Tag Archives: UCLA Bruins

UCLA Bruins vs Temple Owls: EagleBank Bowl Prediction

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UCLA Bruins vs Temple Owls: EagleBank Bowl Prediction: Right off the bat, more of the public bet is going to be on the Bruins because they are UCLA, a big college name from a big college conference. But if you start to look at the reality of bowl games, the struggles the Pac 10 have had thus far, and how small college schools come out trying to prove their worth in the face of those big schools, the 57% public bet on UCLA is probably unfounded.

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First of all, the 6-6 Bruins won three games to start their season, a win over Tennessee and Kansas State both look solid now, but what have they done in the last 9 games? They’ve beaten Washington, Washington State, and Arizona State – they lost to everyone else. Basically, they haven’t beaten a team with a winning record since Week 3 of the season. Those three wins to get them bowl eligible came against the very bottom of the Pac-10, well, the bottom not counting themselves.

Temple comes in with their most successful regular season in 30 years, going 9-3 and 8-3 ATS. This is their first bowl game in three decades. They were 4-2 SU on the road, 5-1 ATS. The Owls are committed to a run-heavy scheme, as they’ve out-rushed 9 of their last 10 opponents, and really lean on that run-game. In thier last 10 games, the UCLA Bruins have been out-rushed 6 times. In those 6 games, they’ve lost 5 – their only win was a 24-23 win over Washington in a game the Huskies gave away.

Names and mascots aside, you have to like Temple in this one.

UCLA Bruins @ Temple Owls (+5)

UCLA Bruins vs Washington State Cougars Pick & Preview

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UCLA Bruins (-18) @ Washington State Cougars Pick and Preview: I don’t think there’s much to this game. The spread is small because the Bruins haven’t been able to score that much. But don’t get it twisted, they haven’t played a team like the Cougars either – this isn’t going to be a “low scoring game”. One of the two teams will walk away with a pretty low score, but if this is any closer than 35-10 I will be absolutely stunned. Heck, I’ll be downright amazed if the Cougars get passed the Bruins 30 yard line more than twice on Saturday.

The Cougars give up an average of 38.6 points per game. But it doesn’t matter how good your offense is, it’s just hard to score much more than 40 points against a bad team that doesn’t compete – you stop trying to score so much and start running out the clock, this happens to the Cougars on a weekly basis, and I’m telling you, just because the Bruins only average about 20 points a game doesn’t mean they won’t put up 30+ in Cougar-land.

What has to be scaring bettors is the Cougars cover against Arizona State. But that was a fluke game, and USC only putting up 27 on the Cougs in their match-up, that was a low point for the Trojans over the last decade. The Bruins defense is good, their front 4 will not allow anything for free, and I doubt the Cougars will be throwing their way to a cover. I full expect a huge difference in this game.

Washington Huskies vs UCLA Bruins Free NCAA Pick

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Washington Huskies (+4.5) @ UCLA Bruins Free NCAA Pick: The public actually slightly likes Washington in this one, and that kind of surprises me, but I’m proud of them, maybe they see what I see. I see that UCLA has a pretty good defense, but they can’t get anything working on offense. They have quarterbacks that can’t seem to step into any throws, and a rushing attack that doesn’t produce much. They’ve been out-rushed in each of their last 5 games, all losses. Washington can play with any team that can’t efficiently run the ball, or won’t commit to running the ball early and often, and in all those cases they are a good bet to cover.

Both teams are 3-5 coming into this game, and a loss here, for either team, makes a bowl game improbably if not impossible. The Huskies have some things working against them: away from that very loud home crowd, they are just 1-7 ATS in their last 8. Also, the Huskies are just 2-10 ATS in their last 12 games against UCLA. But the Bruins have some bad shine as well, they are just 9-26-1 ATS in their last 36 games against teams with losing records. They have trouble beating up on, or just beating in general, teams that they are supposed to beat.

The Huskies have a long list of injuries that includes one of their best defensive players (LB, E.J. Savannah) and their best player on the team (QB, Jake Locker), but Jake is expected to play, but E.J. is not. Most of the players are listed as questionable, but from what I here are expected to be okay by game time. Washington hasn’t played since October 24th, after getting last week off, and should be well prepared for the Bruins.

UCLA Bruins vs Oregon State Beavers Free NCAA Pick

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UCLA Bruins (+10.5) @ Oregon State Beavers: I think these two teams are awfully close talent-wise, and despite losing 4 straight games (also 0-4 ATS in those games), the Bruins aren’t out of it. They have some solid players, and defensively they should be a little bit of a challenge for Oregon State’s run-game. I know the Beavers have played well lately, even going to the wire with USC, but the Bruins have had some tough luck and I feel like that’s about to change. Football karma definitely goes around. As a 10.5 point underdog, the value is pretty good. The Bruins have played pretty solid teams in their 4 straight Pac-10 losses, and I think they’ll be ready for this game because of those. The Beavers are solid, no doubt, but UCLA is being underrated here, the value is with them.

NCAA Free Picks REVIEW: Week 4

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There certainly were some tough games this weekend, a few frustrations that got me down on Saturday – but looking at the entire card, and tallying up the wins and losses, I still came out on top. 8-6, bringing me 9 games over .500 on the season. Win the tough weeks and you’ll be just fine – that’s what my favorite coach always said. This is how the damage went down.

Mississippi State Bulldogs (+8.5) @ Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (LOSS) – The Yellow Jackets ran all over the Bulldogs and absolutely obliterated them in Georgia. I had a loss early on, and it was a big one – Jonathan Dwyer (GT’s sophomore running back) had 141 yards on just 9 carries. There were 4 Tech runners with at least 56 rushing yards, and 7 had over 25 yards on the ground. It was a team effort for sure, but a rushing team effort. Note to self, don’t pick against the Jackets if their opponent can’t stop the run.

Alabama Crimson Tide (-9) @ Arkansas Razorbacks (WINNER): If you risked it all, you got it all back and then some. I thought this line was fishy, and in the end I was right, the Tide were at least 3 times the team Arkansas was this Saturday – at least that’s what the 49-14 score said.

Virginia Tech Hokies (+3) @ North Carolina Tar Heels (WINNER):  The Hokies played tough down the stretch, but that’s what they do. VaTech is and always will be a tough team. North Carolina came to play, surely, and they might have deserved a win if not for a little bit of a 4th quarter melt down, but Tech pulled the minor upset to move to 3-1 and 2-0 in the ACC.

Miami Hurricanes (-3) @ Texas A&M (WINNER): Miami was up 24-10 going into half time, and they came out swinging. The Hurricanes put up 17 points in the 3rd quarter and ended the game with an 18 point road victory. Big game for the U – that’s for sure. And I got yet another win. As it turned out, I’d need all these wins to make up for a few slaps in the face.

Idaho Vandals @ Utah State Aggies (-4.5) (WINNER): With the score tied going into half time, and the Aggies up just 4 barreling down on the 4th quarter, I was a little worried – surely. But then, like a circus clown out of a cannon, the Aggies found their offensive game and managed 21 points in the 4th quarter – 21 unanswered mind you. And Utah State gave me another nice win.

Temple Owls (+29) @ Penn State Nittany Lions (LOSS): I need to stop underestimating the Nittany Lions – now, don’t get me wrong, I didn’t get any help in this game as the Owls lost their senior team leader in QB Adam DiMichele, to a first quarter shoulder injury – but it seems that unless Adam was one hell of a super hero tackling extraordinaire, I was probably SOL in this game anyway. The Lions put up 45 big ones in this contest, allowing just 3 to the Owls. I would still like to think DiMichelle would have managed a couple touchdowns – but that might be lofty hopes. I’ll never know, all I know is that I lost this one.

East Carolina Pirates (-7.5) @ North Carolina State Wolfpack (LOSS): I was kind of sad when East Carolina lost this game – when the damn thing headed into overtime I new my money would never be seen again, as it’s downright impossible to win by 8 when overtime starts. But I still wanted East Carolina to keep their BCS Crusher bid for a few more weeks – now all they can do is over achieve and get some crappy bowl game against an overrated Pac 10 team and crush them just to prove a point. Lets write it down right now, I have the Pirates over Arizona State on a random December 29th bowl game.

Iowa Hawkeyes (-1) @ Pittsburgh Panthers (LOSS): This was as close as the spread indicated, but the home team Panthers pulled it out against the Hawks with a 4th quarter touchdown. The Hawkeyes lost by a point, and I lost by a couple – my hopes for a last minute field goal were crushed when Iowa’s quarterback lost a fumble with time winding down. Tough loss here, but a loss nonetheless.

Central Michigan Chippewas @ Purdue Boilermakers (-10) (LOSS): I was had by Dan LeFevour – damn me! I knew all about the kid, but I didn’t think the Chipps could hang with Purdue. But of course they did, the big quarterback tossed the ball around the Boilermakers’ secondary for nearly 300 yards and gave his guys a chance. But, Kory Sheets ran in a 46 yard touchdown with a minute left and Purdue won – but not by enough, just a touchdown. I lost again!

Central Florida Knights (+10.5) @ Boston College Eagles (LOSS): I was stoked headed into halftime up 7-3 in this game thinking, “This ain’t going to be a problem at all!” hahaha – famous last thoughts. Before I could inhale my pulled pork sandwich the Eagles were up 17-7. By the time I finished watching the game, my covering dreams had been crushed like an obese wingless fly, and the Eagles rolled off 31 unanswered points in the 2nd half. Oh boy.

Akron Zips (-10) @ Army Black Knights (WINNER): Up 9-3 to start the 2nd half, I liked my chances. Up 12-3 to start the 4th quarter I was looking for some help. The last think I wanted was Akron to play it real safe and just realize that all they needed to do was run clock, because no way Army was scoring a couple times in this one. Luckily, I got 10 in the 4th and the Zips smashed the Black Knights 22-3, covering easily.

Buffalo Bulls (+34.5) @ Missouri Tigers (WINNER): “This one will be much closer. Buffalo is sneaky, and a pretty solid offense should get them points. If they can score 3 touchdowns, which I think should happen, then Missouri will have to put up more than 54 points to cover. I don’t see that happening.” I must say, I called this game to a T – hopefully you really got excited about my analysis and bet the house here, because the Bulls scored 3 touchdowns, and the Tigers didn’t have enough time to put up 54 to cover. A 42-21 Missouri victory made me feel grand.

Arizona Wildcats (-2.5) @ UCLA Bruins (WINNER): “That whole first game upset that put UCLA back on the map seems to be a long time back – and that map, well, they are still on it, but all four edges are burning back to the ashtray it came from.” BACK TO THE ASHTRAY!!! Haha, Bruins fans, see, Rick New-weasel doesn’t have all the answers. UCLA isn’t a team that’s going to beat your Tennessee’s on a normal basis – don’t be confused. But then again, Tennessee isn’t looking all that good right now are they? They’d still beat the Bruins 8 out of 10 times. Arizona will be a tough Pac-10 squad, and considering their bottom of the bin standing over the past few seasons, they might just have nice value for most of the season.

Notre Dame Fighting Irish @ Michigan State Spartans (-8.5): “Don’t be confused, Michigan beat Michigan last week, and the Irish just got credit for the win because they were the team lucky enough to be playing them in Week 3. Javon Ringer is 10 points better than the Irish. Believe that.” You better believe that – if you didn’t prior to Saturday’s action, then you certainly do now. RInger put up another 200+ yard performance, and the Spartans beat the Irish 23-7 in a game that wasn’t that close. I watched most of this battle, and Notre Dame’s offense was pathetic. The much better team won easily.

NCAA Free Picks: Week 4

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Well Alright! I killed my picks last week, breaking through the proverbial wall to collect 12 wins against just 4 losses. That put me 7 games up and over .500 on the season after a tough Week 3 grabbed me by the crab apples. I can’t explain why anyone would put crab apples in their cheeks, except for the single fact that they are indeed better than other things you could put there. However, I can pick 9 college games – here’s what I see coming up this beautiful weekend.

Temple Owls (+29) @ Penn State Nittany Lions: Don’t tell the Nittany Lions, but Temple is a pretty solid football team. No doubt, the Lions are solid, per usual, but Temple isn’t the pushover those ugly uniforms have been in the past. I always worry about very good teams having to play former terrible teams, like Temple, because of the memories of their worthlessness that still resides. It will take a quarter or two, but eventually Penn State will pull away. That being said, it’s hard to pull away by more than 4 touchdowns. I’ll take the Owls.

East Carolina Pirates (-7.5) @ North Carolina State Wolfpack: East Carolina is dealing with a couple injury problems, yes, but they are still much better than a very down Wolfpack group. The Pirates lost one of the fastest players in all of football to the NFL, but their team speed is still much greater than this poor ACC team. Nothing’s worse these days than being a bad team in a bad conference. Look for East Carolina to continue their winning ways with a 21 point win at NC State.

Iowa Hawkeyes (-1) @ Pittsburgh Panthers: This isn’t free money, the Hawkeyes will have to do some work on defense, but I’m pretty sure this one won’t be coming down to the wire. Pittsburgh is just too inconsistent to put the Hawkeyes in a bind. Iowa might not have the hype this season that they’ve had in years’ past, but they always have a solid program. If Pittsburgh has shown me one thing it’s that they are very overrated. They may have a guy I think is the best running back in college football, but they don’t use him very well, and their loss of Jeff Otah is hurting them right now. Take the Hawkeyes to down the Panthers.

Central Michigan Chippewas @ Purdue Boilermakers (-10): Free Money! I really love this game. Purdue is going to put up about 35 against Central Michigan, and there’s nothing the Chips will be able to do about it. Purdue -10 at home against this team looks so lopsided that it worried me at first. Then I decided that the books just miss one from time to time. Hopefully this one doesn’t get me where it counts.

Central Florida Knights (+10.5) @ Boston College Eagles: I actually really believe that the Central Florida Knights are the better team here. Does that make me crazy or delusional? I don’t know, possibly, but let me tell you this, taking a team that I think is better as a 10.5 point dog feels so right, and gets me so excited, that I think I’m going to go make me a big brilliant lunch and put butter on everything! The Knights pull the upset against yet another hapless ACC unit.

Akron Zips (-10) @ Army Black Knights: I never thought I’d ever be taking the Zips as a favorite, let alone a two score fave – but here I am and I like my chances. Army doesn’t have anything going for them except they are tough. They don’t have Air Force’s talent nor do they have Navy’s rushing attack. All they have is a tough game against the freaking Zips on their hands. Take Akron on the road.

Buffalo Bulls (+34.5) @ Missouri Tigers: Sure, the Tigers have won their last two games by a total score of 121-20, but they didn’t face the Bulls! Ha. This one will be much closer. Buffalo is sneaky, and a pretty solid offense should get them points. If they can score 3 touchdowns, which I think should happen, then Missouri will have to put up more than 54 points to cover. I don’t see that happening. It’s tough to bet against the high scoring Tigers, but given the Bulls are a solid group, it makes it easy to do with a coke and a smile.

Arizona Wildcats (-2.5) @ UCLA Bruins: That whole first game upset that put UCLA back on the map seems to be a long time back – and that map, well, they are still on it, but all four edges are burning back to the ashtray it came from. I’m betting on a solid Wildcats attack to come into UCLA and brow beat them into submission. Okay, they’ll at least run all over the Bruins. Arizona played poorly in a trap game last week, as they were certainly looking ahead to their first Pac-10 showdown. Well, now that they saw UCLA get beat 59-0 they probably aren’t as scared. I’m marking that down as a good thing. We’ll see. I thought Arizona was the much better team to start the season, and one UCLA 59-0 showing against BYU didn’t stop me from thinking that.

Notre Dame Fighting Irish @ Michigan State Spartans (-8.5): Don’t be confused, Michigan beat Michigan last week, and the Irish just got credit for the win because they were the team lucky enough to be playing them in Week 3. Now comes Michigan State, and they’ll be ready for one of the Nations most popular and disturbingly overrated college programs. The Spartans passing attack is brutal right now, but they won’t need to throw the ball all that much. Javon Ringer is 10 points better than the Irish. Believe that.

Week 3 College Football Picks Review: 2007

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Week 3 went well for Old Lucky Lester. I managed a 3-2 winning score in my free picks, and went 3-1-1 with my pay picks. That brings my pay picks to 7-2-1 over the last 2 weeks, and from the feel of it, this college football pick ’em is getting easier and easier.

LUCKY LESTER’S Free NCAA Football Picks

West Virginia Mountaineers (-16.5) @ Maryland Terrapins: (win)
West Virginia just covered the spread in this one, but just covered is a Win, and last time I checked, this game, like any other, is measured by wins and losses. An early win set me up for a nice week.

Cincinnati Bearcats (-9) @ Miami (Ohio): (win)
The Bearcats covered nicely, giving me my second Big East win in as many chances in Week 3. I tell ya, watch out for these teams, they are better than many give them credit for.

UCLA Bruins (-13.5) @ Utah Utes: (loss)
“UCLA hasn’t been as dominant as I’d like them to have been thus far, but they are winning football games by a solid margin. The people who know college football best think the Bruins should be rated about 10 spots higher than they are.” (Me) Apparently the Bruins shouldn’t be rated 10 spots higher than they are, more like 10 spots lower, or not rated at all. Utah stuck it too and overly confident team from Southern California. I bet they liked that out there on the banks of that big ass salty lake.

Boston College Eagles @ Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (-7): (loss)
I was completely tricked in this one. The Jackets played poorly right off the bat, and they never got on track. Surely, BC was ready for everything the Yellow Jackets do offensively, and GT just couldn’t move the ball. Matt Ryan did was he does, and the Eagles are looking good at top the ACC.

Florida State Seminoles (+6**) @ Colorado Buffaloes: (win)
Well, what can I say, the Seminoles won easily against the Buffs. FSU may be in a lull, but, talentwise, the Buffs just can’t hang with the Noles. This game was a gimmie, I hope you won big like I did, here.

**The wrong character was used for the spread. When the pick was made the point spread was actually -6 and not +6. It doesn’t really matter though because I won anyways. The error was discussed over at theRXforum.com.

Here’s my Week 3 Elite Picks for NCAA College Football. 2 big winners in a row…

Arkansas Razorbacks (+3) @ Alabama Crimson Tide (push)
Tennessee Volunteers @ Florida Gators (-8): (win)
Duke Blue Devils @ Northwestern Wildcats (-16.5) (loss)
Louisiana Tech Bulldogs (+33.5) @ California Golden Bears (win)
USC Trojans (-10) @ Nebraska Cornhuskers (win)

Free 2007 College Football Picks Week 3

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Week 3 is ready to roar, and if the first two weeks are any indication of my ’07 season, this week is going to be full of wins. These are my free picks for Week 3, and I have to be honest, I feel pretty good about this week’s college match-ups. The ACC will try to fight back, but only in some games will they succeed. Week 3 is always a dandy, as the truth that has been waiting in the distance starts to force its way to the front porch.

LUCKY LESTER’S Free NCAA Football Picks

West Virginia Mountaineers (-16.5) @ Maryland Terrapins:
9/13/07 7:45pm EST
West Virginia is a bad team to face as your first true test of the season. After playing two games against low level competition, the Terps are well rested, but they aren’t ready for a tandem like Pat White and Steve Slaton. I’m not sure if you can get ready for something like that, but Florida International and Villanova isn’t the way to do it. Look for the Mountaineers to get off to a solid start before busting down the flood gates in the 2nd half. The ACC has been getting killed against solid teams. I have a feeling that trend will continue here.

Cincinnati Bearcats (-9) @ Miami (Ohio): 9/15/07 12:00pm EST
I love the Big East, and the Bearcats are the reason why. They showed me something last week against a pretty good Oregon State team. The Bearcats make 4 very good teams in the Big East, with WVU, Rutgers, and Louisville, this conference is no longer one of the weaker groups in college football. In fact, I’d rank the Big East above the Big 10 and definitely the ACC. I might even go as far as the Big 12 if it weren’t for Oklahoma’s chances to win it all. Either way, the Bearcats are forcing themselves into the equation, so much so that I see another statement game out of Cinci.

UCLA Bruins (-13.5) @ Utah Utes: 9/15/07 5:00pm EST
UCLA hasn’t been as dominant as I’d like them to have been thus far, but they are winning football games by a solid margin. The people who know college football best think the Bruins should be rated about 10 spots higher than they are. Utah goes for their 3rd straight loss, after dropping back to back games against Oregon State and Air Force. Honestly, this game may come down to that half point, but I like my chances with an improved UCLA squad that seems to be playing with a little urgency. I don’t think we’ve seen the best from them, yet.

Boston College Eagles @ Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (-7):
9/15/07 8:00pm EST
The Eagles have put away their opponents rather easily on the scoreboard, but I’m not sure, after watching game film, that those games were as easy as they seemed. On the other hand, I know Georgia Tech has been a force in their two wins. It should be interesting, as neither team has had much competition thus far, but my money is on Georgia Tech. The Jackets have one of the best defenses in all of the land, and a stud back in Mr. Choice. He’ll have to run hard to get to the century mark against Boston College, a team that has outrushed their opponents by a total of 228 yards in the first two games, but I think he can do it. I also believe that Taylor Bennett will find open targets in a Yellow Jackets win. This will be the best game of his career thus far.

Florida State Seminoles (+6) @ Colorado Buffaloes:
9/15/07 10:00pm EST
I know the Seminoles have been a big disappointment over the last couple of years, and they struggled for a good portion of last weeks game against UAB, but look closer, and you’ll see a Seminole team that may have just figured it out last week. Nobody questions the athletic talent at FSU, so you have to think the confidence is coming. Well, the Seminoles went down 17-3, but instead of fading away, they busted tail back and finished the game on a 31-7 run to win easily. FSU just has to harness their defensive aggression, and they’ll win this one easily.

Week 1 College Football Picks Review: 2007

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What can I say? Right off the bat I busted out the big stick and broke down the College Football Week 1 like a pro. Its nice to start off big, and I did exactly that, losing only 1 game in Week 1. If you’re interested in how the Free Picks went down – follow my wrecking ball through my Top 5 Free Picks.

The Picks

Washington Huskies (-4) @ Syracuse Orangemen: (WIN) 42-12
“I don’t know what else to say besides the Huskies are the better team here. Freshman quarterback, Jake Locker, is an amazing athlete who will breathe life into the program. I expect a win of a couple touchdowns in this one.” Something about the 30-3 score in this one that just proves me right. Washington was dominant after Jake got his beginner’s jitters out. This kid is a beast, and this won’t be the last time he gives opposing defenses hell.

UCLA Bruins (-17) @ Stanford Cardinal: (WIN) 45-17
“Stanford isn’t a tough match-up, and UCLA has a history of starting the season playing well. Even though Jim Harbaugh is doing his best to turn Stanford around, he’ll have to do it with a new quarterback – as Trent Edwards is in the NFL. Look for Stanford to take some bumps early, one of them will be this weekend against UCLA.” Would you consider a 45-17 ass-kicking a bump? I sure would. Stanford played tough early, but when UCLA got going, they weren’t about to be stopped. 31 2nd half points had the Bruins running away with this one.

UAB Blazers (+21.5) @ Michigan State Spartans: (LOSS) 18-55
My man, SonnerBS from www.therxforum.com, had this game all but called to a T. He was right and I was dead wrong, as I didn’t take into account the extreme amount of young players, and coaches, that had to play well to give UAB a chance. Not only that, but the Spartans looked good – and I was all kinds of wrong on this one. But hey, 4-1 ain’t bad.

Iowa Hawkeyes (-12.5) @ Northern Illinois: (WIN)
The Hawkeyes didn’t route NIU by any means, this game was a tough-nosed early season defensive ball game. However, the Hawkeyes scored 16 while holding NIU to just 3 measly points. So, yeah, the Hawkeyes didn’t shellac the Huskies like I thought they would, but they did enough to cover their first game of the year.

Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (+2) @ ND Fighting Irish: (WIN)
“I just love GT’s toughness too much for a soft Fighting Irish club. None of the 3 Irish quarterbacks have played well enough to take the starting job, but that’s all Charlie Weis has, so it’ll have to do. Georgia Tech’s defense might be the toughest and fastest unit Notre Dame sees all year. That’s not who I’d like to start the season with. Look for Tech to out-muscle Notre Dame at every step.” Did I say every step? I meant every single movement. The Irish were outmanned and out coached, and like I said, the quarterback situation in South Bend looked rocky at best. The frosh looked good late, but Tech was on shutdown mode while Tashard Choice ran buck-wild on Notre Dame’s soft defense. The kid was unstoppable.

4-1: now that’s how good season’s start. I’ll be back next week for my free picks – so keep up and make a little dough!

Free College Football Picks Week 1 – 2007

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Washington Huskies (-4) @ Syracuse Orangemen:
8/31/07 8:00pm EST

I don’t know what else to say besides the Huskies are the better team here. Washington had some tough bounces last season, but they were a much better team under the guidance of Tyrone Willingham. He hasn’t gotten much credit for his job well done, probably because he finished out of bowl eligibility, and he’s on the hot seat this season because the UW job is highly sought after these days. To make matters worse, the Huskies have the Nation’s toughest schedule. Fortunately, this game isn’t one of those tough ones. Freshman quarterback, Jake Locker, is an amazing athlete who will breathe life into the program. I expect a win of a couple touchdowns in this one. Hopefully Tyrone can find some wins this season, he’s a very good coach.

UCLA Bruins (-17) @ Stanford Cardinal:
9/1/07 3:30pm EST

The Bruins have been inconsistent at best, as they ousted cross town rival, USC, to knock them out of the National Championship last season before losing their bowl game against FSU. The Bruins have the talent to give USC a run in the Pac 10, but Karl Dorrell needs to coach these kids to consistency. Stanford isn’t a tough match-up, and UCLA has a history of starting the season playing well. Even though Jim Harbaugh is doing his best to turn Stanford around, he’ll have to do it with a new quarterback – as Trent Edwards is in the NFL. Look for Stanford to take some bumps early, one of them will be this weekend against UCLA.

UAB Blazers (+21.5) @ Michigan State Spartans:
9/1/07 12:00pm EST

I just don’t think the Spartans have it in them. They aren’t a good football team, as was seen by losing game after game as the season went on last year. UAB played a lot of close games in 2006, and they’re returning a lot of starters. New MSU coach, Mike Dantonio, will have to work with the little talent he has, and that will be apparent early as they have to fight tooth and nail to beat UAB. Michigan State will not be in a bowl in 2007.

Iowa Hawkeyes (-12.5) @ Northern Illinois:
9/1/07 3:30pm EST

Iowa had a tough season in 2006, and NIU played way above their talent level to finish 7-6. Garret Wolfe is gone, and so is NIU’s starting quarterback from last season. Iowa will be dominant defensively in this game, and will make a run at the Big 10 title, despite what people think. Kirk Ferentz is one of the best college coaches around. His first losing season was last year, and he’ll be back with at least 9 wins in 2007. I just don’t think this team can continue to lose, they have enough talent all over the field to turn ’07 into a success, and I’ll believe they’re going to do just that. They should route NIU.

Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (+2) @ Notre Dame Fighting Irish:
9/1/07 3:30pm EST

I initially wanted to take the Fighting Irish at home, but I just love GT’s toughness too much for a soft Fighting Irish club. Last year the Irish needed their own luck to skip past the Yellow Jackets, but I don’t see it happening this year. Notre Dame had too much resting on their freshman quarterback’s shoulders, and since he injured one of those shoulders, they could fumble early in the season. None of the 3 Irish quarterbacks have played well enough to take the starting job, but that’s all Charlie Weis has, so it’ll have to do. Georgia Tech’s defense might be the toughest and fastest unit Notre Dame sees all year. That’s not who I’d like to start the season with. Look for Tech to out-muscle Notre Dame at every step.