Week 2 - Now for the real games

After a week of tune up games, September has arrived and with apologies to Hofstra, Coastal Carolina, and Northern Arizona, D-I teams are playing other D-I teams and the real season has begun.

For my Bonehead of the Week award (sorry, the Maurice Clarett reference is dated), I’m bestowing the honor on three Penn State players. According to Penn State coach Joe Paterno, three players - Maurice Evans, Abe Koroma and Andrew Quarless will miss Saturday's game against Oregon State after police found marijuana in their apartment earlier this week. The players, who will miss this week’s game against Oregon State (they get caught with pot and now they’re missing a meeting with the Beavers!) will be suspended for one game, because team officials don’t yet have all of the facts, and there really isn’t much to do while you’re living at Penn State besides smoke pot. Let this be a lesson, college athletes. Marijuana has no place in collegiate athletics. In the NBA on the other hand . . .

A quick aside - I noticed this last night during John McCain's acceptance speech. The crowd at the RNC

reminds me a lot of crowds at Hacksaw Jim Duggan fights (see 2:57).

On to the picks

Ball State -6.5 Navy

Last week Navy dispatched Towson 41-13 largely on the legs of RB Shun White who rushed for a school record 348 yards last week. Navy led the nation in rushing last year, and it looks like not much in the strategy department has changed under new head coach Ken Niumatalolo. Even though QB Kaipo-Noa Kaheaku-Enhada is on “emergency-only” status this week with a partially torn hamstring, the tandem of White and FB Eric Kattani should bolster the Navy running game. Not to mention, their names are much easier than Kaheaku-Enhada’s for the PA announcer at Ball State to pronounce on TD runs.

On the field for the Cardinals is QB Nate Davis, who had a great week last week with 3 TDs and 290 yards passing (albeit against Northeastern University – not known for their football prowess as much as they are for hockey and watching the Red Sox play). Over the past three seasons, Davis has had at least 1 TD in 18 straight games, and proven that he can lead a high-scoring offense at Ball State. The big question in this game is whether his passing game will be able to match the rushing game of Navy, and whether the Cardinal defense can manage to limit the number of points the Midshipmen score (Ball State has held opponents to fewer than 2 TDs just once over their last 14 games, including last week’s win against Northeastern).

I think we see Navy emerge as a legitimate force this season starting tonight against Ball State as they sail to something better than the Poinsettia Bowl come this post-season. I'll take Navy getting 7.

Syracuse -4.5 Akron

Syracuse!! Akron!! Big East and MAC Football Powerhouses live on ESPN 360!!

Uh . . . I'll take Akron with the points.


WVU -7.5 ECU

Not to take anything away from the Pirates’ win last week, but it was at home against VA Tech. Yes, it represented their second straight victory against a ranked opponent (Boise State was the first at the end of 2007), and yes their defense limited the Hokies to 12 first downs, but seriously? The Moutaineers are only 7.5 point favorites on the road? This is the same team that demolished ECU by 41 last season in Morgantown, right? The same Pat White who has never had below a 50% completion rate since becoming a starter (including an 18 for 20 game against these same Pirates in 2007)? I hate so say it, but the Moutaineers are going to be almost impossible to stop this season.

For the Pirates, they hope that last week’s win against VA Tech wasn’t a fluke. There is plenty of reason to think there might be a bit of a hangover for ECU QB Patrick Pinkney; he’ll have a really tough time throwing for 200+ yards again in Tropical Storm/Hurricane force winds. Unless ECU can get their running game together this week (no one stood out as being overly impressive) they’re going to hope that the defense/special teams can put together another miracle. Sorry, ECU. Hannah isn’t the only thing blowing through Bank of America Stadium this weekend.

Although they helped me last week, I can't see the Pirates coming within a TD of WVU. I'll take the Moutaineers to cover.


UConn - 7 Temple

Really? I know its a road game for the Huskies, but a one TD favorite over Temple? Listen, I get excited about Temple just as much as the next guy does, but let's be honest. A 28 point win against Army does not necessarily signal the start of a winning season for the Owls. Welcome back to earth as you open the season at home, Temple. I'll go with the Huskies to cover.


TX Tech -10.5 Nevada

Both Texas Tech and Nevada put up 49 points last week. The Red Raiders did it against Eastern Washington and the Wolf Pack against Grambling State – neither of whom is expected to crack the top 25 anytime soon. The difference? Texas Tech did it on the arm of Graham Harrell and his spread offense which had a mind-boggling 536 yards in the air last week. Nevada features a more balanced attack, but their cornerbacks have about as much D-1 experience as [Sarah Palin/Barack Obama] does leading the country. See – I can be fair and balanced.

The key to this game will be for Nevada to somehow contain Harrell, which as strategy is a lot easier said than done (so much for me being non-partisan). I’m going to go out on a limb and say that Nevada won’t be able to match Texas Tech on the scoreboard unless they can somehow convince the Red Raiders to run the ball and hope for another net 5 yards rushing on defense. Since the Wolf Pack gave up 225 yards passing to Grambling QB Greg Dillon in his first career start, I don’t think Mike Leach will go to the ground that much this week. I'm comfortable with the Red Raiders giving 10.5

Until next week . . .