Back to Basics: Week One Picks, 2008

With that out of the way… for Week One, I will pick winners for the top games of the week (and continue to do so all season long…). Obviously, most of the Week 1 match-ups are the usual early season 65-0’ers – but I found 16 that should be interesting and/or season defining for the teams playing.

Without further adue… (and these are in order by the dates/ times played, not by importance)

Game #1.
Wake Forest at Baylor.
Let the Art Briles era begin. While I don’t think Baylor will be the Big 12 door mat for long under Briles, I don’t know that the Bears will be able to upset Grobe & Co. I’ll take the close-to-my-hometown Demon Deacons in a closer than expected score.

Wake Forest 31, Baylor 20

Game #2.
North Carolina State at South Carolina.
Well, this game isn’t a high powered O.O.C. match-up, but it’s certainly interesting. To my anyway. The Wolfpack progressed tremendously towards the end of the 2007 season, so I will be interested to see if that momentum continues into 2008 under second year coach Tom O’Brien (formerly of Boston College). The quarterback play was absolutely dismal for N. C. State in Year One – play will have to be better for success in this game and into the remainder of the year. I expect Spurrier & Co. to take away the win, but again, it could be a little closer than you’d think.

South Carolina 28, N. C. State, 19

Game #3.
Virginia Tech vs. East Carolina (Charlotte).
Oh man am I nervous about this one. I think my former alma mater could have their hands full with this one. At the infamous and equally raucous Lane Stadium last year, the Hokies barely, and I mean barely, scratched by the Pirates 17-7. It obviously was an emotional game (the first game for VT since the April 16th tragedy) – so that could be part of the lackluster performance then. Moreover, ECU returns plenty of starters, while Virginia Tech… loses plenty of them. Hopefully, Hokie Nation faithful will show up in their usual droves at Charlotte for support. I’ll pick VT to scrape by ECU once again, but won’t be surprised if ECU pulls a stunner.

Virginia Tech 27, ECU 24

Game #4.
Syracuse at Northwestern.
This just shows you how dismal the opening week match-ups are. I expect the almost bowl eligible Wildcats to best the down trodden “Big Orange” at home… and then I remember this same team lost to Duke at home in 2007. Ouch. (That loss also cost them a rare bowl trip…). If the ‘Cats want to go bowling in 2008, they will need to win this game. I think they have the offense to do it.

Northwestern 35, Syracuse 28

Game #5.
Hawai’i at Florida.
This game only got mentioned because, it would have been nice for last year’s Hawai’i to play this year’s Gators. Oh well. It’ll only take one quarter for the heat and the fans at the Swamp to get to these Warriors. Florida romps.

Florida 49, Hawai’i 13

Game #6
USC at Virginia.
This game follows the same theory as #5. It would have been much better to see last year’s Virginia

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