Penn State has a huge gap to fill on special teams. Senior Evan Lewis saw some time kicking last season and could win the role in 2012. The loss of Fera will definitely be felt and it’ll be interesting to see if anyone steps up into the open roles he leaves behind.

Coaching (B)

Bill O’Brien has an impressive resume including five years under Bill Belichick in New England at a variety of offensive coaching positions. His offensive mind should help a Penn State team in desperate need of putting points on the board. Some thought the hire of Ted Roof at defensive coordinator was a bit of a questionable one, but lucky for him he inherits a pretty talented bunch.

2012 Win/Loss Prediction: 7-5 (3rd in Leaders)

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2012 Big Ten Preview: Michigan State Spartans

Joe Pasquali, our resident college football analyst, is back with some more of Big Ten team previews. We are about halfway through the conference and the best is yet to come. Can head coach Mark Dantonio lead Michigan State to another double-digit win season?

Back-to-back 11 win seasons have made the football world take notice of the happenings in East Lansing, a school that for a long time played little brother to their state rivals in Ann Arbor. There are expectations for the Spartans to get to the next level, but I don’t see it happening this season. A tough schedule and key losses on both sides of the ball make me think they will just fall short of the Big Ten title game. The battle for the Paul Bunyan Trophy (UM v MSU) should decide the Legends division.

Offense (B)

Kirk Cousins was one of the best quarterbacks in the conference and a great leader, replacing him will be the biggest obstacle in 2012 for Michigan State. Andrew Maxwell will take the reins for the Spartans, a junior who has had two years to study under Cousins. With only 57 career passes it doesn’t get much greener, but luckily he has a decent supporting cast. The offensive line was injury riddled last year, which means lots of younger players got experience. The line this year will be veteran and tough, a staple of Michigan State football. The star on offense will be running back LeVeon Bell who is primed for a huge year. The wide receiver core is absent of anyone who has caught a collegiate football before and could be a concern if defenses stock up against the rushing attack.

Defense (A)

The story for Michigan State last year was their stellar defense. The unit was ranked 6th nationally in yards allowed and recorded 44 sacks (7th in the nation). A key loss up front will be 2nd round draft pick Jerel Worthy who was a force up front at defensive tackle. William Gholston (DE) is a freak and my pick for Big Ten defensive player of the year. Behind him are two of the nation’s best linebackers in Denicos Allen and Chris Norman, both pre-season all conference picks. The secondary has three returning starters with the lone new player at free safety in Kurtis Drummond.

Special Teams (A-)

Dan Conroy enters his third year as kicker for Michigan State after putting together two solid seasons. He ranks first all time at Michigan State in field goal percentage, making 82% of his career kicks (32-39). Mike Sadler returns to do the punting duties for the second year. As a redshirt freshman he averaged a very respectable 41.1 yards per punt.

Coaching (A)

Mike Dantonio is coming off of two great years at Michigan State and is bringing in some of the best defensive talent they have seen in East Lansing. This season will depend on offensive coordinator Dan Roushar and if he can get new QB Andrew Maxwell to lead his team to another Big Ten title game.

2012 Win/Loss Prediction: 9-3 (2nd in Legends)

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2012 Big Ten Preview: Wisconsin Badgers

Joe Pasquali, our resident college football analyst, is back again this year to cover NCAA college football. Where will the Wisconsin Badgers finish without Russell Wilson?

Wisconsin won the first ever Big 10 championship game in 2011 before losing 45-38 to #5 Oregon in an amazing Rose Bowl game. The 2012 campaign should be more of the same for a Badger team that returns a lot of key players. The loss of Russell Wilson will be felt, but the schedule is kind with both Michigan State and Ohio State at home, the latter should decide the Leaders division. My only concern is the mental toughness of this Wisconsin team. Almost all of their wins last year were blow outs, outscoring opponents 520-151 in victories. Three of the four games Wisconsin played in which were decided by one score, they lost.

Offense (A)

Wisconsin ranked 11th in the nation last season rushing (235.6 yd per game) which came as no surprise to the world of college football, but what was a surprise was the passing attack. Russell Wilson added another dimension that allowed Wisconsin to terrorize defenses all year, scoring 44 points a game (6th in nation). Maryland transfer Danny O’Brien has a great arm and should make defenses respect the aerial threat. Once again Big Ten defenses will have the task of trying to stop Montee Ball and the Badger front five. I say “try” because Ball rushed for over 1,900 yards and 39 touchdowns last year (32 rushing, 7 receiving). Yes, that is not a typo, THIRTY NINE touchdowns.

Defense (B+)

Wisconsin returns six starters to a defense that wasn’t really talked about last season, mainly because the offense was putting up gaudy numbers. They were 13th in that nation in points against (19.0 per game) and 15th in yards against (316 per game). Linebackers Chris Borland and Mike Taylor were the two top tacklers in the Big Ten last year and should help out a less than stellar front four. If Wisconsin wants to return to the Big Ten title game the defense will have to buckle down in big games. In their 3 losses the Badgers gave up 31, 29, and 38 points.

Special Teams (C)

Kyle French takes over the kicking duties for Wisconsin, though he did get some experience last year when kicker Philip Welch was injured. He was 3-5 last year and 26-27 on PATs, though his long field goal made was a chip shot of 29 yards. Badger fans did say he impressed in the spring game, making 8 of 10 field goals and solidifying his starter spot for 2012. Redshirt Freshmen Drew Meyer will be the starting punter and has yet to play a game for the Badgers.

Coaching (B+)

Head Coach Brett Bielema is the model of consistency in the world of college football. Wisconsin teams are always competitive, big, and hardnosed and this all stems from their leader. Elsewhere Wisconsin is replacing 6 coaches total, not an easy task for any program.

2012 Win/Loss Prediction: 9-3 (1st in Leaders)

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2012 Big Ten Preview: Nebraska Cornhuskers

Joe Pasquali, our resident college football analyst, is back again this year to cover NCAA college football. He has completed a team preview for every team in the Big Ten. What can Nebraska accomplish in their second season in the Big Ten?

Expectations were high on Nebraska going into the 2011 season coming off of an impressive last year in the Big 12. Their first season in the new Big 10 went well but didn’t live up to the high expectations of Cornhusker nation. Optimism is still high in Lincoln, but I don’t think this team is ready to unseat the top of the Big 10 just yet. The schedule is more kind, they get two of their three toughest games at home (Wisconsin, Michigan) in prime time 8 PM slots and have a joke of a non-conference schedule (Southern Miss, UCLA, Arkansas State, Idaho State).

Offense (B+)

About as one dimensional of a team as you see in the Big Ten, Nebraska has always been proud of a great rushing offense and little else. Rex Burkhead returns for his senior season as one of the nation’s top running backs (1,357 yards last year, 17 TD’s). Along with a 100% healthy Talyor Martinez, one of the better running QB’s around, this offense will continue to pound the ball. First team all-conference selection Spencer Long (G) anchors and offensive line which will have three new starters in 2012. They’ll have four easy games to gel before conference play starts, and if they can, Nebraska will put up impressive numbers on the ground again.

Defense (B+)

Replacing key defensive players will be a tough task for Nebraska in 2012. Linebacker Levonte David was the backbone to the Cornhusker defense and this year’s team appears to be going with quantity over quality. The staff has pledged to have more depth to the defense this year, using JUCO transfer Zaire Anderson, Will Compton, Sean Fisher and Alonzo Whaley. The secondary gave up some big plays in big games last year (Wisconson, Michigan) but will only improve if Nebraska can get more pressure on opposing passers. Nebraska only had 21 sacks last season, 10th in the Big Ten.

Special Teams (A+)

Brett Maher is a stud. Well, as much of a stud as a kicker/punter can be. Maher was all conference as a kicker and punter last season, along with being a semi-finalist for the Lou Groza award (for the nation’s top kicker). His ability to nail field goals and pin opponents deep with great punting will be a huge help to Nebraska and could be the difference in big games.

Coaching (B)

Bo Pelini is a good coach and is entering his fifth year at Nebraska (39-16 overall). The offensive will improve under another season of Tim Beck (2nd season), but can the defense? John Pacuchis takes over the blackshirts and hopes to bring back the toughness of Cornhusker D.

2012 Win/Loss Prediction: 9-3 (3rd in Legends)

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2012 Big Ten Preview: Ohio State Buckeyes

Joe Pasquali, our resident college football analyst, is back again this year to cover NCAA college football. He has completed a team preview for every team in the Big Ten. The first team he tackles is The Ohio State Buckeyes.

A losing season? A losing season?? Yes folks, Ohio State went 6-7 last year after a Gator Bowl loss to Florida, their first losing season since 1988. Sorry Buckeye haters, but the 2012 Ohio State team is going to be very, very dangerous. New head coach, new system and a chip on their shoulder because of a postseason ban. Ohio State will be a team no one is going to enjoy playing. The Buckeyes can still play in the Big Ten championship game, but to do so they will have to beat Wisconsin in Madison on Nov 17th. Oh yeah, and that is a week before Michigan comes to town, heck of a way to end your campaign.

Offense (??)

Honestly who knows? Braxton Miller showed signs of brilliance in 2011 and as well signs of utter incompetence. Ohio State was 107th last season in total offense, yeah…not good. Urban Meyer has his work cut out for him molding Miller into a quarterback, but if anyone can do it it’s is the man who made Chris Leak and Tim Tebow National Champions. Elsewhere, the team is lacking experience and playmakers, both at running back and at wide receiver. Tight end Jake Stoneburner moves to wide receiver and is the one shining light when it comes to weapons on offense. He could easily lead the team in receptions. Luckily for Miller, the offensive line is very solid and led by junior guard Andrew Norwell, a massive young man who can play anywhere up front.

Defense (A)

The 2012 Ohio State team boasts easily the best defensive line in the conference and maybe the best in the nation. John Simon (SR, DE) and Garrett Goebel (SR, DT) lead a front four which would terrorize offenses all season. Etienne Sabino will lead a youthful but talented linebacker core which will feature two Sophmores in Ryan Shazier and Curtis Grant. Ohio State is very high on Shazier and expects him to have a breakout 2012 campaign. The secondary is solid as always and CJ Barnett and Bradley Roby are experienced ball hawks. Ohio State’s defensive numbers were fairly bad last year for Buckeye standards, but that was mostly due to their offense never staying on the field. If the offense makes strides the defense should as well.

Special Teams (A)

Drew Basil is just another great kicker in a long line of great Ohio State kickers. He was 16-19 last season and has only missed 5 kicks in his career as a Buckeye, three of which were over 50 yards. Ben Buchanan is a solid punter and ranked 4th in the Big Ten last season in punting average. He was sixth nationally with 27 punts downed within the opponents 20.

Coaching (A)

Urban Meyer is one of the best coaches in college football, period. Everywhere he goes he wins and I expect nothing less at Ohio State. His recruiting class for 2013 is already shaping up very nicely and I expect the Tattoo-gate and other Ohio State drama to be in the rear-view very soon.

2012 Win/Loss Prediction: 9-3 (2nd in Leaders)

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Tyrann Mathieu Enters Drug Rehab

Former LSU cornerback Tyrann Mathieu has checked into a Houston-area rehab center and will not attend college or play football this season. Mathieu’s father told WVUE-TV in New Orleans on Thursday.

Right Step center is where Mathieu will stay during his rebah. He is being mentored by former NBA player and coach John Lucas, who has success building character in young, troubled athletes.

Mathieu was kicked off LSU’s team last week for an alleged substance-abuse issue. He won the Bednarik Award as the best defensive player and was a finalist for the Heisman Trophy.

If he sits this year out, he can play football next season or enter the 2013 NFL Draft.

A Sports & Entertainment blog that focuses on absurdity in sports, snarky banter, updates on Tim Tebow’s virginity, and decent sports gambling advice.

2012 College Football Preview: Notre Dame Fighting Irish

Joe Pasquali, our resident college football analyst, is back again this year to cover NCAA college football. We will be unveiling his Big Ten team previews later this week, but to whet your appetite, here is his 2012 college football preview for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish.

The 2011 season was a frustrating one for the Irish, a year marred by turnovers, late game collapses, and inconsistent play on the offensive side of the football. Notre Dame ranked 118th (third from the bottom) in turnover margin last year, forcing 14 while turning the ball over 29 times. Many turnovers came in crucial points in the game or in the red zone (where ND finished 88th in efficiency), making it nearly impossible to win games. This year Notre Dame returns 15 starters and a wealth of experience on both sides of the ball, making them some people’s dark horse in 2012. Though picking the Irish for a rebound seems like the thing to do every summer, their schedule makes it impossible for me to do so. With no set quarterback and the loss of Michael Floyd you can chalk up losses to Michigan State, Michigan, USC and Oklahoma. Outside of that, they still play talented teams in Stanford, Miami (FL), and BYU. Oh, and don’t forget pesky little Purdue.

Offense (B)

Quarterback Tommy Rees decided to kick a cop and is serving a one game suspension for the Irish, though many people weren’t sure if he would have been the opening day starter anyways. Andrew Hendrix, Everett Golson, and Gunner Kiel are battling for the starting position and the current word is Golson has a head up on the others. It’d be no surprise if we saw all four quarterbacks at some point this year; Brian Kelly has shown he has no qualms about switching QB’s, even mid game. Cierre Wood returns as the starting running back and impressed last year with 1,102 yards and 9 touchdowns. Tyler Eifert is an all-American and all around stud at tight end. He should make the job for whoever is throwing the ball a bit easier, he is a huge target and has great hands.

Defense (A-)

The front seven of Notre Dame is very experienced and should improve on what was a decent year in 2011. All- American Manti Te’o leads a linebacker core that is as physical and good against the run as any in the country. The front three are back as well, and though a little thin, are very disruptive. The secondary could see a lot of rotation in 2012, especially at the corner position. Juniors Lo Wood and Bennett Jackson should step into the starting roles but if they can’t stop big plays on the outside Kelly will look to younger players. Breakout player to watch is freshman Aaron Lynch who should see some time at defensive end.

Special Teams (B)

Nick Tausch looks to have regained the kicking duties after not seeing any game action last season. He made 14 consecutive field goals as a freshman before his season ended early with an injury. Ben Turk enters his third season as punter for Notre Dame and has averaged 39.0 yards a punt in his career.

Coaching (B)

Brian Kelly has had success at every program he has coached, all the way from Grand Valley State to Cincinnati. Back to back 8-5 seasons doesn’t seem that bad, but it was the way Notre Dame lost games in 2011 that left fans with a bad taste in their mouth. Notre Dame at times looked rattled and without leadership, this starts at the top. Though the schedule is brutal, people have high expectations out of Notre Dame, even if those expectations are somewhat unrealistic. You hate to say it is a make or break year for Brian Kelly, but his predecessors didn’t get long to make an impact either.

2012 Win/Loss Prediction: 7-5

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Should Arkansas Have Fired Bobby Petrino?

The University of Arkansas fired Bobby Petrino this afternoon. They stated that he “knowingly misled the school and engaged in reckless behavior with a 25-year old employee. This probably wouldn’t be an issue if he wasn’t the head football coach. The 51-year old was injured in a motorcycle accident and he lied about the presence of Jessica Dorrell, who was also on the motorcycle too. Dorrell was just hired a few weeks ago by Petrino. It is unknown if there was a “casting couch” situation, but this situation doesn’t stop the rumors. Should the University of Arkansas live under a different set of rules than Bill Clinton, who is the former Governor of Arkansas. Shouldn’t that state be lenient with this kind of activity?

Mr. Petrino should have known that if he went all “Ruff Ryderz” with his side-piece, he was begging for trouble. He was coming off a few successful seasons and was entrenched in his job. He was becoming an iconic figure in Arkansas. If he notched a few more bowl game victories, he would have surpassed Nolan Richardson in status. It is hard to believe that Arkansas went ahead with the firing of Petrino.

I was shocked by the news of the firing, because football money is a huge part of a university’s sports department’s revenue. Then the news came out about a clause that would free them from Petrino’s contract of roughly $3.53 million a year. If he “engaged in conduct that was clearly contrary to the character and responsibilities of a person occupying the position of head football coach or which negatively or adversely affects the reputation of the (university’s) athletics programs in any way,” he’d be canned. I understand the seriousness of this issue, but as Louisville did with Rick Pitino’s affair, I thought that they would sweep it under the rug.

When the University of Arkansas hired Bobby Petrino, he was the head coach of the Atlanta Falcons. The season wasn’t quite over yet and the next thing you know, he’s leading the Razorbacks in a “Woo Pig Sooie” chant. He quit on his team and left to take a job in the NCAA, a place where he knew how to win. It’s hard to look over the fact that he backtracked from a commitment and retreat with his tail between his legs.

I can’t deny that Petrino is a great college football coach. He’s helped direct two schools into premiere bowl games and he’s orchestrated a great offense at each school. He’ll get another job very soon and I don’t think he should have been fired. I respect Arkansas for making a moral decision, which is lacking in NCAA sports, but it was a dumb decision. He wasn’t drunk behind the wheel, in which many college coaches have been arrested for (Bob Huggins, Billy Gillispie, etc), but the university deemed this worse than endangering the innocent lives of others. Let this be a warning to any future coach at Arkansas, if you’re seeing a 25-year old on the down-low, get a designated driver.

A Sports & Entertainment blog that focuses on absurdity in sports, snarky banter, updates on Tim Tebow’s virginity, and decent sports gambling advice.

2010 NCAA Football – Week 3 Betting Picks

I went 9-3 last week against the spread and I’m feeling pretty good about Week 3. There are a lot of dud games out there, but there are some with good value that you should look at. It’s looking like a week where a lot of favorites may not cover. Which teams did I pick? Check out this my NCAA football picks against the spread for Week 3 of the 2010 season.

Northern Illinois (+8) at Illinois (-8) – My pick is Illinois

Neither of these teams look very good so far this year, but I will take a tested Illini team over Northern Illinois. Illinois did get beat in their first game against Missouri, but came back with a strong effort against Southern Illinois. Northern Illinois lost for a weak Iowa State team in Week 1 and came back to win a close game against North Dakota, a team they should have smoked.

Iowa State (+4) at Kansas State (-4) – My pick is Kansas State

The game is listed as a “neutral site,” but it is being played at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, it’s basically a home game for Kansas State. KSU already has a home win over UCLA, though a bit ugly, they still pulled it out. Iowa State’s victory came against Northern Illinois and followed that by getting smoked by Iowa. Bill Snyder is back going KSU, the team will improve as the season goes on.

Arkansas (+2.5) at Georgia (-2.5) – My pick is Arkansas

Arkansas has yet to be tested this year…and they will get their test on Saturday at Georgia. Ryan Mallett will need a big game to keep his stock high, I believe he does that over the Bulldogs.

Hawaii (+11) at Colorado (-11) – My pick is Hawaii

Hawaii is coming off a weak win over Army and Colorado limps into this contest by losing to Cal 52-7. Hawaii held their own against USC for most of the game and proved that they can compete on the mainland. The Rainbow Warriors are 2-0 against the spread so far this season and will win against it again this week.

Nebraska (-3.5) at Washington (+3.5) – My pick is Nebraska

This will be a very far away game for Nebraska to play, but I’m sure Cornhusker fans will still make it there. Sportsbook.com has Nebraska projected 10 point favorites, so this line seems quite low, so expect this to get higher as the week progresses. Nebraska looked good against small programs so far this year and Washington comes in 1-1 with a win against Syracuse and a loss at BYU. Nebraska will cover, but if line gets close to 6, stay away, it will still be a contest.

Toledo (+4.5) at Western Michigan (-4.5) – My pick is Western Michigan

Western Michgan beat Toledo last season 58-26 with a balanced offensive attack. Both teams come into this contest with 1-1 records, both losing to a major program. Toledo’s offense hasn’t looked good this season and their defense is even worse. Western Michigan has used their passing attack this season and is only averaging 100 yards on the ground. WMU will win this game and cover easily.

Notre Dame (13.5) at Michigan State (-3.5) – My pick is Notre Dame

Notre Dame was an injury to Dayne Crist away from beating Michigan last week. If Crist didn’t miss a substantial portion of that game, the Irish could be sitting at 2-0. Michigan State hasn’t played any elite talent yet and Notre Dame has already played two other Big Ten teams this season. The Spartans are weak against the pass and that is what Notre Dame has excelled at this season. The Irish will win against the spread AND win the game in East Lansing.

Boise State (-24) at Wyoming (+24) – My pick is Wyoming

Let me start by saying that Wyoming has very little hope in winning this game. Boise State will come into this game with something to prove, but Wyoming’s defense is stout and will cause them problems. I rode Wyoming all season last year and they did very well against the spread, you can get good value with them. BSU will win, but not by 24 points.

Iowa (-2) at Arizona (+2) – My pick is Iowa

This line has a possibility of moving towards Arizona, since the game is at home and Iowa has trouble on the road at times. Both teams have played very well this season, but Iowa has played better competition. The Big Ten is stronger than the Pac-10 this season and I’ll go with Iowa to cover and win outright.

Utah (-23.5) at New Mexico (+23.5) – My pick is Utah

New Mexico has been outscore 124-17 in their first two games. Utah has a win against, then top-25 ranked Pitt. Utah will win this game…BIG.

Texas (-3) at Texas Tech (+3) – My pick is Texas

The Longhorns and Red Raiders are more equal this year than ever. Texas lost a lot of talent in the draft and the Red Raiders are playing more balanced football, since Mike Leach is no longer there. Tech hasn’t played much talent this season and UT has played an improved Rice & Wyoming teams. Even though the game is in Lubbock, the Longhorns will come out winners and cover the spread. (Michael Crabtree isn’t walking through that door)

Middle Tennessee State (-6) at Memphis (+6) – My pick is MTSU

MTSU went 10-3 last season and even beat Souther Miss in a bowl game. Memphis has been a weak football school and only won two games last year. MTSU has looked strong early this season with a close loss against Minnesota and a routing of Austin Peay. Memphis has been routed by Mississippi State and East Carolina so far and should get routed again, this time by MTSU of the Sun Belt Conference.

These picks are for entertainment purposes.

A Sports & Entertainment blog that focuses on absurdity in sports, snarky banter, updates on Tim Tebow’s virginity, and decent sports gambling advice.

Did Heisman Trust Leak The Bush Story?

This is purely speculative, but could the Heisman Trust be the party that leaked the story about Reggie Bush getting stripped of his Heisman trophy? Could they have leaked the story to see what the public’s reaction to the news be? It makes sense, right? I explain why this would have been a smart move and breakdown the whole Reggie Bush situation.

Yahoo! Sports ran a story yesterday that former USC tailback, Reggie Bush, would be getting his Heisman trophy stripped from him. He won the trophy as the best college football player in 2005. He took gifts and cash from agents and boosters while he was a college player, which retroactively made him ineligible to play during the 2005 college football season. USC was hit with sanctions and was forced to forfeit the games in which Bush played that season and was hit with the loss of scholarships and a two-year postseason ban.

The Heisman trust came out after this story went public and said that the trust hasn’t even taken a vote on the subject and are still deciding what to do about the whole Reggie Bush situation. I doubt that an established site like Yahoo! would have ran this story without multiple sources confirming that he was indeed getting the trophy stripped. The trust have never been put in a situation where they would have to strip a player of their award. The public could have reacted negatively to the story and could have swayed the votes of the trust. Since the reaction seems to be somewhat positive of the news, I’m sure the trust will act in stripping Bush of the award.

I want to stress once again that this is purely speculative, but it makes sense. The trust wants to make sure that the award keeps its prestige and isn’t tarnished in any way. If Bush is stripped of the award, it is rumored that the trust would just say that the award was vacant that year and wouldn’t award it to the person that came in as runner-up, Texas quarterback Vince Young. Young mother even came out today and said that Young told her that he wouldn’t accept the award if they decided to give it to him.

This whole situation is muddy and it would be best to keep the award vacant, it isn’t Miss America. In doing this, the trust would set a precedent that this would be the way to handle situations like this, if they were to happen again. Let’s hope that this will be the last one like this, since it has taken the NCAA five years to react to a situation that came out many years ago.

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