Bleacher Report - Articles by Mitch Wilson

Ten Top Tens After Week Eight Of College Football

Mitch Wilson — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 13:35:37 -0400

Top Ten Teams

1. Florida—Still the one.

2. Alabama—Still a tough road ahead, but getting it done.

3. Texas—Not sure they can beat many on this list.

4. Iowa—Knows how to win.

5. Cincinnati—Capable of beating anyone.

6. TCU—Defense wins championships.

7. Boise State—The beat goes on.

8. Oregon—Best of the one-loss teams.

9. USC—Probably overrated here.

10. Georgia Tech—The power of the ACC.

Ten Best Games This Week

1. Iowa 15, Michigan State 13—Right down to the final second.

2. Alabama 12, Tennessee 10—The Vols had their chances.

3. Clemson 40, Miami 37—Overtime thriller.

4. Florida State 30, North Carolina 27—Monster comeback.

5. Notre Dame 20, Boston College 16—Every week is a thriller in South Bend.

6. Ball State 29, Eastern Michigan 27—Something had to give.

7. UTEP 28, Tulsa 24—No quit in the Miners.

8. Iowa State 9, Nebraska 7—Who would have thunk it?

9. Northwestern 29, Indiana 28—Another comeback.

10. Navy 13, Wake Forest 10—Three meetings in two years makes for good games.

Ten Best Players This Week

1. Terrence Cody—The difference between winning and losing.

2. Ryan Lindley—Are the Aztecs on the move?

3. MiQuale Lewis—Small in size, Big engine.

4. Noel Devine—Is anyone surprised?

5. Colin Kaepernick—He was unstoppable.

6. DeVier Posey—Amazing what he can do if you get the ball to him.

7. C.J. Spiller—Super human.

8. Ricky Stanzi—Ice water in his veins.

9. Jacoby Ford—Big-time play in a big-time game.

10. Golden Tate—Having a great year.

Ten Things That Shocked Me This Week

1. Texas Tech getting whipped by A&M—That had to hurt.

2. Michigan State was favored over Iowa—I still don't get it.

3. Nebraska lost to an also-ran—Maybe further away from being back than they hoped.

4. Ball State won a game—Oh that's right, they played EMU.

5. Tebow's interception before the half—Didn't look like a Heisman winner there.

6. Miami's play-calling late in the game—Hideous.

7. Ron Zook still has a job—Not sure for how long.

8. The track meet in Nevada—That was incredible.

9. NIU giving up the last-second meaningless Hail Mary—Absolutely pointless.

10. The score of the TCU-BYU game—Not necessarily the result.

Ten Reasons I Haven't Been Writing At Bleacher Report As Often

1. Working on my own site—It's grown by leaps and bounds.

2. Plagiarism—Saw a list from this series repeated and given article of the day recently. This article is a pure rip off of this article.

3. Life Happens—Just don't have as much free time as I did.

4. Sick of target practice—At least at my site I can control who can visit and comment and what is acceptable.

5. Lost in the crowd—The new site design segments the site too much.

6. Can't keep track of the comments—The changing of the feed on profiles was a bad idea.

7. Over-editing—Correcting my poor spelling and grammar are great, changing what I have to say isn't.

8. Burnt—I think I went longer than anyone with no slowdown.

9. Tired of seeing recap articles—These should be deleted from the site.

10. Less quality, more quantity—A growing concern.

Ten Teams That We Never Know What To Expect

1. Nevada—Talk about hit and miss.

2. BYU—Beat Oklahoma, Crushes other teams and then get whipped, twice.

3. Boise State—Blows out also-rans and makes sometimes-rans look pretty good.

4. Southern Miss—A roller coaster ride unto themselves.

5. Ohio State—Even in lean years I never remember them being this hit-and-miss.

6. Florida State—Not sure what is going on there.

7. Georgia—Will the real Bulldogs please stand up.

8. Ole Miss—I give up.

9. Houston—Do we have a problem?

10. Michigan State—Favored twice at home against teams with winning records.

Ten Movie or TV Charachters Played By College Football People

1. Superman—Easy, Tim Tebow.

2. Curly from the Three Stooges—Charlie Weis.

3. Granny from the Beverly Hillbillies—Lou Holtz.

4. Andy Griffith—Bobby Bowden.

5. Darth Vader—George Selvie.

6. Bambi—Colin Kaepernick.

7. The Terminator—Nick Saban.

8. Bozo the Clown—Lee Corso.

9. Ritchie Cunningham—Tom O'Brien.

10. Michael Scott—Urban Meyer.

Ten Preseason Predictions I Read That Aren't Even Close

1. Terrelle Pryor will be a Heisman candidate—Maybe someday, but not this year.

2. Mississippi will play in the national title game—Not this year.

3. The ACC will be the worst conference—Nope.

4. The Big East will be the worst conference—Not really.

5. Sam Bradford would repeat as the Heisman winner—Not a chance.

6. The Heisman winner will definitely be McCoy, Tebow, or Bradford—Not looking like it.

7. The winner of Ohio State-Penn State will win the Big Ten—It's for second place.

8. Rich Rodriguez would be fired at Michigan—He's probably getting an extension.

9. Randy Shannon would be gone at Miami—He got an extension.

10. At least one Stoops would be gone at the end of this year—Not unless it's their decision.

Ten Matchups That Would Be Great To See This Year

1. Florida-USC—It's been a long time coming.

2. Miami-Oregon—These teams never play each other.

3. Ohio State-Oklahoma—Just seems like a natural.

4. TCU-Notre Dame—See Jimmy run.

5. Alabama-Utah—Grudge match.

6. Cincinnati-Boise—Playoff.

7. Georgia Tech-Navy—Teacher vs. Student.

8. Texas-Iowa—Maybe it happens?

9. Penn State-Florida State—Followed by a postgame double retirement party.

10. Michigan-West Virginia—The Rodriguez Bowl...while it's still relevant.

Ten Best Games On The Schedule This Week

1. USC at Oregon—A huge game.

2. Florida-Georgia—The cocktail party.

3. Texas at Oklahoma State—May be the toughest test for Texas left.

4. South Carolina at Tennessee—I love Southern Football.

5. Southern Miss at Houston—Trust me, it's better than it sounds.

6. Western Kentucky at North Texas—Could this be the week?

7. Mississippi at Auburn—Should be a good game.

8. Purdue at Wisconsin—Boilermakers are playing decent football.

9. West Virginia at South Florida—Could end up meaning something.

10. East Carolina at Memphis—Tuesday night football beats no football.

Visit Mitch anytime at The Sports Chat Place

Taking the Next Step: College Coaches With NFL Aspirations

Mitch Wilson — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 22:20:33 -0400

There haven't been many college football coaches who have made the successful transition to the NFL. While I'm not sure any of the coaches in today's college game are ready and willing to make the leap, there is certainly a qualified stable worth taking a chance on.

When Lou Holtz—a college coach who failed miserably in his stint as the head coach of the New York Jets—was asked what was the biggest difference between college and the NFL he replied, "You can't recruit in the NFL."

Since Lou walked the sidelines at Shea Stadium, the game has changed. And though the NFL has free agency—which means you actually can recruit somewhat—it hasn't meant more successful transitions.

If anything, the transition from failed NFL coach to college coach or return to college coach is much smoother. You need to look no further than Pete Carroll, Bobby Petrino, and Nick Saban for proof.

Here are a list of college coaches who may someday be faced with the opportunity to make the leap to the next level.

1. Pete Carroll, head coach, USC

Why: He's been a winner at the college level and he has NFL experience as a head coach and a coordinator. It's possible he wants to take another shot at it to prove he can do it.

Why Not: He has rebuilt USC into one cushy gig. He probably has the job for life, and it pays well enough that he has no reason to look for more. I haven't even mentioned the weather.

2. Urban Meyer, head coach, Florida

Why: With two national titles in three years and a possible shot at a third, there may be little to prove and little challenge left at Florida. Meyer has a pretty big ego, so more than likely it is one more notch he can add.

Why Not: Meyer's style more than likely won't translate to the NFL game, where everyone is going to be as fast as his team. He is more suited for the college game and he's more likely to turn up at another school he has ties to.

3. Brian Kelly, head coach, Cincinnati

Why: Kelly has won everywhere he has been and there is no reason to think he can't do the same a the next level. If the Bearcats' season continues on the path they are currently on, he will be well known enough to be a candidate at least.

Why Not: Central Michigan and Cincinnati just aren't the powerhouse names we expect to see coaches get grabbed from. Kelly is more likely to step it up to a bigger program first and then make the big leap.

4. Kirk Ferentz, head coach, Iowa

Why: A few years back, Ferentz was one of the hottest names around and he was courted by several NFL teams. He decided to stay at Iowa ,but a few years later he may have regretted not taking the NFL's offer as he was nearly fired. I'm not as convinced he passes it up again given the same scenario.

Why Not: For all of the same reasons he turned it down the last time around, and he just signed a new contract.

5. Steve Sarkisian, head coach, Washington

Why: In his first year as head coach in Washington, he is making a winner out of a team that has been losing as of late. He has the Huskies looking respectable and people are taking notice.

Why Not: Big on talent and promise, but very light on head coaching experience. Probably more than likely a few years away.

6. Randy Shannon, head coach, Miami

Why: Three of the last four Hurricane coaches have taken NFL jobs. Shannon's coach, Jimmy Johnson, was one of them and one of the most successful.

Why Not: Shannon has unfinished business at Miami, and while he has rebuilt the program, it isn't quite as rebuilt as his predecessor's teams.

7. Jim Harbaugh, head coach, Stanford

Why: He seems to be taking a logical path to lead him to the sidelines in the NFL. Harbaigh seems to have been groomed to be a head coach and he's just a natural.

Why Not: Harbaugh hasn't really won at Stanford. He's had some big wins but not a string of big wins.

8. Turner Gil, head coach, Buffalo

Why: He has put the Buffalo program on the map.

Why Not: Not enough quality experience.

9. Bob Stoops, head coach, Oklahoma

Why: Maybe after years of rumors and turning down offers, he ready to make the move. Losing his Heisman-winning QB makes it a logical time for an exit.

Why Not: He's been offered every job on the planet and never seriously considers any of them.

10. Rick Neuheisal, head coach, UCLA

Why: He seems to have the personality that he would seriously consider an NFL job if the offer ever came his way.

Why Not: He hasn't done enough to merit an offer.

Visit Mitch anytime at The Sports Chat Place

10 Top 10s After Week Seven Of College Football

Mitch Wilson — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 21:30:23 -0400

Top Ten Teams

1. Florida - A win is a win.

2. Alabama - A little sloppy.

3. Texas - Still in position but will they be at the end of the season?

4. Cincinnati - 100 percent legitimate.

5. Iowa - Why is everyone still surprised when they win?

6. TCU - Big surge in the second half.

7. Boise - Maybe a little more beatable but still unbeaten.

8. USC - Best of the one loss teams.

9. Oregon - As impressive as anyone.

10. Miami - Another big test this week.

Ten Best Games This Week

1. Florida 23, Arkansas 20 - A nail biter in Gainesville.

2. Texas 16, Oklahoma 13 - Gutsy performance by both teams.

3. Arizona State 24, Washington 17 - Overtime.

4. USC 34, Notre Dame 27 - Not sure how it got this close.

5. Kentucky 21, Auburn 14 - Mild upset.

6. Iowa 20, Wisconsin 10 -Another dominant second half for the Hawkeyes.

7. Air Force 10, Wyoming 0 - What can I say? I love defense.

8. Nevada 35, Utah State 32 - The track meet du jour.

9. Georgia Tech 28, Virginia Tech 23 - This one makes things interesting.

10. Arizona 43, Stanford 38 - Another wild one in the Pac-10.

Ten Best Players In Week Seven

1. Joey Elliot - Made all the right decisions.

2. Dion Lewis - Becoming a regular on this list though now people getting to know who he is.

3. Jahvid Best - He's at it again.

4. Montel Harris - Off the charts.

5. Ben Chappell - Welcome to the list.

6. Daniel Thomas - Finding the endzone often.

7. Mark Ingram - The Heisman winner.

8. Jevan Snead - Making the best of it.

9. Josh Nesbitt - Making people forget about the Miami game.

10. Max Hall - Maybe he is the best QB in the country?

Ten Who Would Like To Forget Week Seven

1. Terrelle Pryor - Absolutely horrible.

2. Mark Mangino - You lost to who?

3. Colt McCoy - Gets a win but loses the Heisman.

4. Sam Bradford - Tough not to feel sorry for him.

5. Alex Tejada - Not all his fault but he's wearing the goat horns.

6. Auburn Fans - Tough one to swallow.

7. Ron Zook - The last shred of dignity gone.

8. The Referees - Yesterday was a flag fest.

9. Jim Harbaugh - Let one get away.

10. Charlie Weiss - Needed that one in the worst way.

Ten Teams Ranked or Unranked At The Start Of The Season

1. Miami - Unranked

2. Florida State - Ranked

3. Houston - Unranked

4. Georgia - Ranked

5. Cincinnati - Unranked

6. North Carolina - Ranked

7. Kansas - Unranked

8. Notre Dame - Ranked

9. Texas Tech - Unranked

10. Nebraska - Ranked

Ten Mascots or Nicknames I Still Don't Get

1. Western Kentucky - That Red Blob thing?

2. Akron - Zips?

3. North Texas - Mean Green?

4. Idaho - Vandals?

5. Stanford - The Pine Tree?

6. Wake Forest -Demon Deacons?

7. Duke - Don't understand the "blue" in Blue Devils.

8. Syracuse -Orangemen?

9. Purdue - Boilermakers?

10. Tulsa - What in the heck is with that Captain Kane?

Ten Things I Do Every Saturday Before Kickoff

1. Go for a run - Try and do it before I'm fully awake.

2. Hit the Farmer's Market - Time and money well spent.

3. Go in the Chat Room - Always like to see what everyone else is thinking on the day's games.

4. Shoot Videos for the site - Been doing these outside on the weekends lately.

5. Drink a huge cup of coffee - Intelligentsia, Black Cat.

6. Watch my Tivo'd shows - Usually not enough time to catch all of them.

7. Check the Forum - Usually some insightful conversations happening.

8. Check the forum polls - Usually right about 85 percent of the time.

9. Answer any straggling emails - I try and get to all of them but I get literally 100's a week.

10. Read for any late news and weather updates - makes all the difference in the world.

Ten TV Shows As They Apply To College Football This Year

1. Survivor - What team will be the sole survivor?

2. The Biggest Loser - This would be the fans of course who have no say in what they want to see (A Playoff!)

3. 60 Minutes - Make that a full 60 minutes of effort and excitement.

4. Big Brother - This would refer to the NCAA Rules Committee.

5. ER - Seems like some of the injuries are getting more attention to the games.

6. Curb Your Enthusiasm - Maybe some fan bases should have tried this before the season.

7. The Amazing Race - Every conference race is wide open at this point.

8. Lost - Several head coaches seem to fit the bill.

9. Wheel of Fortune - Never know from week to week who is going to land on "Bankrupt".

10. The Price Is Right - Definitely more important to the NCAA and the schools than what the fans want or what is best in the long run.

Ten Midseason Notes About The Game

1. ESPN and other networks only care about what it takes to get people to tune into their networks to watch, not solid evaluation and prognostication - Remind everyone as often as possible.

2. The SEC is over rated - The top is the tops but after that the decline is quick.

3. The Big Ten is really bad - A huge drop off after Iowa.

4. No one is unbeatable - Everyone looks very beatable.

5. Penn State will replace Iowa with Northern Iowa on the future schedule - It obviously doesn't matter who they play in the rankings so why wouldn't they.

6. Cincinnati is in a BCS conference yet still need to prove they are BCS worthy - But a 3-3 Oklahoma team is in the top 25?

7. Kirk Herbstreit is racking up the frequent flyer miles - Not even he can make Brent Musberger tolerable in the booth.

8. People have a short memory - Ask Bobby Bowden.

9. I haven't heard about Lane Kiffin since the season started - Why was so much time wasted on him in the off season?

10. USC creates it's own anti West Coast bias - lost to the worst team of any highly ranked one loss teams.

Ten Games For The Upcoming Week

1. Clemson at Miami - The one I care about most.

2. TCU at BYU - As big as last year's game.

3. Tennessee at Alabama - If this doesn't say College Football nothing does.

4. Texas at Missouri - No gimme for the Longhorns.

5. Penn State at Michigan - A classic.

6. Boston College at Notre Dame - Usually a good one.

7. Oregon State at USC - Revenge match up.

8. Oklahoma at Kansas - Pretty much a must win for the Sooners.

9. Wake Forest at Navy - Third meeting in about 10 games.

10. Oregon at Washington - Seems like every Husky game is exciting this year.

Visit Mitch anytime at The Sports Chat Place

Upset Alert or Just Another Week of Muscle Flexing?

Mitch Wilson — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 00:43:35 -0400

Week seven of College Football is here and it's loaded with traditional rivalries and interesting match ups. Are there chances for a major upset to shake up the standings or will it just beat another series of beat downs? A lot will be settled where it should be, on the field. Let's take a peak of what's on tap.

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College Football: Ten Top Tens After Week Six

Mitch Wilson — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 21:54:07 -0400

Top Ten Teams

1. Florida—They earned it.

2. Alabama—Looking good.

3. Texas—Will these slow first halves come back and get them?

4. Iowa—Apparently they are a force.

5. Cincinnati—A threat to run the table.

6. Boise—No longer just a novelty.

7. TCU—Just winning.

8. South Florida—Cincinnati showdown on the horizon?

9. Kansas—Still a long way to go.

10. Virginia Tech—Of all the one loss teams, they have earned this spot.

Top Ten Games From Week Six

1. Florida 13, LSU 3—Biggest game of the week.

2. Georgia Tech 49, Florida State 44—This game literally took over five hours.

3. Washington 36, Arizona 33—There is no quit in the Huskies.

4. Louisville 25, Southern Miss 23—If you can figure either of these teams out let me know.

5. Iowa 30, Michigan 28—The Big Ten is getting interesting.

6. Pitt 24, UConn 21—Pitt showed real heart.

7. Army 16, Vandy 13—Overtime

8. South Carolina 28, Kentucky 26—Another SEC thriller.

9. Houston 31, Mississippi St. 24—Could have gone either way.

10. Kansas 41, Iowa State 36—Avoiding the upset.

Top Ten Players This Week

1. Tim Tebow—The fearless leader.

2. Ndamakong Suh—WOW!

3. Jacquizz Rodgers—Four Touchdowns.

4. Freddie Barnes—22 catches, 278 yards, that's a season for some people.

5. Dion Lewis—A force down the stretch.

6. Thaddeus Lewis—Big numbers, in a big win.

7. Steven Sheffield—Seven touchdowns.

8. Mark Ingram—Under the radar Heisman candidate?

9. Brandon West—Big numbers on few attempts in the upset.

10. Sam Bradford—Was good to see him back.

Ten More Questions For This Week (Followed By Ten More Questions)

1. Who makes Penn State's schedule? Do they think they are fooling anyone?

2. How Many Texas Tech QB's have thrown for seven TDs in a game? Will there be one who doesn't, as long as Mike Leach is there?

3. Who teaches the Buckeyes how to tackle? Why can't other teams get someone to show them how as well?

4. Why are they bothering Bobby Bowden? What would the last 30 years have been like for FSU without him?

5. Is Tim Tebow human? Is he the greatest college football player ever?

6. Is there anything Ndamakong Suh can't do? Did you see him run like a gazelle?

7. Did I really pick LSU to beat Florida? Was it really as far fetched as the Gators made it look?

8. Did anyone catch that Duke-NC State score? Can Duke go bowling?

9. Will the BCS work this year? Has it ever?

10. Any chance a lesser known undefeated like a Cincinnati gets to the title game? Can it even be Boise?

Ten Teams Who Are Stinking Up The Joint

1. Western Kentucky—Maybe spending too much time figuring out what the 11 herbs and spices are?

2. Purdue—Until further notice, will be referred to only as P.U.

3. Rice—There has to be a rotting food reference for the stench this team is emitting.

4. Colorado—Horrible.

5. San Jose State—They have the S and the U, all that's missing are the C and the K.

6. Illinois—That's not champagne you smell in Champaign.

7. Miami (OH)—They better check the cradle, because it smells like diapers.

8. Ball State—Not having a ball this year.

9. Washington State—Look like absolute garbage.

10. Eastern Michigan—If you are a newbie it would be hard to believe they are an FBS team.

Ten Teams Who Stink A Little Less This Year

1. Duke—They can compete.

2. Idaho—Tired of being second potato.

3. Temple—First in their division.

4. SMU—The June Jones plan is working already.

5. Ohio—A record that got Frank Solich run at Nebraska, wins him accolades here.

6. Wyoming—Two games over .500.

7. Stanford—A very good team.

8. Army—Marching forward.

9. Michigan—Last year is a distant memory.

10. Wisconsin—Much better than a year ago.

Checking In With The Coaches

1. Dan Hawkins—Dead man walking.

2. Ron Zook—Goner.

3. Randy Shannon—You're safe.

4. Bobby Bowden—It's been better.

5. Nick Saban—Walking on water.

6. Mark Richt—Could this be the year he decides it's enough at UGA?

7. Derek Dooley—Is he watching Richt's every move?

8. Steve Kragthorpe—Better have that pizza to go.

9. Brian Kelly—Wonder if his agent is busy?

10. Frank Beamer—Hall of famer

Top Ten NFL Players For Next Year's Draft

1. Ndamakong Suh—The best overall player.

2. Jahvid Best—In the right situation he's a game breaker.

3. Sam Bradford—On the right team he's a star.

4. Eric Berry—Everyone needs a dominating safety.

5. Taylor Mays—Interchageable with Berry.

6. Terrence Cody—Plugs up the middle.

7. Dez Bryant—Maybe he should have gone pro last year.

8. George Selvie—Will dominate at the next level.

9. Greg Hardy—Punishing defender.

10. Brandon Spikes—Helped his stock immensely against LSU.

Ten Snacks Mentioned During The All Day Game Chat

1. Pizza—Mostly mentioned by me.

2. Wings—A popular topic.

3. Nachos—Always a good call.

4. Barbecue—Reeks of game day.

5. Corn—On the grill.

6. Hot Dogs—I guess the guys really dig these.

7. Burgers—Not as popular as the dogs.

8. Pancakes—May have been talking about a block.

9. Chicken Parmesan—A lucky food for me.

10. Potato Chips—The old stand by.

Ten Games To Watch Next Week

1. Oklahoma vs. Texas—The Red River Shoot out.

2. Cincinnati vs. South Florida—Battle for Big East supremacy.

3. Iowa vs. Wisconsin—A big game in the Big Ten.

4. USC vs. Notre Dame—A college football tradition.

5. Georgia Tech vs. Virginia Tech—Battle of the Techies is also a battle of ranked teams.

6. Alabama vs. South Carolina—Just another SEC gigantic game.

7. Nebraska vs. Texas Tech—Should be a good one.

8. Penn State vs. Minnesota—Much tougher than most on PSU's schedule thus far.

9. Tulsa vs. Boise—Break out the calculator.

10. Arkansas at Florida—Do the Hogs have any chance?

Visit Mitch anytime at The Sports Chat Place

Boston College-Virginia Tech: Mitch's Pick ATS Week Six

Mitch Wilson — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 06:10:57 -0400

Boston College Eagles (4-1) at Virginia Tech Hokies (4-1)

College Football: Oct. 10, 2009 12:00 EST (GAMEPLAN)

The Line: Virginia Tech -13

Two teams who are very familiar with one another meet in Blacksburg as the Virginia Tech Hokies host the Boston College Eagles in an ACC contest. These two have met in the ACC title game the past two seasons, making this the sixth meeting in three years for these two teams.

Virginia Tech has been on a roll since their season-opening loss to Alabama, and they have been getting it done the same way they have gotten it done under Frank Beamer for his entire tenure coaching the Hokies.

Virginia Tech doesn't do a lot that is fancy; they play solid defense and special teams and put their offense in a position where they always have a chance to win the game. We have seen no better example of this than the Nebraska game, where QB Tyrod Taylor made a fourth down completion in the end zone for the win with 12 seconds on the clock.

The Hokies' special teams has been alive and well, creating scores against both Miami and Alabama.

Lane Stadium is a tough building, and it doesn't get any easier when the Hokies are running the ball effectively and tackling like the well-coached bunch they are.

Two games ago Boston College looked like a lost cause. They were coming off of their first loss of the season, a game where they had gained a total of 52 yards. However, two games later they are 4-1 and winners of back-to-back conference games.

Boston College has done it by going back to what is essentially their game. They use the power running game to control the ball and time of possession and use the run to set up the pass. Montel Harris had the monster game running against FSU, and against Wake Forest it was Josh Haden with 93 yards.

Boston College has gone through a few coaching changes over the past few seasons, but one thing remains the same: They recruit smart, fundamentally sound football players who understand the game and execute well. It's a simple formula that has produced long-term success.

Virginia Tech is 6-1 against the spread in their last seven against a team with a winning record but are just 3-8 against the spread in their last 11 home games. Boston College is 5-1 against the spread in their last six games against a team with a winning record but are just 1-5 against the spread in their last six road games.

Boston College has covered in eight of their last 11 games against Virginia Tech, including six of the last eight games in Blacksburg.

A few weeks ago I would have thought BC would be lucky to get 10 yards against Bud Foster's defense—what a difference a few weeks makes. Boston College generally covers against the Hokies because these teams are very similar in the way they go about things, and this makes for close games.

Mitch's Pick: Boston College +13

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Ten Top Tens After Week Five Of College Football

Mitch Wilson — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 20:21:11 -0400

Top Ten Teams

1. Florida-The defending champs enjoy their final week as number one.

2. Alabama-The next number one.

3. Texas-Could be number one.

4. LSU-Going to beat number one.

5. Boise-Would be number one if they played in a better conference.

6. TCU-Their defense is number one.

7. Cincinnati-Would be an unlikely number one.

8. Iowa-If they remain undefeated they will be number one.

9. Auburn-Five games in and five wins.

10. South Florida-Stronger at QB than they were?

Top Ten Games of Week Five

1. LSU 20, Georgia 13 - Football the way it was supposed to be played

2. Michigan State 26, Michigan 20-This game had it all.

3. Miami 21, Oklahoma 20- U gotta believe.

4. Notre Dame 37, Washington 30- Another nail biter for the Irish.

5. Navy 16, Air Force 13- Had a feeling about this one.

6. Northwestern 27, Purdue 21-Nice comeback.

7. Toledo 37, Ball State 30-It aint over til it's over.

8. Iowa 24, Arkansas State 21-Can anyone figure out Iowa?

9. Wisconsin 31, Minnesota 28- Nice Axe.

10. Kansas State 24, Iowa State 23 -Blocked extra point.

Ten Head Scratchers

1. Virginia 16, North Carolina 3- Huh?

2. UTEP 58, Houston 41- Didn't see this coming.

3. Maryland 24, Clemson 21-A big surprise.

4. UAB 30, Southern Miss 17-Avenging the 56 point loss a year ago.

5. Wyoming 30, FAU 28 -The Cowboys are 3-2.

6. Iowa 24, Arkansas State 21-How is this so close?

7. Virginia Tech 34, Duke 26-This game was even closer than the score.

8. Tulane 17, Army 16-Can't figure either of these teams out.

9. Kansas State 24, Iowa State 23- How do you miss an extra point?

10. Michigan State 26, Michigan 20-Not the game but the fake punt.

Ten Teams With A Loss That Could Be In If There Were Playoffs.

1. Ohio State-Playing as well as anyone.

2. USC-Still just a ton of talent.

3. Virginia Tech-Good coaching still goes a long way.

4. Miami-Could be the team to beat next year.

5. Penn State-Always a factor.

6. Notre Dame-The TV networks choice.

7. Stanford-A very good team.

8. Oregon-Just look like a different team than the one that lost.

9. Nebraska-Clawing their way back into it.

10. Ole Miss-Will have their chances to play into it.

Ten Things To Talk About This Week

1. Tim Tebow's health- When is a game just a game?

2. No Olympics in Chicago-YIPPEE!!!!!! We don't have to pay for it.

3. Celebration Rules- These are getting silly.

4. Baseball Playoffs-Why not?

5. The Weather-Getting a little chilly.

6. The Perfect Brownie-Still hunting for an imperfect Brownie.

7. Breast Cancer Awareness-I think the NFL has got this right.

8. Who is the worst coach-One vote here for Ron Zook.

9. Who is the best coach-One vote here for Frank Beamer.

10. What do we do about Boise?-Maybe this is what it will take to get a playoff.

Ten Guys Who Earned It This Week

1. Kirk Cousins-Took a physical beating.

2. Jacory Harris-In one week, out the next, and in the next after that.

3. Charles Scott-Powerful running.

4. Taylor Mays-One of the best overall.

5. Jimmy Clausen-Has even the haters taking notice.

6. Toby Gerhart-Will be a household name shortly.

7. John Clay-32 carries, three touchdowns.

8. Javarris James-Sliced up the Oklahoma defense.

9. Golden Tate-Absolutely off the chart.

10. Noel Devine-Faster than a speeding bullet.

Ten Best Spots On The Web

1. The Sports Chat Place-What did you expect me to say?

2. Bleacher Report-What did we do before?

3. First and Big Ten-Got to support the fellow Bleacher Creatures.

4. Google-What's not to like?

5. Scout.com-These guys have gotten huge

6. CBS Sports-They have been good to us.

7. Fox Sports-They have been good to us as well.

8. Matt Sarz-An absolute must every Saturday for a college football fan.

9. Yaro Starak-A shameless plug for my friend and Blogging mentor.

10. Blog Talk Radio-My show is Picks and Parlays, Tuesday night at 7 PM EST.

Ten Documented Preseason Predictions I Made

1. The ACC will finish with two teams in the top 10-Still a good chance.

2. Duke, Baylor, and Washington will all go to a bowl game- Two out of three?

3. Michigan will beat Ohio State-Going to have to play well but they have a chance.

4. Florida State would be the first ranked team to fall to an unranked team- Nailed it.

5. LSU at Alabama on November 7th will be the biggest game of the year-Very well could be.

6. Bryce Beall would lead the nation in rushing-Probably not.

7. Mike Stoops would be gone by the end of the season-Maybe, maybe not.

8. USC would win the Pac-10 again-Looks like a showdown with the Ducks.

9. Florida wouldn't repeat as National Champions-Who knows?

10. Stanford would be last in the Pac-10-Not even close.

Ten Things That Reminded Me Why I Love College Football

1. A classic played "Between the Hedges"-College Football at its finest.

2. Paul Bunyon's Axe-How cool is that?

3. The Paul Bunyon Trophy-So what if it looks like a garden gnome.

4. Joe Pa-I hope he never retires.

5. Notre Dame fight song-Couldn't tell you one word of it but it's a great one.

6. Rocky Top-Like it or not it's a big part of the game.

7. The playoff atmosphere-Every game is a playoff.

8. The Commander in Chief Trophy -The older I get the more I appreciate it.

9. Effort-You see it from every player every play.

10. Miami's entrance-Still one of the best in the game.

Top Ten Games For Next Week

1. Florida at LSU-We've been waiting for this one.

2. Alabama at Ole Miss-Should be a monster.

3. Wisconsin at Ohio State-This goes a long way for both teams.

4. Nebraska at Missouri-How about two ranked teams on a Thursday?

5. Michigan at Iowa-Would have never thought a month ago this would be big.

6. Georgia at Tennessee-The college football lovers special.

7. Oregon at UCLA-This is getting interesting.

8. Stanford at Oregon State-Two solid teams and two super running backs.

9. TCU at Air Force-Could be a good one in the Mountain West.

10. Boston College at Virginia Tech-Seems to be the ACC Title Game every year.

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16 Teams Still In The Hunt For The National Title: So Says The Vegas Odds

Mitch Wilson — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 16:47:43 -0400

With teams playing either four games or less so far this college football season, some teams are already out of the National Title hunt. Well they might not be totally out but lets just say the odds are against them. Before every season I do a top 25 according to Vegas and this year was no different. Things have changed in a hurry and according to those willing to put their money where their mouth is, there are only 16 teams who have a better than 30-1 chance to be holding the trophy when all is said and done.

Begin Slideshow

Ten Top Tens After Week Four Of College Football

Mitch Wilson — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 16:52:06 -0400

Top Ten Teams

1. Florida - And the beat goes on.

2. Texas - Could have scored 100.

3. Alabama - Could this be their year?

4. Boise State - Another game of name your score.

5. Cincinnati - Also going for the most under rated tag.

6. TCU - A big win on the road.

7. Iowa - Leading the Big Ten.

8. Houston - For real.

9. Michigan - Just got it done.

10. LSU - Looking for a place to fall down.

Ten Best Games

1. LSU 30, Mississippi State 26 - A goal line stand.

2. Notre Dame 24, Purdue 21- A drive and a game-winning TD

3. Houston 29, Texas Tech 28 -One of the last was one of the best.

4. Iowa 21, Penn State 10- It was like watching two different games.

5. Georgia 20, Arizona State 17 - Last second field goal.

6. South Carolina 16, Ole Miss 10-Wasn't over until it was over.

7. TCU 14, Clemson 10 - Defensive stand after defensive stand.

8. Boston College 27, Wake Forest 24 - Riley Skinner engineers the comeback only to become the goat.

9. Michigan 36, Indiana 33- Gutsy comeback.

10. New Mexico State 20, New Mexico 17 - Did we expect anything less?

Ten Reasons They Play The Games

1. Oregon 42, Cal 3 - Epic beat down.

2. Virginia Tech 31, Miami 7- I knew Miami getting so much press was just a bad sign.

3. Iowa 21, Penn State 10- Obviously Iowa, like myself, doesn't care what the rankings say.

4. South Florida 17, Florida State 7- Oh my.

5. South Carolina 16, Ole Miss 10- And another star crashes back to earth.

6. Idaho 34, Northern Illinois 31 - Look out, the Vandals are 3-1.

7. Arizona 37, Oregon State 32 - Mild upset in Corvallis

8. TCU 14, Clemson 10 - Clemson was favored in this one.

9. Georgia Tech 24, North Carolina 7 - Another ranked team gets blown out.

10. Texas 64, UTEP 7 -Actually, not sure why they played this game.

Ten Who Had A Good Day

1. Case Keenum-He's just a winner.

2. Kristofer Green-Won my weekly free picking contest going 14-1 against the spread. Won a few hundred bucks and it didn't cost him a dime. Congrats!

3. Darius Marshall- 203 yards and three TD's

4. Marshawn Gilyard - He might be a Heisman candidate.

5. Ryan Williams- So he's VT's backup?

6. Blaine Gabbert - Chase who?

7. A.J. Green- Maybe we can just get it to auto fill his name for this category every week.

8. Jonathan Dwyer - Way to come back after a not so good week.

9. Kerry Meier - This guy never gets any ink.

10. Darius Willis - The Hoosiers put up a game effort.

Ten Mental Notes After Yesterday

1. Never forget the poncho - It was nasty almost everywhere.

2. Never count a winner until the game is over- Air Force, did you take the points?

3. Never say never - Never does happen eventually.

4. Conference games are a different animal- We learn this lesson every year.

5. LSU is the worst cover team-Have been for quite some time.

6. Fresno still can't tackle- This will come in handy later.

7. When they say Marshall they mean Marshall, not Marshall- I'll be sure to remember that.

8. Tim Tebow is human- We wish him the best.

9. Never pick a Ron Zook team to cover anything- What was I thinking?

10. Michigan State is pathetic-Thankfully I had that written down ahead of time.

Ten Teams Who Are Improved From Last Year

1. Houston- They can tackle now.

2.Indiana-Downright respectable.

3. Michigan- Already more wins.

4. Stanford-Half way to bowl eligibility.

5. Nebraska- Look very good.

6. Alabama- Scary thought.

7. Georgia - Stafford leaving was a blessing.

8. Auburn - Undefeated at 4-0.

9. UCLA - Bowl team?

10. Wisconsin - Not good but not horrible.

It Sucks To Be You

1. Ron Zook- You're fired

2. Riley Skinner- You blew it.

3. Bobby Bowden-Could have been playing shuffleboard somewhere.

4. Dan Hawkins-If you would have only stayed at Boise.

5. Mark Dantonio- Your old team looks headed towards another BCS bowl and your team stinks.

6. Brady Hoke- You got nothing.

7. Sam Bradford-Taking a serious pay cut before ever getting his first paycheck.

8. Ralph Friedgen-It's painful for us to watch as well.

9. Aaron Corp-AKA Wally Pipp.

10. Tommy West - Not a good year and not getting better.

Ten Things I Couldn't Care Any Less About

1. Top 25 Ranking lists-The more of them I see, the more I think people need to find a new topic.

2. Game recap articles - We have some giant news sites and some newspapers who are better at this stuff.

3. Articles by people who never leave comments or answer comments- I guess we should be honored to read your drivel.

4. Articles people leave links to on my wall-If you haven't commented on one of my articles recently seriously don't waste your time.

5. People who advertise their articles in comment sections of other people's articles- This is SPAM as far as I'm concerned.

6. People who send me PM's about articles they have written-Maybe I should start doing this for articles on my site since I do about 80 a week so you can see how I feel.

7. People who use abusive language in comments- Get a life.

8. People who think I have an emotional attachment to teams in my picks-You got the wrong guy and the wrong idea.

9. Fantasy Football- How sick are you of this garbage?

10. Watching games with people who play fantasy football-"I'm happy my team scored but i'm playing against my team's QB but i have the guy who caught the ball in my other league but i'm playing against a guy who has the other teams defense"...ugh!

Ten Reasons College Football Is Better Than Pro Football

1. Clock stops after a first down-The way God intended it to be.

2. The players always try-You never hear about a college player taking plays off.

3. Traditional rivalries-If you don't get it check back with me in November.

4. Marching bands-Music, but much less dancing.

5. The Option-While we're at it, who doesn't love the toss sweep?

6. Comebacks-You never see comebacks in the NFL like you see in college football.

7. Conference play-One game against each other one time a year for all the marbles.

8. 120 teams vs. 32 teams-More teams equal more games. Simple math really.

9. Coaching stability-How many coaches last more than a few years with an NFL team?

10. Erin Andrews- End of argument.

Ten Games Of Interest For Next Week

1. Oklahoma at Miami-Loser is out of the title hunt.

2. USC at Cal- Loser goes home.

3. LSU at Georgia - That's what I'm talking about.

4. Auburn at Tennessee- Just another Saturday in the SEC.

5. Michigan at Michigan State - Should be a real love in.

6. Wisconsin at Minnesota - This one may figure in at the end of the season.

7. Ohio State at Indiana-May not be as bad as it sounds.

8. Air Force at Navy-We're talking Commander In Chief's Trophy implications.

9. UCLA at Stanford - Who is for real?

10. Ole Miss at Vandy- Could be a dandy.

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Cal-Oregon: Mitch Picks College Football Week Four

Mitch Wilson — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 06:41:55 -0400

Mitch's Record Vs. The Spread in 2009: 42W-25L

California Golden Bears at Oregon Ducks

College Football: Saturday September 26, 2009 3:30 PM EST (ABC)

The Line: Oregon +5 1/2

With USC suffering a Pac-10 loss last week, the race for the Pac-10 is officially on and it gets even hotter as the California Golden Bears visit the Oregon Ducks.

Most people probably still have the vision of the Ducks' humiliating opening loss to Boise where the punch made as much press as the game. Since the debacle on the blue turf, the Ducks have rebounded nicely, knocking off Purdue and then beating Utah, who came into the game with the nation's longest winning streak.

The loss of Blount due to his suspension obviously creates a void, but a program like Oregon isn't going to fold up and walk away with just one loss and the loss of just one player. Sure, the Ducks were counting on Blount this season, but LaMichael James has already proved to be a nice option, rushing for 156 yards last week.

Jeremiah Masoli has yet to hit stride and has no TD passes this season, something that is likely to change soon.

California has looked solid in their first three games, winning them all. It's been a very simple formula for the Bears: Give Jahvid Best the ball. When Cal has stuck to that strategy, it has looked easy for them. When they go away from giving it to Best, the offense struggles.

I believe if a team can shut down or even slow down Best, the Bears will be in some serious trouble as QB Kevin Riley isn't one of the better QBs in the conference.

The defense is somewhat vulnerable and Minnesota was able to move the ball and even come back and tie the game, but Best put it away late.

Oregon is 4-1 against the spread in its last five games against a team with a winning record and is 8-3 against the spread in its last 11 as a home underdog.

Cal is 5-1 against the spread in its last six Pac-10 games, 7-1 against the spread in its last eight as a favorite, but just 4-10 against the spread in its last 14 on the road.

I am very impressed with Jahvid Best and think his future is bright. There have been some special players who lead their entire team to greatness, but it is a tall order.

As much as I am impressed with Best, I am unimpressed with his team and I think the public image of the Boise game paired with the highlights of Best on TV have skewed this line.

Mitch's Pick: Oregon +5 1/2

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Soaring to Renewed Heights: The 2009 Miami Hurricanes Storm Back to Prominence

Mitch Wilson — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 21:41:06 -0400

"Oh well, we just have to get better. We don't want number nine. Number nine is nine spots away from number one. We want to be where Florida is. That's where we're trying to get." -Miami Quarterback Jacory Harris speaking on the Hurricanes number nine ranking

For a team who won a National Championship, played in two National Championship games, played in four BCS bowl games, and had a 34 game winning streak all this decade, it feels like a long time since there has been any kind of success.

At Miami, the bar has been set, and nothing short of winning a National Title is seen as a successful season. It may seem unfair to an outsider but for those who are part of the program and have been longtime followers of the program, they know this expectation.

Every Coach since the 1980's and every player who has even visited Miami for a recruting trip hears of the expectation. While other schools talk about it as a goal, at Miami they have backed it up winning at least one National Title in each of the past three decades.

Coaches have come and gone, the players go on to greener pastures but the goal still remains the same, to be hoisting the trophy when the final gun sounds. Whether it was Howard Schnellenberger's five year plan, Jimmy Johnson's walking the walk, Dennis Erickson's one back, or Butch Davis and Larry Coker's "our players are better than your players," the tradition lives on.

Miami head coach Randy Shannon is part of the tradition as both a player and a coach. Miami's current roster of young stars are trying to become part of the tradition.

When we hear Shannon's players speak, we hear words like "us," "we," and "team." From what we have seen from the young Hurricanes so far, this year is promise and talent.

Is this Miami team good enough to reach the National Title game? Only time will tell. Are they good enough to beat a very good Virginia Tech team this weekend in Blacksburg? That remains to be seen as well.

One thing is for certain, Miami fans are seeing the same traits in this young team that they have seen in all of the great Miami teams before them: The ability to stare adversity in the face and overcome.

This Cane team has been through the gamut. From a slew of new coordinators on a nearly yearly basis to players transferring out with regularity. The march towards greatness still goes on in Coral Gables.

We see this eperience in how they deal with situations on the field—whether it be Georgia Tech marching down the field on their opening drive or Florida State seemingly pulling away in the second half. It isn't the first time this team has faced adversity and history tells us it won't be the last.

While the Miami roster is full of stars, this unit is a team. While not-too-insiders are surprised of a Miami resurgence, the real surprise is this team is a full year ahead of schedule.

With a roster of primarily sophomores, this Miami team is learning what it takes to win big games and what it is like to be in meaningful games at this level—something most of this roster has never been a part of.

The Canes certainly have a chance to shake up the world and by mid-October we'll have a better idea as to where in the national landscape they sit as far as this season goes. One thing is for certain though, Miami is back in their comfort zone, meaningful games and realistic national championship expectations.

Ten Top Tens After Week Three Of College Football

Mitch Wilson — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 18:24:02 -0400

Top Ten Teams

1. Florida-Got it done, that's all that matters.

2. Alabama-Looking better every week.

3. Texas-I'm not convinced they should be this high.

4. Boise State-Can you say BCS mess?

5. TCU-Played a cupcake.

6. Ole Miss-The SEC will sort itself out.

7. LSU-A third SEC West team.

8. Penn State-Best team in the worst conference.

9. Miami-Best team in the second best conference.

10. Cal-If it comes down to Kevin Riley having to win a game for them just give them an "L" now.

Ten Best Games

1. Washington 16, USC 13-Not too surprising, just fits the Trojan's trend.

2. Virginia Tech 16, Nebraska 15-One of the best finishes you will ever see.

3. Washington State 30, SMU 27 (OT)-This was just plain silly.

4. Oregon 31, Utah 24-And the longest winning streak ends.

5. Notre Dame 33, Michigan State 30-A see-saw battle.

6. Georgia 52, Arkansas 41-What is going on here?

7. Syracuse 37, Northwestern 34-The ol' game winning field goal.

8. Southern Miss 37, Virginia 34- Big time comeback.

9. MTSU 32, Maryland 31-It's official, MTSU has the Terps number.

10. Cal 35, Minnesota 21-Was close most of the way.

Top Ten Performers For Week Three

1. Jahvid Best-Ok, I'll say it: he may be the BEST.

2. Joe Cox-Matthew who?

3. Landry Jones-Does being the replacement mean you get the stats as well?

4. Jacory Harris-They don't call it quarterback U for nothing.

5. Jake Locker-Maybe he does make that big of a difference.

6. Tim Tebow-He looked like a one man band.

7. Ryan Mathews-Would have had 1,000 yards in a game if the endzone didn't keep getting in the way.

8. Andre Dixon-Maybe they won't miss Donald Brown too much.

9. Emmanuel Sanders-18 Catches.

10. Jeremy Avery-17 yards per carry.

Ten Myths and Pretenders Exposed

1. The ACC stinks-Beat two highly ranked out of conference opponents in one week.

2. The Big East stinks-Wonder what that makes Oregon State?

3. Florida is unbeatable-More than a few teams saw what it takes and it's running between the tackles.

4. BYU is going to the BCS-Yeah right.

5. Greg Paulus can't play QB-Yes he can and he can win games too.

6. The Big Ten is the second best conference-They aren't even third best.

7. Oregon is done-No they aren't.

8. The SEC is all about defense-I saw some pretty big scores yesterday.

9. Tyrrod Taylor can't throw-He can when it counts.

10. Colorado is the worst team-The win makes them just one of the worst.

Ten Random Observations

1. Jimmy Clausen can't throw anything but a fade- Sad but true.

2. Someone thinks football fans will buy anything-The Miracle Meatball?

3. Some people think the big news Internet sites are down-Way too many game recap articles.

4. The preseason rankings are already out the window-The current ones are even still sort of silly.

5. The whole "we beat them and they beat you" argument would be a big circle already-I never thought that one was a legit one anyway.

6. Someone wanted a "fashionable" Snuggie- I didn't know there was a public demand.

7. The refs don't seem so bad this year- Maybe it's just me.

8. There are more ugly uniforms than ever-What's up Gophers?

9. Miami and Florida State are still the fastest teams-And it isn't even close behind them.

10. Last year's clock rules changes haven't changed the game much-I was thinking at the time they were a disaster.

Ten Teams Who Have Improved The Most

1. Miami-Might not be all the way back but look very good.

2. Auburn-Didn't see this coming

3. Washington-I thought they would be a bowl team.

4. Michigan-Could win the Big Ten.

5. Clemson-Horribly under rated.

6. SMU-Lost yesterday but they are much better than they were.

7. Syracuse-Got into the win column and playing decent football.

8. South Carolina-Much better offense than a year ago.

9. UCLA-They're competitive.

10. Arkansas-Petrino will have them in gear soon enough.

The Ten Worst Teams

1. Ball State-Horrible.

2. Western Kentucky-Still stink.

3. Miami (OH)-Not even fun to watch.

4. Rice-What a difference a year makes.

5. Eastern Michigan-This list wouldn't be the same without at least one directional Michigan team.

6. New Mexico-They may need a newer Mexico.

7. San Jose State-No offense whatsoever.

8. Wyoming-Lost to Colorado, pretty much says it all.

9. Temple-They weren't this bad last year.

10. Michigan State-Not just an underachiever anymore. Now they outright stink as well.

Ten Memories From Week Three

1. Eric Berry's effort-He left it all on the field.

2. Ndamakong Suh's dominance-In a word, unbelievable.

3. Jake Locker's Grittiness-He didn't care who was supposed to win.

4. Jacory Harris' leadership-Beyond his years.

5. Tim Tebow's enthusiasm-Is every play for the National Title?

6. Tyrrod Taylor's calmness-Looked like he was in no rush at all to get the ball out.

7. Jahvid Best's flash and dash-If you blinked you missed it.

8. Mardy Gilyard's determination-He wasn't going to lose.

9. Ryan Mathew's breakaway speed-It was something to see.

10. A.J. Green's athleticism-It's something special.

Top Ten Games For Next Week

1. Miami at Virginia Tech-And just like that the ACC is all the rage.

2. California at Oregon-Will go a long way in the Pac-10 pecking order.

3. Mississippi at South Carolina-First real test for the Rebels.

4. TCU at Clemson- Just sounds interesting.

5. Iowa at Penn State-I think Lion fans have been waiting for this one.

6. Texas Tech at Houston-We may see 100 points.

7. South Florida at Florida State-If USF wants to be one of the big boys in the state, they'll have to beat one of the big boys in the state.

8. Arkansas at Alabama-Should be a decent game.

9. Southern Miss at Kansas-A lot of athletes on the field usually makes for a good game.

10. Illinois at Ohio State-A win in the Shoe could make the Illini's season.

Ten Games For Next Week They Should Cancel

1. Buffalo at Temple-The insomnia cure.

2. Washington State at USC-Someone may be a little angry after this past weekend.

3. Grambling State at Oklahoma State-Anyone want to pay for tickets to watch this?

4.Ball State at Auburn-Unwatchable unless you have friends who are 4th string for the Tigers who you want to see play some late in the game.

5. Sam Houston State at Tulsa-I didn't even know Sam Houston had a state named after him.

6. McNeese State at Tulane-During the offseason I always think I'd watch just about any game. On second thought maybe not.

7. Hofstra at Western Michigan-I just don't see the point.

8. Maine at Syracuse-Why bother?

9. Minnesota at Northwestern-And people wonder why the Big Ten has a reputation of being boring.

10. Northwestern State at Baylor-Next time Big 12 fans try and say their teams don't schedule softer than anyone else be sure to bring up this one.

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Notre Dame Vs. Michigan State: Mitch Picks Week Three CFB

Mitch Wilson — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 20:48:41 -0400

Michigan State Spartans at Notre Dame Fighting Irish

The Line: Notre Dame -11 1/2

Two teams that suffered tough losses last week will meet in South Bend as they try to get back to a winning record for the 2009 college football season.

Both the Michigan State Spartans and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish lost tough games last week; both were games that each team very well could have won.

Notre Dame led Michigan early and into halftime but couldn't hold the lead. A few of the Irish's flaws were exposed in that game, and it will be interesting to see how other teams take advantage, or if they are able to take advantage.

Two things were crystal clear in the Irish loss at Michigan: Charlie Weis had no answers for Rich Rodriguez's halftime adjustments, and Notre Dame has one heck of a time stopping the run. If they don't remedy these things in a hurry, it could be another long, disappointing season for the Irish.

For Michigan State, it was the same old story. Over the past several years it has seemed that whenever another talented team stands up to the Spartans, the Spartans end up on the wrong side of the scoreboard.

While the Spartans went to a bowl game last year, they never showed up in their big games, and when they played the better teams they were usually on the wrong end of a blowout.

Michigan State owns this series in the games that are played in South Bend. In fact, the road team has dominated the series against the spread, going 7-1 against the number in the last eight games.

The Michigan State offense was anemic in their loss last week, and whether it was a confidence killer or a motivator remains to be seen, but the offense will have to improve for MSU to have any chance in this spot.

Jimmy Clausen seemed to have trouble throwing any kind of pass except for a fade last game. He could very well struggle this week because that fade won't be there.

This is a tough call, but history says Notre Dame hasn't covered against Michigan State at home in 12 years. With a double digit spread, I don't see it changing now.

Mitch's Pick: Michigan State +11 1/2

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Cincinnati-Oregon State: Mitch's CFB Picks Week Three

Mitch Wilson — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 07:52:30 -0400

Cincinnati Bearcats at Oregon State Beavers

College Football: Saturday September 19, 2009 6:45 PM EST (Fox Sports Net)

The Line: Oregon State -1

The Big East gets a few opportunities on Saturday to show it truly belongs as a BCS Conference and one of those takes place in the unfriendly surrounding of Corvallis, Ore. The Cincinnati Bearcats take the long trip west as they play the Oregon State Beavers.

Both of these teams played in New Year's Day bowl games last season and both hope to exceed expectations and at least get back to where they were a year ago. This game will go a long way in both departments as both teams are ranked heading in.

Oregon State started slow last year and after upsetting USC at home, went on a nice run that sputtered out near the end of the season when Jacquizz Rodgers went down with an injury.

"The Quizz" is back in full form this year after racking up 166 yards last week against UNLV, but his backfield mate, QB Lyle Moevao, is doubtful with an injured shoulder.

Mike Riley's team is somehow flying under the radar in the Pac-10 and while this is still somewhat of an under the radar type game, it should be a nice chance for both of these programs to showcase themselves.

A lot of people, including myself, expected this to be a rebuilding year for Cincinnati after it lost 10 starters on the defensive side of the ball. I guess coach Brian Kelly didn't get the memo, as his team has looked razor sharp on the field.

Tony Pike is back at QB running the offense and Mardy Gilyard is catching passes. Jacob Ramsey looks to be as an effective runner as there is in at least the conference, if not beyond.

Kelly reminded us that although he lost starters on defense, he still had plenty of players with a lot of game experience, and it has shown, but this will be the toughest test so far for both teams.

Oregon State is 7-2-1 against the spread as a favorite between zero and three points and is 4-1 against the spread at home against a team with a winning road record.

Cincinnati is 10-1 against the spread in its last 11 as an underdog and 6-1-1 against the spread in their last eight as a road dog.

This is a good game between two of the better teams in the country, but even though Mike Reilly has NFL experience, I think the game at Rutgers shows Brian Kelly may be one of the best college coaches today. I think it will come down to that as these teams just look even.

Mitch's Pick: Cincinnati +1.

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10 Top 10 After Week Two of College Football

Mitch Wilson — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 18:50:07 -0400

Top Ten Teams

1. Florida—Did nothing to change their status

2. Texas—Actually trailed briefly against Wyoming

3. USC—Won in the Horse Shoe

4. Alabama—Took care of business

5. Boise State—Just waxing people

6. BYU—No let down

7. Mississippi—Didn't play

8. TCU—Ferocious Defense

9. LSU—Sometimes it seems like they are just going through the motions.

10. Penn State—Best team in the worst overall BCS conference.

Ten Best Games

1. Michigan 38, Notre Dame 34—Exciting until the end.

2. Houston 45, Oklahoma State 35—The comeback comes up short.

3. USC 18, Ohio State 15—Lived up to it's billing.

4.Central Michigan 29, Michigan State—Got to love the last second field goal.

5. Georgia 41, South Carolina 37—More points than anyone expected.

6. Georgia Tech 30, Clemson 27—Why they play the whole 60 minutes.

7. North Carolina 12, UConn 10—Right down the the final gun.

8. Missouri 27, Bowling Green 20—BGSU showed up to play in this one.

9. Wisconsin 34, Fresno State 31—In overtime, could have gone either way.

10. Wake Forest 24, Stanford 17—Who would have thought this one would be so exciting?

Ten Best Players of the Week

1. Tate Forcier (Michigan)—Destroyed gameplans and broke hearts.

2. Case Keenum (Houston)—Pulled off the upset on the road.

3. Taylor Potts (Texas Tech)—Seven touchdown passes.

4. Ben Tate (Auburn)—7.9 yards per carry

5. Greg Salas (Hawaii)—195 yards receiving

6. Jarrett Brown (WVU)—4 TD's and revenge for the home team.

7. Trent Richardson (Alabama)—How many months have we all waited to see this guy?

8. Aaron Opelt (Toledo)—Six TD's

9. Matt Grothe (South Florida)—Became the Big East's all-time leader in yardage.

10. Dan LeFevour (Central Michigan)—Became the MAC's all time yardage leader.

Ten Coaches in Big Time Trouble

1. Dan Hawkins (Colorado)—As good as gone.

2. Charlie Weis (Notre Dame)—Thoroughly out-coached in the second half.

3. Paul Wulf (Washington State)—They should cut their losses now.

4. Al Groh (Virginia)—Not sure how he made it back this year.

5. Ralph Friedgen (Maryland)—Every time I put him here they play well the next week

6. Mike Stoops (Arizona)—It's just a matter of time.

7. Tommy West (Memphis)—Say it isn't so.

8. Bob Toledo (Tulane)—Major stench in New Orleans.

9. Michael Haywood (Miami (OH))—So he's been there only two games, he's just a lousy fit.

10. Ron Zook (Illinois)—Great guy, bad coach.

Ten Things You Didn't See Ten Years Ago

1. Freshmen making major contributions—They are everywhere.

2. Horse Collar Penalties—Nor the 100 years before that. Why is this illegal again?

3. Snuggie Commercials—I'm still not sure how I feel about it.

4. Referee Discussions that go on Forever—So all of those calls were wrong?

5. Pooch Punting—What was wrong with the old coffin corner?

6. Matt Millen in the Booth—He's worse at broadcasting than he was as an NFL GM.

7. Reality TV Shows—This one is looking for married sports fans

8. Coaches Challenges—Anyone know the percentage of overturns on these?

9. Instant Replay—Not a fan.

10. Weekday College Football—Maybe Thursday, but now it's almost every day.

Ten Teams I Haven't Figured Out Yet

1. Duke—Lost to Richmond and beat Army.

2. Georgia—No offense against OK State and then scores 41 on a SEC defense.

3. Central Michigan—Were dominated at Arizona and then beats Michigan State.

4. Memphis—Plays Ole Miss tough and then gets stomped by MTSU.

5. Utah—Longest winning streak but struggle against everyone.

6. Oregon—Lost with Blount and won without Blount.

7. Minnesota—Are they just getting lucky?

8. Oklahoma State—From world beaters to beaten.

9. Penn State—Are they holding something back or just a mediocre team playing the real dregs?

10. Clemson—From overrated to underrated?

Ten Teams Who Shouldn't Count Saturday's Game as a Win

1. Oklahoma—Played Idaho State

2. Cincinnati—Played SE Missouri State

3. Rutgers—Played Howard

4. Maryland—Played James Madison

5. Florida State—Played Jacksonville State

6. Northern Illinois—Played Western Illinois

7. Akron—Played Morgan State

8. Colorado State—Played Weber State

9. North Carolina State—Played Murray State

10. Arizona—Played Northern Arizona

Ten Teams Who Were Underrated

1. Miami—They look loaded.

2. Boise State—How are they always over looked?

3. TCU—With that defense they are going to be awfully tough to beat.

4. Michigan—As I often say, Rich Rodriguez is a great head coach.

5. Clemson—A by product of them often being overrated.

6. Cincinnati—They are going to be a factor.

7. UCLA—They may not be a great team but better than the 10 1/2 point under dogs they were listed as at Rocky Top.

8. BYU—Just rolling right now.

9. Washington—Many acted like they were going to go winless two years in a row.

10. Indiana—I didn't think they would win two games all year.

Ten Teams Who Were or Are Overrated

1. Notre Dame—Bad coaching and poor tacking aren't a good mix.

2. Michigan State—Haven't beaten a decent team in years.

3. Oregon—One player shouldn't bring down an big time program.

4. Oklahoma—Where were all of these years of top ranked recruits when it came time to step up?

5. Penn State—They seem to be looking for a place to fall down.

6. North Carolina—They lost a lot of their stars from a year ago so the ranking makes no sense.

7. Florida State—Aren't these things supposed to be earned on the field.

8. Georgia Tech—Did people forget last year's bowl game already?

9. Illinois—Did people forget who their coach is?

10. Rutgers—Slow start is becoming a tradition.

Ten Games to Watch this Week

1. Tennessee at Florida—Always a great game.

2. Nebraska at Virginia Tech—Huskers look to avenge last year's loss.

3. Georgia Tech at Miami—A monster game in the ACC.

4. Texas Tech at Texas—If it's half the game that last years was it will be a gem.

5. Florida State at BYU—This could get interesting.

6. Cincinnati at Oregon State—Sounds like a fun one to watch.

7. Boise State at Fresno State—The Broncos could get tested in this one.

8. Tulsa at Oklahoma—Kind of sounds funny to say.

9. Utah at Oregon—Does the nation's longest winning streak end?

10. Michigan State at Notre Dame—If the Spartans played all of their games in South Bend they would be National Champs every year.

The Game Within the Game: Five Matchups Inside Five Week Two Matchups

Mitch Wilson — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 23:18:51 -0400

We have another nice schedule of games for week two of college football. Ok, of course we know any schedule of college football games to me is a nice schedule. While we look at the match ups, inside of each game there are match ups where the game will be won and lost. Let's take a look at the match ups inside the match ups for week 2 of college football..

Begin Slideshow

South Carolina at Georgia: Mitch Picks CFB Week 2 ATS

Mitch Wilson — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 08:08:46 -0400

South Carolina Gamecocks at Georgia Bulldogs

College Football: Saturday September 12, 2009 7 PM EST

The Line: Georgia -7

Buckle up the chinstraps and be prepared to trade helmet paint as two SEC teams meet in one of the longest and nastiest rivalries in college football resumes for 2009.

Georgia returns home after surrendering a lead late in the second half in Stillwater to the Oklahoma State Cowboys and opening their season 0-1.

Joe Cox looked fabulous on the Bulldogs' first drive, but the entire Georgia offense never got rolling afterwards. AJ Green got few chances to do anything and the running game failed to create a need to stack the line to stop them. The Dawg defense fought the good fight to keep the game close but then were on the wrong end of of a strange call that all but cemented the win for Oklahoma State. Many thought Georgia would be a good "under the radar" team for this season but after opening the season with a loss it will be an uphill battle to fulfill even those modest expectations.

If you wanted to see exciting offense, last Thursday's Night's college football opener featuring South Carolina and NC State wasn't the place to be.

The 7-3 defensive struggle featured few penalties or turnovers and it was the result of ineffective offenses and effective defenses. We didn't learn a lot about the South Carolina offense and starting QB Stephen Garcia because when the total offensive output of the night is 256 yards is still enough to win, it's obvious they didn't make many mistakes. There is plenty of room for improvement on offense and they will need to do so or the South Carolina defense will eventually bend and then break.

The games between these two are generally close regardless of records or where they were picked preseason. South Carolina is just 1-4 against the spread in their last four games as an underdog but they are 4-1 against the spread in their last five as a road underdog between 3 1/2 - 10 points. Georgia is 1-4 against the spread in their last five as a home favorite and 1-6 against the spread in their last seven games against SEC teams.

I think this is just another hard hitting low scoring SEC style game where points will be at a premium. I think I would rather start with seven of them.

Mitch's Pick: South Carolina +7

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Michigan-Notre Dame: Mitch's CFB Picks ATS Week 2

Mitch Wilson — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 13:04:36 -0400

Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Michigan Wolverines

College Football: Saturday, Sept. 12, 2009 3:30 PM EST (ABC)

The Line: Michigan +3

A classic early season rivalry resumes as the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame travel to the Big House in Ann Arbor to take on the University of Michigan Wolverines. There should be a full house in the stadium and millions of eyes watching as both teams showed promising signs in their openers.

Notre Dame looked like they had finally gotten things together last season in their bowl appearance and they were able to carry that momentum into the first game of this year.

Jimmy Clausen was stellar behind center, throwing deep, accurate and often against one of the nation's worst pass defenses from a year ago, Nevada. Michael Floyd was superlative and wide open all day in scoring three touchdowns.

Even more impressive was the Irish defense pitching a shutout. The Irish defense by no means dominated, but managed to create opportunities and turnovers and took advantage of all of them. Nevada was able to move the ball between the 20's and even beyond but never got on the scoreboard.

Michigan dominated in their game against Western Michigan from start to finish. The offense ran and threw at will, led by freshman Tate Forcier.

Forcier threw for three touchdowns and carried the ball 11 times as Rich Rodriguez's system began to take hold in Ann Arbor.

All told, the Wolverines gained 439 yards. The defense was solid, intercepting twice and holding WMU scoreless until the game was well-decided late in the fourth quarter.

While it's tough to look at individual team trends because of Michigan's uncharacteristically bad season last year, there are some strong trends regarding this series as a whole.

Notre Dame is 7-3 against the spread in the last 10 in this series but the underdog has covered in eight of the last 10 and the home team has covered in five of the last seven.

While I was impressed with Notre Dame's win and their defensive output, they gave up a ton of yards and looked to be a step away from being scored on at any time.

I honestly believe this game is pick at best or Michigan should be favored as they have enough size and good enough athletes that they won't get pushed around by the Irish.

Mitch's Pick: Michigan +3

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10 Top 10s After Week One of College Football 2009

Mitch Wilson — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 20:54:43 -0400

Top 10 Teams

1. Florida: Until they lose, last year's champs are still No. 1.

2. Texas: Longhorns want to prove they belonged last year.

3. Alabama: Ownership of the fourth quarter was impressive.

4. Oklahoma State: Was it Bill Young's defense or Georgia's shortcomings?

5. USC: And the beat goes on.

6. Mississippi: That's Mr. Snead to you.

7. Boise State: Who is going to beat them?

8. Ohio State: I don't think Jim Tressel has ever cared if his team covers a spread—he just wins.

9. California: I'm not sold on the Bears, but they sure looked good.

10. LSU: I knew that road trip was going to be tougher than people thought.

I'm Not Impressed

1. Duke: You lose to an FCS team after I predict you to go bowling?

2. Iowa: Not good.

3. Illinois: Pathetic.

4. West Virginia: Struggled big time.

5. Rutgers: No answers.

6. Ball State: Horrible.

7. Tulane: Why bother showing up?

8. Western Kentucky: Still stinking up the place.

9. Oregon: That game plan took six months?

10. NC State: Three points.

Up and Coming

1. Notre Dame: The defense was much better than I thought.

2. Michigan: I'm not surprised in the least.

3. Army: We loved the Rich Ellerson hiring at the time, and we still love it now.

4. Navy: Gutsy effort in the loss.

5. Cincinnati: So who were the 10 starters they lost on defense?

6. South Carolina: May be too underrated.

7. Baylor: That was a big win on the road for this program.

8. Nebraska: All business.

9. Missouri: Didn't hear many people calling for them to win.

10. Kentucky: Another textbook Rich Brooks beatdown.

10 New Things I Saw

1. A Penalty for hitting: On Georgia.

2. A Penalty for tackling: On Virginia Tech.

3. There is a thing called a "perfect brownie": I never met a brownie I didn't think was perfect.

4. Feathers on uniforms: It didn't help the Ducks.

5. Players shaking hands before the game: I don't like it.

6. The whole field goal Northern Iowa thing: Can someone please explain?

7. Ohio State running out with the opposing team: A true class move—congrats.

8. North Texas winning a game as an underdog: That was weird.

9. Charlie Weis looking smart: Maybe not new, but it's been a while.

10. The Kenny Chesney Thing: Not a country fan, but it's not bad.

10 Stars of Week One

1. Mark Ingram: Delivered the blow.

2. Jahvid Best: He's almost too good.

3. Kellen Moore: A surgeon out there.

4. Michael Floyd: Unstoppable.

5. Jordan Shipley: A month's worth of yards for some guys.

6. Matt Barkley: Were the four incompletions the freshman jitters?

7. Tony Pike: How good is he?

8. Roy Helu Jr.: Nebraska may be on to something.

9. Freddie Barnes: Two TDs in the upset win.

10. Dyrell Roberts: Got VT back into the game.

10 Teams the Preseason Rankings Were Already Wrong About

1. Oklahoma: An honest mistake.

2. Penn State: Too high.

3. Oklahoma State: Too low.

4. Iowa: Yeah, right.

5. BYU: Too low.

6. Boise State: Too low.

7. Oregon: Too high.

8. Utah: Too high.

9. Georgia: Too high.

10. Rutgers: Didn't deserve a vote.

10 Games I Was Dead Wrong About

1. VT-Alabama: Had VT and the points.

2. Georgia-Oklahoma State: Had Georgia and the points.

3. Notre Dame-Nevada: Nevada didn't get a whiff of a cover.

4. La. Tech-Auburn: I got beat by Chris Todd—how bad does it get?

5. Illinois-Mizzou: I think the world was on the Illini.

6. Wake Forest-Baylor: Didn't think Baylor could get it done; they did.

7. Penn State-Akron: Thought it would be "name your score" for the Nittany Lions.

8. Ball State-North Texas: I officially don't like Ball State.

9. Oregon-Boise State: Ducks didn't get revenge.

10. Rutgers-Cincinnati: Note to self: Rutgers has burnt you at home two years in a row, and neither was even close.

10 Songs on My iPod for Next Week's Half Marathon

1. Cheap Sunglasses (ZZ Top): Start every race with it.

2. We Will Rock You (Queen): Usually gets me going.

3. Boulevard of Broken Dreams (Green Day): Usually around mile eight or so, when I am usually pretty alone.

4. Hair of the Dog (Nazareth): About mile five, you know how this one goes.

5. Give It Away (Red Hot Chili Peppers): I always wonder if other people can hear this.

6. Run Like Hell (Pink Floyd): I try to.

7. Sympathy for the Devil (Rolling Stones): A classic.

8. Wanted Dead or Alive (Bon Jovi): Good to get into a pace.

9. Crosstown Traffic (Jimi Hendrix): Got to love Jimi.

10. Dance the Night Away (Van Halen): Have finished with it on twice this year.

10 Post-It Notes for Coaches

1. Dan Hawkins: Call your Realtor.

2. Chip Kelly: Call your lawyer.

3. Chris Petersen: Call your agent.

4. Bob Stoops: Call your shrink.

5. Jim Tressel: Call the Army.

6. Bronco Mendenhall: Call your dry cleaner—your laundry is ready.

7. Dick Tomey: Call the retirement community.

8. Mark Richt: Call the schedule makers.

9. Urban Meyer: Call a real opponent.

10. Les Miles: Call your travel agent.

10 Best Games for Week Two

1. USC-Ohio State: Will act two be more competitive?

2. Notre Dame-Michigan: More interesting than we thought a week ago.

3. South Carolina-Georgia: Just a great rivalry.

4. Clemson-Georgia Tech: Should be a gem.

5. Iowa-Iowa State: Never disappoints.

6. Bowling Green-Missouri: Two Week One underdog winners.

7. Central Michigan-Michigan State: Stranger things have happened.

8. Houston-Oklahoma State: A track meet.

9. Pittsburgh-Buffalo: I'll be watching—this is my kind of game.

10. Fresno State-Wisconsin: Last year it came right down to the wire.

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Memphis vs. Mississippi: Mitch Picks Week One College Football ATS

Mitch Wilson — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 00:34:38 -0400

Mississippi Rebels at Memphis Tigers

College Football: Sunday September 6, 2009 3:30 PM EST (ESPN)

The Line: Memphis +17

Houston Nutt enters his second year at Ole Miss with high expectations. Nutt's Rebels entered last season as just another SEC team, this year they enter the season ranked and as one of the favorites to make the SEC Title game.

All you have to do is take a quick look at Mississippi's roster and you know why they are excited in Oxford. The Rebels have 16 starters coming back from a team that went to the Cotton Bowl and of course were the only team to defeat the eventual National Champion Florida Gators.

The Rebels lost two players to the NFL's first round of the entry draft, that's a heck of a lot for a program whose success has been somewhat limited but surprisingly some of the best players still remain on the roster.

Jevan Snead will be running the offense at QB and his main man, Dexter McCluster is back as well. While McCluster had nice numbers, it was more the timing and magnitude of the plays he made which stood out. Their biggest loss will be at tackle where Michael Oher has gone on to greener pastures of the NFL.

On defense, the defensive line is simply one of the best in the country. Greg Hardy is the best of the lot and he's an absolute terror. He missed a few game last year but still managed big numbers.

The linebackers look to be solid but maybe not quite the group they had last season and the secondary is the weakest part of the defense and will need to improve from last season.

I'm never quite sure what to expect from Tommy West and his Memphis Tigers. West is a coach who traditionally has his team up for their big games and can look just flat in other ones.

The Tigers just always seem to be an interesting mix of superlative talent and the unknown. On offense, the core of the skill positions all return and they are all very good. Arkelon Hall had a nice year at QB and Curtis Steele had over 1,200 yards rushing and will have plenty of help as the Tigers have a complete stable of talented back ups.

Unfortunately the Tigers need to replace almost their entire offensive line. If the Tigers have a major concern the OL is it and it may be their eventual undoing.

The Memphis defense should be pretty strong and they have a nice mix of returning players and newcomers. What makes the newcomers so interesting is that most of them are transfers from SEC schools like Mississippi State, LSU, and Auburn.

Memphis is a good Conference USA team and should be competitive in their conference but may be in over their heads in this game.

Mississippi has gone 5-0 against the spread in their last five non conference games and 7-1 against the spread in their last eight road games. However, the favorite role has not been as kind to Ole Miss as they are 6-13-1 against the spread in their last 20 as a road favorite and 0-4 against the spread in their last four as a road favorite.

Memphis has gone 7-2 against the spread in their last nine as a double digit home underdog but they are just 1-5 against the spread in their last six games outside of C-USA.

I hate laying this many points on the road, especially in the opener but I don't see any other way to play it, especially with Ole Miss playing so well at the end of last season and Memphis getting stomped in their bowl game against South Florida with a better O-line than they will suit up for this one.

Mitch's Pick: Mississippi -17

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Alabama-Virginia Tech: Mitch Picks Week One College Football ATS

Mitch Wilson — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 09:23:10 -0400

Virginia Tech Hokies at Alabama Crimson Tide (at Atlanta)

College Football: Saturday September 5, 2009 8 PM EST

The Line: Alabama -6 1/2

Alabama opens the season for a second consecutive year against an ACC team in the Georgia Dome. Although it has a familiar sense about it, the similarities end there; Alabama is in a different place than they were a year ago, and Virginia Tech isn't Clemson.

A lot has stayed the same at Alabama. Julio Jones returns at wide receiver, and Terrance Cody returns to anchor the defense at the defensive tackle spot. A lot has changed, as well. Much of their offensive line has departed, including the Outland Trophy winner Andre Smith, as well as their starting QB in John Parker Wilson and their star running back Glenn Coffee.

I think most would agree that Alabama was way ahead of schedule last year, and not many had expectations of the team that they didn't far surpass.

With that being said, it was a disappointing end to the season. While the loss to Florida in the SEC Title game hurt, the Tide were an underdog in that game. The whooping they took at the hands of Utah in the Sugar Bowl probably left a bad taste in their mouths all offseason, though.

The successful run paid dividends for the Tide in recruiting, as it was a monster class including all world running back Trent Richardson, a guy who was on everyone's list.

Virginia Tech had a rough start last year, losing to East Carolina as Frank Beamer tried to maintain Tyrod Taylor's eligibility. I am sure Frank Beamer looks back at it as a huge mistake, but the Hokies managed to win the ACC Title and went to the Orange Bowl.

Bud Foster has been an absolute genius coaching the defense for Virginia Tech for the past 14 years, and they have been as good as anyone over that time. This team figures to be no different.

There are a few big factors and match-ups to look at in this game. Alabama's first-year starter at QB is up against a defense who lives off of mistakes and turnovers, feeding a Hokie offense that could benefit from the short field; however, when the Hokies have the ball, they won't have Darren Evans, last year's leading rusher who's out for the season.

This should be a defensive struggle. For those who love seeing a lot of points scored and guys running up and down the sidelines, you have come to the wrong place. The line has gone up significantly since Evans went down.

If we look at Beamer's record, he isn't perfect but his teams usually show up against the big teams in the big games. It's usually against the alsorans where he stumbles. While he's taken some losses over the years, very few are by more than a field goal.

I just think the points are too good to pass up.

Mitch's Pick: Virginia Tech +6 1/2

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Nevada at Notre Dame: Mitch Picks College Football ATS Week One

Mitch Wilson — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 09:45:11 -0400

Nevada Wolfpack at Notre Dame Fighting Irish

College Football: Saturday September 5, 2009, 3:30 PM EST (NBC)

The Line: Notre Dame -14 1/2

Fall weather has started to hit in the upper Midwest but the heat is on in South Bend for coach Charlie Weis as he enters his fifth year leading the most famous college football team on the planet. With the high profile job comes high profile expectations, which Weis has yet to fulfill.

There are signs of hope in Irish land as in Notre Dame's last game last season, the Irish we're clicking on all cylinders and the mostly highly recruited player in the last 10 years, Jimmy Clausen, showed us what all of the hype was all about. What we need to remember is that game was against Hawaii, a team who finished 7-7 and were down the totem pole in the WAC.

Notre Dame has a lot of returning talent, most notably at wide receiver, the Irish have no excuses for not being a better team this year. Michael Floyd and Golden Tate are two gamers but the Irish running game has really been non existent for the past two years ranking 100th in the country last season. The offensive line returns four of last years starters and Notre Dame traditionally has strong tight ends and this year is no exception.

The defense for the Irish isn't as fortunate as experience is somewhat sparse. The Irish have been gashed at times over the past few seasons and linebacker is something that will need to sort itself out as the season goes on. The Irish will need to get this in order in a hurry in this one.

While Nevada may be an unknown to a lot of people, they aren't unknown to those who follow the game closely. Head Coach Chris Ault has one of the top ten highest winning percentages of any active head coach and he's done it over the long haul. The Wolfpack have gone to four consecutive bowl games.

The Wolfpack is a string team with a major deficiency and like Notre Dame, it's the defense. Nevada was the worst team in the country in yards allowed against the pass, a ranking they can only improve on this year. The defense will be totally rebuilt and they will need to make plays and get some turnovers if the Wolfpack expects to stay in this one.

I can bash the Wolfpack defense plenty but in all fairness they know how to get to the passer. Nevada was the only team in the country with two players with double digit sack numbers and both return this year.

If there is one thing that keeps the Wolfpack in every game it is their offense. Nevada runs the "Pistol" formation which is a version of the shotgun and the offense is prolific. Nevada averaged over 500 yards per game of total offense and both of their leading rushers return. Vai Tua ran for 1,521 yards and 15 TD's a year ago and QB Colin Kaepernick is the best in the WAC, one of the best offensive conferences. There is no doubt Notre Dame's defense will be tested early and often.

Neither of these teams have trends that favor them in this spot. Perhaps the most surprising trend is just how bad of a cover team the Irish are at home. Notre Dame is just 6-13 against the spread in their last 19 home games and 4-9 against the spread as a home favorite.

While ND looked perfect against Hawaii last year and it must be a huge boost to their confidence, the reality is this is a team who struggled against San Diego State at home and then lost to Syracuse in South Bend. Notre Dame has had big trouble the past few years playing non conventional offenses as Navy has had some good success moving the ball. If Navy gave them trouble, they may be in for a very long day against Kaepernick, Tua, and the Pistol.

This could be a shootout as neither defense is great at stopping people. I think Nevada can at least keep it close and has a legitimate shot to pull one of week one's biggest upsets.

Mitch's Pick: Nevada +14 1/2

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La. Tech-Auburn: Mitch Picks College Football ATS Week One

Mitch Wilson — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 06:13:32 -0400

Louisiana Tech Bulldogs at Auburn Tigers

College Football: Saturday, Sept. 5, 2009, 7 PM EST

The Line: Auburn -13

The Gene Chizik era begins in Auburn under the lights at Jordan-Hare Stadium as the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs roll into town, coached by Derek Dooley, the son of former Georgia head coach and legend Vince Dooley.

This game is an interesting matchup, as Louisiana Tech is a team on its way up and a bowl winner from a year ago, while Auburn is a program trying to rebound from a miserable season that sent Tommy Tuberville packing.

Auburn is just loaded with top-tier talent. Tuberville was a master recruiter, and he definitely didn't leave the cupboard bare. Ben Tate returns to lead the running game, and former Texas Tech transfer Chris Todd gets his second chance to be the Tigers' starter at QB. Tommy Trott is one of the better tight ends in the country.

Last season was a disaster for Todd. He was benched for Kodi Burns and never got the offense in gear. It's safe to say Auburn as a team never got in gear.

While the Tigers lost NFL-quality talent on defense, they also return some very good players from a defense that was 18th in the country in scoring defense and 29th in yards against. It is tough to even think about where they could have ranked if their offense had had the ability to move the ball at all.

Auburn returns its leading tackler, linebacker Zac Etheridge, and standout defensive end Antonio Coleman, who is on every postseason award watch list.

Chizik has a lot to work with, and the Tigers have never lost to a WAC team. The pressure is going to be on in more ways than one, as Tiger fans hope last year was just an aberration and not what they should be expecting for years to come. Chizik is hoping to put his past few years as head coach of Iowa State behind him as well.

Dooley will try to get his Louisiana Tech Bulldogs one rung or more higher on the pecking order as they continued to climb the ladder in the WAC last season. The Bulldogs return 17 starters from a team that went 8-5 and was a bowl winner.

La. Tech doesn't just return starters; they return key players from last season's squad. Senior running back Daniel Porter ran for over 1,100 yards last season and looks to only improve on that mark.

The Bulldogs had one of the top rushing defenses in the country and were No. 1 in the country on special teams.

Even though Auburn was down last year, this would be a huge step forward and up for Louisiana Tech, and they are treating it as such. Practices have been long and hard, but this has the Bulldogs prepped and ready to go.

Trouble against the spread didn't just start last season for Auburn. AU is 5-12 against the spread in its last 17 at home and 2-12 against the spread in its last 14 as a double-digit favorite.

Louisiana Tech is just 1-6 in its last seven against the spread when playing SEC teams and 9-23 in its last 32 as a double-digit underdog.

While none of these trends are encouraging, I think Louisiana Tech is just in a better position to break its trends. While I think Auburn clearly has the better talent and players, the Bulldogs have a far better coach, and that goes a long way.

I think the Bulldogs have a shot at the upset here, but even if they fall short, the 13 points or even more at game time will be enough.

I do not like the thought of Chris Todd against this defense.

Mitch's Pick: Louisiana Tech +13

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Georgia at Oklahoma State: Mitch Picks College Football ATS Week One

Mitch Wilson — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 13:20:54 -0400

Georgia Bulldogs at Oklahoma State Cowboys

College Football: September 5, 2009, 3:30 PM EST

The Line: Oklahoma State -5

The unstoppable force meets the immovable object in Stillwater. Oklahoma State's powerful and loaded offense meets Georgia, who should just have one heck of a defense this year in another huge game of just week one of the college football season.

Expectations are high at Oklahoma State, and why wouldn't they be? Zac Robinson returns at QB, 1,5000 yard rusher Kendall Hunter returns at running back, and all world wide receiver Dez Bryant is back as well. This returning core are as good as any returning skill players for any team in the country.

Georgia returns some players as well, but on the defensive side. Georgia's interior may be one of the best in the country with Jeff Owens and Geno Atkins. Let's not forget about Rennie Curran at linebacker, who many feel is the best player overall in the country this year.

Both teams have holes to fill on the other side of the ball. Oklahoma State needs to replace a good portion of their defense and goes with a very young secondary. Georgia lost their QB Matthew Stafford and running back Knowshon Moreno to the NFL draft, and both were first round picks, so it's a lot to replace.

The tables are kind of turned around in the expectations department this year and the Cowboys are probably under more pressure than ever. Mike Gundy's team is ranked high and they know that what lies ahead is a Big 12 schedule. While Georgia is ranked fairly high, last season they were preseason number one and had the target on their backs. The Bulldogs have an SEC schedule on the horizon, so things won't be getting easier.

When I look directly at this match up, it's really a matter of if Oklahoma State can move the ball effectively on Georgia's defense and can Oklahoma State stop Georgia's offense?

I think public perception of the Bulldogs is greatly skewed here and we may be getting some nice value on the Dawgs though the line has begun to drop rather quickly. I am from the camp that believes the Bulldogs are better off without Matthew Stafford and feel he was part of the problem last year. Georgia's offense is based on decision making and accuracy, not a power arm and threading the needle as Stafford liked to do.

I think the loss of Moreno hurts but I can't remember the last time Georgia has been starving at running back. While all of the backs have been uninspiring or are unproven, my guess is Georgia will find their guy and he's already on the roster. AJ Green is a superstar at wide receiver

I am concerned with Oklahoma State's defense and think the secondary is ripe to get picked apart. The Cowboys were 107th in sacks last season, even with the stellar year, so I don't see them getting to Joe Cox who—while he is a new starter—is a senior, so he's been around the program for quite some time.

I always think a good defense beats a good offense and with the points it makes Georgia all that much more attractive.

Mitch's Pick: Georgia +5

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San Diego State at UCLA: Mitch Picks College Football ATS Week One

Mitch Wilson — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 10:02:41 -0400

San Diego State Aztecs at UCLA Bruins

College Football: Saturday, Sept. 5, 2009, 7:30 PM EST

The Line: UCLA -19

It's year two of the Rick Neuheisal regime at UCLA and they get it started against in better shape than last season. 2008 was an injury-riddled season for the Bruins, particularly at QB, which is where a Norm Chow coached offense revolves around.

This game will mark the return of QB Kevin Prince, who has been out of action for two years with a knee injury. While he's been around the program for a while, he's still new to the college game and it's going to be somewhat of a learning process.

In any event, we should see a sharp improvement at the position from last year's starter Kevin Craft. Craft had 21 interceptions, six which were returned for touchdowns.

Prince has all the right tools and the Bruins have 16 returning starters—10 more than they had a year ago. The running backs vastly improved and are primarily bruising types who fit Chow's scheme.

The Bruins have a fairly solid defense and one of the best players in the country in Brian Price on the defensive line. The rest of the defensive line though, will need to step it up, and they certainly have the potential to do so. UCLA, as always, is loaded with athletes. Consequently so, their secondary is successfully loaded with speed and athleticism.

San Diego State's new head coach, Brady Hoke, takes over a team who wasn't very good last year (2-10). While Hoke worked wonders at Ball State, he has his work cut out for him in the early going at SDSU, as he hasn't been left with a heck of a lot.

If there is a strong point for the Aztecs, it's their offense and QB Ryan Lindley, who while unspectacular, is efficient. He'll have a lot of players who have plenty of room for improvement around him, which in turn, could make for some long games and tough sledding.

Hoke needs to change the attitude and outlook at San Diego State, and like all good coaches, he has some fantastic coordinators. However, I just don't think the coaching staff has the players to work with. I am not a fan of the 3-3-5 defense that Rocky Long brings to the table, but he's had success with it in the past.

San Diego State is 1-9 against the spread in their last 10 games against Pac-10 teams and 1-4 against the number in their last five on the road. UCLA is 10-3 against the spread Vs. Mountain West teams and 10-4 against the spread in their last 14 as a home favorite. UCLA has covered the last four times these two have met.

I think Brady Hoke has as good of a chance of turning around SDSU as anyone but his situation reminds me of June Jones taking the SMU job last year. He has a lot of work ahead of him and no instant answers.

I think Neuheisal has to improve on last year's 4-8 record for recruiting and to get his team and fan base confident in him again. I smell a blow out.

Mitch's Pick: UCLA -19

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Utah State Aggies at Utah Utes: Mitch Picks College Football ATS

Mitch Wilson — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 12:20:20 -0400

Utah State Aggies at Utah Utes

College Football: Thursday Sept. 3, 2009, 9 PM EST (MTN)

The Line: Utah -20 1/2

Last year was just a magical year for the Utah Utes. Running the table, winning the Mountain West, and then pounding the Alabama Crimson Tide in the Sugar Bowl. On top of great leadership, last year's Ute team benefited from some great bounces that they were able to take advantage of.

Utah lost a lot of talent this off season, with just 12 returning starters nearly half their team is gone. One of the missing is QB Brian Johnson. Johnson's replacement should be talented and fully capable but it's tough to replace the MWC player of the year.

Utah also lost both of its coordinators, such is the price you pay for success. Utah's defense had two key early defections to the NFL draft but the replacements are 4.3 40 guys. I like Utah this year and think Kyle Whittingham is a fine coach, I'm just not sure we see the same run from them we saw last season as there just seems to be a lot more hurdles to leap.

Utah State is coming off of it's best season in WAC play in quite some time. While 3-5 in the conference isn't a lot to go around and brag about, it does show a team that is moving in the right direction as the Aggies seem to be. Utah State also returns 16 starters and only lost 14 players from last year's improving team.

The reality of this game is Utah just has a lot of rough edges and Utah has a lot to be motivated about and to prove. Utah State has returning players and needs to make a statement by playing well, even if they don't get the win.

I think the public perception of the Utes are of the team running up and down the field against Alabama while in reality most of those players aren't on this team. I think that is part of the reason the line is nearly three touchdowns for this in state rivalry game.

This game will probably be a lot harder fought and tougher than people give it credit for so with all of the experience along with the motivation factor, I'm inclined to take the points.

Mitch's Pick Utah State + 20 1/2

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South Carolina At NC State: Mitch Picks College Football

Mitch Wilson — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 12:05:19 -0400

South Carolina Gamecocks at North Carolina State Wolfpack

Thursday Sept. 3, 2009, 7 PM EST

The Line: North Carolina State -4

For the second straight season college football season officially kicks off with South Carolina taking on NC State. Last year's game was pretty decent, until it started. While that may be a little harsh because the Wolfpack were in it at halftime, the end of the game and all that really matters was a 34-0 blow out by the Gamecocks.

We are looking at two different teams than those who met last season. For NC State, Russell Wilson has emerged as the QB and he is the type of player who can simply do it all. For South Carolina, Stephen Garcia has the reigns as he missed a lot of the first half of last season.

I wasn't a real fan of either of these squads for different reasons last year. For NC State I thought that even once their offense got rolling, their defense couldn't stop anyone. For South Carolina, their defense was absolutely exceptional, their offense was horrendous.

What makes these tendencies even stranger are that they are exactly the opposite of what their head coaches are all about. South Carolina's Steve Spurrier has been all about offense in the past. It was his Fun and Gun offense which won him his National Title at Florida. At Boston College, Tom O'Brien's teams got it done playing solid defense.

Both of these teams have questions to answer: Can Wilson stay healthy for the Wolfpack? Can Garcia stay out of Spurrier's doghouse and improve enough on a season where he threw two more interceptions than touchdowns?

Wilson is a force and he is going to be a handful to contain all season for everyone. Garcia is a bit of an X-factor and has me intrigued. I think Garcia has all the tools including good speed and ideal size and I think the full year under his belt is gong to do him wonders. I really think he is one of the more under rated players this year.

So, can NC State rebound from the 34-0 beat down last year and can South Carolina avoid being on the wrong end of some solid revenge?

NC State finished last season as monsters against the spread and South Carolina wasn't too hot against the number, especially on the road where they are 2-6 against the spread in their last eight.

I don't feel too strongly one way or another in this one but the line is moving higher and I am hearing a lot of people backing NC State. History tells me this is a good time to go he other way and fast.

I am going to take the points with lukewarm confidence.

Mitch's Pick: South Carolina +4

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The Best Women Are Wearing Black This Week...Thanks to College Football

Mitch Wilson — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 17:43:28 -0400

My wife is wearing black today.

It isn't like she never or rarely wears black, it's just this week it has more significance; she's become a widow.

No, fans of Ohio State, Alabama, Big 12, Notre Dame and the rest of you, I haven't died and gone to hell as you've so politely requested—she's become a football widow.

I have to say that my wife accepts this role better than most and has truly taken the time to understand it.

Sometimes she goes a little too far in the consideration department, like checking the score, time remaining, down, and distance before telling me there's a fire in the kitchen.

My wife and I dated for over seven years before we got married. While college football is my No. 1 game, I can use any sport to say I'm too busy. ("We can't get married that weekend; it's the State of Origin Australian Rugby Final.")

I'm not saying I get off scot-free. I get my wife fresh flowers every Saturday from the farmers' market, my wife is no stranger to the "little blue box," and I am certainly in no position to say anything when she wants to go to the Turks or someplace to a spa with her girlfriends for a few days; you can call it the tradeoff.

A lot of my friends had to grudgingly give up their life-long goal to be a superfan and know every play of every game every year; I'm still living the dream.

While some other guys are looking at color swatches for a couch or picking out new flooring on a Saturday afternoon, I have three TVs, two computers, and at least one radio working overtime bringing me all of the action.

While most of you have probably seen my picture floating around the Internet and may have an opinion or not, one thing is certain: my wife is a lot better-looking than me. She's 5'11", blonde, and still gets carded.

Somehow she tolerates it when I ask her to move out of the way from my 61" TV because I can't see Brent Musburger. Is there something wrong with me?

So before this piece gets too gushy, and before the season hits stride and our wedding picture is buried beneath a bowl of guacamole, I just want to thank my wife for taking the time to understand that college football is part of me, and I am part of it, and it is an important part of my life. I know am one lucky guy.

*This is an edit and reprint and an annual tradition to ring in the new college football season

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10 Things That Might Surprise You This College Football Season

Mitch Wilson — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 08:17:32 -0400

Some things we consider a given every college football season, like the refs will blow calls, there will be some major upsets along the way, and not everyone will be happy when bowl season rolls around.

On the other side, there are always some elements of unpredictability—things that we know could happen but can't quite put our finger on.

With college football a week away, here are some of my predictions that may surprise you.

1. At least one Stoops brother will not be back next year at his current head coaching job.

A few years ago there was no hotter name in coaching and no name more in demand than Stoops. Today, a little luster is off the shine.

At Oklahoma, Bob Stoops won a national title but has been a BCS bowl disaster ever since. While the Sooners rack up conference wins and titles, they can't seem to win when bowl time comes around.

Some of the Sooners' losses have come in the national title game, others at the hands of Boise State and West Virginia. Overall though, Stoops is second among active coaches in winning percentage.

I'm not thinking Bob Stoops gets run out of town. He's more likely to go on to greener pastures.

His brother Mike, on the other hand, is a different story.

Arizona thought they were getting a hot young coach when they hired Mike Stoops, who had won a national title as the defensive coordinator at Oklahoma. What they have gotten instead is one winning season and one bowl appearance.

From the size of Stoops' contract, that's an expensive bowl win. If the Wildcats revert to form this season, looks for Stoops to be seeking employment elsewhere.

2. The ACC will finish with at least two teams in the top 10.

College football can be cyclical, and it's been a down cycle for the ACC. It's been a while since any ACC team has been in contention for the BCS Championship, but I think that is going to change this year.

While a lot of people have been counting the ACC out, the reality is it has been more of these teams beating up on each other than losing to out of conference teams, which makes their records look mediocre. I think this is the year that at least one ACC team starts to flex its muscles.

The ACC has been playing a lot of young players, and if you follow the NFL draft at all, you probably noticed that for the last few years ACC players have been flying off the board early and often. It's obvious the talent is there.

3. USC will beat Cal and Oregon on the road and repeat as champs in the Pac-10.

Say what you want about the Trojans always losing one; it rarely if never happens in the big games. Pete Carroll is a proven big game coach, and he knows how to keep his team loose and ready. It rarely looks like they even feel the pressure or magnitude of the game they are playing in.

USC has lost in conference, but when looking at the games, they seem more likely to lose as 25- to 30-point favorites than as a single-digit favorite. Losses to Oregon State and Stanford were as huge favorites.

When USC goes to Cal and Oregon, the pressure will all be on the home team, as it is the Trojans they are trying to knock off the mountain. While this might not be the best team Carroll has had, it's still better than just about everyone else.

4. Duke, Baylor, and Washington all go to a bowl game.

Let's look at these one at a time.

At Duke, David Cutcliffe has the Blue Devils headed in the right direction. While they ended up with another losing season last year, they showed they weren't going to be doormats.

I think this year Duke gets a little better and gets the attitude that they can and should win some ball games. In a day where six wins means you go bowling, Duke has as good of a chance as anyone.

Baylor was one of my favorite teams to watch. I never get sick of hearing Art Briles' life story, and I never get sick of watching Robert Griffin.

The only thing preventing Baylor from going places is they have a Big 12 conference schedule, which is never easy. If they can pull an upset or two, it's going to be a year to remember in Waco.

I think people forget how close Washington was to beating BYU last year. It was one of the more hideous officiating tragedies.

Once Jake Locker went down, the team looked to have lost their heart and soul, and Ty Willingham simply didn't have what it took to rally the troops. They won't have either of these issues this season.

Washington is traditionally one of the better programs that gets top-notch athletes and some of the bigger guys in the trenches. When you have most of the pieces, it just doesn't take much to turn it around.

5. Bryce Beall will be the nation's leading rusher.

So there are 120 teams, which means there are probably more than 500 tailbacks who will carry the ball this season, so that makes the odds on this pick pretty slim. I still like my chances here.

Beall didn't play nearly a full season last year as a true freshman and still managed 1,247 yards on the ground. In fact, Beall had fewer than 100 yards combined in the first three games last season and fewer than 200 after four games.

A Conference USA schedule and a wide-open offense do wonders in the stats department, and it should make last season's Conference USA Freshman of the Year a guy everyone knows about.

6. This season's performance will not quiet those who want Charlie Weis gone.

The only echoes that seem to be awoken in South Bend these days are ones of disappointing season after disappointing season. If you believe in recruiting rankings, it hasn't been because of an inability to attract top-notch talent.

Personally, I think people just give the Irish way too much of a pass and way too much credit before they do anything on the field and give their opponents less than they deserve.

Take Nevada, for example. Nevada is a 14-point underdog in week one. We're talking about a team that has one of the top QBs in America and that goes to a bowl every single year—something the Irish can't say they do.

Yet many consider this an easy game for Notre Dame.

Personally, I don't get it. I think the pistol offense and Colin Kaepernick give them absolute fits, along with a defense that did a decent job of holding a Boise State offense in check last season.

In any event, many people look at most of the games on Notre Dame's schedule and say they are easy. What they fail to realize is that when other teams see the Irish on their schedule, they are also calling it an easy game.

Charlie Weis isn't a very good college football coach. It's really as simple as that. A school like Notre Dame has money and options, and my guess is they are going to use both to get their guy, whether it be Jon Gruden, Brian Kelly, Urban Meyer, or someone else.

7. Michigan Beats Ohio State.

I know it's very early, and we never know what's going to happen over the course of the season, but I think this will be the game that sets the stage for the Rich Rodriguez era at Michigan.

Before you call me crazy, let's look at this one.

The Wolverines are home for this game, and while it hasn't looked all that intimidating as of late, the Big House can be a pretty tough building. While Michigan was just awful last year, Rodriguez's offense takes the right pieces to make it work, and by the tail end of his second full year it should be starting to click.

He's certainly heard the doubters and all of the criticism and knows full well the magnitude of the disaster that was the 2008 season, but I am still a very big believer. If the guy got it done at West Virginia, he should have no problem doing it at Michigan, where recruiting is generally much stronger.

Now before you say West Virginia isn't a Big Ten school and they play an easier schedule, let's look at the body of work. Coach Rod's teams physically beat up and blew out Georgia and Oklahoma in successive years in BCS bowl games, and I would say both of those programs had a lot more to pick and choose from during recruiting.

This has nothing to do with me liking or disliking Ohio State, because trust me on this, I don't like either of these teams.

8. More than half of the teams ranked in the preseason top 25 will finish the season unranked.

I'm not sure this will surprise anyone because it's an annual event, yet people still seem to acknowledge the preseason rankings. I still don't see the point of having preseason rankings.

While some argue it makes it better because it gives fans something to debate, I argue that it actually makes it worse in many areas.

Preseason rankings give teams credit for beating a ranked team, even though when all is said and done that team might not even be good. It also makes it hard for teams to jump over others as the season progresses no matter what happens on the field.

There are very few years where it's cut and dry as to who the two best teams are. It often comes down to who was ranked higher before the season started. It's pretty silly actually, considering the poll overall is never even close to how it ends up.

9. Florida will not win the national title.

There has never been a bigger favorite to win the national title, though history clearly isn't on the side of the Florida Gators. Repeat champions are few and far between, and running the table in a brutal conference is never a given.

While Florida returns a lot and they blew just so many people out last season, I just don't think there is all that much separation in the talent levels across college football that we can say they aren't going to lose. I actually think they lose at least twice.

It may very well be a title year in Gainesville, but I don't think any of the other SEC schools are ready to just hand the Gators the trophy.

10. There will be more bowl game slots than eligible bowl teams.

This is just a matter of time, and it will lend itself to more cream-puff scheduling in the future. There are just so many bowl games that nearly half of all teams go bowling each year.

We've already come to the point where 6-6 teams make a bowl game (to congratulate them on their great season?), so the losing team can finish the year with a losing record. I'm not sure what will happen when there aren't enough teams at even 6-6.

At what point is enough when it comes to bowls? Most of the people consider the games pointless, even though many of the early games in bowl season are some of the more exciting and competitive of all bowl games.

This will be an interesting dilemma and should bring us one step closer to what everyone wants—a playoff.

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Ten College Football Top 10s

Mitch Wilson — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 00:09:09 -0400

Less than two weeks before kickoff of another college football season and everyone knows that when it's college football time, not a week passes without a Ten Top Tens. For a little twist, lets just try it out slide show style for a week and see how it works out.

Begin Slideshow