11:10 AM
#2 West Virginia (1-0) @ Marshall (0-1)
Marshall's a decent team, but after how WVU absolutely annihilated Western Michigan, probably the best team in the MAC, the Thundering Herd have little if any chance. Pat White looked excellent against an elite WMU secondary, so the Mountaineers should be able to move the chains at will via either air or ground. Marshall has a more veteran QB than WMU, so they may get more done through the pass than the Broncos did, but Marshall's complete lack of running game should kill any slim hopes they had of an upset. I'll keep this from being a lock just since it's a rivalry game and Marshall will be at their peak, but it might as well be.
My Pick: West Virginia
Confidence (out of 5): 4
12:00 PM
#16 Miami (1-0) @ #4 Oklahoma (1-0)
The Canes have a very good chance, but I don't think their offense is quite up to speed to knock off the Sooners. Miami's running game was absolutely electrifying last week, but it was against Marshall, and after seeing how OU absolutely shut down North Texas RB Jamario Thomas, who was, in fact, once an NCAA rushing leader, the Hurricanes' production on the ground should be much tempered. Miami has an excellent run defense as well, which is what makes this interesting, as, again, an electrifying performance by the OU running backs probably won't be duplicated. I'm willing to give OU QB Sam Bradford the benefit of the doubt after absolutely shredding UNT's secondary last week, and that plus homefield nudges me towards the Sooners. Still, if Bradford falters, Miami can very much capitalize and wind up pulling the upset.
My Pick: Oklahoma
Confidence: 2
Akron (1-0) @ #11 Ohio State (1-0)
Akron almost lost to Army last week. I'm not even sure if this is a step up in competition from OSU's game last week against Youngstown State.
My Pick: Ohio State
Confidence: 5
#20 Nebraska (1-0) @ Wake Forest (0-1)
Wake last week still looked like a team that could always win despite itself, so I have some trepidations about counting them out here. Still, this was a Nebraska team that absolutely dominated Nevada last year, and Wake starting QB Riley Skinner is doubtful after suffering an injury against BC. The Deacons may somehow luck their way to a win or keeping it closer than it should be, but Nebraska very obviously has them overmatched.
My Pick: Nebraska
Confidence: 3
Bowling Green (1-0) @ Michigan State (1-0)
BGSU's offense was impressive against Minnesota, but Michigan State's secondary is much better than that of the Gophers. BGSU is definitely good enough to pull off the upset, but c'mon, it's September, Michigan State doesn't start losing games it shouldn't until later.
My Pick: Michigan State
Confidence: 2
Duke (0-1) @ Virginia (0-1)
If Virginia plays as horribly as they did against Wyoming, they'll lose here too. Still, I expect a bounceback effort from the Cavs, and even if not, Duke's offense was shockingly ineffective against UConn last week. Slight upset potential, but even if Duke plays up to their potential, it may not be enough.
My Pick: Virginia
Confidence: 4
Miami of Ohio (1-0) @ Minnesota (0-1)
An upset could very well happen here, but time for some equations. BGSU > Miami of Ohio. Since BGSU beat Minnesota in OT, BGSU roughly = Minnesota. Therefore, Minnesota > Miami of Ohio. LOGIC IS FUN!
My Pick: Minnesota
Confidence: 2
Nevada (0-1) @ Northwestern (1-0)
It was against Nebraska, but Nevada was just so absolutely annihilated by the Huskers that this looks like a worst-case scenario for the Wolf Pack's rebuilding year. Northwestern looked fine beating I-AA Northeastern, so they should be able to win easy here.
My Pick: Northwestern
Confidence: 3
Grambling State @ Pittsburgh (1-0)
Looks like this'll be the starting debut of Something Named Redshirt Freshman QB Kevan Smith. Enjoy your first win, it may be your last.
My Pick: Pittsburgh
Confidence: 5
Eastern Illinois @ Purdue (1-0)
Purdue Boilermakers? More like PurDUE TO SCHEDULE HARDER OPPONENTS! Am I right?
My Pick: Purdue
Confidence: 5
12:30 PM
#10 Alabama (1-0) @ Vanderbilt (1-0)
Both teams sure whooped on some I-AAs last year. Vanderbilt could cause Bama some trouble, but I think the Tide has both the weapons and the defense to pull this one out fairly easily. Stranger things have happened though, and there's always the chance Saban could leave at any moment. That joke will never get old.
My Pick: Alabama
Confidence: 3
1:00 PM
Louisiana-Monroe (0-1) @ #21 Clemson (1-0)
This could be a surprisingly fun little shootout, or whatever the running game equivalent of that is. ULM shouldn't be able to stop either Clemson back, and Warhawks running back Calvin Dawson is talented enough to have a big day himself. Clemson has the better D and an actual passing game, so the Tigers obviously have the edge, but still, should be fun to watch.
My Pick: Clemson
Confidence: 4
Rhode Island @ Army (0-1)
Army looked surprisingly passable in losing to Army, so I'll give them the benefit of the doubt here.
My Pick: Army
Confidence: 3
Buffalo (0-1) @ Temple (0-1)
Oh, Buffalo. I was all ready to pick you here, but you looked SO bad against Rutgers, and Temple actually got some things done against Navy and they have homefield, and, and...I hope you understand. Don't you?
My Pick: Temple
Confidence: 2
1:30 PM
Samford @ Georgia Tech (1-0)
Finally, after playing Notre Dame, a real challenge for GT. I think I used that joke already. Or in something else later on in this post that I already wrote.
My Pick: Georgia Tech
Confidence: 5
2:00 PM
California (1-0) @ Colorado State (0-1)
CSU's a perfectly acceptable solid mid-major team and should make bowl eligibility, but sorry, Cal's just too good. Even if CSU RB Kyle Bell has a big day, even if CSU QB Caleb Hanie exploits the suspect Cal secondary, the Golden Bears offense is going to put up 35+ and just put this game out of reach.
My Pick: California
Confidence: 3
Utah State (0-1) @ Wyoming (1-0)
USU looks more competitive than I expected in losing to UNLV, but Wyoming smashed a much better Virginia team at home. If this was at USU I might give the chance for a letdown, but Wyoming should steamroll here once again. The fun'll be to see if USU can top Virginia's 108 yard effort from last week.
My Pick: Wyoming
Confidence: 4
2:30 PM
NC State (0-1) @ Boston College (1-0)
Coaches seem to always beat their old teams right after they leave, so NCSU has a pretty good shot here. Still, I'll flip-flop from my preseason stance after BC's impressive showing last week and call for the Eagles to win, mostly since they were one of the few ACC teams that didn't disappoint. NCSU should be much improved from last week by having QB Harrison Beck play the entire game, though.
My Pick: Boston College
Confidence: 1
3:00 PM
Ball State (0-1) @ Eastern Michigan (0-1)
BSU gave Miami of Ohio a fight last week. EMU's closer to the middle of the pack than Buffalo or Temple, so they have a shot, but between my optimism based on last week's performance and that Ball State QB Nate Davis is probably the best player on the field (outside of their punter), I'll give the Cardinals a nod. MAC parity alert applies, though.
My Pick: Ball State
Confidence: 2
3:30 PM
Fresno State (1-0) @ #13 Texas A&M (1-0)
Fresno State was once known for upsets like this, and while A&M disappointed last week, I think the window has passed. I think. I very much think. A&M's rushing attack, between both the RBs and QB Stephen McGee, should be too much here, even if I do have a feeling of foreboding doom.
My Pick: Texas A&M
Confidence: 2
#17 Oregon (1-0) @ Michigan (0-1)
I'd like to pick against conventional wisdom here, since the "ESPN is always wrong" approach to picking games has a very high success rate, but Oregon is basically Appalachian State but much better. If Lloyd Carr and the coaching staff has learned from the loss and adjusted their approach, Michigan could and frankly should win, but, come on, it's been a decade and that still hasn't happened.
My Pick: Oregon
Confidence: 2
#24 Boise State (1-0) @ Washington (1-0)
This essentially comes down to if the play of Washington, and especially QB Jake Locker, showed that the Huskies are legitimately good. While I think UW is on the right track and is an improving team, I can sum up my thoughts in three words: It was Syracuse.
My Pick: Boise State
Confidence: 3
5:00 PM
UAB (0-1) @ #22 Florida State (0-1)
UAB, again, is the worst team in the NCAA. FSU should toy with them at will.
My Pick: Florida State
Confidence: 5
Cal Poly @ Idaho (0-1)
Idaho did fairly well for playing USC last week, although who knows how much of that was USC's apathy. If Louisiana Tech can beat their cupcake opponent, I see no reason why the Vandals can't.
My Pick: Idaho
Confidence: 3
5:45 PM
#7 South Carolina (1-0) @ #14 Georgia (1-0)
I hate to pick against my own rankings, but I need to favor Georgia, based mostly on their thorough beatdown on OK State last week. South Carolina struggled against LA-Lafayette last week, but I think they should wind up being fine. Still, I don't think the return of QB Blake Mitchell is the cure-all for the Gamecocks, and while SC may be more prepared for Georgia's offense than ULL's option-based attack, last week wasn't exactly inspiring. I will say that I picked South Carolina in the top 10 because Spurrier tends to win games he shouldn't, and, well, here's an opportunity to prove me right.
My Pick: Georgia
Confidence: 1
6:00 PM
Notre Dame (0-1) @ #8 Penn State (1-0)
Oh, this one could be fun. I'm not sure how Notre Dame's offense could be much worse, but if Anthony Morelli finally has his act together, this could be even more humilating for the Irish than last week. If UND managed to get to, say, 14 points, consider it an Appalachian State-esque moral victory.
My Pick: Penn State
Confidence: 4
Troy (0-1) @ #15 Florida (1-0)
Well, this'll probably be the best defense Tim Tebow has faced. Troy QB Omar Hougebook didn't look too hot against Arkansas, and he'd be the key to the improbable upset here, so I don't give the Trojans much of a chance. They could put up a surprising effort, but Florida's talent level should prevent this one from ever being in doubt.
My Pick: Florida
Confidence: 4
#18 Missouri (1-0) @ Mississippi (1-0)
Mississippi wasn't all too impressive against Memphis, and while the Mizzou defense didn't look too hot against Illinois, that offense was as well-oiled a machine as ever. If Missouri was facing a team with an offense, there might be cause for concern, but not the case here.
My Pick: Missouri
Confidence: 4
Air Force (1-0) @ Utah (0-1)
Utah's crippled, so now's Air Force's shot if it has one. And it probably doesn't. There's still a lot of questions about AFA's offense, what the transition will be and how long it'll take, and even though he played horribly last week, backup (and for the next few weeks, starting) QB Tommy Grady is highly talented. The Utes may have rough going ahead, but this game shouldn't be part of it.
My Pick: Utah
Confidence: 3
North Carolina (1-0) @ East Carolina (0-1)
UNC wasn't a disaster in beating James Madison, but ECU showed it could hang last week. UNC has enough talent to pull off the upset, but if ECU plays anywhere near the level they did last week, this should be a fairly easy win.
My Pick: East Carolina
Confidence: 3
Kent State (1-0) @ Kentucky (1-0)
Kent State's a good MAC team and beat Iowa State and all, but Kentucky should be able to throw on them until they've felt that they've scored enough. Might be one of those games where UK has rough going early, but with time, they should win this handily.
My Pick: Kentucky
Confidence: 3
6:30 PM
Brigham Young (1-0) @ UCLA (1-0)
BYU looked good enough against Arizona that I give them a shot of pulling off the upset here. Still, UCLA absolutely annihilated Stanford last week, and while BYU should be a top-tier MWC team, I'm not yet convinced that they can hang with a veteran Pac 10 team like the Bruins. Could turn into a fun shootout, or get ugly real quick, but I think UCLA's good enough to win this fairly handily.
My Pick: UCLA
Confidence: 3
7:00 PM
TCU (1-0) @ #6 Texas (1-0)
Oh ho ho. I won't pull the trigger here, even if Texas was slugging and the secondary looked bad last week. Even if the 27-0 score said otherwise, TCU didn't dominate Baylor as much as I'd liked to have seen, and I'm still not sold on QB Andy Dalton. And really, conventional wisdom is pointing to this as the big possible upset of the week, and how often does that happen? TCU has a chance, don't get me wrong, but I see Texas winning this in ugly, ugly fashion.
My Pick: Texas
Confidence: 2
#19 Hawaii (1-0) @ Louisiana Tech (0-1)
If only this was on TV. I haven't been this excited since, like, Christmas when I was ten. Hawaii against what was the nation's worst secondary last year, and who got torched by CENTRAL ARKANSAS last week? If Colt Brennan is left in for the entire game, the Warriors could break 90. Really. I'm giddy.
My Pick: Hawaii
Confidence: 5
Memphis (0-1) @ Arkansas State (0-1)
Hm, intriguing. Memphis should've beaten Ole Miss last week, but ASU actually gave Texas a run for their money. In the face of not knowing what to think about each team, I'll defer to my preseason thoughts.
My Pick: Memphis
Confidence: 1
Rice (0-1) @ Baylor (0-1)
Both teams were inept last week, with Baylor not doing much of anything against TCU and Rice losing to I-AA Nicholls State. I'll go with Baylor out of principle, because, really, Nicholls State, but Rice's QB/WR combo of Chase Clement to Jarett Dillard is enough to pull off the upset.
My Pick: Baylor
Confidence: 1
Toledo (0-1) @ Central Michigan (0-1)
Kansas ran all over CMU, so there's no reason Toledo RB Jalen Parmele can't do the same thing. Then again, Purdue was able to run on Toledo too, so who the hell knows. KU's rushing attack was more suspect coming into the year though, so I suspect CMU's run defense to be weaker, and both teams should be able to throw. Could be a fun shootout, and the MAC parity warning applies here, but I expect Toledo to be able to put up more points.
My Pick: Toledo
Confidence: 1
Maine @ Connecticut (1-0)
UConn has always been able to beat these teams, at least. Come on, play someone interesting already.
My Pick: Connecticut
Confidence: 4
Maryland (1-0) @ Florida International (0-1)
Can Maryland finally outgain a I-A opponent? Probably.
My Pick: Maryland
Confidence: 4
Western Illinois @ Illinois (0-1)
Not much to say about this. If Illinois somehow loses, all hope is rightfully out the window.
My Pick: Illinois
Confidence: 5
Northern Iowa @ Iowa State (0-1)
Ehhhhh. ISU showed some signs of life against Kent State, especially in the running game, so that, combined with the QB-to-WR combo of Bret Meyer to Todd Blythe should lead them to victory here.
My Pick: Iowa State
Confidence: 3
Southeastern Louisiana @ Kansas (1-0)
It'd be really funny if SELA somehow pulled off the upset, but after the complete annihilate Kansas brought down on Central Michigan last week, no dice.
My Pick: Kansas
Confidence: 4
Ohio (1-0) @ Louisiana-Lafayette (0-1)
RUNNING! I'll give it to LALA on the basis of homefield advantage and putting a scare into South Carolina vs. beating whatever I-AA team Ohio beat that I don't feel like looking up. But still, this one's about even, and expect both teams to rush for a lot of yards.
My Pick: Louisiana-Lafayette
Confidence: 1
Mississippi State (0-1) @ Tulane (0-0)
Tulane has some good players, namely running back Matt Forte, but I still have some faith in MSU, despite last week's complete humiliation. Mike Henig and the rest of the team should bounce back to mediocrity, which should be enough to beat Tulane.
My Pick: Mississippi State
Confidence: 2
San Diego State (0-0) @ Washington State (0-1)
SDSU ain't too hot. The Aztecs have a lot returning on offense, but that defense can be torched easily, and Wazzou's the type of team that can do just that. Any sort of performance by the SDSU D here would be big, and necessary for the upset, but I don't think it's going to happen.
My Pick: Washington State
Confidence: 4
Southern Miss (1-0) @ Tennessee (1-0)
Stranger things have happened. USM has their usual top-flight defense, and may be able to stop Ainge enough to control the ball with their talented running backs and pull out a win. If the Vols had completely limped to defeat against Cal last week, I might pull the trigger, but the offense looked too good, especially Ainge, although Cal admittedly has a porous secondary. Still, this is an upset that could easily play out, so I'll only give the Vols the slightest of edges.
My Pick: Tennessee
Confidence: 1
UTEP (1-0) @ Texas Tech (1-0)
If Texas Tech can do what they did to SMU, they can do pretty much the same to UTEP. Yawn.
My Pick: Texas Tech
Confidence: 4
7:05 PM
Florida Atlantic (1-0) @ Oklahoma State (0-1)
If OK State shits it up like they did last week, a veteran and well-coached FAU team actually has a shot. Still, I expect a rebound from either QB Bobby Reid or RB Dantrell Savage, and one of the two should be enough to win here handily.
My Pick: Oklahoma State
Confidence: 3
San Jose State (0-1) @ Kansas State (0-1)
SJSU was absolutely shameful in getting picked apart by Arizona State. KSU's offense isn't quite as good as ASU's, but Wildcats QB Josh Freeman should be at the level where he can win this. SJSU's secondary was an interception factory last year, though, and if they repeat that performance against Freeman, a Spartans upset is quite possible.
My Pick: Kansas State
Confidence: 2
7:30 PM
Southern Illinois @ Northern Illinois (0-1)
NIU didn't look good at all against Iowa, and SIU beat Indiana last year, so stranger things have happened. Still, NIU has veterans at the skill positions, and Iowa is in fact a good team, so while this may be a down year for the Huskies, it shouldn't be THIS down.
My Pick: Northern Illinois
Confidence: 3
8:00 PM
Indiana (1-0) @ Western Michigan (0-1)
I'm still not 100% sold on Bill Lynch as Indiana head coach, and WMU might be the better team. The Broncos are looking to rebound after a pretty bad loss to West Virginia, and the secondary is good enough to exploit IU QB Kellen Lewis's mistakes. This could go either way, especially if WMU is demoralized after last week, but I expect a rebound effort and for the secondary and QB Tim Hiller to lead them to a win.
My Pick: Western Michigan
Confidence: 2
North Texas (0-1) @ SMU (0-1)
SMU was disappointing last week, but holy shit at UNT's complete impotence. This'll be a long season until they face Florida International.
My Pick: SMU
Confidence: 4
8:05 PM
Syracuse (0-1) @ Iowa (1-0)
Nothing will be as hilarious as last year, when Syracuse tried unsuccessfully to get the ball into the end zone for EIGHT STRAIGHT PLAYS from within the 5 in overtime. Syracuse should look back on that fondly, since this shouldn't get anywhere near overtime.
My Pick: Iowa
Confidence: 4
9:00 PM
#25 South Florida (1-0) @ Auburn (1-0)
Both teams disappointed horribly last week, but I really don't see how Auburn's offense does much here. The offensive line's a wreck, and Brandon Cox is not the type of QB to carry a team. If Matt Grothe implodes, Auburn could win a 13-7 borefest or something similar, but I think USF is ready for...well, Auburn this year isn't really "prime time", so we'll say Seinfeld reruns at 6 PM on TBS.
My Pick: South Florida
Confidence: 2
9:15 PM
#9 Virginia Tech (1-0) @ #1 LSU (1-0)
This could actually be very ugly, since LSU's offense should be humming better than it was last week, and VT's looked pretty helpless against an obviously much worse ECU defense. Even if VT manages to make this a defensive struggle, I think LSU's defense may wind up scoring more points than the Hokie offense. LSU wins, and honestly, I don't think there's much of a debate. (Though, now watch them lose.)
My Pick: LSU
Confidence: 4
9:30 PM
New Mexico State (1-0) @ New Mexico (0-1)
NMSU's high-flying offense disappointed against Southeastern Louisiana, but I'll still give them the nudge at a UNM team that wasn't very impressive at all in losing to UTEP. Redeem yourself, Chase Holbrook!
My Pick: New Mexico State
Confidence: 1
10:00 PM
#12 Wisconsin (1-0) @ UNLV (1-0)
UNLV disappointed against Utah State. Wisconsin's waaay better than Utah State.
My Pick: Wisconsin
Confidence: 5
Northern Arizona @ Arizona (0-1)
Arizona's new offense has completely not taken if last week was any indication, and UNA threw a scare into Arizona State last year, so the upset potential is there. Still, Arizona has enough talented players (QB Tuitama, CB Cason) that they should pull this out.
My Pick: Arizona
Confidence: 3
10:15 PM
Colorado (1-0) @ #23 Arizona State (1-0)
Colorado impressed last week, and looked much more ready to win now than I had figured, but Arizona State absolutely annihilated a perfectly fine San Jose State team. Plus the Sun Devils are beasts at home, so I don't give CU much of a chance.
My Pick: Arizona State
Confidence: 4
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